Hondo Page #4

- That is, if you want my opinion.

- Gosh, Emberato, l want your opinion.

But Mama won't let me go over there.

- Why not?

- l can't swim.

- You can't what?

- l can't swim.

- How old are you?

- Six.

Help him, he can't swim.

Time he learned.

Everybody should swim.

Just reach out in front of you

and grab a handful of water.

Pull it back towards you.

Not too fast. That's the way l learned.

- l did it, Emberato, l did it.

- Good.

- How will he get back?

- Swim.

Well, he might drown.

- Well, then, you go get him.

- l can't swim, either.

Angie, there's

something Ive got to tell you.

l tried to tell you.

- And it isn't going to be easy.

- Then don't say it yet.

Just look at the moon.

How odd it looks in this quarter.

When l was a child, my mother

used to tell me it was a teeter-totter.

You know,

the tilted plank a child plays on.

l suppose the Indians have a word for it.

Yeah, bermarga. Its the planting moon.

Indians won't plant their corn

unless the moon's like that.

You liked living with the Apache,

didn't you?

Angie, Ive just got to tell you this.

Im not much for lying.

The last time l was here,

before Vittorio brought me?

Yes.

l rode dispatch some after that,

then came to Seddon.

There was trouble.

l killed a man.

Stay still. Somebody in those willows.

Don't shoot, White man.

Small Warrior has knife.

He sleeps with it.

- You were in the house?

- ln house.

Wickiup empty place without sons.

Mine empty wickiup.

You better tell that brave back at

the creek bank not to walk in the water.

l almost killed him a few minutes ago.

Almost threw a shot at him.

He very young. Will learn.

- lf he lives.

- You are Apache.

Now, hear me, pony-soldiers are near.

Soon will be fought remembered fight.

They will come here first.

- You will not go with them, White man.

- l will not.

Leader of pony-soldiers

will question you.

You will say you have seen Apache

trailing to the west.

This l won't do.

- You will not?

- l will not.

You have good man, treasure him.

They're mounting up now

down by the butte.

l don't hear a thing.

There's eight of them l'd say,

or maybe nine.

There's something in those trees.

That's a squirrel.

Our talking woke him up.

He's put out. There's nine of them.

l love you.

l suppose l shouldn't have said that,

with my husband dead so short a time.

l don't guess people's hearts

got anything to do with a calendar.

You were so wonderful,

refusing to lie for Vittorio.

He was testing me. Indians hate lies.

And l guess l got to feel the same way,

but, once in a while a fella's got to

lie if it'll make it easier

on someone else.

Troop, halt!

Prepare to dismount.

Dismount!

Madam and sir, may l present myself?

Lt. McKay, Troop D, 8th cavalry.

- Hi, Hondo, you old cabin robber.

- Hi, Buff.

Lieutenant, this here is Hondo Lane.

He's scouted some and ridden dispatch

some for the cavalry.

- l don't reckon l know this here lady.

- This is Ms. Lowe, Lieutenant.

You people are lucky.

Obviously, Vittorio

and his renegade band just happened

not to find this hidden valley.

- Vittorio's been here lots.

- And you lived?

One lone man stood off Vittorio?

No lone man stands off the Apache.

He lets us live here.

There are almost 100 dead settlers

in the basin,

scalped by this cowardly criminal.

Vittorio may be a criminal by the books,

l don't know.

But if he's a coward,

it hasn't showed up yet.

- Amen, brother.

- l must disagree with you, Mr. Lane.

He's run before us for 200 miles.

Indians have a story

they tell their young ones

about a hunter who chased a wild cat

until he caught it.

Then it was the other way around.

The story goes back further than

the Indians.

Its originally attributed

to the first Roman army to enter Tartary.

The soldier caught a Tartar

and yelled out.

The officer called back

for him to come in with his prisoner.

And he replied,

"The Tartar won't let me."

That was one of the favorite stories

of Col Mays,

who teaches cavalry tactics at the Point.

The story is world-wide.

How long have you been

out of that school, Lieutenant?

Graduated class'69, sir.

This is'70, ain't it?

l just can't seem to keep up

with the years.

l meant to get a calendar,

but then l forget.

Say, who's President

of these United States now?

Ulysses S. Grant.

You know, l voted once. L was down

in Independence around voting time.

And a fellow come up to me

and offered me $2

if l'd vote for a man named Taylor.

And l was drinking,

drinking a little at the time. And l...

The $2 didn't last...

Mrs. Lowe, Mr. Lane, my orders are

to make a sweep as far as Twin Buttes.

My men'll bivouac here tonight.

We'll go on to Twin Buttes tomorrow,

return tomorrow night to escort you

and your boy out to safety.

lf you'll excuse me, madam, l must see

that my men are properly encamped.

Very nice and very young.

He for doggone sure is, ma'am.

- How long you been out on this patrol?

- This is the 20th day.

We've rounded up about eight families

back there, that's all there are left.

We're gonna pick them up

on the way out.

There've been many a scalp took,

Hondo.

- You know where Vittorio is, don't you?

- l do.

This boy Lieutenant's

gonna get you killed.

Us scouts has got to get

these young officers educated.

Johnny, go in

and set out the plates for me.

Hondo, if your friend

would like to eat with us, Mr...

Buffalo? Mr...

Ive known you for 8 or 10 years.

You must have a last name.

Well, of course l got a last name,

what do you think l am?

l know what you are,

but there's a lady present.

Mrs. Lowe, my name is Baker.

That's what it is, Buffalo Baker.

Well, you may eat with us then,

Mr. Baker, and wash.

There's a basin on the bench

and a towel on the jug, and soap.

You know, there is something

about this place...

- l know what it reminds me of.

- My ranch.

In California.

l shot a deer right off your front porch

on a butte just like that.

With a crick down below

and the mesas all spreading out.

Made me pack it back.

- You have a place that looks like this?

- East of San Dimas.

How wonderful.

You're getting to where you kind of

take to that water.

Every time l wash my face

l think of you and that night at Seddon's,

when you whacked me.

You busted off a jaw tooth, and it got to

hurting so bad l had to go to

the barber and have him dig out

the rest of it.

Did l catch you that day,

l'd have set your sun.

That's the last morning you'd ever seen.

"Hondo Lane, first prize,

Winchester Arms."

Always liked this rifle of yours. Always

wanted one of the new issue myself.

Keep your hands off it.

Ive known him 10 years, and he's never

spoken a friendly word to me.

- l don't like you.

- Figured that.

But now l figure is how he might admire

to give me that rifle.

You see, about a half day out

of Seddon, l come across some bodies.

One of them

was this here lady's husband.

There was a lot of horse tracks

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