The Sky Pilot (film)
THE SKY PILOT
Canada! A land where Nature must glory in her handiwork.
Far to the North and West——half hidden among hills that sleep in the shadow of silent eternal peaks——lies the tiny settlement of Swan Creek.
The social center of Swan Creek——well named "The Stopping Place." Here gathered those who rode the wild trail to the cut-bank of destruction.
Into this little frontier settlement, primitive, godless——came a stranger——from beyond the waving skyline of the foothills.
The end of the trail.
"Pardon me, gentlemen, could a thirsty man get a drink here?"
"Nobody ever passed through Swan Creek with a coat of dust on his tonsils."
"I'd much prefer water——if you don't mind."
"No use tailin' in with a bunch of mavericks, pardner. Come on over an' meet some real white men."
"Stranger, my name's Bill Hendricks. An' these is some of Swan Creek's choicest blossoms——they ride herd for Colonel Ashley."
"Sufferin' centipedes! A Sky Pilot!"
"I wonder if you could arrange for me to hold services here tomorrow?"
"Church!! We ain't runnin' no church—— this is a saloon!"
Sunday morning found "The Stopping Place" filled with a curious——and expectant——congregation.
"Now, you poor, ignorant heathens, don't forget to remember that this here saloon is a church——an' get a pious look on you!"
"We will sing Hymn 262."
"Get into the game——here's your deck!"
"Our lesson for today is the parable of the loaves and fishes——the story of how our Savior blessed and fed a multitude."
"I expect——accordin' to you——that Gentleman could get everybody here lit up on a pint of soothin' syrup."
"Yes. He once transformed great jars of water into wine for a wedding feast."
"Will you please sit down so we may resume our services?"
"Would one of you gentlemen be kind enough to put this man out?"
"Let's run the meddler out of town, boys!"
THE
STOPPING PLACE
"Hard ridin' an' soft religion don't mix, Mr. Parson. Here's where you start walkin' an' keep——right——on——goin'!"
Alone, crushed, defeated--his hopes and dreams had ended in one short, crowded hour.
"Say, Parson, I'd be mighty proud if you'd just forget about that foolishness of mine an' shake hands."
"You sure got a tough job, pardner, tryin' to inject religion into the hides of that gang——without a forty-five!"
"There must be some way to help them, Bill."
"They won't listen to no preacher! You got to show 'em you're a man an' then make 'em listen to you!"
"I'll show you a way——if you'll come with me!"
Kathleen Kirkham
"You said we'd be needin' a first-class cowhand——this is him, Boss!"
"Can you ride?"
"Why, Boss, this bird cut his eye-teeth on a horseshoe!"
"Glad to hear it! Come on over to the corral."
"Does he get the job, Boss?"
"Did I get the——the position?"
"You sure did! Your ridin' showed great——while it lasted."
-Ashley Ranch-
Round-up
SMALL
HERD
FENCELINE
MOUNTAIN
RANGE
TUNNEL
MOUNTAIN
RANGE
Duke's
Ranch
Hours spent together strengthen a growing friendship.
The aftermath of a wild night at the Stopping Place.
"Keep away! It's full of devils——millions of 'em!"
"Be quiet——I'm going to smoke them out."
A fence-fixing expedition initiates the "Pilot" into the details of his new profession.
"There's somethin' queer about this, Pilot. Ride up the canyon an' take a look."
A natural passage, through which the Duke plans to drive the Ashley cattle to his own ranch.
"That young Tenderfoot's getting pretty warm——better throw a little scare into him."
"So this is the girl I've been hearing about so much?"
"What's the Sky Pilot doing——here?"
"Wait a minute, "Old Timer." Just 'cause he's got religion——that ain't no crime."
"If you're going to side in with that Sky Pilot——you can go too. I never want to see you again——never!"
The annual Fall Round-up at the Ashley Ranch.
"I've spotted a bunch of Ashley's cattle near the mouth of the canyon. I figure we'd better pull it off right away."
"Duke gang make big talk in there——dam'!"
"We'll tear down a strip of fence and shoot 'em through the tunnel while they're thinking about it."
"Pray for her, my boy, pray for her!"
In this hour of need.
"Oh God——I've forgotten how to pray. But please, God, don't let her die——this way. She's all I've got . . ."
"When a man's religion will let him do what you've done——an' live——there must be somethin' to it, that's all."
The examination over.
"Don't worry, Gwen——everything will come out all right."
"Old Timer, I hate to say it, but——I don't believe Gwen will ever walk again."
"Never walk again——my baby! It's a lie, I tell you——a lie!"
"Just a thing——lying here with its body dead——waiting to die!"
"There must be some way to make this easier for her."
"You hate God because you think He is making you suffer——is that it?"
"The Doctor hurts you terribly, yet your father, who loves you, allows him to do it."
"My father let him hurt me because he thought it would make me well."
"Don't you see that God might love you dearly and still you might fall? It may have been a means of bringing you back to Him."
Hours of patient effort bring their reward——healing and comfort to the heart of the suffering girl.
"Tell me more——it's all so beautiful. If my heart could just understand!"
Christmas Morn!
"I promised Gwen we'd run up early to see what Santa Claus brought."
THIS CHURCH AND THIS LITTLE BOOK MIGHT HELP TO SHOW OUR APPRECIATION TO THE BEST PAL WE EVER HAD.
"Your dad's goin' down to take a look at that new Gospel plant. Goodbye."
On the way to share the good news with Gwen.
"The Duke's gang is aimin' to start trouble around the church."
The hour of services——and no word from the "Pilot."
BETTER SEND CROWD HOME
YOUR PILOT WONT PREECH
NO SERMON TODAY.
"We'll start this meetin' by singin' Hymn 262."
"Bill says to go an' look for th' Pilot."
"God Almighty——I ain't much good at this here prayin' stuff——but if it ain't too late to help the Pilot we sure would appreciate it."
"It may be best for him to go, but it will sure be hard on the rest of us that's left behind."
"Our lesson will be about the bread and the fishes."
"Aw, get out! Whadda you know about bread an' fishes?"
"I'm goin' to preach this here sermon, if it's the last thing I ever do!"
An opportunity to get even.
"Don't——don't! Leave me be——I'll tell! It was the Duke and his gang——they made me do it!"
Suddenly realizing he was about to lose the cowboys' gift——his treasured Bible.
"Why baby——my baby! You're WALKING! At last my prayers have been answered!"
The days that followed lengthened into weeks——and months. Happier days for the Pilot, filled with a cheerful effort that brought understanding.....and a love that marked the last milestone of his journey.
The
End
This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published in 1921, before the cutoff of January 1, 1929.
The longest-living author of this work died in 1982, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 41 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.
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