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)

Hey, soldier, don't pat it, hit it.

Figure you're hitting my head. That'll help you get your heart in it.

Yes, sir.

If you men want to enlist, the sergeant will take care of you.

Well, the idea of enlisting ain't too appealing, really.

We just kind of want to know what's going on.

Well, I should think that would be obvious even to you.

- Sergeant. SHALER: Yes, sir.

These men have wandered into a military reservation.

Would you be good enough to help them find their way off?

SHALER: Yes, sir.

I once saw a lieutenant like that in a toy store when I was just a yearling.

- They wound him up with a key. - Heh.

Well, that's the way they train them.

It wears off after a while and they become human, pretty near.

All of them, sergeant?

Well, about eight out of 10, sonny. That's a fair average.

What can we do for you?

Uh, well, uh, this is Hourglass, isn't it?

That's what it says on the map.

That's the only pass for 50 miles around.

We gotta get our herd through from the foothills to the flatland.

Hourglass is part of a government reservation.

You haven't asked yet, but I know you're about to,

so I'll save you the trouble.

What are we doing here?

We're building a dam, Sonny.

Right where you came through is gonna be under 40 feet of water.

Uh, yeah, coming from where?

From the Hourglass River.

The Hourglass River? You mean that creek we just rode through?

There's not enough water in there to bathe a goat.

Heh. Well, this is the dry season.

On the map, it's a river.

On the map.

Yeah, well, never mind why or where. When?

We gotta get our herd through before you start slinging these rocks around.

Boulders, sonny, some of them bigger than a house.

What's the earliest you can get your herd here?

Noon tomorrow.

Three hours too late.

The fireworks start at 9:00.

Of course, I could wait three months, heh,

but I'm not the fella that's giving the orders.

Are you the, uh, head man, the trail boss or whatever?

No.

Well, then you better skedaddle over and get your CO

and have him talk to mine.

That's the way the Army likes it, rank talks to rank.

RANKIN: The four-hour delay you mentioned would be closer to two days.

That's point one.

Point two, if I halt the work in the dam to let your herd pass through,

the next trail boss could and would demand the same treatment.

Point three, Hourglass is government land.

As such, it's been subject to posting and closure at any time.

Are you the final word or is there somebody maybe I can appeal to,

like a federal marshal or something?

Well, any appeal would have to be made to Washington.

Any decision would be made there.

And, uh, the answer returned at about the time my last steer died of old age,

if I was foolish enough to wait.

Well, command channels were not my invention, Mr. Favor.

I merely use them.

Since this is government land, I enforce all law, military and civilian.

I'm empowered to arrest, court-martial and punish any person,

civilian or military, who in any way impedes the project.

Well, captain, I think you could have saved us both a lot of time.

"No" is only one word.

SALLY-ANN: Gil.

Gil Favor.

- Gil, honey. - Sally-Ann.

- It's so good to see you. - Look at you.

You haven't changed a speck, not one speck.

You certainly have, and for the better.

Oh, we always were kissing cousins.

Practically relations, but always kissing cousins.

So good to see you.

- Well, who's your friend? - Huh? Oh.

Oh, that's Rowdy Yates, he's just a ramrod.

How do you do, Mr. Yates? It's a pleasure.

Oh, delighted, uh, ma’am.

James, the nicest thing has happened.

One of my oldest and dearest friends is here.

You've heard me mention Gil Favor.

This is my husband, Captain James Rankin.

Yes, we've met, dear.

Gil has promised to stay for supper.

Well, you will stay, won't you?

Yeah, thanks, but I, uh, do have a herd to get turned around.

SALLY-ANN: Oh, I'm sure your friend would be happy to do that for you.

Oh, please, stay, Gil.

It's been such a long time since I've seen anybody from back home.

- Yes, lieutenant. - Uh, sir, I was just wondering

if you wanted the coyote holes on the south wall loaded and fused.

Those were the orders I gave, yes.

Yes, sir.

To please my wife, Mr. Favor, I'll add my voice to hers.

