webfoot

Pa came in from the trap line to see Otis hitting Ma. Pa dropped everything he had in his hands and in a wild rage charged Otis Bingam. When Otis turned and saw Pa running toward him, he let go of Ma, pulled his pistol, and shot Pa right in the chest, killing him on the spot.

Ma ran to where Pa fell and threw herself on his body, trying to revive him with no success.

Otis came over and pulled Ma up by her hair and said, "If you don't tell me where the money is hidden, I'll do the same for you and that rag-tail girl of yours. Now where is it?"

That's when I showed up, taking it all in with one horrible look. I yelled, "Let her go "

Otis turned on me like a wounded cougar. He kinda sneered and said, "Well now we got 'em all." He cast Ma aside and started for me. He wasn't counting on that pistol I had, and when he saw it, he just snickered and said, "You ain't got what it takes to shoot a man."

I slid that pistol out quick and smooth and had it pointed at Otis's belt buckle when Pa's words came back to me. "Never point at anything you don't want to kill."