Hanging Bonnie MacFarlane/dialogues

[Marston walks into the marshal's office. Drew is there.]

Drew: I don't have a clue! Alright, but it's got to be something to do with that government boy!

Marshal: We'll talk to him, find out what he knows.

Drew: Fuckin' is. Where is she, Marston?

Marston: Who?

Drew: Who? My daughter, you fucking scum. Where's Bonnie?

Marston: I don't know. I haven't seen her since after the fire. Why?

Drew: Why? Because she hasn't been seen since yesterday afternoon. I don't think I can cope. If I lose another child--

Marshal: Now Drew, nobody's lost anything yet. I'm sure she's fine--

Voice: Oh, Mister Marshal... Mr. Marshal... Come out, come out, wherever you are.

Marshal: Who the hell is that?

[They go out to see a bandit on horseback.]

Bandit: Even better. Good day, Mr. MacFarlane.

Marshal: Get down from that horse, boy, or I'll shoot.

Bandit: I wouldn't recommend that, mister. Not if Drew MacFarlane wants to see his Bonnie back in one piece. Hey, Mr. MacFarlane, it's a nice girl you got there.

Drew: Get down from there!

Bandit: You know, part of me's got to thinking I should just marry her myself. Give her a baby and that.

Marshal: What do you want?

Bandit: That's better. I want Norman Deek. I want him set free. Then you get your daughter back, mister.

Marshal: We don't do deals with outlaws, boy.

Bandit: Yeah you do! Let's not waste each other's time pretending otherwise. Whole government themselves ain't much more than a bunch of crooks. This is the land of opportunity, mister, and I'm giving you the opportunity to get your daughter back before fifteen friends of mine take out all their anger and their loneliness on her.

Drew: Where the hell is she?

Marshal: Where is she, boy?

Bandit: Bring Deek up to Tumbleweed in a couple of hours. And no getting no funny ideas, or I will slit that whore's throat myself! You boys have a pleasant afternoon. Ya!

[He rides away. The marshal calls a huddle.]

Marshal: What do we do?

Marston: We do as he says. You and me, Marshal. Mr. MacFarlane, I'll get you your daughter back. I owe her that.

Drew: Please do.

Marshal: I'll teach you some respect for the law.

[Jonah carries a hogtied Deek out of the office.]

Marshal: Hurry up, boy. Let's go. Quick as you can, deputy, and make sure he's tied on good.

Jonah: Stay with me, Marston.

Marston: I won't let anything happen to her, sir.

[The posse rides out of Armadillo.]

Marshal: Right, let's go get Miss MacFarlane back. See, this is what happens when the federals interfere in our affairs. Are you happy now?

Marston: No, I ain't happy. And I already told you, I ain't with the government.

Marshal: Ahh you say that, John, but the only thing I know for sure is who sent you.

Marston: They made me come here. They gave me no choice. That's your federal government, Mr. Johnson.

Marshal: They come down here, dressed as cocky as the king of diamonds, talkin' a lot of flannel about helpin' us, about spreadin' peace and civilization to the West, but they've brought nothin' but trouble and taxes.

Marston: I agree with you. Wolves in sheep's clothing, all of 'em. Rob you, then make you pay to have someone investigate the crime on your behalf.

Marshal: People 'round here have been fooled into feelin' protected when they're worse off than they were before.

Marston: The fellas I know don't care about people. All they care about is linin' their pockets. Why's this sorry son-of-a-bitch so important to them?

Marshal: Norman Deek's Williamson's right-hand man. In other words, a glorified errand boy.

Norman: You wait, Marshal. I'll be back for you.

Marshal: Bill's standards have slipped.

Norman: We already filled you with lead once, you ugly bastard.

Marshal: Deek's the kind of man who's mean enough to be second-in-command but too cowardly and stupid to ever be a leader.

