{"id":10364,"date":"2012-03-20T17:37:36","date_gmt":"2012-03-20T21:37:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=10364"},"modified":"2026-07-30T14:22:20","modified_gmt":"2026-07-30T18:22:20","slug":"moby-duck","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=10364","title":{"rendered":"Moby Duck (by bahj)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary<\/strong>: Hoss’s plans end up backfiring when he plots revenge against a “foul” adversary<\/p>\n

Rated<\/strong>: Family Friendly \/ Word count<\/strong>:\u00a04900<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Moby Duck<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd where do you think you\u2019re going?\u201d Joe whispered coming up behind his older brother.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe, what are you tryin\u2019 to do, scare me to death?\u201d Hoss answered clutching his chest tightly.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, it serves you right for sneaking around in the middle of the night.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShh,\u201d Hoss whispered frantically. \u201cYou want to wake everybody up? Come on.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss waved for his eleven year old brother to follow him down the stairs. He headed straight for the gun rack and carefully lifted a rifle, then quietly opened the drawer where the extra bullets were kept. Little Joe watched wide eyed as Hoss stuffed his pockets full of ammunition.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere are you going?\u201d he squeaked. \u201cAnd what do you need that rifle for?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m goin\u2019 to get him, Joe,\u201d was Hoss\u2019s only answer but it was enough to let Little Joe know what he had in mind.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I\u2019m going with you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Joe, it\u2019s too dangerous. You know what he\u2019s like. I have to do this alone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe laid a small hand on his brother\u2019s large arm and answered, \u201cWe\u2019re brothers, Hoss. I want to help.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss paused for a moment in consideration and then slowly nodded his head.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right, but keep close to me. Hopefully, we can be done and back before Pa or Adam wakes up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe grabbed his squirrel rifle and together the two boys crept noiselessly out the front door.<\/p>\n

Inside the barn, the pair worked quickly and quietly to saddle their horses. It was just after midnight and Hoss knew that if they were caught out at this time of night, with rifles no less, that no amount of explaining would keep them out of trouble. The idea of his Pa catching them was almost enough to make him turn back to the house, but this was a matter of personal pride. Just the thought of what had happened the day before was enough to set his blood boiling.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s go,\u201d he told Joe as he mounted and headed for the pond that had been the stage for his public humiliation.<\/p>\n

The previous morning\u2026<\/p>\n

Hoss Cartwright stood in front of the shaving mirror in his older brother\u2019s room. He had to check one last time to make sure his string tie looked just right. He quickly looked over his shoulder to make sure he was still alone and then opened the bottle of cologne Adam was so fond of. He sniffed it appreciatively and had just finished applying a bit when he heard what he knew was his brother clearing his throat behind him.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, hey, Adam,\u201d he said sheepishly. \u201cI was just uh\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUh, huh, sure you were,\u201d Adam answered, crossing the room and taking the bottle from Hoss. \u201cYou know, if you had asked I would have been glad to let you use some.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss looked at the floor downcast and shrugged.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know, Adam, I\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam set the bottle on the dresser then with a grin on his face said, \u201cSo, who\u2019s the girl?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s head snapped up and he stared hard at his brother. This was the first time he had ever had any real feelings for a girl and he didn\u2019t want to be teased.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think you\u2019d know her.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll never know unless you tell me. Come on, Hoss, I\u2019ll keep it a secret if that\u2019s what you want.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEthel Cambridge,\u201d he said softly after a moment.<\/p>\n

Adam gave a low whistle.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe new banker\u2019s daughter?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss sighed. He should have known that Adam would have already heard of the pretty young girl. Hoss had first met her a few weeks ago when he was in town with his father. He had been waiting for him in front of the local hotel when he saw her come out of the bank. The first thing he had noticed was her glorious mane of golden hair that hung freely, cascading down her back All the girls he had ever seen before wore their hair pinned up or in braids. He liked the way it looked loose and soft around her shoulders.<\/p>\n

