SL gets on wagon and pulls hay up while Glory says, "I don't suppose ah you and I will have much of a chance to get to know each other what with me just passin through and all." SL says, "Probably not." SL has pulled hay up to top, Glory says, "You know a woman doesn't get a chance to meet many nice people, not these days, not like your father and brother. SL looks at her and says, "I'll relay the compliment."
SL is still pulling on rope Glory says, "I guess you'd like me to quit bothering you, huh?" SL ties rope around wagon wheel saying, "Well, I do have my work to finish, Miss Smith." Glory says, "Oh, go right ahead! I'll just sneak out quiet as a church mouse." Glory watches SL walk away, he walks over to water, looks at her.
Glory loosens rope on tied hay hanging over barn while SL is getting a drink. Glory walks under hay, SL starts to ladder, here's line squeaking, looks back, realizes hay is going to fall on Glory runs and pushes her away landing on top of her . .
SL touches her face with gloved hand saying, "Glory! Glory, are you all right?" She says, "What....what happened?" SL is staring at her says, "Ah...the rope sl...slipped and the bales almost fell on you." Glory says smiling, "Maybe it was worth it. I like Glory a lot better than Miss Smith." SL looks around saying, "Ah, perhaps it might be safer if you spent the rest of your visit near the house." He gets up and pulls her to her feet. Glory says with hands on her hips, "Oh, safer for who, Mr. Lancer?" She walks away, SL watching her, he smiles. Its a very quick smile and then he stops himself.
Scene 12
Back at saloon JL says, "Everybody call, I have 3 nines." They all put cards down, JL says, "Well, I win the pot. You win the deal." Collier picks up cards saying, "Far be it for me to...ah...break up a lucky game. For the...ah...local residents that is." Collier looks up at Hatcher then at JL saying, "I wouldn't be in California at all if a very dear friend of mine hadn't recently passed away." JL says, "That's too bad." Collier says mixing cards, "As a matter of fact, he was a rancher like yourself." JL says, "Well, that...ranching you know it's a tough life."Yes, but a profitable one I imagine for those with an adventurous spirit.? Jacks or better." Collier starts passing out cards saying, "He was a widower too poor man. Three thousand acres of prime cattle land and no one to leave it to but me, his oldest truest friend." JL says looking at cards, "Better than a kick in the mouth, ain't it." Collier says, "Well, I'm a man with city ways. What could I do with three thousand acres of prime meadow and river?" Man says, "Pass." JL says, "I'll hold for two bits.....You might try workin it. Raising a herd of your own." Collier says, "Cards, gentlemen?" Man says, "Two." JL says, "Three." Collier says, "Well, I'm growing old and tired. All I want to do is return to St. Louis, to the comforts of my home in my declining years. Oh, the dealer takes three. No, I shall just have to sell those three thousand acres for...ah anything I can get, at a considerable loss no doubt." JL stares at him, "Where'd you say your friends ranch was?" Collier says looking at cards, "San Jose." JL says, "San Jose." Collier says, "Uh, huh. With money as scarce as it is today I shall probably have difficulty buying...finding a cash buyer." JL looks at card players, "You in or out?...I'll bet fifty cents....You know Mr. Collier you could find someone to give you a down payment. I mean just a show of good faith, you know." Collier says, "Say, that's a good idea." JL smiles saying, "Yeah, I thought maybe you'd like that. You said you live in St. Louis? What's it like to live in a big city like that?" Collier says, "Well, we live modestly...but...comfortably. Ah, my home is high on a hill surrounded by a grove of black heart hickory, it's white with marble columns and a rose garden." JL says smiling, "I bet you sit on top of that hill and watch the Mississippi gently rolling off to New Orleans." Collier says, "Why, yes! How'd you know that?" JL says, "Well,...ah...just a lucky guess." Collier says, "Oh." JL says, "Tell me more about this ranch." Collier says, "Are you interested?" JL says, "Oh, yes Mr. Collier I'm interested."
Scene 13 back at the ranch
Scott is just fixing wagon wheel on buggy. There is another guy working and Scott shouts to someone: "All right, hitch 'em up!" He walks over to a wash tub, throws tools down, takes gloves off, putting them in his pocket. Glory appears over stone wall, watching him.
SL puts hands in tub of water and gets his hands and face wet. Glory says, "I missed you at lunch today." SL grabs towel and walks over saying, "My apologizes, Miss Smith." Glory says, "It doesn't matter. I know you had a great deal of work to do. Ah...I've...decided I'm not going to stay any longer." She is wearing the dress that she had on when she first arrived. SL says, "Because I didn't join you for lunch?" Glory says, "No, of course not, it's just that I'm not accomplishing anything here. At least not when it comes to making friends." SL says, "Well, let's just say I'm hard to get to know."
