Original subtitles

Red Knife.

You are on Indian land. Why?

You know who I am, Red Knife, and you know why I'm here.

To talk to your shaman, Pochalo.

Where are your guns, Fargo man?

They'll be no guns used in my talks with Pochalo.

- Hey. - Hold it, Beau.

Get down, Fargo man.

I told you we came in peace, Red Knife.

Now I am sure you have.

I bring greetings from your granddaughter, Pochalo.

Ah. Tanoa.

Is she doing well at white man's school?

She will finish soon?

Actually, it'll just be the beginning,

when she comes back here to her people to teach the children

to think with their hands and their brains

instead of knives and war clubs.

This is good. And the little boy, Wahneehee?

Well, he's a true warrior, all right.

He keeps Ovie with her back to the wall about half the time.

This boy will be chief one day.

It is a pity he will have nothing to lead.

Times change, my cousin.

So does the land. Food runs from the hills,

fleeing from the white man.

If there is hunger within your village,

there's hunger within me also.

All the white man hungers for is this land.

The fight is finished, Red Knife.

Perhaps it is finished too soon.

Let the Fargo man speak.

I forget, my cousin,

my words were only law in the war council.

But there is no longer any war.

What interest do we share with this Fargo man?

I speak on behalf of my company.

They're interested in bringing their stages through your land.

Why?

To provide a faster

and safer means of travel for their customers.

- We are not your customers. - You could be.

Our stages could become a means of trade

between your people and mine.

There is truth and hope in what you say.

Your stages could bring wool for our women to weave.

Yes. And food when your winters grow long.

Are we all old men with no memories?

Is there no one among you who remembers

our winter camp by the warm springs?

When the war chiefs led us, there was no belly hunger then.

There was hunger for peace.

And if my people listen and the stages come,

they will bring hunters with them,

and these hunters will bring their blue-belly horse soldiers

to drive us further up, beyond the timberline,

up with the goats,

to fight with them for the roots beneath the snow.

Well spoken, Red Knife.

If these words were guns,

our tribe could conquer the Five Nations.

If my anger is an insult to my cousin, the chief of law...

We listen with respect

to the words of my brave war chief cousin,

but it is I who speak for the people.

The women have provided food for our guests.

You will eat while the elders consider.

Why don't you stop sniffin' that and go to eatin' it?

What is it?

Don't ask so many questions. Just smile and eat.

At least I can take the skin off of it. Look.

Remind me never to complain about Jeb's cooking again.

Here they come now.

Pochalo's smilin' and Red Knife is fit to be tied. That's a good sign.

It is decided.

You may have right-of-way for stages only,

if you do not interfere with the laws

of our people and our land.

We'll accept those conditions.

The terms will be 50 head of cattle,

50 woolen blankets.

We can shake hands on that.

Bring their horses.

Your stages will cross our land.

Let there be friendship between your people and mine.

The day after tomorrow will be a great day

in the lives of both of our peoples, Pochalo.

The first Wells Fargo stage will come through your land.

It will bring back to you your granddaughter

and your future chief, Wahneehee.

Thank you.

Didn't have nothing to say to the chief, huh, Beau?

It's pretty hard to talk with your mouth full.

- How are them flapjacks? - Good, Jeb.

I got some hot ones comin' up.

- Hiya, Jeb. - Do you always have to come in

like a cowpoke entering a saloon with a mile-long thirst?

Why don't you come in like a lady?

You are a lady, ain't ya?

If Ma hadn't seen you first, I'd show you what I am.

- Did Ovie tell you to say that? - Of course not, silly.

Ma sent me over for a dozen eggs.

She's bakin' a big angel-food cake for the big cookin' contest.

You think you can spare that many?

I'll do it just to get rid of you.

Now, don't nobody get no ideas about this pie.

It's for supper.

Mornin', Beau.

Mornin', Jim. Oh, isn't it a wonderful day?

I don't know. I haven't seen much of it yet.

I don't think Jim can say, the way you're choking him.

Can't talk too good with my Adam's apple in a vise.

I'd better go get the horses.

Boy, you're gonna make your ma a good cowboy.

Had to throw in one turkey and one duck.

Ovie says you can come steal a recipe anytime you like,

after she wins the contest.

Ah, your ma's an old windbag.

