Being raised on a hard, scrabble-farming and cattle operation in Western Oklahoma, I had a lot of responsibilites thrust on me at an early age.
Like, riding old tractors (from can to can't see) at the age of ten. I was always a pretty good hand as I wanted to please my dad. Consequently, Dad sometimes gave me a little more rope than I was able to handle. But, although high-tempered, he was quick to forgive when I messed up. He always made me feel like I had a part in all of it, from buying a second-hand truck to what kind of bull to use.

Looking back, if I could choose, I wouldn't trade my raising or change it one bit. The hard work; pulling bowls, broomcorn, hauling hay and so forth made me able to hold a job easily. Like, steel work in Amarillo, Texas, to Roughnecking on drilling rigs; plus a few other jobs that were a little more menial.

Anyway, back to the bull fight story... Dad always had an old cattle truck and one Saturday he had me take a load of cattle to the Sale (cattle auction) at Elk City, Oklahoma. We had a standing deal where if I could find a backload from the Sale, I could keep the money I made for the backhaul.

Anyway, I was sixteen years old and wanted money to go to a dance that night. So, I hung around that Sale all day, but all I could come up with was a $10.00 job hauling a range-bull from Cheyenne to Reydon. It was for an old cowboy named Lute Hooper. Lute got into the corral and popped the bull with a rope, but that old bull turned on him and put him out of the corral. Lute said, "Well, looks like we're going to have to let this bull settle down and get him another day."

I had already waited all day and was anxious to get that ten dollar bill. So, I picked up a two-by-four and as the bull ran at me I gave him a sharp crack on his nose. That hit on his nose turned him around and I then put him up the shute and into the truck with old Lute yelling that the bull would kill me. Anyway, as we were kicking him off the truck at Reydon, I heard Lute say to another feller, "That kid sure wanted the ten dollars awful bad!"