Rawhide (1959–1965): Season 6, Episode 30 - Incident at Seven Fingers - full transcript

Good morning, mister. That
one ain't loaded. This one is.

Oh, I need me a horse,
so I'm taking yours.

No stripes, no buttons.
What happened to you?

Oh, find yourself a seat on
that big chunk of rock over there.

I wouldn't take that horse if I was
you. I'd get myself another one.

Well, notice you ain't me.

Now take off your boots.

You haven't overlooked
anything, have you?

I try not to.

I find that overlooking is one of
the easiest ways of not staying alive.

Now toss them over.



Adiós.

I wonder what happened
to Rowdy's horse.

I don't know.

If he don't tell me, I
ain't about to ask him.

- Quince, I need your horse.
- I'll ride back and get you one.

Now. Get down.

Scarlet, get him
a horse, will you?

I hate to see a man standing
around when he's getting paid to work.

Just use two fingers

to take that gun out of the holster
and drop it on the ground there.

Yes, sir.

Be almighty careful how I
go about it, no fast moves.

Yes, sir.

You know, you could've been
more outspoken to me, mister.



You could've told me that
your horse was going lame.

Well, I tried, but, uh, you
didn't seem to wanna listen.

Yes, I was in a
pretty big hurry.

Have yourself a seat on
this chunk of rock over here.

Well, thank you.
Don't mind if I do.

You rode him some,
walked him mostly.

Little.

Go ahead, take a
drink out of that canteen.

You left it there for me,
so I figure I owe you one.

Real good. Thanks.

You know, you're the
sorriest excuse for a horse thief

I ever even heard about.

A real smart horse thief,

he'd have ridden this horse
till he dropped. Kill the horse,

but he'd have gotten some
distance between them.

Like you said, not smart.

And about those boots.
Leaving them on the trail like that.

That was another one
of your bonehead moves.

You could have dumped
them in any old canyon,

and I'd still be dancing
around up there.

I ask you to do that?

No, sir.

Then wait till I
ask you to do that.

Yes, sir.

How come you walked him?

Well, I ain't much for killing
unless I'm being shot at.

I never met a horse yet
that could pull a trigger.

True.

When was the last
time you had a meal?

I stopped counting.

You know anything
about cattle, any chance?

What there is to know.

There's a herd that you
passed a couple of miles back.

The trail boss there, he
might take on another man.

A dollar a day and meals.

It ain't too much, but you
could earn a horse out of it.

Lead me to it.

You'll see the dust
when it comes by.

You just tell the wrangler

that Rowdy Yates said
to bring in this lame horse.

- Well, I greatly appreciate it.
- You better save that.

You might change your mind

when whoever is
chasing you catches up.

Hold up there.

You look kind of empty to
me. This ought to hold you.

Well, if this
don't, nothing will.

- Where's the rest of it?
- That's all there is.

Wishbone, he's an AWOL
noncom, and maybe worse,

yet you give him three
times as much as me.

Why?

Because that was his first
helping, and you've had three.

And he hasn't had two square
meals ahead of this like you have.

That good enough?

Cookies.

Three helpings of
Wishbone's stew, heh.

Some people will
try almost anything.

No, he'll learn.

Where did he come from?

Mm. Oh, well, we sort of run into
each other, in a manner of speaking.

I understand you hired him on.

Yeah, well, there's
rough country coming up.

I figured you could
use an extra hand.

Yeah, another drover. But
from the looks of his outfit,

he's more probably a fugitive
from knowing about close-order drill

than he is from knowing
about driving cattle.

Yeah, you're probably right.

You better hope I'm wrong,

because I finally come up with a
solution to your picking up strays.

If he don't come up a winner,
you're gonna come up a loser.

Yup, if he's not a
top hand all the way,

his pay's gonna be
deducted from your pay.

And when you count
up what you got left,

maybe you won't be so eager to
save every poor soul what comes along.

- You getting the message?
- Yeah, it's sort of sinking in.

Good.

- A little trouble, huh?
- Trouble, but more than just a little.

Mushy, I can use a little help.

Sure, Mr. Wishbone, but
I keep seeing out there.

Just save your breath and
come over here and help.

Too late. Got
it. All right, Sam.

Oh, it's all right, Sam. We
can handle the rest of it there.

Boy, you sure timed it right.

Got here after all the
hard work was done.

Yeah, well, that takes experience.
Getting the wagon all fixed up?

Yeah, thanks to Sam.

He's working out all right?

More than you know.

He can not only wrangle
cows, he's turning into a cook.

A little more experience, he
might be almost as good as I am.

And Hey Soos says he's a top
horse wrangler and a blacksmith.

Yeah, Sam's gonna be a
handy man to have around.

- So?
- Mr. Favor said if he didn't work out,

he was gonna take
his pay out of my pay.

Being as he's doing
the work of two men,

I guess maybe I'll
get paid double, right?

For all you do, Mr. Favor ought
to cut your pay about in half.

Now, you can just stay on your horse,
because you aren't needed anymore.

How'd you get it on?

Well, Mr. Sam, he did it all
by himself, slick as anything.

Oh, him and how many others?

Well, him and himself.
He didn't need nobody.

- That I don't believe.
- It happens to be true.

He just put a little effort into
it instead of running for help.

Oh, you know, Turner,
some people here may figure

you're a Paul Bunyan in
tights, but I ain't so sure.

I got a couple of questions.

Yeah, we, uh, might wanna know

how come a man who can do anything
he puts his hands to is on the run.

Who's after you, Sam?

The same people who cut
the buttons off your coat?

Your question,
Mr. Quince. You answer it.

All right, questions are
over. Let's get back to work.

- Rowdy, I still think...
- Now, Quince.

Yeah, that was mighty fine.

Well, Mr. Sam can do anything.

He can ride and cook
and shoe horses and sing.

Tell me, Sam, how
were you at soldiering?

Oh, pretty ordinary.

More than likely less, I'd say.

Oh, I've known soldiers to
lose their stripes once or twice,

but I never knew of a sergeant
to wear a coat without buttons.

Especially with a pair of
field glasses on your trail.

What do you mean by that?

Somebody's been watching
you most of the day, Sam.

East of here when
we rode in for supper.

Oh, that's what that shiny
thing was. I saw it too.

Hold it!

Sir, I...

Disarm the prisoner.

Who's in command here?

Well, I'm sort of the
boss here. Name of Favor.

Captain Jesse
Coulter, 110th Cavalry.

My identification, sir,

orders, authorizations to
make any arrests in the territory.

I apologize for moving
in without any warning.

But the prisoner's caused
considerable trouble.

I couldn't run the
risk of losing him.

"Pursue, find, arrest and return to
above named post for immediate trial

Sam Turner, ASN 4241."

You always club your
prisoners around like that?

Not always or even
seldom. In fact, never before.

Turner is no ordinary prisoner.

He is, among other
things, a thief, a deserter,

a fugitive from a general
court martial and a firing squad.

All that for one man?

If you don't believe me,
I suggest you ask him.

Sam?

Captain don't lie, Mr. Favor.

Take the prisoner, corporal.

- Still not convinced?
- Well, you see, Sam's on my payroll.

It's part of my job
to look after my men.

Right now he was looking
down a lot of gun barrels.

He might just have said what
he figured you wanted him to say.

Would a look at the statement
of charges satisfy you?

- I could tell you that after I saw it.
- Very well.

We will bivouac just
beyond those trees there.

The statement's in my saddlebag.

Give us a chance to
bring up the horses,

to make camp, I'll be
delighted to show it to you.

I'll be there.

You know, you're the
lowest, the meanest,

the dirtiest piece of nothing
that ever wore a uniform.

You can stink up a whole
troop just by walking by.

