Hidalgo

WIND WHISTLES

MAN WHISTLES

SNORTING

Come on, little brother.

Checkout time.

Yeah. HE CHUCKLES

Everyone's well behind us, Senator.

When we cross the finishing line,

we'd best look like champions.

Howdy.

Nice morning, don't you think?

You went over it.

You went off the wagon trail.

Cross-country race, ain't it?

Well, I didn't ride 1,100 miles

to finish second place.

Why did you, then?

This race is mine, cowboy.

Hyah!

Ready when you are, brother.

Let her buck.

Yee-ha!

HE SIGHS Whiskey.

That's right.

I don't like your style, Hopkins.

H-hey! You made it.

LAUGHTER

Mustangs don't belong in races with thoroughbreds.

If you ask me, they belong in fertiliser.

HE SIGHS

Mister...

You can say anything you want about me.

I'm gonna have to ask you not to talk about my horse that way.

Call it.

THUD!

Tails.

Mr Hopkins...

Private Abernathy.

With the 7th.

Major Whitside, 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry encampment

at Wounded Knee Creek, sir.

Carry on.

M-M-Mr Hopkins...

Right now, huh?

CHANTING, RHYTHMIC DRUMMING

MAN: Dispatch rider!

MAN: ' "Major Whitside, 7th Cavalry,

' "commanding battalion in the field -

' "General Miles directs me to say

' "that a solution to the Sioux uprising must be found at once.

' "Disarm the Indians.

' "Take every precaution to prevent their escape.

' "If they choose to fight, subdue them." '

Dispatch, sir.

CHANTING CONTINUES

WAR CRIES

They've been doing it all night.

There's gonna be an uprising.

No, Soldier.

It's a ghost dance.

That's all.

Praying to their ancestors for help.

Get back behind the tent line.

Come on, now.

You don't need that. Come on.

You know what army this is, Big Foot?

It's the 7th - Yellow Hair's men.

Do you remember Pahaska?

Yeah, you probably ate his liver.

Hey, you. Come here.

Give me the gun.

Let go of it!

GUNSHOT

INDISTINCT SHOUTING

HORSE SNORTS

What are you doing, bronco?

NEIGHING Go on, there!

What are you looking at?!

WIND WHISTLES

BUFFALO BILL: 27 Congressional Medals

were awarded at a place called Wounded Knee.

This was the proud 7th who fought at the Little Bighorn

and saw their great general killed in battle.

The battle of Wounded Knee would not be that way.

On that day, outnumbered by warriors,

but undaunted in spirit,

the brave 7th held their ground.

ANNIE: Hopkins!

Get up.

Hidalgo's up next.

Hey, Phoebe Anne. Get your own gun.

Making sure you don't have live shot in there.

Damn gun's loaded, and so are you.

I'm getting the hell out of Cleveland.

Good, cos we're in Boston.

Come here. Remember? You're the good guy.

Who has come out to parlay with Buffalo Bill?

Could it be the real and living war chief

of the red race -

Chief Eagle Horn?

Mothers, hold your children close.

This is not an act.

You are beholding the last of the wild hostiles,

The red pirates of the prairies. CROWD BOO

He who scalped many a pioneer on the bloody warpath

that led to the winning of the West.

Now, this is the man whose power

took the life of the great General Custer

on the day that Colonel Cody was too late.

WHISTLE BLOWS

And that, gentlemen, is why they call me Texas Jack.

DOOR CLOSES

Chief says his people are vanishing

faster than he can earn silver with you.

Can't this wait? Curb your tongue, Nate!

Let the chief speak.

HE SPEAKS SIOUX

Chief Eagle Horn says that our... His nation's hoop

is broken and scattered.

The buffalo herds have been destroyed.

Elk and deer are gone.

And now the government is rounding up our wild horses,

and they plan to shoot them, too,

before the first snows.

They put a price on the native horses

too great for a poor Indian to meet.

Chief says that perhaps his people have lost their lands,

but not their spirit.

And he asks you for your help.

Tell my dear friend Eagle Horn

that the mustang breed has known its day

and served its purpose.

If my chief wishes a fine horse,

I will give to him

a thoroughbred steed of his chosen colour.

CIRCUS MUSIC PLAYS

Behold the famed Cheyenne-to-Deadwood stage line.

WAR CRIES What? What?

Heavens, folks!

It's an ambush.

What think you of the show, Aziz?

Bravely, the pioneer meets the savages...

Jack, what are you doing? Hold on to it.

Get your foot up there.

..and not for the faint of heart.

And now, folks - you remember them -

rough-riding Frank Hopkins and his horse Hidalgo!

CHEERS AND APPLAUSE

Galveston, Texas, to Rutland, Vermont,

is over 1,800 miles.

But Frank Hopkins and his painted wonder

made the ride in 30 days.

He can cross the country in 30 days,

but he can't find his horse backstage.

Aaaah!

Oh, no!

Oh, my...

The wounded-soldier trick!

Ladies and gentlemen...

let's hear it for the wounded-soldier trick!

You're lucky this gun's got blanks.

-LAUGHTER

-Aah!

Let go of me, you rabbit-eared...

BUFFALO BILL: And the horse... Son of a...

..drags the wounded soldier home.

Let go of me!

Sheikh al Riyadh is keeper of the Muniqi stallion.

His Excellency's royal stables

preserve the purest equine bloodline in the world.

And he wishes to invest in the Cody Enterprise?

The Sheikh of Sheikhs, his greatness,

is beyond investment.

His pride is in his family horses.

You see, Mr Cody, the Sheikh's own stallion, Al-Hattal,

is the greatest living endurance-race champion

of all time.

The Sheikh saw your show in Paris.

His honour was deeply insulted by your claim

to exhibit the world's greatest endurance horse and rider.

Hidalgo is a legend, my friends.

He has never lost a long-distance race.

In America, perhaps...

on deserts that women from my country could cross on foot.

Frank, you just missed some wonderful compliments

about your horse.

Five minutes, Billy.

Gentlemen, I present rough-riding Frank Hopkins.

-Mr Hopkins, a pleasure.

-Uh, Mr Cody...

His Excellency, the great sheikh...

Sit down before you fall down.

..requests that you remove the title

that you have bestowed on this American horse.

What's going on here, Bill?

Perhaps you have never heard

of the great horse race of the Bedouin.

It has been held annually for more than 1,000 years.

A 3,000-mile race...

across the Arabian desert...

along the Persian Gulf and Iraq...

and across the sands of Syria to Damascus.

It is known as the "Ocean of Fire".

Our office will accept your entry at 1,000

in Spanish silver.

The winner's purse makes the victor very honoured.

Very... How do we say?

Very rich, Mr Cody.

-These boys are serious, Frank.

-Hmm.

His greatness invites you and your horse to enter in the challenge

if you will not remove the title

that you have bestowed on this impure animal.

Impure?

He is pure mustang, friend.

What shall I tell His Excellency?

You can go tell him to pound sand for all I care.

Tequila... to be more exact,

my Arabian friend.

Gentlemen, the third act is starting.

I suggest you take your seats.

A very wise choice you have made, Mr Hopkins.

I don't think that was a compliment, Frank.

CIRCUS MUSIC PLAYS

GUNSHOT, WOMAN SCREAMS

CROWD CHEER

GUNSHOT

CHIEF EAGLE HORN SPEAKS SIOUX

You think we got one more in us?

HE CHUCKLES Nah, me neither.

Hell, I don't even know who Frank Hopkins

is no more, brother.

NICKERING

A hundred of us put in our ten coin.

Chief Eagle Horn put in 20. HE SIGHS

Don't waste our money, Hopkins.

WHISTLE BLOWS

MAN: There goes Hopkins.

The house of Sheikh Riyadh will be greatly honoured.

Bertolt, accommodate Mr Hopkins

and his horse.

NEIGHING

THEY SHOUT

MAN: Halt!

Are you all right, sir?

HE GRUNTS

Ice is a precious commodity at sea, my friend.

My gin might go warm for the sake of your misfortune.

Much obliged.

But I'd take a warm gin over ice anytime, mister.

Ah.

Major, actually.

Major Davenport. Yes.

Oh! I believe you already know my wife, Lady Anne.

She tells me you put on quite a Wild-West display

down there in steerage.

You handled yourself with aplomb, Mr Hopkins. Well done.

HE GRUNTS

Now, tell me, Mr Hopkins...

is it true that you're en route to Aden

to enter your horse in the famous race?

Well, I can't think of any other, er, reason

to cross the big water, ma'am.

DAVENPORT CHUCKLES Splendid!

He's the real item, isn't he?

Have you ever killed any Red Indians?

Just one.

A long time ago.

Do you know who you'll be racing against, Mr Hopkins?

Yeah. Pretty near 100 Arabians is the word.

I-I-It's not just 100 Arabians.

It's 100 of the finest and purest horses

ever bred on the sands of the Nejd.

There's Al-Hattal, the Sheikh's champion.

Al Amir of Syria is entering Kusma, the blue mare.

And then there's Camria...

the red racer who descends from the great Al-Jebla.

The best.

Who owns that one? Queen of Sheba?

THEY CHUCKLE

No, Mr Hopkins, I do.

Lady Davenport has lived among the Bedouin.

She's fluent in Arabic, Kurdistani...

And what's that, er, African dialect?

Tuareg. Ah, yes, right.

Tell me, Mr Hopkins, what breed is your stud?

Uh, Hidalgo's a mustang, ma'am.

Oh!

Mustang.

From the Spanish "mesteno",

meaning "untamed".

That's right.

Horse of the Red Indian.

Small, hearty, mixed blood, of Spanish origin.

Mixed. Hmm.

HE INHALES DEEPLY

Well, I, er, think I'll turn in.

Thanks for the gin and the ice.

Nice meeting you, sir.

Ma'am.

Good night, Mr Hopkins.

I find him rather ingenious and charming,

don't you, Annie?

Sorry, darling?

MAN SINGS IN NATIVE TONGUE

MAJOR DAVENPORT: Godspeed to you all!

Win one for the crown, Annie!

HE LAUGHS

The Major prefers to stay at port

and guard the ice chamber.

Have you never seen a slave market, Mr Frank?

NEIGHING

Al-Hattal.

Equine perfection.

He sure looks like a handful.

HE SIGHS

HE LAUGHS

The cowboy.

HE SIGHS

Well, what do you make of it so far?

Ah.

Too late to turn back now.

Very wise to tie your horse, Mr Hopkins.

If he were to cover an Arab mare,

it would be viewed as a most inviolable blemish.

The foal would need to be destroyed

before touching the ground...

as would the offending sire.

You hear that?

Keep your pride tucked.

NICKERING

Hmm.

The Rub al-Khali -

the Empty Quarter.

It is but the first march of the great race.

Alas, most of the riders do not even get halfway.

Last year, 40 men perished,

roasted alive before reaching Iraq.

The fortunate few cross Allah's frying pot,

then must pray they do not bear witness

to the jinni of the West.

Uh-huh.

Thank you, sir. That's mighty interesting.

Ah! Where the old ones speak of the sun devil

who guards the secrets of the passage to the sea.

Those who reach the gulf waters travel west across Syria

where the sands shift -

east becomes west, west becomes south.

What looks like sand to you... Thank you.

..soon becomes the poison pits.

HE SPEAKS IN NATIVE TONGUE

Men and horses fall through the air

and are boiled thus.

Get out of here, mister. Leave me be.

This is not possible!

You see, I was Sheikh Bin Riyadh's goat-herder.

I was charged with the crime of stealing milk.

As punishment, I have been assigned

to the American and his horse.

You're working for me?

It was this or be removed of my left hand.

The future will tell if I have chosen poorly.

Uh-huh.

To cross Syria to Damascus,

one must face hundreds of miles of salt

where no food can be found.

Men go mad!

I can see that(!)

I pray to Allah, the all-compassionate,

that he will give you the merciful wisdom to go home.

You know horses?

Goats.

That'll help.

In the name of Allah,

I welcome you into my tent as my guest.

If His Excellence were to touch an infidel,

he would lose his ability to foretell the future.

Oh.

Sorry.

THEY CONVERSE IN NATIVE TONGUE

HE SPEAKS IN HIS NATIVE LANGUAGE

Most foreigners find our coffee to be too potent, too...

Back home we toss a horseshoe in the pot.

If it stands up straight, the coffee's ready.

Shall we play at cards?

No, I ain't too much of a gambler, sir.

To the contrary,

you are gambling with your very life in this great race.

I had five sons once.

Three were killed in the raids.

One perished in this very race six years ago.

The other was swallowed by the quicksand of the Hammad.

I'm now a man with no sons,

just...

one lowly daughter.

Please, ignore her presence.

I am greatly pleased that you have accepted my challenge.

But I must warn you...

never before has a foreigner partaken in the great race.

Some here are angry.

I'm not here to insult anybody, sir.

I'm just here to race.

You may smoke, if you wish.

Oh, well, don't mind if I do.

The winner's purse in the Ocean of Fire

exceeds 100,000 in American currency, Mr Hopkins.

But that matters very little to me.

What matters to my house is honour.

Our culture revolves around our sacred horses, Mr Hopkins.

It is written in the Koran -

"For they were born of the south winds,

"and sculptured from essence by Allah." HORSE WHINNIES

HE CHUCKLES

On cold nights, my wives sleep in the stable tents

so that Al-Hattal is comfortable and appeased.

Jaffa...

show Mr Hopkins to his tent.

He needs his rest.

All right.

Thank you.

Oh, Mr Hopkins...

Please...

