Summary: This is a sequel to A Shadow Calling with the same OCs. A tragic experience from a decade earlier has consequences for the Cartwright family and triggers memories and fears until the threat is faced. It is a story within a story, and both tales are told.
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A Shadow series
A Shadow Calling (by BettyHT)
A Shadow Returns; Marauders (by BettyHT)

 

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A Shadow Returns: Marauders

Chapter 1

Standing in the ransacked house at the Ponderosa, Adam Cartwright held his wife’s hat in one hand and his child’s doll in the other feeling as helpless as he had ever felt. His mother-in-law was in a bedroom upstairs being attended to by the doctor. Hop Sing was in his bed next to the kitchen equally unable to tell anyone what had happened. The few hands who had been at the ranch were dead. No one could tell them anything. All anyone knew was death, destruction, robbery, and kidnapping. Yes, Adam’s wife and daughter were gone. The vermin who had done all this had taken the greatest treasure he had.

“Adam, we’ll get them back.”

“Pa, who has them? No one can tell us anything.”

“Candy and the men are out looking for signs and a trail. We’ll know something soon enough.”

At that point, Doctor Martin came to the top of the stairs to summon Adam.

“Your mother-in-law wants to speak with you.”

He didn’t need to add that because Adam was nearly up the stairs before he finished the sentence. Putting a hand on the younger man’s arm, Paul had a caution for him.

“She’s very weak. I know you need to know, but don’t push too hard or you may never find out what you need to find out from her. Understand?”

Adam paused. He needed to calm himself, and they both understood why. Then he nodded.

“I’ll be as gentle as I can. Help me.”

When he got in the room, Adam noted the bruising on her neck and face. She had not given up her daughter and grandchild without a fight.

“Mama, I’m here.”

“I’ve always loved it when you call me that.”

It was a lot for her to say, and she started coughing. Paul handed a glass of water to Adam and suggested small sips of water for her. Adam sat on the side of the bed so he could wrap his arm around her shoulders, pulled her up gently, and coaxed her to drink. Once she had some water to soothe her throat and time to relax, Paul told her not to force her voice but to speak as slowly as she needed.

“Tell Adam what you can, but do it at a pace you find reasonably comfortable. If you exhaust yourself, you won’t be able to tell him everything you want him to know. Try not to say more than you need to say. I think you found that out already.”

With a small smile, she showed her agreement. In a halting delivery then, she told what she knew. Adam did not push her although he wanted to do so very much.

“He said it was because of you that he was out of business and in prison ten years ago. It was because of you that his family and friends were dead. He said he’s out of prison and back in business now. He wanted to kill you, but he said maybe this was even better. He expects you to follow him. He said he’ll kill you then in front of your wife and daughter, but he said some other even more awful things too.”

“That’s all right. I can guess. You don’t need to say them. Did he say where they were going?”

“Yes, he said you knew the trail. He said the two of you had reason to know that trail. What did he mean?”

“It’s a long and terrible story. When you’re stronger, Pa can tell it to you. I’m going to go after Denise and Sara. AC and Josh will be here to help you. Pa and Jamie will be here, and they’re bringing more men to help as well.”

“You take care, my boy. Those men are evil.”

Finishing those statements, she closed her eyes. The men knew it was time to let her rest. Moving down the hall, Adam paused at the top of the stairs to survey the room below. Ben had followed him up the stairs and heard most of what his mother-in-law had said. He put a hand on his son’s arm. He knew the turmoil in his son who had to be facing more conflict than anyone could imagine. Fear for his wife and daughter, concern for his sons and his father and friend, Hop Sing, a sense of responsibility for the ranch, and rage at what the marauders had done. He faced major losses, and like his father, he had suffered far too many losses already in his life.

“Son, I’ll be able to handle things here while you’re gone, but you bring those ladies home, and you come home too.”

“I will, Pa.”

“Now, I’m going to go tell Candy what’s going to happen and let him organize things while you talk to your sons. Candy will know what is needed.”

Adam was going to offer some suggestions or even an objection, but he had gotten to know Candy. He trusted him.

“Thank you.”

It took some time to explain to Josh and AC what was going to happen and what they had to do. AC didn’t truly understand because he was so young, but Adam could see that Josh understood enough. The worry lines in his forehead were there. He put a hand on the boy’s shoulder.

“It’s a lot for a young man like you to have to handle, but your Grandpa and I both know you can do it.”

Josh stood tall with the compliments in that statement and the confidence his father had in him.

“I will, Papa. AC will help me, won’t you, AC?”

“Yeah, because I’m a young man too, right, Papa?”

With a smile, Adam agreed, but he sent a wink to Josh when AC wasn’t looking. Josh smiled. The whole interchange got the boys thinking about what they had to do instead of what had happened. Adam told them there was still work to be done in the kitchen, and he hugged and kissed them.

“I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

Wisely, he refrained from mentioning their mother and their sister. Having gotten them focused on their tasks, he didn’t want to remind them of what had happened to cause them to have to do so much cleaning up.

