1
Bring the rope.
Get on your feet, keyes.
You gotta give him one thing, sergeant.
He's a gambler.
No gamble when you got nothing to lose.
Put it on him.
Come on, gambler.
If I can't trust you on a horse,
you're gonna have to walk.
Start getting used to that
rope around your neck.
Get that rope off of him.
Put him back on his horse.
Corporal! Let 'em rest!
Down. Sit down. Rest.
Sergeant Raines, sir.
Lieutenant cummins of
Stewart's troop, fort dorado.
- Where you headed, sergeant?
- We're escorting a prisoner to general crook's command.
Your prisoner looks a little
worse for wear, sergeant.
- What happened to you, soldier?
- I fell off my horse.
He tried to make a break for it three times, sir.
I can sure use another man.
Well, I'm sorry, sergeant.
I can't spare one.
We're still two days from dorado. You
can reach the general by tomorrow.
Yes, sir. Good luck.
Move him out, schrader.
About face!
Left face!
Order, arms!
Platoon, dismissed!
Lieutenant cummins reporting, sir,
with 19 hostiles. Cheyenne, sir.
This far South,
in apache country?
I ran onto them
just north of Santa Fe.
Their braves must be dead
or on a reservation, I guess.
You guess?
Well, lieutenant, that's just
what we needed for Christmas.
Some of the men are gonna
have to miss the holidays,
taking this crew to
the Cheyenne-arapaho agency.
You'll be in charge
of the detail.
That's all. Yes, sir.
Have the doctor examine them.
He can set up a quarantine
tent outside if it's needed.
And let the rest sleep in
the old barracks. Yes, sir.
Corporal, move them out
over the barracks!
Right this way.
You people, move over this way.
Right this way.
All right, spread 'em out.
Spread 'em out. Sit 'em down here
on the porch. All along here.
Sit down. Sit.
Mail call! Mail call!
Mail call!
Hey, terrific! Let's go!
All right, now.
I'm gonna look at you one at a time.
Nothing to be afraid of.
You understand?
Any of you sick, we're
gonna try to help you.
Will you stand up here, please?
Go get him.
Open your shirt, please.
Will you open your shirt.
Oh, not like that. What's
the matter with you?
Smith, w.G. Here.
Hicks. Carter.
Right here. Here.
Phillips. Here.
Springer. Yo.
Miller. Here.
Carlisle. Yo.
O'brien. Murphy. Hey.
Yo. Johnson.
Here.
Here's one for you, Wheeler.
Simpson. Yo.
Anderson. Anderson.
He's on duty.
Hey, come back here! Here, doc.
Hey, what's going on? Hey,
boy, give me that horse.
Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!
Give me your hand. Never mind me.
Get the kid.
- Come back here, fella.
- You men,
get after those mules.
Come back here.
Give me a hand here, Murphy.
Come here, you.
Hey, kid, come here. Look out.
Stop him, chaplain.
Son, come on back.
He's a real wildcat, he is.
He's white, sir.
I'm not blind, sergeant.
Come on. Get down from there.
The guardhouse is empty, isn't it?
Yes, sir.
- Then lock him up.
- You can't just sentence him to the guardhouse.
I am not sentencing him, John.
But I gotta put him someplace
while I figure out...
What to do with him.
I suppose there's no chance
of finding his parents.
None at all, John.
He's probably one of those captured by the
Cheyenne after the sand creek massacre.
Indians raised him
as a member of the tribe.
What I mean, sir, is
I-I'd like to take him.
He'll have to be kept
under lock and key.
I want him out of the way when we send
those others to the reservation next week.
Yes, sir, I understand.
All right.
I'll hold both of you
responsible.
Yes, sir.
Well, come on, son.
Come on, you.
You're being given a name.
Do you understand?
Dearly beloved, none can
enter the kingdom of God,
except he be regenerate and born
anew of water and the holy ghost.
Who speaks for this child?
Sergeant.
Uh, I do.
Dost thou in the name of the
child renounce the devil...
And all his works?
I do.
- The child's name?
- Mark.
I baptize thee... Mark...
In the name of the trinity.
