Ralph, a changed man, a saved man from sin, mopes around his property. Since the desire to fued is no longer in Ralph's heart he just kicks rocks up and down the riverbank where the river used to be. He sees the fragmental remains of what used to be the dam. At which sight of Ralph falls to the ground and cries, what made me so ornery?" He asked himself.

Both Ralph and Toady had trouble sleeping, Toady tossed and turned and grumbled. Toady got up out of bed, went to his front porch and looked up into the sky and started praying.

Why am I troubled Toady wondered. He prayed on the porch until the Rooster crowed.

Toady didn't want breakfast that morning the others ate but Toady went on to do his chores. Jonathan and Mark ate around the table with the Hoads,but they all knew something was gnawing on Toady's mind.

Toady kept doing his chores and told his maw he didn't want lunch either. He kept working and was pulling weeds out of his maw's garden when it hit him. Toady said within himself, "That's it! I've got to go see the McCallisters." He literally cracks up the 'Old Betsy' as he calls the car and rides over to the McCallister's place. Of course he had his shotgun as all normal Hillbillies do but it was open as to show no bullets.

When Toady arrived at the McCallister's he said, "Hullo,in the house. I come as a friend."

Jake responded pointing his gun at him, "What do you Hoads want?" Then Jake looking at his paw, "Should I shoot him Paw?"

His Paw, Ralph answered, "There will be no shootun' today can't you see his coming as a friend?"

Jake spits on the ground and says,"Hoads is harm just their being here."

Ralph corrects, "Son I misPawed you and that's a fact. God don't want folks to hate. I misPawed you on that and I be truly sorry."

Jake asks, "You expecting me to love them like they be kinfolk?"

His Pa instructs, "Try son and if you can't then tolerate."

Jake then puts the shotgun down and stares at Toady in uncertainty and disgust.

Ralph asks, "Now, Mr. Hoard," (at which word 'Mr.' Jake gags and coughs a little), "Haash Jake and be still. Now Mr. Hoad, you come here for a reason what's your business?"

Toady explains, "I couldn't sleep at all last night. I got up and prayed. I haven't eaten all day I was pulling weeds in the garden and then it hit me, we got weeds between us."

Ralph speaks, "I couldn't sleep neither, but I didn't know nothin' about praying like you done. I just tossed and turned and grumbled. You're right there is bad weeds betwixt us. You know Jonathan he's an Angel of God I knew when I saw him I'd go to Hell if I died but I accepted Jesus in my heart and now I'm saved and a changed man."

Toady listened to Ralph's testimony and he too also accepted Jesus in his heart because of what Ralph said.

Jonathan Smith standing at the top of a hill looking down on Ralph and Toady talking was smiling because a friendship was being born.

The next day while Billy, Toady and his son Andy were doing the farm chores, outside. Daisy Bell is doing the chores inside the house and decided to boil the clothes clean instead of going down to the creek that turned into a river. She was still afraid of the river after Ellie Jane, Today's wife drowned doing laundry.

It's noontime, Daisy Bell calls to the men working, "Come on in, Y'all come, Y'all come the vittles is ready, y'all come."

Jonathan and Billy were pulling weeds out of the garden and scooping up manure that was in walkways. Toady tended the crops. Andy and Mark tended the stock. They all looked up from they work and said, "We a comin'."

They are all gathered around the table when Mark says, "Jonathan you never guess what I got to do, I got to Milk the Cow like Carrie did on Little House on the Prairie."

Jonathan responds, "Cute Mark, cute!"

Daisy Bell says, "Well I'm glad you got pleasure out of your chores."

Andy says, "Mr Gordon did quite well for a city dude."

Mark replies, "Ha, did you hear that Jonathan? I was complimented!"

Daisy Bell says, "If you men quit your jawin' we can eat."

Toady replies, "Sorry Maw. All right now let's have a blessing. Billy would you offer thanks?"

Billy says the blessing for the food and they eat.

Everybody's eating their Beans and Cornbread when Toady says, "I've been a pondering me something. We've been blessed by the Almighty and we got all our needs met now with what the river flowin' our way, but what's to stop us from a figurin' how to solve the McCallisters problem of no water? Me and Ralph shook hands the other day. I reckon we're friends now. Now I may sound like I'm a preachin' but didn't that Gideon Bible say something like a friend loveth at all times, it did I know it did. Maybe we could help dig or dynamite that big oak slam damned into the riverbed and have the water flow the new way as well as the old. The McCallisters could have water and we could have water and everybody'd be happy."

Mark replies, "Dynamite isn't controllable but nitroglycerin is. We could put just a little amount and blow the tree away a little at a time, not upsetting the ground around the river as much."

Jonathan says, "I know about nitroglycerin. I could set the charge."

Toady asks Mark, "Do you know anything about nitrogen?"

Mark answers, Just enough to know that it goes ka blooey."

Toady says, "Alright, tomorrow is help a friend day," He raises his glass of sweet tea, "Are you with me?"

Everyone cheers.

Will it work?

To Be Continued