Unforgiven Page #13

WW is trying to write and trying to slide away from the leak

without interrupting Little Bill who is delighting in his

own narration, oblivious to the new leak.

LITTLE BILL:

(in his own voice)

"Well, Jim," I says, "it makes me

sick to see a man struttin' around

and packin' two pistols an' a Henry

rifle and cryin' like a baby."

WW:

Did you... kill him?

LITTLE BILL:

No,... but I can't abide them kind...

an' you will find a lot of them in

the saloons... tramps an' drunk

teamsters an' crazy miners... sportin'

pistols like they was bad men, but

not having no sand nor character...

not even bad character.

WW is really getting wet and he is moving the chair.

LITTLE BILL:

(on his own wave length)

I do not like assassins an' men of

low character like your friend English

Bob... but Bob ain't no coward who

will cry to your face an' then...

WW:

Uh... Sheriff... Uh...

LITTLE BILL:

Huh? Oh.

(looking up sadly)

Another one, huh? Sh*t, I guess I'm

clean out of receptacles.

WW:

(trying a joke with

effort)

Maybe you should... hang the

carpenter.

LITTLE BILL:

(jaw dropping)

What?

WW:

(uneasy)

Uh... hang the... uh... carpenter.

I...

There is a sudden loud knocking on the door and Bill turns

and goes to the door.

LITTLE BILL:

On a night like this? What the hell?

Opening the door he reveals Charlie Hecker, wearing a slicker

and shedding water like a waterfall.

CHARLEY:

Three seedy lookin' fellas come inta

town, Bill. They're down to Greely's

an' at least two of 'em got guns.

INT. BAR ROOM - NIGHT

CLOSE on the whiskey bottle and Ned is pouring the bright

liquid into his glass and Munny is mesmerized by the dazzling

highlights. The two of them are sitting at a table in Greely's

smokey, dimly lit bar room and the rain is beating on the

roof and there is a checker game at a table fifteen feet

away attended by Germany Joe Schultz, Tom Luckinbill, a

farmer, Eggs Anderson, the local restaurateur and Paddy McGee

the cooper. All of them are sneaking occasional, furtive

glances at the strangers, as is Fatty who is talking to Skinny

at the bar.

NED:

...in hell's takin' The Kid so long?

You suppose he...

(seeing Munny)

Jesus, Bill you look like sh*t.

Munny looks dazed and shakes his head to clear it.

MUNNY:

You... you remember Eagle Hendershot?

NED:

(startled)

Huh? Uh... yeah.

MUNNY:

I seen him.

NED:

He's dead, Bill.

MUNNY:

His head was all busted open so's

you could see the inside.

NED:

Jesus, Bill, you got fever. Take a

drink, will you?

MUNNY:

(ignoring Ned)

Worms was comin' out.

NED:

(getting up)

Listen, Bill, I'm gonna see what's

takin' The Kid so long. Must be he's

gettin' an advance offa them sportin'

ladies.

Ned starts for the back room, then stops and goes back.

NED:

Say, Bill... If I was to... take a

little while myself... I guess you...

I guess you... I guess you don't

want to come?

Munny shakes his head "no" and, as Ned departs for the

Billiard Room, Munny stares vacantly at the whiskey bottle.

LITTLE BILL'S VOICE (O.S.)

...me your pistol, mister.

MUNNY:

(looking up, startled)

Huh?

The big man in the dripping slicker is standing only ten

feet away... Little Bill. And Little Bill is looking at him.

Munny can feel everybody in the room staring at him.

LITTLE BILL:

I says, "You'll want to give over

your pistol."

Munny can see Charley moving slowly along the wall on the

left for position... and Fatty is over on the right, Skinny

beside him... and WW is by the door shifting nervously and

the checker players are frozen in their seats and Munny can

feel them all... watching him.

MUNNY:

Uh, no. No, I ain't drunk.

LITTLE BILL:

(almost friendly)

Ordinance says you got to turn in

your firearms to the County office

day or night. I guess you didn't

read it with the weather an' all.

MUNNY:

(nervously)

Well... uh... I... I ain't got no,

uh, firearms.

LITTLE BILL:

(not friendly any

more)

Them friends of yours in the back,

they carryin' pistols?

MUNNY:

I... dunno. I mean, I guess not. No,

they ain't carryin' no guns.

LITTLE BILL:

You're spillin' your whiskey, mister.

MUNNY:

Like I said, I...

LITTLE BILL:

What's your name?

MUNNY:

Uh, William... uh... Hendershot.

Little Sue looks timidly in from the Billiard Room, bites

her lip, and retreats quickly.

LITTLE BILL:

Well, Mister Hendershot, if I was to

call you a no good sonofabitch an' a

liar, an' if I was to say you sh*t

in your pants on account of a cowardly

soul... well, I guess then, you would

show me your pistol right quick an'

shoot me dead, ain't that so?

MUNNY:

(trapped)

I... I guess I might... but like I

said, I ain't armed.

Little Bill pulls out his pistol and points it at Munny and

makes a little motion with the barrel that means "get up"

and Munny gets up.

Little Bill steps close to him and reaches out with his left

hand and opens Munny's coat revealing the Starr tucked in

his belt.

LITTLE BILL:

I guess you just carry it for snakes

an' such.

MUNNY:

Uh... yeah. Yeah.

LITTLE BILL:

(cold)

There ain't no snakes in here, Mister

Hendershot.

MUNNY:

Well, uh... it ain't loaded.

Little Bill takes the pistol out of Munny's belt and slowly

and deliberately ejects five cartridges and he looks at Munny

who is sweating and Munny just wants a way out.

MUNNY:

Well, the powder's wet an...

WHACK! Little Bill brings the muzzle of the gun across Munny's

temple and blood flows and Munny goes to one knee and Little

Bill kicks him hard, WHUMP!

LITTLE BILL:

(turning to WW)

Mister Beauchamp, this here is the

sort of trash I was speakin' of.

Munny is struggling to his feet and staggering weak-kneed to

the table where he grabs the whiskey bottle and breaks it

off and turns groggily to face Little Bill.

Little Bill, unperturbed, advances on him and when Munny

strikes desperately with the bottle, Little Bill blocks his

blow easily and slams him hard with the muzzle of the pistol

and Munny goes down again.

LITTLE BILL:

(to WW)

You will find these kind in the

saloons of your prosperous

communities.

(WHUMP, he kicks Munny)

But you will not find none of them

in Big Whiskey.

Munny is on the floor on all fours, trying gamely to get up.

EXT. ALICE'S ROOM - NIGHT

Ned pushing The Kid out the window of Alice's room and The

Kid isn't fully dressed and neither is Ned but he pushes him

frantically into the rainy night anyway and Alice is urging

them on and Little Sue looks ready to wet her pants.

ALICE:

(to Ned)

Hurry.

(to Little Sue)

You know what to say to Little Bill?

Little Sue nods "yes" but she is speechless with terror and

Alice hands Ned's boots out the window to him.

EXT. ALICE'S WINDOW - NIGHT

Outside the window, NIGHT, RAIN, and Ned and The Kid trying

to get dressed in the mud and Alice sticks her head out the

window.

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