Dances with Wolves Page #10

Dunbar stays in a crouch, trying to think on jellied legs.

His breathing has quickened. His mouth is open.

A horses' whinny startles him.

Ever so slowly, the lieutenant peers over the bluff.

The aboriginal man is in the corral. He's walking slowly

toward Cisco. One hand is held out reassuringly, the other

is grasping a rope. He's making gentle, cooing sounds and is

only a step or two from being able to loop his line over the

horse's neck.

DUNBAR:

You there!

Kicking Bird jumps straight into the air. As he lands he

whirls to meet the voice that startled him.

Dunbar is coming. His hands are clenched and his arms are

swinging stiffly at his sides.

Kicking Bird has turned to stone at the sight of this horror.

With a sharp intake of breath, he staggers back a few steps.

Then he turns and runs, tearing through the corral fence as

if it were made of twigs. He leaps onto his horse and quirts

the pony into full gallop.

Dunbar is watching from the yard. His jaw is clenched, his

hands are still fisted.

The great grassland is empty. Kicking Bird is gone.

INT. SUPPLY HOUSE - DAY

The first of three carbine boxes is lugged off the stack.

EXT. PRAIRIE - DAY

The three boxes are stacked on the open prairie. Suddenly a

shovelful of dirt flies out of an unseen spot next to the

crates. Another flying shovelful. And another.

DUNBAR (V.O.)

Have made first contact with a wild

Indian. One came to the fort and

tried to steal my horse. Do not know

how many more are in the vicinity

but I am taking steps for another

visitation. Am burying excess

ordnance, lest it fall into enemy

hands.

The last square of sod is placed carefully on the surface of

the earth. Dunbar drives a bleached rib bone into the ground

at an angle just in front of his cache.

Dunbar steps back from his work. The replaced sod is

invisible. The guns will not be found.

EXT. PRAIRIE - DAY

The lieutenant sits atop Cisco scouting along the bluff.

Fort Sedgewick lies in the background.

INT. QUARTERS - DAY

Dunbar's journal lies open on his bunk. We hear a digging

sound in the background. The lieutenant is facing the wall

of his quarters. Using a bayonet as a cutting tool, he has

carved a window out of the sod. He's nearly finished and is

just tidying up.

DUNBAR (V.O.)

Have made all the preparations I can

think of. I cannot mount an adequate

defense but will try to make a big

impression when they come. Waiting.

Finished, he retreats to his bunk and sits staring across at

his new window. He glances at the journal by his side and

has a thought. He picks it up and starts to write.

DUNBAR (V.O.)

The man I encountered was a

magnificent looking fellow.

EXT. TEN BEARS' LODGE - DAY

An old Indian man sits in the shade outside his lodge. His

skin is leathery, his hair grey and wispy but his eyes are

bright as diamonds. He is TEN BEARS, well past sixty, but

still strong enough to be the head man. He is, for the most

part, oblivious to the GRANDCHILD squirming in his lap.

He's smoking a long-stemmed pipe, but the main object of his

interest is an old woman squatting next to him... PRETTY

SHIELD. She's pounding away at something in a bowl.

Ten Bears looks up to notice Kicking Bird. The medicine man

is passing not far away and Ten Bears' eyes follow him

carefully, not glancing away until Kicking Bird has ducked

into his lodge.

TEN BEARS:

Kicking Bird has been keeping to

himself these last few days. I do

not like to see our medicine man

walking so alone.

The old woman looks up from her pounding but does not respond.

TEN BEARS:

What does his wife say?

PRETTY SHIELD:

He is keeping to himself.

Ten Bears gives his wife a challenging look and she bristles.

PRETTY SHIELD:

That's what she says.

Ten Bears accepts this. Then he looks down at the bowl.

TEN BEARS:

Make sure that meat is soft... my

teeth hurt.

Ten Bears looks once more at the entrance of Kicking Bird's

lodge.

INT. KICKING BIRD'S LODGE - DAY

Kicking Bird sits next to the fire playing with his son but

he is preoccupied with something.

There is a rustle of movement at the tent flap, and Ten Bears

peers in.

TEN BEARS:

May I come in?

The little boy races over to the old chief, Kicking Bird

makes a move to pull him back, but Ten Bears indicates the

boy should stay.

TEN BEARS:

No, no let him sit with me.

There is silence as the two men settle themselves by the

fire, the little boy content in Ten Bears' lap.

TEN BEARS:

Our country seems good this summer,

but I have not been out to see it.

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