- Opening title card: The West was opened by courageous trail-blazing pioneers like Lewis & Clark and Luther "Yellowstone" Kelly - trapper, surveyor and Indian scout who was the first frontiersman to cross the mighty Yellowstone Valley.
- Anse Harper: I wish I could take that grin off his face.
- Yellowstone Kelly: He's proud... counting coup on us.
- Anse Harper: Coup?
- Yellowstone Kelly: That stick he clubbed us with! A coup stick. Horseback Indians figure anybody can stand safe off and kill a man, but if you can get close enough to touch him and then ride away alive, that's something to tell your squaw about.
- Lieutenant: Mr. Kelly, Major Towns extends his complements, sir. He'd like to see you in the Captain's quarters, sir.
- Yellowstone Kelly: He would?
- Lieutenant: Yes sir, on the double, sir.
- Yellowstone Kelly: You tell your major I've been a long time dry, Lieutenant. He'll have to wait.
- Lieutenant: Well, he says it's important, sir.
- Yellowstone Kelly: To him or me?
- Yellowstone Kelly: That's the trouble with Indians. You'll never know what they'll do next. Neither do they.
- Yellowstone Kelly: When you were a boy, did you ever go out in the woods and catch something wild - a rabbit or bird - take it home with you to keep?
- Anse Harper: Yes, sir.
- Yellowstone Kelly: Well, what happened?
- Anse Harper: Well...
- Yellowstone Kelly: I'll tell you what happened. It either got sick, ran away or died. It's the same way with an Indian. You go trying to tame them, make them live white... it just won't work.
- Yellowstone Kelly: I'll tell you once more, Major. On this side you're in trouble, over there, you're dead!
- [Major Towns has proposed a fool-hardy plan of attack]
- Sergeant: The Major is in a hurry to get buried on a Montana mountain.
- Yellowstone Kelly: Yeah, he said he was gonna cross the Yellowstone and jump the Sioux.
- Anse Harper: Will he try a fool thing like that?
- Yellowstone Kelly: If he does, the ground is going to be full of soldiers.
- Yellowstone Kelly: If I go and lead you up the Snake, like as not, you won't have anybody to bugle over ya.
- Yellowstone Kelly: Planning on crossing the river, are you?
- Major Towns: I told you I was going to drive the Sioux back to the Dakotas. That's what I intend to do.
- Yellowstone Kelly: I knew a man once... he intended to kill a bear with a stick. I buried him.
- Wahleeah, Sayapi's Arapaho Captive: No man can take my love. It must be given as the sun gives warmth in the gray of dawn.