Western Script

FADE IN:
THE BUCKING BRONCO SALOON
Whisky Pete is sitting at the bar drinking a shot of red-eye and Bob the Bartender is polishing a glass.

PETE
Dang it Bob, I think you’re waterin’ the rye again!

BOB
No, I’m not. If I did that then I’d be strung up come Sunday mornin’.

PETE
Yeah, I guess your right.

He drinks the rest of the muddy brown liquid and scrubs his mouth with the hem of his ragged sleeve.

PETE
I guess I’m just madder’n a wet hen.

BOB
What’s got you so et up?

PETE
You know I been workin’ for Joe Dillon out at the Bar Q Ranch?

BOB
Yep.

PETE
Well about fifteen head of cattle disappeared last night and he thinks I done it.

BOB
Awww hell, if he really thought you’d rustled his steer then you’d be deader’n my granny.

Pete pulls at his beard.

PETE
‘Spose so, but he said weren’t no use in my comin’ back ‘til they was found.

Bob pulls the bottle away.

BOB
So how you plan on payin’?

Pete grabs the bottle back.

PETE
Don’t you fret about that. I got money enough to drink this rotgut. I told that snake boss o’ mine what happened and he thinks I was drunk. Now I ain’t never drunk when I’m watchin’ a herd.

BOB
I can swear to that. So why does he think you were drunk.

PETE
Well the story’s crazy and I know that as sure as I’m sittin’ here. I’ll tell ya ‘cause ya know I ain’t crazy.

FADE OUT:

FADE IN:
BAR Q RANCH (THE PREVIOUS NIGHT)

PETE (VOICEOVER)
I was watchin’ the cattle just like I had ever’ night for the last week. The moon had set and just a little light came from the stars. I had dozed off a bit but I woke up when I heard the cattle start to low.

Pete, seated on his horse, jolts awake.

PETE (VOICEOVER)
I slapped leather sure that it was a coyote or somethin’ that they had smelled. Even Tarheel started to act nervous and after a minute I couldn’t keep my saddle and have hopes of hittin’ anything so I slid of and tried my best to see what had them riled up.

Pete slides to the ground and probes the darkness, gun drawn. A branch snaps in the near distance.

PETE
Who’s there? Whoever it is you better…

A dark form seemingly covered in hair comes into the frame and smashes Pete on the side of the head, knocking him sprawling in the dust.

FADE OUT:

FADE IN:

THE BUCKING BRONCO SALOON

PETE
So that’s it.

BOB
What’s it? A big hairy man knocked you out?

PETE
That weren’t no man. It had red eyes and big teeth.

BOB
Well I’ll tell you what, I can’t blame the man for thinkin’ you was drunk. I wouldn’t buy it m’self but you ain’t a liar.

PETE
Thanks for that much.

BOB
You sure it wasn’t just an Injun?

PETE
Hell no. Not ‘less their breedin’ with bears round here.

BOB
A bear then, maybe that was it.

PETE
Didn’t stand like a bear and if a bear hit me I’d be dead right about now.

BOB
So you gonna tell the sheriff?

PETE
I figure Joe’s done did that.

BOB
Well he surely didn’t tell Sheriff Joshua what you just told me.

PETE
So?

BOB
So if you ain’t crazy and weren’t drunk then somethin’ out there took ‘n probably killed Jo’s cattle. Maybe if you could find out what then you’d get your job back. As it stands now ain’t nobody gonna hire you if they think you were bein’ a fool.

THE END