Hondo

Hey, Mama. Mom! Look at that.

Look, Mommy, look.

Johnny!

Now you let Mommy do the talking.

Remember.

Yes, Mom.

But he has no horse.

No talking.

Good morning.

- You look like you've had trouble.

- Yep.

l lost my horse a few days ago

getting away from some Indians.

Indians?

We made dry camp last night

above the llano.

Sam here smelt more Apaches,

nuzzled me up.

So l thought l'd put some miles

between us.

But why?

We're at peace with the Apache.

- We have a treaty.

- Yes, ma'am.

Now l got to get me a new horse,

borrow or buy one.

l can pay you in United States script.

I'm riding a dispatch for General Crook.

- My name's Lane.

- Im Mrs. Lowe.

Im Johnny.

- The water sure looks inviting.

- Well, help yourself.

Watch out for that dog, son.

Could you hire me or sell me a horse,

Mrs. Lowe?

Of course. I've only got plow horses,

and two that are only half-broken.

The hand that was breaking them

for me got hurt and had to go to town.

- You mean you're staying here alone?

- Oh, no.

No, my husband is up in the hills,

- working some cattle.

- Oh.

He would pick today to be away,

when we have a visitor.

l'd enjoy meeting him, ma'am.

l wouldn't touch that dog, son.

He don't take to petting.

And now if you'll allow, ma'am,

I'll take a look at those horses.

Of course.

You'll find a saddle over by the barn.

In the meantime, Ill fix you something

to eat. L imagine you're hungry.

l could eat. Thank you.

Im so sorry my husband had to pick

today to go hunting those lost calves.

He would have enjoyed

having a man to talk to.

We welcome visitors.

Must be right lonely around here.

Especially for a woman.

l don't mind. L was raised here.

- What can l feed your dog?

- Nothing, thanks.

He makes out by himself.

Can outrun any rabbit in the territory.

It's no trouble at all.

lf you don't mind, ma'am,

l'd rather you didn't feed him.

l see. You don't want him to get in the

habit of taking food from anyone else.

Well, you can hand it to him.

No, ma'am, l don't feed him, either.

Sam's independent.

He doesn't need anybody.

l want him to stay that way.

Its a good way.

- Everyone needs someone.

- Yes, ma'am. Most everyone.

Too bad, isn't it?

- You're a good cook, ma'am.

- Thank you.

A woman should be a good cook.

Good cook myself.

Why didn't you get on him

when he was stuck?

'Cause l didn't want him sitting on me

from a standing start.

Stay with him.

You chose the most savage one.

l won't give you an argument there.

He's always been a fighter.

l wouldn't give a plugged nickel

for a horse that wouldn't fight.

It lets you down

when the going gets tough.

Its a little dull.

Well, l can do almost everything

around a ranch, but l never could

put an edge on an ax.

Where is it?

- What?

- The grindstone.

This ranch looks like it's been here

a little while.

Yes, l was born here.

My husband was raised here, too.

He's an orphan. His parents got killed

in a wagon-train massacre,

so my father took him in.

- Handy.

- What do you mean?

Well, it seems the figures are against it.

Only young fellow

in 1,000 square miles,

only young girl in 1,000 square miles.

They get in a whirl over each other.

That's what l meant. Handy.

l guess it was quite a coincidence.

But they say that the right two people

are going to meet

by an arrangement of destiny.

You believe that, Mrs. Lowe?

- Yes, l do.

- lnteresting.

Always sink a blade into a log, son.

Keeps the edge clean.

Well, l guess l'd better quit stalling

and get back to that horse.

And can l play with Sam now?

Ive told you twice not to.

But you do what you wanna do.

Really, Mr. Lane, if you knew

the dog would bite, l should think...

Mrs. Lowe, people learn by getting bit.

Youngster just learned.

Johnny.

Don't you ever touch that dog again!

Now go in and take your nap.

While Im at it,

Ill shoe those plow horses.

Thank you very much.

They do need a shoeing, l guess.

They do.

l guess my husband's having a hard

time finding those strayed calves.

l guess he is.

Perhaps he won't be home

until late tonight,

or he may even camp in the hills and

come in tomorrow after you're gone.

He'll be so sorry to have missed

one of our very few occasional visitors.

l guess Ill go and look after Johnny.

Mrs. Lowe, you're a liar.

- And an almighty poor liar.

- l don't understand you.

These horses haven't been shod

in a couple of months.

Its a cinch that ax hasn't had

an edge on it in two months.

And your tea can, a five-pound tea can

in your house is empty.

Your husband's been gone a long time.

Now, look here, Mr. Lane,

l don't think you have any right to...

Im not talking about rights.

Im talking about lies.

Why did you lie to me, Mrs. Lowe?

Were you afraid that maybe

you wouldn't be safe here with me

with your husband away?

- That it?

- That's partly it.

Women always figure every man

comes along wants them.

- Mr. Lane.

- Yes, ma'am?

You're right. L was lying.

My husband is overdue.

He should have been home long ago.

Figure Apaches killed him?

Of course not. There are a hundred

possible explanations.

Indians are one of them.

But we're at peace with the Apache,

except for a few...

Mrs. Lowe, if you've got good sense,

you'll pack up you and that boy of yours

and come out with me.

There's trouble brewing

in the Apache lodges.

Vittorio, their main chief,

called a war council.

A full report of it is in that dispatch

Im carrying.

But you don't know, we've always

gotten along splendidly with the Apache.

They drink and bring their horses

to our spring

on their way north to the buffalo hunt.

Ive never seen the great Vittorio, but

there've been plenty of Apaches here.

Ive seen the great Vittorio,

before the treaty.

His horse had 40 scalps

hung in its mane.

That was before the treaty.

We broke that treaty, us Whites.

There's no word

in the Apache language for lie,

and they've been lied to.

lf they rise, there won't be

- a White left in the territory.

- They won't bother me.

Us, l mean.

We always got along very well.

People l know, man and his wife,

got along real well for

20 years. Then one day,

she upped and blew a hole in him,

big enough to drive

a stagecoach through.

She got mad. The Apaches are mad.

Well, l have nothing to worry about,

Im sure.

Nice to be sure.

Get out of the way.

- Strange dog you have.

- l don't have him.

- The two of you are together.

- He stays with me.

- He can smell an Indian at a half a mile.

- He smells Indians? L don't believe it.

Sure, lots of dogs smell Indians.

You can teach them.

Teach them? How?

First you get yourself a puppy and then,

you hire yourself a tame Indian

and cut a willow switch.

Then you get the Indian

to beat the puppy

with a willow switch four or five times

a day.

And when he grows up, he'll always

signal when he smells an Indian.

Beat a puppy. How cruel.

That's the way they do it.

Anyway, l don't believe

a dog can smell Indians.

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