"Oh, Mr. Beauregard!" "We have ah... an answer for you from New Orleans." "What'd they say?" ""Sundowner sails the 21st." "Stop." "Destination Europe." "Stop." "Reservation... confirmed." "Stop." "Request deposit 500 dollars." "Stop."" " Hey!" "What about the 500 dollars?" " No hurry." "The important thing is there's a ship." "Hey!" "10 dollars!" "How'd he do it, Pa?" "I only heard one shot!" "It's a question of speed, son." "Pa, ain't nobody faster on the draw than him?" "Faster than him?" "Nobody." "My Name is Nobody" "Red!" "Too late, amigo." "Who did it?" "You did... when you first started looking for me." "Where's Nevada?" "Hold up in Acoma." "He ain't about to move from there." "What were you doing here?" "Who shot you?" " Go..." " Where?" "You can go fuck yourself." "You and you alone... are responsible to me and my men for making the gold legal." "Instead, Sullivan, you chase after your own personal affairs!" "You're leaving a trail of dead bodies all the way across the state!" "A trail that leads straight here." " Jack Beauregard." " Yeah." "We pay you 'cause you're respectable." "A gentleman!" "Bought a worked out gold mine and discovered a new vein." "But any suspicion that falls on you, falls on the gold." "What are you afraid of?" "You got everyone exactly where you want them." "I could shout the truth from the rooftops." "I could bring the sheriff in here... and say, "Look, if we didn't add that stolen gold of yore... this mine would only produce rock!"" "I could even show them and nobody would believe me." " And they'd all be blind and deaf." " But not dumb!" "There's talk going around, Sullivan." "Talk has a way of getting into places where there ain't no fear." "The ore that comes out of this mine... has got to be refined legally!" "You keep your hands clean, Sullivan." "But if I don't kill Beauregard first, he'll kill me." "That's right." "Two things go straight to a man's heart: bullets and gold." "You're telling me to buy Jack Beauregard?" "Why not?" "We bought you." "Buy him or kill him!" "But do it fast." "You hear me?" "Fast!" "Hey!" "Load up 20 of them horseshoes." " Is it going to take much longer?" " No, nearly done." "He's got nothing but junk here." "Look at this." "Who's gonna buy this?" "And this?" "Even a broken shoe." "Hey!" "You!" "Hey, where'd he come from?" "What are you doing in there?" " I was sleeping." " Well, this ain't no hotel." " What are you looking for?" " A horse." "Hey, make him pay first!" "Why?" "'Cause you don't look like you're gonna live long enough to get credit." "Where you going?" "The secret of a long life... is to try not to shorten it." "Hey!" "Hold on there!" " Maybe I can get you a horse." " Honest?" "Why, sure..." " But first, you gotta do me a little favor." " Uh, huh." "Come here." "Gimme here!" "There's a pal of mine over there in that saloon." "You take him this basket." "When you get back, I'll find you a horse." "This pal of yours is Jack Beauregard, huh?" " What?" " Uh, uh!" "A bargain's a bargain." " A horse, huh?" " Sure, son." "The best." "I smell beans and bacon, Bonita." "That's right." "They're for the three men out there." "Better let me have 'em." "I don't think they'll be hungry much longer." "Is the ship still there?" ""Sailing date 16 days." "Stop." "Must have 500 dollars to confirm reservation." "Stop."" "What shall I tell New Orleans, mister?" "There's still 16 days." "16 days ain't very long, even for someone like you." "If you go away, who's gonna be left?" "Nobody." "Maybe so, but a man's gotta quit sometime." "Sometime." "But someone like you gotta go out with style." "You come here just to tell me that?" "Well, no." " For me?" " Uh, huh." "What'd you think it's in it?" "I reckon it's a bomb." "I reckon you're right." "Who sent it?" "Three fellows out there." "Only three." " Only?" " Yeah, like that time in El Paso." "5th of March, 1882." "Billy Mason..." "John Murray..." "Fred Carson." "82 was one of your best years." "In April..." " Why'd you bring me this for?" " A horse." "Like I was saying, in April, in Albuquerque... four:" "Jackson, Johnson, Murdoch... and Champion." "How many horses do you want to take it back?" "Oh, none." "My pleasure." "But it was in the