Wild Bill Page #5

She was young and pretty,

and it was before

you was the great Wild Bill.

And you loved her

as close as you ever did anybody,

in an innocent kinda way.

Ain't that right?

Yeah, I suppose.

(riffles cards)

That's the way

I'd like you to feel about me.

Ain't it a sweet thought?

I think it's a very sweet and fine thought.

Didn't ever come real good till I met you.

- Now, why do you think that is?

- I don't know precisely.

I always reckoned I knew you

better than them others.

You've been around lots.

This pain in my eyes,

that's all I think about.

It comes and goes.

Your little... charm, it distracts me.

You and me, we had our time

in Cheyenne, didn't we? Hm?

We had something

kinda special for a while.

Yeah. Listen to us,

talking about our pleasures.

Mm. As if they mattered a damn.

All this love talk, I got me a hard-on.

You wanna see?

Surely.

You know, I'm just an ordinary fellow.

I don't want nobody thinkin' more

than that. It's all a bother to me.

This thing happens when I spend

a night or two with no sleep,

too much whisky, no food.

I get easy. Don't know that I should.

Oh, hush now, Bill.

Don't fight it none.

(player piano plays

"The Battle Hymn of the Republic")

Love you, Bill.

Right now I love you too, Jane.

Maybe we'd just better get on with it, hm?

? And his truth goes marchin' on

Hey!

Move easy or I kill you both.

Now get off her!

You inconsiderate bastard.

Get those guns in a tote sack

and head upstairs, see who's there.

Let's do it. Let's shoot the son of a b*tch.

I'm thinkin'.

Don't hurry me none.

- Excuse me whilst I pull up my pants!

- Upstairs.

Don't want no back of the head shot

like Mr Lincoln.

Give me that pocket gun

you keep in there.

Hey! Would you mind avertin' your eyes?

I'm a little exposed here.

Donnie!

Goddammit! A Negro.

Just a gun-sharp.

Don't mind my colour. I make a livin'.

You ungrateful son of a b*tch.

I almost got my ass shot off 20 times

tryin' to free your type during the war!

That was mighty white of you, Wild Bill.

Bill! The horses'll be ready at...

Aw, sh*t.

Who the hell are you?

I don't think these are gentlemen

we should challenge, Joe.

They look a bit on the rough and

boorish side, possibly even dangerous.

What are we waitin' for?

Let's get this done.

I told you I wanted to think things through.

I kinda enjoy the great man

bein' captured like he is.

You lose your nerve?

We've been here long enough.

- Well, play cards.

- You reckon we're really gonna do this?

You deserted my ma

and left her unacknowledged.

Then you shot and killed the only man

that coulda made her happy.

Your ma always knowed

I might have to leave.

She enjoyed our little time together,

just like I did.

Then how come you promised

you were gonna be like a father to me?

That's a mighty evil thing

to tell a young widow.

Now, you see, Jack,

that's the way it is with men and women.

Lots of times, men make some promises,

then take their pleasures and move on.

- Jane, play cards.

- Now, on the other side of the ledger,

you ought to understand that when

a woman finally surrenders to a man,

she's usually got him

just about where she wants him.

I'd love to go do my toilette,

s'il vous plat?

Sit back down.

- Bill?

- You can sit a minute.

I do believe I will.

Count me in, boys.

What if I could persuade Wild Bill

to let you go?

Erase the shadow

that he has cast over you.

Apologise.

Go drown in crap, Charley.

I don't know why this matters to me,

except that I'd miss Bill's company.

But every time there is a death of a hero,

we are all the less.

It drags down morale. People get anxious,

depressed, drink more, fight more,

causing more killings,

till the general uncertainty

destroys whatever

useful or good remains.

Jack, with luck, and rough cunning,

you've got maybe 40 years

to rid yourself of Wild Bill

and learn the value of simple things.

Fall in love with some pretty girl

and learn to cultivate your talents.

Is this your college education

that makes you dribble on so?

Oh, come on, Bill.

You can let this kid go.

Apologise for wrongs, real and imagined?

Shake hands, have a drink?

You'll need all the friends you can get

when your eyes get worse.

I don't apologise.

See, he figures whatever he done,

even if it wasn't perfect, was justifiable.

Well, you see, Jack.

Even if Bill won't do anything but die

restless, trying the patience of his friends,

maybe you could let him go.

Forgive him.

And move on.

He's the one captured here.

Well... I've said my piece.

You rotten bastard!

OK, Charley. Come on.

Come on. I got you.

Charley had him

some mighty interesting cards here.

There you go. Come on, sugar.

Carl, give me a rag or somethin'.

There ain't even a Chinaman out there.

There isn't much change.

I expect she could see a visitor, though.

She has her screaming fits now and then,

but most times she's normal.

I knew her family down in Arkansas.

Her momma's from Yell County.

The boy's been boarded out.

He's roomin' up the road there

at the James place.

- Our women ain't very pretty, are they?

- They look mostly hungry.

Probably are. The state's had us

on mush and molasses for months.

You shouldn't have come.

You got nothin' to be ashamed about.

The woman, she says you're normal.

That's what she says. Normal.

You act right, they'll let you out.

- I'll make 'em do it.

- No. I'll get outta here.

Don't you worry about that.

I just went through a bad time is all.

Lost my husband,

lost you, lost Dave.

You come into my life...

I thought you was the dashin' stranger

that was gonna change everything,

make it all fine.

And you did.

It was all real fine for a while.

The best I ever knew, about.

I even thought you was gonna be

a real good daddy to my son.

But then you went off, and...

when you come back,

it was gone. The special feeling was gone.

Go on your way.

I got my boy.

He'll take care of me.

I'll get outta here, and he'll take care

of me, and I'll take care of him.

Go on your way now, Bill.

You gonna do it?

You gonna shoot Wild Bill?

I just gotta get the time right in my head.

If you're gonna finish Bill, just get to it.

I killed two men in my life.

I never made no goddamn circus out of it!

I didn't know no ladies killed.

I was defendin' myself

against unnatural advances.

Well, pard, looks like you've come

to a messy end, no size to it.

Don't seem right for the great Wild Bill,

but it don't seem like nothin' can be done.

So I figure, Jack, since

all this makes no difference to Bill,

kill him quick and don't apologise.

You're gonna go to hell, Joe.

It'd be a kindness to have your company,

but I'm just tryin' to get it over with.

Kill him.

Make sure you do it clean.

Don't prolong it.

Just kill him! Let's get it done.

Everybody says kill you.

Ain't their concern. It's yours and mine.

Now, listen.

I have here one hell of an idea.

You just give me the pistol,

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