3 Godfathers Page #2

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- Sure, Buck.

- You mind what I told you, now.

At night, two men stay awake while

one sleeps. They won't rush two of you.

- I'd like to see them try it.

- Just don't get careless.

Ben, I'll take that deck of cards

in your pocket.

I ain't paying you pitch players

to sit in the shade all day and claim low.

- Shall I drag her, Buck?

- Drag it, Luke.

Drag her, Jake!

Sons of b*tches! Let's rush them.

Six-shooters against Winchesters?

I've seen enough.

That Perley character... Tin star.

A lot smarter than I thought.

Well, let's take a look at it.

Up here's where we come from. Welcome.

Railroad winds around and makes a bend

here at Mojave Tanks, where we are now.

Then it moseys off again to the southeast.

Down here's the Mexican border.

- 50 miles, I figure.

- 60.

How's 60, then?

So that Perley character

starts playing checkers with us.

He figures we'll head this way, and right.

It's the first water.

So he jumps us

and stakes out his deputies. No water.

So he figures our next move

will be up to Apache Wells.

Right.

So he jumps on his freight car

and heads that way.

And he'll be there, setting waiting.

He can keep squatting on his hunkers

from now till Christmas...

'cause we ain't gonna be there.

We're doubling back on our tracks

to Terrapin Tanks.

- But that's up to the north.

- We'll get our water.

We'll hole up in the piney woods

until the Kid feels better.

Then while that marshal's sitting,

getting calluses on his rump...

we'll set out to the east...

jump the tracks there,

and be over the border.

Yes, that's good.

But where are we gonna get some water?

It looks like you and me are gonna chew

a lot of barrelhead cactus...

if we can find any.

Kid gets the canteen.

All right, Kid. Come on.

Get in the saddle.

- What are you doing?

- I'm tired of riding.

Besides, it cost me nothing.

It come with the horse.

Wind's getting hot.

S, what they call in my country

a "Santa Ana... "

from the clouds of dust...

that follow the cavalry

of the illustrious General Santa Ana.

Let's make for that draw!

Kid, are you all right?

My shoulder. It kind of throbs.

- Could I have a little water, Bob? Please?

- Sure, Kid.

Take it slow.

That's enough.

Where did you picket the horses?

I tied the horses right there to the bushes.

But devils must have come in

the middle of the night and let them loose.

My God!

But what have I done to deserve this?

I was always a good person.

That's what happens to me

after my decision to come here...

to this land, with these two fools.

- Shut up!

- What did I do to end up with these idiots?

Looks like we've got to walk a piece.

Well, what are we waiting for?

- Perley Sweet, what are you doing here?

- Hello, Miss Florie.

You seen three men come through here

begging for water?

If I'd seen anything like pants

around here...

they wouldn't have had to beg

for anything.

Come on, Curly,

get that stock off of there, will you?

- We ain't got all day.

- I'm doing the best I can, Marshal!

- Come on, Curly, move!

- Hurry it up, will you?

Wait a minute!

What are you getting excited about?

I'm not excited. Come on, boys.

Fixing to stay here for a while?

Lordy! If this ain't

a Christmas present for me.

A whole passel of men!

- Come on.

- That's right.

- How's Cousin Carrie Lou doing?

- Right pert, Florie. Come on, Curly!

Well, her loss is my gain.

There ain't been a soul around here

to listen to me...

- since my old cat got tired and left.

- I'll bet it was a tomcat.

Can I drag it now, Buck?

- I'm 16 hours and 29 minutes late.

- Drag it, Luke.

- Get that on there, boys.

- Drag it, Jake.

There she is, men. Water!

Lots of water.

What is it?

You hear anything?

Cover me, Pete.

There's a fine old state of affairs

at the tanks.

- They ain't dry, are they?

- Worse than that.

It's a tenderfoot wagon.

A man and his woman.

They come from New Jerusalem.

They made the tanks, all right,

but the water was a little low.

Mr. Tenderfoot ain't got sense enough

to dig out the sand...

sit back and wait

for that sump hole to fill up.

No, sir. Besides, he don't take kindly

to using a shovel.

He puts in a stick of dynamite

to start the water running.

- The fool!

- So he stuck in his dynamite.

Only fool's luck

he didn't blow himself up doing it.

- I wish he did.

- But he didn't.

He just put Terrapin Tanks

out of business forever.

He cracked the granite floor

of that sump hole...

and busted down her sides.

The tanks are dry.

And they'll stay dry.

They can have cloudbursts in this country

from now till I get religion...

them tanks will never hold

another drop of water.

Fool tenderfoot's dead, I guess.

But he's gonna keep right on

killing people, just the same.

Men will come here, banking on water.

Five or six years,

there'll be a dozen skeletons...

around them busted tanks.

But that ain't biting me half as hard

as what he went and done next.

He let his stock nose around and lick up

that alkali slop below the tanks.

It drove 'em plain loco.

They took off up the canyon,

hunting water, with him right after them.

That's four days ago. He ain't back yet.

So we don't need to waste no time

speculating on his case...

or feeling sorry for him.

That wouldn't have been so bad...

but he left his woman alone in that wagon.

Yeah, she's there right now.

She had a little water,

so it wasn't so bad till yesterday.

Then it gives out.

Been pretty hard on her, in there all alone.

She's a nice little woman, too.

28 or 30, I'd guess.

Too blasted good for the cuss she married.

But still, that ain't the worst of it.

No, sir.

Not by a long shot.

She's gonna have a baby,

and she's gonna have it now.

I'm a tough bird, an awful tough old bird...

but I'm not going back in there!

Pete, you gotta go.

You gotta do something for her.

You ought to know something

about these cases. You do, don't you?

Wasn't you married to a woman

down on the Ro Bravo?

Didn't she have kids for you?

Sure, Bob. Sure, she did.

But, you know...

An Indian woman is different.

God, our lord...

tells them what to do with babies,

how to born them.

But, a gringa...

Poor girl.

Yeah, my sister, she had all the neighbors,

the doctor, nice white sheets, and...

Pete, I'm not passing the buck.

I'm just ruminating for information.

Pete, please...

Who are you?

Seora...

please do not be afraid of me.

I have come to help you.

Ain't no use there, Kid.

Only water we're gonna get

is right over here.

Barrelhead.

It ain't the best water,

and it will take time.

But I guess we got plenty of time now.

- Yeah, Pete?

- Bob, I'm going to need the water now.

- Give it to him, Kid.

- How is she?

I don't know. It is her first baby.

Come on,

let's get back to squeezing barrelhead.

She wants to see you...

all of us, together.

Did she have...

A boy.

I can't see you.

- You're the one that found me.

- Yes, ma'am.

- What's your name?

- Robert, ma'am.

Robert Hightower.

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