The Sons of Katie Elder Page #2

- John.

- Matt. Been a long time.

Time ain't made you any prettier.

Tom. lt hasn't helped you any, either.

- Don't tell me this is the kid?

- l'm almost eighteen!

- Bud started college this year.

- How about that?

When l went to school, anybody

got past four plus four is eight, l cried.

Well, Ma want...

Ma said she wanted me to go.

Yeah.

You got here a little late.

We just got back from the funeral.

l was watching from a hill.

Katie wouldn't have wanted any trouble.

Never stopped you before.

- How did she die?

- Doc lsdell said she wore herself out.

She had a stroke and couldn't talk.

Then the preacher wrote to you.

l came to see her

about three years ago.

A bit of money

to put into that hardware business.

At least l come back.

lt didn't matter too much to Katie.

l never was her favourite.

lt seems you two were the only ones

that saw Ma in the last few years.

Like Matt says, l've been away, too.

Yeah, well.

- ls it true what they say about you?

- Only the bad things, Bud.

How many men have you killed?

You'd better ask Tom. He seems

to know more about me than l do.

Pretty smart, considering

we haven't met for ten years.

l'm asking you. How many?

- What did Katie tell you?

- Not Mom, other people.

- Howdy, Miss Gordon.

- Hello, Bud.

Miss Mary runs the boarding house.

These are my brothers...

Hello, Matt. Tom. Hello, John.

lt's been a long time.

You're not that skinny little kid that used

to live next door to the Fergusons?

No, l'm the skinny little kid

who lived next door to the Mastersons.

l hate to break in on your grief,

but you'll need some food.

Katie asked me to look in on you,

if you came to the funeral.

That's mighty nice of you, ma'am.

l wasn't doing it for you, or any of you.

l'm doing it because Katie asked me to.

She liked that rocker.

She seemed to have confided

a great deal in you, Miss Gordon.

lf she'd had her sons around her

she wouldn't

have had to confide in strangers.

She told me what fine men you were,

never forgetting her,

sending her money, helping her

send Bud through school.

She was so proud.

Her tall sons for whom she kept making

up lies so she could hide her shame.

Blamed Texas for taking her sons.

Texas is a woman, she used to say,

a big, wild, beautiful woman.

You raise a kid

to where he's got some size,

and there's Texas

whispering in his ear and smiling,

saying, ''Come and have some fun.''

''lt's hard enough to raise children,''

she'd say.

''But when you've got to fight Texas,

a mother hasn't a chance.''

That's why she pushed Bud. She let

Texas beat her with the rest of you.

She was going

to see Bud through college or die.

Well, she died.

Miss Gordon, tell me, why did

she set so much store by this rocker?

Your pa gave it to her. She wouldn't

have swapped it for a diamond ring.

Thanks for being so nice to her.

Nice to her? More like

she was nice to me, or anybody.

She deserved better from her own.

- Miss Gordon...

- l see you're still wearing your gun.

Anybody hungry?

l'll bet you ten to one

she's a good cook, too.

l'm glad l didn't bet. l'd have lost.

How did anybody in this family

ever get to college?

l didn't want to go to college.

lt was either that or jail.

- For what?

- They said l stole a horse.

People are trying to stick me

with things like that all the time.

- Did you steal it?

- l rode him, but l didn't steal him.

Ma wouldn't back me up. There

wasn't anything else to do, so l went.

- You went where?

- To the School of Mines.

lt was September 3rd.

lt was a week before school started,

and l clumb Pike's Peak.

- Why?

- lt was there.

- You done what to Pike's Peak?

- l clumb it.

- You didn't, you climbed it.

- What's the difference? l got to the top.

- There ain't no such word as clumb.

- What about the horse?

She went to a lot of bother to get you

an education. Why don't you use it?

- Why did you steal the horse?

- l didn't.

l was in bed, and l heard someone

talking, so l looked out of the window.

And old man Hyselman

was claiming l stole his horse.

A grey horse? What did Katie say?

She was as mad as he was,

told him to go look if he wanted to.

Then he came out of the barn with his

horse, Ma behind him hanging her head.

Then she come in all scared.

- Ma scared?

- l never saw her like that before.

She said he was coming back with

the sheriff, and l'd better leave the state.

So l took off my pants, put on a suit

and left on the morning train.

- That ain't much of a story.

- l liked it where he changed his pants.

- lt was just starting to get interesting.

- Very funny, ha-ha!

Funny.

Bud, how long did Ma live here?

We moved over just after Pa died.

Twelve hundred acres of the best land

anywhere. l wonder why she sold.

- A woman couldn't run it by herself.

- She must have got some money.

Why don't we go to the bank,

split it four ways?

- Three and a half is more like it.

- Bud's got to have money for college.

l ain't going to college.

l'm going with him.

There's one thing you're forgetting.

You ain't been invited.

l'd take you,

but l don't know where l'm going.

- But l ain't going any place l've been.

- l can take care of myself.

What do you say we settle everything

else first and talk about him later?

We'd better see if she left any debts.

Debts? What debts?

Her funeral for one thing.

Who paid for that?

- She probably owes at the store, too.

- That can't be much.

l'm going to Hyselman's.

You and Bud go to Peevey's store.

Matt, you talk to Dr lsdell.

We'll meet at the bank.

Howdy, Bud. You don't look any

different than when you went to college.

l expected him to come back

with a flat hat with a tassel,

wearing glasses and looking smart.

Mr Peevey, you remember

my brother Tom.

Howdy, Tom.

l was sorry to hear about your ma.

l'll miss her as much as l'd miss my own

ma if she went. God spare me the day.

- We came about Ma's bill.

- We'd like to settle up.

l think l have it inside. Come right in.

Let me see now. Here it is.

- How much is that?

- Six dollars and twenty cents.

l'll cut you for it.

High card, double or nothing.

Hey, Ma? How much for the dresses

Katie Elder made?

- l thought you paid her.

- No, l haven't paid for them yet.

The Elder boys are here to settle up.

Four dresses at two fifty,

and two guitar lessons at fifty cents.

Four dresses at two fifty,

and two guitar lessons at fifty cents.

That means that l owe you

four dollars and eighty cents.

Your ma took guitar lessons?

Yeah, l figured she could earn a living

playing the guitar in the saloon.

- Want to hear her?

- No, thank you. Some other time.

Don't forget your money.

- Thank you.

- Drop in any time.

l wish l could tell you that you owed

me a hundred dollars, but you don't.

She came in here one day

with a big grey horse to sell.

She said,

''Henry, go get your grey horse.''

They made as pretty a team

as you'd ever see.

So l said, ''What's your price, Katie?''

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