She Wore a Yellow Ribbon Page #5

One moment, please, captain.

Corporal IKrumrein, front and center!

Sir, a small token from the troop.

They all put in the hat for it, sir.

Even Sergeant Hochbauer.

It's solid sliver,

brought on from IKansas City.

There is a sentiment

on the back of it.

"To Captain Brittles.

From C Troop...

...lest we forget."

Thank you, corporal. Thank you.

Thank all of you.

Take your troop, Mr. Pennell.

Proceed on your mission.

Good luck, C Troop!

Give me a side view.

It's perfect!

It's made for you, Quincannon.

Go down to the settlers

and order a duplicate.

So that when you retire you...

Here.

Have a couple of drinks

while you're waiting.

You're out of uniform, Quincannon.

- Oh, I am, am I?

- You are.

Well, I'm in the proper uniform.

The uniform of a retired gentleman.

- Hochbauer! Hochbauer!

- Yes, sir.

Sergeant Quincannon

is improperly dressed.

And he's under the influence.

Throw him in the guardhouse.

Alone, sir?

Afraid of him?

We'll get you some help.

Wagner! Give Hochbauer a hand.

Come, Fritz.

It'll be a little drop of whiskey,

Irish, and I'll pour it meself.

When I've drank that up,

just throw me out.

I want you to help me

arrest Quincannon.

I'd love to throw that big mick

in the cooler.

- You're under arrest.

- By whose orders?

By order of Captain Brittles.

Are you coming peaceably?

Laddie, I've never gone anyplace

peaceably in me life.

You're just in time

for a drink, Wagner.

Connolly, the old days

have gone forever.

Look out!

You hear about

the buffalo coming back?

- Buffalo?

- Herds of them.

Men! Now, we want no unpleasantness.

A toast first and the guardhouse

after, if you're able.

And it's all on me. I'm paying.

To Captain Nathan Brittles...

...on his retirement.

To Captain Nathan Brittles!

I thank you, comrades.

This has been a very pleasant moment.

- Goodbye, Mr. Connolly.

- Goodbye, Mr. Quincannon.

- Are you hurt, Hanz?

- He's all right, sarge.

Come and have a little sup

before you go.

Wagner, come and join us!

Service!

Waiter!

- What's all this?

- Are you all right?

I got a cold, doctor.

I had a nip.

To the guardhouse, Quincannon!

Quick step! March!

Watch the steps, ma'am.

Aren't you ashamed?

Eight of you picking on one man?

- Only seven, ma'am.

- Forward, yo!

All right, I get it. Ten days

in the guardhouse and no charges.

Can't you make it two weeks?

Till he retires?

A man with a thirst like that...

...couldn't get by on less

than a sergeant's pension.

I'll give you my word,

he'll retire as top soldier.

Thanks, Mac.

Well, on my way. Goodbye, Mac.

Say goodbye to Abby!

He'll do no such thing.

"Goodbye" is a word we don't use in

the cavalry. Till our next post, dear.

Could I haul off

and kiss you too, captain?

- Goodbye, doc.

- Goodbye, Nathan.

And may the road be kind to you.

Signal smokes. War drums. Feathered

bonnets against the Western sky.

New Messiahs. Young leaders are ready

to hurl the fiinest light cavalry...

... against Fort Starke.

In the Kiowa village, the drumbeat

echoes in the pulse of young braves.

Under a common banner,

old quarrels forgotten...

... Comanche rides with Arapaho,

Apache with Cheyenne.

All chant of war.

War to drive the white man forever...

... from the red man's hunting ground.

Only the old men stand silent.

Even Pony That Walks has been

howled down at the council fiires.

Captain Brittles! Captain Brittles!

Captain Brittles, sir.

- Captain Brittles, glad to see you.

- And I you. Report, Mr. Pennell.

We effected the relief as ordered.

No casualties.

- My compliments.

- Thank you, sir.

Report, Mr. Cohill.

We've trailed them all day.

It's a big concentration.

Arapahos, IKiowas, Comanches

and Cheyenne Dog Soldiers.

About 900 of them,

and they're ready to strike.

We gotta strike first.

I'm glad the major sent you...

He didn't send me.

I'm not on duty.

- Then the orders haven't been changed?

- Orders are orders, sir.

For the next four hours...

...according to my brand-new

sliver watch and chain...

...l'm an officer

in the United States Cavalry.

If I gave you a written order, Flint,

would you obey it?

- I don't need them from you.

- But you'll get them.

Might come in handy at

our court-martial. Sergeant Tyree?

I'm ordering you to volunteer again.

Fetch a guidon.

Yes, sir. Guidon!

Stay here. Do nothing until I return.

If I don't, those are your orders.

Don't lose them.

Locate the pony herd.

Were you ever scared,

Captain Tyree?

Yes, sir.

Up to and including now.

Nathan, Nathan!

I am a Christian.

Hallelujah.

Old friend, me.

Long time. Long time.

I come in peace, Pony That Walks.

Take salt, Nathan. Take salt.

Smoke pipe. Good, good.

Pony That Walks,

my heart is sad at what I see.

Your young men painted for war.

Their scalp knives red.

The medicine drums talking.

It is a bad thing.

A bad thing, Nathan. Many will die.

My young men. Your young men.

No good. No good.

- We must stop this war.

- Too late, Nathan.

Young men do not listen to me.

They listen to big medicine.

Yellow hair. Custer dead.

Buffalo come back, great sign.

Too late, Nathan.

You will come with me.

Hunt buffalo together.

Smoke many pipes.

We are too old for war.

Yes, we are too old for war...

...but old men should stop wars.

Too late, too late.

Many squaws will sing the death songs.

Many lodges will be empty.

You come with me.

We hunt buffalo, get drunk together.

Hallelujah, hallelujah!

No, old friend, I must go.

I go far away.

Then, Nathan, my brother...

...go in peace.

Easy, puppy, easy.

Pass the word. Mount.

Pass the word. Mount.

Pass the word. Mount.

Pass the word. Mount.

Bugler, do you want to get busted back

to horseshoeing? Quiet that horse.

- Tyree.

- Sorry, sir.

Mr. Cohill...

...can you read the time

by my brand-new silver watch?

Yes, sir.

It's 1 2 minutes to midnight.

Yeah.

Gentlemen.

Bugler, sound the charge.

Sound recall.

- Any wounded?

- No casualties, sir.

No casualties, no Indian war,

no court-martial.

Have your soldiers follow the hostiles

back to the reservation.

Follow a mile behind them.

Walking hurts their pride.

Your watching will hurt it worse.

Can you read what time it is

by my brand-new silver watch?

It's two minutes past midnight, sir.

Been a civilian for two minutes.

It's your army, Mr. Cohill.

Good luck.

So Nathan Brittles, ez-captain

of the Cavalry, U.S. A...

... started westward for

the new settlements in California.

Westward toward the setting sun,

the end of the trail for all old men.

But the Army hadn't fiinished

with Brittles.

And it sent a galloper after him.

That was Sergeant Tyree's department.

Yo-ho, Captain Brittles!

Captain, sir. For you,

from the Yankee War Department.

I knew it.

Dad blast it, I knew it.

Every time you... What?

Sergeant, it's my appointment!

Chief of scouts,

with a rank of lieutenant colonel.

And will you look

at those endorsements!

Phil Sheridan,

William Tecumseh Sherman...

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