fall that you really scored." "September." "Socorro." "Five." "Milton, Woolman, Firestone, McDonald and Valence." "How come you know so much about me?" "Everyone knows about Jack Beauregard." "Only hope for law and order in the West." "Son, let me give you a little advice." "You start admiring someone, pretty soon you're envious... so you start showing off, taking chances." "Before you know it, you're dead." "Well, it ain't good for some folks to live too long." "And in Gila Blend, how many did you get that time?" "Six." "Oh, no!" "Seven!" "Counting that fellow that tried to gun you when your back was turned." "He says he don't want it!" "But you never got 150 all at once." "You know, since I was a boy, I always dreamed of you like that." "An immense open plain." "150 pure bred sons of bitches on horseback... and you facing them." "Alone." "Why only 150?" "The Wild Bunch." "They are only 150." "That's why." "Yeah, 150 who shoot and ride like there's thousands." "Who are you anyway?" " Who?" "Me?" "Nobody." "Tell you what, first you get to be somebody, then you and me'll surround them." "Yeah." "Oh, hey, that's no good!" "You got to face them alone!" "You on one side, and them on the other!" "You won't need to wash it this time!" "What was in that basket?" "Do you want a hand?" "Hey, Jack!" "Jack, I've found a horse!" "Wait!" "Turn around, you!" " You mean we gotta shoot it out?" " So you're Beauregard's friend?" "I wish I was." "You know what they say?" "He could draw his guns 3 times before the other fellow even starts reaching." "Like this." "Well, if we gotta shoot it out, I'm ready." "Well, ah, just a..." "Hey, hey, you gotta admit, he did deliver the basket." " Yeah." " Sure." " But that son of..." " Beauregard." "He didn't want it." "You're right!" "Guess you earned yourself a horse." "Oh, thanks, amigo." "I'll take this one." "Help me!" "Blessed is the man who shares his neighbour's burden." "Seen a white man around here?" "I'm looking for a white man." "You seen him?" "Where is he?" "Don't worry." "I won't hurt him." "He's my brother." "What are you doing here?" "Praying." " Good thing you are." " Why?" "'Cause you're always following me, and I don't like it." "I got a lot of friends here." "Chief Broken Branch died yesterday." "The priest got there in time, but the Medicine men didn't." "What brings you here among the ancients anyway?" "I'm looking for someone." ""Sam Peckinpah"." "That's a beautiful name in Navajo." " Friend or enemy?" " That's my business." "Listen to this one." ""He no poke no more"." " What's his name?" " That's his business." ""Nevada Kid"." "You know where he is?" "Must be down below." "It's always the best who are the first to go." "Which means you ain't going nowhere." "'Staying here with your Indian friends for good." "What's the matter, boy?" "You gotta have a crowd watching?" "You said you was nobody." "Well, here's your chance to make a name for yourself on one of them." "Turn around!" "Draw." "Let's bring my personal history up to date." "Today, June 3rd, 1899:" "Nobody." "Yeah, you're the kind that needs an audience, so you can show off." "Four shots, one hole." "Just like the good old days." "There was never any "good old days"." "Tell me, what's your game?" "When I was a kid I used to make believe I was Jack Beauregard." "And now that you're all growed-up?" "I'm more cautious." "But sometimes running a little risk... can bring big rewards, you know?" "If the risk is little, the reward is little." "First Nevada... then Red." " They even tried to get me twice." " And they'll try again." "What the hell are they up to?" "You'll find out." "I see it clear as crystal..." "Jack Beauregard, standing alone, facing the Wild Bunch." "Just think of it." "You'll be written up in all the history books!" "You'll be down on earth reading 'em." "While I'm up there playing on a harp." "You shine like the door of a whorehouse." "A blind man can spot you 10 miles off." "Well, I like folks to see me." "Maybe folks don't share your pleasure." "Thanks, but I prefer my own." "Lets the air through." "Sharpens the wits." "Just a matter of time before someone's gonna shoot holes in yours!" "Out of the way, shorty!" "Or I'll crush you