The Hallelujah Trail Page #8

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immobilised for ever.

We'll see.

Would you mind telling me

what your next move might be?

Well, apart from our non-violent

picket line, we have no plans.

Except to have our meeting

at the Indian camp tonight.

- A what?

- A rally.

A rally, Frank.

Hold your positions, ladies.

Come along, Louise.

A rally at the Indian camp.

We will save, we will save,

we will save another soul, hallelujah

We will save, we will save,

we will save another soul

And if the road is rocky

and a man should start to slip

Man should start to slip,

man should start to slip

And if the road is rocky

and a man should start to slip

We will take a better grip

And if a man gets weak

and takes a bottle from the shelf

Bottle from the shelf,

bottle from the shelf

And if a man gets weak

and takes a bottle from the shelf

We will save him from himself

We will save...

We will save, we will save,

we will save another soul

And if the road is rocky

and a man should start to slip

Man should start to slip...

- What'd he say?

- He says, uh...

"Good to sign white squaw's paper.

Good for peace."

We will save, we will save,

we will save another soul

And if the road is rocky

and a man should start to slip

Man should start to slip,

man should start to slip...

If it's the last thing I ever do,

I'll have that entire band

transferred to Alaska.

- What are they doing now?

- Singing, sir.

- And signing pledges.

- I don't believe it.

As far as I can tell,

they've got 50 signed already.

Go back there, Sergeant. Get me

one of those pledges. I wanna see it.

How can I get one, sir?

Yes, sir!

We will save, we will save,

we will save another soul

And if a man is saved,

there are others still to come...

Can you handle the rest of this,

Louise?

You can count on me, Mrs. Massingale.

I'm gonna hand out

equipment to Group B.

Good luck, Cora.

Here, sir. Just a crazy mark,

but each one of 'em's marked different.

That woman! How many?

- 81 now, sir.

- 81?

Get back there, Buell.

And tell Slater to cover his flanks.

Yes, sir.

Chisel.

Axe.

Hammer.

Where's that Massingale woman?

She's down there somewhere, Frank,

takin' advantage of ignorant savages.

- There oughta be a law agin it.

- There oughta be somethin'

I don't trust her.

You just keep your pants hitched,

Frank.

Chief says..."No more peace."

What is it, Sergeant?

What happened, Sergeant?

- The Indians have captured the women.

- What?

One minute they were all

signing pledges and then...

How did that idiot Slater

ever let it happen?

On behalf of Captain Slater, sir,

it's only fair to state

that if the women hadn't started singing

hymns and making all that... racket...

Sir, the Indians disarmed my men

and took the ladies captive.

I know what they did, Slater.

They moved fast, we were outnumbered,

there was nothing I could do.

- Sergeant.

- Sir!

Alert the bugler. Rouse the camp.

Prepare for battle.

Yes, sir! Sir, any rash move on our part

may endanger the lives of the women.

- Dammit, I can't just twiddle my thumbs.

- No, sir!

Sir, the sergeant's right, sir.

An attack right now might be

most ill-advised... sir.

- Why is he here?

- He's a symbol of their good faith.

Good faith?

- They wanna bargain with us.

- Bargain?

20 wagons of whiskey

in exchange for the women.

- 20 wagons?

- Yes, sir. You see, the Indians...

- Can he understand us?

- Not a word, sir.

20 wagons comes out to about...

three and seven-eighths women

per wagon.

I think that was it, or maybe

the interpreter was confused.

- Slater.

- Yes, sir.

There's only one course of action now.

I am declaring martial law!

I say you can't do it!

No tinhorn colonel's gonna come

here and declare martial law.

If you don't shut up, Mr. Wallingham,

my first step will be to lock you up.

Gentlemen, this bickering

can lead to nothing constructive.

Since you cannot take

military action against the Indians

and you cannot negotiate with them, there

is only one course of action open to us.

We must accede to their demands

and give them the whiskey without delay.

Giving whiskey to Indians

is strictly forbidden

by the army regulations

so dear to you, Mrs. Massingale.

Not if the Indians

don't drink the whiskey.

What's to stop the Indians

from drinking whiskey?

Precisely.

I have their pledges.

One hundred signed pledges

with this one on the top signed by

Chief 5 Barrels himself. That's his mark.

She's right. That's his mark.

Do they get the whiskey?

It's my whiskey, and you're not

going to touch one drop of it!

- Listen, Frank...

- Quiet!

In that case, I have no choice but to

destroy all the whiskey right now.

You're bluffin'

Oh...

Am I?

There is a woman hidden in each

and every one of those wagons,

awaiting my order by code to start

smashing the barrels of this vile cargo.

Madam, you lie.

Indeed?

Ladies of Group B...

Frank, will you keep your pants hitched?

The signal was to be a hymn,

but that's not necessary.

Now, I'll just tell them to begin.

- You wouldn't do that.

- Ladies of Group B, you may begin!

Puncture those barrels!

- No, wait!

- Just a moment, ladies!

You let her smash one barrel

and I'll have those brass buttons

ripped off your chest!

- I'm a taxpayer and a good Republican!

- You say that one more time

and I'll bust you right in the nose!

- Are you threatening me?

- Now sit down!

- You hear that?

- Sit down! Come on, Frank. Sit down.

And shut up!

Mrs. Massingale, sit down.

Sit down!

And stay down.

Ladies of Group B,

get out of those wagons!

Right now!

- Sergeant, put this down.

- Yes, sir.

The United States Army confiscates

20 wagons of the Wallingham train.

There! You hear that?

Confiscation of private property,

in which case I shall be repaid in full.

Go ahead, declare martial law.

- Martial law to take effect at daybreak.

- You declare it right now!

Don't you tell me

when to declare martial law.

Slater. Take that symbol of good faith

back to Chief 5 Barrels.

And, Slater, knock down the price.

- Buell.

- Sir!

This meeting stands adjourned.

Get outta here!

Go on! Get outta here,

you bunch of vandals!

Get off of my property!

Get off of my bed! Get outta here!

Get outta that wagon! Get outta there!

Out! Out!

I thought I heard ya, Frank.

(chuckles)

He, he, he...

You got me into this,

you soothsaying sot.

And now I'll get you out of it, Frank.

In fact, it's all set.

Everything's ready, except one

more chore I gotta do right now.

Believe me, Frank,

you just trust old Oracle.

Me and my Billy girl

is gonna fix it all up.

Come on now, Billy girl.

Take me slow and take me true.

Colonel?

Go away!

Madam, I don't know what you're up to,

but whatever it is

I don't wanna hear about it.

I've come to tell you how truly sorry

I am for what I've done.

Thank you, and good night.

Colonel, do you realise what will happen

when word gets out that you've given

20 wagons of whiskey to Sioux Indians?

I realise!

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