Original subtitles

♪ Rollin', rollin', rollin' ♪

- Hyah! -♪ Rollin', rollin', rollin' ♪

♪ Keep movin', movin', movin' ♪

♪ Though they're disapprovin' ♪

♪ Keep them dogies movin' ♪

♪ Rawhide ♪

♪ Don't try to understand them ♪

♪ Just rope and throw and brand 'em ♪

♪ Soon we'll be livin' high and wide ♪

♪ My heart's calculatin' ♪

♪ My true love will be waitin' ♪

♪ Be waiting at the end of my ride ♪

♪ Move 'em on, head 'em up, head 'em up, move 'em on ♪

♪ Move 'em on, head 'em up, Rawhide ♪

-(whip cracks) -♪ Cut 'em out, ride 'em in ♪

♪ Ride 'em in, let 'em out, cut 'em out, ride 'em in ♪

-♪ Rawhide...! ♪ -♪ Rollin', rollin', rollin' ♪

♪ Rollin', rollin', rollin' ♪

- Hyah! -♪ Rollin', rollin', rollin'. ♪

(whip cracks twice)

All right, prop him up. I'll see if I can get some of this down him.

How is he?

He's not got long.

Poor old Charlie.

Where's he from?

He never said.

He's got another name, ain't he, besides Charlie?

Never let on if he did.

Hope nobody ever forgets I got a second name.

Yeah, Scarlet, Clanton, Toothless, you're gonna ride night herd.

That's great. We ride drag all day and nighthawk all night.

You objecting?

Remarking, Rowdy, just remarking.

He's gone.

Senor Rowdy, it was not my fault.

Now what happened?

- Clumsy branch. - It looked all right to me.

Every horse in the remuda is spooked out.

There's no use looking for them in this storm.

We'll go out in the morning.

Here.

[HORSE SNORTING]

CLANTON: My horse.

- Your ponies? CLANTON: Right.

I find horses. I bring them back.

[SIGHS]

Why do you bring them back?

I do you favor, you do favor for me. I am Joseph.

You speak real good English for an Indian, don't you?

I go to God man's school.

Heh, mission Red Hide.

I know what's on your mind.

You know what's on mine.

Wa'bek'sh!

I good Indian.

No fight. I love white brother. I work, work hard.

You mean you're, uh, looking for a job?

I work. Work hard.

[CHUCKLES]

You ever hear of a Comanche looking for work, Quince?

Well, not hardly.

Hmm, still, he did bring the horses back.

He's a Comanche.

Well, they haven't been bothering us much lately.

Leastwise not this year.

Look, now that Charlie is gone, we need another hand.

Yeah, just wondering what Mr. Favor would say.

As long as he does his work, I don't imagine he'd mind.

Where you from?

[CHUCKLES]

Everywhere, huh?

I ain't riding with no red hide.

Nobody's asking you to.

He can ride with me if it's all right with you.

All right. All right.

Pay is a dollar a day and you get paid off at the end of the drive.

Come on, Joe, let's get cracking.

[CATTLE LOWING AND MEN WHISTLING]

[MAN YELLING]

All right, come and get it or I'll throw it away.

Come on now, quit your shoving.

Come on, Clanton, I know those beans are only half-cooked,

but at least they're hot.

Why don't you eat them?

Me, I got a standing objection to sitting down to eat with any stinking Injuns.

Come on, let's get this line moving.

Next man.

Mr. Joseph, do you ever wear war paint?

Paint is for warrior.

I'm only stinking Injun.

Better eat something, Clanton.

Not with that Comanche, Yates.

Ain't one of us ain't lost something to them murdering savages.

Look, Comanche war is over. It's been over ever since Colonel Macklin

whipped them down there on the Washita River.

Then why is Mr. Favor gone to Dacklin Mill

for an army pass through this territory?

It's still under army control, that's why.

[SCOFFS]

Don't go fooling yourself.

This is still Comanche territory

and I ain't heard of Iron Bull turn themselves into no reservation.

Iron Bull.

Don't downgrade that buck, Quince.

That's one Injun Macklin never whipped.

Oh, sure, he's right over that hill now

with a passel of bucks getting ready to swoop down on us, you know.

Señors, Señor Favor is coming in.

It's about time you got back.

Thought for a minute there, you might be stuck in an army guardhouse.

[CHUCKLES]

Had a little delay getting a pass.

You probably know Colonel Macklin here.

Colonel, this is the ramrod, Rowdy Yates.

ROWDY: Everybody knows Colonel Macklin of the Washita River.

