The War Wagon

Look at those horses What are they draggin'?

Heavily guarded What is that wagon?

War wagon What does it hold?

War wagon Loaded with gold.

Most men are fightin' for a wagon full of gold.

Scratchin' and bitin' for a wagon full of gold.

My piece of land, my cattle brand.

A place to rest my head.

The feelin' of a woman's love.

Are all you really need for livin'

Three years in prison made me dream a lot of dreams.

Sometimes the dream is not as easy as it seems.

But wrong or right, I have to fight.

'Cause when the truth is told.

All men are fightin' for a wagon full of gold.

Look at those horses What are they draggin'?

Heavily guarded What is that wagon?

Most men are fightin' for a wagon full of gold.

Scratchin' and bitin' for a wagon full of gold.

My piece of land, my cattle brand.

A place to rest my head.

The feelin' of a woman's love.

Are all you really need for livin'

Look at those horses What are they draggin'?

Three years in prison made me dream a lot of dreams.

Sometimes the dream is not as easy as it seems.

But wrong or right, I have to fight.

'Cause when the truth is told.

All men are fightin' for Are strugglin' for.

Are searchin' for Are strivin' for.

A wagon full of gold.

Full of gold.

Sheriff. Taw Jackson's back in town.

Are you sure?

He's ridin' down the street right now, big as life.

Goin' huntin'?

Don't do anything real fast, now, Taw.

You fellas seem real jumpy.

How'd you get out? Parole.

What, after only three years?

Good behavior.

This paper says I have to report in to the local law officer wherever I am.

Well, check-in day is every Monday.

Figurin' on stickin' around, are you?

For a while.

Your old spread belongs to Mr. Pierce, now.

I heard that.

Well, it's his legally, and he doesn't allow trespassin',

so you stay off from it.

Oh, I'll sure do that.

Maybe prison took some of the starch out of you.

Maybe.

Where's Lomax? In Randado.

At the Oriental Palace.

Billy Hyatt's in Chubisco.

Levi?

He's down by Mesquite with Calita's gang.

What about the shipment?

The big one's four days from now.

Doesn't give us much time.

Nope.

Put back the salt!

Huh?

The salt! Pierce catches you stealin' now,

you won't be worth a damn to me!

Mr. Pierce. Did it get here yet?

No, not yet, but it'll be in time for the trip after next.

That's when we want her.

All right, let's clean her up.

And check the rim on that left front wheel.

Yes, sir.

Beauty.

Mr. Pierce?

Taw Jackson's in town.

What? He's out on parole.

Where is he? I don't know.

I haven't seen him since this mornin'.

You mean you let him go?

Don't you know he could take a shot at Mr. Pierce?

Get Hammond and Brown.

Think he'll try somethin'?

Wouldn't you?

Mr. Pierce.

Get fresh horses. I want you in Randado before sunup.

Yes, sir.

Find Lomax.

I want him to kill Taw Jackson.

I'll pay him anything he wants.

You'd pay him anything, sir?

I'll go for $10,000.

Hell, Mr. Pierce, we'd be willin' to do it

for a lot less than $10,000.

If you could.

Lomax is the one man that can, so get movin'.

Yes, sir.

Boss, you know the way they feel about each other.

Lomax would probably ride all the way over here and kill him for nothin'.

Unless there's money in it, Lomax ain't gonna do nothin' for nothin'.

And I want Taw Jackson dead.

What'll you have?

Whiskey.

Understand, uh,

Lomax is around.

So?

I wanna see him.

Yeah? And who are you?

Taw Jackson.

Enjoy your drink. It'll be your last.

Well, that'd be a shame.

Kind of hoped that my last drink'd be a big one.

Bottle's in front of you. Pour all you want.

Gonna shoot me in the back?

You deserve it.

You caused me a lot of embarrassment.

How?

You're the only man I ever shot and didn't kill.

Well, if it makes you feel any better,

that slug you put in me kept me in the hospital for six months.

Lomax.

What made you think I wouldn't kill you?

Curiosity.

Well, you're still alive.

Now what's to keep you that way?

Money.

How much?

Your share'll be over $100,000.

That's what I've always said the world needs.

More simple understanding to bring people together.

Lhotse! Khaloo!

We can talk upstairs.

What I have to say is private.

Can't get more private.

Neither one of them speaks a word of English.

Come on.

Come on in.

Well, I hope this meeting is a lot friendlier

than the one three years ago.

Couldn't be much unfriendlier.

Did you know why Pierce wanted you to kill me?

Sure. So he could legally steal your land

once he found there was gold on it.

You were a hard-working rancher defending your property,

yet it's you who gets shot, framed and sent to jail.

I always thought that was kind of amusing.

It's nice to find a fella with a keen sense of humor.

Old Pierce found a lot of gold on your land.

That ore assays out at $643 a ton, normally.

But they've hit the mother lode,

which'll be 1,200% richer 'till the load runs out.

For a man who's been out a short while,

you know a lot about Mr. Pierce's business.

He's important to me.

You thinkin' about his gold?

My gold. Forget it.

At town or at the mine, you can't get within a mile of it.

Have some grub. No thanks.

How 'bout out of town?

I guess you don't know 'bout his new toy.

A little iron-plated thing he calls "the war wagon."

Takes an average shipment of 50,000 in gold from Emmett

to the railhead in El Paso, 43 and a half miles away.

There are a few guards.

Thirty-three of 'em.

Twenty eight outriders and five in the coach.

Each man is armed with a Henry repeating rifle,

two Colts, and 200 rounds of ammunition.

What's this all got to do with me?

We're gonna take that wagon.

We are?

You taken a look lately at the cemetery at Emmett?

There's a big bunch of cheap wooden crosses in one corner,

all kind of crowded in together.

That's the tribute to the last fools

who tried to stop the war wagon.

You like facts?

$1.15 for the casket, 12 cents for the crosses.

Pierce foots the bill.

$1.27 seems a poor price to pay for a man's life.

Especially mine.

In four days, Pierce is gonna make the biggest gold shipment

ever made out of the territory.

A half a million dollars.

Half a million?

How we gonna take it, with the Prussian Army?

With three other fellas. Five of us.

Five!

I'm kind of glad I didn't kill you tonight. You're funny as hell.

Wanna hear how?

How we end up in jail, hanged or on the run?

Not if we do it my way. No chance.

$100,000, Lomax. That's your share. You ready to listen?

Why me? You're good with guns.

Besides, you're the only safe cracker I know.

How'd you ever find that out?

An old friend of yours in prison. Mmm.

For the last time, are you gonna listen?

All right, let's hear it.

Stony Flats.

The war wagon.

Yeah?