*These characters are not mine and
such…they are the property of David Dortort etc.…Well, except Carrie, she’s
mine, but the rest are the property of David Dortort*
*Also, feedback is greatly
appreciated. Hope you like it!*
The Hard Ride
Carrie rolled over in her bed, took a deep breath, and sighed. Pulling the covers more closely around her, she opened one eye and peeked at the window. The glow of the coming dawn was making its way over the hills and she closed her eyes again. Burying her face more deeply into the soft warmth of her pillow, she tried to return to her dreaming. Carrie knew that her pa would soon be knocking on her door telling her it was time to start her day. As she was coming to terms with this, a familiar rapping announced her father’s presence.
“Carrie, honey, it’s time to get up.”
‘It’s too early,’ Carrie thought as she lifted her head off the pillow and once again glanced at the window. The sun had completely risen and the frost-laden grasses were sparkling in its light. ‘I must have fallen asleep again,’ she mused, ‘too bad I don’t remember it.’
“Carrie?”
This time her door opened and her pa entered the bedroom. With a stretch and a yawn, Carrie sat up and smiled. “I’m awake,” she said.
“Happy to see it,” her father responded, not without a hint of sarcasm.
“Oh, Pa…it’s not that late,” the little girl informed him.
“Late enough for everyone to be at the breakfast table except you. You better get hoppin’.”
Carrie scooted to the edge of the bed and pushed herself off. When her feet hit the cold, February floor, she almost jumped back in. With a gasp she exclaimed, “Pa, it’s too cold!”
“Well, you better hurry then,” her father replied with a grin, “The sooner you get downstairs, the sooner you’ll be warm.”
“Okay,
okay, I’m coming
Adam smiled at his brown-eyed, brown-haired, baby girl, so much like him and so much like her mother. He turned, closing the heavy door behind him, and made his way down the hall to the stairs. ‘When did she get so big?’ he queried to himself, ‘Seems like only yesterday when I was dressing her myself.’ Pushing the thoughts aside, he went down the steps and joined the rest of his family, already seated, for breakfast.
As soon
as the food was served, Adam got Carrie’s attention and said, “I want you to go
home with your Uncle Hoss after school today.
I have some business I need to attend to this afternoon in
“Aw, Pa,” Carrie groaned, drawing out her syllables, “I’m old enough to come home by myself now. I’m almost nine years old.”
Adam considered his daughter for a moment. He had already had this discussion with her, one he remembered Joe and Hoss having with their pa, and Carrie knew his thoughts on the matter. Determined to enjoy his breakfast he merely answered, “Carrie I have not forgotten how old you are and I really do not want to have this conversation with you right now.” He picked up his fork and continued eating.
“But Pa…” Carrie was cut off by a look from her father, a look she knew only too well.
With frustration growing, Adam fixed his eyes on those of his little girl’s and said clearly, “You will do as I say young lady, and I expect no argument about it. Is that clear?” When Carrie did not respond, Adam cleared his throat.
“Yes sir,” Carrie mumbled.
“Alright then,” Adam said, closing the matter, and addressing his attentions to his father, he began discussing the ranch’s needs and so on. Carrie’s uncle Joe and uncle Hoss were also involved in the “adult” conversation and Carrie, who heard this sort of talk during most of her meals did not pay much attention. As she concentrated on finishing her breakfast, her mind was mulling over the words her father had said. ‘Why can’t I ride by myself?’ she thought, ‘My friend Caleb rides to and from school by his self, and he’s not much older than me…It must be because he’s a boy,’ she decided.
Forgetting her pa’s earlier decree, about not wanting to discuss it, she interrupted their conversation by announcing, “I know why you won’t let me ride by myself. It’s because I’m a girl isn’t it?”
As soon as the words left her mouth, she regretted having said them. She wanted to grab the words and take them back, but they were already out there now and there was nothing she could do. All eyes at the table were focused on her and her pa was more than a little irritated at having his conversation so rudely interrupted.
“Apologize to your grandfather for interrupting him,” Adam said calmly but sternly. In a meek tone Carrie apologized to her grandpa who seemed to be looking at her with an amused expression on his face. Her apology accepted, Adam continued by saying, “Now I suggest you forget about the issue unless you want to be riding to school with a sore bottom.”
Carrie looked down at her plate and mumbled a quiet ‘yessir’ and tried to finish her meal. After a few minutes she looked up and asked to be excused. Her request granted, she quickly headed outside, grabbing her books and coat on the way, and started towards the barn. Still seated at the table, Ben Cartwright looked at his eldest and smiled. “She’s a lot like you, you know?”
Adam looked up from his plate and raised an eyebrow at his father. “I don’t know Pa; I’d like to think conversations like that are a result of her mother’s blood in her veins.”
“Well, maybe so,” Ben replied, “but I think you two are more similar than you’d like to admit.” He finished his sentence and smothered another grin by feigning concentration on his breakfast.
“I personally seem to recall you having similar conversations with Joe here far more often than you did with me. After all, I’m not near as stubborn as he is…”
“Now just
hold on one minute,” Joe piped up, “Don’t be pulling me into your squabbles, older brother, I agree with
It didn’t take long for Carrie to saddle her pony once she reached the barn. Though the tack was a bit heavy, she had been doing it on her own for the last couple of months. She was strong for her age; at least that’s what her uncle Hoss told her. He had said she took after him. It helped that the pony, a gift from her father, was sizably suited for an 8-year-old girl. Soon she and Biscuit were ready to leave for school. “The day’s not starting out too good, Biscuit,” Carrie confided in her equine friend, “Let’s work on making it better.” ‘I still think we’d be okay,’ she thought, ‘Pa just thinks I’m a baby.’ Attempting to dismiss the grumbling in her head, she led Biscuit to the front of the house and a few moments later the door swung open and her pa stepped out.
The school day passed without any surprises, drama, or much variation from any other school day. The lessons had been taught as normal; there were no pranks or surprises waiting for Mr. Hudson, in his desk, or in his chair, and by the end of the day Jacob Martin was where he usually was, standing in the corner waiting for permission to return to his seat. Overall it had been a completely normal day. Ready to be dismissed herself, Carrie was feeling a bit antsy and began wiggling around at her desk. Finally the word was spoken, releasing them to the afternoon and Carrie was amongst the first to break outside and take a deep breath of cold, fresh, air.
Making her way to the stall at the edge of the school grounds, Carrie remembered her pa’s earlier instructions. She began saddling up her pony and considered what her pa had said. She had to go home with her uncle Hoss that afternoon. ‘Hmm,’ she thought, ‘School’s out and I don’t see him yet. Maybe he forgot. Maybe I should just take myself home since Uncle Hoss isn’t here yet. Maybe if Pa sees me come home safely all by myself, he’ll let me ride on my own.’ Though it was not the brightest decision she could have made, and in the back of her mind Carrie knew it, she hustled to finish saddling Biscuit and with child-like boldness mounted up. Carrie rode out of the schoolyard, set with the resolution to tell her pa that ‘Uncle Hoss was so late in picking her up that she thought he wasn’t coming or had forgotten or something and so she had set out by herself, and wasn’t she a big girl for making it home safely and didn’t he think she could ride on her own now?’ She could not immediately find fault with her argument and so was confident that he would see it her way, if she could prove it to him first by making it back to the ranch without any help.
Carrie steered her horse towards the familiar path that led home and Biscuit, not sensing anything amiss, began plodding down the course so well routed in her mind. Carrie had been riding for fifteen minutes or so, every now and then making observations to Biscuit on the various scenery and wildlife they were passing. It was pleasant, riding on her own (the first time she could remember doing so) but at the same time a bit lonely. For a moment she wished for a riding companion and began second-guessing her earlier decision to leave prior to her uncle Hoss’ arrival. Carrie’s mind conjured an image of Uncle Hoss showing up at the schoolyard and finding she wasn’t there. Would he have been worried, maybe mad? ‘I wonder how long it took him to get there after I left?’ she pondered, ‘I’d better hurry up and get home before he catches me,’ she concluded. She was not scared of her uncle, though he was a big man. She knew that out of all her extended family he was usually the most patient and slow to anger. Uncle Hoss had never really punished her, though he had threatened it at times. On the other hand, she had never seen him really mad at her either and thought it best not to push her luck. Carrie urged Biscuit out of the slow trot she was accustomed to and into a canter.
