The Hallelujah Trail Page #10

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the second and third wagons,

and Elks-Runner the fourth wagon. That

leaves nobody in charge on their side.

Me in charge.

You? You speak our tongue?

I speak with straight tongue.

Me in charge good. Drink later.

We'll agree to your taking charge

on one condition,

that I stay at the exchange point

the whole time.

- Me there... whole time.

- Good.

One moment, please, Captain.

Mrs. Massingale, I'll never forgive

myself for having failed you.

10 wagonloads of whiskey to the Indians.

- I've destroyed the crusade.

- Not quite yet.

- What?

- Give me a hatpin.

Hatpin?

Our goal is still in sight, Louise.

Courage, ladies!

First three ladies, front and centre.

There they go, sir.

Three women starting across...

- Sir... sir!

- What's the matter?

That Massingale woman.

She's heading for the exchange point.

- Why's that symbol of good faith there?

- I can't say, sir.

- Roll the first wagon.

- First wagon... roll!

What's he trying to do,

bolting out of there like that?

- Roll wagon two.

- Wagon two... roll!

Ladies, move out!

Wagon two, roll!

Next three ladies, front and centre.

Tell 'em not to bolt like that.

Our teams'll get out of control.

Tell those Indians not to bolt like that.

- Roll wagon three.

- Wagon three, roll!

Roll!

Next three ladies, front and centre!

Well, move out. Go!

Don't let those idiots bolt that way.

Roll the wagons slowly!

No, not those wagons.

Hold those wagons back!

Hold on to those teams! There's gonna

be a runaway! Hold 'em, I say!

Whoa! Somebody tell them Indians

not to go bolting out there like that!

Wagon four, roll!

Next three ladies, front and centre!

Hold the wagons back!

Hold those teams back!

- Hold those wagons!

- Hold those wagons!

Don't bolt!

- Hold 'em back!

- Hold 'em back!

Carter! Cut those teams off

and bring 'em back!

Ho!

Ho!

- Look out! Look out!

- We got a stampede!

Hold on to that team!

Don't let 'em follow them other horses!

No, not that way!

You're going the wrong way!

They're gonna stampede!

You'll never get 'em back!

Pull them up! Pull them up there!

Hey, you! Pull them up!

You're going the wrong way!

The whole Wallingham train!

Hey! Hey, you!

Turn 'em, turn 'em!

Head 'em back to the quicksands.

Uh... company, halt.

Whoa! Whoa!

Get 'em on through there!

Follow them red flags!

All right!

Follow them red flags as you go.

Stay right along in line with them.

Follow them little red flags there.

Follow them markers!

Stay right in line with them.

Follow them little red flags and...

Hey, you! No, not that way!

Frank! Look out, Frank!

Whoa! Whoa!

Rafe, Rafe! Come over here

and give me a hand with this thing!

Help me up!

Get 'em outta here!

- OK, take 'em out!

- Take 'em outta here.

Go on, take 'em out!

Tell the colonel

the Indians are firing on us!

Return fire!

Don't shoot! Don't shoot!

Don't shoot!

I beg your pardon!

What do you think you're doing to me?

My God! They've got Mrs. Massingale!

Sir! Sir, they're waving a flag of truce!

It's a woman's petticoat. Charge!

- Thaddeus!

- You!

We go home now.

- You speak my tongue?

- I speak with straight tongue.

We go home, hunt buffalo.

Peaceful Indian. Forget presents.

You hunt buffalo in peace.

You hunt deer of green forest in peace.

You go home in peace. But go home!

Oh...

Hey. Hey!

Hey! Hey!

Get 'em outta there.

Rafe! Rafe! Throw me that rope!

Yeah. Get a rope!

Hold what you got, Frank. I'm a-comin'

I'll help ya. Hold what you got, Frank!

I'll be right there with you.

Make it fast to that tree.

Get the slack outta that line.

Tighten up on it.

Now, hold on that. Hold it! Hold it!

Companies A and B of the cavalry

escorted the ex-temperance marchers

back to their husbands and

hungry children at Fort Russell.

It is to be assumed some time passed

before the Indians were able to

regain their customary composure.

But it is known that the exploits

of their journey became tribal legend,

to be told over and over again,

from generation to generation,

with slight revisions.

The Denver Free Militia dissolved,

never to march again.

And, of course, the strike

of the Irish teamsters failed,

and the Wallingham Freighting Company

went bankrupt,

having no visible assets.

You know, Frank,

some Injuns told me once...

Reliable Injuns, Frank.

They said a Cheyenne brave

and his pony sunk right here,

and durned if they didn't ooze up again

just as natural-lookin'

and as pretty as you please.

Oh, they was dead, of course,

but right near the top

where you could grab easy.

It might be worth waitin' for, eh, Frank?

Frank?

There. You see?

So ended the great disaster

at Quicksand Bottoms.

Oh, yes. Mrs. Massingale.

Cora Templeton Massingale retired from

participation in temperance movements.

A military wedding was held

at Fort Russell.

As it turned out,

it was a double wedding.

A homestead claim was filed

by Mr. Jones and Mr. Wallingham

on a piece of land encompassing

the entire Quicksand Bottoms area.

Frank? Frank.

- Frank!

- What?

Frank!

Come on. Pull, Frank.

Careful, careful, careful.

Oracle... Oracle.

Oracle. Oracle!

Oracle. Oracle.

Hallelujah!

There! Now I see it!

- Glory, hallelujah!

- Hallelujah!

It's not to be denied

that there were occasional

re-emergences of whiskey kegs,

which kept Mr. Jones

and Mr. Wallingham, uh... uh...

quite content for a number of years.

And in spite of all predictions,

shaggy hair, and busy beavers

to the contrary,

the winter of 1867 turned out to be

the driest and warmest on record.

Such was the year, oh, pioneer West,

and the days of the Hallelujah Trail.

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