Original subtitles

One day a dark woman with a sword will come on a white mule.

When the woman comes on the white mule

it will be the end of the time of the comanche people.

There will be wars and pestilence.

And our people will perish.

And you, my son, must not turn your back to the woman on the white mule.

Your death will come only when your great hump is pierced.

Do not turn your back on her.

Beware the dark woman on the white mule.

Beware the dark woman on the white mule.

Beware the dark woman on the white mule.

Morning, major.

- What do you see, Gus? - Look at that, Woodrow.

Matty's carrying that old snappin' turtle

as if it were a basket of peaches.

They say if one of them devils bites you, don't turn loose till it thunders.

It's no wonder they call Matty the great western.

You ever seen a sight like that, Woodrow?

A whore carrying a snappin' turtle?

No. I doubt anybody else has either.

I think we should talk to the major.

Uh, major. Major.

Mr. Coleman.

Um, major, when is pay day?

Pay day?

You wish to be paid out here?

Tell me, what would you buy if I paid you?

Matty.

See, I owe her for seven or eight pokes already.

Well, that's your problem, Mr. Coleman.

Mail coaches do not frequent these parts.

I never frequented them either till now.

I'm scared she's gonna set that turtle on us.

You ain't the only one with unpaid bills.

What do you think she means to do with it?

Don't know and don't care.

What do you mean you don't care?

I thought you liked Matty.

I did, until last night.

Tried to get me a poke on credit and she wouldn't give it to me.

A whore that won't give credit deserves to get pecked by a snappin' turtle.

Good morning, Miss Roberts. Your new pet?

Nope, I just felt like throwing a snappin' turtle

at two cheap sons of bitches.

Scouts are back.

Major!

Bigfoot Wallace and Shadrach are back.

Good.

Maybe they can enlighten us about all that screaming

that kept me awake all night.

Turtle for breakfast.

Now that's fine.

Who caught him?

The great western, who else?

You'd best wrap up, Matty.

I like giving my customers a free look.

Might make 'em feel prosperous.

Storm's coming.

You'll have icicles hanging off your milkers if you don't get dressed, honey.

Haven't heard any more noise from across the river, Mr. Wallace.

I suppose that mexican died.

We found his remains.

He was tortured pretty good before he died.

Comanches caught him.

Three of 'em, it looked like.

You sure it was comanches, Mr. Wallace?

Oh, it was comanches, all right.

This here's a great comanche war trail we're camped on.

That full moon last night is what they call a comanche moon.

When it shines, they raid.

Snatch a few mexican young'uns to sell or keep for slaves.

I figure it was Buffalo Hump's boys that caught that mexican.

Buffalo Hump?

I sure do hope that scoundrel is not in this vicinity.

That mexican didn't have no way to kill himself.

Didn't have no gun.

No, but he had a knife.

A knife is adequate, if you know where to cut.

Where would you cut?

Cut the jugular.

Right here.

You could do it with a broken bottle.

Or even poke a big mesquite thorn in there,

if that's all you got available.

You want to cut two or three times, though.

That way you bleed to death before they get a chance to do much torture.

Me, I'll shoot myself in the head if I got time.

Wallace: Well, that can go wrong too.

Don't be sticking no gun in your mouth unless it's a shotgun.

Johnny: Why not?

It's hard to miss your head with a gun in your mouth.

No it ain't.

That bullet could ricochet off a tooth come out your ear.

You'd still be healthy enough for them to torture for a week.

Shove the barrel of a gun up against an eyeball

and pull.

Now that's sure.

Then if some squaw comes along and chews off your privates,

you won't know the difference.

Mercy.

My, this is a cheery conversation.

Wallace: Some of these boys are inexperienced, major.

If they don't know the proper way to finish themselves,

they could wind up prisoners of the comanche someday.

That would be real bad.

A comanche can keep a captive alive

three or four days while they have their fun with them.

Back in the tidewater, Mr. Wallace,

we usually refrain from discussing suicide methods over breakfast.

They got no call chewing on people like that.

Oh, there's worse than that happens.

What's worse than having your privates chewed off?

Oh, having them pull out the end of your gut,

tie it to a dog and then chase that dog around camp for a while

until there's about 50 foot of your guts strung out for the brats to eat.

Oh god.

To eat?

Comanche brats eat gut like white brats eat candy.

Well, I'm certainly glad I wasn't very hungry this morning.

Talk like this might unsettle a delicate stomach.

Gentlemen.

Or they might run a stick up your fundament, set it on fire.

That way your guts done be cooked when they pull them out.

What's a fundament?

It's a hole in your body.

It ain't your nose or your mouth or either one of your ears.

Figure it out.

I aim to keep my own guts inside me, if nobody minds.

No!

Hey, Sam.

Loan me that hatchet. I'm ready for breakfast.

