Shannon

The following day, she was sitting on the floor in front of the fireplace when she heard someone try to open the door.  The cabin was so soundly built she did not hear anyone arrive.  The door was secure with the bar across it.  She had kept the bar across the door ever since she came back.

There was a loud knocking on the door and then she heard Jorge yelling at her to let him in.  She got up and stood just inside the door.  Her heart was pounding as she yelled out,  “What do you want, Jorge?  If you came back to steal some more of my possessions, you can forget it; there isn’t any thing left to steal, as you well know.”

“I didn’t steal um, Shannon Honey, I was jest helping ya ta get set up at my house.”

“Now, what ever gave you the idea I would ever want to get set up at your house?  I already refused your proposal, but in case you are deaf, I will repeat it, I don’t want to marry you and I never will.  I dislike you intensely.  Now, have you got that through your thick scull?  And, I want my mother’s kitchen things back and the two chairs; not to mention all the food you stole out of this house and root cellar.” Shannon was so angry, she was shouting.

“Winter’s a coming on, Shannon, ya can’t survive here alone.”  He wheedled as he continued, “Now, Sweetheart, open the door.  I’m an honorable man.  I won’t hurt ya in any way.”

“Get away from my door”, she shouted.  “The only way I will open that door is if you have all my things back here.  After you have left them, then and only then will I open my door.  Now, get.”

“I have no intention a bringing anything back here, but I’ll be a waitin when you get yore head on straight.  You need a man and I need a woman, so what is there to think about.”

Shannon yelled back at him, “You might need a woman, but I sure don’t need a man; at least not a man like you, you filthy thieving pig.”

He did not answer, so Shannon assumed he must have been leaving.  She waited with her ear against the door listening for his wagon to rumble out of the yard.  When she did not hear anything, she ran to the small back window.  Standing on tiptoe, she tightened her lips, because sure enough, she saw Jorge yanking on the barn door, but it was solid built, so her thoughts he might try to steal her horse had been right. He started back toward the house so she ran to the front door and listened.

 “By the way, Missy, I have decided to load up yore wood, what little ya got.”

A feeling of rage filled her as she stood clinching her fists, and then with tightened lips, Shannon got her father’s musket and loaded it with lead shot as she mumbled to herself, “What a mean spirited man he is.”  She stood on tiptoe and looked out the high window at the side of the cabin, and saw Jorge loading his arms with wood.  She stuck the musket in the band of her skirt and took the bow hanging on the wall.  After removing the bar, She fitted an arrow in the string and then opened the door and stepped outside.  When Jorge came around the cabin, she had the bowstring pulled back ready to release it.  It startled him so, he dropped the wood.  “Now what da ya think yore doing, Shannon, with that there bow and arrow?”

“I am pointing it at you, Mister.  Now, real easy like, I want you to empty your pockets of any money you got on you, and lay it on the ground.”

“Now, gal, you can’t shoot straight nough to hit the broad side of yore barn, and when ya miss, what then?”

“I don’t intend to miss, but just in case, I have a loaded and primed musket in my shirtwaist.”

Jorge glanced down and saw the gun tucked into the waistband of her skirt.  He gauged the distance of about forty feet between them as he got a sly look in his eye. He said, “I don’t think ya got the guts to shoot me, but I’ll give ya what money I got.”  He acted like he was going to empty his pockets, but gave a jump toward Shannon

Shannon took careful aim, and when he was only six feet away, she let the arrow fly.  It took the top of Jorge’s ear off.

He screamed as he grabbed his ear.  It bled profusely and blood dripped through his fingers.

Backing up several feet, Shannon took the gun from her waistband and aimed it at Jorge.  “I meant to take the top of your ear off and I did.  If you knew me better, you would have known I am accurate with all my Daddy’s weapons, but if I have to use this musket, I will aim for your stomach.  Now, empty your pockets.  I intend to get payment for what you stole from me.”