Original subtitles

What happened to you?

The dead.

They killed everybody.

Because this man left his post, six of my men are dead.

That's not alive.

Well, they'll say anything to keep people from finding out what's happening.

If you interfere with this expedition, I'll have you shot where you stand.

No, my son.

He didn't go with him unless there was a gun in his back.

And one more corpse isn't gonna go any harder on me.

Try and keep that in mind, Andy.

You got six dead men asking for you back at your fort.

Shut up, Harris!

Time to dusty the earth beneath my feet.

Time to dusty as I ride through the burning heat.

With the help of God and this mountain man and the hand of my eldest son.

My little boy and my little girl will grow up in the polished land.

And in the eyes of a woman meant for me, I have a dream where the sun goes down.

The Willamette Valley's calling me 'cause I'm Oregon bound.

Oh, I'm Oregon bound.

Yes, I'm Oregon bound.

Here's a good boy, here's a good boy, good boy.

Here's a good boy, good boy.

Here's a good boy, good boy.

Here's a good boy, good boy, good boy.

Here's a good boy, good boy, good boy, good boy, good boy.

Here's a good boy, good boy, good boy, good boy, good boy.

What'd you put in that stew anyway?

Sugar.

Cat meat?

Just for ya.

I need to know old cat.

Use buffalo meat.

That cat's a lot better for you than them old grass-eating cows.

Oh, oh, oh.

What is that?

That's a body.

What happened to you?

The dead.

They killed everybody more than- Who?

Who?

Who?

Who did it?

Did you get the things?

How many?

Well, well, I don't know.

They came at night.

We had a warning train, get them to tighten up.

Keep your eyes open, don't get scared.

Say how far from here was it?

Oh, well, it was up a ways.

Come on, don't you talk no more.

You got to be all right.

Come on, son.

Easy now.

Watch your side.

It was the day before yesterday.

No.

No, it was the night before last.

My head's still a little fuzzy.

It's all right.

You understand.

How many was in your party for?

Fourteen, in two wagons.

You folks started out with two wagons?

Oh, no sir.

We started out with a train, but our stock took sick and they kept getting ahead of us

until we lost them.

How could people do something like that?

Well, ma'am, they did what they thought was right.

Would you like some more soup, Jody?

How'd you know my name?

Read it in your Bible.

Jody Griffin from Hamilton, Ohio.

Yeah, that's me.

Jody.

No, this is painful for you, but them folks still laying out there.

Yes, sir.

They're laying right where they fell.

I tried to bury them, but I just couldn't.

I know.

I think it's only fitting we should go out there and bury them, of course.

Heaven, you can't.

Paul, what about the Indians?

I wish your daddy and Lucy got to go out there and find out where them people are and who

they are.

Say, how many men are we going to take with us, Paul?

Well, I'm going with you.

You are going nowhere, Mr. Griffin.

You ain't neither, Andy.

I want you to stay here and I'll be after your brother and your sister.

I'm going to be after you.

I'm going to be after you.

I'm going to be after you.

I'm going to be after you.

I'm going to be after you.

I'm going to be after you.

I'm going to be after you.

I'm going to be after you.

I'm going to be after you.

I'm going to be after you.

I'm going to be after you.

I'm going to be after you.

Were you with this party of fools?

No, our party of fools is a little ways back down a trail.

They ought to brought grave markers in their wagons instead of plows.

I hope to God you got more than two wagons.

35.

Better.

Some prudent farmers on the trail?

What a waste.

Well, I guess they figured the army pulled out of it.

Yes.

John Levering.

US Army.

Evan Thorpe.

US citizen.

You gentlemen scouting for water?

No, we come to bury these folks.

Bury them.

How'd you know?

Young fella got away.

We found it.

Alive.

Out of this?

Does he know who attacked them?

What tribe?

Colonel, most of these folks wouldn't know a wrap a hoe from a porcupine.

Will he live?

Sure he ain't bad, Earth.

Well, I want to talk to him.

Find out what we can about the hostiles who did this.

I'm going to tell you one thing, Colonel, him, Pawnee.

Maybe White Wolf.

Seems how he's so upset last time we've seen him.

Good and says I blamed him being his army killed his poor brother last year.

That's right.

And it was a pleasure.

