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Sergeant! Sergeant.

Those Paiutes are after only one thing.

If we keep him here, they're gonna get him.

You move out in five minutes with Troopers Burke and Sloan

and the prisoner.

I'll give you covering fire to get you started

and then fight a delaying action to give you some running room.

- Ponderosa ranch. - Due west of here.

- Now, move out, Sergeant. - Yes, sir.

Hey, wait.

- I could have sworn I heard gunshots. - Yeah.

Let's go.

Hah!

I would have been in the clear.

Picked up that small war party just up the draw.

- How many men'd you lose? - Those two.

Who's your prisoner, Sergeant?

Wabuska, the Paiute who calls himself a god.

Wabuska. He's the one who's heading up those raiding parties, isn't he?

That's right.

We captured him three days ago and we've had to fight to keep him ever since.

Nobody's going to rest real easy until he's in federal prison.

Maybe you can help me.

I'm supposed to turn him over to the commanding officer

of the Virginia City 116th Militia, a Major Ben Cartwright.

- Well, Sergeant, I'm Ben Cartwright. - Ben Cartwright of the Ponderosa?

Yeah, but the 116th was deactivated years ago.

From Colonel Brill, sir.

You and the 116th have just been called to active duty.

Four, hut four, hut four, hut four, hut four.

That holy man set fire to his mattress last night,

tried to burn down the jail.

If it wasn't for Hack there, he could have done it.

He had the thing burning pretty well when the smoke woke me up.

Jail burn, but not Wabuska.

Fire, wind, storm and water are all friends of Wabuska.

Even bullets cannot hurt me.

It's bad enough Wabuska believing it.

He's got the whole Paiute tribe believing it.

Well, Ben, I guess we all knew the militia could be reactivated.

It's been a long time.

You and I are a lot older.

Yeah, we sure are. Well, I got my orders.

Maybe if I can get Wabuska to Fort Churchill,

the rest of the chiefs'll listen to reason.

I don't envy you the job, Ben,

but I gotta admit, I'll be happy to get him out of here.

I'll be just as glad to be rid of him as you are.

Hey, Pa. Sergeant Ankers and Little Joe did all right.

They got about 20 men coming down the street toward the jail.

Well, there's still some spirit in the old 116th, eh?

Detail, halt!

Detail, left face!

- Hoss, you'd better join the others. - Right, Pa.

Uh, that is, right, Major Pa.

- Sergeant. - Your son and I found 20 men, sir.

We lost two coming down the street.

Made the mistake of passing by a saloon.

Thank you, Sergeant.

Now, men, I'll be short and simple.

We've all been together in the 116th,

and I've been recalled to active duty and empowered to organize a detail.

I'm looking for volunteers.

Well, it might help if... if you told us what we were volunteering for, Ben.

I'm organizing an escort detail, take a prisoner to Fort Churchill.

Oh, now, wait, wait a minute, Ben.

I'm not even sure that you have the right to call us together,

but I'd overlook that... if it's my wife and kids I'm defending.

- It's a prisoner detail, like I said. - It's that Wabuska, ain't it?

You think I'd do anything to defend him? I say hang him and get it over with.

Hold it.

I came here looking for volunteers. I'm not asking for conversation.

If it's the town that needed defending, I'd be the first one to come forward.

But I don't know anybody who'd volunteer to take that Paiute to Fort Churchill,

what with the whole country crawling with war parties.

Are there any volunteers?

Come on, Spence, we've been hanging around this town long enough.

This is our chance to get to Abilene.

Well, with a bunch like this,

we ought to make it through Indian country all right.

Is that right, you and Joe going?

That's right.

Then I am too. Tim Kelly volunteering.

I say when it comes to fighting,

one good cowhand is as good as... four or five of them Paiutes.

This ought to be a chance to prove it.

- Sorry, Ben. - You understand, Ben.

Hold it! Hey, I'm coming.

Wait. Wait.

Hey... Oh.

Hey.

I got my foot caught in a bar rail at the Silver Dollar,

else I'd have been here sooner.

I hear tell them Paiutes got a whole new special brew,

and I... I'd kind of like to try that one.

So you count me in all... all the way.

Now, that Pete Hansen there,

he's got my brother Hack locked up for busting a chair over my head.

Now, you tell old Pete to let him out and... and Hack'll come along with us.

How about it, Pete?

If we can get those two to fight Indians instead of each other,

you'll have a couple of good men.

Whoo-hoo!

Hey, Hack, boy! I volunteered for you!

