{"id":1737,"date":"2013-05-10T18:08:59","date_gmt":"2013-05-10T22:08:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=1737"},"modified":"2025-08-01T13:29:19","modified_gmt":"2025-08-01T17:29:19","slug":"rumor-has-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=1737","title":{"rendered":"Rumor Has It… (by BluewindFarm)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary<\/strong>:\u00a0 What happens when Adam and Joe have time to kill until the stage arrives?\u00a0 A Chaps & Spurs Challenge inspired story.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Rating<\/strong>:\u00a0 K+ \u00a0\u00a0 (1,030 words)<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

RUMOR HAS IT…<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The men in the town of Virginia City were beginning to turn out in full force as word spread via quiet whispers of the imminent spectacle, a once in a life time event that was taking everyone by surprise. Sam at the Silver Dollar began to brood as one by one his patrons headed for the door. It was one thing for his establishment to clear out as a result of a bar room brawl between ranch hands and miners, but it wasn\u2019t late enough on Saturday, it wasn\u2019t even night yet, and these men were calmly walking out the batwing doors. They waited along the boardwalk and looked down the main street to watch.<\/span><\/p>\n

Across the hard packed street in front of the Hardware store, men stood around the wagon stocked full of supplies. Two horses stood patiently in their harnesses, dozing in the warm afternoon sun that highlighted their coats. Their tails swished easily, batting down any flies that chose to land on them, but neither horse appeared agitated as the men began to gather. Occasionally, one or the other would shake their head and neck causing the chains that ran from the harnesses to the singletree to jingle.<\/span><\/p>\n

A stranger to town might have thought that a shootout between two known gunslingers would soon erupt, but for the fact that no one was hiding, they stood calmly, and in full view. Not one appeared worried or nervous; a hip cocked against the side of a building or an elbow resting against a stack of crates indicated everyone\u2019s devil-may-care attitude.<\/span><\/p>\n

The men whispered, inquiring what was stirring, but from one man to the next they shrugged their shoulders indicating they didn\u2019t know exactly; they\u2019d heard the rumor and as such, something was bound to happen. It had been a long time since they\u2019d seen her with such a determined look in her eye and she only had her eyes on one man. And if it happened on the main street and involved a Cartwright; then it was bound to be good.<\/span><\/p>\n

Two of Ben Cartwright\u2019s sons sauntered from the Silver Dollar saloon, both with a beer in hand and took in the sight of their friends and neighbors gathering along the boardwalk.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHow much longer do you think it\u2019s going to be Adam?\u201d Little Joe asked as they stepped to stand behind the back of a wagon.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t know, but the stage isn\u2019t due in for another hour or so, at least that\u2019s what Slim said when I asked him earlier.\u201d Adam answered as he checked his pocket watch.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDo you think it\u2019ll get here on time?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cProbably not…\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Both brothers and the others took in the happening down the road in front of the boarding house.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPa\u2019s gonna be upset that it\u2019s running late,\u201d Joe offered.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI imagine so,\u201d Adam answered.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI feel bad for Hoss,\u201d Joe commented and sipped his beer.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt couldn\u2019t be helped,\u201d Adam replied.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Both brothers kept their eyes on the unfolding affair just down the street.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDo you think we should go help him?\u201d Joe asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNope,\u201d Adam stated before he lifted the glass to his lips and took a deep drink of the still frothy beer. \u201cHe said that he didn\u2019t need our kind of assistance.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI know, but that was before\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf you want to be the one to go over there and suffer his wrath\u2026\u201d Adam smirked, his eyebrows rose as if daring Joe.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNah, think I\u2019ll wait right here and sip my beer.\u201d Joe looked around and saw more people coming to stand around them. Whispers slipped by on the wind, but words could not be distinguished. \u201cDo you think maybe we should go get Roy?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s not there. I saw him leave early this afternoon, overheard him muttering about an errand to run.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe could really use Roy\u2019s help,\u201d Joe muttered under his breath. \u201cYa know Adam, he\u2019s getting awfully red in the face.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat he is,\u201d offered Adam with a calm smile on his face.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe I should go get Doc Martin\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo need, he\u2019s over there\u2026\u201d With his in beer hand, he motioned off to the left. Adam carefully moved the glass, aware that he had spilled some of its contents as he pointed to the good doctor.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

\u201cYeah, Joe?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDo you think he\u2019s going to be okay?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe should\u2026 especially when he\u2019s reminded of today\u2019s date.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe looked curiously to his eldest brother, \u201cToday\u2019s date? I don\u2019t get it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s because the joke\u2019s not on you, little brother.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s not?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d say right about now, Clementine Hawkins should be getting ready to let Pa off the hook about accepting his marriage proposal\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe interrupted, \u201cBut Pa wouldn\u2019t propose\u2026 Not to her\u2026 I mean\u2026 He wouldn\u2019t propose without discussing it with us, would he?\u201d His voice revealed his panic. \u201cPlease\u2026 I can\u2019t see her as my step-mother.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t worry, Pa didn\u2019t propose. It all started in good fun after last Saturday\u2019s barn dance\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat started? What happened?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell\u2026\u201d Adam teased, waiting to see how long he could bait his youngest brother.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAh, come on Adam. You know Pa sent me to Old Man Grigson\u2019s to deliver those horses and I had to miss the dance.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAll right,\u201d Adam conceded. \u201cFrom what Roy told me, it seems that Pa bumped into Mrs. Hawkins, causing her to twist her ankle. And the way she carried on\u2026 Well, Pa felt so guilty, he spent the rest of the evening attending her, getting her punch and cookies and cake… Like I said, Roy and Paul probably cooked this up with Widow Hawkins; she\u2019s probably getting ready to wish Pa a Happy April Fool\u2019s Day as we speak. Too bad Hoss had to go out of town and miss this.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAdam\u2026 I hate to burst your bubble, but\u2026 uh\u2026 today isn\u2019t April First, that\u2019s tomorrow.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The beer mug fell from Adam\u2019s hand, shattering as it hit the ground, splashing the remaining contents on his pant legs and boots.<\/span><\/p>\n

~The End<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Inspired by:\u00a0 The Burma Rarity<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Story Tags: Adam Cartwright, <\/span>Joe \/ Little Joe Cartwright<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Summary:\u00a0 What happens when Adam and Joe have time to kill until the stage arrives?\u00a0<\/p>\n

Rating:\u00a0 K+ \u00a0\u00a0 (1,030 words)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":11800,"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":[39,23,1008,4,40],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1737","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-chaps-spurs","category-drama","category-family","category-humor","category-challenges","wpcat-39-id","wpcat-23-id","wpcat-1008-id","wpcat-4-id","wpcat-40-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\/09\/A-J.jpg?fit=400%2C320&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1737","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\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1737"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1737\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/11800"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1737"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1737"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1737"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}