Synopsis:  Adam and Joe’s constant fighting has landed them in jail along with Hoss. Their fighting had not only caused a rift but has also signed the death warrant for one of the Cartwright brothers.

Rating: PG
Word Count: 21,200

 

Payment for Past Deeds

“Look Little Joe, all I’m saying is that maybe you should just take it easy. That’s you third beer in the last fifteen minutes,” Adam sighed. He placed his own glass back on the table. Both he and Joe had been at loggerheads since the middle of the cattle drive to Stockton.

Adam had given Joe some orders and expected them to be obeyed without question. Several times Joe had rebuked his oldest brother’s authority. On several occasions it had been in front of the hands that had been hired to make the cattle drive. He knew that it was enough to push Adam’s patience, but still he insisted.

Joe’s impetuousness had cost Adam a fall from his horse. One that his brother paid for dearly when he was trampled by several of the angry steers. It had been his job to round up any stray steers or cut any steers that looked like trouble makers. When he had point blankly refused, Adam rode after the steers himself.

Unfortunately, Adam’s mind had not been fully on the steers, but on Joe. One of the steers turned and rammed into the side of his horse. When it reared on its hind legs, Adam had fallen from the saddle. He had been caught under the feet of a dozen full grown bulls as they stampeded.

Joe had come to his aid but refused to accept that it had been his fault, even though he had defied his brother. He’d wanted to shift the blame for the accident from himself. He’d even gone so far as to suggest that Adam should have had his mind on the job rather than working out what task he’d assign to him next.

The continual problems between his brother and himself had escalated to a point where there was now a big rift between them both. Hoss had stepped in many times to keep them from coming to blows with each other. He was thankful that his older brother had enough sense to walk away from Joe instead of physically attacking him. How much longer he could keep the two separated he was unsure. The sooner they were back at the Ponderosa, the sooner Hoss’ worries would be over.

“Oh so now you’re my keeper are you? Well for your information I don’t need one, I’m old enough to take care of myself,” retorted Joe Cartwright. His tone expressed the frustration he felt when Adam criticized him.

Adam slowly shook his head at Joe’s remark and pushed his chair away from the table. “I don’t need to sit here and take this from YOU,” he said. He directed his eyes to where Joe was sitting, “I’m going to turn in for the night. Goodnight Hoss.”

Before Adam could rise to a full standing position, Hoss pulled him back down. “Dagburnit Adam, I jest don’t know why you two have to be so uncivil like to each other all the time. I know you’re hurt big brother and I wish that you’d see the doctor of these here parts about it. Sit and finish your drink, please.”

By way of appeasing his younger brother, Adam slowly lowered himself into his seat. He winced as he sat down. “Hoss, I apologize for my behaviour,” he said and looked towards Joe to see if he was going to offer any apology. When none was forthcoming he continued, “I guess I’m just tired and sore and maybe a little cranky,” Adam smiled, unconsciously he wrapped his left arm around his ribs.

“That’s an understatement,” muttered Joe. He didn’t raise his eyes to look at either Adam or Hoss, but kept them downcast towards his beer.

Hoss sadly watched the animosity between his two siblings grow with each passing moment and tried to think of something to get the two brothers talking again. “Say Adam, did you get that wire off to Pa okay?”

A moment of silence passed before Hoss prompted his brother again, “Adam?”

“Sorry, Hoss, I was just thinking..,” Adam began to reply before Joe cut in.

“Hmmmph, that shouldn’t be too hard with your learned brain brother,” Joe rebuked. His voice raised a notch, the word brother. It sounded like a curse rather than a sincerity.

“Little Joe, would you just simmer down and keep your voice to a respectable level,” cautioned Adam. “And for your information, I am your keeper when Pa is not around, so I suggest that you act in a manner that Pa would expect.”

Joe finished his glass of ale and slammed the empty glass on the tabletop. “Well Pa ain’t here and if you wanna make a deal of this, I’d be only to happy to oblige,” Joe spat. He rose from his chair and grabbed Adam by his shirt collar.

Normally Adam was capable of disregarding one of Joe’s assaults. But this time he found himself standing to meet his brother eye to eye.

“Awww, dagburnit, c’mon Joe, you know that Adam’s hurting already, don’t do this,” pleaded Hoss as he tried to separate his brothers.

“Stay out of this Hoss!” Adam and Joe replied in unison.

Before Adam could take a self defensive stance against his youngest brother, he found himself flying backwards onto a nearby table that patrons had been drinking at. The table collapsed under his weight and he was momentarily stunned when his head hit the floor. Two of the more inebriated patrons pulled Adam to his feet and sent him flying back to where Joe stood.

Still not fully recovered from the first encounter from his brother’s fist, Adam swung blindly at Joe. His fist connected with the back of the head of a miner who was drinking at the bar. Joe stood back as he watched the miner retaliate and land a few of his own punches on Adam’s body. He winced when he heard Adam yelp in pain when a fist found its way to his unprotected ribs.

Seeing his brother take more than his fair share of punches, Joe pulled two of Adam’s attackers off him. His efforts were in vain as he soon became embroiled in the fight that ensued. Hoss had not escaped being on the receiving end of a few stray punches and handed out a few of his own.

The fight continued for a good ten minutes before the Sheriff and his deputy arrived. Most of the patrons ceased their fighting at the arrival of the Sheriff, while Adam who had his back turned to the lawman still battled on. When he felt a hand touch his shoulder he swung and punched the man that was behind him.

As the Sheriff reeled at the blow, his deputy moved in and subdued Adam by clubbing him on his head with the butt of his gun. Adam was out before he fell to the floor for the last time.

Hoss and Joe watched in stunned silence. With assistance of his eager deputy the Sheriff made it to his feet and pressed a handkerchief to the gash above his eye.

“I want to know who started this and I want to know now!” demanded the irate Sheriff, still not happy that he had been on the receiving end of one of Adam’s powerful punches.

“Davis!” The Sheriff called to his deputy, “escort these men to the jail and have that one put in restraints,” he continued. He directed his last command to the prisoner that still lay unconscious on the floor.

“Aw, c’mon Sheriff, ya don’t need to do that,” Hoss spoke, while he bent down to lift his brother off the saloon floor.

“Are you telling me how to do my job boy?!” fumed the Sheriff, wincing as he yelled. He handed his deputy the handcuffs and key and watched while Davis fitted them over Adam’s wrists. When Davis had finished the Sheriff held out his hand and expected the key to be returned.

Hoss looked up at the sheriff and shook his head. “No sir, I’m not telling you how to do your job. We’ll go along peaceable like.”

Before Hoss had the chance to move out the door with his burden, he was helped by the deputy. “I’m sorry,” Davis uttered. He kept his voice low, “but you don’t know what Sheriff Tyrell can be like.”

“I’m beginning to get a pretty fair idea,” Hoss nodded and followed the deputy towards the jail house.

By the time the sheriff had arrived back at the jail, Davis had obtained their names, where they were from and what business they had in town. Hoss told him that they were brothers. and that they had just delivered four hundred head of cattle.

“Evening Sheriff, I was just getting the details for you from Hoss Cartwright,” offered the deputy when he saw Tyrell enter the office.

“Cartwright you say? Well this is an unexpected pleasure,” smiled Tyrell. He looked at the three Cartwright boys who shared the cramped cell. “Davis, have you called the doctor over to check on their injuries yet?”

“No sir, the eldest one still hasn’t come round yet. If you let me have the keys for the handcuffs, I can remove them and make him more comfortable,” Davis volunteered.

“That can wait, you’d best go on and get the doc and not interfere with my ways anymore. You wouldn’t want your Momma to have to bury another son would you Billy?” Tyrell spoke, from behind his desk and placed his feet up on it.

Hoss and Joe quietly talked between themselves while they waited for the arrival of the town doctor. Hoss and Joe tried to wake Adam. When that didn’t work they both checked his injuries.

“Looks like he’s got some busted ribs,” sighed Hoss. “His hand don’t look too good neither.” He gently turned his brother back onto his back.

“Hoss, I didn’t mean for all this to happen…, I really didn’t,” Joe spoke, full of remorse for what his actions had cost them.

“Yeah, I know you didn’t but ole Adam ‘ere he’s not gonna be so forgiving. Just you let me handle him when he wakes up,” smiled Hoss, still concerned that his brother had not come to yet.

“Why do you think the Sheriff looked pleased when he found out our surname? Think he knows Pa?”

“I dunno Little Joe. I just wish he’d hurry up and take those irons off Adam’s wrists. He’s gotta be real uncomfortable jest lyin’ on his back with his hands shackled behind him.”

Silence once again descended while Hoss and Joe pondered what was going to happen to them, when they were going to get out of the jail and what their Pa would say.

Time passed slowly while they waited for Adam to wake. Hoss unable to sit still any longer got up and had started to move around the cell and paced back and forth.

“Would you quit doing that you’re going to make me dizzy,” Adam mumbled when he saw Hoss make his fifth pass in front of his bunk.

“Hey you’re awake!” Hoss exclaimed as he rushed to Adam’s side. He heard Adam groan when he knelt down in front of him and quickly checked his ribs again.

“I thought that this was just a bad dream,” Adam moaned. He looked around the cell and saw Joe on the opposite bunk.

“You!” Adam growled, “this is all your fault. Wait till I get my hands on you.”

Hoss moved quickly in the way of Adam’s line of vision and calmed his brother, “Adam, don’t you go gettin’ yerself all worked up about it. The doc will be here soon and then we can get those irons off of yer wrists.”

“I’d listen to your brother Cartwright!” Tyrell glared through the bars at Adam.

“Lewis Tyrell,” Adam spoke, acknowledging the sheriff before him.

“I see your memory serves you well Adam. How long has it been? Three years?” Tyrell mocked, when he recalled another time when he and Adam had met.

“You two know each other,” Hoss spoke with a bewildered expression. His question more of a statement.

Adam mutely nodded and tried to shift himself into a more comfortable position. Not wanting to give the satisfaction of letting Tyrell know that his arms ached behind his back, he kept quiet and bided his time.

Before Tyrell could utter another word, the door to the office was opened. Davis walked in accompanied by the doctor. “Sorry we took so long Sheriff, the Doc here had to deliver Marylynne’s baby,” Davis explained, hoping that the sheriff would not be upset with having to wait.

“Your timing is impeccable,” Tyrell sarcastically replied and received a raised eyebrow look from the doctor.

The doctor winced when he saw the gash above Tyrell’s left eye. “That’s going to need a couple of stitches there, Lewis,” he observed when he took out the necessary equipment from his bag.

“A souvenir from one of my prisoners,” snapped Tyrell. He never took his eyes off Adam Cartwright.

“See to their injuries first, doc,” Tyrell instructed as he pointed at Hoss and Joe. “He can wait,” Tyrell added. He had taken a sadistic pleasure in being able to delay treatment for Adam. As he waited for the doctor to tend to his brothers’ injuries, Adam drifted off to sleep.

“What’s he like to wake up?” questioned the doctor when he finally got to attend to Adam.

Hoss grinned and nodded his head. He gently placed his big hands on his brother’s shoulders and woke him, speaking with a calm voice. “C’mon Adam it’s time to wake up…, the doc wants to fix you up.”

Slowly Adam roused, trying to stretch his back as he did so. A move he later regretted, when he felt his ribs ache for all they were worth. Hoss looked at him knowingly and mentioned to the physician about Adam’s prior accident with some cattle at the yards.

Gingerly Adam turned on his left side so that the doctor could access the damage. Disgusted that the handcuffs were still in place, he called out to the sheriff. “Lewis, how about taking these confounded things off this boy’s wrists. How am I meant to do my work, when he’s more tied up than the average marriage?”

His last remark earned a hesitant laugh from Adam and a smile from both Hoss and Joe. “Good to see someone has a sense of humor,” Joe spoke. He still had sense to keep out of Adam’s view.

Tyrell entered the cell and reluctantly removed the handcuffs, allowing the physician to better work on his patient. “It’s Adam isn’t it?” the doctor asked, trying to recall the name that Hoss had given him earlier when he had asked who was next. He then reintroduced himself to Adam and insisted that everyone just called him by his first name of Peter.

Adam nodded his head and silently affirmed the question. “Okay Adam, this is going to hurt a little, but I need to see just how many ribs you’ve injured,” consoled the doctor.

“Six doc, six hurt like hell,” muttered Adam as he allowed the ministrations to continue.

“You’re right, there are six damaged ribs. How’d you know?”

Adam had to think about what the doctor had told him. His mind was growing fuzzy and he was not certain whether or not the doctor had just introduced himself. “Peter?” Adam asked.

“Yep, that’s the name I was given, after one of the apostles no less,” Peter smiled at his own attempt of humor. “I’m not big on titles. Never have been, never will be. Don’t stand on ceremony either. So, Peter will do fine. But you didn’t tell me how you knew how many ribs you broke.”

