{"id":5819,"date":"2005-02-16T00:18:04","date_gmt":"2005-02-16T05:18:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=5819"},"modified":"2026-07-30T14:31:45","modified_gmt":"2026-07-30T18:31:45","slug":"progress","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=5819","title":{"rendered":"Progress? (by Rona)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary:\u00a0 <\/strong>The introduction of a mowing machine causes problems for the Cartwrights.<\/p>\n

Rated:\u00a0 T \u00a0(5,205 words)<\/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

 <\/p>\n

Progress?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cA what?\u201d Joe asked, trying not to look as dumb as he felt.<\/p>\n

Behind him, Hoss mumbled, \u201cI were jist gonna ask that.\u201d They both looked expectantly at their older brother, Adam, who assumed the air of a college professor.<\/p>\n

\u201cA McCormick\u2019s \u2018Old Reliable\u2019 Mowing Machine,\u201d he repeated, giving each capital letter its full weight. \u201cThey are transforming the way this country is cutting hay, wheat, oats, barley\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou got him started again,\u201d Joe muttered to Hoss, who looked indignant.<\/p>\n

\u201cT\u2019weren\u2019t jist me!\u201d he objected. \u201cYa asked as well!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAre either of you two listening to me?\u201d Adam asked, realising that he had lost his audience. \u201cHoss, I thought you\u2019d have been interested; you\u2019re always talking about machines.\u201d Hoss shrugged. Pursing his lips, Adam went on, \u201cYou should listen; after all, the men will expect you to know how it works, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUs?\u201d Joe protested. \u201cWhy us?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause you\u2019re a Cartwright,\u201d Adam explained patiently. \u201cThe Cartwrights are introducing this machine, so they expect you to be au fait with it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh what?\u201d Hoss asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cUp to date,\u201d sighed his older sibling, wondering what he had done to be the one to introduce his brothers to this machine.\u00a0Oh yes<\/em>, he thought,\u00a0it was my idea. Well done, Adam!<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cIt looks dangerous,\u201d Joe ventured, as he walked around the mowing machine, examining it closely.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt can be, if you aren\u2019t careful,\u201d Adam admitted. \u201cThat\u2019s why you\u2019ve got to know how it works. Safety first.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cExplain it then,\u201d Hoss requested. He leant in for a closer look as Adam started to tell them how it worked.<\/p>\n

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

If his brothers\u2019 reactions had been less than enthusiastic the previous day, they were nothing compared to the downright hostility that greeted him when he showed the machine to the hands. His words were met with a deafening silence and stony looks. It was fair to say that the mowing machine was less than a resounding success.<\/p>\n

Protective of their older brother\u2019s feelings, both Joe and Hoss had gone to town on trying to sell the machine to the men who worked for them, but they met with no better luck. In fact, by then, there were distinct mutterings coming from the men; mutterings about how new-fangled machinery would put them all out of a job. It hadn\u2019t seemed to occur to any of the men that the ranch had hired just as many men for the busy season as it usually did.<\/p>\n

The only thing that put an end to the mutiny over using the mowing machine was Ben\u2019s appearance. He diagnosed the atmosphere inside a second and announced that anyone who was unwilling to work with it was surplus to requirements and could pick up their pay at the house. There were one or two takers, but with the mines going through a quiet spell, most of the men had no option but to stick with the ranch or starve.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople are always going to be afraid of progress, son,\u201d Ben consoled Adam as they watched the horses being hitched to the machine. \u201cAnd in a remarkably short time, the very people who objected will forget that this is \u2018new-fangled\u2019 and rave about it, accepting whatever it is as though its always been there. Look at the railroads.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know,\u201d Adam smiled, although he wasn\u2019t really mollified. He was still hurt that he had had to fight so hard to get the machine introduced to the ranch. He had seen them back east in their infancy and had kept a close eye on the way they progressed. Adam had expected that the others would recognise his interest in the new technologies around and understand that if he said this was good for the ranch, they would instantly accept it. He grimaced as he realised that it was his pride that was hurt. Lifting his chin, Adam set about proving that this machine was as good as he said.<\/p>\n

