About 20 years ago my family lived on a country road about 6 miles from town. At just after dawn one Sunday, my wife woke me and said that she had heard the front door open. I usually am a light sleeper, and had heard nothing, so I was inclined to disbelieve her. But in the interest of keeping the peace, I got out of bed to investigate.
That was when I definitely heard someone in the front of our house. I went quickly to the closet and grabbed my 30-30 Winchester (the only gun I owned at the time). I carefully opened the door and went out and down the hall to see what was going on.
When I reached the end of the hallway, I could see a man silhouetted against a window in the kitchen. The sun was rising behind him, and I could clearly see his hands were empty. However, there was a bunch of knives in a holder on the countertop near him.
I raised the gun, levering a shell into the chamber as I did so. THAT got his attention!
Even though I was armed, standing there in just my underwear I didn’t feel all that powerful. I was just nervous about the whole situation. I figured if he reached for a knife or anything else I would blow a hole in him. Thoughts going through my head as I watched him ranged from who was it to how big of a mess is this going to make if I have to shoot? Going with number one first, I asked him loudly who he was. To this day I have no idea what name he said, but I didn’t recognize it, so I told him he’d better leave. He left instantly. I quickly followed to the window to make sure he was really leaving, then locked the door and called the County Sheriff.
When they arrived I told them about the guy. They didn’t ask if I’d used a gun and I didn’t volunteer the information. They just talked to me for a few minutes and went looking. They eventually found him in a house about a mile up the road, cooking breakfast (it wasn’t his house either, the owners weren’t home). It turned out he was a hired ranch hand from the area, was drunk and a little slow besides. The police hauled him off to sober up and that was that. But sleep was definitely over for that morning!
That was when I definitely heard someone in the front of our house. I went quickly to the closet and grabbed my 30-30 Winchester (the only gun I owned at the time). I carefully opened the door and went out and down the hall to see what was going on.
When I reached the end of the hallway, I could see a man silhouetted against a window in the kitchen. The sun was rising behind him, and I could clearly see his hands were empty. However, there was a bunch of knives in a holder on the countertop near him.
I raised the gun, levering a shell into the chamber as I did so. THAT got his attention!
Even though I was armed, standing there in just my underwear I didn’t feel all that powerful. I was just nervous about the whole situation. I figured if he reached for a knife or anything else I would blow a hole in him. Thoughts going through my head as I watched him ranged from who was it to how big of a mess is this going to make if I have to shoot? Going with number one first, I asked him loudly who he was. To this day I have no idea what name he said, but I didn’t recognize it, so I told him he’d better leave. He left instantly. I quickly followed to the window to make sure he was really leaving, then locked the door and called the County Sheriff.
When they arrived I told them about the guy. They didn’t ask if I’d used a gun and I didn’t volunteer the information. They just talked to me for a few minutes and went looking. They eventually found him in a house about a mile up the road, cooking breakfast (it wasn’t his house either, the owners weren’t home). It turned out he was a hired ranch hand from the area, was drunk and a little slow besides. The police hauled him off to sober up and that was that. But sleep was definitely over for that morning!
