Maverick Page #3

MAVERICK:

sitting back down at the table again. This has all gone

quickly and quietly. Now he looks at The Kid.

MAVERICK:

May I suggest that from now on

you keep your mind on the game?

THE KID:

Yes. Yessir.

MAVERICK:

My deal? *

(CONTINUED)

13.

14B CONTINUED:
(4) 14B

THE ANGEL:

Not remotely afraid of Maverick.

THE ANGEL:

You say you like to play cards?

MAVERICK:

Passionately.

THE ANGEL:

How come, when you lose all the

time?

MAVERICK:

Oh, I don't lose all the time -just

the first hour or so. I like

for people to be happy.

THE ANGEL:

What happens after that?

MAVERICK:

Probably I'll win all your money.

THE ANGEL:

Aren't you a little overconfident?

MAVERICK:

No. I've just been here before.

POKER GAME BEGINNING AGAIN

And again, we see a SERIES OF VERY QUICK CUTS.

In fact, we see many of the same cuts we saw before -only

this time, Maverick doesn't lose, he wins.

The Kid holds his cards tightly. Too tightly. He makes

a bet. Maverick doubles it. The Kid folds. He was

bluffing.

The Cattleman casually makes a bet. Very casually.

Maverick doubles it. Another bluff. Maverick wins again.

Annabelle is suddenly helpless, giggling.

Maverick folds. The others bet. Annabelle wins --she

wasn't bluffing.

The Angel is guarding his cards with both huge hands. He

makes a big bet. Maverick makes a bigger one. The Angel

folds. Angrily. He was bluffing.

(CONTINUED)

14.

14B CONTINUED:
(5) 14B

The Businessman is playing with his tie. He bets.

Maverick makes a big raise. The Businessman calls. They

both have good hands. But Maverick's is better.

The Angel is bored, makes a bet looking at neither the

other players nor the pot. Maverick makes a big bet. The

Angel throws his cards down, his anger building as he was

caught in another bluff.

CLOCK:

Time is passing.

POKER GAME:

Maverick has cleaned out everybody but The Angel.

The Angel hesitates, moving the top card to the bottom,

does it again, moves the top card to the bottom ---

now he makes a bet.

Now Maverick makes a bet. A huge bet.

THE ANGEL:

scowling, staring.

MAVERICK:

Nothing shows on his face. He just waits. Then -THE

ANGEL:

He wants to bet but you can tell it in his eyes --he's

scared he's not strong enough.

MAVERICK:

The others are watching. Annabelle smiles at him. He

politely touches the rim of his hat.

THE ANGEL:

he hurls his cards to the table. Maverick wins.

MAVERICK:

putting his cards face down, starting to collect the pot.

THE ANGEL:

suddenly reaching out, grabbing Maverick's cards,

turning them over -(

CONTINUED)

15.

14B CONTINUED:
(6) 14B

MAVERICK'S CARDS

He has sh*t. Not even a pair. This time he was bluffing.

THE ANGEL:

on his feet with a roar -THE

ANGEL:

You said you never bluffed!

MAVERICK:

(very calm,

collecting the pot)

No, I said I never cheated, and I

don't. I also said I hardly ever

bluffed. This was one of the

'hardlys.'

THE ANGEL:

You cheated the whole goddam game.

MAVERICK:

What do you think I was doing

that first hour? Learning your

'tells,' that's all. Once I could

read your hands, once I could read

you -(

shrugs)

--things just kind of worked out.

THE ANGEL:

I just called you a 'cheat.'

MAVERICK:

You also called me gutless.

figured you were teasing -I

THE ANGEL:

blind mad. He reaches his huge arms across, starts to

grab Maverick.

*

15 INT. CRYSTAL PALACE -NIGHT 15

FOUR UNSHAVEN BIG MEN bursting through the front door of

the place, the LEAD GUY has his gun drawn -LEAD

GUY:

(to The Angel)

Get away from him --we get him

first -(

CONTINUED)

16.

15

CONTINUED:
15

MAVERICK:

and he's not so casual now. His eyes flick around,

looking for a place to move.

FOUR UNSHAVEN BIG MEN

Three of them fanning out behind the Lead Guy, blocking

anyplace Maverick might go.

LEAD GUY:

I spotted ya through the window

and it made me believe in The

Almighty.

MAVERICK:

You fellas were drinking, you

played bad, whose fault is that?

LEAD GUY:

Yours, bastard --everything is

your fault.

(beat)

But it's our time come now.

They advance.

MAVERICK:

suddenly vaulting the card table, heading for the

swinging front doors -FOUR

GUYS:

and for just a moment they're surprised.

MAVERICK:

taking advantage of the moment, sprinting away and -FOUR

realizing now, turning, starting after him and -MAVERICK

blasting through the swinging doors and outside and -THE

ANGEL AND ANNABELLE

out onto the saloon's porch to watch.

FOUR GUYS:

bolting from the bar and as they leave -

CUT TO:

MAVERICK -Rev. 11/15/93 17.

16 EXT. CRYSTAL RIVER -MAIN STREET -MAVERICK -NIGHT 16

outside, racing away ---

and then he does a surprising thing: He stops.

THE ANGEL AND ANNABELLE AND THE OTHERS

rivited.

FOUR GUYS:

outside --they stop too.

MAVERICK:

He turns now, turns to face them.

THE ANGEL AND OTHERS

watching as the Four Guys stare at Maverick, wary, ready

for anything.

MAVERICK:

MAVERICK:

Hey, son. Take this. If they

get to whooping me, just shoot me.

Take care of this and make sure it

doesn't get dirty.

*

*

*

*

*

And now he does something else surprising. He takes off

his gun belt and his coat and gives them to the boys. *

FOUR GUYS:

Three of them look to the Lead Guy.

his gun belt too.

He hesitates, drops

THE ANGEL:

watching. *

And now the Four Men begin to move slowly toward Maverick.

MAVERICK:

Four of them and all of them dangerous, four of them

coming closer in the night.

And now he does the most surprising thing of all:

He charges them.

(CONTINUED)

MAVERICK -Rev. 11/15/93 17A.

16 CONTINUED:
16

FOUR GUYS -THE LEAD GUY *

cracks whip. *

LEAD GUY:

You gamblin' scum. I'm gonna cut

you up.

*

*

*

They're surprised and then -*

MAVERICK:

as he just explodes -(

CONTINUED)

18.

16 CONTINUED:
16

--because if he was fast when he drew his gun, he's

faster in a fight --faster and fearless and as he wades

in -

ANNABELLE:

watching. Eyes bright.

THE ANGEL:

watching, stunned at what he's seeing out there in the

night, and -MAVERICK

spinning, throwing an elbow into the gut of the nearest

big man. The blow connects perfectly and the Guy starts

to double over, his knees weak, and he falls.

SECOND BIG MAN:

swinging viciously and he knows how to use his fists ---

but he's slow, too slow.

MAVERICK:

ducking the blow, coming up with a punch of his own that

lands on the side of the jaw and the guy staggers back

and down.

THE KID:

watching and probably he's never seen anything like this,

one guy attacking four.

THE ANGEL:

and for just a moment now, as he stares out almost in

disbelief, there's something new behind his eyes: Fear.

MAVERICK:

leaving his feet, kicking out with both legs at the third

guy, crunching him in the chest, sending him careening

back, cartwheeling to earth.

LEAD GUY:

diving at Maverick from behind, and for a moment he's

got him, his arms tight around Maverick.

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