Promise

We all agree that this gold stays in the ground

until I get word that it's time to go to Mexico.

What about the folks who live here, Zeb?

The owner of this manure pit was killed

in General Sibley's actions last year.

No one will be back here for any reason.

This place gives me the heebie jeebies.

We bury it, we split up until I give the word

and we all three come back here together, agreed?

- Agreed. - Agreed.

My regiment leaves in the morning.

Words cannot express my gratitude

for what you have done for my little family.

This year was so hard on us.

Without you, we may never have survived

as this conflict raged.

Thanks to you, we may return to St. Louis

and my little one has a chance at a real education,

and this nightmare will be left behind us.

I love you, the both of you, and I will come back for you.

When you come for us,

you swear you'll never leave us again?

With all my heart.

I believe you.

We deserve a place of peace.

For all time.

I know you cherish this.

Spencer, you're leaving us again.

You've changed our lives.

I can only repay you with my eternal and undying love.

That is all I wish.

Zeb, if there ain't nobody living on this spread,

why do I see people moving in the house?

There's a woman's face there in the window.

Oh hell, you two stay here with the gold.

I'm gonna have me a looksie.

Promise, run, run!

Oh hell, lady, you gotta be kidding!

Ouch, oh, Jesus Christ!

Run, Promise, run!

Well, look what we have here.

You ignate wretch.

This isn't a pleasure palace.

Well, what about her?

Let's just leave the little darling to her memories.

I thought I told you jacking ape to stay with the gold.

Zeb, my legs are hurting, I need to go see a saw bone.

You shut your mouth, I was shot four times

in Lawrence, Kansas, and didn't complain about it

half as much as that little scratch.

You tie that off,

and let's get the hell out of here.

You sure do take your time with them damn cards.

I picked up the habit of exercising caution,

almost a lifetime ago.

Yeah? Well, to hell with your caution, I'm down $50.

Don't play if you can't afford it.

Saloon-keeper.

What will it be?

Well, it's after nine in the morning,

I believe I'll have a tequila.

Oh, and my friend here looks hungry,

bring him the house special, and maybe a beer.

Right, kind of you.

What did you pitch your name as again?

I didn't.

Oh, Christ, I needed that.

I've been riding since Yuma, no time for a meal.

I know, you'd be one Zebediah Scurlock, from Missouri.

There's a territorial warrant out of Yuma for your arrest.

The warrant stipulates choice of delivery to authorities.

And the choices are?

Alive or dead.

You got some nerve, shit heel.

I'm giving you a choice, you can make this easy,

or you can make this hard.

Why the hell would I surrender to you?

Well, I just bought your sustenance.

Fiddly, I don't care much for your deal,

you son of a bitch.

You know who the hell you're fucking with, jack ass?

I do.

You shouldn't have done that.

You witness that?

I don't get it, you knew you were gonna kill him,

why did you buy him a meal?

I didn't want the son of a bitch to go to hell

on an empty stomach.

Sheriff, are these all the bills for the past six months?

Every one of them.

You looking for anyone in particular?

Indeed, I am.

It seems to me a little peculiar,

a young lady perusing handbills.

I'm not what you'd expect, Sheriff. Thank you.

Okay.

I don't understand it.

Of course, he aint been in the right mind

since the surrender 12... No, 13 years ago.

What the hell are you talking about, Wild Eye?

My brother, Zebediah.

I was in Tucumcari last night,

I read in the Tribune Express that he got himself

all shot to hell by a bushwhacking shootist.

Poor son of a bitch got slung over his own saddle.

Man, all down to Yuma for a territorial reward.

A goddamn shame.

Yeah, a goddamn shame.

You know, he rode the Cowan trail.

Who's Cowan trail, Wild Eye?

Brick, your brains are like a gelding's balls, missing.

Forget it.

You know lots of folks thought him shameful,

for riding with all those vermin.

Hmm, but they suited him.

And after all the scrapes he been through,

all that killing, all the women and children

they sent to their maker and he never got a scratch

and now he comes to an end like this.

You know, I served my time in the regiments,

and look at me, goddamn battle of Chickamauga,

goddamn Johnny Reb, took my eye,

and gave me this throw, nothing!

Nothing,

is ever even in this world.

Well, I guess that's just the way the Lord intended,

I reckon.

Well, I intend to even things out to a fair degree.

How so?

When I was reading the Tribune Express,

it said personal effects may be collected

by the next of kin at the Grissom Brothers Undertakers.

So I paid that establishment a visit,

you know what I found?

He's Cold Navy and hide away smith, $2.43, and this.

Seems that mother Scurlock's dearest oldest golden boy

kept himself a personal record of his exploits in 61.

Now that opportunistic son of a bitch,

he probably thought he could sell all these

to the penny dreadfuls.

Whatever,

most of it is a load of shit.

But one story intrigued me, about a certain cash box.

Dear, stupid, older brother,

you just may have made one thing successful

out of your wretched life.

Brick, forget about them two smithy jobs down in El Paso,

how would you like to make some real money.

I've missed you, something terrible.

How long's your stay gonna be this time?

I hadn't really thought about it,

I'm too busy enjoying the scenery right now.

Oh, come on, bastard, you can't fool me.

You always know your next move.

You know me too well.

If I were you, I'd never leave me.

And I never argue with logic, Francesca.

Then how come you do leave?

And how come you ask so many fool questions?

Hmm, goddamn Ransom, honey.

There's two compelling reasons why you should stay.

You know in your heart

that you bring to me all the joy in my life.

It does a woman good to hear things like that.

Tell me, what is that void in your soul?

What do you mean?

We've been together, a good long time now,

when you're here.

And I know all of you, your strength, your loyalty,

your passions.

And I know about that canyon in your soul,

that place no one can enter.

Don't make with fancy words, Francesca.

There is a sadness inside of you

and you won't even admit it.

You certainly weren't confronted.

You're wrong about that.

I confront it every day, some days I wish I didn't have to.

Well, lover, tell me.

What do you know about loss?

A little bit.

I miss my daddy, now and again.

There was someone in my past,

when I should have been there, I wasn't.

It was many years ago.

She hurt you.

No, nothing like that.

But if I had been there, I could have made a difference.

Is she dead?

Yes, every day I think what could have been.

You can't blame yourself for a turn of fate.

I don't know if I blame myself,

but I still should have been there.

I don't even know exactly what happened,

only partial details.

What is in your heart?

In the years since, I've learned that a man

can be responsible for someone,

and if he abdicates that responsibility, he's no good.

It's like he's dead.