hand full of sheet and pointed the rifle, ready to whip the sheet
off the trap. She hesitated when she thought about what came next.
This wasn't going to be easy, killing an animal. She'd never killed
a living thing before except for chickens, and she cringed each
time she swung the hatchet toward a chicken neck. She couldn't
possible fire the rifle with the skunk looking at her. Maybe she
could shoot the skunk through the sheet. She wouldn't have to see
him die. She'd wait a few minutes and carry the trap to the gully
to empty it.
That was the best plan Hal could come up
with. She tried to steady the rifle in her trembling hands as she
stuck the barrel close to the sheet. With her eyes closed, Hal
squeezed the trigger. The bullet rented a round hole, with a powder
burn ring, in the sheet. What if she didn't kill the skunk? The
poor animal had to be in pain. She should fire once more. She
closed her eyes and pulled the trigger again.
Noah was washing a cow's bag when he heard
the shot. He stood up and looked at Daniel behind him. “That was a
gun shot close by.”
“I heard it,” Daniel said as he strained to
listen above the hum of the generator.
Another shot!
John and Jim stopped unhooking milkers. John
said, “Maybe we better go see what the shooting is all about.”
“Daniel and me can go see if you want, Daed.
That way you can finish milking,” Noah suggested.
John grimaced. “I do not want you walking up
on hunters chasing deers. You might get shot by accident.”
“John, you go with the boys. I'll milk while
you're gone,” Jim said.
“That might be best,” John agreed. He rushed
outside with the boys behind him.
Nora and Aunt Tootie stood on the edge of the
porch with hands shading their eyes as they stared toward the
pasture lane.
“You women hear shots?” John asked.
“Yes.” Nora pointed. “Hal killed the skunk by
the hay field.
“Oh, that's what it was. We might as well go
back and finish milking,” John said to the boys.
Noah grabbed Daniel's arm as they followed
their father. “Ach, nah!”
Daniel looked confounded. “How could Mama Hal
shoot the skunk? I killed the skunk.”
John stopped and turned to face them. “I
thought you said Hal had to empty the trap.”
“We were just teasing her,” Noah said. “We
did not mean for her to really get rid of the skunk.”
“Jah, I bopped the skunk before we went to
the barn,” Daniel said. “The trap is empty.”
“You boys are going to be in trouble sure
enough. You should have told Hal before she carried that trap off,”
John scolded.
“We thought she would see the trap was
empty,” Noah said.
Daniel puzzled, “How could she not see the
trap was empty?”
Noah and John shrugged.
John said, “I think we better go check on
her.”
Hal laid the rifle on the ground. She'd have
to take the sheet off to open the trap. What if that skunk wasn't
dead? Maybe she missed it. The skunk would pew her.
She'd just throw the trap, skunk and all in
the gully. The boys could go get it later. She picked the trap
up.
“Hal, you all recht?” John asked. He tried
not to smile when he saw the bullet holes in the sheet.
Noah put his hand over his mouth. His eyes
twinkled when he winked at Daniel.
Daniel frowned. He feared in a minute they
wouldn't think this was so funny when Mama Hal was mad at them.
Hal whirled around. Tears streamed down her
face as she set the trap on the ground. “John, now what do I do? I
shot the skunk twice, but I have to figure out how to get him out
of the trap. I don't know if I killed him. The poor thing might be
in pain, suffering because I shot him.”
John put his arms around Hal so she could see
his face. He winked at the boys. “I do not see how you could have
missed at such close range.”
“We can empty the trap for you, Mama Hal,”
Noah said eagerly.
Daniel stared hard at his brother.
“Noah?”
Noah elbowed him and gave a slight shake of
his head. “Come on, Daniel. Mama Hal was brave
off the trap. She hesitated when she thought about what came next.
This wasn't going to be easy, killing an animal. She'd never killed
a living thing before except for chickens, and she cringed each
time she swung the hatchet toward a chicken neck. She couldn't
possible fire the rifle with the skunk looking at her. Maybe she
could shoot the skunk through the sheet. She wouldn't have to see
him die. She'd wait a few minutes and carry the trap to the gully
to empty it.
That was the best plan Hal could come up
with. She tried to steady the rifle in her trembling hands as she
stuck the barrel close to the sheet. With her eyes closed, Hal
squeezed the trigger. The bullet rented a round hole, with a powder
burn ring, in the sheet. What if she didn't kill the skunk? The
poor animal had to be in pain. She should fire once more. She
closed her eyes and pulled the trigger again.
Noah was washing a cow's bag when he heard
the shot. He stood up and looked at Daniel behind him. “That was a
gun shot close by.”
“I heard it,” Daniel said as he strained to
listen above the hum of the generator.
Another shot!
John and Jim stopped unhooking milkers. John
said, “Maybe we better go see what the shooting is all about.”
“Daniel and me can go see if you want, Daed.
That way you can finish milking,” Noah suggested.
John grimaced. “I do not want you walking up
on hunters chasing deers. You might get shot by accident.”
“John, you go with the boys. I'll milk while
you're gone,” Jim said.
“That might be best,” John agreed. He rushed
outside with the boys behind him.
Nora and Aunt Tootie stood on the edge of the
porch with hands shading their eyes as they stared toward the
pasture lane.
“You women hear shots?” John asked.
“Yes.” Nora pointed. “Hal killed the skunk by
the hay field.
“Oh, that's what it was. We might as well go
back and finish milking,” John said to the boys.
Noah grabbed Daniel's arm as they followed
their father. “Ach, nah!”
Daniel looked confounded. “How could Mama Hal
shoot the skunk? I killed the skunk.”
John stopped and turned to face them. “I
thought you said Hal had to empty the trap.”
“We were just teasing her,” Noah said. “We
did not mean for her to really get rid of the skunk.”
“Jah, I bopped the skunk before we went to
the barn,” Daniel said. “The trap is empty.”
“You boys are going to be in trouble sure
enough. You should have told Hal before she carried that trap off,”
John scolded.
“We thought she would see the trap was
empty,” Noah said.
Daniel puzzled, “How could she not see the
trap was empty?”
Noah and John shrugged.
John said, “I think we better go check on
her.”
Hal laid the rifle on the ground. She'd have
to take the sheet off to open the trap. What if that skunk wasn't
dead? Maybe she missed it. The skunk would pew her.
She'd just throw the trap, skunk and all in
the gully. The boys could go get it later. She picked the trap
up.
“Hal, you all recht?” John asked. He tried
not to smile when he saw the bullet holes in the sheet.
Noah put his hand over his mouth. His eyes
twinkled when he winked at Daniel.
Daniel frowned. He feared in a minute they
wouldn't think this was so funny when Mama Hal was mad at them.
Hal whirled around. Tears streamed down her
face as she set the trap on the ground. “John, now what do I do? I
shot the skunk twice, but I have to figure out how to get him out
of the trap. I don't know if I killed him. The poor thing might be
in pain, suffering because I shot him.”
John put his arms around Hal so she could see
his face. He winked at the boys. “I do not see how you could have
missed at such close range.”
“We can empty the trap for you, Mama Hal,”
Noah said eagerly.
Daniel stared hard at his brother.
“Noah?”
Noah elbowed him and gave a slight shake of
his head. “Come on, Daniel. Mama Hal was brave
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