Original subtitles

- Something I can do for you, mister?

- Strong drink.

- Anything in particular?

- Surprise me.

- Another?

You lost or something?

- What makes you say that?

- We just don't get your type through here that often.

That's all.

- What type is that?

- Soldiers.

- Where are your people?

- The well dried up after the war,

and the mine blew six months later.

Just about everyone left after that.

- And you?

- I still get a few stumbling drunks in here

from time to time.

Strangers mostly.

Everyone headed west looking for gold

or north looking for land.

- I was no soldier.

Militia, not regular army.

Each man in the guard was free to come and go as he pleased.

So when the war was over,

I rode north.

- Here?

- This is a signed court order

from Brigadier general William O. A. Bear.

From Galveston.

I was sent here to find a man by the name of John Dooling.

This warrant was made out by circuit court judge

Steven L. Peck.

Austin, Texas.

- A bounty?

- 200 dollars.

Dead or alive.

- What'd he do?

- He's a war criminal.

And union loyalist that traded weapons with the north.

- You're one of those bounty men.

I've heard stories about you fellas.

- So your Marshall.

Any idea where I can find him?

Convenient.

- There's nothing convenient about it.

Marshall Lame is dead

and I don't want drifters riding in here

thinking they can have too much fun.

- You any good with that pistol?

- You can always try me and find out.

- You don't mind if I take a look around, do you?

Wait 'til you feel them coming around

They want to take all we have

We've been living here for thousands of years

Peaceful and connected to this land

Blood will be shed

Now they want to force us out of our homes

Killing our traditions and our thoughts

Enslaved and betrayed

You're nothing but a brave

Half-Blood

On the way

Blood will be shed

Now we wanna

We'll stand and fight for our land

People fail face with your weapons and brigades

You're just a soul's disgrace

Blood will be shed

People fail face with your weapons and brigades

You're just a soul's disgrace

Blood will be shed

- You know, he grades on the cross,

not on the curve.

Gives power to the powerless.

Gives?

More like takes when it's used right.

- I wasn't talking about your pistol, son.

- John Dooling.

Hardly.

my name is Burke, Isaac Burke.

- You know where I can find him?

- Not in here, that's for sure.

- What's that supposed to mean?

- Everybody in these parts knows John Dooling.

He passes through from time to time.

Nobody knows when, but we do know one thing.

He ain't too fond of the good book.

- My name is Daniel King.

- Oh, I know who you are, mister.

Miss Tellie told me your business here.

- I'm willing to forego a portion of the bounty

if you help me.

- You don't know what he looks like.

- I've been on this trail for a month now.

Everywhere I stopped I've gotten 10 different descriptions

from 10 different people.

If you help me, I can pay you 50 dollars.

- 50, 50 Yankee dollars?

- That's right.

Cash in hand.

I take the body back with me,

and your hands are clean.

- Mister, you pick one hell of a terrible place

to make such a deal.

- We have an agreement, Burke?

Yeah, I reckon we do, Mr. King.

You really think this is gonna work?

- Stick to the plan.

Let Dooling know I wanna make a ridiculous purchase.

You know where to find him?

- Yeah.

He's hunkered down to the valley,

little place called Eden.

He killed the sheriff.

So he's got the whole town to himself now,

him and that posse.

- Good.

You remember the amount?

- Thousand dollars.

- That's right.

Don't let him give you no for an answer either.

Raise it another thousand dollars if you have to.

- 2,000 dollars?

- It's just for show.

Hell, tell him 5,000 for all I care.

- All right.

- Just make sure you get him here.

- All right.

You're the boss.

- Don't tell me you got old man Isaac

involved in this bounty of yours.

- No one put a gun to his head.

- Why don't you go out there yourself?

- Outnumbered.

Not too smart.

I'd rather him come here where he can't play all the angles.

What's Burke's purpose here?

He seemed pretty comfortable in town is all.

- He was our pastor.

That was his church.

- And now?

- Now.

Now Isaac sees it as an impossible loyalty.

- Forsaken beliefs?

- That's right.

Man can only take so much cold shoulder

till they start to see the irony in it.

You need a place to rest for the night?

There's an old motel up the road there.

Pick any spot.

