Sergeant York

---

"And he spake this parable

unto them saying,

"What man of you having a hundred sheep,

"if you lose one of them,

doth not leave the ninety-nine, and..."

"Doth not leave the ninety-nine

in the wilderness,

"and go after that which was lost, until..."

"Until he find it."

"And when he hath found it, he layeth it,

"on his shoulder and rejoiceth.

"And when he cometh..."

All right, Zeke, sit yourself down.

"And when he cometh home

he calleth together his friends

"and neighbors saying..."

"He calleth to his friends and neighbors,

"saying unto them, 'Rejoice with me,

"'for I have found my sheep

which were lost."'

I recollect the time Sam Harkness

lost his old sow.

He come out one morning,

the pen be busted down,

the sow was gone.

Sam lit out after it to find it.

He had six or seven other pigs

that didn't run off.

But did Sam get down

on his marrowbones,

and thank the good Lord for that?

No, siree, not Sam.

He hunted high and low for that old...

As I was saying,

he hunted high and low for that old sow.

About all he...

About all he done that summer

was hunt for that sow.

Wouldn't even stop...

Wouldn't even stop hunting

when winter come.

And sure enough, one night,

when he was plowing home...

One night, when he was plowing home

through the snow,

he seen something move in the shadows.

Sam... Sam's right scared.

Figures maybe it's a bear.

Then the...

Then the...

Then the bear grunts

and it ain't no bear at all.

It's the sow!

Well, Sam was fitting to be tied.

The rejoicingest man you ever seen.

Ten times as rejoiceful for the lost one

as for 'em that stayed in the fold.

Now this here...

Now this here...

Now this here is the point!

It appears to me that

the devil be a-knocking at the

door of the house of worship.

If there's any of you

want to go get him, you're...

You'll be free to go.

'Cause the meeting's over.

Lookee here, Pastor Pile.

Alvin York done shot his initials

in this tree.

"A-Y," plain as day.

It was Alvin York, lke Botkin

and Buck Lipscomb in their liquor.

Who was you saying it was?

Who was you saying it was?

- It was Alvin, Mrs. York.

- How be you know it?

It wasn't Alvin, Mother York,

it was the liquor.

Mighty good shooting

for a man in his liquor.

Ain't it?

Say, let's do it again.

- Howdy, boys!

- Howdy!

- Howdy, Pastor.

- Howdy, Luke.

- We were looking for you Saturday.

- Couldn't get here no more than fly.

Roads are getting soggier and soggier

between here and Rugby.

- Is that so?

- Water is so deep

in some of 'em creek beds,

had to use old Betsy's belly for a boat.

How are you, Zeke?

I reckon you could have got here quicker

if you had carried Betsy.

Yeah, wished I could get me another mule

like old Flora.

They ain't turning out mules

like they used to.

No, sir!

Hey, what you got there, young fellow?

The very latest thing in ladies' hats,

the cloche model.

Women folks around here

wear split bonnets.

The young ones goes bareheaded.

Maybe so, but in modern merchandising,

the storekeeper endeavors

to create a demand.

Now in this line of ladies' bloomers,

very moderately priced,

has the finest elastic in the waistband,

also in the knees.

No amount of washing

will make it lose its snap.

- Your first trip in these parts, ain't it?

- Yes.

And we have them in three lovely colors.

Which we absolutely guarantee

will not fade or shrink.

Plenty of room in the seat, too.

I can tell you these garments

are mighty popular with the ladies.

- You can, huh?

- Yes.

Well, folks hereabouts wouldn't know

what 'em things is for.

- Lem?

- Yeah.

- Lem, here's your Nashville paper.

- Well, thank you, Pastor.

I got letters here for Tom Carver

and Ed Watson.

Both back tax bills, I reckon.

- What does it say, Lem?

- Well...

They're a-telling, Cordell Hull

are speechmaking over in Jimtown.

Appears he's out running

for Congress again.

- It says...

- I mind when Cord Hull

wasn't knee high to a toad frog,

and running around in his shirttail.

Just goes to show you what

a fellow can do if he gets book learning.

That paper is four days old,

I read it over at Nashville.

Yep. It took Luke three days

of mule-paddling

to bring the mail from Rugby.

I can believe that,

after driving over here from Jamestown.

Jimtown.

- I thought it was Jamestown.

- It are.

Well, anyway, since driving over here,

what I'd like to know is,

how do you fellows get into this valley?

We were born here.

Now look, Mr. Pile,

I'd like to sell you some of these garments

before the price goes up

on account of the war.

What war?

Why, the... The war in Europe.

Oh, that war.

Yes, certainly.

Look likes the Germans

might get into Paris, don't you think?

Well, we ain't done

much thinking on it, mister.

It ain't in our corner, nohow.

If you're hankering for trouble,

it ain't scarce

right here in these mountains.

Oh, I ain't looking for any trouble.

Yep, fighting could have been

mighty plentiful

down at the meeting house last night.

Did you hear?

Alvin York and two other fellows

done busted up the meeting.

That ain't a smithereen

to what he done in Jimtown.

- Nigh split the jail, he did.

- No...

Raised such a rumpus

they had to turn him loose.

Do tell.

Old man Jarvis up Bear Creek way

told me he seen the three of 'em

riding their mules,

hell-bent for election,

toward the Kentucky border.

I reckon their liquor was getting low

and they wanted to get there

before they sobered up.

Howdy, Mrs. York.

- Howdy, Luke.

- Howdy, Mother York.

- Tolerable, Pastor.

- What can I do for you today?

Could I be getting a can of baking powder

and a...

- Poke of salt?

- Sure thing.

I ain't having but five eggs

and they're kind of puny.

Oh, eggs are eggs, I reckon.

I was plumb out of salt.

Don't be taking it hard, Mother York,

what you just heard.

I ain't taking nothing hard, Pastor.

And I ain't making excuses

for Alvin to nobody.

Of course you ain't,

and I ain't asking you to.

- I'm right proud of Alvin.

- Got a right to be.

Works hard, Alvin does.

Patching and scratching that poor land.

It's mighty hard work,

getting corn out of rocks.

- Indeed it is.

- Who's to blame him

if he busts loose now and again?

Nobody, Mother York, nary a soul.

Of course, I ain't for Alvin

doing like he does.

A little religion wouldn't do him no hurt.

No, it wouldn't.

Pastor, I wouldn't be against

your talking to Alvin.

You reckon it'd do any good?

Well, it wouldn't do no harm.

I'd be riding up and having a talk with him.

I'm thanking you, Pastor.

- George.

- Yes, Ma?

I reckon I know where your brother's at.

He's up at the Kentucky border.

- Go fetch him.

- Yessum.

Better be taking a piece of corn

for your supper, Son.

Yessum.

- Hiya, Marter.

- Hiya, Alvin.

- Mart, we wants to get us a bottle.

- Now look here, Alvin.

You know, I know and so do the Sheriff.

You're from over here in Tennessee.

And I can't sell you no liquor

less you gets over yonder in Kentucky.

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