{"id":11943,"date":"2015-10-29T14:16:11","date_gmt":"2015-10-29T18:16:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=11943"},"modified":"2025-02-18T19:10:43","modified_gmt":"2025-02-19T00:10:43","slug":"in-for-a-penny-in-for-a-pound","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=11943","title":{"rendered":"In for a Penny, In for a Pound (by Pulitzer2016)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary<\/strong>: Fourteen-year-old Adam and his best friend Ross find a bottle of whiskey in the Marquettes’ hayloft and decide to recreate Leonardo da Vinci’s flying machine.\u00a0 What could possibly go wrong?<\/p>\n

Rating: T\u00a0 Word Count: 10,554<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In for a Penny, In for a Pound<\/strong><\/p>\n

By Sarah Hendess<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI told you we wouldn\u2019t catch no fish out here, Adam. Come on, let\u2019s go down to Tahoe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam Cartwright raised his head and looked over at his friend.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo way,\u201d he said. \u201cMy father catches us on Ponderosa land, he\u2019ll have us rounding up cattle before we even know what hit us. Or worse, minding Little Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s two-year-old brother was a handful on his best days, and judging by the tantrum he\u2019d thrown at breakfast that morning, Joe was not having one of his best days. Adam wasn\u2019t about to spoil a rare day off from his ranch chores by getting roped into babysitting.<\/p>\n

\u201cLeast Joe\u2019s almost toilet-trained,\u201d Ross said, tossing his fishing pole aside and stretching out in the grass. \u201cI got at least another year of helpin\u2019 my ma change Matthew\u2019s diapers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam chuckled as he dandled his bare toes in the duck pond. \u201cIf you can call it \u2018trained.\u2019 He\u2019s too small to go in the privy by himself, and his aim is terrible. I\u2019m getting pretty sick of him pissing all over my boots.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ross laughed and offered Adam a swig from his canteen. The late July sun beat down, and even in the shade of the large oak tree, the two fourteen-year-olds were sweating. Their boots, socks, hats, and shirts lay scattered about like fallen soldiers on a battlefield, and Adam was contemplating shucking his trousers and undershorts, too, and jumping into the pond.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome on,\u201d Ross said, sitting up and pulling his socks and boots back on. \u201cLet\u2019s go back to the house and see if Ma\u2019s got any lemonade.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam grinned and stuffed his feet back into his socks and boots. Mrs. Marquette made the best lemonade in the territory, and she almost always had some stirred up when Adam came to visit. The boys grabbed their hats, shirts, and fishing gear and scampered toward the house.<\/p>\n

It was only a quarter mile from the duck pond to the Marquettes\u2019 house, and despite the heat of the afternoon, the eager teenagers covered the distance in just a couple minutes. As they laughed their way into the front yard, an unholy screech emanating from the house stopped them dead in their tracks. Adam let out a low whistle.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoly smokes,\u201d he said. \u201cSounds like Matthew\u2019s having a worse day than Little Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Ross agreed. \u201cYou know, on second thought, let\u2019s not bother Ma. Sounds like she\u2019s got her hands full as it is.\u201d<\/p>\n

As the screaming inside the house reached a fevered pitch, the boys dithered in the yard, trying to decide on their next move. The fish weren\u2019t biting, they weren\u2019t allowed to ride into Carson City by themselves, and the house was a warzone. They stared at each other glumly as they realized they were facing a long, hot afternoon with nothing to do.<\/p>\n

Adam would later reflect on how approaching danger can quickly turn a difficult decision into an easy one.<\/p>\n

In between Matthew\u2019s squalls, Adam and Ross heard hoof beats coming their direction.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s Pa!\u201d Ross cried. \u201cWe gotta get outta here, Adam! He sees us lookin\u2019 bored, he\u2019ll put us to work before you can say Jack Robinson!\u201d<\/p>\n

The boys tore off toward the barn, slipping inside just as Mr. Marquette rode into the front yard. Adam and Ross jockeyed for position as they tried to peer through the crack between the barn\u2019s double doors to see which way Ross\u2019s father would go. They were about the same height, but Adam was broader than his skinny friend and shouldered him aside. Ross dropped to all fours and peeked out around Adam\u2019s knees.<\/p>\n

\u201cGo in the house,\u201d Ross whispered. \u201cPlease, please go in the house.\u201d He let out a soft moan of despair as Mr. Marquette led his horse toward the barn.<\/p>\n

Adam and Ross snatched up their fishing poles and darted for the hayloft ladder. Ross scurried up first and leaned over to grab the fishing poles from Adam \u2013 they didn\u2019t want to leave evidence of their presence. Then Adam zipped up the ladder, rolling out of sight just as Mr. Marquette led his horse into the barn.<\/p>\n

The boys hardly breathed as Mr. Marquette untacked his mare. Adam had never seen someone unsaddle a horse so slowly, and he wished he had put his shirt back on. The hay he and Ross were lying on tickled his bare chest, but he didn\u2019t dare scratch or shift around. In their haste to take cover in the loft, they\u2019d stirred up puffs of dust, and Adam\u2019s eyes widened in horror as he realized that Ross was about to sneeze. His friend\u2019s face was scrunched up like he\u2019d just tasted something sour, and his nose was twitching like a rabbit\u2019s. Thinking fast, Adam grabbed Ross\u2019s shirt and pounced on his friend as lightly as he could, pressing Ross\u2019s shirt over his face to muffle his sneeze. They froze, straining their ears for any indication that they\u2019d blown their cover. Adam inched his way to the edge of the loft and peered over, hoping against hope that Mr. Marquette was not looking up.<\/p>\n

He wasn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

Adam breathed a sigh of relief as the man hung up his horse\u2019s bridle and left the barn.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we\u2019re safe, Ross.\u201d His friend didn\u2019t respond. \u201cRoss?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think you broke my back,\u201d Ross moaned, rolling over onto his side.<\/p>\n

Adam looked at him skeptically. \u201cQuit playing, you fool. I didn\u2019t do any such thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ross sat up and massaged the middle of his back. \u201cWell, something did. What in the world did I land on?\u201d He plunged his hands into the hay and sifted about. His eyes lit up, and he extracted a tall, thin bottle filled with amber liquid. Adam\u2019s eyes widened as Ross read the label. \u201c\u2018Old Jake Beam, 1835.\u2019 This is whiskey, Adam!\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam snatched the bottle from Ross and examined the label. \u201cIt sure is,\u201d he said as he fished an itchy bit of hay out of his dark hair. \u201cAnd 1835. I wonder how long this bottle\u2019s been up here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d Ross said. \u201cPa doesn\u2019t drink much. I\u2019m surprised he even has this. He must have forgotten about it.\u201d Before Adam could stop him, Ross had broken the wax seal and pulled out the cork. He inhaled deeply. \u201cWhew! Get a whiff of this!\u201d<\/p>\n

He passed the bottle to Adam, whose eyes watered at the first sniff. He handed the bottle back. \u201cPut it back, Ross, and let\u2019s go find something to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ross stared at Adam like he\u2019d lost his mind. He waved the bottle in Adam\u2019s face. \u201cWe just found<\/em> something to do! Bet I can drink more than you can.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not drinking that. It smells like turpentine.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhatsa matter, Adam? Not turnin\u2019 into a yellow belly, are you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI ain\u2019t yellow! I just don\u2019t want to drink it is all. It\u2019s not even ours.\u201d Adam\u2019s father enjoyed a small nightcap most evenings, and he and Adam\u2019s stepmother, Marie, sometimes shared a bottle of wine on special occasions, but other than that there was little alcohol at home on the Ponderosa. Ben Cartwright said it made fools out of wise men, and one look at the men stumbling out of the saloons in Carson City had been all the proof Adam needed.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right, Angel May,\u201d Ross said sweetly. \u201cYou don\u2019t have to drink it. You just run along home and get your boots pissed on.\u201d<\/p>\n