The second thing he noticed was that he had not been the first fellow to notice her. His whole body tensed as he saw Hugh Stevens approach the girl from behind. Hugh had a reputation when it came to girls and Hoss unconsciously took up the duty of body guard. He watched as Hugh tapped her on the shoulder and she spun around to face him. He couldn\u2019t hear what Hugh was saying but apparently it was something crude as the young girl promptly slapped his face. She was just turning to leave when Hugh reached out and grabbed her arm. Hoss was at her side in a moment and Hugh hit the ground hard after receiving a solid punch. The boy knew better than to tangle with Hoss Cartwright and had wisely stalked off.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow can I ever thank you, sir?\u201d she\u2019d asked, taking his now sore hand and stroking it gently.<\/p>\n

Hoss looked into the most beautiful pair of blue eyes he had ever seen and for once found himself able to speak instead of getting tongue tied.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d be pleasured if you\u2019d just call me Hoss ma\u2019am,\u201d he\u2019d answered.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, Hoss,\u201d she replied sweetly. \u201cThen I insist you call me Ethel.\u201d<\/p>\n

That had been the beginning of a beautiful friendship and over the next couple of weeks Hoss had managed to come up with just about every conceivable excuse possible to go into town.<\/p>\n

Now the day of the church\u2019s annual fund raising picnic had come and his pocket book was weighted down with the full sum of money he had managed to earn over the summer. He was determined to win Ethel\u2019s picnic basket at the auction. That way he would be assured of her company throughout the day.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, you sure know how to pick them,\u201d Adam said bringing Hoss out of his reverie. \u201cI wish you luck, little brother.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam sauntered out of the room with Hoss right on his heels. His Pa and Little Joe were already waiting in the buggy when they got out to the front yard.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s go,\u201d said Ben impatiently. \u201cWe\u2019ve got a picnic to get to.\u201d<\/p>\n

They arrived at the large pond their property line shared with a long time neighbor early, which had been the plan, in order to help set up tables and a small stand where the auction would take place. Hoss had just picked up a rather heavy beam when he heard a sound that caused him to cringe. Spinning around toward the pond he saw the creature that was soon to become his nemesis. An enormous duck had just waddled up onto the shore and it let out an ear piercing shriek that in no way could be compared to a duck\u2019s usual quack. Hoss immediately noticed the bird\u2019s unusual coloring. It was snow white from the top of its head to the bottom of its webbed feet. It\u2019s most eerie feature however were its eyes. They were red and seemed to bore right through his skin as it gazed on him.<\/p>\n

\u201cUgly little thing,\u201d he thought to himself as he turned back to his work.<\/p>\n

Hoss delivered the beam and turned to get another when suddenly he tripped over something, and ended up sprawled on the ground. A flash of white caught his attention, and if he hadn\u2019t known better he would have sworn the animal was cackling as it waddled back toward the pond.<\/p>\n

A little while later he was delivering a bucket of nails when he noticed a small shadow keeping pace with his own. Sure enough the duck was at his side. Hoss eyed it warily and tried to step away but it continued to move along with him.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomethin\u2019 not quite right about that bird,\u201d he said to himself.<\/p>\n

He began darting to and fro and even turned around back the other way, but he couldn\u2019t shake the creature.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss, quit playing around and bring those nails over here,\u201d his older brother called.<\/p>\n

Hoss turned back toward the stand when suddenly, with no provocation, the duck charged him, flapping its wings and shrieking terribly.<\/p>\n

Hoss dropped the nails and ran for the nearest tree. Much to his dismay by the time he peeked around from behind its solid trunk the duck was back in the water and his brother and a couple of other men were having a laugh at his expense.<\/p>\n

\u201cDad-burn it,\u201d he muttered as he stomped back to retrieve the nails.<\/p>\n

