Hangman's Knot Page #2

Get on with it.

Well, she doesn't have a gun.

Come on, use that whip.

Drop it! Inside!

Why drag us into this?

At least let her go!

- Get them over there!

- Come on. You over here!

You too! Come on, over here!

Jamie, close that door!

Four of you cover the back!

Go on! Hey,

somebody get that coach!

Miss, he's got a bullet in him.

- How many out there?

- Five, I think.

Let's see if I can make it four.

If we have to kill to get out, we'll do it,

but I'll tell you when.

Check that back room.

How bad is it?

I can get the bullet out,

but not here on the floor.

I'm not hurt.

I was just scared.

Sure, you scare easily.

Hey, Quincey!

Major!

You might've killed him,

you knothead.

You mean I didn't?

Better hope that he's still alive

till I get a chance to talk to him.

Then you can do with him

as you mind to.

- Hey out there!

- Get him into the shed there.

Throw some water on him.

We're listening!

We've got two

coach passengers in here!

Give us our man,

we'll turn them loose!

All right, turn them loose!

Bring the man out

where I can see him!

Now, listen, who's giving the orders?

Man, we don't have to make no deals!

You can stay holed up in there

till Judgment Day. We can wait!

Finish tying them.

Got a bad shoulder, son.

Want my hands back

of me like hers...

...you'll have to break

a couple of bones first.

What'd they do with Cass, kill him?

I don't know. How many out there?

Three, maybe four.

They're up in the rocks.

The bleeding's stopped.

I'll need something to probe with.

- Will you get it, or shall I?

- Go ahead.

- I wanna tell you...

- I don't want any thanks.

I wouldn't help if I had a choice.

A nurse doesn't have one.

- I'm afraid I'll live.

- Good. We may need you.

You'll find the scissors

in the right side of that cupboard.

I'll take the gun.

What were you planning to do

with this against four of us?

We'll be gone before midnight...

...and there's no harm

intended toward any of you.

Try to remember that.

Seen anybody ride away

back the way we came, Jamie?

Nobody's rode off any direction.

I think they smell gold, Jamie.

- I'll need some help.

- There's a man in there.

He'll help you.

- Want me to douse him again?

- Don't drown him.

- We got plenty...

- All right, you win!

- You ready to come out?

- We're ready to give you the gold.

Isn't that what you're after?

You've got it with you?

We're not that crazy!

We left it back there!

Over a quarter million!

Let us go, and it's all yours!

We left it practically

on top of the ground!

Better send back for it,

or it won't be there!

It won't be where?

Make us a deal.

All right, you tell us where it's at...

...and there won't be nothing

left of us but dust.

- Now, you know that.

- Oh, no, I don't!

There's nothing we can do about it.

You either take that gamble

or you don't, one.

That's up to you.

Well, you taking that chance?

All right, I'll take it.

Did you find the wagon?

Sure did, and drank

some of that good elixir.

Take 30 paces from

the front of the wagon.

Then turn right 20 more.

The gold's there

with sand tossed over it.

We can go now, reb?

I didn't expect you

to take my word for it!

Send a man to look!

He can be back by morning!

Sure, we do just that!

Here's the bullet. He'll be whistling

that song again soon enough.

Tell me. What happens

when the man they send...

...comes back with the bad news?

We're still here! All of us!

And we're staying!

Does it surprise you to find

people who aren't like you?

They're doing what I counted on,

but what are we like? Go on, tell us.

She can't, and neither can I.

What is a man like

who'd shoot down a dozen men?

What men?

What men?

Nevada Volunteers,

the gold-train convoy.

How many dead?

Every last one.

Martha, maybe he...

He might've...

- Your son?

- Hers.

My grandson.

- It might make you feel better if...

- Get away from me.

I want you to hear this.

If your son is dead,

it's because he was a soldier.

If he was killed,

it was by another soldier.

Eight of us came up here

to Nevada six weeks ago.

The war was still going on then.

We'd been ordered to attack

a convoyed gold shipment.

We carried out those orders.

Over a dozen men were killed,

Union and Confederate soldiers.

It wasn't until afterward

we learned that...

That the war had ended.

Now, that's a tall one.

Being honest soldiers,

you left the gold...

...and reported to the nearest

Union Army post.

No, we decided to go home

and take the gold with us.

I wanted to tell you what happened

because I thought it might help you.

Nevada's full of you

Confederate deserters...

...and your lying excuses

for being what you are.

Martha, please, don't say no more.

My son wasn't the first.

You killed my husband too...

...at Gettysburg.

Don't pay her no mind.

Get the fire going now

with that coal oil!

- Hey, what happened to Maxwell?

- I don't know.

Maxwell. Maxwell!

- Somebody calling me?

- Come here.

Boys, let's get this straight.

Nobody's leaving here.

Go get the rest of the horses

and bring them here.

From now on, that's where they stay,

all of them.

And when we do leave here,

we're all leaving together.

He talks pretty big, don't he?

Think maybe that reb

was telling the truth?

All that gold lying back there

just waiting for some prune picker...

...to stumble over it?

- Maybe.

I wouldn't try riding off to find out

if I were you.

- Who said anything about riding off?

- I did.

- Hey, Quince!

- Yeah?

Come on, you're awake.

Wait a minute! Don't kick a man

when he's down. It ain't sporting.

Besides, he's gonna answer some

questions, nice and straight.

Now, we'll start with the gold.

Where's it at?

I said, where's the gold?

I don't remember. I'm all fogged up.

It's in the house there, ain't it?

No.

- No, we left it behind.

- Where?

I don't know. I can't think.

It's no use. He's passed out again.

Molly...

...you know why I told

them that, don't you?

That we were...

That I was your fiance?

I thought it would be safer

for you that way.

Maybe I was trying to push you

into making up your mind...

...the right way.

Jamie, let's try it again.

Rolph, go ahead.

Wrong again! Weren't nobody there!

We ain't in no hurry!

We can wait for you to come out!

The moon will be down

in a few minutes.

Can that rear door be opened

without too much noise?

It's always been quiet enough

to suit me.

I don't wanna put gags

in your mouths.

I won't, if you'll give me

your word you'll be quiet.

You can have our word,

my daughter's and mine.

You speak for yourself.

Anything I can do to see you...

...Southern butchers killed, I'll do it.

Jamie, come over here.

Come on, you leave that window

for a spell.

Take a good look

at a Southern butcher, ma'am.

He's never killed in his life.

But he watched Sherman's men

burn his farm down and kill his family.

He hid in a cane break

and saw his own...

Don't, Egan.

Leave her alone.

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