I never wanted to see but one
man die. In all my life, just one man.

But you can bet on it,

the day they put you
in front of a firing squad,

I'll be there in the
front row with bells on.

Ten-hut!

As you were.

- Any pain in the wrists?
- No, sir. Not to matter.

- I want to speak to the prisoner, alone.
- Yes, sir.

Sam, I...

I've got to ask you again,
Sam, why? Why did you do it?

If you'd been a raw recruit, the first
time under fire, I could understand.

But a veteran like you...

I thought I knew you, Sam.

After all those years
with the general, with me,

I'd have taken an oath you'd
have been the last man in the world

to break and run in the
face of enemy action.

No excuse, sir.

Is that all you've got to say?

Well, sir, I was hoping
that maybe the general...

No, Sam.

The general can't help
you now. Nobody can.

I was trying to say, sir,

that I hope that General Coulter
don't have to know about this.

All bulletins and dispatches
cross his desk in Washington.

He already knows
the whole rotten mess.

Corporal?

The wrists are too tight.
Loosen the lashings.

Yes, sir.

Oh.

Goodlove, Dunbar.

Leave the captain
alone, corporal.

That is, I mean, it might be
better if you didn't go with him.

Sometimes he just likes to
be alone and walk and think.

Maybe he's trying to forget.

Forgot that scum like Sam
Turner ever wore the uniform.

Dunbar.

That hit on the head,
I'm sorry about that.

But you were standing between
me, the guardhouse and daylight.

- And I couldn't figure no other way.
- Forget it. It's all right.

Now that I know I'm gonna
be on the firing squad.

Far enough.

Captain Coulter?

He stepped away for a minute.

- Be back directly.
- Good.

I'd like to talk to Sam
while I'm waiting, then.

Hmm.

Go ahead and talk. Just don't
get close enough to touch him.

I'll return your weapon
when you leave the area.

Very kind of you.

Sam.

Mr. Favor, I didn't think you'd have
occasion to be speaking to me again.

Well, now, I ain't
heard your side of it yet.

Well, no point
in me trying to lie.

What the captain said,
that's what happened.

- You're facing a general court.
- Big one.

Mainly big enough to be reserved
for crimes punishable by death.

Well, you know, I don't go in
for doing things in a small way.

Mr. Favor.

The coffee's on the
fire, if you'll step this way.

As you were.

New Orleans black strap
rum. I can recommend it.

Twenty-six separate charges?

All subordinate to the main
charge, desertion under fire.

Find it awfully hard
to believe, captain.

There were 12 witnesses,
Mr. Favor, and Turner didn't deny it.

Make me an awfully
bad judge of men.

That's two of us.

Until I learned otherwise,

I thought Sam Turner was
the finest soldier I'd ever met.

He was my top sergeant.
He served with my father,

General Coulter, before
he volunteered for the 110th.

He left a soft job in
Washington to serve with me.

A top sergeant is a commanding
officer's right hand and more.

He's the spirit and drive
and heart of an outfit.

He's the man that makes it
a good outfit or a bad one.

The 110th F Troop was the best.

Was, I said,

until Sam Turner broke and ran.

I don't see how one man
could destroy a whole company.

You don't know the Buffalo
troops, Mr. Favor, or do you?

I've heard they're good.

- I've also heard that their officers...
- Are the failures,

the misfits,

the drunks and the
dregs. You heard correctly.

Buffalo troops
are fine soldiers.

Their officers are the
sweepings of the Army.

I fell off my horse dead drunk

at a regimental review.

If my father hadn't
been a general,

I would have been asked
to resign my commission.

As it was,

I was transferred to the 110th F
Troop as a disciplinary measure.

The Buffalo troops
are fine soldiers

because the misfit officers
drove them unmercifully

so that these officers could
make a reputation for themselves

and be sent back to the units
that had thrown them away.

That was the way it started,

but the Buffalo troops had
never had their own units before,

so they'd never had a chance
to show what they could do.

