"Well, we're near the end of our journey." "Mr. Marsh, our enforced association has been most agreeable." "For me, it's been a distinct pleasure, Mr. Paige." "Hard to believe that 2,000 miles from this peaceful territory, an unfortunate war is rending our beloved nation in two." "Yes, we can be thankful that the differences between the North and the South haven't yet touched the Dakota territory." "Those horsemen are chasing us." " I haven't even got a gun, have you?" " No." "Hurry, man!" "Hurry!" "Whoa!" "Get out, both of you." "Well, sir, I suppose you intend to rob us." "You may as well do likewise and perhaps we can get on with our journey." "Keep your money, sir." "We're only interested in your dispatch case." "There's nothing in it of value, only some unimportant papers." "Signed by Mr. Lincoln?" "Why, yes." "And they're not important, Mr. Paige?" "You know my name?" "And that of your travelling companion." "Brock Marsh, I believe." "John Lawrence?" "Right." "Most happy to welcome you, sir." "Proud to know you." "I've looked forward to this moment." "These are our friends." "Warren, Stone, Gibbs." "Howdy." "Mr. Paige, your dispatch case, please." "This is an outrage." "I represent the President." "I am in the employ of the government, empowered to make treaty with the Sioux Indians." "We knew that before you left Washington." "We even know about the gold that's following you in a few days." "That gold is a peace offering to the Sioux tribe, from President Abraham Lincoln." "We think it will serve a more worthwhile purpose in the treasury of President Jefferson Davis." "I take it I'm dealing with traitors." "Traitors, rebels." "Whatever you Yankees choose to call us." "We serve the government of the Confederacy." "Mr. Marsh, these papers will give you all the identification that you need in town." "A letter of introduction to Judge Baker." "Everything." "You mean you are going to masquerade as me?" "To the best of my ability." "You see, I'm as much as a stranger in this territory as you." "Then, what's to become of me, sir?" "You will be kept safe in a place we know of until this business is over." "Just a matter of days." "He mustn't escape, sir." "We have too much at stake." "You have nothing to worry about." "Warren, you'll be in charge until we meet tonight." "I'll go on ahead." "I have a stop to make with some of our Indian friends." "But I hope to be in town when you arrive." "And you'd better remember your new name." "Zachary Paige." "It's my neck in a rope if I forget." "And remember, too, no matter what happens, we're strangers to each other." "If you get into trouble, I won't be able to help you." "It's up to you now." "Good luck." "Mr. Paige." "I don't care to talk to you, sir." "Earlier today, I told you that our journey together had been a distinct pleasure for me." "I lied." " You see, I knew how it would end." " Indeed." " You had the advantage of me, sir." " Yes." "I'm sorry." "But in war we have to do many things we're sorry for." "What's this mean?" "John left strict instructions about this man." "He was perfectly safe with us." "He was not perfectly safe as long as he was alive." "If I may say so, neither was my neck." "Listen, Marsh, if you're only worried about your neck..." "I am." "My neck is most important to our plan." "And nothing must stand in the way of this plan." "Nothing." "Bury him." "What's the matter here?" "Where's my driver?" "Right in there." "What happened to him?" "We were attacked by a small band of Indians about 20 miles out of town." "They came scrambling out of the rock shooting." "We barely managed to drive them off." "You did a good job." " You the only passenger?" " Yes." "Your driver managed to get in some good licks before they got him." "They'll be storming the town next." "No white man's life is safe in Dakota anymore." "That's right." "There used to be soldiers at the fort to protect us." "Now they're gone." "Can't even get an escort for the stagecoach." "They're being put to better use fighting rebels." "Well, I'd rather they was fightin' Indians." "Drive the coach down to Mr. Sherwood's, Charlie." "Tell him I'll pay for Jim's funeral." "My name is Mike Daugherty." "I own the stage line." "Your name, sir?" "Zachary Paige." "I'm here on a mission from our President." " From Mr. Lincoln?" " Yes." "I have a letter of introduction in his own handwriting to Judge Baker." "I am Judge Baker." "How do you do, sir?" "I have my credentials right here from