Old Yeller Page #5

in East Texas got mad dog bit, he did.

Knowed he was bound to die. Chained

himself to a sweet gum tree, he did.

- Stayed right there

till sickness took a hold.

- Mr Searcy, please.

But it's the gospel truth,

Miss Coates. He went to snarlin'

and snappin' at everything in sight.

He run at his woman and young 'uns,

tryin' to bite 'em.

And he'd have done that too...

if that chain hadn't held him back.

Stayed right there till he died

of the slobberin' fits.

- They buried him

under that sweet gum tree--

- Mr Searcy, that's enough of that!

- But--

- Not another word!

- Biggest, nicest funeral you ever did--

What do you mean tellin'

an ugly story like that

to a boy who's just been hog cut?

Well, now, Miss Coates, I was just

tryin' to give a word of warnin'.

Reckon if I can't be

of no more help around here,

I'll be makin' tracks for home.

"Help.'' There are plenty of ways

a man could help around here.

Huh? By doin' what, Miss Coates?

Like hitchin' up the mule

and gatherin' in the corn crop...

before the deer eat it up,

or the blowin' rain rot it in the field!

Now, don't you fret yourself at all

about that corn crop, Miss Coates.

I'll be glad to take care of that.

Elizabeth?

- Yes, Papa?

- Elizabeth, honey, Miss Coates here,

she's in kind of a bind.

Ain't got her corn in the crib yet.

Figured I'll leave you behind

to help her with the job.

Mr Searcy, Elizabeth's

nothin' but a little girl.

Yeah, well,

she ain't much for size...

but she's just like her old pappy--

stout and willin'!

Now, don't you forget, Miss Coates.

If there's any other little thing

I can do for you...

don't you be bashful

about tellin' me.

I'm on call day or night.

Bye! Bye.

Oh!

- I do believe you are cooler.

- Mama.

Don't let what

Mr Searcy said bother you.

I'm gonna be all right.

I'm sure you will be.

I know, Mama.

Mama, I know.

I got a good look at them hogs.

Now, them hogs was mean,

but they weren't mad.

Travis, we got lots of corn--

me, Mama and Elizabeth.

Ain't that old Rose I hear bawlin'?

She's been actin' flighty lately,

like she was scared of her own shadow.

And this mornin', she wouldn't

let her calf suck either.

- I think maybe

she's got a bit of pea vine.

- Oh, no, Mama.

It can't be pea vine.

Not this late of year.

Oh. The poor thing.

She's blind sick.

Mama, that cow's got hydrophoby.

Hydrophoby?

Oh, no, Travis.

Mr Sanderson said when they stagger

and slobber around, you know for sure.

I'll go get my gun.

Let's get finished

and go burn the carcass.

If the varmints get at it,

could be that might spread the disease.

I'm hungry.

Well, I'll go rustle you up

some bread and milk.

- How come you shot old Rose?

- She was sick.

Well, you were sick too.

How come they didn't shoot you?

Well, that's somethin' different.

Where'll Rose go now she's dead?

Nowhere, I reckon.

She's just dead.

- Will she go to heaven?

- I don't much reckon.

Ain't there no cows in heaven

for the angels to milk?

Well, how do I know?

Here's your supper.

How far off is heaven?

Oh, I don't know.

A far piece, I guess.

Is heaven as far off as Papa went?

A heap further than that.

- Where'd Papa go to?

- Kansas.

Arliss, quit eatin'

with that nasty old pup!

Well, he's hungry too!

Travis! Bring your gun!

That's Mama!

What's the matter with her?

You stay in this house,

Arliss, you hear?

Travis! Travis!

Travis! Bring your gun!

Travis! Travis! A wolf!

- Mama!

- Don't let Arliss come down here.

I'm comin', Arliss!

- What happened?

- It was so sudden, I don't hardly know.

- The wolf came leapin' out at us.

- Lucky you had Old Yeller.

It was lucky for us, son,

but it weren't lucky for Old Yeller.

He's chewed up some,

but he ain't bad hurt.

No wolf in his right mind

would've jumped us at the fire...

not even a loafer wolf.

That wolf was mad.

I'll shoot him...

if you can't.

But either way,

we've got it to do.

Mama, listen. Old Yeller just saved

your life, and Elizabeth too!

And he saved mine and Arliss'!

We can't!

We don't know for certain.

I'll pen him up where he can't get out.

And-And then we'll wait.

We can't just shoot him like

he was nothin'. Don't you understand?

All right, son.

If you think there's a chance.

- Hear that?

- Well, now...

that sounds like

a healthy dog to me.

Take a look at him, Mama.

See for yourself.

He sure looks fine, all right.

Two whole weeks,

and nary a sign of a thing.

Think we could let him out?

No, son, not yet.

They say sometimes

it takes a month to tell.

Now, I told you,

if everything's all right...

we'll let Old Yeller

out come Saturday.

- But, Mama, why not now?

- No.

We've waited this long. I guess

we can stand it another couple of days.

Aw, Mama.

Here we are, boy. More grub.

Yeller?

What's the matter, boy?

Come on. It's time to eat.

- How is he tonight?

- All right, I reckon.

- Are you sure?

- I said he was all right, didn't I?

I guess you wouldn't like it either if

you had to stay shut up in a corn crib!

You ain't gonna keep my dog

locked up in that crib no more!

You stay away from that dog.

You understand?

It's time for you

to go to bed, Arliss.

- Aw, Mama.

- Do as I say.

Yes'm.

Don't you worry, boy.

I'll get you outta here.

- Where's Arliss?

- I don't know.

Arliss!

Arliss!

Arliss! Don't open that door!

Arliss! Keep away from that door!

Arliss!

No, Mama.

There's no hope for him now, Travis.

He's sufferin'.

You know we've got to do it.

I know, Mama.

But he was my dog.

I'll do it.

- Hello, the house!

- Papa! Ya done came home!

Hiya, boy.

Ain't them Injuns scalped you yet?

- Papa, what'd you bring me?

- I brought you somethin', all right.

Just hold your potatoes

while I go kiss your mama.

Jim! Oh,Jim!

What'd you bring me home, Papa?

Where is it?

Hear this, Katie?

Money. Cash money.

First we've had since the war.

- That ain't all.

- What?

I got that dress.

Prettiest thing you ever seen.

- Oh!

- And a fancy pair of shoes

to go with it.

- Gee whiz!

- Put it on, son.

There you are.

All right, chief.

Let's hit the warpath.

Come on, boy!

Oh,Jim!

It's lovely.

I been achin' to see it on you.

Where's Travis?

I wanna get a look at his face...

when he sees the horse I brung him.

Him and Elizabeth Searcy

are over at North Hill...

burying Old Yeller.

Old Yeller?

Come in the house

and I'll tell you about it.

Travis?

If you could just

come to like the pup.

He's-He's part Old Yeller.

He may be part Old Yeller,

but he ain't Old Yeller.

Your mama told me about the dog.

Come sit down, son.

That was rough, son.

As rough a thing

as I ever heard tell of.

But I'm mighty proud

of how my boy stood up to it.

Couldn't ask no more of a grown man.

Thing to do now is

try and forget it.

Go on bein' a man.

How, Pa? How you gonna

forget somethin' like that?

Well, I guess I don't quite mean that.

Reckon it's not a thing

you can forget.

Maybe not even a thing

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