The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford Page #3

Bob's gonna move my gear to a house

down the street.

See?

- I don't mind.

- Yeah, well.

Sounds like an adventure.

They moved to 1017 Troost Avenue

at night...

...so that the neighborhood couldn't get

a good look at them or their belongings.

Then Bob thought Jesse

would give him eight hours' sleep...

...and a daydreaming goodbye.

But with a second day

in the Thomas Howard house...

...Bob thought he might never go...

...but might be brought in

as a good-natured cousin to the boy...

...and a gentleman helper to Zee.

He went everywhere with Jesse.

They made trips

to the Topeka Exchange Saloon...

...where Jesse could spend nearly

...and still complain about feeling tipsy.

Bob would rarely vouchsafe his opinions

as they talked.

If spoken to, he would fidget and grin.

If Jesse palavered with another person,

Bob secretaried their dialogue...

...getting each inflection,

reading every gesture and tic...

...as if he wanted to compose

a biography of the outlaw...

...or as if he were preparing

an impersonation.

Go away.

Used to be couldn't no one sneak up

on Jesse James.

Now you think otherwise?

I ain't never seen you without your guns,

neither.

I can't figure it out.

Do you wanna be like me...

...or do you wanna be me?

I'm just making fun, is all.

Bob was sent away cordially

the next day...

...with a goodbye from Jesse...

...but nothing from Zee

beyond what good manners demanded.

It was 40 miles to his sister's farm

from Kansas City.

And it was well into the afternoon

by the time he arrived there.

Mrs. Martha Bolton rented

the Harbison farm in 1879...

...just after becoming a widow.

And she made a good income

by giving rooms and meals...

...to her brothers Charley, Wilbur and Bob,

and to members of the James Gang...

...who would appear

whenever they needed seclusion.

Dick! You're gonna make her sick!

She's gonna upchuck

if you don't watch out!

Wood Hite had been spurned by Martha

in his affections...

...and his attempt to switch his pursuit

to her daughter...

...was being thwarted by Dick Liddil.

Wait a second, you assured me

that you were not ticklish.

Howdy!

What's going on, now?

What's going on...?

- Howdy!

- Were you fibbing about that?

- No.

- Not at all.

You're not supposed to peek, Dick.

Well, you're just so pretty

I can't help myself.

- You need to be warning him about that.

- Howdy.

Worry about the field instead,

might be able to worry about the work...

Howdy!

- Finally home.

- I'm so glad, Bob.

I'm in that room too, Bob.

Don't mess with my things.

All right, Grandpa.

"July 9th. Diligence, tact,

and a keen sense of responsibility...

...capacity for detail are your dominant

traits. Your sense of duty's strong."

How long you been there?

Just now arrived. Did I miss much?

Not unless you never seen a man

wash his dirty carcass before.

Boy, you got a big old pecker

for being such a little squirrel.

That what you come here to see, Dick?

No.

Your brother said that Jesse

kept you in Kansas City some extra days.

What was the reason?

Well, I'm not at liberty to say exactly.

Let me ask you this. Did Jesse mention

that me and Cummins were in cahoots?

Is that so?

Oh, dear. I went on and said too much,

have I?

Well, who else is partners with you two?

See, he'll cut our throats if he finds out.

You don't know him like I do.

You do Jesse dirt,

you connive behind his back...

...boy, he'll come after you

with a cleaver.

So, what are you two cahoots

cooking up?

Don't know that I should say.

I'm not gonna wheedle

the dang news from you.

How about we'll leave it a mystery...

...and then we won't neither one of us

regret our little chat?

Can you hand me that six-gun there, Bob?

If you so much as mention my name

to Jesse...

...boy, I'll find out about it.

You had better believe that.

And I'll look you up.

I'll knock on your door,

and I will be as mad as a hornet.

I will be hot.

You be careful with that iron, Dick.

You know where I stand on these matters

and that's all there is to it.

Me and you can be as friendly as pigs

from now on.

I'm Bunny Ford, stick your hands

up in the air!

Mister.

Oh, you have some nerve.

We were just reading about the James boys

among the Mexicans.

What's this? This ain't Jesse.

- You don't know that.

- He would've never wore no mustache.

Never was anywheres near a cannon.

Let me see that picture.

Boy, I can't even calculate

what I'm looking at.

- Give me that.

- Ever since he was a child...

...Bob's collected whatsoever he could find

about the James brothers.

Yeah, got himself a little museum

in his room.

Next time you come snooping around,

you better strap on a shooting iron!

Well, you can see how scared I am.

You too, Wood Hite. Cross me again,

I'll put a bullet through your head!

Boy, you...

Son, you better recollect

who my cousin is...

...because you've seemed to misremembered

that Jesse loves me like the Good Book.

Now, you may play it like you're

a dangerous person in the grocery store...

...but don't misremember

who you be accounting to...

...if I so much get my feelings hurt.

- I don't care!

Do I have to yell "suwee"?

Why don't we make up,

be pleasant for once?

Why don't we pass the evening

like pleasant human beings?

I like your nickel suit, cowboy.

You see something?

Just a bird.

The month of October came...

...and Jesse began seeing

Pinkerton operatives in every floor walker...

...street sweeper, and common man

poking about in a store.

On the morning of the 11 th,

he would wake his wife...

...with the Scripture pertaining to

the Holy Family's flight into Egypt.

Overnight, the Thomas Howard clan

vanished from Kansas City.

Shortly thereafter,

four of the Blue Cut train robbers...

...were arrested in shacks near Glendale.

How Jesse could have known

remains a mystery.

Theirs was a wandering existence.

Men who choose to be outlaws...

...cannot afford to remain in one place

for very long.

- Well, goodness. Maybe I'll change my mind.

- Let's go. Let's go. Let's go.

- Martha.

- Buck up, man.

Wood and Dick would bicker

across the entire state of Kentucky...

...until they made Russellville, home

of Major George Hite, Wood's father...

...and uncle to Frank and Jesse James.

You stay away from this one.

She's my daddy's wife.

You got it?

Did you cook this, ma'am?

I've got a n*gger woman.

How's that?

Dick asked if I cooked this.

Did you?

No.

She knew what he was like

when she married him.

I guess we're the night owls, you and I.

I'm glad.

How come?

You're interesting to look at.

You have a real pleasant disposition.

And I don't know, you sort of

make me feel warm all over.

You know, I'm what they call a...

An inamorato.

Well, I knew

there had to be a name for it.

You and the Hites

don't get along too well...

...if I'm to trust Wood and his version

of the situation.

We hate each other like poison,

if you wanna know the truth.

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