Bonanza
“A Matter of Size”
By:
Jane Linnegar
c.
2012
Bonanza
“A Matter of Size”
Sarah rolled over in her bed, and blinked at the sun’s rays that were climbing over her windowsill, and spilling into her small bedroom. She heard a light knock at her door, and heard Adam’s voice, “Hey, Sarah, six o’clock, time to get up!” She swung her legs over the side of her bed, and reached for her jeans. “ Okay, Adam, I’ll be right down !” She quickly pulled on her jeans, and reached a bright red gingham shirt out of her closet. She pulled on her socks, and boots, as she hopped across the floor to the washstand. She pulled a face at the young girl in the mirror, who looked back at her with her short, wavy, dark hair and hazel eyes. She poured the water from the jug, and, lathering up her hands, quickly washed her face, then patted herself dry, and brushed her teeth. She smiled at the girl in the mirror. Since her Uncle Ben, and his three sons, had recently been given legal custody of her, she couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt happier, or more like she belonged!
As she reached the bottom landing of the staircase, she saw that her cousins and Uncle were already seated at the large dining room table. “Good morning, everyone!” she called out. They all stood up momentarily, as she took her place beside Adam at the table. “Mornin’, Sarah!” they all chimed in. The steak and eggs were passed around, along with the hash browns. Her Uncle and cousins were soon sipping their coffee, when the meal was done. Her Uncle was the first to speak. “Adam, I’d like you, Hoss and Joe to get a start on branding all those new calves. You can get a few of the hands to get a start on riding the fence line on the Tahoe rim. It’s been a bad winter, and the sooner we can repair any damage to the fencing , the sooner we can get the herd back out to the alpine pasture.” They nodded in agreement, and rose from the table. “May I go with them Uncle Ben?” Quick glances were exchanged between the three of them, and her Uncle smiled.
“No, I need your help right around here. Troughs to be filled, stalls to be cleaned. I’ve got a load of paper work to catch up on, myself.” Sarah frowned a little, then said
“OK”. Seemed to her, lately, that she was always needed “around here.” She excused herself from the table, then walked to the barn, and leaned on a pitchfork a few minutes later, as she watched her three cousins tack up their horses.“ I wish I could go with you guys”. Hoss smiled at the young girl, as he tightened Chubb’s cinch. “You’re just a little gal, Sarah. You’ll be able to come with us once you get a little bigger.” Hoss and Joe led their horses from the barn, and mounted up in the barnyard. Joe winked at her, as he swung up into his saddle. “Bye, Sarah.” They loped around the corner of the barn, and were gone. Sarah walked slowly back into the barn, and pushed a wheelbarrow to the first stall. She sighed, as she started her work. Adam was in the aisle, tacking up Sport. Her sigh hadn’t gone unheard, and he half smiled. He remembered Joe at her age, just nine years old, and how much he wanted to do ALL the ranch work, like his older brothers. But he just wasn’t big enough. He finished tightening Sport’s girth, then walked over to the stall, and rested his arms on the top rail, as he watched her work.
“You know, Sarah, you’re just about the best stall cleaner around here.” She sighed again. “Well, I do get enough practice”, she commented, as she raised another pitchfork of soiled bedding to the wheel barrow, and flipped it in. Adam stifled a grin. “Yeah, I know. It’s how we ALL started out. First me, then Hoss, then Joe. We all became experts at stall cleaning before Pa EVER let us do ANY other ranch work.” Sarah paused in her work, and stared earnestly into her cousin’s face. “How many years did it take to become experts?” Adam laughed, and ruffled her hair. “Not as many as you’d think! See you later, Sarah!” He led Sport from the barn and, mounting up, disappeared from her view. With one more sigh, she went back to work. Two hours had gone by before she pushed the last wheel barrow load to the top of the manure pile, and dumped it out. She made sure the barrow and the cleaning tools were put away, then walked to the pump. She spent several minutes pumping, and watched as the horse trough filled up. She gave a couple of more pumps of the handle, and a gush of cool, clean water spurted out. She caught a handful of it, and drank it gratefully.
When she entered the ranchhouse, she was met by the scent of her Uncle’s pipe tobacco. She rounded the grandfather clock, then stood in front of her Uncle’s desk. He lowered his pipe, and looked up from a pile of papers. “Stalls all done, Sarah ?” “Yes, Uncle Ben. Cleaned and bedded down again. And the trough is full.” Her face looked brown with dust, as were her clothes, and he smiled. “Good, good. If you go see Hop Sing, I’m sure he’s got a snack and a drink for you.” She grinned. “Thanks, Uncle Ben ” She walked towards the kitchen, patting her clothes, and left small clouds of dust, as she went. Ben smiled as he watched her go, and slowly shook his head, as he remembered Joe at her age, doing EXACTLY the same thing. He was soon immersed in his paper work again.
