Cheyenne (1955–1963): Season 1, Episode 10 - West of the River - full transcript

Jeb. Jeb, you found 'em.

Yep.

I found them all right,
Mr. McKeever.

They're alive and well.

Well, they're alive.

But I think you'd best forget
your daughters.

You wouldn't know 'em,
Mr. McKeever.

Maybe you wouldn't want to.

Oh, good.

This is Cheyenne Bodie,
scout assigned to this post.

Meet
Mr. Edward McKeever.



Mr. Bodie.

You know of a Kiowa village
on the north fork

of the white water?

No. That doesn't
mean much.

The Kiowas keep moving
their villages.

But some time ago,
Mr. McKeever's two daughters

were taken captive
by the Indians.

And last week they were seen
at that village.

You think you and 20 men
could go and get 'em?

How old are your daughters?

Jenny would be 18 now
and Ruth, 23.

How long have they
been missing?

Five years.

Mr. McKeever and his family
were in a wagon train



attacked by the Indians.

He was left for dead.

Mr. McKeever, I was taken
by the Cheyennes

when I was 10 years old.

When I was 18, I just walked
away with their blessing.

If your daughters have been
with the Kiowas for five years,

they're not prisoners anymore.

You're not suggesting
my girls want to stay.

I'm saying more than that.

Send 20 men
to that village,

and you'll be lucky
if you get 10 back.

Ten lives for two girls

who could just walk away
if they want to?

Doesn't add up.

I believe this is
a matter of principle,

not arithmetic, Mr. Bodie.

My girls are in that village.

We have a responsibility
to get them back.

I can understand
your feeling that way,

but if you're asking me
to volunteer,

the answer's no.

What kind of an army
is this?

Do you have to ask your men-?

That'll do,
Mr. McKeever.

I'd hoped to settle this
on a volunteer basis.

I haven't an officer
to spare.

And you're the best man
for the job.

So if I can find 20 men
willing to go,

you'll lead them,
and that's final.

Do you think men from C Troop
would take orders from a scout?

They will if I tell them.

But I can't cut
the strength of C Troop.

I'll find the men
somewhere else.

That's the mission.

I'm asking for volunteers.

When you come back, you won't
return to the guardhouse,

and your records
will be cleared.

All right, who'll step forward?

Is Private Poinsett,

a former Rebel,
the only volunteer?

Private Morgan,
United States Army.

It's my daughters
you're going after, men.

I'm offering $300 bonus
to every man who goes,

whether you succeed or not.

Sergeant Baker, dismiss the-
The rest of them.

You volunteers hold your ground.

But the rest of you,
back to the stockade.

On the double!

I get 11.

You can
make it 12, sir.

Thank you, Baker.

I'd like to make it 13,
colonel.

I've got more reason to go
than anybody.

No objection, sir.

Very well.

On this mission,
Mr. Bodie will be in charge.

You'll take your orders
from him.

It'll be just dandy.

What's that, Morgan?

Nothin'.

Nothing what, Morgan?

Nothin', sir.

Colonel, I'd like the men
issued civilian clothes.

Why?

We won't fool the Indians
into thinking we're an army,

but we might fool them
for a while into thinking

we're a huntin' party.

All right.
Anything else?

Yes, sir.

I'd like those new
repeating carbines.

Would you like
my right arm too?

No, sir,
just the carbines.

I'm only allotted
20 of those guns.

We won't
need them all, sir.

We don't have 20 men.

All right.

Break 'em out, sergeant.

Yes, sir.

With those carbines,
we maybe got a chance.

Yeah.

You'll be wantin'
to see your wife, Baker,

I'll take over here.

Thanks.

All right, men,

to the quartermaster,
on the double.

Oh, Private Ryan.
No, I mean it.

That's why I always try to be
like that great Southern general

who's always there firstest

with the mostest.

Betty!
Betty, open this door!

Charlie,
Private Ryan just came-

Don't bother.

I was only- Wait!

Baker!
Ryan!

On your feet, both of you!

Ryan,

you knew this was off-limits
to single men.

What are you doing in this area?

I have
no business here, sir.

I have no business here
either, sir.

With your permission,

I'll go back to where I belong.

I know, sir.

The guardhouse again?

I think not this time, Ryan.

