Original subtitles

NARRATOR: In 1848, the United States and Mexico signed a peace treaty

That opened up the great Southwest to the wagons of the pioneers.

But when they came to occupy it,

They found a lot of other early Americans

Who didn't know or care about our deal with Mexico.

They had the idea it was their country.

So one day a wagon train with an Army escort was attacked.

(GUNS FIRING)

They buried their dead where they fell.

OFFICER: Fire!

Then they pushed on to Fort Gardner,

One of the military outposts that dotted the trail to California.

But there was something mysterious about this attack.

Something that set it apart from all previous raids on wagon trains.

(ALL CHATTERING) So Colonel Pollard, commandant of the post,

Ordered an immediate investigation.

Your attention, please.

This is Major Davison, Captain Laurence,

And our confidential liaison officer, Mr. James Eagle,

Who, being part Indian himself,

Has been of great assistance to us in Indian matters.

Now, the reason for this inquiry is simply this,

There is evidence that a spy was operating in your camp

The night of the attack.

Now, Captain Weightman, have you any suspicion as to the guilty person?

Nothing on which I could base a formal accusation, sir.

Well, I have.

You don't have to search no further. There's your spy! That murdering redskin!

Silence, please.

Mr. Simms, I'll have to ask you to restrain yourself.

Uh, Crockett, I understand this Indian

Has acted as your assistant scout in other expeditions?

That's right, sir. Red Hawk and me, we sort of grew up together.

He's a Cherokee.

When he was a boy, his village was wiped out by Comanches.

Some missionaries brought him up. I'd stake my life on him.

Well, that... that's a strong statement.

CROCKETT: I can back it up, sir.

POLLARD: Go ahead.

Well, we hadn't had a mite of trouble till we hit the Kiowa Indian country.

We were rolling along through the San Juan Valley.

CROCKETT: I had been scouting out ahead with Tex McGee, the civilian wagon boss,

And we didn't like what we ran into.

We rode in to report to the Captain

That what used to be a friendly Indian village had plumb disappeared.

I was just trying to convince the Captain

That the time to worry about Indians

(MAN WHOOPING) is when they ain't where they ought to be

When Red Hawk rode in from scouting the hills on our north flank.

The tribes gather at council fires.

They talk of war against all white men.

Any sign of Sleeping Fox's village?

They are making a new camp to the north.

Braves paint their faces for the warpath.

Reckon I better ride out and have a powwow with them.

It's worth trying, Crockett.

See if you can find out what's back of all this.

The Army will round up the leaders and hang them.

Looks like it'll take a heap of rounding up, Captain.

Come on, Hawk, let's head for those rocks.

CAPTAIN: Troupe, forward!

CROCKETT: We rode a good five miles into the hills

And never saw a feather or a pony track.

Reckon it's us that got rounded up.

Looks like Sleeping Fox invited us to a party whether we like it or not.

Lead the horses back to those rocks.

Why you lead soldiers and white wagons into my people's country?

Soldiers go to Fort Gardner.

White wagons go to Land of Setting Sun.

They mean no harm to your people, Sleeping Fox.

Many tribes meet at council fire under new chief.

The word has passed. It is war.

Go, tell your people to turn back before it's too late.

Sorry, Chief, our orders are to go ahead.

Then you will not go back.

CROCKETT: I didn't know whether he was bluffing or not,

But I didn't have to wait long to find out.

(GUNS FIRING)

(WAR CRIES)

Pick off the chiefs. Might turn them back.

CROCKETT: After that one charge, Sleeping Fox wasted no more men on us.

He figured he had us sewed up anyway.

By dark, Sleeping Fox had half the braves of his tribe with him.

And I knew if we didn't get out before sun-up,

We wouldn't get out at all.

Not many shots left, Hawk.

(HORSE WHINNYING)

(HORSE WHINNYING)

(HORSE WHINNYING)

(MOANS)

Thanks, Davy.

Let's get him on your horse, Red Hawk.

CROCKETT: That dead Indian gave us just the one chance we needed.

We drew straws to see which one of us was to lead the Indians a-chase,

And Red Hawk won.