All I've got is a cleaver, miss Matty.

That'll do.

Why would you keep a thing like that?

Why would he keep a smelly old turtle's head?

Why would a squaw chew off your privates?

That's a better question.

Zeke: There's two riders coming from the west.

I think they're americans, but I ain't sure.

They're americans, Zeke. But they don't deserve to be.

John Kirker and Jim Glanton, scalp hunters.

We've seen their tracks in Mexico.

Scalp hunters.

It's a gory trade.

Pays good though.

$50 a scalp, I hear.

Morning, boys.

Whoo.

You lost?

No, John. We ain't lost.

Looks like you've been busy.

That's right. We've put in a good day's work.

Caught eight comanches by a waterhole.

Killed 'em all.

I killed three and John killed the rest.

Two men killed eight comanches?

Now that's active.

Look at that.

John. John.

Hey hey!

Get away from them scalps.

That's government property now.

Now be neighborly, John.

We're just looking.

Get away from them scalps, I said.

This ain't indian hair, major. It's mexican hair.

And most of it's young hair.

- Young hair? - Children's hair.

These skunks probably had supper with some little mexican family

then wiped 'em out.

That's a lie.

It's comanche hair, major.

We took it legal.

Eight comanches, Jim?

Yup. Yeah, eight.

Eight comanches could string you two out from here to Santa Fe.

Indians grease their hair, major.

There ain't a bit of grease in this hair.

That's government property you're handling. Now get away.

I say we hang these low dogs.

All they've been doing is killing mexicans.

We're out here to scout a road from San Antonio to El Paso, Mr. Wallace.

And we will encounter our share of wild indians.

I don't approve of the scalp trade myself,

but it is legal whether we like it or not.

Now you men finish your coffee and leave.

You're not welcome here.

Let's go, Jim.

Shad.

Here's some coffee.

I didn't put no molasses in it.

I know you like it strong.

Thank you, Matilda.

That's kind of you.

They're by the river!

It's a woman and a little boy!

She's scared. You boys better go back and wait by the fire.

I got to talk to her.

Wallace: Lord of mercy.

Look at that boy. That boy's starving to death.

What were they doing out there?

What'd she say?

She's scared.

Afraid Buffalo Hump's gonna come notch her nose.

Notch her nose? Why?

She's one of his wives and she misbehaved.

Now she's afraid he's gonna come and cut her nose.

He'll do it too.

He's already cut that young'un's tongue out for stealing food.

So Buffalo Hump's out there?

He might be raiding in Mexico.

Or he might be out there watching us.

Buffalo Hump's the meanest comanche on the plains.

They say he's taken 1000 captives out of Mexico.

All right. It behooves us to mount a solid guard.

Mr. McCrae, Mr. Call, you take the first watch.

You stay awake too.

You nap you're liable to wake up without no hair.

Can't you keep still?

The major expects us to be alert.

I doubt there's any indians out there.

If he caught you drinking on guard, he'd shoot you.

We're lucky the major even let us be texas rangers.

But how would he catch me?

He'd have to sneak up on me.

I'd have to be a whole lot drunker than this

not to notice some fat man sneaking up on me.

You're cracked.

Now you're getting drunk.

You're too darn good to live with, Woodrow.

Where'd you get that whiskey anyways?

Johnny Carthage left it laying out by the saddle.

Not only are you a drunk, you're a thief.

I should have picked another partner, by God.

Shut up, unless you want a licking.

You're always criticizing.

Like I said, we're lucky to be texas rangers.

We ought to try and do it right.

I'm doing it well enough.

What else is there to do except hide behind this darn rock?

I hope it rains.

Least it'll wash off this darn sand.

They say Bigfoot's been all the way to Chiney.

They say he knows every creek in Texas whether it's boggy or not.

He's a first-rate indian killer besides.

Myself, I'd rather know every hole.

They say indians can imitate any sound.

They say you can fool you into thinking

they're a wolf or coyote, owl or cricket.

I doubt a comanche would pretend to be a cricket.

Nope, that's an indian.

They're talking.

They're talking in animal.

Let's go kill us one.

We kill three or four, the major will raise our wages.

I ain't going. That ain't what we're supposed to do.

I doubt he's a real major anyway.

Even if he ain't a major, he gave us a job.

We're earning $30 a month.

Long Bill says we'll get all the indian fighting we want

before we get back to the settlements.

Yeah. I'm going exploring.

I hear there are gold mines in this part of the country.

Think of all the whores I could buy if I had a gold mine.

I could buy me a whorehouse.

Ain't you coming?

I was told to stand guard, not to go prospecting.

I got a job to do. I aim to do it.

Yeah well, do mine too while you're at it.

You go off and get captured, the major won't like it one little bit

and neither will you.

You remember how that mexican screamed?

