"Go down to the river to eat that snake." "Go on, get." "Go on." "Get out of here." "Get out of here." "Little early to be quitting, ain't it, girls?" "Or is it Christmas?" "Girls yourself." "It ain't Christmas, neither." "It's that hell bitch." "She bit a hunk out of him." "I'm glad you got here before fall, Newt." "We've been missing you." "It's supper time." "Either that or old Bolivar's calling up bandits." "We hear you, dern it, we hear you!" "'I God, Woodrow, as long as you've worked around horses," "I'd think you wouldn't turn your back on Kiowa mares." "You want to think something, think that roof back up on the barn instead of sitting in the shade." "I ain't scared to be lazy." "That don't recommend you much." "Can we eat, or are we waiting till the argument's over?" "You will starve if you wait for that." "Many thanks." "If you ever get tired of loafing, you can get work waiting tables." "I had a job waiting tables once, on a riverboat." "Wasn't older than Newt there, but..." "I had to give it up." "How come?" "Well, I was too young and pretty." "The whores wouldn't let me alone." "Listening to you brag don't improve the taste of these Mexican strawberries none." "The only way you'll get better food is by shooting Bolivar." "And another thing, Bol." "Quit whacking that dinner bell for supper." "Whack it at noon if you want to." "A man with any sense can tell it's sundown without you whacking that bell." "General Robert E. Lee freed the slaves." "I can whack if I want to." "Abe Lincoln freed the slaves, not General Lee." "He didn't free Mexicans anyway, Bol." "It was, uh..." "Americans that he freed." "You're in over your head, Pea." "It was Africans Abe Lincoln freed, no more American than Call, here." "I'm American, by God." "You was born in Scotland, though you was on the teat when they brought you." "I'm as American as anybody from Tennessee." "You boys can sleep easy tonight knowing Captain Woodrow F. Call is guarding the river, keeping you safe from Indians and Mexican bandits." "There ain't no Indians no more." "We cleaned them out." "How about Blue Duck?" "You never got him." "No, we never got that half-breed." "Blue Duck ain't around here nowhere." "His range is further north." "How come the Captain goes to the river?" "He just misses the wild old days when he had somebody to outwit, that's all." "I'll whack that bell if I want to." "What's the matter with that knife, Bol?" "Won't hold an edge?" "It is like a wife." "Every night you better stroke it." "Your wife in Mexico must be getting rusty by now." "She don't get sharpened more than twice a year, does she, Bol?" "She is old." "Like you." "The older the violin, the sweeter the music." "You ought to bring her to meet me." "No, I know you." "You would try to corrupt her." "How about one of your daughters?" "You've got nine, ain't you?" "I don't see no scalps." "Good night to slip into Mexico and cross some stock." "Cross it and do what?" "It ain't against the law for you to work." "Can I go to Mexico?" "I'm getting old enough now." "You'll get old quick if you sit around talking." "Best go on to bed." "It's still early, Captain." "You go to bed now." "We got work tomorrow." "Yes, sir." "You ought to let him set awhile." "The only education he's got is listening to me." "What kind of education is that?" "You think he'll learn more shoveling horse poop for you?" "I shovel my share." "It ain't hurt me." "Fine, if that's how you want to make your fortune." "I think I'll straggle down to that gin palace see if I can't scare me up a card game." "Now, you pigs..." "You don't wait up for me, now." "Evening, my good friend." "Mr. Gus, come in, come in." "Loan me $2.00, all right, Gus?" "Why would I loan money to a loafer?" "You ought to be trailing cattle." "I'm leaving next week to do just that." "I'll pay you back." "Evening, Lorie." "You look fine." "Real fine." "Listen, me and Lorie are trying to talk." "Dish, you got a sour stomach?" "What you need is a good game of cards." "Ain't that right, Lippy?" "I didn't come in to play no cards." "How about you, Wanz?" "Put that rag away." "Most people wouldn't notice dead skunks on the table." "Put you in a better mood." "Nothing else to do around here anyway." "Almost sunup." "How did anybody that pretty wind up in Lonesome Dove?" "A gambler named Tinkersley left her here a couple of years ago." "Before that, he'd had her, uh... sparking boys in San Antone to pay his debts." "Damn him." "She didn't mind." "She was rat-holing her tips, trying to save to get to San Francisco." "He stole her money." "She caught him drunk and tried to shoot him." "He beat her black and blue." "Bit her lip, too." "That's how come she got that scar." "That little scar." "I kind of like her." "You been with her?" "Sure, who ain't?" "Even Wanz treats himself once or twice a week." "Of course, she won't have nothing to do with Lippy." "Here's that $2.00 you wanted to borrow, Dish." "Go ahead, take it." "Wouldn't want it said I'd refuse a loan to a friend." "Much obliged, then." "I'll pay you back this fall." "No need to ride off tonight, Dish." "Throw your blanket on our front porch." "I appreciate that." "I do, I..." "Darn, I think I left something on the table." "Imagine that." "If it's all right with you, Dish," "I won't wait." "No need." "You go on." "Get from here, you pigs." "I ain't giving you no biscuits." "Now go on, get." "Go on." "What's Dish Boggett doing on the front porch?" "Well, sleeping, unless you woke him." "How's that horse bite?" "Hell, I been bit worse by bedbugs in Saltillo." "Let me pour some axle grease on it." "Tend to your biscuits." "You up all night reading the good book?" "It's hard to have fun in a place like this, but" "I do my best." "Biscuits are ready." "We come here to make money." "There wasn't nothing about fun in the deal." "You like money even less than you like fun, if that's possible." "Wake up, Newt." "You'll poke your eye with your own fork." "See what happens when you keep him up all night talking." "Hurry, Pea." "It'll take a hacksaw to cut them eggs, the way frying them in coffee grounds, Bol." "I don't care." "Pea eye, it's bad manners to go relieving yourself where people are eating breakfast." "What would your mama think?" "Good morning." "Morning, Dish." "Have some bacon." "Thanks, Captain." "You can work it off." "Work it off?" "Hey, come look who's riding up the road." "It ought to be Deets." "He's due back from San Antone." "It's Deets, but not alone." "That's Deets all right." "Who's the other one?" "'I God, Woodrow, that's Jake Spoon!" "Danged if you ain't right." "Lord, how long has it been?" "10 years." "Well, howdy, boys." "What's for breakfast?" "You're too late." "We ate." "You always was a hog, Gus." "Captain." "Good to see you." "Where you been all these years?" "Arkansas most recently." "Your horse looks like you left in a hurry." "Yeah, that's true enough." "What you think, Captain?" "Didn't I find the prodigal?" "You did." "Bet it wasn't in no church house." "Pea, it's been a long time." "Thank you, Jake." "This is Dish Boggett." "He just signed on." "I did?" "And who's this?" "Don't you remember me, Jake?" "You used to buy me hard candy." "You gave me my first ride on horseback." "My God!" "Well, if it ain't Newt!" "Little Newt!" "I growed up, huh?" "You growed up good, Newt." "Thank you, Jake." "Woodrow makes sure he sleeps." "Deets, give his horse a good feed." "Probably been a while since he's had one." "Didn't Deets have that same cap before I left?" "Deets wouldn't quit a garment 'cause of a little age." "We can't all be fine dressers like you." "Pea, you best get these two boys to work digging that well." "Well, now, Captain, I... you don't mind doing a little well digging to pay for breakfast, do you, Dish?" "I don't guess so." "That old pistolero you got for a cook has been cleaning his gun on this towel." "There's worse he wipes on it." "Where you been all these years, Jake?" "Seeing the country." "I was up in Montana two years ago." "Prettier land there never was, 'specially on Milk River." "You can smell Canady from there." "Bet you can smell Indians, too." "Yeah, but it's worth it seeing all the grass." "Grass everywhere." "You wouldn't believe it." "Plenty of water, too." "I'd go today, if I could sprout wings and fly." "Be safer to walk." "Give somebody else time to lick the Indians." "The minute they are licked, there's going to be fortunes made in Montana." "What are you saying, Jake?" "I'm saying let's us get to it first." "Round up free cattle here, drive them up." "We'd be rich." "Land like you never seen." "We ain't seen you in 10 years." "Now you want us to pack up, go north, and get scalped." "You were never afraid of a few Indians." "We whupped them down here, and they was Comanches." "You were never a lover of cows, neither." "Pretty whores, cards, and clean shirts was more your line." "Yeah, but I can smell an opportunity when it's under my nose." "What about that trouble in Arkansas?" "Mule Skinner threw down on me in a saloon." "Shot back at him and killed a dentist." "Was a pure accident, but I killed him." "He stood in the wrong place?" "Actually, he was outside walking down the street." "A plank wall won't stop no.50-caliber bullet." "But a dentist will." "Dropped him dead." "It was bad luck all around." "Nobody likes a dentist anyway." "This one was the mayor." "Worse yet, his brother's the she... his brother's the sheriff." "Young fellow named July Johnson." "He was away at the time." "They wouldn't hang you for an accident, not even in Arkansas." "Since they don't take much shine to gamblers," "I wasn't going to give them the option." "Good to see you boys." "I hardly thought to find you still here." "Ain't nothing changed much around here since you left, Jake." "Little Newt sure surprised me." "Guess I thought he was still just a spud." "What about Maggie?" "Maggie's been dead nine years, Jake." "Nine years." "I swear..." "You've had little Newt all this time." "Wasn't a whole lot of people scrambling to adopt a dead whore's child." "Ain't that right, Woodrow?" "Well, it ain't a holiday." "Let's help them boys out there." "I swear." "It was only the Christian thing to do... taking him in, I mean." "One of you boys is most likely his dad." "July, get out here." "I want to talk to you." "Hello, Peach." "Where did you get the rooster, Peach?" "It's my rooster." "July, when do you aim to start after Jake Spoon?" "Well... he'll get over to Mexico or somewhere you sit around here much longer..." "Like you been doing." "The thing is, Peach..." "I mean everybody pretty much agrees it was an accident." "Stop that, rooster!" "Benny was my husband and your brother and the mayor of this town." "Now that ought to stand for something, July." "It does..." "You're the sheriff, ain't you?" "It's what you're paid for." "Well, that's true, but you can't..." "You never should have married that woman, July." "Remember I warned you about that?" "Well, what's that got to do with this, Peach?" "I think you'd rather stay home than do your duty." "That's what I think." "I never said I wasn't going after him." "Oh, rooster!" "Guess that will teach him to peck me." "Well, July..." "What about Jake Spoon?" "I expect to find him down around San Antonio somewhere, Peach." "I hear he has friends there." "You catch him, you hear me?" "I will, Peach." "Don't worry." "Now let's see how you like the cook pot." "Them friends of Jake Spoon's... they're two of the most famous Texas Rangers that ever lived." "You know that?" "I don't suppose there's a sporting woman around." "Are you so rich that's all you think about?" "I think about it, rich or poor." "Get from here, you pigs." "Go hunt up another snake or something." "Get!" "Sit down, Jake." "Let's talk." "Folks that keep pigs ain't no better than farmers." "I'm surprised at you and Call." "I figured you'd at least stay cattlemen after we quit rangering." "I thought you'd own a railroad by now or at least a whorehouse." "I guess life's disappointed us both." "I may not have made no fortune, but I never spoke to a pig, neither." "In all your world travels, Jake, you didn't run across Clara nowhere, did you?" "She's still married to that horse trader Bob Allen, if that's what you're asking." "You saw her then?" "Just for a minute outside a store in Ogallala." "Bob was with her, so I wasn't asked for supper." "Any young'uns?" "Two girls, I believe." "I heard her boys died." "How did she look?" "Not as pretty as she once was." "It's been 15 years since we courted her." "Nebraska, huh?" "I went by there on my way to Montana." "Bob's close to rich, did you know that?" "Army gets most of its horses from him." "First he gets Clara, then he gets rich." "'I God, imagine that." "Him so dumb he can hardly walk through a door without bumping his head." "Don't seem fair, does it?" "Stop digging when you get to China." "You'll know when you're there." "The men wear pigtails." "If you hadn't loaned me that $2.00," "I'd be halfway to Matagorda by now." "No need to thank me." "Easy, now." "Easy there." "Want some help?" "Not from you, I don't." "Where's Jake?" "Catching a nap." "Oh, man." "He ain't changed a bit, has he?" "Look who's talking." "When did you change last?" "Still breaking horses when there's plenty of gentle ones." "I never seen a more intelligent filly." "Look, how she's watching." "She ain't watching you 'cause she loves you." "Gus." "What?" "Why not go up to Montana?" "The cattleman's paradise, to hear Jake tell it." "Sounds like a damn wilderness to me." "Aren't we a shade old to start fighting Indians again?" "I mean it, Gus." "Why not just..." "Go north with the herd?" "I tell you what." "You ride on up there, clear out the Indians, build a little cabin, get a nice fire going in the fireplace, me and Jake'll come up with a herd." "I'd like to see the herd you two could get." "Herd of whores, maybe." "You ain't no more a cattleman than I am." "You know it, too." "I want to do it, Gus." "I want to see that country before the bankers and lawyers all get it." "Hey, you boys got any water flowing yet?" "It's flowing out of me." "I lost two gallons already." "Well, quit work." "Catch a little rest." "We're going to Mexico tonight." "'I God, Woodrow." "Where you off to, looking so pretty?" "Just taking a stroll, since we got the afternoon off." "What do you do in Mexico?" "We ride around in the dark, strike on some horses and cows, then we steal them." "Like the Mexicans stole them from over here." "Come on in here, son." "Anybody digging a well in this heat deserves a drink." "Well, that's..." "Thanks, anyway." "Look at the Captain." "Whoo hee hee!" "Going to run her out now." "Going to show whose horse she is." "You think the Captain will let me go tonight?" "You're sure in a hurry to get shot at." "Any more horse bites?" "Quit pulling on that jug." "I want you sober tonight." "Well, speaking of sober..." "There's somebody who ain't." "Just leave me alone, Jake." "Go away." "Let me get back on my..." "I want to see Lorie." "I want to go by myself, Jake." "Dish?" "Oh, hello, Captain." "What the hell happened?" "I wish I could say." "Well, why can't you say?" "Don't believe I can remember." "Jake, you put him up to this?" "No." "I found him trying to see how fast he could drain a bottle." "I'll not have men can't do their job." "I can ride, Captain." "Ain't nothing to setting on a horse." "Better not fall off, or the Mexicans will get you." "You men want supper, best go get it." "We're leaving at sundown." "Newt, best go saddle your pony, too, I reckon." "If that old Mexican thinks it's the 4th of July," "I'll give him firecrackers!" "That was a foolish thing, Jake." "You might have hit the house instead of old Bolivar." "No wonder you're on the run." "Evening, Joe." "How's your mama been today?" "She was sick again this morning." "Don't you slosh that milk, Joe." "I'm home." "Supper's on the table." "Joe said you were feeling poorly again this morning." "It's living in this town that does it." "You want some buttermilk?" "No, sir." "If he wants buttermilk, he can get it himself." "Don't wait on him hand and foot." "I been thinking." "I better go catch Jake Spoon." "Do what?" "Catch Jake Spoon for killing Benny." "Now why would you want to do that?" "It was an accident, as everybody with any sense knows." "I know..." "Peach been bullying you again, is that it?" "Wipe your lip, July." "Joe, run fetch a bucket of water." "We been married five months." "Now you want to ride off somewhere, and all because of Peach." "Well, that's my job, Ellie." "That's what I get paid for." "If I start now," "I expect I'd be back in a month." "Well, maybe you should at that, July." "I think I should." "Take Joe with you." "Take Joe?" "Ellie, he's just a boy." "There could be a fight." "I doubt anybody'd shoot a boy, even in Texas." "I was thinking maybe I'd take