WEEVILS
ONE
CHRISTMAS WHEN MY GRAND DAUGHTER AMANDA, HER HUSBAND CLINT AND
HER DAUGHTER WERE VISITING WE WERE SITTING AROUND THE
BREAKFAST TABLE TALKING. I WAS TELLING HER HOW I HAD BEEN THE
COOK FOR OUR GROUP OF HUNTERS ON OUR DEER LEASE AT LLANO,
TEXAS ON THE OLD MOSS RANCH. THERE WERE EIGHT OF US THAT
HUNTED TOGETHER FOR 27 YEARS.
WELL, TO
SAY I WAS “THE COOK” IS MISLEADING. I WAS ONE OF THE COOKS.
EACH MEMBER HAD HIS OWN SPECIALTY. ONE MEMBER, BOB, WOULD
COOK STEAKS WHEN WE HAD STEAKS. JOHN’S SPECIALTY WAS MEXICAN
BEANS AND CORNBREAD. LARRY’S SPECIALTY WAS STEW. DAN’S
SPECIALTY WAS SPAGHETTI. TOM’S SPECIALTY WAS SALAD. HE WOULD
MAKE A BIG LETTUCE, ONION AND TOMATO SALAD WITH HIS HOMEMADE
DRESSING IN OUR DISHPAN. THEN HE WOULD WALK AROUND THE TABLE
REACH INTO THE DISHPAN WITH HIS HAND, GRAB A HAND FULL OF
SALAD AND DROP IT ON EACH PLATE. WE ALL SURE HOPED HE HAD
WASHED HIS HANDS GOOD.
I REMEMBER
ONE TIME WHEN BOB WAS GOING TO COOK STEAKS AND HE ALMOST
BURNED THE CABIN DOWN. HE WAS LATE COMING IN FROM HIS DEAR
STAND THAT NIGHT. WE HAD A BIG BAR-B-QUE PIT ON WHEELS. THAT
WAS WHAT BOB COOKED HIS STEAKS ON. IT WAS DRIZZLING RAIN THAT
NIGHT SO BOB ROLLED THE BAR-B-QUE PIT UNDER THE FRONT PORCH
ROOF OF THE CABIN. BECAUSE HE WAS LATE GETTING STARTED HE
WANTED THE CHARCOAL TO BURN DOWN TO COALS IN A HURRY. HE
POURED HALF A GALLON OF GASOLINE ON THE CHARCOAL, STOOD BACK
AND THREW A MATCH ON IT. WELL, YOU CAN IMAGINE WHAT
HAPPENED. AFTER WE GOT THE FIRE OUT WE WENT TO BED THAT NIGHT
WITHOUT ANY SUPPER.
JOHN LIKED
HIS BEANS HOT. NOT WITH FIRE BUT WITH PEPPER. ONE DAY HE
FOUND SOME WILD PEPPERS GROWING OUT ON THE DEER LEASE. HE
PICKED SOME AND PUT THEM IN THE POCKET OF HIS HUNTING COAT.
THAT NIGHT WHEN HE COOKED HIS BEANS HE PUT A HAND FULL OF
THESE WILD PEPPERS IN THE POT. HIS BEANS WEREN’T VERY GOOD
THAT NIGHT. THEY DID NOT HAVE THAT HOT ZINNY TASTE THEY
USUALLY HAD. HE SAID HE DIDN’T UNDERSTAND WHY EITHER. HE HAD
USED A HOLE HAND FULL OF THOSE WILD PEPPERS IN THE BEANS.
NONE OF US ATE VERY MUCH THAT NIGHT BECAUSE THE BEANS WEREN’T
VERY GOOD. BUT THEN I GUESS IT WAS A GOOD THING BECAUSE WE
ALL GOT “MONTAZOMAS REVENGE." WITHOUT A BATHROOM IN THE
CABIN, IT WAS TOUGH. NEEDLESS TO SAY NONE OF US GOT ANY SLEEP
THAT NIGHT. NO TELLING WHAT THOSE WILD PEPPERS WERE, BUT I
BET THEY WEREN’T PEPPERS.
