Red River Page #3

- [ Matt ] I told you we'd stop--

- I heard you.

Well, Mr. Meeker?

Maybe I should introduce you two

before you--

- [ Matt ] Who are you?

- Some call me one thing, some another.

- What do they call you most?

- By my name, Cherry Valance.

- Of Val Verde?

- Val Verde way.

- We've heard of you.

- Thanks.

They say you're good with a gun.

How good?

-I manage to stay alive.

-[ Matt ] You've been doing pretty good.

- Still want to stop us?

- Yeah.

Well, Mr. Meeker,

what do you say?

At one time, I would have said yes.

But now-- Look, Tom.

- Everything I've got--

- Yeah, I know. Me too.

We rounded up some of yours, Diego's

and everybody else's around here.

And?

I haven't got the time

or inclination to cut them out.

I'll drive them to Missouri and give you

two dollars a head when I get back.

- And if you don't get back?

- That's your gamble.

I reckon it is. Not a bad one either.

All right, suits me.

Mr. Meeker, I changed my mind

about working with you.

Can you use another hand?

- We're full up.

- I'd like to go with you to Missouri.

- I told you--

- I heard you. I care to go along.

Might find it harder to stay alive

along the Missouri border.

I might at that.

Wages are $10 a month.

Triple if the steers

bring $15 at the railroad.

- We lose the herd, you lose your wages.

- Fair enough.

All right, good luck.

Good-bye, Mr. Meeker.

- Take care of him, Matt.

- Sure.

I take it I'm hired.

You're hired.

Brand them all.

Everything that can walk.

Yes, sir!

Brand them all, boys! Get going!

You ought to stick around

back there.

- What for?

- See the shooting.

- You reckon they're going to fight?

- Not yet.

They'll just paw at each other,

find out what they're up against.

Worth seeing.

Could be.

Let's give 'em a hand here.

Sure. That's a good-looking gun you were

about to use back there. Can I see it?

Maybe you'd like to see mine.

Nice. Awful nice.

There are only two things

more beautiful than a good gun.

A Swiss watch

or a woman from anywhere.

You ever had a good Swiss watch?

Go ahead. Try it.

Hey, that's very good.

Hey, hey, that's good too.

Go on. Keep it going.

Yeah, now I know who you'd be.

- You'd be Matthew Garth, wouldn't you?

- That's right.

You're as good

as they say you are.

Maybe as good as me.

That puts two of us

at the head of the list.

I'd leave room for a third.

- Yeah? Who?

- Dunson.

- Is he that good?

- He taught me.

- How are you doing?

- What was all that shooting?

That shooting was two of the best men

with a gun anybody had ever seen.

- Who?

- Matt and Cherry Valance.

- From Val Verde?

- Yeah.

- What happened?

- They was having some fun.

Peculiar kind of fun.

Sizing each other up for the future.

Them two is gonna tangle for certain.

When they do, it ain't gonna be pretty.

They got a thousand miles

to do it in.

- How much flour you got?

- Twenty-eight.

- Beans?

- Twelve.

- Plenty sugar?

- Yeah.

You know, Bunk, I always

figured Matt was better--

I could take that personal.

Yeah, and I could take the end

of your nose off just as easy.

Man of your age stealing sugar.

Go on. Get the rest of that stuff.

All right, Pop.

Lapping up sugar

before we even started--

## [ Cowboy Singing ]

- Hiya, Matt.

- Hi.

- Your bet, Teeler.

- Check.

- Quo?

- Me bet one silver dollar.

One silver dollar?

Why, that's three days' pay.

Bet one silver dollar.

Put up or keep face closed.

"Keep face closed"?

Why don't you talk English?

- That's too much for me.

- What about you, Groot?

Look at him. Anything I hate's

a happy Injun. Look at that gaping puss.

How's a body to tell

when an Injun's running a bluff?

- Think he's bluffing.

- Will you call or fold?

Matt, how about loaning me

a silver dollar?

- No.

- Why not?

- Is it table stakes?

- Yeah.

Quo's right. You bet what you've

got on the table. That's all.

Doggone, and me with a good hand

and nothing to bet.

What in bag?

The bag? Oh, them's my store teeth.

Couldn't bet them.

Now, look, Quo.

Them teeth is worth a heap

a lot more than your silver dollar.

- Got any more money?

- No.

No more money?

I'll tell you what I'll do.

I'll bet you a quarter interest

in my teeth against your silver dollar.

A half interest against your dollar.

You heard him. It's a bet.

There it is, boys. Back to back.

- Three men.

- Three men.

That Cherokee betting a silver dollar

against half interest in my teeth...

and him with a set fitting to chew the

brand off the tough end of a longhorn.

Are you going to take

a man's only set of teeth?

- I got to use them for eating.

- Come grub, you get 'em.

- What are you going to do with them?

- My name now Two Jaw Quo.

Two Jaw Quo. That's what I get

for playing with an Injun.

I've worn this hat a long time.

I'm gonna continue to wear it.

If you got any objections,

I'd like to hear them now.

- It's your hat, brother.

- You made a wise decision.

Would you be wanting

to get up now?

[ Door Opening ]

Well, we start tomorrow.

We're going to Missouri

with 10,000 head.

Most of you men have come back to Texas

from the war. You came back to nothing.

You found your homes gone,

your cattle scattered...

You found your homes gone,

your cattle scattered...

and your land stolen by carpetbaggers.

There's no money and no work, because

there's no market for beef in the South.

But there is in Missouri,

so we're going to Missouri.

- I hear tell Cumberland--

- Cumberland didn't make it.

No one else has.

That's the reason I'm here.

I want you all to know

what you're up against.

You probably already know,

but I want to make sure you do.

We got a thousand miles to go.

Ten miles a day will be good.

Fifteen will be luck.

There will be dry country,

dry wells when we get to them.

There will be wind and rain.

There's going to be Indian territory.

How bad? I don't know.

When we get to Missouri,

there will be border gangs.

It's gonna be a fight all the way,

but we'll get there.

Nobody has to come along.

I'll still have a job for you

when we get back.

But remember this: Every man who signs

on for this drive agrees to finish it.

There will be no quitting along the way,

not by me and not by you.

There's no hard feelings if you

don't want to go, but let me know now.

- M-Mr. Dunson, l--

- It's all right, Dan. Go ahead.

- My wife--

- You don't have to explain, Bill.

- Thanks. Good luck.

- Go on, Joe. Taylor.

Thank you, Mr. Dunson.

- It's all right, Dan. Go ahead.

- No, sir. I didn't mean that l--

- You mean what, Dan?

- l-l-l--

I just wanted to say

I want to go.

Fine. And the rest of you?

That means you're all

coming along. Good.

Matt here will sign you on.

We'll start at sunup.

All right, come on.

Sign your name or make your mark.

Let me sign first, Matt.

- Ready, Matthew?

- All ready.

Take 'em to Missouri, Matt.

Yee-hah!

Yee-hah!

Yah-hah!

Yee-hoo!

- Yah-hah!

- Yee-hah!

- Yippee!

- Yah-hah!

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