Gambling for Chores:
Jax and Joe had too much free time and not a lot of supervision this summer. Sure Ben left them with what he thought were enough chores to keep them busy, what he didn't know Jax and Joe had found a way around doing them.
Two months ago, Jax and Joe learned how to play poker, actually they had conned Hoss into teaching them. So during the last month of school, kids started betting chore time. Joe and Jax were rarely lost so almost all of their classmates owed at least one or two hours of work on the Ponderosa. By Jax's calculation, they didn't have any chores until next Friday. So during the next week they would play double or nothing with a few people.
Jax was planned everything down to the minute. Some kids would come right after Adam, Ben, and Hoss rode off. Jax and Joe would come home about an hour before lunch to do some work. After lunch the next group of kids would come and work until about an hour before supper.
After explaining what needed to be done Joe and Jax saddled their horses and rode out to the lake for swimming or fishing.
"Joe, I'm bored."
"I know what we can do," Joe said.
"What?" Jax said sitting up.
"You know how fun it is to move horses around town. Let's ride out and move cattle to different ranches."
"I don't think it would be that easy."
"Why, Adam and Hoss are always out getting strays. We'll just go to different ranches and take five to ten heads and move them to another ranch. They have brands so the owners can sort them back out."
"We don't know how to move cattle," Jax reasoned.
"We'll learn with our cattle. It can't be that hard. Tonight we need to find out where Hoss and Adam will be. Pa is heading to Reno tomorrow so we don't have anything to worry about. Whatever pasture they are working, we'll do the opposite," Joe said.
"Sounds like a good plan, we better head back. Susan and Thomas have to get home soon. Plus we need to check there work," Jax said smiling.
They always rode into the back of the barn, so Hop Sing wouldn't see them.
"Where are Thomas and Susan?" Jax asked.
"They only finished about half of the chores. Pa's going to blister our ears tonight if not our hides for not getting all the chores finished. Those two still owe us six hours, I guess we need to stay and supervise."
"Should we try and finish some of this?" Jax asked
"Couldn't hurt, but there is no way we'll finish it all before Pa gets home." Joe said.
"So if we're in trouble already, why not enjoy the rest of the day?"
"I could use some lemonade."
Jax and Joe walked three steps out of the barn when everything made absolute sense.
"Joe," Jax said seeing Buck tied to the post.
"Guess, we'll have to wait a few weeks to work on the cattle plan," Joe said.
"Or the rest of the summer," Jax said sourly.
"We better go in before he comes out," Joe said.
"At least we haven't done chores for five weeks," Jax said.
"Let's see how much he knows first."
The "he" they were talking about walked out at that moment. Ben didn't say a word, just pointed to the barn.
"Nice knowing you," Joe tried to joke.
"Nice knowing the ability to sit," Jax shot back.
Ben looked at his children and with that one look they knew he was mad. He sat on a bale of hay which was never a good sign.
"How long has this been going on?" Ben demanded.
"What?" Jax tried earning her a very hard spank.
"I'm asking for the last time. How long has this been going on? You know better than to lie."
Joe thought about it for a minute, did Susan and Thomas actually know how long it had been going on?
"All summer," Joe said miserably.
"How did you get children to do your chores for you?"
"People just like us," Jax said joked earning her another hard spank.
"Is this funny, Jacqueline?" Ben snapped.
"No, sir," Jax said.
"How did you get children to do your chores for you?"
"Poker," Joe whispered.
"I'm sorry, Joseph did you say poker?"
"Yes, sir."
"How did you learn to play poker?" Ben asked just as Hoss walked into the barn. Hearing the question he tried to walk out, "Hoss?"
"Yes, sir."
"Do you know who taught your brother and sister how to play poker?"
"I did," Hoss said miserably.
"Did you teach them how to bet?"
"Yes, sir."
"Come here. I want you to hear how your brother and sister used the game you taught them," Ben said.
"Yes, sir."
"So how did you get children to do your chores," Ben said turning his attention back to the twins.
"We bet, minutes and hours," Jax said.
"How many hours did you two lose?"
"We were playing a lot and we usually won. We had the advantage because we knew how to play and some of the other kids…" Joe said and was pushed by his sister.
"So you swindled your classmates?" Ben asked already knowing the answer.
"Kinda," Joe said.
"So how many days until you have to do chores again?"
"Next Friday," Jax said.
"Who are the children that were involved in this betting?"
"Pa, we can't tell you that. You'll go their houses and tell their parents. This was our idea," Joe said horrified.
Ben shook his head thinking "only Jax and Joe would turn a school yard into a crooked gambling hall."
"Well now I'll have to have Hoss or Adam stay until your indentured servants arrive and send them away. I also have to asked Hop Sing to check on you periodically throughout to day to ensure you are working on the massive amount of chores you're going to do every day. More work for them, so you could do less work this summer. Is the fair?"
"No, sir," Jax and Joe said.
Ben tried to figure out a way to punish Hoss. He knew they had conned him, but he needed to think about what these two would do with the information they had gained. He was eighteen now and shouldn't let these two con him so easily. His first instinct was to tan him along with the twins, but at last minute decided to say,
"Hoss you will not go to town, for two weeks."
"But Pa…" Hoss tried but stopped at the glared he got from his father.
"Go inside and tell Hop Sing the twins will not be joining us for supper," Ben said.
Ben didn't say another word. He took off his belt and bent Joe over tanning him good. Jax was next. Both tried the, I'm sorry and please stop routine without avail.
"Bed, now," Ben said putting his belt back on. The sobbing twins ran in the house and up the stairs rubbing their throbbing backsides.
Ben walked back in the house and looked at Hoss and said,
"Your backside should be stinging too, young man."
"Pa, I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking," Hoss said. "They said they were going to be bored this summer and were getting sick of checkers and chess. Joe asked what game the adults were playing in town. I told them poker and I showed them how to play for matchsticks."
"You have to think three steps ahead with those two. They're always looking for new ways to get out of chores, punishment, or homework," Adam admonished.
"Adam, they're not that bad," Hoss said.
Adam snorted. Ben broke in before it became an argument,
"I need someone to stay here and tell their little friends their debt has been paid in full."
"Hoss is going to do it, because this is his fault," Adam said.
"Adam, that means I'm going to have to work later and you know it."
"I would too," Adam said. "Ask your partners in crime to help you."
"That is exactly what you're both are going to do. Anything you think they can do, make them do it. They are not to have any free time until after supper and that's only if everything is finished," Ben said.
"Yes, sir."
Ben started laughing and said, "Gambling chore time and cheating to make sure they won, only the twins would think of that."
"Pretty smart," Adam had to admit.
"If I hadn't come home early, they would have gotten away with it all summer."
"Jax and Joe with free time, spells disaster for all of us," Adam said
"Do you ever think they'll try and stay out of trouble?" Hoss asked.
"No," Adam and Ben said together.