{"id":7199,"date":"2004-09-22T17:09:34","date_gmt":"2004-09-22T21:09:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=7199"},"modified":"2025-02-27T12:09:25","modified_gmt":"2025-02-27T17:09:25","slug":"entertaining-angels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=7199","title":{"rendered":"Entertaining Angels (by Rona)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary: \u00a0<\/span>Just days before Christmas, the Cartwrights have guests.<\/p>\n

Rated:\u00a0 K+ (3,595 words)<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Entertaining Angels<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It had been a hard winter so far. Christmas was but days away and nobody on the Ponderosa had been able to get into town for weeks. There were presents waiting in the mercantile to be collected and although they were well stocked up on basic food stuffs, there were one or two less usual items that Hop Sing wanted to get to make Christmas dinner extra special.<\/p>\n

At last, they woke, three days before Christmas, to find the sun glinting off the pure-white snow. It was amazing how the reappearance of that golden orb in the sky could lift all their spirits. Tempers, that had been hair-triggered for the last few weeks, were suddenly restored to their normal equilibrium.<\/p>\n

Until breakfast, that was.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Ben Cartwright said, flatly and nobody who heard him doubted that he meant it.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut, Pa\u2026\u201d the chorus began around the table.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are things we need from town,\u201d Adam, the oldest, suggested calmly.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are things we would like from town,\u201d Ben corrected him. \u201cBut we don\u2019t \u2018need\u2019 anything. We have enough food to see us through till spring.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut Hop Sing was just sayin\u2019 the other day that he was wantin\u2019\u2026\u201d Hoss offered, hoping that this tempting thought of culinary delights to come would coax acceptance from Ben.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Ben repeated. His patience was beginning to sound rather strained.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat about the Christmas Eve dance?\u201d Joe asked, plaintively.<\/p>\n

That was the last straw. Crashing his hands down on the table, Ben rose to his feet and fixed his three sons with a steely glare. \u201cWhat part of \u2018no\u2019 do you boys find so difficult to understand?\u201d he demanded loudly. \u201cIt\u2019s almost the first word that you were all taught the meaning of!\u201d<\/p>\n

All three sons froze, not daring to look at each other for fear of setting off a worse diatribe. Given how annoyed Ben appeared to be, he had been remarkably mild in his comments so far. Joe suddenly realised that he had forgotten to breathe and gulped in some air.<\/p>\n

Satisfied that he had got through to his sons at last, Ben calmed down. \u201cThe roads will be impassable,\u201d he reminded them all. \u201cThere\u2019s almost 8 feet of snow in places. A trip to town is just too risky. I know its disappointing that we won\u2019t be able to collect those gifts we ordered from the store, but that\u2019s the way it is. After all, boys, this isn\u2019t the first time this has happened.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mutinously, Joe looked down at the remains of his breakfast on the plate. Suddenly, his appetite had gone. He had almost convinced himself that he would be able to go to the dance on Christmas Eve. He was sure his girlfriend, Lydia, would understand, but he couldn\u2019t help feeling disappointed.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut since the weather is nice, there are one or two things you could do outside\u2026\u201d Ben suggested.<\/p>\n

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

It wasn\u2019t the same thing, but at least they were outside. The air was bitingly cold, the temperature hovering just below freezing. Joe could feel the cold creep under the big coat he was wearing. His hands, despite the gloves, were getting cold fast. His boots felt incredibly tight because of the two pairs of thick socks he was wearing.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not splitting up out of shouting distance from each other,\u201d Adam reminded them. \u201cIt\u2019s too risky. Joe, you go down there, and make sure there aren\u2019t any cattle stuck. Hoss, you take the top road and I\u2019ll go along here. We\u2019ll meet up at the next curve. If you see something, shout, whistle or fire your gun.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right,\u201d Joe and Hoss chorused. They each urged their horses carefully away from the main trail \u2013 or what they could see of it.<\/p>\n

A bit further along the trail Joe was pursuing, two men looked at each other. \u201cHere he comes,\u201d one said, nervously.<\/p>\n