I was at the Washita but any honor due is due to men of my command.

Among them my old friend Sergeant Major Grogan.

Hope you don't mind having a couple of old warhorses along.

Mr. Favor has kindly consented to see us as far Waycross.

Glad to have you around, colonel.

Tim, take care of the horses, will you, please?

Sir.

Now, Mr. Favor.

I see you, Macklin.

I see you, Comanche.

WISHBONE: Ain't the rest of you gonna eat

or do I throw this beef and beans out?

I'd court-martial any man in my command

who'd throw out food that smells like that.

What's he doing here?

Oh, well, I hired him.

A Comanche?

Yeah, you see, Charlie passed on and that left us shorthanded.

And the remuda ran off, and he brought them back in.

I signed him up.

Huh.

What's your name?

I am called Joseph.

Are you a horse thief?

Why did you return them?

Why does the sun go down?

The horses are here and I am here.

It was good enough for your ramrod.

It should be good enough for you.

Strange to see a Comanche in the camp of his enemies.

Ain't no enemies here, colonel.

Joseph is one of the drovers.

A warrior working for the white eye.

Is that fitting?

I am not a warrior.

You have the look of one.

Perhaps you're one of Iron Bull's braves.

JOSEPH: That is all ended.

Yes, of course, we're at peace.

We're brothers.

Well, we are brothers, aren't we?

All men, all things are brothers.

Yeah, of course.

I guess if a man like Colonel John Macklin can eat with an Injun,

it ain't gonna hurt you none.

I guess that's what they mean by the power of command.

That's an awful lot of man.

Which one, Wish? Which one?

[CATTLE LOWING AND MEN WHISTLING]

Mr. Favor, something ahead you ought to see.

Colonel Macklin.

I see you, grandfather.

I see you, Macklin.

I don't see your warriors. Where are they?

No war. No fight.

War no good.

Go to agency. Eat plenty beef.

Listen to God man.

That's right, I forgot. You've been converted, haven't you, grandfather?

- Macklin. - Take a good look, Mr. Favor.

It's Yellow Elk.

Someday I'll tell you what his braves did to the women at Fort Mecklenburg.

Colonel, put it away.

GROGAN: Colonel!

Mr. Favor is right.

These people are covered by amnesty.

You're right. You're quite right, sergeant.

My apologies, Mr. Favor.

It seems that old hatreds die slowly.

You know, Mr. Favor,

I never figured Macklin would draw his horns in for a sergeant.

Oh, I think Macklin might have backed down for another reason.

I'll say one thing for that Indian, he covers a whole lot of ground.

True.

Ah, thank you.

- Coffee is hot and black, Mr. Favor. - Huh.

Mr. Favor?

There's one thing, colonel,

on this drive we don't pull guns on peaceful Indians.

There are no peaceful Indians, Mr. Favor.

Well, I have the understanding that, uh, you pacified the Comanche

at the Washita, and, uh, the war was over.

I killed the roots of the Comanche at the Washita.

Some of the branches are slow to die.

Well, in any case, our business is driving cattle, not fighting Indians.

Um, we should remember that, please.

- Hey Soos. - Si, Señor.

Have you seen the sergeant?

He's taking care of the colonel's horses.

Oh, thanks.

Oh, boy.

If I'd been a hostile coming up on you like this?

You'd be dead, sir.

I learned a long time ago to tell the difference

between a white man's step and an Indian's.

Very good.

That seems like a good hunk of horse.

Yeah, he is. The colonel likes fine horseflesh.

You've been with him quite a while, huh?

Since the beginning.

A good soldier?

A great soldier.

Then how come he pulled a gun on that old Indian today?

You'll have to ask the colonel that.

Don't you know?

You would have to ask the colonel that, sir.

I'm asking you, sergeant.

Please, Mr. Favor, don't ask any questions.

Just deliver us to Waycross.

That's all you're expected to do.

All right, sergeant.

I'll leave the colonel up to you. You better take good care of him.

Oh.

I'll have some of that, uh, fine coffee now.

That supposed to be some kind of a crack?

I noticed you, uh, had a bead on Colonel Macklin today.

How come?

He was gonna kill the old man.

Then you would have killed Macklin?

I would have killed him.

And then what would you have done?

I would run away and hide.

Hide until more white men with "whoa-haws" came here.

Then I would steal their horses to make them

take me with them like I did to you.

[LAUGHS]

How come you're so dead set on joining a trail drive?

I must learn about your "whoa-haws."

What's it gonna do you to learn about cattle?

Favor, listen to me. Listen carefully.

