The Sea of Grass Page #2

WHO WAITED UNTIL THE COUNTRY

WAS SAFE AND PEACEABLE

BEFORE HE FILED HIS HOMESTEAD

ON THE RANGE:

OF SOMEONE ELSE WHO

HAD FOUGHT FOR IT.

BUT WHEN THAT NESTOR PICKS

LAND LIKE MY BIG VEGA,

WHICH IS 7000 FEET ABOVE THE SEA

WHICH WAS NATURALLY

INTENDED FOR:

GRAZING LAND, AND ALWAYS WILL

BE GRAZING LAND,

WHEN HE WANT TO PLOW IT UP

TO SUPPORT HIS FAMILY

WHERE THERE ISN'T ENOUGH RAIN

FOR THE CROPS TO GROW,

WHEN HE ONLY KILLS

THE GRASS THAT WILL GROW,

AND THEN, WHEN HIS CROPS

STARVE FOR WATER,

SUPPORTS HIS FAMILY

BY KILLING MY BEEF,

AND BECOMES A MAN WITHOU RESPECT TO HIMSELF

AND A MENACE:

TO THE TERRITORY,

THEN I HAVE NEITHER SYMPATHY

NOR CHARITY.

AND IF I KNOW THE TEMPER

OF THE PEOPLE AROUND HERE

WHAT ANDY BOGGS GO IS JUST A SAMPLE OF

WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF OTHERS

TRY IT.

THEY TOLD ME THERE WAS

NO JUSTICE HERE:

AND THAT YOU DOMINATED

THE COUNTRY.

THEY WERE RIGHT.

WELL, WE WON, JIM.

BOYS, I'VE GOT A TRAIN TO MEET.

JIM! JIM!

JIM!

PARDON, PARDON.

JIM, THE TRAIN

BROKE A RECORD.

I'LL MAKE UP FOR THAT LATER.

OH, I WANT YOU TO MEET A FRIEND

OF MINE, DOC REID.

HOW DO YOU DO?

- THIS IS JUDGE WHITE.

HOW DO YOU DO?

- HOW DO YOU DO?

FLOYD McCURTIN.

HOW DO YOU DO?

- HOW DO YOU DO?

WELL, WE WON, DIDN'T WE?

WHATEVER IT WAS.

WE HAD TO.

DID WE, JIM?

WELL, I DON'T KNOW.

WE WON TODAY,

BUT I DIDN'T LIKE

THAT BEAT LOOK:

IN ANDY BOGGS' EYES.

YOU GET ENOUGH MEN LOOKING

LIKE THAT..

WELL, I DON'T LIKE

WHAT I SEE COMING.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN?

OH, THE DOC-

HE DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING.

YOU'LL GET TO KNOW THE DOC.

I HOPE I GET TO KNOW ALL

OF YOU.

AND THAT YOU'RE

GOING TO LIKE ME

AS WELL AS I'M GOING

TO LIKE YOU.

THERE YOU ARE, BOYS,

DO YOU SEE NOW WHY I DID IT?

SURE DO. BUT NOW WE'RE WONDERING

WHY YOU WAITED SO LONG.

COME ON.

SUCH A HURRY, JIM.

6:
00 IN THE MORNING.

COME ON. YOU'LL BE THE FIRST WOMAN

IN THE TERRITORY

EVER MARRIED IN HER SLEEP.

WE MADE IT.

WHAT DID WE MAKE, JIM?

WHERE ARE WE?

THE GREATEST PLACE I KNOW.

COME ON.

THERE IT IS.

IT'S ALL GRASS.

YEAH.

WELL, IT'S JUST...

IT'S SO EMPTY,

SO QUIET.

QUIET?

MORE NOISE OUT THERE

THAN THERE IS IN ST. LOUIS.

I DON'T HEAR ANYTHING.

WELL, YOU HAVE TO LISTEN FOR I BEFORE YOU CAN.

I'M LISTENING, JIM.

ALL I HEAR IS THAT LITTLE

WHISTLE OF A SOUND.

THE WIND?

THERE'S A LOT MORE

THAN THAT OUT THERE.

