SL, still standing with his hands crossed: All right, Drago, what’ve you got in mind this time?
Drago: Come on around the corner, let’s talk about it.
They walk around the wall. As they walk, Drago tells Scott: Well, my . .my ribs are achin where you pounded me.
SL: Well, I’ve got a pain or two myself.
Drago: We was goin’ pretty good there for a while. Well, Violet always said that you was a champion saloon fighter around Nogales.
SL (close up on him!!) He smiles, ducks his head down the way that he does, then looks up: Well, maybe she stretched the truth a bit.
Drago: I wouldn’t say that. He drinks from the bottle he’s holding.
SL: Look, Drago . . .
Drago: Want a drink?
SL: shakes his head, no.
Drago: Smoke?
SL: shakes his head again and says NO
Drago: Blindfold?
SL: reacts to this. Ominous music. Then he says Blindfold . ..
Drago: Well, sure, sure gotta test that Gatling gun. And Chapel, well, you know how he is . .he ain’t gonna be satisfied just bustin’ them pots.
SL, turns and looks at the pots, looks at Chapel and the gun: No, . . .no blindfold. He swallows. His mouth doesn’t give anything away, but there is a very sad look in his eyes.
Drago: Well, suit ya self. I ain’t gonna tie ya up, either. I wanna see if ya stand on ya feet or drop to ya knees when the time comes and crawl.
SL: Well, I . . I guess no man really knows . . Til his time comes.
Drago, gives a brief chuckle: You know, when I was a boy growing up, they had public hangin’s. And I seen rogue killers a beggin’ like little babies. Once, the rope broke. Now they had this revival preacher there and he had on all these black clothes ya know and black tie, black coat, clack hat, a big fierce beard and . . . (he gestures with the bottle in his hand) Well, he just kind of leapt up on the scaffold like that and he had this big black Bible with a gold cross on it. (he jumps up onto a bench and hold up the bottle, actually making a cross over the label with his hand.) he said “It’s a sign”., yes sir, he said it was a sign, and they voted, they voted by . . . Ac-cla-ma-tion, not to re-hang them killers over again.
SL: The rope won’t break for me.
Drago is leaning against the tree, still talking to Scott: Oh, no, I wouldn’t be too sure about that. . .I mean them Gatling guns, is . .they’re treacherous machines. But they do jam now, they jam . . .I’d take that for a sign. (He smiles.)
Chapel yells: Drago, what are you waiting for?
Drago jumps down, sits on the wall. Violet has come outside and is watching.
Chapel, to Drago: Come on, stand clear.
Drago, to Scott: I forgot . . Wanna say yourself a little prayer?
SL: doesn’t answer, just starts backing up against the wall.
Drago climbs down, sits on the wagon near the gun: Ready . . Aim.. . . FIRE!!
Chapel is working the gun. Violet is still watching. We can see some bullet holes appears around SL who is standing against the wall. Suddenly Drago makes a noise and gestures for Chapel to stop.
Chapel: What’re you doing?
Drago drops his bottle , says something about wanting to go see.
Close up of SL. Looks like he might pass out.
Drago approaches Scott, Drago looks kind of scared.
SL stands there and says : I, ah . . . I could use that drink now.
Drago nods his head. Takes SL by the arm.
SCENE 12
Chapel is at the Lancer kitchen table arm wrestling with the Big Guy. Big Guy is winning, then Chapel suddenly puts him down.
BG: No fair, you kicked me under the table. BG starts to go for his gun, but Chapel stands up first. There are other guys around. A large piece of meat is cooking on a spit, Scott and Drago are standing behind the piece of meat.
Drago, to BG: You agreed to the rules. BG backs down.
Chapel: Well, who’s next? How ‘bout you, Madrid? Try your luck?
Close up of Scott, he doesn’t answer.
Chapel: Or perhaps Drago’s more to your liking. Take him and it’ll prove everything Miss Violet ever told us about you.
Violet comes into the kitchen. Drago looks at Scott. Drago says get up to the Big Guy and stakes his seat. Scott sits down where Chapel had been.
Chapel: Let’s make this interesting. (he puts some hot coals on the table so that the loser of this match will get his hand burned.)
