The Comancheros Page #6

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We'll put him in the shade.

You see those darker

markings? Crosspatch overlay?

Makes him look like a rattler,

but you can see a

thousand like that one.

And when you see your first

rattlesnake, you'll know the difference.

You still haven't told me how you

tell a Comanche from a tame Indian.

It's just like your first

rattler. One look and you'll know.

Come on. Get aboard.

Ya!

Big country.

Is this where we'll

find the Comancheros?

You could hide the

state of Louisiana here

and never find 'em if

they didn't want you to.

That's ourjob, findin' 'em.

Or lettin' them find us.

Well, old Tobe is still on the job.

You know, I'm tryin' to go

along with your thinking.

But do you really believe that emblem will

convince a Comanche that we're gunrunners?

- It had better.

- Yeah.

What's the matter?

I don't know.

Comanches!

He's alone.

I hope that Tobe isn't taking a nap.

Well, we're about to find out

whether this passport'll work.

Comancheros! Comancheros! Rifles!

Comancheros!

I wish I had more practice at praying.

Comancheros! Comancheros!

Over here, my friends! Whisky!

Over here! Whisky! Here, whisky!

Over here, my friends.

Whisky!

You got a unique way of paying

off your help around here.

Who's ramrodding this outfit?

You'll find out. What do you want?

Monsewer, break open

that false wagon bed.

My name's McBain. I got

guns and I wanna do business.

72 rifles... just like this one.

Pass 'em out. Let the boys handle 'em.

Hold it!

You must be the boss man.

We brought 72 of these.

Just like this... except

without firing pins.

Be useless to you unless

you do business with us.

Your presence here

has made me very happy.

Bastinado!

The pretty man from the boat.

It's gonna get awful

thirsty around here.

Better think of a new plan, Jake.

This one didn't work out so well.

The hell it didn't. We found

the hide-out, didn't we?

Yeah. I wonder if they know

how much trouble they're in.

Water.

Give me some water.

- Who ordered this?

- Amelung.

Cut them down and take care of them.

- Cut them down and care for them.

- This was orders.

I said cut them down!

Oh! The top of my head feels

like an overdone pancake.

Say, you never did tell me what

happened to me after I was knocked out.

Well, a handsome young

woman on a horse came along.

She must have figured it was

Saturday night and we needed a bath.

Pretty boy, hurry it up.

We're waitin' for you.

I can do without the endearing words.

- We going somewhere?

- Trial.

- Trial?

- See whether you live or die. You'll die.

I always figured to

die. Question is, when?

Just hurry it up.

You have broken a law of the society.

The penalty is death.

Does the society approve?

Don't kill them! I beg you! I beg you!

You may still wonder when,

big man, but now you know how.

We go, my friends.

Got another one of those fellas uses

that "my friend" stuff real careless.

Quiet! Quiet! Get back to your seats!

Be civilised, my people.

We have guests today.

There's work to be done.

Gentlemen, you come among us uninvited.

The penalty for that is death.

This society survives

by its secrecy only.

You haven't violated that by entering

here, but you could if you left here.

And it is our intention to see to it

that this secrecy is never violated.

Now, as to this story

of yours that you will

bring us rifles without

firing mechanisms,

take out our money and

return with other rifles,

and the firing mechanisms

of the first shipment...

I admit, it has the merit

of being well thought out.

- You say your name is McBain?

- Ed McBain.

We know of a McBain.

And it's told that this

McBain killed a man

of ours in Sweetwater.

You mean Crow? Fella with

the half-scalped topknot?

- You killed him? - Seemed like

the thing to do at the moment.

It hardly surprises to me to

hear that Crow got himself killed.

If his occupation

didn't, his manner would.

Your name is Paul Regret?

That is his name.

His occupation is gambler.

- Pilar!

- We meet again.

I told you, sir. That is the

man she went back to search for.

Many wasted days trying

to find him again.

He left New Orleans after killing

a man. The other man I don't know.

He killed Crow, which speaks

well for his speed with a gun.

It doesn't give him the right

to enter the place of our society

or to live, after having

discovered its whereabouts.

It is clear they know,

so they die. It is a rule.

A rule you made many years

ago and enforced many times.

It is of little concern

to me what you do,

though I say it would be

intelligent to deal with them.

They offer us a continuing

supply of up-to-date weapons

instead of the few old-fashioned

rifles we get from the South.

Do as you will. Just remember that you

expect me to take over responsibilities.

Therefore I presume you would

be willing to heed my opinion.

But if you prefer to placate that

bloodthirsty mongrel of yours,

then kill them.

I tell you, she has a

personal interest in this man.

That is why she urges

us to deal with him.

Amelung, you're a fool.

I've raised her never to

let emotion cloud ajudgment,

which is what you're

doing at this moment.

Yourjealousy is apparent and

it's warping yourjudgment.

That is all.

Bring those prisoners to my quarters!

- Esteban.

- Pilarcita.

Look over there. The

taller of the two men.

Have you seen him before?

Galveston?

We were getting off the

boat in the grey dawn,

and he was boarding just as it docked.

Oh, yes. Now I remember.

You know, McBain, that plan of

yours about the guns delights me.

It starts from the basic proposition

that nobody is trustworthy.

We couldn't double-cross

each other if we tried.

I can't wait to see the

look on Amelung's face.

Don't get the idea that my reproof of

Amelung indicates that

I've adopted you two.

I must put him in his

place now and then.

Help yourself to some wine.

What do you think of our place, McBain?

It took a lot of lookin'

to find just such a layout.

I stumbled on it some

30-odd years ago. I was

a different man physically,

as you'll gather.

At that time, there was a motley collection

of people dealing with the Indians.

I brought organisation to the business.

May I call your attention to the

powder mill? We make our own powder.

The nitrates come from our own mines,

the saltpetre from deposits to the south.

You're a travelled man, Mr

Regret. What do you think of it?

Seems to lack nothing.

- You've done very well.

- I think so.

Lest you think all of this talk is the

idle chatter of a broken chairbound man,

I tell you this for a reason.

We have a society here, a society

that's different from anything visualised

by people anywhere in the world.

The rules of this society

are magnificently simple.

Transgress and you die.

Long and painfully. Look over there.

Not a pretty picture, is it?

A Chinese philosopher once said that

a picture is worth a thousand words.

He stole. We, a society of thieves,

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