Fort Worth Page #3

about it?

Man, you'd have the federal

agents a-sniffin' at us.

I tell ya, boys, just keep

a-workin' on this town,

it won't support no newspaper.

Them that's smart enough to read

will get wise enough to move.

Come on.

Fingers getting itchy?

No, but I bet Blair's are.

Ha. I doubt it.

He ain't ready

to tangle with Clevenger.

Just a reporter's tip.

Sheriff's got his chance now.

I got to go post them

sheriff's sales notice.

I better help you.

Come back here,

you no-good...

I said, come back here!

CLEVENGER:

Sheriff!

You allow filthy trash

like that to be circulated?

W... W... The license

for printing

ain't my orbit, Gabe.

Well, maybe you're right.

And maybe it's

a civil court affair,

suing them scoundrels for libel.

But I don't like to go to court.

Well, I don't reckon

you do, Gabe.

I don't reckon anybody does.

B-but this here warrant says

you're sure going to court.

What warrant?

Mr. Britt signed

murder charges against you.

Well, now, don't

get mad at me, Gabe.

I ain't sitting in judgment.

[LAUGHING]

You just arrestin' me, huh?

That's all.

You'll excuse me, sheriff,

for talking so harsh

to you, won't you?

No hard feelings.

Shake.

[LAUGHING]

Hey.

ALL:

Hyah!

[MEN YELLING]

MAN:

Oh, look at him!

[LAUGHING]

A town that can't

support its law

don't deserve a paper.

What did you mean about Blair

not being ready?

Nothing, Ned.

Nothing yet, leastways.

News comes in pieces, boys,

like a suit of clothes.

Don't ever sport the jacket

unless you're sure you got the britches on.

Ah.

But did you know he's buying up

Tarrant County property?

Well, what's wrong with that?

Shows good civic faith.

He couldn't.

He's broke.

[SCOFFS] So am I.

But I can always snag two bits

for coffee and beans.

Just like Blair can borrow

the big stuff to buy up options.

Uh, by the way...

you accidentally have two bits?

You'll give away the whole

newspaper sometime

to a bunch of birds

with hard-luck stories.

You coming to supper?

Eat later.

Got some work to do.

[]

Here's your editorial.

Read it.

"Aside from Gabe Clevenger's

lawless activities,

"the civic corpse of Fort Worth

"shows no sign of life

whatsoever.

"We can personally vouch

for the fact that yesterday,

"a panther was seen

sleeping at midday

"in the center

of Belknap Street,

unmolested by any of

our brave citizens."

Pretty good.

Mr. Garvin would want

to know the age and sex

of the panther.

No interest, except

to another panther.

Come on.

Let's go to press.

Now, you only have to gun Britt,

and the old one will dry up

and blow away by hisself.

Well, Britt's

in there. I seen him.

Good. Now, Mort will

plug him from the alley.

But take no chance

on him gettin' out.

When you hear Mort shoot,

you move in the front.

Where are you going?

To church, if I can find one.

'Cause I want to be someplace

where I don't know

a thing about this.

Outside papers

will start digging.

And them newsies

stick together like sorghum.

Fix yourself a libation,

Mr. Garvin.

That's real Kentucky.

Uh, it's still

working hours for me.

An interview?

Sort of.

Why do you want this town

on the rocks, Mr. Lunsford?

Me?

You've been puffing locoweed.

The Lewis ranch,

this section here,

6,000 acres over there,

and right here in town...

this and this and this

and this whole block here...

all under option

to Blair Lunsford.

I don't suppose

you have any idea

where I could raise the money

to pick up those options.

Not yet.

No, I didn't think so.

But only a fool would buy 'em

unless'n he thought

Fort Worth had a future.

You're no fool.

Thanks.

Other hand...

anyone owned as much

of the county as you do

wouldn't let Gabe

Clevenger terrorize it

unless'n it suited his purposes.

What do you want me to do?

Take the law in my own hands?

We've got a sheriff...

[SCOFFS]

Scared of his own shadow.

Now you've said something.

You know what they

call you, Mr. Lunsford?

"Mr. Fort Worth."

Seems to me

Mr. Fort Worth

could get himself

a good law enforcement officer.

If he wanted one.

All right, mister.

You asked for information.

I'll give it to you.

Sure, I bought up

all the property I could.

I love this town,

Mr. Garvin.

I've got faith in it.

But there are others

who live here besides me.

I've got one vote,

and that's all I want.

I'm one citizen.

Just because I own more

property than the next fellow,

I don't ask for any more rights

or any more privileges.

What are you doing here?!

Well, ain't you gonna ask me in?

I wouldn't ask you

into a hog wallow.

You'd dirty it up.

Uh, you've got no call to take

that attitude toward me.

You neither,

Mr. Garvin.

And don't let him fill

your paper with his spleen.

I appeal to you,

Mr. Lunsford,

to stop pounding me

out of my rightful living.

To stop your unholy persecutin'.

Heh. Never saw

so many martyrs.

[LAUGHS] Persecute you?

Mr. Garvin here thinks

I'm in cahoots with you.

Cahoots?

And you're in cahoots

with the devil

to rub salt in my sores.

Why, I count it lucky anymore

to get a herd to drive.

Wicked unfair,

Mr. Lunsford,

to have the bread

taken out of my mouth

before that railroad

even gets here.

I'm not raising cattle.

No, but Miss Talbot is.

And if I could get the contract

to take her herds north,

then the rest of them ranchers

might open up their hearts so...

[GUNSHOTS]

[]

Where'd I put that shotgun?

Crawl for the front door.

I've got to find that shotgun.

[GUNSHOT]

Mr. Britt!

Where are you, Clevenger?!

You said you wanted

some gravy, didn't you?

Well, come a-runnin'

and bring the rest

of your scurvies with you!

Why, you rampaging old longhorn.

Biggest thing out

since Sam Houston.

You print that, son.

I like the sound of it.

[LAUGHS]

[MEN CHATTERING]

[]

[WATER SPLASHING]

Wait a minute.

Flora invited you to dinner too.

Tell her

Mr. Garvin regrets.

On account of Blair?

You never liked him

from the first, did you?

Not even after he saved my life.

He couldn't afford

to let you get killed.

Those pieces you've

been writing on him...

It'd have to be

by George Washington

out of Queen Bess.

The paper's half mine.

That half says what I think.

[CHUCKLES]

Stop fitting the truth

to the shape of your heart.

You'll be a better newspaperman.

Oh.

I know it isn't easy.

What with friends around

who say you're just hard mean.

You ever wonder why

I never got married?

Boy...

I was foolish human once.

She was pretty.

Just as pretty as Flora.

But I printed her old man

right into the pen...

where he belonged.

[]

Ben's a great man, Luther.

Right.

[CHUCKLES] Going to make

him real mad someday

by telling him so.

[KNOCK

ON DOOR]

Uh, Mr. Britt.

The roomer in 201

wants to subscribe to

the Fort Worth Star.

Thanks, Bob.

Every new one counts.

Amy.

Hello, Ned.

So good to see you.

The years fall away,

and you haven't changed at all.

I've changed right enough,

but you haven't.

You're even prettier,

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes