[music] - jeffry billings? - no. (male #1) 'somebody looking for jeffry billings?' i am. cheyenne bodie. wewe, at your service. uh, pardon my glove. i must say, uh, you haven't wasted much time getting here. i figured the sooner we starard the sooner you'll get settled.

we'll manage to stumble across it somehow. (male #2) 'excuse me.' did you say you're going up the owl river? yes, that's right. well, i'm frank endicott. and my mother.. my mother and i own a ranch there. always glad to meet a neighbor. you're a long way from home. do you always come this far to take a bath, eh? - i came to pick up my fianc?. - you're to be congratulated. the point is long as we're all going up the river it might be safer if we went up there together. comanches are out. they're taking scalps. - is that right, bodie? - that's what they say. i think he's got a good idea.a. alright. glad you're with us. we'll leave in an hour. - good. - 'stage is coming, frank.' we'll meet you at the fork, west of town. righto.

i reckon that's your bride-to-be. well, she's no prizewinner.. (male #3) 'what did you expect? she looks right nice'' wass supposed to be young. she's 30 if she's a day. frank, when you get to be my age you'll realize a woman ain't a woman until she's 30. - miss mcintyre? - you're frank. that's right. this is john pike, my mother's foreman. - how do you do? - howdy, ma'am. - your mother, is she here too? - well, it's a pretty long trip.

i'll get the rig. can't tell you what a thrill it is to meet my second cousin after hearingg about him all my life. it's a lovely engagement ring you sent me. yeah. ma picked that out...from a catalog. oh. - got everything, beef? - all set. here t ty come, sir. - are we all ready? - yes, any time you say. good. oh, my dear, i'd like you to meet mr. bodie, our guide. pleased to meet you, mrs. billings. i feel a great deal safer already. my dear, you couldn't be safer if you were in st. paul's.

(cheyenne) frank endicott's party joined us on the outskirts of the town. and three days later we were at the edge of comanche country. (billings) 'bodie?' how far do you think we've gone today? not too far to turn back. it's not my business but if i were you, i'd forget owl river. is that so? you a doctor, then? just a guide. but i know what it takes to pioneer this country. a woman's gotta be as strong as a m m to survive here. i suggest you let me worry about that. you're paying the freight. besides, my wife wouldn't even consider returning to london.

going to hades in a bucket here a man can live the way he intended. this is the last frontier. you'll have to forgive me but it happens to be my pet subject. now, uh...how many miles do you estimate we've gone today? twenty? - i'd say closer to 1515 - thanks. on the seventh day the axle broke on the endicott buckboard. and later the same day some hungry buzzards led us to a d dng saddle pony. - what's wrong? - i'll have to shoot him. broken leg?

[gunshot] hello, where did you pop from? it's a little h hd to say. i was lost. lucky for me you come along, wasn't it? - i hope you'd take a passenger. - why certainly. we couldn't possibly leave you stranded out here. that's your horse? no, sir, i carry this saddle around with me all the time. if he's your horse, how come you didn't put him out of his suffering? well, you see,e, saw these indian signs. lots of them. i didn't feel free to waste the bullet. (billings) 'put your sadade in the wagon, and ride in front.' oh, incidentally, my name is billings.

d. found some pony tracks up ahead, i don't like the looks of. we'll head for it. you'll have some cover while i look around. mr. bodie, back there! - bear left at the fork. - hyah! [dramatic music]

billings! the wagon! [dramatitimusic]

[screaming] can] [gunshot] they're gone. i wouldn't count on it. there's some out at the wagon, a couple more behind those rocks

anybody like to say anything? uh...i guess he was the closest thing to a father i ever had. - i'm sorry, john. - hey, cut it short, will you? - amen. - amen. i expect you're wondering why i didn't stop at the wagon. the old boy bolted with me. he had the bit in his teeth.

