Summary:  A story for those who are willing to accept an Alternate Universe version of some of the Bonanza story. In this case, it is the story of Ben and Marie and the story of Adam in the prequel years with Adam’s backstory drastically altered.
Rating:  PG  Word count:  15,477

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Not Forgotten Series:

Not Forgotten
Captive Hearts

Not Forgotten

Chapter 1

The fight was ferocious. The young man dressed in and Army shirt, Indian leathers, and a wool coat with his long black hair tied back looked to be at a disadvantage. He had challenged two men and claimed they had stolen his horses. Those two men were larger and well-armed.

“We didn’t steal your horses, Breed. We took ’em back from you and the furs you stole from us.”

“Those were my furs from months of work and packed on my horses. I’ll take them back now.”

Pulling a scattergun, one of the men aimed at the young man who moved quickly diving behind some crates to avoid the first blast. Ben Cartwright was in Eagle Station and was going to intervene but had to protect his two young sons from possible stray buckshot. Pushing them behind solid objects, he hoped to be able to intervene before another shot was fired, but the young man taunted the man with the scattergun who fired again. He missed because as he brought the gun up to fire, the young man dove down behind those crates again which took all the buckshot. The young man came out then with a knife and attacked the second man who was pulling his pistol. That man was slashed across his arm before he could fire. Furious as well as shocked, the other man dropped his scattergun and attempted to pull his pistol but met the same fate as the first man. The young man stood there heaving with the effort of trying to catch his breath as Ben reached him.

“I’m sorry. I would have helped, but I had to protect my sons. I’m Ben Cartwright.” Looking to some men nearby, Ben called to them to get the sheriff and the doctor.

“Maybe I should stab you next.”

Startled by the fierce look that was bolstered by the sound of hatred in the voice and the words he spoke, Ben stared at the young man in shock.

“Why would you do that? I only wanted to help.”

“You don’t know me then? I guess you have forgotten me as well as abandoning me.”

There was something about the young man who Ben now saw was quite young. In some ways, it was like looking into a mirror seeing similar eyes except these eyes were angry. The meaning of the words hit him then.

“Adam?”

“Drop that knife.”

Sheriff Roy Coffee had arrived. Men moved in who had witnessed the altercation from a distance telling Roy that the young man was a half-breed who had attacked the two men to take two horses and the loads of furs they carried. The young man did not drop the knife but carefully and slowly returned it to the sheath inside his thick coat.

“He didn’t attack the two men, Roy. They attacked him. He accused them of stealing his horses and his furs, and their reaction was to try to shoot him. He is no half-breed either.”

“He looks like a half-breed, Ben.”

“I know he isn’t.”

“How could you know that?”

“Because I think he’s my son.”

Behind him, Ben heard sounds of dismay from his two young sons. For years, they had heard the stories of the first-born son who had been left behind with their Uncle Gunnar. He was supposed to bring Adam to the west when the boy was healthier and after Ben and Inger were settled. That had not happened. Inger died. Ben was left with Hoss and had to rely on the generosity of strangers for years to keep him alive and healthy. There was no contact with Gunnar for many years until gold was found in California. When Ben heard that his brother-in-law had caught the gold fever, he tried to find him but never could. Gunnar showed up one day with a tale of woe, and with great sorrow, he told Ben that Adam had succumbed to illness back in Illinois. Now there were angry voices all around demanding the sheriff lock up his long-lost son seemingly returned from the dead.

“That savage near gutted two white men, Sheriff. You gotta lock him up so the rest of the townsfolk can be safe.”

“That’s right, Sheriff. You can’t let a heathen like this run loose stabbing people.”

“He’s dangerous.”

“He tried to kill two men.”

Ben had heard enough. “He didn’t run loose stabbing anyone. You all saw what I saw. He was fired on twice with a scattergun. It was only then that he went after these two and with a knife against their guns.”

“You always take the side of these savages.”

“Yeah, he sides with Winnemucca and them savages every time there’s a dispute too.”

“I do not need anyone to speak for me. I did not try to kill these two men. If I had tried to kill them, they would be dead. I only tried to stop them from shooting me. Their wounds should not kill them except they are so dirty, their wounds could get infected. Then they might get sick and die.”

Some of the men there thought a half-breed calling white men dirty was disgusting, and that got the angry voices going again. It didn’t matter that the young man was clean by all appearances and the two wounded men were, in fact, quite dirty. Roy wanted to separate the young man from the crowd to try to calm things down.

“All right, let’s all settle down. Boy, let’s go on over to my office and settle this.”

“I am not a boy. I am a man, and would you have me go to your office if I was dressed as these men are? What if one of them had to defend himself against two men shooting at him?”

“I’d ask him respectful like to come to my office to make a statement and tell me what happened.”

The young man stood silently clearly waiting. Slightly exasperated, Roy got the message.

“Would you please come on over to my office and give me a statement as to what happened here?”

“I will.”

Ben had to hold back a little smile at the impertinence of the young man he believed was his son. He watched as the dark-haired young man gathered up the lead ropes of the two horses he said were his and moved to follow the Sheriff.

“Hey, how do we know those are his?”

The young man dropped the lead ropes over the necks of each horse. After doing that, he walked down the street a short distance and whistled. Both horses moved to him and stopped by him. He collected the lead ropes again and followed Roy. There were no more questions even as the men stayed with the two who were wounded and waited for the doctor to arrive.

Hoss and Little Joe were full of questions and began badgering their father with them as soon as they could. After hearing what he had said, they wanted to know if it was true and how it could be true.

“You have to stop asking questions for which I do not have answers. I don’t know. I believe it is Adam, but I don’t know how it could be him. Gunnar said he had died and was buried in Illinois. Now I looked that young man in the eyes and they looked like the eyes of my son. When he spoke to me, if was as if he knew me.”

“But Pa, I heard him say he would kill you.”

“Hoss, I don’t know what was in his mind. He didn’t say he would kill me. He said stab.”

“But he tried to kill those other men. They was bleeding real awful.”

“They were bleeding, but if he wanted to kill them, he would have. A boy who uses a knife like that knows how to kill if that is what he wants to do.”

“He don’t look like no boy I ever saw.”

“Hoss, he can’t be more than sixteen. He’s still a boy.”

“He said he was out trapping. He’s living on his own. How can he still be a boy?”

“Living like a man doesn’t make you a man.”

“It doesn’t?”

Although Hoss was confused about that, his father was done talking about the issue and wanted to find Marie. He sent Hoss off to look for her as he walked with Joe toward the sheriff’s office. Once there, he sat to the side with Little Joe and listened to an amazing tale being told unwilling to interrupt for fear he would unleash that hostility in his son again and stop the story that was being told. He could wait until after Roy got the statement about what had happened in the street.

“So how did you come to be dressed as you are? I mean you look more Shoshone than anything.”

“I lived with them for almost three years before they had enough of me. They thought the anger inside of me was bad for the tribe. One day, they decided to move the camp. They handed the reins of a horse to me and pointed in another direction.”

“Where were you before that? I mean the Shoshone ain’t in the habit of kidnapping white children.”

“I was with some Cheyenne for a little but mostly with the Pawnee.”

“Was you kidnapped by one of them?”

“I was taken by the Pawnee.”

“Taken? How? When?”

“After I was sold to a trader who took his wagon onto Pawnee lands and was killed.”

“Sold? Who sold you to a trader?”

“My uncle did not want me anymore. He sold me.”

Ben gasped at that. He so much wanted to say something and to reach out to offer comfort to his son, but he knew that neither was going to be welcomed. Forcing himself to wait to hear more, he put a hand over Little Joe’s mouth when he was going to ask questions. Little Joe was impulsive and such methods were the only way of letting him know that silence was his only option.

“Can you tell me more about this uncle of yours?”

“He was going to find gold, he said. There were other men with him. At first, they had me do chores for them and such, but then they said I was holding them back not able to ride as far or as fast as they wanted. A trader met up with them and they bargained. I am not sure for what, but they made a deal. I was sent with the trader and he made me work for him. He was not a good man. I did not mind when he was killed. I became Taaka’ Skiri of the Skidi Pawnee. I did not like it there either. I tried to run away, and many times, I did not do as they told me. They burned the bottom of my feet. They refused to feed me. They did everything they could think to do to make me into Taaka’ Skiri of the Skidi Pawnee, but I fought them. After maybe two years, they traded me to some Cheyenne who traded me to the Arapaho. The soldiers came and I escaped. The Newe found me. I told you what happened with them. Since then I have lived mostly on my own.”

