The great thing about being back in Alabama was having all my relatives close at hand. Even though there was the occasional difference between the adults, we kids got along real well. The old adage about "Blood" being thicker than water was taken very serious by all of us.

My uncle "Buck" owned about sixty acre's. I think he kept about forty acre's tilled and planted. My three cousins worked side by side with their dad to make the farm produce. My uncle Buck also worked in the Brook Side Coal Mine. Farm all day and work in the mines all night. It showed on uncle Buck real bad but he seldom missed a shift at the mine. Although Buck and Nell had five sons, most of my time was spent with the three oldest boys. The two younger boys came along late in every one's life, the rest of us were in our mid to late teens when Bobby and Steve were born.

Uncle Bucks three oldest boys were named Charles, Hubert and Jerry. Charles and Hubert were twins and about four years my senior. Jerry was two years older than me. The boys lived within about a twenty minute walk of the Tittle place. We visited back and forth all the time.  We had to cross Mr. Tuckers land to make the trip. Mr Tucker had a big watermelon patch that he let us take small melons from. The big ones went to town to be sold off his old truck. Lordy, we eat so much watermelon its a wonder we didn't explode.

Bucks boys were as different as night and day personality wise. Jerry, the youngest, tended to be quite unless you knew him. He was really a thinker and tended to keep his own council pretty much.

Hubert was the jolly and happy type. Always up to something but just for fun. I don't recall ever seeing him lose his temper.

Charles was very smart and gifted with the ability to grasp a idea or principle and turn it in to a working object. If Charles needed something he'd just build it out of what was on hand which amazed me. Then to see the thing actually work would as the say "blow me away".

All three of these boys were outright farm kids. Honest hardworking and independent but still kids at heart which brings us to a classic moment in my life when I learned a lesson or two.

Saturday was go to town day. Nobody went twice a day like now. For some reason Buck decided to leave his boys and me at home and take aunt Nell instead. He gave us some work to do and told us he'd be back around noon. Also told us we'd better stay out of trouble. Not an unreasonable request if you valued the skin on you behind.

Turns out that Jerry had wanted to go with his folks and my being there had prevented that from happening or so he thought. He decided to "fix" me by getting me in some trouble. Him and the other boys lead me a my brother down to the barn lot. Jerry said "I dare you to try and ride that little bull that's "Staked out" next to the barn. Before I could make up my mind, my kid brother jumped on that little bull and off they went. Lowell held on for dear life and the little bull went crazy. When Lowell finally got loose he told Jerry it was his turn. Somehow the tables had turned on Jerry.

Thus we enter the world of Murphy's law and other little wrinkles that develop into adulthood. Huberts all for Jerry "bellying up".  Charles is more sensible and warns of what might happen. Jerry on the other hand has "cast the die". He aint got a choice.

Old Jerry runs and jumps on the yearlings back and lets out a big holler. The Bull's eyes get big as saucers. You have never seen anything quite like that.. Alas. the ride is short and violent. The bull runs toward the center of the lot and then does a one eighty degree turn and heads the other way. The bull had been staked out and fitted with muzzle to prevent it from nursing. Uncle Buck had also driven a Ford model "A" rear axle into the ground and is using it anchor down the tether line on the bull. The bull in his haste to be somewhere else manages to jerk the axle out of the ground and turn it into an airborne missile of sorts. Wanna guess where it landed? Yep, right on old Jerry's head.  Knocked him out cold. Bled pretty good too.

Why oh why didn't we listen to uncle Bucks warning?? Old Murphy kicked out "butts" that day and so did uncle Buck. No formalities at his house. There was enough "whop-ass" to go around.

We were lucky in that my aunt and uncle arrived home about the same time the axle on the head incident occurred. Old Jerry got a trip to town after all. The rest of us stood and took it like a man. Oh dat hurt!!!