Synopsis: Three children in Chris' life learn the price to be paid for their adventure to an abandoned mine. Takes place in around the time of the epilogue to my story When It Rains. WARNING: will contain the disciplinary spanking of minors.
Author's Note(s): If you haven't read the epilogue to my story When It Rains, this one might not make much sense. The characters of Sarah, Adam, and Rachel were introduced there.
Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to The Magnificent Seven or its characters.
THE PRICE OF ADVENTURE
Chris stepped away from the water pump and dried his hands on a towel. He and the two ranch hands who worked for him had just finished up for the day. He started toward the house, thinking about what he would cook for dinner. Mary had gone to help take care of Sammy and her new baby daughter, Michele. It had been decided that the twins, Adam and Rachel, would go out and spend the week at the ranch with their Grandpa Chris and Aunt Sarah.
As Chris stepped onto the back porch he realized the house was far too quiet. The three children hadn't been out in the barn. He'd just come from there, and had assumed they were somewhere in the house. That morning Chris had given them explicit instructions that they were to stick around the house or barn while he was out in the corral working with the horses. If they decided to go for a ride or any place else, they were to come find him in the corral to ask permission. He was trying to break his current crop of yearlings to the saddle, and couldn't stay around the house all day playing babysitter. Besides, at nine and ten years of age, the children didn't require constant supervision. And, for the most part, they were all good kids. But, not even Rachel, who was most likely to be found someplace quiet absorbed in a book, was immune to the mischief they always seemed to get into when the three of them were together.
Chris entered the house and spotted the note on the kitchen table. He picked up the note and saw that it simply said that the children had decided to go riding. He cursed, hoping they hadn't gone where he was afraid they had. The children had been in the barn the day before when Sully, one of Chris' ranch hands, had come in and started talking about an abandoned mine he'd found just past the southern boundary to Chris' property. Sully had been out looking for stay cattle that had wondered through a break in the fence line when he'd stumbled on the hole in the side of the hill. The children had begged Chris to take them to see it. He had told them he would consider it when he had some free time. Knowing how the minds of his child and grandchildren worked, he had also told them in no uncertain terms that they were not to go to find the mine on their own. If that's where they had gone, Chris knew three children whose little butts were going to be blistered when he got his hands on them.
He went looking for Sully to find out the exact location of the mine. After talking to the ranch hand, and learning that he had shared the information with the children, Chris was more convinced than ever that that was where they had headed. He gathered provisions and saddled his horse. It would be dark in a few hours, and, unless he found them quickly, they would have to camp out for the night. Leaving word with Sully and Rick, his other ranch hand, to sit on the children if they returned before he did, he rode out.
* * * * * *
"I don't know if we should be doing this," Rachel complained. "Grandpa said we were to go ask permission before riding."
"Oh, come on Rachel. Don't be such a chicken." Being called a chicken was the highest insult ten-year old Sarah Larabee could think of, and it was the one thing that was sure to spur her niece into joining the adventure she and Adam had thought up. Sarah knew that Adam and Rachel weren't really her blood kin, but that Chris had taken their mother, Sammy, in after her parents had been killed. She figured there was more to that story, but had never been able to get anyone to tell her. Anyway, she thought of Sammy as her sister, so she supposed that made Rachel and Adam her niece and nephew; which was kind of weird, considering they were only a year younger than her.
After lunch, when Chris had returned to work in the corral, Adam and Sarah had quickly grown bored. They decided what they needed was an adventure, and what would be better than going to check out the abandoned mine that Sully had found. Rachel had been content to sit on the porch and read her book. Sarah would never understand Rachel's fascination with reading. Sarah wondered why a body would want to read about someone else's adventures when you could be living your own. With much use of the word "chicken", she and Adam had managed to persuade Rachel to join them, against her better judgment. Sarah figured it would take about an hour to ride out the location of the mine. That would leave them an hour or so to explore, and another hour to ride back. If they kept to that schedule, they would be home before Chris returned to the house to fix supper, and he wouldn't be any the wiser.
