Where the Red Fern Grows Page #4

Grandpa's counting on us,|you understand?

All right.

Come on. Come on.

Come on, little girl.

This'll hold him. We don't want him|fighting with those cooning dogs.

That's them. Come on.

Attagirl.

They got the scent.

Get him, Dan. Come on, let's go.

Attagirl. Come on.

- It's the ghost coon, all right.|- Yep.

He always goes this way. Come on.

Hurry up, Rainie. Let's go.

That's him.|He always finds that tree.

There's no holes up there or nothing.

We've been up there.|He just disappears.

He's gone.

- He's the ghost coon.|- We want our five bucks.

What you doing up there, boy?

He ain't up there. He's gone.

Come on down here and pay up.

That son of a gun.

You were right.

He's gone. He's disappeared.

He's the ghost coon, all right.

It's old Blue.

Look out, Dan.

Hey, get off him.

He's hurt real bad.|I'm gonna get my pa.

I'm kind of homesick

For that country

To which I've never

Been before

No sad goodbyes

Will there be spoken

For time won't matter

Any more

Beulah land

I'm longing for you

And someday

On thee I'll stand

Where my home

Shall be eternal

Beulah land

Sweet Beulah land

Don't go blaming yourself, Billy.

I'm the reason he's dead.

Billy, if anybody's at fault, it's me.

- I'm the one who called those boys' bet.|- It's nobody's fault. It was an accident.

You can stop worrying, Momma,|'cause I ain't never going hunting again.

Come on, now, girls.

Hurry up. Grandpa's waiting.

I have an idea, Jenny, this ain't|just a Sunday dinner we're going to.

Why? Do you think he's got|something else up his sleeve?

Knowing your father,|it could be anything,

especially where Billy's concerned.

All right, Jenny.

- I know you want some more tater pie.|- Thank you, no.

- Uh, Will? You? How about some?|- No, no. I couldn't.

Girls? Huh?

- No thanks, Grandpa. I'm stuffed.|- I'm full, too.

Sarah, did you know|this is your grandma's favorite recipe?

No more, Grandpa.

Now, what are you|trying to do to us, George?

I'll just throw it to the critters, then.

All right, Poppa. What is it?

- What's on your mind?|- Mind? I-

Well, you must have some purpose|for laying out a feed like this.

No, I just wanted Jenny|to get out of the kitchen

and sample some real cooking here.

Poppa, will you stop your teasing?

You've got something|up your sleeve, and what is it?

I don't. I got nothing|up my sleeve, that's a promise.

But, uh...

...I do have a little thing here in my pocket|that might be of interest to you.

Billy, why don't you read that out?

"Ozark championship|coon hunt to be held. "

There you go.

I don't know about y'all,

but I've always been interested|in being in a real coon hunt.

Billy, all you have to do is enter old Dan|and little Ann and we're in the contest.

I told you, Grandpa.

I ain't never going hunting again.

I ain't talking about you entering,|I'm talking about entering the dogs.

Giving them dogs a chance|to prove how good they are.

Best in Oklahoma.

Do you know I made|a record of every coon he treed?

I took it over to J.B. Johnson,|down at the courthouse.

He made some kind|of notary's affidavit, or something like that.

Turns out there ain't a pair of dogs|in this county can hold a candle to his.

- That's enough, now.|- Enough?

Well, they're Billy's dogs. He worked|for 'em. It's gotta be his decision.

Maybe I will have one more|tiny slice of that tater pie.

Then I think I need|to get started on cleaning up the dishes.

Oh, no you don't.|That's Alice and me and Sarah.

We're gonna do that, aren't we, girls?

- I'll wash, and Sarah can dry.|- Maybe I wanna wash.

Maybe Billy and I can take a look at|the pump and see what's causing that leak.

No, Will. No, no. Relax.|Wilkins are coming Tuesday-

I'll do it.

Hmm?

Grandpa's right.

Dan and Ann are the best.

They have the right to prove it.

Well, I think that settles it.

All right, then.

Howdy.

Well, I expected a mess|of people, but nothing like this.

There's those fellers who were|hunting over at our place a while back.

Mr. Bellington.|He won the competition last year.

- He must be here to win again.|- We'll see about that. Right, Billy?

- Afternoon, folks.|- Howdy.

- How you doing?|- Good.

I'm collecting for the pool,|if you're interested. Cash pool.

- Cash pool?|- Uh-huh.

Howdy, Sheriff.

Well, if it isn't the boy|who tried to fight every kid in town.

All at the same time.

Ain't that right?

- Are these the same pups?|- Yes, sir. They sure are.

They sure grew into|some fine-looking dogs.

Ah, thank you.

Pa, Grandpa? This is the sheriff|I told you about, from Tahlequah.

Abe O'Donnell.|I'm pleased to meet you at last.

Will Coleman.|Thank you for looking after my boy.

George Randall.

You said, uh, you said|something about a cash pool?

Oh, yeah. Yeah, each contestant|puts in $5. Make up a cash pool.

Whoever wins, wins it, and the cup.

- $5?|- Now, now wait a minute.

I think we'd better|go along with that, there.

That's like finding money.

That ought to be $5.|Put it in their name, though, if you will.

- Coleman.|- Coleman.

But the point is,|there ain't a pair of hounds out here

that ain't gonna be struggling|to keep up with these two dogs.

That's a promise, there.

Let me have your attention|in here, gentlemen.

All right?

I got a special bulletin.

Carl Brown's dogs have treed the first|coon of this contest, not 20 minutes ago.

And the dogs|are on the trail of another one.

Hate to tell you this, but old Carl may whip|you before you even get a chance to start.

- Hear that, Grandpa?|- Yeah, I heard it.

They almost have two coons already.

Now, don't you start quitting|before you get started here.

I don't know. There's some|mighty fine hounds out there.

Isn't what they're doing, they're just|stirring 'em up for when you get out there.

You're gonna lick 'em, boy.|You're gonna lick 'em good.

- Sounds like they're onto one already.|- Yeah.

- Well, howdy, folks.|- Hey, Mr. Kyle.

- You remember my boy.|- Sure do.

Well, say, them your hounds, son?

Oh, I figured you'd get you some, but boy,|I didn't think that they'd be such fine ones.

- Uh, what line'd you draw?|- Third.

- Say, you're a little unlucky.|- How come unlucky?

Well, our Mr. Bellington|has got his hounds in the best shape ever.

There may not be any ringtails left|by the time you boys get out there.

Mr. Bellington better not start shining up|that award before he gets his hands on it,

I'll tell you that.

These two dogs here|are gonna smell out

every coon from here|to Arkansas and back.

I'm gonna go get a little shuteye, fellas.|Good luck.

He was dead

I rammed my finger down his throat

And I pulled out a chicken head

Fare thee well, old Joe Clark

Fare thee well, I say

Fare thee well, old Joe Clark

Haven't got long to stay

Them's nothing.

- We just got started.|- I can't wait.

All right, all right.

Come on, everybody. Come on.

The eliminations are over.

Finalists are:
|no surprise, Hud Bellington.

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