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

The first day went by quite peacefully. Nobody complained too much, mindful of Ben\u2019s offer that morning. But there was always one troublemaker and this particular man went by the name of Hank Lopez. Hank\u2019s mother was American and his father Mexican and he had spent his life being bullied by both sides of his culture, accepted neither by white or Hispanic people. As a result, Hank was a most discontented man, never at home, unable to make friends and rapidly becoming an alcoholic. He had been working at the Ponderosa for a few weeks, initially enjoying being made welcome by the Cartwrights, but finding that his employers\u2019 tolerances didn\u2019t apply to the workers\u2019 attitudes. Hank was rapidly falling back into depression and old habits. Despite knowing Ben\u2019s disapproval of drinking on the job and the outright ban on drink that ruled the bunkhouse, Hank had brought in a flask of cheap whiskey. That night, he had had just enough to make him talkative.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt ain\u2019t right that the Cartwrights are tryin\u2019 ta replace us wi\u2019 a machine!\u201d he declared. \u201cEveryone knows a man\u2019s better\u2019n a machine any day!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHear hear,\u201d muttered a voice from the dark recesses of the bunk area.<\/p>\n

Thus encouraged, Hank went on to spread dissent. \u201cIt ain\u2019t right ta take away a man\u2019s job an\u2019 give it ta a machine,\u201d he slurred. \u201cI say we don\u2019 want ta work with no machine! If them Cartwright boys is so keen on it, let them work it, I say!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, ain\u2019t none of them Cartwrights touched it \u2018ceptin\u2019 Adam,\u201d agreed a skinny youth of about 17. This was his first real job. He had seen the way the other men gave Hank a wide berth and assumed it was because Hank was dangerous when crossed and Elijah \u2013 who had not had an easy life because of his name \u2013 decided that he ought to stick in with Hank. It was probably safest.<\/p>\n

This observation was actually quite true; neither Joe nor Hoss had been near the mowing machine after the first little while, as they had been working elsewhere. Ben had had a meeting in town. Adam, being the expert, had been left to supervise.<\/p>\n

The murmurings were spreading as the men realised that this was true. Suddenly, even the ones who had worked for the Cartwrights before and knew that they wouldn\u2019t hesitate to do anything they ordered anyone else to do had doubts about the safety of this machine.<\/p>\n

Well satisfied with his progress, Hank rolled over and went to sleep, allowing the other men to imagine themselves into trouble.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cWe ain\u2019t touchin\u2019 that machine!\u201d<\/p>\n

Slightly stunned by the hostile reaction he was getting, Joe surveyed the men standing before him, noting the arms crossed over their chests and the body language that told Joe he was on a hiding to nothing. Still, that didn\u2019t stop him from trying.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou men worked with the mowing machine yesterday,\u201d he reminded them sharply. \u201cWhat\u2019s changed?\u201d He shot a challenging glance at Elijah.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf its so danged safe, how comes ya Cartwrights ain\u2019t touched it?\u201d Elijah responded.<\/p>\n

Frowning, Joe knew now that someone else was at the back of this. Elijah wasn\u2019t smart enough to come up with this thought himself. Joe rather liked Elijah, seeing in the skinny youth something of himself at a similar age, determined to prove that he was a man at all costs. He had tried to take the youngster under his wing, but Elijah was wary of all the Cartwrights \u2013 or had been until now.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam worked it yesterday,\u201d Joe replied. \u201cAnd I\u2019m about to start working with it today. I still don\u2019t see what the problem is.\u201d He frowned at Hank, who had sniggered. \u201cYou got something to say, Hank?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe all know what yer doin\u2019 here, Little Joe,\u201d he replied. The sneer in his voice was perfectly plain as he accorded Joe the nickname that Joe had hoped he had grown out of. \u201cYer gonna replace us with that machine \u2013 but only once yer sure it\u2019s safe. Ya don\u2019t want ta git yer hands dirty, now do ya? If\u2019n an accident\u2019s gonna happen, it\u2019d be better happenin\u2019 ta one o\u2019 us, not one o\u2019 ya blessed Cartwrights. Ain\u2019t that the truth?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo it isn\u2019t!\u201d Joe snapped. He drew in a deep breath to control his temper. Getting mad wouldn\u2019t accomplish anything. \u201cIf we were going to replace men with a machine, we wouldn\u2019t have hired any of you! As it is, we\u2019re hoping the machine will help us so that we can get the haying over more quickly so that we have more time for other ranch work. Summer is our busiest season; you all know that. Now, let\u2019s have no more of this nonsense and get back to work!\u201d<\/p>\n

