Apache Page #4

---

And why did we find it now?

I say it speaks words we were meant to

hear again:
the words of the Cherokees.

We cannot live on three stalks of corn.

Maybe the hunting will be bettler now.

Maybe they've forgottlen you.

Sieber will never forget me.

Besides, we cannot stay

too long in one place.

Is any place safer than here,

where the corn talks to us?

I hear no words from the corn,

but many from you.

They come too fast for me.

I must hunt with the bow again.

I may not be back tonight.

- You will come back?

- You know l would not leave my rifle.

What's the mattler?

I thought the corn might tell me

where to find a deer.

What is this?

I'm going to plant some corn.

In that littlle scratch in the ground?

The Cherokee corn

grew without even a scratch.

The Cherokee corn

could do anything, even talk.

See? lt is not so easy.

Only a woman would call it hard.

This is stupid. There's no corn to plant.

I stole it this morning.

The store in Gurney Springs.

That's clear down the mountain.

You were a fool!

Worse, you must have left tracks.

Look. For you.

Aren't they beautiful?

Aren't you planting it too deep?

How can it ever come up?

Have i not seen the white man's

cornfield? Don't tell me how to plant corn.

Have you ever seen anyone

put the seed in the ground?

A squaw should work,

not ask foolish questions!

Shoo!

- I'm all right.

- I've been a fool to let you work.

You rest. I'll finish the planting -

not so deep.

I can help. I want to.

What can i do? i can't beat you.

Howdy, Mr Sieber. See you're still at it.

I'll be needin' a side o bacon,

a sack o' beans,

some flour and saleratus.

- You takin' inventory or ain't ya?

- Yes, sir.

Didn't expect you back

this way so soon, Mr Sieber.

You must have heard

about our big lndian raid.

Can't say as i did.

We'll have some coffee, too.

Yes, sir. indian uprising right here. You

want some Gordon's coffee or Coulter's?

Coulter's will be all right. Throw in

a plug o tobacco while you're at it.

Yes, sir.

Them savages didn't get no scalps.

No, siree.

But they sure enough lifted a pair o pants.

Yes, sir, right from that shelf.

I reckon you know that folks are saying

you're a littlle teched in the head.

Are you one of those folks?

Uh...

I can make you a good price

on some spinach.

What would i want with spinach?

What else did these savages take?

Oh, it wasn't no lndian.

Why, he just took a sack full o seed corn.

Now, you show me a lazy buck

that's interested in seed corn.

Maybe i'll take that spinach after all.

- Son, you wanna make a dollar?

- Yes, sir.

I want you to take

this message to the fort.

See that Colonel Beck gets it personally.

Is it all right if i go, Mr Conroy?

Yeah, i reckon so.

Teched in the head, huh?

Maybe.

Massai?

I'm sorry, the fire is out.

I didn't feel well enough.

- Is it time for the littlle... ?

- Yes, i think so.

- Did you get a deer?

- No. No, i didn't see any.

I'm glad Massai's back.

Your hand is cold,

but you've been running.

- Is anything wrong?

- No.

It's just that i've... i've never been

so close to having a son before.

It is very close.

And it will be a son, i know.

They've found us, haven't they?

I can feel the blood.

They are not here yet, but soon.

They are bound to see the cornfield.

Someday has come.

Why did you come back, Massai?

- This is where i belong.

- Is it?

Is this where you want to die?

Only a warrior chooses his place to die.

l am no longer a warrior.

Once before you said that,

when from the Cherokees

you brought the corn of Tahlequah.

And then you tried again, here, for me.

But the blood l feel here,

it is still warrior's blood.

- It wants to fight.

- Don't speak of these things now.

- There is time for you to go.

- I will not leave you.

Why? They will not harm me

or the littlle Massai.

It is too late for me to get away.

Then die the warrior's death

you've always wanted.

Don't let Sieber cheat you out of it again.

You will sing of it to the littlle Massai?

Would you have me

sing to him of the plough?

Get around the cornfield.

I'm goin in an' flush him out.

Surround the cornfield!

Hold your fire!

He planted that corn and made it grow,

something no Apache ever did before.

I wish the bucks

on the reservation could see this.

Looks like he called the war off.

Then what are you lookin so glum about?

Gettlin' old, i guess.

This was the only war we had,

and we ain't likely to find another.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes