Two Rode Together Page #8

They smile at me and show their teeth,

but it's the eyes that bite.

I have not seen the back

of anyone's head since I came here.

Their eyes are all on my body

like dirty fingers.

As if they would turn their backs,

I would leap upon them...

...and my touch would have

to be washed off like filth.

You should not have brought me here.

I do not belong with these people.

Running Wolf was brought in here

tied to a hand-led horse.

You weren't, you know.

But how could I know

I would come back to this?

For five years with the Comanches,

my eyes never saw a tear.

Now they see the silent questions.

How many braves has she known?

How many mestizo children

carry her blood in their veins?

Now, why didn't I kill myself?

I took a Comanche!

Well, that's great. That's...

That's great. You wanna go back, spend

the rest of your life as a Comanche?

Hide behind that old war paint,

dead before you're 30.

I don't understand it.

With all the Comanche

that's rubbed off on you, I don't know...

Why didn't you soak up

a little backbone...

...so you could stand up and fight?

- Why didn't you do that?

- Fight?

- Now, listen, you listen to me.

- How can I fight?

Now, nobody wants their past

tattooed across their forehead.

But you're gonna take those years

to the grave with you.

Sooner you learn to live

with them, the better.

Now, can't you understand that?

You... You know, I prayed and prayed

that someone would come and help me.

And you. You...

- Oh, now cut that out.

- I don't know how to show my gratitude.

You hush. You hush.

Now, well... Stand up. Stand up.

That darn thing. I...

Now, just don't interrupt me.

I'm... I'm thinking.

Now, these people

are giving a dance tonight.

Dance?

And you and me are gonna attend

that hoedown.

We're gonna, but...

You're gonna have

to get yourself fixed up.

You gotta get a comb.

And you have to have a dress.

Now, where am I gonna get a dress?

Jim Gary.

Jim Gary. He's engaged

to that little girl down at the settlers'.

He doesn't know it yet,

but he's engaged.

She might have a dress.

She's about the same size.

You turn around.

Well, never mind.

Never mind. She might have a dress.

And you've got to do something

about these.

Either put them back,

or put them up like...

Well, now, you get yourself fixed up,

I'll get the dress.

So you are leaving...

When did you say you were leaving?

Sunup.

Independence,

that's a mighty long way.

Yes, it is.

I...

I've been thinking, I get a furlough

in about three months...

...do you think maybe I could come

and visit you?

Lieutenant Gary,

are you proposing now?

Yeah, I...

I guess I am.

Well, aren't you...?

Don't you...?

Yeah.

Mama's gonna untie you.

I'm not going to leave you

tied up like that.

Braid.

Mama's gonna cut that off

so you'll be my darling little white boy.

Toby!

- Good evening.

- Evening, sir.

Come on, senorita.

Let's go in and knock them dead.

- Well, good evening.

- Hello, Jim.

Looking fit.

Come on over here

and say hello to the major.

Major, you know

Senorita de la Madriaga.

- Major Frazer.

- Glad you could come.

- And Mrs. Frazer.

- Very beautiful. Won't you sit down?

And you know Miss Purcell,

daughter of Judge Purcell.

- Of course. How are you, my dear?

- You know Marshal McCabe.

Crusader of the law, diplomat,

adventurer, man-about...

Yes, thank you. Thank you.

Major, you have a very fine jail here.

I thought you'd appreciate it.

Well, you dance?

No, but I take an occasional drink.

Bar's right in there.

Can we get you ladies

some refreshments?

Marty?

Punch?

Oh, yes.

- Well, excuse us.

- Yeah, we'll bring it right back.

- Four, Posey.

- No, three.

- Enjoying the dance, marshal?

- No.

Well, looks like

we poisoned the waterhole.

Yeah.

Say, Upton, have you got a free dance

for Miss de la Madriaga?

Sorry, Gary,

my program's all filled up.

Chase, how about you?

You got a free dance for the senorita?

Well, sir, excuse me, but...

But this is our dance,

don't you remember?

Oh, wonderful. Excuse me, sir.

- Will you have some?

- No, thank you.

- Hey, that's a good idea.

- I thought so.

- Will you...?

- No, thanks.

- Major?

- No, thank you.

Would you care to dance, Marty?

Come on.

Come on.

Some of the ladies were inquiring...

Well, what they really wanna know is...

...in this marriage to the Indian,

were there no children?

No, madam.

Oh, I see.

My dear, we were wondering,

among the savages, is it true...?

Elena!

Now, you listen here.

Now, you and me didn't get all

dressed up tonight for nothing.

Now, come on.

You did that on purpose, Gary.

Don't you deny it.

If you want satisfaction, Mr. Upton,

I'm at your disposal.

The same goes for you, Mr. Chase!

And that goes for all you gentlemen!

- Gary!

- Oh, please.

I saw that, Mr. Gary.

You'll apologise to Mr. Upton

and this entire company.

I will not apologise, sir, respectfully.

Major, please.

If there is any apology

to this assembly it is mine.

This is a military matter, Miss Madriaga,

nothing to do with you.

If I were not here tonight, major,

this would not have happened.

Am I allowed to speak?

Why, certainly. Yes.

Ladies and gentlemen...

...it seems like the only embarrassment

here tonight is my presence.

If the truth will quiet

your unspoken questions...

...I give it gladly.

For five years I was the woman

of the Comanche, Stone Calf.

He treated me like a wife.

The work was hard,

the scoldings frequent...

...and occasionally he beat me.

I did not bear him any children.

I know that many of you regard me

as a degraded woman.

Degraded by the touch

of a savage Comanche...

...by having had to live

as one of them.

You said l... Why did I not kill myself?

Why I did not...?

- Why, I...?

- Go on. Go on, you're doing fine.

- I can't!

- Well, I sure as hell can.

She didn't kill herself

because her religion forbids it.

You know, sometimes it takes more

courage to live than it does to die.

You'd agree with that,

wouldn't you, major?

You know, I don't think

any of you folks in this room...

...have ever been

to a Comanche camp.

Have you, major?

- Well...

- No. No.

I have. I usually limit my visits

to three days.

Three days.

That's about 45 working hours...

...for a woman in one of those camps.

You know, a Comanche, he don't know

when Sunday comes.

And cooking's sort of the recreation

for the women, they...

And then, in their spare time, they

chew the glue out of buffalo hides...

...so that their man can have

a nice soft pair of moccasins.

You can judge for yourself

what kind of life it is...

...by the number of survivors

we brought back.

- That's right, McCabe only...

- Yeah, but you shut up. You shut up.

And now some of you are asking...

...why this young lady

doesn't go back.

Well, it might be interesting

for you to know...

...that this afternoon

she asked me to take her back.

Because she was treated much better

by the Comanches...

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