\n~*~*~ Advent Calendar ~*~*~<\/span>\u00a0<\/strong><\/span>
\n* Day 11 *\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
The Storm Whisperer<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cWhat you think number one son do in there?\u201d<\/p>\n Ben Cartwright pulled at his chin as he eyed his housekeeper and friend.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cHe wouldn\u2019t let you in?\u201d<\/p>\n Hop Sing shook his head.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cTell this one to leave bucket of coal outside and go!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTold?<\/i>\u201d<\/p>\n The Asian man shrugged.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cAsk\u2026but not politely.\u201d<\/p>\n The rancher stared at the wooden barrier barring him from Elizabeth\u2019s boy. It was just a door, but with the key turned in the lock it might as well be an impregnable wall.\u00a0\u00a0He respected his oldest boy\u2019s deep devotion to privacy, but there\u00a0were<\/i>\u00a0times\u2026.<\/p>\n \u201cDid you tell him Hoss and Little Joe will be back soon, and that he\u2019s expected to join the family for dinner?\u2019<\/p>\n \u201cMistah Adam says he knows and will be there.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben dropped his hand to his side as a gentle inner voice reminded him that he needed to exercise patience.\u00a0\u00a0He wasn\u2019t sure which of his late wives it was, but he had a good idea!\u00a0\u00a0Things had been off-kilter in their home for the last few days.\u00a0\u00a0Their current foreman, Hawkins Walling, had volunteered to escort Hoss and Little Joe on their journey north to deliver Christmas presents to a few of the Ponderosa\u2019s tenants, so both boys were gone.\u00a0\u00a0In the meantime he\u2019d come down with a cold.\u00a0\u00a0When he found out about it, Adam declared he didn\u2019t want to catch it and disappeared into his room.\u00a0\u00a0He\u2019d seen the twenty-one year old\u2026maybe\u2026two times since.\u00a0\u00a0The result of all of this was one\u00a0very<\/i>\u00a0irate Hop Sing who did nothing but complain that there was no one to eat his food and he might as well go back to China!<\/p>\n Sigh.<\/p>\n Come hell or high water \u2013 or obstinate sons \u2013\u00a0tonight<\/i>\u00a0they were\u00a0all<\/i>\u00a0going to sit down together and eat as a family!\u00a0\u00a0Ben eyed the Asian man standing next to him.\u00a0\u00a0Hop Sing was tapping his toe.\u00a0\u00a0There was no steam coming out of his ears.<\/p>\n Yet.<\/p>\n Ben raised his hand and rapped \u2013 gently.<\/p>\n A chair slid back.\u00a0\u00a0Something hit the floor. There was a scuffling noise and then footsteps.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is it, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYour door is locked,\u201d Ben huffed.\u00a0\u00a0His boys knew he did\u00a0not<\/i>\u00a0approve of their doors being locked \u2013 for innumerous reasons.<\/p>\n A pause.\u00a0\u00a0Then.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s Christmas.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know its Christmas.\u00a0\u00a0Well, it\u2019s\u00a0almost<\/i>\u00a0Christmas.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Actually it was Christmas Eve day.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cI\u2019m not sure that\u2019s an adequate excuse for locking yourself away.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m\u2026\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Another pause.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cI\u2019m working on something.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWorking on what?\u201d Ben demanded.<\/p>\n Adam didn\u2019t whine \u2013 at least not on an ordinary day.\u00a0\u00a0So whatever this was it must be\u00a0out<\/i>\u00a0of the ordinary.<\/p>\n \u201cAh, Pa\u2026.\u00a0\u00a0Can\u2019t you give a fellow a break?\u00a0\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0Christmas!<\/i>\u201d<\/p>\n The rancher sighed.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cI expect you at supper.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll\u2026.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Footsteps again.\u00a0\u00a0Retreating. \u201c\u2026be there\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSix o\u2019clock sharp!\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Ben glanced at Hop Sing, who nodded vehemently.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cYou brothers will be home by then.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSeven,\u201d his son said.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cGot it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSix!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSix.\u00a0\u00a0Sure, Pa.\u00a0\u00a0See you\u2026then\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben pursed his lips as he struggled with what the angel voice in his head clearly defined as \u2018unreasonable\u2019 anger.