SCENE 7: "The Buffalo Hunt"
SETTING: On the plains with men on horseback
CHARACTERS: Joe Frink, Abraham Williams, John Hill,
Wyatt West, Henry Woodson, Martin Pringle
WYATT: Okay men. We need meat, and buffalo is our only choice.
JOE: I've never hunted before.
ABRAHAM: Well, can't be any harder than hunting for anything
else. We'll get one. I
killed a bear once. Can't be no harder than that!
JOHN: I bought this rifle for this trip. It's never been fired.
It would be great to
get a buffalo on my first try.
HENRY: Watch out with that thing. You're pointing your rifle at me!
I'm not a buffalo!
JOE: Look over there. What's all that dust?
WYATT: That's buffalo! There's thousands of them. Let's try to get
as many as we can.
MARTIN: But, I thought you said we only needed one or two.
WYATT: Well, the rest will be for fun. Besides, the sooner we kill
all the buffalo,
the sooner the Indians will starve!
MARTIN: That's an awful thing to say.
WYATT: You are some kind of radical, aren't you?
JOE: Are we going to sit here and talk all day or what?
WYATT: Yeah, let's go, but watch out for quick sand over there by
that creek.
SCENE 8: "Short Tempers"
SETTING: At camp in front of the Pringle wagon
CHARACTERS: Henry Woodson and Martin Pringle
HENRY: Hey, Martin. Have you seen my water barrel?
MARTIN: No.
HENRY: Well, you've been riding behind me all day. It seems to
me if it fell off, you
would have seen it.
MARTIN: Sorry, I haven't seen it.
HENRY: You stole it, didn't you!
MARTIN: Henry, I'm no thief.
HENRY: I heard you say you were short of water. I bet you took mine!
MARTIN: I'm not a fighting man, but those are fighting words!
HENRY: Is that so? (takes a swing at Martin)
MARTIN: No one calls me a thief! (swings at Henry)
HENRY: And, I thought you were a gentleman! (the men
tumble on the ground and
continue to wrestle)
SCENE 9: "The Capture"
SETTING: At a creek near the camp
CHARACTERS: Cynthia Williams, Susie Williams,
Umapine, Willouskin, Mato-wanagi
Wyatt West, Abraham Williams
CYNTHIA: Now, Susie, let's wash up a little.
SUSIE: But, I'm not dirty.
CYNTHIA: (laughing) After two weeks without a bath, I think
you might be a little
dirty. (begins washing Susie)
[HIDDEN IN A GROVE NEARBY, THREE DAKOTA WARRIORS ARE
WATCHING]
UMAPINE: Look, there's a woman from that wagon train.
WILOUSKIN: That's the train that brought the men who killed all
those buffalo and left
them to rot!
MATO-WANAGI: I don't understand. Why would they just kill the
buffalo and leave
them?
UMAPINE: Yes, it is a mystery. We ought to teach them a lesson!
WILLOUSKIN: They took what was our's. We ought to take what is
their's.
MATO-WANAGI: Do you mean we should take that woman and little girl?
UMAPINE: Why not? The woman can take care of our old people. We can
raise the child
to understand us.
WILLOUSKIN: Let's do it before any of the others
in the train see us.
MATO-WANAGI: I don't know about this. These women are always
such a problem.
The wives don't like it. Let's just take the little girl.
UMAPINE: Are you afraid of women? We can sell her to the Kiowa if she
causes trouble.
Let's go!
[UMAPINE AND WILLOUSKIN MOVE TOWARD CYNTHIA AND SUSIE;
MATO-WANAGI RIDES OFF IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION]
WYATT: (Approaching) Mrs. Williams, be careful. Our scout
sighted some Dakota in
this area!
CYNTHIA: Thanks, Mr. West. I'll be careful. We are almost
finished. (To Susie) Now,
don't you feel better?
SUSIE: No!
[SUDDENLY, UMAPINE AND WILLOUSKIN APPEAR; THEY SHOOT AN
ARROW THAT STRIKES WYATT IN THE CHEST; HE'S DEAD.]
CYNTHIA: (Screams) Help! Help! It's Indians!
ABRAHAM: (running toward his wife's screams) Cynthia, Cynthia!