Roscoe." "Take Joe." "He's got to grow up sometime." "It won't hurt him." "I don't know, Ellie." "I know." "I'll go tell him." "Better to have that if it's not needed than to need it and not have it." "You pigs guard the place while we're gone." "They put a gun on you." "Wouldn't be surprised if they make you boss of this outfit." "Better hope not, Deets." "I'd cut your wages for always joshing me." "Big camp's just a couple of miles over that ridge." "Some might think it foolish, stealing horses from Pedro Flores." "He's got the best-armed hundred vaqueros in northern Mexico." "They're spread all around and can't shoot anyhow." "Most of this crowd can't neither." "Dish is still half-drunk." "Newt ain't ever spilled blood." "I swear, Gus." "You'd argue with a possum." "Be easier than arguing with you, Woodrow." "How many you figure?" "I'd say 40 or 50 head." "Speak up, Gus." "Talk a little louder and them vaqueros probably bring us the horses..." "While they're shooting at us." "We'll split up." "Get ready to jump some gullies, boys." "Captain." "What is it?" "I hear singing." "White folks singing." "White folks?" "You hear anything?" "Yes, I do." "I hear something, but it sounds like a bird." "Hell, Deets wouldn't stop for no bird." "No, sir, I guess he wouldn't." "Two of them." "They got a donkey and a mule." "That don't make no sense at all." "Irishmen." "When did Pedro Flores go to hiring Irishmen?" "Oh, whiskey made me pawn me clothes" "And whiskey gave me a broken nose" "Whiskey-o, Johnny-o" "Rise 'em up from down below" "Whiskey, whiskey, whiskey-o" "Open up, this jar must go" "John, rise 'em up from down below" "Let's eat the donkey." "What's a donkey good for?" "Teach it to sit on its arse and eat sugar cubes." "You men just hold steady there." "Murderers, Allen!" "Murderers!" "Heyaaa, mule, heyaaa!" "Heyaaa!" "Heyaaa, heyaaa, heyaaa!" "I believe that mule's hobbled, son." "That's why his legs won't work." "He's me brother, but smart he ain't." "I'm Allen O'Brien, and that would be young Sean there on the mule." "Sir." "Newt, you run get the horses." "Yes, sir." "You know where you are?" "Not Ireland." "I know that much." "How far are we from Galveston, sir?" "Galveston?" "This is Mexico." "Worse, the part you're standing on belong to Pedro Flores." "He find you here, he'll hang you sure." "Hang us?" "Oh, yeah." "Mr. Gus done got the horses." "You boys best pack up and go with us." "We're packed." "We being chased?" "I don't doubt it." "Jake's shooting off his pistol like a fool." "Head for home!" "Big bunch of horses coming this way." "Flores and his boys?" "I believe so." "No wonder we ain't been chased." "While we was in Mexico stealing Flores' horses, he was back in Texas stealing some others." "That's it." "We'll run straight at them, grab his herd, and kick for the river." "Be a good joke on that old bandit." "Hang onto your hat, Irishmen!" "¿Qué es eso?" "Not bad for a night's work... over 100 horses and two lost Irishmen." "All we need is cattle and some more cowboys to drive 'em north." "Ain't been here but a day." "Already you've made a horse thief out of me." "That's a step up for you, ain't it, Jake?" "Let's get them horses hid in that thicket up there." "Don't you even want your breakfast first, Woodrow?" "I could kick you for giving him ideas about Montana." "We'll suffer all our lives." "I'd forgot how determined he gets." "How about loaning me a couple of dollars?" "Early in the day to wiggle your bean." "It's for whiskey and a tub." "That girl wouldn't take money from me." "That's because she don't really know you yet." "Roscoe can help if you need anything." "I can do my own choring." "This ain't exactly a cotton plantation." "Well, you ready, Joe?" "Yes, sir, I reckon." "Well, give her a kick, and let's go." "Hey, Joe!" "Roscoe!" "Roscoe Brown!" "Morning, Peach." "Hello, Charlie." "I thought July told you to look after Elmira." "She said she don't want no looking after." "We just got back from the cabin, and she's gone." "Gone?" "Gone where?" "Maybe on that whiskey boat." "You mean, she... she left town?" "Well, why would Elmira do a thing like that?" "Well, who knows..." "A woman like her." "Maybe got her another man somewhere." "But... but she's July's wife." "She's having a baby, too." "A baby?" "July never said nothing about no baby." "I doubt she ever told him, but I seen her with the morning sickness." "My God..." "On a whiskey boat?" "July ain't got the sense God gave a turkey, or he'd never have married her." "You'd best go find him and tell him his wife's run away." "Well," "July's gone to Texas, Peach." "He left six days ago." "Well, surely you can find Texas, Roscoe." "I can find Texas, but how do I find July?" "Now, listen, Roscoe, she ain't hardly worth it, but July dotes on that woman." "He'll want to find her before she gets scalped by the Indians." "Now, you see to it, you hear, or you'll be the one gets blamed." "All right, Peach." "I don't know nothing else to do." "Charlie, don't stand in the sun like you got no sense." "Sweet little thing." "Mm-mmm!" "Sure is a pretty thing, ain't she?" "Aw, she's mine." "See that, did you?" "What was it about?" "About you." "About me?" "You're the only woman we got." "He would have taken advantage of the fact." "He won't now, though, will he?" "No." "You took a chance getting on a boat with a bunch of men like us." "You the one that done it?" "Big Zwey." "He done it." "He fancies you." "Says he's going to marry you." "He can't marry me." "I'm already married." "I'm going to Ogallala to find my husband." "Maybe you heard of him..." "Dee Boot?" "Big Zwey, he likes you." "He's going to marry you." "Tell him I got a husband." "Give me a hand here." "Here we go!" "You go tell him yourself." "Grab another one, boys." "Watch... watch that!" "Cut that one over there!" "Get him back over in there!" "How did you do?" "About 50 head of steers." "No trouble with Flores?" "He's dead." "Dead?" "Caught one of his vaqueros." "He said old Pedro... died about a week ago." "What did he do, choke on a pepper?" "He just died." "That's all." "I didn't know you liked that old bandit so much." "I didn't say I liked him." "I didn't expect him to die, I guess." "He was a rough old cob," "I'll say that for him." "Fun's all over down here now." "Fun?" "What would you know about fun?" "You never had fun in your whole life." "Fun is my department." "I'll ride into town and scare me up some." "We got enough to do right here." "I'm keeping everything in balance." "You do more work than you got to, so it's my obligation to do less." "Where the hell's he going?" "Hello, Jasper." "Ain't seen you in a while." "Is that girl in there gone and got married?" "Whenever I jingle my money, she looks like she's ready to carve my liver." "Never was but one thing worth doing here." "Now I can't even do that!" "I hear you and Call are raising a herd." "Well, you're about half-right." "Call is." "He still taking on hands?" "He'd find a place for you." "Don't look like you eat much." "He's with the herd about five miles yonder ways." "Lorie, darlin'." "Lippy." "You and me." "How about a poke?" "I'm with Jake now, Gus." "You know that." "Yeah, I do know that, honey." "When I saw Jake riding up to Lonesome Dove," "I knew you and him was settling together." "But Call got him to work this afternoon, so there ain't no reason you shouldn't sell me a poke." "I told you the reason." "Jake takes care of me now." "Jake's never taken care of nobody his whole life." "Somebody's always taking care of him." "It was me and Call." "Now it's you." "Ain't that right?" "You aiming to marry him?" "We ain't talked about it." "He is taking me to San Francisco, though." "Think so, huh?" "He promised." "I'll hold him to it." "Jake's slippery like an eel." "My guess is he'll use the drive to leave you." "If Jake's going, I'm going, too." "You'd be welcome as far as I'm concerned, but Call ain't tolerant of women." "I'm going." "It's a free country, ain't it?" "If you work for Woodrow Call, it ain't." "I..." "I tell you..." "I'll give you... $50 for the poke." "$50?" "I'll give you $50." "Even if you had $50, Lippy, the answer's still no." "I tell you what." "Let's cut cards." "Now, if you're high, you win the $50, and you can forget the poke." "Now, if I'm high," "I'll still give you the $50, but I get the poke." "All right?" "Well, what about Jake?" "He's your good friend." "I ain't trying to cut Jake out." "I just want a poke, and you might need the $50." "You cheated, didn't you?" "Wouldn't say I did or didn't, but a man who wouldn't cheat for a poke don't want one bad enough." "Come on, darlin'." "Sleep, oh, babe" "For the grave becomes" "More silent" "While it's full" "Evil" "From the grave a-comes" "To wrap the world enthralled..." "It's a lucky herd, ain't it?" "Got a fine Irish baritone to sing to them." "He sings too sad to suit me." "Well, hello there, Jake." "Wait till I eat my stew." "I'll help you down." "I ain't getting down." "Hand me a plate." "I'll eat up here." "You sound plum grumpy." "I guess one day's honest work don't agree with you." "Or is it just any work at all?" "You're one to talk." "Where you been all afternoon?" "I was playing cards with Lorie." "The poor girl thinks you're taking her to San Francisco." "That ain't your business." "She'll go where I say or get left behind one." "Why not bring her on the drive?" "On the drive?" "It's safer than you two just striking out on your own, especially through Indian country." "Call'd never allow women in camp." "Call ain't God, are you?" "What?" "I was telling Jake here you ain't God." "You ain't, are you?" "Couple more drags through Mexico, we'll be able to start up the trail Monday." "How does that suit you, Jake?" "It don't need to suit me." "I don't know that I feel like bumping cows anymore." "You ain't going on the drive?" "Jake's got his own fancies to cultivate." "He don't care that he caused all this." "I didn't cause anything." "Who said Montany's a cowman's paradise?" "Well, it is." "You know the country." "We was counting on you to choose the way." "I ain't decided for sure yet." "Well, that's fine." "Let us know when you do." "Yeah, I will." "Think he'll go with us?" "I'll tell you what I think." "I think Jake's always been too leaky a vessel for anybody to put much hope in." "Going to town, Jake?" "Sleep, oh, babe" "For the" "Grave becomes..." "What's wrong, Sean?" "I miss me mother." "Back in Ireland?" "Well, don't worry." "I'm sure you'll see her again someday." "No." "She died..." "Before me and me brother left home." "Otherwise, I'd still be there." "Mine died, too, you know." "You miss her?" "Like I been missing mine?" "Sometimes." "Oh, yeah..." "Yeah, I do miss her." "What about your pa?" "I don't know nothing about him." "Me pa was a drunkard." "He fell down a well and drownded." "He only came home to beat me anyway." "At least you knew who he was." "Ah, it's me ma I miss." "Don't go up there with him." "Please." "Don't." "I have to." "I'm sandy." "I should have bathed in the river." "Want me to fill you a tub?" "Maybe later." "What was Gus up to today?" "He didn't come back till sundown." "He was here a while." "He offered me $50." "Gus always was a fool with his money." "I turned him down, though." "I said I was with you." "I reckon he got his poke." "If I'm wrong, you can hit me back." "We cut cards for it." "I can't prove it, but I know he cheated." "Should have warned you about cutting cards with that old cud." "If it had been anybody but him," "I'd have shot you." "You going with the herd?" "I ain't decided." "They don't leave till Monday." "You ain't planning on leaving me here if you do go, are you, Jake?" "All of them cowboys in love with you?" "I'd have to kill half of them before we got to Red River." "They won't bother me." "Gus is the only one with enough guts to try." "Yeah." "He'd want to cut the cards twice a day." "I'm going with you, Jake, whether you go on the drive or not." "I'm going when you leave." "Maybe we'll go to San Antone and gamble a spell." "I've been." "I don't want to go back." "Ain't you the hard one to please?" "Well, no, I ain't." "I just want to go to San Francisco, like you promised me." "That would please me just fine." "I ain't going to run off and leave you, Lorie, if that's what you think." "I know you ain't, Jake." "Morning." "Morning." "You're up awful early." "Jake, let's leave today." "Today?" "Go and buy me a horse, will you?" "One that's not too tall." "Here's $50." "This Gus' money?" "It was." "Well..." "I bet a nickel." "Get ready to shed a tear or two." "Ain't afraid of you." "I ain't scared, neither." "How about you, Jasper?" "You going to play cards or just sit there looking ugly?" "What's he doing with that?" "That's supper." "Bol will make stew with that." "I ain't eating no rattlesnake." "I guess Dish don't want no snake supper neither." "Hey, it's Jake." "And Miss Lorena." "Lorie, darlin'." "That's a fine-looking horse you're riding." "Jake bought her for me from Mary Pumphrey." "Well, I'm surprised she'd sell her." "Well, I had $50 to spend, Gus." "Money well spent, Jake..." "Both times." "Howdy, Call." "You never met Lorena Wood." "No." "We've not met." "Well, Jake, I see you've made your decision." "We decided to try our luck in San Francisco." "We'll enjoy the cool weather." "It's a hard trip." "Jake ain't one to be put off by hardship." "We hope to ease along with you till Denver." "It's a free country, Jake." "Do as you please." "Guess we'll find a ridge to camp on, somewhere upwind from these stinking beasts of yours." "See you boys on the trail somewhere." "Lorie." "Woodrow..." "Let's go if we're going." "I was thinking of making another run to Mexico." "We got enough cattle to stock five ranches." "Let's go." "Boys, check your gear." "We'll be leaving first light in the morning." "Captain, how far is it up north?" "Up north ain't a place, Newt." "It's a direction." "Where we're going is about 2,500 miles that-away." "2,500 miles?" "Now where are you off to?" "I forgot something." "Now, if I ain't back in a month, you girls start without me." "Ya!" "You pigs take care of the place." "It's all yours now." "Nobody else's." "I see the morning rush ain't started yet." "It will never start again." "Not ever again." "Don't take it so hard, Xavier." "There's plenty of whores." "Ride up to San Antone and recruit you another." "I would have given her money, bought her clothes." "I love her." "Aw, hell, we all love her, every dern one of us." "You know that." "Yes..." "But I would have married her." "If it helps any, it's my opinion she made a poor bargain, going with Jake Spoon." "Thank you." "Well..." "Goodbye, my fine friend." "Goodbye to you, my good friend." "Goodbye." "What are you doing in my wagon?" "Jumped off the roof." "Here's where I landed." "This wagon's going to Montana." "Yes, sir, and I am, too." "Piano playing's finished around here." "Well, we got two Irishmen and a bunch of addle-brained cowboys." "I guess we could always use a man who wears a chamber pot on his head." "Come on, mules." "Ya!" "Go on, Pea!" "Pick it up!" "Run them out, now!" "Funny, ain't it?" "All them cattle and 9/10 of the horses are stolen, and yet we was once respected lawmen." "How many head you think we're starting out with?" "Oh, about 2,600 cattle and two pigs." "That was dang stupid, bringing that sign along." "You'll have us the laughingstock of this country with that "We don't rent pigs" part." "I figure it's better to say it up front." "The man that does like to rent pigs, he's hard to stop." "If that ain't bad enough, you got them Greek words." "I told you it ain't Greek, it's Latin." "What does it say, that Latin?" "Well, it's a motto." "It just says itself." "Yo varum, yo vara-feet." "Yo varum double feet..." "You don't know what it says." "You found that in some book or something." "Maybe it invites people to rob us." "Anyone comes along that reads Latin is welcome to rob us." "I'd like the chance to shoot an educated man once." "Jake!" "Jake, stop that!" "I didn't hit you, did I?" "I was shooting at the turtle." "Lucky you hit the river, drunk as you are." "How's your thumb?" "All this over a little old Mesquite thorn." "Ain't that something... ow!" "It's made you sick, Jake." "Why'd I get such a fancy for you?" "Come on down here with me." "Come on." "Why don't I make you some coffee instead?" "How do, Miss?" "I'm Deets." "Captain sent me ahead to scout a good place to cross the herd." "Mr. Jake napping, huh?" "He's caught a Mesquite thorn in his hand." "Better take a look." "Mesquite thorns... bad poison." "Deets?" "Where'd you come from?" "We're all right now, Lorie." "Deets will see us through." "You full of fever." "I'm going to dig this sticker out of you." "I'd soon cut off my hand as have you dig in there with that." "You want to keep your hand." "I might need you to shoot