Dodge City Page #5

Come get these fleas out of my hair.

Stop it, you fools!

Stop it, I say! Stop it!

Thanks, Rusty. Just in time.

Stop it, you fools!

All right, boys. Looks like we

dusted this place out pretty good.

That's one fight you Yanks didn't win.

But take it easy. We'll

send a veterinary right over.

Come on!

Somebody's gonna pay for this

and it ain't gonna be with money.

When I seen the light, it

come to me sort of vision-like.

And I was saved.

Hey, Jeff, there's one of

them Texas heroes left behind.

- Let me take a sock at him.

- No, I'll handle this.

You boys had a lot of fun, didn't you?

- We sure did.

- That's fine.

I've been waiting a long time for

you and your pal to make a move...

- and this looks like it.

- What are you gonna do?

I'm gonna have some fun now paying

back an old debt with interest.

Come on, boys. Let's

take him out to the plaza.

Bring him along.

- Hey, Doc! Mr. Hatton!

- What's wrong, Joe?

Your men just wrecked

the Gay Lady saloon.

- Anybody hurt?

- I don't know.

They're gonna hang one of your boys.

- Where are the rest?

- They've ridden back to camp.

- Where's the hanging party?

- Right in the middle of the plaza.

You're plum loco.

- I ain't done nothing to be strung up for.

- Shut up.

Hold on, boys.

Be careful, Mr. Hatton. Take it easy.

That rope is strong

enough for both of them.

What do you think of that?

I've no wish to spoil your fun, Surrett.

But would you be kind enough

to tell those men to let him go?

Sure. We'll let him go just as quick as

he gets through dancing around up there.

You heard what I said, I

think. Tell them to let him go.

All right. String him up, boys.

Put 'em up! Stick 'em up!

Keep reaching high, boys, or

you know what happens to Surrett.

Get over here, Rusty. Get his gun.

We may never be this

close again, Surrett.

I'm anxious to hear what the sheriff

has to say about this hanging.

Start walking.

- What are you gonna do with him?

- No warrant for his arrest.

Did he have a warrant to hang this man?

You can't jail him

without a sheriff's order.

That's where we're going.

To get a sheriff's order.

Wait a bit. What's this?

Where's the sheriff?

Somebody ran him out of town.

Mr. Surrett's the law in Dodge now.

I see.

Why don't you make him sheriff then?

Yeah. That's not a bad idea.

Why not?

And if I can be of any service

to you gents, just let me know.

That's the first jail I've

ever seen you couldn't get in.

Come on. Good day, gentlemen.

- It was all a mistake.

- A mistake?

I thought you promised me you

weren't going to get into trouble.

Shucks, Wade, I really

wasn't in trouble.

I see. You're the sort who

doesn't really get into trouble...

until they start nailing

the lid down on your coffin.

What's that?

"Pure Prairie League of Dodge City. "

Wait till I tell Tex about this.

Don't tell Tex.

Well, gentlemen, what's this all about?

You all look as though you

lost a dollar and found a dime.

All right. Go ahead and

tell him, Doctor. Thank you.

Mr. Hatton, we've invited you here

this afternoon with a special purpose.

We want you to help

us clean up our city.

Up to date, our police officers

have not been equal to the job.

They've either got

killed or run out of town.

Won't you take the job?

Gentlemen, I certainly

appreciate your confidence in me.

But I'm afraid a position like

that isn't quite in my line.

You're asking me to turn policeman.

I have about as much qualifications

for that as I have teaching the ballet.

You seemed to be well-qualified

the other day in the plaza.

I had to get that big

hardhead out of that somehow.

Any one of you would

have done the same. No.

We know what we're asking of you

and the chances you'd be taking.

But it's finally come to a showdown.

Who's gonna run Dodge: we or Surrett?

We're inviting peaceful emigration

here, family men with women and children.

And we meet them with what's

come to be called Hell Street.

I can certainly appreciate

everything you say.

But as far as I'm

concerned, it can't be done.

I'm in the cattle business. That

demands all my time and attention.

I'm sorry.

I wish you'd think it

over, my boy. We need you.

You're asking the

wrong man, Uncle Walter.

He isn't interested in the

lives of innocent people.

Why should he care what happens

to you and your families?

Your struggle to make a

living in a decent city?

What Dodge City needs is a man

with a sense of public pride...

and the courage to back it up by

shooting it out with men of equal skill.

But Mr. Hatton's bravery consists

of gunfights with impulsive boys.

Abbie, stop it.

Well, gentlemen, I don't

think much remains to be said.

Mrs. Irving, thank

you. Goodbye, gentlemen.

Quickly as you can. Come along.

Harry, keep out of that lunch basket.

I can't seem to get my mind

off those pies, Miss Abbie.

- How long before we eat?

- Not till we get to Sycamore Springs.

- Come along.

- I'll do my best to wait.

Everybody in?

Here we go. Come along.

Cross the river here, Russ,

and bear due west on Wichita.

When are you fixing to get started?

First thing in the morning.

I'm sick of this town.

Good morning.

I know that man.

Hello, stranger.

Hello there, Shakespeare.

- Here.

- Thanks.

You'd better watch that riverbed,

too. It's probably gonna be dry.

Steady!

I'll help you! Give me

those reins. Let me drive.

Let me through. Darling!

He was trying to help me.

Get a doctor, quick.

I'm afraid a doctor won't be any use.

Even children.

This has got to stop.

Oh, my darling. My little baby.

Go on.

You're all under arrest.

Take them out, boys.

Get in there.

I wanted to be sure

you'd seen this, Surrett.

So I paid you a special visit.

I've already seen it.

It looks like you're trying to

run everybody out of Dodge City.

No, not everybody. Just

the undesirable element.

There's no law in Kansas that

prevents a man from carrying a gun...

- or coming or going where he pleases.

- There's going to be one.

Sit down, Hatton.

The merchants are not

gonna stand for this.

Yes, I think they will. The

merchants helped me draw this law up.

They're willing to take their chances.

I just wanted to be

certain about you, though.

- Let's get down to cases, Hatton.

- Right.

What cases?

You and I have had a couple of run-ins.

But I'll forget them if you do,

and see if we can't work together.

If you really mean that,

that'll make my job easier.

- Your job is just what you make it.

- So I hear.

The last few sheriffs here

didn't do so well, did they?

They weren't your type. Just a

bunch of dumb sheep wearing badges.

I never even bothered to talk to them.

I'll bet if you had, you'd

have told them a thing or two.

Not what I'm gonna tell you anyway.

Now listen, Hatton.

There's no reason that Dodge

City can't be run properly.

Just so long as you don't

try to change things too much.

Because this is a cattle

town, the biggest one on earth.

And that's what it's always gonna be.

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