However, things didn't quite go according to plan. The ride out to the abandoned mine took less time than they had anticipated and they found the mine entrance without any problem. The children tethered their horses nearby and put together makeshift torches, which Sarah lit with matches she had taken from the kitchen for that purpose.
They entered the mine and made their way cautiously toward the back of the entrance, where three tunnels branched off. While Sarah and Adam debated over which tunnel to take, Rachel wandered over to a nearby rock fall and sat down on one of the boulders. She really hadn't wanted to come on this adventure and was really starting to worry about what her grandfather would do when he caught them, because in her mind, there was no doubt they would be caught.
Rachel didn't realize until it was too late that the boulder on which she was sitting was unstable. When she sat down, her weight caused a nearby rock to shift. Moments later the large rock rolled, pinning her left foot underneath it. Although her foot was protected by the sturdy leather boot she wore, she was unable to free herself. Her scream brought Sarah and Adam running to her side. They attempted to roll the large rock off Rachel's foot, but it was too heavy.
* * * * *
The longer Chris rode, the angrier he became. He had spotted the children's tracks easily enough. Having ridden with Vin Tanner for so long, he had picked up on some of the tracker's skills. As he suspected, the tracks led to the southern boundary of his property, toward the direction Sully had indicated the abandoned mine lay.
When he approached the area where the abandoned mine was located, Chris spotted the three horses that had been tethered in a grassy area off to the side. He recognized the horses as the ones his daughter and grandchildren preferred to ride. Chris dismounted and had started to tether his own horse with the others when a scream from inside the mine made his blood run cold. He immediately ran into the mouth of the mine and followed the faint glimmer of light until he found the three children.
His heart leaped into his throat when he saw his granddaughter's foot pinned under the large rock. "What the hell happened?" He demanded, the fear he felt for his granddaughter, combined with the anger he felt over the children's recklessness, made his voice harsh.
Sarah was the first get her voice back. "We don't know, Papa. Rachel was sitting on that boulder, and the next thing we knew that other rock had pinned her foot." She turned frightened eyes to her father, silently pleading for help. "We can't get it off her."
Chris took the torch Adam offered and crouched down so he could examine the position of the large rock on his granddaughter's foot. He turned to smile reassuringly at Rachel and patted her shoulder. "It's gonna be okay. I'll get this off you and get you three out of here." He stood and passed the torch back to Adam. "Take this and go back outside. I need you to find a long, thick branch I can use as a lever."
Adam nodded, and taking the torch back from his grandfather, rushed outside. An uneasy silence fell between the adult and children who remained in the mine. Chris was biting his tongue to keep from demanding answers as to why the children were even there in the first place. He figured it would be best to have that conversation when they were all safe back outside the mine.
A few minutes later, Adam returned with a long, thick branch. Chris would see where Adam had removed some of the smaller side branches and leaves. Thanking his grandson, Chris took the branch and eased it under the rock near Rachel's foot. "You two get over here and get ready to pull her out on the count of three." Sarah and Adam scrambled to obey, and each took Rachel by the upper arm and shoulder. Chris nodded approval and, counting to three, put his weight on the lever. The lever raised the large rock enough for the children to pull Rachel out from under it. Seeing that his granddaughter was now safely out from under the rock, Chris released his hold on the lever. The large rock rolled back into place with a loud crash. He picked Rachel up into his arms and directed Sarah and Adam to precede him out of the mine.
Once outside the mine, Chris carried Rachel over to a fallen tree and sat her on the trunk. Without saying a word, he removed her boot and sock and examined her foot. "Looks like your boot protected your foot, it's just bruised. But, I'll take you into town and have Nathan take a look at it in the morning." He helped Rachel put her boot back on and, standing, picked her up and carried her to his horse. Turning to Sarah and Adam, he instructed them to mount up, saying that they should be able to make it home by dark.
The tense ride home was the longest of the children's lives. The sun was just starting to set when the group rode into the ranch yard. They took their horses to the barn and began removing their tack and rubbing the animals down. When Chris finished, he directed the children to meet him in the kitchen when they were finished. The tone of his voice left no doubt that he expected them to be there soon.
Fifteen minutes later, Chris was sitting at the kitchen table, drinking a cup of coffee. He really wanted something stronger, but decided he'd need all of his wits about him while dealing with the three disobedient children. He looked up as Rachel entered the room, limping slightly on her bruised foot. She was quickly followed by Sarah and Adam. At Chris' gesture, all three children took a seat at the table. Heavy silence filled the air, and the children began fidgeting, waiting for the explosion they believed was coming.
Finally, Chris spoke. "So, which one of you wants to tell me what the hell you were thinking, going to that mine after I told you to stay clear of it?" He pinned each child with a look that had caused more than one hardened outlaw to tremble in his boots. However, the children remained silent. As one they all looked down at the table, refusing to meet his gaze. He thought about addressing the question directly to Rachel, knowing he would get the quickest and most honest answer out of her. But, Chris quickly decided against that tactic. He knew these children very well, and given Rachel's quiet, studious nature, it was likely she had been pressured by her brother and aunt to accompany them on their adventure. He didn't want to place in a position of having to tattle on the other children, which was likely the very reason she had been persuaded to go along in the first place.
Chris was hanging onto his temper by a thread. "Fine, if you ain't gonna talk to me, you can all just go straight up to your rooms. I'll be up shortly to deal with you. And, I warn you now -- all three of you better be ready to answer my questions when I do."
He watch as all three children rose from the chairs and started filing out of the kitchen. Rachel lingered behind for a moment. She stopped beside Chris' chair and looked at him with tear filled eyes. "I'm sorry, Grandpa."
Chris' heart melted a little bit. He pulled the girl into a hug and whispered into her ear. "I know you are, baby girl." Chris pushed her back slightly so he could look into her face. "But, you know I'm still going to have to punish you for disobeying me, don't you?"
Rachel nodded.
Chris gave her another quick hug, and giving her a light pat on her backside sent her on her way. "Go on up to your room. I'll be up shortly." He returned to his coffee, using it to calm himself down and reign in his temper before he had to deal with his daughter and grandchildren. Finally, he rose from the table and put his empty coffee cup in the sink.
Adam looked up apprehensively when his bedroom door opened. "Come with me," Chris ordered and turned to walk down the hall. Adam, slightly confused, jumped to obey his grandfather.
Chris gestured for Adam to precede him into Sarah's bedroom. Chris entered the room and closed the door. "Take a seat." Both children sat on the side of the bed. Chris pulled out Sarah's desk chair and sat down, facing them. "Okay, whose idea was to go out to the mine?"
Sarah and Adam looked at each other. Adam looked back at his grandfather and shrugged. "I guess we kinda thought it up together." Sarah nodded her agreement.
Chris nodded. "Wanna tell me why you decided to go there after I had expressly told you not to?"
Adam shrugged, and Sarah responded, "I don't know."
Chris sighed. "Not good enough, I want an answer -- from both of you."
"We thought it would be fun," Sarah answered first. "Besides, you were bein' . . ." she trailed off, knowing her mouth was about to get her in a whole lot more trouble than she was already in.
"I was bein' what?" Chris questioned, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms over his chest. For the first time, both children noticed the old leather belt he was holding in his hand. A slow, menacing smile crossed his face. "Go on and finish what you were going to say."
Sarah gulped. She hated that menacing smile of his. She'd seen it a few times in her short life, usually after she had really messed up. It always spelled serious trouble for her backside. "Do I have to?"
"Yes, you have to," Chris answered.
She suddenly found the floor boards extremely interesting and answered him in a barely audible voice. "You were being unreasonable."
Chris had heard what she said but made her repeat it louder. He nodded and turned to Adam. "Well, what do you have to say?"
