POW Challenge Week 88
The Unwanted Stranger
By Debbie Demko
“Aaahhh, isn’t this the life,” Walter thought to
himself. “Ben Cartwright is off on a
business trip to
Walter’s left eye suddenly blinked, then blinked again. What could have caused Walter to get sooo excited that he would actually blink an eye twice?
His one eye ever so slowly rolled towards the front door. He just now noticed that the door had been partially left open when the three sons of Ben rushed out to do their chores that morning. Walter never could figure out why them two legged critters called humans also moved so durn fast. Life was meant to be taken real slow and easy.
Could it be? No, it couldn’t. Not that! He wouldn’t dare come in here. How in the world did he even find this place? Is it possible he heard about Hop Sing’s exceptionally fine cooking and just had to see for himself?
Walter could not contain his excitement. If his friend Obie was around and saw how excited Walter was, he would have spit out them special beans of his. But Obie had to go on a little trip to get some more seasonings for his special bean recipe. Hoss would have just stood and stared, if he weren’t out fixing fence that is, in disbelief. Walter actually raised his head a half inch off the chair to observe the stranger nonchalantly stroll into the great room.
Oh, how confident this stranger was. Strutting in almost as if he owned the place himself. Walter would have to do some mighty powerful thinking if he was to rid the Ponderosa of this pernicious interloper before the Cartwrights came home for supper.
Then, atrocity of atrocities occurred right there before Walter’s eyes. He even blinked both eyes as he was totally overcome by the event taking place before him. The stranger had the unmitigated gall to lay himself on the settee before the fireplace. Poor Walter could just imagine what Hop Sing would do if he caught this stranger trespassing right under his very nose. Hop Sing might get so upset that there wouldn’t even be dinner for that evening. Now if that wasn’t a cause for getting all agitated, Walter couldn’t think of a better. Why, he might even have to move off that chair in order to handle this situation.
Walter lay on the soft, red leather chair thinking and thinking. You could just see the wheels turning in his little fevered brain trying to figure out an angle to remove the stranger. The trick would be how to do it with the least amount of effort. Even better yet, without even having to move off his nice comfy spot.
Is a dog’s work ever done? Bad enough he had to take on them claim jumpers. Course it did get him a nice comfy spot in the jail with some of the best food he ate in some time.
That was enough excitement to last any dog a lifetime. Then several months later, before he even had time to recover, Obie asked Hoss to watch Walter for a tad bit. It wouldn’t have been so bad if those outlaws hadn’t interrupted his naptime and even moved him out of the ranch house away from Hop Sing’s home cooking. Them outlaws couldn’t cook worth anything. After all, how many adventures can any dog tolerate? Two in one lifetime was more than Walter thought he would ever have to face. Walter didn’t know if he could handle three adventures. Three was past his limit. The Great Furred One must really be challenging him.
An idea slowing began creeping in Walter’s brain. Yep, it just might work if he had any inkling of this here trespasser and what he appeared to be like. All he had to do was convince one of these humans to make a plate of Obie’s special hot beans as a gesture of hospitality and offer it to the unwelcomed visitor. That would send him running back to wherever it was he came from.
With the problem practically resolved, Walter closed his eyes and settled back into sleep to wait for Hoss or one of his brothers to arrive. He sure hoped it would be Hoss that would be the first one to come in. Hoss could read his mind like the back of his paw.
Perfectly content now, Walter drifted back to sleep dreaming of Hoss serving a healthy helping of beans to Morris, the most finicky cat in the world. He just hoped he wouldn’t get over excited in his dream laughing as Morris would bee-line it out of the Ponderosa never to return.
The End