Fool.

Go on, you badger.

Go on now, get.

Woodrow?

Woodrow!

Gus! Gus!

Gus, you're alive!

Stop that hollering.

Yeah, if there's any indians between here and the Cimarron river

they'll know right where to find us.

There wasn't but one indian.

He was huge.

Wallace: This is Buffalo Hump's lance.

- Got his markings. - You saw Buffalo Hump?

I've seen him too.

He came in a flash of lightning.

He was just sitting there on a blanket.

His eyes...

where'd all this blood come from?

From you. Lucky it ain't your lifeblood.

I seen the indian twice in the lightning flashes.

One time he was throwing that lance. He was alone.

Why would the man be sitting out there on a blanket all alone?

Where's he going?

Shadrach goes where he pleases.

Always has.

That indian is out there.

Shad ain't scared of nothing.

Darn, Matty.

Was that indian as big as they say he is?

He was big, Johnny.

Ain't many soldiers with a sense of direction, are there?

I doubt he's a major or even a soldier. And I expect he stole that uniform.

If we weren't along he couldn't find El Paso if he had six months.

Shad, I swear those are mountain goats up there on that ridge.

Those are mountain goats.

I see 'em. You see 'em, Woodrow?

- All I see is a hill. - They look like goats to me.

Meat for the pot. Let's go, boys.

Careful now, boys. Don't scare the Billys.

Johnny: Josh is off to the outhouse again.

Zeke: Ever since you drank that alky water

you can't hardly keep your pants up.

I guess you boys just think y'all just gonna fly right up that hill.

- Y'all better hush. - You young fool.

Well, get mounted. Get that horse back.

Go for cover!

Come on, go.

Where's your rifle?

I left it up on the hill when I fell down.

Stop that wild shooting, everybody.

We'll be out of bullets if everybody keeps shooting at the air.

- Bill! - Damn.

I hope that arrow ain't poison, Johnny.

I swear it looks like it's stuck right in the bone.

It just fell out of the sky.

I still ain't seen no indians.

Course not. They ain't fools like us.

They don't stand around out in the open.

Shad!

Good God, he's done killed somebody else.

Where's young Josh? I don't see young Josh anywhere.

He was right here when we stopped.

Well, he ain't here now.

He went over to that sage to answer the call of nature.

Josh! Get on out of there, boy!

I'm his partner. I've got to go help him.

- Stay down, boy! - No, wait, Zeke!

Get back here, Zeke!

Curse that boy. They'll take him for sure.

I feared it. They got him now, the young fool.

I wonder who shot his horse.

Kicking wolf. He's their marksmen.

Hope that boy remembers what I told him about killing himself.

- Oh Dear Lord. - I never seen that before.

He scalped him without even slowing down.

Haa!

Help me!

- Shoot him, Shad. - Too far off.

It'd take a cannon to hit him from here.

Well, now this is merry.

We're running around like chickens and Buffalo Hump's cutting our heads off.

Help me! I can't see!

I can't see!

Zeke'll have to keep his hat on in the winter, I expect.

Yeah, if he lives.

Help me! Help me!

- Matty, come back. - This ain't no boulevard.

I'm gonna go get Zeke. He ain't dead, he's scalped.

Zeke.

Zeke, quit moving.

Zeke, you got to be still.

I'm here. No, I'm right here. I'm right here.

I'm gonna take you back to camp.

Zeke: Help me look for my pistol so I can do what Bigfoot said.

Don't be talking that way. Don't be talking that way.

You ain't dying. You just got your head skinned.

Come on, now. Come on.

Sam's a good doc and he'll make a poultice for you.

Now get up. Get on up here.

My head's on fire, Matty.

Zeke, you got to be still.

Look, folks live through scalpings, all right?

- We're going back to camp. - No, I need my pistol.

He might come back, Matty. That big one...

he might come back.

Shh, it's okay.

Oh Lord, he's bloody.

People don't die of being bloody, Call.

Maybe Sam can patch him up.

Good god almighty.

All right, it's your turn now.

Let's get at it.

Might hurt a little bit, huh?

All right, you ready?

All right, one, two, three.

It's coming, Johnny.

Got to make him a good bandage and give him a hat

or flies will be all over that wound.

Woodrow, look.

I'm glad there weren't more of 'em.

If there was, I doubt we could whip 'em.

We can't whip 'em.

Well, if it was live or die I expect we could.

If it was live or die, we'd die.

Any three of 'em could finish us.

That Buffalo man, he could do it all by himself if he took a notion.

Gus: I wish I had a cannon.

They'd leave us alone if we were better armed.

We are better armed.

Shh.

That big man killed Josh with an arrow, scalped Zeke with a knife.

If they'd had more rifles, they'd have killed us all.

I ain't never seen no people like them comanches.

I didn't know what wild indians was like.

Zeke's done for himself.

Oh, Zeke.

Oh god, I wish you hadn't have done that.

Zeke and Josh was pards.

I don't guess they'll mind bunking together in the hereafter.

If anybody knows a good scripture, let 'em say it.

We got to skedaddle. I don't fancy another fight with Buffalo Hump.

There's that scripture about them green pastures.

So say it then, Bill.

Well...

there's them green pastures.

That's all I can recall.

Leadeth me beside the still waters.

I think that's what Bill's talking about.

I remember that.

Still waters...

well, this ain't no green pasture.

Amen. That's good enough.

Let's go while we still got our hair.

It's that comanche woman.

I guess they took the boy.

Good Lord. They done notched her nose.

Call: I wonder why folks want to say scriptures when the bury somebody.

They're dead. They can't hear no holy talk.

Gus: It's just custom.

Folks get to thinking about heaven when somebody dies.

Call: I'm glad I seen them wild indians.

Gus: Well, I ain't.

Josh and Zeke are dead.

And I nearly was.

Soon as I get to Austin, I'm gonna buy a better gun.

Call: Still glad I seen them comanches.

See? That wasn't so bad.

Well, sir, I believe you're next.

I changed my mind. Let's go looking for whores.

I thought you had a toothache, Bill.

A man's teeth belongs in his head. That's my opinion.

Myself, I can't afford a dentist or a whore.

I can't even afford to get drunk unless I steal some whiskey.

I'll buy you the whiskey.

Woodrow!

Woodrow.

They're getting up an expedition to take Santa Fe from the mexicans.

The texas rangers are welcome to go.

Where is Santa Fe?

Got Long Bill, Blackie Slidell, Johnny Carthage, Button brothers.

They're all ready to leave.

And Matilda's going too.

You didn't answer my question. Where is Santa Fe?

Well, it's out where we went the first time...

only further.

If it's further than we went the first time, we'll never get there.

They mean to annex Nuevo Mexico and make it part of the Texas Republic.

They say Caleb Cobb's leading the troops.

Now everybody's heard of Caleb Cobb.

No, everybody ain't, 'cause I ain't.

Anyway, Bigfoot and Shad are joining up.

We need to join up ourselves.

They say there's gold and silver piles everywhere in Santa Fe.

They say there's enough gold to fill up two churches.

Well, why would the mexicans want to just give us two churches full of gold?

Don't sound like no mexicans I've met.

You are too darn contrary, Woodrow.

I've never met a person that's as apt to take the opposite view than you.

Well, I guess I spent too much time with mules.

You ask too many darn questions.

And you ain't come up with a single answer.

I don't think you know anything.

You just heard some wild talk, now you want to go fight.

What about Buffalo Hump?

If Santa Fe is out in his direction, he'll find us, he'll kill us.

Some of the army is coming along on the expedition.

Buffalo Hump has an army too.

If he can find 10 warriors to ride with him, then he's got an army.

Besides, he lives there.

What makes you think we can whip the mexicans even if we do get there?

What makes you think we can't, you fool?

Well, we didn't whip 'em at the Alamo.

Damn it, Woodrow, I'm about wore out from arguing with you.

I have never met a person that's as stubborn as you.

Well, saddle up, Woodrow. It's Santa Fe or bust.

I didn't expect you'd want to go fight mexicans, Matty.

You become a ranger too?

I'm needing to get to California before I'm old, Woodrow.

I hear there's roads to the west up around Santa Fe.

Ow!

Y'all shut up.

I think my skull's broke.

Are you with us, Woodrow?

Well, you boys want me, I guess I'll join up.

Let's get to joining.

Sign up, gentlemen.

This is your last chance.

Sign up now or you'll regret it.

The great Texas-Santa Fe expedition is ready to leave.

This here's a freeman's army.

All we furnish is the muskets, the ammunition and the grub.

Only we don't call it an army.

I wouldn't call it an army either,

if these fellas are specimens of your soldiers.

They're mostly card sharks and barbers.

They'll be fine for trading and such,

but what do you plan to do for fighting men

once you tell the mexicans we're taking over Santa Fe?

They ain't your worry. That's ours.

No, it's ours, if we're gonna take our scalps over in that direction.

Captain Billy Falconer is such a firebrand

I expect he can handle the entire mexican army all by himself.

Well, if he's such a scrapper, maybe he can handle Buffalo Hump.

Him and his boys cooked two mule-skinners

to death not 10 miles from here.

Why, the ugly rascal.

I'll get up a party and go after him.

You boys can come if you're game.

Whoa, Billy.

Now you can go chasing after violent comanches if you want to,

but you ain't taking one of my new pistols.

That Buffalo Hump fella, he just might get the best of you.

Then I'd be out a gun, wouldn't I?