He grabbed the bucket and reached for the fallen objects. His back was to the pond which was a mistake he would not soon forget. A second later he let out a tremendous howl, for the bird had come up from behind and latched soundly onto the seat of his pants. Try as he might Hoss couldn\u2019t quite reach the creature and began running in circles trying to shake it off, giving an occasional yelp of pain. The duck persistently held on flapping its wings.<\/p>\n

Most of the men had stopped working to enjoy the scene and were roaring with laughter. Little Joe trying to come to his rescue had grabbed a board and swung wildly at the duck. The duck let loose at just the right moment and when the board made contact it was only to the seat of his brother\u2019s pants. Hoss stood for a moment rubbing his sore behind.<\/p>\n

\u201cGee, Hoss, I\u2019m sorry,\u201d Little Joe giggled.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I\u2019m sure you are,\u201d Hoss answered.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss, are you alright?\u201d his father asked placing his arm around his son\u2019s shoulder and working hard to hold back a smile.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll be just fine, Pa, as soon as I get my gun,\u201d Hoss answered turning menacingly toward the pond.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow hold on there, young man,\u201d Ben answered. \u201cIf you want to go hunting, you\u2019ll wait for a day when there aren\u2019t so many people around.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, Hoss,\u201d Adam said walking up to his red-faced brother, \u201cyou just stay away from the duck and everything should be fine.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I\u2019ll tell you,\u201d Hoss answered, \u201cthat ornery critter better just stay away from me or he\u2019s gonna end up bein\u2019 my breakfast!\u201d<\/p>\n

As they moved off Hoss decided to take his brother\u2019s advice literally and wandered over to where the men were setting up tables for the food that was to come. Every once in a while a man would chuckle as they saw him glance cautiously toward the pond. Each time he looked the duck seemed to be staring straight back at him, sending icy chills up and down his spine.<\/p>\n

Finally, people started to arrive and Hoss forgot all about the menace on the water. The festivities began with the auction and Hoss was pleased that he had brought such a large sum of money, for the beautiful Ethel Cambridge, and her basket, was a much coveted prize. He and Hugh had battled it out until Hugh had run out of money. Hoss paid the auctioneer and was rewarded with a kiss on the cheek from the bearer of the basket.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m so glad you won,\u201d Ethel said giving him a warm smile.<\/p>\n

Hoss spread out the blanket she had brought near the pond, and watched as she unpacked a delicious looking lunch.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis egg salad is a special recipe handed down from my grandmother,\u201d she said handing him a plate of sandwiches.<\/p>\n

Hoss finished the delicate sandwich in two bites and nodded his head in satisfaction. Ethel turned back to the basket as Hoss reached for another sandwich. There was a sudden streak of white as the duck rushed past grabbing the sandwich from his hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou dad-burned ornery critter,\u201d he yelled jumping up.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy Hoss Cartwright,\u201d exclaimed Ethel spinning around to face him, \u201cWhatever is the matter?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh. . .uh. . .nothin\u2019. Just thought I saw somethin\u2019 was all.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss looked around for the duck for a few moments before he finally sat back down. Apparently the duck had been right behind him because when he sat down it was on a nice squishy pile the bird had left for him.<\/p>\n

\u201cDad-blame it,\u201d he said rolling his eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss, if you don\u2019t like the sandwiches just say so. You don\u2019t have to eat them you know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, no, Ethel,\u201d he said quickly, \u201cThem sandwiches are just wonderful. It\u2019s just well. . . um. . .\u2018scuse me for just a moment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss stood up and backed away slowly.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll be back in just a minute,\u201d he said to Ethel who was beginning to look quite irritated.<\/p>\n

Hoss ducked behind a tree and scanned the area for his younger brother. Luckily, he was close by trying to catch a lizard with his friend Mitch.<\/p>\n

\u201cPsst. . .Joe,\u201d Hoss whispered.<\/p>\n

Joe looked around and spotting Hoss trotted over.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhatcha doing behind this tree, Hoss?\u201d Little Joe asked, \u201cAren\u2019t you supposed to be eatin\u2019 lunch with some old girl?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, but I sat in some stuff, Joe. I need you to help me get it off.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss turned around and tried to ignore his younger brother\u2019s giggles. Joe took out his handkerchief and did the best he could in making him presentable.<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks, Joe,\u201d Hoss said when he had finished, \u201cListen, can you and Mitch do me a favor?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLike what?\u201d Joe asked skeptically.<\/p>\n

\u201cI need you two to get that duck that\u2019s been botherin\u2019 me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, Hoss, Mitch and me are in a race to see who can catch the most horny toads.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll pay ya.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow much?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou catch that duck and keep him away from me til after the picnic and I\u2019ll give each of you ten cents.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe thought hard for a moment.<\/p>\n

\u201cMake it ten cents and a new handkerchief, and you\u2019ve got a deal,\u201d Joe said holding up the soiled hankie.<\/p>\n

The two brothers shook hands and Hoss returned to his picnic in much better spirits. The rest of the meal was enjoyed with no further interruptions. Hoss asked Ethel to join him for a walk around the pond and taking his arm she graciously accepted. They had only walked for a few minutes when Hoss noticed some sort of commotion going on over by food tables.<\/p>\n

Many of the ladies from the church had brought an assortment of desserts for people to buy. However, as Hoss observed, it was unlikely that anyone would be buying them now. In the middle of several broken tables and covered in a colorful array of sweet confections, were Little Joe, Mitch, and a large white duck. Hoss cringed as his father grabbed Little Joe\u2019s arm and started to escort him toward their buggy.<\/p>\n

\u201cUh. . .Ethel,\u201d Hoss stammered, \u201cI\u2019ve got to go see to something for just a moment\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss, if I didn\u2019t know any better I\u2019d almost think you don\u2019t want to be with me today. You left me once during lunch and then spent the rest of the time staring out at the pond and now you want to leave again? Well, if you do then don\u2019t bother coming back.\u201d<\/p>\n

She folded her delicate arms and turned her mouth up into a little pout. Hoss thought she looked absolutely adorable. He glanced over in his brother\u2019s direction again and could see him trying in vain to plead his case with his father.<\/p>\n

\u201cDad-burn it, Little Joe,\u201d he thought to himself, \u201cI\u2019m just gonna have to owe you one.\u201d<\/p>\n

Out loud he said, \u201cNow just calm yourself, Miss Ethel, there\u2019s nothing I\u2019d rather do than spend time with you.\u201d<\/p>\n

She gave him a smile that melted his heart and the two continued their walk. Hoss felt more than a little bit guilty over leaving his brother to suffer for what he had started but someday Joe would understand about how it was with girls. At least he hoped he would.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Hoss, look,\u201d exclaimed Ethel pointing toward the water, \u201cdoesn\u2019t that look like fun?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss turned and saw several young couples out on the pond in small rowboats and gulped. He had only been out rowing a few times and he hadn\u2019t had the best experience during any of those times. His size usually ended up working against him and he would end up in the water instead of on top of it. He looked back at Ethel and from the excited sparkle he saw in her eyes he knew that she wouldn\u2019t be taking no for an answer.<\/p>\n

Hoss led Ethel over to the boats and paid for twenty minutes worth of time. He sighed as he tucked away the small amount of money he had left. This day was going to end up emptying his savings.<\/p>\n

He anxiously glanced out at the water and was happy to find no sign of duck. He managed to get himself and Ethel out on the water with almost no difficulty and couldn\u2019t stop a proud grin from spreading across his face. The day was beautiful, with the sun shining brightly, and a cool breeze blowing gently. Hoss watched mesmerized as Ethel\u2019s long golden hair fluttered in the breeze. She was breathtakingly beautiful and he was in his glory.<\/p>\n

\u201cExcuse me,\u201d he said as they passed close by another small boat.<\/p>\n

