Close up of a campfire. There is a man kneeling beside it, drinking from a cup. Camera goes to another man shaving, he has cream all over his face. There is the sound of a rider approaching, an animal call. The man shaving turns and whistles. The rider comes in, it's the stranger from the saloon. He gets off his horse and walks over to the man who is shaving. The man shaving pauses long enough to ask: Get the supplies, Owen?
Owen: Yes, yes I did, Mr. Mangrim. Also . . Uh . .(he sits down) hey . .
Tom Mangrim looks up at him.
Owen: I found your daughter.
Mangrim, raises one eyebrow: My what?
Owen, smiling: Your daughter! There's a girl in town in jail for robbery, claims to be your very own daughter. Zee . .Zee Mangrim, she says . . You think she really is?
Tom Mangrim keeps on shaving with the straight razor, holding his nose with one hand.
TM: Light haired girl or dark haired girl?
Owen: Dark.
TM: Couldn't be mine. . .never took up with a dark haired girl. (he shakes his head) They're tricky.
Owen: I'll tell you tricky . . She got that town half frantic you gonna ride in there and pull her out.
TM, stops shaving, smiles: They're scared, huh?
Owen: She got their heads turned around and their collar backs.
TM: That right, Owen? She's got em believing' she's my daughter . . (he seems very pleased about this) And I'll come after her, huh?
Mangrim laughs. Owen laughs. They laugh back and forth and dramatic music plays. Scene changes.
SCENE 6
Zee is standing in front of a mirror, looking at herself in a dress. It's a blue-grey, tight bodice with little buttons down the front, v neckline. Not frilly, looks good on her though. She heads down the stairs.
We are at the home of the Widow Hargis, and Murdoch is seated in a rocking chair. He's wearing a white shirt and black string tie. Scott is seated at the organ and is trying to play a piece, sounds like "I Dream of Jeannie with the Light Brown Hair". He hits a wrong note, Widow Hargis corrects it. He plays that note, then stops, lightly slaps hands on thighs and says: It's been a long time. Murdoch chuckles, the Widow nods. Zee enters the room.
Scott looks up and gets up off of the bench. ML stands as well.
Zee looks bewildered: Well, what'd I do now?
WH: Nothing, dear, it's customary for gentlemen to rise when a lady enters the room.
SL walks over to Zee and offers her his arm. She just stands there, so he takes her arm and places it on his own. He is wearing his nice caramel colored jacket, no string tie for him though. Looks like the same white shirt he had on at the arraignment.
ML, offering his arm as well: You look charming, Miss Mangrim . . Or whatever it is.
Zee: I do? Oh, thank you.
They walk over to the table, which is set for a meal. Zee is arm and arm with the two Lancers.
Zee: Oh . . That looks good! SL helps Zee with her chair, Ml does the same for the Widow. It's a round table, WH and ML are seated closest to the camera, with Zee and SL opposite.
WH, to Zee; That's it, just gather your skirts a little. (she turns to ML) Oh, would you oblige, Mr. Lancer?
ML: Oh, of course, Mrs. Hargis.
He starts to carve the roast.
WH, to Zee; Dear, no, you don't stare at the food . . You make conversation across the table.
Zee: What? Talk? About what?
WH: About the weather . . pretend you've just arrived by carriage and . . it's raining.
Camera shot of her, ML, SL, back to Zee, waiting for her to say something.
Zee, smiles: Sure is raining enough to drown a rat.
ML smiles, looks at Scott. Scott stops himself from laughing by fake clearing his throat into his napkin.
Zee: I mean . .it's raining, harder than a . . .(she stops herself, Looks at the Widow) oh, this ain't gonna work.
WH: You'll catch on.
Zee: I mean . . no, I mean the whole thing ain't gonna work. It's like . . Oh you people are . . You're lovely people and you're tryin' to make me feel better and I really like it, I do, it's . .it's real nice, but . . I . .I . . It just don't feel right to me, I mean, I feel kinda . . . . strange, I mean and it's like I'm . .
SL: It's alien.
Zee: Huh?
SL: Extraneous.
Zee: What's that?
