� Bob and I were discussing his writing for Handloader and Rifle when Pete came-up with that exclusive contract, else Bob would've been on my staff at Wolfe Publishing. �
Bill Jordan and I were also talking about his writing for
Handloader and
Rifle when Pete ruined everything with those accursed exclusive contracts.
Bill had no hobby interest in handguns. He loved to hunt with rifles and shotguns, but
Guns & Ammo wouldn't let him write about anything other than handguns and Skeeter. I once remarked that any thought of a handgun probably brought back memories that he'd rather forget, while thoughts of rifles, shotguns, or hunting brought back fond memories. Bill shot a quick look at me, obviously startled that I'd have that insight, and said "That's true!" Then he looked far out into deep space and murmured "That's
very true!"
Just think of all the wonderful hunting yarns that
Guns & Ammo wouldn't let Bill write! At least we had those wonderful Bob Milek yarns and Bill's Skeeter stories.
My friend Skeeter was also a wealth of missed opportunities. He and I had a bunch of hunts lined-up, all of which he missed.
My last contact with Skeeter is still a sad memory. He kept saying that he owed me something but couldn't remember what or why. He didn't owe me anything, but he took my reassurances of that fact as simple graciousness and went away still thinking that he owed me something. To this day, I have no idea what he was thinking about.
