The Deadly Companions

# I dream of not a ray of sun

# A moment

# And then the empty dawn

# Awakens the lonely heart broken

# A warm embrace

# A fleeting smile

# A whisper

# And then the dream has gone

# With most of the words left unspoken

# Each lonely day when I awaken

# I could not face the empty dawn

# For I know

# That my heart has been forsaken

# A dream of love was all I knew

# That moment before the empty dawn

# Awakened my lonely heart broken... #

DOOR CREAKS

Tequila.

-Is he having a dance?

-Five-ace card player.

STRUGGLES FOR BREATH

Five dollars he doesn't last another minute.

-Cut him down.

-You stay out of this, Yank. We'll cut him down when he quits kicking.

Ugh!

Billy... Get in, boy!

LAUGHTER

GUNSHOT

LAUGHTER CONTINUES

Where have you been, Billy?

GUNSHOTS

-You'd better ride with us.

-There ain't no Yellowleg Yankee boy goin' with us!

I hear they got a new bank and an old marshal over at Gila City.

-That beats cheatin' at cards, don't it?

-Let's go.

The town looks quiet.

Yeah, I bet the marshal's asleep.

Ever shoot a man in his sleep, Yellowlegs? You bein' a Yankee?

He ain't very sociable, is he? Been with us a week and ain't lost his temper once.

-I never did trust a man who didn't lose his temper. Let's go.

-We ain't takin' the bank today.

-Are you givin' the orders now?

-Looks that way, don't it?

-Billy, get him in the back.

-No, Turkey, that ain't my style.

Come on, he's askin' for it, boy.

Any man that'd turn his back on you is just a dag blam fool.

I kinda like him.

I never knowed a Yankee before.

PLAYS MOURNFUL TUNE

Hey, Mead! THEY CHANT TAUNTINGLY

CONTINUES PLAYING TUNE

CHILDREN LAUGHING

Your horse needs a shoe.

There's a blacksmith's shop.

-How long do you figure that money's gonna keep?

-Till I tell you when.

-I'm kinda anxious to get my hands on it.

-Take care of your horse first.

I was figurin' on havin' a couple of drinks with you fellas.

I sure hope this town has some pretty girls in it.

When you get this far out in the brush, they're all pretty.

Billy, take the horses round to the livery stables.

Uh...

Are you talkin' to me?

Your name's Billy, ain't it?

I'll take the horses for you, mister.

Well, you look like an honest man.

You know, some folks is just born lucky, I guess.

Doggone it, you know, don't push yours!

What's going on here?

These don't look too pretty to me.

I told you, you ain't been out here long enough.

Hey!

Hey, hey, wait a minute. Put that thing back up.

-That'll have to wait, gents.

-Wait? Wait for what?

Church is about to start. The parson don't like to look at it during his sermon.

-This ain't Sunday, is it?

-That's a matter of opinion in Gila City.

We haven't seen a calendar in two years. Some folks hold it's Monday, but these folks hold it's Sunday.

-Are you gents lookin' for a drink?

-I'm lookin' right at it. What's in that bottle?

-Best we've got. Even the Mayor drinks it.

-That'll have to do.

-Tell me somethin'. How about the bank?

-The bank's open. They're Monday folks.

The bar's closed when the parson walks in.

Howdy, mister!

Hello, boy.

Hey, that's what I call pretty.

-Who's she, the redhead?

-Works over at the dance hall across the street.

Imagine comin' in here like she was respectable and bringin' her woods colt with her!

-Imagine!

-She wouldn't know his father if she saw him again.

-Poor boy.

-I imagine it's as close as she ever was to a parson.

And her holding a prayer book like she was respectable!

If they're going to heaven, let's you and me not go!

Gents, the bar is closed.

Number 23.

# Rock of ages, cleft for me

# Let me hide myself in thee

# Let the water and the blood

# From thy wounded side which flowed

# Be of sin the double cure

# Save from wrath and make me pure

# Could my tears forever flow

# Could my zeal no languor know

# All for sin could not atone... #

-What are y'all drinkin'?

-No drinkin'. The bar's closed on account of the church meeting.

- Whisky. - I told them the bar's...

Billy, show 'em those six-shooters!

See how fast you can take the cork out of that bottle.

