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Incident at Phantom Hill (1966)
Yee-haw!
Whoo-haw! Whoo-haw! Hyah! Hyah! Whoo-haw! Yee-haw. But it's been six weeks since the surrender, sir. How long must our boys remain in your prison camps? We can't just turn them loose, Mr. Cole. We have to arrange transportation, food-- Then arrange it, sir. By heaven, had the victory been ours-- When may I see General Good? I'll tell him you're here. Excuse me. Captain Martin, right this way. The general's expecting you. Captain Martin, sir. Captain, I'm a busy man, so I'll get right to the point. I have a job here I think may interest you. This chest is all that's left of a million-dollar gold shipment lost at Phantom Hill. One of our patrols found it right about here, 20 miles from Phantom Hill. And the gold from that chest and 19 others like it is hidden out there, somewhere. How do you know the gold never reached the Confederacy, General? We have General Lee's word, and he is an honorable man, Captain. Here. Take a look at that. Joseph Henry Barlow. He was one of the Rebs at Phantom Hill. A few weeks after the raid, he was captured. He knows where the gold is. He's finally admitted it. But what's more important, he's agreed to lead us to it. Why? Because we have something he wants. It's all in there. Before the war, he was serving a life term in prison for murdering a federal marshal in Texas. I see. And in exchange for a pardon, he volunteered to join the Reb army. That's right. But now the war is over, we could send him right back to prison again, but we made a deal with him. The United States Government will recognize that Reb pardon if he leads us to the gold. There's just one thing you forgot to mention, General. Phantom Hill is right in the middle of the Staked Plains, and the Staked Plains are part of the territory the government just gave to the Comanches. And under the treaty, the Army is forbidden to set foot in that country. That's why this meeting is unofficial, Captain. That's why you're to forget this conversation the minute you leave this office. And that's why, provided you accept this assignment, you'll be completely on your own. And if anything goes wrong, the United States Army and the federal government will deny they ever heard of you. What would I do for men and supplies? This will buy you all the equipment you need. As for men, you'll find them waiting for you at Hays City. Well, do you want this job, Captain Martin? You know I do, sir. Yes, I know you do. I'm very sorry about your brother. He was a fine officer. We lost a lot of good men at Phantom Hill. Well, at least I hope you'll have the satisfaction of completing his mission. Thank you, sir. Good luck. Oh, Captain, don't forget. Barlow is a killer. ? Look away ? Look away look away, Dixieland ? ? I wish I was in Dixie Let's get out of here. Excuse me. Excuse me. Oh! When are you gonna let me out of this thing? When I'm through with you. Ha ha. Just relax. You'll be a free man in a couple of weeks. Free, yeah, but it ain't gonna be like I figured it would. Well, a man can't have everything, Barlow. A man can try. Oh, hey, come on back. The war's over. You gotta come back, big boy. [ laughs ] He got away! Hey, what's going on there? Stop the train. You're right handy with a shooting iron, ain't you? Don't try that again, Barlow. I don't want to have to kill you. Not yet, anyway. That's right. Not yet, anyway. Well, let's not worry about it till the time comes, huh? Meanwhile, you still got your hand and I still ain't got no holes in my hide. So no hard feelings, huh, Captain? No hard feelings. All right. Hold it, fellas. What's it mean, Sheriff? It means exactly what it says. Army's got no right. How you gonna hunt buffalo if you can't get where the buffalo are at? All right now. Break it up. Come on. Come on. Get out of here. Break it up, boys. Afternoon, gentlemen. Afternoon. We'd like a room for two. Sign the register, please. 25. Up the stairs at the end of the hall. Thank you. Mr. Martin? I'm Adam Long. I think you two know each other. Well, I guess you could say we met. We didn't take time to introduce ourselves that day at Phantom Hill, did we? I'm Joe Barlow. I guess you understand there was nothing personal in that roughing up we gave you. How many men do you have with you, Long? There's four of us. - Only four? - That's right. Where are they? Krausman and O'Rourke are down at the livery stable. Dr. Hanneford's at his hotel. - Dr. Hanneford? - That's right. We haven't any use for a doctor. I was told to ask for volunteers. I wasn't told to reject anyone. All right. Have the men at the livery stable at 8:30 tonight. Yes, sir. Let's go. - Sheriff. - Hi, Charlie. Sit down. Forget it, Barlow. Anybody ever tell you you got a mean and suspicious nature? Yep. And no sense of justice, either. None at all. It ain't like I stole the gold. It was captured by the Confederacy. Legitimate spoils of war, that's what it was. Only there ain't no more Confederacy, so I got just as much right to that gold as anybody, including the United States Government. It might pay you to think about that, Captain. - Who is it? - Open up. It's Sheriff Drum. What's this? You signed the register Matthew Martin. Is there a law against a man giving his real name? - Is it? - It is. Where you from, Martin? Depends on where I was last. This man a friend of yours? What difference does it make? It might make a lot of difference, mister. I might have to take you in, too, for helping an escaped convict. - Get your hands up, Barlow. - Now, wait a minute-- Hold it! Maybe you don't remember me, Reb. I was a guard at the federal prison in Austin, Texas, when you started serving a life sentence for the murder of a U.S. Marshal. So that's the burr under your saddle. Well, this'll set your mind at ease, Sheriff. It's a full pardon from the governor of the state of Texas, given to me in exchange for volunteering to serve in the Army of the Confederate States of America. Hey. The U.S. Government doesn't recognize any Reb pardon. - What do you mean-- - Joe. Sheriff, there must be some way of working this out. There's nothing to work out. I got a pardon. Relax, Joe. Just relax. Look, Sheriff, do you have to make an issue out of this? The war's over. Why not let bygones be bygones? I still don't like Rebs, and I don't want them around my town. Well, then you got no problem. Joe and I are pulling out first thing in the morning for Santa Fe. Santa Fe? Yeah, that's right. We're, uh, we're starting a freight line there. All right. All right, I'm gonna do you boys a favor. You be out of Hays City by 7:00 tomorrow morning and I'll forget I ever saw you. Don't forget, 7:00 in the morning. That was easy. Too easy. When you men volunteered for this mission, you were told your destination was Santa Fe. Well, that's not true. We're going out on the Staked Plains. Well, I can see you're all familiar with 'em. Why in the devil are we going to that land of Satan? We're going after gold, O'Rourke, $1 million in gold that the United States Government lost to the Rebs at Phantom Hill. And Mr. Barlow's gonna lead us to it. Captain, the Staked Plains are 100 miles-- 100 miles inside the new Indian treaty lands, Doctor. I know. That's why we're going as civilians. If the Army was caught violating the treaty, it could lead to a general Indian uprising. So once we leave here, we're on our own. From now on, I want you to forget you're soldiers. If we get picked up by a military patrol, we'll be considered deserters. If we're caught by the Indians, it's our funeral. Is that understood? Krausman? O'Rourke? I get it. One more thing. You'll all wear sidearms. - I-- - That includes you, Doctor. Like me, you'll each carry just two shells in the chamber. Since we won't be able to keep Mr. Barlow under lock and key at all times, he might be tempted to appropriate somebody's gun. If he did, he might be able to kill two of us, but that'd leave him with an empty gun and three men. Six bullets still against him. I want us on the road by 7:00 in the morning. Put a little lift into it now, lads. Ah. You wouldn't have a wee spot for the bite of the snake in there, would you, Doc? All right, let's roll. Mr. Martin. I hope you have a nice trip to Santa Fe. Thanks, Sheriff. You know, Martin, a man does a favor, he kind of expects a favor in return. Doesn't that seem fair to you? Depends. Well, you know, the westbound stages aren't running because of that new treaty. It means changing the routes, setting up new relay stations. Be a couple of weeks now before things get back to normal. So? So I've got a passenger for you. A passenger? That's right, for Santa Fe. Sorry, Sheriff, we don't have any room. - Make room. - Now, look-- You make room in your wagon for my passenger, or I'll make room in my jail for Joe Barlow. Now, it's exactly two minutes to 7:00, Martin. Where is your passenger? Waiting across the street in front of the hotel. Adam. Her? You gotta be kidding, Sheriff. Martin, there are some things I don't have much of a sense of humor about. One of them is Rebs and another is women like that. This is gonna be a long, hard trip. How do you expect me to put up with a-- Oh, don't worry about that. Memphis is used to traveling. She made all the camps. That's great. And you're asking me to take her to Santa Fe. I'm not asking you to take her any more than I'm asking her to leave Hays City. I'm telling