\u00a0\u00a0Since the boy\u2019s return from college Adam had been\u2026well\u2026frankly\u00a0different<\/i>.\u00a0\u00a0Where before his level-headed, sure-of-himself, more than capable son had been given to brief bouts of reverie, now it seemed he lived in a world of words with briefer bouts of practicality.<\/p>\n Hop Sing shook his head.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cMistah Adam builds a tower in the sky.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf that means the boy has his head in the clouds these days, I completely agree!\u201d\u00a0\u00a0The rancher threw his hands in the air.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cEnough money to fund a cattle drive and what do I get for it?\u00a0\u00a0A daydreamer!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCould be Mistah Adam\u2019s dreams come true one day,\u201d the Asian man added, his tone slightly scolding.<\/p>\n He looked sharply at Hop Sing.<\/p>\n \u201cTell that to the cows!\u201d<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n Adam was in his seat at the dining table at 6:00.\u00a0\u00a0He\u2019d expected the boy to be chagrinned.\u00a0\u00a0Instead, he was distracted.<\/p>\n He<\/i>\u00a0was distracted too.\u00a0\u00a0Hoss and Little Joe were overdue.<\/p>\n Hours overdue.<\/p>\n \u201cMister Ben want Hop Sing wait more before he serve food?\u201d<\/p>\n Ben wasn\u2019t at the table.\u00a0\u00a0He was at the door \u2013 again \u2013 staring out into the night.\u00a0\u00a0What he saw this time troubled him.\u00a0\u00a0Where before there had been flurries, now a heavy snow had begun to fall.\u00a0\u00a0It had fallen so silently they\u2019d been unaware of it.\u00a0\u00a0It was already inches deep.<\/p>\n \u201cMister Hawk take good care of boys,\u201d the Asian man said.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cHe grow up in wild.\u201d<\/p>\n Hawkins or Hawk Wallings was a bit of an enigma.\u00a0\u00a0One of the other hands had recommended him, but other than that he came to the Ponderosa seemingly empty-handed.\u00a0\u00a0The man had a keen, shrewd way about him, often sensing peril before it arrived.\u00a0\u00a0He\u2019d heard rumors Hawk was at least half-Paiute and had felt confident placing his two younger sons in his care.<\/p>\n Had that been a mistake?<\/p>\n \u201cWhat Mistah Ben want Hop Sing do?\u2019<\/p>\n Oh, yes.\u00a0\u00a0There\u00a0had\u00a0<\/i>been a question.<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s wait a bit longer,\u201d he said and added \u2013 mostly to convince himself, \u201cI\u2019m sure the boys will show up soon.\u00a0\u00a0There!\u201d<\/p>\n The worried father\u2019s heart leapt with joy at the sound of horses\u2019 hooves striking the packed earth of the trail that led to the house \u2013 only to clench with fear at the absence of the telltale rumble of a wagon\u2019s wheels afterward.\u00a0\u00a0Ben stepped outside and into what had become a wintry tempest.\u00a0\u00a0The wind had picked up; driving what snow already lay on the ground into the air to mix with the fresh precipitation.\u00a0\u00a0He could barely make out the riders who had halted a few feet away from him and dismounted.\u00a0\u00a0The pair exchanged a few words before one headed for the barn to stable their animals and the other came his way.<\/p>\n The fear he felt?<\/p>\n It intensified as he recognized Deputy Sheriff Roy Coffee.<\/p>\n Ben stepped out of the way and then followed his friend into the foyer.\u00a0\u00a0Roy was enveloped in snow from the owlish tips of his bushy brows to the toes of his well-worn boots.\u00a0\u00a0When the lawman removed his hat, the action created a cascade of the white stuff that sent Hop Sing running for a broom.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s colder than a privy seat on the shady side of an iceberg out there!\u201d he declared.<\/p>\n \u201cHas it been snowing hard for very long?\u201d the rancher asked.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cI looked an hour or so ago and it was just flurries.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe storm came out of nowhere like a dust devil on a calm day!\u201d the lawman declared.\u00a0\u00a0He blew out a breath as he stamped his feet and sent more snow flying.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cI\u2019m tellin\u2019 you, Ben, I ain\u2019t seen anythin\u2019 like it since the winter of 1847!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy are you here?\u201d Ben asked bluntly and then thought better of it.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cForgive me, Roy.\u00a0\u00a0I\u2019m waiting on the boys to get back and admit I\u2019m a bit nervous.\u00a0\u00a0What is it brings\u00a0you\u00a0<\/i>out in this kind of weather?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLike as not a man could get lost in it.