Speaker 1: Welcome to Bedtime Sleep Stories for Grown Ups podcast. We
Speaker 1: hope you enjoy these stories as you lay down to sleep.
Speaker 1: There will be a minimal ads in the middle of
Speaker 1: the episode to help us continue creating the podcast. If
Speaker 1: you loved it, you can support us by visiting the
Speaker 1: link in the description. Enjoy and now here's your story.
Speaker 2: Once upon a.
Speaker 1: Time there lived a lion who was always bragging about
Speaker 1: his bravery, his strength, and his cunning. There is no
Speaker 1: animal in the jungle who is braver than I, boasted
Speaker 1: the lion to all who would listen. I am the
Speaker 1: biggest and the best, and I am afraid of no animal,
Speaker 1: he proclaimed. But the lion was not being entirely truthful.
Speaker 1: He was very afraid of rats, and he did not
Speaker 1: want any of the other animals to know this in
Speaker 1: case they made fun of him. There was also a
Speaker 1: little sheep who was very meek and quiet. The sheep
Speaker 1: did not boast or brag because the sheep did not
Speaker 1: consider himself to be brave, or strong or cunning. Because
Speaker 1: the sheep was so quiet, the lion often picked on
Speaker 1: him and called him names. You are a frightened little animal,
Speaker 1: goaded the lion. You are too quiet and too timid.
Speaker 1: You should be more like me. The gentle sheep never
Speaker 1: answered this name calling. He simply went about his business
Speaker 1: in his usual manner. I may be quiet, thought the sheep,
Speaker 1: but at least I have friends and do not spend
Speaker 1: my time boasting about myself or judging others. One day,
Speaker 1: when the sheep was walking through the jungle, he heard
Speaker 1: the lion screaming at the top of his voice.
Speaker 3: Help me, help me.
Speaker 1: The little sheep ran in the direction of the lion's
Speaker 1: desperate cries for help, until he found the mighty beast
Speaker 1: clinging to the lowest branch of a tree in a
Speaker 1: small clearing. Help me, little sheep, pleaded the lion. What
Speaker 1: is wrong, asked the sheep, as he looked about on
Speaker 1: the ground to see what had frightened the lion in
Speaker 1: such a way, rats, exclaimed the lion, and with his
Speaker 1: tail he pointed towards the ground, where there was a
Speaker 1: family of rats searching for food at the base of
Speaker 1: the tree. The little sheep trotted up to the rats
Speaker 1: and gently pushed them away from the base of the tree.
Speaker 1: Run along, now, said the sheep, You are scaring the lion,
Speaker 1: and with that the rats all scurried off into the
Speaker 1: jungle in search of more food. When the lion was
Speaker 1: sure that the rats had gone, he dropped to the
Speaker 1: ground and tried his best to puff out his chest,
Speaker 1: as if he had not been frightened at all. But
Speaker 1: the little sheep was not convinced by the lion's bravado.
Speaker 1: Why is it that you are so scared of rats,
Speaker 1: asked the little sheep. They are slithery and slimy and dirty,
Speaker 1: said the lion. That is not true, protested the sheep.
Speaker 1: How can you know what they are like if you
Speaker 1: have never spoken to them. The lion thought about this
Speaker 1: for a while and eventually admitted that he had never
Speaker 1: spoken to the rats at all, but had always been
Speaker 1: afraid of them. You are right, little sheep, said the lion.
Speaker 1: I decided that the rats were slithery and slimy and dirty,
Speaker 1: just as I had decided that you were timid and frightened.
Speaker 1: But it is not true. You are brave and strong,
Speaker 1: perhaps the bravest and strongest animal in the jungle. The
Speaker 1: sheep thanked the lion for his kind words, but admitted
Speaker 1: that this was probably not true. The two of them
Speaker 1: laughed together, and the sheep had to admit that it
Speaker 1: was very funny to see the mighty lion hanging from
Speaker 1: the tree looking so scared. From that day on, the
Speaker 1: sheep and the lion became very good friends, and the
Speaker 1: lion learned from the sheep that it was best never
Speaker 1: to judge another animal by the way they looked.
Speaker 2: Chapter one, The Mister Wells Mystery.
Speaker 3: Where's mister Wells? Why isn't he a school?
Speaker 2: It was Thursday, and Matt Johnson and his friend Linda
Speaker 2: Chapman looked at each other, surprised. They usually had history
Speaker 2: on Thursdays, but their favorite teacher was still absent. Nobody
Speaker 2: knew where he was. Where can he be, said Linda.
Speaker 4: Remember he disappeared after our visit to the castle.
Speaker 2: Replied Matt. He looked at Linda and smiled.
Speaker 4: Perhaps he's lost in time, sh.
Speaker 2: Matt warned Linda.
Speaker 3: The others can hear us.
Speaker 2: The two friends had a secret, and mister Wells was
Speaker 2: part of it. Thanks to their teachers special computer software,
Speaker 2: Matt and Linda could travel in time. Their first adventure
Speaker 2: into medieval times was still fresh in their memory. Matt
Speaker 2: saw that Linda's open, friendly face was serious. Now, don't worry,
Speaker 2: he said quietly. Nobody knows our.
Speaker 3: Secret except mister Wells.
Speaker 2: Said Linda.
Speaker 5: Stop talking. Chapman and Johnson sit down.
Speaker 2: A thin man with an irritated expression came into the classroom.
Speaker 2: It was mister Briggs, the maths teacher.
Speaker 5: No history today, but extra maths exercises for everybody.
Speaker 2: He said.
Speaker 1: Ah.
Speaker 2: The class groaned. Mister Briggs was the strictest teacher in
Speaker 2: Greenwood Middle School, and his lessons were worse than medieval torture.
Speaker 3: Come back soon, mister Wells.
Speaker 2: Thought Linda. After school, Matt and Linda walked home together
Speaker 2: as usual. Greenwood was a quiet London suburb where people
Speaker 2: weren't too curious, and here, for now, the secret of
Speaker 2: their trip in time was safe. Outside her house, Linda said, Matt.
Speaker 3: Why didn't you come in? Mum made a chocolate cake
Speaker 3: yesterday and we can serve the internet.
Speaker 2: Linda was a computer fan and a chocolate cake fan.
Speaker 2: Her parents were divorced and she lived with her mother,
Speaker 2: who made the best cakes in Greenwood.
Speaker 4: Okay, can I use your phone to call Gran? She
Speaker 4: worries if I'm late.
Speaker 2: Matt had lived with his grandmother since his parents death
Speaker 2: in an accident. Some time ago. Later, the chocolate cakes
Speaker 2: still on their faces, the two friends were sitting at
Speaker 2: the computer. Linda switched it on, but then an unusual
Speaker 2: thing happened. Instead of the usual menu on the screen,
Speaker 2: a strong white light appeared. What's this, said Linda.
Speaker 3: I hope it isn't a virus.