From this day forward,
you'll be known as mark...
To all men.
Kindly light amid
the encircling gloom
lead thou me on
the night is dark
and I am far from home
lead thou me on
keep thou my feet
I do not ask to see
the distant scene
one step enough
for me
amen
you men can put out
your candles now.
During the offertory,
we'll sing "silent night."
Silent night
holy night
all is calm
all is bright
round yon virgin
mother and child
holy infant so
tender and mild
sleep in heavenly peace
sleep in heavenly peace
silent night
holy night
Shepherds quake
at the sight
glories stream
from heaven afar
heavenly hosts sing
alleluia
Christ the savior is born
Christ the savior is born
you look for Cheyenne?
He can't have gone far. You check over there.
I'll look on this side.
Did you see the boy come out?
No, sarge.
Ho.
Hyah! Let's go.
Ho, ho, ho, ho, ho.
Boy.
Let me see that arm.
Ah, that's not too bad.
Come on. We'll put
something on it.
All right, now sit down there.
I'll get you some water.
Oh, shut up, you rotten,
no good piece of...
here. Drink some of this.
Don't overdo it. Slowly.
Got some carbolic in here.
I can promise you, it's gonna
hurt you more than it will me.
Give me that arm.
That ought to keep it
from festerin', anyway.
That military disaster
over there,
we call rosebud.
You can call her Rosie,
if you've a mind to.
Shut up.
Give me that gun.
I said give me that gun before
I break it over your backside.
All right, I shot you.
Now we're even.
Next time you use a Winchester,
you just make sure there's a
cartridge in the chamber, huh?
What's your name?
I'm not gonna ask you again.
Mark.
Mark? Mark what?
Just mark.
I'm Clint keyes.
What are you doing out here all by your lonesome?
Where are your folks?
Can't leave you
out here by yourself.
I'll take you
as far as those mountains.
Then I'm heading South,
to Mexico.
You understand that, boy?
That's the thirstiest critter I ever saw.
He don't even know he's a camel.
Thirsty?
Appears to me
he answered to that.
I been looking for a handle for him.
Come here, thirsty.
Come here. Come on.
Ah, camels don't cotton
to me too much.
Why don't you call him.
Here, thirsty.
Come here, thirsty.
Seems like he knows
who he is when you say it.
All right. Down. Come on.
Coosh, coosh, coosh.
Coosh. Down. Coosh. Coosh.
Most miserable animal
I ever saw.
What I need is a good horse.
Come on over here and get up.
There you go.
Okay. Clamp a jaw on that, huh?
Up, Rosie. Up.
Up, up.
Two camels. Keyes here.
Small boy here also.
A small boy?
Girl, maybe.
Thirsty.
If thirsty can't keep up,
she'll have to go it alone.
Thirsty!
Now, who told you
to do that? Huh?
One more time, and you're
gonna be camel stew.
You're not lovable
and you're not ridable.
Maybe you're eatable.
Come on, thirsty.
Come on.
We'll go a little slower. First
decent place we find, we'll stop.
Come on. Bring it along.
Okay, Rosie. Let's do
it right for a change.
Rosie, you rotten
animal. Rosebud!
All right, that does it.
Mark, go get me a stick.
Shut up.
I'm gonna teach
this big bag of trouble...
It can be more painful sitting
down than standing up and walking.
Up, Rosie. Up.
Come on.
- What are you laughing at?
- You look like big Cheyenne chief.
Well, you're gonna look like a
wet papoose 'cause you're next.
All right, now, come here.
Come on.
You don't catch me. Can't catch me.
Come on. It ain't gonna hurt you.
Come here!
All right, all right.
You win. Forget it.
You wanna stay that way,
you stay that way.
Whoo! Whew!
Bring me my boots,
my britches, there.
No!
Whew! You haven't had those buckskins
off since they sewed 'em on you.
Stop!
You ain't any more Cheyenne
than I am.
Well, that white skin ain't gonna
get you out of taking a bath.
I'm tired of walking
downwind of you.
No! No! Stop!
- All right, give me those britches.
- No. No.
You give me those britches or
I'm coming in there to get 'em.
Give 'em here.
Now, here, use that. It's soap.
Go on and use it. Nobody
ever died from it.
Go on. Rub. It won't hurt.
You see? Doesn't hurt
a bit, does it?
You don't know your name or
who your folks were, huh?
Where did you learn
to speak English?
We had other white eyes.
Other captives?
You long knife now?
I was a soldier.
Now you'd call me
a... deserter.
They were gonna hang me until
I busted out of the guardhouse.
I couldn't figure out a way to
get a horse out of that fort.
Had what was left
of the camel corp outside,
so I grabbed that
moth-eaten bag of misery,
not knowing she was the mother of
your friend thirsty over there.
You take me to blue feather?
Who's that? My mother.
Oh, I see.
You take me?
Well, I can't do that, son.
You see I'm headed
for Mexico, in a hurry.
I go then.
Wait a minute.
You're not going anywhere.
Not with that patrol
on my tail, you're not.
Look, mark, by now they know
you're traveling with me.
You know where I am
and where I'm headed.
If they grab you,
they'll sweat it out of you.
I don't talk.
Well, I don't take chances.
I'll turn you loose when I think
it's safe and not before.
In the meantime, mark,
we gotta trust each other.
You understand?
Boy with keyes. Water two camels.
Last night.
No fresh sign?
See if you can pick up
their trail.
Hold it.
Now turn around and face
the water, all of you.
Drop your weapons behind you.
This ain't gonna make it
any easier for you, keyes.
Nobody ever made it easy
for me, Raines.
All right, now,
after those horses.
Both of you first. And, Raines,
you stay right in front of me.
Move.
Schrader, get rid
of the horses!
All right, move, move, move!
That's far enough.
All right, schrader,
where's your gun?
Well, sergeant,
you better get moving.
With no horse, it's
gonna be a long, dry walk.
Yeah, I know. Now, get moving.
We do good, huh, Clint?
Oh, sure. Sure.
No horses, no grub.
We really cleaned up.
They'll be back.
You can count on it.
Come on.
See if we can fool 'em.
We'll hide out in these
mountains for a couple of days.
Right now, though, we
better find us some grub.
That's cattle. I
hear long time ago.
Thanks for telling me.
- Ow!
- What's the matter, Clint?
You talk to camels.
Tell her to get off my foot.
Move, Rosie.
You...
that's beef
for fort dorado, likely.
Bacon. I smell.
You'd like
a little of that, huh?
Clint, we got nothing to eat.
Cheyenne quiet. I steal.
You've got to get over the idea that anytime
you want anything, you can just go steal it.
We'll wait till
they quiet down.
Then I'll steal the bacon.
Something wrong, boss? They're
kinda spooky tonight.
I'm gonna get me some water.
I'm kinda thirsty myself.
Drink. Much obliged.
Yeah, they look
kinda antsy, at that.
Well, it's funny.
No wind, no sand.
Nothing to make 'em spook.
We better keep an eye on 'em.
Rosie! What are you doing here?
Come on, Rosie.
Coosh. Coosh down.
Rosie, get down.
Get up. Get up. They're spookin'.
Get your horses quick.
Get up over there. Let's go.
Get down.
Pull 'em in, tom. Pull 'em in.
- Come on. Get 'em in.
- Oh, you dumb... Rosie. Easy.
What was that? I don't know.
Let's go, Rosie.
Let's go. Ho! Ho!
Let's go, Rosie. Go. No, Rosie.
Rosie, Rosie.
Rosie. Aw, Rosie, stop.
Rosie!
Whoa. Whoa!
Rosie, now you've gone far enough.
No, Rosie. No.
Whoa! Whoa!
Ow! Ow!
How many more?
I know about those.
How many more?
Not many, Clint.
What are you doing, Rosie? Get out of here.
Go on. Git. Git, Rosie.
Ow!
She's sorry, Clint.
Yeah, she's sorry.
Before getting mixed up with her, I
should've stayed in the guardhouse...
And let 'em hang me,
peaceful-like.
That's all, Clint.
Carbolic. Like you said,
it's gonna hurt you
more than me.