If you can shake them off, meet me at the head of the canyon.

I'll make it on foot across the rim rock.

All right, Davy.

Good luck. Thanks.

(YELLS)

(WAR CRIES)

(GUNS FIRING)

CROCKETT: I made it over the rim rock all right and found my horse there.

Red Hawk had done a good job of fooling the war party

And met me at the mouth of the canyon.

I left him to scout the hills, while I rode on to warn the camp.

Halt or I'll fire.

It's Davy, you idgit!

Hello, Captain. Why, Crockett, I'm glad to see you.

I'm glad to see you, too, Captain.

I was just about to write down in my report

That you were missing in line of duty.

Not quite, but pretty close.

Did they get Red Hawk?

No, no, he's out scouting Indians for me while I came in to report.

We're in for trouble, Captain.

(GUNS FIRING)

(YELLING)

Looks like the trouble's already started.

(GUNSHOTS CONTINUE)

Evening, ma'am. Good evening.

Hurt or anything?

Guess I'm all in one piece.

Your husband, is he all right?

He's not my husband. He's a driver I hired in St. Louis.

Oh.

Hey, if you cuss those horses a little, mister,

They'll slow down a lot quicker.

He can't understand you, he's a deaf-mute.

You mean, you came all the way through Indian country alone?

Why, yes.

Hundreds of miles alone, and you've still got your hair.

(PEOPLE CHATTERING)

MAN: Anybody get hurt?

Take it easy, folks.

The lady is too excited to answer a lot of questions, right now.

A couple of you men, take care of the horses.

Hey, your driver had better get some rest.

He will.

How did you ever happen to leave St. Louis alone?

Well, there aren't many ways

For a girl with no family to earn a living

And I thought with all the migration west,

There might be a need for schoolteachers.

You, a schoolmarm?

Is that so startling?

Yes, ma'am, it sure is.

Now, how did I ever get the idea

That a schoolmarm looked like a last year's bird nest?

Guess maybe education is nicer than I figured it was.

Oh, Captain Weightman, this is Miss Frances Oatman.

Come all the way from St. Louis to join our outfit.

Congratulations on your narrow escape, Miss Oatman.

(HORSE GALLOPING)

TEX: Davy!

We lost them in the rocks, Davy,

But I stopped on the way back

And lifted the hair of the one you four-footed.

You mean you scalped him?

Oh, no, ma'am. I don't scalp 'em.

I just cut off their pigtails,

Make hatbands and pretties for my bridle.

Miss Oatman, I should like a detailed report on what happened,

For my dispatches East.

Would you mind coming to headquarters?

Not at all, Captain.

Yonder goes something I never would believe, Tex.

A schoolmarm that's pretty as a picture.

Hey now, you... you ain't gone and fell without even firing a shot, have you?

You're aiming to get yourself hog-tied.

Maybe, but I aim to get me some education.

Well, sir, I reckon that's about all till the night of the attack.

Colonel, can't we get down to business?

My wife's out there bad hurt,

And there's the sneaking devil that brought it on her.

Mr. Simms, we all understand and sympathize with you,

But this is an investigation, not a trial.

Why don't you ask him what he was doing up in the hills

With his Injun friends for two days.

They didn't jump us until the night he came back.

Red Hawk, is that true?

Yes, sir.

I tried to learn who is the leader uniting the tribes in war upon the whites.

But with no success?

No, sir, but there is such a man. I heard them speak of him.

When was this?

HAWK: The night of the attack.

Go on, tell us about it.

I had picked up the blood trail of one of Sleeping Fox's Indian braves.

HAWK: It led me to a meeting place in the mountains.

(MAN SPEAKING NATIVE AMERICAN LANGUAGE)

They spoke of many guns and much ammunition the new Chief had given them.

They were planning to attack the wagon train.

Camp was made that night near Red Butte.

They had no idea that danger was so near at hand.

(SINGING I'M SEEING NELLIE HOME)

Kind of a happy camp, tonight.

Isn't it?

Yeah, I wonder why it can't always be peaceful like this.

There's a powerful lot of land in this country.

