The Searchers Page #5

AARON:

Think I'll see if I can pick off a

sage-hen or two, Martha...

33INT. THE EDWARDS HOUSE - MED. CLOSE SHOT - MARTHA AND LUCY

busy at the wooden sink. Martha doesn't turn.

MARTHA:

You do that, Aaron...

AARON:

(still pleased

with himself)

Won't go far...

He steps out. Only then does Martha turn -- and her

eyes go at once to:

34INT. THE EDWARDS HOUSE - ANGLING TO DOOR

and FRAMING the empty holster, as Aaron pauses on the

porch.

LUCY'S VOICE

My, the days are getting shorter!

35INT. EDWARDS HOUSE - CLOSE SHOT - MARTHA AND LUCY

as Lucy heads for the lamp.

MARTHA:

(sharply)

Lucy!...We don't need the lamp yet...

Lucy frowns at her mother.

MARTHA:

(easily)

Let's enjoy the dusk a while.

36EXT. THE EDWARDS HOUSE - MED. CLOSE SHOT - AARON AND BEN -

ON PORCH:

Aaron is slowly scanning the terrain.

AARON:

(to Ben)

Mind you sweep up them shavin's.

BEN:

Yes, Pa...

(undertone -- man

to man)

An' if you see any sage-hens,

I'm ready.

Aaron stares as the boy shifts a fold of blanket, or

whatever, by his side -- to disclose Ethan's cavalry

sabre. Aaron smiles and rubs the youngster's head, then

sets out across the yard.

37EXT. THE EDWARDS YARD - FULL SHOT - MOVING

Debbie's dog rises at Aaron's approach and joins his

master as they set out across the plain.

38EXT. OPEN COUNTRY NEAR EDWARDS HOME - MED. CLOSE SHOT -

AARON:

He is walking through the scrub and brush grass, every

sense alive and straining. He pauses every three or

four strides -- casting each quadrant in turn. Once he

whips, gun ready, as a sage-hen or quail whirrs up not

far from him. He smiles grimly as he watches it fly

away. He keeps on.

39EXT. THE EDWARDS HOUSE - MED. CLOSE SHOT - AT PORCH

Martha comes to stand in the doorway. Ben doesn't look

at her. His eyes -- like hers -- are fixed on the figure

of the man.

BEN:

(quietly)

It's all right, ma...I been watchin'...

Only I wish...

MARTHA:

(quietly)

What, Ben?

BEN:

I wish Uncle Ethan was here. Don't

you, ma?

She doesn't answer. Lucy comes to the door.

LUCY:

Mother, I can't see what I'm

doing!...

MARTHA:

NOT YET, LUCY!...

40EXT. RISING GROUND - WIDE ANGLE - PAST AARON

He stands on the near slope of a rise and then gradually

moves toward its summit, so that only head will be

silhouetted. He drops to one knee, half-leaning against

the slope and slowly looks out...The CAMERA PANS very

slowly, following his careful sweep of the terrain.

The scene is entirely peaceful.

41EXT. RISING GROUND - CLOSE SHOT - AARON

with narrowed eyes slowly scanning the ground. Suddenly

the head whips right. We hear a bird's sharp call.

42EXT. OPEN COUNTRY - SKYWARD SHOT - A SMALL BIRD

It is taking flight, sweeping away in erratic arcs.

43EXT. RISING GROUND - CLOSE SHOT ON AARON

He squints closely at the ground from which the bird had

flown. Then slowly his eyes range toward the left.

44EXT. RISING GROUND - WIDE ANGLE - PAST AARON

Across the meadow, a shadow seems to touch the grass and

at once a covey of quail takes off, whirring loud. Aaron

waits no longer, but slides down the slope and starts

running at a crouch for the house, stopping every so often

to look backward.

45EXT. THE EDWARDS HOUSE - MED. CLOSE SHOT - MARTHA AND BEN -

SUNSET:

(NOTE TO W. HOCH: What J. F. has in mind for this and the

following scenes is the same kind of dramatic use of red

you achieved in "Yellow Ribbon" in the scene telling of

Custer's defeat.)

They are standing in the ruddy glare of the sunset and

Ben has Ethan's sabre in his hand. We hear Aaron coming

at a run, breathing hard. Ben takes a step as though

to go to him, but Martha's hand at once is on his

shoulder. Aaron gains the porch.

AARON:

In the house, boy...and...

He puts finger to his lips, sign for Ben to say nothing.

Ben nods and goes inside. Aaron and Martha face each

other, the question large on her face. Slowly he nods

the confirmation of her fears, then gently propels her

ahead of him through the door.

46INT. THE EDWARDS HOUSE - FULL SHOT - SUNSET

The room is deeply shadowed except where the dull crimson

of the sun through door and windows slashes the blackness.

Ben is waiting and Martha turns toward Aaron as he pulls

the door shut, bars it and sets the shotgun down. He

takes the revolver from his waist and Martha holds it

as he reaches for his gun belt.

AARON:

Ben, close the shutters.

Buckling on his gun belt, he moves toward the middle of

the room, looking around him, taking inventory of his

resources. Lucy slowly approaches, biting a knuckle,

eyes wide with fright.

LUCY:

Pa?

One shutter closes and the bar of light they were standing

in goes out. Martha, Aaron and Lucy are dark silhouettes

now against the red beam from another window.

MARTHA:

(sudden fear)

Where's Deborah?...

(calling it)

DEBORAH!

Debbie emerges from a shadowed corner into a beam of

light. She is clutching her rag doll, nibbling a

cookie. She holds it for them to see.

DEBBIE:

I only took one, ma...Topsy was

hungry.

Ben closes the shutter. And now the room is almost com-

pletely blacked out, except for the dying light filtering

through the rifle ports of the closed shutters.

WIPE TO:

47EXT. OPEN COUNTRY - WIDE ANGLE SHOT - THE POSSE - DUSK

This should be an expansive view to convey the fact that

the posse has split -- the main group heading for the

Jorgensen place, Martin forking off to race alone for the

Edwards ranch.

Coming toward and passing CAMERA is Martin, riding all out.

Several hundred yards away and moving in a divergent

direction are the others -- Brad and Charlie, Sam,

Jorgensen and Ed Nesby. The men are not compactly bunched,

but strung out, each taking his own best course and his

own speed...As the riders pass and the dust of their

passing, we see two other riders -- Ethan and Mose --

minute specks in the distance, possibly a mile or two

behind.

48EXT. OPEN COUNTRY - MOVING SHOT - ETHAN AND MOSE - DUSK

(NOTE TO W. HOCH: What we are trying to get here is that

moment of swift transition from twilight to night; of

riders briefly touched with the last colors of day and then,

as they pass, becoming one with blue shadows of night.)

Ethan and Mose are holding their mounts to a jog, in

marked contrast to the all-out pace of the others. The

CAMERA PANS after them as the dark fingers of the night

stretch across the valley. The wind begins to rise and

somewhere off in the hills a coyote pack yaps.

DISSOLVE TO:

49INT. EDWARDS - ANGLING PAST AARON AT WINDOW INTO ROOM -

NIGHT:

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