{"id":6395,"date":"2012-09-30T18:43:22","date_gmt":"2012-09-30T22:43:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=6395"},"modified":"2023-03-22T13:14:30","modified_gmt":"2023-03-22T17:14:30","slug":"what-ben-saw-out-the-window","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=6395","title":{"rendered":"What Ben Saw Out The Window (by debpet)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary: \u00a0W<\/span>hat is it that Ben has spied out the window?\u00a0 And what are the Cartwrights going to do with it?<\/p>\n

Rated:<\/span>\u00a0K+ WC \u00a02000<\/span><\/p>\n

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Story Notes:<\/span><\/em><\/div>\n
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This\u00a0is\u00a0in response to the September 2012 Chaps & Spurs challenge.\u00a0 It was originally written for an exercise on another site with the first\u00a0sentence as the prompt.\u00a0 Since it had never been posted here, I have been assured that it qualifies for the challenge as long as it includes all the words…which only took a little minor tweaking.\u00a0 The words for the challenge were CAMEL\u00a0 SALT\u00a0 FREIGHT\u00a0 RACE\u00a0 and SPIT.<\/em><\/p>\n

What Ben Saw Out the Window<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

It was early morning when Ben casually took his coffee<\/strong> and went to the window that looked out into the yard, but the sight that greeted him made him gasp and take a step back. He blinked, then he looked again to make sure that he was really seeing what he thought he was seeing.<\/p>\n

He was.<\/p>\n

Quickly he put his coffee cup down on the desk and strode toward the door. He glanced over to the dining area where his sons were just sitting down to breakfast and Hop Sing was putting food on the table.<\/p>\n

\u201cBoys…Hop Sing…come outside with me…NOW!,\u201d Ben called out.<\/p>\n

His sons looked back at him in surprise. But they recognized the tone that demanded instant obedience. Adam, who was just opening his mouth to take a bite of a buttery biscuit, immediately put it down and rose from his chair. Joe had not even sat down completely, but his father\u2019s command caused him to straighten up abruptly without even thinking. Hoss cast a longing glance at the plate of pancakes that Hop Sing had just set down and reluctantly joined his brothers in moving toward the door. The cook muttered something unintelligible under his breath and brought up the rear as they all made their way outside.<\/p>\n

And then, there they were, all lined up in a row in the yard and staring wide-eyed at the remarkable scene before them. Or, rather, at the remarkable creature standing there next to the watering trough. The beast had four long spindly legs with knobby knees, supporting a large round body with a prominent hump and shaggy brown hair. Its long neck ended in an elongated head with large eyes that looked around in apparent bewilderment.<\/p>\n

Hoss was the first to shake off his astonishment enough to speak. \u201cWell, will ya look at that! I ain\u2019t never seen the like, that\u2019s fer sure. Doesn\u2019t look like it belongs around here, does it? Anybody know what it is?\u201d<\/p>\n

I believe it\u2019s a CAMEL,\u201d Adam answered him drily.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell of course it\u2019s a camel!,\u201d Ben interrupted with asperity. \u201cWhat I want to know is…what is a camel doing on the Ponderosa?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam watched as the animal lowered it\u2019s head to the water trough. \u201cWell, Pa, it looks to me like it\u2019s taking a drink,\u201d he said, trying to suppress an amused smile and not quite succeeding.<\/p>\n

Ben glared at his oldest son. \u201cAnd can you also enlighten us as to how this…creature…comes to be here taking a drink in the first place?,\u201d he said in an annoyed tone.<\/p>\n

Adam shrugged. \u201cI\u2019m afraid that\u2019s one answer I don\u2019t have, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben turned to the others. \u201cHave any of you heard about any circus or traveling show in the area that it could have escaped from?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss and Joe looked at each other for a moment, then they both shook their heads.<\/p>\n

\u201cI sure haven\u2019t,\u201d said Joe.<\/p>\n

\u201cAn\u2019 I ain\u2019t neither,\u201d added Hoss.<\/p>\n

Ben looked to Hop Sing as a last hope, but the Chinese man shook his head adamantly. \u201cHop Sing know nothing of strange creature.\u201d<\/p>\n

