Bite the Bullet Page #4

We crawled up there on our scared bellies.

There was only one horse and one rider.

That was Colonel Teddy.

He went charging up that damn hill.

They shot his glasses off.

He put on another pair.

They nicked him in the elbow.

And he said, "Follow me!"

And we did,

'cause we were too damn ashamed not to.

After the Hill, came the church.

There was a French 75 out front.

Every window had a rifle sticking out of it.

There was a Gatling gun in the bell tower.

We could have called the artillery boys in

to blow it to pieces...

...but outside, along the walls...

...they'd tied all these people up.

Roped them together, hogtied them.

Looked like a bunch of sandbags.

Women and children, nuns and prisoners.

My Paula among them.

Neither me nor Luke nor anybody else

knew what to do.

Inside the church, they knew what to do.

They opened up on us and we fell back.

All of a sudden, I heard Paula scream out:

"Asalto, Cubanos, asalto!"

Then, a Spanish bullet.

The rest of the women took up the cry.

"Attack, Cubans, attack! Attack!"

Her own band of guerrillas led the way.

The people some people marry.

I wasn't worth her spit.

Bury him.

- What with?

- Your goddamn hands.

See he does it.

You see to it.

What he said. Is it that important?

It must be. He said it twice.

It was Gans in the 42nd round!

Anyway, he's walking in

from a couple of miles back.

Didn't want me to carry the extra weight.

He said it wasn't sporting.

- Hey, kid!

- Yes, sir.

- I'm going to lay a chore on you.

- Yes, sir.

Take the old-timer's horse there.

We got a problem with those prisoners.

They're all maximum-security.

Our plan still holds.

Look for this mark on the left front hoof.

No horse passes through

without this mark.

List of riders.

To you, this race is worth about $2,000.

To me, it's worth $14,000.

Now, say it's you and me in front...

...coming down the stretch.

Got the picture?

You hold back. Make it look good,

of course. I win.

I collect my bet, turn the prize money

over to you. Nobody gets hurt...

...except old Parker, who's out $14,000,

which is only justice.

Yeah, you're right.

- I could never do that to my best friend.

- Only friend.

- So we split 50-50. Deal?

- No deal.

- You want more than me?

- What I want is...

Name it.

What I'm going to do is win this race.

That is the greediest,

most selfish thing that...

Do you realise you're betraying a friend?

If it ain't by a friend, it ain't betrayal.

Thank you.

Got it.

Not hungry?

Miss?

Sorry about all those things I said.

All this hardware.

I ain't never been in a gunfight.

Killing a man don't prove you're a man.

I ain't never been a cowboy, either,

like I said.

I know.

I've been around a lot of cowhands,

one way or another.

Cowboy dresses from the top down.

First thing on is his hat.

And he undresses from his boots up.

Last thing off, hat.

Another thing. To be a cowpuncher.

That don't mean

you got to go around punching them.

Yes, ma'am.

Laudanum.

Supposed to make you sexy-sleepy.

Well, I've got no such problems.

I got to get me some sleep. I can't sleep.

Guilty conscience.

Why? 'Cause I won't throw the race?

Nothing so hard on a man as virtue.

How could you know?

According to

the Gospel of Old Luke Matthews.

"Virtue is its own punishment. "

You might say this is our Last Supper.

Beyond that next mountain,

it's all downhill to the finish line.

And you, Mr. Norfolk.

Will you be with us at the finish?

I wouldn't miss it.

To the West!

Awesome, but inspiring.

What the hell's inspiring

about a flash flood or a blizzard?

Or a landslide or sandstorm or dust storm?

Any sudden disaster, personal or financial?

Today, the desert broiled you raw.

Tomorrow, the mountain'll freeze you stiff.

That's your West. Violent, treacherous.

Where every prairie dog hole is a goldmine.

Every molehill is a mountain. Every creek

is a river, and everybody you meet is a liar.

"When you call me that, smile, stranger. "

The Virginian, Owen Wister. Another liar.

For a family who don't know a jackass

from a mule, you know about the West.

We don't have to know about it.

We own it.

Bastard! You poisoned him!

- Wait, Miss Rosie.

- Who paid you?

- Him?

- Nobody.

- B*tch! Where'd you get this?

- A couple of days ago.

For me! For when I can't sleep.

Neither could he. Ask him!

No, she's right!

It's just supposed to make you sleepy.

That's all.

Mix it with booze...

...you get one hell of a Mickey Finn.

See you.

Bet your ass!

- Your name?

- Jones.

Stretch! Face down.

Steve.

Kate. The rifle!

What about those two, Steve?

Just where the hell do they fit in?

I need them. They're coming with us.

How?

- You're not taking this horse.

- His and two more. That's the plan.

The plan was us! Nobody else!

You and me, out of here on my horse.

Will you for Christ's sake shut up?

Dirty business.

You never think, maybe,

to win this damn race?

They hurt you?

I have seen many bullets.

Too many.

But this one...

Truly, did you ever know...

...a bullet that is good for the health?

The key!

How do you start it? How do you

make it go and how do you stop it?

Take your hand off the clutch!

- I'd like to go with them.

- This horse stays here.

That makes it a one-horse race.

That's not the kind of race I wanted to win.

Set a reasonable time for them

to get back with their horses.

If they get back.

If he gets into those woods...

Hey, kid! The horse!

Miss Jones.

The people some people marry.

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