His masculinity at stake, Adam ripped the bottle from Ross\u2019s grasp and took a deep swig. He screwed up his face as the liquid shot a hot trail down his throat and set fire to his belly. His stomach churned, and Adam thought he was going to lose it. He took several slow, steadying breaths, and handed the bottle back to Ross with a smirk.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour turn, Betty Lou.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ross grinned and tipped the bottle back a little too enthusiastically. He came up sputtering, his face red.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou gotta do that one again,\u201d Adam said, wiping whiskey off his face with Ross\u2019s shirt. \u201cYou spit most of it out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ross glared at Adam but took another, much smaller, gulp. This time he kept it in. \u201cHa!\u201d he said, slapping his chest. \u201cThat\u2019s you showed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam grinned and took the bottle again. This time, he was ready for it. The sharp, bitter flavor made him cringe again, but his stomach didn\u2019t rebel.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s the spirit, Cartwright!\u201d Ross cheered. The lanky boy took another shot, wiped his mouth on his forearm, and handed the bottle back to Adam. \u201cStay here. I\u2019ll be right back.\u201d He crawled to the edge of the loft and swung a foot down onto the top rung of the ladder.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere you goin\u2019?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n

Ross was already halfway down the ladder. \u201cGettin\u2019 some cards. Figure as long as we\u2019re drinkin\u2019, we may as well be playin\u2019 poker.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam snorted and broke into giggles as Ross swayed a bit as he scampered from the barn. He returned only minutes later, holding a deck of cards triumphantly aloft. He crammed the cards into his back pocket and climbed back up into the loft. He lost his balance near the top and nearly fell backward twenty feet to the barn floor. Adam swung out a clumsy hand and grabbed Ross\u2019s arm just in time. He hauled his friend into the loft, where Ross lay in the hay and panted. Adam waved the whiskey bottle over his face.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t worry, I saved you some,\u201d he said and dissolved into giggles again. He gathered himself just enough to take another quaff before passing the bottle to Ross.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right,\u201d Ross said after drinking again and tugging the cards out of his back pocket. \u201cLet\u2019s play poker!\u201d He let Adam cut the cards and then picked them up to shuffle them. He did all right riffling the two halves of the deck, but when he attempted to cascade, the cards flew out of his hands in fifty-two different directions. He and Adam stared at each wide-eyed for a few seconds before falling backward into the hay in hysterical laughter. It took them five minutes to collect themselves and another ten minutes to find all of the playing cards. Adam shuffled this time and dealt five cards each to himself and Ross. The boys scrutinized their hands, occasionally casting suspicious glances at each other over the tops of their cards.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou go first,\u201d Adam said.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI dealt. You have to go first.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ross sighed and took another sip of whiskey as he stared at his cards again. \u201cHey, uh, Adam?\u201d he said at last. \u201cWhat am I s\u2019posed to do?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam choked on the whiskey he was swallowing.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t know how to play?!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ross shifted uncomfortably. \u201cWell, no. I kinda thought maybe you did.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere would I learn to play poker? My father doesn\u2019t let me in saloons!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou think mine does?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNaw, I guess not,\u201d Adam said. He reached under his rear end and patted down some hay that had been poking him through his britches. He grabbed the bottle and took another sip. \u201cTell you what, though,\u201d he said conspiratorially. He and Ross both leaned forward so they were only inches apart, and Adam lowered his voice. \u201cLast time we were in town, one of those saloon girls whistled at me as I walked by.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cReally?!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, yeah!\u201d Adam said, his eyes wide. \u201cManaged to slip away from Ma and Pa that afternoon, too, and paid her a little visit, if you know what I mean.\u201d He winked at Ross.<\/p>\n

Dulled by the whiskey, Ross stared at Adam in frank admiration for several seconds before his face crumpled into skepticism. \u201cYou did not!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDid so! Her name was Sue Ellen, and she cost me five dollars!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, Adam. You just keep spinnin\u2019 \u2018em, son.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou callin\u2019 me a liar?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure am.\u201d<\/p>\n

His face burning, Adam threw down his cards and launched himself at Ross. He knocked the slimmer boy onto his back and knelt on his chest while he drew back a fist.<\/p>\n

\u201cTake it back!\u201d he ordered.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot on your life!\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam swung his fist forward, but Ross\u2019s squirming threw him off balance, and he fell sideways. Ross pounced on him, and Adam tried to land a punch, but his vision had gone blurry, and he couldn\u2019t aim. Ross, apparently, was having the same problem, because he couldn\u2019t land a blow, either. His head swimming, Adam tried to regain the upper hand by catching Ross up in a headlock, but one of Ross\u2019s long legs kicked out, and they heard the \u201cCLINK!\u201d of glass hitting a wooden floor. They froze, Adam\u2019s arm around Ross\u2019s neck, and Ross reaching behind him and yanking Adam\u2019s hair.<\/p>\n

\u201cNoooo!\u201d they cried in unison.<\/p>\n

Adam released Ross, and they both dived for the whiskey bottle. Ross snatched it up and held it up for inspection. He breathed a sigh of relief.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe didn\u2019t lose much,\u201d he said. \u201cNot even a full inch.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s never fight again,\u201d Adam said.<\/p>\n

Ross nodded, and they sealed their pact with shots of whiskey.<\/p>\n

Dizzy, Adam flopped onto his back and stared up at the rafters. He could have sworn they were dancing. \u201cHow d\u2019ya now was flibbin?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry,\u201d Adam slurred. He scrunched his eyes shut and focused on articulating each word. \u201cHow. Did. You. Know. I was. Fib-bing? Think I ain\u2019t brave \u2018nough to visit a sportin\u2019 woman?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAin\u2019t that,\u201d Ross answered. His voice moved like cold molasses. \u201cJust don\u2019t think you\u2019ve ever had five bucks.\u201d<\/p>\n

The boys burst out laughing, but Adam cut off as the pressure from his bladder told him that laughing was not in his best interests. After another swig from the bottle, he staggered across the hayloft and opened the door to the outside. He stood at the edge and unbuttoned his trousers. His shoulders sagged in relief as the stream arced to the ground twenty feet below.<\/p>\n

\u201cCartwright, you fall to your death, I\u2019m pretendin\u2019 I don\u2019t know a thing about it,\u201d Ross drawled.<\/p>\n

Adam grew thoughtful as a crow glided past. \u201cHey, Ross?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHey what?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou ever wish you could fly?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ross raised his head. It swayed as he spoke. \u201cCan\u2019t say I have. Why?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLeonardo da Vinci thought human flight was possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ross dropped his head back into the hay. \u201cAdam, I\u2019m sure I don\u2019t know what you\u2019re talkin\u2019 about half the time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam buttoned his trousers and tried to walk back to Ross, but the floor shifted under him, and he dropped to all fours and crawled instead. \u201cDa Vinci, Ross! He was a genius. He invented the orthodonter! No, orpicopter! No, the- the, flyin\u2019 machine!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ross held the whiskey bottle to Adam\u2019s lips and gave him another drink. \u201cIf he invented a flyin\u2019 machine, how\u2019s come you rode your horse over here this mornin\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam swallowed the liquor and collapsed next to Ross once more. \u201c\u2018Cause he couldn\u2019t get it to work, stupid. But he was close, Ross! He was real close! All that needs to happen is for someone to take the next step.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ross\u2019s eyebrows shot up and he looked over at Adam. \u201cSomeone like us!\u201d he cheered.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I didn\u2019t mean us<\/em>,\u201d Adam said, accepting the bottle again.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy not? Everyone\u2019s always sayin\u2019 how smart you are. Gonna be the first Cartwright to go to college, ain\u2019t ya?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam nodded. Ross could make a lot of sense when he wanted to.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo what do we need to do?\u201d Ross asked.<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s eyes gleamed with delight.<\/p>\n

