BUCK - THE WONDER DOG  

THIS STORY IS ABOUT "BUCK" THE WONDER DOG.  I SOMETIMES WONDER IF HE REALLY IS A DOG.  BUT THEN JUST BECAUSE HE LOOKS LIKE A DOG DOESN’T MEAN HE ACTS LIKE A DOG.  HE IS A TEN YEAR OLD BLACK LAB. HE’S GOT A MIND OF HIS OWN AND SOMETIMES I THINK HE IS SMARTER THEN ME.  BUT I’M NOT GOING TO TELL HIM THAT, AND DON’T YOU EITHER.  I'M A GAME WARDEN FOR THE STATE OF TEXAS AND BUCK IS MY PARTNER — ER DOG.  ANY WAY HE THINKS HE IS MY PARTNER.  WE ARE ASSIGNED TO HARRISON AND MARION COUNTIES IN EAST TEXAS.  OUR BIGGEST AREA WE HAVE TO PATROL IS AROUND CADDO LAKE. 

BRIGHT AND EARLY ONE SPRING MORNING BUCK AND I WERE DRIVING FROM WASKOM, WHERE I LIVE, TO UNCERTAIN, A SMALL COMMUNITY ON THE SHORE OF CADDO.  AS I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD BUCK WAS SITTING ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE PICKUP WITH HIS HEAD OUT THE WINDOW.   HE LIKED TO RIDE LIKE THIS WITH THE WIND BLOWING IN HIS FACE.  THE WIND WAS BLOWING HIS LIPS BACK SO THAT HE LOOKED LIKE HE HAD A SILLY GRIN ON HIS FACE.  WE HAD BEEN ASSIGNED HERE FOR TEN YEARS NOW AND EVERYONE KNEW BUCK.  AS WE WOULD PASS SOME HOUSE WHERE THE PEOPLE WOULD BE OUTSIDE THEY WOULD ALWAYS WAVE AND CALL A HELLO TO BUCK.  NOW I’M NOT JEALOUS, BUT YOU WOULD THINK THAT ONCE IN A WHILE THEY WOULD CALL A HELLO TO ME.  MAYBE MY GRIN JUST WASN’T AS FRIENDLY AS BUCK’S.  WHO KNOWS?

ANYWAY WHEN WE GOT TO UNCERTAIN WE STOPPED AT JOHNSON’S RANCH, A FISHING CAMP, THAT RENTED BOATS AND HAD A LAUNCHING RAMP FOR PEOPLE THAT HAD THEIR OWN BOAT.  MR. JOHNSON WAS SITTING ON A STRAIGHT BACK CHAIR TILTED BACK AGAINST THE WALL OF HIS OFFICE.  WHEN I STOPPED THE PICKUP, BUCK JUMPED OUT THE WINDOW AND MADE A BEE LINE FOR MR. JOHNSON.  “HELLO BUCK” HE CALLED AS BUCK MADE HIS WAY OUT ON THE DOCK AND LOOKED AT THE WATER WITH A LONGING IN HIS EYES FOR A SWIM.  BUCK LOOKED BACK AT MR. JOHNSON AS IF TO SAY IS IT ALRIGHT.  MR. JOHNSON CALLED, “OK BUCK YOU CAN TAKE A SWIM” AND BUCK SAILED OFF THE DOCK INTO THE WATER.  AS I WALKED UP TO WHERE MR. JOHNSON WAS SITTING HE SAID, “LABS SURE DO LIKE THE WATER DON’T THEY?”  “GOOD MORNING MR. JOHNSON” I SAID.  “OH, HI LOREN.”  HE SAID AS HE TURNED BACK TO WATCH BUCK.

YOU SEE WHAT I MEAN?  IT’S BUCK THIS OR BUCK THAT OR HELLO BUCK.  NEVER HELLO LOREN, HOW ARE YOU THIS MORNING.  BUT I GUESS A GAME WARDEN IS JUST NOT AS POPULAR AS A DOG.  “YOU HAVE ANY BOATS RENTED THIS MORNING?” I ASKED.  “ONLY TWO SO FAR.  BUT IT’S EARLY FOR THE BREAM FISHERMEN.” JOHNSON ANSWERED.  “THE BREAM ARE STARTING TO BED AND YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS.” HE SAID.  “YEAH, YOU WILL HAVE EVERY BOAT YOU HAVE RENTED BY NOON.  JUST BE SURE EACH PERSON HAS A FLOATATION DEVISE ON BOARD.” I REMINDED HIM.