I wanna tell you somethin'. He's fast with them six-shooters. This boy's a real comin' boy.

I taught him everythin' I know.

-What's the matter?

-You'll have to stand and look at that bottle all the way through the sermon.

# Let me hide myself in thee... #

Lord, I see you sent us some new faces today.

Male...

and female.

Lord, I thank you,

and folks, I welcome you.

And I'll be dishin' out the gospels in a minute.

But first, I've got to say a word to you gents with your hats on.

This here is a preach-house, gents, and you'll take your hats off to the Lord.

Mister, I never met a man who wouldn't take off his hat to the Lord.

Let's get it off.

You get on with your preachin'.

-He's touchy about that hat.

-I've never seen nothin' like it. He don't even take it off to sleep.

We'll have a moment of silent prayer.

Yes...

All that money just sittin' out there across the street.

I've never known a man so hungry for money. I think you're studyin' up to be a miser.

Studyin' up to buy us an army. Don't you remember?

-Still dreamin' about that?

-It ain't such a dream.

We could set up our own republic on this country. It's wide open. Nobody can stop us.

Take that bank money and the Comancheros will sell us 100, maybe 200 slave Indians.

We put uniforms on 'em.

Yeah, fix us up an army.

And I could drill 'em.

# When Johnny comes marching home again, hooray, hooray

# When Johnny comes marching home again... #

Left face, right face...

# Johnny comes marching... #

Mm-hm.

Raise this arm.

Raise it. Higher.

Mm-hm. All right.

-Has it always pained you that way?

-Almost always.

That ball ought to come out of there.

That's what I'm here for.

-Have you ever been in Springfield, Ohio?

-No.

I'll swear I've seen you someplace before.

Here...

How long will this lay me up?

-It's pretty close to the collarbone. A thing like that won't heal overnight, you know.

-What, a week?

More like a month.

Well, I got a little business to attend to.

I don't think it can wait that long.

Then stop wasting my time.

Wait a minute.

Missoura. That's where it was.

A fella just about your size, Yellowleg sergeant.

Somebody had tried to scalp him. A liquored-up Johnny Reb with a Bowie knife.

He cut the sergeant up pretty badly before he was scared off by something.

You know, if you take off your hat, you could make me out a liar.

It's you, all right.

You certainly went out of your way to look me up, didn't you? Take off the hat.

I've kind of got used to keeping it on.

Why? You haven't got anything to hide but a few battle scars. A lot of the boys came out with worse than that.

-What did you do after the war ended?

-What would YOU do?

-I'd go after that Reb.

-Well, I found him.

Is that Reb in town?

Well, what are you waiting for?

I'm waiting to get him alone.

You see, I want him to know who I am.

I want him to know he's gonna get what he gave me.

Are you sure you found the right man?

Yeah, I'm sure. I left my teeth marks in his scalping hand.

And I'm askin' you, my friends...

Any man, woman or child that reckons that he wants to go to hell,

I say let that man, woman or child stand up and be counted!

What?

Start countin', Parson. Get up, Turk.

You white-livered coyote, you're saying you intend to go to that place?

I sure do, Parson. I'll tell you somethin' else.

Any man that don't get on his feet right now and join me is goin' there pronto!

GUNSHOTS AND SCREAMING

Well, nice to meet you, ma'am. My name's Billy. Billy Keplinger.

Get out!

GASPS AND SCREAMS

Come on, Turkey!

Sure is a pretty girl.

Ma'am, I want to thank you for your fortitude.

We'll all close with a prayer now

for those poor, misguided men.

All that money just sittin' there, waitin' on a Yellowlegged Yankee.

I never saw a man so patient about robbin' a bank!

Oh, church meeting's over.

You have a nice afternoon.

Thank you again, ma'am.

STARTS PLAYING MOURNFUL TUNE

Let me know when that Yankee's patience runs out.

If his patience ever does wear out.

That pretty redhead that just went in holds that today is Sunday.

What do you lovely creatures feel about that?

I think it's Monday.

-Get your horse.

-Huh?

Get it.

Billy!

Hey, Billy! Yellowleg's ready.

GUNSHOTS

SHOUTING AND GUNSHOTS

Somethin' wrong with that Yankee's shootin' arm.