- ah! - let me see it. tsk. - you badly hurt? - he's lost a little blood. i wasn't talking to you. - it hurt? - some. so bad. just as good as new. can't you go someplace else? remind me to tell you about yourself sometime. we'll have this fixed up right away. you certainly run him off. sure reminded me of ma. i remember once. we had this ranch hand.

took hide off of him. he lit out. and...didn't even stop to get his pay. her. take that as a compliment. our side of the family thinks highly of your...your mother. that better? feels fine. i wonder if you'd get me that canteen? oh. surely. (frank) 'what's the matter?' - i think it's empty. - 'empty?' looks like we might be here for a while. so maybe we better get some kind of a system set up.

you and beef will take first guard. we will? any objections? yeah, now w at you mention it. 'like what?' oh, like i don't remember anybody, uh.. ...electing you general. - somebody's got to run it. - 'that's right.' and bodie's the best man. i wouldn't be too sure about who's best man. you know who i am? call you the utah kid. they say you killed some men in bar rooms. that doesn't make you an indian fighter. hello, dead man. you're fast. but i hired out as guide to this party. that makes me more or less responsible. put that gun away.

you're the general. but don't ever forget which one of us is best man. thanks. don't mention it, governor. it would have been me pleasure to have blown his brainsnsut. providing, of course, he has any. - do you think they'll attack? - it's hard telling. no reaean why they should. we can't last more than four or five days without supplies.

r [insects chirping] lavinia? lavinia?

[howling] cocole of them out by the wagon. pretending to be coyotes. another one behind them rocks.

a get the chchl outta your bones. i got a little fire going in there. goodninit. - room for another? - why, sure. make yourself right at home. feels good. i could toast myself like a muffin. it'll be dawn soon. - what's your watch say? - oh, i don't have a watch. huh, that's my timepiece. 'i study 'em some'' can call almost a hundred by name. strange for a wagon driver, isn't it? yeah. it helps though.

right back to where i live. where are you from? work at a homestead. valley of the sweetwater in wyoming country. it's nice. you know, pretty. a man would want. nice grazing too. sounds wonderful. valley of the sweetwater. can't see why you'u'd ever wanto leave a place with such a name. well, sometimes it getet kind of lonesome by myself. so i go and take a job for a while. i always come back. there's no reason to be lonesome, a man like you. well, i've never had much luck when it comes too finding somebody. you know, a man gets said "no" to just so often, it hits him.

know. back home...i used to sit and...watch the people walking hand in hand. i used to think to myself, "everybody but me has somebody." but i never gave up hope. you see what happened? i found frank. yeah. well.. i think i'll turn in. night. [music] come out. die.

'd like us to waste what few bullets we've got.' come out. fight us. never saw an indian carry on like that before. indians are like anybody else. you got the quiet ones, you've got the showoffs. like pretty feathers there. i think it's about time the rest of us had a council. will you kindly keep watch in there? i guess we all know where we stand. till they have food and water, they can wait us out. if anybody's got a piece to speak, now's the time. - begging your pardon. - go ahead. well, like you say. they've got food and drink. but we've got kelly, lad.

you've never seen him run. he's fast as the wind. it's not just a case of speed. we're surrounded. won't be easy to break through. but what's the alternative? starvation, torture. and what about the women? alright, we'll try it, tonight. early, before moonrise. but like i said, it won't be any church social. i'd like to have a shot at it. i say we draw for it. high card goes. alright. if that's agreeable with everybody. cut. eight. seven. your turn, sir.

your life. king. trouble from the dark-haired man. well, now, what do you know?

godspeed. - good luck. - thank you, sir. all set? hyah!

k i heard something just outside. i'm gonna take a look around. - cover me, huh? - sure. s down like that. - it's an awful waste. - what is? are you really gonna marry that fella?

i know something about ya. what? oh, that fella ain't gonna make you happy. aren't t u supposed to be on watch? get out of here. well, you don't want me to leave, do you? you see, i told you i knew something about ya. well, you walk around here like a sunday school teacher, eh? so cool, butter wouldn't melt in your mouth? but i know what's gogog on inside that head of yours. do you want me to put it in words for you? o this. i ain't gonna tell nobody. it's just between you and me. will you get out of here? take your filthy hands off of her. don't you know to stay out of places you ain't wanted? i ought to splatter you against that wall. that gun makes you a big man, don't it? put it away, kid. do you think this gun's the difference between you and me? do you?

that's the difference. you see. he's mush inside. that's the difference. takes guts to kill a man.

we shoulultake a look out there. not a trace of them. - do you think they've gonon - nope. they're out there. waiting. for what? somebody to do something stupid. - sure quiet. - yeah. look. i plugged the e nteen. i'd be willing to take a chance at the waterhole. nope.

see? where are the indians? indians, where? there's nobody out there. we're in here dying of thirst! and there's no indian in 40 miles from here! - frank, please! - you keep your hands off of me. if it hadn't been for you i wouldn't be here. your fault. an old maid who couldn't get herself a husband. why did you have to pick on me for? [gunshots] i'm sorry.

we kill buffalo.

rrr ella?