An expression of dismay came to Ben\u2019s face. \u201cSo…what are we supposed to do with it?,\u201d he demanded plaintively.<\/p>\n

Adam raised a finger to his lips thoughtfully. \u201cMy suggestion would be that we should try to herd it into the corral and hold it there. Then somebody should go and tell Roy Coffee about what we\u2019ve found. If anyone in the area is missing an animal like this the sheriff would probably be the first to know. In any case, he might have some ideas about tracking down it\u2019s origin.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben was relieved at having a definite course of action to pursue. \u201cThat sounds good to me, son. Now, who\u2019s going to ride into town to talk to Roy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s one job I can\u2019t say as I\u2019m eager for, Pa.\u201d Hoss admitted sheepishly.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhoever tells him about it, Roy\u2019s liable to think he\u2019s not right in the head,\u201d Joe agreed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think I\u2019ll take that chance,\u201d Adam interjected. \u201cActually, I\u2019d like to see the look on his face when he hears about this,\u201d he added, his eyes gleaming with amusement.<\/p>\n

And so it was decided. Adam went back inside to get his hat, jacket and gun belt, then headed for the barn to saddle Sport while the others set about trying to maneuver the reluctant camel into the corral. As the Cartwrights and Hop Sing moved to surround it, the camel began to move about uneasily. Then the creature let out with a strange bawling sound that caused its pursuers to jump slightly.<\/p>\n

Hoss stepped forward, speaking soothingly to try to calm the creature. The camel\u2019s jaws worked nervously And then, suddenly, it spat out a gooey mess that splashed right across the front of Hoss\u2019 shirt!<\/p>\n

Hoss looked down at his shirt in dismay, then back up at the camel. \u201cDagnabbit!,\u201d he cried. \u201cFirst ya make me miss my breakfast and now ya go and ruin my new shirt! If you ain\u2019t the dadgum orneriest critter I ever did come across…\u201d Hoss paused, unable to find the words to adequately express his indignation.<\/p>\n

The camel simply stared back at him and blinked its eyes.<\/p>\n

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

A few hours later Adam returned from his mission to town, still chuckling at Roy\u2019s reaction to his news. \u201cOh he raised his eyebrows at me all right,\u201d he reported. \u201cBut at least he didn\u2019t accuse me of having lost my mind. He hadn\u2019t heard any reports of any show that had lost a camel, or anyone else for that matter. But he did say he\u2019d contact some of the other sheriffs in the region to see if they had heard anything. And there were a couple of other ideas he wanted to follow up on. He promised to let us know right away if he found out anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI just hope something turns up very quickly,\u201d Ben declared. \u201cI don\u2019t want to get stuck taking care of that animal indefinitely.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I wouldn\u2019t worry too much, Pa,\u201d Adam said. \u201cI\u2019m sure that we can find some use for it…if it comes to that.\u201d As he took in the frown his father was giving him the young man was hard pressed to keep a straight face.<\/p>\n

So, for the next several days the camel remained penned up in the corral. Hoss took on the primary responsibility for its care, making sure it had food, water and SALT. After his initial irritation had passed Hoss actually began to develop a kind of fascination for the creature. While Ben hoped every day that someone would be found to take the animal off their hands Hoss was beginning to hope that it would stay around for a while. Still, there was no word from Roy Coffee.<\/p>\n

Then, one evening, while the Cartwrights were sitting on the porch after dinner, Roy Coffee rode into the yard, accompanied by an army captain and two of his men. As Roy and the captain dismounted, Ben stood up and stepped down into the yard to meet them, followed by his sons.<\/p>\n

\u201cHello, Roy. It\u2019s good to see you.\u201d Ben glanced curiously at the army men. \u201cDoes this mean you finally have some news about our visitor?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, Ben, I guess I do,\u201d Roy replied. \u201cThis here is Captain Harlan and he and his men are here to take the camel back to Texas. It seems that what you\u2019ve got here is a refugee from the Army Camel Corps.\u201d*<\/p>\n

