Cattle Empire Page #4

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Odd, how a man

can't change his ways.

Not a man like you. Nor me. When we reach

Fort Clemson, I'll just keep on going.

What are you talking about?

A blind man's no use on a ranch.

You and Douglas run it,

run it and share it.

I'm offering you all I've got.

But get the cattle through.

Some things a man is born for...

and some things don't belong to him.

You don't have to bribe me, Ralph.

I'll get the herd through.

That makes twenty-seven.

You want me to...?

No, that's my job.

What's wrong? Nobody hungry?

Too tuckered out.

Hang on. We'll make it.

You, er, mind if I eat with you?

Sit down.

You see, senor, what I see?

The Pecos! We made it!

The Pecos! The Pecos! Water!

Water!

Water!

Never knew you fiddled, Cogswell.

You never have before.

I didn't feel like it before,

but I do now!

Only a mile to Tumbleweed

and two saloons.

Those saloon keepers

entitled to some of our money?

That's right. They are!

Cord said to give Tumbleweed

a wide bunk.

Time to stop orders from

Mr High-and-Mighty Cord!

Do we tell him

what to do with his orders?

You said the word.

And about time.

Hey, trail boss!

We wanna have some words with you.

We figure you didn't mean

the order we can't go into town.

I meant it.

Will you let us go peaceful,

or do we have to shove you?

We'll do it, believe me.

Five years ago a drunken spree

wrecked your town.

You want me to let you do the same?

We won't hurt Tumbleweed.

We're decent people.

Decent people wrecked your store.

They didn't want to -

they were just blowing off steam.

These men are different.

I vouch for 'em all.

After two months' trail,

nobody's different.

You want a drink,

here's all you want.

Now, get out of our way.

The next man to step forward...

All right, Cord, we're coming.

Wait, you crazy fools!

Listen to me. Listen to me!

Don't do something you'll

be ashamed of all your lives.

We just wanna go to town...

Quiet! Give Mr Hamilton his say.

I made John Cord my trail boss cos I told you

he'd get us through. Now listen to something else.

Cord also carries his own whiskey...

...to stop worn-out saddle-tramps

wrecking towns like Tumbleweed.

He forgot his brandy and feelings

when he hit Hamilton five years ago!

I'll tell you what happened then.

It was a time like now -

there were more cows than buyers.

Cord was driving

someone else's herd.

He camped by Hamilton

after six weeks' trail.

Broke open a barrel, gave his men

a chance to let off steam.

I had my own herd, ready to start, and no

man who raced John Cord fairly stood a chance.

I was desperate.

So while his men

were having their whiskey...

...and he and I

had a friendly drink...

...I had one of my men, name

of Garth, crack him over the head.

We scattered his herd.

And we, not John Cord...

we turned his drunken crew loose.

He was the man who made you blind?

Yes.

He gave the blow that cost my eyes.

I'll tell you how.

- It doesn't matter, Ralph.

Time they knew about it.

Time everybody knew.

Cord came to Hamilton that night,

too late to stop his rampaging crew.

He came looking for me.

He was suspicious.

I was the one he had trusted.

Now he was suspicious.

I had to get mad or admit he was right. I

taunted him about losing his men and herd.

That's what the fight

in Grainger's saloon was about.

You let him go to prison?

Yes. I was the guilty one...

...but... I felt sorry for myself.

At the time of the trial

I'd just heard I'd stay blind.

I was bitter. Vengeful.

He should've killed you.

There've been plenty of times

I wished he had.

Now, if you want to drag me

up and down the camp...

...no-one will stop you.

Mr Cord...

...if you want to belt me, go ahead.

What I want is a drink.

Who'll join me?

Ralph's back there, Janice. He...

Well, I think he needs you.

The men, at least,

are big enough to say sorry.

You love him very much, don't you?

That's none of your business!

He doesn't even know I'm alive.

What is it?

At the beginning, when you wouldn't

let me go, you wanted to hurt me.

That's all there was to it.

Wasn't it?

I deserved it.

That was in the beginning.

And later?

And now?

Mr Cord!

Somebody's coming!

It's Whittaker!

Why're you back? Change your mind?

Mr Cord, where is he?

Well, Whittaker?

I made it to Fort Clemson.

I met Garth in the saloon.

He went to Dismal, lost his herd.

He hired gunmen. Asked me to join.

Join with him for what?

He's waiting with forty men

at Indian Pass - he wants our herd.

Does he want the war

that goes with it?

This is turning into a real drive.

I take it you're back with us?

Thanks, "boss".

Let's get ready for Garth.

Get down. Get down and keep down.

He's being real smart,

waiting for us in a gully.

All right, if he wants to play

games we can play games, too.

Let's get at it.

He's up there someplace.

I think he's spotted us.

I can do no more.

I need help, Douglas.

You know what to do?

Yes, sir. Lead out!

Cut 'em down!

Senor! Over there.

Come on!

Throw your guns down!

Let him go.

Put your gun away.

Now turn around.

Will you put your hands up

or do you want to try me?

You don't make sense, Cord -

you're a cattleman, not a gunman.

I've been around, you know that.

Do you want to try me?

Yep!

You'll live. It's a pity you think

everybody is as crooked as you.

You'd have beat us

if you believed me about the Dismal.

You know, we could

have had that empire.

That's the way it goes.

Here's the trail log, Ralph.

To date we've lost 182 head.

Out of 4,000?

That's the usual Cord miracle!

Why the formal report?

I'll let you know where

you can send my pay. I'm leaving.

Before the herd is delivered?

We're there. Douglas can do it.

Next year, he'll do it alone.

A full-fledged trail boss!

Why the hurry to leave us?

I hear there's a lot of grass

in the northwest.

I offered you a partnership, John.

Somebody's waiting for me.

I plan to settle down.

First choice?

Well, you know what you want, John,

and you know best what's right.

Well, the end of the trail

for us, Ralph.

Boss, say goodbye to the men for me.

They're as good a bunch of boys

as I ever rode with.

Janice?

I wish you could see what a pretty

little face she has, Ralph.

A good thing for her

you were on this drive.

John Cord!

That was no way to say goodbye!

Sorry, Sandy.

Someday you'll understand.

I understand, and so does Janice.

She can't do anything about it.

I can.

You don't play uncle

to a girl all her life...

...and let her think - and think

about you - then just ride off.

You have to give her a chance.

What kind of chance?

A chance to go

to the free grass with you.

I'd like a chance to be...

first choice.

You got so much growing up to do,

Sandy, and much forgetting too.

Oh, I'll never forget.

We'll see.

Will we? You'll come back and see?

I'll come back.

You promise?

I promise, if it gets to that.

It'll get to that.

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