he suspected there was a simple explanation, one that didn’t pose much of a threat to him.
Still, he wasn’t stupid enough to take any chances. Opening his door, he slid forward on the seat and flicked a switch on the radio, so that his voice would be amplified, loud enough for the people inside the house to hear him.
“This is the sheriff,” he said calmly, slowly. “If you boys are about finished, I’d like y’all to come out so I can talk to you. And I’d appreciate it if you set your guns off to the side.”
With that, the gunfire stopped completely. After a few minutes, Miles saw a head poke out from one of the front windows. The boy was no older than twelve.
“You ain’t gonna shoot us, are you?” he called out, obviously frightened.
“No, I’m not gonna shoot. Just set your guns by the door and come on down so I can talk to you.”
For a minute Miles heard nothing, as if the kids inside were wondering whether or not to make a run for it. They weren’t bad kids, Miles knew, just a little too rural for today’s world. He was sure they’d rather run than have Miles bring them home to meet with their parents.
“Now come on out,” Miles said into the microphone. “I just want to talk.”
Finally, after another minute, two boys—the second a few years younger than the first—peeked out from either side of the opening where the front door used to be. Moving with exaggerated slowness, they set their guns off to the side and, hands thrust high in the air, stepped out. Miles suppressed a grin. Shaky and pale, they looked as if they believed they were going to be a source of target practice any second. Once they’d descended the broken steps, he stood from behind the car and holstered his gun. When they saw him, they stutter-stepped for a moment, then slowly continued forward. Both were dressed in faded blue jeans and torn-up sneakers, their faces and arms dirty. Country kids. As they inched forward, they kept their arms thrust above their heads, elbows locked. They’d obviously seen too many movies.
When they got close, Miles could see that both of them were practically crying.
Miles leaned against his car and crossed his arms. “You boys doin’ some hunting?”
The younger one—ten, Miles guessed—looked to the older one, who met his gaze. They were clearly brothers.
“Yes, sir,” they said in unison.
“What’s in the house there?”
Again they looked at each other.
“Sparrows,” they finally said, and Miles nodded.
“You can put your hands down.”
Again they exchanged glances. Then they lowered their arms.
“You sure you weren’t going after any owls?”
“No, sir,” the older boy said quickly. “Just sparrows. There’s a whole bunch of ’em in there.”
Miles nodded again. “Sparrows, huh?”
“Yes, sir.”
He pointed in the direction of the rifles. “Those twenty-twos?”
“Yes, sir.”
“That’s a little much for sparrows, isn’t it?”
Their looks were guilty this time. Miles eyed them sternly.
“Now look... if you were owl hunting, I’m not gonna be too happy. I like owls. They eat the rats and the mice and even snakes, and I’d rather have an owl around than any of those creatures, especially in my yard. But I’m pretty sure from all that shooting you were doing that you didn’t get him yet, now, did you?”
After a long moment, the young one shook his head.
“Then let’s not try again, okay?” he said in a voice that brooked no disagreement. “It isn’t safe to be shooting out here, not with the highway so close. It’s also against the law. And that place isn’t for kids. It’s just about to fall down and you could get hurt in there. Now, you don’t want me to talk to your parents, do you?”
“No, sir.”
“Then you won’t go after that owl again, will you? If I let you go, I mean?”
“No, sir.”
Miles stared at them wordlessly, making sure he believed them, then nodded in the direction of the nearest homes. “You live out that way?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Did you walk or ride your bikes?”
“We walked.”
“Then I’ll tell you what—I’ll get your rifles and you two get in the backseat. I’ll give you a ride back home and drop you off down the street. And I’ll let it go this time, but if I ever catch you out here again, I’m gonna tell your parents that I caught you before and warned you and that I’m gonna have to bring you both in, okay?”
Though their eyes widened at the threat, they both nodded