Monte Walsh

Monte.

How nice.

- Another five dollars.

- Yeah.

Did you ever know

Big Joe Abernathy?

No.

Well, he used to wrestle with wolves.

Well, I never seen him do it,

but I heard tell, and I knew Joe.

What are you waiting for?

I wonder

how you would wrestle a wolf.

Jesus.

Hey, hey!

Monte, Chet.

- Howdy, Mr. Brennan.

- Howdy, boy.

Hey, what's going on?

Winter's wiped out all the ranches.

It was a rotten winter,

I'll grant you that.

- Including the Cross Bar?

- Yep.

Oh, uh, Old Man Hendricks

did leave you boys some pay though.

That's good news.

There you are.

This is one month's pay?

We were up there all winter.

Plus $10 for the two wolves.

Well, he could have left us nothing.

Come on, Chet.

- Can I buy you a drink, Mr. Brennan?

- Not now.

I'll buy you boys a drink later.

- I'd like to talk to you.

- We're just gonna...

What are all these boys

doing in town?

They're looking for work.

Uh...

Let's talk on the way

to the stables, huh?

Something happened

to the Slash Y?

It's gone.

A big company called

Consolidated Cattle bought me

and all the others out.

Hey, who are they?

Oh, mostly accountants,

as far as I can make out.

Accountants?

Yeah, with big eastern money.

They asked me to stay on

and run it for them.

Range manager, they call it.

They wanna keep one spread running

while they decide what to do

with the rest of their holdings.

- Are you gonna do it?

- Yeah, I reckon so.

They...

They're putting up all the capital,

that's what they call it.

You know,

they never mentioned money once.

Why should they?

- Cowhands are a dime a dozen.

- A nickel.

Yeah, I know that,

but I'm trying to build up something.

Something kind of special like.

And I guess

I'll be in the position to offer you

what you might call a regular job.

How that sound to you?

- Great.

- Awful.

If you've been doing any traveling,

you know work's kind of hard

to come by, Monte.

That's the way it should be.

You ought to think real hard

about taking my offer.

Ain't much work anywhere.

Well, it don't take any real hard

thinking on my part, Mr. Brennan.

You can count me in.

How about you, Monte?

Well, I ain't doing nothing

I can't do from a horse.

Mr. Brennan.

See you boys at Slash Y.

What the hell are you being

so damn choosy about?

You wanna ride

your tail off up in Wyoming

or the Dakotas

scrounging for work?

Come on.

Mm.

You had your hair cut.

It's been a long winter.

I didn't wanna waste my time

with any extras.

Let's slow it up a little bit.

Wouldn't do for Mr. Brennan

to think we was too anxious.

Howdy, boys.

Howdy, Mr. Brennan.

Howdy, Chet, Monte.

How's the grub, Sunfish?

Grub's fine, Monte.

The cook's Skimpy Eagans.

Wait till they get

a whiff of old Skimp.

Hi.

Hey.

My name's Sugar, Sugar Wyman.

Monte Walsh.

This here is Chet Rollins.

- Hi.

- Yeah, I heard of you.

Hey, Chet.

Lookie what Mr. Brennan found.

You a good cook, Skimp.

Thank you, Sunfish. Ha, ha.

There you are.

Boy, get a whiff of that smell.

Good, huh?

Hey, Monte. Ha-ha-ha.

- Howdy.

- Howdy.

Howdy.

Hi.

Hi, Sug, how's the leg? Sunfish.

All right.

Along, I've been getting along.

Say, uh, Mr. Walsh,

Mr. Brennan figures he's got his self

the best bronc buster in the territory.

What do you got to say about that?

Well, he better

take good care of him.

Who is it?

Why, Mr. Shorty Austin, of course.

That's all according

to what you mean by bronc busting.

Well, I'll allow,

as I seen Shorty kill a few.

But then again I always figured

it was kinder to shoot a horse

than it was to ride him to death.

- Ain't you hungry?

- No, I think I'm too tired to eat.

Oh, well, now, not eating

is what makes you tired, you know?

I know, but he sure can cook.

Smart dog.

Now then, Mr. Walsh,

where was you before you was here?

Oh, we was up at the Cross Bar.

How was the cook?

- Nothing like you.

- Amen.

Heh. Ha, you see? Ha-ha-ha.

I ain't used to going to sleep hungry.

When you're starving, you'll eat.

Can't somebody tell him?

Tell a cook? You know better than that.

Well, there's only one thing

we can do.

Mr. Brennan!

Come on, Skimpy.

Come on. Come on.

Playful, ain't he?

So you're the bronc buster, huh?

You must really be living out here.

I've busted everything so far

except this here gray,

and you can have him for a pet

when I get finished.

You think I'll live that long?

- Hey, you want me to take him now?

- Not likely.

Well, if you change your mind.

He don't even want the saddle.

- He's something, huh?

- Yeah.

Think he's too much horse

for you, Shorty?

Well, I'm the only one

who's gonna find that out.

Hey,

if that wagon's too much for you,

I can get you Brennan's rocking chair

to ride, huh?

Hyah! Hey.

Whoa. Whoa!

- Howdy.

- Howdy.

- Where do you want it?

- Drop one roll here.

Take the rest up the line.

The boys say you rode with, uh,

General Hooker during the war.

That's right.

Took his name too.

Fightin' Joe Hooker. That's me.

I had me a good life.

You know, I was charging

with the general in '63.

When he led

the Army of the Cumberland.

At the Missionary Ridge.

I had a good life.

Anything more we can do for you?

Nope.

- So long.

- So long.

Ah. Aha.

Looks like his life is over with.

Might as well be, riding fence.

What's the matter, Monte?

Brennan's mustangs.

They ain't Brennan's.

They belong to them accountants.

"Shipped and sold,"

Consolidated says.

Brennan's got no choice.

There's a job to be done.

Hyah, hyah!

Crazy animals,

they don't wanna be herded.

Sonny, Shorty,

get around in front of them.

Hyah!

Shorty's in trouble.

You ain't going nowhere! You either!

Hoo! Ha!

You're gonna break a leg someday

doing that.

- I got two.

- Hyah!

Oh, hey.

We did it.

You goddamn accountants,

we did it.

- Hey, Monte, can you do that?

- Why, sure.

Well, then let's see you do it.

Well, I just did.

What are you talking about? I...

You got off your horse,

I got off my horse.

You're standing on the ground,

I'm standing on the ground.

Ain't that right, Chet?

I guess we all did it, Shorty.

Take the horses in, Shorty.

Ha, ha. Come on. Let's go.

Good afternoon, Mrs. Eagle.

Good afternoon, Mr. Rollins.

Who's behind?

The hardware widow.

Sure wouldn't mind

hammering a nail into that.

You mind your tongue.

What'd I say?

Ain't you ever read the Bible?

Well, I don't remember reading

nothing about hardware widows in it.

I'm going to the music hall

and have a drink.

Chet, what does it say in the Bible

about hardware widows?

To treat them kindly.

Well, maybe hammering a nail

into the hardware widow

would be the kindest thing

in world for her, huh?

Howdy.

Excuse me.

Sit in for me, Chet, huh?

Hi, countess.

I can't believe it.

Where have you been?

Now, Martine,

don't tell me you've missed me.

Ah. You need a haircut.

Yeah.

Well, what are we waiting for?

You know, let's go.

You haven't changed much,

have you?

- "What are we waiting for? Let's go."

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