Aah!
Won't fester.
Whoa, Rosie. Whoa.
I gotta get down, kid.
Take this. Here.
I've sat on campfires
that were more comfortable.
Come on, Rosie.
Whoa.
Well, this looks like
as good a place as any.
What's that?

All in a wood
there grew a tree
the finest tree
you ever did see
and the green leaves
grew around and around
and the green leaves
grew around
- let's do it again, mama.
- Uh, all right.
One more chorus, and then we
have to finish our packing.
And on this tree
there grew a limb
the finest limb
you ever did see
the limb was on the tree
the tree was in the wood
they don't have camels in
new Mexico, do they, mama?
No, dear, they don't.
And the green leaves grew around and
around something's eating at our corn.
And the green leaves
grew around
Judas priest, it is a camel.
But you said that... I know what I said.
Get back inside.
Oh, it's only
a little camel, mama.
Well, let's hope it's big enough
to know what a shotgun is.
Git. Come on. Get out of my corn.
I said git!
Get out of here! Git! Git!
Don't go in the barn! Git!
Nothing to be afraid of, ma'am.
Who are you?
Howdy.
- What do you want?
- Well, we'd just like something to, uh...
well, to eat,
if you've got it, ma'am.
We-we'll be leaving here in a few days.
You can take everything then.
Oh, well, we'll be gone
long before that.
Uh, are... is there
anyone else here?
No. Just me and my little girl.
We sold everything,
even the stock.
You can take anything you want.
Just leave us alone, please.
Well, there's no need to worry, ma'am.
We're camped nearby. Here.
No, we won't make any trouble.
Come on, mark.
Is he yours?
I never knew anyone
who had a camel before.
They're here!
These are fresh this morning.
Well, thank you.
My name is Clint keyes,
and this is mark.
Oh, I'm Doris mciver.
This is my daughter Martha.
- Are you with the army, Mr. Keyes?
- Well, not just now.
No, ma'am. Where's the camel?
- We left it back at camp.
- I don't understand.
I didn't know they had camels
in the middle of new Mexico.
Well, Jeff Davis brought 'em over when he was
secretary of war, for the desert troops.
- But yours is just a baby.
- We have the mother camel too.
A big camel?
Mama, can I see it, please?
- Mark would love to show it to her.
- Oh, well, I don't know.
It's all right. Mark loves
to show 'em off. Go on.
You said you were leaving. Maybe
there's something I can do to help.
Oh, no, thank you.
They're sending a wagon out from
town for us tomorrow morning.
We'll take the stagecoach
from there.
We're going back to Colorado.
Mountain creek.
We came out here
for my husband's health.
But it was no use.
It was too late.
Oh, I'm sorry
to hear that, ma'am.
Look, if you'll take these,
I'll cut some wood.
Oh, well, thank you.
Ah... oh, Mr. Keyes.
I notice you're limping.
Are you hurt?
Oh, I just had
a little accident.
Well, I've had some nursing.
Would you like me to look at it?
No, ma'am. Oh, it'll
be fine. Just fine.
Do you ride it? Sure.
Could I...
could I ride it, please?
Could I ride the little one?
Why not?
- You're a girl.
- Well, she's the mother. She's a girl too.
All right. You ride.
Coosh, Rosie. Coosh.
Coosh down. Coosh. Coosh.
Coosh.
Coosh. Ready? Yeah.
Up, Rosie. Up.
Come on, Rosie.
Take this requisition
to fort dorado.
They'll give you cash for
your saddles and side arms...
And replace them horses
we're taking there.
Fine. Ah, this man
you're after...
if it ain't a government
secret, what'd he do?
Mutiny. Deserted up in Wyoming.
We caught up with him, took him
to general crook's headquarters.
Busted out of the guardhouse there and
attacked a noncommissioned officer.
Oh. And you say he
was headed for Mexico?
Heading South, figures.
Well, may be.
But if it was me on the run,
I'd stay off that open desert.
Hole up in these mountains
around here for a while.
You just may be right. Thanks.
Good luck, sergeant.
Oh, thank you.
Oh, say, there's
more than enough fish...
