The Brush Fire

By Tennessee

Ben and the boys wanted to buy more cattle and horses for next year, but they had to clear another piece of the Ponderosa to hold the extra stock. Adam and Ben looked around the Ponderosa for a good place to clear, and the best place had a lot of dead leaves, sticks, pinecones, rock, and wild weeds that needed to be cleaned up.

That night Ben told Hoss and Little Joe about finding the piece of land to clear, and Adam said they had a lot of work to do before they could get the extra cattle and horses. "We'll start cleaning the land on Saturday," he said.

On Saturday they got up at daybreak, ate breakfast, and left to clear the land. Hoss started to cut down the dead trees. Little Joe started cutting the wild weeds. Adam started getting the rock out of the field. Ben started picking up the sticks and raking the leaves.

They all worked until noon and then went home for dinner. Hop Sing had lunch ready when they got there. Ben said, "I need to go to town with Hop Sing. You boys can go back to work clearing the field."

"OK, Pa," the boys answered.

Ben and Hop Sing went to town and the boys went back to the field.

Hoss said, "Adam, we need to start a fire to burn some sticks and leaves."

Adam looked around and said, "I guess you're right." He started the fire, and his brothers fed it with leaves and sticks. Black smoke went everywhere. Adam began coughing hard from the smoke.

Hoss yelled, "Adam, Little Joe, where are you?"

He heard Little Joe yell, "I'm over here, Hoss!"

Hoss said, "Little Joe, can you see?"

"No, I only see black smoke."

"Get on the ground," Hoss said.

"OK, Hoss," Little Joe said, and he did.

Hoss searched for Adam, and Little Joe asked where Adam was. Hoss got on the ground and slowly made his way over to Little Joe. "Little Joe, just sit still."

Little Joe was crying. Hoss saw something on the ground but wasn't sure what it was. He shook it. "Adam? Adam, wake up!"

But Adam didn't move.

Hoss said, "Little Joe, I'm right over here with Adam. Come to me. Listen to my voice and come toward me."

Little Joe could not see anything so he listened to Hoss talk.

"Good job, little brother," Hoss said. "Keep coming a little at a time."

Little Joe reached Hoss and took his hand. Hoss hugged his brother.

"But Adam . . ." Little Joe said.

"He'll be OK. We need to get him out of this smoke."

"But Hoss, the fire . . . this smoke is so bad."

"The fire is going to spread fast and this smoke will get worse. You stay here, and I'll find my way out of the smoke and get help."

"Hoss, no."

"I have to, Joe." Hoss took off his shirt and wrapped it around his mouth. The fire was all around him and closing in fast. He knew they didn't have much time. He made his way back to his brothers.

Adam was coming around.

"Can you walk?" Hoss asked him."

"Yes, the smoke got in my lungs, but I can make it."

"We need to stay as low as we can. Follow me. Stay close. Let's hold onto each other's legs so we stay together, OK?"

"OK."

Ben and Hop Sing were coming out of the store when they saw the black smoke in the sky. Ben knew his sons were in trouble. He ran to the wagon with Hop Sing right behind him. Ben made the wagon go faster and faster.

Hoss and his brothers were moving a little but the fire was closing in on them. "We're almost there," Hoss said. He heard someone yell.

Hoss saw the water and told his brothers they'd reached the lake. He took hold of Joe's legs and pulled the boy to him. Then he reached into the smoke and pulled Adam toward him. "I'm glad to see you two," he said and grinned.

Adam was coughing hard. They could not see anything except black smoke and red flames.

"You two, take off your shirts and wet them and wrap them around your mouth. We can all get in the lake."

They did. Adam and Hoss went under the water to wash their faces, and when they came back up Little Joe did the same.

Hoss said, "We need to stay in the water. Will the fire reach the house and barn?"

"I hope not," Adam said.

As Ben got closer to the field the boys had been clearing, the smoke thick and he could see the fire. Hop Sing looked at Ben, and Ben yelled, "Hoss! Little Joe! Adam! Can you hear me?"

No one answered. He yelled their names again and again. He got a feed sack out of the wagon and so did Hop Sing and they fought the fire.

In the lake, Hoss noticed a log floating on the surface. "Hey, Adam, if we can get hold of that log we can hold onto it and kick our legs and get to the other side of the lake." Hoss got the log and said, "Wrap both your arms around it and kick and make sure you hold on because the middle of the lake is real deep."

They put their arms around the log and kicked and were able to make it halfway across the water. Little Joe needed to rest so they stopped awhile and then headed for the other side of the lake. Just as they got out of the water on the other side, it started to rain.

Ben and Hop Sing were still trying to put out the brush fire. It started to rain, and the water extinguished the last of the flames.

The boys were so thankful for the rain they jumped and cheered.

"Come on," Adam said. "Pa will be looking for us."

They started to run. They got to the house. It and the barn had escaped the fire.

"Where's Pa? Where's Hop Sing?" Little Joe asked.

"I bet they are on their way back from town," Adam said."

"What if they went to the field?" Hoss said.

"Oh no, they probably saw the smoke," Adam pointed out.

Hoss ran out the front door and to the field. The rain had put out most of the flames.

When the last of the fire was out Ben looked around. He could find no sign of his sons except Little Joe's hat. Ben began to cry as he held the boy's hat in his hands. Then he heard, "Pa! Pa!" Ben looked up and saw Hoss. He and Hop Sing ran to Hoss.

"Where are your brothers?" Ben asked his middle son.

"They're fine Pa. They're at home."

"I thought you were in the fire."

"We were, Pa, but we made it to the lake. Pa, the field is so black and dead now. What will we do?"

"Hoss, son, the field will grow again. It was you boys I was thinking of, not this field. Now, let's get home."

The three of them got in the wagon. When they got home, Ben ran into the house with Hop Sing. Hoss was behind them. Ben cried and hugged his other two sons.

"I could have lost all three of you in the brush fire," Ben said.

"But we're fine, Pa," said Little Joe.

"I found your hat, son." Ben smiled. "You boys better wash up."

Little Joe said, "We already did. We got in the lake."

Everyone laughed.

"I'll make some tea for dry throats," Hop Sing said.

Ben said, "You better wash up again. With soap and water."

Hoss said, "Well, at least the field is cleared now."

Ben replied, "It will get green again and we can plant a few trees. Now, go wash up."

"Yes, Pa," said his sons.

As they walked out, Ben thought of how lucky he was that his sons didn't get hurt in the fire. That night Ben went into the boys' room to say good night. All three of them were sound asleep, no doubt tired out by the events of the day. Ben smiled at them and went to bed.

The End