Summary:\u00a0 The Cartwrights become involved in the tragedy of a local family.<\/p>\n
Rating: PG, Word Count: 1757<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Sarah<\/strong><\/p>\n The snow crunched under her bare feet as she ran.<\/p>\n \u201cRun. Keep running,\u201d she told herself.<\/p>\n The cold hit her lungs and made them ache. She wheezed as she continued running. She looked behind her but saw no one. She dared not stop for fear of being caught and beaten or worse. She looked down and saw that her feet were bleeding and leaving tracks in the snow. The snow was falling heavily covering her tracks, giving her hope he wouldn\u2019t find her. She was deeper into the woods and getting tired. She pulled the blanket around her. It was the only thing she grabbed when she ran from home. She couldn\u2019t go on anymore and hoped she was far enough away that she wouldn\u2019t be found. The sun dipped down behind the mountains making the woods darker and she knew she had to find shelter. She saw a lean-to, climbed in, and curled under the blanket falling asleep. \u201cHoss, look over there. What is it?\u201d Adam asked pointing to a bump in a lean-to.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not sure. Let\u2019s check it out.\u201d<\/p>\n The two made their way to the lean-to. Hoss lifted the blanket.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s Sarah Mullins.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs she alive?\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss checked her and she moved but didn\u2019t wake up.<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s cold. Let\u2019s get her home.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss carefully picked her up and they took her to their horses. She woke fully when they got to the horses so Hoss helped her sit in front of him on his horse and he held onto her as they headed home. Adam went to get Doctor Paul Martin when they rode home and Hoss went to the Ponderosa.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat happened, Hoss?\u201d Ben asked as Hoss came into the house carrying Sarah.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know. We found her in the lean-to under the blanket.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss laid Sarah on the settee where she was now unconscious. A short while later, Adam and Paul walked in the house.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat happened, Hoss?\u201d Paul asked echoing Ben\u2019s question.<\/p>\n Hoss told Paul about finding Sarah. Paul checked her out.<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s lucky to be alive. With the snow and cold temperatures during the night, she could have died. I guess that blanket did some good,\u201d Paul said.<\/p>\n Sarah started to stir and Paul leaned over her.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere am I?\u201d she asked groggily.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re at the Ponderosa. What were you doing out in the snow?\u201d Paul asked.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2026I ran away from home.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n Sarah looked around at the Cartwrights afraid to tell them.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s all right, Sarah you\u2019re among friends,\u201d Ben said softly.<\/p>\n Sarah began to cry. \u201cMy step-father killed my mother last night.\u201d<\/p>\n Everyone looked at each other in stunned silence.<\/p>\n \u201cJoe, will you get the sheriff, please?\u201d Ben asked. Joe nodded and left.<\/p>\n When Sheriff Roy Coffee arrived he talked with Sarah.<\/p>\n \u201cI was in the house and I heard Tom and my mother yelling at each other. I peeked out of around the door and saw<\/p>\n Tom hit my mother, then shot her. I screamed and he saw me. He threatened to kill me. I grabbed my blanket, climbed out the window and ran. I was so afraid he\u2019d find me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll get a posse together and find him,\u201d Roy said and left.<\/p>\n Hoss sat by Sarah.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ll stay here and we\u2019ll keep you safe,\u201d Ben promised<\/p>\n \u201cOh, Mr. Cartwright, I can find another place or even get out of Virginia City,\u201d Sarah replied.<\/p>\n Hoss took her hand. \u201cYou\u2019ll stay, Sarah. No arguments,\u201d Hoss said.<\/p>\n Sarah smiled and nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s an extra room upstairs. It\u2019ll be safer there than down in this bedroom,\u201d Ben said.<\/p>\n \u201cThank you, Mr. Cartwright.\u201d Sarah whispered.<\/p>\n When Roy left the Ponderosa he went to Sarah\u2019s step-father\u2019s home but all he found was Sarah\u2019s mother, Maggie, lying dead in the living room. He sighed and knew she had been telling the truth. He took her body to town and had her buried in the cemetery then he headed back to the Ponderosa. He spoke with the Cartwrights and Sarah once more.<\/p>\n \u201cI buried your mother but I didn\u2019t see Tom anywhere. He may have run off,\u201d Roy said.<\/p>\n \u201cThank you for burying my mother. I appreciate it. Maybe I should leave the territory and go back east or Canada. Then maybe my step-father can\u2019t find me,\u201d Sarah said worriedly.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll find him and he will be brought to justice for this, Sarah,\u201d Roy promised.<\/p>\n Sarah gave him a sad smile. Roy tried to smile and left.<\/p>\n A week went by and Sarah was tired of being confined to the Ponderosa. The Cartwrights had kept an eye on her. Nobody had found Tom but they didn\u2019t let their guard down. Hoss spent much time with Sarah. She was interested in the animals around the Ponderosa and Hoss told her all about them. He rarely left her side.<\/p>\n One night, while Sarah was sitting at her window looking out, she thought about her mother and step-father. Tom married Maggie when Sarah was fifteen. Sarah never liked Tom. He had abused her and her mother. Sarah had spent much time at the Ponderosa with the Cartwrights and spent it mostly with Hoss. They were the same age. Ben treated her like a daughter. She had never told the Cartwrights what happened at home but Ben had an idea what was going on. He tried to talk to Tom but Tom became angry for being accused of something he claimed he never did. Ben said nothing more but continued to treat Sarah as one of his own. When Adam came home from college, she spent time with him too. While he taught Hoss how to shoot, she learned too. Sarah felt safe at the Ponderosa then and even now.