You know Charlie Walser's, got that place out east of Sanderson? Well, you know how they...

Ed Tom Bell:

Carla Jean, thank you for coming. Carla Jean Moss:
Don't know why I did. I told you, I don't know where he is. Ed Tom Bell:
You hadn't heard from him? Carla Jean Moss:
No, I ain't. Ed Tom Bell:
Nuthin'? Carla Jean Moss:
Not word one. Ed Tom Bell:
Would you tell me if you had? Carla Jean Moss:
Well, I don't know. He don't need any trouble from you. Ed Tom Bell:
It ain't me he's in trouble with. Carla Jean Moss:
Who's he in trouble with then? Ed Tom Bell:
Some pretty bad people. These people will kill him, Carla Jean. They won't quit. Carla Jean Moss:
He won't neither. He never has. He can take all comers. Ed Tom Bell:
[Ed Tom sighs heavily]
You know Charlie Walser's, got that place out east of Sanderson? Well, you know how they used to slaughter beeves, hit 'em right there with a maul, truss 'em up and slit their throats? Here, ol' Charlie's got one all trussed up, all set to drain him and the beef comes to, starts thrashing around. Six hundred pounds of very pissed-off livestock. If you'll excuse the... Well... Charlie grabs the gun there, shoot the damn thing in the head, but with all the swingin' and the thrashin', it's a glance-shot, ricochets around, comes back and hits Charlie in the shoulder. You go see Charlie, he still can't pick up his right hand for his hat... The point bein', that even in the contest between man and steer, the issue is not certain