Saddle up before you leave town.

Here.

I trust that'll hold you over.

- I know you're in there.

Come out, show your face.

For a ghost town

there sure are a lot of people wandering around.

You intend on firing that thing?

You know who I am?

I'm a servant of the court.

You don't wanna be hung by the neck now, do you?

'Cause that's the penalty you're facing

if you shoot me, son.

- That's if they can find your body.

- All right.

What is it that you want?

- What's your business with John Dooling?

Word travels.

- Well, I heard you talking to the preacher man.

- My business is just that.

My business.

Didn't your daddy ever teach you

that listening to private conversations is a bad habit?

- My father's dead, so.

Your mother then.

- It don't really matter what she thinks either.

'Cause she's dead too.

- Why don't you pour yourself a drink?

- I'm fine right here.

I reckon you have business with John Dooling too.

What kind?

- The pressing kind.

You live around here?

- Sometimes.

- It's revenge, isn't it?

What you're after.

John Dooling's done some terrible wrong

and you think killing him will make it right.

So why don't you tell me what it is that he did to you,

that led you here to this moment with the gun pointed at me?

- He murdered my parents.

- You want him dead?

Well, I reckon I can help you kill him.

- You talk about killing like it's no big thing.

Preacher man already took 50 dollars of the bounty.

I can't spare much more.

I don't want no money.

I want John Dooling's head.

- I can't offer that either.

Bounty is dead or alive.

That being as it may,

John Dooling comes back to Austin with me.

Sorry kid.

- All right then.

One shot.

That glass sitting on the bar top there,

I guarantee you I can hit it.

All right.

Which does what for me?

- Well it shows you I'm a good shot,

should you get jammed up.

- I don't get jammed up.

- Well then it's a bet.

If I hit that bottle there,

you let me help you kill John Dooling, yeah?

- Deal.

Good shot.

Let's talk more in the morning.

- I ain't got no place to be.

So how's about we talk now.

- Find some place to be.

- Mr. Dooling?

- I don't know you.

- Pardon me?

- If I don't know you,

it means we can be six feet apart from one another

and feel the distance of strangers.

What's your name?

- I'm Isaac.

Isaac Burke.

- Isaac Burke.

Isaac Burke.

Wait a minute.

You're that preacher man.

Well, I'll be damned.

It has been a long while.

I had trouble placing that face of yours.

That that's not why I'm here today, sir.

- To tell me your name?

Well, of course that's not why you are here.

There's a man in town

would certainly like to talk to you about a big buyout.

- Of?

Pistols, ammunition, long guns,

black powder, thousand dollars worth.

- In this town?

That's right.

- A thousand dollars you say.

Yes sir.

- Thousand dollars.

A thousand dollars isn't worth my time.

Tell your buyer thank you, but I'll pass.

You know what?

Leave off the thank you

and just tell him no.

You can go now.

- 5,000.

5,000 dollars just to take the meeting with him.

- 5,000.

So you've seen this man's money.

- Yes sir.

- Cash in hand?

- That's right.

- And this man,

he's keen on doing business, is he?

Mr. Dooling, from everything I can tell

he's mighty eager to meet you.

- A hot spirit before you depart?

- No, thank you.

- Suit yourself.

I recall one of your sermons from way back in the day.

It is forbidden to kill.

Therefore all who murder are punished by fire,

unless they kill in large amounts

and to the sound of God's trumpets.

That's not quite how that scripture goes.

- I admit I took some liberties with that passage,

but you got my point.

You bastard.

- Preacher man, it wasn't just you.

It was the Bible that taught us of a cruel God.

And a cruel God makes cruel men.

- Tellie, stop!

It's not anybody's fault.

There's no need to be...

- Easy now!

- He's a child.

- The boy, he came to me, darling.

- Isn't bad enough you probably got Isaac killed

sending him off for Dooling.

Now you wanna drag a youngster into this?

- Like I said, he came to me.

I made no promises.

- Tellie, I can help him.

I'm not a little boy.

- Stay out of this, Parker!

- I wanna help him kill John Dooling.

- Absolutely not.

You know Dooling.

The bounty men you know nothing about.

- Are we done with this discussion?

