{"id":14617,"date":"2017-08-05T22:03:47","date_gmt":"2017-08-06T02:03:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=14617"},"modified":"2025-09-25T15:41:07","modified_gmt":"2025-09-25T19:41:07","slug":"lucky-streak","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=14617","title":{"rendered":"Lucky Streak (by faust)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary: \u00a0<\/strong>Adam and Joe are caught in a cave in. Adam is not amused.<\/p>\n

Rating: \u00a0K+ \u00a0\u00a0Word Count: \u00a03,937<\/p>\n

My Story Index and reading order for the Art-Universe<\/a><\/p>\n

Lucky Streak<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

 <\/p>\n

The last thing Adam consciously\u00a0thinks\u00a0before the sky quite literally\u00a0falls\u00a0down\u00a0on him\u00a0in\u00a0an ear-shattering\u00a0crescendo\u00a0is \u201cI told you so,\u201d although,\u00a0even\u00a0in the midst of\u00a0being buried alive, his sense of justice\u00a0lets\u00a0him\u00a0admit\u00a0that he might have been a little late when he \u201ctold so\u201d and that if he\u2019d been quicker in\u00a0catching up on Joe\u2019s plan he might have been able to prevent\u2014but then there\u00a0is a sharp pain at the back of his head, an explosion of blinding white light, and\u2014<\/p>\n

Nothing.<\/p>\n

For an endlessly long time, nothing.\u00a0Peace.<\/p>\n

Then\u00a0awareness, mild panic, return of pain, darkness. Complete murk.<\/p>\n

And silence.\u00a0Almost nothing to hear, just\u2026a\u00a0tiny\u00a0sound. The chirping of a bird, perhaps.<\/p>\n

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

Scraping. Rustling. Swishing. Fumbling fingers?<\/p>\n

Fingers. Not a bird then.<\/p>\n

More likely a ten-year-old lummox.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam? Can you hear me?\u201d<\/p>\n

Yes, I can. Not that I particularly care to hear what you have to say right now\u2014unless it\u2019s an apology.<\/em><\/p>\n

The words\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0make it from his brain to his mouth, which, considering everything,\u00a0isn\u2019t too bad right now. Too acerbic anyway. But while his mouth obviously\u00a0is somehow incapacitated, his brain works\u00a0quite well.\u00a0Better than the other way round.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t see anything. Can you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Speaking of the other way round\u2026.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cAdam, say something.\u201d<\/p>\n

You really don\u2019t want to hear what I\u2019d like to say.<\/em>\u00a0<\/em>Although\u2026it might\u00a0have been\u00a0liberating to\u00a0just\u00a0let it out.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m scared.\u201d\u00a0The\u00a0smallest voice possible. Must have cost Joe everything to admit it.<\/p>\n

Clearly, it\u2019s time to make an effort.\u00a0Curling fingers and toes,\u00a0Adam groans\u00a0experimentally, which evokes\u00a0coughing: hacked, raw, productive. He spits\u00a0out what feels\u00a0like all the road dust from here to Virginia City, harrumphs painfully,\u00a0then\u00a0croaks, \u201cI\u2019m here.\u201d Much\u00a0weaker than he\u2019d hoped for,\u00a0but in the complete stillness\u00a0just\u00a0loud enough.<\/p>\n

Excitement\u00a0wafts\u00a0over from\u2026somewhere. \u201cAdam, are you all right? You\u00a0are<\/em>\u00a0all right, aren\u2019t you? Say you are!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m…yeah, I guess I am. Are you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m good.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCan you move? You\u2019re not trapped, are you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes. No.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you injured? Does anything hurt?\u201d<\/p>\n

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

\u201cThe truth, Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not hurt, honest, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust\u2026?\u201d He raises\u00a0his eyebrow, which he knows will\u00a0somehow transmit to Joe by magic? A strong brotherly bond? Long experience?<\/p>\n

