The Gunfighter

- Hiya, Jimmie. - Hi, old-timer.

- Give me a drink. - Say!

- Just give me the drink, will you? - You bet your life, Jimmie.

Do you know who that is? Jimmie Ringo.

Well, what do you know?

- Nice to see you again, Jimmie. - Thanks.

Do you remember the old Buckhorn in Paso?

- You worked there? - Five years ago, when Tim O'Leary had it.

He don't look so tough to me.

If he ain't so tough, there's been an awful lot of sudden natural deaths in his vicinity.

- How many do you figure? - 10, 12, 15. Depends upon who's telling it.

- I bet he ain't as fast as Wyatt Earp. - In Dodge City they say he is.

Just two hands.

Yeah, the same number, it looks like, but...

Wait a minute, Eddie. You ain't thinking of doing nothing foolish?

- You mean he's so tough I can't talk to him? - I mean this ain't no joke. That's a mean man.

I just want to see how an important fella like that handles himself. What's wrong with that?

I'm telling you, Eddie, I wouldn't do it if I was you.

Chuck, how about a little service down here? That's if Mr Frazzlebottom don't object.

- Eddie, don't you know who this is? - You mean it ain't Mr Frazzlebottom?

- He's Jimmie Ringo, Eddie. - It looks like Mr Frazzlebottom to me.

You ever heard anybody kid like him?

How about a drink, Mr Frazzlebottom?

- No, thanks. - How's that, Mr Frazzlebottom?

- Eddie, please... - Please what?

I asked the man to have a drink. What's wrong with that?

How about it, Mr Frazzlebottom?

OK, partner.

I knew Mr Frazzlebottom wasn't gonna pass up a free one.

Don't you understand, Eddie? This is Jimmie Ringo.

So it's Jimmie Ringo. Is everybody supposed to fall on their knees?

Well, you can be a little polite at least.

Mr Ringo, Chuck figures you've got extra consideration coming to you. Is that right?

Nope.

How's that, Mr Ringo? You'll have to speak up if you want me to hear you.

Why don't you button up your britches and go home?

How'd you like to try to make me, Mr Ringo?

Now listen, partner.

I come in here minding my own business. How about letting me go out the same way?

I want to know first what you meant by that remark you just passed.

I tell you what, you just bought me a drink.

Now I'll buy you one and then we'll drop it. Give him a drink from me.

Never mind a drink. I want to know what you meant by that remark.

- Listen, Eddie. - I ain't talking to you! I'm talking to Mr Ringo.

I want to know what he meant by that remark he passed.

How come I gotta run into a squirt like you nearly every place I go these days?

What are you trying to do? Show off for your friends?

- Are you ready to back up that remark? - Ain't some of you in charge of this donkey?

- I'm telling you, Mr Ringo! - Eddie don't mean no real harm.

Then let Eddie keep his big, ugly nose out of my business.

- Did you see that? - Yes, sir. He drew first.

- Did you see it? - Yeah. I saw it.

Yes, sir, I saw it. Except I'd get on out of town anyway if I was you.

Why?

Because he's got three brothers that ain't gonna care who drew first.

All right.

Everybody stay where you are.

- He's an hour ahead. - Must be killing his horse.

Ain't doing our ones any good, either.

He can't keep it up at this rate. That horse won't last half a day.

All right, put up your hands.

Now drop your guns, right out there where I can see them.

Now get off your horses and stay away from them guns.

Back up. Right back there.

Go on, boy, get out. Get out, get out, get out.

Come on, get out. Go on, boy, get out. Get out.

Get out, get out, get out.

- Can you walk? - Never mind about me, bud.

You worry about yourself.

You've got three hours' walk to Santa Fe. Get going.

I'm warning you, Ringo. We're gonna get you yet.

- I know, I heard that before too. - You had no right to throw down on a boy.

What was I supposed to do? Let that little boy shoot me full of holes? Get out of here.

He was no more than a kid.

He's heading straight for Cayenne.

Well, you think you can make it?

Cayenne ain't no further than Santa Fe.

Come on.

- Give me a drink. - Are you up early or out late?

Either way you want it, partner, just so I get a drink.

Jimmie Ringo.

Where was it with you?

The Mint Saloon in Dodge City. You and Bucky Harris came in nearly every night.

- Did we ever get a drink? - Sure.

Oh.

Sure. Sorry, Jimmie.

Here. Remember now?

Yeah. I remember now. What about something to eat? You got a cook here?

- My old woman is back there. - You got a steak?

- I got a steak. - A steak, eggs and a pot of black coffee.

What about a place to wash up first?

Right out on the back porch here. I'll show you.

Never mind, I can find it.

You got a livery stable here, boy?

He's a little astonished, Jimmie.

When you get him unastonished, tell him to take care of my horse.

Don't ride him, lead him. He's all wore out.

Archie, you heard what Mr Ringo said.

- You gonna be around? - Hurry up, Archie. Sure, I'm here all day.