Satisfied that he had kept his temper under control and that the men would listen to him, Joe turned away, walking purposefully towards the mowing machine. Why couldn\u2019t Adam have been there that day? Joe wondered to himself. He signalled to the driver to start the machine.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat ain\u2019t good enough!\u201d Hank protested and pushed through to grab at Joe.<\/p>\n

Startled, Joe stumbled as Hank grabbed him. Instinctively, he flailed his arms in the air to regain his balance, a task made more difficult because of the way Hank was shaking him. Elijah, the closest to Joe, realised that his young boss was dangerously close to the mowing machine. He moved quickly to grab Joe and as he did so, Hank yanked Joe around and punched him and Elijah lost his balance and fell into the machine.<\/p>\n

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

There was nothing anyone could do. Elijah\u2019s scream of pain halted everyone in their tracks. Joe lay at Hank\u2019s feet, blood pouring from his nose and mouth, too stunned by the blow he had taken to react to anything. The other cowboys simply watched. It was all over too soon.<\/p>\n

As Joe regained his senses, he became aware of the unnatural stillness of the men around him. He pushed himself dazedly to his feet, his head still swimming from the blow, and followed the stunned stares. He immediately wished he hadn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

Feeling sick to his stomach, Joe drew his pistol with a shaky hand and fired off the three shots that signalled trouble. He forced himself to walk over to Elijah\u2019s remains, although it was the last thing he wanted to do. He felt for a pulse in the youth\u2019s neck, but there was none. It was no surprise to Joe and it was a blessing in a way. It would have been awful for Elijah to have lived.<\/p>\n

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

When Ben arrived, he found Joe slumped in a heap a short distance away from the group of men. His youngest son was splattered with blood and for a moment, Ben\u2019s heart missed a beat. But it was all too obvious what the trouble was and Ben didn\u2019t have a single glance to spare for anyone other than the unfortunate youth who had met his demise working for Ben.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of you men go to town,\u201d Ben ordered. \u201cBring back the doctor and the sheriff. Someone find a blanket. Someone else get Adam and Hoss from the South Forty.\u201d Ben gave Elijah another last look and swallowed hard.<\/p>\n

Turning away, Ben walked over to Joe and crouched by him. \u201cJoe? Are you all right?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

Lifting his head, Joe looked at Ben through swelling eyes. \u201cI guess,\u201d he whispered. His nose hurt very badly and his head was throbbing along to every beat of his heart. Joe had managed to control his stomach, but it had been a close run thing. His nose had bled profusely and had been reluctant to stop. Joe was feeling rather light-headed and the gory sight close by had not helped that feeling.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat happened?\u201d Ben asked, reluctant to make Joe relive it, but needing to know.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not sure,\u201d Joe confessed. \u201cThe men refused to work with the machine \u2013 Elijah\u2026\u201d Joe swallowed and forced himself to continue. \u201cElijah said that none of us had used it because it was too dangerous. Then Hank said we were going to replace the men with the machine. I told them that wasn\u2019t true and then told them to get to work.\u201d Joe stopped and rubbed his face. \u201cHank came after me and grabbed me. He punched me. Elijah had hold of my arm\u2026\u201d Joe stopped and buried his face in his hands. Ben ineffectually patted at his shoulder.<\/p>\n

\u201cEasy, son,\u201d he soothed, knowing that nothing could take away from the horror Joe was feeling. Ben knew it was something they would never forget.<\/p>\n

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

The morning was over before Roy Coffee and Paul Martin arrived. By then, Joe had been sent back to the house with Hoss. Both his eyes had swelled shut and were already turning black and blue and it was evident that Joe was in a great deal of discomfort. Ben and Adam stayed to oversee the clear up.<\/p>\n

It didn\u2019t take long to establish that it was an accident, albeit caused by Hank\u2019s desire to lord it over Joe. All the men agreed that Elijah had lost his balance as Hank punched Joe to the ground. No one had tried to save Elijah \u2013 none of them had had the least idea what to do. But as Paul Martin explained to them all, it was unlikely that anything could have been done. Elijah had torn an artery and had bled to death in a very short time. And with the kind of injuries he had sustained, it was unlikely that he could have survived in any event.<\/p>\n