“That’s easy, doc…, ” Hoss grinned, “you see ole Adam here’s been dang kicked in the ribs so many times by ornery cattle he’s gotten to be an expert at knowing. Even Doc Martin’s impressed. Ain’t that right, Little Joe?”

Joe frowned as he watched Peter continue his work. “Yeah, well if it hadn’t been for me, Adam would’ve been okay, it’s my fault he got hurt in the bar fight.”

“Well sometimes it just goes to show that I know what I am talking about little brother. You’re right it was your fault,” Adam mentally kicked himself for not keeping a civil tongue in his head. “Sorry Joe, I didn’t mean it how it sounded,” he apologized between gasps when his ribs were taped.

“Oh? So how did you mean it to sound?” Joe was intimidated by the continual criticism leveled at him by Adam. A feeling of frustration filled him when he felt the bite of his brother’s words. Adam seemed to feel that he was not a man. As he sat down heavily, he wished only that the tense situation would end. Joe was stung by Adam’s words and his face burned at the thought of always standing in his brother’s shadow.

Tyrell looked on quietly, amused that Adam and Joe were still at loggerheads. ‘This just may work to my advantage’ he thought as the doctor applied the last of the bandages.

Adam was sporting bandages above his eye, ribs and left hand which he had smacked on the bar during the fight. After he administered some pain relief to Adam, the doctor bid them all farewell and walked out.

“It should be once big brother goes to sleep,” sneered Joe as he watched the doctor retreat from the cell.

‘You keep at it young Cartwright, you’ll soon have Adam where I want him,’ Tyrell opinioned to himself.

“Sheriff, I’d like to have a word with you. I’m concerned about Adam’s injuries. If his condition worsens during the night, I want to be informed,” Peter said. He hoped he hadn’t pushed his luck.

“Sure, doc. Whatever you say,” Tyrell lied.

“Joseph, I’m not going to argue with you, so just forget it…, okay?” sighed Adam. He tried his best to avoid another altercation with his youngest brother.

Joe still felt hotheaded and wanted to prove to Adam that he could indeed look after himself, without his brother’s full time intervention on his behalf. “You didn’t need to treat me like a kid at the saloon, I’m not a young kid anymore. I’m an adult.”

“Well in that case, Mr. Cartwright, why don’t you act like one instead of a snot nosed brat,” retorted Adam, his tone full of sarcasm.

Unable to control his fury any longer, Joe pulled Adam off the bunk and forced him to a standing position. “What say we finish what we started eh, big brother?,” snapped little Joe. He slammed a powerful punch at his brother’s jaw.

Hoss was at wits end as he tried earnestly to separate his siblings. The pent up frustration that Joe had been feeling was fueling the aggressiveness of his attacks. Adam, though limited in his quickness, met the challenge and landed some strong blows of his own.

Tyrell witnessed the fight progress to a state where Adam would not be able to hold back any longer. He unlocked the cell door and stepped in between the two brawling brothers. For the second time that night, Tyrell found himself the target for one of Adam’s stray punches.

“Damn it Cartwright! I’ve had about as much of you as I’m gonna take! Davis! Git in ‘ere and bring those handcuffs with you!” Tyrell snapped while he pulled Adam by the back of his shirt collar.

“That’s twice Cartwright!” the Sheriff winced as he gingerly touched his misshapen nose. “Davis, git ‘im outta ‘ere now,” continued Tyrell after he put one end of the handcuffs around Adam’s right wrist.

“Whaddya want me to do with him sheriff?” Billy asked. He did not want to disappoint Tyrell and looked at the sheriff expectantly.

Tyrell shook his head at his deputy’s question and inhaled deeply before he replied. “Fer cryin’ out loud Billy, you ain’t got the brains that the good Lord gave a jackass! Put him in the other cell and fix the other end of the cuff to the bars. What liberty he had in ‘ere he ain’t got no more.”

Once settled in the adjoining cell, Adam lay back on the bunk bed and closed his eyes. Within a few minutes he was asleep. A combined result of the pain killer administered earlier and his last go round with his youngest brother.

Tyrell watched Adam sleep from his position outside of the cell that his prisoner now occupied. His thoughts were disrupted when he heard Hoss calling out to him.

“Sheriff, you know that Adam didn’t mean no harm by what he did to you. It was jest a fluke that he clobbered you instead of Little Joe,” reiterated Hoss, as he tried to appeal to the sheriff.

Tyrell stood his ground and looked down at his sleeping prisoner, “Well I’m sorry Hoss, but assaulting an officer of the law carries a pretty stiff penalty. I’ll have your Pa wired in the morning, informing him of your incarceration, in the meantime I suggest that you try and git some sleep.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Good morning Mr. Cartwright,” the telegraph operator said when he handed Ben the message he’d only just received.

“Good morning to you too Jake. What’s this for?” Ben asked rhetorically when he accepted the telegraph from Jake.

“Don’t rightly know Mr. Cartwright, I don’t pry when reading other people’s messages and things,” Jake offered in quick defense. He knew what the note contained but did not want to be in Ben’s line of fire when he read the contents for himself.

“Take it easy Jake, it was a rhetorical question,” Ben replied and then explained further when he saw that Jake did not fully comprehend what rhetorical meant.

“Awww, you mean like when you jest ask summit and ya already knows the answer like?”

“Yes, something like that Jake,” Ben sighed exasperatedly as he tried to read the message.

MR BEN CARTWRIGHT. STOP
SONS HAVE BEEN ARRESTED STOP
DISTURBING THE PEACE STOP
SHERIFF TYRELL, STOCKTON STOP

“What in the blue blazes have they done this time?!” Ben fumed, after he reread the note.

“Something wrong Ben?” Sheriff Roy Coffee asked as he approached his long time friend.

Taken aback that someone had heard him, Ben lifted his head to see Roy’s questioning eyes. He then thrust the telegraph that he had received at Roy. “You tell me, they were to deliver the cattle to Stockton and return home. Now it seems I have to make a trip to bail them out of the Stockton jail.”

“Want some company? I’ve been meaning to go to Stockton for a while now, and it’s pretty quiet around here. My deputy should be able to handle things without me around.” Roy had wanted to take a few days off and saw this a perfect chance to get away. He was right when he said it was quiet in town. The three Cartwright boys were away and it made for a peaceful time.

“Roy, I appreciate the offer and accept but only if you’re sure that you can be spared at present.” Ben knew that Roy would not have offered unless he felt sure. But he wanted to check with his friend all the same.

“Look Ben, it will give Virgil the chance he’s always wanted. He keeps telling me that he can handle things by himself. We’ll leave when you’re ready.”

The two men shook hands and agreed to meet each other later on that day outside Roy’s office.

“Besides someone has to make sure that you don’t get too ballistic with your sons when you retrieve them. I for one sure wouldn’t want to have the wrath of Ben Cartwright thrust upon me,” grinned Roy when he said a goodbye to Ben.

