The Ballad of Cable Hogue Page #3

...a thriving community

filled with the faithful.

- Amen.

- How much of this land is yours?

To sell, of course. I wish to buy.

Well, considerable.

I didn't see any boundary stakes

anywhere.

I suppose you've been too busy to go

into the land office and file your claim.

You know, if anyone were to drop

a word of this in Deaddog or Lizard...

...there would be 47 men

riding out here by sundown...

...with a claim in one hand

and a gun in the other.

Yes, this information could mean

quite a lot of money...

What a blessing religion must be,

preacher. It touches my heart.

The loan of your horse.

It's nothing, my friend.

Ride in good health with my blessing.

I hate to go in among them...

...but you've shown me the way

to salvation and a secured claim.

My only aim in life is to help

the misbegotten, the downtrodden...

...and the members of my parish.

God bless you, preacher.

Make yourself to home.

Only don't forget, every time you take

a drink, leave 10 cents in the cup...

...or I'll blow your ass

into next Wednesday.

Come on, get up there. Get up there.

Well, get in...

...get it over with...

...then get out.

Please, miss.

Yes?

Please...

Well, hell, could you tell me

where the land office is?

Well, you're looking right at it.

Can't you see the sign?

Well, you see, miss, I...

Well, hell, I don't read too goddamn

good. My name's Cable Hogue.

Which one is it?

It's right there, with the white sign.

Thank you kindly, miss.

The stage office?

It's kitty-corner from here,

across from the bank.

- Thank you, miss.

- My pleasure.

Thank you truly.

How much it cost to file?

Will this be under the Desert Land Act

or homesteaded?

Well, I wanna do what's right.

Under the Desert Land Act, an individual

can file for up to 320 acres...

...at a dollar and a quarter an acre.

Plus proof of reclamation.

Now, whoa. Hold up there, fella.

What the hell does all that mean?

Land without water is not allowable.

If you can't substantiate

either agricultural...

Hold on there, fella. I got water.

Water?

- Where?

- West.

Eight miles through that Red Rock pass.

Off by the wagon road there.

- Seems to be open at present, but...

- But my ass.

- There's no water there.

- Yeah? Come on out.

If you can't drink it,

I'll fry that claim paper.

Speaking of which, where is it?

All right. What's your name?

Cable Hogue.

C-A-B... L-E or E-L?

How do you spell Cable?

If you're bogging down on Cable,

wait till you get to Hogue.

- How much it gonna cost?

- Dollar and a quarter an acre.

Here.

What will that buy me?

- That will buy you two acres.

- Hang it in, then.

Let's see what it'll do,

as the lady said to the sailor.

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