\u201cI mighta cut my face a little. And twisted my wrist. But that\u2019s all there is. I swear!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCross your heart and\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope ta die, yeah.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood then. And don\u2019t roll your eyes at me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow do you\u2026?\u201d\u00a0Out of the following, almost\u00a0unintelligible\u00a0mumbling\u00a0Adam only makes out some colorful expressions Pa\u00a0had\u00a0better\u00a0not hear about; then Joe speaks clearly again. \u201cAnd yours? Your truth, I mean?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam swears\u00a0under his breath, an oath Pa\u00a0had\u00a0better\u00a0not\u00a0hear about,\u00a0either.\u00a0Of course Joe would fall for his euphemisms\u00a0just as little as he\u2019d fallen\u00a0for Joe\u2019s.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m mostly\u2026\u201d\u00a0Mostly what?<\/em>\u00a0He takes a short inventory: head hurts abominably, mouth still dry, tongue a mere cotton wad. Arms, legs, all free\u2014thank the Lord<\/em>\u2014and\u2026yes, mobile\u2014wait, not the\u2026<\/p>\n

\u201cMy collarbone seems busted, and I\u2019ve got a helluva lump on the back of my head\u2026\u201d\u00a0and a stinging cut that still leaks\u00a0blood at the somewhat alarming rate that head wounds\u00a0are wont to\u00a0bleed, but Joe\u00a0doesn\u2019t have to know everything, so \u201c\u2026other than that I\u2019m right as rain.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGuess we were lucky then.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLucky? A mine just collapsed on us, in case you\u00a0haven\u2019t noticed.\u00a0And by no fault of mine.\u201d<\/p>\n

Silence.<\/p>\n

Oh, well. Dang.<\/em>\u00a0Apparently, after all\u00a0his\u00a0mouth\u00a0does\u00a0work better than\u00a0his\u00a0brain. Or at least quicker.<\/p>\n

As if Joe needs\u00a0the reminder that it, in fact,\u00a0is\u00a0his<\/em>\u00a0fault the mine\u00a0has\u00a0collapsed, just because he apparently felt the strong need to kick\u2013kick!<\/em>\u2014at one of the rickety posts that support\u2014well, did<\/em>\u00a0support\u2014the disused mine\u2019s ceiling, whatever\u00a0reason drove him to do it. And there must have been a reason, for not even hot-headed Joe would be so careless as to kick at the old, fragile beams just out of spite\u2026not even out of anger at his older brother.<\/p>\n

And suddenly all Adam wants\u00a0to know\u00a0is,\u00a0\u201cWhy\u2019d you do it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy\u2019d I do what?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cKick the confounded beam.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t\u2026no, really, I didn\u2019t kick it. Not on purpose, I mean. I was going for the rattler.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe what?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe\u00a0rattler. The one\u00a0coming at us. Didn\u2019t ya see it? Musta come\u00a0out of a cleft. It was awful quick, and I\u2026 Honest, Adam, I was\u00a0just\u00a0trying to kick it away. Must\u2019ve\u00a0missed it\u00a0and hit the beam. But it didn\u2019t get\u00a0us, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u00a0Either you got it after all or\u00a0the\u00a0mine did.\u201d\u00a0Just like<\/em>\u00a0<\/em>the mine got<\/em>\u00a0<\/em>us all. From smoke to smother. <\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cD\u2019you really think the\u00a0rocks\u00a0got it?\u00a0Or perhaps it\u2019s still around, lurking somewhere?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo rattler would wait out a cave-in for the vague chance of having easy prey afterwards.\u00a0And we aren\u2019t prey anyway. They bite to defend themselves. If that rattler wasn\u2019t crushed by the rocks, it\u2019s gone now, anyway. Out into the sun, most probably.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, then we were lucky again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lucky again. Only Joe would\u2026. They\u00a0are caught under tons of rock and soil and timber, by some major miracle not squashed to death\u2014so, yes, perhaps they\u00a0are a\u00a0teeny-weeny little\u00a0bit lucky after all;\u00a0a ten-year-old skinny weed and a man who doesn\u2019t dare sit\u00a0up lest he should find he were concussed after all; in complete darkness, and\u2014wait.\u00a0Darkness?<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe, where\u2019s your light?\u201d<\/p>\n

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

\u201cYou had a\u00a0Davy\u00a0lamp, hadn\u2019t you? It was in your hand when the ceiling came down. It\u00a0must be near.\u201d<\/p>\n