Mr. Lincoln." "Well, you see, friends?" "My petition to the President did carry some weight." "Sir, you are most welcome here." "And I extend my friendship and full cooperation." "Thank you." "I'm gonna take quick advantage of your offer, Judge." "I'd like an audience with War Cloud, the Sioux chief, as soon as possible." "That can be arranged." "But those redskins are in a scalping frame of mind." "I have authority to make any treaty that'll satisfy them, within reason, of course." "Uh, say now." "I'd be glad to take you out to War Cloud, Mr. Paige." "Gimpy, I think Mike here is the man for the job." "War Cloud has had a warm feeling for him ever since he learned to speak the Sioux language." "You're elected, Mike." "War Cloud says he's the one man in town whose word he'll take." "All right, I'll give it a try." "I can get you to him, but understand, you can expect anything except what you're looking for while we're in Sioux territory." "You here to kowtow to them, Mr. Paige?" "You an Indian lover, too?" "I'm here to extend the hand of friendship." "Why don't you shut up, Grimes?" "I'll shut up when I see soldiers back here protecting us." "That's the kind of friendship I want." "Judge, we caught us a traitor." "Why, Marshal, that's John Lawrence!" "I'm surprised as much as you are." "Caught him red-handed, about 10 miles out of town, dickering with some Indians." "I always suspected Lawrence was in sympathy with the rebels." "A traitor's a traitor." "Let's string him up!" "We don't string up anybody without a trial while I'm Marshal of this town." "But you caught him in the act." "And that's enough!" "We don't have to wait for nothin' now." "Be a warning to some others I ain't sure about." "Yeah." "That's right." "Just a minute!" "You making the charge, Marshal?" "Heard it all." "He and some renegade braves were planning to kill War Cloud." "Then, they were going to take over our town and the whole territory." "Haven't you anything to say about it, Mr. Lawrence?" "I don't think anything I'd say would help me now, Mike." "You're right, nothin' you'd say could help you." "He's going to get a fair trial." "All right, if we got to have it legal, let's get on with it, Judge." "Right here." "It's as legal a place as any." "Well, what are we waiting for?" "Not a very peaceful introduction to our town for you, sir." "I'm very interested in watching frontier justice." "We live in constant fear of a Sioux uprising here." "We're forced to use drastic methods with men who attempt to inflame the Indians against us." "There's only one cure for a spy." "The rope!" "Quiet, please." "Quiet!" "The United States District Court's in session." "State your name." "John Lawrence." "Where were you born?" "Richmond, Virginia." "But you always said you were born in Boston." "I was born in Richmond, Virginia." "John Lawrence, you've been found guilty by a fair trial of having plotted with the Indians against the whites, of spying for the South." "You've been sentenced to death by due process of law." "Dad!" " As Marshal of this township, it is my duty to..." " Dad!" " Dad!" " Ruthie." "Dad, those fools, those stupid fools." "Ruthie, you must go away." "Please." "Dad, tell them it isn't true." "Tell them you're not a spy." "It's useless." "I only did for the South what any one of them would do for the North." "Hang her, too, Marshal." "She's just as guilty as he is." "Ruthie, I want you to leave now." "Mike, you can't let her see this." "Get her out of here." "Ruthie, you'd better come along with me." "Mike, you didn't do anything?" "He tried his best." "There was nothing he could do." " Judge Baker was..." " Judge Baker." "He gave your father a fair trial." "Yes, I can see how fair it was." "Right here in the middle of the street." "Why, it's no better than murder." "Murderers, that's what you all are." "Murderers!" "If this is the way the North fights the war, then I hate the North." "And if my father loves the South enough to die for it, then I love it, too." "Don't you want to sentence me, Judge Baker?" "Why don't you put a rope around my neck, too?" "That's enough, Ruth." "You've got to get..." "Mike, get her out of here now." "Come on." "You men responsible for murdering my father will pay for it." "What are we waiting for?" "Let's hang the dirty spy!" "You can stop this hanging." "You can tell 'em it's a matter for the Federal government." "I can't interfere." "Do you have anything you want to say?" "I do not regret anything that I've done." "Except