To Kill a Wolf

["My Place in the Sun" by Bud Sloan playing]

Motherfucker.

Man: Today it'll be

mostly sunny, highs in the upper 40s into the 50s.

Woodsman: Those are on sale.

Woman: Yeah, if you buy 4. You have 6.

Discount applies if you have 4.

I don't want to hear it, Dave.

["My Place in the Sun" playing faintly through headphones]

OK, you're OK.

You feeling better?

Uh-huh.

So how'd you end up half-dead in the woods?

I don't know.

You don't know.

Well, I'll take you into town.

You can call someone.

You don't like the weenies?

I don't eat meat.

Hmm.

Well, excuse me. You don't eat meat.

Hello?

Man: Oh.

Hello.

Shit.

It's Monday, right?

Yes, it is.

Woodsman: Heh heh heh!

How come you're here?

Man: I would have called to reschedule, but

you don't have a phone, so here I am.

I was just, uh, chattin' with your niece here.

Hope the weather clears up for ya.

Man: All right.

200. All right. Well, thanks for dropping it off now.

Man: You been seein'

any wolf activity out here?

- No, sir. - Huh.

Any other kinda activity?

Anything, uh, suspicious?

Vehicles, new, uh... people snoopin' around?

- Not at all. - Hmm.

Traps keep comin' up empty.

Not even a coyote.

Heh!

Half of 'em tripped, though.

You know...

I never had any problems when Dave owned the place.

Woodsman: Well, if there's anything I can do to help,

sir, you just let me know.

Man: Lovely meetin' you, young lady.

Woodsman: Thanks for stoppin' by.

You drive safe now.

Man: Yeah.

Grab your coat.

You gonna help?

Set it down.

All right, let's go. Let's pick it up now.

Woodsman: Shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh.

I'm gonna brace the board. You're gonna release the trap.

It's a two-person job.

Both sides, press down.

You gotta be quick.

Woodsman: Swing your side around.

Easy, easy.

Put it down, put it down.

Take my light.

Here we go.

Woodsman: Now.

Push harder.

Ah...

Is that the kind of trap that man was talking about?

That man who came by?

He's a cattle rancher.

Pays me for access to the property

so he can set traps.

But you set them off.

I found a trap about a year ago.

Ground was all torn up, like you saw,

blood and scat everywhere, and there was a paw

still stuck in the goddamn trap.

Wolf chewed right through it,

and I thought, "Uh-uh."

No.

But I need the money.

Tsk. Jesus Christ.

Hey, you don't have to do that.

I got plenty of wood in the shed.

I wanted to help.

Woodsman: Just... let the ax fall.

It's gravity. You don't have to work so hard.

OK. Heh!

How come you told that guy you were my niece?

Girl: Didn't want you to get in trouble.

Woodsman: You in some kind of trouble?

How far is Klamath Falls from here?

That's a long ways. That's far.

There's a bus.

Leaves early in the morning.

You're gonna be on that bus tomorrow. You understand me?