TELL ME, JIM-WHAT?

WELL...

NO, PLEASE TELL ME.

I'LL TRY TO UNDERSTAND.

WHAT DO YOU HEAR

OUT THERE?

WELL, FIRST OF ALL,

I GUESS I HEAR THE BUFFALO.

BUFFALO? BUT THEY AREN' THERE ANYMORE.

THAT'S RIGHT.

OH. WHAT ELSE, JIM?i

INDIANS.

GONE, TOO?

HERDED INTO:

A RESERVATION.

I CAN REMEMBER THE FIRS TIME I SAW HER.

WE'D COME A LONG WAY

AND NOBODY WAS TELLING US

ABOUT ANY SURPRISES, EITHER.

WE JUST CAME OVER THE HILL

AND THERE SHE WAS

SORT OF LYING THERE ALL ALONE.

NOBODY WANTED HER THEN...

EXCEPT THE ANTELOPE AND THE BUFFALO

AND THE INDIANS.

SO WE TOOK HER, AND WE SET HER UP

RIGHT FOR COW COUNTRY.

WE FOUGHT FOR HER.

OUR BLOOD'S SUNK

IN EVERY MILE.

INDIAN BLOOD, TOO.

I'M NOT SO PROUD

OF SOME OF THAT.

MY BROTHER'S OUT THERE.

I SUPPOSE I SOUNDED HARD

TO YOU BACK AT THE TRIAL

AND TO EVERYBODY ELSE.

AND I SUPPOSE IT'S HARD

TO UNDERSTAND:

THAT ALL THAT OUT THERE

IS ANYTHING BUT JUST A LOT OF GRASS

MADE TO ORDER:

FOR FARMING.

YES, I SUPPOSE IT IS

JUST GRASS TO MOST.

BUT NOT TO YOU, JIM?

TO ME, IT'S LAND THE WAY GOD

MADE I AND WANTS IT TO STAY.

AND I MAY BE WRONG

BUT I'VE GOT A HUNCH

THAT HE WANTS ME TO HELP

HIM KEEP IT THAT WAY.

I KNOW IT'S TOO SOON TO EXPEC YOU TO SEE IT THAT WAY, LUTIE

BUT YOU WILL:

SEE IT SOME DAY.

YOU'VE GOT TO SEE IT.

I WANT TO, JIM.

WELL, THERE SHE IS.

THE RANCH.

AND A HOUSE.

HURRY, JIM.

IT'S BETTER INSIDE.

YOU BRING MY SHORTENING?

I BROUGHT YOU SOMETHING

BETTER THAN SHORTENING.

HERE IT IS.

JEFF, OUR COOK.

WHAT ARE YOU THINKING OF

RIGHT NOW, JEFF?

I'M THINKING OF

MY SHORTENING.

BANTY, COME HERE.

THIS IS BANTY OUR HORSE WRANGLER.

HOW ARE YOU, BANTY?

I'M FINE, MA'AM.

YOU'RE WELCOME, MA'AM.

THANK YOU. THAT'S A WONDERFUL

WORD, "WELCOME."

GET THOSE BAGS:

WILL YOU, JEFF?

COME ON, I'LL SHOW YOU

THE LAYOUT.

FINE. CAN'T WAI TO SEE THE KITCHEN.

SHE'S SURE NICE

TO LOOK AT.

SHE BETTER KEEP OU OF MY KITCHEN.

AND YOU CAN TAKE THEM BAGS IN.

MY...

THIS WILL FIX UP NICELY.

THE STOREROOM?

NO, NO, THIS IS THE PARLOR.

THE LIVING ROOM.

WHO LIVES IN IT,

DEAR?

WELL, NOBODY, REALLY,

VERY MUCH.

YOU SEE, WE'RE NO HERE VERY MUCH.

I, UH... I SUPPOSE IF THIS STUFF

WAS MOVED OUT OF HERE,

IT EVENTUALLY WOULD GE TO LOOK

LIKE A LIVING ROOM,

WOULDN'T IT?

YES, I SUPPOSE IT WOULD.

I WONDER WHY I DIDN' HAVE THIS STUFF

MOVED OUT BEFORE YOU CAME?