“What’s your name?”

“I don’t have a name.”

“What was the name you had before your uncle sold you?”

“My uncle called me Laste.”

“Is that a name?”

“It’s as good as any for what people consider me. I’ve been called worse.”

“All right. Would you sign this paper with your statement? You can use the name you got when you were born if you want. Technically, that would be your legal name. Of course, you can use any name you want.”

“Do I have to sign it? I broke no laws.”

“I could sign for you if you tell me to do that.”

“Do that.”

Roy wrote Adam Cartwright at the bottom of the statement and then looked up into those dark hazel eyes.

“You were never forgotten. Many is the time your pa talked about you and the regrets he had about not taking you with him. Then when your uncle said you were dead, he grieved for you. No, boy, you were not forgotten.”

Though the sheriff used boy in reference to him, Adam felt it was done with respect and suspected that anyone much younger than the sheriff was called that. He nodded in acknowledgement of what the sheriff had said.

“Thank you.”

Turning to Ben, Adam had one question.

“Did Inger have her baby?”

“You remember that?”

“Of course I remember. It’s why you didn’t want me anymore.”

“Oh, son, I wanted you, but I wanted to keep you safe too. I thought letting you stay with Gunnar was a way to protect you. You had been very ill, and we thought the difficult trip west could be too much for you. When Gunnar offered to keep you with him until you were stronger and then bring you to us, I thought it was the best way to keep you safe. Inger and I had no idea the harm that would come to you because of my decision.”

“I begged you to take me with you. You didn’t care. Now, maybe I don’t care. I have my own life. You have yours. You have another son. You and Inger must be very happy.”

“I’m sorry to have to tell you, but Inger did not survive the trip out here. She was killed by Indians not long after we left. Hoss was an infant.”

“So you have another new family.”

“I have family. You are part of my family too.”

“Not anymore.”

“You always were. Don’t you want to meet the brother you helped name? Inger said that we had to call him Hoss even though his name is Eric. She said you wanted that name for him so we have called him that ever since he was tiny although perhaps it’s not true to say he was ever tiny.”

“I will meet him.”

“Will you meet me too. I’m Little Joe.”

Apparently Ben’s warning had lasted as long as it was going to last. Luckily Adam took the approach well.

“You can call me Adam if you want.”

As they stepped outside the office, Marie arrived with Hoss. She gathered Little Joe protectively at her side as she gazed suspiciously at Adam. It was clear that she did not believe that he was Adam. When Ben told her that, she shook her head.

“How could you know? That was over ten years ago, and he was a small child. Look at him dressed now almost like a savage. He cannot be your son.”

“Marie, he is. He knows what Adam would know. He is my son.”

“You can’t possibly be thinking of bringing him into our home.”

“I am, but it is up to him.”

Ben probably never knew how important those last words were. Adam looked at him for a time and waited to hear what else he would say. Ben spent some time calming his wife and making some promises. He agreed to a tutor when Marie objected that he wasn’t educated. When she claimed there might be a danger to Little Joe, he insisted that Adam would never be left alone with Little Joe until she was comfortable with the idea. Although some of the promises were insulting, Adam was getting a clear picture of the relationship between Ben and Marie. He was also getting curious about how the family functioned. Remembering his father as a fierce man and a strict disciplinarian, he wondered at the way Little Joe acted and how Ben seemed to concede so many things to his wife. When his father finally turned to him and asked him if he would stay, his answer was noncommittal in some ways and left an option for him if he needed it.

“I’ll stay for a time. I make no promises. Whenever it doesn’t work out, know that I will leave.”

Hoss was curious. “Does that mean I’m not the oldest anymore? Cause I’m tired of being the oldest and having to set a good example.”

Unable to resist a small smile at that, Adam wondered what Marie would think of him setting an example for his younger brothers. Marie insisted then on a private talk with her husband leaving Adam to talk with Hoss and Little Joe. They had questions that he considered silly so he wouldn’t answer except by saying no to them when they asked if he ever scalped anyone or questions like that. When Marie came back, she wanted to know why none of the tribes wanted him.

“I am honest. I tell the truth. I work hard. But I do not like people telling me what to do treating me like a servant or a slave. I have pride. If people try to push me around, I fight back. Too many thought me less than them because I was white. I fought often.”

Ben looked triumphant when he heard that answer and turned to Marie confident that she could have no other objections. She didn’t have any she could voice but was unhappy with the result and showed that. Ben wanted Adam to come with them right then.

“Will you ride to the ranch with us?”

“I want to sell my furs first.”

“I’ll go with you.”

“It is not necessary.”

“I want to do it.”

When Adam saw Marie didn’t like it, he took a certain amount of pleasure in accepting his father’s offer. Ben guessed there might be trouble and didn’t want Adam to have to face any more that day. Quickly moving to the general store, he directed Adam to the side of the building where such transactions usually took place. Although Ben wanted to help, a look from Adam kept him from saying anything. He thought the shopkeeper paid Adam less than the furs were worth, but Adam seemed satisfied with the deal.

“You might have gotten more by bargaining.”

“I know.”

“But you didn’t.”

“No, I did not.”

“Why?”

“Next time we bargain, he will do one of two things. He will think he has an advantage over me and make mistakes because of that overconfidence, or he will feel guilty and give me a better deal than he should. Either way, I will come out ahead. I didn’t need more money this time. Next time I might. It will work out for you too.”

With a smile, Adam tucked the money into a pouch that he secured inside his shirt. Ben thought about what he had said and understood. When the shopkeeper learned that Adam was a Cartwright, he would be nervous about dealing with Ben too and most likely give him a good deal too the next time he needed supplies.

“You are clever.”

“It is how I stayed alive. I plan ahead.”

“What about those two men you hurt? They and their friends could be a problem for you.”

“Only if I turn my back to them. I won’t.”

Watching him walk at his side, Ben realized that even at his age, Adam was more of a man than the two men he had cut. He was correct in that they would be afraid of facing him again. At his side, Adam might fear what they would do, but he was already evaluating them and what he needed to do to protect himself.

When they got to the wagon, Adam offered to let Hoss ride one of his pack horses. It was a large black horse that appeared to still be growing. Hoss clambered on the horse sitting bareback and asked for the name of his ride.

“I call him Chubby. I’m afraid though that people might confuse the issue if you’re riding him. Perhaps we should call him Chubb. Are you going to be all right riding without a saddle?”

“Sure. How old is Chubb?”

“He’s not a year old yet. You two can grow together if it’s all right with your father.”

Ben and Hoss understood that statement at about the same time. Looking at Hoss, Ben could see the joy on the boy’s face. He couldn’t say no, but he had to make sure Adam was doing this for the right kind of reasons.

“Are you sure you want to give away your horse?”

“This is my horse. That was my extra horse. I won’t need him now. He was only carrying furs because I had so many. The other horse is a packhorse. I will keep him in case I need him.”

Although Ben didn’t like the implication of that, he had to accept it.

“Hoss, that is a big responsibility. You will need to pay close attention to your horse and take good care of him.”

Hoss smiled and Adam tipped his hat to his younger brother. Both saw the looks from Marie and Little Joe. Neither mother nor littlest brother liked what had happened but could hardly voice their objections at least at that time.

Chapter 2

By Adam’s evaluation, the ranch house was small for five people especially the Cartwrights with their strong personalities that were likely to clash. Adam looked it over and decided it might be best if he slept elsewhere. He did not want to share a room with his younger brothers. The bunkhouse was an option, but Adam said until they could expand the house, he would prefer the hayloft. Marie and Little Joe seemed happy with that solution and hardly seemed to notice that Adam had mentioned expanding the house. Ben did though and asked what he meant by that.

“You have a solid set of walls yet you have only one floor. Why did you not add a second story. I was at a fort for a time and saw how they added a second floor to a building supported by logs as this one is. It wouldn’t be difficult to do. You would have a lot more room and better air flowing through the house too. Bedrooms backed up to the main chimney there would be warmed by it in cold weather.”

In some ways, Ben had forgotten the natural intelligence of his eldest son. He looked at him in a new light after he stated those ideas and asked if he remembered how to read. The disdainful look he got told him he shouldn’t have posed such a question. After a pause, Adam decided to answer him though.