We'd be delighted to have you take supper with us.

We're quartered over there against the hill.

Uh, after sundown, then.

I remember I used to help Daddy choose the wines at Fairhill

for special dinners.

He'd unlock the cellar door and we'd go down with a basket

and one of the maid servants to carry it,

and there'd be row after row of dusty shelves

and tons of wine from France and Spain.

Of course, ahem, in that cellar, this Burgundy would hide in shame.

Here's to good wine,

because it's the only bottle within 100 miles.

- Heh. - A toast to beauty, to my wife.

Poor James, he must get so tired of hearing me

go on and on about all the parties at Fairhill

and the way the folks just dropped in, wouldn't leave,

because Daddy liked company so much.

Well, it's nice if you can afford it.

Oh, darling, money was no problem in those days.

I must say, the kitchen help often got upset,

because, uh, they never knew how many people to plan on for supper.

[SIGHS]

But now it's all gone, the plantation house burned,

the animals dead or stolen,

the people scattered to the high winds.

[CLEARS THROAT]

Did you, uh, live close to Fairhill, Mr. Favor?

Yes, Sally-Ann and I were neighbors.

Her oldest brother and I, uh, served time in the same regiment.

James, don't you remember? I told you that Mr. Favor helped me

lead the cotillion on my 16th birthday at Fairhill.

Yes, so you did.

Well, let's drink a toast, to Rankin's Folly.

That's my wife's name for the dam, Mr. Favor.

Of course, time may prove her right.

A project that fails is often named for the man who builds it.

Successes are named for those who see only the finished work.

So to Rankin's Folly.

I, uh, still don't quite understand, though.

Well, someone in a seat of authority in Washington,

someone who'd never been west of the city limits,

but who could read contour maps and river charts,

decided this was a fine place for a dam.

It was agreed upon by the Bureau of Indian Affairs,

money was appropriated and we were ordered here.

Six months, three weeks and 16 hours ago, wasn't it, darling?

It's a long time, Mr. Favor, when you're counting clock ticks.

The purpose of the dam is two-fold:

The first to create a lake, then to flume the water

to the nearest Indian Reservation to be used as irrigation.

If and when.

As near as I can determine, there may not be any water to flume.

The original surveys were vastly in error.

Have you notified Washington?

Yes, I did.

I was told not to be fooled by a dry summer, just build the dam,

and, uh, let higher headquarters worry about the water supply.

Oh, I see.

In view of all this, you're wondering why I can't just change my mind

and let your herd pass through Hourglass.

I've decided, uh--

[KNOCK ON DOOR]

COOKE: Lieutenant Cooke, sir. - Yes, come in.

Excuse me.

Colonel Greer is due here in the morning.

Sorry, you and Mr. Favor will have to excuse me for few moments.

Well, I have to be getting back anyway.

Oh, no, Gil. Well, we haven't even had our coffee.

And I've got a thousand questions to ask you.

At least, uh, stay and have another glass of wine, Mr. Favor.

I'll be back shortly.

I hate that man.

- The lieutenant? How come. - No.

My husband, Captain James Rankin.

With every breath I draw, I hate him.

Well, now, Sally-Ann,

you're probably just having a little touch of cabin fever out here.

No, Gil, I am so unhappy.

I've never been so unhappy in my whole life.

- Look, Sally-Ann-- - You don't understand.

He has lied to me. He has lied from the very beginning.

We were supposed to go to Washington.

He'd been assigned to the staff college.

We were gonna have a beautiful home and servants.

And instead he brings me out here to this forgotten corner of nowhere.

Well, you gotta remember, he wears a uniform.

He's gotta do what he's told and go where he's told.

Gil, you have got to help me, please. I've got to get out here.

I have got to escape before I lose what is left of my sanity.

"Escape" is a pretty hard word. You don't look like a prisoner to me.

Gil, at home before,

we were more than just friends.

If you have any kindness left for me or any affection, any love?

