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toward the floor.  I would take an imaginary cartridge from my belt.  “Load” – I would place it in the broom stick and close the breach.  “Aim”.  The broom straw would press to me  shoulder.  “Fire!” I’d hear a snap as Willis pulled the trigger the Springfield and I’d holler Bang!  We drilled night after night.  And we learned. 1922 Savage Catalog

I don’t know how old I was when I got my first rifle.  Probably eight or nine.  I would spend hours looking at guns in the catalogs.  I finally found a .22 rifle in Savage for less than five dollars.  It was a Stevens “Little Scout”.

The folks intended to buy me an air rifle but with Willis’ help we talked them into ordering the Little Scout.Little Scout picture courtesy "Arms of History"

 

When it came I was the proudest kid in the territory.  .22 shorts were fifteen cents a box so Willis and I did a lot of shooting at cans and bottles.

 

One day when I was home from school for some reason I decided to go rabbit hunting all by myself.  All by myself, that is, except for Curly.  I told Ma I 

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