Where the Red Fern Grows Page #5

All right, all right.

Carl Brown.

And our newcomer, Billy Coleman.

Now, we're gonna start at sundown.

And the hounds|that bring in the most coonskins

by sunup tomorrow morning's|gonna win that cup.

Not to mention that cash pool.

Good luck.

- Well, these hounds are raring to go.|- So am I, Kyle. So am I.

Get outta there.

How you doing, boys?

- Howdy.|- Hey, how you doing?

Pretty good.

- Good luck, Mr. Bellington.|- Well, thank you, young man.

Course, I won't be relying on good luck.

I'm gonna be relying on the finest|pair of coonhounds I've ever owned.

Good luck to you. See you.

- Let's go feed these guys.|- Sure thing, Hud.

Come on, Billy.|We got a long night.

Let's get some rest.

- We're in luck.|- How's that, boy?

You know how coons|like to feed before a coming storm.

Lots to feed on in them pools.

- Crawdads and minnows.|- Let's stop here, then.

- OK.|- Whoa.

Come on, let's go, Ann.|Come on.

OK, little girl.|Get ready to go.

- Sounds like they're onto one already.|- Let 'em go, let 'em go.

OK. Go!

- Come on, let's go.|- Yeah!

- Yeah, all right! Come on, let's go.|- Here we go.

Son, are you ready for number two?

Ready as I'll ever be.

Let's get 'em.

- First one. That's the first one.|- Yeah.

Whoa. Whoa!|Ain't this the Coleman buggy?

How they gonna|make it back to camp?

- How did you and Mr. Bellington do?|- Yeah, we got lucky.

We got three of 'em,|before this blasted storm blew in.

That puts you ahead.|Brad and me got skunks.

And the Coleman boy?|He still out there?

He hasn't come in yet. If I know|that boy, he ain't got no quit in him.

Billy. Hold up. Hold up, Billy.

Son.

OK, in a storm like this|the coons'll be heading towards the den.

Hope Dan and Ann|tree 'em before they get there.

Hope they're about|as hungry and cold as we are.

- I hear 'em.|- Billy! Hold on, Billy.

Son.

Wait a minute.

Hold on, boy.

Sounds like they're up ahead.

Billy.

Come here!

- They got one.|- Hell, would you believe it?

- All right.|- Yeah.

Wait.

- There's two.|- Two?

No. No.

- There's three.|- Three coons?

Ain't that something, Grandpa?

Grandpa?

- George?|- Grandpa?

- He was right behind me.|- Grandpa.

The dogs can find him.

Son, we better go find your grandpa.|It's getting bad.

The dogs'll stay on that tree|with them coons up there.

Dan, Ann?|You need to understand something.

Grandpa's in trouble,|and we need to help him.

Now, you two are the only ones|who can find him in this here storm,

so you have to forget about the hunt...

...and winning.

Come on, now. Let's go.|Come on, let's go. Come on!

- Come on this way, boy.|- Seems this storm is letting up.

Pa, they can't find him.

Here, smell for Grandpa. Here, smell|for Grandpa. Smell for Grandpa.

Smell. Smell.

They lost him.

Oh, they're onto another coon, now.

They got something.

Go get Billy. Go on.

That's them. They found him.

- George.|- Grandpa.

Grandpa.|Grandpa, are you all right?

- I'm all right, boy.|- Where you hurt?

It's the leg. I think it broke.

OK. Billy, I need...|I need a fair-sized branch, OK?

Is he gonna be all right?

- OK.|- He's gonna be fine.

I'm gonna go for help.|It's starting to let up.

OK. Sorry, Grandpa. I'm sorry.

- We didn't get those coons, though.|- Aw...

- We got Grandpa, though.|- You got no coons?

Hey, Billy. They're about to give|that trophy away. Ain't you gonna come?

I'd rather not, Pa.

Well, if that's the way you feel,|I ain't gonna tell you otherwise.

You're a good man.|You proved it again last night.

Yeah.

Hey, George.|Better late than never.

You know, I think he broke this leg|just to get some attention, don't you?

I bet I could still|beat you in a footrace, Sheriff.

Bet you can.

I think it's safe to say this is|the most exciting hunt I've ever been on.

I'll say amen to that.

All right, everybody. Now we come|to the moment we've all been waiting for.

Presentation of this beautiful cup.

I don't think anybody's gonna be|surprised when I call the winner up here,

'cause this is the fourth year|in a row for this fella.

I declare the winner of the 20th|Annual Coonhound Championship

to be Hud Bellington.

Here you go, sir.|Congratulations.

Thank you, Sheriff.

Thank you, young man. That was|a sportsman-like thing for you to do.

I know how you felt|about winning this cup,

'cause I know how you feel|about your dogs,

and for good reason.

Now, about this trophy.

To be truthful, folks,|I didn't sleep real good last night.

And the reason|I didn't sleep real good is 'cause

I knew that young Coleman's|dogs here treed three coons,

in addition to the one earlier,

which would've given him|four to my dogs' three.

I also know that|he called his dogs off them coons

and abandoned them there|to go find his grandpa.

Now, I know the rul ebook states

that you're supposed to|present the skins to the judges.

But, in all honesty,

I don't want my dogs winning|a championship that wasn't theirs clear.

So I hereby declare|Billy Coleman and his fine redbones

champions and winners|of this beautiful trophy.

Come on up here, son.

There you go.

Take it, son.|You won it fair and square.

But you better be ready to give it back|next year, 'cause me and my Walkers

are gonna beat the britches|off you and these redbones here.

Folks. Folks.

Folks.

I don't know how you feel right now,|but from where I'm standing, I...

I think Mr. Bellington deserves|a real Oklahoma hand for this here.

Uh... how about this cash pool?

Well, I reckon he won that|fair and square too, Sheriff.

Whoo! Yes, all right.

Billy. Where's your father?

Grandpa hurt his leg a bit.|Pa's fixing him up. He'll be here soon.

What happened?

He just had a little fall.|Pa says he'll be all right.

What is it, Billy?

We won.

- You what?|- We won.

Little Dan and Ann and me,|we won first prize.

Here. This is for you, Ma.

We won the best-looking dogs prize, too.

Or at least, little Ann did.

So we can move to Tulsa.

So you can have your dream, too.

What about you and your dogs, Billy?

We'll be all right.|They can chase cars and squirrels.

I knew our days|on the farm were numbered.

so me and my dogs took to the woods|whenever my schoolwork was done.

It was like we were|drinking up the moonlight while we could.

and we couldn't get enough of it.

Ann, get back. Get back.

Dan!

Ann!

Yaa, yaa!

Ann, come back.

Stay, Dan. Stay.

Dan.

It's OK, Dan.

It's all right.

Good girl. Good girl.

It's all right.

In the days that followed.|we all grieved for old Dan.

It was hard to know|whose heart was broke the most.

Pa, I'm gonna go check on little Ann.

What's wrong, little girl?

You have to eat something.

Please?

Sometimes you just know|what's gonna happen,

even if you won't listen|to the voice that tells you so.

And as sure as I knew that winter was|coming and we were moving to Tulsa.

I knew little Ann's heart was broke. and|she didn't want to live without old Dan.

But I wasn't gonna admit it.

and I wasn't gonna|let her go without a fight.

Rate this script:5.0 / 3 votes