{"id":12939,"date":"2016-02-02T16:02:39","date_gmt":"2016-02-02T21:02:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=12939"},"modified":"2025-02-18T19:10:22","modified_gmt":"2025-02-19T00:10:22","slug":"he-was-brave-that-day-by-robin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=12939","title":{"rendered":"He was Brave that Day (by Robin)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary:\u00a0 <\/strong>It all started with Hoss saving the life of a neighbor.<\/p>\n

Rating:\u00a0 T\u00a0 (6,800 words)<\/p>\n

He Was Brave That Day<\/strong><\/p>\n

Nevada Territory<\/u><\/p>\n

1852<\/u><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYou did a fine job, son. Mighty fine,\u201d Ben Cartwright declared proudly. He ladled the last of the stew onto Hoss\u2019s plate. He put the black iron pot down on the ground next to the campfire with a clunk. \u201cWhen we get back home tomorrow, Hop Sing will make you an even better dinner than this.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cHop Sing will make you anything you want!” Little Joe said. \u201cIt will be a real feast for a real hero.” He enthusiastically patted Hoss on the back and sat next to him. The four Cartwrights were headed back home after delivering a wagonload of lumber to the Winslow ranch.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

After they had unloaded, Ward Winslow had brought them all out to the pasture to show off his new bull. His horse had stumbled in a chuckhole and he was thrown to the ground. The ferocious bull excitedly crashed through the fence and started to charge them.\u00a0 Hoss acted instantaneously and turned his own horse to be in between Winslow and the aggressive bull. The quick-thinking boy managed to distract the beast and head the snorting animal from the fallen man. The others quickly scrambled to Ward Winslow\u2019s aid. Had Hoss not been so quick thinking, the rancher would certainly have been killed by his own prize bull.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cMr. Winslow would have been gored if you didn\u2019t act so fast, Hoss,\u201d Adam added. \u201cGood thinking, Brother!\u201d
\n\u201cI\u2019m mighty proud of you, son,\u201d his father repeated. Ben sat down on a log and dug into his own supper.
\n\u201cBet you was real scared, Hoss,\u201d Little Joe said admiringly. He took a small bite of his corn bread. Then thinking better of it, the boy put the remainder on his largest brother\u2019s plate.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cNot really,” Hoss shrugged. He looked down at his plate and smiled as he spotted the additional piece of corn bread.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI told Pierce Winslow that his Pa would have been dead if my big brother Hoss weren\u2019t so brave. And you know what? For once old Pierce didn\u2019t say nothing. Not nothing! Not one word!\u201d Joe grinned. Not only was he proud of Hoss but also he was delighted at besting his rival, Pierce. \u201cHe knew it was so.\u00a0 And you know what? Pierce wished you were his brother. Can you beat that?\u201d
\nAdam walked around the side of the empty wagon having finished settling the horses for the night. He wasn\u2019t quite sure that Little Joe wasn\u2019t exaggerating just a bit. \u201cDid he?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cPierce sure did, Adam. I ain\u2019t lying. He said he wished Hoss was his big brother. But Hoss ain\u2019t his brother, I told him. He is mine!\u00a0 You are my brave brother, Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hoss smiled proudly and devoured the second chunk of corn bread. Little Joe threw his slender arm around Hoss\u2019s broad shoulder possessively.
\n\u201cAnd Hoss is my brother too! Don\u2018t forget you that, Little Joe,\u201d Adam added with a nod, picking up his supper plate from a rock near the fire. He eyed the food and then passed his portion of corn bread to his brother. \u201cHere, brother. Enjoy!\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Little Joe and Pierce Winslow were about the same age. Dark-haired Pierce was tall and lanky and a good head taller than Little Joe. Both boys were the beloved youngest in their families. In addition, young Pierce was his parent\u2019s only son and had four doting older sisters.\u00a0 Rarely could the two rascals spend five minutes together before they started wrestling and fussing and competing with each other. Each of them wanted what the other had, no matter what it was. Adam once said if Pierce had small pox, Little Joe would want it too. And if Joe had his arm cut off, Pierce would cut off both of his just to top him.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cPierce\u2019s oldest sister Hannah said that they would be proud to have Hoss as their brother. And Betty too. They said that Hoss was real brave when he saved their Pa. Eloise Winslow said you was a real hero, Hoss, and that she was mighty glad you weren\u2019t her brother though. How come that Eloise said that? How come?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cEat your supper before it gets cold, Joseph,\u201d Hoss directed.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Joe stopped his chatter to take a single bite of his supper. \u201cHow come, Adam? Pa? Don\u2018t Eloise like Hoss?\u201d
\nAdam and Ben chuckled and Hoss turned bright red. Eloise Winslow made no secret of her fondness for shy sixteen-year-old Hoss and loudly declared her hopes of someday marrying him.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI suppose you wouldn\u2019t want to rope, tie and wed your own brother, right Pa?\u201d Adam winked.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI suppose not, son,\u201d Ben laughed. \u201cEloise is a fine girl though, Hoss. Isn\u2019t she?\u201d
\n\u201cIs there any more of that corn bread, Pa?\u201d Hoss asked. There was no way he was going to comment on Eloise Winslow.
\n\u201cDidn\u2019t Mrs. Winslow say that Eloise is a mighty fine cook too?\u201d Adam teased.
\n\u201cI think so. Didn\u2019t I hear she makes excellent corn bread?\u201d Ben said with a totally straight face.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cEloise made the corn bread we had for supper. Mrs. Winslow gave more to us when we left. She said it was special for Hoss, the hero,\u201d Joe added truthfully. \u201cThat corn bread was real good. Wasn\u2019t it Hoss? There is a bit left in the wagon. Want me to fetch it for you?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hoss started choking and Adam pounded him on his back.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYou sure you don\u2019t want some more?\u201d\u00a0 Little Joe asked as his husky brother caught his breath. \u201cWe got more in the wagon. Mrs. Winslow wrapped it up in a basket just for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cNo, no, thanks. I had more than enough,\u201d Hoss said. \u201cThanks, Little Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cBoy, you sure are a brave hero, Hoss\u201d Joe said for the tenth time.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cNot so much brave, Little Brother. I just didn\u2018t really have time to think about how scared I was just then. I just had to get that bull turning away from Mr. Winslow afore he was hurt. But now that I think about it, I am sort of scared. Do you know what I mean?\u201d Hoss said modestly. He looked across at Adam and then to his father.
\n\u201cI certainly know just what you mean. When everything is going on, you just do what you need to do but now it all comes up on you,\u201d Adam recalled. \u201cOnce I was about Hoss\u2019 age and we got caught up in the middle of a holdup. I had to deal with some bandits. I didn\u2018t realize how scared I was until it was all over and then I was sitting back home shaking like a leaf.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYou were shaking?\u201d Joe was surprised that his unflappable oldest brother could be rattled by anything.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cLike a leaf.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cAdam had to shoot that fella,\u201d Hoss explained to Little Joe. \u201cYou were pretty young when that happened. Hardly more than a baby.\u201d The middle brother remembered the incident quite well. It happened not long after Marie had died. The Cartwrights were traveling home and came upon some pretty female travelers whose wagon had broken down. The ladies were traveling all alone to Virginia City to start a new saloon. While the Cartwrights helped them sort out the repairs, some bandits attacked them.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYou shot a man, Adam? Joe\u2018s eyes widened, \u201cYou blasted him? \u201c The boy was mightily impressed. He made a pistol with his fingers and said \u201cPow! Die you varmint.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cHey, it wasn\u2019t like that, Little Joe. Not one bit. I didn\u2018t have any choice, Joe.\u00a0 I didn\u2018t want to shoot him but he was threatening all the ladies and he had already hurt Pa.\u201d Adam didn\u2018t want to tell his brothers that at the time he had been sure their father was lying dead on the ground. The painful memory of the women screaming hysterically, Pa lying on the ground bleeding and still, and poor Little Joe wailing still sent shivers up Adam\u2019s spine.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam scraped his tin plate and dropped it in the bucket of water to soak. It was the middle boy\u2019s turn to clean up but Adam had offered to do his brother\u2018s chores honoring the boy\u2019s daring feat at the Winsolows.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cLittle Joe, go get Pa\u2019s plate for Adam,\u201d Hoss told his chatty little brother.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cSo you shot that bandit right between his beady eyes?\u201d Joe persisted. He was mighty impressed by his oldest brother\u2019s bravery as well.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cNot quite. I told him to back off but he didn\u2019t. I had no choice,\u201d Adam said softly.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cAnd then you shot him!\u201d Joe exclaimed, excitedly handing Adam the dirty dish. \u201cThat was really something, Adam. Would you show me how to shoot? Could you?\u201d The boy still did not understand the point Adam was trying to make.\u00a0 Joe sat down next to his father and watched his older brothers across the flicker light of the campfire.
\n\u201cLittle Joe, I had no choice. I killed that man because I had no other choice. He was going to kill someone if I didn\u2018t. I had no other choice.\u201d
\n\u201cAdam was mighty brave that day. He handled things with a real cool head,\u201d Hoss added. Hoss remembered that desperate day and how his older brother had saved them all. Adam had once confessed to Hoss that he sometimes still could see the blind stare of the dead man in his nightmares. \u201cHis eyes are open, but they are opaque yellow,\u201d Adam described. \u201cAnd Little Joe is wailing and Pa is all bloody.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Once, Adam had confided with embarrassment, when he was away at college, he had fallen sound asleep in front of the hearth at his friend\u2019s home. He had frightened the entire O\u2019Mara household when had hollered out in his sleep.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cCould you teach me how to use your gun Adam?\u201d Little Joe persisted.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Adam shook his head.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cPa, tell him to teach me,\u201d Little Joe wheedled, tugging on Ben\u2019s sleeve. \u201cTell him, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ben could see how distressed his oldest son was by the memory of the earlier event. Ben could also see how his youngest son not at all comprehended the seriousness of using a firearm. \u201cKilling someone is not something a good man does with ease. It weighs heavy on his mind and his heart for the rest of a man\u2019s life. Do you understand that, Joseph? Once a life ends, it can\u2018t ever be returned. When you are old enough, I will teach you how to properly handle a pistol, just as I taught your brothers.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Little Joe nodded.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI had no choice, Little Joe,\u201d Adam repeated. \u201cDon\u2019t forget that if you ever face the same situation.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWhat was the worst time you had Pa?\u201d Hoss asked. He figured he could help Adam out by changing the subject.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ben laughed and took a sip from his coffee. He screwed up his face at the taste. \u201cWhen you boys taught Little Joe how to make this coffee? This is really awful.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll make some more, Pa.\u201d Adam offered reaching for the half filled pot on the campfire.
\n\u201cDon\u2019t bother, son. This is good enough. How is the boy to learn to handle a job if you two always do it over for him?\u201d
\n\u201cThat\u2019s right, Adam. How am I gonna learn to do stuff? But, if you want to make it up to me, you can show me how to shoot a hand gun if you want.\u201d Joe had to throw in one more attempt to get what he wanted.
\nAdam shot him a dark look. \u201cStick to making coffee for a while and that little squirrel rifle of yours, Little Brother.\u201d
\n\u201cNo Pa, really, the scaredest you ever was?\u00a0 Really?\u201d Hoss asked.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cPa was never scared, Hoss. Nothing ever scares Ben Cartwright,\u201d Joe yawned and leaned against his father.\u00a0 Ben rubbed the boy\u2019s shoulders affectionately. \u201cNot never, right Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cCertainly I\u2019ve been scared, Little Joe. There is no man alive who can say he was never scared.\u201d
\n\u201cAnd if he does, he\u2019s lying to you, Buddy,\u201d Adam warned the boy. He tossed the dregs of his coffee into the fire.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s what someone does with his fears that is the measure of a man,\u201d Ben explained. \u201cCourage isn\u2019t the absence of fear; it is realizing that something else is far more important than your fear.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cLike Hoss saving Mr. Winslow?\u201d Joe nodded.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam wanted to toss out a quote from Shakespeare or scriptures or Socrates but his brain was too weary to come up with a suitable one. Then Adam realized his father\u2019s remark was probably better than anything a long dead philosopher or sage could have said. \u201cPa is right, Little Joe. Don\u2019t ever forget what Pa just said.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Joe nodded. His eyes were growing heavy but he fought off sleeping. Only a little kid would fall asleep now and he was going to show everyone he was no baby.
\n\u201cDon\u2019t you think you should turn in, Little Joe?\u201d Ben asked. \u201cYou have a big day tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, Joe. We still have a long ride ahead of us,\u201d Hoss said leaning back on his saddle. He contentedly patted his very full stomach.
\nAdam tossed the dirty dishwater into the dry brush.\u00a0 He sat next to Hoss and leaned back on his own saddle. Stretching his long legs in front of him, he tried to decide if he should pull off his boots just yet.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll keep up,\u201d Joe yawned again. \u201cDon\u2019t you boys worry.\u201d He was bone tired but wasn\u2019t quite ready to turn in. \u201cPa what scared you the most?\u201d
\n\u201cWhich time?\u201d Ben laughed. \u201dThere have been many times I was scared.\u201d
\n\u201cWhen you were my age. What scared you the most when you were ten years old, Pa?\u201d Joe rubbed his eyes and yawned. He was going to force himself to stay up just as late as his brothers, perhaps later. Perhaps he could manage being the last one awake. That would show all of them.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was your age, Joseph? Hmm,\u201d Ben thought for a minute trying to remember what his life was like as a small boy. \u201cTimes were hard for us. My father had just moved us to a new town on the offer of a good job at a saw mill.\u201d
\n\u201cJoseph Cartwright,\u201d Hoss recalled their grandfather\u2018s name.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right. Marie and I named Little Joe for my father.\u201d Ben nodded, drawing his youngest boy close. Joseph for my father. Francis for hers.\u201d
\n\u201cWhat scary thing happened in the new town, Pa? Were there bandits that you had to shoot? Did Joseph Cartwright give you a pistol when you were my age?\u201d Little Joe said hopefully.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cQuit interrupting and let Pa go on,\u201d Hoss warned the little boy.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we arrived, there was no job waiting. The mill had been sold and the new owner and his partner didn\u2018t need any new workers. My parents found a place to live, a little house just outside of town. It was hardly more than a rundown cabin, a couple of rooms and an attic loft. We really didn\u2019t have much but my mother and us boys set about to cleaning up the place up nice and homey. We really were in a fix and had hardly any food by then and probably no money.\u201d
\n\u201cDid you starve to death Pa?\u201d Joe asked.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cJoe, if Pa starved to death, he wouldn\u2019t be sitting here right now telling us this story.\u201d Adam shook his head. He pulled off his boots and arranged his bedroll in the small of his back to be a bit more comfortable while Pa told the story.