Scott and Drago clasp hands and begin.
Chapel: Perhaps the woman’s been right about Madrid’s virtues. The strength of Samson. The courage of Achilles. The wisdom of Solomon.
Scott is winning. Chapel comes over to stand right next to Drago, practically talking in his ear.
Chapel: The beauty of Apollo. The purity of Galahad.
Ah . . .what a paragon.. A Bryan, a Quixote. Truly a man unmatched among men.
Scott almost has won, Drago’s hand is only inches from the hot coal.
Violet: Drago, don’t you listen to him. Can’t you see what he’s doin? He’s trying to fill you up with your own poison.
Chapel, to Drago: Hate him, Drago. Hate him.
Drago’s hand starts moving up. Chapel’s advice is working.
Scott is losing. Finally his hand goes down. He grimaces at the contact with the coal, but doesn’t make a sound. Violet grabs a bucket of water and douses them.
Drago yells at the men: Get out of here!!! All of ya!!!
Scott is holding his burned arm. The Sombrero Guy has been sitting at the kitchen table during all of this. He is still eating!!!!
Drago: Go on!!! They all leave slowly, except for Violet and Scott. Drago marches Scott to the wine cellar. He’s still holding his injured arm.
Violet: Drago, wait!! Let him go.
Drago: NO!
Violet: But you won, didn’t you? You showed me who’s the best man, now ain’t you satisfied? You let him go before Chapel kills him.
Drago looks at Scott: How do you do it? What kind of magic do you use?
He has a gun on Scott.
SL: Look, Drago , I’m not who you thi . . .
Drago shoves Scott through the wine cellar door.
Violet, to Drago: Drago, I’ll make you sorry. I swear I will. I’ll make your life . . .
He pushes her through the door also.
Drago shuts the door and yells: No you won’t!! Tomorrow I’m givin’ him to Chapel. And I’m throwin’ you back in the ditch where I found ya!
Dramatic music. Drago is bent over on his side of the door, clearly not happy. On the other side, Scott leans against the door with his arms crossed and Violet is holding on to the railing of the landing.
.
SCENE 13
Chapel is sitting at the dining room table, eating alone. The candles are lit, he has wine, is cutting up some meat. Its quiet, no one else around.
Down in the wine cellar, one of Drago’s men enters. Kind of drunk. Scott stares at him. The Drunk Guy sees Violet on the other side of the cellar and goes over towards her. He laughs, keeps walking and then falls to the floor. Scoot goes over towards him, then whispers “come on” to Violet. They go up the stairs. They open a door and see Chapel, decide to go a different way. Chapel keeps eating.
Outside, its quite dark. Scott and Violet crouch down. Scott looks over towards the Gatling gun.
Violet: Forget it. If Drago catches us now, he’d kill us.
Scott: What about the people in town? I can’t leave here til I put that gun out of commission. He starts to move towards the gun.
Violet reaches for him: Scott . . . Be careful.
SL: Wait here. He goes over to the gun and climbs up onto the wagon.
Inside: Chapel drains his wine glass, the bottle is empty too. He gets up. We know he is heading towards the wine cellar!!!
Outside: Scott --with an UNBUTTONED SHIRT-- is using a metal bar to try to pry the gun apart. Violet is on lookout.
Inside: Drago’s men are asleep all over the furniture. Drago enters, stands in the doorway of the room. In comes Chapel, gun in hand--he puts his arms apart and announces that “Madrid’s gone”.
Drago yells: Well, find ‘im! And he starts to rouse his men.
Outside: Scott is still working on the gun. Violet is still watching.
Inside: Drago is getting his men on their feet.
Outside: Scott finally snaps a piece off of the gun, just as Drago comes out and yells, “Madrid!”
Drago walks over, sticks his gun into the waistband of his pants, checks the gun. Scott just sits there on the wagon.
Drago: Oh man, you really did it.
Violet: Drago!
Drago, reaches for his gun: I mean you really---
Violet: Drago! She tackles him and they fall to the ground. We hear her say “Drago, I love you!”
Drago: Johnny Madrid is a dead man!
Scott is still just sitting there in the same position.
Violet: That ain’t Johnny Madrid!! . . . .I lied . . . .Drago just looks at her.
