Disclaimer: I don't own The Big Valley or its characters. Please read and
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Chapter 6
Tom made sure not to let Nick sense his fear. It wasn't like Jarrod to play a prank by remaining silent. Tom and Nick both called out to Jarrod as they made their way past two tall oak trees.
Nick craned his neck, looking up top of the tree and called out to his older brother. "Jarrod, are you up there?"
Tom Barkley stifled a laugh. Looking at the large tree he could tell that there was now way that Jarrod could have climbed it. The lowest branch was 10 feet off of the ground.
"Never mind son, I don't think Jarrod would have climbed this tree."
Nick looked at his father and then back up at the tree. "Are you sure Father? Jarrod helped me build a tree house in the tree near the house."
Tom put a hand on Nick's shoulder and smiled at the memory of his two oldest sons pulling together to build the tree house. The two boys argued, but always managed to settle their disagreements. "Yes I remember Nick. But the lowest branch on this tree is too high for your brother to reach."
Jarrod stared at the tree and his shoulders sagged. "I see it now Father. I'm sorry."
"That's okay son. Let's go on a little further and you can call out to your brother. You have a good loud voice so I'm sure he'll hear you," Tom suggested.
Tom and Nick walked a few yards when they came to a large bush. Tom pushed most of the braches aside and held them as Nick passed by. Tom came up behind Nick and breathed a sigh of relief at the sight that greeted him. Jarrod was standing les then 50 yards in front of them.
"Jarrod!" Nick cried out as he started to run towards his brother.
Tom grabbed the collar of Nick's coat, pulling the boy back to his father's side. "Wait here Nick. Don't move and don't make a sound. Can you do that?"
Nick shook his head. "Yes sir. What's wrong Father?"
Tom pointed to a large rattlesnake coiled up a few feet from Jarrod's left leg. "See that rattlesnake near Jarrod? That's why he didn't call out to us."
Tears welled up in Nick's green eyes as his lower lip quivered. Tom thought about sending the boy back to stay with the horses, but decided against it. He might need Nick's help.
Tom Barkley un-holstered his pistol, readying it for the rattler. "Jarrod son, you're doing good. Just continue to keep still and quiet. I'm going to try to shoot the rattler so there will be a gunshot. Don't be afraid."
Jarrod winked at his father to signal his understanding. Satisfied, Tom took careful aim at the snake, squeezed the trigger of his pearl gripped pistol and fired. The shot was dead on and killed the rattlesnake. Tom finally let out a breath and put the pistol back in its holster.
The color came back into Jarrod's cheeks. "Thanks Father."
Nick ran up and hugged Jarrod with all his might, nearly knocking the older boy to the ground. Under normal circumstances, Jarrod would have berated Nick for being over exuberant. Instead Jarrod hugged his younger brother and tousled his hair.
Tom ran up to his oldest son. "Jarrod did the snake bite you?"
"No Father. I'm okay.' Jarrod answered.
"I'm glad you're okay Jarrod." Nick shouted as he jumped up and down.
"Me too Nick," Jarrod replied.
Tom had Jarrod sit down while he examined the boy for a snake bite as a precaution. Tom pulled up the legs of Jarrod's pants and looked up and down both bare legs. Then Jarrod took off his boots and socks, allowing his father to check for bites on the feet and ankles.
"It looks like you're a lucky boy Jarrod. I don't see a bite on you," Tom remarked, helping Jarrod put on his socks. "I'm proud of you son. You didn't panic and remembered what I taught you."
"Thank you Father," Jarrod said smiling. He and Nick always tried to make their father proud of them.
When Jarrod got his boots back on Tom helped him stand up. "Well boys. I think we've seen enough for today. We better get back or your mother will be worrying about us."
Nick walked over to the dead snake and picked it up. "Can I bring the snake home Father?"
"We better not Nick. You mother wouldn't like having you bring a rattlesnake in the house." Tom advised.
Nick reluctantly dropped the dead snake on the grass below before following Tom and Jarrod back to the horses.
