Richard Armstrong

the side. As I got further to the side...sure enough, there he was
sitting with his back to the tree. I was 50 stunned that I just froze
in my tracks and stared at this deer sitting under the tree with his
back leaned up against the trunk...suddenly he looked at me and
stuck his tongue out at me!!! That did it. I was gone.

I ran up that hill to where my horse was tied, like it was flat
ground. I jumped on my horse and rode down that hill towards
home like I was riding in a suicide race. Dad must have seen me
coming down that hill running Lucky as fast as she could go. She
ran sure-footed all the way to the tool shop where we usually
tied the horses.

Dad was waiting there. I bailed off that horse and before I hit
the ground I was telling my Dad how this deer was sitting under
a tree, with it’s back to the tree trunk, and how he stuck his
tongue out at me.

My Dad grabbed my shoulder and shook me. He told me to
calm down and tell him what happened. So I told him every-
thing. He told me to go into the house and have a cup of tea
while he saddled the old work horse Pinda-ho.

I had just finished my tea and telling Mom about what just
happened to me when Dad came in. He said, "Come on son, let's
go back up there and see." I told him, "I'd rather stay right here."
He told me, "Let's go." His tone of voice told me that I'd better go
with him.

As we rode back up there, in my mind I could still see that
deer looking out at me from behind the tree. I was wishing that
he wouldn’t be there when we got to the tree. But then if he was
gone no one would believe me.

We tied our horses and walked the short distance to where the
deer should be. I was walking behind Dad. I told him “That's the
tree, he's behind there.” Just then the deer stuck his head out and
looked at us. My heart just about stopped beating.

Dad calmly stepped aside and handed me the rifle. Then he
said “Sit down, take careful aim, and shoot it in the head.” My
hands were shaking and little beads of sweat suddenly formed
on my forehead. Dad told me to take a couple of deep breaths
and pull the trigger.

T aimed and pulled the trigger. I kind of expected the deer to
suddenly disappear in a little whisp of smoke. But instead it
dropped dead. Dad handed me the knife and told me to go

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