The Trail of the Lonesome Pine Page #7

Cornwallis.

All right. Cornwallis.

What difference

does it make?

How are you?

How's Pappy and Mammy

and Buddie?

They are?

Yeah.

Say, June, you know you've

got the prettiest eyes.

Yeah.

And the cutest nose.

Say, have you

got a dimple?

You get a fix, Son?

She's all sort onto the

bridge and ready to go.

We'll pop her off

in the morning.

Kind of like to have

Mr. Hale see it.

Hey, Pappy.

Now we're here

for Mr. Corsey?

Yeah, but you stay right here till your pappy

gets through talking

to Mr. Hale.

Thanks, Pappy.

Can I come in,

Mr. Hale?

Sure, come on in.

I got serious things to

talk to you about, Mr. Hale.

Sit down.

And now, it's Dave

that's going away.

It's gotten me worried.

About Melissa, I mean.

She don't sing

no more, Mr. Hale.

Sun up always seen her singing, you know?

I'm sorry about Melissa,

but there's nothing I can do.

I got troubles of my own.

You gotta come, Mr. Hale.

Melissa,

she'll listen to you.

Somehow, I don't talk

the right language to her.

No wonder you can't speak a

language which Melissa understands.

I've never heard her favor

your feud to the Falins.

Have you done anything to

stop it? No, you haven't.

You came down here

to blame me

for June's going away

and for Dave's leaving.

You'd like to

thrust the responsibility

for Melissa's suffering

on my shoulders.

Well, you don't do it. I've got enough

of you and your whole stupid outfit.

I'm sorry, Judd, I...

I didn't really mean

what I said.

Sure glad.

I liked you the first day

you walked into my house.

Wait a minute.

Hello?

Yes, Hale speaking.

Louisville?

Just a minute.

You wanna

speak to June?

Can I?

Come here.

Hold that up to your ear.

Now, talk right in here.

What for?

Well, you wanna speak

to June, don't you?

But you said

she was in Louisville.

Well, that's where

she is.

Hello, Pappy.

June.

Where are you hiding?

I'm not hiding, Pappy.

I'm in Louisville.

She says

she's in Louisville.

Well, that's what

I told you.

Is this thing hollow

all the way through?

Yeah, all the way through.

Well...

Hello, little brush rabbit.

You didn't, huh?

You know what your ma said

this morning?

Operator?

Buddie!

Buddie is in there.

Buddie.

Pappy.

Jack.

Pappy!

Buddie! Buddie!

Buddie!

Buddie. Buddie.

Get me Dr. Owen, quick.

Get me some hot water.

Buddie.

Son. It's your pappy, Son.

Oh, God,

don't let him die.

Don't take him away

from my poor Melissa.

Buddie.

Buddie.

You may be the civil law

around here, but get this,

interference with the public

carriers, the railroad, I mean,

that's a federal offense.

It might have been

an accident.

But it wasn't!

It was cold wanton murder!

They killed little Buddie!

They murdered him! A baby!

And I'm gonna put them

where they rot.

Not for a murder, your

heels are too smart for that.

And there's not a man in this town

with courage enough to convict him.

But you're gonna make out

a warrant on my charges!

You're gonna do what I say.

And you're gonna do

everything I say.

Mr. Hale, I've lived in this

country for more than 50 years.

I was born here,

and I know these people.

I can bring the Falins

to court. Maybe hang them.

But that don't stop feuds.

It makes them.

There'd be killings like

we've never seen before.

Mountain people don't

seem to like law, Mr. Hale.

Down here, peace has got to come from within.

It all seems kind of brutal and

primitive while it's a-boiling,

but, well, I was born here and I know.

I'm talking honest,

Mr. Hale.

You know, I...

I cried when they told me

Buddie was killed.

Why, I used to ride miles

out of my way

to fetch him

some stick candy.

But I like Jim Falin, too.

That was before

you come here.

He's older than Buddie

but just a kid.

Eyes always a-laughing.

He was

Buck's favorite son.

Dave Tolliver shot him.

Had reasons, I guess.

Or I could have

cramped him in jail.

Yes, I could.

But did you ever get up close to

Melissa and look into her eyes?

Well, you do that

sometime.

Then you tell me

what kind of a law

you can think of

that will correct it.

Tell me...

June!

He couldn't just die,

could he?

He had to be killed.

Killed by the Falin.

They did that.

He was my only brother.

And they killed him.

He ran down the hill with

me before I went away.

He stood up there

at the Lonesome Pine.

I never got to

see him again.

I'm never going to

see him again.

What are you doing here?

Why aren't you up there

with Dave and Daddy?

You loved Buddie,

didn't you?

You said you loved him.

He was gonna be an engineer.

Like you and Corsey.

When I tucked him in

at night, he said,

"A is for apple, and I'll bet

you I'll be as big as Mr. Hale."

What are you doing here?

June.

You're down here

with the law!

The law's gonna help you!

The laws gonna show you

how it don't hurt.

When somebody you love...

When somebody you love...

Oh, June, darling,

don't cry.

You mustn't cry.

Listen to me, dear.

I love you, and...

You love me?

You said

you loved Buddie.

Why aren't you

with Buddie?

Why aren't you

where they need you?

You're here

with the law.

You don't love me!

Well, I do

with all of my heart.

You never said you love me before

and I was hungry to hear it.

You said

you love Buddie.

But you ain't

doing nothing about it!

You ain't fighting!

You ain't killing!

That's what's coming to them! The Falins!

This is what you wanted me to be, ain't it?

Pretty, nice words,

hollow words!

I don't want it!

I don't want you!

I don't want anything!

I don't want anything

but the Falins!

Our Father who art in

Heaven, hallowed be thy name.

Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth

as it is in Heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread

and forgive us our trespasses

as we forgive those who trespass against us.

Lead us not into temptation

but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the power and

the glory forever and ever.

Amen.

When it's twilight

on the trail

And I rest once more

My ceiling is the sky

And the grass

On which I lie

Is my floor

When it's twilight

on the trail

And my voice is still

Please plant

this heart of mine

Underneath the Lonesome Pine

On the hill

Oh, God, our Heavenly Father, we

bow before thee in meekest humbleness

leaving in thy divine wisdom and

accepting with equal humbleness

the complexities

of this life.

We are returning to the earth

that which thou has produced.

A part of thy soul,

of life eternal.

There's just about

eight of them, Judd.

Dominickers!

Looks like things is just

born to the Tollivers.

Don't it, Melissa?

Sure seems.

What are we

going to do?

What are we

standing here for?

June, honey.

I'm not just gonna

stand around any longer.

Be sensible.

Before green-up

time, Dave.

That's what you want,

isn't it?

You mean it?

It's gotta be somebody

who acts like a Tolliver.

Is that what

it's going to be?

Dave, I don't

want you to go.

I ain't hating the Falins.

I ain't hating nobody.

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