40 Guns to Apache Pass Page #4

Well, it did something for me.

It got me what I've been

waiting for.

The chance to turn traitor?

Well, I guess it's all in the way

you look at it.

See, the uniform I

started out in was grey.

When I was captured at Shiloh

they gave me a choice...

...to rot in a stinking

Yankee prison camp...

...or join you Blue Coats

fighting Indians.

You see, Captain, Sir,

I'm sort of a galvanised Yankee.

I don't have too much respect

for this blue outfit.

I don't imagine you had too much

loyalty for the grey one, either.

I want to tell you something,

Captain.

Changing uniforms has

taught me one lesson.

A man only owes one loyalty...

...to himself.

Come on, Bodine. We're ready to go.

All right head on out,

I'll be with you in a minute.

- Higgins, pick up that loose stuff.

- All right.

This is your idea, Captain.

You ordered the last man to

stay with the wagon...

...till it was blown to hell.

Well, you're the last man.

See you in hell, Captain, Sir.

Sergeant!

Sergeant, can you hear me?

Yes, sir...

I can hear you.

I can see, too.

Listen, I, my rope is tied to the

wagon but I don't think yours is.

Can you roll away from here?

I'm sorry, sir. I, I can't make it.

It's a long way to Apache Wells,

Sergeant, think you can make it?

I sure don't want to stay here, sir.

You're gonna have to rest.

Now, don't you go passing out on me.

I won't pass out on you, Captain.

Just keep talking to me.

I don't know why you don't go ahead

and leave me here anyway I'm...

I'm slowing you down.

I know how determined you are

to get those guns.

Now, you listen to me,

we'll make it back together

or we won't make it at all.

You got more guts than

any man I ever knew.

Must have been bred in you.

Not exactly.

Actually, I come from a long line

of losers, Sergeant.

Matter of fact my family motto was,

"If at first you don't succeed...

"...give up".

You sure switched that

around somewhere.

I tried to.

When I was nine years old,

I'll never forget that,

big, old kid knocked me down.

I just lay there and thought it'd

be safer, till he kicked me.

Well, something must've popped

inside of me because I got up

and fought back for the first time

in my life and I liked it.

Did you whip him?

No.

No, he beat the tar out of me.

But, I learnt something though.

We're all gonna die someday.

It's better to die fighting than

lying with your face in the dirt.

That sort of spirit sure made

a hell of a soldier out of you.

Yeah, I knew I wanted

the Army when I was 15.

Ran away from home to join up.

Clawed and scratched through the

ranks till I was a top cat like you.

Of course, with my background

if it hadn't been for the war,

I'd never have made Officer.

I won these bars fighting

in the field.

There's going to be a star

there someday, Captain.

There won't be anything there

if I don't get those rifles back.

Yes, sir.

Come on.

I'm sorry, Captain.

Looks like I'm gonna

have to carry you.

Now, look dead, will you?

You couldn't have found

a better decoy!

Here he comes.

Colonel Reed.

Get him to the hospital tent!

- Sergeant Walker, Captain?

- Yes, sir.

The guns and the rest of the men,

where are they?

We lost them, sir.

Step inside, Captain.

- I want to see Captain Coburn.

- You can't see him now.

But, I can't...

No, Captain I won't allow another

mission to leave here.

You said the Tonto Apache

were joining Cochise.

What does that mean?

They're preparing for

an all-out attack.

Exactly, and they might

hit any time.

That's why we've got to

have those rifles.

I need every man here

to have even an outside chance

of defending this place.

I can't send half my command off

on some wild goose chase now.

Then give me four men,

I'll get those rifles back.

You had 11 when you lost them.

That mean I can't go, Colonel?

That's exactly what I mean!

You failed once, Captain

and put us in deep trouble.

One more failure would mean

certain disaster.

Don't you understand?

We've got the fight of our lives

trying to hold this place.

You see those people out there?

They were all depending on you.

And they'll all be dead

this time tomorrow,

but by God we'll go down fighting.

And you're asking me to

send more troopers?!

What's the matter with you?

I am relieving you

of your command, Captain.

You'll fight when we're hit but you

have no further authority here.

If we survive, a court martial will

decide your future in the Army.

That will be all, Captain.

I said, that will be all!

Ellen!

Sorry, Ellen I wanted to

tell you myself.

That'd make it a little easier

for you.

Easier?

Both my brothers are gone and you're

going to make it easier for me.

How?

You said you'd watch out for them!

You promised to bring them back!

Why didn't you?

I tried. When the Apache hit,

I tried to put them in a safe place.

A safe place?

You stand there without a scratch

yet both my brothers are dead

and you left them in a safe place?!

Ellen, didn't the Sergeant tell you?

Doug's not dead, he's alive!

Oh I don't believe you!

They're both dead.

No, they're not.

Well then, where is he?

Where's Doug?

He deserted, but he is alive.

You're lying!

Doug would never desert,

he's too loyal.

Oh, I knew I shouldn't have

let him join the Army.

He wasn't the kind to

make a good soldier.

He was so timid and

didn't like fighting.

He couldn't even stand

the sight of blood.

But, he'd never desert

Mother and me.

It's true, Ellen, he went with them.

Well, then they forced him to go.

They forced him!

If he's alive I know he'd be back.

Just as well get that out of

your mind, he's not coming back.

Why?

Because he is a deserter and if

he comes back he'll be shot.

You could, couldn't you?

You could shoot a poor,

frightened boy!

Oh, it's funny how blind

I have been about you.

It's funny I didn't see it long ago

the way that you force your men,

expecting them to be

as strong as you are!

Well, you're cruel, Bruce,

cruel and brutal!

The way you beat up that man

coming up here!

You beat his face to a pulp because

he wanted a dipper of water?!

Oh, it's funny I didn't see then

how truly heartless you are.

No wonder Doug ran off, no wonder

they all went, you drove them to it!

They ran off to get away from you.

Now, just a minute!

Maybe I did make a mistake,

but you might as well hear

all of the story.

Doug didn't desert

to get away from me.

He could've saved Mike's life

and he didn't do it.

He didn't want to come back and

face you, that's why he deserted.

No. No!

Coburn knew that because of

his failure

the entire camp could be

overrun by the Apaches.

The Colonel had ordered him

confined to post

but a heavy weight of guilt made him

decide to disobey that order

and take the gamble of

going alone after the guns.

Soldier.

Yes, sir?

I need your sidearm.

- Do you mind saddling that horse?

- Yes, sir.

The Captain hoped to pick up the

track of the rifles by daybreak.

He studied the trail taken

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