Original subtitles

Thank you.

the camp.

Howdy. We're looking for some place to rest my horse.

Smelled your coffee.

We didn't ask for no company.

Move on.

Did somebody hurt there?

No, it wouldn't do that.

I saw you last night. I thought I was seeing a ghost.

Elizabeth Harrison was dead.

She died in the Fort Niles massacre with her husband.

Everyone thought I was dead.

I decided to leave it that way.

So, then you made a new life for yourself.

I never stopped loving you, Zebulon.

Well, that's the same thing.

If you're going to be a doctor, Beth, that's all there is to it. But I only

fainted. I don't want anyone to know who I am, you know. Perfectly all right

with me.

As long as we see the doctor.

Concussions? Or strange affairs?

There's something I must do.

Someplace you have to get to?

Yes. And it's very important.

Of course, it's your business when you decide to ride a horse.

But before you throw a saddle on him, you remind yourself you're gambling your

life against that important trip you want to make.

My being a schoolteacher surprises you?

No, it's the White River. See, those men that took you, they were hunters.

I can't understand what they were doing in the White River country. It was

hunted out years ago.

I can't help you there.

Beth, are you in some kind of trouble?

No, of course not.

Seems everybody's in a hurry to leave town before the judge gets here.

Just thought I'd ride for an hour or two, Marshal.

Maybe a week or two, huh?

I'm holding you at the hotel as a material witness to a homicide until the

gets back here.

When Jessie was bitten in Virginia, did she

have a doctor?

I was too young to remember him, Molly, but I think so.

The doctor said that bee stings are poison to Jessie.

And she only got stung once or twice that time.

Not dozens like now.

Maybe she could even die.

Frankly, ma 'am, I know little more than what I've read about severe cases of

bee sting.

But where there's no improvement, some cases have led to coma.

Are you saying she might die?

Let's hope for the best, shall we? You calling me a liar, Judge?

Your relationship with Miss Smith is open to question whether or not you two

were friends in the past.

Your only business is to take down the facts of that killing the way I give

to you. How about them men abusing her? I killed them two weasels because I'd

have been planted in the ground up there if I hadn't.

You know that fellow down there?

No. So you had a hand in all that woman went through, did you? What woman?

I know what you're talking about.

Let's see if I can get the truth out of you. Now I'm going to start with my

polite message.

Crazy! Dr.

Crazy!

You had to do with that woman, didn't you?

Oh, God! Please, God! No! Hey, God, mister, I'm closer to the devil. Now,

you make no mistake about that.

Oh, I didn't do it.

Didn't do it.

Didn't do what?

Didn't have her.

Didn't have a chance to.

Tell it all.

Zeb, there's so much I can't explain to you.

I can only say I've always loved you and I always will.

But I can't ever see you again.

Forgive me, Elizabeth.

I'm looking for a woman, Elizabeth Smith.

Beth's not back yet. She's delivering some books to the Swenson Post.

I see.

Your name?

Zeb McCahan.

I'm Beth's husband.

I've heard a lot about Seth McKay.

Inasmuch as we have something in common, meaning my wife, why don't you come

inside? We'll talk about it.

It's been a long time since I played the host, McKay. I'm not sure how

entertaining you'll find me.

His name isn't Smith.

You're Captain Robert Harrison.

Yeah.

We generally have a follow -up on that name, don't we?

Glorious hero of the Fort Niles Massacre.

In fact, the latest memorial write -up of that massacre in Harper's Magazine

suggested that a statue be erected of me in Washington.

who followed her up here believing she was in trouble.

I'd decide that.

Beth?

Ben?

Sorry about all the lying I was forced to do.

As you can see, we both survived the Fortinhausen massacre.

Survived. That's a very accurate description of the last 20 years.

Survived.

Didn't mean to interfere in your business.

I'll be going.

Oh, stay for supper, please, sir. Indeed, stay, McHare. Unless you find my

presence intolerable.

All right.

I'll see you tomorrow.

A bit early for that, isn't it, Robert?

And it will continue to get a bit early as we go on.

I did assure you of that, love.

Up until five years ago, I managed the reading fairly well.

Having my sight, I was able to delude myself into believing that Elizabeth

stayed on with me through loving devotion.

A man has a unique facility for practicing self -deception, Mr. McCann.

Robin, I don't think Zeb finds your self -deprecation very entertaining.

Oh, he's been warned that I'm long out of practice as a host.

Well, I'm going to have to head out there. Let's get dinner, Beth. Oh, Zeb,

please.

I wouldn't want you leaving without knowing exactly what happened.

Would you imagine less than the truth?

That's right, Mr. McCann. You haven't said very much about finding a so

dead hero.

A half -alive, criminally negligent deserter.

It's because I couldn't believe it would be the truth if Beth stayed married to

you.

That's a kindness motivated, I suspect, more by my wife's charms than any

respect for her husband.

Robert, I won't hear of this.

May I offer my apologies to Mr. McCann?

You know, Captain, you remind me of a man trying to bear a cross and not doing

very good job of it.

Bearing a cross?

Trying?

Battle of Fort Niles, officially named by the commission.

I've had Elizabeth read it to me a hundred times over, hoping to discover,

fact, some.

justification for feeling the offended, the betrayed.

But disobedience of orders on my part.

Stupidity on the part of my wife.

Young wife wanting to be with her husband is not stupidity.

My apologies.

Again, substitute the word foolishness for stupidity.

I think I'll get some night air until that mood mellows.

Which is usually at the bottom of a bottle, I believe.

That's a hell of a woman, McCann.

Agreed.

But you'd sure never know that you thought that by listening to you.

Before we were married, she told me about you.

We were good friends.

I'd say you were a lot more than good friends.

She made that very clear.

She loved you.

She wanted that understood before she agreed to marry me.

It was a long time ago, Harrison.

Indeed it was.

But you were her first love.

She was mine.

And one never forgets the glory of that first great passion.

Did you?

Yes. You're a liar.

You know, the more I'm around you, Captain, the less I like you.

That's better. And I, on the other hand, I'm getting to like you quite a lot.

You're a bad liar.

Which means you haven't had much practice in lying.

Harrison, she loves you.

Yes, I believe she does.

But in a far different fashion from the way she loves you.

Problem is, I'm destroying her.

I've kept her trapped in this godforsaken wilderness for 20 years.

I've done my best to drive her away.

I noticed.

She won't go, McCann.

It's guilt.

She thinks she did this to me.

I told her not to come west until after the Indian trouble was over.

She disregarded my orders.

Some fool drivel about.

A wife ought to be with her husband.

The Indians captured her about a mile from the fort. She was riding to me. She

didn't know the fort was under siege.

They stripped her on a hilltop in plain view of the fort.

Tied her to a stake.

They told me they would peel her inch by inch unless I

surrendered the garrison.

I was under precise orders not to leave the fort under any circumstances until

the relief column arrived.

I ignored the orders and I led a charge up that hillside.

The glory and the courage that live in simple men.

I had a reason to think it was my wife.

But when I asked for volunteers, every man stepped forward. Most of them green

recruits who had never fired a shot in anger.

And they rode to the death. I offered them, shrieking their defiance.

I didn't know until later that every man was killed except myself.

And that after it was over, they cut Beth loose and left her there amid the

dead.

She searched for my body, found me, still breathing.

How she kept me alive and nursed me to the point where I could move about is a

miracle I'll never understand.

I got this during the battle.

It would...

eventually lead to... tapping my way about with a cane.

You know, the word we got was that most of the bodies of that massacre were

unidentified.

Yes, we heard that.

It was then I saw a way out.

Rather than face a court -martial, live up here.

Place with no law, nobody asking questions.

Okay, I'm gonna tell you something.

You're not gonna get me to believe that you were guilty of anything in that

massacre.

I'd have done the same thing in your place.

And you'd have been a court -martialed, McCann, found guilty of disobedience of

orders and desertion.

For some men, such a disgrace might be bearable. But you see, my family boasts

one of the proudest military traditions in American history.

My great -grandfather was with George Washington at Valley Forge in 1778.

My grandfather with Andrew Jackson at Horseshoe Bend in 1815.

My father was a colonel, decorated for heroism.

by General Winfield Scott during the defeat of Santa Ana at the Battle of

Cherubusco in 1848.

It was inconceivable that the last of the Harrisons should sully the memory

of the brave men that had gone before.

For their sakes, I preferred to let the world believe that I had died doing my

duty.

Well, Captain Harrison, I appreciate you telling me this story.

Won't go any further than me.

I'll forget it when I walk out this door.

Kayle.

Take her with you.

Harrison, if you think she'd leave you, you don't know what you're saying.

I won't have her staying out of a sense of loyalty.

That's what it is now.

And she loves you.

That's never changed.

She's made her choice. She's put everything else behind her. Damn it, the

was made out of gratitude!

Whatever it is, she came back here when she didn't have to.

I won't have her indebted to me any longer.

Why don't you quit doing so much complaining and accept the fact, mister,

she's here with you because she's wise enough to know that's where she wants to

be.

much in 20 years, Harrison.

Next time you want to try something like that, why don't you think out of it a

week or two?

A year would be even better.

Maybe there's such a thing as reincarnation.

Come back to you a whole man.

There is such a thing as reincarnation.

And you succeed in killing yourself. I swear I'll get even with you.

I'll have an Indian medicine man bring you back as a buffalo chip.

Oh, my God.

That's a good one.

Micaiah, did you hear what this woman said?

Yeah.

I hope you heard it.

That horse I took, Zeb. I had it returned.

Yeah, I figured that.

Good times.

Good times.

But it worked, too.

I mean, if things had been different.

If they'd been different.

Forgive me for not being honest with you.

Nothing to forgive.

I had a woman. We were lucky.

We got a second chance.

Relive some yesterday's memories.

Touch some old fires.

I'm never going to forget those days we spent up in that mountain.

You know, some people might feel sorry for that man standing there in the light

he can't see.

I don't.

He's lucky.

He got you.

You're a good man, Declan.

I didn't exactly expect no brass band for your old Uncle Zeb, but...

What's

the matter?

It's Jessie.

She's not getting any better.

Didn't know she was sick.

Jesse? Uncle Sam.

Uncle Sam, I hurt.

I know, honey.

But your Aunt Molly, she says the doctor's going to be here soon.

My legs feel funny.

Uncle Sam?

Yeah, honey?

Are you going to be staying here a while?

I'm going to be staying right here. I ain't going nowhere.

I want to stay here till you're all better. And when you're feeling better,

know what we're going to do?

You and me, we're going to go turkey shooting.

Aunt Molly, she says you're blaming yourself for what happened to Jesse.

I don't know what got into me.

I was so awful to her.

She wasn't even feeling good that day.

Well, darling, that day was more than a week ago.

Feeling this way, it's not going to change things.

I know I can't change anything, Uncle Zeb.

But I'm scared.

I'm scared for Jesse.

No, honey.

Instead of going around being scared, why don't you take the bull by the

See what you can do to help Jessie.

Go sit by there and hold her hand.

Give her one of them nice smiles when she wakes up.

How about drying those tears and giving that a try?

That's my girl.

I just spent the best part of 40 hours in the saddle.

I met Josh coming in through town.

How's Jessie?

Not much change.

She's a sick girl, Luke.

I want you to increase the dosage of laudanum to 30 drops every second hour

during the day.

Doctor, is there nothing else we can do for her?

Yes, we'll be doing something new tomorrow.

I've telegraphed Denver City for a zinc preparation I've read about in the

medical journal.

Should be here in the morning stage.

But will it work?

I don't know, Mr. McCann. It's something I've had no personal experience with.

It's prepared by a Dr. Weiss who's been doing work on insect poisons.

We can only hope.

I mean, there's a good chance it won't do no good at all.

Yes, there's always that possibility.

The ointment's new and largely untested.

All you can do is keep drugging her to ease the pain, then.

Yes.

Her system doesn't seem to be fighting back the way it should.

And yet I'm very thankful that the laudanum I'm giving her is giving her a

chance to get some sleep.

After all, sleep is one of our best medicines.

I'll be back tomorrow as soon as the medication arrives.

Thank you, Doctor.

I better start something.

I'll help you out, Molly.

You're scared too, aren't you, Uncle Zip?

I don't like saying this any better than you're going to like hearing it.

I don't think that doctor is going to be able to save Jesse.

Thought I was Paul.

We got to do some talking about what we're going to do with Jesse.

I figure I can ride into town at sunup.

Put my hands on that medicine as soon as the stage gets in.

I could even ride out and meet it.

That doctor's had her a week.

He ain't done nothing worth a pig's rump.

Zeb, he's tried.

We've just got to keep praying.

I believe in doing something about what I'm praying for, Molly.

That Jesse.

I don't think she's going to make it through another night.

Oh, sure she will, Uncle Zed.

Wishing won't make it so, boy.

Saying the other ain't going to help either.

When the medicine gets here... You mean if the medicine gets here. And if it's

any good when it does get here.

That's too many ifs.

Damn it!

You can't know she's going to die.

You've seen some death by now.

I've seen a heap of it.

She's got the mark of it on her. She's dying.

You've got a better idea than to just stand there and say she's dying.

Yeah.

The Arapahoe medicine man.

Might be able to save her.

Uncle Sam, are you crazy?

We got modern medicine coming in here, and you're saying hand her sister over

some Indian witch doctor?

That's terrible.

Bringing one of those medicine men into this house?

I don't think he'd come here, honey.

We'd have to take Jesse to the Arapaho village.

Zeb, the doctor said she shouldn't be moved.

Molly, I know that doctor thinks he knows what he's doing.

But that medicine, we got no guarantee it's going to be any good.

Now, the Indians, they got herbs and pole tithes the white man never heard

They've been using them ever since they've been on this land.

It's a damn sight longer than the whites.

Uncle Zeb, I say if a trip into the mountains didn't kill Jesse, an Indian

doctor would.

Josh, you're speaking from ignorance when you call an Arapaho medicine man a

witch doctor.

I've seen him do things that people would consider miracles.

No.

I'm not going to take her out of this house.

And we got the right.

We're her brothers and sister.

And we got the right to say what happens to her.

I reckon that's true.

Well, I'll go sit with Jesse.

Boys might get them to sleep.

We'll be taking turns throughout the night, attendant to Jesse.

You have great faith in this medicine man you speak of.

Well, people can't live on the land for thousands of years, Molly, without

learning how to cure a sickness.

All I meant was that this doctor can't seem to do anything for Jesse.

He's got nothing to lose by taking her to the Arapaho village.

You think Luke, Josh, and Laura have the right to decide?

They got more right than me.

What about Jesse?

Who has more right to decide than Jesse?

She's awake, Zeb, and rational.

I've got to tell you the plain of it, kitten.

I know everybody's been saying you're going to be all right, but the fact is

you're getting weaker.

Where's that new medicine?

Well, I know it's been sent, Fer, but maybe it won't get here on time, and if

does, it may not do no good.

Then what?

Honey, I want to take you to the Arapaho village and have the medicine man look

at you.

See, the Indians, they've been dealing with stings and snake bites and poison

toad stools and such as that for further back than anybody can remember.

Why, they got remedies that no white doctor ain't ever heard of.

Indians? Oh, it'd be all right, honey.

They're friends of mine. But there is a bad side to it, too.

You're awful weak and...

And it's a long ways.

And if we do get you there, maybe the medicine man won't be able to help.

So, it's a gamble either way.

Now, honey, there's something you gotta know before you decide.

And that is that Josh and Luke and Laura, they don't want me to take you.

They want you to stay here and wait for the medicine.

That's about it, honey.

Whether we go or not, it's up to you to decide.

Uncle Zeb.

Uncle Zeb, you can't do this.

Put it to her straight, Luke.

She wants to go.

She... She was out of her mind. She probably didn't even understand what you

were saying.

She understood real good.

I'm not gonna let you kill her.

Not with that medicine coming in in the morning.

All right Oh cut that out boy,

I don't want to have to hurt you

Sorry I had to do that, Luke.

We can find it.

Halfway to Turner's place. You all right, Luke?

Yeah.

Yeah, I'm all right. I can still ride.

Luke, I'm going with you.

No, you're not.

You stay here, and if the medicine comes, you bring it. Laura knows where

village is. She and Aunt Molly can bring the medicine when they find the horse.

Now, Josh, I haven't got time to argue with you. Uncle Seb's got a three -hour

start on me already.

She's my sister, too, Luke, and I'm going with you.

Come on.

Luke!

Please remember, your Uncle Zeb is not exactly your enemy, you know.

Well, enemy or not, Aunt Molly, we've got the right to bring Jesse back.

Before it's too late.

I see a white eagle.

I see you, standing bear.

It has been many moons.

Many moons.

I come to touch the magic of the Arapaho.

My niece dies.

Unless you're looking for a haircut.

Uncle Zeb, they're gonna kill her. We've come to get her back.

Don't be a fool.

She barely made it this far.

It's the only chance we got.

What'll they do with her?

Wave rattles. Chant.

A lot of good it'll do, too.

Uncle Zeb, do you really believe in all this?