Uh, look, Sally-Ann, you said, um, he lied to you, huh?

Yes, Gil, he did, he lied to me.

It does occur to me that the exaggeration

may not be all on one side, you know.

Let's talk about us.

Fairhill, the plantation house, wine cellar, big parties, fine stables.

As I recollect it, you lived in a four-room house on River Street.

Those were just little white lies.

They didn't hurt anybody.

Well, might be that he was just trying to keep up with you.

Gil, I can get your herd out of Hourglass.

I can help you get it through and I'm the only one who can do it.

If I do, will you take me with you?

Uh, no, Sally, thanks.

If you won't do it for friendship, then will you do it for money?

I've got money.

I don't really think you need my help, Sally-Ann.

Look, if you want to get out of here, why don't you just ask him?

He can't hold you against your will.

Oh, Gil, I will do anything to get out of here.

You gotta let me go with you, please.

I've got money. I've got a whole chest full of money.

You know, I couldn't always help wondering

where you'd gotten that money.

Does it matter where as long as I've got it?

Well, Sally-Ann, um, thanks for the supper.

Gil, wait.

Think about us.

All the places we could go, all the things we could do.

I can make you so happy.

COOKE: You'd have changed his mind.

He was weakening when I stepped in and stopped it.

And I'm not going to let you destroy Captain Rankin.

I'm going to tell him what you're trying to do.

Peter.

- Well, what's the matter with you? - Nothing.

What's the matter? Only one cup of coffee for breakfast?

Any time you don't have at least two of everything,

you're either sick or worried or both.

What do you wanna do, Rowdy?

Hold the herd here or start pushing them toward Hourglass?

I was sort of figuring Mr. Favor would be back by now.

Mr. Favor's a big boy. He can take care of himself.

I know that. Look, we're gonna have to haul these cattle.

If they start blasting, there's gonna be a stampede on our hands.

Of course, uh, Mr. Favor's horse could've stepped in a prairie dog hole

and thrown him into a pile of rocks.

I thought of that.

WISHBONE: He might even have broken his leg.

- Hey, I thought of that too. - Then what are you gonna do?

Well, if you'll stop talking, I'm gonna go out and take a look for him.

Come on.

MAN: Now.

A little maneuver of my own. Saves a lot of wear and tear.

That young lieutenant you met yesterday,

you're just in time for his funeral.

According to the charge papers,

he was murdered by Gil Favor, trail boss.

Get down.

Get down.

Come on.

There.

Kind of got to wondering what happened.

Well, I've been doing a little wondering myself.

[CHUCKLES]

Got a pretty good hit on the head.

He's got a lump as big as your fist.

He's not remembering too good,

but maybe that's the way he wants us to believe.

What are you doing, holding him for the sheriff?

Holding him for us.

This is a government reservation.

The Army enforces the law,

makes the arrests, runs the court martial.

And runs the firing squad too, huh?

No, sonny, the firing squad is reserved for soldiers.

We hang murderers, just like the civilians do.

But quicker, the sergeant's just being telling me.

I can be tried, convicted, hung and buried

and, uh, forgotten, all come tomorrow night.

Oh, no, we'll probably think about you till the end of the week, heh.

You two want to talk, I can use some coffee.

Not too long.

I can save you the trouble. I don't remember what happened.

Don't remember anything?

Well, bits and pieces.

I remember the meal, the captain taking off.

Sally-Ann was talking a lot of foolishness about money and stuff.

And, uh, the next thing I know, I was coming to,

and the sergeant was standing over me.

You got yourself a problem.

I'd sure like to know what all that talk about money was.

Yeah, well, that won't make any difference.

I think four or five of us could slip in here at night

when the camp's gone to sleep, and get you out of here.

No, they'd be waiting for you.

All you'd get accomplished is getting yourself killed.

- Well, we can't just leave you here. - Why not?

The court martial system is designed to be eminently fair, is it not?

Well, quick maybe, but I don't know how fair.

Look, all I want you to do is get that herd turned around.

