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"You ever fly a kite before?"

Even without her squealing with pleasure, he knew he’d scored big She was so excited she could barely keep still He handed her the rod, waited until she picked up the red diaon tail out behind She let out soood at this"

She s

She knehat she was doing Who had taught her? Heracross the flatout the line He released the kite when he felt it catch the wind He shouted, "You’ve got liftoff!" She stopped running, drew back a bit, and turned the rod a bit to the left The longcircle

"Great, let’s see you do so it than he would have been The kid was really good He watched her move her hand first this way, then that, then flip her wrist, and the dragon’s tail whipped about and whirled around and around, turning back in on itself, then strea in the wind He didn’t kno she did it, but she turned her wrist back, wiggled it a bit, and that shion’s tail

Whoever had taught her was an expert

Shethe time of her life He stood back and watched her It was the best twelve-dollar invest on the steps of the cabin, not letting her out of his sight

Ti only the child as flying the dragon kite aht colu and clear in the silence The kite dipped and plowed earthward, landing in a bush She didn’t hesitate for an instant, not even to look around She started to run back toward hirabbed her up on the run, and turned back, carrying her into the cabin Another shot rang out from behind him just as he slammed the door with his foot He set her down behind the couch "Stay here Don’t move"

He shoved his pistol into his belt and picked up his rifle

He crouched next to the , scanning the far forest, searching for so in his world There came another shot, then another, but he couldn’t hear any bullet impacts

He heard a man shout and another man answer They were some distance away, e of the forest There were no other voices There were two men, then He said quietly to her, "Stay behind the sofa, sweetheart It will be all right Just stay there Re I’et to hurt you"

He looked back out theTo his surprise, twoa rifle He had the closer one in his sights when he saw they were laughing, leaning into each other, one of thehis rifle He cursed viciously The idiots were drunk Jesus, there was no hunting allowed anywhere near here and here they were shooting and drinking

The closer h he earing thick dark corduroy pants and a heavy dark bron jacket He had a plaid hunter’s hat on his head He aving toward the cabin, yelling, "Hey! Anybody there? We’re sorry, we didn’t led as the othercowboy boots, said, "Yeah, we thought you was a couple of deer I told Tommy here that deer didn’t fly kites"

Ramsey put down his rifle, but held the pistol at his side as he cary he was shaking He wanted to bang their heads together, thefiring guns up here? Didn’t you see irl?"

They waved at him The drunken idiots actually waved, as if he’d invited theuy called out, "Hey, buddy, it was an accident Who are you? We didn’t think anybody lived up here We’re sorry, real sorry"

The bowlegged guy didn’t say a word, just walked along toward hi at his rifle or his snakeskin boots, or both

"You up here a long tiuy asked him the question, Ramsey looked away froh for the man to raise the rifle and aiht the bowlegged guy in his shooting arh The tall man had his rifle up in an instant, but Raot him in the shoulder, a clean hit that knocked hiround