The Rebel

Sheriff, Sheriff!

Sheriff, I gotta see you!

Can't it wait?

Around here, come on!

What you done, bust out with the heat?

I was down at the station, three men came along.

One came in and got me to send this wire.

Well, you've sent wires before.

Not like this one, Sheriff.

Plump little partridge ripe for plucking.

Await your arrival Saturday train.

I thought you said this place was bustling.

Maybe a funeral or something.

Well, thanks for the lift.

No sweat.

I never seen the town this way!

Ha!

Say, mister, I wonder if you could tell...

Be a help to you, friend?

I'm looking for Ike Howard.

Howard?

The Sheriff.

Oh yeah, fine fellow.

Fourth building down across the street.

Much obliged.

Ike?

Ike?

Ike!

Hey, Ike!

Who's out there?

Johnny?

Johnny, well!

Hey, Ike, how are you?

Of all the people I never expected!

Why, it must be years!

Well, before the war.

Well, let me look at you!

I always meant to look you up, I promised Pa I would.

I heard you were here.

Yes, three years!

But I'd have bet a fantail roan I'd never find you flat.

Lumbago, give it a couple of days.

I'll whip your hide, I've done it before.

You sure did.

I miss him, Johnny.

I know that, Ike.

Well, he was something, your pa.

Finest I ever knew.

When I heard he was shot I...

It's quite a town, Ike.

What Pa would have given to work one like it.

You should have seen, it sprung up like a weed.

Bustin' all over with buildin' and riches.

Regular stop on the railroad, ain't it?

Full of frightened people.

58 years!

30 of 'em a law man.

Wet nose in towns as poor as my pay

and the first time that one of 'em turns

into something worth protecting, what good am I?

Well, what's happened here, Ike?

Three trash tramps!

I don't know, I've never seen 'em before.

Rode into town a couple of days ago,

casual as you please, hungering for what

they see like a pack of starving jackals.

You don't panic a town with that.

What's that?

They sent it from the station right after they got here.

Read it.

Jones and Company, Santa Fe station, New Mexico.

Plump little partridge ripe for plucking.

Await your arrival Saturday train.

Today at four, less than two hours.

Well, I looked up all the old posters

till two in the morning.

Figured I might find a picture or something.

Nothing.

And all they do is sit it out waiting.

When they ain't out taking inventory

or liquoring it up in the saloon.

I meant the town.

Oh, they're shook, Johnny, right through to the gristle.

Well, a deputy, you must have that, a town this size.

Well, I was gonna get me one.

I never had time!

I blame myself, Johnny, it's my fault.

How about me?

You can't.

Well, the three that are here,

why don't you lock them up?

Don't you understand it, boy, what I'm trying to say?

The town, it's up to here with fright

over what's coming in on that train.

They know what's happened before, other places.

Last month, Iron Wells.

A mob came in and chewed up the whole town!

Well, that's my point.

If we can move to stop them before they can get started.

You walk out there try and make a choose of it,

a rank outsider the town don't even know!

Alright, Ike.

Now, you stay clear of it, Johnny, I'm telling you that!

I know frightened people and what they'll do!

It was only a notion.

Oh, this back of mine.

Oh, I didn't mean to blow, kid.

Your pa knew what it was with me.

I miss a meal I'm fit for a cage.

You've been sweating this out on an empty stomach?

Since yesterday.

Well, I'll go get you something.

Oh, no!

There must be some place in town to buy food.

Well, Mullins across from Eberhart's.

Lamb shanks and swamp seeds?

Oh, makes the best.

Just so I know what I'm dodging,

who's the big cheese with this outfit?

Stay clear of him, Johnny.

Just wanna know what to duck.

Well, middle-sized fella, your build.

Has a leather rig around his neck

and wears his gun up high on the shoulder holster.

Coffee black?

Oh, and his voice.

There's something wrong with his voice.

Like, uh, it's all he can do to talk in a whisper.

I'll see you in a few minutes.

Yuma.

What was I saying?

Oh, yeah, about the new fellas coming to town.

Like your bunch up there on that train.

But what I mean to say is there's always my place.

Free drinks, you follow?

They're always very pleased to welcome new fellows in town.

A schooner of beer, please.

Hmm?

Oh, yeah.

Nice place you have here.

There's something about a new town, you ever notice?

Pine's still wet on the boardwalks,

windows sparkle and shone in the sun.

How much?

Huh?

Oh yeah, I forgot no, uh, no charge for new fellas.

Ever hear of a place called Mason City?

Not quite the size of a minute, a little backside in Texas.

Then one day they came.

Two at first, then four, then six.

In from the plain like weevils.

You ever see weevils, what they'll do?

They'll hit a field, cloud of gray,

strip it to bare in a day if you don't

fight 'em off when they first come in.

But nobody fought these weevils.

Only one, the Sheriff.

Middle-aged man not long on thinking, but a man.

He fought 'em alone with nobody to stand with him.

The six, they killed him and the town.

You tell a good story, Reb.

There's more.

The Sheriff's son.

But Vogan, you remember.

It's your story.

That's right, it is.

The Sheriff's son back from the war

threw a bomb in the saloon where the weevils were at.

Cleaned them out.

Only one made it off.

With a load of scattershot in his neck.

About that thought of yours, parson.

Free drink and all?

Not that I'd push a man into giving away profits.

Still, it's a real charitable notion.

Sure.

Those fellows, after a day on the train,

those boys, they'll need some, some food.

Sure, and a couple of bucks for to celebrate.

I'm not giving away profits, here.

Besides, it would be good for business,

their being here and drawing a large crowd.

I, uh, I could hardly...

No, no, please.

Please, take it.

Look, mister, I don't want to make any games here.