Wings of the Hawk

Well, this is where it began.

This is where it ended.

My partner and I were mining for gold in Northern Mexico

in the early months of 1911.

It was the right place, but the wrong time.

The country was in a state of revolution.

On the one side was Colonel Ruiz,

military head of the federal troops of the province.

And on the other side were the Insurrectos,

armed bands of farmers and townspeople

ready to sacrifice anyone or anything

to get a little taste of liberty

and we were caught in between the two of them.

How long they had let us alone, we didn't know.

Irish!

Irish!

Irish! Come quick! The pan is filled with it.

- Yeah? How does it look? - Come and see for yourself.

The best one yet, I think.

Let's not get too excited, Marcos.

We've seen 'em peter out before, it could happen again.

Not this time. I bet on it.

Cut the water up there.

Bigger than the one last week. Bigger then any of them.

That's pretty good.

- Pretty good. - It's a big one, Irish.

Really big. Didn't I tell you?

- Didn't I tell you last week? - Yeah, you told me.

I just wanted to be sure.

It's been a long time.

Twelve years since we first start.

The place in Honduras, hot. Stinking hot.

Guatemala, then Puebla, Jalisco, can't even remember.

Yeah, better forget it. We've sweat enough.

Let's get a drink, huh?

Marcos! Marcos!

Federales. Ruiz is leading them.

What do you think?

They didn't ride out here to bring the mail.

You men get back on the job!

Come on, come on. There's nothing to worry about.

Alright, back to work.

Rivera, take over.

Dismount.

We've got our prospecting papers.

Ruiz cleared them himself.

You know it as well as anybody,

what he gives, he can take away.

Gallager! It's been a long time.

- Yes, it has. - Good to see you.

My men had a long ride, so we

stopped by to fill our canteens.

Well...

Got a bottle of whiskey up in the shack.

Come on, I'll, uh, buy you a drink.

Thank you.

Last time I saw you, you were just starting to dig here.

Last time I saw you, you were just a captain.

- Congratulations, Colonel. - Thank you.

Next time I see you, you'll probably be be a general.

You never can tell.

Ah, I wish I could trade places with you, Gallager.

Hot, filthy business running this territory.

- Help yourself. - Those Insurrectos again.

Pascal Orozco and his bandits,

Torres and his cut-throats.

Nothing but trouble.

I've held them down so far,

but I don't know how long it can keep on.

We need more soldiers, more supplies.

It's a bad situation, Gallager.

You didn't ride out here just to tell me your troubles.

What do you want, Ruiz?

It isn't so much what I want.

It's what's best for you.

I like you, Gallager.

Yeah?

How much do you like me?

Those Insurrectos, they raid this territory often.

What's that got to do with me?

They need gold to buy guns and ammunition.

What's that got to do with me?

I've heard and I've seen you have found gold,

quite a lot.

What are you getting at?

You need protection, I can give it to you. Cheap.

Half of all the gold you find.

I already have a partner.

Oh, be smart, Gallager. Protect your investment.

Only half of the gold.

I'll make it simple for you, Ruiz.

I don't mix in your business. Now, don't you mix in mine.

How you run this end of Mexico, that's up to you.

I don't care how much you steal.

Just don't steal from me.

You could have had half of the gold.

Now you have nothing.

Hold it. Now, drop it.

Turn around.

Let's go.

Gomez!

After them!

- Try. Try to get away, Irish. - Come on, Marcos. Get up!

I can't. My back.

Go on. Forget the mine.

Don't come back. He'll hunt you down.

Ruiz will never quit.

Someday, he'll find you.

Kill you.

Help me, Irish.

Don't move. Drop the gun.

- Are you hurt? - No.

- Thanks for the help. - Hey, this man is alright.

He makes a good rabbit.

He lead those dogs right into us.

Says his name is Gallager.

Why were they chasing you?

If they had any sense, they'd be chasing you.

Why were they after you?

Look, I don't like all the questions.

I hit gold up in Bonita Canyon.

Ruiz jumped the mine, we gave him a fight.

You're the one they call Irish?

That's right.

And you escaped without harm?

I lost a mine and a partner, you figure it out.

- What do we do with him? - Federales!

Federales!

He goes with us.

Who is this?

We saved him from the federales.

Why did you bring him here? What if he's a spy?

I saw him fight the federales today.

Did you fight the federales today?

Tomas!

- Who sent you here to us? - Nobody.

He says he had that gold mine in Bonita Canyon.

Ruiz took it away from him.

Who sent you here?

Nobody sent me. I was brought.

Give me a horse, take this thing off my eyes

and I'll get outta here.

You think we're going to let you go

so you can tell the federales where to find us?

I don't care whether they find you or not.

You oughta wave some of that muscle at Ruiz.

You're tough, mister. I'll bet you're real tough.

Tomas! Guard him!

- What's his trouble? - Arturo?

He has his faults. Nobody's perfect.

Arturo! Arturo!

She was hurt.

She's been shot. What happened?

- Federales. - She's lucky.

It just missed the bone.

Don't touch her.

Either you get that bullet out

or she'll die of blood poisoning.

Can you get it out?

I'll make a deal with ya.

I'll take out the bullet and you turn me loose.

Can you save her?

I can try.

If you don't, we'll bury you the same day.

Get some water boiling.

All set?

Hang on.

Hold still.

Hold still.

That's it.

How do you know she'll be alright?

I don't.

When I joined the Insurrecto, these were brand new.

They bring you in blindfolded?

We started together: Arturo, Carlos and me.

- What about the girl? - Raquel?

She came a few days later.

It was after Ruiz killed her father and mother.

Where was their gold mine?

No, it was no gold mine with the Noriegas.

He wanted their land.

Maybe most of all, he wanted Elena, Raquel's sister.

What happened to her?

Ruiz took her with him. Too bad.

The Noriegas were good people, very good people.

Carlos and I work on the ranch.

We all loved them very much.

Tomas... see that they are polished.

- Where does Napoleon fit in? - A rancher's son.

His family was close to the Noriegas.

Raquel and Arturo are pledged to be married. An old custom.

The two families arranged it when the boy and girl

were still children.

- I was married the same way. - Nice custom, no?

I don't know. How did you make out on the deal?

His father was a very bad judge of women.

Thanks for the razor.

You ought to try that sometime.

I like him.

You've made up your mind. You're going to Avino.