It is a hard thing for me to say.

Old ways change like old men.

But we fight to keep old ways. We make war.

We kill many white men.

But white men kill more of us.

War is no good.

But peace, that is also no good.

Where are the buffalo? You kill the buffalo.

Where once was buffalo land now you feed your "whoa-haws."

When buffalo die, Comanche die.

There is no food.

There's food for your people on the reservations, ain't there?

We are men. We are not "whoa-haws" that white man keeps fat.

War is no good.

And peace is no good. Either way Comanche die.

Favor, you listen to me again, Comanche must learn new ways.

Must learn to grow "whoa-haws" like white men,

must learn to buy and sell like white men,

to grow things, how not to be cheated.

Many things to learn, Favor.

You can learn these all by yourself?

I will learn a little. Somebody else will learn a little more.

Maybe someday, all people learn many things.

And then we'll all be smart enough to live like brothers, is that the dream?

No. Not brothers.

Brothers love.

Comanche, white men hate.

They have killed each other too much.

Maybe someday many, many years from now,

Comanche and white men are brothers.

But not now.

Now if you want me to go, I will go.

Oh, no, Joseph. No, you stay.

WISHBONE: Mushy, rise and shine.

Listen, hey.

Now go on over there and poke up that fire.

Yes, sir.

Well, what's holding you up now?

Mr. Wishbone.

Now what's the matter with you?

Look.

Do you think Mr. Favor ought to know about this?

I'll tell him.

There's no chief in that bunch.

But he'll be along.

Who?

Why, Iron Bull, of course, sergeant.

He's out to get me.

You know what I am, don't you, sergeant?

- Sir? - I'm bait.

He's out there somewhere and he's out to get me.

It's ironic, isn't it?

The war is over but for Iron Bull and me, it may be just beginning.

Yes, sir.

[BLOWS]

Mr. Favor.

Looks like they want a powwow.

Rowdy.

Keep those fingers off the triggers.

I see you, Favor.

I see you, Yellow Elk.

Why are you here?

Favor, listen to me.

Friend, plenty peace, no war, no fight.

Friend.

My grandfather talks of peace.

Yet I see with him many young men

and there are more young men in the hills.

True, they do not wear paint, but they carry guns.

And the medicine drums talk of war.

Young men foolish. Want war.

Their hearts bad. They're sick with sadness.

You perhaps give them gift.

Then be glad, go away.

Just what kind of gift do these young men want?

Him.

FAVOR: The colonel stays with us.

You try to take him, you'll have more war than you can handle.

I came here looking for a man and all I see are dogs.

Tell me, grandfather, where is your great chief Iron Bull?

Why has he never shown his face to me?

Does he know I'm here?

Perhaps he knows I'm here and is afraid.

Perhaps he's hiding with the women.

Colonel, get back to the camp.

- Now! - Colonel.

Have no fear, Mr. Favor.

Without Iron Bull, these women have no fight.

I don't mind leading with my chin,

but I draw the line when somebody else does it for me.

For a minute there,

I thought the colonel was gonna have us laid out in burying black.

[CATTLE LOWING AND MEN WHISTLING]

[MAN PLAYING FLUTE]

[COWS MOOING]

What kind of music is that, Mr. Joseph?

It sounds so sad.

Man cannot cry.

The music cries for him.

What's it crying for?

Old men, old women, squaws, children who are dead.

What about the warriors, Joseph?

Does the flute also cry for them when they die?

Favor, the Comanche only has two things left.

These young men and his honor.

When they are dead, even the old man cry.

They're warriors here, Joseph.

Why, what do they want?

They have a saying, "An eye for an eye."

Macklin was once an enemy.

Maybe he still is.

The war is over. The Comanche and the soldier are at peace.

Hate knows no peace.

Then hate must be destroyed.

Now hear me, Joseph,

if your brothers out there attack,

then there will be war and old men will cry.

I, uh, hate to interrupt,

but you do make a right smart target,

sitting out here by yourself with that light.

Mr. Favor, I think a man's days are preordained.

Besides, the Comanches are notoriously bad shots.

[CATTLE LOWING AND MEN WHISTLING]

- The men are getting itchy. - They'd better start scratching.

As long as it's just games the Comanche wanna play,

we let them play.

[MEN WHOOPING]

Whoa, boy.

Hold your fire!

I told you to hold your fire.

Any red eye comes up to me doesn't walk away from it.

A boy, Favor.

A boy trying to be a man, no gun, only a stick to count coup.

It was only a kid trying to act big.

He was charging, wasn't he?