Speaker 4: Looks mister Wells.
Speaker 2: Said Matt, pointing at the screen. There was an animated
Speaker 2: picture of a familiar figure, a cartoon version of mister Wells.
Speaker 2: Suddenly it spoke with mister Wells's voice. Linda, Matt, help me.
Speaker 2: I'm stuck in the past. It's eighteen sixty four and
Speaker 2: I'm in North America, but I haven't got enough power
Speaker 2: to come back to the present. They watched, incredulous as
Speaker 2: the cartoon figure took a letter from its jacket pocket.
Speaker 2: All the details are here, Please come soon. You're my
Speaker 2: only hope. There was a flash of light, and only
Speaker 2: the letter remained on the screen. Linda quickly clicked on
Speaker 2: it with the mouse and saved it on her hard disk. Astonished,
Speaker 2: she turned to look at her friend.
Speaker 3: Well, what do we do now, Matt, She asked him.
Speaker 2: Chapter two? Time for another adventure.
Speaker 3: There's nobody around, quick open it.
Speaker 2: It was five o'clock on Friday afternoon. The school was
Speaker 2: deserted and Matt and Linda were standing in front of
Speaker 2: mister Wells's locker in the staffroom. They had to try
Speaker 2: and find his CD ROM, notebook and PC battery before
Speaker 2: someone discovered them. Five minutes later, heart's beating fast. The
Speaker 2: two friends were outside the schoolgate with all the things
Speaker 2: in Matt's backpack.
Speaker 3: Let's go straight to my house and try to load
Speaker 3: this seedy rom.
Speaker 2: Mat Linda suggested.
Speaker 4: Okay, I hope we can understand mister Wells's notes. His
Speaker 4: handwriting is terrible, replied Matt. At Linda's house, they started work.
Speaker 4: Mister Wells's letter told them to load the time travel
Speaker 4: software on the cd ROM. They put the cd ROM
Speaker 4: in the drive and the mister Wells cartoon appeared again.
Speaker 4: To travel in time, said the funny figure.
Speaker 2: You must type the coordinates of your destination, the month
Speaker 2: and the year. Matt and Linda saw there were two boxes,
Speaker 2: one for the coordinates and one for the date. We
Speaker 2: know the year, said Matt, but the month.
Speaker 6: Look.
Speaker 2: Linda moved the mouse and the window appeared on the.
Speaker 3: Screen Time Trip files. She read Duxbury Castle, October twelve fifteen. No,
Speaker 3: that's not it. Kansas, September eighteen sixty four. Yes, that's it. Matt.
Speaker 3: I knew that mister Wells was a cowboy film fan.
Speaker 3: Now he's stuck in the wild West.
Speaker 2: She laughed, And we have to help him, Linda. Matt
Speaker 2: said seriously.
Speaker 4: Now the coordinates should be in his notebook.
Speaker 3: We'll need the right clothes for America in eighteen sixty.
Speaker 2: Four, interrupted Linda. Good, idea, what have we got. Matt
Speaker 2: looked at his clothes. His jeans were okay, but in
Speaker 2: his football shirt he didn't look like a cowboy. Let's see,
Speaker 2: said Linda, looking in her wardrobe.
Speaker 3: My jeans are fine, and I've got a denim shirt
Speaker 3: and leather boots.
Speaker 2: Then she took out a large checked shirt.
Speaker 3: Try this. It was my dad's.
Speaker 2: Matt hesitated, not really my style, but he put it
Speaker 2: on over his new Bridge United top. Then put the
Speaker 2: PC battery in the pocket.
Speaker 4: We need this to get back to Greenwood. We mustn't lose.
Speaker 2: Now it was time to go. The two friends looked
Speaker 2: at each other. What new adventures were waiting for them
Speaker 2: in America in eighteen sixty.
Speaker 3: Four, Ok, read the coordinates.
Speaker 2: Said Linda, and sat down at the PC. Matt looked
Speaker 2: at the notes. The writing was awful. He found the
Speaker 2: word Kansas, but mister Wells's numbers were worse than his letters.
Speaker 2: Was it eighty six point thirty degrees? He read out
Speaker 2: the coordinates and Linda typed them into the computer. Now
Speaker 2: they saw an hour glass which began to rotate on
Speaker 2: the screen.
Speaker 3: Sit beside me, mate, quick.
Speaker 2: Cried Linda and pressed enter. There was a flash of
Speaker 2: white light and they disappeared. Matt opened his eyes slowly.
Speaker 2: Linda was on the ground beside him. They were in
Speaker 2: a field of tall plants with soft white flowers. They
Speaker 2: stood up and saw a black girl nearby picking the flowers.
Speaker 2: She saw them too, and look surprised, but not afraid.
Speaker 7: What are you doing in my cotton field?
Speaker 2: She asked curiously, cotton field?
Speaker 3: Oh no, Matt, We're in the wrong place.
Speaker 2: Said Linda. Suddenly there was a terrific explosion and all
Speaker 2: three of them dive to the ground.
Speaker 7: You are in the wrong place, friends.
Speaker 2: Said the black girl.
Speaker 7: Don't you know there's war here?
Speaker 2: Chapter three? Where are we now?
Speaker 5: Oh?
Speaker 1: A war?
Speaker 2: Matt and Linda looked at each other incredulously.
Speaker 7: Of course, where do you come from.
Speaker 2: Asked the black girl curiously.
Speaker 3: We arrived from England a few minute.
Speaker 2: Months ago, replied Linda.
Speaker 3: We're lost. We want to go west.
Speaker 7: That's dandy.
Speaker 2: The girl shook her head.
Speaker 7: I have to pick cotton in the middle of a war,
Speaker 7: and then I find two last English kids in my field.
Speaker 2: She laughed and continued her work. Where are we, Linda,
Speaker 2: whispered Matt, looking around them.
Speaker 3: Oh, Matt, your geography is terrible. All the Codson plantations
Speaker 3: are in the southeast of the United States, so we
Speaker 3: must be there. It's a disaster. We're hundreds of miles
Speaker 3: from Kansas, and mister Wells.
Speaker 2: There was another terrible explosion in the distance.
Speaker 3: But who is fighting who?
Speaker 2: Matt, Linda asked. Your history is terrible, replied Matt. If
Speaker 2: this is eighteen sixty four, then it must be the
Speaker 2: Civil War. But in the North and South.
Speaker 3: Wasn't that war about the abolition of slavery.
Speaker 2: Asked Linda, watching the black girl at work.
Speaker 4: I know there were slaves in the Southern States and
Speaker 4: not in the North, But I think the war started
Speaker 4: because the South wanted its independence and the North didn't
Speaker 4: want to divide the union.
Speaker 3: So that poor girl's a slave.
Speaker 2: Said Linda angrily.
Speaker 3: But she says that it's her field.
Speaker 2: She added, puzzled, it is my field now. The girl
Speaker 2: was beside them again.
