“If ye are goin’ to shoot, better shoot to kill, Miss Ruth,” said Pompey.
“I never have fired a pistol, Pompey; how do you do it?”
“I’ll show ye, missus,” said the negro, putting some powder in the pan and cocking the pistol.
“Now, Miss Ruth, you jes’ pull de trigger and it will flash.”
They were in the kitchen. Ruth pointed the weapon toward the fireplace and pulled the trigger. There was a flash and a bang.
“O Lord! Missus!” shouted Phillis, dropping on the floor.
“’Pears, Miss Ruth, like she’s been loaded all dese years,” said Pompey, his eyeballs rolling in astonishment.
“It appears I have found out how to fire,” said Ruth, laughing. “But how do you load it?” she asked.
Pompey poured a charge of powder into his hand, emptied it into the barrel, and rammed it down with a wad of paper.
“We haven’t any bullets, but we can use gravel-stones or dried peas or a tallow candle. I’ve seen a candle fired right through a board, Miss Ruth,” he said.