The Last Sunset Page #4

move over there, lady.

Let me handle

them mules for you.

I'll be right with you just as soon

as I tie my horse on behind here.

You're hard of hearing. Well, you

know, when I get through with you,

you're gonna like them cattle so

much you'll never want to leave them.

Come on, Julesburg Kid, let's go!

Let's go! That's it!

Hold on! Hold on!

Hold on, there!

Sit on your horse, that's it. Come

here, come here. Don't be that way.

Come here!

Whoa, whoa, whoa!

Stay on your horse, there. Come

on, stay on that horse. That's it!

Now you got it! Come on!

Let's go again, huh? Come on!

On we go! That's it.

Isn't this fun?

Isn't this fun?

Don't you reach

for your gun again.

Now work for your dollar.

Hey, hold it, Missy.

You know a funny thing

about a horse?

He can see a gopher hole

about a mile off, and yet...

Let me show you something.

Look.

And yet he can't even see a

bird's nest right under his nose.

There's no reason

to be nervous.

I'm going to take you

alive. Remember?

What did he mean?

All he meant was you're going to have

horses scattered all over the countryside,

unless you get back

to work pronto, miss.

All right.

We may be able to use a

killer on this drive after all.

I don't think there's

any danger in here.

We better stand watch

around here, just the same.

We'll spread out

among the herd tonight.

Take your bedroll with you.

Get as much sleep as you can.

O'Malley and I

will ride herd.

If I were an Indian, I could've picked

up some mighty easy scalps just then.

I'm glad you weren't.

Come here. I want to

show you something.

Don't be afraid. You won't need

that shooting iron. Come on.

Something out there you could live

five lifetimes and never see again.

Look.

Saint Elmo's fire.

Never seen it

except on ships.

I've never seen it

anywhere. What is it?

Well, a star fell and smashed and

scattered its glow all over the place.

There, you see?

You laughed.

You're getting

used to me again.

I was really thinking that

you haven't changed a bit.

How do you mean that?

Oh, you've still got that

wildness on the tip of your tongue.

I've still got you

in my heart, too.

Look, Belle, I know this

hasn't been a good trip for you,

but, well, we're going to have

smooth sailing from here on out.

You really don't want

smooth sailing, Bren.

You carry your own storm

wherever you go.

Only when I travel alone.

Belle.

Look at me. I'm trying to

tell you how much I love you.

No, Bren.

You loved a 16-year-old girl.

In another country.

In another world almost.

And you still think

I'm that girl.

You are.

I'm not.

The girl you remember died

a long, long time ago.

But the minute I look at

you, she comes alive again.

Can't you see that,

Belle?

Don't you know what

I've done for you?

Something only

love could do?

I stopped time

from touching you.

I trapped you in my heart the very first

day I saw you, and I've never let you change.

Oh, Belle, 100 years from now, my

eyes could look at you and still see

a pretty little girl

in a yellow dress.

You've said it all.

Don't you see, Bren?

I don't want to be

loved as if I were

a frightened, shivering,

innocent little girl.

I have to be loved

for what I am.

I'm a woman

with the heart and the mind

and the flesh of a woman.

I'm not young and

I'm not innocent.

There's so much more to me

to be loved than just that.

But you don't see it.

Because you don't want to.

You're up awful early

this morning.

Why, yes, I am.

Do you think that's wise?

Walking around here unarmed?

Just wanted to see this

little church in the daylight.

Yeah.

Lots of hopes, lots of

prayers must've started here.

Or ended.

Babies being christened.

Women burying their dead.

Sometimes men, too.

Men?

I lost my wife and two

daughters in an Osage war party.

Oh.

I'm sorry.

I'm afraid I was only

thinking of myself.

To me, it's always seemed like

the women who keep on living.

Men kill or get killed.

And women bury them.

We're professional survivors.

Belle, last night...

I couldn't help seeing you

and O'Malley talking together.

And I had the feeling that you

two have met before sometime.

I mean, way before we began

this cattle drive. Have you?

I don't think you have the right to

ask me that question, Mr. Stribling.

But I give myself that right,

because I mean to marry you.

That gives me

every right in the world.

Will I have anything to say

about this marriage?

Not until I ask you.

And I can't ask until I

square things off with him.

Then you'll have

a lot to say about it.

Excuse me.

No reason

to be offended.

But you might just as well

forget you ever saw him,

because I'm the man

you're going to marry.

I mean what I say, Belle.

O'Malley!

Hold up the herd!

What did you think

you were doing?

I was protecting

my fifth of the herd.

You get on back there and get the

outfit ready to stand off an attack.

I didn't sign up

to fight Yaquis.

Well, I ain't about

to fight them, either.

Get the wagon and the remuda over here

and we'll surround them with the herd.

Get ready.

Hold it.

They've got Stribling.

All they wanted was

a little fresh beef.

You could've

got him killed.

Not yet.

How many herd

did you have to give?

One-fifth of the herd!

O'Malley's fifth.

Never did like cows

much anyhow.

Quicksand!

Watch where you ride!

Throw me a rope.

Let's have a rope.

Think you might find a way

to tear up that warrant?

Not a chance.

Hold your hands

over your head.

The big guy is stuck

in the quicksand.

Don't get the wrong idea,

Stribling.

If Belle didn't need you

to get these cattle through,

you'd be on the bottom now,

alongside your horse.

That's the way I figured.

I killed Frank Hobbs.

Well, there she is.

We made it.

Sure is beautiful.

I got plenty of vaqueros

to help us make the crossing.

Crazy Horse is on the other

side, just beyond that ridge.

When do we cross over?

First thing in the morning.

You mean we're going to

have to make camp again?

When there's a town

in plain sight?

Well, it's too late

to try today, Melissa.

All right, let's get these

cattle moving towards the river.

You know, Missy, you and your

mother could make the crossing now,

and spend a comfortable

night in town. I'd like that.

We've come this far, Melissa. We

might as well spend one more night.

Well, I sure would

like a nice bath.

You know, this is our

last night in Mexico.

Let's celebrate.

Let's have a fiesta.

A fiesta? Can we get

all dressed up? Why not?

O'Malley? O'Malley?

Yes?

We're going to have a fiesta

tonight. Will you dance with me?

Sure will. Dance with

you all night long.

Oh, Mr. O'Malley, if you decide

not to cross the border with us,

I'll be glad to send your

wages after I've sold the herd.

I'll think about it.

I'm only a sham.

I haven't any slippers.

I wouldn't wear boots.

Do you like it?

Very much.

It was my mother's.

Could've been

made for you.

Melissa, where did

you find that dress?

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