Rawhide (1959–1965): Season 6, Episode 23 - Incident at Hourglass - full transcript

Favor visits an Army camp building a dam to ask for a delay to move the herd. He finds a childhood friend who asks him to stay for dinner with her and her husband who is in charge. He gets the meal and a charge of murder for killing a Lt.

Hey, soldier,
don't pat it, hit it.

Figure you're hitting my head.
That'll help you get your heart in it.

Yes, sir.

If you men want to enlist, the
sergeant will take care of you.

Well, the idea of enlisting
ain't too appealing, really.

We just kind of want
to know what's going on.

Well, I should think that
would be obvious even to you.

Sergeant. SHALER: Yes, sir.

These men have wandered
into a military reservation.

Would you be good enough
to help them find their way off?

Yes, sir.



I once saw a lieutenant like that in a
toy store when I was just a yearling.

- They wound him up with a key.
- Heh.

Well, that's the
way they train them.

It wears off after a while and
they become human, pretty near.

All of them, sergeant?

Well, about eight out of 10,
sonny. That's a fair average.

What can we do for you?

Uh, well, uh, this
is Hourglass, isn't it?

That's what it says on the map.

That's the only pass
for 50 miles around.

We gotta get our herd through
from the foothills to the flatland.

Hourglass is part of a
government reservation.

You haven't asked yet,
but I know you're about to,

so I'll save you the trouble.



What are we doing here?

We're building a dam, Sonny.

Right where you came through
is gonna be under 40 feet of water.

Uh, yeah, coming from where?

From the Hourglass River.

The Hourglass River? You mean
that creek we just rode through?

There's not enough water
in there to bathe a goat.

Heh. Well, this
is the dry season.

On the map, it's a river.

On the map.

Yeah, well, never mind
why or where. When?

We gotta get our herd through before
you start slinging these rocks around.

Boulders, sonny, some of
them bigger than a house.

What's the earliest you
can get your herd here?

Noon tomorrow.

Three hours too late.

The fireworks start at 9:00.

Of course, I could
wait three months, heh,

but I'm not the fella
that's giving the orders.

Are you the, uh, head man,
the trail boss or whatever?

No.

Well, then you better
skedaddle over and get your CO

and have him talk to mine.

That's the way the Army
likes it, rank talks to rank.

The four-hour delay you mentioned
would be closer to two days.

That's point one.

Point two, if I halt the work in the
dam to let your herd pass through,

the next trail boss could and
would demand the same treatment.

Point three, Hourglass
is government land.

As such, it's been subject to
posting and closure at any time.

Are you the final word or is there
somebody maybe I can appeal to,

like a federal
marshal or something?

Well, any appeal would have
to be made to Washington.

Any decision would
be made there.

And, uh, the answer returned at about
the time my last steer died of old age,

if I was foolish enough to wait.

Well, command channels
were not my invention, Mr. Favor.

I merely use them.

Since this is government land, I
enforce all law, military and civilian.

I'm empowered to arrest,
court-martial and punish any person,

civilian or military, who in
any way impedes the project.

Well, captain, I think you could
have saved us both a lot of time.

"No" is only one word.

Gil.

Gil Favor.

- Gil, honey.
- Sally-Ann.

- It's so good to see you.
- Look at you.

You haven't changed
a speck, not one speck.

You certainly have,
and for the better.

Oh, we always
were kissing cousins.

Practically relations, but
always kissing cousins.

So good to see you.

- Well, who's your friend?
- Huh? Oh.

Oh, that's Rowdy
Yates, he's just a ramrod.

How do you do,
Mr. Yates? It's a pleasure.

Oh, delighted, uh, ma'am.

James, the nicest
thing has happened.

One of my oldest and
dearest friends is here.

You've heard me
mention Gil Favor.

This is my husband,
Captain James Rankin.

Yes, we've met, dear.

Gil has promised
to stay for supper.

Well, you will stay, won't you?

Yeah, thanks, but I, uh, do
have a herd to get turned around.

Oh, I'm sure your friend would
be happy to do that for you.

Oh, please, stay, Gil.

