The Hallelujah Trail Page #4

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The least you can do

is release the post band.

No.

- But we can't sing hymns without them.

- Good.

- There's no point in having the meeting.

- Splendid.

Please, Father.

It means so much to us.

And Mrs. Massingale is leaving.

We may never see her again.

- Can I depend on that?

- Oh, I never go back on my word.

I shall say goodbye at the meeting.

Well, maybe the trombone.

Thank you, Father. You're a dear.

- And the drums?

- No. No drums.

Good afternoon.

Stand up, stand up and sing it

Raise our banners high

Victory is coming

Victory is nigh, believers

Victory is nigh

- What's goin' on over there?

- Singing, sir.

- You have guards at every exit?

- As you ordered, sir.

You'd better double the guards.

Check the exits yourself.

If they break out of that hall

in marching formation...

- That's what happened to Captain Slater.

- Yes, sir.

Ladies, our enemy has two heads.

First, the enslavement of women by men.

Yes.

And second, the enslavement

of men themselves

by the remorseless tyrant alcohol.

- Are we willing to fight these enemies?

- Yes.

Then we must reach out for freedom,

and tear this tyrant

from the lips of man.

Now, ladies, I have

an announcement to make

to each and every one of you

who has touched my heart.

The time has come for me to say goodbye

to all you wonderful women...

Thank God!

Something has occurred

which requires my presence elsewhere.

- I am going to the city of Denver.

- Denver?

I know, I know. You ask me

"Why Denver?" I'll tell you why.

Because 40 wagons of whiskey

are going to Denver right now.

40 wagons of poison

for those poor misguided citizens,

and no one in high office seems to care.

Well, I do!

And I shall shout it over and over

until the mountains of Colorado come

tumbling down to the Denver saloons.

- Will your hearts go with me?

- Yes!

- Is our cause just and righteous?

- Yes!

- I've doubled the guards, sir.

- I want you to guard the main entrance.

- Do I have your blessings?

- Yes!

No!

No! I cannot let you go

to that sinful city alone.

If you'll have me, Mrs. Massingale,

I'll go with you.

Get over there.

Drag my daughter off that platform.

Oh, how wonderful, ladies!

- Oh, ladies, we'll all go to Denver.

- Yes!

- We'll make it our marching song.

- Yes!

Stand up, we'll march to Denver

No more wine or beer

Stand up, we'll march to Denver

We will have no fear

Stand up, we'll march to Denver

Raise our banners high

Denver, we are coming

Denver will be dry, believers

Denver will be dry

Stand up, we'll march to Denver

Down with demon rum

Stand up, we'll march to Denver

Denver, here we come

Stand up, we'll march to Denver

Lift our banners high...

Well, Buell?

Just... tryin' to get my wind back, sir.

Knocked me flat, sir.

Did you hear what that...

woman said, sir?

I did.

- But, sir...

- "But, sir" what?

How can we let them

go through with it, sir?

March to Denver

through country like this,

without escort or protection?

What if they come upon

a bunch of Indians, sir?

I suggest we pray for the Indians.

Can the... the army refuse escort, sir?

From now on, the army will do

what I tell it to do.

What, uh...

What do you intend to do, sir?

- Good morning, Miss Gearhart.

- Good morning, Sergeant Buell.

Go away.

Louise, will you please go away?

This should make you feel better.

Nice hot milk.

What's going on out there?

Will you stop that infernal uproar?

You will not under any circumstances

go off with that... that woman.

Yes, Father.

To Denver or anyplace else.

I want that clearly understood.

Yes, Father.

Now will you please leave me alone?

Is he better?

I'm afraid not.

Louise, go and get me some

more blankets. Lots of them.

I want him to perspire. We will

sweat the poison out of his system.

Blankets. All right, Mrs. Massingale.

- Mrs. Massingale!

- Lie back.

- Madam...

- Back.

Now... just be quiet, please.

Don't exert yourself.

- Madam, we have a surgeon.

- Just relax.

Let the blood flow.

Now tell me, Colonel, does

the pain centre lie about here?

Look, Mrs...

- It's a little higher.

- A little higher. Yes, of course.

- About this march, Mrs. Massingale...

- Just unwind.

This march to Denver... impossible.

Right here, at this junction,

Colonel, a series of cords.

And beneath them, intertwined nerves

like fine silk threads.

Matters of... transportation.

Rattlesnakes...

All connected up to here

where the pain centre lies.

Examine my position.

Consider, if you will...

- Oh, that feels good.

- That's the key point.

First we rub gently downwards,

and then upwards,

and then downwards again.

Now you're beginning to relax.

I can feel it in my fingers.

I wish I could help you, but...

Army regulations.

Article 12,

section 26,

paragraph...

That's right.

Relax. Relax.

Company, attention!

Company, attention!

Good morning, Colonel Gearhart.

Good morning, Father.

Morning, ladies.

Who are those men at the gate?

Husbands.

Not all the ladies are single.

What do they want here?

The ladies are takin'

their wagons away.

They want the colonel

to do something about it, sir.

- Sir.

- Well?

Does the colonel intend...

I mean to say, sir,

will the escort party...

Sir, do you really intend

to go through with this thing?

Buell, you've got a great deal

to learn about military science.

A simple matter

of objective and stratagem.

Objective - get rid of these damn women.

- Stratagem...

- Take 'em to Denver, sir?

- Mount up, Buell. Mount up.

- Yes, sir.

- Move them out, Brady.

- Yes, sir.

Twos left!

Right turn! Ho!

Right turn! Ho!

Right turn! Ho!

Left turn! Ho!

Stand up, we'll march to Denver

No more wine or beer

Stand up, we'll march to Denver

No more whiskey here

Stand up, we'll march to Denver

- Buell!

- Sir!

One bugler, just one bugler joins in

with that singing, I'll have him shot!

Yes, sir.

Stand up, we'll march to Denver

Down with demon rum

Stand up...

It might be prudent

right at this moment

to get our bearings

upon this historic arena.

Julesburg is here.

To the southwest along the South

Platte River is the city of Denver.

North of it we find Fort Russell.

The Wallingham wagon train

had moved to this point on the river.

The first cavalry patrol

under Captain Slater... here.

The second cavalry patrol

under Colonel Gearhart... here,

with, of course,

the temperance marchers.

And the band of Sioux Indians... here.

In the city of Denver, another

miners' meeting was being held.

Hold it! Hold it down.

This meetin' is called to order.

Tell me who called this meetin',

what for,

and what's all the hollering about!

I did. Clayton, we gotta face the facts.

There's been no word from

that wagon train in two weeks.

- That's right.

- There's snow already at Grizzly Pass.

- Afternoon, gents.

- Oracle, the thing is we, uh...

- We got trouble.

- You know?

That wagon train

may not never get to you.

- Why not?

- Why, thank you.

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