One Little Indian

Bring the rope.

Get on your feet, Keyes.

You gotta give him one thing, Sergeant. He's a gambler.

No gamble. We got nothing to lose. Put it on him.

Come on, gambler.

If I can't trust you on a horse, you're gonna have to walk.

Start getting used to that rope around your neck.

Get that rope off of him. Put him back on his horse.

Corporal! Let 'em rest.

Down. Sit down. Rest.

- Sergeant Raines, sir. - Lieutenant Cummins, Fort Dorado.

- Where are you headed? - Escorting a prisoner to General Crook.

Your prisoner looks a little worse for wear, Sergeant.

- What happened to you, soldier? - I fell off my horse.

He tried to make a break for it three times, sir.

- I could sure use another man. - I'm sorry, Sergeant. I can't spare one.

We're still two days from Dorado. You can reach the general by tomorrow.

- Yes, sir. - Good luck.

Move him out, Schrader.

Platoon dismissed!

Lieutenant Cummins reporting, sir, with 19 hostiles. Cheyenne, sir.

This far south, in Apache country?

I ran onto 'em just north of Santa Fe.

Their braves must be dead or on a reservation, I guess.

You guess?

Well, Lieutenant, that's just what we needed for Christmas.

Some of the men are gonna have to miss the holidays

taking this crew to the Cheyenne-Arapaho agency.

You'll be in charge of the detail.

- That's all. - Yes, sir.

Have the doctor examine them.

You can set up a quarantine tent outside if it's needed

and let the rest sleep in the old barracks.

Yes, sir.

Corporal, move them out over to the barracks.

Right this way.

You people, move over this way.

Right this way.

All right, spread 'em out. Sit 'em down here on the porch. All along here.

Sit down. Sit.

Mail call! Mail call!

Mail call!

All right, now. I'm gonna look at you one at a time.

Nothing to be afraid of. You understand?

If any of you are sick, we'll try to help you.

Will you stand up here, please?

Go get him.

Open your shirt, please.

Could you open your shirt?

Come on, not like that. What's the matter with you?

- Hey, come back, you! - Here, doc.

Hey, what's going on?

Give me that horse.

Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!

- Give me your hand. - Never mind me, get the kid.

Come back here, Bill. This way.

You men, get after those mules!

- Come on, move. - Come back.

Give me a hand here, Murphy.

- Hey, kid, come here. - Look out.

Stop him, Kaplan.

- Son, come on back. - He's a real wildcat, he is.

- He's white, sir. - I'm not blind, Sergeant.

Come on, get down from there.

- The guardhouse is empty, isn't it? - Yes, sir.

- Then lock him up. - You can't sentence him to there.

I am not sentencing him, John.

But I got to put him someplace while I figure out what to do with him.

I suppose there's no chance of finding his parents?

None. He's probably one of those captured by the Cheyenne after the massacre.

Indians raised him as a member of the tribe.

What I mean, sir, is... I'd like to take him.

He'll have to be kept under lock and key.

I want him out of the way when we send those others to the reservation next week.

Yes, sir, I understand.

All right. I'll hold both of you responsible.

Yes, sir.

Well, come on, son.

Come on, you.

You're being given a name.

Do you understand?

Dearly beloved, none can enter the kingdom of God

except he be regenerate and born anew of water and the Holy Ghost.

Who speaks for this child?

Sergeant.

I do.

Dost thou, in the name of the child, renounce the devil and all his works?

I do.

The child's name?

Mark.

I baptize thee Mark

in the name of the Trinity.

From this day forward, you will be known as Mark to all men.

Lead, kindly light, amid the encircling gloom

Lead thou me on

The night is dark and I am far from home

Lead thou me on

Keep thou my feet

I do not ask to see

The distant scene

One step enough for me

Amen

You men can put out your candles now.

During the offertory, we'll sing "Silent Night".

Silent night

Holy night

All is calm

All is bright

Round yon virgin mother and child

Holy infant so tender and mild

Sleep in heavenly peace

Sleep in heavenly peace

Silent night

Holy night

Shepherds quake at the sight

Glories stream from heaven afar

Heavenly hosts sing hallelujah

Christ the savior is born

Christ the savior is born

You look for Cheyenne?

He can't have gone far. You check over there, I'll look on this side.

- Did you see the boy come out? - No, sarge.

Hup. Let's go. Hup.

Boy...

Let me see that arm.

That's not too bad.

We'll put something on it.

All right, now sit down there.

I'll get you some water.

Oh, shut up, you rotten, no-good piece of...

Here, drink some of this.

Don't overdo it. Slowly.

Got some carbolic in here.

I can promise you it's gonna hurt you more than it will me.

Give me that arm.

That'll keep it from festering, anyway.

That military disaster over there,

she's called Rosebud.

You can call her Rosie, if you've a mind to.

Shut up.

Give me that gun.

I said give me that gun before I break it over your backside.

All right. I shot you.

Now we're even.

Next time you use a Winchester,

you just make sure there's a cartridge in the chamber, huh?

What's your name?

I'm not gonna ask you again.

Mark.

Mark? Mark what?

Just Mark.

I'm Clint Keyes.

What are you doing out here all by your lonesome? Where are your folks?

Can't leave you out here by yourself, so...

I'll take you as far as those mountains.

Then I'm heading south, to Mexico.

Do you understand that, boy?

That's the thirstiest critter I ever saw. He don't even know he's a camel.

Thirsty?

Appears to me he answered to that.

I've been looking for a handle for him. Come here, Thirsty. Come on.

Camels don't cotton to me too much. Why don't you call him?

Here, Thirsty.

Come on, Thirsty.

Seems like he knows who he is when you say it.

All right. Down. Come on.

Coosh. Down. Coosh.

Down.

Most miserable animal I ever saw.

What I need is a good horse.

Come on over here and get up.

There you go.

OK. Clamp a jaw on that, huh?

Up, Rosie. Up.

Two camels. Keyes here.

Small boy here also.

A small boy?

Girl, maybe.

- Thirsty! - Thirsty can't keep up.

- He'll have to go it alone. - Thirsty!

Now, who told you to do that, huh?

One more time and you're gonna be camel stew.

You're not lovable and you're not ridable.

Maybe you're eatable.

Come on, Thirsty. Come on.

All right, we'll go a little slower.

First decent place we find, we'll stop.

Come on, bring him along.

OK, Rosie. Let's do it right for a change.

Rosie, you rotten animal.

Rosebud!

All right, that does it. Mark, go get me a stick.

Shut up.

I'm gonna teach this big bag of trouble

it can be more painful sitting down than standing up and walking.

Up, Rosie. Up!

Come on.

- What are you laughing at? - You look like big Cheyenne chief.

You're gonna look like a wet papoose, 'cause you're next.

All right, now. Come here.