Rawhide (1959–1965): Season 7, Episode 10 - Corporal Dasovik - full transcript

Why? Why did you
have to die now?

EVERTS: Lieutenant Albright
wasn't a bad sort, for an officer.

Yeah.

- How old was he?
- I don't know. Thirty?

What a place.

I'm hot and I'm
thirsty and I'm hungry.

- Things were bad enough before.
- Things are worse.

EVERTS: What do you mean?
- Go ask Eccles.

You wouldn't believe
me if I told you.

EVERTS: Mumford said you
wanted to tell us something.

Yeah, I got a little thing here
I'm supposed to read to you fellas.



"From: Commanding officer,
Fort McGinnis, Colorado Territory.

To: Lieutenant A.T.
Albright, October 3rd, 1877.

Subject:

You are hereby ordered to
take custody of Chief Ollocot

and all the other Ute Indians
that are imprisoned in the stockade

and you are directed to escort
them to the Indian reservation

at Lawpai, Utah Territory."

Well, go on.

"You shall have under your
command one rifle company squad

which shall include one
noncommissioned officer.

You shall be responsible for the
safety and well-being of Chief Ollocot

and the other
Indians during this trip.

And you shall take
whatever action necessary

to insure delivery of Chief Ollocot
and the Indians to the reservation."



And signed by the CO.

Why'd you read us that?

Corporal Dasovik requested
that I read this to the whole squad.

Something he found
in Albright's belongings.

Corporal Dasovik requested?

Since when's he giving orders?

Well, since Albright is dead,

Mr. Dasovik over
there is in charge.

[LAUGHS]

Well, who says he's in charge?

Corporal Dasovik.

Hey, you don't have to
worry about that thing.

I don't know what else to do.

Well, I think the first thing we'd
better do is get this fella buried.

Here.

Why did he have
to die now, Eccles?

Well, I...

I never seen a fella with a
burst appendix that didn't.

You talked to him you before he
died, didn't you? What did he say?

Nothing important.
Nothing at all.

I'd like to say
something over his grave.

Oh, sure. You do
whatever you want.

Hey, don't worry about anything.

Thanks.

I'll take care of
everything for you.

Everts, Willoughby. Get
that body out of there.

"The body is
wrapped in a shroud,

then placed in a grave that
shall be no less than 6 feet by..."

Why?

Everts,

give Willoughby and Baker a hand
putting that grave together, will you?

Lieutenant Albright was a good
officer and a good commander.

And he always set a good
example for me and the men.

And...

Load.

Pull.

And fire.

[NEIGHING]

- Load.
- And also he...

- I thought you was finished.
- No.

Go on.

And I'll never forget
his kindness to me

and his faith in me.

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.

Amen.

Pull.

And fire.

Load.

You think maybe we ought to put a
couple of them out of their misery?

Pull.

- Wouldn't be a bad idea.
- Heh-heh.

Fire.

Cover that up as soon as you can,
will you? So we can get out of here.

Eccles, you think I should
go talk to Chief Ollocot?

What for?

Well, you know, because
Lieutenant Albright died.

And now that I'm in charge,

- I'd like to go and tell him that...
- That don't make no difference...

Oh, yeah, I get you.

- Sure. Come on, I'll go with you.
- Thanks.

Chief Ollocot, because of the
death of Lieutenant Albright,

I am now in charge
of the Army escort.

We're six days away from
the reservation at Lawpai.

That's 120 miles.

If you're supposed to be
there, we'd better get moving.

Have your people
ready to go in an hour.

A thief stole one
Chief Ollocot's robe.

Chief Ollocot wants the robe
returned and the thief punished.

One hour.

Please.

Chief Ollocot says Utes
will not move in one hour,

or one day,

unless the Army supply
the Utes with fresh meat.

Oh, come on now, you
know as well as I do,

there ain't no game
around here this time of year.

Lieutenant Albright
promised chief fresh meat.

Oh, yeah?

Well, then we'll see what we
can do about it. Right, Dasovik?

Sure. Sure. I'll keep
the lieutenant's promise.

You gave your word?

- Yes, I did.
- Why'd you say?

- Yes, I did.
- And why'd you do that?

- Where'd you get them stripes, boy?
- Out of a picture book?

He got his stripes
from Lieutenant Albright.

Albright?

[LAUGHING]

Why don't you drop it?

Dasovik here give his word
we'd go hunting for game.

Liable to be a
little bit dangerous.

Mumford and Baker spotted
some fresh tracks yesterday,

probably made by
them renegade Indians

that been looting and
murdering the whole country.

But we'll go hunting
just like you promised.

