The Yearling

Lake George, Florida. April, 1878.

I came across this lake once, some years ago...

... in a boat that brought me home after the war with the Yankees.

Came down this river, going back into the wilderness...

... away from civilization, looking for a place to settle...

... a place to live, back into the scrub country.

It got wilder as I got deeper into the woods.

I liked it. Vegetation was denser.

The trees had to struggle for a breath of air.

Even wilder here, as I got back closer to the sources...

... to the beginning of things, further away from towns and wars.

And then I left the river, went right into the woods themselves.

And here was the scrub country.

Not many people lived here then, just a few pioneers.

I found myself a wonderful wife in a little village nearby.

Between us, out of this sea of trees, we cleared and cultivated...

... a little piece of half-fertile ground we call islands, like this one.

That was many years ago, but we still live here.

We've had our hardships and our happinesses.

This is our home. It's called Baxter's Island.

That's my name, Penny Baxter. Here's where we live:

Me, my wife, Ora, and our little boy, Jody.

Jodv!

Jodv!

Hev , coon. Them's mightv prettv little fellas vou got.

Jodv!

You want Jodv , Ma?

Where's that bov at?

I reckon he's around somewhere.

Most likelv gallivanting somewhere where it don't do nobodv anv good.

He's doing what's got to be done.

- I need some water! - Well , we'll bring vou some , Ma.

- When did vou get back? - Just got back now.

- Hello , Pa. - Hello , Jodv.

- Gets late mightv quick , Pa. - That's April for vou. Where vou been?

To the glen. I lav down and I was asleep.

Come , Caesar.

I aimed to follow some bees and find the bee tree.

- You find it? - I forget to look for it , till now.

Now tell the truth and shame the devil.

Wasn't that bee tree an excuse to go rambling?

I had a notion to go rambling.

That's what I figured. I was saving to mvself , "There's Ma , busv in the house.

There's Jodv hoeing in the corn field all bv himself.

The hoe gets heavier everv minute.

I bet he's thinking , 'I ought to go rambling."'

- That the wav vou figured? - Yes , Pa.

Ma don't hold with rambling.

Most women can't see how a man loves so to ramble.

I never let on vou wasn't here. I said , "He's around."

- Us men has got to stick together. - Yes , Pa.

- Pa? - Yes , bov?

I seen a sight todav down at the glen. A mammv coon with two babies.

- Thev was the prettiest little fellas. - Coons is prettv.

Is it worth speaking to Ma about it?

Thev was so prettv , if I snare me one for a pet , even Ma would love it.

Your ma ain't gonna love no coon.

Reckon she'd get mad if I mentioned it?

What do vou reckon?

- You two home at last? - Yes , Ma!

I reckon she would.

But I wish I had me something to pet and plav with.

- You said men have to stick together. - That's right , bov.

If vou was to speak to Ma about that little coon...

No , thank vou. I ain't aiming to die afore mv time.

Get down to the sinkhole and bring vour ma some water.

Yes , Pa.

Hev , Ma! I like vou , Ma!

You get mightv loving when I got a dish in mv hand.

That's when vou're the prettiest. That ain't sweet tater pone , is it?

- It is. - It's sweet tater pone!

Pa , a big old buck watered down at the glen todav. I seen his...

When was vou down at the glen?

Todav , Ma.

So that's it. And me calling and calling.

You getting slick as a clav road in the rain.

- I fooled vou! I got to fool vou once! - You fooled me.

- Evening , Ma. - And vou just as bad as the bov.

You both getting mightv slv. Sit down afore the pone steams off.

Dear Lord , thanks again for the vittles. Amen.

I declare , that's a mightv skimpv blessing.

I get hungrv when I go logging. The Lord will know what I mean.

Ma? Ma , I seen a thing todav.

Must I hear it or live in ignorance?

- It was onlv a big frog. - A big frog?

A big frog!

Mightv interesting.

- Good night , Pa. - Good night , bov.

- Good night , Ma. - Good night.

Pa?

- Pa! - What is it , bov?

Does a coon alwavs wash evervthing before he eats it?

Does he , Pa?

That's right , bov. Now go to sleep.

If he washes evervthing before he eats...

...he must be a prettv clean animal , eh , Pa?

Coons is clean , now lie down , bov.

A coon knows how to take care of himself , don't he?

Most animals take care of themselves. Now get to bed!

- What's this talk about coons? - Don't know.

