The Shooting of Caribou Lou Page #2

Please think about it.

That's just what I'm doing.

Really nice pony you had here, miss.

Looks to me like you run

him to death though.

Good pony like this hard to come by.

What'd you shoot him for?

There ain't a broke or

unsound bone in his body.

I'll give you 500 now and

500 when we get there.

How long would it take?

Two weeks? Three?

How much gold could you dig out of

this mine in three weeks, Mr. Gashade?

Three weeks?

Let me figure.

Oh, I'd say, bein' it's a...

pretty dead hole, why...

Well, it wouldn't be

a hell of a much.

Would you say, Will?

Yeah, I done the best

I could for ol' Lee.

By the time I got out my gun to help,

why, he was already dead.

And what with Will's

brother run off...

well, there was only me to

do the best I know how...

for ol' Leland Drum.

It isn't April.

- What's that?

- It's March.

Oh.

"His good friend in... March?"

She don't like me much.

I don't know.

Sure holds out good wages though.

Yep.

But for what she don't say.

Take her to Kingsley, she say.

We'll see.

We're goin'?

I don't know.

What, Will?

Well, if Coigne got in bad...

He went and harmed someone

or killed someone...

A man and a little person.

I'm wondering why nobody's

come out here a-lookin' after him.

Maybe it was a child.

- Well, ma'am, I gotta...

- This water is not clean.

In fact, it's stagnant!

- Please!

- H-Hold on.

Do frogs breed in this water?

Not frogs.

- Well, what then?

- Oh, other things.

Here!

Oh, I'm sorry!

What is that?

Well, it's all I could find.

There's some type of snakes knowed

to take a romp in that water.

- In this water?

- Oh, yeah.

And people been knowed to swallow

one of their little eggs...

and it'll hatch out inside 'em without

they's knowing it till it's too late.

What do you mean, too late?

Well, suppose it was a poison snake

and it hatch out hungry, as they do.

Well, what's it gonna eat but the

nearest thing to it? And that's you.

Not me, because I didn't

swallow any of it.

Well, you're lucky then.

Say, ma'am. Ma'am?

I been considerin', and,

I got an offer to make.

- Say, ma'am?

- Yes?

I'll take you up to

Kingsley like you asked,

but Coley here's gonna

have to go along with me.

And that's why I'm askin'

a thousand dollars...

so's I can pay him too.

Then there's that five you

mentioned when I get you there.

That's it.

That's my offer.

All right.

Not fine, but all right.

Let's get started.

- Take it, Coley.

- No!

You take it, Mr. Gashade.

I'm ready to go.

We'll go tomorrow.

Now.

Morning always makes a good start.

Would you like to go with me now?

Me?

- Why, sure.

- Coley.

Take up the money then.

- Coley...

- Go on!

- Coley!

- What, Will?

Pack the mule.

No mule.

I do not intend to be

held back by any mule.

Ain't nothin' will hold you

back like no vittles, ma'am.

No mule!

Gashade! Do you know Cross Tree?

- I do.

- Well, head for there, please.

Cross Tree ain't Kingsley.

Never mind. First, Cross Tree!

- It's out of the way.

- By how much?

Twenty, 25 miles.

Which way?

Well, we'll have to go faster then.

Yes, sir.

You run on four now,

you walk on two later.

Haul freight, Coley!

Come on!

Look at that splay-legged,

plantered, spavined...

wind-broke, damned droop-naped,

galled stumbler...

Coigne went and stuck me with.

And takin' Shorty,

who was as sound as a nickel.

Hell!

You can't haul no pale-pink, ratty,

walleyed devil mule behind no horse...

that ain't got the

sense to switch flies!

No kiddin'.

This ain't no fun.

Howdy, miss.

We're stoppin', I guess.

She stalled again?

Unpack the grub out of

those mules and let's eat.

You could try and be

a little more pleasant.

Is that mule tethered, Coley?

You sure have a pretty way.

I surely don't ask that

you be fond of me.

Tend the mule.

"Fond of me."

Surely fond of me.

Hold the talk.

Not even snake water could be

more poisonous than this coffee.

Ma'am?

Do you think that maybe I could

call you by your name or somethin'?

I mean, of course,

"Miss" this or that. You know.

And respectful,

till you knew me better.

All right. You just tell me,

what is your most favorite name?

Well...

My most favorite name?

Let's see.

My most favorite name...

is...

Glory, sure is hard to

think of a lady-type name.

Let's see. Well...

Yeah. There's my mama's name.

I know that one.

But now, I never did

call her that though.

Well, just "Mama."

That's all right, Coley.

You just tell me. What was it?

Well, let's see.

My daddy called her by...

Hortensia.

Well, don't ever call me that.

Well, ma'am...

just could you tell me what though?

Hush! She's been japin' you.

Can't you sense?

Now quit her,

'fore you get tromped on.

Aw!

Didn't you hear what she say, Will?

She called me by Coley.

She say...

"That's all right, Coley."

"Boyard, his good friend and-"

I don't know.

Something's been scratched off.

Looks to me like somebody

settled with one of 'em.

- Yeah, look like.

- You gonna want to find out?

- Well, it don't matter.

- What about the other one?

Could be anywheres.

Well, might be they're just tryin' to

throw us off with this here grave.

Well, then I'm throwed.

You mean we ain't followin' 'em?

Hell, I got my duties.

- It's so satisfying!

- Ma'am, you ain't sleepy?

Come on. Let's get started.

Where's the mule?

I told you to tether the mule!

I did, Will. Ain't he there?

I did, Will! I hobbled 'im.

Right over here. I swear.

You see? This here's

what I attached on 'im.

Well, somebody just went

and unattached him.

Will you please help me?

I wouldn't do that

if I was you, ma'am.

Frazer's layin' back his ears.

He's just likely to let fly.

Exquisite.

Cursed, hellish sun!

- Well, blow on your wrists.

- Oh, shut up!

You mind telling me why

we're goin' to Cross Tree?

We're goin' to Cross Tree?

What for, Willett?

For fresh horses?

That's right. Fresh horses.

So long, ol' Funeral.

March!

Coley?

Get two horses and as much store as you

can pack on behind the three of 'em.

- No mule?

- No mule.

Only two ponies, Will?

How 'bout ol' Frazer?

- He's sound. Only two.

- Wait, Will.

Say, could I have me a little

of that money for myself?

- What for?

- Aw, shoot. Nothin'.

Just so I could, you know, get me

some do-funnies. Hell, somethin'.

You just get them horses

packed and...

get yourself a gun.

You just come from over there...

and seen this friend of mine.

Did you? A woman?

Well, that's all right.

I'm traveling right along with her.

What's her name?

Huh?

Hold on here.

Listen, you tell me who she is and what she's

doing over there, or I'll break you in half.

Have the paper?

What do you mean, a paper?

Writing? A letter?

Do you read?

Who give it to you?

Beard.

- Bear?

- Beard man.

You mean a bearded man?

That's all? No name?

Beard man.

Where'd he go?

Far.

- North.

- Far.

Poor, sorry sight you are.

Hey. Want a piece of candy, Shorty?

Is that Shorty?

Hi, Will. Look who this is.

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