{"id":9627,"date":"2014-08-31T21:57:11","date_gmt":"2014-09-01T01:57:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=9627"},"modified":"2025-02-18T19:11:38","modified_gmt":"2025-02-19T00:11:38","slug":"imagine-my-surprise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=9627","title":{"rendered":"Imagine My Surprise (by CwrightGirl)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Griff King’s inner-thoughts on what made him change his mind about Hoss Cartwright’s true character . 1st Person POV<\/p>\n

Rating: K \u00a0 Word-Count:\u00a02,685\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

For the 2014 Summer Camp in the Pines Challenge . \u00a0Bold words are what I received during fishing. \u00a0Special thanks to BluewindFarm for the feedback!<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0 Thanks for reading!<\/p>\n

Imagine My Suprise<\/strong><\/p>\n

After spending four years in prison, I\u2019ve come to know all sorts of men.\u00a0 I\u2019ve seen every size, shape, and demeanor pass through the Nevada State Prison at one time or another.\u00a0\u00a0 I ain\u2019t exaggerating when I say that when it comes to judging a man\u2019s character, I\u2019m the best.\u00a0\u00a0 That\u2019s what kept me alive in prison.<\/p>\n

So when I met Hoss Cartwright, I figured I had him pegged from the minute we shook hands.\u00a0 To this day, he\u2019s still the only man I misjudged.\u00a0 If he weren\u2019t such a genuinely nice guy, I\u2019d be mad at him for breaking my streak.<\/p>\n

Now most people would describe Hoss as a big, burly-looking fellow, but they would stop there at that description.\u00a0 An amateur mistake.\u00a0 You see, I learned that big men are also fighters.\u00a0 In fact, in prison, I noticed that usually the bigger inmates would get to take a liking at giving someone a bad beat down.\u00a0 It was a pastime for them. \u00a0What with Hoss being so big and all, I figured he would have felt the same way.<\/p>\n

Ain\u2019t nobody in their right mind would pick a fight with a guy twice his size. Someone like me, on the other hand, fights only when he needs to.\u00a0 Sure I might be tall, but when you\u2019re half as heavy as everyone else, people presume that you can\u2019t hold your own in a fight, so they aren\u2019t shy about throwing a punch.\u00a0\u00a0 Folks my size know you gotta learn how to fight mighty quick if you want to stay alive.\u00a0 Suffice to say, I\u2019m alive and kicking.<\/p>\n

But on our first trip to town together, I saw firsthand that Hoss Cartwright was different.<\/p>\n

\u201cGriff, hand me that sack, will ya?\u201d Hoss beckoned to me.\u00a0 I firmly grasped the overstuffed stack and pulled it into my arms with all my strength.\u00a0 Exhaling sharply, I waddled over to the edge of the buckboard where the large man had been loading everything into the back.\u00a0 As I looked up at him and stretched my arms out to hand him the heavy sack, I squinted at how bright the midday sun was.\u00a0 \u201cThanks, buddy,\u201d Hoss smiled as he grabbed the sack in his left hand with ease and casually tossed it up over a pile of cloth.\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re w-welcome,\u201d I responded as I tried to catch my breath without letting on that I was winded.\u00a0 \u201cThat was the last one.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Hoss pulled out his list and began to read it out loud to double check that he had everything his father had asked for.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s see here.\u00a0 We got canvas?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cCheck!\u201d I reported.<\/em><\/p>\n

The older man made a deliberate X near the word.\u00a0 \u201cGrain?\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n

I repeated, \u201cCheck!\u201d and we continued on that way for the rest of the items.\u00a0 When we were all loaded up and started on our way back to the Ponderosa, we heard the loudest, highest screech that any horse has ever made.\u00a0 I\u2019ll tell you, it was downright awful.\u00a0 There ain\u2019t no reason why an animal should ever make such a gut-wrenching cry like I heard that day.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat in tarnation?\u201d Hoss grumbled, reigning in our horses and pulling up on the buckboard break.\u00a0 He stood up and fiercely began searching the street for the sound\u2019s origin.\u00a0 When he found it, I saw his face contort into such a nasty scowl; if I hadn\u2019t known that it was Hoss, I would\u2019ve never recognized him.\u00a0 \u201cOf all the dirty, rotten scoundrels\u2026\u201d he mumbled to himself.\u00a0 I don\u2019t think he knew that he was even talking out loud.<\/em><\/p>\n

I turned my head in the direction of the blue-eyed man\u2019s gaze and saw what was making him so mad.\u00a0 It made me mad, too, but I ain\u2019t never seen Hoss like that before and I hope I never do again.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