Although Hank had been cleared of any involvement in Elijah\u2019s death, Ben was determined that he wasn\u2019t going to get away with causing trouble and insisted on pressing charges for him beating up Joe. Roy and Paul followed Ben back to the house while Adam was left with the unenviable task of supervising the removal of the body.<\/p>\n

The first thing Paul did when he saw Joe was give him something for the pain. Joe looked dreadful, his face pale around the riotous bruising and his nose and eyes swollen. Luckily, Joe\u2019s nose, although broken, was not out of alignment and Paul set about packing it with cotton. Once that unpleasant business was over, he looked into Joe\u2019s eyes, finding, as he had expected, that they were very bloodshot.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut the good news is the pupils are reacting to the light, so I don\u2019t think there\u2019s any lasting damage. Meantime though, I\u2019m going to bandage your eyes to protect them while they are so swollen. I don\u2019t want you trying to look at anything, Joe. That might indeed hurt them, all right?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI guess,\u201d Joe agreed. He sounded sleepy, the pain medication at last taking effect. \u201cHow long are the bandages going to be on, doc?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA few days,\u201d Paul replied, laying gauze gently on each eye before he set about winding a bandage around Joe\u2019s head. \u201cIt depends on how fast the swelling goes down and how your eyes look after that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Once Paul was finished his work, Roy came up to speak to Joe about the incident, but there was no question that it was an accident. Ben still wanted Hank charged with assaulting Joe. Joe, by that point, wanted only to be left to sleep and his wordless murmur was taken by all to be agreement to Ben\u2019s plan.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cThe men ain\u2019t gonna work with it now, dadburnit!\u201d Hoss exclaimed. \u201cAn\u2019 I cain\u2019t say I blames them no how! I don\u2019 wanna work with it!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not the machine\u2019s fault that Elijah died,\u201d Adam responded, his voice tight with exasperation. \u201cIt was an accident. Everyone is acting as though the machine was alive. It\u2019s an inanimate object unless we set it in motion! It\u2019s perfectly safe as long as everyone is careful.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know that,\u201d Hoss agreed. \u201cBut I still don\u2019 want ta work with it! An\u2019 can ya really tell me ya could ask Joe ta go anywhere near it? Can ya, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n

For an instant, Adam wanted to deny what Hoss said and insist that Joe wouldn\u2019t feel any differently towards the mowing machine, but in all honesty, he couldn\u2019t. Adam knew that Joe would not want to go anywhere near it ever again, and he couldn\u2019t blame him. It had taken quite a bit of Adam\u2019s steely determination to get himself near the machine again after what had happened. Adam decided to evade that point at the moment.<\/p>\n

\u201cSince Joe is unlikely to be going out to the hayfield at all, I don\u2019t see that that is relevant,\u201d he argued. \u201cBut the point is, I spent a lot of money on that machine and it\u2019s going to be of great value to the Ponderosa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut it ain\u2019t if\u2019n the men won\u2019t work with it,\u201d Hoss parried. He crossed his arms over his chest and raised an eyebrow. \u201cOr are ya gonna do all the drivin\u2019 an\u2019 operatin\u2019 an\u2019 everythin\u2019 yerself?\u201d<\/p>\n

Thoroughly exasperated, Adam glared back at Hoss. \u201cYou could help!\u201d he shot back.<\/p>\n

Shrugging, Hoss turned away and sat down placidly in front of the fire. He knew his actions were deliberately provocative, but Hoss wanted to see how far his brother was willing to go. \u201cYa tellin\u2019 me the two o\u2019 us could do the hayin\u2019 ourselves with this thing?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes!\u201d Adam insisted.<\/p>\n

The challenge was there. Hoss turned around and met Adam\u2019s eyes. Not a word was said and they were still standing like that a few minutes later when Ben came downstairs, helping Joe. \u201cWhat was the shouting about?\u201d Ben asked, disapproval clear in his voice.<\/p>\n

Beside him, Joe made a noise somewhere between a laugh and a snort. \u201cPa, they were shouting so loud we heard every word!\u201d he reminded his father, blithely unaware of the tricks of parenthood.<\/p>\n

