-Is this the Iast one? -I don't know.
There's no ether, either.
Jesus Christ.
You there! Is this the Iast one?
God, what a mess.
At Ieast there's no gangrene.
There wiII be if it doesn't come off soon.
I can't saw if I can't keep my eyes open.
I'm sorry.
Let's coffee up. He can wait a few more minutes.
God!
GIass.
-Is that Tucker's men? -Yes, sir. I think it is.
How Iong has it been Iike this?
We found 'em this morning, sir. They've been here for two days.
Is that you, Lieutenant?
Sons of bitches.
Come on. You better take cover.
I ain't kidding. These boys are shooters. Come on. Go under cover.
There you go.
You went to the hospitaI?
It was no good.
What's going on here?
That seems to be the question, aII right.
See, you couId ask the major...
...but he don't know.
He's busy.
He's busy trying to figure out how come the officers' mess...
...run out of peach ice cream.
Then, of course, you got the generaI.
He come up to see the show.
AII he knows is there ain't no show...
...which ain't entireIy correct 'cause we started a baIIoon up...
...but they shot her down before we got off the ground.
Nobody's made a run either way. It's been a standoff aII damned day.
Now, the major, he's Iooking at the generaI.
He's thinking to himseIf, ''I better do something.''
You know what that means.
I sure as heII don't want to be the first one across this fieId.
They're supposed to be beat up just Iike us.
HeII, everybody knows Tucker's men are tough as cobs.
So far, the onIy thing been kiIIed out here is three miIking cows.
Course, that's about to change.
You son of a bitch.
You know, some of the boys are saying if we ain't gonna fight...
...we couId just settIe this whoIe business with a IittIe...
...high-stakes poker.
WouIdn't that be a sight?
A bunch of feIIas sitting in the middIe of this fieId...
...drawing cards.
What is it, sir?
Looks Iike a suicide.
Tucker!
What's he doing?
-What did you say to him? -I didn't say nothing.
Come on back, you son of a bitch!
-You won't make it no second time! -AII right by me.
Forgive me, Father.
-He's coming back again! -Here he comes, boys!
-Ready! -I got him.
Don't....
Don't take off my foot.
You rest easy, son. You'II keep your foot.
With God as my judge, you'II keep it.
-Bring up my ambuIance. -Sir?
Bring up my ambuIance, and bring my surgeon with it!
We got an officer who's worth something Iying here.
""The strangeness of this life cannot be measured.
""In trying to produce my own death...
""...I was elevated to the status of a living hero.
""I was also awarded Cisco...
""...the trusty mount that carried me across the field that day.
""And on full recovery, was given transfer to any station I desired.
""The bloody slaughter continues in the east as I arrive at Fort Hayes.
""A tiny island of men and material surrounded by a never-ending sea ofprairie.""
Lieutenant.
Where can I find Maj. Fambrough?
Down at the end of the haII.
Thank you.
''Lt. John J. Dunbar.''
Lt. John J. Dunbar?
-Yes, sir. -''Yes, sir.''
Indian fighter.
Excuse me?
It says here that you're to be posted on the frontier.
The frontier is Indian country.
I quickIy deduced that you're an Indian fighter.
I did not ascend to this position by being stupid.
-No, sir. -''No, sir.''
It says here that you've been decorated.
Yes, sir.
And they sent you here to be posted?
ActuaIIy, sir, I'm here at my own request.
ReaIIy? Why?
I've aIways wanted to see the frontier.
You want to see the frontier?
Yes, sir.
Before it's gone.
Such a smart Iad, coming straight to me.
Sir...
...Knight.
I am sending you on a knight's errand.
You wiII report to Captain CargiII...
...at the furthermost outpost of the reaIm...
...Fort Sedgewick.
My personaI seaI wiII assure your safety...
...through many miIes of wiId and hostiIe country.
-I was wondering.... -Yes?
I was wondering, sir, how wiII I be getting there?
You think I don't know?
-No, sir. -You think that.
-It's just that I don't know-- -HoId your tongue.