SL: Well, it's . um . . Immaterial. You don't need it.
Zee: No, I don't need it, that's good. That's real good. Uh, extraneous, huh? Well, it's extraneous to my personality. (Widow reacts with disapproval)
Zee: I . . . I was just born bad.
Reaction from ML, disagreeing, without saying anything. Shift camera to SL.
SL: No one is born bad.
Zee: I mean, I just can't help myself. Right now, this very moment, I could be thinkin' of betrayin' you. (SL looks at ML, but doesn't say anything)
Zee: I . .I . . I kinda sorta feel it creepin' up on me, I mean it's kind of twitchin' there,
Inside, down deep. I don't know why, just to show you I guess . .
ML, chuckles: Well, uh . .no nobody makes all right choices. The time may come along and surprise you . . You find yourself thinking' of them, choosing them and doing them. (He gestures with the carving knife) more than you ever dreamed possible.
ML, to WH: Miz Hargis, may I have your plate? (she offers her plate and he finally serves the roast)
SCENE 7
Zee is back upstairs, getting clothes out of a dresser drawer. Downstairs, evidently immediately below her, Scott seems to be in the Widow's store. He has his white shirt on, with sleeves rolled up, he looks up at the ceiling. He checks the padlock on the door and then places the key on a high shelf near the door. Scott takes a pillow, places it on the counter. Upstairs, Zee is singing, loudly and off key. Downstairs, SL places a crazy quilt on the counter. Apparently he is planning to sleep there.
Zee keeps singing. Scott pats the counter--it seems pretty hard. He keeps looking up at the ceiling. Upstairs, Zee, still singing, is getting out her clothes. She moves the rug beside the bed, sees a knothole. She takes the lighted candle off of the nightstand, looks through the hole and there is SL lying on the counter down below.
Zee: I see you!
SL, makes some acknowledging noise: Yeah. (he closes his eyes)
Zee; How'dya like ya fancy bed?
SL: It's all right. I've had worse.
He has a beige blanket over him and is lying on the quilt.
Zee: You wanna come up here and learn me some more extraneous?
SL, laughs: Good night. (he closes his eyes again.)
Zee is holding the candle, gets an idea. She drips hot wax through the hole in the floor and it drops onto SL's forehead!!
SL sits up very quickly when the wax hits him and Zee is laughing upstairs.
Scott wipes his forehead, looks up, flings the blanket aside, swings legs over the counter and goes over to the door.
Zee: Widow Hargis!! Widow Hargis!! He's gonna come and get me! He's comin' ta get me again!
The Widow, dressed in a ruffled sleeping cap and nightgown comes in to find that SL has the key and is about to unlock the door to the upstairs. She gives him "a look". Scott takes the Widow's arm, brings her over to the counter and points up.
SL: See that hole? She dripped candle was on my forehead.
Widow: Move your forehead!
He looks exasperated, says nothing. Gives the Widow the key, which she puts back on the shelf while he sets about moving his pillow to the other end of the counter. The Widow leaves and Scott gets back "in bed'.
Zee is upstairs, making lots of noise. She stomps around, throws a chair to the floor, yells, tips a crate over . . .
SL: Will you cut that out! He jumps up off of the counter again, goes for the key. Zee yells for the Widow again the Widow comes back in, simply holds out her hand for the key.
SL, pointing at the ceiling: She's making all kinds of racket up there.
WH: Can't you ignore it?
SL: Frankly . . No.
He climbs back up onto the counter. Zee continues her antics upstairs. He points upwards again.
SL, to WH: You see?
WH: I'll speak to her. The Widow unlocks the door. Meanwhile, Zee is still yelling, "He's after me!' and we see she is tossing books on the floor. The Widow starts up the stairs, while Zee is pulling the quilt off of her bed. She keeps yelling. Then there is a big reaction shot of the Widow, wide eyes and open mouth.
Downstairs, SL is on the counter, listening to the noise above. He gestures with one hand, says "Go to sleep", and puts his head on the pillow, eyes are closed. The Widow comes through the door and closes it. Scott is lying on his back, hands behind his head, says : Mrs. Hargis . . You forgot to lock the door.