LARRY MADE
SOME OF THE BEST STEW YOU EVER LAID A TONGUE TO. HE USED WHAT
EVER HE COULD KILL ON THE LEASE TO MAKE HIS STEW. WHY I
REMEMBER HIM MAKING STEW OUT OF SQUIRREL, RABBIT, ARMADILLO,
NUTRIA, DEER AND ONCE EVEN A RATTLESNAKE. IT WAS ALL GOOD.
LARRY WAS A REAL ARTIST WHEN IT CAME TO MAKING STEW. ONE
NIGHT AS WE SAT DOWN TO HIS PRIZE WINNING STEW THE FIRST BITE
WAS SO HOT WITH PEPPER WE COULD HARDLY EAT IT. SO WE EACH
BUTTERED A PIECE OF BREAD. WE WOULD TAKE A BITE OF STEW, A
BITE OF BUTTERED BREAD AND A DRINK OF WATER. THIS WAS THE
ONLY WAY WE COULD EAT THAT STEW. WE FIGURED OUT LATER WHAT
MUST HAVE HAPPENED. LARRY HAD BEEN SAMPLING DAN’S SPAGHETTI
WINE PRETTY HEAVY WHILE HE WAS COOKING AND HE PEPPERED THE
STEW TWICE. MAYBE THREE TIMES OR MORE, WHO KNOWS. LARRY SURE
DIDN’T.
DAN LIKED
SPAGHETTI. SO HE WOULD COOK HIS SPAGHETTI SAUCE AND WE WOULD
HAVE A SPAGHETTI SUPPER. HE ALWAYS BROUGHT A CASE OF GOOD
WINE TO GO WITH SUPPER. I ALWAYS THOUGH A CASE WAS A LITTLE
MUCH BUT THAT’S WHAT HE WOULD BRING. ONE TIME WE FOUND OUT
WHY IT TOOK A WHOLE CASE OF WINE FOR EACH SUPPER. DAN WOULD
SAMPLE THE WINE AS HE MADE THE SAUCE. HE SAMPLED THE WINE SO
MUCH WHILE HE WAS COOKING THE SAUCE THAT TWO BOTTLES
DISAPPEARED. BY THE TIME THE SAUCE WAS DONE, DAN WAS SOUSED.
WHEN WE SERVED SUPPER THAT NIGHT, HE HAD TO HAVE HELP.
LOTS OF HELP! WHEN WE ALL SAT DOWN TO EAT IT WAS OUR
HABIT TO BOW OUR HEADS AND ONE OF US WOULD ASK THE BLESSING.
THAT NIGHT AS DAN BOWED HIS HEAD HE WAS SO SOUSED FROM THE
WINE HIS HEAD DIDN’T STOP BOWING UNTIL HIS FACE WAS RESTING IN
HIS PLATE OF SPAGHETTI AND SAUCE. SOMEONE HELPED HIM SIT BACK
UP. HIS FACE WAS COVERED WITH SAUCE AND SPAGHETTI. HE EVEN
HAD SPAGHETTI HANGING FROM ONE EAR. WE GOT HIM CLEANED UP AND
PUT HIM TO BED. SOMEHOW EVERYONE LOST THEIR APPETITE FOR
SPAGHETTI SO WE ALL DRANK A BOTTLE OF WINE APIECE AND WENT TO
BED.
ANYWAY
BACK TO THE SPECIALTY COOKS. MY SPECIALTY WAS THE FISH FRY.