******<\/p>\n

Twenty minutes later, the boys reconvened in the loft. They\u2019d had a hard time getting down the ladder safely and digging around in the barn for some scrap lumber, twine, and a big piece of canvas \u2013 their arms and legs weren\u2019t responding properly, and they both had to stop twice to pee.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, I think da Vinci\u2019s problem was he made it too comp\u2019cated,\u201d Adam said. Dust tickled the back of his throat, and he coughed. \u201cThanks,\u201d he said as Ross handed him the whiskey bottle. Adam frowned to see that it was two-thirds empty. He couldn\u2019t figure out what his father\u2019s problem was with alcohol; he\u2019d never felt better in his life. \u201cI think all we really need\u2019s a pair o\u2019 wings.\u201d<\/p>\n

For the first time in his life, Adam constructed something slapdash. Rather than measuring, sawing, and nailing, he and Ross pieced together a rudimentary framework by approximating and lashing pieces together with the twine. Adam used his pocketknife to poke holes in the canvas so they could tie it to the frame, and he prided himself on stabbing himself only twice in the process. He gave himself a pretty good gash across his left palm the second time, but he tied his bandana around it, took another swig of whiskey to dull the pain, and kept working.<\/p>\n

The boys were so caught up in their project that they didn\u2019t hear the barn door creak open.<\/p>\n

\u201cRoss? Adam? You boys in here?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam and Ross froze and stared at each, mouths agape. Mr. Marquette would tan them both if he discovered they\u2019d been drinking. Adam\u2019s stomach lurched.<\/p>\n

\u201cUh, no!\u201d he called back. \u201cNobody here but us cows! Mooooo!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ross slapped him upside the back of the head.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou idiot!\u201d he stage-whispered. \u201cThis is a horse barn!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI mean horses!\u201d Adam hollered. \u201cNeeeeiiiighhh!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ross buried his face in his hands.<\/p>\n

Mr. Marquette chuckled; he clearly thought the boys were just being silly. Adam\u2019s scalp jumped as they heard him approach the ladder to the hayloft. Ross stuffed the cork in the whiskey bottle and buried it under the hay, and Adam took a little comfort in knowing that at least he was going to die alongside his best friend.<\/p>\n

Mr. Marquette\u2019s smiling face popped up over the edge of the hayloft.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere you are!\u201d he said. \u201cBeen lookin\u2019 all over for you two. Adam, Mrs. Marquette wants to know if you\u2019re stayin\u2019 for supper or if your pa\u2019s expecting you home.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, uh, I \u2018spect I better get on home,\u201d Adam muttered, not meeting Mr. Marquette\u2019s gaze. \u201cThey prob\u2019ly need help wi\u2019 Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam realized too late that he should have covered his mouth when he spoke. Mr. Marquette\u2019s nose wrinkled as Adam\u2019s breath drifted toward him. The man\u2019s face hardened.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam, why do you smell like liquor?\u201d he demanded.<\/p>\n

\u201cLiquor, sir?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, son, liquor.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Adam sputtered nonsensically, Mr. Marquette pulled himself up into the hayloft. As he closed in on Adam, his foot knocked against the whiskey bottle, and he dropped to his knees and fished around under the hay until he found it. His eyes went as wide as wagon wheels as he studied the two inches of amber liquid sloshing about in the bottom of the otherwise empty bottle. He turned his gaze toward Ross so slowly that at first Adam wasn\u2019t sure his head was even moving.<\/p>\n

\u201cRoss. Peterson. Marquette.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ross scuttled backward like a crab until he reached the gaping loft door. Sweat pouring down his face, he peered over his shoulder at the sharp drop-off.<\/p>\n

\u201cRoss, come here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fear and something that Adam could describe only as insanity flashed in Ross\u2019s eyes as the friends\u2019 gazes met. With more dexterity than he should have had given the quantity of whiskey he\u2019d consumed over the past hour and a half, Ross sprang to his feet and grabbed the contraption he and Adam had been building. He flung the crude wings across his shoulders, shouted \u201cYou\u2019ll never take me alive!\u201d and leapt out of the loft door.<\/p>\n

Mr. Marquette shouted as his son hurled himself into thin air, and he darted to the loft door. Adam tried to follow him, but the world swam before his eyes when he stood up, and he had to crawl to the gaping door. He was afraid to look down, certain he would see his best friend broken and bloodied in the dirt below.<\/p>\n

Adam peeped over the edge of the loft. Ross lay sprawled on his back, the wings in splinters all around him. His left leg was bent at the knee, the ankle and foot underneath his rear end. There was no doubt he was dead. Tears spilled from Adam\u2019s eyes as he and Mr. Marquette stared down at Ross\u2019s limp form.<\/p>\n

But then Ross began to laugh.<\/p>\n

It started as a wheeze and grew into a deafening guffaw as Ross rolled over to one side and tried to push himself up. He got all the way up to his knees before he pitched sideways and landed in the rubble, laughing like a hyena.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, Adam!\u201d he called up between peals of hysterics. \u201cI don\u2019t think this was that next step you had in mind!\u201d He snorted and rolled over onto his back, waving his arms and legs in the air as he continued to giggle.<\/p>\n

Mr. Marquette grabbed Adam by his upper arm and dragged him across the loft to the ladder. He jabbed a finger toward the barn floor.<\/p>\n

\u201cDown. Now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam swallowed hard and belly-crawled to the edge of the loft. He swung one foot over the edge and waved it around, searching for the top rung. Mr. Marquette sighed.<\/p>\n

\u201cLooks like I better go first.\u201d Tucking the whiskey bottle under one arm, he nudged Adam out of the way and began his descent. Halfway down, he called for Adam to follow him.<\/p>\n

As Adam made his clumsy, unsteady way down the ladder, he imagined he now knew what it was like to climb the rigging of ship in the middle of a hurricane. The ladder that had been so solid earlier that afternoon now waved around like a kite, and Adam had to cling tightly to each rung to avoid being thrown off, his injured hand screeching with pain.<\/p>\n

When Adam\u2019s feet hit the floor, Mr. Marquette grabbed his left ear in a vice-like grip and dragged him from the barn. Even drunk as he was, Adam knew better than to protest, and he stumbled along behind Mr. Marquette as he tore around the barn to Ross.<\/p>\n

Ross was on all fours when they reached him, and his back looked like a porcupine. Sharp splinters of wood stuck out at all angles from his bare skin, which was oozing angry droplets of blood. Mr. Marquette kicked away the debris surrounding Ross and dropped to his knees beside his son. He brushed the boy\u2019s shaggy brown hair out of his face.<\/p>\n

\u201cRoss! Ross, are you ok?!\u201d<\/p>\n

In response, Ross turned his head and vomited into his father\u2019s lap. The sickening sour stench wafted up to Adam\u2019s nose, and he went to pull his shirt up over his face before he remembered he wasn\u2019t wearing one \u2013 his shirt was still in the hayloft next to Ross\u2019s. Fighting to keep from vomiting, too, Adam started plucking slivers of wood from Ross\u2019s back. Ross got only halfway through the word \u201cOuch\u201d before he retched a second time. Mr. Marquette leapt back.<\/p>\n