Speaker 7: My name's Dinah. My master's dead, killed in the war.
Speaker 7: The other slaves went away, but I decided to stay
Speaker 7: for the harvest. I need to sell some of this cotton.
Speaker 7: I want some money to reach my sister in Kansas.
Speaker 2: Kansas, cried Linda.
Speaker 3: We have to go to Kansas too. Why don't you
Speaker 3: come with us?
Speaker 7: But I haven't got any money now, the girl smiled sadly.
Speaker 2: Do you think that we have laughed? Matt?
Speaker 4: Anyway, you can't stay here. It's too dangerous. We'll find
Speaker 4: some free transport somehow.
Speaker 7: Now it's late. You need some food and a bed
Speaker 7: for the night, and I need to think.
Speaker 2: The girl looked at them serious for a moment, then she.
Speaker 7: Smiled, Let's go home to my house.
Speaker 2: Matt and Linda followed Dinah out of the field. The
Speaker 2: dark blue evening sky was colored to the west by
Speaker 2: the soft orange light of the sunset.
Speaker 8: That's where we have to go, said Linda, pointing west
Speaker 8: to Kansas.
Speaker 2: But not tonight, said Dinah, pointing to the east, where
Speaker 2: the sky was red with fire.
Speaker 7: Tonight, you're going to pour old Atlanta.
Speaker 2: As they walked towards the town, they met many wagons
Speaker 2: of sad frightened people traveling in the opposite direction. Turn around,
Speaker 2: somebody shouted to them.
Speaker 5: Everybody has to leaves burning Atlanta.
Speaker 2: Don't worry, said Dinah to Matt and Linda.
Speaker 7: I live outside the town.
Speaker 2: Soon they arrived at a large, white stone villa in
Speaker 2: an enormous park.
Speaker 7: I'm living in the big house now.
Speaker 2: The master's dead, said Dinah.
Speaker 7: The other slaves took a lot of furniture and fancy things,
Speaker 7: so there's not much inside now, but there are breads
Speaker 7: for us all. And it's better than fifteen years in
Speaker 7: a little wooden cabin that's where I used to live.
Speaker 7: Come in, eat and sleep. In the morning, we'll decide
Speaker 7: what to do. Tomorrow is another day.
Speaker 2: Chapter four, Matt makes a bet. Matt woke up. There
Speaker 2: was a strong smell of smoke, a fire gran He
Speaker 2: jumped out of bed and then remembered where he was.
Speaker 2: The smoke was from the remains of the city of Atlanta.
Speaker 2: To day, they had to go west to try and
Speaker 2: find mister Wells downstairs. Dinah was in the kitchen washing
Speaker 2: the dishes from last night's dinner of salted pork and sweetcorn.
Speaker 2: Can I help, asked Matt. Dinah smiled, don't you have
Speaker 2: she hesitated slaves in England?
Speaker 4: No laughter, This war slavery will end in America too,
Speaker 4: he replied.
Speaker 7: Do you think the North will win?
Speaker 2: She asked him. I know they'll win, he answered. Dinah
Speaker 2: was surprised by his conviction, so Matt quickly changed the subject.
Speaker 2: Oho that, he asked, pointing to a portrait of a severe,
Speaker 2: pink faced man with a background of cotton fields and
Speaker 2: slaves on the kitchen wall. He was my master, said Dinah.
Speaker 7: He wasn't a bad man. He whipped the men if
Speaker 7: they didn't work well, but never the women.
Speaker 8: I'm ready, Linda came downstairs. Then let's go west, she.
Speaker 2: Said, smiling. They walked from the White House to the
Speaker 2: main road from Atlanta. Came a slow procession of wagons.
Speaker 2: Their occupants all looked sadly down the road, as if
Speaker 2: towards an uncertain future. Smoke from the town blocked out
Speaker 2: the sunlight, and there was a strange, uneasy silence. The
Speaker 2: wooden houses they passed were burnt, many reduced to ashes,
Speaker 2: and other buildings were damaged by the North's cannons. There
Speaker 2: were many Union soldiers in their blue uniforms, but they
Speaker 2: were all too busy digging trenches to transform the city
Speaker 2: into a military base to notice the three friends in
Speaker 2: the center. Some of Atlanta's commercial buildings were still intact.
Speaker 2: We need information, said Matt, pointing to a saloon.
Speaker 4: Let's try there.
Speaker 7: It's better if we girls stay outside.
Speaker 2: Said Diana to Linda. Matt went into the saloon, trying
Speaker 2: to look grown up. There was sawdust on the floor,
Speaker 2: a bar with numerous bottles of liquor behind it, and
Speaker 2: a pianist playing a sad melody at the old dusty piano.
Speaker 2: It was Dixie, but he was playing the usually happy
Speaker 2: song of the South to the tempo of a funeral march.
Speaker 5: What can I do for you, boy, asked the barman.
Speaker 2: How can I get to Kansas, asked Matt. The barman laughed, First.
Speaker 5: You have to leave at Lana, boy, Then just ask
Speaker 5: for directions.
Speaker 2: He said, sarcastically. Kansas a tall man in a brown stetson,
Speaker 2: with small, dark eyes and a thin black mustache approached Matt.
Speaker 6: There's a stage coach leaving this morning, and I've got
Speaker 6: three tickets.
Speaker 2: He said. That's great, said Matt, eagerly.
Speaker 6: Here for me and my family.
Speaker 2: The man laughed sadistically and turned to the barman.
Speaker 6: Give me another glass of good sun whiskey.
Speaker 2: He demanded.
Speaker 6: In a few weeks, all I have to drink will
Speaker 6: be horrible Northern liquor in Kansas.
Speaker 2: He quickly drank his whiskey.
Speaker 6: Who wants to play billiards with Ret Beauregard? The best
Speaker 6: play in.
Speaker 2: Georgia, he shouted, suddenly, it's my.
Speaker 6: Last game in the All Atlanta saloon.
Speaker 2: Nobody answered. The few silent clients were lost in their
Speaker 2: own sad thoughts. Matt had an idea I do, he
Speaker 2: said quickly.
Speaker 4: I'll play billiards with you, but I want to make
Speaker 4: a bet. If I win, I want your three tickets
Speaker 4: for Kansas stage coach.
Speaker 2: Beauregard thought for a moment, then he said, smiling horribly.
Speaker 6: And if you lose, boy, I want that slave girl
Speaker 6: you left outside.
Speaker 2: Chapter five, The Journey to Kansas. Linda was surprised when
Speaker 2: she looked in the window of the saloon and saw
Speaker 2: Matt playing billiards, particularly when someone near by shouted the
Speaker 2: Kansas stage leaves on an hour. Then she saw his
Speaker 2: serious expression and noticed that all the other customers were
Speaker 2: watching the game closely, and suddenly she understood what her
Speaker 2: friend was trying to do.
Speaker 3: Dinah, he's trying to win our trip to Kansas.
Speaker 2: She cried. Matt was good at billiards, but at first,
Speaker 2: the pressure of the situation made him nervous, and he
Speaker 2: played badly. Fortunately, his opponent was drinking too much whiskey,
Speaker 2: and slowly Matt took advantage. Beauregard looked nervously at his
Speaker 2: pocket watch. The stage coach for Kansas was going to
Speaker 2: leave in ten minutes. Matt made a great shot and
Speaker 2: won the game. Now give him my tickets, please, he said, calmly,
Speaker 2: I'll give you this, shouted Beauregard, angrily, taking a pistol
Speaker 2: from his holster.
Speaker 5: Stop.
Speaker 2: The barman was pointing his rifle at Beauregard.
Speaker 5: The boy won fair and square. Give them the tickets.
Speaker 2: The journey was like a strange, tormented dream. They traveled
Speaker 2: eight hundred miles in three weeks. They left Georgia following
Speaker 2: the spectacular Appalachian mountains and continued through the Confederate states
Speaker 2: of Alabama, Mississippi, and Arkansas, and into the Union state
Speaker 2: of Missouri, with its vast forests. A memorable moment was
Speaker 2: crossing the majestic Mississippi River, but the devastating effects of
Speaker 2: the war were everywhere and impossible to forget. Towns in ruins.
Speaker 2: Plantations destroyed thousands of men in gray or blue uniforms,
Speaker 2: many of them mutilated by terrible weapons of destruction, and
Speaker 2: piles of coffins waiting for the dead. The stagecoach wasn't comfortable,
Speaker 2: but they stopped at night to sleep. During the day,
Speaker 2: nobody talked much. The war made everyone sad and silent.
Speaker 2: They often heard a familiar name, Lincoln, pronounced with respect
Speaker 2: and hope. The other five passengers in the stagecoach changed frequently.
Speaker 2: One day, another passenger, a plantation owner from Alabama, spoke to.
Speaker 6: Dinah, girl, you had a job, a home, and food.
Speaker 6: Now what have you got?
Speaker 2: Dinah smiled my liberty, sir, she said proudly. Kansas City
Speaker 2: was a lively frontier town, the last stopover for many
Speaker 2: homesteaders going west. The main street, with its hotels and saloons,
Speaker 2: was full of European immigrants waiting to form a wagon
Speaker 2: train for the Oregon Trail. It was time to say
Speaker 2: goodbye to Dinah. Her sister Daisy, notified by telegram, was waiting.
Speaker 3: For her with us for a few days.
Speaker 2: Insisted the two girls. After their happy and emotional reunion.
Speaker 3: Thanks, but we have a job to do.
Speaker 2: Said Linda.
Speaker 4: Dinah, I have to confess that I played with your
Speaker 4: life in that billiard game in Atlanta, added Matt.
Speaker 2: Dinah laughed.
Speaker 7: But nobody can play with my life.
Speaker 2: Now, Matt, she said, happily.
Speaker 7: I'm free.
Speaker 3: I'll miss Dinah.
Speaker 2: Sighed Linda. As they walked down the main street.
Speaker 5: HM.
Speaker 2: Yes, Matt said distractedly, Linda.
Speaker 4: Why is everyone looking at us?
Speaker 2: In fact, the two friends were the object of great attention,
Speaker 2: then this or the reason. All along the street were
Speaker 2: big posters with their photograph on them and under it
Speaker 2: one enormous black word wanted chapter six on the Oregon Trail.
Speaker 2: Matt and Linda now felt very conspicuous. They walked along
Speaker 2: the street, feeling the eyes of everyone watching them closely.
Speaker 2: Then a voice called them by their names.
Speaker 6: Matt Linda.
Speaker 5: I think it's time for us to.
Speaker 2: Talk, it said A big man with a long mustache
Speaker 2: and a badge in the form of a star, was
Speaker 2: sitting in a rocking chair on the veranda of a
Speaker 2: small stone building. The sign above his head said Sheriff's Office.
Speaker 2: The two friends were sitting in the sheriff's office as
Speaker 2: he explained to them why there were photos of them
Speaker 2: all over the town.
Speaker 5: Your uncle had the idea of the poster to bring
Speaker 5: you to my office.
Speaker 4: Isn't our uncle here.
Speaker 2: Asked Matt. No, but he left a letter for you,
Speaker 2: replied the sheriff, taking an envelope out of his desk.
Speaker 2: Linda opened the envelope. Inside was the photograph from the
Speaker 2: wanted posters and a note.
Speaker 3: Dear Matt and Linda. She read, I hope you like
Speaker 3: the photo. I took it on the bus to Duxbury.
Speaker 3: Do you remember I'll be at Fort Laramie meet me there.
Speaker 3: Best wishes, mister wells your uncle.
Speaker 2: Oh no, said Matt.
Speaker 4: Where's Fort Laramie.
Speaker 5: It's on the Oregon Trail, answered the sheriff. You can
Speaker 5: go with one of the wagon trains, but watch out
Speaker 5: for redskins.
Speaker 3: They're called Native Americans now.
Speaker 2: Said Linda, indignantly.
Speaker 3: Not redskins.
Speaker 2: Mum. Matt groaned.
Speaker 5: Native Americans, indeed.
Speaker 2: Replied the sheriff, gruffly, an angry light in his eyes.
Speaker 5: Redskins, Indians call them what you want, They'll scalp you
Speaker 5: before you can say your prayers. My brother was killed
Speaker 5: by Native Americans in Colorado, and his wife and two kids,
Speaker 5: a brother and sister like you.
Speaker 2: He looked at them sadly now as he polished his
Speaker 2: silver star. Linda was embarrassed and said nothing.
Speaker 6: Good luck.
Speaker 5: Kids. Now go and find a lift of Fort Laramie.
Speaker 2: Matt and Linda, now brother and sister looking for their uncle,
Speaker 2: were offered two places on the wagon of a young
Speaker 2: Irish couple, Sean and Molly O'Reilly. The next morning they
Speaker 2: left Kansas. A dozen covered wagons pulled by horses, moved
Speaker 2: slowly across the vast Nebraska plains. Shawn, a small, cheerful man,
Speaker 2: talked happily to Matt and Linda. His wife, Molly, a thin,
Speaker 2: red haired girl with big green eyes, was less enthusiastic
Speaker 2: about the trip. This is the Oregon Trail, said Sean.
Speaker 4: He used boy pioneers for twenty five years to cross
Speaker 4: the Great Plains and the Rocky Mountains. We're going to
Speaker 4: Oregon to start a farm. We were farmers in Ireland.
Speaker 2: It's a long journey, remarked Matt. And dangerous, laughed Sean.
Speaker 4: Their tournado was in Nebraska, and then there are the Indians.
Speaker 2: Molly didn't laugh. She looked worried.
Speaker 4: Our wagon is our home now.
