The Yearling Page #4

It went to pure rags,

doing work just like this.

Toting washing to a sinkhole

half a mile from the house...

...toting water to wash and cook in.

You'll get your well one day,

right outside your door.

I'll believe it when I see it.

After all these years of waiting,

I'll take no stock in it.

Ora, I think me and Jody'll

make us a trip to Volusia.

Yeah. I got some trading I wanna do.

Ain't it exciting just to see it, Pa?

Yes, once in a while,

it's a pleasure to see a town.

Get along, Caesar.

It'll be nice seeing

your sweetheart, won't it?

You know I got no sweetheart.

You ain't going back on Eulalie

after you held hands last Christmas?

I wasn't holding hands.

It's a game they was playing.

If you say that again, Pa,

I'll just die.

All right.

Just wanted to get it straight.

Hello there, Mr. Ranger.

Hello, Mr. Ranger.

- Who's there?

- Customers.

Hi there, Penny Baxter. Hiya, Jody.

Hello, Mr. Ranger.

I was just getting set to noon.

You stay right where you are.

Sorry we woke you up.

It ain't nothing.

I can catch up with it later.

Well, look there who's in town.

Hiya, fellas. How'd that

there dog I swapped you come out?

- Say that again.

- How's the sorry dog I traded you?

- We ain't laughing about it.

- You ain't mad, Buck?

I ain't saving.

You keep out of Lem's way.

Lem in town with you?

Yes, but he's courting

Twink Weatherby.

She's Oliver's girl.

Just don't let Lem

hear you say that, young'un.

I'm sorry Lem feels that way

about the trade.

You just told him the truth.

My words was straight...

...but my intentions was as crooked

as the Ocklawaha River.

The steamboat captain's

been asking about you.

Says these city folks traveling

the river's hollering for venison.

- What's next?

- Two boxes, 12-gauge brass shell cases.

Two boxes, 12-gauge brass shell cases.

Just hollering for it, he says,

and it ain't half as good as pork.

- You and me, we know it. What's next?

- One pain curer.

One pain curer.

Yes, sir, as I says to my nephew,

"Oliver, you're just as well... "

- Oliver in town?

- Oliver! Oliver back?

- Where'd he go to this long time?

- He says he traveled the seven seas.

You reckon he saw whales this time?

Where is Oliver?

The sailor? He's out with his gal,

Twink Weatherby.

But Millwheel said she's Lem's girl.

Don't you bother your head about that.

That completes it. You figure that up.

With the cash left over, I'll buy some

tobacco seed for the spring money crop.

With that money, I'll buy brick and

mortar for a well outside our door.

- What do you think, Mr. Boyles?

- That'll be fine for Mrs. Baxter.

- What's this stuff? Black alpaca?

- Yeah, that's what it is.

That's what I thought.

I think I sold Mrs. Baxter

a dress length of that alpaca...

...about four or five summers back.

That's pretty.

Young man, you don't come in

to trade very often...

...so I'll treat you to a dime's worth

of anything you've a notion for.

I reckon that mouth organ's

worth more than a dime.

Well, yes,

but it's been here a long while.

Take it and welcome.

- Well, now. That's unusual kind.

- Thank you, sir.

- There's your gal now, Jody.

- Pa.

It's Eulalie.

Come out special just to see you.

- Pa.

- Now go say "How do" to her. Go on.

- Your boy's got manners, Mr. Baxter.

- He's right smart of a comfort.

- He hit me with a potato!

- Jody, you put that down.

What's got into you?

How come you shame me like that?

Now you go up and excuse yourself.

Jody!

Right smart lot of spunk

your boy's got, Mr. Baxter.

Thank you, Mr. Boyles.

We'll be back later for our things.

Quick! They're killing Oliver. He's

fighting Lem and all the Forresters.

They're killing him.

Is Twink Lem's or Oliver's girl?

- They can't decide.

- Who do we fight for?

- Whoever's taking a licking: Oliver.

- But the Forresters are friends too.

- Who's judging this fight?

- We are!

If it takes three men to whip one,

the one man's the best.

Hello, Oliver. Welcome home.

Oliver!

Am I glad to see you,

you old landlubber, you.

I brought you a gift from China.

I saw a lot of whales too.

I'll smash you like a skeeter

if you get in my way.

We'd have fought him one at a time.

I'll fight any man saving

that about my gal.

And I'll say it again.

Keep off him!

I ain't seen a fight

this good for months.

- Reckon I'll get in it too. Coming?

- Might as well.

Hit him again!

Jody! Get out of this!

Get off, you little...!

I'm back, Ma.

What happened to you?

- We got in a fight.

- Who did?

Me, Pa, the Forresters and Oliver.

They was beating him bad.

They couldn't decide

if Oliver's girl...

Now, ain't that just fine!

Where's your pa?

I'm here.

Well, ain't that just fine!

Now, did I make a good trade?

That makes near $5.00 we got saved.

You know what that money's going for?

Tobacco seed.

Enough seed to have

a fine money crop next spring.

The money we get from that

is going into bricks and mortar...

...so's you can have your new well,

right outside your door.

Well, I declare.

I just can't imagine it.

Washing right on my own place!

Having all the water

I need right here.

Not even caring if some

slops over now and then.

Being able to waste a whole bucket

of nice cold water...

...just to cool myself with.

I declare it'll be such a blessing,

it won't seem natural.

I bet you ain't bought half my order.

I never knowed a man vet

who could be trusted to...

Where's my paregoric? Where's my...?

That's just like a man!

Throwing away money on such as this.

Men got no more sense than...

How much did this cost?

Tell me how much you wasted

on such foolishness.

The next time you go to Volusia,

I'll... How much was this?

She's raring, Pa. Don't she like it?

She likes it, boy.

Giddap.

Fodderwing claims

he can talk to vultures.

They wouldn't have much

I'd wanna hear.

Maybe if you was to tame one,

it might make a pretty nice pet.

Whoa, Caesar. Whoa.

Well, Ma, been admiring

our fine crop of corn?

I ain't admiring nothing.

Know why the hogs didn't come in?

- Why?

- They was stole.

- Stole?

- They was baited. Look here.

I was by the sinkhole. I seen

this corn and hog tracks beside it.

- They come and took them.

- Who have, Ma?

That ain't hard to guess.

Them fine friends of yours.

- The Forresters?

- Them black-hearted, thieving...

Jody, fetch me my gun.

Look, Pa!

So that's what they done.

They trapped them.

They had a cart, Pa.

And that track leads plain as anything

right to the Forresters.

Dogged if I can understand

cold out meanness.

Well, boy, we're obliged to follow.

Lem said he'd shoot if we come around.

I'd rather let them keep the hogs.

And go without meat?

How will we live if we don't protect

our rations? You wanna beg off going?

- I reckon not. I reckon to go with you.

- All right then.

There's trouble waiting,

you just as good go to meet it.

- Pa!

- Get back! Watch the dogs!

Pa!

He got me, boy.

He was a big one.

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