you, telling you both. Now, come on. Krausman, O'Rourke. Memphis, this is Mr. Martin. Ma'am. I talked Martin and his friends into letting you travel to Santa Fe with them. Well, that was real nice of you, Sheriff. Shall we go, ma'am? Why not? Put the lady's luggage in the wagon. Good-bye, Memphis. Oh, I'm not gonna say good-bye, Carter, 'cause I'm coming back to Hays City someday. Oh, I wouldn't like that a bit. I'm coming back and make you and everyone else in this rotten town crawl on their hands and knees to apologize to me. Six of you, huh? That should make for an interesting time between here and Santa Fe. Very interesting. All right, let's get ready to roll. You don't have anything to worry about. Worry? After what I've seen and done, I don't know how to spell the word. Now, where do I ride? Up there, Miss, uh... Just Memphis. No last name. Mother was the kind that never asked questions. Easy now, darling. That's the way. Sit right down. Git-up. Git-up. - Pull up, O'Rourke. - Whoa. Krausman, ride up and tell Long we're stopping for 15 minutes. At the rate we're going the last two days, we should be in Santa Fe soon, shouldn't we? Don't you worry about it. Well, shouldn't we? - Something wrong? - No. You're lying. Mr. Barlow tells me we're not going to Santa Fe. But you'll get there all right. How? Gonna be stopping for water at a trading post in about three days. It's run by a man named Brant. He has a freight line to Santa Fe. He'll take you there. Do you mean you're gonna leave me and-- You'll be as safe with him as you are with us, believe me. Believe you? Look, Martin, I've known men like you all my life, men who have no respect for anyone. Carter Drum runs me out of town, you help him, and then you dump me off like a sack of potatoes in the middle of God knows where. Two-bit captain or tin-horn sheriff, you're all alike. Shh. I want to talk to you. What about? A million dollars in gold. Over there. Now, what's this about a million dollars in gold? It's what the captain's after. You want to hear about it? Well, I'm listening, aren't I? If I hadn't been captured by the Yanks, I'd be a rich man by now. Why are you telling me this? You're a smart girl. You'll figure it out. So what do you want me to do? I'll let you know when the time comes. Interested? There's just one more thing. How do you know it's still there? That's a good question. I'll tell you how he knows. A Reb officer and six enlisted men made off with the gold after the fight at Phantom Hill. That was the last that was seen of the gold or the men, except for Barlow. Remember that, Memphis. He's the only one who came back. Aah! Krausman! No. No. No, no. Now, just take it easy. Easy. Get your hands off me. His neck is broken. Hardly more than a boy. Painted for war, trying to make a name for himself by stealing our horses. This spells a raiding party. They won't be long in missing him and tracking him here. Let's get those horses ready to move. We're not gonna bury him? Sorry, Doctor. We don't have the time. Now let's get out of here. Git. Hup! Ahh. Get in there! Swing 'em into midstream wide, O'Rourke. Watch out for quicksand. Right, Captain. Hyah! Hyah! That's the way, lads. Pull! Come on. Git-up. Hyah! Git-up! Hyah! Pull! Pull! That's it. Come on, lads. Hyah! Hup! Ho! Git-up there. Git-up! Get the wagon under cover of those trees. Krausman, break out the extra rifles and ammunition. The rest of you, picket the horses over there. All right, we'll dig in here and hope they don't spot us. If they do, they'll have to come across the stream. The fight'll be on our terms, not theirs. Can you handle a rifle? Just point me in the right direction, Captain. Me, too, Captain. All right, let's go. All right, stay down and don't fire till I give the order. Krausman! All right, we got 'em on the run. Let's keep 'em moving. Krausman! Krausman! Krausman, you disobey another order, and I'll break you in half. My bag is in the wagon. Now, somebody, please, this man is bleeding to death. That was murder, Mr. Barlow. You don't murder an Indian, Hanneford. You just kill 'em, like you shoot a rattler or step on a bug. I'll take the rifle, Barlow. What're you doing out here if you ain't got no taste for killing? What I'm doing out here, Mr. Barlow, is my own business. As far as my not having a taste for killing, you're right about that. I don't. And the irony of it is for every man you've killed in your life, I expect I've killed a hundred, maybe a thousand. Thanks. Well, even the best of us can make a mistake now and then. Whoa. Is Brant around? Brant? He's been dead more than two months. I took this place over. I keep meaning to clean up around here, but... I believe the lady would find it cooler