The Last Frontier Page #4

double the sentries.

Bugler, call to arms...

Oh, that ain't no use, Colonel.

That was one brave come in close enough

to get himself a coup.

He's right, sir. It's happened before.

Some young brave wanted

to make a name for himself.

They don't have much respect for you,

do they?

You may be right, sir.

But I have an awful lot of respect for them.

Mr. Benton, get a burial detail.

You keep messing around

with her and you'll wind up hanging.

We weren't messing around.

No? What was you doing?

Showing her your buffalo hides?

She's going to be my woman.

The Colonel's lady

is gonna be your woman?

That's right.

Don't laugh, Gus.

No. No, maybe it ain't so funny.

Maybe, it's kind of sad.

I want you to forget her.

I want you to get her out of your mind.

- Forget her. Do you hear me? Forget her.

- Leave me alone, Gus.

I'm mighty disappointed in you, Jed boy.

You make me feel

all the years I spent with you was wasted.

Jed.

I'd have died for you more than once

as you would for me.

I feel for you

like you was me own flesh and blood, lad.

Do you believe that?

Do you believe it?

- I don't know what to believe.

- I think I got a right to talk.

And I'm asking you to stay away from her.

She can hurt you, Jed.

She can break you into pieces

without making you bleed.

She ain't no squaw woman.

She can't sleep in a tree

or hide out in a cave.

She's a fancy lady

and she needs a fancy gent.

You can't even read or write.

And whose fault is that?

It's mine, I should have

taught you them things when you was little.

Only I couldn't,

cause I never learned them myself.

I guess you and me...

are just about two of

the most ignorant men alive.

Sometimes, she looks at me

like I was a bear.

There's some comfort in being a bear

when you live in bear country.

But I don't want to be a bear.

Me leg's beginning to talk back to me

a little. Will you give me a hand?

I told you to keep

off that leg for another three days.

I'm gonna tuck it in right now, Doctor.

Good night.

Jed.

Sit down.

I'm worried, Jed.

It's the Colonel.

He's not a well man.

It doesn't show

because it's locked inside his head.

He can't sit much longer.

He's got to go out and kill Indians.

Someone's got to stop him.

You got a gun.

Good luck, Mungo.

- Where're you sending him?

- To Laramie.

To bring back orders...

that will keep Col. Marston

inside this fort all winter.

For a while, captain,

you had me worried about you.

I'm still worried.

Tell me, Captain.

How can you and the Colonel

wear the same kind of uniform...

and still be so different?

It happens, Jed.

He's a soldier.

He's got a wife.

He's got all the things

you said you have to have to be civilized.

Now, how can that be?

We have animals among us.

- Why don't you kill them?

- That'd make us animals, too.

What's the good of being civilized?

Look, I don't have any right

to judge Col. Marston.

Neither do you.

- How do you clean up such a mess?

- There're lawyers and judges.

I knew a lawyer once at a trading post.

He claimed that my furs

were trapped on his land.

- We had strong words.

- What happened?

He was smaller than me.

I know I did wrong, Captain,

but the next time I'll know better.

Next time I'm gonna find me a judge

who sees things my way.

That's a little too civilized.

- Good night, Captain.

- Good night, Jed.

You hunks of mud, now listen to me.

The soles of your shoes

are half an inch thick.

By tonight, you'll be through them...

and marching on the soles of your feet.

But you'll be marching like soldiers.

Anybody don't like it, speak up.

Anybody.

I'm gonna drill you till mess.

You're gonna step out and step out lively.

Calling platoons, forward march!

Left, hut!

Hut, two, three, four!

Water detail ready to leave, sir.

I should think you've stored enough water

in the past week, Lieutenant.

- It's best to be safe, sir.

- I despise that word.

It's for tradesmen, not for soldiers.

How far is Red Cloud's camp

from the stream?

Not very far.

I'd like to see it.

Forward march! Hut, two, three, four!

If one of them don't come back,

you can be thanking yourself.

Take the wagons

to the fort as soon as they're loaded.

Yes, sir.

Benton will take

the water detail back without you.

I want to see Red Cloud's camp.

You won't see anything

that I haven't told you before.

I want to see it myself.

Is this their main camp?

It doesn't look like

they have more than 100 men down there.

They've got a dozen camps

just like this, scattered all over the valley.

They split up. Easier to hunt food that way.

If I had the water detail here...

I could wipe out

that entire camp with a single run.

- We'd better start back.

- What's your hurry?

If we can see them,

pretty soon they'll be able to see us.

I don't see any women.

When an Indian goes to war,

he leaves his woman home.

Does Mrs. Marston's presence

at the fort annoy you?

She should be home, too.

She'll be disappointed to hear that, Cooper.

I thought she rather liked you.

What do you keep stopping for?

- What is it?

- Don't talk.

Cooper.

Get me out of here.

If you'd stayed behind me like you should,

you wouldn't be down there.

Never mind that. Get me out.

You know,

these woods are full of bear traps.

You'll fall into two or three more before

you get out of the trees.

I didn't ask you

for a lecture. Now get me out.

- Colonel, I feel like talking.

- I'm ordering you, Cooper.

Take it easy, Colonel.

I ain't got much to say.

I got an idea you'll listen much better

from where you are.

Cooper, I'm warning you,

if you don't get me...

Take it easy now, Colonel.

That's better.

You know, Colonel,

there's something eating you.

I've seen it before.

Mostly in Indians.

When they get so full of hate

they can't wait to kill.

I've done some killing myself...

but I never went out looking for it.

I ain't sure, Colonel, that I wouldn't be

doing an awful lot of people...

a big favor

by just letting you stay right where you are.

Get me out!

Shooting me won't do you no good.

It'll only bring Red Cloud down on you.

And won't he be surprised

to find that there ain't no bear in this trap.

All right, Cooper, you've had your little joke.

Now get me out.

I'm going to take you out, Colonel.

But first you've gotta

promise me something.

What?

You being a fancy gent...

I guess I can count on your word.

Yes, you can, if I give it to you.

Give up this crazy notion

of chasing Red Cloud off the earth...

and stay in the fort until the snow comes.

I'm waiting, Colonel.

Colonel, I don't hear nothing.

I'll see you in hell first.

That's harsh talk for a man in a bear pit.

Do you wanna hear it again?

I'll make believe I didn't hear you.

Now let's try it once again.

I'll see you in hell first.

Like Gus says...

that's a real likely possibility.

Cooper.

Cooper.

Cooper.

Cooper, come back here.

Cooper!

I wouldn't worry, Mrs. Marston.

Cooper's very much at home out there.

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