BUCK SWAM BACK TO THE SHORE AND WALKED OVER TO US, THEN SHOOK HIMSELF TO GET THE WATER OFF OF HIS COAT.  THE WATER FLEW ALL OVER US.  “BUCK, STOP THAT!  WHY DO YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO COME CLOSE TO SHAKE THE WATER OFF YOU?” I ASKED.  BUCK JUST LOOKED AT ME AND GRINNED.  I KNOW HE DOES THAT ON PURPOSE JUST TO HEAR ME HOLLER.  “GET IN THE TRUCK, BUCK AND LET’S GO CHECK BIG LAKE CAMP.”  BUCK RAN TO THE PICKUP AND JUMPED THROUGH THE WINDOW.  I TOLD JOHNSON I DON’T KNOW HOW HE CAN DO THAT WITHOUT HITTING THE DOOR AND BRAINING HIMSELF BUT HE HAS NEVER MISSED.

WE DROVE THROUGH KARNACK AND ON AROUND TO BIG LAKE CAMP.  AS WE WENT THROUGH KARNACK SEVERAL PEOPLE WAVED AND CALLED HELLO BUCK.  HE’S SITTING THERE WITH HIS HEAD OUT THE WINDOW AND WOULD BARK BACK AT THEM AS WE PASSED.  AFTER WE PASSED THROUGH KARNACK BUCK LOOKED BACK AT ME AS IF TO SAY, SEE THEY LIKE ME BETTER THEN YOU.  ONE OF THESE DAYS I’M GOING TO LEAVE BUCK AT HOME AND SEE IF ANY ONE WAVES AT ME.  THEN MAYBE I WONT.  I’M NOT SURE I WANT TO KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE WOULD WAVE AND SAY HELLO TO ME WITHOUT BUCK BEING ALONG.

WHEN WE GOT TO BIG LAKE CAMP, THE OWNER, BUBA HANER WAS OUT ON THE DOCK HE HAS BUILT OUT OVER THE WATER WITH TWO FISHERMEN.  THEY WERE SITTING ON BENCHES AND HAD LINES IN THE WATER FISHING.  BUBBA WAS SITTING THERE VISITING WITH THEM.  AS BUCK RAN OUT ON TO THE DOCK, BUBBA SAID NO BUCK YOU CAN’T DIVE OFF THE DOCK THIS MORNING.  THESE GUYS ARE FISHING HERE.  ONE OF THE MEN LOOKED AT BUBBA AND ASKED WHY HE WAS TALKING TO A DOG.  BUBBA TOLD HIM THAT’S NOT A DOG, THAT’S BUCK.  “WELL HE LOOKS LIKE A DOG TO ME.” THE MAN SAID.  ABOUT THAT TIME I WALKED OUT ON THE DOCK AND HEARD WHAT THE MAN SAID.  I LOOKED AT BUCK AND HE WAS LOOKING UP AT THE MAN WITH AN EVIL GLINT IN HIM EYE.  HUH-O, NOW YOU ARE IN FOR IT I THOUGH.  BUBBA AND I TURNED AND WALKED BACK TO HIS OFFICE.  WE DIDN’T WANT TO BE ANYWHERE AROUND WHEN BUCK DID WHAT EVER HE WAS GOING TO DO.  JUST AS WE WALKED INTO THE OFFICE WE HEARD A BIG SPLASH AND THEN SOMEONE CALLING FOR HELP.  WE RAN BACK OUT AND LOOKED AT THE DOCK.  THERE STOOD BUCK LOOKING DOWN AT THE WATER WITH HIS TAIL WAGGING.  THERE WAS ONLY ONE MAN ON THE DOCK AND HE WAS ON HIS HANDS AND KNEES REACHING FOR THE SECOND MAN WHO WAS IN THE WATER.  JUST AS HE LEANED OUT TO TAKE HOLD OF HIS PARTNER, BUCK STEPPED UP BEHIND HIM AND JUMPED ON HIS BACK.  THIS CAUSED HIM TO LOOSE HIS BALANCE AND HE FELL INTO THE LAKE ALSO.  BUCK CALMLY TURNED HIS BACK AND CAME TROTTING BACK TO THE OFFICE.  BUBBA AND I QUICKLY BEAT A HASTY RETREAT BACK INTO THE OFFICE TO HIDE OUR LAUGHTER.  I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE A WISE THING TO DO SO BUCK AND I GOT IN THE PICKUP AND LEFT.

