model70hunter
Member
The fella that owned a few hundred acres to our east always had us put up his hay. Paid by the bale so it went in the barn quickly.
This saga is the last one with Rodent. There are many more between the first and this one.
A fella that was the same age as my Bro started hanging with us he liked all outdoor activities, he was a city boy but fit in well with us. He became a life long friend and outstanding citizen. In his beginning he was our sidekick #2. He earned the nickname of Wild Willy. He and Rodent did not play well together.
On this hay job my Bro and Wild Wily wanted to do it alone because they needed the cash for something important to a 15 year old.
I now had a drivers license and was getting real jobs and except for us and family got out of the hay bucking business and was glad to let them have it.
Bro and Willy saddled up before daylight and rode over. They put the horses in a small pasture that had shade and a natural spring that fed a little creek. Rodent showed up riding his crazy mare and put her in the pasture. My Bro and Willy started telling him they had the job and didn't need any help. He said he wanted to help for a third of the cash. The farmer said he's here let him work.
Rodent did this to them before, show up and horn in on theirs or our jobs. It was one of his many irritating qualities. There were many hay crews who hired kids for summer work if the kid could not round up his own jobs.
Rodent also might throw a hay bale into some ones back knocking them off the wagon for one of his evil personal laughs. While laughing he always claimed accident, accident. And yes he had been disciplined by us and bare knucks. He had issues catching on. And we lamented the failure of Rodents Dad to not find a farm on the other side of the county.
Bro said Wild Willy and Rodent bickered most of the morning, Bro let Rodent know this was the last time he cut in on their money.
Close to midday they had the pole barn stacked up to about 15-18 foot high. The barns middle support pole was in the right place to mess up stacking. There was a gap or hole if you will from ground zero all the way to the top. It was about the size of 1/2 bale of hay.
Rodent forgot about this and while carrying a bale across the top layer he went in feet first, all the way to the bottom.
Bro and Willy heard him screaming all the way down, OH Shoot, HELP ME HELP ME, AHHHHHHHH, Thud.
They walked over and peered into the black hole and couldn't see him but heard him, HELP ME! HELP ME! If a person and their sidekick are a fit they think in unison. Bro and Willy looked at each other, then pulled Rodents last bale over the hole. Then his voice was barely perceptible.
They bounced down the tier stepped end and jumped on the wagon. They said we're ready.
Where's the other kid inquired the farmer?
Bro and Willy thought for a second and said, in unison, he went home.
The farmer said, why I see his horse, it's till in the pasture.
Maybe he fell and got hurt. He said follow me as he got off his big Case tractor. He may have smelled a rat as Rodent went missing suddenly.
They walked around the barn, climbed the hay stack and walked around the edge of the barn peering down the dark sides. No Rodent.
He cut across the middle of the barn and heard a very faint, help me, help me. He grabbed the bale and moved it, the wailing got louder. The Farmer said oh my gosh he's down this hole.
With the farmers rope, Bros and my lariats off the saddles they dropped a line over a rafter down the hole. Bro dallied the rope a couple of loops on the roping horn so he could cut loose if something went wrong. They pulled Rodent out.
The sides of baled hay have sharp cut ends. Rodent got sanded on the trip down and more on the way out.
He never said a word, rolled in the creek to cut down the stinging. Bro and Willy said he looked like he been stuck in a gunny sack with a herd of mad cats.
He went home and that was his last ride as side kick.
He was still obnoxious and no to be trusted but we got along with him better afterwards. He and my Bro after a few hiccups patched up are still cordial 50 some years later.
I wondered how long they planned on leaving him in the hole, and they did not know.
There are some folks who by failing to learn make others laugh. Like is that iron hot?? Sizzle, ouch it burned my finger, I wonder if it is hot on the other end. Sizzle.... OUCH.
He truly was an early model for, hey hold my beer and watch this.
This saga is the last one with Rodent. There are many more between the first and this one.
A fella that was the same age as my Bro started hanging with us he liked all outdoor activities, he was a city boy but fit in well with us. He became a life long friend and outstanding citizen. In his beginning he was our sidekick #2. He earned the nickname of Wild Willy. He and Rodent did not play well together.
On this hay job my Bro and Wild Wily wanted to do it alone because they needed the cash for something important to a 15 year old.
I now had a drivers license and was getting real jobs and except for us and family got out of the hay bucking business and was glad to let them have it.
Bro and Willy saddled up before daylight and rode over. They put the horses in a small pasture that had shade and a natural spring that fed a little creek. Rodent showed up riding his crazy mare and put her in the pasture. My Bro and Willy started telling him they had the job and didn't need any help. He said he wanted to help for a third of the cash. The farmer said he's here let him work.
Rodent did this to them before, show up and horn in on theirs or our jobs. It was one of his many irritating qualities. There were many hay crews who hired kids for summer work if the kid could not round up his own jobs.
Rodent also might throw a hay bale into some ones back knocking them off the wagon for one of his evil personal laughs. While laughing he always claimed accident, accident. And yes he had been disciplined by us and bare knucks. He had issues catching on. And we lamented the failure of Rodents Dad to not find a farm on the other side of the county.
Bro said Wild Willy and Rodent bickered most of the morning, Bro let Rodent know this was the last time he cut in on their money.
Close to midday they had the pole barn stacked up to about 15-18 foot high. The barns middle support pole was in the right place to mess up stacking. There was a gap or hole if you will from ground zero all the way to the top. It was about the size of 1/2 bale of hay.
Rodent forgot about this and while carrying a bale across the top layer he went in feet first, all the way to the bottom.
Bro and Willy heard him screaming all the way down, OH Shoot, HELP ME HELP ME, AHHHHHHHH, Thud.
They walked over and peered into the black hole and couldn't see him but heard him, HELP ME! HELP ME! If a person and their sidekick are a fit they think in unison. Bro and Willy looked at each other, then pulled Rodents last bale over the hole. Then his voice was barely perceptible.
They bounced down the tier stepped end and jumped on the wagon. They said we're ready.
Where's the other kid inquired the farmer?
Bro and Willy thought for a second and said, in unison, he went home.
The farmer said, why I see his horse, it's till in the pasture.
Maybe he fell and got hurt. He said follow me as he got off his big Case tractor. He may have smelled a rat as Rodent went missing suddenly.
They walked around the barn, climbed the hay stack and walked around the edge of the barn peering down the dark sides. No Rodent.
He cut across the middle of the barn and heard a very faint, help me, help me. He grabbed the bale and moved it, the wailing got louder. The Farmer said oh my gosh he's down this hole.
With the farmers rope, Bros and my lariats off the saddles they dropped a line over a rafter down the hole. Bro dallied the rope a couple of loops on the roping horn so he could cut loose if something went wrong. They pulled Rodent out.
The sides of baled hay have sharp cut ends. Rodent got sanded on the trip down and more on the way out.
He never said a word, rolled in the creek to cut down the stinging. Bro and Willy said he looked like he been stuck in a gunny sack with a herd of mad cats.
He went home and that was his last ride as side kick.
He was still obnoxious and no to be trusted but we got along with him better afterwards. He and my Bro after a few hiccups patched up are still cordial 50 some years later.
I wondered how long they planned on leaving him in the hole, and they did not know.
There are some folks who by failing to learn make others laugh. Like is that iron hot?? Sizzle, ouch it burned my finger, I wonder if it is hot on the other end. Sizzle.... OUCH.
He truly was an early model for, hey hold my beer and watch this.
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