Shootout!

Some loud moaning diverts our attention over to the unfortunate Sgt. Mitchell, lying nearby with more than a few poisoned arrows protruding from his body. As we sail past the mortally wounded sergeant, he warns the river guide in no uncertain terms to turn back and avoid Apache Pass. Seconds pass, and then suddenly we are in the midst of outright warfare, with the Indians on one side of the riverbank firing across the river at the soldiers on the opposing bank. Mannequins of teenaged boys were used for these types of scenarios since they were about the correct size from the perspective of the boat of passing onlookers. Full sized male mannequins would have appeared gigantic. Each mannequin was "reconfigured" to give it the desired posture and action. They would be "broken" and then re-assembled, glued with elastic and painted. Because teen boy mannequins were rather hard to come by, and male mannequins were even scarcer, many of the figures were actually female mannequins, with their faces (and torsos!) redone and beards and mustaches applied. Notice the tipped over cannon on the soldier's side of the battle. As the riverboat passed by this scene, the water directly ahead would plop and splash as if hit by cannon balls or gunfire gone awry.