HUNTERS FOR REVENGE A play in two acts by Seamus Norris HUNTERS FOR REVENGE CHARACTERS; Joshua Trappe - Bartender/Narrator. Jim Temple - Stranger in Town. Kelly Garrett - Young Widow/Farmer. Sam Stone - Sheriff of Liberty. Mountain Dan - Old Trapper/Gambler. Howard Dukes - Saloon Owner/Mayor/Business Man Julie Stone - Sam's wife. Lily-Ann - Saloon girl Jack Barrett - Gunslinger. SETTING; The Silver Spurs saloon in Liberty, Texas. It is the 15th August 1885. The Saloon has a swinging door and window facing the street on stage right. A door to a back room is on stage left. The bar is to the left hand side while there are several tables and chairs about the place. There is also a piano. The decor is very plain and standard for the time. ACT I SCENE 1; Joshua Trappe is cleaning glasses as Mountain Dan and Lily-Ann play poker in the middle of the saloon. JOSHUA: (To the Audience). Hello folks, my name is Joshua Washington Trappe. I'm a bartender here at the Silver Spurs saloon, in the town of Liberty in the state of Texas. The year is eighteen hundred and eighty-five and it is August fifteen. Liberty is a small town, population six hundred and seventy one. It was six hundred and seventy two up until the day before yesterday. But poor old Bill Hardcastle died at the ripe old age of eighty-seven, may the Lord have mercy on his soul. I've been here for almost two years and the most exciting thing to happen in those two years, bar a certain incident three weeks ago, which I will tell you about in awhile, was the time Ed Nelligan lost his pants to Lily-Ann in a poker game. That's her over there playing with Mountain Dan. (He points at Lily-Ann and Mountain Dan). She's what the boss calls an entertainer. I believe she came from a good family. She's been good to me. She's really nice underneath all that make-up. I like her. Anyway when Ed's wife found out, she went plum crazy. She came over to the saloon here and herself and Lily-Ann tore each other apart like wild-cats. Then our conscientious Sheriff, Sam Stone, put a stop to it. The fight has been the talk of the town ever since. Reverend Aitken even preached about the number of commandments, the two women broke, not to mention, Ed himself. Ed hasn't been back since, poor man. Mountain Dan there (points at Dan), He's a strange one. Spends most of his time up in the hills. He does some trapping. Then he comes to Liberty to sell his furs and either loses must of his money playing cards or drinking gallons of whiskey. Some folks, say he was a civil war hero. He claims he can speak the tongue of fourteen Indian tribes and is a personal friend of the great Cochise. Dan is a great man to spin a story. He's been around. ©opyright 26th October 1996 Author: Seamus Norris Page : 2 HUNTERS FOR REVENGE The guy who owns this place is Howard Dukes. Mister Dukes is a man with great notions. He is also mayor of Liberty. He's not the nicest man in Liberty. However, people look up to him as the man who will put Liberty on the map. He aims to bring the railroad to Liberty. He makes no bones about the fact that he wants to be rich. He is driven by greed. Still, he's my boss and if he benefits, I'm sure I will too. Well, at least I hope I will.. My own ambitions are fairly humble. I plan to get out of this bartending and settle down with some nice girl on a few acres and raise myself a few cows and a few kids and maybe some chickens. Well they're humble compared to Mister Dukes. I mentioned a few moments ago about a certain incident which took place in Liberty three weeks ago which was more "exciting", though dramatic, might be a better word, than Ed Nelligan losing his pants to Lily-Ann. Well, you see folks, Tom Barrett rode into town. He won some bucks playing cards with a few local farmers. He drank quite a bit. I'm probably to blame for serving him so much, but Tom was one mean young dude and he scared me. He mistreated Lily-Ann and then started to act violently when myself and a few others pulled him away from her. He threw chairs and tables around. Someone went for Sheriff Stone. Sam Stone used to be a Texas Ranger. Sam tried to cool Tom down and said he would throw him into the jailhouse