The Widow back up and locks the door. We never see her face.
Scott rolls over, and immediately we hear noise from upstairs, pounding and the squeaking of bed springs.
SL: Go ahead, make all the noise you want.
He puts his head under the blanket.
Scott is still a do the right thing kind of guy, he reminds the "widow" to lock the door. I'm not sure what the point of locking it has been, with the key right there within reach. A little glitch, however, when the fake widow leaves, she doesn't put the key back on the shelf, but when SL gets up next, he takes the key off of the shelf to unlock the door.
The sounds continue.
SL: Widow or no widow . . .
He gets up off the counter once more, takes the key from the shelf, unlocks the door and goes upstairs. Where he sees the furious Widow Hargis tied to the bed, a gag in her mouth and a "Home is Where the Heart Is" sign fastened to her chest. She is making very angry noises, but can't speak. Scot turns and leaves to go after Zee.
Outside, it's dark and we see Zee running across the street, removing the nightgown and sleeping cap as she goes.
SCENE 8
Scott is on horse back, looking at the ground, searching for tracks. He is wearing his white shirt still. Zee is up above, she has a horse, and is watching him. Suddenly there is a close up of a rattle snake. We see Scott's horse rear up on its hind legs, and he tumbles off!! He is lying, face down on the ground, we don't know where the snake is. Zee gets on her horse and rides over to him, dismounts and picks up a big rock, lifts it over here head and throws it at the snake (which is hidden). She has a "yuck" expression on her face, wipes her hands on her pants and then runs over to Scott. He hasn't moved.
Zee kneels beside him, and uses his belt and shoulder to turn him onto his back, grunting as she moves him. She starts slapping at his cheeks, shaking his shoulders: Hey . .hey . . . You okay? . .hey, wake up, you all right? . .Scott--whoa!
He suddenly reaches up and grabs her, turns her so that she is on her back on the ground and he is above her.
Zee: Hey! What are you doing?? Hey, . Hey I coulda got away . . .
SL: But you didn't.
Zee: Oh, I thought you was hurt bad.
SL: Well, that's tough luck.
Zee: I mean, I was thinking' bout what your pa said and all, about---
SL: That's strange, cause then you tricked a woman that trusted you, tied her up and ran off like a fox. Now . . You're going back to where you belonged in the first place.
Zee, looking at him with tears running down her face: Don't you understand what I's trying to do?
Shot of SL, staring back at her, he doesn't have a sympathetic expression on his face. Camera back to tearful Zee.
SCENE 9
Zee and Scott enter the door of the jail, he has a good grip on her arm. We see that someone is sitting at the desk, has his feet up on top of it, looking at a couple of sheets of paper.
SL, to the stranger: Who're you, the new lawman?
TM: No, (he chuckles) No, you're the lawman. My name's Mangrim.
Close up of Zee's stunned expression.
TM: Come ta see ma daughter.
He gets up, walks over to Zee: My own little girl . . If you ain't the spit of your ma, sure as her name was Emma Mangrim.
TM pats Zee on the cheek. She smiles, SL has a serious expression. Scott's hand went for his gun as TM approached, but now he has a firm grip on Zee once more.
Zee: Oh, well . . Hello Daddy.
TM: Who's this gentleman here . . I don't believe we've . . .
SL: Excuse me.
Scott leads Zee over to the cell, says "Inside". Puts her in and shuts the door. He locks it with the key on the big ring. Zee stands at the door holding onto the bars. SL crosses back over to the desk, puts the keys in the top drawer, then sits on the edge of the desk, folds his arms and addresses Mangrim: I don't believe she's your daughter.
TM: Well, she must be! She says she's Zee Mangrim, doesn't she? I'm Tom Mangrim. The truth must be somewhere in between.
He is standing with his left hand resting on the back of the desk chair and his right hand on his hip.
TM: Oh, you don't reckon she's got my profile, uh?
He turns to show it off, grins.
SL almost smiles, but doesn't.
He looks down, then back up: She's a prisoner of this town.
