Garden of Evil

GARDEN OF EVIL:

- Captain, what's this town called?

- Puerto Miguel.

- Is it alive?

- It's asleep.

When the sun falls people

will get up. They call it a siesta.

Do we have to siesta here

for 4 weeks?

- Take that long to fix an engine?

- Not me. The engineer.

I didn't make the steamboat,

I just operate one.

- Captain, wait!

- Every mother's son

is picking up gold by the fistful

in California

and I'm marooned in a Mexican village

called Pu...

- What did he call it?

- Puerto Miguel.

Puerto Miguel.

- But what can we do about it?

- Nothing.

- They must have some alcohol.

- I think so.

There we are.

It's a funny thing.

I know everybody on board except you.

I don't know anything about you.

- Your called Hooker and that's it.

- That's it.

That kid thinks he knows you

from Texas, but he can't remember.

Then it couldn't have been much.

And even if it was,

it wouldn't be any of my business.

I can't see how.

Being a professional gambler,

I like to know the people I meet

because I might play them sometime.

That's what makes me so inquisitive.

- That's natural.

- I'm also a kind of poet

and all kinds of people

interest me.

- That makes sense.

- I see what I can get out of them,

either their money

or their character, or both.

You've heard of "getting blood

out of a stone", haven't you?

- Yeah.

- That's what I'm getting out of you.

Two drinks.

Two drinks.

This is the way my luck's running.

I can speak two languages,

but I'm in a country

that isn't one of them.

I found that pretty women

speak the same language everywhere.

- What about the ugly ones?

- I never listened.

It's not as bad as I thought it'd be.

It's worse.

Somebody once said:

"Believe nothing a woman says,

but believe everything she sings."

- Who said that?

- Me.

What's the trouble with him?

What's he saying?

He disliked the way that man

was looking at his girl.

You see we want to be peaceful

and friendly.

We may be here

for quite a while.

I can handle myself.

- I'm sure of it.

- You think not?

- He just said "he was sure of it."

- Relax, Daly.

It may not be as bad as you think.

We can fish in the mornings,

get drunk in the afternoons

and we can play cards at night.

- You might even get lucky.

- Like catching lighting in a bottle.

Fiske, you know what you can do

with a deck of cards?

You can tell my fortune.

Anything you like.

The Red Queen.

That means that...

What do you know.

- What's she saying?

- She's got a mine.

Her husband is trapped in a cave-in.

She wants help to get him out.

- She'll pay 1,000 dollars a man.

- There ain't a man at the bar.

Did you hear what I said?

Did you understand?

He just told us.

I offered them a thousand a piece.

I'll double it for any of you

if you'll help.

A man is lying out there hurt,

maybe dying. An American.

- If that isn't enough...

- The price is right.

- But, why is it so high?

- Is a man's life too high a price?

I didn't put the price on it,

you did.

I don't know what to do

or what to say.

- I've got to get help or he'll die.

- Lady, won't you sit down?

Why will none of them go

even for so much money?

None of them will go out there.

They're afraid of the Indians.

Are you?

You don't look afraid.

Ma'am, the thing I'm afraid off

still hasn't been found.

He says only fools go up there.

He must be one.

He's going with her.

- You said 2,000 dollars?

- You've got it in your hand.

- All right, I'll go.

- 2,000 for each of the rest of you.

You?

Madam, I can live anywhere

in the world for 6 weeks,

but alone in this town.

Meet me in an hour

at the blacksmith's shop.

I'd like for one of you

to come with me now.

You.

- Are we lost?

- No.

We pass the face of that cliff.

What's this all about?

There's Indians here

and they left a message.

- What does it say?

- It's Apache.

- What else?

- That's enough.

Isn't there another way

we could go back?

- Not that I know of.

- Great.

How did you find this place?

With a map from an old priest

in Sacramento.

- He warned us against it.

- What did he come here for?

For God.

A better reason that ours,

isn't it?

Vicente's marking the trail.

Do you think

he'll want to come back?

He just might want

to get back from this one.

How did you happen to be

in Puerto Miguel?

We came around the Horn

headed for the gold fields.

The ship broke down

and we headed into the port.

- You came together?

- No.

- So, you don't know each other?

- No better than you do.

Look at her.

Taking 4 men like us

to a mountain of gold.

- She took what there was.

- That's true.

The barrel was empty,

she scrapped the bottom.

- How far is this place?

- Several days.

I wonder how she remembers

the way.

- Maybe she's got a good memory.

- No.

No, she's got a map.

She takes it out, unfolds it,

and then puts it away carefully.

When she thinks no one's looking.

- But you were.

- Always.

Look.

You see that? Before this is over,

you'll be just like that horse.

Eating right out of her hand.

Maybe it isn't the woman,

maybe it's the sugar.

Not you, Daly. Me.

I got a better reason.

You telling me what to do?

- Just this once.

- Just once, Hooker.

Nobody ever tells me

what to do.

All right.

This time I'm asking you.

I don't think I like him.

I don't think I like any part of him.

You understand?

- There's nothing more simple.

- And I'm not sure if I like you.

I'm talking.

Don't turn your back on me.

You're right. A man should never

turn his back on you.

Not if he cared for his life.

But I'm a peculiar man.

I don't care.

You followed me,

didn't you?

If you want to know

where you're going, ask me.

You can tell the others too.

Tell them, that without me

they're nowhere, they're lost.

And when you're lost in this country,

you're dead.

Then you won't need that gun.

You underrated me, Hooker.

Don't do it.

I don't think I will.

It looked like a good thing.

It looked like a miracle.

A woman leading you

to a gold mine

in a country where nobody goes

and anything can happen.

- Go on.

- Did you imagine I thought

you were doing this

to save a man's life?

A miserable little thing

like a man's life?

- Are you?

- You don't think so?

I think so.

I think anyone would care

about a man's life being in danger,

especially if it was

in a gold mine.

Say, Hooker,

before you became an idiot

looking for gold, what were you?

An idiot without any.

Is he still marking up the way?

I think he's memorizing it.

Are you?

- Does he know she's wiped his marks?

- I doubt it.

You'd think she'd get tired.

She's like something hammered

out of silver.

Now you, you're made out of leather.

Vicente, volcanic rock.

- And you?

- Words and flesh.

I think I'm the only

human being here.

- She's human.

- How can you tell?

- Because of what's driving her.

- And what is?

That man in the mine.

It makes every mile

and every hour precious.

Well, you sound

almost human yourself.

We'll camp there for tonight.

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