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     BUCK      

THE GAME WARDEN 

         

                 

BOOM, ZINGGGGG WENT THE BULLET AS IT RICOCHETED OFF THE GRANITE BOLDER NEXT TO ME.  I DOVE TO THE GROUND JUST AS, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, THREE MORE SHOTS RANG OUT.  BUCK WAS RIGHT BESIDE ME AS FLAT TO THE GROUND AS HE COULD GET.  I LAY THERE WITHOUT MOVING, WAITING TO SEE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN NEXT.  THEN I HEARD THIS VOICE SAY, ”WHAT DID YOU SHOOT AT?  I DIDN’T SEE ANYTHING.”  ANOTHER VOICE ANSWERED SAYING, “I DIDN’T SEE ANYTHING EITHER, BUT I HEARD SOMETHING OUT THERE IN THE BRUSH.”  THE FIRST VOICE SAID, “YOU IDIOT, IT MIGHT JUST BE A COW.”  “WELL WE EAT COWS TOO DON’T WE?” THE SECOND VOICE SAID.

 

MY NAME IS LOREN AND I’M A GAME WARDEN FOR THE STATE OF TEXAS.  BUCK IS MY BLACK LAB THAT GOES WITH ME EVERYWHERE I GO.  HE’S A DOG BUT HE DOESN’T KNOW IT.  HE THINKS HE IS A GAME WARDEN ALSO.  WE USUALLY WORK IN THE EAST TEXAS COUNTY OF HARRISON AROUND CADDO LAKE.  BUT THIS YEAR IN ALL THEIR WISDOM THE AUSTIN OFFICE ASSIGNED ME TO HELP WARDEN JIM HALBERT HERE IN LLANO COUNTY DURING DEER SEASON. 

 

JIM HAD RETIRED FROM THE NAVY AFTER 20 YEARS SERVICE AND HAD BECOME A GAME WARDEN.  NOW HE HAD BEEN A GAME WARDEN FOR 20 YEARS AND WAS BEGINNING TO THINK OF RETIRING.   HE HAD BEEN ASSIGNED TO A SHIP BY THE NAME OF “NORTON SOUND” WHEN HE WAS IN THE NAVY BUT THAT’S A WHOLE NOTHER STORY FOR A DIFFERENT TIME.

 

JIM HAD TAKEN ME UNDER HIS WING AND WAS SHOWING ME THE COUNTRY ONE DAY WHEN WE GOT A CALL OF SOME TRESPASSERS ON THE MOSS RANCH.  WE DROVE TO THE BACK FENCE LINE AND FOUND AN OLD PICKUP SETTING NEXT TO THE BACK GATE.  WE HAD CRAWLED ACROSS THE FENCE AND WERE GOING TO LOOK FOR THE TRESPASSERS.  JIM TOLD ME TO GO UP A COW PATH THAT LED OFF TO THE LEFT AND HE WAS GOING ALONG THE SANDY ROAD TO LOOK FOR TRACKS.   AFTER ABOUT 300 YARDS THE COW PATH KIND OF FADED OUT AND LEFT ME IN THE MIDDLE OF SOME THICK BEE BRUSH.  I KNEW THE ROAD WAS OFF TO MY RIGHT SO I WAS PUSHING MY WAY THROUGH THE BRUSH INSTEAD OF BACK TRACKING TO THE GATE.  BUCK WAS RIGHT BEHIND ME AND LETTING ME PUSH THROUGH THE BRUSH TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR HIM.  I SAID HE WAS A DOG, I DIDN’T SAY HE WAS DUMB.