It's been such a long time since
I've seen anybody from back home.

- Yes, lieutenant.
- Uh, sir, I was just wondering

if you wanted the coyote holes
on the south wall loaded and fused.

Those were the
orders I gave, yes.

Yes, sir.

To please my wife, Mr. Favor,
I'll add my voice to hers.

We'd be delighted to have
you take supper with us.

We're quartered over
there against the hill.

Uh, after sundown, then.

I remember I used to help
Daddy choose the wines at Fairhill

for special dinners.

He'd unlock the cellar door
and we'd go down with a basket

and one of the maid
servants to carry it,

and there'd be row
after row of dusty shelves

and tons of wine from
France and Spain.

Of course, ahem, in that cellar,
this Burgundy would hide in shame.

Here's to good wine,

because it's the only
bottle within 100 miles.

- Heh.
- A toast to beauty, to my wife.

Poor James, he must
get so tired of hearing me

go on and on about
all the parties at Fairhill

and the way the folks just
dropped in, wouldn't leave,

because Daddy liked
company so much.

Well, it's nice if
you can afford it.

Oh, darling, money was
no problem in those days.

I must say, the kitchen
help often got upset,

because, uh, they never knew how
many people to plan on for supper.

But now it's all gone, the
plantation house burned,

the animals dead or stolen,

the people scattered
to the high winds.

Did you, uh, live close
to Fairhill, Mr. Favor?

Yes, Sally-Ann and
I were neighbors.

Her oldest brother and I, uh,
served time in the same regiment.

James, don't you remember? I
told you that Mr. Favor helped me

lead the cotillion on my
16th birthday at Fairhill.

Yes, so you did.

Well, let's drink a
toast, to Rankin's Folly.

That's my wife's name
for the dam, Mr. Favor.

Of course, time
may prove her right.

A project that fails is often
named for the man who builds it.

Successes are named for those
who see only the finished work.

So to Rankin's Folly.

I, uh, still don't quite
understand, though.

Well, someone in a seat
of authority in Washington,

someone who'd never
been west of the city limits,

but who could read contour
maps and river charts,

decided this was a
fine place for a dam.

It was agreed upon by
the Bureau of Indian Affairs,

money was appropriated
and we were ordered here.

Six months, three weeks and
16 hours ago, wasn't it, darling?

It's a long time, Mr. Favor,
when you're counting clock ticks.

The purpose of
the dam is two-fold:

The first to create a lake,
then to flume the water

to the nearest Indian Reservation
to be used as irrigation.

If and when.

As near as I can determine,
there may not be any water to flume.

The original surveys
were vastly in error.

Have you notified Washington?

Yes, I did.

I was told not to be fooled by a
dry summer, just build the dam,

and, uh, let higher headquarters
worry about the water supply.

Oh, I see.

In view of all this, you're wondering
why I can't just change my mind

and let your herd pass
through Hourglass.

I've decided, uh...

- Lieutenant Cooke, sir.
- Yes, come in.

Excuse me.

Colonel Greer is due
here in the morning.

Sorry, you and Mr. Favor will
have to excuse me for few moments.

Well, I have to be
getting back anyway.

Oh, no, Gil. Well, we
haven't even had our coffee.

And I've got a thousand
questions to ask you.

At least, uh, stay and have
another glass of wine, Mr. Favor.

I'll be back shortly.

I hate that man.

- The lieutenant? How come.
- No.

My husband, Captain
James Rankin.

With every breath
I draw, I hate him.

Well, now, Sally-Ann,

you're probably just having a
little touch of cabin fever out here.

No, Gil, I am so unhappy.

I've never been so
unhappy in my whole life.

- Look, Sally-Ann...
- You don't understand.

He has lied to me. He has
lied from the very beginning.

We were supposed
to go to Washington.

He'd been assigned
to the staff college.

We were gonna have a
beautiful home and servants.

And instead he brings me out here
to this forgotten corner of nowhere.

Well, you gotta remember,
he wears a uniform.

He's gotta do what he's
told and go where he's told.

Gil, you have got to help me,
please. I've got to get out here.

I have got to escape before I
lose what is left of my sanity.