Somebody get the doc.

He's dead.

It was them outlaws, Kit. They did some wild shootin'.

No.

It was me.

-'Is she the dance hall woman?

-That's her.

'Imagine comin' in here like she was respectable, bringin' her woods colt with her!

-'Imagine!

-She wouldn't know his father if she saw him again.

-'Poor boy.

-I imagine it's as close as she ever was to a parson.

'And her holding the prayer book like she was respectable!'

That Yellowleg sure has been tryin' to get hisself drunk.

He ain't quite makin' it though.

Some men are like that. Give me two.

The boy's leanin' awful hard on him.

You reckon the Mayor will be able to talk that redhead into changin' her mind?

Ain't nothin' gonna change her mind.

She got Doc Acton to take care of the body and rented herself a wagon. She's goin' tonight.

Goin' alone if she has to.

We've come to change your mind, Kit.

We've decided to have a nice funeral for the boy in Gila City.

The whole town will come. As Mayor, I'll see to it.

Mead will be buried in Siringo next to his father.

Now, Kit...

Bury him here? You think I haven't heard all the whispering?

-You and your gossiping little wives with their pinched little faces and their noses in the air!

-Miss Kit...

"That dance hall woman with her freckle-faced woods colt.

"No telling who the father might be!"

They smell brimstone every time I walk by.

They hated us both, me and the boy.

Well, he's dead now

and you can tell your wives that there was no sinning

and there'll be no funeral.

I'm taking him to Siringo.

You can't do that. It's smack in the middle of Apache country and there ain't nobody willing to go with you.

Besides, there's not much of it left but the weeds.

I've tried, Kit. I've asked everybody.

I'm not asking anybody to go with me.

Poor Kit. She's trying mighty hard to make folk believe about the boy's pa.

-Are you a single man?

-Married.

-I didn't know that, Cal.

Well, almost married.

Me and Emma. She wouldn't let me go with Kit. Not that way.

Not to mention the Apaches.

I ain't never seen a town so full of cowards.

I ain't never seen a town so scared of Indians.

TURK CHUCKLES

You can take three.

Kit?

I hate to think what all that sun will do to your face.

Will you take this?

No, thanks, Cal.

Take it. I've got no use for it. I can't sell it.

Imported all the way from St Louis.

Get down from there!

I said get down!

-Somebody's got to drive this for you.

-Not you.

I'm askin' to.

I said get down!

Need any help, ma'am?

-Get out of here, Billy.

-I didn't mean to butt in...

Your place.

Get down.

I bet she don't get 20 miles before she turns around.

50 dollars.

And a call.

What have you got?

You lose to four aces.

-We're leaving town.

-You're a little premature, Yellowleg.

Get your horses.

Billy and me like this town. We're stickin' around. You'd better leave alone cos we ain't leavin'.

It wasn't me that shot that boy.

Get up. Get up!

Looks like you and me is gonna go to Siringo.

Billy, you and I ain't leavin' here.

I'm just backin' him up.

Yeah, I kinda like the idea of going to Siringo with that redhead.

Come on. What's the matter?

Come on!

I guess you don't mind the Yellowleg orderin' you around, but I don't like it.

But if I could handle that six-shooter like you, Billy boy...

His back's pointin' right at ya. What's the matter? Scared?

Scared he might hear your gun comin' out of the holster?

That ain't no fit way to kill a man.

Not even a Yankee.

There she is.

Yah! Yah!

-Good morning, ma'am.

-You'll kill your horse pushin' him like that.

-Will you let me drive that wagon for you?

-I don't want YOUR help!

Well, I'd be mighty proud to ride in that wagon with you, ma'am.

Leave me alone!

Both of you.

Well, now, you know it ain't exactly safe out here for a woman?

Well, it ain't exactly safe for you either.

Any of you. Now git!

Why don't you leave this woman be and let's head back?

Yaah!

Listen, that bank is probably just now opening up.

Yeah, it probably is, probably is.

We'll follow along and see she gets through.

Turkey, that's a woman!

Come on, let's go.

Your dress is kinda wet. I guess you're gonna have to dry it out.

It shouldn't take long in this heat.

I never did see a dance-hall girl so touchy about gettin' kissed.

You stay away from me.

What will you do with that rock? Use it on me?

