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It's a funny thing.
No matter how low you sink,
there's still
a right and a wrong,
and you always
end up choosing.
You go one way so you can try
to live with yourself.
You can go the other
and still be walking around,
but you're dead
and you don't know it.
I was coming through Texas
on my way to Mexico.
I needed some time
to hide out.
I had spent most of my life
on the dodge.
Drunk or sober,
I got no complaints,
even if I did
get my hands dirty on the way.
Jericho...
was a jerkwater town
maybe 50 miles from the border.
Dirt streets,
ramshackle buildings.
One thing for sure,
you couldn't find it
anywhere on the map.
For the most part,
I was a big city guy.
I like pavement
under my feet
and bright lights
after the sun goes down,
but I figured
this little burg
was just the kind of place
you gassed up the car,
got something to eat,
and if you got stuck,
maybe spent a night.
Then I got a look at her,
and that's when
all the fun started.
It's not a good idea
to be looking
at Mr Doyle's girl
that way.
I remember a guy once told me
this is a free country.
Jocko, this guy
thinks it's a free country.
Now you're free to go.
Sheriff's office
is right over there
in case you want
to complain about anything.
Your light's out.
I seen it, right outside
the window.
You knowwhat I'm going
to do about it?
Not a god damn thing.
But I knowwhat
you ought to do.
You ought to get you a spare,
put it on your car,
and just drive on
out of town.
Ain't that right,
Bob?
You got to forgive
old Bob.
He ain't much for talk.
Oh, hold it.
Let me tell you
something.
If you're really planning
on sticking around,
don't be coming
to me for help.
You're on
your own here.
We already got a fella in
the window of the undertaker.
Do yourself a favour -
first thing, get a firearm.
First customer
I seen all week.
Want a whiskey or a beer?
Don't have
much else to offer.
Whiskey.
You under prohibition?
Oh, we don't pay
much attention to it here.
You got a phone
in this place?
Who you
want to call?
My mamma.
Sure, we got phones,
but they ain't workin',
since you need a switchboard
operator to run them.
You got electricity?
Yeah. Got that.
Runs on gas generators.
Hope they stay working.
Nobody left to fixthem
if they go bust.
Tell the truth,
most of what they call
decent folks
have been run off.
Really ain't much left
here but a ghost town.
Some damn sheriff,
making a profit
just staying in the middle,
grafting off both sides.
I think Mr Doyle
bought him off first,
or maybe it was Strozzi.
Who's Strozzi?
Oh...
that's the other gang here.
Strozzi and
the ltalian fellas.
Both gangs
took over this town,
run off
all the regular folks.
Come from the same
big city,
but they don't
like each other much.
Bootleggers.
You got Strozzi
at the Sweetwater
and Doyle's bunch
down at the Alamo.
They leave me be
because I stay to myself.
They think I'm crazy.
What the hell
are you doing?
I'm going to go see
the fellas that wrecked my car,
have a little talk
with them.
I hadn't gotten
a real warm reception,
but I started thinking
maybe this was my lucky day.
A crook for a sheriff
and two bootlegger outfits
that hated each other.
If I played it right,
I could make some easy money
and move on.
Ma'am.
I thought I made it
real clear
who you can and can't
be looking at around here.
That's Mr Doyle's property.
I came here to see you.
Yeah?
Yeah.
Did you get that car
of yours fixed yet?
I'm running
a little low of cash.
I was wondering if you could
maybe help pay the damages.
I guess maybe you'll
have to kill me.
It'll hurt if I do.
You tell Mr Doyle
if he'd have hired smarter guys,
none of this
would have happened.
It's all about ***.
Gets smuggled through here
from Mexico.
We're part of a family
operation in Chicago.
So what we got here
is close to a civil war,
except now
we got a truce.
It's my guess,
this truce ain't gonna last,
especially
after Hickey gets back.
That's why you're here.
Who's Hickey?
Hickey is Doyle's
right hand man.
He's a sweetheart,
this guy.
Looks like somebody carved
him up for Sunday dinner.
Talks like this.
Forget it.
What about you?
You got a name?
Smith.
Smith.
What, Smith what?
You got a first name?
John.
John Smith.
John Smith.
That's a good one.
All right.
You on the run, huh?
Where are you from,
Mr Smith?
Back East.
John Smith from back East.
All right.
I heard you wanted
to see me.
Yeah, that's right.
What's the matter?
What? Did I interrupt
something important?
She was
doing her nails.
Well, this is Lucy.
Yeah, she a real
nice girl.
She a real pretty girl.
She got a big mouth,
but she's going to keep it shut
and act
very friendly now, right?
Lucy, would you please
take Mr Smith to his room?
So I guess Strozzi
hired himself another bum.
Got it all
figured out, do you?
Yeah.
I'm a fortune-teller.
Don't worry. Working for Strozzi
has its advantages.
You're going to love
your room.