If you and the boy'd
care to stay for supper.
Well, no, than... I don't think we ought to.
That's very kind of you.
You mean you don't like fish?
Well, no, ma'am, it's not that.
It's just that...
Mark and I aren't exactly
dressed, I haven't shaved...
oh, well, there's plenty of
time if you wanna shave.
Well, the truth is,
I just lost my razor.
Well, you're welcome to use
my husband's, if you like.
Oh, well, you're already packed. I
wouldn't wanna cause you any trouble.
Oh, no trouble.
Why don't you and mark
sleep in the barn?
You'll be more
comfortable there.
I'm obliged again, ma'am.
Come on, mark.
He depends on you a lot,
doesn't he?
Oh, I guess.
But mostly he's just trying to
use me to get to blue feather.
Are you going to take him?
I can't. I'm headed for Mexico.
Oh, I didn't know that.
With the boy?
No, ma'am.
What are you gonna do with him?
- That's my problem, I guess.
- You just can't leave him.
Well, I know that.
But he doesn't belong
in Mexico...
Any more than he belongs
in a tepee on a reservation.
What he needs is a home...
And a family.
It's a mite hard to tell whether
a camel loves you or hates you.
- Either way they're ornery as sin.
- I love 'em.
I guess you gotta
give them credit, though.
The heat doesn't bother 'em.
Neither does the cold.
The, uh, biggest ones
can travel...
Fifteen, sixteen Miles an hour,
carrying a ton of weight.
They can outlast any horse.
Well, you certainly know
a lot about camels, Mr. Keyes.
- Well, just hearsay.
- Oh.
Where... where are you going?
Camels.
First you say excuse me,
and then you say thank
you to Mrs. Mciver.
Go on. Say it.
Uh, Martha...
I just wanna talk to mark. I think
you better go to bed now, dear.
- But it's early.
- Martha, we're leaving tomorrow.
Now, it's gonna be
a very long, hard day.
I can't figure out
what's eating mark.
Oh, he just feels out of place.
And a little jealous, I think.
I don't mean to pry,
but is there some reason you can't
take him to Mexico with you?
Yeah, there sure is.
Uh, Doris, I'm on the run.
- You mean somebody's after you?
- An army patrol.
Well.
What I did, I'm...
Not exactly proud of, but I'm
not ashamed of it either.
Well, I'm sure what you did
you thought was right.
Well, I guess
I better put these away.
Let me help you.
I don't know exactly how to say this,
but, uh, you've been honest with me.
I'd like to explain to you about mark.
What about him?
Well, let's not pretend.
You've been hinting all day,
trying to get me to say
I'd take the boy.
Well, you're right. I have.
You say what he needs
is a home and a family.
A family. Not half a family.
I'd be less than human if my
heart didn't go out to the boy.
But I can't listen to my heart. It's
gonna be hard enough for Martha and me.
I'll teach a little piano
and do a little nursing.
But a mother and daughter
can always get along.
Why, oh, you figure I'm just
trying to get shut of the boy.
Right now that's true.
If I had a choice...
- but you don't have a choice.
- I know that.
I can't keep him either.
I know that too.
Could I dry the dishes
for you or something?
No. I... I'll just let 'em soak.
I think you better go out
and see how he is.
Clint.
I'll tell you what I will do. I'll
take mark up north with me tomorrow.
I'll do my level best
to find him a good family.
- That's the most I can promise.
- Well, nobody could ask for more than that.
I wanna thank you.
Well, I've got
a busy day tomorrow.
Doris.
Doris, uh...
Doris, I forgot
to give this back to you.
Oh. Why don't you just keep it?
Oh, well, I can make
good use of it. Thank you.
I must say,
it's made quite an improvement.
Hmm? You.
Without the beard.
Good night, Doris.
Clint? Yeah?
I do wrong, huh, Clint?
Well, they're
good people, mark.
You eat their food, a little
thank you's not too much to ask.
It's one of those things
you'll have to learn.
But you not mad at me now?
No.
No. We're friends, aren't we?
You good friend, Clint.
I not forget.
Mark.
I have something to tell you.
