Summary:\u00a0 Ben fights progress and his sons, but can he fight with a professional engineer sent to build a railway on Lake Tahoe?
\nRating:\u00a0 G\u00a0 (7,800 words)<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u00a0 RIPPLES ON THE LAKE<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Oh, how he loved this spot!\u00a0 The blue of the lake, the smell of the pines, the sound of the water lapping on the sandy shore\u2026 but most of all the peace and quiet; a peace and a beauty that should be preserved for all tim, a peace that was being shattered now by the sound of axes and heavy logging equipment a few miles away to the north.\u00a0 He stared across the water to Crystal Bay, on the very northern border of his property.\u00a0 The new timber company was stripping the forest from the shoreline – and for miles around it.\u00a0 And they wanted his<\/em> land and his<\/em> timber, too.\u00a0 Well, they\u2019d never get it.\u00a0 He\u2019d fight with all he had to keep this land of his from being despoiled by these men.\u00a0 They would come to know that Ben Cartwright was a formidable enemy.<\/p>\n He turned to go, gathering Buck\u2019s reins in his hand, and glanced towards the cove two miles down the shore, towards the grove of trees that sheltered his wife\u2019s grave.\u00a0 She had loved this spot, too.\u00a0 He could remember his sons playing in the shallows, fishing, skimming stones across the placid water, but that was all so long ago\u2026He sighed.\u00a0 He was growing old.\u00a0 More and more he was handing over the running of the ranch to his sons and even that was a source of sorrow.\u00a0 He thought over the conversation at breakfast: Joe of all people had suggested that maybe they should listen to the proposition from the timber company.\u00a0 Perhaps he was wrong to expect them to love the land as much as he did?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAw, c\u2019mon, Hoss, he\u2019s got to move with the times.\u00a0 The mill and the railway are going to happen and he can\u2019t stop progress.\u00a0 He\u2019s living in the past.\u00a0 I, for one, think it\u2019s a good idea.\u201d\u00a0 Joe gave his opinion forcefully.\u00a0 The two brothers were relaxing in the comfort of the great room of the ranch house awaiting the call to supper.<\/p>\n Hop Sing was fussing around the table with various dishes and Hoss couldn\u2019t help lifting the lids to check the contents whenever the cook turned his back.\u00a0 Joe was leaning back in his chair, his feet resting on the coffee table.<\/p>\n \u201cIf ripping the land apart to feed the mines is progress, then I\u2019d just as soon stay in the past,\u201d Hoss retorted.\u00a0 He cocked an ear at the sound of a horse in the yard and pointed at Joe\u2019s feet, grinning.\u00a0 \u201cAnd you\u2019d better move them, he\u2019s back.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben Cartwright came through the oak-planked door just in time to see Joe\u2019s feet hit the floor and he frowned.\u00a0 He\u2019d been telling Joe to keep his feet off the furniture for over twenty years.\u00a0 Would he ever listen?<\/p>\n \u201cOh!\u00a0 Hi, Pa!\u201d Joe said cheerfully, hoping his father hadn\u2019t noticed.\u00a0 \u201cDid you have a good ride?\u201d\u00a0 He pushed to his feet and began to move towards the dining table.\u00a0 Now that Pa was home, Hop Sing would serve.<\/p>\n Ben grunted.\u00a0 \u201cThey\u2019ve started logging right on our boundary.\u00a0 I want some men up there tomorrow to see that they don\u2019t cross it.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss raised his eyebrows in Joe\u2019s direction.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t have to ask who or which boundary.\u00a0 \u201cSure, Pa.\u00a0 I\u2019ll get Candy onto it first thing,\u201d he said as he, too, moved towards the supper table.\u00a0 At that moment the smell of Hop Sing\u2019s fried chicken was more important than any timber rustlers.<\/p>\n Ben pulled out his chair, then looked around the room.\u00a0 \u201cWhere\u2019s Jamie?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe and Hoss both shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019ll be here any minute, Pa.\u00a0 No one passes up Hop Sing\u2019s chicken!\u201d Hoss said, sitting down and filling his plate.<\/p>\n As if on cue, the door opened and the youngest member of the family burst in.\u00a0 He stopped when he saw that his father and brothers were already seated – and that three pairs of eyes were boring into him.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry I\u2019m late,\u201d he said with a hopeful grin.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t the first time and he could see that Pa wasn\u2019t pleased.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve lived here long enough to know what time supper is served, young man.\u00a0 Now why are you late again?\u201d Ben asked sternly.<\/p>\n Jamie looked from Hoss to Joe for support, but they were sitting there with silly grins on their faces.\u00a0 Both had been in similar situations in the past and it amused them to see someone else in the firing line.\u00a0 He sighed.\u00a0 \u201cI stopped to watch the train come in from Reno,\u201d he admitted, pulling out his chair and standing awkwardly beside it.<\/p>\n \u201cWhaddya do that for?\u201d Hoss asked, still filling his plate as he spoke, \u201cIt does it same time every day.\u201d<\/p>\n Jamie gave him a pained look.\u00a0 \u201cSometimes there\u2019s someone interestin\u2019 on it.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben shook his head in disbelief.\u00a0 \u201cAnd was<\/em> there?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNah, just another of them loggin\u2019 people. But I did hear<\/em> somethin\u2019 interestin\u2019\u2026 see…\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSit down and eat your supper, it\u2019s getting cold,\u201d Ben scolded.<\/p>\n \u201cBut Pa, they was talkin\u2019 about the railway.\u00a0 They\u2019re gonna build it over the mountain and along the shore.\u00a0 They got this engineer comin\u2019 out from the East to recommend the route and to supervise it all and Mr. Larsen said…\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJamie, that\u2019s enough.\u00a0 I don\u2019t want to hear another word about this crazy scheme to build a railway at Sand Cove.\u00a0 It\u2019s my land and they won\u2019t get a foot of it!\u201d Ben barked.<\/p>\n Jamie flushed and put his head down to concentrate on his supper.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t his<\/em> fault and he didn\u2019t see why he should be yelled at because he had brought the news.