a bandit if one's after me." "You best cross the river and make a camp." "Going to come a storm tonight." "Be harder to cross tomorrow." "A storm, you say?" "The wind will hit about sundown, blowing sand, and then lightning." "Don't tie your horses to no trees." "Jake's going to want to rest here a while." "He can rest on the other side." "Get..." "Dern little thorn." "Now you be shuffling cards again." "All right, Miss." "Let's get you packed and across the river." "I got to get back to that herd before that storm come here." "All right." "You sorry you on this trip, Miss?" "It's going to be a lot harder than I thought." "Well," "I believe you up to it, ain't you?" "I'll have to be to make San Francisco." "Well, Woodrow, here's where we find out if we was meant to be cowboys." "I reckon." "Don't look good." "Hold them, boys!" "Don't let them scatter!" "I don't like this, Newt." "Come on, Sean." "We got to turn the cattle." "Get over there!" "Sean!" "Sean!" "Over here, Newt!" "Over here!" "I fell off my horse." "Hurry." "Look!" "What is it?" "The herd's caught the lightning!" "Ride off!" "Get!" "Jake, look!" "What?" "We got to get out from under this tree." "No!" "Ain't no place to sit out a storm!" "No!" "I'm staying here!" "Don't worry about your dern horse!" "Lorie, no!" "Come back here!" "Heave!" "Heave!" "Heave!" "Heave!" "It would be easier if you got down from there." "Maybe he's stuck, too." "If I had my gun, I'd unstick him." "Ain't you boys got that wagon unstuck yet?" "Not yet." "We lose anybody?" "Everybody's fine." "Except I ain't seen Mr. Gus nowhere." "I seen him ride off yonderways right after sunup." "Probably hunting for his jug." "How about the cattle?" "I figure we lost 20, 25." "Could have been much worse." "Ain't no point in getting clean." "You'll cross the Nueces River before dark." "That's fine with Lippy." "Could use a good wash." "How many rivers will there be?" "Oh, I don't know." "There's a bunch, I bet, though." "Me, I be wishing we'd go around them." "Yeah, that would suit me all right, too." "I crossed an ocean." "I don't know why I'm afraid of crossing a river." "Gus!" "I found your horse." "He got away last night in the storm." "So I see." "Here you go, darling." "Whoa." "I don't see young Jake around nowhere." "He rode off a minute ago to track my horse." "Track your horse?" "He couldn't track an elephant if he was onto its tail." "I best call him back before he gets lost himself." "What we got here?" "I'll bet you got coffee boiling in there." "I do." "I swear, Lorie, you're as pretty as the morning." "I guess traveling agrees with you." "You get any prettier, and I may be forced to cut the cards with you again." "I'll shuffle next time." "I don't trust you." "Who invited you to breakfast?" "Jake, you never was grateful for nothing." "I return a $50 horse, and all you do is gripe about my company." "There's too much of your company." "Jake." "I swear, Jake, are you jealous?" "Sure, after you tried poking every woman I ever looked at?" "Well, much as I'd like to stay and discuss the loves I won," "I best be getting back to the herd." "Thanks for the coffee, Lorie." "Try to keep that mare hobbled at night." "She was on her way to Lonesome Dove." "I can hobble horses without you telling me." "Well, that's good to know, Jake." "Pack up." "We're going to San Antone for a while." "San Antone?" "Good gambling town." "Won't hurt to stop a week." "We'll catch up later." "I ain't going to San Antone." "I been there." "Don't buck me!" "I guess you'll go where I say go." "Not to San Antonio, I ain't." "Dern it!" "I wanted to gamble a little bit between here and Denver." "Go on and gamble if you want to gamble." "I never said you couldn't." "I just ain't going along." "What?" "Just leave you here?" "Sure." "Why not?" "Because Gus'll be here every morning wanting to teach you card tricks." "Well, that's true." "He might." "What was Jake up to?" "Jake's just up to being Jake." "It's a full-time job." "It takes a woman to help him, don't it?" "I'll get some of the boys downstream to keep the cattle from scattering." "Ease Old Dog in." "I believe the cattle will follow." "Old Dog won't be trouble." "He's like me." "Lazy?" "Mature." "He don't get excited about crossing rivers no more than I do." "You don't get excited about nothing except biscuits, maybe, and whores." "You was over at their camp, huh?" "Yeah, me and Miss Lorena always take our morning coffee together." "I hope the weather didn't treat her too bad." "She's fine, just fine." "Good." "That's good." "Yeah, we visited the better part of an hour about various things..." "And people." "Yeah?" "Though I can't recall she ever did, uh, mention you, Dish." "Look at them pigs swim." "Hey, must not be too bad, huh, Sean?" "I'll go first, all right?" "All right." "Come on, Mouse." "That a boy, Mouse." "That a boy." "Come on over, Sean." "Try it." "It's even fun." "Come on, boy." "Aah!" "Water moccasins!" "Sean!" "Help!" "Water..." "Water moccasins!" "Sean!" "I'll get him out!" "I got him!" "I got him!" "Coming!" "Hyah!" "Go, go, go, go!" "Ground his horse." "Snakes!" "Snakes!" "Newt!" "Get back, get back." "Watch them." "Watch that horse." "Get a hand on him!" "Pull him up here!" "Sean..." "Sean!" "Get out..." "Oh, Lord." "Ain't nothin' much we can do, Newt." "He's been bit too many times." "No!" "Pea, you snake bit?" "I think I whupped 'em off." "Jasper, give him a good look." "He must've struck a nest." "I've crossed this river a hundred times and never seen more than two snakes at once." "Storm stirred them up." "All he wanted was to return to Ireland." "Yes, I expect he did." "I don't see no bites." "Sean." "Oh, Sean." "If I'd a'known that storm was going to stir them snakes up," "I'd a'picked another place to cross." "Wasn't your fault, Deets." "Life is shorter for some." "Sean was an unlucky young sprout." "It was nobody's fault." "Nobody's." "Well, you boys best go find his brother, I reckon." "If you want to sing, go on and do it." "Sleep, O babe" "For I'd rather be home" "Outside..." "I'll say a word." "Just a word here." "This was a good, brave boy with a fine tenor voice we'll all miss." "There's accidents in life." "He met a bad one." "We may do the same if we ain't careful." "Dust to dust..." "Now let's the rest of us go on to Montana." "He's right, boys." "Best thing you can do with death is ride off from it." "Sean was the babe of our family." "I wish I could have finished the song for him." "'Twas his favorite." "Maybe you'll ride with me a while, Newt." "Sure." "Ol' Bol won't cross." "He don't want no part of it after what happened to Sean here." "He's going back to Lonesome Dove to be with his family, so I gave him a horse." "Adios, you old bandit." "You can go whack that durn bell all you like now!" "Well, we're going to need a new cook." "'I God, Woodrow, but it's a bad start." "Howdy!" "My name's Roscoe Brown." "Is..." "Is this Texas?" "I'm lookin' for a fella may a'rode past here." "His name's July Johnson." "He had a boy with him about yea..." "Yea high." "I been ridin' night and day tryin' to find him." "I'm from Arkansas." "Got any whiskey?" "Yes, sir." "I got a bottle right here in my poke." "I'd be glad for you to share it." "Come get this varmint, gal." "You having possum for your supper, are you?" "Yeah." "But you ain't, unless you go catch your own." "I got a biscuit." "Go on." "Cook that possum, like I said." "About this man that I was looking for..." "I ain't seen him." "You fixing to stay the night?" "If it's all right." "I've been riding real hard." "You can sleep down yonder by the creek." "Thank you." "You leave that gal alone." "She's mine, bought and paid for." "Sure." "You heard me, girl!" "Get yourself over here, or you'll wish you had!" "What's going on in there?" "Don't go a-hitting on that girl!" "Fare thee well" "Fare thee well, my fairy fey" "For I'm goin'... to Louisiana for to see my Susianna" "Singing polly wolly..." "All right." "I know somebody's out there in the brush." "You just come on out and show yourself." "You." "I run off from Old Sam to go with you." "Why, why, girl." "You can't go with me." "Janey's my name." "Old Sam used me bad." "I ain't really his, anyway." "He just traded some skunk pelts for me." "I expect he's looking for you." "Nope." "No?" "Why not, pray tell?" "Because I broke his knees with a pan while he was sleeping." "That'll keep him a few days." "Goodness." "You're a rough customer, ain't you?" "I ain't rough." "Old Sam was rough." "Well, you can't go with me." "I'm headed down toward" "San Antonio to find a man." "I seen that man two days ago when he come through here." "Him and the boy." "Which way did he go?" "Ain't telling you, unless you take me along." "Oh, girl!" "I..." "I can't take you with me." "I got to travel fast." "Call this fast traveling?" "I been following you 6 miles and didn't do more than walk." "I can keep up with you, I reckon, and I can catch rabbits and possums to eat, too." "Possum?" "I'm going to follow you, anyway." "If I was to go back, Old Sam would kill me." "Yeah, I expect he would." "Well, you might just as well jump on up here then." "Which way?" "They was riding that way yonder." "His wife run off from him." "That's why I got to find him." "How many barrels you got of those?" "I'll get it." "Easy does it, now." "Took you a while, didn't it?" "I been waiting long enough." "Buffalo tongue." "Ain't that something?" "You got a buffalo tongue." "You're the one can eat it, too." "Who is that?" "Luke." "Luke?" "Luke." "What are you doing here?" "Me and Big Zwey partnered up." "Partnered up?" "We're going to Ogallala." "You ain't scared of Indians, huh?" "Well, I don't like them much, I guess." "I already killed five of them." "Won't bother me none to kill some more." "Well..." "Might not hurt for you to come along at that." "You'll be glad of it if the Indians get after you." "Big Zwey told me he was going to marry you." "He did, huh?" "He ain't as bad as some." "How would you know?" "You ain't never been married to him." "He ain't a man to be put off." "You know it." "I'm married." "I doubt he knows what the word means." "I know what it means." ""Dear Ellie," ""we have come a long piece" ""and have been lucky with the weather." ""It has been clear." ""No sign of Jake Spoon yet," ""but we did cross the Red River" ""and are in Texas now." ""Little Joe likes it." ""His horse has been behaving all right," ""and neither of us has been sick." ""I hope that you are well" ""and have not been bothered too much by the skeeters." ""Your loving husband, July."" "Well, what do you think?" "It's a long letter." "You want me to write something on the bottom of it for you?" "You sure?" "Maybe put your name?" "She'll like it all right without nothing from me." "Well, we'll post it when we get to Fort Worth." "I know I'm slowing you down, but I'm glad you brought me on this trip." "Yeah." "Me, too, Joe." "This town sure growed since I was last here." "Darn people making towns everywhere." "It's our fault, too." "We chased out the Indians and hung all the good bandits." "Did it ever occur to you that everything we done was a mistake?" "We killed off the people that made this country interesting." "Nobody in their right mind wants the Indians back, nor the bandits." "If you like civilization so much, what are we doing riding to the wilds of Montana?" "We ain't riding to Montana now." "We're in San Antonio looking for a cook." "Buenos días." "Howdy." "We're taking cattle to Montana and lost our cook." "Yes." "I go with you." "My name is Po Campo." "Uh, can you cook?" "Our boys is awful particular." "Try one of these." "I fried them only this morning." "Dang." "That's tasty." "Is it some kind of candy?" "Grasshopper." "Grasshopper." "Kind of good, though, ain't they?" "Our boys ain't going to take much to eating bugs." "I cook good beefsteak, too, and bird egg pie." "Just one minute, I'll be ready to go with you." "Hang on there a minute." "You ain't going to get off down the trail a mile missing your wife like our last cook done?" "My wife's in hell where I sent her." "She made good biscuits, but her behavior was terrible." "I think this is our man." "Well, we need a cook, I reckon." "I'll buy you a horse." "No." "I will walk." "I do not ride animals." "What do you mean, you don't ride animals?" "It is not civilized." "Are we not animals, also?" "How would you like it if somebody rode you?" "That's why I like him." "He's a philosopher." "Yeah." "I hired him to give you somebody to talk to." "Free the rest of us to get work done." "We'd like a shot of whiskey if it ain't too much trouble." "Howdy, boys." "You got a good game going there?" "Who the hell is that?" "You got mud in your ears, or what?" "Rye or what'll it be, old-timer?" "Well, rye will do, provided it gets here quick." "You durn cowboys ought to broom yourselves off before you walk in here." "We got all the sand we need without customers bringing it in." "That'll be a dollar." "Now, besides the whiskey, I think we'll require a little respect." "Now, I'm Captain Augustus McCrae." "This is captain Woodrow F. Call." "If you turn around, you'll see how we looked when we was younger." "The people here wanted to make us senators." "Back then, we never tolerated dawdling service." "As you can see, we still don't tolerate it." "Now, then..." "If I could have a fresh glass, please?" "You broke my nose, you old son of a..." "Well..." "Here's to the sunny slopes of long ago." "Whatever happened to Wee Willie Montgomery?" "You didn't have to whack the bartender when he owned that saloon." "You're just mad 'cause they didn't know you." "You're lucky they didn't throw you in jail." "It ain't a crime, whacking a surly bartender." "I guess they may have forgot us, though." "Of course." "We haven't been here in years." "They forgot us 'cause we never got killed." "That's dang foolish to say." "If a thousand Comanches cornered us in a gully somewhere and wiped us out like the Sioux just done Custer, they'd remember us sure." "There never was a thousand Comanches in the whole world." "That ain't the point." "What, then?" "Another 20 years, we'll be Indians." "They be sticking us on reservations, just to get us out of the way." "Ha!" "That's danged unlikely." "Well, maybe you're right." "I reckon I am." "Yeah, well, I doubt we'll last another 20 years." "Gus!" "Now, where in the hell is he going?" "Gus..." "What in the hell's come over you, Augustus?" "I doubt you'd understand." "I doubt it, too." "When was you the happiest, Call?" "The happiest about what?" "About being a live human being, free on the earth?" "I don't know." "It would be hard to single out any one particular time." "Well, it ain't for me." "I was the happiest right here by this little creek." "Me and Clara discovered it one day when we was out for a buggy ride." "I might had knowed it had something to do with Clara." "That was a long time ago now." "Ah..." "God, she was beautiful." "I expect it was the mistake of my life..." "Letting her slip away like I did." "Well..." "You've always got your whores." "Yeah, I guess I do." "I don't know why you're down on whores." "You've had yours, as I recall." "The worst mistake I ever made." "It ain't a mistake to be human once in your life." "Maggie left you a fine son before she died." "You don't know that." "He could be yours," "Jake's, or some damn gambler's." "But he ain't." "He's yours." "Anybody with eyes can see." "Besides, Maggie told me." "We were good friends." "Ha!" "I don't know about friends." "I'm sure you was a good customer, though." "The two can overlap." "You'd know about overlapping with whores." "Know what hurt her most?" "You wouldn't call her by name." "You'd never call her Maggie." "So what if I had?" "It would have made her happy." "What?" "She was a whore!" "Whores got hearts, Woodrow." "Maggie's was the most tender I ever saw." "Why didn't you marry her, then?" "She loved you." "She sat in that saloon watching the door after you quit coming around." "A man's got more to do than sit in saloons with whores." "Like what?" "Clean his gun?" "Maggie needed you." "You let her down." "You know it, too, don't you?" "I don't know anything of the danged kind." "That's why you won't claim that boy as your own." "He's a reminder you failed somebody." "You'll never admit that." "Like I said, Maggie was just a whore." "'I God, Woodrow." "You finally called her by name." "That shows some improvement now, don't it?" "You want some prairie chicken?" "I ate enough." "I might catch you a frog for supper." "A frog?" "I ain't never et no frog." "Their legs jump out of the pan when you cook them." "No!" "Yes, they do!" "You got to catch them and throw them back in the pan." "I don't believe that!" "How can a dead frog jump out of a pan?" "What's the matter?" "Hey!" "Where you going?" "Howdy." "Howdy." "Howdy." "Could we borrow some