The Westerner Page #3

Now, Judge, you forget a gentleman

never discusses a lady in a barroom.

Who said it's a barroom? This is a courtroom.

Say, tell me, is she as

pretty as them pictures?

Why, the picture's never been made

that can do justice to Lily Langtry.

Is she good-natured?

An angel.

- I'll never forget the night we met.

- Yeah?

I'll never forget it as long as I live.

Who was that?

Oh, that's Mort Borrow.

He cleans up around here.

Go on about Lily.

Oh, yeah, Lily.

How about a verdict?

Can't you see we're still

considering the evidence?

Two aces. COWBOY

Bet a dollar and a half.

Stay once.

Get away from here. You

smell of formaldehyde!

I'll call that.

You been down around Lanno Bay, ain't you?

Sure.

Well, you know how it is at sunset.

You can look out and that water ain't

exactly blue, and it ain't exactly purple.

It's a kind of color a man can

feel, but he can't put a name to.

Yeah.

Well, that's Lily's eyes.

By gobs!

I'm out. COWBOY

I'll stay out. Here we go.

Got 10. Got a nine.

You know how bright and

coppery and gold-like

a young chestnut horse is

running in the bright sun?

- Yeah.

- Well, her hair is something like that.

In the daytime.

You mean it's different at night?

Well, not different,

but just sort of more so.

- How so?

- Well...

Well, you know how it is at dusk when you

see a prairie fire reflected in the sky.

A sort of a deep... A

beautiful kind of blushing...

- Red?

- Red.

- Well, that'll give you a rough idea.

- By gobs.

I got a lock of her hair.

You mean to tell me you actually

got the real... From her head?

I don't suppose you'd ever

part with that lock of hair,

no matter what a man was willing to give?

A man don't trade things like that.

You see that sword up there?

I wore it in the civil war.

Always meant to be buried with it.

Now, if you was willing to swap, why...

Would you really like to have it?

I'd rather own it than the state

of Texas. Let's have a look at it.

I haven't got it with me.

Where's it at?

It's with my stuff in El Paso.

So, you was in the civil war, huh, Judge?

- El Paso, huh?

- Yeah.

- Cavalry, huh?

- I suppose you could write for it.

Yeah.

Wouldn't take long to get here by mail coach.

Oh, two, three weeks.

- Two or three weeks, huh?

- Yeah, about.

But I wouldn't part with that lock

of hair for anything in the world.

The jury's ready, Judge.

That bottle

of whiskey gone already?

Yeah, and if he ain't paid for it,

you better start collecting now.

- What's the verdict?

- You know what the verdict is. Guilty.

There's only one thing I can do.

You're sentenced to hang, that's my ruling.

Turn loose the prisoner's hands.

- But, Judge, you just ruled...

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