Custer of the West Page #4

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to show her...

...where the strawberries grew.

I was happy to oblige.

Her being a pretty thing...

...and not much older

than myself.

Berry picking we went.

It was a beautiful day,

the berries...

...were standing against

green lights of the hills...

...and afterwards she said:

"Mulligan, you giving them

all to me?"

And I looked in her basket

and it was true.

How strange.

And then I understood,

I was in love.

It was the first time.

Sergeant...

...if its company you want,

I'll send the Chaplain.

Come morning,

you'll be taking up...

...a few minutes of my time,

sir.

- We must go to the matter.

- Yes, sir, you're right.

Sergeant, your appeal

has been appealed and denied.

Now you have got to present me

with new facts.

Facts! That's right.

Facts!

That's what the men all admire

about you, General.

You always know

all the facts.

You talking off the point.

I'm talking for my life,

General.

You haven't said a single word

I could get...

...to court as new evidence.

And nothing that wouldn't

let me think...

...that you wouldn't desert

all over again.

Rules! Porters!

Court-martial!

I'm talking about the juice

in a man's veins.

I'm talking about all the

good times you never had.

Off the point, you say?

The drinking, girls.

Smoking cigars,

chasing rainbows...

That's the point.

You've got no feeling,

General.

There's just an empty place

inside.

A hole stuffed

with rubbish.

The flag, the regiment

the duty.

You listen to me, Mulligan.

You don't think twice...

...about the soldiers you had

behind you to do your job...

...or maybe they get killed

doing it.

All you ever wanted

was to strike it rich.

It wasn't to get rich, I didn't

desert for the gold. It was...

...for other reasons that's what

I've been trying to tell you.

What is it about?

I have to go now.

Go on, General.

Go home.

Your wife is waiting for you.

Sergeant, maybe you wanted

too much out of life.

Maybe life doesn't

have too much to offer.

Guard!

- Tomorrow, sir?

- Daybreak.

Attention!

Ready!

Aim!

Fire!

Mrs. Custer,

I want to introduce...

...to his lmperial highness,

the Grand Duke of Russia.

You know that Duke's

a really nice guy.

Too bad I never know what

the hell he's talking about.

Why didn't you learn French,

the language of diplomacy?

You trying to tell me,

I'm not diplomatic?

What's he doing here?

Well, you know we bought

Alaska from the Russians.

So we're going to fight

the Eskimos?

Now George, that's not fair.

The first thing he did,

when he came...

...to Washington was say...

..."I want to meet Custer,

the Indian fighter".

That's a fact.

You're a big man among

the Russians.

You have a lot of important

friends...

...in Washington.

- Who?

All right, me.

What is the Duke doing here?

Well, the Duke and

a lot of important people...

...are looking into investing

into America's future.

Like what?

Trade, gold mine,

shipping.

Railroads?

It's a big country. You can't go

to one side...

...to the other without

going through the middle.

Yeah, the middle

is Indian territory.

They've already had to put with

miners, trapper, soldiers.

They're going to put up with

bombers making a big territory.

It's a big territory but

not enough for everybody.

All right, then something's

gotta give, doesn't it?

You know, it's going to cost us

a helluva lot of soldiers.

I'm just the messenger boy.

I got the message,

now you got it.

They tell me you're not supposed

to keep royalty waiting.

Sit down, General.

You said I got friends

in Washington.

I got friends in New York,

Boston...

...Philadelphia because

anything I write...

...the newspapers will print.

Are you going to write about me?

They don't care.

You're going to tell them

you don't have enough army.

They don't care.

Is there anything

you care about, Phil?

I won't try to stop you.

If it'll help you...

...sleep any better, go ahead

and attack the railroad...

...blast the administration...

...damn the Secretary of War.

You think that's going to stop

the train from coming through?

It's seems every time we get

together, we get into a fight.

Phil...

...how soon does the railroad

come through?

It's here now.

They're laying track along

the border of the trail.

The only good Indian

is a dead Indian.

The Army fed that stupid line

to everyone...

...they sent west.

You know something?

The Indians are doing

the same thing I would do...

...if I were in his place,

Fight to the bitter end.

Timber!

Timber!

- Do you see any hostiles?

- Nope.

But they're here all right.

I can feel them.

We're turning this nice Indian

ground into sawdust.

Just to build

a lousy railroad.

When this line gets

to San Francisco...

...l'm going to take me a ride

and see the Pacific Ocean.

You're never going to have

enough money to buy a ticket.

Says here, they say they're

talking about appointing...

...General Custer as Governor

of the Dakota territory.

Can't read.

Can't read son of a colonel?

In my kind of business

a man don't need to read.

Solid gold, my own gold mine.

Chain too.

Ring too.

These days I don't like anything

but gold to touch my skin.

Even here in my mouth.

You know what?

I sure like the taste of gold.

You say it's an honor

for the Mayor to back...

...Colonel Custer to become

the governor he gets my votes.

He's the one who opened up

the territories.

The gold territories.

Yes, he sure did.

What's going on?

General Custer

must protect us.

Stay down!

I can get the cart,

we can roll down.

I'll cover you.

We're going to crash!

Appears these massacres are

all over the eastern papers.

Flags are flying at half-mast.

Residents declared

a day of mourning.

Tell me General.

Why did you choose

the Army as career?

Telegram came from

the War Department.

Shall I read it, sir?

"To General

George Armstrong Custer.

You are hereby relived

of command...

...and suspended

from active duty.

You are ordered to report

to Washington D. C...

...within 30 days from

receipt of this telegram...

...to appear before

a U.S. Congressional...

...Committee investigating

conditions...

...in the Indian territory".

Looks like Washington's...

...looking for somebody

to blame for the massacre.

Go on.

"Marcus Reno will assume

command of this...

...regiment immediately,

signed...

...Philip Sheridan.

Commander".

Stand up, Major.

As the new officer in command,

do you have any changes in mind?

- Yes.

- I made this command.

I like it that way it is,

is that clear?

Yes, sir.

When this Washington

thing is over...

...l'll be back.

Make no mistake.

I'll be back.

Members of the Senate and

the House of Representatives.

I have been listening

your debate...

...about the Indian's problem

during nine days.

There is no Indian problem.

There is only a white problem.

Order! Order!

You ask...

...why are we not hostile

to the tribes one day...

...and kill them the next?

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