that I've brought unhappiness on my daughter." "She knew nothing of my activities for the South, that I swear." "Oh, Mike, how could they?" "How could they?" "War causes terrible things on both sides, honey." "We'll go away from this town, where you can forget about what happened today." "No, I won't." "I won't give them that satisfaction." "Ruth, you can't stay here now." "I will." "They're not going to drive me away." "You'll never be able to stay around here after what happened today." "Look, you know what I've always hoped for." "I could start a stage line somewhere else." "But, Mike, you mustn't leave your business here." "Then you're not going to fight this town alone." "What do you mean?" "It's going to be you and me, honey, against the whole world, from now on." "Oh, yes, Mike." "Always." "Always." "I'd like a word with you, Mike." "Hasn't there been enough said and done around here today?" "Now, now, Mike, that was a very sorrowful affair, but one we couldn't help." "I know you're close to the family, but the tragedies of war..." "Do I have permission of the Court to give Mr. Lawrence a decent burial?" "I will personally see to it that his body is adequately taken care of." "More than adequately." "Now, about Mr. Paige and what we promised to do for him, with respect to the Indians." "Won't tomorrow do?" "I'd like to see War Cloud as soon as possible." "I consider it very important that we lend Mr. Paige every assistance." "We never know when those savages might break loose and turn on us." "All right, if you insist." "We'll go this afternoon." "First, I'm going to take Ruth home." "Oh, well, yes." "Yes, of course." "That girl made a lot of enemies today." "She needs your protection, my boy." "You take her home first." "What do you want?" "That girl." "We're going to run her out of town." "We don't want any Southern spies around here." " I didn't expect..." " You weren't expecting me at all." "No." "No, I wasn't." "I don't think I've had the pleasure of knowing your name." "No?" "But I got the pleasure of knowing yours." "Mr. Marsh." "I think you must have made a mistake." "The name is..." "Marsh." "Brock Marsh." "I've know'd it ever since you told that story about the Indians holding up the stagecoach." "You see, I know'd that was the story you was going to tell." "If something had gone wrong and the real Paige had come into town, he'd naturally have told who really held up the stage." "Who are you?" "Joe Woods. "Gimpy" Joe Woods, they call me." "Everybody knows me here in town." "What they don't know is," "I was John Lawrence's right-hand man." " Well..." " I can be a lot of use to you, Marsh." "The first use you can be to me is never use that name again." "The name is Paige." "Zachary Paige." "Ah, I'll remember, Mr. Paige." "John Lawrence never told me about you." "He'd 'a told you about me." "We'd 'a met." "You sure didn't do much to try and stop that hanging." "You might have taken a chance." "Take a chance!" "And maybe ruin the job I came here to do." "That would have been a brilliant move." "Ah, too bad." "Too bad." "John was a good friend to me." " If you'd 'a known him like I did..." " Look." "He went into it with his eyes wide open, didn't he?" "He got caught." "We mustn't." "That's all." "This deal we're going to offer the Sioux..." "We promise them everything, huh?" "I'm going to give them more promises than Abe Lincoln ever dreamed of." "And we're not going to keep one of them." "And after we're gone, they'll attack the whole town." " Say now, I've got some ideas on that..." " I don't need them." "Just do as I say, and we'll get along fine." "Now, wait a minute." "John Lawrence had a plan for this." "If you don't run it his way, there'll be trouble." "Trouble?" "Not from me." "And not from you." "Remember, we're all in this together." "We're working for one cause." "All right." "All right, you're the boss." "But don't you outsmart yourself." "You remember, you ain't worth a tinker's dam to the Confederacy dead." "Just a minute." "Horses are saddled and waiting." "Good." "I hope War Cloud will be glad to see us." "He'll meet any treaty terms you've brought, if they're fair." "Well, they're more than fair." "Does he have complete control of his tribe?" "Well, War Cloud's chief." "There's a younger leader called Black Buffalo who wants his job." "He's about the worst hater of whites in the entire Sioux Nation." "How do you stand with him?" "No white man stands very high with Black Buffalo." "He