Dances with Wolves Page #21

EXT. PRAIRIE - DAWN

A huddled body lies covered by the army issue blanket. A

moccasined foot comes into view and prods the blanketed shape.

Lieutenant Dunbar's waking face pops out of the blanket.

Standing over him is Wind In His Hair, stripped of all but

his breechclout. The barrel of his rifle is hanging downward,

swaying in front of the lieutenant's face.

It is occurring to the lieutenant that his time may have run

out.

The warrior swings his rifle into a shooting position, sights

after some imaginary game and imitates the rifle's recoil.

He stares down at Dunbar with a smile, lifts his rifle

overhead and barks out a cry of victory.

EXT. TEMPORARY CAMP - DAY

The band's best hunters, two dozen of them, are making ready

to chase the buffalo. It's the big time, no event is more

important. The villagers -- mostly women, children, and

elderly -- have gathered around each of the hunters.

The largest audience has gathered around Lieutenant Dunbar

and Wind In His Hair. Wind In His Hair's pony is ready. Great

bolts of yellow lightning adorn his shoulders and rump. Right

now the warrior is drawing the same design along Cisco's

rump.

Dunbar reads this correctly as a great honor and stands by

silently. Wind In His Hair is finished. He looks at Dunbar

and nods at the paint as if asking for a response.

DUNBAR:

I wish I knew what to say.

A Sioux voice, using english words, sails out of the circle

of watchers.

STANDS WITH A FIST

Say... thank you.

Startled the men turn to the sound. The other Sioux are

stunned too.

STANDS WITH A FIST

(indicating the paint)

His speed... his power... you have.

DUNBAR:

Thank you.

He takes the warrior's hand in his own and shakes it crisply.

EXT. PRAIRIE - DAY

It's the first time we've seen the buffalo up close. They're

fantastic creatures, powerful, brutish, untameable animals

from another age. A great bull turns away from the others

and lifts his purple, horned head to sniff the breeze. He

can detect no sign of trouble and eventually returns to his

browsing.

EXT. PRAIRIE - DAY

The hunters are advancing across the prairie, spreading out

in a formation that will encircle part of the herd.

The lightning bolts on Wind In His Hair's pony are in motion.

Cisco's bolts are moving too.

There's a lump in Dunbar's throat. He knows nothing of what

is expected of him but he's doing it anyway. He glances to --

his right at Wind In His Hair and to his left at Kicking

Bird. They're both concentrated on what lies ahead.

From the corner of his eye, he sees Kicking Bird look back.

The lieutenant looks too.

It's a minor flap. Three or four youngsters, eager to

distinguish themselves have trailed too close to the hunters

and are being turned back. Dunbar recognizes one of them as

the boy who took charge of Cisco at the village... Smiles A

Lot.

Like Kicking Bird, Dunbar swings his face back to the front.

They're close enough now to hear the low bellowing of the

herd.

EXT. PRAIRIE - DAY

A strike far up on the horned formation. Their ponies leap

forward. The mad dash is on.

Dunbar's hat flies off at first spurt and now the lieutenant

and his horse are hurling over the prairie. The little

buckskin seems to know what is expected of him and has put

every ounce of his muscle to speed. They're burning up the

ground.

When Dunbar looks back over his shoulder, he's shocked to

find that the best buffalo ponies the Sioux's have are far

behind. He and Cisco are on their own.

The herd is in full flight and the sound of their stampede

is overwhelming. The buffalo are very fast but Cisco is

gaining with every stride. They've formed a great running

wall in front of him and now Dunbar can see their rumps and

tails and flying hooves.

Dunbar takes a solid grip on his rifle and shuts his eyes as

if in prayer. The sound of thousands of hooves is deafening.

Dunbar and Cisco have caught the buffalo. A few more strides

and they'll be in.

Dunbar and Cisco are running with the buffalo. A shaggy head

moves in and swipes at Cisco, but the little horse is too

quick and too smart. He dodges away, nearly dumping the

lieutenant in the process.

Dunbar rights himself and fires. It's a wild shot, only

grazing the buffalo's shoulder. The report of the gun

instantly scatters the herd and Dunbar pulls up, dust swirling

all around him.

EXT. PRAIRIE - DAY

Sioux hunters stream past him, every man for himself zeroing

in on targets.

Dunbar starts to dismount but something he sees stops him.

A hundred yards away a small hunter is after a handful of

buffalo who have splintered off from the rest. It's Smiles A

Lot, trying to make a kill of his own. As Dunbar watches,

the boy's inexperienced horse shies away and bucks, pitching

the kid to the ground.

A big bull breaks away from the splinter group, lowers his

head and charges.

Dunbar kicks Cisco into a run, spits a spare bullet from his

mouth and rams it into the chamber.

Smiles A Lot is picking himself off the ground. The bull is

in full charge.

Dunbar is riding with his knees. Both hands are holding the

rifle. He'll never make it to the boy in time. He's got to

make the shot. He squeezes the trigger.

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