Before he headed home, Ben stopped at the telegraph office and wired the Stockton Sheriff of his imminent arrival.

~~~~~

The next morning found Hoss and Joe eating breakfast in their cell while Adam slept on. His hand was still secured to the bars of the cell which the doctor was not overly happy about.

Peter had been called to the jail during the night when Adam had awoken in excruciating pain. At the time of his visit the doctor had asked Tyrell to remove the iron but he had steadfastly refused. Tyrell had said it was his prerogative to detain a prisoner any way he wished to see fit. After he had administered a dose of morphine, Adam had been able to sleep peacefully for the rest of the night and was still sleeping when Tyrell opened the door to his Sheriff’s office.

“BILLY!” he spat, “I catch you once more with your feet up on my desk and I’ll make sure your Momma becomes childless!”

“Yes sir…, I was just ..” the deputy began to say before he caught his superior’s menacing look.

“I don’t really care what you were just doing deputy,” Tyrell continued to bellow when he saw an untouched plate of breakfast on the side table. His attention then averted to where Adam lay still in slumber.

“He still out to it?” Tyrell asked as he jerked his head in Adam’s direction. His answer was a mute reply by way of a nod from Billy Davis.

The sheriff again looked at the sleeping form of Adam, with a look of contempt. He then turned his focus to Hoss and Joe Cartwright. “Your Pa, had sent me a cable…, says he’ll be here round four this afternoon.”

Hoss and Joe nodded in response. They both finished their breakfast and looked over at Adam. “I sure hope that Pa ain’t gonna be too mad about what’s happened when he gets here'” Joe sighed.

“Oh little brother you can count on it,” replied Adam, his eyes still closed. A small smirk crept across his face.

“Adam! You’re awake,” Hoss smiled and sat on his bunk near Adam and reached through the bars to touch his brother’s hand.

“I guess I couldn’t compete with the racket that’s making my head so sore,” Adam spoke before he was wracked by a fit of coughing. “Make that my ribs as well.”

Hoss looked sat his brother worriedly. He knew that it was unusual for Adam to admit to being in pain. “You want me to call for the doctor?”

Tyrell moved to the door of the cell and looked down at Adam. “Was wonderin’ when you were gonna wake up. Wouldn’t be wantin’ you to be missin’ all the fun now,” he grunted and took satisfaction when he saw Adam in pain.

“You want yer breakfast boy?” Tyrell taunted as he lifted the cover to smell the eggs and bacon. The smell that wafted in made Adam gulp to curb the nausea that he had felt.

“I think I’ll pass…, give my apologies to the chef though,” Adam replied in contempt.

“Always were the smart arsed one weren’t ya Cartwright. Guess you heard that your Pa is on his way to bail out yer brothers,” smiled Tyrell. This latest revelation coming as a shock to Hoss and Joe.

“Whaddya mean by that? Adam can’t stay here, he’s injured and …” Hoss began to say before he was cut off by the overbearing sheriff.

“And he’s my prisoner. He assaulted an officer of the law and I can keep him here as long as I like. Besides the circuit judge ain’t gonna be here for a few weeks anyways,” gloated Tyrell.

Adam closed his eyes and raised his left arm over them, “why did I bother waking up today?”

Joe looked at Hoss and shrugged his shoulders. He didn’t want to become entangled in another argument with his oldest brother, so left Hoss to answer.

“Don’t worry Adam, Pa will sort it all out. You’ll see,” Hoss placated. He really hoped that everything would be worked out when their father arrived.

“Hoss, I get the feeling that my day just went from bad to worse. Maybe I’ll be safer in here,” Adam smiled to himself. ‘At least Joe will get a good talking to by Pa, he surely deserves it’, He thought to himself.

When Tyrell left the jail to sort out another matter that demanded his attention, Hoss sat on his bunk and spoke with his brother. “Adam, do ya mind tellin’ me why the Sheriff has it in for you?”

“Hoss, it’s a long story,” sighed Adam. One that he really did not want to have to go into detail with right now.

“Adam, it may be but I ain’t goin’ anywhere so start yapping,” encouraged Hoss wanting to know what was going on.

“Hoss, I’m not really to certain where to start. I met Tyrell three years ago, at the time he was a sheriff near San Francisco. One of the hands that I traveled with and I got into a bit of a free for all fight in one of the saloons,” began Adam. He recalled a time that seemed so distant.

“Yeah I remember that, Pa sent Chris cause I’d busted my arm and Joe was too young. I remember how Pa ranted and raved when he got the cable,” grinned Hoss, thankful that he hadn’t been with Adam at the time.

“Yeah, well Chris and I were outnumbered, two against eight…, not the greatest of odds. Anyway Tyrell came in about then, he started pulling off our attackers and then carted us off to spend a night to cool off our heels in one of his cells. I remember Chris was hurt somewhat and I had asked Tyrell to get the doctor for him,” Adam shuddered as he saw a past memory play in his mind.

Hoss and Joe stared at each other waiting for Adam to continue. The silence was broken by the deputy who had been listening intently at the cell door. “So what did he do next Adam?”

Adam looked at Billy and smiled, “took you long enough to stop calling me Mr Cartwright. Well what happened next Billy was this. Your wonderful Sheriff entered the cell and threw me against the far wall. I saw some sparks fly before I could focus on him again. Before I knew it, he’d lost control and was giving me a pretty good beating when one of the wranglers that we had fought with in the saloon came in. All he wanted was his firearm back and was too drunk to be able to use it safely. I guess when he came in he saw me protecting myself and somehow thought I was inflicting the same amount of blows on the Sheriff as he was on me.”

“So, this wrangler decided to give the Sheriff a hand?” Hoss questioned when he saw his brother wince at the memory.

Adam nodded and carried on with his recount of the story. “All I can recall is that Tyrell and this wrangler took it upon themselves to teach me a healthy respect for the law, after that the next thing I saw was the doctor and Chris looking down at me.” Before he could say any more Adam was again wracked by a bout of coughing.

Billy poured some water into a glass and handed it through the bars to Hoss to give to his brother. “Thanks Billy,” smiled Adam when the coughing stopped.

“Um, where was I?” Adam asked. He didn’t want to continue but he saw that he had a captive audience. Two of them in more ways than one.

“The Doc and Chris were looking down at you,” Joe replied, anxious to hear the rest of the tale.

Adam grinned inwardly when he heard his youngest brother’s prompt. “By the time that Pa had arrived to sort the matter out, I had been out to it for the past three days, in that time Tyrell had concocted his own theory as to what had happened. Tyrell at that time was running for office of US Marshall and a slur against his so called good name would cause a lot of damage. I gave my side of the story and Tyrell’s application to be a US Marshall was vetoed.”

“What’s vetoed mean?” Billy asked, his voice full of sincerity.

“Sorry Billy, it means to be rejected. Tyrell claimed it was all a sham and that Pa and I had collaborated,” Adam spoke catching a confused look on Billy’s face, “that we worked together and made up our own version of what happened.”

“So Tyrell got stuck with being a sheriff and blamed you for not getting his promotion,” Joe surmised.

“You got it in one. I guess our coming into town and fighting like we did bought back a few memories for him. And me decking him like that hasn’t helped my case any. He is right, he can detain me for as long as he sees fit,” concluded Adam. The remorseful look portrayed on Joe’s face did not go unnoticed.

“Joe, I know I can be short tempered with you at times and I should know better. No doubt Pa will remind me of that fact when he gets here,” grinned Adam, “but right now I need you and Hoss, just to be calm and not provoke Tyrell. Can you both do that for me?” He fervently hoped that they both would. He had no desire to see them go through what he had.

Hoss and Joe nodded, each knew that Tyrell would use them to get to Adam once again if the opportunity arose. “Sure Adam,” they agreed in unison.

Hoss and Joe sat at opposite ends of the bunk bed and talked with Adam while Billy resumed his duties. Before he left the office for a few minutes, he had promised to help Adam as much as he could.

While they chatted about what had happened they were more aware of what Adam had gone through when he had last encountered Tyrell.

“Look, no use moping about it, what say we brighten up the ambience of our accommodations a bit?” suggested Adam. He smiled at Hoss’ perplexed look.

“Jeez Adam, I wish I durn knew what you was sayin’ half the time,” growled Hoss.

“Were saying,” corrected Adam.

“Yeah well what you were sayin’ then,” Hoss continued, “what’s ombi.. umbi..,”

“Ambience,” Adam finished for his brother. “it means atmosphere, character.”

“Well with yer fancy learnin’ ‘n all, you sure do talk a mite funny at times. So how are we goin’ ta change the atmosphere of this ‘ere place?” Hoss asked and then scratched his head.

“Hoss, my dear brother, what Adam means is to not be so glum. Pa’s gonna make us feel pretty bad as it is when he gets here,” placated Joe. He saw the sparkle in his eldest brother’s eyes and smiled back at him.

“Well maybe if we had a guitar we could got Adam to play it,” suggested Hoss.

“Hoss, there are only two things wrong with that suggestion. One, my left hand is busted and two, my right hand is kind of shackled,” chuckled Adam.

“Oh yeah, see your point. Well, Joe, any suggestions?” Hoss asked turning to his youngest brother.

“We could always get Adam to sing us something. Just anything but ‘Early One Morning’, whaddya say Adam?”

“You two are incorrigible,” scolded Adam while he thought of something to sing. “Okay, how about Miss Cindy, but you have to join in as my ribs are too sore to do it all by myself.”

With Hoss and Joe in agreement the three of them sang a favourite song. ” Have you seen Miss Cindy, she’s from way down South……, She’s so sweet the honey bees, they swarm around her mouth. Get a long home, home Miss Cindy, get a long home.”

“Aw ain’t that so sweet!” Tyrell mocked when he had returned from a matter that had taken him away from the jail. “Billy? Billy? BILLY!” Tyrell bellowed as he called for his deputy.

When no response was forthcoming he turned to face his prisoners. “Where’s Billy gone this time?”

“He had to attend to some business that needed an impartial person,” Adam answered, with a hint of sarcasm.

“Just don’t know when to keep yer trap shut do ya Cartwright!” Tyrell snapped as he moved to open the door to Adam’s cell.

Before Tyrell could advance any further on the defenseless Adam, he was caught by the noise of the front door of his sheriff’s office opening. His plans for Adam would have to wait.

“Sheriff Tyrell?” a voice asked.

“Yeah, that’s me. Who’s askin’?

“I am. My name is Ben Cartwright,” the silver haired gentleman replied. “I believe you know why I am here, so lets not waste time beating about the bush.” He quickly stole a glimpse at the cells that held his three sons.

“Ah yes, Mr Cartwright…, come to bail out your sons Hoss and Joe,” smiled Tyrell with satisfaction that Adam would not be able to go with Ben.

“And Adam as well,” Ben replied, while he continued to look in the direction of his boys.

“Ah, you see that is where you have a problem. Cause your son Adam here, is being detained by me until such time as a circuit judge gets to these here parts,” sneered Tyrell. He jerked his head in Adam’s direction.

“On what grounds are you holding the boy,” another voice asked, while the owner tried to calm Ben.

Taken aback at the question offered by the man in front of him Tyrell stood with his hands on his hips and spoke. “And whom do I have the pleasure of addressing?”

“I’m Sheriff Roy Coffee of Virginia City, Nevada,” Roy replied.

“A little out of your jurisdiction ain’t ya?” Tyrell rebuked. He had always hated to be caught off guard and now felt uncomfortable, in the sight of both the men who were much taller than him.

“I am out here in Stockton on a business matter, but also as a personal friend of Ben Cartwright. So I ask you again, on what grounds are you holding Adam?”

“It’s for assaulting an officer of the law,” spat the Stockton sheriff. “Can’t ya see what he did to me?”

Roy leant in towards the sheriff and saw the tell tale signs of two black eyes. The bruises had started to fade but were still evident enough. “Looks like you got off lucky there sheriff. If Adam had meant it you wouldn’t be able to see straight right now. Are you sure it was intentional?”

Dumbfounded Tyrell stood with his mouth gaping like a trout searching for food.

“Well Sheriff, I’m still waiting for an answer,” prodded Roy while Ben went and checked on his sons.

“Hoss, Joe,” Ben uttered when he saw them in the same cell.

“Hi Pa,” Joe replied. He meekly backed away from the cell door.

“Pa,” Hoss acknowledged.

“You boys okay?” Ben asked. He tried to see what was wrong with Adam.

“Yeah Pa, we’re fine but Adam, he ain’t too good,” responded Hoss and stepped out of his father’s line of sight.

“Adam? Son? Can you hear me?” called Ben, frustrated at not being able to get any closer to his oldest son. Adam on one side of the bars and Ben on the other did not sit strongly with the stalwart of the Cartwright clan.

“Pa, he’s jest sleeping. The doc said he would, sleep off ‘n on,” Hoss answered and received a nod from his father. He continued to fill Ben in on Adam’s injuries. “He’s got six busted ribs, busted hand and a concussion.”

“Oh Adam,” sighed Ben while he looked down at his son’s still form.

“He ain’t been feelin’ too good either Pa, he’s been gettin’ sick to his stomach quite a bit,” Hoss added. He did not know whether he should have added that or not, when he saw his father’s face pale.

Once again Ben studied his oldest son’s wan complexion. His dark eyelashes accentuated by the paleness of his skin. “How long has it been since the Doctor has seen him?”

“The last time that he saw Adam was last night Pa,” Joe answered and finally raised his eyes to look at his father. “Pa, it’s all my fault,” he added.

“We’ll talk about that later, Joseph,” Ben said with disappointment in his voice. “Right now I have to think of a way to get you all out of here. Would someone explain to me in a condensed version as to you ended up in this mess.”

Hoss and Joe looked at each other, trying to work out between them who was going to speak first.

“For crying out loud, would you please make up your mind who is going to answer me?” Ben castigated, annoyed at the aversion tactics his sons used.

“Pa?” Adam asked, his voice barely more than a whisper.

“Adam!” smiled Ben, pleased to see his first born awake.

Ben looked over at his shoulder to see Roy and Tyrell still at it with each other. “I don’t mean to interfere with your conversation, but I would like to take a better look at my boy, if you don’t mind Sheriff.” His request was polite and affable.

Tyrell flustered at the request, but with the look he received from his Nevada counterpart he conceded and unlocked the call door for Ben. “Well, I guess he can’t go anywhere anyway,” he spoke and looked at Ben, “jest don’t you try any funny business.”

Once in the cell with Adam, Ben performed his own cursory inspection. The ripped shirt and bandage chest did not go unnoticed, nor the hand that was swathed in bandages. “Care to tell me what happened son?”

“Tangled with some cattle just before we got to the sale yards. Sport got spooked by one of the steers, can’t same as I really blame him,” winced Adam as he tried to get to a more comfortable position. The memories of how it had come about came back to him.

