The Searchers Page #15

WIPE TO:

130INT. JORGENSEN KEEPING ROOM - FULL SHOT - THE GROUP

FAVORING LAURIE:

reading the letter. She is at the bottom of a page.

LAURIE:

'There is one other thing I got

to tell you before you hear it

from Ethan...How I got myself a

wife'...

She stops and stares.

LAURIE:

A WIFE?

She looks at them - dazed.

CHARLIE:

(delightedly)

He did?

JORGENSEN:

(smacking his knee --

very happy indeed)

Good! A young man should get

married early in life. Right,

mama?

Mrs. Jorgensen, full of sympathy for Laurie, just glares

at her husband.

JORGENSEN:

Every young man should at least

once...Go on, Laurie! Read!

LAURIE:

(haltingly)

A little Comanche squaw - SQUAW!

And with that she crumples the letter and throws it into

the fire.

MRS. JORGENSEN

(aghast)

Laurie!

Jorgensen is out of his chair and scrambling in the fireplace

to recover the letter. He fetches it out, beating the

sparks out. The letter is basically undamaged.

JORGENSEN:

(sternly)

Is no way to treat a letter, Laurie

...Mama maybe you better read it...

(to Charlie, proudly)

My wife was a school teacher, Charlie

...She reads good.

Laurie snatches the letter back.

LAURIE:

I'll read it...

Charlie crosses the room, picks up a guitar.

CHARLIE:

(smugly)

So he married a Comanche squaw...Haw

haw haw!

Laurie glares at him. He begins chording the guitar.

WIPE TO:

131EXT. INDIAN ENCAMPMENT - MED. CLOSE SHOT - MARTIN AND

"LOOK" - FALL OR EARLY WINTER - DAY

"LOOK" is somewhat under five feet tall, pigeon-toed,

platter-faced and wide-eyed. Over her arm is a very hand-

some blanket. She is coming forward shyly toward Martin,

propelled by a Comanche -- her father. Martin, with an

armful of trade goods -- a few yards of bright calico,

a couple of AGED SOW rosettes and some trinkets -- is

indicating the blanket. Look glances shyly at her father.

He shakes his head negatively. Look is disappointed.

The father points to Martin's pile of trade goods. Martin

bends and picks up the indicated object: it is a battered

high-crowned beaver hat. The Indian grunts his approval and

puts it on. Look looks relieved. Martin reaches for the

blanket. Look takes a quick step backward and holds up

one finger:
wait! Then she runs back through the other

Comanches now crowding forward.

132EXT. INDIAN ENCAMPMENT - ANOTHER ANGLE - FULL SHOT -

INCLUDING ETHAN:

who rides in slowly, leading their pack horse and Martin's

horse.

ETHAN:

(quietly)

Let's go...I think I stumbled onto

somethin'...

MARTIN:

(eagerly)

Scar?

The name registers with some of the nearer braves. There is

a quick interchange of glances, frowning, hostile.

ETHAN:

(angrily)

When are you goin' to learn to

keep your mouth shut! Come on.

Let's get out of here.

MARTIN:

But I just bought a good blanket.

ETHAN:

(curtly)

Forget it...

Martin mounts and the two ride out. The Comanches stare

after them suspiciously, resentfully.

133EXT. OPEN COUNTRY - FULL SHOT - ETHAN AND MARTIN - MOVING

SHOT - EARLY WINTER DAY

They are riding down a slight grade beyond which (we can

assume) is the Comanche camp.

ETHAN:

What I heard back there was that

a band o' hostile Nawyeckas came

through this way less'n two weeks

ago...

MARTIN:

(excitedly)

Think it might be...?

He breaks and both turn as Look rides over the hill on a

little spotted Indian pony, with her squaw-bag slung up

behind her and her blanket over the saddle. She closes the

gap between them.

ETHAN:

What's she followin' for?

Look smiles shyly at Martin.

MARTIN:

Look, I changed my mind...You can

keep your blanket.

He gestures for her to go back.

MARTIN:

Go on back...

She stares and then dutifully wheels her horse. Martin and

Ethan face front again. Look wheels her horse again and is

right with them. Martin stops - exasperated.

MARTIN:

Look...you don't understand...

(he waves her away)

I don't want it.

Look just sits.

ETHAN:

(explosively)

YOU don't understand, ya chunkhead!

You didn't buy any blanket! Ya

bought her!

MARTIN:

(aghast)

What?

ETHAN:

You got yourself a wife, sonny!

MARTIN:

(a wail)

Oh no! Tell her she's got to go

back...

ETHAN:

And have her whole family after our

scalps for floutin' one o' their

women?...No sir! Come on,

Mrs. Pauley...

Look smiles and sets her horse in motion as Ethan moves

ahead. Martin's face is a mask of comic despair as he

gives up. He is mouthing the words --

MARTIN:

Mrs...Pauley?

And Ethan suddenly breaks into song; to the tune of "Skip

To My Lou:
"

ETHAN:

(singing)

I got another gal purtier'n you

I got another gal purtier'n you

I got another gal purtier'n you

Skip to my Lou, my darlin'.

DISSOLVE TO:

134EXT. NIGHT CAMP - OPEN COUNTRY - CLOSE SHOT - ETHAN - NIGHT

Ethan is wrapped in his blanket roll, head propped by an

elbow, grinning sardonically as he watches a strange ritual

in the camp. The score is softly reprising "Skip to my

Lou."

135EXT. NIGHT CAMP - FULL SHOT - PAST ETHAN - NIGHT

Look is standing with her blanket folded over one arm, her

head shyly downcast, not far from where Martin (back to

her) is spreading his own bed roll. He sits on it then

and begins pulling off his boots. He is very conscious

of Ethan's watchful scrutiny. Finally he is ready. He

lies back on his blanket. At once Look is at his side

to spread her own blanket. Martin sits bolt upright and

tugs his blanket free and wraps it protectively around

him. She stares at him, puzzled.

MARTIN:

Water!...

(in Comanche)

Pah!

She nods her understanding, hurries off to fetch a canteen.

Martin glares at Ethan.

ETHAN:

That's the way to train 'em. Looks

like Mrs. Pauley's goin' to make you

a fine beautiful wife...

MARTIN:

Cut it out, will ya...

Look returns with the canteen, hands it to Martin and kneels

beside him. He looks at her sympathetically.

MARTIN:

Look...I wish I could explain to you.

And now Look speaks for the first time. She indicates

herself.

LOOK:

Look?...

Now she jabbers in Comanche and, at the appropriate time,

will point to the sky and imitate a bird flying.

LOOK:

Nay tzare T'sala-ta-komal-ta-name...

unt kang-yah Look.

(which means)

(My father calls me Wild Goose Flying

in the Night Sky...but you call me

'Look').

Martin looks blank, but Ethan chuckles.

ETHAN:

Says her name's Wild Goose Flying in

the Night Sky...but she'll answer to

Look since it pleases ya...

MARTIN:

(blankly)

Look?

She nods and smiles and quickly settles alongside him and

spreads her blanket over them both. Martin recoils, plants

his foot in the small of her back and sends her sprawling.

Ethan busts a gut laughing. Martin jumps to his feet,

angrily.

MARTIN:

(hotly)

I don't think it's so funny...If you

want to do some good, whyn't you ask

her where Scar is?

Ethan stares at the girl. Her face is suddenly impassive as

she looks from Martin to the ground.

ETHAN:

(grimly)

She heard ya-all right...An' she

knows...

He gets to his feet and he crosses to stand before her. So

does Martin.

ETHAN:

Unt osupanet cah-nay Scar?

(meaning)

(You know where Scar is?)

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