Instantly, there\u00a0is rustling again, scraping,\u00a0swishing, a triumphant \u201cYes!\u201d Clanking, more rustling, then the darkness\u00a0is\u00a0replaced by a flickering light.<\/p>\n

The soft orange glow\u00a0reveals\u00a0that, indeed, they have\u00a0been lucky: not the whole ceiling\u00a0crashed down\u00a0on them. In fact, most of the structure that supports\u00a0the main shaft still stands.\u00a0Unfortunately, that\u2019s where their luck ends, for\u00a0the part that has\u00a0come down blocks\u00a0their way out. Adam has\u00a0no idea how much rubble there\u00a0is, whether\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0mostly soil and\u00a0gravel\u00a0or a thick, solid wall of rocks,\u00a0too big to be moved by themselves\u2014or\u00a0by\u00a0Hoss, who\u00a0hadn\u2019t\u00a0yet come into the mine when it collapsed.<\/p>\n

Lord,\u00a0had he\u00a0been vexed when he\u2019d\u00a0noticed Hoss\u2019s horse limping, even though his brother\u00a0was\u00a0quick to assure him it was probably only a small stone caught in the horse shoe.\u00a0Vexed and\u00a0impatient to get into the mine and haul his dim-witted little brother\u00a0out,\u00a0which was why\u00a0he\u00a0left Hoss tending to the horses and\u00a0just gone in alone.<\/p>\n

Joe would certainly say they\u00a0were lucky he had done\u00a0that. And in a way, they\u00a0are. Of all the people Adam would like to have outside a mine that just collapsed on him, it\u2019d be Hoss. Hoss, who doesn\u2019t panic, who\u00a0has\u00a0the strength to move rocks that most men can\u2019t even stir,\u00a0who will know when and where to\u00a0get help.\u00a0Hoss, who\u00a0by now\u00a0must\u00a0be desperately waiting\u00a0for a sign his brothers are still alive.<\/p>\n

But to give a sign, Adam has to get up, as untempting as it seems.\u00a0Bringing his arms under\u00a0himself\u00a0he slowly pushes\u00a0his torso\u00a0up (carefully favoring his good shoulder) pulls\u00a0his legs\u00a0around, and slowly, cautiously,\u00a0lifts himself\u00a0up\u00a0into a sitting position. He\u2019s glad for the rock at his back. Sitting unsupported doesn\u2019t seem to be an option right now.<\/p>\n

Joe\u00a0is at his side a split moment later, as if he\u00a0was\u00a0reluctant to scamper over as long as Adam lay prone. \u201cHiya, yer up, lazy bones! I already was worried\u2026\u201d he\u00a0cries\u00a0as he holds\u00a0the lamp up to\u00a0his brother\u2019s\u00a0face.<\/p>\n

Whether it\u2019s the light so close to his eyes, Joe\u2019s screech\u00a0or the fact that he\u2019s\u00a0just sat up, Adam doesn\u2019t know, all he knows\u00a0was that his head\u00a0is suddenly assaulted by stabbing pain, fiery zigzags flashing before his eyes, and an all-drowning roar in his ears.\u00a0His hands\u00a0fly up to cradle his head, palms pressed on the eye sockets, fingers around his skull trying to keep it from exploding.\u00a0The world makes\u00a0a jump, lurches\u00a0nauseatingly to the side and down, and then slowly up again while it\u00a0twists around him, round and\u00a0round and round\u2026. Then the twisting subsides\u00a0with the pain and the zigzags and the whooshing. Unfortunately,\u00a0the nausea remains.<\/p>\n

He swears. Honest to God, he swears, loud and clear.\u00a0He shouldn\u2019t do it, and most certainly not in front of his little brother, but what little control of himself\u00a0he\u2019s\u00a0left he needs\u00a0to\u00a0keep\u00a0the contents\u00a0of his stomach down.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou had better not Pa hear those words,\u201d Joe says cheerfully.<\/p>\n

\u201cPut that lamp down, willya?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAren\u2019t we lucky I found it?\u201d He swings it in front of Adam\u2019s face, perhaps for emphasis, but it just sets the world into unnatural motions again, which\u00a0requires\u00a0a\u00a0Herculean\u00a0effort not to vomit after all.<\/p>\n