That old dog back there, he'd like to kill himself a bunch of engines too.

Well, what about that shooting we were, what was that old dog?

Buzzards.

Trying to get these people, animals trying to keep those birds off his people.

All right, Sergeant.

Give them a hand.

Supples and picks.

Trips!

Let's plant them farmers and see how they grow.

Oh!

Ah!

You were right.

I give up.

Well, you done more than you share at work, even if you wasn't hurt.

You folks took me in.

Well, of course we did.

What do you expect us to do?

Leave you out there with the engines?

Say, Jody, did you paw on the army?

What?

What do you want to know that for?

Ain't no need to get so touchy about it.

Yeah, my paw was in the army.

I was just judging from your saddle.

Arm saddle's the only one I know of with a hole in it.

Jody.

Oh, ma'am.

What do you think you're doing?

You ain't supposed to be here, remember?

Well, see, ma'am, we figured that it wouldn't be safe for Andy to come down like this by himself,

so I just came along to guard like him.

That's a fact.

Well, then Andy hasn't got any more sense than you have.

I cleaned that wound and I saw that rib.

Now you get back up there and get to bed.

Yes, ma'am.

Where you from, Mr. Clark?

Illinois?

Still there, is it?

I haven't been east of the Mississippi in so long.

The hell's got a way of slipping by out here, Colonel?

Yeah.

Well, when you're living on the sand and it's a big station,

you'll find yourself counting it down to the second.

This way!

Give us will!

Jody!

What's wrong? What are you doing?

I can't explain.

What do you mean?

Look, just forget you know me, all right?

You don't know where I went or when I went.

All right, Andy, please.

I was over at Inlet's wagon and he was gone when I got back.

I was just about to call them for breakfast.

What about you, Andy? Did you see where we went?

Well, Pa.

Huh?

Describe this young man for me, would you, Andy?

Yes, sir.

He's about 20, I guess, a little taller than me.

He had brown hair and blue eyes.

Certainly!

Sir, Hammond, we're just here.

Take two men. Start from their picket line and track him.

Yes, sir.

Certainly!

I said take two men.

You want that boy or not, sir?

And be quick about it.

Yes, sir.

Who's this Hammond? What's going on?

Your survivor of that massacre is a deserter from the United States Army.

God help you, Hammond.

You're going to run me old first sergeant that way.

Don't you know that by now, boy?

Ah! Babcock!

President Custody, sir. Well done, Sergeant.

Well done. Looks like a rock fella.

Sergeant, prepare to move out. Get the men up.

Wait a minute. You're in that little tube military for me, Colonel.

This is what you planned on doing.

Returning to Fort Carney.

Fort Carney? You can't do that.

This wagon train needs to escort through this territory.

You'll be all right. You're a sizable band.

We're riding. Sorry.

We buried 14 people yesterday and you were sorry.

The deserter has to be returned to the fort for court martial and punishment.

Sir, how do you mean punished?

Firing squad, no doubt.

The firing squad.

Look, I don't know nothing about the Army.

All right, then. Leave the Army's business through the Army.

Because this man left his post, six of my men are dead.

Six of them.

Six men that could be here guarding your men.

All right. You've got one bad apple.

I've got 142 people here and we need escort through this country.

You saw what happened to two wagons yesterday.

Them ponies out in there kill them.

Anyway, what about the boy he can't ride?

Gunshot wound, whatever that sergeant's done to him.

He fell off his horse.

Yeah.

Well, Colonel, what he can do.

All right. Two days escort.

Court about the deserter.

Can't you put him in the back of my wagon?

All right. Under 24-hour guard. Take him, Sergeant.

I've got...

No, you don't.

This way, Sergeant.

All right.

Thank you.

Patching me up again, huh?

Jody?

I've got to ask you something.

Look, my name isn't Jody.

It's Paul. Paul Hammond.

All right. Paul.

I've got to know if what the Colonel said's true.

What?

That you abandoned your sentry post?

He got six men killed.

Not true.

I never would do...

That's a lie.

We can't believe nobody till we hear both sides of it.

I believe a private over a Colonel anyway.

Depends on what you want us to hear, Paul.

I came out here, and I joined up.

Because I thought the Army was protecting people.

Like you folks.

And making peace with the Indians.

