War Arrow

Whoa! Easy, boy.

Whoa, there. Whoa.

Ah.

Souvenir. Of what?

Oh, the great Southwest, the dangerous Indian territory.

Hey, Sarge, ya know,

this is gonna make somethin' nice to hang on the wall when I retire,

somethin' I can tell my grandkids lies about.

That arrow's at least a year old. Pick up a fresh one.

Listen, Sarge, I think the arrow's extinct.

Couple of weeks, you'll be pullin' 'em out of your back.

I heard that in St. Louis a thousand miles ago.

By now, I thought we'd be hackin' our way through a solid wall of Indian flesh.

Wait until you run into Satanta, chief of the Kiowas. You'll know you met an Indian.

Oh, he's a tough one, huh? Got his whole tepee covered with buck sergeants' chevrons.

The only fella gonna get those stripes is the fella I give 'em to after I got yours.

All right, let's get movin' back there!

Comanches?

Comanches would have taken a prisoner. That's a Kiowa specialty.

Picket the horses while I try to find a shovel.

Great place for souvenirs.

Detail reporting to Colonel Meade.

Open the gate!

Left to right!

To the left, go!

Forward, go!

Major Howell Brady, Sergeants Luke Schermerhorn and Agustus Wilks...

reporting from St. Louis, sir.

How do you do? Captain Neil, Lieutenant Rolier.

Still a sergeant, eh, Schermerhorn?

I guess soldiers are like water. They find their own level.

Pour the sergeants a bath and a drink: the drink first.

Come along, Major.

You're to be quartered here for six months under nobody's orders but your own.

Those are Gen. Schofield's words.

I don't like it, even from the secretary of war.

That's natural. This is good whiskey.

Washington doesn't have to send anybody around, investigating my command.

As far as I know, they haven't.

Then what is it? Major Howell Brady taking over this fort?

I've already turned down three.

I've been in this army too many years to be fooled.

Things haven't gone well here, and they've retired generals for less.

I haven't heard talk of retiring you. Your record shows...

I know. But you're as good as your last casualty list.

All right, I'll play the game. Game?

By elimination, you must be here to fight Indians. Yeah. That's about it.

One major and two sergeants is not what I'd call a fighting outfit.

Well, it's a start. What can you do that I haven't done?

The Kiowas are having a field day, but why? Nobody's stopping them.

They don't come out by the hundreds and thousands anymore.

They raid by 10s and 20s. They hit and they're gone.

I know. I saw some of their work a few miles back.

Family named McMurdo.

At least they're buried under a cross. Crude, but a cross.

How can I stop this with only one command?

You might break it up into companies or platoons,

send 'em riding in all directions.

That's what the Kiowas want. They'd cut us to ribbons.

The only hope for law is to keep this command intact. When it's gone, the Kiowas rule.

They seem to be ruling now.

If you're here to fight Indians, Major, there's a lot of work waiting.

I hear you have Seminoles in this territory.

Yeah, a small tribe up by Golden. At least they're peaceful.

You know their chief, Maygro?

Not personally, but I fought against his father in Florida.

- What's your opinion of them? - For eight years in Florida,

they held back almost every regiment of the army, marines, the navy and 50,000 militia.

All that with just 400 warriors.

Incredible, wasn't it? Heh. Expensive too.

The government had to scatter them all over the country so there wouldn't be another war.

Now they're a poor tribe of vagabonds living in sod huts...

and trying to raise a few scrawny sheep.

But they can still fight.

Fight who? Kiowas.

You couldn't get a Seminole Indian to fight for his sister's virtue.

Why not? They've laid down their guns for good.

The Kiowas run through their village Just for sport.

Could you get me three fresh horses and $500?

Anything, Major. I'll have you quartered within the hour.

Well, don't bother with anything elaborate.

I'll move Mrs. Corwin out of Capt. Corwin's house. He was killed recently.

Please don't inconvenience anyone for me.

There's room for the woman at my place. You're the C.O.

By the way, there's a birthday party at my house tonight.

That hardly gives me time to buy a present.

Don't bother. You've already given me one:

the funniest story of the year.

Seminoles fighting Kiowas.

Happy birthday, Colonel. Thank you, Major.

Excuse me. Certainly.

So I told him he had to be in full uniform at all times.

The colonel's special blend.

Major Howell Brady, ma'am.

I came to dance, if you'd do me the honor.

We were holding a conversation, Major.

You should try holding a girl sometime, Captain.

I have a feeling that patience is not one of your stronger virtues, Major.

Consider the life span of the average human,

then subtract all the minutes we waste in meaningless formalities.

Criminal. There's little enough time for small pleasures as it is.

As I live and breathe, a philosopher.

A... a realist.

Well, whatever you are, I'm glad someone finally asked me to dance.

Is there something about you I should know? I'm Mrs. Corvvin.

I'm, uh, sorry about having taken over your house.

The fortunes of war, Major.

Besides, any man who's held every rank from private to major,

won a field commission, been breveted twice for exceptional gallantry...

and won the Congressional Medal of Honor,

there just isn't enough that we can do for him. Who told you all that?

Col. Meade, and not without a little envy.

Oh, ah, I'm taking a room in his house. Yes, so I heard.

And he who gossips will be out chasing Kiowas in the morning.

They should be anyway.

Don't you go, Major.

We've lost too many good dancers already.

I'm even more sorry about your husband.

When did it happen?

About six months ago on a scouting party.

He must've been quite a man...

for his memory to have kept you single on the frontier this long.

They've been proposing to me by platoons lately.

Bad training.

There are times when the individual soldier...

is much more effective than the unit.

You're an exponent of the one-man frontal attack.

Yes, but I believe in cautious reconnoitering first.

Better be careful, Major. You're revealing your position to the enemy.

Enjoy your waltz, Major? Were we Waltzing?

It was more like a musical fencing match.

I couldn't get past her guard. Nobody ever does.

She's a greater threat to this post than the Kiowas.

- Something oughta be done. - You'll have to go to the end of the line.

Not him. He doesn't waste his time on meaningless formalities.

Major Brady, perhaps you'd tell our younger officers...

of your experiences fighting the Cheyenne.

They look about as friendly as the Cheyenne.

A later dance, Mrs. Corwin?

The Captain's Quadrille. Write 'Elaine' on your card. Thank you.

I thought you were above flirting.

Was I?

I hear he came from St. Louis and Washington.

He's still Just another soldier.

Well, tell me, what's he doing here?

Trying to get Seminoles to fight Kiowas.

Why, Colonel, you're jealous of him.

Hey. I always knew you were a brave man, Major,

but goin' in through the colonel's back door ain't recommended,

even for heroes.

That's Capt. Corwin's widow. Oh. I'm sorry.

I always figured that Corwin was too ornery to die.

Them Kiowas ain't choosy about who they kill.

You knew him? Yeah, I knew him.

It'd take more than a few Indians to keep me away from that.

We're ridin' in a noose. I know. Care to pick a number?

At least five, or they'd be afraid.

Not 10, or they'd have cut loose.

Seven. Lucky seven.

We'll have to fight our way out. Yeah.

Probably try to catch us at that other rise.

Tell Wilks to keep his eyes front. He don't even know they're up there.

He's got barroom eyes.

When we reach that rim, we'll go into a run.

Come over it shooting.

I'll take the left. You and Wilks take the right.

How about them fellas tellin' us it was dangerous...

for just the three of us to ride in this country

They call this Coffin Rim. It's not famous for the births that have happened here.

I'll bet you a dollar there ain't an Indian within 10 miles.

You got a bet. How're we gonna prove it?

Easy. Four Kiowas have got you in their sights now. Don't look up!

Are you serious? When we hit that ridge, you do as I do...

if you want to live long enough for another promotion. Yes, sir.

Uh, you fellas is lucky I was along.

You're right. I just made an easy dollar.

Wilks and I will do some cleaning up.

You contact the Seminoles and tell them what I said.

I'll do what I can. All right.

Schermerhorn, I hate to bring this up,

but don't you think I oughta hold the dollar? Just in case.

Uh-uh. if anything happens, I'm gonna need some gambling money where I'm going.

Well, that Schermerhorn.

That feller could charm the Rocky Mountains into goin' south for the winter.

Psst!

My father, Chief Maygro, said to give you some food while he talks.

Rabbit, eh? We call it Texas buffalo.

Say, you talk English real good.

Why shouldn't I? I went to school in San Antonio.

What's your name, honey?

Avis. It means bird. And do not speak of putting salt on my tail.

Some fella already beat me to it, huh?

Uh, my name is Wilks. Sergeant Wilks.

And this fella here... I forget his name.

Anyway, he's married and got 16 kids.

You make him sound interesting.

Uh, you like this life out here? I hate it.

Would you like to spend your life in a mud hut with corn husks for beds...

and rabbit for food every day?

Well, uh, I might if you was with me.