Custer of the West Page #2

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says you can't drink.

But if I find you drunk

on duty...

...once...

...that long line

of officers'...

...is gonna end right here...

...with you Major.

You like it as much as I do,

Benteen?

Troops ready, sir.

- Good mornin', Major.

- Good mornin', sir

My orders were for a full troop

with mounts.

Yes sir. The rest of the men

fell out for sick call, sir.

Get down, will you Major?

Yes, sir.

Good morning, Doctor.

Got an epidemic here,

have ya?

Malingerers,

every one of them, sir.

Do you mind if I have a word

with your patients...

...if they're not too sick?

- They're as healthy as mules.

Thank you, Surgeon.

- I want the cook.

- Yes, sir.

Now then, soldier.

What's your ailment?

Breathing, sir, it comes hard,

my lungs, sir.

You don't look too sick to me,

Corporal.

In here, sir.

Inside and rotting away.

I hear you've been

in the Army a long time...

Sergeant Buckley,

15 years, sir.

This illness, come over you

sudden like?

- Yes, sir.

- Must be catching, eh?

- Yes, sir.

- Yes, sir.

All right, Cook, any of the men

skip breakfast?

- None did.

- Did they have a good meal?

Yes, they did.

Little onions.

- Little onions.

- Pasty.

- Pasty.

- Bistec.

- Bistec.

- Fried potatoes.

- Fried potatoes!

- Biscuits.

- Biscuits!

- Pie and coffee.

Pie and coffee!

All right. Thank you, Colonel.

Doctor...

...this epidemic, you think it

has something to do...

...with my orders to pull out

against the Cheyene?

General,

this epidemic is gonna last...

...as long as your orders stand.

These men need the right

treatment, of course.

What would you prescribe,

a little mild exercise?

Might be just the thing.

I will try it.

With your permission.

Major, I want all men

out here...

...in 10 minutes,

gear and full packs.

- Yes, sir.

- That goes for officers too.

Yes, sir.

You heard what the man said.

"On the parade ground,

in full field gear...

...in 10 minutes".

Come on!

Move!

Double quick.

Double quick!

Major!

Keep the pace, Sergeant.

Hup, two, three.

Hup, two, three, four.

March! March!

Hup, two, three, four.

Hup, two, three, four.

March!

Major!

All Halt!

Troop, attention!

Right shoulder, arms!

Present arms!

Hold up!

All right, soldier.

Dis-missed!

Lieutenant, Cheyenne!

What the hell are they doing

off the reservation, sir?

I don't know, but we're going

to take them right back.

Pull back!

Pull back!

There are too many of them.

- Sergeant Gaskin.

- Yes, sir?

We'll split the columns,

take the wagons up the trail.

Yes, sir.

We'll go the hard way.

We're headed straight

into the desert, sir.

Hard going, dragging guns and

wagons through that sand.

Harder on the men,

worse on the horses.

We've got to find us some.

They killed two of our men.

Right.

We'll lose a lot more than two

men if we go chasing them.

Now listen, there are

35 Indians out there.

If we lose, every Cheyenne

of the reservation...

...will figures he can get away

with it, too.

Six months from now,

we'll be chasing...

...4,000 of them.

That's gonna be much worse

on the men...

...and a lot harder

on the horses, so...

...give the order, Lieutenant.

- Yes, sir.

Let's move 'em out!

Come on, let's get going.

Come on!

We can't move it any further.

Take it apart!

Put it on runners.

Yes, sir!

Break out the tools.

- Water.

- No, no, no!

Give us some water,

water.

- I can't...

- General's orders.

What are you doing?

Get away!

Get away!

Sir, the sun's got him.

Get up, soldier.

The sun will be down

in an hour.

We'll all have a drink.

Come on, boy.

Out of range.

- Sergeant Gaskins?

- Sir.

Sound out all the ranks,

bring up the cannon.

Yes, sir!

Fire!

Fire!

All right, Sergeant,

move them out.

Yes, sir.

Move out!

- Buckley!

- Sir?

Get a rifle.

Shoot over their heads.

All right.

Knock one down.

Give them another warning.

Knock one down.

- Let me get him, sir.

- All right.

Wait a minute!

Wait a minute!

They think the chief

turns into a bird.

Shoot the bird down,

Sergeant.

Shoot it down!

- Take care of the prisoners.

- Yes, sir. Come on.

How 'bout that Indian up there,

sir?

Just shot him down,

Sergeant.

Don't you believe a man

can turn into a bird?

Look at them, sir,

they can't fight.

We took the whole Cheyenne

nation...

...with 265 men.

Pizarro conquered Peru

with 167.

I've come a long way to tell you

men personally...

...that I'm damn well fed up

with these Cheyenne raids.

The whole Army's fed up,

Washington's fed up!

Give me a break, scalping,

burning, butchering...

It's our job t put a stop

to all it!

Put a stop to it now.

If there's any doubt

about the policy...

...of my command, I'll give it

to you in one sentence:

The only good Indian

is a dead Indian.

You know?

Very good, General,

very well put, sir.

You don't look too happy,

Captain, don't you approve?

I'm afraid I don't, sir.

Steal their land

and break our treaties...

...we have no excuse

to murder them, too.

Another bleeding heart.

The country's full

of bleeding hearts.

Now we even have them

in the army!

Coffee, gentlemen?

Just for two.

That's all for now.

I don't suppose you have

any whiskey?

No, I'm afraid not.

I know you don't drink it...

...but you might keep it

around for those that do.

I'll save some for you

from the store.

Thank you.

Will there be anything else?

Yes, you might tell me that

you're pleased to see me.

Your husband's wouldn't be

a hero if it weren't for me.

Artie and I are grateful,

General...

...you know that well.

I'll skip the whiskey,

it's bad for the liver anyway.

- How's your liver, George?

- Fine, General.

Stay healthy,

your country needs you.

You're a lucky girl.

Yes, I know I am, General.

Thank you.

You two must have a lot

to talk about.

Excuse me.

Now, sit down,

listen to me.

There's an election coming up.

The administration needs a

victory. I promised them one.

Wrong time for a victory.

Got to cross too many rivers,

you know that.

I just told you it's

the right time, George.

Election time.

It so happens the Cheyenne

have approved to the treatry.

Left the reservation.

Last month we had orders

to give the Cheyenne...

...rifles so they could

go hunting, now you're...

...telling me to kill them,

because they've gone hunting.

I read in all

the Eastern newspapers...

...that your General Custer

is a great Indian fighter.

I'm told you have the best

cavalry regiment...

...in the United States Army.

And I'm telling you...

...go out and fight them.

You tell me how to surround

10 injuns with one soldier.

No one knows your war record

better than I.

I'm betting on Custer's luck.

General, there's

4,000 Cheyenne...

...in the villages and the

washes, I've got 400 soldiers.

George, how am I to know that?

I can't crawl back.

I think you owe me this one.

Take a dispatch

to General Sheridan.

"Despite overwhelming odds...

...a great victory was won

here today.

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