The Texican Page #4

I'm sure I know him better than you do...

and I've just heard you're hardly

in a position to criticize anyone.

Then why did you want me to walk you home?

I am wondering right now about that, myself.

As far as I'm concerned,

you're nothing but a common gunman...

and I shall thank you

not to speak to me again.

That sounds reasonable.

I don't believe you even told me your name.

Kit. Kit O'Neal.

Kit O'Neal. That sounds reasonable, too.

Find anything?

Yeah, an old cat. And now you.

Why don't you wait till morning?

You might find something better.

This place could cave in on you.

Yeah, it could,

but I've learned one thing about this town.

- What's that?

- Doesn't pay to wait.

Things happen too fast.

In a border town life goes a little slower.

Why don't you get smart

and go back where you belong?

I'm not sure where I do belong.

But you can count on this...

before I leave this town,

I'm going to find out.

Oh, Luke. Don't forget to lock the door.

Hey, there, saddle thief.

Not so loud. You want everybody to know?

In this town that'd make you a hero, mister.

Don't get bold. I hear Jess Carlin's in town.

You'd best walk around him

if he comes your way.

I'll try to remember that.

I've never seen as many holsters.

You must do a lot of hunting.

Yeah, for work.

I do the best leather carving in this territory.

I thought you ran a cow outfit.

About 100 head. Pretty small spread.

Got to do a little leatherwork

to piece out a living.

Good-looking girl like you

shouldn't have any trouble finding a man.

I'm not looking for a man.

That Sandy sure is a pistol, ain't she?

She drives that wagon like a Comanche.

Yeah, Roy Carlin was the only one

who ever could have tamed her.

What's the matter, cowboy?

Did they run you out, after all?

- Not yet.

- Then what are you doing way out here?

I want to talk to you about Roy.

Come in.

- Nice place you got here, Sandy.

- Thanks.

- What can I call you?

- Jess.

Now, what about Roy?

You see, my last name is Carlin.

Roy was my brother.

Sit down.

So you're Roy's brother?

Roy was older than me, but smarter, too.

You are like him, at that.

- How well did you know him?

- Pretty well.

We were gonna be married this month.

That's tough, Sandy.

I wish there was something I could say.

There's nothing anyone can say.

Hi!

Whoa, there.

You're in quite a hurry, aren't you?

I'm not. They were.

Yeah? They'd get you there in a hurry,

the rate that thing was moving.

I wasn't really going anywhere.

I just wanted to take a quiet drive

in the country and do some thinking.

About what?

I've forgotten what it was.

You're not exactly the best teamster

I've ever seen.

No, I'm not.

And I made the mistake of telling

the liveryman I wanted spirited horses.

His notion of spirited

is quite different from mine.

I see. I'll tell you what I'll do...

I'll drive you back to town,

all the way, real slow.

All right.

That man seemed glad to get his team back.

- He thought I'd run off with them.

- You almost did.

- You didn't lock it.

- What?

- The door.

- Forget about the door.

- That's what you came in here for.

- Is it?

What's the matter?

Looks like somebody

had too much to drink down there.

- Are you against drinking?

- No, not at all.

- It's just that he could be dead drunk.

- What do you care?

You might say I'm nosy,

but I think I know him.

Is that so important right now?

It could be.

- Come on. Give me a hand.

- Put him up here, quick.

Come on, hurry up.

Get moving.

Buy you a drink, Jess?

Not now.

You're getting to be

one of our best customers, Carlin.

Must be that good whiskey you serve, Luke.

Speaking of liquor, whatever happened

to that salesman, Thompson?

I don't know.

I haven't seen him since last night.

Is that right?

How about your bootlicker here?

Gil doesn't know anything about him.

We've been here all evening, drinking.

- That's right.

- Like hell you have.

That's a real hot gun

you got working for you, Luke.

What are you doing, Carlin?

Trying to start trouble with me?

With you that'd be no trouble at all.

I guess Eb didn't want him

as bad as he thought he did.

It's good to see Luke's bullyboy

get a licking.

He almost didn't get it.

Too bad you didn't get a shot at Luke

while you were at it.

Sure.

Exactly what I wanted to talk to you about.

There are a lot of good men in this town.

They asked me to say

they would stand behind you...

if you would help drive out Luke Starr.

That's the trouble.

A man gets good with a gun,

he's always being forced to use it.

I hung this up once.

And when I get Roy's killer,

I'm gonna hang it up again.

I can see I was wrong about you.

I thought because you were Roy's brother...

that you would be like him.

Roy and I were alike once.

We moved into a little town in Texas.

It was a rough little place.

We thought it needed changing.

Roy opened up a newspaper,

and the town made me the sheriff.

Between his editorials and my gun,

we turned that place upside down.

That's what we need here.

Sure.

Only trouble was, the people we helped

were worse than the ones we ran out.

I didn't think

you'd give up so easy, Mr. Carlin.

Seems to me this town gave up

before I even rode in here.

Good night, Mr. Brady.

Who is it?

I'd like to talk with you, Mr. Carlin.

You can put your gun away.

No one came with me.

Am I supposed to know you?

No. I'm working for Luke Starr in the saloon.

- Did he send you here?

- No, he doesn't know anything about it.

I'd like to keep it that way.

My name is Maria Banta.

- Won't you sit down?

- Thank you.

I won't stay long.

I heard you're trying to find out

who murdered your brother.

Yes, I am.

My husband was killed the same night he was.

They're supposed to have shot each other

in a gunfight.

So I've been told. Can you prove otherwise?

No. But I knew your brother.

He never even carried a gun.

I still don't understand

why you're concerned about me.

I loved my husband.

Even if he wasn't much.

And I guess I rate even less.

But he was just trying to break away

from Luke Starr when he was killed.

And I don't want to see the same thing

happen to you.

And it will if you stay here.

I'm staying until I finish what I came for.

Thanks for the warning.

- Mr. Carlin.

- Yes?

Be careful.

Where is everybody?

Eb's still licking his wounds

from the fight last night.

- Gil, where you been?

- Right outside, Luke.

- Seen anything of Kit?

- Yeah, I saw her.

She and your friend Carlin are having

a cozy breakfast together over at Dominic's.

She kept me waiting more than an hour.

As long as she's got Carlin,

she's likely to keep you waiting forever.

Don't ever draw on me again, Gil.

If you do, I'll kill you.

Now put it away.

Give me a drink.

I've been waiting here since 9:00.

I'm sorry, Luke.

I guess I was enjoying

that second cup of coffee too much.

Is that all you were enjoying?

What if it wasn't?

I don't like the company you keep.

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