\n\u201cWe were there about a week when my father got offered a few days of work helping a man clear some land. So off he went. Not being familiar with the area, I wasn\u2019t sure where he was going. Pa wasn\u2019t sure how long he would be gone but he would do whatever he needed to take care of us.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cDid you miss him, Pa?\u201d Little Joe asked. \u201cWhen you were little, did you miss when your Pa went away?\u201d The boy looked at his father\u2019s face. \u201cIs that why you were so scared? If you had a pistol, you wouldn\u2019t have been so scared, Pa.\u201d
\n\u201cSure Pa missed him. Don\u2019t you miss Pa when he goes off? I sure do,\u201d Hoss admitted.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cMy mother was left all alone with us, not knowing for sure when my father would come back and not knowing any neighbors in the new place.\u00a0 As the oldest boy, my father told me I was the man of the house while he was gone. Aaron was a baby, not even three and John was about six, so I suppose by comparison I felt pretty big.\u00a0 I was about your size, Joe.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cMy size?\u201d Joe was amazed. He never thought of his father being little. It was hard for the boy to imagine. \u201cYou were ten and my size, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe I wasn\u2019t quite ten, more like nine. But there we were. Far from anyone we knew, my father gone.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWere you scared then? That don\u2019t seem like a real frightening story, Pa. You were in a house with your mother and brothers,\u201d Hoss said.
\n\u201cOh that wasn\u2019t the frightening part,\u201d said Ben leaning forward and speaking in an ominous voice.
\n\u201cWere there wild varmints? Ghosts?\u201d Hoss asked. \u201cIndians?\u201d
\n\u201cNo, son. There weren\u2019t any ghosts. My mother sent us all to bed when it got dark. It must have been late September and had started getting dark earlier. Candles were pretty dear so we usually turned in early and got up at dawn. Ma and Pa had a bed in the downstairs room. We boys had one bed in the loft. More like a few quilts on a lumpy cornhusk mattress. We didn\u2019t each have our own beds or our own rooms like you boys do now on the Ponderosa. Just after we turned in, it started to rain and bluster. It was blowing real fierce and the whole place shook like a ship in a storm. The lightning flashes were so dazzling each burst lit up the little house. The crash of thunder was earsplitting. The rain streamed through the cracks in the walls and the leaky roof.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cThat was some storm, Pa,\u201d Adam said. He would have liked a chunk of that corn bread in the wagon but he was too comfortable to move.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cAaron started to cry for our Ma and John joined him. They both were wailing and screaming. I tried to get them to stop bawling but I was awfully scared myself. There was one real loud crash of thunder and the entire house shook .You could feel it right here.\u201d Ben put his broad hand on Little Joe\u2019s narrow chest. \u201cI never, ever had been so scared in my life.\u201d Little Joe put his small hand over his father\u2019s large one and pressed it on his chest for a minute longer.
\n\u201cWhat did you do, Pa?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cNever moved so fast in all my born days. All three of us of boys scrambled down that ladder so fast I don\u2019t think our feet touched the rungs. I was last and swung down half way and leaped the rest of the way. I caught Aaron before he hit the floor.\u201d
\nAll three boys laughed hard imagining Ben and his young brothers flying out of the loft.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWell, all of us scared boys just leaped right into our Ma\u2019s bed and tried to hide under the covers with her. We jumped in so hard that the old bed frame collapsed and the mattress crashed to the floor.\u201d
\n\u201cThat must have really been something, Pa,\u201d Hoss said. He got up and tossed another piece of kindling on the fire.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cIt didn\u2019t matter where that bed was, we were sure our Ma would keep us safe. She just hugged us close and told us we would be just fine. She said we were perfectly safe with her and not to be scared. So we weren\u2019t. We all slept together that night feeling real safe and snug under the covers beside our mother.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam nodded. He remembered sleeping all cozy like that with Hoss when they were traveling west with Pa.
\n\u201cThe next day I woke up it was mid-morning. We boys were all tangled together under the covers and our mother was gone.\u201d
\n\u201cDid she blow away in the storm? Did Indians steal her? \u201d Joe asked. \u201cIf you had a gun you could have\u2026\u201d
\n\u201cHush up, Little Joe and let Pa finish,\u201d Adam admonished.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cMy father had arrived back home while I was still asleep.\u00a0 Ma was giving him breakfast and telling him about us boys jumping into bed with her and breaking the bed frame. I listened without letting on that I was awake.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYou were spying on them, Pa!\u201d Little Joe was amazed that the small boy who was his father could do that.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you never, ever eavesdropped, Baby Brother?\u201d Adam asked knowing the answer.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cMe?\u201d\u00a0 Little Joe shook his head. \u201cNot never, no sir!\u201d
\n\u201cAnd baby brother never lies neither?\u201d Adam asked Hoss. The two older brothers elbowed each other and laughed as Little Joe squirmed.
\n\u201cGuess Pa wasn\u2019t much of the man of the house in those days,\u201d Adam said.
