OneCam
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Dragging the Old Buck Home.
By Tom R Fassbinder
Rex had just finished splitting and stacking the firewood that he had cut the previous day. Fall was in the air and it felt good to have a plentiful stockpile of fuel for the wood burner. All signs indicated that a long winter lay ahead. He pulled up a chair next to Ol' Bill. The two sat quietly on the porch and worked together at the simple task of polishing off a jug of Ol' Bills fermented watermelon juice. As they drank the wine Ol' Bill pulled hickory nuts out of his pocket, whacked the shells with an old rusty claw hammer and ate the sweet meat. Rex took a long pull off the jug and looked up just in time to see Lil' Billy running up the lane looking a lot like a swarm of hornets was chasing him.
"Grandpa…Grandpa, the hickory nuts are falling in the back forty! Let's go deer hunting" Cried Lil' Billy. Ol' Bill quickly looked over to Rex, his eyes reflecting a sad tired tone that indicated he knew he had seen his better days. His mind wanted to go hunt the hickory grove but his body was no longer up to the task. In his younger days Ol' Bill was a trophy hunter. He managed to harvest several does each year to fill the freezer but he also had several Boone and Crocket bucks to his credit. Now, at the ripe age of 83 Ol' Bill was faced with an energetic grandson who was very interested in hunting. Ol' Bill had promised Lil' Billy that he would take him hunting this fall. Now Ol' Bill, having failed years ago in getting his only son interested in hunting, was wondering how he was going to be able to keep his promise and pass on the outdoor tradition on to his enthusiastic grandson.
Lil' Billy's Mom had passed away about five years earlier in an automobile accident. Ol' Bill was the only one Lil' Billy had left to watch over him, but at 83 Ol' Bill knew that his time was limited. Since his visit with Doc Keller in the spring Ol' Bill knew he was living on borrowed time. "You've got five, maybe seven months left before the cancer takes over and shuts you down" Doc Keller told him. Ol' Bill made Doc Keller promise not to tell a soul about his illness.
"I'd like to go and help you stick an arrow in that old 12-pointer that hangs out over there in the hickory grove but I twisted my knee splitting fire wood today, how 'bout if just you and Rex go this time?" boomed Ol' Bill in a deep voice "But Grandpa, you promised me that you'd show me how to hunt the big 12-pointer when the nuts started falling… besides, you said Rex didn't have the smarts or the energy to kill any deer much less the big 12-pointer!" Lil' Billy replied in an effort to force his Grandpa into keeping his promise. "Just never mind boy, I've got important stuff to tend to. Get inside and change outa your school clothes. I'll give Rex here a few last minute pointers and he'll do just fine" Replied Ol' Bill.
Billy dejectedly did as his Grandpa had told him. While he was inside changing Ol' Bill barked out orders "Listen Rex, I just can't muster the energy to take him out so you're going to have to do it. I've got an awful pain in my belly but I don't want the boy to know. I'm all he's got left and it'd worry him too much if he knew I was ailing."
"Ailing? Is it serious?" Rex asked. "Naw, I'll be fine. It's nothing a jug of wine and a few hickory nuts won't cure" he said. "Now listen good, you're going to have to do this 'cause other than me he ain't got no "real" blood relation left. I know you ain't a hunter, despite all my trying to get you to go when you was a boy, but Lil' Billy is interested in hunting so don't let him down, don't you dare let him down. I might be past my prime but I'm your Ol' man and I can still whoop your ass good if I take a mind to. Now take Lil' Billy to the west side of the grove, set up with the sun at your back and keep an eye on the fence line next to the watermelon patch. This big 12-pointer ain't stupid but if you do what I tell you the buck should walk right by you. Lil' Billy has been practicing and he'll know where to put that arrow once the buck gets close enough. That buck loves hickory nuts and when he hears them dropping he'll surely leave the comfort of the watermelon patch early and be in the hickory grove before dark. I like hickory nuts myself so bring a pocket full back for me will you. They go great with a jug of watermelon wine and I've only got a few left from last year."
Before Rex could explain to Ol' Bill that he had planned on heading to the saloon to play cards and couldn't take the boy hunting. Billy emerged from the house with his bow and arrows in tow. "Okay Rex, I'm ready, let's go get that rascal." Billy said with great enthusiasm. But… "You heard the boy" interrupted Ol' Bill, "get going. Do just as I told you and help the boy get that rascal".
Rex was Lil' Billy's dad but Billy didn't know it. The bright lights and big city parties lured Rex away before Billy was born. Billy's mom, whom Rex never married, was forced to raise him alone. Since Rex wanted no contact with his mom or the boy they thought it best that they tell Lil' Billy absolutely nothing about who his dad was. Ol' Bill disliked the choices Rex had made and he kept close contact with Billy's mom and helped support the boy. Rex returned from the big city just a few years ago after loosing his manufacturing job to a plant across the boarder in Mexico. Down on his luck and no where to call home Ol' Bill took him back in and kept Rex full of watermelon wine and draft beer. Rex did the farm chores in return. Since returning to the farm Rex had always done what Ol' Bill asked and in return he always made sure Rex never got too hungry or too thirsty. They had an agreement that when the time was right and Billy was mature enough to comprehend it, together they would tell Lil' Billy that Rex was his dad. Until that point Lil" Billy would know Rex only as Grandpa's hired hand.
Ol' Bill had tried to get Rex interested in hunting several times over the years but as a youngster he was never too eager to go. Hunting never seemed like a worthwhile use of Rex's limited energy supply, especially when there was a party to go to. Booze, fast cars and faster women always got Rex's attention. Now, years later, this was going to be a defining moment in Rex's life. Would he take his son deer hunting or walk out on him again and head to the soloon for a night of drinking, partying and carrying on….?
Reluctantly, Rex said "C'mon boy, let's get this over with". As the two walked towards the west side of the hickory grove Rex tried hard to carry on a conversation with Billy. Billy finally told Rex to keep quiet so he wouldn’t scare the big 12-pointer away. Rex was like a fish out of water. The youngster led Rex to a ground blind that he and grandpa had made earlier. To Rex it just looked like a pile of brush. Two 5-gallon buckets were nestled inside the brush. Billy sat on one and instructed Rex to sit on the other. Billy intently watched the fence line between the watermelon patch and the hickory grove. "Keep still" Lil' Billy whispered, "the way the hickory nuts are dropping that big 12-pointer is likely to show up any time". The wind is in our favor and if the buck don't see you moving or hear you rustling around I have a good chance of getting him tonight".
Back at the house, Ol' Bill was polishing off another jug of watermelon wine. He had feelings of contentment knowing that Rex and Lil" Billy were hunting together but the pain in his belly was strong and growing stronger. It seemed to be chasing the oxygen right out of his lungs. He reached in his pocket and pulled out a hickory nut, cracked it with the hammer and feasted on the tender fruit inside. Ol' Bill always ate hickory nuts when he drank watermelon wine. As he chewed the nut it became harder to catch his breath. As he reached for the jug of wine he found himself grasping for air…
"Rex, there he is!" whispered Billy ever so quietly. A rugged old buck was standing just across the fence line. The buck was well past his prime. His cheeks and belly sagging, his rack was thick, gnarly and uneven. His face was a deep shade of gray. The buck, once a candidate for the record book was now just a big wide cagey old warrior. He was not the prettiest, but one look at the buck and you knew he was the toughest around. In his prime he had taken on all comers. He had a few battle scars but his swagger indicated he was still ready to get it on if he had to. The sound of dropping hickory nuts had lured him from the safety of his bedding area. When he landed on their side of the fence Billy was already at full draw. Rex was shaking like a leaf. The sight of the buck in such close proximity to the pile of brush where the two hunters were hiding was nearly taking Rex's breath away. His heart was pounding. He wondered how his son was able to contain his excitement? This was turning out to be pretty exciting stuff…
….Ol' Bill took a long pull off the jug of wine washing down his last hickory nut as the pain in his belly intensified. The empty jug fell to the ground and shattered as Ol' Bill sat back in his chair took his last breath of air and died.
At the same moment, the old buck bent down to taste his first hickory nut of the season and Billy calmly sent a razor through his lungs. The old warrior ran 50 yards back into the watermelon patch, fell over, took his last breath and died.
Rex was fascinated by the events. Witnessing the hunt was exhilarating and for the first time in years he was excited to be alive. Rex finally understood why Ol' Bill loved to hunt so much and had always tried hard to get him to go hunting as a youngster. Rex now wished that he had followed Ol' Bill's lead and learned to hunt, fish and enjoy the outdoors. Maybe it wasn't too late?
As Billy and Rex drug the old buck back to the house they paused to rest. Tears filled Rex's eyes as he said "son, I think your grandpa is going to be awfully proud of you." Lil' Billy looked at Rex for a long time and then replied "Grandpa told me this morning that he was pretty sick. He said that he might die soon. He also told me that you were my Dad. He said that you didn't know much and that I was going to have to teach you how to hunt". Rex was astonished with the maturity in his son's voice. "I think that'd be a good idea" Rex replied. Then they each grabbed a side of the gnarly old rack and a father and son, together for the first time, finished dragging the old buck home.