- You're going to come with us.
- Shh.
Mark!
Clint would've taken you,
if he could.
But he thought it was better if you
stayed with us for a little while.
You'll love Colorado. We're
gonna ride on the stagecoach.
Mark, let me talk to you.
Please, mark, listen.
Martha and I both
want you to go with us.
You can stay with us
as long as you like.
Mark.
Wait.
Please.
Please.
Cheyenne don't cry.
Mark.
Where's Clint keyes?
Keyes?
Schrader, search the house.
Dixon, you take the barn.
I said, where's keyes?
I'm gonna find out, ma'am.
That's my job.
- Anything?
- Uh-uh.
- Give me the boy.
- He's done nothing wrong.
If you won't tell me
about keyes, he'll have to.
Leave him alone.
Mr. Keyes isn't here.
He left last night.
Which way did he go?
I don't know.
I didn't see him leave.
You might as well tell me
the rest of it.
Um, well, he talked
about north, I think.
Try South.
Jimmy wolf!
Any signs? Camel tracks.
This way.
Get after him. Much obliged
for your help, ma'am.
Giddap! Come on!
Mark!
Martha! Martha!
Martha, it's time to go!
Mama, I can't find mark
anywhere.
I know, but you've been looking
and calling for a long time now,
and we really have to go now.
That's right, ma'am.
We better hustle. You're
gonna miss your stage.
We just can't leave mark, mama.
I don't want to leave him any
more than you do, Martha,
but he must be Miles away
from here by now.
He's not. He's still here.
I know he is.
Martha, he'll find Mr. Keyes.
I'm sure he will.
Now, come on.
Now, up we go.
- Giddap!
- Mark! Mark!
Good-bye, mark!
Bye!
Bye, mark!
Bye!
Rosie, ho! Ho!
Rosie, you wanna be the only
hopeless camel in the world,
you just keep that up.
Coosh! Coosh! Coosh! Coosh!
Steady now. Easy, girl. Ho.
Ho, girl.
Up, Rosie. Up.
Hyah! Hup! Hup! Hyah!
Ho.
Well, Rosie,
it's the end of the line.
Whoa, Rosie.
All right, Rosie,
hightail it out of here.
Rosie, it's what you've
always wanted. Now, go.
Rosie, don't go gettin'
sentimental on me now.
I haven't got that much time.
Now get outta here. Go on.
All right, Rosie!
Hyah, hyah, hyah!
Camel. This way.
Looks like we're driving him
down towards the desert.
Come, thirsty. This way.
Carbolic?
Sure bet you didn't expect
him to trap himself...
In no box canyon, huh, sarge?
Shut up, Dixon. You just be ready
when he flushes him out of there.
What'd you see from the rim?
He's not there.
What do you mean, he's not there?
Where is he?
We follow empty camel.
Follow empty camel.
Dixon, go get that camel.
We're headin' back. What do we
need that old camel for, sarge?
Because we haven't got
but four horses.
Or would you rather
ride double with keyes?
Move!
Tell schrader he can
quit lookin' for keyes.
Help! Ohh!
Rope him, you dumb John!
Come back!
Hold on, Dixon!
Whoa! Whoa!
Help us, schrader! Stop!
Whoa! Stop! Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!
Ohh!
I wish I'd have let you
rode double with keyes.
All I was tryin' to do
was find you a family.
That's nothing
to get sore about.
I only promised to take you as
far as the mountains, remember?
You left me.
Sure, I left you.
I left you with Mrs. Mciver
so you could live regular,
maybe go to school and make
somethin' out of yourself.
I'll fix you somethin' to eat.
Not hungry.
Why didn't you
go with 'em, mark?
I go to blue feather.
You take me now?
Now, you know I can't do that,
not with that patrol
still on my tail.
I'd lose too many Miles.
I got good idea, Clint.
Yeah? What kind of idea?
You take me to Cheyenne. They hide you.
They my friends.
The Cheyenne hide me?
Kid, neither one of us could get within
spittin' distance of that reservation.
Set one foot inside that fort,
and they'd grab you just like
they did at fort dorado.
