Dodge City Page #4

Women's logic and emotions

are often very confusing.

I think I've heard my

father say the same thing.

I'm sure that Miss Abbie

has a more biting tongue...

than my mother ever had.

All right, gentlemen,

let's begin the auction.

One thousand six hundred and

nineteen head of prime Texas steer.

Grass-fed, fat, frisky,

fresh off the Chisholm Trail.

Is that correct, sir?

Go ahead. But don't make

any sale until I tell you.

Right. The agent reserves

his right to refuse all bids.

Now then, who'll start

us off? What am I offered?

$25 a head.

$25 from Mr. Surrett. I'm going to $28.

$28 for the finest herd of steers

that ever come out of Texas.

- Who'll say $28? Mr. Cagle?

- No, sir.

Mr. Orth?

Here's a cash profit of

$50,000 begging to be picked up.

- All right, $28.

- Thank you, sir.

$28 is bid. Who'll say $30?

- Nobody will raise it?

- $30.

$30 from Mr. Surrett. Anybody

raise that? Anybody say $32?

How about you, Mr. Orth?

Going to Mr. Surrett for

$30. Once. Going twice.

Hold on.

Will Mr. Surrett and Mr. Orth

be kind enough to step up here?

Mr. Surrett, Mr. Orth, will

you come over here, please?

You offered $30. Was that cash?

What's that to you? Do

you own those cattle?

I'm the agent for them. I'm

protecting the owner's interest.

I see.

I'll give you part of it in cash

tonight and the balance in 30 days.

I see. How about you, sir?

I could've paid the full

amount in cash today.

- You could have? Right. They're yours.

- Mine?

- But he offered...

- I said, sold.

What are you trying to do? I

made the high bid on those steers.

I heard you. But I prefer to

make my deal with cash buyers...

who don't pay off in the

back rooms of saloons.

I'm at the Drovers Hotel, Mr. Orth.

If you care to meet me at 3:00 in

Room 15, we can close this deal.

- I'll be there.

- Right.

Deal is made, Mr.

Auctioneer. Thanks. Good day.

Sold to Mr. Orth.

- Joe, did you hear that?

- I'll put it right on the front page.

- Who's that fellow?

- I don't know.

But you can bet I'm gonna find out.

- How are you, Harry?

- Hello, Mr. Orth.

- I'll hold your horse for you.

- Good.

- For a quarter.

- Well, that's fair enough.

- Here.

- Thanks.

How are you, Frank?

- Fine. How are you, Mr. Orth?

- Just fine.

- Howdy, Mr. Orth.

- Howdy.

Stick 'em up.

Rusty, we're done for.

It's Dangerous Ambrose, the terror of

the prairie. He's got us in his power.

Yes, sir. I'm a pretty

desperate character.

I can see that.

Would you take ransom

if we offered it to you?

Try it and see.

How's that?

Thanks, mister.

I'll watch your horses better

than they were ever watched before.

That's fair enough.

I sure hope you stay

in town a long time.

I'll bet you do at that.

Mr. Orth come in yet?

He went upstairs a few

minutes ago, Mr. Hatton.

My name is Joe Clemens.

I'm editor of the Star.

I'd like to publish your impressions

of Dodge City, if you don't mind.

Jack Orth. Somebody shot him. He's

laying right outside of Room 15.

That's too bad, Hatton.

I don't think your deal

with Orth will go through.

But I'm still offering you

$30 a head for those cattle.

Listen, Surrett. Those cattle

aren't for sale to you at any price.

It's a shame about Jack

Orth being killed, isn't it?

Must have been a big surprise to you.

Excuse me.

Another murder. Four or five a day.

Surrett's getting to be the

undertaker's best friend.

It's sure getting dangerous

to live around here.

Why don't you get out?

Clemens, I see by that bulletin that

you're looking for trouble again.

What's the matter? We're

just printing the plain facts.

We've put up with you and your paper

long enough. Now we mean business.

Yancey, you're not scared of

that fellow from Texas, are you?

We'll take care of him.

But I'm warning you, don't print no

story about Surrett. Is that clear?

I'm waiting for an answer.

I reckon you get the general idea now.

Rusty, I don't like the

look of those clothes.

They look like you're up to no good.

I ain't had store clothes

on for a long time.

I kind of felt like

I wanted to clean up.

I got a call to make down

here, so you're on your own.

Just try and keep sober

and stay out of trouble.

You know I signed the temperance

pledge before we left Texas.

Sure, I know that. You were

blind drunk when you signed it.

No, you're confusing the

issue. I'm a reformed man.

Even a reformed man can get into

trouble when the boys get paid off.

No, I ain't gonna touch a drop.

I'm just gonna mosey around

and take in the sights.

Look out you don't become one of them.

Wade, don't you worry none about it.

You don't think after me

getting store clothes...

that I'll have anything like

that happen to me, do you?

Hey, mister.

Please help me over,

will you, young man?

Come closer.

There you are, ma'am.

Glad to be of help.

- Hi, Rusty. Come on, have a drink.

- Hi, Rusty.

Come with us and get your feet wet.

- Sorry, Tex. I'm just leaving.

- What do you mean, leaving?

We got a lot of Kansas

dust to wash down. Come on.

Waste my pay on liquor and gambling?

Not me, boys. I'm on the pledge.

You ain't serious, Rusty?

I tell you, boys, I've saw the light.

I'm through with your sinful

ways and your riotous living.

He must be crazy with the heat.

Hey, you old walrus, you!

I don't want that. Give me one of those.

That's more like it.

My gracious!

Howdy, young man. Are

you a stranger in town?

Yes, ma'am. But I sure didn't

know this was just for women folks.

But it isn't. Not at all.

We're mighty glad to have you.

But first of all, let me introduce

our beloved president, Mrs. McCoy.

So delighted to meet you in

this charitable institution.

Ma'am, my name is Hart. Algernon Hart.

Mr. Algernon Hart.

Well, Mr. Hart, you're just

in time for the meeting.

But first, come and have

a cup of tea, Mr. Harvey.

Hart, ma'am.

I'm so sorry. Mr. Hart.

Come, girls. Help me.

Now, here's your tea.

I hope you like it.

- One or two?

- Three, ma'am.

Are you married?

- Hey, Joe!

- Yeah?

How about that Dixie?

That's for the Fifth Kansas Infantry.

He chased those fellows so

far from Fredericksburg...

they ain't stopped running yet.

Yeah? They must have stopped running

long enough to get their picture took.

Nobody ever chased the

Fifth Kansas, mister.

- Do you belong to it?

- All of us do.

So is that a fact?

You must have had to run a

long way to get back to Kansas.

Well, it's gonna be a

longer run back to Texas.

It's that dreadful saloon next door.

Mabel, please close the shutters.

I'm so sorry, Mr. Hart.

And there I was, a poor

orphan, no ma, no pa.

Brung up by Comanche Indians.

No matter where you

go, fighting ain't good.

It ain't no use to fight.

Fighting is a thing I... I don't

like it myself. And now I want...

That's a present from U. S. Grant.

That's for Robert E. Lee.

Yes, sir. And I want to

say to you, sisters...

that when righteousness

flows from the...

It was smooth.

Who's next?

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