This man in town, he couldn\u2019t have been much older than me, was leering at a beautiful chestnut mare that had been restrained and tied up so much she could barely move.\u00a0 He had this sickening grin on his face as he drew a thick, black whip over his shoulders and brought it down on the mare.\u00a0 Over and over and over again, he hit that innocent animal.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

Between the deafening crack of the whip and the horse\u2019s constant, fearful whinnying, I was frozen in place for a moment.\u00a0 A whipping was a disciplinary device of choice by many of the Nevada State Prison guards.\u00a0 Seeing that gorgeous horse get beat on triggered me into thinking about when I got whipped.\u00a0 Despite being out of jail for six months and breathing the almost-fresh air of the Virginia City street, the scene catapulted me back in time and suddenly, four dingy walls were all I could see.\u00a0 I shut my eyes and breathed deeply, trying to keep myself firmly rooted in reality.\u00a0 I squeezed my lids so tight I gave myself one splitting headache<\/strong> that always came on when I thought about prison.\u00a0 Finally, I felt stable enough to open my eyes.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Imagine my surprise when I saw that Hoss Cartwright had gotten off of the wagon and was taking wide, deliberate steps towards that sorry excuse for a man.\u00a0 \u201cHoss!\u201d I called, jumping down from the buckboard in one swift swoop.\u00a0 \u201cHoss?\u201d\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

He didn\u2019t pay no attention to me.\u00a0 I hesitated for a split second because I hated to leave all of our supplies unattended.\u00a0 After all, I was sent to do a job and my name ain\u2019t Griff King if I don\u2019t give a job all I got.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

The horse let out another strangled scream and my feet scrambled towards Hoss before I even had a chance to think about it.\u00a0 By the time I got there, my fuming friend had already positioned himself between the horse and the whip.\u00a0 The sandy-haired man who was doing the whipping, I learned later that he name was Earnest, didn\u2019t seem to give two licks that Hoss was in his whipping zone.\u00a0 He still kept on whipping, which only made that mare more scared and Hoss more upset.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cHoss, get out of the way!\u201d I yelled when I saw that damn piece of leather snap towards my friend.\u00a0 I knew what it was like to what a whip bite into your back.\u00a0 That wasn\u2019t a feeling I\u2019d wish on anybody, especially Hoss.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

Well, maybe I\u2019d wish it on Earnest.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

Anyway, Hoss didn\u2019t get out of the way.\u00a0 Instead, the tall rancher reached out his left arm over the horse\u2019s flanks as if he were going to catch the offending weapon.\u00a0 At that moment, Hoss\u2019s reflexes could have put a cat to shame.\u00a0 As the whip curled around his meaty forearm, he jerked his limb forward and yanked the whip clean out of Earnest\u2019s hand.\u00a0 The abusive coward stumbled forward and his face smacked into the ground.\u00a0 That grin was replaced with a look of terror.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cEasy, just take it easy, sweetie,\u201d Hoss crooned softly as he untangled the leather strap from his now-bleeding hand.\u00a0 \u201cAin\u2019t nobody gonna hurt ya no more, I promise ya.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cL-listen, Mister,\u201d Earnest stuttered.\u00a0 \u201cI got no fight with you.\u00a0 This ain\u2019t any of your business,\u201d he insisted, dusting himself off.<\/em><\/p>\n

I stood just behind my employer as I got to work loosening or altogether untying the many knots that kept the horse in place to receive the torture.\u00a0 I shook my head, thinking that this as that fool kept talking, he was only digger himself deeper and deeper into a hole he couldn\u2019t climb out of.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

Imagine my surprise when Hoss Cartwright lunged forward and picked up that skinny little fella by his collar and hoisted him to eye level with just his right hand.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Hoss quietly corrected.\u00a0 I could practically see steam coming out of his ears and rising above his ten-gallon hat.\u00a0 \u201cYou mean that mare ain\u2019t got no fight with you.\u00a0 So why is you fighting with her?\u201d\u00a0 He callously released his grip and let Earnest fall back to the ground.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2026\u00a0 I\u2026\u201d Earnest defended after he caught his breath.\u00a0 I strained my ears, trying to listen what that jerk had to say for himself.\u00a0 \u201cShe\u2019s my horse!\u00a0 I can treat her anyway I see fit!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Such an attitude towards another living thing disgusted me.\u00a0 It had been a much too common opinion in prison, held by both guards and cons alike.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

Imagine my surprise when Hoss Cartwright landed a mighty blow across Earnest\u2019s chin that left him spinning.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThen how \u2018bout you fight with something that can hit back?\u201d Hoss suggested.\u00a0 To me, it sounded a lot more like an order.\u00a0 \u201cAnd without this!\u201d added the large man, tossing the whip to me.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

I caught the menacing object, half expecting it to burn my flesh.\u00a0 When the mare noticed it, she began to fidget and snort nervously.\u00a0 I hurried to hide the whip in my pocket so I could show the skittish horse that I had nothing in my hands.\u00a0 \u201cNo more, sweetie,\u201d I assured her, copying the pet-name I had heard Hoss use earlier.\u00a0 \u201cSee?\u00a0 I got nothing.\u201d\u00a0 I cautiously showed her my two empty palms.\u00a0 Once she calmed down, I turned my attention back to Earnest.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cC\u2019mon!\u201d the towering giant pressed, now looking really intimidating.\u00a0 \u201cC\u2019mon!\u201d\u00a0 You want to hurt something, hurt me!\u201d\u00a0 He put up his fists in front of his face.\u00a0 Earnest mirrored Hoss out of instinct, but I could see his whole body quaking something fierce.\u00a0 \u201cNow\u2019s your chance!\u201d Hoss violently jeered.\u00a0 \u201cAin\u2019t you tough enough?\u00a0 Ain\u2019t you strong enough?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

A crowd had begun to gather around us and I held onto the horse\u2019s neck to keep her steady.\u00a0 I figured some contact might be comforting to her.\u00a0 Ed, the town\u2019s premiere gambler and card shark, started calling out odds so people could bet on how long it would take for Hoss to knock out Earnest.\u00a0 \u201cFive minutes!\u00a0 One punch!\u00a0 Ten seconds!\u201d\u00a0 If a parolee could gamble legally, I would have put a month\u2019s wages on that bet.<\/em><\/p>\n

Earnest swung out blindly.\u00a0 His fist was nowhere near Hoss\u2019s body.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cSeems to me that jackass couldn\u2019t fight his way out of a paper bag without that whip, huh, sweetie?\u201d I softly observed, scratching behind the horse\u2019s ear.\u00a0 As Earnest kept flailing about and Hoss kept blocking him with ease, I wondered why Hoss hadn\u2019t pounded the bastard into the ground yet.\u00a0 In my experience, big guys like Hoss were usually enjoying a victory beer by now.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

Hoss expertly shuffled to the side and placed his hands along Earnest\u2019s slender, straightened arm.\u00a0 He then jerked the arm at a sharp angle up against Earnest\u2019s back, eliciting a cry of pain from that idiot.\u00a0 After Earnest tried to weakly struggle out of Hoss\u2019s grip, Hoss released him so the fell back to the ground.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

Stunned, Earnest did the only sensible thing he could think of at that moment- put his hands over his head and begged for mercy.\u00a0 \u201cNo, no please, please don\u2019t hurt me!\u201d Earnest whimpered.\u00a0 I scoffed at his sorry sniveling and his mare pawed at the ground as if to establish dominance over her cruel owner.\u00a0 \u201cY-you got fifty pounds on me, pal, err, buddy, err,\u201d Earnest continued, attempting to appeal to Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cOld friend<\/strong>?\u201d he lamely beseeched. As Earnest looked up from the ground, his shoulders slumped when he saw the enormity of Hoss\u2019s stature.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cFirst of all,\u201d Hoss growled as he towered over Earnest.\u00a0 \u201cI ain\u2019t no friend of yours, old or new,\u201d he clarified.\u00a0 \u201cNow git yourself up and talk to me like a man!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Earnest slowly complied and I watched carefully.\u00a0 In my experience, nothing like this had ever happened before. \u00a0I didn\u2019t know what to expect.<\/em><\/p>\n

Imagine my surprise when Hoss Cartwright lowered his fists. <\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI got more than fifty pounds on you,\u201d Hoss remarked coldly.\u00a0 \u201cAnd I could beat you so bad you\u2019d fit into a whisky bottle.\u00a0 I could kill ya without sweating.\u201d\u00a0 He took one step forward and Earnest almost bolted.\u00a0 \u201cBut that don\u2019t mean I\u2019m going to.\u00a0 Now, jist because you can throw that whip around and frighten that poor animal to death, don\u2019t mean you should.\u00a0 Got it?\u201d\u00a0 Hoss squinted sharply at his quavering foe.\u00a0 \u201cGot it?!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cY-es,\u201d Earnest hesitantly sputtered.\u00a0 I swear I saw a tear roll down his cheek.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t ever want to see you raise a hand to any other critter, y\u2019hear?\u201d the Cartwright continued to drawl.\u00a0 To make his point crystal clear, he added, \u201cOr else I\u2019ll tear both of your arms off.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