“You all right son?” Ben asked. He hated to see any of his sons hurt especially when he could not help them.

“Aside from the obvious Pa, I’m just peachy. Anyway, Sport threw me, and before you ask I was not reading while riding,” chuckled Adam. He knew that a little light relief wouldn’t go amiss. His chuckle quickly turned into a coughing fit. When it abated he carried on with the rest of the story.

“Sport, got horned by the steer and by the time I checked him to make sure he was okay, that ornery steer decided to use me as target practice. Joe came and rescued me,” Adam said and winked at his youngest brother. “Hoss insisted that I go to the doctor’s right there and then. Like an idiot, I shrugged off his advice and talked them into going to the saloon for a few drinks. Joe and I had been needling each other about different things and it got out of hand, Pa, it wasn’t Joe’s fault,” Adam finished and sank back down on the pillow, exhausted from his brief talk about what had transpired.

“Adam?” Ben called, worried that his son had lost consciousness once again.

“I’m still here Pa, just a little tired,” yawned Adam.

“Well if you don’t mind, I would appreciate you stop scaring me like that,” scolded Ben as he tried to keep his tone light.

“Pa, do you think you could see about getting Peter over here, I really don’t feel so good,” Adam grimaced. He closed his eyes and tried to calm his breathing.

Hoss saw the confused look on his father’s face and filled in the answer to the unspoken question. “Peter’s the doc’s name Pa, he tended to Adam last night.”

“He must be really hurtin’ to want the doctor,” observed Joe from where he sat.

Ben understood the implications of Adam’s request and hastened from the cell to find the physician.

“Ben, what is it? Something wrong?” Roy asked, concerned at his friends panic filled face.

“It’s Adam…, he’s not good. I’ve got to find the doctor,” flustered Ben, torn between seeking medical help and not wanting to leave his son.

“Ben, you stay here and I’ll go,” offered Roy and proceeded to ask Tyrell where the doctor could be located.

Roy returned with the doctor and short time later and ushered him to where his patient waited for him.

Ben moved aside while the doctor checked Adam’s injuries and took his temperature. “Has he eaten anything at all?,” he asked.

“No sir, he said that his breakfast was making him feel nauseous. He’s only had a drink or two of water,” Hoss responded as he held onto his brother’s shackled hand.

“He’s got himself a nice fever going here, I really would like him over at my surgery, where I can keep a better eye on him,” sighed Peter. He casted a glance at Tyrell who seemed to be more interested with the heel of his boot.

“Let me sort that out for you,” Roy smiled and approached the Stockton Sheriff.

“Yeah, whaddya want now?” Tyrell asked, annoyed that he had been interrupted.

“First of all I want Adam Cartwright moved to the Doctor’s surgery and then you can release Hoss and Joe.”

“As I said before Mr Coffee, you’re somewhat out of your jurisdiction in these here parts. There’s a little matter of the bail money and the expenses to be paid for at the Green Gables Saloon. And you seemed to have forgotten that Adam Cartwright is still in my custody for attacking me. An attack which was deliberate,” Tyrell glowered. He did not like it when he was backed into a corner.

“That attack was unprovoked and you know it,” spat Roy. He didn’t often lose his temper but could feel it slip from his grasp.

After clearing up the bill for the damages that had been inflicted on the Green Gable’s Saloon, Roy set about paying the rest of the debts. He paid the bail money for Joe and Hoss and the compensation for meal expenses. Once this was done the two younger Cartwright brothers were released from Jail.

“What about Adam?,” Ben asked when he saw that Tyrell had made no effort to free his eldest son.

Roy sadly shook his head and sighed heavily, “Ben, the Sheriff is adamant that Adam remain in his custody,” Roy raised his hand to stop Ben from talking. “However, he has agreed to let Adam be moved to the doctor’s surgery, provided that he is still in custody. Ben, he wants Adam under lock and key.”

“That’s preposterous!,” bellowed Ben.

“Take it or leave it Mr Cartwright,” glared Tyrell. There was no way that he would let Adam slip from his fingers once again.

Silently Ben nodded his understanding and stepped aside while Tyrell unlocked the end of the handcuff that was secured to the bars of the cell. “Wise decision,” he grunted and waited while Hoss and Joe prepared to move their brother.

“Easy with him boys,” cautioned Ben.

“We will be Pa,” Hoss and Joe replied in unison.

Within an hour Adam was resting comfortably in bed in a room off the surgery area. Peter had administered a substantial dose of morphine, and had explained to Ben that it was necessary. To first of all allow Peter to be able to get on top of the pain and to let Adam sleep.

“Thanks Peter, I do appreciated all that you are doing for him,” Ben said and extended his right hand to the physician.

“I wish it could be more,” Peter uttered, casting a glance at the end of the shackle that now adorned the metal bar on the surgery bed.

Ben gave him a knowing look and followed him to inform the boys and Roy as to what was going on.

“He’s resting comfortably for now, but he’s not out of the woods yet,” Peter spoke and then left the family members and Roy to themselves.

“Pa, there’s something you gotta know about the Sheriff,” Hoss stated.

Ben sat with his sons in the front room and beckoned Roy to join them. When everyone was seated, Ben asked Hoss to tell him of what they should know about the Sheriff.

“Well you see Pa, after Tyrell arrested us for distrubin’ the peace, he seemed to have some satisfaction at knowin’ our last name. The when Adam woke up, the Sheriff was pleased that Adam done remembered him.”

“What else did this Sheriff have to say son?,” Ben asked. He desperately wanted to find out more about Tyrell.

“You know him Pa, he was the one that arrested Adam and Chris one time. He beat Adam real bad,” replied Hoss.

“Oh no! I thought he looked familiar but I couldn’t place him,” Ben groaned, “I guess the reason that I couldn’t place him was because that particular even happened near San Francisco. He was running for office of US Marshall, if I remember correctly.”

“Is this the fella that you were telling me about Ben? You seemed to think he was crooked and playing by his own rules,” Roy enquired and waited for the reply that he expected to come.

“Yes Roy, this is the same man,” Ben sadly shook his head. “I honestly thought that after the evidence that Adam and I gave, he would have lost his position as a sheriff.”

“Ben, unfortunately the position of sheriff is not a highly sort after one. It carries with it a certain element of uncertainty. You just don’t know from one day to the next if anyone has it in their mind to make that day your last one alive.”

“Roy, I understand what you are saying, but surely Tyrell should have been ousted from office,” rebutted Ben, obviously unhappy to hear that Tyrell had not even lost his job.

Hoss and Joe listened patiently to what was being said. Unable to sit still any longer Joe left his father’s side and sort out solace from his oldest brother.

“Joe? Where are you..,” before Ben could finish his question, Hoss put his hand on his father’s forearm.

“Pa, leave him…, I’ll go and talk with him,” offered Hoss.

“Sure Hoss, just make sure he doesn’t disturb Adam,” Ben agreed and watched his gentle giant of a son traipse after Joe.

“Good boys you’ve got there Ben,” smiled Roy.

Ben chuckled at Roy’s words, “just remind me of that when I am discussing with the appropriate form of punishment for this last furore.”

“Just go easy on them Ben, I’d hate to have to put you in jail,” Roy laughed.

Little Joe made it to Adam’s room before Hoss had caught up with him. He was already seated next to Adam and gently held his bandaged hand in his own while Hoss watched from the door.

“Hey, little brother, everything will be all right,” Hoss cajoled, “Pa will to see that, you’ll see.”

“I sure hope so Hoss. I’m beginning to wonder if it hasn’t been too much for Pa, you know he hasn’t said anything about having to come and bail us out yet and paying for damages,” Joe spoke, his tone somber and afraid.

“Keep it down a bit..,” came a muffled voice from the bed.

“Well once again you’ve decided to bless us with your presence big brother,” Hoss grinned.

Joe also smiled when he saw Adam’s eyes open fractionally. “I’ll go and get Pa, he wanted to know as soon as you were awake.” He accidentally dropped Adam’s injured hand back on the bed, which caused Adam to wince.

“Sorry, Adam…, I didn’t mean to hurt you,” Joe apologized as he went to get their father.

Hoss shook his head as he watched Joe retreat from the room. “How ya feelin’ Adam?”

“A little tired and sore. Where am I?” he asked, disorientated at the new surroundings. “Why can’t I move my right hand? Did I hurt that one too?” his questions were slurred, an after effect of the drug he realized.

“Adam. The Sheriff let you out of the cell, but you’re still in his custody,” Hoss said. He pulled back the sheet to reveal the handcuff that was attached to the metal bar on the bed and the end around Adam’s wrist.

“Uh…, I was hoping that maybe Tyrell had dropped his stupid charges,” Adam replied glumly.

Sadly Hoss shook his head and offered Adam some words of encouragement while they waited for their father.

Duly Ben arrived and offered a small prayer of thanks when he saw Adam awake. “I won’t keep you long son, you need your rest and I’m sorry that I haven’t been able to get Tyrell to drop the charges yet.”

“Pa,” Adam winced as he sort a more comfortable position, “you’ve got nothing to be sorry for. I’m the one that got in this mess, not you.”

Roy stepped forward into Adam’s line of vision. “Adam, from what Hoss and Joe have said, the Sheriff here is intent on making you spend some time in his prison. I’m willing to do all I can to see that it doesn’t happen, and like your Pa said you need your rest so I’ll keep my questions brief.”

“Roy? What are you doing here?” asked Adam, confused at seeing the Sheriff from Virginia City standing next to him.

Roy grinned as he looked at the bewildered expression that Adam was giving him. ‘Must be the pain killers’, he mused to himself. “Well Adam, originally it was pleasure but now it is business.”

“Can you do anything about these?” Adam asked and gestured to the handcuff.

“Not just yet I can’t, give me some time,” replied Roy.

“Adam, I know you’re sore but I need to know, did you intentionally punch Sheriff Tyrell?” Ben asked. He already knew the answer but wanted to hear it from his son. For his own peace of mind.

“No Pa, it was an accident …, twice over,” responded Adam, his voice grew tired and his eyes began to close. “He would’ve known if I’d meant to hit him,” he added before drifting off again once more.

“That’s all I need to hear Adam, that’s all I needed to hear,” smiled Ben while he pulled the covers up around his sleeping son.

“Come on Ben, come and get some dinner, I’ve already sent the boys across to the hotel to reserve a table,” encouraged Roy. When he saw that Ben was still seated beside Adam’s bed, he touched his old friend on the shoulder. “Come on let’s go grab a bite. He’ll still be here when we get back.”

“I suppose you’re right Roy, just got lost in a world of my own. Thinking back on all the times I’ve been in this same position,” Ben sufficed.

By the time that Ben and Roy had arrived at the hotel, Hoss and Joe had already been seated at a table near the window, that had a good view of the doctor’s surgery across the street.

“Boys,” Ben acknowledged his sons as they stood to greet their father and Roy and waited patiently for their father and Roy to be seated.

“Pa, Roy,” Hoss and Joe responded.

“Hoss, Joe,” Roy also acknowledged as he sat down at the table.

During the course of dinner, they spoke at length at how to get Adam out of the predicament he was in. Hoss had made mention of the fact that Billy Davis, the sheriff’s deputy seemed to be in constant fear of his superior. The words that Davis had spoken kept coming back to Hoss,

‘you don’t know what Sheriff Tyrell can be like.‘

“I wonder what Billy meant by that,” muttered Hoss.

“Pardon Hoss? Wondering what about Billy?” Ben asked when he saw the intense look of concentration on his son’s face.

“Uh…, oh sorry Pa, jest somethin’ that Billy Davis said. He told us that we don’t know what the sheriff can be like,” answered Hoss. He took another bit of his steak and gave Billy’s words more thought. “Pa, you said before that you were surprised that Tyrell was still in office, do you think that he could have paid someone off? Or that he genuinely was allowed to keep his position of sheriff?”

“Hoss, that is something that we are going to have to find out,” interjected Roy. “What say we do some of our own research into the matter in the morning?”

Mutely Hoss nodded his reply and resumed eating his meal.

Ben noticed that his youngest son appeared to be pushing his meal from one side of the plate to the other. “Joe, are you not feeling well?”

“No Pa…, just thinking that’s all,” sighed Joe, he then shifted his gaze to his father’s eyes, “Pa, I know that you’re disappointed in us and part of me just wishes that you’d come out and say something and the other part is grateful that you haven’t yet.”

“Joseph, I am disappointed in all three of you,” Ben started to say. He caught the surprised look in Joe’s face. “Yes son, Adam too. He should’ve known better, and rest assured when this mess is straightened out I intend to have a long talk with you all. But right now we need to concentrate on being able to have Adam freed.”

“How is he doctor?” Ben asked when he entered the surgery the next morning.

“I’ve just been in to check on him, he’s resting comfortably and with the fever he is as well as can be expected,” Peter replied while he wrote down his observations. “The fever peaked last night, and he kept us on our toes for a while.”

“Peter, why didn’t you send for us? You know we would have been here with Adam,” Ben asked his voice a little raised in concern for his son’s health.

“I know you would have been here Ben, but you needed your rest as well, to be honest aside from sitting with Adam there would not have been a lot that you could have done.”

“You’re right, I’m sorry for raising my voice to you. May I see him?” Ben smiled after he apologized to the physician.

“Certainly…, you go on ahead I’ll be with you soon.”

When Ben opened the door to Adam’s room, he saw his son staring out of the window at the magnificently coloured sky.

“You’ll be back out there soon, enjoying the sunshine and fresh air as you always have son,” comforted Ben as he approached the bed.

“Will I Pa?” Adam asked, his mood sullen.

“Hmmm, maybe I should have just said ‘good morning’ to you, instead of commenting on the weather,” Ben chuckled as he tried to brighten Adam’s mood.

“I’m sorry Pa, I didn’t mean to jump down your throat, especially not after what I’ve put you through already, ” apologized Adam.

“That is a discussion we will leave for later. I also told Hoss and Joe the same. The main thing is how are you feeling this morning? Peter told me that the fever broke last night. I am sorry that I was not here with you..,”

“Pa, stop beating yourself up about it. Apart from being a little tired and sore, I’m doing okay,” placated Adam.

“Excuse me, but would you mind opening the door for me?” A voice called form the hall.

“Sure doc, say have you seen our Pa this morning?” a second voice responded.

“Hoss,” Ben and Adam said in unison and then exchanged a brief smile when they heard his voice from the hall.

In due course the doctor arrived carrying a bowl and several bandages, which he set down on the small table beside Adam’s bed.

Ben stood to move out of Peter’s way and started to usher Hoss and Joe out of the room.

