John had told his pa about the apples at the old Johnson place and how they were going to go to waste if somebody didn’t go pick them. Earl thought it was a fine idea to take the family down for the day to pick the apples; they could sure use them and it would take the heat off of him if he delayed the still buildin for the day. Lucy was relieved when Earl said they would spend the day pickin apples. They took the wagon and the old jalopy, so the apples could ride in the wagon and the people in the car, because it was too far to walk. They hadn’t gone far when the horses started actin up. Earl asked, “What do you think is causin that? John said, “I think it’s a mountain lion, pa. I think he follered us home yesterday. We better have our guns at the ready.
They hadn’t gone a dozen feet when a big ol mountain lion came jumpin out of a tree right at ol Blackie the horse! The girls screamed, John lifted his gun and shot that old lion between the eyes and he fell on the side of the road as dead as a doornail! “Good shot, son!” his pa said, amidst exclamations from everyone! “Well, ma, looks like someone will have a nice lion coat to keep them warm this winter! And it looks like I need to brush up on my tannin skills!”
Timmy had jumped out of the car and was calmin down the horses, strokin their heads and speakin soothingly. Ma was holdin her heart, thinkin what could have happened, if her boys weren’t such fine shots! Hattie and Karen were arguin about who needed a new coat worse. Carl had been snoozin and woke up with a start from all of the commotion! He stretched and got out and helped the other guys put that ol lion on the top of the jalopy and tie it down. They calmed down pretty quick and finished their journey to the apple trees.
The apple pickin went like this. Hattie and Karen picked all of the good apples off of the ground, Earl and Lucy and Cora held sacks for the apples to be put into and everybody else picked apples off of the trees. After a couple of hours, Hattie and Karen made sandwiches for the family and one of the boys brought spring water from the ol Johnson place and they all sat down in the green grass and had theirselves a picnic! Then it was back to pickin. After a couple of more hours, they had all the wagon could hold and they loaded up and started for home.
Earl and Lucy talked about it and agreed that he would load up the still supplies and take John and Timmy to work on the bunkhouse and Carl to help him take the still supplies a mile up to the site. Lucy would get the girls organized. Cora would get out the big ol laundry wash tub and fill it with cool water so they could wash the apples. Then, afterwards, Cora and Hattie started doing the chores together, collecting eggs, feeding the stock and weeding. Karen and her ma would start cutting the apples, peeling them and coring them. Then they would make some apple pies and applesauce and can it with some of the new canning jars they just bought. They would also make and can apple butter and for supper there would be fried apples and onions, a real family favorite. Earl and the boys would be gone two or three days, workin up at the still and it would take Lucy and the girls that long to finish up the apples.
Earl said, as he was kissing Lucy good-bye, “Honey, I left you with the rifle. I know you are a right fine shot and with none of the boys here and us’ns just runnin into that mountain lion, you need to be prepared. I done skinned the lion and got the meat cut up and into the smokehouse. If you could feed that fire with some green wood, I’d be much obliged. It should stay smokin till we get back. I got the brains soakin so’s we can use them to tan the hide when we get back. I do feel better knowing we got that lion yesterday, but please be careful and feed the animals and do the chores while it is light out.
Lucy said, “I done packed you food for three days and don’t even think about bein gone more than that. There is a sack of apples and a bunch of the lion meat to drop off at Donna Sue’s house. Check on that little one for me, please. She has shore got her hands full with that new baby and no husband. You keep yore gun by you all of the time and be keerful. You ain’t as young as you used to be, Earl. She checked his leg one last time and declared him well and gave him a big hug.
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The boys had transferred everything into the old jalopy, since the wagon was too wide to make it through the creek bed. They were pretty crowded, but in high spirits. The boys were lookin forward to buildin their cabin and the adventure this trip would bring.
When the boys arrived at Donna Sue’s house, they were greeted by a mess. There was a broke down fence, with the mule and the pig loose outside of it. The screen door had fallen off of the top hinge and was just hangin. There was a board missin on the front porch. There were two little kids playin in the mud who looked like they hadn’t seen water in many a day. Pa said, “This ain’t good, boys. It appears Danna Sue has lost courage and given up. One of you boys start puttin things back together and round up the animals, one of you make friends with the kids and clean them up and give them somethin to eat. John, you come in with me to see Donna Sue.”
They walked in to see Donna Sue rockin the baby, with a blank stare on her face. It took her a minute to acknowledge them. “ John, fix Donna somethin to eat. It looks like she is plum starvin to death. Donna, honey, it’s Earl and John. We is here to help you. Here, can you drink a swaller of water?”
She took the cup, seeming to not know what to do with it. Earl patiently helped her put it to her lips. She sipped the water and then greedily gulped it down and said only one word, “More!”
Earl filled her cup and helped her drink that one and three more. By this time, John had fried her up some lion meat and she ate slowly at first, but then devoured the food. The baby was whimpering and Donna Sue looked at her and realized she needed to eat, as well. She got out a blanket and draped it over her front and started nursing the .baby.
Earl asked her if she still had milk for the baby. She answered yes. He felt relieved that there was this one good thing that had happened in the midst of so many problems and then he asked her what had happened. He already knew the answer to the question, but needed to see if all of her marbles wuz still in place.
Donna Sue looked at him as if seein him for the first time. “Laws a mercy, where did you come from Earl and John Joseph!? How long have you been here? Where are my young uns?”
Earl said, “We come to help you, Donna Sue. Looks like you got a mite behind, here.”
At that show of sympathy, Donna Sue started crying. “I had no food for the young uns and I couldn’t haul water from the well, cuz the baby wouldn’t let me put her down. We ran out of firewood, but it ain’t winter. But what will I do this winter with no firewood chopped and I ain’t been tendin the garden? We got a hog for meat, but I ain’t never killed or butchered no hog. Oh, what am I to do?” She started crying harder.
Earl and John looked at each other. They were so eager to get started on the still and the cabin, but here was a family that was goin to die if they didn’t get help. John offered to start on the chores, feedin the animals, collectin eggs, bringin in water, choppin wood and such. Carl had already repaired the screen door and was working on the fence. Timmy was washin up the children and singin songs with them. Earl started sweepin the house and choppin up some of the rescued vegetables for later. He offered to hold the baby so Donna could get herself washed up and her clothes changed. She smelled pretty bad.
After Timmy had gotten the kids cleaned and fed and happy, he, at Earl’s request, had taken the jalopy back home to get ma to load it up with all kinds of food and soap, etc. that Donna would need. He also brought back Cora to stay with Donna for a while to help her. After all of the chores were done and the animals were put back up, Donna Sue looked up at Earl with tears of joy. “You are my angels of mercy. I gave up, but you brung us back to life and gave me new hope.”
Earl said, “Cora and Donna, we will be back in three days to check on you. Do you reckon you will be alright till then?”
They said they would and pa pulled Cora aside and told her to keep a close eye on Donna, that she had been through a really rough time and lots of hugs and patience were the cure. Cora said she understood and would do what she could.
It was a sober group of menfolk who continued on their way. Earl talked with the boys, as they left Donna Sue and Cora and the kids. “Boys, she was sure as shootin lookin into those pearly gates. If’n we hadn’t stopped by, she would be goin thru them tonight. And I think those kids would’ve followed purty quick. We need to be thinkin about what we can do to help. It’s the code of the mountain folk…we take care of our own.