I pet the mare absent-mindedly as I watched Hoss defy absolutely everything I was sure of.\u00a0 I always figured Hoss to be the type of man who would jump at the chance to prove himself in a fight.\u00a0 That\u2019s the only type of man I ever known.\u00a0 To see him stop fighting because he knew it was too easy\u2026\u00a0 Well, you could have knocked me over with a feather, to say the least.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Earnest assured Hoss with newfound fervor when he realized he\u2019d live to see another day.\u00a0 \u201cNo, never!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

When the crowd realized there wasn\u2019t going to be a fight, a wave of grumbling and complaining passed through the group of people.\u00a0 As they dispersed, Sheriff Clem Foster came striding up to Hoss and Earnest.\u00a0 He put his thumbs under his gun belt and pursed his lips.\u00a0 He was a typical lawman if I ever saw one.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cHoss, Earnest,\u201d he coolly greeted.\u00a0 \u201cEverything okay here?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, everything\u2019s perfectly fine, Clem,\u201d I cheerily reported.\u00a0 It was no secret that Clem and I had our differences.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t trust me, being an ex-con, and I didn\u2019t trust him, being a lawman.\u00a0 Sometimes, I liked to press his buttons because there wasn\u2019t a legal thing the deputy sheriff could do about it.\u00a0 \u201cHoss and Earnest here were just having a stimulating discussion.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cA discussion,\u201d Clem echoed as he stared at me with a deadpan face.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cUh-huh,\u201d I confirmed, dragging Clem\u2019s attention away from Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cY\u2019see this fine chestnut mare here?\u00a0 Earnest just gave her to Hoss as a gift.\u00a0 Wasn\u2019t that nice of him?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cYup,\u201d Earnest hurriedly agreed, wanting to be rid of the entire situation.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s right, Clem.\u00a0 She\u2019ll be mighty happy over at the Ponderosa.\u00a0 Mighty happy\u2026\u201d\u00a0 He continued to prattle on about nothing in particular.\u00a0 I stopped listening once he followed along with my story.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cOkay,\u201d Clem slowly noted.\u00a0 Since there was no trouble, he shrugged and returned to his office.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

Earnest lamely turned his back and started walking over to the saloon, so I was left with Hoss and the mare.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

All three of us stood there for a moment, unsure of what to do next.\u00a0 Finally, Hoss gave me a light slap on the back and got to work untying the mare.\u00a0 \u201cC\u2019mon.\u00a0 Let\u2019s get this pretty gal back to the Ponderosa,\u201d he winked.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t even know her name,\u201d I commented once we freed her and led her over to our wagon.\u00a0 I loosely draped a rope around her and secured it to the wagon so she could comfortably follow along.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThen she needs one,\u201d the light-haired man stated as we climbed back onto the cart.\u00a0 \u201cHow \u2018bout Sweetie?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

I looked back at her and then at Hoss.\u00a0 He had a proud smile on his face as he nicked for the horses to walk on.\u00a0 \u201cYeah.\u00a0 Yeah, Sweetie fits her good.\u201d\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

Hoss Cartwright is the only man who showed me that sometimes, you get so much more than you see.\u00a0 A typical man would have beat the man into a pulp.\u00a0 With the way Earnest had acted, I won\u2019t deny he deserved a beating.\u00a0 But instead of doing what felt good, Hoss restrained himself and did what was best.\u00a0 Earnest was never seen hitting another animal.\u00a0\u00a0 I bet he starts shaking in his boots if he even thinks about it.\u00a0 Everything certainly turned out best for Sweetie.\u00a0 She\u2019s one of the most dependable horses working on the ranch.<\/p>\n

Imagine my surprise when I realized that even if I ain\u2019t got a perfect record of judging a man\u2019s character anymore, I\u2019m glad to know the real Hoss Cartwright.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Tags:\u00a0 Friendship,\u00a0Griff King,\u00a0Hoss Cartwright<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Summary:\u00a0\u00a0Griff King’s inner-thoughts on what made him change his mind about Hoss Cartwright’s true character . 1st Person POV<\/p>\n

Rating: K \u00a0 Word-Count:\u00a02,685\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":190,"featured_media":9628,"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_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[23,40],"tags":[120],"class_list":["post-9627","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drama","category-challenges","tag-citp","wpcat-23-id","wpcat-40-id"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/Summer-Camp-Picture.jpg?fit=400%2C477&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9627","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\/190"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=9627"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9627\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/9628"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=9627"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=9627"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=9627"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}