Treasure of Matecumbe Page #4

Don't scratch or do nothing,

even if you get an itch.

All right. Get going.

Now that my liver pads have

calmed your irascibility,

we'll proceed with your eye test.

Would you do me the goodness

of reading the first line?

"E, B, F, G, K."

Correct.

- Second line, please.

- "R, S, M, T, 1."

That is I.

Still, it's very good.

Third line now, please.

"A, H, P, C, Y."

Excellent.

Fourth line.

- There ain't no fourth line.

How very strange. I thought there was

this morning, but you may be right.

No fourth line?

I'll try these rugged,

masculine glasses.

Nothing at all intellectual about them.

If there's any adjustment, we can do it

later, if the eyelashes catch the lens.

Now, try that.

I see it plain as day. M, H, R, T, A.

M, H, R, T, A.

Oh, that's wonderful!

Yet another example, my friends,

of the burdens which so many of us

carry unnecessarily through life.

I hope you realize now, Sheriff Forbes,

what you have been missing for so long.

- No fourth line.

Mister, you a doctor?

D.C.M.P.PhU.

But do not disturb me now, son.

- There's a boy fell out of a tree.

- Well...

I think his back's broke.

His back is broken?

Medical ethics will not permit

me to tarry, ladies and gentlemen.

No, I need no help. This

is an emergency. Thank you.

- Lead me to that unfortunate lad.

- This way!

- Lead me to the broken back!

- This way!

Help is on the way! You can hear me!

Come on.

He's here. I seen him fall.

I asked him if he was all

right, but he just lay there.

Calm, calm down. Keep back, everyone.

Stand back.

- Is he alive?

- Barely.

It's a... It's a vertebral

severance, I'm afraid.

It's a... It's a vertebral

severance, I'm afraid.

Yes, it's a hiatus of the vital

fluid. HVF, as we like to call it.

I hope we're not too late. I

wish you'd called me earlier.

But by then he'd not yet fallen

out of the tree, I understand that.

Yes, just a moment.

I would like some of the

ruby nutrient anodyne, please.

- What?

- The Spooju Juice which I sold you.

It is only one dollar a bottle. Now

we're going to try this on the boy.

Now, come on. That's the way, lad.

Just a sip should do it. This

nostrum is extremely po...

Come on, sip. Extremely potent for such

a modest price, ladies and gentlemen.

We should see the youngster up

and about in no time. That's it.

Now, the elixir should

work in about ten seconds.

That is, of course, that is if there's

any life left in the lad at all.

Ah. You will notice how the color has

returned to the youngster's cheeks.

Are you feeling better, son? Ye... Oh.

What's the matter?

Davie.

This seems rather graver

than I had at first thought.

Now, come along, lad.

You can feel my ruby elixir coursing

through your veins, can't you?

It is taking effect, lad.

For heaven's sake, boy, if

you can hear me, speak to me.

Speak to me. What is your name?

Davie Bernie, and he's

a runaway from Kentucky.

It's Spangler, Thad! Get outta here!

Outta the way!

Now you've done it good!

You have something I want.

Hand it over, boy.

Put up your hands, y'all hear?

You ought to be ashamed.

Grown men picking on that boy?

Now, ma'am, we don't

mean the boy any harm.

He took something that belongs to

me. I want it back. Simple as that.

Come on over here, Davie.

I don't say things

that I don't mean, sir.

Now, you all put up your

hands and turn around.

Come on, all of you.

Now, walk back to the

edge where you had the boy.

I said walk!

Come on.

Walk.

Now...

...you jump, Yankee.

You defile this land.

Look out below!

Come on, Davie. Nothing of

interest to you down there.

Thank you, son.

A generous application

of my Aesculapius ointment

would have those abrasions

gone by the morning.

Along with his arm.

Well, I believe you now about Spangler.

Ooh. I never saw such

a parcel of cutthroats.

They'd have killed us all

for a five-dollar piece.

What were they after?

Davie, I think that you ought

to find that uncle of yours.

You tell him your problem.

Maybe he can help you.

Uncle Jim can do just about anything.

He once started a salt

factory by the ocean,

but the dam busted and

all the salt washed away.

And he had his own railroad

once, but it was built over a bog

and a whole train disappeared.

Sounds like your uncle

has the Midas touch.

Well, I don't know about that, but

I guess my uncle's just about famous.

I can only tell you that I

have in my possession affidavits

from some of the most

influential people in the land,

testifying to the fact that one

single bottle of Spooju Juice

rescued them after years of

the most intolerable pain.

You'll find Jim Bernie out yonder,

but if y'all wanna talk to

him, you'll have to hurry.

Sir?

Is Mr. Bernie going someplace?

- One way or t'other, he is.

Maybe it's a revival meeting,

or a going-away party.

- Maybe it is, maybe it isn't.

- Light her up, damn it!

It's a lynching.

- Is that Uncle Jim?

- I suspect so.

- Help!

- Uncle Jim!

Davie, wait!

No, no! It's no place for you, Thad.

Uncle Jim!

Uncle Jim, is that you?

- Who are you?

- Davie Bernie from Grassy.

- Davie?

- Yes, sir.

Well, I'm sorry to make your

acquaintance under these circumstances.

Well, I'm sorry to make your

acquaintance under these circumstances.

- What brings you to Friars Point?

- We were headed down to New Orleans.

We stopped by to get you.

I'm afraid I'm tied up.

- Who's we?

- Me, Miss Paxton and some others.

Ma'am.

I'd tip my hat, but...

Let's cut this jabber and

get this here tree decorated.

Bernie, I hope your carcass'll

be a warning to the next man.

- No!

- Get outta here! Go on!

Tear these up into strips, this lining.

...souls of extermination!

Slay all the traitors!

Again shall vengeance reek

Till blood shall flow

through every creek!

- Moons of...

- If I'm on my way to kingdom come,

I don't want the last words I

hear to be your Klan claptrap.

Grant me a last wish. Shut your mouth.

Glad to oblige.

Let this be a lesson

to the next do-gooder

tries to poke his nose in our business.

Grab hold of that kid

and give him what for!

Over my dead body!

If that's what you want, ain't

nobody here gonna fuss, lady.

With the wrath of God,

vengeance is mine!

You're gonna reap what

y'all sow, you hear?

Mind the horses.

The Philistines are in flight!

Come along. Shut the bag, will you?

For once, your Spooju Juice

really did help someone.

- Hey, what's your name?

- Thaddeus.

Thaddeus. Yeah?

Some mighty fine shooting, lad.

That was a brave thing you did.

And there were some other islands

right about here, called keys.

And the cypress trees

were right... here.

And the X where we think the treasure

is was right next to this tree here.

Uh-uh. By this one.

It's kind of hard to keep

things straight in your head.

There must be something there

or Spangler wouldn't be after it.

Well, Ben said it was real valuable.

You can find it, can't you, Uncle Jim?

It's a needle in a haystack.

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