Springfield Rifle Page #6

He'd enlisted under

the unusual name of John Smith.

Held at Chestnut Hill recruiting station.

- You'll want to tell your wife, I know.

- Yes, sir.

Erin.

- Erin?

- Lex?

Yes.

Honey.

Jamie's been found.

And he's safe, and he's well.

How do you know?

I can't tell you, but he was at Chestnut Hill

recruiting station a few miles from home.

- Did Colonel John tell you this?

- No.

Please don't ask me any more,

but it's true, believe me.

What do you think I ought to do?

Go home to him, of course.

The stagecoach leaves in the morning...

...and you'll be home within a week.

That's what I thought.

You'd do anything

to get rid of me, wouldn't you?

- Erin, you don't think...

- Yes, I do.

I'd put nothing past you,

the way you've acted...

...none of your friends understand you.

Even Colonel John

won't talk to me about you.

- Erin, listen to me...

- Let go of me. Now get out.

And don't come creeping back

to me with any of your tricks.

I'm staying here until Colonel John

tells me my son's been found.

I hope it'll be soon.

I hope many things will be soon.

Get out.

Get out!

- Mrs. Kearny to see you, sir.

- Oh, send her in, sergeant.

Yes, sir. Mrs. Kearny.

I was thinking about you

this moment, my dear.

I've just received a long,

official document from Washington.

Which translated into one sentence says

"Young James Kearny has been found."

Oh, Colonel John.

Well, he's in the best of health.

Army grub seems to agree with him.

- So it's true.

- Well, what's the matter, Erin?

Lex came to see me last night

to tell me Jamie's been found.

I didn't believe him. I sent him away.

How did Lex know about Jamie?

I don't know, he wouldn't tell me, that's

one of the reasons I didn't believe him.

He acted so strange,

so mysterious about everything.

That's why I came to you.

I thought you could see him, talk to him...

...and get him to stop

this thing he's doing, whatever it is.

Erin, you worried for weeks

about Jamie, didn't you?

It didn't help matters any, did it?

He was found, and all your worries

were for nothing.

Now, you know what I'd do

if I were you?

I think you

ought to go home to your son.

This is a man's world out here,

and you don't belong.

But just remember this...

...people don't always act

the way you expect them to.

It doesn't mean that they aren't

fond of you or they don't love you.

It simply means they may have a star to

follow that's stronger than any personal tie.

Colonel John, I don't know

what I would have done without you.

Now run along, my dear.

- Good morning, John.

- Good morning, George.

- When did you get back?

- Last night.

It was late,

I didn't want to roust you out.

I congratulate you

on that herd getting through.

Everyone in Washington is elated.

- It was a surprise, wasn't it?

- It certainly was.

Mind if I use your telegrapher?

I'd like to wire General Halleck.

Well, help yourself.

- Ramsey?

- Yes, sir.

Colonel.

I was just getting ready

to bring you some horses.

Yes, I know. You almost had me,

didn't you, Lex?

I'm afraid I don't understand.

You were out to get me, but by a

rare stroke of fortune, I got you first.

It's the accidental things that sometimes

change the course of history, isn't it?

For instance, if you hadn't told Erin

that Jamie had been found...

...our positions might be reversed.

- I still don't understand.

- You made a mistake.

Your information about Jamie could

only have come from George Sharpe.

And he made a mistake too.

He called Ramsey by name, when by

all odds, he should never had known him.

What does all this prove, colonel?

Nothing. But I got curious.

I took Ramsey riding with me yesterday.

We happened to run on to Pete Elm.

As you said, he has his uses.

Ramsey talked.

One of the things he admitted was that they

know nothing about you in Washington.

You're doing this thing alone.

Against orders.

All you've got to do is get rid of me,

and you're in the clear?

Yes. Raise your hands.

Stand up.

Face that wall.

Open that door.

Colonel Sharpe?

Yeah. And that gin-pot bartender...

...and your trooper friend

Ferguson are pushing up daisies.

- Just like you're gonna be if l...

- Hold it, Elm.

I'm sorry this had to happen, Lex.

Good men fall when mistakes are made.

Nothing gained,

and all of them dead now.

You're in an unusual predicament.

One that can be of great service to me.

You're a Northern agent,

but nobody's alive to prove it.

With your record, everyone believes you

are a Southern agent.

I'll have to hang you for that

in the morning.

That and the murder of Colonel Sharpe.

Then our clever Mr. Quint

can report to Washington...

...that the rebel spy ring

has been smashed...

...and its leader, you, executed.

That will leave me free

to go on taking your horses.

And when the spring comes, instead

of the North mounting an offensive...

...it'll be the South.

I'm sorry, Lex.

Get going.

Are they starting the drive today?

Kind of wish you were in them hills

to stop it, don't you, Copperhead?

Open up the door, guard.

I'm supposed to ask you

if there's anything you want.

Is there anything you want?

- Let's get at it.

- Turn around. Hands behind you.

Sweet dreams, Copperhead.

At trail. Right, left, face.

Forward.

Detail, halt!

We'll have to go in with you, sir.

- You'll all be court-martialed for this.

- Yes, sir. Follow me.

Get in the wagon.

- Go to the warehouse.

- Sir, our plans were to go north...

...into the hills.

- We gotta stop the drive...

...before it's shot up.

Follow trail of the herd.

- Major Kearny...

- There's new Springfield rifles...

...in the warehouse.

Enough for the troop.

If we get them in time,

we'll have a chance.

Never exactly doubted you, sir.

That raw deal they gave you at your

court-martial gave us a pain in the collar.

Where do you suppose it gave me a pain?

What's going on around here, major?

We can't figure it out.

It's lucky for me

you figured out what you did.

There's no time to go into details...

...but I'm working to uncover

the rebel spy leader.

And the trouble is it turned out to be our

own commanding officer Colonel Hudson.

- Colonel Hudson?

- Yes, but he'll be taken care of.

We've got to stop an ambush and keep

the lieutenant's men from being cut down.

What can the six of us do, sir?

If these rifles are everything Colonel Sharpe

hoped for, we'll have plenty of firepower.

No more muzzle loading. Breaks open at the

breach like this. Cartridge is inserted here.

When fired, it ejects the empty.

Load and fire in a matter of seconds.

That's all there is to it.

Let's get moving.

What are you doing here, Private Larsen?

Oh, mess sergeant sent me down

to pick up some rations.

- See Sergeant Snow and Kearny?

- Prisoner?

Yeah, the prisoner Kearny.

He's escaped.

No, sir.

- Who's that from back there?

- Me, sergeant.

I'm just wrestling the hardtack boxes.

I'll take beans any day.

Horses to gallop!

Watch out for yourselves!

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