At the Foot of Yonder Mountain
Everything was going well down at the creek. After everyone had eaten, Frasier and Ben had started a game of chess, which Ben was quite good at, much to the surprise of Frasier. Martin had gone to sleep under a tree and Adam was strumming his guitar. Niles, Daphne, Hoss and Little Joe had gone off to explore the area.
Hoss came running up to the picnic site. "Pa, I think there's trouble."
Ben looked up at his middle son, "What's wrong, Son?"
Hoss licked his lips then nervously looked at Frasier and Martin. "It's Little Joe and Niles, Pa."
Adam put down his guitar and joined the group.
"What about them?" Ben urged.
"Well, they were acting like a couple of bulls in the pasture near Miss Daphne." Hoss began.
"To say the least," cut in Adam. Ben gave Adam a stern look then turned back to Hoss.
"Well, they decided to settle it with a race." Hoss said nervously.
Frasier shrugged his shoulders, "So? Niles isn't the best runner, but I don't see where that should cause any problems."
"You don't understand, they're doing it by horseback and they going by Devil's curve!" Hoss tried to explain.
The looks on both Adam's and Ben's faces told the Cranes this was something they should be concerned about. Adam was quickly getting his gear together and gathering the horses.
"I can't believe Daphne would agree to this," Frasier cried as he was trying to get on his horse.
"She doesn't know how dangerous it is. I didn't know what they had planned or I would have stopped them. I was called away…by nature, and when I got back, Miss Daphne told me what was happening." Hoss replied as he helped Frasier get on his horse. Martin was helped up behind Frasier and they followed the Cartwrights.
"There they are, down there," Hoss pointed to two riders racing across a treacherous trail that wound round the mountain.
"Just wait until Little Joe comes back," growled Ben.
"Pa, there's something peculiar about … the race." Adam was following the riders with a spyglass.
"What? Let me see that," asked Ben as he held out his hand for the spyglass. Putting it to his eye, he watched the riders, "I don't see anything… Oh!" He lowered the spyglass.
"Let me see," Hoss asked with his hand out stretched for the spyglass. Raising it too his eye, he just said, "Oh!"
Curious, Martin said, "What's going on? Let me see. What's happening down there?" When Martin raised the spyglass to look at the riders, he slowly lowered it and turned to Frasier.
"Frasier, would you know of any reason Niles is riding sidesaddle?"
Frasier's eyebrows shot up. "No, not at all. You all must be mistaken. He has a hard enough time riding astride. I don't know why he would be riding sidesaddle."
He took the spyglass from his father to look for himself. Sure enough, there was Niles, hanging on for dear life, with one leg thrown over the horn of his horse, sidesaddle. "Well, he's still on." Frasier said weakly.
Martin looked at his older son, "Let's go get them."
They had arrived at a place Hoss called descriptively enough "The Peak" where Little Joe and Niles were already. Little Joe was congratulating Niles on a race well rode. "Apparently, he wasn't looking too closely on how Niles was riding," thought Frasier.
"Just what do you think you were doing, you rapscallion?" boomed Ben.
Joe turned around to face his father, paling. "Uh, Pa, Niles and me were just having a little fun." Joe gave a weak smile.
"A LITTLE fun? You both could have been killed, at least Niles could have been! You know better than that, Joe." Ben had gotten off his horse and went to where Niles and Joe were standing.
"Now, Mr. Cartwright," started Niles but seeing the look on Ben's face, he stopped. Niles took a swallow and started again. "If anyone should get into trouble, it's me. I'm older and I should have known better."
Ben turned to Niles, "Yes, you should have known better. But Joe knows how dangerous these passages are and he knows how you ride."
Frasier stepped in, "Mr. Cartwright, that may be, but the blame can't be placed on Joseph. Niles is after all, a grown man and my brother is quite capable of judging his own skills."
From the corner of his eye, Frasier noticed a look passing between Adam and Hoss.
"Yes, if anyone is to blame, it's me for going along with it." Niles added.
"Like I should be for last night when we knocked Adam out and put him in the window seat," Frasier added.
Joe was about to say something, but Adam pulled him back and motioned him to be quiet while Ben and the Crane brothers were talking. Martin was standing next to the Cartwright brothers, proud that Frasier and Niles were finally standing up for their own actions. After talking with Ben, Frasier and Niles turned toward Adam with their hands outstretched.
"We're sorry we hit you." Frasier said, "I'm afraid we're not the best guests you've had at the Ponderosa."
"Well, you may not be the best, but you sure ain't the worst we've ever had," piped up Hoss.
Joe rubbed the spot where he was caught with the branding iron and grinned, "Besides, now whenever I get hurt, all anyone has to do, is strip me, look at the brand, and next stage, I'm off to the Ponderosa!"
"See! I was just saying that to Frasier and my father yesterday!" Niles said brightly.
Adam smiled, "Let's get back to our picnic, I'm sure Daphne will be wondering where we all got to."