Outside, Candy had five horses and packhorses ready to go. Shep and Arty were there ready to follow Adam no matter what happened. It was about what Adam had expected. A new hand named Griff was going too. With a lot of loyalty to Candy, he would go wherever Candy said help was needed. Adam nodded to each of them in silent appreciation of their volunteering. Then without much said, the five mounted up and headed toward the Emigrant Trail. They made camp at the site of an atrocity perpetrated by marauders ten years earlier. After they had their meal and cleaned up, the two men who had been on a rescue mission to save children taken in the raid ten years earlier were pressed to tell that tale to Candy and Griff.

Adam listened to Shep and Arty tell the story, and he was transported back in time. His thoughts were from that time. He went from the nightmare of the present to one in the past. What Shep and Arty had not experienced, they had heard from him or his brothers. Their version of the story was as complete as it could be except for the memories Adam had of his thoughts as all of it had happened. As the story unfolded, those came rushing back to him too. He remembered what he thought when he came upon a scene of devastation ten years before that day.

The Emigrant Trail Massacre story

-Only a day earlier, I had thought of this spot as a peaceful place with an inspiring view. Now all I saw were bodies of the dead and destruction. I couldn’t look beyond them to see anything else. My eyes would always see the images of the horribly changed scene. Only a day before there had been women cooking and chatting as children played and men stood guard almost casually not truly expecting any problems. Granting them permission to stay was easy even knowing my father would likely grumble about it. A few dozen people passing through wouldn’t cause any problems for us and save them valuable time on their journey with winter storms likely to hit within weeks. At night, miles away in my camp, I had heard the gunfire and buried my campfire, but I had not gone to help. I knew that by blundering about in the dark, I was as likely to kill myself as to help anyone. At first dim light of morning, I had been ready to ride, and smoke tendrils rising among the trees made me fear the worst. That’s what I found.

-For hours, I worked at burying the dead. There wasn’t much soil in this spot so the graves were shallow and I had to haul rocks to place over each one so carnivores and scavengers wouldn’t desecrate these bodies any more than the renegades already had. I wished I was more a man of faith than I was so I could say words that might have given comfort in some way. But they were all dead so I suppose it was for me that comfort was intended. As I finished the burials and piled belongings back into wagons, I realized there seemed a shortage of children in the graves compared to the wagons with belongings and clothing for children. I began to do a more systematic inventory to make sure I wasn’t imagining this situation and realized there must be several children who were missing. None had come wandering back to the horrific scene during the long day so it was unlikely they had run off during the carnage or been hidden away by an adult.

-The only conclusion was that the renegades had taken children with them. Most likely they intended to sell them or use them in some fashion that was better left unspoken. By my best guess, the missing children were likely old enough to work but too young to fight back. The youngest children in this group and the oldest were all dead. Babies and those who had toddled about were buried with their mothers. Older ones showed numerous signs of resistance and death telling the story of how the adults had died. I was in conflict. I couldn’t imagine going home and not following the renegades to try to rescue these children. Yet, one man against a group was as likely to get the children harmed or killed as to rescue any of them. Going home to get help and then going after them would be too much of a delay. I was already one full day behind them. I made a cold camp and tried to sleep. Then in the morning, I heard a familiar hail and knew what we were going to do.

“What happened here, Adam?”

“Marauders by my best guess. I didn’t see it happen but I heard it the night before. I got here the morning after and found everyone or nearly everyone dead.”

“Nearly everyone? Who’s alive? We don’t see nobody.”

“Hoss, they took some of the children.”

“Adam, how can you know that?”

“Joe, I buried all the bodies. I saw this group on my way through here. There were children of all ages. None of the middle children are here. My best guess is at least four are gone. Maybe a few more could be gone. I can’t be sure. I packed the belongings back into the wagons and counted how many were traveling in each wagon by the clothing. There weren’t enough bodies to match the number.”

“We came to get you because you didn’t come back last night, and Pa is anxious to get the round-up finished so we can get that drive going. We don’t have time for this.”

“Joe, I have to do this.”

“Joe, Adam is right. Something has to be done about this. I can’t bear the thought of children being with those murderers.”

“But what about the drive?”

Wisely, Adam stayed quiet. He guessed that Hoss was the best to work this out. He did.

“Pa can boss the drive. It’s not a big one. You can ramrod it. I think you’re ready. We got a bunch of men who can handle the horses. You know who can ride lead. We got plenty of hands now that some of the silver mines have closed down for a bit. Find out if a couple want to ride with us after these marauders.”

“You’re going too?”

It had been obvious from Hoss’ earlier statement, but Joe didn’t want to hear it and still didn’t like accepting it.

“We gotta track them, and Adam’s going to need help with that.”

“It shouldn’t be that hard with all the extra horses they took.”

“You know they’ll sell those as soon as they can. Probably will head for a settlement or ranch or two. Once that happens, picking up their trail and following it is going to be a hard job.”

