Vera Cruz Page #3

The carriage!

Forward!

Hey! You saved my bacon back there!

Sorry I was so slow gettin' to ya.

You'd have been a little slower,

you'd have stood to be richer.

- Maybe I didn't think of that.

- Too bad you never knew Ace Hanna.

Ran a gamblin' joint back in Laredo.

Shot my old man in a stud game

when I was still a kid.

- Ace felt so bad, he give me a home.

- What's it got to do with my savin' you?

Ace said "Don't take

any chances you don't have to."

"Don't trust anybody you don't have to.

Don't do no favours you don't have to do."

Ace lived long enough to know he was

right. He lived 30 seconds after I shot him.

You know somethin'? That's the first time

I ever told anybody the story of my life.

Thanks.

Halt the caravan! Count the casualties!

- Well, if it isn't Papayas!

- Why don't you let a real man try it?

You'll never catch her, Pittsburgh!

What's the matter?

Ain't you gonna scream?

I like 'em when they scream. Maybe you

can bring Ben Trane to the rescue again.

- Ain't that right, Donnegan?

- Right.

Hold it!

- Where did she come from?

- She's here of her own free will.

- I'll believe that when you let her go.

- You was a man, you'd get off that horse.

I'll get off when you turn her loose.

Shoot him as he's gettin' off.

We're waitin'!

You boys had enough fightin' for the day?

You heard the man.

Tex, get aboard that wagon.

Well... that old Southern charm.

Draws 'em like bees to honey, eh, Ben?

She snaked that wagon outta there

just like a mule skinner.

- Mount up, Ballad.

- I just wanted to get to Vera Cruz.

Just for the ride to Vera Cruz?

You did a favour for me once.

Is it too much to expect another?

That was a nice new dress you're wearin'.

You wouldn't turn her down, would ya?

It'd break her heart.

Captain Danette informed me of your

heroics. My compliments, mademoiselle.

We want an explanation

of your presence here.

Ain't you heard?

We just picked up a passenger.

Such decisions are up to the marquis.

Well?

I wish you a pleasant journey to Vera

Cruz. It's time we were starting again.

Mount the caravan!

- Thank you, seor.

- Forward!

Kinda cosy, ain't it, Ben?

Now we both got girls.

You just can't do

enough for me, can you?

Why not? You're the first friend I ever had.

- That's the fifth one we've seen today.

- Sixth. I bet these hills are full of 'em.

It's a cinch

they ain't gonna wait much longer.

Hey, you! Wake up!

Keep your eyes on the road!

Your concern for the safety of the

carriage is most gratifying, monsieur.

Protecting the countess

is what I'm here for.

Is that all? I like to think

you're here to protect the wagons,

the supplies, the horses...

to say nothing of myself.

That marquis has too many teeth

in that crocodile smile. I don't like it.

Then don't make so much fuss

over this carriage... or me.

We get to Las Palmas, if that ship captain

ain't there, you'll really see a fuss.

- I see we have a prisoner.

- And three missing lancers.

Not a very good swap.

Run! Run, you fool!

Why don't they try throwin' rocks?

You wouldn't want to see

the game end too soon, monsieur.

Long live Jurez!

- Pleasant trip?

- It is not pleasant to see a man killed.

- Even a Juarista.

- Even a Juarista?

That's strange coming from a Mexican.

It is hard to be a patriot

on an empty stomach.

What if Ramirez and the Juaristas win?

Things might be different.

How can they win without money?

Without guns?

You saw General Ramirez,

and you chose Maximilian.

Why should I be different?

You are different.

Most girls don't steal wallets.

Where is it?

If you believe that, seor,

why did you let me come with you?

- Hand it over.

- Have you looked for it lately?

Of course, it is empty.

$12!

Picking pockets is a habit hard to break.

Why are you so anxious

to get to Vera Cruz?

For me, it is not wise

to stay too long in one place.

And in Vera Cruz there are

many people... and many pockets.

And many dresses.

They say that a thief in Mexico today

can disappear like a puff of smoke.

- Is that true?

- You can see smoke disappear.

Suppose I wanted to get to

Vera Cruz alone... Could I do it?

It's possible, seor.

But why?

A man named Ace Hanna used to say:

"It never hurts to have an ace in the hole."

We would go together?

You never can tell.

I'm just liable to get that filled for ya.

- Henri?

- Yes?

I should like to stop here.

Las Palmas is famous for its fiestas.

Of course. And you must be tired.

Continue with your dancing!

I enjoy seeing our people happy.

- We halt here.

- But we could push on to the next town.

This will make it difficult

to reach Vera Cruz tomorrow.

It is the countess's wish.

I do not intend to disappoint her.

I will see the mayor provides us

with food and quarters.

Food only. Quarters will not be necessary.

You see, it is here that

the countess intends to betray us.

Halt the caravan.

I'll take this.

Of course. Anything you say, monsieur.

- Gettin' very polite, isn't he?

- Yeah.

- That ship captain here?

- In front of the cantina.

The man with the whiskers.

- He will come to me later.

- Why not now?

We must be careful

not to arouse the marquis' suspicion.

You see, he may not trust us

as much as we trust each other.

He been to see her yet?

Not yet. He don't make a move soon,

I'm gonna work on him myself.

Easy. Wait till he's had a chance

to tell the countess where the ship is.

- You ain't a fool enough to trust her?

- No.

But she can't make a move,

not without us.

Tell me somethin'. How come you let

a little thing like the Civil War bust ya?

I made the mistake of fightin'

the last battle on my own property.

Well, don't you worry. After this you can

build her up again, outta solid marble.

I guess you don't know much

about a plantation, do ya?

It's not just a house.

It's land... a lot of people.

And right now they're in a pretty bad fix.

They're sorta dependin' on you

to get 'em started again, Colonel?

I guess that old soft spot

ain't only for horses, huh?

You keep an eye on that captain.

I'll watch the gold.

All right, you boys.

Let's just keep right on playin'.

I never played with no real band before.

Vous avez une allumette, monsieur?

- Seor, you startled me!

- How did you get in there?

I told them the countess

had sent me for a dress.

- It's a good thing I'm not the countess.

- Don't tell her.

I wanted to wear it at the fiesta.

- But she's sure to be there.

- But by then I will have it on.

- It will be worth it, seor.

- When she sees you with that dre...

I thought you were

keepin' an eye on that captain.

He just went in to see her. I'll give him

some time. Everything all right here?

Quiet as a churchyard,

if you don't count that fandango.

Sounds kinda nice, doesn't it?

Must be hard for a man to keep his mind

on his job when music like that gets goin'.

Guess it is, if you think about it.

- Anybody pokin' around?

- Not a soul.

If they had, you'd have shot 'em.

Wouldn't you?

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