Dodge City Page #6

There's more than $20 million

worth of beef and hides...

comes through here every year.

You know that because you bring them up.

You've been holding the

wrong end of the sack...

because the real money ain't

working for those Texas breeders.

No, sir. It's right here in Dodge City

because this is where they pay off.

You mean, on your roulette tables.

Sure, coming and going.

If not for the Gay Lady, that

money would go out of Dodge City...

and the trade would

move right on to Wichita.

You know that cattle crowd.

After months of backbreaking

work getting the cattle here...

they want a little fun and freedom.

If it's not here, they'll

go where they can get it.

- And you'd go broke.

- Sure. But I ain't aiming to.

You see, I make $100,000

a year one way or another.

Frankly, I don't need that much money.

Naturally, I'd be willing to

make a deal with anybody...

that would sort of see things my way.

Make a mighty good deal for both of us.

You mean, a little friendly bribery?

You can catch more flies with

molasses than you can with vinegar.

True enough. I hope

you'll not be offended...

but I don't like the

smell of your molasses.

You'd better get rid of that gun by

Monday. You're north of Front Street...

and that jail's apt

to be a little crowded.

What's the matter? Didn't it work?

He wouldn't listen to reason?

No, he wouldn't.

All right, Russ, let's

go. We've a lot to do.

Don't ever do nothing like

that unless I tell you to.

This ain't the time.

We gotta wait a while.

They sure make a fella

feel at home around here.

Yes. They'll even dig you a

home, if you're nice to them.

One at a time here, fellas. Line up.

There you are.

- Will I get this stuff back again?

- You sure will.

- Disarm me? Not for no man.

- Nobody gets my gun.

- What a leery idea.

- Who does he think he is?

- Bet two.

- I'll call it.

- Raise it five.

- Call five.

- I'm dead.

- Kings up.

- I guess we better quit, boys.

- Quitting because you're winning?

- You read that sign, didn't you?

- We don't believe in signs.

That sheriff's a big four-flusher and

that sign's been bad luck to me all night.

Guess that'll show you

Hatton ain't bluffing.

That's right, gentlemen.

Hatton's not bluffing.

- You're all under arrest.

- For what?

For not believing in signs.

All right, deputies, take them.

- Come on.

- Let go, now.

I tried to warn them, but I guess

they gotta learn through experience.

I don't know what you're

warning people about.

- What do you mean?

- You're north of Front Street, aren't you?

- And you're carrying a gun, aren't you?

- Yeah.

- Right. You're under arrest.

- What?

Come on.

But I'd feel undressed without my gun.

Where you're going, you won't

need any clothes for a few days.

If I was you, I'd rather

arrest my brother than me.

Hey, Rusty, you are a traitor...

I'm sorry, boys, I can't

do anything about it.

Wade, you ain't gonna

keep me in here, are you?

Sorry, Tex. You read that

notice the same as anyone else.

Three days in there won't

do you a bit of harm.

You can't do this to me after

all we've been through together.

We fought the war together,

built the railroad...

we ate, drank, slept,

lived, and died together.

Now we're gonna be in jail together:

you in there and me out here.

Isn't that wonderful? That makes seven

families that have moved in this week.

That does my heart good.

There's the Turner family,

moving back from Wichita.

And after she said she'd

never set foot in Dodge again.

Welcome home, Mr. Turner!

- How do you do, Mr. Clemens?

- Hello, Joe.

Isn't that the sweetest bonnet

she's got on? It's brown moir.

Moir. How do you spell

"moir"? M-O-I-R-E?

Who in tarnation gives a hoot

what Mrs. Turner's wearing?

Just about every blessed

woman in town, that's all.

What happened in this fight

between the Indian and Jim Kendall?

I went into that pretty

thorough. There wasn't no fight.

They called each other names, the

Indian throwed a knife at Kendall.

Kendall sort of fired a couple

of shots. Nobody got hurt.

Nobody got... I see.

It wasn't a real fight,

it was just a sort of friendly argument.

- Hello, Tex.

- Hi, fellas.

Come on in and sit down.

What are you doing with that

secondhand store around your neck?

Where've you been? We

ain't saw you for days.

Around. Been doing a

lot of thinking lately.

Thinking?

I hope you're gonna take

that job I offered you.

We need another good deputy around here.

That's what I've been thinking about.

I've decided to go back to Texas.

- What for?

- I don't know.

This place is getting too big,

and calm, and peaceful-like.

You mean, Rusty and I

have stopped all the fun?

It's all right for women and children,

but I've decided to go back to Texas.

If you've made up

your mind, that's that.

There's nothing we can

do to keep you here?

- No.

- So long, Tex.

- So long, Wade.

- Give him back his gun. Number 27.

If you're ever around here, that

job will still be waiting for you.

No, sir. I just don't fit

in a sissy town like this.

I certainly hate to see you go.

I'll miss you fellas, too, a

lot. We had a lot of fun together.

So long, knot head.

If I hung around here much longer,

I'd be riding a side saddle.

Yes, I suppose so.

All right, Rusty. Arrest that man.

- Who? Me?

- What for?

He's carrying a gun, isn't he?

Give him back his old room.

- Morning, Joe.

- Hello, Wade. What's the news?

You ought to know. Haven't

you read your paper?

Got those tax notices ready?

- Hack's just running them off.

- Fine.

- Come on in.

- All right.

Have a chair.

You look as though you're pretty busy...

- Fred?

- Yes, ma'am.

- Would you set this in my copy, please?

- I will, ma'am.

- Joe...

- Good morning.

Did you want something?

I'd like to have my curiosity

satisfied. What are you doing here?

Obviously, I'm working.

Obviously. But at what and why?

The town is growing by leaps and

bounds, and the paper needed somebody...

who would write things that

would interest its women readers.

I see. Tell me, what are the vital

interests of your women readers?

What other women are wearing...

how to make Lady Baltimore

cake with two eggs...

who invited the minister to tea...

and whose baby is going

to be born and when.

- Fascinating.

- Is there anything else you'd like to know?

What do the doctor and

Mrs. Irving think about it?

They made the same stupid objections

that you're making mentally now.

But when I decide on a thing, I

usually manage to carry it through.

Yes, I've noticed that.

You realize that people are inclined

to think that a newspaper office...

is an odd place for a charming lady

like you to be working, don't you?

Are you the delegation

sent to tell me that?

No.

I stop trouble around

here. I don't start it.

- What's wrong with my working here?

- It's undignified. It's unladylike.

You ought to be home doing

needlework. Things like that.

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