<\/p>\n Joe grinned and raised an eyebrow at him.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Later, as they all relaxed by the fire, Joe decided to risk another outburst from his father.\u00a0 This was a question that had to be settled before it came to accidental gunplay with trigger-happy guards on either side of the boundary.\u00a0 Joe almost chuckled.\u00a0 A few years ago he would have been hot-headed enough to get involved in that gunplay.\u00a0 Now he was quieter and more mature.\u00a0 His oldest brother would hardly know him, he thought.\u00a0 It was strange – they had argued and fought for years, but now that Adam was back East, Joe missed him.<\/p>\n \u201cPa…\u201d he said slowly, \u201cwe have to talk about the logging company\u2019s offer.\u00a0 We can\u2019t just ignore it.\u00a0 They aren\u2019t going to go away. They need the land too much.\u00a0 If this engineer of theirs surveys the area and decides that Sand Cove is the best spot, then they\u2019ll stop at nothing to get it.\u00a0 It\u2019s not as if it would mean losing the cove itself, the land they want is a good two miles from there.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss raised an eyebrow and frowned at Joe.\u00a0 He liked a peaceful life and Joe was begging for an argument.\u00a0 Jamie looked up from his homework and waited, quite expecting Joe to receive the same sort of blast that he<\/em> had endured earlier.<\/p>\n Ben\u2019s lips firmed into a stern expression.\u00a0 \u201cI would have hoped that you had learned to love this land as much as I do,\u201d he said calmly, his temper barely under control.\u00a0 \u201cYou were born here and your mother is buried in that very cove.\u00a0 Don\u2019t you have any feeling for your home?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe sighed.\u00a0 \u201cOf course, I love the Ponderosa.\u00a0 But we\u2019ve sold parts of it before and acquired new land.\u00a0 I understand why the cove itself is important and I feel the same way you do, but the piece of land by the stream is just a piece of land with trees and a few scrub bushes.\u00a0 We don\u2019t even use it for anything.\u00a0 Why does it matter so much to you?\u201d<\/p>\n Ben nodded slowly.\u00a0 \u201cOf course, I forget that to you this spot is home.\u00a0 But, you see, it wasn\u2019t always so.\u201d\u00a0 His expression took on a dreamy quality as his mind traveled back many years.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I know the house down by the old creek bed was where you first lived, but what has that got to do with the land by the lake?\u00a0 It\u2019s several miles away from the old house.\u201d\u00a0 Joe interrupted his father\u2019s thoughts impatiently to prevent him rambling on about the \u201cold days.\u201d\u00a0 Why did older folk do that so much?<\/p>\n \u201cTo Adam and me, and perhaps even Hoss, the rough piece of scrub you describe is important,\u201d Ben went on, ignoring the interruption.<\/p>\n Hoss nodded, remembering.<\/p>\n \u201cBut why, Pa?\u201d Jamie chipped in from his seat at the table, sensing a story to be told.<\/p>\n Ben beckoned to him.\u00a0 \u201cCome and sit by me and I\u2019ll try to explain,\u201d he said softly.<\/p>\n The flames flickered in the massive stone fireplace and a puff of smoke curled out into the room as the wind pushed it back down the chimney and Ben recalled another fire on a cold night in October many years ago.\u00a0 Around that one he had huddled with his young sons, his few possessions in a wagon and despair in his heart, his dream of a new life in a new land shattered by the flight of an arrow, his young wife dead and buried on the prairie miles behind them and his reasons for making the trek to California buried with her.<\/p>\n He remembered a small hand had crept into his, seeking to comfort him.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019ll be all right, Pa.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Ben had smiled down at his small son, not quite eight, but so old for his years.\u00a0 How could he give up when that trusting face was looking up at him?\u00a0 The baby whimpered and stirred in his sleep.\u00a0 Ben clutched him tighter.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n \u201cYes, son, it will be all right.\u201d\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n The wagons had camped by the lake shore for three days, but winter was drawing near and the long haul over the mountains still had to be accomplished.\u00a0 On the fourth morning Ben had the wagon ready to roll with all the others, but there was no sign of Adam.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n \u201cWhere is that boy?\u201d he complained to no one in particular.<\/em><\/p>\n Ben searched, his temper growing shorter with every step, until he spotted the youngster below him on the sand.\u00a0 Adam was skimming stones across the calm waters of the lake, making them skip three or four times.\u00a0 The intense concentration on the little boy\u2019s face made Ben smile, despite his irritation.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n He climbed down until he was only a few feet from the boy.\u00a0 \u201cAdam!\u201d\u00a0 He spoke sharply and the boy\u2019s dark head jerked up guiltily.\u00a0 \u201cHow many times have I told you not to wander off?\u00a0 We\u2019re waiting to leave.\u00a0 We can\u2019t stay here any longer.\u201d\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n \u201cWhy not?\u201d Adam asked with all the innocence of a eight-year-old.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s got good grass and lots of trees.\u00a0 You said you wanted tall trees and these are the tallest anywhere.\u201d\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n Ben looked around him.\u00a0 It was a beautiful spot.\u00a0 \u201cWell, because we\u2019re going to California,\u201d he said lamely, no other reason coming into his head.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n Adam looked across the lake.\u00a0 \u201cBut you said that was California and it looks just the same.\u00a0 I want to stay here.\u201d\u00a0 His small face was set in a stubborn frown.\u00a0 He was tired of traveling, he wanted a home that stayed in one place.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n Ben could see a tantrum brewing, so he decided to turn the question around.\u00a0 \u201cWhy?\u201d he asked.\u00a0 Adam could always be sidetracked by a grownup discussion far easier than an order.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n Adam looked at his father in amazemen;, \u2019Cos it feels like a good place.\u00a0 We could build a house in the meadows and me and Hoss could play here.