“It’s okay Ben, I changed his dressings this morning,” Peter said, acknowledging Adam. “I’ve just come to set his hand, the swelling has gone down sufficiently to allow me to put his hand in a cast.”

Hoss and Joe had moved to Adam’s right side and blocked his view of the azure coloured sky, much to Adam’s disgust. “You two make a better door than a window,” he grumbled while he waited for them to move.

Adam returned to looking back out the window, while his father held his arm still for Peter to apply the materials which would set to become a solid cast on his arm. He grimaced a little when he felt the first layer go on.

“Sorry Adam, it won’t take long,” Peter once again apologized.

“Yeah, well it’s not as if I’m going anywhere in a hurry,” Adam replied his voice full of sarcasm as he angrily shook the shackle that bound his right arm to the bed.

Joe and Hoss, cautiously moved back from Adam’s side and exchanged worried glances. Hoss was the first one who dared to speak after Adam’s outburst.

“Adam, y’know that we’re goin’ ta get everythin’ sorted out now dontcha? Jest don’t ya go givin’ up on us and yerself like that,” Hoss said. He looked again at the forlorn expression on his brother’s face and ran his hand over his mouth.

With no response from Adam, Hoss nudged Joe in the side and jerked his head towards the door and signaled that now would be a good time to go.

“Adam, me and Hoss, we gotta take care of some stuff, at the livery,” Joe added. He looked from Hoss to his father and then back to Adam. “We’ll be by again later.”

Hoss and Joe patiently waited for Adam to reply and after a few moments of silence decided to beat a hasty retreat from Adam’s room.

Ben watch as his two younger sons left and then turned his gaze back towards Adam. “Son, I can’t admit to knowing what it is like for you right now, so I won’t try and placate you and tell you that I do. Hoss and Joe are only concerned for your well being, and want to help,” Ben explained, interrupted by a heavy sigh from Adam.

“Pa, I didn’t mean to seem ungrateful. I’m just frustrated at the whole situation, and getting right sick of having to apologize so much for my actions. Pa, I want to go home,” Adam spoke resignedly.

“I know you do son, and I want more than anything to take you home. To take you all home. But right now, it’s not possible.”

“I know you do Pa,” Adam replied. His eyes were heavy with sorrow.

“Okay I’m all done here,” Peter said, applying the finishing touches to his handiwork. “Adam, you’ll have to give that time to dry, and it will seem heavy at first, but I guarantee that you’ll get used to it in no time. But for the time being, we’ll keep it elevated,” Peter added and placed a spare pillow under his left forearm.

“Thanks doc,” answered Adam, “I appreciate all your help.”

“Don’t thank me to soon, I haven’t given you your next lot of pain relief yet,” Peter grinned, drawing a measured dose of morphine in the syringe. “Don’t keep him to long Ben, he needs rest,” added the doctor as he administered the dose which caused Adam to flinch. Peter bid the father and son farewell and left them to talk quietly after he had made sure that Ben had heeded his words.

“Good morning Ben,” Roy Coffee greeted his friend as he stepped up onto the boardwalk outside the surgery. “How’s Adam this morning?”

“Morning Roy,” returned Ben, extending his hand to Roy. “Adam’s a little down,” Ben replied as he cocked his head back toward from where he just came.

“Oh?” Coffee asked, astounded at the news. “Did you mention to him the talk that we had last night?”

“Roy, between the doctor tending to Adam and his mood, broaching the subject was the last thing on my mind. You know how darn well stubborn that boy of mine can get.”

“Only too well Ben. Like father, like son,” chuckled Roy.

While Roy and Ben walked together, Ben filled his friend in on Adam’s progress and about the cast that Peter had applied to his eldest son’s left forearm.

“Ben, if it’s all right with you, I would like to take Hoss and ask some of these townsfolk about their illustrious sheriff. I seem to think there is a lot more to him than first meets the eye.”

“Roy, I’m sure Hoss would be only to pleased to help.”

“Where are Hoss and Little Joe, this morning? I haven’t seen hide nor hair of them since last night.”

“Come with me my friend, I’m just on my way to see them. They made up some flimsy excuse about having ‘stuff’ to do a the livery,” Ben chortled.

“The livery?” Roy asked bemused at Ben’s expression. “Let me guess,” he added, “Adam?”

“You got it in one Roy. I guess Adam needed someone to vent his frustration on and took it out on Hoss and Little Joe.”

Roy blew a low whistle and gave a small shiver, “Adam must be feeling poorly to do that.”

At the livery Ben and Roy met up with the younger Cartwright brothers and discussed what Roy wanted to do.

“Sure Pa, Roy, I’ll help ya as much as I can,” Hoss smiled, pleased to be at long last to do something useful.

“What about me Pa?” Little Joe asked.

“You can accompany me to the telegraph office and then will get started on some of our own investigating,” Ben replied and clasped his hand on Joe’s shoulder.

Sensing that someone was standing over him and watching him, Adam awoke to find Tyrell glaring down at him.

“Was wondering how long you was plannin’ on sleepin'” glowered Tyrell. He bent down and undid the shackle from the bed. “C’mon get up, you’re all right now and the Doc says you can be moved,” snarled the sheriff.

Adam was in a dazed state and offered no resistance when Tyrell sat him up and moved him from the bed. When he saw Adam’s state of undress, Tyrell handed him his black jeans and shirt. “Git these on and hurry up about it,” he continued to snarl.

Feeling light headed, Adam wavered and tried to maintain an upright position. He found bending to get his jeans on hard and resigned to sitting on the edge of the bed to pull them on. Tyrell saw that Adam was having difficulty and helped him get his legs into his denims. With the first part of getting dressed accomplished Adam tackled putting on his shirt.

He succeeded in getting his right arm in the sleeve, but his casted left arm was proving difficult. Again Tyrell offered Adam some help. Only not the kind Adam was delighted to see. Tyrell ripped from cuff to elbow of Adam’s favourite black shirt and folded the sleeve at the cuff to the top of the cast. When Adam was dressed, Tyrell repositioned the sling in place and grabbed his still cuffed hand and lead him across to the jail cells.

Adam had not given it any more thought when Tyrell told him that the doctor had cleared it for Adam to be returned to the cells. The morphine was still working its way through his system, numbing his otherwise alert senses.

Tyrell had to half drag, half carry Adam across the street and once at the jail he settled Adam on the bunk. This time he removed the shackle from Adam’s hand and left him to sleep off the rest of the drug.

“First part of the plan down Adam Cartwright, now just to get rid of your family and that nosey Sheriff friend of yours,” Tyrell spoke with a sardonic smile.

Thirty minutes later Tyrell was joined by three men at his office. After their arrival he had sent Billy out to run some small errands.

“That him,” one of the men surrounding Tyrell’s desk spoke as he indicated towards Adam.

Tyrell nodded, and got the necessary paper work out of his top drawer. “That’s him all right, been nothing but trouble since he arrived in town. I’ll be only too pleased to get rid of him.”

“Yeah, well I’m sure that we could come to some arrangement, what say we keep it the same as last time?” another voice asked.

“Mr Cartwright, Mr Cartwright!!” a voice called anxiously.

Ben Cartwright turned to see the doctor frantically waving his arms as he ran towards the livery.

“Peter, what is it? What’s wrong?” Ben asked becoming increasingly alarmed for Adam’s well being.

“He’s … gone!” Peter panted. He inhaled deep breaths to calm himself before he spoke further.

“Who’s gone?” Hoss and Joe asked in unison.

“Adam,” the doctor finally answered.

By now Ben was had become more than anxious to find out more details. “What do you mean Adam’s gone. He was okay when we left him this morning.”

“Mr Cartwright, I don’t mean gone as in the dead sense, but gone as in not where he should be. I went to check on him and his room was empty,” the doctor finally explained.

The group in front of him let out a collective sigh when they heard that Adam was not dead. When he recovered form the news Roy was the first one to speak. “Peter, how could he have gone? Surely he wasn’t fit enough to get out of that bed and just walk away. And didn’t Tyrell still have him shackled to it?” Roy wanted to ask a great deal more questions but instead waited for Peter to compose himself and explain what he knew.

“Ben, Roy, I honestly don’t know what to tell you. Adam is gone yes, but strong enough to have left by himself …, no. I had hoped that you might be able to shed some light on the subject.”

“Peter, I wish I could. You know I would dearly loved to have taken Adam away from that room and taken him home but as you said yourself, he is not fit enough to be moved. Adam knows better than to try a jail break. He knows it would only make the situation worse,” Ben shook his head sadly.

“Peter, I agree with Ben. There is no way Adam would be fool hardy to try anything so desperate,” Roy offered and looked at Ben’s paling complexion.

“I sure hope he isn’t,” Joe added, also noticing how pale his father suddenly looked. “Pa?” he asked as he offered a supporting hand to his father.

“It’s all right Joseph, I’m just a little shocked,” grimaced Ben while he thought about where Adam could be.

“Pa, I suggest that we check with the sheriff, something tells me that he is involved in this,” suggested Joe.

“Good idea Joe,” Ben acknowledged and then shifted his gaze to meet Peter’s. “I thank you for informing me of this, and as soon as I find anything out I’ll let you know.”

“What do you want me to do Pa?” Hoss asked diligently.

“You go with Roy, and see what you can find out about this sheriff Tyrell. See if you can’t persuade Billy Davis into telling you a bit more about Tyrell and why he’s so afraid of him.”

“Sure thing Pa,” Hoss replied, pleased that his father was back in control of the situation.

“Hoss, we’ll meet back at the hotel in a couple of hours. Good luck son,” Ben said as they parted and went in different directions.

Ben and Joe Cartwright walked in silence towards the Jail, each running their own thoughts as to what had happened. Upon reaching the Jail, Ben entered with determination and purpose. His body language exuding a formidable power that spoke volumes.

“Ahhhh, Mr Cartwright, I have been expecting you,” sneered Tyrell. “So how has yer mornin’ been so far?”

“I’m not here for pleasantries Tyrell, I want some answers and I want them now! Where is Adam?” Ben spoke, his voice raised in annoyance.

“He’s where he belongs …., behind bars,” Tyrell continued to jeer. He then pointed in the direction of the cell that held Adam.

Ben turned and saw Adam, lying on the bunk in the cell his eyes closed and his face flushed.

“You know he wasn’t well enough to move…, didn’t he tell you that himself?”

“Ah, now you see he weren’t much in the mood for small talk. I’m mighty sure that ole Pete wouldn’t have left him alone iffen he didn’t think he was well enough to be moved. He is my prisoner after all.”

“Only on trumped up charges Tyrell! Charges which I intend to see don’t make it to court!” Ben spat vehemently.

“Is that a threat Mr Cartwright? Cause I’m sure that my duly elected posse here will be glad to see it that way,” Tyrell spoke. He gestured with his right hand to the men that stood behind him.

“You just take it any way you want,” Ben rebutted and held his ground. His hand rested comfortably over his holster.

“Pa, don’t!” cautioned Joe. He had seen his father’s hand touch the top of his gun.

“I would listen to yer boy there, Cartwright, would sue hate to see anything happen to him,” glared Tyrell, his eyes fixing in a locked stare with Ben’s.

“Joseph, go and meet Hoss,” Ben said without looking at his son.

“But Pa…,” Joe rebuked.

“Now Joseph!” Ben growled and caused Joe to shudder at his commanding tone.

Without another word of rebuttal Joe, slipped quietly out the door and waited. Listening for the gun shot that he was certain would come.

The men that had been standing behind Tyrell moved towards Ben, with their guns drawn. Tyrell smiled at Ben when he removed his gun from his holster. “Put him in the cell boys. Throw him in with the other one,” Tyrell continued to smile.

“On what charge?,” asked Ben. He struggled against the bulk of the three men that held him.

“I dunno, how about threatenin’ an officer of the law,” sarcastically replied Tyrell.

Inwardly Ben smiled, his impromptu part of the plan had worked. To be closer to Adam and keep him out of Tyrell’s hands.

“What are you gonna do with the old man?” one of Tyrell’s newly formed posse asked.

“Well Jacobs, what say we give Ruston what he wanted only this time he gits two fer the price of one,” answered Tyrell.

“Damson, you ride out and tell Ruston that the price is still the same, this time though he’s got an extra bonus.”

“Yessir Mr Tyrell, I’ll go right away and tell him fer you,” answered Damson. He accidentally stumbled over the chair that Tyrell had left out.

When Damson had left, Tyrell shook his head, “jest don’t rightly know what’s gonna become of that boy. Fer cryin’ out loud he’s as clumsy as a pig in a muddy sty. C’mon boys what say we go and have that beer we’ve been waitin’ to have. Now that I’ve got old man Cartwright here, I don’t expect that his other boys will be botherin’ us any time soon.” Obediently the two men followed Tyrell out of he jail and waited for him to lock the door.

When they had left, Ben checked Adam. “Adam?” he asked. He’d hoped to get a response from his son.

Hearing someone call his name, Adam turned his head in the direction of the voice. “Pa?”

“Yes son, I’m right here,” smiled Ben.

It took Adam a while to clear the fogginess from his mind and to be able to focus clearly on his father. “Pa…, what are you doing here?”

“Is that any way to greet your father, boy? Adam, I know we didn’t speak about this, call it a spare of the moment thing, but it was the only way I knew of being able to protect you,” Ben chuckled as he embraced his son.

None of it made any sense to Adam at that point in time and he didn’t pretend it did, his questions were slurred and disjointed, and from what his father had said he pieced together fragments of conversation. “Pa, you mean you set out to get arrested? But why?”

“Adam, the Sheriff is up to something and the only way for me to find out what was going was to be here with you,” Ben answered, when he saw the disapproving look in his son’s eyes he quickly added, “and it’s an ideal way to check up on you. Son, what’s wrong?”

“Pa…, I …,um, I don’t really remember what happened this morning or how I got here,” Adam admitted. He tried to sit up but winced at the movement.

“Take it easy, just lie back,” instructed Ben, easing Adam back down on the bunk. “Adam, I need you to think clearly…, now did Tyrell mention why he wanted you back in jail?”

Adam breathed heavily and closed his eyes, replaying past scenes back through his mind. “No Pa, he was just insistent that the doctor had said it was okay for me to be moved,” Adam yawned and shook his head in an effort to fight off sleep. “He …, mentioned something about hunting …, wanted to hunt something,” Adam said between yawns before he let sleep claim him once again.

“Rest well son,” Ben said, bending down to kiss him gently on his forehead. Unfolding the blanket on the bunk he covered his son with it and tucked it under his chin. Ben sat back on his own bunk and rubbed his face with his hands, trying to think of all the possible answers to his many questions. Adam’s words of ‘wanting to hunt something’ kept coming back to him time and time again.

