Slingshot: King David's Slingshot

By Robert Maurice Talley

Out of his own boyhood experience with a slingshot, the author decided to write a story about a boy who, after hearing the story of David and Goliath, wanted to learn to use the sling for fun. He became so caught up in the fun of it that he practiced until he was expert in its use. His expertise caused him to become unintentionally involved in one adventure after another, having to use his sling to either help someone or get himself out of a jam. His parents are trying to train him up in the way he should go as he grows up. They warn him of the great responsibility he has to use the sling safely. His father uses Bible Scripture to teach him the lessons of Christian living along the way.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Oct 4, 2013
• ISBN: 9781449773083

Robert Maurice Talley

The author is from San Angelo, Texas. He graduated from Angelo State University with a BA in communications. He is a member of the Southgate Church of Christ. He is seventy-three years old, married, and has two sons and a daughter and two grandsons and one granddaughter. He is a part-time minister and sang in an a capella gospel quartet that recorded eight albums.

Book preview

Chapter 1

THE COUGAR

D AVEY TALON SAT under a large live oak tree. He leaned back against it and relaxed. His big dog Muchacho, rested on his belly, hunkered down on all four legs ready to rise suddenly if necessary. His ears were perked to catch any unusual sounds which might not be normal for this part of the fifteen hundred acre Talon property.

Davey sipped from his canteen and poured Chacho some water into his collapsible water pan. They had been busy exploring the land they both loved and had stopped to relax for a while.

Davey was wearing his cammo vest which his mother, Jenny, had made for him. Beneath the vest he wore an olive colored tee-shirt, as well as pants that were of the same colors and shades as the US Army desert camouflage and lace-up over-the-ankle boots with the gripper soles: perfect for hiking and climbing. A floppy brimmed hat protected his head and eyes from the bright scorching Southwest Texas sun. He had successfully dressed to blend with his surroundings.

Muchacho was a large wolf-like hound of at least one hundred and fifty pounds the color of the area they were in. He was a mottled black, brown and white. He lapped his water louder than Davey would have liked. They were in the habit of moving about the country as quietly as possible.

Chach, I wish you were a little less noisy with your drinking." Davey spoke quietly but knew that his partner heard him. The fourteen-year-old talked to his friend as though he understood every word he uttered, and Chacho acted as though he understood Davey. Like a true friend, the big dog would have given his life for his master without a second thought. The two were a perfect team and Davey had trained Chacho very well.

Dad said to keep our eyes open for a big cougar that is supposed to be roaming this part of the country. The newspapers said that he had attacked several people and had badly mauled a couple of them. Maybe we’ll get to see him, Davey told his companion.

The team lounged for a little while longer and finally Davey lifted the canteen one more time, but stopped mid-air. He was suddenly staring the cougar in the face. The big cat had stopped about thirty yards from the two and was looking in their direction. Chacho had already seen the big animal and growled deep in his throat. Davey had learned that if a cougar means to attack, you should look him in the eye to let him know that you are aware of him and willing to meet him, and then fight with all your might with whatever weapons are available to you.

Quiet, Chach. Davey trembled with excitement and fear.

He knew for sure the cat was now looking at him, if not Chacho. The cougar, however, would surely smell the dog, which may have been the reason he had not moved yet.

Davey was still unable to use his right hand from having been wounded by a bullet several weeks before. But he could still use his left just as well. He eased the sling from his pocket—careful not to move too quickly. He feared the lion would move soon and suddenly before he was ready.

In a smooth, fluid move, Davey rose to his feet, loading his sling as he rose. Now the ambidextrous boy felt more confident.

The cougar moved and came swiftly. Chach moved toward him at the same time as though he had been waiting for the big cat to make his play.

With the confidence of a professional, Davey whirled the sling twice and on the third revolution whipped the hard rubber ball like a bullet straight at the attacker. The shot hit the cat squarely between the eyes and the cat went down nose first in a tumbling roll of dust, leaves, twigs and stones. Chach was on him immediately snarling jaws clamping the neck of the cat.