Or a shotgun if I have to!

Well, ma'am, I always did go for high stakes.

Apaches.

They scalped him.

Yeah. It looks like they did.

Come on, let's get back to that wagon.

Hey, the coffee's ready!

It's plain to see that woman don't want us round here, so why don't we accommodate her by leaving?

Did you desert?

-Hmm?

-Did you desert the Rebel Army?

I don't remember telling you I was in the army.

I figured you for a deserter.

How did you guess?

Maybe I ought to take her a cup of coffee before it gets cold.

Leave her alone.

Are you... Are you talkin' to me?

Hey, Billy, I think Yellowleg's kinda taken a shine to that woman.

-And we thought he was feelin' sorry about that boy.

-Shut up!

-Touchy too.

-Yeah.

Like he is about that hat he keeps wearin'.

-You know what I think he's got under it?

-What's that?

Money.

Well, there's one way we could find out.

We can ask him...

Take your hat off, Yellowlegs.

He's scared of you, Billy.

Yellowlegs...

Take your hat off or I'll shoot it off.

You try it and I'll kill you.

BILLY LAUGHS

Yellowlegs, there's something about you I just gotta like.

Better mind your thinkin', kid. Yellowleg has done got his claim staked out.

We could go back to that bank. That posse would never follow us out here, not to Siringo.

We could set up our own little republic like that Edward fella did down in Texas.

You know, the republic of Freedonia?

All this land out here, just a-waitin'. Think how you'd look in a gold braid uniform!

You're the kind of trigger-happy young fella I can use.

I'd make you my military aide.

Then we'd start makin' up a lot of laws, but not one of them would apply to us.

-They don't now. They never did.

-There's money in a thing like this.

If it's run right. But we've got to start first with that bank back in Gila City.

Turkey, don't you ever shut up? You nag like an old woman!

It's sure quiet out here, isn't it?

I don't blame you for feelin' the way you do,

but right now, it might be a good idea if you could make out like we were getting along.

Are you always that stubborn or just hard to figure out?

Lady...

I'm just tryin' to help.

Who are you trying to help?

Riding shotgun on this wagon isn't going to buy you a clean conscience!

I'm beginning to wonder if you ever figured on going to Siringo at all.

What are you trying to say?

I mean, right here is as good as Siringo for the boy.

You don't have to prove anything to me.

Damn you!

-Look at 'em fightin'!

-Yeah.

You don't know me well enough to hate me that much.

Hating is a subject I know a little something about.

You've got to be careful it don't bite you back.

I know somebody who spent five years looking for a man he hated.

Hating and wanting revenge was all that kept him alive.

He spent all them years tracking that other man down,

and when he caught up with him, it was the worst day in his life.

He'd get his revenge all right,

but then he'd lose the one thing he had to live for.

GUNSHOT

-What was that for?

-I was just checking my aim.

Nothing like letting the Apaches know where we are!

That ain't no fit way to kill a man, not even a Yankee.

You go on up ahead and find us a place to camp.

-There might be some Apaches out there.

-Then you go find out.

You know, you could get the sun here.

I'll get used to it.

We'll be leaving you in Siringo. You can find your own way back.

DISTANT HOWLS

Come on.

Turk, what are you doin' out here? This ain't your guard.

I want to show you somethin'.

I've been carryin' this around with me for a long while.

-What's that?

-It's a genuine general's cap.

I stole it over at San Antonio. I never did show it to anybody before.

A man sure really looks like something wearin' one of these, don't he, boy?

Huh?

If you're waitin' for me to salute you, you're gonna wait a long time.

Here, I want to show you something else.

Here... Come here.

See that part right there?

It's not on a regular map. A valley. Not many people know it's there.

We're gonna buy ourselves some slave Indians. We're gonna put uniforms on and we're gonna fill 'em good.

We'll be able to burn a fire path through this country from Tucson to Tucumcari.

What do you say, boy? Huh?

What do you say to that, huh?

Fine, Turk, fine.

Um...

Take over my guard for me, will you?

I never travelled with a lady before.

It kinda appeals to me.

-Get out of my way.

-Maybe I will and maybe I won't.

I'm telling you to leave me alone.

I don't wanna... I don't wanna trouble you, Kit.

