The Prank

Dave and I loved to play war with our toy rifles.
We each had a mini replica of those M-1 Garands
seen in the John Wayne movies. We killed countless
bad guys and never missed a shot. The stocks
were made of wood and the barrels made of metal.
One day while playing war and getting bored with it
we chanced upon a string of fire crackers and
some matches that someone had forgotten.

It did not take long and we were setting them off.
We quickly found Mrs Biggers mail box and it was
awesome when the door flew open and the smoke came out.
We were enthralled when we saw tattered remains of mail.
Then we stuffed a fire cracker down the metal tube
of the rifle. I lit the fuse and Dave pointed the rifle.
It shot out with smoke just like a real gun.

With vivid imaginations and too much time on our hands
we began to concoct our master plan. We ran home
and got some ketchup I smeared it on my face and
my shirt. I looked just like I'd been shot.

We waited on the side of the narrow country road.
The barrel of Dave's gun resting on my shoulder.
The fire cracker inside the barrel with fuse sticking out.
As the car approached I lit the firecracker,
ran three paces and turned. When the gun went off
I fell lifeless on the ground. the shocked motorist
slammed on his brakes. I even quivered a little
just like I was fresh dead. The man exited the car
with pure shock on his face. Dave and I ran off
into the bushes to our hideout by the stream.
We could hear him cursing at us as he drove away.
But, we were too busy laughing to care.

As soon as we knew the car was gone we headed
for the road again. Once more Dave's gun was on my shoulder.
The firecracker inside the barrel, the matches in my hand.
The car same over the little hill unsuspecting. I lit
the firecracker ran three steps, turned. the gun went off.
I fell quivering on the ground fresh dead, the red ketchup
glistening on my face.

But, this time the car slammed on its brakes
and careened off the road, rolled on its side
into the deep ditch. We stood there with mouths
agape unable to believe what had just happened.
The car door pried itself open and Milo Cayton
The meanest sheriff in the world struggled
drunk of of the car. Dave and I knew there was
no use running. Milo knew right where we lived.
He brought us home from skipping school more than once.

We stood their toy rifles at our sides
trembling at the knees. The sheriff
looked at us then turned and looked at his car.
You could see the gears turning in his head.
When he came to the conclusion of what to do
he gave a half hearted smile and began walking home.
Knowing that he too would get in trouble.
Dave and I stuck with mail boxes afterwards,
knowing we'd been given the break of a life time.