A CHRISTMAS DEAL
Jeff Davis | https://gundogcentral.com
Marshall Loftin was a dog man, pure and simple. Fox hounds, cat hounds, catch dogs, high dollar bird dogs, dogs, it didn’t matter, he could get more out of them than any man I’ve ever known. But, if he was a dog man, and he was, he was more so a keen observer and student of his fellow man. He dealt, with a high level of success, with millionaires, and poor sharecroppers alike. Doctors, slick horse traders, lawyers, wealthy businessmen, weekend rabbit hunters, and even I, counted Marshall as a friend and gave him plenty respect, though I never knew him to request it. Accounts of his interactions are many, I’ll relate one of my favorite.
Marshall got a call one night a couple weeks before Christmas. It was Judge Benton from Baton Rouge. “Marshall, my grandson is home for a few weeks, and I was wondering if you knew where I could buy a squirrel dog? I’d like to spend some time in the woods with him before he goes back to school.”
“Yes sir, Judge. I’ve got a good one. He’ll tree and won’t leave the tree. He won’t run off game and he’s easy to catch, name’s Billy.”
“How much are you asking for him, Marshall?”
“Well, his kind don’t come around often. I don’t think I could take less than $2500 for him. I know that sounds high, but I think you will be satisfied with him.”
“No, Marshall, I didn’t want to pay that much for a couple weeks of hunting. Got anything else?”
Marshall, answered. “I tell you what, come pick him up. Ya’ll try him for a week or two. If you don’t like him, bring him back. Won’t cost you a dime.”
The next morning Judge Benton picked the dog up. Christmas passed though, and it was well into January before the Judge returned to Marshall’s house. Without belaboring the story, late in January the judge showed one Saturday morning and counted out twenty-five one hundred dollar bills into Marshall’s hand, and began telling story after story of how his grandson fell in love with Billy.
When Marshall recounted this story to me, my response to him was, “Marshall, you must really have known that Billy was a good squirrel dog to put him out on such a trial as that. You might not have gotten a penny.”
“Well, maybe so,” he answered. “But it wasn’t a dog I was counting on, it was a grandson.”
Marshall got a call one night a couple weeks before Christmas. It was Judge Benton from Baton Rouge. “Marshall, my grandson is home for a few weeks, and I was wondering if you knew where I could buy a squirrel dog? I’d like to spend some time in the woods with him before he goes back to school.”
“Yes sir, Judge. I’ve got a good one. He’ll tree and won’t leave the tree. He won’t run off game and he’s easy to catch, name’s Billy.”
“How much are you asking for him, Marshall?”
“Well, his kind don’t come around often. I don’t think I could take less than $2500 for him. I know that sounds high, but I think you will be satisfied with him.”
“No, Marshall, I didn’t want to pay that much for a couple weeks of hunting. Got anything else?”
Marshall, answered. “I tell you what, come pick him up. Ya’ll try him for a week or two. If you don’t like him, bring him back. Won’t cost you a dime.”
The next morning Judge Benton picked the dog up. Christmas passed though, and it was well into January before the Judge returned to Marshall’s house. Without belaboring the story, late in January the judge showed one Saturday morning and counted out twenty-five one hundred dollar bills into Marshall’s hand, and began telling story after story of how his grandson fell in love with Billy.
When Marshall recounted this story to me, my response to him was, “Marshall, you must really have known that Billy was a good squirrel dog to put him out on such a trial as that. You might not have gotten a penny.”
“Well, maybe so,” he answered. “But it wasn’t a dog I was counting on, it was a grandson.”
About the Author : Danny Bardwell
Visit authors website | View more articlesDanny Bardwell is a construction superintendent who builds large commercial buildings in the Baton Rouge / New Orleans area. For peace of mind and escape from the stress of building, Danny raises and trains pointers with his thirteen year old grandson, Lane.
Danny is a story teller at heart, and often when relaxing he is inspired by some little event or phrase. Lane appears in most of Danny's stories. His stories have appeared in local publication as well as national circulations such as Sporting Classics Magazine.
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