underfoot like a flea!" "You look so small from up here, I can't hardly see you!" "You got the message?" "See me better now?" "I wish I'd never seen ya!" "Here ya go!" "Anybody else?" "Come on, now!" "Anybody else want to try?" " I wanna try." " Thank you." "Hey, have another try." "It's like courting a woman, folks." "You give her the glad eye, and she gives you a black eye!" "You offer her beefsteak, and she makes mincemeat out of you." "Hurry!" "Hurry!" "Hurry!" "Come on up here and try your skills." "Come on now, folks." "Step right up!" "They just scored 5 hits!" "Come on, folks!" "Give 'em everything you got!" "Three eggs for only half a dollar!" "One custard pie for one dollar!" "And for the reduced bargain price of only 2 dollars," "I am gonna part with 6, count them, 6 ripe cantelops!" "And when I say ripe, believe me, I mean ripe!" "Toss 'em fast and toss 'em strong!" "Come on, move your arms, now!" "Come on, folks!" "Give 'em all you got!" "Toss it fast!" "And toss 'em strong!" "Come on!" "Move your arms, now!" "Watch your aim!" "Come on, everybody!" "Give 'em everything you got!" "The fun of the game..." "What did you say the fun of the game is?" "Son of a bitch!" "I'm gonna stay as long as I like!" "I got as much right as anyone to be here!" "Sleep dead, grandpa!" "You stinking', mangy polecat!" "One of these days, the worm is gonna turn and nip you all right in the bud!" "You tell your stinking boss Sullivan!" "And who the hell are you?" "I'll take 3 to 1 on Squirrel!" "Another 10 dollars on Squirrel." "Well, folks...!" "Three to one on Squirrel!" "He's a good shot, folks, but he can also miss!" "Come on, now!" "This could be your lucky chance!" "Hi." "Beer." " How'd you like to play with this?" " Like that?" "Hey, what's the game?" "Can I play too?" "Sure." "Anyone can play." "If you can afford it, if you can shoot... and if you can drink." "Okay, I'll have a go." " 10... ah... 20." " Know the rules?" "Gotta hit the glass before it hits the floor." "Come on, folks!" "Who'll take me on?" "Place your bets." "Who'll take 2 to 1 on the stranger?" "3 to 1!" "This is real special!" "Any takers?" "Come on, folks!" "Hey, Marshal!" "Marshal, here!" "Can't I do it with milk?" "I'll take 5!" "Come on, folks, 5 to 1!" "Come on, now!" "Who'll take me on?" "Here's 6 for me, marshal!" "Lucky skunk!" "That one got away." "Lucky bastard!" "Come on, now, 7 to 1!" "Who'll take me on?" "Lucky shit!" "Hold it!" "The game's over." " Lucky..." " That he wasn't aiming at you." "There you are, 200." "Give me a whiskey." "These games sure make a man thirsty." "That evens the score for glasses." "Now let's try pistols." "These upside down pistols of yours really worry me." "Fellows that carry 'em like that are bad medicine." "Clown." " Now we can't miss." " Smart aleck." "Fellows like you never seem to catch on." "It's actually very simple." "Now pay attention, huh." "How do you do?" "We play for higher stakes up here." "Skip's talking to you." "Why don't ya join us?" "It ain't nice to shoot a man in the back." "This a game two can play?" "If you know the rules." "For me, every game has the same rule." "Play to win." "The whole town's gotta see this game." "Big audience, big take." "Two thousand." "Who's gonna lose this hand?" "The loser will be here tomorrow morning." "Name's Jack Beauregard." "That's a name to reckon with." "How much do you reckon?" "Five hundred?" "A thousand more, perhaps." "I reckon I may never spend it." "Why Jack Beauregard?" "Will this do for an answer?" "You paid for a front row seat." "Don't miss the show." "I won't." "Hey!" "That's only three shots." "You still got one to go." "The next one might hit a couple of inches lower." "Your life's hanging by a thread, Mr. Beauregard." "Looks like you finally got your audience, so I guess we can..." " Wind up this little story." " It's an old story for you." "January '86." "Madison." "The same situation, remember?" "Except I was facing three bastards that day." "Exactly." "Seems like that hole was just aching for another bullet." "Remember, boys, when the spirit is willing... the flesh has the strength of ten." "Can I send a telegram?" "Yes, sir." "It'll cost you 25 cents a word." "Maritime