I HAD TO GO INTO MASHELL TODAY ANYWAY.  I NEEDED TO GO BY THE COURT HOUSE TO CHECK ON A CASE I HAD FILED AGAINST WYATT MOORE FOR ILLEGAL NETS HE HAD BEEN USING IN CADDO TO CATCH FISH.  BUCK AND I HAD FOUND THE NETS AND HAD HIDDEN AND WATCHED THEM UNTIL WYATT CAME TO RUN THEM.  THEN WE ARRESTED HIM AND TOOK HIM TO JAIL.  BUT HIS SLICK LAWYER BROTHER-IN-LAW GOT HIM OUT ON BAIL OF ONE DOLLAR.  WHEN WE GOT TO THE COURT HOUSE WE WENT UP TO JUDGE TUCKER’S OFFICE TO TALK TO HIS CLERK TO SEE IF A TRIAL DATE HAD BEEN SET.  JUDGE TUCKER’S CLERK’S NAME WAS JOHNNIE AND SHE WAS THE PRETTIEST GIRL IN HARRISON COUNTY.  BAR NONE.  WHEN BUCK AND I WENT IN THE OFFICE, THE FIRST THING BUCK DID WAS TO RUN TO JOHNNIE’S DESK AND SIT DOWN NEXT TO HER.  SHE WOULD ALWAYS REACH OVER AND SCRATCH BUCK BEHIND THE EARS.  HE WOULD SIT THERE WITH HIS TONGUE HANGING OUT AND PANTING FOR JUST AS LONG AS SHE WOULD SCRATCH HIS EARS.  I HAVE OFTEN THOUGHT I WOULD BE GLAD TO SIT THERE WITH MY TONGUE HANGING OUT AND PANTING IF SHE WOULD SCRATCH ME BEHIND THE EARS.

SHE LAUGHED AND SAID, “HELLO BUCK, HOW ARE YOU TODAY?”  I STEPPED UP TO HER DESK AND WAITED FOR HER TO SAY HELLO TO ME.  SHE FINALLY SAID “WHAT CAN I DO FOR YOU TODAY, LOREN?”  I ALMOST SAID YOU CAN SCRATCH ME BEHIND THE EAR BUT THEN I CAME TO MY SENSES AND SAID, “I CAME IN TO SEE IF A TRIAL DATE HAS BEEN SET FOR WYATT MOORE YET.”  “NOT YET.  WYATT’S LAWYER GOT A 90 DAY POSTPONEMENT.”    “WELL HECK, HE’S GOING TO SQUIRM AROUND AND GET OUT OF THIS ONE TOO.”  I SAID.   “COME ON BUCK LET’S GO DOWN TO OUR OFFICE AND SEE WHAT’S GOING ON.”

THE PARKS AND WILDLIFE DEPT. HAD AN OFFICE IN THE COURT HOUSE BASEMENT WHERE CAPTAIN DON HANKINS AND LOULA BELL DUMBAR, THE DISPATCHER/CLERK/SECRETARY WORKED.  CAPTAIN DON SUPERVISED FOUR GAME WARDENS THAT COVERED EIGHT COUNTIES.  CAPTAIN DON WAS HARDLY EVER IN THE OFFICE AND LOULA BELL PRETTY WELL RAN THINGS TO SUIT HERSELF.  NOW LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT LOULA BELL.  SHE WAS 4 FOOT 10 INCHES TALL AND WEIGHED 240 POUNDS.  SHE HAD LONG GRAY HAIR SHE WORE UP IN A TALL BUN ON TOP OF HER HEAD TRYING TO MAKE HERSELF LOOK TALLER.  SHE WAS SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 50 AND 60 YEARS OLD AND HER VOICE SOUNDED LIKE SOMEONE SCRATCHING THEIR FINGERNAILS DOWN A BLACKBOARD.  TO MY KNOWLEDGE SHE NEVER MET A PERSON THAT SHE LIKED.

WHEN BUCK AND I WALKED INTO THE OFFICE THE FIRST THING SHE SAID WAS, “GET THAT MANGY DOG OUT OF MY OFFICE.”  BUCK WALKED AROUND THE COUNTER AND APPROACHED LOULA BELL’S DESK.  LOULA BELL JUMPED UP OUT OF HER CHAIR AND STARTED SCREECHING, “LOREN GET THIS ANIMAL OUT OF HERE.”  SHE WAS BACKING AROUND HER DESK TRYING TO KEEP THE DESK BETWEEN HER AND BUCK.  BUCK GOT THIS MALICIOUS LOOK IN HIS EYES AND LOWERING HIS HEAD HE GOT CLOSE TO THE FLOOR LIKE HE WAS SNEAKING UP ON SOMETHING AND KEPT FOLLOWING LOULA BELL ROUND AND ROUND THE DESK.  ALL THIS TIME SHE WAS HOLLERING AND SCREAMING FOR ME TO DO SOMETHING.  I KEPT TELLING BUCK TO STOP IT AND GET OUT.  BUT HE JUST IGNORED ME.  FINALLY ON THE THIRD TIME AROUND THE DESK HE STOOD UP AND SAID “WOOF” AND LEFT THE OFFICE.  AS HE PASSED BY ME I COULD SEE THAT GLEAM IN HIS EYE THAT SAID, “SEE WHAT I DID.”

LOULA BELL GAVE ME A GOOD CUSSIN AND SAID THE NEXT TIME I BROUGHT THAT ANIMAL IN HER OFFICE SHE WAS GOING TO SHOOT IT.  I ASKED IF CAPTAIN DON WAS IN, BUT SHE SAID HE HAD GONE TO LONGVIEW ON A CALL.  “HE LEFT YOU A COUPLE OF COMPLAINTS HE WANTS YOU TO CHECK ON THOUGH.” SHE SAID AS SHE HANDED ME THE TWO FORMS.  I TOOK THE FORMS AND LEFT THE OFFICE.  WHEN I WENT OUT THE COURTHOUSE DOOR I SAW BUCK SITTING IN FRONT OF TWO ELDERLY MEN THAT WERE SITTING ON A BENCH IN THE SHADE OF A BIG PECAN TREE.  THEY HAD BEEN FEEDING THE SQUIRRELS PEANUTS BUT BUCK HAD RUN THE SQUIRRELS UP THE TREE AND COME BACK AND WAS BEGGING FOR THE PEANUTS.  HE WOULD SIT UP ON HIS HIND LEGS AND PAW THE AIR WITH HIS FRONT FEET AND SAY “WOOF, WOOF.”  ONE OF THE MEN WOULD PITCH HIM A PEANUT AND HE WOULD CATCH IT IN MID-AIR AND SWALLOW IT DOWN, SHELL AND ALL.  I CALLED TO HIM, “LET’S GO BUCK” AND HE WALKED OVER TO THE MEN AND PUT HIS HEAD ON EACH ONES KNEE SO THEY COULD GIVE HIM A PAT ON THE HEAD THEN MADE A RUN FOR THE PICKUP AND JUMPED THROUGH THE WINDOW INTO THE SEAT.  I THOUGHT ONE OF THESE DAYS BUCK YOU ARE GOING TO MISS THAT WINDOW AND I’LL HAVE TO GET MYSELF ANOTHER DOG.

AFTER I GOT IN THE PICKUP I LOOKED AT THE COMPLAINTS WE HAD TO CHECK OUT.  THE FIRST ONE WAS FROM A LADY BY THE NAME OF FREEMAN THAT LIVES ON THE SHORE OF CADDO LAKE.  HER HOUSE HAD A SWIMMING POOL IN THE BACK YARD BETWEEN THE HOUSE AND THE LAKE.  IT SEEMS THAT AN ALLIGATOR HAD COME OUT OF THE LAKE AND TAKEN UP RESIDENCE IN HER SWIMMING POOL.  NOW WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO ABOUT THAT?  WELL I KNEW WHAT SHE WANTED ME TO DO ABOUT THAT BUT I DIDN’T KNOW HOW I WAS GOING TO DO IT.