Where are you? Oh,
no! She's gone! Where's my wife and baby? (begins sobbing)
SCENE 10: "More Bad News"
SETTING: The Williams's wagon
CHARACTERS: Abraham Williams, Liza Williams, John Hill
LIZA: What are you doing Uncle Abe?
ABRAHAM: I'm fixing this wheel so I can go look for Cynthia and Susie!
LIZA: Be careful! You're all upset! We can get John to go look!
ABRAHAM: It's my responsibility. Ny beautiful wife (sobs), my baby...
gone...gone...
LIZA: Uncle Abe, that wagon doesn't look safe. It's just barely
perched on that rock.
ABRAHAM: Don't worry! I can take care of it! I've got to look for...
LIZA: Watch out! It's falling! Help! Help! The wagon fell
on my uncle!
JOHN: (rushing over to the scene) Move back, Liza! I'll help him!
LIZA: How is he?
JOHN: (standing up) I'm sorry, Liza. He's dead.
LIZA: (crying) Oh, why did we ever come?
SCENE 11: "Life and Death"
SETTING: At camp
CHARACTERS: Margaret and Joe Frink, Rebecca and Minnie Woodson
[AT THE FRINK WAGON]
MARGARET: Joe! Joe! It's time! The baby is coming!
JOE: Now, you lie down. I'll get Mrs. Woodson. She's a midwife.
[AT THE WOODSON WAGON]
REBECCA: Now, Granny, you rest for awhile.
JOE: (running toward Rebecca) Mrs. Woodson! It's time! Margaret
needs help with the
baby!
REBECCA: I'll be right there. You go get some clean rags and water.
I'll be along in
in a few minutes. (turns to Minnie) Now, Granny,
I've got to go check on Mrs.
Frink. She's having a baby. Isn't that wonderful?
MINNIE: Don't worry about me. (Rebecca leaves; Minnie starts to
pray) Oh, Lord,
I'm ready. Take me. I just can't go on. I'm old
and tired! Give me my final
rest. (Minnie loses consciousness and dies.)
SCENE 12: "It Gets Worse"
SETTING: The Pringle wagon
CHARACTERS: Catherine, Charity, Charlotte and Martin Pringle
CATHERINE: Charity, where's Chance?
CHARITY: How should I know?
CATHERINE: Charlotte, have you seen your brother?
CHARLOTTE: He went to play.
CATHERINE: Where?
CHARLOTTE: I don't know. He said he was going to play like
he was a hunter.
MARTIN: Well, I've looked everywhere I can think of.
CATHERINE: Something has happened! I just know it!
MARTIN: Now, Catherine, calm down! I'll get some of the men
to help me look.
CHARITY: What's that sound?
CATHERINE: (screams) It's wolves! Oh no! (faints)
[A FEW MINUTES LATER]
MARTIN: (returning to the wagon) I can't find anybody to help.
Seems like everyone is
having troubles. We'll have to do it ourselves!
CATHERINE: Do you mean leaving the train? Do you mean we're going
off alone?
Everyone says that's dangerous! And, you said you felt
like you were getting
sick. Maybe we should stay put.
MARTIN: Well, we have to look for Chance. What else can we do?
He may be hurt or lost or something.
SCENE 13: "Discoveries"
SETTING: Several miles from the wagon train
CHARACTERS: John Hill, Catherine Pringle, Mato-wanagi,
Cynthia Williams
[SEVERAL DAYS LATER, JOHN IS ON HORSEBACK LOOKING FOR THE
PRINGLE FAMILY WHO HAVE NOT RETURNED FROM THEIR
SEARCH FOR CHANCE]
JOHN: (to himself) What's that? Looks like the Pringle wagon.
(rides toward the wagon)
CATHERINE: (seeing John) Mr. Hill! Mr. Hill! Over here!
JOHN: Mrs. Pringle, where's Martin?
CATHERINE: He's dead. It was some kind of fever. And, now the
kids are sick! We
never did find Chance! Please, help me!
JOHN: Of course. We need to get you back to the wagon train.
CATHERINE: Wait! Look over there! It's an Indian!
He's got a woman with him.
