The Lawless Breed Page #2

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around here at the same time.

Who runs this riding academy?

Who shot him?

Wes Hardin, the preacher's boy.

Who are you?

Ben Hanley.

This is my brother.

Who are these two?

We're all brothers.

Corporal, report to

headquarters, on the double.

Tell them to alert all

patrols for a Wes Hardin.

You, miss, you.

We'll need you as witnesses.

Mister,

you ain't gonna need

no witnesses

'cause there ain't

gonna be no trial.

Uncle John!

It's Wes Hardin.

Well, hello, Wes.

Step down. Come on in.

Maybe I shouldn't.

I'm in trouble.

Well, if you're in trouble,

you've come to the right house.

Step down, come on in

and tell me about it.

Put his horse in the barn, Gyp.

Howdy, Aunt Em.

Morning, Wes.

Jim. Joe.

Wes. Sit down, Wes.

Have some breakfast.

What kind of trouble

you in, Wes?

I shot Gus Hanley.

Gus Hanley?

You killed him?

Holy smoke!

You started up with that brood,

you should have got them all!

He'll get his chance at the rest of

them as soon as they come a-running.

Especially Dirk.

He's cut five notches already.

Wes, what I say is...

You don't say nothing

till you're spoken to.

There's something else.

I think maybe I shot a couple

of Yankees getting out of town.

Yankees!

What are you trying to do, boy?

Start the war all over again?

The Yankees don't count.

But the Hanleys do.

Does your pa

know about all this?

I expect he's heard

about it by now.

Joe,

go saddle a horse and go on over to Bonham

and tell old Jehovah

that Wes is with us.

John, that ain't a nice way

to talk about your brother.

Half-brother!

Pa don't have to know

where I am.

I expect he don't care.

I cut loose from him

before all this.

Joe, do as I say.

Keep off the roads.

There'll be patrols out looking for Wes.

Joe, when you see Jane,

tell her not to worry.

Tell her I'll be back for her

like I said.

You ain't going to Bonham,

not for a long time, unless it's in a box.

When I'm ready

I'm going back for Jane.

We got plans, Uncle John.

Don't matter about the

Hanleys or the Yankees or Pa.

Well, let the Yankees look for you.

Let them all look

'cause we won't be here.

We'll be trailing a herd to Abilene,

and you'll be with us.

So, you're ready

to make a drive?

We can be ready tomorrow morning.

Can't we, boys?

We can be ready sooner

than that if you say so, Pa.

Joe?

Sure, Pa, we'll be ready.

Good. Get back

as soon as you can.

Hey, Wes, what about Gus?

Did he draw first?

You beat him, huh?

Well, what do you think?

He's here, ain't he?

The fastest horse in Texas.

Yes, sir.

Howdy, Uncle John, Bart.

Hi.

Well, if it ain't old Wes Hardin

sitting out here big as life

with half of Texas

looking for him.

You're a real unpopular boy.

Got the three Hanley brothers

looking for him in one direction,

promising to shoot him on sight,

got half the Yankee Army looking

for him in the other direction,

making the same promise.

Hey, Zeke.

That's a real good-looking

pony you got.

Must have cost you plenty.

Nah, didn't cost me nothing.

That fool Yankee Major

down at the fort,

he confiscated this horse from

a ranch up near Nacogdoches

and all I done

was confiscate him back.

You mean you stole him?

Well, no, not exactly.

You see, the Major wanted to play a little

poker with old Zeke, so I obliged him.

He got more cards off the

bottom than he did off the top

and I got Rondo,

I said I got Rondo.

Hello, Zeke.

Oh, howdy, Joe.

Got the road brand

on the last of them, Pa.

We're ready to go

whenever you are.

Well, let's stop talking.

Take them to Abilene, boys.

Run them along, Gyp.

Jim, send one of the boys

back for the wagon.

That pony of Zeke's got a good rein.

Quick as a cat.

Well, here comes old Chick Noonan.

Wonder what he wants.

Probably looking for

a place to bury his money.

Hi, John. Hi, Wes.

What are you doing on the trail?

Trying to pick up

a little stray business?

I pick up business

anyplace I can find it.

Business was good in Abilene.

I had a special embalming and

burying job on The Durango Kid.

And if I do say so myself,

when he was laid out,

his own wife didn't even know him.

She thought he was a stranger

asleep in the parlor.

Been any recent deaths

in Bonham?

No, not that I know of.

Not to change the subject, John,

did you ever buy that new black

suit you said you was going to?

No. Why?

You never can tell.

They come in handy sometimes.

Yes, sir, Rosie,

I've buried them in Abilene

and I've buried them in Santa Fe

and I've buried them

in old Mexico,

but I always like to get back to

Bonham to take care of my friends.

Sorry I missed planting

Gus Hanley.

And to think, Rosie,

only three days ago,

I was as close to Wes Hardin

as I am to you right now.

Chick, you're getting

too sentimental. Now...

Where did you see Wes Hardin?

Why, four or five days ago,

out on the trail to Abilene.

He's with the Clements' outfit.

Poor Wes Hardin.

I wonder if he's got

a black suit.

Then what do you do?

Well, then I give him

a real nice hand.

And then what?

Well, then I give myself

a little bit better hand.

Yes, that's how come

I'm riding Rondo.

What do you do, son?

I'll open for $200.

Two hundred! Why, there ain't that much

money in the whole State of Texas.

Yes, there is, Zeke.

Right in my saddle bag.

I'll get it.

No, no, no need.

I only got me but $20.

You got Rondo.

You've got yourself a bet, son.

How many cards you want?

Two.

Well, I guess

I'll only need one.

Well, looks like a showdown,

Wes. What you got?

Four aces! What...

I never gave you no aces.

Yes, you did, Zeke.

You gave me two on the deal.

I give you a pair of...

Looks like you've

lost yourself a horse.

Well, I'll be a full brother

to a ringtail baboon!

I'm through playing cards.

My luck's against me.

Your luck's all right, Zeke.

You just need to practice up a little.

Well, I just need a new deck!

Clements' outfit hit town yet?

Not yet.

I hear they're due here

this afternoon.

Clements boys hang out in here?

Well, we're just about official

headquarters for all the Texas outfits.

Of course, this hour in the morning,

it's kind of quiet.

What'll it be?

We'll be back.

Hey, Charlie.

Run over to

Marshall Hickok's office.

Tell him Dirk Hanley and

his brothers are in town.

You tell him yourself.

I ain't messing with Dirk

Hanley or any of his kin.

First thing we get into Abilene,

I'm gonna get me a nice cold beer.

Scoops of them.

Corn liquor for a chaser.

Then I'm gonna get me one of them nice,

great, big 25-cent steaks.

Then I'm gonna jump into

a nice, hot tub

and wallow around like an

old sow in the mud hole.

Yeah, well, the first thing I'm

gonna do is call on Madam Lucy,

the French dressmaker,

and buy Jane the fanciest wedding

dress ever been seen in Texas.

Long white veil and big plumes.

Well, if your poker luck holds out,

you can buy a half-interest in the bank.

I don't want any bank.

All I want is enough money to buy

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