TM: Oh, yeah, but she's got a right ta talk to her daddy, don't she? That's a law, isn't it?
Shot of Zee, looking bit apprehensive.
TM: There's ma gun. (He hands it to Scott.) Just take a minute.
Mangrim walks over to the cell, grabbing a chair and dragging it along with him. He sits in the chair, quite close tot the bars. Zee sits down inside the cell, facing him.
Scott goes outside, onto the boardwalk. He stops, looks, sees six men, three on horseback, three on the roof, most of them clearly very well armed.
Inside, Mangrim chats with Zee.
TM: Tell me, is it true, everything I hear about what you did here?
Zee, smiles: Well, I reckon, but you know . .
She gets up, puts her hands in her pockets and turns away from him, then faces him once more.
TM: That's clever . . That's very good . . . I'd like you for a daughter.
Zee: Well, but I . . .
TM: Now let your daddy talk. You know how Tom Mangrim stayed alive long enough to get this old when a lot of good men went down kickin---I wanna tell ya . .. I study people. And I never mistake a person. And I been studying you and I see what I can use---Smartness . . Now let me ask you the question: You want out?
Zee; Well, yes, I want outta here.
TM, nods: All there is to it.
Zee: But I don't want nobody hurt.
TM, nods again: All there is to it. (He puts the chair back where it was.)
Nobody gets stupid, nobody gets hurt.
Mangrim picks up his gun from where it is lying on the table, holsters it and goes out the door. Outside, he stands near Scott, Mangrim has hands on hips..
TM: That was real polite of you son, my daughter and me. There's just one small thing still disconcerts her . .can ya guess?
SL: The answer's no.
TM: That's a hasty answer. That's a young man's answer. You wait a minute.
Mangrim walks away, stops in the center of the street and looks at his men. He sighs, then says "Owen". Mangrim puts his finger alongside of his nose as some sort of signal. Owen seems to recognize the signal right away and he doesn't look too happy.
Owen: Oh . . Come one, Mr. Mangrim, please, I . . . (the guy seated on horseback alongside Owen is looking at him, chawing away on something, he doesn't look sad that he wasn't chosen!)
Mangrim repeats Owen's name and the signal. Owen is really not happy, but he dismounts. Shot of Scott who has no idea what is going on and seems uncertain as to how worried he should be. Owen puts his hat on the pommel of his saddle.
TM: We gotta learn'im, Owen.
Significant looks pass between TM and Owen. TM looks at Scott
Owen drops to his knees, then lowers his hands to the ground and starts crawling on hands and knees in Scott's direction. TM walks alongside Owen. Scott looks even more puzzled, but is trying not to show it too much. Owen starts to crawl up the few steps to where SL is standing. SL looks at TM, who grins.
Owen wipes SL's boot tip with one hand, places one hand on boardwalk near SL's foot, looks up at Scott, who is looking down at him, still bewildered. Close up of Scott's boots--his pants have a slit in the bottom of the hem to accommodate boots.
Owen swiftly kisses the boot tip, SL reflexively draws the boot back and away, Owen quickly gets up and turns away from Scott.
TM: Now that was very good, Owen, very good.
TM pats Owen's shoulder as he goes past him. Owen goes back to his horse.
TM, to Scott: Son, now I want you to reflect on that. (He folds his arms across his chest, is standing one step below SL) Stands to reason, if I can make a man do a thing like that, I can make him do anything, don't it?
SL looks at him. Scott is standing with his left arm on a post and his right hand resting on his gun.
TM: You wanna take an older man's ----No, you wanna reflect, don't ya? All right, I reckon I can sit on this town for abut one hour. You reflect good, I can't sit any longer.
Scott still does not look scared, but determined. TM walks over towards his men.
Scott goes back inside the jail and immediately picks up a rifle that is just inside the door.
He goes over to the desk, places butt of rifle on the desktop, holds the barrel with both hands and momentarily pauses, with his head down. Then he opens the desk drawer, removes the key ring and goes over to the door of the cell. He puts the key in the lock. Zee comes over to the door, all smiles. SL takes the rifle and uses the end of it to break the key off in the lock.
Zee: oh! Oh!