If Dooling shows up he'll be my problem.

Those who volunteer, I won't promise safe passage.

- I'm good with that.

- Good.

And we're not gonna be wasting any more bullets.

- If something happens to him, that's on you.

- I'm sorry, it's just since my parents,

she's just protective, that's all.

- She's something.

You got anything to eat around here?

- Yeah, I can fix us some coffee.

- Coffee's good.

Morning.

Just who might you be?

- That depends on who's asking.

- Last we heard this town was deserted.

- Maybe you should have your ears clean.

Apparently you heard wrong.

- Preacher man's been killed.

- That's a shame.

Was it you or did Dooling pull the trigger himself?

Well, just so you boys are aware,

I'm a messenger of the court.

You boys just showing up here

with the acute knowledge of Isaac's death

means you can be charged with murder yourselves.

You'll be hung by the neck.

- The hell did he just say?

- Shut up.

Mr. Dooling sent us here to make you an offer.

- An offer?

- You leave town,

he won't come look for you.

Simple as that.

- No deal.

You fellas know what I am?

What I do for a living?

- Oh, we know all about you bounty men.

Is no your final answer?

- If I may offer a negotiation.

You two get back on those horses

and ride back where you came from.

You don't get shot.

You don't die.

My business is with John Dooling, not you.

You tell him show his face.

We figure this out.

Just he and I.

What do you say?

- Mr. Dooling respectfully declines.

You bounty men don't seem to count so good.

Way I see it,

we got two pistols pointed right in your direction.

- Dooling said that he'd be alone.

- Well, now, how do we fix this pickle

we seem to got ourselves in?

- Simple.

One of you dies.

The other goes back to John Dooling wounded

and offers him my terms.

Which one of you gun slingers wants to go first?

- Now what do we do?

- Fire!

Damn it!

This is bad, this is real bad.

- Just get the hell outta here.

- No, damn wait.

Shit.

- Looks like you drew the lucky straw today.

Come out with your hands up.

Toss it.

Now, you're gonna get back on your horse

and you're gonna find John Dooling.

You tell him if he wants to turn himself in,

he knows where to find me.

He refuses and I put the word out.

100 dollars to the man or men

who bring him here to me alive.

And why in the hell would he agree to that?

- One man looking for you is manageable.

A hundred men keeps you up at night.

My guess is John Dooling likes his sleep.

Now go on.

Oh wait, I almost forgot.

Shit!

- We agreed you'd go back wounded.

- Oh damn it!

Oh shit.

Oh damn.

- I did good, yeah?

You think this is gonna work?

- We'll find out.

What?

- You know what.

You'll be paid, the both of ya.

- Does it look like I need a coin?

- Tell me why you're doing that.

Doing what?

- Pretending he's yours when he's not.

Nothing to say?

That's a first.

- I've raised that boy since he was still on the vine.

He's my nephew.

John Dooling killed his daddy over an old debt.

And when my sister refused to marry him,

he shot her in the head.

It happened right over there in the street.

Parker saw it all.

I vowed to take care of him and I intend to keep my promise.

A promise to who?

His parents are dead.

- You wouldn't understand.

- Is that right?

I watched the union forces

slaughter my fellow men at Galveston.

You don't think I made a promise or two

that I'd avenge their death?

That I'd take care of their wives, their children?

A promise is only as good as the world around you

allows you to keep it.

- Is that story supposed to make me feel sorry for you?

Like I can't understand the world unless I'm a soldier.

- No.

Those are just the facts.

I appreciate your help out there.

- I want John Dooling dead as much as you,

maybe even more.

- Then let me kill him.

- I intend to.

I just ask that you leave Parker out of it.

- That decision is up to the kid.

- We'll see about that.

- Oh shit.

- What happened to your ass?

- He shot it.

- He shot it?

- Yeah, he shot me in my ass.

Do you have any idea how hard it is

to ride with a bullet stuck in your ass?

- The bounty man?

- No, not him.

Some kid.

Little bastard shot Jeb too while he's at it.

- You're saying you saw the bounty man kill Jeb?

Well, what does he want?

- Hell, I don't know, Johnny.

He said something about you either come to town

so he can take you in

or he's gonna tell every guy with a pistol out there

there's a hundred dollars on your head.