I am in a generous mood and I wiII grant your boon.
See that peasant out there?
He caIIs himseIf Timmons.
He's going there this very afternoon. You can ride with him if you Iike.
He knows the way. Thank you. That is aII.
Sir Knight?
I've just pissed in my pants...
...and nobody can do anything about it.
To your journey!
To my journey!
Haw!
Over a IittIe bit, Jim!
-Have this by tomorrow. -Yes, sir.
I'II have my crown now.
-Sir? -I'II have my crown now!
-I'm sorry, sir. -Are you deaf, fooI?
I said I'II have my crown right now!
Now!
No.
-I'II get your crown. -No.
Sir?
Major?
The king is dead.
Long Iive the king.
Get these kids out of here, come on!
Haw, Jim and Jake!
Gee a IittIe bit, Jim!
The heII was that?
What is that?
What the heII is that?
Why don't you put that in your book?
""Were it not for my companion...
""...I believe I would be having the time of my life.
""I know he means well...
""...but he is quite possibly the foulest man I have ever met.""
How far you make the Fort?
Far.
How far?
Forty, fifty miIe, maybe.
What's the big hurry on Sedgewick?
It's to be my post.
My home.
You ain't hard to pIease, I'II give you that much.
Look yonder.
What you got there?
Somebody back east is saying, ''Why don't she write?''
You stupid bastard.
Get up, Timmons.
Get up.
Come on. Get up.
Get up!
Someone poked me in my butt. Was that you?
Goddamn it!
I'm gonna have a weIt.
CpI. Guest?
You don't have to taIk to me, just pIease come out.
It's the end.
AssembIe the men in front of my quarters.
You hate me.
But I feeI none of the same for you.
You men stayed.
You stayed after they took aII our horses.
You stayed after aII the others deserted.
You stayed after the army faiIed to resuppIy us.
I have Iooked for that wagon from Fort Hayes...
...just as you have...
...day after miserabIe day.
And aII I can say is that I'm proud of you.
Now get your things, men. We're Ieaving this pIace.
The army can go to heII.
Go.
Get your things.
How come we haven't seen any buffaIo?
You can't figure the stinking buffaIo.
You can't. Sometimes you won't see any for days.
Other times, they'II be thick, Iike curIs on a whore.
What about Indians?
Indians? Goddamn Indians!
You just as soon not see 'em unIess the bastards are dead.
They're nothing but thieves and beggars.
Ho, up there!
Not what you wouId caII much of a going concern now, is it?
Go down there.
-Why? There ain't nothing down there. -Because I said.
Go down there.
There, son of a bitch!
There ain't nothing here, Lieutenant.
Lieutenant!
Everybody's run off or got kiIIed.
AII right. Let's unIoad the wagon.
What? What, and Ieave it aII here?
I'm staying, too.
There ain't nothing here.
No, not at the moment.
We don't know what's happened.
Things being as they are...
...we might as weII just turn around and get headed back.
This is my post.
''This is my post?''
This is my post.
''This is my post?''
Jesus H. Christ.
What, are you crazy, boy?
Fast son of a bitch.
-Jesus H. Christ. -This is my post.
AII right, put it down.
And these are the post provisions, aII right? Now get your ass off the wagon--
-Put it down! -And heIp me unIoad.
We're just havin' a conversation, now put it down.
I'II Iet them know where you are.
Good.
Good Iuck.
Thank you.
Jake and Jim!
Good muIe!
Haw up there now!
Good muIes!
""Have arrived to find Fort Sedgewick deserted.
""Am now waiting for garrison"s return or word from headquarters.
""The postis in exceedingly poor condition...
""...and I have decided to assign myself clean-up duty beginning tomorrow.
""Supplies are abundant...
""...and the country is everything I dreamed it would be.
""There can be no place like this on Earth.""
Bad horse.
""The animals in the pond had not been poisoned.
""They had all been shot.
""But why? Was it forsport?
""Could it have been out ofspite?
""My first guess would have been that the men here were starving.
""But this rotting waste speaks to the contrary.
""The caves are an even bigger mystery.
""What could have driven men to live in caves?
""Perhaps they were frightened.
""Maybe there had been some sort of revolt.
""I can make no sense of the clues left me here.
""Perhaps my relief will provide the answers.""
Come on, Cisco. One more time.
Git up!
Come on! Git up, Cisco.
Git up!
Git up! There you go!
Easy.
OnIy a white man wouId make a fire for everyone to see.
Maybe there's more than one.
There might be three or four.
I know three or four...
...who wiII not be making the trip back home.
We have nothing to show for this traiI.
We have no rifIes.
White men are sure to have rifIes.
It's hard to say how many might be down there.
We shouId forget this and go home.
Then go.
I wouId rather die...
...than argue about a singIe Iine of smoke in my own country.
He wiII not quit untiI we are aII dead.
''And if I....''
Look at me.
Don't hurt my muIes.
Stop.
Stop it.
PIease don't hurt my muIes.
""I am pleased with my efforts thus far.
""For all my improvements, though, there remains an ugliness here I cannot dispel.
""An injury that goes beyond neglect and like a bruise, it will be slow to heal.
""It"s been almost 30 days.
""I have come to enjoy the patterns of my life at Fort Sedgewick.
""Especially my daily reconnaissance rides with Cisco.
""Each day, we go furtherinto the prairie and every discovery...
""...big orsmall, becomes etched in my mind forever.
""It would seem I"ve been marooned, as no one has yet come for me.
""I can only assume that there is a problem, which the army will solve shortly.
""Maybe I am being foolish in my optimism...
""...but when I look to the eastern horizon...
""...I never fail to hope that a column might be out there.""
""Still no sign of Capt. Cargill"s command.
""Though well-supplied, I"ve decided to ration my goods...
""...as if I were part of a postinstead of the whole affair.
""There"s a wolf who seems intent on the goings-on here.
""He does notseem inclined to be a nuisance, however.
""And aside from Cisco, has been my only company.
""He"s appeared each afternoon for the past two days.
""He has two milky white paws.
""If he comes calling tomorrow...
""...I will name him Two-Socks.""
""Almost a month and no one has come.
""The longer this condition persists...
""...the less inclined I am to believe that anyone will.
""Rain has forced me indoors for most of two days now...
""...and I have begun work on an awning.
""Itis the loneliest of times for me now...
""...but I can say honestly that I am not unhappy.""
''How can I marry a pretty IittIe girI
''When I got no coat to put on?
''SoIdier, soIdier
''Won't you marry me
''Before the fight comes home?
''How can I marry a pretty IittIe girI
''When I got no shoes to put on?
''How can I marry a pretty IittIe girI
''When I got no hat to put on?
''SoIdier, soIdier, won't you marry me
''Before the fight comes home?
''How can I marry an ugIy IittIe girI
''When I got a pretty wife back home?''
You there!
""Have made first contact with a wild Indian.
""One came to the fort and tried to steal my horse.
""When I appeared, he became frightened and ran off.
""Have decided to bury excess ordnance lestit fall into enemy hands.
""Keeping only the barest necessities for myself.
""My afternoon rides have been pared down to short circularpatrols...
""...always keeping the postin sight.
""Am taking steps to prepare for another visitation.
""Do not know how many more might be in the vicinity...
""...but am assuming that where there is one there"s sure to be another.
""Most of my work has been geared toward creating the illusion...
""...ofstrength and stability.
""I"m still alone, however, and unless troops arrive soon...
""...all may be lost.""
Kicking Bird has been keeping to himseIf these Iast few days.
I do not Iike to see our medicine man waIking so aIone.
What does his wife say?
She says that he is keeping to himseIf.
That's not what I asked you.
WeII, what did you ask me?
What did she say?
She said that he is keeping to himseIf these days.
That's what she says.
Make sure that my meat is soft.
My teeth hurt.
May I come in?
No, Iet him sit with me.
Our country seems good this summer...
...but I have not been out to see it.
But the buffaIo are Iate.
And I aIways worry about the beIIies of our chiIdren.
I was thinking of a dance.
Yes. A dance is aIways a good idea.
It wouId be good to have a strong sign.
There's a funny thing about signs.
We know when they are bad or good.
Sometimes they are strange and it's hard to understand them.
A smart man wiII think on these things.
If he is stiII confused, he wiII teII somebody.
For instance, he might teII you or me.
A smart man aIways does this.
I have seen such a sign.
ReaIIy?
I saw a man.
A naked, white man.
Are you sure it was a man?
I saw his sex.
Did you speak to him?
No.
""It"s been two days now, and nothing.
""My presence here must have been reported by now.
""Have made all the preparations I can think of.
""Cannot mount an adequate defense as I am still alone.
""But will try to make a big impression when they come.
""Waiting.
""Post-script....
""The man I encountered was a magnificent-looking fellow.""
He might be a god.
Or a white chief with speciaI abiIities.
That is why we shouId taIk with him.
I do not care for this taIk about this white man.
Whatever he is, he is not a Sioux, and that makes him Iess.
When I hear that more whites are coming, I want to Iaugh.
We took a hundred horses from these peopIe.
There was no honor in it.
They don't ride weII. They don't shoot weII.
They're dirty.
Those soIdiers couId not even make it through one winter here.
And these peopIe are said to fIourish?
I think they wiII aII be dead soon.
I think this fooI is probabIy Iost.
Wind In His Hair's words are strong and I have heard them.
It's true the whites are a poor race and hard to understand.
But make no mistake. The whites are coming.
Even our enemies agree on this.
So when I see one man aIone without fear in our country...
...I do not think he is Iost. I think he may have medicine.
I see someone who might speak...
...for aII the white peopIe who are coming.
I think this is a person with which treaties might be struck.
Kicking Bird is aIways Iooking ahead and that is good.
But this man cannot cover our Iodges or feed our chiIdren.
He is nothing to us.
I wiII take some men.
We wiII shoot some arrows into this white man.
If he truIy has medicine, he wiII not be hurt.
If he has no medicine, he wiII be dead.
No man can teII another what to do.
But kiIIing a white man is a deIicate matter.
If you kiII one, more are sure to come.
It's easy to become confused by these questions.
It's hard to know what to do.
We shouId taIk about this some more.
That is aII I have to say.
What's the matter, now?
We don't think this is such a good idea.
If we take the horse of a white god...
...they wiII make up songs about us.
Maybe.
They wiII ask us to go on raids.
Who gets the horse?
I do.
I do, but we share. Now who can say this is not a great pIan?
It's aIways the same.
Every time.
Yes, sir, I have. No, I'II ask, sir.
We'II be heroes.
They'II write songs about us.
What happened?
I don't know. My arm doesn't work.
You shouIdn't have faIIen off. Now we'II get in troubIe.
It was your idea.
My idea was onIy to take the horse, not faII down.
Otter hurt himseIf.
What are you Iooking at? I'm the one who's hurt.
I wiII be when my father finds out. His bow wiII be across my back.
I am Wind In His Hair.
Do you see that I am not afraid of you?
Do you see?
The party that went against the Utes is coming back.
There are many hearts on the ground.
""I realize now that I have been wrong.
""All this time, I"ve been waiting.
""Waiting for what?
""Forsomeone to find me?
""For Indians to take my horse?
""To see a buffalo?
""Since I have arrived at this post I have been walking on eggs.
""It has become a bad habit and I am sick ofit.
""Tomorrow morning, I will ride out to the Indians.
""I do not know the outcome or wisdom of this thinking...
""...but I"ve become a target and a target makes a poorimpression.
""I am through waiting.""
What are you Iooking at?
Son of a bitch!
No. Wait.
Wait.
You need heIp. You're hurt.
-You need-- -No!
Let me.... You need heIp.
You need heIp. You're hurt. Let me heIp you.
You're hurt.
Don't.