Speaker 2: Her husband continued.
Speaker 4: And our fort if necessary.
Speaker 2: They traveled fifteen miles a day. At night they stopped
Speaker 2: to cook their provisions or rabbits and other game they
Speaker 2: caught on campfires. If the weather was bad, they slept
Speaker 2: in the wagon. If not, they slept under the stars.
Speaker 2: One fine night, Linda was woken by a strange sound.
Speaker 2: She opened her eyes and saw a huge rattlesnake only
Speaker 2: a meter from her head. She screamed, and Sean arrived
Speaker 2: and hit it with a stick. Did it bite you,
Speaker 2: asked Molly, worried.
Speaker 3: If it did, we must put some horsemen. You're on
Speaker 3: the bit.
Speaker 2: No, I'm fine, thanks, Linda assured her.
Speaker 3: Thank goodness, it didn't bite me.
Speaker 2: She added quietly to Matt.
Speaker 3: Horsemen year yuck.
Speaker 2: One morning the wagons stopped. Suddenly, three men on horses
Speaker 2: were watching them from a distance. Indians, said Sean, preparing
Speaker 2: his rifle. As the three riders came nearer, mad and
Speaker 2: Linda saw from their fierce, proud expressions that they were
Speaker 2: indeed Indians. They were dressed in simple leather clothes, rode
Speaker 2: without saddles, and carried knives and tomahawks in their belts.
Speaker 2: Don't shoot, John, whispered, Molly is going away. Look, Madame. Linda,
Speaker 2: nervous but curious, watched the Indians pass in silence. Now
Speaker 2: they really were in the wild West. Chapter seven. At
Speaker 2: Fort Laramie, their journey continued under a cloud the fear
Speaker 2: of an imminent Indian attack, but there was no sign
Speaker 2: of the Indians until one evening. At sunset, the grounds
Speaker 2: seemed to start moving. What's happening, shouted Linda. Bo Matt
Speaker 2: pointed to the horizon where a herd, of the biggest
Speaker 2: creatures on the plains, was running across the trail. They're escaping,
Speaker 2: shouted Sean.
Speaker 5: Look some of got.
Speaker 6: Arrows in them.
Speaker 4: It's a hunt. The Indians aren't far away.
Speaker 2: Next morning, Matt saw some hills in the distance. They're
Speaker 2: the Laramie Mountains, said Sean.
Speaker 4: Tomorrow we'll see the fort and your uncle.
Speaker 2: The high wooden walls and watchtowers of Fort Laramie appeared
Speaker 2: like a mirage in the wintry sunlight of the prairie.
Speaker 2: A blue and red flag danced in the cold wind. Linda,
Speaker 2: what's the US cavalry flag? Matt whispered, Maybe John Wayne
Speaker 2: is here. Linda smiled.
Speaker 3: I only hope that mister Wells is here, after all
Speaker 3: our efforts to find.
Speaker 2: Him, she replied. A soldier in a blue uniform opened
Speaker 2: the big wooden gate and the waggon entered the fort.
Speaker 2: Inside was some white tents, a few wooden huts, and
Speaker 2: stables for the horses. A tall man with brown hair, tired,
Speaker 2: blue eyes, and red cheeks came out of a hut
Speaker 2: to meet them.
Speaker 5: Captain Angus Mackay, at your service.
Speaker 2: He said, saluting them. He seemed happy to have visitors
Speaker 2: at his lonely fort. Linda and Matt came forward.
Speaker 3: Sir said, Linda, we're looking for our uncle, mister Wells.
Speaker 5: Yes, I recognize you from the photograph he showed me.
Speaker 5: Mackay said, but Wells isn't here. He arrived two weeks
Speaker 5: ago and spent a few days here, but he wanted
Speaker 5: to see the Indians. He left one morning and didn't
Speaker 5: come back. I'm afraid his fate depends on which tribe
Speaker 5: he met.
Speaker 4: We must find.
Speaker 2: Him, said Matt desperately.
Speaker 5: Son, maybe your uncle is safe. The situation here is delicate,
Speaker 5: but many of the tribes want peace. Thirteen years ago,
Speaker 5: I was sergeant here when a treaty gave the Indians
Speaker 5: hunting grounds far away from the Oregon Trail. They were
Speaker 5: promised government protection. Then five years ago gold was found
Speaker 5: in Colorado and the Indian's land was invaded by white men.
Speaker 5: The Cheyenne went on the war path. Now their chief,
Speaker 5: Black Kettle, is offering peace, but Governor Evans of Colorado refuses.
Speaker 5: He wants to see the Indians dead. He thinks they
Speaker 5: are savages. And you asked, Linda, I know the Indians well.
Speaker 5: I think we could live together in peace, But too
Speaker 5: many of our people think like Evans. Now you must
Speaker 5: be tired after your journey. Let's have dinner.
Speaker 2: Matt and Linda were too worried about mister Wells to
Speaker 2: appreciate Captain Mackay's hospitality. Next morning, they left Fort Laramie
Speaker 2: early with the wagon train, hoping for news of their
Speaker 2: teacher at the next fort. On the trail. Your uncle
Speaker 2: will be fine, Molly assured them.
Speaker 7: Those Indians didn't attack us.
Speaker 2: Remember, Suddenly an arrow flew through the air and hit
Speaker 2: their wagon. Farmer circle shouted, Sean, hurry. The wagon drivers
Speaker 2: desperately turned their horses as a band of Indians galloped
Speaker 2: furiously towards them, shouting and whooping.
Speaker 4: Bully Lender, keep down.
Speaker 2: Ordered Sean Kurd. He threw a rifle to Matt.
Speaker 4: Here's a chance to be a hero.
Speaker 2: Chapter eight, Encounter with the Indians. There was no time
Speaker 2: to think. Matt pointed the rifle and pulled the trigger,
Speaker 2: but Linda caught his arm and the bullet hit the ground. Mate, No,
Speaker 2: they're not attacking, she shouted. Riding towards them. Now was
Speaker 2: another young Indian. He was wearing Indian clothes and his
Speaker 2: eyes burned with dark Indian pride. But his hair was
Speaker 2: fair and his skin was lighter than the others. Hoy Ya,
Speaker 2: he shouted angrily, then turned to the circle of wagons,
Speaker 2: his right hand raised in a sign of peace. Then
Speaker 2: he began to speak to the homesteaders in English.
Speaker 6: The great Chayann Chief black Kettle, wants peace with the
Speaker 6: white man. He offers you safe passage across our land.
Speaker 6: Continue your journey and speak well of black Kettle.
Speaker 2: He turned his horse, a beautiful white mustang, and began
Speaker 2: to ride away. Wait, Linda ran after him. He stopped
Speaker 2: in surprise and looked at her.
Speaker 3: Can you help us? We're looking for our uncle. He's
Speaker 3: tall and thin, with curly white hair. He moves his
Speaker 3: arms a lot when he talks.
