Rooster Cogburn Page #6

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Get the horses.

Good work, Wolf.

You bought us some time.

Wolf, gimme a hand.

You folks runnin' from somethin'

or to somethin'? - Both.

Are you goin' across?

- We aim to use your raft.

Show of money before passage.

I'm Rooster J. Cogburn,

Federal Marshal.

The men I'm stalking are hot

on my tail and I'm gonna need help.

Give this woman and boy sanctuary.

If I wanted women and children

I'd have my own.

They ain't nothin' but trouble.

Don't saddle me with your discards.

You ain't very hospitable.

I ain't got an ounce of goodwill.

I hate everybody.

I'm a cantankerous old man

and I know it.

I like myself better'n anyone else.

That's why I took this job.

Watch that nitro.

- What?

Tell me if you want to cross.

I can't stay out in this heat.

The sun is fryin' my brains.

I can only get this stuff

down to Sulfur Bottom by river.

What do I do with you two?

Too risky to leave you here.

Maybe I can land you

someplace before the shootin' starts.

Old man?

- Are you goin' across?

No.

We're goin' down river.

We're loanin' the raft.

That ain't loanin', that's stealin'.

Am I gonna have trouble? - Not a bit,

as long as you got that.

I'm securin' this for the law.

I ain't got much use for the law.

It ain't got use for me, neither.

Is there a law says you can't help us?

- Anything to get you out of here.

There you are.

Do you know anything about rafts?

There's rough water down river.

I can ride. Can't be much different.

You ain't no sailor. I can see that.

Water is like a woman:

sly and fickle.

You gotta watch it every minute.

You a sailor? - I was once.

Shanghai McCoy's my name.

Been around the Horn,

sailed the 7 seas,

seen everything, done everything,

that's how I know people are rotten.

I've seen 'em all.

You're wrong, old man.

We're made in God's image,

and goodness is in us. Even in you.

Amazing'!

I never took you for a Bible-thumper.

Hold it. She is what she is

'cause she wants to be.

That's the way you take her. Like me.

You're wastin' your time preachin'.

You too, Sister.

I'm a ship that can't be salvaged.

- "With God, all things are possible."

You're shippin' out

a strange crew, captain.

I'll match their mettle against most.

- I'm glad it's your ship, not mine.

Women can no more keep their mouths

shut than a yellow-tailed catfish.

Got to agree with you there.

We'll ride ahead

and take 'em at the narrows. Breed.

You and Luke river-trail 'em.

Join us at the narrows,

just ahead of 'em.

Hold your course.

Keep the rudder amidships

when you hit that white water.

Nobody ever

shot them rapids on a raft before.

You just take care of my horses,

Commodore. I'll be back for 'em.

Don't crack up my vessel

on them rocks, you hear me?

It's so lovely here.

I wish we could

sail right on down to the sea.

Right now, Webber Falls

would be more to my liking.

We'll get there tomorrow.

With the Good Lord's help.

Would you really have killed

those men with the Gatling gun?

They believed I would. In a pinch

a convincin' lie's as good as a posse.

Tell me more about the outlaws

and how you bested them.

If you gentlemen will excuse me,

I'll go have a little sleep.

I've had enough of your

daring-do for one day.

You ever heard of Abilene Town?

- No.

I was there lookin' for

a bunco-steerer named 21-Jewel Slim.

That Abilene is the worst place

I have ever saw.

It is a sink of crime.

I was standin' on Horse Thief Corner

when Prairie Rose came down the street

with nothin' on but her six-guns.

She was stark naked

and painted... - Wolf!

Stop poling and get some rest.

You've got to spell Marshal Cogburn

tonight. - Yes, Ma'am.

What color was she painted, Reuben?

Breed, ain't no love lost

between you and Hawk, or him and me.

If you was willing

to quit him now and join up with me.

I think we could take the raft

and be rich men instead of dead ones.

You game?

Maybe.

What's your plan?

Come on, I'll show you.

We lay the rope under the water,

so they don't see it.

When they get up to it,

it'll stretch tight and stop 'em.

Old Rooster,

he'll want to cut the rope,

or stretch it up

and float the raft underneath.

That's when I get a good shot at him,

without a chance of blowing the nitro.

You kill the other two.

We'll land the cargo later.

What makes you think this will work?

- It'll work, partner.

Now what?

Take this tiller, Wolf.

What's holdin' us up?

Rooster, cut it loose.

Breed?

- Yeah. Saved my life once.

Now we're even.

- Grateful to you.

Hawk's waitin' for you down river.

Can't help you there.

Well, we'll be ready for him.

Someone's comin'.

It's me, Hawk.

What the Hell you doin' here?

Where's Luke?

Dead. We shot it out with Rooster.

Luke lost.

I said track him, not take him.

What happened? - Tried to stop

the raft with a rope across the river.

Rooster cut it and got away.

We gun-fought him, but...

Hell, Hawk,

he's just too good for us.

Let me see your gun.

You don't want my gun.

Oh, yes I do.

You know,

Breed here, he gun-fought

old Rooster with just one bullet.

You're a liar, Breed.

I owed him one.

I wish this thing had

a little more giddy-up to it.

I picked blackberries, Reuben.

Would you like some?

No, not for me. I have to be careful.

I can't just eat anything. Get colic.

'Course, my mouth is slickerin'

for one thing:

Chen Lee's corn bread, fried

in a big ladle of coon meat grease.

Yes. Well, when we get to Fort Smith,

I'd like to get Mr. Lee's recipe.

Will we get back, Reuben?

The odds are the same.

They ain't in our favor.

When you drop us off

at Webber's Falls, and go after them,

you will be careful, won't you?

Wolf and I care about you, very much.

Well, Ma'am...

I don't know much about thoroughbreds,

horses or women.

Them that I did know,

I never liked.

They're too nervous and spooky.

They scare me.

But you're

one high-bred filly that don't.

I don't know what you're talkin' about

half the time, but that don't matter.

Bein' around you pleases me.

Those are the nicest words

ever said to me. Thank you, Reuben.

Wolf,

I'll spell ya.

We got you now, Rooster.

Throw your guns in the water,

pull ashore, keep your hands high.

And don't try nothin', or you're dead.

That's a rattlesnake's warnin', Hawk.

You squat-assassin.

Your schemin' ain't gonna help now.

Don't you rely on it,

Hawk. Don't rely on it.

That'll keep their heads down.

There's one.

Don't hit the nitro.

Shoot wide. Force 'em into the bank.

Them rapids'll get him now.

No. I will.

The Lord is with us.

So's that current.

If He owes you any favors,

now's the time to collect.

Get out of the way, Wolf.

Alright, brace yourself.

God help us. - If He does,

I'll give up drinkin'.

The gun.

It went over, we've lost the gun.

- What the Hell can I do about it?

Watch it there, Sister.

Hold tight.

Oh, no!

You alright, Sister?

- I don't know.

Am I alright?

How did we do it?

Your friend must've been on the job.

I guess he must've.

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