- Randy.

There were two of you.

There were two of you and only one man and a child.

How could you have been this stupid?

- Well, it wasn't just two of 'em.

There was a woman too and she was shootin'.

- A woman you say.

- Yeah, woman.

- What did she look like?

- I don't know, Johnny.

It all happened so damn fast.

She was pretty, I remember that.

- Here, why don't you take the edge off?

Are you better?

- Yeah.

My ass is killing me, John.

I need to go see a doctor.

- Well, go on then.

You best hurry up too.

- John!

What are you doing?

Oh shit.

Oh damn, John.

- Now you go get that goddamn slug

pulled out that worthless ass of yours.

Get out.

- All right.

All right.

You better watch your head in there.

- Can I help you?

- Word is you're hiring.

- That is true.

You got a pistol?

Do you know how to fire said pistol?

- You wanna find out?

- That's a good answer.

You are hired.

Feel free to have a drink over there.

I will be with you shortly.

Sorry, I didn't know you were in here.

I'll come back.

- No it's okay.

Really, it's okay.

Just sit.

I felt guilty about this morning.

- This place make you feel better about it?

- A little.

My father was friends with Mr. Burke.

They worked in the mine together

before he became a pastor

and he used to bring me here when I was bad.

But Mr. Burke always made me feel better.

- You shouldn't feel bad about what you did today.

- Yeah.

Because it was the right thing to do, right?

- I don't know about all that.

- Or because he was a really bad man?

- Bad man?

The Old Testament was full of bad men.

God was pretty vengeful towards them.

You don't consider God a bad man

for doing what needed to be done, do you?

- Guess not.

- Look kid,

your aunt doesn't want you to be a part of this.

Maybe you should listen to her this time.

- Now that's out of the question.

I thought we had a deal.

- I know all about deals, kid,

but you don't really want to kill anyone.

- And how would you know that?

- I was born in Zion.

God's country.

Those holy ghost stories and bloodshed

never scared me enough.

Every Sunday while the town bowed their heads,

I cut out through the hedges and fields.

I'd ride up to the canyon and watch the sunset.

It was so peaceful.

So quiet.

I served alongside a black man.

His name was Abram Turner.

His mother was Gullah Geechee.

His father worked the cotton gin

off the banks of the Santee.

Anyway...

When the war ended Abram was set free,

and once he saved up enough coin

he rode up to Charleston

and met up with a group of bounty men

from that part of the country.

Together they chased down a man

by the name of Louie Manuel.

Not only was Louie a wanted salve trader,

he also happened to be black like Abram.

- So what?

They find him?

- Indeed they did.

They gave him a tongue lashing first,

a real lashing not long after.

Then they tied him to a post

and all five men shot Louie dead where he stood.

See, they considered Louie the lowest form of human being

that you could be.

A black man who oversaw the sale of his own kind

to the whites for slave labor.

A couple months after all that,

I ran into Abram in Louisiana.

That's where he told me about the Louie Manuel bounty.

He said that killing that man

sunk inside of him like a stone.

Sitting here today,

I can attest to that.

It's one that's too heavy to move.

Killin' a man.

It isn't a burden one can carry lightly.

Silence, that's all you're left with.

Silence of bullets.

Silence of death.

- So then why do you do it for money?

- Truth is, I'm hoping that Dooling comes quietly.

- I think you and I both know

that John Dooling isn't a quiet man.

- Then you see why it's so important that he does.

Look, five years in the guard.

If this life is about stealing time,

that's more than any one of us should be willing to give.

I know you don't wanna listen to your aunt,

but maybe you should.

- There you go.

So tell me, Deacon.

You ever shot anyone before?

- I was with the regulars in Virginia.

- You don't say.

Who do you serve under?

- Jeb Stewart in Chancellorsville.

Again at Gettysburg.

- Is that right?

You fought at Gettysburg.

- That's right.

- Well, you wouldn't happen to know any gunmen

between let's say here and town, would you?

- One or two.

- Well, that ought to get us through the night.

- Randy, our knew friend Deacon here

was just telling me that he fought under Jeb Stewart

at Gettysburg.

Ha.