The skirt was from
just outside of Cicero.
Strozzi told me
he had her sent down here
to keep up his morale,
but that's the first time
I ever heard it called that.
You try and keep it
down up here, OK?
My room's right underneath.
I'll try not to make
too much noise
when I'm jumping
up and down on the bed.
Sunday dinner
was a real event.
Strozzi might have been
a small-time hood,
but he tried to run things
Iike he was somebody important
back in Chicago.
He had an army
of 20 shooters.
As far as I could see,
most of them were goofballs.
It was all
right out of some dime novel.
How's the food?
Good.
I brought these mammas
in from Chicago.
Food here was terrible.
It's good, huh?
Yeah. I like garlic.
All right.
What is this? Nobodywaits?
You're late.
I had important business.
While you were doing
your important business,
things are happening.
We now have
a new employee.
Mr Smith,
this is Giorgio Cormonte.
He killed Finn. That's Doyle's
best guy next to Hickey.
No?
I know all about it.
And you hire him.
Yeah.
What do you think
that looks like to Doyle
in keeping a truce?
You want to tip
Doyle off?
Plus, who the hell is he?
Doyle's guys
are scared of him.
He was in town 20 minutes,
he killed one of them.
Doyle ain't gonna do a god damn
thing with Hickey out of town.
The only thing
that cockroach might try
is to hire this guy
for himself.
Yeah, well,
I don't like it.
I don't like changes
at the last minute,
and I don't like new faces.
You got a problem
with me, Giorgio,
you take it up
with your boss.
I just work here.
So I decided to give up
my free room.
I had seen the real thing,
and these guys
were a long way from it.
I wasn't sure if he was getting
a wooden box ready for me
or if he just wanted
to say thanks for the business.
Well, look who's here.
Last time I saw you,
you was gonna have
a talk with some fellas.
Next thing I hear,
one of them's dead.
Conversation
sort of went downhill.
Ain't that right, Bob?
He don't talk much,
but his ears work good.
You got a room
you can rent me?
I'm surprised you ain't with
your friends at the Sweetwater.
There's a room upstairs. Tell
the truth, I can use the money.
You got a name?
Mine's Joe.
OK, Joe.
You let me know
when this runs out,
and I'll give you
some more.
Yes, sir.
You got girls
for hire in this town?
Hell, yes.
You in West Texas.
Round the corner,
third door on the left.
You can certainly
afford them.
You remind me of this guy
that used to come see me
when I worked
in New Orleans.
He looked a lot like you.
You ever been
to New Orleans?
He was nice.
He wasn't as quiet
as you, though,
but you two almost
look like brothers,
except he had tattoos.
I think that he was
in the navy,
but, uh...
no.
And he used to come
and see me
every Friday
or Saturday night.
His name was Clarence.
I had a lot of fun
in New Orleans.
Sorry I ever came
to this lousy town.
There's nothing
to do here.
...so I took every kind
of dance class imaginable
because I wanted...
to be a dancer,
and so I came here
because it's off-season...
Come on,
get out of here, girls!
Let's go! Go!
I didn't have nothing
to do with it.
What?
I didn't have nothing...
Who set me up? Who?!
They forced me!
They said they'd kill me.
I didn't have no choice.
Give me a name.
Give me a name,
god damn it!
It was a guy
that worked for Doyle.
It was Doyle's bunch.
Please don't tell them
I told you.
Shut up!
Please. I'm sorry.
Her name was Wanda.
Crossing me
was nothing personal.
She was just trying
to make a living
in a world where big fish
eat little fish.
Come on.
By the time the law showed up,
I was long gone,
but the sheriff
didn't let me down.
He investigated
the whole thing,
then arrested the ***.
I went down to the Red Bird
and asked that old geezer
who runs the place
where I could find you.
Where are we headed?
A juke joint outside of town.
Strozzi wants everybody there.
He's going to make
another speech?
He don't keep me
too well-informed.
Giorgio's always acting
like he's in charge
because he's the son
of somebody important -
Strozzi's boss in Chicago.
Strozzi and Giorgio
are really cousins.
Strozzi don't admit it, though.
Not a family man.
Where does that
leave you and him?
Celina's was
a fast 20 minutes
out across the desert.
Two stories of wood
in the middle of nowhere.
It was the kind of place
that looked like the special
was chicken-fried steak.
Strozzi told me that Giorgio
and the other guys
got a hot head about the kind
of money you're getting.
Giorgio don't like you
too much,
in case you haven't noticed.
Why does a guy send his
girlfriend to come find me?
Strozzi figures
I wouldn't be dumb enough
to do anything out of line,
so he sent me.
Well, that must make you
feel real proud.
Quit being a shitheel,
all right?
I get enough of that
from Strozzi, thank you.
You sure you're not dumb enough
to do anything out of line?
I'm just curious.
Your boyfriend
got a first name?
Yeah...
but only in the bedroom.