He did a double take when he saw that the occupant was Adam with the young girl whose picnic basket he had won. His older brother gave him an encouraging wink and Hoss puffed out his chest as he took a few long strokes to pull further out on the pond.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy, Hoss,\u201d Ethel beamed, \u201cYou\u2019re so strong.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, it\u2019s nothin\u2019,\u201d he answered, turning red.<\/p>\n

That was the first and last time that he would feel like a man in the presence of Ethel Cambridge. Moments later Hoss heard a horrifyingly familiar screech. He jerked around looking for the creature he knew belonged to that sound.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot now,\u201d he prayed.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss, what are you doing?\u201d Ethel gasped.<\/p>\n

Hoss turned to answer her and saw the mangy bird swimming dangerously close to the fingers Ethel had trailing in the water.<\/p>\n

\u201cLook out!\u201d he shouted and stood up quickly.<\/p>\n

The boat rocked violently and Ethel screamed as she grabbed onto the sides. Hoss froze and tried to distribute his weight evenly. That\u2019s when he noticed the fiery red eyes of the duck fastened on him.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t you dare,\u201d he said threateningly.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss, what are you talking about?\u201d Ethel asked
\nsounding on the verge of tears.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m talking about that no good. . .flea-bitten. . . worthless\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

As if the bird could understand every word being said it squawked and flapped its wings before finally making a wild flight straight into Hoss\u2019s belly. Hoss made a desperate grab at the animal but as the boat tipped and he hit the water the only thing in his hands were a few white feathers.<\/p>\n

\u201cHelp!\u201d Ethel screamed.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s okay, Ethel, I\u2019ll get you,\u201d Hoss answered swimming toward the flailing young woman.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t you come near me,\u201d she sputtered and continued to scream for help.<\/p>\n

Hoss came up behind her and tried to get hold but she wasn\u2019t having any help from him.<\/p>\n

\u201cI said don\u2019t touch me,\u201d she screamed as she went under once again.<\/p>\n

In the end it was Adam who came to the young girl\u2019s rescue. He lifted her smoothly out of the water into his own boat and rowed her back to shore, leaving Hoss to swim back on his own. Adam had tried his best not to laugh but Hoss could hear him chuckling all the way back to the shore.<\/p>\n

By the time Hoss crawled out of the water he was exhausted and every inch of his body was covered in mud. His father greeted him and offered a hand to help him up. Hoss rubbed the dirt and water from his eyes and looked around. It seemed as if everyone at the picnic was staring straight at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust go to the buggy, son,\u201d Ben said giving him a sympathetic glance.<\/p>\n

Hoss tried to straighten himself up and walk away with his head held high but at just that moment the duck gave a loud shriek from out on the pond and he jumped about three feet. That was all it took for the crowd to explode with laughter.<\/p>\n

\u201cDad-burn it,\u201d he grumbled as he stalked to the wagon with his head hung low.<\/p>\n

He chanced one last longing look in Ethel\u2019s direction and the icy glare she gave him before turning away caused his heart to sink. Her glare was nothing compared to what he received when he got to the buggy however. Little Joe sat with his arms crossed looking miserable and dejected. Suddenly, Hoss wished he had never even heard the word picnic.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, Joe,\u201d he said softly, \u201cI don\u2019t blame you for hatin\u2019 me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe looked slightly surprised by his statement. He stayed quiet for a moment but then sighed and uncrossed his arms.<\/p>\n