Glory says, "After the accident in the barn I was thinking. You may not like the idea but you did save my life. I want you to know that I'm grateful." SL says, "It was my fault. The rope slipped. " Glory says taking brooch off, "Well, anyway I want you to have this. It's...it's a family heirloom." She puts it in his hand continuing, "My grandmother got it from a Dutch sailor in New York. Of course I don't know very much about gems but I've been told their very good ones."
SL says, "Thank you, but..." Glory says, "You may please. I do want you to have it. It's the only way I have of expressing how I feel." They stare at each other, Glory is rubbing Scott's had with hers, Glory says, "Well, I guess I'll be gone by the time you finish work, so....so we'll just make this goodbye." SL gestures with the pin in his hand a few times, takes him a moment to answer before he finally says , "Goodbye."
Glory starts to walk away, makes a brief pause and SL yells, "Glory!" She smiles with her back to him and SL comes through gate, turns back to close it, and then comes up to her saying, "Murdoch doesn't have a friend who's interested in your grandfather's ranch. It's him. He's the one." He is standing over her, very close, her face is at his chest level. Glory says, "And what about you?" SL pauses, glances down briefly and then looks at her and says, "Well, I want you to stay." Glory says, "Well, then I'll stay for a while." She walks away with SL watching her.
Scene 14
JL is riding across range on his way home.
Inside, ML is walking across great room with telegram in his hand, reading it. He says, "Surprise double check on story, no such ranch in vicinity of San Jose. Cleve Harper." JL says walking back from gun case, "I would have come back sooner but I wanted to wait for that, make sure."
ML laughs says, "A swindle! A pure bald faced swindle and I almost swallowed it whole." JL grins, says, "Well, I took a pretty good bite myself." SL says, "Are you sure it was Glory's grandfather you were playing cards with?" JL says, "I'm positive. That old fox is as smooth as greased glass. You know I bet he could sell a dead horse to an Indian." JL laughs. ML says to JL, "Johnny, get the lady's buggy out of the barn. I'll have her waiting downstairs." SL says, "No." Getting up, SL says, "This is something I want to attend to myself." JL and ML watch SL leave. ML takes out telegram again, shakes his head.
Scene 15
SL is standing leaning on the doorjamb. Glory walks across room and turns around saying, "What else could I do?" Sitting on bed. "I was stranded in a small town. I had no money, no friends. All I wanted is to get my Grandfather to the doctor in San Francisco. His heart. He doesn't even know it." SL just stares at her Glory says, "There's not much time left. What would you do if he were your only living kin? Wouldn't you try anything to save him?" SL says, "Turn it off, Glory. It doesn't work anymore."
Glory sighs deeply, "All right!" Glory gets up walking to SL and says, "How about the plain, dull truth!" SL nods. Glory with her hands on her hips says, "My grandfather isn't sick. He's just a bad card player. We need five hundred dollars to pay off a gambling debt. And if we don't pay it the man is going to kill him." SL says, "Sorry."
Glory says, "Sure, I'll bet you are." SL says, "Well, it's a long ride back to town in the dark. I guess you can wait until morning." Glory says, "Do I have to?" SL says pulling away from doorjamb, "Well, I guess that's up to you, Miss Smith."
As he turns to leave, Glory says, "Scott!" SL turns back, Glory says, "Just one thing. That house I told you about in St. Louis." SL says nodding, "The white one, marbled columns and the rose garden." Glory says, "Yeah. Well that's the only part of the story that I didn't make up. There's a house like that. I used to see it when I was a little girl. When my grandfather came over from England he used to take me down the river on a paddle boat and there it was on a hill in a grove of black heart hickory. I used to pretend that that house was mine. I guess cause I didn't have one of my own. Funny after a hundred trips or so it...it's awfully hard to tell the difference between the truth and a lie...Well, keep your hands in your pocket, cowboy or somebody might pick em clean." SL looks at Glory and says, "Goodnight, Miss Smith." He walks away and Glory cries.
Scene 16
In town Collier is outside the Saloon, he walks up to man leaning on post and says giving him money, "This won't start another poker game friend, but it will allow me to buy you another drink." Tips his hat. "To your health, sir." Collier watches man go in Saloon and then sneaks down road and tries to leave on horse and buggy. Collier says, "Hey what are you doing there? You get out of the way." Hatcher walks up, Collier says, "Well, hey Mr. Hatcher allow me to explain, I....I was just going" Hatcher interrupts saying, "You try to leave town before your debts paid off I'll kill you where you stand. One more day, Collier." Hatcher walks off and close up of Collier looking scared.