I just wanna be sociable.

And I never wear my guns when I make a social call.

I always did like pretty things and...

You're just about the prettiest I've ever seen.

HE LAUGHS

Saddle up.

Come on, get out of here.

-I'm goin' with you, Billy.

-You ain't goin' no place.

-Huh?

-You're stayin' right here.

-He wouldn't stand a chance in Apache country alone.

-That's his lookout.

COYOTE HOWLS

Turk!

He's gone.

-They'll be going back to Gila City, both of them. I'll drive you back if you want.

-No, thanks.

You still going to Siringo?

-You think you can stop me?

-Lady, I wouldn't even try.

Aaaiee!

I, uh...

I'm sorry about losing the horse.

-Well, you don't have to talk to me, you know!

-It ain't worth the effort.

Five years is a long time to turn your back on, especially for a woman like me. That's what you think.

-Lady, I quit thinking when I turned my horse around.

-Stop calling me Lady! My name is Kit.

-I don't know you well enough!

-Don't think you're fooling me.

You're not half as mad at me as you are at yourself.

Gonna talk all the way to Siringo?

Ha!

GUNFIRE AND WAR CRIES

Grab that shotgun! Come on!

GUNFIRE CONTINUES

Must have ambushed that stage down at the border.

YELLING AND WHOOPING

I sure wish I could take a bath.

Well, nothing's stopping you.

Come on.

Want some more?

You know...I can hardly remember what my husband looked like.

We were only married a few weeks. We were on our way to Gila City when he was...

..he was killed in Siringo.

When Mead was born, they wouldn't believe me.

Gila City put a brand on both of us.

With their...jokes and their...talk

and their ugly little smiles.

Getting dark.

We've got to have another horse.

Them Apaches can't be far off. They've got plenty of horses.

You wait right here until I get back.

SHOUTS AND CONFUSION

CONTINUES FIRING

Whoa.

Kit!

Pack up. We're moving out.

Whoa.

That's far enough.

I don't think I can stay awake another minute.

You'll have to.

Start digging.

-What?!

-We're going to bury the wagon.

Our trail's got to look Indian. If we're lucky, those Apaches are still trying to find their stagecoach.

Getting tired?

I didn't ask for any help.

I wasn't offering any. I just asked if you were getting tired.

Is Yellowleg a name?

Well, it'll do.

-Where are you from?

-Ohio.

Is it pretty back there?

Used to be.

What are you doing?

Do and I'll kill you.

What is it?

Apache.

-How could he miss?

-He didn't.

Well, why didn't he kill us?

He's got a little score to settle up with me first.

Start packing up.

-Can't forgive me for making you give up those five years, can you?

-I'll pick up his trail again.

Hardly seemed worth the trouble.

HORSE STIRS

There you go.

RATTLESNAKE HISSES

He broke it.

SINGLE SHOT

What is he waiting for? Why doesn't he kill us?

He will when he's ready.

-Why don't you kill us and get it over with?! Come on!

-Stop it!

-Leave me alone!

-Shut up!

-Why do you let him torture us?

-Shut up!

Our Apache friend's been awful quiet. Maybe he got bit by a snake.

-Do you think it's much further?

-What?

-Siringo.

-Siringo what?

-Do you think...?

Strange.

I feel I know you better than any man I've ever known.

Yet I hardly know you at all.

-What are you trying to do?

-You're hurting me!

-What did you expect to find?

I was only trying to make you more comfortable.

I'm sorry.

HORSE WHINNIES

Sorry...

There's...some things about me you don't understand.

You killed the only person I loved in this whole world.

That's all I need to know about YOU.

Next time I'll be waiting for him.

Inside.

Go on.

This'll do.

Here.

You've got enough buckshot in there to stop an army.

He ought to be on top of the bluff by sundown, so I'll wait for him.

If I'm not back by morning, you're on your own.

Wait.

I...just wanted to say...

..thank you.

RUMBLE OF THUNDER

THUNDER GROWS LOUDER

-Aaaiee!

-Ungh!

Aaargh!

Where is it? By the mission?

What was your husband's name?

Mead Tildon. My son was named after him.

I couldn't find it.

It's there.

No, there ain't nobody named Tildon buried there.

You're just the same as all the rest of them.

