{"id":10422,"date":"2014-01-13T17:55:39","date_gmt":"2014-01-13T22:55:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=10422"},"modified":"2025-02-18T19:13:35","modified_gmt":"2025-02-19T00:13:35","slug":"toby","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=10422","title":{"rendered":"Toby (by bahj)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary<\/strong>: Adam recalls his first meeting with an old friend. A WHB for “The Ride”<\/p>\n

Rating K+ \/ Word count: 1340<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Toby<\/strong><\/p>\n

To most people he wasn\u2019t anything special, but to me\u2014all those year ago, he was everything . . .<\/p>\n

Six-year-old Adam Cartwright slowly stirred from his slumber when his baby brother\u2019s cries began to fill the wagon. Adam pulled the blanket over his head in an attempt to ignore the loud wailing, but that only worked for a few minutes before a more irritating problem presented itself.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss, did you do it again?\u201d he moaned.<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s answer was a high pitched scream as he flailed his angry fists. Adam threw his blanket aside, and maneuvering his way through the crowded wagon, slipped past the smelly infant and outside. He stood shivering for a moment then crossed quickly toward the dying embers of last night\u2019s fire. There was still some warmth coming from inside the circle of stones and he stood close, hopping from one foot to the other.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa?\u201d he shouted into the crisp morning air, but the only answer was the drop of a dead branch some distance away.<\/p>\n

He called one more time, and when he was sure his pa was nowhere near, he picked up a large stick and began to stir the fire. Very carefully, just the way he\u2019d seen his pa do so many times; he added wood until the fire was blazing once again. There was no time to admire his efforts though, as his neglected baby brother was nearing hysterics.<\/p>\n

Adam ran back to the wagon and climbed inside. He quickly pulled on his boots and a sweater and then grabbed one of Hoss\u2019s shawls. The baby\u2019s screams were near deafening, but he ignored them as he jumped down once again. Running to the fire, he placed the shawl on the ground and then ran back for Hoss. It took a few minutes of struggling to get the chunky baby out, and despite Adam\u2019s best efforts, Hoss ended up with a long scrape across his forehead.<\/p>\n

Adam had thought the baby was yelling before, but now the scratch combined with the cool outdoor temperatures, had risen his screeching to new heights. Adam laid Hoss on the shawl and tried to decide what he should do first. Hoss was nowhere near walking yet, but he was very adept at rolling over\u2014usually straight into trouble, and it took all of Adam\u2019s efforts to get the unhappy baby to be still. Finally, Hoss stopped struggling and Adam set himself to the unpleasant task of removing the soiled diaper. With a sigh of determination and a wrinkled nose the young boy reached for the first diaper pin, but was nearly startled out of his wits when someone spoke from behind him.<\/p>\n

\u201cLooks like you could use some help, young fella.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam whirled around to face the stranger. The man wasn\u2019t as tall as his pa, and much more stout. Adam studied him for a moment before coming to the conclusion that this man with his scruffy beard and a twinkle in his eyes was not an enemy.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know anything about babies?\u201d The boy asked.<\/p>\n

The man looked startled for a moment, but then chuckled. \u201cEnough to get by I suppose. Why don\u2019t you let me take a look?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam gladly stepped aside and let the older man take over. Adam figured Hoss must have been as surprised to see the man as he\u2019d been because the baby\u2019s eyes got real big and he quit his hollering. In no time at all the man had Hoss clean as a whistle, and he grunted as he lifted the chubby baby. A moment later, the mountainside was filled with the sound of baby laughter as the man tickled Hoss\u2019s tummy with his beard. Adam smiled as his brother giggled, but kindly suggested that they get Hoss something to eat before he got grumpy again.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll see to that,\u201d the man said and then handed the baby to Adam.<\/p>\n

Hoss was still giggling as Adam sat down near the fire. \u201cYou like that prickle, don\u2019t you?\u201d Adam cooed.<\/p>\n

Hoss gurgled and bubbled in response, and this time Adam laughed. The man returned quickly with some crackers which, even with only a few teeth, the baby made short work of.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell tarnation, I never did see a little fellow eat so fast. No wonder he\u2019s done bloat up so much.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam was quick to come to his brother\u2019s defense. \u201cHe\u2019s just a strong healthy boy. That\u2019s what pa says.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss agreed with a smack of his lips and then reached out for more. The man shook his head in disbelief, but he kept on delivering the crackers until Hoss was satisfied.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, boy,\u201d the man said when Hoss\u2019s eyelids began to droop, \u201cWhere\u2019s your pa gone and got to?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam shrugged and pulled his brother a little closer. \u201cHe\u2019s probably just huntin\u2019 or . . . somethin\u2019.\u201d Adam grew quiet as his thoughts turned to his pa. Everything had been going so good. For a little while, he\u2019d had a family\u2014one with a ma, a pa, and a baby brother, but in one short afternoon all of that had changed. Now, most of the time he and his little brother were alone. His pa was constantly in search of water, or food, or shelter, and even when he was there things weren\u2019t the same. Adam didn\u2019t know how much longer he could take seeing his father\u2019s drawn face and sad eyes.<\/p>\n

The man pulled Adam out of his dark thoughts a moment later, when he sat beside him and put an arm across his slight shoulders. \u201cThere now,\u201d he said. \u201cIt don\u2019t take a sleuth to figure out somethin\u2019s botherin\u2019 ya. Why don\u2019t you tell old Toby about your troubles?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam looked up at the man. His eyes were kind, his tone was sincere, and his grip was strong when a few moments later, the young boy crumpled into his arms. Adam wasn\u2019t used to talking to anyone other than his pa, but that day, he poured out his heart to Toby. The man listened without interrupting, and when Adam was once again calm, he offered him a large checkered handkerchief. Adam blew his nose loudly which for some reason delighted his baby brother. Hoss\u2019s giggles started Adam laughing and soon Toby joined in.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right,\u201d Toby said after he\u2019d caught his breath. \u201cWhat we need is some real food. Tell you what. I\u2019ve got some beans and cornbread on my dray back over yonder. Got an ornery old mule watchin\u2019 over it. I\u2019ll be back in a jiffy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam watched the man walk off, and then kept Hoss amused with the handkerchief while they waited. After what seemed a long time, Adam heard a couple of shots. He stood up quickly, nearly causing Hoss to topple over. He was debating whether or not to follow the sound of the shots when he heard the bray of a mule, followed a moment later by Toby. The man was leading his rickety ensemble into the camp site. In his left hand he carried a rusty rifle and in the other, two large black birds.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re gonna have a regular feast boy,\u201d he said, waving the birds in the air. \u201cCame upon a whole murder of crows on the way over, and I got two for the price of one bullet.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam danced around the fire in celebration and then helped to pluck and clean the birds.<\/p>\n

Adam figured it was the smell of the food that brought his father back a short time later. Ben had been taken aback at first when he\u2019d seen the stranger in their camp, but Toby was as quick to make friends with men as he was with boys, and later that night, the man took all of Adam\u2019s earlier sorrows, fears, and grief, and turned them into hope when, for the first time in months, Adam heard his father laugh.<\/p>\n

. . . Most people wouldn\u2019t understand why it was so important for me to bring Toby\u2019s killers to justice. He was just one little old man, but to me, he was worth risking everything.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

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<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Summary: Adam recalls his first meeting with an old friend. A WHB for “The Ride”<\/p>\n

Rating K+ \/ Word count: 1340<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":6685,"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_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[23,30,616],"tags":[14],"class_list":["post-10422","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drama","category-prequels","category-whb","tag-adam-cartwright","wpcat-23-id","wpcat-30-id","wpcat-616-id"],"a3_pvc":{"activated":true,"total_views":1069,"today_views":1},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Screen-Shot-2014-05-04-at-4.30.52-PM.png?fit=464%2C289&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":12083,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=12083","url_meta":{"origin":10422,"position":0},"title":"Love At Its Best (by DebbieB)","author":"DebbieB","date":"September 1, 2003","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0 Adam and Joe thought their woman problems were over when Adam told his fianc\u00e9e, Rachel Stanrick, to get out.\u00a0 Who would have thought she'd have the audacity to return three years later and insist that Adam marry her? What could she possibly do that would make Adam change his\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Drama"","block_context":{"text":"Drama","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=23"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/feature-4.jpg?fit=387%2C387&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":12094,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=12094","url_meta":{"origin":10422,"position":1},"title":"A Pa for Toby (by DebbieB)","author":"DebbieB","date":"September 1, 2004","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: Young Toby's parents have been killed in an accident, and Ben takes the boy under his wing. But Toby wants something that Joe has, and he sets out to take it away from the youngest Cartwright. Someone has been silently observing the goings on, does that person save for\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Drama"","block_context":{"text":"Drama","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=23"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/feature-2.jpg?fit=338%2C338&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":36426,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=36426","url_meta":{"origin":10422,"position":2},"title":"The Hayloft (by BettyHT)","author":"BettyHT","date":"February 16, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0 In this prequel, Ben tries for a romantic interlude, but the weather and hay fever conspire against him. Rating: PG\u00a0 Word Count: 1,619","rel":"","context":"In "Ben Cartwright"","block_context":{"text":"Ben Cartwright","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=1004"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/TheHayloft.png?fit=380%2C374&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":13839,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=13839","url_meta":{"origin":10422,"position":3},"title":"Toby (by HelenB)","author":"HelenB","date":"January 27, 2004","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0 Adam allows five year old Joe to bring home a stray dog, not knowing the heartache that will follow. Rating:\u00a0 T\u00a0\u00a0 (5,260 words)","rel":"","context":"In "Drama"","block_context":{"text":"Drama","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=23"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/storm.jpg?fit=615%2C407&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/storm.jpg?fit=615%2C407&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/storm.jpg?fit=615%2C407&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":12737,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=12737","url_meta":{"origin":10422,"position":4},"title":"Ghost Wagons (by GinnyF)","author":"Ginny F","date":"October 23, 2003","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0 Tall tales?\u00a0Ghost Stories?\u00a0 Or did it really happen? Rating:\u00a0 K+\u00a0 (850 words)","rel":"","context":"In "Brothers"","block_context":{"text":"Brothers","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=1009"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":7440,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=7440","url_meta":{"origin":10422,"position":5},"title":"The Interview (by slaine89)","author":"slaine89","date":"October 10, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: \u00a0On the way to their new home, six-year-old Adam asks his Pa some questions. 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