The Tall T Page #2

And we're going to keep right on going

over them till you come to your senses.

It just ain't right, the best ramrod in this

territory throwing hisself away like you are.

Nobody can take hold of a ranch

the way you can, Pat.

A man can turn his back

when you're around. Now, just look at me.

Working my own stock

like a common trail hand

- just because I can't trust the job done.

- Try firing a few. That'll do it.

You can start with that

goat lover over there.

Mr. Tenvoorde,

I come to buy me a seed bull.

You did, huh?

Well, now, what did I tell you?

Just hand over your money and you get

your bull. And it just ain't right.

Now, if you had to strain to get it, it'd be

a whole lot different. Don't you see?

All I can see is I got stock to tend.

If you don't want to sell me no seed bull,

just say it out in words.

- Well?

- Tell you what I'll do, Patrick.

I'll give you a chance to get your bull free.

Like the time you gave me a chance

to get them yearlings free,

and ended up with 50 of my dollars?

Well, I'm keeping that

in a safe place for you, Patrick.

It's yours when you make up your mind

to come back to work.

You think a lot of that

claybank of yours, don't you?

- Enough.

- All right, I'll make you a wager.

A bull of your choice against your horse.

And all you gotta do is ride him.

- Ride him? You mean the bull?

- To a standstill.

- I ain't interested.

- You ain't able.

- That's what you mean, don't you?

- Yeah, that's what he means.

The boys around here keep saying

as how you're really something.

Best top hand around.

You don't look on fire to me.

I'll float my stick with Mr. Tenvoorde

here. You've gone gentle, Brennan.

You say any bull of my choice?

How long you figure it will lay a man up

if that bull was to stomp him?

- That all depends.

- I figure two or three weeks.

Oh, I figured that.

That ought to be long enough to talk that

hard-head into coming back to work for me.

Give me his tail.

All right, boys, let me have him.

Be seeing you!

Rintoon!

- You didn't have to run me near over.

- Well, I didn't see it was you.

- What happened, Patrick?

- I lost my horse.

- Kind of careless, ain't it?

- To Tenvoorde.

- Well, that figures.

- Rintoon! We'll never get to Bisbee

if you insist on stopping to pass the time

of day with... With everybody we meet.

Patrick, I want you to meet Mr.

Willard Mims. He's a bookkeeper.

Hello, Willard.

Rintoon, you are through!

I swear this is your last run on this line.

You know, after 20 years

as a top muleskinner,

that company's gonna be

sorry to see me go.

You won't be so sure of yourself

when we get to Bisbee.

Swing your saddle up here, Patrick.

Rintoon, I said...

You said I'd be sorry when we get to Bisbee.

Now, just get back in there, Willard.

Throw her up here, Patrick.

May I remind you, this is not...

- This is not the regular passenger coach.

- Do you want me to walk to Sasabe?

- It's only 15 miles.

- Well, that's your problem.

- Now, take that saddle off...

- Willard!

Willard, we can't let

him walk all of that way.

Well, if you ride, you ride up on the boot.

Much obliged. Ma'am.

I wondered why the regular stage

would be almost an hour early.

- I'm obliged to you, Ed.

- Well, thank Willard for that.

I'll be getting off at Sasabe station.

Hank'll lend me a horse.

- What's so funny?

- I was just thinking.

First time I ever been on a honeymoon.

- Much obliged for the lift, Ed.

- Anytime, Patrick.

- Hey, Hank! Hank!

- Jeff!

Jeff!

The regular stage ain't due here for an hour.

There ought to be somebody here.

Hey, Hank!

Rintoon, is there anything wrong?

Nothing we can't handle without you,

Willard.

- Jeff!

- Hey, Hank!

You all drop your guns and come on down.

Gentle now! Slow!

You folks in the coach,

let me see your hands, please.

Put them out there!

Driver, if you got anything down that

boot, you'd best hand-haul it out here.

I ain't got nothing you'd want,

but if you say so.

I swear you hit him in mid-air, Chink!

I was waiting for that old man

to try something.

- You didn't have to kill him.

- I would have sooner or later.

Funny thing about Chink there,

he keeps trying to prove he can shoot

better than any man alive. And he can.

Frank, candy!

You know, his pulling that saw-gun

just saved us some time.

Billy Jack, you shut your mouth.

Get them out of there.

Chink, look up on top of the coach.

- Ain't nothing up here but some old leather.

- How about the boot?

Ain't nothing here either, Frank.

- The mail. Where is it?

- I wouldn't know.

- Mister, you tell me!

- You made a mistake.

This isn't the regular stage.

It's not due for an hour.

The stage you want is due here at 5:00.

This is one I hired in Contention.

Mrs. Mims and I, we...

We're on our honeymoon.

We were just married this morning.

Just this morning?

- Is that right?

- Of course it is!

- Go in and check the schedule. You'll see.

- I'm asking this man. Well?

I wouldn't know.

He don't know nothing.

How come you riding shotgun

for a pair of new-weds?

- I wasn't. I got a place up on the Sasabe.

- Mister, is that true?

I suppose so. We picked him up

on the desert just outside of Contention.

That's true.

- Billy Jack, go in and check that schedule.

- Yo!

Billy! Hey, lady, come over here.

- Can you cook? Well, can you?

- Yes.

Billy Jack, take her inside with you.

I could eat.

He'll find the schedule.

Like I said, it's due at 5:00.

I can see how you made a mistake,

thinking we were the regular stage.

We're on our way to Bisbee.

will be pulling in here.

- Yes, sir.

- He's a talker.

What did you do with Hank?

- Who's he?

- The station man here.

He's over yonder in the well.

- And the boy?

- He's with him.

Frank! 5:
00, just like the fellow said.

See! Look, you let us go and

we'll never breathe a word about this.

Ain't he something?

I swear, we won't tell a thing.

I know you won't.

You go along with what he said about

what's happened here?

If I said yes, you wouldn't believe me.

Yeah, it's dumb even talking about it,

ain't it?

- You know what's going to happen to you?

- I think so.

- Are you scared?

- Yeah.

Well, you're honest about it,

I'll say that for you.

That well's going to be chock-full.

Wait a minute.

What are you listening to him for?

I told you, we won't say a word about this.

If you don't trust him, keep him here.

I don't know this man.

I'm not speaking for him anyway.

I'd be inclined to trust him

before I would you.

Hey, talker. Why don't you start running for

the well and see if you can make it?

- Man, be reasonable!

- Look, you're not leaving here

and you're not going to be standing here

when that stage pulls in.

Now you can yell and carry on,

but that's the way it is.

- What about my wife?

- Well, I can't help her being a woman.

- All right, Chink.

- No, no, wait!

No, you can't do this!

I'll give you anything you want,

anything at all, only... My wife!

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