Cheyenne Autumn Page #3

Their honest purpose

is to grab every acre of land...

...the Indians once thought

they owned.

You can't say that's Army policy.

Well, I can say it amounts

to the same thing.

The smaller the reservations,

the easier they are to guard.

You let the Army have its way...

...and they'll end up the size

of postage stamps.

Exactly what the land-grabbers want.

We'll be late

for that committee meeting.

- Excuse us, Mr. Secretary.

- Oh, Henry.

You and I fought together

at Gettysburg...

...yet you'd never even seen

a Negro slave.

All you ever knew...

...is that they were human beings

with the rights of human beings.

And it was worth an arm to you.

Carl, I'll stall this legislation, but

unless those Cheyenne are found soon...

...or if you make one false move,

God help you.

God help me.

Leave us.

When Little Wolf speaks veho words

they are for my ears alone.

This I say:

We have always thought as one.

Never has the thickness

of a straw come between us.

We still think as one.

As war chief...

...I may raise my hand only

against the enemy.

We still think as one.

That is why

I must sleep with no wife...

...saving all my strength for a fight

against the soldiers.

But your son...

...tries to steal my youngest wife.

This cannot be.

He is of my blood.

And my blood has never been bad.

He is of your blood...

...but he is not you.

Troop, halt!

Troop, halt!

Sergeant.

Mr. Scott.

Unlimber the guns!

If we attack,

I think we're in for a beating.

- Here's what I want...

- Their backs are to the wall!

And a lot of flat land to cross

before we get there.

I'd rather force them to attack us.

- Well, they ain't done nothing

foolish yet. - I know.

- Take D Troop, get on their flanks.

- Sir.

Mr. Scott, dismount half of E Troop

to protect the guns and wagons.

Then you move out with the rest

to cover the right flank.

Yes, sir.

And remember, Mr. Scott...

...the trick to being brave

is not to be too brave.

- Any questions?

- No questions, sir.

Right.

Plumtree, Murphy, take the point!

Take the point. Yo!

A little faster on there, come on.

Hurry up there.

You all right?

Well, yes, sir.

On left, to the line.

Forward at the walk. Yo!

Walk trot!

- What in the hell is that kid doing?

- As you were.

What the hell is he doing?

Canter!

Company, charge!

Mr. Scott!

Scott!

Damn you!

Front left, into line!

Yo!

Prepare to dismount.

- Get the guns out!

- They're at the wagons.

- Get the guns. Move!

- Yes, sir.

- Come on, move it.

- Come on.

- Get them out of there.

- Let's go.

Come on. Come on.

Get out of there.

Mr. Scott!

- I told you to cover that flank.

- I'm sorry, sir.

From now on, you don't scratch

till I itch, is that clear?

Yes, sir.

Plumtree, Thompson.

Here, let me help.

Sir...

Despite the Indian scare,

an occasional cattle herd...

...still came up the Chisholm Trail

from Texas...

...to the railhead

in Dodge City, Kansas.

Sometimes the hungry Cheyenne...

...were able to pick up

a few stray cows.

And sometimes they even begged

for charity from the tough trailhands.

Yo, there.

Jessie, Homer, Shug.

Come here. Come here.

Hey, come on. Come here.

Slow down.

Lookit there.

Real blanket-head Injuns.

I sure would like to have me

that little paint.

And I sure would like

to kill me an Injun.

Can't you gut-eaters

talk any Texican?

Yes, sir. I'd sure love

to kill me an Injun.

I dare you, Homer.

- You dare me?

- I dare you.

I always wanted

to kill me an Injun.

All them old-timers back home...

...a- hoorahing about

how many scalps they've took.

Jessie, that's one of them there,

one of them there Cheyenne.

We better skedaddle

and get that herd out of here.

- Let's go.

- Not till I get my scalp, we won't.

G-O-O-D. Good.

G-O-O. Good.

G-O-O-D. Good.

Good.

Where are you taking my colt?

Let go of my colt!

My colt, my colt!

Always, they had to move through

unwanted and desolate country...

...where the chances of detection

and capture were fewer.

And there the land was poor

and wild game rare.

Always, hunger baited their heels

more fiercely than the soldiers.

What is it?

I don't understand.

A, B, C, D.

Buffalo.

Buffalo.

Do you remember

what a buffalo looks like?

Soon, she will see one again.

Many, many.

Always, they come from the north.

Before the cold.

Always over same ground.

Then our bellies will be full again.

Bellies will be full

and no longer will we be alone.

Our friends, the Dakota?

Sioux?

Will be coming south with the buffalo.

Always, it is so.

It's got to be soon.

Very, very soon.

And then in one tragic instant...

...after 500 miles

and many weeks of desperate flight...

...hope was gone.

The white hunters

had been there first.

Slaughtering the buffalo

not for food...

...but for hides.

The hungry Cheyenne

now stood alone.

Extra! Extra! Latest on the red devils.

Cheyennes attack settlers

and massacre them!

Extra! Read all about it. Extra!

- Dog!

- Guinevere!

- Dog Kelly.

- Guinevere Plantagenet.

- Good to see you.

- Welcome to Dodge City.

- Ladies.

- Girls.

Come on, come on in.

Cards, gentlemen, if you please.

Ace.

King. And a jack. Ace bets.

- Check.

- Wait a minute.

How come you check

with an ace showing?

Oh, was that an ace?

I'm blind as a bat.

Now, marshal, you can see right through

to my ace in the hole.

- What's your ace worth, major?

- Check.

Five dollars for a start.

Call?

Call.

Card.

- Ace, deuce.

- Mingle, girls.

- Champagne here.

- Oh, no, no. Just a slug of rye.

Ace. Jack...

Say...

- Isn't that Wyatt Earp?

- Sure, over in the corner playing poker.

Excuse me, mayor.

- Miss Plantagenet.

- Major.

Now, there's a real royal name,

gentlemen...

...and a noble lady.

- You bet 25 bucks?

- Dr. Holliday?

- Wyatt?

- Hi.

Last year, back in Wichita...

Don't do that. Don't do that.

Get your hands off the cards.

You thought this was

the prettiest dress you ever saw.

Why, you couldn't take

your eyes off it.

Yeah. That was when I was 10 high.

Now, I'm ace high.

- Doc, what do you do?

- I drop.

Would you like to join us, madam?

Madam?!

Are you gonna sit there

and let this tin horn insult me?

- What kind of a marshal are you?

- Just you...

Doc Holliday, now come on,

now apologize to the lady.

- I'll call.

- Forgive me, mademoiselle.

What the hell kind of talk is this?

Well, as I understand it,

a mademoiselle is a madam...

...who ain't quite made it yet,

only younger and friskier.

I'd call it a compliment.

- You're out, huh?

- Oh, you would, would you?

Our brave marshal!

Why, he won't even protect

a lady from an insult.

Wyatt Earp.

You sure got a great way

with women, Wyatt.

Yeah, the only trouble is, she thinks

she knew me back in Wichita...

...and I just plain can't remember.

That makes for

a very embarrassing situation.

All right, the deuces bet,

bet the whole lot.

Hey!

How many men

will this leave at the fort?

Oh, about a corporal's squad.

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