As usual,
she was trying to act tough,
but anybody could see
it was paper-thin.
Even with a second-rater
like Strozzi,
she was in
way over her head.
Well, for Christ's sweet sake.
It took you two long enough.
Kiss my ***.
It's raining outside,
Giorgio.
Hard to drive in the rain.
Like he said,
what took you so long?
Maybe you don't hear
too good - it's raining.
You know something?
You're getting to be
more of a wise-*** ***
every day,
and it ain't
so cute no more.
You knowwhat happens
to wise-*** *** dames?
They get their
wise *** kicked!
When I was
in this ***-house,
Doyle sent a couple guys
to visit me.
I had to kill them both.
You killed two more
of Doyle's guys?
Is that ***,
or is that true?
Look, I don't give
a damn about Doyle.
If he lost two men tonight,
that's good news.
This Doyle,
he's trying to outbid me
with my own suppliers,
mick ***.
Yeah, I try to do business
with him, it's ***.
Now, we got a shipment
coming in
from Monterrey next week.
Mr Doyle has got one
coming in tomorrow.
This is where you're going
to start to earn your pay.
That's five trucks.
Maybe 200 cases.
We deliver
at 200 bucks a case.
That's 200 grand
in our books.
Plus you knowwhat's
really the frosting?
We get Doyle's trucks.
You know how hard it is
to buy a truck in Mexico?
We crossed the border
a couple hours before dawn.
Strozzi had come up with a plan
that he thought
would make him look good
to the big boss back in Chicago.
It involved hijacking, ***,
corruption of the military,
and sticking me right out front.
Who the hell
are you supposed to be?
This might be a good time
for you guys to give up.
Bueno, amigos.
Ensenen nuestras armas.
What's this?
I told you we couldn't
trust Mexicans.
I'm going to send Smith
back with Santo
to keep an eye on Doyle.
You stay with the trucks
till they get to Matamoros.
Matalos.
It was a massacre.
Couldn't say
I was real sorry,
but it was a rough way
to check out.
Now, I don't know
how reliable
she's ever going
to hold up as a witness.
She's some kind of a vagrant.
Might even be here
for immoral purposes.
How much to get her out?
100 will send her
on her way right away.
I've been thinking
how Doyle's men
knew I was
at that ***-house.
I figure your deputy here heard
me last night at the Red Bird,
came over here
and told you about it,
and you sold
the information to Doyle.
How am I doing
so far, Sheriff?
Well, you are one suspicious
fella. Ain't he, Bob?
Maybe I was a little
rough on you last night.
Maybe I short-changed you.
If I was you,
I'd get out of here.
Doyle's men are going
to think you tipped me off.
You got a bus
comes through this town?
Yeah,
at noon every day.
Make sure she gets on it.
I got some information you may
want to sell to Mr Doyle.
He's going to find out
soon enough,
but you might be
the one to give it to him.
A shipment of *** he had
coming up from Mexico
got hijacked
by some banditos.
A tip like that ought to be
worth at least a grand.
You better be right because
if Doyle sends Hickey after me,
he's coming directly for you.
Yeah. I keep
hearing about Hickey.
Sounds like a real scary guy.
Let me tell you just how scary.
It goes that when
he was 10 years old,
gets a knife and cuts his
father's throat from ear to ear.
Then they stick him
in an orphanage.
15 years old,
he burns it to the ground.
You make sure you mark me down
for half that thousand.
Think maybe
you and I should talk.
I don't think these
people appreciate you.
You going to be my hero?
I thought you were just a guy
who did things for money.
Yeah. I'm just a guy
that does everything for money.
Anybody see you
come up here?
No.
Appreciate me?
You don't knowthe half of it.
Let me tell you,
I don't have to take it
from these ***.
Going back to Chicago
on the first thing
out of here that moves.
What's so funny?
You're not going anywhere.
You're just blowing off
a little steam.
Oh, yeah? You hear the way
Strozzi talked to me?
That grease ball?
To hell with him.
You know, Strozzi's
out of town for the day.
So is Giorgio.
So?
Did Strozzi tell you
he's paying me a lot of money?
Well, there maybe
a way for you
to get your hands
on some of it.
You going to tell me why
you would do such a nice thing?
Because I'm a nice guy...
a sweet guy.
Yeah, right.
Like I said...
I don't think
they appreciate you.
See, I think you're
a very smart girl.
You hear things...
inside word.
I'm the kind of guy
that likes to have
all the information
he can get,
so if you give me
the inside word,
I'll give you an extra
hundred or so a week,
just between me and you.
Strozzi and Giorgio were
going to be back the next day,
but I smelled the real money
was going to come from working
Doyle's side of the street.
They'd make the first move.
Mr Doyle wants you
to come work for us full-time.
I'm not sure
he can afford it.
Try me.
$1,000.
A week or a day?
I'm surprised you're
not mad at me.
I thought you might
hold it against me,
me killing
three of your guys.
It's the only cure I know
for being stupid.
Hey, dummy.
Bring us your best stuff.
Yes, sir, Mr Doyle.
Right away, sir.
I know you already got a job
working for Strozzi,
but I figure you for a guy
who goes to the highest bidder,
just like those Mexicans
that were supposed
to guard my ***.
Strozzi was behind that,
wasn't he?
Howwould you like to kill
Strozzi and that punk Giorgio?
From what I hear,
a guy like yourself,
you only care
about the money, right?
I mean it as a compliment.
That's why we're all here.
Where's Hickey?
You heard about Hickey,
huh?
I heard
he talks kind of funny.
Yeah. That's the way you sound
when somebody slices your face,
jams an ice-pick
in your voice-box.
Hickey can
get awful messy, though.
This should be an inside job.
We need somebody
nice and neat, like you.
I'll think about it.
You're making a mistake!
Maybe you're
just not very smart.
What the hell are you
holding back for?
You think the meek are going
to inherit the earth?
If they do, you won't
be there to enjoy it.
I might have been
a gun for hire,
but I wasn't exactly
an assassin.
Maybe Doyle figured
there wasn't much difference.
Tell Hickey I say hello.
If I was going
to get into Doyle's wallet,
I needed something big
to sell him.
Hey! Oh!
You don't quit me.
Nobody quits me.
What is it? Doyle?
What did he do?
He offer you more money?
Keep the $500 you owe me.
The rest is mine for the work
I did down in Mexico.
You let him walk away?
He doesn't go.
Nobody goes.
You get back here,
you yellow son of a ***.
Put those down!
Put them...
Smith!
Something you want to say
to me, Giorgio? Huh?
*** kill you, ***.
It's not your fault
Giorgio's a halfwit.
You really want
to get killed for a halfwit?
Let it go.
Put it down.
Hey. Tell Mr Doyle
I turned Strozzi down.
What the hell
you grinning about?
God damn,
that was great.
I guess you don't
work for Strozzi no more.
You ever wash these, Joe?
Working for Strozzi
had about played itself out.
Until Hickey showed up,
I was out of moves.
I decided to dry out a little.
Went two days without a drink.
For me, that's pretty good.
You know, sitting
out here in the open
just might not be
a real good idea
for a fella that's got
as many enemies as you got.
I thought everybody liked me.
I'm such a nice guy.
This is Mr Doyle's girl.
I'm bringing her back
from church.
I guess going to church
makes her feel better
about keeping company
with Mr Doyle.
That right, honey?
You don't want to miss out
on the big money.
This little war with Strozzi's
going to be over soon.
Hickey's back.
We got problems.
Strozzi broke the truce,
hit our trucks in Mexico,
killed all our guys,
jacked the whole load.
Hey, how's my car?
I fixed that inner tube,
and I fixed that headlight.
She's good as new,
except for that windshield.
I ordered new glass,
but it gonna take a while.
Will this cover it?
$20? That's way too much,
but I got some information
I'll trade you
for the change on it.
A fella come around here
asking me about your car,
wanted to see the registration
and check your name.
What did you tell him?
I didn't tell him nothing.
He just went on ahead
and looked anyway,
but guess what.
He didn't find
that registration, did he?
That's right.
You can keep that change.
This fella say
what his name was?
He didn't say,
but I knowwho it was...
one of the ltalian boys been
around town named Giorgio.
Thanks.
Jesus Christ!
Somebody answer
the god damn phone!
Maybe Chicago found a way
to get through.
Yeah.
Well, looks like
I struck pay dirt.
Who's this? Giorgio?
Yeah. Who's this?
You remember me -
the high-paid nobody.
I got a message for Strozzi.
We don't need any messages
from jerks like you, all right?
Don't be stupid. Just because
I don't work for you
doesn't mean
I can't be a friend.
I don't want to see
your boss get hurt.
Yeah. You tell him
that Doyle knows
that he's the one
that hijacked his shipment,
but maybe you got
a bigger problem.
There's a rumour Ramirez is
going back on Doyle's payroll.
Who knows?
Maybe it's all just ***.
Are you getting this, Giorgio?
Yeah, I'm getting it.
All ***.
Yeah. Good boy. You tell
your cousin to watch his ***.
The ltalians were winning
in New York and Chicago,
but theyweren't doing
too good in Jericho.
A little past 9.00 that night,
I got a look at Giorgio
leaving town.
You could almost see
the price tag around his neck.
I just came by to tell you
that me and Strozzi
made it up this morning.
I got an investment there,
so we can forget about
the other day
Iike it never happened,
right?
I mean, it was just
one time for fun, right?
Business is business.
I don't want to get myself
in the middle of anything here.
Strozzi's going
to take care of me.
I sawthat punk Giorgio
sneak out of town.
Where is he headed?
He went to EI Morado.
What's he doing
down in Mexico?