“How long will this take and what about the supplies you need?”

“We’ll find what supplies we can in these wagons, and we’ll wait until tonight for you to send a couple of men up here with more. We’ll be leaving at first light tomorrow, and it will be some hard riding. An extra packhorse or two would be handy to have.”

“All right. I wish you would be the one to have to tell Pa all this.”

“You’re a man now. You get to do it.”

Adam couldn’t hold back a slight smile then. Joe saw it and wanted to say something, but he had wanted to be given more responsibility. He could hardly say no. He had to admit to himself that he had thought about going after those children too. Part of the disappointment was that his brothers were going and not him. But it would be a bigger disappointment to interfere in the drive their father had said was essential.

“You know I’m going to take Pa’s side in this and agree with every darn thing he says about you two.”

“Kind of figured you’d have to do that. Only way to keep the peace on the drive. Me or Adam would do the same if you were doing this.”

“Of course, by the end of the drive, he’ll be more worried than mad. He’ll change his tune by then.”

Hoss grinned knowing what he meant.

“And you’ll change yours too, I’m thinking.”

“You got that right. I know how to keep Pa on my side.”

“You sure do.”

The two brothers had been walking to their horses while talking. Away from Adam by then who had started to look through the wagons for provisions, Hoss tapped Joe on the shoulder.

“Thanks for playing along and keeping it light. Adam can go to that dark place awful fast sometimes when things like this happen.”

“I kind of figured you wanted me to do that. I saw how he was when I got here. When we rode over that hill, he was standing there looking defeated like he does sometimes now. His head was down and those shoulders couldn’t have been more slumped. I’ll let Pa know everything. He’ll understand.”

“Yeah, he will.”

Mounting up, Joe rode off as Hoss led his horse back and unsaddled him hobbling him to graze. Then he too began to check for supplies and provisions for their trek. He guessed that nothing would help Adam more than him working side-by-side with him doing what had to be done. By dusk, two men from the ranch, Arty and Shep, arrived with three extra horses in tow and some beef. Arty was the talkative one

“Had to shoot a cow that fell and broke a leg. Your Pa said to bring some of the beef here for our dinner and breakfast and maybe a bit more.”

“Joe must have done a good job talking to him then.”

The two men stared at the ground as they stirred it some with the toes of their boots. The brothers got the picture. Adam responded to take the pressure off the men.

“Or maybe he didn’t want his damn fool sons to starve on their hare-brained notion to save the world when their father had told them how much he needed their help.”

It was a statement, not a question. The two men nodded slightly. Hoss offered to take care of their horses as Adam offered coffee and dinner. The men pulled their saddles and gear before Hoss led the horses away and then accepted the cups and plates Adam handed to them.

“Thank you for coming to help. It isn’t going to be easy.”

Again, it was Arty who did the talking.

“We’ve both lost family to raiders. We figure it’s time to do something about it even if it ain’t the same ones who done this.”

“We mostly want to rescue the children they took. They may sell them for laborers before we catch up to them. If they get through the mountains before we can track them down, it’s the likely thing they’ll do first. Then catching up to them will be even harder.”

“You’ll still go after them even if the children are found?”

“I will. I don’t know about Hoss. What about you two?”

“I guess we’ll make that call when we see what’s happened and what needs to be done.”

“Fair enough.”

-In my mind, I had already decided that these renegades had to die for what they had done. The four of us were unlikely to be able to take them in so the only way to accomplish justice would be to kill them on the trail. I knew as I had told these men that the children likely would be sold by the time we caught up to them. Hoss could take charge then of their rescue, but I was going after the renegades even if I had to go alone. Kane had taught me one thing. I could kill if I thought it was necessary. It was in this case. These men would do the same thing over and over until they were stopped, and there was only one way to stop them.

-It was sobering to realize that I had come to terms with what had happened to me in the desert with Kane. I had been stewing over it for months not knowing I had learned from it. All I had to do was accept what I knew. Now I had. It was a weight lifted from me. I wasn’t a saint. I wasn’t perfect. But I wasn’t a murderer either. Kane had not forced me to be an animal. I had only done what anyone would have done after being tortured and brutalized. I defended myself against a criminal and did nothing more than was necessary to save myself. I felt myself smile and knew the two men had to wonder why. I came up with an excuse they would understand and accept.

“I’m imagining the way Joe is telling the story about now. He’s probably laying some pretty heavy blame on me for this whole thing, and of course, he’s the angel in all this. He is pretty good at that. Dang, he has the best innocent look any man could have no matter what he’s done.”

The two men chuckled in appreciation of that very quality Adam had mentioned. They had seen it in action occasionally even benefitting from it.

“He sure does. Whenever there’s trouble, I always let him do the talking. He’s got your pa wrapped around his finger most of the time.”

With a smile, Adam nodded in agreement.

“Works for us too when we want him to do something for us. We convince Joe first, and then we see if he can work his magic on Pa.”

