Original subtitles

It's a funny thing.

No matter how low you think, there's still a right and a wrong.

And you always end up choosing.

You go one way so you can try to live with yourself.

You can go the other. You'd still be walking around.

But you're dead and you don't know it.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

I was coming through Texas on my way to Mexico.

I needed some time to hide out.

I had spent most of my life on the Dodge.

Drunk or sober, I got no complaints.

Even if I did get my hands dirty on the way.

Jericho was a jerk water town, maybe 50 miles from the border.

Dirt streets, ramshackle buildings.

One thing for sure, you couldn't find it anywhere on the map.

For the most part, I was a big city guy.

I like pavement under my feet and bright lights after the sun goes down.

I figured this little bird was just the kind of place you gassed up the car, got

something to eat.

If you got stuck, maybe spend a night.

Then I got a look at her.

It's all the fun.

It's not a good idea to be looking at Mr. Doyle's girls that way.

I remember a guy once told me this is a free country.

Jocko, this guy thinks it's a free country.

Now you're free to go.

Sheriff's office is right over there in case you want to complain about

anything.

Light's out.

All right.

I seen it.

Right outside the window.

You know what I'm gonna do about it?

Not a goddamn thing.

But I know what you ought to do.

You ought to get your spare, put it on your car, and just drive on out of town.

Ain't that right, Bob?

You gotta forgive old Bob. He ain't much for talk.

Hold it.

Let me tell you something.

If you're really planning on sticking around, don't be coming to me for help.

You're on your own here.

We already got a fella in the window of the Undertaker.

Do yourself a favor.

First thing, get a firearm.

First customer I've seen all week.

Want a whiskey or a beer? Don't have much else to offer. Whiskey.

Prohibition.

We don't pay much attention to it here.

Got a phone in this place?

Who you want to call?

My mama.

Silver, we got phones.

But they ain't working, since you gotta have a switchboard operator to run them.

Got electricity?

Yeah, got that.

Runs on gas generators.

Hope they stay working.

Nobody left to fix them if they go bust.

Tell the truth, most of what they call decent folks been run off.

Really ain't much left here but a ghost town.

Some damn sheriff.

Making a profit just staying in the middle, grafting off both sides.

I think Mr. Doyle bought him off first.

Or maybe it was Strassi.

Who's Strassi?

That's the other gang here.

Strassi and the Italian fellas.

Both gangs took over this town.

Run off all the regular folks.

Come from the same big city.

They don't like each other much.

Bootsmakers.

You got Strassi at the Sweetwater and Doyle's bunch down to Alamo.

They leave me be because I stay to myself.

They think I'm crazy.

What the hell are you doing?

I'm going to see the fellas that wrecked my car.

Have a little talk with them.

I hadn't gotten a real warm reception, but I started thinking maybe this was my

lucky day.

A crook for a sheriff and two bootlegger outfits that hated each other.

If I played it right, I could make some easy money and move on.

I thought I made it real clear who you can and can't be looking at around here.

That's Mr. Doyle's property.

I came here to see you.

Yeah?

Yeah.

Did you get that car of yours fixed yet?

I'm running a little low of cash.

I was wondering if you could maybe help pay the damages.

I guess maybe you'll have to kill me.

Tell Mr. Doyle if he'd have hired smarter guys, none of this would have

happened.

It's all about bullying.

Get smuggled through here from Mexico.

We're part of a family operation in Chicago.

So what we got here is close to a civil war.

Except now we got a truce.

But it's my guess this truce ain't gonna last.

Especially after Hickey gets back.

That's why you're here.

Who's Hickey?

Hickey? It's Doyle's right-hand man.

He's a sweetheart, this guy.

Looks like somebody carved him up for Sunday dinner. Talks like this.

Forget it.

What about you?

You got a name?

Huh?

Smith. Smith. What's Smith what?

What, you got a first name?

John.

John Smith.

Janet Smith.

All right. That's a good one. You on the run?

Huh?

Where you from, Mr. Smith?

Back east.

Janet Smith from back east. All right.

I heard you wanted to see me.

Yeah, that's right.

What's the matter? What, did I interrupt something important?

She was doing her nails.

Well, this is Lucy.

Yeah, she's a real nice girl. She's a real pretty girl.

She's got a big mouth, but she's going to keep it shut and act very friendly

now, right?

Lucy, would you please take Mr. Smith to his room?

So I guess Strazi hired himself another bum.

Got it all figured out, did you?

Yeah, my fortune teller.

Don't worry, working for Strazi has its advantages. You're going to love your

room.

This skirt was from just outside of Cicero.

Strazi told me he had her sent down here to keep up his morale.

That's the first time I ever heard her called that.

I'm trying to keep it down up here, okay? My room's right underneath.

Trying to make too much noise when I'm jumping up and down on the bed.

Sunday dinner was a real event.

Strazi might have been a small-time hood, but he tried to run things like he

was somebody important back in Chicago.

He had an army of 20 shooters.

As far as I could see, most of them were goofballs.

It was all right out of some dime novel.

That's a fool.

Huh?

Brought these mamas in from Chicago.

The food here is terrible.

It's good.

What is this? Nobody wait?

You're late.

I had important business.

While you were doing your important business, things are happening.

We now have a new employee.

Mr. Smith?

Georgie will come on.

He killed Finn.

Doyle's best guy next to Hickey.

No.

I know all about it.

And you hire him.

Yeah, what do you think that looks like to Doyle in keeping a truce?

You want to tip Doyle off?

Plus, who the hell is he?

Doyle's guys are scared of him.

Yeah, hell, he was in town 20 minutes and killed one of them.

Doyle ain't going to do a goddamn thing with Hickey out of town.

The only thing that cockroach might try is to hire this guy for himself.

Yeah, well, I don't like it.

I don't like changes at the last minute, and I don't like new faces.

Come with me, Georgia, or you take it up with your boss.

I just work here.

So I decided to give up my free room.

I'd seen the real thing, and these guys were a long way from it.

I wasn't sure if he was getting a wooden box ready for me or if he just wanted to

say thanks for the business.

Well, look who's here.

Last time I saw you, you was going to have a talk with some fellas.

Next thing I hear, one of them's dead.

Conversation sort of went downhill.

Ain't that right, Bob?

He don't talk much, but his ears work good.

You got a room you can rent me?

Surprised you ain't staying with your friends at Sweetwater.

There's a room upstairs.

Tell you the truth, I can use the money.

You got a name?

Mine's Joe.

Okay, Joe.

Let me know when this runs out.

I'll give you some more.

Yes, sir.

Got girls for hire in this town?

Hell, yes.

You in West Texas?

Round the corner.

Third door on the left.

You can certainly afford them.

He looked a lot like you. You ever been to New Orleans?

He was nice.

He wasn't as quiet as you, though.

But you two almost looked like brothers.

Except he had tattoos.

I think that he was in the Navy.

I don't know.

No. And he used to come and see me every Friday or Saturday night.

His name was Clarence.

I had a lot of fun in New Orleans.

Sorry I came to this lousy town.

There's nothing to do here.

But I'd take every kind of dance class imaginable because I wanted to be a

dancer. But I came here because I was awesome.

What?

I didn't have no choice. Who set me up?

Who? They endorsed me! They said they'd kill me!

I didn't have no choice! Give me your name.

Give me your name, goddammit!

It was a guy who worked for Donald.

It was Donald Spence.

Please don't tell him I told you. Shut up!

Please, I'm sorry.

Her name was Wanda.

Crossing me was nothing personal.

She was just trying to make a living in a world where big fish eat little fish.

Come on.

By the time the law showed up, I was long gone.

But the sheriff didn't let me down.

He investigated the whole thing.

Then arrested the hooker.

I went down to the Red Bird and asked that old geezer who runs the place where

I could find you.

Where are we headed?

Duke joined outside of town. Strazi wants everybody there.

He's going to make another speech.

You don't keep me too well informed.

Giorgio's always acting like he's in charge because he's the son of somebody

important. Strazi's boss in Chicago.

Strazi and Giorgio are really cousins.

Strazi don't admit it, though.

Not a family man.

Where's that lead you on him?

Slim's was a fast 20 minutes out across the desert.

Two stories of wood in the middle of nowhere.

It was the kind of place that looked like the special was chicken fried

steak.

Strazi told me that Giorgio and the other guys got a real hot head about the

kind of money you're getting.

Giorgio don't like you too much, in case you haven't noticed.

Why does the guy send his girlfriend to come find me?

Strazi figures I wouldn't be dumb enough to do anything out of line, so he sent

me.

Well, that must make you feel real proud.

Quit being a shit hero, right?

You get enough of that from straws and thank you.

You sure you're not dumb enough to do anything out of line?

Just curious.

Your boyfriend got a first name?

Yeah.

But only in the bedroom.

As usual, she was trying to act tough.

If anybody could see, it was a paper thin.

Even with a second-rater like Strauss, she was in way over her head.

Well, for Christ's sweet sake, it took you too long enough.

That's my ass.

It's raining outside, Giorgio.

Hard to drive in the rain.

Like he said, what took you so long?

Maybe you don't hear too good. It's raining.

You know something?

You're getting me more of a wise-ass Polack every day, and it ain't so cute

no more.

You know what happens to wise-ass Polack dames?

They get their wise-asses kicked.

Guys in this whorehouse, they'll send a couple guys to visit me.

You killed two more Doyle's guys.

Is that bullshit or is that true?

I don't give a damn about Doyle.

He lost two men tonight, that's good news.

Doyle, he's trying to outbid me with my own supplier, this Mick bastard.

I try to do business with him, it's bullshit.

Now, we got a shipment coming in from Monterey next week.

Mr. Doyle has got one coming in tomorrow.

This is where you're going to start to earn your pay.

Maybe 200 cases.

We deliver 200 bucks a case. That's 200 grand in our books.

Plus, you know what's really defrosting?

We get Doyle's trucks.

You know how hard it is to buy a truck in Mexico?

We crossed the border a couple hours before dawn.

Strazi had come up with a plan that he thought would make him look good to the

big boss back in Chicago.

It involved hijacking, murder, corruption of the military, and sticking

me right out front.

Who the hell are you supposed to be?

Might be a good time for you guys to give up.

I told you we couldn't trust these men.

I'm going to send Smith back with Santo to keep an eye on Doyle.

We stay with the trucks until they get to Matamatos.

Matalos!

It

was

a massacre.

I couldn't say I was real sorry, but it was a rough way to check out.

I don't know how reliable she's ever going to hold up as a witness.

She's some kind of a vagrant. Might even be here for immoral purposes.

How much to get her out?

A hundred. Send her on her way right away.

You know, I've been thinking about how Dozman knew I was at that whorehouse.

I figured your deputy here...

Heard me last night at the Redbird. Came over here and told you about it, and you

sold the information to Doyle.

How am I doing so far, Sheriff?

You are one suspicious fellow.

Ain't he, Bob?

I think I was a little rough on you last night.

I sure changed you.

How's he going to get out of here?

Those men are going to think you tipped me off.

You got a bus come through this town?

Yeah, noon.

Every day.

Make sure she gets on it.

I got some information you may want to sell to Mr. Doyle.

We're going to find out soon enough, but you might be the one to give it to him.

The ship in Abuja coming up from Mexico got hijacked by some banditos.

A tip like that ought to be worth at least a grand.

You better be right, because if Doyle should send Hickey after me, he's coming

directly for you.

I keep hearing about Hickey.

Sounds like a real scary guy.

It's just how scary.

It goes that when he was 10 years old, gets a butcher knife and cuts his

father's throat from ear to ear.

Then they stick him in an orphanage. 15 years old, he burns it to the ground.

Just make sure you mark me down for half.

I think maybe you and I should talk.

I don't think these people appreciate you.

You're gonna be my hero?

I thought you were just a guy who did things for money.

Yeah.

I'm just a guy that does everything for money.

Anybody see you come up here?

You hear me? You don't know the half of it.

Let me tell you, I don't have to take it from these bastards.

Going back to Chicago on the first thing out of here to move.

What's so funny?

You're not going anywhere.

Just blowing off a little steam.

Oh, yeah?

You hear the way Strazi talked to me?

That Greek ball?

To hell with him.

Yeah, Strazi got out of town for the day.

Still a Georgian.

So? Strauss, you tell you he's paying me a lot of money.

Well, there may be a way for you to get your hands on some of it.

You gonna tell me why you would do such a nice thing?

Because I'm a nice guy.

Sweet guy.

Yeah, right.

Like I said, I don't think they appreciate you.

See, I think you're a very smart girl.

You hear things inside word.

I'm the kind of guy that likes to have all the information he can get.

So, if you give me the inside word, I'll give you an extra hundred or so a week.

Just between me and you.

Mr. Ozzie and Giorgio were going to be back the next day.

I smelled the real money was going to come from working Doyle's side of the

street.

They'd make the first move.

Mr. Doyle wants you to come work for us full time.

I'm not sure he can afford it.

Try me.

A thousand dollars.

A week or a day.

I'm surprised you're not mad at me.

I thought you might hold it against me, me killing three of your guys.

It's the only cure I know for being stupid.

Hey, dummy!

Bring us your best stuff.

Yes, sir, Mr. Dole.

Right away, sir.

I know you already got a job working for Strazi.

But I figure you, for the kind of guy who goes to the highest bidder, just

like those Mexicans that were supposed to guard my booze.

Strazi was behind that, wasn't he?

How would you like to kill Strazi?

That little punk Giorgio?

From what I hear, a guy like yourself...

You only care about the money, right?

I mean it as a compliment.

That's why we're all here.

Where's Hickey?

You heard about Hickey, huh?

I heard he talks kind of funny.

Yeah, well, that's the way you sound. Somebody slices your face, jams an ice

pick in your voice box.

Hickey can get awful messy, though.

This should be an inside job.

We need somebody nice and neat like you.

I'll think about it.

You're making a mistake.

Maybe he's just not very smart.

What the hell are you holding back for?

You think the meek are going to inherit the earth?

If they do, you won't be there to enjoy it.

I might have been a gun for hire, but I wasn't exactly an assassin.

Maybe Doyle figured there wasn't much difference.

Tell Hickey I said hello.

If I was going to get into Doyle's wallet, I needed something big to sell

him.

Hey! Oh!

You don't quit me.

Nobody quits me. What is it? Was it Doyle? What did he do? He offer you more

money? Keep the 500, you owe me.

The rest is mine for the work I did down in Mexico.

You let him walk away? No, he doesn't go.

Nobody goes. You get back here, you guy.

It's not your fault Giorgio's a half-wit.

You really want to get killed for a half-wit?

Tell Mr. Doyle I turned Strazi down.

What the hell

are you grinning about?

Goddamn, that was great.

I guess you don't work for Strazi no more.

Working for Strazi had about played itself out.

Until Hickey showed up, I was out of moves.

I decided to dry out a little.

Went two days without a drink.

For me, that's pretty good.

You know, sitting out here in the open, this might not be a real good idea for a

fellow that's got as many enemies as you got.

Everybody liked me.

Such a nice guy.

This is Mr. Doyle's girl.

Bringing her back from church.

I guess going to church makes her feel better about keeping company with Mr.

Doyle.

That right, honey?

You don't want to miss out on the big money.

This little war with Strauss is going to be over soon.

I think he's back.

We got problems.

Strazi broke the truth.

Hit our trucks in Mexico. Killed all our guys.

Jacked the whole load.

Hey, how's my car?

Oh, I fixed that inner tube and I fixed that headlight. She's good as new.

Except for that windshield.

Ordering new glasses is going to take a while.

Let's cover it.

$20? That's way too much.

But I got some information I'd trade you for the change on it.

A fella come around here asking me about your car. Wanted to look at the

registration and check your name.

What'd you tell him? I didn't tell him nothing. He just went on ahead and

looked anyway.

But guess what?

No registration, did he? That's right.

You can keep that change.

This fella say what his name was? He didn't say, but I know who it was.

One of them Italian boys been hanging around town named George.

Giorgio.

All right, so come on.

Jesus Christ.

Somebody answer the goddamn phone.

Maybe Chicago found a way to get through.

Yeah.

Looks like I struck pay dirt.

Who's this, Giorgio?

Yeah, who's this?

You remember me?

The high paid nobody.

I got a message for Strazi.

Yeah, well, we don't need any messages from jerks like you, all right?

Don't be stupid.

Just because I don't work for you doesn't mean I can't be a friend.

I don't want to see your boss get hurt.

Yeah.

Well, you tell him that Dahl knows that he's the one that hijacked his shipment.

But maybe you got a bigger problem.

There's a rumor Ramirez is going to go back on Dahl's payroll.

Who knows? Maybe it's all just bullshit.

You getting this, Giorgio? Yeah, I'm getting it.

All bullshit.

Yeah, good boy.

You tell your cousin to watch his ass.

The Italians were winning in New York and Chicago, but they weren't doing too

good in Jericho.

A little past nine that night, I got a look at Giorgio leaving town.

He could almost be the pride fatty hanging around his neck.

I just came by to tell you the means Jossie made it up this morning.

I got an investment there, so we can forget about the other day like it never

happened, right?

I mean, it was just one time for fun, right?

Business is business.

I don't want to get myself in the middle of anything here.

Strazi's going to take care of me.

I saw that punk Giorgio sneak out of town.

Where was he headed?

He went to El Morado.

What's he doing down in Mexico?

What he always does.

Drinks, messes around, goes to whorehouses.

I'm surprised Strasi didn't go.

Must be getting pretty used to whores by now.

Yes, dear.

I think you're forgetting about our deal.

Why did Giorgio go to Mexico?

He went to finish doing some business with Ramirez.

Beam off.

And the cop they got for security.

I gotta go.

We're quits now, right?

That mouthy little cousin of Strazzi's, Giorgio.

He's on his way down to Mexico right now to see a friend of yours.

A fellow named Ramirez.

You know a guy named Ramirez, do you?

Gonna pay him back for the hijack.

How do you like the story so far?

Good. Keep talking.

He's gonna see a cop down there, too.

This cop's responsibility was security on this side of the border.

So I guess he's gonna get paid, too. They're probably all planning their next

shipment. Gonna use your trucks.

You know...

I don't want to be pushy, but this kind of information is a little too valuable

to be given away.

Giorgio is very important to Strazi.

If something were to happen to him, it would be very bad for Strazi.

Don't you think?

Take as much as you want.

You work for me now.

Just take the $2,000 we agreed upon.

You work with us.

You're with the winners.

Anything else is stupid.

I'll think about it.

What the hell are you holding back for? I don't play this style! What the hell

are you holding back for?

His name's Smith.

At least that's what he says.

This is Hickey.

I told you about him.

Told me all about you.

I've been hearing about you all over town, actually.

Especially like that orphanage story.

I tell you about all them little kids.

Burning up like candles.

My favorite part.

You shot some of our guys.

I guess I did.

The ones that deserved it.

He got thin.

He's Dora's best shooter.

I thought you were the best.

No. Just the best looking.

Enough of this bullshit!

This game is finished.

Come on. We gotta talk.

Leave everything here.

El Mirado was about 30 miles across the Rio Grande.

The whole town was celebrating some saint's day, which meant everybody was

either drunk or working.

Doyle took my bait and sent a car due south the next morning.

He didn't have to be real smart to guess who the passenger was.

Maybe you're a cop.

You want a gun, Red?

Yeah, sir.

That's good.

Maybe you're the kind of guy shooting an old man in the back.

She looks like her mother.

It's all right.

He's asleep.

Parked a couple miles from here and walked in.

Why do you come out here?

The world lets me be alone here.

It's the only place they don't watch me.

Why do you stay with him?

People don't own other people.

A year ago, my husband...

gambled with Mitch Doyle.

After he lost me, he went back and crossed the border.

He was ashamed.

When Doyle took me from my daughter, I went to sleep.

All I had left was to pray.

My fear is my curse.

What's yours?

I was born without a conscience.

There's a fella here.

Come see ya.

John Smith?

Meet Captain Tom Pickett.

He's the head ranger here in my district.

He generally just comes down when... Shut up, Gull.

Sit down, Mr. Smith.

Now, Sheriff, Mr. Smith and I are going to have a drink.

We got a lot to talk about tonight.

I'm here about a murdered policeman who got himself killed on the other side of

the river in some crummy little Mexican town.

A few locals killed, too.

And a double-dealing commandante named Ramirez.

What the man I'm concerned about was an American on the border patrol.

He had a family well-liked by his brother officers.

I guess he strayed a little bit in some departments, but he was an officer of

the law just the same.

You know anything about his death, son?

No, I don't think so.

That's odd.

It'll hardly seem possible.

Mr. Gallagher says you're real well informed on what happens around here.

You saying I did it?

I asked if you knew anything about it, not if you did it.

The crime has been solved, son.

Mexican police picked up two armed drifters from the state of Florida just

across the border, handed them over to us.

They ain't confessed yet, but they will.

I just can't get past the idea that maybe one of these two bootleg gangs had

something to do with it.

I learned a long time ago to trust my instincts.

Now listen real careful, because here's the point, son.

Things in this town are out of control.

Two gangs is just one too many.

I'm not an idealist.

I know a lot of things people do are awful low, but that's between them and

God.

Do you believe in God?

I believe in God, son.

But what I'm concerned with is keeping a lid on things.

And what we got here in Jericho is just way out of hand.

And Sheriff Galt here, he can't do much about it, right?

Matter of fact, it might be fair to say that he's part of the problem, right?

Now, you've been going back and forth, playing both sides, according to Mr.

Galt here.

Making yourself a lot of money out of all this.

Well... It's over, son.

I'm coming back here in ten days. I'm going to bring about 20 rangers with me.

I will tolerate one gang, because that is the nature of things. A certain

amount of corruption is inevitable.

But if I find two gangs here, when I get back then in a couple of hours, there

will be no gangs here.

So it's simple.

One gang quits and goes home.

You boys work it out. I don't give a damn which one.

Just as long as one side leaves or maybe one side loses.

That's fine, too, son.

Kill as many as you want.

Just don't kill no innocent people around here.

I wouldn't like that.

It's been real nice talking to you, Captain.

Likewise, son.

Only one more thing.

When I come back, if I was you, I'd be gone.

We told Strazi we got his boy, Giorgio. Tell him he wants him back to bring us

the $100,000 after the crossing at the five-mile road.

Tell them to make a tree in the afternoon.

Trucks. Oh, yeah. And we'll give you two days to give us our trucks back.

All the vultures showed up for the exchange.

If I was honest, I guess I'd have to include myself in the roll call.

But if there was a hundred grand being handed over for Giorgio, I wanted to

take a real good look at it.

You get the briefcase, you let go of the rope.

We're even now. You

got one choice.

Give up your whole operation.

Son

of

a bitch!

Until I get Georgia back, she stays with me.

And I guess you know what I'm going to be doing with her, right, doll?

If they touch you, they do anything.

Starkey! I'm going to settle things with you, Starkey! I promise, you rotten

bastard! I promise! I promise!

I had to visit her about three in the afternoon the next day.

She'd had enough at Jericho, but was too broke to buy a bus ticket out.

I slipped her 500 bucks.

Usually I wasn't such a sucker, but somebody had smacked her around pretty

good.

He's been in a real bad mood.

Ever since his cousin got treated back for that girl.

Been fighting with Giorgio, acting like a real jerk.

Yelling at anything that gets near him.

I'd never seen him drunk before.

He was really in the bag last night.

What'd you do?

I called him a name.

So he slapped me.

Slugged me a couple of times.

Threw my clothes out on the street.

So I figured I'd get even.

I told him about me and you.

I guess things could be worse.

Get back to wherever it is you're going.

Maybe you should try and find yourself a better class of guy.

No guy is going to ever want to mess with me again.

Your face will heal up.

Your looks are all right.

How is this gonna heal up?

Like you said, I got a big mouth.

He had three guys hold me down.

Told Giorgio to slice it off.

They were real drunk But

everything you ever did to me you did on purpose, right?

Right

Finish all your business inside with the little princess?

Let's make sure she gets on that bus.

You know something, amigo?

I think I just spotted the chink in your armor.

When you go down, it's gonna be over a skirt.

For most of my life, I made my own rules.

You don't do any favors, you don't ask for any.

Watch the percentages.

But you can know the rules and still do the wrong thing.

The only thing I knew for sure was this.

Strazi, Doyle, and every son of a bitch at work.

They were all gonna be better off dead.

Somebody out here to see him, Mr. Doyle.

Put it over.

I'll take the job.

You must smell a winner.

Get a thousand in advance.

Nobody's worth that much.

Pretty good.

A thousand more when we win.

It's settled.

Let's have a drink on it. What about the girl?

What girl?

The one you keep. Strauss will get the hold over again. Old Black will know

you're right out of town.

Don't worry about it.

We got her in a safe place.

And eight guys out there on watch.

Eight's not going to be enough.

Strauss has got some new trigger men coming in town tonight.

Where do you hear all this?

Maybe it's just a rumor.

You want me to check it out?

I want you and Hickey here with me.

Strauss has got new help coming in. Chance Sorry's gonna try to rush us

here.

You go out to the country.

Check on her.

She means a lot to me.

McCool can tell you how to get there.

The girl upstairs

Don't come any closer, so I'll kill her keep away from here. I swear to God

killed her no

I got it from Doyle. I want you to use it.

Get across the border and don't come back.

Come on, get going.

I always liked thinners a lot better than saints.

She was real easy to look at.

But I hoped I never saw her again.

They're all dead inside.

I found them last night.

Where's the girl?

I don't know.

Straussie must have taken her.

This is a slaughter.

You were right about those extra trigger men.

Must have taken 15 or 20 of Strazi's guys to pull this off.

This whole thing is turning on us.

When you found them out here, why didn't you drive back to town and tell us

instead of just waiting out here?

Figured the car ran off when the fighting started.

Stuck around hoping maybe she'd come back.

She didn't.

Well, I haven't been fired.

Must have got killed before you got a shot off.

Strozzi's jealous of me giving her a chance.

She grew up in some filthy little village.

Told me her mother was a Yaqui Indian.

Didn't know much about her father.

Except he was white.

She married some lowlife wetback.

The only thing he ever gave her was a kid.

Jesus Christ, she only had one dress till she met me.

The way she looked.

The way her eyes looked.

I couldn't help taking her out of all that.

We gotta hit Strazi soon.

Get her back.

You have to get this thing over with.

I want to head back into town so that I can find out.

I hope he's trying to say he doesn't know I work for you guys yet.

You have to get this thing over with.

Mickey was suspicious.

Doyle was nuts and McCool was stupid.

Except maybe I was the dumb one.

If I had any brains, I would have kept on driving straight south into Mexico.

Keep her gassed up and ready to go.

Yes, sir, I'll do her. But pretty soon, you're going to be on your own.

Come next week, I'm getting the hell out.

Ain't no business here.

This town is finished.

As usual, it was hot as hell.

The wind picked up the dust so much you could taste it.

The whiskey helped.

But I didn't want to get sloppy, so I switched to beer.

Somehow I had the feeling the walls were moving in on me.

It's funny how it all works, huh?

For one little second you think you're gonna get away free and clear.

But you end up paying the price.

No exceptions.

Everybody pays the price.

Even a bum like me.

Take the guns.

What is it?

Miss Trotty doesn't have Doyle's half-breed.

A cool one across the border looking for her.

They own an El Morado.

They run into a guy with an interesting story.

She'd seen her heading out.

She'd sold her car to some guy for a couple hundred bucks.

Strati didn't take her.

Maybe.

If you believe the guy's story.

Why would a guy lie?

Which leaves the question of how she got away.

Big question.

You know how we give a damn.

Indian girl, you know.

It's not like she was the blessed virgin, is it?

by himself, but you work for us.

Why would you do that?

Maybe you don't work for us.

Maybe you take the money.

Do what you want.

You're one of them.

You're an independent.

Who are you running from?

Jericho's a good place to stop.

On your way to Mexico, running.

The feds.

For Christ's sakes, everybody's running from something.

See, working for people like me and Doyle work for, there's an advantage.

The payroll comes a lot of ground.

You're scared.

What is getting cold?

Where is she?

While you stop here and your bones break, your teeth rattle, you just

concentrate on holding tight to that little part right at the center.

The rest doesn't matter.

They're gonna take the rest anyway.

Find him for me. Search this whole hick town.

Look over there. Over there, there, there.

Over there.

Get up there and get him into this place.

Find him.

Get those

cars.

Wall up these streets.

Find him.

Find him.

I know he's here.

Don't hold out on me, you idiot.

I'll stick a knife in your throat.

I'm telling you, don't you mess with me. This is not a game.

Don't play around.

You don't want to talk to me? You don't want to talk to anybody anymore.

You think I'm kidding?

You came here to me.

Oh!

Hold it!

God damn it, hold it! You hold it, John Law!

It's going way past you! This thing with Strazi's over! Strazi, you know where he

is right now?

He's holed up with the rest of his gang, waiting for some new shooters that are

coming from back east to help him out. Where? Come here!

Flynn's Roadhouse.

We checked all over. He ain't up there.

Come on, load it up! We're going to the roadhouse.

You better be right.

I had to make it look good.

You know, my helping you out don't make a hell of a lot of sense.

But I'm betting on the Ranger.

I know that the big money days are just about done, but don't kid yourself,

boys. It could still come down real hard.

Mr. Smith, I will help hide you, but I prefer you be unarmed and on your way

the hell out of this town.

That move you made from Doyle's little honey in this league, that'll get

you broke and dead, both at the same time.

By the time we got to Slim's Roadhouse, Strazi's men were trapped inside the

burning building.

The ones that made a run for it got shot.

The ones that stayed inside got cooked.

None of them were going to make it home to Chicago.

Don't shoot!

Don't shoot me! I know where the money is!

Don't shoot me!

How about it, Strazi?

What's it going to be?

I give up.

You can have it.

We can have everything.

Take it all.

After the fire dies down, go inside.

Pull out Smith's body if you can find it.

He's got to be dead.

He didn't come out.

Everybody in there has got to be dead.

A little after dawn, Joe and Galt got me to the abandoned church.

The bill for helping the Indian girl included kicked-in ribs, a broken nose,

one eye mashed up pretty good, and all I needed was a gun and some time to heal.

Hey Joe.

I know he ain't dead yet.

We counted the bodies out there.

Maybe you should take your shoes off and look at your toes.

If he gets back, we'll be cutting them off one by one.

I knew by the sound of the car it wasn't Joe.

thing about people.

One time out of a hundred, they turn out better than you expect.

Just your old amigo.

Joe got caught making his daily run.

The food, the bandages, they just gave them away.

Hickey. No.

McCool and a couple other guys.

Hickey and Doyle are in Mexico.

Doyle's still looking for that half-breed Indian girl.

I mean, is that a persistent little bastard or what?

Where'd they take Joe?

They're all over at Strozzi's hotel. Doyle moved them all over there after

winning the war.

You really think that you're gonna fight anybody with that?

I can get a gun with it.

That's the only help you're gonna get.

I always hated it when I owe somebody.

But sometimes you just gotta play out a bad hand.

there are going to be a lot more wooden boxes in Smiley's window.

What the hell?

Everybody ends up dead.

Just a matter of when.

Thank you.

Go

back

to the Redbird.

Get my valise.

Bring another bottle of whiskey.

Yes, sir. Right away, sir.

What's that?

A message for Hickey.

And when Doyle get back, you tell him I'm out at Slim's Roadhouse.

Slim's Roadhouse?

It's burned to the ground.

It's gone. The whole place.

You all right?

When's that ranger due back?

Day after tomorrow.

Give you enough time to get it cleaned up.

Cleaned up?

I'm just gonna haul those bodies out of the hotel, take them out in the desert,

and let the coyotes chew on them for a while.

Then I'm headed for Houston.

Even Frank the Undertaker's leaving town, for Christ's sake. What kind of a

town are we going to have without an Undertaker?

How about you, Joe?

You're staying put, ain't you? No, sir.

Right now, I'm going with him.

There you are.

I just want to see this thing finished.

I earned it.

Joe and I sat up all night waiting for Hickey and Doyle.

When this thing got started, all I wanted to do was make some money.

Somewhere along the way, it all got personal.

You know, for a guy with no principles, sometimes you act kind of peculiar.

Go get a mushy on me, Joe.

I was just trying to say thank you.

I hear people thanking me. I generally start running.

How's your wound doing?

Good, thank you.

Closest doctor to hear any more is just across the river in Mexico.

I can show you the way.

Go on back there.

Find a spot. Go on.

Stay here.

You had me fooled.

I really thought you burned up with the rest of them. Nah, I knew better.

It's always going to come down to something like this.

I watch you thinking about me when you're dying.

Looks to me like you're the one bleeding.

Now hold it.

We can get you a doctor.

Get you patched up.

You're going to run this town with us.

I need you.

Give me a fair fight.

Who needs a doctor?

Now wait!

We don't need the guns!

You, me, and Hickey, we won this war. We're survivors.

We won! We won!

I haven't found the girl yet.

You know the girl?

You must know where she is.

You think we can still find her?

We can go to Mexico.

She's up there in the mountain.

Some little village.

She had a kid.

Little girl.

I gotta get her back.

I'm telling you, we can be partners!

for what he done to my town.

Get up and kill me too.

No, don't worry.

I'm all done.

I'm just gonna watch.

I want to die in Texas.

Chicago, maybe.

You can meet me there if you want.

Try and kill me.

Maybe you're the kind of guy shooting another man in the back.

Done worse than that.

I can't say it all went exactly the way I planned.

I was right about one thing.

They were all better off dead.

Goddamn. I wasn't real sure this old gun would still shoot.

Looks like you got yourself a new car.

And that was it.

It ended about the same place where it started.

Out in the desert on the road to Mexico.

I was just as broke as when I arrived.

But something would turn up.

It always does.