Red River Page #3

And it takes time,

lots of time.

It takes years.

Well, we've had

our ten years and more.

- About 14.

- Near to 15, and we've got the cattle.

- About 14.

- Near to 15, and we've got the cattle.

Thousands of heads of good beef.

And there as they stand there isn't

a head worth a plug three-cent piece.

Three-cent piece? That's more silver

money than I've seen since the war.

That's right. It all happened

while you were away, Matt.

More cattle than a man could

gather elsewhere in two lifetimes.

And I'm broke.

Unless we can move them, I'm broke.

Figured that's why

you rounded them up.

I'm not going to take it haunch-backed

like the rest around here.

- If there's no cattle market in Texas--

- And there ain't.

Then I'll take them

where there is a market...

if it means driving them

a thousand miles.

- Missouri?

- Yeah.

That's what I figured.

Seems you two have been

doing a lot of figuring.

While you were at it, did you figure out

the best way to get them there?

Which trail to take? Yeah. San Saba,

then Meridian, then along the Brazos--

That's the long way around.

Along the Brazos and up Palo Pinto--

- I said that's the long way.

- I know it's the long way.

But there's good water

clear all the way up to the Red.

But going that way,

we'd get two extra crossings.

- You're not going. How do you know--

- I'm not?

No, you're not.

How do you know the water's good?

- I led a patrol that way.

- You think it's worth--

You think it's worth--

What are you mumbling about?

Where are those store teeth

Matt brought you?

- In my pocket.

- Why don't you use them?

They whistle.

I use them for eating.

- Can't understand you.

- Everybody else can.

What did you say?

I said, there's a lot of things

you don't know about, Mr. Dunson.

- What?

- First, about me going on this drive.

Go ahead.

- It's a thousand miles to Missouri?

- That's right.

You figure me and my bad leg

couldn't ride a horse that far.

-That's it.

-It might be I could ride a chuck wagon.

We've already got a cook.

That is right, Mr. Dunson.

But might be Old Cookie might not

like grubbing the trip all that way.

You heard me good that time,

didn't you?

It might be the time of year when old

Cookie would like a change of scenery.

Might be I already persuaded him,

'cause he up and quit this morning!

Well, then, it might be we could

persuade you to drive the chuck wagon.

Might be, Mr. Dunson. Might be.

That's a pretty nice gun

you're scratching those matches on.

- How is your gun arm?

- I've used it a lot the last few years.

- Get me my horse, will you, Matt?

- Yeah.

Funny thing about guns--

Draw!

I haven't heard that

in a lot of years.

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