Revolver by Marcus Sedgwick Page B

slipped out of the door pulling her coat and gloves on as she went.
    â€œHurry, Anna!” called her mother.
    Anna did hurry. She ran down Front Street toward the beach and the comings and goings of boats, because she knew Sig loved to watch. But he wasn’t there.
    So she tried back up behind Front Street, then over to the edge of town, toward the rows of miners’ tents along the shore, the rising and falling pump arms, and way beyond that, the tents of the local people. Even at this distance she could hear their dogs barking, occasionally answered by a dog from town.
    He wouldn’t have gone that far, she thought. She hoped not, or her supper would be cold.
    Then she had an idea. Maybe he’d gone to see Pappa at work. He wasn’t supposed to, but he’d done it more than once.
    Anna decided she’d try there, but when she met Einar, he hadn’t seen Sig either.
    She began to panic slightly, as she and her father hurried home. But he reassured her; they would get Maria and then they could all look.
    They needn’t have worried.
    As they came up along Front Street once more, they saw Sig at last, though for some reason, he was standing in the doorway of the cabin, the door wide open, not going in.

    Surely Maria would tell him to keep the cold out.
    Einar walked a little faster, then faster still.
    Then he ran, and Anna could not keep up.
    She saw Einar reach Sig in the doorway, and then he froze as motionless as his son, both of them staring inside.
    Suddenly Einar was shoving Sig backward, and as Anna arrived, he turned and shouted at her.
    â€œAnna!”
    He screamed at her.
    â€œAnna! Take your brother away.”
    Anna didn’t understand, and came closer.
    â€œAnna,” Einar screamed again. “Get away! Take Sig and get away!”
    He thrust Sig into his sister’s arms, and automatically she wrapped her arms around him.
    â€œWhat is it, Sig?” she asked. “What’s happened?”
    She saw her father scramble into the room as if his legs had stopped working, and despite everything he’d said to her, she stumbled in a step after him.
    She saw her mother, or most of her, lying on the floor. Her head was out of sight around the foot of the bed, but she was lying still and her legs stuck out at a strange angle. Her dress was rucked up above her knees, and then Anna saw the floor of the shack was slowly changing color, from brown to red.
    It took her a moment to realize that it was a pool of
blood, but she was not a stupid girl, and in another moment she knew their mother was dead.
    Lying in the middle of the pool of blood was Anna’s doll.

    A strong body makes the mind strong. As to the species of exercises, I advise the gun. While this gives moderate exercise to the body, it gives boldness, enterprise and independence to the mind. Let your gun therefore be the constant companion of your walks.
    THOMAS JEFFERSON.
THIRD PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
PRINCIPAL AUTHOR OF THE DECLARATION
OF INDEPENDENCE

28
    Sun Day, night
    â€œI thought you weren’t coming.” Wolff grinned at Anna.
    Anna stared at him for a fraction of a second, her eyes flicked to Sig for some explanation.
    â€œBut here you are,” Wolff continued, drawing back slightly. “Did you bring your dogs back? You are very quiet.”
    Anna ignored Wolff and stepped toward Sig to help him up.
    â€œAre you all right?”
    Sig nodded.
    â€œWhat’s going on?” she whispered, but a single look from Sig was enough to tell her that it was bad.
    Anna helped Sig to a chair, and then she noticed his head.
    â€œYou’re bleeding!”
    â€œIt’s fine,” Sig said, gingerly feeling the cut on the back of his skull.

    â€œNo, it’s not,” Anna said, and went to get some water and a cloth. As she did, she kept one eye on the stranger in the house.
    Wolff sat down again opposite Sig, bringing a chair over from the table.
    â€œWell,” he