Read Online Twist of Gold by Michael Morpurgo - Free Book Online

Colonel looking right up at us and saying to his children:
     “Always a source of wonder to me, children, that up there somewhere …”.’
         And they have fallen asleep.
    * * *
         Dawn. The braying of horses. The lowing of cattle. The preparations of the wagon train. FRENCH CHARLIE approaches.
    FRENCH CHARLIE : Morning, Colonel.
    COLONEL : French Charlie. You will ride out a mile ahead of the column and send back a scout to report any problems to me – Indians, river
     crossings. I reckon we should be travelling fifteen, twenty miles a day, all being well.
    FRENCH CHARLIE : You’ll be lucky.
    COLONEL : I hope so, Mr Charbonnier. Now, Mr Colby, we have a heck of a way to go, so let them wagons roll!
         Yee-hah! And they’re off. SEAN plays a jig to set them on their way.
    * * *
         The journey passes – hot, dusty – and passes some more. Music. Weeks, months go by and are endured.
         MATT COLBY serves up the water from the barrel – equal ladles to each.
    FRENCH CHARLIE : I’ll have some more water, if you please.
         MATT COLBY looks at the COLONEL .
    COLONEL : Mr Charbonnier?
    FRENCH CHARLIE : I work harder than the others. ’Sonly right.
    COLONEL : If you take more than your fair share, then that means there’s less for the next person – and none for the next. No one will have
     more than his ration. We survive only if we share.
         FRENCH CHARLIE draws a gun on the COLONEL .
    FRENCH CHARLIE : I suggest you change your mind, Colonel.
         The COLONEL draws his gun on FRENCH CHARLIE .
    COLONEL : If you force me to shoot you, I will.
         A THIRD MAN draws his gun on the COLONEL .
    THIRD MAN/BOUNTY HUNTER : I bin’ meanin’ to catch up with you, Colonel.
         The BOUNTY HUNTER spies the CHILDREN .
    BOUNTY HUNTER : Well, lookee who’s here. Now I got a nice surprise for you. French Charlie here wanted to kill you all, but I said no, that
     ain’t right. We’ll just leave ’em out here in the middle of nowhere without a drop of water. An’ French Charlie agreed. Now ain’t that just fine? Course,
     ’fore we leave, I’d be obliged if you’d open that fiddle case of your’n young man, and hand me that gold necklet.
    SEAN : I won’t!
    COLONEL : Do as he says, Sean.
         SEAN reluctantly does as he says.
    BOUNTY HUNTER : You’ll have to kill me to get this off me again. An’ you ain’t about to do that, is you? ’Fraid we ain’t
     got no water to spare – a man dries out slowly in the sun…
    FRENCH CHARLIE : (Addressing MATT COLBY .) Now yous all be comin’ with us. I’m the only one knows the way
     through this wilderness. And you can drink as much whiskey as you like to help you through.
    ANNIE : (Railing at BOUNTY HUNTER .) You take our torc with you, Mister, an’ you’ll die. ’Tis the
     O’Brien torc.
    BOUNTY HUNTER : We all gotta die, girl.
    MATT COLBY : I’m staying with the Colonel and the children.
    FRENCH CHARLIE : We ain’t leaving you no water. You gotta know that.
    MATT COLBY : I reckons I got more chance with the Colonel than yous got without him.
    COLONEL : No, Matt. You go with them. He’s the only one knows the way out of this hell. He’s your best hope.
    MATT COLBY : But Colonel –
    COLONEL : That’s an order, soldier.
    MATT COLBY : Colonel. Take my drinking bottle.
    COLONEL : I will. Thank you. Now you get along back to your family – there’ll be someone along the trail to relieve us afore too long. On
     your way now.
         MATT COLBY leaves with the BOUNTY HUNTER and FRENCH CHARLIE .
        We’ll not be downhearted, will we? Remember California – less than a week or so over those mountains. I’m very sorry you lost the torc
     after all you’ve been through – but you’ve lost it before and got it back. We may have lost the battle, but the war is still to be won.
    ANNIE : Will we be travelling on
    COLONEL : Yes we will. While there’s a full moon, we’ll travel in the cool of the