Old Yeller Page #4

- Seems like I oughta get

a little to boot.

- Like what?

Well, I'll tell you how it is.

I've been in that cow camp starvin'

on my own cookin' so long...

I don't hardly throw

a shadow no more.

Now, if you could talk your mama...

into feedin' me one,

big woman-cooked meal...

why, I figure it and that horned toad

would be worth...

at least a lop-eared yeller dog,

don't you?

Well, I guess so.

Will you feed him, Mama?

Of course I will.

All right, I'll swap ya.

Here, boy!

He's all yours, boy.

Come on, Yeller. Come on, boy.

Hey. What about my toad?

Come on, boy.

Come on.

I haven't ate like this since the time

I splurged on a big feed...

at the Menger Hotel in San 'Tone.

Well, I'm happy you enjoyed it,

Mr Sanderson.

Well, ma'am, I guess

I better be gettin' back to camp.

- Come with me, boy,

while I get my horse settled.

- Yes, sir.

When Mr Coates gets back, I want you to

come and see us. I want him to meet ya.

Oh, that's mighty nice of ya,

ma'am. Thank you.

Goodbye, boy. Take good care

of that old yeller dog.

Yes, sir. And you take care

of my horny toad.

I will. Bye, ma'am.

Goodbye.

Didn't tell your mama this.

Didn't wanna fret her.

But there's a plague of hydrophoby

in these parts.

Hydrophoby? You sure?

I've done shot two wolves,

a fox and a skunk that had it.

I wanted to warn you

not to take any chances.

Well, I don't know if I could tell

if a critter's got the sickness.

You can't hardly tell at first.

Not until they get to the point

of slobberin' and staggerin' around.

You see a critter in that fix,

you know for sure.

But you wanna watch for others

that ain't that far along.

Now you take a bobcat and a fox--

you know they'll run

if they get the chance.

But when one don't run

or maybe makes fight at you, why,

you shoot him and shoot him quick.

After he's bitten you,

it's too late.

You done with your

hog markin' for this year?

- No. I'm aimin' to start tomorrow.

- Well, you watch them hogs

same as everything else.

I know your papa left you

in charge of things while he's gone.

And I figure you're man enough

to handle the job.

- Don't scare you, does it, boy?

- No, sir.

Well, yes, sir. It scares me a little

bit, but I'll sure do like you told me.

That's the way a man talks, son.

Hog tracks, Yeller!

Get 'em, boy!

Hold 'em, boy!

All right, Yeller.

Fetch 'em right under here.

Over bit the right ear.

Under slope the left.

All right, pig, now

you're wearin' the Coates' mark.

Easy.

Yeller! Yeller!

Yeller?

Yeller!

Oh, Yeller.

Oh, Yeller.

You're all cut to pieces.

You're gonna be all right, ya hear?

I'll get Mama.

Mama'll fix you up for sure.

Come on, boy.

Gonna put you in here.

Come on, Yeller. Want them hogs

to come back and get ya?

Now you're gonna stay here

till I get back.

I mean it, boy.

I'm comin' back.

I promise.

Come on now.

- I'll help you to bed.

- Mama, we gotta go

back after Old Yeller.

You're not goin' any place

until that leg gets well.

I've doctored hog cuts before.

This one of yours could be

as dangerous as a rattlesnake bite.

Mama, you don't understand.

I promised Old Yeller, and I'm goin'.

Travis! Travis!

I aim to go after Old Yeller.

He'll die without help!

All right, then.

We'll all go.

Mama, them buzzards ain't got him!

What's the matter with Yeller, Mama?

Who stopped him up in this hole?

We've come to get him out, baby.

But first, I wonder if

you'd do somethin' for me.

- What?

- Go catch me a green-striped lizard.

We passed one back there a piece.

Prettiest I ever saw.

Sure, Mama. I'll catch him.

We're gonna have to hurry

if we wanna get him patched up

before Arliss gets back.

Oh, Travis. I didn't know

it was gonna be this bad.

Them hogs would've never touched him.

He was keepin' 'em off of me.

We'll have to sew him up. Go jerk me

a hair out of old Jumper's tail.

Yes, Yeller.

Take your axe and go cut

two long poles for a litter.

The sooner we get him home,

the better.

Mama, I got your lizard.

- Ain't he pretty?

- Oh, yes. He really is.

Now if you'll just keep him for me until

we get home. We're gonna play a game.

- What kind of a game?

- We're playin' Old Yeller is sick.

- And you're gonna take care of him.

- Is that why he's all wrapped up?

That's right. Now, you're

gonna ride here and hold him.

Like we was two sick Injuns?

And you make sure he don't fall off.

On account of he's

a sicker Injun than me?

That's right. Now remember.

Don't lean on him.

And don't play with him.

He's a very, very sick Indian.

Come on,Jumper.

- Mama?

- Hmm?

Them prickly pins

gonna make Travis well?

- I hope so, son.

- Mama?

- Hmm?

When you're done,

will you play with me?

I'm sorry, Arliss.

I'm too busy now.

You go out in the backyard and play.

But I tell you, there ain't nothin'

to do out in that old backyard.

Now, Arliss, you stop it

and go outside this minute.

Hello, the house!

It's Mr Searcy!

Ain't he pretty?

Is he for me?

Partly. Mostly he's for Travis.

But Travis can't play with no puppy.

He's sick.

- Sick?

- Him and Old Yeller. Hog cut.

Good mornin', Mr Searcy.

Hello, Elizabeth.

What's this about that boy of yours

gettin' hog cut?

- Whatcha doctorin' with?

- Prickly pear root.

Miss Coates, I brung somethin'

for Travis. Can I take it to him?

Go right in there, honey.

Now, if you'll excuse me...

Mr Searcy,

I'm makin' up some new poultice.

You know, it's right providence

I come along when I did.

'Tain't nothin' better...

than a prickly pear poultice,

providin', of course,

a body knows how to fix it.

- You hurt pretty bad?

- I'm all right.

Take more than them old hogs

to kill me.

Well, I-I-I brung you a surprise.

One of Miss Priss' pups.

They was born in a badger hole.

Seven of'em.

This 'uns the best of the bunch.

See? He-He don't holler when

you hold him up by the neck hide.

Papa says that means he's a good dog.

That don't mean nothin'.

If his mouth's black inside...

that's what counts.

W-Well, anyhow, I--

I-I brung him to ya.

Well, I got me a dog.

Old Yeller.

Well, why don't you give him to Arliss?

He'll like him.

Here, you can have him.

Golly!

- Golly!

- That's the secret, Miss Coates--

a-beatin' them roots till

they're all soft and squishy as muck...

- so they can suck out the pine.

- Mama, look at the little,

bitty puppy Elizabeth give me.

Oh! Sure cut up, ain't ya, boy?

Clean to the bone, looks like.

That there poultice is sure the stuff

to suck out the poison.

- Provided, of course,

he ain't got hydrophoby.

-"Hydrophoby?''

Could be. It's all over the

countryside. Stuff dyin' like flies.

- Foxes, wolves, polecats, hogs--

- Hogs?

Hogs can get it. Same as that there boy

or that Old Yeller dog there.

Seen nary one of'em foamin' at

the mouth? Shown any signs of fits?

- Fits of temper?

- Of course not!

Well, you better keep

a close watch on them.

Liable to show up at any time.

Recollect had me an uncle once down

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