Uses firearm without supervision and takes no immediate safety precautions. He fires the gun with his eyes closed and alone after "waving it wildly for a moment" in the direction of a mule named Jenny (p 9). The recoil of the weapon is too much for him to handle, as Dave nearly shoots his arm off and hurts his fingers. Following injuries, he puts his hand in his mouth (like a child sucking his thumb) and throws tantrums. In response, Dave “clenched his teeth and kicked the gun. You almost broke my arm!” (page 9). He blames the gun instead of himself. Dave eventually realizes that he killed Jenny by mistake. In an attempt to hide his crime, Saunders attempts to plug the bullet hole with dirt, instead of calling for help. He then proceeds to lie about Jenny's death, claiming that she injured herself while plowing and ultimately died. Dave refuses to own up to his mistakes and tell the truth. Instead, he continually lies about Jenny's death until his mother asks him directly, "Dave, what are you doing with the gun" (p 9). He finally confesses, is humiliated and asked to return the gun and pay the cost of the mule. Instead of acknowledging his mistakes, Dave once again heads into the forest and fires his gun repeatedly; in the end he chooses to keep it to himself. He proceeds to calculate how long it will take him to pay Jenny's cost and chooses to escape punishment