- I... - Wouldn't I?

I thought one of these was mine.

It ain't.

Take these men over to quartermaster Brognoli. Get 'em outfitted.

This enterprise sets sail just as soon as general Lloyd arrives.

Phil Lloyd? He's going?

- That's right. - I scouted for him once.

He's been drunk every day for the last 20 years.

General Lloyd couldn't find Mexico

if you tied him to a horse and pointed him south.

The man can't even ride.

Well, if he can't ride, we'll put him in a wagon.

Raise the mainsail. Lower the jib.

This way, gentlemen.

Well, we got Phil Lloyd, a talking bird and a dentist.

Think we can take New Mexico?

If it was me, we'd hang the general, eat the bird, keep the dentist.

Dentist might come in useful up in the Baldys.

That bird might be tasty.

Speak of the devil...

here's the general now, drunk as a lord.

Careful.

This way.

There it is.

Here it is, Mrs. Peck.

A bonnet is a bonnet, I suppose.

Oh no, Mrs. Peck. That's a very becoming bonnet.

If you say so, Clara.

Thank you, ma'am.

Good day, Dr. Norris.

Good day, Miss Forsythe.

Here are your cigars.

My father tended to them personally.

Well, your pa tended to them too well, Clara.

Never buy a cigar till you smell it.

That's very good advice.

But I won't take it. I don't fancy cigars.

Dispose of this, please, sir.

- Do what, ma'am? - Dispose of this.

I can see you're tall, but I don't know if you're useful.

I'm Clara. Who are you?

Augustus McCrae.

Augustus?

Did you hear that, Mr. Brognoli?

He's roman like you.

I don't think so, Miss Forsythe.

He's just a young rascal from Tennessee.

What's that in his hand? Has he been stealing from you?

No, it's just some wrapping I asked him to dispose of.

He ain't done it yet, so I guess he's a laggard.

Better hurry, McCrae.

I aim to keep this piece of paper forever.

Keep it forever? That scrap?

When you have important soldiering to do?

I'm keeping it 'cause you gave it to me.

Gus, don't you want to pick a gun?

Why don't you pick one out for me, Woodrow?

I expect they're all alike.

We're gonna buy horses. Don't you want to pick your own mount?

Hello. Are you a roman too, sir?

Oh no, no. This here is Woodrow Call.

He's just a plain texan.

Woodrow, why don't you grab me a musket as you leave?

Why...

I believe I've smitten Mr. McCrae.

Doubt I could smite you though, Mr. Call, not unless I had a club.

Hey, you. Go along now.

Your friend corporal Call is waiting for you.

No, he's not a corporal.

He's just a plain texan ranger like me.

He's more enterprising than you though.

I bet he makes corporal any day now.

Put these on that table, please.

Hello, pa.

This is Augustus McCrae from Tennessee.

He's a texas ranger, but he seems to have time to spare so I put him to work.

I see.

She's brash, ain't she?

You don't have to wait for an opinion when Miss Clara's around.

She'll give you one before you can catch your breath.

I ought to go and look at those horses.

Many thanks for the visit.

Was it a visit?

Why, it seemed like one to me.

That door ain't locked.

Come back and pitch in with the unpacking, Mr. McCrae.

If you have the time.

If he doesn't have the time, I expect he'll make it.

Here. I hope this one suits you.

Keep it. I ain't going.

What?

You don't want to go on the expedition?

I'd rather marry that girl.

Marry her?

You ain't known her for 10 minutes.

Yeah well, 10 minutes is enough.

He's a crazy critter, ain't he?

Meets a girl, next thing you know he wants to go for the preacher.

You ought to visit the whorehouse.

It'll clear your head.

- Howdy, Sam. - Howdy.

- Hey, mister. - Evening.

I'll go ahead and put these on outside.

That way you won't lose no time.

Or you can just sit there on the bed and put them on.

You ain't been here that long.

If I don't see you before we leave...

Goodbye, Maggie.

Oh, goodbye, Woodrow.

Well, what's your opinion?

Is she lively?

I got no opinion.

You ought to be cleaning your weapon.

It's brand new. You need to clean the grease out of the barrel.

General Lloyd's here. We're leaving tomorrow.

Y'all may be leaving. I ain't.

Hell, you signed up right there in front of Caleb Cobb.

You try to back out now, he'll hang you for desertion.

Hang you till crows peck out your eyeballs.

I believe I've heard enough of this gloom talk.

I'm gonna go take a walk down by the river.

I guess I'll walk with you a ways.

I didn't request your company that I recall.

It's a free country.

I guess I can walk by the river if I want to.

Don't touch it.

You don't understand nothing about it, Woodrow,

'cause you ain't the marrying kind.

You ain't hardly even the whoring kind.

Well, we ain't going away forever.