it's alright, frank. could you forget what i said? it's not your fault. everything is just the same then? no, i'm...afraid not. oh, ma picked that out herself. mamae that's the trouble. oh, you-you'll change your mind, ella. when you meet ma and see the ranch. i'm not gonna see your ranch. not gonna meet your mother. if i get out of here, i'm going home. much as i i nt a home and a family of my own i can't marry you. oh, why not, ella? why not?

i'd be careful about showing myself if i were you, ma'am. thank you. i guess i was daydreaming. suppose you can daydream at night. i do, more often than not. - you do? - sure. quite a bit alike in lots of ways. i believe we might be. it's none of my business, but are you gonna marry frank? no. well, do you think its bad when two people are quite alike?

i think they might find it easier than most. - you really think so? - you can turn in now, beef. - i'll take over. - right. i certainly did enjoy our conversationonma'am. goodnight. cheyenne. cheyenne!

think it's about time me and pretty feathers had a talk. ain't that taking a big chance? what good will it do? it's better than doing nothing. what can we lose? im into something. he's got a pretty fair opinion of himself. - is this alright? - thank you, ma'am. hold that gun out here. how much chance do you think we've got, jeffry? - well, i-- - you can tell me. i'm not afraid of the truth.

e that now. seems i've always been the one who was frightened of the truth. thing is, lavinia, i owe you an apology. there's no need for it. look, this may be the last opportunity i havevef talking to you like this, and.. well, i.. i gotta make a speech. the thing is, i.. i've taken a rather good look at myself in these past few days and i'm not very fond of what i see. oughtless. i've been so busy pretending to be something i'm not. i haven't had time for the most important-- - jeffry-- - please, darling. the most important and beloved thing of my life. you. oh, what a pity, we had to come

that's the end of my... my little speech, darling. i think it's a bebetiful little speech. [dramatic music] i am chief yellow knife of comanchchnation. comanche? comanche. oh, yes. the coyote people that live off the leavings of other tribes. 'they say your squaws do your fighting for you.' don't see any now. but then, maybe you didn't come here to fight. maybe...you die. i was raised bybyhe cheyenne.

no comanche woman-hearted. i say your chief is a coward. you call me coward? 'you coward.' i tell you, "come out. fight." well, here i am. no. if you're not a coward, you'll fight me. man for man. if i fight, you bring other white faces out here? they not have gun? you'll let them go free, if i win? yes.

we not fight with knife. tomahawk, bare hand. you big man. maybe more strong. you maybe win. but that not show you more brave. we fight, show who most brave. you...me. we will fight...there. you know swallowing sand? quicksand. we fight there. you...me. who calls help is loser.

alright.

- i want you to take this ring. - no, frank. - i thought we understood that. - i don't mean like that. i mean, to have. like a present. why? 'cause i'm in your debt. how do you mean? i'm not going home either. if we get out of this i'm going to st. louis. and i don't care whether my ma a kes her or not. it'll be somebody i picked out and somebody who's picked me. i'm glad, frank. real glad. i'll take your ring. i'll keep it always. hance. but he wants us all outside, unarmed.

'll just have to trust me.. i don't know any other way out. - alright, kid. - what do you take me for? it's the way i said, kid. it's our only chance. look, mister, i don't trust indians. he wants everybody outside without guns. well, i'm staying here, and my gun's staying with me. you gonna force my hand? i don't mind, general. look, i don't want to have to draw with you. - i don't blame you. - 'you're coming out of here.'

one last time. i'm asking you. please drop that gun belt. you bought yourself a showdown. stop trying to crawl outta it. i guess the rest of you better get started then. oh, now, you're a pretty big target. i'm gonna give you a better deal. are you ready, general? i don't care whether you draw or not ou. 'cause i'm gonna kill you.

how come i never heard of you? you want to come outside now? yeah, sure. you mind if i get my hat? [groans]

[music continues] let him go. [speaking native american]

[music continues] you can't win, yellow knife. i got nothing to gain by cryryg for help. but you have. i'd raraer drown here than be killed by you. then we both die.

[music continues]

if all the comanche are like their chief then the comanche are brave men. [speaking native american] [music continues] [speaking native american]

- good morning. - good morning. you look like you've been cutting a hard trail. it to fort considine? oh, about eight miles due eaea. - thanks. - hey, wait a minute. you sure you want fort considine? is that wrong? well, soldiers pulled out of there years ago. nothing there but the wind and the echoes. even the coyotes are lonesome up there. eight miles? thanks.