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Roy eyed him oddly as he stepped aside to avoid being swept up with the snow by Hop Sing\u2019s broom.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cSorry to say, most like I wouldn\u2019t have come at all if I\u2019d of known \u2013 even with what I have to tell you.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben braced himself.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cAnd what do you\u00a0have\u00a0<\/i>to tell me?\u201d<\/p>\n Roy held his gaze.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cSeems a bright colored buckboard came into town this morning full of Christmas presents.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam had moved to join them.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cThat can\u2019t be Hoss and Joe.\u00a0\u00a0Weren\u2019t they headed north?\u00a0\u00a0Away from the settlement?\u201d<\/p>\n Yes, they were.\u00a0\u00a0But maybe they had changed their mind.\u00a0\u00a0Maybe Little Joe talked his brother into visiting the growing town.\u00a0\u00a0The boy had a charm that was hard to resist and this time of year, walked away from most every establishment with an armload of sweets and other presents \u2013 as well as cheeks that had turned bright red from being pinched.\u00a0\u00a0Hoss had a girl he was sparking.\u00a0\u00a0Maybe.<\/p>\n Hopefully\u2026.<\/p>\n \u201cDid you talk to the boys?\u00a0\u00a0Or to Hawk?\u201d<\/p>\n Roy\u2019s gaze held.\u00a0\u00a0The look behind it softened.<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u00a0\u00a0Weren\u2019t no one in it.\u201d<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n Snow on the floor forgotten, Hop Sing retreated into the kitchen and returned with a tray of hot coffee and cold cuts just as the man who had come with Roy appeared at the door.\u00a0\u00a0Thom Burnett was a junior deputy and only a little older than Adam.\u00a0\u00a0Ben managed to keep his pacing to a minimum as the two men warmed their insides and filled their bellies, though it was just about all he could do not to wear a rut in the floor by the door.<\/p>\n At last Roy put his cup down and ran a napkin over his mustache.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cThank you, Hop Sing, and\u00a0you<\/i>, Ben.\u00a0\u00a0I know it ain\u2019t easy to wait for information.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0The lawman shook his head \u2013 this time the snow had melted and it didn\u2019t fly.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cTrouble is, I ain\u2019t got much of anythin\u2019 to tell you.\u201d<\/p>\n The aforementioned vehicle wasn\u2019t their own.\u00a0\u00a0Hoss and Little Joe had wanted something \u2018festive\u2019 for their St. Nick trip, so he\u2019d had Hawk rent one from the livery.\u00a0\u00a0It was a modified buckboard \u2013 sleek and fast \u2013 painted a brilliant green with red and white trim.\u00a0\u00a0Little Joe had taken along a set of sleigh bells to adorn it.<\/p>\n There would be no mistaking that wagon.<\/p>\n \u201cWas there any sign of\u2026distress?\u201d the worried father asked.<\/p>\n \u201cThe horses was lathered, like they\u2019d spooked,\u201d Thom remarked.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cWasn\u2019t anything else.\u201d<\/p>\n So maybe the horses ran but there had been no accident?<\/p>\n Ben glanced out the window at the howling snow.<\/p>\n Even so – that\u00a0still<\/i>\u00a0left Hawk and his young sons on foot in a tempest of white.<\/p>\n \u201cAll right,\u201d he said. \u201cSo we can hope no one is hurt.\u00a0\u00a0Could either of you tell from what direction the wagon had come?\u201d<\/p>\n Roy nodded.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cLooked to have come out of the west.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2018West\u2019 of the settlement was where the Millers lived \u2013 in particular fifteen-year-old Elspeth Miller.<\/p>\n Adam\u2019s thoughts had followed his own.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cMaybe they made a detour on the way home.\u00a0\u00a0I know Hoss had something for Elspeth.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYour brother wasn\u2019t in charge.\u00a0\u00a0Hawk was and he should have known better,\u201d the older man stated firmly.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, but\u2026it\u2019s\u2026.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Adam\u2019s sentence faded under his piercing gaze.\u00a0\u00a0The rancher sighed.\u00a0\u00a0He\u00a0knew<\/i>\u00a0what the boy was about to say.<\/p>\n But it\u2019s Christmas.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, what is done is done.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Ben turned to Hop Sing.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cGet our things ready.\u00a0\u00a0We leave in an hour.\u00a0\u00a0We\u2019ll travel as far as we can tonight and start the search first thing in the morning.