Dead Pilgrim's Pass is about 40 miles southwest of here.

- With some luck-- - No, no, we're not gonna do that.

Now, listen to me, boy.

I'll listen to you, after this court martial.

Right now I got a few things to do. See you later.

[FAVOR MUMBLES]

We, uh, took the shells out of your guns.

You'd be wise not to try to reload as long's you're within rifle range.

Wait here.

You have the advantage, sir.

I know you're one of Mr. Favor's men, but I don't know your name.

Name's Rowdy Yates, captain.

Regrettable affair, Mr. Yates.

Cold-blooded murder usually is.

One of my officers is dead,

shot down without warning or a chance to defend himself.

I've been ordered to proceed with a court martial at all possible speed.

Look, I've known, uh, Gil Favor a long time.

He's done a lot of things, but murder ain't one of them.

A fit of blind rage, probably.

Yeah? Why? The lieutenant left with you.

Mr. Favor said next time he saw him, he was dead.

Murderers seldom admit their crime.

We know exactly how it happened. Mrs. Rankin saw it all.

Yeah, that's what I heard.

I just keep thinking if only I hadn't invited him to stay for supper,

this dreadful thing wouldn't have happened.

- I'm so sorry. - You are, huh?

Remember, now, we gotta keep them honest.

We wanna make sure Mr. Favor gets a fair trial.

Just how are you gonna do that?

Well, by pitching our camp as close as we can to their guardhouse.

Every man who isn't on duty will be at that court martial.

Look tough and act tough, huh?

If we're gonna help Mr. Favor, we gotta find out what happened.

And making enemies isn't gonna help it.

You mean honey catches more flies, Mr. Wishbone.

Will you just do the dishes and let me do the talking?

Let's see, you're a 50-cent-a-day soldier,

doing pick-and-shovel work on the south side of nowhere,

probably eating iron rations three times a day.

Now, what is the thing you'd like to smell coming your way the most?

It took you long enough to figure it out.

Yeah, well, let's get going on it, huh?

WISHBONE: You heard the man.

SHALER: How long have I been with Captain Rankin?

Heh, I'm finishing my third hitch.

Four.

I notice he wears a ring, West Point man.

I understand you can't get appointed to the academy

unless you've got money or your family has.

- Twelve. - No, you're wrong.

He comes from the hungry end of town, same as I do.

That's why I like him.

- Twenty-two. - Well, maybe his family does.

Thirty-one for two.

No, not him or his family.

Maybe his wife has,

but, heh, I keep forgetting you'd know about that.

Yeah, I would.

Four.

Thirteen.

Fourteen.

Twenty-one for last card.

Fifteen, two, four, and a pair is six.

You know, she hadn't been in this camp a week

until I knew that some day something bad had to happen.

You didn't just guess that, sergeant. Where'd you get the idea?

She did.

I watched the way she cut out the young lieutenants from the herd.

Ah, I talk too much.

You want to count these or you want me to?

Oh, ten.

That's more than enough to win.

You know, Mr. Favor,

I'd hate to play crib with you

if all you had on your mind were the cards.

[SHALER CHUCKLES]

[METAL CLANKING NEARBY]

Hey, uh, I got a roast of beef up here that's just done perfect.

And I'd purely hate to see any of it go to waste,

but, uh, I got none of my men here.

You'd be doing me a kindness to come up and have some.

- Fresh beef? - Yes, sir.

- Is that an invite? - Sure is.

- Yahoo! We're coming. - Hey, men, fresh beef!

MAN: Boy, that smells good.

Oh, it's mighty good. Now line up here.

Grab a plate and some bread.

Come on, there you go.

Here. Now, you were saying that you were on guard duty

that night that young lieutenant was shot.

What happened after the shooting?

Well, there was a lot of yelling.

You don't know how good this tastes. First fresh beef I've had in months.

Yeah, but what happened after the yelling?

Well, I started...

- You cow fellas sure know how to eat. - Oh, you bet.

Now, there's no doubt that, uh, you figure your Captain Rankin

is about one of the finest men that ever stepped into a pair of boots, right?

Well, it sort of might surprise you,

but we figure the same way about Mr. Favor.

Now, I've been wondering...

I'll bet around payday there's a lot of wild poker games around your camp.

Yeah, I bet those men really line up for seats

when they see that paymaster riding over the hill.

Money comes on a supply train. Captain Rankin is his own paymaster.

I heard some tales about a lot of money around.

You got any notions about anything like that?

Might have.

Some more of that beef?

Oh, yeah, we do.

I worked up a big appetite cutting timbers for a scaffold.

Attention.

All rise.

SHALER: Be seated, please.

This general court martial is now in session.

We are convened here in the matter

of the United States Army v. Mr. Gil Favor,

who is charged with homicide.

In order that there will be absolutely no doubt

as to the attitude or intention of this court,

let it be clearly understood that we are here to see justice done,

without undue waste of time or motion

and that purpose shall be accomplished.

Let it also be understood that the men of the guard detail

have been ordered to shoot and kill the prisoner

if he makes any effort to escape.

The shoot-to-kill order includes any person or persons

so foolhardy as to attempt to help the prisoner escape

or in any way to forestall the function of this court martial.

Gentlemen, we shall proceed.

As is customary, the trial judge advocate speaks first.

Captain Rankin.

If the officers of the court please, I shall omit any opening statement,

feeling certain that facts disclosed from the witness stand

will be more than sufficient to a conviction.

At first glance, the killing of Lieutenant Peter Cooke

would seem a piece of senseless savagery.

Motive came prior to the pulling of the trigger.

To establish this, I call Sergeant Shaler.

BISHOP: You swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth?

I do.

Sergeant Shaler,

were you present when Mr. Favor

first rode into the United States Army camp at Hourglass?

I was, sir.

Did you speak to him?

I'm afraid it was the other way around, sir.

In your own words, what was the substance of that conversation?

He wanted to drive his herd through Hourglass.

I told him I thought he was too late.

He told me I'd better think again.

And?

Hook him to the orderly tent.

Did you stand outside the flap

where you could hear what was being said?

I did, sir.

Did Mr. Favor impress you as a dangerous, angry man?

Did you think that I might need your help?

Objection.

Begging the captain's pardon, what was the last question, sir?

Did you stay at the tent flap thinking I'd need help?

I wasn't thinking, sir. I just stayed.

Were you on duty the afternoon and evening

of the day Lieutenant Cooke was killed?

Yes, sir. I was sergeant of the guard.

Did you see Mr. Favor ride in shortly before dark?

I did, sir.

RANKIN: Was he wearing a gun? SHALER: Yes, sir.

Did you think it strange

that a man would come to supper with an old friend

wearing a sidearm?

Uh, don't answer that, sergeant.

I can't ask for an opinion, only what you saw and heard.

- You did hear the shots? - Yes, sir.

Where were you at the time?

I was inspecting Guard Post Number 4,

about 100 yards north and west of your quarters, sir.

My quarters were in full view.

Did you see or hear anyone entering or leaving after the shots were fired?

No, sir.

All right, you heard the shots. What happened then?

I was running with two of my lads right on my heels.

The next thing I heard, Mrs. Rankin was hollering

for the sergeant of the guard.

- And then what? - We went inside.

In your own words, what did you see and find?

Mrs. Rankin was backed up in a corner with her hands over her face.

Lieutenant Cooke was lying on the floor

all curled up and crumpled

like they do when they stop a couple in the middle.

Was there anyone else in the room? If so, who, where, and doing what?

Mr. Favor was kneeling on one knee with his sidearm in his fist.

I didn't think it was the time or place for talking,

so we disarmed him and took him to the guardhouse.

Did Mr. Favor admit the shooting to you then or later?

No, sir.

He said he didn't remember.

Your witness.

Sir, uh, I, uh...

Um...

No questions, sir.

