"We lived close to the land on Walton's Mountain, and we felt a natural kinship with the forest which surrounded our home." "It was our playground, a source of food and shelter, and a livelihood for our family." "In the lore of our mountains, there were stories of travelers who had been lost in the forest." "One summer's day, that legend became a terrifying reality." " Grandpa!" "I found that old broody hen." " Oh, yes?" "She's in the barn." "Come on." "Well, what's all the rush about?" "An old setting broody hen isn't going anywhere." "She's over there." "Well, what do you know?" "Little old Betsy has found herself a good, safe hiding place." "Maybe she didn't want us to find her." "Well, I don't think she had us in mind, Jim-Bob, but, ever a hen decides to raise herself a family, her old instincts sort of take over." "What's an old instinct?" "Well, something way back in whatever she's got for a brain makes her recollect when her ancestors were wild birds running around loose in the woods." "Something, she don't know just what it is, tells her to build a nest where the hawks and the skunks and the foxes can't get at her." " That's pretty smart for a hen." " No." "I'll tell you the truth, when the brains were being passed out by the Good Lord, the chicken was sort of behind the door." "I beg your pardon, Betsy." "That's why the Good Lord gave her some extra help in way of instincts." " You think he did it on purpose?" " Oh, of course, of course he did." "The Good Lord looked down and he said," ""This is a dumb chicken." "If I don't give her some extra help," ""she and all her kind and her begotten and begotten" ""are likely to be gobbled up before you can say Jack Robinson" ""or Jim-Bob."" " He knew just about everything, didn't he?" " Just about." " You're right smart yourself." " Why, thank you." "Thank you for noticing that fact, Jim-Bob." "I guess you're looking forward to seeing Frances tomorrow, huh, hon?" "I sure am." "Mama, Elizabeth said I have to go with you." "Where are you all going?" "I'm going to see my friend, Frances Taylor over in Buckingham County." "Well, why do I have to go?" "I want Frances to see you and Elizabeth." "I don't want to be shown off!" "Big Jim-Bob in a baby show." "Don't worry about it, Jim-Bob." "It's just you and Elizabeth." "Least you can do is take second prize." " Do I have to go?" " Yes, you have to go." "Ben, Jason, I want you to change that front tire," " the right front tire, put the spare on." " Sure, Daddy." "I don't want your Mama having a flat on the road." "Well, cheer up, Jim-Bob." "It won't be that bad." "Don't you mind, Jim-Bob." "Hey, you tell them about finding the setting hen?" "Where was that, Son?" "She made a nest under some stuff in the barn." " How many eggs?" " Eight." "Maybe I'll take that hen over to Frances tomorrow." "You mind?" "I guess we can afford one scraggly old hen." "I think it would be nice if you took some of my jelly and jam along." " She'd like that, Grandma." " I know I would." "Ben, would you make a crate for the hen?" "Sure, Mama." "What about the eggs she's been laying?" " Take them with." " Just so you keep them warm." "There's not a breeze stirring outside." "I've seen a day like this start off calm and peaceful and before the day was out the shingles would be blown right off the roof." "Even the animals sort of begin to sense things like this." "The chickens are even getting fidgety." "I'm getting kind of fidgety myself, just thinking about the trip tomorrow." "You girls mind doing the dishes for me?" " What's for dessert?" " No dessert tonight." " No dessert?" " Why not?" "And the rats and the mice even get sort of fidgety, too." "They scurry for their burrows." "Mother Nature sort of sends out signals like that." " Do the animals hear it?" " No, they just sense it." "Really?" "News is on." "Anybody want to listen?" "Elizabeth, I want you to take a bath tonight." "You, too, Jim-Bob." "Mother Nature also signals the changes of the seasons with extra heavy fur on the raccoons and the possums" " if you noticed, Jim-Bob." " Zeb, they've all gone." "So I noticed, without excusing