\u00a0 It would be home like…like Mama Inger wanted,\u201d he finished apprehensively.<\/em><\/p>\n Ben raised an eyebrow.\u00a0 \u201cWouldn\u2019t you be lonely?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Adam\u2019s expression turned to one of scorn.\u00a0 \u201cI got you and Hoss, why would I be lonely?\u201d\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n Ben shook his head slowly and looked up at the mountains.\u00a0 At that moment the rising sun from the east lit up the cross of snow on Mount Tallac and sent warm shafts of sunlight through the pines.\u00a0 The sight disturbed him.\u00a0 \u201cC\u2019mon, we have to get back to the wagons,\u201d he said sharply, taking Adam\u2019s hand and almost dragging him along, despite the boy\u2019s protests.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n They arrived back at the wagons just as the wagon master was rounding up the stragglers.\u00a0 \u201cYou ready, Mr. Cartwright?\u00a0 We should be moving on, snows aren\u2019t too far off and I don\u2019t want to be caught in those mountains.\u201d\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n Ben looked down at the unhappy small boy by his side and then back at the mountains.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re not going on,\u201d he said softly.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re staying here, this is our home.\u201d\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n Adam\u2019s smile resembled the sunrise.\u00a0 He shook loose from his father\u2019s hand and bounded over to where Hoss was being cared for by one of the women.\u00a0 He carefully took the baby in his arms.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s okay, Mrs. Oakes, we\u2019re staying here.\u00a0 We\u2019re home.\u00a0 I\u2019ll take care of my brother now,\u201d he said proudly.<\/em><\/p>\n The woman looked at Ben as if he had gone mad.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re crazy,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ll kill them both – and yourself, too.\u201d\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n Ben shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll stay at Cass\u2019s trading post over the winter.\u00a0 We\u2019ll be fine.\u201d\u00a0 He put a hand on Adam\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cLike my son says, we\u2019re home.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n Ben shook his head to clear the pictures from the past<\/em>.<\/p>\n \u201cSo you see, Jamie, that piece of land is home to me and to Adam and neither one of us would sell it.\u00a0 We suffered real hardships that winter and the ones that followed, but if it hadn\u2019t been for that view on that morning we wouldn\u2019t be here now and the Ponderosa wouldn\u2019t exist as it does today.\u00a0 It may be scrub and sand to everyone else, but to me<\/em> it\u2019s an important and much loved piece of land – the place where I began to realize my dream.\u201d<\/p>\n Jamie nodded slowly, understanding the emotions that were tied up in the simple story.\u00a0 Joe flushed a deep red.\u00a0\u00a0 He had heard the story before, but had never paid much attention to it.\u00a0 It had happened six years before his birth and didn\u2019t have any meaning for him.<\/p>\n Ben smiled at the boy.\u00a0 \u201cThat view may not have a use or be a big financial investment, but to me it\u2019s worth more than all the silver in the Comstock.\u00a0 It\u2019s where I fulfilled a promise made to my wife.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The following day, Jamie once more watched the train arrive, heedless of the fact that he might be late for supper yet again.\u00a0 The first passenger to alight was a fat business man of no interest, then came a lady and her small daughter, too small to catch Jamie\u2019s eye, and finally a tall dark-haired man in a white shirt and dark suit, accompanied by the owner of the Sierra Nevada Timber Company.\u00a0 This must be the engineer that he had heard about.\u00a0 Pa wasn\u2019t going to be pleased.\u00a0 It looked as if the company was going ahead with its plans, even if the Ponderosa opposed them.\u00a0 Jamie rode home deep in thought.\u00a0 After last night he didn\u2019t think he\u2019d mention the engineer, it would only get him shouted at again.\u00a0 Pa sure was in a bad mood these days.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In fact no one mentioned the timber company at dinner and for once it was a light-hearted affair, with Hoss teasing Little Joe about a new saloon girl and Pa trying to look disapproving while hiding a smile behind his hand.\u00a0 Once supper was cleared away, Jamie settled down to his homework at the dining room table and Hoss and Joe began a game of checkers in front of the fire.\u00a0 Ben was deep into his newspaper when there was a knock at the door.\u00a0 He glanced up and waited.\u00a0 The knock came again.<\/p>\n \u201cJoe, would you answer that, please,\u201d Ben said patiently.<\/p>\n Joe moved a checker and then got slowly to his feet, \u201cWhy me?\u00a0 Why not Jamie?\u00a0 He\u2019s the youngest now,\u201d he replied, looking over his shoulder to check that Hoss didn\u2019t move the checkers while he was gone.<\/p>\n Ben sighed.\u00a0 \u201cJamie is doing his homework, which is more than you ever did.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe opened the door in a disinterested fashion – and his jaw dropped.<\/p>\n \u201cI see you still don\u2019t rush to answer the door,\u201d a deep voice said with a chuckle.<\/p>\n Hoss and Ben were out of their seats in a moment and Jamie was astounded to see them both almost run towards the door.<\/p>\n \u201cAdam!\u201d\u00a0 Ben\u2019s voice rose in an exclamation.<\/p>\n \u201cFine welcome!\u00a0 I had to hire a horse to get here.\u00a0 Didn\u2019t you get my telegraph?\u201d<\/p>\n Jamie pushed back his chair.\u00a0 This must be the other brother – the one he had only heard about.\u00a0 He peered round the corner, anxious to see what Adam looked like – and gasped: it was the man from the train\u2026the engineer.<\/p>\n Pa and Hoss and Joe were hugging him and making a great fuss, but Jamie could only stand and stare.\u00a0 Ben took his reticence to be natural nervousness and, smiling, took Jamie\u2019s arm and pulled him forward.<\/p>\n \u201cJamie, come and meet your oldest brother,\u201d he said with a broad grin.<\/p>\n Jamie shuffled forward, reluctantly wondering if he should share what he knew.\u00a0 The man was tall and a little forbidding and he didn\u2019t want to be the one to explain.\u00a0 Pa wasn\u2019t going to be pleased when he knew the reason for his oldest son\u2019s presence.