"Escape" is a pretty hard word.
You don't look like a prisoner to me.

Gil, at home before,

we were more than just friends.

If you have any kindness left
for me or any affection, any love?

Uh, look, Sally-Ann, you
said, um, he lied to you, huh?

Yes, Gil, he did, he lied to me.

It does occur to me
that the exaggeration

may not be all on
one side, you know.

Let's talk about us.

Fairhill, the plantation house,
wine cellar, big parties, fine stables.

As I recollect it, you lived in a
four-room house on River Street.

Those were just
little white lies.

They didn't hurt anybody.

Well, might be that he was
just trying to keep up with you.

Gil, I can get your
herd out of Hourglass.

I can help you get it through
and I'm the only one who can do it.

If I do, will you
take me with you?

Uh, no, Sally, thanks.

If you won't do it for friendship,
then will you do it for money?

I've got money.

I don't really think you
need my help, Sally-Ann.

Look, if you want to get out of
here, why don't you just ask him?

He can't hold you
against your will.

Oh, Gil, I will do
anything to get out of here.

You gotta let me
go with you, please.

I've got money. I've got a
whole chest full of money.

You know, I couldn't
always help wondering

where you'd gotten that money.

Does it matter where
as long as I've got it?

Well, Sally-Ann, um,
thanks for the supper.

Gil, wait.

Think about us.

All the places we could go,
all the things we could do.

I can make you so happy.

You'd have changed his mind.

He was weakening when I
stepped in and stopped it.

And I'm not going to let
you destroy Captain Rankin.

I'm going to tell him
what you're trying to do.

Peter.

- Well, what's the matter with you?
- Nothing.

What's the matter? Only one
cup of coffee for breakfast?

Any time you don't have
at least two of everything,

you're either sick
or worried or both.

What do you wanna do, Rowdy?

Hold the herd here or start
pushing them toward Hourglass?

I was sort of figuring
Mr. Favor would be back by now.

Mr. Favor's a big boy. He
can take care of himself.

I know that. Look, we're
gonna have to haul these cattle.

If they start blasting, there's
gonna be a stampede on our hands.

Of course, uh, Mr. Favor's horse
could've stepped in a prairie dog hole

and thrown him
into a pile of rocks.

I thought of that.

He might even
have broken his leg.

- Hey, I thought of that too.
- Then what are you gonna do?

Well, if you'll stop talking, I'm
gonna go out and take a look for him.

Come on.

Now.

A little maneuver of my own.
Saves a lot of wear and tear.

That young lieutenant
you met yesterday,

you're just in time
for his funeral.

According to the charge papers,

he was murdered by
Gil Favor, trail boss.

Get down.

Get down.

Come on.

There.

Kind of got to wondering
what happened.

Well, I've been doing a
little wondering myself.

Got a pretty good
hit on the head.

He's got a lump
as big as your fist.

He's not remembering too good,

but maybe that's the way
he wants us to believe.

What are you doing,
holding him for the sheriff?

Holding him for us.

This is a government
reservation.

The Army enforces the law,

makes the arrests,
runs the court martial.

And runs the firing
squad too, huh?

No, sonny, the firing squad
is reserved for soldiers.

We hang murderers,
just like the civilians do.

But quicker, the sergeant's
just being telling me.

I can be tried, convicted,
hung and buried

and, uh, forgotten, all
come tomorrow night.

Oh, no, we'll probably think about
you till the end of the week, heh.

You two want to talk,
I can use some coffee.

Not too long.

I can save you the trouble. I
don't remember what happened.

Don't remember anything?

Well, bits and pieces.

I remember the meal,
the captain taking off.

Sally-Ann was talking a lot of
foolishness about money and stuff.

And, uh, the next thing
I know, I was coming to,

and the sergeant
was standing over me.

You got yourself a problem.

I'd sure like to know what
all that talk about money was.

Yeah, well, that won't
make any difference.

I think four or five of us
could slip in here at night

when the camp's gone to
sleep, and get you out of here.

No, they'd be waiting for you.

All you'd get accomplished
is getting yourself killed.