SL: They want you out, they can saw you out.
Zee: Oh, well--they're gonna kill you.
SL: Well . . . . .I hope not.
Zee looks upset. SL closes the wooden shutters on the window and puts the bar across. Outside, Mangrim and his crew watch and smile, especially Owen. Inside, Scott sits down in a chair, takes out his gun and begins to load it.
Zee, reclining on the bunk in her cell: You're still a fool. You don't look brave, you just look foolish.
Scott doesn't respond. He looks serious, lowers his eyes, but doesn't speak to her or look at her. He's clearly listening though.
Zee: Oh, Scott . . What's it all for? Ta keep me?
She has one arm draped over the top of her head.
Scott: I don't know how to say it exactly. I'm not sure you'd understand it exactly.
But it has something to do with a lot of things. . . The law . . Duty.
Zee: Law??! (she sits up) Well, what's everybody think that this law's so important? Mangrim's in town, he's got forty men.
Scott looks at her now. She is seated on her bunk, gestures with her hands as she speaks.
Zee: Do what everybody else is doing. It's easy, and it's sensible. All ya gotta do is bend a little bit.
He sets his jaw. No other response.
Zee; All right then!! Be stupid!. But it's your choice!! If they kill you, it's your choice for bein' stupid and I don't even care! (She gets up and comes over to the door of the cell and point sat him.) I don't even care!
He sits in profile, still listening, but not looking at her or answering.
We hear Mangrim's voice outside: You been reflectin' boy?
Scott gets up and goes over to the shuttered window.
Zee: Scott, don't you realize everybody else is livin' in another world? A world that don't want no heroes, can't you understand that?
She is near sobbing.
Outside, Mangrim is on the sidewalk. He plops a rocking chair down in front of the jail house door. He sits in it.
TM: Son, ya been reflectin? Mangrim crosses one leg over the other.
Inside, we see SL has his gun in hand.
TM: Believe me, Boy, I know how ya feel. Proud young man, ya don't like givin' in. Everybody gives in, at some time.
SL: Stay back from that door, Mangrim.
TM: Boy, what I'm telling' ya is so much better than being proud and lonely . . And dead.
Scott swallows at this. Close up of Zee, looking scared. TM pulls his watch out of his pocket, looks at it.
TM: We're runnin' short of time, boy.
SL: Get back from that door, Mangrim!
He points the gun at the top of the door.
TM: You got just five . . POW! Scott shoots through the door!
TM looks up at the bullet hole. He puts his watch back in his pocket, stands, puts the chair back to where it was and then walks over to his men. We can see that there are a lot more than just the six that were there earlier!!!.
Inside, we hear a noise, Scott turns and looks towards the cell and he sees a rope tied around the bars of the cell window. Zee is standing on the bunk. SL hurries over to the cell door, but of course he can't open it. He holsters his gun, turns and runs out . . Zee lifts her leg up to the window.
Outside: we see SL come out of the jail and run around the corner, rifle in hand. It's the townspeople who are springing Zee!!
SL: Harker!! Shove her back inside! SL gestures with the rifle.
Harker: Oh no I ain't! . .you don't give a hoot if this whole town gets killed. We ain't gonna ?????? For ya prisoner.
SL: Harker, shove her back in.
Widow Hargis, pointing a pistol: We're not going to .. .
SL starts to move, but the Widow says: Don't turn! I have a gun. All right, drop it. You wouldn't shoot at a woman, would ya?
Scott drops his rifle. The Widow removes the gun from his holster.
WH, to Harker: Help her down!
Zee jumps into the wagon bed which is positioned below the window. Then Mangrim rides over with his crew.
TM: Now you see, son, you've got these good friends here, they wouldn't let ya destroy yourself for your own pride. . .(to the townspeople he adds): And you done it yourselves! Of your own free will, I never asked for it! I call on ya to remember that!
Close up of an unhappy SL.
WH, to Zee; Well, go ahead. We did our best for ya . . You made your choice. Go with him.
TM, to Zee: See, Girl, they washed hands of ya.
TM, to townspeople: She thanks ya kindly. You've washed hands of her, move along, that's it.
