Original animation screenplay by J. Salieri
A bounty hunter runs into an unexpected challenge.THE CHASE
J. Salieri
EXT. THE CITY NIGHT
It’s raining. Two men shiver under the meager protection of a 1890s saloon’s tattered porch. Rain leaks through the wood and pools on the men’s cowboy hats.
One of the men, EARL HILL, has a cold. He looks permanently angry. He sneezes loudly. The other man, SALTY, is drinking from a bottle of whiskey.
SALTY
They’re a bunch of kids. Nothing like back in my day.
EARL HILL
Back in your day a stolen cow made the news here and in Pittsburgh.
SALTY
We had principles, is what I mean. Now there’s just a bunch of bank robbers running around calling themselves things like the Marquis. What the hell is a Marquis? Is it better than a duke, or worse? Bah… Idiots with guns.
EARL HILL
You sell them the guns, Salty. And they usually have bits of their former owners all over them.
SALTY
You should go after that Red Cloud Gang. You’re getting five years older every day you spend holed up in this place, you need a challenge.
EARL HILL sneezes again.
EARL HILL
I’m short on money. I have bigger fish to catch.
SALTY
Two of them got their faces nailed on the sheriff’s wall last month.
EARL HILL
How much are they worth?
A STRANGER walks out of the saloon, interrupting them. He looks drunk, laughs loudly. He stumbles into EARL HILL and their eyes meet briefly. The STRANGER smiles cleverly and walks away under the rain.
SALTY points at the stranger with a smile. When he moves, dirty water pours down the brim of his hat.
SALTY
(Whispering)
That’s him. One of the two, I mean. I think he’s called Hart. Yeah, that’s it. Day Hart.
EARL HILL reaches for his pocket watch and realizes it’s gone.
EARL HILL
Fucking hell!
SALTY
What?
EARL HILL
I’ll pay you half the bottle when I’m back. Sorry.
He starts walking away briskly.
EARL HILL (Cont’d)
Thanks for the name. I think I’ll use it.
SALTY
Hey, hey, be careful! That guy’s—
EARL HILL
I’ll drag him back here within the hour. Watch and learn.
EXT. THE CITY OUTSKIRTS NIGHT
DAY HART’s boots walk through the puddles, getting mud all over them.
On a wall, a wanted poster with his face, sporting a roguish smile, is getting wet in the rain.
DAY HART slips the stolen watch from his pocket and opens it to check the time. He smirks.
DAY HART
(To himself)
Alright. You got me.
He closes the watch. Reflected on its polished surface, EARL HILL’s silhouette walks a few steps behind him.
DAY HART (Cont’d)
You know, cat feet, I gotta give you credit. You’re more perceptive than your friend there.
EARL HILL huffs, annoyed.
DAY HART keeps walking. All we see is his back.
DAY HART
I like to think I would’ve bought you a drink if I’d met you at the bar five minutes earlier. Though I admit, I would’ve probably stolen from you anyways.
He opens the watch again. The hands turn, counting the seconds audibly.
DAY HART (Cont’d)
Or we could’ve played cards. You strike me as a card player.
They walk up a small hill. DAY HART closes the watch, dangling it by its chain. He tosses it into the air and flicks a knife with his free hand, nailing the watch to the end of a fencepost.
DAY HART (Cont’d)
There’s your watch. Nice piece of work.
He finally turns around, smiling wide. He tips his hat and walks backwards to the edge of the hill. One of his boots passes over the edge and dangles on thin air. EARL HILL looks alarmed and starts running, too late. DAY HART takes another step back and hops backwards from the edge of the hill and onto the roof of a passing train.
EARL HILL tries to catch him and his hands close on thin air. He sways over the edge of the hill, stumbles backwards and falls on his ass. The train roars, carrying DAY HART away as he waves goodbye.
DAY HART
Until next time, cat feet!
EARL HILL stumbles to his feet, furious. He yanks the knife out of the fencepost and retrieves his pocket watch. As he opens it and stares at it, getting soaked under the rain, his anger melts into amused laughter.
EARL HILL
Sooner than you think.
He closes the pocket watch.
THE END
