They Died with Their Boots On Page #7

- Are you forgetting yourself?

- It's all right.

Everything's very proper.

We're engaged.

Well, splendid. Splendid.

- We're going to be married.

- Today.

I brought my regimental chaplain.

General Sheridan is best man.

- With your permission.

- My permission?

Well, now, of course, general,

I shall be honored to give it.

You mustn't be too impetuous.

There's the announcement, arrangement.

If you marry today, you can't have them.

I shall have General Custer,

and he's what I set out to get.

Libby, this is positively unmaidenly.

After today, that won't matter.

Where did Miss Libby get herself

such a fine, handsome man?

Why, child, I found him in a teacup.

There is two gentlemen to see

General Custer, Miss Libby.

They claim their name is Sharp.

Thank you, Jane.

Let Callie attend to the callers.

- Yes, ma'am.

- Callie, has General Custer returned?

No, ma'am, not since he left

at his usual time this morning.

I'll receive the callers here. Tell them

the general is expected soon.

I'll tell them he's downtown

taking care of some business.

I don't hold with you, Major Smith.

I don't hold with you at all, sir.

If Lee had concentrated his artillery,

and succeeded in enfilading Round Top...

...we would have been licked

at Gettysburg.

- Why didn't he, general?

- Well, who knows?

Every great soldier has a bad day,

and perhaps it was Lee's turn.

He who drinks and runs away

lives to drink another day.

Thank you. Step up to the bar, boys.

My pleasure. Set them up, Joe.

Mr. Sharp, the money doesn't matter.

What you offer is the answer to a prayer.

I'd almost given up hope of George

finding anything suitable in civil life.

We know of no one else

so well-qualified.

So you're here at last.

I'm afraid I've been boring

these gentlemen dreadfully.

They'll get no sympathy from me.

Madam, until this afternoon,

I'd envied General Custer only his fame.

Oh, Mr. Sharp.

But you'll excuse me. I have

some flowers I must cut in the garden.

I hope you'll forgive

this intrusion, Custer.

The North and South have forgotten their

difficulties. I hope we can forget ours.

May I present my father, William Sharp.

General Custer.

- How do you do?

- How do you do?

Do you know, sir, I was joking with the

adjutant general about you last week.

- Taipe?

- Yes, Taipe.

You stole his horse on

one occasion, it seems.

That's right. A fine animal.

- Much too good for him. Drink?

- Thank you.

We've come from Washington

especially to see you, general.

Indeed? Why?

Because there's money in fame,

these days.

We're offering you the presidency of

the Western Railroad Trading Company...

...at a salary of $ 10,000.

It's a corporation I organized for

developing the Dakota Territories.

But...

...what use could I be to a concern

of that kind? I'm a soldier.

Well, you're a national hero, Custer.

Your name would make it easy for us

to get government concessions...

...such as trading monopolies

at Army posts.

It would go far

in selling stock to the public.

My name?

I see.

What's the stock worth?

Nothing, naturally, until it begins

to earn dividends.

Then I'm not interested.

My name stands for something.

I'll not gamble its meaning on

the success or failure of any business.

Not interested.

General, I'm afraid you've an inclination

to be a romantic fool.

An admirable one, no doubt,

but nonetheless a fool.

Can a man of your distinction

bear the thought of living off his wife?

- I know it hasn't occurred to you...

- It's occurred to me.

We offer a chance to serve

the nation as you did in battle.

The company will bring civilization

to a waste of territory...

...which is now in the hands of savages.

- Why, it's as fine a...

- That's enough.

I'll gamble. I'll gamble with anything. My

money, my sword, my life, if necessary.

But there's one thing I won't gamble

with, and that's my good name.

Good day, gentlemen.

You're excited, general. Now...

- It's not an offer that comes twice...

- No, once is enough.

Quite enough. Good day, gentlemen.

What did the Sharps

want of you, George?

Only my name, for a stock promotion.

Only your name?

Yes, they wanted to hire it

for $ 10,000 a year.

It's a lot of money...

...but we've five dogs

and 11 horses now.

What could we have done with it?

Well, think of all the bags of onions

we could have bought.

To keep me away from you, I suppose.

Aren't you happy here, Mr. Custer?

Mrs. Custer...

...I've never been so happy in my life.

Mrs. Custer, sir.

General Sheridan

should have warned me, ma'am.

- I thought Uncle Phil advised you that...

- He advised me of your coming.

He didn't warn me that I would meet

the most beautiful girl I ever saw.

You're very kind, General Scott.

And very embarrassing.

Upon my soul, ma'am, you make me

regret this unchivalrous age.

If ever a lady's hand deserved

to be saluted, it is certainly yours.

Forgive an old soldier.

It was the custom in his youth.

Did Uncle Phil tell you why I came,

General Scott?

No, he said it was a matter

for my decision, in any event.

- It's about my husband.

- Of course, Custer.

I should have asked,

how is the lucky dog?

Not so lucky, I'm afraid.

Well, that's bad. Is he in ill health?

Not exactly, General Scott.

But inactivity is doing something

to him.

Undermining him. George will never be

himself out of the Army.

He's not happy.

Even though he pretends to be.

General Scott, can't you put him

back into active service?

My dear, I know what eats a man who

has endured the tension of war for years.

It's like a drug.

A man can't live without it.

Please, General Scott. Please.

Mrs. Custer, I'm bound by the

seniority rule in making appointments.

The rule of the Army.

Come, come, my child.

You're unduly distressed about George.

- Time is a healer. Time will cure him.

- No, no. It will destroy him.

There's something you haven't told me.

Isn't there?

It's very difficult for me to tell you this,

but I'm afraid. So afraid.

He's been drinking.

So much. Much more than he knows.

- I see.

- I can't think of him in degradation.

General Scott, you've got to do

something to save him.

We owe him so much. All of us.

There, there, my dear.

You're quite right.

We do owe him a lot.

Yes, sir. That is a handsome piece.

Uncle Phil was sending the watch

when I popped in.

The brigade asked him to choose it.

Those are great boys. Great days.

And the little miniature

of you is beautiful.

The chain belonged to Father.

I always wanted you to have it.

It's beautiful.

- Here's your morning mail, general.

- Thank you.

That must have been a dull trip.

It wasn't so dull. I did a lot of shopping,

and it was wonderful to see Uncle Phil.

I missed you.

How do you like your eggs

this morning, boiled or fried?

- What?

- I said, how do you like your eggs?

Eggs? Sure.

Eggs. Boiled and fried.

Scrambled, poached

and rubbed in your hair.

- The man's plumb crazy.

- Libby. Libby, look.

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