for the night to sober up. Then, Tom drew his gun, he started shooting. We were terrified. Sam tried to grab the gun. In the tussle, the guns goes off again.. Tom fell to the floor, dead... Sam didn't mean it. I never seen a man die before. I hope I will never witness one again. He had a look of shock, then he started to vomit and splutter up blood, dark red blood. Sam shouted to get Doc Hayes. It was too late. Tom Barrett got paler, then he get wearier, then he was dead. Lying there in a pool of blood.. It was hard to believe he was shouting and roaring a few minutes earlier. A young man dead.... I'm embarrassed to say that I threw my guts up... Word reached Liberty yesterday, that the notorious gunfighter, Jack Barrett, Tom's brother, is on his way to Liberty to find the man who shot his brother. Word is, he will arrive today or tomorrow. I hope Sam will be able to handle him. I'm sure he will be able to get a few deputy's to help him. He hasn't needed any before this. Mind you, I won't be one. ENTER HOWARD DUKES dressed in a suit and a waste coat. Howard is middle-aged, with a receding hairline and slightly on the chubby side. JOSHUA: Here's Mister Dukes folks. DUKES: Joshua! Are you going to spend all day cleaning those glasses? Lily-Ann, remember, fifty percent of your winnings are mine. Don't try to cheat me! LILY-ANN: Sure, boss. DAN: Who says she's going to win? DUKES: She better. (He goes over to the saloon door). You know, today is going to be a big day in Liberty. JOSHUA; Why do you say that Mister Dukes? DUKES: Simply because there will be a great gunfight between the great Sheriff, Sam Stone and the notorious gunfighter. Jack Barrett. ©opyright 26th October 1996 Author: Seamus Norris Page : 3 HUNTERS FOR REVENGE JOSHUA: So? DUKES: One of these great men will be killed. JOSHUA: What's great about that? DUKES: Joshua, son, think about it. Liberty will become a tourist attraction and the Silver Spurs will be the centre of attention, and I will benefit. You too Joshua, you too. Everyone for miles around will want to see where Jack Barrett or Sam Stone met their end. JOSHUA: Maybe, Jack Barrett will be reasonable. DUKES: And pigs will fly! Jack Barrett's brother has been shot by Sam Stone. What do you think he'll do? Kiss him on both cheeks! JOSHUA: He may not come at all, you know how rumours travel. DUKES: Oh he'll come alright (smiles). And I do know how rumours travel. JOSHUA: I can't see how tourists will come anyway. DUKES: That's why I'm a business man and you're a bartender. DUKES: People love death. Didn't you see all the people who ran to the door of this saloon the other week when young Tom was shot? Christ even Reverend Aitken was in here. When did you ever see that happen before? And the bloodier the better. DUKES: You know what the best result for me would be?... Jack Barrett to win, because then they'll have to hang him. The crowds will flock to Liberty for the trial and the hangin' and drink in the only saloon in town, the Silver Spurs. Joshua boy, I'm gonna to be rich. EXIT DUKES on to the street whistling. JOSHUA: What do you make of that? DAN: Oh calm yourself.. There's not much we can do Joshua. JOSHUA: What are you saying? DAN: Barrett will come, kill and hit the trail again. He won't be caught. JOSHUA: You think Barrett will kill Sam? DAN; I hear only Wyatt Earp and the infamous Jake Kimberly are faster. LILY-ANN: Dukes is right about one thing, it will attract people to Liberty. But not the right type of people. DAN: That's the price of fame and wealth Lily-Ann. JOSHUA: You've killed men Dan, haven't you? DAN: More, than I care to remember. In the war I didn't even know their names. God, some were only kids. Bull Run was crazy. Those Yankees, just kept coming at us. My God, it's about two weeks to the 23rd anniversary of that battle. The cannons roared so loud, you could hardly hear yourself breath. I remember those Yankees charging at us, bayonets piercing the tender skin of Johnny Reb. boys, some as young as fourteen. LILY-ANN: Please spare us the details, Dan. DAN: I'm sorry, Lily-Ann. JOSHUA: Would you face Jack Barrett? DAN: (pause) Son, I don't have to make that decision.