tobacco off of you?" "I ain't got none." "Ain't got none?" "I reckon you're lying." "Oh, no, I ain't, neither." "Why travel with nothing to smoke?" "Because it never agreed with me." "I quit." "Well, we might have to smoke you." "What do you think of that?" "My name's Roscoe Brown." "I'm just going down this road." "I ain't looking for trouble." "Going down this road?" "Yes, sir." "Let's shoot him and take his horse." "Drop your gun." "Wait just a minute!" "Yes, sir." "Clamber down off that horse, mister." "I..." "I'm from Arkansas, and..." "Yes, sir." "Strip off them duds." "What?" "You come into this world naked." "Go out the same way." "I got some money." "There's probably $30 here." "I'll pull this trigger on you for your sass." "That's somebody shooting." "Why, it's just a damn little old girl!" "And she's a rock chunker, ain't she, Jim?" "She's done all the rock chunking she's going to do." "What are you going to do with that stick, Mister?" "Jim!" "Damn you!" "Get her?" "No, she's too fast." "I've never seen anything like it." "That little gal near chunked you to death." "I'm going to give her a bullet for every rock she throwed." "Shoot this one first." "I don't want to tear his clothes with my 10 gauge." "Put it down." "July!" "Roscoe, what in God's name you doing in Texas?" "I come for you, July." "It's a lucky thing I found you, too." "Who was that chunking them rocks?" "Oh, that is Janey." "You can come on out now." "July's here." "He's the man I've been looking for." "My God." "On a whiskey boat?" "Well..." "That's what Peach thinks." "It just don't make no sense for" "Ellie to go running off like that." "That don't make no sense at all, does it, Joe?" "Mama always been like that." "She never liked staying in one place too long." "Any idea where she might have gone?" "Maybe to go find Dee." "Dee?" "You mean your pa, Dee Boot?" "But Ellie told me he died of smallpox over in Dodge." "Joe?" "Joe, I don't reckon she'd lie to me." "Dee never had no smallpox." "Mama just married you when they run out of money." "They..." "They's something else, July." "Ellie's going to have a baby." "Peach seen her with the morning sickness." "A baby?" "I'm sorry to be bringing you this news, July, but I thought you'd want to know." "Joe." "Yes, sir?" "Where would she go to find Dee?" "He was up to Ogallala last we heard." "Ogallala." "We better go find her, I guess." "What about Jake Spoon?" "I can't worry about him no more." "Ellie might be needing me." "Ogallala." "Howdy." "I'm Joe." "That's Janey." "She's shy, but it don't last long." "You ever ate a frog?" "Looks like Jake." "No, it's just Lorie resting by a tree." "I bet Jake's gone off to gamble somewhere." "Hell, all I see's a puff of smoke." "I think I'll keep her company until that scamp gets back." "We got cattle to look after." "Well, what's keeping you?" "Hello, Gus." "Lorie, darling." "How long's Jake been gone?" "Two days." "He went up to Austin to play some cards." "He left mad." "He's been mad the whole trip." "Well, he'll be back." "Yes, I know he will." "He ain't going to take me to California, though, is he?" "No." "Don't be too hard on him." "He got you out of Lonesome Dove." "I didn't get all down in Lonesome Dove." "'Cause back there you was never expecting nothing." "Then here comes Jake." "Get you all full of hope." "Trouble is, Jake ain't a man to support nobody's hopes but his own." "What did you stop off for?" "Well, it's such a nice day," "I thought I'd just ride over and we'd cut cards or something." "What do I get if I win this time?" "Well, I'll be your whore." "You can have a poke on the man." "Why would I want one?" "All right, then." "If you win, we'll pretend you're a fancy lady in San Francisco." "I'll bring you a glass of buttermilk." "I don't even like buttermilk, Gus." "Then what?" "You name it." "I just want to go to San Francisco." "That's what I want." "Lorie, listen to me now, pretty little thing." "Life in San Francisco's still just life." "If you want only one thing too much, it's likely to turn out disappointing." "The only way to live is to learn to like all the little everyday things." "Yeah?" "Like what?" "Like a sip of good whiskey or a soft bed or a glass of buttermilk or say, uh..." "A feisty gentleman like myself." "Now, you close your pretty little eyes." "Now, go on." "Don't open them till I count to 23." "Ok, now no cheating." "Your cheating days is over, woman." "1... 2... 3..." "What are you doing?" "4..." "Don't open your eyes. 5... 6... 7... 8... 9... 10... 11... 12... 13... 14... 15... 16... 17... 18, 19, 20, 21..." "Better make it 27." "21... 22... 23... 24... 25..." "Don't cheat!" "Don't open them." "26..." "Ok. 27." "Why, Gus!" "Aren't you cold?" "Let's have us a bath!" "Come on, woman." "Hope you can swim." "I can't swim." "I can float for about 30 seconds." "Oh, Lord!" "Hold your damn nose!" "Oh, Lord!" "It ain't very deep, is it?" "I can float good here." "Man, this water's so cold." "I believe it's shriveled my pod." "Well, it wasn't getting no business today, anyway." "Gus, you scamp!" "Boy!" "Gus..." "Yeah?" "I'd go with you to California, if you was of a mind to." "You would, would you?" "Well, I'm complimented." "Mighty complimented." "Let's go then, all right?" "Jake can take his own chances." "I can't, honey." "I'm bound for Ogallala." "Ogallala?" "Where's that?" "Somewheres up in Nebraska." "What's there?" "A woman named Clara." "She's the only reason I ever come on this trip." "You'd go that far for a woman?" "You bet." "I'm a woman, and I'm right here." "You can have your pokes." "We both make it to Denver," "I'll buy you a train ticket to San Francisco." "Would you mind getting my pistol for me?" "I don't know if that fella's friendly or not." "Looks like an Indian." "How can you tell?" "Indians got their own way of riding, see?" "This one's a..." "Setting on an old Mexican saddle." "I reckon he stole it, maybe even killed for it." "Go on, go on." "Go on." "Go." "You want the rifle?" "No." "I shot many a sassy bandit with just my pistol." "Go hide yourself behind that scrub." "Go on." "I'll be all right." "You go on now." "Stay put." "Like to water." "Help yourself." "Hope you like it cold." "I ain't got time to warm it up." "I like it wet." "I know you, McCrae." "From the old days." "I know you, too, Blue Duck." "Where's your friend, Call?" "He ain't here just now." "It's my bad luck he's gone." "If I kill you, then I will have to wait here to kill him, too." "He be back shortly." "You could sit over in the shade and wait, if you're able, after you and me get through." "There's plenty others need killing besides you two." "I can't wait all day to shoot two wore-out old rangers" "with holes in their underwear." "That's a fine saddle you took." "With luck, it will last another mile or two." "Maybe." "You bring that tongue north of the Canadian river," "I'll cut it off and feed it to my wolf pups." "He's a Comanchero butcher we should have hung years ago, but we couldn't, because he was better at riding long distances without water." "But..." "He may be after our horses though." "I better go warn Call." "Come on with me, now." "No, I ain't going." "I don't like how them cowboys look at me." "You're sure hard on the boys that love you." "They've got truer hearts than Jake Spoon." "I left that behind when I left Lonesome Dove." "Durn it, I don't like leaving you here with Blue Duck around." "Jake will be back soon." "Oh, now it's Jake again?" "You were the one said something about going to Ogallala after some woman, didn't you?" "Still got enough light to see where he went." "I'm going to send somebody over here to stay with you till Jake gets back." "The herd's only a mile away." "All right." "Newt." "Yes, sir." "Ride over to Jake's camp." "Keep an eye on Lorena till Jake's back." "Me?" "Gus, what is it?" "Blue duck's in the area." "Oh, Lord." "Sure it's Blue Duck?" "I exchanged pleasantries with him." "Go on, Newt." "Yes, sir." "I'll take on the chore." "We need you here." "You know where she is?" "Yes, sir." "Why didn't you shoot Blue Duck?" "Hell, he was ready." "Me and Deets will track him." "He may be circling to steal our horses." "You boys best get back with the herd." "Get your pistols." "Wouldn't surprise me none to see Blue Duck riding in with a gang." "I don't like the boy going to the whore." "If I'd sent another one of these rowdies, Jake would shoot him." "She should have stayed in Lonesome Dove anyhow." "If you was a young gal, would you want to stay in Lonesome Dove?" "Look how long Maggie lasted." "She just happened to die in Lonesome Dove." "You don't never get the point, do you?" "It ain't dying I'm talking about." "It's living." "That's good, Po Campo." "All right." "Let's go, Deets." "Ok." "Let's see here, Newt." "Howdy, Miss Lorena." "Miss Wood, howdy." "Aw, Newt." "Hello there, Miss Wood." "I'm Newt." "Mr. Gus sent me to keep an eye on you." "He didn't come out anywhere on this side." "I don't find no tracks here." "Must have stayed in the creek." "He might have doubled back." "I don't see no blood." "We lost him in the creek." "What in the hell is Newt doing back?" "I told him to stay over there!" "Newt ain't back, just his horse is back." "Gus!" "What in the hell happened to you?" "Somebody hit me." "All right, Gus, where's Lorie?" "I know you're hiding her over here from me somewhere." "Blue Duck." "Blue Duck?" "Oh, God, he's got her." "That half-breed's around here?" "It's my fault for not shooting the son of a bitch when I had the chance." "Po Campo?" "Yeah." "I'm going to need some fresh water." "Lippy?" "Grab me a box of bullets from the wagon there." "I'm going with you, Gus." "This ain't none of your affair, you darn pup." "I ain't no pup." "And you're a gambling lowlife to let her get stolen." "My God, we'll see about that." "We'll see about that right now." "Now you boys hold that right there." "That ain't gonna happen." "I want me a horse." "Mine's rolled down." "You ain't going neither, Jake, not with me you ain't." "I'll go if I damn please!" "She's my woman!" "You should have stayed closer to her, if she's your woman." "The hell with you." "The hell with the whole bunch of you!" "You heard him, Jake." "He don't want you." "You was sent to watch her, huh?" "Well, I'd say you done a damn poor job of it!" "You ain't worth your darn wages!" "I ought to give you a lick or two!" "Not another word, Jake." "It ain't that boy's fault." "You're the one that went off to town." "Drink and gamble." "You watch yourself, Augustus." "Woodrow." "Don't drink so fast." "You'll flounder." "Old Monkey John will like that yellow hair." "Between him and the others, probably get most of their money and all of their hides when they see you." "I hope that damned old ranger hurries along." "I owe him a few." "Gus?" "He won't come." "I ain't his." "He's coming." "I don't know if it's for me or for you, but he's coming." "I got a treatment for women that try to run away." "Cut a little hole in their stomachs." "Pull out a gut and wrap it around a limb." "And I drag them 30 or 40 feet and tie them down." "That way," "I can watch what the coyotes are having for supper." "Fresh women is scarce in these parts, eh, Ermoke?" "Yeah!" "You're all welcome to a taste." "But she ain't free." "Understand?" "We got hides to trade." "And horses." ""And horses"?" "She won't talk." "By God, I will cut your tongue out, if you don't talk!" "What do you care if she talks?" "I wouldn't talk to you either, you damned old runt." "My God, we give all them hides for her." "She had ought to talk if I say talk!" "You're getting your money's worth." "Most of those hides were mine anyway." "Now get off her!" "I don't want her cut." "Hey!" "Let's gamble." "I ain't had a game in a while." "What with?" "You already got our hides and our horses." "The girl." "I ain't won her." "She's ours." "We don't want to gamble with her." "She's just half yours." "Ermoke and his boys own a half interest." "We're aiming to buy him out." "By the time you raise the money, won't be much left to buy." "You'd do better if you buy a goat." "We don't want no damn goat." "Let's gamble." "We want the woman." "If you win, I'll let you have your horses back." "Come in." "Come on." "What's wrong with him?" "He don't care about the horses." "He wants to keep the woman." "That damn chigger." "He's holding up the game." "By God, life is cheap up here on the Canadian." "It's apt to get cheaper." "Let's gamble." "Looks like I win again." "You're a damn cheat." "First you cheat us out of our horses, then you cheat us out of the woman." "I don't want the woman." "You can have her back as a gift." "And the horses, too." "There's an old man following me." "I want you to kill him." "You hear that, Ermoke?" "You kill the man, you can have your horses back, and the woman, too." "We'll take the woman." "The hell you will." "She's half ours." "You ain't taking her nowhere!" "You shut up." "I'll kill you like I killed that chigger." "If I were you, I'd get sober." "Get out of range!" "He'll kill us all!" "That old man's a tough one." "I'm going to show him something tough." "Hell, you ain't hit him yet." "I'll get him." "He ain't got anywheres to go." "Has he?" "By God, that's enough." "That is enough!" "Look at that." "He's shooting at us now." "He can't hit nobody from there." "He's just wasting his bullets." "Maybe an old man like him needs a better target." "Here comes anoth..." "Look what that son of a bitch done to me!" "Monkey!" "The Captain's worried about Mr. Gus, ain't he?" "Me, too." "I get to expecting to hear him talk..." "But he ain't here." "My ears sorta get empty." "Mr. Gus will be all right." "Maybe so." "But he will not catch Blue Duck." "Do you know him, Po Campo?" "Yes, I know him." "I once lived up on the llano." "He killed my three sons." "After that, I left the llano." "It's all Jake's fault." "He's a bastard for leaving her." "That's what started all this." "You sure are smitten, ain't you, Dish?" "Well," "I'll tell you this..." "If she's alive and Gus brings her back," "I aim to marry her." "Marry her?" "Marry a whore?" "Don't call her a whore." "If you're so in love with her, why didn't you follow her and leave Gus here?" "He's a damn sight more entertaining than you are." "So is that whore." "Get him, Dish." "You boys want to fight?" "Collect your wages first." "We're done with it, Captain." "Jasper?" "Yes, sir." "I'm done with it, too." "Let's get back to the herd." "Captain don't take much to sitting around." "Deets." "This one I made for you." "Why, thank you, Po." "Is it of somebody special?" "Like a little saint." "You know..." "To help protect you on our journey." "I heard they won't attack you at night." "They won't attack at night?" "That's what I heard." "I sure hope you're right." "Oh, boy." "It's awful quiet out here tonight." "We don't even know how many there is." "I can go find out." "They'll make soup out of you." "I'd like to know what they was shooting at." "They was shooting at me." "Easy!" "I'm Captain McCrae, Texas Rangers." "I'm coming in." "Don't nobody shoot." "Howdy." "Augustus McCrae." "July Johnson, and this is Roscoe." "July Johnson?" "'I God, you're the sheriff from over" "Fort Smith, Arkansas, looking for Jake Spoon, ain't you?" "Well, I have more urgent business than Jake Spoon now." "I was about to say, if you're looking for Jake, you missed him by 300 miles or so." "The Indians killed your horse?" "I killed him myself for a fort when them Kiowas got after me." "I appreciate your running them off." "We were riding by." "They started shooting at us." "We shot back." "They're Blue Duck's boys." "I'm after him and a woman he stole." "He stole a woman?" "Yes, sir." "A girl traveling with us." "He probably camped on the river and sent them bucks back to kill me." "It's quite a ways north." "Well, our horses are pretty near wore out, but if morning is soon enough, we'll help you track this outlaw." "There." "You see it?" "I see it." "I'll be damned." "The wrath of the Lord is about to descend come sundown." "I best go with you." "You don't know how many there are." "Thanks." "All I need's the loan of a horse." "I'll have him back." "You mean to go at them by yourself?" "There might be 10 of them down there." "Maybe even more." "They scare easy at night." "I just hope Mr. Duck's there." "I intend to kill him." "Look." "I can be of some help." "Stay with your party, Mr. Johnson." "You've got two young people to look after." "Well, Roscoe can stay." "Well, kind of chancey." "You might stop a bullet and never get to finish that urgent business you mentioned." "That urgent business is my wife." "She left home." "Look, I know it's unlikely, but it might be that she got stolen, too." "Well, I guess you're no more fool than me, chasing a woman across the plains." "I might have got one." "I don't know." "I doubt it." "Uhh..." "Ohh..." "I