If that Ovie spent more time cookin' and less time talkin',

she might have a chance to win that annual Gloribee bakin' prize.

You tell her that from me.

I'd better get something to cover these eggs.

What's on your mind, Mary Gee? Something, I can tell.

Well, it's Beau. He's awful sweet on Tanoa,

and it's getting awful-er.

I see.

Well, I didn't know you were the jealous type.

But the way he looks at her, a woman can tell.

What woman?

Me! I got old ideas.

Anyway, she says when she gets married,

it'll be the one Pochalo picked out for her.

When I'm gettin' married, I'm doin' my own pickin'.

Yeah, I can bet on that.

Poor man is not gonna have a word to say about it, either.

Don't you go having no sorry feelings for him.

After all, I might turn out real nice.

After I skinny up a little more.

Well, I think you're kinda nice just like you are.

Secrets?

Oh, just woman talk.

I rather doubt you'd understand it. I don't.

- Horses ready yet? - All ready, Jim.

You tell Ovie we're all rootin' for her in that bakin' contest.

You'd better take it dad-blasted easy with these eggs, now.

The yolks gotta be separated from the whites real careful,

if she's figurin' on that angel food.

What do you got there?

I don't want Jeb's talents to go unrecognized.

I'm gonna enter his pie in the cookin' contest.

Do you think that's a good idea? What if that thing would win?

Ovie'd never speak to him again. He's a little sweet on her.

Exactly. You don't want to lose a good cook, do you?

Oh, yeah, yeah. Why didn't I think of that?

I am concerned for my cousin.

It will pass.

It has happened before.

I am concerned for our people.

A few days,

and I will be strong enough to lead.

But now,

until those few days...

It is for the council

to decide.

The omens are dark.

It is time we saw to our leadership once again.

Call the other elders together.

Tell them there will be a meeting of the council.

Ride to the three war chiefs of our neighboring tribes.

Tell them to be ready for Red Knife once again.

Tell them I will show them my power

at the council meeting.

Well, well, welcome to Gloribee, Mr. Anderson.

Thank you. When I heard about the deal you made with Pochalo

for the new roadway, I had to come over and congratulate you personally.

Well, I hope it works out as well for his people as it does for ours.

Beau, this is Mr. Anderson. This is Beau McCloud.

Hiya, sir.

- Heard a lot about you, Mr. McCloud. - Thank you.

Well, he looks like everything you said he was.

And more.

Hi, Lem. Did you get my, uh, you-know-what?

I'm gonna send him on his first run on up into the territory there

and see that everything goes all right.

Come inside. I'll fill you in on the details.

Thank you.

I spent the whole $14, but I got it.

If these fancy doo-dads don't do the job, I don't know what will.

Much obliged, Lem.

I brought along some extra right-of-way contracts.

They're ready for Pochalo to sign.

Contracts won't mean much to a man like Pochalo.

He gave me his word and a handshake.

That's the only contract he understands.

These savages certainly have a strange way of doing things.

Yes, I suppose they do.

But I imagine they think we have a strange way also.

I suppose so. When do we start the first run?

Well,

today is graduation day in Gloribee, Mr. Anderson.

That's a big event in our lives.

Pochalo's got a granddaughter and a grandson been going to school with us here,

and we promised to deliver 'em back home.

We can leave right after the exercise, if you want.

You got room for another passenger?

I'd like to be on that stagecoach.

It's a sort of historic event, you know.

Lem, you got any more room?

Well, uh, we're runnin' practically empty. You know how it is, Jim.

Folks are kinda scarified of the possibility

of losin' their scalp the first run out.

I couldn't be less worried.

Well, would you care to join us in the graduation?

Thank you. It'd be my pleasure.

And because you've passed your grades,

I'll expect you all back again next year.

Even you, Tom Humphrey, because your pa's sheriff.

You know he threatened to throw me in jail if I didn't pass you.

And now for some special awards.

One is for my sister, Mary Gee,

not because she's my sister, but...

because she's worked very hard for this honor.

I'm proud and happy to present

this scholastic achievement award to Mary Gee.

Ladies and gentlemen,

there's a great and wise man

leading the tribes in the hills around us.

His name... Chief Pochalo, a man of peace,

who's made the dream of peace come true for all of us.

Pochalo now is old,

and his grandson, Wahneehee, who will one day

be chief in his place, is young.

