Blackthorn Page #3

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They live off the land.

More?

About two months ago

I got a letter from San Francisco.

A woman I'd loved very much

died of tuberculosis.

Left an only kid,

a son I've never seen before.

So I figured

now might be a good time

to go back and pay him a visit.

Keep each other company.

Sometimes I think there's only

two moments in a man's life.

One's when he leaves home.

The other one's when he returns.

Everything else

is just in the middle.

Well, it looks like we'll be headed

in different directions, won't we?

Mr. James?

Yana?

Good morning.

What do you want?

We found your horse

in the desert four days ago.

Where is he?

He's dead.

But we have your blankets

and your money.

So?

Where's your friend

the Spaniard?

What friend?

F***ing gringo!

That's enough.

All right,

let's get this over with. Go.

Sh*t!

Here, you might need to use this.

Thanks for that.

They're smart.

Someone must have told them

we were together,

so they sent two women

so we wouldn't suspect.

When they realize they are not

coming back, they will come after us.

He's waiting outside?

Yeah.

It's a long trip.

If I made it here,

I can make it back.

We all can.

He'll forgive you.

You know what he's like.

Nothing to forgive, Butch.

I'm not walking out on you.

I'm just defending what's ours.

Come with me.

Come on.

You're not young anymore.

Truth be told, we're still losing.

You'd never have any peace.

I love you both.

Tell him.

Wait!

What will you name it?

Ryan.

She'll come back.

I know it.

Of course.

Who could stay away

from all this?

If the world

from you withhold

of its silver and its gold,

And you have to get along

with meager fare,

Just remember, in His Word,

how He feeds the little bird;

Take your burden to the Lord

and leave it there.

Leave it there,

oh, leave it there.

Take your burden to the Lord

and leave it there.

The Uyuni Salt Flats.

There's nothing more beautiful.

It's like a sweet death.

It's gonna be tough, but it's

the only way over those mountains.

On the other side, I can catch me

a boat back home from Chile or Peru.

Come on over here, son.

Get down.

Drop your pants.

Are you nuts?

If we don't heal

those saddle wounds, you can't ride.

You're gonna die out here.

Come on, turn around.

You ready?

This might sting a little bit.

There you go.

F***!

Your ass is softer

than a bookkeeper's.

Are you okay?

Yeah.

It's been a long time

since I've been out here.

I like these places.

They can't be used.

They got no owners.

But they will.

That's how life works.

I hope I'm dead when that day comes.

James.

I wanted to say...

All that happened about Yana and...

I knew the risks

as well as you, going in.

There's nothing to say.

Maybe we should

shelter up down there.

It's gonna freeze tonight.

These horses aren't gonna

last long at this altitude.

No air, no water...

What did you do in your country?

I think you got

a pretty good idea, don't you?

We covered more than six states,

back in the day.

Some of 'em bigger

than this whole country.

Of course things

were different back then.

There was room for everybody.

Then the railroad came in,

and big ranchers.

Everything changed.

It turned into a kind of a war.

We ended up

on the losing end of the stick.

And why Bolivia?

It was far, far away.

- Far away from what?

- Everything.

See, one day...

I woke up and...

found myself alone.

Seemed like everybody I knew

was either dead or in jail.

They thought I was dead too.

So I just...

did what any good dead person

would do.

I went off

and raised me some horses.

Twenty years!

That's a big change.

Quiet times.

I am too long in the tooth

to go off and be what I used to be,

just an ordinary old bandit.

You should have become

a rancher, too.

You'd be rich now,

instead of being here with me.

Rich?

I've been my own man.

Ain't nothing richer than that.

Had some good friends, too.

They don't sleep.

Sure you killed a few

not so friendly in those days, huh?

Me? I've never had to kill nobody.

So far.

Come on,

let's get these horses saddled up.

They must be very well paid.

I've never seen anybody

take so much punishment.

We should never have tried

to cross the salt flats.

It's the only way.

Otherwise they'd have surrounded us

and we wouldn't even see it coming.

This way,

all they can do is track us

and see whose horses die first.

Get the rifle and water.

Come on!

Mount up!

Come on! Let's go!

Three men on horseback.

We still have a few minutes.

- We stand a chance here, right?

- I don't know.

James.

I'm glad I'm with you.

You know, before I met you,

damn the day,

I thought if I was gonna die of old age,

I might as well go back home to do it.

But, Hell,

this seems like as good a day

as any to die.

- We're not gonna die, old man.

- Of course not, son.

Nobody ever does.

Just in case,

we ought to bury this money before

Patio gets his hands on it again.

It is too late.

They're too close.

They're gonna surround us.

They know we're here.

Oh my God.

What are we gonna do?

All right, look.

You take the good horse,

and the money.

Head South-East,

you follow that mountain range.

If you're lucky,

you'll wind up in Tupiza.

What?

I'm gonna take the other horse

and head South-West.

Their horses have to be wiped out

by now. I'll meet you down there.

- But...

- It's the only way to do it, splitting up.

- They'll kill us!

- This desert'll kill you before they do.

I don't want to be by myself.

Your horse'll make it,

don't worry.

Just remember:
Southeast.

And don't buy one of those goddam

mansions full of flowers, all right?

You spend that money quick.

But...

Sh*t!

Don't move.

Don't move!

Drop the gun, you son of a b*tch.

How many times did we go out

hunting together, myfriend?

F***ing Spaniard!

Get on, Sundance.

Ain't nobody following us.

They think we're back

at the corral.

The bullet's still inside.

You think the Chilean

and the Yankee will make it?

Or when they find their bodies,

they'll think they're us.

Then, we're free.

I like being dead.

Hell, if I had only known sooner...

Give me your hand, Sundance.

I should've gone

with Etta and the boy.

A son.

That's more than a lot of people have

to say for themselves, don't you think?

What makes you think

he's yours, you desert dog?

It doesn't matter.

He'll still be my son.

Let's head for the mountains, Butch.

We'll cross those mountains

and go home.

Damn Bolivian Army.

Worst aim I've ever seen.

Goddamn little doctor!

I told you I'll pay you.

I was just fine in the bar!

That's not why I called for you.

Mr. Mackinley,

come in, come in.

When you worked

for the Pinkertons,

you came here to Bolivia

chasing bandits, right?

Well, that's excellent!

I found my memory!

And it turns out it's

a goddamn Bolivian quack.

If I remember right,

you always said

the men they killed in San Vicente

weren't your bandits.

Well, you might have been right.

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