{"id":4176,"date":"2014-04-27T15:23:51","date_gmt":"2014-04-27T19:23:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=4176"},"modified":"2026-07-29T13:11:11","modified_gmt":"2026-07-29T17:11:11","slug":"the-wainscots","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=4176","title":{"rendered":"The Wainscots (by ViveAdam)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary:\u00a0<\/span>After a meal washed down with plenty of wine and whisky, Ben makes a bet and that’s trouble for Adam<\/span><\/p>\n

Rated:<\/span>\u00a0K \u00a0WC \u00a02400<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Wainscots\u00a0<\/strong><\/div>\n
\n

For Ben Cartwright,<\/strong> breakfast was obviously the best moment to give orders and allocate his sons their daily chores.\u00a0That morning, first of April, the three boys, Adam, Hoss and Joe were wondering whether, by miracle, they weren\u2019t to be at the beginning of an unexpected day off.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss, leave some for Pa\u201d, Adam reprimanded while his huge brother was taking a third share of baked custard.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut you can see he\u2019s not going downstairs\u201d, Hoss answered with his mouth full. \u201c They sure have boozed hard, yesterday evening, his buddy Harry and him, and he\u2019s certainly sleeping it off. There\u2019s no point in losing such a good cream.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c Who is charging me for being sleeping my wine off\u00a0?\u201d a voice asked, coming from the firs floor.<\/p>\n

Hoss blushed as red as a peony: \u201cIt\u2019s me, Pa\u201d, he mumbled. \u201cI apologize. You see, I was just joking\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t believe you but I accept the apology since you\u2019re quite right.\u201d Ben answered while coming downstairs very carefully. \u201cJoe, please, pour me a cup of black coffee and you Adam, ask Ho-Psing to cook me a pair of eggs and bacon. It will help me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Once fed up, Ben settled himself comfortably and considered his three sons who were waiting, a little disconcerted.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, sons, I had been at least ten years without meeting Harry again. Last time he had caught sight of Joe, this one was still a lad with short pants. Good old Harry! Lucky Harry, we used to call him. Everything he wanted, he had it by luck while I got it by working. When he wanted something, he found a good bet to make with the owner and he won. According to him, he never lost a bet.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe, it will never happen\u201d Joe said, laughing.<\/p>\n

\u201cHope you\u2019re wrong, because the last bet he made, he made it with me, yesterday evening.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat you did? You\u2019re not scared!\u201d Joe resumed, banging his thighs.<\/p>\n

His father smiled to him\u00a0: \u201cI think I was smashed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam huddled up in his chair: \u201cMay we know what was the bet about?\u201d he whispered between his teeth.<\/p>\n

Ben emphasized his smile\u00a0: \u201cDo you know, he definitely wanted to take me home and he went up to my bedroom. He was absolutely charmed by the wainscots you applied on my walls. I told him each panel was a handicraft from you. He could not believe it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI thank him for the compliment but this has nothing to do with my question.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re wrong. I bet with him that you\u2019re able to do the same in his bedroom within a month.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam got up abruptly, hands laid down on the table: \u201cWithin one month\u00a0! But do you realize how much time it took for me to put the finishing touches to your panels. Each one unique\u00a0! I started on your fifty-third birthday to have your room ready for your fifty-fourth.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes but you were doing it after work. In this case, I will give you the full days to work on it.\u201d<\/p>\n

On the edge of a nervous breakdown, Adam sank down into his chair.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd the stake\u00a0?\u201d he weakly asked, trembling, \u201cwhat\u2019s the stake\u00a0?\u201d<\/p>\n

His father kept silent for a while. He knew his son and was weighing what answer could lead him to surpass himself.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe sawmill.\u201d<\/p>\n

Absolutely blank, Adam got up: \u201cBut you\u2019re crazy\u00a0!\u201d he shouted, \u201cThe sawmill, the sawmill\u2026 Do you realize\u00a0?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBah\u201d retorted Ben, \u201cthe sawmill, you\u2019re the only one to care for. Your brothers have always been more interested in raising cattle than in cutting boles into sections.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut wood business is a good part of our income.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo what? We\u2019ll sell the trees, that’s that. Besides, there\u2019s nothing to worry about, we\u2019re going to win this bet.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEasy for you to say that\u201d, his eldest fulminated.\u00a0Ben looked for help from his other sons but Hoss was rolling astounded eyes and, for once mute, Joe was scratching his head. So he got up and came next to Adam.<\/p>\n

\u201cListen Adam\u00a0: it\u2019s very important for me to win this bet. I\u2019ll put all the hands, all the means you need at your disposal. And if you\u2019re successful, I\u2019ll give you anything you want.\u201d<\/p>\n

With a fit of anger, Adam freed himself and headed to the door.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere are you going\u00a0?\u201d Joe asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere do you think I am going\u00a0? To the sawmill. I guess I\u2019d better start immediately\u201d<\/p>\n

He went out and then stopped on the doorstep\u00a0:\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019d better bring me supplies and my blanket. And spare clothes too. I\u2019ll have to sleep on the spot.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll have anything you wish\u201d said Ben, attentive.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn that case, don\u2019t forget to provide two shirts a day. I hate to be left to stew in my sweat.\u201d<\/p>\n

