against me every time I joined a spitting contest.
I walk to the front of our line, making myself taller as I set my rifle in front of me, thinking of the steps, load charge ram prime aim fire, load charge ram prime aim fire, load charge ram prime aim fire , until I get the rhythm of it, like my body is doing things and my mind don’t have to tell it. After my minute is up, there are only two holes at the edges of my target but Captain says, ‘You’ve done some fine shooting,’ as he walks past.
I don’t know who he means, me or Ambrose Clark to my right, but I hear my Papa’s warm, proud voice after I shot our hurt cow dead, saying, ‘You done it clean on the first try, Rosetta.’
I smile right at Henry when I walk past and say, ‘Let’s see if you can do better.’
W ILL SURPRISES EVERYBODY after we’re done shooting and have eaten supper by pulling out a deck of cards. He’s always reading his Bible and talking about missing church on the Sabbath, so I can’t think how he’s come to have that deck.
He says, ‘This game is five card stud, last card in the hole.’ Them other four settle themselves right down in front of our tent, near enough to the fire to keep the chill off, Sully’s lantern in the middle casting flickers on their faces.
I stay put on my tree stump, watching the cards move across the overturned crate, looking up at the inky sky and the stars, until the boys forget about me, until the wind changes and the tangy wood smoke starts stinging.
After a while Sully hollers, ‘Hell yeah!’
Jeremiah’s eyes flick over to me, a question there. It is nice, him taking an interest in me, even if he’s telling me that a boy not playing cards is something queer.
‘My Mama don’t hold to gambling,’ I call over to them, ‘so I ain’t learned before now. But if you boys don’t mind teaching me, I aim to try my luck this game.’
Henry smirks like a wicked devil and says, ‘There ain’t no better way toentertain myself and make money at the same time as teaching a kid-glove soldier like yourself.’
‘Well then, how can I trust you to teach me straight?’ I drag my stump over to their circle, pushing between Jeremiah and Will. ‘You’ve all got money riding on it.’
‘You’re going to lose your money whether we teach you straight or not,’ Will says from across the circle and then blushes when all the boys laugh.
‘To buy into this game,’ Will adds, ‘the cost is five dollars.’
‘Five dollars! That’s almost half a month’s pay! And I ain’t got paid yet,’ I say. ‘None of you has.’
‘IOUs. What’s good enough for Ole Abe is good enough for us,’ Sully says. He passes me a pencil and a scrap of paper looks like it came off an envelope.
Once I push my paper signed Ross Stone, March 4, 1862 , into the center of their little circle, right next to the lantern, Will doles out twenty matchsticks.
After the last hand, Sully’s got himself a bigger pile of matchsticks than anyone else, and he is even more puffed up than usual.
‘Okay. Now, we’re each going to get two cards,’ Will says to me, and he starts dealing cards to his left. ‘One up and one down. You look at your cards and what everyone else is showing and then you make up your mind.’
‘Make my mind up to what?’ I ask, and Henry sighs.
None of them has touched their cards yet, but I am itching to see mine.
Sully says, ‘You’re deciding if you want to bet.’
‘Well, how am I to know that?’
‘Ain’t you been watching?’ Henry growls. ‘This is why we oughtn’t be letting no womanish paleface play.’
Jimmy elbows Henry, but that don’t stop me from saying, ‘You can just shut your trap, Henry O’Malley. It ain’t my fault I never played before!’
Jeremiah says, ‘Why don’t we play a hand for practice?’ but Henry snorts and Sully shakes his head.
‘Highest upcard bets first,’ Will says, and picks up his card.
I slide mine across the slats and peer at it.
I walk to the front of our line, making myself taller as I set my rifle in front of me, thinking of the steps, load charge ram prime aim fire, load charge ram prime aim fire, load charge ram prime aim fire , until I get the rhythm of it, like my body is doing things and my mind don’t have to tell it. After my minute is up, there are only two holes at the edges of my target but Captain says, ‘You’ve done some fine shooting,’ as he walks past.
I don’t know who he means, me or Ambrose Clark to my right, but I hear my Papa’s warm, proud voice after I shot our hurt cow dead, saying, ‘You done it clean on the first try, Rosetta.’
I smile right at Henry when I walk past and say, ‘Let’s see if you can do better.’
W ILL SURPRISES EVERYBODY after we’re done shooting and have eaten supper by pulling out a deck of cards. He’s always reading his Bible and talking about missing church on the Sabbath, so I can’t think how he’s come to have that deck.
He says, ‘This game is five card stud, last card in the hole.’ Them other four settle themselves right down in front of our tent, near enough to the fire to keep the chill off, Sully’s lantern in the middle casting flickers on their faces.
I stay put on my tree stump, watching the cards move across the overturned crate, looking up at the inky sky and the stars, until the boys forget about me, until the wind changes and the tangy wood smoke starts stinging.
After a while Sully hollers, ‘Hell yeah!’
Jeremiah’s eyes flick over to me, a question there. It is nice, him taking an interest in me, even if he’s telling me that a boy not playing cards is something queer.
‘My Mama don’t hold to gambling,’ I call over to them, ‘so I ain’t learned before now. But if you boys don’t mind teaching me, I aim to try my luck this game.’
Henry smirks like a wicked devil and says, ‘There ain’t no better way toentertain myself and make money at the same time as teaching a kid-glove soldier like yourself.’
‘Well then, how can I trust you to teach me straight?’ I drag my stump over to their circle, pushing between Jeremiah and Will. ‘You’ve all got money riding on it.’
‘You’re going to lose your money whether we teach you straight or not,’ Will says from across the circle and then blushes when all the boys laugh.
‘To buy into this game,’ Will adds, ‘the cost is five dollars.’
‘Five dollars! That’s almost half a month’s pay! And I ain’t got paid yet,’ I say. ‘None of you has.’
‘IOUs. What’s good enough for Ole Abe is good enough for us,’ Sully says. He passes me a pencil and a scrap of paper looks like it came off an envelope.
Once I push my paper signed Ross Stone, March 4, 1862 , into the center of their little circle, right next to the lantern, Will doles out twenty matchsticks.
After the last hand, Sully’s got himself a bigger pile of matchsticks than anyone else, and he is even more puffed up than usual.
‘Okay. Now, we’re each going to get two cards,’ Will says to me, and he starts dealing cards to his left. ‘One up and one down. You look at your cards and what everyone else is showing and then you make up your mind.’
‘Make my mind up to what?’ I ask, and Henry sighs.
None of them has touched their cards yet, but I am itching to see mine.
Sully says, ‘You’re deciding if you want to bet.’
‘Well, how am I to know that?’
‘Ain’t you been watching?’ Henry growls. ‘This is why we oughtn’t be letting no womanish paleface play.’
Jimmy elbows Henry, but that don’t stop me from saying, ‘You can just shut your trap, Henry O’Malley. It ain’t my fault I never played before!’
Jeremiah says, ‘Why don’t we play a hand for practice?’ but Henry snorts and Sully shakes his head.
‘Highest upcard bets first,’ Will says, and picks up his card.
I slide mine across the slats and peer at it.
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