It was very cold. The sleet storm had caused D. D. Duke to close Stonewall schools because low gas pressure made it impossible to heat the classrooms. In fact, the gas pressure all over Stonewall was low.

I was home wondering what I would do with this wonderful day off when Glen Elkins, a fellow “criminal” 8th grader who never knocked, walked in. I was a little skeptical of Glenn’s friendship to me. I suspected that he was there just to visit my pretty sister, Sue.

Glenn was carrying his single-shot .22 rifle, and he showed me his new box of .22 long shells. “Let’s go to Buck Creek and kill some squirrels,” he said. I put on another pair of jeans, a sweater and got my Sears Roebuck Mackinaw on. I added two pair of socks, taboggan and a pair of gloves. We headed out.

Glenn supposed several times that in the canyons and deep woods it would be warmer down on Buck Creek, but he was wrong. After about 5 minutes we were frozen to the bone. Then I saw campfire smoke ahead.

It was a home-made camp. A structure built out of twigs, leaves and mud in the shape of a “U” with an old burn barrel in its center loaded with good sized logs and putting out lots of heat. While I mused about what to make of it, Glenn had already gone right in and was warming himself. There inside the structure were two of the roughest looking men I had ever seen except maybe inside the Circle Inn Dance Hall in Stonewall. By the time I walked up Glenn knew them like brothers and well enough to introduce me to them.

These guys said they liked to camp in the winter. “We’re winter campers,” they said. I was afraid of them but didn’t want them to know that. One of the “bums” pulled out some money, wrote out a grocery list and sent us back to town and said keep the change. We got right on our way and become their conduit for picnic food, bacon and eggs and so forth. Their tips ensured our going back until the day came and they were gone. Later, a story in the Daily Oklahoman said cops had found two escaped convicts near Stonewall and they were returned to Big Mac. Glenn, being Glenn, dragged me back to their camp to see if any of their loot was left behind. None was.

Be sure and go to church on Sunday. And beware of strange encampments on Buck Creek.

Wayne Bullard, DPh

cwaynebullard@gmail.com