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The Shooting Gallery features 65 characters. Many are incidental in nature and serve a mechanical purpose, others make a notable one time appearance. Fourteen are primary actors; their Diphra PDF index entry appears below. It includes a brief summary of what occurred to them in the first two books, and the pages on which they appear in the third book. The number of page entries is a measure of their importance to the story. One is new to the series; others were in the background, and now get closer attention.They fit into these categories:
The Entrepreneurs: Freddy and Andy. It is Freddy’s brainchild that gives this book its title. The Shooting Gallery is introduced on the second day and is one of the main events on the third.
The Free Agents: Geoff, Tony, Danny, Leonard. Whether it is their goal or their fate, these are the characters that help move the story along with some comic relief, spicy antics and even some approved activity.
The Seekers: Kurt & Sid. These two are the surprise story—no one is more surprised than they.
The Lovers: Nick & Tom, Jack & Robin. These are romances that began in the previous books. Following them grow and develop, noting their similarities and differences, is the main business of these books. The characters are not aware of their common status; that is for the reader to know about.
This connection is central to the ongoing story of Julian’s personal goal to make Mark his lover. Mark is unaware that he is in the crosshairs. This is a plot pair I’ll call The Protagonists for want of a better term.
The Entrepreneurs:
Freddy: Star scout from Troop 118; devised the Shooting Gallery. [15 123-27 || 28 225-37 || 30 241-45 || S 252]
Andy Ashbaugh: Life scout in the Tiger patrol. Skilled accomplice in Brad’s favorite pastime of torching farts. He and Tony are close friends. [3 32-3 || 6 49-58 || 15 123-7 || 28 225-38 || 30 241-45]
The Free Agents:
Danny Laskey: Star scout, newly appointed Senior Patrol Leader of Troop Nine. He bypassed several able scouts because Scoutmaster Mark sees him as the best potential leader to become Junior Assistant Scoutmaster. He has had a crush on Julian for a little more than a year. Though he lives across the fence, he and Julian have only had a nodding acquaintance prior to this camp. He is assigned to supervise Julian in the daily breakfast and camp inspections, and makes his first attempt to seduce Julian. Afterwards, he gets sunburned at the lake on the first day of camp. Drops his Backpacking class and is assigned to assist the camp Quartermaster. In Part 2 he was taught some advanced lovemaking techniques by Geoff. He agrees to provide cover for Tom and Nick’s unauthorized sleeping arrangement in the supply tent. Takes it on himself to instruct Julian in the basics of sex play. [1 3, 5, 7-11 || 2 17 || 3 24 || 5 48 || 6 49 || 9 81-9 || 10 85, 89 || 11 93, 95-6, 98-9 || 12 100-108 || 14 118-19, 121 || 16 128-35 || 18 145-51 || 19 153 || 21 166-8, 170 || 22 171-75, 177 || 23 179, 181-83 || 24 185-187 || 25 189-91, 195-97, 198, 200 || 26 204, 206-7, 209-10 || 27 213, 220 || S 252, 257-60]
Geoff Staples: Junior Assistant Scoutmaster of Troop 419, Atlanta. Life scout, Recently from Burbank California. English/Cambodian descent, poker club member, sophisticated and experienced. Danny’s co-worker in the supply duty; tutored Danny in sexual techniques. Respects Nick’s intellect and tutors him in the amorous arts as well. [1 3 || 2 12-17 || 4 34-44 || 6 57 || 7 60 || 11 96-7 || 12 101-108 || 13 109-117 || 14 121 || 16 128-35 || 17 139 || 18 145 || 22 171-76 || 23 181-182 || 24 185-7 || 25 189, 197 || 26 206-10 || 29 239-40 || 31 247 || S 252, 255, 260, 261, 267]
Leonard Stafford: Waterfront Director at Camp Walker. Has an uncanny ability to remember names and faces. Enjoys keeping track of camp romances. Develops a Platonic fondness for Julian. [2 15-16 || 3 20 || 6 49-50 || 7 59-60 || 8 67 || 13 109-17 || 15 125 || 16 128-9 || 17 137-9, 140-1 || 19 153-6 || 24 185 || 25 197-8, 200 || 27 219, 225 || 31 252 || S 253, 259]
Tony Johnson: First Class scout in the Tiger patrol. Talented, comical, and usually in need of points. He tends to annoy his patrol leader, and is frequently penalized for simple infractions and oversights. He is the troop’s most talented actor and clown. [3 32-3 || 6 49-58 || 15 124, 5, 127 || 18 146 || 22 174 || 24 187 || 28 226-39 || 30 242-46 || 31 248 || S 253]
The Seekers:
Kurt Davis: Star scout in the Zebra patrol. [3 23-32 || 5 45-6 || 8 63-74 || 9 76-7 || 14 121-2 || 17 136 || 25 187-97, 200 || 27 224 || S 253]
Sid Thomas: First Class scout in the Wolf patrol. Julian’s friend from school and Cub Scouts. He is known for his prankster sense of humor and his extremely skinny physique. His mother bought him a new turquoise colored air mattress for camp. In Part 2 his snorkel became an unexpected enabler when Julian borrowed it to investigate Doug and Paul’s underwater activity. Their friendship becomes more personal as a result. [1 4, 8, 10 || 3 19-32 || 5 45, 46 || 8 63-74 || 9 78 || 10 86 || 11 94, 98 || 12 104, 5, 7, 8 || 14 118-22 || 19 154 || 25 192-5, 196-7, 200 || 27 215-16 || S 253, 253, 258, 261, 268]
The Lovers:
Nick Harrison: Secondary protagonist, a Life scout. Troop Scribe, member of the Flaming Arrow patrol. A talented writer who has had a crush on Tom for three years. Appointed to mentor Julian as a troop journalist. He heads off Tom’s plans for Julian and on the second night makes a surprise move of his own for Tom’s attention. It is far more successful than he had planned. His relationship with Tom flowered unexpectedly, and he and Tom have begun to sleep together in the camp supply tent. Earns his Lifesaving rating and coaches Julian in swimming. Is befriended by Geoff. [1 3, 5-9 || 2 12-17 || 3 22, 24, 27, 33 || 4 34-44 || 5 48 || 6 49-51, 52, 4, 5 || 7 59-62 || 8 63 || 9 75-82 || 10 83-85, 88-9 || 11 93, 95-99 || 12 101, 103-4 || 13 110 || 14 118, 119 || 15 128 || 16 130, 134-5 || 17 136-38, 140-44 || 18 145-48, 150-52 || 20 159-63 || 21 167-70 || 22 175, 177 || 23 178-84 || 25 189-97, 200, 202 || 26 207, 209-11 || 27 220-22 || S 253, 256, 258-62]
Tom Dawson: Junior Assistant Scoutmaster of Troop Nine and Eagle scout. A star swimmer and football player. A secondary protagonist that relies heavily on the analytic ability of his protégé, Nick Harrison. He helps Julian at the first free swim at the lake as a ploy. But his plan to seduce Julian gets derailed by Nick. His whole sexual world gets turned upside down when he allows Nick to show him a new way to make love. Recruited into the Poker Club the next day. Outstanding leadership ability, his fetish for fresh adolescent backsides is quenched by the discovery that he is in love with Nick. He makes the decision to commandeer the troop supply tent to serve as a bedroom for himself and Nick for the remaining days at camp. Chosen to captain Mark’s water polo team. [1 3, 5-7, 9-10 || 2 12-14, 16 || 3 22, 24, 26, 27 || 4 34-5, 37, 40-1, 42-4 || 6 49-58 || 7 59-61 || 8 64 || 9 76-82 || 10 83, 85, 88, 89 || 11 93, 93-99 || 12 101, 103-4 || 13 110 || 14 118, 19, 121 || 15 124, 127 || 16 128, 130, 132, 134-5 || 17 136-40, 142-44 || 18 145-52 || 20 159-63 || 21 166-70 || 22 175, 176 || 23 178-84 || 24 185, 186 || 25 189-98, 200 || 26 205-6, 207-8, 210-11 || 27 211-2 || 28 231, 238 || 29 241 || 30 246 || S 253, 256, 258-62, 266, 7, 9]
Jack Haley: Junior Assistant Scoutmaster of Troop 152, Atlanta. Eagle scout, recruited by Geoff to join Brian’s private poker game. On Wednesday, he and Robin were matched in the second poker game; they have been obsessed with each other since. They met the next day and found a private place to meet along the east lakeshore. Jack names it Whispering Oaks. It becomes their regular destination during the free periods. [31 246-51 || S 252, 259, 261]
Robin Simmons: Life scout in the Lynx patrol. He and Casey are invited by Tom to join the Poker Club. He falls in love with Jack on first sight. He is a skilled boatman, and takes Jack on a magical ride along the east shore where they finish what they had started after the poker game. [10 89 || 31 247-52 || S 253, 260, 262, 271]
The Protagonists:
Julian Forrest: First Class scout, main protagonist. Unaware that he has inherited extraordinary artistic talent from his father, a Greenwich Village sculptor whom he has never known. Serious, single minded, and determined from an early age to spend his life with Mark, a close neighbor. The first night at camp, Mark invites him to stay in the cabin. It was not what he had hoped for. His talent for acting comes to the fore the next day when he takes part in the lifesaving class. He learns to experiment in sexplay with other scouts in Part 2. His goal is to earn Mark’s affection and respect and eventually his love; he works hard to improve his swimming and drawing ability. [1 3-5, 7-11 || 3 18-33 || 4 41 || 5 45, 47-8 || 6 49-50 || 7 59-62 || 8 63-4, 69-73 || 9 75-82 || 10 83-90 || 11 93-99 || 12 100-108 || 14 118-22 || 16 128-35 || 17 136-141 || 18 146, 150-52 || 19 153-58 || 20 159, 163 || 21 166-70 || 23 178-84 || 25 189-93, 195-7, 199-201 || 26 208, 209, 211 || 27 212-13, 214, 218-20, 221, 223, 4 || S 252, 255-61]
Mark Schaefer: Scoutmaster of Troop Nine. He is a retail purchasing agent and manager. When he was a senior in college, he was asked to replace his former scoutmaster who died suddenly from a heart attack. This and his marriage of convenience have helped him to cope with a devastating personal loss. He devotes all his personal time to scouting. He undertakes to cure Julian of his crush and he keeps him under close protection from many dangers by assigning him to stay in the cabin. His skill as a leader is apparent and the cause of envy by the other scoutmasters. In Part 2 he was appointed to coach a water polo team. In order to help his Junior Assistant Scoutmaster save face, he installed an official farting post. [1 3-10 || 2 12-14 || 3 22, 24 || 4 37-8 || 6 51 || 7 61 || 9 76-81 || 10 83-90 || 11 93-5 || 12 102, 104, 108 || 15 124 || 16 128, 132, 3 || 17 141-42, 144 || 18 145-52 || 19 153-58 || 21 166-68 || 22 171-77 || 23 174, 179 || 24 185-88 || 25 189, 191, 196-97, 199-202 || 26 204-209, 211-12 || 27 213, 216, 219-22, 224-5 || 29 241 || S 253, 256-62, 271]
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