What he always does -
drinks, messes around,
goes to ***-houses.
I'm surprised
Strozzi didn't go.
He must be getting
pretty used to *** by now.
God damn you!
What?
I think you're forgetting
about our deal.
Now, why did Giorgio
go to Mexico?
He went to finish doing
some business with Ramirez...
pay him off and the cop
they got for security.
I got to go.
We're quits now, right?
We're quits.
That mouthy little cousin
of Strozzi's, Giorgio,
is on his way down
to Mexico right now
to see a friend of yours,
a fella named Ramirez.
You know a guy named
Ramirez, do you?
Going to pay him back
for the hijack.
How do you like
the story so far?
Good. Keep talking.
He's going to see
a cop down there, too.
This cop's responsibility
was security
on this side of the border,
so I guess he's going
to get paid, too.
They're probably all planning
their next shipment,
going to use your trucks.
You know, I don't want
to be pushy...
but this kind
of information's
a little too valuable
to be giving away.
Giorgio's very important
to Strozzi.
If something were
to happen to him...
it would be very bad
for Strozzi, don't you think?
Take as much as you want.
You work for me now.
I'll just take that 2,000
we agreed upon.
You work with us,
you work with the winners.
Anything else is stupid.
I'll think about it.
What are you holding back for?
I don't play this style!
What the hell are you
holding back for?!
His name's Smith.
At least, that's what he says.
This is Hickey.
I told you about him.
Told me all about you.
I been hearing about you
all over town, actually.
I especially liked
that orphanage story.
They tell you about them kids
burning up like candles?
My favourite part.
You shot some of our guys.
I guess I did,
the ones that deserved it.
Well, you got Finn.
He's Doyle's best shooter.
I thought you were the best.
No. Just the best-looking.
Enough of this ***!
This game is finished.
Come on. We got to talk.
I guess you better go talk.
Yeah.
Don't believe
everything you hear.
EI Morado was about
which meant everybody was
either drunk or working on it.
Doyle took my bait and sent a
car due south the next morning.
You didn't have to be real smart
to guess who the passenger was.
Buenos dias, Senor.
Quieres tomar algo?
No, thanks.
Pero por que no?
Looks to me you're a cop.
You're wearing a gun, right?
Yes, sir.
That's good.
Maybe you're the kind of guy...
to shoot an unarmed man
in the back.
Make your play.
We're taking you
out of here, Giorgio.
Just don't shoot me.
Come on.
OK. OK. OK.
She looks like her mother.
It's all right.
He's asleep.
I parked a couple of miles
from here and walked in.
Why do you come out here?
Doyle lets me be alone here.
It's the only place
they don't watch me.
Why do you
stay with him?
People don't own
other people.
A year ago, my husband
gambled with Mr Doyle.
After he lost me,
he went back
across the border.
He was ashamed.
When Doyle took me
from my daughter...
I went to sleep.
All I had left was to pray.
Mi miedo
es mi maldicion.
My fear is my curse.
What's yours?
I was born
without a conscience.
There's a...
fella here come to see you.
John Smith,
meet Captain Tom Pickett.
He is the head ranger
here in my district.
He generally
just comes down when...
Shut up, Galt.
Sit down, Mr Smith.
Now, Sheriff, Mr Smith
and I are going to have a drink.
We got a lot
to talk about tonight.
I'm here about
a murdered policeman.
He got himself killed
the other side of the river
in some crummy,
little Mexican town.
A few locals killed, too,
and a double-dealing
comandante named Ramirez.
But the man
I'm concerned about
was an American
on the border patrol.
He had a family. Well-liked
by his brother officers.
I guess he strayed a little bit
in some departments,
but he was an officer
of the lawjust the same.
You know anything
about his death, son?
No, I don't think so.
That's odd.
Don't hardly seem possible.
Mr Galt here says
you're real well-informed
on what happens around here.
You saying I did it?
I asked if you knew anything
about it, not if you did it.
The crime has been solved, son.
Mexican police picked up two
armed drifters from the Florida
just across the border,
handed them over to us.
They ain't confessed
yet, but they will.
I just can't get past
the idea that maybe
one of these two bootleg gangs
had something to do with it.
I learned a long time ago
to trust my instincts.
Now, listen real careful
because here is the point, son.
Things in this town
are out of control.
Two gangs is just
one too many.
I'm not an idealist.
I know a lot of things
that people do are awful low,
but that's between
them and God.
Do you believe in God?
I believe in God, son,
but what I'm concerned with
is keeping a lid on things,
and what we got here in Jericho
is just way out of hand,
and Sheriff Galt here
can't do much about it, right?
Matter of fact,
it might be fair to say
that he's part
of the problem, right?
Now, you been going back
and forth playing both sides,
according to Mr Galt here,
making yourself a lot of money
out of all this.
Well, it's over, son.
I'm coming back here
in 10 days.
I'm going to bring
about 20 rangers with me.