All we do is kill them.

What about when them Indians is hostile?

Well, who's to know?

No! No! We just kill them all!

Kill them all?

Women. Children.

And you've seen all this.

Andy, I've been there.

Harris showed us the way.

God help me. I've done what he told me to.

But no more!

As God is my witness, I will do it no more!

I am sick of the stink, and the fear, and the killing.

Paul, now the government's got to know what's going on out here.

I was on my way to see if it was to turn myself in and tell the truth.

That's why that Colonel is going to make sure I die.

Say, Paul?

Yep.

They really going to shoot Paul Hammond?

I imagine so if he's guilty.

Yeah, but what if what he says is true?

If the Army's just killing the Indians left and right, I'm trying to get rid of them all.

I'd run too, Paul. They'd ask me to do that.

Even if they're just to try and put a stop to it.

Yeah, I reckon you would and I wouldn't blame you.

Trouble is, Andy, there's something funny going on.

I've heard his side of the story, but I don't know whether it's true or not.

One thing is haunting me.

I've seen them people die on that trail.

They was killed by Indians and they died hard.

They died awful hard, Andy.

But ain't what they doing just getting revenge on the Army for what they've done?

I for an eye?

I don't know, son.

We don't know enough to make a judgment.

You got the food.

Yeah, I got it.

I got a canteen of water, too.

I just wish we could spare more.

Andy, you sure we're doing the right thing?

I mean, with the Army and all.

Well, I'm only sure we got to do something.

You heard what the colonel said and used it as sure as I was a little while ago.

Yeah, well, I'm just trying to think of what Paul's going to say.

Well, I know what Paul's going to say.

It's just that knowing what he'd do in my shoes had decided me.

Now, get going. Be careful.

Andy, where are you going?

Andy, too.

Andy, three.

All right. All right.

Oh, who goes there?

Give us!

Put your eyes!

Come on, Paul.

What? Come on.

Sergeant Ass!

OK, there's water and food on the saddle.

Here, sir.

Thanks a lot, Andy. I really appreciate it.

Hey, what's going on?

Did you--

Hey!

Not up.

Can't go with you.

But go on, git.

Colonel finds out you helped me. He'll probably have you shot.

Well, that's my worry, ain't it?

Let's put it this way.

Friend, I plan on enjoying your company a little longer.

But why?

They catch up with me. They'll kill me.

With you alone.

Well, at least I got something to bargain with.

Get up.

The person that comes after me is going to be real sorry.

I sure hope that it's your problem.

Hope.

That's all your boards, lose.

Uh-huh.

Uh-huh.

Where's Andy?

He's asking himself the same question.

And soldier fellows ain't getting ready for a parade. Let's go.

Pa!

You stay put, Rachel, and you too.

And if you see Andy, tell him to stay put. Come on.

Sergeant Harris.

Yes, sir?

Who was posted at this time?

Moss already had a little talk with him.

Harris.

Dammit! One of these days you're going to push too far.

The man listened to my kind of talk, sir.

Can you ride?

Let's rock a ride.

You ride about to strap him to his mount.

Check your saddles. Prepare to move out.

Did you see the look on Little William's face?

I did.

Get the horses.

Touch!

Prepare to move!

No!

Them soldiers ain't going to shoot Andy, are they?

You think it's about time you told me what's been going on?

Me and Andy, we was just trying to help.

We didn't know it'd be like this.

Well, it is like this, isn't it?

Because you think that living life is like playing a game.

We was just trying to help, Pa.

We was helping, that's all.

You and your sister go to bed.

Why didn't you tell me?

I knew I should, Pa. I knew I should.

They ain't going to shoot Andy, are they, Pa?

No, they ain't.

Go to bed.

The boys sound like a cougar with cowbells.

Get back to the wagon train.

I ain't getting back nowhere, Colonel.

You'd better get used to that.

This is a military matter.

I'm here to see my boys found and treated rightly.

And like I said, you'd better get used to it.

Your son is asking for the trouble he's in.

Maybe, but I think I know why he done it.

His reasons are immaterial.

It's his actions that count.

He's helping a deserter escape.

He may have helped the boy get loose, but I know my son.

He didn't go with him unless there was a gun in his back.

That's right.

You know what?