~~~~~~

“Molly, can ye no make that mule move a bit faster?” a male voice, thick with Irish accent asked.

“Aye, Malachy but only if the beast wants to move, he’s as stubborn as the day as long,” Molly replied.

“You Potato farmers still in town!” Tyrell bellowed at the couple. “I thought I told you I didn’t care for your care kind here.”

“And just what kind would that be?” Joe Cartwright asked as he stepped up behind Tyrell.

“Why have you Cartwright’s got to make it your life business getting on the wrong side of me? Ain’t havin’ your Pa and brother in my jail enough for you boy?” glowered Tyrell.

“Seems to me Sheriff, that you just don’t take too kindly to folk who are intent on sticking up for themselves. Or minding there own business, like there people,” Joe replied. He gestured at the husband and wife that stood before him.

“Tis all right sonny, we’ll be movin’ quietly on our way now. Don’t you go be concernin’ yerself with our troubles lad,” Malachy smiled. He urged the mule to move.

“Aye, Malachy’s right, our troubles are not yer concerns. We’ve seemed to ‘ave outstayed our welcome ‘ere now. So iffen the Sheriff doesn’t mind we’ll be on our way like,” agreed Molly.

Tyrell rubbed his hands together with merriment, pleased that the Irish immigrants were finally moving on. He had been trying for the past two weeks to move them on, out of his town. “You see Cartwright, these here people don’t want your interfering with their business, now why don’t you do the same and move on.”

“Cause I don’t like seeing decent folk run off from somewhere that they are trying to make a home,” Joe rebuked, earning an icy stare from Tyrell.

~~~~~

“What time was Pa and Little Joe meant to meet us here?” Hoss asked, for the third time as in many minutes.

“Relax Hoss, your Pa will be here with Joe shortly, I’m sure that they’ve probably just stopped off to check up on Adam,” offered Roy, while he sipped at his cold drink.

“Yeah, I reckon so. Dang that Billy sure was evay…, evas…” Hoss started to say and searched for the word that he had often heard Adam use.

“Evasive?” supplied Roy.

“Yeah, that’s the one. Evasive. Billy sure was that weren’t he?”

“Wasn’t he,” corrected Roy, shaking his head and smiling at Hoss. ‘How was it that Adam had a clear concept of the English language, yet this man before me, finds it necessary to speak without the use of correct grammar?’ Roy smiled to himself, while he listed to Hoss continue.

“Well iffen only Billy would a told us what he knowed, then we could be better on our way at gettin’ Adam free.”

“Well Hoss, I think that Billy is running a little scared right now. Give him time and he’ll come round,” Roy said while he glanced out the window for any sign of Ben and Joe.

Ben watched out the small window as the people walked by, going about their business. Children laughing and running while their frantic mother’s tried in vain to stop their progress. His mind wandered to a care free time, when Adam and Hoss would run through the streets of Virginia City, playing and keeping Marie on her toes. How soon his happiness had ended, Adam having to endure more pain of losing another mother. How strong he was to provide his father the support he needed. ‘I am so lucky to have you son,’ thought Ben, turning his attention back to his first born.

He saw Adam looking at him, not uttering a word. “Just leaving me to my thoughts again, eh son?” Ben smiled.

“Yeah, well you looked like you were a million miles away,” replied Adam as he sought a more comfortable position.

Helping his son to sit up a little, Ben propped the two pillows behind him. “Twenty years,” Ben finally replied.

“Huh?” Adam asked. His mind still confused by the morphine.

“I said I was twenty years away, not a million miles,” chortled Ben, catching the bewildered look on Adam’s face.

“Oh.”

“Still a bit sleepy on it son?”

“Yeah,” Adam yawned, “just a little. Sore mostly.”

For Adam to admit that he was sore, sent concerned signals to Ben. “You just rest up. You’ve been through a lot and you need to save your strength,” Ben said. He poured Adam a cup of water and helped his son to drink it by holding the cup steady for him.

“Thanks Pa. Sorry I’m not much help, guess I won’t be much help round the ranch for a few weeks huh?” chuckled Adam.

Ben knew what Adam was trying to do and appreciated his veracity. “Aw, I don’t know, we could always tie you to your horse so you didn’t fall off him. You should be able to do round up no problem at all,” grinned Ben.

“Yeah, you would just do that too, wouldn’t you?” Adam laughed, sharing in his father’s joke. “Pa, I’m really worried about Tyrell. What do you think he’s going to do?”

Taken aback by Joe’s stance, Tyrell focused once again on the couple before him. “You’ve not heard the last of me.” Before anyone could say anything, he turned on his heel and left three very angry people behind him.

“Sweet Mary, mother of God, why does that man have to make so much trouble for us Malachy?” Molly asked, clearly upset at Tyrell’s threats.

“Because people like him Molly, delight in seeing the misfortunes of someone else and making matters worse for them,” Joe furnished.

“Aye, ye best listen to the boy Molly, he’s a youngin but he’s a good head on his shoulders,” comforted Malachy. He then extended his right hand to the man in front of him. “Name’s Malachy O’Shaughnessy and this here’s Molly,” he said as he gestured to his wife.

“Pleased to make your acquaintance,” Joe smiled. He clasped Malachy’s hand with his own. “My name’s Joe Cartwright.”

“It’s nice to meet ye Joe Cartwright,” Molly smiled. “Aye, and ye be right about that man. He does delight in makin’ life miserable for us. So what’s your story then? You had ye-self a run in with the Sheriff.”

“Of sorts. He has my Pa and oldest brother in his jail,” spoke Joe, his tone somber.

“On what charge, iffen ye don’t mind me askin’,” Malachy asked, curious at his new found friend’s problems.

“Malachy!” Molly scolded, “you know better than to be askin’ such a personal question of the lad.”

“It’s all right Mrs O’Shaughnessy, I’m not quite sure how it all happened either, just the whole thing got out of hand. My Pa and brother got arrested by Tyrell,” Joe admitted. He was still shocked at the turn of events leading to Ben’s subsequent arrest and had yet to tell his older brother.

“Well ye can always start at the beginnin’ can ye not? You’ve helped us. Maybe we can return the favor,” Malachy suggested.

“Have you eaten yet?” Joe asked. When the couple shook their heads he continued. “What say I tell you over lunch. I was meant to be meeting my other brother at the hotel with my Pa, and…,”

“And I take it he doesn’t know about ye Pa just yet,” sympathized Molly. “You feel up to havin’ us along as moral support then?”

“That surely would be nice ma’am,” sighed Joe. He was not looking forward to being the bearer of bad news to Hoss.

“Hey little brother, I was a beginnin’ to wonder where you’d got to?” Hoss greeted his brother. “Say, Joe, where’s Pa?” Hoss continued. He searched the room for his father.

“He’s in jail,” muttered Joe.

“Aw yeah, he was gonna visit with Adam for a spell weren’t he?” Hoss asked when he remembered a previous conversation.

Joe glumly shook his head and gestured to the Irish couple to be seated at the table. “Hoss, Pa ain’t visiting …, he’s…, he’s,”

“He’s what Joe?” Hoss asked, not liking where the conversation was heading.

“What the lad is tryin’ to tell you sonny, is that your Pa has gone and got himself arrested, by Tyrell,” Malachy supplied.

Hoss and Roy looked at the gentleman opposite them and exchanged questioning glances. Sensing the confusion, Malachy smiled. “The name’s Malachy O’Shaughnessy and this is me lovely wife Molly.”

“Aye, a pleasure to meet you I’m sure,” Molly smiled at the men. “We met yer brother when we had a wee run in with the Sheriff,” Molly continued, taking Joe’s hand in her own. “He stuck up fer us, against that tyrant.”

Roy and Hoss were flabbergasted that Joe had offered to help out the couple before them, while he had his own problems to deal with.

“I sure am right proud of you, Little Joe,” Hoss said, slapping his brother on his back. The thunderous slap nearly caused him to nearly fall off his chair.

“Aye, you should be at that ‘n all. He’s done his family proud,” Malachy agreed.

“Joe, you mentioned that you’re father has been arrested. Did Tyrell give you any reason for the arrest?” Roy interjected, wanting to find out why Ben had been incarcerated.

“I think Pa, did it intentionally,” Joe sighed. “To be honest, it looked like he was pushing Tyrell to arrest him, I guess so that he could keep a closer eye on Adam,” he finished and put his head in his hands.

“Knowing your father, it probably wouldn’t be far from the truth. Ben’s obviously up to something…, I just wish I knew what,” Roy surmised.

~~~~~

“Mr. Ruston, Tyrell says to tell you that you’re gonna be gettin’ two fer the price of one,” Damson spoke, when he stood in front of Ruston’s huge oak desk.

Ruston looked smugly pleased with the news. He had known that Tyrell would accept his money once again to provide him with a good hunt. “Two you say,” Ruston smiled, “well boy, you ride back and let Tyrell know that I’ll be at the usual place, at six in the morning. In two days time. There’s a few things I gotta take care of here first.”

“Yes Sir,” Damson replied and turned to leave.

“Wait a minute boy,” Ruston said, “here’s a little something for yourself. For bringing me the news.” He handed Damson a ten dollar note.

Damson was astounded by the generous bonus and smiled. His smile revealed several gaps where teeth had once been. “Thank you, Mr. Ruston sir,” he grinned.

Once Damson had left, Ruston walked to where his rifles were stored. He carefully studied each one making sure it was in pristine condition.

An hour later, Damson had made it back to town and met Tyrell at the usual meeting place. A deteriorated building on the edge of the town. He made sure he was not being watched before he entered the building.

“Well Damson, what did Ruston have to say for himself?” Tyrell asked.

“Said to meet him at the usual place, in two days at six in the mornin’,” Damson smiled. “He also gave me ten dollars fer me troubles,” he continued and patted his right breast pocket.

“Good,” muttered Tyrell. “Now we just have two problems left to take care of. The first one is getting the rest of the Cartwright’s out of town, and the other is to take care of Billy.”

“Sheriff, Billy ain’t never done you know harm. Why do you wanna go hurtin’ him fer?” Jacobs asked.

“Jacobs, how I take care of matters is my own business, don’t you go concernin’ yerself about it, or you’re wife may end up as a widder lady, an’ I’d sure hate to see that,” Tyrell glowered, forcing Jacobs to gulp.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

While Ben and Adam talked with each other, they were alerted to a key turning in the lock of the front door to the sheriff’s office. Ben placed his hand on Adam’s shoulder, restricting him from getting up to see who was there. “Just stay there Adam,” Ben warned, giving his son a look that brooked no argument.

Too exhausted to move, Adam gave up his short lived battle to become upright and waited till whoever had entered the office, moved into their line of sight.

“Mr. Cartwright what are you doing here?” Billy asked, the older of the two men occupying the same cell.

“Billy it is not really as it seems,” Ben smiled and caught Billy’s dumbfounded expression.

“You see son, I purposely pushed Tyrell to make him put me in her with Adam,” Ben said while he gestured at Adam. “At least this way I can keep an eye on him and make sure he’s safe.”

“Well, … er Mr. Cartwright, I dunno if that’s such a good idea,” Billy frowned.

Billy had been evasive on more than one occasion when Ben Cartwright had tried to ask him what was going on, and now was no exception. “Billy, what is going on? Why is it not a good idea for me to be here with Adam?” Ben asked. He passed a glance at his son.

When Billy didn’t respond, Adam took it upon himself to get to the bottom of whatever it was that Billy was trying so desperately to hide. “C’mon Billy, you know something that could help us,” Adam said as he struggled to his feet. “What has Tyrell got planned, Billy?”

“He calls it a payment for a past deed. But I’m not rightly sure, what he’s on about. All I know is he …” Billy began to say before he felt his voice catch.

“He what, Billy?” Adam asked, wincing as he spoke. When his father tried to get him to sit down, Adam shrugged off his offer of help and continued to speak with the deputy. “Billy, does it have something to do with what Tyrell said about your mother having to bury another son? Is that why you’re afraid to say anything?”

Gingerly Billy nodded his head. “I’m not worried so much for myself Adam, it’s more my mama I’m worried about. Y’see, it’s just me and ma at home now and my wages keep it so we can pay the rent and food on the table.”

“Billy, believe me I want to help you and your mother as much as I can, but I really need for you to tell us what Tyrell wants,” urged Ben, while he assisted Adam to sit down before he fell down.

Once again Ben saw Billy cringe and shake nervously. “Billy,” he spoke softly, “I am a wealthy man in my own rite, and although I don’t give money away willy-nilly, I am happy to help you and your mother.”

“You mean buy my knowledge, so to speak?” Billy gleamed. He knew only to well what Ben Cartwright had meant.

“Yes I guess when you put it like that, I am trying to buy what you know,” smiled Ben. He began to think about the young man before him and how dearly he weighed up everything before making a decision.

“I don’t want nothing from you, Mr. Cartwright. At least not for myself anyway. But I want your word that you will help my mama,” Billy asked. He bowed his head as he spoke.

“You have my word Billy,” Ben agreed, and waited patiently for Billy to tell him what he knew.

“Mostly the Sheriff, he just sends the prisoners off to work in the mines. He has shares in a Gold claim, and uses the men for cheap labour. Being prisoners, they ain’t afforded any rights and can’t complain to anyone. So they work harder and longer hours for the meager food allowances that they get given. If they don’t work, they don’t get fed. After a while, they die from exhaustion,” Billy shuddered when he finished telling Ben what he knew of the mines.

“Sounds charming,” Adam sarcastically replied.

Ben turned his head to look at Adam. ‘Son, I sincerely hope that is not what the Sheriff had planned for you’, Ben thought to himself, before facing Billy again. He was lost in his own thoughts, when Adam spoke again.

“You said that he mostly sends the prisoners to the mines. Do I dare ask what happens to the rest of the prisoners,” asked Adam.

“He organizes special hunting trips,” replied Billy. He kept his eyes focused on the floor. He did not want to not look at Adam or Ben.

