Badlands Page #9

Kit, frustrated draws his pistol from his back pocket and

looks around for the fish that has been eluding him. He does

not see, as we do, a MAN watching him from across the river.

He fires at the fish, misses it and fires again. The Man

across the river hesitates, then moves back into the

undergrowth.

DISSOLVE TO:

SERIES OF ANGLES – TREEHOUSE

Holly is off somewhere in the forest, putting on lipstick.

Kit sits on watch in the crow's nest, a pair of binoculars

close at hand. On sound, over the music, we hear voices

whispering to them. Kit sees a movement in the brush. A moment

later a figure appears, a hunter, carrying a gun. Kit shouts

a code word to Holly. She takes off running, as Kit clambers

down the planks of the treehouse and collects his shotgun.

He tells her to hide, runs through the woods and dives in a

hole, under a cover of leaves. She jumps behind a log.

Several shots of the still forest follow, then the hunters

appear, a shoulder here, pant leg there. The music ends as

one of them c*cks his gun. They pass right over the hole

where Kit is hiding. Kit rises up slowly, gives them a

gentlemanly word of warning, then shoots all three in the

back. He checks to see if anybody else is with them, then

calls weakly out to Holly.

KIT:

Holly!

Holly picks her way through the brush, back to the treehouse.

EXT. TREEHOUSE

They are packed up and ready to leave. Kit slams the trunk

of the Mercury.

KIT:

Get in the car, Red.

He takes a bird cage off the roof of the car and throws it

away.

KIT:

We don't need this.

He climbs a ladder, looks In the cabin of the treehouse to

see if they've left anything behind, then jumps down. He

flips over the wicker hemisphere that covers their rooster.

The rooster walks off, free. He surveys the woods, then looks

back at Holly, who returns his look and gets in the car.

HOLLY (V.O.)

Kit felt bad about shooting those

men in the backs, but he said they'd

come in like that, and they would've

played it as down and dirty as they

could, and besides, he'd overheard

them whispering about how they were

only interested in the reward money.

With lawmen it would've been

different. They were out there to

get a job done and they deserved a

fair chance. But not a bounty hunter.

EXT. BADLANDS – SERIES OF ANGLES

We see a flat expanse of the Badlands. The Mercury appears

over the horizon and heads toward a solitary house. A man

appears at the door of the house, Kit's friend, Cato.

HOLLY (V.O.)

We went to hide out with a friend of

Kit's from the days of the garbage

route.

EXT. CATO'S HOUSE

Kit gets out of the car, takes a chicken from the back seat

and walks over to face Cato. He keeps a safe distance.

KIT:

How you doing, Cato?

CATO:

Not bad.

Kit steps forward, rifle in hand, and offers Cato the chicken.

KIT:

Take that sombitch.

Cato takes it, a wan smile on his face.

KIT:

What you been doing?

CATO:

Running this place for a fella in

town. Nothing much to speak of.

KIT:

Well, I don't notice us hustling

trash, either.

Kit walks over to inspect the interior of Cato's house.

KIT:

Where'd you get them antlers?

CATO (O.S.)

They come with the house.

He refers to a set of deer antlers, mounted over the door.

Kit looks inside, then back at Cato.

KIT:

Oh, Cato, I want you to meet my girl,

Holly Sargis.

Holly smiles and says hello.

EXT. PICNIC TABLE

They sit at a picnic table under a tree, having lunch. Holly

is telling a joke at Kit's urging.

HOLLY:

Did you hear the one about the guy

in the nuthouse that went around

naked, with only a hat and gloves

on, and this nurse came up to him

and said, "Hey, what... You can't

walk around that way," and the guy

says, "What's the matter? Nobody

comes around here." Anyway, the nurse

says, "What do you have the hat and

gloves on for, then?" And the guy

says, "Well, you never know."

Cato bursts into laughter.

KIT:

Isn't that funny?

Cato stops laughing. He wants to give Kit the right answer.

CATO:

Yeah, I guess.

KIT (O.S.)

She plays the clarinet, too.

Holly smiles politely.

HOLLY:

Don't you ever get bored around here?

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