Now, make sure you come along or I'll move your jaw sideways some!

I hear you, but you ain't gonna knock my jaw over none!

He'll be with you, Major.

Sergeant, round up some supplies and ammunition for ten men for five days.

The rest of you men get your horses. Be back here in an hour. Dismissed.

Forward hut!

End of the road, Major. Indian country from here on out.

Major, begging your pardon, sir,

but I think we'd be better off without some of these men.

- Which ones? - Well, those two brothers.

- Hey, give me some of that, will you? - Give me that back.

I'll give it to you, you... You young boys are all alike, Hack.

You know I always drink first.

- What about 'em? - Fighting, unreliable.

Sergeant, have you ever tried to work off the night before in the hot sun?

- Yes, sir, I have. - Lots of times?

Yes, sir.

You got over it, didn't you?

Well, they will too.

What about that trigger-happy kid?

He's liable to shoot himself in the leg or shoot one of us

before we get to the top of that rise.

Yeah, that's true, he might, but we're gonna keep him on anyhow.

We'll ride a scouting order from here on in.

Yes, sir. I'll ride point, show the men how.

Go!

He don't give up easy, does he?

Yeah, he bit me.

Says he's a god, but he's got teeth like a wolf.

I know.

This is a cold camp, iron rations, no fires, no noise.

You rode point today. That's a risky job.

- You stuck your neck out. - It's got no long future, Spencer.

That's why we change every day.

Your duty tomorrow. I hope you're lucky.

You'd miss me, huh?

No, but... but if you're lucky, we might all reach Fort Churchill alive.

As good a spot as any for my watch. I can see the whole valley from here.

Tim, think I'll spot you on the other side of camp.

- Be careful. - Right.

All right, this'll be your guard post.

Now, Kelly, you keep a sharp watch.

If you see or hear anything wrong, whistle like this.

You bet, sir.

And, Kelly, remember, you're not to leave this watch.

Don't worry, Major. Ain't nothing gonna happen that I can't handle.

Like I said, them Paiutes ain't much.

Don't try to be a hero.

If you see or hear anything wrong, whistle.

If I could have some of those peaches, I'd sure be obliged.

It's been a while since I ate.

Major?

- Where'd you come from? - Out there.

Your, um, tied-up friend here looks like he could give a bobcat the first bite

and come home with a fur coat.

He just popped up, Major. I didn't see him or hear him come in.

- My name's Candy. - Where you from?

Any town within 500 miles east of here, I've been there.

- What's your business? - Trying to stay alive.

- How'd you find this camp? - Simple. I heard it.

I walked upwind of the voices. I saw the guards.

I didn't wanna bother them, so I just... walked on in.

That Paiute heard me coming.

He was watching and waiting when I walked up.

I'm the only one that's doing any talking.

Any of you men got names?

Cartwright. Major Cartwright.

Major. That sounds like army.

Militia, 116th.

- Militia, army. What's the difference? - A big difference.

No offense to the major,

but if this was a regular army detail, you'd never have got past those guards.

Well, maybe not, but I sure would have tried.

I sure am hungry, Sergeant.

Could I have a can of those peaches now?

Thanks. I got my own.

That one out there was coyote. This one's pure Paiute.

There are Paiute out there too.

You let this one sing and you'll bring 'em all right here.

Paiute come, you die, all of you.

One more sound and you'll be chewing on this all the way to Fort Churchill.

Candy. Candy.

Now, what kind of name would that be?

My name.

After a while it won't sound any funnier than Steve... or Hoss.

You've just come from the country to which we're headed.

What's it like out there?

You're gonna run into just about every Paiute in this part of the world,

and some Shoshone, and some Utes.

All of 'em wearing war paint and hunting for scalps.

Don't ask me how many.

I was too busy hiding and too scared to count.

You said you walked in here.

- Where'd you leave your horse? - About two days, about 40 miles behind.

He was shot out from under me.

You wouldn't have an extra horse, would you?

No, sorry.

Afraid of that.

Tell you what, I'll settle for another can of peaches.

No! No!

Where the devil did he go?

I wish I knew.

How you doing?

Not much to report. It's pretty quiet. No sign of that Candy fella.

Just a few night birds and some field mice

making enough noise to keep me company and that's it.

You keep looking at those shadows long enough,

they all begin to look like Paiutes.

Yeah.

Well, just as long as they don't make any sudden moves.

Right.

I'll see you a little later.

I'll put this stuff with Kelly's six-gun and carbine

for delivery to his next of kin, if and when.

