RAM and Huck Williams's Prank

 In his truck, Huck and a friend visited Mr. Demars who was the self-employed woodcutter at Chase's Corner on the Phillips Road. The friend found it curious that they arrived with already cut wood in the back of the truck, but thought nothing of it until they left and the truck bed was empty.

Huck had taken the opportunity to quietly and unobtrusively unload his cut wood on top of Mr. Demars's pile on the perimeter of the Phillip's Road property. 

On the way home, Huck was smiling out of the side of his mouth, like he always did.

"He gonna ponder that all Winta," Huck said, closing his lips tightly around his smile. 

Years later, over drinks at Kawanhee Inn with the WOW group (Women of Weld), people were telling local stories.  I told this one, just as is written above.  The women immediately howled. 

Later in the fall, friends in Albuquerque asked me about the culture of Weld.  What did folks do for entertainment? What do they think about and how do they treat each other?  I shared this story, just as written above.  No response.  Some heads tilted to the side, someone bit her lip, and others furled their brows.  I inhaled, and in one breath quickly spouted, “woodcutters cut and stack their own wood in a distinctive, recognizable fashion and that Mr. Demars would know he had not cut the wood but would not know where or how that wood had arrived on his stack.” I paused and looked for signs of recognition. There was none. I continued, “This was  a prank done by Huck.” I paused again, and still saw blank faces. “ It was a prank that displayed a subtle sense of humor and was a prank that was ultimately a gift of extra wood.”

 "Ah," my friends nodded, somewhat absently.