Original subtitles

Let'’s rest, Vince. I can'’t go no further.

I should'’ve known better than to take you along, ya scum.

How was I to know them horses would run off.

I don'’t know nothing about horses.

You don'’t know anything about anything, Sims.

It'’s your fault we'’re in this spot.

If the army catches up with us, we'’re gonna see you get it first.

That right, Vince?

They ain'’t caught us yet.

Before they catch me,

there'’ll be plenty of soldier boys laying around.

If they do catch us, it'’ll mean a firing squad.

It'’s the penalty, ain't it?Oh, now stop talking like that, kid.

You ain'’t gonna face no firing squad.

Not while I'’m around.

Now stop squallin'’ and grow up.

Aw, leave him be, Hacker!

He'’s got as much guts as anybody else in this outfit.

Well, let'’s go.

Can'’t nobody get no rest?

No!

Not when he'’s wanted for desertion.

♪♪ [ trumpet ]

Howdy, folks. I'’m the Old Ranger.

This is the field headquarters of the Union Army,

General Clement Avery,

who was bringing an army of raw recruits

across the Southwest desert.

"Bounty recruits," they call '’em,

because the North, desperate for more fighting men,

has paid each man $300 to enlist.

There'’s five fewer now than when they started

At this moment, inside here with General Avery,

are his chief scout, Colonel Madison Lake,

and his aide, Colonel Barker,

discussing the plans to go after...

Vince Kleeber, Jake Kleeber,

Granby, Hacker, Sims.

Five of the worst men in the outfit.

And they'’ll probably change their names, reenlist,

collect another $300, and desert again.

These men will never reenlist.

I'’ll not march a foot until they'’re brought back,

court-martialed, and executed before the whole company.

Are they really worth going after, General?

Not one.

But unless I make an example of these men,

there'’ll be ten next week.

And heaven knows how many the week after that.

Then the sooner you bring them back, the better.

Oh, they'’ll put up a fight.

They knocked out the guard and carried off

all the ammunition they could steal.

We'’ll need a 24-man patrol, I should judge.

A 24-man patrol would never bring '’em back.

Well, how many men would you require, Colonel Lake?

None. I'’d go alone.

Alone?

To round up five cutthroats armed to the teeth?

General, one man can travel faster than a patrol,

and quieter.

Shouldn'’t be too hard to track them down.

You send out a patrol, there'’s liable to be a skirmish, maybe somebody killed.

What you want is to bring back all five men and court-martial them.

That'’s the way it shapes up to me.

That sounds ridiculous.There are a lot of things in the army

that not only sound ridiculous, Barker,

they are ridiculous.

All right, Lake. Here are the warrants.

Whatever fool way you use to capture them, that'’s your business.

Yes, sir.And good luck to you.

[ dishware clatters, distant ]

Hey, Vince, I'’m gonna hunt up some more water.

Good idea, Jake.

Afternoon, men.

Keep away from your guns.

Put your hands up. Everybody!

Where'’s the other man?

Right behind you, mister.[ cocks rifle ]

All right. Get up.

Move over to that wall.

Come on.

Now, very slowly, take those guns out and drop them.

That'’s my brother you shot.

Turn around and face the wall.

I'’ll take care of him.

All right. You, get your hands in back of you.

Come on. Sure act tough with a gun in your hand.

I'’m trying not to hurt you, boy.

Better not. [ groans ]

You'’ll be all right. I only winged you.

Here we go.

All right, you men. Turn around.

All the way around.

I have here warrants for your arrest

on charges of desertion from the Army of the United States in time of war.

Identify yourself as I call your name.

Hacker.I'’m Hacker.

Occupation: stevedore, San Francisco.

Tried for murder. Acquitted.

Sure. Acquitted.

It was only a fight. He had a weak head.

Sims.I-- I'’m Sims, sir.

Two prison terms for petty theft.

Last known occupation: barker in a peepshow?

Bartender'’s my real trade, Colonel, sir.

When things is tough...

Granby.Ace Granby.

Occupation: gambler.

Afraid your luck'’s run out, Ace.

[ scoffs ]

Jake Kleeber. Occupation: none.

That'’s me.

How old are you, Jake?

None of your business.

I should guess about 19 or so.

Vince Kleeber.

I'’m Vince Kleeber.

You know it. I was in your outfit.

Why'’d you men enlist anyway?

For the $300, or to get away from the law?

Too bad. You could'’ve made something of yourself.[ scoffs ]

You, Vince, you had the makings of a fair scout.

Then why didn'’t they let me scout?

March, march. That'’s all I did was march. I got fed up.

The army would'’ve given you responsibility, Vince, when you'’d earned it.

What happened to your horses?

