The Cowboys Page #6

time herding little boys and cows...

... but ain't no way we thought

it was gonna take you this long.

Winter's coming on, old friend...

...and we gotta get these

cattle to Belle Fourche.

How far would you say it is?

l didn't say.

lf you was to say.

Four or five days.

Two or three is more like it.

You know, l'm hungry.

And l remember you had a

chuck wagon and a n*gger.

Where are they?

They're behind us. l sent a boy back

to find out what was holding him up.

Well, l know the boy.

Bring him on in here.

l don't suppose you mean this

stalwart young man here, do you?

- Are you all right, boy?

- Yes, sir.

Mr. Andersen...

...do l look like the kind of man to

you that would beat on an innocent boy?

You look like the vermin-ridden

son of a b*tch you are.

Well, my sainted mama didn't think so.

Now, boy, you get over

there and sit down.

Go on. Now!

And sit down!

And the rest of you

boys, sit down right now!

Now old friend...

... l'll have the gun.

That's right.

l'll also have the belt,

because you ain't gonna need it.

That's good.

Pick it up and bring it over to me.

l don't think you heard what l said!

l said to bend over, pick up the belt

and bring it right here to me, now!

Pride.

Stubborn pride.

l admire that.

That truly is...

...an admirable quality.

To tell you the truth, l

wouldn't have picked it up either.

Mr. Andersen...

... how much would you say that

them cattle are worth apiece?

Fifteen?

Sixteen?

Maybe $17 a head?

Now, old friend...

... l am ready to be rich.

You, come here!

Right now! Get up!

You kept our little

secret, didn't you?

- Answer him.

- Yes, sir.

Me.

You don't listen to him anymore.

You gotta look to me

now, you understand that?

- How old are you?

- l just turned 13.

Really?

By the time l was your age,

l had already killed a man.

- You done anything like that?

- No, sir.

l'll bet not.

- You're the runt of your family, ain't you?

- Yes, sir.

Where are your glasses?

You had some glasses. Where are they?

Son, there's no glass in there.

You must have broken them, huh?

Say, look at that...

... l can see myself back home now.

And all them carpetbaggers

calling me "mister."

l'd like them back when you're through.

They've been in my family for a long time.

Well, you can have them back. Here.

All right.

We've seen what you can do with a boy.

How are you when they

come a little bigger?

You mean you?

Yeah. Why don't you tell your

boys to just sit this one out?

You love to make it happen, don't you?

You having any of it?

Well, sir, you're...

...a pretty old man.

Yeah, l'm 30 years older than you are.

Had my back broke

once and my hip twice.

And on my worst day l could

beat the hell out of you.

l don't think so.

You will.

Get away from him! Get away from him!

You're mine. All mine.

Now, come on, you get

up, you son of a b*tch.

You miserable wretch!

Mount up!

Stop, you son of a b*tch!

Go to hell!

Turn around! l want

you to see this coming!

l said, stop!

You're mine, you old bastard.

Leave him alone!

Get back.

Clear back, all of you.

We're leaving.

- What about them kids?

- They're not going nowhere.

Take everything but the fire.

- What happened here?

- Rustlers, Mr. Nightlinger.

They've been following

us since we started out.

Why would they do this to him?

Mr. Andersen put up a fight.

Ain't there anything

we can do for him?

Yes, there is.

You can be men.

Mr. Nightlinger...

...you're scaring the boys.

You wanna sit up?

No.

Could you drink some whiskey?

No.

ls there anything...?

l want you to see that...

...these boys all get home.

l will.

Summer's over.

Just about.

l'm proud of you.

All of you.

Every man wants his...

...children to be...

... better than he was.

You are.

This may seem...

...a lonesome place to leave him.

But he's not alone.

Because...

... many of his kind

rest here with him.

The prairie...

...was like a mother to Mr. Andersen.

He belonged to her.

She cared for him

while he lived and...

...she's nursing him...

...while he sleeps.

Now!

What--?

What are you doing?

We didn't want to do it this way, but

we knew you wouldn't give them to us.

We're gonna get the herd back for Mr.

Andersen and take it on to Belle Fourche.

You're gonna get yourselves killed.

We're gonna finish a job.

Better have a plan.

Turn me loose and we'll make one.

Cut him loose.

Dung heap!

Come back here!

Hey, you.

Come on in!

What the hell's the matter with them?

Mount up!

Look at that. Come on.

You've been behind this all

the time, ain't you, n*gger?

Not at first, but l came round to it.

You take your hat off when

you talk to me, mister!

Now you're acting mighty calm considering

what it is l got in store for you.

What have you got to show me, white

man, that l haven't seen before?

Don't you sass me, you black!

Give me that rope.

This is what?

You ever seen one of these? You

ever seen a n*gger run? Run, n*gger!

Come on! Come on!

Get up! Get up!

Since you mean to hang me...

... l'd like to atone to my maker.

You got one minute.

Speak your piece.

Where to begin?

l regret having trifled

with married women.

l'm thoroughly ashamed of

having cheated at cards.

l deplore my occasional

departures from the truth.

Forgive me for taking

your name in vain...

... my Saturday

drunkenness, my Sunday sloth.

Above all...

...forgive me for the men

l've killed in anger...

...and for those l am about to.

Look out!

Get off!

l think my leg is broken.

Don't let him get up.

Oh, my God, don't let him get up.

l think my leg is broke.

The other one is hung up.

You!

Son, please cut me loose.

Please!

l'll make it worth your while.

l promise.

Oh, thank you.

Don't! Don't!

Stop him!

Who are these kids?

Now what do you want on it?

His name. Wil Andersen.

Wil Andersen.

Anything else?

Like what?

Well, it's usual to say

something like, "Rest in peace."

"Eternal sleep."

"ln fond memory of...."

Was he a family man?

Did he have any children?

Yes.

Well, then l carve,

"Beloved husband and father."

That'd be fine.

l don't see it.

lt's gotta be around here somewhere.

l remember that tree.

There must've been a heavy rain.

Washed it away.

We ain't never gonna find it now.

Come on in.

Boys.

l think it's close enough.

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