"Bend the willow while it's young."

That's a saying of Pochalo's people.

That's why, for the past few years,

we've been honored with a sacred trust.

You all know Tanoa, Pochalo's granddaughter.

She studied at our school

so that she might return to Pochalo's people

and give them an education,

the tools to forge their own destiny.

"Bend the willow while it's young."

That will be Tanoa's work in life.

I'm proud and happy

to present to you, Tanoa,

this graduation diploma and teachers' certificate.

Thank you, Tina.

I will always be grateful for your love and friendship.

Ovie asked me to make sure you remembered

that our home will always be your home too.

And now for Tanoa's brother,

who has passed his grades like a true future chief.

Wahneehee, grandson of Pochalo,

your friends have gotten together to give you

a very special present...

This beautiful engraved knife.

Will you step forward, please, Wahneehee?

Get me some water, someone.

Here, Tina, give him a whiff of my salts.

Twice yesterday he complained of sickness.

I should never have let him come, but he insisted.

I'll get him over to the doctor. Beau, you look after Tanoa.

I must go with him! I must help!

Now, steady down, Tanoa. Best help you can be is to stop worryin'.

- He's in good hands, Tanoa. - He's never been sick before.

Sure, honey. That's why you're makin' so much of it.

Now, there ain't a thing you can do

until we hear what the doc has to say.

Beau, why don't you get Tanoa out of this crowd?

Come on, Tanoa.

Quiet. Quiet, everybody.

- I have something to say. - When didn't ya?

Well, if nobody's interested

in the results of Gloribee's annual cooking contest...

Tanoa, I have a surprise for you. I think you'll like it.

Well, I always thought a squaw walked behind her man.

Beau, please! Let's go.

After this tramp apologizes.

I'll eat dirt first.

What's it gonna be, tramp? Words or dirt?

I apologize.

Hey, Charlie, you're wanted outside.

You mustn't let people like that bother you.

It was you who minded.

Well, I guess you're right.

But he had no right to say that. You're worth a thousand people like that.

He cannot help thinking as he does.

Hey, well, are you ready for your surprise?

Just came in on the stage this morning.

Had to go all the way to Kansas City to get it.

Well, you like it?

Oh, of course.

It's a beautiful Spanish shawl and comb.

Here, here, try it on.

You like it?

Oh, you're beautiful.

If you had some castanets, you'd be ready to dance.

What's wrong, Tanoa?

Even a Spanish shawl and comb

cannot change the fact that I'm Indian.

What difference does that make?

Why should I wear something to make me look like someone else?

I'm an Indian... and proud of it.

I didn't give them to you to make you look like someone else.

Everybody will know that... that it came from you.

I want them to.

Then I will wear it.

Whoa!

Tanoa, if we just had...

Goodbye, Tanoa, girl.

You take care, you hear?

- Goodbye, Wahneehee. - Bye, bye.

Goodbye, dear.

Doctor said to give him this medicine,

about a teaspoon full every three hours.

And if he's not any better in a day or two,

perhaps you'd better bring him back in to see the doctor.

- I'll be seeing you, Jim. - All right, Mr. Anderson.

Take care of him, Beau. Bye, bye, Tanoa.

Goodbye.

All right.

Goodbye! You take care, now!

Come back and see us soon!

Is the celebration all over? Where did Jeb go?

I don't know, and I don't care.

He oughta be ashamed of himself.

Why, I never should've borrowed those eggs.

You can tell that old fool, you can tell him for me

that if I never see him again, it'll be too soon.

What'd he do?

Jeb's pie beat Mother's cake in the cooking contest.

- No! - Yes!

You can tell that miserable mistake of a man

I can still cook as good as him.

- And just as sneaky. - I'll do that.

- Come on, giddyap! Let's go. - Sure do that. So long.

Whoa! Whoa!

Whoa!

Where is my grandfather?

Has the white man's school corrupted your mind

as it has your form of dress?

Where is Pochalo?

Women of our tribe do not wear combs and shawls in their hair.

Take it easy, McCloud.

I have come from the white man's school to teach you.

But good manners are something which none of us have to learn.

None except Red Knife.

You must forgive him.

Red Knife asks forgiveness from no man.

He is chief.

There is only one chief... Pochalo.

