High Sierra Page #4

- You got Velma upset talking like that.

- All right. All right. All right.

If you don't want him to look

at your foot, you don't have to.

Oh, but I do.

If the child's made up her mind,

I've nothing to say.

Come along, Mr. Parker.

Come on, Ma.

This way, doctor.

Roy, if this here specialist says

he can operate on Velma, what then?

- Operations cost money.

- Well, I'll loan you the money.

- I could never pay it back.

- I ain't worrying about that.

Oh, I know. I know.

Anybody with eyes in their head.

She's pretty, ain't she?

And just as sweet as she's pretty.

- Yeah.

- Are you figuring on marrying Velma?

Well, I ain't got that far in my figuring.

Well, I don't know

what's the right thing to do...

...but it seems to me

before you put out money...

...I ought to tell you about Velma.

Well, what about her?

Well, she's got a fella back home.

His name's Preiser. He's about

30 years old and already divorced.

He's doing good in insurance,

but it didn't look right...

...a divorced man running around

with a crippled girl...

...so Ma and me brings Velma

out here to her mother.

Now, it's my guess that Velma's

still thinking about that fella.

Now mind, I don't think

there's anything wrong.

I'm always telling myself there wasn't.

It makes me feel better.

That's about all there is to it, Roy.

I hope you ain't sore or anything.

No, I ain't sore at nobody.

I guess it sounds funny, and I ain't

got the right words to fit it...

...but it seems as if I'd been

close to Velma for a million years.

And knowing her like I do,

nobody ain't ever gonna tell me...

...she's ever done a wrong thing,

because I know. You understand?

She's not to know you told me anything.

- All right, Roy, anything you say.

- Roy, he says it can be fixed!

We'll soon have the young lady

walking as well as anybody.

Jiminy Cricket! Ain't that wonderful, Ma?

Now, honey, you just thank Roy.

Roy's the one. He thought up the whole

thing, and he's lending me the money.

You, Mr. Collins? You?

Why, I... I mean, I...

Oh, I hope you'll excuse

the way I acted...

...but I've been so worried about Velma.

I am her mother, and...

Mr. Parker will take care of everything.

You got nothing to worry about, Velma.

Roy, you're so good. Pa says

you're the best man that ever lived.

And I guess Pa's right.

Well...

...goodbye.

Darnedest fella.

Darnedest fella.

It's criminal nothing's been done for that

girl before. It's a simple operation.

I got an in with the best

surgeon in town.

The whole thing will set you back

about 400 bucks. You satisfied?

- Yeah, sure, I'm satisfied.

- But, Roy, I'm giving it to you straight.

You're just sticking your neck out.

She's not your kind.

She's gonna throw a fit when she

finds out what kind of a guy you are.

- Yeah, I know.

- You may catch lead any minute.

What you need is a fast-stepping

young filly you can keep up with.

Remember what Johnny Dillinger

said about guys like you and him?

He said you were rushing toward death.

Yeah, that's it.

Just rushing toward death.

Well.

What's the matter, Pard,

you been hiding out?

- Is that you, Roy?

- Yeah.

- Is Pard with you?

- Yeah, he's right here.

Hey, you had me scared.

- What are you doing in there?

- Come on in.

Gee, I'm glad Pard's all right.

I was afraid Babe had killed him.

- Did he do that?

- Yeah, he went crazy.

Red tried to cool him off,

but he fought like a wildcat.

He picked up a poker

and hit Red over the head.

He swung at me twice.

- Were they fighting over you?

- Red was standing up for me.

- When was this?

- About dark.

Where are they?

As soon as Babe knocked Red cold,

he ran for the store.

Then I heard Pard barking,

and Babe threw a poker at him.

So I ran over here

and locked myself in.

I found this under your pillow.

Figured if Babe sneaked back,

I could hold him off.

- He was like a crazy guy.

- Give me that. Stay here.

- You'll only get yourself in a jam.

- Shut up and lock this door behind me.

- Roy!

- Give me that gun.

- Nobody's gonna push me.

- Give it to me. Is he in there?

He's scared to come out.

- You were gonna bump him off.

- He hit me...

You wait right here. I'll handle this.

I had him hooked good. He was all

played out, and I'm reaching for my net...

Well, good night, fellas.

Here's my pal. I'll get along.

- I hope tomorrow you get a 10-pounder.

- Yeah, thanks.

Good night.

- You stinking rat.

- Yeah, I know. I went crazy.

- Marie tried to-

- That's right, blame the dame. Go on.

Marie.

Here he is. Mark him up.

Swing on him. Hit him with this.

No.

I don't want to hurt him.

Oh, Roy, don't hurt him.

He won't act like that again.

Your car's outside.

If I was you, I'd beat it, both of you.

- Roy, we've been counting on this job.

- I'm giving you a chance to blow.

If you stick, I'll shoot the first one

that don't do as I say.

Okay, Roy. Come on, Babe.

Roy, I'm not going back to the cabin.

No, you better not.

- The trouble would just start all over.

- Look, I found a cot in the woodshed.

- I could fix it up and sleep in the kitchen.

- All right.

I'll have Algernon get your clothes,

and I'll send you home tomorrow.

No.

No.

No.

No, I say.

You can't hold me.

Take the gates away.

I'm crashing out.

Yeah. Yeah, sure.

Sure.

I'll go back to the farm.

Sweet, Indiana farm.

But you're holding me back.

Don't hold me back.

I'll crash out, I tell you.

I'll crash out.

You...

...can't.

No. No, you can't do it.

Farm's the best.

Yeah. Yeah, that's the best.

You can't take it away.

You can't.

You can't take it.

- A little more coffee?

- Yeah. Well, are you all packed?

Well, Roy, I thought maybe I could...

I'll run you over to Ballard.

You can catch a bus.

I haven't got a soul in L.A.

- Where you from?

- San Francisco.

- Family there?

- Yeah.

Well, maybe I can stake you

to a ticket.

Roy?

Remember what you

were saying about prison...

...and the way you kept from going crazy

by thinking about a crash-out?

Well, that's the way it's been with me.

I've been trying to crash out

ever since I can remember.

My old man used to get drunk a couple

times a week and kick us around.

My old lady used to stand it,

but not me.

I waited for my chance, and I beat it.

I crashed out, just like you did.

- I got you.

- Then I came down to L. A...

...and got a job

in a dime-a-dance joint.

It was a living, but, well, I got

pretty sick of being pawed over.

So when Babe came along,

I crashed out again.

I thought Babe was a right guy.

I guess I was never hooked up

with any guys that wasn't wrong.

So I had nothing to go by...

...till I met you.

I'll get ready.

Go away, Pard, will you? Go away.

- What's the matter?

- Roy, please don't send me back to L.A.

Please don't. I want to stay with you.

Please, Roy, don't. Oh, Roy.

Listen.

Listen to me.

I'm giving it to you straight.

I got plans, see?

And there's no room in them for you.

You couldn't never mean nothing to me.

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