3:10 to Yuma Page #12

The outlaw sighs, begrudgingly impressed. Butterfield’s

pleased. Doc Potter’s relieved...

88 OMITTED

89 OMITTED

90 EXT. GRASSY FIELD - CAMP #2 - NIGHT

WADE, WILLIAM, BUTTERFIELD, DAN and DOC POTTER have camped in

the middle of a massive field of TALL BROWN GRASS which sways

softly in the night breeze...

...everybody’s hunkered down in a tight circle. Sharing some

PIECES OF BREAD and a WATER CANTEEN as they keep a vigilant

watch through the grass.

(CONTINUED)

3:
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CONTINUED:

Wade notices William nervously shuffling his DECK OF CARDS.

WADE:

Your Pa ever take you to some of *

the towns up north? Breckinridge. *

Buena Vista. Leadville? *

WILLIAM:

No. *

WADE:

I tell you one thing... They know *

how to shuffle cards in Leadville. *

DAN *

Stop talking to him. *

WADE *

I had the best Irish whiskey I ever *

tasted there. A dollar a glass. *

...There was women in those towns *

who could do things you’d never

forget.

DOC:

Give you a disease you’d never

forget.

WADE:

With money in your pocket you could *

have whatever a man desired or *

needed. I learned everything I know *

there. Landed there no older than *

you. On my own. And I left with the *

start of my gang.

(CONTINUED)

3:
10 TO YUMA - TAN - 1.23.07 62.

90 CONTINUED:
(2)

A wistful smile washes over the outlaw’s face.

WADE (CONT'D)

‘Course, its all gone now. Silver *

crashed, and then the railroad *

changed everything. *

BUTTERFIELD:

For the better I am sure. *

The awed look in William’s eyes is killing Dan... *

..clearly, he doesn’t talk with William like this.

DAN:

...How many men you think you’ve

killed since you set out with your *

gang, Wade? How many families you *

think you destroyed. Hundreds? *

WADE:

Quite a few. I’m a bad man, Dan. *

DOC POTTER:

I heard you dynamited a wagon full

of prospectors last Spring. *

WADE:

Now that’s a lie...

(to William)

...it was a train full.

William smiles... ...and Dan is crushed.

WADE (CONT'D)

I have to go, Dan.

DAN:

You ain’t going nowhere.

WADE:

(shakes his head)

No. I mean I have to go.

EXT. TALL GRASS, FIELD - NIGHT

Dan escorts Wade through the TALL GRASS a short way from the

camp. The SHOTGUN in his hands, alert for threats.

(CONTINUED)

3:
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CONTINUED:

DAN *

I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t

fill his head with stories of death *

and sin.

WADE:

No use hiding the world, Dan. He’s *

trying to decide which way to go. *

DAN:

He’ll decide better without more *

from you.

WADE:

I thought he was gonna shoot me on *

that ravine. There’s wild in his *

eyes. Reminds me of--*

DAN:

He’s nothing like you. *

WADE:

The road to corruption is steep and *

slippery, Dan. *

DAN:

The path of decency is just as *

steep. *

Wade steps away and turns his back to Dan, pissing *

WADE:

That’s true, Dan. It is. You do one *

good deed and feel all decent. *

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

3:
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91

I imagine it’s habit forming. Soon,

you’re a slave to your decency.

You’re not a man no more. You don’t

ever do what you want. Take what

you want. You don’t know what you

want. You just keep being decent

and good till your hollow and dead.

CONTINUED:
(2)

WADE (cont'd)

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

Dan’s disturbed by Wade’s words...

...he gazes through the TALL GRASS back at his son.

*

*

When Dan turns back around... ...Wade has disappeared. *

Dan’s horrified. Rushing through the grass.

Suddenly, WaDE LEAPS OUT OF THE GRASS AND GRABS DAN, wresting

him to the ground. Dan manages to lift his SHOTGUN into

Wade’s face...

*

Wade is shushing him. Looking up to the rocks. Sensing

something out there.

*

BANG! The GUNSHOT comes from nowhere...

...and knocks Dan flat on his back -92

EXT. CAMP #2, FIELD - NIGHT

-- they hear the shot at the camp. William suddenly runs out

into the grass with his old PISTOL. The others trying in vain

to stop him -

3:
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93 EXT. TALL GRASS, FIELD - NIGHT

-- more BULLETS fly over Wade’s head as William drops down

beside him, checking on his father. Dan’s wounded. The shot

clipped his skull...

...no time to think, Wade and William grab Dan and begin to

drag him back towards the campsite. GUNSHOTS ripping through

the grass on all sides.

Wade catches glimpses of them in the brush. A flash of BATTLE

FEATHERS. A swish of RAWHIDE TROUSERS. A glint of a TOMAHAWK.

94 EXT. CAMP #2, FIELD - NIGHT

The horses are freaking out. BULLETS whizzing past their ears

as Butterfield and Doc Potter help pull Dan into their camp.

Dan’s starting to regain his bearings, looking about...

...the GUNFIRE is coming from three sides. They can’t see the

shooters through the grass. But the GUNFIRE is volcanic. Wade

keeps his head low, calculating.

WADE:

There’s three of them.

DAN:

Yours.

WADE:

If they were mine, you’d be dead.

Dan struggles to cock his SHOTGUN, woozy...

...the blood seeping into his eyes and blinding him.

WADE (CONT'D)

Give me a gun.

DAN:

No.

WADE:

You want them to scalp your boy.

Dan stares at the outlaw, the GUNFIRE drawing closer...

...the others watch from their firing positions, waiting to

see what Dan’s going to do. Finally, he gives Wade the HAMMER

SHOTGUN...

(CONTINUED)

3:
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CONTINUED:

...the outlaw checks the TWO SHELLS inside. Then holds out

his hand for more shells. Dan shakes his head, grimacing in

pain as Doc Potter tries to staunch the bleeding.

Wade realizes he’s not getting any more ammo. He scoffs at

Dan, then c*cks both barrels of the shotgun. Waiting for a

pause in the SHOOTING...

...then he scrambles away and vanishes into the grass. The

others keep their eyes on the TALL GRASS. Praying. Hoping.

BOOM! They hear the SHOTGUN roar...

...no more shooting from the left of them.

William dares to lift his head. Glancing around at the TALL

GRASS. Heart in his throat. Waiting. Watching. Lying still.

BOOM! Another SHOTGUN BLAST out there...

...no more shooting from the right of them now.

Dan keeps his eyes on the RIFLE SHOTS from ahead...

...and then all of a sudden, the rifle stops shooting.

Everyone in the camp listens now to the SOUNDS OF A STRUGGLE

somewhere out in the grass. Men GRAPPLING and WRESTLING with

each other...

...there’s an ABRUPT GASP. The sound of METAL SLICING FLESH

and the fall of a body to the ground. Then there’s silence.

Everybody stares into the swaying TALL GRASS...

...and then, a FIGURE appears. Walking towards them.

It’s Ben Wade. Covered in the blood of others. Looking like

death incarnate and furious for having been made to kill the

Apache warriors...

...but most alarming is the fact that Wade now has one of the

feathered APACHE RIFLES in his MANACLED HANDS. The other two

are slung over his shoulder.

Butterfield reaches for his rifle...

...but a look from Wade makes his freeze.

Now he aims at Dan like he’s going to kill him.

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