chwente says > Futterman didn't believe those two guys could manage to get Debbie back from a wandering hostile tribe, and he saw they had more gold with them. So, he took the easier road, which Ethan figured he would, murder them in their sleep and steal their entire poke. Why wait for a maybe? Grab the bird in the hand.
That's kind of what I was thinking too. Futterman was motivated by good old-fashioned greed. We just differ on the reason for the ambush.
I don't think he doubted their ability to find Debbie or thought Ethan would fail to return to pay him off. The first part of his story was probably true. He bought the dress from someone who told him a white girl was seen with Scar. He didn't know if the girl was the one the were looking for or if she was still alive.
Futterman expected to be paid for that information alone and, to some extent, he was. However, when Ethan set up the condition that they find the girl alive before he'd pay out the rest of the money, Futterman knew he had to come up with ey until and unless he found the girl alive, Futterman had to come up with a story.
His story about where Scar's party was heading was a lie. He sent Ethan on a wild goose chase so he knew there was no way they'd find the girl so he would not get the rest of the money. Ethan suspected it right away and even told him that he might be lying. That's why Ethan passed on Futterman's offer to stay the night.
Ethan suspected Futterman would follow them so he waited. Martin, himself, realized that something didn't feel right. He said he thought they might have been followed because the horses were spooked. He even said he didn't remember anything about the Tawheckies (sp?) being around when they went through that area the year before. He was questioning the validity of Futterman's story.
Ethan didn't want to tell Martin too much so as not to worry him so he dismissed his comments and let him go to sleep. That's why Martin was upset; he later realized what Ethan had done and that he could have been shot in his sleep.
The lead Ethan got on where to find Scar and his bunch came from other sources; first Mose and the Mexican then ultimately from the young lieutenant Greenhill (played by Wayne's son Patrick) and, again, crazy Mose.
Woman, man! That's the way it should be Tarzan. [Tarzan and his mate]
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