 During a dry spell, a burly, aging woodsman gets word that his wife is gravely ill and not expected to live. His reaction is to take one look at her in the hospital bed and return to his ranch, where he methodically splits firewood, piece after piece. His grown daughter insists that he go to the bedside; he ignores her. She tries to talk to him, she issues ultimatums, she gets angry. He splits wood. He remembers the day that two of his children died in an accident. He continues to swing his ax. Can anything bring out an emotion? The phone rings.