Stupid forgot to hobble '’em.

Else we'’d have been a long way from here.

It'’s gonna be a long march back to camp.

March?

You gonna make him march when he'’s just been shot?

He'’ll ride my horse, Vince. We start at once.

And you men will have to carry back all this government property you stole.

What, lug all this stuff back?That'’s 30 miles!

Shut up.

Don'’t make a sound.

[ shouting in foreign language ]

[ speaking in native language ]

[ speaking in foreign language ]

What is it, Colonel? Apaches?

Confederates.Rebs?

It looks like we'’re between the devil and the deep.

What are you gonna do now, Colonel?

Come on, Colonel. Give us the rest of it.

How close are they?

I don'’t know how close they are.

But according to the Indian, they'’re a pretty fair size outfit.

Probably gorillas.

They know the route of General Avery'’s march.

They'’re aiming to make a surprise attack.

More power to '’em.

You gotta get us outta here fast, Colonel, sir.

Wait a minute, boys. Our luck might be changing.

What do you mean?

I mean, this puts you in kind of a spot, eh, Colonel?

Those Confederates will overtake us in no time.

Us on foot and lugging all this gear.

What do you think they'’ll do to you, Colonel Lake?

Why, I'’ll be shot. And so will you.

Exactly. And I'’m betting you wanna save your hide

as much as we wanna save ours.More.

Your only chance, Colonel, is to untie us. We'’ll scatter.

Each going a different way.

Sure, those rebs won'’t bother chasing us in five directions.

You can even get on your horse and ride back and warn General Avery.

How about it, Colonel? What do you say?

I say we'’re staying right here.

I can'’t carry that stuff...You must be out of your mind, Colonel.

We can'’t stay here.

If the rebels surprise General Avery, they'’ll cut those green troops to ribbons.

We should worry.What we have to do

is bottle up those Confederates here in this canyon

till we can bring in General Avery and the troops and surprise them.

"We"?

With the guns and ammunition you men stole, we can hold off a small army.

They'’ve gotta come through that gap, and we'’ll be set for them in this position.

No deal. We might not get out.

If we don'’t defend this position, they'’ll swarm in here, kill us all.

The rebs ain'’t blind, Colonel. They'’ll see for themselves we'’re tied up.

Deserters. They'’ll welcome us, like brothers.

Yeah. You'’re the only one for the Union cause.

All right, then. I guess I'’ll just have to do it alone.

You men take your own chances.

You mean you'’d rather stand here and be killed

than get on your horse and make a getaway?

That'’s right.Ain'’t nothing wrong with saving your hide.

Is there?No, there'’s nothing wrong with saving your hide,

except you'’ve got to live with that hide

and with your conscience for the rest of your life,

and live in constant fear of being caught.

And you will be.

The army won'’t give up till they'’ve tracked you down.

As for myself, yes, I'’d rather die

fighting like a soldier than keep on running... forever.

Pretty speech.

[ Jake whimpering ]

All right. You think it over.

I better get you in the shade.

Colonel? How come you only winged the kid?

You'’re too good a shot for that.

I'’m no executioner.

My assignment is to bring you men in.

That'’s what I intend to do. Alive, if possible.

That better?

And after that?

I'’m no judge, either.

I can promise you men one thing, though. You'’ll get a fair trial.

You mean leniency?I said "fair."

Colonel...

Uh...

Was decent of you not to have killed the kid when you could have.

I, uh, wish there were some way I could thank you.

There is, Vince.

You can help me hold off those rebels

till we get word to General Avery.

And a doctor for Jake.

He needs one.

All right. I'’ll go along with you.

Turncoat! Yellowbelly!Aw, shut up!

What did you ever do for me but gripe? That'’s enough.

All right, Vince. You said you wanted to be a scout.

Now'’s your chance. You get on down that canyon,

find those Confederates, how many there are,

and if they'’re camped, moving this way, or what.

Yeah.

You take my horse. He'’s a hundred yards down the trail.

Yes, sir.

You'’ll never see him again, or your horse.

"Get going! Hurry up! On the double!

Do this! Do that!" [ spits ]

Come on, boy.

You'’ll be a lot safer behind that rock when the firing starts.

Vince is taking a long time to scout a few rebs, Colonel.

Yeah. I wonder what could'’ve happenedto him.

I need a drink.

It'’s so hot.

I'’ll get you a drink, boy.

These are empty.

You men completely out of water?

Jake was going looking for some, Colonel, when you come along.

MAN: Hyah!

What'’d you find out?Must be a hundred men out there.

A lot of wagons. All loaded with ammunitions and supplies. All moving this way.

All right. You ride out to General Avery, tell him what you saw.