I will tolerate one gang because
that is the nature of things.
A certain amount of corruption
is inevitable,
but if I find two gangs here
when I get back,
then in a couple of hours
there will be no gangs here,
so it's simple.
One gang quits and goes home.
You boys work it out.
I don't give a damn which one.
Just as long as one side
leaves or maybe one side loses.
That's fine, too, son.
Kill as many as you want -
just don't kill
no innocent people around here.
I wouldn't like that.
It's been real nice
talking to you, Captain.
Likewise, son.
Only one more thing.
When I come back...
if I was you, I'd be gone.
You tell Strozzi
we got his boy Giorgio.
Tell him, he wants him back,
to bring us 100 thou
out to the crossing
at the 5-mile road.
Tell him to make it
Oh, yeah.
And we'll give youse two days
to give us our trucks back.
All the vultures showed up
for the exchange.
If I was honest, I guess I'd
include myself in the roll-call,
but if there was 100 grand
being handed over for Giorgio,
I wanted to take
a real good look at it.
Stick around.
You get the briefcase,
you let go of the rope.
Don't shoot!
They got Giorgio!
We're even now!
You got one choice!
Give up your whole operation!
What's wrong?
Son of a ***!
Until I get Giorgio back,
she stays with me!
I guess you knowwhat I'm going
to be doing with her, Doyle?
Bring him across!
Don't try
anything stupid, Doyle.
Nice and easy, huh?
You don't want to get
the girl killed, right?
Go! Get her back now!
Are you all right?
Did they touch you?
Did they do anything?
Strozzi!
I'm going to settle things
with you, Strozzi!
I promise, you *** ***!
I promise! I promise!
I had a visitor
about 3.00 in the afternoon
the next day.
She'd had enough of Jericho
but was too broke
to buy a bus ticket out.
I slipped her 500 bucks.
Usually I wasn't such a sucker,
but somebody had smacked her
around pretty good.
He's been
in a real bad mood...
ever since his cousin
got traded back for that girl.
Been fighting with Giorgio,
acting like a real jerk...
yelling at anything
that gets near him.
I never seen him
drunk before,
but he was really
in the bag last night.
What did you do?
I called him a name.
So he slapped me,
slugged me a couple of times.
He threw my clothes
out on the street,
so I figured I'd get even.
I told him about me and you.
Well...l guess
things could be worse.
You get back to wherever
it is you're going.
Maybe you should try
and find yourself
a better class of guy.
No guy is going to ever
want to mess with me again.
Your face will heal up.
Your looks are all right.
How is this
going to heal up?
Like he said,
I got a big mouth.
He had three guys
hold me down...
told Giorgio
to slice it off.
They were real drunk.
But everything
you ever did to me,
you did on purpose, right?
Right?
Did you finish
all your business inside
with the little princess?
Just make sure
she gets on that bus.
You know something, amigo?
I think I just spotted
the *** in your armour.
When you go down...
it's going to be over a skirt.
For most of my life,
I made my own rules.
You don't do any favours.
You don't ask for any.
Watch the percentages.
But you can knowthe rules
and still do the wrong thing.
The onlything
I knew for sure was this -
Strozzi, Doyle, and every son of
a *** that worked for them...
They were all going to be
better off dead.
There's, somebody out here
to see you, Mr Doyle.
I thought it over.
I'll take the job.
You must smell a winner.
I get a thousand in advance.
Nobody's worth that much.
He's good.
Better than that?
Put that god damned
gun away!
Put it away!
Save it for Strozzi!
Suit yourself.
Buy him.
A thousand.
A thousand more when we win.
It's settled.
Let's have a drink on it.
What about the girl?
What girl?
The one you keep.
If Strozzi gets
ahold of her again,
he'll blackmail you
right out of town.
Don't worry about it.
We got her in a safe place
and eight guys
out there on watch.
Eight's not going
to be enough.
Strozzi's got
some newtriggermen
coming in town tonight.
Where did you hear
all this?
Maybe it's just a rumour.
You want me
to check it out?
I want you and Hickey
here with me.
If Strozzi's got
new help coming in,
chances are he's going
to try to rush us here.
You go out to the country,
check on her.
She means a lot to me.
McCool can tell you
howto get there.
The girl upstairs?
You don't have to.
Don't come any closer!
It's over.
I'll kill her!
Put the gun down.
I swear to God,
I'll kill her.
No...
Get dressed.
We got to get out of here.
Going to get you
to Mexico.
Come on. Move.
Here. Take this money.
Take it.
I got it from Doyle.
I want you to use it.
Get across the border
and don't come back.
Come on. Get going.
Go.
Go.
I always like sinners
a lot better than saints.
She was real easy
to look at,
but I hoped
I never saw her again.
They're all dead inside.
I found them last night.
Where's the girl?!
I don't know.
Strozzi must have taken her.
All of them.
This is a slaughter.
