Broken Lance Page #4

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You're saying it, not me.

Where's Lawton, up at the main house?

No, he went into town with

Dad early this morning.

What about you?

I just didn't feel like

getting up that early.

You didn't figure we might

be riding today, did you?

Well of all the gall.

For your information I've already

asked for someone to drive me in.

Yes.

Might I ask how you

happen to be here?

Me.

Pa wanted me to see Lawton and I...

...just had a feeling that

you might still be here.

And you're, aren't you?

Yes, I'm here.

And you did figure that I might

ride in, didn't you?

Why?

Why did you ride in?

Ma, tell Pa I'll try and make

it back by suppertime.

I've got a feeling your mother

doesn't approve of this.

Or me either.

- Lf she didn't, she'd say so.

She never says anything.

She always seems to know just

what you're thinking.

I thought that too when I was a kid.

It's only because she's Indian.

I'd almost forgotten that.

But everyone call her 'Seora'. Why?

People like to pretend she's

Spanish, thinking it looks better.

Pa likes it.

Pa don't give a rip what they think.

- What do you mean?

You know.

If I did, I wouldn't have asked you.

Well.

Though you've been away...

...you should know that a white man

doesn't marry and Indian...

...even the daughter of a chief.

They call him a sqawman

and his kids breeds.

I'm a half-breed.

All right.

But does anyone call you that?

No since my first day in school.

But it still bothers you.

- No, why should it?

Yeah...

...I guess it does sometimes.

Was your mother really

the daughter of a chief?

He ran this whole territory.

I was named after his father...

...Tuekakas, Chief Joseph.

- I've heard of him.

They didn't want Pa

to marry the Princess.

A wild Irishman with a

few head of cattle...

...and three motherless kids.

The old chiefs were opposed to him.

So?

Pa'd tell it to you with

the trimmings...

...how he, rassled a bear,

and whipped six braves...

...so they allowed him

to marry the Princess.

Wonderful.

I'll bet he did it all too.

What about his family?

I never did hear much about them.

Ellen, his first wife, died right

after they came out here.

Came out from where?

- I don't know.

East, I guess.

His father, a farmer, left Ireland

during the famine.

Dirt farmer or something.

Were kicked by a mule when

Pa was just a pup and...

What're you laughing at?

I thought you were worried

about being an Indian.

You just don't like being Irish.

If I were you I wouldn't

try to rush things.

Let me talk to Deveraux

myself and see if...

There's one of them now.

Yes, so it is.

Isn't that your daughter?

Yes, it is.

You're making too much

out of this, Horace.

They're a little hot under the

collar, but they'll calm down.

Talk to'em nicely and they'll

settle. They want no trouble.

I tell you they're going to

sue you. They're mad, Matt.

You wrecked a building...

...banged up half their crew.

- They killed 40 of my cattle.

What should I do, kiss'em?

I'll pay for the damages,

if they're fair.

And if they put in a sump and

stop polluting my stream.

Going to court is a waste

of their time and mine.

They don't care about that.

They're out to get you.

This is a big company.

They dislike the shooting

in their property.

They'll make an example of you.

Do you think they can?

Well.

That depends on what

happens in court.

What lawyers they bring in and...

...who the judge is. You know.

Well...

...you could do something about that.

This is a federal case...

...with eastern lawyers,

the papers will pick it up.

If this was just a...

...local thing, we could handle it.

- Horace...

...I don't know but...

...something sounds sour to me.

You made the wrong move

with the wrong people.

I've mad a lot of wrong

moves, Horace.

You know, it isn't that,

it's you, Horace.

Sometimes you helped,

sometimes you couldn't.

That's all right, but...

...you're not even pretending

now that you want to help me.

You could appoint the judge,

couldn't you, Horace?

I suppose I could.

It couldn't be quite ethical but...

- Never mind about that.

Let's talk about you and me.

You want something.

What is it? What do you want?

I want your son Joe to stay

away from my daughter.

I ought to kill you,

Horace, right now.

No! No!

Not you. After all these years.

Matt!

I don't care what the newspaper

and the town say...

...or the fact that Lawton's wife is

sick every time we ask them.

You!

You never could understand

why I married her.

And you never liked this country

out here, did you, Horace?

That's why you sent

the girl back east.

To get her away from

the dust, the cattle...

...the Indians and the half-breed.

- Matt, don't.

I like the boy, but...

...this is something that's born

and bred in me, I'm 56.

I tried to change but...

- You're 56...

...and you're Governor of the state!

And who made you Governor?

I took you off of a...

...accountant's stool and pulled a

pencil out from behind your ear...

...and made you a politician.

I made you mayor.

I sent you to Congress and

I put you in that chair.

Fifty-six years...

Fifty six, you owe me thirty of them.

You're right, I do.

You've done everything but change me.

I wish you had.

And maybe I will.

Maybe I will. I can still pull that

chair right out from under you.

Maybe I will.

But I'll do something else first.

I'll tell my boy that if he wants

your girl, to take her...

...if he has to pull her out of the

house by the hair of her head.

Dead beat?

I guess so.

I'll show you something.

Go on.

That's wonderful. And cold!

- Comes from away up.

It's beautiful here.

How did you ever find it?

I've known it since I was a kid.

This is where Pa'd his first

powwow with the tribes...

...and saw my mother.

There used to be a stone

that marked the place...

...where the old Indians made

a deal for the land.

I don't come frequently.

- Don't you come here often?

No, it's sort of out of the way.

- Then why did you bring me here?

I don't know. We were

out this way and...

No other reason?

Maybe it wasn't such a good idea.

I just don't understand you.

Four days ago you behaved as if I

were a girl in a dance hall...

...and now...

Four days ago I wasn't

in love with you.

Was it that hard to say?

You don't know about what

you're finding out...

...of what they'll say...

- Yes I do.

Just as your mother did.

Should I go in and talk to him?

- Nope.

Don't you start getting honourable.

I need time to work on him.

Unless you really want to?

I'd rather rassle a bear.

Joe!

Come in here, this concerns you too.

The Mining Company has filed a

claim against us in the Court.

Clem thinks we're in real trouble.

You'll be if they get a

judgment against you.

I don't know if they...

- Then why bother with it?

Because no lawyer guarantees

what a jury'll do.

As I said, if Horace were

appointing the Judge...

He isn't, and I'm not

gonna ask him to.

I still think we've got a good case.

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