Screenplay Treatment The Magnificent Hearst Cable Miniseries

1.8 Flashback - 1826. The wilderness of Missouri. With Missouri joining the Union in 1821, the wide open lands of George Hearsts childhood now comprised the western edge of the United States and the very definition of rough country. Just before dawn, young George is outside the family cabin, picking eggs from the rows of nests in the chicken coop. This morning the hens are agitated, chirping and clucking much more than is usual. Seven years old but raised in the wilds, George carries his prized hatchet while he works, having been taught the value of preparation. He continues to pick eggs, calming the hens, placing each egg in his side bag with one hand, hatchet in the other. As George nears the end of the top row, the hens burst into full riot. In the dim light, George can now make out two wolves in the yard. Though George is tall and husky for his age, each of the wolves outweighs him and its obvious by their positions that they are natural predators. For the first time (but hardly last time) in his life George understands he is being hunted, facing death squarely in front of him. Turning slowly, George knows he cant directly face the wolves facing them head-on would force one to attack immediately. He also grasps he would never make the front door of the cabin no matter who fast he ran the hunters would be on him before he took a third stride. The world turning slowly around him, George assesses every possible option. He could climb the coop, feeling certain the wolves wouldnt attack him from below. He could turn on one wolf with the hatchet, hoping the other would back off. George considers each option with lightning speed. Having covered each option, George turns to face the larger of the two beasts and lifts his hatchet overhead. Snarling, the

large wolf springs at George as the boy pulls down on the hatchet with all his might, cutting deep into the animal, carving the snout of the wolf almost in two. At the same moment, a stunning shotgun blast blows the other wolf into the garden, shot dead before it hits the ground. Mortally wounded but still fighting, the larger wolf is wailing, tearing at George with his sharp claws, trying to bite down though the animals snout is sliced open. Striking with the butt stock of the shotgun, Georges Mother stuns the wolf with two sharp blows to its head. Recoiling, the wolf staggers back into the woods to die. Mother grabs the boy, checking for wounds, expecting him to scream or howl in fear and pain. To his own amazement, George is not disturbed. Yes, he had been terrified but George was surprised to find the terrors werent paralyzing. Quite the opposite, George felt the terror helped him focus on the simple steps of survival. Insisting that he go inside to rest, Mother loses the argument with her young son. George tells her he has chores to do and he will do them now. No sense in wasting a day after theyd won the battle.