The Circle Unbroken

By R. Earle Harris
All rights reserved (c) 2015 (r dot earle dot harris at gmx dot com)

`FADE IN:`

`EXT. GUTHRIE - NIGHT`

Guthrie, Oklahoma. 1880s. Deputy Marshal Bill TILGHMAN rides through the quiet streets.

`EXT. GROCER'S WAREHOUSE - NIGHT`

Tilghman rides up to a warehouse, dismounts, and walks to a dark open doorway.

`INT. GROCER'S WAREHOUSE - NIGHT`

Continuous. Darkened grocery warehouse. Tilghman enters

                         TILGHMAN

               Marshal Nix?

Tilghman's not even sure he's in the right place.

                         TILGHMAN (CONT'D)

               Marshal Nix!

Marshal E.D. NIX comes out of the darkness by an office door.

NIX

               You must be Tilghman.

                         TILGHMAN

               Yes, sir. I got your letter.

NIX

               And?

                         TILGHMAN

               I'm int'rested.

NIX

                Come in and sit down, Mr. Tilghman.

Nix re-enters his office and lights a lamp.

                         NIX (CONT'D)

                Until last month, I was the biggest 
                wholesale grocer in the Oklahoma and 
                Indian territories. Take off your 
                hat, Mr. Tilghman.

Tilghman takes off his hat.

                         NIX (CONT'D)

                Now I'm their biggest marshal, too.

Nix waits for Tilghman to respond.

                         TILGHMAN

               Yes, sir.

NIX

                Mr. Tilghman, I'm not a lawman. I 
                like being a rich grocer too much 
                to ride around on a horse and get 
                myself shot at. I expect my deputies 
                to get shot at for me.

Nix waits for a reaction and Tilghman waits him out.

                         NIX (CONT'D)

               Will you do that for me?

                         TILGHMAN

               Yes, sir.

NIX

                Then you can be my first deputy. Hire 
                a posse, men you already trust - I'll 
                pay.

Nix hands Tilghman a messy sheaf of wanted bills and warrants.

                         NIX (CONT'D)

                Here's the Doolins. Bill Doolin is 
                trying to make a name for himself 
                by robbing the biggest banks he can 
                find. We can't have that, can we Mr. 
                Tilghman?

                         TILGHMAN

               No, sir.

NIX

                Lock them up. Will you do that for 
                me?

                         TILGHMAN

               Yes, sir.

NIX

                You don't say much, do you, Mr. Tilghman?

                         TILGHMAN

               No, sir.

Tilghman waits for Nix to say more.

                         TILGHMAN (CONT'D)

               I'd best get started.

NIX

                You'd best get results. Wait: here's 
                one more.

Scoops another wanted bill off his desk; on it is Little Dick West. Little Dick's picture becomes--

`INT. BANK - DAY`

--LITTLE DICK in a bank robbery in Spearville, Oklahoma. Bill DOOLIN and ARKANSAS TOM are inside with him. Doolin is a handsome, fame-hungry, and pleasant outlaw. Arkansas Tom is a kid thrilled just to be here.

                         LITTLE DICK

               Look out, Dool!

Dick shoots down a bank guard.

`EXT. BANK - DAY`

Continuous. TULSA JACK and RED BUCK Waightman are outside the bank holding off the locals.

                         RED BUCK

                Hurry it up, Doolin! I ain't riskin' 
                my life out here for nothin'!

`INT. BANK - DAY`

Continuous. Little Dick has his gun on two clerks as Doolin backs them into the vault.

                         DOOLIN

               Just hold 'em off, Red!

                         LITTLE DICK

               We could go, Dool. We got enough.

                         DOOLIN

                Not until we have it all, amigo. We 
                don't get ourselves in the papers 
                doin' things halfway.

One of the clerks is hyperventilating.

                         DOOLIN

                Relax, gentlemen, we don't shoot men 
                who cooperate. If you'll just step 
                into the vault, we'll be gone.

Doolin ushers the clerks into the vault.

                         DOOLIN (CONT'D)

               Take the bags, Tom.

`EXT. STREET - DAY`

Up the street from the bank, shouts, shots. Armed citizens gathering.

`EXT. STREET - DAY`

Continuous. MAYOR approaches and collars a shouter.

                         MAYOR

                We've got ears! Now quiet down all 
                of you and do what I tell you. Have 
                the station wire the new marshal in 
                Guthrie.

One man runs off towards the telegraph office.

                         MAYOR (CONT'D)

                Those of you that hate thieves and 
                are carrying sidearms, follow me.

`INT. BANK - DAY`

Doolin is wasting time, glorying in the take. Red Buck appears in the doorway.

                         RED BUCK

                Come on, Dool. This town's shooting 
                back--

                         DOOLIN

               They're what?

                         RED BUCK

                --and I don't get paid for dyin'. 
                Let's go or I'm leavin'.

                         DOOLIN

                    (To Dick.)

               What's with Red?

`EXT. STREET - DAY`

Red Buck and Tulsa Jack are coming under stiff fire. They return fire with their pistols. Tulsa's horse is wounded. Doolin comes out.

