[sarge_257]

This story takes place when Sarge was a young man and living on a farm North of Sioux City, Iowa. We had about 200 acres and a third of that was wooded and pasture. Perfect for hunting and lazing around in the cool shade after the work day was over. And then Sarge's cousin shows up with a couple of buddies and wants to go hunting. Dad said to take them out to the pasture and find them a couple of squirrels. Young Sarge did what his Father told him to do but his heart was not in it. First of all his cousin was a bully. and outweighed young Sarge by about 80 lbs. most of it fat but still he was big and liked to pick on his younger relatives. Second he and his friends had those new semi-auto .22 RF rifles . The ones that you can shoot so fast that it sounds like a machine gun. And it was very unlikely his father (Sarges Uncle) knew enough about guns to teach him firearms safety. But Young Sarge lead the three "Big Game Hunters" out to the pasture.
There he explained to his "know it all" cousin the way to hunt squirrels in wood lots like this one. He sat them down on a log and told them to sit very still and not talk. Then he would go around the outside of the wood lot and come up from the opposite end making a lot of noise. This would scare the squirrels into moving their way and they could then pick them off from the trees.
So Young Sarge went into the corn field next to the wood lot and headed North toward the end of the pasture. The Corn had already been picked so he moved very carefully to make the least about of noise in the dry noisy corn stalks. He was just half way up the hill when he heard his cousin yell,THERE'S ONE!!" and then it sounded like a hail storm around Young Sarge as the bullets shot at the tree top missed and went on to the hill that Young Sarge was walking on.
He looked ahead and saw a runoff ditch that was deep enough to get him below ground level and he ran and LEAPED! for its shelter. Just as he left the ground something hit him in the back. And then he was rolling into the ditch and below ground. Bullets continued to rain around him in spite of his yells..! STOP SHOOTING , PEOPLE UP HERE! Finally they ran out of ammunition and Young Sarge got to his feet and ran like he was being chased by a Grizzly Bear. He finally made to the farm house and told his Dad what had happened. Dad turned him around and found a bullet hole in his jeans in the back. He reached in the back pocket and pulled out Young Sarge's billfold.
"Bad news Son," he said " I think he is dead." Young Sarge grabbed for his back fully expecting to find blood running out and his life almost over, when his Dad turned him around and showed him a 1 dollar bill, with a bullet hole right through George Washington. "Where are they shooting from?" his dad asked. "That big log right where the cow path turns toward the creek." Young Sarge answered. .
His Dad started the tractor up and drove to the pasture coming up on the boys from the back. He told them to give him the guns and get back to the house. There he read my cousin the riot act and told him to get off of our farm and never come back. And he took the bolts out of the rifles and told all three of the boys to tell their Dads to drive out here and pick the bolts up. And he finished." You better tell your dads what happened because I will.
The bullet was a hollow point and it blew up inside the billfold. Young Sarge had a big bruise on his back side but no hole or blood.
When the Dad's of the boys came out to get the bolts they apologized to Dad and to me and told Dad that they were going to sell the guns when they got home.
My Uncle as angry at my Dad for letting them go hunting alone. The three boys were 17 years old. I had been hunting alone since I was 12yrs old. But it was obvious that they were never taught hunting safety. My Uncles attitude was probably some of my cousin's problem. He got everything he wanted except his Dad to be with him.
My cousin is living in Denver,CO. now and is a Stock Broker, so be careful who you trust your money with. His first name is Ray.
Sarge

[Neophyte1]

sarge_257: Sir, another one of them; ''you had to be their'' wow weee's;
dang;
another good moral;

[38special]

great story, great moral and lucky ending.

[sarge_257]

I can honestly say I have been shot more by friends than enemy soldiers.
Sarge

[Hawg]

Hey sarge, when ya gonna write a book?

[sarge_257]

Welllll I have thought about it but I am reasonably sure that the left wing press would not be interested. I have considered self publishing a limited amount for my family and friends. We will see. The Army didn't pay me much when I was in the Army and they sure aren't paying me much now that I am retired from the Army. The number of stories I have written are now over 200 (if you count the stories that my dog Duke has written.)
Sarge

[Hawg]

Put something together and give it a shot. You might be surprised.

[sarge_257]

Any one out there know of a publisher that takes on amateur writers?? Or is there such a thing as a web site that gives instructions to self publish your own?
Sarge

[M14sRock]

Another vivid read, Sarge!

[MrGrumpy89]

Man, again another grest story by sarge. You can say you are like Forest Gump. Got shot in the buttocks.