\u201cWonderful,\u201d he griped, looking down at his ruined trousers. He sighed. \u201cLet\u2019s get you inside and get those splinters out of your back.\u201d He grabbed Ross\u2019s forearm and hauled him to his feet, but Ross shrieked with pain and dropped to the ground, landing in his own sick. He clutched his left ankle.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s broke, Pa! It\u2019s broke!\u201d he cried.<\/p>\n

Mr. Marquette shoved the whiskey bottle at Adam, lifted his son, and bore him toward the house.<\/p>\n

Alone in the barnyard, Adam considered fleeing the scene until Mr. Marquette turned around and ordered him to get his sorry rear end inside this instant or there would be so little of him left that they would return him to the Ponderosa in a matchbox. Head hanging, he staggered across the yard and followed Mr. Marquette into the house.<\/p>\n

Mrs. Marquette wailed in terror when she spotted her vomit-soaked husband carrying their sobbing child into the house. Frightened, little Matthew sent up his banshee-like screech again, his howls bouncing painfully around Adam\u2019s swimming head.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat happened?!\u201d Mrs. Marquette shouted over the baby\u2019s screaming.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese two fools,\u201d Mr. Marquette jerked his head toward Adam and then down at Ross, \u201cgot corned out of their minds, and Ross decided to jump out of the hayloft.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mrs. Marquette was too stunned to speak.<\/p>\n

\u201cRosemary, let\u2019s get these splinters out of his back, and then I gotta ride for Doc Martin. Think Ross broke his ankle.\u201d Mr. Marquette laid his son face-down on the sofa and turned on Adam. \u201cAnd you, young man, had better not still be here when I get back. I\u2019ll be by the Ponderosa first thing tomorrow to speak with your father.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam quailed. \u201cBut, Mizzzer Marquette,\u201d he slurred, \u201cwha \u2018bout the-\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot another word outta you! Now get on home!\u201d Mr. Marquette sent Adam reeling toward the door with a stinging smack on the rear end, never noticing that Adam still had the bottle of whiskey in his hand.<\/p>\n

Adam weaved back to the barn to saddle up his horse. He thought about leaving the whiskey on the porch, but he worried that this reminder of their indiscretion might make things harder on Ross, so he held onto it. It took him twice as long as usual to tack up his chestnut mare, Beauty. No matter how hard he concentrated, his long, usually nimble fingers didn\u2019t want to manipulate all the buckles and straps. He broke out in a cold sweat, desperate to be gone by the time Mr. Marquette came out to the barn to collect his own horse to ride for the doctor. An eternity later, Adam had Beauty tacked up more or less correctly and after three failed attempts managed to flop into the saddle. He rode out of the Marquettes\u2019 barnyard, the bottle of whiskey tied to his saddle horn.<\/p>\n

******<\/p>\n

It was usually only an hour\u2019s ride home to the Ponderosa from the Marquettes\u2019, but Adam usually rode the distance at a lope. In his current inebriated state, he knew he wouldn\u2019t stay in the saddle at anything faster than a jog.<\/p>\n

When he was nearly home, he reached for his canteen, and his hand bumped the whiskey bottle. He glanced down at it and tried to decide how he was going to explain its presence to his father when he got home. He was going to have to tell him something<\/em> before Mr. Marquette showed up the next day, and Ben would be angry enough without seeing that Adam had ridden off with the stolen whiskey.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn for a penny, in for a pound,\u201d Adam sighed. He untied the bottle, popped out the cork, and drained the remaining two inches of liquor in a single gulp. Tossing the empty bottle into a clump of scrub brush, he clucked to Beauty and nudged her toward home.<\/p>\n

Adam had begun to sober up after leaving the Marquettes\u2019, but the fresh infusion of alcohol sent his head spinning again. He replayed Ross\u2019s flight over and over in his mind, and by the time he jogged into the Cartwrights\u2019 barnyard, he was howling with laughter over Ross\u2019s assertion that his father would never take him alive.<\/p>\n

Hoss and Little Joe were in the yard helping their new cook, Hop Sing, feed the chickens. Adam liked Hop Sing; he knew he wouldn\u2019t get days off like this if not for the assistance the Chinaman lent around the house, especially when it came to chasing after Little Joe. The cook and both boys looked up when they heard Adam cackling.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, Sop Hing!\u201d Adam cheered. He snorted at his mistake and bent over the saddle horn to giggle into Beauty\u2019s mane. He laughed so hard that he slid sideways out of the saddle and crashed to the ground, his left foot still dangling in the stirrup.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam!\u201d Hoss cried.<\/p>\n

Adam closed his eyes and laughed until his stomach ached. When he finally caught his breath and opened his eyes, he was staring up into the faces of his family. Ben, Marie, Hoss, Hop Sing, and even Little Joe had crowded around him, framing his field of vision like a halo.<\/p>\n

\u201cMon dieu!\u201d Marie exclaimed. \u201cAdam! Are you all right?!\u201d Her French accent grew thicker when she was upset, and Adam started giggling again.<\/p>\n

\u201cOui, madame,\u201d Adam said as grandly as he could while lying shirtless in the dirt. He shifted his eyes to the right. \u201cHey, Pa! Did you see me fly?! I just flew right outta my saddle! Not as good as Ross did flyin\u2019 outta the hayloft, but still pretty good. You\u2019ll never take me alive!\u201d He burst out laughing again.<\/p>\n

Ben gaped at his son as the whiskey on the boy\u2019s breath wafted over him.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa, is Adam ok?\u201d Hoss whimpered, his bright blue eyes filling with tears.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s drunk!\u201d Ben exclaimed incredulously.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut, Pa, I flew!\u201d Adam shouted. Then he dropped his voice to a whisper. \u201cI FLEW.\u201d He reached up and poked Little Joe in the tummy, and the brothers dissolved into giggles together.<\/p>\n

Ben sighed and disentangled Adam\u2019s foot from his stirrup. A few ranch hands had wandered out of the bunkhouse to watch the show, and Ben gestured for one of them to take Beauty to the barn. He grabbed Adam under the arms and hauled him to his feet. As soon as he let go, Adam swayed, and Ben had to catch him before he landed in the dirt again. He scooped the still giggling boy up in his arms and bore him toward the house.<\/p>\n

\u201cSon, what happened to your shirt?\u201d he asked as Marie held the door open for them.<\/p>\n

\u201cShirt, sir?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, shirt.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t need one, Pa. It\u2019s hot.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam was sweaty and coated in dirt, so Ben set him down on the kitchen floor and knelt next to him. He grabbed Adam\u2019s chin and forced his son to meet his gaze.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou care to explain yourself, young man?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot really, Pa.\u201d Adam snickered as the color rose in Ben\u2019s cheeks.<\/p>\n

Ben tightened his grip on the boy\u2019s jaw, and the smirk faded from Adam\u2019s face. He cast his hazel eyes down to his lap.<\/p>\n

\u201cMe an\u2019 Ross were drinkin,\u201d Adam mumbled.<\/p>\n

\u201cI gathered as much. And where, pray tell, did the two of you get ahold of liquor?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHayloft. But, Pa, Ross flew! Not real far, but you gimme some time to fix the design, and we\u2019ll soar all the way to the moon!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben gaped at his son again, trying to work out what the boy was babbling about. By this time, Marie, Hoss, Joe, and Hop Sing had followed Adam and Ben into the kitchen and were staring at the drunken teen again. Marie asked Hop Sing to take the little boys into the living room and laid her hand on Ben\u2019s shoulder.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think you\u2019re going to get anything out of him right now,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Ben grumbled. \u201cThis isn\u2019t over, young man,\u201d he promised, finally relaxing his grip on Adam\u2019s chin.<\/p>\n

