The Gunfighter Page #7

Look, darling.

If it were just you and me, I'd do it.

I'd go with you this very minute

anywhere in the worid you wanted to go.

But it's notjust you and me.

There's Jimmie too.

- We can take him with us.

- No, Jim.

We could run and hide

and dodge the law the rest of our lives.

Not a little boy like him.

He wouldn't understand. Don't you see?

Jimmie.

- Give me another minute, will you?

- It's quarter past ten, Jimmie.

It's all right. I've got time, they're walking.

They could have run some too, you know.

All right. Just one more minute.

- Somebody's after you.

- Never mind that. Listen.

A year from now, if I come back,

if I've been all right the whole year,

will you talk to me about it?

- No, it's no use. It's too late.

- Just talk to me, that's all.

Maybe you'll feel different.

Something might have happened.

Nobody knows what can happen in a year.

But you gotta say

you'll talk to me about it again.

I will.

We can make it, honey. We can make it.

You just wait and see.

- Where are you, Grandma?

- Look...

Listen to me, Mark.

I got to have five minutes more.

You ain't got the time.

I know what I'm doing. Those guys don't have

any horses. What are they gonna do? Fly?

- What do you want five minutes for?

- I want to see my kid.

- No, you can't.

- Now look...

I'm sorry but my mind is made up.

So get him, honey.

I don't care how you do it

but get him in this room.

- Are you trying to mess everything up?

- I just want to see my kid.

- How can I fix it so he won't know?

- You can do it. You'll think of something.

But I ain't leaving until I see him.

Alone, me and him, right here in this room.

I don't care if there's 300 brothers.

Can you hurry it up?

I'll try.

It's been eight years

since I've seen my own kid.

And it ain't gonna be another eight years

before I see him again.

You wait here. I'm surely glad

you don't drop in every morning.

- Where's Charlie?

- Stepped outside.

- Tell him to come in here right away.

- Sure.

Jimmie. Jimmie Walsh. Jimmie!

- Ain't that your ma calling?

- Yes, sir.

Come here. Hurry, Jimmie.

But, Ma! All the other fellas...

Never mind the other fellas. Molly wants

to tell you something. Come on with me.

- Do you know his horse?

- I know it.

- Who learned you to bust into a room?

- Nobody.

Don't ever do it again. You knock first and

wait till somebody answers. Understand?

Yes, sir.

Now, shut the door.

Miss Molly Harris said you wanted to see me.

- Yeah. That's right.

- What about?

I'll tell you in a minute.

- How old are you?

- Nine.

- You're eight and a half.

- How'd you know?

I've got my ways.

- What grade are you in?

- Third. Honest.

You know what grade I was in

when I was your age?

- What?

- The seventh.

- At eight and a half?

- Well... I was in the sixth, anyway.

You was in the sixth grade

at eight and a half?

I wasn't far from it.

Are you really Jimmie Ringo?

Sure I am. What do you mean?

How come you didn't draw

when I kicked in that door?

Draw on an unarmed man?

I never did that in my life.

You gotta give everybody

a fair chance, don't you?

Did you ever meet Wyatt Earp?

Yeah. I seen him once or twice.

Was he the toughest man you ever saw?

In the bunch I ran with, we'd have spanked

Wyatt Earp's britches with his own pistol.

- Really?

- The real tough ones would laugh at Earp.

- Who is the toughest one you ever saw?

- You mean the real toughest?

Yes, sir. Besides you.

I guess I've never seen anybody any tougher

than a fella you've got here in your own town.

- Fella by the name of Mark Strett.

- Marshal Mark Strett?

- He's the toughest man I ever met.

- But he don't even carry a gun.

He don't have to, son.

He can handle them barehanded.

And we've been calling him a softy.

All I can say is,

don't you ever tangle with that softy.

No, sir.

What's the matter?

Nothing.

- I thought Jimmie Ringo was in here.

- He was. Had a drink where you're standing.

- Ain't left town, has he?

- Not yet. He got held up back there.

Well.

You watch here.

Now I'll tell you what I wanted with you.

You see them kids out front?

- Yes.

- Why ain't they in school?

We come down to see what's going on.

They got no business hanging around by

a saloon. I want you to get them out of there.

- But I don't know if I can or not.

- What do you mean, you don't know?

When I asked for somebody to handle this,

Miss Harris said you're the smartest kid here.

- That's why I've sent for you.

- I'll try.

Don't try. You do it. You get them boys out of

there the way Mark Strett would. Understand?

- Yes, sir.

- That's a good boy.

Guess we picked out the right fella.

He's all right.

You got a good boy, Mrs Walsh.

Take a look outside, Molly.

Get ready.

All clear.

Goodbye, ma'am.

You take good care of yourself.

Goodbye.

Goodbye, son.

Goodbye. I hope I see you again sometime.

- What about next year?

- Will you really?

You be watching for me, a year from today.

- Sorry, Jimmie.

- Sorry?

A year ain't nothing.

I can hide out that long. Look out for her.

- You bet.

- I'm much obliged to you, Mark.

That's all right, partner.

Looks like you're gonna make it after all.

Here he comes.

- I got Charlie out to head them off.

- Keep an eye on the kid for me.

- I'll watch him.

- I'll see you a year from now.

What you fellas doing up there?

Drop them guns. Drop them!

Is that you, Charlie?

Come on down here.

These the fellas you meant?

Come on out, you fellas.

These them?

Yeah. That's two of them.

I told you you was wasting your time.

Much obliged, Charlie.

If I was you, I'd hit Mark for a raise. So long.

How about it, Ringo?

Get his foot out of the stirrup.

I ought to give you this

square in the belly, both barrels.

- Hunt Bromley got Ringo.

- Hunt Bromley got Ringo.

- No! No, Jimmie.

- Please, Ma.

Hear that? Hunt Bromley shot Ringo.

Please, Ma, please!

We gotta go back, please!

No, Jimmie, no. Come on.

We've got to go home.

Come on, get away. Don't gawk at him.

We got the doctor coming.

Just lay still and you'll be all right.

That boy... Hunt.

- We got him. He ain't getting away with it.

- No.

I drew first. I was ahead of him.

I seen it. You don't have to say that.

I seen who drew first.

You heard what I said, Mark. I drew first.

Now don't argue with me.

I know what I'm doing.

You don't have to do me no favours, pappy.

Keep your mouth shut.

If I was doing you a favour...

I'd let them hang you right now

and get it all over with.

But I don't want you to get off that light.

I want you to go on being a big, tough gunny.

I want you to... see what it means

to have to live like a big, tough gunny.

So don't thank me yet, partner.

You'll see what I mean.

Just...

wait.

Now, you look h...

- Don't say anything, Hunt. Don't talk to me.

- You can't...

Don't talk to me, I tell you.

Or I'll kill you if you do. You understand?

Now, listen to me, yellow-belly.

Ringo's fixed you good. You're gonna get it

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