<\/p>\n Ben led Adam to a chair and sat down opposite him.\u00a0 Hoss and Jamie slipped onto the sofa and Joe perched on the arm – until he saw his father\u2019s frown and, grinning, pulled up another chair.<\/p>\n \u201cTell us your news.\u00a0 What are you doing out here?\u201d Ben inquired.<\/p>\n Adam looked around the room; it felt good to be home.\u00a0 \u201cI got the opportunity of a business deal and thought I\u2019d combine it with pleasure.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cThat sounds like you, never pass up a chance to make money.\u00a0 Are you a millionaire yet?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam grinned at his younger brother, \u201cTakes time and hard work, Joe.\u00a0 My partner and I are doing all right, but if we can pull off this deal it will give us a reputation outside of Boston.\u201d\u00a0 He leaned back in his chair, thoroughly relaxed in this room where he had spent so many happy hours.\u00a0 \u201cWhat have you been doing here?\u00a0 I can see there are new buildings and the herd I passed on the way here looks pretty impressive.\u201d<\/p>\n As the evening progressed and the family re-acquainted Adam with all the events since his last letter, Jamie watched in silence, studying the newcomer and wondering when the subject of the timber company would arise.<\/p>\n Finally, it was Joe who opened the can of worms.\u00a0 \u201cYou musta heard in town that Sierra Nevada Timber are making us a good offer for the land by the cove?\u00a0 They want to build some crazy sort of railway over the mountain to move the lumber.\u00a0 I mean, that land is straight up and down.\u00a0 What train would run on a slope like that?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam nodded slowly.\u00a0 \u201cThe scheme isn\u2019t crazy, Joe.\u00a0 It\u2019s a tram line railway, specially designed to climb steep gradients.\u00a0 Properly designed and engineered – and built on the right sort of ground – it will work and provide a very economical way of moving lumber.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben caught the somber tone of his son\u2019s voice.\u00a0 \u201cYou seem to know a lot about it,\u201d he said slowly, a real fear taking hold in the pit of his stomach.<\/p>\n Adam drew in a deep breath and nodded.\u00a0 \u201cI should do.\u00a0 It\u2019s the deal I was talking about.\u00a0 My partner and I have put in a successful bid to build it.\u00a0 It\u2019s the biggest project we\u2019ve had in two years.\u00a0 Could be the breakthrough we\u2019ve been looking for.\u00a0 Our success here could bring in work from all over the world.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou know where they\u2019re planning to build it?\u201d Ben asked tersely, all the joy at his son\u2019s homecoming gone from his voice.<\/p>\n Adam bit his lip and tugged at his ear in a gesture so familiar that it tore at Ben\u2019s heart even more.\u00a0 \u201cYes, I know.\u00a0 I have to do a survey to decide if the land they\u2019ve chosen is suitable.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd if it is…?\u201d\u00a0 Ben glared at his son.<\/p>\n \u201cThen I recommend a compulsory purchase of the area.\u00a0 Government money is involved, so…\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo they can steal it whether I\u2019m prepared to sell or not!\u201d Ben yelled.<\/p>\n Adam sighed and raised a hand.\u00a0 \u201cPa, it\u2019s not like that.\u00a0 If the land\u2019s suitable and the best site, then you\u2019d be paid the market value for it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c\u2018Market value,\u2019\u201d Ben snorted.\u00a0 \u201cHow do you put a value on beauty or memories?\u00a0 Doesn\u2019t this land mean anything to you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, of course it does, but the railway can be built without detracting from the land.\u00a0 The timber company assures me that the landscape would be relatively unscathed.\u00a0 They would replant for every tree they cut.\u201d\u00a0 Adam sat forward, emphasizing his points with his body language, as if trying to convince not only his father, but himself.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd you believe them?\u201d Ben said scathingly.\u00a0 \u201cYou believe that they\u2019ll put aesthetics above profit, conservation above their need to pay their shareholders?\u00a0 Or did you accept their word for it because it suits your purpose?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam\u2019s tight hold on his temper was slipping.\u00a0 \u201cI came out here to engineer a railway because I happen to think I can do a good job.\u00a0 The project is a sound one and it will happen – and, yes, I\u2019d like to be associated with it,\u201d he said stubbornly.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s a great opportunity for James and me to make a name for ourselves in the mining world, too.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben pushed to his feet and pointed an accusing finger at Adam.\u00a0 \u201cI can\u2019t believe you\u2019d do this!\u201d\u00a0 He turned his back on him and stormed out of the house onto the porch.<\/p>\n \u201cWelcome home, brother,\u201d Joe said with a wry grin.\u00a0 \u201cYou kinda got yourself into the middle of quite a situation this time.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t know which piece of land they were talking about until I got here.\u00a0 My partner and I put in a bid because it\u2019s an ambitious project and one we reckoned we could handle well.\u00a0 Plus I wanted to come home for a while and James trusted my judgment on the deal.\u201d\u00a0 He sighed deeply.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ve invested too much to pull out now.\u00a0 I have no choice but to go ahead with the survey and then to engineer the railway as best I can.\u00a0 My company will go bankrupt if we back out.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd you\u2019ll tear this family apart and break his heart if you go ahead,\u201d Hoss snapped, getting to his feet to go after his father.\u00a0 \u201cIf you came back just to cause trouble, maybe you should\u2019ve stayed back East.\u201d\u00a0 He was standing over his older brother in an almost threatening pose.<\/p>\n Adam lowered his eyes to the floor.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t take the intensity of anger shining from Hoss\u2019s blue ones without allowing his guilt to show.\u00a0 \u201cI have<\/em> to do it, Hoss.\u00a0 I can\u2019t let my partner down.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss leaned toward him and stabbed a finger at his chest.