Ravenous

For heroism above

and beyond the call of duty...

for successfully infiltrating

the enemy's ranks...

and securing victory

independently...

with cunning and honor...

Captain John Boyd.

Amen.

Amen.

You're no hero, Boyd.

I want you as far

from my company as possible.

I'm sending you to California...

Fort Spencer.

Please, gentlemen, quickly.

I want all of that in

the largest office on the left.

Careful. Don't scratch it.

Come, come, come,

come, come, please.

Aah! Lieutenant Boyd!

Lieutenant Boyd!

Aaah!

Lieutenant Boyd!

Lieutenant Boy...!

Boyd!

Boyd!

Help me!

Help me, Boyd!

Boyd!

Captain John Boyd.

War hero, huh?

So, the brass

decided to reward you...

with a little appointment

to the California sun?

Have a walnut, Boyd.

Martha brought them in

fresh from San Miguel.

This is my hobby...

reading in

the original languages...

Well, you know,

languages in general.

It's, uh...

It's tedious, I know...

but, then,

this place thrives on tedium.

So, uh...

you have a hobby, Boyd?

Swimming.

Swimming.

I hope you don't mind

hard water.

So...

Fort Spencer.

Uh, the Spanish built

this place as a missin.

We inherited her.

Now we're a way station...

for western travelers on

their way through the Nevadas.

We don't get much traffic...

through these parts

in the winter...

so we maintain

only a skeleton company...

that consists

of Private Toffler...

who's our personal emissary

from the Lord...

Major Knox, who never met

a bottle he didn't like...

Private Reich...

he's our soldier.

Aaah!

I'd steer clear of him.

And Martha you've met.

Bet you didn't get

a word out of her.

And George, her brother.

They're both locals...

sort of came with the place.

Ha! Ha! Ha!

And then there's

Private Cleaves.

The overmedicated

Private Cleaves.

And you and I make eight.

Cleaves cooks.

Knox used to be a veterinarian,

so he plays doctor.

My advice to you

is don't get sick.

I'd tell you don't eat,

but then most of us have to.

So, with your promotion...

you'd be number three

in command.

Toffler's prayer.

O heavenly Father,

bless this to our use, and...

- Amen.

- Amen.

So, did anyone

do anything today?

We have a great sense

of camaraderie...

here at Fort Spencer.

How did you get

behind the enemy line?

I froze. I was scared.

Scared?

Youfroze while the rest

of your unitfought and died?

What did you do then?

I played dead.

But you made it

behind enemy lines.

I was buried...

with my commanding officer's...

half-shot-off head in my face...

his blood

running down my throat.

So, how did you

take the command post?

Something...

something... had changed.

We're going to

promote you, Boyd.

We could shoot you...

but as you single-handedly

captured the enemy command...

it might set a bad precedent.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

Last-minute addition

to the post.

All right, Cleaves.

Let's hear it.

Salt, meat, beans...

coffee, oil...

bacon, flour.

All right.

I want you back in three days.

No loco weed...

no peyote...

no women.

No women.

Martha, keep him out of trouble.

OK. Nice trip.

All right, come on.

Ya!

I'm going to get up...

some salt, meat, beans...

Ioco weed, and women.

- No women.

- I can't get a woman?

Wish you were along

for the ride?

Unh!

What did you get the medalfor?

Cowardice.

Uh... Knox has got

some excellent bourbon.

It's really fine stuff.

And he just passed out about...

a minute ago.

So, uh... wondering

if you'd like to...

He won't mind?

Probably.

To escape...

in one form or another.

Toffler!

Toffler!

- Uh-huh?

- What are you doing?

Oh, um, it's a religious hymn.

I'm writing a religious hymn.

Ah.

Well, could youfind some

inspiration somewhere else?

And could you get us some ice?

Funny thing.

We escape the worid...

we come here...

and then we turn right around

and try to escape this place.

Frightening thing

about escape, though...

The chance you might end up

someplace worse.

Hmm.

Reich, go that way.

- Colonel.

- Yeah?

Who are you?

Reich! Reich!

- He's alive.

- Jesus Christ.

Just barely.

Let's get him inside.

Uh, we need hot water.

Uh, George, Toffler, hot water!

Lots and lots of hot water!

Reich, try to rouse Knox.

Let's get these rags off.

Let's see if we can

get his blood moving.

Toffler, more water!

I think he'll live.

Easy, easy, easy.

Well, he's warm.

Frostbite didn't seem

to do much damage.

I guess the only thing

we can do is let him rest.

And, uh... pray.

Toffler, your duty.

Good work.

Each one of these

is about one-point-five miles.

Takes about three days

actually, because...

Mm-hmm.

- Mm-hmm!

- Yes? He's up.

Excellent.

He's up. Let's go.

Major... Major Knox?

Major Knox?

Major Knox? Doc? Doc?

- Hmm?

- Doc? Doc?

Doc? Doc?

Aah!

Doc, he's awake.

What? Who?

The man who showed up

last night.

He's going to tell us what...

He's going to tell us

what happened.

Doc?

Where, uh...

Where am I?

Fort Spencer, California.

Western Sierra Nevadas.

Excuse me.

I'm sorry.

My name is Colqhoun.

F.W. Colqhoun, servant of God.

How are youfeeling,

Mr. Colqhoun?

Not bad, considering.

I probably look like death.

Not bad... considering.

How long were you out there?

Three months.

Withoutfood?

Yes.

Toffler, help him.

Good Lord.

Good Lord.

You should have seen me

three months ago.

I was thirty pounds heavier.

I'm sorry, but you did

say no foodfor three months.

I said...

I said no food. I didn't say

there was nothing to eat.

Do you understand?

Do you understand?

I suppose I owe you gentlemen

a story.

Only if youfeel up to it.

Yes.

We left in April.

Six of us in all.

Mr. MacCready and his wife

from Ireland.

Mr. Janus from Virginia,

I believe...

with his servant, Jones.

Myself... I'm from Scotland.

And our guide...

a military man, coincidentally.

Colonel Ives.

I don't think I know him.

The betterfor you.

A detestable man...

and a most disastrous guide.

He professed to know...

a new, shorter route

through the Nevadas.

Quite a route that was.

Longer than the known one...

and impossible to travel.

Get up there! Get on!

We worked... very, very hard.

By the time

of the first snowfall...

we were still a hundred miles

from this place.

That was November.

Proceeding in the snow

was futile.

We took shelter in a cave.

We decided to wait

until the storm had passed.

But the storm did not pass.

The trail soon

became impassable...

and we had run out of food.

We ate the oxen...

all the horses...

even my own dog.

And that lasted us

about a month.

After that,

we turned to our belts...

shoes...

any roots we could dig up...

but you know there's no real

nourishment in those.

We remainedfamished.

The day that Jones died...

I was out collecting wood.

He had expired

from malnourishment.

And when I returned...

the others were cooking

his legs for dinner.

Would I have stopped it

had I been there?

I don't know.

But I must say...

when I stepped

Rate this script:5.0 / 1 vote