You just volunteered
for a mission.

Report to
the quartermaster.

Yes, sir.

Get up, Ryan, and go on
and relieve Morgan.

You don't have
to break my ribs.

I said get up.

You know, we'll probably lose
a half a dozen men on this job,

and you're going to be
one of 'em.

You listen to me-

All right, break it up,
both of you.

We'll have all the fightin'
we want tomorrow.

Does this mission have a chance
with men like these?

You see that man?

Private Poinsett?

He's a private now.

In the Confederate Army,
he was a major.

Soldiering is the only thing
he knows, so here he is.

But will he fight?

Will any of them fight?

I don't know.

I guess a soldier fights
'cause he's proud of his outfit,

doesn't want
to let it down.

And these are men
without an outfit.

The Guardhouse Brigade.

And quite a few of
this Guardhouse Brigade,

as you call 'em,
won't be coming back.

Maybe none of 'em.
Well, I-

Oh, I don't blame you

for trying to get
your girls back,

just for buying these men's
lives for $300 apiece.

They're wearin' war paint.

You think that signal's
about us?

Maybe.

That girl.

It's Ruth!

My older girl.

All of you, take a good look
at that tepee

so we can find it
after dark.

Baker, we need two men
to cover us.

All right.

Pace, you and Joe
stay here.

We're in luck
with that war dance.

It's all right,
we're friends.

Give him a hand.

Don't you understand?
We've come to help you.

Your father's out there.

All right, let's go.

Cut it out.

Ruth.

Ruth, Ruth.

I never stopped searching
for you.

I knew I'd find you.

I was afraid you'd
never see us again.

Never see you?

It's been too long.
You don't know what's happened.

Oh, you don't need to worry
any longer.

Jenny, what have they done
to you?

They've done nothing to me,

but Tanaka will kill you all
for this.

She's to be Chief Tanaka's
squaw.

Don't you see?

I can't go back,
and she doesn't want to.

Ah-

Ow!

Well, she-
She's a savage.

Now you know.

Please let us go back.

Well, say it.
Say you were right.

You told me they wouldn't want
to be rescued.

Why not let 'em go back?
Especially that one.

Because it would be wrong,

not because
they're my daughters,

because they're white women
taken by force.

Maybe they don't want to come
with us now,

but in time they'll both
thank God for what we've done.

Put her on a horse
and watch her when she comes to.

We have to tie you?

No.

Three days from the fort,
let's make it in two.

Five minutes.

Sorry we had to be so rough
on you last night.

Feel like talkin'?

How do you feel?

Look, if we're attacked,
you and Jenny

will be in the same danger
as the rest of us,

so even if you like
the Indians-

Like them.

I hate them.

Oh?

Then maybe you'll tell me.

Is Tanaka planning to attack
the railroad?

But he'll come
and get Jenny first.

'Cause I'm gonna be
Tanaka's squaw.

Have you forgotten
what Tanaka did

to your mother
and the others?

They had no right here.

This is Kiowa land.

Kiowas, out there!

Take cover!

Bring up those horses,
you idiots!

Leave the horses alone!
Stay where you are!

Poinsett, get the medicine kit.

Are you crazy?
We can't stay here.

They'll kill us
like flies.

They're only scouts, they have
to go back to get help.

There's a stretcher
on that packhorse, get it.

Don't you wanna help?

What difference
would it make?

You'll all be dead
by tomorrow.

How's he know
they're just scouts?

We don't have to take
no orders from him.

Then take 'em from me.

If he don't know what he's
doing, then we're all goners.

Now get on guard.

The Indians are out there.

Yeah, but you're back here.

What's the matter,
you lost your nerve?

Well, we're headed for home,
and I'm still alive.

I've got 48 hours yet.

He told us to find
a place to rest.

How about this?

Looks all right.

We'll wait here
and see what he thinks.

All right, break it up!

Stay apart!

Settle this when you get back.

Ryan, get up there on guard.

We'll rest here.

Take care of the horses.

How is he?

No better.

Well, I wouldn't worry
too much.

That wound isn't as bad
as it looks.

Maybe.

But I'm no help to him.

If it wasn't for me,
he wouldn't be lying there.

You can't blame
yourself for that.

I've never been
any good to anybody.

Couldn't even keep
Jenny from turning Kiowa.

