Devil's Doorway Page #2

---

open to homesteading.

- A real interesting development.

- Yes, yes.

It's of particularly interest to sheep men, Nebraska

and Kansas. The ranch has been burning up there.

So I thought it only fair to pass the word

there is plenty of feed and water right here.

On land that's open for homesteading.

They should be headed this way now.

- I've been thinking on a piece of land myself.

- You have never seen Sweet Meadows, have you?

- No.

- It's like the laugh of a beautiful woman.

You ride through the Devil's Doorway,

and the wind is cold.

And then you see Sweet Meadows.

Somehow the sky is a deeper shade

of blue and the grass is greener.

It's a dream all men have

when they ache for home.

That's where I'm gonna file.

On Sweet Meadows.

- Is that alright with you, Indian?

- Now, I don't want any trouble in here.

You're quite an

Indian-lover, ain't you?

Mr. Coolan, there is only one

solution to the Indian problem.

You don't think it's right for an Indian

to control 20,000 acres of the best land?

No, I don't even think it's right for an Indian

to stand at the same bar with a white man.

You'd better back up

a little from the bar.

I think you better stand

back a little more.

You let them in saloon and the first thing

you know they wanna mix with them socially.

- Five.

- It's a nice head of hair, redskin.

It'll be good hanging from my belt.

Six.

You're a sick man, Mr. Coolan!

That's enough.

Give me that drink.

Have one on me!

What about this homesteading?

- We better find out about it.

- How?

See a lawyer.

Coolan is the only lawyer.

There must be another one someplace.

You bring the horses.

A. MASTERS

ATTORNEY AT LAW:

Come in!

How do you do?

- I'm looking for Masters, ma'am.

- I am Masters.

Lawyer?

Yes.

Excuse me, ma'am.

Come in.

I don't blame you for being surprised. Most

people are discovering A. Masters is a women.

Yes, ma'am.

Is there anything I can do for you?

My name is Broken Lance.

I am an Indian!

I see.

Please sit down.

- I wanna find out about home settling.

- I read the law. What is it you want to know?

- If I haven't got titled to my land, other

people can homestead without demanding me? - Yes.

Can I homestead my own land? Make the

law work for me instead of against me?

- That's what most people are doing.

- That's what I want to do.

- Will you take care it for me?

- Yes.

The first thing to do is

to prepare a statement.

- That's a bad cut.

- Yes, ma'am.

What do we say in this statement?

- You're over 21. Are you head of the family?

- No, ma'am.

- Not married. Are you a veteran?

- Three years.

- Organization?

- The third Pennsylvania. Cavalry.

Major battles?

Mechanicsville, Antietam, Gettysburg.

You've had your share.

- Any decorations?

- Congressional Medal of Honor.

You shouldn't have any trouble.

- Has your land be surveyed?

- No, ma'am.

That's the first thing. Since you can homestead only

65 ha. you want to file the land the house is on...

And on a big water hole.

It costs $ 10 to file a claim.

- How much for you?

- There's not much to this.

- Let's say $ 10.

- When will I know about this?

It will take a little time. I'll send a surveyor

out as soon as possible. - Thank you, ma'am.

Thank you.

Wait a minute.

I'll get some water to stop that bleeding.

No, thanks, ma'am. It will stop.

Mother, what do you think of

my first client?

I think you're crazy.

- I see that I don't need to tell you about

our confidential discussion. - No, I heard all.

I can't think of a better way of driving away

business than to take the case of an Indian!

You're probably right.

I thought about it.

Well for Heaven's sake, why did

you do it?! We got to be practical!

Father was the best lawyer I ever knew.

I always think how he'd handle the situation.

Well, he wouldn't... Your father...

Oh yes, he would have too.

He'd reach in his drawer,

pulled out a bottle,

poured a couple of drinks and said:

Alright, son. What's your trouble?

I think he would have been

interested in Broken Lance.

Well, if we don't eat regular, I guess

losing a few pounds wouldn't emaciate me.

- Mother, take that gun back!

- Orri, we're in Wyoming.

We're going 50 miles from

nowhere to an Indian camp.

- I don't know what might happen,

neither do you. - This is ridiculous!

If you'll give that Indian Lance Poole the

news, he might blow up like a powder cake.

Go ahead!

It helps when somebody groans for you.

I wouldn't have finished otherwise.

Well, we're homesteaded.

- Hello!

- Are these your men? - Yes.

- They're just curious. How are you,

Miss Masters? - I'm not sure.

- Do you like to sit on the porch?

- Yes, thank you.

- My, this is a beautiful valley.

Is it all yours? - Yes, ma'am.

- How big is it?

- It's a circle, 10 miles in diameter.

It's a great deal of land.

- Not for 5,000 cattle.

- You have that many? - No.

But I will have.

Thank you.

I heard from the Land Office.

I'm afraid I have bad news.

Your homestead application

has bee turned down.

As an Indian, you don't qualify

under the terms of the Act.

Why not?

Well, you see... It wasn't...

- The law...

- Yes?

Under the law, you're not cast

as an American citizen.

What am I?

You're a ward of the Government.

So that's it.

I'm sorry, Mr. Poole.

I have got an idea.

If you got some men, white men...

And they'll homestead on my land,

and afterwards I can buy it back from them.

I'm afraid we can't do that.

- We can't?

- No, you see that's against the law.

I know how you must feel, but

there was nothing I could do.

It's the law and we have

to obey it.

- I see your point.

- Do you?

- Oh, I hope so.

- Sure.

I envy you, ma'am, for being a lawyer.

You got a faith, something to go by.

Like a religion. With you is the law.

My father wanted me to study law.

- It means a great deal to me.

- Yes, it must.

I've always wanted something like that.

Something to tell me what is right or wrong.

- I'm glad you feel the way you do. - Because

then you don't have to bother about conscience.

It's written out. No matter what

it does to people. It is the law.

Changing the law is something

you don't have to worry about.

- You probably want to go now. I'll ride with you.

- That won't be necessary! - We are armed.

I'll take you to the other side. I wouldn't

want anything to happen to you on my property.

Don't touch him!

- But he needs help!

- He has to make it to the house alone.

Come on, boy! On your feet!

- Aren't you gonna help him?

- I can't.

Just a little more, Jimmy.

Come on, Jimmy!

Come on, boy.

That was close.

You probably want to know

what it is about.

Every Shoshone boy has to go

through that, it's a test.

Before a boy turns into a man,

- the tribe wants to know if he's an adult.

- What does he have to do?

He's given a knife.

Nothing else. No food, no water.

He has to go up in the mountains above the

snow line, bring back the claws of an eagle.

He has three days to do it in.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes