Jesse James Page #3

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Zee used to know Jesse James.

She tell you? They kinda grew up together.

She's told me so much

I almost feel I know him myself.

You do?

Good biscuits. You make 'em, Zee?

Try one, Mr Howard.

I don't mean that we ain't after him.

I'm still a peace officer. If we ever

come on each other in the right place,

it's just gonna be me or him -

one or the other.

Yes, I understand.

I'm hoping he'll stop messing around

in my district or else keep out of my way,

cos it'll save Zee some hurt. Either way.

- You know yourjob, I guess.

- I know it and I'm good at it.

I'm just as good at my job as he is at his.

That's why I say the next time

I'll blow his head off or he'll blow mine.

I got some business up the road a piece.

Take me about an hour.

- Maybe I'll drop in later if your light's on.

- All right, Will.

- Good night, Horace Greeley.

- Good night, Will.

I don't expect I'll be seeing you again.

No, I don't expect so.

Take care of yourself.

- You got a better grade of law here now.

- Don't waste time, Jesse. Go now.

I think I'd better go that way.

- Blow out the light. I don't wanna be a target.

- Yes.

All clear.

Is that why you won't marry me?

I can't help it, Will.

Well, let's load him on a horse

and take him to town.

One of you fellas come and give me a hand.

Get back out of the way, you young ones.

Get over on the other side.

- Is that...

- No, ma'am.

We didn't get the jackpot this time.

They keep running up that price and one

of Jesse's own men will take a shot at him.

Some of them fellas would scalp

their own ma for a lot less than $5,000.

Let him down on this side.

- Darling...

- Are you really as pretty as I think?

Jesse, read this. Read it.

Will arranged it. I asked him to.

- I can't do that, Zee.

- Why not?

I trust Will, but...

He's given his word, he's promised.

He'll see that it works out all right.

Jesse, listen.

It isn't only now, although that's bad enough.

It's what's going to happen to you.

Inside of you.

You understand?

I mean... Right now you're a hero to yourself

and a lot of other people too.

It's a fight you're in

and it's the railroad that started it.

But that's not going to last, Jesse.

The more luck you have, the worse you'll get.

Shooting and robbing -

it'll get in your blood, Jesse.

You'll get like a wolf.

Just doing it because it's your nature.

That'll be your appetite -

for shooting and robbing.

Until something happens to you.

And if anything ever happened to you, Jesse,

it'd be like it was happening to me too.

Oh, darling, there's only one way out.

Come in. Give up.

Let me draw a free breath again.

I can't, Zee. I'd go crazy in prison.

I couldn't do it.

But if we went away now...

That's all there is to it, Jesse.

Goodbye.

- But, Zee, please...

- Good luck.

Zee, you said you'd wait.

However long it took.

- Would you marry me now, before?

- Today, if you want me to.

- Then that's the way, I guess.

- The only way.

And then the prodigal son

come home to his ma and pa.

- Welcome, brothers and sister.

- Thank you, sir.

Sit down. Just find a seat anywhere.

Could we get hitched?

Married.

- You ain't eloping, are you?

- How's that?

- No, sir. I'm grown.

- We're in a hurry, if you don't mind.

Your brothers?

- I have no brothers.

- Sorry.

- What's your name, sister?

- Zerelda Cobb.

- And yours, son?

- Jesse Woodson James.

Jesse Wood... Jesse James?

- Thank the Lord.

- Sit down.

- Yes, sir. We don't want no trouble.

- Trouble?

Why, son, you're as welcome

as rain to the flowers.

Do you realise, boy, that I had

a farm giving 900 bushels of corn

until that railroad had taken it from me?

Why, I'd given up preaching and

was making an honest living off the land

until that dad-swinged railroad

swindled me out of my own home.

- That's true, Mr James.

- By golly, son!

Do you know, I had a big house,

two barns, three outhouses,

until that goldanged railroad

hornswoggled me?

- Amen.

- Amen.

All right. We're gathered here

to join Zerelda Cobb

and Jesse Woodson James

in the bonds of holy matrimony...

- Howdy, Jesse.

- Howdy, Will.

- I guess Zee explained things.

- She said they're willing to go light.

They're so glad to get rid of you, they're liable

to make you a conductor on the road.

- What do you think I'll get?

- Two, three years.

Maybe five. It won't be much.

All they're charging you with is that depot

at Pine Hills that you knocked over.

That one they got proof on.

I'm much obliged for all you've done, Will.

Don't mention it.

Shall we go?

Is it all right, Jesse?

- Howdy, Jesse.

- Howdy, Jesse.

- Howdy, Jesse.

- Howdy. Judge.

- Jesse.

- Major.

- You ain't got no more guns, have you?

- No.

All right.

- You're doing the wise thing, son.

- Am I?

Judge Mathews is gonna try your case, son.

You can trust him.

I'm aiming to go as light as the law allows.

When you come out, the slate will be clean.

The past will be forgotten.

- Thank you, Judge.

- Well, Jesse, if you're ready.

Well, I...

All right, Jesse. Go ahead.

- You ain't worried, are you, kid?

- I could do it on my head.

Good boy.

Oh, my darling. My wife.

My husband.

Oh, I'm proud of you, dear.

Proud of you.

Bye, Zee. Goodbye.

I'll be waiting.

Yes, sir. You can go right in.

Mr James?

- I'm Mr McCoy, president of the railroad.

- I know who you are, Mr McCoy.

I just want to welcome you and tell you

how glad I am to see you here in jail.

- From here...

- What's all this soldier business?

This is Mr Wright, the peace officer here.

- Mr Clarke, the state prosecutor.

- How do you do? Well?

Well, we're gonna try to hang

our lawless friend.

- Before or after the trial?

- The penalty for murder is death, isn't it?

- That wasn't the idea.

- The idea?

That wasn't the idea you gave me

or James or the girl.

Get this straight, Wright.

When you're dealing with a criminal,

anything goes. Anything to trap him.

James is a thief and a murderer.

The most notorious bandit

and outlaw in America.

He has burned my property, robbed my trains

and scared people out of riding in my cars.

Three years ago, I swore

he'd hang for what he'd done

and, by the Almighty, he is going to hang.

- That ain't the way things are done here.

- You're a peace officer, aren't you?

But not a skunk.

You told Judge Mathews?

It won't be necessary, my boy. He's been

superseded by Judge Rankin of St Louis

who's not so sentimental about train robbers.

He arrives tonight.

The trial's tomorrow morning.

Anything else?

A nice frame, eh?

And, Marshal, it might be better for you if you

dropped this role of attorney for the defence

- and confined yourself to your duties.

- Who? Me?

- Any interference...

- It ain't me you got to worry about.

What do you mean?

Suppose Jesse don't want to be hanged.

Roy! Stop the press!

- Take a new editorial on railroad presidents.

- Yes, sir.

Paragraph.

If we are ever to have

law and order in the West,

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