Blackthorne--Scene 53

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Blackthorne

Cinemagenic Fifty-Three

Red Riders

“The intruders know who we are and saw that

our house is full.”--Ray Jarosz.

1(overhead wide drone shot) angle over the top of the five riders,

300 yards out from the camp site, moving fast.

2(sound cue) coronet & snare drum.

3(tighten the shot--in slow motion) the tracking across broad horse’s

rumps, muscles rippling, tails high, then back across the broad

shoulders of the mysterious riders.

4(cut to medium wide-shot) the lip of a small rise, angle on a hawk

perched atop some tall sage.

5(sound cue) horse’s hooves.

6(hold the shot) as the riders emerge over the rim with swirling dust

rolling over them, just as the hawk burst into flight.

7(sound cue) hawk’s cry, lots of leather creaking, pounding hooves

over kettle drum.

8(cut to two-shot) Buck & Johnny, their stiff backs to the camera, facing

the oncoming horde.

9(tight two-shot) angle on Johnny: Cocked & loaded, boss.

Buck: Fucking boy rowdy.

10(sound cue) fire popping, dog growling over slide guitar riff.

11(cut to wide shot) as the riders come in full gallop, the sun rising

behind them, their faces in red shadow. They pulled up hard & fast

as their horses snorted, nickered, & pranced-- heaving & steaming.

12(close-up) Buck’s eyes, sizing them up.

13(close-up) Johnny, recognizing all of them, his eyes hardening.

14(voice-over) Buck: The honcho in front has to be Bronson.

15(medium one-shot) The man sat on a golden palomino. His gear

was ornate, not unlike Buck’s--with wide silver-studded stirrups, chest

halter & skirts. He wore a wide-brimmed white hat, with the sides rolled

up perfectly, a stark white shirt that was now alkaline dust smeared, a

thick leather string tie pulled through a silver stallion-head bolo, a weath-

ered dark leather vest, tight brown denims & fancy knee-high well-

polished boots, complete with cruel silver spurs, the rowels still spinning.

16(sound cue) strident piano & huffing harmonica.

17(medium close-up) A .44 Smith & Wessen hung on his left hip, a gentle-

man’s weapon, with carved ivory handle inserts--not made for driving nails

or cracking skulls. Perfect white buckskin gloves covered his small hands. 

He was a big man, nearly as tall as Buck, but heavier, sporting a merchant’s

thick mid-section & pasty pale skin. He was clean shaven, had thick eyebrows,

soot onyx eyes & a prominent Patrician’s nose. 

18(voice-over) Buck: They’d be the gunsels.

19(widen the shot) on Bronson’s left, three wire-thin wranglers

leaned forward over their wide Mexican pommels, their narrowed

eyes jumpy, all in dusty hats, one in a brown sombrero, stovepipe

chaps & old boots--their calloused hands resting on their saddles,

waiting for orders. Two of them were old-timers, wearing vintage

Colt .45’s, with gray stubble on their chins & skin burned dark

from honest labor. One was a kid, in an Eastern derby, with blond 

peach fuzz on his rosy cheeks, wearing a long-barreled Navy 

Colt .36.

20(sound cue) French horns & cello.

21(close-up) Buck looks to the right.

22(cut to the right) angle on a very tall lean fellow on a coal

gelding, whose icy green eyes waited for Buck to notice him.

He wore a prominent gun belt buckle, pounded gold with a silver

“B” in the center, Buck was aware of his tenseness, coiled like

a compressed spring. His horse moved, but he didn’t.

23(close-up) the man’s intense green eyes never leaving Buck’s.

24(widen the shot) His right hand was gloveless, the shirt sleeve

folded back once, his long fingers hovering over a Lightning Colt .38

that was snugly tied down to his right leg--a self-cocker like Buck’s

Thunderer. He wore a black hat with the front folded up slightly,

a lizard skin hat band, a snug-fitting yellow Mexican silk shirt, a 

large black neckerchief draped out over his right shoulder, gray

pin-striped pants tucked into his boots.

25(close-up) He had a thin face, with long dark hair, & a well-

trimmed mustache & swath under his lower lip, darkish circles

under his piercing eyes.

26(voice-over) Buck: Now this piece of work has to be Thor.

27(wide-shot) the riders sitting tense, their horses side-stepping,

neighing & lifting a front leg while swishing their tails. An awkward 

minute passed as

28(the camera pans) from Thor past Bronson to the wranglers.

29(cut to two-shot) Buck & the Eagle more than ready.

              Finally someone spoke.

Glenn Buttkus

Posted over at dVerse Poets Pub OLN