Re-Kindled Heart

the old winchester had good range and his aim was good, he steadied the barrel against a tree and squeezed the trigger hitting it right in the heart the small ground hog tumbled over and then lay still frank hurried over to the spot where it lay ready to club the animal with the rifle stock in case it wasn’t dead already he picked it up by the hind legs, turned it over and began skinning and gutting it right there saving its innards, it were lots of fat on its belly this was good he saved some of the innards, heart, liver, lungs and entrails for fish bait once he’d pulled the skin up to the neck he cut off the head and discarded it he had learned how to tan hides and could make a pair of warm moccasins out of the pelt the skin was just big enough to cover small feet like Wanda’s frank carried his kill to the camper and opened the door. His guest was moving around inside the sleeping bag it eating it sounded like here he said sit up and i'll give you some hot coffee to wash that down he placed the ground hog on the table and poured a cup of coffee as Wanda unzipped the sleeping bag enough to slip out a hand and her head still covering her nakedness frank handed her the cup then reached into a bag next to the bed and brought out an old indian blanket