Walking back into the camp area then, Hoss was pleased but surprised to hear Adam speaking in such a jovial way with the two men. He didn’t know them well and didn’t think Adam did either. It was unusual for Adam to be so at ease with men he hardly knew. The explanation came quickly though.

“They have experience losing people to raiders like these. They want justice as much as we do.”

“As long as it’s justice and not revenge. We got to get those children back and then turn those men over to the law if we can.”

“If we can, we will.”

“And the children?”

“Hoss, you know that is the main reason I want to go.”

“Sorry. I just wanted to make sure.”

Hoss was uneasy about how Adam had said ‘If we can’ and the other two men had heard it too. The three guessed that at some point there were going to be some hard decisions to make. They would have a few days to wrestle with the moral issues because there likely wouldn’t be time to discuss them when it was time to pick sides, and they were all sure there were going to be sides. They did have a few days and some success before that happened.

The first child was found quickly.

Chapter 2

After a day of travel, Adam told Candy and the others that they needed to visit the Paiute camp. Candy was surprised.

“What Paiute camp?”

“The one about a half-mile away. They’ve been shadowing our movements for the past day ever since we left that site of the massacre.”

Griff was skeptical.

“I haven’t seen any Paiute.”

Saying nothing, Adam wheeled his horse around and rode in the direction he had said the camp was located. Nearing some trees, he raised his hand in greeting and halted. Several Paiute walked out to meet him. Candy looked over at Griff and grinned.

“The longer I know him, the less surprised I am by the things that he does. He’s a lot like Hoss was. They seem like they have a sense of things that other people don’t know. It was like that the first time they went looking to rescue those children. The Paiute were part of the first rescue according to what we had heard from Shep and Arty.”

A few Paiute rode out to greet them and offered to make a trade early the next day.

“White men offered a child for sale. We did not want to buy her. She was small and weak though. I think they would have let her die.”

“So you bought her to save her. I understand. There is great honor in you. We will pay you for her and take her with us. How much do you want?”

“Ten horses.”

Adam smiled and so did the Paiute.

“Five cows when hunger squeezes your stomach as snow and bitter winds come down from the mountain tops.”

“Ten cows and five horses.”

Turning to Hoss, Adam asked if they could get by without one of the extra horses. Hoss nodded in agreement. Turning back, Adam was close to a final offer.

“Five cows and one horse.”

The Paiute knew he couldn’t be pushed much more but tried a little more.

“Ten cows and one horse.”

“Deal.”

After the Paiute rode off to get the girl, Shep spoke up for the first time.

“You’re going to give those Indians a horse. Sometimes they raid too.”

“Not this band. Even during the Paiute wars, they held back hoping for a peaceful settlement. It put them at odds with some of the other bands.”

“How do you know? They could have lied about that.”

Hoss chuckled.

“Oh, he knows. He was in the thick of it. You heard how they had a hostage. Well, you have met the hostage now. Got out of that mess by the skin of his teeth. He’s got a way of surviving some of the worst kinds of troubles.”

Then Hoss stopped realizing what he had implied. It probably brought up memories of Kane in the desert and all that his brother had suffered at the hands of that madman. Adam shrugged though instead of looking upset.

“I do tend to get myself in some messes sometimes. Now, let’s take a look at those horses. We’re heading through some rough country. We’ll keep the strongest and most sure-footed of the three and give them the other one.”

The horse they picked out for the Paiute was a pretty one and fast. The men were likely going to like the looks of her. She was the tallest of the three and the chestnut color made her the most attractive as well. When the Paiute returned, they were pleased with the choice. The small girl was clearly traumatized though and silent and still. They handed her over.

“She will not eat. She does not talk. This is how she was when she came to us.”

Once the Paiute left, Adam got a pack that held items from the wagons that had been attacked. He and Hoss had pulled items they thought might have belonged to the missing children or to family members at least. He opened the pack and began taking out items as Hoss talked softly to the little girl who appeared to be about eight years old. When Adam took out a book, she reacted and Hoss told him to pause.

“It might be her book. Open it up. See if there’s a name or something inside.”

Opening the book, Adam found a name written on the inside of the cover: Abigail Murphy.

“Are you Abigail?”

The little girl was staring at Adam but said nothing.

“I rode by the wagons a few days ago. I said hello to some there and wished you well. I heard the shooting and came back, but I was too late to help. I buried those I found and made sure that they had proper Christian markers. I didn’t know names for them but I did my best to keep family members together. I knew that some were missing though because I had seen more children when I rode by than I found when I came back. We’re looking for the missing children now. You’re the first one we found. We want to find the others.”

Adam waited then for the little girl to speak as the other three men were holding their breath.

“My sister.”

“Your sister is Abigail?”

“Yes, she said don’t talk, don’t do anything, and they’ll get rid of you, and you can get help.”

“How did she know that?”

“She heard them talking. They said they should have killed me. I was too young. I wasn’t eating and wouldn’t be worth anything to them. So they were going to sell me as soon as they could for whatever they could get. They said it would be more than they would get if I died. I don’t think Abigail thought they would sell me to Indians.”

