They Came to Cordura Page #7

Up.

I gave you an inch. | The next time I won't.

- Now get on that litter. | - Take him, sarge! Take him.

He won't shoot to kill. | Can't you see it?

Might as well get off your tail, Milo.

I plan to take this buzzard | any time now.

The first time he turns around | or goes down, he's mine.

Sergeant, you worked on the railroad. | Do you think this thing'll run?

- Lf it does we can ride to base. | - Only one way to find out.

- Push it on the tracks. | - Chawk, you crazy helping him?

Push.

Ladies and gents, | this is the Spitball Express.

Heroes ride free.

Ladies at their own risk.

As far as majors go, the end of the line | comes a lot sooner than they think.

All aboard!

Take a minute.

Major, I've been meaning | to tell you, sir.

I told you a real whopping lie.

I really was scared in that fight. | That's why I bit my chin strap through.

I bet I was as scared | as you were at Columbus.

Really?

Not quite.

So, major, would you please | not put me in for the Medal of Honor?

- Why? | - Because I won't go home.

Not looking like this. I'm never gonna | go home again in my whole life.

Thorn!

Take off them guns | and let's have it out!

Come on, best men take over!

Get back on this car.

You gotta keel over some time.

You gotta close your eyes just once.

Could we have gone too far north | and not enough east?

I mean, we could be above base, | not below.

I don't think so.

- Then why aren't we there? | - I don't know.

If we should be north of it, | what's the next town?

I'm not sure. Probably Dublan.

How far?

Fifty miles, maybe.

I can't go on.

We have to do something.

Chawk's the strongest.

Let him follow the railroad | to the nearest town.

He can send back help, | food and water.

Don't you see what he's doing?

He's trying to kill us one by one.

Making us give up our horses | so we can't get to base and talk.

Marching us until we're ready to drop | and he's the only one left.

He knows where we are!

Don't you see it?

- You ignorant pigs! | - Shut up!

I don't know about water, | but we could eat.

Depends on | the preacher boy up there.

He might be stringy, | but he's been cooking a long time.

I order you to follow | that railroad to the nearest town.

Did you hear me?

Go to bed, Georgie.

Me and the major is gonna sit up | together tonight.

And in the morning, I give the orders.

Is it a small thing that thou | hast brought us up out of a land...

...that floweth with milk and honey?

- "Land of milk and honey." | - To kill us in the wilderness?

Except thou make thyself... | A prince over us.

"Prince over us." Amen. | Sing out, preacher boy.

- Sing out with some... | - Father.

Father?

Father.

You've no right to ask a woman | to bear this.

I can't go on.

I don't care if he dies. | I don't care if they all die.

They can get their medals in hell. | That's where they're going.

And as for you, Thorn, you're crazy. | Military crazy.

And I hope they kill you | and put you out of your misery.

I swear to heaven I do.

"Snak" e"s in the mountains" | "Eels in the sea"

I can't remember the rest of that song.

I've known that for years. | I can't remember.

Major.

You think it's anything got to do with | that smack I got on the head?

Funny, I'm always getting hit | in the same place.

Right on the head.

I remember when I was a kid. | I was just a...

My old man gave me a whipping.

He took the belly band | off some harness and...

Boy, did he give it to me. Wham!

Right on the head, he give it to me.

I remember that, all right.

I remember. | I remember when I paid him back.

Years later, | I paid him back the same way.

Wham! I mean, right across it.

How are you going to stay awake?

Don't know.

Proud of myself. | First time in long time.

And when he comes for you, | you won't shoot him.

- I would. | - Hey, major.

Maybe you know some Mexican song.

- Give me the gun! | - No!

I'll stand watch.

Please try to understand.

Hey, major. Let's hear you sing now.

Come on, give us a song.

Sleep.

I can give you sleep.

I'm ashamed of what I've been | all my life.

My fault, not yours.

My guilt, not yours.

The ranch at Ojos Azules...

...that was my culvert.

The railroad ditch into which I crawled, | just like you did at Columbus.

Trying to...

...shut out a world that frightened me, | that I hated.

Most of all, I guess...

...I hated myself.

Here.

In this are their citations.

If anything happens to me, keep it and | turn it in to the commander at Cordura.

Swear you'll do this for me.

I swear.

Thank you.

You're the bravest man | I've ever known.

Now, that's all right, boy.

I opened my eyes this morning | and I wasn't sick any more.

I knew who you were. I knew everyone.

Major, it's the work of the Lord.

The Lord spared me because | I've, I have had true faith in him.

He spared me.

Better get back on the car.

- Hungry. Thirsty. | - Feed the boy, major. Feed him.

Give him food. Give him water.

Give him a woman.

My shoes. Where are my shoes?

I...

I threw them away.

Why?

Look, I don't know why.

Well, they were all ripped up. | You know, like my ear's all ripped up.

When we get to base, I'm gonna buy | you a pair of shoes...

...get me a new ear | and we're going on a date together.

No girl's gonna look at you | without no ear.

The major said they can | make me a new ear out of rubber.

So good nobody'll ever know it. | Fastens on with wax.

Do you believe that?

You'll be loving up some doll, | she'll yank it right off you.

Let him alone.

You know something, squarehead...

...you ought to join up | with some freak show.

I'll finish the job for him.

It's a good thing you're done there, | major. I'd have broke his back.

On the handles.

Major.

I just can't make it.

This time it's the truth, I swear it.

I'm too tired.

Get aboard the car.

Renziehausen, on the handles.

All right, walk ahead.

Stay off the handles. | I'll do it myself.

Get off! | Trubee, get off!

Let go. You'll kill yourself.

Let go!

You'll kill yourself!

You'll kill yourself!

Is he dead?

Not yet.

All right, this is what happened:

Major Thorn surrendered the horses, | and we were ambushed again.

Another ambush.

We drove them back but the major was | killed by the Mexicans. Is that clear?

Is it?

Be sure it is. Be very sure.

What about her? | She's gotta be shut up.

You want to go back to Ojos, | don't you?

No need telling you what's in the store | for you at base, is there? Is there?

I'm an officer and gentleman. By Act | of Congress, officer and gentleman.

So you keep quiet | and you can return to Ojos...

Wait a minute, hold it. | That black book of his. Where is it?

I forgot.

The citations, I forgot.

- Where are they? | - He burned them.

- You're lying. | - I'm not. He burned them this morning.

- You're lying! | - He said you weren't fit to have them.

- Give them to me. | - He burned them.

Now I'll burn them.

- Wait, I want to see that first. | - Lieutenant Fowler.

Let me see it!

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