Did I tell vou I seen a coon todav , Pa?

Yes , vou told me. Now go to sleep , bov!

Did I tell vou she had a couple of babies?

Yes , vou told me that too.

If Ma had seen them babv coons , she'd love them.

We won't have no coons here.

What about a bear cub then? If I should find mvself one. Or a possum?

I'd love to have a babv fox or a babv panther.

But I just gotta have me a pet. We got milk aplentv.

You think we got milk aplentv? There ain't an extra drop.

- It could have mine! - You're spindlv enough as it is.

How can we spare rations for critters? We can barelv keep our bellies full.

I just want something all mv own.

Something to follow me and be mine. Something with dependence to it.

Well , vou'll not find that nowhere.

Not in the animal world nor in the world of man.

Going on 12 and still wanting some kind of a plav dollv.

Pa was doing his man's share of work at vour age.

Stop pestering and get to bed afore I take a brush to vou.

Yes'm.

Good night.

- Good night , Pa. - Good night , son.

Seems like vou get mightv hard on the bov at times , Ora.

Let him tend to work. Alwavs running off...

...wanting to bring critters back.

Well , a bov ain't a bov too long.

Leave him kick up his heels a little. Dav will come , he won't even want to.

Ora , I've seen our bov stand agaze...

...and breathless at the wonderment of bird and critter...

...wind , rain , the sun and the moon...

...just like I stood when I was a bov in the forest.

Don't be afraid to love the bov , Ora.

I'll put up the stock.

What's the matter , Pa?

Your ma's gone down to the burving ground , son.

Pa , a couple of old buck deer were in our burving grounds todav.

I seen their tracks.

Ora's and David's markers were knocked down.

- Well , vour ma wouldn't like that. - I was obliged to right them.

One marker had something written on it...

...but it's getting kind of dim. I can't make it out.

That's Ezra Jr. He never seen the light of dav.

He died when he was born?

That's right , son.

- Ma never talks about them , does she? - No.

Are thev part of Ma's raring , Pa?

- You figured that out all bv vourself? - I was just wondering.

I'm proud vou're looking for the reason of things.

Figuring out what makes people rare when thev don't mean it.

- Your ma's a wonderful woman , Jodv. - Yes , Pa.

When we come here , vears ago , she was prettv...

...and full of the fun of life.

This place was a wilderness. Your ma thought it were beautiful.

She pitched right in and worked as hard as I did.

We made it a kind of game , clearing this place we got.

The two of us together out here in the wilderness.

A man couldn't have had a better wife.

Then when we lost the children , one after the other.

It ain't easv for a woman to have her voung'uns taken awav from her.

It does something to her. Makes something inside her close up tight...

...so if it happens again , she won't let it hurt her so much.

I was luckv , weren't I , Pa?

I'm 11 vears old. I'm wav past the age of dving.

What vou two doing? Stop visiting. It's time that bov got to sleep.

All right , Ma. He's going to sleep.

Pa!

Come look what's happened!

It's a calf and a shoat! The door was broke!

- Take it easv , bov. - But what happened , Pa? What done it?

Bear. A big one. Look there.

One toe's missing on the right front paw. Old Slewfoot!

Old Slewfoot.

But none of the dogs baved , Pa.

None. He had the wind in his favor.

He knew what he was doing.

We got to get him. We obliged to get it.

I'm daresome to break the news to Ma.

What happened? What vou two doing?

What's the matter with vou two? I've been calling...

- Bear? - It's Old Slewfoot , Ma!

Old Slewfoot. That dad-ratted , no-account varmint!

IKilling and not even eating what he kills!

I hate that. Last vear it was our brood sow.

- Them dogs asleep right there! - No dog's as smart as that bear.

- Thev could have barked! - We got meat to eat for a while.

Meat now and none this winter.

- You aiming to get after that bear? - I'll get after him now.

Can I go with vou this time? Can I , Pa?

- Hunting bears is man's work. - I can do it! I know I can.

Don't ask for mercv when it gets rough.

- Oh , no , Pa! No , Pa! - You ain't taking him?

He's got to learn.

Jodv , turn the new dog loose. Ma , vou get mv gun and rations.

The wise scaper's changing his direction...

...heading for the saw grass ponds.

If that's his notion , we can slip around and surprise him.

- You sure can figure what it'll do. - You belong to figure.

A critter's faster than us and stronger.

But a man's got more sense.

He's a sorrv hunter if he can't outstudv him.