- I want to have a little talk with you. - Yes, sir.

Never mind the horse. Run over yonder and tell the marshal that Jimmie Ringo is here.

- Was it really him? - Go on, I tell you. Run.

Will you please leave that blamed mop here?

Marshal! Jimmie Ringo is here, Marshal.

- Where? - In the Palace Bar. You gonna shoot him?

- Who told you it was Jimmie Ringo? - Mac. Mac knows him.

Mac called him Jimmie. He's on the back porch, washing himself.

- Charlie? - Yeah?

Get hold of Bud and Skeeter.

- Where is he? - On the back porch, getting cleaned up.

I ain't after any trouble, Mark. I just thought you'd want to know he was here.

Sit over there, Charlie. Stand down there, Skeeter. Take the door, Bud.

Just take it easy and don't try to jump him.

Hiya, Jimmie.

Mark.

I'll be a son of a gun. How are you, partner?

I'm fine, Jimmie.

- Are you joking? - Nope. I'm the marshal here now.

Well, I'll be darned.

- These barroom loafers, your deputies? - Mm-hm.

- For me? - Mm-hm.

You won't be needing them. I ain't starting anything.

Are you sure?

Mark, that's the last thing I want, trouble.

All right, boys.

- What are you doing here, Jimmie? - Just about to have a drink. How about it?

- No, thanks. - Marshal Mark Strett.

Well, if that ain't a good one. But I'm glad for you, Mark. Mighty glad.

Thanks. But I'm afraid I'm gonna have to ask you to move on.

Why? I ain't wanted for anything around here, am I?

No. I just want you out of town anyway. And pronto.

- Coffee's ready. - Thank you, lady.

You don't mind my having something to eat while we discuss this, do you?

Matter of fact, I don't know anybody I'd rather talk to than you.

- Lady, bring another cup for the marshal. - Yes, sir.

How about it, Mark?

I've something I want to talk to you about.

It looks to me like you've got a gossip on your staff.

That's your public, Jimmie.

Yeah, I'm a big man now.

That's what you wanted, wasn't it? Top gun of the West.

Yep.

I got more people wondering when I'm gonna get killed than any man in the country.

You don't sound as happy about it as you did the last time I saw you.

How many is it now? 11?

12. There's one you ain't heard about yet.

You really keep count?

Don't ask dumb questions, Mark.

What's the trouble now, Jimmie? Somebody after you?

- Three somebodies. - The law?

No. This is personal.

I don't want them to catch up with you here.

I don't want them to do that anywhere.

That's why you gotta move on right away.

You know why I come here, don't you?

I guess I do.

- How is she? - Fine.

- And the boy? - Getting on fine.

- I want to see her, Mark. - Do you think she wants to see you?

I got something important to see her about, and then I'll clear out. Where can I find her?

I'm afraid I can't tell you that.

- What do you mean, you can't tell me? - All right, then. Won't tell you.

- You want a steak, Marshal? - No, thanks.

- Why won't you? - Because nobody here knows who she is.

She never even told the boy about you. They've got another name and another life.

It looks to me like that's the way she wants it to stay.

Will you tell me what name she's going under? So as I can write to her.

Nope. I won't tell you that either.

Looks to me like you're taking quite a lot on your own responsibility, ain't you, Mark?

I'm doing what I think is right, Jimmie. And I'm hoping I can make you see it that way too.

How'd you like to see that street out there full of gunplay?

I'd rather not.

That's probably what you're gonna have in a couple of hours.

Cos I ain't leaving here till you get ahold of Peggy for me.

- What if she don't want to talk to you? - Let her do the deciding about that.

- Will you go then, if I tell her? - I told you I would.

- Just tell her, not make her do anything. - Just leave it to her. That's all I ask.

You'd better wait in here, not move around much. I'll see what I can do about it.

If you got any squirts around here that want to make a big name for themselves,

cool them off before we run into any trouble.

I will.

Boys, get on away.

Go about your business and leave Ringo alone. He ain't bothering anybody, is he?

- Faster than Wyatt Earp? - Pa says he's the fastest.

Jimmie Ringo could kill Wyatt Earp. I bet you a million dollars.

- You seen Hunt Bromley around? - No. What's he done now?

Nothing. I just want to see him. Pass the word around, will you?

- Morning, Marshal. - Morning, Miss Helen.

- He don't look so tough to me. - Yeah, yeah.

That's the way it always starts - he don't look so tough to somebody.

Except with this somebody, it's gonna stop there.

It better. With a man like that, you can't come off much better than second.

If he don't bother me, I don't bother him.

The only somebody that's bothering me right now is Mr Hunt Bromley.

Yeah. I forgot about that squirt. Have you seen him already?

No. Maybe you'd better take a look around for him.

- Want me to bring him in? - Just tell him I want to see him.

- But make sure he comes. - I'll get him.

- And Charlie. - Yeah?

Watch yourself. Don't take any chances with that boy.