How the West Was Won (TV Series)

Buffalo Story (1978)

James Arness: Zeb Macahan

Photos 

Quotes 

• Zeb Macahan : Luke, I'm powerful sorry.

  Luke Macahan : It was such a freak accident, uncle Zeb. I...

  Zeb Macahan : You don't have to go, boy.

  Luke Macahan : Ma saved Jessie's life, but... she died of burns that night.

• Laura Macahan : Aunt Molly, tells us about Chicago.

  Josh Macahan : Yeah, I hear that place is just full of bodyhouses.

  Zeb Macahan : [there's an awkward moment around the table]  Bodyhouses, Josh?

  Josh Macahan : Eh, that one just kinda slipped out, I guess.

• The Grand Duke : My nephew, and a young woman have been abducted by the indians.

  Zeb Macahan : I understood that, I didn't know the reason why.

  Major Drake : Well the reasons I'm told have to do with the fact that the Duke's party was killing buffalo.

  Zeb Macahan : Inside the reservation?

  Major Drake : That hasn't been confirmed!

  Zeb Macahan : Yeah, well, I'll confirm it for you right now if this bucket of scum was leading 'em.

  [Brinkerhoff goes for his knife] 

  Zeb Macahan : Well, you wanna pull that, Brinkerhoff, do ya? You go right ahead, I'd love to carve you up. Don't you know he's an indian hater from way back? He's been saying for years the way to get rid of the Sioux is to kill all the buffolo and starve them out?

• Zeb Macahan : My heart soars.

  Satangkai : My spirit flies.

  Zeb Macahan : It has been five months since the treaty. How is it with the Sioux?

  Satangkai : Better than war, worse than peace.

• Satangkai : It is hard to understand. Your people are many like the leaves of the forest. Can you not find one wize enough to lead until his vision dims? A man who's words will be kept by all?

  Zeb Macahan : To explain is like trying to catch the running dog.

• Satangkai : For what they have done, they must make big tribute to the Sioux. Tribute in the green paper that the white man loves even more than gold.

  Zeb Macahan : How much tribute?

  Satangkai : You must tell us. How much will pain them, so much that every white man will know they would not make this much tribute unless they were wrong.

  Zeb Macahan : That is good. That is very good. A tribute that men will speak of for many snows.

• Zeb Macahan : Out here, who a man is ain't worth a tick on a buffalo's rump. It's what he is and what he stands for!