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Chapter 6
Tom made sure not to let Nick sense his fear. It wasn't like Jarrod to play a prank by remaining silent. Tom and Nick both called out to Jarrod as they made their way past two tall oak trees.
Nick craned his neck, looking up top of the tree and called out to his older brother. "Jarrod, are you up there?"
Tom Barkley stifled a laugh. Looking at the large tree he could tell that there was now way that Jarrod could have climbed it. The lowest branch was 10 feet off of the ground.
"Never mind son, I don't think Jarrod would have climbed this tree."
Nick looked at his father and then back up at the tree. "Are you sure Father? Jarrod helped me build a tree house in the tree near the house."
Tom put a hand on Nick's shoulder and smiled at the memory of his two oldest sons pulling together to build the tree house. The two boys argued, but always managed to settle their disagreements. "Yes I remember Nick. But the lowest branch on this tree is too high for your brother to reach."
Jarrod stared at the tree and his shoulders sagged. "I see it now Father. I'm sorry."
"That's okay son. Let's go on a little further and you can call out to your brother. You have a good loud voice so I'm sure he'll hear you," Tom suggested.
Tom and Nick walked a few yards when they came to a large bush. Tom pushed most of the braches aside and held them as Nick passed by. Tom came up behind Nick and breathed a sigh of relief at the sight that greeted him. Jarrod was standing les then 50 yards in front of them.
"Jarrod!" Nick cried out as he started to run towards his brother.
Tom grabbed the collar of Nick's coat, pulling the boy back to his father's side. "Wait here Nick. Don't move and don't make a sound. Can you do that?"
Nick shook his head. "Yes sir. What's wrong Father?"
Tom pointed to a large rattlesnake coiled up a few feet from Jarrod's left leg. "See that rattlesnake near Jarrod? That's why he didn't call out to us."
Tears welled up in Nick's green eyes as his lower lip quivered. Tom thought about sending the boy back to stay with the horses, but decided against it. He might need Nick's help.
Tom Barkley un-holstered his pistol, readying it for the rattler. "Jarrod son, you're doing good. Just continue to keep still and quiet. I'm going to try to shoot the rattler so there will be a gunshot. Don't be afraid."
Jarrod winked at his father to signal his understanding. Satisfied, Tom took careful aim at the snake, squeezed the trigger of his pearl gripped pistol and fired. The shot was dead on and killed the rattlesnake. Tom finally let out a breath and put the pistol back in its holster.
The color came back into Jarrod's cheeks. "Thanks Father."
Nick ran up and hugged Jarrod with all his might, nearly knocking the older boy to the ground. Under normal circumstances, Jarrod would have berated Nick for being over exuberant. Instead Jarrod hugged his younger brother and tousled his hair.
Tom ran up to his oldest son. "Jarrod did the snake bite you?"
"No Father. I'm okay.' Jarrod answered.
"I'm glad you're okay Jarrod." Nick shouted as he jumped up and down.
"Me too Nick," Jarrod replied.
Tom had Jarrod sit down while he examined the boy for a snake bite as a precaution. Tom pulled up the legs of Jarrod's pants and looked up and down both bare legs. Then Jarrod took off his boots and socks, allowing his father to check for bites on the feet and ankles.
"It looks like you're a lucky boy Jarrod. I don't see a bite on you," Tom remarked, helping Jarrod put on his socks. "I'm proud of you son. You didn't panic and remembered what I taught you."
"Thank you Father," Jarrod said smiling. He and Nick always tried to make their father proud of them.
When Jarrod got his boots back on Tom helped him stand up. "Well boys. I think we've seen enough for today. We better get back or your mother will be worrying about us."
Nick walked over to the dead snake and picked it up. "Can I bring the snake home Father?"
"We better not Nick. You mother wouldn't like having you bring a rattlesnake in the house." Tom advised.
Nick reluctantly dropped the dead snake on the grass below before following Tom and Jarrod back to the horses.