themselves." "Thank you, Esther." "Yes, Jim-Bob, you just keep your eyes on old Mother Nature." "Even the caterpillars, they get heavy furs on this time of season." "It's in the air, sort of." "John-Boy, we're getting rid of old Betsy, our setting hen." "You better hang on to her, she's the fastest in the flock." "Just like a woman." "Whenever you want her, she runs off." "I don't think she's gonna like it, Grandpa." "It's better than putting her in a gunnysack, that's for sure." "Might ruffle her tail-feathers a bit, but she won't mind." "Elizabeth, you be careful with those eggs, now." "You put them someplace where they won't bounce around." "I'll hold them in that the whole way." " All right now." " Where's your brother?" "Jim-Bob, come on!" "You sure look pretty, Mama." "Thank you." "So much running around," "I hardly know whether..." "Yeah, I got the directions all right." "Here, Livie, there are two peach, two apple butter and one grape jelly." "Thanks, Grandma." "Would you put those in the back for me?" " Drive carefully." " I will." "Take care of yourself now." "You be a good little boy, Jim-Bob." "Now, smile nice for Mrs. Taylor." "Maybe she'll give you a big kiss." " Now, you boys stop your teasing." " It's enough." " Bye." " Goodbye." "Bye, Betsy." "I hope you're not going to wear that grumpy face all day." "I still don't see why I had to come along." "Because I'm proud of my children and I want Frances to see you and I'd like her to see you happy." " You could smile." "Then you'd be happy." " No." "It's easy." "Just turn up the ends of your mouth." "They're working on the road up ahead, ma'am." " You'll have to take a detour." " How far?" "Oh, mile and a half, two miles." "It's kind of rough in spots but you can get through." "Just take it easy." " Thank you." " Okay." " Bye." " Bye." " You're bumping the eggs, Mama." " I'm doing the best I can." "Slow down, Mama." "Are you all right?" "Jim-Bob?" "Elizabeth?" " I'm okay, but what happened?" " Are you hurt?" "Tire blew out." "Let me look at you both." "I want to be sure you're all right." "It was scary." " Did you break any eggs?" " Nope." "They're all all right." " Are you okay, Mama?" " Yes." "Thanks to the Lord for all of us." "Mama, Betsy's gone." "She went over there." "You leave her alone." "She'll come back." "She'll be all right." "Jim-Bob, do you think you can fix that spare?" "Yeah, I think so." "Mama, the jack's gone." "We're just gonna have to go up on the road and flag down a car for help." "Elizabeth?" " Elizabeth?" " Where did she go?" "Elizabeth!" "Elizabeth!" "She probably followed that dumb chicken." "Elizabeth!" "Elizabeth, you answer me!" "Elizabeth?" "Here, Betsy." "Nice, Betsy." "Come on, Betsy." "Oh, when I catch you, you're gonna get a spanking." "Come on, Betsy." "Come on." "Elizabeth!" "Elizabeth!" "Elizabeth!" "Elizabeth, you answer me!" " John-Boy, let's have us a cup of coffee." " I got to wash up first." " What's my jack doing here?" " Don't look at me." "Those boys must have dropped it there when they were changing the tire." "I'm gonna have to talk to them." "Your mama's driving all over the country without a jack." "Elizabeth!" "She went this way." "Here's her sweater." "Come on, Betsy." "Good chicken, Betsy." "Betsy." "Come on, Betsy, come out of there." "Betsy!" "Elizabeth!" "Mama!" "Mama, where are you?" "Elizabeth, you stay right where you are!" "Mama!" " Elizabeth, we were worried." " Mama." "You followed that dumb chicken, didn't you?" " Well, she ran away." " You almost got lost." "Never mind that." "Come on, now." "What are we gonna do?" "We're gonna go up to the road and get some help." "I don't mean about that." "I mean about Betsy." "She went in there." "Never get her out in a million years." "We're just gonna have to leave her for now." "Come on." "I don't want to leave Betsy." "Want to stay here the rest of your life?" "Look, why don't we just leave Betsy's eggs right here?" "She'll come back and take care of them." "Maybe we can come get her later on." "She'll be all right." "She has old instincts." "Well, you know, she's not a dumb chicken." "She almost got you lost." "You're