\u00a0 \u201cBut you can let him<\/em> down, is that it?\u00a0 Maybe you should think about where your loyalties lie, Adam.\u00a0 If it weren\u2019t for his sacrifices, you wouldn\u2019t be a successful engineer.\u201d\u00a0 He spat out the words in obvious disgust, then turned on his heel and headed for the door, letting it slam shut behind him.<\/p>\n The silence in the room was oppressive.\u00a0 Neither Joe nor Jamie knew what to say and Adam was too upset to say anything for a few minutes.\u00a0 He got slowly to his feet, looking around the room as if to imprint it on his memory.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe I\u2019d best go,\u201d he said softly.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Ponderosa foreman shifted awkwardly from one foot to the other.\u00a0 He was obliged to report regularly to his boss, but this was one report he didn\u2019t want to make.\u00a0 Ben Cartwright was bent over the accounts books with a deep frown marring his features.\u00a0 Candy cleared his throat to make his presence felt again.<\/p>\n \u201cSorry, Candy, I can\u2019t seem to get these figures to balance,\u201d Ben said, looking up at the nervous young man in front of him.\u00a0 \u201cSomething wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n Candy twisted his hat in his hand.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2026uh…had a kind a run-in with some of them railway fellas.\u00a0 Shots fired…\u201d\u00a0 He held up a hand at Ben\u2019s gasp.\u00a0 \u201cNo, no one was hurt, the shots went over their heads, but…\u201d\u00a0 He stopped speaking, not sure how to tell his boss that his oldest son had been there conducting the survey.<\/p>\n \u201cGo on, Candy,\u201d Ben said, stony faced.<\/p>\n \u201cThe engineer had a paper signed by a judge saying he could access the land for survey,\u201d Candy admitted reluctantly.\u00a0 \u201cHe said he\u2019d have us arrested if we tried to stop him.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben sighed, got to his feet and began to pace up and down.\u00a0 \u201cSo, he\u2019s going ahead.\u00a0 Well, at least we know where we stand now.\u201d\u00a0 He stopped and turned back to the foreman.\u00a0 \u201cKeep an eye on them and make sure they do no damage, but don\u2019t oppose them.\u00a0 I don\u2019t want anyone getting hurt.\u00a0 I\u2019ll try for an injunction through the courts first.\u201d<\/p>\n Candy nodded and headed for the yard to deliver the boss\u2019s instructions to the hands guarding the boundary, but as he went he mused on Ben\u2019s use of the word \u201cfirst.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The tension on the ranch increased as the survey went ahead.\u00a0 Candy reported back each day and each evening Joe, Jamie and Hoss watched their father become more and more agitated, then more and more despondent.\u00a0 The ranch hands saw it, too, and some who had been with the Cartwrights for years approached Hoss to ask if they should do anything to move the rail men off the Ponderosa.\u00a0 Hoss calmed them down, but, as he said later to Joe, it wouldn\u2019t take much to start a war out there – and if someone got killed their Pa would never forgive himself.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s growing older before our eyes, Joe.\u00a0 If he loses that land because of Adam, it will kill him.\u201d<\/p>\n The brothers were finishing up their chores in the barn and it seemed as if the building of the railway was their only topic of conversation these days.\u00a0 Adam had not returned to the ranch since that first evening and their father never mentioned his name.\u00a0 Hoss worried at the problem daily and now even Joe had to admit that the loss of the land was something to be avoided at all costs.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m going to town to see that brother of ours tomorrow and I\u2019m gonna make sure he backs off, whatever it takes,\u201d Hoss added ominously.<\/p>\n Joe bit his lip and contemplated his brother\u2019s statement.\u00a0 \u201cThen I\u2019m going with you,\u201d he decided finally, putting up the pitchfork and standing in front of his brother as if expecting opposition.<\/p>\n He wasn\u2019t disappointed.\u00a0 \u201cNo, you ain\u2019t.\u00a0 You\u2019re just too durned hot-tempered.\u00a0 You an\u2019 Adam was always buttin\u2019 heads when he was home.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m not the one who plans to make him back off \u2018whatever it takes,\u2019\u201d he said, throwing his brother\u2019s phrase back in his face.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It was a dirty and tired Adam who arrived back at his hotel the following evening to find his brothers waiting in the lobby to accost him.\u00a0 He had spent the day taking rock samples halfway up a mountain and he was bone-weary and short-tempered.\u00a0 He planned a hot bath and a quiet meal followed by a bottle of whisky, to be drunk in solitary splendor unless he could persuade one of the girls from the saloon to join him.\u00a0 He had discovered since his arrival that old friends sided with his father and wouldn\u2019t speak to him – and that those new ones who sided with the timber company were not ones he wished to speak to him.<\/p>\n His face lightened at the sight of his brothers, then fell again when he saw the mood Hoss was in as he walked towards them.<\/p>\n \u201cHi, can I interest you in joining me for a drink?\u201d\u00a0 He tried to ignore Hoss\u2019s obvious anger.<\/p>\n Joe moved forward and opened his mouth to speak, but Hoss put a restraining hand on his arm.\u00a0 \u201cSure, if it\u2019s a farewell drink,\u201d he said sharply.<\/p>\n Adam sucked in a breath.\u00a0 \u201cYou got something you need to say?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I have.\u00a0 Either change your client or get out of town.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss spoke forcefully and Adam was reminded of the only other time he could recall Hoss acting so aggressively towards him since they were kids.\u00a0 On that occasion he had ended the day with a cut lip and bruised ribs, because he had tried to stop Hoss being hurt by a girl.<\/p>\n \u201cSorry, brother, I can\u2019t do either of those.\u00a0 I don\u2019t like this any more than you do, but I\u2019m seeing this job through and you\u2019ll just have to live with it.\u201d\u00a0 He put out a hand which his brother quickly and harshly brushed away.\u00a0 \u201cIf I don\u2019t do this, someone else will.\u00a0 You can\u2019t stop it.\u00a0 The Incline Railway is going to happen.\u00a0 The only questions are \u2018where?