Now...

Why don't you let me go back?

He doesn't know anything
about me yet.

It's better if he never does.

Ruth...

what happened
when the Kiowas took you?

I had an Indian child.

He died a year ago.

And Jenny?

She was only 13
when they took us.

Later, the Chief decided
he wanted her for himself.

Don't you see?

There's nothing waiting for me
back home.

Nothing but a lot
of prim and proper women

staring at me.

Think any man would want
to look at me now?

I don't know about
the prim and proper women,

but I'm looking at you,

and I like what I see.

Ruth.

Dad.

All that's past now.

I'll make it up to you.

I'll help you forget.

All that matters is
I've got you back.

And I'll get Jenny back too.

Now how far do you think
you'll get?

Why didn't they just kill us
and get it over with?

They'd have never caught us

if you hadn't held us up
on account of him.

All right, so we let
a handful of 'em set us afoot.

We can still walk.

A fat chance we got of getting
to the fort on foot.

Would you rather wait here
for Tanaka?

We'll stick to the higher rocks,
least they can't track us there.

That's fine.
What about the gear?

We carry it.

Cheyenne.

It's Tanaka,
all right.

But he hasn't seen us,
not yet.

All of you, stay down.

Morgan!

Leave her alone!

But she gave us away!

Killing her
won't change that now.

Maybe we could
make a run for it.

Not a chance,
not with McKeever wounded.

But we got
a strong position here.

My guess is
they'll wait us out,

figurin' we're short on water.

His move now
would be to surround us.

That means we got maybe an hour
before he nails us down.

Time for a man to slip through
and go to the fort to get help.

Yeah.

I'd like to try.

Better take one man with you,
anybody you want.

I'll take Ryan,

unless you're afraid to go.

I'll go.

All right.

But, Baker, we're depending
on both of you.

Yes, sir.

You can take one canteen.

You need it worse than we do.

We're only a couple of hours
from the river.

Good luck.

Poinsett,
you take Baker's place:

second in command.

I won't serve under no Reb.

You will till you prove

you're a better soldier
than he is,

and you haven't yet.

Poinsett, position the men.

Morgan,
tie her up and watch her.

But keep her alive.

Ruth, I'm putting you in charge
of the water.

Collect all the canteens.

Poinsett, from now on,
nobody takes a drink

till Ruth says so.

You know how long an Indian can
go without water,

it's up to you to see
that we do as well.

I can't believe it. Jenny.

Forget it.

Chances are they'd have
found us anyway.

That's generous of you,
or is it?

You never did think much
of our chances, did you?

I guess you still figure
it doesn't add up.

Well?

Well, for a while
you had me believing it too,

but we're not fighting
just for two girls.

We're fighting to show Tanaka,

all the Tanakas,

they can't take our women
and get away with it.

Maybe we will die,

but if we do,

we'll still prove something.

Those Indians
will always remember

that we value our women
more than our lives,

and the West will be
a little safer.

I say that's worth dying for.

Where's Ruth?

Anybody seen her?

She gave us a round of water.

Must have been an hour ago.

She said there was
a full one left.

You know where she went?

Well, no,
but I know about the water.

She didn't wanna tell 'em
it was gone,

she didn't wanna worry 'em.

That's what you say.
Where is she?

She took our last canteen
and left.

You put her in charge
of the water.

Let's find her.

Poinsett, take four men
and go that way.

You two come with me.

Wait a minute, this ain't
gettin' us nowhere.

Tanaka's got water,
and we got Jenny.

I say we trade.

The answer's no.

Why not? We got a chance to save
our hides, I say we take it.

I said no.

Changed your mind?

Decided it does add up?

I don't happen
to have a choice.

Morgan.

You wanna live,
don't you?

Well?

Let me go.

Tanaka's gonna kill
everyone here.

But not you.

Not if I tell him you helped me.

It's gotta be now.

While they're gone.

It's your chance.

Jenny.

Don't make a sound.
I'm telling you, don't.

You won't shoot me,
not your father.

Shut up! I won't let
you go back there, Jenny.

I said shut up,
or I will shoot!

Then shoot.
Cheyenne!

It's just like
I killed her myself.

You only did
what you had to do.

You mustn't blame her,
it wasn't Jenny that shot me,

it was a Kiowa.