Well, you see, Mr. Favor and I were neighbors, his people and mine.

He was much older than I was, but he was from back home,

and out here in Hourglass,

friends and neighbors are few and far between.

- So you invited him to supper? - Oh, yes.

I didn't realize how much he had changed.

There were three of us at the table.

We ate, talked, and split a bottle of wine.

Then I was called away.

Will you, uh, tell the court what happened

while I was gone in your own words?

[WHIMPERING] It still seems like such a nightmare.

I just can't believe that Lieutenant Cooke is dead.

- And all because I invited-- RANKIN: Sally-Ann,

just tell the court what happened while I was away.

Well, we were talking about home and old friends,

and then Mr. Favor finished the bottle of wine

and then he asked me if I would help him

to try and get his herd through the pass.

And when I told him that I had nothing to do with that,

he wouldn't believe me.

Just go on.

Please, may I catch my breath?

You know how much I hate this sort of thing.

Well, he became mean and ugly.

And I tried to get away to get out of the house

and he grabbed me by the wrist.

And I asked him as nicely as I could to please let me go,

but he wouldn't.

And I tried to explain to him that

I had nothing to do with my husband's commands

and that I couldn't help him get his herd through the pass.

But he didn't believe me and then...

And what happened then?

I guess I started to cry.

And Lieutenant Cooke was outside of the window

and he heard me, and he came in to help me,

but he never had a chance, because Mr. Favor grabbed me

and he pushed me over into the corner and then he shot Lieutenant Cooke.

Oh, James, please, let me go home now.

I hate to tell about someone from my hometown.

GREER: Mess call, gentlemen. Court is adjourned for one hour.

[SOBBING]

Brought you some grub.

Oh, no, thanks.

Can't say I blame you.

With the rations we get, it's a wonder we haven't had a mutiny.

Oh, your, uh, ramrod's outside. He wants to talk to you.

FAVOR: Hmm.

SHALER: Okay, you.

You got five minutes.

Now, look, don't trying nothing, because if you do,

my boys will feed you about a feet of rifle stock.

- Is that clear? - Uh, yeah, I'd say so.

WISHBONE: What do you mean, I can't?

Get out of my way, soldier boy,

or I'll climb you like a tree and bust off the branches on the way up.

[SHALER CHUCKLES]

Okay, Murphy, let him through.

I never could stand bloodshed.

- Well? - Mr. Favor's lunch.

You don't think I'm gonna let him eat Army grub, do you?

No, not after looking at that steak, I don't.

Thanks, Wish.

And if you don't mind, I'll wait and take back the dishes.

Oh, by all means, stick around.

The dancing girls will be here in a few minutes.

You can talk as long as the brass is eating.

But like I told sunny boy, the same goes for you.

- Uh, what? - Sunny boy. Hmph.

[ROWDY SIGHS]

Well, we've been talking to some of the soldiers and we found out

that no one was seen leaving that house after the shots were fired.

That just confirms Shaler's testimony.

Yeah. Did Shaler by any chance tell you that Mrs. Rankin

had more than just a passing interest in Lieutenant Cooke?

- Why, no. - And he's not the only one.

She's been seen with every young lieutenant on the post

and some of the old ones.

She took a lot of late-night walks.

Yeah, one corporal, uh, caught them out one night.

He got close enough to them to hear her mention something

about a chest full of money and what they were gonna do with it.

And he's not the only one she told about that chest.

She scared one young lieutenant so bad

that he asked for a transfer and got it.

[SCOFFS]

Did anybody hear her say where she got this money?

No, we went through a 100-pound roast trying to find out too.

Fifteen-dollar-a-month soldiers, a few officers.

You seen any money trees growing around here?

No, not lately.

- How many men are stationed here? - Well, it usually varies.

Sometimes a whole battalion, sometimes only a company,

depending on how many men are needed in other places.

- Any civilians? - Yeah.

Yeah, they hire civilians when they get shorthanded.

It's been a six-, seven-month job.

