It seems this boy's father had just bought a new Remington 12 gauge pump shotgun.  He just couldn't wait to try it out, so one day, he asked his mother if it was ok for him to take it over to the Beaver pond to see if there was any game in the area.  You need to understand that the boy was only ten or twelve years old. (Yes, we were allowed to carry guns, alone, at that age, because we were raised differently than today's kids.)  After some discussion, she allowed it, cautioning him about how close to town he would be, and to be extra careful.  Of course, he promised to.

    As he was approaching the pond, he could hear some kind of waterfowl making noises on the pond, so he approached the pond dam very carefully.  He sneaked up over the dam, parting the cattails with the gun barrel.  Out near the center of the pond was a large snow goose!  He knew it was out of range, so he decided to wait for a while.  After some time, the goose came close enough, so he raised up, took aim, and shot.  Sure enough, he killed that goose!  He immediately began to gather the biggest rocks he could throw, and threw them the other side of that goose.  The resulting waves were washing the goose closer with each throw.  (We Cardin kids were taught that kind of stuff.)  As soon as the goose was close enough, he found a stick, and retrieved that goose.  He grabbed it by the neck and ran for home.  He was so proud.  He couldn't wait to get home and show his mother.  He had supplied a GOOSE for dinner!  When he got home, he rushed right through the door to where his mother was doing dishes in the kitchen, holding it up for her to see.  She inspected the goose and praised the boy for such a great hunt.  Then, she said "I bet I know where you shot that goose!" The boy was astonished and asked "where?"  "Right where you left your father's new shotgun" she replied.  The boy instantly dropped the goose, right in the kitchen floor, and was out the back door immediately.  His feet only hit the ground about every twenty feet or so on the way back to that pond bank, hoping with every step that no one had found that gun.  Sure enough, when he arrived back at the pond, the gun was right where he had left it in his haste.  All's well that ends well, and Jim never left a gun lying anywhere ever again!  Oh yes, and the Heatherlys enjoyed eating that goose!