Appaloosa Page #5

COLE:

By God, I believe you’re right. I

believe it ends just down there at

the foot of the hill where that

little wash runs.

Hitch has circled around, now facing the two riders.

DEAN:

So up here you’re just another

cowboy with a gun.

COLE:

You think that’s right, Everett?

HITCH:

I think no matter where you are,

Virgil, that you ain’t just another

cowboy with a gun.

COLE:

That’d be my thought.

DEAN:

We ain’t doing nothing wrong and

you ain’t got no jurdiction up

here.

Cole looks at Hitch.

COLE:

Jurdiction?

HITCH:

I believe he means jurisdiction.

COLE:

I believe he does. And he’s, by

God, right about it.

(CONTINUED)

"APPALOOSA" GREEN REVISIONS 10/30/07 28.

23 CONTINUED:
23

Cole smiles at Dean.

COLE:

So what are you doin’ riding round

and round up here?

DEAN:

Just keeping an eye on things.

COLE:

For who?

Dean shrugs -- Cole CRACKS DEAN IN THE MOUTH with the butt of

his Colt, almost knocking him out of the saddle.

DEAN:

You f***in’ broke my teeth.

COLE:

Colt makes a heavy firearm, that’s

a fact. Who you riding for?

DEAN:

Bragg.

The Young Man just sits on his horse, watching.

COLE:

Think Bragg’s attemptin’ to

frighten us, Everett?

HITCH:

Be my guess.

COLE:

What’s your name?

DEAN:

Dean.

COLE:

Well, Dean, you may as well go back

to Mr. Bragg and report that we

ain’t too frightened.

DEAN:

Mr. Bragg ain’t gonna like it that

you hit me.

COLE:

Don’t guess you liked it all that

much yourself, Dean.

DEAN:

That’s right.

(CONTINUED)

"APPALOOSA" GREEN REVISIONS 10/30/07 29.

23 CONTINUED:
23

COLE:

So you and Mr. Bragg can co-mm...

what word am I trying for?

HITCH:

Commiserate?

COLE:

Commiserate. That’s the word. You

and Bragg can commiserate each

other.

Cole reins his horse, Hitch follows.

HITCH:

That fella wasn’t actually doing

anything illegal, Virgil.

COLE:

He was annoying the hell out of me.

HITCH:

That’s not illegal.

COLE:

No, it’s personal.

INT. SALOON, BOSTON HOUSE HOTEL - NIGHT

Cole and Hitch listen as Allie plays the piano.

very good.

COLE:

I knew Jack Bell pretty well.

Before the war, we shared a summer

in Indian Territory, chasing

Comanches away from the settlers.

Following spring, down on the Ft.

Belknap reservation, we did some

time chasing settlers away from the

Comanches. He was a damn good man.

HITCH:

What do you think happened between

him and Bragg?

Cole just shakes his head.

HITCH:

Overconfident?

COLE:

Be my surmise. Probably thought

Bragg had some respect for the law.

(MORE)

She’s not

(CONTINUED)

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

24 CONTINUED:
24

COLE (cont'd)

Not just gun play... you know that

Everett, gotta think about men too.

HITCH:

Guess that’d be one reason you’re

here and Jack Bell ain’t.

COLE:

That’d be a reason. You’d be

another.

Hitch takes that in... his gaze goes to...

A whore, KATIE, part Kiowa, part Mexican; chatting up a

customer. She feels Hitch’s look, turns and looks right at

him...

Hitch nods, gentleman-like.

Allie is finished playing and comes over to sit at their

table.

COLE:

Mighty fine piano, mighty fine.

ALLISON:

Why thank you.

Cole pours her a whiskey.

ALLISON:

Oh, thank you, that’s plenty...

Thank you.

She raises her glass, they toast and sip.

ALLISON:

So tell me, Mr. Cole. How long you

been killing people for a living?

COLE:

Call me Virgil.

ALLISON:

Of course, Virgil, how long?

COLE:

I don’t kill people for a living,

Allie, I enforce the law.

Killing’s sometimes a sorta side

thing of that... That ain’t what I

want to say. What am I aiming at,

Everett?