\u201cCalm down,\u201d the other replied. \u201cEverything is ready.\u201d He eyed his companion. \u201cHey, you\u2019re glowing again,\u201d he added. \u201cYou\u2019ll need to keep on top of that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh no!\u201d he cried. He frowned and after a moment, the faint glow that had rimmed his body disappeared. \u201cMy wings aren\u2019t showing are they?\u201d he asked, anxiously and the older man shook his head.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, its fine.\u201d He cocked his head. \u201cListen, here he comes now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Moments later, Joe appeared around a tree and stopped his horse, gaping in surprise at finding two men out on foot in that weather. His initial impulse was to be friendly, but Joe had learned the hard way that he had to be cautious, too. \u201cWhat are you doing out here?\u201d he asked, which perhaps wasn\u2019t the most tactful thing he could have said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re lost,\u201d the older man replied. \u201cI know we\u2019ve taken a wrong turning somewhere, but I\u2019m just not sure where.\u201d He smiled. \u201cWe\u2019ve just bought the Hopkins\u2019 place.\u201d He sighed. \u201cAnd this isn\u2019t it, is it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m afraid not,\u201d Joe smiled. He stepped down from Cochise, but his hand never strayed far from his holster. \u201cThis is the Ponderosa. I\u2019m Joe Cartwright.\u201d He put out his hand and the other man shook it.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m Luke and this is Mark,\u201d he replied, gesturing to his companion. \u201cCould you point us in the right direction, please?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI could,\u201d Joe agreed, frowning, \u201cbut you wouldn\u2019t get back there tonight. You\u2019ve come too far. Tell you what, why don\u2019t you come back home with me, and tomorrow morning, weather permitting, I\u2019ll get the sleigh out and take you back?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe couldn\u2019t impose,\u201d Luke replied.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo imposition,\u201d Joe assured him sincerely. \u201cWe all have to look out for each other in this weather. Come on, it\u2019s this way. I\u2019ve just got to signal my brothers.\u201d Putting his fingers to his lips, Joe tore off one glove with his teeth and let out a piercing whistle. There was no immediate response. \u201cWe\u2019ll start walking,\u201d Joe decided and turned to lead the way.<\/p>\n

They had gone only about 10 feet when a voice shouted, \u201cJoe, is that you?\u201d<\/p>\n

It seemed to be coming from directly above them and Cochise shied slightly. Joe was thrown off balance by the unexpected movement and his feet slid out from underneath him. He dropped the reins as he began to careen down the slope, a yell being torn from his lips.<\/p>\n

There was no doubt where Joe would end up \u2013 in the river at the bottom of the slope. Getting soaked was an instant death sentence in weather like that. Mark glanced at Luke and the older man nodded. Joe suddenly fetched up against an un-seen rock, which gave him a few nasty bruises, but he was spared a ducking. Mark, using Luke as a brace, reached down to assist Joe back up.<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks,\u201d Joe panted, as he regained his footing. His butt was soaked through and the wind that was now rising from the lake only emphasised how cold he was feeling. \u201cThat was close!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe! Are you all right?\u201d It was Adam, looking white-faced and shaken.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m fine, Adam,\u201d Joe replied. \u201cAdam, I\u2019d like you meet to meet Luke and Mark. They\u2019ve bought the Hopkins\u2019 place and they\u2019re lost. I said they\u2019d better come home with us and if the weather is good, I can take them back tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow\u2019d you do?\u201d Adam acknowledged. \u201cI\u2019m Adam Cartwright, Joe\u2019s oldest brother.\u201d They started walking again, and Joe once more realised how cold his butt was. He shivered.<\/p>\n

Worriedly, Adam looked around, instinctively seeking Hoss. They needed to get Joe home, for Adam could now see that the seat of Joe\u2019s pants and his legs were wet. Luke and Mark exchanged glances and nodded. Next moment, Hoss appeared out of the trees and waved at them.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is our brother, Hoss,\u201d Adam explained. \u201cLuke, if you would like to ride with him, and Mark, you can ride with me. Come on, Joe, let\u2019s get you mounted.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI can manage,\u201d Joe protested, but he was quite glad of the shove all the same. His butt felt horrifically cold and there wasn\u2019t much worse than riding with wet pants. It made the saddle slippery. As he settled himself cautiously, Adam grabbed his bedroll and tucked it around his embarrassed brother.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t say a word,\u201d he admonished Joe. He lowered his voice. \u201cYou don\u2019t want to freeze certain vital parts of your body, do you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Joe agreed smiling. \u201cThanks, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

