The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford Page #4

Most of the Hites wouldn't spit on me

if I was on fire.

They say that when a woman's on fire...

...you're supposed to roll her around on

the ground and cover her with your body.

Well, you are a naughty tease.

Isn't it about bedtime?

Well, I'll just kiss those dainty nubbins.

Good night.

Would you stop?

Boy, I believe I drank too much coffee.

I gotta go visit the privy

something terrible.

This is embarrassing.

Now, you go ahead and do your duty.

I don't mind.

I've sort of got stage fright with

a strange man in the commode with me.

I ain't strange.

I'm built just like the rest of them.

You look awful pretty.

Do I?

I haven't never in my life seen

such well-shaped limbs.

Is Wood awake?

It's just me.

And I bet you thought I was a lady.

Well, you ain't much of a housekeeper,

are you?

You didn't just happen by.

Why not?

Go on and take a load off your feet.

You ought to get yourself a wife.

Yeah.

I suppose.

I was gonna ask Martha. Charley's sister.

I was gonna ask her

if she could imagine it.

But I guess Wood has plans of his own.

And there's always Dick Liddil

getting in the way.

I'll give it some thought, though.

Your crops come in?

No, I don't got much.

Just a garden patch and a pasture.

I was sick at planting time.

So...

Ed, how you feeling now?

Why?

You're acting queer.

Well, you and me ain't been

just real good friends lately.

That's not your fault,

you understand that.

You hear talk, though.

Talk?

People tell you things.

Why don't you give me an example?

Jim Cummins come by here.

Jim Cummins.

Oh, and Jim says:

"You know them boys

that got caught in the Blue Cut deal?"

Well, Jim says he got word...

...that you're planning to kill them.

Why would I do that?

That's just talk probably.

Jim Cummins. He say anything else?

Nope. No, that was it, basically.

That still don't explain why you're scared.

Well, I'm in the same situation, you see.

I was terrified I saw you ride up.

- I just happened by, Ed.

- Suppose you heard gossip, though.

Suppose you heard Jim Cummins

come by, you might have thought...

...that we were planning to capture you

or get that reward, and that ain't true.

But you might have suspected it.

Haven't heard a lick of gossip lately.

I got 600 dollars stashed away.

I don't need no governor's reward.

Well, it's the principle too.

Well...

- I'm glad I stopped by.

- Oh, me too.

What do you say

if we were to go for a ride?

We can go into town. I'll buy you dinner.

Then I'll be on my way.

Okay.

You ready to go for a ride?

We going to your place?

You seen Ed Miller lately?

Nobody has.

Must have gone off to California.

I'd still like to know where we're going.

If you were going to see Jim Cummins,

wouldn't you follow this road?

I guess so.

Howdy.

Oh, are you friends of my pa's?

We're friends of Jim Cummins.

Well, it so happens

he's been gone since August.

And never said where he gone to.

- I'm Matt Collins.

- Albert Ford.

Very happy to meet you.

- Dick Turpin.

- Pleased to make your acquaintance.

I don't know where he is!

Leave me alone!

Shut your mouth!

You shut your mouth!

- You shut your mouth.

- I don't know where he is!

- I don't know!

- Get in there.

Shut up.

- I don't know where he is!

- Shut up.

- I don't know!

- Shut up.

- Jesus.

- Shut up.

Jesse, he's just a kid.

He knows where his uncle Jim is and

that's gonna make him old soon enough.

- Maybe he doesn't know.

- He knows!

You need to ask and ask sometimes.

Sometimes a child don't remember so much

at first. But it'll come back to him.

My goodness, she's about to rip off,

sweetie.

Just a little more here to get her started.

Then I think I can rip her off

like a page from a book.

Jesus, he can't even talk.

Where's Jim?

Where's Jim?

Where's Jim? Where's Jim?

Where's Jim? Where's Jim? Where's Jim?

- Where's Jim?

- Quit it!

You bastard! I don't know where he is!

You won't believe me!

You never even gave me a chance!

You kept my... You kept my mouth shut!

I never know where Jim is or

when he comes! So leave me alone.

Get off me, you son of a b*tch!

I'm worn out.

I can't. No, see...

My mind's all tangled anyway.

Little deals like this

just make me feel dirty.

Are you all right, Jesse?

Jesse was sick...

...with rheums, and aches

and lung congestions.

Insomnia stained

his eye sockets like soot.

He read auguries in

the snarled intestines of chickens...

...or the blow of cat hair

released to the wind.

And the omens promised bad luck,

which moated and dungeoned him.

How come it's you

that's gotta do all the chores?

Charley and Bob pay extry to Martha

so that they don't have to.

It still don't seem fair.

Martha.

Well, look what the cat dragged in.

You come from Kentucky?

Why do you have your head in a hole,

Martha?

Wood and Dick had a shooting scrape

a few months ago.

Cover the kettle, Ida.

And what did you and Dick

get in a scrape about?

Well, he tampered

with my daddy's wife...

...while a pork chop

burned on the skillet...

...so I shot at him.

Ida! Do not stick your thumb

in the cream when you skim it.

His chicanery and his philandering ways...

...has instigated such malice.

He's a yellow snake in the grass

and he can't be trusted, Martha.

Dick told me a complete other version

of that affray.

Wood Hite's downstairs.

You mean he's here?

Yeah, he come in late last night.

Hey, simmer down!

Don't get into a fracas up there, you boys!

I've got breakfast almost ready.

He's still sucking air.

But I think he's a goner.

Maybe y'all better come wish him well

on his journey.

Wood?

You were a good fellow, Wood.

Oh, I sure hope you're not

in frightful pain, Wood.

I'd get you something to drink,

but I'm afraid you'd just choke on it.

Little Ida's gonna miss you.

So is the rest of the family.

Well, one thing's settled.

Can't take him into Richmond.

Why not?

Well, one, sheriff'll put Bob in jail.

And two, Jesse'll find out his cousin

Wood's been shot in our house...

...and then that'll be the end

of each and every one of us.

"And in one merciless, violent thrust

broke in...

...and carried all before him,

and scented and brewed...

...reeking with blood of my virginity...

...up to its utmost length in my body."

He ain't disappeared,

if that's what you were hoping.

What chapter you on?

She's met some Algerian corsair

down at Gibraltar.

Got herself all agitated.

How's that leg?

Full of torment, Bob. Thanks for asking.

Blessed are the poor in spirit...

...for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are them that mourn,

for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the...

Meek.

Blessed are the meek.

- Is it him?

- Yeah.

Why is he here? Does he know

about Wood, do you think?

I don't know. All I know is

he don't miss very much.

- What should I say about you if he asks?

- Tell him I'm in K.C. with Mattie.

He was buffalo hunting.

He was thrilled to meet yours truly.

Yeah, over there in Europe there's only

Rate this script:5.0 / 1 vote