Well, the harsh
treatment did two things.

It made soldiers
and it created pride.

Boots and buttons gleamed
more brightly in the 110th,

salutes were crisper,

weapons cleaner,
performance records higher.

Troop F had never had
an AWOL or a deserter

until Sam Turner smeared
and fouled the record.

Makes it rough
all the way around.

Be rougher you try to interfere.

Any disturbance, my men
have orders to shoot to kill.

Understand?

All right.

Understood.

All I wanna know is when.

Tomorrow night.

Tomorrow night.

I'll forget to tie his
hands after he eats.

One guard goes for coffee,
the other one falls asleep.

- And we hide in cover.
- Four of us.

Sam will head for the
picket line, trying for a horse.

And we cut him down.

Somebody's out there! Get him!

Hold it! That's far enough.

- What is it you want?
- One of your...

A drover tried to get to the
prisoner. We chased him over here.

- A drover? Which one?
- Didn't see his face.

Are you sure it was a man,
maybe not a stray steer?

A man, unless
steers run on two legs.

Do you see him anywhere here?

I don't know, sir.

You'll take your detail
back to camp, corporal.

Now,

we'll consider this
a steer, Mr. Favor.

Don't let it happen again.

All right. Come on out of there.
- They gone?

You're gonna be long gone

unless you come up
with a good explanation

for what you was doing.

I took this stew
over to Mr. Sam,

thought he might be hungry.

Hungry? With six
guns pointed at him?

I wanted to do something
to make him feel better.

Food ain't gonna help
him, Mushy. Nothing is.

It's my fault that
they caught him.

If I'd only told him about
those field glasses sooner.

They hadn't caught him here,

they would've caught
him sooner or later.

- They weren't about to stop looking.
- I know that.

And if any of you bleeding hearts
are thinking about springing him loose,

forget it. He's Army.

He put his hand on the book,
took the oath and put on the uniform.

The Army owns him,
hank, hair and hide.

Well, I admit I didn't like him at first,
not till that corporal knocked him down.

Then, well, I got to thinking.

I never met a man that
did more and asked for less.

Well, this may sound
funny coming from me,

but I figure he's
got a break coming.

- I'll second that loud and clear.
- Well, me too.

Captain Coulter has military
and civil law on his side.

Now, they're taking
Sam back to Fort Clark,

and they'll give
him a fair trial there.

No, they won't. I heard
them troopers talking.

They got a plan. Sam ain't
gonna live to get to the fort,

let alone stand trial.

They really said that?

They said if Sam don't
get loose by himself,

well, they're gonna
forget to tie his hands.

And four of them are gonna wait

and shoot him down
when he makes a run for it.

You know, I was thinking
about taking a ride come sunup.

You know, I think somebody ought
to go along to keep you out of trouble.

- Like you, huh?
- Like me.

- Yeah.
- Joe,

tell Rowdy to hold the
herd here until we get back.

Right, boss.

We've got two hours
till sunup, I guess.

Better sleep them off.

Figure tomorrow is
gonna be a long, long day.

Ah, good morning.

I really wasn't expecting
the group to say goodbye.

It's no farewell party, captain.
We're out to go along with you.

You're not a man to
leave your herd behind.

I presume you've
got a good reason.

Our herd's in good hands.

We're not so sure you can say
the same about your prisoner.

- If that's a joke, it isn't funny.
- It's no joke.

That Buffalo soldier pride

you was talking about seems
to have taken the bit in its teeth.

Some of your men have ideas

about a fatal accident to the
prisoner on the way to the fort.

Can you name names?

You believe it, that's obvious.
Why? Why should they?

You'd know the whole answer
to that better than I would.

The way I see it, they're thinking
that if Sam's tried and hung,

whole Army will know about it,
and the troop will never live it down.

But if he's killed trying to
escape, that would be the end of it.

