Virginia City Page #8

Be dadgummed

if them ain't wheel tracks.

Yes, sir,

and that's the way we're heading.

- Well, I don't know.

- Well, I do know.

This way of passing,

they must be ahead of us.

What makes you so confounded

certain he's with that outfit?

If he ain't with them,

he's after them.

Did you know Kerry to turn aside

from something he started after?

No, but you...

Marblehead,

I only made one mistake in my life...

...and that was when I started

letting you follow after me.

- Come on.

- Well, let's get to riding.

Wagons, ho.

Nice work, Murrell.

- Did you lose any men?

- Oh, maybe five or six.

Big party you got here.

Yeah.

Here it is, Murrell. All ready for you.

Pretty big price you pay to get

this wagon train out of Virginia City.

Not when you're anxious to get home.

Which way you heading?

Due south.

Yeah, that's the best way.

Better you cut west this side of Las Vegas.

Then you miss the Union outpost

at Mormon Station.

You cross the Colorado River at...

Yeah.

Just like I said...

...you cross the river at Sloan's Ferry.

The water, she's low this time of year.

Maybe you like

I ride a little ways with you, huh?

- No, thanks.

- Well, good luck.

Maybe I see you sometime.

That was a good tip

about circling Mormon Station.

A little too good.

But we're taking no chances

with Mr. Murrell.

Wagons, forward.

Sergeant, wagon train coming.

If only our luck holds out.

Marshall, you and Armistead ride back...

...and tell the boys to act natural

and keep Bradford out of sight.

Pull up.

Pull up, everybody.

Hello, sergeant.

- Hi.

Pull up, everybody.

Hold back, boys. Hold back.

Where'd you folks come from?

All the way from Kansas,

heading for California.

Is this the right road?

It might be.

What do you got in that wagon?

Oh, some grub, a few pieces of furniture

and a lot of tired people.

Well, you got a long pull

ahead of you.

You'll find some mighty dry country.

Excuse me, folks.

- And that one?

- Same as the rest, we're settlers.

You're welcome to look, but I assure you

there's nothing there to interest the Army.

All right, go ahead.

Thanks, sergeant.

Wagons, forward!

Hold on a minute.

- Pull up, you men.

- Hold those wagons.

Any trouble, sergeant?

What makes these wagons sink so deep?

You ain't declared that hefty a load.

Why, it's the wagon itself.

Besides, your country's pretty sandy.

Maybe, but I'm gonna

have a look just the same.

All right, everybody,

get out of those wagons.

Come on, you too.

We're unloading everything.

Come on, get moving.

Get those wagons out.

He can't get far. Come on.

Cobby.

That's the last of him.

Go back to the wagons and keep rolling.

- Mormon Station, sir.

- Yeah?

"Gold train...

...passed through here...

...after killing guard.

Send force immediately...

...equipped for long..."

Well?

Something's happened, sir.

Push them hands up

and reach for the roof.

Doggone it.

Say, you're sure getting so you play rough.

You knowed that was me.

- What do you mean trying to scare us?

- Well, I'm sorry, fellas.

I had no idea it was you

until you fell on your faces.

Well, that's a fine welcome.

It would have served you right

if I'd plugged you.

Where have you been?

- What took you so long?

- We been following...

What do you mean wandering around

like a couple of strays?

Do I have to put bells on you

to find out where you are?

- Well, I...

- Be quiet.

I can't depend on you any longer,

I can see that.

Serve you right

if I knocked your bone-heads together.

- Oh, Kerry, it sure is good to see you.

- You bet.

My, how you two have grown.

- How'd you find me?

- We got a couple of good smellers.

- I'll say you have.

- We followed your trail. What's this?

Somebody's been cutting up around here.

That's the gold train.

- Boy, I'm sure glad you're all together.

- I'm only just.

It's coming through now, sir.

"Will wait...

...here for you.

Captain Bradford."

- Order the assembly.

- Yes, sir.

Intelligence Department. Bradford.

- You drivers all set?

- We're all ready.

After you cross the river,

turn toward Mojave City.

Should make fast time with these wagons,

but be sure and leave a clear trail.

Good luck, boys. Now, get going.

Hurry, we gotta catch those wagons

before they leave the river.

Right, Vance.

All right, folks, we're moving.

If we move the boy another mile,

it might kill him.

If we don't move on,

it may be all of us.

Won't you let us rest here today, Vance,

for a few hours?

We can't chance it, Julia.

Sorry, Cobby,

we can't stand by and let you rest.

I'll be all right.

Just keep on moving, Vance.

All right, we'll put him in the wagon.

Murrell said there was nothing

to worry about after Sloan's Crossing.

I said I don't trust Murrell.

I'm dividing the train.

We don't know who's behind us

or how close, so let's hurry.

All right, Vance.

All right, keep your wagons close together

till we get to the middle of the river.

Whoa.

- This is evidently where they camped.

- Dad-burned if it ain't.

There are the tracks

where they crossed the river.

We'll pick them up on the other side.

There's where they went out.

And they headed due south.

It couldn't be plainer if they'd left a map.

That's just it, sir.

How far can you trust that map?

They knew they were being followed.

Be the easiest thing in the world

to cover those tracks up.

- Lf you want my opinion...

- I'd ask for it.

You saw the trail where they went in.

And this is where they went out.

I should think even an Intelligence officer

would see that.

Forward, ho.

Julia, how much farther

do we have to go?

Not far, Cobby.

We're almost there.

Shh. Don't try to talk.

You go back to sleep.

My stomach.

Wagons ahead, sir.

Whoa.

There are only four wagons,

you told me there were 10.

There are still 10.

Ho!

There ain't nothing in this one.

It's emptier than his head.

Doggone, thunderation.

Major, the confounding stuff

sure ain't in there.

Bradford, if this idea of yours

turns out to be a wild-goose chase...

These wagons are just decoys, sir.

They purposely led us off the trail.

Loaded the gold into the other six...

...they must be ahead of us,

either south or southeast.

Well, how about the north and the west?

We haven't tried them yet.

Since we don't seem to agree...

...I wonder if you'd mind if I took men

and followed my hunch?

You could divide the rest up into patrols

and spread out.

- We could rendezvous at Sloan's Crossing.

- Well, all right.

But I hope your hunch

turns out to be a good one, for your sake.

Thank you, sir. I do too.

Walton and five men,

join Captain Bradford.

Lieutenant, call the troops.

Circle in.

We're camping here.

Circle in.

His pulse is very weak.

Let me.

He needs fresh water, Vance.

So do the rest of us.

We'll make the water hole tomorrow

if we're lucky.

There's the river. Water.

This is the river we hoped for.

Mud.

How far to the next stream, Vance?

If this one's dry, they all are.

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