His comment served to break the spell. Adam was the first to look away, but there was nothing in his demeanour to suggest that he was backing down at all. Hoss eyed first Adam, then his father. He flashed a quick glance at Joe, disturbed as always to see his younger brother looking so battered.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were talking about the mowing machine,\u201d Adam admitted.<\/p>\n

Wincing at Adam\u2019s bluntness, both Ben and Hoss looked at once to Joe, who seemed suddenly paler and his grasp on Ben\u2019s arm tightened until his knuckles showed white against the dark purple fabric of Ben\u2019s shirt. \u201cIt\u2019s not safe,\u201d Joe muttered. \u201cStay away from it!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe\u2026\u201d Adam began, but Ben cut him off with a savage gesture.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will not discuss it over breakfast,\u201d Ben decreed. He was tired, as they all were, for none of them had slept well. Images of the previous day\u2019s horror had kept them all awake. No wonder that everyone\u2019s temper was short that morning. Ben did not want Joe reminded again. He guided Joe to the table.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa, I don\u2019t mind if Adam talks about it,\u201d Joe assured him, although the lie was obvious to them all.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Pa,\u201d Joe interrupted. \u201cYou can\u2019t treat me as though I\u2019m going to break. What happened yesterday was\u2026 horrible\u2026 worse than horrible, but we can\u2019t pretend it didn\u2019t happen.\u201d Joe drew in a deep, calming breath; it didn\u2019t work. \u201cAnd we can\u2019t pretend that we don\u2019t have the mowing machine.\u201d Joe turned his head towards Adam\u2019s usual seat. \u201cSo go ahead and say what you were going to say, big brother.\u201d<\/p>\n

But it wasn\u2019t Adam who spoke; it was Hoss. \u201cAdam an\u2019 me are gonna do the hayin\u2019 jist the two o\u2019 us,\u201d he announced and fixed Adam with his clear blue gaze.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust the two of you?\u201d Ben echoed. \u201cHow are you going to accomplish that miracle, may I ask?\u201d<\/p>\n

The quiet answer ended the talk for the entire meal.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re going to use the mowing machine.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

Ben didn\u2019t know what to say. It wasn\u2019t often that he couldn\u2019t find words of some kind, even if he lamented that those words often weren\u2019t the founts of wisdom and knowledge that he craved. But he simply didn\u2019t know what to say and so he said nothing. Talk at the table was confined to telling Joe what was on his plate and offering him more food when he ate the meagre amount he asked for.<\/p>\n

It wouldn\u2019t be fair to say that Ben was surprised by Adam\u2019s determination. He wasn\u2019t. But he was surprised by Hoss\u2019 agreement \u2013 in a way. Ben knew that his sons were unusually close. Joe and Hoss were best friends as well as brothers and although Joe and Adam could butt heads with the best of them, he knew that they would each lay down their lives for the other. Adam and Hoss had an \u2018older brother\u2019 club that sometimes excluded Joe and came from the experiences they had shared before Joe was born. But it wasn\u2019t like Hoss to go along with Adam\u2019s schemes as easily as he went along with the mischief that Joe dreamed up.<\/p>\n

The previous night, Ben had had a long talk with Adam. His oldest son had returned from the hayfield and immediate shut himself in his room. Ben had left him alone for a time, but then decided that he couldn\u2019t leave Adam to brood.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa, it\u2019s my fault this happened,\u201d Adam insisted when Ben asked what was wrong.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou didn\u2019t tell me you were the one who pushed Elijah,\u201d Ben replied, calmly.<\/p>\n

Glaring at Ben, Adam snapped, \u201cDon\u2019t treat me like a fool, Pa. You know perfectly well what I mean! I pushed to buy that machine, persuaded you that we needed to progress. And look what happened! A man died! This is my fault.\u201d<\/p>\n

