The Searchers Page #14

120EXT. NIGHT CAMP - MED. CLOSE SHOT - MARTIN

still snug in his blankets, sound asleep; the fire burning

a little lower but still shedding plenty of light on him.

121EXT. HILLY COUNTRY - FULL SHOT - FROM BEHIND FUTTERMAN AND

HIS HENCHMEN:

At a crouch or crawling, the three worm their way among some

rocks until they reach a slight rise looking down into the

camp. Martin is asleep and next to him is Ethan's dummy,

hat over its face, and the fire still burning. The two

henchmen snake their rifles up to a firing position. A

shot cracks...and one man is knocked flat on his face.

The other whirls in the direction of the shot, his rifle

swinging in search of a target. A second shot splits the

night and the breed falls as though hit by a giant fist...

Martin is sitting up now, staring wildly around. Futterman

starts to run down-slope, away from the hidden marksman,

dodging between the rocks. A third shot catches him in

the back and he spins and falls and rolls down the slope

into the firepit camp area. Martin is on his feet now.

122EXT. NIGHT CAMP - FULL SHOT - MARTIN

He is staring at Futterman, face down and almost at his

feet. He looks around in fear at someone approaching --

hand going to his gun. Then he relaxes as Ethan casually

enters the camp, bareheaded, carrying his rifle.

ETHAN:

Thanks...you did just fine...

Ethan kneels beside Futterman, turns him over, reaches

into his pockets -- first one, then another.

MARTIN:

(dazed)

Futterman?

ETHAN:

He just couldn't wait...

MARTIN:

(watching him go

through pockets)

Whatchu doin'?...

Ethan grins satisfiedly as he straightens and spins the

gold piece in the air, catches it and pockets it.

ETHAN:

Even got my twenty dollars back...

We did all right.

And now Martin is getting the whole picture...and he's mad.

MARTIN:

WE?...You just used me for bait --

staked me out like a...buildin' up

the fire...fixin' it so's...I

coulda had my brains blowed out!

Ethan is just grinning at him -- completely unruffled,

denying none of it.

MARTIN:

(explosively)

Suppose you'd missed!

Ethan sobers a little, seems honestly surprised.

ETHAN:

Never occurred to me...

DISSOLVE TO:

123EXT. THE JORGENSEN HOME - WIDE ANGLE - DAY

It is a day in early winter. Charlie MacCorry, short-

coated, is galloping across the yard as Jorgensen crosses

it -- carrying a load of firewood.

CHARLIE:

(calling it)

Howdy, Mister Jorgensen...

JORGENSEN:

Charlie...

MacCorry swings off his saddle near the porch, as the door

opens and Mrs. Jorgensen comes out -- shawled against the

cold.

CHARLIE:

Got a letter here...

Jorgensen lets the cordwood drop...

JORGENSEN:

By golly! A letter?

CHARLIE:

For Miss Laurie...

MRS. JORGENSEN

Come in, Charlie, come in...

(calling inside)

LAURIE!...My land!...Two letters

in the one year!...

124INT. JORGENSEN KEEPING ROOM - FULL SHOT

as Charlie enters, following Mrs. Jorgensen. Jorgensen

excitedly enters and closes the door. Laurie comes in from

another room. Charlie smiles and bows clumsily.

MRS. JORGENSEN

(to Laurie)

A letter for you, Laurie...

CHARLIE:

Yes'm...Figgered it might be the

news you been waitin' for...so...

He hands the letter to Laurie who comes over eagerly, takes

it and studies the wrapper before opening it.

MRS. JORGENSEN

Real good o' you to ride all the

way over, Charlie...Might at least

say your thank you's, Laurie...

Declare!

CHARLIE:

No need to...

But Laurie has no interest in anything but the letter which

she is reading skimmingly.

MRS. JORGENSEN

Well?

JORGENSEN:

(expectantly)

Yah?

MRS. JORGENSEN

Laurie! Don't keep a body just

standin'!

Laurie looks up then.

