The Plainsman Page #6

stranger's gonna have a papa.

Never mind that.

We got plenty of water

in the river.

Hickok.

Yes, sir?

It's gonna be a siege.

Days of it.

After dark, I'll call

for volunteers to try to

get back to General Custer.

I've already sent word

to Custer.

Who'd you send?

Who'd you send?

- CalamityJane.

Calamity? Wha--

She oughta get through.

She'd better get through.

There you are.

I oughta have you

stood up and shot.

Why don't you?

If I had the authority to do it,

I'd like nothing better,

but I haven't.

I can't make you pay

for what you've done.

You won't have to.

Ten hut.!

Captain Wood.

Lieutenant Burke.

Sergeant Higgins.

Corporal Brannigan.

Here today

and gone tomorrow.

- Bugler Corry.

- Here, but not for long.

Seven days you been calling

that roll. Tomorrow there won't

be anyone left to answer it.

Then I'll answer 'em all myself.

Private Adams. Anderson.

Here, and I wish I wasn't.

I wish I had

two more like you.

Bingham.

Six nights I've been listenin'

to the wild talk of the wounded.

'Tis a sad lullaby.

Bronson.

Yo. What's left of me.

Cody.

- Here.

- He's up in his hotel.

Coleman.

Still here.

-Three days now since

the mule meat went bad.

- It's six, I tell ya!

Why tell the Indians?

They know about it.

Keep quiet, you baboons!

Seven. Do you think you're

the only one hearin' Rankin

in sick bay...

talkin'half the time about

that hole through his lung

and the rest about his kid?

He's so scared he can't count.

It's six nights.

This paper says

they're expectin' trouble

with the Indians.

Huh?

- No?

- Dalrymple?

Here, and hungry.

Try chewin' saddle leather.

That'll ease your stomach.

Aw.

Daniels. Dowden.

Yo.

Easton. Evans. Hickok.

No hits.

- They're savin' him

for a hangin'.

- Houston.

Yo.

Hadley. Hillman.

What are you makin'

that for?

Holliston.

Sure, and all the Indians

won't be makin'

no headstone for me.

Jenkins.

Seven days you been doin' this.

They don't answer anymore.

He's roll calling the dead!

It's six days!

What difference does it make?

''What difference

does it make''?

Makes a difference to Gillon,

Harry Ketcham and Bailey.

Ray Todd must think

it makes a difference

where he lies out there.

They might be alive!

Alive!

Easy, son. Easy.

They might be.

You never can tell

what'll happen.

I knew a fellow lived on

the Kaw River by the bridge.

He used to feed a fish,

a big catfish, by hand.

- What's that got

to do with it?

- Now wait a minute.

That catfish got to followin'

that fellow out of water

for his dinner.

Every day he'd follow him more.

And one night when the man was

walkin'home across the bridge,

not noticin'the catfiish

was followin'him.

Now that fiish had never

seen a bridge before.

He fell off...

and he drowned.

- Ah, fish can't drown.

- That must've been

a narrow bridge.

Holy thunder.!

Look at them Injuns.!

Every man up this way!

Hurry, men, hurry!

- Get the wounded out

to load the guns!

- Don't shoot till

I give the command.

- Hand me up another rifle.

- Keep your heads down

if you wanna keep them on.

Look like buffalo, don't they?

A volley'll stop buffalo.

Volley fire. Ready!

Not yet.

But, Bill!

Hold your fire, men.

Wait for the command.

- They're riding us down!

- Don't wait.! Let 'em have it.!

Not yet!

Now!

Fire!

Load faster.!

Gimme that.!

I'm doing the best I can.

Fire at the center!

Split that charge!

Fire!

- Who was that?

- Keep your barrels red hot!

Fire at will, men!

This one's mine!

- We've turned 'em!

- Now they're goin' down

both sides!

Houston!Jack!

Cover the left flank!

Where are you going, you idiot?

Hey, Bill, come back here!

Are you crazy?

- Hey, Dave, help me cover him.

- Cover the right flank!

Load your guns, men!

Load your guns! Remember,

you're still in the army.

Gimme some water.

I gotta have water.

What's the matter?

Can't you hear me?

Load your guns.!

- What's the use? We can't

stand another charge.

- We may have to.

No.! We can't.

The dead can't fiight anymore.

Why don't you call roll now?

You're afraid? I'll call it

for you. Private Dowden.!

- You load your guns!

- Corporal Brannigan.

Load your guns.!

Why don't you tell

Brannigan to load his gun?

- I'm telling you.! Get up.!

- I won't!

Save that fighting

for the Indians!

You'll see.

Hold onto yourself,

fella.

There's nobody left.

You'll see.

Why don't you

tell your bugler

to sound assembly?

Stop blubbering

and reload your gun!

He can't answer.

Look at him.!

Look at him.!

Saints above.

He's answering

to his name.

Yes, it's the dead calling.

- Stop it, men!

Stop it. Listen.

It's Bugler Corry.

He's sounding the charge!

Come on, men,

it's a charge!

No, you fools! No!

What are you waiting for?

The dead want us.

McGinnis, hold 'em back.

Fall in men!

- It's the charge.

Don't ya hear it?

- Yes, I hear it.

Come on, follow me!

The boy's right.

It's horses.

They're charging.

Get ready, men!

We'll go down fightin'!

Come on.!

There they are, over there!

You can see 'em!

- Holy saints!

[ Bugle Playing ''Charge'' ]

They know we're alive.

We're okay.

Well, Yellow Hand didn't

get that ammunition

he was hankerin' for.

He would have,

if Calamity hadn't gotten

through to Custer.

She did a good job,

all right.

- She must've told Yellow Hand.

- Let her alone.

She never was good.

Why don't somebody

do somethin'about it?

Only 1 8 come back

out of 48.

The Cheyenne must've paid her

plenty to tell 'em.

Paid this woman in money,

but our soldiers paid in blood.

What are you gonna do?

I'll show you

what we're gonna do.

Talk's cheap,

ya loudmouthed liar.

Hey, you.

Let me out!

All right,

you dirty mule-skinner.

If you want it-- Ow!

If she was a man,

we'd know what to do with her.

Go ahead, you crossbred rat!

If you was a man,

you wouldn't be here!

Run her out of town!

Get some tar.!

Tar and feathers

is too good for her.

That's the way to talk!

Get a rail.!

Here. Here's a rail.

Gimme that hammer.

Why don't somebody get behind

her and get that whip?

- Why don't you?

- Get the feathers and tar.

There's a rail.

What do you want

with a rail,Jack?

- Bill!

- We're gonna run her

out of town.

Why?

You know what she done?

She told Indians--

Well, she's a woman,

isn't she?

Keep out of this, Bill Hickok.

And women talk a little

too much sometimes.

This woman is gonna get

what's coming to her.

Let's ride her out of town.

And men talk a little

too much sometimes too!

Those men had wives.

I know what's on your minds!

Yes, there were soldiers killed.

I was there.

I saw them.

Huh?

And they were killed

with bullets-- bullets

from repeating rifles.

Who'd sell rifles

to Indians?

Lincoln said this country's

got to be made safe.

Those are his words.

And I'm on my way to settle

this matter with the man

who sold those rifles.

It wouldn't please me to be the

man Bill Hickok's goin' after.

Me neither!

I knew there

was monkey business goin'on.

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