The Guns of Fort Petticoat Page #2

and tomorrow.

I say we stay here. All of us.

How many ladies know how to shoot?

You can put your hand up.

I can shoot good, damn Yankee.

Mr Hewitt.

Only the Good Book tells me

what is right to do.

I don't believe in killing.

Miss Cora, the Comanches won't be

reading it through their rifle sights

Miss Hannah, I appoint you

sergeant and second-in-command.

Pick a couple of corporals.

Ann Martin and Stella Leathem.

Good. Now, get those horses unhitched

and put them in the corral.

Get your things inside the mission.

I sure wish you troopers luck.

Cos you're sure gonna need it.

Going somewhere, Kettle?

Maybe you do need a man around here.

One you're sure is on your side.

At least I chose a side.

Let's get to work.

You heard the man.

Emmett, I'm glad you're here.

Yeah, Mary... Yeah.

All right, men, use your muscles.

Turn it over.

In there. Push.

Push!

All right, Lieutenant, all right.

Ready, men?

One, two, three...

Heave!

Any three men, Lieutenant.

Yeah, well. Target practice.

Good.

Hold it, hold it.

Get your head down

so you can see that front sight.

That's fine, Hetty.

Are you all right?

You won't hit anything, but you'll

sure as blazes scare them to death.

If I remember correctly,

you don't need much practice.

I'll take my gun back

if you don't mind.

Better than any three men,

Lieutenant, any three men.

Most any three men.

Hurry up, hurry up!

Prepare to move out, Sergeant.

Skirts!

Up!

Tuck them in! Tuck them in!

Ready!

Charge!

You're supposed to be doing

a skirmish, not dancing a polka.

Heckles, get down.

The back of your lap

is a hard place to tie a bandage.

This time I want you to hit that

ground so hard it splits wide open.

Oh.

General, this ain't

the kinda work I'm accustomed to.

Can't you think of a more pleasing

arrangement for the both of us?

Fall in!

On the double!

You've got to

brace your feet, girls. Next!

Hold it! Hold it.

That's not the way I showed you.

Get over there, Martin.

You've got to use their momentum.

All right. Fast.

You see?

# We've been working all day long

# We've been working all day long

# We've been working all day long

# Passing the water, darling

# Pass the bucket down the line

# Pass the bucket down the line...

Start on that one over there.

If Indians don't attack at night,

why can't we bring water in there?

Because they'll be needing water.

Sounds reasonable.

# Passing the water, darling

# We've been working all day long

# We've been working... #

It's no wonder. We're not slaves.

You've no right to work us to death.

-- Hetty, my smelling salts.

Get back in line

Keep that water moving.

How dare you talk to me like that.

Move!

You'd better rest for a while.

Sit here.

You'll be all right.

Just a little touch of sun.

Emmett, you've got to help me.

Let's not start that again.

I can't stand it any longer.

I think I'm losing my mind.

You haven't told the others?

No, but it won't take long to guess.

Oh, Emmett, please marry me.

Look, I... told you.

I'm not ready for marriage yet.

Get inside or back behind the wall.

Behind the wall, men.

Now, get down.

Get down!

Let's get to work.

Throw all these pieces down the hole!

It's about ready.

There's a saying

that an army travels on its stomach.

I'm glad we're not going anywhere.

More salt.

Don't waste that lead, it's scarce.

Don't reload these with rough edges.

What's wrong with your petticoat,

Ogden? We need bandages.

I had Hetty give up hers.

Take it off.

What?

Take it off right now.

How dare you?

Take it off, or I'll do it for you.

H-h-hetty?

If you were in South Carolina, sir,

you would be horsewhipped.

Let me introduce a lady, la-di-dah.

La-di-dah, a lady

with a very pompous air, la-di-dah.

# She can't see you pass her by

Cos her nose is in the sky

# Her boots are fancy leather

And her bonnet... #

We needed the petticoat.

La-di-dah.

Hi, Stell.

- Can I talk to you?

Sure.

What do you really think

our chances are?

With Indians it's hard to tell.

I know what this can be.

Frank, I said I got married

a week after you went away.

Ask me why.

You said Ed Leathem's a good man.

He is.

But ask me if I love him.

That's not a fit question.

I married him out of hurt and spite.

I don't blame you.

I went crazy at what you'd done.

Don't say something

you'll regret later.

I'm so glad I can say it at last

In my heart I've never been his wife

When I saw you come riding in,

it was like a dam bursting.

It let all my feelings loose.

Hey, Stella! Stella!

What is it, Bax?

Sergeant Hannah needs you.

I'll be there in a minute.

She wants you right away.

I made that up to make her go.

Now, mister.

Careful where you point that gun.

I'm pointing it at a no-good Yankee.

Shouldn't we forget about the war?

My brother told me to look after her

You're doing a good job.

We were just talking about Ed.

Out here? Like that?

Bax, can you keep a man's secret?

Depends.

You've got things mixed up.

See, I already have a girl.

Which one is she?

You'll find out

Which one?

Well...

There she is now.

Come back here!

Hello.

- Hello, Bax.

Ann Martin?

That's right.

She's nice.

Yeah. You remember it's a secret.

Sure.

It's time you got to bed.

Good night.

Put that gun away.

Look, what makes him so sure that

Indians are between us and safety?

Dora Hartley was pretty good proof.

Then why aren't we better off

trying to fight our way through

than waiting to be slaughtered

like a bunch of sheep?

That's something to think about.

We can make it easy

if we travel light.

Load everyone in a couple of wagons,

stick two horses on behind,

and when one team gives out,

change over.

Simple?

Sergeant Lacey! Sergeant Lacey!

The Lieutenant and Kettle -

they're fighting.

What happened, Hewitt?

- Deserter.

And what are you?

Hewitt drove off all the horses.

Did you?

- Yes.

Why?

He was afraid we'd leave

and tell where he was hiding.

I don't believe it.

It's partly true. I heard Kettle

trying to talk you into running away.

Sounded like you might.

So you made up our minds for us.

Somebody had to.

Without letting us

decide for ourselves.

But he kept one horse

for his own getaway.

That was for scouting.

Oh, sure.

A likely story.

Ha!

Fine thing

to have to believe a turncoat.

Just a minute!

Frank stayed with the rest of us.

What about that varmint?

Lock him up till the fighting starts.

All right. Get goin'!

Frank, look.

I'm afraid it's your place, Stella.

We can hope they head north.

But we'll be ready.

Right. Back to your posts, men.

Move along. Move along!

Sentry?

All clear, Lieutenant.

Keep your eyes open.

What you're trying to do for us now

doesn't make up for the bad before.

What bad was that?

You ran out on Texas and the South.

How could you?

I have to live with my conscience.

And it makes you turn traitor

against friends and neighbours?

You think your way, I'll think mine.

Got all the guns clean, Lieutenant.

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