The journey back took longer than Adam would have liked, but Joe was still relatively warm when they got there. Adam insisted that Joe take their guests into the house while he and Hoss tended to the horses and Joe readily agreed.<\/p>\n

As soon as they entered the house, Ben was on his feet. \u201cWhat happened, Joe?\u201d he asked, unerringly knowing that something had happened.<\/p>\n

Quickly, Joe told his story and introduced Luke and Mark whilst he did so. Ben immediately called for some coffee and practically pushed Joe upstairs to get dry clothes. Hop Sing already had water warm, and hurried to take some up to Joe so that he could soak in a warm bath. Joe was more than grateful for the idea. Before long, he was feeling much better, his butt warm to the touch again and no damage done.<\/p>\n

While he was bathing, Adam and Hoss came in and soon were settled in front of the fire, nursing their cups. Ben had repeated the boys\u2019 invitation to their guests and shown them to rooms. As they all gathered in front of the fire again, Ben noticed that it had started to snow as darkness fell.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hadn\u2019t realised that the Hopkins\u2019 place had been sold,\u201d Ben commented as they sat down to supper. \u201cUsually new neighbours cause a seven day wonder around here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have kept pretty much to ourselves,\u201d Luke explained. \u201cWe had some land back east, and a developer wanted to build houses on it. So we decided to try our luck out west and bought up everything we thought we\u2019d need, came here and settled in.\u201d He laughed. \u201cAnd then we get caught in the snow like greenhorns.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone has to learn,\u201d Ben allowed. \u201cWhen the weather clears, we\u2019ll take you back to your place. Are you sure you\u2019ve got enough food stocked up? Winter can last clear through to fall around here.\u201d They all laughed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think so, thank you,\u201d Mark replied.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, if you are running short of anything, please don\u2019t hesitate to come over and ask,\u201d Ben told them. \u201cWe always have enough, thankfully.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s very generous of you, Mr Cartwright,\u201d Luke replied. \u201cThank you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRubbish!\u201d Ben denied. \u201cIt\u2019s only being neighbourly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Again, the visitors exchanged glances and a nod.<\/p>\n

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

Later that night, Luke went to Mark\u2019s room. \u201cWhat do you think?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey are just like we\u2019ve been told they were,\u201d Mark replied. \u201cAre they for real?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLooks like it,\u201d Luke smiled. \u201cWasn\u2019t it lucky that that rock was there when Joe fell?\u201d They both sniggered. \u201cIt would have been tragic if he had gone into the river.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTragic,\u201d Mark agreed solemnly. \u201cHow long do you think we\u2019ll have to stay?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnother night at least,\u201d Luke replied. \u201cSo get some sleep and remember not to glow.\u201d He smiled at the scowl his companion threw at him.<\/p>\n

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

Although the snow was off the next morning, the sky was so overcast that Ben wouldn\u2019t hear of the two men returning home. The boys chimed in, Hoss pointing out all the bad signs. Mark and Luke were persuaded to stay. As they agreed a big, fat snowflake floated down out of the sky.<\/p>\n

The snow never came to much but there was almost always some drifting aimlessly in the air. It was slightly less cold than it had been the day before and the horses were turned out into the corral for some fresh air. The boys took the chance to give the stable a more thorough mucking out than usual and then brought the horses back inside.<\/p>\n

Having settled Cochise into his stall, Joe went back into the corral to crack the ice on the trough. He didn\u2019t want the wood to split. Hoss, coming out of the barn, slammed the door behind him. The snow on the pitched roof was dislodged and began to slide ominously quietly towards Joe, who started to move into an even more dangerous position.<\/p>\n

Seconds before the snow would have hit Joe, his feet hit a patch of ice and went out from under him. Joe landed on his butt. The snow landed inches away from Joe\u2019s feet with a \u2018whumph\u2019. Joe was powdered with white fragments.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe!\u201d Hoss cried and yanked open the corral gate. \u201cJoe, are ya all right?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m fine,\u201d Joe replied, although his butt stung from its sudden contact with the earth.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf ya\u2019d bin under that\u2026\u201d Hoss whispered, awed by Joe\u2019s narrow escape. The weight of the snow would undoubtedly have injured Joe very badly.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Joe replied, shaken. He allowed Hoss to help him to his feet, finding that his knees were rather shaky.<\/p>\n

