Sergeant York Page #3

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Last time I seen Alvin

he was chasing a fox.

He stopped here for a spell to

kind of catch his breath.

- Did you kill that fox, Alvin?

- I sure did.

- We run over there...

- Was that a gray fox or a red?

Red. Just to the side of that...

Why, a red fox skin ain't worth nothing

this time of the year.

That little hollow...

This one was.

"Asa begat Joshiat

and Joshiat begat Joshua."

It's just Uncle Lige talking to himself.

Zeb here was telling me there's gonna be

a dance over to Thomson's Mill.

Yeah, I hear that...

Ed Morgan's gonna do the fiddling.

I was figuring that...

Just about the best fiddler

in these here parts, he is.

- He ain't.

- lf he ain't, who'd be?

- Tod Haskins.

- He can't hold a candle to Ed.

- You're a-thinking.

- I'm a-knowing.

- Oh, you are, are you?

- Now, now, now. Hush up, you two.

There ain't no call

for fussing over a fiddler.

- We weren't a-fussing. I was telling him...

- Well, I'm a-telling you...

The way I figure, Ed's better at the jigging

and Tod can sure fiddle a square.

"It biteth like a serpent,

and stingeth like an adder."

Uncle Lige there was a-telling me

that corn's right good this harvest.

How's the crops up your way, Alvin?

We figure to get about

20 bushel to the acre.

We're gonna get about 60.

Well, there's a heap of difference

twixt farming the bottomland and the top.

- Well, there sure is.

- I reckon...

You know, I don't see how you get

five bushels off of that there land of yours.

Now look here, Zeb Andrews...

Miss... Miss Gracie,

I'd sure be much obliged

if I could have a cup of water.

I got some nipping cider.

- Well, that'd go mighty good.

- I'll be getting it.

"And the lion shall lie down

with the lamb."

Here's your cider. It's coming from the...

Where's Zeb?

- What's he...

- I reckon he lit out.

Well, isn't he be coming back?

No, ma'am, he ain't.

- That strikes me mighty queer.

- Yessum.

"Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do,

"do it with thy might."

Alvin, you...

You was fighting.

- It weren't much.

- Alvin York...

You ain't a-fitting to come a-visiting a girl.

He ain't got no business

around here anyhow.

As much business as you have, Alvin York.

- No, he ain't.

- Well, why ain't he?

- Well, he ain't because...

- Because, why?

Because...

Because I'm a-going to marry you.

- You what?

- I'm a-going to marry you.

Now, now, now, Alvin, you stop that.

Don't you be saying things like that.

- Don't you be saying 'em.

- Well, I have.

It ain't...

- Oh, you are, are you?

- Yessum.

Well, you can't...

- Well, your mother told me about it.

- That's what I'm a-doing.

Well, I never... Lookee here...

I wouldn't have you on a Christmas tree,

Alvin York.

Fine husband you'd make.

I allow Zeb Andrews would make

a better one?

Oh, how should I know? Maybe he would.

Zeb Andrews got a piece of bottomland,

that's it, ain't it?

You thinking that's it, aren't you?

Folks say you're no good

except for fighting and hell raising

and I'm thinking they're plumb right.

If I had a piece of bottomland,

I'd guess it'd make a heap of difference,

wouldn't it?

- A piece of bottomland!

- Well, I can get some.

Well, go and get it. I ain't a-caring.

There ain't nothing I can't get

if I set my mind to it.

You don't think much of yourself, do you?

Yes, I do.

Amen.

That there's bottomland soil, ain't it?

Queer how the folks

that lives on the bottom

looks down on the folks on top.

It was always that way.

Ain't no changing it.

Well, I'm a-gonna change it.

I'm a-gonna get us a piece of bottomland.

Your pa set out to get hisself

a piece of bottomland once.

Nary a man ever tried harder.

Liked to kill hisself trying.

It was a long time before he gave up,

but he had to in the end.

Well, I ain't a-setting myself up

as a better man than Pa.

I reckon I ain't half as good,

but I'm a-knowing where there's

a piece of bottomland to be had

and I'm a-gonna get it.

Maybe you will.

How old you say this here mule be?

- Nine year, but Abraham's sound.

- Yes, he are.

He's kind of pussle-gutted,

it appears to me.

Nary a bit.

He's just mighty well fed, that's all.

Well...

I reckon I might allow you $30 on him.

- $30?

- Yeah.

- You say $30?

- Yeah.

Well, he's worth $40 if he's worth a cent.

Then he ain't worth a cent.

- What's all this here you got?

- Well, there's two dozen pullets.

$6.

Why, that's 25 cents apiece.

They're worth twice that much.

Not to me, they ain't.

- What are these?

- Them's prime winter pelts, Mr. Tomkins.

Mighty poor. They won't fetch that much.

I might allow you $1.50 apiece for 'em.

Well, I can get $3 apiece for 'em

in Jimtown.

It's quite a-ways to Jimtown.

Let's see now. That's $40.50.

- What else you got?

- Well, there's

two sacks of rabbit skins,

this here clock

and a sack of goose feathers.

I tell you, Alvin,

I'll give you 50 United States dollars

for the whole caboodle.

- $50 for everything?

- That's the best I can do.

- Sounds like an awful little.

- Take it or leave it.

Can you... Can you do any better

on the price of the land?

Not a cent. $120.

- How much time I got to pay for the rest?

- Sixty days.

Well, it's a bargain. I'll take it.

Well, then I reckon

we can put it in writing.

You understand now, don't you, Alvin?

If I don't get my money afore the 60 days,

you lose the whole caboodle

and you don't get the land.

Now, $70 is a lot of money

for a fellow like you to get his hands on.

It's more than a dollar a day.

Now then, 60 days is all you got.

Sixty days and sixty nights.

What?

Well, the way I figure,

if I count the nights, too, I got

nigh onto four months to pay you off.

Well, that's one way of figuring it.

Well, I'll tell you.

I was figuring on taking

'em rocks out myself, Alvin.

But if you're willing to take on the job

at 75 cents a day,

- well, I...

- I'll take it.

- All right.

- Yes, sir.

Well, I tell you. I was thinking

maybe I could shoe your mules for you.

Sorry, Alvin. Had 'em shod

just yesterday over to Possum Trot.

Might give you two, three days

work though, splitting rails.

That's good.

Oh, I reckon it's worth about...

- $3.

- $3?

Why, that's a right fair price, Pastor.

I only worked two days to get it.

It's worth it

to me.

All right, George, let him go.

Giddap, Noah, giddap. Come on.

- Giddap, Noah.

- Giddap, Noah.

Come on, Noah.

Come on.

Whoa, Noah.

What... Why, Miss Gracie,

I was thinking you was to the dance.

No. I ain't at the dance.

No. No, I can see that.

Alvin, I...

Yeah?

- Alvin, I just...

- Yeah?

I...

Alvin...

That's what I was wanting to tell you.

Giddap, Noah.

Lord...

Lord, if you can,

help him to be getting his land.

Amen.

All right, George.

Again.

Again.

Gotta get under there.

It ain't no use, George.

I can't do it.

- Yes, you can.

- I tell you, I can't do it!

My time's up tomorrow night!

There ain't enough money

for the bottomland.

I can't get the rest!

How?

How am I gonna do it?

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