Appaloosa Page #11

"APPALOOSA" GREEN REVISIONS 10/30/07 68.

64 INT. TRAIN - DAY 64

Cole and Hitch watch the land roll by.

65 EXT. TRAIN - DAY 65

A pack of coyotes watch the train rumble on below them.

LATER:

66 INT. TRAIN - DAY 66

The conductor comes ambling through...

CONDUCTOR:

We’ll bring out sourdough ’n ham atChester.

TEWKSBURY:

How soon is Chester?

CONDUCTOR:

Three quarter hour. When we start

the upgrade, you’ll feel us slowdown. It ain’t a hell of a grade,

but it’s a long one.

The conductor moves on. Bragg stares out the window.

COLE:

(to Hitch)

Soon as we feel the train slowin’

we’ll head out on to the decks. I

don’t want us sitting in here likea tom at a turkey shoot.

DISSOLVE TO:

67 EXT. COUNTRYSIDE - DAY 67

The train begins its slow ascent, climbing the long upgrade.

68 INT. TRAIN - DAY 68

Cole gets to his feet.

Cole forward.

Hitch moves to the rear of the train,

"APPALOOSA" GREEN REVISIONS 10/30/07 69.

69 EXT. OBSERVATION DECK - CONTINUOUS - DAY 69

Hitch scans the landscape around the slowing train.

around the side and can see Cole at the front.

He peeks

70 EXT. CHESTER WATER TANK - CONTINUOUS - DAY 70

The train slows as it crosses a small bridge, stopping nextto the water tank.

The FIREMAN climbs to the top of the engine cab and beginspouring water into the tank. Steam HISSES.

THREE RIDERS TRAILING BRAGG’S HORSE AND A PACK HORSE RIDE OUT

FROM UNDER THE BRIDGE. TWO OF THEM ARE THE SHELTONS...

ALLIE IS ON THE HORSE BETWEEN THEM.

ALLIE HAS A ROPE AROUND HER NECK. RING HOLDS THE OTHER END.

MACKIE HOLDS A SHOTGUN PRESSED AGAINST HER NECK.

Cole steps down from the train and stands stock still.

Hitch steps from the rear.

The slow blades of the windmill are the only movement.

RING:

You see how this is gonna go?

Any sign of trouble from anybody,

and Mackie gives her both barrels.

Stringer moves into a window, rifle aimed at Ring.

RING:

So you folks are gonna have tounshackle Bragg, parade him on outhere, or she gets killed.

STRINGER:

I see you in my sights. Whatever

happens to her, you’re dead.

Ring smiles gently.

RING:

What do you think, Virgil? Think

I’ll get scared and change my mind?

COLE:

(to Stringer)

Put the rifle down.

STRINGER:

This ain’t your jurisdiction, Cole.

(CONTINUED)

"APPALOOSA" GREEN REVISIONS 10/30/07 70.

70 CONTINUED:
70

COLE:

Put it down.

Tewksbury’s now beside Stringer, rifle to shoulder.

COLE:

You too Everett.

Hitch lowers his shotgun.

COLE:

I’ll kill anybody don’t lower their

rifles.

Stringer lowers his gun. Tewksbury follows suit.

COLE:

We give you Bragg, you give us the

woman.

RING:

(laughs)

Virgil, you know I ain’t that dumb.

You give us Bragg. We keep the

woman. You ride off on the train,

and when it’s out of sight we cut

her loose.

A few passengers are looking out the train windows.

COLE:

Bring Bragg out here.

Stringer nods and Tewksbury goes back into the carriage.

Cole looks at Allie, helpless.

Allie looks at Cole, her eyes wide with fear.

Tewksbury returns with Bragg and uncuffs him.

Bragg steps past Stringer and jumps down from the train. He

heads down the embankment.

BRAGG:

(to Ring) )

Give me a gun.

RING:

No.

BRAGG:

(eyes on Cole)

I’m going to shoot the sonofabitch.

(CONTINUED)

"APPALOOSA" GREEN REVISIONS 10/30/07 71.

70 CONTINUED:
70

RING:

Ain’t part of the deal.

BRAGG:

You work for me. Give me a gun.

RING:

You owe me half Bragg. ‘Til I getit, you ain’t gettin’ no gun.

Bragg stares at Cole.

BRAGG:

Told you you’d never hang me, Cole.

COLE:

Never ain’t here yet.

RING:

We can see a long way, so best youget the train rolling.

