The Shooting

Whoa.

Coigne?

Whoa.

Hey, Leland!

Who's gonna unpack this mule? I'm tired as hell!

Damn.

"Leland Drum."

A good friend shot dead...

by I don't know what...

and buried in this spot by Coley Boyard, his good friend...

"in April."

Coley!

Who is that down there?

Willett!

That you, Coley?

Willett who?

Gashade! Gashade!

What's the matter with you?

You step out so's I can see you, if it's you.

You look! That over there's the pack mule, and that's Frazer, ain't it?

Well, so who could I be?

- Willett? - He's crazy.

That's right! It's me!

Hi, Will!

Been sittin' up in the mine for two days.

Spooked near crazy.

Would've shot anything on two legs moving, Will.

'Ceptin' you. If I knowed it was you, I sure wouldn't have -

Never mind. Just tell me what you're telling me.

You should've been here, Willett!

Lettin' me go on thinkin' everyone's dead and me next.

I pulled up fever-sick, I said, Coley.

Now, become calm and tell me in a way I can understand.

Where is Coigne?

Well, like I said, after you was gone Leland and Coigne decided to run into Winslow.

For the pleasure, Coigne says.

"Can I go?" He says no.

"Someone's gotta watch over stores and things, so you stay, Coley."

Well, then they go off.

Not comin' back till next morning, early.

I get waked by them pounding in like hell-bent.

Then I hear 'em talking mad and arguing, so as I conclude they're drunk.

I mean to go back to sleep when your brother Coigne tears inside here...

and grabs up his roll mad as I ever seen.

I said, "What are you doing, Coigne?"

"Shut up," he says. "I am taking your horse."

And he tears back out.

Sure enough, I see him throw onto my Shorty and dig out fast.

And there stands Leland, spittin' in the dust, disgusted.

"How come Coigne rode off that-a-way, Leland?"

"He rode a man and a little person down in the streets of Winslow.

"Maybe it was a child," Leland says.

"But did he kill 'em?" I ask.

"He's not for sure, but he ain't waitin' to find out, and now he's runnin'."

"Oh, I hate to hear it," I says.

Then I crawls back in to sleep, assuming Leland done the same.

But damned if I don't get waked again.

Leland's voice I hear, and I don't know whose.

Thinking it's your brother, I open up the flap and look out at Leland drinking coffee.

I can't see nothing else, so I ask, "Who you talking to, Leland?"

He looks like he's makin' to answer or to take a mouth of coffee...

when just like that - -

his face all spitters out...

spilling in his coffee and all over hisself...

with none of his face left on with it.

I reckon someone come to settle with Coigne on account of what happened in Winslow...

and got Leland instead.

Figurin' I'm next, I jumped back inside, scared white.

Give me the whips and jingles so bad, Will, I -

I can't yet catch hold of myself.

Is that the whole way of it, Coley?

I believe.

My mind's all unsatisfied with it.

Seem to me like if Leland had been involved with the event in Winslow...

he'd have rode off too, wouldn't he, like the way you told me Coigne done.

Run a man and a little person down. That's all Leland said. Maybe it was a child.

He's just a-sittin' there, gettin' killed that-a-way?

I got no understanding of it at all.

- It's a terrible thing. - Mm-hmm.

- Give me hold of your gun, Coley. - What you want it for?

I might be gonna need it, so just give it to me.

No. I might be just a-needin' it too. How do I know? All these happenings.

I hate to tell ya, all riled up like you are...

but I been trailed most of the way here by I don't know who.

Where's your own gun? Go on and use your own gun.

Well, it plainly ain't there, or I wouldn't be asking you.

No, sir. No. Not with trouble on the way.

I'm tired, Coley.

And I can't get me no sleep without you give it to me.

What about me?

It's all right.

You'll be dependin' on me.

Whereas it wouldn't have worked out the other way around.

Well, here I sit.

Just keep an ear, Coley.

Sure. Them with the gun can sleep.

Ain't as though I ain't been hawkin' night sounds till I can't tell a twit from a twig.

Shoot, I'm as tired as you. Every bit.

Willett?

Hey, Will?

I'm depending on you.

Okay?

Lord A'mighty.

I'm so hungry I could chaw off my own arm.

I wouldn't sit there, Will.

That's right where he was at.

And right like you're sittin', drinkin' coffee.

Go on and stow them stores in the tent, Coley.

Maybe - Maybe could have been your imagination.

Huh, Will? Y-You think?

Do like I say.

Aw, shoot.

How come I always gotta be the one to -

Sure gonna be a bunch of ugly work, I'll tell ya...

with just the one hand.

Ah, one more thing ain't to my likin'.

Hey, remember, Willett, how Leland used to sing that song?

'Member?

Yes, sir.

Hey!

You crazy?

You crazy? Don't stand there! Git!

Lord A'mighty, what's comin'?

Go on then, Willett! Cover yourself!

I ain't got no gun! Remember?

How am I gonna be dependin' on you, starin' out into the sky like that?

Shut up!

I see somethin'!

- Something's comin'! - From where?

Straight ahead. A bit to the right.

Get up here, Willett, while there's still time!

- Just one? - I can't see.

Yeah. Yeah, one.

All right, Coley, get quiet now.

Duck back down. Don't say nothin' at all.

I'm gonna... get down.

Will!

It's a woman.

Will ya look. Will ya just look at that.

I'd be grateful if you'd sell me one of your horses.

You didn't arrive all to here afoot.

My horse stumbled and broke a leg. I shot him.

I'll pay you well for a good horse and for some shelter.

And if you would help me, please, I need to get my things off my horse.

Well, I'd sure be glad to, ma'am.

Wouldn't we, Will?

No trouble at all.

I'd like the brown one.

The bay?

Oh, well, that bay there is Will's.

His, I mean, ma'am.

I like that one.

Well, main thing is, I believe Will, he does too.

I like the brown one!

I'm gon' give you that black over there, miss.

He belonged to a dead man, so's you don't have to pay for him.

Coley, fetch Leland's pony out with just a bridle on her.

What about Coigne's, Will?

Well, he looks stove up.

Then I don't wanna be stuck with him.

Are you looking at me, Mr. Gashade?

How do you come by that name?

I hear you're a bounty hunter, Mr. Gashade.

- I wouldn't name myself as that. - No?

It was just a way of making wages once.

- And now? - Mining suits me just.

Well, you look less than prosperous at it.

How much would you ask to take me across the Supuecio to Kingsley?

I ain't askin'.

I told you I'd pay you very well.

And I said I'm doing just fine.

Look at me, Mr. Gashade.

Without perishing from the tricks of my own mind...

how could I possibly get to Kingsley on my own?

Well, I ain't the only one knows the way, ma'am.

But it's you I'm asking.

Please think about it.

That's just what I'm doing.

Really nice pony you had here, miss.

Looks to me like you run him to death though.

Good pony like this hard to come by.

What'd you shoot him for?

There ain't a broke or unsound bone in his body.

I'll give you 500 now and 500 when we get there.

How long would it take? Two weeks? Three?

How much gold could you dig out of this mine in three weeks, Mr. Gashade?

Three weeks?

Let me figure.

Oh, I'd say, bein' it's a...

pretty dead hole, why, uh -

Well, it wouldn't be a hell of a much.

Would you say, Will?

Yeah, I done the best I could for ol' Lee.

By the time I got out my gun to help, why, he was already dead.

And what with Will's brother run off...

well, there was only me to do the best I know how...