The Sons of Katie Elder Page #5

- l'll give you three dollars.

- No, l'll keep her for good luck.

There goes my wedding!

My girl saw me with my patch once.

- She turned away.

- You look all right to me.

Pretend you're a girl, and you can see

it spoils my manly beauty. Right, boys?

- Sell it back to him.

- All right, all right, l'll sell her.

- Five dollars.

- Split the difference, and l'll buy a drink.

Done.

Whiskey for the gentleman,

give me one, and one for the kid.

Aren't you going

to put it back in again?

Put it back in?

lt'd be a little crowded in there.

Be a little crowded in there.

Maybe that's funny to you,

but not to me.

l say you're a liar and a cheat,

just like your old man.

- You knew my old man?

- Well enough. He was a drunk, too.

- Liar!

- He's only a kid.

Stay out of this! He thinks he can

ride along on his brother's reputation.

l don't think so much

of his brother, either.

- He ain't armed!

- But l am.

- Stay out of this, Bud.

- No!

l don't think he's got the nerve.

- Give him a gun.

- The boy didn't mean nothing.

He called me a liar.

All l did was tell the truth.

You can take mine, kid.

Go on, pick it up.

l say he comes from a no-good family

that don't have the nerve...

John.

This guy just called Pa

a liar and a drunk!

That invitation to pick up a gun

still hold for Johnny Elder?

You got a chance to prove

you don't think so much of him.

Tom, get him out of here.

- Not till he eats his words!

- Tom.

Didn't you hear me?

He called Pa a liar and a drunk.

l reckon that's what he was, kid.

Now, keep him out.

John...

...get out.

Night, boys.

Where you going, mister?

Finish your game.

- Hey, Bud, ain't you going to eat?

- No!

How can l when l think of the things

that skunk said about us?

And him, the big gun

everybody's always bragging about,

he slunk lower

than anyone in the place.

- Shut up.

- l won't!

Why didn't you let me

do something about it?

He'd have chewed you up

and spit you out.

Your hand wouldn't

have got halfway to that gun.

Katie's going to have something

to show for her life.

- You're going back to school.

- No, l ain't!

Oh, yes, you are,

if l have to carry you there.

- l won't learn anything!

- l can't make you do that.

You don't want to tag along with me

after l've muddied the Elders' name.

No, and that's for sure!

This was Ma's, now it's mine. l'm going

to get that guy. Who's coming?

- You're not going any place.

- You going to stop me?

You bet l am!

And that's for sure!

- What the hell did you hit me for?

- You stood there and let him hit me.

l got him, l got him.

l got him!

- You got him?

- Yeah!

Stay out of here.

- Howdy.

- Howdy.

l'm right sorry

l missed the start of that.

- Doing your spring house-cleaning?

- We're just getting acquainted.

We haven't seen each other

for some years.

l'm looking for a Mrs Kate Elder.

This is where she lived.

We're her sons.

- She died a few days ago.

- l am sorry.

- l extend my sympathy to y'all.

- Thank you.

l never had the pleasure of meeting

Mrs Elder, but l got a letter from her.

Since l had business in Clearwater,

l decided to pay her a visit.

l'm sorry l got here so late.

This is some letter!

Care to read it?

''Mr Charlie Bob Striker,

Pecos, Texas.''

- That's you?

- lt is.

This is Matt and Bud and Tom.

And l'm John Elder.

Howdy.

''Dear Mr Striker, it has been told to me

that you have a lot too many horses.''

''lf this is true,

you have my sympathy,''

''as l have been horse poor

myself in the past.''

''lf you are still

in this predicament in June,''

''l may be able to help you out and

take a hundred head off your hands,''

''provided you are

prepared to deal on credit''

''until l can resell them.''

''l am interested in good sound stock,

but nothing fancy.''

''And l would like to hear

your rock-bottom price.''

''Yours truly, Kate Elder.''

Horse poor?

Sounds like she had more brass

than the Kansas City fire engine.

lt struck me funny, and the more

l read it, the funnier it got.

Finally l said to myself,

''Striker, you've done a lot of fool things.''

''You haven't done any lately, and you're

overdue.'' l'm sorry l got here too late.

- You two would've made a lively team.

- Well, thanks!

- Why don't you come on in?

- Thank you.

But it'll be a favour to my bad knee

to stay here.

- lt's been nice meeting you.

- l've got a proposition for you.

l wouldn't blame you

if you turned me down.

- lt wouldn't hurt to hear it.

- l'd like to take those horses.

l'd run them to Colorado,

sell them to the miners.

But l've got the same trouble

Mom had. No cash.

- l'll give you half the profits.

- What about the rest of you?

- You in this, too?

- We ain't been asked.

- Are you telling or asking?

- Asking.

lt sounds crazy enough to work.

- Matt?

- l want to know one thing.

- Will the money keep him at school?

- Seems to be the idea.

ln that case,

l'll chip in a couple of weeks.

- Well?

- You know you almost broke my jaw.

l was trying awful hard to. That's what

it seems to take with some people.

- Well, l guess you made up my mind.

- How about it?

lf l was going to do a fool thing for your

mother, l might as well do it for you.

Come to my ranch,

and you can have the horses.

- When do you want to start?

- A couple of hours.

Good, l'll be waiting.

Well, come on!

lt's your move, Billy.

Harry, one of these days

l'm going to beat you.

l wish you would.

After losing eight games in a row,

l can hardly consider you a challenge.

- Where have you been all day?

- The US Marshal's office.

Take a look at this.

Maybe that'll prove

l wasn't jumping to conclusions.

Tom Elder's wanted for murder!

- What gave you the idea?

- l did.

He knew enough about Tom Elder

to send me looking.

l figured Tom for a lot of things,

but never murder.

Why not? He's an Elder.

lt takes more than a man's name

to make him guilty.

- There's your proof.

- That doesn't prove he's guilty.

You're working out of hate. That's

why they took your gun the first time.

lt seems like

l can't do anything right for you, Billy.

Ben, the trouble with you

is you're like an owl.

The more light you shine on him,

the less he sees.

- Where are you going?

- To get Tom Elder.

Not armed like that, you're not.

And go reluctant, not like

you enjoy the idea of using that.

- l'll go myself.

- They're four of them!

l can count, too, Ben.

Ben's right, Billy. You'll need help.

You figuring on coming with me?

Or are you suggesting

l take along that new man you hired?

He's a good hand.

What are you trying to keep the Elders

from finding out, Mr Hastings?

l'm just trying to help.

Sure, just trying to put us on the map,

make us all rich.

A man can grow with a town, Billy.

Or die, like Bass Elder.

Ben, you'd better come here.

- What's the matter?

- Billy's horse just came in, without him.

Let's get a posse together, Harry.

Here.

He's still breathing.

You and Roy take him to Doc lsdell.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes