The Alamo Page #7

Give it full elevation!

Yes, sir!

The gun is ready, sir!

Fire!

Kinda short there, Colonel, Mr Travis!

I'm sure I'm glad I seen that there cannon

sitting out there on that prairie.

For a minute I thought

they was shooting at us...

...from one of them countries

over in Europe.

Oh, my goodness!

No!

Oh, no! They wouldn't dare!

Man, that ain't no fair way to fight a war!

Well, I guess we'd better do

somethin' about that, Crockett.

- Plain as can be.

- About an hour after dark?

Good.

Thimblerig, 15 men.

Right after dark.

All sober.

Boo!

- Halt!

- I lost the bet.

I bet my friends I could sneak up

on you without you hearing me.

Friend, you like to got a hole in your head.

Ha!

- Tie him loose.

- Kick that fire out and kill our silhouette.

Let's go. Company One, let's go!

- Everything set?

- Yes, sir.

All right. It's time, men.

- Open the gate!

- Colonel Travis, sentry here!

- Somebody jumped me!

- I'll say they did!

Shoved me down, tied me up, and

some of them stepped on me goin' by.

And never so much as

a by-your-leave from every one of them.

Dammit!

- Return to your posts.

- Yes, sir.

Close the gate!

Well, you'd better get

your men mounted, then.

- See if you can give them any help.

- Yes, sir.

Detail! Stand to horse!

Get the powder!

- Where's the mud?

- It's comin'. Here it is.

- Qe es?

- Es un caon!

Clear out! I'll cover!

You heard the man.

- Come on, kid! Get outta here!

- I can shoot.

- Golly! What a gun!

- Go on! Grab a horse!

Cannon party!

No one will fire until

you can identify your target!

Yes, sir!

Let's give 'em a hand, boys! Knock on it!

Pick 'em up! Pick 'em up!

Everybody rides double!

Come on! Pick 'em up!

- Hold the gate! Hold the gate!

- Somebody's still outside!

Close the gate!

Good work, Smitty!

We never missed you.

Good thing the kid did.

That horse folded with me.

- You all right, Jim?

- Sure.

- Oh, Mr Smith! You've been hurt!

- Oh, it's all right.

- Let's take a look at that.

- Doctor!

Mm. No bones broken.

All you need is a little

Doctor Beekeeper's fix-all.

See? I...

Pretty close.

- Bowie?

- Oh, he's all right. Turned a horse over.

- Jethro?

- Yes, sir.

Tell Colonel Bowie

I wish to speak to him at once.

Yes, sir.

Over here, where we can

have a little privacy.

Yes, sir.

- Post this area.

- Yes, sir!

Will, considering the way

things turned out, I...

Dick, leave this to me.

Colonel Bowie.

I have had just about

enough insubordination.

You have?

All right. Let's get to it. When and where?

I hear you're a good shot,

so let's choose pistols.

I assumed you would choose

the ruffian's knife.

- Gentlemen, I beg...

- Dick, act for me!

Time?

I suggest after this war is over.

Yes.

The minute...

the very minute this war is over.

- Jim?

- That's fine with me.

One last word, Bowie.

This evening's episode...

By going on a mission without orders

you endangered this command.

If it had not been for

the intervention of Captain Dickinson...

...a large number of volunteers

would now be dead out there...

...instead of at their posts in here.

I demand your word of honour that

there will no repetition of such conduct.

Or else I shall be forced

to order your arrest.

Travis...

Don't you worry any more

about arrest or insubordination.

I take my people out at daybreak.

Colonel Travis...

I'm an old man...

...but you're wrong.

That Jethro...

Reminds me of a story...

Please, Crockett!

No homespun wisdom.

No cracker-barrel philosophy.

None of the backwoods wit

for which you are famous. Good night!

You'd better slack off on me, mister.

This code of honour business

doesn't bother me a bit.

When there's trouble

I come from any direction...

...as sudden and surprising as I can.

My only concern here is 23 Tennesseans.

So you'd better let me know

what's in your mind.

I'd have thought that would

have been obvious to you.

It's as simple as this.

There's Santa Anna with 7,000 men.

Up here is the Sabine River.

Somewhere around here...

...Sam Houston is trying

to organise an army.

And right in between... is the Alamo.

Santa Anna can't go around and leave

a fort along his lines of communication.

He must reduce the Alamo by storm.

Every minute of time

we buy for Sam Houston...

...is another precious minute

in the life of Texas.

And nobody is ever going to say

that William Barrett Travis...

...did not buy every minute possible.

Makes sense.

Why didn't you tell Bowie that?

A commander does not have

to explain his every decision.

You explained to me.

I have great respect for you, Crockett.

But I have none for that

knife-fighting adventurer.

I figured any fella that shouldered

a gun was deserving of respect.

But then I'm not... a real soldier.

I never fought anybody but Injuns.

Less'n you count the British.

Crockett.

I must ask you to forgive

my rudeness earlier on to you.

I'm an easy forgiver... at times.

Good night, Travis.

Crack out a couple of jugs

and bring that guitar.

What are we gonna do, Davy?

Serenade.

Well...

I hope you told that long-winded idiot

what you think of him.

- I'm not rightly sure what I think of him.

- What's all this?

Well, I figured we'd crack a jug

and tell each other our troubles.

Now wait a minute, Crockett.

Don't try your winnin' ways on me.

My mind's made up.

Well, we can have a farewell drink.

You mean you're stayin'?

That's what I figure, Jim.

All right. We'll have a drink or two or ten.

But you ain't gonna get me drunk

and change my mind.

Of course not!

Water patrol! Let's go!

Rise and shine! Up and at 'em!

Beekeeper, come on! Show a leg!

Get out of there!

Thimblerig, come on! It's your duty.

- It's your duty!

- You don't have to wake us all!

- I'll get 'em up, Sergeant.

- Thanks, Parson. Thanks.

Hey!

Two dollars American

if you take out my patrol.

Two dollars? This morning

I wouldn't take your patrol for ten.

- I would!

- Got yourself a deal, Scotty.

Well, Davy, it looks like you done it again.

It do.

- And Bowie?

- Looked like a tie to me.

Your duty!

Good morning, Colonel.

He's still sleepin'.

I'll take care of that, Jethro.

Aaagh!

Hey!

Ow!

Crockett!

Crockett!

- Crockett, what the devil...

- Good morning, Smitty. Doc.

- Davy.

- Good morning.

Well!

You got yourself famous.

Now when they talk about Jim Bowie...

...they'll tell about the man that

pulled him out from under the troops.

Gee! Will they?

Jim, the kid wants to know

about that sand bar episode.

- Oh, come on, Crockett!

- That's the truth.

- He's never heard anything but hearsay.

- Gosh, yes, Mr Bowie!

- All the fellas back home talk about...

- By the way, Smitty...

Say goodbye to Jim.

Are you going someplace, Colonel... Jim?

No.

No, I'm not goin' noplace.

That's just Crockett's idea of a joke.

Now you get well, Smitty, boy.

And thanks for your help.

- What are you doin'?

- It was rumoured we were leavin'.

I'll tell you when we're leaving.

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