{"id":12077,"date":"2015-09-11T19:04:31","date_gmt":"2015-09-11T19:04:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/?p=12077"},"modified":"2015-10-18T17:48:35","modified_gmt":"2015-10-18T17:48:35","slug":"the-trespasser-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/the-trespasser-2\/","title":{"rendered":"The Trespasser"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"TRs-2\"<\/a><\/p>\n

This is an excerpt from the upcoming book, Under Orion – Hunting Stories from Appalachia to Africa<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Small patches of fog drifted above the treetops like lost spirits. Sunrise was an hour gone but the morning was cool and overcast. The world seemed dim and for hunting, he was late. Robert stepped from the car with his coffee. Ignored during the drive, the coffee was cold. He poured it out and tossed the cup in the vehicle. Taking the hunting vest from the back seat he slid it over his shoulders. 16 gauge shot-shells rattled in the pockets. It had the aroma of must but there was another smell, one he remembered.<\/p>\n

Pulling the shotgun from the well-worn canvas case he noticed rust on the receiver at the balance point. That bothered him. Like it would make it go away, he covered the rust with his hand and started toward the old gate and past\u00a0posted sign. His keys were still in the ignition.<\/p>\n

On the old haul road just past the gate a wide hollow opened and rose gradually to the left and into the rising sun. Covered by a canopy of giant hardwoods, a trickle of a creek meandered down the draw. The path was there just as he remembered. It would follow the creek up to a point where the water disappeared into the ground under a stand of hickory. He started up the path. As the timber swallowed him he felt alone. He had been here many times. But, that was long ago and this time, he was alone.<\/p>\n

When he reached the hickory trees he was surprised to find the same stunted oak with the bent trunk. His mind wandered but after a while he could almost see his father beside him. Hat pushed back on his head and whispering instructions as a big fox squirrel fed closer. He could remember shouldering his little 410 while wishing it was his father\u2019s 16. The 16 now rested in his lap. He could clearly see the smile on the old man\u2019s face when he took that first squirrel. He could almost feel the pat on the back.<\/p>\n

He remembered the other times he saw that smile. When he graduated. When he came back from overseas with the Purple Heart, and the crutches. And the last time, when little Bobby was born and the old man picked him up in those bear paw hands. His father had been a serious man, smiles with him were like respect; they had to be earned. Those hunting trips were always special because Robert never had to compete with his father\u2019s job, his sister or chores around the house.<\/p>\n

He also thought about the only tear he ever saw come from those deep dark eyes, when Dad had to tell him that Mom was gone. When Robert looked at his watch for the first time that day he wiped his own tear. It was past noon and the sky had cleared. He stood, took a deep breath and long look into the tops of the same old hickory trees that stood over him when he was growing up. When he was learning.<\/p>\n

\"TRsp-2\"<\/a>
Photo by Larry Case<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As he approached the mouth of the hollow he noticed a pickup truck parked beside his car. When he stepped into the road a man about his age dressed in overalls, white t-shirt and a John Deere ball cap got out of the truck and started toward him. He was embarrassed. He knew better. Had been taught better.<\/p>\n

Taking his ball cap off and shoving it toward the posted sign the man said, \u201cI\u2019m a guessing you didn\u2019t see the sign.\u201d<\/p>\n

Robert nodded, \u201cNo sir, I saw it and I\u2026I\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe you thought it wasn\u2019t meant for you. I\u2019ve had so much trouble with fellers coming in here trashing up the place, poaching\u2026I don\u2019t allow hunting anymore.\u201d The man replaced his hat, obviously annoyed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI do apologize and understand\u2026it\u2019s just, well, my Dad used to take me squirrel hunting up here\u2026I wanted to\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

The man cut Robert off and pointedly asked, \u201cWhat\u2019s your name?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s Walton, Robert Walton.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you Bob Walton\u2019s boy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes sir.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll be damned! I\u2019m Allen, Allen Wise. I remember when y\u2019all used to camp down by the river. Roland Wise was my Pa. Y\u2019all used to come by every fall. I remember Bob would always bring Pa a pair of them boots he sold back in the city. He always had some chocolate for me. Pa really liked him. He\u00a0always said your dad was one of a kind, put together the way a man ought to be. How is your dad?\u201d<\/p>\n

