Who was hit in the head and fell into the pit near Mattie?

• A. Tom Chaney
• B. Rooster Cogburn
• C. Little Blackie
• D. Cole Younger

Answer: (A)

The moment being tested is a specific confrontation during the pursuit where the villain is knocked unconscious in a close encounter. Tom Chaney is the character who takes that blow and falls into a nearby pit near Mattie. He’s the man Mattie hires Rooster Cogburn to help bring to justice for killing her father, so this head injury and the pit scene underscore the danger and grit of her quest.

Rooster Cogburn is the seasoned marshal guiding the pursuit, not the one who is knocked into the pit. Little Blackie is Rooster’s horse, not a person, and Cole Younger is another outlaw from the era who isn’t the one involved in this particular moment.