Enjoying
the faster pace and trying not to think about what might await her once she got
home, Carrie never saw what spooked Biscuit, causing her to rear up. One moment she was riding along and the next
she was holding on to her reins and her saddle for all she was worth. Once Biscuit had all four hooves back on the
ground, she bolted across the field to their left, at a gallop, dodging trees
and heading in the wrong direction. Poor
Carrie, stunned by what had just happened, could not get Biscuit under
control. The frightened horse was too
scared and was running too fast to heed the directives of an 8-year-old child.
Carrie
had been riding as far back as she could remember, and had often enjoyed a
short gallop or two when her pa and family had their heads turned the other
way, but she had never ridden an ‘out of control’ horse and she didn’t know
what to do. All anxieties of going home,
now redirected to her present situation, Carrie decided to just hold on and let
Biscuit sweat it out. ‘Eventually she’ll
stop,’ the daring youngster resolved, and so continued, while determinedly
hanging on, to wait-it-out with Biscuit.
After
an inestimable amount of time, to Carrie it seemed like years, Biscuit slowed
down enough to let her resume control and bring the animal to a halt. Shakily, she dismounted and tried to calm and
reassure her heaving pony. Biscuit’s
nostrils were wide and red, flaring with the heavy breaths. She was covered in white foam and froth
gathered at the sides of her mouth. As
Carrie continued to speak to the horse in soothing tones, Biscuit’s ears
gradually lifted, from their plastered position against the back of her head,
and faced the front once again, a sign that she had calmed down. Seeing this, Carrie took a deep breath and
began to calm herself, her heart felt like it was
going to pound out of her chest. ‘Where
are we?’ she wondered. Though they could
not have strayed too far from the path, Carrie did not know their exact
position. The trail Biscuit had created
by her recoil was too inconsistent, she had not gone in a straight direction
and Carrie had been so preoccupied in maintaining her grip that she had not noticed. Apprehensive of remounting not only because
memories of the recent ride still lingered fresh in her mind, but because
Biscuit seemed to be limping a bit, she decided that perhaps she could follow
the tracks their rapid flight had left behind and make their way back to the
road. Misgivings and apprehensions over
her return now amplified. With a heavy
heart, Carrie began to make her way through the long grass and foliage towards
the road that led to her pa, her uncle, and their anger.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
While Carrie and Biscuit were having their
adventure, Adam had returned to the ranch from a hard day of negotiations in
Adam
pulled his timepiece out of his right-hand pocket and opened the gilded
cover. After gazing at the hands for a
moment he smiled to himself and declared that he had a few minutes yet before
Carrie could be expected. He removed his
hat and gunbelt, setting them on the sideboard and made his way into the center
of the big room. Settling himself in his
favorite blue chair he began reading one of his new books, picking up where he
had left off the night before. This was
almost as good as lying down.
Finding
himself swept away in the scene the words were painting before him, Adam did
not notice how much time had gone by since his arrival. It was not until Hoss’ abrupt entrance into
the house that he realized he had been sitting there for quite a while. “Did you pick Carrie up from school, Adam?” a
frustrated Hoss asked upon stepping into the room.
“No,”
Adam replied, “she’s not with you?”
“She
sure ain’t, Big Brother. I dunno where
that young’n is, but she rest assured isn’t in town or with me. I thought she might be here,” Hoss
ended. With a fed-up expression he threw
his hat down on the settee and watched Adam’s face go from pale, back to tan,
and then to an angry red.
“I
distinctly told her this morning that she was to ride back with you. Were you late?” Adam questioned.
“Naw,
Adam, I was right on time. According to
Carrie’s teacher, they hadn’t been dismissed for more’n a few minutes when I
arrived. He said Carrie was one of the
first kids to leave the building. Her
friends told me she just saddled up and rode off.” Hoss examined the expression on his brother’s
face before continuing. “I looked for
her in town, Adam, thought maybe I’d find her at the mercantile or something. When I didn’t see her there I headed back
home expectin’ to find her on the road or at least back here, but I didn’t see neither.