I will amend the winner's purse with another 10,000

if you will put that Colt pistol in the pot.

That is an authentic Colt, is it not?

As they say, God didn't make all men equal.

Mr Colt did.

God did not make all men equal, Mr Hopkins.

You will find this out.

Will you wager the magnificent weapon?

For 10,000?

I'll gamble on that.

Very good, sir.

Sleep well.

You, too.

And blessed be thee.

You must never eat more than one day's ration.

Do you hear me?

Cowboy!

I will eat it myself.

HARMONICA PLAYS

Hey!

Quit messing with my things.

Is this the symbol of your nation?

Good as any.

MEN SHOUT INDISTINCTLY

Put that away.

You.

Fetch water...

for the horse.

OK?

Go on.

Hey!

Get back here!

SHE LAUGHS Come, sit down.

That's a very noble deed, Mr Rough-Riding Hopkins.

"Frank" will do, ma'am.

Mary, could we have some more tea

for Mr Hopkins, please?

You're right at home here, ain't you?

Well, I spent time amongst the Bedouin with my father -

since I was 13 years of age.

Looking for good horses?

Looking for the breed apart.

My father spent 26 years

trying to ambassador his way into the Muniqi blood,

just like his father.

The Viceroy of Egypt, Napoleon III -

all of them pandered

when all they needed to do was up the ante.

Bad poker players, the lot of them.

If my mare, Camria, wins this race,

I'll procure breeding rights to Al-Hattal.

If I lose...

I pay 40% of the purse to the Sheikh.

And you, cowboy...

what are you in it for?

Just the purse, ma'am.

"Anne" will do.

Yes, ma'am.

WHINNYING

Thanks for the tea.

Frank...

how good are you

and your little express pony...really?

I reckon we'll both find out, ma'am.

3,000 miles from Sunday.

YUSEF: Hey, cowboy!

Every rider's camp

must bear the flag of his house or nation.

Yusef has made our flag.

Behold it. We are pitiful.

Would you get over here, Yusef? I need some more water.

HE SPEAKS IN NATIVE TONGUE

What did he say?

He said he has no place else to go.

Huh. You and me both, partner.

Tell him to get some more water.

YUSEF SPEAKS IN NATIVE TONGUE

Hey.

You, too.

Why do you buy this boy, anyway?

Somebody's gotta do your work, goat-herder.

Howdy.

Last chance, cowboy.

My name is Sakr.

Desert law compels me to speak truthfully.

I find the entry of a Western infidel sacrilege.

But I trust in Allah...

that he'll roast ten of us like sheep on a spit

before the sun sets today.

You shall be among the first.

Well...good luck to you, too.

SAKR SPEAKS IN NATIVE TONGUE

THEY LAUGH

The prince says maybe we should give you a head start.

THEY SPEAK IN NATIVE TONGUE

Nawali say, "Ride each day to sunset.

"Start again each dawn.

"Those who survive to reach the halfway camp in the Rub al-Khali

"shall be rewarded with a full day's rest.

"A tent camp will reach halfway point before you,

"travelling by camel road."

Nawali say, "Strength to your horses,

"and may God have mercy on your souls."

THEY SPEAK IN NATIVE TONGUE

Goodbye, cowboy.

BELLS JINGLE

HEAVY BREATHING

CROWD CHEER

Ease up. Let them go.

Never beat them in the quarter-mile.

Whoa, son!

Ease up, brother.

What did I tell you, little brother?

It's all for show.

THEY PANT

NEIGHING

HE SPEAKS IN NATIVE TONGUE

Infidel, do not aid him!

It is against the laws of the race.

NICKERING

Best hotel in town, I reckon.

BELLS JINGLE

HARMONICA PLAYS IN DISTANCE

Hey, cowboy!

HARMONICA STOPS

Nearly 100 miles in one day.

Most impressive!

This is your last chance to turn back.

Hear me?

You do not belong out here!

Turn back at dawn...

or prepare for a test beyond your greatest fear!

HIDALGO SNORTS

Tomorrow I shall not even look over my shoulder!

HARMONICA PLAYS

COINS JINGLE

LAUGHTER

A water hole never looked so good.

What water hole would that be, sir? HE CHUCKLES

The cistern's dry.

You must discontinue here.

I suggest you take the east road back to Aden.

METALLIC CHIME

HE LAUGHS

That's not even a transit tax.

Six soldiers in the middle of the Arabian desert

guarding a dry well.

That's unusual.

I said, "The well is dry."

HE EXHALES DEEPLY

OK, brother.

We ain't gonna make another ten miles without water.

