Snakes in the Henhouse
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Butch growled then, and I turned, drawing my gun at the same time. The man that had tried to steal the horse was standing in the doorway and was raising his gun. I figured that he had me. But I wasn’t going down without putting some lead in him. As soon as my gun cleared the holster, I tipped the barrel up, and fired from hip level. The .36 caliber slug caught him in the center of his chest and blew him backwards where he landed on his back, staring up in the rain. It was the first time that I had killed anything that I had no intention of eating, other than maybe a snake, or a coyote. Pa came running out of the house a few seconds after the shot was fired. I heard him calling me, but I just couldn’t answer. It was like I was in a dream. This had to be a dream. But that dead man lying there was no dream. He was real. "Beau--Beau--You all right Son?" I finally snapped out of the trance I was in enough to say, "I’m alright Pa, I’m in the barn." Pa came running into the barn with that old Sharp’s rifle of his, and I sure was glad to see him. Pa looked at the man laying in the doorway of the barn, then looked at me. "Beau, are you all right Son?" I heard him, but I still couldn’t answer. Then I felt Pa grab my shoulder, and say, "It’s a hard thing to do ain’t it Son?" I shook my head, and said, "No Sir, I think that’s what bothers me about it--it was too easy. Before I could even have time to think about what I was doing, I had taken another man’s life." Pa patted my shoulder, and said, "Well Son, it’s probably a good thing that you didn’t have time to think, cause then you would have hesitated."
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About the Book
This book is set in the late 1800s and tells the story of a young boy named Beau Shelton. Beau wants to see the world and have adventures, but after a few, he thinks that home wasn’t such a bad place after all. The story has gun-blazing, fist-fighting action, as well as a romantic love story. It also has some history, which has been well researched. It shows a strong bond between friends and the importance of good friends and family. Perhaps the most intriguing thing is just to see the world through the eyes of a good hearted young man who just happens to have a fast gun to go along with his strong family ties and good morals.
About the Author
Ernie Ellis has enjoyed writing since he was in high school, but never thought he was good enough at it to write a novel. In 1997, he was run over by a car, and suffered brain damage, and nerve damage, which led to the amputation of his right arm. He spent twenty-nine days in the Hospital, where he had to learn to walk again, and go through a lot of therapy. It was a long hard struggle for Ernie to get through this ordeal, but it strengthened him in a lot of ways. Ernie now feels that anyone can reach their goals, if they are willing to work at it hard enough. Ernie worked as a Deputy Sheriff in Ashley County Arkansas for five years, but he now spends most of his time at home writing. He lives in Fountain Hill Arkansas, with his wife and two children. Writing is more than a hobby for Ernie. During his recovery from his accident, writing was almost like therapy to him. Being a very outdoors type person, it was very hard on him to be bound indoors for so long. By writing this book, Ernie was able to travel to New Orleans, and have many adventures, without ever leaving home. Ernie now has a prosthetic arm, and is able to get outside and resume his normal activities, but he never stops writing for very long.