\u2019 and \u2018when?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Joe felt compelled to add his plea to Hoss\u2019s.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t you know you\u2019re destroying Pa?\u00a0 This uncertainty and waiting for a verdict is make him old before his time, Adam.\u00a0 It\u2019s bad enough that the land is being threatened, but to have it taken on your<\/em> say-so will kill him.\u201d\u00a0 For once Joe contained his anger and spoke calmly and rationally.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, he won\u2019t have to wait much longer,\u201d Adam said quietly.\u00a0 \u201cMy final samples will be taken tomorrow at the cove and then I\u2019ll report my findings and recommendations to the company.\u00a0 If they accept the costing and recommendations for the route, then the project will start in a few weeks and be completed before the first snows.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss clenched his massive fists and moved towards his older brother.\u00a0 Joe expected Adam to step backwards and was amazed when he didn\u2019t even blink, but fixed Hoss with a firm stare.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t make me fight you, Hoss, the law\u2019s on my side.\u00a0 No matter what you do to me, you\u2019ll end up losing.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe caught Hoss\u2019s arm.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s right, Hoss, and fighting amongst ourselves will hurt Pa, not help him.\u201d\u00a0 He tugged quite forcefully on his brother\u2019s arm.\u00a0 \u201cHe ain\u2019t gonna back down, Hoss.\u00a0 I guess since he went back East money\u2019s got to mean more to him than family,\u201d Joe said bitterly.<\/p>\n Adam watched them go with a mixture of sadness and relief.\u00a0 For a moment, he had expected Hoss\u2019s threatening manner to become something more physical.\u00a0 Hoss\u2019s behavior had been out of character, but not as surprising as the restrained and considered actions of his younger brother.\u00a0 In the time he had been back East, Joe had matured far more than he would have dreamed possible.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Somewhere above him the sun glinted on a rifle barrel.\u00a0 It was all the warning Adam needed.\u00a0 A reflex action made him dive for the rocks as a bullet slammed into the dirt not two feet from where he had been standing.\u00a0 He drew his gun and stared into the trees.\u00a0 Another bullet splintered the rock face to his left and he ducked back out of sight.\u00a0 No one knew he was going to be here.\u00a0 Surely he hadn\u2019t been followed from town?\u00a0 Then his heart missed a beat.\u00a0 Yes, two people knew he would be here this morning – his brothers.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t believe that they would go this far.\u00a0 No matter what their differences, they were brothers.\u00a0\u00a0 He simply would not accept that it was Joe and Hoss – there had to be some other explanation.\u00a0 Adam looked down at the gun in his hand and took a deep breath before slipping it back into his holster.\u00a0 If there was the remotest possibility that it was <\/em>Hoss and Joe out there, then he would not fire back.\u00a0 He glanced around him, getting his bearings and trying to decide his best route for an unseen retreat.\u00a0 To the casual observer there was no way to go: the lake was behind him, the gunmen in front of him and to his left and his right was an impenetrable jumble of rocks.<\/p>\n He grinned, remembering a childhood game of tag when he had cornered Hoss in this very spot and figured he had won.\u00a0 Hoss had evaded him by slipping through those rocks.\u00a0 Adam searched his memory until he recalled the opening and then he edged slowly towards it.\u00a0 Yes, it was still there, no rock fall had blocked it in the intervening years.\u00a0 He breathed in and held his breath.\u00a0 Hoss would never get through it now, that was for sure, and he wasn\u2019t convinced he would either.\u00a0 Age had added weight to his<\/em> frame, too!\u00a0 After a few anxious moments, a torn shirt and a few skin grazes, he emerged on the other side, from where he could climb up above the gunmen unseen.<\/p>\n Below him Adam caught a glimpse of a brown shirt, well hidden amongst the rocks.\u00a0 For a second he was shocked that his brothers would try to kill him, then he noticed the red-checked shirt of the other gunman and a let out a sigh of relief.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t his brothers.\u00a0 The man in the checked shirt had been with his father\u2019s foreman when there had been gunplay a few days ago.\u00a0 The other man he didn\u2019t know.\u00a0 He stayed partly hidden, but drew his gun.<\/p>\n \u201cDrop your guns and raise your hands!\u201d he called down to them.<\/p>\n Both men swung around in surprise, but, seeing the gun aimed at them, they complied.<\/p>\n \u201cWho ordered you to try and kill me?\u2019 he asked quietly, hoping that he wouldn\u2019t hear the answer he feared most.<\/p>\n The two men looked at each other.\u00a0 The one in the brown shirt spoke.\u00a0 \u201cNo one ordered us to and we didn\u2019t plan to kill ya.\u00a0 We jus\u2019 figured it was best to scare ya off.\u00a0 Ben Cartwright\u2019s bin good to us.\u00a0 This is his land and ain\u2019t no one gonna take it away from him while we\u2019re around.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow d\u2019you know I was here?\u201d Adam asked, gesturing with his gun so that the men lowered their hands.<\/p>\n The checked-shirted one answered this time.\u00a0 \u201cWe heard Joe say you was takin\u2019 the last samples this mornin\u2019.\u00a0 Figured it was our last chance to \u2018persuade\u2019 you to find another route.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam nodded.\u00a0 \u201cWell, you failed.\u00a0 If you\u2019ve known my father for any length of time, you\u2019ll know that he would never back down to threats and he taught us the same lesson.\u00a0 I don\u2019t scare easily and my report will go to the company as promised later today.\u00a0 If you wanted it different, then you should have been shooting to kill.\u201d<\/p>\n He gestured with his gun towards their horses.\u00a0 \u201cMount up and ride out.\u00a0 I\u2019ll leave your guns with Clem at the jail.\u00a0 You can pick \u2018em up later.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam watched the men ride off towards the Ponderosa ranch house and, when he was sure they were well away, he relaxed and holstered his gun.\u00a0 When he\u2019d been at college they had never taught him that an engineer needed to use a gun, but out here it came in handy.