Enough for everybody. Indians and whites alike.

If they'd only portion it out.

That's been tried, by treaties.

The settlers always move into the Indian's lands.

Yeah, I aim to do something about that some day.

I'd like to go to Washington like my uncle did, the famous Davy Crockett.

Oh, Hawk.

This is Red Hawk, my assistant scout.

He does all the hard work for me.

Miss Oatman joined our outfit the night we had

Our little ruckus with Sleeping Fox.

Excuse us, ma'am.

Red Hawk's been out in the hills for two days,

And I reckon I'd better get him some grub.

What did you find out, Hawk?

War party, Kiowas. Many braves.

How far away?

In hills just beyond camp. They come to attack tonight.

Are you sure?

I heard them talk.

We'd better go tell the Captain.

HAWK: The Captain ordered the camp on the alert

And doubled the guard on the horses.

The plan was to make the Kiowas think

The camp was asleep and unprepared,

But every man was ready and waiting.

It was ordered that no one should shoot

Until the Captain himself fired the signal gun.

What makes you so sure they'll attack from this side?

My guess is they'll try to run off the horses.

Cavalry and wagons ain't much good without horses.

(WHISTLING)

(WHISTLING)

(WHISTLING)

(HORSE WHINNYING)

(GUNS CLICKING)

(WHISTLING)

(GUNS FIRING)

(WAR CRIES)

You're still alive, you murdering devil.

You'll never shoot another innocent woman and kid ever again.

Simms, get a hold of yourself.

It don't do no good, clubbing a dead Indian.

I'd like to stomp him right in the ground. Him and everyone like him.

Come on, now, Simms. Come on.

This shadow you saw,

Could you tell whether it was a man, woman or child?

No, sir. It moved, then it was gone.

This dispatch case has been tampered with.

I always use the old cavalryman's trick

Of wrapping a horse hair around the buckle when I put my papers away.

You can see for yourself, the horse hair's gone, and the papers are disarranged.

When did you last close the case?

This evening when I left the tent to go to supper.

Well, whoever it was must have come in under the back wall

During the attack.

Come on, Hawk, let's see if we can find any tracks.

HAWK: Crockett and I found footprints leading out from camp.

Someone had contacted Indians during the fight.

POLLARD: Is that about all you have to tell us, Red Hawk?

Yes, sir.

There was nothing else? No, sir.

Colonel Pollard, is this court going to take an Injun's word?

I'll take his word.

Well, I saw him at the Captain's tent.

Those moccasin prints, doesn't that pin it on him?

No more than it pins it on a lot of other people who wear moccasins around camp.

Like me.

Mr. Simms, you're making the accusations.

Suppose you tell us what you were doing through the attack.

I was busy watching my wife get shot down.

(POLLARD CLEARS THROAT)

POLLARD: Let's proceed with the investigation.

Here, here now, easy.

That might go off and scare somebody.

POLLARD: Simms, under the circumstances

We'll excuse you from the rest of the hearing.

Well, gentlemen,

We've examined all the witnesses and got nowhere.

A dispatch from Great Plains, sir.

That's all.

Well, there can no longer be any doubt that there was a spy

And that he made good use of the information

He got from your dispatches, Weightman.

The Indians of the Great Plains area are on the move.

Colonel, did you ever hear of Indians messing around

With military dispatches?

Never.

No, it looks almost like some white man's brain's back of all this.

What's your opinion, Mr. Eagle?

Men of many tribes bring their furs to my trading post.

I have heard some talk of local unrest, but nothing more.

You don't seem to take much stock

In this new chief uniting the tribes in a general uprising, eh?

Frankly, no.

Oh, Crockett...

Now, you've been through this country before,

I must send fresh supplies and ammunition to Great Plains.

Can heavily loaded wagons get through Manitou Pass?

Yeah, you can make it all right, Colonel.

The long way around, through South Pass, is easier going.

There ain't no call for you to feel low-down, Hawk.

Nobody suspects you except that tenderfoot Simms. He's just Injun-jumpy.

I'd like to clear away even his suspicions.

Got any ideas how to do it?