Watching Adam pace restlessly, Ben wondered for a moment if his oldest son knew how alike he and his youngest brother were. Then he reached out and stopped Adam, pulling his son down to sit next to him on the bed. \u201cThis is not your fault,\u201d Ben told him in a \u2018no nonsense\u2019 tone of voice. \u201cYou know perfectly well that I had been thinking about introducing some modern techniques to the ranch. If I hadn\u2019t been already of the mind that a mowing machine would be useful, not all the pleading or persuasion on earth could have moved me. You know that, don\u2019t you?\u201d This last was thrown at Adam in a challenging tone. \u201cOr am I that easily led?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo\u2026\u201d Adam began, uncertainly, but Ben ploughed on.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I thought that a machine would be too dangerous for my sons to handle, would I have let my men work with it? Well, would I?\u201d<\/p>\n

It was well known that Ben didn\u2019t ask any man to do something he was not willing to do himself. That wasn\u2019t the way Ben worked. Adam half-smiled. \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo stop blaming yourself.\u201d Ben looked at Adam. \u201cThis isn\u2019t just about Elijah, is it?\u201d he asked, his voice loving and understanding. \u201cIt\u2019s about Joe, isn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n

An involuntary shudder ran down Adam\u2019s back. \u201cYes,\u201d he admitted, in a barely audible tone, as though there was something shameful about worrying about his family. \u201cIt could have been Joe lying there instead of Elijah\u2026\u201d Adam\u2019s voice trailed off and for a moment, his gaze blurred as he gazed at an inward vista of hell.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd do you think you\u2019re the only one who thought that?\u201d Ben went on, his voice still soft. \u201cDo you really think that neither Hoss nor I thought the very same thing as you thought?\u201d This time, it was his turn to shudder. \u201cWhen I saw Joe, covered in blood, I thought the worst. How could I not?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know.\u201d Adam\u2019s voice was still just above a whisper.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut Adam, accidents happen. How many times have we had to bury a man because of something that happened at the timber camps, or on a cattle drive? Too many. But there is no way to make the world a completely safe place. It just isn\u2019t possible.\u201d He risked a quick hug. \u201cI still think the machine is a good idea.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Ben rose and crossed to the door, Adam looked up. A smile twitched his lips. \u201cThanks, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled back. \u201cYou\u2019re welcome,\u201d he replied.<\/p>\n

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

Immediately breakfast was over, Adam and Hoss went out. Together, they hitched the team to the mowing machine without a word to each other and then they headed out to the hayfield. The hands watched silently until Ben appeared and sent them about their business with a sharp word.<\/p>\n

All morning, Ben worried. Hop Sing went out with their lunch and returned wearing his usual expression, which Ben took to mean that both his sons were quite well. Joe, not hearing any bad news, ate slightly more for lunch than he had for breakfast.<\/p>\n

Shortly before supper, Adam and Hoss returned, tired, sunburned, but unharmed. Hoss didn\u2019t say much, apart from assuring Joe that he was fine and when would supper be ready. He went to wash up looking happier than he had the previous night or that morning.<\/p>\n

But haying was hard work, however it was done and both Adam and Hoss had an early night.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss seemed happier, didn\u2019t he, Pa?\u201d Joe asked.\u00a0 He sipped carefully from his coffee cup.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, yes he did,\u201d Ben agreed, wondering as always at the amount of meaning Joe could read from the atmosphere. He studied Joe\u2019s body language. \u201cSo do you, son,\u201d he commented.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been thinking,\u201d Joe offered. He started to reach out to put down his cup and then hesitated. Ben took it form him, idly noting that it was empty. Joe smiled. \u201cThanks, Pa. I was thinking that this wasn\u2019t my fault \u2013 it wasn\u2019t even entirely Hank\u2019s fault either. He didn\u2019t mean to push Elijah. But accidents happen; people die in all sorts of horrible ways.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s true,\u201d Ben encouraged.<\/p>\n

Not quite sure how Ben felt about the mowing machine, Joe decided to plunge on regardless. \u201cI think Adam\u2019s right to try and prove how good this machine is. If it works, it\u2019ll make a big change to the way we manage getting the hay in.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI agree,\u201d Ben smiled. He was slightly surprised; he had half expected to have to talk Joe around to the idea, after the nightmare Joe had had the night before. But then, he had seen, as they all had, something horrific and perhaps nightmares were the normal reaction to that. Perhaps it wasn\u2019t the machine that had worried Joe, as Ben had assumed.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou do?\u201d Joe sounded so surprised that Ben had to laugh. \u201cThen why is Adam working so hard to convince you?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s not,\u201d Ben replied. \u201cHe\u2019s working hard to convince himself and Hoss is helping him. Hoss thinks it\u2019s a good thing, too.\u201d Ben smiled again when he saw Joe\u2019s bewilderment, but he wasn\u2019t going to repeat either of the conversations he had had with his sons the previous evening. \u201cSuffice to say, Joe that Hoss was playing Devil\u2019s Advocate this morning.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAh!\u201d Joe sounded no less mystified, but he guessed from his father\u2019s tone that Ben understood what was going on, even if Joe didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