\n\u201cGuess he had a ways to go,\u201d Hoss agreed.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cPa did catch the baby brother when they were falling out of the loft,\u201d Little Joe defended. \u201cDo you think that Aaron would have bounced?\u201d
\n\u201cWhat happened next, Pa?\u201d Hoss asked stifling his laughter over Joe\u2019s automatic defense of their father and description of Uncle Aaron bouncing.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWell, the next thing I heard was my mother confessing how much she missed my father and how terribly frightened she was during the storm. She said she was probably just as scared as we children, maybe more.\u201d
\n\u201cYour mother lied to you, Pa! How could a mother lie?\u201d Little Joe asked. Adam had just reminded him that his fibs were wrong and now he found out that his grandmother had lied to her children. Was he descended from a family of liars and fib tellers?
\nBen smiled softly. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t really lying, son.\u201d
\n\u201cShe told the boys they would be safe and they sure were,\u201d observed Hoss. \u201cIt was just a storm.\u201d
\n\u201cMy mother was putting our peace of mind and welfare before her own fear. She was the adult and we were just little boys. I never told her what I heard but I always remembered it, how brave she was in hiding her fears for our protection.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cChildren don\u2019t always need to know everything that the adults do, Little Joe,\u201d Adam explained. Adam remembered a few times there was very little food and Pa had claimed he wasn\u2019t hungry so he and Hoss would eat his share. He smiled at his father, knowing how often Ben Cartwright had done that with his own boys to make them feel safe and protected. When he was very small, he had believed everything exactly as Pa told him; Hoss did too. Now that they were men, both could clearly understand Pa\u2019s reasons and was glad Pa had bent the truth to protect his childen.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cThat was a mighty good story, Pa,\u201d Hoss said \u201cYour mother was real smart brave to do that.\u201d He also was getting old enough to notice the difference of the way adults sheltered their children from storms. When he had children, he would do the same thing. Matter of fact, he and Adam already did that with Little Joe.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cShe was a good woman,\u201d Ben said.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cShe raised a fine, son, Pa,\u201d Adam smiled admiringly at his father across the campfire. Ben smiled back.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cToo bad parents can\u2019t protect children all the time from fearful bad stuff,\u201d Hoss said.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cIt would be nice for a while, when they were small,\u201d Ben said looking around at his three boys. Two of his boys were really men, only one still a wide-eyed child. Ben would be glad to take on their troubles and worries forever as his if that would make their lot in life easier. He knew, however, that was impossible. They had to learn to survive the world on their own. He knew he wouldn\u2019t always be beside them everywhere they went for the rest of their lives.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cThat would be nice but eventually those youngsters grow up and are adults. They have to learn to manage things on their own and solve problems. How are they going to hold down a job and raise their own families if they don\u2019t learn to deal with things themselves?\u201d Ben said as Joe yawned and snuggled into him.
\n\u201cThere were a few fellows in college who were rich, spoiled boys. They never had to do anything for themselves,\u201d Adam recalled.
\n\u201cSort of like Pierce Winslow!\u201d Joe said. \u201cHe can\u2019t even wipe his own nose without his sisters telling him what to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cThose spoiled rich boys didn\u2019t last very long on their own at college. All they did was get drunk and gamble and waste their time with bad company. They all wound up tossed out by the end of the term and went home in disgrace.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cThere is an old saying that rough seas make skillful sailors,\u201d Ben said.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cBut we ain\u2019t sailors, Pa,\u201d Joe said. \u201cWe are cowboys.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cAnd there sure ain\u2019t any seas around here,\u201d Hoss added. \u00a0\u201cJust the lake and the creek.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI think Pa doesn\u2019t quite mean that,\u201d Adam tried to explain. \u201cIt means that dealing with adversity helps you to become more capable.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The campfire was burning down and Hoss tossed another piece of kindling on the fire.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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

 <\/p>\n

\u201cTell me, Pa.\u201d Adam sat on his haunches and poked some life into the campfire. Despite the late hour, he was wide awake a savoring his father\u2019s stories and the company of his family. Ben had told Little Joe about the terrifying thunderstorm. Then Hoss had posed the same question and their father had told them an exciting tale about his early days as a sailor.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ben had been visiting Naples and lost his way one night returning to his hotel. Three men with knives had jumped out of a dark alley and attempted to hold him up. A stranger, Guido Borelli, had happened along and swung down from a balcony to help the young seaman.\u00a0 Between the two of them, they made quick work of the attackers. Little Joe and Hoss were mightily impressed that, despite his fear, their father succeeded fighting off so many robbers. All the boys were amazed that their father had retained his friendship with Borelli who later became a famous circus acrobat. Now both of the younger boys were sleeping and only Adam and their father remained awake under the star filled sky.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWhat scared you most when you were my age, Pa? Truth, Pa.\u201d
\n\u201cThe truth?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir. Tell me the truth.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What scared me the most when I was about the age you are now? \u00a0You, Adam.\u201d
\n\u201cMe?\u201d Adam was amazed at Ben\u2018s quick answer.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYou asked what scared me the most when I was about your age, Adam. It was the very real thought that I could lose you; the sense that my child could die that scared me the most. You were all I had left. All that I had of any value. The only thing in the universe that I treasured was my baby son. That was the most fear inducing thing I had ever faced, Adam.\u201d
\nAdam never imagined that was the answer his father would have given.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cNothing was more precious to me in those days than you, \u00a0Adam,\u201d Ben said softly. \u201cAnd nothing is more precious to me today than the three of you boys. Nothing in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam looked across the campsite at his younger brothers. The two were curled up side by side on the ground fast asleep. Hoss was leaning on his saddle and Little Joe, resting on his stomach, had his cheek pillowed comfortably on his large brother\u2019s shoulder. The younger boy\u2019s slim arm was draped across his brother\u2019s belly.\u00a0 The two sleeping boys were breathing in exact synchronization.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ben took a few steps over to them. \u201cMaybe I should move Little Joe into the wagon? A cold wind is blowing in from the mountains. Don\u2018t want the boy catching a chill in the night sleeping on the damp ground. Or Hoss waking up before he has to because Joe is and shivering and snatching the covers.\u201d
\n\u201cOh don\u2019t worry so, Pa. That noisy thunder storm you told us about wouldn\u2019t bother those two now. They are both done in. They\u2018ll be just fine the way they are. We managed fine in far worse weather than this, you and I. And besides, sleeping next to old Hoss is like sleeping next to a hot water bottle.\u201d Adam tossed another piece of kindling on the camp fire to be sure. Bright orange sparks twinkled into the inky sky like fireflies.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ben took his own blanket and tucked it around the two boys. \u201cI\u2019ll get that extra blanket from the wagon for myself when we turn in.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWhat happened, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I was all alone, with a tiny, fragile life in my arms. You and I were hundreds of miles and six long months from where we had started. I had pretty much burned my bridges behind me and there was no going back to Boston at that point. You were so totally and completely dependent on me. You can\u2019t imagine how fearsome that is, holding a tiny helpless life in your hands. I really had no idea how to take care of a baby by myself and how much I would love you. And how desperately much I would miss your mother.\u201d Ben licked his dry lips. \u201cAny of that bad coffee left?\u201d
\n\u201cNo, sir. It sort of all got spilled out when I was cleaning up. I\u2019ll have to give Little Joe another lesson in how to make coffee if we plan on allowing that boy to cook any time soon. And expect to survive his efforts.”<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cThat will be better than teaching him to shoot a pistol for a while.\u201d Ben hated to think of his last little boy having to face the harsh side of life. \u201cThat little squirrel rifle of his is enough for now.\u201d
\n\u201cWant me to make some more coffee, Pa?\u201d
\n\u201cNo. We need what we have left for breakfast. I sure don\u2019t want to face that long ride home without a good cup of coffee in the morning. Besides, I have something better in my saddle bag.\u201d Ben went over to the gear that had been neatly arranged in the back of the wagon and shifted things around. \u201cI truly loved your mother, Adam; all your mothers. But Elizabeth was my first love, the pure, sweet, innocent love of my youth. Life was supposed to be forever happy and forever sweet for us. I never could imagine any difficulties or sadness ever happening when Elizabeth and I married.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYou really loved my mother, Pa.\u201d Adam liked how that sounded.
\n\u201cI really loved her. Real love marks a man, changes him forever.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam thought sorrowfully of Amanda Bruce, the girl who broke his heart back in Boston. \u201cI\u2019ve been in love,\u201d he confessed softly.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ben looked at his oldest son. Adam had never told him much about the ruined affair, just that the girl had sincerely been in love with another man, his best friend, Dennis. It had all ended badly for Adam and somehow his grandfather had been to blame. Somehow, Adam had retained his friendship with Dennis.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cNo, you haven\u2019t been in love, not really. Not the way you will be some day, son. You just thought you were in love, that time.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In the flickering light of the campfire, Ben could see Adam raise his eyebrows in an unspoken question.
\n\u201cIt was just your sap running, son. You were chasing some sweet perfume and thinking you were quite a man when you held that soft, round girl in your arms. The pain you feel now is the humiliation of losing her to your friend, and the sorrow of being betrayed by another man you sincerely trusted.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Do you think so?” Adam asked. Adam had never thought of things the way his father so accurately described.
\n“You’ll see, son. Wait until you meet the right woman and it will see the difference.”<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam appreciated that his father had never probed for more details and respected his privacy. Adam looked at his brothers soundly sleeping nearby and envied their sweet innocence. Ignorance truly was bliss.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cReal love is different, son. Someday you will meet the right woman. You will share your dreams with her and want to see her eyes in the eyes of your children.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam nodded, hoping his father was right, fearing he wasn\u2019t and that he would never find a woman who loved him. He valued his father\u2018s words. \u201cWhat did you do, the time you were telling me about?\u201d Adam asked. He wanted to hear more of his father\u2019s memories of starting out, not discuss his own private disappointment. \u201cHow did you manage to tend a baby?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cAlong the way, I asked folks what to do and learned a bit here and there. I prayed a lot. Sometimes a woman who had children would show me how to manage things. Folks were very kind when they saw a man alone trying to raise a baby. Some thought it was amazingly heroic in a way they don’t think a woman alone with fatherless children is heroic.\u00a0\u00a0 I thought I was doing pretty well, considering,\u201d Ben said over his shoulder. He dug into his saddlebag until he found a small silver flask of brandy. He held it up for his oldest to see. The bottle shined in the firelight. Adam nodded and held out the two tin cups for his father to pour each of them a portion of the golden liquor.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cUntil that night. That night, I finally admitted to myself that I had made a terrible mistake and you could pay the price for my lack of judgment.\u201d Ben took a long swallow of the brandy. \u201cI couldn\u2019t blame any of this on anyone but my own self.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you mean Pa?\u201d The brandy warmed his insides and melted the stiffness in his shoulders from the long day of hard work.
\n\u201cWhat did I mean?\u00a0 That night, you were sick and squalling. Nothing I could do helped comfort you. Your crying just pierced my heart. I remember thinking what was I doing when I took you from Boston? Was I a lunatic? A fool?\u00a0 That was the only time I ever really thought that Abel Stoddard could have been right.\u201d
\n\u201cRight? What do you mean, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cThat night I was positive that I should have left you with your grandfather in Boston. At least until I was more established out west.\u201d Ben sipped his brandy and watched the fire.
\n\u201cBut Pa, that could have taken years.\u201d Adam couldn\u2019t imagine what kind of person he would have become had he not been raised by Ben Cartwright. He wondered if his grandfather would have even returned him to his father when Ben requested. That was better left unimagined and unsaid.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cBut you were really too small to be toted from pillar to post.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYou did what you thought was the right thing, Pa. I was your son. You did the right thing keeping me with you. I belonged to you alone, not Abel Stoddard.\u201d
\n\u201cAlone?\u201d Ben poured another round for each of them. \u201cI was very alone after I left Boston. You can\u2019t imagine how terribly lonely I felt after your mother died. Everything I had done, I did for her. Every plan I made included Elizabeth. Now I was alone without the love of my life. Sometimes a person who feels so very alone will do foolish things to make himself feel less lonely. It was pretty irrational to be traveling to the frontier with such a young child. I thought I could manage, but I couldn\u2018t.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cBut you did Pa. You did fine. Look at us. You did more than fine.\u201d
\n\u201cI was running from my loneliness and not really thinking of you and what was best for a baby,\u201d Ben confessed softly. He held the tin cup between his two hands and stared at the fire. \u201cI can admit it now.\u201d
\n\u201cThat\u2019s not the only reason you left Boston, Pa. You wanted to follow your dream, the dream you and my mother had about moving west. It all worked out,\u201d Adam repeated.
\n\u201cBut that night, I feared that my impetuous, dream chasing might jeopardize something far more precious to me, Adam. You. Nothing means more to me than you and your brothers, Adam. Nothing,\u201d Ben repeated. \u201cNot even the Ponderosa or my own life. Nothing. I was very young and foolish and alone and not thinking soundly.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam had never really thought of how really young his father had been. When his father was Adam\u2019s age, Ben had already been to sea, married, had a baby and been widowed. Ben had been on his own for years. Adam had never thought of his father being so very young. \u201cAnd you were just about my age then?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ben did the calculations in his head. \u201cJust about, son. Perhaps even few months younger than you are now. I was all alone in the middle of the wilderness. I had no idea how far it was to the next town but knew I couldn\u2018t turn around and go back the way I came. The weather turned bad. First it was raining. Then, towards sunset, it started snowing, wet thick flakes. I feared it was turning into a blizzard.\u201d Adam watched his father stare at the clear, night sky. \u201cYou were crying and nothing I could do was soothing you. I had you wrapped in a blanket, inside my mackinaw. I was riding that old sorrel with the white blaze. Remember that horse?\u201d
\nAdam nodded \u201cWashington?\u201d They had that horse until Adam was about four years old, Ben sold it in Ohio.
\nBen was surprised but then not really. Adam was a smart child with a sharp mind for details. \u201cYou remembered?\u201d Ben poured another round into their tin cups from the flask.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam nodded. \u201cWe used the money toward a team and a used wagon. And you bought me new boots and a McGuffy reader that day.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m amazed that you can recall all that.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cAnd a sack of peppermints too,\u201d Adam added.