Widow: Go on home! Go on!
Trask, walks over to Scott: Lancer, I . . I . .
Scott just looks at him, Trask gives up and walks away.
Harker jumps down from the wagon bed, leaving Zee standing there alone. Scott is standing on the ground near the cart.
Zee, to TM: All right, I'm ready ta go with you.
Mangrim reaches for a shotgun with a very looong barrel.
TM, to Zee: I got one other lesson ta instruct ya, Girl. See these people of mine here . .well, they all hate me. (Zee looks around at his men) They sure do . . You probably wonder why they stick with me . . You know why? Cause as much as they hate me, every one of 'em's got something even worse waitin' for 'em somewhere else. But you don't , ya see. (Close up of Zee) Now you gotta have that something worse waitin' for you, so I know you're never gonna leave me. Hm?
Close up of SL, wondering where TM is going with this. Mangrim hands Zee the gun. She takes it.
TM: What I mean is, draw down on him Girl. Both barrels.
Close up of SL again, he swallows. Zee looks determined.
TM: Go ahead. The town folk are off there, but they won't likely interfere. . .go on.
Zee looks rather distressed now. She looks at Scott. He looks back at her, without much expression. Zee cocks the gun, one barrel. SL watches, swallows again. She cocks the second barrel. He keeps looking at her. She stares at Scott.
Zee: Mr. Mangrim . . (she turns towards him) You are the most ex-traneous man I ever did meet!
She fires at Mangrim! Mangrim just sits there. His men all laugh!
TM: I'm, umm, very disappointed in you, Girl.
Mangrim reaches for the gun, takes it from her.
TM: Remember, I told ya I never mistake a person? I wouldn't give you live shot in them shells--it's the weakness of a dark-haired woman . .they ain't just tricky, they're sentimental. Well . . .I'm disappointed, but I'm alive, an' legal.
He rides away with his men.
SL looks up at Zee and smiles (in relief). He helps her down from the wagon.
SCENE 10
We see the saloon, court is in session. We hear the judge tapping with his gavel. Zee is seated in the front row, she is wearing a dress. We see the Widow beside her and ML is also in the "courtroom", but the deputy seated next to Zee is not Scott.
Judge: The defendant will rise . . .in accordance with the jury's findings, I sentence you to two years imprisonment----
Camera shift to Scott standing outside the swinging doors, hat in hand. He is wearing his caramel colored jacket . . He looks at the ground, reacts to the judge's words.
Judge: And I suspend sentence on good behavior . . (Scott straightens, smiles) I remand you, in probation, to the custody of Mrs. Eulalia Hargis. (Scott turns towards the door, big smile!) This court is adjourned and the bar is open.
Scott goes into the saloon. The new lawman is removing the handcuffs from Zee's wrists. Her dress is pretty, red, and ML is standing behind Zee.
Zee, to Scott: Hi. You're that deputy.
ML: Ex-deputy.
Zee: You're late.
SL: Zee . . I . . I'm really happy the way things turned out.
Zee smiles at Scott, then says: I reckon I'll be in this town for quite a while, keeping' store for the Widow, so she says. You ever come in ta town, buy your dry goods?
SL: I come in to town a couple of times a year.
Zee: Well, maybe if you're lucky, you'll see me.
Camera has been tight on Scott and Zee--now we see the room and the people, including JL seated in a chair with his hat on his hand, spinning it. The Widow and Zee leave, JL gets up from his chair and approaches the bar, saying : How 'bout a drink?
Murdoch and Scott go out following the Widow and Zee. The two women are walking away.
Scott, with hat in hand: Zee . . I'm not through with you yet.
Zee, turns and smiles at Scott: Well, now, I ain't through with you, neither.
She goes over and gives him a Big Kiss. She puts her arms around him, but he is holding his hat, so he just stands there and gets kissed. Shot of JL, with his chin resting on the top of the swinging doors of the saloon, watching, beer mug in hand.
Big smile from SL as he watches Zee and the Widow walk away. Zee tries to join in a game with the kids in the street, but the Widow won't let her.
THE END
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