Arizona Page #6

- I know it.

And to prove your case, we might

even dig up a Confederate receipt...

with Phoebe's name on it.

That alone would take

the Army freighting away from her.

Carteret, I think you've figured out a honey.

- Phoebe?

- Come in.

Hello.

I see your wagons are all ready.

Yep, and there's a first-rate teamster

for every wagon that's lined up out there.

I'll be back in business starting at dawn,

freighting for the Army.

Oh, it's a wonderful feeling.

A pie over there for you.

What's the matter?

Phoebe, here's an order from Col. Carleton...

- Cancelling your freighting deal.

- Cancelling?

You're to report to him tomorrow morning.

He doesn't say why.

I found out a little from the adjutant.

Somebody reported

that you hauled ammunition...

for the Confederates when they were here.

I did not!

- That's what I wanted to hear.

- Who claims I did?

Well, it's a confidential report.

- Now that you set me straight...

- There's only one man that would do this...

Lazarus Ward.

He's after the Army freighting business.

The trouble is, how can I prove he's a liar

with the Confederates gone?

If Ward's the one, we'll see to it

that he calls himself a liar...

in front of the Colonel.

Right now I've got to get back

to the Army camp and find out if it was him.

I'll see you soon as I know.

Open your mouth

and I'll blow a hole clean through you.

Get up. Start for my house

through that door.

Don't raise your hands, just act natural.

Never mind your boots.

What's come over you, Phoebe?

What set you on the warpath?

Where's Ward?

Well, I ain't seen him since early tonight.

Maybe you can tell me where he is.

I? Why should I know?

You're around here often enough to know.

Wait a minute.

Walk straight ahead. You'll find a tinderbox.

Light the candle on the table.

Get away from that gun.

You won't be so frisky come morning.

I knew you were the one.

Sit down. Not there, you'll poison my pie.

Get over there, hurry up.

Ward, did you ever see a man's stomach

tore open by a shotgun?

Why do you say that, Phoebe?

If I get arrested tomorrow and sent off

to Yuma, it's going to be very unhandy.

Especially if you take over

my freighting business.

I don't know what you're talking about.

Maybe you don't remember

telling Col. Carleton...

that I declared for the South,

that I sold ammunition to the Confederates.

Me? There ain't a word of truth.

Ward, it's kind of horrifying

to know you're going to be killed.

But it's a heap sight worse

to know it's coming and not know when.

What do you mean, Phoebe?

Can you write?

Some. Why?

Write on the back of that paper.

Tell the Colonel in your own hand

that you told a pack of lies about me.

I won't write nothing.

Suit yourself.

Now, some time before morning...

I'm going to let off both barrels

of this shotgun right at you.

I don't know just what time it'll happen.

Whenever my finger

gets to itching too much.

But you can depend on it.

You're going to have a double hole

blowed clean through you.

Maybe 10 minutes, maybe two hours.

All you have to do is sit comfortable

till I think it's the right time.

You wouldn't do it.

I'm not ready yet.

Honest, Phoebe.

I never told the Colonel nothing. Honest.

Well, I guess I'd better

be getting this over with.

- Brace yourself.

- Don't pull! I'll write.

Don't pull. I'll write.

You come close to being too late.

Take that pencil and write down what I say.

Col. Carleton,

there wasn't a word of truth to...

Go ahead. Write.

Yeah. So I'm supposed to sit quiet

and write my life away.

Now we'll see who's getting holes

blowed in them.

Drop that gun.

- Let's have some light in here, Phoebe.

- Soldier, am I glad to see you.

- I've been looking for you, Ward.

- He's the one, all right.

That's what I found out.

I was only trying to make a living.

Almost had him writing a letter

to the colonel.

Well, Ward, I'll make it easy to understand.

I don't like you

and it would be a pleasure to kill you.

You sit down and start writing or I'll pull

this trigger fast till it won't shoot no more.

I'll tell him what to put down.

Whatever you want.

Col. Carleton, there wasn't

a word of truth to what I said...

about Phoebe Titus hauling ammunition

for the Confederates.

You're talking too fast.

Then listen to me once

and write it the second time.

I want to get this set in my mind right now.

I made it up to get rid of her,

so as I could ruin her freighting business.

She never took sides either way,

but minded her own business.

And furthermore, Col. Carleton,

I am a no-good skunk.

Yeah, that makes it plain.

That's what you'll put down

just before you sign your name.

And now since you've got

a pretty good idea, let's start writing again.

Col. Carleton, there wasn't a word

of truth to what I said...

Say, you'd better stay here tonight

and guard this skunk...

so we can deliver him and his message

to the Colonel in the morning.

You're the boss.

Ward, when you did this to my pie,

you went too far.

- We're all ready to go, ma'am. 10 wagons.

- All right.

- Pick up your Army escort at the camp.

- Yes, ma'am.

Indians start anything, take your orders

from whoever's in charge of the soldiers.

That suits me. See you soon.

So long, Terry.

Hiya, pop.

Hello, lady.

Joe, better go get your eats.

Wouldn't I be a mess scrunched

over a bunch of figures in here?

What made you think of that?

I'm leaving the Army.

Getting your discharge?

Couple of weeks.

I thought it all over, Phoebe. I concluded

you need somebody around here.

That's right.

You been having more trouble

than one person can handle.

So I decided we better share it, all the way.

You asking me to marry you?

Roundabout.

Is there still something

you don't like about me?

No, it's not that.

If there wasn't something

I didn't like about a man...

I couldn't stand the sight of him.

Then what's troubling you?

Do you know why I'm working so hard

in this freighting business?

You said once so you'd have

the best ranch in Arizona.

I got the ranch land.

Bought it dirt cheap

from people pulling out of here.

Now all I have to do

is build on it and irrigate.

I know some about ranching.

Can you tell good cattle

when you see them?

That ain't hard.

- Seen any around here?

- No.

Peter, I'll tell you honest.

There's nothing I'd like better than

to have you move out onto that ranch...

with me as my husband.

Well, I'm glad to hear it.

As soon as you take care

of a little errand for me.

- Errand?

- Yeah.

I want you to go to Nebraska Territory...

pick out 500 head of the best eastern-bred

cattle and bring them back here.

Errand?

It won't be long now before the railroads

will be getting this far west.

They'll bring in more people

than you can shake a stick at.

Mining men,

thousands of real American families.

And I'm going to be ready for them...

with the finest herd of beef

and dairy cattle in this territory.

Nebraska.

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