Then, getting on his horse, he rode off at a gallop.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s mad\u201d, Joe stated.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut Pa\u201d, Hoss pointed out, \u201cwhat a weird idea you had : taking the sawmill as stake. Why did you do that\u00a0?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben burst out laughing\u00a0: \u201cSo, you too, you swallowed the bait. I never bet the sawmill\u2026 I bet\u2026 Oh, no, that\u2019s too funny\u2026 I bet\u2026\u201d\u00a0Choking with laughter, he was unable to go on.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut at last, what was the stake\u00a0?\u201d, Hoss asked<\/p>\n

\u201cMy old uniform. The one I wore as an officer of the navy. I haven\u2019t been able to worm my way into it, for ages. Harry always admired and coveted it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat if you win\u00a0?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI win this wonderful amber pipe of his, carved in a woman\u2019s body\u2019s shape. Never saw such a beautiful pipe\u00a0!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut why did you say Adam\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat the sawmill was at stake\u00a0?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t talk both at the same time. If I had told Adam what trifling things were at stake, he would never have accepted to work relentlessly during a month as he intends to do now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut Pa, don\u2019t you think it\u2019s a little\u2026 too much to let Adam work so much \u2026 for such a small thing\u00a0?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I think so, Hoss, but it\u2019s too late. The bet is done, fairly done. My honor has to be saved. Moreover, I would be annoyed to give my uniform. It\u2019s a memory for me, of the time I was wooing Adam\u2019s mother. Well, let\u2019s go and bring him his stuff. And afterwards, we\u2019ve got to go to work. We will be only three, for a month, to accomplish a four men task.\u201d<\/p>\n

As they reached the sawmill, Rabouy, the foreman, got close to Ben and said\u00a0: \u201cI dunno what you did to Mr. Adam, Mr. Ben but he hustled us more than ever. He says we have to prepare moulds for wood engraving, that four patterns will be far enough for this\u2026 Oh, no I can\u2019t repeat the word he said\u2026 In short, everybody is now busy cutting very thin planks, as if Ponderosa inhabitants\u2019 life was depending on it\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSomething like that, Rabouy, something like that\u00a0! Listen, I\u2019m asking to make your outmost to fulfill Adam\u2019s needs. I\u2019m aware that I ordered him something very difficult to achieve. So please, help him. Everybody will receive a bonus at the end of the month. That will be a compensation to suffering my son\u2019s quick-temperedness.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00ab\u00a0But Mr. Hoss or Mr. Joe, they never hustle us this way\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know, Fred\u201d, Hoss had his good large smile while talking, \u201cJoe and I must admit that we\u2019ve never been in charge of such a work as the one Pa has just left to Adam\u2019s care\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, sure that Mr. Adam is a hard worker. None of us can pride himself on working more than him. That, we must acknowledge. And he is the best to organize work. But what do you mean, Mr.\u00a0Hoss\u00a0? What\u2019 s this job he\u2019s been given\u00a0? \u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe kind of job that seems impossible to achieve.\u201d Ben answered<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, he\u2019ll do it, don\u2019t worry. D\u2019you know what I say\u00a0?\u201d<\/p>\n

This was Rabouy\u2019s main failing : he liked to make jokes.\u00a0 Awful jokes\u00a0! But he would repeat it until he heard a giggle from the person he was speaking to, so you\u2019d better hurry up to laugh whatever you could think.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you say\u00a0?\u201d Ben asked, patiently.<\/p>\n

\u201cI say\u00a0: what is more stubborn than a mule\u00a0?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam\u00a0?\u201d Joe tried.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo\u201d, laughed Rabouy, banging his thighs, \u201ctwo mules. And what is more stubborn than two mules\u00a0?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThree mules\u201d Hoss retorted.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Mr.\u00a0Adam\u00a0!\u201d<\/p>\n

Proud of himself, Rabouy stared at his boss but seeing that Ben was hardly smiling, he became serious: \u201cAll right, Mr. Ben, we\u2019re going to give him a hand, your kid. Basically, we like him, d\u2019you know\u00a0?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo do I, Rabouy\u201d, Ben commented with a crooked smile, \u201cbut right now, I wouldn\u2019t take the risk to disturb him. Hoss, take his stuff to him. And make sure he gets enough coffee, he\u2019ll certainly need a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe would have added a bottle of whisky if we had one but Pa and his friend have emptied the supplies\u201d, Joe observed ironically.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe\u201d, Ben retorted, \u201cremember that I\u2019m still able to give you a spanking !<\/p>\n

\u201d****************************************************************<\/p>\n

A MONTH LATER<\/p>\n

\u00ab\u00a0Harry\u00a0\u00bb, a triumphant Ben declared, \u201cthis is April 30th and Adam told me he was sticking the last wainscot this morning\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Ben, it\u2019s superb\u00a0! I definitely don\u2019t regret my old pipe or my first lost bet. Except for yours, no room can match my bedroom. Of course, I\u2019ll pay the supplies and the work.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s worth a lot\u00a0!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI guess so. That\u2019s why I have a deal to offer. Give me your son. We could mass-produce wainscoted rooms to Sacramento\u2019s wealthy classes. He would just have to draw-up one design per family and the factory would produce it instead of him manufacturing it. There\u2019s a lot of money to earn.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00ab\u00a0Ask him personally. He\u2019s old enough. Here he comes.\u201d<\/p>\n

