The Prairie

Taking place just a few years after the Louisiana Purchase, The Prairie follows Ishmael and Esther Bush as they travel west from the Mississippi River with their fourteen children, Ellen Wade, a doctor, and Esther’s brother.While searching for a place to camp, the group meets Natty Bumppo, a legendary man now in his late eighties.Referred to as “the trapper” Natty helps the family settle somewhere safe.Later, as he roams through the forest, he stumbles upon Ellen, Esther Bush’s niece, in a secret rendezvous with her lover.Though Ishmael intends to marry Ellen to his oldest son, Ellen has fallen in love with Paul Hover, a wandering beehunter. Before she can explain, the three are kidnapped by the Sioux Native American tribe.Though they manage to pull off a narrow escape, the capture is only the beginning of Natty and the Bush’s problems. After their camp is raided and their horses are stolen, the Bush’s are left stranded.Always willing to help those in need, Natty guides the group to a