You were right
about those extra triggermen.
Must have taken 15 or 20
of Strozzi's guys
to pull this off.
This whole thing
is turning on us.
When you found them
out here,
why didn't you drive
back to town and tell us
instead of just waiting
out here?
I figured the girl ran off
when the fighting started.
I stuck around,
hoping maybe she'd come back.
She didn't.
This one hasn't been fired.
Must have got killed
before he got a shot off.
Strozzi's jealous of me
giving her a chance.
She grew up in some
filthy little village.
Told me her mother
was a Yaqui lndian.
Didn't know much
about her father...
except he was white.
She married
some lowlife ***.
The onlything
he ever gave her...
was a kid.
Jesus Christ, she only had
one dress till she met me.
The way she looked...
The way her eyes looked...
I couldn't help taking her
out of all that.
We got to hit Strozzi soon.
Get her back.
We have to get this thing
over with.
I'm going to head
back into town,
see what I can find out.
Maybe Strozzi doesn't know
I work for you guys yet.
We have to get
this thing over with.
Hickey was suspicious,
Doyle was nuts,
and McCool was stupid,
except maybe
I was the dumb one.
If I had any brains,
I would have kept on driving
straight south into Mexico.
Keep it gassed up
and ready to go.
Yes, sir.
I'll do her,
but pretty soon,
you gonna be on your own.
Come next week,
I'm getting the hell out.
T'ain't no business here.
This town... is finished.
As usual,
it was hot as hell,
and the wind picked up the dust
so much, you could taste it.
The whiskey helped,
but I didn't want to get sloppy,
so I switched to beer.
Somehow I had the feeling
the walls were moving in on me.
It's funny
how it all works out.
For one little second,
you think you're going
to get away free and clear.
But you end up paying the price.
No exceptions.
Everybody pays the price...
even a bum like me.
Take the guns.
What is it?
Strozzi doesn't have
Doyle's half-breed.
McCool went across the border,
looking for her.
Down in EI Morado,
he ran into a guy
with an interesting story.
He'd seen her heading out.
She'd sold our car to some guy
for a couple hundred bucks
and took a bus south.
So...Strozzi didn't take her.
Maybe...if you believe
the guy's story.
Why would a guy lie?
Which leaves the question
of how she got away.
Big question.
Not that we give a damn.
Indian girl, you know.
It's not like she was
the blessed ***, is it?
Out there in the country...
only a real fine gunner
could handle that many
all by himself,
but you work for us.
Why would you do that?
Maybe you don't work for us.
Maybe you take the money,
do what you want.
You're one of them.
You're an independent.
Who are you running from?
Jericho's a good place to stop
on your way to Mexico
running from the Feds.
For Christ's sakes, everybody's
running from something.
Nah. See, working for people
like me and Doyle work for
has an advantage.
The pay roll
covers a lot of ground.
You're scared.
The water's getting cold.
Where is she?
He's nothing...
without a gun.
After a while,
you stop hearing
your bones break,
your teeth rattle.
You just concentrate
on holding tight
to that little part
right at the centre.
The rest doesn't matter.
They're going
to take the rest any way.
Must have crawled off.
Block the streets!
Wall him up!
Wall him up!
Find him for me!
Search this whole
hick town!
Look over there! Over there!
There! There! Over there!
Tear up every ***
inch of this place!
Find him!
You guys come with me.
Get those cars!
Wall up these streets!
Find him!
Find him!
Now!
Clear!
Over here!
Let's go!
Come on!
Find him! Find him!
He's here!
He's got to be here!
Search this place!
Upstairs! Behind the bar!
Now! Find him!
You. Where is he?
I know he's here.
Who?
Smith! Don't hold
out on me, you shitheel!
I ought to stick a knife
in your throat!
Check the closets!
I'm telling you -
don't you mess with me!
This is not a game!
Don't play around!
You don't want
to talk to me?
You won't talk
to anybody any more!
You think I'm kidding?
Where is he?
Little fella...
doesn't want to talk to us.
He came here, didn't he?
Hold it!
God damn it! Hold it!
You hold it, john law!
It's gone way past you!
This thing
with Strozzi's over!
Strozzi!
You knowwhere he is right now?
He's holed up
with the rest of his gang,
waiting for some new shooters
that are coming
from back East to help him out.
Where's Smith?
He's at Slim's road-house.
We checked all over.
He ain't upstairs.
Come on! Load it up!
We're going
to the road-house!
You better be right!
What took you so long?
I had to make it
look good.
You know,
my helping you out
don't make a hell
of a lot of sense,
but I'm betting
on the ranger.
I knowthat the big money days
are just about done,
but don't kid yourself, boys.
It could still
come down real hard.
Mr Smith,
I will help hide you,
but I prefer you be unarmed
and on your way
the hell out of this town.
That move you made
for Doyle's little honey -
in this league...
that'll get you
broke and dead,
both at the same time.
