Please note: in the real bonanza tv show, Adam was not going blind. I made that up. Also I don’t own any of this. Number one: My brother’s keeper. In this episode, Joe is shot by Adam in a way which makes no since whatsoever, this retelling hopes to clear that up.Adam and Joe were going hunting, again. It seemed to Adam that each time he got home from a visit to Carson City and wanted some time to recuperate, Pa would suggest a hunting trip. Under normal circumstances, Adam would not be bothered so much, but now a hunting trip was out of the question. The reason? Adam was going blind.It had all started slowly, a bit at a time… Not being able to make out words half way across the room… Mistaking Roy Coffee for Pa.. but that had all too soon escalated into, not being able to read small print at all… And if at all it seems possible, mistaking Hoss for Joe.

He got on though, keeping it a secret from the rest of the family. No need to let them know… Things would only get worse. He would become the center of things… fussed over and pitied, and that was the last wish Adam Cartwright had.

The two brothers stopped their horses. Over trial and error, Adam had learned to tell when the others halted their steed by sound. The hoof beats would die out suddenly and usually someone would say, “let’s stop here.” or “I think I saw him go this way.” Very helpful.

Now Joe spoke up, “I think I saw that wolf turn over here, Adam. Wait here, I’ll go try to flush him from behind those rocks.” The younger son dismounted. “Shoot him when I get him out.”

Adam took out his rifle. He knew he couldn’t do it, the way his eyes were now he couldn’t shoot the broad side of a barn. Roughly, he squinted across the plan, searching for something that resembled boulders. A large gray mass stood not fifteen feet away, boulders. Something brown came out from around the rocks. Adam narrowed his eyes, it appeared wolf like, large and narrow. But maybe-

“What are you just standing there for, Adam? Let him have it!” Joe’s voice spit though the air.

Adam raised the rifle to his eyes, put the brown shape into the cross hairs, and fired. With a soft moan, Joe’s body fell to the earth.

Adam let HIM have it. “Darn it!” The older brother swore. Oh well, so much for Joe, he’d be more careful with Hoss.

Mess-up number two: The Hay Burner. Has anyone else wondered why Adam lost the race? Oh sure, there was Joe’s English saddle and everything but come on! A fit thoroughbred racehorse losing to a saddle bred or even a three quarter is nuts! There has to be something else…. There was.

Once again, keeping his blindness a secret from the rest of this family was playing havoc on Adam Cartwright. This whole racing business in it’s self was pure stupidity. Of course, it wouldn’t be, if Hoss could ride the thoroughbred. But that was out of the question, there would be no chance of the brothers winning then. The blind man or the fat man? Which was it.

There was no doubt that Hoss would not be able to ride in the race. Heaven knows how slow the horse would have gone with him riding it, but even so Adam couldn’t help but hint to it as they rode into town.

“You know what Hoss?” Adam began, “I’ve been thinking about this race.”

Hoss nodded, “so have I.”

“You have?”

The middle son lowered his eyebrows in determination. “I was thinking about the money.”

“What about it?”

“I was thinkin’ maybe we shouldn’t spend it all our money. You know window Jackson’s got that orphanage, and them little kids are looking awful thin, winter’s comin’ on….” That was Hoss alright, pure heart.

Adam frowned in thought. “You know Hoss, it’s not like were winning the Kentucky races or anything. The pot’s not that big.”

“I know but I’d feel better if we gave some to widow Jackson.”

The older son smiled. “Alright, we’ll give twenty percent to the widow. Now I was going to say, I’m sorry about that fight we had last night. You can ride the horse.” So far so good.

Hoss studied him briefly for a moment. “Nope.” he called. “I wouldn’t do it.”

“Why not?! That’s what you wanted last night.”

“Darn burn it Adam! I knew you were stuck up, but this is taking it to a whole ‘nother level.”

“What are you talking about?!”

“You wanting me to ride in the race so you wouldn’t have to give the widow nothin’.”

With a sigh, the dark Cartwright proceeded to correct his brother. “Hoss, I thought maybe if you were the one riding, you’d have more spirit thinking about the widow and her home. While I have no motivation what so ever, except not to loose my rifle.”

“The widow’s the exact reason why you gotta ride Adam! See if I ride, that horse will go so slow there ain’t no way I’m gonna’ win. But if you go… Well, them orphans will have more food come winter.”

Who could argue with that? All Adam could do was nod and wait. He would have a hard time of it in the race, there was no mistaking that. But he had raced the horse around the course a few times, maybe he’d remember the way. Adam doubted it though, there was only so much faith that one can put in a hay burner.

