3:10 to Yuma Page #8

Wade smiles appreciatively. Dan crosses back his seat.

(CONTINUED)

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CONTINUED:
(4)

MARK:

My father was defending the United

States capitol in the District of

Columbia.

WADE:

...Is that so.

(beat)

So what happened, Dan. To your leg,

I mean.

Dan looks to Alice. William looks to his father. Then-

BANG! BANG!...shots coming from the porch.

Butterfield stands, frightened. McElroy crosses to the

window. Dan waves his wife and children to stay where they

are. He looks to the door, his rifle in his hands.

MORE SHOTS. Wade, amused, just sits there, chained to his

chair and the cast iron stove.

70 EXT. PORCH, EVANS RANCH - NIGHT

Dan busts out the door to find-- Doc Potter, firing his RIFLE

into the darkness as Tucker moves to stop him.

TUCKER:

Doc... Stop!

DOC POTTER:

....There’s something moving out

there behind the rocks.

...McElroy and Butterfield arrive in the door-- as they all

look out, a wind blows a dead tree on a nearby hill. Tucker

snatches Doc Potter’s rifle.

71 INT. DINING ROOM, EVANS RANCH - NIGHT

Inside, the boys have crossed to windows to watch the men

argue outside. Wade looks to Alice.

WADE:

Ever been to San Francisco?

(CONTINUED)

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CONTINUED:

ALICE:

If it’s all right by you, Mister

Wade, I’d rather we not talk.

WADE:

So you’ve never been to San

Francisco.

ALICE:

...no.

WADE:

I knew a girl there... Daughter of

a sea captain. And she had these

beautiful green eyes, the greenest

eyes I’ve ever seen. Like yours.

And I would look deep into those

eyes and well, they’d just change

colors right in front of me. All

the colors of the sea.

He stares into Alice’s green eyes and she can’t look away...

WADE (CONT'D)

What’d you say your name was?

DAN (O.S.)

Alice.

Alice snaps out of his gaze. Wade’s satisfaction is clear.

He watches Dan cross to the back of the house as Alice

follows.

EXT. MASTER BEDROOM, EVANS RANCH - NIGHT

Dan slams the BEDROOM DOOR behind Alice. He gives her at

look, then begins packing a SADDLE BAG.

DAN:

...For God’s sake. He’s killed more

people than the drought.

ALICE:

He’s not what I expected. He’s-

DAN:

--dangerous. Dangerous is what he

is, Alice-- and you and the boys

are not going to talk to him again.

Alice crosses to the dresser. Dan watches her. She’s upset.

(CONTINUED)

3:
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CONTINUED:

ALICE:

You can change your mind.

No one will think less of you.

DAN:

No one can think less of me.

He looks at her, then looks out the window.

DAN (CONT'D)

Six months from now, everything’s

gonna be green, Alice. Cattle’s

gonna be fat. We’ll see the steam

from the trains over the ridge.

We’ll be all right. Maybe better.

But we won’t make it through the

next six days if I don’t do this.

The door opens-

DOC POTTER:

Sorry, Dan,.. Mister McElroy says

five minutes.

And closes it. Alice looks to Dan.

DAN:

You think he’s too much for me?

ALICE:

He’s a killer, Daniel.

DAN:

Then someone ought to have the

decency to bring him to justice.

ALICE:

...What are you thinking.

DAN:

I’m not out there alone.

(touches her)

Have a little faith in me.

ALICE:

Ben Wade has a gang, Dan. And they

are out there tonight. Somewhere.

DAN (CONT’D)

If I don’t go, we’ve got to pack

and leave, heading for God-knowswhere,

dirt poor, without a prayer.

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

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72 CONTINUED:
(2)

DAN (CONT’D)

I’m tired of watching the boys go

hungry. I’m tired of the way they

look at me. I’m tired of the way

you don’t. I’ve been standing on

one leg for three damned years,

waiting for God to do me a favor,

Alice. He isn’t listening. It’s up

to me.

...there’s a polite KNOCK on the BEDROOM DOOR.

BUTTERFIELD (O.S.)

Mister Evans. We’re leaving now.

73 EXT. PORCH, EVANS RANCH - NIGHT

The group is saddling up. Wade moves to his black horse, but

Tucker abruptly cuts him off. A smirk across his face...

TUCKER:

No, no, no. This’s my horse now.

...and Wade just stares at him, then mounts another horse.

WADE:

(to the group)

So where are we headed?

TUCKER:

Ain’t none of your business where

we’re headed. You’re a prisoner,

Wade. You don’t speak, you don’t

piss, you don’t goddamn breathe

without our say-so. Understand?

McElroy rides up, firing a look at Tucker.

MCELROY:

We’re going to Contention. We’re

putting you on the 3:10 to Yuma,

day after tomorrow.

TUCKER:

Shouldn’t have told him that.

WADE:

Relax, friend. Now, if we get

separated, I’ll know where to meet

up.

Tucker glares at McElroy who just rides on.

(CONTINUED)

3:
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CONTINUED:

ANGLE ON:
DAN emerges onto the porch with Alice. Their sons

are waiting for them. Dan looks both of them in the eyes...

He can see Will’s attention is drawn by Wade.

DAN:

Don’t be any trouble, Mark.

MARK:

Yes, Sir.

DAN:

And William-

WILLIAM:

I want to come with you.

DAN:

Well, You can’t.

WILLIAM:

--I can help.

DAN:

You’re fourteen years old.

WILLIAM:

I can ride faster and shoot better

than any one of them. The Pinkerton

is hurt and Potter’s no good, that

railroad man is dead weight and

that other bastard-

ALICE:

--William.

DAN:

I don’t have time to argue. I need

you here.

ANGLE ON:
WADE, watching the Evans family. William takes a

last look his way and storms into the house. Dan embraces

Alice and Mark goodbye and climb onto his horse. He moves to

embrace her and her eyes flick to Wade, self-conscious.

REVERSE-- CLOSE ON DAN-- as they break apart, Wade trots a

loop around Dan past Alice, politely tipping his hat.

WADE:

Appreciate your hospitality, mam.

I hope I can send your husband back

all right.

(CONTINUED)

3:
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CONTINUED:
(2)

Alice says nothing. Wade grins, then follows the others under

McElroy’s vigilant eye.

THE GROUP rides away from the ranch...

...as Alice, Will and Mark remain on the porch, watching them

disappear into the moonlit hills.

74 INT. BOYS’ BEDROOM, EVANS RANCH - NIGHT

Alice is now putting the boys to bed. Mark is coughing hard.

It is a deep hacking that clearly isn’t normal, although

Alice and William don’t seem alarmed. Alice gives him a

measured spoonful of medicine. It’s all very routine.

MARK:

What’d Ben Wade mean about sending

Pa back all right. Was he saying he

was gonna kill him?

WILLIAM:

He won’t have to lift a finger. His

gang will do it. They’re the most

deadly outfit in the whole

frontier.

Alice shoots William a look.

ALICE:

Your father can take care of

himself, Mark. Ben Wade likes to

talk.

Alice turns off a lamp...

...a moment after she closes the door, William sits up in

bed, still dressed. Mark sits up and watches his brother.

William pulls a PACKED HAVERSACK from under his bed. Checks

on the RATIONS he’s wedged inside. We see an old SIX SHOOTER

PISTOL stuck in there...

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