Bonanza (1959–1973): Season 9, Episode 2 - Sense of Duty - full transcript
Ben militia troop is reactivated when the Paiute Indian Wabuska is captured and needs to be transported to the nearest fort. The Indians consider him to be a god which makes him very important to their people. When several of the soldiers are killed, the tribal chief sees for himself what they have been dying for.
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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.
This has been a color production
of the NBC television network.
to you in living color on NBC.
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.
This has been a color production
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