- Well, we can't just leave you here.
- Why not?

The court martial system is
designed to be eminently fair, is it not?

Well, quick maybe,
but I don't know how fair.

Look, all I want you to do is
get that herd turned around.

Dead Pilgrim's Pass is about
40 miles southwest of here.

- With some luck...
- No, no, we're not gonna do that.

Now, listen to me, boy.

I'll listen to you,
after this court martial.

Right now I got a few
things to do. See you later.

We, uh, took the
shells out of your guns.

You'd be wise not to try to reload
as long's you're within rifle range.

Wait here.

You have the advantage, sir.

I know you're one of Mr. Favor's
men, but I don't know your name.

Name's Rowdy Yates, captain.

Regrettable affair, Mr. Yates.

Cold-blooded murder usually is.

One of my officers is dead,

shot down without warning
or a chance to defend himself.

I've been ordered to proceed with
a court martial at all possible speed.

Look, I've known, uh,
Gil Favor a long time.

He's done a lot of things,
but murder ain't one of them.

A fit of blind rage, probably.

Yeah? Why? The
lieutenant left with you.

Mr. Favor said next time
he saw him, he was dead.

Murderers seldom
admit their crime.

We know exactly how it
happened. Mrs. Rankin saw it all.

Yeah, that's what I heard.

I just keep thinking if only I
hadn't invited him to stay for supper,

this dreadful thing
wouldn't have happened.

- I'm so sorry.
- You are, huh?

Remember, now, we
gotta keep them honest.

We wanna make sure
Mr. Favor gets a fair trial.

Just how are you gonna do that?

Well, by pitching our camp as
close as we can to their guardhouse.

Every man who isn't on duty
will be at that court martial.

Look tough and act tough, huh?

If we're gonna help Mr. Favor,
we gotta find out what happened.

And making enemies
isn't gonna help it.

You mean honey catches
more flies, Mr. Wishbone.

Will you just do the dishes
and let me do the talking?

Let's see, you're a
50-cent-a-day soldier,

doing pick-and-shovel work
on the south side of nowhere,

probably eating iron
rations three times a day.

Now, what is the thing you'd like
to smell coming your way the most?

It took you long
enough to figure it out.

Yeah, well, let's
get going on it, huh?

You heard the man.

How long have I been
with Captain Rankin?

Heh, I'm finishing
my third hitch.

Four.

I notice he wears a
ring, West Point man.

I understand you can't get
appointed to the academy

unless you've got
money or your family has.

- Twelve.
- No, you're wrong.

He comes from the hungry
end of town, same as I do.

That's why I like him.

- Twenty-two.
- Well, maybe his family does.

Thirty-one for two.

No, not him or his family.

Maybe his wife has,

but, heh, I keep forgetting
you'd know about that.

Yeah, I would.

Four.

Thirteen.

Fourteen.

Twenty-one for last card.

Fifteen, two, four,
and a pair is six.

You know, she hadn't
been in this camp a week

until I knew that some day
something bad had to happen.

You didn't just guess that,
sergeant. Where'd you get the idea?

She did.

I watched the way she cut out
the young lieutenants from the herd.

Ah, I talk too much.

You want to count
these or you want me to?

Oh, ten.

That's more than enough to win.

You know, Mr. Favor,

I'd hate to play crib with you

if all you had on your
mind were the cards.

Hey, uh, I got a roast of beef
up here that's just done perfect.

And I'd purely hate to
see any of it go to waste,

but, uh, I got none
of my men here.

You'd be doing me a kindness
to come up and have some.

- Fresh beef?
- Yes, sir.

- Is that an invite?
- Sure is.

- Yahoo! We're coming.
- Hey, men, fresh beef!

Boy, that smells good.

Oh, it's mighty good.
Now line up here.

Grab a plate and some bread.

Come on, there you go.

Here. Now, you were saying
that you were on guard duty

that night that young
lieutenant was shot.

What happened
after the shooting?

Well, there was
a lot of yelling.

You don't know how good this tastes.
First fresh beef I've had in months.

Yeah, but what
happened after the yelling?

Well, I started...