Change of view

Things didn’t look to well for the home team. Joe had just showed up and it looked like he’d be riding against Adam. That year he’d spent on the pony express would help Joe, all Adam could do was pray that his eye sight held up.

Adam stifled his place in the saddle. Gazing into the distance and wondering if he’d win. There was a time when he’d feel no doubts in a time like this, be sure of himself and finish with flying colors. But now he wasn’t so confident.

The eldest was so absorbed in his thoughts, he hardly noticed when the starting pistol was fired. It was a good thing the racehorse was well trained.

They all started out on the same level. Adam quickly took the lead. No one could compete with his long legged thoroughbred, riders were passed and other steeds left in the dust. Adam felt a surge of confidence, he would win. There was no question. No one could possibly equal his speed.

And then, from far in the back, Joe began to work his way forward. Curse him and his English saddle! Adam leaned forward; urging his horse on with prods and hopes. On the horizon, he could make out a large, dark brown shape, the tree. It was half way over, if he could only cut in close on the turn, Joe would be driven back.

Adam swung into the right, hugging the tree, a long shape loomed in front of him. What was it? Oh curse his eyes! The eldest didn’t have time to dunk before the branch hit his face, almost knocking him off the saddle completely.

Joe took the moment to gun past him. Victory, was waiting for him.

With rapid spurs, Adam urged his mount on. There was no hope; the beast was already going as fast as it could. The eldest cursed harshly into the wind, as he watched Joe zoom over the finish line… So much for the money, so much for widow Jackson. So much for his rifle, they were all lost now.

Maybe not, Adam saw Joe talking to Hoss later on. It looked like Hoss had made the same deal with little Joe. His youngest bother rubbed his hands and moved forward to take Adam’s rifle. With a look of resentment, the eldest gave over his newly earned treasure. All spoils had gone to the victor, and he was left rifle-less.

But what good would it have been to him? The doc said he’d be perfectly blind in another six months. What good was a rifle to a blind man? Then again, he may have taken Joe out wolf hunting, just one more time.

Adam mess up number three: leaving.

I know, we all know, how much it stank that Adam left. I mean the show just went down hill from there. No offence to any Jamie or Candy lover out there, but replacement theories don’t work.

He needed to get away, Adam reasoned as he walked up to the stage office. Nothing fancy, maybe even just spend time out in Carson City, anything. Going blind was having defiant drawbacks.

Keeping the secret of his reseeding vision was becoming more and more difficult. Hoss had almost caught on, and it wouldn’t take Pa long.

Adam walked to the clerk, almost banging into a post on the way up. He was tried, tried of Joe asking if he was drunk, tried to the hired hands thinking he’d gone mad. Tried.

“Howdy Adam.” The man behind the counter called, “What can I do for you?”

The eldest Cartwright sighed, “I need a ticket, where’s the furthest stages reach?”

“Well, I’m not quite sure, we joined up with a ship company, so we can get you father. I think maybe Arizona.”

“Arizona? You don’t need a boat to get there.”

“Then again, I maybe wrong, but I think that’s the farthest we go…. No wait I remember now, New place, we just started shipping there…. I don’t rightly know how to say it, Austria, I think.”

Austria, Europe. Adam had always wanted to see what lay on the other side of the Atlantic. Though now seeing almost anything was impossible. “I’ll take a ticket, when will the boat come?”

The clerk glanced at a chart behind him. “Near as I can tell, A boat should be leaving from San Francisco next Monday. You want it for then?”

“How much?”

“Two hundred dollars.”

Adam paid in full. He hurriedly put the ticket in the back of his wallet and left. His trip back to the Ponderosa seemed happy and carefree. He was leaving, and his cursed blindness was going with him.

Adam announced he was leaving that Sunday. When Pa asked to where and why, the eldest didn’t rightly know what to say. “I’m going by boat-” He began.

Pa cut him off. “A sailor? I’m not surprised the amount of Salt water that’s in your blood.”

His father seemed happy assuming that, and Hoss and Joe were all for it, Adam kept the truth to himself.

He left early the next morning, with a hearty good bye to his family. By the time he arrived at the port, it was almost time to cast off. Adam ran aboard, happy to be on his way.

“So, uh, this your first time goin’ over seas, mate?” A voice beside him asked.

Adam could barely make out the form of a man standing beside him. What an odd accent. “Yes, and you?”

“Oh I’m goin’ home, mate. No place like the outback for me.”

“The outback?! Isn’t this boat headed for Austria?”

“Can’t say that it is, mate, you’re on your way to Australia!”

Adam could only stand with his mouth gapping.

And that my friends, is the true story How Adam come to live in Australia.