"I'm sorry, Grandpa. We didn't think any harm'd be done by goin', and we didn't think you'd find out." Adam gulped. He knew, like Sarah, he'd just managed to dig a deeper hole for himself.
Chris sat for a moment, studying the now repentant children. "So let me see if I get this straight, you thought I was being unreasonable in forbidding you from going to a potentially dangerous place because you didn't think any harm would be done by you going there by yourselves." Both children reluctantly responded, "yes, sir."
"I didn't tell you not to go there just to hear myself talkin'. I told you that because I didn't know what the mine looked like or how dangerous it could be. As for no harm being done, you're all very lucky Rachel wasn't hurt worse than a bruised foot. She could have easily been crushed by that boulder, and there would have been nothing you could have done about it." He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. "Speaking of Rachel, did she go with you willingly, or you'd pressure her into going?"
Adam and Sarah again changed looks. Although they'd briefly thought of telling Chris that Rachel had been a willing participant in the whole thing, they knew Rachel was now in trouble because of them. They didn't want to make it worse for her. Finally, Adam answered, "she didn't want to go with us, but we talked her into it."
Chris pursed his lips and nodded. "You know of course, not only did she come close to getting' hurt, but she's gonna be tanned just like you two for disobeying me." The two children looked at him with a mixture of surprise and contrition. "She had a choice, and she chose to go with you." Chris stood. "Now, I think it's time to get this over with. Adam, go back to your room and wait for me."
He watched as his grandson scooted quickly from the room. Going over to close the bedroom door, he turned to look at his daughter. "Drop your britches and lean over the bed."
Sarah knew exactly what was going to happen. After all, it wasn't the first time she'd been in that position. In fact, she knew her father's old leather belt quite well. Still, she wasn't above trying to beg for mercy. "Please, Papa. You don't have to do this. I promise I won't do anything like that again."
Chris wasn't unmoved by his daughter's pleas, but he was determined to do what he had to do. "It's not going to do you any good, Sarah. Now do what I told you." Raising tearful eyes to her father's, Sarah stood and unfastened her pants, letting them drop to the floor. She turned and, placing her hands on the mattress, leaned over the bed. She was wearing her preferred undergarment, a thin cotton union suit. When Chris stepped up behind her and unfastened the flap, completely baring her backside, Sarah moaned.
She held her breath, waiting for the first stinging lick of the belt to fall. She didn't have long to wait. The first lick fell, spreading fire across her bottom. The belt fell again and again, until Sarah didn't think she would be able to stand any more. It took her several seconds to realize that her father had tossed the belt onto the bed and was gently fastening the flap of her union suit. Chris helped her stand and, sitting down on the bed, pulled her pants up and fastened them. He gently pulled her onto his lap and cradled her in his arms until she stopped crying. Sarah pressed her tear-streaked face into her father's shirt. He barely heard her whispered, "I'm sorry, Papa."
Chris ran his hand down his daughter's hair, comforting her. "I know you are, sweetheart. I hated having to do that, but you have to learn to obey me. Like I said earlier, I don't tell you not to do something just because I want to hear myself talk or to keep you from having fun. I do it because I want to protect you and make sure you don't get hurt. Do you understand?"
Sarah's tear-filled eyes met Chris'. "Yes, sir, I understand. I promise I won't do anything like that again." She ruined her apology by sniffling and wiping at her runny nose.
Chris chuckled. "Somehow I think you're going to have a hard time keeping that promise." He stood Sarah on her feet, and, after making sure she was steady on her feet, released her arms. He stood himself. "You're to stay up here until I call you down for supper, clear?"
Sarah nodded.
Chris gave her a quick hug and kissed the top of her head. "Good girl." He then picked his belt up off the bed and left the room, closing the door behind himself. He made his way to the room at the top of the stairs, where Adam was awaiting his fate.
He walked into Adam's bedroom without knocking and closed the door. His grandson was sitting on the bed, his folded hands tucked between his knees.
