Cheyenne Autumn Page #5

It's plain to see you ain't the officer

you used to be.

- No.

- Or you'd know my enlistment expired...

...as of 10 days ago.

Thirty years.

Thirty years and 10 days.

Thank you. Thank you.

You're talking to Mr. Wichowsky.

So climb off that high horse...

...and drink me a little toast.

No, no.

You climb off your high horse

and you get ready to sign this.

You're re-enlisting as of right now.

- Oh, no, I ain't.

- Oh, yes, you are.

- You wanna know why?

- Why?

- I'm a Pole.

- Really?

You know what they have

in Poland besides Poles?

- What have they got?

- They've got Cossacks.

- You know what a Cossack is?

- What?

A Cossack is a man on a horse...

...with a fur cap on his head

and a saber in his hand.

Now he kills Poles

just because they're Poles.

Like we're trying to kill Indians

just because they're Indians.

I was proud

to be an American soldier.

But I ain't proud to be a Cossack.

Wichowsky,

you've fought Indians before.

I fought Indians

who wanted to fight me.

Not just some poor, starving

blanket-heads trying to go home!

All right, Mr. Wichowsky.

Did you say you had a drink for me?

Well, sure, Tom.

Thank you very much, Stanislaus.

See you around.

Hey, doughfoot,

seen any Indians around?

They must've skedaddled when they heard

you manure-spreaders was coming.

"Manure-spreader."

Hey, wait a minute.

Hey, Smitty, can you read?

Well, sure I can read.

And write.

"Deborah Wright.

Her book."

- Sir.

- Yes?

- Sir, we...

- Well, speak up, Murphy.

We found this in the river.

Means they've crossed.

What, sir?

- Trumpeter. Boots and saddles.

- Sir.

Good luck, sir.

Well, good morning, Mr. Wichowsky.

Sergeant Wichowsky, sir,

reporting for duty.

- Sign me in.

- Sign it yourself. I'm busy.

Troop forward at the canter. Yo!

And so the pursuit continued...

...across changing terrain

and changes of season...

...the pursuers sometimes almost

as hungry and exhausted as the pursued.

Halt! Who goes there?

Mr. Scott!

Well.

Lieutenant Scott

reporting for duty, sir.

Did the surgeon release you?

I slipped away, sir.

And how about

this government horse?

Well, he slipped away too, sir.

I see.

- You know something, Mr. Scott?

- What, sir?

You might make a soldier after all.

- Well, thank you, sir.

- You're welcome.

- Wichowsky.

- Sir.

- Boots and saddles.

- Boots and saddles?

- Boots and saddles.

- Boots and saddles.

What's the matter, sir?

Fort Robinson is near here.

- If we go there...

- You are saying...

...there is no hope of victory.

We will die

before we reach our homeland.

There was hope in your heart

when we started.

Where has it gone?

Maybe the hunger

clawing at our bellies...

...has clawed my hope away too.

Why was I given this?

Why?

To lead our people home.

If we go on, the children will die.

If we go to Fort Robinson...

...you will speak for us?

Yes, of course.

The straw has come between us.

Yes.

Now our people must choose...

...who they want to follow.

And so in the grim north

of Nebraska...

...with less than 700 miles to go...

...and over 800 miles

of pain and hunger behind them...

...the Cheyenne nation broke apart.

Off to your right, now.

Off to your right.

That way.

- Cheyenne, sir.

- Good. Good. Feed them.

Find shelter for them.

And give them good fire.

Make them comfortable.

Sir.

Yeah, yeah.

This will make me a major.

Would you be pulling the curtain?

That must have been a terrible,

terrible journey.

Well, it's exhaustion and malnutrition.

Oh, it's a horrible leg altogether.

But we'll feed her and keep her warm.

And I'm afraid, after a while,

I'm going to have to operate.

I wish...

I wish I were a better doctor.

Captain Archer, sir.

Captain Oskar Wessels.

Well.

There are your Cheyenne.

Yeah, yeah.

You are right, Captain Archer.

Fenimore Cooper

knew little about Indians...

...but his books

first made me interested in them.

Here.

Half the volumes you see here

are about Indian life...

...and culture,

though no one else will read them.

Captain Wessels neglects to mention

that most of them are written in German.

So, captain, you don't believe

that the Indian should be wiped off...

...the face of the earth

along with the buffalo?

Nein, no, of course not.

Miss Wright,

it has been much too long...

...since we could enjoy

a lady's presence.

Here... Does cigar smoke bother you?

Friend Captain, I'm so happy to be warm

and comfortable...

...that nothing could bother me.

Yes?

Excuse me.

Headquarters, sir. Urgent.

Stand by.

"Omaha.

Cheyennes

are to be kept under restraint...

...and then returned south

as soon as escort troop has arrived."

But they surrendered voluntarily.

Oh, this is simply a military routine.

They escaped from a reservation...

...and are to be returned there.

- Murder's not routine.

These people could never

survive that march in the dead of winter.

Excuse me.

Captain Archer, I feel as you do,

but this is an order.

An order.

- Mr. Peterson.

- Sir?

Warehouse is empty,

we can put them there.

Captain, the fort area

is restraint enough.

Where can they even try to go

in this weather?

This order came to me

and to me is the responsibility.

I can take no chances.

You claim to be a doctor.

You gonna let him put those women and

children in a warehouse at 10 below zero?

What are you gonna do about it?

What are you gonna do about it?

As ordered, sir.

Orders are orders.

Well, this time we ain't the Cossacks.

Well?

I'm commander of this post.

All messages

must be cleared through me.

I read your report, captain.

It doesn't begin to give a picture

of this situation.

Well, one must be tactful

with higher authority.

- Would you have me call them "fools"?

- No.

I'd have you tell them the truth.

They have given me an order.

An order.

I questioned it once,

it will not be questioned again.

Accept no more messages

from this officer.

He'll accept this one

because you can't refuse to allow it.

I have a month's leave.

I'm requesting two weeks of it.

Why? Why at this time?

I'm not required to tell you why.

- Lock the door.

- Lock the door?

- I said, lock the door!

- Sir...

Never mind!

You, Dull Knife.

You and your people will be prepared

to start south in the morning.

We will not go back.

You have no other choice.

If you try to force us...

...first I die.

We will not go back.

Who in here speaks English?

Besides this? This chief?

Yes?

You?

Yes.

You will tell your people...

...that I've tried to get the order

delayed until spring.

But the order stands.

However...

...I will provide additional wagons

for the sick and feeble.

And you will further tell them

that their chief...

...this chief is brave, but no longer wise.

They must obey just as I obey.

They will not go back.

Life there is not life.

They will die here.

Authority must and will be obeyed.

They will die here.

There will be no more food, no more water.

And...

And no more firewood...

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes