(Birdsong)
(Hoots )
(Growling)
(Horses whinnying)
(Men shouting in distance )
(Shouting and whooping continues )
(1st man ) Hee-yah! (2nd man ) I'm first!
(All shouting, indistinct)
# This is the way we go to church
# Go to church, go to church
# This is the way we go to church... #
(Woman screams )
The party's over. You men can get movin'.
Hell, I don't know who you are but, uh...
why be a hog, man?
She can handle four of us.
We also got some mighty fine whiskey.
- Waiting for you! - Besides...
Now what are you gonna do, you bastard?
You may get me...but you sure as hell ain't gonna get any part of her,
unless you like to have your fun with a corpse!
You keep standing around like that,
the sun's gonna burn the hell out of you.
They told me they were gonna kill me,
kill me so I couldn't report them.
(Sobbing) They told me...
Well, they ain't telling you much now.
So get dressed, hm?
(Humming)
(Woman ) You're a good man.
All my life I will pray to the Virgin to protect you from harm.
Jesus Christ.
And I will also pray that for all your life you have what you desire.
What the hell's a nun doin' out here?
I'm on a mission. In Mexico a nun can travel safely
among murderers and thieves.
I could have avoided these men but I came to ask for food.
- They give you any? - No.
- There's probably some leftovers. - I couldn't eat just now.
Well, you look like you could use a shot of whiskey.
Whiskey? Thank you.
- Your mule? - Yes.
No provisions, no canteen? Just how'd you figure on existing?
I was confident the Lord would provide.
Three more like them?
He also provided you.
- Which way you headed? - North.
North, huh?
Well, I'm headed south.
So I'll take those ponies and be on my way.
First we must cover them with stones.
We can't leave without giving them a Christian burial of some kind.
- After the way they treated you? - Of course.
You got to be touched in the head.
Do you have a shovel?
Sister, raise your eyes to heaven.
Now, are they or are they not God's creatures?
- Of course they are. - Why rob them of this nourishment?
Do you have a shovel?
Yeah, it's on my packhorse.
Would you get it, please, for the sake of my soul if not your own?
Sister, I don't mind shootin' 'em but I'm not gonna sweat over 'em.
You're as stubborn as my mule, you know?
Worse.
(Panting)
How are the blisters?
Other things in life have hurt more.
Thank you, Brother.
- It's Hogan. - I'm Sister Sara.
Well, Sister Sara, if you ever get tired of being a nun,
you'll be an A-1 gravedigger.
Have some of these beans.
Those fellas weren't much in a fight but one of 'em wasn't a bad cook.
I couldn't eat anything they cooked but I'll have some water, please.
- Help yourself. - Thank you.
(Hogan sputtering)
- You really are touched! - Give that back, please.
Sister, you wanna bless 'em, bless 'em dry.
I've obliged you 'bout all I'm going to and now I'll say goodbye.
You stay out of that sun now, you hear?
Or you're gonna really be in trouble.
Goodbye. Thank you again.
God go with you.
Hey, you're in luck. Looks like a French cavalry.
You can probably travel along with them.
Please help me. They're looking for me.
Why?
I was raising money for the Mexican army.
I had to escape in the night.
Lady, if you weren't a nun I'd let you save your own bacon.
All right, do as I say and act fast.
Get rid of that cross, it shines like a mirror.
You bring that last horse and follow me.
Son of a bitch.
What are you doing?
I'm doing for you what...
no Holy Virgin's in any position to do.
Hah!
We'll walk slowly so as not to stir up this stream bed
any more than we have to.
Why did you put that dead man on the horse?
A horse with a rider makes a deeper print than a horse without.
If we're lucky, the French will follow those ponies.
Here. Eat this.
I told you to eat something back there.
Your stomach keeps growling, we'll have the whole French army on us.
These little noises can't be heard. Why are you so angry with me?
Well...maybe a nun ought not be so good-lookin'.
The way I look is of no importance.
I'm married to our Lord Jesus Christ.
That's what I'm steamed up about, if you'll pardon my being frank.
- I'm not offended, Brother Hogan. - Don't "Brother" me.
Excuse me.
Soldats, concentrez-vous de ce cötê.
Les autres, avec moi.
They split up, damn it, and they're catchin' up.
I wouldn't just sit there, move.
We can't outrun 'em. You can get in there.
I may not shoot all of them but I'll get their attention.
Wait, then head on out the other way.
You've been a wonderful friend, Mr Hogan. Go with God.
Leave Him out of this, huh? Get movin'.
(Snake rattles, horse whinnies )
- I can't go in there. - Why not?
There's a rattlesnake in there.
Keep singin', partner.
(Rattling)
Get that mule in here.
Here, if we get split up, this'll make good eatin'.
(Horse whinnies )
Vous regardez la-dedans.
Il n'y a rien.
Au galop!
(Rattling)
Well, well. Too bad nuns don't play poker, you'd be sharp at it.
There's no way I can thank you.
I suppose you'll be starting south now.
No, it's gettin' too close to dark. We'll have a hot meal first.
- Can nuns cook? - I do.
Good. Your late gentlemen friends donated us some beans and coffee.
But first I'll scratch up some firewood.
It's hard to believe that rattlesnake could taste so delicious.
Here. Ladies first.
Thank you.
So you were headed north. Any particular place?
I want to try to find a Juarista band, I'll be safe with them.
- Where were you comin' from? - Chihuahua.
- Chihuahua? You live there? - Mm-hm, for several years.
- French garrison in Chihuahua. - Mm-hm, right next to the church.
You wouldn't by any chance know how many soldiers in the garrison?
- More or less. - About 200 and some cannon.
How do you know all that?
The French officers wanted to learn Spanish
so my mother superior assigned the task to me, I also speak French.
I went into the garrison three times a week.
I hate them. Oh, how I hate them.
- Ain't it a sin for nuns to hate? - Not if it's something evil.
The French army killing and torturing Mexicans,
trying to force them to become one of their colonies.
- How big is the garrison? - Two storeys. It was a monastery.
- A building with an open patio? - A beautiful patio...
- A balcony and stairs leading down? - That's right.
You say it's next to a church. How far apart are they exactly?
In some places not more than ten or twelve feet.
From the roof of the church, is the garrison higher or lower?
- Lower. Much lower. - Oh.
- Sentries? - Day and night at the front gate.
Sister Sara, you're gonna slow me up some,
but I'll take you to one of those guerrilla bands you're lookin' for.
- Do you belong to one of them? - Till I get paid, yeah.
Paid? You mean in gold?
Well, if they pay me off in tortillas,
I'm gonna shoot 'em right in the eye.
But the Juaristas are too poor to hire anybody.
I made a deal to work out a plan to take the garrison.
If it pays off, I get half the French treasury.
Then you don't have any sympathy for their cause?
Not theirs or anybody else's.
See, I spent two years in a war in the States.
Right now, all I'm interested in is money.
If money is all you care about, then why did you fight in that war?
Everybody's got a right to be a sucker once.
- Mr Hogan. - Hmm?
The 14th of July is a French holiday.
By noon of that day last year the entire French garrison was drunk.
- What's the date today? - July the 6th.
Beautiful.
That information puts gold right in my pocket.
This calls for a drink.
Well, I'll be leaving you for a few moments.
Be careful not to go too far, there may be another rattler.
I'll pray as I walk.
I'll keep my back turned. Don't worry.
You're a real gentleman, Mr Hogan.
I guess you haven't slept much on the ground.
Oh, I'm very tired. I'll sleep.
For somebody who's wore out, you sure got a happy look.
It was a miracle you found me when you did, Mr Hogan.
That was no miracle, just an accident and life is full of 'em.
No. It was a miracle.
Yes, ma'am.
Two men are ridin' along side by side,
a bullet ricochets off a rock, kills one of them but not the other -
just an accident, no miracle.
Then you believe there are no miracles?
Well, um... Now, you take that fella this morning.
He could've picked up that stick of dynamite
and thrown it back at me before I shot him.
Now, that would have been a miracle.
(Laughing)
It's nice to hear you laugh, ma'am.
You think nuns don't laugh?
I don't know. I never spent the night with one before.
Good night, Mr Hogan.
Thank you again for everything.
Hey, wake up, Sister.
- Time to get movin'. - Couldn't I sleep a little longer?
Not if you want to travel with me, you don't.
(Groaning) I'm so stiff.
I'm not accustomed to riding like that.
Would you please help me up?
Thank you.
Oh, my every muscle is aching.
How can I possibly ride again today?
I ride from sunup to sundown.
You either keep up or you don't.
You'll feel better after a few hours on your mule.
You make very good coffee.
A man on his own has to take care of himself.
- So you're not married? - Nope.
- Ever been? - Nope.
- Want to be? - Nope.
- Don't you want a woman of your own? - What for?
Share your name, bear your children, be a companion?
To ask me to quit drinkin', quit gamblin', save my money
and to bitch about her aches and pains? No, thanks.
- Must be a lonely life. - It's a great life.
Women when I want 'em and none with the name of Hogan.
How about you, ma'am? Haven't you ever wanted to be a whole woman?
Have a man make love to you? Have children?
I've chosen a different way of life.
What about those feelings your god gave every woman, including you?
- I've always wondered. - Well, we're human, of course.
When we get those feelings, we pray until they pass.
In your case, just how much praying does that take?
What about before you became a nun? Did you ever have a man?
No.
- Ever been kissed by one? - No.
Haven't you ever laid awake wondering what it would be like?
No.
All the women I've ever met were natural-born liars
but I never knew about nuns till now.
You're right. I lied.
I'll say one thing, Sister.
I sure woulda liked to have met up with you
before you took to them clothes and them vows.
(Hogan ) That limp's getting worse.
Stone bruised.
It'll take a week for that to heal up.
Maybe the people in this village will hide you out
until this animal comes around.
- Why couldn't I ride the packhorse? - He carries my equipment.
I ain't gonna miss bein' in Chihuahua on the 14th.
- Please, Brother Hogan... - I told you not to "Brother" me.
All right, Mr Mule. You were right. You are as stubborn as my mule.
When we get up to that village, Sister, then I'll say adios.
This is where we part company.
- Now what are you doin'? - I must say a prayer at this shrine.
You said your prayers last night.
It's a sin to pass a shrine without praying.
- Not if you shut your eyes. - Please, Mr Hogan.
All right, it's a small shrine, let's make it a small prayer.
Buenos dias, hermana.
You see, Mr Hogan, what a little prayer can do?
The Lord provided a kind gentleman
who accepted my mule for this creature of God.
Now I can still be with you.
Your mule for that burro?
If that kind gentleman traded you even,
you won't be meeting up with him in heaven.
(Dog barking)
(Crowd chattering)
25 centavos la rebanada de papaya.
Gracias.
This man lives in the hills there.
Three hours ago on his way to the market he passed a French patrol.
Which way were they headed?
- ¿A quê direccion iba marchando? - En esa direccion.
All right. Let's get the supplies we need and move out.
(Horse whinnying)
- I want you up in that tree. - What tree? Why?
Please, Mr Hogan, looking down from heights frighten me.
Then look up.
I think there's a mountain lion around here and I want you up here.
Excuse me, Sister.
(Grunting)
(Sara ) What are you doing?
(Hogan ) If you can't see him, you can't shoot him.
How are you doin', Sister?
- Looking up. - Good.
We won't talk now.
I'd like him to make his run if he's going to.
(Whinnying)
- What the hell? - (Sobbing)
Who the hell are these people?
Oigan, soy monja.
El señor trata de proteger nuestros animales.
Come on, get down from there. Turn around, I'll catch you.
Amigos, ¿quê hacen ustedes aqui de noche?
Venimos huyendo de los franceses que están en la estacion de Satevo.
Están esperando el tren de Santa Maria.
What about Santa Maria?
French soldiers at Satevo were waiting for a train for Santa Maria.
Santa Maria's where I'm headed. Those Juaristas are hiding out there.
Find out why the French are going there.
All right. You can be sure I will.
All right, Satevo's a long way away, so let's get some sleep.
Muchas gracias, pobrecitos.
- Hasta mañana. - Adios, hermana.
By the way, Sister, I guess I owe you an apology.
When I was trying to get you up the tree, I...
Oh, no apology is necessary, Mr Hogan.
In emergencies, the Church grants dispensation.
It's no sin that you pushed me up the tree with your hands on my ass.
Where'd you learn that kind of English?
- What kind? - Ass.
Oh, in the convent.
Sister Harriet taught us words for parts of the body.
This part she called the ass.
Where is this Sister Harriet from, anyway?
New Orleans. Why?
I'd sure as hell like to know what she did before she became a nun.
En arme!
Par ici, mon capitaine!
- Bonjour, ma soeur. - Que Dieu vous bênisse.
(Women sobbing)
Tournez a gauche! En avant! Marche!
Demi-tour a gauche! En avant!
Marche!
(Sobbing)
En arrét!
Demi-tour en arriére!
(Sobbing continues )
Prêparez-vous!
!Viva Juarez!
(Girl, sobbing) Felipe!
!Viva Mêjico libre!
Feu!
Demi-tour a gauche!
En avant. Marche!
(Wailing)
(Woman, sobbing) !Asesinos! !Asesinos!
Ma soeur. Ma soeur, s'il vous plait.
- Venez avec moi. - I'm sorry. I don't understand.
Please. An officer is dying. Come with me, please.
- Prenez garde de son animal. - Oui, mon capitaine.
Even though you are not a priest, you can give him some spiritual comfort.
Our colonel is very, very ill.
Il est sur le point de mourir.
Docteur, permettez que la soeur le bênisse.
(Whispering) Deliver his soul into your soul,
Mary Mother of God...
(Whispering prayer)
C'est toi. You filthy bitch!
Kiss the cross. Kiss the cross.
Sister, he was delirious. Forgive him.
I forgive him. I forgive him with all my heart.
Now he is with God.
God damn it!
I don't see how you can drink this stuff.
You'll get cockeyed drunk! What happened?
I was recognised, that's what happened.
- By who? - I've never been so frightened.
I had visions of being shot.
- Who recognised you? What did he do? - He died.
What the hell are you talking about?
I was asked to give comfort to a colonel dying of fever.
He was one of the officers I taught Spanish at the fort in Chihuahua.
Oh, thank God no one believed what he called me.
What did he call you?
A filthy Juarista.
All right, he died and you're safe. Now, what did you find out?
They're waiting for a train due today for Santa Maria
so they can load it with supplies and ammunition.
You did all right, Sister.
Between here and Santa Maria there's got to be a gorge.
Where there's a gorge there's a trestle.
All we got to do is get there before the train does.
Will you burn it?
I'll blow it to hell with the train on it!
Come on, you'll have to ride, else I'll have to leave you.
- I am not intoxicated. - That's a hell of a lot of whiskey.
My faith in God will turn it to water.
We'd better hurry. I've never seen a train blown to hell before.
(Horse whinnies )
(Shouts command)
- Get out of my line of fire, Sister. - Can you kill them all with that?
Put it away. These are Yaquis.
They're wild and pagan but the Church has reached some of them.
Can you get on your horse?
I think so. I think so.
Then tell me when you're on it.
Be very careful not to show any pain or weakness.
(Grunting)
- You must stop that. Are you on? - (Weakly) I'm on.
(Speaking in Yaquis language )
- (Shouts order) - (Men shouting)
(Hogan ) # Yes, I killed a man one day, so they say
# I beat him on the head and I left him there for dead
# Yes, I left him there for dead, damn his eyes #
Oh, you got the moss. That'll stop the flesh putrefying.
- What should I do with it? - I'll take you through step by step.
First, I got to get drunker than hell. (Coughing)
- How long since I got hit? - You asked me that ten minutes ago.
- What was your answer? - About an hour.
All right. I want you to cut a groove in the shaft of this arrow
just deep enough for a good pinch of gunpowder.
Gunpowder?
Gunpowder, that's right.
That'll cauterise the insides, they tell me.
I don't know if this arrow...
is near my heart but I don't think so.
Some women have said my heart ain't exactly...
in the right place.
All right, start cutting
and don't worry if I yell a little bit.
Come on, my beautiful Sister who saved my damn life
from those damn Yaquis.
You don't want me to lose my deal now, do you?
(Grunting)
# And the parson, he did come, he did come... #
This ain't such a nice song
but it's the only one I know well enough I can sing drunk.
- I don't care what you sing. - You got a beautiful character.
Anyway, it's about a Protestant parson, not a Catholic one.
# And the parson, he did come, he did come
# And he looked so bloody glum, as he talked of kingdom come
# Well, he can kiss my ruddy bum
# Damn his eyes #
I need another bottle.
More whiskey.
That's the last bottle you got.
Last one?
Oh, that's bad news, Sister.
I'm sorry I can't share any with you but you've got to have a steady hand.
# The sheriff, he did come too, he came too
# Yes, the sheriff, he came too, he came too
# The sheriff, he came too
# With his men all dressed in blue
# Lord, they were a bloody crew
# Damn their eyes #
- There, finished. - That's not bad. Not bad.
- You're married to a carpenter. - Now what?
Cut the shaft off right there.
- Cut it? - Yep.
# Now it's up the rope I'll go
# Yes, it's up the rope I'll go, up I'll go
# And those bastards down below
# They'll say, Sam, we told you so
# Sam, we told you so
# Damn their eyes #
May I break it?
All right. How much time's gone by?
- Over an hour. - Oh, that damn train.
That train is on its way, I know it is.
Remember what I told you about accidents?
We didn't have to run across those damn Yaquis but we did.
No miracle, just a rotten, lousy accident
that's gonna cost me my whole deal.
Get me up straight. Get me up straight.
You are a beautiful woman, Sister Sara.
You feel like a beautiful woman, you smell like beautiful woman.
- Please, Mr Hogan. - I can't help thinking,
that first time I saw you and you were almost naked...
- You must forget that. - I can't, my beautiful Sister.
I don't want to forget.
Every night when we bed down next to each other I think of you that way
and I want to reach out and touch you and hold you and feel you.
I forgive you because I know that if you weren't drunk...
Maybe. Maybe so.
But you can't stop a man from wishing.
I sure wish you weren't a nun.
Please, Mr Hogan.
All right.
Get me some gunpowder out of my saddle bag.
Don't come near me till I tell you.
Pour some in your hand...
and leave the pouch there.
Fill the groove. Fill the groove.
That's fine.
All right, now comes the hard part.
Cos we gotta time this perfect.
As soon as I light the powder,
you drive the arrow through me and pull it out the other side.
What do I hit it with?
Take the knife, put the flat part over the end...
and hit it with the gun.
And please, Sister Sara,
please hit it a straight blow, not a glancing one, huh?
What if I don't hit it straight?
The hell with that, my beautiful Sister.
The arrow will break off inside me.
Now, I know you're an A-1 gravedigger but...
All right. What do I do with the moss?