inside. That water any good? I drink it. Krausman, O'Rourke, fill up the water barrels. First saloon we come to, and here we are drawing a barrel of water. House always buys the first drink. Then you're on your own. Whiskey? Tequila? - Tequila. - The same. Three whiskies. You fellas come far? Far enough. You going far? I can tell better when I get there. Them new Indian lands start just south of here. Supposed to be out of bounds for anybody except the Comanche. Don't suppose you heard that? Yeah, I heard. Government says they gonna go hard on anybody they catch out there. Tell you what I'll do, friend. What'll you do? I'll mind my business if you'll mind yours. I understand you run a freight line to Santa Fe. No, not since the Comanche come raiding through here and burned out the ranches. You got some freight for Santa Fe? No, a passenger. - The girl? - Yeah. Could be arranged, maybe. I been thinking about going in for supplies. I hear you're trying to get to Santa Fe. Yes, I am. Might take me a few days to fit up. There's a room in the back you could use. Not too fancy, but the bed's comfortable. Forget it, mister. This ought to cover the drinks. - Let's go. - Now, wait up now. You've got this all wrong. Why, this lady'd be as safe here as in a church. Let's all have a drink and forget it. Just friends, huh? That's the way. Everybody, belly up. I said, let's go. But, Matt, I ain't had me first one yet. O'Rourke. Drinks, he says. Thanks. Look, I'm sorry you're still stuck with me. Look, get this straight. I didn't do that for you. Do you mean you thought I'd talk about the gold? That's right. Oh, well, in that case... Memphis, get in the wagon. Is that the only reason you don't want to leave me? Well? Just get in the wagon and change those clothes. Hold on, mister. You ain't paid for that barrel of water. How much? That'll be about, uh, $50. It's his water, friend. Oh, well, you go ahead and tell him, then. $50. Look, that's the only well in 100 miles of here. Git-up. Git-up. Git-up. Oh! Anybody'd pay $50 for a barrel of water could only be headed one place that I know of. Like maybe the Staked Plains. I wonder what they're after. I don't know, but whatever it is must be mighty inviting. Sure does arouse a fella's curiosity. Wait a minute. You been here three days eating and drinking. What about your bill? Oh. I got more than this coming. You didn't mark the graves? No. I just walked the horses back and forth trampling the ground flat. Hard to tell where your brother's buried. He came a long way to die. Tell me about it, Adam. Didn't you read my report to General Good, Captain? I read it. Then you know the whole story. I don't know what the convoy was doing here, almost 100 miles south of its original route. The Comanches were at war, Captain. So were the Rebs, Lieutenant. Your brother wasn't to blame for what happened here. I hadn't thought he was. We gonna camp here tonight? No. We've still got an hour or so of daylight. We'll move on. Yes, sir. There's your Staked Plains out there, Captain. A misplaced piece of hell if there ever was one. How much further, Barlow? Well, that's hard to tell. We sorta lost track of things after we left here, what with that wagon full of gold getting heavier and heavier and the men and horses dropping and the sandstorms scouring us raw. Where's Krausman? He was here a minute ago. Captain. Krausman, what-- Still warm. Comanche. 10, 12 ponies headed south. Straight for the Plains. I'm gonna ride up ahead, take a look around. Keep moving for another hour, then make camp. I'd like to ride with you, Captain. I'll bet you would. If I'm not back by morning break camp and keep moving. You're not to waste any time looking for me or waiting for me. That's an order, Long. Shouldn't somebody go look for the captain? You volunteering, Doc? Leave him alone, Barlow. I was just asking a question, Memphis, honey. After all, the doc here must be quite a guy, considering all the men he says he killed. Tell us about it, Doc. - Barlow. - I want to hear about it. How'd you kill 'em, Doc? It was very simple, Mr. Barlow. I worked in a slaughterhouse the Army called a hospital, and when they brought the wounded in by the thousands, I chopped off their hands and feet and arms and legs and I bandaged them up with dirty rags and I stood there and watched them bleed to death or die of gangrene or shock. When the war started, I was a surgeon, and when it was over, I was nothing but a butcher. You call me a doctor, but I'm not a doctor, not anymore or ever again. Maybe things ain't as bad as you think they are, Doc. I mean, if you had some money and could go someplace, like, say, California, take a nice long rest, forget about the war, then maybe someday