“Hunting trips?” Ben asked, not sure if Billy had uttered those very words.

“Yes sir, Mr. Cartwright. You see there is a feller who lives out of town a ways and he pays Tyrell big money for a special hunt. Mr. Cartwright, this man doesn’t just hunt animals, he also hunts people. You and Adam, is what he is planning on hunting.”

“Dear God,” Ben prayed, the thought of being hunted for sport repulsed him greatly. The reaction received from Adam, matched his own. He sat on the edge of Adam’s bed and prayed silently.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Aye, that certainly was a very fine dinner,” Malachy smiled, as he wiped his mouth with the napkin.

“Aye it was, a very grand meal,” Molly agreed. “Joseph, you know that Malachy and I will hope you and your family as much as we can. I admire any person who can stand up to that sheriff. And from what ye, have told me of your brother and father, I can see that Tyrell will have a battle on his hands. Will he not?”

“Mrs O’Shaughnessy,” Hoss interjected on his brother’s behalf. “We don’t want you to go gettin’ caught up in our problems, we’ll get Pa and Adam out of this fix.”

“Aye laddy, you’d be built like a mountain but it is going to take more than the three of you to bring Tyrell to justice. Let Molly and I help, to repay you for your kindness,” Malachy asked as he held his wife’s hand in his own.

“Hoss, I know that you and Joe think you can handle this by yourselves, and I for one do not want to see any harm come to either of you. Your Pa would sure have my hide for that. But, I feel that Malachy is being generous with his offer of help and we should accept it,” Roy spoke as he tried to urge Hoss to change his mind.

“Seein’ as you put it that way Roy, I can hardly refuse any additional help, I reckon,” Hoss smiled.

Roy picked up his glass and drank the contents. “Well, I guess that settles it. Now the next part of the job is finding Billy and learning what he knows about Tyrell. Hoss, you and Joe go and see if you can visit with your Pa and Adam, while I do some snooping of my own.”

Within ten minutes of finishing their lunch, Hoss and Joe were making their way to the Sheriff’s office. As they were entering, Billy was exiting the building.

“Say Billy, any chance of seein’ our Pa and Adam?” Hoss asked. He tried to peer over Billy’s shoulder for a glimpse of the cell that held his father and brother.

Billy looked at the office behind him and then up and down the street for any sign of Tyrell. “Sure,” he said, “but, make it quick.”

“Thanks, Billy, we sure do appreciate it,” Joe smiled as he pushed passed the deputy.

“Hey Pa,” Hoss spoke. He saw his father sitting behind Adam. He had propped him up so that he could breathe a little easier.

“What’s wrong with Adam?” Joe asked, the concern evident in his voice.

“We had a bit of news, and Adam got a little anxious over it,” Ben pacified his youngest son and tried to downplay what he and Adam had just found out.

“Pa, there’s more to it than that, isn’t there?” Joe asked while he watched Adam inhale deeply and grimacing as he did.

“NO JOE! There isn’t,” Adam replied for his father. The effort of raising his voice made Adam light headed.

“Adam, you and Pa can’t sit here and tell us it’s nothing. For crying out loud Adam, I’m not blind. I can see that you’re in pain. Let us help,” pleaded Joe. He hated to see any of his family members hurting and when he saw Adam visibly try to fight the pain that he had helped cause, it threw him completely.

“Joseph, just leave it,” Ben cautioned. He did not want to see either Hoss or Joe caught up in this mess, though he dearly wanted to ask them for his help. At that moment, Ben was caught between a rock and a hard place. If he told Hoss and Joe of the impending hunt that Tyrell had organized, Ben knew his sons lives would be jeopardized.

“Pa, how can you say that?” asked Hoss. Like Joe, he hated to see any of his family in pain. Especially if there was a way that he could help stop the hurt.

“Hoss, as I just said to Joe, please just leave it. We’ll get out of this mess, we’ve been in tougher on the Ponderosa,” placated Ben. His own tension eased a little when he saw both Hoss and Joe nod. “Look, I know that Billy is taking a risk by letting you two in here. Why don’t you go and do something useful and see what weaknesses Tyrell has. Something that we can use to our advantage,” suggested Ben. Hopefully, that would keep both Hoss and Joe occupied for a while, Ben thought to himself.

When Hoss and Joe both nodded their heads in unison, Ben breathed out a sigh of relief. When Adam started coughing again, Ben eased his right arm behind Adam’s back and raised him up slightly.

Hoss scrunched up his face and looked more closely at Adam. “Pa, do you want for me to git the doc?”

“Hoss, that is a fine idea,” Ben agreed. “Billy, would it be all right for the doc to come and take another look at Adam. Maybe give him something for the pain?” Ben asked and pleaded with his eyes to Billy.

“Yeah, sure Mr. Cartwright,” answered Billy. He fervently hoped that Tyrell would not come down hard on him for intervening on Adam’s behalf.

Hoss didn’t wait long enough to say a proper goodbye to his father or Adam. He left Joe to do that, while he went in search of the doctor.

“Well, I guess I’d better catch up with Hoss. Take care Pa, Adam,” Joe spoke quietly.

“We will. You be careful too please son,” replied Ben.

After the doctor’s visit, Adam was breathing easier. Ben was relieved when Peter had administered a dose of morphine. Not only would it take Adam’s pain away but would also help him get some much needed sleep.

“Rest well son,” Ben smiled as he patted Adam on his shoulder. Before he turned in for the night, he knelt beside his bunk and prayed.

The next day passed very quietly, interspersed with a few visits from Hoss, Joe and Roy. Although Ben had been bitterly disappointed to learn that Tyrell seemed beyond reproach in Stockton, he still hoped that one of the townspeople would come forward and say something.

Hope of release from jail had quickly begun to fade for Ben. The reality he knew, was that he and Adam, tomorrow would become the hunted.

Ben was not sure whether Peter had been right when he administered the final dose of morphine that night. He knew what the drug did to Adam and he wanted him to be alert when the time came.

Sleep did not come easy for Ben as he lay awake thinking about the possible outcomes of Tyrell’s hunt. With one final check of Adam, Ben closed his eyes and let sleep finally claim him.

“C’mon Cartwright wake up,” ordered Tyrell as he shook Ben’s shoulders. “That’s more like it,” Tyrell smiled when he saw Ben open his eyes.

When Ben saw Tyrell leaning over Adam to wake him, he sat up quickly. “Leave him, Tyrell. I’ll wake him,” Ben spoke quietly.

Ben knelt beside Adam and gently shook him until to awoke. “Come on son, it’s time to get up,” he spoke.

“Is it time, Pa?” Adam yawned. For the second night in a row he’d had a peaceful sleep, albeit drug induced.

“Yes, son, it’s time,” Ben replied, his own voice devoid of all emotion.

Once they were up, Tyrell directed Ben and Adam out of his office and to the waiting horses. “Get up,” he ordered as he pushed Adam forward to a large bay gelding.

Ben saw Adam’s face pale at the thought of having to ride. “Sheriff, why don’t you let me ride with him,” Ben suggested. “Adam’s not capable of riding by himself right now.”

As he looked from Ben to Adam, Tyrell nodded his head. With Ben’s help, Adam mounted the horse with his father behind him.

“Lean against me Adam,” whispered Ben as he gently pulled his son back.

At the designated area, Tyrell slowed his horse. When those behind him had come to a stop, he looked at the Cartwrights. “Get down,” he ordered.

“Adam. Adam. You have to wake up now son,” Ben said as he shook Adam’s shoulder. The gentle gait of the horse had lulled Adam back to sleep.

“Pa?” asked Adam. He looked at his surroundings and tried to get a bearing on their location. The land was unfamiliar to him. He gave up his search for a landmark and concentrated on what his father had said.

“Wait for me, Adam. I’ll get down first, then I will help you,” said Ben. He saw his son nod in acknowledgement. He could tell that his oldest son was trying to help, but his reflexes were too slow. “Fight the drug, son,” encouraged Ben.

Adam nodded again. He was still woozy from the drugs that had continued to course through his bloodstream.

“Easy, son. Be careful,” Ben cautioned when he saw Adam start to sway in the saddle.

“Sorry, Pa. I’m so tired,” replied Adam. He tried to fight off the effects of the drug. The more he fought the more tired he had become. It frustrated him not to be able to think clearly. His actions were clumsy. He had tried to help his father as much as he could, but felt his world of awareness start to slip again.

Ben saw his son fight to keep his eyes open. “Just a few more seconds, Adam. Give me your hand.”

Just as his father pulled him from the horse, Adam lost his battle to keep his eyes open. His body became limp and heavy in his father’s hands.

“Okay, Cartwright,” Tyrell said as he addressed the older man. “Here’s the deal. Since I’m a reasonable man, I’ll give you a your boy a head-start. You’ve got two hours. If you make it back to town – alive…, you go free. Otherwise you’re gonna end up as buzzard bait. So I suggest you move,” Tyrell sneered.

Ben checked his watch. “Two hours,” he said. His tone implied that he understood Tyrell’s proposal.

“Two hours, Cartwright,” Tyrell replied.

Ben half dragged, half carried his son. Under his breath he cursed the drugs that had affected his son. “Come on boy, you have to move,” Ben said. He was desperate tog et as far away from Tyrell as he could in the short amount of time they had been given.

The terrain was covered in scrub and trees with low hanging branches. Several tree roots had caught Adam by surprised and caused him to stumble many times. The last stumble brought Adam down hard to the ground. He cried in pain when he jarred his injured ribs. Once again he pushed himself on. He couldn’t let his down his father. Too much was riding on both of them. Their lives depended on their ability to function well.

The sun had started to rise when Ben halted in front of Adam. He knew that his son needed to rest. As he looked at the pre-dawn sky, he knew that with the sunrise they would be able to traverse the rough country a little easier than they had.

“Adam, we’ll stop here. No more than five minutes. We have to keep moving,” Ben suggested. He put his hands under Adam’s shoulders and lowered him so that he could sit on a rock.

“Thanks, Pa. I’m sorry I’m slowing you down so much,” grimaced Adam. He was bone tired and ached all over. “You think Tyrell will give us the full two hours?”

“Son, I sure hope he does. We’re going to need it,” sighed Ben. He wished that he had something to give to Adam. A drink. A pain killer. When he saw his son’s eyes start to close he gently nudged him. “Don’t go to sleep, Adam. Not yet.”

As the morning progressed, Adam had started to become a little more lucid. The drug that had left his body tried and reflexes slow, had begun to wear off. He was able to walk mostly unassisted. Though occasionally, Ben had to pull him in the right direction.

Ben pointed to a nearby river with the branch he had dragged behind them to wipe their tracks. “Think you can wade in here without falling over?” he asked. He had seen his son stubbornly refuse help and struggle on with persistence. He hoped fervently that his son would be able to cross the river.

Adam looked pensively at his father. “Well, I guess if I do fall, I’m gonna get wet.” He had already shown his father that he was determined. Of the several times that he had stumbled he had only called out to his father three times for help. He knew it hurt his father deeply, to see him like this. Confused and in pain.

“Good to hear it son. We’ll take it slow,” Ben smiled. He admired his son’s fortitude to carry on and pinned a lot of it down to sheer stubbornness, inherited from Elizabeth.

“Yeah, well it’s not the warmest time of year to go for a swim,” Adam grinned. He shivered when he felt the cool water on his thighs. He hoped that his father had no intention of staying in the river for too long. He let his mind drift back to a happier time at Lake Tahoe. He and his brothers would spend an insurmountable amount of time there during Summer. Countless times his father had sent a rider out to call the boys home again.

“What are you grinning about?” Ben asked.

“Huh? Oh sorry, Pa. Just another time. I was thinking about Lake Tahoe. Remember that time Hoss and I tricked Little Joe into believing there was a monster in the lake?” Adam smiled.

“Ah, yes. I recall that occasion. And if I remember rightly, you and Hoss were confined to the ranch for three weeks after your brother nearly caught his death of cold,” Ben replied. He also remembered how he had threatened to discipline both Hoss and Adam with more than just confinement if they tried that trick again. He had given his two older sons extra chores, much to their displeasure.

“Hmm, I’d almost forgotten that part. How was I to know that Little Joe was dead-set on finding the monster. He..,” Adam started to say before he caught his foot in a deep hole in the river. His body was dragged under by the swiftly churning current. His foot had become lodged between two rocks.

Ben tried desperately to grab his son before he disappeared into the murky depths. For a brief second he was able to touch Adam’s casted arm. “Adam!” Ben cried.

He heard his father call out to him just before the water sucked him down. He heard the noise of the water as it crashed over boulders and then nothing. His lungs screamed for the oxygen of which they had been deprived. Gradually he felt something tug at his boot. With the pressure of the rock off his ankle he fought his way to the surface. Hands also pulled him to the surface. His father’s hands. He felt himself carried along with the current until he reached the other side of the embankment.

“Come on, Adam. You’ve got to help me again,” cried Ben above the roar of the water. Once he had his son on dry land, he patted his son’s face. “That’s the boy, cough it up.”

