The Flim-Flam Man

Off!

- You all right? - Get off me!

Take it easy old man, easy now!

Old man! I'll dance on your grave, you green jackass!

Of course you will, now come on, I'm not trying to fight with you, I'm trying to help you.

Come on. Take it easy now.

- Much obliged. - There.

Here it is, I've been hold up here last couple nights.

No, it's alright, it's alright.

Yes sir, it's a mighty pretty spot lad.

Yes.

They're millions of people they slave there lives away,

just to spend a couple weeks a year, in a place like this.

- Sit yourself down. - Thanks, mighty quaint little place you got here.

I'll get you some water so you can wash up a bit.

Much obliged.

What a mess.

Oh well.

Oh!

Mordecai Jones is the name.

My card.

Mr. Jones, Curley Treadaway.

Pleased to make your acquaintance Mr. Treadaway!

Grateful to you for saving what's left of me.

Who you running from lad?

Who said I was on the run?

Well you said you've been hold up here, I thought we might be in the same boat.

MP's is after me.

I'm over the hill from Fort Bragg.

MP's huh. Well in a way I kind of envy you.

Seems like half the human race is looking for Mordecai Jones one way or the other.

- Why did you go over the hill? - I had to.

This big mouth Yankee sergeant,

always riding me, making fun of the way I talked.

I stood it as long as I could.

- You didn't kill him lad? - No, of course not.

But I broke his jaw.

An I had to run.

Five weeks to getting out, an I had to run.

Headed home now are you?

No, I already been up to the farm, had to hightail it out of there.

MP's got a nervous thing, in case I come back.

Ain't got nobody anyway, my folks are dead.

I was going to grab that freight to Atlanta but I couldn't tell you why.

You eat today?

No, I just lay up here thinking.

Kind of looks like we birds of a feather.

Couple a Ishmael.

But we'll eat.

Got any money on you?

About 60 cents.

Splendid!

That gives us a grand total of, two dollars, and 10 cents.

We'll eat all right.

Tell me about this here, Ellers Bend.

They got a general store there?

That's about all.

Ever play any, three card money maid, Mexico's gift to grifter?

I've lost a few dollars, tell you that.

Would you have any objections to, joining me in a little game at the local store?

That's your line is it?

Your card said traveling salesman.

Green is my line, not greed.

Fourteen candid months, they never let you down.

Find the queen.

- Try it again? - Yeah.

You want me to show for you that's it?

My dad would of blistered my butt.

I don't hold with cheating Mr. Jones.

Only the cheaters Curley. "You can't cheat an honest man".

Well now is it possible that among this entire assemblage,

that not one of you got any confidence in his own judgment?

Why, it's the easiest game you ever seen, all you got to do is spot the Queen.

Come on gentlemen, pick her out for a quarter.

- I'll take a box of Ginger Snaps. - Pick a card, nobody is barred?

You ain't getting me in that game. I know people they cleaned right out.

Oh go on give it a try Gary. You're just ignorant enough to win.

I ain't done this in some time. Here we go, come on gents pick a card.

- I'll go in for a quarter old timer. - Old timer?

Anything I can't stand, is some young punk not yet dry behind his ears, calling me old timer.

Put your money where your mouth is boy.

All right I'm going to give you the chance of a lifetime.

There she is, there she be, now can you tell me, where you see?

I new it was that one! That's the one I thought it was.

My, your pretty good ain't you. There you are.

Match you 50 cents this time old timer.

Oh I fought and bled. The ginger snap kid here we go.

And again and again. I never make any money, but I love the game.

Where's the lady, pick her out for me, you got yourself a half a dollar?

- He won again. - Why don't you try?

- There you are. - Play me for a dollar.

No, no. You take your money and get lost buster.

Come on gents, step up, who wants to pick the queen for a quarter.

I'll try it for a quarter mister.

I thought you're a sporting man. I can tell a collage educated man when I see one.

