40 Guns to Apache Pass Page #2

- No sir, that's the morning patrol.

Captain was due back yesterday,

wasn't he, sir?

I'll send a detail if they

don't return by nightfall.

The old man is lost if

Coburn is not around.

It'd suit me if that stiff-necked

Captain never came back.

Bugler! Sound assembly.

Take care of your wounded.

The rest of you, hold your posts.

They might come back.

- Good work, Sergeant.

- Thank you, sir.

Captain and me have ridden

together for a long time.

Can't lose him this close to home.

These Apaches are getting bolder.

I thought they'd follow you

into camp.

Maybe next time they will.

I'm getting sick and tired of

having to turn and run

every time an Apache

sticks his head up.

When are we getting those

new rifles, Colonel?

I've put in requests at least

a dozen times.

Army keeps sending back excuses

instead of rifles.

They give us an impossible job

and no tools to do it with.

How long do you think we could hold

this place against an all-out attack?

Not long with our old worn-out guns.

You think Cochise would risk all

his forces on a frontal assault?

He's smart, Colonel.

When our patrols can't stand

and fight it shows weakness.

He won't be long in

taking advantage of it.

At least you got the settlers here

where our power is concentrated.

Show them where to set up camp,

will you?

Yes, sir.

Bodine.

Why didn't you pick him up?

I don't know what you're

talking about.

Stand up when I'm talking to you!

You heard me call.

With all that shooting?

I didn't hear nothing.

That beating the Captain gave you

didn't teach you much, did it?

Oh, I haven't forgotten anything

about that, Sergeant.

- He did a pretty good job on ya.

- Yeah.

You...

Anybody else want to

take a look, huh?

Anybody else want to take a look?

Look! Come on, look!

Anybody else down here?

Come on, look at it!

Don't think that this gives

Captain Coburn the whip hand.

Oh I'm going to be a good soldier

from now on.

Every time the Captain rides out of

this camp I'll be right behind him.

He catches a bullet I want to

make sure he's dead.

Malone's old rifle had

finally failed him.

Ironically, an Apache bullet

had caught him

just as safety seemed assured.

He's dead!

I thought we'd made it but...

He was laying dead on that

seat when we got in.

If we joined the Army...

...could we get some rifles, Captain?

I'd see that you get guns some way.

Good 'cause we're ready to fight!

Stand at... ease.

Colonel Reed had fired off an angry

demand to his home base.

After two weeks of anxious waiting,

a reply finally came.

All right, what is it?

A shipment of new lever-action

rifles came in from back east.

- They're sending you 40 of them.

- When do we get them?

You'll have to meet them beyond

the Chiricahua mountains.

They hired some scouts to

bring them that far.

Figured you fellas were the best

to sneak them past Cochise.

They sure give us

the tough end of it.

It's up to you, Bruce.

- We'll get them through.

- Going to have your hands full.

Those mountains are crawling

with Apaches.

Three different bunches of

them gave me a run.

I had to come around here through

the Apache pass to get by them.

May as well back the same way.

Keep your eyes open.

The guns will be here at

Hatchet Rock tomorrow, noon.

Hatchet Rock.

Might as well keep it, Captain.

Might come in handy.

Thank you.

You've done a good job,

the rest is up to us now.

- Better get some rest.

- Thank you, sir.

Well, Bruce the Army finally

came through, 40 repeating rifles.

That will improve our

chances against Cochise.

Improve them? Trade our old

singleshots for those lever actions,

we can hold off all the Apache

in this territory.

We're going to have to

bring them in first.

I'll get some men together now, sir.

Take as many men as you need,

I don't want to be left shorthanded

but take enough troopers

to get the job done.

We'll sneak out of here after dark,

Apache won't even know we're gone.

- Oh, Captain.

- Yes, sir?

That last mission you were on...

...there is a rumour that you

beat up one of the men.

Colonel, you know how rumours get

started on a small post like this.

This is a serious matter, Captain.

I'll overlook it this time,

but from now on try...

Baby them a little more?

Captain, there are two ways

to get men through a door,

you can kick them through or

you can lead them through.

That's right, sir, but they wind up

the same place anyway.

Take a look out there, Colonel.

It's not exactly the cream

of the crop,

yet we're expected to make

soldiers out of all of them.

I know it's a ragtag bunch they

sent us to fight Indians,

but this mission is vital, Bruce.

We can't afford any trouble

in the ranks.

I don't expect any trouble, sir.

Sir...

With the Captain's permission,

I'd like to go along on this one.

You sure got a sixth sense for

something big, haven't you, Sergeant?

Well sir, I been around long enough

to get these stripes here,

I'm bound to know if

something's going on.

I see.

It's the rifles, isn't it, sir?

Yes, it is. Let's just keep it

between the two of us.

The less the men know, the less

the Apache can get out of them

in case they get captured.

Attention.

I need ten men for a mission,

a very important one...

...and it's very dangerous.

I'm asking for volunteers.

Come on, Doug!

What's the matter with you, Fuller?

What about you, Higgins?

Thank you, men. We'll leave tonight.

Check your equipment,

take care of your horses.

Dismissed.

- Captain?

- What is it, Sergeant?

You said this was an

important mission but...

It is.

You sure haven't got the

best men riding with us.

Those two green Malone boys,

it's their first time out.

Bodine, he's always trouble.

He'll do, Sergeant.

- Have them ready after chow.

- Yes, sir.

They're proud to be riding

with you, Bruce.

Glad to have them.

They'll make good soldiers.

Watch out for both of them,

especially Doug.

Mike can take care of himself

but Doug...

...he'll need help at first.

I'll keep an eye on him.

I guess it's because I'm older that

they seem like such boys to me.

They'll be men when we come back.

They're waiting for us, Doug

we've got to go.

Goodbye, Mama.

Boy, take care of Doug, huh?

- Goodbye, sis.

- Bye.

- Goodbye, sis.

- Take care.

Everybody is counting on you, Bruce.

You've got to get those

rifles through.

We'll do our best, sir.

Under the cover of darkness,

Captain Coburn moved out with

his little band of volunteers.

Everything depended on his success

in reaching the rendezvous with

the supply wagon and the 40 rifles.

Coburn led his men deep into

the Chiricahua mountains.

When they reached Apache Pass

the Captain sensed that hostile eyes

were watching from the high rocks.

Have a look now, sir.

Apache can hide in a badger hole.

Hold up a couple of minutes,

I want to take a look.

Yes, sir.

Apaches wouldn't take on this many

soldiers would they, Mike?

You're not scared, are you?

A little, aren't you?

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