Fort Worth Page #7

ON FLOOR]

[GUNSHOT]

[GUNS CLICKING]

[LOCK CLICKS]

[]

[KNOCK ON DOOR]

Ned.

Oh, Ned, I've been

so worried about you.

Worried?

Well, how'd you know that...?

Blair, it's Ned.

Isn't that wonderful?

Wonderful ain't good enough.

Come on in, boy, and sit down.

You must be tuckered.

Fix yourself a drink.

I was just telling Flora

how I got fouled up...

Played it smart, didn't you?

You knew I couldn't

work on you here.

Work on me?

You loco, boy?

Ned, what's the matter?

Let him tell you.

He'll make it a good story

with that rattlesnake

charm of his.

What happened, Ned?

Did you land on your head

when Gabe kicked you

off the train?

This kind of a thing

can be serious.

Take care of him, honey.

I'll send Doc Wilson out.

Get yourself fresh guns, Blair.

I'm giving you a better choice

than you gave me.

You've got till tomorrow morning

to make sure that paper

don't come out.

You wait longer,

I'll print you out of Texas.

Ned, Blair...

you have no cause to quarrel.

This is the way we should be:

Together.

This way too.

Look after yourself, boy.

[DOOR

CLOSES]

What are you doing?

Pointing a gun.

I aim to use it on Blair.

He's right.

You are insane.

Not me. Blair.

His crooked dream got too big

for one man's head to hold.

Only a crazy man would rig it

to swindle every friend he had

and still want Texas

to lift him up in glory.

He couldn't have done that.

I'm going to set print

on him tonight.

And if he's to stop me,

he'll have to kill me.

He's your friend.

He wouldn't shoot to stop you

even if you printed

a pack of lies.

Then you'd better stop me.

You seem to have picked

your man to fight for.

I haven't picked anybody.

Keep your gun.

I could use it too.

Anybody who'd try to

destroy somebody I loved.

Then why don't you...

while you've still got a chance

to sit in the throne

room at Austin?

[]

[BAND PLAYING "I'VE BEEN

WORKING ON THE RAILROAD"]

[CROWD CHEERING]

[GROWLS]

[BAND PLAYING "OH, SUSANNAH"

IN DISTANCE]

All ready to pull a proof,

as soon as you give me copy

to fill that space

you wanted saved.

I told you to clear out.

Uh... Soon as I set

the type for your story.

Must be a humdinger, the way

you've been sweatin' on it.

Clear out now.

I don't want you around here.

Somebody's got to

cover the Panthers

starting to lay track.

I can still set type.

Well, if you're sure

you can get on without me.

I won't let you down, Luther.

Paper will come out on schedule.

[DOOR CLOSES]

[BAND PLAYING,

CROWD CHEERING IN DISTANCE]

You ought to keep

that door locked.

Don't want it locked.

The way you messed up

Clevenger's bunch on that train,

he'll be feelin' peevish.

Fort Worth's the last place

he'd show himself.

Well, it'll be a lonely place,

what with every man,

woman and mule

off to work the railroad.

Includin' me.

Everybody from

the fire department

to the Ladies' Cooking Society.

Oh. You printin' up how

Lunsford saved the day

with the cash he brought in?

Well, something like that.

Hear he hocked his warts

to buy the rails.

Ah, you know,

Mr. Britt,

public spirit like that's

just mighty scarce.

We ought to build

a monument to him

while he's livin'.

The way he's livin',

there mightn't be much time.

Pride of the old Lone Star.

[CROWD CHEERING]

[BAND PLAYING "I'VE BEEN WORKING

ON THE RAILROAD"]

You ought to keep

that door locked.

You're the second one said that.

I expected you

by the front door.

What were you after, a potshot?

Didn't want anybody

to see me come in.

I aim to go out the same way.

The undertaker's

right across the alley.

It won't be too far to tote you.

Setting up your little story?

That's it.

Just in case

somebody does pass by,

you're here alone,

as you should be.

[]

Don't go getting buck ague.

I'll give you a fair draw.

Just keep your hands

away from those guns.

You talk to Flora about this?

It's any comfort,

she'll believe no bad of you.

I knew she wouldn't.

[SHUFFLING,

FOOTSTEPS]

I've been thinkin' a lot

about her this evening.

About you and me.

Women. Half the time

they don't understand

what a fella's talkin' about.

You can't make conversation

with a pile of greenbacks.

Then give it up.

Let those options lapse,

and the property will go back

to the people you bilked.

They will lapse if you are dead.

I'm talkin' about life,

Ned, not death.

Big, juicy wonderful life.

It's like I was tryin' to tell

you when you first came home.

You grab the crossroads.

If it's a treasure-trove,

then the world's

your watermelon.

My offer's still good.

We can slice it

fifty-fifty, you and me.

Neither of us.

Then it's spin the wheel, and...

see what comes up.

It's your decision.

Always figured

I was faster than you.

But I figured wrong.

Go on, shoot, boy.

Shut up. Listen to me.

Shoot, you fool,

or you'll be losin'.

[]

[TWO GUNSHOTS]

Ned? Are you

all right, Ned?

I had to see the truth

to believe it.

I picked my side,

but I didn't mean to kill him.

I only fired once, and he fell.

Say that again.

What?

You only fired once.

What difference does

it make? I killed him.

Who knows?

There were two shots.

Somebody else

was in there with us.

[C*CKS GUN]

Ned!

[]

[]

Better get on down there.

Well, just as soon as I get

some of this ink washed off.

It's mighty fancy.

Look at page three.

Thank you, Ned.

Thank old Ben Garvin.

He made the rules for the paper.

One was never to

pitchfork the dead.

You all comin' along?

We can see fine

from here, Luther.

Well, then, see you at supper.

So long, Mrs. Britt.

Mrs. Britt.

And you were ready to

plug me once, almost.

Almosts don't count.

[]

[CROWD CHEERING]

It's a different town

than you rode into

the first time, Ned.

Different than the one

I came back to.

It's a good town.

Good town for little Toby

to grow up in.

Toby? Why,

he got killed by...

Why, High Pocket,

I clear forgot to tell you,

didn't I?

Why did you think I didn't want

to go down there?

Want to stay out of the crowds?

You'll have to take better care

of your boy's mother, boy.

[]

[]

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