just lucky we found you." "Let's get back to the road." " We're gonna have to walk?" " We can hitch a ride." "Well, at least till we get to a telephone." " Where's the truck?" " It's just up here over the hill." "You okay, Jim-Bob?" "Elizabeth, take your sweater." "I don't have to carry it all day." "Here, give it to me." "Come on." "That chicken gets us into more trouble..." "Okay?" "Yeah." "I'm all right." "Where are we?" " Are we lost?" " Will you quit asking questions?" " I don't remember this place at all." " Never mind." "We'll be all right." "We took a wrong turn someplace." " Where's the road?" " We'll find it." "What's that funny hole over there?" "Looks like a bear wallow to me." "Put your sweater on." "Watch out." "Mama, are we lost?" "Right now, yes, we're lost." "But we'll find our way." "Jim-Bob, why don't we make a marker out of stones here?" "If they come by, they'll know which way we went." "Elizabeth?" " Don't be a crybaby." " I'm scared." " It's all right, sweetheart, come on." " Blubbering won't help." "Help us build a marker now." "Why don't you get two sticks and we'll make a little arrow?" "Okay." "Atta girl." "Listen." "Listen." "Sounds like a car." "Come on." "Come on, let's go." "Tonight, when we're home, you can tell your brothers and sisters all about being lost in the woods." "If we ever do get home." "Well, soon as we find the road we'll be okay." "I expect we're not far from it." "I think we'll rest right here." "Hey, it's the same bear wallow." "We've been traveling in a circle." "Where's the road?" "Well, it can't be very far." "Come on, let's go." "That's what you said last time." "I can't make up my mind whether to work this afternoon or go fishing." "Well, the weather like it is, you'd better stay close to home." " Hey, Ike." "Come on in." " Hey, Ike." "Have some of this fine ham." " What's he doing over there?" " Hi, everybody." "I got a call from a Mrs. Taylor over at Buckingham County." "She's disturbed because Olivia and the kids aren't there yet." " They're not there yet?" " That's all she said." "I've had a feeling." "Something has been nagging in the back of my mind." "It doesn't make any sense." "They should have been there a long time ago." "You think maybe they broke down on the road?" "I don't know." "Maybe you ought to give me a ride over to Vern Rutledge's." "I'll borrow his car." " Dad, you'll come back and pick us up?" " Yes, I will." " Me, too." " Sit down." "Wait till they come back." "Come on." "Elizabeth, don't eat those!" "Those are poke berries." "They're poison." "I'm thirsty." "We're gonna find you some water in just a minute." "Come on." " Finished, Jim-Bob?" " Yeah." "Did a woman come by here this morning with a couple of kids in a truck?" "Yeah, fairly early." " A pretty woman, a kid and a little girl." " Thank you." "A woman with a couple of kids in a green truck come by a while ago?" "No woman driving a truck came through here." " You sure?" " I've been on duty all morning." "That's impossible." "The fellow at the other end says he saw them." "Sorry." "This road is enough to shake a man's bones loose from his body." "Hey, Daddy, stop!" "Wait a minute." "It's the truck!" "Yeah, they're off in the bushes here." "Must have come off the road through here." " Mama!" " Jim-Bob." "Mama!" "There's nobody here, Daddy." "They're not here." "It don't appear they got hurt." " The chicken's gone." " Look at this tire." "It's gone flat on them." " They had a blow out." " Must have come off while they..." " Here's some of that old hen's feathers." " But she's not here." " Maybe they're out chasing the chicken." " Jim-Bob!" " Mama!" " Livie!" " Jim-Bob!" "Livie!" " Livie!" "Mama!" " Livie!" " Livie!" " Liv!" " Olivia!" "Jim-Bob!" "Livie!" "Olivia!" "Livie!" "This far up the woods," "I don't like it." "Back in '21, there was a party of hunters lost up in here." " We never did find them." " Look at this." " What?" " It's a trail-marker." "Just like the one I showed Jim-Bob how to do." "They're getting deeper and deeper into these woods." "John-Boy, you better go back and get Ben and Jason." "Get Horace Brimley and his