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)

(cattle lowing)

(gunshots in distance)

What do you figure?

Sounds pretty hot whatever it is.

This is Comanche country.

That don't sound like Comanche rifles.

It sounds more like army carbines.

♪♪

(gunshots continue)

♪♪

♪♪

Heard the excitement. Thought we'd drop in.

It's nice to see you, friends.

However, it's nothing we couldn't have handled ourselves.

- Speak for yourself, Sergeant. -(Sergeant chuckles)

We're with the Gil Favor outfit back at the draw a ways.

Maybe you men ought to come back with us, huh?

Where's the rest of your outfit?

You're looking at it.

They got bit up some.

This is all that's left of a whole patrol?

One troop of cavalry, me and Corporal Healy here,

and one company of infantry.

Gentleman, meet Vastly Kandinsky.

I'd say you had a long day, Sergeant.

I've had shorter.

My corporal's arm needs looking at.

Maybe we will come back with you

if you still have a mind to have us.

You say your trailboss's name is Favor?

- Right. - Don't believe I know him.

Well, that don't take too long. Come on.

I was under the impression

the army had a treaty with Broken Bow.

That's right.

Somebody on the Indian Bureau decided

that land was too good for the Comanches,

so they sent us out to clear a trail for the settlers.

That treaty specifically bars settles from Broken Bow's lands.

Well, what do you know about that?

That's exactly what the Colonel said to that Indian agent.

How about that?

You know, it seems, though,

that there's more than one way to read a treaty.

That's what I like about the army, helpful, real helpful.

Well, now, mister, I don't reckon the army really cares

what you like about it.

We just do what they tell us to do.

Yeah, you sure do that well, too.

If we hadn't come along,

you would have been squaw bait now.

Possible.

Just bubbling over with gratitude, ain't you, Sergeant?

Well, I don't recollect

sending up any smoke signals for help, cowhand.

All right, all right.

Look, Sergeant, we got 3,000 head of cattle out there.

This ain't helping to get 'em through.

What will?

I wouldn't exactly call this cattle country, mister.

What are you running a herd so far out for anyhow?

Money. They pay us to do this.

Well, it might have been a good idea to wait a little while,

like ten or 12 years.

When a man's hair can sit more comfortable

this side of the Pecos.

Right now there's about 50,000 miners up around Virginia City,

and they need this beef.

So does Broken Bow.

We gave him 50 head to let us go through.

We made the deal last week at Cottonwood.

Well, as long as we're with you,

that deal is gonna seem mighty impermanent.

That's my feeling exactly, Sergeant.

Now look here, Mr. Trailboss,

we'll get some solid behind our belts if you let us,

and then we'll crawl out of here.

Not with this boy, you don't.

This arm's too chewed up.

Besides, you look a little peaked.

How much blood did you bleed out there?

I don't bleed blood.

I bleed whiskey. (laughs)

Healy, can you ride with that wing of yours?

I don't put my arm in the saddle, Sergeant.

I said he don't ride anywhere.

He better do some riding

or that bush of yours is gonna be dangling

from some Comanche's lodge pole before long.

No, we'll get, mister.

Injuns will be back,

and I think they're a little peeved at you now.

It'd be silly to get 'em downright angry at you.

Kandinsky, see if you can get this Irishman on a horse.

MAN: Favor!

Sure hope Broken Bow remembers he's a friend of yours.

Look out there.

They're coming from all around.

Front, back, on both flanks.

Chuckles) Well, I told you this wasn't cattle country.

What's that frame for?

That ain't no frame, boy.

That's what they call an execution rack.

Fellow once told me that they can work on you

for a whole week on that contraption before you die.

Kind of takes the starch out of body's britches, don't it?

Ain't got their hands on you yet, soldier.

Rowdy, bed down the herd.

Rotate the full crew on night hawk.

And no shooting unless you absolutely got to.

Well, it's up to you, Sergeant.

You can ride along with us until we raise Fort Collins,

or you can try to bust clear on your own.

Kandinsky! Forget them horses!

We just joined a cattle drive!

(cattle lowing)

Looks like this herd's never gonna bed down.

Yeah, it just might be

they don't like the Comanches either, boss.

As long as we don't see 'em, we got nothing to worry about.

Oh, say, Mr. Favor,

maybe you better check them...

Mighty jumpy.

(owl hooting, cattle lowing)

Easy, boy.

Anything up?

Oh, nothing, Mr. Favor.

But they're out there, all right. Listen.

You keep listening, Harry.

When you can't hear 'em, that's when you start worrying.

Anything definite comes up, you sing out loud and clear.

Don't you worry about that, Mr. Favor.

Them Comanches just look in my direction,

I'll sound off loud enough to raise half of St. Louie.

Well, leave it to the army to mess everything up.

You got anything to say, say it to a general.

Those three only do what they're told.

Mr. Rowdy, you think

those Indians will let us move out come morning?

Ask me tomorrow.

All I know is they got us coming and going.

And if you hadn't been so anxious to get those dogfaces

out of that hole...

What'd you expect me to do, leave "em there?

Yeah, maybe.

If I had any suspicion that

that big-talking sergeant was galvanized...

Look, Clay, a lot of Rebs

joined the Union army after the war.

What's galvanized mean?

It's a Southerner who was captured during the war

and joined the Union to fight Indians.

Well, that ain't so bad, is it?

It's bad enough.

When one of "em joined up, the Yankees took a soldier

off the frontier and sent him to join Grant or Sherman.

We got another name for 'em back home: traitor.

Yeah, well, I don't care what they are except trouble.

Sergeant, I do not think we are making friends.

Now, now, big man, don't be thinking.

That's reserved for the cavalry, not the infantry.

Correct, Sergeant?

Whatever gave you the idea you was cavalry?

Just 'cause the government was stupid enough

to issue you a horse?

(Kandinsky laughs)

Well, now I never heard the Lieutenant complain.

Yeah, and he got butchered, didn't he?

(laughs)

Which shows how much

that wet-haired boss and boy know about soldiering.

Let's get back to the herd.

I

You aimin' to start a conversation, cowhand?

Yeah, that's right, Sergeant.

- Whereabouts you from? - Fort Collin.

No, I mean before that.

(chuckles): What's the matter with your ears, boy?

I'm one of New Hampshire's original Green Mountain Boys.

Can't you tell that?

Anything wrong with answering the question?

Suppose you try another one.

You been soldiering long?

That, me lad, is army information.

Now, you shut your mouth, Healy.

I think this boy's earned the right to some answers

by rushing so heroically to our aid this morning.

Ask away, cowhand.

Um, you ever wear gray?

Now, that's not what's on your mind, and you know it.

What's on your mind is how long

I've been a Fed, ain't that right?

That's right-- some of the boys think you're galvanized.

(chuckles): Some of the boys?

Or you?

Like you said, Duclos,

I bought myself a few answers this morning.

That's right, you did.

Name: Joseph Duclos.

Rank: First Sergeant, United States Cavalry.

Now, that's something that every soldier carries with him,

carries it right to the grave.

They even carve it on the marker sometimes, if there is a marker.

Ought to be good enough for you.

Well, it ain't if I get killed.

I'm a little particular about who they plant me next to.

(laughs): Is that so?

(chuckles)

You know, your boys were just about exactly right--

I got took when I was wounded at Chattanooga.

And then I had two choices:

I could either rot in McNeil Prison for the duration,

or I could come out here on Indian work.

Well, I'm a soldier, and I thought it was better than...

getting saddle sores from a jail bunk.

Especially when all you had to do to, uh, walk out of that cell

is just change the color of your uniform, right?

Listen, Mister...

You sit down and shut up.

Maybe you'd like to try taking

this blue uniform off of me, boy.

Don't push it, Sergeant.

I might be tempted.

Rowdy.

Got a herd to take care of.

Let's get to it.

What was that all about?

Nothing important. Boy's a mite feisty, that's all.

He ain't that feisty.

He's not liking the color of the sergeant's uniform.

You know, Healy, if you'd shut up as well as you drink,

you'd be a dandy.

Now, that boy don't bother me none.

Good.

Let's keep it that way.

We got trouble enough with Broken Bow and the herd.

I agree.

You just keep your fleas out of my hair,

and I won't stomp them.

This ain't the cavalry, Sergeant.

Any stomping goes on around here, I do it.

Well, that's right, you are the C.O.,

ain't you, Mr. Favor?

Yeah.

(laughs)

(cattle mooing, men shouting)

You feeling better, Corporal?

(chuckles)

The only thing that'd be making me feel better

would be the backside of a horse.

(wagon rattles)

Lordy be.

This wagon is worse than a marrying cart.

Marrying cart?

Uh, uh, courtesy of county court.