“Your sister is very smart. The Paiute here are friends with us. They waited for us to come so they could turn you over to us.”

“So it worked?”

“It worked. We’re the help your sister wanted you to get. Now anything you can tell us will help us find the others.”

“Abigail said to tell you they said they’re going to a place called Foresthill or close to there. They said they had to be careful. They said they knew some people named Oro, Rip, and Gore and would get rid of the children for a good price with them because they always needed workers.”

Arty and Shep looked like nothing special had been said, but Hoss understood. He nodded, and Adam knew he had interpreted her statement correctly.

“They going near Foresthill, but they won’t actually go there. It’s been too successful and the people there would never allow them to do what they plan to do.”

“But those camps that have popped up all around there like pox won’t be so picky. If they know people in those camps, they’ll make a sale right quick, and now we know which camps they’re going to.”

“I’m guessing Oro first if that’s the order they mentioned them. Then on to Rip and then to Gore. We’ve got to hurry or those children will be lost.”

Kneeling down, Hoss gently reached for the little girl’s hand.

“I know you been through some terrible things. I know you must have seen some terrible things too. But we need your help. We got some questions we got to ask so we can rescue the others. We need to know their names and a little about what they look like. Can you do that?”

Although she started to cry, she nodded too. Adam pulled her close and whispered in her ear. He told her his name and the name of the other three men. Then he asked her name.

“Mary. My name is Mary Elizabeth, but my Mama only called me all of that when she was mad at me or upset. Now she won’t ever call me that again.”

“My mother’s name was Elizabeth. She’s up in heaven too. I bet your mother and my mother are talking now. I bet they’re looking down and smiling because they’re happy we got together. So if you listen close in your dreams tonight, maybe they’ll talk to you a little and call your name.”

“Does your mama call your name?”

“I think she does especially when I’m hurting and I need her.”

Snuggled into Adam’s arms then, Mary told them everything she knew. It was enough. Hoss spoke first when Mary had related all the information she had.

“We need to split up. Someone has to take Mary, and the other three have to go as fast as possible to Oro.”

“Who stays with Mary?”

“I think you know, and you won’t like it.”

“I don’t, but you better get those children by the time we get there. I don’t want to have to make excuses.”

“We’ll leave now. We can make some good time before dusk. They don’t know they’re being chased so we’ll push as hard as we can.”

“Take the extra horses too. If one goes lame, leave it.”

Shep spoke up then.

“My horse isn’t made for speed. I think I should use one of the extra horses right off, and you can use mine for Mary and the extra packs. That still gives us one spare.”

They spent a short time repacking supplies and then Hoss, Arty, and Shep left. Adam explained as well as he could to Mary what the plan was. She was nervous, but at the end of the day, when they made camp and had dinner, she relaxed. Adam did all the work and let her rest. Then he asked where she wanted to sleep. She asked to have her blankets next to his bedroll. He kept her between him and the campfire so she would be warmer. During the night, she snuggled in closer and closer until he pulled her into his bedroll and wrapped the blanket snugly around her. It was the same routine with Adam and Mary for the next three nights. She wanted to be close to him nearly every minute until they rode into Foresthill. There they saw Hoss, Shep, and Arty who grinned. Adam knew it was good news.

“We just got in from Oro with the children.”

“Any trouble?”

“We had to threaten that we would come back with a posse from here if they didn’t hand them over. Abigail is a feisty one. She’s the one told us there was another one so we got an extra one they picked up from somebody else.”

“Where are they?”

“Sheriff’s office right now giving descriptions of the men who took them and what they did. Let’s go. They’re going to want to see Mary.”

Once they got Mary reunited with the other children, the men had a chance to talk.

“The murders were in Nevada so will they do anything about that?”

“No, but the kidnapping was continued here too and so was the selling of the children, and they sure don’t take kindly to that. When we get back, we’ll file the murder charges in Nevada. There will be wanted posters out on them soon enough from both states. They won’t get away with this, Adam.”

“There are a lot of states, Hoss.”

“Don’t you go getting no fool notions now. We got the children. It’s what we set out to do.”

Shep spoke up again.

“I think I agree with Adam. I don’t think they ought to get away with this, and do it again before they get caught. Yeah, they’ll hang someday, but how many have to die first?”

“These children want to go back to where their families are buried. They want to get their things and maybe find families there. If they can, they want to stay together.”

“Hoss, we can take them back later.”

Arty spoke up then before Hoss could offer his objections.

“I can go with Hoss to take the children back. The two of us should be able to handle it. I don’t want to be on a posse now that the children are safe.”

So it was settled although Hoss didn’t like it. He and Adam bought a small wagon and team as well as supplies for the trip. Adam made sure there was a supply of candy if several small brown packages he stowed with the supplies were what Hoss suspected. Hoss saw him do it.

“Don’t eat it all the first night.”

“You think that all those sweets are a good idea?”

