MURDOCK You think puttin” Candy in jail’s gonna solve your problems, Sheriff?
STREETER turns toward him. MURDOCK pulls his mud-splattered cavalry duster back, freeing the butt of his army-issue Colt.
STREETER (smiles) Could be I just arrested my first ghost. Where are the rest of your regulators hold up? Desatoya Canyon? Skate Rock? You ready to tell me yet?
You’re crazy as a snakebit varmit!
STREETER That so? Well, we’ll see. I’m guessing there won’t be any ghosts riding tonight without Captain Candell to hand out the sheets.
Still smiling, STREETER turns toward the jail again.
MURDOCK Suppose I told you the regulators were a lot closer than Desatoya Mountain or Skate Rock? Suppose I told you they were right outside of town, just waitin” for the first gunshot? How would you like that, you damn Yankee?
I think I’d like it just fine.
He looks up, raises his fingers to his mouth, and WHISTLES.
MEN start appearing from behind every sign, chimney, and false front. Formerly terrified TOWNSMEN, now looking grim and carrying rifles. They’re on the Chinese laundry, the Owl County Store, Worrell’s Mercantile, even Craven’s Undertaking Parlor. Among them we see PREACHER YEOMAN and LAWYER BRADLEY. YEOMAN, no longer concerned that the regulators are a supernatural visitation meant to punish the town for its sins, raises one hand to the SHERIFF in a salute.
RESUME MAIN STREET, WITH STREETER AND MURDOCK
STREETER returns YEOMAN’s salute with a flick of his hand, then turns back to MURDOCK, who looks furious and confused. A dangerous combination!
STREETER Yep, bring “em on, if that’s your pleasure.
MURDOCK’s face tightens. He drops his hand until it hovers just above the butt of his Colt. Neither of them sees LAURA push her way out of the saloon from behind MURDOCK. She’s wearing one of her spangly outfits and carrying her
You want to try me, Sheriff?
STREETER Why don’t we just stand down? Think this thing over?
But he knows it’s too late, he’s pushed MURDOCK too far. STREETER drops his own hand to just above the butt of his gun.
Time for talking’s done, Sheriff.
STREETER Well now, if that’s the way you want it.
MURDOCK You could have stood aside and nobody would have got hurt.
STREETER That’s not the way we do things around here. We-(sees LAURA)
Laura, no!
While he’s distracted, MURDOCK GOES FOR HIS GUN. LAURA darts between the two men, pointing the DERRINGER at MURDOCK. She pulls the trigger, but there’s only a CLICK. MISFIRE! A split second later, MURDOCK fires his cavalry Colt, and the bullet meant for STREETER hits LAURA instead. She CRUMPLES.
The TOWNSMEN raise their guns to fire.
RESUME MAIN STREET IN FRONT OF THE SALOON
MURDOCK sees what’s about to happen and dives back through the batwings and into the relative safety of The Lady Day. STREETER chases him with a couple of shots, then runs to LAURA and kneels beside her.
FLIP MORAN, the hostler, lets go with a round. A couple of others follow suit, but only a couple, luckily.
RESUME MAIN STREET IN FRONT OF THE SALOON
A BULLET WHINES off one of the batwing doors, knocking a splinter out.
Don’t shoot, he’s gone!
The men lower their guns. FLIP MORAN looks confused and ashamed of himself.
The SHERIFF’s hard shell is temporarily gone-smashed. He looks down at the DYING DANCEHALL GIRL and realizes he loves her!
Laura!
LAURA (coughing) Gun misfired… you always said… never trust a… a hideout gun…
She breaks down coughing. STREETER Don’t talk. I’ll send Joe Prudum for the doc-LAURA (coughing) Too… too late. Just hold me! STREETER does. She looks up at him CURIOUSLY. LAURA Why, Sheriff!… are you crying? EXT. REAR OF THE LADY DAY MURDOCK comes bursting out. SERGEANT MATHIS is still there, holding the horses.
What happened? I heard shootin'!
MURDOCK (swings up on his horse) Never mind. It’s time to get the boys.
You mean-?!
Suddenly MURDOCK’s insanity breaks free. His eyes BLAZE. SCENE CONTINUES His lips pull back in a snarl that looks almost like a GRIN. It is the grin of a cornered ANIMAL! MURDOCK We’re gonna wipe this town off the map!
They wheel their horses away to join the rest of the regulators.
Chapter Nine
There was no need for Steve and Collie to hop the fence at the far end of Doc’s yard; there was a gate, although they had to tear out a fair amount of well-entrenched ivy befor e they could use it. They exchanged words only twice before reaching the path. The first time it was Steve who spoke. He looked around at the trees-scrubby, weedy-looking things, for the most part, now mysterious with the rustle of rainwater dripping off the leaves-and then asked: “Are these poplars?”
Collie, who had been working his way around a particularly vicious clump of thornbushes, looked back at him. “Say what?”
“I asked if these trees are poplars. Since Poplar Street is where we came from, I just wondered.”
“Oh.” Collie looked around doubtfully, swapping the.30-.06 from one hand to the other and then running an arm across his forehead. It was very hot in the greenbelt. “I don’t know if they’re poplars or pines or goddam eucalyptuses, to tell you the truth. Botany was never my thing. That one over there is a skinny-ass birch, and that’s about all I know on the subject.” With that, he started off again.
Five minutes later (Steve wondering by now if there really was a path back here, or only wishful thinking), Collie stopped. He looked back past Steve, his eyes so intense that Steve turned himself to see what he was looking at. He saw nothing but the tangled greenery through which they had already made their way. No sign of Old Doc’s house; the Jacksons”, either. He could see a tiny wedge of red that he thought might be the chimney atop the Carver house, but that was all. They almost could have been a hundred miles from the nearest human habitation. Thinking that-and realizing it was a true thought-gave Steve a chill.