Adam rubbed his jaw and worked it back and forth a few times. Something cold and wet slapped him between the shoulder blades, and Adam jumped. His arms flailed behind him as he tried to grab whatever it was.<\/p>\n

\u201cHold still!\u201d Marie ordered. \u201cYou\u2019re filthy.\u201d She grabbed Adam\u2019s left wrist to hold him still while she wiped the grime off his back, and she gasped. \u201cAdam! Your hand!\u201d With Ben peering over her shoulder, Marie unwrapped the blood-soaked bandana from Adam\u2019s hand. She shook her head at the cut on the boy\u2019s palm and started wiping the dried blood away with her rag.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, tha\u2019 hurs!\u201d Adam protested. He flailed again, but Marie had his wrist in a grip that was surprisingly strong for such a slender woman. She ordered Ben to get some liniment and a fresh bandage and finished wiping Adam off while Ben retrieved the items. When he returned, Ben sat behind Adam, wrapped one tree-trunk of an arm across the boy\u2019s chest and grabbed Adam\u2019s left wrist with his free hand. Adam couldn\u2019t have moved to save his life, and tears leaked from his eyes as Marie poured the stinging liniment into his palm and then wrapped the bandage tightly around his hand.<\/p>\n

When Marie finished with Adam\u2019s hand, Ben ordered Adam to get a fresh shirt before supper. But the last shots of whiskey Adam had drunk on the way home had taken full effect, and he couldn\u2019t even stand up on his own. Ben hauled him up by one arm and dragged him to the little bedroom he shared with Hoss and Joe, calling to Marie to make some extra coffee.<\/p>\n

Ben said nothing as he dropped Adam onto his bed and stuffed his arms into the sleeves of a clean shirt, and his silence frightened Adam more than shouting ever could have.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re real mad, ain\u2019t you, Pa?\u201d he asked in a small voice.<\/p>\n

\u201cSon, \u2018mad\u2019 doesn\u2019t begin to describe it. Now do you think you can sit at the table without falling into your supper?\u201d<\/p>\n

He didn\u2019t think so, but Adam knew better than to give his father any other answer than \u201cyes,\u201d and he nodded his head. Ben grunted approvingly, buttoned up Adam\u2019s shirt, and hauled the boy to his feet. The realization of just how much trouble he was in had sobered Adam up enough to stand on his own, but he couldn\u2019t walk straight to his bedroom door; every time he took a step, the room shifted, and he found himself headed for either the window or the wardrobe. Ben grabbed his shoulders and steered him into the hallway and out to the dining room.<\/p>\n

During supper, Marie kept Adam\u2019s coffee cup full and encouraged him to keep drinking it. Adam did his best to act sober so as not to set a bad example for his little brothers, but when Little Joe dumped his mashed potatoes into his hair, Adam laughed so hard that he fell out of his chair. As Ben picked him up, Adam heard Hoss ask Marie if he was sick.<\/p>\n

\u201cI ain\u2019t sick, Hoss,\u201d Adam assured him, giving the husky blond boy a big smile.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot yet,\u201d Ben muttered. \u201cDrink more coffee, son.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben ordered Adam to bed immediately after supper. Adam was about to protest that it was still two hours until his usual bedtime, but one stern glare from Ben, and Adam\u2019s objection died on his lips. His supper having soaked up some of the alcohol in his system, Adam shuffled toward the boys\u2019 bedroom and fumbled his way out of his clothes and into a nightshirt. It felt like a cotton prison around his throat, and Adam wondered if he was having another one of those growing spurts Marie complained about. She always said that she was glad he was growing tall and strong, but it was a burden keeping him in britches that fit.<\/p>\n

Ben came in just as Adam was sliding his legs under the thin sheet that was all the bed covering he could stand during the summer. Father and son stared at each other for several moments before Ben sat down on the edge of the bed. Adam didn\u2019t like the way Ben was looking at him. He\u2019d seen his father angry plenty of times \u2013 especially since Little Joe had started walking last year \u2013 but this was something new. Adam\u2019s heart sank as he realized it was disappointment.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa, I-\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben held up a hand, and Adam fell silent.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou and I are going to have a good long talk in the morning, boy,\u201d Ben said. \u201cAnd then we\u2019re riding over to the Marquettes\u2019 to apologize for whatever shenanigans you and Ross got up to today.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMr. Marquette\u2019s comin\u2019 to talk to you tomorrow,\u201d Adam mumbled, no longer able to meet his father\u2019s gaze. He tugged at the collar of his nightshirt as he wondered how Ross was getting along. \u201cYou gonna whup me, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben sighed. \u201cI should, but no. I have a feeling that by the time morning comes, you\u2019ll have learned your lesson. Now, would you like to put your nightshirt on the right way around?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam glanced down in surprise and saw that he was, in fact, wearing his nightshirt backward. He\u2019d felt like it was choking him because the back of the collar was against his throat. He bit back a giggle and swung his legs out of bed. He stood up and yanked unproductively at his nightshirt until Ben pulled the garment over his head, turned it around, and tugged it back over his head. He held onto Adam\u2019s arm to steady him as the boy climbed back into bed.<\/p>\n

\u201cGo to sleep,\u201d Ben said as he pulled the sheet up over Adam\u2019s shoulders. \u201cAnd try not to wake your brothers in the middle of the night.\u201d He blew out the oil lamp and left the room, leaving Adam wondering what exactly he meant.<\/p>\n

Three hours later, Adam discovered exactly<\/em> what his father had meant. Still half drunk and exhausted by the day\u2019s adventures, Adam had drifted off to sleep quickly, but he awoke somewhere between ten and eleven o\u2019clock in a cold sweat. He tried to sit up, but his head screamed in protest, and he gasped and fell backward onto his pillow. Screwing his eyes shut, he took deep, ravenous breaths, trying to bring the pain under control. When at last he opened his eyes again, he lay and watched the moonlight\u2019s shadows dancing across the ceiling. For a split second, he felt like he was dancing with them, until he realized, too late, why he felt like he was whirling around.<\/p>\n

With a loud \u201cURGH!\u201d Adam expelled the contents of his stomach. One hand fell off the bed and scrabbled for the chamber pot, but there was no time. Ham, mashed potatoes, green beans, coffee, and half a bottle of whiskey gushed onto Adam\u2019s sheet and nightshirt. He convulsed over and over again, with no chance to inhale. Tears leaked out of his eyes as he thought he would suffocate.<\/p>\n

His retching woke Hoss, who leapt from the top bunk of the stacked beds he shared with Little Joe and tore out of the bedroom. In a few seconds of respite between gags, Adam heard him screaming for Ben and Marie. Hoss had nearly knocked over the bunk beds when he\u2019d jumped, and the manmade earthquake woke Little Joe, who crawled out of bed, his bottom fat under his nightshirt from the diaper he still wore at night. He toddled over to Adam and looked up at his big brother, his green eyes wide.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe!\u201d Adam gasped. \u201cChamber pot, Joe! Chamber pot!\u201d<\/p>\n

The toddler snatched the chamber pot from under Adam\u2019s bed and handed it to his brother just before another round of heaving gripped him, and he spewed into the receptacle. Completely unperturbed by the violence of Adam\u2019s stomach and the sour stench now permeating the small bedroom, Little Joe climbed up onto Adam\u2019s bed, sat next to his pillow, and patted his big brother\u2019s hair consolingly while Adam continued to sputter.<\/p>\n

Marie burst into the room just as Adam\u2019s second round tapered off and he collapsed, pale and sweaty, onto his pillow. She stopped dead in the doorway as the reek of the vomit hit her, and Ben smacked into her from behind and nearly knocked her over. Bringing up the rear, Hoss bounced off his father\u2019s suddenly stationary backside and landed on his butt in the hallway.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s dyin\u2019, Pa, he\u2019s dyin!\u201d Hoss cried from the floor. \u201cPlease, sir, do something!\u201d<\/p>\n

