Original subtitles

♪♪ [ trumpet ]

As civilization swept toward the Pacific,

the conflict between white man and Indian was played out

across the great plains, into the deserts and mountains

and fertile valleys of the West.

The scattered settlers struggling to keep a toehold

along an expanding frontier

were just ordinary men.

But the land and the times demanded much of them.

Their homes could be battle fields

and they themselves warriors,

strategists, generals.

It was an age of heroes,

heroes like the Cotterman brothers,

who lived through...

Corporal Cotterman reporting, General.

Those supplies you ordered just arrived.

Oh, Ab, isn'’t it bad enough we have to live here,

do we have to play soldier, too?

If you'’d rather, you could be corporal,

and I'’ll be the General.

I'’d rather be a plain housewife

living in a plain house.

Hey, Ben, did you hear that?

It'’s not every woman whose husband holds a fort.

You'’ll like it once you get used to it, Rachel.

This will be the finest house in the territory

when we get through fixin'’ it up.

Knock down some of those walls, put in wooden fences,

make it more home-like.

You'’ll have your own vegetable garden,

even some flowers if you like it.

This will make a good home for you and me.

That will be Ab'’s home, for him and his family.

That'’s if I can find a woman to live with this ugly mug of mine.

I'’ve managed to Ab, ever since I married your brother.

No doubt you'’ll find someone.

Where do you want this, Rachel?

Oh, in the kitchen, it'’s got my dishes,

and set it down careful, Ab.

I just hope he didn'’t break anything jogging over here.

Everything all unloaded, now?

Yeah, that barrel was the last of it.

Good. I'’ll have everything put away by tonight.

[ mutters ]

It really isn'’t too bad, is it-- this?

[ sighs ] I guess not.

It isn'’t exactly what I pictured,

when you said you were gonna get us a house.

Well, it was a real bargain, you know?

There'’s not much the government can do with a used fort.

It stands smack up against our ranch.

I guess what bothers me most is they'’re gone.

What do you mean, the soldiers?

And the cannons and the horses.

I always felt so safe knowing they were nearby,

but now it'’s kind of shivery and lonely.

Fort Lonely.

Don'’t Ab and me make you feel safe?

Oh. Of course you do.

Now back in my army days, I was stationed at a Fort

a lot like this one.

still, two men wouldn'’t be much of a match

in an Indian uprising,

Indian uprising?

We haven'’t had any trouble with the Indians

for nearly three years.

How about that raid on the Tyler ranch last year?

Oh, sure, they'’ll steal a steer now and then

or get drunk, try and scare a new settler,

but we haven'’t needed the army here for a long time.

Do you suppose-- well I know it sounds foolish,

but do you think the Indians might--

well now that the fort'’s been abandoned,

just take a notion to--Of course not.

We'’ve been good to them. We'’ve shared with them,

opened our homes to them,

learned to live together.

[ chuckles ] Oh, there won'’t be any more trouble around here.

[Ab]Ben!

John Mortimer.

I just can'’t believe it.

Not a man in these parts done more for the Indians

than him.

Gonna cause trouble in the whole territory.

Well, maybe not, if we keep our heads.

All I know is this is how it started last time.

Somehow I can'’t get Clay Squires out of my mind.

Clay?

You'’ve heard the rumors how he'’s been stirring up the Indians.

Oh, I don'’t take it too serious.

He was unhappy when he left here,

but too many years to turn against us now.

I sure wouldn'’t want to think he had anything to do with this.

Neither would I.

Probably some renegades from across the river,

I'’ll take him home and get him buried,

and we'’ll see if we can't find the scum that killed him.

You sure you don'’t want me to go along, Ab?

Can'’t leave Rachel here alone.

No, Ben, you stay here and help her get settled,

and I'’ll be back tomorrow afternoon.

Here'’s something to eat along the way, Ab.

Be careful.You know me, Rachel.

Tell Nelly we feel bad.

I'’ll tell her.

Keep a sharp lookout just in case.

You too, Ben,

just in case.

Do you see him, Ben?

Not a sign.

He should have been here by now.

It'’s past sundown.

You don'’t suppose--I don'’t suppose anything.

I wait and find out.

Is it the Indians you'’re worried about?

I wish the soldiers were here.

One man'’s death doesn'’t make a war.

Maybe not,

but somehow it always leads to another man'’s death.

I don'’t want it to be Ab'’s.

Oh, he was just late getting going.

Maybe his wagon broke down.

Well, when he comes I'’ve got a pot of stew simmering for him.

I can smell it.

Let'’s go in now.

Let'’s stay out here for a while and enjoys the evening. Huh?

I chased cattle over 100 acres of dust today.

The fresh air tastes good.

The quiet sounds good.

It'’s too quiet.[ chuckles ]

Rachel, I swear you could read something sinister into the blue sky.

I can'’t help it, Ben.

I keep wishing it was the Indians that left

instead of the soldiers.

I'’m not gonna rest easy until they'’re gone from this country,

or we are.

We'’re going to stay.

This land was made for ranching.

Ab and I are ranchers.

From fence to fence, this land belongs to us.

No renegades are going to drive us out.

We could spend a few weeks in Tucson

until they find whoever killed Mr. Mortimer.

What'’s the point in owning a fort

if it doesn'’t keep us safe from Indians?

A fort isn'’t any safer than a cabin

if you haven'’t got a cannon, or men to fire it.

Well, I think you'’re making a mountain out of a molehill,

but if it'’s any comfort,

there'’s no reason why you shouldn'’t go to Tucson.

Alone?I'’d drive you,

and you could stay with my sister,

until you felt better about coming back.

I don'’t know. I hadn'’t thought about leaving you.

Maybe it'’s best.

You'’ve hugged the house

ever since that horse came in here yesterday with the body,

and you haven'’t eaten a thing.