“It was one of the reasons the Newe didn’t want me to stay. I would not give up the white ways including reading. Whenever I could, I would get books and read them. They did not like that and would take them and burn them for any infraction they considered I had committed. It didn’t change me. I would only wait for the next opportunity to get more.”

“I have books here you can borrow to read when you are not working. I would like to know more about the ideas you have about expanding the house too. Perhaps you could draw it out with measurements and such.”

That led Ben to discover that Adam had missed out on many aspects of education. Adam dropped his eyes to the floor and didn’t answer the request. Ben quickly understood.

“I can teach you how to use a straightedge ruler and a compass. I can work with you on math and other things you may need to learn again. I’m sure you will pick those things up quickly.”

Ben could see Adam’s struggle with having to accept help.

“We’re family, son. We stand together in all things.”

“Thank you. I would like to learn those things.”

Ben was grateful for that answer and surprised that Adam did not bristle that he had slipped and called him son. Apparently they had crossed some kind of bridge without Ben knowing. It was hard to read this young man who kept so much hidden.

Hoss was curious about the conversation. “Does Adam have to go to school?”

Before Ben could answer, Marie saw an opening. “Perhaps, that would be a good thing. There are wonderful boarding schools in California already. He could go to one of those and get caught up on all that he has missed. He seems very intelligent. Perhaps, he could even go to college.”

“Marie, we have a ranch. He doesn’t need to go to college. He’s hardly the kind of student they would want anyway.”

Without any intention of doing so, Ben had set up a conflict with his son. It was like throwing down a gauntlet to tell Adam there was something he couldn’t do. Ben didn’t know that yet because he had not yet accepted that his son could be that proud or that stubborn. He was going to learn though that he had one son who was a match for him. Marie saw it though. The fire in the eyes told her that there was a way to get rid of Adam if only she could stoke that fire enough to cause a rift between father and son that couldn’t be healed. It only took her a few weeks to think of what to do.

While Marie was plotting, Adam became immersed in ranch activity showing a distinct aptitude for many of the tasks once the hands got over the hazing. That started when Ben asked Adam to help with breaking some horses. When it was time for Adam’s first ride, he asked the men to step away from the chute while he talked to the horse. Wanting to calm the horse before riding it, he found all the noise and the men yelling was making the horse more agitated. When he asked the man holding the rope for the chute to open the chute slowly, the man jerked it open with a yell startling the horse into a jolting hard ride for Adam. When he got off the horse, he walked stiff-legged to the man who had pulled the chute open.

“I asked you to open the chute slowly.”

“I reckon no snot-nosed kid who lived with Injuns can tell me what to do.”

The man outweighed Adam by at least fifty pounds and probably felt safe standing next to him. He never saw the first blow coming, but he got up fast. The fight was on with Adam’s agility and skill balancing the other man’s strength and weight advantage. The commotion drew Hoss who ran for his father. Ben arrived quickly and called a halt to the fight quieting the men. His booming voice had a tendency to do that in any crowd.

“Who started this?”

“I did.”

“There is no good reason to fight on this ranch. Go to the house.”

“No. I have work to do. I will do it. We can talk about this later.”

The silence was amazing as most of the men were hardly breathing. Ben never had anyone defy him that way on his ranch. Yet it was a difficult situation.

“Yes, we will talk about this later. There will be no more fights. Is that clear?”

“Your statement was clearly heard.”

Ben knew that was far less than he wanted Adam to say, but for the time being, it was going to have to be enough. He turned and grabbed Hoss by the arm before walking back to the house. Adam turned to the other men and waited. They all went back to work. The man he had fought was wiping blood from his lip.

“We can continue this some other time.”

“We can or we can decide it was enough.”

“Enough for now, but you ever swing at me again, we’re going to continue.”

“Fair enough. You insult me or don’t do as I ask, I will swing at you again.”

“Your pa said not to do that.”

“Yes, I heard him. Would it stop you from swinging back?”

“Nope. Ain’t no job no matter how good worth giving up my balls. Yeah, I got you now. Let’s get back to work.” After walking a short distance, the man had another question.

“Say, why don’t you want to sleep in the bunkhouse with us? I mean, we know there ain’t enough room in the house for ya. Ain’t we good enough for ya?”

“No, it is to protect you.”

“What?”

“I have learned to be very careful when I sleep. When someone comes close to me when I am sleeping, I attack them. Someone could get seriously injured, and it wouldn’t be me.”

“Yeah, I heard about those two in town. I get it. You know, we could rig up a more private area for you to sleep if you ever decide you want to try it.”

“Thank you. When it gets colder and I’m more used to being here, I will take you up on the offer.”

With the next horse Adam rode, the men found that Adam’s method worked better than all the hooting and hollering they had been doing. They were quieter and calmer then at the chute for all the riders trying to keep the horses calmed down too. By the end of the day, they had green broke more horses than was usual for one day. As the men filed back, they gave Adam an invitation.

“Say, why don’t you come in the bunkhouse after your dinner. We got a few games we play and you could join in. Probably more interesting than hanging around with the little guys.”

“Thank you, but not today. I have quite a few bruises and you all know why. I want to turn in early. There’s a talk I have to have with my father too which may leave a few other kinds of bruises.”

A few of the men winced at that knowing what he meant. Later when Ben talked with Adam, he complained that his son was ruining his relationship with the hands.

“They asked me to stay in the bunkhouse with them and offered to make up a more private area for me. They invited me to come in to play some of their card games tonight.”

“But what about after the fight?”

“That was after the fight.”

It was so unexpected that Ben had no answer for it. He simply fell back on his rule of no fighting on the ranch,

“I will not give up being a man to be your son.”

“I’m not asking you to do that.”

“You are. I asked for something to be done, and the opposite was delivered. Then the man insulted me. Men handle these things the way I did. You take that from me, and I am a boy, not a man.”

Although Ben wanted to argue that Adam was a boy and not a man, his own actions sending Adam to work with the men worked against him. He began to see a future of difficult arguments with this son. However, he would not a regret a moment of them. Smiling gently at that thought, he saw his son frown slightly.

“I’ve realized we may have many more of these, ah, discussions. I would not want it any other way. You are showing me in many ways how much you are my son and how much you are like your mother too.”

“Will you tell me about her sometime?”

“Yes, it is something I neglected when you were young. I was so sad and angry then. I am sorry for my behavior and I’ll do what I can to make up for that.”

Ben paused and gestured for his son to wait. At that moment, he had an inspiration and went to a trunk by his bed returning a few minutes later to hand something wrapped in velvet cloth to his son. As Adam unwrapped it, Ben explained.

“I yelled at you once for touching that. I should not have done that. It is rightfully yours as much as it belongs to anyone. It was your mother’s music box. Now, it belongs to you.”

With tears in his eyes, Adam could not speak. A gift meant an obligation. He had been taught that, and it meant he would stay no matter what happened. Ben didn’t understand that, but he had forged a bond with his son that night that could not be broken. Ben saw the eyes glistening and knew he had done a good thing for his son. When Adam regained his composure, he asked a favor.

“When Inger told me that you and she would have a child, she said when I came west to live with you, I would be the big brother and have to take care of my younger brother or sister. I didn’t get to do that. Now, I can. Would it be all right if I started to teach Hoss some of the things I know about hunting and tracking and things like that? These are things that could help him live out here.”

“That sounds like a good idea. I don’t want him using a gun yet though.”

“I will teach him about traps and snares he can set.”

“That’s good. Hop Sing does like having rabbit to cook.”

“May I tell Hoss what I plan?”

“Oh, I think he may already know. Your younger brothers are rather prone to eavesdropping. I have tried to stop it, but they poke their heads around doors like now, or listen by windows whenever they can. At this point, I don’t think they will ever stop. Keep that in mind if you are ever trying to have a private conversation with anyone here.”

There were distinctly different responses to Adam’s plan from Hoss, Little Joe, and Marie. Marie didn’t like it at all, Little Joe was jealous, and Hoss was thrilled.

“Benjamin, how can you let him educate Eric in the ways of the savages? How will the boy ever learn proper behavior and language with Adam setting an example for him?”

“Marie, Adam is quite well spoken. His English is a little stilted but that is to be expected in that he didn’t always have time to practice it. It seems he did spend time on an Army post although he’s not talking much about that. I’m sure he has had quite a lot of interaction with whites in the last couple of years though. He has skills that any man out here could use, and he will teach Hoss which will help him to be better prepared to survive.”

