old enough, Lizzie. I was Jamie’s age when I got my first gun. But it was nothing like this beauty.” He handed it over to Jamie now. “That stock is walnut.”
Elizabeth hoped he was right. “But why did you want me to come out here?” she asked. “Shouldn’t I go help Mother with—”
“No.” Asa firmly shook his head as he removed a square piece of gray wool cloth to reveal a smaller gun. “I want you out here as well. You’re both going to learn how to shoot.”
“I know how to shoot,” she told him. “I’ve fired James’ shotgun dozens of times.”
“But do you know how to shoot this?” He handed her the handgun.
“What is it?”
“This is a Colt Dragoon. Forty-four caliber with six shots.”
She felt the weight of it in her hand. Much smaller than a shotgun or rifle, but still heavy. Now she lifted the gun up, peering down the barrel like she would do with a shotgun. “Like this?”
Asa chuckled. “Not exactly.” He lowered her hand, extending her arm slightly. “Keep the gun level and aim at the center of the target. Your eye should help to align your hand.”
“Do you really think this is necessary?” she asked.
“According to Captain Brownlee, the wagon master we are signed up with, it is not only necessary, it’s required. All adults must bring their own firearms and be capable of shooting.”
She looked at Jamie. “But he’s not an adult.”
“Not officially, but he’ll be with you in the wagon. He needs to know how to handle a gun. And you may be capable of shooting a shotgun, but there’s plenty you don’t know. Today we’re going to practice until both you and Jamie are sure shots. But before we start shooting, I’m going to make sure you both know how to clean and care for your guns. Then we’ll work on loading them. No use in having a good firearm by your side if you don’t know how to load it.”
They spent an hour just learning how to clean the barrel with oil and a plunger and how to load the rounds and how to store everything safely and properly. They never even got around to shooting before Ruth came out to call them to dinner.
“What are you doing out here?” she asked curiously.
“Learning about guns,” Jamie said importantly.
“I want to learn about guns too,” she insisted.
“Not until you’re older,” Asa told her.
Ruth frowned.
“Grandpa’s right.” Elizabeth slipped her arm around Ruth’s shoulder. “Guns are very dangerous. I was much older than you the first time I learned to shoot.”
During dinner, all the talk around the table was about the upcoming trip. Matthew showed them the canvas water buckets he’d found in town.
“Why not just use a regular bucket?” Jamie asked.
“Because these are lightweight and don’t take much space,” Matthew explained. “We have to do all we can to keep the wagons from being too heavy.”
And so they continued, planning and debating and going over what remained on the lists, deciding what should go and what should stay and what supplies they should procure in Paducah and what should wait until Kansas City.
“I say we buy only perishables in Kansas City,” Clara finally said. “We can get everything else in town or in Paducah. Although I heard that Thorne’s has weevils in their flour. So I say let’s wait for Paducah for that.”
“Maybe we should get the rice and beans there too,” Elizabeth suggested.
“Let’s plan on it. And while you were working on your guns, Ruthie and I made up some saleratus,” Clara told her.
“What’s that?” Jamie asked.
“It’s what makes biscuits fluffy,” Ruth said with authority. “You mix baking soda and baking powder, right, Grandma?”
“That’s right.”
“So if we shop the food staples in Paducah, we need to make sure we’ve got plenty of time to transfer everything into our watertight containers and secure it all in the wagons before we get on the river.”
“Speaking of secure,” Asa said with uncertainty,
Elizabeth hoped he was right. “But why did you want me to come out here?” she asked. “Shouldn’t I go help Mother with—”
“No.” Asa firmly shook his head as he removed a square piece of gray wool cloth to reveal a smaller gun. “I want you out here as well. You’re both going to learn how to shoot.”
“I know how to shoot,” she told him. “I’ve fired James’ shotgun dozens of times.”
“But do you know how to shoot this?” He handed her the handgun.
“What is it?”
“This is a Colt Dragoon. Forty-four caliber with six shots.”
She felt the weight of it in her hand. Much smaller than a shotgun or rifle, but still heavy. Now she lifted the gun up, peering down the barrel like she would do with a shotgun. “Like this?”
Asa chuckled. “Not exactly.” He lowered her hand, extending her arm slightly. “Keep the gun level and aim at the center of the target. Your eye should help to align your hand.”
“Do you really think this is necessary?” she asked.
“According to Captain Brownlee, the wagon master we are signed up with, it is not only necessary, it’s required. All adults must bring their own firearms and be capable of shooting.”
She looked at Jamie. “But he’s not an adult.”
“Not officially, but he’ll be with you in the wagon. He needs to know how to handle a gun. And you may be capable of shooting a shotgun, but there’s plenty you don’t know. Today we’re going to practice until both you and Jamie are sure shots. But before we start shooting, I’m going to make sure you both know how to clean and care for your guns. Then we’ll work on loading them. No use in having a good firearm by your side if you don’t know how to load it.”
They spent an hour just learning how to clean the barrel with oil and a plunger and how to load the rounds and how to store everything safely and properly. They never even got around to shooting before Ruth came out to call them to dinner.
“What are you doing out here?” she asked curiously.
“Learning about guns,” Jamie said importantly.
“I want to learn about guns too,” she insisted.
“Not until you’re older,” Asa told her.
Ruth frowned.
“Grandpa’s right.” Elizabeth slipped her arm around Ruth’s shoulder. “Guns are very dangerous. I was much older than you the first time I learned to shoot.”
During dinner, all the talk around the table was about the upcoming trip. Matthew showed them the canvas water buckets he’d found in town.
“Why not just use a regular bucket?” Jamie asked.
“Because these are lightweight and don’t take much space,” Matthew explained. “We have to do all we can to keep the wagons from being too heavy.”
And so they continued, planning and debating and going over what remained on the lists, deciding what should go and what should stay and what supplies they should procure in Paducah and what should wait until Kansas City.
“I say we buy only perishables in Kansas City,” Clara finally said. “We can get everything else in town or in Paducah. Although I heard that Thorne’s has weevils in their flour. So I say let’s wait for Paducah for that.”
“Maybe we should get the rice and beans there too,” Elizabeth suggested.
“Let’s plan on it. And while you were working on your guns, Ruthie and I made up some saleratus,” Clara told her.
“What’s that?” Jamie asked.
“It’s what makes biscuits fluffy,” Ruth said with authority. “You mix baking soda and baking powder, right, Grandma?”
“That’s right.”
“So if we shop the food staples in Paducah, we need to make sure we’ve got plenty of time to transfer everything into our watertight containers and secure it all in the wagons before we get on the river.”
“Speaking of secure,” Asa said with uncertainty,
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