Speaker 2: That's crazy Cactus, the young Brave laughed. Linda laughed too.
Speaker 6: You know where he is, then, of course he's with
Speaker 6: my tribe. He's very funny.
Speaker 3: Can we see him?
Speaker 2: The Brave thought from moment.
Speaker 6: Yes, okay, come with me to my camp. This is
Speaker 6: good medicine. The elders say, if a white girl visits
Speaker 6: the Cheyenne, it is a sign of peace.
Speaker 3: But you said, O, yes, there's my brother Matt too.
Speaker 3: My name's Linda.
Speaker 2: I'm Johnny. The Brave smiled, Johnny.
Speaker 6: Coyote, Linda, can you tell your brother to leave that gun.
Speaker 6: It's not a toy.
Speaker 2: Matt put down the rifle, but decided he didn't like
Speaker 2: Johnny very much. The Indian boy pulled Linda up behind
Speaker 2: him onto his horse. Matt didn't like that either. They
Speaker 2: said goodbye, to Sean, Molly and the others. Then, with
Speaker 2: Linda riding behind Johnny and Matt behind another brave, they
Speaker 2: galloped away over the plain. Linda held on to Johnny
Speaker 2: and felt the wind in her hair and a strange
Speaker 2: new sense of freedom and happiness. After a while, Johnny
Speaker 2: slowed his horse.
Speaker 6: Can we talk, he asked, before we reached the camp.
Speaker 2: Glinda looked at him closely. His dark eyes were typically Indian,
Speaker 2: but his hair and face were different.
Speaker 6: I'm a half breed, he told her. My father was Cheyenne,
Speaker 6: but my mother was American. The Indians took her when
Speaker 6: she was young. She grew up with the Cheyenne and
Speaker 6: married one of their warriors, my father. She taught me
Speaker 6: about the white men and their language English, but she
Speaker 6: died five years ago, shot by white mercenaries. Then my
Speaker 6: father drank a lot of white men's whisky and went
Speaker 6: to look for revenge. He killed four men before they
Speaker 6: shot him.
Speaker 2: I'm sorry, said Linda, sadly, thinking of Matt's parents too.
Speaker 2: She waved to her friend, but he looked angry and
Speaker 2: didn't respond.
Speaker 6: I can't understand the Americans, Johnny continued. We could live
Speaker 6: in peace, but they take our land and fight us.
Speaker 6: Black Kettle wants peace, but I don't trust the white men. Look,
Speaker 6: that's our camp over there.
Speaker 2: In the distance, Linda saw a circle of tents. Their
Speaker 2: long journey was finally at an end. But before they
Speaker 2: returned to Greenwood with mister Wells, she wanted to spend
Speaker 2: some time with the Native Americans and with Johnny Coyote
Speaker 2: chapter nine among that desist his tasks. They rode slowly
Speaker 2: towards the camp. They were almost there, but Johnny wanted
Speaker 2: to prolong their conversation.
Speaker 6: I I'm sorry about the attack. Our men are away hunting,
Speaker 6: and the young braves wanted to prove their courage. Fortunately
Speaker 6: I followed them and stopped them. Were you frightened?
Speaker 2: Not really, replied Linda.
Speaker 3: It was like a film.
Speaker 2: What's a film, asked Johnny.
Speaker 8: Um something that isn't real, said Linda, vaguely.
Speaker 3: In films, the Indians are usually the bad guys. But
Speaker 3: I know it's not true.
Speaker 2: Johnny didn't understand, but he liked Linda's smile. We are
Speaker 2: not bad, he said with pride.
Speaker 6: The Americans call us Cheyenne, but that is the Sioux
Speaker 6: name for us. Our real name is Ceististas. The magnificent people.
Speaker 2: CEIs tist us, he shouted. Suddenly Matt heard these strange
Speaker 2: words and saw that they produced us sea of movement
Speaker 2: in the camp. He counted thirty teepees, and now from
Speaker 2: the entrances, about a hundred women and children came out
Speaker 2: to greet them. He watched Johnny jump from his horse
Speaker 2: and help Linda to descend. All the camp listened as
Speaker 2: Johnny explained why these white children were with him. This
Speaker 2: is wonderful, said Linda, looking around. Marvelous, said Matt sarcastically.
Speaker 2: Some of the Indian children laughed at his funny voice.
Speaker 3: Matt, it's a fantastic opportunity for us to see the
Speaker 3: Native American's life, and Johnny is an excellent guide.
Speaker 4: He can guide us to mister Wells. Then I can't
Speaker 4: see him anywhere, replied Matt dryly.
Speaker 3: I'm sure we'll see him later. What's your problem, Matt.
Speaker 2: Matt's problem came towards them at that moment.
Speaker 6: Linda, you and your brother can stay in my tent
Speaker 6: with my uncle's family.
Speaker 2: Said Johnny, and took them to a beautifully decorated teepee.
Speaker 6: These are pictures of tribal legends.
Speaker 2: He explained, pointing to the designs. What's this, Matt indicated
Speaker 2: a long stick at the entrance. Then he saw the
Speaker 2: black hair on it. Scalps, said Johnny seriously.
Speaker 6: From our enemies the Pawnee. Take a scalp, and you
Speaker 6: take the person's spirit. Your enemy can't go to the
Speaker 6: happy hunting ground.
Speaker 2: He saw Linda shiver. It's our custom, he said, simply.
Speaker 2: A warm fire burned inside the teepee and Matt and
Speaker 2: Linda felt tired after their dramatic day.
Speaker 6: Why don't you sleep now, suggested Johnny, I'll wake you
Speaker 6: for dinner.
Speaker 2: Dinner was when the men returned from hunting. It was dark,
Speaker 2: and from a large fire in the middle of the
Speaker 2: camp came the smell of roast buffalo meat. The men
Speaker 2: observed their strange visitors closely, and Matt and Linda noticed
Speaker 2: a familiar, fierce, proud expression on many of their faces.
Speaker 6: They are the dog soldiers, Johnny explained, our warriors. They
Speaker 6: organized the camp, the hunts and battles. Soon I will
Speaker 6: be one too.
Speaker 2: While the meat roasted on the fire, they had a
Speaker 2: strange broth of fruit and animal fat. It's called Pemmican,
Speaker 2: Johnny told them.
Speaker 6: Now because you are guests, you can taste the buffalo's tongue.
Speaker 5: Ah.
Speaker 2: Suddenly there was great hilarity, and they heard a familiar voice,
Speaker 2: the Sioux will defeat General Costa, but dressed in buffalo
Speaker 2: skin clothes and with feathers in his hair. They saw
Speaker 2: mister Wells speaking to a group of Indians, and Linda
Speaker 2: laughed at his strange appearance too. But then they saw
Speaker 2: the rope around his feet. Mister Wells saw them and
Speaker 2: shouted to them.
Speaker 4: Matt, Linda, thank Heavens, you're here.
Speaker 2: I'm a prisoner. Chapter ten, A dramatic night. When mister
Speaker 2: Wells spoke to them, the dog soldiers moved towards him
Speaker 2: and pulled him away. Matt and Linda watched nervously as
Speaker 2: Johnny and the dog soldiers argued.
Speaker 3: Johnny didn't tell us mister Wells was a prisoner.
Speaker 2: Said Linda desperately. Don't worry, said Matt. I've got an idea.
Speaker 2: Late of the night.
Speaker 4: You distract coyote and I'll try to free mister Wells.
Speaker 4: I saw where they took him.
Speaker 3: Be careful, Matt.
Speaker 2: Said Linda, worriedly. Sh He whispered, he is coyote.
Speaker 6: Let's go to my teepee, said Johnny. I convinced the
Speaker 6: warriors that you are good medicine. You can stay in
Speaker 6: our camp, but you can't see your uncle.
Speaker 3: But we came here to take him.
Speaker 2: Home, said Linda angrily.
Speaker 6: Come with me.
Speaker 2: I'll explain, replied Johnny. Inside the teepee was full of
Speaker 2: smoke from the fire and from Johnny's uncle's wooden pipe.
Speaker 2: They sat with the family and Johnny told them, the.
Speaker 6: Elders think your uncle has special powers. He talks about
Speaker 6: our future, and I translate for them. He says the
Speaker 6: Indians will meet a terrible fate, that the white men
Speaker 6: will exterminate us, and he gives many details. The elders
Speaker 6: think his presence protects us and he's good medicine because
Speaker 6: he entertains the tribe. But if he leaves the camp,
Speaker 6: it could be disastrous.
Speaker 3: But why can't we see him, asked Linda.
Speaker 6: Because you will disturb his powers. The elders say, now
Speaker 6: you must smoke my uncle's pipe with him. It's a
Speaker 6: sign of respect.
Speaker 2: No thanks, said Linda.
Speaker 3: I don't want to smoke.
Speaker 2: I'll right, said Matt, taking the pipe.
Speaker 6: We believe that the smoke takes our desires to the spirits.
Speaker 2: Said Johnny. Matt smiled. His desires were to free mister Wells.
Speaker 2: Returned to Greenwood with Linda and say good bye to
Speaker 2: Johnny coyote. He inhaled from the pipe and started to
Speaker 2: cough violently. Everybody laughed, ha ha ha. It was time
Speaker 2: for bed. Linda looked at Matt, who nodded his head.
Speaker 2: I want to talk, she said to Johnny.
Speaker 3: Let's go outside.
Speaker 2: Okay, said Johnny, curious, and they went out. When the
Speaker 2: other Indians in the teepee were asleep, Matt silently went
Speaker 2: to search for mister Wells's tent, protected by the dark
Speaker 2: of the night. Inside the teepee, it was dark, but
Speaker 2: he saw a figure on the ground. Mister Wells, it's Matt,
Speaker 2: he whispered. The figure stood up, and with horror, Mat
Speaker 2: saw a creature half man and half buffalo, with horns
Speaker 2: and a tail. Meanwhile, in the moonlight, Linda was speaking
Speaker 2: angrily to Johnny. You're right, he said, after a moment,
Speaker 2: I was wrong. I didn't tell you the truth, but
Speaker 2: I wanted you to come with me. He was looking
Speaker 2: at her with a strange light in his dark eyes,
Speaker 2: and she forgot why she was angry.
Speaker 6: Linda, I want you to listen to a poem.
Speaker 2: He said, and his voice began to fill the silence
Speaker 2: of the plains.
Speaker 6: Beautiful flowers, red, blue and yellow. Let's walk among the flowers.
Speaker 6: The wind blow the flowers. The flowers dance like girls.
Speaker 6: The girls are sweeter than the flowers.
Speaker 2: That was beautiful, she said, smiling at him.
Speaker 6: You are my prairie flower, Linda.
Speaker 2: Johnny told her serious.
Speaker 6: Now soon I will be a warrior. Then I can
Speaker 6: have a wife. Will you.
Speaker 2: Suddenly a monstrous scream echoed through the sleeping camp. Matt
Speaker 2: cried Linda. Chapter eleven, the Road to Sand Creek. The
Speaker 2: camp was suddenly full of activity. Braves were running out
Speaker 2: from their teepees, and in the dim light from the
Speaker 2: camp fire, Linda saw a strange figure with horns and
Speaker 2: a tail. The strange screams were coming from this creature.
Speaker 3: Woo woo, what is.
Speaker 2: That, she stammered, that's the shaman, Johnny replied.
Speaker 6: Your uncle is staying in his tent.
Speaker 2: Linda shivered, but Johnny assured.
Speaker 6: Her he's only a man in a hat with buffalo
Speaker 6: horns and with a buffalo's tail for a belt. The
Speaker 6: great spirit Wakan Tanka gave him special powers. He knows
Speaker 6: the tribal rights, secret medicines, and he can communicate with
Speaker 6: the spirits.
Speaker 3: But why do they keep my uncle.
Speaker 2: In his tent, asked Linda.
Speaker 6: The shaman stays with your uncle to produce good medicine
Speaker 6: against his terrible predictions.
Speaker 2: He watched the strange screaming figure in the distance for
Speaker 2: a moment.
Speaker 6: Hum, he is angry. Now, I hope your brother didn't
Speaker 6: do anything stupid. Let's go back to the tent.
Speaker 2: Linda's heart was in her mouth.
Speaker 4: Oh, what's happening.
Speaker 2: Matt was standing at the entrance of the tent, yawning. Johnny, irritated,
Speaker 2: told them to go back inside and went to hear
Speaker 2: the shaman speak to the dog soldiers. Mat are you
Speaker 2: o kay, whispered Linda when they were alone.
Speaker 4: Yes, I saw that miner tour and ran back the tent.
Speaker 4: I pretended to wake up when you arrived with coyote,
Speaker 4: he replied. I don't think any one saw me.
Speaker 3: Johnny is suspicious, said Linda and Mat.
Speaker 2: She looked away, embarrassed. He wants to marry me, but
Speaker 2: Mat didn't have time to comment at that moment. Two
Speaker 2: Indians on horses arrived in the camp, shouting instructions, and
Speaker 2: suddenly every one in the camp was running here and there.
Speaker 2: Following a precise procedure, the dog soldiers gave orders, and
Speaker 2: in a few minutes the Indian camp didn't exist. The
Speaker 2: contents of each teepee were packed on a travois, a
Speaker 2: wooden frame on two teepee poles, pulled by a horse.
Speaker 2: Johnny returned some one disturbed the shaman. He looked at
Speaker 2: Matt closely.
Speaker 6: Now we must go south to a new camp. These
Speaker 6: are Black Kettle's orders.