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m tellin\u2019 you, Ben, you can\u2019t do that!\u2019\u00a0\u00a0Roy declared.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cThere ain\u2019t no way you\u2019re gonna be able to travel tonight.\u00a0\u00a0You cain\u2019t see your hand in front of your nose!\u201d\u00a0\u00a0The lawman paused for effect.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cYou venture into that storm tonight and you\u2019ll be just as lost as them boys of yours!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe wouldn\u2019t be alone,\u201d Adam stated flatly.<\/p>\n \u201cThen you\u2019d\u00a0both<\/i>\u00a0be lost as lost as a calf in a hail storm!\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Roy glanced at the dining room window; now a curtain of white.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cAin\u2019t\u00a0no one<\/i>\u00a0goin\u2019 nowhere until the storm stops.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe it will stop before morning,\u201d his eldest said; his tone odd \u2013 as if, maybe, he knew something they didn\u2019t.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cCould be it\u2019s just a squall.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, now, that would be right nice!\u201d Roy declared. \u201cBut there ain\u2019t no way of knowin\u2019 that unless you got God\u2019s ear!\u201d<\/p>\n Adam\u2019s lips curled ever so slightly at the ends.<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe I do.\u201d<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n Ben knew now what Adam had been hiding in his room \u2013 or he\u00a0would<\/i>\u00a0have if he had had\u00a0any<\/i>\u00a0idea what he was staring at.\u00a0\u00a0The brass, glass and metal contraption looked something like a carousel, with jars for horses and a hot air balloon attached at the top.\u00a0\u00a0Each jar contained an inch and a half of water and had a cork stopper.\u00a0\u00a0An elegantly fashioned brass ring hung suspended above them from which a thin line ran to each.\u00a0\u00a0At the heart of the curious apparatus was a long-necked black bottle upon which the balloonish top rested.<\/p>\n Weird as it was, strangest of all were the tiny black creatures the bottles held captive.<\/p>\n \u201cLeeches?\u201d he asked incredulous.<\/p>\n Roy scratched his head as he asked, \u201cJust where\u2019d you find leeches this time of year, boy?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam cocked one ink-slash eyebrow.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cLeeches are remarkable creatures, well able to survive frigid temperatures that would kill a man.\u00a0\u00a0They\u00a0are<\/i>\u00a0less active in the winter, but they\u2019re there if you know where to look \u2013 which is mostly close to the shore under rocks and in thick grasses.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou been out huntin\u2019 \u2018em?\u201d the lawman queried.<\/p>\n His son cleared his throat and answered, with a quick glance at him.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cI went before I did my chores and after, since dawn and twilight were the best times to do so.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Adam reached under the table and produced a large glass jar filled halfway with the wiggling, wriggling creatures.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cI caught more than I needed.\u00a0\u00a0I had to find some way to pay for my research so what I haven\u2019t used, I\u2019ve sold to to\u2026Doc\u2026 Martin\u2026.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0He paused, seemingly confused.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cIs there a problem?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cResearch?\u201d Ben inquired.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cYou\u2019ve been researching leeches?\u00a0\u00a0Whatever for?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy tempest prognosticator,\u201d the boy replied as if those two words explained everything.<\/p>\n He exchanged a look with Roy.<\/p>\n \u201cYour\u00a0what?<\/i>\u201d the lawman asked.<\/p>\n Adam placed a hand on top of the odd-looking device.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cMy tempest prognosticator.\u00a0\u00a0It\u2019s\u2026well\u2026.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0He looked abashed.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cMerry Christmas, Pa.\u00a0\u00a0It was going to be a surprise.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben\u2019s dark brows peaked.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cFor me?\u00a0\u00a0And just\u00a0what\u00a0<\/i>may I ask would I do with a \u2018tempest prognosticator??\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA great deal!\u00a0\u00a0It\u2019s also known as a leech barometer.\u00a0\u00a0Dr. George Merryweather invented it in 1821.\u00a0\u00a0During his experiments Dr. Merryweather noted that medicinal leeches displayed a high measure of sensitivity in reaction to electrical conditions of the rain in the atmosphere.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Adam continued; his zeal showing.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cHe was inspired by two lines from a\u00a0poem<\/i>\u00a0by Edward Jenner. Pa!\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u2018The leech disturbed is newly risen; Quite to the summit of his prison.\u2019\u201d<\/i>\u00a0\u00a0He pointed to each jar in turn.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cThe twelve leeches live in the bottles.\u00a0\u00a0When they become agitated by an approaching storm, they attempt to climb out of the bottles.\u00a0\u00a0At the top they trigger a small hammer which strikes the bell in the tower.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Adam sounded the bell with a flick of his finger.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cThe likelihood of a storm is indicated by the number of times the bell is struck.\u201d<\/p>\n Roy leaned in and pointed as well.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cSeems to me your prognosticator ain\u2019t workin\u2019, boy.\u00a0\u00a0Them leeches look like they\u2019re plum wore out.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben had to agree.\u00a0\u00a0Each of the captive creatures languished on the circular bottom of their glass cage.<\/p>\n \u201cBut what if it\u00a0is?\u201d<\/i>\u00a0\u00a0His son\u2019s eyes went wide.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cDon\u2019t you see?\u00a0\u00a0Earlier, of a sudden, they all descended. That\u2019s a clear indicator that the storm is going to be short-lived!\u201d<\/p>\n Clear.<\/p>\n Ben stifled his sigh.<\/p>\n The boy\u00a0did<\/i>\u00a0have a way with words.<\/p>\n Roy was not convinced.<\/p>\n \u201cNow, listen here, Adam!\u00a0\u00a0You ain\u2019t gonna risk your life\u00a0and\u00a0<\/i>your pa\u2019s life on some kind of hocus-pocus high-falutin\u2019 thinker\u2019s nonsense, not if I have anythin\u2019 to say about it!\u201d\u00a0\u00a0He snorted.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cThem little critters don\u2019t know what weather\u2019s comin\u2019 any more than Old Pete\u2019s big toe!\u201d<\/p>\n That would be the big toe \u2018Old Pete\u2019 lost in the last war.<\/p>\n But that<\/i>\u00a0was another story.<\/p>\n So far Ben had remained silent.<\/p>\n He was still trying to come to terms with a leech prognosticator as his Christmas present.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s science, Deputy Roy!\u201d Adam protested.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cThink about it!\u00a0\u00a0One day people won\u2019t have to look to old wives tails to predict the weather!\u201d\u00a0\u00a0His son\u2019s intense gaze settled on him.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cJust think of the applications for the ranch, Pa.\u00a0\u00a0We\u2019ll know when to bring the herd in and when\u00a0not\u00a0<\/i>to send them out.\u00a0\u00a0Imagine being able to predict whether or not a mudslide or avalanche is likely\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n His next sentence was almost a cry.<\/p>\n \u201cOr whether we can leave\u00a0now\u00a0<\/i>to search for Hoss and Little Joe because the storm is almost over.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben read the plea in his son\u2019s hazel eyes.\u00a0\u00a0It was not so much, \u2018trust Dr, Merryweather\u2019 as \u2018trust me.\u2019\u00a0\u00a0The rancher\u2019s gaze dropped to one of the prognosticator\u2019s gruesome inhabitants.\u00a0\u00a0Its solid muscular form undulated but did not move.\u00a0\u00a0His gaze moved from it to travel up the side of the jar in which it was imprisoned to the small tube it would enter.\u00a0\u00a0Suspended at the top of the tube was a tiny piece of whalebone.\u00a0\u00a0Dislodging it apparently rang the bell and signaled a storm was on its way.\u00a0\u00a0The thing was beyond his understanding.<\/p>\n As it seemed his eldest had moved beyond his understanding.<\/p>\n Ben chuckled to himself.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cYou\u2019d be pleased, Elizabeth<\/i>,\u2019 he thought.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cI\u2019ve made the boy strong enough he doesn\u2019t need me.\u00a0\u00a0Now, to accept my success<\/i>.\u201d<\/p>\n He sought his son\u2019s anxious gaze.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cYou believe in this?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI do, sir.\u00a0\u00a0I\u2019d stake my life on its accuracy.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ll be staking more than that,\u201d Ben replied, his tone warning.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cYou\u2019ll be staking\u00a0all<\/i>\u00a0our lives.\u201d<\/p>\n On twelve bugs in bottles.<\/p>\n I must be mad.<\/p>\n \u201cI know that, Pa.