“I think there may be some sad times, and you might need a distraction for them.”

“Ah, I suppose you’re right about that. Good idea. How did you think of that?”

“Worked with Joe when Marie died. The other thing is to keep them busy all day and don’t stop too early. You want them good and tired out by the end of the day so they have a better chance of sleeping.”

“How do you know that will work?”

“I found that out with Mary on the way here. I didn’t give in when she said she was tired. I made excuses as to why we had to go further until she was almost ready to fall asleep in the saddle.”

“You’re going to make a great father.”

-I saw the look on his face, and I was afraid of what he might be thinking. My brother has a big heart, and he has a tendency to bring home strays of all kinds. But this would be a mistake. He was not ready to be a father by himself. I didn’t know what to say, but as always, he knew what I was thinking. He’s the only man in the world who can do that.

“Don’t worry. I ain’t thinking on adopting this whole passel of children. But I got to say, I have a special spot in my heart for Mary, and I’m going to make darn sure she and her sister get the best family I can find for them.”

“That relieves my mind.”

“It would be a relief to my mind if you could promise me that you would try to bring those men in alive.”

“I can promise, but Hoss, I don’t think they want to be brought in alive. If they have a chance, they’re going to fight.”

“I figured that too, but you take care.”

-I knew he didn’t want me to go. Right about now, he wished it had been Joe who had come with him and not me. If I had gone on the cattle drive, I would be meeting up with them about now, but Pa would be with us and Joe too. Instead, Hoss had to try to handle me alone. Too stubborn by far, it would have taken all three of them to stop me if they could. Instead, I had Shep’s support, and Hoss and Arty were there to care for the children. I didn’t know Shep well, but I had the feeling that he and I thought much alike about how these men had to be handled. Our conversations over the next two days confirmed that. When we got close to those men, we came up with a plan.

“Shep, there’s seven of them. That’s more than we thought.”

“Yeah, I wonder if they added one or two since we started trailing them. Maybe in that last camp. The people there seemed to think it was only five.”

“All those extra horses makes it look like they’re getting ready to raid somewhere.”

“Yeah, packhorses for what they steal.”

“Let’s take the horses away from them first. That will slow them down.”

“And let all seven get away?”

Adam smiled, but it was a smile with no humor.

“If one or two were to be shot when the horses stampede away, that wouldn’t be a tragedy, now would it?”

“We could do that now.”

“We could, but then they would know that someone was hunting them down. They would have to hunt us down.”

“Oh, but if one or two get killed while horses are being stolen, then it isn’t worth the trouble to hunt us down. They’ll think we’re thieves like them, and they can always steal more horses.”

“That’s it.”

“What’s the plan?”

“We wait to see how they tie up the horses for the night, if there’s a guard, and then we plan. Right now, let’s tie those leathers around the hooves of our horses to muffle the sound. Then we’ll collect grass and feed them to keep them calm so they’ll be quiet until we’re ready to ride.”

One by one, the raiders rolled into their bedrolls. By midnight, the campfire had burned low. There was a guard about halfway between the camp area and where the horses were tied to a rope line. Adam whispered that he would take care of the guard because he was too close to where they would have to work.

“Why you?”

“Because I’ll be there before he knows what hit him.”

“You’re going to hit him?”

“In the throat with this.”

Pulling a knife from his boot briefly, Adam made it clear the guard would not survive. The first part of the plan worked well. Adam slipped up to the guard and ended his life quietly. His rifle fell but made little noise in the usual debris on the forest floor. The Adam went to where Shep was freeing the horses. They had about five horses cut loose when a raider came to relieve the guard.

“What the hell?”

Firing his rifle in the air to summon the others, he stampeded the loose horses and scared the others. Adam and Shep had to rush away to grab their horses to retreat before they were found out. In the darkness and commotion, they were not seen. Behind them, they heard yelling and swearing. In the darkness, they did their best to find the horses they had freed and then herded them far from that camp.

“Did you kill that guard.”

“I did.”

“So one dead and they’re missing five horses. It’s a start, I guess.”

“It will slow them down. We’ll get rid of these horses and start trailing them again. They’ll need to get more horses before they raid again.”

“How do we get rid of these horses?”

“Let them go as soon as we’re far enough away that they won’t get them back.”

“Can’t we keep them and use them?”

“I don’t want to be found with stolen horses.”

“Oh, yeah, that would be a problem.”

Three days later, they rode into a mining camp where the raiders had gone after losing those five horses. Somewhere along the way, they had stolen more horses because they were reported to have a string of horses with them. In the makeshift saloon there, Adam bought drinks and tried to get information from the miners who benefited from his generosity.

“Yeah, they talked about some raiders who stole horses from them. Said they had to buy some on the way here.”

“Do you know where they’re headed? We met up with them a couple of times and would like to meet up again.”

“Oh, are you wagon guides too?”

“Wagon guides?”

“Well, they said it was rough here with one of their men killed and horses stolen. They said they worked the emigrant trail with a lot less trouble and were headed back that way. Figured they must be wagon guides.”