“Hurts. A lot,” cried Adam between painful coughs. The untimely dip in the water had not don anything for his ribs. With great effort, he turned himself on his side and expelled the rest of the water from his lungs. “I was right,” he said dryly.

“Oh?” Ben asked as he raised his eyebrows.

“Yeah. This is not a good time of year to go for a swim.”

Ben let his son rest for a few minutes while he scouted the area. The are around them was lush with vegetation and dense bush. ‘An easy place to get lost in. And an even harder place for horses to be in’, he thought to himself.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Any sign of them?” Tyrell asked. His patience had worn thin. He knew that if his prey were still not within sight that they had a good chance of making it back to town.

“No sign, Sheriff,” Damson replied. He had searched the area from where the Cartwrights had started their escape to freedom. No clues could be found. “They’ve covered their tracks . Good too.”

“I don’t care how good they’ve covered their tracks. Fine them. Find then now!” bellowed Tyrell. His patience had worn thin. Never before had anyone eluded him as much as the Cartwrights had. If the Cartwrights made it back to Stockton, he’d not only lose his job but quite possibly his life. He couldn’t afford to let the Cartwrights make it back to Stockton – alive.

“C’mon Ruston, “snapped Tyrell. “I’ve supplied you with the prey. The least you could do is hunt them. Your career as well as mine is on the line of Ben Cartwright and his son make it to town. They nearly ruined my career once and I ain’t gonna let that happen again.”

“Look, Tyrell, I’ve got just as much to lose as you. So quit your yammering and find me a lead. You said that old man Cartwright wouldn’t be able to get to far with his injured son,” rebuked Ruston.

“Are you calling me a liar?” snapped Tyrell. He waved his gun in front of Ruston’s face. “Look, this ain’t getting us nowhere. Take Damson and go that way,” he said as he gestured to the left. “Fire three shots in the air if you find any sign of them. Jacobs, you come with me.”

After they had split up, Tyrell and Jacobs had traveled for thirty minutes when they heard gunfire. “He must have found some sign,” Tyrell said. He reigned his horse back and turned in the direction of the signal shots.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ben Cartwright also heard the three shots that had been fired. “Damn,” he curse aloud. “Adam, come on son. Get up,” urged Ben. His heart was in his mouth as he spoke. One look at his son told him more than he needed to know. Adam was exhausted. “Come on Adam,” urged Ben again, this time more forcefully. He dragged his son to his feet and ran into the thicket.

“Pa, how close are they?” Adam asked. He was still cold from his unplanned swim and shivered violently.

“Still on the other side of the river. Maybe seven or eight miles back. I just hope that we weren’t the only ones to have heard the warning shots,” Ben answered. He had prayed for a miracle. He knew that he couldn’t get himself and his son out of their present situation alive. He hoped that Billy would have let Hoss and Joe know what Tyrell had planned.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hoss and Joe had ridden their steeds hard. Roy and Billy followed closely behind. Billy had finally told Hoss, Joe and Roy what Tyrell had planned. Eventually they arrived at the place where the hunt had started from.

Hoss had dismounted and had searched the ground for tracks. He had seen horses hooves lead in one direction only to come back again. “Must have had some trouble findin’ out what way Pa and Adam went,” Hoss said. He kicked a stone that lay at his feet in frustration.

“Hoss, that could work in our favor though couldn’t it?” Joe asked. He rested his right arm on the saddle horn and leant forward. “Hey, Hoss, look at that!” Joe exclaimed. He pointed at a silver button that had just caught the sun’s rays.

“It’s one of Pa’s,” Hoss replied jubilantly. After he had pocketed the button he mounted his horse and urged him forward.

They had followed a set of horse hooves that had also gone in the same direction as Ben and Adam. Hoss had taken the lead and slowed his horse when he saw a bloodied handprint on a rock. “Woah,” he called to his horse. Obediently the horse stopped and waited for his master.

“What is it, Hoss?” Roy asked. He was soon crouched at Hoss’ side. “At least we know that they went this way. Come on we better mount up. This bloods dry so they must be a distance ahead of us still.”

Just as Hoss and Roy remounted their horses, they heard gunfire. Three shots. Each man looked at each other with a worried expression.

Joe was the first to voice what they had all individually thought. “Oh no. Tyrell’s found Pa and Adam,” he said. His voice barely above a whisper.

In silence they rode in the direction of where the gunfire had erupted. After a short time they saw four men with their rifles drawn. Hoss watched as the four men spurred their horses on to cross the river. He suggested that Roy and Billy go down river a bit before they crossed while he and Joe flanked from the other direction. In agreement the four men paired off and rode to stop Tyrell.

~~~~~~~~~

“Ruston, what did you find?” Tyrell asked as he pulled his horse to a stop. He followed Ruston’s outstretched arm. Before him he saw movement on the other side of the river. “Good work,” he smiled.

“Okay, Tyrell, how do you want to play this?” Ruston asked. He had already drawn his rifle from his scabbard.

“Ruston, you’re the one that has paid for this hunt. You ain’t plannin’ to go chicken on me now are ya?” Tyrell asked. He didn’t wait for a reply. Instead he signaled Ruston and Damson to track their prey from one side while he and Jacobs took the other. “Shoot to kill, men,” Tyrell said before he spurred his roan on.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Run Adam!” Ben cried as he pushed his son in front of him. He ran beside his son and grabbed his right arm in effort to pull him along. Together they wound their way through the mass of trees and bush. They ran to where the trees were thickest.

Out of breath, Adam stopped for a rest. The rest was short lived when he felt his father pull on his right arm again. “Pa, stop. I can’t go on. I’m only holding you back. Leave me behind,” Adam panted. His breath came in short quick gasps.

“Not on your life, son. We’re in this together – to the end. Now quit that talk and move,” Ben ordered. He hated to have to bully his son but he didn’t have any other options.

From the West direction Hoss and Joe rode furiously until the forest became to thick to ride the horses in any longer. Unknown to them at the time, Ruston and Damson were only less then twenty feet in front of them.

Roy and Billy had ridden in as far as they could from the East. Like their counterparts they had followed, they were now on foot.

“There! Over there!” Damson shouted when he saw Ben and Adam Cartwright.

“Well done, boy,” Ruston grinned when he saw his prey in front of them. He rushed on with his rifle ready.

Tyrell and Jacobs had also heard Damson shout. Together they sped up their own pace and were within a few feet of their cohorts within seconds.

Ruston aimed and fired at Ben and Adam. He narrowly missed the top of Ben’s head. The bullet slammed into the trunk of the tree just above his head. “Damn,” he cursed and aimed again.

Taken by surprise at how close the hunters were, Adam slipped and pulled Ben down with him. When he fell, Ben landed hard on Adam. He quickly rolled off his son and tried to pull him to his feet once more.

“Hold it right there!” Tyrell exclaimed. He aimed his rifle at the two men on the ground and pulled back the trigger. From his position he saw the wide open eyes of Ben and Adam Cartwright stare back at him.

Three more rifles were cocked in unison. Ruston, Damsona and Jacobs stood evenly spaced around the two men who lay on the forest floor.

“Come on, Ruston. Now’s your chance. Shoot them,” challenged Tyrell. His finger rested on the trigger. If Ruston didn’t shoot he was determined that he would.

“HOLD IT! DROP YOUR GUNS!” Hoss shouted as he appeared behind Ruston. The barrel of his won rifle aimed squarely at the back of Ruston’s head.

“Do as my brother says, mister,” Joe reiterated. “Do it. Drop your guns.”

When Tyrell saw Ruston and Damson lower their rifles he shook his head. “Ya yellow bellied cowards. Jacob’s you shoot them, and I’ll take care of these two.”

“Not so fast, Tyrell,” Roy warned. He cocked his gun and held it to the back of Tyrell’s head.

“Drop it, Sheriff,” warned Billy. He grabbed Tyrell’s weapon away from him before he could use it. “Tyrell,” Billy continued, “I’m placing you under arrest for the attempted murders of Ben and Adam Cartwright.”

Only once Billy and Roy had the four conspirators tied with their hands behind their backs, did Hoss and Joe lower their rifles.

“Pa, Adam,” they both said in unison. They both moved to be next to their father and brother.

Gently Hoss supported his father’s weight as he pulled him up off the ground. “Pa? Are you okay?” he asked while he checked his father for injuries.

“Son, I’m fine. Help your brother with Adam please,” Ben sighed. The hunt was over. He and Adam had made it out alive. He watched as his two younger sons supported their eldest brother between them.

“Joe, help me lift Adam up a bit more,” Hoss said. When Joe had positioned Adam where he could easily lift him, he cradled him in his massive arms.

Adam gave his younger brothers a look of appreciation before his eyes rolled back in his head. He let the darkness take him to where it was peaceful. No more pain. Just rest.

“He’s okay, Pa,” Hoss said as he read his father’s expression. “He’s just plum tuckered out. As soon as we get him back to town we’ll have the doc take care of him.”

True to his word as soon as they had made it back to town, Hoss immediately took Adam to the doctor’s surgery. He waited while the doctor took care of his brother’s injuries. He couldn’t sit still and had continued to track back and forth in front of his father.

“Son, please sit down. Aside from making me dizzy you will wear a permanent track in the carpet. He’s in the best place,” Ben said. He closed his eyes and offered a prayer of thanks, then sat back and waited for the doctor.

After four hours the doctor greeted the men who had taken up residence in his lobby. “He’s resting comfortably,” Peter said. He put his palms on his back and stretched. “I’ve had to put a new plaster on Adam’s arm and reset his ribs. I’ve also bandaged his ankle, it was pretty bruised and swollen. He’s asleep now and I suspect he will be for some time. He’s pretty exhausted.”

“Thank you so much, doctor,” Ben smiled. He was relieved at the news. He had expected worse. “When can we see him?”

When Peter saw the expectant faces of Ben and his sons along with Roy and Billy he just shook his head. “You can only stay for a short while. He needs his rest.”

After they had spent fifteen minutes in Adam’s room, the doctor chased them all out. He claimed that they had made his patient become agitated. Truth was h wanted them all to take a few minutes for themselves and get something to eat.

Two days later Ben was at his son’s side again. They had been talking about the events that had taken place since they had come back to town.

Tyrell and his cohorts had been arrested for plotting to kill the Cartwrights and were awaiting trial. Billy in the interim had accepted the position of Sheriff and the O’Shaughnessy’s had been offered a place to stay in Stockton. Billy had insisted that when his position of sheriff became permanent that he wanted Malachy to be his deputy.

“Son, how do you feel about traveling home tomorrow?” Ben asked. He watched his son’s face break into a broad smile.

“Pa, that’s the best news I have heard yet. But how are we going to get home?” Adam asked. His expression then changed to one of sadness. “I can’t ride, Pa. Not like this,” he said as he looked at his battered body.

Ben laughed heartily. “Son, if you think I am about to let you get on a horse just yet, you’ve got another think coming.” He watched his son slink back against the pillows on the bed and smiled. “Adam, I’ve booked the stage coach for our journey home. It’s the only way I know of to get you back to the Ponderosa safely.”

“Oh, that sounds just fine to me, Pa. Just fine,” Adam smiled. “I’ve had my share of activity for a while. Over this past week or so I have been shot at, hunted, had an unplanned swim, been a patient of doc’s, not once but twice and spent time in a jail cell,” he said as he counted each thing off on his right hand.

“Son, I thought you were the one that said Stockton was a boring little town. That nothing ever happened,” Ben laughed then tousled Adam’s raven black hair. “Get some rest, we’ve got a long trip ahead of us tomorrow.”

As Ben was about to leave the room Hoss and Joe entered. “Boys, don’t keep you’re bother awake to long. We’ve got a long journey tomorrow. Oh and boys, the homeward trip will give us a chance to have that talk.”

“What talk?” Adam asked.

“The one about how the three of you ended up in jail. I never did get to have that talk, and boys, I intend to get to the bottom of it. So you may want to take the opportunity to get your story straight. It’s going to be an interesting ride home,” Ben grinned as he departed.

When he had gone Adam looked at both of his brothers. “Well, gentlemen, I suggest that you do as the man says. Get your stories worked out,” he smiled.

“What about you?” both Hoss and Joe asked.

“That’s easy. I intend to follow the good doctor’s orders,” chuckled Adam. He smiled broadly while he waited for one of his brothers to respond.

“Whaddya mean by that?” Hoss asked suspiciously.

“I intend to sleep all the way home,” Adam replied.

“That’s not fair,” Joe moaned. His opinion was seconded by Hoss.

“Ben, what are you up to?” Roy asked when he saw his friend with his ear pressed to the door.

“Roy, I get the feeling that tomorrow’s journey home is going to be very interesting in deed,” Ben replied. He then explained to Roy what he had overheard.

Together the both of them laughed. Their laughter carried through into Adam’s room.

“Oh no,” Adam groaned, “I think Pa heard.” He then looked sympathetically at his brothers. “Okay, it’s time to work on our story.”

 

THE END