There you go, where is the Queen?

They call this Three Card Monte.

Up in Saint Louis they call it Tossing The Glove.

Watch very closely, there she is.

Boy you fellas are good around here, I tell you.

- Gary I won me a quarter! - Must be loosing your touch.

Try it again.

- You get a hunch, and you bet a bunch. - I got 75 cents on this one right here.

Here we go! Get on, get in here friend, everybody plays, and nobody pays!

- What in hell? - Gary I won me again!

Get along, get along, get along. You sharpen the wit, you sharpen the eye...

That old guy, he's over seven dollars a head.

You bend up the corner of that Queen.

Know what I mean?

If you come in with me, then we'll clean him out.

I'll come back later and split with you 50/50.

Where is the Queen!? And we'll let her fly. There you go.

And, did you see that? He wasn't even looking, will he do it again?

I'd like to examine them cards!

What's that?

You better be careful there sonny.

I said I wanted to have a look at them cards.

I quit.

Ain't that a sight!

Try to have a nice wholesome, friendly little game

there's always one fella comes along, tries to call a fake.

Satisfied are you?!

You coming in Keller?

My store, isn't it?

I got to make a profit on every transaction. One dollar.

One Dollar! The man says the game is intriguing again.

You better get all your moneys out, watch very closely Mr. proprietor.

And at no time do my arms leave my sleeves.

- Where's the girl? - 50 cents.

And the man wins.

Hey you won!

- Make it two. - Two dollars, the man stays.

I tell you what I'm going to do, I'm going to put them there, so you can pick them up real easy.

All right gents, here we go once again.

Everybody bid down, watch the card, watch the queen.

Yeah.

Oh,

after sharing the expenses, your half comes to exactly,

21 dollars.

Profitable hour, lad.

You worked that old scrooge, like a natural born shill.

- You took Keller for 42 dollars? - In deed, greedy man isn't he.

It was more like 30, but one thing leads to another,

and there's a healthy demand for love boating in Ellers Bend.

And there's a unhealthy demand, for potency pills, over at the sawmill.

And of course, at 3 for $5, there's always a demand for diamonds.

Diamonds? There just glass!

I never said they wasn't. Just signified they stolen, that's all.

You can sell anything on God's green earth, if the customer believes the story.

You know,

it went so well.

I was wondering if you might want to, continue the partnership?

Partners, me and you?

Well, our experience this evening,

suggests that the, territory is right for exploitation.

You know the territory and, I know how to exploit.

You mean, go looking for more suckers.

Goes against my raising Mr. Jones.

Mordecai.

I know it. I can see it does lad, and I appreciate it.

All right.

Curley,

could be mutually profitable.

And, could be a whole lot safer,

the two of us just string along together for a spell.

Question is, what have you got for a logical alternative?

Yeah, that's the question Mr. Jones.

Mordecai.

Five or six of them all around us.

Come on.

There they are!

Don't let them get away!

There they are, both of them!

They was right here, I seen them!

Stop!

Stop or I'll, I'll shoot!

Got them. Hey fellas, I got them! Come over here!

Ouch, I'm shot in the foot, you stupid lunkhead!

They ain't going to look for us in here, they'll think we kept on running.

You better be right.

This'll do us nice and fine. Get us a good nights sleep.

Don't make any more mistakes Harv. I'll stop giving you credit at my store.

They're madder than hornets out there.

We spoiled the present for them, I reckon.

You go down the road.

We go this way.

Boy, I'll say one thing, you sure don't let things worry you none.

Worry?

We ain't got no worries lad, we'll make out fine, just fine.

I know who you are,

Mordecai Jones.

Your the Flim-Flam man.

Yeah, some folks call me that, sure enough.

I knew, I knew that name, Mordecai Jones.

Why I've heard about you ever since I can remember.

Your famous!

Flim-Flam man.

And you want me, for a partner?

You herd the proposition lad, sleep on it.

Good night Curley.