The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford Page #2

You never heard of her, huh?

You got canals up there

you never dreamed of.

I don't like to harp on a subject...

I don't care who comes with me.

Never have.

That's why they call me gregarious.

I hear you and young Stovepipe here

had a real nice visit.

Your boys have got about a acre

of lumber to haul, dingus.

You better goose them down yonder.

The James Gang committed over 25 bank,

train and stagecoach robberies...

...from 1867 to 1881.

But except for Frank and Jesse James...

...all the original members

were now either dead or in prison.

- mine eye

All my soul and all my every part

And for this sin, there is no remedy

It is so grounded inward in my heart.

So for their last robbery at Blue Cut...

...the brothers recruited a gang

of petty thieves and country rubes...

...culled from the local hillsides.

Right on schedule, Buck!

Snuff those lanterns!

Look at those fools. They're gonna trip

and shoot each other into females.

I bet you I could find them husbands

if they do.

Fan out!

Hold your fire!

- Watch him!

- Going down.

Hold your fire, you idiots!

Hold your fire!

Let me in.

Buck! Boys!

Buck, this way!

Do you think that lock will hold?

No, I don't.

Let's go, let's go.

Let's not get clever, nor courageous,

any of you.

Hey there, boys!

These are all for me?

Looks like Christmas morning in here.

Hey, friend.

You mind if I have a peek around?

This sh*t. Nope.

Nope.

You got anything good here?

It could be.

Open that safe.

Do it!

- You didn't have to bop him.

- Yeah, he did. They needed convincing.

They got their company rules,

I got my mean streak...

...and that's how

we get things done around here.

- Get on over here and attend to this thing.

- Come on, go.

Hold your fire, you idiots!

Dig deeper.

- Come on!

- Give me your money.

- And you, stand up.

- Let's see your hands.

What have you got?

Speak English.

Money. Money. You understand that?

Give me your money!

There's some receipts.

I got fives.

Jesse. Jesse.

Don't look good.

There ain't no 100,000 dollars

in here, Dick.

Get down on your knees.

Why?

Well, you ought to pray.

I'm gonna kill you.

Get at!

You're gonna have to make me.

All right.

Don't shoot him! No, don't shoot him.

Don't tell me what I can

and cannot do, Ed.

Round them up!

Chicago newspaper publishers made

a great deal of the Blue Cut train robbery...

...alleging that in no state

but Missouri...

...would the James brothers be tolerated

for 12 years.

Hey.

Can you keep a secret?

It depends on what you're concealing.

You afraid of the dark?

No.

You superstitious?

I put... I put an acorn in the window

to keep the lightning out.

Kid, you must've crept up on cat's paws.

I'll wager that's the first and last time

you'll ever be caught off-guard.

How old are you?

Twenty.

Except, well, I guess I won't

really be 20 till...

Till January, so...

I'm 19.

Yeah, you feel older than that, though,

don't you?

Yeah, I do.

Hey, Frank, you...

You think the sheriff's out already?

- More than likely.

- Yeah.

I had a real fine time tonight.

- You think so?

- Yup. Yeah.

Hey, I wasn't just flapping my lips

about my kid brother and me.

What I figured was if you and Jesse could

gauge our courage and our daring...

...you might just make us

your regular sidekicks.

Your courage and your daring.

I about heard all I want to about sidekicks.

You sound like your damn brother.

Yeah. Well, I'll be square with you,

it's Bob who put me up to it. He's...

He's got plans for the James boys

I can't even get the hang of.

- They're that complicated.

- Yeah?

Well, you can just

get shed of that idea.

Because after tonight,

there'll be no more shenanigans.

You can jot that down in your little diary.

September 7th, 1881, the James Gang

robbed one last train at Blue Cut...

...and gave up their nightriding for good.

Wait.

Well, how are you gonna

make your living?

Maybe I'll sell shoes.

I can't believe I woke up this morning...

...wondering if my daddy

would loan me his overcoat...

...and here it is just past midnight...

...I've already robbed a railroad train

and I'm sitting in a rocking chair...

...chatting with none other

than Jesse James.

Yeah, it's a wonderful world.

What's this?

Oh, yeah.

I was real agitated this morning, so I was

wondering if I would know you or Frank...

...tell you all apart, and so I had

this clipping that described you both.

Want me to read it?

Go on.

Well... I gotta find it. Hold on.

Here. Here.

"Jesse James, the youngest, has a face

as smooth and innocent as a schoolgirl.

The blue eyes, very clear and penetrating,

are never at rest.

His form is tall and graceful

and capable of great endurance...

...and great effort.

Jesse is lighthearted, reckless,

and devil-may-care.

- There's always a smile on his lips..."

- All right, all right, all right.

Well, yeah, then it just... Frank, Frank,

Frank. That's nothing. And then...

You know what I got

right next to my bed?

Is The Train Robbers, or, A Story

of the James Boys by R.W. Stevens.

I mean, many's the night I stayed up...

...with my eyes open

and my mouth open...

...just reading about your escapades

in the Wide Awake Library.

They're all lies, you know.

Yeah, of course they are.

You don't have to keep smoking that

if it's making you bungey.

Alexander Franklin James

would be in Baltimore...

...when he would read of

the assassination of Jesse James.

He had spurned his younger brother

for being peculiar and temperamental.

But once he perceived

that he would never see Jesse again...

...Frank would be wrought-up,

perplexed, despondent.

My brother and me are hardly

on speaking terms these days.

Well, I wasn't gonna mention it.

Are you scared?

No, I'm just surprised a little.

They ain't as succulent as I like,

the devil to clean...

...but if a man skins them

and fries them in garlic and oil...

...mercy, them's good eating.

Well, I never been that hungry.

I give them names.

Such as?

Such as enemies.

I give them names of enemies.

Go tell Wood and Charley

to get their gatherings together.

All right.

Me too?

You can stay.

All right.

Hey.

- What do you want, peckerwood?

- Nothing.

Except to say Jesse wants

you two to gather your parts...

...get on your horses

and get out of town.

And me to stick around.

Well, whoa, I'm his cousin...

...I'll have you know.

My mama's his daddy's sister.

Is that how they described it to you,

Wood?

You better watch your tongue,

young sapling.

Why is it me who's gotta rattle his hocks

out of town and not you, Bunny?

Put your horns away.

If I know Jess...

...there's some real nasty

sad-suzie work's gotta be done...

...and Bob's the ninny that has to do it.

Oh, yeah, I'm sure that's it, Charley.

You only met him 12 hours ago.

He doesn't even know your name.

Wood! You tell your daddy

I'll be in Kentucky in October.

We can hunt some birds together.

All right.

So how come it's Bob who gets to stay?

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