by Sharon Drane
Chapter 11
Deck of the Dixie Queen
Amelia focused her complete attention on Joshua.
He stood before her with Clayton’s pocket pistol in his hand. This is a Philadelphia Deringer pistol, so named for its inventor, Henry Deringer.”
Amelia smiled at him. “I’m impressed. You know your subject.”
He smiled back at her. “I’m not sure the men under my command would always agree with that statement.”
The wind whipped around them as the steamboat traveled up the river. Amelia tucked a stray curl back into the snood she wore. “Please continue. I’m eager to test my knowledge.”
“Remember, as we discussed, you have to ram the first of two percussion caps down the barrel.” He sure hands completed the task.
Joshua took aim at the water beyond the paddlewheel. “Then you fully cock the hammer, and fire.”
The small gun expelled the smoke from the percussion cap with a loud noise.
Amelia did not grimace, though she was astonished at the amount of noise the pistol made.
Joshua cleaned the barrel and handed the gun to her. “Now, we have to fire one more percussion cap to make sure the barrel is free of debris.” He handed her the tiny ramrod.
She stood looking from the gun to the ramrod, not sure what to do next.
His tone was patient, that of a good teacher with a favored pupil. “What is the first thing you do when you handle the gun?”
Her heart sped up at first. She looked into his eyes. The calm blue drew her in, helped to focus. “Oh, you make sure the hammer is fully closed.” She thumbed the small device and found it closed.
“Very good, don’t ever forget that. Otherwise the gun might go off before you are ready to fire.”
Amelia nodded and took the percussion cap from his outstretched hand. Frowning in concentration, she pushed the small cap down the tiny barrel and drove it into place. She looked up at Joshua.
“Very good, now what do you do?”
“I pull the hammer back to its open position and fire.” She turned and faced the open water. With little hesitation, she fired, jerking backward in surprise at the recoil that she felt through her wrist and arm.
“Even these small pistols have a kick to them. You’ll become accustomed to it as you practice. Now we are ready to load your weapon.” He took the gun back. “Let me show you how it’s done.”
He poured a bit of black powder down the barrel. “Be sure to pour only a small amount, about what I used just now.” He glanced at her, making sure she was following along.
“Yes, I understand.”
“It’s best if you load this before you need it. In the panic of a bad situation, anyone holding the firearm can be injured if isn’t properly prepared.”
Amelia sighed in frustration. This is such a complicated process. But, dash it all, if Clayton could do it, so can I. She put her full attention on Joshua as he rammed a patched ball down the barrel.
“You have to make sure there is no air between the ball and the powder.” He gently rammed the ball farther. “If you don’t, you could have a misfire.” He smiled at her. “After you’ve done this a few times, you’ll do it all instinctively.”
She grimaced in spite of her resolve. “It will take a lot of practice.”
“We’ve got another week aboard and plenty of ammunition. We can practice every day if you like.”
“Yes, please. I want to be ready for anything when we get to St. Louis.”
The night before they reached their destination, Amelia was much more confident. They stood on the deck facing the river. Joshua watched as she loaded the pocket pistol, pointed and fired it.
“You are an excellent pupil. Just one more thing, how would you carry this gun so that it wouldn’t accidently fire?”
She looked at him with a smug smile. “I would pull the hammer back to the half cocked position where the notch would hold it.”
“And how would you prepare to fire?”
“I’d pull the hammer to the fully cocked position, point, and fire.”
The moonlight glinted off his perfect teeth as he smiled. “And why wouldn’t you aim through the sight on the gun?”
Her smile answered his. “This model is meant for point and shoot. There is no sight on it. Some of these are made with forward sights. Some have rear sights. Others, like mine have no sights at all.” She finished with a triumphant laugh.
“Well done, indeed. You are my best pupil.”
She curtsied to him, spreading her black skirts with one hand. “Thank you, kind sir. You are an excellent teacher.” Amelia put the gun into the pocket of her dress. “With your assistance, I am now ready to defend my family if I must.”
He pulled her slowly into his embrace. “I will always be glad to provide you with any help you need.”
As the moonlight danced on the water, he leaned down to kiss her.
She pulled back from him with a big grin. “Just be careful. I’ve got a gun in my pocket, you know.”