                         RED BUCK

               I'm leaving here, Doolin!

                         DOOLIN

               You wait for us. Come on, Tom.

Wooden post by Doolin's face is splintered by gunfire.

                         DOOLIN (CONT'D)

               All right. That's enough of that.

Doolin calmly shoots the mayor and the citizens scatter.

                         DOOLIN (CONT'D)

               Now we're leaving, Red.

Doolin mounts.

`EXT. STREET - DAY`

Continuous. Doolins ride away from gunfire.

`EXT. STREET - DAY`

Down the street in the direction the Doolins are headed. A father and teenage son move to join in the fray.

                         FATHER

               Come on, son.

Father and son shoot from cover at approaching riders.

`EXT. STREET - DAY`

Continuous. Doolin's POV. Doolin shoots father. Son emerges suddenly into Doolin's view and, firing a big revolver over and over, drops Doolin's horse.

                         DOOLIN

               Jeezus H--

`EXT. STREET - DAY`

Continuous. Son's POV. Son closes with Doolin, firing. As Doolin struggles to free himself from the fallen horse, Little Dick, on horseback, appears suddenly bearing down on the son with revolver leveled.

`EXT. STREET - DAY`

Continuous. Son's POV. Dick rides the son down, glancingly, and as the son falls, Little Dick holds the son's eyes with his own and keeps the gun pointed in the son's face.

`EXT. STREET - DAY`

Continuous. Dick's POV. Dick's horse sweeps by. But he does not shoot the young man.

`EXT. STREET - DAY`

Continuous. Doolin frees himself from the horse and Dick rides up to him.

                         DOOLIN

               That boy ruined my horse.

                         LITTLE DICK

                Forget it, Dool. I've got you; swing 
                up.

Doolin cuts his bag of money loose from the horse and climbs up behind Dick.

`EXT. RAILROAD - DAY`

An engine with one cattle car, is steaming down the rails. Through the open door of the car, Tilghman, his six men, and their horses - all crowded together - are visible.

`EXT. WOODS - DAY`

Ad hoc posse from Spearville is in pursuit of the Doolins down a trail through the woods.

`EXT. WOODS - DAY`

Two ambushers are hidden just off the trail.

`EXT. RAILROAD - DAY`

Marhsal's short train slows into Spearville.

`EXT. WOODS - DAY`

The posse from Spearville is ambushed and easily driven off by two riders. As the posse leaves, we see the ambushers are women: Cattle ANNIE and LITTLE BRITCHES.

                         ANNIE

               How was that?

They walk back to their horses.

                         LITTLE BRITCHES

               Alright, Annie. That was alright.

                         ANNIE

               I told you this would be fun.

`EXT. COUNTRYSIDE - DUSK`

Tilghman and his posse plunge from the train.

`EXT. ROAD - DUSK`

Wide spot in the road. The Doolins have gathered and are splitting the Spearville take.

                         TULSA JACK

                Those storekeepers almost ruined my 
                horse.

                         ARKANSAS TOM

               All they shot were horses.

                         DOOLIN

               Must like big targets.

                         LITTLE DICK

                Dool, there's over eighteen thousand 
                dollars here.

                         ARKANSAS TOM

                That's more than the James and Youngers 
                ever got. And every paper in Oklahoma 
                is gonna be talking about how we did 
                it.

                         DOOLIN

                Tom, I don't want to be compared to 
                the James boys. We're going to keep 
                robbing the banks biggest banks we 
                can find until the papers start comparing 
                the James Gang to us.

Two riders approach.

                         DOOLIN (CONT'D)

               Evening, ladies.

Annie and Little Britches approach.

                         DOOLIN (CONT'D)

               Who's your friend, Annie?

                         ANNIE

               This is my good friend Jennie.

Doolin tips his hat while the others gawk.

                         DOOLIN

               Miss Jennie.

Little Britches smiles in return.

                         ANNIE

                I finally talked her into leaving 
                Hot Springs.

                         DOOLIN

               Anyone behind you, Annie?

                         ANNIE

                Not any more. We talked them into 
                giving up within three miles of the 
                bank.

                         DOOLIN

               That was ladylike of you.

`EXT. COUNTRYSIDE - DUSK`

Tilghman and the marshals ride behind Chris MADSEN, who tracks the Doolins. Madsen was Danish and looked like a big, dumb farmer. Posse: Jim MASTERSON, Ed HOUSTON, Lafe SHADLEY, Reed LUCAS.

`EXT. WOODS - DUSK`

Continuous. Little Dick and Red Buck have been watching Little Britches. She ignores Red and then openly returns Dick's attention.

                         LITTLE BRITCHES

               Hi ya.

                         LITTLE DICK

               I'm Little Dick.

                         LITTLE BRITCHES

               Little Britches.

Dick hesitates.

                         LITTLE BRITCHES (CONT'D)

               Me. Not you.

Dick checks out her britches.

                         LITTLE DICK

               They sure become you.

Screenplay truncated at 500 lines.