{"id":5454,"date":"2012-10-30T16:10:25","date_gmt":"2012-10-30T20:10:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=5454"},"modified":"2026-07-22T13:42:43","modified_gmt":"2026-07-22T17:42:43","slug":"autumns-surprise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=5454","title":{"rendered":"Autumn’s Surprise (by deansgirl)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary<\/strong>:\u00a0 <\/span>Autumn is setting around the Ponderosa and with it comes a very dear and long awaited surprise.\u00a0 An October chaps and spurs story \u00a0Rated:<\/span>\u00a0K+ (1,180 words)
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Autumn Series:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Autumn’s Surprise<\/a>
\nAutumn’s Story<\/a><\/p>\n

Autumn’s Surprise<\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n

Summer was drawing to a close around the Ponderosa.<\/strong>\u00a0 This was the fifth autumn that Adam Cartwright had missed being with his family and Joe found himself often thinking of his older brother during this time of year.\u00a0 He wondered how Adam was enjoying Europe and if Europe had autumn\u2019s like they did in Nevada—crisp and cool.\u00a0 It had been almost six months since they had received Adam\u2019s last letter.\u00a0 It had been written from Paris in Adam\u2019s bold script describing the beauty of France in May.\u00a0 But then the letters stopped and the whole family was concerned.<\/p>\n

Little Joe\u2014no longer little but a strong, handsome man with a look of a heartfelt sorrow\u2014sighed as he sat by the fire.\u00a0 His father watched him sadly.\u00a0 Since the death of Hoss and the virtual disappearance of Adam, the youngest Cartwright boy had grown moody and aloof.\u00a0 Ben had never thought it possible but his happy-go-lucky son, Joe, was turning more and more into the stern, dark Adam.<\/p>\n

Ben shook his head and stood up from his desk.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m going outside, Joe, do you want to come?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

Joe looked up at his father.\u00a0 \u201cNo, thank you, Pa.\u201d he replied.\u00a0 \u201cCandy and I are taking Jamie out tomorrow to bring in the harvest.\u00a0 I\u2019m going to bed early.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded and stepped out on the porch.\u00a0 The late summer sun had started to set bathing the Ponderosa in its glow.\u00a0 Ben smiled and sat in the porch chair looking out over his empire.\u00a0 Here he was, the owner of the largest land claim in Nevada and he should have been happy, but he was not.\u00a0 He still mourned over Hoss\u2019 death, worried over Adam\u2019s disappearance and was concerned with Joe\u2019s changing personality.\u00a0 Somewhere in the distance Ben could see the blazing flames of a fire and the smoke curling up to blend with the rosy rays of the dying sun and he smiled.\u00a0 The harvest was going well.<\/p>\n

He watched the fire burn brighter and he seemed to bask in its glow.\u00a0 The he felt a movement by his elbow and he turned suddenly to see an Indian standing there.\u00a0 Despite the fact that this Indian bore the insignia of a tribe that hated white men, Ben felt no fear as he looked into the Indian\u2019s dark brown eyes.\u00a0 Neither of them said a word for a moment then Ben broke the silence.\u00a0 \u201cCan I help you?\u201d<\/p>\n

The Indian smiled and Ben felt reassured.\u00a0 \u201cYou are Mr. Cartwright?\u201d the native asked.\u00a0 Ben nodded.\u00a0 Whatever it was that this Indian girl wanted he would help her.\u00a0 She handed him a white man\u2019s pocketknife and asked him, \u201cDo you recognize this?\u201d<\/p>\n

If Ben was startled by her perfect English he was even more surprised by the knife she balanced so well in her hand.\u00a0 He took it from her and nodded again.\u00a0 \u201cYes.\u201d He replied.\u00a0 \u201cThat is my son\u2019s.\u00a0 I bought three of them for my boys.\u00a0 Adam\u2019s was red, Hoss\u2019 blue, and Joe\u2019s green.\u201d He paused for a moment than asked her, \u201cWhere did you get it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA man asked me to bring it to you.\u201d She answered.\u00a0 \u201cHe stumbled into my tribe weak from hunger and burning with fever.\u00a0 The men of my tribe sought to take his life but I was able to prevent them from doing so.\u00a0 I took him to my teepee where I tried to bring down his fever.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen was this?\u201d Ben asked aghast at the thought of how his boy had so narrowly escaped death.<\/p>\n