Violet: And if you. . .if you don’t believe me, ask Chapel, cause he knows.
SCENE 14
In town, the Sheriff’s office. The Tax Guy is there and the Sheriff, Jelly and Murdoch.
Jelly, to ML: You gonna let ‘em go through with payin’ the ransom?
ML: How can I justify stopping them? . . . The danger to their families . . .
Jelly: What about Scott? What if its true they think he’s Johnny and their number one’s got a grudge against him?
ML: He’ll be dead by the time they get the tax money. If he’s not dead already.
Jelly: Well, don’t even think that.
ML: There’s one hope. (He looks at his watch) Its exactly 4:20.
ML to tax Guy: It’s 4:20 Stanley, that’s time enough for me to get back to the Ranch for the new time table. You got the money ready?
Tax Guy: Just about.
Sheriff: Delivering that’s my job, Murdoch.
ML: Your job, my son. Lancer takes care of its own.
Sound of door opening, ML turns. Its Johnny in the doorway.
JL: Takes care of its own what?
SCENE 15
Drago: Where’s Madrid?
Scott: San Francisco, don’t expect him to be back, a week, maybe two.
Drago is standing. Scott is seated in an easy chair. Violet is there and so is Chapel, leaning against a table with a gun.
Drago chuckles. To Scott: No, no. If that was true, you’d have told me long before this. He’ll be back, soon.. And when he does, I’m gonna nail him.
Chapel to Drago: You don’t mean to wait? Drago, be sensible. Take your revenge on this one and get the hate out of your spleen. Kill her, too, and good riddance.
Drago: Kill Violet?
Chapel: Why not? She’s been nothin’ but trouble. Find someone else. The world’s full of women.
Drago: How would you know? Chapel just looks a t him.
Drago to Chapel: go on, get out of here. Get those boys awake, get ‘em saddled and ready to ride. When Chapel doesn’t move, Drago turns back to him and yells louder: Do it! Now!! Chapel stomps out.
Drago pours himself a drink. To Violet, who is standing beside him: Maybe I shoulda killed ya and be done with ya.
Violet: Well, go ahead. Cause I’d rather you did that than . . .
She stops. Drago looks at her, but she doesn’t continue.
Scott, still in the chair. Why don’t you tell him about you and Johnny?
They both turn to look at SL.
Violet: No, no, I won’t.
SL stands up. Then I will. Cause its about time we got the truth out in the open.
She knew Johnny, all right---eight years ago. Let’s see, that’d make her about thirteen.
Violet: I was fourteen, and Johnny was the first man to love me.
SL: The first man you ever loved. Camera zoom in on Violet’s face.
SL to Drago: Tonight she told me how it really was. Small girl, growing up in a backwater town, needing something or someone to tie her heart to . . . ., when a gunfighter, just passing through, never realizing how he’d become an ideal. When he left . . .the only real thing in her dreams.
Drago: He loved her and left her.
SL: He barely looked at her.
Drago to Violet: Then its all been . . . A pack of lies. He never even touched you. Drago puts his hands on Violet’s arms, looking at her as he speaks.
Violet: He could have. But he wouldn’t. Cause he cared for me. Why else would I remember him after all this time?
Drago just looks at her without speaking.
Violet: Johnny’s special. I’ll always love him. Like the only doll I ever got for Christmas.
Drago: You made me hate him all this time. Why?
Violet smiles sadly: So I could keep you. She is near tears.
Drago to Scott: Do you understand her? I don’t!
SL: I think so. I guess she figured you needed a rival, just to keep your interest.
Drago to Violet: Don’t I show you I love you? Hmm??
Violet: Oh Drago . . .how long would that last . . Once you found out for sure that I loved you back? You’d get tired of me, like all the others.
Drago: You don’t understand me at all. Again, more softly: You don’t understand me at all. He walks away, faces the window.
Violet walks over to him, stands right behind him.
Violet: Drago, you ain’t cryin’?
She says “oh” a few times, slips her arms around him and he clasp her hands in his own.
Drago: Oh Hell, woman . . .
SL is watching this tender moment. Nice close up of Scott.
SCENE 16
Drago’s men are packing up the Gtling gun outside of house.