It took them all a while to get over Joe\u2019s brush with death. Ben was looking at him with haunted eyes and once more, Luke and Mark exchanged nods.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe seems rather accident prone,\u201d Luke commented to Ben when the boys had gone off on pursuits of their own. Mark was helping Hop Sing with the lunch dishes.<\/p>\n

Sighing, Ben nodded ruefully. \u201cYes, he is,\u201d he agreed. \u201cWe all have our share of accidents \u2013 heaven knows, life on a ranch isn\u2019t easy. But trouble seems to find Joe wherever he is. How he hasn\u2019t come to permanent hurt, or been killed, I just don\u2019t know.\u201d Ben forced a smile that didn\u2019t hide his concern. \u201cHe must have a host of guardian angels keeping an eye on him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Smiling, Luke replied, \u201cWell, that\u2019s as good an explanation as any.\u201d He sobered. \u201cYou have a lovely family, Ben. They are a credit to you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you,\u201d Ben replied. \u201cThey are good boys, and I love them very much.\u201d He swallowed, but his voice was still gruff as he added, \u201cI\u2019m very lucky.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

That night, the two men met in Luke\u2019s room. \u201cHow long?\u201d Mark asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can go home tomorrow night,\u201d Luke replied.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere can\u2019t be much else that can happen, surely?\u201d Mark queried, his eyes wide. \u201cThat boy has had enough for months there, hasn\u2019t he?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll I know is that we\u2019re to make sure the Cartwrights have a really good Christmas, and that means stopping anyone getting hurt. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve. We can go home then.\u201d Luke shook his head reflectively. \u201cI wasn\u2019t so sure I believed all those stories about the Cartwrights, you know. Oh, yes, Joe has a bit of a temper, and he and Adam seem to knock heads on a regular basis, but they are really nice.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMoral, upright,\u201d Mark agreed. \u201cToo good to be true, you\u2019d think. But here they are. I like them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought we would,\u201d Luke replied, smiling. \u201cI want to give them a good Christmas. They deserve it.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

The weather was still unpromising the next day and Ben refused to hear of his guests leaving. Everyone seemed to be genuinely delighted that they were staying. Mark and Luke were delighted, too. They were enjoying their stay much more than they had anticipated.<\/p>\n

Mid-morning, Joe and Adam set off to take some hay to the herd. There was probably enough already there to keep the beasts going for another few days, but Ben didn\u2019t like to take chances. More hay would be taken down to them. Everyone was surprised when Mark and Luke asked if they could go, too and get a closer look at the famous Ponderosa herd.<\/p>\n

The big sleigh glided easily over the crisp snow. The sun was out, and the frost hadn\u2019t lifted at all. \u201cWatch your eyes,\u201d Adam warned the visitors. \u201cIt\u2019s very easy to become snow blind in conditions like this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Forking the hay out of the sleigh kept Adam and Joe warmer than they really cared to be, wearing their big coats, but neither of them was crazy enough to shed any layers. The work was soon done and they turned around and headed back to the house. The horses, knowing they were going home, picked up speed. Mark and Luke exchanged glances and nodded.<\/p>\n

Next moment, one of the sleigh\u2019s runners hit a rock buried deep in the snow and the sleigh swung around, catapulting Joe and Adam into a soft snowdrift. The horses came to a stop of their own volition and Luke and Mark jumped down to make sure that neither Cartwright was hurt.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m all right,\u201d Adam panted, as he extricated himself from the snow. \u201cIs Joe okay?\u201d<\/p>\n

The younger Cartwright\u2019s eyes were open, but he didn\u2019t speak. Adam realised that Joe was winded and knelt beside him, heedless of the cold. \u201cDon\u2019t worry, Joe, you\u2019ll be fine,\u201d Adam told him.<\/p>\n

