Appaloosa Page #10

COLE:

Ain’t never been put to the test.

ALLISON:

Are they going to cause trouble?

COLE:

Might, often do.

ALLISON:

Are you afraid of them?

They’ve reached the house...it’s further along: walls sheeted

and the porch railing is complete.

COLE:

No, I ain’t... now get down outta

there and quit askin’ me questions.

56 EXT. MARSHAL’S OFFICE, PORCH - NIGHT 56

A SPIDER is building a web under the eave of the porch.

Cole and Hitch are sitting on the bench.

COLE:

Anything happens to me, Everett,

I’d appreciate you looking out for

Allie.

HITCH:

You expecting anything special?

COLE:

This is an uncertain kind of work

we do.

HITCH:

Yes, it is.

COLE:

Allie’s better if she’s with

someone.

HITCH:

She needs help, I’ll help her.

(CONTINUED)

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COLE:

She’s not good being alone.

HITCH:

She seems like a pretty strongwoman to me, Virgil.

COLE:

She’s stronger with a man.

They watch the spider a moment.

HITCH:

Seems sort of coinciding them boysshould drift in here just beforeBragg’s trial.

Cole nods.

HITCH:

You think they got hired to busthim out?

COLE:

Everett... neither you or me ain’tnever been up against nobody likeRing and Mackie Shelton.

HITCH:

We been up against pretty good.

Cole shakes his head.

HITCH:

You ain’t sure we can beat ‘em.

COLE:

When it comes right down to her, noI ain’t.

CUT TO:

57 EXT. BOSTON HOUSE - THE NEXT DAY - DAY 57

Hitch stands at the street entrance on guard. Buggies andwagons and horses all around. People crowd the windows.

58 INT. BOSTON HOUSE - DAY 58

The place is packed as the townsfolk listen to the TRIAL ofRandall Bragg.

Cole’s on his feet behind the Judge.

(CONTINUED)

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Allie’s dressed-up, as if it were her party.

Ring and Mackie lean against the wall.

Stringer stands next to Bragg and Bragg’s attorney, MUELLER.

Tewksbury keeps an eye on Bragg’s men.

JUDGE CALLISON, 80, hard of hearing, presides.

Whitfield is on the stand.

WHITFIELD:

Then Marshall Bell told one of his

deputies to cut the two men out.

CALLISON:

What happened next?

WHITFIELD:

Mr. Bragg shot the deputy dead with

his Winchester.

BRAGG:

(stands)

You’re a goddamn liar!

Stringer shoves Bragg back in his chair.

CALLISON:

One more outburst such as that Mr.

Bragg and I will give Sheriff

Stringer the authority to shut you

up in any manner he sees fit.

MUELLER:

With all due respect your honor, my

client’s life is on the line-

CALLISON:

--His life is not on the line yet,

counsellor. He’ll get his chance

to speak. Sit down. (to Whitfield)

Go on son.

WHITFIELD:

(nervous, but determined)

Then Mr. Bragg killed Marshall Bell

and his other deputy.

Bragg glares at Whitfield.

CALLISON:

You saw this happen with your own

eyes, son?

(CONTINUED)

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Whitfield stares at Bragg.

WHITFIELD:

Yes sir.

CALLISON:

Where are the bodies?

WHITFIELD:

Bragg had Chalk and Bronc, the men

that killed that Poston fella and

his wife -

MUELLER:

-- Objection! Hearsay your Honor,

Mr. Whitfield nor this court, has

any proof Mr. Bragg’s employees had

any involvement in the said murder

of Clayton and Vera Poston.

CALLISON:

Overruled! You may continue, son.

WHITFIELD:

Um...well, Chalk and Bronc took

Bell, his men and the horses back

up in the hills. But those men was

killed by Marshal Cole right here

in this saloon so there ain’t

nobody left that knows where Bell

is, though I imagine the coyotes

and bears done disappeared them

anyhow.

Beat.

CALLISON:

Mr. Mueller, you may cross examine

the witness.

(CONTINUED)

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Mueller rises and approaches Whitfield.

MUELLER:

Coyotes and bears, done disappeared

them anyhow. Very colorful, Mr.

Whitfield.

59 EXT. TOWN HALL - CONTINUOUS - DAY 59

The town is empty, quiet.

Hitch holds his eight-gauge at the ready.

60 INT. TOWN HALL - A LITTLE LATER - DAY 60

Vince is on the stand.

VINCE:

Jack Bell and his Deputies never

came up to Mr. Bragg’s ranch. I

don’t know what Whitfield’s talkin’

about.

Judge Callison crosses his arms looking plaintively at Vince.

JUDGE:

That’s the same thing all of you

have said.

Angle on SIX OF BRAGG’S HANDS lined up sitting behind Bragg.

JUDGE:

Anybody got anything different to

say other than ‘Jack Bell and his

Deputies never came up to Mr.

Bragg’s ranch and I don’t know what

Whitfield’s talkin’ about’?

No one stirs.

JUDGE CALLISON:

That will do then.

(to Vince)

You may step down.

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

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JUDGE CALLISON (cont'd)

No reason to waste time saying the

same thing over and over.

MUELLER:

My client has a right to testify in

his own defense.

JUDGE CALLISON:

Course he does. One moment. Mr.

Whitfield, do you own a horse?

WHITFIELD:

Ah... yes, yes sir.

JUDGE CALLISON:

Well son I suggest while the bees

are in the butter (gestures to

Bragg’s men) you get on your horse

and ride. Ride and don’t look

back.

Whitfield sits frozen, basically unsure what to do.

JUDGE CALLISON:

Now.

Whitfield looks around the room. Cole meets his eye. Cole

nods slightly and Whitfield leaves.

JUDGE CALLISON:

Swear him in Mr. Wallis.

Bragg lumbers to the stand. Fat Wallis pokes the Bible under

Bragg’s nose.

Whitfield is seen out the window riding off at a hard gallop.

FAT WALLIS:

Put your hand on the bible.

Bragg doesn’t move. Fat Wallis takes Bragg’s hand and slaps

it onto the Bible.

FAT WALLIS:

Do you swear to tell the truth, the

whole truth, nothing but the truth

so help you God?

Bragg doesn’t respond.

JUDGE CALLISON:

He so swears. What have you got to

say for yourself, Mr. Bragg?

(CONTINUED)

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60 60

BRAGG:

Your honor, I feel a certain

antipathy towards me here today,

perhaps because I’m a relative

newcomer. But I didn’t kill Jack

Bell, or his deputies. Jack was a

friend of mine. I have no reason

to kill him. Now, the two peoplewho might have known somethingabout it are dead. Mr. Chalk and

Mr. Bronc were themselves gunneddown by Mr. Cole, merely for havinga little drink taken. Mr.

Whitfield is nothing but a fearfulboy, easily persuaded to sayanything, easily persuaded byMarshal Cole. The citizens of

Appaloosa have allowed Mr. Cole totake over their town. It is not

justice, in this new nation ofours, to let him take away myliberty, or indeed, my life.

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JUDGE CALLISON:

Eloquent Mr. Bragg. But

unconvincing. I find you guilty ofthese charges and sentence you tohang at Yaqui Prison.

He bangs his gavel.

JUDGE CALLISON:

Court’s adjourned!

LOUD BLAST OF A TRAIN WHISTLE

61 OMIT 61

62 OMIT 62

63 EXT. COUNTRYSIDE - DAY 63

The train moves through the flatlands following the course ofthe river. Hills rise in the distance.

LATER:

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