Adam looked up as Chris entered the room. He wasn't afraid of his grandfather, but he was afraid of the whipping he was about to receive, especially after hearing what had happened in Sarah's room. Tears welled up in his eyes. "I'm sorry, Grandpa. I didn't think anything bad would happen. I promise I won't do it again."
Chris moved over to the bed and pulled Adam into his arms for a hug. "I know you're sorry, Little Bit," he said, using his nickname for the boy. "But, being sorry isn't enough. I don't want to do this, but I've got to make sure you think before you take it in your mind again to take off to some place I've told you to stay away from." Pushing the boy back so he could look into a face that a young male version of his mother's, Chris gave him a quick grin of encouragement. "You ready to get this over with?"
Pulling out of his grandfather's arms, Adam replied, "not really, but I guess I don't have any choice, do I?"
"No, Little Bit, you don't." Chris picked up the belt he'd laid on the bed prior to pulling Adam into his arms for a hug. Gesturing toward the bed, he ordered the boy to drop his britches and bend over the bed. Just as he had with Sarah, Chris unfastened the flap on the boy's union suit and bared his backside.
Adam tried to remain stoic as he waited for the first lick to fall. When it finally did, it was as if a fire had been lit across his flesh. He let out a gasp of pain, but didn't cry out. It took only a few more licks for his stoicism to fail, and by the time the last lick fell, Adam was sobbing openly.
Chris tossed the belt back on the bed and fastened the flap to Adam's union suit. As he had with Sarah, he sat on the bed, helped the boy straighten his clothing, and pulled him onto his lap. Normally, Adam felt that at nine years of age he was too old to sit on his grandfather's lap. However, a just tanned Adam felt no such compunction and welcomed the comfort offered by Chris' strong arms.
Once Adam had calmed down, he climbed off Chris' lap and stood in the middle of the room, attempting to rub the fire out of his behind. Chris smiled at the picture the boy made. "You gonna disobey me like that again? Or pressure your sister into going along with your schemes?"
"No, sir," Adam replied, shaking his head vigorously.
"Good boy." Chris stood and picked up the belt. "You stay up here until I call you for supper." Giving the boy another hug and a quick kiss on the top of his head, Chris left the room.
He stopped in his and Mary's bedroom to drop off the belt. Although he wasn't going to be using the old leather strap on Rachel, hers was going to be the hardest punishment for him to deliver. She had such a gentle nature that he absolutely hated having to punish her, especially since her only crime was giving into the pressure of her brother and aunt. But, Chris told himself, she had to learn not to give in to their pressure and allow them to draw her into their mischief. It was true that not every time she joined in Sarah's and Adam's shenanigans was due to pressure. There had been plenty of times when she was a willing participant. However, the fact remained that the girl needed to learn to stand up for herself and say "no" when she wanted to.
Chris entered Rachel's bedroom without knocking. She was sitting propped up against the headboard by a pile of pillows, and an open book rested against her raised knees. However, Chris could tell she hadn't been reading. His heart nearly broke and his resolve nearly wavered when she turned nervous eyes to his and simply said, "my turn, huh?"
Rachel knew her grandfather would leave her punishment for last. It seemed like he always did. Sometimes she wished he'd take care of her first, because the wait was often worse than the punishment itself. She'd tried to read while she waited, but the distinctive sounds of a leather belt on bare flesh and the cries coming from the other rooms prevented her from concentrating. She wondered if her grandfather would be using his belt on her, too. Rachel almost sighed in relief when Chris entered her room and she saw that he was neither wearing a belt nor carrying one in his hand. That didn't mean she expected the upcoming spanking to be easy, but at least she wasn't going to receive the same as her brother and aunt.
Chris moved to sit on the side of her bed. He noticed that she had removed her boots, but was still wearing her socks. "How's your foot?" he asked.
"I think it's going to be okay. It's not even hurting right now." She shrugged. "I don't think I'm going to need to go see Mr. Jackson tomorrow." Rachel liked the dark-skinned healer, but she hated his penchant for dosing her with the vilest tasting concoctions on the few occasions he'd had cause to treat her.