With his shirt widely opened on his chest\u2019s abundant growth, Adam had just appeared. He planted himself in front of Harry, hands on the hips in a typical attitude of his and said\u00a0: \u201cYour room is ready, Mr. Burby. In less than a month\u00a0!\u201d<\/p>\n

With his sleeve\u2019s cuff, he wiped the sweat that formed on his forehead.<\/p>\n

\u201cPlease, call me Harry and let me congratulate you, young man. Why don\u2019t you have a cup of coffee and, while you drink it, I suggest something I\u2019ve in mind for you\u00a0?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m afraid you\u2019ll have to wait, Mr. Burby. I don\u2019t know what you\u2019ve got in mind but as for me, at this very moment, I\u2019ve got only one idea\u00a0: my bed\u00a0! I\u2019ve not been sleeping more than four hours a night for a month.\u201d<\/p>\n

And glaring to his father, he went out without adding a word.<\/p>\n

He slept forty-eight hours at a stretch. When finally he emerged from his sheets, he found a sumptuously dressed table with a French bottle of champagne waiting to be uncorked. His father had everything in hand to celebrate, as deserved, his success.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome on, champion. Hope you\u2019re no longer angry.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, no. Difficult to stay angry when you get out of such a deep sleep. And I\u2019d say this champagne bottle is a good idea of yours. I think I quite deserve it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSpeaking of that\u201d, Ben said, \u201cit\u2019s time to talk about your reward. Just name a number. Of course, it will be a supplement to your usual wages.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t need money\u201d, Adam answered with a smile, \u201cthe sawmill is mine.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you say\u00a0?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00ab\u00a0 Hadn\u2019t I won your stupid bet, Mr. Burby would presently be the sawmill\u2019s owner. I prevented it to happen, the sawmill is mine, it\u2019s just fair\u00a0!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut, but\u2026 Adam\u201d, Joe stammered.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s the matter\u00a0? Do you think I\u2019m stealing your inheritance ? Don\u2019t blame me, your father is the one who put our patrimony at stake, not me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss wanted to plunge and speak the truth. Ben stopped him : \u201cThen, the one who wanted to diddle is diddled\u201d he said. \u201cI told you a ridiculous lie, to drive you, Adam, to win this bet with the only purpose to pride myself. I wanted to be the one who would have Harry loose a bet. It costs me the sawmill. The deal is fair.\u201d<\/p>\n

Turning back to his younger sons, Ben apologized : \u201cBasically, the sawmill was the least of your worries. I\u2019ll compensate you. Harry paid a good price for his luxurious room\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMay be the reason is I\u2019m half asleep\u201d Adam said \u201cbut, I\u2019ve undoubtedly overlooked a few details\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben looked miserable. \u201cFifty-four\u00a0years old and I still didn\u2019t learn to weigh the consequences of my acting and talking. I had to be really drunk not to have realized that I\u2019d better loose my bet than lie to my son. Adam, I can\u2019t conceal it to you any longer, the sawmill wasn\u2019t the stake. It was only my old navy officer uniform. I found this invention to make sure you would do your best. From now on, you will not trust me any more.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss came next to his father as to protect him. Joe\u2019s eyes were growing black.\u00a0Adam stood a moment remaining silent, his mouth half opened and then exploded in a burst of laughter.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou did that, you, only to keep my nose to the grindstone\u00a0? Ha, ha, ha, Pa, you\u2019re definitely the youngest of us. Ha, ha, ha\u2026 When I think I\u2019ve been working so hard just to preserve you navy officer uniform\u00a0!\u00a0\u00bb<\/p>\n

\u201cWhich now fits only me\u201d Joe noticed joining his eldest in his mirth.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd all he won\u201d Hoss added guffawing, \u201cit\u2019s a nekkid woman shaped pipe.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I had to find a lady friend to share my beautiful bedroom\u201d, Ben concluded, highly relieved. \u201cNow, it\u2019s dinner time, come and eat. After all these emotions, I could eat a horse\u00a0! Bet I will eat more than Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t bet, Pa, Hoss is able to win Ho-Psing\u00a0!\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

THE END<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
Disclaimer:<\/span>\u00a0All publicly recognizable characters and settings are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Summary:\u00a0After a meal washed down with plenty of wine and whisky, Ben makes a bet and that’s trouble for Adam<\/p>\n

Rated:\u00a0K \u00a0WC \u00a02400<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":130,"featured_media":3765,"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":[1016,23,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4176","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-adam-pa","category-drama","category-humor","wpcat-1016-id","wpcat-23-id","wpcat-4-id"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/panorama.jpg?fit=400%2C307&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4176","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\/130"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4176"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4176\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3765"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4176"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4176"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4176"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}