To them, you're...
you're just a white captive
kidnapped by Indians,
and to the Indians, you're nothin'
but trouble, and they know it.
Now, mark,
uh, blue feather...
blue feather won't take you
back because she can't.
You gotta understand that.
Son, I...
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry. I know it's tough.
It's not like
you're gonna be alone.
You'll be with me.
I'm not gonna leave you here.
I know I left you at the farm,
but I explained about that.
We always got along.
We're partners, ain't we?
'Spose we can go on down
to Mexico together.
We can make it down there.
No.
You don't want me.
I go to Cheyenne.
Now, wait a minute, kid.
I'm tired of arguing with you.
All right,
you want your Indians?
I'll show you how to get there,
and I hope you like
what you get.
Here's our Mountain right here.
You go on the other side of it.
When you get over there,
you go north three, four days...
Till you hit the Canadian river, and
it's gonna be high this time of year.
When you hit it, you turn east,
maybe seven, eight days.
And right here
is your reservation,
long knives and all.
We got you surrounded, keyes!
Rosie.
Hold it, keyes!
All right, corporal.
This time... I give the party.

Troopers, fall in!
Dress right! Dress!
Ready, front!
Parade... dress!
Whoa! Ten-hut!
Take 'em out, sergeant.
Forward!
Welcome back, sir.
How'd the maneuvers go?
Lieutenant, what is that thing
doing on my parade ground?
It's a gallows, sir.
What I want to know,
lieutenant,
is why is it there and who
authorized its construction.
A patrol under sergeant...
Raines brought in a prisoner. He
has orders from general crook...
well, lieutenant, you bring that
sergeant and his patrol to my office.
Yes, sir. And on the
double, lieutenant!
What are you, sergeant, some
sort of traveling hangman?
No, sir. My orders are to capture
the prisoner and execute him,
signed by general crook, sir.
Your orders also refer to the usual
courtesies extended a commanding officer.
I didn't know when
you'd be back, sir.
Nobody here could tell me.
You simply took over
my command.
No, sir. I was just
following my orders.
Where is the prisoner?
- I can get him for you, sir.
- Sergeant!
When I need your help,
I'll tell you.
I asked you where he is.
He's in the guardhouse, sir.
Have the prisoner
brought in here.
You're corporal Clinton keyes?
Yes, sir.
You took part in McKenzie's raid
on dull knife's village? Yes, sir.
You were convicted of
mutiny and desertion.
That's all it says here.
I'd like to know what happened.
There were 173 lodges
in dull knife's village.
We destroyed them all.
Man next to me started
shooting the women,
so I hit him with my rifle.
When you say a man,
you mean another trooper?
Yes, sir. Then what did you do?
I tried to help the braves
with their families.
Against your officers
and your fellow troopers?
If you mean did I
shoot at them, no, sir.
- But you did mutiny.
- That's what they called it.
Corporal, you seem to feel that each man
has a right to consult his conscience...
And decide which orders
he will obey...
And which he will disobey.
Take him out.
Sergeant, I want this execution
finished as quickly as possible.
There will be no formalities.
No members of my command will
participate in any way whatsoever.
You are solely responsible,
sergeant. You understand?
- Sir, my orders state that...
- Dismissed, sergeant.
I'm, uh, glad you asked for me,
but I wanted you to know that
I'd have come in any event.
Uh, now, is there anything...
I know all that, reverend.
Uh, reverend,
do you remember a boy
that was brought here...
With some Cheyenne
by the name of mark?
Mark? Yes, I do.
Is he all right? Where is he?
Well, that's what I don't know.
By now he should be
halfway across the desert,
if he's still heading
towards the reservation.
- Looking for blue feather.
- Yeah.
How do you know about the boy?
Oh, I ran onto him
north of here.
We were sort of partners for a
while till we had a little set-to.
I guess I sort of forgot which one was
the man and which one was the boy.
Chaplain, what I
want to ask is a favor.
Anything, if I can.
Well, if the boy makes it
to the reservation,
the army will grab him
for sure.
They'll need a home for him.
I ran onto this widow woman up in
the mountains where we stopped.
She had a little daughter.