Adam and Shep never heard the end of that statement. They were headed out the doors of the saloon halfway through what the miner said. Mounted up and on their way, they didn’t even hear the laughter of the miners who realized Adam had not taken his change from the money he had paid for the first round. The miners ordered more drinks and wondered at the strange behavior of the two men from Nevada. They finished their drinks for them too.

Miles from town, Adam and Shep met up with a posse. It had been a wise decision by Adam to let those stolen horses run free. This posse would likely have lynched them otherwise. They were looking for the same marauders but for very different crimes. After five hard days in the saddle, Adam and Shep probably looked like they could belong to such a gang. Adam made it clear as fast as he could that they were not.

“I don’t know who you’re chasing down, but from the area you’re in, I think we may be after the same men. Five men who raid and kill?”

“How do we know you two ain’t part of that gang and saying that to throw us off?”

“We followed them from Nevada to rescue children they kidnapped. My brother and the other man with us took the children back, but Shep and I went after the raiders.”

“You’re part of the men who brought the children to Foresthill? What’s your name?”

“I’m Adam Cartwright. I brought a little girl named Mary in after my brother Hoss and two other men found four others who had been sold. We turned all of them over to the sheriff, but they wanted to go back to Nevada even though their families had been killed.”

“They killed here too and stole horses, but what they did to that family especially the women folk makes me sick to my stomach. We lost them in these hills though.”

“I know these hills. I’ve hunted in them and driven cattle through them.”

“They’ll likely be in Nevada before we catch up to them.”

“If you put your badges in your pockets, you can cross over. They’re wanted in both our states. We can take them based on the wanted posters out on them in both states. We’ll have to ride hard though, and our horses are almost worn out. We were hoping to find a place to buy new ones.”

“We’ve got extra horses if you can lead us to them. Why such a hurry though?”

“My brother and Arty are in a wagon with the children on the Emigrant Trail. We think they’re headed that way to raid again.”

“Yeah, we better hurry.”

-For two days, there was no sign of them because I led the men across the hills in a straight line to where we wanted to be. On the third day, we caught up with the marauders not because we made such good time or because my shortcut was so great. The raiders must have been anticipating pursuit and set up an ambush in a great place for it if we had been following the trail. We weren’t but we weren’t expecting that tactic either so they spotted us up on the hill. There was nothing I wanted to do more than kick myself for not expecting such a trick from them. There was nothing to be done about it though. Once they saw us, they mounted up to give pursuit and the day was filled with bloody skirmishes until I led the group into a canyon for cover and relief. They thought it was a box canyon. It wasn’t.

“It’s not a box canyon. There’s another exit, but it’s narrow and unlikely they’ll see it. We’ll have to set a guard there though to be sure. Meanwhile, we can take care of our wounded, get some rest, and water the horses. Yes, there’s water here. A small waterfall comes down the backside of the canyon so there’s a small pool of water. There’s wood for a fire. We’ve got boulders and trees for cover if they decide to charge in here.”

“Yeah, we didn’t guess they’d try to ambush us. What do you think they’ll do next?”

“Ambush us. Now they’re probably thinking about charging in here or climbing to the rim of the canyon which would take most of a day. They don’t have many options. The best is to go ahead and try to set another trap for us. There aren’t many ways for us to go now so they think they have the upper hand there.”

“So we ride right into an ambush?”

“No, we’ll have to come up with a plan.”

“A plan?”

“Yeah, like maybe two of us leave now and get ahead of them by leaving by the other end of the canyon before they decide to go. We see where they set up for an ambush and when they’re about to spring it, we start firing from the other side to alert you. Then you can go for cover, and we catch them in a crossfire.”

“So we’re the bait in the trap?”

“You got a better plan?”

“Damn it, no, I don’t, but it isn’t going to be you and Shep. I want one of my men with you.”

“Still don’t completely trust me, do you?”

“In similar circumstances, would you?”

“No.”

“Pick your man and we’ll go.”

“Jason is a damn good shot with a rifle. I figure he’s the best one to go with you.”

“Tomorrow, be careful. We’ll do our best to warn you, but if you’re riding too hard into their trap, it could still be too late.”

-With that, Jason and I left. We rode as far as we could without risking injury to the horses. Then we took turns sleeping to make sure the raiders didn’t get ahead of us. I was worried. We were getting close to where those men had raided the wagon train and kidnapped the children. My guess was that Hoss and Arty might still be there with the children. They would have traveled much slower than we did by wagon with children and having to use the trail. Then the children would have wanted time to search the wagons for possessions and of course to grieve for their lost family members. I didn’t want the raiders to get anywhere near them.

-At the first light of dawn, we were on the move again getting to the ridgeline to watch for the raiders. After only two hours, we spotted them and kept them in sight until nearly the end of the day when they finally picked their spot to shoot it out. It was a damn good spot too. I was glad to have a rifleman with me. I felt good about what I was doing. It wasn’t murder. It was going to be a battle but one that the marauders would cause by their own actions.