The water starts piling up behind that dam,

no man on earth could tell just exactly how many men it took to build it,

which might explain an awful lot of things.

I see, thank you.

I have no further questions to ask Mrs. Rankin.

Since the defense has thus far refused the right to question--

Sir, the, uh, defense would like to question the witness.

Please remain seated, Mrs. Rankin.

Uh, colonel.

Mr. Favor, you have a defense counsel to speak for you.

So I do, sir. Not wanting to offend the lieutenant,

I must say that it's rather like having a rabbit speak for you

- at a convention of timber wolves. GREER: Mr. Favor--

Look, colonel, if this is a drum-head court martial

and you just came here to find someone, anyone guilty

so you can sweep this whole mess out of the way and forget it,

then go ahead and hang me right now.

- Mr. Favor-- FAVOR: On the other hand, colonel,

if this is a court of justice,

you'll have to allow me to question the witness.

But you'll have to go one way or the other.

I won't settle for anything in between.

You may act as your own counsel, Mr. Favor,

but by so doing you relieve the Army of all responsibility for your defense.

Thank you, colonel.

Sally-Ann, you're still the perfect picture of a lady, aren't you?

But then you always were.

Even as a child, you always dressed up.

You didn't join in the running and jumping games that the other girls did.

Why not?

I have no idea.

I do.

I remember very well, Sally-Ann.

You couldn't stand the knocks and the bumps that went with the games.

Well, I bruise very easily.

Objection.

My wife's childhood has nothing to do with what happened here at Hourglass.

I disagree with the captain.

I think it has everything to do with what happened here.

You just heard your wife say she bruises very easily.

So?

Mrs. Rankin states that I shot Lieutenant Cooke,

but she also says that before I did, just before,

I grabbed her by the wrist and held her in your quarters against her will.

Now, uh, a grip like that would certainly leave a bruise, wouldn't it?

Sally-Ann, would you show me and the court the bruise?

Mr. Favor, I was under the impression

that we were talking about my childhood bruises.

I've been a grown woman for quite some time now.

Then there isn't any bruise?

There was,

until this morning.

Sally-Ann, you've also said that, uh, we were neighbors back home,

that your family lived just up the road from mine, is that right?

Well, yes.

And that, uh, your father's plantation was called Fairhill.

You had house servants and hired hands and a fine stable of horses.

- Am I still correct? RANKIN: Objection.

Why do we let this man waste the court's time?

This line of questioning has nothing to do

with the murder of Lieutenant Cooke.

I'd like to remind the captain,

the bruise had something to do with the murder,

the bruise that doesn't exist.

Nonsense.

I find the non-existent bruise most interesting, Mr. Favor.

But just what are you trying to prove now?

Sally-Ann is a liar and she's been a liar all of her life long.

The plantation doesn't exist any more than the bruise.

I don't have to sit here and be insulted by you, Mr. Favor.

Mrs. Rankin, you will return to the witness stand.

But surely you're not taking his side against mine.

Don't you see what he's trying to do?

Don't you see that he is the one that's lying instead of me?

That he's trying to muddy up the waters?

Perhaps.

Oh, but surely you don't believe him against me.

This is impossible.

We're in an area in which we can prove nothing either way.

I think we've spent enough time in the past, Mr. Favor.

Unless you have something that bears more directly upon the murder.

Oh, I have, sir.

Well, let's get to it, then.

Sally-Ann, how many ghosts were there?

Exactly how big was the ghost battalion?

Ghosts?

Yes, the ghosts who filled the chest with money,

the chest that you offered me if I'd take you away from here.

Mr. Favor, I'm a happily married woman.

Why should I offer you anything to take me anywhere?

Are you happily married?

You led me to understand that you were held a prisoner here,

that you had to escape before you lost all your sanity and beauty.

Another one of your lies, Mr. Favor.

Sally-Ann, you were overheard by a number of people.

You were overheard saying this to Lieutenant Cooke

and also to Lieutenant Kelly,

who was transferred just last month.

But I don't understand.