From his perch on Adam\u2019s bed, Little Joe looked up at his parents. \u201cAdam sick\u201d he announced as he wiped his brother\u2019s sweaty brow with the edge of his nightshirt.<\/p>\n

His stomach throbbing from the convulsions, Adam lay panting and wishing for death. He held onto the brimming chamber pot with one hand, and his other hand sought Joe\u2019s and gripped it tightly. His baby brother\u2019s hand was warm, dry, and reassuring. The tiny boy leaned forward and kissed Adam\u2019s forehead.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s ok, Adam,\u201d he said. \u201cMama fix you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ordering Ben to fill the bathtub, Marie dashed over to Adam\u2019s bed, plucked Little Joe from the mattress, and set him on the floor.<\/p>\n

\u201cGo sit on your bed, mon ch\u00e9ri,\u201d she said to Joe. \u201cI\u2019ll take care of Adam. You did a good job.\u201d Little Joe grinned proudly and scampered back to his bed where he sat and watched the proceedings.<\/p>\n

Marie snatched the chamber pot from Adam and handed it to Hoss with instructions for him to dump it outside and rinse it out. Hoss wrinkled his nose and held the pot as far away from himself as he could as he made his way down the hall with this unwanted gift from his brother.<\/p>\n

Everyone else out of the way, Marie directed her attention to Adam. She looked on him with a mixture of pity and anger as she ripped the soiled sheet off of him, balled it up, and tossed it on the bare wood floor.<\/p>\n

\u201cMa,\u201d Adam croaked. \u201cMa, I\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI expect you are,\u201d she replied. Her face was hard, but her expression softened as Adam\u2019s chin began to quiver. \u201cCome on,\u201d she sighed and brushed a sweaty lock of black hair from his forehead. \u201cLet\u2019s get this nightshirt off of you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie had to hold the wobbly-kneed teenager up with one hand while she peeled his ruined nightshirt off him with the other. Adam knew he should be embarrassed to be standing in front of his stepmother in nothing but his undershorts, but he was so glad to be rid of the damp, stinking nightshirt that he didn\u2019t even blush. Marie swung Adam\u2019s arm across her shoulders and half-dragged him to the kitchen, where Ben had just finished pouring water into the tall copper hipbath. She handed Adam off to his father and returned to the boys\u2019 bedroom to deal with the soiled linens.<\/p>\n

Ben stripped off Adam\u2019s undershorts and plunked the boy in the tub. Already trembling from his violent retching, Adam shivered as he hit the cold water. He leaned forward, rested his head on his drawn-up knees, and moaned.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa, am I gonna die?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben poured cool water over Adam\u2019s head. \u201cNo, son. Sorry to disappoint you. You\u2019re lucky, though. You know you can kill yourself with too much drink, don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow in the world did you and Ross get into so much liquor?!\u201d<\/p>\n

As Ben scrubbed the day\u2019s remaining dust from Adam\u2019s back, Adam spilled the whole story: the whiskey in the hayloft, the flying machine, and Ross\u2019s attempt to flee through the hayloft door.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe worst part is, Pa, I don\u2019t even know if Ross is ok. Mr. Marquette ran me off before he went to fetch the doctor.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI guess we\u2019ll find out tomorrow,\u201d Ben said. \u201cBut I doubt Ross will be able to help with their cattle drive in a couple weeks. I\u2019m going to have to pay for an extra hand to help them out, and that money, young man, is going to come out of your portion from our<\/em> drive, you understand?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s eyes filled as he thought of the guitar he\u2019d been hoping to buy with his earnings from the drive, and he bit his lip. He would not<\/em> cry in the bathtub in front of his father. \u201cYes, sir,\u201d he muttered.<\/p>\n

Marie entered just then with a clean nightshirt, and Adam scrunched up in the tub, trying to conceal himself. To her eternal credit, Marie backed into the room, tossed the nightshirt over the back of a chair, and left without ever turning toward her red-faced stepson in the bathtub. Ben hauled Adam out of the tub, dried him off, and helped him back into his shorts and the clean nightshirt. After downing a tall glass of water, Adam shuffled back to bed and collapsed onto the clean sheet Marie had put there.<\/p>\n

\u201cSleep now, mon ch\u00e9ri,\u201d Marie whispered as she drew the sheet up over Adam\u2019s bare toes. \u201cJe t\u2019aime.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJe t\u2019aime, Ma,\u201d Adam replied. Marie left the room, and Adam looked up at Ben. \u201cPa? I\u2019ll feel better in the morning, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, son\u201d Ben said with a sardonic smile. \u201cIf anything, you\u2019ll feel worse. Sleep tight.\u201d He patted Adam\u2019s damp hair and returned to his own bedroom.<\/p>\n

Adam stared at the ceiling in despair as he listened to his father\u2019s footsteps cross the short hallway and enter the master bedroom.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell,\u201d he whispered to himself. \u201cAt least the puking\u2019s over.\u201d<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

Adam slept for only another hour and a half before his churning stomach woke him again. He scrabbled for the chamber pot, but Hoss had shoved it too far under the bed for him to reach without getting up, and Adam vomited all over himself a second time.<\/p>\n

\u201cS\u2019alright, Adam,\u201d Hoss mumbled sleepily as he slid off his bunk. \u201cI\u2019ll get Pa.\u201d He reached under Adam\u2019s bed and grabbed the chamber pot. He handed it to Adam and padded across the hall to wake their parents. Caught in the deep sleep known only to small children, Little Joe didn\u2019t even stir this time.<\/p>\n

Ben and Marie slogged into the boys\u2019 room again, looked at each, and sighed. Marie ripped the soiled sheet from the bed while Ben pulled off Adam\u2019s nightshirt and put yet another clean one on him. They made him drink another glass of water before he lay back down, and Adam sat on the bed and leaned against his father\u2019s broad chest as he drank it.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m so sorry, Pa,\u201d Adam mumbled over and over. \u201cI am so, so sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a mistake everyone makes, son,\u201d Ben said. \u201cAnd one I expect you won\u2019t make twice.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam finished his water, let Marie tuck him back under another clean sheet, and fell asleep.<\/p>\n

Two hours later, he woke up a third time. This time, he was able to roll out of bed to grab for his chamber pot, but he was so dizzy from dehydration that he fell onto the floor and retched all over himself yet again. Ben and Marie must have been half-listening for sounds from the boys\u2019 room because they materialized in the doorway without being summoned. Marie went white as she stared at the limp, trembling figure on the floor.<\/p>\n

\u201cBen, should we fetch the doctor?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t see what good it would do,\u201d Ben replied, rolling Adam up into a sitting position. \u201cThere\u2019s no cure for stupidity.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPa, I am so-\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, son, I know: You\u2019re very sorry. Come on, let\u2019s get this nightshirt off. Marie, could you get us a clean one, please?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe hasn\u2019t got a clean one.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s only got three, Ben, and he\u2019s wearing the third one. Shall I get him one of yours?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot a chance!\u201d Ben thundered. Adam winced as his father\u2019s resonant voice rattled inside his head. Up on his bunk, Hoss stirred, and Ben lowered his voice. \u201cHe\u2019s ruined enough nightshirts as it is. He\u2019ll just have to sleep without one.\u201d Ben pulled the soiled nightshirt off of Adam and then went for the boy\u2019s undershorts.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey!\u201d Adam protested as vehemently as his dehydrated state would allow. \u201cWhat\u2019re you doing?!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m keeping you from ruining more perfectly good clothes,\u201d Ben grumbled, wrenching the garment from his son\u2019s skinny hips. \u201cIt\u2019s July; you won\u2019t freeze to death.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s face burned as his father lifted his naked body and laid him on his bed in full view of Marie, but he was too weak to struggle, so he lay there, shivering and wishing for death.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll get you another glass of water,\u201d Ben grumbled, and he stalked out of the room.<\/p>\n

Adam curled up in the fetal position, hot tears burning the corners of his eyes. He heard Marie\u2019s light footsteps approaching his bedside, and he wished that she would just go away rather than adding to his mortification. Then he felt a soft sheet being tucked in around him, and he rolled over. Marie smiled down at him and laid a warm hand on his cheek. She opened her mouth to speak, but Ben returned with Adam\u2019s water.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll give this to him,\u201d Marie said, taking the glass from Ben. \u201cYou go back to bed, mon ch\u00e9ri.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right.\u201d Ben laid a hand on Adam\u2019s forehead. \u201cHang in there, son. This, too, shall pass away.\u201d Adam nodded, and Ben slipped out of the room.<\/p>\n

Marie leaned Adam up against her while he drained his water glass and then eased him back onto his pillows.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry, Ma,\u201d Adam whimpered.<\/p>\n

Marie ran a hand lightly down Adam\u2019s face to make him close his eyes. \u201cIt\u2019s all right, Adam,\u201d she said. \u201cSleep now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Comforted by the soft hand resting on his chest, Adam dropped off to sleep.<\/p>\n

******<\/p>\n

The sunlight pouring into the boys\u2019 bedroom shot through Adam\u2019s eyes and stabbed his throbbing brain. He groaned and pulled the sheet up over his face.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need a curtain,\u201d he moaned.<\/p>\n

Hoss, who was already up and pulling on his trousers, glared at him. \u201cWe need separate rooms so you don\u2019t wake us up in the middle of the night with your pukin\u2019,\u201d he retorted.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t have to worry about me doing that again,\u201d Adam said. He sat up and dropped his head into his hands. \u201cUhhhhhhh. I\u2019ve never felt so awful in my life.\u201d His throat burned from all the stomach acid it had accommodated last night, and Adam\u2019s entire midsection ached from repeated heaving. His head felt like it was twice its normal size, and the scent of frying bacon wafting in from the kitchen made his stomach roll. Adam bit his lip and breathed deeply, warding off the nausea. Hoss looked over at his pale, sweaty brother and shook his head.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou really done it this time, Adam,\u201d the eight-year-old observed.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I sure have,\u201d Adam agreed. \u201cTell Ma and Pa I won\u2019t be out for breakfast, ok?\u201d He closed his eyes and lay back down.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey ain\u2019t gonna like that,\u201d Hoss muttered as he left the room.<\/p>\n

Hoss was right. No more than thirty seconds later, Ben burst into the room. Little Joe, who had just woken up, beamed at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa!\u201d the little boy crowed, pleased to pieces to see his father.<\/p>\n

The stern expression Ben had entered the room with melted, and he crossed the room to pick up his youngest son. Joe giggled and buried his face in the crook of Ben\u2019s shoulder. Ben smiled and cuddled the toddler for a moment before turning to Adam.<\/p>\n

\u201cGet up, Adam,\u201d he said, the gruffness returning to his voice.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa, if it\u2019s all the same to you, I\u2019d just as soon skip breakfast,\u201d Adam replied.<\/p>\n

Ben raised an eyebrow and set Little Joe down. He whispered something in the boy\u2019s ear, and Joe laughed and scampered out of the room. Ben strode to Adam\u2019s bedside.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t care if you eat anything, but you will come out to the dining room and sit with the family, young man.\u201d<\/p>\n

Knowing this was a battle he would not win, Adam flung off his sheet and rose shakily to his feet. The room spun, and Adam clutched the headboard of his bed until it slowed to a stop. Taking a deep breath, he placed one foot in front of the other and gingerly made his way to the door.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam?\u201d<\/p>\n

He stopped and turned to his father.<\/p>\n

\u201cSir?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPut some clothes on first.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam glanced down and shot crimson as he realized he was still stark naked. While his father\u2019s eyes danced with newfound amusement, Adam shuffled to his chest of drawers and pulled out shorts, socks, trousers, and a shirt. Too dizzy to stand any longer, he dropped onto the edge of his bed to sit down while he pulled on his clothes. Dressed at last, he made his slow way toward the bedroom door. Ben laid a hand gently on his shoulder as Adam trudged down the hallway, his head down.<\/p>\n

He could feel everyone\u2019s eyes on him as he sank into his seat at the breakfast table, and he knew what he had to do next. He raised his head and caught each family member\u2019s gaze in turn.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m really sorry for all the trouble I caused last night,\u201d he mumbled. \u201cIt won\u2019t happen again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you, Adam,\u201d Ben answered for the family. \u201cNow eat up. We\u2019re heading out to the Marquettes\u2019 right after breakfast.\u201d<\/p>\n

The only thing Adam wanted to do less than eat up was to ride an hour or more out to the Silver Dollar Ranch to speak with Ross\u2019s father. As it turned out, he was spared from both. Marie laid a hand on Ben\u2019s arm just as he was about to place a heaping scoop of scrambled eggs on Adam\u2019s plate. She shook her head at her husband and slipped Adam a single slice of toast with butter instead.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s see how this settles first,\u201d she said with a smile at Adam. Then she turned to Ben. \u201cNo point wasting food if he can\u2019t keep it down yet.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded at her logic and filled Adam\u2019s coffee cup.<\/p>\n

As Adam sat nibbling unenthusiastically on his toast and sipping his coffee, the family heard a knock at the door. The toast and coffee spun in Adam\u2019s stomach as he realized who was most likely waiting on the other side. Ben gave Adam a hard look and rose to answer it. Sure enough, Mr. Marquette stepped into the house.<\/p>\n

\u201cMorning, Jasper,\u201d Ben said, shaking his hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cMornin\u2019, Ben,\u201d Mr. Marquette replied. \u201cLong night?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot as long as yours, from what I\u2019ve heard. Would you like some coffee?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam knew he shouldn\u2019t interrupt, but concern for his best friend overpowered his manners. He sprang from his seat and dashed over to Mr. Marquette. The sudden motion made him dizzy again, and he had to clutch his father\u2019s arm for a moment until he was sure he was steady.<\/p>\n

\u201cMr. Marquette, is Ross ok?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

The thin man sighed. \u201cYeah, he\u2019s all right, Adam. Been pukin\u2019 his guts out all night, but Doc says that ankle\u2019s just sprained. It\u2019ll heal fine, but he won\u2019t be any good for the cattle drive in a couple weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what I was afraid of,\u201d Ben grumbled. \u201cBut Adam and I have already talked about this, Jasper, and I\u2019m going to hire you an extra hand for your drive. The money\u2019s gonna come out of Adam\u2019s share from our drive.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t have to do that, Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I do. You\u2019re a good neighbor and a better friend. I\u2019ll not have Adam\u2019s\u2026 indiscretion<\/em> costing you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Ben, you don\u2019t understand. Ross told me the whole story. Said Adam didn\u2019t want to drink the whiskey they found, but Ross shamed him into it. This was my boy\u2019s fault, and the money for the extra hand will come out of his share, not Adam\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben turned to Adam. \u201cSon, is this true?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam hated to betray his best friend, but he knew things would go easier on both of them if he told the whole truth. \u201cHe may have teased me a little,\u201d he mumbled. \u201cBut, Pa, those wings were my idea. He wouldn\u2019t have known about da Vinci if not for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben studied his son for a moment and then turned to Mr. Marquette.<\/p>\n