WE HAD TWO STOCK TANKS ON OUR LEASE AND WHEN IT CAME TIME FOR
A FISH FRY I WOULD GO DOWN TO ONE OF THE TANKS WE CALLED “MOON
TANK” BECAUSE OF IT SHAPE. IT WAS SHAPED LIKE THE MOON IN
IT’S LAST QUARTER. THAT IS THE BEST TIME TO CATCH FISH, IN
THE LAST QUARTER OF THE MOON PHASE. BUT THAT’S A WHOLE NOTHER
STORY FOR A DIFFERENT TIME. ANYHOW I WOULD CATCH A MESS OF
FISH, CLEAN THEM AND HAVE THEM READY TO FRY THAT NIGHT FOR
SUPPER. SOMETIMES WHEN WE WOULD HAVE A FISH FRY WE WOULD
INVITE THE HUNTERS ON THE LEASE NEXT TO OURS TO COME EAT WITH
US. AT THOSE TIMES THERE WOULD BE 16 PEOPLE FOR SUPPER. WHEN
WE HAD THAT MANY PEOPLE I WOULD HAVE TWO WEEVILS TO HELP ME.
MY GRAND
DAUGHTER AMANDA SAID “DA (THAT’S WHAT SHE CALLED ME) WHAT DO
YOU MEAN TWO WEEVILS TO HELP YOU? WHAT IS A WEEVIL?” SO I
HAD TO STOP MY STORY ABOUT THE SPECIALTY COOKS TO EXPLAIN WHAT
A WEEVIL WAS. MY WIFE, JOHNNIE, SAID THAT’S FINE YOU HAVE TO
STOP YOUR STORY ABOUT SPECIALTY COOKS BECAUSE YOU ARE SO LONG
WINDED IF YOU KEEP ON IT’S GOING TO BE LUNCH TIME AND I
HAVEN’T EVEN CLEANED THE DIRTY DISHES OFF THE TABLE FROM
BREAKFAST YET.
I
EXPLAINED A WEEVIL IS THE NICKNAME OF A COOKS HELPER. THEN I
HAD TO EXPLAIN HOW A COOKS HELPER GOT THAT NAME. BACK IN THE
MIDDLE 1800’s WHEN CHARLES GOODNIGHT AND HIS PARTNER OLIVER
LOVING STARTED DRIVING TEXAS LONG HORN CATTLE FROM THE BRUSH
COUNTRY OF SOUTH TEXAS TO THE KANSAS RAILHEADS HE HAD TO HAVE
A CREW OF ABOUT 20 COWBOYS TO DRIVE THE LONG HORNS. HE
DESIGNED AND BUILT THE FIRST CHUCK WAGON FOR HIS COOK.
WITH 20
COWBOYS HIS COOK HAD HIS HANDS FULL DRIVING THE CHUCK WAGON,
BUILDING A FIRE AND COOKING FOR THAT BIG A CREW. HE HAD TWO
HELPERS TO BE ABLE TO GET EVERYTHING DONE. THE HELPERS WOULD
HELP DRIVE THE WAGON, LOAD AND UNLOAD IT, AND BUILD THE FIRE
TO COOK ON. THEY EVEN PEELED POTATOES. THEY DID EVERYTHING
EXCEPT THE ACTUAL COOKING. ONE OF THE WEEVILS MOST IMPORTANT
JOBS WAS WHAT GOT HIM HIS NICKNAME. BACK IN THE TRAIL DRIVING
DAYS THEY BOUGHT THEIR FLOUR IN 25 POUND WOODEN KEGS. THE
FLOUR ALWAYS HAD WEEVILS IN IT AND BEFORE THE COOK COULD BAKE
BISCUITS ONE OF HIS HELPERS WOULD PICK THE WEEVILS OUT OF THE
FLOUR. HENCE THE NICKNAME “WEEVIL.” THAT’S HOW THE COOKS
HELPER GOT HIS NAME.
AMANDA
SAID “DA YOU HAVE ONLY TOLD US ABOUT SIX OF THE EIGHT PEOPLE
THAT WERE ON YOUR LEASE. WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER TWO?” “OH” I
SAID “THAT WOULD BE DON AND DAVID. THEY DIDN’T HAVE ANY
SPECIALTY. THEY WERE JUST WEEVILS.”
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BY
LOREN
MOORE
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COPYRIGHT
1999
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