"We lived close to the land on Waltons
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".
Jim Bob runs to Grandpa to tell him that an
old brooding hen, Betsy, is in the barn. Grandpa tells Jim Bob about the hen’s
instincts, which make up for its dumbness. Jim Bob tells Grandpa that he’s
pretty smart. At supper, Olivia tells the family that she is going to her see
her friend Francis Taylor in Buckingham County, and is taking Jim Bob and
Elizabeth with her. Jim Bob doesn’t want to go, and is kidded by the other
boys. Jason and Ben are asked by John to change the tire on the truck for the
trip tomorrow. Jim Bob says that Betsy has eight eggs in her brood. Olivia
decides to take the hen and the eggs with her as a gift, and Grandma says
she’ll send some jam, too. The family leaves the table as Grandpa continues to
explain to Jim Bob about Mother Nature and how the animals sense weather
changes.
In the morning, Grandpa places the hen and
eggs in a wooden frame, and all of it in the back of the truck. The family
sends off the trio. The boys continue to kid Jim Bob. On the way they encounter
a roadblock. The man says they are working on the road, and they will need to
take the detour that is bumpy in spots. On a rough stretch of road they have a
blowout of the tire and land off the road in the brush. Elizabeth finds that
Betsy has escaped, and is walking into the forest. Elizabeth goes after the
hen, and Jim Bob finds that the jack is missing. They can’t find Elizabeth and
search for her. Back home, John finds the jack in the middle of the mill. They
continue to go deeper into the forest. Elizabeth yells out for her mother, and
Olivia and Jim Bob find her. Elizabeth doesn’t want to leave Betsy, so they
decide to leave the eggs for the hen to find. They begin to walk back to the
truck. But they can’t find their way back. Elizabeth sees a hole; Jim Bob says
it’s a bear wallow.
At lunch, the adults are eating when Ike
drops by. Mrs. Taylor has called his store and is worried because Olivia has
not arrived yet. John asks Ike to take him to Vern Rutledge’s so he can borrow
his car. Back in the forest, Jim Bob leaves markers on the ground. Olivia tells
Elizabeth not to eat those poisonous chokeberries. John, Grandpa, and John-Boy
drive by the detour point and the man remembers Olivia passing by there earlier
in the day. But, they pass by the truck, not seeing it from the road. They make
it to the other end of the detour, but this man says no woman driving a green
truck passed by. They go back along the same route. John-Boy sees the truck off
the side of the road. They yell for them, but get no answer. Olivia, Jim-Boy,
and Elizabeth continue walking.
John, John-Boy, and Grandpa find a marker
that Jim Bob left, showing they are walking deeper into the forest. John-Boy
goes for Horace Brimley’s hunting dogs, Ben and Jason, Ike, and some lanterns
and shotguns. John-Boy drives back, remembering past thoughts of his Momma and
the family. The lost trio see smoke and approach it. The outside of the place
doesn’t look good, but Elizabeth is thirsty so they knock on the front door. A
woman and two armed men surround them. They tell them that they are lost, just
wanting water. The woman tells the one man that her family will be looking for
them. She decides to load up the truck, and take Olivia, Jim Bob, and Elizabeth
with them.
John-Boy, Jason, Ben, Ike, Horace, his dogs,
and the supplies return to John and Grandpa. The woman forces them onto the
truck. They will be released once they get on the road. But, before they get to
the road, they are taken off the truck. Olivia decides to go east. Horace’s
dogs lose Elizabeth’s scent (they think Olivia is carrying her). Grandpa finds
another of Jim Bob’s markers. A storm starts to form and the wind picks up. The
men find the old cabin that has been quickly abandoned. Ike finds Jim Bob’s
handkerchief, and Horace finds newly made tire tracks. They go off in the
direction of the bootlegger’s tire tracks. Jim Bob states that Grandpa says to
look for a game trail that is going downhill to locate water.
The men continue looking. Jim Bob leads the
way as they continue walking. He finds a creek. A king snake is found next to
Olivia, but she says that it is a harmless snake. Jim Bob says that there are
fish in the creek, and he attempts to catch one. Grandpa taught Jim Bob to
tickle fish on their stomachs; and then grab them when they fall asleep. He
almost catches one, but it wiggles free. But, on the third try he catches one.
Later, they continue walking. Jim Bob has found water crest and wild onion for
the rest of their supper. Suddenly, a bear is seen walking toward them. Jim Bob
throws the fish at him. They walk away quietly.
Elizabeth suggests they sleep in a hollowed
out tree, but Jim Bob states that Grandpa says that type of tree is a
“widow-maker”, you never know when it might fall down. They find a cave, and
prepare to stay there the night. Grandma, Mary Ellen, and Erin pray for Olivia,
Jim Bob, and Elizabeth before eating supper. The girls say they can’t eat, but
Grandma says they can eat if they get the fear out of their souls. Lightning
and thunder begins as they eat their supper. The men continue to search. Jason
finds another marker from Jim Bob. Mary Ellen and Erin feel useless, but
Grandma reassures them. She says they are protected, because of faith.
Jim Bob hears a crack, and sees a bear. He
hits two rocks together to scare the bear, which works. The bear retreats. Jim
Bob states that Daddy says hitting two rocks together scares a bear every time.
Mary Ellen says to Grandma, “How can you really believe?” Grandma responds,
“Well, there is nothing else!” The hollowed-out tree that they earlier passed
is struck by lightning. Grandma finds the two sisters at the window praying,
and she joins them. Grandpa crosses a stream, and loses his lantern. Jim Bob
hears another noise. They wait to see what it is. They look up to see John
looking down at them. They have been found. John yells out, John-Boy and Jason
comes running. Grandpa shoots off his gun.
At home, Olivia and Elizabeth compliment Jim
Bob for the many ways he saved them, including the bear. Jim Bob said he just
did what John and Grandpa told him. John says he is very proud of him. Grandma
says grace, “Thank you o’ Lord for thy care and for watching over us and
guiding us so we can all be together again. And thank you for the blessing of
this table. 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 a big bramble bush in Benton's Hollow".
Elizabeth:
What was it like round here today?
Mary Ellen: It was awful. Grandma made us work all day.
Grandma: We got through. Goodnight Elizabeth.
Elizabeth: Goodnight Grandma. Goodnight John-Boy.
John-Boy: Goodnight Elizabeth. Goodnight Mary Ellen.
Mary Ellen: Goodnight John-Boy. Goodnight Jim Bob.
silence....
Olivia: Jim Bob?
silence...
Olivia: Where is the little boy who looks after the sheep? He's under
the haystack fast asleep. Goodnight everyone.
Notes:
According to the introductory remarks by Earl Hamner, it is the summer (1938)
Also appearing:
Ike Godsey (Joe Conley); Horace Brimley (Wilford Brimley); Mountain Woman (Helen Craig); Older Son (Robert Sorrells); Younger Son (Red Currie); First Flagman (Bill Smillie); Second Flagman (Edmund E. Villa).