\u201cPut it down, now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou sound like Pa when you\u2019re so grumpy,\u201d Joe says, but finally sets the lamp on the ground and slumps down next to it.<\/p>\n

Adam, neither feeling particularly lucky nor like Pa, decides not to comment on that and confines himself to rolling his eyes. Which sends another jolt of pain through his head.<\/p>\n

Heroically, he does not utter another oath.<\/p>\n

Instead, he subjects Joe to a quick scrutiny. The boy\u2019s pants are torn but his knees peeking out of the holes are not bloodied. There are scratches on his face, some shallow, some deeper, and a cut over his left eyebrow, all of them clotting already.\u00a0Looking\u00a0remarkably calm and composed, especially considering his earlier admission to being scared, he sits cross-legged, on hand drawing figures on the dusty ground, the other curled loosely in his lap.<\/p>\n

Which reminds Adam\u2026 \u201cShow me your\u00a0wrist.\u201d<\/p>\n

It is reddish, swollen, and tender, but Joe can flex it and move all fingers.<\/p>\n

\u201cSprained, I think,\u201d Adam says as he fumbles his bandana from his pocket and wraps it around Joe\u2019s wrist. \u201cHere, that should do till we can show it\u00a0to\u00a0Doctor Paul.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen that\u2019s gonna be, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDepends on how thick that\u00a0boulder wall\u00a0is.\u201d He lifts himself up, laboriously, taking a couple of deep breaths to find his\u00a0equilibrium\u00a0and make his head and stomach agree with each other.<\/p>\n

As he walks over to the debris he casts a short glance at Joe\u2019s\u00a0Davy lamp and finds its flame faintly flickering\u00a0to one side. So there\u2019s air, a slight draft. At least they won\u2019t suffocate.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0gravel\u00a0wall\u00a0consists mostly of\u00a0stones\u00a0of all sizes, soil and roots, and even some sod clumps. A thorough cave-in, not just a little rubble coming down.\u00a0Just what the owners\u00a0must have feared when they closed the mine.\u00a0The beams supporting the ceiling are held up by the debris, which means that before the blockade can be cleared away the roof beams have to be braced from the other side of the wall.<\/p>\n

Which\u00a0means\u00a0nothing can be done from inside.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow thick is it, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t\u2026\u201d\u00a0He\u00a0produces his revolver\u00a0and raps its handle on\u00a0a\u00a0rock, carefully so as not to disturb the precarious balance of the\u00a0gravel\u00a0wall. The knock resonates through the cave, hangs in the air for a while. Adam listens at the wall for an answering knock,\u00a0raps again, listens.\u00a0Raps. Listens. Raps, listens, raps, listens, raps, listens, raps\u2026<\/p>\n

\u201cDid ya hear something? The wall ain\u2019t thick, right?\u00a0Adam? Adam!\u201d Joe plucks at his shirt, joggles his shoulder. His\u00a0bad<\/em>\u00a0shoulder, and that jolts Adam out of the vicious circle.<\/p>\n

He shakes his head, pinches the bridge of his nose\u2014it\u2019s for the headache, just for the headache<\/em>\u2014\u00a0takes a deep breath. \u201cNo, Joe, I didn\u2019t hear anything, and\u00a0I don\u2019t know how thick the wall is. It can\u2019t be too thick, though, or\u00a0no air\u00a0could go through.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s good reasoning, and sound enough to not only make Joe believe him but\u00a0to make\u00a0Adam believe himself, too.\u00a0Too good reasoning, apparently, for\u00a0now, before Adam can thwart it, Joe launches himself into digging them out. He\u00a0can be rather quick, the little squirrel, Adam has to give him that, but\u00a0very fortunately Adam can be quick, too, and so he pulls them both away just in time from the small avalanche Joe\u2019s attempts unleash.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s got Joe grabbed by the collar as he hauls\u00a0him out of harm\u2019s way, and as the dust settles and he realizes that the ceiling is still intact and won\u2019t come down on them for good, he can\u2019t help but give him a good shake.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t do that again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut Adam, we gotta\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot again, do you hear me?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo!\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe suddenly goes limp, then twists and wriggles himself out of Adam\u2019s grip. He gets just out of Adam\u2019s reach, then puts his arms akimbo. He looks like a miniature version of Pa like that, but his voice doesn\u2019t reach Pa\u2019s volume, even though he certainly goes for it.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t tell me nothing,\u201d he roars, two or three octaves too high to be truly impressive, but still nerve-grating\u00a0enough. \u201cYou think you know everything, just because you went to that fancy school of yours, and you think you can order me around.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI do not think\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut you can\u2019t tell me nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnything.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you\u2014what?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnything. I can\u2019t tell you\u00a0anything<\/em>. Or I can<\/em> tell you nothing. Even though there\u2019s slight difference in the meaning,\u00a0anything being not a thing and nothing being nil.\u201d He could warm up to the topic and go on for hours, but that\u2019s not the point. The point is that Joe is silent.<\/p>\n

