The Big Trail Red Flack: We dont need Coleman to continue. Followers of Flack: Yeah! Lets go!

Leave that filth behind! Narrator: Meanwhile, as Breck heads off with his crew... Zeke: Hey Coleman, well come with you. Flacks a dirty liar! Followers of Breck: Yeah, we want to follow you! (Ruth is standing quietly aloof) (Breck walks over to her) Breck: Well, whos it gonna be? Me or Flack? Ruth: Im going wherever Daveys going. Davey: Were coming with you, Coleman. Breck: Alright, lets head out! (Everybody follows) Breck: Were heading toward the Rocky Mountains. The Missouri River branches out, and now heres the Snake River. We should be fine if we follow the Oregon Trail. I reckon we might pass a few more buffalo on the way. Narrator: The crew travels through the Great Plains for many days. They finally make it to the Rocky Mountains when a blizzard hits them. Zeke: Awwits going to be a long night. Look at this! Already 3 inches of snow in less than an hour! Breck: Ruth, you cold? Ruth: (Stiffly says) Of course not --- Im going to. check on Honeygirl. Davey: Yeah, Ill come with you. (Ruth and Davey leave quickly) Breck: (Turns to Zeke) Whats her problem? Zeke: (shrugs) Women. You know how they are. Always sending you ridiculous riddles that they dont even mean. I wouldnt tear my hair out for it.

Breck: Well, I can tell you I wont be tearing my hair out for her. Ive got plenty of better things to do. Anyways, I think we should settle down. Its getting late. Narrator: The group settles down for the night, wrapped warmly in buckskin to fend off the cold. The next morning Breck wakes up to an Indian greeting. Breck: (Walks over to Indians) You speak English? Blue Moose: Yes. I am Blue Moose, and you are? Breck: Im Breck Coleman. Blue Moose? You dont happen to be a cousin of Black Elk, now do you? Blue Moose: Breck Coleman? I have heard my cousin Black Elk speak very highly of you. It is an honor to meet you. (bows) Breck: Why thank you! Same to you. Blue Moose: You are not settling here, are you now? Breck: Oh no. We intend to march right through. Blue Moose: (smiles) Very well. Is there anything I can do to help? (Breck opens his mouth to speak, but Zeke cuts him off.) Zeke: Why yes! If you see a big man with wild hair with the title Red Flack, dont let him pass. In fact, slay his head off!! Blue Moose: Oh! I take it that you dont like the man very much. I am sorry friends, but his group had already passed by here two nights ago. Breck: Thank you for your kindness. (Breck smiles back cutting Zeke off as he opened his mouth) Davey: (turns to the rest of the group) Come on then! You heard him, time to go! Narrator: The crew climbs down the Rocky Mountains and finds a flat land near a gleaming river. Ruth: Hey, you know, this land looks pretty good. Im thinking we should settle down here for good. Plenty of water, space, and fertile soil to grow our food. Davey: I agree. If I want to spend the rest of my life anywhere, itd be right here. Breck: I think so too. Weve got nowhere else to go, and this seems like the best place well find. Well start building shelters tomorrow, but right now its time to get some rest. Narrator: In the morning, they are awakened by a mysteriousBOOM, that resonated through the handmade shelters.

(Group jumps awake) Narrator: Their eyes grew wide as they see a cannon ball has landed only twenty feet from their settlement. Zeke: A canon! They shot us with a canon! Davey: Its Flack! I see him! (Everyone rushes into his or her position) Breck: Circle the wagons! Prepare for attack! But dont shoot unless shot upon again! (Breck walks casually over to Flack) Breck: Fancy seeing you here Flack. (Exaggerate fancy) Red Flack: I think you and your sorry crew should leave before anything bad happens. Breck: Is that a threat from Red Flack I hear? Because if it is, Im sure I dont really care. Were not leaving, and Im saying this once. Red Flack: Ha! It doesnt matter whether you want to leave or not. Either you pack your bags and go, or Ill fire another cannon. And this time, you wont be so lucky. Breck: Heck, I think youll be lucky if you leave here with both hands. Red Flack: Too bad this is my land now. Breck: We were here first. Its only fair that you leave. Red Flack: Fair? Fair is for the young and nave, Coleman. You gotta wake up from your fairytale, boy. Breck: You know what? I dont have time to argue. We were here first, youre leaving. Not us. End of conversation. (Breck turns around walks away from Flack) Narrator: Flack huffs and walks back to his wagon. However, his stubbornness motivates him to form another plan. Later that night as both the groups settled down and when everyones asleep he tells his plan to Lopez. Red Flack: Hey, Lopez, Ive been thinking, youre one of my best pioneers. I should grant you a bigger piece of land once we win this frontier over. But, youll have to pass this one last test to prove yourself worthy. Lopez: Whatcha getting at, Flack? (Lopez narrows his eyes suddenly interested)