you'd feel like starting all over again. When you come right down to it, we all got something ailing us. But you take a million dollars, even split five ways, that's mighty powerful medicine. Ain't nothing in the world that wouldn't cure. What about the Comanches? They're out there, all right. I don't know how many, but they're there. So until we know where they are and what they're up to, we're gonna keep moving. Pull up, O'Rourke. Whoa, boys. Whoa. Whoa. Heavy cusses, ain't they? That's 'cause they're airtight to protect the gold. We dumped 'em to lighten the load. Didn't do much good. Couldn't have been more than 10 or 15 miles before the horses give out and we had to hide the stuff. All right, let's make camp. You know... I been thinking about what you said to the sheriff back in Hays City, how you'd be back someday and make him and the whole town come crawling to you to apologize. Anybody with half a million dollars could make Hays City sit up and bark like a dog. You'd like that, wouldn't you? I'd love it. All you gotta do is get me a rifle. First chance you get after we pick up the gold. Why not? There it is. There it is, boys. Hyah! Hyah! Hyah! Hyah! Look at the gold. Just look at the gold. Unbelievable. All right, let's get it loaded. Well, Captain, I did my part of the bargain. Now you keep yours. When the job's done, Barlow. It's done. Your amnesty will be recognized when we get to Fort Hays and not before. How do I know you Yanks won't back down on the deal and send me back to Austin Prison? Because you were told. When this gold is returned to the Army, you'll be a free man. Now, if you're in a hurry, get to work. Gold always was my favorite color. Are you coming? What's the matter? Afraid I'll hide one in each stocking? Well, hello again. Just bring it right on down here. You know, a fella's eyes play tricks on him out in this country. Sees things that ain't there, like running water, green grass, trees. I even seen a herd of buffalo once that weren't there, but I never did see no gold. That gold is as real as real. Drop them gun belts, all of you. Do as he says. I wouldn't do that, mister. One shot'll bring every Comanche within five miles riding down on us. Maybe there ain't no Comanche within five miles. Well, then all you gotta do to find out is pull that trigger. No Comanche ever heard a skinning knife at work. O'Rourke, move the wagon up. Let's get that gold loaded. Gonna leave them for the buzzards, too? That's right, Doctor. Captain! It's empty. Don't look at me, Captain. I get just as thirsty as anybody else. How much have we got left? Well, there's only the one barrel left, and it's a third gone. Let me see that map. I don't suppose you'll believe this, but there's a water hole about 50 miles north of here. You sure of that, Barlow? I'm alive, ain't I? Of course I'm sure. That's the way we went. Must mean Eagle Wells. Do you know it? It was on our original route before... before we decided to turn south. Here's Eagle Wells. There's another water hole 30 miles north of that. Sabine Springs, here. Sabine Springs. All right, let's get that gold loaded and move out. Adam. What is it, Captain? Barlow's down at the picket line. He's saddling a horse. Let's go get him. No. I'm gonna follow him, see what he's up to. I want you to keep your eyes on things while I'm gone. You didn't have to come after me. I would have caught up with you. Who's buried there? We didn't have time to carve his name, and without shovels, we couldn't dig too deep. But here lies Major Armiston, dead by reason of snakebite. What about the others? Did the same snake kill them, too? I told you, I don't know what happened to 'em. A couple of them took off on their own, and I got separated from the rest. I kind of liked the major. He and I got along real good, and I was curious if the Comanches had found his grave. They'd as soon scalp a dead man as a live one. And you came this far out of the way just to make sure? Yeah. - Start digging. - Huh? You heard me, dig. With my bare hands? You buried him that way, didn't you? Now dig him up. You satisfied? I'm gonna tell you just one time, Barlow. From now on, stay with the wagon. Captain. I'm just played out. Both of us, I'm afraid. - Drink some of this. - No. Drink, damn it. That's an order. Thanks. Help him into the wagon. Ooh, ooh, easy, boy. Let's go, Doc. Forget the saddle, Krausman. Just take the gear. Captain, I'll take care of him. We'll travel afoot for the next hour. That ain't too healthy, Captain. Take a look. They see us leading our horses, they might get the notion we're too far gone to put up much of a fight. Yeah, and the only sure way I know of bringing 'em buzzing down around our necks is to make a