LAURIE:

(impatiently)

I was just readin' to see if...

Anyway, it's MY letter!

MRS. JORGENSEN

(agreeably)

'Course it is. Now let's all get

comfortable an' set so's we can

listen while Laurie reads her

letter...

CHARLIE:

(turning as

if to go)

Maybe I'd better be goin'...

JORGENSEN:

You stay, Charlie...After all,

Charlie brought the letter, Laurie...

He got a right to listen too!

Mrs. Jorgensen has been pulling and pushing chairs around

and now they all take places. Jorgensen automatically

reaches for his glasses on the mantel and puts them on --

even though he isn't going to read the letter. Laurie

has been sneaking looks at some of the other pages.

LAURIE:

(surrendering)

Oh, all right! Well...Martin says...

JORGENSEN:

From the beginning...

LAURIE:

'Dear Miss Laury'...He spells it with

a Y instead of an I...E...Wouldn't you

think he'd know...

JORGENSEN:

Who cares what he spells it? Read

the letter.

LAURIE:

Dear Miss Laury...I take pen in hand

to let you know Ethan and me still

are trying to catch up with them Com-

anches the late Mister Futterman told

us about...

She breaks off, looks up -- puzzled.

LAURIE:

The late Mister Futterman?

JORGENSEN:

That means Mister Futterman is dead,

by golly.

MRS. JORGENSEN

Wonder what happened to the poor man.

Go on, Laurie.

LAURIE:

(resuming the letter)

We cut north through Indian territory

and...

(her voice fades)

DISSOLVE TO:

125EXT. OPEN COUNTRY - LATE SUMMER OR FALL - ETHAN AND MARTIN

(SILENT)

leading their pack animals. Martin's voice picks up the

narration.

MARTIN'S VOICE

Soon we was meeting up with Kiowas

an' Wichitas an' even some Comanches

camped by one of the agencies...

WIPE TO:

126WIDE ANGLE - A COMANCHE ENCAMPMENT - ETHAN AND MARTIN - DAY

FALL WEATHER (SILENT)

The camp is on the outskirts of a trading post. Indians

watch unsmilingly from tepees, or in little clusters afoot;

a few mounted braves ride on parallel courses as Ethan and

Martin ride through camp toward the post.

MARTIN'S VOICE

But none of them was Nawyecky's nor

claimed to know a war chief named

Scar...He's the one the late Mister

Futterman said had Debbie...

WIPE TO:

127INT. APPLEBY'S TRADING POST - MED. SHOT (SILENT) - DAY

This trading post is in marked contrast to Futterman's --

being well-stocked, clean and presided over by HIRAM

APPLEBY, a resolute, clean-looking man of middle years.

Ethan and Martin -- in winter garb -- are being shown a

variety of trade goods, including a shoebox full of ornate

ribbon rosettes, such as are awarded animals at stock

fairs. Appleby is solemnly affirming the trade value of

these, as well as sleeve garters, etc.

MARTIN'S VOICE

At one o' the agencies we outfitted

with all kind an' manner of trade

goods...figgerin' that'd make it

easier for us to come an' go...You'd

laugh if I told you what was our

biggest seller...

WIPE TO:

128EXT. INDIAN ENCAMPMENT - MED. CLOSE SHOT - ETHAN AND FAT

INDIAN - EARLY WINTER OR FALL DAY

Ethan is ceremoniously pinning something on the stern-faced

buck. It is one of the rosettes seen in the shoebox.

CAMERA MOVES to an extreme CLOSEUP of the rosette. On it,

in gold letters, is:

FIRST AWARD:

LARD TYPE HOG:

129EXT. INDIAN ENCAMPMENT - FULL SHOT - EARLY FALL OR WINTER

DAY:

As the Indian proudly steps back, we see beyond him a half

dozen other braves -- all rosetted. Ethan looks them

over complacently while Martin -- to hide the smile that

threatens to split his face -- bends to pick up a huge

bundle of furs.

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