Red Flack: We need to get this land for ourselves. And nowthe only one stopping us now is Coleman. But what if we get rid of Coleman? We get the land. Hows that sound? Lopez: You want me to kill Coleman? Red Flack: Exactly. Lopez: I dont know, Flack. I mean, look what happened to Thorpe. Red Flack: Nah, Thorpe just had bad luck. If we plan it better this time, nobody would ever know it was us. Lopez: How much land am I getting? Red Flack: Twenty acres, just you and your girl, if you ever manage to get one. (Flack winks an eye) Lopez: Ill do it. Narrator: One night, an unsuspecting Breck went out for a drink by the river. Flack: (Loudly whispering) Lopez, now! Brecks out for a drink, all alone! This is your chance! Narrator: Lopez slyly as a fox rushes out, with a bow and an arrow ready in his hand. He crouches behind a bush, and aims the arrow. He pulls the bow back, and the arrow shoots through the air. (Ruth jumps out from a bush) Ruth: Breck! Narrator: Ruth, who had followed Breck to the river, hoping for a chance to talk to him, jumps out and tries to push Breck out of the way when he sees the arrow. Breck: Ruth! No! Ruth! Narrator: Instead, the arrow hits her in the chest. An angry Breck jumps up and fires a bullet at Lopez. It hits Lopez straight in the head and he falls. Breck grimaces, but remembers Ruth lying on the floor. (Breck kneels down) Ruth: Theres something I wanna say before I die, Breck. Breck: Stop. Youll be alright. Davey! Zeke! Ruth: (dizzily and dreamily) You think wed get married one day, Breck? I hoped for it, but its too late now. Breck: Shh, save your breath. Youre going to be fine.

Ruth: I dont think so. Whatever happens, I hope youll remember me. Breck: Stop talking like youre gonna pass! You wont, I promise. Zeke! Davey! Narrator: Zeke and Davey came running to Breck when they hear his call. Zeke: Hey, Breck whats happening? Davey: What is it? What happened? Ruth! (Davey kneels down) Davey: What happened to her? (Looks threateningly up at Breck) What did you do to my sister? Breck: Pardon? I would never hurt a hair on her head. It was Lopez. He was after me, and she jumped out and saved me. Zeke: Ill get a nurse. (Zeke sprints away hurriedly) Narrator: A nurse comes quickly, and tries to bandage Ruth up. But it was no use. Nurse: Im very sorry but there is nothing more I can do to do for her. Breck: No! Its not possible! She cant be . . .(whispers) gone. (The nurse leaves after a short while, busily Davey follows) Zeke: (pats Breck comfortingly) Im sorry, Coleman. I know how much you cared for her. Narrator: Davey comes back running with surprising news. (Everyone is sitting by Ruth) (Everyone stares at Davey) Davey: Flacks dead! Flacks dead! One of his men shot him! (Zeke and Breck scramble to their feet) Breck: Oh! Who did it? Davey: It was Blue Moose(catching his braeath) He came to return something, a journal! He came to return a journal Ruth had left when we first met Blue Moose. He said Flack was aiming to shoot Honeygirl, and had to kill him to protect Honeygirl. Zeke: Finally! This is great! We get the land to ourselves! Breck: Why yes, I suppose we do. (sadly) But Ruth didnt live to see it. Zeke: Hey listen, its alright. Youll find somebody else. Preferably someone less whiny and immature... Breck: (snapping back) Zeke! Dont speak about her like that!

Davey: Yeah! Dont talk trash about my sister, especially now that shes not here. Zeke: What can I say? I mean, it was her who wanted Coleman hung, when all Coleman did was care for her. Breck: (sighs) I suppose its time for me to move on. Davey: I think its time we all moved on. I mean, with Flacks group as well. Im sure theyre not that terrible. But we wont forget the ones who sacrificed themselves for us. Zeke: Yeh, things lay in the past and we move towards the future its not your fault Breck. It was out of the goodness of Ruths heart and the feeling that she cared for you in her heart is what made her take the arrow. We cant do nothin now lets go. Narrator: Flacks crew decided to join Coleman. They shared the land and ideas of forming a town. But most importantly, they left their old miseries behind, as they started a fresh new life in the west.