Chris nodded. "We'll wait and see what it looks like in the morning. But, if I decide you need to go see Nathan, there will be no argument. Understand?"
"Yes, sir," She replied.
"Good girl." Chris patted her leg and held his hand out for hers. She put her small hand in his large, callused one, and he guided her to sit on the edge of the bed beside him. He draped an arm around her shoulders and drew her up against his side.
"Baby Girl, you've got to stop letting Sarah and Adam pressure you into doin' things you don't wanna do – especially things that'll only get you into trouble."
Rachel leaned into her grandfather's side, accepting the warmth and comfort he was offering. She knew she was probably too old to want to be held, but sometimes she just wanted that comfort, even when that comfort was going to end with her getting her hind end tanned. "I know, Grandpa. But, they kept calling me a chicken, and I wanted to prove to them I wasn't. I knew it was wrong, and I tried to stop them." She was starting to cry. "I really did."
Chris gently wiped a tear from Rachel's cheek. "I know you did, Baby Girl. But, you should have told them 'no', and come and gotten me."
"But that would have made me a snitch, and that's worse than being a chicken."
Chris sighed at his granddaughter's logic. He supposed to a nine year old mind being a snitch was worse that being a chicken, but that did not change the matter at hand. "It's not being a snitch when you ask a grown up's help to stop someone from doing something that could cause them to get hurt." He tilted Rachel's chin up so he could look down into her face. "You three were very luck nothing serious happened in that mine. That rock that rolled onto your foot could have seriously injured you. And, what would have happened if I hadn't come along when I did?"
Chris gave Rachel a minute or two to absorb what he had just told her. "Do you understand why I'm going to spank you, Rachel?"
"Yes, sir," Rachel replied, sniffing slightly.
"Tell me so that I know you do understand," Chris directed.
"You're gonna give me a spanking so next time I'll remember not to give in to Sarah and Adam when they want me to do something that will get me into trouble, and to go get an adult's help if I can't talk them outta doin' something dangerous."
"Good girl." Chris turned slightly and pulled Rachel to stand beside him. "Let's get this over with." He gently pulled the girl over his lap and landed a dozen swats to her upturned backside. Afterwards, Chris pulled her up to sit on his lap and cradled her until she stopped crying.
Rachel moved off his lap and sat beside him on the bed. Chris reached over to pick up the book she had placed on the bedside table after he'd entered the room. He was pleased to see it was The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain. He had read the book shortly after it had been published and had thoroughly enjoyed it. "Are you enjoying this book?" he asked her.
Rachel nodded enthusiastically and launched into a recap of the story so far. Chris couldn't help but smile.
"Good, we'll have to talk about it when you've finished reading it." It was an activity the two frequently enjoyed. He gave her shoulders a quick squeeze and, as he had with the other two children, dropped a quick kiss to the top of her head. "You need to stay up here until I call you for supper."
She quickly resumed her position against the headboard and had the book open on her lap. She looked up at him, "yes, sir."
Chris smiled as he left the room. She was already back to her old self.
* * * * * * *
Later that night Chris sat in one of the rocking chairs on the front porch, enjoying a glass of whiskey and a cheroot before bed. He smiled when he wondered to himself what adventures the next day would bring for the three children who were tucked up asleep in their beds. After the hidings that two of them had received that day, he expected it to be pretty calm for the next few days.
He crushed out his cheroot and downed the last of his whiskey. Standing, he stretched and headed into the house to go to bed. He wondered, not for the first time, if the children, especially his daughter and grandson, would learn that there was always a price to be paid for an adventure.
*** The End ***
Author's Note: If you enjoyed this story, please review it. Although I enjoy the writing process for the sheer pleasure of telling the stories that are playing in my head, finding reviews in my inbox makes it all the more gratifying.
I'm planning more stories in the same timeline I established in When It Rains, including one I'm currently working on featuring Vin and a runaway boy. Hopefully, if real life doesn't get in the way, I will have the first chapter of that story posted soon.