Track of the Cat Page #2

I'd throw him off the place.

Come on, here!

What's the matter with you? Move!

What's bothering you, Kentuck?

Take her out!

And quit spooking Kentuck!

Boo.

The girls up yet?

No, not yet, but any minute now.

Fine, then I can get my shaving done

before they come out.

Letty, some hot water, if you please.

Letty, I asked you!

Just who do we think

we are this morning?

John Mackey seeing Paris,

or Leland Stanford on his private train?

It must seem evident that with company

in the house it wouldn't do any harm...

- for one member of this family to put it...

- Here you go, Dad.

- To put in a decent appearance.

- Thank you, son.

It's gratifying for a man to receive

any consideration...

at all in his own house.

Seventy-one this last summer.

You'd think a man that old

wouldn't have enough head left to turn.

Well, shaving, Mr. Bridges?

Shaving himself raw just for her.

Those young ladies are certainly having

the time of their lives in there, huh?

I told you not to bother cooking, Ma.

- Horses are ready, Art.

- Where are you going?

You can't go

without some food in your belly.

Well, the storm's letting up.

We got a pretty good chance

of getting him...

if we get up there before daylight.

Get what? What's he talking about?

What makes you so sure it's a panther?

What else would make the cattle bellow

the way they was?

- It's a panther all right.

- Maybe it's a bear.

The snow could be worrying them.

No. I know it's a cat.

Probably the same one

that got my dogs last year.

I'm gonna get him this time, if I have

to chase him clear to Placerville.

I'll tell you one thing.

You ain't gonna nail

the next hide up on the house.

- Not even if it's black?

- Not if it's red, white, and blue.

Such a stink

every time the door was open.

Yeah, but a black one, Ma.

Might bring some good luck

to the house.

Well, I'll take less luck

if it'll make less stink.

Sit down. I'll get you some breakfast.

You better take Hal's rifle.

That old Sharp's of yours is about

as much use as throwing rocks.

No use taking a gun

if it's Joe Sam's kind of cat.

- Better take your snowshoes.

- Won't need them.

We'll get him up on the north draw,

if we get him at all.

He'll be in there.

He can't be anyplace but there.

The bellowing come from the north.

He's got to be in there.

Too bad that ain't finished.

If a bullet don't stop him,

we might need it.

Okay.

I hope it snows for

a whole week, then.

Good morning, my dear!

Good morning! Come.

Come sit down beside me. Right here.

Letty will have breakfast for you

in no time at all.

Thank you, Mr. Bridges.

Cup of coffee for Miss Williams,

Letty.

And my bottle and the glass

from the cupboard, if you don't mind.

Nothing like a little cheer

on a cold, cold morning, huh?

Better watch the old goat.

He'll steal your girl.

I must apologize for my sons,

Miss Williams.

If they were gentlemen, they'd apologize

for waking you at this unseemly hour.

But gallantry is dead.

I sure hate to break up this little party

just when it's getting so good...

but we got a call to make, Art and me.

Old friend of Joe Sam's.

It's only a foolish joke, Miss Williams,

and a worn-out one at that.

We're in kind of a hurry, so Hal will

have to explain it to you the best he can.

Which is too bad in a way, because

Arthur's the one that really knows.

He talks to the thing.

Come on, Curt, let's go.

Joe Sam's freezing out here.

Why are you going?

You don't think I could handle a black

panther by myself, do you, Gracie?

An ordinary yellow one, maybe,

but not a black one.

You don't have to go.

If he's so set on going, let him go alone.

It doesn't take two to shoot at a shadow.

Grace, you're getting yourself

all worked up.

Why do you do whatever he wants?

You know you do. You always do!

I'll bring your little Arty back home safe

and sound, Gracie. Don't you worry.

If it was just you, I'd wish it was black.

Yes, I would!

You and your cheap sneer

and your self-importance.

- Always judging others by yourself.

- Grace!

He does. He always does!

He's a cheap, dirty-mouthed bully!

Well, if there's a cat out there,

Curt will get him.

He's just about the best hunter I know.

He has a gift for it.

I remember one year...

I don't guess Gwendolyn's so crazy

to hear about Curt's fancy shooting.

It's getting so it's impossible to have a

little sociable conversation around here.

Eat your breakfast, Miss Williams.

Go ahead and eat.

We've lost even the most ordinary

consideration in this wilderness.

All sense of the

amenities of civilization.

You have no idea the pleasure it is

to have you under this roof.

It reminds us of ourselves.

A little.

Heaven knows we need

to be reminded.

The true pleasure, of course,

is your presence.

- Thank you.

- No, thank you.

Come on in, Joe Sam.

Joe Sam, get over by the fire.

Don't mind him, my dear.

He's seeing things.

Always happens with the first snow.

Drink this coffee.

It'll make you warm.

Not cold.

Him and his black panthers.

Every year

we go through the same nonsense.

He claims it comes with the first snow.

That's what the carvings are about.

Medicine, help him fight it off.

Only Arthur missed this year,

with the snow coming early.

That's why he's this way.

"Oh, that I were as

in the months of old...

"as in the days

when God watched over me...

"when his lamp shined upon my head...

"and by his light,

I walked through darkness."

- You never told me about him.

- Well now...

when a young man has to ride

all that way to get in a little courting...

you'd hardly expect him to waste

any words talking about the hired help.

- Arthur's the only one he ever talks to.

- Pack of lies, that's what he says.

He was a brave

when Fremont camped at Pyramid Lake.

He remembers the brass cannon...

the kind of buttons

Fremont wore on his coat...

a lot of other little things

that couldn't be lies.

Things he says would make him

more than 100 years old.

He was a war chief

when they had that fight on the Truckee.

He spoke at the last council

before that fight.

His sons were all killed in that battle.

That was way over 60 years ago,

so he must be pretty old.

They took an awful licking, and after

that they scattered all over the country.

Joe Sam took his family...

Well, just his wife and daughter

left by then.

They went up

into the mountains around Shasta.

That's where

the black panther got started.

They were camped up in the woods

in the high country.

His wife and daughter went down

the creek to get some water.

He heard them screaming.

He got down as fast as he could...

and saw the cat

going off through the willows.

It happened during the first snow.

Arthur thinks that the cat is

Joe Sam's personal spirit.

It stands for the whole business

of being run out by the whites.

Sit down, Grace.

Do you want something to eat?

If I could have a cup of coffee, please.

What is it?

The Indian, he was right there.

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