Ace in the Hole Page #8

One of these days, I'll get

the facts and print them.

I think he's corrupt,

rotten, no good.

He's been good to me. So there'll be

one more crooked sheriff in the world.

Who cares?

I do. I don't make deals.

Not my paper.

Even if it does sell

8,000 more a day.

Hello. Who in Chicago?

Tell them Mr Tatum will be

ready to talk in half an hour.

Now then, Mr Boot, I sent

you a wire this morning.

- Apparently, you didn't get it.

- No, I didn't.

Because you could've

saved yourself the trip.

I've quit. I'm not working

for you any more.

I'm sorry to hear that, Chuck.

No, you're not. I'm not

your kind of newspaperman.

I don't belong in your office, not with

that embroidered sign on the wall.

- It gets in my way.

- Then it does bother you a little.

Not enough to stop me.

I'm on my way,

and if it takes a deal with a crooked

sheriff, that's all right with me.

And if I have to fancy it

up with an Indian curse

and a broken-hearted wife for

Leo, that's all right, too!

Not with me, it isn't. And not with

a lot of others in this business.

Phoney, below-the-belt journalism.

That's what it is.

Not below the belt. Right

in the gut, Mr Boot.

- Human interest.

- You heard me. Phoney.

For all I know, there isn't

even a Leo down there.

Yes, there is. Tatum

made sure of that.

Look, I've waited a long

time for my turn at bat.

Now that they've

pitched me a fat one,

I'm gonna smack it right

out of the ballpark.

Yes? What paper?

Tell Philadelphia to call

back in half an hour.

You know what, Chuck?

I had that medicine man

stage a whole ceremonial.

Hello, Mr Boot.

Come on, Herbie. Get your things

together. We're going back.

Tatum just hit a home run,

and the big leagues are calling.

Go ahead, Herbie. Maybe Boot's right.

Maybe you'd better go back with him.

But you said I could

stick with you.

Give him good advice, Chuck.

You can do it.

He's old enough to

make up his own mind.

Everybody in this game has

to make up his own mind.

I've made up mine.

Hello. Yes?

Sure, I'm ready to talk to

New York. Put them on.

Don't be so sorry for him.

What makes you think the

Albuquerque Sun-Bulletin

is all that a kid

wants out of life?

What makes you think you

have all the answers?

They're out of date.

High-button shoes,

belt and suspenders,

they're not wearing them any more.

Look at the calendar, Mr Boot.

It's the 20th century,

the second half of it!

You don't expect the kid to stand still.

He wants to get going. Going!

Going where?

Hello. Who?

Mr Nagel? Not lover

boy himself. Well, well.

Tell me, Mr Nagel, did you ever

repair that ceiling in your office?

The one you hit the day you told me

my services were no longer required.

All right, Tatum. You're

a very comical guy.

And I promise I'm gonna laugh.

Hard! But not right now.

What about that Minosa story?

Yes, the weather's

fine in New York.

No, it's not raining.

Yes, she's still here.

Come on, Tatum. How much for

the Minosa story? Exclusive!

What? Don't you know there's

a war on somewhere?

I'll give you $1,000.

What do you think I got here,

a plane crash or a set of quadruplets?

This is a circulation builder.

It'll go another four days.

Some beautiful copy coming.

Speak up fast.

There's a waiting list.

So you think you've

got me over a barrel?

All right, maybe you have!

Give you $1,000 a day.

As long as it lasts.

Mr Nagel, you're not

getting the point.

It's not just $1,000 a day.

It's that desk of mine I

want back when this is over.

You heard me. The old

desk, the old job.

Here, here, lover boy,

watch that ceiling.

That's more like it.

Now put the contract on the wires.

You'll get the first story in an hour.

Oh, one more thing.

See that there's some flowers

on my desk with a little ribbon.

"Welcome Home."

This means you, too, fan.

We're rounding third.

I'm right behind you, Chuck.

We're coming, we're coming, Leo

So, Leo, don't despair

While you are in the cave-in

hoping We are up above you groping

And we soon will

make an opening, Leo

We're closer, we're closer, Leo

And soon you'll breathe fresh air

While you are in the devil's prison

Keep that spark of life a-fizzing

We'll soon have you

out of prison, Leo

Oh, Leo, Leo, Leo, Leo

Be steadfast and keep

your spirits high

We're coming, we're coming, Leo

I want to take this opportunity

of thanking you people of

the television audience

for the hundreds of letters and

telegrams that have been pouring in.

I only wish that I could reach right

out there and shake you by the hand,

each and every one of you.

But there's one thing

that I want to make plain

to you good people of

Los Barrios county.

When election day rolls around

I don't want what I'm doing here to

influence your vote one little bit.

Because all I'm doing here

is my duty as your sheriff.

We're coming, we're coming, Leo

Leo, don't despair

While you are in the cave-in

hoping We are up above you groping

And we soon will

make an opening, Leo

We're closer, we're closer, Leo

And soon you'll breathe fresh air

While you are in the devil's prison

Keep that spark of life a-fizzing

We'll soon have you

out of prison, Leo

Oh, Leo, Leo, Leo, Leo

Be steadfast and keep

your spirits high

We're digging, we're digging, Leo

We've come to set you free

We can look you in the eye

When you are free beneath the sky

Hey, how about some more ice here?

- Yes, Mr Tatum?

- Close that door.

- What can the management do for you?

- I'll tell you what you can do.

You can stop playing games

with those newsboys.

- They're nice fellows.

- They're sharpies.

They'll rope you into a

game of 20 questions.

And 20 questions take 20 answers.

And one of them may be the wrong one.

Don't worry, Mr Tatum. They just

want me to write something for them.

- Write what?

- My life with Leo, in three parts.

- I got them up to $750.

- Tell them you can't spell.

I told them I'm not

interested in their $750.

And you're not interested in $1,000,

$2,000 or $3,000, understand?

And I'm not interested in their

three-part story, either.

It's the fourth part

I'm thinking about.

After I get out of here, I'm

figuring on going to New York, too.

Maybe I'll run into you. Maybe

you'll buy me a couple of drinks.

Maybe you'll even take me

out for a big evening, huh?

How big?

You won't be ashamed of me.

I'm gonna buy me a new

trousseau and look real swell.

Why don't you wash that

platinum out of your hair?

This is radio station

KOAT, Albuquerque.

Bob Bumpas speaking

and bringing you

our 10:
00 p.m. Special events

newscast from Escudero.

This is the fifth night the

big drill has been pounding

and grinding its way toward Leo.

The rescue workers are

now only 26 feet away.

At the rate they are going, they should

reach Leo by this time tomorrow night.

So after 129 hours of being buried

alive, at last, freedom seems in sight.

Now put it on your right side, Leo.

Underneath your arm.

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