tracking dog." "Bring some lanterns." "Daddy, remember a couple of years back," "I shot myself a big old bear right around here." " Bring some shotguns." " All right." "I'll be right back." " Livie!" " Livie!" "John-Boy, all I've been doing here for the past 20 years is having babies and pouring coffee." "Mom most always is home." "New benches around the kitchen table with nice, soft cushions, now there's my dream." " Peas, please." " Here." "I made a rhyme." "Very good, Elizabeth." "Pass the potatoes, pass the meat." "Everybody pitch in and eat." "Hey, look, Mom, it's smoke." " Might be a house or something." " Thank heavens." "I don't like the looks of this place." "Let's go." "Mama, I'm thirsty." "All right, get down." "Wait a minute." "Elizabeth." "Elizabeth." "I'll thank you and your family to get off this place." "You're trespassing." "Well, I'm mighty sorry, but we ran off the road a way back and we're lost." "All we ask is a little water and then we'll be on our way." " Give them some water." " Thank you." "Come on." "Sit down, Elizabeth." "Jim-Bob." "You think they've come here looking for us?" "No." "They wouldn't send a woman and two kids." " Yeah." " But it's bad all the same." "Water them and run them off." "That woman's got a family and the woods will be crawling with them by nightfall." " Well, we'll just run them off, Ma." " I say what we do here." "Load up the truck." " Load?" " Go on." "Everything." "Load up." "But what about that woman and them two kids?" "Them, too." "Okay, John-Boy, this bottle is for cuts and scratches." "And then there's alcohol and cotton and bandages." " John-Boy, you're not paying attention." " Yes, I am." "I'll remember." "Livie will know what to do." "Erin, will you bring me something of Elizabeth's, a piece of clothing or a toy or something we can give the hound dog, a scent to track on?" " We got here as quick as we could." " What happened, John-Boy?" "That tire you all were supposed to change blew out and they're out there in the woods someplace." "That's what happened." " I thought you were supposed to do it." " Ben..." "Fellas, fellas, it's already done." "The point is, next time, just do what you're told, all right?" " John-Boy." " We got to get some help." "I've been down to Ike's." "He's trying to round up Horace Brimley and his hound dog." " Here's Elizabeth's doll." " Perfect, thank you." " Ike and Horace are here." " All right, we'll be right there." "Why don't you take some of that stuff out to the car, all right?" " John-Boy?" " Yes, Ben." "John-Boy, I'm sorry." " I know." "It's all right." " John-Boy." "We're coming!" "All ready to go here, John-Boy." "Yeah, Horace, you follow me!" "You stop that." "Now, we'll have none of that." "Stop it." "Come on." "Grandma, haven't you got any feelings?" "No, I'm just a mean old woman." "No feelings." "Now, you two girls, you just get your faith together because that's what we're going to need around here this afternoon." " Faith and hard work." " Work?" "Yes, I want you to clean the kitchen floor." " But, Grandma!" " Until it shines." "And, Erin, you get yourself a bucket and get started on those windows." " Grandma!" " Grandma, we can't work." " And then we'll do the rugs." "Come on." " Grandma!" "I don't know what you've got on your hand but it does not seem to want to come..." "Look, if you'll just show us the way to the road, we'll be on our way." "I told you, you was going with us!" "I don't need you leading the law back in here." "We couldn't find our way back here in a million years." "All we want to do is find the road." "Shut up and do what I tell you to do." " Come on!" " Mama!" "I'll take her." "I'll take her." "Come on, Jim-Bob." "Horace, you'll be the point." "Me and Pa will fan out to the right here." "John-Boy, you take the boys and fan out to the left." "Let's go." "Pick it up." "Pick it up, Homer." "Good boy." "All this trouble on account of them!" "Stay here then and rot in jail!" " When the truck stops, you can get off." " Gladly." "All right, let's go." " Mama, I'm scared." " I know, honey." " Where are we going?" " We're not supposed to know." "Let's