hurt bad." "Go ahead." "Shoot me." "You won't catch me wasting bullets." "Monkey can cut your damn throat if he wants." "He'll die soon enough." "What did she do to earn a kick?" "You mind your own damn business." "You're not worth selling." "The Kiowas can have you." "How come you're giving her to the damn Kiowas?" "Give her to me." "No." "I want them to carve her up." "Hell, I'll carve her up." "Maybe it will put some spirit in them, so they can go out tomorrow and run that old ranger into the ground." "Give her to me." "Hell, I'm mean as they are." "You better be." "If McCrae comes, you better be quick." "Well, there they are." "Have you ever killed, Mr. Johnson?" "No." "Well, you do what I do then." "Help her." "Monkey, don't let 'em get her." "Help her?" "We'll help her, all right." "Won't we, boys?" "Keep away from her, Ermoke." "She's part mine." "Part yours?" "Aah, God!" "What could you do with your part?" "Aah!" "Lorena." "Lorena." "Lorena." "Lorena." "Hey, it's Gus." "It's me." "Lorena." "Was Blue Duck here?" "Was Blue Duck here tonight, Lorena?" "Was Blue Duck here?" "You killed the whole bunch." "I didn't even shoot." "Get back to your people." "There's a dangerous man loose." "Your deputy can't handle him." "I know this is a shock to you." "It ain't a barroom scrape, so choke it down and get on back." "I'll follow when she's better." "Hey!" "Shoot me." "Go, Mr. Johnson." "Go now!" "Shoot me." "Sure was a lot of shooting." "I'll be glad when July gets back." "What?" "I heard something in that brush." "Might be an Indian." "I'll see." "No." "Wait." "Wait." "Wait." "I wish July'd get on back." "It's likely to be morning 'fore they get back." "Joe?" "Joe, where are ya?" "Shoot him!" "Shoot him!" "What?" "See him?" "Shoot him!" "Where you been, girl?" "Where's Joe?" "Was that his name?" "It's my fault." "If I'd done what you said, they'd still be alive." "'I God." "It's my fault." "Hell, you told me to stay." "I know." "I'm sure you wish you had, but yesterday's gone." "We can't get it back." "Go on with your digging." "I'll tidy up the dead." "Well..." "Guess that's all we can do." "I guess he took Joe's horse." "There." "There you go." "Yes." "And his life." "I'm sure he had more interest in the horse." "If you're going after him..." "I'd like to try and help." "He's better mounted than us." "We got to let him go this time." "Boy, I hate to do that." "These lives here are lost for good, son." "Giving pain for pain won't bring them back." "Best go on and try to find your wife." "If I ever run across Blue Duck again," "I'll kill him for you." "And for her, too." "We'll camp here, Zwey." "Go shoot us a turkey for our supper." "I'll help you build a fire." "I don't need any help." "Zwey, you take Luke with you." "Luke." "Howdy." "You went with Zwey." "I told him we'd hunt better separately." "Why ain't you hunting then?" "I am a-hunting." "Right here." "I'm having a baby." "I can't be doing that." "Not for a while." "You ain't having no baby yet." "I only want a little." "Won't take but six minutes." "If Zwey catches you, he'll kill you." "Zwey, he ain't no smarter than a buffalo." "I might shoot him." "Zwey!" "Get off me!" "Hold still!" "Was he trying to marry you?" "You could call it that." "He was trying to do me." "I want him to let me alone." "How'd the hunting go?" "You shoot a turkey?" "I got one." "Want me to pluck them feathers?" "No, I don't, Luke." "I want you just to stay there." "I wish you wouldn't be doing this." "I won't do it no more." "Next time you go hunting, make sure he's with you." "He can't pester me then." "No, I think I better kill him." "No, Zwey." "Don't!" "Don't!" "Zwey, that's enough." "You'll kill him." "Zwey, we might need him if the Indians come!" "Don't!" "Zwey!" "He's alive." "He'll quit it now, won't he?" "Quit trying to marry you." "Don't he look funny with that ear hanging off?" "I'll go pluck that bird, Luke." "Have us some supper to eat." "Hey!" "Don't be spitting on my floor." "Roy spits where he pleases." "That's why I mentioned it." "Melba, do it in the alley if you're giving it away." "Otherwise, get on upstairs." "You've been known to give it away yourself." "And it's about to break me, Mr. Spoon." "$10." "Spoon?" "You Jake Spoon, the Ranger?" "I've done some rangering." "He's Jake Spoon, the Ranger." "Never heard of him." "You rode with McCrae and Call." "Ain't that right?" "Not anymore, I don't." "McCrae and Call." "Never met them." "I hear they're tough men." "Let a half-breed steal my whore, that tough." "You can't find her?" "They lost her." "Let them find her." "We're going up to Kansas." "Me and my brothers," "Frog Lip there." "Kansas, huh?" "Going to rob some banks." "Ain't that right, Dan?" "Ain't got no objection to robbing banks, have you?" "It would depend on the bank." "I wouldn't enjoy too much law stacked against me." "Law?" "Damn!" "I want my money back." "I wasn't through." "You can't squirt in two minutes, you need doctors, not whores." "Look, I said I want my money back!" "Made her mad, by God, didn't he?" "Well, let's go." "Some sheriff will be poking around here soon." "Jake, help drag him out." "He's messing up my floor." "You coming, Spoon?" "Jake..." "Let's go, boys." "Jake..." "Jake, you come back here, you bastard!" "You ain't never getting me for free again!" "You understand that?" "Jake!" "That's Adobe Walls there." "Need to get us out of this lightning." "Find us a nice warm, dry spot." "That'll about do it." "It can rain all it wants to now." "We're nice and warm." "Real warm." "Yeah." "This used to be quite a lively place, till the buffalo run out a couple years ago." "They ran north, every darn one of them." "'I God, look what I found here." "Gold coins." "There's 5s and 10s." "There's even a handful of $50 gold pieces." "That's good luck." "Now we can play ourselves some high-stakes poker." "Now, all that on your side is yours, and all this over here is mine." "There you go." "Put the cards in your hand, darlin'." "Don't let me see them." "You remember how to play, do you, Lorie?" "Good." "Now, your bet." "But be careful, 'cause I'm mighty tricky." "Remember?" "Tricky old Gus?" "That's the idea but, we hadn't bet yet." "So we'll try it again." "They shouldn't have took me, Gus." "I know, honey, but they did." "They shouldn't have, but they did." "They did." "Now, you just go on, cry it out." "Yeah." "You got a long time to live, and you don't want this thing dragging you backwards, see?" "So you just cry it on out to old Gus." "You'll be all right, you hear?" "You're safe now." "I never thought I'd see you boys working naked." "Guess things went to hell after I left." "This river's deep." "We ain't exactly overloaded with dry clothes, neither." "Did you find Lorie, Gus?" "I imagine she's sitting in front of her tent, looking at you." "We near gave you up." "Glad you're all still alive." "You catch that bandit?" "He slipped by me." "Got his friends, though." "Is she all right, Gus?" "She needs her privacy a while yet." "She went through quite an ordeal." "Get with these cattle before they scatter." "Over here." "I'm glad you're back." "I missed listening to you." "Thank you, fellas." "At least my pigs made it all right." "Where you planning to leave her?" "Leave her?" "I have no intention of leaving her." "What's the word on Jake?" "They got mad and rode off after you left." "Said he's going to Fort Worth." "And now you have become this gal's caretaker." "Yeah, I guess I have." "Hell, she's not even the one you're after." "No, she ain't." "That's true, too." "What are you going to do if Clara's still a married woman and don't even remember you?" "I had, I believe, uh..." "That would break my heart, Woodrow." ""Dear Peach," ""Roscoe Brown was killed by a bad outlaw." ""And so was Joe." ""A girl named Janey was also killed." ""I don't know much about her." ""Roscoe said he met her in the woods." ""I am going on to Ogallala" ""to look for Ellie." ""I do not know when I will be back."" "If I'd have known them pigs were so fickle as to take up with that old Mexican," "I'd have made bacon out of them." "Lorie, darling." "Come here." "'I God, Lorie, you smell as fresh as the morning." "It's a miracle how you keep fresh out in these parts." "I'm a shameful sight, ain't I?" "It's Woodrow's fault." "He wouldn't let me bring my tailor on this trip." "Now here it is, a beautiful morning." "And you're about to cry." "Why?" "Now, Lorie, we're an honest pair, ain't we?" "Tell me what's wrong." "What's wrong?" "I feel like you don't want me no more." "You ain't asked me for a poke since..." "Since then." "Lorie, come on, I..." "You can have one if you want." "I won't charge you nothing." "In that case, I'll take it." "What, five or six or" "10 or 12." "No, the truth is," "I thought you'd want to stay clear of such doings." "See, that's natural." "You best take your time." "You best take your time." "It doesn't matter how much time." "Hello there, Newt." "Good morning." "Good morning to you, Gus." "Good morning, Miss Lorena." "Po made you breakfast." "He asked me to bring it." "What is it, bugs?" "Bugs?" "Po cooks anything." "Ain't that right?" "Yeah, Gus." "That's right." "Bugs?" "Oh, yes, ma'am." "Sometimes he'll cook things like grasshoppers." "Yes, ma'am." "Ain't that funny?" "Why don't you sit and have coffee with us?" "Oh, no, Gus." "I best get back to the herd." "Tell Po thank you." "Ok, I will." "Thank you for bringing it over." "Well, yes, ma'am, and thank you for..." "Thank you for..." "Go on, Newt, before you step on your tongue." "Thank you." "Wouldn't be too hard to take that bunch." "I thought we was going to rob banks." "I don't remember nothing about stealing horses." "You got something against stealing horses?" "It don't happen to be my line of work, that's all." "You ain't too old to learn something new." "If you are, we can leave you right here, dead in the ground." "I won't tolerate no shirkers." "Dan's feeling a bit bloody today, ain't he?" "Ain't he." "You coming?" "I guess if you watch, you'll find out, won't you?" "They're headed this way." "Eddie, hold the horses." "Why can't I go?" "I shoot good as Roy." "Hell, that ain't much." "Roy couldn't hit his foot tied to a tree." "You know we're going to let Jake shoot them anyhow." "Ain't that right, Jake?" "Ambush!" "Pull hard!" "What are you doing?" "The fighting's up here." "They got Frog Lip." "Frog, you hit?" "I am." "Where you going?" "To round up them horses we stole." "We want them, don't we?" "Best stay here, unless you think you're bulletproof." "Roy, you and Eddie go gather up them horses." "I never thought they'd get you, Frog." "Shoot him and go on." "He's the one shot." "Shoot him and be done with it." "Well, I'd hate to shoot Frog." "You shoot him, Roy." "Dan told you to do it, Eddie." "Would you like to shoot him, Jake?" "I've knowed him all my life." "No, I wouldn't care to." "No one's much help." "Damn it, what a bunch of old ladies." "Go on, gather up them horses!" "Guess it was just Frog's unlucky day, huh?" "I guess it can happen to anybody, can't it, Spoon?" "Captain!" "Captain!" "Hold them up." "Hold them." "'I God, who have we lost now?" "I thought it was one of our boys, but it ain't." "Deets found him." "Been shot twice." "Still alive?" "Just barely." "What did he say?" "He said horse thieves." "Murdering horse thieves." "Let's keep the cattle headed north." "Keep somebody looking for water and get this boy buried in them cottonwood trees." "Was it Indians?" "Horse thieves." "Pea, you come with us." "You, too, Newt." "Come on." "We're going to track them." "I'm going with you." "No." "You'll be perfectly safe with the wagon." "Gus." "Can't let a horse thief off, particularly one that's killed a boy." "You're coming back for me?" "Absolutely." "Dish, stay with her night and day." "Pea, you and Newt go look in them bushes yonder." "Yeah." "There's another one over here!" "They went yonder way." "How many we up against?" "Four." "There's five of us." "The odds are in our favor." "What are you looking down about?" "Mr. Jake, he one of them." "I seen his horse's track." "These are horse thieves and murderers." "They might have stole Jake's horse." "No." "I know the track his horse make when he riding it." "Dang." "I hope you're wrong, Deets." "Yes, sir, but I ain't." "What is it?" "Sodbusters." "Hold it." "Hyah!" "Giddup there." "Hyah!" "Giddup." "Sodbusters." "Didn't I tell you?" "You boys wait here." "You, too, Spoon." "Dan hates sodbusters." "Hates their guts and livers." "Howdy." "Howdy." "Damn." "Feeling bloody again, ain't he?" "Ain't he." "He wants us to come on." "What did you find?" "Just this old watch." "Damn sodbusters." "You shot those two men for a watch?" "Shot them." "Now I'm going to hang them." "Hang them?" "Dan, you beat all." "I never heard of hanging dead men." "Shot them, hang them, then I'm going to burn them." "Damn sodbusters can't ever be too dead to suit me." "Jake," "Eddie." "Drag them fellas over under this tree." "I ain't no part of this." "The hell you ain't." "Pretty sight, ain't it?" "Damn sodbusters." "Let's go gather our horses afore they scatter." "Hello." "Who is it?" "It's me." "Dish." "I brought some food for you." "Well, I'm not hungry." "I'll wait till Gus gets back." "He might be two, three days." "He asked me to look after you." "I don't want nobody looking after me but Gus." "Well, it was Gus that told me." "I'm setting the plate here by the flap." "What are you doing?" "Well, I guess I'm looking after you like Gus said." "I don't need no looking after." "You don't have to stay." "I don't mind." "'I God, a gravedigger could make a fortune in these parts." "You ought to buy a spade and go into business." "I believe I'll pass on that." "That's a bad bunch we're after." "Bad as I ever seen." "Newt, you all right?" "Jake couldn't have had nothing to do with this." "Jake's always just kind of drifted." "Any wind can blow him." "Come on." "Let's get these poor fellas planted." "They're close." "Camped down by a creek." "You seen them?" "I seen them." "Four of them." "Well?" "Yes, sir." "Mr. Jake one of them." "I wish he'd stayed with Lorie." "She might have aggravated him, but she wouldn't have led him to this." "Give me that." "Save some for me, Dan." "Why would I?" "You're lazy as Jake." "Neither of you pulls your weight in this outfit." "Sit still." "Hold your damn fire!" "We're horse traders." "Hello, Gus." "Captain." "Get his gun, Deets." "You don't think I'd try to shoot you, do you?" "Get your boots off, boys." "Damn if we will." "I said we was horse traders." "We're more persuaded by the bodies we buried." "I don't know what you're talking about." "You're lying." "We bought those horses." "You buy them cowboys you shot?" "You buy them two farmers?" "Boys, get your ropes." "Tie them up." "I didn't kill anybody." "I fell in with them to get through the territory." "I was going to leave first chance I got." "You should've left earlier." "A man that'll go along with five killings is leaving slow." "Go ahead, Newt." "Well, Pea, you know me." "I'm no killer." "Deets, you know it, too." "Gus, I ain't no criminal." "Now, you know that." "Dan killed them sodbusters, I didn't." "Shut your damn mouth." "Put them on their horses." "Where is he going?" "Pick out a tree to hang you from." "Gus..." "You ride with outlaws, you die with outlaws." "I'm sorry you crossed the line." "I didn't see no line, Gus." "I was trying to get through the territory without getting scalped, that's all." "I'm sure that's true, Jake." "You're all yellow." "All of ya." "Else you'd have fought me fair." "Say goodbye to your brothers." "They ain't worth a red piss." "Neither are you." "Suggs, you're the kind that's a pleasure to hang." "All you talk is guff." "Talk to the devil." "I should've been second." "Little Eddie was the youngest." "Never meant to scare the boy's horse just then." "You ready?" "Yes." "I guess so." "You might like to know I got Lorie back." "Who?" "I'm sorry it's us that's got to do this, Jake." "I wish it had fallen to somebody else." "Hell, boys." "I'd rather be hung by friends than a bunch of damn strangers." "Newt." "Adios, boys." "Don't hold it against me." "I never meant no harm." "I swear." "Yes, sir." "He died fine, didn't he?" "Well, let's go dig him a grave." "We got a herd of cattle to look after." "Jake wasn't no killer." "Jake wasn't." "Jake liked to joke." "He didn't like to work." "I've got exactly those same failings myself." "Mama?" "Mama!" "Mama!" "Somebody's coming!" "I see it." "Senora, someone is coming." "We already told her." "Want me to kill a hen for supper?" "No." "Not yet." "They might not want to stop." "Girls, go on about your chores." "That wagon won't be here soon." "Has daddy talked any today?" "No, not today." "Are his eyes open?" "Yes, they're open." "Well, why can't he talk then?" "His head's hurt on the inside, honey." "You