He didn't go with him unless there was a gun in his back.

Very well, Thorpe.

You may ride along, but if you interfere with this expedition,

I'll have you shot where you stand.

Reckon we could rest all night.

Ain't nobody going to follow that trail.

Say, Pa, why don't you let me head on back?

I wouldn't tell nobody.

No, Harris would follow.

No matter how hard I try to shake him, he'd just keep coming after me.

Well, you can't just keep on running forever.

Just till I get to Canada.

Canada?

I thought you was going to St. Louis and tell everybody what happened out here with the Indians.

My hide's worth more than any Indian.

Is it worth more than them six men you got killed?

You don't know what it's like.

Yeah, well, I'll tell you what I'd do without you.

I'd go back there and I'd tell them what happened.

I'd tell them why I deserted.

Now, my Pa would understand.

What am I going to tell him?

That I deserted so I wouldn't get killed?

You think they want to listen to coward talk like that?

It's true.

Now, I'm not proud of what happened to those six men, but I did it to save my life.

That's something Sergeant Harris told me, and it backfired on him.

Save your own skin.

And one more corpse isn't going to go any harder on me.

Try and remember that, Andy.

Move.

Move!

Who's that?

Nothing new with you either?

No, I lost the trail. It must have taken a straight.

When I asked you one thing, is there still two horses?

Yeah, they'd get it.

Yeah, I was afraid of that.

Now, you don't know if he wanted to go. Don't fall dead to you, shot. Come on.

Sergeant.

I lost the trail for a bit, sir.

What direction would you say they may have taken?

Northwest. Hold up in the mountains.

Northeast. Back to the Missouri.

Get down to St. Louis.

Two estimations of a different character.

Which one would you go with, Mr. Thorpe?

Mr. Sprague's my scout. I'll go with him.

We're going nowhere unless we rest those horses.

I'll make my decision in the morning.

Oh, wait a minute, Colonel.

We can't stop now, and two boys could be as close as half a mile.

Both them boys is pony bait right now.

Well, I'll tell you, boys, it's a shame them engines got them before we did.

You ain't getting no one, Sergeant.

That is, Sergeant.

Sorry, Mr. Thorpe. We can't ride straight through without rest.

Sergeant, prepare to make camp.

Yes, sir.

Terpors, prepare to dismount.

Dismount!

Can I borrow your knife?

I got it.

Good. Let's go.

Didn't Army teach you nothing?

This horse ain't going to be all right to ride for a week.

A week?

That's right.

Well, I'll kill that miserable son of a...

Stop it.

I got an idea. We'll both ride to your horse.

Yeah, not too long. We won't.

Move.

Move.

Every horse will be fed one pound of oats.

You will draw your grain supply from Corporal Duff.

I've got it.

You will clean and feed Colonel Evering's Mount.

You will do the same for mine.

I want this gun by the roof.

That Air Sergeant, that Harris fellow?

Sure is delicate with his men, ain't he?

You ought to see the way he treats Indian women.

Oh, yeah?

Yeah, ask him to see his tobacco pouch sometime.

Nice to see his what?

His tobacco pouch.

That's your gunpowder.

Why?

Because it ain't made out of animal skin, that's why.

I don't believe it.

You believe it?

Night watch. Commencement immediately.

Leech.

Adam, Sergeant.

We ain't had no chow all day.

What'd you say?

I said we ain't at yet, Sergeant.

We can do all that after we eat.

Lab talk.

Take two steps forward.

What do you think carried your miserable bones all day?

Mismiscible spots, boy.

My horse, sir?

That's right, boy.

Just what do you think you could've used to blow your miserable brains out with

when you figure out how really worthless you are?

All right, Sergeant.

Then you get to work.

Sergeant Harris.

May I see you for a moment?

Yes, sir.

The men have had a hard day.

I think it might be wise to break them for supper now

and then let them perform their duties.

Discipline's always been my responsibility, Colonel.

We're not at Fort Kearney now.

You can't threaten them with a stockade.

We need their cooperation.

You ain't biting off more than you can chew, are you, sir?

Would you mind translating that, Sergeant?

You ain't had much practice heading this outfit up.

Without me behind you.

Break the men for supper, Sergeant.

Yes, sir.

Here you go.