I say that buck was out for blood.

With this stick?

If I thought there was a half a chance for any piece of you to get through,

I'd run you out right now.

Put away that rifle and get out of here!

A rifle is the only thing the Comanches understand, Mr. Favor.

You give me 20 men and I'll make sure.

Colonel, I don't wanna have to say this again.

This is a cattle drive, not a cavalry detachment.

If you wanna start a war, you do it with your troopers,

but you're not gonna do it here and not now.

- Is that clear? - As you say, Mr. Favor.

Then get back to the herd.

Joseph, it was a mistake.

You tell that to ghost of boy who will never be a warrior.

[SIGHS]

Go now while you still can.

- What about you? - When a fire burns you put it out.

No matter how hot it burns, you put it out.

[MAN PLAYING FLUTE]

What's the matter, Mushy?

Red hide music getting under your skin?

No, it ain't that, Mr. Clanton.

I was just thinking about Mr. Joseph.

Maybe he should be back by now.

[SCOFFS]

Well, it's like I told you,

once a Comanche always a Comanche.

Next time you see that Injun, it will be over the sights of a Winchester rifle.

Look, Clanton, if you're gonna tell another long-winded story of yours,

just step out of line because I'm hungry.

That stew might have rocks in it but it will keep a body alive.

- And I'm nearly expired. - All right. All right. Fine.

Mr. Wishbone, if you'd been with me on my campaigns

and served me food like this, I'd never have gotten out

- of the bivouac area. - Heh, that's what I like about Army.

They appreciate a man's special talents, heh.

You sure you wouldn't like some more?

No, thank you.

Everything all right?

The herd is still there, if that's what you mean.

Where's Grogan?

- He should be back any minute now. - Uh-huh.

Be back?

Yes, I sent him out to scout the Comanches.

Sent him out?

[CHUCKLES]

Mr. Yates, one of the first rules of warfare is to know your enemy,

know his strengths and his weaknesses.

Don't be concerned. Grogan is an experienced hand.

Look, colonel, you've had all the telling that I'm capable of.

For the last time, this is not a battlefield,

these are not troopers and we are not at war.

TOOTHLESS: Mr. Favor?

It's Clanton.

- What's the matter with him? - He just sits there and stares.

- Comanche knife, all right. - They were here.

- Right here in camp. - Douse that fire.

Wishbone, pass out the extra rifles.

Rally every spare man and circle around the camp.

Now, colonel, looks like you're finally gonna get that war you wanted.

Hmm.

[FLUTE PLAYING STOPS]

The music stopped, Mr. Favor, what's that mean?

It means the music stopped, you walking idiot.

Comanche uses a flute in time of war as a weapon, son,

tries to force his enemy into the dungeon of his own thoughts,

where his ambitions and desires and hope

can become a graveyard.

His ambition decays

and his desires can be banked in the ashes of fear.

I know all about the Comanche flute and its silence.

Now they stopped talking, that means they've reached a decision.

Next thing we'll hear is war drums or nothing.

JOSEPH: There's a war, Favor.

It's Mr. Joseph, I knew he'd come back.

What happened?

JOSEPH: To hear a Comanche war talk is to feel his knife.

[GROGAN GRUNTS]

I'm gonna need a light.

Build up that fire and heat me some water.

And go get me my bag.

There will be war and still you come back?

To bring the people's word, "Send Macklin out."

Send him out by first light or they will attack.

First the cattle, then you and your men, then Macklin.

I'm disappointed in you, sergeant.

There was a day when there was no Indian living

who could get near you in the dark.

[GROGAN CHUCKLES]

Guess my hairline is catching up to me, colonel.

It's about a hundred of them, Comanche and Kiowas.

Their chiefs were talking war.

Your man, that Joseph tried to hold them off.

He saved my hair for me too when one of them got the jump on me.

Just led me out of that camp as if he owned the whole thing.

I never did see the like of it.

Sergeant.

There's nothing to worry about, colonel, just loss of blood.

A little of my stew and some rest, and he'll be as good as new.

You sat in council with Comanche chiefs

and you took a white eye from under their knives?

- Who are you? - I am Joseph.

Huh, Joseph is a Comanche that wears white man's clothes

and earns white man's pay.

He could never argue with Comanche chiefs

or rescue a cavalry man from their camp.

Maybe you think of another name?

Iron Bull?

Iron Bull? This tame red belly Iron Bull?

This woman in a man's trappings?

Iron Bull is a great warrior, Mr. Favor.

He's a great chief.

The only way he'll show his face in this camp is painted for blood.

