| Two aggies were up in Calgary, Alberta, Canada for the start of their annual moose hunting trip. They searched around and found a bush pilot with a good reputation. They hired him and had him fly them to a cabin located by a small remote lake. The pilot carefully landed the plane on the lake, and let the two aggies off at the pier. Before he left the pilot told them, "Now this lake is mighty short, and I won't have much room to take off, so I can only take out one moose. I'll be back in a week." After the week passed, the pilot returned. He carefully landed his plane on the lake, pulled up to the pier, and looked out in dismay. There sat the two aggies, all smiles, with two dead moose. The pilot shut off his engine, climbed out and told the aggies, "Listen fellas, I told you - only one moose." Both aggies immediately began to try and talk the pilot into taking both moose. They pointed out how big the moose were, what great trophies they'd make, and how they'd gladly pay extra for the trouble. The pilot refused. Then the first aggie said, "Hey, we had Joe Meyerson as our pilot last year, and he flew out of here with two moose, with a plane no bigger than yours." The pilot's pride was stung, for Joe Meyerson was one of his biggest competitors for the tourist dollars. The pilot thought about it for only a couple of seconds, then said, "OK, you're on!" The aggies quickly helped the pilot secure the moose on the plane and everyone got in. The pilot checked the wind, and slowly headed for the farthest point of the lake. When the pilot reached the end of the lake, he turned the plane around and gave it full throttle. The plane quickly accelerated, speeding across the short lake. Only yards from the rapidly approaching shore, the pilot pulled back hard on the stick. The plane rose slowly into the air. It cleared the shore, cleared the trees, then crashed into some tall pines. An hour later the first aggie, who is lying on the ground surrounded by broken plane and messy moose sits up. Disoriented and having difficulty staying upright he moans, "Where are we?" The second aggie, also just sitting up, pauses to consider the question, looks behind himself, turns back around, rubs his throbbing head and says, "About a hundred yards further than last year." |