<\/p>\n He slowly finished off the survey, his thoughts flitting from the project to his family.\u00a0 When he had finished, he packed his gear and climbed aboard the hired horse.\u00a0 He patted the animal absently, wishing it was his own Beauty or even faithful old Sport.\u00a0 He wheeled the horse around and set off along the lake shore.\u00a0 Maybe a ride would blow away some of the doubts he had in his mind about his next actions.<\/p>\n It didn\u2019t surprise him that he headed towards Sand Cove.\u00a0 He had always gone there as a boy when he had a problem to solve.\u00a0 He approached the area where the mining company planned the terminus of the railway and dismounted, going the final distance to the lake on foot.\u00a0 As he drew near the beach, he could hear stones splashing into the water.\u00a0 Someone was there before him.<\/p>\n Jamie picked up a flat stone and angrily sent it skimming across the water.\u00a0 Pa was so upset at the moment that all he did was yell and it seemed that he was the prime target.\u00a0 He ought to be in school and he knew that.\u00a0 If he was caught he\u2019d be in more trouble, but he needed some time alone.\u00a0 This was the perfect place and it was about to be ruined.\u00a0 He spun around as he heard footsteps approaching on the sand.<\/p>\n Adam said nothing, but bent down and selected a flat stone.\u00a0 He concentrated on the stone, ignoring Jamie.\u00a0 He straightened up and grinned as the stone skipped five times.<\/p>\n \u201cHaven\u2019t lost my touch.\u00a0 I taught Hoss and Joe to do that.\u00a0 Guess I missed out on you, but by the looks of your throw Hoss or Joe did a good job,\u201d he said slowly.<\/p>\n Jamie shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cMy real Pa taught me.\u00a0 He was real good at teaching me stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam nodded.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, fathers are the best teachers.\u00a0 It\u2019s hard to lose a parent, must be devastating to lose both…however it happens.\u201d<\/p>\n Jamie looked up at the older man, his face full of contempt.\u00a0 \u201cHoss and Joe told me about you.\u00a0 They was full of praise and bragged about you.\u00a0 You ain\u2019t nuthin\u2019, though.\u00a0 If you was as great as they said, you wouldn\u2019t do this to him.\u00a0 I wouldn\u2019t do somethin\u2019 like this to him and I ain\u2019t even his real son.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe used to play here as kids,\u201d Adam went on, as though Jamie had not spoken.\u00a0 \u201cI taught Hoss to swim here, Joe, too.\u00a0 We fished and played \u2018hide and go seek.\u2019\u00a0 I reckon it was one of our favorite places.\u00a0 See that tree over there?\u00a0 Joe got stuck at the top of that when he was about six and I had to rescue him.\u201d\u00a0 He chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cHe said he could see to the ocean from the top.\u00a0 He\u2019d never seen the ocean then.\u201d\u00a0 He sighed.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d better be getting back to town.\u201d<\/p>\n Jamie stared up at the dark features.\u00a0 \u201cYou gonna give them your report, ain\u2019t you, no matter what anyone says or does?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam nodded, his dark eyes troubled.\u00a0 \u201cI have obligations that I must fulfill, Jamie.\u00a0 There are people who depend on my judgment, people who expect me to do a good job and people to whom I owe a debt.\u00a0 Decisions are never black and white, there are always shades of gray to be considered.\u201d<\/p>\n He looked at the lake one more time and then mounted up and rode off without a backward glance.\u00a0 Jamie watched him go with a sorrowful expression of his own.\u00a0 He had come to love the Ponderosa and his adopted family and he found it hard to understand how Adam could hurt them all for any perceived commitment to a friend or a business deal.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n At the hotel Adam wrote out the telegraph flimsy.\u00a0 It was addressed to his partner in Boston and read:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n SURVEY COMPLETED SATISFACTORILY STOP MY RECOMMENDATION AND FINAL ESTIMATE ACCEPTED STOP WORK COMMENCING TWO WEEKS STOP WIRE MONEY TO BANK OF CALIFORNIA FOR PROJECT START UP STOP<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He read it through once more.\u00a0 It would give James the basic details and he could write more fully tonight.\u00a0 He would send it on his way to the town meeting that the Sierra Timber Company had called to advise the citizens of their plans.\u00a0 It would mean work for the town and in time would increase the prosperity of the area.\u00a0 He was satisfied that he had done his best.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ben came down the stairs and buckled on his gun belt as he walked towards the door.\u00a0 \u201cAre you two ready?\u201d he said brusquely to Hoss and Joe, who were waiting for him in the great room.\u00a0 Jamie stood hesitantly behind Joe – he wanted to go, but knew he would not be invited.<\/p>\n Ben caught sight of him and pursed his lips.\u00a0 \u201cWhat do you think you\u2019re doing?\u201d he said, indicating to the jacket over Jamie\u2019s arm.<\/p>\n \u201cCan\u2019t I come with you, Pa?\u00a0 I\u2019d be real good.\u00a0 I wanna know what\u2019s going on, too,\u201d Jamie pleaded, casting glances at his brothers in the hope of support.<\/p>\n \u201cLet him come, Pa, it can\u2019t do no harm,\u201d Hoss took up the cause.<\/p>\n \u201cHumph…\u201d Ben grunted.\u00a0 \u201cYou stay by me and do as you\u2019re told.\u201d<\/p>\n Jamie nodded, rapidly slipping his arms into his coat before Pa could change his mind.\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t mentioned his encounter with Adam.\u00a0 There was no point in telling his father that he knew the outcome of this meeting before they went.\u00a0 No point in causing pain before it was necessary.<\/p>\n Hoss put a hand on his father\u2019s shoulder. \u201cIt\u2019ll be all right, Pa, whatever the decision.\u00a0 If it goes against us, we\u2019ll fight it.\u00a0 Even the government can\u2019t take the land if a court decides in our favor.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben looked up at him and there was the mark of defeat in his eyes.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m too old and tired to fight anymore, Hoss.\u00a0 I always thought that my dream was your dream, too, that you boys would carry on after I\u2019d gone, but I guess I was wrong to think it could mean the same to you.