The RECKONING: A Jess Williams Western Read Free Page B

don’t like it and you know it,” she replied.
                  “He’s going to learn anyway, submitted John. “So he might as well learn it right.”
                  Jess was already up and out the door heading for the stable to get his wooden pistol. He was excited that his pa was finally going to show him how to handle a gun, even if it was only a wooden one. John stopped by Samantha’s seat and gave her a kiss on top of her head; and just as he reached the door, and without looking back he said, “By the way, you ought not to be kicking your brother under the table like that at supper.” It was Samantha’s turn to blush now. She dropped her head a little and looked at her empty plate.
                  “Yes, pa,” she replied sheepishly.
                  Just as John walked out the door he heard Becky quietly say, “Quite the charmer indeed, Mr. Williams…indeed.” John met Jess between the house and the stable and they both headed down to the creek. The creek wasn’t very big. It was only about six to ten feet across and very shallow except for a few deep pools here and there.
                  “Pa, when are you gonna let me shoot a real pistol?” he asked.
                  “When I think you’re ready, Jess… and not one minute before,” he replied firmly.
                  “But I’ve been practicing with this here wooden pistol for months now,” he reasoned, a pleading look in his eyes.
                  “I know.” replied John patiently. “But you have to understand, you just turned fourteen a few months back and I’m still your pa and I’ll decide when you’re ready, understand?”
                  “Yes sir…I understand,” he agreed reluctantly, his eyes glancing down at the ground.
                  “Okay, now, let’s see you draw a few times,” said John.
                  Jess got himself ready. He made sure the holster was tight and in just the right place. He drew the wooden pistol several times and each time he re-holstered the gun as quickly as he drew it. The first time he drew, John was actually quite surprised with his hand speed, though he shouldn’t have been.
                  “How am I doing, pa?” he asked.
                  “Not bad, son…not bad at all, but speed isn’t the only important thing,” submitted John.
                  “Well pa, if I was in a gunfight, I’d want to be faster than the other guy so I wouldn’t get shot!” he contested keenly.
                  “Yeah, but if you were one half of a second faster than the other guy, and you missed with your first shot, who would be laying in the street, gut shot, and looking up at the sky wondering what the heck happened?” he countered with a look of experience on his face.
                  Jess thought about that for a moment and said, “I think I get what you mean, pa.”
                  “Okay Jess, here is your first and most important lesson,” he explained. “Drawing fast is important; there’s no doubt about that. But shooting straight and true is just as important. I’ve seen my share of gunfights and you wouldn’t want to know how many times the quicker man lay dead in the street. Sure, if you’re that much faster than the guy you’re facing, you might get off another shot before he pulls the trigger, but not many men are that fast. You have to make your first shot count every time, understand?”
                  “I think I do pa,” he said practically.
                  “Also remember this,” John continued, “most men don’t have nerves of steel. They’re afraid of dying even though most men will never admit it. When it comes down to the last second before the draw, most men will be sweating bullets or pissing themselves. A lot of times their first shot goes