\u201cGee, Hoss, I don\u2019t hate you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss gave him a small grin and slid in next to him. He wished Pa would hurry and say his goodbyes so he could get out of his wet clothes.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry you got into trouble,\u201d he told Joe after a moment.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s okay. Anyhow, I got off easy on account of all the people around watching. Pa just said I had to sit in the buggy until it\u2019s time to go.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I\u2019m sorry you had to sit in the buggy instead of playing with Mitch. Hey, where is Mitch anyway?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, well, his Pa didn\u2019t let him off so easy and they left.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss groaned, \u201cGuess I\u2019m gonna owe him too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, you don\u2019t have to worry about me, Hoss,\u201d Joe comforted, \u201cI\u2019ve been sittin\u2019 here licking all the sugar off me from them desserts. I just finished when you fell in the pond . I hope you won\u2019t get mad for me sayin\u2019 so but I\u2019m kind of glad you did fall \u2018cause I wouldn\u2019t have wanted to sit here much longer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben finally made his way back to the buggy and left with his two youngest sons. It was a long ride to the Ponderosa, as they had to listen to him lecture them on proper behavior the entire way home. Adam had opted to hitch a ride home with one of his friends, which the two boys were grateful for, as they were dreading hearing his two cents worth on the day\u2019s festivities.<\/p>\n

Current time\u2026<\/p>\n

Hoss and Joe rode silently through the dark woods until they reached the pond. Hoss was usually a gentle soul but he had convinced himself that the creature he was after was pure evil.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe, you sure you don\u2019t want to change your mind and go back?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sure, Hoss, I wanna get that duck as much as you do.\u201d<\/p>\n

When they were within sight of the pond Hoss stopped his horse and motioned for Joe to dismount.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll tie the horses here,\u201d he whispered, \u201cthen we\u2019ll sneak up on him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe nodded in agreement and a few minutes later the two crept along in the shadows toward the water.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou see him?\u201d Hoss whispered.<\/p>\n

\u201cNope.\u201d<\/p>\n

Just then the full moon came out from behind a cloud and shone down brightly on the water. Almost as if providing a spotlight it shone its beams directly onto the large white duck floating along quietly.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere he is,\u201d Hoss pointed excitedly and taking careful aim with his gun.<\/p>\n

He cocked the rifle and right then the duck lifted its head and turned in his direction. As if to say, \u201cI know you\u2019re there and I know what you\u2019re planning to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss gulped and looked to Joe. Joe swallowed hard and met his gaze.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019d better do it now,\u201d he whispered.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Hoss nodded and before he could change his mind he raised his gun and fired.<\/p>\n

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<\/p>\n

\u201cDuck? For breakfast?\u201d Ben questioned.<\/p>\n

\u201cUh. . . yeah,\u201d Hoss stuttered, glancing angrily at the kitchen.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, that\u2019s a little unusual isn\u2019t it?\u201d Ben continued.<\/p>\n

Ben and his three boys sat around the table and had been slightly surprised to see Hop Sing bring out eggs, coffee, toast, and duck. Hoss had hoped Hop Sing would wait to serve it until supper and looked anxiously over at Joe.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis. . . uh. . . wouldn\u2019t have anything to do with a certain albino duck from the picnic yesterday would it?\u201d Adam questioned, raising an eyebrow.<\/p>\n

\u201cPicnic?\u201d Hoss questioned casually.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, picnic,\u201d Ben repeated, \u201cHoss, where did this bird come from?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss looked desperately at Joe who gave him a helpless shrug.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph, what do you know about this?\u201d Ben asked his youngest.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know much, Pa,\u201d Joe answered, giving his Pa a charming smile.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy don\u2019t you just tell me how much you do know,\u201d Ben added looking back and forth between Little Joe and Hoss.<\/p>\n

Inch by inch and word by word he eventually managed to find out that the two boys had snuck out of the house at midnight, with their rifles, with plans to seek revenge on the white-winged menace.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow let me see if I have this straight,\u201d Ben said folding his arms and leveling his gaze at Hoss, \u201cYou\u2019re telling me you fired at the duck, missed and hit a steer?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right, Pa,\u201d Hoss answered miserably, looking over at Little Joe.<\/p>\n

While it was true that Hoss\u2019s shot had gone wide. It was actually Little Joe\u2019s shot that followed soon after that had killed the steer. Neither of them had seen it grazing behind a large bush. Hoss figured he owed his younger brother for getting him in trouble yesterday, and had agreed to take the blame.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd this steer you accidently shot just happened to belong to Mr. Gregor,\u201d Ben continued relentlessly.<\/p>\n