The reason he's dead, he didn't obey orders.

If he had have stayed where the major put him,

even if he had have whistled like he was told,

he'd still be alive now.

It is no matter. Tomorrow you all die.

I was just telling 'em, Major, that on a mission like this,

when one man disobeys orders, he can get a lot of us killed.

That's right.

Sure makes a fella feel good, everybody so glad to see him.

We might be... if we knew where you'd been and why.

Horse huntin'. I told you, I've been walking for two days.

I figured those Paiutes owed me a horse.

Took me an hour to find him.

That leaves two hours unaccounted for.

I wanted to make sure that brave was alone.

There's only one set of tracks leading in.

There's no smoke on the wind anywhere close.

One thing I didn't figure was the kind of horse I was gonna find.

- You know this horse, Sergeant? - Colonel Brill's mount.

A troop must have been completely wiped out after we left with the prisoner.

Just as Wabuska promised.

Paiute, Shoshone, Ute,

kill all soldiers, all white men.

One more sound and you're gonna be wearing that gag.

Well, anyway, they're gonna be looking for this horse come first light.

Well, we'll be gone by that time. You coming with us?

I hadn't figured to.

I got no love for the militia or the army.

Saluting and taking orders and saying "sir"

just kind of rubs me the wrong way.

I started off on my own when I found him.

- Why did you come back? - Got lonesome.

I figure when the Paiutes start taking horses away from the cavalry,

a man alone doesn't stand much of a chance.

So I'd like to ride with you.

I'll even learn to salute.

- Will you learn to obey orders? - Yes, Major.

All right, from now on we ride two-man point.

Second one keeps the first one in sight

and he keeps in sight of the main body himself.

- We'll leave in an hour. - Yes, sir.

Spence, he ought to still be in sight.

Gonna get yourself a little shut-eye?

Yes, sir. I got the guard duty right before dawn.

- Have a good rest. - Thank you, sir.

What's the matter, boys? What's the matter? Easy, easy.

Sergeant, get everybody up and ready. We'll be moving out in half an hour.

Yes, sir.

- Up and ready to ride. - Come on, up.

We're moving out.

Come on, Hack, get up.

Well, we've seen another sunrise anyway.

And after what happened to Spence yesterday,

I thought those Indians'd be here last night.

Come on, get up, will you?

Hey, you can sleep when we get back to Virginia City.

Get up.

Where's Hack, Joe?

He's standing watch. He relieved me about two o'clock this morning.

Oh.

Hack?

Hack?

Joe, he... he ain't out there.

Where is he? Hack?

Hack?

Hack?

He ain't on guard duty.

Major. Have you sent Hack on a mission?

It's them Paiutes.

They couldn't get him. They must have got Hack.

Let go! Right now. Get hold of yourself.

I got my brother out of jail

and I brought him out here just to get him killed.

- Is that who I think it is? - Yeah, that's Winetka.

The one chief I didn't think could be stampeded into making war.

Come.

My turn.

Hack.

Hack! Hack!

Let me go! Let me go! Let me go!

Let me go! Look what they done to Hack!

Let me go! Let me go!

- Stay put. Down! - Major, look at him! Hack!

- Let me go, Major. Let me at him. - Steve, listen to me.

That's just what they want you to do.

They want you to go out there so they can kill you.

So we can all go out there one by one and they can kill us one by one.

- They're just waiting out there. - Major, look what they did to Hack.

Quiet. Do you hear me?

Now, you're gonna stay with the detail and you're gonna obey orders.

Do you understand?

Hack?

Oh, Hack.

Hack.

Nothing.

Moon'll be up shortly.

- They'll wait for full dawn now. - I believe you're right.

I'll check back every half hour.

Major, with your permission, sir,

there's something I'd like to get off my mind.

Mm-hm?

Back there in Virginia City, when I saw the size and shape of this detail,

I came within an inch of deserting.

Cowhands, clod busters.

They didn't know a hand salute from a water bucket.

I was sure that if they saw one Paiute or heard one shot fired,

that they'd scatter so far and fast,

it'd take two weeks hard riding just to get them in sight again.

Kind of wrong, wasn't I, Major?

The clod busters showed me how.

That first day was just like I thought it'd be,

but... but after that first night,

they pulled together quicker than any group I ever saw.

Yeah, they're good men... all of them.

Yes.

It's your supper. If that's what you wanna do with it, it's all right with me.

Tonight they gather from all the camps.

Tomorrow they set me free.