No.

Have you?

Who me? All I know about is horses and wagons.

You take the schoolmarm's team there, for instance.

What about them?

Oh, nothing, except when she come rearing into camp that night

Them horses were sure galloping mighty fresh

For a team what drug a wagon all the way from St. Louis.

She may have changed horses somewhere.

Ain't no livery stable this side of Santa Fe that I knows of.

MAN: Howdy, Miss Oatman.

Oh!

I'm sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you.

I'm not easily frightened, but you popped out so suddenly.

I was just thinking of you and there you were.

I've been wanting to tell you since the hearing, that I, for one,

Never had any doubts about you.

That is good to hear.

It would be better still if I had no doubts about you.

(LAUGHING) Oh, that sounds so mysterious.

What is your tribe?

My tribe?

It is difficult for one of Indian blood to hide it from another Indian.

I felt it the first time I saw you.

My father is half Dakota.

My mother was white.

And the name, "Oatman"?

It was my mother's family name.

I've used it since I was sent to white schools, since I was a little girl.

Why are you ashamed of your Indian blood?

I'm not, I'm proud of it.

But why boast about it among people who are prejudiced and suspicious?

If that is your only secret,

It will be safe with me.

Well, what else could there be?

When the hungry fox hunts,

He overlooks no tracks.

Where you been? Chief been waiting for you.

I...

TEX: I'll take care of him for you, Davy.

Is something troubling you, Davy?

What would you say, Hawk, if I told you I don't think that driver of Miss Oatman's

Is deaf or dumb?

I would say what troubles you most is the question,

Does the girl know it?

I ain't made any secrets as to how I feel about her.

Why do you think the man is false?

Because I saw an Indian stableman at Eagle's corral talking to him.

Did this man, Ben, also talk?

No.

No, he just made signs and noises like he does around camp.

But it looked like he could hear, and if he can hear, he can talk.

An Army doctor told me that.

It should be easy enough to trap this man.

Yeah.

Yeah, wait here.

Hello, Miss Frances. Hello, Davy.

Meet my twin sister, Maggie.

She don't favor you much.

Well, we're the same size.

Funny, I can't get used to that driver of yours being deaf and dumb.

How'd you ever happen to hire him, anyhow?

Well, for one thing, I knew I'd be pretty safe

Coming across Indian country with him.

Yeah, how does that figure?

Why, didn't you know that Indians never harm anyone

Mentally or physically afflicted?

What do you know, I forgot all about that.

But it's true.

Old Jim Bridger got away from a whole mess of Blackfoot Indians

By pretending he'd gone crazy.

FRANCES: Of course, that war party that chased us into your camp

Didn't give me a chance to explain about Ben.

Yeah, I reckon Ben takes a lot of explaining.

(GUN FIRING)

(LAUGHS) Doggone my hide, I...

I'd forgotten all about this spare gun of mine having a hair-trigger.

I hope I didn't scare you none, ma'am.

(LAUGHING) Not as much as it did you.

I'd better have this thing fixed, before I shoot somebody.

Accidental-like.

Well, Hawk, I'm sure glad to get that off my mind.

It is good to see my friend happy again.

Afternoon, Captain.

Afternoon, Crockett.

The Colonel and I have decided to hold back our choice of routes

Until we come to the fork in the trail.

That's a good idea.

And if anyone should want to know before then?

Report it to me at once. That in itself would be suspicious.

Yes, sir. Be ready to roll at sunrise.

I'll be ready, sir.

Tex? TEX: Oh!

Better ride into town and round up your pilgrims,

We roll at sun-up.

Column, right!

Stay back here, and keep moving, Tex.

I'll ride forward with the Captain.

All right, Davy.

Their last water camp will be at Indian Springs.

Then they'll have to decide what route they're going to take.

We'll be at camp close by.

Get our horses and pack ponies ready, we're leaving tonight.

Reckon you'll have this dress ready for the Virginia Reel

With your prize scholar when we get to Great Plains?

That depends on how long it takes.

I can't sew while we're rolling

And I'll need at least three evenings to finish it.

