Ammunition from knotted
rubber inner tube strips.
An L shaped gun from a piece of 1 by 10 pine board
made to fit the hand of the shooter.
Clothespin fastened to the back of the gun
are the trigger mechanism.
Stretch the rubber band into the tight
clothespin and a stinging missile
is ready to fire.
No armorer has been more a student of their
terrifying task than the rubber gun makers.
Multiple clothespins mock Western Revolvers.
Guns with notches and a string for a release make an
a dozen shots repeating assault rifle.
Stretchy red rubber with a black puncture patch
were selected as the finest
ammunition available.
Spare bands were stuffed in pockets to last
until the King's X allowed for the bickering
of multiple claims on a found band.
Sides and a battle site were chosen and with
the blare of the trumpets and roll of the drums
the war began.
I never chose my little brother and neither did Will
or Bob so it was brother against brother
as the warriors clashed on fall Saturday afternoons.
The best strategy for taking the Doak barn
or defending the Heap barn were debated
and tried.
But often the real winners were little brothers
who got knot hole shots on gallant defenders.
The strategies for "defend The castle" had to be discarded
when the battle moved to the open country.
In the arroyos coming off Little Goat Hill were
hundreds of deep channels loaded with places to hide.
Ambush and surprise were the battle plans for the sides.
Again little brothers seemed to be behind each bank
and they let a spine chilling scream as they gunned
down the enemy.
Honor is hard when your little brother
claims to have hit you.
And you just hope the sting in your face
is not red as you deny that
his marksmanship is as good as it is.
Those October afternoons lasted forever and
then they were gone and some real war
was fought.
But when I see an old inner tube.
Or when I see a barn that could be defended,
I am ready for another rubber gun war.