Company, New Orleans." "Request confirmation reservation Sundowner sailing 12 days." "Stop." "500 dollar deposit follows." "Stop." "Signed:" "Jack Beauregard." "Look who's back." "What are you holding that up there for?" "Idiots!" "You go catch those two." "He's gone into the corner room." "Come on." "Quiet." "Up there." "I guess he's asleep." "I heard him setting his alarm clock." "Well, this will wake him quicker than any alarm." "He must be right up there." "I'll go." " Did you get him?" " No, I didn't." " He must be on the other side." " I'm here." " Break a mirror is bad luck." " Give me a match." "Light it." "Well, it only last one minute." "Light it!" "Don't... don't you think I oughta get down?" "People go around wasting days and weeks and years... and all of a sudden there's only 30 seconds to go." "Stop!" "Wait!" "It stopped." "Happens to everyone, sooner or later." "Don John, where are you?" "I'm here." "Me too." "Wait!" "Bang!" "Thank you, man." " That's real funny!" " Nothing funny about death." "Shut up!" "There are eight of them!" " Look!" " What a lot of Nobody's!" "Reflection's one and all." "But in truth, there's only one." " Guess which is that son of a gun." " The third one!" "Geez, you really are slippin'." "Here, hold this." "Who?" "Me?" "Yes, you!" " Well?" " Well..." "Nevada and that other sneak thief, Red... they bought me out." "For 200 dollars!" "Fine partners I had." "My share of the mine for $200 measly stinking dollars!" "And now, my bank's empty." "I got so mad it gave me asthma!" "You see the way I'm forced to live now." "I have to breath this shit!" "I don't want to talk no more about that stinking business." "Ain't no use you persisting!" "If you want to persist... you'll have to persist harder!" "It was Nevada himself who told me." "It's a whole pile of shit." "That ain't no mine." "It's just a hole in the ground." "Nobody ain't never gonna find no gold in there." "Now, that city slicker." "That Sullivan... he wants to buy it for 600 dollars." "And that ain't hay dough." "Why you could live on your share of it for a year." "That's what they told me." " Then what?" " The year run out... the money ran out, and the liquor ran out." "Yeah, this'll quench your thirst." "And come to the point 'cause I got no more dough either." "Tarnation!" "That mine began pouring out gold... like the mountain was made of it." "And I say I deserve a share." "Or at least enough to keep me in liquor." "What did Red and Nevada do?" "They ran off somewhere." "The dirty coyotes!" "Red and Nevada are dead." "You can drink to their memory." "Like I said, he who lives by the sword will get nipped in the bud." "No, no, no!" "I surrender!" "Next time, knock before you come busting in." "You playing games?" "There've been a lot of guys try to kill me... just so they can brag about it for the rest of their lives." "You had your audience this morning." "You had your target." "That kind of opportunity don't knock twice." "Well, it depends on your point of view." " It's a dangerous game." " Yeah." "It ain't easy to make balls spin." "But even if you do, sooner or later, they're bound to wind up in the hole." "It's gone in!" "It's gone in!" "It's ga...." "Missed by a hair!" "Fact is, you saved my life today." "But I'd rather is was my fault I got shot, than your fault I didn't." "That's a pile of horse manure, son." "It's better not to get shot for nobody's fault." "Why did you blow in these balls?" "It don't count." " I wanted to let out some air." " While you're letting out all that air... suppose you tell me why you were sitting in the street this morning." "I got tired of standing." "You keep turning your back to me." "Seems like you trust me too much, or maybe you trust yourself too much." "You ever hear the story about the little birdy?" "My grandpa used to tell it to me." "When I was a boy, man didn't live long enough to become grandpa's." "It wasn't easy, son, but it could be done." "There was this little birdie who didn't even know how to fly yet." "One freezing cold night, he tumbles out of his nest, lands on the ground." "Well, he starts going... like crazy 'cause he's damn nearly freezing!" "Lucky for him." "Along comes this cow... sees