BooksBarbecue
Back Come Again No More
Chapters (55)
  1. Cover
  2. Back Cover
  3. Title Page
  4. Contents
  5. PART I 
  6. 1.
  7. 2.
  8. 3.
  9. 4.
  10. 5.
  11. 6.
  12. 7.
  13. 8.
  14. 9.
  15. 10.
  16. 11.
  17. 12.
  18. PART II 
  19. 13.
  20. 14.
  21. 15.
  22. 16.
  23. 17.
  24. 18.
  25. 19.
  26. 20.
  27. 21.
  28. 22.
  29. 23.
  30. 24.
  31. 25.
  32. 26.
  33. 27.
  34. 28.
  35. 29.
  36. 30.
  37. PART III 
  38. 31.
  39. 32.
  40. 33.
  41. 34.
  42. 35.
  43. 36.
  44. 37.
  45. 38.
  46. 39.
  47. PART IV 
  48. 40.
  49. 41.
  50. 42.
  51. 43.
  52. 44.
  53. 45.
  54. AUTHOR’S NOTE
  55. Touchstone Reading Group Guide

“It’s a present for Bobby. He’s the best shot I know, and I can’t shoot worth a tinker’s damn anymore. Never could, although I got lucky a time or two. This here is an Enfield M1917 rifle. I carried her in the war. Shot me one fat German. He had to be fat, if I shot him.”

Cecil handed the rifle to Bobby, who took it like he was handling the Holy Grail. The rifle was four feet long. It weighed almost five pounds. It had a bolt action and a flip-up rear sight. While Emaline watched, Cecil showed Bobby how to load the five-round fixed-box magazine. He also gave the boy a hundred rounds of ammunition and the original sling with the bayonet and scabbard. Emaline thought it all looked very dangerous.

“Cecil, we can’t accept this. Really. Bobby is too young and we can never repay you.”

“Don’t you fret, girl. He’s twelve, but he’s a born hunter. I’ve got no children of my own, so I want to give this to somebody who’ll use it right. If you can ever shoot deer in this state again, maybe he can get me a haunch of venison. Then we’re square.”

“Well, I guess we can’t thank you enough. But I want you to go out with him the first time he fires this thing. I want to be sure he knows what he’s doing.”

Emaline had promised to make an early supper for Cecil if he would take Bobby to the fight. When she told them supper was ready, she had to remind Bobby to put the rifle away first or he would have laid it on the table next to his meat loaf.

It was past eleven and she was starting to worry when Cecil brought Bobby home from the fight. The boy came in wide-eyed and chattering. He said there were eight bouts on the card, but the best one was the last one. Jake fought a Polish guy with a name like a sackful of letters all shook up and knocked him right through the ropes in the fifth round. Some men pushed the other fighter back into the ring, but Jake hit him again, right in the kisser, and he was done, flat on his back while the referee counted him out. Cecil bought peanuts and two cream sodas for Bobby. When the fight was over, Bobby got to meet Jake McCloskey and shake his hand.