[MATO-WANAGI RIDES UP WITH CYNTHIA WILLIAMS]
MATO-WANAGI: I come in peace. I brought her back. It was
wrong what my
brothers did.
JOHN: Mrs. Williams! Are you okay?
MATO-WANAGI: She won't talk. She quit talking when the
little girl died.
JOHN: (helping Cynthia) I'm sure you will be just fine
when we get back to the wagons.
SCENE 14: "Things Are Not Fine"
SETTING: The Woodson wagon
CHARACTERS: Rebecca Woodson, Cynthia Williams, Sarah
Pellet, Loreta Valasquez, Margaret Frink, Liza
Williams, Catherine Pringle
[THE WOMEN ARE HOVERING OVER CYNTHIA AND CATHERINE]
REBECCA: You poor dears. You have both suffered so much.
Take something to drink.
CATHERINE: Thank you for your help. I think I'll be okay.
And, thank goodness,
Charity and Charlotte are safe and sound. (sobbing)
But, my poor Chance, my
poor Martin....
SARAH: You have to stay strong for Charity and Charlotte.
We'll help you get to
Oregon.
LORETA: Cynthia, don't you want to talk to us? It will make
you feel better.
CYNTHIA: (almost whispering) There's nothing to say.
MARGARET: Don't you want to tell us what happened to you?
CYNTHIA: I can't. I can't. My Susie is gone. Where's Abraham?
Oh, Liza, where's
your uncle?
LIZA: Aunt Cynthia, you've gone through so much. I don't want to
be the one to tell
you. (she runs away)
REBECCA: We hoped to put this off. But, Cynthia, Abraham was
killed when the
wagon fell on him. I'm so sorry. He's gone. But you
still have little Sam. You
must stay strong for him.
CYNTHIA: (crying) I never wanted to come on this wagon train to
begin with. Now my
life is ruined.
SCENE 15: "Lost"
SETTING: The wagons
CHARACTERS: Margaret and Joe Frink, John Hill,
Liza Williams, Rebecca Woodson, Molly,
Martha, and Michael Woodson, Henry Woodson
MARGARET: I don't feel good. The baby is sick, too.
JOE: We had to keep up with the train.
JOHN: Well, I don't know why. We're lost.
LIZA: What?
JOHN: With Wyatt dead, we got ourselves lost on this
so-called "short cut."
REBECCA: And, we're almost out of food.
MOLLY: I'm hungry, and I don't feel good. I'm sick.
MARTHA: I'm sick, too!
MICHAEL: I'm hungrier and sicker than either one of you!
HENRY: Now, now, it will be okay. I'll go find some food.
REBECCA: No! It's almost dark.
HENRY: I'll be fine. I'll be back before you miss me.
SCENE 16: "Dinner is Served"
SETTING: The wagons
CHARACTERS: Rebecca Woodson, Joe Frink, John Hill,
Mato-Wanagi
REBECCA: Has anyone seen my Henry? He never came back last night!
JOE: What's that? (pointing)
REBECCA: It's an Indian! And, he's got someone with him. It's Henry!
MATO-WANAGI: Hello. I'm a friend.
REBECCA: He's dead! He's dead!
JOHN: (whispering to Joe) It looks like dinner is served!
JOE: What do you mean?
JOHN: We can eat Henry!
JOE: You are kidding, aren't you?
JOHN: Meat is meat. And, that's all we've got. Do you want
to sit here and starve and
watch all these children starve, too?
SCENE 17: "In Oregon"
SETTING: Oregon
CHARACTERS: John Hill, Liza Williams, Rebecca Woodson
Loreta Valasquez, Sarah Pellet
JOHN: At last! The land of milk and honey. California is just
a few miles away! I can
feel the gold in my hands already!
LIZA: I don't see any milk and honey for me! Aunt Cynthia is
crazy with grief. I'll have
to take care of her and Sam.
REBECCA: I sure don't see any milk and honey either. What chance
do I have...a widow
with three children.
SARAH: Well, I see a great future! Just think of all those
available men! And there
are even jobs for women if I need one.
LORETA: And, with God's help, women like us can purify this
wilderness. It will be a
Garden of Eden someday.
JOHN: That's the way I see it! We'll all be rich and live
happily ever after!
THE END