Just a minute.

Chief Ollocot is missing
a buffalo robe. He says...

Well, he says it was stolen.

Do any of you men
know anything about it?

Well, if the robe isn't
brought to my tent before dark,

I guess there will
be an inspection.

Did you and Baker really see
renegade tracks yesterday?

We seen tracks.

We're really asking for it,

dragging Ollocot off to the reservation
right through renegade territory.

I wonder what Dasovik would do if
we locked horns with the renegades?

Probably look in
the Army manual.

[ALL LAUGHING]

You can bet Chief Ollocot's just
dying for those renegades to find us.

That way he won't have
to go to the reservation.

I think we all ought to get back
to the fort before we fry to death.

We ought to get back before
Dasovik gets us all killed.

- Right, Eccles?
- Yeah.

Nobody wants to go to that
reservation. Not us and not the Indians.

Yeah, but how
about the corporal?

- Look!
- Wha...?

[MOOING]

- Dinner! MEN: Yeah!

Yeah!

[PLAYING FANFARE]

[MOOING]

[ALL YELLING]

[MOOING]

ECCLES: Dasovik.

Dasovik.

There. Take a look at that.

There's your fresh meat.

Found them two fat beauts
walking all by themselves.

Hey, you know, that wasn't a bad
idea of yours, sending us hunting.

- Where's the rest of the squad?
- Oh, we split up.

- They'll be back in a minute.
- I heard some shots.

Hey, yeah, so did I.

Maybe they got a
deer or something.

Baker, get a fire
going. I'll tell Willoughby

- to slaughter one of the cows.
- I already did that.

You...?

But it's confusing if we
both give orders to the men.

The men aren't confused.

[GUNSHOT]

- I guess it's safe to go back.
- Yeah.

- What happened?
- What happened?

We saw these two cows,
we rode toward them,

this crazy guy started shooting at
us. We had to shoot back or get killed.

He only got hit in the leg. He must've
hit his head when he fell off his horse.

Baker. Baker, get the
antiseptic and the bandages,

and some wood for a splint.

You and Willoughby, carry him
into Lieutenant Albright's tent.

He looks like a drover.

Them fellas are sure full of
an awful lot of funny stories.

I wouldn't believe
a thing they said.

I, uh...

I think two men should volunteer
to serve the Indians their food.

Well, then, Willoughby
and Eccles, will you do it?

[LAUGHING]

Everts, you can take the
big grin with you right now

and go and feed those Indians.

Go.

[LAUGHING]

Listen to me, Dasovik.

When you was in
Montana mining copper,

those boys and I
were fighting together.

I know those men and I
know how to handle them.

And I don't think it's
fair you giving me orders

when I'm trying to
help you. Understand?

Well, look, I...

I know you're a
corporal and all that,

but you don't know
nothing about soldiering.

And less about Indians.

Why, General Custer didn't
know nothing about Indians.

How would you like for them to
start calling you Corporal Custer?

You listen to me and you're
gonna be a lot better off.

We all are.

All right, Eccles. All right.

Hey, you know, I was thinking,

it'd probably be better
to go back to the fort.

Weather's changing,
we're almost out of supplies,

and there's an awful lot
of renegades around here.

Think about that, will you?

Nobody's returned Chief
Ollocot's buffalo robe,

so there will be an
inspection in five minutes.

Somebody better come
up with that buffalo robe

before Corporal Custer
starts getting tough.

I wanna see Corporal Custer's
face when that drover wakes up.

[CHUCKLES]

I stole it.

Lieutenant Albright wanted
that there thing for a souvenir.

You stole it?

Well, ain't that what I said?

Why did you really
take it, Eccles?

You know, I think you just gonna
have to believe me, Dasovik.

But then, you'll have
to be disciplined.

Yeah.

Yeah, I guess I will.

Take it back to the chief,
see if he believes you.

- I'm sorry about what happened.
- Who's in charge here?

I'm Corporal
Dasovik. I'm in charge.

Corporal?

Well, corporal,
you're in trouble.

My name's Favor. I
just had my cows stolen,

and on top of that, I was
shot at trying to get them back.

But I was told that you started shooting
and they had to defend themselves.

Well, you was told by liars.

I don't know you, mister. I'm
gonna have to believe the men.

All right, all right. Just
give me my cows back.

I got a herd to catch up with.

Well, you only
got three cows left.

I had one of the cows slaughtered
before they brought you in.

You are gonna pay dear for that.

Now, I want a receipt
for that cow you killed.

And I want my horses
and I want my guns

and I want them right now.

We're escorting Indians to
the reservation at Lawpai.

