Why does Joey flee from his childhood home?

After his father's death, Joey is left in the custody of a stepmother and her "cousin" who are determined to take ownership of the East Texas ranch Joey had inherited from "Pa." The stepmother inherits the property if Joey dies, and the boy finds his life in danger. Mysteriously, a bull attacks, and several weeks later Joey finds a rattlesnake in his bed. Believing that his stepmother is behind the attempted murder, he flees to his only living relative, a second cousin named Beau.