Out Of Time

Hosea

"You know, I ain't too sure about you comin' with to help get Sean back," Arthur said as he and Sam rode back to camp.

"Why not?" she asked.

"Because you'll probably end up shootin' at people, killin' someone even.  You ready for that?"

Sam hadn't considered that possibility.  She slowed to a halt as her mouth went dry.  "How do you know I've never killed anyone?"

Arthur jerked his head while he smiled.  "Call it a hunch."

Sam squinted her eyes at him, then she sighed in defeat.  "Fine.  How else am I supposed to help, then?"

"How about we worry about that later?  I need to get out of these clothes."

Sam let out a giggle.  "Yes, you look like the Creature from the Black Lagoon."

Arthur's face scrunched up.  "The what?"

Sam shook her head, giggling once again.  "Nevermind."

The pair wandered into camp with their horses and dismounted. While Arthur went to go change, Sam tried to decide what to do around camp.  Suddenly Hosea waved her over from a rock he was sitting on and she ambled over casually.  He was in the middle of cleaning a big rifle.

"Mr. Matthews, how are you today?" she asked.

"Oh please, you've been with us almost three weeks now, Sam.  Don't you think it's time you start callin' people by their first names?" he asked her.

Sam inclined her head and snickered.  "Fair enough, Hosea.  Fair enough."  She glanced at the gun he was cleaning.  "That's a nice gun you got there."

Hosea smiled at her.  "Thanks.  Speaking of guns, did Arthur finally teach you how to shoot?"

"Just this morning, yes."

"And how did you do?"

"I did pretty well."

"Good.  You wanna go huntin'?"

Sam squinted her eyes and looked up the sky, thinking.  "Mmm, sure, why not?  What are we hunting?"

"I saw a huge bear.  One of the biggest I ever saw.  I reckon nearly a thousand pounds."

Sam's eyes went wide.  "Holy fuck."

"Yeah," Hosea said with a laugh.  "Couldn't have said it better myself."

"Well, where are we going to go hunt this monster?"

"Up near the Dakota River.  Might take a day or two."

"Oh.  That long, huh?"  She wasn't so sure she wanted to be gone that long from camp, at least not yet. 

"A day or two is long to you?" he asked.

"Well, no, but...I haven't been that long away from you guys yet, is all."

"Ah, you'll be fine.  Oh, hey Arthur."

Sam smelled campfire smoke and pine and knew Arthur was right behind her.  "Hey," he said.  "Are you two up to somethin'?"

"Yes.  We're goin' huntin'," Hosea said as he stood up with his gun.

Arthur looked at the gun and Hosea handed it to him.  "For what?  An elephant?"

"No.  A bear.  A big bear," Sam explained.

Arthur's mouth went agape.  "Hosea, she just learned how to shoot.  Now you want her to go bear huntin' with you?  No, that's...I can't allow it."