If you're determined to marry her,

why can't you wait till we get back from Santa Fe?

'Cause she's flirty.

Now she tried to flirt with you.

You're too dumb to notice.

What if she marries some fool while we're gone?

I'd be heartbroke forever.

Somebody's fishing.

What kind of fool would fish at night?

Fish can't see the bait.

Well, fish don't need to see it. It can smell.

Gus! Gus, you all right?

Where is everybody?

Off whoring.

I didn't have no cash so I stayed to watch the camp.

Well, Gus just fell off a bluff down by the river.

Come on, Johnny, Gus might be dead.

Walk, Johnny.

Indians can swim.

- Who can swim? - Indians.

That big'un with the Hump might be right out there in the water.

They swim under the water and grab folks right out the boat.

Well, we ain't in a boat. We're on the shore.

- Did you hit him? - Hit who?

Did you hit the indian you shot at?

- Who shot? - You shot.

You're so drunk you can't remember shooting your own gun?

- I shot? - Woodrow!

- I didn't shoot. - Come quick, I expect I'm killed.

You listen here, Mr. Rascal.

If I see an indian, I will shoot him.

There you are.

Johnny shot at somebody. He can't remember who.

I hope it ain't that Buffalo Hump.

I hurt my ankle and I don't expect I could outrun him tonight.

Johnny, who did you shoot at?

Matilda ate that big turtle.

Now I got two of you down.

If this ain't a darn nuisance.

Let's get on to camp if you can hobble.

I'll come back for Johnny later.

Hope that girl's in that store tomorrow.

Well, go see her. Maybe she'll sell you a crutch.

Can you get up?

Ow!

Be quiet and don't interrupt me.

I'll have to do it all over again if I lose my count.

So it's you and not Mr. McCrae.

I guess he ain't as smitten as I thought.

He meant to be here at dawn, but he fell and hurt his ankle.

Just like a man.

Is it broken?

I expect he done it dancing with a senorita.

No, it was dark, he fell off a bluff.

I thought some liniment might help.

It might if I rubbed it on him myself.

If I could just buy some and take it to him, he could do it himself.

You know nothing of medicine, sir.

Tell Mr. McCrae I consider it very careless

of him to go falling off a bluff.

When I smite a man I expect more careful behavior.

Thank you, ma'am.

You're welcome.

I suppose you told her I was drunk.

You mean to marry her yourself, don't you?

Marry her? I don't even know the woman's name.

Pshaw!

It don't take long to learn a name.

You mean to marry her and I know it.

You must have broke your brain when you took that fall.

I don't intend to marry nobody!

I'm off to Santa Fe.

Let's go, boys.

Buffalo Hump burned down a farm this side of Bastrop.

We're going after him. Johnny, you and Gus pack up the wagon.

Meet us up at the trail. The rest of you, pack it up. Let's go. Come on.

This is a passel of stuff to pack up.

Gus won't be no help. He's a cripple.

Oh, hush your yapping.

Be sure to bring me my long johns.

I don't know what I did to rile you...

but I hope to see you up the trail if I live.

I'm sorry I swung at you, Woodrow.

I was drunk.

Goodbye.

There you are.

I see that you're unreliable.

I might have suspected as much.

Let me see your foot.

What? Excuse me, ma'am?

I need to know if you're going to recover.

I might have plans for you.

But if you're a goner, I won't waste my time.

Plans?

If you recover, you could be my assistant in your spare time.

Of course there are other applicants, if you're not interested.

That darn Woodrow Call, I imagine.

No, not corporal Call.

He's a bit too solemn for my taste.

And I expect he's too slow to make a fool of himself.

I like a man who'll make a fool of himself immediately, like you.

What were you thinking when you fell off that cliff, Mr. McCrae?

- I was worrying about indians. - Oh, goodness.

I thought you might have been thinking about me.

I had a notion I'd smitten you, but I guess I was wrong.

Haven't smitten corporal Call, that's for sure.

No, he's not a corporal. I told you that.

He's a ranger like me. Can't you hear?

Now that's better.

Perhaps I have smitten you.

And I intend to call him corporal Call.

I can choose names for my admirers, I suppose.

Goodbye, Mr. McCrae.

I fear we have to depart in the morning.

Well, this job will only keep you a couple of months.

But I expect a visit from you before you depart.

Give my respects to corporal Call.

Well now, if he's a corporal, I ought to be a corporal myself.

Corporal McCrae.

No, it don't sound right.

Corporal Call, somehow that has a solid ring.

Big, I can't swim hardly a lick.

We won't be swimming, Bill. Not today.

See them tracks?

A war party crossed here a few hours ago.

Darn them comanches. They would beat us across.

How many you make of it, Shad?

- About 30. - What do we do then?

Rest the horses.

We've come 60 miles already since Austin.

