Good Shooting By Tony Smith

All at once a squirrel began to squack at us. Dad and Billy were looking for the squirrel but they could not see it. I can remember Dad saying to Billy in a low voice, “Billy, he seen us, that’s why he’s squacking.” About that time Billy said, “I see it Charley.’” Dad asked, “Where is he at?” Billy said, “He’s right in the top of that big Hickory tree way down yonder and I’m going to let him have it.” Dad said, “Why Billy that must be 70 or 80 yards from here. You don’t have a Chinaman’s chance of getting that squirrel.”
About that time Billy let go with a blast. Me and Dad were waiting to see if the squirrel was going to run off or not.
A few seconds went by and nothing happened. We were beginning to think the squirrel had gone down the backside of the tree, but then all at once the squirrel began to fall down out of the tree. When the squirrel hit the ground Billy turned and looked at me and Dad with a big smile. He said, “I got him,” and he handed his long gun to Dad.
Billy took off down the hollow to get his squirrel. After Billy went down the hill a ways, Dad said to me, “Tony, as far away as that squirrel was, he may have hit the ground running.” After two or three minutes had gone by, Billy found the squirrel. He held it by the back legs and lifted it over his head so me and Dad could see it. He said in a loud voice, “ Here it is, I got him.”
Billy came walking back up the hill to where me and Dad were at.
By the time he got back, he was out of breath. Dad said, “Set down for a minute or two Billy, and let me see your squirrel.” He handed the squirrel to Dad as he set down on a big rock. Dad looked at the squirrel good and said, “ I don’t see but one little drop of blood on the whole squirrel and that’s good.” He said, “Just look how fat it is.”