I'd have brought her here if I hadn't, boy.

Medicine might have arrived already.

And it just might have worked.

What if it didn't?

Thank you.

Hey, yo.

Hey, yo.

Hey, yo.

No time to get in their bad side.

Now go on back and sit down.

What did he say?

Said we should have brought her here a long time ago.

He's given her strong medicine, but now it's in the hands of the gods.

Their gods are ours.

I never figured there was a difference.

If she dies, Uncle Sam, I'll kill you.

If she dies, Luke,

You won't have to.

Zeb, is that dog meat they're cooking over there?

Looks like it.

They'd eat anything if they knew dog.

So would you, Josh, if you didn't have any choice.

Looks to me like these people are starving.

Chief.

Your people.

They do not have fat meat to eat?

Braves are hunting.

If the Great Spirit smiles, they'll return with Buffalo.

And if the Great Spirit does not smile?

It will be time for some to die.

The very old.

What about those cows the government agent was supposed to send?

There are no cows.

Not for five moons.

Five moons?

We did not offer White Eagle and his people food.

Because there is none.

They would eat.

Chief.

I will speak to the government agent.

We will see.

We will see.

Then Molly!

Bev!

Oh, she's new.

There's nothing to report yet, Molly.

We're just hoping for him. But did you bring the medicine?

It never came. The stage arrived, but the medicine wasn't on it.

Don't tear it.

Boys, the chief says you're not going in.

Jesse. Mama, where's Pa coming home?

Mama, I can't hear you.

Pa's been away too long.

Jesse. Uncle Zeb, Mama won't talk to me.

She won't tell me when Pa's coming home.

I'm here, dear.

Try to sleep now.

Why won't Pa come home to us?

He's been delayed, Jessie, but he'll be home real soon.

Hey Yahoo!

Hey Yahoo!

Hey Yahoo!

Hey Yahoo!

Hey Yahoo!

Hey Yahoo!

Hey Yahoo!

Hey Yahoo!

Hey Yahoo!

You know who that is.

He's that thing. Now who knows who that is?

Kind of glad to have you back, Jessie.

All of us.

Hello, John.

Think you can get the ladies back to the ranch all right?

Be no trouble, Uncle Zed.

Good. Luke and I are going to go back down to the reservation and see if we

find out why that beef isn't getting through.

Yeah.

Looks like they're in a bad way around here.

You know, Uncle Zeb, I don't know how to say this, but I was wrong about not

wanting to let you bring Jesse up here.

You boys did what you thought was right, Luke.

Got no reason to apologize.

Maybe we don't have to apologize, Uncle Zeb.

But I sure figure Luke and me didn't act very bright.

Well, I can't argue with you there.

Didn't have to agree so fast.

All these people, Uncle Zeb, mean they walked all the way from their village

looking for food here?

Must be even worse than we've been thinking.

Must be worse than anybody's been thinking.

Come in.

My name's McKay Hand. You the one that's responsible for getting the beef to the

Arapaho Nation?

Nice shot in that fly. It'll be pesky this time of year.

Why don't you kick that thing right off its hinges while you're at it?

I'm saving the toe of my boot for your rump if I don't get some straight

out of you.

I swear, McCain.

The next politician from the Indian Bureau who shows up at this agency

me here in the bottom of a herd of cattle will get the point of my own

You saying you got no beef at all?

Young man, I'm loaded with beef.

Come on.

Come on, sample a morsel or two.

When it came in, I thought of shipping it back as a gift to the presidential

chef.

I figured if I could slip some of this into the president's kitchen, he'd pay

some attention to what's going on out this way.

Smells like it's been rotting for a month.

No. No, I'd ration out beef that had only been rotting for a month.

This, well, this I had to draw the line at.

I got ten of my Indians lined up in the hills wishing they were dead after

stealing a barrel of this from the storehouse.

Who's responsible for that?

Who knows? Who cares?

Except for us out this way who have to live with this situation.

Well, between the meatpacker and those with their hands out down the line comes

the mighty little left.

Pennington, it's your job to get after them people.

Well, sure. Sure, it's my job. Let me show you something, McKeon. Come on.

Copies of letters I've been sending East.

Once a week I'm writing complaints not only about not getting that promised

on the hoof, but about that salted meat we are getting that I can't issue for

fear of poisoning people on the reservation.

