Tall Tale Page #4

- Cold Molasses is a mule!

- l wasn't referring to her!

Shake a hoof! Come sun-up,

we hit the endless desert.

Meanest stretch

of desolation this side of hell.

- Sure is dark.

- Sure is.

l once seen a picture

of New York City at night.

lt's all lit up with electric light bulbs.

We could use a few now.

- Electric light ball?

- Light bulbs. Balls of glass

which light up 100 times brighter

than a candle.

- Go on.

- Soon, people won't need lanterns.

Won't have to chop wood

to make fires.

You turn a knob and these electric

light bulbs just come on.

But l like chopping wood.

Pretty soon, there won't be

no darkness.

lt'll be like noontime at midnight.

How are folks gonna see the stars?

They just won't see the stars, l guess.

Well, l don't like it. No siree bob.

l don't like it one...

lf you ask me, l think he's telling

us a tall tale!

Yeah, that's a tall tale for sure.

lt's the God's honest truth.

Not see the stars?

lt's hotter than a June bride

in a feather bed.

This ain't nothing - not compared

to the summer of '88.

lt was so hot that all the chickens

was laying fried eggs.

- Babies was crying sawdust.

- We're out of water!

Things got so bad that the whole

state of Texas lit on fire.

- l hightailed up to Kansas...

- Does this story have a point?

Or does it just go on and on and on

like this stinkin' desert?

Yeah, this story has a point.

l blew out the dang fire!

l'm tired of you complaining

and whining all the time!

l'm in the middle of a giant barbecue pit!

l don't know

what will kill me first - the heat,

the thirst,

or your incessant yammering!

Shut up! Shut up!

You overblown tub o' lard!

You stay out of this, you contest loser!

What did you call me?

Shut up! You're nothing

but a big fat tub! Quitter! Quitter!

Big fat quitter! Quitter!

Pa?

lt's all right, Dannel. Just a mirage.

He was there.

lt is amazing, the things

that heat'll do to a man.

l just wanna get home.

Things can't get no worse than this.

- Pecos!

- Good morning!

Early to bed, early to rise,

makes a boy healthy, wealthy...

..and alive!

- Touch him and you're dead!

- l got no quarrel with you.

Or your friends.

You got a peculiar way of showing it.

- The deed.

- You can't have the...

We don't have a prayer.

We never did.

lf that's your way of thinking,

then we don't.

You don't stop progress, cowboy.

That's the difference

between me and you.

l can adjust to the times.

You can't.

- Don't listen to him, Daniel.

- We can beat this thing.

You just got to believe, boy.

Where do you get off

telling me what to do?

Where do any of you get off

telling people how to live?

- That's the spirit!

- Don't lose the dream.

You don't know

what you can do until you try.

You are all nothing! Just a bunch

of tall tales that my Pa made up!

And you are nothing but hot air.

l ain't got all day, boy.

Time is money.

Don't do it, Dannel.

l am a ring-tailed roarer.

l draw faster, shoot straighter...

This 20-pound hammer

Shine like silver!

l can out-eat, out-swing any man alive!

l just wanna get home!

l'm the rip-snortingest cowboy

that ever rode north, south,

east or west of the Rio Grande.

l am Pecos Bill.

Pa?

Pa?

Move it!

No!

Ma!

Daniel!

l'm back! l made it back!

Your father, he's gonna be all right.

Pa?

Daniel.

Pa, l'm sorry. l'm so sorry.

lt's all right. l knew you didn't

mean any of those things you said.

But l did, Pa.

l told Pecos you were stupid

for standing up like you done,

but l was the one who was being

stupid, Pa. l was being a fool.

- Pecos?

- Pecos Bill.

You had a talk with Pecos Bill?

Pecos Bill, Paul Bunyan

and John Henry were all there.

They were just like you said, Pa.

Well, now, where was this?

lt was in the desert.

Redwood Forest, Liberty City.

- The Great Caverns.

- You covered a lot of territory.

We had to. Stiles and his gang

were on our tails the whole ways.

JP Stiles?

But it's OK,

because the deed's right here.

The valley's still right here

and we still got a chance to save it.

Daniel...

- You don't believe me?

- You fell asleep on the boat.

But, Ma, they were there.

They was as real as you and me.

Pa, you believe me, don't you?

Yes, son. l believe you.

We still got the deed, Pa. l don't

know how, but we still got it,

and JP Stiles ain't getting this farm.

Son, you did fine. You did just fine.

Not that it matters any more.

Pa, it does! lt does matter.

lt matters all the world!

We're selling.

No piece of land is worth dying for.

l guess it's about time

you faced up to that, too.

You're giving up?

Wisin' up.

No, Pa.

No, Pa. The land's defenceless!

Pa, if you give in, you don't know

what's gonna happen here!

Daniel, you heard your father.

Now let him rest.

Ma, somebody's got to do something!

Daniel, please.

Gentlemen, to your health.

The West, indeed!

That kid's blocking the tracks.

Well, l see your pa's sent

a boy to do a man's job!

l come on my own accord.

The time for deeds is over, kid.

Get off the track.

l'm telling you to get

out of Paradise Valley.

A little speck of dust like you.

You really think you can stop all this?

Well, maybe not, but l sure

am gonna give it my best shot.

All right.

Have it your way, then.

Run him over!

l said run him over!

Get off the track, Daniel!

Don't be a fool!

- Daniel!

- Help!

Help! Help me!

God help him.

What the hell?

John Henry! Where have you been?

Just waiting for you

to make your move, Daniel.

Just waiting for you

to make your move!

Kill them and be done with it!

Hold it right there!

l got no fight with you.

No, defenceless young'uns

and farmers are more your style!

Mister, you just killed yourself.

My trigger finger's gone!

Well, come on!

What are we waiting for?

More steam!

100 dollars an acre!

l'll pay you 150 dollars an acre!

200 an acre!

300! 500 dollars an acre!

One more oughta do her.

Boy! Be reasonable!

You know we're gonna win in the end!

Stop!

Just stop.

All right. l admit it.

You got me over a barrel.

My back's to the wall.

Name your price.

l ain't interested!

You fool!

There'll be others just like me!

And more after them, and after them.

Long as there's a profit to be made,

we'll never stop.

We're coming!

Not through our land!

Daniel!

- We did it.

- We sure did!

Kinda makes it all worthwhile, don't it?

lt's a right nice sunset, huh, Pa?

Yes, Daniel.

lt's a good one.

Well, time to call it a day.

Come on.

Let's get washed up for supper.

You coming?

You go on.

Think l'll just stay here a piece.

Pa?

l love you, Pa.

l love you, too, son.

We come to say goodbye, Dannel.

l knew you would.

- Thanks, Paul.

- Thank you, Daniel.

- Me?

- Yeah, you.

Thanks to you, l got my old appetite

back again.

Baby and l are gonna head

up to the Alaskas.

Hear they got some little tiny

forests ain't even half-growed yet.

What about you, John Henry?

l've been thinking about a rematch

with that there steam drill!

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes