well me n oliver n virgil s in the feedstore killing time when my eyes fell upon this magazine i got to reading this here article about sky diving and parachutes and it said jumping out of airplanes was the thing being raised down on a ranch n always ready for a little adventure i knew that i could figure out a way well delmer gill s got a parachute and uncle harvey s got an airplane so i said call the boys together today s the day i found out too late what uncle harvey called an airplane wasn t nothing but an engine and a wing and i could feel my fear a rising as delmer packed the parachute cause he kept telling me i was doing the right thing john mcloughlin shook my hand as jd strapped me in the harness and tildon brought a jug and passed it around i took one look at that airplane and at that parachute and that whiskey and i tipped that bottle up and drank it down well i was drunk as cooter jones when they poured me in the airplane and the engine coughed and headed for the clouds but i was sober as a judge by the time they opened up that door i ve never known my heart to beat so loud i said tildon i can t do it as he kicked me out the door and i wrapped my hands around the landing gear and i was holding on real good til that sucker stepped down on my fingers tj said he heard me yell from way down there i thanked god and delmer gill when my parachute finally opened i said well heck there ain t no use in being afraid and i went crashing through the hen house scattering chickens and breaking eggs and i kissed the ground and fainted dead away now friends i ve done some fighting and i ve been shot at once or twice and i ve dang near got run over by a train but i don t ever once remember being any more afraid than the day i jumped from uncle harvey s plane