You've said that more times than I can count.

Now, since you don't wanna eat and I don't wanna listen,

why don't you just open up?

Tomorrow they kill you and all white men, and make our land pure again.

Now, what were you saying?

That's what I thought.

Coyotes?

No.

Should be dawn in about four hours.

We'll move out in two.

And they'll be waiting for us, a big reception party.

You came in from that way.

How far are we from Fort Churchill?

As the crow flies, or... or dodging war parties?

No, straight line.

About eight, ten hours.

With the Paiutes, Shoshones and Utes

all banded together out there to stop us.

That could be just plain too far.

Joe, bring him along!

- Welch and Steve, sir. - I know. I saw it.

I make the odds about ten to one.

Yeah, they'll stay there, just out of range,

till they find out what we're going to do with the chief and Wabuska.

Why you do this? Nothing can save you now.

Now, Chief, you and I have been friends for many years.

I've been to your house. You've been to my house.

We've exchanged many gifts of friendship.

Long ago, yes, but now all changed.

You and I have not changed. We are still the same.

But out there things have changed.

Many people have died. Many more will die.

Thousands of soldiers will come.

Your tribes will be destroyed, all of them.

We will not die.

Only the white men will die this time.

Bullets will not hurt Wabuska.

He laughs at white men's guns, and he will teach us his magic.

Winetka, you're a wise man. How can you believe this?

Well, look at him.

Wabuska, he rides through hundreds of bullets all this day,

and not one harmed him.

We rode through the same fire and nothing happened to us.

We were just luckier than the rest, that's all, Chief.

He cannot be hurt. He will never die.

It is written. Wabuska will lead our people to victory everywhere.

In my own lodge, with my own rifle, I fired at him

and the bullet leave no mark.

Winetka, he tricked you.

No, he has great power, power to destroy our enemies.

He's a man. He's a man like you and me.

And if he has such magical powers, why doesn't he use them?

Why doesn't he make himself disappear in a puff of smoke?

Why does he allow himself to be captured by us?

It was my wish.

Take me to your strongest fort. I will melt away.

Your strongest iron cannot hold me.

All right, Winetka.

Let's find out if he's a man or a god.

If I shoot a bullet into him,

he'll bleed and he'll die.

Major, you can't do that. Sir!

Sergeant, this is my responsibility.

Right, Wabuska, we'll find out about you.

What are your afraid of, Wabuska? This is only a white man's bullet.

White men's bullets cannot harm you. You've said so many times.

You're a god. You have magical powers.

All right, let's see how these magical powers work right now.

Stop him! Stop him!

Wabuska, I see fear in your heart.

You tremble like a woman.

For this one, my braves have died.

Well, Winetka, he bleeds... like any man.

I have been a fool.

What you do with us now?

Go back to your people.

Tell them Wabuska bleeds. Tell them he cries.

Tell them he's no longer your leader.

Tell them that they must allow us to go through to Fort Churchill

where he'll be punished.

And speak to all your tribes.

Say to them that there must be no more waste of lives,

that no more blood must run on the sand again as it ran today,

white man's or red man's.

Tell them there must be no more false gods.

Tell them this, Chief Winetka.

Would you have shot him?

You saw the death...

the blood...

the senselessness.

Would I have shot him?

Would you?

Easy.

All right, let's get to the horses.

Hoss, take charge of your prisoner.

Say, there's one little thing I forgot to ask.

- Yeah? - What does this military duty pay?

Volunteer duty?

Food, bandages as needed and a big vote of thanks.

Well, do you think that vote of thanks

could be stretched to include a horse and a saddle?

You recall that Paiute kind of shot mine out from under me.

Yeah, I recall. Yeah, I guess it could include that much.

And more maybe.

We're gonna need some roundup hands once we get back to the ranch.

It'll be hard work, but one thing for sure,

the Paiute won't be shooting your horse out from under you.

Oh, no, thanks. I'm not looking for a steady job.

I got a lot of traveling to do.

It kind of sounds to me like the man doesn't like hard work.

Now, wait a minute.

The two of you never saw the day

when I couldn't work you both right into the ground.

I can show you more riding, more roping, more bulldogging...

Looks like you just hired yourself another hand, Pa.

All right. All right, for a while.

But it's gotta cut both ways.

I can leave any time I get the notion,

and you can send me down the road, same way.

- Sounds fair enough. - Yeah, I guess it sounds fair enough.

All right. Boys, I guess we got ourselves a new hand.

And, mister, you got yourself a job.

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