was educated by white men, too." "Can read and write, but he hates them all." "Well, I'm hardly dressed for riding, but this'll have to do." "Your horse will never know the difference." "No." "No, but I will." "Miles seem to be getting longer." "We're about halfway." "War Cloud's reception committee?" "No, that's a war cry." "Ride and shoot." "That's Black Buffalo's renegades!" "I'm on my way to talk peace with War Cloud." "Why do his braves try to kill me?" "Sioux want no peace with white man." "Those papers are from the President of the United States." "They'll prove to War Cloud that what I say is true." "We take you to Black Buffalo in Dry Canyon." "He know what papers say." "You have killed Black Buffalo's brother." " You will die for this today." " What?" "I had nothing to do with it." "The Sioux have got Zachary Paige!" "Eight of Black Buffalo's renegades ambushed us on the way to meet War Cloud." "They kill Paige?" "No." "They're taking him to Black Buffalo in Dry Canyon." "Paige is Lincoln's man." "We're getting him back." "If they kill Paige, we'll all be massacred." " Where's the Marshal?" " I don't know." "We can't wait." "Well, am I going alone?" "No." " Come on." "These writings, they make big promises." "We have had many big promises." "This time, they'll be kept." "As soon as your chief, War Cloud, agrees to the treaty." "War Cloud is an old woman." "His blood is cold." "He'll let the white man steal the Sioux hunting grounds, kill our people." "Today, this man has killed my brother." "No, no, I didn't." "It is the same." "He is dead." "The white man talks of peace, but they come here and kill." "We kill, too." "These lies on paper will start the fire." "If you kill me, it'll bring the soldiers back." "What can they find?" "Only ashes." "The white man and the red man can live in peace together." "You have never tried for peace." "Always you fight us." "War Cloud would believe me." "Yes, he would believe you." "That is why he must not meet you." "He is not good for the Sioux." "Soon he will die." "I will be chief." "Black Buffalo is great Indian coward." "Black Buffalo is Chief Coward." "All Indians are cowards." "It's easy to be brave when you have me tied and I can't fight back." "When you kill like this, without giving me a chance, the Great Spirit above will call you cowards." "He will not welcome you." "Cowards never go to the Happy Hunting Ground when they die." "Only brave warriors." "No Indian is coward." "Indian warrior is brave." "You will have good chance to save your life." "You'll give me a fast horse and a running start?" "No." "No horse." "But you will have good chance to save your life from fire." "If Spotted Deer light fire, you burn." "If not, you go free." "What do I use to stop him with?" "This." "You asked for chance." "You have it." "I won." "You've got to let me go!" "You lost." "The fire is burning." "He didn't light it." "He's dead." "The fire is burning." "It would be very easy for me to have these men kill you as you wanted to kill me." "But I do not lie about promises." "The Great White Father loves his Indian brothers." "He does not want to kill." "Let these men get on their ponies and go free." "Let 'em go free?" "After we caught 'em in cold-blooded torture." "They need killing." "If we kill them, it may mean war." "What I'm trying to do is keep the peace." "Mr. Paige is right." "Keeping the Indians at peace is the most important thing." "Let them go back to War Cloud and tell him what happened." "That'll show our sincerity and may help me with the treaty." "Return to War Cloud and tell him I've spared your lives, and that I'll have council with him tomorrow when the sun is high." "All right, men, let's put out this fire." "Paige." "Are you crazy?" "We don't want them Indians to stay peaceful." "Yes, we do." "Till we get that gold." "Here's your gun, Mr. Paige." "Black Buffalo won't need it." "Well, I guess I've got a lot to thank you for, Mike." "Well, the luck was with both of us." "Otherwise, you'd be an angel by now." "Or something." "Either that or a cinder." "Take him into the room back of my office, boys." "Who is it, Whit?" "Who is it?" "I don't know." "Some easterner, I guess, judging' from his clothes." "An easterner?" "We haven't had any easterners around here in a month." "Except Zachary Paige." "This man was just killed today." "Bullet in his heart." "You don't say." "Murder." "Well, how'd you know about it?" "Where'd you find him?" "He was buried in