just hope we're going to the road." "Liv?" "Stop here!" "You back there!" "Get off!" "Wait!" "Where's the road?" "What do we do now, Mama?" "We're gonna put one foot in front of the other." "Which way do we go?" "Afternoon shadows are pointing east." "That's the way we want to go." "Come on." " Horace, what's the trouble?" " Well, he's lost the scent." "Don't know whether they went forward or backtracked or what." "Could be Elizabeth got tired, Livie picked her up, was carrying her." "That'll make a difference." "There's no doubt about it." "Well, the higher off the ground, the harder to pick up the scent." " Well, we've got to keep looking." " It's risky, John-Boy." "We don't know which way they went." "Ben, you go back to the truck." "Wait there." "Maybe they'll turn up." "Sure, Daddy." "John-Boy!" "Come along, boys!" "Here's another one of Jim-Bob's markers." "Come along." "Looks like we got ourselves a bootleggers' camp." "I don't know, seems mighty quiet." " Hello?" " Easy, Ike, easy." "Anybody home?" "Anybody home?" "Hello?" " Nobody?" " No." "They must've took off from here pretty fast." "They dumped their mash." " Yeah, and the fire's still hot." " Hey, look what I found here, John." "Lookie here." "It's your mama's handkerchief." "Hey, John, over here." " What is it?" " What you got?" "Well, the track ends right here and there's fresh tire tracks there." "You want me to call the sheriff?" " I think that's a good idea." " Oh, calm down." "Just because they're bootleggers don't mean they're gonna give anybody any harm." " Let's get cracking." " Dad, it's gonna be dark in an hour." "The lanterns will do." "It's the storm coming up that worries me." "Let's go." "Mama, I don't wanna walk anymore and I'm hungry." "Come on, we'll go over there and rest for a little while." "Those bootleggers just dumped us." "We're more lost now than we were before." "Jim-Bob, we're gonna get home safe, and I don't wanna hear any more frightening talk." "Well, we better find food and water before it gets dark." "Daddy says when you're looking for water, you should find a game trail going downhill." "I just wanna go to bed." "We better keep moving." "Well, we're just going to sit here and rest for a little while." "All right, sweetie?" "Tire tracks for every which way." "Anybody's guess from now on." " What do you think, Horace?" " Don't know, let me take the dog over this way." "Maybe we can pick up a scent." "All right, we'll go this way." "Ike, if you find anything, fire off a couple of shots." " Want us to come with you?" " Yes, come on." "Hey, Mama, I found a creek." " This is about as far as I can go." " I'm thirsty." "Mama, there's fish..." "Mama, don't move!" " A snake!" "Kill it, Jim-Bob." " It's all right." "It's all right, Elizabeth." "It's just a king snake." "It won't hurt you." " You all right?" " I'm fine." "Are you?" "See?" "He's a good snake." "He even kills rattlesnakes." "You want to hold him?" "Oh, he doesn't wanna come up yet." "There you go." "See that?" "He's soft." "Put him down." "Let him go home." " I'm still thirsty." " Okay." "There's fish in here." "I bet you I can catch one." " Well, how?" " Something Grandpa taught me." "It's called tickling." "See, you reach in and you tickle the fish on their stomach and they kind of go to sleep." "Then you grab them." "Good luck." "Here, I got one!" "Well, I almost got him." "I think I see one over there." " He got one, Mama!" "He got one!" " Told you I could catch him." "You're doing your grandpa proud, Jim-Bob." "He's all dirty." "Jim-Bob, come on!" " What you got there?" " The rest of the supper." "Watercress and wild onions." "He's after the fish." "That's what he wanted." "Let's just move away quietly." "Maybe we can rest in here." "Grandpa says this kind of a tree is a widow-maker." " Never know when it might fall down." " Come on, Elizabeth." " How about this?" " This will do just fine." "I think we should all say our prayers." "And for those who are not with us at this table, we thank you for watching over them and keeping them safe from harm." "Thank you, O Lord, for being with us in our time of