Breath came back to Joe with a jolt and he gulped in huge draughts of the cold air. It took him a few minutes to catch his breath enough to sit up, but eventually, they were both on their feet and accepted help from Luke and Mark to get back to the sleigh. The journey back to the house was sober initially, but as relief crept in, Joe began to crack jokes and both he and Adam were slightly hysterical with relief when they got home.<\/p>\n

There were explanations all round when they got back. Supper was a light-hearted affair and afterwards, Ben read from the bible, his resonant voice giving the ancient story depth and feeling. Every year, the boys were almost moved to tears as Ben read those old, familiar words and this year, Mark and Luke felt privileged to be there.<\/p>\n

At last, they went to bed, with Adam teasing Joe about getting a switch in his stocking that year. But the house was soon settled and quiet.<\/p>\n

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

Ben awoke and looked at Luke, who was standing by the bed. \u201cWe\u2019re leaving now, Ben,\u201d Luke told him. \u201cOur job here is done. But I just wanted to thank you for your hospitality. We\u2019d heard so much about it, and to be honest, I wasn\u2019t sure that everything I heard was true. I\u2019m delighted to discover it is.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWho told you?\u201d Ben asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, lots of different people, mostly women, it has to be said,\u201d Luke replied. He smiled. \u201cWe thought you were all too good to be true, but we\u2019ve learned a lesson here, that\u2019s for sure.\u201d He turned away, then paused. \u201cAnd by the way, you weren\u2019t wrong about Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI wasn\u2019t?\u201d Ben floundered. He had no idea what his guest was referring to.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Luke answered. \u201cJoe does have a guardian angel looking out for him. He\u2019s away right now, so Mark and I stepped in. We had a bunch of requests through The Boss and we\u2019ve honoured them. Christmas is tomorrow and none of your sons is injured in any way.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRequests?\u201d Ben was so confused that he began to wonder if he was losing his mind. \u201cFrom who? For what?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis won\u2019t make any sense at all,\u201d Luke confided. \u201cBut don\u2019t worry; come morning you\u2019ll think this was all a dream. But a whole lot of people who are fans of yours, and who write stories about you, hoped that this Christmas, a certain writer wouldn\u2019t \u2018maim\u2019 Joe. So we arranged it. All those potential accidents? We stopped them. We provided the rock that stopped Joe falling in the river. We made him slip on the ice so that the snow didn\u2019t land on him. We conjured up the snow bank to soften the fall earlier. Being an angel has its uses, but its very hard work keeping the glow and our wings hidden.\u201d<\/p>\n

With an enigmatic smile, Luke began to glow. A halo popped into being above his head and he sprouted wings. Ben was speechless.<\/p>\n

Luke smiled once more. \u201cDon\u2019t worry, the redhead can\u2019t possibly maim Joe now. This story is almost ended.\u201d<\/p>\n

From the room next door, there was an audible thud and Ben winced. \u201cI think Joe just fell out of bed,\u201d he muttered, wondering if he was losing his mind.<\/p>\n

Shrugging, Luke replied, \u201cDon\u2019t worry, I\u2019ll sort that. No rest for the wicked!\u201d<\/p>\n

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

When the Cartwrights woke the next morning, their guests were nowhere to be seen.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t understand,\u201d Joe declared, placing his hands on his hips. \u201cWhere can they have gone?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d Ben replied, although had amorphous memories of Luke talking to him in a dream. But he couldn\u2019t quite catch hold of it and finally dismissed it as a figment of his imagination.<\/p>\n

But that was not the queerest thing about that Christmas morning. The gifts that had been ordered from the mercantile were all under the tree, although all the Cartwrights claimed that they hadn\u2019t gone into town to retrieve them. It was a mystery to compare to the year that Joe claimed they saw Santa Claus.<\/p>\n

As they sat down to a delicious Christmas lunch, each moved and delighted by the gifts they had received, Ben\u2019s grace included a special wish for Luke and Mark, wherever they were. Somehow, they all knew that they would never see the men again.<\/p>\n

As that elusive memory surfaced briefly again, Ben mused, \u201cPerhaps we were entertaining angels unaware.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Merry Christmas<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The End<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

<\/g><\/svg><\/i> \"Loading\"<\/p>\n

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

Summary: \u00a0Just days before Christmas, the Cartwrights have guests.<\/p>\n

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