a shallow grave, not far from the stage line." "Coyotes had dug him up." "One of the Tatum boys saw buzzards dropping' down and he told me about it." "Oh, say, if you see this Mr. Paige, will you tell him I want to have a talk with him?" "Sure thing, Whit." "If he gets back." "I say she ought to get out of town, and stay out for good." "Just try and make me get out of town." "Well, we don't have to take that kind of talk." "Not from the daughter of no Southern spy." "Just one more step, Mr. Grimes." "Ah, that's enough of that." "Now, look out, Marshal." "She don't like you none." "That's right, Marshal, I don't like you." "Nor you, Judge Baker." "And if either of you tell me that I can't walk on the sidewalk, that I can't even buy food in this town..." "No, no, my dear." "Nothing of the kind." "You buy anything you want." "Ruth, for your own good, you ought to stay out of town until things cool off." "I'll come into town just as often as I want to." "And I'll advise you not to try and stop me." "Because next time I have either of you in my gun sights," "I may not be able to resist the temptation." "For a minute, I thought she was going to let both of you have it." "Well, I must say, my introduction to your Indian problem out here was a pretty rough one." "If it hadn't been for Mike, Gimpy Joe, and the rest of these men, my mission would have been ended right now." "So would I." "I wonder if I could have a little talk with you in my office." "Certainly." "What's it about?" "Well, it's about a man whose body we found about 20 miles from town." "An easterner." "Well, I don't know whether I'll be able to help you, Marshal, but I'll try." "All right if I buy these boys a drink first?" "I think you better come inside now." "Very well." "Go ahead, boys." "I'll join you in a minute." "Well, after you, Marshal." "You ever see him before?" "Never." "There are a few questions I want to ask you, Mr. Paige." "Somebody's committed a murder in my territory, and it's my job to find the murderer." "It's just possible that you can help me." "Well, I don't know how, Marshal, but if I can, I will." "Good." "Now, as I said, the man's an easterner." "About the only way a man can get here, short of riding, and he wasn't dressed for that, is on the stagecoach." "I can assure you he wasn't on it with me this morning, if that's what you mean." "You were the only passenger?" "That's right." "I know it's only my unsupported word, if the driver hadn't been killed..." "How many Indians attacked the stage?" "Seven or eight." "Armed with rifles?" "Rifles, bows and arrows." "Oh, and I think a couple of them had pistols." "Yeah." "I guess they did." "Jim, the driver, has a.45 bullet in him." "So does this fella." "Do you carry a gun, Mr. Paige?" "No." "Well, that is, not usually." "Sometimes." "Do you have it now?" " No." "You didn't carry it when you went into the Indian country?" "Well, I had it with me, but I was captured by Black Buffalo, who took it away from me." "Well, you've had quite a day, Mr. Paige." "Twice almost killed by Indians." "I guess maybe I ought to let you have that drink now." "Thanks, Marshal." "I could use it." "Marshal, look here." "This label here, seems to be a name on it." "I can't quite read it." "My eyes are not what they used to be." ""Tailored by" ""Stuyvesant Brothers,"" ""Washington, D.C.,"" ""for Zachary Paige!"" "Did you see him?" "See who?" "Whoever it was who shot through that window." "We were just leavin' to come over and join you boys for a drink." "Naturally, I pulled my gun." "It hasn't been fired though." "Here, take a look." "And the judge is dead." "Looks like the Marshal is, too." "No, he isn't." "Who was it, Marshal?" "Did you see?" "What are you tryin' to tell us, Marshal?" "He's dead." "Yeah, and the murderer's getting further away every minute." "And I know who she is." "Who she is?" "Ruth Lawrence threatened both the Marshal and the Judge again just a few minutes ago!" "We all heard her." "And she was carrying a rifle." "She almost shot 'em down." "She told 'em she'd get even." "Well, it's all plain as day." "This is why she'd come back to town." "Said she wanted to get 'em in her gun sights." "Well, she done it, all right." "We'd better pay a call on her." "And take a rope." "Try to hold 'em here." "And give me a chance to get to Ruth ahead of these maniacs." "All right, get your horses." "Wait!" "Wait!" "You can't take the law into your own hands." "We gotta." "The Marshal's dead, and so is the Judge." "This time, we gotta do it ourselves." "We know what to do now." "Hey, look!" "Mike's cut all the saddles loose." "Hello." "Mr. Paige?" "Yes." "Yeah, my name's Sherwood." "They told me I'd better look in here." "I'm the undertaker." "Oh." "Oh, I see." "Yeah, it's too bad about these killings." "They were fine men," "Marshal Collins and Judge Baker." "Yes." "Yes." "Splendid." "Mike." "Ruth, get back on your horse." "We've got to get out of here in a hurry." "Why?" "What are you talking about?" "There's a wild mob coming after you." "After me?" "What's the matter with you, Mike?" " They're coming here to hang you." " Hang me?" " For shooting Judge Baker and the Marshal." " What?" " Come on, Ruth." "We've got to get out of here." " No." "Wait a minute." "She didn't shoot those men." "I did." " You, Gimpy?" " Yeah." "But why?" "Because they found out..." "Never mind." "I had a good reason." "Was it a good reason why you had to lay down a trail straight to Ruth?" "I didn't." "I come the long way around just so no one would follow me here." "Why'd you have to come here at all?" "Because I had to." "Let's just leave it at that." "We'll leave nothing at that." "Ruth made threats, everybody heard them." "Everybody back there believes she did the shooting." "Well, I know she didn't." "And that's what you're going to tell them when they get here." "I ain't going to tell anybody anything, and you're both..." "I'm sorry, Ruth." "I had to come here." "Your father had a meeting planned." "A meeting?" "We gotta make a run for it." "There's no reason for me to run away." "There sure is." "Look, Ruthie, you got to trust me, just like you would your father." "I can't leave you here now." "Mike, he knows too much for me to leave him here." "Load him on that horse." "Now, don't worry." "We'll take good care of you." "We got a good place to hide." "Nobody here." "You hear that?" "Somebody's riding away." "After them!" "Listen, Mike, if you want to help Ruthie, you keep quiet." "All right." "Take them on to the cave." "You wanna ride the rest of the way sitting up?" "Be easier on the horse." "Look, Ruth, these men are all friends of your father's." "You go with them." "I'll see you later tonight." " But, Gimpy..." " Just keep trusting' me, will ya?" "What do you have against doors?" "This is a small town." "If nobody knows I'm talkin' to you in the middle of the night, nobody's gonna ask questions." "Well, I've been waiting for you." "What are we going to do about that meeting John Lawrence planned for tonight?" "There ain't gonna be no meeting." "After what happened today," "I have to take you out to War Cloud's camp tomorrow morning myself." "That's what I come to tell you." "You're lucky I'm here." "I'm lucky I'm not in jail right now, or dead." "The only reason I'm here is because somebody killed the Marshal and Judge Baker this afternoon." "I know." "I killed them." "You?" "Well, somebody had to." "You sure brought a lot of trouble with you." "What do you mean?" "If you hadn't killed Paige against orders, they'd never have found his body." "And I wouldn't have had to kill the Marshal and the Judge." "Ruthie wouldn't have been almost lynched." "Well, it was unfortunate about finding the body." "But I could blame your men for not burying it deep enough." "Well, what's done is done." "Yeah, can't fight about it now." "You better be ready early in the morning." "It's a long ride out to War Cloud's camp." "Frankly, I've had my fill of Indians." "Yeah, well, so have a lot of us." "But this is one part of the plan that only you can finish." "Yeah, I guess you're right." "Well, thanks, Gimpy, for keeping an eye on me this afternoon." "All right." "We got to protect each other." "All the way." "I come from President Lincoln to talk of peace." "The Sioux want peace." "But he is tired of lies and promises." "My people put on their war paint and will await my word to drive the white man from the Sioux hunting ground." "Look." "My people are eager for the war path." "They are not afraid." "The Sioux warriors are many and well-armed." "But the United States army is many times larger." "Your army is fighting a war far away." "You have no soldiers here." "Now is the time we take back the land you steal from the Sioux." "Yesterday, you tell me the same lies." "Yesterday, when I was coming here, you tried to kill me." "You enemy of Sioux." "You talk crooked." "We will listen." "Yesterday, I was captured on my way to this Council meeting." "I