I admit it.

I was scared all night.

I'’ve been scared all day.

I'’m scared now.

Take me in.

♪♪

[ sighs ]

Oh, those choirs.

I never hear that tune without feeling sad.

It almost broke her heart when Clay left.

He couldn'’t have meant more to her

if he'’d been her own son.

Now that'’s what scares me most about an Indian.

What?

You never know what he'’s gonna do.

Clay had a foster mother who loved him,

neighbors who respected him,

and still he ran away to live with the Indians again.

You know he asked Sally Tyler to marry him?

No.

That was before you came, I guess.

What happened?

She turned him down.

I don'’t think it occurred to him,

until then, that he wasn'’t a white man.

I can'’t imagine he'd let her make him all that bitter.

It'’s hard to tell.

Rachel?

Hm?

It'’s your move.

Your mind'’s not on the game.

I'’m sorry, Ben.

I keep hearing noises outside.

Maybe it'’s Ab.

Ab wouldn'’t come like a thief into his own house.

It'’s more quiet.

Like Indians maybe?

I'’m only saying what I heard.

Or thought you heard.

Maybe it was my imagination.

What was--

There it is again.

Rachel, what you'’re hearing is your own fears,

and I'’m going to prove it to you.

Ben...

No, Ben, please don'’t open the gate.

Rachel, it'’s Clay Squires.

You'’ve been sneaking around at night frightening my wife.

Why do you wear war paint

when you come to call on old friends?

I no longer call the white man my friend.

I'’m sorry to hear that, Clay.

You and I used to hunt together.

If I had not been blinded by the lies of your people,

I would have killed you then.

Are you here to kill me now, Clay?

My men are hungry.

You have food.

We can smell it cooking.

You can come in, and welcome,

but you'’ll have to hand over your weapons first.

We will put our horses in the corral.

You have the food ready when we come back.

Shootah, you stay.

Ben, you can'’t let them in. They'’ll kill us!

They'’ve already killed Ab, I know it!

Rachel, listen to me.

I gave them two choices, there'’s a third.

They can storm us and take our food.

There'’s no telling what'’s on their mind,

but they are hungry,

and that stew must smell mighty good to them.

Our best chance is to exchange their weapons for our food,

and hope it puts them in a better mood,

but I can'’t do it alone

I'’ll need your help.

Will you be all right?

Good girl.

As for Ab, he'’s just late. He'’ll be here.

Don'’t you worry.

We'’d better get some bowls on the table.

What are you doing?

I learned from experience

that Indians have a healthy respect

for uniforms.

I'’ve never seen you in it before.

It doesn'’t look it now, but it used to be part of my dress uniform.

I only use it for parades and balls.

Oh, Ben.

It'’s all right.

It'’s going to be all right.

I want to scream so bad.

Well, don'’t.

They mustn'’t see that you'’re frightened.

Should be back by now.

I'’m letting them in.

Well, what have you decided to do?

I meant what I said, you can'’t come in here armed.

Let'’s have some music, Rachel.

I like music to liven up a party.

Maybe they'’d like some bread, Rachel.

♪♪

This tune, Clay.

This music box used to belong to your mother.

My mother was kidnapped in an Apache raid.

You know who I'’m talking about--

the one who raised you, Ma Squires.

The one who used to feed you,

mend your torn britches and cut your hair.

She gave this box to Rachel just before she went back East.

Almost broke her heart when you ran away.

She tried to make a woman of me.

She tried to make a human being out of you.

Look at you now-- starving, filthy, begging for food,

sneaking around at night

because you'’re afraid to show your face to your friends.

These are my friends.

Clay.

I'’m your friend, too.

The white man does the Indian no favor when he takes him in.

It was a white man who saved your life.

You were an orphan. Your people had left you out on the prairie to die.

I would have been better off.

I have a foot in two camps

and nowhere a home.

You left the home you had.

No.

Ma Squires gave me a white man'’s name

and manners and education,

but it did not change my birth

or the color of my skin.

To you I am Indian,

but to them I have been without honor.

You think you find honor in frightening our wives and stealing our cattle?

There is honor in the scalping of our enemies.

We'’re not your enemies, Clay.

Even they know that.

♪♪

You promised us food!

You'’ve eaten everything we have!

You have sheep in the pen in back of the fort.

I'’m sorry, Clay. You'’ve eaten our stew and our bread.

I'’m not going to go out and slaughter a sheep for you.

In the spring house I have some cheese.

Get it.

You'’re not going to get me to move from here.

I'’ll get it.

[Ben] She doesn'’t need any help.

Let her go.

I said, let her go!

Is it worth it, Clay? One young brave for a woman?

What kind of honor would that bring you?

Now, drop the knife.

I don'’t want to start a war on my own ranch.

You'’d better get out of here and ride, fast,

or I'’ll kill every last one of you.

Rachel, are you all right?

Clay, can you hear me?

I didn'’t want to do that.

No place for me.

They didn'’t really want to fight.

They were just drawing on Clay'’s bitterness.

Made me kill him.

You saved the government the cost of hanging him.

John Mortimer'’s watch.

We'’ll leave for Tucson in the morning.

You can stay there until you feel safe about coming back.

I'’m safe enough with you

and Ab,

but maybe we could ride into Tucson

and pick up some muslin for curtains.

You know, I think this old fort might be fixed up

into a right nice house.

This great North American continent was destined

to be tamed and settled,

to be combed with roads and spiked with cities

from coast to coast,

but not until the proud, free Indian had exhausted himself

in an effort to keep his land unchanged.

Wrong or right, the white man'’s ways

would eventually be the ways of the West.

The end was inevitable.

Along the way, the confrontations took place,

and ordinary men became heroes.

Next week, another true story from the history of the West.