couldn't talk if a horse kicked you." "You girls go do your chores." "I'll race you!" "I wish our boys had lived, Bob." "Wouldn't that be something, to still have all of them?" "Hello." "I'm Clara Allen, my daughters Sally and Betsy, and this is Cholo." "Are we in Nebraska?" "Yes." "Won't you get down and rest a while?" "Do you know a fellow named Dee Boot?" "I'm going to Ogallala to find him." "Dee Boot?" "Sí." "Pistolero." "Well, you missed Ogallala by about 20 miles." "You're welcome to stay the night here if you'd like." "I've come all the way from Arkansas to find Dee." "Why, you're pregnant." "Take her in the house." "Draw some water." "Hurry up, girls." "She's going to have a baby." "A baby?" "Come on." "It's a boy." "It's a miracle you got here on time." "If she'd had this baby on the plains," "I doubt either one would have lived." "Which one of you's the father?" "Well, neither one, ma'am." "Her husband's a sheriff down in Fort Smith, Arkansas." "It's this fellow Dee Boot she's looking for." "Can she go now?" "Go?" "She won't be going anywheres for at least a week." "She's lost lots of blood." "That baby wants his supper." "Sure does." "Excuse us, please." "Goodness!" "You shouldn't be up." "There." "How's that?" "Well, you got a fine baby boy here, and a hungry one, too." "Ma'am?" "Don't she want her baby, Mama?" "Sally, you go on and boil some milk." "Betsy, you help her." "You just rest now." "We'll take care of this baby for you tonight." "You'll feel better tomorrow, all right?" "What is it?" "They leave." "Feel bad about not bringing the baby." "What do you care?" "It ain't yours." "Ellie, we're in Ogallala." "I'm cold." "She got her the fevers." "Well, I ain't no doctor." "Hold up, Zwey." "Hey, you!" "We got a sick woman here." "Where's your doctor live?" "Don't know there is one." "What's wrong?" "She's got the fevers." "Where's Dee?" "Who, ma'am?" "Dee Boot." "She's looking for him." "You know Dee Boot?" "I don't know him." "I know where he is." "In that jailhouse." "Wake up, Dee." "You got visitors." "Who is it?" "It's me, Dee." "Ellie." "Ellie?" "I left July." "All I could think about was you." "Big Zwey and Luke brought me in the wagon." "They're going to hang me next Friday, if they don't lynch me before." "Hang you?" "Why, Dee?" "What for?" "I killed a boy." "What did he do, aggravate you?" "No, just a settler's boy." "I was trying to scare him off for some cowmen that hired me." "This boy jumped the wrong way, and I killed him." "What's wrong that you got to be carried in?" "I had a baby." "I left it so I could get here." "All I could think about is getting here..." "To..." "She's bleeding." "Leon!" "Hello, señor." "You girls, stop that yelling." "Mama!" "Mama!" "She put a grasshopper down my dress." "I don't care." "Don't scream around the house." "You got the whole prairie for screaming." "See!" "A grasshopper!" "Girls!" "I'm going to get you!" "We have another visitor, señora." "Pardon the commotion." "We're a loud bunch." "Won't you get down?" "Thanks, but I wouldn't want to trouble you." "We grow our own troubles here." "Their names are Sally and Betsy." "I'm Clara Allen." "I'm July Johnson from Arkansas." "Come in." "Have something to eat." "Sorry." "I guess I forgot my manners." "It's all right." "I like to see a hungry man eat." "You say you're from Arkansas?" "Mm-hmm." "Yeah, Fort Smith." "I was the sheriff there." "Not now." "Mr. Johnson..." "Are you looking for your wife by any chance?" "Yes, I am." "Is her name Elmira?" "How do you know?" "Your wife stopped here a couple weeks ago in the company of two buffalo hunters." "Ellie was here?" "She had this baby and left the same night." "What's the matter with him?" "Mr. Johnson, if you'll excuse us, we'll leave you alone a few minutes." "Come on, girls." "Why is that man crying?" "I guess he's been looking for his wife a long time." "But he's a man." "Men have tears in them same as you." "Your pa showed up, didn't he?" "Mr. Johnson," "I know you're tired, and I expect you're heartsick over your wife," "but I'm going to say a terrible thing to you." "I used to be ladylike, but this country's made me blunt." "I don't believe that woman wants you or this child, either one." "She left here to find a fella named Dee Boot in Ogallala." "She never even looked at her baby." "Well, she had a hard trip." "Maybe she was just..." "Addled." "I like young things, Mr. Johnson." "I get attached real quick." "I'm getting real attached to young Martin here." "I know he ain't mine, but he ain't your wife's anymore, either." "Do you want him?" "I don't know what to do." "I've been so long since I done anything right." "Can't even remember it." "I lost my three boys." "Pneumonia took them." "I'll take young Martin if you don't want him." "But if you do, I wish you'd take him before I get too attached." "I can't go through the heartsick of losing another one." "I would like to ride into Ogallala first and see if I can't find Ellie." "If you would allow me that." "All right." "Them boys getting all worked up thinking about whoring in Ogallala." "You, too, I imagine." "You mean Clara?" "When you go see her, will you leave me in the tent?" "I'm going to take you and introduce you properly." "Clara don't see another woman once a month." "She'll be happy for feminine conversation." "She'll know what I am." "She'll recognize right off you're a fine human being." "Now, you don't duck your head to nobody." "Not to Clara, not to me, not to nobody." "I bet she's always been a lady, huh?" "A lady can slice your jugular as quick as a Comanche." "Clara's got a sharp tongue." "She's tomahawked me many a time in the past." "You'll like her." "Gus," "I'm afraid I'm going to lose you." "I'm afraid you're going to marry her." "You're working yourself into a sweat for nothing." "Clara had two or three chances to marry me, and she didn't take them." "But you'd like to marry her, wouldn't you?" "Yes, I would." "I would." "Hello, girls." "I hear you're planning an orgy when we get to Ogallala." "It's fine for you to laugh." "You got Lorena." "What's good for me ain't necessarily good for the weak-minded." "Po, I understand you tell fortunes." "Yes, but I don't know if I can tell yours." "Don't tell mine." "I might drown in the Republican River." "We'd sure miss you, too, wouldn't we, boys?" "Which river I drown in don't matter." "I'd like to know my matrimonial prospects." "How many more times am I likely to marry?" "All right." "You spit in the wagon." "No more wife for you." "That's disappointing." "I've only had two so far." "Neither one lived that long." "I figured I was due one more." "No." "There." "Feeling better?" "He's as faithful as any dog, isn't he?" "He's been there ever since they brought you in." "He's asked me a thousand times if you were going to live." "It's a wonder you did, with all the blood you've lost." "I've got to make rounds." "I'll look in on you when I get back." "I found you, Ellie." "That doctor said you're strong enough to talk." "You don't have to talk, though, if you don't want to." "I got a piece of bad news..." "It's real bad." "Joe got killed." "Him and Roscoe..." "And a girl..." "Outlaw killed 'em." "And I ought to have stayed with 'em, but, uh..." "That baby is fine, Ellie." "I didn't even know it was ours." "She named him Martin, if that's all right with you." "They hanged Dee." "I only got to see him for a minute, and then I fainted, and when I woke up, they'd already hanged him." "You just rest now." "I'll look in on you again in the morning." "Good morning." "Uh, I come to see Ellie." "She's gone." "Gone?" "They left last night, her and that big feller." "I tried to dissuade them." "Where to?" "St. Louis." "I told them they might as well leave their scalps here if they're going that way." "It's the Sioux..." "Army's got 'em stirred up." "They're damned fools to go East, and I told them so, too." "She was set on leaving, and he didn't argue." "Well..." "Mr. Johnson." "Did you find your wife?" "Yes, I did." "I guess you were right." "She's gone on to St. Louis now." "And you, Mr. Johnson..." "You made your plans?" "Well, I always, uh, lived in Arkansas." "How are you with horses?" "Horses..." "Well..." "Cholo's been doing all his own work and Bob's, too." "I guess that can't go on forever." "I'll offer you a job right here, if you want it." "I'm not sure I know much about horses." "No, and you ain't lived anyplace but Arkansas, have you?" "But you ain't nailed down or stupid, are you?" "You can learn, can't you?" "Yeah..." "Yeah, I guess I could." "He sick?" "No." "He's fine." "I guess he's just punishing you for ignoring him all this time." "Here, Mr. Johnson." "Meet your son." "Well, that's a good sign." "I guess you'd at least catch him if somebody threw him off a roof." "Who knows?" "Might even come to like you." "There you are." "You look just like a preacher in that frock coat." "You get those water barrels?" "Yeah." "Let's go." "Go?" "I thought since we're in town, we'd have a meal and..." "Talk some philosophy." "I don't know a philosophy." "I don't like being away from the herd with all these boys in town." "I'll take it." "Your philosophy is you worry too much." "Jake would've gone with us if we hadn't hung him." "He brought that on hisself." "I know that, Woodrow." "I just remember how he was around supper." "What's all that there?" "Things for Lorie." "I'd like to see what you got in the way of combs, brushes, and hand mirrors." "Women like to see what they look like." "Ain't that right, Woodrow?" "You're the one who'd know that." "Throw in a parasol, too." "Look." "There's Dish yonder." "We'll ask him." "Yeah." "Betcha he'd know." "Dish." "Howdy, boys." "Having a good time?" "We're lookin' for some whores, but where do you look?" "See that saloon yonder?" "Plenty of whores in there." "Thanks, Dish." "Well, what's keeping you boys?" "I thought you wanted whores." "How much they cost?" "How long you want them?" "Long enough, I reckon." "How much for that?" "Varies from girl to girl." "I met a nice one a minute ago named Mary." "She's got a friend they call the buffalo heifer." "They'd do for you boys." "Can't expect top quality first time." "Good afternoon, gentlemen." "I'm Captain Weaver." "This is Dixon, our scout." "We're looking for fresh horses." "Ours are near wore out chasing Red Cloud." "That's a nice-lookin' animal right there." "Thank you." "I like him myself." "I'll take him and any others." "He's not for sale." "I ain't asking'." "I'm tellin' ya." "I'm requisitioning that horse..." "Uh, for the government." "I'm telling you, he's not for sale." "You'd defy the U.S. Army?" "That's treason." "You cowboys can be hung for treason." "Now, how much for that gelding?" "He's not for sale." "Ha!" "You damned cowboys are too fond of your horses." "Are you going to dismount, or should I drag you off that pile of soap bones?" "Ha!" "Now ain't you a tomcat." "That'll teach you to sass." "Go on." "Get his horse." "No, sir." "This horse ain't for sale." "Dish told you that." "You cowboys are pests." "Now give me that horse!" "No, sir." "I said give me that horse, damn you!" "No, sir!" "Give him to me!" "Let him go!" "Give me that horse!" "Give him to me!" "I said, give him to me!" "Give me that horse!" "He's killing him, Gus." "Woodrow!" "It's me!" "Woodrow, it's me, Augustus!" "Damn it, Woodrow!" "Look at me, now." "Woodrow..." "All right, now." "Come here." "You hurt?" "No, sir." "Just quirted me some." "Newt wouldn't let him take Dish's horse." "Much obliged for that, Newt." "That's all right, Dish." "Get your man and go, right now." "Ain't much left to go with." "Just get what there is, Sergeant." "You bring the wagon?" "I'll bring it." "I hate rude behavior in a man." "I won't tolerate it." "It don't do to anger Woodrow F. Call, does it?" "I never seen the Captain so riled before." "He almost killed that man." "Well, why wouldn't he?" "Him beating you like that." "His own son." "His own son?" "You boys deserve a frolic before we start out to the far north." "Here." "Here." "Here." "Hey, "Gents welcome."" "That's us." "Here we are." "Who's gonna knock?" "Not me." "I ain't gonna knock." "Well, maybe we ought to have us another beer or two." "Durn it, Allen." "Howdy, ma'am." "Who is it, Buf?" "Troop of young fellers, best I can see." "Well, they just let you out of school?" "Well, what can we do for you boys?" "Want to ride the bucking pony, is that it?" "Yes, ma'am, I reckon we do." "Can you pay?" "This pony don't buck for free." "Well, is this enough?" "Mary, looks like we got us a bunch of rich cattlemen." "You boys come in, and I'm going to take you, honey." "I seen him first." "I ought to have dibs." "Well, have at him, then." "These two here will suit me just fine." "Hey, Jimmy, where you going?" "Not me." "I ain't going in there." "Come on, cowboy, skin them pants off." "We ain't got all day for you little tadpoles." "Mr. Johnson sure is a hard worker." "Yes, he is, and he sure has learned a lot about horses since he's been here, too." "His wife ought to have loved him, instead of running off and getting killed." ""Ought" ain't worth as much as a gnat when you're talking about love." "She loved somebody else." "Do you still love Daddy, even like that?" "He can't help how he is." "He got his head kicked." "I wish he'd get well." "Is he gonna die, Mama?" "We're doing everything we can for him." "Somebody's coming." "I'm going, too." "Be careful of Martin." "He ain't a stick of wood." "Come on, Mama, let's see who it is." "Your mama works you hard?" "Uh-huh." "Where's your mama now?" "She's inside." "Well, pretty as ever." "Why, Mama!" "Gus, ain't you gonna introduce your friends?" "Well..." "Well, you know Woodrow." "How do you do?" "And this is Miss Lorena Wood." "She's come all the way from Lonesome Dove." "I don't know whether to envy or pity you, Miss Wood, riding all this way with Mr. McCrae here." "I know he's entertaining, but that much entertainment could break a person." "Oh, and, uh, that there's Newt." "Howdy, ma'am." "Newt who?" "I'm Newt Dobbs, ma'am." "Captain McCrae..." "Sheriff Johnson." "Never thought I'd see you again." "Well, I guess, as they say, it's a small world." "I guess it is, Gus." "You must know everybody in it by now." "Girls, you go fetch three pullets." "I thought we'd have a picnic." "Oh, Ma, let's do." "I understand your husband has horses for sale." "Bob's upstairs sick." "July, you and Cholo show the captain what we got." "I'll come price them after you've made your picks." "All right." "Come on in." "You're that sheriff from Arkansas, the one that come looking for Jake Spoon." "That seems like a long time ago now." "I'm not looking for him anymore." "Good, 'cause he fell in with a bad bunch, and we hung him." "What happened to Sheriff Johnson's wife?" "Indians got her." "So you adopted both father and the baby?" "You was always one to grab, Clara." "Listen to him." "Hasn't seen me in 16 years and still feels free to criticize." "No." "It was really young Martin there I wanted." "As time goes on, I got less and less use for grown men." "The years haven't taken your bloom." "I'll say that." "You'll have to forgive us, Miss Wood." "Gus and I were sweethearts once." "I know." "Gus told me." "Almost as pretty here as that little spot down in Texas where we used to picnic." "You remember that?" "Of course." "I stopped there for a few minutes on my way up." "Clara's orchard." "That was a happy place, wasn't it?" "Yes, it was." "So, Gus, what did you achieve all those years in Lonesome Dove?" "Not much." "Shot a few Mexican bandits, drank a lot of whiskey." "That's all you did?" "You could have done it right here in Ogallala and been a friend to me." "I lost my three boys, Gus." "I needed a friend." "Well, you was married, Clara." "I didn't think it proper." "I was never so married I couldn't have managed a friend." "Hell, I wish you'd wrote and told me that." "I did write you." "You did?" "I wrote you lots of times." "Tore up the letters, though." "I figured if you didn't come of your own accord," "I didn't have any use for you anyway." "I like your young girl." "What was she doing in Lonesome Dove?" "What she could." "Don't hold it against her." "I might have done the same myself under some circumstances." "I doubt that, Clara." "You think you know so much about women, Gus, but you don't." "You're way overrated in that regard." "'I God, but you're sassy." "No, I'm honest." "You always did take that for being sassy." "That Newt's about the same age my Jim would have been if he'd lived." "Newt's a fine boy." "He really is." "Does he know Captain Call's his father?" "Yeah." "I told him just the other day." "Woodrow wouldn't?" "Yep." "You know Woodrow." "Yeah, I know Woodrow, and I detest him." "I always have." "Rankles me he got so much of you, and I got so little over the years." "I think I had the better