Run for Cover

Take it easy, mister.

You want to announce yourself when you come up behind somebody.

Didn't know there was anybody in here.

You see my tracks?

Wasn't looking for any. Just came to water my horse.

Go ahead.

I know most of the people around here,

and they're friendly.

So am I. But I don't like surprises.

You might have shot me for doing nothing at all.

Sorry.

Wouldn't have done you much good to be sorry if you'd plugged me.

How old are you?

20.

Well, let's put it this way.

You stand a whole lot better chance of being able to vote someday

now that you've learned not to sneak up on people.

I can take care of myself.

I don't need no lessons from you or anybody else.

All right.

All right what?

You're not sore because I pointed a gun at you.

You're sore because you got scared.

Anybody who don't get scared

looking down the wrong end of a gun barrel ain't very bright.

But if you wanna feel like Billy the Kid and get tough about it,

go ahead.

That is, unless you happen to be Billy the Kid.

In which case, I withdraw my offer.

No, I ain't Billy the Kid.

I didn't think you were.

We wouldn't be standing here talking.

My name's Dow. Matthew Dow.

Davey Bishop.

Glad to know you, Davey.

I guess I was acting like a kid at that.

Don't know when you got a better right.

- 20, huh? - Yes, sir.

Where you headed?

Madison, just over the pass.

- We can ride together. - You going there?

Going that way.

- Not much doing there. - Good.

You know somebody in Madison?

No.

Can't figure why'd anybody wanna go to a dead place like that unless they had to.

You have to?

I live there.

What do you do for a living?

Most anything that comes up.

Odd jobs, mostly.

You look like you'd make a good ranch hand.

$20 a month and keep? No, thanks.

- Been around much? - Some.

That's for me. I'm gonna light outta here pretty soon.

See what's going on in the rest of the world.

- Lookin' for excitement, huh? - Sure, why not?

No reason. Felt the same way myself when I was your age.

Just about makes it every time.

Got held up last month.

Right along here when she was barely moving.

Lost all the payroll money.

Thought you said nothing ever happened around here.

That sure lit the fuse.

Had posses out all over the place.

They never did find 'em.

You ask me, the sheriff wasn't too anxious to.

Talk was, it might have been the Gentry gang.

There's two fellas up ahead, right at that same spot.

We can handle two of 'em.

If they're holdup men, they won't be alone.

There'll be plenty of others hiding around the brush

where they can throw down on us.

I only see two.

That hawk's been following me all day.

In case you thought I didn't draw on you 'cause I couldn't handle a gun...

That's the signal. That's what they did the last time.

Sometimes it don't matter so much how fast you are.

It's where you put the first bullet that counts.

Put that gun down, or they'll kill us.

I got a wife and family.

I don't wanna get killed for somebody else's money,

no matter how much it is.

Holy smoke.

How do you like that? They thought we were bandits.

How far is it to town?

'Bout ten miles.

We'd better get there quick.

Awful lotta money to have dumped into your lap.

Man wouldn't have to work the rest of his life.

Here.

Let's get going.

You carry it. I'll follow you.

What's the matter? Don't you trust me?

Like you said, that's an awful lot of money.

Since you brought it up,

how do I know you won't plug me in the back and make off with it yourself?

One of us has to take that chance.

- What are you trying to do? - Where's the sheriff?

- Over in his office, I guess. Why? - We got held up.

Hey, Scottie!

The whole gang woulda jumped us.

There wasn't anything else we could do.

- Round up some horses. - What happened?

- Somebody held up the train again. - Anybody hurt?

No, we didn't give 'em a chance this time.

Soon as we seen they had us, we... well, we threw out the money

and told Sam to pour on the coal.

How many of them was there?

We couldn't tell for sure.

When the first two fired on us,

I knocked Larry back out of the way.

Did you get a good look at 'em?

One of 'em was riding a pinto.

I didn't stare too hard.

Last time, they give me this,

just for being a little slow getting my hands up.

Let's grab a rifle, boys!

We gonna ride around in circles again,

Like we did last time?

No, we ain't. They had a bigger start before.

This time's gonna be different.

Better be.

There they are, boys.

- Where's the rest of 'em? - Maybe they split up.

Why would they be riding toward town?

I don't know what tricks they're up to,

but one of 'em's riding on a pinto.

Looks like that one in front's got a money bag tied to his saddle.

Yes, sir. That's them, all right.

Pass the word. Don't fire until I give the signal.

I don't wanna scare 'em off before they get into range.

Ain't you gonna give 'em a chance to give up?

They're gonna get the same chance the train crew got last time.

Hey, son! Son!

This one's still alive!

- Grab him, boys! - Here's his gun.

Drag him up.

I told you we'd get 'em this time.

Wait, you got us wrong.

Here's the money!

We were bringing it to town.

The messenger threw it off the train.

He threw it off, all right. After you took a shot at him.

Why would we be bringing the money into town

if we were holdup men?

'Cause you probably got a hideout around here, that's why.

- Get him up to that tree! - Come on!

What kind of a sheriff are you?

Hanging a man without a trial?

We got you, and we got the money. Now, that's good enough for me.

- Come on! - Wait a minute!

The other one is Davey Bishop.

- Davey Bishop? Is he dead? - Aye.

No, he's still breathing, but that's about all.

He's in pretty bad shape.

Well, well...

Take him over to Swenson's place.

We'll send a doc out from town.

Aye.

I'll ride ahead and get him.

All right, come on! Get him into town!

All right, boys.

Now get a hold of them baggage men.

- They're waitin' inside. - Good.

Now we'll find out whose story holds water.

I'm just as anxious as you are.

That's him. That's one of 'em.

What did you tell these people?

Let me hear what you said to them.

Well, I told them what happened.

All right, let's hear it again.

Just exactly what did happen?

Go on.

Like I said, we were right near the top of the grade

where we got held up before, and we heard these shots.

Two shots. Did they come at you?

- We figured that was a signal. - What made you figure that?

- Last time... - Never mind about last time.

Did we make any move at you?

I wasn't taking no chances.

Tell the truth! Did we or didn't we?

Well... maybe...

Maybe we did act a little hasty.

You sure did.

Then you made up a great big story about it.

And then these butchers did the rest.

Now, just a minute, mister.

- Where'd they take the kid? - Swenson's farm. Couple miles south of town.

You ain't told us what you was doin' here to begin with.

I was comin' in to look your town over

to see if it was the kinda place I'd wanna live in.

Well, you sure answered that question.

Here's your gun.

It'd be a good idea if you wore yours that way.

Mister, we...

We owe you an apology.

I'll tell the boy.

He'll be real touched.

Well, how was I to know from what these two fellas...