These Thousand Hills

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Here comes the boss.

It's about time.

- Any coffee left?

- Sure, boss, plenty. Help yourself.

Coffee?

Finished branding the cattle

and got the horses all shod, Ram.

Good.

This is Lat Evans from Pendleton.

He's coming along.

Never seen a trail boss yet

could remember a name.

- Mine's Carmichael.

- I remember the name all right. It's the face that throws me.

The cook here goes by

the name of Sally.

- How do you do?

- Just don't kick no dust into my makin's.

And don't bellyache about the grub.

And don't call me Sally.

My handle's Jacob Schmidt.

- All right.

- I'm Godwin.

Howdy.

- Tom Ping.

- How do?

- You a rider?

- Well, I ain't walkin'.

We got 40 broncs to bust.

Mr. Butler...

which pays better,

bronc-bustin' or wranglin'?

Bronc-bustin'.

- I didn't come all this way

for a job that pays less.

Well, then you'd better unsaddle that mule

and pick one of the string.

- You'll need a horse.

- Sure.

Hold up, boys.

Oh, I'll get the saddle.

You can shake out your rope.

Thanks.

Some of them are pretty rough.

Sure you want to try one?

Sure. Can't do no more

than pile me.

Give us a hand, Hunter.

That big black

with the strip- Sugar-

he'll take a heap ofbreaking.

Or that sorrel.

Which will it be?

I reckon I'll catch up

the big black?

You gentle that snorter

and he's yours.

Watch it. Easy, boy. Easy.

Steady. Steady.

Steady, boy. Steady.

Easy, boy. All right.

Steady! Steady, now.

Push him! Hard!

Hold it now, Sugar.

Hold it!

Hey, cowboy!

- Attaboy!

- Yoo-hoo! Ah-ha-ha!

Ride him, Sugar!

Look out, boy!

Got him going down!

Keep on him! Keep on!

Hey, kid, what are you doing?

Look out!

What are you doing?

You get that

crazy horse on out ofhere!

Look out!

- Why, that thing-

- Whoo-hoo-hoo!

- Hyah!

- Hang on there!

Oh, doggone!

Ouch!

- Nice ride.

- You sure gentled him down.

You broke yourself

a good horse there.

And ruined a good mulligan stew.

Well, the bronc job's yours, Lat.

Mr. Butler...

what'd the pay be for both jobs?

- Both?

- Yeah, I could do both.

Fighting broncs and wrangling?

You won't be getting much sleep

between here and Fort Brock.

I can't afford much sleep yet.

Don't you think I could do it?

Sure. Why not? Sleep when you're old.

That's what my pappy said.

Hey! Hey!

- Hyah!

- There's some strays out there.

Come on. Hyah!

Hyah! Hyah!

Hyah! Hyah! Hyah!

- Hyah! Hyah! Hyah!

- Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!

Ho!

That horse can sure fly.

- Whew!

- I wasn't even pushing him.

Oh, I don't know

why I don't steal for a living.

That's what the fella in jail said.

How do you think all those big ranches

got started? Honest?

- How did they?

- By stealing horses.

Yeah, a fella down in Gold Creek

once showed me how.

All you need is a jackknife or a hot iron,

and you just change the brand.

There must be a way

to get rich without stealing.

That's what the fella

in the poorhouse said.

Come on, Lat.

It's your watch.

- What time is it?

- Midnight.

Won't be long now.

Good-bye, cows. Hello, Fort Brock.

''What's yours?'' they'll ask.

And I'll say,

''Light, dark or a redhead.''

Did you ever hunt wolves?

- Why?

- I was listening to Chico talk.

He made a thousand dollars in one winter,

just out of wolf hides.

- That's a hard way to make a living.

- Is there an easy way?

I ain't afraid of hard work.

I just don't want to die poor.

- You lived poor, is that it?

My old man owned a ranch

along the Willamette.

Went broke.

Hard times.

That's all I remember.

I don't want to end up like he did.

A failure, hiding behind the Bible,

pretending money isn't important.

- Hate the old man?

- Naw, I-

Pa just couldn't look a fact in the face.

That's all.

Me, I'm different.

I'm gonna get me a ranch...

and I'm gonna make it work,

no matter what.

How about it, Tom?

Just one winter huntin' wolves...

and we'll have more and quicker money

than six months on the trail.

You kill a buffalo, then you

poison the meat with strychnine.

Then you wait till the wolf that

feeds on it dies of the cramps.

Mm-mmm.

It's quick money, kid,

but it's dirtier.

- What's dirty about it?

- Not me.

I ain't gonna spend a winter

freezing my tail.

You'd best find yourself

another partner.

Will you two coyotes shut up?

- We're changing watch.

- Every time they spit...- they gotta

make a party of it.- Eh.

I owe you two, Carmichael,

and you know it.

- Hey, Fatty, any gals around?

- Some.

Lat, Fatty here says

they got some gals in town.

Let's you and me go calling, huh?

Aw, women.

Is that all you think about?

- My mind naturally goes that way.

- It ain't gone far.

- Thirst comes first.

- I'd cut off a yard of them whiskers.

My old pappy always said, ''Never grow

on your face what grows on your tail.''

Yeah, your pappy would.

Howdy, gents.

- Turpin show up?

- No,Jehu.

Well, that's today for you.

I can remember back when a man's word

meant something.

He didn't say one thing

and do another.

I'm sorry, gents.

I didn't mean to bust up your party.

- Have a drink.

- We were just talking women.

Women?

Well, that's a limited subject.

Anybody here talk horses?

- A little. Why?

Well, a fella named Turpin had himself

a speedy filly, or so he said.

I came in from my ranch to race him,

but he scared out it seems.

I got an Indian plug

I'll bet against all comers.

Gold or greenbacks.

Even money.

Name your figure and the day.

Oh, well. Palaver don't get

the chores done.

- So long, you gents.

- Say, w-wait a minute.

What kind of a horse

has he got, Fatty?

- It's an ''Appaloosie.''

- Fast?

Well, nobody ain't beat him yet.

Well, gents?

We got a little old horse

can run pretty good.

- Where's your animal?

- Outside.

Oh, that big bronc

I saw coming in?

That's right.

- Who's ridin' him?

- Our boy here.

How about it, Lat? Game?

Come on, Lat.

You can't weasel out.

If I ride, will you go wolfing

with me come winter?

Yeah, sure, kid. Anything.

- You swear?

- On a stack of Bibles.

All right.

Well, gents, it's your money.

What are the bets, boys?

- Six hundred yards around one turn.

- I got a hundred dollars.

- Same here.

- Me too.

- The rest of you as reckless?

- ''Recklesser''. Double or stone broke.

And what about you, rider?

You bettin', or did your money get scared?

- Fifty?

- Fifty is right. Take down their names, Fatty.

Don't cry in your whiskey, boys.

Hi. Hello, fellas.

How are you?

Warmed up?

We haven't agreed on a starter.

- It'll be a fair start.

- All right.

That Injun jockey won't weigh 80 pounds

with his tepee throwed in.

Yeah. Well, I think

I'd better shuck the saddle.

Boy, I sure wish

this course was longer.

There's a lot of money riding on you, boy.

Just keep thinking of that.

- Now, don't go wide at the turnaround.

- All right.

All right. Let's get started.

Out of the way, folks.

Move back from the course, folks.

Go!

Come on, Sugar!

Come on!

He's gonna fall!

Tom!

- Tom!

- I oughta bust his head open!

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