Davey approached the two very cautiously until he could see that the lion was down and out.

"Hold him, Chach, while I get the pack.’

He ran to the tree, grabbed everything, and ran back to the downed cat and Chacho. He dropped the pack to the ground, reached into a side pocket and took out his extra sling thongs. The boy quickly went to work tying the cougar’s feet. He tied the rear feet together, then moved to the front feet. He tugged to pull them together and made a grunt come from the cat. Both he and dog jumped at the sound but the huge animal was still out.

Hold him a little longer Chach, I’ve just about got him tied. There! Okay, Boy, lets back off and call for help.

Davey took out his cell phone and punched his home number.

Hello, came the voice of his father.

Dad, I need your help. We’ve got the big cougar down and tied. Can you bring the animal control people and pick him up?

Dave? Wait, whoa. Are you saying you have a big cougar?

Yes, Sir. Chach and I got him and he’s tied up but I don’t know for how long. I need for you to bring somebody to pick him up; we’ll watch him till you get here. We’re near the spring down the old road that’s grown up in grass. Do you know where I mean?

Yes, Son, I’ll be there as quickly as I can get there. Please be careful, that lion is not gonna wake up in a good mood

Davey hung up. He and Chacho went to another tree down-wind from the cat just in case he woke up soon.

Let’s wait here for Dad, Chach. They settled down not knowing how long it would be.

Davey thought about the shot. The cougar had run with his head hardly moving which Davey was glad of. It made the shot much easier. He couldn’t believe he hadn’t seen the cat come into view. He just looked up and he was there. He was thankful that he was in the habit of looking around before moving.

Thank you, God. Please keep the cat from getting loose till Dad gets here with help. Davey silently prayed.

As the two companions sat waiting, Davey’s thoughts returned to the day this adventure with the sling all started.

There was a time a few months ago when he would have gloated over the shot but now he expected to hit what he aimed at.

If the cat waked up he would not be able to locate them by smell. The slight breeze was in their face from the cougar.

Davey recalled that he had been twelve years old when this started…

Chapter 2

THE SLINGSHOT

"…A ND HE TOOK the stick in his hand and chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the shepherds bag which he had, even in his pouch, and his sling was in his hand; and he approached the Philistine.

Then the Philistine came on and approached David with the shield-bearer in front of him. When the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him, for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and with a handsome appearance…

And the Philistine said to David, Am I a dog that you come to me with sticks? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.

And the Philistine also said to David, Come to me and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and beasts of the field.

Then David said to the Philistine, You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Hosts the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted.

This day the Lord will give you into my hands, and I will strike you down and removed your head from you. And I will give the dead bodies of the armies of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the Lord does not deliver by sword or by spear, for the battle is the Lord’s and He will give you into our hands.

Then it happens when the Philistine rose and came and drew near to meet David, that David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine

And David put his hand in his bag and took from it a stone and slung it, and the stone sank into his forehead, so that he fell on his face to the ground.

Thus David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and he struck the Philistine and killed him, but there was no sword in David’s hand.

The Bible class teacher finished reading the story from 1st Samuel 17:40-51 in the Old Testament. The mental picture in Davey Talon’s mind was as vivid as if he had been there. He was still in his daydream when the teacher dismissed the Sunday Morning Bible Class. The noise of the students rising from their chairs brought him back to the present. He got up and filed into the auditorium with everyone else to get ready to worship.

Davey knew he must have heard the story before, but now it made such a strong impression that he couldn’t get it out of his mind. The words of David in the Bible, You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Hosts, also had a tremendous impact on Davey’s mind.

He had truly been touched by the Word of God. And he heard the words again, For the battle is the Lord’s and he will give you into our hands. still ringing in his head and it filled him with pride that he was also a follower of that same God. He wanted to have the kind of faith that David had. He thought to himself, David ran to meet the giant. He didn’t hesitate.

Davey didn’t hear the preacher. He was reading the story again and thinking about it. His mother noticed and nudged his father. It gave her a very special feeling to see her son reading the Bible.

