Only the Valiant Page #3

Well, is it Lance's fault

if Rutledge does something,

and is foolish enough

to get caught at it?

Rutledge must love him.

He come way out here

to serve under him.

Sure, that's what it is, love.

You're all sore because he knows you

for what you really are:

A bunch of flea-bitten bellyachers.

And you talk about bellyaching.

What did you do when the captain

took away your liquor ration?

What did I do?

Well, I quit drinking.

I'm just wanna ask you one question.

Suppose you found yourself in a dark alley

one night with Captain Lance.

What would you do?

What would I do?

I'll tell you what I'd do.

I'd sneak up behind him,

and I'd put up my hand

and grab him by the throat,

and I'd whirl him around,

and I'd say, "Captain,

have you got a drink on you?"

Spit and polish, that's all he is.

If it ain't in the books, it's wrong.

Get him in a bad spot and he'd run.

Yeah, run just like a dirty Reb.

You no good, dirty

son of a Yankee mule.

Come on down, Rebel.

I came out here to fight injuns,

not sergeants.

You come out here because

you were sent from a Union prison.

Well, what about it?

Then you deserted after you got here.

You'd still be running if Lance hadn't

have caught you and brought you back.

That's right, I would.

Are you coming down, Rebel?

I got no call to fight with you, Sergeant.

What, I gotta drag you down?

Let it alone, Murdock!

Leave me up on my feet.

Why don't you get up, Onstot?

Murdock, you wanna

twist somebody's leg?

I ain't occupied for the next few minutes.

Use mine.

If Lance had hung you,

I could forgive him a lot.

Kebussyan!

Where's that Arab?

The captain threw him

in the guardhouse.

Ain't you heard him yellin'?

No, I ain't.

The crazy gorilla.

He can't stand the guardhouse.

Just makes him crazier.

Burial formation for

Lieutenant Holloway in 40 minutes.

Any man missing gets

three hours latrine duty.

You got it?

Yeah, sure. Sure.

All right, hop to it.

Load!

Aim! Squad!

Fire!

Aim! Squad!

Fire!

Order arms!

"Man dieth and wasteth away.

"Yes, man giveth up the ghost,

"and where is he?

"Though the root thereof

wax old in the earth,

"and the stock thereof

die in the ground.

"Yet, through the scent

of water, it will bud

"and bring forth boughs like a plant.

"As the waters fall from the sea,

"and the flood decayeth and dryeth up,

"so man lieth down and riseth not

"till the heavens be no more,

"they shall not awake,

nor be raised out of their sleep. "

All right.

Let's take Harmony's word for it.

Let's assume Tucsos is going to attack.

That means he'll do it

before the relief column gets here.

And that way,

we don't stand a chance.

Before he attacks, he'll have to

assemble west of the Flintheads.

That means he'll have to come

through the pass to get here,

so I'd like to take a patrol

out to Fort Invincible

and try and hold him off up there.

No, I can't spare you, Richard,

and I can't spare the men.

I only need a small patrol,

six or seven men.

Six or seven men?

Tucsos will have hundreds.

He can still only get through

that pass a few at a time.

It didn't look so invincible last time

you were up there, did it?

The way I figure it,

you can hold Invincible

with a small party,

but only for a short time.

If I can hold Tucsos off up there

until a relief column gets here,

we'll be out of trouble.

What about the water supply up there?

Well, we can carry enough

to last two or three days.

If we're up there any longer than that,

we won't be needing any.

When would you want to leave?

Right away.

Tomorrow morning.

All right, Richard.

I guess it's that or nothing.

I'll give you the best men

left on the post.

I'd rather pick 'em out myself, sir.

Certainly, take anyone you want.

Have the adjutant write out the orders.

Thank you, sir.

I... I want to apologize for my attitude

last time we spoke.

I wasn't myself.

Well, I'm glad to see

you looking better, sir.

It's merely the calm

before the storm, I'm afraid.

Good night, Richard.

Good night, sir.

I'm... I'm sorry about Holloway.

Well, I guess he knows that.

All right, kids.

Gather round. Gather round.

What's the good word tonight?

Read it and you'll see.

Excuse me, gentlemen.

"The following enlisted men

will form at 5:
40 AM,

"fully equipped for a combat patrol

to be commanded by Captain Lance.

"First Officer, Troop A, Fifth Cavalry.

"Senior Sergeant Murdock,

Corporal Gilchrist,

"Trooper Kebussyan,

Trooper Onstot,

"Trooper Rutledge,

Trumpeter Saxton.

"Second in command will be

First Lieutenant Winters,

"J. Harmony will act as scout.

By order of Colonel Drumm. "

- Well, that lets me out.

- Me, too.

Let's get back to the card game.

That's a mighty ugly body of men.

Looks like he picked the men

he hated the most.

Or the ones who hated him the most.

I don't figure it. Why me?

Why any of us?

Well, now, what are all you old hens

clucking about this time?

You ain't seen this order.

No, my little hero,

I ain't seen this order.

But I can see this board, I'll bet ya,

just about as good as anybody.

He must figure I'm having

too good a time around here tonight.

Wants to get me away someplace

where it's dry as boot leather.

T'aint no matter how dry it is...

if you're dead.

I ain't gonna be dead.

I'm coming back.

Like Holloway, maybe?

I hope.

Say, the Arab's still in the guardhouse.

You reckon he's gonna

turn him loose to go with us?

If I ever put him in the guardhouse,

I'd never take him out on patrol.

Let me out!

Let me out!

Let me...

You gonna keep this up all night?

Let me out, effendi.

So you can kill the captain?

So I can kill the captain.

I don't mind you doing it, Arab,

but you gotta do it on your own time.

Let me out.

Let me out!

Get me... out!

Corporal of the guard,

post number eight!

What's the matter?

Look what that loco Arab done.

I wouldn't have believed it.

Well, I got orders to let him out anyway.

He's on patrol tomorrow.

Just as well.

I don't think he likes it in there.

No, I guess not.

All right, Arab.

Come on. Get out.

You're on patrol tomorrow morning

with Captain Lance.

He asked for you especially.

He asked for me?

That's right.

So, he asked for Trooper Kebussyan.

So...

he meet a trooper named Death.

Don't do nothing that'll get you back here.

We gotta keep this

guardhouse in one piece.

There's always time.

Always place.

Think he'll do it?

Probably.

What do you want?

I have to talk to you, Cathy.

There's something I want to tell you.

There's nothing you have to say

that will do any good.

Not after what you've done.

And I wouldn't want to listen to anything

that you might have to say.

You probably want to

tell me you're sorry,

that you didn't mean what you did.

Or perhaps you're gonna say it

wouldn't happen again.

Maybe you want another chance.

Or were you gonna say

that love made you do it?

Well, you're not gonna

say anything to me.

Not about love or Bill or what has been

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