\u201cSeveral months ago.\u201d She replied.\u00a0 \u201cHe has been sick for a long time, Mr. Cartwright.\u00a0 He was what we say \u2018out of his head\u2019—burning with fever but last night he was able to tell me who he was and he asked me to give the knife to his father and bring his fathers and brothers to him.\u00a0 Will you come?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d Ben replied leaping out of his chair.\u00a0 \u201cLet me get my son and we\u2019ll go.\u201d<\/p>\n

The teepee that the Indian girl led them to was deep in the mountain forest.\u00a0 The leaves brushed against Ben and Joe\u2019s faces as they stumbled through the dense forest.\u00a0 At first Joe was a little afraid that the girl\u2019s tribe would attack them but she looked at him with a smile and assured him \u201cThey won\u2019t hurt us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe gave her a look as though he did not believe her and she laughed.\u00a0 \u201cMy father is the chief.\u201d She smiled.\u00a0 \u201cThat is how I could save your brother\u2019s life and why they will not harm us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe smiled at her.\u00a0 \u201cWell now I feel safer.\u201d\u00a0 And the girl smiled.<\/p>\n

They were aware that they were being followed and watched by the Indians hiding in the foliage but she paid them no heed except to occasionally shake her head at a passing shadow.\u00a0 Finally she stopped at a teepee, the only one in sight and pulled back the opening flap.\u00a0 \u201cGo on in.\u201d she smiled. \u201cYour son is on the cot just inside.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben and Joe ducked into the low teepee.\u00a0 For the tall Cartwright men it was definitely too short and cramping, for the young Indian girl it was just the right height.\u00a0 There was a cot just inside the middle of the teepee and a man lay on it a man wrapped in an Indian blanket with his eyes closed.\u00a0 He opened them when the two Cartwright\u2019s entered with a smile and stretched his arms out to them.\u00a0 All it took was one look before Ben and Joe rushed towards him.<\/p>\n

He was older and paler than when they had seen him last.\u00a0 His eyes were just starting to regain their sparkle but his smile was the same as ever as he greeted them.\u00a0 \u201cPa. Joe.\u201d He took their hands in his.\u00a0 \u201cWhere\u2019s Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben shook his head and avoided the question.\u00a0 There would be time to explain.\u00a0 But for now they had to get Adam home.\u00a0 Ben turned to the Indian girl.\u00a0 \u201cThank you so much.\u201d He smiled at her.\u00a0 \u201cYou saved my boy\u2019s life.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a pleasure.\u201d She answered.\u00a0 \u201cYour son is a wonderful man, Mr. Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam smiled over at her and looked up at his father.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s autumn, isn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded.\u00a0 \u201cAnd there is quite a bit of work to do on the Ponderosa before the first frost sets in.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam smiled and closed his eyes.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m glad to be back, Pa, I really am.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben cradled his son close.\u00a0 They had to take him home and make sure he got plenty of rest before he was better.\u00a0 But for now they were out here together with nature and Adam was home.<\/p>\n

Disclaimer:\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.<\/p>\n

Next story in the Autumn Series:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Autumn’s Story<\/a><\/p>\n

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

Summary:\u00a0 Autumn is setting around the Ponderosa and with it comes a very dear and long awaited surprise.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n

Rated:\u00a0K+ (1,180 words)<\/p>\n

Autumn Series, links to all the stories within the series are included.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":170,"featured_media":13033,"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":[39,23,1008,40],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5454","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-chaps-spurs","category-drama","category-family","category-challenges","wpcat-39-id","wpcat-23-id","wpcat-1008-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\/2016\/06\/Showdown3.jpg?fit=761%2C669&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5454","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\/170"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5454"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5454\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/13033"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5454"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5454"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5454"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}