They won't keep moving
unless they have fresh meat.

We've got to keep your cows.

Now, look, those
cows can't be replaced.

You got no right to steal them.

You'd hang anybody
else for what you're doing.

Army has a right to requisition
your cows, your gun, your horse,

anything it wants.

Now, you just butt your fat nose
right out of my business, huh, boy?

I'm talking to the
little corporal here.

And I'm telling you,
those cows ain't for sale.

You understand that?

And I want them back right
now. Do you understand that?

I'm sorry, I am. I...

I've got the requisition
forms in my tent.

You'll be paid a fair price.
They'll pay you back at the fort.

No, they won't. You gotta wait
till you get to the reservation.

That's Indian meat. You
gotta be paid by the agent.

That's right. That's right, the
Indian agent at the reservation.

I'm sorry.

All right.

All right, I'll go to the reservation
to get paid for my cows.

But then I'm gonna
go to Fort McGinnis,

and I'm gonna see to it
that you and your buddies

are all up for a court martial

for thieving, for lying,
for unprovoked assault.

And I swear to you,

I'm gonna see to it that you get
five years of breaking rock in prison.

All right, bust it up.

We gotta be out of here
first thing in the morning.

FAVOR: Hey.

Since you don't give
the orders around here,

just what do you do?

[SCOFFS]

We'll never reach
that reservation.

Well, if we all went back to
the fort and told the same story,

they'd probably believe us.

Well, maybe Dasovik
will agree to turn back.

Uh-huh.

Maybe there's 20 Chinese
dancing girls waiting for us

at the top of that mountain.

The men can't take
any more of this heat.

The Indians either.

It'd be a lot shorter to go back to the fort
than try to make it to that reservation.

Is that your
recommendation, Eccles?

Why, yes, Mr. Dasovik,
that's my recommendation.

Thanks. I'll think it over.

While you're thinking it
over, it might be a good idea

to give that drover
fella back his cows.

I'm responsible, Eccles. I'm in charge.
You've got nothing to worry about.

Corporal, I'll take that
receipt for my cattle now then.

Well, how much you
say they're worth?

Four hundred and
fifty dollars apiece.

- That's a joke, mister.
- And it's an expensive one.

Look, those are rare cattle.

Consequently, that
means that they are scarce

and that means that
they are expensive.

- The Army manual says the average...
- The Army manual?

Yes, the Army manual says

the average price to pay
for a head of cattle is $25.

- Top price is $30.
- The Army manual?

How can I get it through to you
that these are not just a hunk of beef?

These are milch cows.

I'm here to tell you
they are very valuable.

Now, if you don't believe me,

ask any one of your
men, they'll tell you.

I don't have to ask anybody.

The manual says what you'll
get, and that's what you'll get.

Hurry it up, Baker.

As soon as we get done over there,
we're gonna move out. I'm in charge.

Look, I'm not the one that
you gotta convince about that.

Renegades!

Baker, check out the ammunition.

Everts, Willoughby, ride back. Cover
the rear. Mumford, get on that ridge.

DASOVIK: First, we'll
find out what they want.

I'll save you the
time, I'll tell you.

- Horses, guns or a piece of your head.
- I say we find out what they want.

- Chief Ollocot.
- You don't know what you're doing.

You're gonna get us killed
just because you're stubborn.

Find out what they want.

Listen, it could be a trap.

You don't know what
you're doing, boy.

[SPEAKING IN NATIVE LANGUAGE]

Twenty-five renegade Indians
led by Kaimah hide in hills.

They are starving.

They have had enough fighting.

They want to surrender to
the Army with Chief Ollocot.

Trap.

Now, anybody can
see that's a trap.

There's 25 of them, corporal.

- We'd just better get back to the fort.
- What do you wanna do?

Get us torn up and looking
different? That's what's gonna happen.

As long as we got their chief, we're
safe. We can go back to the fort.

We're not even halfway
to the reservation yet.

What are you gonna do?

The governor of Utah
promised safety to all Indians

who surrender to the Army and
agree to enter the reservation.

We all know that.

Dasovik, those Indians
are riding Army horses.

Some of them have Army
guns and Army clothes.

And the governor's word
doesn't mean a thing.

Will Chief Ollocot give
his word that the renegades

- will not harm the soldiers?
- Wait...

Why, he's crazy.

Ollocot gives his word.

You listen to me, you are crazy.

Dasovik, Dasovik.

All right. We'll let them.
We'll let them surrender to us

and we'll take them along to the
reservation. Tell the renegades.

Look out.

[GRUNTING]

You're gonna get
us all killed, boy.