“He has been here only two days and already he has had a bad effect on you too. I wish he had never come here. How did he come here anyway? This is a long way from where he was.”

Ben had wondered about that too as much as he wondered about the vague references Adam made to an Army post. He began to think that Adam showing up in the little town that was hardly more than a trading post, the brand-new general store, saloons, a new hotel, and a boarding house was an accident. Not knowing how to ask him about it without making it sound like an accusation of some sort, he said nothing about it to Adam. He did talk to Little Joe about the situation though. It seemed the youngest thought he too ought to be included in the lessons that Adam would be teaching Hoss.

“Maybe there are other things that Adam can teach you.”

“Really?”

“Yes, we should ask him. You are not ready for tracking and hunting, but I’m sure there are other things he must know that he could teach you.”

“Can we ask him now?”

“No, he has gone out on the porch to speak with Hoss and then he will retire for the night. We can ask after breakfast in the morning.”

Out on the porch, Hoss asked if they could walk to the corral to talk. After what Ben had said, Adam agreed. There Hoss thanked his brother profusely.

“You don’t know what it’s like being taught by Mama. She’s real nice and all, and I love her as my Mama, but not as a teacher. She keeps telling me I got to be an example to Little Joe. She tells me I talk wrong and I walk wrong and I eat wrong. Heck, she tells me I do just about everything wrong. Says I ain’t never going to be no gentleman.”

“I won’t ever be a gentleman.”

“Right, she probably thinks that too.”

“I am not concerned about her.”

“Adam, maybe you should be. She’s been telling Pa for two days that you don’t belong here. When she gets an idea, she don’t give it up.”

“She won’t make me leave.”

“But Pa could make you leave if she pushed him to do it.”

“He won’t make me leave. Look what he gave me tonight. It’s my mother’s music box.”

Holding it carefully and reverently in his hands, Hoss smiled.

“It’s really pretty. I wish I had something like that from my mother.”

“She was beautiful, Hoss. She had a kind word or smile every time she saw me. When I was sick when I first met her, she tucked the blanket up under my chin, and put her hand on my forehead, and she kissed my cheek. She was so tender and sweet.”

“Thank you, Adam. Pa never talks about her. I think Mama doesn’t like him talking about the other women he was married up with.”

“But they’re not here anymore.”

“It’s just the way she is. She’s really nice when she gets things her way.”

“She may not like me teaching you the things I know then.”

“Maybe not, but Pa already said you would, and he don’t ever go back on his word. Watch out for Mama. She’s going to be mad at you and want to do something to you to punish cause you made her unhappy.”

The two said good night, but it wasn’t a good night for Ben. Little Joe recounted his conversation with his father to his mother when she was tucking him in. Shocked, Marie stormed across the house to confront her husband.

“I objected to Adam teaching Hoss, and you dare to allow him to teach my son?”

“Yes, I will talk to him and find things that he can teach our son. Maybe he can take him fishing and get him out of the house. He’s a boy, but one would hardly know it looking at him with his long curly hair and frilly clothing.”

Stymied, Marie left for their bedroom which Ben expected to be chilly for some time. In fact, he found himself locked out. There was no lock on the door, but Marie had moved something to block the door so he couldn’t open it. He slept on the settee that night. He would have it out with her about her behavior the next morning.

Chapter 3

As the weeks went on, Ben noticed how Hoss began following Adam around quite a bit and also doing a lot of what Adam did. Early in the morning every day, Hoss was in the barn doing chores with his older brother before either of them had breakfast. As Hoss told his father, he should not have food until the animals they depended on were fed and watered. Hoss didn’t say he learned that from Adam but stated it as part of his new philosophy of life. At meals, he still ate quite a bit, but with the increased activity and work, he began to lose the puffy look, and although he was still large, he began to look more fit. In addition, he and Adam managed to set some snares successfully and brought in some rabbits that made a couple of tasty dinners. Then Adam made a small suggestion that ended up having a major impact on the family though none knew it at the time.

“Maybe it’s time to take Little Joe on one of our excursions, Pa. I was thinking that if you could spare me and Hoss on Saturday, I could take both of them fishing.”

“That’s an excellent idea. For that, of course I can spare you on Saturday. I only wish I could go with you.”

When Marie found out, she was incensed. She had conceded that she had lost Hoss, but in her mind, Little Joe was her son. She felt she had an exclusive right to determine how he would be raised, and letting Adam have any influence over him was not part of her plan.

“I forbid it. I do not want my son in his company away from this house.”

“Marie, I said they could go and they will. I’m their father, and it is my decision.”

Over time, Ben had given up much of his authority to Marie. He was reclaiming it now that he realized what he had lost and the impact it had on his sons. Although it would be difficult, he assumed Marie could return to her previous role of supporting him in his decisions. He didn’t understand how wrong he was in that assumption.

On Saturday, Adam hitched up the buckboard and put supplies in the wagon for the horses and for the three brothers. Ben had to smile as Adam drove the wagon from the yard and all three of his sons were sitting together on that bench seat. He knew Marie didn’t like it, but it made the family whole again, and he thought Adam was good for the other two. Hoss had little inclination to accept any kind of formal schooling or tutoring, but he was learning quite a lot from Adam and accepting help with his reading and arithmetic because Adam said he was going to need it.

“Hoss, you don’t want men to be able to trick you because they can read things you can’t read. They’ll tell you it’s one thing when it’s another.”

“Why would they do that?”

“Most often it’s greed. If it means they can get more money, men will do just about anything.”

“You’re not that way.”

“No, I’m not because money isn’t the most important thing in my life.”

“What about women?”

“What do you mean?”

“Will women do just about anything to get more money?”

“I don’t know about money, but some women seem to be willing to do just about anything to get their way whatever it is.”

“Sometimes I think Mama is that way. I see her cry sometimes but there ain’t no tears. She gets Pa to do things that way. I always wondered why when she wants something from him, she cries without tears. Pa don’t seem to notice.”

“Blinded by love.”

“Huh?”

“Sometimes when someone is in love, they don’t see the bad side of a person. They want that person to only be good.”

Thinking for a short time and seeing how his brother looked, Hoss had a question. “Did that happen to you?”

“You’re smart for being so young yet. Yes. I said the truth when I said the Newe wanted me gone because I wouldn’t follow their rules. The rule they most wanted me to follow was to stay away from a young woman. The problem was that I loved her. I didn’t see that she was pretending to want me to make another young man jealous. It got me kicked out too. When there’s trouble, the one who doesn’t fit in is usually the one who gets blamed.”

Hoss became thoughtful and didn’t talk for quite some time which was unusual.

“Hoss, did I say something wrong to upset you? I didn’t mean to do that.”

“Nah, I was thinking hard on something. I can’t never seem to think and talk at the same time.”

“What has you thinking so hard?”

“I love Mama and all, but I was thinking maybe she’s trying to make trouble so you’ll get blamed and maybe get told to leave here too.”

With a mannerism that was to become familiar to the whole family eventually, Adam rubbed the back of his neck with his head down before answering.

“It’s part of the reason I don’t mind being away from the house. Having meals with the family is uncomfortable enough. She looks at me like she is the hunter and I am the game. It is not a good feeling.”

“It’s why you like taking me out to do things then. It’s better than when we’re in the house?”

“Yes, and the only way I will get to know my littlest brother is to get him away from Marie. Hoss, why does she make him look like a girl? Those long curls on a white boy are unusual, aren’t they?”

Hoss shrugged. He didn’t like picking on anyone for their looks. It happened to him far too often, but he did note that it happened far less now that Adam was here. The men kidded Adam and teased him, but it was not with any mean things said. There was one thing Hoss had to ask though because he had not understood why the men laughed.

“When you were talking to the men about not being married to an Indian, they said it was because the chiefs didn’t want any little Indians with as much hair as you got. Then you said it was probably too late for that, and they all laughed and they laughed a lot. What was funny about that?”

Again, Adam dropped his head and rubbed his neck, but then he tugged an ear and pinched his nose too. Hoss smiled because he had noticed how Adam did all those kinds of things when he was working on coming up with the right kind of answer to something. When his brother answered though, it was far less than Hoss wanted.

“When you’re old enough to understand why they were laughing, you can laugh too. Until then, it’s not up to me to explain it to you.”

“Who’s gonna explain it to me then?”