Ah, you're sure going to cut a dash among the gold braid boys in that outfit.

Reckon I won't even have a look in.

Now, there's no use fishing like that.

I won't promise you a dance

Until you finish that English composition I told you to write.

Oh, she's did.

(LAUGHING) Davy, "She's did."

Well, she's done. It's done.

This composition isn't feminine.

Well, she's sure all about a female.

So I see.

It's a beautiful composition, Davy.

Your teacher is proud of you.

Well, I know it ain't spelled very good,

I always get into trouble with them little tadpole letters, "g" and "p."

Can't remember which side their head's turned on.

Maybe my head's turned the wrong way, too.

Give me a chance to study this, and I'll correct it as soon as I can.

Well, I ought to get A for effort anyhow.

All of that,

And that dance at Great Plains, too.

Well, that makes me as happy as a horned toad on a hot rock.

Thank you, ma'am.

Thank you.

Teacher kept you after school, didn't she?

Tex, do you reckon I can get me some store-bought clothes in Great Plains?

Store-bought clothes?

Mr. Crockett, the Captain wants to see you.

Maybe he'll lend you a stovepipe hat, you gall-darned dude.

Store-bought clothes!

Crockett, from our camp here, at Indian Springs,

How long will it take us to reach the mouth of Manitou Pass?

Well, we ought to be there by noon tomorrow.

Looks like a perfect place for an ambush.

Yeah.

Yeah, the devil himself couldn't have built a better one.

Captain, let's play it safe and go through South Pass.

If they attack there we'll stand a good chance to beat them off.

Very well, Crockett. South Pass it is.

The only thing is, sir, we'll have to let the camp know tonight,

So we can take on water.

South Pass is bone-dry.

That means we'll be letting the spy know as well.

Hawk and I'll keep a close watch.

You know, this may smoke him out.

Right.

If we don't learn who it is before we get to Great Plains,

We'll never know.

Go to it.

Yes, sir.

(CRICKETS CHIRPING)

We're going by way of South Pass, folks.

Hello, Davy, you and the Captain playing checkers again?

Ah, sort of.

Figuring out which pass we'll head for

When we hit the fork in the trail tomorrow.

Oh? You didn't decide, I suppose.

CROCKETT: Yeah, we sure did.

Looks like you'll get that dress finished in time for our dance.

We're going the long way, through South Pass.

Say, what's the idea of dragging this thing out three extra days?

Two things, Simms.

South Pass is an easy wagon trail and open country.

No place for an ambush.

Tex.

Mmm?

Spread word around camp to fill all the water barrels before we roll in the morning.

There'll be three dry camps in a row.

No sleep for you and me tonight, Hawk.

Do you think the spy might try to pass that news on to the Kiowa?

It wouldn't surprise me a bit if the big wolf of the Kiowas

Was out there in the hills now waiting for it.

In the dark, wolf and coyote look alike.

Yeah, but tonight, we're weasel-trapping.

You watch this half of the circle, I'll take the other.

And if someone should leave camp?

Follow and bring them back.

(WHISPERING) I'll slip out and join High Tree.

If Crockett trails me, we'll lead him far off the track.

When things are quiet, I'll get away myself.

One of us has to get word to my father.

Welcome to my fire.

I was watching you and Davy Crockett.

You didn't tell him about me, did you?

No, but you are wrong in thinking it would turn his heart against you.

Oh, if I thought that, there would be no problem.

I like him very much, but I'm not in love with him.

Isn't it too soon to know where your heart will lead you?

It doesn't take long for a girl to know that.

In its hurry to reach the shining river,

The mountain brook makes many mistakes.

But all the time it knows where it's going,

And nothing can keep the brook and the river apart for long.

Good night.

Good night.

We only got his horse.

Watch for him at the head of the canyon.

(NEIGHS)

This is the same gun you couldn't hear at Gardner the other day,

And it's still got a hair-trigger.

That don't work anymore, you good-for-nothing renegade.

You heard the stone I threw. Come on, now, speak up.

Oh, so you want to play Indian, do you?

Come on, weasel.