- So?

- That don't impress you none?

That a man can be just sitting right to your side,

fought in one of the most deadliest battles of the war?

28,000.

28,000 Confederate brothers killed.

- I'd have been more impressed if they had won the battle.

- Randolph.

- I didn't mean anything by it, John.

- Then apologize.

- I'm sorry, John.

- Not to me, you idiot.

Apologize to him!

- My apologies.

- Like you mean it.

- I'm sorry, I didn't mean any disrespect to you.

- Very nice.

Perhaps something to drink.

- No, I'm good John.

- Now he means it.

So tell me about these gunmen.

- Got an old timer.

He's nearby.

- An old timer?

- He can still shoot.

That's all that matters, isn't it?

- Fair enough.

Feel free to help yourself.

Yeah.

- It's getting late.

- I know, I just, I need a couple extra minutes.

- Look, I know I'm not your mother,

but I need you to be safe.

- How are we safe, Tellie?

I haven't felt safe in years.

But now this bounty man coming to town,

I just,

I gotta do right by my parents.

- I was afraid of that.

Promise me you'll get to bed soon, okay?

Your parents spent a lot of time in here too, you know?

I hope you slept well.

- What happened?

That came flying through the saloon window

last night.

This was attached to it.

It's a fun read.

- You're sure.

- I checked his room.

He's nowhere to be found.

- Did you check the church?

He seems to like it in there.

He isn't there either.

- Wait here.

Get your gun and hunker down in the saloon.

Don't serve anyone until I get back, you hear?

- Where are you going?

To find Parker and bring him back.

- How old are you?

Can he talk?

- Speak up, boy!

- I know what you're thinking.

You're thinking that you won't talk

and that'll spare your life

because after all you're just a kid.

Tell you, it won't do a goddamn thing

except make me very angry.

So let's try this again.

How old are you?

- I'm 17.

- See, wasn't so hard now, was it?

You got a name?

- Parker.

- Parker.

Well, Parker, my friend Deacon here

tells me you know everything about this bounty man.

- Was that a question?

- Tell me about the bounty man.

- What's to tell?

He's a contract killer and he's looking for you.

- He killed one of my men.

- No.

No, actually that was me.

- Now you're gonna tell us everything you know

about the bounty man,

or we're gonna ride into town

and take turns ravaging that bitch aunt of yours.

Do I make myself perfectly clear?

What?

Did you think I forgot about you?

Or your foolish family after all these years?

Or that sweet ass your aunt carries around on her.

I can just see her right now

sashaying around that saloon of hers.

The kind of thing that makes a man weak at his knees.

May I interest you in a hard spirit?

No?

Well then.

Why don't we just start from the very beginning?

We're all ears.

And of your good fortune in the San Antonio express.

My congratulations, sir.

That's me.

- He's here.

- My name is Daniel King.

I have a warrant for the arrest or capture

of one John Dooling.

Signed by circuit court Steven L. Peck,

Austin, Texas.

- I know who you are, Mr. King.

This little rat of yours

told us everything we needed to know.

Now, unfortunately for you,

I don't intend on surrendering by any means

to some servant of the court.

So what we have here is what they call a Mexican standoff

on our hands.

Now, do you know why they call it a Mexican standoff?

- Maybe because it was invented by some Mexicans.

The boy has nothing to do with this.

Let him go.

- You must take me for a goddamn fool.

I'd rather shoot that boy right there where he stands

than just hand him on over to you.

- All right, then.

Here's our way out of this mess.

I put my pistol away.

I take the boy with me and we leave.

No one gets shot.

No one gets killed.

- No one gets killed,

and what's in this deal for me?

- I rip up the bounty.

As long as we're promised safe passage,

that'll be the end of it.

- So what do you tell of this Judge Peck

after you ride back into Austin empty handed and all.

- I don't.

You were my last bounty.

I'm retired.

Just as well if you ask me.

- What do you wanna do?

- Take care of this.

- Pistol on the table.

Nice and easy.

Easy.

That warrant, tear it up.

Good?

- One more thing.

If I ever see either of you pieces of pork shit again,

I'm gonna burn down that town.

I'm gonna kill his aunt,

and I'm gonna string you both up

and I'm gonna start with him and make you watch.