“I don’t know. Please don’t ask Pa to explain it though. Wait a couple of years maybe. You’ll understand eventually if you’re patient.”

None of that was satisfying to a curious younger brother, but even less satisfying to Little Joe who had been eavesdropping. He carried the tale to his father, and the little boy had an excellent memory. When Adam went to look for Little Joe because it was time to leave on their fishing trip, he didn’t understand why he got such a stern look from his father and an admonishment to be sure to tell only stories fit for young boys to hear. He agreed, and on the way out, began to wonder.

“Little Joe, did you hear Hoss and I talking?”

“I’m not ‘sposed to eavesdrop.”

“No, you’re not which means you were, right?”

“How did you know? I was hiding.”

“I know things. Did you tell Pa what you heard?”

“He said not to say that ever again, and he was mad at you. You told a bad story, Adam, I think. It musta been cause Pa didn’t like it when I told him. Pa’s gonna talk to you, I think.”

“If you were eavesdropping, you should know who told the story.”

“Oh, yeah, Hoss told the story and then asked you about it. I forgot that when I told Pa. I can tell him that later.”

“No, it’s my business now. It is not your worry. All you have to do today is listen to my directions and follow them. If you do not, we will come home.”

“Without doing any fishing?”

“Yes, fishing will only happen if you follow the rules.”

With a deep sigh and a quite dramatic walk to the wagon, the little boy made it quite clear how he felt about what he had been told. Adam grinned as Hoss was amazed.

“I never knew anybody could make him do what he was told.”

“He hasn’t done it yet, but at least he knows the situation.”

On the way to the lake, Adam let Hoss take the reins for a short distance as they were on flat land going straight. Little Joe wanted to do the same but Adam said he couldn’t do it the same way because he was so much smaller.

“How can I do it then?”

“Sit on my lap to make you taller and use my hands with yours to make your hands big enough to hold the reins.”

“All right.”

Soon Little Joe was sitting on Adam’s lap holding the reins with Adam as his older brother drove the team. However Little Joe had the impression he was doing the driving and that was all that mattered. At the lake, Little Joe had another request.

“Hoss said you showed him how to skip rocks. Will you show me too?”

“Yes, I showed Hoss how to skip stones, but we won’t do that today. It would scare the fish. I’ll show you how to do that the next time we come out to the lake.”

“You’re going to take me out here again?”

“Of course I’ll take you out here again. I’m your older brother. I have to teach you things, don’t I?”

The first stages of hero worship were developing in both younger brothers. Ben could see it when the three came back home with fish for dinner. Unfortunately for Adam, Marie saw it too.

“Pa, Adam can catch fish without a pole or a line or a hook or anything. He lays there next to where the fish are and puts his arm in the water. We have to be real quiet and not move, and then boom, he pulls a fish right out of the water.”

“Pa, Adam let me drive the wagon.”

Ben was shocked at Little Joe’s claim.

“He sat on my lap and held the reins in my hands. There was no danger.”

Understanding what his son had done, Ben nodded, but Marie was angry.

“You put a child in danger. You cannot be trusted to watch over my son. I do not want you to take him anywhere again.”

Although inclined to argue, Adam did not and looked to his father.

“I’ll handle it. She doesn’t understand.”

Both Adam and Hoss thought she probably did understand but wanted an excuse to keep Little Joe in the house safe at her side. When Ben followed his wife and youngest son into the house, Adam and Hoss got the fish to take to Hop Sing. Hoss vented a little now that he had someone willing to listen who understood what he meant and cared too.

“Adam, I don’t think she ever wants our little brother to grow up.”

“I’m not sure what she wants. Maybe she doesn’t know either.”

“Huh?”

“Sometimes what you think you want isn’t what you want when you finally get there. When I came here, I thought I wanted one thing, but I found I really wanted something else.”

“What is it you wanted, Adam?”

Both boys whirled around at the sound of Ben’s voice because they had not realized he had come back outside.

“Hoss, why don’t you go inside. Adam and I need to talk.”

After Hoss did as he was told, Adam stood in that defensive posture his father had already come to recognize. Arms crossed and leaning to one side with his chin jutting out slightly, he was ready for a fight. Ben wasn’t ready to give him one.

“Thank you for taking the boys on an excursion today. They had fun and learned quite a bit based on what I have already been told. We’re going to have a fine dinner too.”

Adam accepted that graciously and his father saw him relax.

“As for the story Little Joe told me, I talked with a couple of the hands. I understand. It was simply that male boasting that goes on, and Hoss overheard. Although Adam had not been boasting, he didn’t correct his father’s impression of that. He guessed that sometimes it was best if fathers didn’t know everything.

“We’ve had some time together now, and I want to know something. Did you come here to kill me?”

The question was so unexpected that Adam was unable to hide his reaction enough. Ben saw and knew.

“There has been reason to doubt your story from the beginning. It didn’t make sense unless I assumed you were leaving out large portions of the story. You don’t lie well even by omission. I think that by nature, you are an honorable and honest person. Are you ready to tell me the whole story?”

“The Newe did want me to leave. When they gave me the horse as they left, it was to leave me to the soldiers who were coming. Soldiers always looked for whites among the tribes. They had never noticed me because I was so dark, but at that age, I was already starting to have a beard growing in. It was becoming more obvious that I was not Newe and never would be.”

“How long were you with the soldiers? I heard you make reference to the fort when you described expanding the house. I knew you must have been there awhile to know that much about it.”

“Most of the time since I left the Newe. They found I knew the language and knew English too. They started to tutor me in English to make it better. Then I interpreted when they had contact with the Newe or any related tribes. I lived with the commander in his house like his son. He gave me good clothes to wear and good food to eat. I had a good life there. I kept my Newe clothing. I told him it would help when we went out to meet with them. He understood.”

“What happened?”

“He told me you were dead when I told him my name. I told him my story. He said he knew of you and that you and your wife and child had been killed in an Indian attack. I thought that must be Inger and Hoss, and I thought I was alone. I accepted his help because I had no one else. Then one of the sergeants there told me the truth. He had too much to drink one night and told me you were alive and doing well here. The commander caught me as I was packing to leave. He tried to stop me. I fought to go. I think I hurt him. That’s why I hid in the hills and turned to hunting and trapping. I thought the soldiers would be after me. When they did not come, I came here to seek justice or what I thought was justice.”

“But it wasn’t what you thought here either.”

“No. When I saw you, I realized I wanted to be with my family again. Will you send me away now that you know why I came here?”

“Of course not. I could never send you away. You’re my son and always will be. Now I should tell you I suspected some of your story before you told me. Your English was too good for spending all those years with Indians and then by yourself. You read well too.”

“When I mentioned the fort, I guess it didn’t take long then to figure out where I had spent quite a bit of time.”

“The soldiers would not have come after you either. It is the duty of the Army to return white captives to their families. By lying to you to keep you in his service as an interpreter, your commander violated his duties. If you were caught and had to explain yourself, you would have told the truth and his career would have been ruined. I’m sure he would like to think you perished in the wilderness. Now did you break some horses for the Army too?”

“How did you know that?”

“You use a combination of Indian style and white style. Mostly your quiet and calming techniques seem very much like the Indian methods I’ve seen, but then you mount up and ride from the same side whites do which is the opposite side from which most Indians do.”

“I’m glad we were able to settle things between us.”

“I’m glad we were able to settle things, but I don’t think it’s over. The way we are, the more likely we will have more things to discuss in the future.”

“But no matter what, we can discuss them?”

“Yes, we can discuss anything.”

The two walked in the house to await dinner and hear the pleas of Marie as to what she wanted although there would be no concession on what she wanted. Ben was ready to reclaim his role as head of the family. Both he and Adam understood that most of Marie’s requests were for her to get her wish that Adam leave and never return. Ben was even more determined that was never going to happen. He should not have underestimated his wife’s ability to concoct a devious plan.

Chapter 4

Over the next month though, Marie changed her behavior and became much more tolerant of Adam even seeming quite pleasant with him at times. Adam was suspicious of the sudden turnaround, but at first Ben was pleased. It was when Marie started to make a different kind of complaint that he grew concerned.

“Ben, it makes me uncomfortable the way he looks at me when you do not notice.”

“What do you mean the way he looks at you?”

“It is the way some men look at me when we go to town. You know, the ones who make you so angry by their bold looks. They dare not say anything but their looking says enough.”