claim." "I'll say." "Well..." "I wish I had come, Clara." "I wish I'd have come a long time ago." "I really do." "You should leave that girl here." "Got no business taking her up to Montana." "Well, I doubt she'd stay." "She might if you'd stay out of it." "She'll die or get killed or age before her time, like I have." "I can't see you've aged." "You have, too, although I doubt you'll admit it." "The older the violin, the sweeter the music." "You ever hear that?" "Yeah, I heard it, Gus, many times before." "Watch Woodrow when she names her price." "Oh, hell." "Now wait a minute." "Woodrow finally met his match." "She didn't budge a penny." "Nope." "She sure didn't." "Newt?" "See that little sorrel there with the star on his forehead?" "I want you to have him." "Captain, see that little sorrel with the star on his forehead?" "I'm giving him to Newt." "Giving him to Newt?" "I'm making him a gift of that horse." "Deduct him from the price later." "I want you well mounted up in Montana." "Thank you very much, ma'am." "Thank you for that picnic, too." "It was special." "I never been on one." "We enjoyed having you." "If Montana don't suit you, you can come back anytime." "I'll give you plenty of work." "I'd like that." "Newt!" "I'll help the captain." "Thank you." "You'd adopt the whole bunch if you could." "I like that boy." "Sally likes him, too." "He should be ready to marry when Sally comes of age." "'I God, Clara." "Come on, Gus." "I want you to see Bob before you go." "Why'd she give you that horse?" "I don't know." "She just did." "She wouldn't give a nickel on these, then gives you one free." "Makes no sense." "Women." "Why'd you come here with Call?" "I was hoping I'd find you a widow." "Didn't miss by much, either." "You missed by years, Gus." "You had a long ride for nothing." "Why, it's happiness itself to see you, Clara." "I'm surprised you'd dare bring that woman into my house." "I thought you liked Lorie." "I do like her." "I mind, though." "She's so young and pretty." "I told you what happened." "It's an accident she's here." "I never notice you having accidents with ugly girls." "Well..." "Just been lucky, I guess." "I don't know." "You were my dream, Gus." "All these years you've been my dream." "I used to think about you two or three hours a day." "I wish I'd known that." "I didn't want you here." "Not really." "I knew you for a rake and a rambler." "But it sure was nice pretending you loved only me." "Well, I do only love you, Clara." "I've grown fond of Lorie, but it ain't like this feeling I got for you." "She loves you." "Don't you know it would destroy her if you stayed?" "I do know that." "Would you destroy her if I said stay?" "I expect so." "That ain't an answer, Gus." "You know I would, Clara." "I'd smother Bob and send Lorie to perdition!" "Such talk." "I would." "No." "Bob will die when he has a mind to." "I'll probably have to sit and watch you father four or five children in your old age." "I'm sorry." "It's just her beauty that set me off." "Well, pretty ain't everything." "You're still pretty, Clara." "You're still the deceiving man you've always been, Gus." "With your permission, Bob." "I'd like a kiss." "Come on." "Now stop it." "You beat any woman I ever saw for..." "Taking the starch out of a man." "You still in the mind to marry me, Gus?" "I don't know, Clara." "I really don't." "No." "I won't marry again." "I haven't got enough respect for men, and I've met very few who are honest, Gus." "You ain't one of them." "I'm about half honest." "That's the truth." "Come on." "You put it through the hole." "Ok." "Look, Sally." "Lorie, it's time to be saddling up." "So soon, Gus?" "Miss Wood," "I wish you'd stay here." "Montana's no place for a lady." "Well..." "A lady." "Do, Miss Wood." "Please do." "Please do." "We could sew some more dresses." "Gus..." "Will you come back?" "You bet." "A ladies' man like me can't be expected to resist such a passel of beauties." "I'll warn you, these girls will wear you out." "You're going to wish you were back in cow camp." "Well." "All right." "Good." "That's settled then." "Come on, girls." "Let's go fix Miss Wood's room." "I'll come with you, Gus, if you want." "It's just real nice here, and she's so friendly." "I'm happy for you to stay." "You spent enough time in that..." "Dirty old tent." "I never even thought about staying until she asked." "You still want to marry her?" "No." "Well, I don't see why not." "Well..." "Times have changed us, Lorie, me and Clara both." "I can't imagine anything changing you, Gus." "You will come back, won't you?" "Sure, I'll come back." "You probably won't want me then." "Why wouldn't I?" "You'll have discovered by then that there's..." "Something in this old world besides me." "You'll find that there's others..." "That treat you decent." "Why, there's none like you, Gus." "Well, ladies..." "I reckon, uh, it's time to be going." "There's cheap land not three days' ride from here." "I don't see why you have to go to Montana where the Indians can outfight you." "It's where we started for." "We like to get to where we started for, even if it don't make sense." "It don't." "Hell, I know it don't." "I'd like to see one more place that ain't settled before I take up the rocking chair." "This part of the country's settled?" "You're here." "Pretty soon it won't be nothing but schoolhouses." "Lorie, darling." "Ladies." "This damn wind's bad luck." "What if Jake lied to us?" "What if Montana ain't the paradise he described?" "What's if it's like this, no water, no nothing?" "That Deets?" "Find any water?" "Yes, sir." "Well?" "80 miles, Captain." "'I God, 80 miles?" "Well, we ain't turning back." "I'll go tell the boys to keep pushing." "Captain's determined." "Be interesting to see if that determination can get us 80 miles with no water." "What are we doing?" "This ain't our country." "Woodrow's set on being the first to raise cattle in Montana." "No changing his mind." "A man ought not to leave his country, go wandering around like this." "Captain, wake up." "We're here." "Morning, girls." "12 horses are missing." "Indians got them." "They come sneaking here on foot last night." "I guess it was their charity they didn't steal the whole bunch." "I doubt you sleeping beauties would have noticed." "Them durn Indians might decide to get us." "You're going to get the drizzles if you don't relax." "They got Custer." "He fought Indians his whole life." "Let's go, Gus." "We got some horse thieves to find." "Just when I was getting comfortable." "Dish, you keep these cattle." "Graze them up this little creek." "I don't want them wore out before we strike for the Powder River." "You ready, Gus?" "Why, hell, yes, I'm ready, Woodrow." "Don't I look ready?" "Sure this is worth it for 12 horses?" "We can't start putting up with horse theft." "You know that." "Camp's ahead in a draw with some water." "How many?" "Couldn't be many." "A chigger couldn't live here." "Mostly women and children." "I didn't see more than two boys fighting age." "Too durn hot to fight." "Let's wait until night, then steal the nags back." "They're starving, Captain." "They done cut up one horse already." "'I God, you mean they stole our horses for meat?" "They're real poor." "They're just having a picnic." "We had one without nobody shooting at us." "I'm just going to scare them off so we can get our horses." "We'll leave them two." "Nina!" "Nina!" "Poor little boy's blind." "He can't see nothing." "Deets, don't." "Don't, Deets." "Hush up, little fella." "You'll be all right." "Deets is going to take care of you." "What you crying about?" "Here." "Here." "You want to play with something?" "Here." "Ok?" "Play with that?" "Hey, he's all right now." "He's afraid everybody left him." "Set that baby down!" "They think you're stealing him!" "Here." "Take him." "I'm just helping him..." "Deets!" "Take him, Captain." "I'm about to fall." "Easy." "Easy." "You just rest a minute, Deets." "Just rest." "Easy." "Easy." "You just rest a minute, Deets." "Easy." "Where's Newt?" "Newt ain't here now." "He's..." "I guess it's our fault." "We should have shot sooner." "I don't want to start thinking about all the things we should have done for this good man." "Nina?" "I think old Deets knowed his time was up." "He let that boy kill him." "Why did he have to die?" "He was just holding that baby." "He could've dropped it but didn't." "He just stood there." "I've seen your father bury many a man, but I've never known him to carve a sign before." "Let's see what he wrote." "What's it read, Gus?" "It says, "Josh Deets..." ""Served with me 30 years," ""fought in 21 engagements" ""with the Comanche and the Kiowa." ""Cheerful in all weathers..." ""Never shirked a task." ""Splendid behavior."" "That's what it says." "My lord..." "Old Deets is gone." "My lord." "We ought to let them pigs ride in the wagon." "I never heard such a thing." "They made history, the first pigs to walk from Texas to Montana." "That's quite a feat." "What's it got them?" "A bear will probably eat them, or we will this wintertime." "Them rabbits and ducks you got there will make a fine meal, Pea Eye." "Seen some elk, too." "You seen any Indians?" "Nary a one." "You probably won't, neither." "Not until they..." "Lift your scalp." "Old Jake was right." "I never seen a prettier country than this." "Gus, I never thought I'd see so far." "There ain't nothing better than riding a fine horse into a new country." "That's exactly what me and Woodrow was meant for, though don't tell your pa I said that." "I keep him thinking he's a peck of trouble, so he don't get sassy." "He ain't mentioned it." "What?" "That he's my pa." "It wouldn't be his way to mention it." "See, Woodrow ain't much of a mentioner." "Gus, is it that he don't like me?" "No." "He just don't want to admit he's human like the rest of us, that's all." "He ain't human like the rest of us." "He had a chance once with your mama, but he let it go, and he won't admit his mistake." "That's why he's never admitted he's your pa, because it would be admitting that he's human, and he ain't never going to admit that, not to you, me," "not even to himself." "I'm glad you told me." "Well, I don't know what you can do with the information, but there it is." "Well, just knowing means something, I guess." "Sometimes it seems like grave digging is all we do around here, don't it, Cholo?" "What do you think happens when we die?" "Hmm, not too much." "You are just dead." "Maybe it's not as big a change as we think." "Maybe you just go back to where you lived or near your family or wherever you was happiest." "Only you're just a spirit now, and you don't have the troubles that the living have." "I don't know." "Maybe so." "Well..." "What you doing with those lard cans, Jasper?" "Making floats for when we hit that Yellowstone." "Floats?" "I ain't drowning in that last river." "Who says the Yellowstone is last?" "The Missouri's up there and then the Milk." "I'm only crossing one more river." "You'll cross 40 if Captain says." "Why do we keep going?" "Ain't we traveled enough?" "I'd like a town, myself." "It don't have to be St. Louis, long as it has a saloon." "I'd like to see my home again while the folks are still alive." "You know you're hired for life." "We'll probably all be bear crap in a week anyhow." "Well, I don't think that's funny." "Ready?" "Gus, how long you figure it'll take you to scout Yellowstone?" "A couple of days, probably, something like that." "So long, girls." "Don't let the Indians get you while we're gone." "You always got to joke, don't you?" "Who's joking?" "Pretty, ain't they?" "I reckon." "Let's chase them." "You want to?" "Shoot us one for our supper?" "No." "I mean chase them just for the sport of it." "What, to run them off?" "You don't get the point." "Chase them, because before long, there won't be any buffalo left to chase." "Them bulls will hook you." "Yeah." "Do you remember old man Barlow?" "That buffalo hooked him bad." "Old man Barlow was a slow thinker, kind of like somebody else I could name." "Well, he was a slow walker, too, when that buffalo got through with him." "What ever happened to him?" "He married a fat widow and had a passel of kids." "You could've done that, since you don't want to chase buffalo." "I wouldn't want to chase buffalo even if I was married." "Forget I even mentioned it." "Well, I like being a bachelor, Gus." "That's good, Pea Eye." "I'm sure it's all part of God's plan that you are one." "You all right?" "Hell, no, I ain't all right!" "Unh!" "I'm hit!" "Head for that creek down there!" "How many more you kill?" "Not but one." "Two." "They're going to surround us." "I guess we won't hear from them till dark now." "How is your shoulder?" "Well, it went clean through." "I don't like the idea of waiting around till dark." "Pea..." "Pull them out for me, would you?" "Oh, wait, Pea." "Jeez!" "Jesus!" "Whew." "All right, the other one." "It's in there deep." "Well, pull harder." "'I God!" "Oh, lord!" "It won't budge nary an inch, Gus." "Well..." "Push it on through then." "Go ahead, Pea, do it now." "Go on." "It won't go through." "Here..." "Cut it." "Cut the skin." "Come on." "Oh, Lord." "They're killing our horses." "This will have to do for now, Pea." "What Indians is it we're fighting anyhow?" "Well, they didn't introduce themselves." "Maybe they give up." "Yeah?" "They're trying to get lucky." "I don't know why we didn't stay in Texas." "We pretty near had the Indians whipped down there." "This is a bad piece of luck we're having, running into this little bunch of fighters." "Do you reckon we can hold them off till the Captain comes?" "Well, he won't miss us for a week." "I don't fancy squatting in the dirt that long." "You're going to have to go for help once it gets dark." "Go for help?" "Well, they might catch me." "Then what?" "Well..." "They'll probably start by cutting your cojones off." "Shh, listen." "Maybe I spooked them a little bit." "They probably never heard Comanche before." "You, too." "Oh... jeez." "It's going to be night shortly." "Yeah." "They're going to try sneaking up on us in the dark, ain't they, Gus?" "Be taking a chance if they do, a couple of sharpshooters like us." "I ain't no sharpshooter." "I usually miss if I ain't got time to take careful aim." "'I God, but it's... depressing to talk to you, Pea." "You smell something?" "Yeah..." "Rain." "You feeling poorly, Gus?" "Yeah." "I'm..." "I'm starting to get the chills, I am." "Four hours ago, a frog could have waded across this creek." "Now look at it." "It might give us the chance we need." "Float right by them." "Get on back to the herd for help." "I ain't going to leave you." "Oh... well..." "Not like this." "I can't walk, and you can't carry me." "It's our only chance." "You reckon..." "You can hold out a spell?" "Well, I've got a day or two left in me, I believe." "Now, you better get started." "Now..." "Tell Woodrow... to come a-runnin'." "I will." "What if I get lost?" "Just head south." "South?" "South." "That way yonder." "If you see a polar bear, you went the wrong way." "Now go." "Pea Eye, duck!" "Uh..." "Go!" "Go!" "Why, Deets..." "Yeah." "Yeah." "I'm a-comin', Deets." "Wait for me, Deets." "Just..." "I'm a-comin'." "Deets..." "Deets..." "You intend to stab me with that knife?" "About to have a go at that rotten leg before you woke up." "It's ruined." "Indians." "Blood Indians." "Bought a lot of beaver from them." "Beats all they didn't kill you." "They give it a good try." "I'm Hugh Auld." "Down Miles City, they call me old Hugh, though I doubt I'm 80 yet." "Augustus McCrae." "If I had a saw, I'd take that leg off." "If that rot gets in the other one, you'll lose them both." "You'll have to scoot around on your ass." "How far is Miles City?" "Say 40 mile." "Any doctors there?" "Two." "Both of them drunkards." "I don't believe you're going to walk no 40 mile, Augustus." "I might fool you." "I just might... fool you." "Got yourself a bad back?" "My deadfall fell over on me." "Indians found me." "Thought it was funny." "Back never did straighten out." "We all have our misfortunes." "You ride my horse." "You won't get a mile walking on that rotten leg." "I appreciate it." "Where you from, anyhow?" "Little fart of a town down in south Texas called Lonesome Dove." "You're a traveling son of a bitch, ain't you?" "Was, I'm afraid." "Thank you." "Scoot me up on the horse..." "With my left leg." "Whoa, there." "Lift me." "Whoa, there." "Captain!" "Pea... where's Gus?" "Creek's up." "That's why I lost my clothes." "Where's Deets?" "I guess you just missed him." "Where's Gus?" "Creek's up." "I had to swim." "And all them Indians." "And then old Deets found me." "But where's Deets?" "Run, get that wagon." "I'm going after Gus." "Dish, you're in charge." "Keep them cattle headed north." "Yes, sir." "Captain..." "You don't want nobody with you?" "No." "Good God." "Here we