I know.

How did she get untied, anyway?

She hit me in the head
with a rock.

With her hands tied?

Well, she got loose.

I don't know nothing
about it.

This rawhide was cut.

With your knife.

Wasn't either cut.

How did you know?

Hold it.

If we're gonna get back to
the fort, we'll need every man.

Gotta stop this fighting
among ourselves.

Morgan, take the carbine.

This man's been a soldier
most of his life,

I don't figure
he'll make another mistake.

Any objections?

No objections...sir.

Griffin, you and Morgan
take first guard duty.

Yes, sir.

Yes, sir.

The other side.

Sure got us pinned down.

What do we do?

We wait.

See anything?

Nothin'.

Gives you the creeps.

I keep thinking we could just
walk away from here...

then those drums start again.

We may walk away yet,

if Ryan and Baker
get through.

Sure.

But once that sun gets out,
and no water...

and if they find Jenny.

Shh. Stay here.

I had a hunch you'd be back.

I got this last night,
and I couldn't get away.

And you're ashamed
to go back home.

Griffin, we got some water,
thanks to Ruth.

Pass it around.

Water, yeah.

How about you, sir?

Later.

If I'm going to pretend
to be an officer,

I guess I have
to set an example.

You knew you'd be safe
with the Kiowa,

yet you came back.
Why?

Well, I-I guess
there are times

when just being safe
doesn't mean as much as...

I mean- Well, anyway,
I-I found out something.

I had to come back.

They don't seem to be watching
over on the cliff side.

Guess they figure
you can't get down that way.

They're probably right too.

Still...

if they're not guardin'
that side...

Let's go have a look.

It's a long chance.

Still, it is a chance.

I think we lost them.

Let's keep movin'.

So you finally did it.

Sorry for what I was thinking.

Look, if we get out of this
all right,

you can quit worrying
about me.

I did a lot of thinking
last night,

about Betty.

I guess the man
ain't to blame.

Yes, he is.
This time, anyway.

She didn't lock that door,
I did.

She didn't know
anything about it.

But you know what
she wanted to talk about?

You.

Can you walk?

Sure.

You know what that means.
They found Jenny.

We'll make our stand
across the river,

if we can get there.

We got less than 200 rounds.

Make every shot count.

Holy smoke, look at 'em!

All right,
so there's a lot of 'em.

But they haven't many guns,

and they've never faced
repeaters like these.

Just kind of a shock,

seeing 'em all like that.

We'll be all right.

Sure, we'll be all right.

What are they doing now?

Workin' on our nerves.

They like it quiet
before they attack.

How about giving me a gun?

You'd best stay down.

You may have plenty to do.

Men like a woman around
when they're wounded.

Hold your fire.

Easy.

Hold it.

Fire!

Ya-hoo!

We licked 'em!

Boy, am I glad
I got you.

Save your celebratin'
and reload.

They'll all come at us
next time.

Anybody hurt?
No, sir.

I take back all I said
about the Guardhouse Brigade.

I couldn't have asked
for better men.

It's a bit early
to be passing out medals.

I figure Tanaka himself
will head the next attack.

Cheyenne?

If I had it to do
all over again,

I'd still do the same thing,

but I'd feel a lot better
about it if you, uh,

agreed with me.

Then feel as good as you want,

'cause if I had it all to do
over again,

I'd do the same thing too.

Only next time
I wouldn't argue about it.

That's what I've been
wantin' to hear.

Being as I'm all wound up,

I guess I might as well
say what else is on my mind.

If we get back
and the men at home

get to know you
like I know you,

there'll be a whole pack
of 'em coming around.

Just save a place
in line for me.

For right now, you've almost
got me believing you.

And whatever happens,
I-I thank you for that.

Here they come!

Hold it.

Easy.

Ready.

Fire!

Cheyenne, over here!

I guess it don't make
any difference

what kind of a uniform
a man wears.

He was a good soldier.

I'm proud to have served
with him.

They won't try again
till they pick a new chief.

Let 'em come, we've licked 'em
twice, we can do it again.

Baker's with 'em.

They sure took their time
gettin' here.

They're brass-button soldiers,
what'd you expect?

Let's go meet 'em.

I want 'em to see
it's been a job worth doin'.

Good night.