Scene 17
Glory is sneaking past the great room and hears the Lancers talking, stands next to doorway eavesdropping. ML laughs saying, "Well, unless I've ah left out a decimal point, we have enough money to buy that purebred bull we saw in Stockton and still stay within the monthly budget." JL is sitting in a chair, looks up at ML, says, "Sounds good to me." ML says to Teresa, "Hmmm....Teresa, you're a member of the family." Teresa is sitting on desk, swinging her feet, "Well, it's fine with me. I'll wait another month for a sewing machine." ML looks at SL, "What about you, Scott?" SL is sitting in a chair, looking distracted says, "Hm. Oh, yeah. Sure anything you say."
ML says, "And what did I say?"
SL says, "I wasn't listening. I'm sorry."
ML says, "Well, uh.. Scott we might as well get this out in the open and be done with it. If you have any feelings for this young woman...."
SL Interrupts saying, "If I have any feelings for this woman it's my business and my problem. Mine and nobody else's."
JL gets up and walks over to SL saying, "Hey, come on now, don't start chewing on each other. " He's talking in a cheerful tone and sort of kicks at SL's foot. "I mean I brought her here didn't I, it's just as much my fault." Teresa says, "Why should it be anyone's fault. I mean we believed in her because we wanted to believe in her."
SL gets up walking over to chair facing away from family saying, "Why does a girl like Glory have to lie anyway?" Shot of Glory eavesdropping her head down. SL says, "Any man would be glad to hand her the world and thank her for the privilege." ML says, "Including you?" SL starts walking away again saying. "What does it matter? She'll be gone in the morning."
ML says, "Scott!" If the Lancer Ranch is going to get that purebred somebody's gotta go buy it." Throwing SL money in sack." There's an early stage to Stockton, there's six hundred dollars there. Five hundred for the purebred and a hundred in case you stumble into a good bottle of whiskey on the way back." JL laughs slapping his hands together., Teresa smiles and SL gets a slow smile and says quietly, "All right." Shot of Glory still listening in the hall. She walks away.
Scene 18
Show clock in Lancer home. It's 3:00 a.m. Shows SL's bedroom. He's sleeping and Glory sneaks in. She is looking for the six hundred dollars, checks his pants, box on his dresser, a vase, she goes to open nightstand and SL turns over. She opens drawer and finds the money bag. SL sighs, breathes audibly, moves around, rubs his nose. Doesn't wake up. She find the brooch in the drawer also and leaves it on nightstand. She leaves room, quietly shutting door. Shot of SL sleeping.
Scene 19
Glory leaves house and hitches and turns buggy. Shot of SL sleeping. Horses are making noise. SL wakes up and lights in Lancer house turn on. Glory goes into barn and gets horse leading him out, horse pulls back neighing, knocking over bucket, Glory says, "Come on! Please, come on!". More lights in Lancer turn on, ML and JL come outside and ML says, "It's in the barn." JL says, "It sounds like it." SL comes running out behind them shouting, "Where's Glory?" ML says, "She's in her room." SL says, "No, she's not. The money's gone." SL heads toward barn with ML and JL behind him. They see Glory take off on a horse with buggy. ML says, "Our guest forgot to say goodbye. Let's show her some manners." They go after their horses. Glory watches them leave still hiding in the barn, she grabs money bag and heads out.
Glory rides into town and gets off buggy hurrying. We see two of Hatcher's men watching.
1st Man, "That's the old man's granddaughter. She is up to something. Go get Hatcher." 2nd man nods and leaves.
Scene 20
Glory is in hotel packing bags, she says, "Hurry, grandpa." Collier says, "Well, ah....dear, since you were able to get a loan, I see no any reason why we should sneak out of here in the middle of the night like common criminals. Tomorrow morning we'll pay Hatcher this blood money and ..." Glory closes bag interrupting, tying it up saying, "Grandpa, I don't have time to argue with you, just do as I say, please!"