“Now, I don’t think Adam would do anything like that. You’re my wife and therefore his stepmother.”

“You know what he told the men who work here. He said he was, shall we say, active with Indian girls. He is no shy boy, Ben.”

“I’m sure you are being overly sensitive, Marie.”

“I’ve been nice to him because he is your son. I’m afraid he may have taken that the wrong way and thinks I am interested in something more with him.”

Ben didn’t want to accept what she had said and told her so. Yet she had planted that seed of doubt, and Ben began to watch Adam more closely. He saw some of the sideways looks and looks from under those half-closed lids. It was how Adam looked at everyone. He had been taught only to look directly at someone in challenge, close personal encounters, or in intimacy. However, that wasn’t what Ben was looking to see and didn’t, for what he saw took on a more sinister aspect because of Marie’s accusations. He had always been prone to jealousy. She knew that and had fanned the flame of it hoping it would burst into righteous fire.

Adam began to notice a sharpness to the tone of his father’s comments to him. He didn’t understand at first what had happened, but on several occasions saw Marie smile when it happened. Then he knew. She had done something to poison the watering hole as the Newe would have phrased it. Something good had might be lost because of her intercession, but he didn’t know yet how she had done it. Hoss was the one who let him know.

“Mama thinks you want to kiss her.”

“What?”

Shocked, Adam dropped the tongs he had been using at the forge and stared at Hoss. Before he could say anything, he knew he needed to finish the task that had been set for him and needed to concentrate before he hurt himself or burned something that shouldn’t be burned. With great effort, he didn’t ask any questions, picked up the tongs, and finished making the horseshoe as he had been instructed. There was no blacksmith locally and because he had learned a few of the techniques while living at the fort, he was going to try to learn to do all the basic things. He had a lesson in Eagle Station and had needed to practice. Putting the completed horseshoe aside to cool, he turned to Hoss.

“Why would Marie think I wanted to kiss her?”

“I don’t know, but I heard her say something like that to Pa. He got real upset. Why do you want to kiss Mama?”

“I don’t want to kiss her. The thought of that makes me want to retch. I can hardly stand to be at the table with her for meals.”

Confused, Hoss stared at Adam. This kind of thing was so far beyond his understanding that all he could do was ask questions.

“But why would she say that then?”

“You said Pa got upset when she told him.”

“Yeah.”

“That’s why she did it.”

“But she’s married to Pa, and she loves him. I know she does. She wouldn’t want him to get upset.”

“He wasn’t upset at her, was he?”

“No, I don’t think so. I think he was upset at you.” That only confused Hoss more. “But why would Mama want Pa upset at you? She’s been real nice to you lately. I know she has.”

“Hoss, remember that black mare we were trying to break a few weeks ago. The one that was all quiet until we opened the chute. It happened every time too. She acted like everything was fine, but nobody was going to ride her. She broke a leg the third day, and we had to shoot her.”

“Yeah, I remember that. I cried. Men ain’t supposed to cry. Pa told me that, but she was a real pretty horse and real nice too.”

“Was she nice, or was she acting nice to catch us off guard so she could have the advantage? She threw every rider who tried to break her.”

“Yeah, she threw you too.”

“Yes, but do you get my point. Someone can act nice to cover up what they are really trying to do.”

“Oh, I see what you mean. But what do you think Mama is trying to do?”

“She wants me to leave. If she makes Pa mad enough, he might tell me that this isn’t working out. I’m sure he would be fair and all, but he wouldn’t let me stay if he believed her and the things she is saying.”

“That wouldn’t be right.”

“Marie knows Pa wouldn’t do that unless he was forced into it. She’s trying to force him to do it.”

“I’m sure Pa is going to talk to me about what you told me and maybe more. We don’t know everything she’s said to him. I want you to listen like you usually do, but mostly please watch Marie. If she’s smiling and I think she will be, that would be evidence that I’m right about what she’s doing.”

“But then what do I do?”

“You tell me she’s smiling. An extra witness can’t hurt.”

“Adam, I don’t like this. I don’t want to do that.”

Throwing an arm around Hoss’ shoulders, Adam smiled at him.

“It’s all right. I forget sometimes how young you are because of how big you are. You’re almost as tall as I am. I can handle it. I think.”

It didn’t take long for Ben to seek out Adam and send Hoss to the house where he found Marie smiling and singing some of those pretty French songs. Hoss noted the frown on Little Joe and pulled him aside to play.

“Little Joe, what happened?”

“I don’t know. I thought Mama and Papa were fighting, but then they hugged and kissed. Papa left the house. They talked about Adam a lot but I couldn’t hear what they said.”

“You probably wouldn’t have understood it anyway.”

“Hey, I’m pretty smart.”

“Yeah, you are. But they would have used a bunch of them grown up words. I don’t even know what a bunch of them mean.”

In the barn, Ben confronted Adam.

“Marie told me what you did.”

“Did? Now her lies are about what I’m doing?”

“Lies? You’re denying it?”

“I would if I knew what you were talking about.”

“Marie told me you tried to kiss her.”

Sneering at her duplicity, Adam only got his father’s anger to rise even more.

“How dare you smile at that?”

“It wasn’t a smile of humor. It’s the lie that she told you, and I don’t know how many others she has told you. She wants me to leave here, and she’s working on you to make it happen.”

Shaken a little by Adam’s calm demeanor and by his statement, Ben began to argue his case.

“She is a beautiful woman. Many men would want to kiss her if they could.”

“I am not one of those men. To me, she is old. I would want to kiss someone younger, much younger, and fresh like flowers opening with the sun’s early light. She is like a faded rose. She is your wife, but she is not for me. She is about as opposite of what would attract me as you could ever find.”

“You would never dare say these things to her.”

“I would if you allowed it. I am polite to her because she is your wife and for no other reason.”

No longer so sure of himself, Ben needed to talk to Marie again. When she saw him exit the stable looking confused instead of upset or angry, she rushed to him.

“What happened? Did you punish him? Did he lie to you?”

Hearing Marie’s voice, Adam stepped outside too. He was angry.

“No, I told him you had lied. I would rather kiss a Mojave sidewinder than you. I feel only contempt for you. If I am ever nice to you it is only because you are my father’s wife. There is no good intention for you in my heart. You are a vile woman with a black heart.”

“You are evil, and you only brought harm to this family. You continue to do so as long as you are here. I hate you. You are a threat to my son’s legacy. Why didn’t you stay dead.”

“Marie, enough. Adam, stop it. We are a family. We must find a way through this.”

It nearly choked him to say it, but Adam felt he owed that much to his father and brothers.

“Yes, Pa.”

“Never while he lives here in my home. I want him gone. I can’t believe you would let him stay here after what he said to me.”

Because Marie had been planning a ride, her horse was saddled and ready for her. She rode out of the yard at breakneck speed. Ben decided he needed to follow her and Adam helped him saddle a horse to follow his wife to try to calm her. With Adam’s help, he soon rode in pursuit of Marie. A few miles away, Marie had calmed and realized what she was risking with her attempt to get rid of Adam. Aware that she had already damaged her marriage, she knew what she had to do. Ben saw her riding back toward the ranch but couldn’t catch up to her.

When Marie rode into the yard at the ranch, she was startled to see Adam still standing there but alone. Upset that he was the first person she saw, she pulled her horse up abruptly, but that was a mistake. The horse dropped its head, and she flew forward over its head to land awkwardly on the hard-packed dirt in the yard. There she was unmoving but Adam could see her head bent at an unnatural and extreme angle. He walked to her and dropped to a knee as he saw she was dead.

That was the scene Ben saw as he rode into the yard. Adam kneeling by Marie who laid still and gray in the dirt. Ben rushed to her, but it was clear nothing could be done. He gathered her in his arms. Hearing Hoss and Little Joe asking what had happened, Adam turned to see them about to leave the house. He rushed to them so they wouldn’t see the worst sight they could likely imagine.

Unfortunately, Hoss saw enough as it was with his eyes staring wide open past Adam and registering shock. Adam turned him back to the inside as he picked up Little Joe who didn’t like that at all.

“I want to go to Mama and Papa.”

“No, you can’t right now. Little Joe, this is serious. You can’t.”

“Why not? You can’t tell me what to do. That’s what Mama says.”

Then Hoss complicated the situation.

“Adam, is Mama dead?”

That got Little Joe wailing his objections.

