The Black Dakotas Page #5

friends saved me from death.

I could have had

Black Buffalo killed.

He can tell you this.

But I did not,

because my mission is one of

peace to the Sioux nation.

Black Buffalo did wrong.

I can read.

The treaty told of lies.

It made sacred promises.

How will War Cloud know

of promises in treaty

if it is destroyed?

The paper I carried yesterday

was only an unsigned copy

of the treaty for study by you.

Today, I have brought

the original treaty,

already signed by the President

of the United States.

It guarantees new hunting

and trapping grounds.

It promises the Sioux

these lands forever,

and that white settlers will be

kept off of them by our army.

And within a few days,

there will arrive

President Lincoln's

peace offering

of $100,000 in gold.

This will buy food

for your people,

warm clothing for winter,

strong medicine for the sick,

and make the Sioux tribe

rich and very powerful.

You say Sioux

will get new lands.

You say Sioux will get gold.

War Cloud says, when?

BLACK BUFFALO:
If white man lies,

we burn your town, kill everyone.

Young braves will rise

across the whole frontier.

They will drive enemies back

to the far banks

of the Missouri.

Black Buffalo talks much.

But I am Chief.

If gold comes

three sunsets from now,

War Cloud will agree

and put his mark on treaty.

And all Sioux

will keep the peace.

I have spoken.

I leave you this treaty

until three suns have set.

It is the Great

White Father's promise.

Hey, you done all right.

Looks like we can't lose.

If the gold comes through

in time, we can't lose.

Mr. Lincoln's 100,000.

Boy, it'll buy a lot of beans

and bullets for the South.

It will be put to very good use.

Very.

(GUN COCKING)

I'm sure glad we're not long

for this part of the country.

I miss that good, old

Southern cookin'.

So do I.

That stage with the money on it

is just about due, isn't it?

- GIBBS:
I think before morning.

- What do you make of all that?

It's plain they're planning

to rob my stagecoach,

but it isn't just the gold they're

after, it's something else.

I'll see what I can find out.

Coffee, Ruth?

Yes, please.

Frank, you were always a

good friend of my father's.

All of us worked

very close with him.

I loved him very much.

Folks here called him a spy.

Back home we call him a patriot.

But this waiting

for the stagecoach,

that's like plain robbery.

I can't believe that's

what he wanted.

Well, it's simple.

The South needs the gold

more than the Sioux.

It'll feed plenty of

hungry soldiers,

get shoes for them,

bullets, maybe victory.

Your father made a vow.

I think he'd like to know that

you helped keep it for him.

I'd do anything for my father.

(HORSE NEIGHING)

(WHISTLING)

Too bad you got here

late for supper.

We had roasted hog.

Yeah, that's my favorite eatin'.

Sorry we missed it.

Well, tonight's

the night that counts.

Any word yet about the gold?

Warren's down on the road

waitin' for word now.

Mr. Paige.

I'm sure you're surprised to

see me here, Miss Lawrence.

Well, this is too hard

to grasp all at once.

I thought you came

from President Lincoln.

No, I was detailed here at

the request of your father.

Ruthie, this is Brock

Marsh from Richmond.

Richmond?

But you talk like a northerner.

Well, I've had

a lot of practice.

So, it was you who shot

the real Zachary Paige?

Yes, and he died

like a good soldier.

Like so many do on our side.

But I don't understand. Why did

you have to take his place?

Wouldn't he have done what

you're doing with the Indians?

Up to a certain point, yes.

Whatever promises he made he would

have kept, and that's the difference.

We won't keep any of them.

You're going to double-cross

the Sioux in everything?

In everything.

We're fightin' a war.

There are some things you

stop at, even in war.

Those Indians will

start a massacre.

The idea in fightin'

a war is to win it.

Miss Lawrence, this was

your father's plan and,

well, we'd like to

have you with us, too.

Don't be against

what he believed in

just because of

the people in this town.

They haven't been

very nice to you.

No, they haven't.

Well, then, we can...

We can count on you?

Yes, you can count on me.

- I don't want to stay here any longer.

- Good.

Ruth, you're being a fool.

You don't understand, Mike.

Do you?

Yes, I understand

everything now.

(HORSE APPROACHING)

Someone's comin' up the trail!

It's Warren.

Did you find out?

Yes.

The stage carryin' the gold is

about three hours behind me.

It's bein' escorted by four

militia men from the fort.

Three hours, huh?

Well, we'll be ready. Where

are we goin' to stop them?

The road makes a sharp

turn at Elephant Rock.

Here.

Now, when the coach

hits that turn there,

it'll have to slow down.

We can catch them in a

crossfire, right there.

Right, Gimpy.

We'll split up.

You and Burke and Stone

go on ahead.

- Warren and Frank will come with me.

- All right.

Let me get a cup

of coffee first.

I've had a long ride.

All right.

Gee, that smells real good.

- Here, have this.

- Thanks.

Well, to success.

The next three hours are

goin' to seem more like ten.

Mmm, that's real good coffee.

How about some Southern

hospitality for the Yank?

Cup of coffee, Yank?

I don't think he likes you.

You better let

Miss Lawrence take it.

I don't want it!

RUTH:
Why you ungrateful,

selfish, you...

You... You'll wait

for the day

before I'll even bring you

a drink of water.

I'm glad I'm through

with the North

and everybody I ever met here.

- He don't like her either.

- (ALL LAUGHING)

(WHISPERING)

You've got to get help.

That gold must get

to the Indians.

(EXCLAIMS)

(GUN FIRING)

WARREN:
He took my horse!

(GUNFIRE)

(HORSE WHINNYING)

Warren, you go that way!

(GUNSHOT)

He's dead.

Mike shot him.

In the back?

He's probably hidin'

in the rocks.

- But he didn't have a gun.

- Sure he did.

There was a rifle in the

saddle boot of the horse.

- WARREN:
Of the horse Mike took?

- Yeah.

No, there wasn't.

That was my horse he grabbed,

and I never carry a rifle.

I depend on this.

I haven't liked you since

you shot Zachary Paige.

Now just what are

your plans, Marsh?

You aimin' to kill

the rest of us?

Now wait a minute, Warren.

You're in on this, too.

You've been in all along.

I never had a chance to tell

you before this happened.

That's why I sent

the others on ahead.

We got a good deal here.

What deal?

The South can't win the

war, you know that.

We'll take the 100,000

and split it, even.

And get rid of the others?

Sure, we can do it.

You double crossin',

betrayin', sneakin' coward.

And you call yourself

a Southerner.

No deal, Mr. Traitor.

We're takin' that gold

straight to Jefferson Davis.

But we're not

takin' you any place.

Mike, are you hurt?

- I just took a bad fall. I'll be all right.

- I heard shooting.

- Marsh killed Warren and Frank.

- What?

He's been a traitor

to both sides.

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