Sarah pulled a stool up to the counter, and watched Hop Sing as he finished washing the dishes .He smiled as he noticed her dusty face. “You look dusty, Missy Sarah. I make you snack and drink, but you must wash first!” She complied, then sat eating a sandwich and drinking a cold glass of milk a few minutes later, as Hop Sing was putting the ingredients of a stew together. “Hop Sing, how old were Adam and Hoss and Joe before Uncle Ben let them do real work?” The Chinaman tilted his head to one side. “All work on ranch real, Missy. Cleaning, cooking, washing, darn socks, branding, fix fences, it all work. No work more important than other.” “He’s right, Sarah.” Sarah turned to see her Uncle enter the kitchen, who then reached for the milk jug, and poured himself a long glassful. “Everything we do on this ranch is important. Breaking horses, branding cattle, fixing fences, cooking meals, chopping firewood, getting the hay in for the winter, even cleaning stalls - it all counts as VERY important work. Everyone working together - it’s what keeps the ranch running. Can you understand that?” He reached an arm around her shoulders, as she considered what her Uncle had said. “ Yeah, I guess so Uncle Ben. It’s just that, sometimes, I wish I could do more.” He smiled down into her eager young face. “Don’t worry, Sarah, you’ll be helping out more, soon enough. Now, why don’t you go for a ride on that horse of yours? I’m sure Adam would appreciate it if you took some lunch out to him, Hoss, Joe, and the hands. Hop Sing has it all ready.” She reached her arms around her Uncle’s neck, and gave him a hug. “Thanks, Uncle Ben!” She hopped down from the stool, and, grabbing the sack of food, rushed out the kitchen door, and it slammed behind her. Ben smiled - that poor door took such a beating! Sarah trotted out into the bright sun of the barnyard, and headed towards the corral. She grabbed a lead line from the rail fence, and, opening the gate, walked to her horse and snapped the line on her, and headed for the barn. After she was securely tied in the aisle, she grabbed her grooming tools, and started currying the horse’s neck. “You know what, Rebel, I wish I was fully grown, like you. You can do just about anything you want.” The horse turned her face towards her, as if listening intently, then snorted in her face. Sarah laughed.
“ Ew - thanks a lot, Rebel ! ’’ She quickly finished grooming her, then swung the blanket and saddle up onto the mare’s back. After cinching her up, and tying the sack of food securely to the saddle horn, she pulled on her bridle, and led her from the barn. A moment later, she swung up into the saddle, and trotted out of the barn yard. The sun shone through the leaves of the trees, lining the trail, and dappled sunlight covered everything. As she started to lope along, she was suddenly aware of the sound of a calf bawling in the distance. She reined Rebel to a stop, and turned her head to listen. The tree lined trail had given way to a long, sloping meadow, with a reed rimmed pond at its bottom. The sound seemed to be coming from the pond. She pulled Rebel’s head around, and urged her down the slope. When she got to the pond’s edge, it was clear that a young calf had gotten stuck in the soft ooze around the edge of the pond. As she pulled the reeds to one side, for a better look, she realized the calf was practically submerged in the mud, and his struggling was only dragging him further down. Sarah quickly took her lasso from her saddle, and knew she only had time for one toss before the calf would disappear completely. She carefully spun the loop, took aim, then tossed it. It landed easily over the young calf’s head. She tied off the end to the saddle horn, and Rebel backed up slowly as she pulled back on the reins. The mud covered calf struggled as Rebel continued pulling. In a few moments, the young calf was standing safely on solid ground, and stood shaking himself. Sarah smiled, and started off again, leading the small calf to the branding corral.
“Dadgum it, I’m just about starved. Hope Sarah gets here soon!”, commented Hoss, as he tossed another log onto the branding fire, then glanced towards the trail. Adam smiled,
“ Hoss, you’ve been saying that for two hours. She’ll be here. It’s not noon yet.” “Hmm. My stomach can’t tell time, Adam. It just knows when it’s hungry, is all.” Hoss’s eyes twinkled, and he smiled. Joe was in the ring, cutting the young calves away from their mothers. He tossed a lasso around one of the youngsters, and slipped off Cochise, as the horse held the rope tight. Joe quickly flipped the calf onto its side, and bound up his hooves. Adam removed a hot branding iron from the fire, and pressed the Ponderosa brand against the animal’s flank. There was a wisp of smoke, and the calf protested loudly, then it was all over. Joe slipped the rope off the calf’s bound feet. He struggled up, and galloped back to his mother’s side. Adam smiled, and nodded to Joe “Next !” The procedure was repeated again and again, as each new calf got the Ponderosa brand burnt into their hide.
