Original subtitles

THE OLD RANGER: And now,Death Valley Days.

♪♪ [ trumpet ]

Hyah! Yah!

Yah! Yah!

Howdy, folks. I'’m the Old Ranger,

and I have another interesting true story for you

about the historic Death Valley country.

This story I'’m going to tell you had its beginning

in the South Pacific islands of Paumotu,

where a Mormon missionary who expected to spend his life among the natives,

married the beautiful daughter of a high chief.

From this diverse background

came the man Frank Grouard,

whom history has labeled...

THE OLD RANGER: This is the lovely Marama,

Polynesian mother of Frank Grouard,

whose legacy of island blood sparked the amazing adventures

that were to befall her son Frank on the mainland.

Mama, look, seashell.

Oh, my little son, what a fine shell.

And you are fine little fish,

all wet and salty.I swim like fish.

Yes, and you grow big and strong, little grandson of chief.

Someday you grow up to be high chief of island.

Papa, see? I find shell.

Well, that'’s a real treasure.

You'’d better go hunt for another one.

Play on your beloved island, my son, while you still can.

I find one for you, Papa.

You are troubled, my husband.

The letter, it has brought bad news?

News that'’ll not be easy for you to hear, Marama.

The church has ordered my return to America.

Not to stay!Yes.

They have a pastorate for me.No.

No, you cannot go.

My dear, I know what a blow this is for you.

I cannot leave you and my son.

You are my wife.

If you love me...Benjamin.

I love you.

I will go with you.

THE OLD RANGER: In 1869,

Frank Grouard was 19.

He served the United States as mail rider,

carrying the mail 180 miles

through the Montana Indian country.

[ men shouting ]

[ horse neighing ]

He is not white man. He is Indian.

He is enemy.

Who are you? What tribe?

FRANK: No tribe.Your face

is not a white man'’s face.

No.You are Indian.

Some kind of Indian.

What blood have you?

Sioux? Crow?I don'’t know.

White man stole you.

You were brought up among whites.

What name have you?

Frank Grouard.

I Sitting Bull.

Chief of the Sioux.

You are afraid.

No.

You will be afraid.

Bring him!

[ all shouting ]

Wait! It is not time.

[ foreign language ]

So this is what you saved me for, Chief Sitting Bull.

To kill me by slow torture.

Well, you bloodthirsty savage,

you won'’t tie me to that stake without a struggle.

[ men shouting ]

Stop!

He will die when I command you.

[ foreign language ]

If you'’re waiting for me to...

cry uncle...

[ Frank panting ]

...you'’ll never hear it.

Even if you... cut out my heart.

Stop.

It is enough.

Rise up, man without fear.

Torture was test.

You are man of brave heart.

It is my will you shall not die.

When first I saw you in buffalo coat,

I think you are brown bear standing up.

Now I give you Indian name.

Standing Bear.

You'’ll live here among Sioux.

I make you brother of Sitting Bull.

My will is spoken.

[ groaning ]

Standing Bear was brave of heart.

I love you.

[ groans ]

I want to have you for my husband.

I will ask my brother, Sitting Bull

to give you to me.

[ groans ]

[ groans louder ]

All right, I'’ll make the trade.

Pete! Bring me that half sack of flour.

Give it to her.

Thank you.

Bread.

I smell bread.

I baked bread for you, my beloved.

Eat, and it will make you strong.

[ panting ]

[ brave ] Buffalo.

Sitting Bull is our war chief.

He will talk to us of what is happening.

Government of white man

has broken sacred promises written on parchment

given to us by Great Father.

All around us white men swarm over land like locusts.

We are island of Indians in lake of whites.

[ all agreeing ]

Government of white man send soldiers to fight us.

Crazy Horse speak truth.

If we wish to live, we must fight!

Soldiers come shooting.

They want war.

We will give them what they ask for,

war![ agreeing ]

Tell your young men to spare no one.

Save nothing.

Let no enemy live!

Enemy already in your camp.

He is husband of your sister.

Man you call Standing Bear.

No, Standing Bear is not white.

He does not look like whites.

He looks like Indian.

Whatever his color, he is traitor.

I see him talk in whispers to white men at trading post.

When we fight against whites,

he will be against Sioux.

He will not live to betray Sioux.

I have spoken.

Where is Standing Bear?

He'’s gone to hunt antelope.

Wait, my brother.

Why do you ask for Standing Bear?

It is said he is a traitor.

No, it is not true.

Chief Crazy Horse himself has seen Standing Bear

whisper to white men at agency.

In war with whites he will betray us,

and many Sioux will die because of him.

To save my people, Standing Bear must die.

No! No!

FRANK: Weeko.

Standing Bear.

At last I found you.What'’s wrong?

I watched you ride up the trail.

Behind you, three braves ride the same trail.

They saw me?No, you were hidden by the trees.

Those three, Sitting Bull sent them to kill you.

Why?They say you go whisper to white traders.

It is true.

The traders ask me to tell them who is making bad trouble,

selling liquor to the Indians. I was helping your people.

My brother will never believe.

My people want to make war on whites.

He feels you will take the side of the whites and betray us.

I can'’t fight against the whites.

They'’re my own people.

Then you must go, my beloved.

Ride swiftly to your people and never return.

You mean leave you.

I send you because you are heart of my heart.

I want you to live.

Weeko, you are my wife.

I love you. I can'’t leave you.

Please, go quickly before they come and kill us both.

♪♪ [ trumpet ]

That'’s my story, General Crook.

For the first two years I was a captive under constant guard.

They wouldn'’t even give me a gun.

They were always suspicious of me.

I only stayed because of the Indian girl

who was my wife.

I owe my life to her twice over.

I wouldn'’t have left her now except that staying

meant certain death for her as well as for myself.

