Suddenly, the Cider Didn't Taste So Good by John Ford Sr

Author:John Ford, Sr.
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781934031933
Publisher: Islandport Press

Foot-jack-uh!

At the top of my “most wanted” list were the night-hunters, mostly because they knew exactly what they were doing. They obviously were trying to outwit their local warden, and we wardens were trying to be smart enough to rope them in. For the most part, the advantage was theirs.

By far the cagiest of the night-hunters were those who walked out to a remote spot near their homes with a handheld light and a rifle. These “foot-jack-uhs,” as I called them, usually dressed warmly for the occasion and were extremely familiar with the countryside they hunted.

Unlike those lazy nincompoops who hunted from a warm pickup with a plug-in spotlight, flashing one field after another, hoping to catch a big buck grazing in the black of night, these foot-jack-uhs were serious in their efforts.

I had a close call nabbing a foot-jack-uh early in my career in a remote section of Burnham. I barreled across the field running as fast as my fat little legs would carry me, gaining on my man.

It was one of those nights when it was darker than the inside of a rubber boot. It was also another one of those times when I’d failed to grab my flashlight. The next thing I knew, I went sailing headfirst into the puckerbrush as my legs snagged on a barbed-wire fence along the wood line.

Needless to say, my foot-jack-uh knew the area far better than I did. The last I heard of him, the brush was breaking far ahead of me as he scurried off into the dark of night and I lay stunned in the muck along the edge of the field.

Oh, well. You win a few and sometimes you lose in the competitive activity known as law enforcement. That night, I was on the losing end.

A short time later was a different story. It was a dark, frosty night as I parked on an old tote road adjacent to the Hemlock Hill Road in Unity. Nearby was a green field that looked enticing to anyone searching for a big buck feeding under the cover of darkness.

I’d just poured myself a cup of hot coffee and was settled inside the comfort of my cruiser, watching, waiting, and listening, wondering if this was the right spot to be.

A burst of light swept the field around me. At first I thought I might be seeing things because my eyes had a tendency to play tricks on me in the black of night.

I rolled down the window. Once again a beam of light swept the nearby field, only this time it appeared to be getting closer.

My heart started racing as I anticipated the mess I’d be facing in a few minutes. Without a doubt, I knew there’d be one—there always was—as it looked like I might catch up with a foot-jack-uh.

I got out of the cruiser, making sure I had my flashlight gripped tightly in my hand.

The wait was on as I scanned the darkness, hoping to see signs of movement. My ears were open, too, listening for any rustle of footsteps.

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