And he remains so, for quite a while, just silently staring at Adam. Then he can\u2019t stop his lips from curling anymore. \u201cYou\u2019re pulling my leg, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

Not<\/em>\u00a0<\/em>completely<\/em>\u00a0<\/em>in the way you think, little brother, but still<\/em>\u2026 \u201cYep.\u201d<\/p>\n

And suddenly he\u2019s so very tired.\u00a0He reaches for Joe, pulls him back to where he can sit with his back to the wall and lowers himself down. Joe follows reluctantly.<\/p>\n

\u201cLook,\u201d Adam says, and he wonders why he didn\u2019t say it before Joe started to scream at him. Might have saved him the additional headache. \u201cThe wall is the only thing supporting the ceiling right now on this side of the mine. If we move the boulders\u2026well, you saw what happens then. So we can\u2019t do anything but wait for help. We\u2019ve got air and it\u2019s not overly hot in here, so we can go on without water for a while.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut no one knows we\u2019re here. I didn\u2019t tell anyone where I went.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell,\u00a0<\/em>I<\/em>\u00a0knew where you went, right? You didn\u2019t have to tell me. And, anyway, Hoss knows where we are. He was with me, was just tending to the horses when the mine collapsed. I bet he already got help. We might be out of here quicker we think.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI just want to be outta here before the party.\u201d<\/p>\n

The party. Of course. \u201cThe party is on Saturday night, Joe. That\u2019s two days from now, and I don\u2019t think they\u2019ll need that much time to get us out.\u201d<\/p>\n

And with that Joe\u2019s face lights up. Like a match being lit in the dark. \u201cThen I reckon I better go and see if I can find them diamonds. With all the rubble coming loose, perhaps some were pulled free, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam buries his head in his hands. He doesn\u2019t look up as he says, \u201cJoe, I told you there are no diamonds in this mine. It\u2019s a silver mine. And I\u2019ve never heard of diamond deposits in the territory anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut Mitch says he\u2019s seen some.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIn this mine?\u201d<\/p>\n

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

\u201cAnd what business did Mitch have in a closed mine, which you all know you\u2019re not allowed to set foot in?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe just went in for a spell, honest, Adam. We never stay for long, we\u2019re not stupid.\u201d<\/p>\n

Well, that\u2019s debatable<\/em>. \u201cYou were here before? Against Pa\u2019s express order?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust a few times, and only for short. Truly, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

His head hurts too much to launch into a full lecture. And anyway, Pa will do it as soon as Joe\u2019s out of here and found unscathed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m glad you knew where I went,\u201d Joe pipes up again. \u201cOr else\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Or else, indeed.\u00a0<\/em>\u201cOr else\u201d could have easily happened, even though Joe doesn\u2019t have to know that right now, for it had taken Adam a while to to figure out where Joe was heading when he found his little brother and his pony missing instead of seeing one of them cleaning horse tack and the other munching hay in the barn.<\/p>\n

While usually he and Joe seem to communicate in two different languages, Adam is quite apt in deciphering \u201cJoe\u201d to normal speech. Still, he had to go through their conversation at lunch several times to distill the crucial facts from his little brother’s incoherent rantings.<\/p>\n

The cornerstones were easy enough to identify:\u00a0coming Saturday night, Pa\u2019s birthday will be celebrated with a big party on the Ponderosa; a fact that has Hop Sing in a fuss already, and Joe almost as bad, just for a completely different reason. Cause of Joe\u2019s agitation is nothing less than Pa\u2019s birthday present. After much persuasion, Adam\u00a0showed\u00a0his brothers what he brought from Boston, just for this occasion: a silver tobacco\u00a0box, engraved with a clipper ship. Hoss then produced the beautiful set of Mexican spurs he bought from the money earned helping Widow Hawking chopping enough wood to last her all winter.<\/p>\n