was carrying a peace treaty." "Black Buffalo destroyed it." "Only the arrival of my friends saved me from death." "I could have had Black Buffalo killed." "He can tell you this." "But I did not, because my mission is one of peace to the Sioux nation." "Black Buffalo did wrong." "I can read." "The treaty told of lies." "It made sacred promises." "How will War Cloud know of promises in treaty if it is destroyed?" "The paper I carried yesterday was only an unsigned copy of the treaty for study by you." "Today, I have brought the original treaty, already signed by the President of the United States." "It guarantees new hunting and trapping grounds." "It promises the Sioux these lands forever, and that white settlers will be kept off of them by our army." "And within a few days, there will arrive" "President Lincoln's peace offering of $100,000 in gold." "This will buy food for your people, warm clothing for winter, strong medicine for the sick, and make the Sioux tribe rich and very powerful." "You say Sioux will get new lands." "You say Sioux will get gold." "War Cloud says, when?" "If white man lies, we burn your town, kill everyone." "Young braves will rise across the whole frontier." "They will drive enemies back to the far banks of the Missouri." "Black Buffalo talks much." "But I am Chief." "If gold comes three sunsets from now," "War Cloud will agree and put his mark on treaty." "And all Sioux will keep the peace." "I have spoken." "I leave you this treaty until three suns have set." "It is the Great White Father's promise." "Hey, you done all right." "Looks like we can't lose." "If the gold comes through in time, we can't lose." "Mr. Lincoln's 100,000." "Boy, it'll buy a lot of beans and bullets for the South." "It will be put to very good use." "Very." "I'm sure glad we're not long for this part of the country." "I miss that good, old Southern cookin'." "So do I." "That stage with the money on it is just about due, isn't it?" "I think before morning." " What do you make of all that?" "It's plain they're planning to rob my stagecoach, but it isn't just the gold they're after, it's something else." "I'll see what I can find out." "Coffee, Ruth?" "Yes, please." "Frank, you were always a good friend of my father's." "All of us worked very close with him." "I loved him very much." "Folks here called him a spy." "Back home we call him a patriot." "But this waiting for the stagecoach, that's like plain robbery." "I can't believe that's what he wanted." "Well, it's simple." "The South needs the gold more than the Sioux." "It'll feed plenty of hungry soldiers, get shoes for them, bullets, maybe victory." "Your father made a vow." "I think he'd like to know that you helped keep it for him." "I'd do anything for my father." "Too bad you got here late for supper." "We had roasted hog." "Yeah, that's my favorite eating'." "Sorry we missed it." "Well, tonight's the night that counts." "Any word yet about the gold?" "Warren's down on the road waiting' for word now." "Mr. Paige." "I'm sure you're surprised to see me here, Miss Lawrence." "Well, this is too hard to grasp all at once." "I thought you came from President Lincoln." "No, I was detailed here at the request of your father." "Ruthie, this is Brock Marsh from Richmond." "Richmond?" "But you talk like a northerner." "Well, I've had a lot of practice." "So, it was you who shot the real Zachary Paige?" "Yes, and he died like a good soldier." "Like so many do on our side." "But I don't understand." "Why did you have to take his place?" "Wouldn't he have done what you're doing with the Indians?" "Up to a certain point, yes." "Whatever promises he made he would have kept, and that's the difference." "We won't keep any of them." "You're going to double-cross the Sioux in everything?" "In everything." "We're fightin' a war." "There are some things you stop at, even in war." "Those Indians will start a massacre." "The idea in fightin' a war is to win it." "Miss Lawrence, this was your father's plan and, well, we'd like to have you with us, too." "Don't be against what he believed in just because of the people in this town." "They haven't been very nice to you." "No, they haven't." "Well, then, we can..." "We can count on you?" "Yes, you can count on me." " I don't want to stay here any longer." " Good." "Ruth, you're being a fool." "You don't understand, Mike." "Do you?" "Yes, I understand everything now." "Someone's comin' up the trail!" "It's Warren." "Did you find