Bite the Bullet Page #2

It takes more than a deck of cards

and a pair of knockers.

Horse race pulled them in.

This crowd, their hustle's the fast buck.

- What's yours?

- The same.

And if you don't win, which you won't...

...I'll lend you the $2,000.

You can work it off in Kansas City.

Bang bang, you're in the chips.

At $20 a bang, out of which you get half,

that's one hell of a lot of banging.

It's a hell of a lot easier on your ass

than 700 miles in a saddle.

The money's for Steve.

He won't care how you got it.

- How many times you been married?

- Eleven. Ten without a preacher or license.

- Well, did you love any of them?

- All of them. Every one of them.

The good and the bad.

It's a shame to waste all that prime beef

on a guy serving three to five in prison.

You two keep in touch?

- He's kind of a lousy letter writer.

- Lousy bank robber, too.

You have anything for a toothache?

Latest thing in miracles: Heroin.

One of these painkillers,

and a chaser of whiskey:

Four hours of joyhouse!

Have you tried this heroin yourself?

Mister, I tried everything

except confession.

Even God wouldn't believe it!

I've forgotten how good

a bad woman feels.

Flattery and money will get you anything!

Two of the best, for two of the best.

Truly a wonderment.

Whiskey.

- You drink with greasers?

- Only seoritas.

My grandpa was Mexican.

I bathed that old man

every day till he died.

It's a funny thing, though.

I never did find a greasy spot on him.

- Pure Mex ain't bad.

- Breed. You can smell it.

Well, that must be why I can't smell it.

- I'm half Cherokee.

- I'm a squaw man, myself.

Anybody pays, gets drinks.

Anybody don't like it, throw them out!

Mr. Matthews?

Business.

I'll miss your company.

Ninth, and final entry:

Clayton, riding a coldblood.

Attention. For all contestants,

everything is on the house...

...except booze, betting and bawds.

What else is there?

We've got a problem.

We both can't win.

No. That's not the problem.

- The problem is, I can't afford to lose.

- Who won the Gans-Nelson fight?

Gans, on a foul, in the 42nd round.

The greatest fighter I ever saw in my life,

black or white.

Won me $300, which I ran into $2,000.

Most of it old Parker's money.

- Anyway...

- you know, I'm un-American?

What's that?

I don't know exactly.

Except, if you're not the best...

...or the first and the greatest,

if you don't win...

...then you're not American.

- Which brings us to the problem.

- I didn't know Joe Gans was a black man.

I just bet everything on this race.

I got 7-to-1.

You bet $2,000?

- On yourself?

- Who else?

Well, that's not so serious.

All you got to do is beat

J.B. Parker's champion horse...

...and J.B. Parker's champion rider,

and J.B. Parker's champion disposition.

No. That ain't all.

My bet says no other rider

in the race will beat mine.

That's in writing and that's a problem.

Miss.

You got nothing to worry about.

You admit that you can out-drink...

...out-fight, out-shoot, out-jump...

...out-luck, out-ride any man

born of woman, don't you?

Except you.

I never said I could out-ride you.

- Do we eat now, or after?

- Just so it's not during.

Class. For a natural-born loser,

you certainly got lots of class.

You just be at that finish line,

with that $16,000.

He expects to win.

You saying this race is fixed?

All I know is, no matter what the game,

cards, craps, racing, boxing, whatever...

If you can bet on it, it can be fixed.

Can be.

And that's all I know.

Well, all I know is I'm winning this race,

so don't crowd me.

- How do you like it, mister?

- Without conversation.

Don't forget my bed. Get all the tables.

Don't forget the booze. Strip the joint!

Get a horse!

Maybe. Maybe that'll save a couple miles.

Is he all right?

Splendid.

Boy, what did I do to you?

It was damn stupid of me, wasn't it?

A little over eight hours.

They ought to be strung out...

...from here to about here.

How far we come?

Halfway, I think.

- Halfway?

- To the first checkpoint.

The father of your father.

He was truly a Mejicano?

But you are simptico.

I had a toothache once.

I've had it. Good luck.

So long. Good luck.

What happened to the miracle painkiller?

He took six pills in one hour,

instead of one every four hours.

Killed the pain all right, but he almost died.

I made him throw up the pills.

Now his toothache is back.

Can you get a dentist on that thing?

If he could, and if the dentist comes,

by the time he gets here, we'll be gone.

The nearest town's 100 miles

in any direction.

- He wants it pulled.

- Who by?

- By us.

- He's crazy.

- He's got a lot of faith.

- That proves he's crazy.

Checking out.

- Christie just rode out.

- So did I.

Hold this, will you?

Tooth's chipped.

That nerve is open.

Cover the tooth, and the pulling can wait.

- What about the poison?

- That goes first.

Do I cut it from the inside,

or from the outside?

I'll do it.

What calibre's that tooth?

The bullet size.

Use the casing to cover the tooth.

- Smaller.

- Smaller. Okay.

Checking out.

Crank out a round for me, will you?

After you doctor him up...

...suppose he goes out and wins?

Then, what do you say?

I'd have to say, "you're out $2,000."

Checking out.

You're losing time.

Right. You won't think it unsporting?

Hell, racing for money ain't sport. It's war.

This liniment's going to burn for a week.

Put a little right there.

Careful of my vitals.

- Seems you're not worried about this race.

- Yeah, seems like it.

You know,

missing that train like you did yesterday...

...that's not like your kind of man.

You must have had a good reason.

I must have had.

Well, I don't give a damn about the reason.

I was out of hand.

I just wanted you to know that.

- What's on your mind, Mr. Parker?

- I want you to come back on our team.

You get a bonus and a raise. Deal?

You just take the rest of the week off.

With pay.

How about it?

I'll look you up after the race, Mr. Parker.

Bite.

Thanks.

- Get any sleep?

- Not much.

- They gone long?

- Three, four hours.

We'll catch them before dark.

Drop it!

Drop it.

Hogtie her.

Turn around.

Morning, neighbour.

- You fixing to stay?

- No, just passing through.

Then you ain't my neighbour.

- Been here long?

- Ever since I come.

This trail here. Where does it go?

Ain't going nowhere that I know of.

Always been there.

Well, how far is it to town?

Don't know. Never measured it.

Well, you don't seem to know much.

I said, "you don't seem to know much. "

I don't know a damn thing about nothing.

But I ain't the one who's lost.

Much obliged.

Jesus!

He is generous today.

One of us better know the way.

Hold him, damn it!

Muzzle that stump-sucking bastard.

I ought to bust your ass wide-open!

Lousy whore.

- Don't.

- Shut up, damn it!

You ain't nothing

but a lousy crib-alley whore.

Get back that rope.

Don't say it.

Don't say it.

Don't! What he said don't bother me.

Now, quit!

Nothing to do with you.

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