The Naked Spur Page #3

no luck in this country.

Fella i know struck gold

just north of here,

half a mountain of it

almost.

What fella was that?

Fella i know.

Only thing,

he had more trouble getting it out of the ground

than he had finding it,

that's what i hear.

He don't know much.

Got them from

an officer fella.

Swapped them even

for a fayute tomahawk.

Weren't really fayute,

i made it myself.

Ha ha ha!

I had you figured

for a horse trader.

[Hoofbeats approaching]

Jesse!

Keep your eye

on him, roy!

Mind if i get off

and stand a while?

Go ahead.

You can, too.

They gone up higher

to look ahead?

Oh, that man could do that

with his own life.

Maybe if i'd seen

what was ahead when i was younger,

i wouldn't be in this fix.

Ah, of course i would.

Some of the things...

nope.

Nope. I wouldn't have done

nothing no different.

Except for you, honey.

I wouldn't have

dragged you with me.

You didn't

drag me, ben.

I wish there was

some way to protect you from howie.

He's gonna start

on you pretty soon.

Kemp?

I've seen him

with women.

He'll look

and think,

and then he'll

reach out and take.

And the way

things are,

who's going

to stop him?

Me!

You better.

I'm the jealous type.

It's not much of

a trail.

I think we can make it

right through that path.

At least

the pay is good.

[Distant whooping]

Give me those glasses.

What do you make of it?

Indians.

2, 4, 6, 7...

about 12 of them.

Are they wearing

paint?

Hard to tell.

Right up there.

Ah...

yeah.

They're just

blackfeet.

Nothing

to worry about.

Been no trouble

with them for years.

Little far south

for blackfeet, aren't we?

Hunting party,

i guess.

Uh-huh.

Hunting what?

All right, mount up.

We're going over.

Oh, yeah,

and don't get nervous

if we see

a couple of indians coming up behind us.

Indians?

Don't worry,

don't worry, now. They're just blackfeet.

Take it easy

on the trail up there.

Wait a minute.

What do you think you're doing?

You want to get us

all scalped?

We got nothing

they want.

Isn't that right,

jesse?

Yup.

Indians are indians.

We can cover this trail

and finish them off when they come through.

Why look for

trouble?

What's the matter,

lieutenant?

All right,

if you want to know, they're after me.

They've been hunting me

ever since i left the fort.

This

chief's daughter

you was

holding hands with,

was she willing?

Never mind the sermon.

We've got a fight on our hands.

This is

# your fight, not ours.

You expect me

to take them alone?

They don't just

kill a man.

He's right.

Them indians are out

to revenge a squaw,

they'll make him holler

first.

Do the same thing to us

if we're with him.

Maybe worse.

All right, you better

start riding skin off that horse of yours

if you want to stay out

ahead of them.

The reward cuts bigger

two ways, huh?

You're losing time.

All right, now keep

close together.

You ride next

to ben.

Come on.

Oh, happy home,

where art thou now?

Now, just sit easy.

[Gunfire]

Let's go!

Right!

Aah!

[Yelling]

Aah!

Get down!

Aah!

Aah!

[Gun clicks]

[Indian yelling]

[Gunshot]

[Gunshot]

Anybody got

a match?

You could have

got us all killed.

It worked,

didn't it?

Did you think i was going to

let those indians

ride me into the ground?

Let them peel my hide

over a slow-burning fire?

Oh, no.

Not me... partners.

Come on. Mount up.

You can't sit a-horse

with a slug in your leg, howie.

You get on

that burro.

Come on.

[Groaning quietly]

He's done a day's work.

Fix a fire.

[Screaming]

Where are they?

Where are they?

Where'd they take her?

Where'd they take her?

Get your hands off me!

Get your hands off me!

I've got to find her!

I've got to!

I've got to find her!

He been like

this long?

Not as bad.

[Breathing heavily]

What are you trying

to do, drown him?

Here. Give me

that handkerchief.

Mary. Mary. Mary!

Mary...

don't worry.

The war won't last

a year.

I'll be home

before you know it.

No sense getting married

and then having to say good-bye.

You understand that.

Sure, i understand.

Now, get some sleep.

You can manage, mary.

The boys will take care

of the stock.

When i get back,

it'll be just like

we talked about

last night.

You understand, mary?

You remember

what you said?

I remember.

I said i'll wait for you.

He got what was

coming to him.

Half of abilene

knows about it.

I've heard of

some big suckers in my time...

this ain't

our affair!

You know what he done?

When he marched off

to preserve the union,

he signed over

his ranch to this gal

so she could

work it legal.

Guess what.

Come back to find out

she'd sold it...

used the money

to run off with another fella!

It's nothing

to laugh at!

No? Well,

laugh at this, then!

What am i

supposed to do, cry?

Feel sorry for him?

I got nothing against

these fellas.

They just happened along.

But him... i never hurt him

no ways,

and he starts out

to hunt me!

Days, weeks,

like an animal.

That's enough.

This ain't none of

our business.

He wants his land back,

and i'll tell you

something,

his end of the reward

ain't enough to buy it.

That's

# your business.

I think i'll make

some coffee.

Then why did he make

a deal with us to begin with?

Howie's a practical man.

He needed you fellas' help

to get through this rough country.

But the closer we get

to abilene,

the more you've got

to worry.

Given my choice,

i'll take hand-panning

and running water

naturally,

especially when

you're working alone like i do.

Of course, when you

get a strike

in high country...

like here, for instance...

your big problem

is getting the water

to where

you're digging.

Yeah. That's the trouble

my friend had.

Ground full of gold

and no water to work it...

hey.

Now maybe

you'll shut up!

I've been meaning

to ask...

you talk

like you seen

this fella's mine

with your own eyes.

Just heard.

Never hit it,

huh, jesse?

Nothing worth

the mention.

Seems i been looking

all my life.

All my life.

That's a long time

to look

for something.

Maybe you been looking

in the wrong places.

Fella says there's

gold in the valley,

i go to

the valley.

Fella says dig here,

i dig.

Fella says

there's a rush on to the north,

i go north.

In '49,

run to california.

Still remember...

spent good money for maps.

Even made

my own maps.

I've seen fellas

too drunk to walk

fall on their face

and find gold,

but never me.

Hey, jesse!

Where's roy?

He rode off

before dawn.

Didn't say where.

That's enough

shaving.

Give me that.

Drop it there.

Well, you slept

yourself out.

Must be halfway

to noon almost.

Why didn't

somebody wake me?

What's everybody

lying around for?

Oh!

That tells you

better than me.

You get him

some breakfast.

You can change the wrapping,

girlie.

Why me?

Because i say so!

Don't fuss

all the time!

Hold on, jesse.

This girl's been up

half the night

taking care of him.

She's wore out.

Never mind, ben.

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