- You cow fellas sure know how to eat.
- Oh, you bet.

Now, there's no doubt that, uh,
you figure your Captain Rankin

is about one of the finest men that
ever stepped into a pair of boots, right?

Well, it sort of
might surprise you,

but we figure the same
way about Mr. Favor.

Now, I've been wondering...

I'll bet around payday there's a lot of
wild poker games around your camp.

Yeah, I bet those men
really line up for seats

when they see that
paymaster riding over the hill.

Money comes on a supply train.
Captain Rankin is his own paymaster.

I heard some tales about
a lot of money around.

You got any notions
about anything like that?

Might have.

Some more of that beef?

Oh, yeah, we do.

I worked up a big appetite
cutting timbers for a scaffold.

Attention.

All rise.

Be seated, please.

This general court
martial is now in session.

We are convened
here in the matter

of the United States
Army v. Mr. Gil Favor,

who is charged with homicide.

In order that there will
be absolutely no doubt

as to the attitude or
intention of this court,

let it be clearly understood that
we are here to see justice done,

without undue waste
of time or motion

and that purpose
shall be accomplished.

Let it also be understood
that the men of the guard detail

have been ordered to
shoot and kill the prisoner

if he makes any
effort to escape.

The shoot-to-kill order
includes any person or persons

so foolhardy as to attempt
to help the prisoner escape

or in any way to forestall the
function of this court martial.

Gentlemen, we shall proceed.

As is customary, the trial
judge advocate speaks first.

Captain Rankin.

If the officers of the court please, I
shall omit any opening statement,

feeling certain that facts
disclosed from the witness stand

will be more than
sufficient to a conviction.

At first glance, the killing
of Lieutenant Peter Cooke

would seem a piece
of senseless savagery.

Motive came prior to
the pulling of the trigger.

To establish this, I
call Sergeant Shaler.

You swear to tell the truth, the
whole truth, nothing but the truth?

I do.

Sergeant Shaler,

were you present when Mr. Favor

first rode into the United
States Army camp at Hourglass?

I was, sir.

Did you speak to him?

I'm afraid it was the
other way around, sir.

In your own words, what was
the substance of that conversation?

He wanted to drive his
herd through Hourglass.

I told him I thought
he was too late.

He told me I'd
better think again.

And?

I took him to the orderly tent.

Did you stand outside the flap

where you could hear
what was being said?

I did, sir.

Did Mr. Favor impress you
as a dangerous, angry man?

Did you think that I
might need your help?

Objection.

Begging the captain's pardon,
what was the last question, sir?

Did you stay at the tent
flap thinking I'd need help?

I wasn't thinking,
sir. I just stayed.

Were you on duty the
afternoon and evening

of the day Lieutenant
Cooke was killed?

Yes, sir. I was
sergeant of the guard.

Did you see Mr. Favor
ride in shortly before dark?

I did, sir.

Was he wearing a gun?
- Yes, sir.

Did you think it strange

that a man would come
to supper with an old friend

wearing a sidearm?

Uh, don't answer that, sergeant.

I can't ask for an opinion,
only what you saw and heard.

- You did hear the shots?
- Yes, sir.

Where were you at the time?

I was inspecting
Guard Post Number 4,

about 100 yards north and
west of your quarters, sir.

My quarters were in full view.

Did you see or hear anyone entering
or leaving after the shots were fired?

No, sir.

All right, you heard the
shots. What happened then?

I was running with two of
my lads right on my heels.

The next thing I heard,
Mrs. Rankin was hollering

for the sergeant of the guard.

- And then what?
- We went inside.

In your own words, what
did you see and find?

Mrs. Rankin was backed up in a
corner with her hands over her face.

Lieutenant Cooke
was lying on the floor

all curled up and crumpled

like they do when they
stop a couple in the middle.

Was there anyone else in the room?
If so, who, where, and doing what?

Mr. Favor was kneeling on one
knee with his sidearm in his fist.

I didn't think it was the
time or place for talking,

so we disarmed him and
took him to the guardhouse.

Did Mr. Favor admit the
shooting to you then or later?

No, sir.

He said he didn't remember.