“No, Hoss, Mama is not dead. Mama is right outside with Papa, isn’t she, Adam?”

Trying to explain to the two boys was far harder than anything Adam had ever had to do. Bravado and courage weren’t enough. He opened his mouth to speak twice before he finally said anything. That was enough right there for Hoss who began to cry. Little Joe wanted to know then why Hoss was crying.

“He saw your mama in Pa’s arms out there. He saw how upset Pa was. I’m having trouble telling you so he knows. Little Joe, your mama isn’t here anymore. She went to heaven.”

While Adam had a difficult time believing Marie had gone to heaven, he knew it was the kind of thing you were supposed to say to someone who was grieving a loss. He had learned that and many other things while he had been at the Army fort. It didn’t comfort Little Joe though who burst into tears and struggled to escape his grasp. Adam held him enduring the kicks and punches of the little boy until he finally gave up. Then he signaled Hoss to come closer and pulled him in to hug. He had not had that kind of close contact with other people for so long it felt awkward, but he knew he had to do it.

By the sounds that could be heard from outside, the hands had found out what had happened and were helping Ben with Marie. It was at least a half hour though before anyone came in the house. It was Hop Sing who told the boys that their father had summoned the minister. They were to clean up and get ready for a trip to the lake.

“He’s going to bury her today?”

“Yes, that is plan. Men tell him no. Mister Ben say yes and no one argue.”

Hop Sing got the beautiful quilted spread from the master bed and carried it outside. Adam guessed it was the funeral drape for Marie. Taking the boys to the washroom, he made sure they were cleaned up and then tried to explain to them what was going to happen. Hoss expected it, but Little Joe had no idea this is what happened to people who died.

“No, they can’t do that to Mama. She won’t be able to breathe. She won’t be able to see. She’ll be scared, Adam. Don’t let them do that.”

“It’s up to Pa, Little Joe. He knows what’s best right now.”

Although Adam didn’t believe that was true, he did his best to reassure both boys. A short time later, Ben came in to clean up and change his clothing. He gave a steely look to Adam.

“I believe you would rather not be there. I’ll take the boys with me.”

“I would rather be there in respect for you and my brothers.”

“Suit yourself.”

The cool tone let Adam know that things were not good between him and his father. He had to hope that time would heal that wound although it was a big one. The service at the lake where Ben had chosen to bury Marie was short. The minister gave his condolences and left when it was clear Ben was not going to offer accommodations for the night. Adam escorted the boys to the wagon to return to the house when Ben approached him.

“I’m going for a ride.”

“The boys need you.”

“They have you. You got rid of Marie. Now you can do what she would do. You take care of them. I’m going for a ride.”

That was the last the three sons saw of their father for almost two months. Adam had a good idea of how his father saw the situation, but those who had overheard the exchange in the yard and knew what had gone before, supported him and helped him as much as they could. Little Joe turned to Adam for comfort and the two formed a bond. The three brothers grew closer as both went with Adam as he worked unwilling to let the one person they depended on now get out of their sight. Adam did have a hard time explaining to them why their father did not return.

“Sometimes, great sadness can make someone hurt so bad inside that they need to go off alone to ease their burdens. Pa will come back when he has found some peace.”

That seemed to comfort the boys although as the weeks passed, they began to doubt it was true. Sheriff Coffee from Eagle Station came over to give some news to Adam. He made sure the two younger boys were out of earshot.

“Your pa has been making the rounds of the saloons in Eagle Station and in Genoa. When they have enough of him, he heads out to trading posts and drinks whatever rotgut they have. He’s trying to drown his sorrow. He doesn’t understand yet that it won’t help. It only gives you more problems. I know. I lost my Mary not long ago.”

“This is the third wife Pa has lost.”

“I didn’t know that. I knew about Hoss’ mother. I suppose the first was yours then.”

“Yes, the first was mine. Can you arrest him for being drunk?”

“I can but that usually means a fine.”

“How much?”

“It’s usually two dollars, but sometimes I make it the cost of meals. That’s less than a dollar.”

“I’ll pay the fines if you would be so kind as to make it the lower number. I have the money from selling my furs. If you keep locking him up, maybe some sense will get back in his head when there is less alcohol in him.”

“It’s probably true. You got a good head on you, boy. I didn’t think the ranch would be running so well when I got here. I kinda wondered if the hands would stay.”

“So far, they have. That won’t last. You know it too. Pa has to come back soon or lose his dream here.”

“You know, I’m thinking it might be best if you don’t pay your pa’s fine. I can keep him in jail longer for refusing to pay his fine. He’ll tell me there’s money in the bank. Now could you maybe go to the bank and get that money out?”

At first frowning and then smiling, Adam understood.

“Yes, I will try. I may have to tell the man there what we are doing.”

“As long as you tell Bleeker over at the bank and nobody else, that would be fine. I think we got ourselves a plan. He won’t be able to get his horse at the livery without handing over an IOU. He’s going to be darn mad when he gets back here.”

“I know, but mad is better than what he is now.”

“That’s true. All right, I’m going to arrest him next time he’s drunk in my town. That will likely be tonight. I saw him sleeping at the livery stable when I got my horse.”

“I’ll ride with you then and talk to the banker. Let me tell Hop Sing.”

Hoss and Little Joe were upset that Adam was leaving, but Hop Sing assured them that he knew Adam was coming back. Adam went to his things and pulled out his old clothing from the Newe. He brought it to the house and threw it into the fireplace. Looking at his brothers, he hoped it was going to be enough assurance for them.

“This is my home now. I’ve burned the past. Good enough for you?”

With Hop Sing’s assurances and that action, the two boys were less apprehensive. That night, Adam returned with a saddlebag of money which he deposited in the safe. Hop Sing put food on the table for him as the two younger brothers pulled out chairs and asked what he had done.

“Pa’s going to spend some time in Eagle Station with Sheriff Coffee watching over him. When he comes back here, he’s going to be very upset with me. I took all the money out of the bank. That’s what is in the safe. It’s what should get Pa to come home. Now we wait to see if it works.”

That night, like many nights, Adam slept on the settee as the boys wanted him in the house. He wouldn’t sleep in his father’s bed and there was no other bed to use in the house at that time. It was five weeks after his father had left, and Adam assumed it might take some time for Ben to make the decision to come home. There were other things that needed to be done. Adam told the boys that he was going to expand the house.

“We need more bedrooms. I’m going to raise the roof on the side section of the house, and add rooms so we can each have a room. We can use where you sleep now as an office, and the other bedroom down here as a guest room. I’ve had some men cutting trees for what we need, and we’re about ready to get started on this project. I’m going to need you to help and to stay out of the way when I tell you to do that.”

Hoss and Little Joe were moved into the tack room of the barn for temporary quarters, and their jobs were to help by carrying supplies to those who were working. When he could, Adam gave them jobs that made it appear they were part of the crew putting the additional story on the house.

That was the scene that greeted a grizzled and thinner Ben Cartwright three weeks later as he rode into the yard of his ranch on a Saturday. A crew was finishing putting the roof back in place over the side section of the house which had been expanded. The smell of new cut pine logs and planks was everywhere. Intent on the task, no one paid much attention to Ben until his bellow alerted everyone that he had returned.

“What in tarnation is going on here?”

There was no mistaking that booming voice nor to whom it was directed.

Chapter 5

As Ben watched, Adam climbed down a ladder and faced him. Little Joe ran from where he had been watching and latched onto Adam’s leg staring at his father who had yelled. Hoss moved up and stood at Adam’s side and slightly behind him. Adam looked at his father and replied in a calm, strong voice as the work crew grew still and listened.

“We’re expanding the house adding a few bedrooms. I need one, and this way everyone will have their own and there will be guest rooms.”

“Is this what you took my money from the bank to do? Yes, I know what you did. The bank manager told me he allowed it. I told him what I thought of that.”

“I used my money for this. Except for what I had to pay in wages, your money is inside in the safe so the men can be paid at the end of this month too.”

Nothing was said about keeping the money safe from Ben so he wouldn’t spend it on booze or fines. Adam continued as Ben fumed not knowing what to say next.

“I paid for the floor planking by trading some logs to the lumber mill.”

“I do not allow cutting of timber on the Ponderosa. You had no right.”

“I had the right because I was in charge.”

“Who put you in charge?”

“You did when you left.”