Hoss nodded and stared hard at the food on his plate.<\/p>\n

\u201cLook at me when I talk to you,\u201d Ben snapped.<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s head shot up and he worked hard to keep his eyes focused on his father\u2019s angry face. Little Joe had gone uncharacteristically quiet.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow,\u201d Ben continued, \u201cYou said that you went over and talked to Mr. Gregor. How much is he going to want for that steer?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss couldn\u2019t seem to swallow the lump in his throat so Ben turned menacingly toward Little Joe.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell?\u201d he demanded.<\/p>\n

\u201cUm. . . well. . .Mr. Gregor said it weren\u2019t no ordinary steer, Pa,\u201d Joe stammered.<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course not,\u201d Ben responded, \u201cIt would be too much to hope that my sons would shoot one of our neighbor\u2019s ordinary steers.\u201d<\/p>\n

From across the table, Adam made a choking noise that sounded suspiciously like a laugh.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt came all the way from some city called Wisconsin,\u201d Joe continued.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat would be a state, Joe,\u201d Adam added helpfully.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph, how much?\u201d Ben asked again, sending Adam a wilting glare.<\/p>\n

\u201cFive hundred dollars,\u201d Joe mumbled.<\/p>\n

\u201cFive hundred dollars!\u201d Ben roared.<\/p>\n

Hoss never did manage to find his tongue before Ben
\nordered him and Little Joe to their rooms to await sentencing. Getting up from the table, Hoss glared angrily at the plate of meat and suddenly wished he could eat every bit of it right then and there. That duck had cost him his money, his pride, and now probably his freedom as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cWait a minute,\u201d Adam said as his brother\u2019s started to pass, \u201cIf you missed, how did the duck die?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh. . . well, uh. . . when the shot went off it sort of got scared and made a beeline for the shore. I guess it must have been kind of old or something \u2018cause he waddled around in circles for a minute and then just sort of fell over.\u201d Hoss answered<\/p>\n

\u201cIt had heart attack?\u201d Adam asked, trying to stifle his laughter.<\/p>\n

Hoss gave Adam a look that said he had better not say another word and then, he and Joe made their way slowly up the stairs.<\/p>\n

Ben sat at one end of the table in a huff, throwing out the occasional threat of some terrible punishment he planned to use on his two boys. Finally, he calmed down some and marched resolutely toward the stairs.<\/p>\n

Adam watched as his father made his way up to his unfortunate brothers, then turned and pulled the plate of duck toward him.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom hell\u2019s heart I stab at thee; for hate\u2019s sake I spit my last breath at thee,\u201d Adam recited as he harpooned the breast with his fork. He savored the succulent meat as he murmured a eulogy for the dead duck.<\/p>\n

\u201cDelicious.\u201d<\/p>\n

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<\/p>\n

Over at the pond a small brown and white speckled duck sat forlornly on her nest. Her mate would never return. Underneath the warmth of her body were four eggs and she jumped suddenly at the movement beneath her. She stood to the side and watched as her offspring struggled to emerge from their shells. Unlike their mother all four chicks were a blinding white, except for their eyes, which were an eerie red. She waited anxiously to hear the first small peeps from her new babies. She didn\u2019t have to wait long.<\/p>\n

\u201cScreech!\u201d<\/p>\n

The End<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Summary: Hoss’s plans end up backfiring when he plots revenge against a “foul” adversary<\/p>\n

Rated: Family Friendly \/ Word count:\u00a04900<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":5850,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"template-full-width-post.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"categories":[1008,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10364","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-family","category-humor","wpcat-1008-id","wpcat-4-id"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/LastHunt65.jpg?fit=583%2C480&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10364","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=10364"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10364\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/5850"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10364"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=10364"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=10364"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}