Well, I can't knock a runt like you around,

But I can sure play Indian with you.

Come on, now.

This is a favorite game of those Kiowas you've been helping out.

When I cut the next one, I don't know whether she'll hold or not.

So you better start talking.

Who were you taking that information to?

Well, have it your own way.

But you're taking an awful chance.

Well, what do you know.

She's still holding.

Well, here goes nothing.

Wait, don't. I'll talk.

(SPEAKS NATIVE AMERICAN WORD)

This is my daughter. It was she who made our plans possible

By learning the white Chief's secrets.

Did you bring the information I want?

Yes. They're taking the long way, by South Pass.

You're sure?

It was announced tonight.

Where is Ben?

We were being closely watched.

He left first, to lead Davy Crockett out of the way.

You have done your work well.

Tomorrow you will ride with us as an Indian princess.

Now go and get some rest.

The white men have chosen to face battle with us at South Pass.

That means we will need the warriors from all the villages.

The fort at Great Plains will first be surrounded and cut off.

Then at South Pass,

We must have enough warriors to attack from three sides.

Tie him up.

If you were not fighting on the side of the white men,

I could make good use of you.

You'll need all your breath to tell these Kiowas what a great man you are.

You'll die in tomorrow's sun.

When the wet rawhide shrinks and cuts into your flesh,

Perhaps you'll regret those words.

(SPEAKING NATIVE AMERICAN LANGUAGE)

You are not weakening, Princess?

This is just one of the little Kiowa games.

Is it so wrong that I have taken the side of the Indians

Against the whites?

You've taken the side of a man

Who would bring destruction upon these tribes,

Through his own desire for power and glory.

My father fights only for the good of all Indians.

Even when he called you a princess, he was thinking only of himself.

A new Indian emperor, a second Pontiac.

That comes strangely

From a man whose own people were massacred by the whites.

My people were destroyed by Comanches.

Bad Indians, like these Kiowas.

This false cause that your father is leading

Will bring more destruction upon the tribes

Than all the white settlers and soldiers combined.

I ought to step on you like a wood tick.

But I reckon I'll leave that to the Army.

Come on, get goin'. We got a long walk ahead of us.

Come on!

Come on!

(GASPS)

Do you think this brave understands any English?

It isn't likely.

If you could get one hand free

And trick him into coming within your reach,

I can do the rest.

HAWK: The thong is loosening now.

When will I know when you're ready?

You will hear me ask him for water.

(SPEAKING NATIVE AMERICAN LANGUAGE)

(BRAVE GRUNTING)

Many thanks.

You make an excellent spy, but a very bad Kiowa princess.

Perhaps I can teach them more pleasant games than torturing prisoners.

You mean to stay?

This is where I belong, with my father.

Then we're still enemies.

My orders were to bring you in.

I'm afraid I make as bad a soldier as you do a Kiowa.

It seems we both put our hearts above our duty.

Here, go while you have the chance.

What beats me is how I let her pull the wool over my eyes like that.

You're not alone.

Wait till Colonel Pollard hears about his confidential Indian agent, James Eagle.

I wish I knew whether or not

She got the information to her father.

Well, we should find out something more about that right now.

Hello, Hawk.

I've just come from Eagle's camp. The girl is there.

She told him, of course, which pass we're taking?

Yes, sir. She reached her father's camp

Before I could overtake her and the Kiowa guide.

Eagle has summoned all the tribes for battle.

How do we know this Injun didn't let her go on purpose?

Why don't you get back to your wagon,

Before I forget I'm littler than you?

Looks like we're heading into plenty of trouble, Captain.

Yeah, but one thing is certain.

We've got to go on.

My orders are to reinforce Great Plains.

Well, we don't have to worry much until we reach

The fork in the trail at Manitou.

Right. Well, let's get moving.

Tex, hitch up. We're moving.

Chiefs of the Kiowas,

Before calling you to the war path,

I used my knowledge of the white man's ways

To learn there will be no more troops or white wagons

Sent to this region

Until long after next winter snows have come and gone.

By then,

We will have all the tribes west of the Rocky Mountains

United with us in one great Indian nation.