\u00a0 Adam was there the day we decided to stay, it was his decision, and yet he can throw it away without so much as a backward glance.\u00a0 It means that little to him.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe raised an eyebrow at his older brother.\u00a0 They had seen their father face incredible odds, they had seen him fight, they had seen him negotiate, but they had never seen him look so defeated.\u00a0 Joe wasn\u2019t sure he wanted to go to this meeting and allow all their friends and neighbors to see this shell of the man he had been.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The room at the International House was filled with citizens, all anxious to hear the news.\u00a0 Some wanted the jobs it would bring, others had come to see if Ben Cartwright would fight to stop it and a few had come to see Ben Cartwright humiliated.<\/p>\n Hoss pushed his way to the front and found chairs for them all.\u00a0 Ben sat down heavily and dropped his head to his chest.\u00a0 It no longer mattered to him that the land would be lost.\u00a0 He had lost something far more precious: his son.\u00a0 Right up until yesterday, when Hoss and Joe had reported their conversation with Adam, he had prayed that his eldest son would back out of the deal.<\/p>\n Joe watched his father with concern for a moment, then turned his attention to the party now filing onto the platform.\u00a0 The directors of the Sierra Nevada Timber Company were an impressive bunch, but Joe saved his cutting look for the last man to take his seat.\u00a0 How could Adam sit there with these men?<\/p>\n The President of the Company was now on his feet and speaking and Joe concentrated on his every word.<\/p>\n \u201cLadies and gentlemen, I am here tonight to outline our plans for the building of a railway on the shores of Lake Tahoe to carry lumber over the mountains to supply the mines in Virginia City.\u00a0 As most of you will know, this will bring much needed work to the area and I know we will have your support for this ambitious project.\u00a0 We have engaged a firm of engineers from Boston to survey the proposed site and that same firm will be heading the project when work begins in a few weeks\u2019 time,\u201d he indicated Adam with a smile.\u00a0 \u201cMr. Adam Cartwright has prepared a comprehensive report on the suitability of various routes and I can confirm that the railway will be built at Mill Creek\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Joe didn\u2019t hear any more, he was in shock.\u00a0 Mill Creek?\u00a0 Mill Creek was several miles north of the Ponderosa border.\u00a0 No one had ever mentioned Mill Creek as a possible site before.\u00a0 He looked up at the platform and stared straight at his oldest brother, but Adam\u2019s face was impassive.\u00a0 The mask Joe remembered from childhood was firmly in place, it was impossible to tell what he was thinking.\u00a0 He glanced at Hoss and grinned.\u00a0 His big brother\u2019s face was wreathed in smiles.\u00a0 To his surprise, his father was not smiling, but staring intently at Adam.\u00a0 The look seemed to last forever and it reminded Joe of the looks Pa had given them as children, when he suspected that they were avoiding the truth.\u00a0 Finally, Ben smiled and looked away, his whole body relaxing as he did so.<\/p>\n Outside the hotel the family gathered with a group of neighbors, each one acknowledging Ben and congratulating him.\u00a0 Ben was only half-listening to their conversations, his eyes and ears were attuned to a different person.\u00a0 When Adam eventually emerged from the hotel, their eyes met and they both smiled.<\/p>\n Joe caught his older brother\u2019s arm.\u00a0 \u201cDid you change the site because it\u2019s better – or because of what the cove means to you and the family?\u201d he asked bluntly.<\/p>\n Adam glanced at his father before replying.\u00a0 \u201cI told you before, I had a job to do and I had obligations to my partner and the timber company.\u00a0 Mill Creek is ideal for the tram line.\u00a0 We won\u2019t need to do much blasting and there\u2019s a natural rift in the rock to work with.\u00a0 It has a lot of advantages.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben put a hand on his shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cSo this means you\u2019ll be staying around for a while?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I guess it does; several months, anyway.\u201d\u00a0 He smiled at Jamie, \u201cLong enough to teach my youngest brother how to skim stones and give him a hand with his homework.\u00a0 Maybe even convince him to like school and want to go every day.\u201d\u00a0 He winked at the youngster and only Jamie heard the slight emphasis on the words \u201cevery day.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cHow about we go have dinner to celebrate?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSounds like the best kinda celebration to me,\u201d Hoss grinned.<\/p>\n They began to walk towards the restaurant and Ben fell in beside his oldest son at the rear of the party.<\/p>\n \u201cNever did like Mill Creek,\u201d Ben said softly.<\/p>\n Adam shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cI fell in there once when I was a kid.\u00a0 Poor place to fish and the stones never did skim so well there,\u201d he replied equally softly.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n ‘<\/strong><\/p>\n The Incline Valley Railway was built at Mill Creek and ran successfully for many years.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Summary:\u00a0 Ben fights progress and his sons, but can he fight with a professional engineer sent to build a railway on Lake Tahoe?
\nRating:\u00a0 G\u00a0 (7,800 words)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":131,"featured_media":41001,"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":[1004,23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-62751","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ben-cartwright","category-drama","wpcat-1004-id","wpcat-23-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\/2023\/03\/Preserving-Their-Legacy.png?fit=732%2C477&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62751","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\/131"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=62751"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62751\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/41001"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=62751"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=62751"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=62751"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}