The Last Frontier Page #5

The Colonel isn't.

He's with Jed.

Captain, I'm very worried.

Can't you send some men

out there to look for them?

- I could, if I had a good reason, but...

- There is good reason.

What is it?

Nothing.

I'm sorry I can't help you, Mrs. Marston.

Corporal of the guard,

open the gate. Jed's here.

- Where's Col. Marston?

- I lost him.

You're too good a scout

to lose a man, Cooper.

Indians got him.

Isn't that the way it happened, Jed?

- No. That's not the way it happened.

- I'm sure it wasn't Jed's fault, Glenn.

- Let Jed tell me.

- I already told you. I lost him.

How?

- I didn't touch him, Captain.

- I want a full report.

- You can't put that in the report, Glenn.

- Now, wait a minute.

I dislike Col. Marston

much as any other man here...

but he was still in command of this fort.

I'll have no part of this murder.

What do you think he was trying to do

to 148 men and women in this fort?

You're not fit

to wear a uniform, you never will be.

He's not coming back.

I didn't touch him.

I didn't have to.

He did it himself.

I did what they all wanted.

It's what you wanted, wasn't it?

Wasn't it?

Speak when I...

Yes, I wished for it.

- But not this way.

- There's no other way.

You can't kill a man by wishing him dead.

Now you look at me

like I was something dirty.

You hate a man,

you pray the Lord will strike.

But when someone

does it for you, you hate him.

I have nothing against the Colonel.

He never hurt me.

What I did, I did for you...

and the Captain and the rest of you.

Now, I'm not clean enough to touch you.

- She wouldn't let you do it, would she?

- You're lucky, that's all.

Luck had nothing to do with it.

I know my wife pretty well.

She's a fine person.

Fine people can make mistakes, too.

How long have these men

been on punishment?

Just overnight, sir.

- Release them immediately.

- Yes, sir.

Punishment detail, halt!

Dismissed.

Were you worried about me, Captain?

I was worried about Jed, sir.

I didn't want to see him court-martialed.

If I hadn't returned, I believe you would have

gone through with it.

I'd have hung him.

You're a good officer, Riordan.

I apologize

if I ever questioned your integrity.

Yes, sir.

- Captain.

- Yes, sir.

I want the entire company

fully armed and assembled in three hours.

- The entire company, sir?

- Every man.

Jed.

- Where did you get the blue uniform, lad?

- From an Indian.

- You got no right to wear it, you know that?

- Neither did the Indian.

- Does that help any, Jed?

- Go away, Gus.

No, I'm not going away.

- I'm not your problem, boy.

- No, I ain't got no problems, Gus.

- I ain't got no problems.

- No, no.

You just like

holing up here like a bear, don't you?

And drinking yourself crazy?

- Sorry you brought the Colonel back.

- I ain't glad.

Jed, you did right.

And I'm proud of you.

Makes me feel as though

I didn't bring you up too bad after all.

- I didn't do it for you, Gus.

- She made you, didn't she?

Most likely, she wanted him dead

just as much as you did...

only she couldn't.

That'd be the Christian in her.

That's the part of your education

that's most been sadly lacking.

You ain't got no Christian in you.

- I ain't?

- No.

There's two kinds of love.

The way you love

and the way a Christian does.

And she can't be had your way.

How do the Christians do?

To begin with,

he don't pine for another man's wife.

- Never?

- Maybe sometimes.

But a good Christian fights it off.

How?

He gets himself another woman.

You mean, a Christian...

Ioves a woman he don't like

because he can't get the one he wants?

I call that real sneaky.

Corpsman:
Reilly.

Corporals:
Jennings, Langley...

Luis, Madison.

Lieutenants:
Forsythe, Meredith.

Privates:
Lucas, Fenton...

Davis, Wilder...

Denny, Holden...

Priar, Jenkins...

Randolf, Russell...

Ryan, Alfasson...

Groven, McKinley.

- Report.

- All present and accounted for, sir.

We're moving out to attack tomorrow night.

Not many of you men have seen action.

Maybe you're scared.

As soon as you get

your first encounter behind you...

you'll feel a lot better.

You'll be given orders all along the way.

So don't lose your heads.

Just follow those orders

and you'll be all right.

Thank you.

I'm with you, Colonel...

I'm with you all the way.

I'm sick of being cooped up

behind these walls.

I need room, Colonel.

Elbow room, and lots of it!

You know what, Colonel?

You and me, we're gonna show

those Tetons how to die, aren't we?

I'm gonna get 10 scalps.

How many are you gonna get, Colonel?

I'm gonna get 10.

I'm gonna get 10, before they get mine.

All right, soldier boys,

go find your pretty ladies!

Find them and give them a kiss goodbye!

Make it a big kiss!

Because this is the last kiss

you're ever gonna have!

From now on in,

it's off to the happy hunting ground!

And me and the Colonel

are gonna get there first!

Right, Colonel?

Open the gates!

Open them wide, Red Cloud!

Here we come!

Me and the Colonel...

and all them fine soldier boys.

Open the gate, here I come!

Onward at last!

Lock the gate.

Dismissed.

Red Cloud!

Where are you, Red Cloud?

- They're too close, Sergeant.

- What I aim at, I hit.

Open the gate!

- You're drunk, Cooper.

- Yes, sir.

Go to your quarters and take off that coat.

Yes, sir.

What were you trying

to do out there, kill yourself?

What do you care?

I do.

Why should you?

Because you were doing it for me.

You know, you get me all mixed up.

- Go ahead, laugh at me.

- I'm not laughing at you.

Well, then, be mad at me.

I can't be angry with you.

Well, do something.

Don't just stand there and look at me.

That's all I can do, Jed, is look at you.

Oh, no!

Women.

The next man who mentions

Cooper's name to me...

can expect to walk the punishment yard.

There'll be a full inspection

on the post before we leave tonight.

Any man who fails to pass it

will wish he'd never been born.

That's all.

Come in.

- Something troubling you, Sergeant?

- The men's morale, sir.

That Cooper riled them last night.

We may have a little trouble.

Have any of the men refused

to march out tonight?

No, sir, not yet...

but Cooper's back,

and I don't know what he's up to.

- What could he be up to?

- That's just it, sir, I don't know.

But if he talks

to the men again, they may refuse to go.

What do you suggest, Sergeant?

I was hoping you'd suggest something, sir.

- You don't like the man, do you?

- I hate him.

I don't imagine

it would take much to provoke him.

Very little, sir.

Provoke him.

Yes, sir.

Looking for someone?

The Colonel wants to see you.

What for?

He'll tell you.

I'll be there.

I'm supposed to bring you.

You came up the steps awful quiet.

I did.

The way you came

through this door, I don't like it.

No?

I smell trouble.

And you fill the room with it.

Get going.

The Colonel doesn't want

to see me, does he?

Why else would I come?

Maybe to kill me.

Why don't you try?

Hold it.

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