Inside, Scott, Violet and Drago walk through a doorway. Drago is buttoning up his coat.
Drago to SL: I think it’d be a good idea if you found some place to hide out til we all get out of here.
SL: And the tax money?
JL: It’s right here. He is standing there in hat and jacket, holding a saddle bag in front of him.
Close up of Violet while we hear Drago’s voice: Johnny Madrid.
JL removes his hat.
Drago turns: We just been talking ‘bout you. Big smile.
Johnny looks around, walks towards them.. Looks up and says : “Scott”
SL nods at him. SL is still standing behind Drago.
JL: Here’s your money-- he tosses the bag to Drago.
Drago catches it. He turns back towards Scott and shakes his hand.
Drago to Scott: So long. You done yourself real proud.
SL shakes Drago’s hand and smiles.
Suddenly Chapel enters behind Johnny and raises his gun.
Drago sees this and yells : Johnny! Look out!
JL turns quickly, fires and drops Chapel. He’s dead.
Big Guy, with rifle pointed at Johnny: Hold it.
Drago also has a gun aimed at JL: Drop it, Johnny.
Johnny tosses his weapon to the floor.
Drago: I been waitin’ a long time to get one up on you and now I’ve done it. And I ain’t never gonna let this woman forget it.
Violet smiles at him. He takes her hand and they hurry out. Johnny looks slightly confused. Scott smiles, then follows them.
Outside, we see Drago and Violet climb up onto the wagon and drive away.
SL and JL are standing and watching through the glass doors.
SL: Good luck!!
JL: They’ll need it. Murdoch’s waitin’ out there with a posse.
SCENE 17
The Lancer kitchen. Scott is sitting at the table, elbows on the table top, hands clasped and head resting on hands. Johnny is pouring him a cup of coffee.
JL: You wanna tell me what went on? He sets the coffee pot on the table.
SL looks down at his cup, picks it up. Then he starts to talk: It’s a long story.
SL takes a sip while JL pours his own cup.
JL: Well, I got time.
SL speaks again, mostly looking at the table: It’s about a man, a shadow from his past. The shadow got so big the man never thought he could match it.
No immediate response from JL. He picks up the coffee pot and carries it with him as he moves behind Scott. SL is picking at crumbs or something on the table top.
Still behind Scott, JL: How do you figure a man like that Drago character?
SL: It’s hard to figure him. He drinks again.
JL looks around. He’s still standing behind Scott. Scott places his elbow on the table in the arm wrestling position. “Johnny”, he says.
JL walks around to face him. “How come?”
Scott continues to hold his arm in position--moves his fingers. Looks up at JL and says: Come on.
JL sets his cup down on the table and starts to unbutton his shirt cuff. Scott moves their two cups out of the way.
Johnny rolls up his sleeve: Manana, maybe?
SL, taps table with his fingers; No, now.
JL: Okay, now.
SL smiles: Humor me.
As Johnny sits down, we hear Murdoch’s voice shouting: Johnny! Scott! Where are you?
JL: In here!
The boys clasp hands. JL says : Any time.
ML: Are you two all right?
He walks in with Jelly behind him. The boys start wrestling.
JL: yeah, we’re fine. Scott’s not quite himself though.
ML and Jelly watch the struggle.
JL: Did you get’em?
ML: The leader and the girl got away. . .but I don’t . . . .believe they’ll have too much trouble finding them.
JL: That girls, she sure looked familiar to me.
SL: Is that right?
JL: That wouldn’t have anything to do with this, would it?
SL: Seems to me she mentioned something about Johnny Madrid.
JL: I wouldn’t be that shadow, would I?
SL doesn’t answer that.
ML: Whenever you fellas feel like concluding this, I could remind you that there’s a mighty big ranch we gotta take care of.
JL: I’m tryin’ to conclude it! The arm wrestling continues and ML and Jelly leave the kitchen.
Finally, Scott slams JL’s arm to the table. Scott smiles at JL. JL reaches out and slaps Scott’s cheek; SL slaps him back. Bigger smile from SL. He reaches for Johnny as he stands up. Johnny stand and the two walk out with their arms over each other’s shoulders.
THE END
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