Ain’t no tellin’ where that girly is.”
Adam
looked at Hoss and tried to digest what he was saying. His first instinct told him that Carrie had
deliberately left school without her uncle, as an act of rebellion against his
instructions earlier in the day.
However, it didn’t explain why she wasn’t home yet or why Hoss hadn’t
seen her on his return to the ranch. Something
must have happened. ‘She wouldn’t have
been foolish enough to disobey me and
go off with her friends without permission…would she?’ Shaking his head Adam resigned that he would
probably never understand why his
little girl acted the way she did at times.
‘I’m sure Pa felt the same way about us,’ Adam mused, ‘how did he put up
with three of us?’
Clearing the thoughts from his head, Adam faced his ‘big’ brother and said, “C’mon Hoss, we have to go find her.” Heading to the doorway, Adam replaced his hat on his head and restrapped his gunbelt. With a heavy sigh he exited the house and directed himself towards the barn to resaddle his tired horse.
Hoss just shook his head and momentarily felt sorry for his niece, ‘Boy, has she gotten herself in a fix this time,’ he said to himself, and followed his brother outside.
*~*~*~*
Carrie
estimated that an hour had probably gone by since she and Biscuit had gone
careening off the beaten path towards home.
She had led her skittish pony for a mile or so through the tall grasses
and shrubs before they made it back to the main road. Her skirts were covered in burrs and prickly
seeds from walking through the meadow and Biscuit’s limp had not improved. Still wary of remounting, she concluded that
they would just have to walk the rest of the way home. That would take another hour probably and she
felt her stomach beginning to growl. She
had missed out on Hop Sing’s customary after-school
snack of cookies and milk and hoped that no matter how mad her pa and her uncle
Hoss had become, that she wouldn’t miss out on a good dinner. Giving her little mare a reassuring pat on
the nose she quickened her pace a bit, hoping to make it home before supper.
Hoss
and Adam had mounted up and didn’t have to go far before they saw their little
miscreant leading her pony up the road towards the ranch. Nudging his horse into a faster pace, Adam
rode up to where his daughter was standing.
She had since stopped walking and waited for her father to meet her with
an unsure expression on her face. Her
eyes, at first, showed a glint of excitement that help had come, but now she
was not so sure if she was prepared to face her family. Adam reined up a few feet from Biscuit and
his nervous little girl, and quickly dismounted. Taking his baby up in his arms he asked if
she was okay. Returning the hug, Carrie
assured him that she was fine. The fact
that she had been leading her horse and not riding had not escaped Adam’s
attention. Now as he set her back down
on the dusty road he caught a glimpse of her clothing. She was covered in burrs and seeds and her
shoes were definitely not in the same condition they had been that
morning.
“Did
you take a fall?” he asked her with concern in his voice.
“
Adam
still had a look of relief on his face and took Carrie’s hand in his, leading
her to his mount. After getting her situated
in front of him on the saddle, he said to her, “We’ll talk about it when we get
home.” With one hand on her shoulder,
Adam looked at his brother who had since dismounted and was inspecting
Biscuit’s injured hoof. “How does she
look?” Adam asked.
“Well,
it doesn’t look too bad, Adam, mild stone bruise far as I can figger. Nothin’ a few days’ rest won’t fix,” Hoss declared, the
whole time keeping his attention focused on the injured foot in his hand. “I’ll take care of her, why don’t you two go
on back home. I’ll be right behind
ya.” Giving his niece a small smile,
Hoss went over to his horse and pulled a lead rope out of his saddlebag.
Carrie
who didn’t know how her uncle could
be smiling at her and not yelling, uttered a weak, “I’m sorry, Uncle Hoss,” and
looked at her father’s hands who were holding the reins in front of her. Hoss looked up from his task and regarded his
niece for a moment. She looked so scared
and penitent; all his frustrations from earlier in the afternoon melted right
then and there.
“I
know you are, Pumpkin,” and he repeated her pa’s earlier admonition, “We’ll
talk about it at home, okay?” Receiving
a nod as an answer, Adam swung his horse’s head around and turned towards home.