DO YOU KNOW?

NO, I REALLY DON'T.

WELL, I'LL BE DOGGONE,

NEITHER DO I.

I WANT TO SEE:

THE KITCHEN.

IT'S AT THE END

OF THE HALL.

UH, TAKE IT EASY

WITH JEFF.

JUDAS.

MAY I COME IN?

JUST LOOKING AROUND,

I'LL GET RIGHT OUT.

I'D BE MUCH OBLIGED.

LORENZO, I'M WAITING ON THAT CABBAGE.

OH, BISCUITS!

WHAT DO THEY LOOK LIKE?

LOOK LIKE BISCUITS,

GOOD BISCUITS.

TASTE LIKE THAT, TOO.

NOTHING LIKE SOUR MILK AND A BIG OVEN,

IS THERE, JEFF?

BAKING SODA WENT IN FIRST-

YOU CAN TELL THAT.

SHORTENING IN JUST RIGHT TOO...

AND DOUGH ROLLED

JUST ENOUGH.

JEFF, HOW WOULD

YOU LIKE TO HAVE A DOLLAR

FOR EVERY BISCUI YOU'VE MADE?

I'D TAKE A NICKELOF GRASS

AND I'D OWN THE PLACE.

NOT THAT I'D WANT TO.

NOT ANYMORE. NOT NOW.

IT'S TOO CROWDED.

A MAN NEEDS ELBOW ROOM.

I WON'T EVEN COME INSIDE YOUR

KITCHEN UNTIL YOU ASK ME TO,

HONESTLY, I WON'T.

SHE ATE ONE. SHE KNEW

WHAT SHE WAS EATING.

TOUGHER THAN WHANG LEATHER.

SHE CAN LIE FASTER

THAN A DOG CAN TROT.

WAIT! WAS YOU

BRUNG UP IN A BARN?

NOW, LISTEN, I DON'T WAN NO REACHING,

NOR EATING WITH KNIFES

NOR DRINKING OUT OF SAUCERS.

THIS HERE WOMAN'S

A LADY.

I'M SCARED.

YOU'RE SCARED?

WHAT DO YOU THINK

THE BOYS ARE? COME ON.

UP!

LUTIE, THESE ARE THE BOYS.

BOYS, THIS IS

MRS. BREWTON.

HOWDY, MA'AM.

I'M VERY GLAD TO MEET YOU.

THERE.

SIT!

THAT'S YOUR PIECE

RIGHT THERE.

MA'AM...

YES, BANTY?

MRS. BREWTON,

THE BOYS...

WE'VE BEEN

THINKING,

AND IF THERE'S ANYTHING YOU WAN THAT WE CAN DO,

WELL, WE'D ALL-FIRED GLAD TO.

WELL, UM.. THANK YOU, BANTY.

THAT'S NICE.

ANYTHING, MA'AM.

WELL, I, UH... LET'S SEE...

OH. YOU KNOW THOSE TREES

DOWN BY THE BROOK?

BROOK?

CREEK.

- CREEK? CREEK.

I WONDER IF YOU COULD

PULL THEM OUT FOR ME.

WHY, SURE, MA'AM,

IF THEY'RE

BOTHERING YOU ANY

WE CAN THROW A ROPE

AROUND 'EM

AND YANK 'EM OU BY THE ROOTS.

OH, NO. NO, I MEAN COULD YOU DIG THEM UP

AND PLANT THEM AROUND THE HOUSE

SO THAT WE COULD

HAVE SOME SHADE?

IT WOULD BE LOVELY TO FENCE IN

THE WHOLE YARD.

FENCE?

WE'LL DO IT,

MRS. BREWTON-

ALL THE ORNERY:

TREES YOU WANT.

WE'LL DO IT.

WON'T WE, BOYS?

UH, SURE WILL.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

GOOD NIGHT, MRS. BREWTON.

GOOD NIGHT.

DID I DO SOMETHING WRONG?

NO, NO, NO.

YOU SAID "FENCE. THAT'S A CUSSWORD

ON THE OPEN RANGE.

OH, MY!

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