Iron Bull is dead.

He died on the Washita with his woman and his son.

Iron Bull is not dead. He cannot be dead.

He's out there waiting for me somewhere.

- I'm the bait he cannot resist. - Why, Macklin?

Why should Iron Bull or any other Comanche

wanna risk breaking a treaty just to get you?

Yeah, the Comanches have had many enemies,

but every time the war lance was broken,

the enemies were forgotten. Why is Macklin so different?

Because the Washita was different.

It was not battle.

It was extermination.

- The Washita was a great victory. - It was butchery

- and it's on your head. - It was a tactical triumph.

You would like to know why the Comanche nation

would destroy itself to destroy one man?

Look in the red mud of the Washita,

in the forgotten graves of 245 women

and children and old men who lie there.

Ask them why the troopers attacked when there were no warriors to fight.

Ask them why Macklin raised his sword against his own flag.

Raised over Yellow Elk's lodge to show there was peace, not war.

Ask them why they had to die on their knees.

Look in the red mud of the Washita

and you will see why the Comanche must kill this man.

You don't believe him, do you?

Suppose you tell us about the Washita, colonel.

Colonel Macklin.

We got a right to know, colonel. After all, we're in the middle of this.

The Washita, colonel.

Certainly, Mr. Favor, you should know.

All of you should know.

Something to tell your grandchildren.

The Battle of the Washita,

is probably the single most important battle of the Indian wars.

And the battle plan was very simple, really.

It's amazing how very often the obvious evades us.

The plan was the essence of simplicity.

I got the idea in one of my many futile sorties

against Iron Bull and his braves.

And it was to cut the Comanche down at his source,

cut his roots.

There were people at headquarters who didn't agree with me.

They tried to recall me at the last minute, but it was jealousy.

So I proceeded on my own.

We found the Comanches in camp at the bend of the river.

I split my force into three sections

so as to cut off any possible means of escape.

Colonel, please.

Even the weather seemed to be on our side.

It was a beautiful autumn morning.

Still, quiet.

We advanced on the camp at a walk, quietly.

There was no warning from the camp

because I'd sent my scouts out to kill the dogs.

It was so quiet,

that I could hear our flag flapping above the lodge of Yellow Elk.

Flag of peace, obviously a typical Iron Bull trick.

So we moved in quietly.

I could hear the creak of the saddle leather,

hear the horses' hooves,

sound of my own saber as I drew it.

"Sergeant, pass the word.

No quarter.

Do you hear me, sergeant? No quarter, kill them all, all.

Nits breed lice."

And we charged.

We hit the camp from three sides.

Once, twice, the third time we wheeled and went through it.

Carbines, pistols, cold steel,

we gave them everything we had.

And it was done,

basic strategy accomplished.

Kill the women, their breeders,

stock their children, kill their source of life.

When we rode out

the men began to sing.

I had to do something to shut it out.

[SINGING SOFTLY] Oh, the drums would roll

Upon my soul

And this is the way we go

Forty miles a day

On beans and hay

In the Regular Army

Oh.

Leave him be.

It's no use.

From Waycross I was to take him to a hospital.

The surgeon back at the fort,

he said his mind is gone to stay.

Forty miles a day On beans and hay

In the Regular Army

There will be no war.

Even Yellow Elk could not kill a man who is already a ghost.

In the Regular Army

Oh.

[HOOFBEATS APPROACHING]

Sergeant, dress up those troopers.

This is Macklin's outfit, no ragtag volunteer unit.

- Still think you can get through? - I will get through.

Get him to the army at Waycross. He'll know what to do.

You still got your job if you wanna come back.

Because you let it begin, because you would not let it end,

I will be back. I have much to learn.

Check your carbines, your ammunition.

Remember, this is Macklin's outfit.

Keep a close interval.

I still don't think you ought to go, sergeant.

Thanks, Wish.

But where the colonel goes, I go. I make it all right.

Tsk.

Joseph, you can tell us, are you Iron Bull?

Iron Bull was a warrior. I am a man of peace.

Gotta walk, ho.

Close up there to double.

Bring up the gun arms.

No quarter.

Close interval.

At a trot. Oh!

Close it up.

At a gallop.

Oh.

[SINGING]: We're marching to fight

And to kill the Comanche

And this is the way we'd go

Forty miles a day On beans and hay

In the Regular Army, oh

We're marching to fight And to kill the Comanche

And this is the way we'd go

Forty miles a day On beans and hay

In the Regular Army...

Head them up.

Move them out.

[CATTLE LOWING AND MEN WHISTLING]