Sentence:  They burned the old gun that used to <WSD>stand</WSD> in the dark corner up in the garret, close to the stuffed fox that always grinned so fiercely. Perhaps the reason why he seemed in such a ghastly rage was that he did not come by his death fairly. Otherwise his pelt would not have been so perfect. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  To be placed in an upright or vertical orientation.