An empire, free forever

From the heel of the white invader.

Now listen to my plan of battle.

Our first blow will fall on the fort at Great Plains.

Sleeping Fox,

Tonight, your warriors will surround the fort,

Tomorrow at dawn you will attack.

Agatchee, your braves will gather at South Pass.

When the troops and wagon train enter,

You will ride down on them in full force.

Arango, your men will strike from the center.

And yours, Orano,

Will ride down on them from the north end.

Nothing can save them now.

We'll strike such terror in the hearts of the white men

They'll never come this way again.

No one shall escape us.

We'll massacre every man, woman and child.

(ALL EXCLAIMING)

Let her go.

Now I am certain of what I only suspected.

It was she who helped Red Hawk escape.

Her heart is with her mother's people.

Now let her die with them.

They're gathering in force, Lieutenant.

Here's Sergeant Gordon, sir. He has volunteered for the detail.

You realize the urgency of getting this message

Through to Captain Weightman's column, do you, Sergeant?

I do, sir.

And you understand, that I'm not ordering you to attempt it.

You know what happened to the other messengers.

Yes, sir.

It's doubtful that you'll even reach the river.

The rocks are crawling with Indians.

I'd still like to try, sir.

Thanks, Gordon.

Lookee yonder, Cap. Something's comin'.

WEIGHTMAN: Sergeant, take her horse.

WEIGHTMAN: It isn't likely that you came here

Just to submit to arrest, Miss Eagle.

I've come to bring you important information.

Very well. Dismount, please.

Then you admit entering my tent

And breaking into my dispatch case?

Yes, and last night I took more information to my father.

In making this confession, you realize that I have full authority

To order you shot as an enemy spy?

It doesn't matter.

Unless you act on what I say, I'll die anyway

With the rest of you at South Pass.

I wish we could believe you.

I'm making no excuses.

All my life I've waited for the day when I could help the Indian cause.

I believed in my father.

Until I learned he wasn't just waging a war, but planning a massacre.

You say he means to attack Great Plains at dawn tomorrow?

Yes, and also they'll be waiting at South Pass

To attack you in full force and destroy the wagon train.

How can we believe a word she says, Captain?

I agree with you, Simms.

We can't put much faith in a proven spy.

(HORSE GALLOPING)

Sergeant Gordon, with a dispatch from Great Plains, sir.

Which way did you come, Sergeant?

Manitou Pass, sir.

Any sign of hostiles there?

Not in the pass. They've got the fort cut off.

Other war parties are heading for South Pass.

What the Sergeant says, and this dispatch,

Seem to bear out the girl's story.

Yes, sir, Captain, it sure does.

WEIGHTMAN: Tex TEX: Yeah.

Take the Sergeant along, and get him a fresh horse.

Sure, Cap.

Uh, Crockett.

We've got to get to Great Plains today.

They'll be wiped out if they don't get supplies and ammunition

Before the attack in the morning.

Well, we'll have to switch our plans and go by the way of Manitou Pass, sir.

Well, we've got to chance it.

I'll send word to McHale we're coming through Manitou

And that we should reach him tonight.

Right, sir. Right.

Miss Eagle, it seems that you've told us the truth.

I want you to realize that I must hold you under arrest

Until your case is judged by higher authority.

Yes, Captain.

I'll be responsible for her, sir.

Right.

Here you are, Sergeant.

Thank you.

Good luck to you.

Thank you, sir.

Chief Eagle!

I shoot soldier messenger on trail to Great Plains.

The whites have changed their plan. They come by Manitou.

My daughter must have told them

We'd be waiting to attack at South Pass.

They're trying to make fools of us.

Now it is they who will ride into a death trap.

Recall your warriors from the trails to South Pass.

Take them to the cliffs of Manitou. I'll join you there.

Assemble your braves

In the hidden valley on the east side of Manitou,

Where you can watch every move of the enemy.

(SPEAKING NATIVE AMERICAN LANGUAGE)

Captain, I hate to see the wagons enter Manitou without scoutin' it first.

There may be an ambush.

Suppose Red Hawk and me ride in a ways and see what's what?

