Sugarfoot Page #2

be on your way.

I knew this town wasn't big enough

to hold the two of us.

You're heeled. I ain't.

That makes it your day.

My day'll be comin'.

Morning, Mr Sugarfoot.

- Good morning.

Good morning.

You... Mr Sugarfoot,

you really not know me yet.

I am Wormser.

You know, because I speak Spanish

better than I speak English,

You see? I-I tell you all.

This is my store.

Will you step inside, please?

I don't want to buy anything.

- Oh, no. Oh, no.

You do not come in for buy.

For talk.

You have been in Prescott already

one whole week.

You run here, run there,

to ask questions,

and... you do not come

to Don Miguel.

Why? I...

No, come in, come in.

Pour out

If they buy, yes.

If they don't buy, also yes!

But one dram only.

It's the rule.

For one man, one dram.

Here in Arizona it is not like

where you come from.

It isn't like Alabama.

But anyway

I think you have come to stay.

I like men who have come to stay.

They will prosper.

So I say the man who comes here

must not be able to do

only one thing good,

he must do many things good.

He must be a Jacks-of-all-trade

with eyes open.

Are you advising me

not to start a plantation

but to be a Jack-of-all-trades?

Yes, but all the time learning.

Then a man who saves his money

and has learned many things,

he will be ready.

That is good advice.

- Yeah?

You have a good wagon with mules.

I think maybe together,

between me, you and your mules,

something good could happen to us.

You know the city of La Paz?

In that town there is merchandise,

but nothing comes from there

because of bad road.

Do I understand you want me to get

your merchandise in La Paz?

- Mm.

There is also in La Paz

other stranded merchandise,

which will be auctioned.

I give you money. If you are smart,

you buy cheap.

Then of that matter we will make

partnership with each other.

Partnership?

- You buy, I furnish gold.

Of the profits, if we make any,

you should take 25%.

Huh?

It is good not to jump.

You should go out now. You ask this man

and that man, is Don Miguel's money good?

Does Don Miguel deal fair?

You ask, is this Don Miguel

with the funny coat and whiskers

keeps always his word?

Then you make up your mind.

Lots of business we will do

together, Mr Sugarfoot, you and me.

Is Mr Crane in?

- Sure, Sugarfoot.

JC's up and around.

Hey, JC! Sugarfoot's

cravin' to see you.

Well, what can I do for you?

I wanna ask about... that foreigner,

the merchant across the street.

Do you refer to Don Miguel Wormser?

- That's right.

In Prescott we do not refer to him

as 'that foreigner'.

In Prescott we do not answer

questions about other men.

I beg your pardon.

Hold your horses.

Mr Redan, you come of a class of

men accustomed to take for granted

that they're better than other men.

In your manner, your speech,

it's apparent that you were reared

to be an aristocrat.

Now, that might be

a very good thing to be,

back wherever you came from.

It is not a good thing to be

out here.

In Arizona we do not judge a man

by the accomplishments and

the standing of his grandfather

or by the name of his family.

But we do have an aristocracy here.

Don Miguel Wormser belongs to it.

You do not.

Yet.

Am I clear?

- You are clear.

No offence?

On the contrary, my thanks.

So...

You will use your judgment,

Sugarfoot.

You have $5,000 gold

in your money belt.

It will be enough

to buy this stack of goods.

Pay as little as you must.

I'll get a good night's sleep and

leave first thing in the morning.

Good luck.

See you when you come back.

Someone hit me over the head

as I stooped to get into my tent.

When I came to, the gold was gone.

No-one besides you and myself

knew I had this gold.

It's possible to think

I planned it this way.

Mm, it could be thought.

- Well, it isn't true.

But it is true I was careless.

I took no precautions

and lost your money.

So?

- I assume the responsibility.

I haven't the $5,000, but I have

my mules and a good wagon.

You know the fair value.

I know what they will fetch.

If it doesn't come to $5,000, I'll

give you a note for the balance.

I do not like to own mules.

- Then we'll find a buyer.

Look, if I keep my monies

in my safe till now,

they still would be in the safe, no?

- Yes.

Also, if you killed by Apaches and

the money is gone, it is my loss.

It would be.

- Then there is no difference.

It is better, because you are not

dead, only the money is gone.

There is the difference

of my carelessness.

Apaches also kill careless people.

Nevertheless,

I assume the obligation.

I cannot honourably do otherwise.

Sugarfoot...

Honour, that's a thing.

Some honour is honour,

and other honour is foolishness.

Every man must live up

to his own conception of it.

I'll repay the $5,000.

- Repay it? You have a busted head.

That's nothing.

You could not start today

to La Paz with the wagon,

not with a head that is busted.

- It only aches a little.

First I fix you up,

and then you come with me.

Come.

I speak to Mr Crane.

- He ain't awake yet.

I make him awake!

Who's there?

What is it?

Oh.

Because I need $5,000,

I must wake you up.

Did you have to need it

at this hour?

I cannot pick and choose

when I need it.

5,000, eh?

- Mm-hm.

Gold?

- Yes, gold.

There you are.

I wish you slept later.

Now clear out of here.

I want to go back to sleep.

So...

Then you start quick.

You should hitch your mules

to the wagon. YOUR mules.

Oh, that we talk when you come

back, if you are alive. Not now.

You mean, our agreement stands?

You mean, you still trust me

after my carelessness?

Every man is entitled

to be careless once.

People don't act this way.

How can you trust me again?

It is not a man's mistakes

you trust, just the man.

Now you go, Sugarfoot.

You make me a good dicker.

And you come back alive,

not sticking full with arrows.

Good luck to you.

Who busted your head?

Injuns get you?

I heared you had a wagon

and some mules.

Nice mules.

Gimme mules every time.

Mules is fortunate people.

The only critters I know

that don't get distracted by women.

Give me a hand to harness up?

- Sure thing.

Makin' off, are you?

- Yes.

I wouldn't suffer none

if you never come back.

Where were you last night?

- Here and there.

When I come back I'll inquire.

Do that. This town suits me

plumb down to the ground.

It's a town where a man's got to

know how to take of himself.

I'll see that canary bird don't get

lonesome while you're gone.

Don't like that there fella much.

He's got a slinkin' eye.

How much do you like me?

- I like you fine.

Enough to work for me?

I reckon.

- Come on. Let's hitch up.

Whole blasted country

ain't worth a cornshuck.

Ain't good for nothin'

but to be killed in.

Look!

Well, we ain't bein' neglected.

Big Chief's braves

keepin' an eye on us.

His name's Dalachi.

Smartest Injun there is.

Excusin' Cochise.

That's cos Cochise is dead.

As long as we know he's smart, we'll

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