<\/p>\n Movement caught Sarah\u2019s eyes. She tried to get a better look. The full moon was bright and showed the man clearly. Sarah gasped. It was Tom. She moved back from the window afraid he\u2019d see her. But it was too late, a loud bang from his rifle sounded and the household was aroused. The bullet missed Sarah and she ran out of her room and into Hoss.<\/p>\n \u201cHoss, it\u2019s Tom. He\u2019s out there,\u201d Sarah\u2019s voice shook with fear.<\/p>\n \u201cHoss, stay with her. We\u2019ll get him.\u201d Ben followed Adam and Joe down the stairs.<\/p>\n A few minutes later, Joe and Adam returned.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s gone. We looked around but we couldn\u2019t find him,\u201d Adam reported.<\/p>\n Sarah started to collapse but Hoss caught her. She had feared Tom would find and kill her, and she was relieved he was gone.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s all right,\u201d Hoss whispered and walked her back to her room.<\/p>\n The next day, Sarah decided that she would leave the territory and Hoss and Adam said they\u2019d travel with her. They had ridden through a forest when they heard a gunshot and Sarah heard it whistle near her ear and hitting a tree. They jumped off their horses and ducked behind trees. Hoss spotted Tom.<\/p>\n \u201cGive me my daughter!\u201d Tom yelled.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not your daughter!\u201d Sarah stood and shouted back.<\/p>\n Another shot sounded and Hoss pulled her back down. Tom moved closer to them. Adam and Hoss had their guns drawn but didn\u2019t make a move.<\/p>\n \u201cGive me Sarah,\u201d Tom said.<\/p>\n \u201cNo. You\u2019re coming with us to the sheriff. We know what you did to Maggie. Sarah told us all about it,\u201d Adam said.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know what you\u2019re talking about. I didn\u2019t do anything to Maggie. Sarah did. She and her mother got in an argument about something and I tried to stop them but Sarah shot her mother. She then ran away when I told her I was taking her to the sheriff,\u201d Tom lied.<\/p>\n Sarah stood up angrily.<\/p>\n \u201cYou shot her! You got in the argument with her about me. I saw you shoot her with the rifle you have in your hand. You came after me because I watched you kill her!\u201d Sarah yelled.<\/p>\n Hoss and Adam stood by Sarah.<\/p>\n \u201cHow can you believe her?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause we have known her and her mother for years before you came along,\u201d Hoss said.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you\u2019ll excuse us, we need to be going,\u201d Adam said.<\/p>\n \u201cYou won\u2019t be going anywhere,\u201d Tom said pointing his rifle at Adam.<\/p>\n The three watched Tom. Sarah was the first to move. She had had a gun behind her back when she stood and quickly shot it at Tom. The bullet it him in the stomach. Tom swung the rifle on her and shot her before falling. Both fell to the ground and Adam went to Tom while Hoss knelt by Sarah.<\/p>\n \u201cTom\u2019s dead,\u201d Adam said.<\/p>\n \u201cSarah\u2019s bad but still hanging on,\u201d Hoss replied.<\/p>\n Adam picked up Tom\u2019s rifle and looked at it then leaned it against a nearby tree. Adam looked at Hoss and Sarah who were talking quietly. Hoss held her tight and then Adam saw her slip away. Hoss pulled Sarah to him and silently cried. Adam looked down and clenched his jaw. He joined his brother and put a hand on Hoss squeezing his shoulder gently. Hoss looked up grateful for his brother\u2019s presence.<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s go take care of this,\u201d Adam said.<\/p>\n Hoss nodded. They took the bodies to town and they were buried in the cemetery two days later. Hoss and Adam told the sheriff what happened. At home they told Ben and Joe what happened. No one spoke of it again. Hoss was heartbroken and kept busy to keep his mind off everything.<\/p>\n Two years later, Joe and Hoss had been hunting. It was spring and the snow was melting. Joe saw something against a tree.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s that?\u201d He asked, heading to the tree.<\/p>\n He got off his horse and looked. Hoss realized where they were and what it was.<\/p>\n \u201cHoss, it\u2019s a rifle. It\u2019s a Winchester! Probably can\u2019t shoot it with the rust and the handle is really weathered and peeling,\u201d Joe said.<\/p>\n \u201cJoe, put it back,\u201d Hoss whispered.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPut it back,\u201d Hoss said louder.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy? This rifle has a story to it. Maybe it belonged to some trapper or hunter,\u201d Joe said excitedly.<\/p>\n \u201cNo Joe, it didn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow do you know?\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss explained the story.<\/p>\n \u201cThis was Tom\u2019s?\u201d Joe asked in disbelief.<\/p>\n \u201cYes. It should be left there or thrown in the river. Nobody needs it,\u201d Hoss said and rode off.<\/p>\n Joe put it back against the tree and mounted his horse. They rode off in silence.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Summary:\u00a0 The Cartwrights become involved in the tragedy of a local family.
\nHoss and Adam Cartwright had been hunting and returned to camp talking, with their rifles resting on their shoulders.<\/p>\n
\nRating: PG, Word Count: 1757<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12475,"featured_media":62121,"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_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[23,1008],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-48053","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drama","category-family","wpcat-23-id","wpcat-1008-id"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/BTR.png?fit=442%2C255&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48053","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\/12475"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=48053"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48053\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/62121"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=48053"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=48053"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=48053"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}