\n\u201cLemon drops. Sour lemon drops,\u201d Ben corrected. \u201cThe golden color caught your eye. You said they were sunshine candies and wanted to eat the sunshine. Then you spit them out saying they tasted nasty. I was sort of upset that you were wasting them. Cash was so dear to us and it wasn\u2019t often you got sweets. The shopkeeper saw how unhappy you were and just took them back without a word. He gave you some peppermints in their place.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cNow I remember. They were red and white peppermints. Go on with the story, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI was never so scared and just kept pressing on through the snow. I had no idea if they even had a doctor there and I don\u2019t think I had more than forty cents to my name. You were struggling to survive and crying and I had no idea what to do to make you well.\u00a0 I never felt so scared and helpless and hopeless ever in my life. Everything meant nothing if I didn\u2019t have you. I had you inside my mackinaw and was trying to slog on. I was riding that sorrel mare. There was a break in the snow.\u201d
\n\u201cWhat happened, Pa? \u201c Adam asked as his father paused.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I got to the town and found me an open tavern and went in. You were whimpering still. You were too tired to cry much more. The tavern owner\u2019s wife took you from my arms and said she would try to get you warm. She took one look at you and knew exactly what was causing your distress.\u201d
\n\u201cWhat was it Pa? Adam assumed it was typhoid or small pox or some sort of serious disease.”<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ben smiled. \u201cYou were getting a tooth.\u201d
\n\u201cA tooth?\u201d Adam laughed, \u201cYou thought I was dying and I was getting a tooth?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ben nodded. \u201cI told you I didn\u2019t know much about tending babies then. I think we should turn in. Like you told your brothers, we have a long trip tomorrow until we get home. Good night, son.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cNight, Pa,\u201d Adam answered and drained the last swallow from his cup.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Tags:\u00a0 Adam Cartwright,\u00a0Ben Cartwright,\u00a0Hoss Cartwright,\u00a0Joe \/ Little Joe Cartwright<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

<\/g><\/svg><\/i> \"Loading\"<\/p>\n

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

Summary:\u00a0 It all started with Hoss saving the life of a neighbor.<\/p>\n

Rating:\u00a0 T\u00a0 (6,800 words)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":44,"featured_media":383,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"template-full-width-post.php","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_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":""},"categories":[23,30],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12939","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drama","category-prequels","wpcat-23-id","wpcat-30-id"],"a3_pvc":{"activated":true,"total_views":1453,"today_views":0},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/coming-soon-9.jpg?fit=320%2C240&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":13606,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=13606","url_meta":{"origin":12939,"position":0},"title":"Square Deal Sam… A Missing Scene (by Grimesgirl)","author":"Grimesgirl","date":"January 6, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0 Drawing the 'short straw' without the benefit of the match, Adam finds it left to him to explain Hoss' 'strays' to Hop Sing. Rating:\u00a0 K\u00a0 (980 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\/2016\/12\/Caption-1-1.png?fit=653%2C416&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Caption-1-1.png?fit=653%2C416&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Caption-1-1.png?fit=653%2C416&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":45476,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=45476","url_meta":{"origin":12939,"position":1},"title":"Friend (by AMG)","author":"Preserving Their Legacy Author","date":"March 28, 2000","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0 Let it be a tribute to one Rating:\u00a0 PG\u00a0 \u00a0Words:\u00a0 9,895","rel":"","context":"In "Hop Sing"","block_context":{"text":"Hop Sing","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=1010"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Preserving-Their-Legacy.png?fit=732%2C477&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Preserving-Their-Legacy.png?fit=732%2C477&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Preserving-Their-Legacy.png?fit=732%2C477&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Preserving-Their-Legacy.png?fit=732%2C477&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13778,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=13778","url_meta":{"origin":12939,"position":2},"title":"Emily #2 – Special Delivery (by GinnyF)","author":"Ginny F","date":"September 2, 2002","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0\u00a0 This is a continuation of sorts to \"Emily\".\u00a0 Hoss & Emily's first child is indeed a \"special delivery\". Rating:\u00a0 G\u00a0 (2,350 words) Emily Series, links to all stories within the series are included.","rel":"","context":"In "Alternate Universe"","block_context":{"text":"Alternate Universe","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=7"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/serious-Hoss.jpg?fit=269%2C298&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":63949,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=63949","url_meta":{"origin":12939,"position":3},"title":"Spring Cleaning (by JoanS.)","author":"JoanS","date":"July 25, 2005","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0 Ben insists that each of his sons help with Hop Sing\u2019s annual cleaning. Rating:\u00a0 G\u00a0 \u00a011,135 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\/2023\/03\/Preserving-Their-Legacy.png?fit=732%2C477&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Preserving-Their-Legacy.png?fit=732%2C477&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Preserving-Their-Legacy.png?fit=732%2C477&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Preserving-Their-Legacy.png?fit=732%2C477&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":11229,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=11229","url_meta":{"origin":12939,"position":4},"title":"Roots and Wings (by Visage)","author":"Visage","date":"May 23, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0 Hoss turns to a trusted friend for advice when Adam is due home from College. \u00a0 Rating: G\u00a0 (1,245 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\/Hossb.jpg?fit=444%2C339&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":7686,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=7686","url_meta":{"origin":12939,"position":5},"title":"Singing Lessons (by DJK)","author":"DJK","date":"December 9, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: \u00a0This is my contribution to the Dan Blocker Birthday Challenge. Hoss and Adam learn more than just a song. \u00a0\u00a0 Rated:\u00a0K+\u00a0 Word count:\u00a02315","rel":"","context":"In "Brothers"","block_context":{"text":"Brothers","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=1009"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12939","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\/44"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12939"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12939\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/383"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12939"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=12939"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=12939"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}