After
arriving back at the ranch and catching a short but irate lecture from Hop Sing
for missing her snack and being late for supper, Carrie’s wish for a good meal
was granted. Throughout the dinner she
stayed silent. Her pa didn’t mention
where she had been that afternoon and neither did her uncles. She wasn’t sure if her uncle Joe and her
grandpa had been informed of her misdeeds that day, but she knew it was just a
matter of time. Though Carrie was hungry
after her adventure, she found it hard to eat surrounded by her family. She knew at some point her behavior was going
to be questioned and certainly would not go unpunished. ‘Why am I so stupid sometimes?’ she berated
herself.
Adam
was not unaware that his daughter was not eating with the appetite she usually
exhibited. He had a pretty good idea of
where her desire for food had gone and he chose to ignore it for the time
being. He could only guess at the
thoughts racing through her head. The
fact that she was not eating did not escape the attentions of Ben or Joe
either, but since no one else seemed to be alerting her to the matter, they
chose not to also. Instead they focused
on the day’s activities and how much each one had accomplished. When Carrie’s grandfather tried to inquire
about her day, Carrie stared at her plate and stayed silent. Ben, not accustomed to rudeness from his
granddaughter, repeated his question only to be met with the same
response. Adam, noticing her lack of of
an answer informed her that if she could not be polite then she could leave the
table and get ready for bed, but not
before apologizing to her grandpa. Tears
began to fill Carrie’s dark eyes as she asked forgiveness from her grandfather
for the second time that day and quietly excused herself
from the table. Quietly she ascended the
stairs and made her way to her room, shutting the door and flinging herself on
her bed.
“What
was that all about, Adam?” Ben asked as soon as he heard Carrie’s door close.
Hoss
paused in his eating and looked up to observe Adam’s response. “Carrie chose to ride home on her own this
afternoon instead of waiting for Hoss.”
Joe stopped eating and looked up from his plate.
Eyes
wide, Ben began to interrogate the matter further. “Did she make it home by herself?”
“Not
exactly; Hoss and I found her more than an hour after she should have been home. It
seems that Biscuit got spooked and took them for quite a ride into the pasture
that skirts the main road. We found her
leading her pony home. Biscuit picked up
a stone after she bolted, she couldn’t ride her back.”
“Well,
thank God she’s alright,” Ben acclaimed
“Yes,
but she may not feel that way after I get through with her,” Adam responded
rather sullenly.
“Aw
Adam, don’t be too hard on her now, she didn’t mean no harm, just wanted to
prove herself to ya, that’s all,” Hoss pleaded.
Adam
averted his eyes to his brother and looked at him somewhat bewildered. “I can’t believe you’re saying that, after
the goose chase she led you through in town this afternoon. I got the feeling you were of a different
opinion when you came home without her in tow earlier today.”
“Adam,
I was just upset. You know I don’t like
seeing her get in trouble.” Hoss looked
back down at his plate.
“Well,
she deliberately disobeyed me today, she wasted your afternoon by forcing you
to look for her, and on top of everything she could have been badly hurt. She has to know that her behavior is
unacceptable. If she were your daughter you wouldn’t overlook this
and you know it.” Hoss nodded his head
in reluctant agreement.
“You’re
right, Adam. Just makes me sad that’s
all.”
“I
don’t look forward to it anymore than you do, Hoss, but it has to be done. All part of being a parent…right Pa?” Adam looked at his father who was observing
the conversation with a pensive look on his face.
“That’s
right Son, no one ever said being a parent was easy. You do what you have to in hopes that your
children will grow up to be responsible, prosperous, loving adults. In your case, I think I may have done a good
job.” Ben winked at his oldest and laid
his hand on top of Adam’s. “Go speak
with your daughter, Son.” Adam looked
towards the stairs and pushing his chair away from the table, excused himself
and headed towards his daughter’s room.