That's my job now.

Yours is here with the wagons,

To look after the women and children.

You goin' in with the troops, sir?

And our supply wagons.

If you don't hear firing in a half an hour,

Come ahead with the wagon train.

Right, sir. We'll be ready to roll.

Troop, forward!

Get 'em rolling!

It might be a good idea to scout to the rear, Tex.

They've separated. Now we can strike a double blow.

Have your braves join those on the cliffs to trap the soldiers.

Get your warriors ready to attack the wagon train when I give the signal.

(HORSE NEIGHING)

Let's try to get through.

Injuns! Injuns!

TEX: They fooled us, Davy.

They've got their troops bottled up in Manitou Pass.

Roll 'em. Form a circle!

Get 'em rollin'!

So all the Indians went to South Pass, did they?

Hawk, stand guard over her. If she tries to get away, you know what to do.

No, my friend.

You'll have to get someone else for that duty.

I don't understand you. I owe my life to this girl.

Her father held me prisoner. She helped me to escape.

Then you could have brought her in?

Yes.

Those were your orders, Hawk.

I guess you don't need to hear any more than that, Crockett.

They're in this thing together and have been right along.

I'll take your rifle.

Looks like the Army will have a double trial.

Trial? We ought to hang 'em both, right now.

No, we'll leave that to the Army.

Thomas, stand guard over both of 'em.

Davy, wait.

You can't believe I helped lead you into this trap?

If I believed anything else, I'd be a bigger fool

Than you've already tried to make of me. Come on, Simms.

The attack's likely to come from that ridge.

Keep your eye on it, Simms.

(SPEAKING NATIVE AMERICAN LANGUAGE)

(WAR CRIES)

Here they come.

Stay where you are.

Jimmy, keep down!

Roll over those wagons! Take cover!

Wet down that canvas!

We've only got one chance to get back to that wagon train.

Cross that river.

Doesn't look like much of a chance, sir.

If I only knew whether men and horses could live in that current.

I'll find out, sir.

Come back here, you fool! Donovan! Donovan!

Well, it looks like we're both gonna lose our hair.

The Captain's in as much trouble as we are.

Neither one of us is strong enough to fight our way out of this alone.

If there was only some way to get together.

Good idea, if we could only do it.

I'm going to do it, if I have to blast 'em out. Come on, Tex.

Pack 'em in tight back there.

It's a slim chance, but it's the only one we've got.

TEX: We'll keep you covered.

(YELLS)

Ha! Ha!

Bugler, sound the charge!

(BUGLE BLOWING)

(PEOPLE CHEERING)

Oh, you're all right.

Sergeant, bring in the prisoners.

Frances Oatman,

You are charged with conspiracy and espionage upon the United States Army.

Red Hawk,

You are charged with gross dereliction of duty in the face of the enemy.

Those are both capital offenses.

Captain, you proferred these charges. Are they correct as stated?

Yes, sir.

Crockett, as chief scout for this expedition,

You were in a position to know the facts. Are these charges true?

Yes, sir.

Before I pronounce sentence,

Have you any details to offer bearing upon the case?

Details?

Yes, sir.

Take the young lady's case, for instance.

We found Captain Weightman's dispatches on the body of Chief Eagle.

So, at least we know she wasn't lying to us

When she tried to save us from ambush.

Well, uh, are you defending or accusing these prisoners?

Oh, neither, sir.

Just presenting details, like you asked for.

Now, in Red Hawk's case, well, if he hadn't ridden out

To help me get that powder wagon through them Kiowas,

None of us would be here today.

Well, are you suggesting that we let these prisoners go free?

Oh, no, sir. I'd hold them prisoner.

They ought to pay for what they did.

(CLEARING THROAT) Well, uh,

What are your recommendations as to sentence?

I'd... I'd hold 'em

Until we can scare up a preacher to make them man and wife.

And furthermore, under military auspices,

You will start the first Indian school in this district,

With the hope that you both may help to bring about

A better understanding between the Indians and the whites.

Oh, thank you, sir.

Thank you, Davy.

Good luck.