Collier says, "Very well. I don't suppose I have the right to decide the matter, do I?" Glory looks at him and walks over to help him get his jacket on saying, "Oh, Grandpa! Why our luck's gonna change you'll see. In the next town everything's gonna be all different!" Collier says, "Yes, that's all we need Glory!" He puts on his hat saying, "Another town. Another deal of the cards." He starts walking to door. "I...I'll take the money!" Glory says, "No no, I'll take that Grandpa you take the booty". Collier says, "Yes, of course. I...I expect Hatcher will be waiting for us downstairs, won't he?" Glory says looking at Collier, "Well, if he is we'll give him the money and keep right on going. That's important, do you understand that?" Collier says, "Yes." Glory says, "We give him the money but we don't stop and talk." Collier says, "There's precious little to talk about with a common scoundrel like that."
Outside:
Lancer men come riding into town. Close up of ML, he sees buggy and says pointing it out, "You're right, Scott. There's her buggy over there." He follows boys and ties up horse. The Lancer men head towards buggy and hotel. Hatcher and his men are coming out of door, they watch the Lancers walk up to buggy. Man says to Hatcher, "Maybe they're friends of the old man?" Hatcher says, "So, we'll take em." Glory and Collier come out of hotel and head for buggy. Lancers are standing on sidewalk. Just as she's about to get on buggy, ML says, "Going for a ride, Miss Smith?" Collier and Glory turn to Lancers. SL walks over staring at Glory. Collier says, "What is this, Glory? Who are these men?" Glory says, "They're just some friends of mine, Grandpa." JL looks at Collier, "How's your poker game?" Collier says, "Why, yes of course. The...the..rancher. Well, if there's been any misunderstanding gentlemen I'm sure we can...." ML interrupts saying, "Miss Smith, we'd like to have the six hundred dollars you borrowed." Glory says, "It all seemed so easy." SL still staring at her says, "Why Glory?" Glory says shaking her head, "Oh, it's a long story and I don't think you're interested.".
Hatcher and his men come out guns drawn. Hatcher says, "How about me, lady?" Lancers turn and Hatcher says, "Six hundred dollars makes killing easy!" ML says, "Better give him what he wants Miss Smith." Hatcher says, "I want the money sack. Five hundred dollars for the old man's debts and a hundred for the trouble of collecting it. Hand it over." Glory says, "No, I don't." think so." SL says, "You better do what he says, Glory. The money's not that important." Glory says, "Oh, really it was a moment ago." Collier says, "Please! Glory! Give him the money!" "No!" Glory yells and throws money through window.
Hatcher watches and the Lancers/Glory/Collier all scatter. Hatcher and his men go for cover. A gunfight ensues and the Lancers win when SL shoots Hatcher in the arm and the other two give up as one of them runs out of bullets.
Man yells, "Don't shoot". They come out with hands up. ML says, "All right, Johnny. Get them on their horses and get them out of here." Scene goes to Collier and Glory hiding behind wagon wheel. Collier says, "Remember the riverboat, Glory? Back in St. Louis? Ah,...that's where we should have stayed. In the protective arms of a gentle society." Glory says wiping his face, "Yes,...yes, Grandpa."
JL takes men to leave town and ML and SL walk over. Glory says to SL, "Thanks for the shove." SL says, "My pleasure." Staring at her. ML says, "Hey, Scott. Want to see what she put in the sack?" SL dumps washers in Scott's hand and he smiles. SL says, playing with washers, "This what you took all those chances for? A handful of washers?" Collier says, "Washers? Well, there must be some mistake?" Glory says looking at SL, "Your six hundred dollars is back at the ranch. It's in a bucket beside the barn door." SL says, "Why?" Glory says, "Let's just say I'm hard to get to know."
SL and ML smile, Glory says, "Oh, don't you believe me, Mr. Lancer?" ML says, "Can you give me a good reason why I should?" Glory says looking at SL, "How about you, Scott. Are you a gambling man?" SL says, "One day I'd like to see that house on the hill myself." Glory says, "Well, it only takes a boat ride down the Mississippi. Keep your eyes open, Cowboy. You can't miss it."
Hatcher and his men ride out of the stable and out of town. JL walks up, SL says, "Well, I think we're finished here." JL says, "What do you mean finished? Let's have the money." SL says showing him washers, "The lady said she left the money in a bucket by the barn door." JL says, "You believe her?" SL takes her chin in his hand, kisses her and nods, "I believe her." JL laughs, "Woooh!" ML says, "Well, for some fool reason I guess I do too." JL and ML walk away, a few seconds later SL follows. Scott flips the washers away as he turns. Glory stares after him.
Collier says, "Another deal of the cards, that's all we need Glory, for a fresh start!" Glory says, "Sure Grandpa! Just another deal of the cards." They get in buggy and ride away. The Lancers watch them leave and head in other direction towards Lancer.
THE END!
Back to Main Page