What kind of answers do you get? Ward healers. They just love words like

unanticipated delays due to unforeseen logistic problems.

Yeah, but Mr. Pennington, what happens when winter comes out on those hills?

just feel there'd be busy hands burying people.

I think we can look for a couple answers out here, too.

on your feet.

I'm not going to tell you again.

I said get on your feet.

Now, I ask you a question.

How come you're not out with the rest of the Braves hunting?

Hunt for what?

Nothing out there but jackrabbits.

Jackrabbits cannot feed the Arapaho Nation.

You're wasting your breath, Mr. McCann.

This bunch will be first in line for a handout, last to lend a hand when

work to be done.

We have no horses to hunt. The agency gave them horses.

They killed them for food. So our people could eat.

And I warned you about that, too, didn't I?

Horses are given you not for eating, but to hunt with.

Starving people got no choice, Pennington.

Oh, I understand that. I just lost total patience with the likes of these.

I get more trouble from them than I do the whole tribe put together.

Hitting a bottle at night and... We can do what the white men can do.

We are Arapaho lawyers.

You make laws for your white man, not tell us what to do.

Warriors, lest you change your ways, you'll be known as the dregs of your

I don't know, Mr. Pennington.

The dregs?

The ones with the most spirit.

It's an interesting question.

What's your name?

One Wolf.

Well, one wolf looks to me like you're the leader of this bunch, so I'm going

say what I got to say to you.

I want you to gather them together.

Saddle those horses, double quick.

Wait a minute, McCain.

What horses?

Agency horses.

How much money do you keep around here?

A few hundred or so.

Emergency? Well, that's what I figure we got here.

Emergency.

Blow the stake planes.

There's longhorns scattered for a thousand square miles there.

You're going to bring longhorns up from Texas?

Take them months. Most of the winter would be gone before you even got

back here.

Goodnight and Loving tried it a year and a half ago. Took them three months.

They lost 400 head.

I know Charlie Goodnight, but I'm not going to be using his trail.

Meaning? Meaning I'm going to take them straight north from here.

Up across the Badlands and through the Llano Estacado.

Have I ever heard through the Badlands?

Except it can't be done.

I mean, it hasn't been done.

The difference between hasn't been and can't.

Well, even if you manage to put a herd together, it'd die of thirst between

rivers. Mr. Penny, I used to scout out of Fort Stockton here before the war.

Now, I know that country. It's a hard land.

But longhorns are tough animals. Now, there's a good chance we can get them

across there alive.

If we could, it'd be worth it.

After what they've done for our family, that's a chance I want to take.

Yeah, but Uncle Zeb, you're not counting on that bunch to help you drive cattle.

I mean, half of them are spoiling for a fight.

Well, that's the kind we need, Luke.

Ones with fight in them.

How about that emergency fund? We get it?

Well, you're ready to risk your skins. I guess the agency can put up the money.

What about rifles and supplies?

You got enough to outfit this bunch?

You know, Jamie, we've almost everything we got, but we'll see what we can do.

I sure hope you figure out taking me along.

I sure figured I'd ask him.

You know the answer to that.

Brought in the mail, Mr.

Pennington. Yeah, thank you, Jeffrey.

Shut the door, Jeffrey.

Mr. McCain!

Mr. McCain, you gonna need a grub wagon boy to help you out?

Well, we ain't taking no grub wagon down, son.

Say, you look a mite young to be heading out on any long trails.

Oh, I'm small for my age.

Sixteen. Got my own mule, Paul, when he died.

Got no ma, Mr. McCann.

Nobody would miss me.

Who looks out after you, boy?

Oh, I work for Mr. Murdoch at the general store.

I sort of do the cleaning and the errands and taking around the mailing

I'm on my own, Mr. McCann.

I see.

Well, now, I'll tell you what.

A couple of years from now, if I'm going to be putting together a bunch of

drovers, look me up. I might put you on.

How old did you say you were?

Fifteen.

Say, you better improve your memory, boy.

got it straight what we're doing. We got tonight to go home and say goodbye to

your family.

Tell your chiefs we're going to be back with many cattle before the first snow.

Maybe we not go with you. It is our business where we go.

Now we have rifles, horses, cattle easier to steal.

Not going to argue with you, one wolf.

You and your men show up south of that river tomorrow morning at sunup.

I'm going to be coming looking for you.

You can count on it.

Well, good luck, Mr. McCann.

No need to mention, you'll need all the almighty can bestow.

Never turn down good wishes, Mr. Pennington.

I wouldn't want my life dependent on them being south of that river tomorrow.

I don't know, I've got a hunch they might show up, Luke.

They got them just mad enough at me to where they want to see me again.

How long will the cattle drive like this take, Uncle Zed?

Oh... Hard to say, Josh.

There was a fellow by the name of Goodnight. Him and his partner drove a

north from Texas into Colorado just about a year or so ago.

Around 2 ,000 head, too, was a hair.

But, well, they had to take them near 1 ,000 miles out of the way. But if we

could drive this herd straight north to Colorado, why, we'd cut months off the

trip. Is it true what they say about the outlaws down there?

Well, it may be, but we'll just have to take our chances on that.

Who's that you're writing to, Luke?

Oh, it's somebody in Jimson's break.

I said I'd be back to see her, but I don't look like I'm going to be back for

while yet.

Another her?

How many girls you have, anyway, Luke?

Never seen me with more than one, did you?

He means one at a time.

Well, Jesse, I understand you and your Aunt Molly are going to have a nice

too. Oh, I'm so excited about that.

I've never been to a big town.

She needs a complete rest after what she's been through, Zep. And I hear that

the desert springs of Clearwater can work wonders.

After a couple of weeks there, she'll be as good as new.

Well, I've never been to a big town either.

Not since I was six.

Well, I hear they have whole stores in Clearwater just for ladies with the

newest hats and dresses and fancy petticoats from the East.

Well, we'll bring one back for you.

You know, that's something I could never figure out. What?

Why do they make... petticoats so fancy when men aren't even supposed to see

them.

Who says they're not supposed to see them?

Now this conversation is becoming positively ribbled.

Uncle Seth, why can't I go on this cattle drive with you and Luke? I'm sure

could use the help. Who's going to be looking after the farm with Aunt Molly

Jeffy going off to Clearwater?

Seems the disadvantages of being the younger brother around here have never

seemed to stop.

Why should they?

Luke. Jesse.

Why don't you play something on the organ as a send -off for Zeb and Luke

tomorrow morning?

Yeah, that's a good idea.

Why, we haven't heard Jess play for a long time. Yeah, Jess.

Let's do Beautiful Dreamer.

Come on, Luke. Josh.

You know Amazing Grace?

I think so. It's been a long time since I've played it, but I'll try.

I

don't

think there's any need for a lot of talk here, so I'll make it short.

It's a long, rough trip, and I want everybody staying close together.

We're all going to have to depend on each other.

You all know where we're headed and why.

You know what some of you are thinking. You got a horse, a gun, supplies.

You could head out on your own.

I think we got a rabbit hole braves here with more sense than that.

More pride.

I notice you've been watching your back drill lately.

Something making you edgy?

Oh, nothing in particular make me edgy. I just keep my eyes peeled.

Never hurts.

See if you got the touch.

I'm willing to lose a touch once we get to Texas and can hire a real cook.

Hungry.

More? Oh, help yourself.

Your name, uh, Otterbelt.

Otterbelt. Otterbelt, uh, how do you feel about heading down on this cattle

drive? Otterbelt think good.

Some think bad, foolish.

Some say wait, see.

I think we see.

Well, at least we got one on our side.

Yeah, I kind of agree with you there.

Maybe I'll just have a talk with him right now.

I don't know exactly what we got ahead of us tomorrow.

I'm gonna be counting on you two.

I figure you got influence with your brothers here.

You are afraid we will lead all against you?

No, I'm gonna handle that part of it if I find out I'm wrong about you.

Wrong? I figure you two are upset because the way things are on the

But I don't blame you.

But you're just gonna have to be patient.

It takes time.

Time?

It is always time.

Children die.

White people starve, and still they ask us to wait.

Our chiefs say we must obey you.

We do that, and no more.

I'll settle for that.

That white man's scalp.

It was taken in a fight with the long knives.

I don't care where you got it, but don't be wearing it tomorrow.

There's men where we're going to Texas and blow your head off if they saw that.

Maybe we're his, Galp, end of trail.

Another helper.

You do like my cooking.

Yeah, well, for some reason, I seem to have two appetites tonight.

Should have known you'd catch me.

I guess you probably haven't had much to eat since you've been following us,

huh?

Some berries.

Well, in that case, I guess you might as well sit down and finish what you're

eating there.

and send me back, Mr. McCann.

I got nobody who cares where I am.

And nobody to miss me.

Everybody's got somebody that misses them, son.

Not me.

I had a dog once, and he used to miss me.

But an Indian killed him and ate him.

That's why I don't hanker much for Indians.

Well, now you know we're using Indians on this drive.

What'd you want to come along for?

Just figured it was time I'd be doing something important, Mr. McCann.

Be almost 11 years old.

Well, I can understand that. I guess a fella's got to have something going by

the time he's 11, don't he?

Hey, you come by the homestead last night. How come you didn't announce

then? Oh, I was going to ask you a second time if I could go with you.

But if I asked you a second time, and you said no a second time, and then

me the third time, like now, you'd get mad.

Well, that takes a little doing to figure that out, all right, but I reckon

can do it. What's your name, son?

Jeffrey.

Now, Jeffrey, every man that I bring along on this drive's got to put in a

day's work and more.

I can't afford to have nobody along that's going to quit on me.

Oh, Mr. McCann, I...

See what we can do.

So that's why you've been looking behind you since we left that river.

I wasn't sure who was following us.

Yeah.

Let's wait until we got so far along, there's no way you could take him back.

You know something, Luke?

You're getting too smart for your britches.

You both dead?

Yeah.

How old was your son when you lost him?

Oh.

He was just about old enough to start walking on his own.

Guess you sure missed him, huh?

Don't waste my time thinking back.

Not go out there.

You sure there's water out there?

There's water holes out there, all right.

There ain't no guarantee they ain't dried up.

Look, we've got to get across those flats before dark.

Let's move out!

It's better with you two.

Stonehand crossed here as a boy.

Many people died.

No water.

One more if you get up there with the rest of them right now.

Stonehand, people have died all over this land, most of them without even

knowing why they was dying.

But we do, don't we?

We know that if any of us do any dying, it's because we got an important job to

do.

Why not go?

All right, then you don't leave me no choice.

If I let you go today, somebody else is going to want to go tomorrow.

Now you get up there and join the rest of them right now.

Why not go?

Look to me, all of you.

If we don't get that herd back, some of your old folks are going to die this

winter.

I'd just soon see some of you die right here trying to get that herd back.

That clear?

Uncle Deb, stay out of this, Luke.

If he wants to go back, let him.

You think I'm talking with the sound of my voice?

We're going to be walking slow across that flat.

You can catch up to us or you can die.

First you move out.

Head out.

Get moving.

Mister, if you don't have enough Arapahoe in you to catch up with us, I

want you anyway.

We'll bury your bones on the way back.

Thank you.

How far are you going to let that stone hand walk?

How far would you say it was from the Arapahoe village to the agency?

Say about ten miles.

All right. If you walk that far to gamble with his friends, you'll walk

to prove he's got the right to be with us.

You know, Uncle Zeb, I don't want to be telling you your own business. Then

don't try, Luke.

Well, I'm only suggesting that maybe you ought to treat these bucks a little

like children, you know?

Give them time to grow.

Luke, that's a full -grown man back there.

The only thing of it is he's got to prove that to himself.

He's the only one who can do that.

That's true of all these Braves.

They've got to measure up to a man -sized job we've got ahead of us here.

After the horses, only one swallow per man.

After that, nothing till we get to the next waterhole.

That ain't dried up.

It is, Luke.

We just have to wait till we get to the next one.

Do some praying.

Get out of there.

Look at that.

Poison.

Keep the horses back.

Nobody drink.

Get him to empty his stomach.

Port -A -Till, take him back. No matter how thirsty you are, stay away from that

water. Will he die?

I don't know, Jeffrey.

We're going to have to wait and see.

We wait to see if a man dies.

No one will. We're going to wait and see if a man lives.

I guess we were lucky this time, Jeffrey.

The water's not poisoned anymore, but it must have been once.

We buried that man that made that sign.

I figure this here pool's got a deep well in it that's kind of naturally

itself out.

What poisons a waterhole, Mr. McCann?

I figure nature's the culprit there, Jeffrey.

See, arsenic's found natural in rock.

The heavy rains, they leach it out and down into a pool like this and poison

Uncle Zeb, we anywhere near Texas?

About as close as you can get, Luke.

Figure we've been in it for the last few hours.

You mean the worst is behind us?

I didn't say that.

I figure the worst is ahead of us.