And after that, Wahneehee.

Before you arrived,

there was a meeting of the council.

Pochalo is old, sick,

too weak to lead.

It has been decided that until he is well again,

and strong,

and the boy has become a man,

I am the chief.

Where is Wahneehee?

My brother is sick. He is very weak.

This white man's sickness...

Another thing you bring home to your people to share?

I have medicine for him.

If he does not get well, I will take him back to the doctor.

Take him to the village.

The medicine man will drive the evil spirits from his body.

Pick it up.

No.

Red Knife is right.

This is Indian land, and our laws must be observed.

Not yours.

Please, Beau.

No more trouble.

Tanoa,

it is the custom among our people

that the woman stays behind.

Mornin', Ovie.

Ho!

Nice day.

You come all the way over here

to tell me something any fool can see?

Ah, come off your high horse, Ovie.

Got something to show you.

It's a mechanical washing machine.

Well,

what'd you bring it all the way over here for?

It's a present. For you.

For me?

Why?

Because I hate to see you skinnin'

those pretty hands on that scrubbing board, that's why.

For a long time,

I've been saying to myself,

"I've got to do something nice for Ovie

to relieve her of all that hard work."

For a long time, huh?

Maybe ever since you won that cookin' contest from me.

Well, to be honest with you, yes.

Oh, Ovie,

I don't want you mad at me, darn it.

I miss quarrelin' with you.

Sorta...

takes the social out of livin', don't it?

Mm.

Well, now,

this here present,

mind showin' me how it works?

That's what the demonstrator is here for.

Now, first, you...

you put in a couple buckets of hot water.

Then you cut up a bar of soap.

Now you turn this here "agit-itator"

a few times like this

to make the suds.

Why, Jeb!

Why, Jeb, that's wonderful. That's just plain wonderful!

What's next?

Now we're ready for some dirty clothes.

Ha! Them I got plenty of.

Now, hold on, Ovie. You're a lady.

Ladies just got soiled clothes.

That's why I brung me some dirty ones to make the test.

My weekly wash.

Just the thing for an experiment like this.

Ew! Sure are dirty!

Now,

you just turn this handle round and round,

like a coffee grinder, see?

Well, I never!

Here, let-let me try it.

Sure. Good.

Jeb, it's... it's just practically a pleasure.

I don't know how to thank you.

Well, there's little ways, Ovie.

- How little? - Well,

seeing as I'm givin' you the use of the machine,

why, uh... well, uh,

I could throw in a few of my dirty old things

every week with yours.

Same amount of muscle power, same amount of soap.

Same kind of soap.

Soft soap.

Makin' me think you was thinkin' of my bruised knuckles,

and all the time, you was tryin' to figure out

a way to get me to do your dirty wash.

Now, you clear out of here, Jeb,

and I don't ever want to see your face again!

- Aw, shucks, Ovie. - Go on, get out of here, Jeb.

I don't ever want to see you again. I'm sick and tired

of seeing your silly face around here.

Go on, get up on your wagon and get out of here!

Go!

Don't you never come back here no more, you hear?

Old coot!

Please. My brother.

At least let me comfort him.

You want him to die.

Only the vultures can free the evil spirits from his body.

You want him to die so you can become chief.

Remember this, Tanoa.

Anyone who goes against my word will die.

Summon the war chiefs.

Tell them to get ready to ride.

Whoa! Whoa, now!

Whoa! Whoa!

Whoa.

Why are you stopping, Lem?

To keep from running over somebody. What do you think?

Wahneehee. Tanoa, what happened?

Help me get him to the doctor.

But know this first...

If they find out you helped him,

they will kill you.

This ain't none of my business, Beau. Ain't none of Wells Fargo's neither.

Well, I'm making it mine. Get in, Tanoa.

We'll let Jim know about this as soon as we get to town.

But not a word to anyone else, you understand?

All right. It's your funeral.

Yeah.

Get up, Dan. Hyah!

Fargo man, you know me well.

Yes, I do. I know the others with you too.

War chiefs,

as I am,

to our brother tribes.

Dog soldiers.

Dog soldiers is a good name for any man or group of men

that want power through spilling blood.

Our people have been at peace for a long time.

Why do you come in here visiting us with your war dress on?

Because it has always been the white man

who has broken the peace, and it is so again.

