Maverick Page #9

MAVERICK -Rev. 8/31/93 52A. *

56 56

CONTINUED:

COOP:

I just want to see those fine

ladies get their money back.

Maverick grumbles to himself and ducks under a low

branch. Annabelle pushes it aside, snapping it back

into Coop's face. He blinks a couple of times then

moves stoically forward.

MAVERICK:

(turning to

Annabelle)

I don't split my bounty with

anybody.

ANNABELLE:

Well, I suppose sixty/forty

would be acceptable if you're

going to be recalcitrant...

Maverick and Coop do a double take on this.

MAVERICK:

'Re' --what?

ANNABELLE:

(with condescention)

Education.

MAVERICK:

(dumbfounded)

Sixty/forty! What are you gonna

do for forty percent?

ANNABELLE:

(lady-like)

I'm going to help.

At that moment Annabelle loses her footing on the trail

and lurches forward. She grabs onto Maverick, clutching

onto his gunbelt, as she tries to keep her balance.

Annabelle FIRES ONE ROUND into the ground (with his gun

still in his holster). Maverick turns and looks at her

in amazement.

ANNABELLE:

Seventy/thirty?

MAVERICK:

(getting nuts)

Excuse me, but you're not exactly

an experienced tracker!

(CONTINUED)

MAVERICK -Rev. 8/31/93 52B. *

56 CONTINUED:
(2)

ANNABELLE:

Big tracker! Follow a couple of

horse tracks. Anyone could do

that. You're not so great.

MAVERICK:

(turning)

You see that hawk over there?

ANNABELLE:

Yeah?

MAVERICK:

You know what it means when it?

ANNABELLE:

... What?

MAVERICK:

Absolutely nothing. But you

didn't know that did you?

ANNABELLE:

(beat)

I did so.

MAVERICK:

You did not.

COOP:

(breaking it up)

Children...

They turn and look at him for a beat. Annabelle glances

back at Maverick.

MAVERICK:

(quickly turning

away)

Shh...

Maverick quickly drops to the ground, putting his head

down to the earth, listening.

ANNABELLE:

Oh right! Lemme guess. You smell

a bunch of Indians off in Montana...

Beat, hooked.

MAVERICK:

(concentrating hard

now)

No. Not Indians.

(CONTINUED)

MAVERICK -Rev. 8/31/93 52C. *

56 CONTINUED:
(3) 56

Maverick rolls over to his back still listening, halfway

closing his eyes.

ANNABELLE:

(really hooked

now)

What are you doing?

MAVERICK:

(pulling his hat

over his eyes)

Just gonna take a nap here 'til

the sun goes down. We'll sneak

up on them at dark.

Annabelle fumes.

CUT TO:

57 EXT. TRACKING AREA #2 -DAY 57

Above the treetops --FOLLOW a hawk soaring across the

sky; as we PAN we reveal Maverick, on his haunches again,

studying, studying.

GROUND:

That's all it is, just dirt.

MAVERICK:

still watching it. Then he rises, whistles for his

horse, gracefully mounts.

And rides very slowly forward.

If it isn't clear by now, it should be:

lowing something.

Maverick's fol-

Who knows? Maybe he was an Indian Scout after all.

any case, this much is clear: the man has instincts

other people don't have.

In

58 EXT. TRACKING AREA #3 -WATERFALL -LATE AFTERNOON 58

Maverick, riding along, watching the terrain. The sound

of a WATERFALL GETS LOUDER as he approaches it.

--he stops ---

listens ---

no question, he's hearing something, it is FAINT

MUSIC.

He urges his horse forward, very slowly.

MAVERICK -Rev. 8/31/93 52D.

58A EXT. WATERFALL AREA -LATE AFTERNOON 58A

The terrain they're going over. Rocky again. The

HORSE'S HOOVES make sounds. Over the RUSH of the WATERFALL

Maverick hears the FAINT sound of OLD TIME MUSIC.

He quickly reins in, dismounts, moves a few steps away,

studying. Then he gives an all but inaudible WHISTLE.

HIS HORSE:

It obeys immediately, trots to him, stops.

(CONTINUED)

53.

58A CONTINUED:
58A

MAVERICK:

He ties the horse to a small tree, puts his fingers to

his lips.

MAVERICK:

(as if the horse

were human)

Shhhh --and stay that way.

HORSE:

It nods as if it understands.

MAVERICK:

MAVERICK:

(pats his horse's

head, whispers)

Ollie, if you're smarter than I

am, keep it to yourself.

HORSE:

It nods again.

MAVERICK:

59

moving slowly away.

EXT. CAMPFIRE VICINITY -POND -LATE AFTERNOON 59

*

Maverick, moving slowly forward.

He might be a shadow too --he makes no sound.

IS GROWING LOUDER.

The MUSIC

HIS SHADOW:

He moves silently forward. Slowly, without any sound ---

then he freezes.

CLOSEUP -MAVERICK

60

Staring ahead. Now -EXT.

CAMPFIRE AREA -LATE AFTERNOON 60

*

Across a pond --a campfire. Half a dozen men. They are

all six of them white. And several still have paint on

their faces and bodies.

A couple of them wash their faces in the pond. Others

dance to an old-time music box. All of them are

drinking. HOLD then -

54.

61 EXT. WAGON TRAIN -AREA #2 -DUSK 61

Maverick comes riding up. Then -COOP

(O.S.)

Bring it to a halt.

COOP:

He lies against a rock. Annabelle lies close alongside.

Maverick dismounts, moves to them.

MAVERICK:

Found 'em. Six men. Snow white.

Some of them still had paint on.

(as Coop looks

dubious)

Come with me --it's not that long

a ride, now that I know where they

are. I need someone to vouch for

what I'm saying.

ANNABELLE:

What's with you and Indians?

CLOSEUP -MAVERICK

MAVERICK:

Not a thing. Personally I think

we've spoiled them from the

beginning. We've poisoned them,

infected them, killed them --but

I say it's their fault for being

on our land before we got here.

*

*

*

*

*

*

ALL THREE:

Annabelle nods. *

*

MAVERICK:

Let's go --these guys were

drinking heavy, they're not up to

anything tonight.

ANNABELLE:

(rising along with

Coop)

This could be exciting.

COOP:

Could be dangerous, too.

ANNABELLE:

staring up at Coop.

(CONTINUED)

55. *

61 CONTINUED:
61

ANNABELLE:

Couldn't be as dangerous as being

a married woman and standing next

to the most blindingly-attractive

man on the face of the earth.

MAVERICK:

His back has been to her but it's clear to him she's

talking about him.

He turns ---

oops ---

she's looking at Coop and that's who she's been talking

to.

Maverick, embarrassed, turns away.

62 EXT. TRAIL -DUSK 62

The three of them riding in silence. Still dusk. As

they go across a small but fast stream, both Maverick and

Coop lead her horse along.

62A OMITTED 62A

63 EXT. WATERFALL -TWILIGHT 63

Their horses are tied up in the same place as Maverick

tied his before.

In the distance now, the sound of the MUSIC BOX.

THREE OF THEM:

moving in silence. The MUSIC BOX is LOUDER.

ANNABELLE:

(soft)

Could you teach me to be a great

poker player?

Now?

MAVERICK:

(stunned)

ANNABELLE:

Well, you could be dead tomorrow

and I need help.

(CONTINUED)

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