Soldiers talk a lot, make
a lot of empty threats.

Some of them not so empty.

Gun goes off accidentally,

and you've got a man to bury
instead of a prisoner to deliver.

It's happened before
and could happen again.

- You intend to prevent that?
- We intend to try.

- If I say no? FAVOR:
Got no reason to say no.

If we're wrong, you
can rub our noses in it.

If we're right, you
can use our help.

Do I have your word

that this is not just a
trick to free the prisoner?

- You've got it.
- All right.

What you're doing may be worse
than what you're trying to prevent.

Your men are
spoiling for a fight.

One move and my men
will be glad to help them to it.

We have two open powder kegs.
Let's be careful of the matches.

Bean, bacon and coffee, sir.

- I have to check the horses.
- Been done, sir.

Oh, good.

- Captain, I'll... COULTER:
As you were. I'm all right.

Sam, you were with Captain
Coulter for a long time.

Does that happen often?

- What, sir?
- What I'm talking about.

What hit him? Was
it maybe headache?

No, no. He don't
have no headaches.

Oh, sometimes he goes for a
walk when he's a lot on his mind.

All right. Just one
more question.

How come you volunteered
for duty with the 110th?

I wanted a change,

and I knew the captain
was the head of his outfit.

I don't guess there's
anything wrong with that.

No, Sam. Not a thing.

Just inspected your
camp, Mr. Favor.

You've had experience.
You've placed your men well.

Coffee is still hot.

Thank you. I'd enjoy a cup.

Your position is
well chosen here too.

You know, captain,

I've been thinking about
the statement of charges.

It lists all the items
Turner supposedly stole,

bridle, horse, saddle,
saddle blanket,

great detail about the items
of the theft and other charges.

It doesn't seem to have much about
this thing of running from the enemy.

Matter of fact, I don't remember
it even said where it took place.

It was a place
called Seven Fingers.

It's a tangle of canyons just
south and east of Fort Clark.

An Apache war party had
burned three freight wagons,

killed the drivers.

So I got a platoon of F Troop

out to the only water in the
whole country beyond them.

I deployed men up
both the main canyons.

Corporal Dunbar was in charge

of placing the men
in the east canyon.

Top Sergeant Sam Turner

was in command of the
detail in the west canyon.

Keep your head down, trooper.

Another minute they'll be
all dug in, out of sight, sir.

Very good, sergeant.

I've got a squad along
the rim there just in case.

Two squads deployed along
the other leg of the canyon.

They're not in position
yet, but they will be shortly.

I got a look from the rim.

There's nothing moving, not even
a dust devil kicked up by the wind.

I wish there was a
little cloud of dust.

Then we'd know which
way they're coming.

I'm betting they'll come
along the other leg.

It's a wider trail, easier on the
horses. They're not expecting trouble.

They don't know we're here.

They can surprise you
with what they know.

But if they do come this way,

you hold your fire till they get close
enough to make every bullet count.

Yes, sir.

Oh, I got a letter from
the general yesterday, sir.

I know. I saw it
in the mail bag.

He's heard nothing but
good about the troop.

He's very proud of you, sir.

That old blister
proud of me? Oh, no.

I'm the backward child.

He was a light colonel
when he was my age.

On the Bible, sir.

Hold the butter,
sergeant, for another time.

I've gotta move out.

- Did you hear anything, sergeant?
- No, only the wind, sir.

That's funny.

Not a train within a thousand
miles, I could swear I heard a train.

Keep your eye on the rim. I'll
signal you if anything moves.

- You feel all right, sir?
- I feel fine.

- I can send a man with you, sir.
- I'm all right, I said. Forget it.

How are you doing, soldier?

Just wondering if I could take
my furlough now, sergeant.

What? Furlough? What's
the matter with you?

Leave this garden spot?

Fresh air, pretty country, waterfall,
what more could a man want?

- He drunk or something, sir?
- No, he ain't drunk.

