Rooster Cogburn Page #5

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Bagbsy's gun

pulls to the left as it fires,

and the site is off a little.

But it's a beauty.

Son, we been outclassed.

- We got a mixed bag, owl and 'possum.

Put them in the pot.

We'll have wilderness stew.

You shot 'em, skin 'em.

Did you ever come up against

Jesse James or Billy the Kid?

Naw, I never ran into them fellows.

Did I ever tell how Lucky Ned Pepper

and his gang chased me?

No. I'd like to hear about it.

- Ayah. Tell us.

That was somethin'.

They chased me till I got tired of it,

then I just whirled my horse, Bo,

around, took the reins in my teeth

and rid right at them villains.

I was shootin' my pistol with one hand

and my Winchester with the other.

Never took aim.

Just snap-shot and got 'em all.

Marshal, are you sure you're not

stretching the blanket a bit?

I was thinkin' you'd figure that way.

So I told it gospel.

Proof is, I'm here, their dead.

One sad thing that day.

Lost old Bo.

Marshal, would you like more to eat?

Naw, I don't think so.

I'm full, but one thing I could stand:

I'd pay 3 dollars

for a pickled buffalo tongue.

I'd have thought you'd had

enough pickled tongue for one day.

No. But I've had enough tongue

that's barbed and indigestible.

I know. It often is.

Well, Sister, how do you stand

on the sin of tobacco?

Well, I know of no passage

to prove it,

but I'm certain

that the Good Lord smokes fine cigars.

Hallelujah.

Marshal, is your eye bothering you?

I could sooth it with a poultice.

No, thanks, Ma'am. It's past help.

- Was it a hunting accident, Marshal?

You might say that. Huntin' Yankees.

I lost it in the war, riding with

Bill Anderson and Captain Quantrill.

Times have sure changed.

Now I'm workin' for a damned Yankee.

But you're still hunting, sir.

I guess I like Marshalin' better'n

anything I've done since the war.

I like buffalo huntin',

but them big shaggies is almost gone.

Damn shame.

I was skinnin' buffalo

at Yellow Horse Creek, Texas.

Pay was great, but I couldn't

stand that open country.

I'll bet there weren't

I love the freedom of the open

prairies. You love your freedom too.

Yeah, yeah. I went off it once.

But my wife and l

are travelin' different roads now.

She didn't like my friends,

she didn't like me when I was myself.

My drinkin' picked up,

she got a bellyful of it and left.

Now I'm livin' happily

with my cat, General Sterling Price,

and my friend Chen Lee,

the Chinaman. They let a man be.

Be what, Marshal?

Be his self. He don't have to change.

But change is progress. You're not

too old to change. Life is a school.

Well, teacher, don't start

pressin' your dress for my graduation.

'Cause I intend to stay

in my own low class, indefinitely.

May I have more 'possum stew?

- Opossum. An American marsupial.

Wolf, give me

some of that owl meat.

It might make me smart.

A wise old owl sat on an oak,

the more he heard, the less he spoke.

The less he spoke, the more he heard.

Now, wasn't that a wise old bird.

I guess there's

a lesson in that for me. For us both.

How many miles did we

ride today? - About 20.

It feels like more than that.

- Wait a minute. Maybe I can help.

That feels good.

I'll bet your backside

hurts worse than anything.

Ayah, well,

we can't do anything about that.

Well, I reckon not.

Better.

The layin' on of the hands.

How do you happen to know that?

What I know

might surprise you, Sister.

Nothing about you would surprise me.

Just a minute, Sister,

I'll put my lariat around your bed,

then the night crawlers

and snakes will respect it.

Is it true,

that they won't crawl over a rope?

I ain't gonna say it's true

or it ain't true. But it's comfortin'.

Thank you, Reuben.

The Good Book says, "Let not the sun

go down on thy wrath."

I'm glad it didn't.

Goodnight, Sister.

Goodnight, Reuben.

- Wolf, give me a hand.

Goodnight, Ma'am.

- Goodnight, Wolf.

This Gatling gun is a little heavy.

Set this up for your protection,

in case them cut-throats do come.

We'll still have an advantage.

A little chilly. I guess

we'd better stand guard tonight

over there across the creek.

You take the first watch,

and I'll spell you around midnight.

You got the pepperbox?

- Right here.

Don't use it unless you have to.

Any trouble, give that coyote howl

and high-tail it back here to camp.

That big flat rock on the side

is a good place for a look-out.

Sir?

- Yeah?

Has there ever been an Indian Marshal?

Not that I heard tell of.

- That's what I'd like to be.

A man like you.

You're not aimin'

your sites very high, son.

But if you'd like to follow in

my tracks, I'd be proud to help you.

Thank you, sir.

Goodnight, son.

- Goodnight, sir.

Reuben.

Have you seen an enlarged picture

of a drunkard's liver?

Damnation.

Even in their sleep?

Goodnight, Miss Goodnight.

Goodnight, Reuben.

Bring him.

Spread out.

Marshal.

Stay down.

Where are ya, Wolf?

I got him, Rooster.

That you, Hawk?

- You know it is.

You're interested in the wagon?

- You let that boy go.

Stay down.

I will let him go,

when you give me back that wagon.

Breed, you there?

- I'm here, Rooster.

You alright? - I'm alright.

You're the one with a little trouble.

I want that wagon.

You ain't goin' nowhere with it.

Give it to me, or the Indian boy dies.

Then I'll blow up this wagon.

And hunt down every one of you

and cut you throat to throat.

Alright, I'll trade

that damn wagon for the boy,

if he ain't harmed.

Leroy,

show 'em the bait.

When they lower their guns,

rush 'em. Shoot to kill.

Alright, bring him across.

We'll stand aside.

Marshal, it's a trick.

They're gonna kill you.

Hold your fire.

Nice work, boy.

Here, Sister, give Wolf the rifle.

You may have the boy now, but

nobody moves till we get what's ours.

I got a pretty good position here,

and some mean deputies.

You're a liar, Rooster.

You ain't got no posse.

Well, I got a Gatling gun.

And I got it set up.

You've got 2 minutes to run, or I'll

fill you full of holes like a sieve.

You ain't got

the know-how to use that gun.

Deputy, show 'em.

Ain't that the way it works, Hawk?

Now, high-tail it before I forget

my promise to bring you in alive.

That was good, Rooster.

But the odds will change at sun-up.

Spread out. When he moves it

in the morning, we'll make our play.

Wolf, did you see their horses?

- Yes, sir, up there.

Can you get back up there

and spook 'em? - I can, sir. - Good.

You're risking the boy's life.

I'm countin' on your relationship

with the Lord. Can you hitch a team?

Yes, I can.

I'll get there attention over there.

Hitch the team and saddle the horses.

Yes.

Hawk, you there?

- Ready to deal, Rooster?

I'll give you a last chance

to give yourself up.

Wait till daylight.

We'll see who's ready to give up.

I'll get you a fair trial

and a fine hanging.

Might even get you

life at the Federal House in Detroit.

They'll teach you to read and write.

'Course the rest ain't so good.

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