Huh? No.

Better eat some.

I ain't hungry.

So if you don't eat, you're going to fall off your horse.

Help!

What in the hell is that?

What an old cat is human.

Let's go.

Evening, gentlemen.

Wait a minute.

You all right, soldier?

Yes, sir.

I'm fine.

Just about perfect.

Just about perfect.

Looks like you run into a tree, don't you?

No.

No.

Hey.

What's the matter with you?

You all right?

Huh?

I was dreaming.

Must have been some dream you're soaking wet.

Nothing.

Nothing.

What are you doing all the way here by yourself?

With a handkerchief stuffed down your throat.

No colonel isn't watching you.

This don't make sense.

All this talk will kill him.

This animal Harris is working for you.

And now this hunting party.

Is that what them dreams is all about?

An Indian steals a horse?

We shoot an Indian.

They raid a wagon train.

We burn a village, an Indian village.

And it goes on and on till it gets out of hand.

It's war.

It's terrifying.

And they come down at you, out of nowhere.

Pick you off one by one and disappear.

It's like fighting a cloud.

We don't know how to do it.

And I'm not sure why we do it.

Harris, not mine, only.

That man gets pleasure out of killing. What man all red?

Without him there wouldn't be any discipline at all.

I don't believe you.

He's an animal, he's your enemy, more than an Indian.

Good night, sir.

Good night.

Good night.

Good night.

Listen, you kill Harris, you're both going to hang.

He's not worth it.

Anything's worth it if I can get Harris.

Not your lives.

You don't know how it is.

I know about hanging.

Harris ain't worth it.

We're going back to your post. We're not going to say a word.

Here.

We're sitting on the powder keg with his arm open.

No, no, and the fuse is lit.

We can't let them get any first.

Anything you say.

Now, let's go.

They're gone.

Who?

Thorpe and his count.

When?

Sometime during the night.

What do you suggest, Sergeant?

Search for the desert.

Very well.

Prepare the troops.

Yes, sir.

Ho, ho, Andy, right here.

Okay.

Okay, we're climbing.

Get off.

All right.

Ha! Come on!

What are you doing?

Even that horse here is like hanging out of a sign.

Come on, let's go.

Move, Andy!

Go, go!

Move, Andy.

Move!

Are you going to settle here, Hammond?

Just until them troopers get tired of looking for us.

Well, ain't nobody got that much time.

Turn around.

What for?

So I can tie you up.

I got to get some sleep.

Move!

Hey, hey, hey, hey.

See that?

That angle off there, Lou.

How many horses?

Two.

Wrong.

Both of them boys on the same horse.

Oh, my lord.

What do you think happened?

Now, don't go getting excited.

One of the horses proudly went lame.

Well, come on, come on.

Let's get the track.

No trails, Sergeant.

No, sir.

Which way did Thorpe head?

Northwest. He's dead wrong, but he's got to find that out.

They want those boys as much as we do.

We'll follow them, Sergeant.

Well, sir, we ain't got to find them boys that way.

Northwest.

Just you and me, sir.

That's all we got out here.

Hope you ain't cutting off your lifeline.

We'll find that out, won't we, Sergeant?

Turn to your troops.

Northwest.

Yes, sir.

Troopers!

Well.

He's a horse.

He's pulled off.

Must have left him quite a while ago.

Where are you going?

I told you there's hold up in the mountains.

That's her. This way.

Give us will!

Well, at least we found them.

Keep them busy.

I'm going to settle around behind them.

Yes, sir.

Come on.

Get your weapons ready.

Yes, ma'am.

Harris!

I'm going in and get him, Colonel.

I know I haven't.

I made him.

I'm bringing him out.

You should have killed me instead. I'm gonna die anyway. There's been enough killing. You will have your day in court. What kind of chance will I have in your court? You will have a chance. Because it is. I'm going to die anyway.

Because it is my court, soldier. Babcock, Larson, take the prisoner in custody. Bring down the body. You are right. Thank you.

I think maybe them bad dreams is going to ease up there. Maybe so. Thank you.

Time to dusty the earth beneath my feet. Time to dusty as I ride through the burning heat. With the help of God in this mountain man, I have a dream where the sun goes down.

The woman that leaves all the meals of my Oregon bound.