\u201cArmy Camel Corps?\u201d Ben\u2019s expression was quizzical.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right, Mr. Cartwright,\u201d Captain Harlan said. \u201cIt\u2019s not widely known among the general public, but the Army has in fact been experimenting with the use of camels as pack animals under certain conditions. Thirty-four animals were imported from Egypt for the purpose a couple of years ago and brought to Texas.\u201d He glanced over at the corral where the camel was standing quietly and eyeing the activity of the humans with interest. \u201cThat camel there is evidently one that managed to escape from its handlers some weeks ago and has been wandering on its own ever since. There had been several reports of sightings, but no one had managed to capture the animal until now. We are indebted to you for its return, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m just happy to find out where it belongs and to be able to send it back there,\u201d Ben assured him.<\/p>\n

\u201cCaptain, I\u2019m very interested in this experiment the Army is conducting,\u201d Adam said. \u201cTell me, how has it been going?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMixed results so far, I\u2019m afraid,\u201d the Captain answered him. \u201cThe camels can carry much heavier loads of supplies or FREIGHT than mules or horses and can handle desert conditions better, being able to go without food or water for extended periods. However, they do not seem to be well regarded by the men who work with them. The men find them bad tempered and bad smelling. And the camels SPIT.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss nodded sagely. \u201cThey do that all right.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, Captain, it\u2019s getting on toward dark,\u201d Ben said, moving the conversation back to practical matters. \u201cYou and your men are welcome to stay here for the night and leave at your convenience in the morning.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe appreciate your hospitality, Mr. Cartwright,\u201d the Captain replied. \u201cLet me just give some orders to my men.\u201d And he moved away.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll be heading back to town, Ben\u201d Roy Coffee said. \u201cI\u2019m glad everything worked out all right. Be seein\u2019 you all, I\u2019m sure.\u201d And with a wave Roy mounted his horse and rode away.<\/p>\n

As the army men began to lead their horses toward the barn with his father and brothers accompanying them, Hoss laid a hand on Captain Harlan\u2019s arm and drew him aside.<\/p>\n

\u201cCaptain, about that camel there. Do you know if it\u2019s got a name?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI believe she\u2019s called Scheherezade,\u201d the Captain answered.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s quite a mouthful, aint it?,\u201d Hoss opined.<\/p>\n

\u201cI suppose it is.\u201d Captain Harlan chuckled lightly. \u201cGood night, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c \u2018Night, Captain,\u201d Hoss murmured as he watched Harlan RACE to catch up with the others.<\/p>\n

Dusk was falling as Hoss wandered over to the corral where the camel was still standing quietly.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, Scheherezade,\u201d he said sadly. \u201cLooks like you\u2019re gonna be leavin\u2019 in the morning. I\u2019m gonna miss you, gal. Spite of everything, I really am.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sheherezade looked at him with sad eyes…and sent a gob of spit flying to land at his feet.<\/p>\n

\u201cDadburnit, you crazy critter!\u201d Hoss cried.<\/p>\n

THE END<\/p>\n

*The Army Camel Corps was real, founded in 1856 with the importation of animals from Egypt and disbanded in 1865. There was a comedic movie based on the story starring James Garner some years ago, though I don\u2019t remember the name. Information relating to the Camel Corps was found on the internet.<\/p>\n

Disclaimer:<\/span>\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<\/div>\n

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

Summary: \u00a0What is it that Ben has spied out the window?\u00a0 And what are the Cartwrights going to do with it? \u00a0<\/p>\n

Rated:\u00a0K+ WC \u00a02000<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":53,"featured_media":1229,"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_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[39,23,40],"tags":[15],"class_list":["post-6395","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-chaps-spurs","category-drama","category-challenges","tag-ben","wpcat-39-id","wpcat-23-id","wpcat-40-id"],"a3_pvc":{"activated":true,"total_views":1040,"today_views":0},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/bonanza7.jpg?fit=720%2C477&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2979,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=2979","url_meta":{"origin":6395,"position":0},"title":"Captain Joe (by frasrgrl)","author":"frasrgrl","date":"November 24, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0 \u00a0This story is in response to November's Chaps and Spurs Challenge. 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