[GRUNTING AND PANTING]

You're crazy, you really are.

When I get back to camp,
I'm gonna give witness to it.

I'm gonna give witness!

Mumford, you keep your
eyes on them back there.

We'll be able to get
your cows to the fort too.

Now, hold it. Don't
make me a part of this.

This is your party, Eccles,
and you can pay for it.

Listen, mister, if you want those
cows, you better change your mind.

[RENEGADES YELLING]

Sure, they wanna surrender.

They're just coming down here to
beg you to take them to that reservation.

You ain't gonna see that
reservation now. None of us are.

DASOVIK: Wait...
- What are we gonna do?

ECCLES: Do?

Just throw down your guns, man.
You might live a little bit longer.

[INDIANS CONTINUE YELLING]

[PLAYING OFF-KEY]

If he'd listened to me
about going back to the fort,

we wouldn't be sitting here now.

Corporal Custer here had to get
awful heavy with his two stripes.

What are they gonna do with us?

Well, maybe if you get lucky,

they'll just drive you off a
cliff like they do buffalos.

Dasovik. Dasovik.

You think they're gonna
leave you out of it?

The Utes surrendered their land
and their freedom to the Army.

The only dignity left to the
Utes is to obey authority of Army.

Corporal is authority of Army.

Chief Ollocot will not permit the
authority of Army to be disgraced,

even by soldiers.

I'm not gonna report
you for turning against me.

I guess I understand
why you did it.

I'm pretty green

and I was afraid
to ask for help.

I know how to ask for help now.

[RENEGADE 1 YELLS]

RENEGADE 2: Kaimah!

[RENEGADES YELLING AND GUNFIRE]

Chief Ollocot kept his word.
The renegades won't bother us.

First thing in the morning, we'll
move out for the reservation.

Nobody's going to that reservation.
Not you, not me, not Ollocot.

We're going to the reservation,

just like we would if Lieutenant
Albright were still alive.

I'm in command.

In command of what? Hmm?

Now, you think just because
that fella gave you a rifle

and told you, you was
boss, that means something?

It don't mean nothing.

He don't mean nothing.

The renegades got it, boy.

You hear them yelling "Kaimah"?

He's boss now.

So you can forget your
gun and your orders

and your stripes.

[COCKS GUN]

You'll follow my orders
or I'll use this rifle on you.

And I'll be right.

I'm in charge.

I'd like to tell you something
about you being in charge.

I'd like to tell you something
about your stripes, corporal.

Lieutenant Albright,

well, he did say
something before he died.

Oh, that's right.

You know what he said?

He said he thought he was
crazy for ever making you corporal.

He said he thought you were
nothing but a stupid young kid.

And in his dying words,
the last breath he ever took,

he begged me to take over
before you got us all killed.

That's what he said.

That's what your hero said.

You can put that thing away now.

Because you ain't gonna
do nothing with it anyway.

Well, corporal?

Kaimah tried to force Chief Ollocot to
join the renegades and be their leader.

Chief Ollocot refused.

The renegades would
see Chief Ollocot dead

before they let him destroy their
faith and strength and freedom

by entering the reservation.

Tonight, Kaimah and his
renegades will drink much whiskey,

then they will select one brave.

At sunrise, the brave
will come kill Chief Ollocot.

Ollocot will not resist.

But Ollocot is their chief.

Ollocot must die so that
Kaimah can be chief of the Utes.

You do not understand.

A chief is not chosen.

An Indian chooses to be chief.

And if he survives
those who oppose him,

then he is chief.

It is not a gift.

No.

No, no. The chief
must not be killed.

You do not understand.

If a chief does not die in
battle, there is no happy death.

Baker, get up.

Get up. Break out the
extra rifles and ammunition.

The renegades are
gonna attack at sunup.

BAKER: They're gonna
attack? Attack who?

The renegades are
gonna kill Chief Ollocot

because he won't break
the treaty and lead them

instead of entering
the reservation.

We got a couple of hours
until sunup. We can get dug.

Eccles, you know
the best way to do that.

It's our job to protect the chief
and get him to the reservation.

FAVOR: Corporal,

I hate to be the one
to break it to you,

but I'm afraid they ain't gonna
move no matter what you say,

unless Eccles
there okays it first.

Yeah, that's right.

You see, they
ain't real soldiers.

Not in the U.S.
Army sense anyway.

Be closer to it to call it
Eccles own private little army.

Leastwise, he's the
boss around here.

He ain't got the
guts to even admit it.

Neither do they, but I'm
afraid that's the truth of it.