Your witness.

Sir, uh, I, uh...

Um...

No questions, sir.

Well, you see, Mr. Favor and I
were neighbors, his people and mine.

He was much older than I
was, but he was from back home,

and out here in Hourglass,

friends and neighbors
are few and far between.

- So you invited him to supper?
- Oh, yes.

I didn't realize how
much he had changed.

There were three
of us at the table.

We ate, talked, and
split a bottle of wine.

Then I was called away.

Will you, uh, tell the
court what happened

while I was gone
in your own words?

It still seems like
such a nightmare.

I just can't believe that
Lieutenant Cooke is dead.

And all because I invited...
- Sally-Ann,

just tell the court what
happened while I was away.

Well, we were talking
about home and old friends,

and then Mr. Favor
finished the bottle of wine

and then he asked
me if I would help him

to try and get his
herd through the pass.

And when I told him that
I had nothing to with that,

he wouldn't believe me.

Just go on.

Please, may I catch my breath?

You know how much
I hate this sort of thing.

Well, he became mean and ugly.

And I tried to get away
to get out of the house

and he grabbed me by the wrist.

And I asked him as nicely
as I could to please let me go,

but he wouldn't.

And I tried to
explain to him that

I had nothing to do with
my husband's commands

and that I couldn't help him
get his herd through the pass.

But he didn't believe
me and then...

And what happened then?

I guess I started to cry.

And Lieutenant Cooke
was outside of the window

and he heard me, and
he came in to help me,

but he never had a chance,
because Mr. Favor grabbed me

and he pushed me over into the corner
and then he shot Lieutenant Cooke.

Oh, James, please,
let me go home now.

I hate to tell about
someone from my hometown.

Mess call, gentlemen. Court
is adjourned for one hour.

Brought you some grub.

Oh, no, thanks.

Can't say I blame you.

With the rations we get, it's a
wonder we haven't had a mutiny.

Oh, your, uh, ramrod's
outside. He wants to talk to you.

Hmm.

Okay, you.

You got five minutes.

Now, look, don't trying
nothing, because if you do,

my boys will feed you
about 2 feet of rifle stock.

- Is that clear?
- Uh, yeah, I'd say so.

What do you mean, I can't?

Get out of my way, soldier boy,

or I'll climb you like a tree and
bust off the branches on the way up.

Okay, Murphy, let him through.

I never could stand bloodshed.

- Well?
- Mr. Favor's lunch.

You don't think I'm gonna
let him eat Army grub, do you?

No, not after looking
at that steak, I don't.

Thanks, Wish.

And if you don't mind, I'll
wait and take back the dishes.

Oh, by all means, stick around.

The dancing girls will
be here in a few minutes.

You can talk as long
as the brass is eating.

But like I told sunny boy,
the same goes for you.

- Uh, what?
- Sunny boy. Hmph.

Well, we've been talking to some
of the soldiers and we found out

that no one was seen leaving
that house after the shots were fired.

That just confirms
Shaler's testimony.

Yeah. Did Shaler by any
chance tell you that Mrs. Rankin

had more than just a passing
interest in Lieutenant Cooke?

- Why, no.
- And he's not the only one.

She's been seen with every
young lieutenant on the post

and some of the old ones.

She took a lot of
late-night walks.

Yeah, one corporal, uh,
caught them out one night.

He got close enough to them
to hear her mention something

about a chest full of money and
what they were gonna do with it.

And he's not the only one
she told about that chest.

She scared one
young lieutenant so bad

that he asked for
a transfer and got it.

Did anybody hear her say
where she got this money?

No, we went through a 100-pound
roast trying to find out too.

Fifteen-dollar-a-month
soldiers, a few officers.

You seen any money
trees growing around here?

No, not lately.

- How many men are stationed here?
- Well, it usually varies.

Sometimes a whole battalion,
sometimes only a company,

depending on how many
men are needed in other places.

- Any civilians?
- Yeah.

Yeah, they hire civilians
when they get shorthanded.

It's been a six-,
seven-month job.

The water starts piling
up behind that dam,

no man on earth could tell just
exactly how many men it took to build it,

which might explain
an awful lot of things.

I see, thank you.

I have no further questions
to ask Mrs. Rankin.

Since the defense has thus
far refused the right to question...

Sir, the, uh, defense would
like to question the witness.

Please remain
seated, Mrs. Rankin.

Uh, colonel.

Mr. Favor, you have a defense
counsel to speak for you.

So I do, sir. Not wanting
to offend the lieutenant,

I must say that it's rather like
having a rabbit speak for you

at a convention of timber wolves.
- Mr. Favor...

Look, colonel, if this is a
drum-head court martial

and you just came here to
find someone, anyone guilty

so you can sweep this whole
mess out of the way and forget it,

then go ahead and
hang me right now.

- Mr. Favor... FAVOR:
On the other hand, colonel,

if this is a court of justice,

you'll have to allow me
to question the witness.

But you'll have to go
one way or the other.

I won't settle for
anything in between.

You may act as your
own counsel, Mr. Favor,

but by so doing you relieve the Army
of all responsibility for your defense.

Thank you, colonel.

Sally-Ann, you're still the perfect
picture of a lady, aren't you?

But then you always were.

Even as a child, you
always dressed up.

You didn't join in the running and
jumping games that the other girls did.

Why not?

I have no idea.

I do.

I remember very well, Sally-Ann.

You couldn't stand the knocks and
the bumps that went with the games.

Well, I bruise very easily.

Objection.

My wife's childhood has nothing to do
with what happened here at Hourglass.

I disagree with the captain.

I think it has everything to
do with what happened here.

You just heard your wife
say she bruises very easily.

So?

Mrs. Rankin states that
I shot Lieutenant Cooke,

but she also says that
before I did, just before,

I grabbed her by the wrist and held
her in your quarters against her will.

Now, uh, a grip like that would
certainly leave a bruise, wouldn't it?

Sally-Ann, would you show
me and the court the bruise?

Mr. Favor, I was
under the impression

that we were talking
about my childhood bruises.

I've been a grown woman
for quite some time now.

Then there isn't any bruise?

There was,

until this morning.

Sally-Ann, you've also said that,
uh, we were neighbors back home,

that your family lived just up
the road from mine, is that right?

Well, yes.

And that, uh, your father's
plantation was called Fairhill.

You had house servants and hired
hands and a fine stable of horses.

- Am I still correct?
- Objection.

Why do we let this man
waste the court's time?

This line of questioning
has nothing to do

with the murder of
Lieutenant Cooke.

I'd like to remind the captain,

the bruise had something
to do with the murder,

the bruise that doesn't exist.

Nonsense.

I find the non-existent bruise
most interesting, Mr. Favor.

But just what are you
trying to prove now?

Sally-Ann is a liar and she's
been a liar all of her life long.

The plantation doesn't exist
any more than the bruise.

I don't have to sit here and
be insulted by you, Mr. Favor.

Mrs. Rankin, you will
return to the witness stand.

But surely you're not
taking his side against mine.

Don't you see what
he's trying to do?

Don't you see that he is the
one that's lying instead of me?

That he's trying to
muddy up the waters?

Perhaps.

Oh, but surely you don't
believe him against me.

This is impossible.

We're in an area in which we
can prove nothing either way.

I think we've spent enough
time in the past, Mr. Favor.

Unless you have something that
bears more directly upon the murder.

Oh, I have, sir.

Well, let's get to it, then.

Sally-Ann, how many
ghosts were there?

Exactly how big was
the ghost battalion?

Ghosts?

Yes, the ghosts who
filled the chest with money,

the chest that you offered me
if I'd take you away from here.

Mr. Favor, I'm a
happily married woman.

Why should I offer you
anything to take me anywhere?

Are you happily married?

You led me to understand that
you were held a prisoner here,

that you had to escape before
you lost all your sanity and beauty.

Another one of
your lies, Mr. Favor.

Sally-Ann, you were overheard
by a number of people.

You were overheard saying
this to Lieutenant Cooke

and also to Lieutenant Kelly,

who was transferred
just last month.

But I don't understand.

Why should the solders...?
They were my friends.

Why should they try
to muddy my reputation

and smear my
marriage to my husband?

What about the chest of money?

I can assure you, Mr. Favor,

I know absolutely
nothing about any chest.

Well, maybe I'd better
jog your memory, then.

The ghosts are names,
names of men who don't exist,

but who nevertheless draw wages
every time payroll runs around.

Silly, I can barely put
two and two together.

Why should I know anything
about a payroll and things like that?

I'd better warn you, Sally-Ann,
there are no secrets at an Army camp.

There are eyes and
ears everywhere.

If you're trying
to frighten me...

Sergeant Shaler, have you
ever heard of this chest of money?

Sergeant, Mr. Favor
asked you a question.

Answer it or I'll put you
on the stand under oath.

Yes, sir.

I've heard of the chest.

Do you know where it is?

It's all right,
sergeant, you tell him.

It's in the orderly
room tent, sir.

Would the colonel please
instruct the sergeant

to bring the chest
into the court?

- Do it, sergeant, quickly.
- Yes, sir.

While we're waiting, Sally-Ann,

may I ask how long you've
been married to the captain?

Why, the captain and I have
been married for eight months.

Sally-Ann, when you're
angry, your voice carries.

Quite a number of the
personnel on the base

have heard you state that, uh,
you intended to leave the captain.

When did you first
decide to do this?

I don't consider my private
life any of your business.

It's very much my business.
My neck is at stake here.

Now, what was it?
Five months ago?

Six?

Seven months ago?

Suppose it were six months ago.

The fact of the matter
is that I'm still here.

A person has a right
to change her mind.

Oh, of course you do, Sally-Ann.

But why did you?

I think it's because the captain here
told you about the ghost battalion,

told you how he was
collecting the money

and storing it against the day
that the dam was completed,

when you would be able
to go back east with it.

You're very mean
and you're very hateful.

And you're very horrible to try to
mix me up and twist everybody's mind

and to make me out
something that I'm not.

If the court please,

I deeply resent this
line of questioning.

My payroll records have been audited
regularly by the Corps headquarters

and found to be
in perfect order.

I can vouch for that
statement, Mr. Favor.

Good enough. But if the
captain's conscience is clear,

then there's no reason not
to open the chest, is there?

Well, captain?

But it isn't his
chest. It's mine.

This chest that you
didn't know anything about

suddenly belongs to you?

Just little white lies.

I didn't want all of you gentlemen
prying through my private papers.

Your papers?

Are you absolutely certain there's
nothing but papers in that chest?

Well, maybe a little money
that my daddy left me.

Sally-Ann, you daddy
didn't leave you anything.

He didn't have
nothing to leave you.

It occurs to the court that
you might throw some light

upon this matter of
the plantation, captain.

Can you?

Mr. Favor is right, sir.

I wrote letters.

There was no plantation,
wasn't even a garden patch.

Just little white lies.

But the captain promised
me Washington, D.C.

and parties and
Paris gowns and...

He did. Honestly, he did.

Will you open
the chest, captain?

No, no, it's mine.

Mrs. Rankin, go
back to the stand.

But it's mine, every bit of
it. I earned every piece of it.

Sergeant, restrain her.

Mrs. Rankin.

Oh, sergeant, you won't
let them take it from me.

You saw how beautiful I was.

You saw what the wind and
the sun have done to my face.

You've watched
the wrinkles come.

All the money in
the world can't...

Iron.

But what happened to all the
gold my ghosts earned for me?

There's no gold,
Sally-Ann. There never was.

I couldn't let you go.

I tried to hold you the
only way I know how.

I couldn't steal,

so I lied to you.

Iron.

And I shot Lieutenant
Cooke for nothing but iron.

We're all through
here, Mrs. Rankin.

- It's time we went home.
- Home?

Home, sergeant, all the
way home? Home to Fairhill?

Oh, I'd like that.

I'd like to go home,
home to Fairhill.

Mr. Favor, you have our apology.

Your release is
effective as of this instant.

The blasting will be delayed until
you get your herd through Hourglass.

Court is adjourned.

Head them up!

Move them out!