The Reason Why (1970)

Notice that life, how pure, like the first day of the world. >> I better go down to the islands to get the kids. Maybe we can walk later. Huh? Pardon? I'll see you. Bye. [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] See? see anything? >> These are terrific. >> Cut those in the Virgin Islands. They're much cheaper there. >> I really terrific. So light. >> Where'd you walk? >> Oh, it's the top of the pasture down by the pond. >> It's a gorgeous view up there. Marvelous. Just marvelous. I've never seen a more beautiful landscape anywhere in the world. >> It's always changing, too. In all the years, I've never been bored with it. Always some new detail. >> It's air. Hard to believe the world can be so messed up. Just beautiful. [Applause] Hey, look up there quick. What? No, no, no, no. Next to the stone fence, the top of the pasture. You see it up there? >> The hell is that? >> It's a woodchuck. >> No, >> it is. That's the way they are around here. >> Say, it is too. Look at a big boy. You got shoulders. >> Let me see. Oh yeah. Yeah. That's the papa. >> Never seen them anywhere as big as that. He like a fox teriyot. You see him? He's sitting up. Look, look, look at him sitting up. Unbelievable. Damn near as big as a raccoon. Wonder if I could hit him here. >> Probably not. Huh? How far would you say that was up there? >> Uh 300 350 yards. >> Well, I've hit a few up there. Maybe a little further down though. >> Yeah, but not way up there. >> Two summers ago, I got 42 in that field. 42? >> What far? >> We had a vegetable garden then. Well, you put in all that work. You come out in the morning and it's like a lawn mower ran over it. It's infuriating. >> He's still there. >> Oh, he'll go on feeding half an hour this time of day. >> They're rodents, aren't they? >> I'm not so sure about that. They're vegetarians. They have the head of a rat, but the tail is short and bushy. They're related to the rabbits. What the hell that is? 42 >> at least. I kept hoping they get the message and go back up into the fields there, but they kept right on coming. Finally, we had to give up the vegetable garden. You ever hunt? >> Years ago, birds. I never liked it though. It's so beautiful. It breaks your heart. >> Yeah, I know. It's awful. And I don't care what anybody says. There's an area in every hunter that's absolutely stupid. Hey, look. Look, he's sitting up again. He >> is monstrous, isn't he? About that stupidity, though. Known a lot of intelligent guys love to hunt. >> Yeah, I suppose. It's like two summers ago when I when I was after them. Got so I couldn't think of anything else. I'd come out of the house and start looking around for them. Honestly, it got so if I didn't see him, I'd be disappointed. He had to be a an addiction. He'd see one of them come out of his hole, he wouldn't move. He'd crawl away from his hole. He'd sit up. He'd go into the house, tiptoe in, get your gun, load it, come out, close the screen door softly, sight him, and bam. It It was a lot of fun at first, but then It was quite strange. I don't know what to call it. You You felt a kind of emptiness. You feel all emptied out afterwards. It occurred to me a few times it must be like that in a war. Sounds like it in a way. Yeah. You ever hit anyone >> twice? Yeah. >> Could you see him go down? >> Oh, sure. Was on the desert. Man stands out sharply in the desert. >> Do we feel like that? >> Well, you're in danger yourself, so that kind of justifies it. You're right. It's sort of a hangover afterward. >> Why'd you stop? >> Well, actually, it's very interesting. When I started, I only intend to kill three or four and maybe scare the others away. It got to be six and 10 and 20. And was only a limited war in the beginning, you know. But then I got involved. It surprised me. I actually began to feel real hatred. I come out, take a look, and there they were. A whole field full of the bastards. And it was getting expensive, too. You know, one bullet cost 15 cents. And you don't always hit with one shot. And the hawks. Always two or three hawks up there with those hooked beaks. I was in league with the Hawks. It' be very depressing. And the truth is, for what it cost to kill him, I could have bought all the tomatoes you could eat in a year. Seriously though, I thought it must be like that in a war. But what it cost to kill these days, you could put a tractor on every farm in the world and send all of their kids to the University of Texas. Let's come down a little closer. I think. >> Yeah. Yeah, he has. >> I know what you mean. These goddamn wars. >> They make everything seem so senseless. >> Yeah. Constant feeling of depression never goes away. >> I know. I feel that way, too. You know, I never did before. >> You like to take a shot? I mean I mean if you want to you probably never hit him anyway. I'd never reach him from here. >> Wait a minute. [Applause] Telescopic site, huh? >> Take a look. It's terrific. I bought it used. 65 bucks. That's seven power. >> What's the caliber? >> 222. It's got a large cartridge, but there's no kick. Nice and light. >> Yeah, it is. >> Handle. Nice, huh? >> Beautiful. Hey, there he is. Boy, this really brings him up close. Yeah, >> there's a head of a rat. >> Maybe it is a rat. >> Quite ugly. >> I know. I hate them. >> Can you hit anything standing up? >> Fairly well. >> I can't hit anything unless I rest my arm on something. >> You correct for the wind? >> Well, there's no wind now, is there? >> No, it seems perfectly still out there. That's at least 350 yards, Charles. >> Well, I think I can reach it. Ah, it's impossible. >> I think I could. [Applause] He's running away. >> Was I high or low? >> I don't know. I had the glasses on. He stopped. Can you see him sitting up looking around? You see him? He's starting to run. [Applause] >> God damn. Oh dear. Can you see him? >> You got him. My god, you got him. He's dead as Kelsey's ass. Let me see. What the hell did you do that for? I don't know. Come on, let's take a look. Never believed it. >> I told you it's a hell of a rifle. >> Sure is. I'd have bet 100 to one that you couldn't >> got a flat trajectory. It's got terrific power. The only problem is it's a little off with the load. Once you've got something in it sight, you poor thing. >> See, right through the head. Look at those claws. >> It lives in the ground. See, it doesn't have a rat's tail. He >> is big. heavy too. What do you do with them? >> Well, just leave them. The hawks will come. >> Why'd you do that? >> I don't know. I probably won't anymore, though. >> Woo! I'm coming. [Applause]