The Searchers Page #8

72EXT. HIGH COUNTRY - FULL SHOT - THE SEARCHERS - SUNSET

Ethan's group crosses to where the other men are waiting

with the horses.

ETHAN:

They're camped by the river --

'bout twenty miles from here.

Soon's it gets dark we'll circle

out so's to jump 'em before day-

break.

CLAYTON:

(slowly)

You're right sure you want to jump

'em, Ethan?

Martin and Brad stare at Sam -- not understanding the

question. But Mose knows what he means and studiously

looks into space.

ETHAN:

(touch of defiance)

It's what we're here for, ain't it?

CLAYTON:

I thought we were trying to get the

girls back -- alive...We jump those

Comanches, they'll kill 'em...You

know that!

BRAD:

(bewildered, angry)

But...but what are we doin' then?...

What are we supposed to do?

CLAYTON:

What I had in mind was runnin'

off their hoss herd...A Comanche

on foot is more apt to be willin'

to listen...

NESBY:

That makes sense to me.

MARTIN:

Yeah...

ETHAN:

(angrily)

What do you know about it?...What's

a quarter-breed Cherokee know about

the Comanche trick of sleeping with

his best pony tied right beside

him...You got as much chance of

stampedin' their herd as...

CLAYTON:

...as you have of findin' those

girls alive by ridin' into 'em...

I say we do it my way, Ethan...and

that's an order!

ETHAN:

Yes, sir...But if you're wrong,

Captain Clayton, don't ever give

me another!

They look into each other's eyes a moment, then Sam turns

to mount...and the others follow. Slowly then they start

riding down the slope.

DISSOLVE TO:

73EXT. FLAT GROUND, LIKE MARSH COUNTRY - FULL SHOT - THE

SEARCHERS - DAWN MIST EFFECT

(NOTE:
It is now planned to shoot this on sound stage.)

Fog and heavy morning mist rise from the swamp. Some cat-

tails in the near ground. The effect is eerie, very still

except for the trilling of frogs. Then, very quietly, the

men emerge from the mist swirling around them. They are

leading their horses. Sam looks baffled, angry. They

stand still, listening -- then slowly continue.

74EXT. FLAT GROUND - ANOTHER ANGLE - FULL SHOT - DAWN MIST

(SOUND STAGE)

The mist is thinning. In the f.g. is a small blackened

area -- the ashes of a campfire. The men come through the

mist -- wary, vigilant. It is Mose who first spots the

fire. He runs to it and drops beside and feels the ashes.

The others come up around him.

MOSE:

Ay-eh...They was here...

ETHAN:

(to Sam)

SURE!...They WERE here...Now they're

out there...an' waitin' to jump us!...

He looks at Clayton.

ETHAN:

You got any more orders, Captain?

CLAYTON:

(quietly)

Just keep goin'...

They move on, slowly.

74-AEXT. FLAT GROUND - FULL SHOT - MOVING (SOUND STAGE)

The mist is thinning as the men warily move along.

Suddenly there is the faint hoot of an owl from behind and

to one side...the men turn slightly, hearing it...A moment

later another owl hoot, from the same side but up ahead.

From the interchange of looks, we must know that the riders

are aware of its significance. Mose cups hand to his mouth

and he hoots in exact imitation of the other calls. Clayton

glares at him.

MOSE:

(in soft apology)

Jus' bein' sociable, Cap'n...

Ethan grins wryly. And now the first, faint, ruddy touch

of the sun hits the slowly moving horsemen and begins to

burn through the mist.

74-BEXT. NEAR RIVER - PANNING SHOT - MORNING

The CAMERA SLOWLY PANS from a sun-touched butte or crag to

the file of men slowly walking their horses. An occasional

shred of mist drifts by. Everything about the little

cavalcade bespeaks tension, watchfulness. Suddenly -- and

every man sees it at the same time -- we see a file of

eight Comanches ride slowly out of a canyon at a dis-

tance, walking their horses at the same pace and on a

course roughly parallel with, but slightly converging on,

our group.

CLAYTON:

(softly)

Keep goin'...

Brad, who has been looking up ahead, sounds a new

warning.

BRAD:

(tensely)

Look!

CLAYTON:

Easy!

74-CEXT. CANYON COUNTRY - LONG SHOT - PAST THE SEARCHERS

Another Indian file of eight angles out of a different

canyon and begins to cut in toward the group -- riding

slowly, very quietly. Clayton slightly alters course,

veering slightly away from the converging files, but

still riding slowly. And then, from ahead but at a 100

yards, another Comanche group seems to rise out of the

ground and slowly begins closing the gap.

ETHAN:

(to Clayton)

If you were tryin' to surround

'em, you sure succeeded.

CLAYTON:

How far's the river from here,

Mose?

MOSE:

I been baptized, Reverend...yes

suh, been baptized, thank ye...

CLAYTON:

Well, you better brace yourself

for another one...YA-HEE!

And with that yell, he drives spurs and cuts sharply at

an angle to the converging Indian files -- and every man

is with him. In the next instant, the Comanches whoop and

give chase.

74-DEXT. OPEN COUNTRY - FULL SHOT - THE CHASE

with the Ranger group short-cutting in such a way as to

outstrip the Comanche horsemen in a mad dash for the river.

74-EEXT. THE RIVER'S EDGE - FULL SHOT - THE GROUP

Clayton flings his hand up in a signal to halt as the

Rangers reach the bank. They rein in, wheel their horses

and are reaching for the rifles as the Comanche vanguard

races into view -- to find themselves opposed by seven

veterans, sitting their horses, rifles at their shoulders.

The charge breaks as the seven rifles bark, almost in

unison -- and the Indians wheel to shelter.

CLAYTON:

YA-HEE!

And once again he spins his mount and takes off, across

the river, followed by the others.

74-FEXT. THE RIVER - FULL SHOT

As the men pound across.

74-GEXT. FAR BANK OF RIVER - FULL SHOT - THE GROUP

They dismount and Charlie and Nesby take the horses and

run them to some place of protection as the men group

around Clayton and Ethan. During this:

CLAYTON:

(shouting his orders)

This is as good as any...Charlie,

you and Ed take the horses...

Mose runs over and crouches beside Ethan. Beyond Ethan

is Martin, then Brad...Nesby and Charlie will rejoin the

group after an appropriate interval...with all the men

shielded behind river boulders, etc.

75EXT. RIVER'S EDGE - ANGLING PAST ETHAN AND MOSE WITH MARTIN

AND BRAD BEYOND:

Ethan and Mose are hunkered down behind some rocks, very casual

and business-like as they check rifles, set out and care-

fully wipe cartridges.

MOSE:

(chattily)

Minds me o' the time Joe Powers

an' me fit us some Kiowas...

Martin is in the throes of buck-fever, wiping mouth with

back of his hand, peering anxiously across the river.

MARTIN:

You think they mean to charge us,

Uncle Ethan...?

MOSE:

...We found us an ole buffler wallow...

BRAD:

(staring across

river)

Criminy!

76EXT. RIVER'S EDGE - LONG SHOT - PAST THE GROUP

On the opposite bank, we see the full force of Comanches

riding into sight -- racing their mounts to the edge, then

wheeling off -- jeering, taunting. Brad starts to bring up

his rifle.

ETHAN:

Steady, Daniel Boone! You don't

want to miss...It makes them think

their medicine's stronger than

yours...

MOSE:

Ay-eh...That's jest what I tole Joe

Powers...That un's gettin' kinda

sassy, ain't he, Ethan?

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