(CONTINUED)

"APPALOOSA" GREEN REVISIONS 10/30/07 31.

24 CONTINUED:
24

HITCH:

By-product.

COLE:

Killing’s sometimes a by-product.

ALLISON:

And you’ve never killed anybody

except as a lawman?

COLE:

Never.

ALLISON:

Is he telling me the truth,

Everett?

HITCH:

Virgil always tells the truth.

ALLISON:

Nobody always tells the truth.

COLE:

Why not?

ALLISON:

Well, they, well, for heaven’s sake

Virgil, they just don’t.

COLE:

Always thought the truth was

simpler. Tell a man what you mean.

ALLISON:

And a woman?

COLE:

A woman?

ALLISON:

That’s what I said.

COLE:

Allie, I don’t really remember ever

telling a woman anything.

ALLISON:

Virgil Cole. Are you telling me

you’ve never had a woman?

(CONTINUED)

"APPALOOSA" GREEN REVISIONS 10/30/07 32.

24 CONTINUED:
24

COLE:

(turning red)

Well, hell, Allie, I don’t think

that’s a thing I should be

discussing with you.

ALLISON:

But have you?

COLE:

Well, a’ course. Assuredly, I

have.

ALLISON:

And did you never tell them

anything?

COLE:

Mostly I just did what we were

there to do.

ALLISON:

And what was that?

COLE:

We won’t talk about this anymore.

ALLISON:

Virgil, I was just funnin’ you.

COLE:

(quietly)

I didn’t enjoy it.

TEAMSTER (O.S.)

Damn you! Two more Wallis.

Cole turns his attention toward...

THE BAR - Fat Wallis laughs with a TEAMSTER and a CLERK who

are having a drinking competition.

ALLISON:

Everett. You ever lie?

HITCH:

All the time, Allie. All the time.

ALLISON:

Well. Then I understand you.

AT THE BAR:
The smallish Clerk out chugs the Teamster.

(CONTINUED)

"APPALOOSA" GREEN REVISIONS 10/30/07 33.

24 CONTINUED:
24

TEAMSTER:

You scrawny little bastard! Where

you puttin’ it all? You ain’t even

pissed yet.

Fat Wallis laughs as he pours two more glasses of beer.

TEAMSTER:

Say when Wallis. No f***in’ feed

store clerk’s gonna’ back me down.

Cole watches.

FAT WALLIS:

When!

The two men drink, the Clerk finishes first.

TEAMSTER:

Sh*t! Sh*t!

Cole stands and walks to the bar.

COLE:

(to the Teamster)

Shut up.

TEAMSTER:

What’s that, Marshal?

COLE:

Shut your mouth and get out of

here.

TEAMSTER:

I ain’t done nothing. Hell,

Marshal, we’re just drinking beer.

Cole KICKS HIM IN THE GROIN - the Teamster groans and doubles

over-Cole HITS HIM WITH BOTH FISTS, one then the other.

Cole grabs hold of the Teamster’s hair and SLAMS HIS FACE

AGAINST THE BAR. PULLS IT UP AND SLAMS IT DOWN AGAIN.

HITCH:

Virgil!

The Teamster is defenseless. Cole gets him propped up

against the bar... HITS HIM AGAIN, AND AGAIN.

Hitch grabs Cole around the waist and picks him up. The

Teamster falls to the floor.

HITCH:

Virgil. Virgil.

(CONTINUED)

"APPALOOSA" GREEN REVISIONS 10/30/07 34.

24 CONTINUED:
24

Cole is unaware of anything but the Teamster.

HITCH:

Virgil.

Cole keeps his fist cocked...but still, his breath snarling.

HITCH:

Virgil.

Cole’s breath slows.

COLE:

You can let go.

Hitch relaxes, but doesn’t let go.

COLE:

You can let go.

Hitch lets go.

Cole stands still a moment, then walks out of the bar.

Wallis and the Clerk tend to the bloodied Teamster.

Hitch returns to Allie...

ALLISON:

(stunned)

My God.

Rate this script:4.0 / 1 vote