run for it. So we'll walk. How far to Eagle Wells? Ought to make it before sundown. I figure the least they'll do is try to cut us off. That's not their style of fighting. Just waiting. For what? We'll know when the time comes. Now we know why they weren't in any hurry to cut us off. This hole's been blasted and not just recently either. I may be wrong, Barlow, but somehow I get the impression you're not entirely surprised by this, nor much concerned either. Are you accusing me, Lieutenant? Because if you are, let me remind you again that I can get just as thirsty as anybody else. I went through that once, three days of no water. It ain't something I wanna do over. Put that thing away, Krausman. Put it away! All right, break it up. You heard me. Break it up. Is there any chance of getting the horses to Sabine Springs? They'll pull no more without water, Captain. We must be facing it. 'Tis the end of the line, I'm thinking. Not yet, O'Rourke. Not yet. Just coyotes. Ha ha. What are you doing up here? You're supposed to be on the north ridge. What good would I be up there without a rifle? You can yell, can't you? Now get up there. Barlow's right. Those aren't coyotes. No, they're not. But remember this, we've got rifles and a clear field of fire. Those Comanches will have to think twice before they do more than just squat there barking at each other. Yeah, and what happens after they think twice? You were in love with that sheriff in Hays City, weren't you? That farewell speech you made, the way you looked at him and he looked at you. What right do you have-- - Tell me about it. - You go to hell. Tell me! All right, Captain. Yes, I loved him. Then a young lady came to town. Oh, she was a very respectable young lady with a very respectable father who was the president of a very respectable bank. And that's when Carter Drum decided to clean up Hays City, starting with me. Now, is there anything else you'd like to know about Memphis Whatever-Her-Name-Is? Memphis? What's the matter? Anything, Adam? No. Barlow. Oh. What you trying to do? You'll get yourself killed sneaking up on a man like this. Anyway, you're not supposed to be out here. I thought maybe you was thirsty. Whiskey. Oh. Oh, 'tis a miracle. That's what it is. Where did you ever get it? Brant's. What in the devil you been saving it for, man? Oh... Captain, I got one of them spotted. I'm gonna work down from here and cut around behind him. Here, you keep me covered. Forget it. We're not here to collect scalps. I got 17 of 'em. 17. I swore it on Anna's grave and the baby's. I said 10 scalps for you, Anna, and 10 for the girl. They still owe me three. That's all I want. That's all I come here for. Now, you keep me covered. Krausman. Krausman. Now you listen to me. We got just one chance, and that's getting to Sabine Springs. You help us get there, and you can kill 20 Comanches for all I care. You promise? Yeah. But all I want is three. Just three more scalps. I am not saying I will, and I'm not saying I won't. What I am saying is I need another drink. No, you don't, Barlow. Heh. I'm on to you, trying to get me drunk and make away with my rifle, huh? No. Me? Trying to get you drunk? Look, if you've had too much, just hand the bottle back. Let's forget all about going partners. Well, I didn't say that. I'm turning it over in me mind. Oh, it's that dry, my mouth is. What happens if they attack, Captain? They won't. Not tonight, not tomorrow. Not till we get to Sabine Springs and find it's been blasted, too. Blasted? How do you know? Why didn't they try to cut us off today? Because they knew the well was dry. Why haven't they hit us tonight? Because they know when we get to Sabine Springs, it won't help us either. Well, what are you gonna do? I'm gonna get the truth out of Barlow if I have to use Krausman's scalping knife on him. - Then it's a deal? - It's a deal. And I have your word, Barlow. There will be plenty of water for all of us. Why did you... why did you... Up here, Doc. Stay with her, Adam. Keep under cover. Get out of here! Go on! Go on, get out of here! Get out of here! Get out of here! Adam, what the blazes you doing? Drop your rifles. Drop 'em. Now the guns. You first. Left hand. Krausman. Stand over there beside him, Lieutenant. He was on top of me before I had a chance. It's my fault, not yours. You wasn't much help to me, was you, Memphis, honey? But maybe it wasn't your fault. Now, you think you can pick up them guns without getting a pretty little finger caught in the trigger? Try it. How far do you think you're gonna get, Barlow? Just don't you fret about me, Captain. By the time the Comanches get finished with you, I'll be on the downhill side toward home. Now the canteens. What