Original subtitles

At ease, Captain.

Your courier brought me the news about the capture of the woman.

Where is this treasure?Under guard, sir.

Even the men here at the fort don'’t know she's here,

except two guards, Sergeant Prentiss here, and myself.

Mm-hmm. And you think she is the bait that will catch him, huh?

Wa-Tua is Geronimo'’s favorite squaw, General.

He'’ll risk everything to rescue her.

Well, he'’s avoided every trap so far.

Hm. Wily old devil.

Well, let'’s get a look at her.

♪ [ trumpet ]

Howdy, folks. I'’m the Old Ranger.

Geronimo was terrorizing the Southwest once again.

He has led the US Army a chase,

even caused one general to resign his command.

Now General Nelson Miles is charged with the responsibility

of capturing the Apache chief.

On Miles'’ staff is a young Boston doctor, Lieutenant Wood,

known as...

That been bothering you any?

Come see me when you get off duty.

Well, gentlemen, the captain was right.

Geronimo would risk anything to get his wife back,

and did.

Spirited her out of here right from under our noses.

I still don'’t understand how they got inside the fort.

When he surrenders, perhaps he'’ll tell us.

Geronimo will never surrender, sir.

General Crooks learned that, to his sorrow.

By your leave, sir, what I propose to do is this.

With 100 picked men,

I could bottle up Geronimo and his followers here in Lobo Canyon.

We could pick '’em off one by one, if necessary.

Picking them off piecemeal would do no good, Captain.

It'’s Geronimo we want.

He'’s the key. And we want him alive.

Well, the fewer men he has left, the better our chance of capturing him.

Gentlemen, I'’ve been charged with the duty

of ending the war with Geronimo.

Now, that doesn'’t mean massacring the Apaches

or capturing them by force.

We want peaceful negotiations,

leading to a surrender.

I want Geronimo and his people... alive.

The, uh, sergeant here says there'’s an Apache scout at the gate.

He'’s under a, uh, spear of truce.

Oh? Well, take him down to the pen.

I'’ll interrogate him there.

Men, most of you are new out here.

Never be fooled by a spear of truce.

This is a tough country.

We face an intelligent and ruthless enemy.

We'’re at war. Never forget that.

So there he is, gentlemen-- the enemy.

Is that an Apache, Captain?

He doesn'’t look very ruthless to me.

Apaches are deceptive, Lieutenant.

You'’ll learn that when you'’ve been out here for a while.

All right, all right. I understand.

Truce spear. You won'’t be harmed.

Well, all right, speak up. What do you want?

I come for help for squaw.

Lady in distress. That'’s a new one.

Where are you from?

You must be one of Geronimo'’s men. It'’s written all over him.

Squaw sick.

Many sick.

[ breathing heavily ]

This man is sick himself. He'’s burning up with fever.

Listen, Captain, I'’m a doctor. This man is dying.

He needs immediate attention. Get my kit, will you, please?

Get Lieutenant Wood'’s kit.

I know it sounds harsh, Lieutenant,

but you'’re out here to minister to our own men,

not murdering redskins or their squaws.

The oath I took as a doctor made no distinctions, Captain.

He was delirious before.

He said the squaw was Geronimo'’s-- his favorite wife.

Wa-Tua? I can'’t believe it.

Just another Apache trick.

This man'’s fever is no trick.

And it comes from a contagious disease.

Granted you'’re right about his being sick...

His walking right into Fort Bowie.

I tell you, he'’s up to something.

Maybe so.

But right now, he'’s nothing more than a very sick man.

But suppose he is telling the truth?

Suppose there was a woman, Geronimo'’s favorite wife?

Whom I could say we all know how important she is to him.

I recommend, sir, that this man be sent back to his people.

Send him back? To Geronimo?

After all he'’s observed here at Fort Bowie?

He knows how many we are, the new reinforcements.

That'’s probably all Geronimo wanted to know.

He knows something else. He knows that the doctor here

saved this scout and could save his woman...

if he surrenders.

Oh, that sick squaw story'’s a ruse, and an old one.

Just to get his own spy in here.

Mm.

Lieutenant, I respect your medical opinion.

On the other hand, the captain has campaigned for years against the Apaches.

He knows Geronimo and his tribe.

You can'’t trust 'em as far as you can spit.

If I may say so, sir, the white man

has been guilty of breach of faith too.

On more than one occasion.

Yes. Regrettably.

But that'’s past history.

But how do they know it?

How do they know we mean to do well by them now?

We need one single act of good faith as a start, and this could be it.

You might be right.

Thank you, sir.

You understand, Lieutenant, if I let him go,

it may be that if you ever see him again,

it'’ll be at the wrong end of a spear or a gun?

I'’m willing to take that chance, sir.

All right.

Captain Magruder, when he'’s well enough, release the fellow.

But--Release him!

Yes, sir.

And remember, I'’ll come on one condition:

your chief, Geronimo, surrenders.

♪ [ drumming ] ♪ [ Indian men chanting ]

[ moans ]

[ moans ]

Is there nothing you can do, Neh-nay?

[ moaning ]

♪ [ drumming continues ] ♪ [ chanting continues ]

Hamaz, you came back cured.

What did the White Healer do?

It was a magic of a kind I have never seen.

[ moans ]

[ moans ]

[ moans ]Wa-Tua.

