The Reivers Page #6

Stop that!

Mercy.

Go for his eyes!

He wants the one with the baby-blue eyes.

That's you.

Come on.

As soon as she's tucked in...

you'll all be turned loose.

Corrie. Don't do it.

Corrie!

You say your prayers in bed

or kneeling down?

- Kneeling down.

- Say them.

Amen.

Now, hop in.

What's that?

It's a whippoorwill,

back somewhere beyond the creek.

What's that?

That's an owl, and a big one, by his voice.

You can get closer if you wants to.

Lucius, wake up in there.

Lucius!

Put some fire under you. Come on!

I thought you were in jail.

I'm out. And we got a race to run.

Grab some clothes and come on.

- Where's Boon and Corrie?

- They're out, too. Hurry up!

We gotta get behind that starting wire

and win the first heat...

get a hold of Boss' automobile and get back

to Jefferson...

that we hadn't ought to never left.

Come on, hurry up. Get your clothes!

How'd you get out?

Miss Corrie fixed it for us.

What do you mean, "fixed it"?

What'd she do?

Tell him.

You know how that Butch has been

horsing and studding to get at that gal?

I guess she figured when you've been

sawing logs as long as she has...

what does one more log matter?

I don't believe it. She quit.

We sure better say much obliged

she started again.

What'd Boon say?

He didn't say nothing. He just smacked her.

He hit her? Boon hit her?

Don't fret yourself, Lucius.

Hitting a woman don't hurt her.

All it does is black her eye

and cut her mouth a little...

and that ain't nothing to a woman.

What better sign can a woman want

from a man that he's got her on his mind?

Luce, where are you going?

You gone crazy or something?

Come on back, kid!

I guess I'm not too gorgeous now, am I?

It's a pretty bad shiner.

- Does it hurt?

- A little bit.

Ice is good for a black eye.

I could get you some ice.

I hope nothing bad

ever happens to you again.

Hello, Luce. You're a racehorse jockey now.

How's your hand?

Want any more?

No.

It's all right, Lucius.

I guess I had it coming to me.

Let go of me. I'm going home.

Just gonna pick up and leave, are you?

I'm all done lying. I'm all done stealing.

I want to go home.

I just...

don't want you to lose

your good opinion of me.

You know, Lucius...

I hold you in awful high regard.

Boon and Lucius!

I hope you all got everything straight.

They're getting ready out there.

It's off. He's going home.

Quitting?

How you gonna tell Boss you quit?

You could tell him that you lost

his automobile for him. That's easy.

You could tell him you spent

all night in a whorehouse. That's easy.

You could tell him that you lied...

to your Aunt Callie, your Uncle Ike,

and your Cousin Zack. All that's easy.

But how are you gonna tell him

that you quit?

Shut up.

I mean, you've been taught better than that.

Here's your prize, boys.

Run a good race and carry her off.

Lose, and see her never no more.

All you got to do is beat that there.

Bring on Lightning. I'll go home after.

Hey, have you got that thing I gave you?

- Yes.

- Hand it over.

First thing is, don't fall off.

Don't worry about that other horse,

no matter where he is or what he's doing.

Just tend to your own. You understand?

- Yes.

- Okay. Now, listen, Lucius.

When you turn into that homestretch

towards that wire...

have Lightning where he can see me.

There can't be nothing in his way.

He's got to see me and know that I'm there.

- You understand? That's our only chance.

- I will.

All right, that's all. Except...

there ain't no place in the whole world

finer than home and our house.

So, win, Lucius,

so me and you and Boon can go back.

All right.

Boon.

Okay, horse.

Now, you just take it easy now.

Everything's going to be all right.

Good horse.

Here, you're counting on me...

and I'm so nervous

I'm close to wetting my pants.

Just keep your mind on the race.

You'll be all right.

That little boy's gonna ride that big horse?

He's not gonna win this race.

Hey, sugar.

Lucius.

Win, Lucius.

Come on.

Would you please hold down the racket?

All right,

get these horses off to a clean start.

Scared, kid?

All right,

bring those horses down to the line.

Luce!

You can be scared if you want to.

You can't help that.

But don't be afraid, son.

Keep together. Come on.

Just stay together. That's it.

Easy now. Stay together.

Son, don't let that black-foot... Come on.

Easy now.

Kid, you stick on that horse.

Hold them right. Steady up there, son.

Okay.

Come on, Bobo, don't fall back.

Hold that sorrel up.

All right, now remember,

two times around wins.

That's it. Keep them together.

Good.

That's a boy. Good.

Stay together. And...

go!

Ride to me.

Faster!

Please!

Come on, Lucius!

Come on!

Watch yourself, Luce.

Come on, Bobo. Get that rail, boy!

Let's go!

Faster!

Watch out, kid, get out of the way!

Get back on the track!

Come on, Lucius!

What do you mean that sorrel won?

How did he do that? He went off the track!

Please! Hold down the racket!

We won, didn't we? We got across

the finish line. They just went around it.

Everybody be quiet!

Now, everybody, just simmer down.

It's pretty clear it wasn't a race.

Why not?

Take a look at the rule book.

It says is if a horse doesn't...

commit a foul and doesn't stop running,

and the jockey sticks on it...

and crosses the finish line first, it wins!

Hold on there.

According to them rules, my horse won!

He didn't foul nobody

and he crossed the finish line...

showing his butt to your black.

No, sir.

That finish line just runs across the track

from this rail to that rail...

and it don't just keep going

down into Mississippi.

If it did that, there's horses been crossing

there since sunup this morning...

that we ain't even heard about.

He's right.

Our horse was first under the wire,

and where I come from, mister, first wins.

We won!

Now you just settle down.

Ed, you're the judge.

You say how it is, and that's how it is.

Please!

The question is, what's fair?

I propose that we start fresh. All bets stand.

Nobody won, nobody lost.

Win this next heat and win all.

Now get ready for the next race.

You can do it. Good luck, Lucius.

You up to it, kid?

He gave me all he had.

I don't think he's got any more.

He'll go again.

His only aim in life is to get

where I am and get what I got.

- What have you got?

- Something.

Is it dope?

'Cause you'll put us right back in jail again.

No, it ain't dope.

What's in the sack, Ned?

Just a sardine.

A what?

A smelly little old fish

about two inches long. That's all it is.

Don't lie to me, Ned.

Horses don't eat sardines.

Well, this one does.

He'd eat himself to death on them

if you let him.

He'd break his legs, bust his lungs,

run his heart out for them.

I guess that ain't so smart.

Then again, if he was smart...

he'd be up in the saddle riding, wouldn't he?

All right, we're ready.

Bring your horse to the line.

Now go get 'em.

Go!

Carried on the back of Lightning...

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