good are they gonna do you? There's not a drop of water among the three of them. I know, but there's nothing like leaving a tidy camp behind you. That's fine. Now climb on. You better go with him. Come on, come on, come on. You can count on better treatment from me than a dozen buck Comanches. Them Comanche must be mighty curious about what's been going on up here. This ought to really stir 'em up. All right, let's go. Come on. Hyah! Adam, I want you to build a fire, a big one. Are you crazy, Captain? We gotta get out of here. Now, how far do you think we're gonna get afoot without rifles or water? Right now, we got only one chance, and that's the Comanches. Barlow invited them in. Now let's make it easier for 'em. Get that fire started. Krausman, you come with me. Hyah! You all right, Captain? I can make it. I got the horses. Let's go. Krausman! Krausman! Captain! Let's get out of here, Adam. Whoa. Yes, sir. I'm gonna really live it up. Reach me one of them canteens, will you, Memphis, honey? I got a lot of living owed me, two years of prison, four years of the war, and that stinking prisoner-of-war camp. Ahh. You know, honey, I almost forgot what a woman's voice sounded like, but you sure fixed that. So I see. Hyah! Git-up. We better get off and rest that leg, Captain. We're not gonna be able to go much further without water, Captain. We'll make it. We've got to. I gotta tell you something. I gotta tell you about your brother, Captain, why he changed our route. What do you mean? Jim was out of his head. He didn't know what he was doing. He'd give one order one minute and contradict it the next. He shouldn't have been in command. I should have taken over. Then why didn't you? Because I was scared and I didn't have the guts to admit it. That's why I left it on my report to General Good. I was protecting myself. Were you? Were you protecting yourself or were you protecting a friend? - Don't waste it. Waste it? Memphis, honey, you just don't seem to understand, do you? We got nothing to worry about. Here, make yourself useful. Water them nags while I fill up the canteens. Where's the other canteen? What canteen? We had three of 'em this morning. Now there's only two. Where's the other one? How should I know? You're lying. All right, big man, I'll tell you where it is. It's about five miles behind us. Now, you listen to me. Dropping that canteen was stupid. Say Martin gets away from them Comanche. Say he finds a canteen. Say he comes out of this alive. What then? You looked appetizing enough to him out here, but back where a gentleman like him comes from, he wouldn't walk across the street to spit on you if you was on fire. Stop fooling yourself, Memphis. You're trash. You're trash, just like me. Only difference is I'm rich trash and you're poor trash. But it don't have to go on being that way. You just say the word. You can have the whole world, right here... Memphis, honey. All you gotta do is remember what you are. We lost 'em, Captain. The wind must have covered their tracks. Warm some more rocks. The principle of condensation, Adam. For the same reason dew forms at night. Cold air striking a warm surface. Warm rocks against the night air. moisture and maybe enough water to keep us alive. Water. Tight as a canteen. Couldn't take much water from the first grave, but here he really loaded up. Farsighted man, Mr. Barlow. First, he kills the officer in charge, then he talks the others into following him. Hide the gold till after the war. Then we'll all be rich. Gets the men to fight amongst themselves. Then he fills the chests at Eagle Wells and Sabine Springs, blasts them dry against any possible Yank pursuit. All the time he was burying his own private water supply against the day he'd return. Let me see that map, Adam. Here's the first grave, then Eagle Wells. Now this one. And there's Sabine Springs. Straight on line. Dead north. Dead north. And with that wagon, Barlow's gonna have to take the long way around. I think we've eaten his dust long enough, Adam. Let's beat him to the next one. Hyah! Hyah! Come on. You can dig as good as me. Right here. Come on. Dig. They gotta be here. Go ahead, dig. You can dig clear to China, but you won't find any water. Where's the others? They're here. Yeah? Why don't they show themselves? Krausman. Lieutenant. So it's come down to you and me, huh, Captain? You're through, Barlow. From now on, I'll always be one jump ahead of you. Grave by grave, you'll find nothing but sand. You stay here. All right, you know what to do. Be careful. All right, Captain. You throw rocks and I'll throw lead. Matt! Well, he dug most of his grave anyway. The lady helped considerably. |
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