Buffalo Bill Page #4

in their country...

- ... by taking War Bonnet Gorge.

- That's miles off our path.

Whoever holds the gorge

holds the whip hand.

But it's out of our terrain.

We won't have terrain

if they join the Sioux.

Orders are orders, Cody.

Yours are to guide us to the North Platte

by the quickest way.

All right, sir, by the quickest way.

Hey, Chips.

- We're changing direction.

- I thought the North Platte was that way.

This is a shortcut. The man wants to go

by the quickest way.

Smith, fall out and tell A Troop

to change direction.

Wake up. You fall asleep again

and I'll trample you.

Holy smoke, Bill Cody.

Them Cheyenne. Where are we?

War Bonnet Gorge. We've got to hold it

till the column gets here.

Clancy, here's that dollar I owe you.

Come on, boys.

Where's old Blazier anyway?

I never thought I'd see the day when I'd

be praying for the sight of his ugly mug.

Save your breath. Keep firing.

Old man won't save any breath

when he finds out what you got us into.

Sounds like the point's

engaged, general.

Sound the gallop!

Cody, is this War Bonnet Gorge?

That's what they call it.

I lost my way.

Nothing of the sort.

Deliberate disobedience of orders.

I'll have you shot... Hung for this.

Shooting's too good for you.

There they are, forming to charge.

If 16 men can't hold them till the troops

get here, we're scuppered, thanks to you.

What's that madman doing?

Making medicine?

Wait! That's Yellow Hand.

Don't shoot.

What are you gonna do?

Save you five minutes, maybe,

so the troops can get here.

Though I am dead,

the grass will grow...

...the sun will shine,

the stream will flow.

Though I am dead, the grass will grow,

the sun will shine, the stream will flow.

Yellow Hand!

- Pahaska!

- Turn back, Yellow Hand!

Take your people back

to their country!

- The Cheyenne have no part in this war!

- The Cheyenne have part in this war.

White men have fallen

before the Sioux...

...now they'll fall

before the Cheyenne.

There is no need for war.

Let us speak fair words in council.

There are no fair words

in the mouth of a white man.

This time it is the lances

of the Cheyenne that will speak.

Why do you turn away, Yellow Hand?

You said a brave of the Cheyenne

would hang my scalp on his lodge pole!

I don't see him, Yellow Hand.

Where is he?

In the lodges of your women?

Ah, Pahaska! Here he is!

A friend of yours, Bill?

They were all friends of mine.

Left. Right.

Left. Right. Hup.

Right foot! Halt!

Hiya, Chips, anything for me?

If there is, you'll get it

in the order of your rank.

I'm thinking it won't be soon, what with

six months of mail to be sorted.

- Supposing I find it myself?

- If you find it, you can keep it.

But you'll get no delivery from me,

except in the proper military manner.

And you know what that means.

Yeah.

- Here's one.

- Yeah, is it from your wife?

No.

It's from the president

of the United States.

He wants me to come East.

I told you you'd get in trouble

for leading them troops the wrong way.

Is it to get a court-martial?

No. It's to get a medal.

- A medal, you say?

- Yeah.

For the battle at War Bonnet Gorge.

Hey, I was in that too.

Maybe there will be one for me.

Here it is.

Same envelope.

"Private Chips McGraw, 5th U.S. Cavalry,

Department of Missouri. "

What's the matter

with the president...

...addressing me as "Private"?

Of course, the man's only been

on the job a short time.

"In conformance with

Army regulations, 2481/2...

...Private McGraw, having completed

20 years enlistment...

...is hereby retired from active service

in the U.S. Army.

By order of the Secretary,

Philip Sheridan...

...Second Lieutenant and Adjutant. "

President's loco, calling me a private

and Sheridan a shavetail.

- How'd the man get his job?

- What's the date on that letter?

- April 3rd, 1846.

- Well, that's 30 years ago.

Here's some more.

"First endorsement. The above order

having been temporarily misfiled...

...and in view of possible

inconvenience incurred...

...by the delay in its transmission,

Private McGraw...

...is authorized to proceed for permanent

residence to the Old Soldiers' Home...

...in Skittleboro, New York.

Signed, Philip Sheridan,

Lieutenant General Commander, U.S.A. "

For me, that's been praying

for a letter for 50 years.

This is what I get.

Tough luck, Chips, but we'll go

East together, anyhow.

In the prime of my life.

Me, that's just whipped the Cheyenne

and could do it again with one hand...

...going to the Old Soldiers' Home.

I got more lead

in my carcass than that shavetail...

...Phil Sheridan has got gold braid.

Retreat, is it?

Retreat to the Old Soldiers' Home.

Chips!

Proud man you ought to be,

going to see the president.

Yeah. I wanna see my boy too.

Yeah, who's to blame you for that.

One of these days he might be president,

or even an officer.

He was only three days old when I left.

I wonder if he'll remember me.

- Were his eyes open yet?

- Yeah.

- They were blue.

- Then he'll know you all right.

I hope Ned Buntline

meets me in Washington.

Kind of lonesome

in a strange country.

Nobody in the East

ever heard my name.

Hey, Bill. Let's go

get me some tobacco.

All right, Chips.

Hey, Bill. Bill, come here.

They're about you, Bill.

Ned's put you in the books.

- Me?

- That's your picture there.

- Right out in front.

- Anything I can do for you gentlemen?

Holy Mackerel, it is!

Hey, Joe, Mary, Lizzie!

Buffalo Bill's out here!

- There's Buffalo Bill!

- Come on, Chips.

Hey, folks, hey, folks, there's Buffalo Bill.

Come back! Buffalo Bill!

Hey, wait a minute.

I thought nobody in the East

ever heard your name.

Like a spearhead,

the word raced ahead of the train:

Buffalo Bill is coming!

Men, young and old,

in the cities and on the farms...

...looked up from their humdrum jobs

and saw the face of adventure...

...in the young hunter

and scout from the far West.

They knew and loved his story...

...and as he passed by, for one

brief moment they seemed to share...

...in all of his daring exploits.

Adventures they themselves

could never have.

I hated to say goodbye

to poor old Chips.

I'll have him back with me,

if I'm ever fixed to do it.

Come in.

I... I've got the horse

stabled all right, sir.

He's well taken care of.

The White House carriage is out in front.

Good, my wing-footed Hermes.

Here's a dollar.

If it's the same to you, I'd... I'd rather

shake hands with Mr. Buffalo Bill.

That's the first time any handshake

of mine was ever worth a dollar.

- Thank you, sonny.

- Thank you, sir.

Let's get this foofaraw over with.

I wanna see my son.

You will, after the president decorates

you with a Congressional Medal.

Let the new Prince of the Plains

cut his teeth on it.

- What's all that stuff?

- Requests for interviews. Invitations.

The whole East clamors to see

the hero of War Bonnet Gorge.

Our old friend, Vandervere, is arranging

a banquet for you in New York.

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