Joe, it\u00a0turned out, had spent his little savings on candies for a girl at school, had been completely surprised by the sudden upcoming of Pa\u2019s birthday and was subsequently now short of a present.<\/p>\n

Neither Adam\u2019s idea to just draw Pa a picture like he used to was met with much gratitude or enthusiasm (\u201cI\u2019m not a little child anymore!\u201d) nor was Hoss\u2019s idea to whittle something (\u201cIn two days?\u201d). Instead Joe had lashed out at his brothers.<\/p>\n

Adam lost him somewhere between how unfair the two of them were, being older and able to earn money, and how he was going to show them and everyone else at the party.<\/p>\n

He was already saddling his horse to go after Joe\u2014irrationally, since\u00a0right then\u00a0he had no idea where that could be\u2014when he remembered hearing something \u00a0like \u201cmuch more precious\u201d and \u201cjust digging it up.\u201d That was when he knew where Joe was heading. It seemed a far cry,\u00a0but\u00a0something told him he was on the right scent.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s more than happy now he went with his instinct. Because if he\u2019d not,\u00a0then\u2026\u201dor else.\u201d<\/p>\n

He\u2019s torn out of his musings by another triumphant cry \u201cGotcha!\u201d and then\u00a0Joe appears at his side, swinging a dead snake in his good hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe rattler!\u201d he cries. \u201cLook, Adam, the mine got it after all!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh joy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Really, he might be able to reciprocate Joe\u2019s enthusiasm more if there weren\u2019t the pounding in his head. Or the buzzing in his ears. Or the queasiness.<\/p>\n

But Joe\u2019s\u00a0unperturbed. He swings the rattler back and forth a few times, then just hurls it into the depths of the mine and goes back on his diamond hunt.<\/p>\n

And of course, the place he deems perfect for his search is the one place Adam doesn\u2019t want him to be, the foot of the gravel wall.<\/p>\n

Everything goes quickly then. Joe lets out another whoop of joy, bends down and tries to retrieve something from the base of the wall\u2014the base!<\/em>\u2014Adam\u00a0jumps up to haul him back, stomach lurching, black spots in front of his eyes\u2014and the buzzing, the buzzing!<\/em>\u2014rocks come loose at the top of the wall, rippling down at an almost sedate pace, Joe looks up but does nothing\u2014the fool!\u2014<\/em>Adam knows he is too slow, much too slow to reach Joe in time, still he must try, but his legs won\u2019t support him anymore, he\u2019s falling, falling, and then a cry \u201cJoe!\u201d\u2014is that he?\u2014and another, \u201cAdam!\u201d and Joe\u2019s voice\u00a0is not as it was, and then his face hits the ground, and pain, and\u2014<\/p>\n

He wakes, and this time it isn\u2019t dark, and there isn\u2019t pain, not much anyway, and it isn\u2019t silent.\u00a0There\u2019s light and the crackling of fire, the smell of coffee, and a voice saying the familiar words of, \u201cWelcome to the land of the living, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pa.\u00a0Hallelujah!<\/em><\/p>\n

He\u2019s helped into a sitting position, pillows are stuffed behind his back, a glass pressed into his hand. Before he can enjoy the fresh, cool water, he has to answer the usual questions. Yes, can manage on his own. No, he doesn\u2019t feel much pain. Or nausea. In fact, he feels pretty well, thank you.\u00a0Yes, he\u2019s hungry, and yes, he thinks he can keep a solid meal down. And for the love of\u2026he knows his name. It\u2019s Adam. Cartwright, there. He has to admit he doesn\u2019t know which day it is. If he ventures a guess then perhaps Friday. He certainly has slept the night through.<\/p>\n