Robert looked away, back toward the hollow. \u201cDad\u2019s gone. Two months. Cancer.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDamn. I\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n

Still uncomfortable that he had went onto another man\u2019s land without permission Robert continued, \u201cThat\u2019s why I was here\u2026I wanted to\u2026There\u2019s no excuse for trespassing. Especially to hunt\u2026I just\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Allen cut him off again, \u201cIt\u2019s OK. It\u2019s been a long time hasn\u2019t it?”<\/p>\n

Silent, Robert walked over to the car, opened the door and reached for the gun case.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell look there, is that a Model 12 Winchester?\u201d Allen asked in an effort to change the subject.<\/p>\n

Robert looked down at the old gun. It was his now. His eyes and fingers felt the nicks, gouges and the bright shiny steel long void of bluing. It looked rough but\u00a0each imperfection had been earned honest. It was a finish that couldn\u2019t be bought.<\/p>\n

The sun was high and bright now, warm on Robert\u2019s shoulders and it made the fall colors surrounding the men all that much more alive. Smiling, Robert slid the old pump gun back into the case.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes sir, that\u2019s a Model 12 Winchester. Put together just the way a gun ought to be. Leastwise that\u2019s what Dad used to tell me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"TR-1\"<\/a><\/p>\n

To learn more about the book, Under Orion<\/strong>, click the cover image below:<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Cover<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This is an excerpt from the upcoming book, Under Orion – Hunting Stories from Appalachia to Africa Small patches of fog drifted above the treetops like lost spirits. Sunrise was an hour gone but the morning was cool and overcast. The world seemed dim and for hunting, he was late. Robert stepped from the car with his coffee. Ignored during the drive, …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[1463,524,465],"class_list":["post-12077","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-hunting-memories","tag-hunting-with-dad","tag-squirrel-hunting"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p5hujZ-38N","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":15244,"url":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/under-orion\/","url_meta":{"origin":12077,"position":0},"title":"Under Orion $19.99","author":"gunwriter","date":"October 29, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Under Orion - Hunting Stories from Appalachia to Africa is the latest book from the Empty Cases' proprietor Richard Mann. It\u00a0is a collection of stories he has written over the past 15 years. Some of the stories are sad, some are happy, some are nostalgic. Most are true - or\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "BOOKS by Richard Mann"","block_context":{"text":"BOOKS by Richard Mann","link":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/category\/books\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Cover-Image.jpg?fit=804%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Cover-Image.jpg?fit=804%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Cover-Image.jpg?fit=804%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Cover-Image.jpg?fit=804%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15498,"url":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/the-hunting-wire-22-february-2019\/","url_meta":{"origin":12077,"position":1},"title":"The Hunting Wire – 22 February 2019","author":"gunwriter","date":"February 24, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"This weeks edition of the Hunting Wire features a new long range target, how to better hunt with kids, Wilson Combat's 300 HAMR, information on the 300 Savage, a new rifle from Mossberg in 450 Bushmaster, and an editorial on long range hunting. To read the full wire click HERE\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "EDITORIAL"","block_context":{"text":"EDITORIAL","link":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/category\/editorial\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Week-3-Image-2.jpg?fit=1200%2C747&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Week-3-Image-2.jpg?fit=1200%2C747&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Week-3-Image-2.jpg?fit=1200%2C747&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Week-3-Image-2.jpg?fit=1200%2C747&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Week-3-Image-2.jpg?fit=1200%2C747&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":11335,"url":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/the-truth-about-long-range-hunting\/","url_meta":{"origin":12077,"position":2},"title":"The Truth About Long Range Hunting","author":"gunwriter","date":"February 25, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"There is a long standing correlation between hunters and snipers. There is also a divide among hunters when it comes to the distance that regulates an ethical shot. Ethics are always complicated and shooting has, is and always will be a skill based endeavor. Hunting, regardless of how you go\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "HUNTING"","block_context":{"text":"HUNTING","link":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/category\/hunt\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"LRH EC-9","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/LRH-EC-9.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/LRH-EC-9.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/LRH-EC-9.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/LRH-EC-9.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15470,"url":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/new-hunting-rifles-for-2019\/","url_meta":{"origin":12077,"position":3},"title":"New Hunting Rifles for 2019","author":"gunwriter","date":"January 28, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"I spent some of my time at the 2019 SHOT Show looking for new hunting rifles. 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