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

The next day, Doc Martin came and removed the bandages from Joe\u2019s eyes. Although they were still puffy and every colour under the rainbow, they were open once more and no damage had been done to them. Joe\u2019s demeanour brightened considerably, which in turn cheered the rest of the family.<\/p>\n

Adam and Hoss were still working away, not saying much, but exuding an air of satisfaction that was unmistakable. And now that Joe was free to move about carefully, Ben suggested that they go out and view the progress that had been made. Joe was all for it.<\/p>\n

On the short journey out to the hayfields, Joe felt a pang of apprehension. He wasn\u2019t sure how he was going to feel, seeing the machine in motion again, and visiting the site where the tragedy had happened. Joe had had plenty of time to think about what had happened and knew that he wasn\u2019t to blame. But still \u2013 it was daunting.<\/p>\n

It was barely lunchtime of the second day and both the hayfields had been cut. Drying hay lay in neat piles and both Adam and Hoss were having a well earned break. They looked both surprised and delighted to see Joe, although neither could resist making a comment about the matching black eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve done all this in two days?\u201d Joe asked, stunned.<\/p>\n

Punching Joe affectionately on the arm, Adam replied, \u201cWe don\u2019t all try and avoid working at haying time, kiddo!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou just aren\u2019t inventive enough,\u201d Joe retorted, grinning. \u201cAdam this is great! All this work done in a couple of days, and we\u2019re ahead with the other work, too.\u201d He grinned once more. \u201cAnd all without my help\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Adam, I think the machine is well worth it,\u201d Ben added.<\/p>\n

\u201cMe, too,\u201d Hoss nodded. \u201cWhat do ya think?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think you\u2019re right,\u201d Adam smiled.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2019Bout time, too,\u201d Hoss grumbled good naturedly. \u201cI didn\u2019 expect ta do all the hayin\u2019 jist us two ta prove a point ta ya, Adam.\u201d Hoss sighed and shook his head. \u201cSometimes, I cain\u2019t believe that ya went ta college \u2013 I thought ya were the brother what liked new-fangled things.\u201d<\/p>\n

He choked on the mouthful of hay that his staid, respectable, sober, older brother threw at him.<\/p>\n

Ben smiled. They would never forget Elijah, or what happened to him. But now that Adam had proved the worth of the new machine to himself, Ben knew that in no time at all, all three of his sons would have sold the idea to the men. Sure, some of them would never accept it, convinced that it was there solely to put them out of a job, but there would be others, more progressively-minded, who would see the advantages and soon, Ben was sure, such machines would be the norm.<\/p>\n

Had the circumstances of the accident been different, Ben realised that his family might have been torn apart by it. Both Joe and Adam were inclined to want time alone to work things through and although Ben would never hold one of his sons on the ranch if he wanted to leave, he hated the thought of them leaving when something bad had happened. Incidents didn\u2019t get much worse than this one.<\/p>\n

But it hadn\u2019t happened that way. Adam had proven to himself that he was right and Ben was sure that the men would agree, even if it was agreement given grudgingly. It didn\u2019t matter. All that mattered to Ben was that his family was safe, secure and believed in themselves. That was his job as a father.<\/p>\n

So far, he thought modestly, he was doing an all right job.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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

Summary:\u00a0 The introduction of a mowing machine causes problems for the Cartwrights.<\/p>\n

Rated:\u00a0 T \u00a0(5,205 words)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":45,"featured_media":14939,"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":[23,1008,41],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5819","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drama","category-family","category-hurtcomfort","wpcat-23-id","wpcat-1008-id","wpcat-41-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\/05\/lawn-mower.jpg?fit=640%2C387&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5819","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\/45"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5819"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5819\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/14939"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5819"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5819"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5819"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}