Hud Page #2

- Let's not.

- You ain't getting any younger.

- What are you saving it for?

- Tabs are in the collar.

- Hear the whippoorwill?

- I think there's two of 'em.

I've never seen one of those birds.

All you do is hear 'em calling.

What are you thinking about, Lon?

I don't know. Just looking up

ahead, I guess. To what's coming.

Thinking about your worries

and ambitions?

Yeah, that and having a car

of my own to tear around in. And girls.

I expect you'll get your share of what's

good. A boy like you deserves it.

It's getting late.

My daddy sure looks like

his collar was choking him.

- Those were his Sunday best.

- I don't remember him any.

I do.

You don't carry a picture

of Hud, do you?

No, I don't.

But he's your son,

same as my dad was.

Yep, he is.

- What are you holding against him?

- He knows and you don't need to.

- There you go.

- Thanks.

- Ain't you having any?

- I'm trying to lose a couple of pounds.

I'll do those dishes later.

I've got to get off these feet.

- Kitchen's your department, Alma.

- Seen enough of it for today.

Are you planning on

going back to town tonight?

I didn't get washed up

to sit on the porch.

I'd like you to be back here before

morning. The vet'll be here early.

All right. It's pretty good. Peachy.

You can't get much

air through this nylon.

You ought to wear a sarong,

like in the South Seas.

Oh, yeah, that would be a lot of laughs.

You're half native already.

I've never seen you in shoes.

I wore 'em once.

To get married in. White satin pumps.

I don't have 'em any more.

Or the man, either.

I'm going to get into town.

Alma, you want to blow

some foam off some beer?

No, thanks.

I'm going to get up out of this swing.

Set some biscuits. Go to bed.

I'll settle for half that action.

I'll go with you, Hud.

What you got lined up, sport?

A SnoCone or something?

No, I just thought

I'd catch a ride with you, that's all.

All right, come on, let's make tracks.

- Did you need me, Granddad?

- No, you go on.

Just be careful.

You drive, sport.

- What was that all about?

- I'll tell you someday when I'm drunk.

Gig this thing a little, will you?

- It's a lonesome old night, isn't it?

- Ain't they all?

I love that sound. Goes right through me.

Scares the hell out of the cattle.

- Know what trains make me think of?

- I've a strong feeling you'll tell me.

I guess I just like 'em, that's all.

Keys.

Well, golly!

Look at that Las Vegas saddle.

You couldn't lift that

on a horse with a crane.

- It is pretty noisy.

- Where are you going?

- Just tagging along.

- Not with me.

Go tie on a couple of Dr Pepper's.

I'll see ya.

- Hi, Mr Kirby.

- Hi.

- Read that one?

- Yeah, twice.

- About the best book you ever had.

- Pretty steamy, ain't it?

I don't know. People seem

a lot like the ones I see.

Did you read the part where the

sergeant gets her for the first time?

Yeah, I read that part.

I sure have seen

an awful lot of you for one night.

I'm just headed for the square, is all.

Where're you headed?

Just to keep you up to date,

I'm going to Mrs Ruby Fletcher's house.

I don't think that's a house

you've heard much about.

I've heard some. I am out of my

three-cornered pants, you know.

- I have been for some time.

- How old are you?

A fast seventeen? Boy, when I was...

When I was your age,

I couldn't get enough of anything.

That was the summer you were born.

Your ma died. And your daddy

was feeling a little wild about things.

We bought us a '27 Chevy.

Kept it tied together with bailing wire,

hit every honky-tonk in the country.

I don't know which we run the hardest,

that car or them country girls,

came to them dances.

Boy, we do-se-doed and chased

a lot of girlish butts that summer.

I wouldn't mind going that route myself.

Come on along.

No, I don't think so.

All right.

Hey, wake up. Come on, Lonnie.

Open your eyes.

- You gonna stay here till dinner?

- What do you want?

I want you to get up. I can't stay here

wrassling with you all morning.

- Why not? I like it.

- I bet. That's enough. Now, get up.

- Can't do that, Alma.

- Are you sleeping in the raw again?

There's pyjamas in there.

How come you're not using them?

- They strangle me.

- Come on.

- What do you sleep in?

- In my own room, with the door locked.

- Ever wear any shorty things?

- What kind of question is that?

- Just wondering.

- Your mind usually run that way?

- It seems to.

- Boys with impure thoughts get acne.

- Did you know that?

- That's all bull.

Keep it up. You'll see.

Hurry up!

The vet's coming this morning.

Let's get away from this stink.

I've got all I need here.

I'm going to ask you

to get your cattle together.

All of them.

I'll have to make an inspection.

- Inspection for what?

- For what killed that heifer.

I hope I'm wrong, but I'm afraid

you've got the worst kind of trouble.

I think that cow died

of foot and mouth disease.

Oh, me. I never thought

it would be anything like that.

Let's have it. What are we in for?

Get your herds together.

We'll take some samples.

Bring in a few calves, some horses,

infect them artificially,

then wait and see what happens.

I'll tell you. They turn up sick,

you kill 'em, right?

If the calves turn up sick and the horses

don't, it's foot and mouth. We've got to.

The last bad outbreak, the government

had to kill 77,000 cattle,

plus that many sheep and goats,

even 20,000 deer.

It's a terrible thing.

I just bought 20 head

of Mexican cows down south.

- Could they be the bad ones?

- Could be.

If they were, you'll have to get rid of

every cow that's been near them.

You're talking about

all the animals I own.

I know I am.

I hope I'm wrong

and that it's something else.

So we won't ever have to

talk about it again.

Looks like I landed

in the wrong place again.

You guys get on,

there's some fence to fix.

Man, how about that?

You going to let them shoot your cows

on account of a schoolbook disease?

You getting that old, Homer?

I wonder if a long quarantine wouldn't

satisfy 'em. Think they'd agree to that?

They don't have to agree to nothing.

They're the law.

You can agree with them till hell

freezes over.

But that Mr Burris

seemed like a reasonable man.

Think they'd come and liquidate?

Hell, yeah,

you got what they say you got.

You've had 24 of my 34 years working

for you on this ranch,

and, Daddy,

you've had top-grade cheap labour.

I've shovelled manure for you.

You've got my calluses. For what?

Your blessings the day you die?

No, damn it.

I want out of this spread

what I put into it.

Have you got a proposal, Hud?

Get on the phone and sell every cow you

own. They ain't got a chain on you yet.

That's how you'd get out of a tight?

I can ship the whole herd out

before they begin the test.

Try and pass bad stuff off on my

neighbours who wouldn't know?

You don't know it's bad stuff.

I'll ship 'em up north

before the news gets out.

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