The Searchers Page #17

Ethan isn't thinking of that at all.

ETHAN:

(harshly)

And maybe they got Scar!

They start away -- fast.

DISSOLVE TO:

146EXT. SNOW COUNTRY - WIDE ANGLE - THE CAVALRY AND PRISONERS -

DAY:

A long line stretching across the landscape -- women

falling and being prodded along by their captors. From

behind CAMERA ride Ethan and Martin and move to

intercept the column.

147EXT. THE COLUMN - FULL SHOT - DAY

as Ethan and Martin come closer and look at the shawled

prisoners stumbling along.

148EXT. OPEN COUNTRY - FULL SHOT - ETHAN AND MARTIN - DAY

as a young OFFICER spurs out of the column and rides

toward them.

OFFICER:

(inquiringly)

Yes?

ETHAN:

We're looking for a girl -- a white

girl...

MARTIN:

She'd be about thirteen now...

OFFICER:

We got two around that age...

MARTIN:

(eagerly)

Where?

OFFICER:

You'll have to wait until we reach

the agency...Fall in behind the

column...

MARTIN:

(protestingly)

But couldn't you...?

OFFICER:

Sorry...

(shouting it)

Keep the column moving!..Close ranks

there!

The officer spurs out to rejoin the column. Martin looks

at Ethan, his face alive with hope. But Ethan is just

looking stonily along the line of passing prisoners.

WIPE TO:

149EXT. THE NOKONI AGENCY - WIDE ANGLE - DAY

The column of cavalry and prisoners enters the agency

(COLORADO FOOTAGE). We see the dead and wounded on

travois; the agency Indians watching stoically; the

prisoners -- some of them -- being herded into a

chapel.

150INT. OFFICE OF NOKONI AGENCY - FULL SHOT - DAY

The office has been set up as a temporary army head-

quarters. The GENERAL is being interviewed by two

Eastern newspaper CORRESPONDENTS. At a table beyond

is a telegrapher, sending out a report of the victory.

A pot-bellied stove supplies heat and the General is

warming his hands at it, intermittently. An adjutant

is rather wearily filling out a long official form.

The General, for all his mudded boots remains a beau

sabreur and is loosely modeled upon a certain other

well-known glory hunter of the Indian wars. He wears

a colonel's straps, but insists upon his brevet rank.

GENERAL:

And it was clear to me the

hostiles outnumbered us four to

one...with all the advantage of

terrain...

CORRESPONDENT:

Four to one! What did you do,

general?

Ethan and Martin enter, stand in the doorway.

GENERAL:

(impressively)

Sir -- we charged!..Gentlemen -- and

I hope you will quote me -- I cannot

say too much for the courage of the

men who followed me into that

Cheyenne camp...

ETHAN:

(blurting it)

Cheyenne! What Cheyenne?

GENERAL:

(turning and

staring)

I beg your pardon?

ETHAN:

That camp you hit was Nawyecka

Comanche...Chief Scar's bunch...

CORRESPONDENT:

(fascinated)

Scar? What a wonderful name!...

GENERAL:

(to his aide)

Are you getting this, Keefer?

CORRESPONDENT:

(to Ethan)

How do you spell that word -- Nawyecka?

Ethan ignores him, still facing the General.

ETHAN:

My name's Edwards...I'm looking for

my niece...she was in that camp

when you attacked...

GENERAL:

(uncertain)

Well...I know there were some

captives recovered...

MARTIN:

(bitterly)

Four of 'em dead...so we were told...

GENERAL:

(uncomfortably)

Unfortunately, the hostiles murdered

them as we developed the village...

ETHAN:

Are you sure they didn't die of

carbine shots fired by a bunch

o' Yank bluebellies so scared they

couldn't tell the difference between

a Cheyenne and a Comanche?

GENERAL:

Keefer!..Put this man under arrest!

ETHAN:

That'll be the day...

(scornfully)

'As we developed the village'...

Next time you develop a village,

hit it where the fightin' men are...

You won't get any headlines for

killin' squaws.

Keefer coughs.

KEEFER:

Shall I show him the captives, sir?

GENERAL:

Just get him out of here!

KEEFER:

Yes sir...

(he crosses to

Ethan)

This way...

151INT. THE CHAPEL - MED. CLOSE SHOT - ANGLING TO DOOR -

AFTERNOON:

The door is opened by a guard and Ethan takes a step

into the room -- then stops in manifest shock. Martin

is at his heels, eager and expectant. Beyond them

stands Keefer, grave and compassionate. There is a

keening sound in the room -- almost an animal sound.

152INT. THE CHAPEL - REVERSE SHOT - FULL

It is a simple log-sided room with plank benches without

backs. Up front is a small box-like pulpit, no altar.

Across the front of the room, set up either on benches

or on boards over saw-horses are four blanket-covered

figures -- at least two being the bodies of children.

Squatting on the floor near them is an elderly white

woman with hair hanging loosely down her back and clad

in Indian robes. Standing, facing the newcomers, is

a woman who may be no more than in her mid-thirties.

She is mad -- wild-eyed, frightened, with matted,

unbrushed golden hair, torn garments. It is she who has

been making the keening sound, the animal moans. Now

she crouches at the sight of them and looks desperately

for a means of escape. Two girls are asleep, heads

together and backs to the door. One has light hair,

like Debbie's; the other brown hair. The afternoon sun

coming through a high window touches the light hair.

MARTIN:

Debbie?...DEBBIE?

He has seen the light hair and starts crossing the room.

Now the madwoman begins her screaming, running from side to

side like a trapped animal. Ethan follows Martin into

the room, Keefer behind him. Martin comes to a stop,

realizing the woman is afraid of him. The two sleeping

girls stir, but do not turn.

MARTIN:

Don't be scared, ma'am...

The madwoman crouches behind one of the benches, looking

at them with frightened eyes.

KEEFER:

Just don't pay any attention to her...

Martin swallows and nods and crosses to the light-haired

girl. He reaches a hand gingerly to touch her shoulder.

MARTIN:

(softly)

Debbie?

At the touch, the girl is on her feet, crouching -- one

hand, like a claw, drawn back to rake his face. She

is unmistakably a white girl, but she is painted like

a Comanche woman -- her ears red inside, streaks of

paint accenting the savagery of her face. Her eyes

are frightened, yet full of hate.

GIRL:

Pabo-taibo!

(White man!)

The other girl has risen almost in the same instant --

but more out of fear. She is younger, but painted like

the other. She moves to stand behind the savage one.

MARTIN:

(slowly)

No...She's not...

ETHAN:

I ain't sure...Where's that doll?

Martin stares at him, then realizes what he has in mind.

He fishes the rag doll from under his coat and holds it

out to the girl. She looks at it...and we may almost

suspect it is rekindling a memory -- but then she spits

at it. The other girl laughs. Martin turns away and

he's sick.

KEEFER:

Was your niece about their age?

ETHAN:

Not far from it...

KEEFER:

Hard to realize they're white,

isn't it...

ETHAN:

(grimly)

They're not white any more -- they're

Comanche!...Let's see the bodies...

Martin nerves himself for the ordeal, turns to follow.

ETHAN:

I don't need you...

Ethan and Keefer move away. As they do, the madwoman --

eyes fixed on the rag doll in Martin's hand -- begins

creeping up behind him. Martin is torturedly watching

Ethan and Keefer as first one blanket then another is

raised -- we will never see the dead. During this:

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