The Talons lived east of town about three miles out on a little over two sections of both wooded and open pasture land. The land had lots of contour to it, and to walk over the property was to see lots of interesting things.

Part of the land was rocky with sheer bluffs; much of it was covered with thick trees and brush, which Will Talon, Davey’s father, hadn’t decided to clear, but just leave ‘wild.’

There was a small creek that ran across the property which was fed by a spring that supplied water for their home. It was Will’s pride and joy. He knew he was fortunate indeed. When he bought the land the spring was dry, but he had worked hard to clear the brush away which had choked the spring and consumed the water. One day he discovered that the spring was flowing. He had the water tested and found it pure enough to drink with a good taste in the bargain. So he was a proud, thankful man. He knew the land had jumped considerably in value just because he had started the spring flowing again.

The Talon Family were believers in God—not just any god—but the Almighty creator of the universe—Jehovah God of the Bible. They worshipped God regularly and tried to glorify Him in their lives.

Will Talon didn’t think he was any better or worse than the next man. He was thankful to be a saved man along with his beloved wife, Jenny.

His example was a powerful influence on Davey, though the boy probably wasn’t aware of it. He knew he had never heard his father swear, and he rarely criticized another person. This occurred to him one day at school when he heard some of the kids using foul language and cutting down another student.

Bad language was not heard in the Talon household. Manners were taught and enforced. Davey had been taught to respect his elders as sir and ma’am-which set him apart without him even being aware of it. His teachers had certainly noticed it and came to appreciate their family. It had grown to be the natural thing to do—nothing special to Davey.

Davey was still thinking about the Bible story from the Old Testament on the way home that Sunday. The family was riding back home in their half-ton pickup truck when it suddenly dawned on Davey to ask his dad to make him a sling.

Dad, could you make me a sling like David had in the Bible?

Why, I think we could do that, Son. It will be a fun thing to do. So you were impressed by the story of David?

Yes, Sir, it is really an exciting story. David didn’t even hesitate to run to meet the giant. And then he told him that he came to him in the name of the Lord of Hosts. Man, that was great! I sure would like to be like David.

"Well, Davey, that excites your mother and me for you to feel that way. We want you to be a godly young man more than anything. Reading God’s Word can help you become the kind of man that David was. Sure thing. I’ll help you make a sling like David’s.

Thanks, Dad. I can’t wait.

Jenny sat between her two men with a warm glow of love and thankfulness on her face.

Neither of Davey’s parents had a clue what they had just started, or what this innocent moment would lead to..

The truck rolled into the driveway of the Talon home place and Will pulled to the back of the house to the front of the garage, which was separate from the house.

Jenny went into the house to prepare lunch and while the menfolk went into the garage to rummage around for supplies with which to make a sling.

The garage was very neat with everything arranged in a manner which allowed easy access to his tools and supplies. They found an old pair of work boots, and Dad took the long leather laces and cut the tongue out of one of them. He took an awl and punched a clean round hole in each side of the boot tongue along the edge but centered. He took the long laces and tied one to each of the holes and held the tops while he dangled the pouch at the bottom. Will then took a steel nut and laid it in the pouch to see if it was balanced. He held the two laces with the nut in the pouch and when he saw that it was balanced, he smiled—satisfied. He tied a loop in the end of one lace for Davey’s hand to fit through and cut the other lace to match the length of the first one, then tied a very hard knot in it so that Davey could hold onto the knot as he swung the sling around. Davey would then let go of the knot in his fingers and let the stone fly.

They stepped out of the garage and went into the house to change out of their Sunday clothes and eat the lunch Jenny had prepared for them. They thanked God and ate the usual delicious meal Mom had put on the table.

After lunch, the men went out into the back yard to try out the new sling and to put in a little practice time. It took a while to select several stones the size Will thought they should be. He then loaded the sling, and had Davey stand back and whirled it around and released the missile. The first shot flew off in an unexpected direction that caused them both to laugh.

After a few more tries and some serious dodging Will gave the sling to Davey who was more than anxious to try it. He also had a time of it for a while but got the hang of it