\u201cJasper, how much did the doctor\u2019s visit cost you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTen dollars seein\u2019 as how he had to ride all the way in from Carson City in the middle of the night.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded. \u201cAdam, since Ross wouldn\u2019t have taken that flying leap without your assistance, you\u2019ll pay Mr. Marquette ten dollars out of your cattle drive money, you understand?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir.\u201d Adam was disappointed to lose so much, but ten dollars was better than the fifty he\u2019d expected to lose if he\u2019d had to pay for a hand for the Marquettes\u2019 cattle drive. He\u2019d have to put off buying that guitar, but if he picked up some extra chores, he might still be able to buy the instrument by Christmas.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd starting tomorrow, once you finish your chores here, you\u2019ll ride out to the Marquettes\u2019 every day to do Ross\u2019s chores until he\u2019s back on his feet.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood. Now apologize to Mr. Marquette and then go sit down before you fall down.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam did. Back in his seat, he leaned forward and rested his head on the table. Ben led Mr. Marquette over to the table, pulled up an extra chair for him, and poured him a cup of coffee. Mr. Marquette nodded enthusiastically when Marie offered him some bacon and eggs; since Adam hadn\u2019t eaten anything but half a slice of toast, there was plenty of food to share.<\/p>\n

Ben leaned back in his seat and stirred milk into his third cup of coffee. \u201cI have to ask, Jasper,\u201d he said. \u201cWhy the hayloft?\u201d<\/p>\n

Mr. Marquette barked a laugh. \u201cBen, I\u2019m so sorry. Sheriff gave it to me for helping him catch that horse thief back in the spring. Cora doesn\u2019t like me having liquor in the house, so I tucked it up there, thinkin\u2019 I\u2019d give it to my brother. But you know how busy ranchin\u2019 gets in the spring and summer, and I completely forgot I had it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben threw back his head and laughed. Adam was relieved to hear his father\u2019s good humor returning; he just wished Ben wasn\u2019t so loud about it. His head still on the table, Adam clapped his hands over his ears.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, next time you have a bottle of fine whiskey you don\u2019t know what to do with, you just let me know,\u201d Ben said. \u201cI\u2019ll help you take care of it.\u201d He glanced over at his hungover fourteen-year-old. \u201cIn moderation,\u201d he added. He jabbed his index finger into Adam\u2019s ribs to make him sit up.<\/p>\n

When Mr. Marquette left and the boys had at last been excused from the table, Adam pulled on his boots. He knew Ben wouldn\u2019t let him off the hook for his chores, so better to get them over with. Horse manure didn\u2019t usually bother him, but as soon as he stepped into the barn to muck out the stalls and put down fresh hay, his stomach contracted, and he retched into the filthy straw at Beauty\u2019s feet. The mare glared at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry, girl,\u201d Adam gasped, patting her flank.<\/p>\n

It took him twice as long as usual to clean out the stalls because he had to keep sitting down to stop his head spinning. When at long last he finished and staggered back to the house, Marie met him on the porch with a glass of water.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything hurts, Ma,\u201d he moaned as he dropped into a rocking chair. \u201cSorry,\u201d he added quickly. He knew he had no right to complain. Squinting against the blinding sunlight, he looked up at the hitching post and saw his father\u2019s tall black stallion was no longer there. \u201cWhere\u2019s Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, he rode out with some hands to do a last round up of the cattle in the high country.\u201d<\/p>\n

Horror rose like a hard lump in Adam\u2019s throat. \u201cOh no! I was supposed to go with him! He\u2019s gonna be so angry with me\u2026\u201d He dropped his face into his hands.<\/p>\n

Marie smiled and laid a hand on Adam\u2019s shoulder. \u201cYour father thought that, given your current state, you might be more of a burden than a help today,\u201d she said. Adam shuddered and fought back tears; he just couldn\u2019t quit messing things up. Marie gave his shoulder a little squeeze. \u201cHe suggested that perhaps you\u2019d be better off spending the day in bed but asked me to remind you that if this ever happens again he will \u2013 what were his words? \u2013 skin you alive and leave your sorry carcass for the buzzards, I believe he said.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam smiled. Ben had forgiven him. He handed his empty water glass to Marie, thanked her, and plodded to his bedroom where he stayed upright just long enough to pull off his boots before pitching over onto his bed and falling asleep.<\/p>\n

Adam slept until nearly suppertime when he awoke to the reassuring pressure of his father\u2019s wide hand rubbing his back. He rolled over and blinked his eyes open.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow you feeling, son?\u201d Ben asked, giving Adam a little smile.<\/p>\n

Adam took a brief inventory and discovered that while all of his joints still ached from dehydration, his head had stopped pounding, and the thought of supper didn\u2019t repulse him. \u201cBetter, Pa. Thanks for lettin\u2019 me sleep today. I know I didn\u2019t deserve it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, you didn\u2019t,\u201d Ben agreed. \u201cBut we wouldn\u2019t have been any further ahead if I\u2019d dragged you along today. Besides, Hoss was thrilled when I asked him to come along.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam let out a small chuckle. Hoss was desperate to start getting involved in the business of the Ponderosa, and he took every opportunity to let everyone know it.<\/p>\n

\u201cI won\u2019t do this ever again, Pa, I swear.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laid his hand on Adam\u2019s forehead and stroked the boy\u2019s brow with his thumb. It was a comforting gesture he\u2019d done all of Adam\u2019s life, and Adam nearly fell right back to sleep. \u201cI know you won\u2019t, son. You\u2019ve certainly learned your lesson. I just hope you understand what a good friend you have in Ross. He didn\u2019t have to own up like he did.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know it. I\u2019m gonna thank him tomorrow when I go over to do his chores. Maybe I\u2019ll take him a couple of my books to give him something to do while he\u2019s laid up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben grinned. \u201cThat\u2019s a good idea. Now how about a little supper? Hop Sing made some chicken soup that should settle all right in an upset stomach.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam smiled and followed his father to the dining room.<\/p>\n

The chicken soup did settle well, and by the time the family settled in the living room after supper, Adam was feeling much more like himself. After Hoss and Little Joe went to bed, however, Ben reached for his brandy bottle and poured himself his usual nightcap. Adam pulled his shirt collar over his face to block the cloying odor and found himself fighting down nausea again.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think I\u2019m gonna go to bed, too,\u201d he announced. \u201cGot a big day tomorrow what with Ross\u2019s chores and all.\u201d He bid the briefest of goodnights to his parents and tore off down the hall to his bedroom. Safe from the scent of Ben\u2019s brandy, Adam took several deep cleansing breaths and got undressed. Hop Sing was still soaking his soiled nightshirts, so Adam climbed under his sheet in just his undershorts. As he nuzzled into his pillow, the image of Ross leaping from the hayloft door drifted through his mind, and he had to stuff his fist in his mouth to keep from laughing out loud and waking his brothers.<\/p>\n

\u201cBoy are we stupid,\u201d he snickered as he closed his eyes and sleep overtook him.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Tags:\u00a0 Adam Cartwright,\u00a0Ross Marquette<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Summary:\u00a0 Fourteen-year-old Adam and his best friend Ross find a bottle of whiskey in the Marquettes’ hayloft and decide to recreate Leonardo da Vinci’s flying machine.\u00a0 What could possibly go wrong?<\/p>\n

Rating: T\u00a0 Word Count: 10,554<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8061,"featured_media":14857,"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":[23,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11943","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drama","category-humor","wpcat-23-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\/2015\/10\/Penny.jpg?fit=800%2C400&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11943","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\/8061"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=11943"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11943\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/14857"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=11943"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=11943"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=11943"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}