Posted by Joy on October 30, 1997 at 16:05:04:
I always liked the scene when Nathaniel tells Cora about her father...the way he leads her away from the others, puts his arms around her and whispers to her. My take on it is that he just told her that Munro was shot from his horse and died fast. I don't think he told her the grisly details - she didn't really need to know that part. He was direct with her "if they don't kill you" because he wanted to motivate the strong survival instinct she had.
Another note on this scene: the script indicates that Nathaniel cuts a lock of Cora's hair and folds it inside his shirt (another "missing scene"). This struck me as an incredibly romantic gesture - it's a shame it wasn't included in the film!