Sugarfoot Page #3

just have to try to be smarter.

Hep!

Spoke like a real amateur!

Rest your animals.

Heh-uh-ep!

Come on.

I wanna show you somethin'.

Can you make it out?

No.

Rattler.

Apaches catched this here fella

and tied him up, so as he couldn't

move nothin' but his head.

Then they fetched

this here diamondback

and made a slit in the skin back

here, just ahead of the rattle,

and shoved a rawhide string

through it.

Then they tied the rawhide

to this here stake,

so as that when the rattler struck

it'd be hauled up with a jerk

a couple of inches

from this here fella's face.

The snake's mad about

his sore tail, keeps strikin'.

Man keeps rearin' back his head.

Ain't no way of knowin'

how long he's able to keep it up.

Ain't agreeable to think about it.

I come to look at it

every so often.

Sorta reminds me to be cautious.

Hm... that oughta fit.

Looks good, too.

I understand you have

a stock of stranded merchandise

to be auctioned.

Yep.

Everything from bolts of calico

to ploughs.

Auction will be held tomorrow,

four o'clock.

Any charges

against this merchandise?

1,745 dollars and 73 cents.

That's what the company's expecting

to get out of it.

Will there be many bidders?

- Who's gonna bid?

Who's got the money around here?

Maybe that fat man with the hat,

eh?

Who's he anyhow?

Snoopin' around, askin' questions.

Me, I don't care who buys, or if.

Ain't no skin off my nose.

I'll be buying for Don Miguel

of Prescott.

Figure out what I owe you for this.

And this.

Ahhhl Very good meal,

Fly-Up-The-Creek.

Glad you liked it.

Good evening.

Good evening.

Could we have a word together?

Uh... a private word,

a word of business?

My name is Goodhue, Asa Goodhue.

You are a businessman, I hope?

With an eye always open

to turn an honest penny.

You take my point.

You take it exactly.

Now, by asking questions, I learned

that you come here to buy

a certain stock of wares.

Oh, not for yourself

but as an agent.

There will be few to bid,

possibly only you and I.

Now, sir, if you bid and if I bid,

the price will be high,

the profit reduced.

Come to the point.

- Suppose you were to say to me,

'Friend Goodhue, I will give you

$500 to refrain from bidding

at this auction'?

Then I do not bid. I turn a penny

without risk of capital.

On the other hand, I say to you,

'Friend, I will give you $500

not to appear at the sale. '

Then I buy without opposition.

That is talking common sense.

Father used to say

the lowest form of life

was a Northern Abolitionist overseer

who'd hire himself out

to drive slaves.

Father was mistaken.

- That was not friendly.

Scatl

Comical cus, weren't he?

I bet he's in politics.

But he's had his rattles cut off.

Fella wouldn't have much chance

agin a snake with his rattles cut

off. Could hit you without warnin'.

I wouldn't estimate Mr Goodhue

as being dangerous.

That's right.

An amateur like you wouldn't.

I was careless once.

Don Miguel says a man's entitled

to one carelessness.

I have Don Miguel's money

in my belt.

Then we'll take turns

sitting up and watching it.

You first, then me.

Asa Goodhue may run up the price

tomorrow.

Or maybe he won't.

Uh... maybe.

You ain't drinkin', pilgrim.

I am an abstemious man. I find

liquor and business do not mix.

Meanin' you ain't inclined

to be friendly?

Sir, you never met

a more friendly man,

a man more desirous of being

on good terms with all the world.

We don't admire your way

of showin' it.

Very well, gentlemen. Very well.

I lay aside prejudices and personal

desires.

I join with you in friendship.

Bartenderl Drinks for the gentlemen.

You sure must suffer with the heat,

mister,

what with that coat and hat an' all.

One must not complain.

Fly-Up-The-Creek, I ain't been

swimmin' since I was knee high

to a toad.

As I recollect, it was a cooling

process.

Swimming...

Gents, there's a sped of water up

a piece under some beautiful trees.

I don't know when it was I got to

wash me all over.

Anything's better than this

blisterin'.

Come on, gents. Come on, stranger.

I have no desire to bathe.

Never seen such an offish fella.

- Oh, he's comin'.

Them lowdown gang of amused

skinnin' skunks!

Hey, take a look!

What?

- They've stole our clothes, that's what.

Stole our pants and here we be,

all them Injun women looking at us!

Drive them away, drive them away!

You drive them away. I ain't dressed

for it.

But the auction, it is near to the

hour for it.

I must get out, I must have my

clothes!

Wish I could help you out, but I'm

in the same hole myself.

I don't calculate to go paradin'

through them women in my drawers.

It ain't modest.

A good friend to Mr Sugarfoot,

are you not?

We'll be seeing more of each other

in Prescott.

I am bent on going to Prescott.

Oh, yes, indeed.

I am much more eager to go

to Prescott than I was yesterday.

I am looking forward to our further

acquaintance, Mr Sugarfoot.

Whoa.

Well...

You come back safe. Good.

You came quick.

You get it? You buy those things?

All the merchandise is here.

You make a good deal? How much do

you have to pay?

There were no other bidders. I got

it for the freight bill.

But you wouldn't have.

There is a story?

- Why, this dude -

It was nothing.

Young man, I think you know how to

deal with situations.

Stint!

Not in here, Sugarfoot!

Gentlemen settle all arguments outside.

- If you please, Mr Crane.

This piece of business must be

transacted in public.

Stand up, Stint.

Don't I get a chance? Don't I get

an even break?

This isn't pleasure, it's business.

If I prove to be wrong,

I'll give you satisfaction.

Take off your coat.

Take off your coat.

Now your vest.

Uh-huh, it seems as though I won't

have to apologise.

Give that money belt to the dealer.

Mr Crane, that's yours, I think.

Am I right, Stint?

You were carrying that money

as a messenger for Don Miguel

Wormser, weren't you?

Bringing it to Mr Crane.

I have stated the facts, haven't I?

I reckon so.

Very well, Mr Crane, Mr Stint

completes his errand.

Funny way of doing an errand.

Mr Stint is a funny man.

I'm Judge Backus. You making any

charges against this man, Sugarfoot?

None. I came to remind him he had an

errand to do,

which done, that's all there is

to it.

You can put on your coat again,

Stint.

And I apologise to all for the

interruption,

especially to Miss Cairn.

One of us is leaving Prescott.

You will be gone before noon

tomorrow.

I'll be walking West on

Montezuma Street at noon tomorrow.

Kinda churnin' inside?

Always that way.

Hand steady?

So far, so good.

Gun loaded?

- Yes.

How do you know?

Looked at it today?

No.

You better.

Here, let me have a look

at that holster.

I've knowed pistols to stick...

just when they hadn't ought to.

Now, jerk it out

two or three times.

Looks dandy.

Now, mind you, watch his eyes,

not his hands.

Even when he's so far away that you

can't see his eyes.

And walk limp and slimpsy.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes