Killing Faith

Whoa.

That him?

Yeah.

How you know?

'Cause I drug him around with my horse till he told me.

Looks like somebody ran away from home.

Somebody with a big mouth.

I-I'll go back, talk to him.

Ain't gonna matter none.

Alright.

Let's get on with it, shall we?

I-I got money!

- Ain't enough. - How do you know?

- It's never enough. - Wait, wait!

I-I got something.

I-I got something real valuable.

Show me.

Where was that? They...

Here we go.

I think I... Here it is.

Did you check his pockets?

This is your own damn fault, then, ain't it?

And that goes for you, too.

No. God!

Close. But it ain't God you got all riled up.

It's worse.

It's said that a great sickness

took hold of the country

that summer of 1849...

taking Christian and heathen with equal justice...

and killing horse, cow, and anything with four legs

almost as swiftly as the outlaw John Glanton

and his murderous gang,

who were slaughterin' their way across the Western territories

in search of valuable scalp bounties.

But this is not his story of evil.

There was another.

No!

That's all I got.

We've been through this, Miss Abraham.

Worthington.

You know that well as the next. You signed the papers.

Yes.

Miss Worthington.

Like I was saying, we've been through this.

And ain't no one gonna escort you nowhere right now.

And that's fact.

On account of me being a Slate?

Slate. Injun. Two-headed Mexican. Don't matter a shake.

It ain't safe out there right now.

And you know that. No matter how much silver you got.

What about you?

Surely this town can survive five days

without your steady hand on the tiller of justice, Deputy.

Acting Sheriff, Miss Worthington.

You know that well as the next.

Has been since Sheriff Buford went missin'.

She needs help.

Well, I'll see to it Doc Steelbender comes

to take a look at her

as soon as he is fully conscious

and in possession of his faculties.

Ain't that right, Doc?

Yeah.

Now, you know that's not the kind of help I'm talking about.

I need to get her to Ross Corner.

How about it, Doc? Little paid excursion?

Look after Miss Worthington?

The man can't look after himself.

And you can't travel alone.

I'm not alone.

And how is she with a pistol?

Now, I suggest you take that little girl of yours home.

Before she causes a stir.

You know you're not supposed to be in town with her.

It's a superstitious lot we have here.

And you remember what happened the last time they got riled up.

Thank you for your time... Acting Sheriff.

The food.

Do you for five or six days.

And you could fill the bladders out back where the pump is.

As long as she doesn't touch anything.

Much appreciated.

I also need to get this telegraph to Ross Corner.

Alert the preacher that I'm on my way

and in need of his assistance.

You are in touch with Ross Corner,

are you not, Mr. Grayson?

I'll see what I can do.

Oh. Miss Atwater.

Uh, pleased to see you.

I wish I could say the same.

Yes, well, we were just in town picking up a few supplies and...

Then you come alone. Or not at all.

That was the agreement.

Yes, ma'am.

You bring that... thing...

into town one more time,

and I'll have you both strung up.

On charges, that is.

How's the curing business, Doc?

Not as good as the dying business.

Well, at least the sickness seems to have abated.

It's a shame it took so many.

What's in Ross Corner?

Why don't you ask her?

I don't reckon I'm that curious.

Is that all there is?

Tell me, Bender.

What's it like to be a doctor who can't save a life?

I'll let you know next time you find yourself sick.

Would you like to recite us a little scripture, Edward?

Oh, I surely would, Miss Sarah,

but you know I... I ain't much of a reciter.

I'm more of a listener.

But y-you know what I heard the other day outside the general?

I heard this... this... this Tubman woman been...

She's been building a railroad under the ground for... for years.

All this time, they's been worried

about the slaves escaping topside,

and she just goes and builds a-a railroad

under the ground like that sure as sunrise.

Is that so?

It certainly is so.

Because the two gents playing checkers

out on the porch said it was.

And I-I believe they was both speaking truth.

Although, I have to admit that the...

the gent with the whiskers

did seem to be using this conversation

as a... as a distraction mechanism,

which made the other gent miss several jumps and a king-me.

But I-I believed his words nonetheless.

And y-you know what else I heard?

How about we save the rest for morning?

It's getting a little late. I have some things to prepare.

Yes, ma'am.

Come on, flapjack.

Let's get you in your jammies so your mama can tuck you in

all snug as a bug.

Which is a funny expression if you ask me,

because I-I have never seen a snug bug.

Especially not in a rug, which is the part of the expression

that I seem to have left off.

Alright.

I need you to get a good night's sleep

because we're gonna go on a long trip

and I need you to be brave, okay?

I need you to be a big girl.

How about a smile for mama?

Papa?

I don't feel right, Papa!

Fell off your horse in the middle of town again, Doc.

Speaking in tongues like some kind of lunatic.

Yeah. Won't... Won't happen again.

No, it certainly will not.

Oh. Miss Atwater. What a... What a pleasant surprise.

Mr. Steelbender.

Doctor.

Hm. Questionable.

Tell me. Why are you here?

Not this jail. We all know you are an inebriate.

Why here? This town?

I don't know.

I suppose after the army, I wanted a clean start.

Tired of guns and killing people.

Seems you've succeeded in killing people

without any guns, Mr. Steelbender.

Doctor.

Hm.

The town has decided it's time you moved along.

The whole town decided that or is it just you?

I'm calling your note.

I ain't behind.

You are now.

As of this minute.

Unless you can pay in full?

I thought not.

One week.

See to it that the good... doctor has departed by then.

Deputy.

Acting Sheriff.

Hm.

She can't do that.

I'm afraid she can.

Well, I ain't digging up my whole family for that old witch.

She ain't the law.

She's the bank. Even better.

Now, promise me you won't go doing something stupid.

- I can't. - Why?

Where you off to?

To do something stupid.

I'm not a very good shot,

but I reckon at this range I don't have to be.

I'd rather not test that theory. It's Bender.

Well, what do you want?

To take you up on your offer.

We can leave at sunrise, but I expect half up front.

Sunrise it is!

Come on! We gotta go! Let's get a move on!