out?" "Yes." "The stage carrying' the gold is about three hours behind me." "It's bein' escorted by four militia men from the fort." "Three hours, huh?" "Well, we'll be ready." "Where are we goin' to stop them?" "The road makes a sharp turn at Elephant Rock." "Here." "Now, when the coach hits that turn there, it'll have to slow down." "We can catch them in a crossfire, right there." "Right, Gimpy." "We'll split up." "You and Burke and Stone go on ahead." " Warren and Frank will come with me." " All right." "Let me get a cup of coffee first." "I've had a long ride." "All right." "Gee, that smells real good." " Here, have this." " Thanks." "Well, to success." "The next three hours are goin' to seem more like ten." "Mmm, that's real good coffee." "How about some Southern hospitality for the Yank?" "Cup of coffee, Yank?" "I don't think he likes you." "You better let Miss Lawrence take it." "I don't want it!" "Why you ungrateful, selfish, you..." "You..." "You'll wait for the day before I'll even bring you a drink of water." "I'm glad I'm through with the North and everybody I ever met here." "He don't like her either." "You've got to get help." "That gold must get to the Indians." "He took my horse!" "Warren, you go that way!" "He's dead." "Mike shot him." "In the back?" "He's probably hidin' in the rocks." " But he didn't have a gun." " Sure he did." "There was a rifle in the saddle boot of the horse." "Of the horse Mike took?" " Yeah." "No, there wasn't." "That was my horse he grabbed, and I never carry a rifle." "I depend on this." "I haven't liked you since you shot Zachary Paige." "Now just what are your plans, Marsh?" "You aiming' to kill the rest of us?" "Now wait a minute, Warren." "You're in on this, too." "You've been in all along." "I never had a chance to tell you before this happened." "That's why I sent the others on ahead." "We got a good deal here." "What deal?" "The South can't win the war, you know that." "We'll take the 100,000 and split it, even." "And get rid of the others?" "Sure, we can do it." "You double crossin', betraying', sneakin' coward." "And you call yourself a Southerner." "No deal, Mr. Traitor." "We're takin' that gold straight to Jefferson Davis." "But we're not takin' you any place." "Mike, are you hurt?" " I just took a bad fall." "I'll be all right." " I heard shooting." " Marsh killed Warren and Frank." " What?" "He's been a traitor to both sides." "He's going to take that money for himself." "I've got to get help, Ruth." "You won't have time." "It's too late to go into town now." "I'll get help." "Come on!" "Ah, too bad Frank and Warren ain't with us." "And all because we didn't shoot that Yankee when we had him." "Here they come." "Burke, you and Stone get over behind that rock, pick off the two soldiers on the far side." "Gimpy and I'll stay here and take care of the others." "Don't open fire till we do." "Gimpy, when they hit the bend, you pick off the driver and I'll take care of the two soldiers on this side." "Get up there!" "Get up!" "I guess that's it." "Burke!" "Stone!" "Guess we're all that's left." "Let's get the gold." "Here it is." " $100,000." " Yeah, I believe you." "I just ain't got the time to count it." "Let's load it in the saddlebags." "Here." "Get your hands up." "Nobody's gonna get that gold but the Indians." " Don't be a little fool." " Don't you move and be a big one." "Ruthie, you can't stop us now." "We're gonna stay right here until Mike brings help." "But that'll spoil everything." "After all we've been through to get this gold." "For what?" "No good for the South nor for the Indians." "Paige!" "Paige!" "You're not gonna kill her." "We can tie her up and leave her." "All right, but make it quick." " Mike will be here soon." " Come on, Ruthie." "You'll be all right as soon as Mike comes." "Gimpy, listen to me." "He killed Frank and Warren and he'll kill you, too." "She's right, Gimpy." "I did kill them, and the gold goes with me, alone." "Friends, and once again we are all friends, this is a big day for our little town." "Today, we approach a great future for our territory." "We're going to grow and be a valued member of these United States." "From now on, we're at peace with the Indians." "Here is the gold promised the Sioux, and this is the original treaty sent from Washington and signed by President Lincoln." "All it needs now is the signature of War Cloud to make it law." "War Cloud will keep peace." "War Cloud will make mark." "mitbrille Karagarga@2014"