\u00a0\u00a0But I believe in the science.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThem little bugs foretellin\u2019 the weather?\u00a0\u00a0Pshaw!\u00a0\u00a0Seems like bookish nonsense to me,\u201d Roy Coffee grumbled.<\/p>\n Adam was affronted.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cBegging your pardon, Deputy Coffee, but in the first half of this century we \u2018bookish fools\u2019 have brought the world railroads and steamboats, the threshing machine; the telegraph; sewing machines, cotton gins and more!\u00a0\u00a0These inventions have made life easier \u2013 and safer \u2013 for men, women and children, and the men of science are only getting started!\u00a0\u00a0Who\u00a0knows\u00a0<\/i>what is next?\u201d<\/p>\n Ben glanced at the jars.<\/p>\n The leeches were lethargic as ever.<\/p>\n \u201cSo,\u201d he nodded at the little bugs. \u201cThis<\/i>\u00a0means it\u2019s safe to set out tonight to look for your brothers?\u2019<\/p>\n Adam paled just a bit.\u00a0\u00a0Then, he nodded.<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n They started out that night, heading west and following the road.\u00a0\u00a0Not long into their journey Ben decided he was as mad as a two-headed calf for putting his trust in a dozen sluggish invertebrates!\u00a0\u00a0The snowstorm worsened as they traveled, growing so intense they were forced to make camp. Then, just as the sun topped the snow-capped peaks around them, the storm moved out.<\/p>\n In the end, the tempest prognosticator turned out to be the best Christmas present he\u2019d ever received!<\/p>\n They were safe; all three of them \u2013 Hoss, Little Joe\u00a0and<\/i>\u00a0Hawk.\u00a0\u00a0As they splinted Hawk\u2019s broken leg the man explained that a large rabbit \u2013 clad in its winter coat of white \u2013 had appeared from out of nowhere to dash across the road and spooked the horses.\u00a0\u00a0He\u2019d attempted to control them and been thrown from the driver\u2019s seat, resulting in the break.\u00a0\u00a0The boys had alighted to help Hawk and during that time the horses had run away \u2013 taking the jolly wagon with them!\u00a0\u00a0Due to his injury the trio had been forced to hunker down in a hastily erected shelter to wait for rescue.<\/p>\n Instead of venturing out in the midst of a blinding snowstorm in a vain attempt to get home.<\/p>\n All three were weary, cold, and hungry, but they were alive!<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n They\u00a0were<\/i>\u00a0home now \u2013 all of them.\u00a0\u00a0Ben sat on the settee thinking about \u2013 and giving thanks for \u2013 the irreplaceable gifts all three of his wives had given him.\u00a0\u00a0Marie\u2019s gift lay next to him; his tousled head nestled in the crook of one arm.\u00a0\u00a0Little Joe had fairly exploded with excitement upon seeing them and chattered about their grand adventure all the way to the Ponderosa.\u00a0\u00a0It was only after they\u2019d settled in that the full impact of what they had lived through hit the boy and Joseph fell apart.\u00a0\u00a0Hoss had been, and remained quiet.\u00a0\u00a0Inger’s son was old enough to know how quickly the tide could have turned.\u00a0\u00a0The teenager had just returned from the bunkhouse.\u00a0\u00a0He\u2019d insisted on checking on Hawk.\u00a0\u00a0Hoss reported that the older man was doing well and sent his Christmas Day greetings to them all.<\/p>\n Ben brushed a curl from his youngest\u2019s forehead before glancing at his eldest son.\u00a0\u00a0Adam was seated by the fire.\u00a0\u00a0All you could see above the book he was holding was a shock of black hair.\u00a0\u00a0They\u2019d opened their gifts a few hours before.\u00a0\u00a0All three boys had been delighted, but Adam most of all.<\/p>\n In his hands the boy held the latest and most up-to-date encyclopedia of scientific knowledge available.<\/p>\n Ben chuckled to himself as he ruffled his youngest\u2019s hair in preparation for waking him and taking him to bed.\u00a0\u00a0It seemed Dr. George Merryweather\u2019s tempest prognosticator would never see the light of day.\u00a0\u00a0According to the encyclopedia, even though his leech barometer was a proven success, Merryweather had been outfoxed by another \u2018bookish fool\u2019.\u00a0\u00a0The English doctor had lobbied for the government to make use of his design around the British coastline, but they opted instead for Robert FitzRoy’s storm glass.<\/p>\n Saving God knew how many leeches from incarceration.<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n END<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Link to Day 12 of the Bonanza Brand Advent Calendar – Peace on Earth<\/a> by AC1830<\/p>\n![\"Tempest_Prognosticator.jpg\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bonanzabrand.info\/forums\/uploads\/monthly_2024_12\/Tempest_Prognosticator.jpg.ebca643cc903622dbb191310e7b6aea7.jpg?ssl=1\" "\\"Unavailable\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\n