On the whistle. HE WHISTLES SOFTLY

HE SIGHS

Are you bloody stupid?!

HE WHISTLES

Go, brother! Go!

Easy, boys.

Long way to Damascus.

RUMBLING

What in hellfire?

Let's go, brother.

Hyah!

WIND WHISTLES

WIND SLOWS

HE SIGHS

HE SPEAKS IN NATIVE TONGUE

Better up your price at the next water hole, Prince.

MAN SHOUTS IN NATIVE LANGUAGE

INDISTINCT SHOUTING

CROWD CHEERS

You are carried by the West wind itself, Bin Al Reeh.

How many have fallen?

The report claims 39 have fallen out,

and 11 were lost in the sandstorm.

GASPS

You survived the sandstorm.

Allah must have a more severe judgment awaiting you.

Thanks, partner.

Daidai, we have one full day's rest

before the long march to Iraq.

This is where Al-Hattal will break away from the pack,

and the mustang is still in, so we must maintain the pace. Do you hear me?

Look at me!

If one tossed a horseshoe into the pot,

do you think it would stand erect?

At your age, Uncle,

perhaps it is the only thing that might.

Boldly spoken for a man with no wives.

How is your health, Uncle?

I have the blood of a warrior grandfather.

Please, Mr Frank, listen to me.

There will be no grazing for many days.

That's all right. I packed some barley.

Take these.

What's that?

Dates. Trust me.

Take with you this skin.

It is filled with the butter of camel.

Mix it with the water for both you and your horse.

It will keep you alive across the Hammad.

And fear not the locusts.

They are a gift from above,

not a plague as you might believe.

Why are you trying to help me?

If Prince Bin Al Reeh wins the race on Al-Hattal,

I become his fifth wife...

the youngest of his harem...

No more than a slave in his house.

I do not know if you are as good as it is said.

But I have faith in the painted stallion.

It is said that you captured him in the wild.

Badlands.

Long time ago.

How did you tame him?

I didn't.

Why do you wear that?

Verily, you do not know our world.

This is a cowboy's spur.

Yeah.

My father reads many books from the outside world,

but his true enjoyment of literature -

it is of Wild Bill and Calamity Jane.

You're boshing me.

In this Wild West, there are nomads, also...

the red people.

Like the Bedou, they're a horse culture.

Have you seen their vanishing kind?

I am their kind.

My father was a cavalry scout.

He fell in love with a chief's daughter,

married her.

They called me "Frank T."

My grandmother named me "Hokshelato."

It means "Blue Child."

I would know you only as a white man.

Maybe I got good at hiding my face, too.

Why?

You don't know our world.

UNSHEATHED SWORD

Look out!

Foolish is a foreigner.

FOOTSTEPS APPROACH

Wait a minute. She...

SHE SCREAMS Sir!

It is written, Mr Hopkins,

if any of our chaste women commit lewdness

with evidence against them,

so shall they be taken out and stoned.

And it is then by law that the father must...

drown his own daughter.

It wasn't her fault. Silence thyself!

-Ahmed.

-All right.

However, we are still far from the next cistern,

and water is precious.

So my decision is swift.

For her trespass, my daughter will be flogged.

Seven stripes...

at a time hence.

And you...

an impure unbeliever

in the tent of a man who can trace his very blood back to Adam,

you will be removed of your infidel self.

Removed of my what?

Like a stallion not worthy of breeding.

CLINKING

Come here, Skinner.

SPEAKS NATIVE LANGUAGE

We didn't do nothing, sir!

I feel compassion for you,

but I cannot let your fear move me.

Speak honestly as a man.

Did you violate my daughter's honour?

No, sir. I did not!

Can one believe a nonbeliever?

KNIFE SHARPENING

Only fools or gamblers walk behind a strange mare, Sheikh!

You can believe that! Is that a passage from the Bible?

No, it's something Wild Bill said to me one night.

Wild Bill?

Down in Deadwood!

You refer to the man known as "Hickok"?

The master of the double six-gun?

Only one Wild Bill, sir.

Hickok was a true prince of pistoleers, was he not?

He's pretty good with a twist draw.

What did my daughter say about your horse?

Well, she's a...

lady with an eye for horseflesh, sir.

If she was my son, she would be in this race.

Alas, she is not.

She's a woman who has entered

the sleeping quarters of an infidel.

Come, Skinner.

You heard of the OK Corral?

Uh, you were not there.

tell me about this Wyatt Earp...

And the Dr Holliday. GUNSHOT

WOMAN SCREAMING

Raiders!

HORSES STAMPEDING

GUNSHOT

Come on, hurry up!

