Rio Conchos

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RIO CONCHOS:

Stand up, mister!

-You are in my land. Get off!

-I said stand up!

You know, I figured just sitting here

in my own parlor resting a spell, so

..why don't you take you little boys in blue

a go along?

-Sergeant, give me that rifle.

Help yourself.

Where did you get this?

I said, where did you get it?

-Captain, that in none of your damned yankee business!

-What kind of a rebel butcher are you?

Well, now..

Do you blue bellies got a

law against killing Apaches?

Get up on your feet!

It's a long ride to Fort

Davis. Get your saddle.

You can walk or ride, it's your choice.

Either way you are going with me.

Was it Blood Shirts people you butchered up there?

They were Apaches.

Where did you get this gun?

Colonel, I've already gave your pup

my answer, to that, now do you wanna direct...

Now, this is important! It's more important than your

private honor, your private war.

-Now, where did you get the gun?

-Well, Colonel. If you are so interested in that gun..

why don't you just keep it?

-And I will be going

-Do it, and I'll blow the top of your head off!

-Pfff.. Go ahead!

-Major Lassiter! Have you gone completely mad?

-Major?

Well don't let that stop you! I was

in the Confederate Army.

-How can anyone get to you?'How do I get into the persets guts of yours?

-You don't.

Oh, I guess not. Massacring and

burials parties proves it

Colonel...

You are an old man.

Yes, but still a man, not a

blood craved butcher!

Lassiter,

... it's been almost a year since

your wife and your daughter... No no, you listen

Don't you think I know what it means

to a man come home and find his wife and child dead?

Dead?

All right.

Tortured, and then...

But it's been almost a year.

Your are not looking for revenge against

Blood Shirt anymore.

Your are using that as an excuse to go on killling!

But I am gonna stop you.

Colonel...

What are you gonna charge me with?

You are an animal An animal that belongs

in a cage.

Now, either you tell us were and from whom you got that gun

or I'm gonna put you in the guard house until you rot!

-Now, where did you get it?

-Well I guess you do want it direct..

-My answer is still, it's none of your damned yankee business

-Sergeant, lock him up.

The charges is possession of

stolen government property.

Yes..sir

Colonel!

-You are not going to get anything out og that

drink sodden rebel

-Maybe not.

Well, what do we do now?

Do we just sit around here and wait?

-Do you have a better ideas, Captain?

-Yes sir.

The time has been running out on us.

I scoured all over Texes...

..and I've come up with one gun out of that

whole shipment.

-The rest of them must be down there in Mexico by now.

-Well, that is out of the question.

If any of our troops crossed the border,

Mexico would be justified to declare war.

I did not mean to send the whole army

down there. No sir. Just two men.

-Sergeant Franklyn and of myself.. out of uniform

-Out of uniform?

-And how do you intend to find the guns?

-Bait. Gun powder, a whole waggon load

Once we get down there, and if we can't

brings those guns back..we'll destroy them.

And how do I explain to Washington

that the officer who lost those guns are...

....now roaming Mexico trying to hand over

a waggon load of unpowder? Forget it!

Yes, sir!

Muchos gracias Listen, you take that, huh?.

You eat it. It's good porridge for you.

Oh. I have interrupted your sleep. I am very sorry.

Permit me to offer my apologies by

offering you a drink.

Bad whiskey, huh? And I've just traded my

fathers watch for it.

-You were cheated.

-Perhaps not.

They say it is a lucky kid that

knows his own father.

-Permit me. I am Juan Luis Rodriguez.

-Are you sure?

-Last time it was Martinez.

-Lassiter?

-But it is impossible! Is it you, amigo? Alive and the same?

-Do you think I'm a ghost?

From what one hears certain indians wants to think

that Lassiter is an evil spirit.

You trade with Apaches now?

-If a man buys himself he can not

always choose his customers.

Hey Amigo.. when I was Martinez, do you remenber?

3 card money and a cold deck.

Oh, how a man gets his money does not matter

It is how he spends it, Amigo.

Martinez was a king, remember...

the french girl, remember?

You now she was of noble blood that one.

Had I married with her, amigo...

-One little mistake, thats all.

-Some little mistake..

-You shot Maximilian's military attache.

-You see, they were his pistols.

-The duel was fair, amigo

-When a man shoots the way you do, that's murder.

Hey what is going on there?

Compadre. What we talked about that is all

in the past.

Two old friends like us we meet

in such a place like this, huh?

-You're in bad trouble, amigo?

-No. Nothing.

-Same with me

Well who's all that for?

Well that? For me.

Well, I did'nt know they could hang

you for trading with Apaches.

Oh no, they say it's for fighting.

And thas is unjust.

-The soldier had a gun, I had only a knife.. that's all

-And the soldier had a wife?

Amigo.. such a wife!

Ah.. but I have always been unlucky.

Locked up here I can not even

console the poor widow. What a shame!

More people come to the fort every day.

I will have a large audience for my hanging.

I'm going to die but it is you I pity, amigo

You'll go loco in this place. The gringos

commands is wise.

You know how easy it would be to die.

Hey.. Perhaps if you talked to him we could change places

-He's a fool

-Si.

-And you're a fool.

Well, I've been here long enough

Hey, you blue donkey!

I want to see the colonel.

Adios, amigo!

-Now, what is so important about this gun?

-On February 10th, six escorted waggons

..left the arsenal of St. Louis.

-On March 1st they were ambushed and the waggons stolen

-Even against the Indians.

the quality of Yankee troops have not improved.

They were ambushed by white men. The waggons

carried 2,000 new repeating rifles

Yours are the first one to turn up.

-Well Colconel. I bought a gun in Presidio.

-You bought it? Who from?

Lassiter, this command contains 300 men.

What do you thing what happens when we are faced with

2000 apces armed with better weapons than we have?

What do think it mean to those families out there?

The women, children...

Well, Colonel...

Tha mans name is Theron Pardee.

Pardee? One of Bedford Forrest guerilla raiders?

The galant leader of the southern cavalry

and my last command and officer.

Is he still in Presidio?

-Sir, that was over a month ago.

He could be just about any place.

-Could he be across the border... in Chihuahua?

-Who knows?

-But you could find him?

-Now, why do I wanna do that?

You memory of your wife and daughter.

Or because it is your only way out of here

-Well, Colonel. If I could find Pardee? What then?

-Go on home, wherever you want.

Captain Haven will take over from there.

Captain Haven?

-Just the two of us?

-You will have his sergeant along.

-Oh I see. That Yankee and his black and me.

Colonel, I don't wanna hurt anybodys feelings,

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