[ moans ]

She stares and sees nothing.

I cannot let her die.

I have seen death many times,

but never like this.

[ moans ]

[ sighs ]

Hamaz, ride to Fort Bowie.

Bring back the White Healer,alone.

On his terms?

On his terms.

Geronimo'’s offered to surrender before, sir.

It'’d be suicide to let Lieutenant Wood go.

Sir, we sent that Apache scout back with our offer made in all good faith.

Now, Geronimo'’s accepted it.

The scout insists that you go with him alone.

That doesn'’t sound like good faith to me.

Sir, as a soldier, I'’ll obey orders.

But as a doctor, I can'’t remain deaf to any appeal to save a life.

But the risks--Are mine, sir.

He'’d be a hostage. Geronimo would offer to bargain

for guns or food against his life.

I won'’t order you to go, Lieutenant.

I understand that, sir, and I'’m ready.

I won'’t be needing that, Captain.

That'’s an order.

Don'’t follow us, Magruder.

For his sake, sir, I think we oughta take immediate steps.

Geronimo will never surrender.

I will wait in my camp at Skeleton Canyon

for, uh, five days.

That'’s where I want Geronimo.

Your eyes.

Geronimo does not wish you to know where our stronghold is.

This wasn'’t part of our bargain.

Geronimo gives me my orders,

and yours.

[ man speaking in native language ]

[ rattling ]

You are the White Healer?

You will save my wife.

Get some fresh water.You must save her.

Get everyone out of here. Outside.

Fresh water.

You understood him! Go!

I trust him as little as the others.

[ moans ]

[ moans ]

Where are you going?

She'’s resting now.

I'’ll look at the other people here who are sick.

WA-TUA: Water...

Is she well?

Still full of fever.

You have been here two days now.

Why is she not well?

I should'’ve been here a week ago.

You must save her. Do you hear?

She must live if you want to live.

I knew that when I came here.

She is dead.

You can put that knife down, Geronimo. Your wife is sleeping.

The first real sleep she'’s had in days.

These cost us two graves last night.

But they are worth it.

Good guns.

As I left my lodge, Chino told me

that Valdez and his brother are dead.

We killed seven of their men.

There was to be a truce.

For you there was a truce.

For all of us!Because of your woman?

She will be well again.

Call the sub-chiefs and demand a council.

"She will be well again"!

The White Healer deceives him.

I say we pin Geronimo to a saddle with a spear.

That is the message we send back to the wide eyes.

Seven men dead, two supply wagons lost.

Guns, ammunition...

You'’ve heard the report, Yost. Convey every word of it

to General Miles at Skeleton Canyon.

Ah, day after tomorrow'’s the fifth day.

Tell him likely as not, Wood is dead.

Now, tomorrow morning... [ door closes ]

three patrols, two weeks'’ rations, triple issue of ammunition.

We'’re going to get Geronimo to Skeleton Canyon,

even if it has to be his carcass.

I'’ve given my word,

and I mean to keep it.

Why? The white man has never kept his.

We will give him a taste of his own medicine.

It is his medicine that saved Wa-Tua

and others among us.

We have taken an oath never to surrender.

I free you from that oath.

Traitor!

The war against the white man goes on.

You have helped us.

For this, we spare your life.

Some Apaches are men of honor.

Take him back to his people.

And tell your chiefs we will never surrender.

All right. We'’re going back.

Dismount.

They will kill you.

We can slip past the guards and ride away.

No. To steal away would be to brand myself the traitor they call me.

I am their chief. I will leave like a chief.

The one you sent away has returned.

To free me from my own people.

I am still our chief.

The only way you can take over is to kill me.

Take his knife and put it between us.

We will see who leads.

He will not kill you,Chappo.

That is for me to do.

Aaahh!

[ panting ]

The White Healer has returned a second time

to offer you peace.

I ride back with him and surrender,

as I gave my word to do.

Who joins me?

You cannot fight without your leader.

We offer you peace and long lives.

Scout Chaparel reports that Geronimo'’s camp's

at the base of Mount Salitral.

Sergeant Prentiss, go with him and tell the patrols in the other canyons

to start closing in.

We'’re gonna move up there on foot and leave the horses here.

Troopers, dismount!

We'’re moving up this hill.

No prisoners, no hostages.

Just shoot, and shoot to kill.

Geronimo.

I am Geronimo.He'’s kept his word.

Where are your people?

I come alone.They'’re still holding out.

Now'’s the time to attack.

Without Geronimo, they haven'’t got a chance.

Now, wait a minute, Magruder.You stay out of this, Wood.

You'’ve done your part.You'’ve got to give those people a chance.

I told you to stay out of this.

I won'’t stay out of it.What was that you said?

MAN: Indians!

A few days later, Geronimo surrendered

to General Miles in Skeleton Canyon.

They sent him to Fort Pickens, Florida.

Later, to Fort Sill, Oklahoma, where he died in 1909.

Lieutenant Wood became Colonel Leonard Wood

of Teddy Roosevelt'’s Rough Riders,

was a candidate for the presidency of the United States in 1920,

and the following year had bestowed upon him the honor,

described in this article in the Los Angeles Times,

of Governor-General of the Philippines.

But they say of all his many honors and titles,

the one he cherished the most was "the White Healer."