*~*~*~*
It
was a pitiful scene really. Adam’s
little girl had worn herself out, physically and emotionally. She was pretty sure of the fate awaiting her
once her pa made his way to her room and she wasn’t looking forward to it. After being banished from the supper table
she cried into her pillow a bit in hopes of washing away the sins of the
day. If there had been a means of going
back in time and starting her day over again she would have done it in a
heartbeat, no matter the cost. She felt
like she had disappointed her pa and her uncle Hoss and even herself. Instead of proving herself to Pa, she had proven him
right. She couldn’t and shouldn’t be
riding home by herself. The first time
she’d ever tried it and it had come to this…a lame pony, a disappointed Uncle
Hoss, and most likely a trip across an angry Pa’s knees. “Could it have been any worse?” she grumbled to herself.
“As
a matter of fact, it could have been,” resounded a
voice from the doorway. Carrie had been
so wrapped up in her deliberations that she had not heard her father’s
footsteps approaching in the hall.
Carrie dragged a sleeve across her eyes and nose and with a sniff gazed
up at her pa, all thoughts of the previous speech she had planned, forgotten. It was hard for Adam not to smile, she looked
so miserable and pitiful, and he was tempted to forget about the whole thing
and take her in his arms. In his mind
though, lay an image of his darling child on a runaway horse and he was
reminded, all too vividly, how much he could have lost that afternoon.
“How could it have been worse, Pa?” Carrie asked mournfully,
“Biscuit got hurt and you and Uncle Hoss are mad and you’re prob’ly
gonna spank me.
How could it get any worse?”
Adam
studied his daughter for a moment and sat down on the bed beside her wrapping
one arm around her shoulders. “Carrie,
honey, your exploits this afternoon could have easily had more dire
consequences.”
“Huh?”
Carrie looked at him confused.
‘You’re
talking to a child, Adam,’ her pa
reminded himself, “What I mean to say, Sweetheart, is that your adventure could
have resulted in more than just Biscuit getting hurt. You
could have been hurt…badly…maybe even killed.
A frightened and out-of-control horse is something that even experienced
riders have a difficult time managing. Carrie, do you know why I make rules for
you?” Adam inquired.
“Well…I
guess to keep me safe, right Pa?”
Adam
squeezed her shoulder and said, “That’s right, so don’t you think maybe I had
my reasons for setting the rule against your riding home on your own? Even if I don’t share all my reasons for setting certain rules, you need to know that
they are always there for your
protection and well-being, not
because I am out to spoil your fun. Do
you understand?”
Carrie
turned her head so she could look her Pa in the face and nodded. “Do you also know that there are consequences
for breaking the rules your grandfather and your uncles and I have set?” Adam looked
down at his daughter and smoothed the hair on the top of her head. Carrie just nodded again and looked down at
the floor hooking the heel of one of her boots underneath the frame of her bed. Adam could see she had started chewing on her
bottom lip, a sure sign that she was nervous.
Her mother had had the same habit and for a moment he felt nostalgic for
her, yearning for her help in raising their child, yet knowing, hoping that she
would approve of the job he was doing.
“Carrie,
look at me please,” Adam swept away a loose strand of wavy, dark hair from her
eyes. Doing as she was bid, Carrie
reluctantly focused her eyes on her father’s face, noting the sad half-smile
playing on his lips. “Honey, I don’t
like having to do this anymore than you like having me do it…but you gave me no choice today. You deliberately disobeyed me, you showed
disrespect to your uncle Hoss and me
by forcing us to put aside our schedules in order to search for you this
afternoon, and you put yourself and Biscuit in danger…You’re going to get a
spanking.”
Carrie
was still staring at the floor and chewing on her lower lip, but Adam noticed
she did not look surprised. “I figured
as much,
“Can
we just get it over with, please?”
Carrie slid off the edge of her bed and stood between her father’s
knees. Adam nodded and pulled his little
girl over his lap. Lifting her skirts he
administered several sound smacks to her little bottom before placing her back
on her feet. Standing her before him,
Adam gently wiped away the tears streaming down his baby’s face and pulled her
closely to him.
“I
love you, Princess. I will always love you.” Adam tightened his embrace around his sobbing
daughter and contemplated crying himself.
He hated punishing his daughter this way, and thankfully he had not had
to do it often, but he knew that sometimes it was necessary. Just the thought that he might have lost her
that afternoon was enough to bring the sting of tears to his eyes.
Carrie
pulled away from her father’s hug long enough to peer into his dark eyes with
her own equally shimmering pools and whisper, “I love you too,