{"id":60022,"date":"2025-09-30T11:33:49","date_gmt":"2025-09-30T15:33:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=60022"},"modified":"2026-02-28T12:05:48","modified_gmt":"2026-02-28T17:05:48","slug":"the-declaration-by-pat-d-in-pa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=60022","title":{"rendered":"The Declaration (by Pat D in PA)"},"content":{"rendered":"

SUMMARY: <\/strong>An older brother mourns his believed failure in keeping a promise.<\/p>\n

RATING<\/strong>: K\/G<\/p>\n

WORD COUNT: <\/strong>1,335<\/p>\n

\n

Author’s Note:\u00a0 Written for the 3rd Quarter 2025 Chaps and Spurs Writing Challenge.\u00a0 The words required were wreck, launched, eruption, declaration, and wall.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Declaration<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The young father paced outside the wagon, gently jiggling and patting the eleven-month-old in his arms, who was having none of his comforting and howling in feverish, fractious misery.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy\u2019s he cryin\u2019 all the time, Pa?\u201d murmured his older brother, peering out the gap in the Conestoga\u2019s canvas at the back of the wagon. \u00a0\u201cIs he gonna\u2026 is he gonna die?\u201d the small boy whispered, frightened. This child had known far too much death in his short life.<\/p>\n

The father, on the verge of scolding the seven-year-old for not being usefully asleep at this time of night, caught the fear in his son\u2019s voice and got his patience back into his grasp once more.\u00a0 He soothingly patted the baby\u2019s bottom, walked over to the back of the wagon and leaned over, kissing his older son\u2019s dark head.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, of course, not,\u201d he smiled in reassurance.\u00a0 \u201cHoss is just having a hard time cutting a tooth, son, that\u2019s all.\u201d<\/p>\n

Eyes widening in surprise, the boy stared at his baby brother.\u00a0 \u201cAll o\u2019 this noise over a tooth?\u201d he asked, in amazement.<\/p>\n

The father chuckled and raised an eyebrow. \u201cYou raised the roof when you were trying to cut your molars, Adam.\u201d Then the father sighed, ruefully. \u201cWell, you would have if we\u2019d had<\/em> a roof\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

The boy blushed and ducked his head, glancing up at his father from under sooty black lashes.\u00a0 It made his father\u2019s heart ache with the memory of how his mother used to do exactly that.<\/p>\n

\u201cHere,\u201d said Pa suddenly, reaching in with his other strong arm and lifted the little boy in his too short and too tight nightshirt out into the warm spring night, setting him in front of the wash bowl.\u00a0 \u201cWash your hands. Be sure you rinse them very well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Puzzled, Adam picked up the clump of soft soap and did as he was told. He then came back to his father, now leaning against the side wall of the wagon while perched on his folding camp chair holding Hoss in his lap.\u00a0 His baby brother was distracted a little from his discomfort by watching his beloved big brother, though his face crumpled in sudden pain and he fussily rubbed at his eyes while drooling profusely.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, really gently,\u201d said Pa softly, guiding Adam\u2019s little fingers into his brother\u2019s mouth, \u201cfeel along the lower left side of Hoss\u2019 gums.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s eyes popped wide to feel the hard ridge under his finger, with an almost pointed, sharp edge there, and saw Hoss both frown and yet also close his jaws, rubbing his gum harder against his brother\u2019s finger, nearly closing his eyes in relief.\u00a0 The small boy look in astonishment at his father. \u201cIs that his tooth?\u201d<\/p>\n

Pa nodded. \u201cIt feels good to have that rubbed, eases the pain,\u201d he told his older son quietly.\u00a0 \u201cIt hurts quite a bit sometimes for little ones to cut their teeth.\u00a0 Rubbing the gum sometimes helps the eruption.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam looked up, quizzically at his father over this new word.<\/p>\n

\u201cEruption\u2026 \u201c The tired father tried to think of a way to explain it to a seven-year-old\u2026 a bright one, but just seven, nonetheless.\u00a0 \u201cSomething pushing through to the surface.\u00a0 Do you remember me telling you about when I saw that volcano in Hawaii when I was sailing with your grandfather Stoddard?\u201d<\/p>\n

The boy\u2019s eyes narrowed for a moment, then the memory quickly slipped in and the boy nodded, excitedly.\u00a0 \u201cWhen the rock was so hot it melted and spit up in the sky!\u201d<\/p>\n

Pa smiled at him, then, feeling a little proud at the small boy\u2019s memory and ability to put words to his thoughts. \u201cYes, that\u2019s right.\u00a0 That\u2019s called an eruption,\u201d he agreed.\u00a0 \u201cSomething pushing through to the surface\u2026 that time it was hot, molten rock that needed to get free from the earth.\u00a0 This time,\u201d he smiled, kissing Hoss\u2019 warm cheek, \u201cit\u2019s your little brother\u2019s tooth needing to get free of his gum.\u00a0 But the skin is tough.\u00a0 It has to work hard to cut through, and sometimes it’s quite painful.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam nodded, thoughtfully, and very tenderly massaged his baby brother\u2019s chubby leg. \u201cI\u2019m awful sorry it hurts, Hoss,\u201d he said gently, giving his little brother a kiss.<\/p>\n

Whimpering soulfully, Hoss sighed, exhausted, and put up his arms to his hero, his beloved big brother, and launched into his arms.\u00a0 \u00a0Adam expertly gathered the solid baby into his own arms and slipped between Pa\u2019s knees, leaning back against his Pa\u2019s chest while holding Hoss protectively close in comfort.\u00a0 Pa\u2019s arms came around them both, and Adam was content to feel Pa\u2019s cheek against his dark curls.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll always do my best to keep him from hurtin\u2019, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Surprised, Ben Cartwright looked down at his small son, hearing the too-old-for-his-years conviction in that declaration. He knew he\u2019d be a sleep-deprived, worn-out wreck when it was time for him and the boys to move on in just a few hours from now, but he also knew something else.<\/p>\n

His sons would always be there for each other. And knowing that, Benjamin Cartwright could face anything.<\/p>\n

~-oo0oo-~<\/p>\n

The old man with the white leonine head of hair walked carefully up the slope toward the beautiful resting place of the beloved members of his family.\u00a0 His wife, Marie.\u00a0 Several dear, cherished ranch hands who\u2019d had no other family than his to share.\u00a0 And the newest grave, that of his middle son.<\/p>\n

Standing there, beside that grave was a tall, dark man, his beard more salt than pepper, and his black hat in his hands.\u00a0 Ben Cartwright\u2019s heart ached for his oldest son.\u00a0 Hoss had passed more than two years back, but Adam had been in Europe and not only had been too far to get there for the funeral but had \u2013 as often happens \u2013 missed receiving the telegram and letters that had explained how it all happened until they caught up with him finally, far too late.<\/p>\n

Ben sighed seeing the palpable pain etched on his son\u2019s gray, haunted face. He’s gotten old, too…<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m\u2026 I\u2019m so sorry, Pa,\u201d the man whispered, unable to wrench his eyes away from the headstone.\u00a0 \u201cI broke my word.\u201d<\/p>\n

Frowning, Ben cocked his head, not sure he\u2019d heard correctly, and walked up beside his eldest. \u201cWhat do you mean, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n

The man drew in a shuddering breath and shook his head. \u201cI said I\u2019d always keep him from hurting,\u201d he murmured, and winced. \u201cI failed in that as I have much of everything else\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben sighed, and drew himself up, thinking how best to respond.\u00a0 \u201cNo.\u00a0 You said you\u2019d always do your best<\/em><\/strong> to keep him from hurting.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam glanced at him.<\/p>\n

Ben smiled sadly. \u201cI was there. I remember,\u201d he said.\u00a0 Then he grimaced as his old shoulder protested, but he made himself stretch his right arm up to gather in his son\u2019s own broad shoulders.\u00a0 \u201cAnd you didn\u2019t fail.\u00a0 You did<\/em> protect him, kept him from hurting as best you could.\u00a0 Your baby brother, too\u2026 all your life.\u00a0 You taught Hoss well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Puzzled, Adam looked at him, questioning.<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s dark eyes gazed back into Adam\u2019s pain-filled amber ones.\u00a0 \u201cHoss died trying to \u2018keep someone from hurting,\u2019\u201d he said, gently but insistently, squeezing his eldest’s shoulders. “Just as you taught him. Just as you taught Joseph.”<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s face crumpled then, and a sob escaped his lips, forcing him to try to turn away from his father, ashamed of his tears.<\/p>\n

But Ben Cartwright wouldn’t let him and gathered his oldest son into his arms, holding him as tenderly as he\u2019d held both his little boys that night on the Kansas prairie more than forty years ago, hoping the love he felt for them both would help to leach out some of his oldest boy\u2019s bitter pain.<\/p>\n

Not to his surprise, Hoss had never felt as close to him since he\u2019d died as the old man felt him right now. As if the big man were right there, hanging onto to father and brother, offering his own comfort.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

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

SUMMARY: An older brother mourns his believed failure in keeping a promise.\u00a0 Written for the 3rd Quarter 2025 Chaps and Spurs Writing Challenge.\u00a0
\nRATING: K\/G WORD COUNT: 1,335<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12518,"featured_media":38456,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"template-full-width-post.php","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1090,1016,39,23,41,698,30,40],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-60022","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-adam-hoss","category-adam-pa","category-chaps-spurs","category-drama","category-hurtcomfort","category-post-timeline","category-prequels","category-challenges","wpcat-1090-id","wpcat-1016-id","wpcat-39-id","wpcat-23-id","wpcat-41-id","wpcat-698-id","wpcat-30-id","wpcat-40-id"],"a3_pvc":{"activated":true,"total_views":802,"today_views":1},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Hoss-and-Adam.jpg?fit=1079%2C720&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2981,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=2981","url_meta":{"origin":60022,"position":0},"title":"Brothers and Mud (by frasrgrl)","author":"frasrgrl","date":"April 24, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0 \u00a0This is my entry for April's 2013 Chaps & Spurs\/Pinecone Trifecta.A WHIB for Springtime. 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