Cole is silent. He looks to Allie one last time and getsback on the train.

The train moves out. The tracks stretch to the horizon.

DISSOLVE TO:

71 EXT. ROLLING HILLS - A SHORT TIME LATER - DAY 71

The train rounds a bend, comes to a halt for a long momentthen slowly begins to back down the track.

DISSOLVE TO:

72 EXT. CHESTER WATER TANK - A SHORT TIME LATER - DAY 72

The train backs to a stop. Cole steps off the train andwalks toward the wash where he last saw Allie.

Stringer starts to follow him.

HITCH:

Stay away from him.

STRINGER:

We got no horses. We can’t goafter them on foot.

HITCH:

We’ll go on back to Appaloosa and

get some.

(CONTINUED)

"APPALOOSA" GREEN REVISIONS 10/30/07 72.

72 CONTINUED:
72

STRINGER:

Quicker Cole gets back here,

quicker we’re on our way.

HITCH:

He won’t come back.

STRINGER:

Won’t come back?

Hitch shakes his head and walks after Cole.

Cole stops on the little bridge above the wash, staring out.

Hitch comes up behind him.

HITCH:

We got no horses, Virgil. I’ll

ride the train back to town and

fetch ‘em.

Cole squints into the sun, expressionless. He walks off the

bridge and edges down the side of the dry wash.

HITCH:

You leave the wash, leave me a

sign.

Cole walks away along the flat bottom of the wash, followingthe Sheltons’ tracks.

Hitch looks to the sun then walks back to the train.

HITCH:

(calls to engineer)

Head on back to Appaloosa!

The train hisses and starts to chug. Hitch climbs up. He

looks back to the wash and Cole walking away.

WIDE. The train builds up speed and heads to Appaloosa.

CUT TO:

73 OMIT 73

74 EXT. CHESTER WATER TANK - LATE AFTERNOON 74

Hitch leads his horse, Cole’s horse and the pack mule out ofthe boxcar down the ramp.

DISSOLVE TO:

"APPALOOSA" GREEN REVISIONS 10/30/07 73.

75 EXT. DRY WASH - HOUR LATER - SUNSET 75

Hitch rides along leading the horse and mule.

76 EXT. CREEK BED - DUSK 76

Hitch continues on.

77 EXT. SAGE COVERED TERRAIN - NIGHT 77

A FULL MOON rises above the hills.

78 EXT. DRY WASH CANYON - NIGHT 78

Hitch stops, looks down...

A foot high pile of stones. Next to it, is a smaller patternof stones in the shape of an arrow.

Hitch continues on following the direction of the arrowleaving the wash.

DISSOLVE TO:

79 EXT. COLE’S CAMP - FIRST LIGHT 79

Hitch rounds a bend in the creek.

COLE:

Well, by God...

Cole sits beside a water hole, boots off, feet in the water.

HITCH:

Virgil.

COLE:

Everett.

Hitch rides up, Cole’s horse and mule in tow.

COLE:

You bring any coffee?

Hitch tethers the horses... goes to collecting kindling.

80 EXT. COLE’S CAMP - SHORT TIME LATER - SUNRISE 80

Coffee pot heats up by glowing embers.

Hitch cooks a meal. They don’t say a word.

(CONTINUED)

"APPALOOSA" GREEN REVISIONS 10/30/07 74.

80 CONTINUED:
80

Finally, Cole takes his feet out of the water and comes tothe fire for a cup of coffee.

HITCH:

Whiskey in that saddlebag.

Cole gets the bottle and pours some into his coffee cup.

Hitch holds out his cup and Cole pours into it.

Cole sips his coffee.

Hitch hands Cole a plate of biscuits.

The men eat, drink. The sun rises.

Beat

COLE:

Stringer?

HITCH:

Bragg on the loose, he figuredthey’d best stay in town.

HITCH:

Got any thoughts where they mightbe headed?

South.

COLE:

81 EXT. CHAPARRAL - THE CHASE, DAY ONE - DAY 81

Hitch leads the mule, looking at the landscape.

A jackrabbit scurries out from the brush ---

Hitch goes for his gun, then catches himself.

DISSOLVE TO:

82 EXT. HIGH CHAPARRAL - LATER IN THE DAY 82

They ride on... above the distant horizon, a circularmovement in the sky.

83 EXT. BUZZARD FEEDING GROUND - DAY 83

Buzzards feeding on the carcass of a good sized elk. Theyfly up as Cole and Hitch approach, landing again a few feet

away.

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