AS WE WERE LEAVING TOWN I DECIDED I WOULD EAT LUNCH BEFORE I WENT TO MRS. FREEMAN’S.  ON THE EAST SIDE OF TOWN THERE IS A PLACE CALLED “CHUCK’S BAR-BEE-QUE” WHERE BUCK AND I STOP ANY TIME WE ARE IN TOWN.  NOW THIS IS NOT YOUR REGULAR RESTAURANT OR CAFÉ.  IT IS A BIG METAL BAR-BEE-QUE PIT BESIDE THE ROAD WITH AN OPEN SIDED SHED  NEXT TO IT AND TWO LONG TABLES WITH BENCHES DOWN EACH SIDE UNDER THE  SHED.  ON THE TABLES ARE SEVERAL ROLLS OF PAPER TOWELS AND SEVERAL LOAVES OF BREAD.  THERE IS ALSO SALT,  PEPPER AND JARS OF BAR-BEE-QUE SAUCE.  ON A SMALL TABLE TO ONE SIDE IS A 5 GALLON CAST IRON POT FULL OF RED BEANS WITH JALEPENO PEPPERS IN THEM.  NEXT TO THE POT IS A STACK OF PAPER BOWLS AND PLASTIC SPOONS.  AFTER YOU GET YOUR MEAT YOU HELP YOUR SELF TO THE BEANS AND SIT DOWN AT THE TABLE AND EAT ALL YOU WANT.  THERE IS A COLD DRINK MACHINE WHERE YOU CAN BUY SOMETHING TO DRINK. 

AS I ROLLED TO A STOP AT CHUCK’S, BUCK WAS OUT THE WINDOW AND RUNNING TO CHUCK, BARKING LOUD ENOUGH TO WAKE THE DEAD.  CHUCK IS A LARGE BLACK MAN, HE IS 6 FOOT 8 INCHES TALL AND WEIGHS OVER 300 POUNDS.  HE HAS A VOICE TO MATCH HIS SIZE.  WHEN HE HEARD THAT WOOF, WOOF, WOOF HE TURNED AROUND AND BELLOWED OUT IN A VOICE THAT COULD BE HEARD FOR 10 MILES. “HELLO BUCK, DID YOU BRING LOREN WITH YOU?”   “ I’VE GOT A BIG OLD LEG BONE FOR YOU.”  BUCK CAME TO A SKIDDING STOP JUST IN FRONT OF CHUCK AND SAT UP ON HIS HIND LEGS AND STUCK ONE PAW OUT TO SHAKE HANDS WITH HIM.  CHUCK REACHED DOWN AND SHOOK HANDS WITH BUCK AND LAUGHING SAID, “YOU SURE KNOW HOW TO WORK A FELLOW TO GET WHAT YOU WANT, BUCK.”  HE OPENED THE BAR-BEE-QUE PIT LID AND TOOK OUT A PIG LEG BONE THAT HAD ABOUT 90% OF THE MEAT CUT OFF IT AND HANDED IT TO BUCK.  BUCK GRABBED THE BONE AND WENT OFF TO ONE SIDE UNDER THE SHADE OF A BIG OAK TREE AND STARTED GNAWING ON IT.   I SAID, “HOW ABOUT GIVING A PAYING CUSTOMER A LITTLE SERVICE.”  CHUCK LAUGHED HIS BIG BOOMING LAUGH AND SAID “OK LOREN YOUR NEXT IN LINE, WHAT WILL YOU HAVE TODAY?”  “HOW ABOUT A RACK OF THOSE BABY BACK RIBS I SAW WHEN YOU OPENED THE PIT LID AWHILE AGO.” I ANSWERED.  CHUCK ROLLED OFF A BIG PIECE OF BUTCHER PAPER FROM THE ROLL HE USES INSTEAD OF PLATES AND FORKED A LARGE RACK OF RIBS ONTO IT.  I SET IT DOWN ON THE TABLE AND WENT OVER TO THE POT AND GOT ME A BOWL FULL OF  BEANS.  THEN I GOT ME A R-C COLA OUT OF THE MACHINE AND SIT ME DOWN FOR A FEAST FIT FOR A KING.

WELL, WHEN WE FINISHED LUNCH, I FIGURED WE BETTER GO CHECK OUT MRS. FREEMAN’S COMPLAINT.  SHE LIVED AT THE END OF HIGHWAY 9 WHERE IT DEAD ENDS INTO THE LAKE.  AS WE WERE ABOUT 5 MILES FROM HER HOUSE I TOLD BUCK I JUST WASN’T IN A MOOD TO MESS WITH AN ALLIGATOR RIGHT THEN AND TURNED OFF ON A DIRT ROAD THAT WENT UP A HILL FOR ABOUT ¼ MILE TO AN OLD HOME PLACE THAT HAD BURNED.  WHEN WE GOT TO THE OLD HOME SITE, I STOPPED THE TRUCK UNDER A GIANT PINE TREE AND GOT OUT.  THE GROUND WAS COVERED WITH A THICK LAYER OF PINE NEEDLES.  THERE WAS A SOFT BREEZE BLOWING AND IT WAS NICE AND QUITE.  I LAID DOWN ON THE GROUND AND PUT MY SMOKEY BEAR HAT OVER MY EYES AND WAS ASLEEP IN NO TIME.

ABOUT AN HOUR LATER BUCK WOKE ME UP WITH A LOUD WOOF.  I SAT UP AND LOOKED AT HIM.  HE WAS SITTING THERE NEXT TO THE PICKUP TELLING ME IT WAS TIME TO GO BACK TO WORK.  “OK, OK, SLAVE DRIVER I’M COMING.”  WE GOT IN THE PICKUP AND DROVE ON TO MRS. FREEMAN’S HOUSE.  WHEN WE GOT THERE SHE WAS OUT IN HER FRONT YARD WORKING IN HER FLOWER BEDS.  WHEN I STOPPED THE TRUCK, BUCK WAS OUT QUICK AS A FLASH AND RAN UP TO MRS. FREEMAN.  SHE SAID “HELLO BUCK, YOU HANDSOME THING” AND PATTED HIM ON THE HEAD.  I WALKED OVER TO HER AND SAID “HELLO MRS. FREEMAN.”  SHE TURNED TO ME AND SAID, “WELL IT’S ABOUT TIME YOU SHOWED UP.”  I SIGHED AND SAID, “I UNDERSTAND YOU HAVE AN ALLIGATOR PROBLEM.”  “YES, HE CAME OUT OF THE LAKE AND GOT IN MY SWIMMING POOL AND I CAN’T GET HIM TO LEAVE.  COME ON I’LL SHOW YOU.”  WE WALKED AROUND THE HOUSE TO THE BACK YARD AND SURE ENOUGH THERE WAS A 5 FOOT ALLIGATOR IN HER SWIMMING POOL.  HE WAS FLOATING ON THE SURFACE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE POOL. 

BUCK TOOK ONE LOOK AT THE ALLIGATOR AND MADE A RUNNING JUMP IN TO THE POOL.  HE SWAM UP BEHIND THE GATOR AND GRABBED HOLD OF HIS TAIL WITH HIS TEETH.  NOW THIS GATOR HAD BEEN SUNNING HIMSELF AND WAS SOUND ASLEEP UNTIL BUCK SANK HIS TEETH INTO HIS TAIL.  HE CAME AWAKE REAL QUICK AND DOVE FOR THE BOTTOM OF THE POOL.  BUCK DIDN’T LET GO AND THE GATOR CAME BACK UP AND STARTED FOR THE END OF THE POOL NEXT TO THE LAKE.  NOW WHEN AN ALLIGATOR GETS IN A HURRY HE CAN REALLY MOVE AND THIS GATOR WAS IN A HURRY.  THE GATOR AND BUCK WERE LEAVING A WAKE LIKE A MOTOR BOAT.  WHEN THE GATOR GOT TO THE END OF THE POOL HE DIDN’T STOP.  HE CRAWLED OUT OF THE POOL AND MADE A DASH FOR THE LAKE.  BUCK WAS STILL HANGING ON FOR DEAR LIFE.  WHEN THE GATOR WAS KNEE DEEP IN THE LAKE BUCK TURNED LOOSE AND STOOD THERE IN THE WATER BARKING AS LOUD AND MEAN AS HE COULD.  FINALLY BUCK WALKED BACK OVER TO WHERE WE WERE STANDING AND SHOOK HIM SELF TO SHAKE THE WATER OFF.  “BUCK QUIT THAT, YOUR GETTING US ALL WET.” I HOLLERED.  BUT MRS. FREEMAN JUST LAUGHED AND STOOPED DOWN AND GAVE BUCK A BIG HUG.  SHE SAID, “I DON’T THINK THAT GATOR WILL BE COMING BACK.  THANK YOU BUCK.”

WE WALKED BACK AROUND THE HOUSE TO THE PICKUP AND SAID OUR GOOD BYES AND LEFT.  “BUCK,” I SAID “I THINK WE HAVE HAD A FULL DAY, WHAT DO YOU SAY WE GO HOME, GRILL US A HAMBURGER AND WATCH SOME TV.” “WOOF” ANSWERED BUCK.

THE END