Edge

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1

Am I addressing Jamie Hedges?

Yes, sir.

Sergeant Harknett, Union Cavalry.

Call off your dog, boy.

Or I'll do it for you.

Well, we served with your brother, Josiah.

Well, I seen you coming, I...

I figured he'd be with you.

I'm afraid...

he's not with anyone on this mortal plane.

If you take my meaning.

Oh, hey.

My condolences.

I reckon I...

appreciate you coming all the

way out here just to tell me.

Well, son,

your brother's demise isn't

the only reason we're here.

Fine a man as he was...

Josiah was also what we might

colloquially refer to as

a piss-poor poker player.

Night before he died, he

racked up a $500 debt to me.

Next hand he said, "Double or nothing,"

and... well...

three aces don't beat a flush.

Well, not where I come from.

Now, it's likely in a gilt jewel box.

About this size.

Be a dear boy and go rustle that up.

And we'll leave you to mourn your brother.

You're a liar!

Is that so?

I know who your daddy is.

Son of a...

rich senator riding all this

way for a thousand dollars?

How about this, then?

Find us the f***ing box.

Doggone.

You bastards!

Are you gonna let a gimpy kid

talk to you like that, Merritt?

I don't let you talk to me like that.

Stand up, son.

Son...

I said...

stand up.

Now, if you want to keep

that bum knee of yours,

you best tell me where the box is!

Go to hell.

I think that was the good one, Merritt.

I'll... I'll show you.

- I'll show you.

- What's that?

I'll show you.

Well, that'd be right nice of you.

A little civility...

goes a long way.

Graves! Cobb!

Go get the box.

Say we do find his box, Merritt.

What about Josiah?

Hmm?

As long as he's out there alive...

he's a liability.

I think...

with some prompting...

we can get him to find us.

You get some kerosene.

This thing ain't near done yet.

Pow!

Bang! Bang!

Fresh-dug grave.

Empty town.

Got to confess, Reverend,

it's not exactly a warm welcome.

I might've spoke too soon.

Too much is more like it.

Silence is golden... says so in the Bible.

It also says that a feller turned to salt,

but I have my doubts.

You new in town?

I just got in.

Heard they run a nice, upright place.

You want a hand?

Thanks.

I can grease my own axle.

Yep, you know, for being upright,

these folks are kind of hard to spot.

Obliged.

You got a name?

Yep.

He should've turned to hard liquor.

Say again?

The fella who turned to salt.

Picked the wrong cure.

Come on.

"Have mercy upon me, O God,

after thy great goodness;

according to the multitude of thy mercies

do away with mine offenses."

"Behold,"

"I was shapen in wickedness,

and in sin hath my mother conceived me.

Turn thy face from my sins.

Amen."

Amen.

What's the matter, stranger,

didn't you see the sign?

You're supposed to hand in your

rifle at the sheriff's office.

Well, the sheriff's busy.

I'll wait. He's hanging somebody.

Hand it over.

Tell your friend that I'll

stow my rifle soon as I reckon

I won't need it.

- I ain't gonna ask you twice.

- Oh, boy.

Tell your friend...

that I got me a rule about

folks pointing guns at me.

First time I let 'em off with a warning.

Only ever give 'em one.

After that...

Hey.

You want this?

That's right.

I want it right f***ing now.

Well, I'm gonna make you a deal.

Now, I can't see giving it all to you,

but you're sure welcome to a percentage.

That changes the conversation altogether.

I got him, Big Bill!

- Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

- Huh?

There any reason you shouldn't be next?

Fella pulled a gun on me.

Self-defense.

That what you want to tell the judge?

When I see him.

You're seeing him right now.

Judge and sheriff?

Wasn't enough that they

named the town after you, huh?

This town was named after my father.

Well, that's pretty funny,

your pa being named Hate.

What's your name?

Hedges.

Hedges.

I'm gonna make you a deal, Hedges.

You accept my offer...

and I'll accept your plea.

- What offer?

- Be my new deputy.

Why me?

'Cause you just shot my last one.

Well, I gotta...

make a living, I'll give you that.

Oh, and, Hedges?

There is a sign.

It gently reminds folks

to check their weapons at the city limits.

I must have missed that one.

It's large.

So's the sun, but I

tend not to stare at it.

Deputy Bean here's

gonna show you the ropes.

Speaking of which...

Let's do it again!

This time, make the drop shorter.

Rope is dear. No sense wasting it.

Hey?

This is not a bad town

if you play by the rules.

We understand each other, Mr. Hedges?

Y'all might want to get a new grave digger.

I've seen gopher holes neater.

Sheriff does it all himself.

He likes to think he takes care of folks

before and after they walk these streets.

Won't lie to you, Mr. Hedges.

You know, every town has its

black marks.

Just ours are in plain sight.

Underground Railroad

used to run through here.

Negroes would pay in gold for transport.

About four years back,

fella running the underground...

He realizes he ain't gonna

turn a profit on the deal.

So he takes their gold, he locks 'em in,

and he burns the place down.

Mostly, he just burned them slaves.

Like I said, every town's

got a secret. That's ours.

- Bam!

- Whoops.

Best give Junior there the rundown.

About pointing guns at you.

Don't be scared, Jamie.

It's only scary if it's loaded,

and this here...

It ain't loaded.

Hey, you all right?

Look like you got the blue devils.

I'm all right. I've just

been riding a while is all.

Like to see about getting a room.

Oh, I'll... I'll show you.

This is Benny. He works

here at the Last Drop Saloon.

I hope the name don't

mean they ran out of beer.

Here you go, Mr. Edge.

Oh.

Uh, guess...

guess you can't hold your liquor, huh?

It belongs to a fella I'm looking for.

Yeah.

Can I see that?

Yeah.

Oh, that's good art.

Yeah. Yeah.

Hold on, don't go nowhere.

There you go.

I... I can't remember the last

time anybody gave me any money.

I... I work for room and board?

Just make sure they fix up my horse.

Yes, sir. Okay.

Real soon now, Jamie.

I reckon there's five, all told.

And I'm gonna send 'em your way,

one-by-one, or all in a bunch.

Don't matter to me.

And I'm sorry I wasn't there for you.

I should have known they'd come.

Soon now.

Say, Hedges, there's a... Whoa! Uh...

Uh, there's, um...

You ready to go to work?

'Cause there's a couple beers

with our names on 'em downstairs.

Oh.

Just my kind of work.

Evening, Deputy Bean.

You're looking dapper tonight.

Well, there's some whores

of a different color.

- Howdy, fellas.

- Ma'am.

Pot calling the kettle,

coming from a paid gunman.

Don't you think, Mr. Hedges?

Well, here I thought you

was a good Christian woman.

Oh, well, you never know.

I bare my chest, who's to say

you won't see a big gold crucifix?

Well, that'd be your cross

to bare, then, wouldn't it?

Like I said, nice, upright town.

For my line of work.

- Five bucks?

- Only make $2.50 a day.

- Well, I'll see you tomorrow, then.

- See you tomorrow.

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