They were headed toward Colorado.
Place called Mountain creek.
Her name is Doris mciver.
Now?
Just a minute.
Uh, one minute, please.
I want you to know that I'll do
everything I can to find that boy.
Thank you.
You...
would you, uh, like me
to go up there with you?
It's funny.
I memorized whole books of words
to say at a time like this.
I just can't remember
any of them.
I've had to live with this
for a long time, chaplain.
I won't need any words.
Hyah! Hyah! Hyah!
Hold on!
Look out! Run on the porch!
Get out of the way!
Get keyes!
- Clint!
- Here, mark!
- Let's go, mark!
- Hey, you! Come here!
Go, Rosie!
Let's get after him!
Gotcha! You're not gettin'
away this time! Come on!
G'yup there! G'yup!
Come on! Come on!
Come on! Hyah!
Come on! Come on! Hyah!
Hyah! Hyah! Hyah!
Come on, Rosie! Hyah! Hyah!
Move! Let's go!
Ho.
Sergeant, that camel's
faster than the horses.
Never gonna catch 'em this way.
Gimme that Springfield!
On the double!
Missed.
Let's get back to the fort.
Rose, come on, now.
You can outrun 'em. Come on,
don't quit on me now, Rosie.
Come on, Rosie. Don't quit...
All right, Rosie. Easy.
Okay, okay, girl.
Okay. I ain't going anyplace.
It's all right, girl.
I know he's in the guardhouse, John.
I ordered him put there.
If you think you're taking him back
to the chapel, you can forget it.
No. Only temporarily, sir.
Now, I have an idea...
John, you...
excuse me, captain.
It's urgent.
I need fresh horses and more men.
Sergeant...
he outrun us, sir,
but he can't keep runnin'.
When he stops to rest, why, we'll jump him.
There'll be no more horses.
No more men.
Your manhunt is over.
Sir, you read
general crook's orders.
General crook's orders call for
the hanging of corporal keyes.
A noose was placed
around his neck,
the trap was sprung,
the man was hung.
It is my personal view, sergeant,
that corporal keyes...
Has more than paid for his
misdeeds, such as they were.
I have no intention of hanging a
man twice for the same crime.
Dismissed, sergeant.
Tell him I won't
give him any trouble.
I came to tell you you're free.
I don't think I understand.
Well, the captain says you've
been hung once already anyway.
He's sending that patrol
back onto general crook.
That's mighty good news,
reverend.
Real good news.
Uh, reverend, what about mark?
Oh, he's fine.
I brought your things.
Look, if the cavalry
doesn't want me,
is there any reason
why I can't see the boy?
Well, he's a ward of the army.
I'm supposed to, uh,
find a home for him.
I told you about
that Mrs. Mciver.
The home he really
wants is with you,
only he's afraid
that you don't want him.
That ain't true. I offered to take
him with me once. He knows that.
Yes, but was that because you wanted
him or because you just had no choice?
Well, things
were different then.
Look, how do you truly feel
about the boy now?
Well, I don't know if anybody will
trust me with my record and all,
but if I could have the boy,
reverend, well,
you bet I want him.
We do good, huh, Clint? Yeah,
you did just great. Just great.
Well, I guess I'd better be
gettin' on back.
This, uh, arrangement
was my decision.
I might have some explaining
to do to the captain.
Thank you, chaplain.
Thanks for everything.
That's all right.
She's dead.
Yeah, well...
she wasn't much to look at.
Pure impossible to
get along with, but...
She saved both our lives
more than once.
You know,
there near the end,
I think she...
Even kind of enjoyed hatin' me.
Well, maybe
a little anyway, huh?
Clint. Yeah?
When you take me
to see blue feather?
Well, how about next summer?
We'll go visit her on the
reservation, the both of us.
After we go to Mexico?
Yeah, well, Mexico, uh...
you know, seein' how
I'm a free man,
I've been thinking
maybe we could, um,
oh, run up maybe to...
Mountain creek, Colorado,
someplace like that instead.
What do you think?
All right, come on.
Well, looks like we're back
to ridin' double again.
Come on, thirsty.