Speaker 2: Matt and Linda had no choice but to leave with
Speaker 2: the others. During the journey, they were separated from mister Wells,
Speaker 2: but Matt saw the shaman carrying a familiar object.
Speaker 4: Look, Linda, he's got mister Wells's portable computer.
Speaker 2: He whispered. They traveled on through the dawn. Linda thought
Speaker 2: of home, her mum, school with Matt, the night under
Speaker 2: the moon, and Johnny's poem seemed like a dream. Johnny,
Speaker 2: unhappy and irritable now really spoke to her. Linda wasn't
Speaker 2: sad her life was in Greenwood, but she didn't want
Speaker 2: to lose his friendship. She decided to talk to him.
Speaker 3: Where are we going, Johnny?
Speaker 6: She asked, This is our life, Linda. We are nomads.
Speaker 6: An Indian is man, plant, animal, sky, earth, wind, and water.
Speaker 6: We respect the resources that nature offers us. Once we
Speaker 6: followed the buffalo and lived in harmony with nature, then
Speaker 6: the white men arrived. Now we can only go where
Speaker 6: they say, black Kettle, our great chief is at sand Creek.
Speaker 6: There the American government offers us protection from other white men,
Speaker 6: and that is where we are going.
Speaker 2: Sand Creek was a sea of teepees in the cold wind,
Speaker 2: and hundreds of tired, hungry Indians sat around the American
Speaker 2: flag in the center, where a tall, proud Indian was
Speaker 2: speaking with great conviction. That's Black Kettle, said Johnny. He
Speaker 2: is a great man, but the price of peace is high.
Speaker 6: I must speak to Black Kettle here we risk losing
Speaker 6: our identity as a people, or.
Speaker 3: Worse, worse, what do you mean.
Speaker 2: Asked Linda. Puzzled, Johnny turned and looked at her intensely.
Speaker 6: Your uncle predicted a massacre at sand Creek.
Speaker 2: Chapter twelve, The Sundown Solution. Mister Wells knows his subject,
Speaker 2: said Matt, and he says there's going to be a
Speaker 2: massacre here. We must escape. The shamans won't stop you,
Speaker 2: interrupted Johnny, returning at that moment.
Speaker 6: I told black Kettle that a hunt is a good idea.
Speaker 6: Our people are sad and hungry. The hunting ceremony makes
Speaker 6: us happy. The buffalo fills our stomachs, and the shaman
Speaker 6: must sing during the ceremony to bring good medicine. That
Speaker 6: will be your moment.
Speaker 2: He looked at Linda.
Speaker 6: I'm happy you saw our real life, not.
Speaker 2: The film, he told her, smiling. Then he turned to Matt.
Speaker 6: You don't like me because I like your sister. But
Speaker 6: now you must go to meet your destiny and I
Speaker 6: must go to meet mine. Can we be friends?
Speaker 2: Okay?
Speaker 4: I mean Johnny.
Speaker 2: Thanks. Matt felt a bit embarrassed.
Speaker 6: Tonight I do the sun dance.
Speaker 2: Continued the young brave proudly.
Speaker 6: And then I will be a real warrior and can
Speaker 6: go hunting. Good luck, Matt and Linda.
Speaker 2: Good bye. That evening, the entire Indian camp gathered around
Speaker 2: the camp fire. Some braves appeared and moved into the
Speaker 2: center near the campfire. They had iron hooks sticking into
Speaker 2: their muscles and attached to these were heavy buffalo bones
Speaker 2: in a trance. The braves pulled this terrible weight, their
Speaker 2: flesh pulled down by the cruel hooks. Oh, cried Linda, horrified.
Speaker 3: Those poor men, what are they doing?
Speaker 2: It's the sun dance, said Mad.
Speaker 4: Look there's Johnny.
Speaker 2: But Johnny was lost in his right of initiation and
Speaker 2: didn't see them. I can't watch, said Linda.
Speaker 3: It's awful.
Speaker 2: They went to the teepee and waited. After a while,
Speaker 2: the hunters left, and only the shaman's song disturbed the
Speaker 2: silence of the dawn. Let's go, said Mad.
Speaker 4: Everybody's asleep.
Speaker 2: The shaman was still singing by the camp fire and
Speaker 2: didn't see them go into his teepee.
Speaker 4: Mister Wells, wake up, it's us.
Speaker 2: It's time to go home, Matt whispered urgently. Linda untied
Speaker 2: the rope. Thanks, kids, I've got the computer. Here, where's
Speaker 2: the battery, said their teacher. Standing up here, Matt produced
Speaker 2: the precious objects from his pocket. Poor Indians, they didn't
Speaker 2: treat me badly, really, but I can't help them. I
Speaker 2: can't change history, said mister Wells, sadly, attaching the battery
Speaker 2: to the computer. Okay, the computer's ready. Stand next to me.
Speaker 2: They heard a distant bugle, then the sound of guns.
Speaker 2: The shaman ran into the entrance of the teepee, a
Speaker 2: terrified expression on his old face. I'm sorry, cried mister Wells.
Speaker 2: And then the three time trippers disappeared in a flash
Speaker 2: of white light. They were in linda bedroom, a school
Speaker 2: uniform and the two plates with chocolate cake crumbs were
Speaker 2: still on the bed. Their three months of adventure had
Speaker 2: been only a few seconds in the present. Mister Wells,
Speaker 2: what happened at Sand Creek, asked Matt. American mercenaries killed
Speaker 2: four hundred and fifty Indians, mainly women and children. The
Speaker 2: Indian men were out of the camp hunting, replied mister Wells.
Speaker 2: Black Kettle raised a white flag and the American flag
Speaker 2: as a sign of peace, but the American soldiers ignored it.
Speaker 3: It was a massacre, and Johnny.
Speaker 2: Asked Linda anxiously. I don't know, Linda. We could try
Speaker 2: a search on the internet. Perhaps we can find out
Speaker 2: something about him. Linda sat at her computer and started
Speaker 2: the search. She soon had an answer.
Speaker 4: Johnny Coyote, a Native American hero, read Matt. He became
Speaker 4: a spokesman for Indian rights and was an important figure
Speaker 4: in the Supreme Court case of nineteen twenty four that
Speaker 4: made the Indians citizens of the USA. His work was
Speaker 4: continued by his daughter, Linda. Look, he didn't forget you.
Speaker 4: He gave his daughter your name.
Speaker 2: Linda smiled sadly, then continued reading.
Speaker 3: It also says his horse Matt, appeared in many films.
Speaker 3: He didn't forget you either.
Speaker 2: She teased. The doorbell rang.
Speaker 3: That will be my mum. She finishes work at six.
Speaker 2: O'clock, said Linda. Oh good, now I can try her
Speaker 2: famous chocolate cake, said mister Wells. Matt and Linda laughed.
Speaker 4: Okay, but you can explain why you're here dressed in
Speaker 4: buffalo's skins with feathers in your hair, said Matt,