Nevada Smith Page #2

Even if I did teach you,

that's only half of it.

While you're looking for them,

you got to eat.

You need clothes, food, horses, guns,

ammunition. How you going to get that?

You'll wind up stealing and killing like

the ones you're tracking, can't you see?

I don't see nothing except

my father lying on a blood-covered floor,

all burnt and cut

with his head blown to pieces.

And my mother, split up the middle,

and every inch of her skin ripped off.

God help us.

Pick up that brass. Cartridges cost

a cent-and-a-half apiece.

Sit down.

A little poker suit you?

Well, not too much.

- You know how to play cards, don't you?

- No.

I guess I can teach you.

Have a drink.

Well, I...

- You don't drink either?

- No.

Where you're going, you'd best learn.

The lowest hand you can get is a pair,

two of a kind.

Then two pair, then three of a kind,

then a straight.

Three of what kind?

Three anything.

Three nines, three tens, three jacks.

- Which ones are the tens?

- Don't you know how to read?

I never went to school.

- Can you write?

- If I could write I could read.

- Anything you can do?

- Reach.

That's a waste of good whiskey.

Where you were going,

you wouldn't need whiskey.

A ten has gotten spots on it,

you can count that far on your toes.

Max...

Take it easy. It's a quiet town.

I know people, I do business with them.

All right, but, Mr. Cord,

if you happen to see...

I know, if I see anything like a horse

with an "SS" brand, I'll come and get you.

Here's a buck. Buy yourself some candy.

Yes, sir. Can I help you today?

A can of peaches. A big can, please.

Best eastern peaches in the West.

Would you open it for me?

No charge.

You got a book

that teaches reading and writing?

McGuffey's Primer.

Right under the stairs.

Hey...

Of course, you can't pick one out

until you can read!

It's this one here.

25 cents for the peaches

and 10 cents for the book.

Ideas don't weigh much but peaches do

and freight is charged by weight.

Most people are hungrier

in their stomachs than in their minds.

Well, here's your first decision.

The top sign says Silver City.

That's in Colorado.

The second one, the one over there,

that's Donner, California.

The one on the bottom,

that says Sonora.

That's down south in Old Mexico.

I sure can't tell you which way to go,

but if you want to catch them,

go where the money is.

They'll head for where they can

spend it or steal it.

Mr. Cord, I don't know how

I can ever pay you back for all this.

No need to.

If you get tired of chasing them,

look me up and we'll talk about it.

Well, no use drawing this out.

Good luck, Max.

Bang, bang.

Very nicely done.

Handling one of these is only half of it.

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