- What are you doing here?
- You said he wasn't drunk,

so I thought he must be
sick or hurt or something.

- I just wanted to help.
- No help needed.

Now get back where you belong.
Wait, you got your canteen?

Come here.

Bullet creased his skull.

- Uh, I didn't hear no shot.
- Not here, not now. In the war.

Little place called Bull Run.

The bullet nicked him deep.

Every once in a while
he has a dizzy spell.

Dizzy spells ain't sick. They
come and they go quick.

They're nothing things.

Captain doesn't even
remember when he has them.

- He's getting better all the time.
- Sure, sarge.

Now, this is something
we don't talk about,

neither of us to anybody.

- Is that clear?
- Sure, sarge, yeah.

Now get back where
you belong on the double.

You're almost well now.
Can't let anything spoil it.

Not now.

You know, one
of these fine days,

you're gonna be wearing
stars on your shoulders

just like your
daddy, the general.

You know, I promised
him I'd look after you.

I ain't about to go
back on my word.

You're gonna be all right
here. I'm gonna take a look...

We'll need some
horses and tarps.

All of them gone?
The whole squad?

Yes, the whole squad.

Give me that. You
ain't fit to touch it.

You ran from the Apache.

I saw you running from
clear across the canyon.

What's this?

Turner ran. He ran
and left the squad.

Is that right, sergeant?

Yes, sir.

- Is that all you can say?
- Yes, sir.

He never denied
running, not then or later.

Anyone else question him?

Two colonels and a major. Then
he broke out of the guardhouse.

There's still a couple of
little things bothering me.

Like I said, that statement of
charges is kind of skimpy in spots.

For instance, one of the things
it doesn't say is where you were.

I was on the trail to the rim.

Trail to the rim is the
one Dunbar came down.

Well, then he must have
seen you and reported to you.

Well, didn't he
report to you, captain?

Corporal Dunbar?

Did you see Captain
Coulter on the trail to the rim?

No, sir.

Well, with a lot of shooting
and all, a man could forget

who he saw and where he saw him.

But you were on
the trail to the rim?

Yes.

Then you must've seen
the Apaches coming.

Well...

Well, you were well
above the canyon floor.

At least you saw Turner
break and run, didn't you?

- Well, didn't you, captain?
- What are you getting at?

What are you trying to prove?

Well, I had this drover once

that got pitched off his horse into
a mess of rocks, bled on his head.

Oh, he come out of it all
right, at least most of the time.

Except for once in a while,

he'd sort of blank out, couldn't
remember what happened for a while.

What reminded me of it was what
happened to you at noon today.

Was that a headache
or maybe a dizzy spell?

I had no trouble at noon.

Well, did you ever have
a head wound, captain?

Leave the captain alone,
Mr. Favor. Understand?

Now, why would he say that

unless we was getting
too close to something

that shouldn't be
known about, huh?

You didn't answer me, captain.
Did you ever have a head wound?

I had a slight wound years ago.

If you think there's something wrong
with me, you're very much mistaken.

But you didn't
remember seeing Dunbar,

you didn't see the Apaches, you
didn't even see Turner break and run.

Just exactly where was you?

- I'm not on trial here.
- No.

But if all this forgetting might cost a
man his life, maybe you should be.

So how often do you
have these spells?

You know what I'm
thinking, captain?

I'm thinking that
maybe you weren't drunk

when you fell off your
horse at that battalion review.

That maybe this
is where it started.

Little spells at first but
gradually getting bigger,

more frequent.

Not true, Mr. Favor. Not true.

Captain never
had no dizzy spells.

Well, then you'll take an
oath on that, won't you?

I tried, general.

I did the best I could. I tried.

You better get down there,
sergeant. The captain needs you.

Get a little bit of
water, will you?

You're gonna be all right.
You're gonna be all right.

And you'll be back out
there on the parade ground,

right where you belong.

You're gonna be all right.

Head them up! Move them out!