By the time we got
to Slim's road-house,
Strozzi's men were trapped
inside the burning building.
The ones that made
a run for it got shot.
The ones that stayed inside
got cooked.
None of them were going
to make it home to Chicago.
Don't shoot!
Don't shoot me!
I knowwhere the money is!
Don't shoot me!
How about it, Strozzi?
What's it going to be?
I give up.
You can have it.
You can have everything.
Take it all!
No!
No!
No!
Kill him.
Let's go.
After the fire
dies down, go inside.
Pull out Smith's body,
if you can find it.
He's got to be dead.
He didn't come out.
Everybody in there
has got to be dead.
A little after dawn,
Joe and Galt got me
to the abandoned church.
The bill for helping
the lndian girl
included kicked-in ribs,
a broken nose,
one eye mashed up
pretty good...
but all I needed was a gun
and some time to heal.
Hey, Joe.
Oh!
Give him another drink!
No!
No!
We know he ain't dead yet.
We counted the bodies
out there.
Maybe you should
take your shoes off
and look at your toes.
Hickey gets back, we'll be
cutting them off one by one.
I knew bythe sound
of the car it wasn't Joe.
It's a funny thing
about people -
one time out of a hundred,
they turn out better
than you expect.
Just your old amigo.
Joe got caught
making his daily run.
The food, the bandages -
they just gave him away.
Hickey?
No. McCool and a couple
of other guys.
Hickey and Doyle
are in Mexico.
Doyle's still looking
for that half-breed lndian girl.
I mean, is that a persistent
little *** or what?
Where'd they take Joe?
They're all over
at Strozzi's hotel.
Doyle moved them all over there
after winning the war.
You really think you're going
to fight anybody with that?
I can get a gun with it.
That's the only help
you're going to get.
I always hated it
when I owe somebody...
but sometimes you just got
to play out a bad hand.
There were going to be
a lot more wooden boxes
in Smiley's window,
but, what the hell,
everybody ends up dead.
It's just a matter of when.
Well, thank you.
Damn!
Go back to the Red Bird.
Get my valise.
Bring another bottle of whiskey.
Yes, sir.
Right away, sir.
Damn.
What's that?
It's a message for Hickey.
Him and Doyle get back,
you tell him
I'm out at Slim's road-house.
Slim's road-house?
It's burned to the ground.
It's gone,
the whole place.
You all right?
When's that ranger due back?
Day after tomorrow.
That will give you enough time
to get it cleaned up.
I'm just going to haul
those bodies out of the hotel,
take them out in the desert,
and let the coyotes
chew on them for a while.
Then I'm headed for Houston.
Even Frank the undertaker is
leaving town, for Christ's sake.
What kind of town are we going
to have without an undertaker?
How about you, Joe?
You're staying put, ain't you?
No, sir. Right now,
I'm going with him.
Like hell you are.
I just want to see
this thing finished.
I earned it.
Joe and I sat up all night
waiting for Hickey and Doyle.
When this thing got started,
all I wanted to do
was make some money.
Somewhere along the way,
it all got personal.
You know, for a guy
with no principles,
sometimes you act
kind of peculiar.
Don't go getting
mushy on me, Joe.
I was just trying
to say thank you.
I hear people thanking me,
I generally start running.
How's your wound doing?
Hurts like hell.
Closest doctor to here any more
is just across the river
in Mexico.
I can show you the way.
Go on back there and hide.
Go find a spot.
Go on.
Stay hidden.
You had me fooled.
I really thought you burned up
with the rest of them.
Nah. I knew better.
It's always going to come down
to something like this.
I want you thinking about me
when you're dying.
Looks to me like
you're the one bleeding.
Now hold it!
We can get you a doctor,
get you patched up.
You're going to run this town
with us. I need you.
Give me a fair fight,
he won't need a doctor.
Now, wait!
We don't need the guns!
You, me, and Hickey - we won
this war. We're survivors.
We won! We won!
I haven't found the girl yet.
You know, the girl.
You must knowwhere she is.
You think
we can still find her?
We can go to Mexico.
She's up there
in the mountains -
some little village.
She had a kid...
a little girl.
I got to get her back.
I'm telling you,
we can be partners.
That's for what he done
to my town!
You're going to have
him kill me, too?
No. Don't worry.
I'm all done.
I'm just going to watch.
I don't want
to die in Texas.
Chicago, maybe.
You can meet me
there if you want
and try
and kill me or...
Maybe you're
the kind of guy
who'd shoot
an unarmed man in the back.
I've done worse than that.
I can't say it all went
exactly the way I planned,
but I was right
about one thing...
they were all
better off dead.
God damn.
I wasn't real sure
this old gun would still shoot.
It looks like you
got yourself a new car.
And that was it.
It ended about the same place
where it started...
out in the desert
on the road to Mexico.
I was just as broke
as when I arrived,
but something would turn up.
It always does.