Life Begins at Forty Page #5

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- You son of a gun, you!

- You're all right!

Mr. Clark! Mr. Clark!

- What Is It? What's the matter?

- He's coming.

- Who's coming? What?

- Old Meriwhether's coming.

- What about it?

- He's got a horse whip.

- Oh, I knew it, I knew it!

- Maybe you could cut out through here.

- A horse whip?

- You better let me handle him, Mr. Ken.

My Lord. In the old days, they used

to come looking for me with a gun around here.

What's the matter? Is this town getting soft?

He is comin' at that.

- Mr. Clark.

- Mr. T.

I think you used poor judgment

in your choice of photograph.

However, I think the colonel's

in for a scrap.

Well, of all things, he believes it himself.

I think you're-

I think you're right about that, Major.

Yes. Major. The first thing we gotta do

is offset this show of the colonel's.

Sink his navy like we did at Manila

and then pursue him into the hills.

- What would you suggest?

- Well-

Now, we gotta have somethin'

with some zip.

Now, if it was a dance-

- Or may-

- If you don't mind.

Or an all-day singing-

Of course, if I was down home,

I'd say a hog-calling contest.

- Hog calling?

- Yes.

Used to be the champion

in the county.

Listen to this.

Pig, pig, pig, pig, pig,

pig, pig, pig!

That's all. No.

He's all right. Thanks.

- All right.

- Nobody but-

Hog callin', huh?

Say, do you, uh-

Do you think that you could, uh...

round up some of your kinfolks

with a call like that?

My folks are a clannish people.

They'll come when I call 'em.

Sir, it looks like I picked

the right candidate again.

Put her there. Pig!

- Pig, pig, pig!

- Say, you're good too.

Pig, pig, pig!

That's as fine a lot of potential hams

as I've ever seen.

- How do you do, Colonel?

- How do you do? How do you do?

- Your little girl?

- Yeah, my daughter.

Well, well, well.

- Here, my dear. There's a penny for you.

- What do you say?

- Thank you.

- We'll see this one here.

I think I'm capable of choosing

my own friends, Joe.

If I happen to like Lee Austin,

that's my business.

You know what he's done.

You're just getting yourself

talked about, and I don't like it.

How does it affect you?

Well, we're practically engaged,

aren't we?

- Are we?

- Besides, you're getting yourself

in bad with my father.

Oh, I suppose he thinks I might be

corrupting the morals of the pupils.

Anytime your father wants to get

a new teacher, it's all right with me.

- Now, listen-

- I've heard enough.

What are we doin'

way over here?

Why don't we go down there

where the pigs are?

- We'll go down there in a minute.

- Here comes T.

Come on!

Well, my land!

Will you look at that?

We're all here, I guess.

This is Pappy comin' here.

- He's in charge.

- Hello, Mr. Clark. How are you?

Come on up, folks,

and meet Mr. Clark.

I was talkin' to T. here

about the contest...

and I told him we'd better

get set on the technique.

- Technique?

- That's what it takes.

You take a little pig,

you gotta call 'im high.

Uh, Effie,

show 'em what I mean.

Pig!

Pig, pig, pig!

Now, an old sow, though, she won't answer

to nothin' but a call halfway in between.

Hank, show your stuff.

Pig!

Pig, pig!

But when it comes to a boar,

that's when you gotta hit it.

- Luke, you got it?

- Yes, sir.

Pig!

Pig, pig, pig!

There you are,

Now, which you wanna use?

Well, uh, if the other two

ain't too busy...

we might use all three of'em.

The final judging!

Before we come

to the final judging...

I've been asked to remind you of a political

problem which has developed in our midst...

and to which I unfortunately

am a party.

Pig, pig, pig!

Pig, pig, pig!

Pigs will be pigs.

As I was saying,

you may not realize it...

but you and your children

have been subjected to an insult...

never before offered

to a moral and a spiritual people.

l-

Pig, pig, pig, pig!

My friends, I am referring to...

the character and person

of the candidate...

who is opposing me

in this campaign.

If you think this is funny, I don't!

This is no joke!

Go see who's making those noises!

Clear out!

My friends, I stand before you...

as this interloper's

impregnable" foe...

as your challenge to backwardness.

I call upon you-

I got myself

a piece of pork here.

- Why didn't you get a big one?

You never do anything right.

- Hang on!

This is Kenesaw Clark's work.

I'll shoot him on sight,

like a dog!

I'll get him for this

if it's the last thing I do!

Only blood can wash away

the wrong he's done me.

I hear Kenesaw's making

the same kind of threats against you.

I shall be prepared for him.

- That means you're gonna shoot him on sight?

- Such is my intention.

- What do you want?

- Nothing much, son.

I'd just like to look through some of

your old back issues of the Citizen.

Well, you know where they are.

Won't take me but a minute.

I'm lookin' for a little

social item was in the paper...

along about the time

that Lee took that money.

Then he admits taking it?

Well, he don't exactly admit it...

but I haven't heard him

denying it lately.

You know,

if I remember right...

your testimony

was mighty damagin' to him.

- He's the only one that could've done it.

- Yeah. Yeah.

I guess that's right.

Yep, money's awful temptin' to young folks.

Hey, what do you think

you're doing?

Get up! Look out there!

- Oh, let go!

- Wait a minute, please.

Got the thing here-

Meddling- Get outta here! Go on!

What's the date that money

was found missin'?

March 5, 1932.

- Huh?

- March 5, 1932.

Wish I had a memory like that.

- Much obliged, Joe.

- Find what you wanted?

I wouldn't be surprised.

- Hey, wake up.

- Pig, pig, pig, pig, pig!

Pig, pig."

Come on. Wake up. Get outta here.

Go on. Typical candidate.

Well, Ken, has the colonel

fired on you yet?

That old blowhard wouldn't

fire on nobody.

You're not afraid of him,

are you, Ken?

Listen here. When my honor's involved,

I lose all sense of fear or reason.

- Well, the colonel says he's gonna get ya.

- Yeah?

- The only way he'd get anybody

is with a mortgage.

Well, you better look out.

There's plenty bad blood in that colonel.

- And when I spill some of it,

he won't be so bad either.

- Uh-huh.

Better come with me, T.

- Just leave him to us.

- Uh-huh.

Well, you can always

depend on me.

Look-

Go on.

Drive around the block.

Much obliged.

- Are you all right, Ken?

- Did he hit ya?

- Nowhere that I can see.

- We sure made him take to cover.

- Where is he?

- He's gone.

- Yeah? Where?

- Around the corner a mile a minute.

It's a good thing for him.

Come on, T. We'd better get home.

What'd you mean by sayin' before them men

that we made him take off?

Well, we was together, and l-

Colonel, I call on you for a truce...

to discuss ways and means

of fightin' this thing out.

Well, you won't shoot

if I consent?

I got nothin' to shoot with

but an old pipe here.

Oh. Well, I'm unarmed myself.

Well, then, looks like

we can trust each other.

Look here, Colonel. We can't go on

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