Ahh! Uh! SWORD CLANGS

Aaaaaaah!

FRANK: Get back here!

Aah!

Tribal war games are their national sport, Mary.

It's none of our affair.

CLATTERING

Hey, partner! How about a hand?

HORSE WHINNIES

Thank you kindly.

Jazira. Hy!

I will free you.

You will run, like the prince.

Damn coward.

No wonder you don't wanna be his fifth wife.

Aaaah!

Hey!

GRUNTS

SHOUTS INDISTINCTLY

Hey, Deputy! Hey!

JAZIRA GRUNTING IN DISTANCE

Hyah!

LAUGHING

Aaaah!

GUN CLICKS

Jazira...

SPEAKS NATIVE LANGUAGE

They've taken her.

They've taken her! SWORD SWIPES GROUND

HORSE NEIGHS

If I turn over Al-Hattal, Katib will return my child.

And if you don't?

He's a son of a jackal... Who will have his gypsies commit crimes upon her.

I cannot surrender what is most sacred to my family.

You could never understand that, so do not even try.

The Al Khamsa manuscripts.

My family's breeding book is gone.

It's gone!

The Al Khamsa book

contains the breeding secrets of the Muniqi strain

going back to Saba.

Let's bring your deputy in here.

INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS

I'll ask you once more, Aziz, and only once.

Where did they take my daughter?

I know nothing.

I only took the book to protect it from the raiders.

It is they who stole it from me.

Stole it...?

Or paid you, my trusted brother?

It matters only to He.

Please, end my humiliation.

GASPS

What are you doing?

That's the easy way out.

He ain't getting it.

GROANS Please.

PANTING

Western justice, partner.

GROANS

WHISTLES

That's called a Mexican tattoo, Deputy,

and that lasts a lot longer than a sword.

GROANING

HORSE NEIGHS

For a man of such high rank, you're kind of short, Aziz.

We can fix that.

No!

I know where they have taken her. Until they receive the stallion.

I know you're not a gambling man...

but bring my daughter back by nightfall

and you're forgiven.

Attempt to deceive me and run,

and you will not get beyond the port of Jordan

with your head.

Run.

His Excellency is most reckless -

sending a slave to do a man's job.

Know this, Aziz.

If any harm has befallen the child,

I shall remove your head myself.

Know that if we all die,

your soul will go straight to the devil,

and your impure horse, too.

SHOUTING IN NATIVE LANGUAGE

INDISTINCT CONVERSATION

SHOUTS IN NATIVE LANGUAGE

SHOUTING CONTINUES

That's far enough, Aziz.

EXHALES DEEPLY

SPEAKS NATIVE LANGUAGE

NICKERS

Kill her!

INDISTINCT SHOUTING Jazira, run!

Ohh!

GUNSHOTS

Jazira!

WHISTLES

GROWLS

GROWLING Ugh! Ugh! Ugh!

Ughhh!

GROWLING

INDISTINCT SHOUTING

Aaah!

GUNSHOT

Jazira! Jazira!

Ohh!

Jaffa!

GUN COCKS

Ohh!

EXHALES SHARPLY

GUN CLICKS

GUNSHOTS

Hyah!

GUNSHOT

INDISTINCT SHOUTING

Give him his head! I know what to do!

GUNSHOTS

Uhh!

Whoooo!

Let's keep moving, Miss.

He pledged his life for me when I was born worthless.

I'm sorry.

We got to make that tent camp by sundown.

Please...

I wish you to look at me.

Why do I feel that you truly see me...

when others do not?

Well, my horse likes you.

CHUCKLES

Even a blind man could see that you're beautiful.

NICKERS

We must ride.

We will stay off the camel roads.

FRANK SPEAKING SIOUX

...Shunka wakan.

EXHALES DEEPLY

What does this mean?

Shunka wakan.

Big dog.

There's no word in Sioux for horse.

When the Indians saw the first one

the Spanish brought over,

they didn't know what the hell it was.

When they saw... how it could run...

carry a man through battle...

become his friend for life...

well, they figured it had to be a sacred animal.

Indeed.

Hmm.

Did your mother teach you this wisdom?

I am sorry.

SNIFFS

CHILD SHOUTING INDISTINCTLY

CROWD CHEERING

CHEERING CONTINUES

SPEAKING NATIVE LANGUAGE

When this race is over,

I will pray five times a day.

Being an infidel, as you are,

you cannot be expected to comprehend.

There are those who are chosen to be winners

and those chosen to be losers.

Allah chooses thus,

and it is written.

SPEAKS NATIVE LANGUAGE

You are summoned to the tent of the lady.

SPEAKING NATIVE LANGUAGE

Right now.