Why should the solders...? They were my friends.

Why should they try to muddy my reputation

and smear my marriage to my husband?

What about the chest of money?

I can assure you, Mr. Favor,

I know absolutely nothing about any chest.

Well, maybe I'd better jog your memory, then.

The ghosts are names, names of men who don't exist,

but who nevertheless draw wages every time payroll runs around.

Silly, I can barely put two and two together.

Why should I know anything about a payroll and things like that?

I'd better warn you, Sally-Ann, there are no secrets at an Army camp.

There are eyes and ears everywhere.

If you're trying to frighten me...

Sergeant Shaler, have you ever heard of this chest of money?

Sergeant, Mr. Favor asked you a question.

Answer it or I'll put you on the stand under oath.

Yes, sir.

I've heard of the chest.

Do you know where it is?

It's all right, sergeant, you tell him.

It's in the orderly room tent, sir.

Would the colonel please instruct the sergeant

to bring the chest into the court?

- Do it, sergeant, quickly. - Yes, sir.

While we're waiting, Sally-Ann,

may I ask how long you've been married to the captain?

Why, the captain and I have been married for eight months.

Sally-Ann, when you're angry, your voice carries.

Quite a number of the personnel on the base

have heard you state that, uh, you intended to leave the captain.

When did you first decide to do this?

I don't consider my private life any of your business.

It's very much my business. My neck is at stake here.

Now, what was it? Five months ago?

Six?

Seven months ago?

Suppose it were six months ago.

The fact of the matter is that I'm still here.

A person has a right to change her mind.

Oh, of course you do, Sally-Ann.

But why did you?

I think it's because the captain here told you about the ghost battalion,

told you how he was collecting the money

and storing it against the day that the dam was completed,

when you would be able to go back east with it.

You're very mean and you're very hateful.

And you're very horrible to try to mix me up and twist everybody's mind

and to make me out something that I'm not.

RANKIN: If the court please,

I deeply resent this line of questioning.

My payroll records have been audited regularly by the Corps headquarters

and found to be in perfect order.

I can vouch for that statement, Mr. Favor.

Good enough. But if the captain's conscience is clear,

then there's no reason not to open the chest, is there?

GREER: Well, captain?

But it isn't his chest. It's mine.

This chest that you didn't know anything about

suddenly belongs to you?

Just little white lies.

I didn't want all of you gentlemen prying through my private papers.

Your papers?

Are you absolutely certain there's nothing but papers in that chest?

Well, maybe a little money that my daddy left me.

Sally-Ann, you daddy didn't leave you anything.

He didn't have nothing to leave you.

It occurs to the court that you might throw some light

upon this matter of the plantation, captain.

Can you?

Mr. Favor is right, sir.

I wrote letters.

There was no plantation, wasn't even a garden patch.

Just little white lies.

But the captain promised me Washington, D.C.

and parties and Paris gowns and...

He did. Honestly, he did.

Will you open the chest, captain?

No, no, it's mine.

Mrs. Rankin, go back to the stand.

But it's mine, every bit of it. I earned every piece of it.

Sergeant, restrain her.

Mrs. Rankin.

Oh, sergeant, you won't let them take it from me.

You saw how beautiful I was.

You saw what the wind and the sun have done to my face.

You've watched the wrinkles come.

All the money in the world can't--

Iron.

But what happened to all the gold my ghosts earned for me?

There's no gold, Sally-Ann. There never was.

I couldn't let you go.

I tried to hold you the only way I know how.

I couldn't steal,

so I lied to you.

Iron.

And I shot Lieutenant Cooke for nothing but iron.

We're all through here, Mrs. Rankin.

- It's time we went home. - Home?

Home, sergeant, all the way home? Home to Fairhill?

Oh, I'd like that.

I'd like to go home, home to Fairhill.

Mr. Favor, you have our apology.

Your release is effective as of this instant.

The blasting will be delayed until you get your herd through Hourglass.

Court is adjourned.

Head them up!

Move them out!