And give him this note from me. It explains the situation.Yes, sir.

Now, you have to leave the canteen because we'’re out of water.

But grab yourself some food.

I won'’t even stop for food. JAKE: Vince?

[ breathing heavily ]

What'’s the plan, Vince? How you gonna get us out?

Now, you-- you just leave that to me.

You gotta get us out, Vince.

You can'’t trust those rebels.

They'’ll likely kill us.Now, stop talking like that.

Talking like that doesn'’t-- doesn'’t help any.

You gotta get us out, Vince. You gotta.

[ continues breathing heavily ]

Colonel'’s waiting for me.

Listen, Vince. Password is "brandywine."

When you get close to the Avery camp,

you yell it loud and clear so they won'’t fire at you.

Understand?

I got it. "Brandywine."

Good luck.

So long, turncoat.

I hope you break your filthy neck.

You'’d be on that horse, Colonel, if you were smart.

Yeah, these officers are supposed to be so smart, Granby.

Come on, boy.

Well, at least they'’re smart enough

to get us poor slobs to run their errands for them,

and do their fighting, eh, Colonel?

If I thought it'’d do any good, Hacker, I'’d cut you loose

and show you how at least one officer can do his own fighting.

Yeah, if you mean that, who knows?

It might do a lot of good.

I might just change my mind about you

and pitch in.

All right, Hacker.

I'’m not an officer now, and I have no gun.

There'’s no poor slob to do my fighting for me.

Now you'’re talking my language, Colonel.

[ grunts ]

[ groans ]

[ grunting ]

Aah!

[ blow lands ]

[ grunts ]

[ grunts ]

[ panting ]

All right.

I-- I-- I'’ve had it, Colonel.

[ exhales ]

Colonel Lake?

Is there any more of that water left?

Not much, but you can have it.

[ panting ]

Ah. Thank you.

Colonel, you'’ve given Jake and Hacker the last of your water.

They needed it.

We'’ll have to get more somehow.

I'’ll go for water.

Yeah?

That is, if you think you can trust me.

I think I can.

Well, if Ace goes along with you,

I guess I might as well.

Ace, I think you'’ll find water around the bend.

Fill all the canteens.Yeah.

I mean, yes, sir.

Okay, Sims. You and I are gonna set up defense positions.

Yes, sir.

Hacker.

You get behind that rock over there.

Colonel, between us, we'’ll give them rebs a rough time,

even if Vince don'’t come back.

Sims, you'’ll be over here on the other side.

[ animal barking ]

[ animal howling ]

[ horse whinnying ]

Here they come!

[ men shouting ]

Hyah!

[ horses whinnying ]

[ grunts ]

Hyah!Yah!

Yah!Yah!

Yah!

Yah!

Yah!Yah!

I never thought we'’d be able to hold them off this long.

Maybe you'’re better than you thought you were, Granby.

What time is it now?

Late afternoon.

We might as well face it. Vince ain'’t coming back now.

We don'’t know that, Sims.

Yeah. Something probably happened to him.

I know what happened to him. He just took off.

I don'’t care anymore.

I'’m gonna get as many rebs as I can just for the fun of it.

Here they come again!

[ incoming gunshot ]

[ men shouting ]

[ horses whinnying ]

[ whinnying continues ]

ACE: The colonel'’s hit!

[ grunts ]

[ incoming gunfire continues ]

Keep firing, you two!

[ hoofbeats approaching ]

They got behind us, men!

VINCE: Brandywine!

Don'’t shoot! It'’s me, Vince!

[ incoming gunfire continues ]

General Avery'’s right behind me, sir.

What took you so long?

The horse bolted. Scared by a rattlesnake. I had to walk half the way.

I knew you'’d make it, Vince.

Good work, Vince.

So their charges were reduced to A.W.O.L.

instead of desertion.

They got 60 days.

Thank you, General.

They asked to see you before you leave for the hospital.

Corporal.

Well, why don'’t one of you men speak up?

You said you had a special request.

Well, uh-- Well, uh, Colonel,

we were thinking it over, sir, and, uh, we thought that--

Well, since we fought together so well out there,

that you might...

Well, uh...

You see, we'’ll be getting out of prison

at about the same time, uh, you get out of the hospital,

and, well, we thought that...

We thought we could form a raider outfit

for special missions, if you could arrange it.

Yeah.How about it?

What do you say, Colonel?

Not a bad idea.

Not a bad idea at all.

Colonel Lake did arrange it.

These men turned out to be one of the most famous units in the Union Army.

Incidentally, I have here a picture

from a Civil War edition of Harper'’s Weekly,

showing a group of bounty recruits,

five of who have gone down in history

as Lake'’s Scouts.