AT THE FAIR

For a few weeks time people had heard about the fair which would visit Virginia City. Especially the children were enthusiastic about it. That also went for the 9 year old Mitch Cartwright. When his father Adam Cartwright came to get him from school the boy started about it.

“Daddy, are we going to the fair?”, asked Mitch.

“Of course we go. But I don’t know yet exactly when”, answered Adam.

“What is there all to do?”, asked the boy.

“Throwing horse shoes, moving beer glasses, High Striker and a lot more I guess”, said his father.

“What is the High Striker?”, Mitch wanted to know.

Adam smiled for a second.

“That’s a fair attraction whereby someone must hit with a big hammer on something. When he has hit the highest you hear a bell whereby he has won a prize”, he explained then.

“When uncle Hoss tries it nobody else can play that game anymore”, laughed Mitch.

Adam sighed deep and said, “Indeed. You don’t give him that idea.”

“I say nothing but uncle Joe and/or Candy probably will”, reacted Mitch.

Arrived at home Mitch went straight to his mother Mary and little sister Lisa Cartwright.

“Hello mama. Soon there is a fair in Virginia City. Daddy says that we are going”, Mitch said excited.

“Hello darling. We surely go. How was it at school?”, asked Mary.

“Boring as usual. Miss Jones is too nice to me. Especially when daddy brings me. She always tries to find an excuse to talk to him. He isn’t going to leave us for her, is he?”, the boy asked worried.

Mary sat down and pulled her son near her.

“Your father isn’t throwing his family away for such a school teacher. He is far too happy with us. Believe me”, she said calm.

Mitch nodded. He grabbed his glove and ball and went to play outside. Mary walked to her husband.

“Adam, Mitch is scared that you leave us for Abigail Jones. She is too nice to him. I don’t trust her”, said Mary.

Adam took his wife into his arms and kissed her.

“I really don’t want to have her. That’s why I love you too much and the children”, he said.

Mary was reassured.

When the Cartwrights went to the fair of course they ran into a lot of aquuinces. One of them Abigail Jones. Because Mitch was with his uncle Hoss Adam only had eyes for his wife Mary and their 4 month old daughter Lisa. Abigail Jones saw Adam and she walked up to him.

“Adam Cartwright. How nice that you are here as well. Where is Mitch?”, asked the teacher.

“With my brother Hoss”, said Adam.

“How are you all?”, she asked polite.

“With us is everything alright”, answered Adam.

Abigail saw the baby and felt a jealousy coming up. ‘That should have been my baby’, she thought.

“Is it wise to take such a young baby to a fair?”, asked the teacher.

“Of course it is. Lisa has both her parents with her and that’s all she needs right now. Are you jealous?”, Mary asked on her turn.

Abigail got a color and said, “Of course not!”

Quickly she walked on. Adam kissed his wife and looked at her smiling.

“As long as Abigail knows me she is been chasing me. She is so in love with me that nobody else may go steady with me, But I am so happy with my 2 women and son”, said Adam.

“Let her find someone else and have children. I only want to have them from and with you”, reacted Mary.

“We will make sure that Mitch and Lisa get more brothers and sisters. As soon as this young lady is a bit bigger we will take care of that”, promised Adam.

Mary nodded smiling.

Mitch was with his uncle Hoss and dog Cody to be found at the games. At a certain moment they came to the High Striker.

“Uncle Hoss, you can that real good”, said Mitch.

Hoss first looked skeptical at the machine and then at his nephew.

“You are far too little to do it”, said Daniel Cooper, the man at the High Striker.

“Let me have a try. What do I win?”, asked Hoss.

“A big cream cake”, said Daniel.

Hoss got the water in the mouth already and Mitch was rolling on the ground laughing.

“Are you going to hit or not?”, asked Daniel.

“Of course I go to hit. What did you think?”, Hoss asked on his turn.

“Fifty cents”, said Daniel.

Hoss paid and got the hammer. Mitch watched laughing with Cody next to him. Hoss grabbed the hammer and lifted it up. He hit with it right away. The bell rang but that wasn’t the only thing. The High Striker got such a hard smack that the machine broke down totally. Meanwhile the other Cartwrights including Ben and his youngest son Joe had come and they saw what happened.

“What have you done now again?”, Daniel asked amazed.

“I did have to hit with it, didn’t I?”, Hoss asked innocent.

“Yes, but not wrecking my machine. I really can go home now because you were so nice to break it”, snapped Daniel.

The Cartwrights were rolling on the ground laughing.

“Mr Cooper, do you know why you must go home?”, Mitch asked innocent.

“Because that nice uncle of yours has broken down my machine?”, asked Daniel.

The young Cartwright shook of no. Adam and Mary looked at each other laughing because they knew exactly what their son was going to say. Ben and Joe watched amusing. But foreman candy Canaday did that too.

“Do I still get an answer or not?”, Daniel asked annoyed.

“Because home doesn’t come to you”, Mitch answered light-hearted.

He ran directly to his parents and little sister. Mary received him.

“Do I still get my cake?”, asked Hoss.

Daniel looked at him and answered, “Do you now really think that you still get that cake after you have blown my income? Don’t think so!”

“Well, I don’t want that cake of yours anyway. Hop sing bakes much more delicious cakes than you do”, Hoss reacted while he walked away with his family.

Somewhere else Joe saw at the shooting plates a beautiful doll standing.

“Adam, do you see that doll over there? Isn’t that something for your daughter?”, he asked.

“Sure. Lisa shall and must have that doll”, answered Adam.

He walked up to the owner of the strand and said to Laurence Jones, “I want to give it a try.”

“That can. Fifty cents”, said Laurence.

Adam paid and shot down all the plates into pieces. By much coincidence Patricia Miller saw the doll too.

“Father, I demand that you win that doll for me. He is for me”, she said bitchy.

“You will get it”, her father George Miller promised.

But Adam had beaten them.

“Congratulations Mr Cartwright. The beautiful doll is yours”, said Laurence.

He grabbed the doll and gave it to Adam. He received it and gave the toy straight to his daughter. Lisa was deliriously happy with it. George and Dorothy Miller came standing nearer with their daughter.

“Cartwright, I give you 4 dollar for that doll. Our Patricia wants to have it eagerly”, said George.

“Sorry, but it’s for my daughter”, answered Adam.

“That doll belongs to me!”, Patricia snapped angry.

“Not true. It’s my sister’s now and it stays that way”, reacted Mitch.

“Give that doll here!”, said Patricia.

She began to fight with Mitch who of course didn’t let himself down. The 2 children rolled through the sand. Patricia screamed loud where that Mitch hit her. Patricia screamed again. George stepped in and kicked the young Cartwright. Adam gave George a hard smack where after he with his wife and daughter too to their heels. Ben kneeled down near his grandson and examined him.

“I am alright”, Mitch said brave.

He got up and wiped the sand off his clothes.

The time flew by and by evening time the Cartwrights went back home again. Once arrived at home the youngest Cartwrights got brought to bed so that they could go to Dream land together. But the others also didn’t make it too late.