The Searchers Page #19

MARTIN:

(to Ethan's back)

Thanks for nothin'...

He angrily throws a coin on the counter, appropriates

the bottle and his glass and heads for a table closer to

Estrella. Neither Ethan nor Mose seems aware of his going.

ETHAN:

Well, the reward still stands...

MOSE:

Don't want no money, Ethan...jus'

a place -- a roof over m' head...a

little grub...a bunk to sleep in...

an' a rockin' chair by the fire...

my own rockin' chair by a fire...

ETHAN:

You help me find her, you got your

rockin' chair...

MOSE:

Swear it, Ethan?...Given word?

ETHAN:

(impatiently)

Told ya, didn't I?

MOSE:

(impressively)

Ethan...I found a man's seen her...

knows where little Debbie is!

Ethan stares at him. Mose nods his reaffirmation of it.

Then Ethan's hand locks on the old man's shoulder.

ETHAN:

Who? Where is he...this man?

Mose winces under the grip. He can't speak, but he looks

past Ethan and he points. Ethan turns. Emilio swings his

boots off the table and slowly crosses to them. He lets

cigarette smoke curl out of his mouth. Then he smiles.

EMILIO:

I am this man, senor...Emilio

Gabriel Fernandez y Figueroa...

at your service...

(afterthought)

...for a price...

(he smiles)

...Always for a price...

As the men study each other, Estrella begins her dance --

and the rhythmic click of the castanets will beat like a

metronome. Emilio looks at the bottle on the bar, dis-

dainfully pushes it away and imperiously signals the

proprietor to bring something better.

EMILIO:

Un otra!

159INT. THE CANTINA - ANGLING PAST MARTIN TO ESTRELLA

He is knocking off his tequila and looking at the girl

hungrily. She is doing her swaying dance, playing up to

him and with unmistakable effect. He sloshes another drink

into his glass and, never taking his eyes off her, downs it.

160INT. THE CANTINA - FULL SHOT - ANOTHER ANGLE - THE DANCE

Beyond Estrella we see Ethan, Emilio, and Mose at the bar --

gestures, headshakes, the entire pantomime of an inaudible

conversation. Then Ethan takes out his pouch and begins

dropping gold pieces into Emilio's hand. Meanwhile, dance

and dancer are achieving their purpose with Martin. And

the tequila is working. He gets to his feet, a little

groggily. Estrella's smile deepens and there is a clear

invitation in her eyes...Ethan turns then, his deal with

Emilio concluded, and he sees what is going on. He starts

for Martin's table just as Martin moves out to take the

girl.

ETHAN:

(tolerantly)

Come on, Don Juan...We're on our

way...

Martin tries to push him away, his eyes still on

the girl.

MARTIN:

(thickly)

Lemme alone...

ETHAN:

(taking his arm)

You breeds are all alike -- two

drinks an'...

Martin breaks free and squares off.

MARTIN:

Take yer hands off'n me...This

lady an' me got some things to

talk over!

Estrella ranges herself alongside of Martin and slips an

arm possessively through his.

ETHAN:

(a shrug)

Suit yourself...While you're enjoyin'

your little conversation, I'll be

ridin' out with Senor Fernandez here...

The Comanch' medicine country ain't

far...there's one camp with a chief

named Cicatriz.

MARTIN:

Never heard of him...

ETHAN:

Cicatriz is Mex for Scar...an' he

has a white girl in his tepee...Be

seein' you...

He turns and heads out. Emilio, who has come up behind him,

gives Estrella a slight smile and bow.

EMILIO:

Buena suerte, Estrella...Hasta

la vista.

He follows Ethan. Estrella swings her body close to

Martin and lets her arms slide around his neck.

ESTRELLA:

(softly)

Tu quieres...?

Martin blinks to clear away the fog of tequila and desire.

MARTIN:

(a bitter laugh)

Sure...sure...Only not this year...

He pulls her arms away and goes lurching after the others.

Mose catches his arm.

MOSE:

'Mind Ethan 'bout my rockin' chair!

Martin continues out and Mose stands there -- his head

rockin' as though he already were in his chair.

DISSOLVE TO:

161EXT. (APPROACH TO THE NEEDLES MONUMENT) - A BROAD CANYON -

FULL SHOT - DAY

A small pack train (nine or ten horses, six or seven men)

winds through a canyon behind which we can see huge needles

of rock:
majestic, savage country. At the head of the

column ride Ethan, Emilio, and Martin. Behind them come

Emilio's cargadores -- lean, hard-bitten wiry little

Mexicans. One leads a handsome palomino. The SOUND of

the CASTANETS ECHOES in the musical theme.

162EXT. CANYON - MED. SHOT - HEAD OF COLUMN - MOVING - DAY

Ethan is looking around with grim interest.

ETHAN:

Medicine country, huh?

EMILIO:

(slight smile)

Medicine so strong they believe the

feather of an eagle found here can

guard a man against bullets...

MARTIN:

(looking ahead)

If you got one handy, now's the

time...

Ethan and Emilio both look in the direction of his glance.

163EXT. CANYON - FULL SHOT - REVERSE ANGLE - FROM BEHIND

RIDERS - DAY

They are turning a bend and now, ahead, we see a cordon

of Comanches -- all armed, all quiet, all very menacing

as they watch the approaching column. Emilio calls a

greeting in Comanche. It gets no answer.

164 EXT. CANYON - MOVING SHOT - THE COMANCHE FACES - DAY

The CAMERA PICKS UP the faces in turn, as from the white

men's viewpoint, as they ride slowly by.

165EXT. COMANCHE ENCAMPMENT - FULL SHOT - DAY

One tepee stands apart from the other's -- Scar's. Beyond

it are other tepees, the gathering of braves and some

squaws, the drying racks for meat, etc. Emilio leads the

way toward the central tepee. They dismount nearby and

Emilio inclines his head toward the one tepee. Ethan and

Martin brace themselves and wait. The flap of the tepee

is closed.

MARTIN:

(gruffly)

What are we waiting for?

Emilio cautions him with a hand gesture.

166EXT. THE TEPEE - MED. CLOSE SHOT - DAY

The flap is thrust aside and SCAR steps out -- the same

Comanche we had seen at the grave when Debbie was captured.

He stands tall, arrogant, eyeing the white men with hard,

implacable eyes. He has a robe gathered about him. Across

his face is a scar.

EMILIO'S VOICE

Senores! This is Cicatriz!

167EXT. INDIAN ENCAMPMENT - CLOSE SHOT - ETHAN AND MARTIN -

DAY:

The white men's eyes are as hard as the Comanche's: this

is the man they have long sought, the killer, the raper.

They cannot mask the hatred they feel.

ETHAN:

(slowly...at last)

Scar...It's plain to see where

you got your name.

Scar's hand moves to the scar on his face, and a finger

runs along it.

SCAR:

Your name - Big Shoulders...His

name - He Who Follows.

ETHAN:

You speak pretty good American for

a Comanche...Someone teach you?

It is a leading question and Scar knows it. He looks long

at Ethan and the suggestion of a smile touches his lips.

But he makes no direct answer. He looks instead to Emilio.

SCAR:

(in Comanche)

Ah-we pabbo-tie-bo ee-kee-tay?

(Why did you bring the gringos here?)

EMILIO:

(a shrug -- in

Comanche)

Pabbo-tie-bo kim te-moo-er.

(The gringos want to trade.)

ETHAN:

That's right...We come to trade...

Only not out here...

(with sign language

accompaniment)

I don't stand talkin' in the wind.

Emilio quickly turns and calls to one of his men. Emilio

is worried.

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