They ain't in business for the
Army, for you, nor the Indians,

not for nobody but themselves.

Now, since you can't join them
and it don't seem you can beat them,

I'd say you'd better pull out,
boy, before you get hurt real bad.

Hey.

We didn't go through
ten years in this here Army

to act like a bunch
of sheep, did we?

All right.

I'll give it up, you can
be in charge of the squad.

Only order the men
to protect the chief.

[LAUGHS]

It's a joke.

Ain't nobody cares
about them Indians.

Not the Army, not
the government...

Well, nobody.

You hear me? You're
in charge, not me.

Only tell the men
to protect the chief.

You're a fool, ain't you? You
just don't you understand, do you?

Look, I'm not gonna ask
those men to risk their necks.

We're taking those Indians to
a reservation for one reason.

So a whole lot of greedy people
can grab off some of their good land.

Now, everybody knows that.

If Albright were alive,
he'd tell you the same thing.

Liar!

You're a liar. Admit
it, you're lying!

And you lied when you said you stole
the buffalo robe for Lieutenant Albright.

And you lied about the way
you said you found the cows.

Lied.

I don't care anymore.

I'm not a corporal anymore.

And I'm not afraid to
stand up to you anymore.

Admit you're a liar and a thief.

Lieutenant Albright,
he wouldn't steal

from people he was supposed
to be helping and protecting.

I'm no leader. I'm no
leader, but I'm in the Army.

You're a fool.

You're really a stupid fool.

I'm in the Army, just like
you. Just like all of you.

Our job is to protect.

Ease up! What do
you know, whiner?

Listen to me.

I could've died a hundred times.
Anybody here could've done that.

For what?

For an old Indian chief
that's dead already?

For a stupid young kid?

For a treaty I don't
even understand?

I'm alive for only one reason.

I got a choice.

And as long as I
got it, I'm gonna live.

I will go on living.

I'm in the Army.

It's my responsibility
to protect the chief.

I don't have a choice.

Well, you got a lot of faith in
him, why don't you help him?

Me? I'm just interested
in staying alive.

And you know I'm gonna do it
if for no other reason than spite.

Just to tell them at the fort
what really happened here.

When I get back to Montana,

I'm not gonna work
in the mines no more.

I've never been in so much fresh air
in my life since I've been in the Army.

The sun will be up soon.

Do you believe you will
be killed if you stay with me?

I won't be killed.

If you believe
that, you are a fool.

Maybe.

I don't think so.

But I can't let them kill you.

You are a fool.

You are not
protecting a brave man.

It was because your
Army defeated me in battle

that they made me
chief of the Utes.

I have never won a
victory from your Army,

but they made me sign
the treaty for the Ute nation.

I have no honor.

I must protect you.

Believe that you will be killed.

Stop saying that, please.

Back where I come from,
the Blackfeet Indians,

they won't work in
the copper mines.

Well, it's their superstition.

They're afraid to
go underground.

You know it, you believe it.

You know that you will
die, and still you come

and still you stay.

I am afraid.

I'm afraid I will be killed.

One small part of my mind says I'll
live, I'll survive. Somehow, I'll survive.

But I don't think it's true.

It does not matter.

You give me great honor,

great dignity by
trying to protect me.

To give dignity to a
man is above all things.

[SPEAKING IN POLISH]

God...

God, help me, please.

Ah!

Ah!

Stop!

Ah!

Kill him!

Ah!

Stop!

Kill him, you fool!

- Ah! DASOVIK: Stop!

Ah!

- Kill him!
- Ah!

Ah!

Stop!

[GUNSHOT]

[RENEGADES YELLING AND GUNFIRE]

[GUNSHOT]

[GUNFIRE]

[ALL YELLING]

Ah!

[GUNFIRE]

[GUNSHOT]

[GUNFIRE]

[ALL YELLING]

[GUNSHOT]

Mumford's dead.

Eccles, he wants to talk to you.

[WHISPERING INDISTINCTLY]

He said to pay the drover
$450 for each one of his...

Each one of his cows.

[WHISPERING INDISTINCTLY]

Eccles,

he says you're in charge now.

Dasovik.

Dasovik, I lied to you.

Dasovik, can you hear me?

All those things I told you
Lieutenant Albright said,

well, he never said them.

I lied to you.

I'm so...

Dasovik.

No, don't die, boy.

I don't wanna be
in charge, Dasovik.

I don't...

What do we do now?

We're gonna go
to that reservation.

I don't know if we'll
make it. I don't...

I ain't no Dasovik,

but I'll try.

Head them up!

Move them out!

[MEN YELLING & WHISTLING]