Here it is.

It must be one of the others.

Kit!

Kit! I found it!

I found it.

Yellowleg.

-Where's Turk?

-Right behind you.

When Billy gets hold of an idea, he just won't let go of it. Especially a red-headed woman.

Well, there's no need to keep the lady out here in the sunshine.

Let's step inside and talk things over.

Sorry I can't offer you folks a drink.

-What did you do with the money?

-Money? What money?

-Only one thing would bring him down here - keeping ahead of a posse.

-I never saw folks so scared of Injuns.

I tell you, she sure is pretty.

Turkey, go get that money.

-Are you crazy?

-Go on. Do what I told you to do.

-You know, I...I just ain't got the heart to kill him.

-Huh?

How would you like to have your gun back?

-You want me to do it?

-I'll be much obliged.

-Just the minute he walks back through this door.

-What about her?

We'll decide that later. You and me.

Well, I'm going for a little walk. I'll be around.

The lady's got to admit I got guts.

You'd better get out of here.

-You can't!

-I've waited five years. The waiting is over. Now keep out of it.

What happened to Mead was an accident. I know that now,

even though I thought that I could never forgive you for it.

But I could never love a man who was a cold-blooded killer.

Love?

You don't even know me.

I'm a face under a hat.

Ever wonder why I won't take this off?

-Want to talk about love?

-I've seen you with your hat off.

What about MY scars?

Do you know how many men I've let kiss me just because their filthy money gave them the right?

Men with dirty shirts,

smelly arms, money in their pockets.

Can those scars be forgotten?

Can I ask you to love a...

..a woman like that?

Now don't that make a pretty picture?

Where's Billy?

-Out of the way.

-Don't do it!

All this shooting and he ain't even touched him yet.

Turkey...

Billy! Are you crazy?!

All right, Yellowleg. This is it.

-You and me.

-Move out, Billy. Move out. I ain't got time for you.

There ain't but two horses in this town. You know only two people are gonna ride out of here alive.

You turned on me, Billy. And I raised him from a puppy.

I'm not giving him this money.

No...

Get me some slave Indians... I'll train them myself.

Take all this money...

FOOTSTEPS APPROACH

Yellowleg, Yellowleg, listen to me. We can make ourselves a deal.

I don't want that Billy with me. I want you! Look at you. I put you in that uniform.

Now come on, listen to reason.

Why can't a Yankee join up with a Rebel?

We could do it together. Look at all this money here. Look. I'll give it all to you.

I'll make a general out of you. General Yellowleg. Think of how you'd look in one of these caps...

Listen, Yellowleg, like I told you up there...

-You're gonna be in my army. I'll make a general out of you with gold braid.

-Remember that?

You know where you left it, don't you?

-Chickamauga.

-Look at it.

-No... Oh, Yellowleg, listen to me, I don't want that Billy...

-Look at me!

Yellowleg, I'll make a general out of you. You'll look good in that gold braid. Listen to me...

-Oh...

-Don't!

Get out of here!

Don't do it!

Aah!

(TURK) Billy!

Billy!

You tell Yellowleg it's a fact I got soldiers!

HORSES APPROACH

Hi. We're trailing a couple of bank robbers. You got one of them.

-Where's the other?

-Inside. Looks like they figured you didn't have guts enough to come here.

-You know how people are. If it's their money, the gates of hell wouldn't stop them.

-Sure.

Parson, we're going to need a few of the right kind of words from you.

-We're burying a boy alongside of his dad.

-I'll say the right words.

-This is a convoy.

-Yes, sir.

-Gentlemen, you're going to make great officers in my army.

I'll soon have your uniforms for you. Gold braid. And then we'll start training...

Thank you, sir. Well, Captain, if you'll say, "Forward, yo!" to these ranks, we'll go.

Forward, yo!

# When Johnny comes marching home again, hurrah, hurrah

# When Johnny comes marching home again, hurrah, hurrah... #

Fill up those ranks!

Forward march! Follow me, men!

We'll get us an army, we know what to do.

We buy some slave Indians...

# Each day when I awaken

# No more I face the empty dawn

# For I know that my heart is not forsaken

# The dream of love that once I knew

# Now lingers beyond the empty dawn

# No more is my lonely heart broken... #