THAT’S WHEN A SHOT RANG OUT AND A BULLET RICOCHETED OFF A GRANITE BOULDER NEXT TO ME.  I HIT THE GROUND JUST AS THREE MORE SHOTS SOUNDED.  BUCK WAS RIGHT NEXT TO ME.  I WAS TRYING TO GET CLOSER TO THE GROUND BUT MY BELT BUCKLE WAS IN THE WAY.  I LOOKED OVER AT BUCK AND HE WAS FLATTER ON THE GROUND THEN ME.  I GUESS HE FIGURED IF HE GOT LOWER THEN ME, THEN IF ONE OF US WAS GOING TO GET SHOT IT WASN’T GOING TO BE HIM.  THEN I HEARD THESE VOICES COMING CLOSER TO US.  THEY WERE ARGUING ABOUT SHOOTING AT SOUNDS.  I REACHED BACK AND UNSNAPPED THE STRAP ON MY HOLSTER AND PULLED OUT MY .357 MAG. PISTOL.  WHEN THE TWO MEN WERE ONLY 10 FEET FROM ME I STOOD UP AND SAID, “GET YOUR HANDS UP.  I’M A GAME WARDEN AND YOU ARE UNDER ARREST FOR ATTEMPTED MURDER.”  THE ONE CARRYING THE RIFLE DROPPED THE RIFLE AND THREW UP HIS HANDS AND SHOUTED, “DON’T SHOOT, I GIVE UP.”  THE OTHER MAN PUT UP HIS HANDS AND KEPT SAYING, “LORDY, LORDY IT WASN’T ME.”

 

I TOLD BUCK TO WATCH THEM AND HE WALKED AROUND BEHIND THEM AND SET DOWN AND STARTED GROWLING.  THE MEN KEPT LOOKING BACK OVER THEIR SHOULDERS AT BUCK AND THEN WOULD LOOK AT ME.  I DON’T KNOW WHICH ONE OF US THEY WERE SCARED OF MOST.  I WALKED UP AND PICKED UP THE MAN’S RIFLE AND TOLD THEM TO TURN AROUND AND WALK BACK THE WAY THEY HAD COME.  IT WASN’T BUT A LITTLE WAYS BACK TO THE ROAD AND WHEN WE CAME OUT ON THE ROAD THERE WAS JIM.  BUCK MARCHED THE MEN RIGHT UP TO JIM AND BARKED, AND THE MEN STOPPED.  “GOOD DOG BUCK, “JIM SAID, “I SEE YOU CAUGHT THE TRESPASSERS, DID LOREN HELP YOU?”  BUCK JUST SIT THERE WITH A PLEASED LOOK ON HIS FACE.  

 

I TOLD JIM WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND HE SAID WE WOULD TAKE THEM IN TO THE COURT HOUSE AND FILE CHARGES ON THEM.  WHEN WE GOT BACK OUT TO OUR PICKUP, WE PUT THE TWO MEN IN THE PICKUP BED AND TOLD BUCK TO WATCH THEM.  BUCK JUMPED UP INTO THE BED WITH THE MEN AND GROWLED AT THEM.  IT WAS 16 MILES BACK INTO LLANO AND I DON’T THINK EITHER MAN MOVED THE WHOLE TRIP.  WHEN WE GOT TO THE COURT HOUSE WE TOOK THE MEN INTO JUDGE MARTIN’S COURT ROOM AND TALKED TO HIS CLERK, ELAINE, ABOUT FILING CHARGES.  JIM HAD ALREADY TALKED ME OUT OF FILING ATTEMPTED MURDER CHARGES AND ALL WE WERE GOING TO CHARGE THEM WITH WAS TRESPASSING.  JIM INTRODUCED ME TO ELAINE AND SHE SAID SHE WAS PLEASED TO MEET ME.  THEN SHE LOOKED OVER THE COUNTER AT BUCK AND ASKED WHO THIS HANDSOME LAD WAS.  BUCK REARED UP ON HIS HIND LEGS AND PUT HIS FRONT PAWS ON THE COUNTER AND SAID, ”WOLF, WOLF.”  I TOLD ELAINE THIS IS BUCK.  BUCK STUCK OUT HIS PAW TO SHAKE HANDS.  ELAINE LAUGHED AND SHOOK HANDS AND SAID, “BUCK, I’M GLAD TO MEET YOU.”  BUCK HAD THIS SILLY GRIN ON HIS FACE, HIS TONGUE WAS HANGING OUT ONE SIDE OF HIS MOUTH AND HE WAS PANTING LIKE HE WAS IN LOVE.   I CAN UNDERSTAND HOW HE FELT BECAUSE WHEN ELAINE LAUGHED IT WAS LIKE THE TINKLING OF LITTLE BELLS AND WHEN SHE SMILED IT WAS LIKE THE SUNSHINE HAD COME INTO THE ROOM. 

 

ANYWAY WE FILED CHARGES ON THESE TWO FELLOWS AND TOOK THEM DOWN TO THE LOCK UP UNTIL THEY COULD MAKE BOND.  BY THAT TIME IT WAS LUNCH TIME AND WE WENT OVER TO NITA’S COUNTRY CAFÉ FOR LUNCH.  WE TOLD BUCK TO STAY IN THE PICKUP AND WE WOULD BRING HIM SOMETHING.  WHEN WE WENT IN AND SAT DOWN, NITA HERSELF CAME OVER TO TAKE OUR ORDERS.  “ARE YOU BOYS HAVING A BUSY MORNING?  I SAW YOUR PICKUP OVER AT THE COURT HOUSE.”  NITA ASKED.  JIM TOLD HER ABOUT ME BEING SHOT AT THIS MORNING AND HOW BUCK HAD HELPED CATCH THE HOMBRES THAT DID THE SHOOTING.  “WELL WE WILL JUST HAVE TO REWARD BUCK FOR THAT.  I’VE GOT A BIG BONE OUT IN THE KITCHEN I’LL TAKE OUT TO HIM JUST AS SOON AS I TURN IN YOUR ORDERS.” NITA SAID.

 

I ORDERED A BIG JUICY HAMBURGER STEAK SMOTHERED IN ONIONS AND BROWN GRAVY AND FRENCH FRIES WITH A SALAD AND RANCH STYLE DRESSING.  ALSO BRING ME A BIG GLASS OF ICE TEA.  JIM SAID THAT SOUNDED PRETTY GOOD TO HIM SO JUST DOUBLE THAT ORDER.  TRUE TO HER WORD NITA TOOK BUCK A BIG BONE TO GNAW ON WHILE WE ATE OUR LUNCH.  JUST AS I FINISHED MY HAMBURGER STEAK, NITA BROUGHT A BIG SLAB OF HOT APPLE PIE WITH A SCOOP ON BLUE BELL VANILLA ICE CREAM ON IT FOR EACH OF US.  I SAID, “WE DIDN’T ORDER THIS, WHAT’S GOING ON?”  NITA SAID, “WELL AFTER GETTING SHOT AT THIS MORNING, I THOUGHT YOU NEEDED SOMEONE TO TELL YOU THAT WE APPRECIATE YOU, AND WE’RE GLAD YOU ARE DOWN HERE HELPING JIM.”  NOW THESE ARE MY KIND OF PEOPLE!  I THOUGHT.

 

AFTER LUNCH JIM SAID WE WOULD TAKE A BREAK AND GO BACK OUT AFTER DARK.  HE HAD  SOME REPORTS OF JACK LIGHTING ON THE INK’S RANCH AND HE THOUGHT WE SHOULD CHECK THIS OUT.  NOW JACKING LIGHTING, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON’T KNOW, IS HUNTING DEER AT NIGHT WITH A LIGHT.  IT IS ILLEGAL.  THE INKS RANCH IS A LARGE RANCH OF 20 SOME ODD THOUSAND ACRES AND IS FULL OF DEER.  THE OWNER DOES NOT LIVE ON THE RANCH AND CAN NOT CONTROL THE COMINGS AND GOINGS OF PEOPLE AFTER DARK. 

 

JIM IS WELL AQUATINTED WITH THE RANCH AND ALL THE ROADS ON IT SO WE WENT IN AFTER DARK WITH JUST OUR PARKING LIGHTS ON.  THIS GAVE JIM ENOUGH LIGHT TO SEE THE ROAD JUST IN FRONT OF THE PICKUP, BUT NO HEAD LIGHTS FOR ANYONE ELSE TO SEE.  WE DROVE UP ON KEENER PEAK, WHICH WAS THE HIGHEST POINT ON THE RANCH TO WATCH FOR LIGHTS.  IT WAS ABOUT 11:00 O’CLOCK WHEN WE GOT THERE.  AS WE SAT THERE VISITING WE COULD HEAR COYOTES ONCE IN A WHILE.  EACH TIME THEY SET UP A HOWL BUCK WOULD WHINE LIKE HE WANTED TO JOIN THEM.  I HAD TO KEEP TELLING HIM, “NO BUCK” TO KEEP HIM IN THE PICKUP. 

 

THEN WE SAW THE HEAD LIGHTS OF A VEHICLE WAY DOWN IN THE VALLEY.  AS WE WATCHED IT WE SAW A SPOT LIGHT COME ON AND START SHINING ALONG THE SIDE OF THE ROAD.  IN A LITTLE WHILE THE VEHICLE STOPPED AND THERE WAS THE SOUND OF A SHOT.  THEN ALL THE LIGHTS WENT OUT.  JIM SAID, “THAT’S OUR JACK LIGHTERS, LETS GO.”  HE STARTED THE TRUCK AND WE EASED DOWN OFF KEENER AND STARTED FOR THE AREA WHERE THE SHOT HAD COME FROM.  HE TURNED ON THE HEAD LIGHTS NOW AND WAS DRIVING FAST.  IT STILL TOOK US ABOUT 20 MINUTES TO GET CLOSE TO WHERE HE WAS GOING.  BEFORE WE GOT TO THE PLACE WHERE JIM THOUGHT THE SHOT HAD COME FROM WE MET ANOTHER PICKUP COMING TOWARD US.  JIM TURNED ON HIS RED LIGHTS AND STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD.

 

AS THE OTHER PICKUP GOT UP CLOSE TO US IT STOPPED AND TWO MEN GOT OUT AND ASKED WHAT WE WANTED.  JIM ASKED THEM FOR SOME I. D. AND THEY GAVE HIM THEIR DRIVERS LICENSES.  JIM ASKED THEM WHAT THEY WERE DOING ON THE RANCH SO LATE AT NIGHT.  WHILE JIM WAS TALKING TO THE MEN BUCK AND I HAD GONE BACK TO THEIR PICKUP AND LOOKED IT OVER.  THERE WAS A WINCHESTER 30-30 IN THE GUN RACK ON THE BACK OF THE CAB OVER THE SEAT.  BUT THAT WAS NOT UNUSUAL, IN THIS PART OF TEXAS.  ABOUT 90% OF THE PICKUPS YOU SAW HAD A GUN RACK WITH SOME KIND OF GUN IN IT.  I DIDN’T SEE ANY SPOTLIGHT AND THERE WAS NO DEER IN THE BED OF THE TRUCK.  I WALKED BACK TO JIM AND SHOOK MY HEAD NO. 

 

WELL WITH OUT A DEAD DEER OR ANY EVIDENCE WE HAD TO LET THEM GO.  BUT JUST AS JIM HANDED THEIR DRIVERS LICENSES BACK TO THEM BUCK LET OUT A LOUD WOLF.  HE WAS STANDING AT THE FEET OF THE DRIVER AND SNIFFING HIS BOOTS.  I SHINED MY FLASH LIGHT ON THE MANS BOOTS AND THERE WAS FRESH BLOOD ON THEM.  IT WAS STILL WET.  WHEN BUCK LET OUT THAT LOUD WOLF IT SCARED THE MAN SO BAD HE SAID, “OK, YOU GOT US, JUST DON’T LET THAT DOG BITE ME.”  I STEPPED BACK TO THEIR TRUCK AND TOOK THE 30-30 AND PUT IT IN OUR TRUCK.  JIM TOLD THEM TO TURN AROUND AND GO BACK AND GET THE DEER.  AFTER THAT WE TOOK THEM TO THE COURT HOUSE, WHICH HAD THE JAIL IN THE BASEMENT AND LOCKED THEM UP.  WE TOOK THE DEER OVER TO THE MEAT LOCKER AND HAD THEM PUT IT IN COLD STORAGE.  BY THIS TIME IT WAS CLOSE TO 3:00 AM AND WE WERE READY FOR SOME SHUT EYE.

 

AS WE PARTED FOR THE NIGHT, JIM SAID, “BUCK, THAT WAS SOME GOOD WORK ON YOUR PART TONIGHT.  GOOD DOG.”  BUCK BEING THE HAM HE IS SAID, “WOLF, WOLF, WOLF.”  I DON’T KNOW WHAT HE SAID BUT YOU COULD TELL HE WAS PLEASED.  AS I DROVE BACK TO THE LITTLE MOTEL WHERE I WAS STAYING BUCK SAT THERE WITH HIS HEAD OUT THE WINDOW LETTING THE WIND BLOW IN HIS FACE.  EVER SO OFTEN HE WOULD LET OUT WITH A LOUD WOLF LIKE HE WAS SAYING LOOK AT ME EVERYONE .  I’M A TEXAS GAME WARDEN.

 

                                      

  BY LOREN MOORE

COPYRIGHT 1999

 SEE YA

 

 

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