It was too late to stop the project and too late to put the trees back. Ben had to accept what had been done, but he didn’t have to like it. He took his horse to the barn to find it clean and in order. That made him angry too although he didn’t understand why. Soon, Sheriff Roy Coffee was there. Ben confronted him and asked him why he was there.

“Because I like to think maybe we’re friends. I sure have become friends with Adam and got a lot of respect for that boy. What he took on himself these last two months was pretty darn amazing. I came out here to help make sure you didn’t make a real mess of things.”

“What can you do to stop that?”

Realizing what he had said, Ben tried to backtrack.

“It’s my ranch and my family. It’s my job to take care of things here, not yours.”

“Seems you lost track of that idea the last two months or so.”

Suddenly realizing that Roy had said two months twice, Ben looked at him almost in shock.

“It’s been that long?”

With what he had done, Ben had lost track of time. Looking around then and realizing the hands were all still working there, Ben looked at Roy.

“He kept the ranch running while I was gone that long?”

“He did. He needed some advice along the way, but he learns fast. You got a right smart one there, Ben. Right now, he looks mighty exhausted though. Seems he could use a father who could help take the load back that rightly belongs to him.”

“How do I do that? How can I take away the last two months?”

“You can’t. Accept it, and move on.”

Taking a deep breath, Ben walked outside the barn and saw the three boys still together. As he walked toward them, it hurt to see the looks of apprehension they had.

“Well, why don’t you show me inside to see what you’ve done and what you have planned.”

Although Ben had hoped Little Joe would reach out to him, he realized later why it was Hoss who took his hand and walked with him into the house. Little Joe continued to cling to Adam who walked with him behind Ben and Hoss. Adam asked Roy to follow them in realizing his friend was curious and could also be a help. Inside, Ben wasn’t surprised to see things had been rearranged for construction, but he was amazed that it was reasonably well-organized despite that. The second floor was still open to the first floor and there was no staircase. Turning to Adam, he asked about that.

“I don’t know how to do stairs yet. I was going to find out and make some. For now, we bring the ladders in at night and use those if we want to go up there to work.”

“What about the walls?”

“I didn’t have enough money to pay for all the plaster and such that would be needed. I thought I would have to work to get more money for all of that and do it as I could.”

“So, there are no doors, no stairs, and no walls?”

“No, sir, there’s just a lot more room, and everything you had before is still there.”

“Hmm, then it’s a good thing I’m back because I happen to know how to do stairs and I can show you how to make doors. I think I remember how to do hinges too, but it will take some practice at the forge to do them well again. A look at the ledger and the cash in the safe will tell us if we have enough to buy more plaster. We can work on all of that together if you’re willing.”

Adam looked so relieved that Roy had to smile. There was still some of the boy in the man.

“I’m willing.”

The next day was Sunday so there was no work. Adam and Ben took a ride, and by design, they rode to the area where Adam had harvested some of the trees. Ben had expected a mess and was surprised at what he found.

“It doesn’t look like you took that many trees out.”

“We took almost forty trees down. We took the stumps down to ground level after each tree was felled and found a small tree to plant in each spot. We dragged the logs out by different routes so there would be no one muddy trail to invite rainwater to rush down. We were careful not to land a large tree on the small and growing ones. In the future, there will be more trees growing here.”

“I always thought of cutting timber as destroying the forest. This is something I had never considered. We can selectively cut and use the largest trees giving the smaller ones room to grow.”

“The sawmill will take more logs if you wish to sell.”

“Maybe we could consider our own saw mill. You designed the changes in the house. Could you think about learning how to design a sawmill?”

Ben had been trying to think of ways to increase the income from his holdings. Although the timber was valuable, he had not wanted to strip the slopes of the trees. By doing it this way, he would not. If they could add a sawmill, there would be even more income. He had men running trap lines for him and traded with the Paiute to get more, but that market was declining. He was raising a small herd of cattle and sold beef to the trading posts and the settlers in the Carson Valley. Rounding up mustangs and breaking them gave him income because the Army would buy every riding horse he could get to them. If they had lumber, it would give them three sources of solid income.

That night, Ben realized that he had spent a day with his sons and not had Marie in his mind constantly. If his sons were with him, he would be able to get through this terrible loss. He already knew how badly he had acted but didn’t know how to fix that. Instead, he thought he was doing as Roy Coffee had suggested and moved on. Roy though had told him to acknowledge what he had done and what Adam had done, and he had not. Years later, that lapse would come back at him because he had failed to recognize how badly he had hurt his eldest son again.

For the time being, they were all right and forged a new relationship closer to a partnership than anything else. That would hold until Hoss and Little Joe were old enough to want to share in the duties of running a ranch. Ben chafed at that and in effect, Adam was demoted. The one thing that had held him like glue to the Ponderosa was gone. If his father did not need him and did not have respect for him, then to Adam, it might be time to leave. Those ideas didn’t develop that day, but they were born in Ben’s decision to treat his eldest as more of a partner than a son. Somehow love took a second seat to business.

Another problem that could have been averted wasn’t when Ben answered Little Joe’s question about his mother’s death. The youngster had heard some of what happened that day and brought that bare bones story to his father.

“Some of the men said that Adam and Mama argued the day she died. She rode off real upset because of it. They said when she came back and saw Adam, that’s when she fell. Is that true.”

“Yes, that’s true. There was a lot more to the story, but there’s no need to get into that. Your mother was a good woman, but sometimes she let her emotions get in the way of her good sense.”

“What about Adam?”

“Oh, he generally knows what he’s doing. A few times around some young ladies, he’s wanted to rush into things. Usually though, he thinks through things and knows what he wants and plans what he’s doing.”

It was during the time that Adam had gone to visit his Grandfather Stoddard and stayed there taking classes with his father’s permission. He had no idea what had transpired in his absence, but he knew that his relationship with Little Joe was different when he returned. To Little Joe, his mother had acted emotionally that day, but Adam had planned what he did so to the boy’s mind, Adam was responsible for Marie’s death. Nothing was likely to ever change his mind about that.

Hoss and Adam had a better relationship, but on more than one occasion, the one flaw in Hoss’ character interfered there too. Hoss was jealous of his brother. Nothing he did seemed to match what his older brother could do especially with the ladies and with hunting and with guns. Hoss could eat more and drink more, but no one seemed much impressed with that. He learned to be a better tracker but there weren’t many chances to show off that skill.

Sheriff Roy Coffee eventually transferred to Virginia City thinking it would be an easier job than Carson City as Eagle Station eventually came to be called. He was wrong as Virginia City boomed. Even so, he kept his friendship with the Cartwrights. He wished he could sit them all down though and teach them all how to act with each other. There was a problem or two in how that family worked. He knew it, but sadly they did not until the day that Adam left. Over a drink, Ben complained to Roy.

“Roy, when he got here with those furs all those years ago, he told me that he wouldn’t leave. Now he has.”

“Seems as I recall, he said he would stay until he wasn’t needed or something like that. He never did say he wouldn’t leave. I took it that he intended to leave someday.”

“He left Elizabeth’s music box behind. It’s supposed to be a sign that he’ll come back one day, but I think it means he won’t be back.”

“Ben, it’s no surprise he’s gone. He learned a long time ago that he could be alone and not be lonely. He knows he can make it on his own. That independent streak he’s got was earned by him in some pretty tough situations when he was younger. When you made it clear you didn’t need him, he didn’t see a reason to stay.”

“Of course I need him.”

“How often did you tell him that?”

“Well, maybe I didn’t tell him, but he knew.”

“Don’t know how he could know with the way you treated him. You ordered him around like a boy when he was already mostly a man when he got here.”

“If I wanted to be talked to like that, I could have stayed home.”

“You don’t change your ways, you may be staying at that home alone, and I don’t think your other sons are as ready as Adam to go out to take on the world.”

“They wouldn’t like hearing you say that.”

“Maybe not, but if you don’t want to see them try, take a look in the mirror. It’s long overdue.”

“Do you think I can get Adam to come back?”

“No, I’m afraid he’s set out to see the world or as much as he can see. With Hoss and Joe here to take care of things, he’s got a plan, but he will never be forgotten. He made quite an impact didn’t he?

“He did. He will never be forgotten. I wonder how many other people are going to say that about Adam Cartwright before he’s done.”

 

Tags:  Adam Cartwright, Ben Cartwright, Hoss Cartwright, Joe / Little Joe Cartwright, Marie Cartwright, prequel, Roy Coffee