It turns out it\u2019s Saturday already.\u00a0Saturday night, to be precise. Pa\u2019s birthday party has been postponed, but Pa considers the rescue of his sons the best present anyway. That and his middle son\u2019s part in said rescue.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe rode like the wind,\u201d Pa summarizes it, \u201cgot help, and then dug most of the rubble out of the way himself.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd Joe?\u201d He\u2019s certain Joe can\u2019t be too bad off or Pa wouldn\u2019t be sitting at this bedside.\u00a0But he needs the reassurance.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s fine.\u00a0Anxious to see you. And positive he\u2019s the luckiest fellow in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

There\u2019s commotion in the hallway, and then Hoss and Joe are ushered into the room by Hop Sing, who deposits a huge tray on Adam\u2019s desk. Apparently Pa\u2019s birthday party will be taking place right here in\u00a0Adam\u2019s\u00a0room.<\/p>\n

And the first item on the agenda, it appears, is Joe\u2019s present to Pa. It\u2019s presented with as much dignity as Joe can muster, wrapped in a piece of velvety cloth. Joe fidgets and shifts on his chair, and Adam can see his hands twitching when Pa isn\u2019t quick enough to open the twine that keeps the velvet bundle together. But he gets completely still when Pa finally opens the fabric and reveals five\u00a0walnut-sized, faceted, clear stones.<\/p>\n

\u201cDiamonds,\u201d\u00a0Joe\u00a0prompts.\u00a0\u201cI found them in the mine, just before Hoss broke through the gravel. You can buy whatever you want with them.\u201d<\/p>\n

They regard the diamonds in reverent silence.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey are beautiful,\u201d Pa says after a while. \u201cI don\u2019t think I\u2019ll sell them. I\u2019d rather keep them as a reminder of\u00a0how lucky we were.\u201d<\/p>\n

He puts them on Adam\u2019s nightstand, one by one in a row. They\u00a0are<\/em>\u00a0beautiful. Perhaps the most beautiful mountain crystals\u00a0Adam has\u00a0ever seen.<\/p>\n

\u201cRight.\u201d He nods at Pa, then looks at Hoss, and finally smiles at Joe. \u201cHow lucky we are.\u201d And he means it.\u00a0Honestly.<\/p>\n

Yet\u00a0still\u00a0he can\u2019t help giving\u00a0a wink.<\/p>\n

The End<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Written for the 2017 Ponderosa Paddlewheel Poker Tournament.<\/p>\n

The words\/phrases dealt to me were:<\/p>\n

rattler<\/p>\n

lucky<\/p>\n

collapse<\/p>\n

Saturday night<\/p>\n

diamonds<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Tags:\u00a0 Adam Cartwright, Family, JAM, Joe \/ Little Joe Cartwright, trapped<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

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

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

Summary: Adam and Joe are caught in a cave in. Adam is not amused.<\/p>\n

3,937 words, rated K+<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":1242,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"template-full-width-post.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[23,4,41,30,40],"tags":[158],"class_list":["post-14617","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drama","category-humor","category-hurtcomfort","category-prequels","category-challenges","tag-pppt","wpcat-23-id","wpcat-4-id","wpcat-41-id","wpcat-30-id","wpcat-40-id"],"a3_pvc":{"activated":true,"total_views":3220,"today_views":1},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/bonanza31.jpg?fit=573%2C389&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":11341,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=11341","url_meta":{"origin":14617,"position":0},"title":"Sharp Draw (by BettyHT)","author":"BettyHT","date":"June 26, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0 Ben has to accept that his youngest is growing up. \u00a0His older sons help him and Little Joe make that transition with one very important lesson that Little Joe has to learn from Adam and Hoss. \u00a0 Rating = PG \u00a0WC = 1153","rel":"","context":"In "Brothers"","block_context":{"text":"Brothers","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=1009"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/brothers.jpg?fit=296%2C226&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":45172,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=45172","url_meta":{"origin":14617,"position":1},"title":"You Ain’t My Brother (by VRON)","author":"Preserving Their Legacy Author","date":"March 25, 2000","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: Sometimes it's hard being the eldest! 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A story of losses and miracles, told in ten vignettes. 3,300 words, rated T","rel":"","context":"In "Adam Cartwright"","block_context":{"text":"Adam Cartwright","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=1005"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/War-and-Peace1.jpg?fit=325%2C310&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14617","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\/20"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=14617"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14617\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1242"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=14617"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=14617"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=14617"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}