We'll have to ride further than that to catch up with the troops.

And these horses will never make it without rest.

What'll we eat?

You might hook a fish if you're lucky.

I killed one! I killed one!

He was just a young'un.

Not too young to have killed you if you hadn't been quick.

You gonna scalp him?

You killed him, it's your scalp.

Why, no.

He'd have scalped you if he could have.

Scalping ain't my way.

Yeah, but it'll be your way when you're a year or two older, boy.

If you survive that long.

Wallace: We'll hunker down and wait.

When it's dark we'll head out and find the expedition.

God!

It was him, Buffalo Hump! Behind the log!

That devil. I hate to let him come at us like this.

He got Josh and Zeke. Now he got Wally here.

Get back here. Don't you be trying no ignorant fighting, Big.

His spine is split.

They're gonna be sneaking in among us if we don't leave right now.

Try not to let your eyes get tired, boys.

It's when your eyes get tired your scalp's in the most danger.

Let's go. It's time.

- Get him off me, Jimmy. - Leave him. Come on.

Johnny: Step up. Step up now.

Why didn't you wake me so we could leave with the expedition, you fool?

'Cause I ain't a darn alarm clock, Mr. Rascal.

We gonna get us a fine scalping if we don't catch up.

Johnny, we've got to stop here at the store.

Step up. Step up.

- Stop here at the store. - That store ain't even open.

I don't care if it ain't open. Stop.

We ain't got no time for your nonsense.

- Stop before I strangle you. - Whoa whoa!

All right.

Damn it.

Look, pa.

Mr. McCrae, my roman.

I expect he's jumped down into that mud to propose to me.

Ain't you coming down?

I still got this sore ankle.

What kind of romeo falls off a bluff and cripples himself

just when it's time to propose to Juliette?

You're supposed to sing me a song or two

and climb up here and beg me to marry you.

What?

Ain't you read Shakespeare?

What's wrong with your schooling?

I can't climb.

Ain't you coming down?

We don't usually welcome customers this time of the morning.

Now I ain't a customer.

I want to marry you.

But I have to leave and Johnny won't wait long.

Don't you look at me.

Wait, you'll get muddy.

Where's corporal Call?

What's become of him?

Now you would ask.

He's off chasing indians.

He ain't a corporal either. I've told you that.

Well, in my fancy he is.

Don't you get brash with me after I got my feet all muddy just to see you off.

I don't want Woodrow Call anywhere near your fancy.

Will you marry me once I get back?

Well, I don't know.

How do I know who's gonna walk into my store

while you're off wandering the prairies?

I might meet a gentleman who could recite Shakespeare to me for hours.

But I love you.

And I won't be happy for one minute

unless I know you'll marry me once I get back.

Well, I can't say for sure, not right this minute.

But I will kiss you, if that would help.

Come on, Gus. I'll help you up.

Thank you, Matty.

Step up. Step up now.

Colonel, youngster just killed his first comanche.

Brave was floating down the Brazos hiding behind a dead mule.

Young Call here shot him dead.

That's alert behavior, Mr. Call.

I'll make you a corporal on the spot.

I say that's hasty. It was probably just dumb luck.

Let me decide the promotions, Billy.

If a comanche was to float up on you

under a dead mule I imagine you'd be scalped.

I'm always wary of dead animals when I cross a river.

You lost five men and this cub's

the only one of you who was able to kill an indian?

Man overboard. Man overboard.

Bird's got a point.

Maybe if we'd had a boat we might have done better.

I won't be sending out any more punishment squads

if this is the best you can do.

Come on. Come on.

Life's just as dangerous whether you're a corporal or a private.

Howdy. You're back.

Hey, Gus, have you saluted him yet?

Now why would I salute him? He's my pard.

He may be your pard, but he's a corporal now.

He killed a red boy and the colonel promoted him.

So you killed one.

What was it like?

Well, he was almost on me. I just shot in time.

Soon as your leg heals proper we'll have another fight.

You'll kill a comanche, colonel will promote you too.

Then we'll be corporals together.

And if I don't, maybe one will kill me and that'll be the end of things.

Who's that?

Bes Das. He's a pawnee scout.

Alchise, he's mostly apache.

Must have spotted something.

Buffalo, the great herd.

They'll cross the river soon.

Should we tell the colonel?

He'll find out when he catches up with us.

Let's go, boys. It's buff.

Look at all them buffalo.

Wallace: Look at those buff, Johnny Kirker.

They say it takes two days to ride past this herd, even at a trot.

Colonel, look.

Looks like we're not the only ones who like buffalo liver.

He's got three scalps on his lance.

That's our men's hair, colonel.

- Can't we get after them, sir? - Not today, Billy.

That's kicking wolf over at the side.

Buffalo Hump's the killer, kicking wolf's the thief.