Another half hour went by, and they were glad to see Sarah round the bend in the trail, and enter the branding corral area. She slid down off of Rebel, and handed the bag of food to Adam. “Here’s your lunches, Adam.” Adam took the sack gratefully, then noticed the small, muddy calf standing just behind Rebel. “ Where’d you find him, Sarah ? I thought we’d gotten them all.” Sarah shrugged. “ Oh, him ? Found him down by the big pond about a mile from the house. He was in a really boggy patch. He was just about to disappear when I found him. Glad I had my lasso with me.” She reached for one of the sandwiches, and took a bit bite. Adam, Hoss and Joe just exchanged glances, and grins. Adam nodded his head slowly. Pa would definitely hear about this little rescue episode. After lunch, the branding continued. They each took turns roping and branding, and keeping the fire nicely stoked. Part way into the afternoon, Adam realized that Sarah was still there, silently watching the goings on from the top rail of the corral fence.
“Sarah, want to brand one?” She hopped down excitedly, “ Sure !”, then rushed over. “Okay, now pay attention. You only get one chance to make a nice, clear brand.” Hoss had just lassoed, and tied up a calf, so Adam led Sarah over to it. He put his hand around hers on the branding iron. “Now, wait till the animal is calmed down. Then you push the iron right there, and hold it for a moment or two - to be sure the brand is clear.” The smoke rose, and the calf bawled, then they removed the iron. “Perfect !” Adam commented, and Sarah smiled at him. “ Gee, Adam. That’s not hard at all.” He smiled at her enthusiasm. “No, it’s not hard. Just tends to be a bit uncomfortable on your back after a while ” , he commented, then stretched as he stood up. The afternoon continued on, and Sarah was soon doing the actual branding part of the calves by herself, as her cousins looked on, between turns with the roping part of the procedure. By five in the afternoon, all the calves in the pen were done. Adam swung the large corral’s gate open, and the hands drove the newly branded calves, with their mothers, out onto the range again. One of the cowhands doused the branding fire with dirt, then they all wearily mounted their horses for the ride back to the ranch house, for dinner. When they got back to the ranch, they dismounted, and their horses securely tied to the hitching rail. They each took turns rinsing the worst of the “trail dirt” from their hands and faces at the pump, as the cool water gushed out. Ben stood up behind his desk, as he heard them all tromp into the house, “Well, how’d the branding go, boys?” Joe was the first to speak. “ Great, Pa. Got about one hundred fifty head done today, and that’s probably only about half. They all looked fat and sassy !” Hoss grinned. “ Yeah, Pa. That old bull of ours has sure been earning his keep.” Adam stepped forward, and put one arm around Sarah’s shoulders.
“We have a real young hero here, Pa. Sarah not only single-handedly rescued a calf from the boggy edge of the pond, but learned how to wield a branding iron. Very well, I might add.” Ben looked at the girl, and grinned. “Is that true, Sarah ?” She just blushed, and looked down at her feet. Adam gave her a squeeze. “Sure is, Pa. I think that Sarah may have graduated onto ‘bigger and better’ ranch chores today. What do you think?” Ben tilted his head to one side. “You may well be right, Adam. You just may well be right. But, come on, dinner’s waiting, and you know how Hop Sing gets..! ” They all strode over to the dining room table, and took their places, as Hop Sing started serving the food.
Sarah took a third helping of the delicious steaming beef stew, as it was passed around the long table again. Joe laughed , “ Hey, Sarah, you’re really giving Hoss a run for his money tonight. I can’t remember the last time I saw you put away so much food!” Ben smiled, and held up one hand. “ Now, just a minute Joseph. She’s worked very hard today. Cleaned the stalls so well you could eat off the floors, bedded them all down again, filled the trough, saved a calf, and did the lion’s share of the branding, too. She is really pulling her weight around here, just the same as everybody.” He paused for a moment, as if considering something, then continued. “ As a matter of a fact, I have a small announcement to make.” Ben paused again, and all his sons’ eyes were suddenly on him. “I think it’s about time that Sarah graduated from just cleaning stalls and filling troughs, and helping Hop Sing in the kitchen. It’s time she learned more about what running a ranch is all about. And I, along with you three, will be teaching her.” Adam glanced to Hoss, who glanced to Joe, who glanced back to Ben. Sarah thought she saw a warning expression on her Uncle’s face, but it was fleeting, and her cousins started congratulating her. Adam smiled. “See, Sarah, guess you’ve spent enough time becoming an ‘expert’ on stall cleaning, after all.” Joe and Hoss chimed in. “Yeah, congrats, Sarah. We’ll be happy to teach you everything we know.” Adam grinned broadly. “Or, you could take the safe route, and learn from the Master.” Hoss laughed loudly. “ Dadgum, it Adam, we’ll take care of her. We wouldn’t let anything happen to our little gal.” Her Uncle Ben’s laughter suddenly filled the great room, as he remembered all the misadventures, of his middle and youngest sons, over the years. Adam joined in, as did Joe, and even Hoss, in spite of themselves . Sarah looked from one to the other, and grinned. She was already looking forward to helping her Uncle and Cousins take care of the Ponderosa.
The End