You're talking in riddles.

The white man

who broke the law of my land last night

is no riddle to Red Knife.

Who was it?

Fargo man, hear me well.

Tomorrow at sundown, the council of elders meet.

I want Tanoa and the men who helped her steal her brother,

or this town will die.

Better start thinking, Beau, and think hard.

I know you can understand what's gonna happen

if the council cuts Red Knife loose

because he's made them believe that Pochalo was wrong.

Because of me?

Because of the way he can twist the truth, mainly.

He'll have this whole area up in flames in less than a week.

If I were there, it would help.

Yes, it would.

It would help everybody but you.

He's gonna demand your death, you know,

for saving your brother.

Now, I'm going up to the council meeting

with my own personal score to settle.

It's my decision.

But you're gonna have to make up your own mind.

I'll wait outside for you.

I cannot let him do this for me.

I love all of you,

but I love Pochalo too,

and cannot shame him.

I know,

and I'm going with you.

No.

You do not understand.

I wear a white woman's dress.

You say I am beautiful

with a Spanish comb and lace shawl,

but that does not make me one of you.

I am still one with my people.

There is so much to be done that only I can do.

I must teach.

Tina said it at graduation...

"Bend the willow while it is young."

There is so much that I can do,

just given the chance.

You know the only chance you'll have at that council is your death.

Then I will shame Red Knife

with the way a grandchild of our man of peace can die.

That's a great and wonderful way to feel, Tanoa.

But it's also wrong, so very wrong.

It is wrong.

And knowing this,

we can make our two separate worlds

come together someday,

so that these walls will crumble

before the strength and honesty

of our children's children.

The signs are good.

Then let us begin.

Is the mountain lion impatient for his kill?

Or is the rabbit too frightened of the shadows to move?

Red Knife,

the council has been called to hear what you want.

- What do you propose? - That you listen.

That you listen as our war chiefs have listened.

Here they sit,

ready with 6,000 braves to ride with me against the whites.

We have tried war and failed.

You have tried the way of peace,

and we have become slaves.

I say, unite.

With the four tribes behind me,

we will crush our enemy and regain our lands.

I tell you,

it is time for the war chiefs again.

Hear me, my brothers.

We must hold the old ways in our heart,

the traditions that are good.

But now we must learn the white man's way

of the mind.

Tanoa was sent away to learn the white man's way.

And has she returned to teach? No.

Tanoa will return.

Look about you, members of the council.

Red Knife is a war chief.

Pochalo is the law.

Where is the granddaughter of this man of law?

Where is Tanoa, who lives what her grandfather preaches?

This is the only power.

This is the law.

How can we follow a leader any longer

whose children escape the punishment of the council?

No one has run, Red Knife.

Have you returned to face the council, my child?

I have, Grandfather.

You have broken the law of our people.

I have saved the life of my brother.

You hear that, elders? By her own tongue,

- her guilt has spoken. - You are the guilty one, Red Knife.

You have no right to speak before this council, Fargo man.

Has Red Knife become such a coward

that he can no longer stand to hear the truth?

You were the one who tried to kill Wahneehee so you could become chief.

Is this true, Tanoa?

- The boy still lives? - His body was full of evil spirits.

He lies, Pochalo. Wahneehee is alive...

and will one day become chief.

She has done no wrong.

If you kill Tanoa for saving her brother's life, you can kill me too,

because I helped her, no one else.

They have no right to speak before this council.

Are you afraid to let us speak, Red Knife?

All right.

Let us see if both of you

are men enough to speak before this council.

Would killing him have made me right and him wrong?

Their lives are yours.

Then I'm gonna give 'em back to you.

Have I the permission to speak to your war chiefs now?

You have that right.

You have 6,000 braves ready to terrorize

the white people of the village below you.

We can summon 10 times 6,000.

But is that gonna prove that we're right

and that you're wrong?

I don't think so.

As I said before,

the day of the knives and the war club are gone.

There's a better life ahead for your people and for mine.

But you must learn from the white man, just as we must learn from you.

Now, is it gonna be the lance or the book?

It's up to the war chiefs to decide.

No word has been broken between us,

and your stages will bring many more Tanoas

to school in Gloribee.

And your Wahneehee back to you.

And those will be the best passengers that Wells Fargo will ever carry.