trouble." " Amen." " Amen." " Here we go." " Grandma, we can't eat." "You can if you get the fear out of your stomach." "Grandma, Mama and the children are lost and may never be found." "In the eye of the Almighty, they are not lost." "Now, we have pie, and..." "Come on, eat up." "Erin." "I'm cold." "Stay close and we'll keep each other warm." "You know, we really need a fire." "Well, picked up a piece of flint back there, but we'd never start a fire in all this wind." " We'll do without it." " It sure would've helped, though." "Yeah." " I'm hungry." " What's for supper, Jim-Bob?" " Watercress." " And onions." "Well, here." " I feel like a cow." " You look like a cow." "Anybody would, eating this stuff." "It's better than nothing." "You eat it." "Elizabeth!" " Elizabeth!" " Mama!" "Jim-Bob!" " Where are you?" " Mama!" " What do you think, Pa?" " Oh, it's hard to tell." "Hey, everybody, over here." "I found something." " What?" " It's another one of Jim-Bob's markers." " That boy really is something, isn't he?" " Follow me." " Take it easy, Pa." " You just try to keep up with me." " This way." " Mama!" " Jim-Bob!" " Jim-Bob!" " Waiting, I just hate it." " If there was just something we could do." " We're doing something." " What are we doing?" "We're waiting and praying." "I feel so useless." "Just sitting here, wondering where Mama and the children are." "That storm's right over the hollow." "They're protected." "Grandma, you say those things like you know." "Faith, child." "Faith." " What is it?" " I don't know." " Jim-Bob!" " Mama!" "Must have been after more fish." "Where did you learn to do that?" "Daddy says hitting two rocks together scares a bear every time." "Jim-Bob, you are something." "Grandma, do you really believe that God hears you when you pray?" "Oh, yes." "I just wish I could really believe." "Erin, don't you ever say that again, you hear?" "If you stop believing, you stop living." "But, Grandma, how can you, really?" "I mean, really believe?" "Because, well, there is nothing else." "Jim-Bob!" " Mama!" " Jim-Bob!" " Jim-Bob!" " Jim-Bob!" " Mama!" " Jim-Bob!" "Livie!" "Livie!" "Livie!" "Livie!" " Pa!" " Yes!" " Pa!" " Yeah!" " Easy, Pa." " Yeah, yeah." " Come on." " Wait a minute, guys." "Get him out of there!" "I'll get the lantern!" "I'll get the lantern." "I got it." "You all right?" "Daddy." "Hey, here they are!" " Coming!" "Mama!" " Mama!" "What happened to you?" "We got them!" "Horace!" "Ike!" "I have an idea from now on Ben and Jason won't be so forgetful." "We don't have to talk about that anymore." "I've never been so hungry or so scared in all my life." "Sure was glad to see Daddy." "I think your Daddy will say that goes for all of us." "That's true." "If we hadn't had Jim-Bob with us, I don't know what we would have done." "He saved us from this big old tree that fell down." "And the bear." "Tell them about the bear, Jim-Bob." " Bear?" " Bear?" "It was just an old bear." "And he caught a fish without a hook or a line." "You were a real man today, Son." "I'm proud of you." "Well, I just listened to what you and Grandpa told me." "Little old Jim-Bob." "I don't reckon we'll be calling him "little" anymore." "All right, you." "Go on, sit up." "It's time to eat." "Ma, how about you saying grace?" "Thank you, O Lord, for thy care and for watching over us and guiding us so that we could all be together again." "And thank you for the blessings of this table." "Amen." " Amen." " Amen." "One member of the family was not to make it home." "Betsy, the broody hen, found and hatched her eggs out there in the woods." "And for years after, perhaps to this day, a flock of chickens gone wild could be found in the vicinity of the big bramble bush in Benton's Hollow." " What was it like around here today?" " It was awful." " Grandma made us work all day." " We got through." "Good night, Elizabeth." "Good night, Grandma." "Good night, John-Boy." "Good night, Elizabeth." "Good night, Mary Ellen." "Good night, John-Boy." "Good night, Jim-Bob." "Jim-Bob?" "Where is the little boy who looks after the sheep?" "He's under the haystack, fast asleep." "Good night, everyone." "English"