You know, Yusef,

I once had a three-legged colt,

born that way.

Turned out to be one of the best romping horses I ever had.

Your mare's run a good race, ma'am.

MATCH STRIKES

She is rather lovely, isn't she?

Good legs on her.

Can you envision her offspring from an Al-Hattal cross?

Aziz was not a very admirable man,

but he was very adept in researching bloodlines.

You have blood from the Red Indian race.

You hid it effectively all your life.

I'm not sure what you're getting at, ma'am.

There's no way for me to win rights

to the Muniqi bloodline

other than to win this race.

You, on the other hand -

you have another way to win.

GLASS CLINKS

Only one way to win.

Your little mustang has proven hardy.

But...

the chances of him crossing Iraq and Syria

before Al-Hattal and my mare are slim at best.

Your horse is weakening, Mr Hopkins, and you know it.

You've taken him so very far

from anything he's ever known...

all for the sake of money.

Are you willing to kill him for money?

The winner's purse is 100,000.

Pull out now, and I'll compensate you 30% in silver

for turning in a serious effort.

I've never...taken money for quitting a race.

ARIA ON PHONOGRAPH

Well then, Frank...

just where are we then?

Here, alone...

in the last corner of Arabia?

Yeah...

When you're in a desert...

the sight of green grass and fresh water can be mighty tempting.

Sometimes you're just seeing things.

Indeed, Mr Hopkins.

Goodnight, ma'am.

Frank?

What of my offer?

I've thought about it.

And all alone. Shame.

He does not like the milk of the camel,

but it will keep his liver from failure.

NICKERS

Appreciate it.

You have visited the tent of the Christian lady.

I don't like the look of them front hooves.

That quarter crack's getting worse.

Another 400 miles can put him lame.

You must not give up.

It might be just time to...

live with what we got.

You will prove them right -

that blood is more important than will.

You will continue your life hiding who God made you.

Like me.

Jazira...

NICKERS

You done me proud, partner.

NICKERS

INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS, NATIVE MUSIC PLAYS

HE SIGHS

Frank Hopkins...

I am compelled to express gratitude.

WHISTLES

Hidalgo!

Hidalgo!

Good luck, Mr Hopkins.

Thank you, ma'am.

If I don't see you in Damascus,

I hope you find the stock you've been looking for.

Oh, I will.

You should have wagered on it.

MAN SHOUTING IN NATIVE LANGUAGE

SHOUTS IN NATIVE LANGUAGE

SHOUTS IN NATIVE LANGUAGE

Do not react. Remain calm.

And only I speak. Atimi, no!

GUNSHOT Aah!

Call yourself a great Bedou raider

for killing a camel boy,

for not being able to hold on to a little harem girl.

You will still pay me my riyals.

But I will exact it from you.

And perhaps much more... lady English.

You will receive nothing

unless my horse reaches that finishing stone first.

They're six days across the Hammad.

You can intercept them by using the camel road.

Force the American into the Amal Samheem,

capture Al-Hattal and keep him secure.

But my horse wins this race.

He made you look quite the fool, didn't he?

The cowboy.

He will beg me to cut his throat when -

Do not harm him, Katib.

Kill his horse...

and let him walk the desert.

There's much for him to think over.

Hy!

SNORTS

NEIGHS

BUZZES

NICKERING

BUZZES

NICKERS

BUZZING

HIDALGO NEIGHS

BUZZING STOPS, FRANK BREATHING HEAVILY

Whatever feed is out ahead...

it ain't there no more.

SNORTS

"A gift from above, not a plague."

CRUNCHING

GROANS

Once you get past the legs, it ain't too bad.

NICKERS

Here you go.

It goes down pretty smooth, don't it?

Come on. Eat up.

We're back in business.

HIDALGO SQUEALS

Let's see who's behind.

GUNSHOT

GUNSHOT ECHOING

HORSE NEIGHS IN DISTANCE

We are.

NICKERS

BELL JINGLING

SHOUTING

GRUNTING

WATER BUBBLING

NEIGHING IN DISTANCE

Do not assist me.

Just kill me, please.

Use your weapon.

No.

It is Allah's will.

No.

No.

Ugh!

GRUNTING

Tell you what...

you can do whatever the hell you want

after I get you out of there.

No! Uhhhh!

JINGLES

SAKR SHIVERING

J-jinni...

Jinni...

Jinni...

How you doin', partner?

SHIVERING CONTINUES

Why you turn back for me?

Ain't no prize money worth a man's life,

the way I see it.

It is written that God leads astray whom he wishes

and guides whom he wishes.