him, and feels sorry for him." "So... she lifts her tail... and... splat, drops this steaming hot cowpie right on him." "The little birdie's nice and warm again... but he still ain't happy and keeps going..." "Louder than ever." "A mean old coyote hears him and comes a running." "He reaches out a paw... and pulls him out of the cow pie." "He brushes the dirt off him real nice... and then... swallows the birdie down in one gulp!" "Grandpa said there was a moral there... but you had to figure it out for yourself." "Bird... coyote... cow pies... don't make no sense to me, no how." "You still believe in fairy tales." "Yep." "For example... this is the good guy, who's gotta avenge his brother." "And this is the bad guy... who's gonna get killed, because he shot the good guy's brother." " And this..." " Is my blue-eyed angel... who protects me from harm." "That's Nobody." "That leaves you and me face to face." "Huh?" "Nope." "That leaves you alone... against 150." "You're sure trying hard to make a hero out of me." "You're that already." "You just need a special act." "Something that'll make your name a legend." "What I don't understand is:" "What difference it makes to you?" "A man who's a man, needs someone to believe in." "I've met all kinds in my life... thieves and killers... pimps and prostitutes... con men and preachers." "Even a few fellows that told the truth." "The kind of man you're talking about, never." "Maybe you've never met them... or hardly ever." "They're the only ones who count." "Reckon this fellow's name is Sullivan?" "Reckon it is." "Hey!" "Hey!" "He's taking Sullivan away!" "But Sullivan's nothing." "It's the Wild Bunch in the back of him." " We've got to warn that young fella." " Uh-uh." "But don't you see?" "If he kills Sullivan... he'll have 150 blood thirsty cutthroats on his tail!" "He's gonna make trouble for hisself." "No, he's gonna make a name for himself." "The way he's galloping, he must be in a hurry to make it." "If you kill me, the Wild Bunch will know that you're on to their game." "They told me, kill him or buy him." "I wouldn't have tried, unless it was my last chance." "You know what Nevada was like." "We had a little agreement... him, Red and me, for an extra share between us." "And you know even better than me how he hated sharing anything." "And he deserved the bullet he got." "Red did it." "But I kept his share." "And it's yours now." "Take all you want." "You can live like a king for a hundred years." "I don't intend to get that old." "I only need 500." "Is there a telegraph office in town?" " How do I get the train for New Orleans?" " Follow the tracks east of Kimble." "There's a train from there every Friday." "Disappointed?" "Yep." "Thought I could count on your brotherly feeling." "Beats me how kids like you think if a man's older than you... he goes along with old fashioned notions like... like "blood's thicker than water"." "Sure, Nevada's my brother... but he's a grade A skunk who shot people in the back." "What's more, he stole 10 thousand dollars off me." "I ain't risking my life to avenge him." "My, my!" "How modern the old folks are becoming!" "But a hero can't run away from his destiny." "My destiny is to get the hell out of here." "I've got an appointment with a ship that's sailing for Europe." "Sometimes you run smack into your destiny... on the very road you take to get away from it." "If you're still thinking about the Wild Bunch, forget it." "I ain't taking them on." "You will, Jack." "You will." "Put it over there." "Hold it!" " Where is it going?" " Use your eyes, man." "It's shunting." "But... who's driving it?" "Who!" "?" "They've stolen the train!" "There's only 150 of them... but they ride like they were thousands." "A man's gotta quit sometime." "But someone like you's gotta go out with style!" "Just think of it." "150 pure bred sons of bitches on horseback... and you facing them." "Alone." "You'll be written up in all the history books." "And you'll be down on earth reading 'em." "While I'm under it, in my grave." "You shine like the door of a whorehouse." "I like folks to see me." "You'll end in history." "You'll end in history." "You'll end in history." "You'll end in history!" "You'll