The Stalking Moon Page #2

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You riding with us, mister?

I'd sure feeI better

if somebody was riding behind us.

I'd appreciate it.

Hyah! Giddyup.

Whoa.

Changing horses. Fifteen minutes.

Thank you.

Much obliged.

Depot.

Train comes in over there.

Come on, we'll get your tickets.

Columbus?

You said you wanted to go to Columbus.

I don't know.

Well, you said you had family

in Columbus.

My family is dead.

Well, there must be somebody left there.

Friends, somebody.

All right.

Columbus.

I'm afraid this won't take them

to Columbus.

This voucher can't cross them

into Ohio on the ReveI Line.

And there'd be a change in Kansas City

to the ReveI Line.

Get them to Topeka.

Well...

What about Topeka?

You wanna go to Topeka?

It's far. It's in Kansas.

All right.

Topeka.

Two?

The lady and the boy.

Train should be here sometime

about 2 or 3.

It'll take them as far as Taspola.

They'll have to change there

and wait on for a train to Gallup.

It shouldn't be more than a few hours.

Then they can ride this ticket

through to Dodge City.

God willing.

Then just wait till Tuesday...

...and then they can just take

the B.D.R. and O...

...right on through to Topeka.

Could you get along

without that shoebox?

Well, I figure I can traveI some

before sunset.

Much good luck.

Thank you.

He buried them.

He can tell you more than I can.

All right, Ollie, get that team ready

and get the passengers on.

- We're moving out.

Ready to go, Shelby.

You buried them, huh?

We're all out of beer, all out of ice.

We've got some coffee and there's cereaI

left on the stove if you want.

Coffee.

Ready to go, Shelby.

Giddyup. Yeehaw.

A hell of a way to live, driving a stage.

Can you cook?

Well, I got a parceI of land

in New Mexico.

I bought it through the maiI.

I've only seen it once.

I've been sending money down there...

...to an old man who's supposed to be

buying cattle for me.

It's not much of a house,

but it's a place to live in.

The old man and me

would get more work done...

...if we had somebody to cook for us.

It might be better for the boy

than the city.

You might not like it.

I've never lived with anybody in my life.

But I've agreed with myself...

...that you're welcome to come

if you wanna.

I have to sell my horse.

There's a pump around the side.

Come on.

I hear you had a bad winter.

- We lose many cattle?

It was a bad winter.

Near killed them all last winter.

Come on, boy.

Come on.

Now, I know that we agreed...

...that you'd come down here

and do the cooking, and I appreciate it...

...but I can't say I'm reaI happy

about the way you stand around the room.

Now, come on, sit down at the table.

Both of you. Come on, come on.

With food on your plates.

Now, from now on,

we'll be taking our meals together.

I've got nothing against talking.

I don't mind a little talking

now and then.

If anybody feels like saying anything, well,

just ought to say it. You know, anything.

"Pass the peas, pass the meat. "

Just whatever you wanna say,

you just speak up. Speak up.

"Pass the meat, give me the salt. "

Tell that to the boy.

Go on. Tell him if he wants some peas,

he ought to say, "Pass the peas. "

Let's get this thing settled.

Huh.

What's the boy's name?

He wasn't given his name yet.

Well, let's give him one now.

What would you like to call him?

What was your father's name?

Thomas.

Good.

Good.

You wanna call him Thomas?

He wouldn't understand.

There is already too much...

...for him to understand.

You...

If anybody wants to say anything,

well, just go right ahead and say it.

"Pass the peas. "

"Pass the salt. "

Whatever you want passed.

It's...

It's not easy for me to talk.

It's been a long time...

...since I have talked.

But I would like to say this.

That it pleases me to be here...

...and I think it is a beautifuI place to be.

Well, it's not much, but better than sand.

Plenty of blankets

and more firewood, just outside.

I want you to know that you're free here.

You can come and go as you please.

There's a view from that north ridge.

Sometimes I think you can see

all the way back to Arizona.

Good night, Miss Carver.

Good night.

Yeah, I think Sam Varner would

make you better scout by now, boy.

Ah, you son of a gun.

You picked me up, huh?

I spotted you from the ridge

about four miles back.

I'll tell you the truth, Varner, I figured I'd

find you dead over some onion patch, huh?

I listen at the fort.

I hear from the Indians about the boy.

- You know what he is, this boy?

- Yeah.

Oh.

Well, I figure maybe you don't know.

So I ride Hennessey.

I dig up that grave, Hennessey.

I figure maybe you're in it.

Goodbye, Sam, huh?

Then I ride Silverton.

Silverton, they're all dead too.

Even your horse dead, Silverton.

Then I hear he stops wagon at Oakley.

Two days later,

he's already Columbia Pass.

I figure out.

I come tell you. He's on his way.

- I figured good, huh?

- ReaI good.

Nick will be here for a while.

Salvaje is on his way.

Have you told him anything?

I think...

...he already knows.

There's a Mexican family down the road.

I'll ride over in the morning. Warn them.

It has nothing to do with you.

It has to do with me.

I didn't have the courage to die.

I knew what I had to do to stay alive.

I chose to be with him.

Tomorrow I'm going

to take my boy away.

And Salvaje will find us...

...and maybe that will be enough for him.

It won't be.

It will keep him from here.

What about after here?

I buried his dead at Hennessey.

They're all dead at Silverton.

Dead all the way across Arizona.

I have to think about that.

If I can, I have to stop it.

You and the boy...

...aren't leaving here.

I want you to stay here.

It's right that you're here.

Hey, old man.

Wanna make a card game?

I teach you poker, huh?

Eh.

He talk too much, doesn't he?

Hey, boy. Hey, come here.

Come here.

Come here.

If you gonna be white,

you better learn white man's game, huh?

Yeah.

Pretty good, huh? Sit down.

See this?

That's cards, huh?

See that? That's numbers.

Numbers. All numbers, huh?

Say this number. Four.

Four. That's four.

Say that.

- Four.

- Four.

Say this one here.

Say that one. Three.

Three.

- Three.

- Three.

Hey, I teach you count, huh?

Okay, say ace.

- Ace.

- Ace.

Deuce.

- Deuce.

- Deuce.

Three.

- Three.

- Try again. Four. Four.

- Four.

- Four.

Five.

- Five.

- Attaboy.

You gonna make good poker player, eh.

You want cigar?

You take cigar. Attaboy.

Where is she?

- We didn't see nobody.

- She's gone. The breed's looking.

- Get inside. Bolt the doors and windows.

Nick.

I lose him.

Someplace I lose him. Damn it.

Tell the boy she's not dead.

Tomorrow morning.

You all right?

Yes.

We have to start before the sun's up.

He's doubled back.

Open up.

I teach him poker.

I teach him take your money.

How come you never give me

a chance to beat you, Varner?

Come on, I'll play you stud.

Maybe you make him tough scout, huh?

Maybe.

Maybe this one

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