It was God's will that I die in this race,

just as it is his will who shall win.

What about your will?

What about your horse's will?

It seems to me that's what will get you across a finish line.

Only then is it written.

HORSE NICKERS

Jinni has returned to carry me home.

Please...

my sword.

NICKERS

SHOUTING IN NATIVE LANGUAGE

SPEAKS NATIVE LANGUAGE

GUNSHOT

GUNSHOT, HIDALGO NEIGHS

SPEAKS NATIVE LANGUAGE

INDISTINCT SHOUTING

NEIGHING

GUN COCKS

SQUEALING, GROANING

The rope!

Quickly! Hurry!

Katib!

GROANING

GROWLING

HE GRUNTS NEIGHS

Come on.

Get up.

GRUNTING AND GROANING

GROWLING

Look out!

INDISTINCT SHOUTING

GROWLING

Aaah!

Jinni! Jinni!

Aaah!

SCREECHES Aaaah!

Uhhhhh!

GUNSHOT

Aaaaah!

GUNSHOTS

You and your horse have made enough trouble for me!

Uhhhhhhh!

Ugh!

FRANK WHISTLES

GROUND CRUNCHING

NICKERS

Nobody hurts my horse.

CRUNCHING CONTINUES

Aaaaah!

BELL JINGLING

SQUEALING

SIZZLING

GROANS

Settle down.

Trust me now.

SIZZLING

WHIMPERS

EXHALES SHARPLY

SIGHS

HIDALGO GASPING

SQUEALS

Whoa.

Easy, Son.

SIGHS

Don't do it, partner.

Don't you die on me now.

We're almost home.

We're almost home.

WHIMPERS

BREATHING HEAVILY

We had 'em, brother.

WHIMPERS

We had those boys.

You're all right.

GROANS

BREATHING HEAVILY

My old man.

WHIMPERS

Remember that 500-mile in Missouri?

We had three days in the lead.

Sitting on that ranch looking at nothing but green.

That's it, partner.

If there's a heaven on Earth, actually...

we found it.

EXHALES RAGGEDLY

WHIMPERS

Well, I reckon if there's a heaven on Earth...

there's gonna be a hell, too.

GUN COCKS

We just couldn't cross her.

INDISTINCT VOICES IN DISTANCE

VOICES CONTINUE

REPEATS IN SIOUX

CHANTING IN SIOUX

CHANTING CONTINUES

Blue child. >

SPEAKING SIOUX

CONTINUES SPEAKING SIOUX

LAUGHS Can you see it, cowboy?

It is the ocean!

It is only Al-Hattal now, cowboy.

You were defeated before this race began.

HIDALGO STIRRING

NICKERS

You will not defeat me.

I am born of a great tribe -

people of the horse.

So am I.

HOOFBEATS APPROACH

NEIGHS

OK.

INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS

SHOUTING IN NATIVE LANGUAGE

CROWD SHOUTING

BELL RINGING

MAN: Al-Hattal!

Al-Hattal!

CROWD CHEERING

Camria, praise your stamina.

BELL RINGING

Cowboy! Cowboy!

INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS

Push her!

Let 'er buck.

MUFFLED CHEERING

CHEERING

Aah!

CROWD CHANTING: Cowboy!

Cowboy!

Cowboy! Cowboy!

Cowboy! Cowboy!

CHEERING

LAUGHING

Good race, partner.

It is a magnificent horse.

Likewise, Prince.

It looks better on you.

For many miles,

I did not understand why Allah would wish this on me.

Now I understand his will.

Be a guest in my house

for as long as you desire.

Stay.

I've been too far from home...

for too long, sir.

I lost the race, Frank Hopkins.

But you won a friend.

It's a gift.

What about your ability to tell the future?

If I had the ability to foretell the future,

perhaps I would have bet on a painted horse.

Blessings be upon thee.

You, too, partner.

Is it true, then,

as in the Western stories?

The cowboy rides away into the setting of the sun?

But not the same cowboy.

We won't forget you.

Goodbye...

Blue child.

NEIGHING

Assemble on the rim.

30 paces to a stand.

Make every shot count.

What's this bloke doing?

Bringing them in one at a time?

Lieutenant McNulty?

Who are you?

Hopkins. Frank Hopkins.

Hopkins? You bring a dispatch?

Yes, sir.

PAPER RUSTLING

Paid in full?

Hold on! Pull back to the left!

How, Kola. How, Kola.

NEIGHING

NICKERS

Whoa.

Easy.

Easy, brother.

NICKERS

NEIGHS

NICKERS

EXHALES SHARPLY

Let 'er buck.

NICKERS

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

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