end it in history!" "Well... now you got me in the history books..." " How do I quit?" " There's only one way." "How's that?" "You gotta die." "Where?" "Where there's lots of people." "They gonna shoot each other!" "Come on!" "Let's get out of the way!" "I told you your life was hanging by a thread." "Dear Nobody... dying is not the worse thing that can happen to a man." "Look at me." "I've been dead for 3 days now, and I've finally found my peace." "You used to say that my life was hanging by a thread." "Maybe so, but I'm afraid it's your life that's hanging by a thread, now." "Well, that's one." "Let's get the other!" "And there's quite a few people who'd like to cut that thread." "Yeah, I guess it's your way of feeling alive." "You see, that's the whole difference between you and me." "I've always tried to steer away from trouble... but you seem to be looking for it all the time." "But I must admit, you've been able to solve your share... even if you like others to take the credit." "This way you can remain a Nobody." "You got it all nicely figured out." "But you gambled too big this time... and there's too many people who know you're somebody after all... and you won't have much time for playing your funny games." "They'll make life harder and harder for you... until you too meet somebody who wants to put you down in history." "And so you'll find out that the only way to become a Nobody again... is to die." "Anyhow, from now on you'll be walking in my boots... and maybe you won't be laughing so loud anymore." "But you can still do one thing:" "You can preserve a little of that illusion... that made my generation tick." "Maybe you'll do it in your own funny way but... we'll be grateful just the same." "'Cause looking back... seems to me we were all a bunch of romantic fools... who still believed that a good pistol... and quick showdown could solve everything." "But then the West used to be wide... open spaces with lots of elbow room... where you never ran into the same person twice." "By the time you came along it was changed." "Got small and crowded... and you kept bumping at the same people all the time." "But if you're able to run around in the West peacefully, catching flies... it's only 'cause fellows like me were there first." "Yeah, the same fellows you wanna see written up in history books." "'Cause people need something to believe in, like you say." "But you won't be able to have it your own way much longer... 'cause the country ain't the same anymore... and I'm already feeling the strange in myself." "But, what's worse, violence has changed, too." "It's grown and got organized... and a good pistol don't mean a damn thing anymore." "But I guess you must know all this... 'cause it's your kind of times, not mine." "And I also figured out the moral to your grandpa's story." "The one about the cow that cover the little bird with cowpie... to keep it warm and then the coyote hauled it out an ate it." "It's the moral of these new times of yours." "Folks that throw dirt on you aren't always trying to hurt you." "And folks that pull you out of a jam aren't always trying to help you." "But the main point is:" "When you're up to your nose in shit, keep your mouth shut." "This is why people like me gotta go." "And this is why you faked than gun fight... to get me out of the West clean." "Anyhow, I was getting to be one more old timer." "And the years don't make wisdom, they just make old age." "One can be young in years, and old in hours, like you." "I guess I'm talking like a damn preacher, but it's your fault." "What can you expect of a national monument?" "Well, keep your mind and your heart open." "And if you ever meet one of those men you almost never meet... you can keep each other company and it won't be so lonely for you." "They say distance makes friendship grow stronger." "Maybe so, 'cause after three days without you dogging my tracks..." "I kinda miss ya." "I really gotta sign off now, so... even if you've been a stinking nosy troublemaker all the time... thanks for everything just the same." "P.S. Just one more piece of advice from an old timer:" "When you're gettin' a shave and a cut... be sure the right man's wearing the jacket."