Lawman Page #4

It's a long ride down

from the high country

with stops

all the way down.

In Abilene, I ran.

In Acadia city,

I hid in a cellar.

In Monmouth,

the Loring brothers

made me eat dirt.

What keeps pushing you?

I've been a lawman

for 20 years.

What stops you

running sand inside?

I guess the question

doesn't arise.

You know, after

killing Stenbaugh,

Bronson will come

for you.

It's always the same.

You post a man,

he has to come into town

to prove he's a man.

You kill a man, he's got

a friend or a kin,

just has to come

against you.

And for no reason...

no reason

that makes any sense.

And it don't matter

a damn

to the man

already in the ground.

Nobody wins.

You can stop it.

Ride out tomorrow.

It's not a private matter

with me, cotton.

The law.

The honest ones carry it hard

and clean all their lives.

Behind their backs,

the others buy it, sell it,

dirty it,

tie it into knots.

Who lives longer,

Maddox?

I was out

bringing in a killer

when the shoot-up

happened.

I could have chased

a few tracks

and let the

matter drop.

But Im the law

in bannock.

Anybody who goes

against the law

goes against me.

I don't know

any other way.

How many more

for one old man?

I don't call

the numbers.

Ryan, I never drew first

on a man in my life.

That's the only way

to stay clean.

You play it

by the rules.

Without the rules,

you're nothing.

Bronson won't

come alone.

I didn't figure

he would.

You think he sent Dekker.

He didn't.

Well, I don't know

that. Do you?

I know Bronson.

Either way,

it don't matter.

Good night, Ryan.

Let me go, cotton.

Let me go.

What's the matter

with you, Ryan?

Let me out of here!

You're through, Ryan.

Bronson's gonna walk you

into the ground.

You're all through,

cottontail.

Calculate you got about

It'll take me 5

to get to Maddox,

and Maddox 5

to get saddled.

I think he'd appreciate

a little hunting.

Or I can gun you down

trying to escape...

in the back.

You won't be so...

back shooter,

anytime you want out...

you just call.

Hold on, Crowe.

You look like

you got your teeth

set on edge, boy.

Now move!

I didn't know nothing

about Dekker.

You don't even

interest me, Crowe.

Where's your horse?

Tied up behind

the stables.

All right.

Let's go.

Listen to me, Ryan.

I didn't know about Dekker.

You ask him.

Well, Maddox called my name

down in front of everybody.

I ain't afraid

of him, Ryan.

You would be

if you had brains

enough to spit.

Well, I figure

Im faster than him.

Keep walking.

In every town

Maddox has worked,

the ground is full

of men who were faster.

Yeah. Well, I really am.

I aim to prove it, too.

It makes

a great epitaph.

You may be faster.

You may even be

better with a gun,

but Maddox

will kill you.

And that's a fact.

You'd be staring up

at nothing

before your gun

even got clear.

I know what Im

talking about, Crowe.

You might not

rate me very high,

but I know men

like Maddox.

You'd drive a man to hell,

wouldn't you, Jered?

Hello, Lucas.

Whose day for

choosing is it,

Price or Adams?

You know this Adams?

I know him.

What kind is he?

I wouldn't know.

But I know what you're

doing is wrong, Maddox.

You were wrong

in san Acoma,

and you're

wrong here.

Not from where

I stand.

You can't see

from where you stand.

I didn't want

to wake you.

Where were you?

Over at

Verns place.

Sorry.

Where are you going?

Go back to bed, Laura.

Where are you going, Hurd?

I want to know.

Go back to bed,

will you, please?

You're running,

aren't you, Hurd?

Do you have to, Laura?

No, I don't have to.

Damn you!

Always got to push

my face in it,

don't you?

You and this

god-cursed land.

Yes, Im running!

Does that make you

happier?

You said you'd

give yourself up.

Well, that was before

Harv was killed.

I'm talking

about you, Hurd.

I don't care about

Harvey Stenbaugh.

He doesn't make

any difference.

Harv Stenbaugh

was my friend.

You hated him.

You were

frightened of him,

and he never cared

about anything

unless it had the

Bronson name to it.

You lying b*tch!

You are a nobody,

just a little nobody

to them.

I owe Vince

everything Ive got.

You owe him what?

This piece of dirt

that wouldn't grow wheat.

And what do you

owe Harvey?

He kept you on your knees

saying thank you.

Hurd, they just don't care.

But you do.

Yes.

That's not what I see

every time I look at you.

You know what I see?

I see, "you're not much,

Hurd Price."

No, not a man, like

all the men you've known.

I didn't mean that.

Yes, you did.

And maybe you're right.

Maybe that is

what's in my face...

I don't think so.

I've tried, Hurd.

And I don't want

to see you dead.

I can't go in alone,

Laura.

The others won't

go in now...

not to surrender.

Here's Vern.

But Maddox promised nothing

would happen to you.

What did you

promise him?

I'll be back.

When you turn around,

keep your arms

straight out from the body.

I told you the next time

I saw you, Id kill you.

I knew nothing

about Dekker.

So you said.

It's true.

I just wanted you

to know.

You ride for Bronson?

Yeah,

I ride for him.

Does he send

you out to do

his killing?

No. And he didn't

send me out here

this morning,

neither.

You just took it

upon yourself.

What for,

a pat on the head?

You killed

Harvey Stenbaugh.

You got a bad memory, son.

Stenbaugh had it

in mind to kill me.

He didn't have a chance.

You don't even care,

do you, Maddox?

No.

No, I don't care.

You say he didn't

have a chance.

He went for

his gun first.

When he does that,

he uses up

all his chances.

Do I have to keep

my arms up here...

till I say different.

You liked Stenbaugh?

Well, then

Im sorry, Crowe,

but he had

a lot of chances.

He didn't have to come

into town that morning.

He didn't have

to cross the street

and push it

to a shooting.

He could've

given himself up.

You wouldn't have

done no different.

You're wrong.

I wouldn't put living

down on cheap pride.

You can drop

your arms.

Still planning on

trying to kill me?

I don't know.

But I ain't

afraid of you.

I never said you were.

Any fish in that stream?

Some natives

and some bullheads.

Hungry?

I didn't come out here...

having breakfast

ain't gonna make

us friends.

You got another line?

In the saddlebag.

Ryan thinks

you're pretty good.

Says you could've killed me

any time you wanted to.

I say different.

I think Im faster.

You asking me

who's faster

or whether I could

kill you if I chose to?

Because

if it's the second,

the answer is yes.

You're pretty damn sure.

I'm pretty damn sure.

You think it's a game,

don't you?

A contest

between gentlemen.

You ever kill

a man, Crowe?

You're a cowman.

You carry a side-gun

for protection.

Snakes.

You learn to use it

sometimes fairly well.

Sometimes you

become really good.

But you're

still a cowman.

I'm a lawman.

You know what

a lawman is, Crowe?

He's a killer of men.

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