are in Montana." "There's Indians and bears, and winter's coming on." "Now the Captain and Gus are both gone." "It will be a wonder if we don't all get massacred." "Hey, Mister!" "What are you doing..." "just a-sittin' there?" "Come in here and buy us a drink." "We're broke as old grandma." "What's the matter with you?" "You a-sleepin'?" "Why..." "He is a-sleepin', isn't he?" "Sleeping, hell." "Looky here at this leg." "I'm Augustus McCrae..." "of the Texas Rangers." "Oh!" "Not so loud." "Not so loud." "My bandages are leaking." "I can see that." "Ah, there, now." "Fresh bandages." "Hope you didn't throw my leg away." "I may make a walking stick out of the bone." "You're a man of spirit." "That's good." "I fear you've a few fractuosities yet to endure." "A few what?" "Got to take that other leg off." "Should have done it while you were unconscious." "But the fact is, this one exhausted me." "If you'd hacked them both off, I'd have shot you dead." "Well, I can understand your attachment to your own appendages, sir." "But the fact of it is, you'll die if we don't take it off." "Who's playing the piano?" "She does play beautifully, doesn't she?" "They say..." "She studied music in Philadelphia when she was younger." "Name's Dora." "Go get me some more whiskey." "There's money in my pants there." "Is she a whore?" "Of course she's a whore." "Consumptive, too." "She'll never see Philadelphia again, I fear." "Give her $20, and..." "Tell her to keep on playing." "You ain't getting my other leg, sawbones, if that's what you're a-thinkin'." "I assure you, sir, the alternative is gloomy." "You seem to have a feeling for music." "Why don't you give yourself a few more years of listening to whores play the piano." "Why don't you shut up and go get my whiskey?" "I should operate today..." "Within the hour, in fact." "I could have that leg off in 15 minutes." "No, sir." "Don't forget to tip that whore for me." "Well, slow but sure." "Took you long enough to get here, Woodrow." "I told him it should come off." "We could still take it off." "No, sir." "You wouldn't kill me for trying to save your life." "No, but I'll darn sure disable you." "You don't boss me, Woodrow." "I'm the one man you don't boss." "I never figured you for a suicide, Gus." "What do you want legs for anyway?" "You don't like to do nothing but sit on the porch and drink whiskey." "I like to kick a pig every once in a while." "How would I do that?" "It's much too late now." "I wouldn't bother him about it anymore." "Pour us a drink, Woodrow." "Arguing with you makes me thirsty." "I'll leave you now." "Why don't you relax?" "You can't save me." "You ain't gonna become a drunkard over this, are ya?" "No." "Go ahead and die if you want to." "I don't care." "You act like you hold it against me." "I've walked this earth my whole life with my pride, you see." "Now, if that's lost, then let the rest be lost with it, because there's certain things my vanity won't abide." "Your goddamn vanity." "I guess you'll want a fancy funeral, too." "I've been thinking of that." "I have a favor to ask of you, and then I'll do you a favor in return." "What favor?" "I want you to bury me down yonder in Clara's orchard." "Clara's orchard." "I don't recall seeing she had one." "Remember that grove of pecans by the creek we stopped at in Texas?" "Back in Texas?" "You want me to haul you back to Texas?" "We just got to Montana." "I know where we just got to, Woodrow." "I'm dying here." "Well..." "I imagine Clara would be glad to give you a place in her little family cemetery" "if that would make you feel better." "You'd bury me next to that dumb horse trader she married?" "Just throw me out the window!" "Texas." "Yes, Texas." "That's your favor to me, and that's my favor to you, too." "It's a reason to go off on another adventure, so you don't get bored being a rancher, which you ain't anyway." "You're one of a kind, Augustus." "We're going to miss you." "Even you?" "Even me." "What do you want me to do with your half of the cattle?" "I want you to buy them from me." "You ain't put in a day's worth of work on them." "You ought to just give them to me." "Are they half mine or not?" "Yes, they're half yours." "All right." "Buy them from me and give the money to..." "Lorena." "All right." "Well, is there anything else?" "Sure you don't want me to haul you down to the South Pole and bury you there?" "All you got to do is ask." "Yeah." "Tell Newt that you're his daddy." "I've told him, but you should tell him." "You ought not have told him that." "What will you do, shoot me for it?" "It's time you stopped mistreating that boy." "I don't know that I ever have mistreated him." "Not giving him your name is mistreating him." "Now, he's the only son you'll ever have." "I don't know that he is my son." "I know it, and you know it." "Darn, you're stubborn." "No wonder women don't like you." "Reach in that drawer there and find me something to write on." "I want to leave a couple of notes for Lorie and Clara." "Want me to do anything about them Indians that shot you?" "We got no call to be vengeful." "They didn't invite us here." "It's a dangerous business writing to two women at the same time." "I'm so light-headed, I can hardly remember which one's which." "Now this one's..." "This one's..." "For Lorie." "Take it." "And this one here..." "'I God." "You want me to help you with that?" "What would you know to say to a woman?" "Augustus." "'I God, Woodrow..." "It's been quite a party, ain't it?" "Yes, sir." "Well..." "Reckon you'll be needing an undertaker." "No." "He asked me to take him back to Texas for his burial." "People do have their whimsies, don't they?" "Your friend had his share, all right." "You going to do it?" "I said I would, although I hadn't counted on this weather when I made my promise." "Well, you could let him winter here, take him back to Texas next spring when the weather breaks." "Doubt he'd mind the stay." "Easy, old Hugh." "I'll take her through." "There." "He'll do just fine here for the winter." "I'll come for him next spring." "Now, don't worry if you change your mind." "We'll bury him for you." "Why would I change my mind?" "Well, people promise all sorts of things to the dying." "It's been my observation they generally forget the whole business in a few days." "I don't." "No, sir." "I can see you don't." "I didn't mean you in particular." "I'll come back next spring." "He'll be here." "Want me to wait on you?" "No." "I'll pick up them coats and blankets and creep along behind." "Dead?" "Gus is dead?" "You'd best go tell the boys to gather at the wagon." "I don't want to tell this story but once." "Go on, now." "I'll be along shortly." "Gus got the blood poisoning in his legs..." "From them arrows the Indians shot in him." "The doctor cut one of them off..." "Wouldn't let him have the other." "He was stubborn about it." "That's what killed him." "Before he died, he asked me to take him back to Texas for his burial, and..." "I intend to do it come spring." "I bet the captain ain't said more than a word in weeks." "Yeah, well, he never talked much anyway." "We're gonna build our ranch in this little valley." "You go tell the boys." "Come on in!" "We're here!" "We're here!" "Dish, soon as that wagon's unloaded you best take some boys and go cutting logs for a cabin." "Captain." "Captain, I signed on to drive these cows up to Montana for you, but I don't remember signing on to stay." "Winters are hard here." "You'd be better advised to go in the spring." "If I could have my wages, I'd take my chances." "I got a coat." "I won't hold you back if you're determined." "I am." "All right." "Don't get lost." "I pointed this herd up here." "I can find my way back." "Give Texas a hello for me." "Texas?" "Hell, he ain't going to Texas." "He's riding to Nebraska for that little blond whore now that Gus is out of his way." "Lorie ain't no whore." "Take that back, or I'll box your ears." "Well..." "I just meant she was a whore in her younger years." "I don't know what she does for a living now." "Well, boys..." "Newt." "I swear, Dish..." "Thanks, Luke." "Push." "Push it up." "The army needs a little beef for the wintertime." "Newt, you, Jasper, and Pea drive about 100 head over to Fort Benton." "Newt, you're in charge." "Make a fair trade to both parties." "Bring the money back here." "Yes, sir." "Captain, just a minute." "That ain't right." "What ain't right?" "Putting him in charge." "I'm a top hand." "I ain't taking no orders from no boy." "You will, or you'll draw your wages right now." "Well, Captain..." "I ain't got nothing to go back to Texas for." "I don't care to cross them rivers again." "Behave yourself, then." "I give orders here." "Yes, sir." "Newt, you got any questions?" "No, sir." "Well..." "Let's go." "You must be hungry, trying to eat all that dirt." "What's going on down there?" "Get up, Newt." "You can do it." "You got him!" "Come on." "Yeah." "There you go." "All right!" "There." "Get up, rascal." "Get up, rascal." "Get up." "Come on, Newt." "Get up." "Get him." "Get up." "Get up." "Oh, boy!" "That-a boy!" "Get up." "Go ahead." "Get up." "There you go!" "All right." "Get on your horse, Jasper." "We got cattle to drive." "A devil here." "Whoa." "Settle down." "Settle down." "Hold him." "Hold him." "Yeah, now." "Come on." "Whoo!" "Coming at you." "Hyah!" "Hyah!" "Give him to me!" "Hyah!" "All right, Newt!" "Go!" "Go!" "Ride him, Newt!" "Ride him, Newt!" "He's got a way with horses, don't he?" "Yeah, he does." "Just like you." "Which one you want next, Newt?" "Oh, let's get that little bay." "You're going, I reckon, Captain." "See how your saddle fits this gray." "The hell bitch?" "Put your saddle on her." "You're range boss now, Newt." "I told them other boys." "Pea..." "You help him." "He'll need a steady man." "Yes, sir, Captain." "I will." "That was my father's." "Newt." "I..." "Yes, sir?" "I..." "Darn, Newt, he acted like you was his kin." "No." "I ain't kin to nobody, Pea." "Lorie." "You're going to go crazy sitting up here every day like this." "How do you know Captain Call's even going to come back this way?" "He will." "What good's that going to do you?" "Gus is dead." "I know." "Well..." "I guess you wish you'd gone off with him instead of staying here." "I should have." "No." "You'd be stuck up there in Montana with a bunch of men all wanting you to love them." "Hyah!" "Get on!" "Get on!" "Hyah!" "Look at Dish." "He wants you to love him so bad, he rode through blizzards to get here." "He wasted his time, too." "Did you love Gus?" "Yes, I did." "He proposed to you, didn't he?" "About 30 times, on and off over the years." "But he was a rambler." "I knew I'd never be able to keep him at home." "He used to act so disappointed when I'd say no." "I could see the relief all over his face." "I think he knew what a struggle it would be if he won me," "and he didn't want to, not deep down." "Clara." "Well, Captain Call," "I see you're doing it." "I told him I would." "Gus was crazy, and you're foolish to be dragging his corpse back to Texas." "Everybody's talking about it." "I reckon that'd suit Gus." "I wish you'd bury him up on the ridge with my sons." "I told him that." "I told him that very thing, but that's not what he asked of me." "He wants to lay in that little picnic spot you and him had back in Texas." "I remember that spot." "We quarreled there." "He wanted what I wouldn't give, and I wanted what he didn't have." "He felt tender about the place, and I gave him my word." "Now, he wrote you a letter." "He wrote you each a letter." "He left you his half of the herd, too." "I put the money in the bank in Miles City." "You can draw on it anytime." "It's a fair amount." "Captain Call." "There's a coffin in the wagon." "Looks like he's doing it." "I never doubted he would." "Aah!" "Martin, will you behave?" "He wasn't hurting nothing, Mama." "You hush up and eat your dinner, Sally." "Ain't Lorie eating, Mama?" "Lorie's spending a little time with Mr. McCrae before Captain Call takes him up to Texas." "Well..." "That was a fine dinner." "You're excused, Dish." "Thank you, ma'am." ""Dear Clara," ""I would be obliged if you'd look after Lorie." ""I fear she'll take this hard." ""I'm down to one leg now," ""and this life is fading fast." ""So I can't say more." ""Good luck to you and your gals."" "I wonder if you want me to read that letter to you." "No." "No." "I'll just keep it." "He put my name on it." "I can read that." "I'll just keep it." "They'll all forget you, Gus." "They got their own doings." "But I won't." "Whenever it comes morning or night," "I'll think of you." "I won't never forget you, Gus." "Not ever." "Darling." "Mrs. Allen!" "Mrs. Allen!" "She just kind of crumpled and fell." "She just fainted." "Bring her up to her room, Dish." "She just fainted, that's all, spending the night up with Mr. McCrae." "Go hitch the wagon for Captain Call." "I see he's eager to leave." "For that girl's sake, I wish you'd bury him here." "Gus meant the world to her." "I agree it's foolish." "I told him so myself, but I give him my word I'd take him back." "Give him your word?" "Did you give that boy your name before you left Montana?" "I give him my horse." "You gave him your horse, not your name." "I put a lot more value on the animal than I do my name." "Look at me, Captain Call." "I'm sorry you and Gus McCrae ever met." "You ruined each other and those closest to you." "I loved Gus, but I wasn't gonna fight you for him every day of my life." "I despised you then for what you were." "I despise you now for what you're doing." "Goodbye, Gus." "You that fellow taking some crazy man back to Texas for burial?" "Yeah, we heard about you." "Listen, I give a real nice $10 funeral right here in Ogallala." "Course, the tombstone's extra." "Not in the market." "Howdy." "I've got a bad wheel." "I can see it." "I guess I've heard of you." "You're Captain Call." "This here is your friend." "You still got a long way to go, huh?" "Can you fix the wagon?" "Why, sure." "Let me look at it." "Looks like we may have to replace the wheel." "A lot of people in town." "To watch a hanging." "Yeah." "Everybody wants to see this one hang." "He muy malo..." "Bad." "Who is it, some politician?" "No." "It's a man caught butchering a family down in Bosque Redondo." "They got him up there." "His name is Blue Duck." "I hear he caused trouble in your country." "That's true." "He did." "Well, them days is over for him now." "What's he been doing?" "Nothing, just sitting there." "I hear you're bringing your stinkin' old friend to my hanging'." "He'd enjoy seeing it, all right." "I should have caught him and cooked him." "I'd have killed you for it if you had." "I raped women, stole children, and burned houses, shot men, run off horses, and killed cattle, and robbed who I pleased all over your territory, and you never even had a good look at me" "until today." "You wouldn't have killed me." "It don't matter much now, though, does it?" "You Rangers!" "I expect I'll kill a passel of you yet." "I doubt it." "Not unless you can sprout wings and fly through the hangman's noose." "I can fly." "An old woman taught me, and if you care to wait," "you'll see me." "I'll wait." "I give you my word on it." "Your hangman's waiting." "Are you ready?" "Well," "I guess that old woman didn't teach you how to fly after all." "Well, there you are, Augustus." "I guess this will teach me to be more careful about what I promise in the future." "Bol." "¿Capitán?" "How are you, Bol?" "Capitán." "Capitán!" "I'm surprised to see you here." "Thought you went back to Mexico to be with your family." "I did go, but my daughters, they were all married and gone." "And my wife, she was harder to get along with than ever." "So I came back." "Where are all the others?" "Jake's buried up in Kansas." "Deets in Montana." "Gus is in a little stand of pecan trees alongside a creek where he used to picnic with a woman." "The rest of the boys are up in the north country, building a ranch." "They say it burned down about a year ago." "Are you Captain Call?" "Captain Woodrow F. Call?" "What started the fire?" "The way I heard it, the owner, a man named Wanz, I believe?" "Xavier Wanz." "He was apparently in love with some whore, but she left him, so he locked himself in her room and burned the place down around him." "They say he missed her." "I swear." "You are Captain Call, aren't you?" "What do you want?" "I work for the newspaper up in San Antonio." "Could I talk to you for a few minutes?" "No." "They say you carried your friend 3,000 miles just to bury him." "Is that true?" "They say both of you were Texas Rangers back in the old days, that you cleaned the Comanches out, and the bandits." "Is that true?" "They say you started the first cattle ranch up in Montana." "They say you're a man of vision." "Captain Call?" "A man of vision, you say?" "Yeah." "Hell of a vision."