Cheyenne Autumn Page #4

A corporal's squad?

Oh, don't worry, mayor,

we'll cut them Indians down to our size.

Why, you can't leave

this town unprotected like this.

Well, listen, I tell you

I'm gonna have your command...

We'll see you when we get back.

I tell you, I'm gonna write

to Washington.

And when they get my letter...

...you can't leave a town

like this unprotected.

Aren't horses in here a bit unusual?

What horses?

You betting or not?

Ten.

We're dry as a bone.

Bottle of bitters there.

You sound Texas.

We ain't heard any Texas

around here for quite a while.

Extra! Extra! Latest in the Cheyennes.

Commit murder and pillage.

Extra! Extra! Eyewitness report.

- Cheyennes commit murder...

- What's you fellas' hurry?

You rushing for a train?

The fort.

We got a-plenty to tell them soldiers.

Plenty and then some.

You hear that? You're too late.

All but a corporal's guard

has gone west to fight the Cheyenne.

What? Them damn fools.

Mister, we just fought off them

murdering devils, southeast of here.

But we showed them how the cow eats

the cabbage, didn't we, boys?

If you don't believe it,

take a look at that.

After they killed poor Pete we was like

the Lord and his avenging sword.

Injuns, huh?

Just southea... Well, Indians.

Wyatt.

Wyatt, you gotta listen to me.

Wyatt, you gotta listen to me!

Quiet down there. Shut up!

- What's he saying?

- Something about Indians.

You plan on putting up one of them

wooden Indians out front?

That'd look real nice.

Give this place some tone.

Wyatt, listen. The Army's pulled out

and we're all about to be massacred!

- That Wyatt...

- Wyatt Earp.

Yeah, I know.

- You know, that deck feels light.

- Don't look at me.

I sometimes decorate cards.

I never steal them.

Wyatt, have you read a paper in a week?

Well, just listen to this:

"Several herders murdered.

Farmhouses burned down.

Straggling bands of Indians

raiding everywhere.

Immigrant trains robbed."

Wyatt. Wyatt.

- Over there are four Texans who just...

- That is light.

There are just 51 cards in that deck.

Are you claiming you can judge

the weight of one single card?

- Count them.

- Wyatt.

- The fate of this city rests in our hands.

- Your hands.

- Strike me dead if there aren't 51.

- Let me see them.

Oh, it's not just the town,

it's business.

Now, you all know

that we depend upon them Texans...

...coming up here

with wages in their pockets.

They haven't been coming up

as much as they've been.

And if this kind of stuff keeps up,

they won't be coming at all.

Bless my soul.

Fifty-one.

Now, major, you were the last one

to shuffle that deck...

...and where's that card?

Every citizen of Dodge

stands ready to go out...

Gentlemen, I swear, I didn't palm it.

- Major, where is the card?

- Wyatt...

If we shoot him, we won't have

anyone left to play with.

- Gentlemen.

- It's a good point. A new deck.

Now, mayor, about all these things

you read in the newspaper.

Now, did you ever in your whole life

read anything true in that paper?

You calling me a liar?

Take a look at them apples.

Well, you fellas drove

a herd up here, where is it?

We got them grazing

about a mile outside of the town here.

Well, if you'd run

into a flock of Cheyenne...

...your herd would be bulging

in Cheyenne bellies by this time.

Then you are calling me a liar.

- Gentlemen, I open for 10.

- You gonna take that back or ain't you?

- I'll see that and I'll raise it.

- Answer me!

I don't give a damn

if you are the best gunslinger in Kansas.

Take that back now!

- Ace checks.

- I'll bet 20.

I don't doubt your word.

I just question your eyesight.

You question my eyesight too, mister?

Kings say 20.

I'll up you 20.

Something smells of fish. I draw.

Wyatt, come on.

That's an order. You too, Holliday.

Are you still calling me a liar

or ain't you?

I'd purely love to have your scalp too.

Now, Texas, you're just talking

yourself straight into the calaboose.

Not me...

Your deal, marshal.

Wyatt! Wyatt!

That fella's bleeding all over

the place, the bullet's still in his foot.

I seen you operate on a horse once

and you gonna give him a hand.

It's awful noisy in here.

What about you?

- I'm out.

- You're out. And you?

- I raise.

- You raise. All right, I'll see you...

...and raise you 20.

- Oh, why did you shot him?

All right. A fella just wants

a little friendly game of poker...

While you're thinking it over, major...

All right, come on.

Put him up on the bar.

Oh, no, Wyatt, not the bar!

He'll bleed all over it!

Take him outside.

Put him on his horse.

It's genuine mahogany, Wyatt!

Blood will stain it. Take him out, please!

- All right, put him up on the bar.

- No, not the bar. He'll bleed all over.

- Take him outside. Put him on his horse!

- Take me home!

- All right, shut up!

- This is genuine mahogany from St. Louis.

It's gonna stain.

Don't you cowpokes

ever wear any socks?

I do. Occas... Every once in a while.

- Jessie.

- Put them down there.

- Here.

- Thank you. Thank you Miss?

- Plantagenet.

- Wichita, huh?

Thank you. Would you hold

that bottle up, miss?

Hold it up high. Now you, I want you

to keep your eye right on that bottle.

Don't even blink.

It's kind of like hypnotize.

Keep your eye right on, Homer.

Keep your eye right on the bottle.

You're not gonna even feel it.

Give me the bottle again.

One side, please.

What if that ash fell by mistake?

Wyatt might shoot you, by mistake.

There it is. Miss, may I?

All right, take him away.

Hey, wait a minute.

There you are. Good as new.

Hey, Dog, you missed one.

Hey, hey, come on, come on.

Come on. Get out.

- Essex, sir.

- Archer.

- Coffee, sir?

- Coffee.

Here's the answer

to your message, sir.

- Help yourself.

- Thanks.

- Important?

- Usual thing.

No reinforcements available.

Well, didn't you tell them

your company's in no shape to fight?

Yes, sir, I told them

we're all scattered up and down the line.

I haven't even seen the captain

in two days.

There've been too many

of these false alarms.

We'll have to wait until we can swear

we saw them trying to cross the tracks.

- If they haven't crossed already.

- They can't have done that.

Nobody could,

not even a rabbit could get through.

You're not talking about Cheyenne.

Well, tomorrow come sunup I'm sending out

my own patrols, both sides of the river.

With 900 miles still to go

to reach their northern home...

...the Cheyenne suddenly faced

a hazard they had never heard of.

The long line of steel rails

were as the bars of a prison.

Well, what do you think you're doing?

Have a snort.

Where the hell did you get that?

- See that nice, shiny boot?

- Yeah.

Captain What's-His-Name

is an infantry officer.

A doughfoot.

Now, why do infantry officers

need nice, shiny boots?

I'll bite, why?

To hide whiskey bottles in.

Look, sergeant.

You sober up and be ready to move out

when I give you the word...

...or you're Mr. Wichowsky.

Sonny?

Sonny.

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