You see, to court a girl, you must contract a marrying broker,

and he takes the two of you out in the marrying cart.

Uh, no springs, mind you.

And the broker sits in the middle.

Sure sounds like a hard way to see a girl.

Aye, lad.

Why do you think I left Ireland?

(laughs)

Wishbone, no noon stop.

We'll roll till sundown.

Or till you're stopped.

Use another hand, Favor?

You know anything about herding cattle?

Well, I got Kandinsky this far, didn't I?

I don't want to be running this army,

but that sergeant of yours is just asking for it.

Not my sergeant, Mister.

I be foot soldier, he be cavalry.

When this patrol we started, we was half infantry up mountain.

I still say he's chewing ground glass.

Ha! You should see sergeant in czar's army.

(chuckles)

Sergeant Duclos-- he uses sharp woods,

but Russian Cossacks more special.

They use sharp swords.

(laughs)

Well, we got a flock of them, ain't we?

I count better than a hundred, and that's just on the skyline.

I'd as soon you didn't sound quite so cheerful about it,

-thank you. -(chuckles)

Got to say I'm delighted.

We got them, so we might as well lean back

and enjoy the ride while we can.

How many of them in your patrol?

Three or 400-- sight too many for 25 cowboys.

But I reckon we'll get a chance at a recount 'fore long.

Maybe not. They let us go this far.

There's another way to look at it.

Further he lets you move, the deeper in you get.

You know what I'd do if I was you, Favor?

Just a wagonload of advice, ain't you?

Way I see it, any good C.O. would be a fool

to risk his whole command for three stragglers.

It's what they call tactics.

You learned tactics, Sergeant?

At West Point, Mr. Favor, class of '57.

And as a private major under Forrest

when we were fighting rings around the whole Union Army.

I'd say your tactics have slipped some, Sergeant.

Trading major's bars for those stripes,

uh, don't seem like exactly a good move.

As far as the general order of 66 is concerned,

I'm doing very well, thank you.

According to that, no ex-rebel can rise

above the rank of sergeant,

so that puts me right on top of the pile.

You know, Favor, my ex-lieutenant

was a wet-eared fool.

I'm just itching to see how you end up.

I

(shouting in distance)

Rowdy, take a look.

Getting worse.

More of 'em every time I turn around.

Ain't there anything we can do?

Keep them beeves movin'.

I

You seen Dobkins?

No, he's back there on the flank some place.

Yeah, I was gonna relieve him.

He might've fell asleep somewhere.

With these Comanches around here, I doubt that.

Sure has gotten quiet around here.

Yeah, that worries me.

Dobkins?

Bring it back at the chuck wagon.

Harry?

Rowdy... look.

Harry.

He had these on him when you found him?

That's right-- he was propped up on a war lance.

Wonder why.

Sam Reilly's uniform.

Well, this message is easy to read.

Broken Bow wants another dead sergeant: me.

You?

Oh, didn't I tell you

that him and me ain't the best of friends?

I think it has something to do with the fact

that I killed his son up at Red Cliffs last year.

You what?

Killed his son.

I got a nasty habit of killing Indians

who take a knife to me.

Or anybody else, for that matter.

'Course, the fact that his wife got killed

didn't help matters none.

You mean Broken Bow has a personal grudge against you?

Well, I wouldn't say that he's partial to any of us,

but me, he don't like special.

This was Harry Dobkins' first drive.

You know how old he was?

Well, I don't reckon he's gonna get any older.

And that's all you've got to say?

What would you like me to do, mister, bring him back to life?

Why didn't you tell us about this before?

- Slipped my mind. - Slipped your mind?!

All right, break it up!

Sergeant, look up there.

It's too early for the sun.

Nah, that ain't the sun.

Healy, how far'd you say that sodbuster's place was

-from here? - Not that far, Sergeant.

- Settler? - Fella named Beard.

Why do they hate him so much?

Mr. Beard's wife good woman.

She give us water sometimes.

And a pretty broth of a thing she was, too.

And a handsome lad for a son.

They slip your mind, Sergeant?

(chuckles): Well, I'm sure you heroes

are gonna rush out there to save 'em.

Oh, the Comanche'd just love that.

I'll get the rest of them in.

FAVOR: No, it's much too late to do them any good.

Wishbone, break out the rifles.

The rest of you men pass them out to the night hawks.

From now on, we'll ride in pairs.

No more fires.

What are you standing around for?

The way I figure it, Sergeant, Dobkins is dead because of you,

and that goes for them settlers, too.

You might forget that, but I won't.

Things get kind of complicated, don't they, Favor?

Ain't easy to be a C.O.

Oh, I'm certain they'll get harder

before they get easier.

I

(lowing)

(howling in distance)

(barking in distance)

(horse approaching)

You think a Comanche'd come up on you like this?

I don't know what they do.

Maybe that's the way they came up on Harry Dobkins.

Count at least a half a dozen in the last hour,

all over the place.

Yeah, well, just keep 'em quiet and peaceful.

A stampede now would really fix us up.

(warbling in distance)

(howling in distance)

(lowing in distance)

(howling in distance)

(hooting in distance)

(footsteps approaching)

Oh, Hey Soos, couldn't you have whistled or something?

Pardoneme, but I've been listening to the Comanche.

I don't see them, but they are there.

Well, it don't take any brains to figure that out.

Por seguro.

Once long ago, the Comanche raided my pueblo.

- What they did... - They'll do again,

unless you boys keep your ears open.

You know, was I one of Broken Bow's braves,

I'd have me two new pelts in my string...

just about your size.

That fella's worse than any Indian I ever saw.

No eyes can see what a man really is, Senor Wishbone.

(warbling in distance)

(whistling in distance)

(barking in distance)

(whistling)

(whistling continues)

(whistling stops)

(whistling in distance)

(warbling in distance)

(whistling in distance)

(warbling in distance)

(rustling nearby)

Too close.

What are you doing out here?

I was just taking a walk.

You know, it's a wonder you ain't up to your knees

in Indians by now, the way I just walked through your men.

They're drovers, not Indian fighters.

Well, they better start learning mighty fast.

Comanches are gathering up ahead right now.

You know, I don't believe you're going any place

tomorrow morning, Favor.

Oh, we'll move tomorrow.

We'll move if we have to stampede the herd...

(horses approaching)

Give a hand.

Easy, now.

(pants)

I was never afraid of Indians.

We-we got along just fine.

Mary Lou, she... she used to feed 'em once in a while.

We got along fine.

What happened?

I don't know. I-I swear I don't.

(sighs)

They were in the house before I knew it.

Then they took me, and...

Mary Lou, and the kid,

took us outside.

They set the place on fire.

Broken Bow, he... he just stood there and-and looked at me.

We've et together.

Lots of times.

Then he... he told me that

he was going to kill my wife and the boy.

Unless what?

Unless you turn over them soldiers to him.

If that was a man out there...

but i-it's my family!

I don't have to tell you what those devils would do to 'em.

- Wish... Mm-hmm.

Mr. Beard could use something hot and strong.

Yeah, I got just the thing.

Come along.

What chance do you think the, uh, wife and kid

would be alive by then?

I guess about 50/50.

The woman'll be alive.

So will the child.

What, you got a crystal ball or something?

Mm. Right here.

Broken Bow don't want that woman and that kid,

he wants me, and he wants me bad.

Just keep reminding me about that, Sergeant.

You know, Broken Bow

has a much better opinion of me than you do.

Guy I am.

He knows I will buy a pig in a poke no matter what.

He's going to show me the woman and the kid.

Most likely right on that ridge, right over there.

Uh, Sergeant.

This place is beginning to bore me, it is.

Uh, me and 'sky are wondering

if you're ready to take a walk.

Nobody's going no place, yet.

Why not? You heard the man,

that woman and child ain't gonna have a chance out there

unless we go out and get them.

Unless the sergeant here goes out.

We ain't got the firepower to force Broken Bow's hand.

Mmm...

even if we do what he wants we got no way of being sure

the woman will be all right.

Yeah, but that's a chance we got to take.

This is rough country, Cowhand.

That sodbuster settled out here

without army authorization.

So it's all right for Comanche

to butcher woman, is that it?

Sergeant, I not stay here

while those Indians kill that woman.

Somebody give you a promotion I didn't hear about?

You ain't going nowhere.

I'll tell you, Sergeant, someone is

if they have to go feet first, someone's gonna call

Broken Bow's hand,

and Comanches don't bluff.

Well, now, you got more sense

than I gave you credit for, Cowhand.

We're both learning.

All you greenhorns are just alike,

you give an inch and the first thing you ask for.

He's right.

We back down now none of us will get out of this alive.

We got to do something.

We will.

I'll go out and talk to Broken Bow in the morning.

After what's happened already?

Before anything else happens?

Well, now you're talking sense, Mr. C.O.,

but I'm gonna go along with you.

That could only make things worse.

Now listen to me, will you? Broken Bow don't care

about these men of mine. I was the one at Red Cliffs,

and I'm the one that he cares about.

You dangle me in front of him,

and he might just forget everybody else.

Well, that's a good way to get yourself killed.

I've been feeling kind of sickly lately anyhow.

All right, all right,

but if he won't make a deal, we ain't gonna sit around

while those Comanche slaughter that woman and child.

Understand that, Sergeant?

Sure I do. Us Yankee soldiers catch on real quick.

Oh, yeah, if I, uh, don't get back,

you know what to do.

You're taking a big chance.

Spread out a bit.

Oh, hey, you know, how well do you know this Broken Bow?

We're on shooting terms.

(horse neighs)

He's coming down.

(sighs)

They got to do it, Yates.

They're doing their best, Beard.

That's my wife and kid.

Look, Beard, they'll get her back, huh?

FAVOR: Broken Bow,

are the woman and child alive?

Our fires and our knives have small patience.

They are alive, they will not be.

We sealed a bargain between us.

Man to man.

Now you come in paint when we meet, why?

Give us the three blue coats

and there will be no war.

These men only do what their chiefs tell them.

The same as your braves.

He don't care about that, Favor.

I told you.

Big Buck here wants me...

for personal reasons. Ain't that right, Indian?

You know, Indian,

that boy of yours was a grown man.

He was a warrior, and he fought like one.

He'd have killed me if I hadn't killed him first.

And his mother?

Your squaw run out in front of them horses

when they stampeded and you know it.

It was an accident, Broken Bow,

an accident of war.

Forget it, Favor.

This buck don't want conversation, he wants blood.

All right, Chief, I'll tell you what I'll do.

I'll make a deal with you.

I'll ride out alone.

Shoot, me, one trooper against a whole nation.

Now that's fair enough, ain't it?

You let that woman and that child go free,

and you let this herd go through.

Now how about that?

I have an execution rack waiting.

It will be filled.

All right, Chief.

You know, I'm a chief, too.

And right now I'm gonna ride back into camp,

and I'm gonna kill both my men.

Yes I am.

Then I'm gonna cut my own veins open.

And while I'm dying I'm gonna write a curse on you

with my own blood.

And the curse I put on you is gonna stay on you

until the day you die.

Under a pile of butchered dogs,

and your soul's gonna be with it,

and you ain't gonna have no eyes.

You lie.

DUCLOS: Do I? Well, why don't you test me?

But I'd advise you to think it over first.

You got until the sun is high.

If you decide to exchange me for that woman and that child,

well, you just make smoke up on that rise yonder.

But you got to do it before the sun

gets straight up and down.

And if I don't see smoke,

you're gonna have three dead horse soldiers on your head

for the rest of your life.

Which ain't gonna be long.

How do I know you keep your word?

You don't.

You think other soldiers come?

There are no other soldiers, not for three days ride.

Ain't that a crying shame.

You better hurry up and make up your mind, Chief.

You only got till noon.

I will consider it.

If I decide you lie,

the woman and her child die

on the execution rack built for you.

Missed your calling, Sergeant.

It was a great act.

That wasn't an act, Favor.

Well, your wife is all right for now, Mr. Beard.

Either way, we got until noon.

Well, that's it. We'll know when the sun

is straight up and down.

One way or another, we better be ready for anything.

I still don't see what we've gained by all this.

Time, for one thing.

Broken Bow ain't gonna believe all that double talk.

I think he will.

Sergeant, you're just looking for a place to run.

Oh, you're so right. I can't find none.

You expect us to believe you're gonna ride out there

all alone, is that it?

Well, I ain't exactly anxious.

If you got better idea I'll listen your ear off.

Right now we got a herd that needs holding.

Let's get to it.

I still think we ought to...

Look, Rowdy, let's take care of first things first.

I want to get this thing settled right now.

All right, I'm listening.

Any man who'd, uh,

turn his coat inside out once is bound to do it again.

And you think Duclos is gonna find

an easy way out of this?

That's right, I think he's looking for a backdoor.

Only he ain't gonna find it.

Well, I think he knows that.

So does Broken Bow.

Look, Duclos may not be particular

about the color of his uniform, and he certainly may not win

popularity contest, but I do believe

that he is jack leather army. He is soldier

right down to the ground.

Yeah, well, I've seen soldiers run before.

Not when there's no place left to run.

Well...

you said something about first things first.

It started with Duclos, it's gonna end with him.

I'm making sure of that.

Corporal Healy,

I never get chance to kill Cossacks.

Sort of a wasted life, huh, Ski?

Ha.

And, Sergeant, why do you be trying to win all the medals?

I'm a hero.

You know, I ain't especially fond

of Broken Bow myself.

Oh, you ain't even in his league, sonny boy.

Corporal Healy,

I reckon you know the situation about as well as I do.

Now when you get back to Fort...

What makes you think

I'll be going back to the fort, Sergeant?

Because you're still in the army, and...

you're still taking orders.

I want you to tell the colonel that Broken Bow

has about three or four hundred of his braves out,

and his whole village, and they're moving

in a northeasterly direction.

Sergeant?

I-I'd just like to say...

And what can you be saying?

Why do you have to squat way out here anyhow?

- Leave him be. - What else you expect, Sergeant?

Him trying to make a land treaty with them heathens.

It don't make no difference now.

What are you all getting chilblains for?

I got till evening.

Why by that time General Sherman

will probably show up with the whole department

of the Missouri.

I

Hey, why don't you take it easy, huh?

What's he gonna do, sit there all day?

What do you want him to do-- break into a song and dance?

You know, I swear, I think he's gonna do it.

Well, of course he's gonna do it.

What kind of a man do you think he is?

I ain't sure about that.

(laughing)

You know, I come to this country to get out of czar's army,

and I end up in president's army.

Don't see anything funny about it.

Sure, because I am more free man in this army

than when I am Polish civilian.

Yeah. (laughs)

(sighs)

Sergeant, I tried to tell you this before.

My wife is a fine woman.

She's a tough woman, too.

Has to be to get along out here.

I've been wondering just what she'd think

about what we're doing here, and I...

I guess I got the answer.

Now, you listen to me, Beard.

BEARD: Wait a minute, Sergeant.

I want... I want you to hear this.

People that live out here-- they...

Well, they take their chances.

They got to learn to get out of their own trouble.

I don't think Mary Lou would want you

to turn yourself over to those Comanches, and...

well, I don't, either.

That's the way you feel, huh?

(sighs)

She's been good and kind to them Indians.

Maybe... maybe they'll let her be.

There ain't any "maybes.”

If I don't go out there,

you ain't got no wife, and you ain't got no child.

Now I'm gonna go out shooting, and I'm gonna keep shooting.

Maybe they'll shoot back.

That's what I'm counting on.

(Beard sighs)

What is it, Duclos?

What's the catch, huh?

Well, I got just so much brain, cowhand,

I can only see one way to go.

Oh, we better take another look.

You run out there, no matter how much talking,

you ain't gonna come back.

Oh, now, just maybe I've had my say

and then some.

Yeah, well... (laughs)

...that goes both ways.

I've been shooting my mouth off a little.

It's good for the liver.

Worst thing a man can do is think too much.

Tell me something, cowhand.

Did you ever see Forrest Cavalry in action

during the war?

No, never did.

Well, it was a sight to behold.

The old man did a little talking himself.

But he always knew what he was doing.

He got shot up some. We all did.

We did everything for that man

he asked us to, except win the war.

I had no right getting through Brice's Crossroad.

I was almost dead at Chattanooga.

I got no kick coming.

I'm long overdue.

Do you know, this time, I got an idea,

we're... we're gonna win the war.

Hey, Mr. Favor, you know, the boys and I--

we've been laying around a little bit.

Uh, we could use some exercise.

What kind of exercise?

Oh, that depends on the Comanches up there.

There it is!

DUCLOS: Cowhand?

You just give me the fastest horse you've got,

and then stand by.

You know, Snowshoe Parker--

he rode 300 miles through the whole Sioux nation.

Yeah, that's right. That was during a snowstorm, though,

and the Indians weren't all lined up, waiting for him,

like this, uh, right here.

What are you doing, Healy?

You're not going anywhere.

Oh, I wouldn't be knowing

about those lads, Sergeant, but, uh, we are.

He's right, Sergeant. We've decided we go with you.

Well, I'm the one that does the deciding in this outfit,

and you've got your orders.

Is that a fact now?

And I suppose you'll be putting us up

for a court martial after tomorrow morning's work.

Well, I'd like to be hanging around

just to see how you do it, Sergeant.

We make the odds more better, Sergeant.

"Ve make the odds more...”

You think it matters whether there's three of us

or one of us out there, you square head?

We're army, Sergeant. We'll not be sitting.

Well, you will.

For one thing, in your shape, you couldn't fight a squaw,

and for another, somebody's got

to get the word back to the fort.

Do you want me to send him?

He can't even say, "Indian,”

let alone count 'em.

That might be, but I can fight.

I go with you, right?

Wrong.

For two reasons.

One-- you're an infantry,

and you can't stay on a horse unless you're soldered,

and two-- somebody's got to stay behind

and see that this flaming Irish potato head

don't get any cute ideas

about following me out there.

FAVOR: Sergeant?

You admitted

that your patrol started the fight with the Indians.

Looks to me now like

Broken Bow wants to stay out of the army's way.

- He's running for it. - So?

If you take your information back to the fort now,

you'll just be building a coffin for him.

That's right. Broken Bow hasn't got a chance

against two regiments of army.

He'll fight anyway.

And you know what'll happen to Comanche women and children

in a standup fight.

Yes, I do know.

No doubt about it-- the Indian is done.

We'll fight him 15, 20 more years,

but he's a walking dead man right now.

If the army doesn't finish him off,

the politicians will.

I don't make any claim that the army way is the right way,

but I think it's more merciful.

You see a dying animal, you kill it, you do it a favor.

The army way not be the moral way,

but I don't get paid for making judgments.

Broken Bow and people like him are gonna keep fighting,

because it's the only way they know how.

But he's dead right now,

and I think we ought to get on with the burying.

See that you give this

to the supply sergeant at Fort Collins.

It's government property.

Mr. Favor, do you think they'll let her go after...

I... I just don't know.

Sergeant, you're not gonna be making a coward out of me.

Let me go with you.

You've got your orders, Healy.

Private, see that the corporal carries on.

I will see to it, Sergeant.

Duclos, we owe you an apology.

Yeah, that's right, you do. Stand aside.

Just one thing, Sergeant.

You were a Confederate.

I just can't understand, well,

the way you feel about the Union army.

I'm not in the Union army, boy.

I'm in the army of the United States.

The American army, your army, my army.

You know, it ain't a bad horse trade at that.

One family of sodbusters, two stragglers, 25 cow pushers

and 3,000 head of prime cattle

for one broken-down, overage horse soldier

who should have cashed in his chips at Chattanooga anyhow.

Major Duclos,

good hunting, huh?

Well, thank you, cowhand.

Mr. Favor, you got a lot of army in the right places.

Too bad we couldn't have gotten in a real fight together.

Well, maybe next time around.

Yeah.

Mr. Favor, if anything happens to me,

you see Corporal Healy get to Fort Collins, yeah?

I'll do my best.

Now would you be looking at him.

Making like he's the only cavalryman in the whole world.

Well, I ain't gonna let him do it.

(yells)

Leave 'em be.

(hoof beats approaching)

I gave you a direct order, Kandinsky.

Uh, Corporal Healy-- he have an accident.

They bring him to Fort Collins.

Why you square head, what do you use for brains, anyhow?

Five years I been in army.

Nobody ever let me ride a horse.

Always, I want to ride horse. (laughs)

Well, how long you figure you can stay on?

Long enough this time, no?

And something else, Sergeant.

Always, I want to kill Cossacks.

Now we got plenty Cossacks to kill, yeah?

Well, I don't see no Cossacks,

unless you mean that Yankee cavalry up there.

Yankee Cossacks, Sergeant.

You sure you're ready, Soldier?

Ready, Sergeant.

Kind of wish we had a bugle.

At a walk, forward, hold.

At a trot, forward, hold.

♪ At a gallop ♪

♪ Forward ♪

♪ Hold. ♪

(shouting)

(men yelling and shouting)

(gunfire)

(yelling continues)

(gunfire)

(yelling continues)

(hoof beats retreating)

(distant yelling)

Yahoo!

Hyah.

Mr. Beard, go get your wife and boy.

Head 'em up!

Move 'em out!

♪ Rollin', rollin', rollin' ♪

♪ Keep movin', movin', movin' ♪

♪ Though they're disapprovin' ♪

♪ Keep them dogies movin' ♪

♪ Rawhide! ♪

♪ Rawhide...! ♪

Hyah!

(whip cracks twice)