Man Without a Star Page #5

And I'll tell you

something else I know.

It's about a kid with

a gun, who was with me

the first time I

met up with barb wire.

He was just about your age

when he got himself killed!

He looked a lot like you, too.

Except his tooth was

broken, about right here.

I was teaching him to twirl a gun,

the barrel came around and

hit him right across the mouth.

I laughed at him and

he took a punch at me.

He can punch good too.

Sit down.

- He was your brother, huh?

- Yeah.

You know, we had

a big spread in Texas.

It's all open range.

Then they brought in the wire.

When the wire comes in,

there's fighting and killing.

But this time we're going away.

You get the word back to pack,

taking my clean shirt up.

I'll collect our wages and

we'll have a big night in town,

and drift north in the morning.

Get it, kid.

Oh, one thing more.

Next time you hit me, use your fist.

No man ever slaps me.

- Anybody home?

- Who is it?

- Me, Dempsey!

- Come in.

- Where are you?

- In here.

I'll be with you in just a minute.

If you're embarrassed,

you can wait in the other room.

If I'm not?

It's still a good idea.

Go on, make yourself

comfortable. I won't be long.

Help yourself.

Thanks.

Later perhaps.

- Quite a bathtub you got there.

- You're welcomed to use it anytime.

Well, it better be quick,

I'm quitting.

- Really?

- Yeah.

Why? Is it because

you're afraid of Cassidy?

Yeah, I'm afraid.

- Of what?

- Of Cassidy.

Come on now,

you know that's a lie.

But you are afraid of something.

Yeah.

Now, I'm afraid of you.

Now, can I have my wages?

If that's the way you feel about it,

how much do I have coming to you?

Why don't you look in the book?

I don't have to look in the book,

I can still remember what you wrote.

Well?

So you came here to collect.

Just how far would

you go to keep a foreman?

Well, I might even marry him.

Oh, slap the trying lion, on his rump.

By the way, when you see Strap,

when you tell him

he's no longer foreman.

- I'm not gonna do that.

- Why?

- Cause I won't be seeing him.

- Of course you will.

Well, you'll be putting their herd

down on Little River and when you...

Uh Mmm.

Well, I thought we agreed that you...

You agreed that I was going to

put your cattle on Cassidy's grass.

All I agreed to do was let

you make a fool of yourself.

How low can a man get.

I wouldn't know about a man.

But I've just seen how low a

woman will go to get what she wants.

Now, you don't look good.

- And you're leaving?

- Yeah, taking the kid with me, too.

You know, Steve Miles

is your kind of man.

You pay him the right wages

and he'll do your killing.

Speaking of wages,

you still haven't collected yours.

Haven't I?

Tex!

Hey Tex!

Tex?

Hey, where is Texas?

Well, he has been in and out

of here a couple of times.

Wonder where he can be?

Maybe he got tired of waiting

for you and rode into town.

Yeah, maybe he did.

Well, take care of

yourself, little Waco.

Yeah, same to you, Demps.

- Keep by the wire!

- Good riding!

So long, Boss!

Let's dance, Dempsey.

- I'm the happiest man in town!

- What are you so happy about?

- On account that I'm leaving tonight.

- And whose gonna pay for the whiskey?

Oh, set him up, Duckbill,

He's leaving without his saddle.

Oh, oh. New girl in town.

- That must be the one.

- Who?

That Triangle gal.

What would you like to drink?

I'll get it for you.

Anything you do.

- Tex, why did you bring her here?

- Any reason, why I shouldn't?

All right. Take her a drink

and let's get out of here.

I've waited for you,

now you can wait for me.

- Learns fast, huh.

- Two whiskeys.

You know we don't

serve ladies in here.

Duckbill, give me that again?

You know what I mean.

- Not them kind of ladies.

- What kind of ladies?

And don't you give me no

trouble, what was it you wanted?

- One whisky and a sarsaparilla.

- I said two whiskeys!

- Water on the side.

- Where am I supposed to get the water?

Water.

Duckbill, you get the water down

on Little River, they got plenty.

Don't send Dempsey.

He's scared of wire.

What did you say, pig face?

I said you're afraid of wire.

You're leaving tonight, remember?

She's right.

I don't want to fight you.

I was under the prairie moon,

whistling a lonesome tune

when my roving eye came to sight her

And my heart grow lighter and lighter

and the moon grow brighter and brighter.

When I told her that she was swell,

she said you're swell as well.

I just don't know who was politer.

Then my arms just seem to invite her

and the moon grew brighter and brighter.

So I rounded up some kisses to delight her

and she roped me tighter and tighter

and the moon grew brighter and brighter.

Talked about her eyes are blue,

talked about the preacher too.

Twas the preacher talk

that seem to dynamite me.

She said she could tie

the knot and tie it tightly.

And the moon grew brightly and brightly.

And brightly and brightly.

Another round again,

Duckbill, drinks for everybody!

You know honey, looks like you're

gonna leave town without your boots, too.

Come on, pretty girl, I'm going

to buy the next dance with you.

- Please.

- Let her alone.

What did you say, kid?

I said get your dirty

hands off the lady.

It's way past sonny's bedtime.

Get your hands off her!

He asked for it, Demps.

And you gave it to him.

Why you little killer.

Why, you...!

Ow!

So you learned how to kill.

And you like it, huh.

He had good teacher.

We're leaving, you and me.

But you had to use a kid to square it.

Come on.

Dempsey, wait!

Who's playing with this?

It's mine.

- What's your story?

- Self-defense.

I'll go along with that.

He was one of my men.

All right, but don't

leave town till I tell you.

If you want him

he'll be out at the ranch.

- And I'll go with bail.

- All right, Miss Bowman.

Jeff, take me home.

Yeah, trot along with her, kid.

I'm not a kid.

Oh that's right, Texas.

You've grown real tall.

And tonight you killed two men.

The first time was on your own.

But you needed the help of

an alley cat to kill the second.

Take him up there and bury him.

- Who was it this time?

- Tom McCloud.

- We found him up on Caspers Ridge.

- Leave any signs?

The thugs never leave any signs.

Well, we're right back

where we were last week.

Except there's another man dead, and

they've torn down the rest of our wire.

- They, who's they?

- Steve Miles and his crowd.

Aren't you going to do anything?

Yes, I'm going to ride

out and have a talk.

Could be some of the decent boys

might know something about this.

You still got Little Waco and Fancy

Joe and some of the others out there.

- Not anymore, they ain't. They quit.

- Why not sign them on?

Well, they ain't gunfighters, John,

they're working collar hands.

Why they ain't no ten of them could

stand up to one of that bunch from Texas.

Besides I wouldn't ask them to.

You sign them on.

Let them start stringing wire.

I'll ride out and see

they don't get hurt.

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