Let him go.

- You hurt?

- No.

- Let's walk this way.

Never turn your back on 'em.

Slowly.

They're not gonna fight back.

Just shut up and do as I say.

- That was surprisingly simple.

- If you want, should I check the warrant?

- If you would be so kind.

It was brief, but had the good fortune

you have experienced.

- We got a problem.

- What now?

- It's the same goddamn letter we left him.

- Go get the goddamn horses.

Goddamnit.

- Are you okay?

Did they hurt you?

- I'm fine.

- He needs some water and I need a pistol.

- And they took my pistol too.

- Go on, clean yourself up.

Well?

- Maybe you and Parker outta leave town.

- What did you do?

He's coming for us, isn't he?

- A pistol.

You take what you need and go.

Anything you leave behind, consider it gone.

- You can't tell me to leave my own town.

- Your town?

Regardless, this is between Dooling and me.

- And me!

I have just as much debt to collect with Dooling as you do.

And me too.

- Parker.

- No, he's right.

Dooling made him a part of this

the moment he took him hostage.

I say he stays and helps me bring him in.

- So what do we do?

- When Dooling figures out we pulled a fast one on him,

he'll come looking for us, all of us.

And he won't be alone either.

So we set a trap in town, lure him in, take our best shot.

- Okay.

What kind of trap?

- The fishing kind.

With bait.

And who's the bait?

- Check in the back of the saloon.

Ain't nobody here!

- Howdy fellas.

Wrong move there, mister.

Hands where I can see 'em.

- Easy with that rifle, little Missy.

- Hands on the bar.

- Jesus.

What the hell is going on in there?

Do you see anyone?

- You idiots.

You know who that is?

The devil's looking for you.

- Say what the hell is going on in there?

Well, come on out and quit wasting time!

- Tell 'em everything's fine.

No one in here but the two of you.

Do it now.

- Everything's fine.

Ain't nobody here.

Well, come on out of there then

and quit wasting my goddamn time!

- Now what, little lady?

Is this where your plan ends?

- Not quite.

- God bless this cold weather.

I'll tell you if you want anything done right,

you best do it yourself.

I don't know how the preacher man

got such a wonderful horse.

His loss, my gain.

Well?

You let a woman take your pistol.

- You of all people should know

I'm a good shot, John Dooling.

- Oh, I know all about you.

Not as well as I'd like to,

but well enough.

So where's my other man?

- Parker, come on out.

- Good help is so goddamn hard to find.

- We know you're looking for the bounty man.

He isn't here, John.

- Is that right?

He left this morning.

Said he was gonna go find the guard,

bring the fight to you and yours.

- The guard you say.

- That's right.

The way I see it you and your dogs have no business here.

- Well, I don't know about all that.

Kid here shot and killed one of my men

and he admits to it.

- That was an accident.

- That was no accident.

And I know well and good

that law man is hiding in this town somewhere.

If you don't want to die today,

I suggest you tell me where he is.

- Doesn't look like you're in the position

to be making demands.

- All right then.

I'll leave town.

You'll never see me again.

- And what about your men?

- You can keep 'em, how's that sound?

Sounds good to me.

- Well, if it isn't the man of the hour.

Well howdy, Mr. King.

I suspect you're still looking for me.

- That's right.

We can do this the easy way

or you and your men can die.

Choice is yours.

- I see.

So what happens?

I tossed my pistol.

You tie my hands behind my back

and drag my ass the way back down to Austin?

Is that it?

- Judge said dead or alive.

- All right, how much do you want, bounty man?

Hmm?

Name your price.

- What, for this one?

- I hardly knew the man.

- All right.

What about this one?

You know him.

- All right.

All right.

So it's not money you're after.

- You're wasting time.

Three, two, one.

- Now that was uncalled for.

- Three against one now, and guess what?

The easy way,

it's just been taken off the table.

- I served my country, just as you have.

Now you killing a man who did what he had to to survive.

- I'm not killing you for what you did in the war.

This is for the boy's parents.

- Parker.

- What is it?

- It's a note from the bounty man.

- What's it say?

- The church.

- What's that?

- It's the whole bounty.