Marston: Don't ever use that line near your deputies. You know, for his sake, they'd best not have laid a finger on Miss MacFarlane. What is this place we're headed?

Marshal: Tumbleweed? A lonely, godforsaken place. Some people say it's haunted. It was quite a town, back in its day. Then they build the railroad in Armadillo and went clean past Tumbleweed. And that was that. Pretty soon, everybody had upped and left. Now it's just thieves, smugglers, and bandits...scum like Deek here. Old popular spot for lynchin's too.

Marston: Let's try to avoid that if we can, Marshal.

Marshal: I just hope you're not taking advantage of the MacFarlanes, Marston.

Marston: They saved my life, gave me food and a bed when they had no idea who I was. I owe them more than I can ever repay.

Marshal: It's just they've been through a lot and, well, they're both vulnerable in different ways.

Marston: I wouldn't have been runnin' in and out of a burnin' barn to save their horses otherwise.

Marshal: Oh, I know you helped. Just like you helped me. But you got your reasons for doin' it.

Marston: It's no secret why I'm here, Marshal. I told you the very first time I walked into your office.

Marshal: I trust you. It's just, all this business with Blackwater and Williamson and the past. I don't know...sometimes it's hard not to have doubts.

Marston: I understand. I never planned on being in the lawman business neither.

Marshal: How was this mess supposed to turn out? Sendin' an outlaw to do the work of a lawman? That's madness.

Marston: Ain't much difference between the two, as far as I can tell.

Marshal: There have to be rules, Marston. Even you must understand that.

Marston: It's easy to make up rules, but they ain't much use if the people don't understand why. Like my son. If I tell him not do do somethin', he'll do it anyways, just to spite me. If I punish him, he resents me for it. But if I show him why it's wrong, at least he has a reason not to do it again.

Marshal: That's nonsense. Without laws, we're nothing more than animals. Just look at Deek here.

Norman: Go to hell!

Marshal: Man has worked hard at civilization. Your boy steps out of line, you whack him. He does it again, whack him harder.

Marston: You're a good man, Marshal. And I respect what you're trying to do. But what I've seen since I've arrived here, the Law ain't really workin'.

Marshal: Criminals are like weeds, Marston. Quick as you stomp one out, another one sprouts up in its place. It's the nature of places. You know that as well as I do.

Marston: The problem with laws is, everybody ain't the same. And why should a bunch of rich university boys in the East get to decide how a man in Armadillo should live his life?

Marshal: Ughh, well maybe you're right about that.

Norman: I can't wait for you to meet the boys. Stop spurrin' so hard, you son-of-a-bitch! Only a coward hides behind a badge.

Marshal: Come on, boys. Over the bridge.

[They arrive at Tumbleweed and prepare to make the trade.]

Norman: Easy there.

Marshal: John, you'll be exchanging Bonnie for the prisoner in the middle of town. Keep your eyes open. I sincerely doubt these scum plan to play fair.

Norman: Fair my ass.

Marston: You bet. Besides, Norm here's going to be my shield. Ain't you, Norm?

Norman: It'd be my pleasure.

Marshal: John, you lead Deek into town and make the exchange.

[Marston and Deek start walking.]

Norman: I'm sure it's been nice for the boys to have a whore to play with. I hear those rancher girls like it in the rear. Maybe she won't wanna go home, she's been fucked so good. Get these ropes offa me, boys.

Marston: Where's Bonnie? I thought we had a deal?

Bandit: Well, you thought wrong. We don't make deals with the Law.

Marshal: It's a trap! Take cover! Quick, find Bonnie!

[Marston shoots through town and cuts Bonnie from the gallows.]

Marston: Bonnie, are you okay?

Marshal: I'm fine now, Mr. Marston. Thank you. Thank you. What the hell took you so long, you stupid man?

Marston: Well, you weren't exactly helping me.

Marshal: If you think I'm going to lower myself by making a joke about being "all tied up," you've got another thing coming. Come on.