my uncle frank....
ruth and frank had about a dozen kids, as farm people did in those days; but even with all those children, sometimes a few extra hands came in handy. they had a huge farm, and raised tobacco along with acres of food. they never went to the grocery store, didnt hardly know what one was. now ruth and frank never had much money, except for once a year when they auctioned off thier tobacco. they bartered for what they needed or wanted. the story of the tobacco auction will come later....right now, i am going to tell you the story of how my uncle frank earned his first cash pay for a job. my uncle frank loved to hunt. he was a real mountain man, as well as being a real mountain of a man. frank went out every morning before dawn with his hounds, and brought back something for breakfast. he had to have his fresh game every morning or there was hell to pay. sometimes it was simply rabbit or squirrel, ruth would fry em up with his eggs, grits, and gravy. other times, he would bring in a deer, wild boar, or even bear. there was always meat of some sort put away. one saturday morning, before dawn, frank had arranged to meet with a couple of his friends to hunt deer. his hounds at his heels, frank met up with his friends and they headed out for a nearby mountain that was over-run by deer that season. the men walked up to the base of the mountain to the cabin of the old man who owned the mountain, to ask permission to hunt. mountain people are extremly proper and polite as a rule. frank knew the old man well, and went up to the door and knocked. the old man came out, and frank asked permission to take a deer or two. now, frank's friends had waited out by the front gate, as it is considered rather crude for several men toting fire-arms to swarm up to the front door of a dwelling. there could be serious misunderstandings from that sort of behavior..... dawn in the mountains is so beautiful, with the mist rising up from the meadows, and the soft breeze bringing the aromas and scents of the wilderness to your face. it is truely magical to be in the mountains on a still fall morning. the men walked up the track towards the woods, up thru the big meadow. a little ways up, frank spotted the old horse, dozing under a tree in the early morning mist. he put his rifle to his shoulder, aimed, and shot the old horse dead. now, frank's friends, not being privy to the conversation between frank and the old man, had no idea that frank had been instructed to shoot the horse. frank, being frank, never said a word. they thought that frank had a case of buck fever! they immediately paniced, convinced that frank had shot the horse mistaking it for a deer. they were sure the old man would be out promptly with his shotgun and blast them all to hell for killing his horse! frank stood there and watched them running down the mountain, and wondered what was wrong with them. he shook his head and continued his hunt alone, bringing home a nice fat buck deer. after returning home with the gutted deer, he left it for ruth to tend to while he went back up the mountain to bury the horse. he dug a hole and buried the horse where he lay, collected his five dollars cash, and went home for a venison steak. frank had a hard time finding hunting companions for a while. it was months later that his former friends found out that frank had been instructed to shoot the horse. about all frank ever said about it was: "haw". it was many years before i talked much to my uncle frank. in his old age, he would tell the most incredible stories, of which this is one. i feared him as a child, and loved him dearly as a grown woman. my uncle frank.
when i was a small child, growing up in the wild country and fields of the hills of north carolina, we would go up to my aunt ruth's farm to visit and help out with the chores. aunt ruth, my mother's sister, was married to a man named frank. my uncle frank was the biggest tallest man i had ever seen. he was so tall, that to my small eyes, he was a giant! to add to his imposing size, he hardly ever spoke...i cant remember him saying more than two words together thruout my entire childhood. all he had to do was look at you and you would vanish, or wish you could.the old man told frank that surely he was welcome to hunt as he pleased on the old man's property, and wished him well on the hunt. he had one favor to ask of frank in return, however. the old man had an old old horse, who had worked with him on the farm for many years, and had served the old man well. he was right fond of that horse, and the horse of him. the old man just couldnt put the horse down himself due to his emotional attachment, and the horse was ailing. he asked my uncle frank if he would please put the horse out of his misery and bury him on the hill. he offered to pay my uncle five cash dollars if he would do so. frank agreed, and went to join his companions.