Support Your Local Gunfighter Page #4

How else will I get

to the mother lode before he does?

His shaft is right in town.

I have to tunnel twice as far.

- That doesn't give you the right...

- Right? I'm talking about gold.

Gold! That's all you ever think of.

All Taylor Barton thinks about

is courting you so he can spy on me.

And I tell him everything

he wants to know.

- He's using you, Abigail.

- He sure is!

- Mornin'.

- Mornin'.

- Who are you?

- I'm the new girl.

- You is?

- I just got in this morning from Frisco.

In fact, that's my name - Frisco.

Well, it's nice work. It has its ups

and downs, but it is nice work.

- Beat it.

- Put 'em up.

- What are you gonna do with that?

- Kill you.

With that?

I'm a rotten shot and

I'm tired of missing you.

Do you mind tellin' me

why you're shootin' at me?

So I can go to Miss Hunter's College

on the Hudson River, New York.

- Put 'em up, I'm gonna kill you.

- Why should I put my hands up for that?

I don't feel right

about killing you in bed.

Do you think you could jump up and grab

me, then I'd get mad and light the fuse?

It's your Christian duty

to tell me why you're going to blow me up.

- The mine.

- The mine?

If my pa don't get to the mother lode,

we won't have any money.

If we don't have any money, I can't go

to Miss Hunter's College, understand?

No.

- What's all that got to do with me?

- Don't play the innocent, Swifty Morgan.

- You know Colonel Ames sent for you.

- You think I'm the famous Swifty Morgan?

You're getting me angry.

If I get angry, I'll light this fuse.

I don't want to do that,

but I am not Swifty Morgan.

Liar! Now, my pa is sparking

Colonel Ames' old-maid sister.

She told him that Colonel Ames

sent for you, Morgan.

- What's this, a hold-up?

- Show her the inside of one of the boots.

- Huh?

- The inside of the boots.

I had those boots made in Amarillo

over a year ago. Now, look inside.

Go on, look.

"Latigo Smith"?

$60 boots. A man certainly

would have his name in 'em.

Well, you probably took them off

some poor, dead fella that you shot.

Why, you're the Barton girl!

What you doin' here?

Your sainted mother was

one of the nicest ladies in the Baptists.

Down the back stairs with you

before anybody sees you.

You have not seen the last of me yet,

Mr Swifty Morgan.

Hello, ladies' man. "I love Goldie. "

- I warned you about that.

- Not to mention it to anybody else.

Well, I've studied up on tattooing.

I think I can do the job for you.

But in easy stages.

Gonna take a couple of weeks.

Whatever you say.

Doc, does that 500 have to be in cash?

Well, Miss Jenny's certainly got 500.

Then again, she's had

a lot of experience with men like you.

- What do you mean, men like me?

- Give you anything but cash money?

Well, there's one thing

that don't change about women.

That's the fact that they're changeable.

- Where'd you learn about women?

- I worked at it.

- Hello, Patience.

- What's wrong with him, Doc?

You know a doctor can't talk

about his patients, Patience.

Doc, you and me are the only friends

each other's got in this scurvy town.

What would happen

if we got mad at each other?

Oh, he's just got a little trouble

with his chest.

Him?

- He looks strong as a horse.

- You've taken a dislike to him, ain't you?

- I hate professional gunslingers.

- Him a gunslinger?

- That's Swifty Morgan.

- And I just started taking a likin' to him.

I'd have had him shot by now

if Pa hadn't taken my Winchester away.

Patience, you gotta stop

shooting at people.

If you wasn't such a miserable shot,

there wouldn't be a young male here.

I heard you took a shot

at Elmer Price yesterday.

- Why, he asked me to marry him.

- That's reason enough to shoot at a man?

Doc, you seen Elmer? Ugh!

- Good morning, Doc.

- Mornin', Elmer.

Mr Morgan.

- What'd you call me?

- We know you're Swifty Morgan.

We have a proposition for you.

We want you

to double-cross Colonel Ames.

- There's $5,000 in it.

- Well, look...

$5,000?

- Cash?

- Cash.

So, you think I'm Swifty Morgan?

I look to you like the best gunman

in the whole Southwest?

I knew it the minute I saw you. That

sharp, hawk-like gaze, the way you stand.

I hate to say this,

but that's Swifty Morgan.

Uh... Swifty, come over here.

Come on, come over here.

These gentlemen know who you are,

there's no use denying it.

Now that's settled, he would appreciate it

if you didn't bandy his name about.

He's modest, Swifty.

These gentlemen have a proposition.

I suppose it's all right if I handle

the business details like I usually do.

You just go ahead and finish your game

while I talk to these gentlemen.

It's all right. Go ahead.

- Keen eye.

- Killed 50, they say.

Exaggeration. 32, to be exact.

Suppose you spread your cards

on the table, gentlemen. And the cash.

The cash is in my safe. And it's best

if we aren't seen together too much.

You slip out and bring the money

to my room in about 15 minutes?

- You called me Swifty.

- Short and friendly for Swifty Morgan.

That's who they think you are. They're

willin' to pay to back up that mistake.

I'm supposed to pretend

I'm Swifty Morgan? Goodbye.

They're willing to pay.

- How much?

- A thousand dollars.

We'll split it 50-50.

That means 400 for you.

Seems fair. But I think...

No, you don't.

That's part of the deal. I do the thinkin'.

You stand around and look tough.

Stop that! I told you, you're not

to reach for that gun, no matter what.

If somebody spits in your eye,

somebody casts doubts on your mother,

you refer the matter to me.

If I'm Swifty Morgan,

I've got my reputation to consider.

I've got me to consider.

Pride.

If you start thinking, the deal's off.

No $400.

I'm getting better. You watch.

If it ever comes to gunfightin',

you'll never last.

- Sure you ain't fast?

- No, I'm slow.

It's just you're even slower.

They come sneakin' in,

lookin' at the register,

tryin' to find

the room number of Mr Smith.

I tried to tell 'em I got four Smiths.

Thank you. We wouldn't

want to keep you from your work.

I suppose, the way they come sneakin' in,

you're another one of them gunfighters

that these jackass miners keep hirin'.

I suppose they're gonna hire you so

you can shoot some other mother's son

and then some other mother's son

can shoot you.

Martha, for the love of heaven,

unhinge your jaw and depart.

You see now why I demand

my rent in advance every day?

Another Smith. Just more of 'em comin'

all the time, gettin' themselves killed off.

- The money, gentlemen?

- Is Swifty in there?

Yes. The money?

Before we go and talk to Mr Morgan.

A little superstition of his.

He leaves all the money matters to me. I

thank you not to mention the transaction.

Sorry. Didn't mean to startle you, Swifty.

That was close. Don't ever

come up on my blind side like that.

No, sir, Mr Morgan.

That's close enough. What do you want?

- I came to see the killings.

- What killings?

You for one. And those others.

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