The Hired Hand Page #3

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He's not going anywhere.

Didn't he show you what he wrote?

Nailed it up all over town.

"No further need of hired help,"

it said.

A man that does that isn't

thinking of going nowhere.

Your husband isn't around?

I'd so like to meet him.

Carl and I were still

in Philadelphia then.

No.

He's out on the farm.

Oh, I see.

Well, I just dropped by

to say hello.

We'll be looking for you

in town.

Folks will be looking out now

that your man's come home.

Goodbye, Mrs. Sorenson.

Goodbye, Mrs. Collings.

Oh, and give my very best

to Mr. Collings.

Thank you.

You know that he wants

to stay here.

I gathered that.

What do you think

about it?

That isnt for me to think.

You don't have to worry

about me hanging around.

You probably think

Im pretty hard.

Now, ma'am,

that's not for me to decide.

Well, I am.

Don't want to be, but I am.

I don't know how many nights

I sat on the porch,

Rocking myself back and forth,

watching the shed,

Hoping whoever was in there

would come out...

hoping and terrified

in case he did.

It was all right

at the time --

Out in the fields

or in the hay.

Sometimes,

just down on the dirt.

That's right.

You can tell, can't you?

Wouldn't really matter whether

it was you or him tonight.

Do you think

he'll be happy here?

There will be times

when he'll be happy.

If you really want him, ma'am...

you're going to have to tell him.

And you're going to have

to tell yourself, too.

What are you talking, arch?

What's this

about heading west?

Well, you're settled

in here now, harry.

I thought Id go back

to our old plan --

Going out to California.

But you like it here.

I know you do.

He suits it here,

doesn't he?

Reckon if arch

wants to go on,

We shouldn't argue with him.

It's better this way, harry.

Best thing.

You really want to go

to California, arch?

See that ocean?

Sure do.

I wouldn't say so if I didn't.

Okay, arch,

if that's the way you want it.

I think this is

how it has to be, harry.

Did you ask him to go?

No, I never did.

But you want him to,

don't you?

I want you to stay.

That's what I want.

But I will stay.

I told you so.

With me, because of me --

Me and Janey.

Well, that's why

I came back, isnt it?

Partly.

Partly because you were tired,

Sick and weary of having no

place but the ground to sleep.

Harry, Im all aching and sore

from these last six years.

I feel Im going to split open.

I'm scared to think it might

all come right again

After all this time.

I don't believe it,

but I want it to be.

Can you understand that?

I guess so, Hannah.

That man out there,

he's a decent man, Im sure.

But he's had more of you

than Ive ever known.

He's what you left me for, harry.

I know you didn't know him

when you left,

But he's what you went looking for.

A man don't ask the things of

another man like a woman does.

He's easier to please,

And he don't get bitter

about the same things.

Each time you and me

didn't get along,

Each time you got weary,

he'd be there,

And Id wonder if you were

planning to go off with him

Or if he'd be telling you

not to be a fool.

Don't you see, harry?

It'd be just like

you came home

With some woman

you'd been living with

And said, "I want her to stay

in the spare room."

Out there where he's going, Hannah,

It's cold on your own.

Don't you think it's about time

You started practicing being

a husband again, harry?

I'll pick it up okay.

Good night, harry.

Sure is a good morning for it.

You make it back this way...

sure.

Arch...

...if it gets, well, you know,

the way it can out there,

You just turn around.

I'll bring you back

a bottle of that ocean water.

Goodbye, Mr. Harris.

Bye, Janey.

I hope Ill be all right

for you, harry.

Just checking Janey.

She's all right.

Wind didn't waken her.

I love you, harry.

I love you, too, Hannah.

Harry!

Harry, there's a funny man,

And he brought

Mr. Harris' horse back.

Where'd you get this horse?

Sam sent me with it.

Where's Harris?

He wants you to come see him.

Where is he?

Waiting for you.

What is it, harry?

It's arch.

Something's wrong.

Is he sick?

Not exactly.

He sent you... this.

Sam says each week

you don't show up,

He's going to take off another.

And if you

don't show up ever,

He's going to cut off his toes and all.

Harry, what are you doing?

They cut off

one of arch's fingers.

One each week, they say,

till I get there.

How do you know

it's his finger?

It sure as hell is

somebody's finger,

And seeing as they got arch,

I reckon it's his, okay?

Harry, you can't.

You came back, you said.

You said you'd come back.

You can't go away, you can't.

The longer I wait, the worse

it'll be for him, Hannah.

I don't care about him!

I care about me and Janey and you!

You never meant to stay.

You never!

You planned it, the two of you.

You planned it!

It's your way

of getting away again.

You planned it!

That's not true, Hannah.

I have to go.

Arch is in this trouble

because of me.

I have to get him out of it.

And when that's done,

Ill be back,

And things will be right.

You won't come back,

I know it.

Your discard, you know that.

Same las patas.

Magdalena!

Dame solo,

pinche jodido!

Iandale al pozo,

Magdalena!

Arch:
iagua!

Por favor.

Come on.

Come on!

Come on, come on.

Come here.

Give me a little water.

Yeah, that's -

- That's all right.

Ah.

Para qu? Vinistes?

Ese hombre pendejo

te quiere matar.

Mat? A mi hombre.

Y mat? A tu amigo.

Y ahora te quiere

matar a t?.

Give me a gun.

A pistol!

No. A m?, m?Tame, no.

I'll kill him.

I'll kill him!

A m?, m?Tame.

Sacque de aqu?!

Pistol.

You can count

your fingers now.

Your friend's

come to get you.

Mighty good to see you.

I've been looking

pretty hard for you...

and that's difficult,

Seeing it's very hard for me

to get about.

Where's Harris?

He's here.

You rid hard.

You saved him a finger.

They're bad ones, harry.

I knew it.

First time we was here...

I had a feeling.

Then, when we rode out,

Thought it was all left behind.

Oh.

Hold me, arch.

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