It'’s a remarkable story, Grouard.

I can see why you were so highly recommended to me as a scout.

After six years with the Sioux,

you must be thoroughly acquainted with their country.

Take a look at this map.

I'’m starting a campaign next month

that will take us up toward the Powder River,

the Tongue, perhaps on to the Bighorn.

You think you can get us through?

Sir, I know every foot of that country.

Good. We need men like you.

I'’ll put you on the payroll today as an army scout.

My chief, I bring you word of bad trouble.

Speak, that we may know it.

The man we call Standing Bear scout for General Three Stars.

Lead white army into Sioux country.

Standing Bear know what no white man know of.

Speak Sioux language.

Know Sioux thoughts.

Ride all secret trails.

Know all hiding places.

We who teach him must kill him

before he lead white man against Sioux.

[ all agreeing ]Kill him.

Young Eagle, you go.

Take five warriors.

Find Standing Bear.

Do not come back unless you bring him,

alive or dead.Young Eagle bring him.

You sent for me, General Crook?

Yes, sit down, Frank.

I'’m going to send out a scouting party,

and I think you'’re the man to head it.

Our reinforcements from Fort Fetterman haven'’t come through,

and I haven'’t heard a word from General Terry.

I'’m afraid he may have run into trouble.

It'’s very probable, sir.

Thousands of Siouxs and Cheyennes are in hostility.

and absent from the agencies.Exactly.

And there are increasing rumors of the massacre of our cavalry.

Frank, you know the Sioux country

better than any other scout.

I want you to find out what'’s going on.

Locate the villages with the hostile Indians,

see what they'’re up to.Yes, sir.

I know this is going to be a dangerous mission.

I'’ll give you a company of men to escort you,

and you can have your pick of the scouts.

I'’ll take one scout, sir.

Big Bat Pourier, and no soldiers.

But this is a dangerous mission.That'’s true, sir.

Two scouts alone have a better chance to get through.

All right. When can you start?

Immediately, sir.

We'’ll go up to Goose Creek and stay there until sundown.

Then we'’ll hit the trail into the Sioux country.

[ all whooping ]

Bat, look up the ravine.

BAT: I can'’t see nothing.

Looked like a man on horseback. Could be an Indian.

Could it be it was not man, but, uh, elk?

Could be it was a Sioux scout watching us.

Let'’s get out of here before they bring a war party down on us.

[ whooping, shouting ]

We found the Indians, all right.

There'’s a Sioux war party down in the valley.

They'’re coming in from all directions, hundreds of '’em.

Do you think they find our trail?

They'’re within a few hundred yards

of where we passed in the night.

It'’ll be a miracle if they don'’t spot our tracks.

Follow me, we'’ll have to ride for our lives.

Horses, they don'’t take too much more like this.

Yeah, they'’re... pretty badly used up.

We don'’t sight Indians in long time.

Maybe they don'’t find our tracks.

Chances are they did. In this forest they could be

two miles behind us and hidden by the trees.

Maybe we better take good look with glasses.

If we don'’t see Indians, we can rest horses.

We'’ll climb to the crest.

BAT: I think is scouting party.

FRANK: Sioux scouts, six of '’em.

BAT: Yes. They come after us, all right. They track us.

They'’re aiming to come over the ridge ahead of us

and cut us off.

What do we do now?

There'’s an old Sioux hunting trail

that leads up to the Snowy Ridge.

I hunted there when I was a captive.

If we can get through to that, we'’ve got a chance.

If they cut us off, we'’re dead men.

It'’s better we go fast.

We made it ahead of them. They can'’t cut us off now.

But if they come on us, keep to the right.

[ gunshots ]They'’re on us now.

Into the woods!

You not get away, Standing Bear!

We take you, because you'’re slow!

They'’re Sitting Bull's men.

They want scalping party.

No, they want me.

Sitting Bull is out for revenge.

[ gunshots ]

You'’ve gotta make a run for it, Bat,

while I cover you.

No, I stay.

Alone, you don'’t have a chance with the six of them.

In that case, let'’s try something.

As long as they can see the horses,

they'’ll think we'’re still here.

You crawl on your belly until you'’re back in the timber.

I'’ll stay here and fire now and then

so they don'’t get wise. Then I'’ll follow.

Get going, Bat.

[ horse neighing ]

You cannot go up in air, or down in ground.

We get you, Standing Bear!

Maybe...[ gunshots ]

and maybe not.

[ braves whooping ]Listen to that, they'’re charging our position.

They'’re gonna be surprised to find horses and no scalps, huh?

They'’ll be after us now.

If we don'’t keep ahead of 'em, they'’ll have our scalps yet.

[ both breathing heavily ]

The country to the east of us.

It'’s great game country.

It'’s crawling with Indians.

All of '’em hostile.Oh, so?

It'’s our only way out.

BAT: You make the joke.

It is a wall of rock many hundred feet high.

There'’s a squirrel's path across the face of it,

no more than a foot wide.

We'’ll have to scale it.

If I was a strong man I could not make it.

Sacré bleu. It is impossible.

Not with death riding behind us. Come on, Bat.

We'’ve gotta make it.

That'’s our only way out.

BAT: Sacré bleu.

Don'’t look down, never look down!

[ speaking French ]

[ both panting ]

Look over yonder.

FRANK: You'’ll like what you see.

BAT: General Crook'’s camp.

But for you, and le bon Dieu,

I'’d never see again.

[ gunshots ]

Well, I guess we can tell the general

we can find his Indians.

Frank lived to serve his country

with unfailing courage and daring for many years.

And General Crook once said

he'’d rather lose one third of his command than Frank Grouard.

He became known as the greatest of all Indian scouts.

Truly a man without fear.

♪♪ [ trumpet ]