The Ballad of Cable Hogue Page #4

A dew-kissed flower

sparkling in the sunrise.

- Her breath was that of a wanton angel.

- She's married.

I shall walk in her breezes,

bask in the rays of her beauty...

...lie in the golden arches

of her passions.

Oh, brother Hogue, it grieves me bad

to think of her with that goliath.

Your cup run dry, preacher.

Man's a poor sport

when another pleasures his woman.

I don't pleasure them, brother Hogue.

I baptize them...

...with loving care. That's all she needs.

There's been a death in the family,

and she needs help. My help.

Her husband will give her all the help

she needs or wants.

Hildy? Who gives her all the help she

needs and wants? You, brother?

Hildy ain't mine.

Nobody owns Hildy. She's got her life

and I got mine, right here.

Right where I wanna be.

That's not exactly true, Cable.

You love that girl.

Hey, up and at them! You're no help

to me sitting there on your ass!

Brother, sometimes I question

your sanity.

You don't know nothing

about swapping.

I gave a week's

watering rights for all this.

- That's a man's swap.

- You can't sleep unless...

...you're bedded on lizards and rocks?

- It ain't true.

Only thing I like about cities. City beds.

- My little Claudia springs to mind.

- I'll just bet she does.

I ought to venture into Deaddog

and pay my respects.

- Burning with passion, preacher?

- What about yours, brother Hogue?

I ain't never had a passion.

What do you call that vengeance

that gnaws at your soul?

That's the passion that'll nurture

the dandelions above your grave.

Taggart and Bowen left me to die.

If my feet don't get cold

and my legs will stay under me...

...I aim to kill them.

I don't call that a passion.

- "Vengeance is mine," sayeth the Lord.

- Well, that's fair enough with me.

Just as long as he don't take too long

and I can watch.

Get up there!

Did it ever occur to you, Cable...

...how wise and bountiful God was...

...to put breasts on a woman?

Just the right number in just

the right place. Ever notice that?

Well, where in the hell else would he

put them? On their backside?

It's a thought.

Have you ever noticed

a female person's legs?

Of course I have. Some go all the way

up to the lady's ass, others stop below.

The thigh, the soft abundance of the

female thigh. Have you ever noticed?

Cable.

There appears to be...

...a small hole in the sack.

- Howdy, Mr. Cushing.

- Afternoon.

- Thought I might pay you a visit.

- Well, this is it. Cable Springs.

You've done remarkable things

with $ 100.

Thank you, Mr. Cushing.

- I see you've got neighbors.

- Fred, keep that thing working.

Yeah, they'd like to be.

- Tell me, have they found anything?

- Not a drop.

And they've been digging for 13 days.

Any sign of water down there, fellas?

Looks like I bought the right

two acres, eh, fellas?

All right, Hogue, all right.

I give up, damn it.

Don't fill up the holes.

Just pick up those ladders.

- Let's get the hell out of here.

- Let's go get a drink.

Never did like water anyway.

Good afternoon, Mr. Cushing.

Well, you got us, Hogue. We're beat.

Here's your contract.

I've already signed it.

Everything comes to he who waits.

Just sign your name right there.

That makes it official.

You're in business, Cable.

By the way, Hogue, I reckon this is

about the most important thing of all.

- Yeah? What's it gonna cost me?

- Nothing.

Well, now.

If that don't beat all.

Gonna have to buy you a flagpole.

I'll make my own.

Hey there.

Hey there. More, please. More.

Would you mind if I had

a tiny bit more also?

It's really very tasty.

- Good heavens.

- Nailed them down.

Makes them easier to wash.

Keep track.

- It's delicious.

- Desert stew.

- Good, fresh meat.

- What's in it?

- Jack rabbit.

- Coq au vin.

- Coq au vin? What's coq au vin?

- Coq au vin.

Breast of quail, dove thighs,

that sort of thing.

Yeah. Rattlesnake, ground squirrel...

...black gopher, horny toad,

grasshoppers for seasoning...

...and pack rats and prairie dogs

to fill in.

Of course, if you get ahold

of a wild onion, that'll help.

You see, out here what you gotta do is,

you gotta work and make do.

Hey, wait a minute, there's dessert!

Matthew, stop eating that!

Matthew, I'll spank the living daylights

out of you.

- All aboard!

- Matthew?

Matthew? Now, I said hurry, Matthew.

Come on.

All right, let's go, folks.

All aboard for Deaddog!

Cable, I'm off into Deaddog. The call

is upon me and cannot be ignored...

...without endangering my soul.

- Your soul?

- Careful your ass don't get shot.

- I'm doing the Lord's work.

It's a hell of a name to call it.

I reckon you're right.

- Josh, tell Hildy...

- I will, Cable. I'll give her your love.

That's all you can do. You can't convince

Hildy with anything but hard cash!

We'll see about that, Cable. We'll see.

Hildy, I don't know why you're here,

but I'm mighty glad you are.

I was asked to leave.

By the good people of the town.

Good people? Deaddog?

I never met any.

Except you.

Ain't got around to doing my dishes yet.

Sun makes them real pure, you see.

See Joshua?

Surely did.

Oh, he talks a lot, Cable...

...and well too.

But, you know, I just ain't ready

to be saved yet.

You make yourself to home.

Right at home. I'll be right back.

- Now?

- Now.

You've been awful nice to me, Hogue.

Never bothered you none what I am?

Hell, no, it never bothered me.

I enjoyed it.

Well, what the hell are you?

Human being. Try the best you can.

- We all got our own ways of living.

- And loving?

Gets mighty Ionesome without it.

You know, Miss Hildy,

sometimes out here alone at night...

Well, sometimes, I wonder

what the hell I'm doing out here.

- Why don't you live in town?

- I don't know about that.

In town I'd be nothing.

I don't like being nothing.

Been that before.

Out here I, well...

...got a good start.

- If you'd like to stay on awhile...

- Hogue, it's not my kind of life.

I can't stay.

We just don't think the same.

San Francisco for me.

But not tonight.

Now, that is a picture.

You've seen it before.

Lady...

...nobody's ever seen you before.

Blackie! Get on, boy!

Get up, boy!

Three hours early.

- What?

- Stagecoach.

Well, go get me a robe.

It's too little. Go get my robe.

Welcome to Cable Springs.

Get up there!

Won't be here much longer.

If I don't go now,

won't be much use in going later.

Soon as they come.

What if they never come?

Whoa, whoa, boy.

It ain't worth it, Hogue.

Revenge always turns sour.

You ought to just forget them.

Some things a man can't forget.

I got me two of them,

Taggart and Bowen.

I've been waiting a long time, Hildy.

Well, you couldn't handle them last time.

Next time you'll probably

just get yourself killed.

Even if you did get them, and you got

to San Francisco, how'd you find me?

Don't you worry none about that.

I'll find you.

But it's a big town, Hogue. A real city.

I don't care where you are, Hildy.

I said I'd find you

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