(from Dave C)
One morning, Daddy went to check his traps, (he was quite a trapper, you know), and these were old time steel traps, where if you weren’t careful…you might get a finger or hand caught — or maybe worse. Well, anyway and the best I remember, this trap line was out on the Smith Bros. ranch (Willis & Royce). He checked his traps and started back to Robert Lee which was some 15 to 20 miles from the house. The first 3 or 4 miles coming out of the ranch was dirt road, with all the pot holes and “rub boards” common to West Texas dirt roads. Then you hit pavement, (which was the highway to San Angelo). People kept passing him & pointing as they passed. Of course, Daddy thought they were just being rude & he would hollar some obscenity like “If you was in such a hurry, you shoulda started sooner, Damned Idiot”. Anyway, he finally got home and got out of his ‘ole Chevy pickup. Lo, and behold, there on top of the cab was his 22 rifle he used to shoot the animals he caught in his traps.
What a hoot!!! Can you imagine anyone driving that slow, making turns, hittin’ bumps for 20 miles and still getting home with a rifle perched on your roof — What are the odds?