Little Joe ran out of the house and over to Carlos "Hey Carlos, can you tech me to shoot?" Carlos stopped what he was doing and looked down at Little Joe.
"Did you ask your pa?"
"Uh...Yes I did, Pa said if I was careful then you can teach me." He said, lying. Carlos raised his eye brow at the boy.
"Your sure you talked to your pa?" Carlos asked again.
"Yes I'm sure." Joe said lying again.
"Okay then, we can set a few pine cones up on the fence post and you can try to shoot them off with my pistol." Carlos replied at the smiling boy. The two walked over to the corral and set up three pine cones. After they got everything set up, they took fifteen steps back. "Hold the gun like this, and slowly squeeze the trigger." Before Joe could shoot Ben walked out the door seeing Joe holding a gun.
"What the hell are you two doing?" Ben shouted at them "Joseph give the gun back to Carlos and get in the house." Joe gave the gun back, then ran into the house.
When Joe left Ben turned to Carlos "I think of you as a son, but I will not allow you to teach Joe to shoot a gun. He is to young, if you want to shoot with someone take Hoss or Adam."
"Ben please let me explain. I was out working when little Joe asked for me to teach him, he said that you had agreed to it." Carlos looked down at his feet. Ben but his hand on Carlos's shoulder.
"Don't worry about it, I'm sorry I yelled at you. It's just I have just lost my wife, I can't lose Joe."
"No Ben, It is I who is sorry. I should have known you would never have given Joe permission."
It's not your fault, you didn't know" Ben reassured him. "why don't you finish working, while I talk to Joe."
"Don't be hard on him Ben, he is only a kid."
"I know Carlos, but I still want to talk to him. Ben walked inside leaving Carlos to finish his work. "Joe can I talk to you for a second?" Little joe looked up from his chair.
"Yes sir."
"Joe, I am very disappointed with you, you touched a gun and you lied to Carlos."
"I'm sorry, It's just that you never taught Adam or Hoss to shoot a pistol and I know that you would never teach me, so I asked Carlos so I can teach Adam."
"Joe..." Ben sighed "Joe, you had good intentions, but your grounded. Also I want you to go and apologize to Carlos."
"Yes sir." Little Joe walked outside to where Carlos was chopping wood. "Carlos, can I talk to you" Carlos put down the ax and looked over at little Joe.
"Not right now Joe." Carlos picked up the ax and continued to cut the wood.
"Please Carlos, I'm sorry I lied to you." Carlos stopped cutting the wood and looked over at then ten-year old and hugged him.
"I forgive you as long as you don't lie to me again." He hugged Carlos back.
"I promise."