Best horse thief on the plains.

He'll put us afoot if we don't watch close.

What are we gonna do about our red neighbors then, colonel?

Cobb: It's almost time to make camp and prepare the grub.

Maybe we ought to invite them to join us.

- Sir? - Wallace: Ask them to dinner?

After what they did to our boys?

- This is a war, colonel. - Yes, you're right, Mr. Wallace.

But even in war it's the custom to parley.

Who's gonna invite them, sir?

Bes Das can do it.

Mr. Wallace, you can join him.

And corporal Call and his companero.

It'll give the corporal the chance to live up to his promotion.

And kill a buffalo calf on the way back.

Sam could cook the sweetbreads.

That ought to flatter our guests. Let's go. Come on.

You young boys keep your traps shut.

Bes will do the palavering.

I wonder why he pointed that lance at us.

He said that both of you belong to him.

He says he will take you when he is ready, but not today.

He is coming to eat supper with the colonel and will bring his wives.

Now how does he figure we belong to him?

You cheated his lance.

His lance is hungry for your liver.

Well, it can just stay hungry.

What about me? I didn't cheat his lance.

No, with you it is different.

Different how?

Different because you killed his son back on the Brazos river.

Hya!

We'll go down and kill a couple of calves.

Sam will take the liver and sweetmeats, leave the rest.

I'll head on back to camp and report.

Call and McCrae, come with me.

You weren't told to come. I'd prefer it if you go back.

Prefer all you want.

I don't work for no army.

I won't be told what to do by no pup.

You weren't told to come.

There's indians around buffalo.

They crawl in with them, shoot from under their bellies.

Now I've got business to attend to.

I don't care if that murdering comanche's coming to eat.

- Now get out of my way! - Will you tell him, captain?

Last time we rode together, you scalped some mexicans I recall.

I despise young fools.

Whoa, he's the colonel's friend.

We'd best not kill him, Woodrow.

Disarm him. He's got guns in his boots.

If you leave him anything to shoot with he'll kill us.

You handled that gun pretty quick. You'd make a fine corporal.

I might make a corporal yet.

That fellow was rude.

I won't tolerate rude behavior.

Uh, colonel.

Thank you, Mr. Coleman.

Sir, I think Gus McCrae deserves to be a corporal too.

Well, he's propped up tall as a mainmast.

Let's hear your report. What did he do to earn this honor?

He whacked John Kirker on the head with his pistol.

Kirker followed us when he wasn't supposed to

and wouldn't go back when we asked.

- You whacked Johnny? - Yes, sir.

John Kirker is the sort of fellow who will kill you

for picking your teeth if he's not in the mood for teeth picking.

If you whacked him then you oughtn't be made a corporal,

you ought to be made a general.

You'd best watch your flank for a few days, corporal McCrae.

Kirker is as mean as a weasel.

Why don't you fellas get something to eat?

- Yes, sir. - Thank you.

I'll make a short speech. Damn short.

Now Buffalo Hump is a murdering devil

and I know every one of you would like the chance to kill him.

If you are patient, that chance may come.

Today is not your chance.

Because he is my guest and I will shoot the man

who so much as looks at him funny.

That mean we can't spit while he's in the camp?

Yeah. Yeah, you can spit.

Just don't spit in his general direction.

Colonel, why are you having him to dinner if he's such a killer?

Curiosity.

If you want to know the mettle of your opponent,

it don't hurt to look him in the eye.

I ain't never looked the devil in the eye and I ain't looking to start now.

I say you bed down with a rattlesnake, you're most likely to get bit.

Here he comes.

Cobb: Tell him he's welcome.

Then throw in some guff about what a great chief he is,

how he's stronger than the buffalo and wiser than the bear.

Tell him his name's enough to freeze mexican blood.

We need some wind here. They expect it.

Taken a fancy to Matty, has he?

Bes Das: Yes, he wants her for his wife.

He says he's seen her before.

He calls her turtle catching woman.

He wants captain Falconer's rifle too.

Shadrach, what do they call you in comanche?

Wasapee... tail of the bear.

Cobb: You tell that rascal that Matty is the woman of tail of the bear.

What did he say?

He said tail of the bear is too old for such a strong woman.

He still wants the rifle.

Well, Billy, you should have hid that fine gun of yours.

Now you're gonna have to give it to him.

This gun cost me six months' wages, colonel.

I ordered it from England and I waited two years to get it.

I'll be damned if I'm giving it to him.

Give it to him anyway.

You don't invite a great chief to your camp

and then let him leave without a present. That's elemental.

I don't care what's elemental.

I'll not give up my gun.

Give him a musket. It's more than he deserves.

I'll decide what he deserves.

I won't do it. I'll resign first.

You're resigned, captain.

I will not tolerate mutiny.