“Adam, we’re not going to be able to get at them from behind, are we?”

“From above with a rifle though, they’re going to be targets.”

“Stay up on the ridgeline then?”

“Yeah, watch for our guys and pick a target. Once we fire, they’ll hunker down so we’ll likely only each get one. But that makes the odds better for our guys. We can try moving closer at that point, but if we ride in from this side, we could get shot by our guys.”

“We could get back there and ricochet some off the walls to keep them ducking down at least. Might even hit one of them.”

“I like your way of thinking. I have done that myself once or twice. All right, but my warning about getting shot by our side still stands.”

“I think we still have to do it but be careful as we can be.”

“If we have to do it, then we will. We’ve got a plan. Now which one do you want to shoot?”

-It all worked according to the plan or mostly until the end which we had not planned very well. Jason and I each shot one of the raiders leaving three able-bodied men to fire on the posse. They were in good positions because of our shots warning them of the ambush. They were then able to defend themselves, and there was quite a battle raging until Jason and I started lobbing shots in to ricochet around where the raiders were. We heard one man cry out and knew one had hit the mark. In trying to evade the ricochets, another man was shot dead by the posse. What I never expected was the wounded man and the last able-bodied man would retreat and do so by the path of least resistance. They rode straight at Jason and me. Jason shot the wounded man killing him. I shot the other man as he shot at me. I never felt the bullet itself. What I felt was being thrown back into a boulder where my back painfully connected with rock and my head bounced off of it. I fell to the ground and saw Jason yelling at me. I say saw because there was no sound only his mouth open wide like he was yelling, and then there was nothing.

-The next thing I heard or felt was excruciating pain. One was from my body which seemed to be on fire. The other was the loud noise that made my head want to explode. Only my father could do that. I heard the doctor then telling him to shut up or get out. I was grateful.

“Ben, he’s awake, and you are making him suffer with your loud voice. So leave or be quiet.”

Moving to Adam’s bedside, Doctor Martin put a cool compress on the wounded man’s head and then on his cheeks and neck. After pulling down the sheet that covered Adam, he continued on and used cool cloths to wipe his chest and arms. Adam’s reactions told him it was appreciated and helpful.

“Adam, your wound is not too bad, but you have a head injury and bruising on your back which must be very painful to you. The worst problem medically though is the fever from the infection. It took so long to get you home and get the bullet out that you have an infection to defeat. You’ve done it before. Now that you’re awake, you need to drink and eat as much as you are able.”

A groan in response let Doctor Martin know that was not an attractive prospect for his patient. He guessed Adam probably had some nausea issues.

“We’ll try some very light things first so your stomach won’t rebel too much. How about some sugar water?”

A slight wave of the hand was the response the doctor needed. Adam had learned from previous head injuries not to nod or shake his head to answer questions. When Hop Sing brought a small cup of sugar water, he sipped from it and had a slight smile in response as his stomach did not object.

“Now take it slow and steady to keep the nausea at bay. It’s mostly probably a result of your head injury so don’t try getting out of bed yet by yourself and don’t move around too much.”

With Hop Sing’s careful meal preparations and Ben’s care as Hoss and Joe spent their time preparing the herd for the cattle drive which had been delayed, Adam recovered quickly. In only two days, he was able to get out of bed and start to do some things for himself. His balance was still affected as was his vision so he was still confined to his room, but otherwise, his recovery was proceeding quite well.

-Hoss won’t look me in the eye when he comes into the room and leaves as soon as he can. Abigail and Mary are staying here and there’s no talk of them going anywhere else. No one says anything about the posse and what happened as if that topic is taboo. At first, all this unusual behavior had me thinking I was in worse trouble than they told me, but I was feeling better and better. There is something they’re not telling me though, and I’m about ready to force some answers out of them.

It took two days before Adam began to ask questions. When his father was sitting in the room after Adam finished a light lunch, it was time as far as the injured man was concerned. He wanted some answers.

“What’s going on that you don’t want to tell me?”

“What do you mean?”

“You always hate it when I do that and when Joe does that so don’t try it with me. Answer the question instead of asking another one.”

“I guess you need to be more specific then.”

“Distract, delay. You know the whole routine. All right, I’ll start at the beginning. How did I get here?”

“That posse caught up to Hoss and Arty. They used the wagon to bring you the rest of the way. They felt bad about one of them shooting you.”

“They shot me?”

“Yes. The man you shot was using a pistol. You were hit with a rifle bullet. It’s why it threw you back so hard into that boulder. Jason felt bad about that. He said you warned him it could happen, but he pushed you to do it.”

“Now, a tougher question for you. When Hoss comes in here, he can’t look me in the eye, and Abigail and Mary are here and haven’t been in here any longer than to say hello. At first, I thought I was hurt worse than what Doctor Martin said, but I’m feeling pretty good now, so what is it that you’re not telling me about the situation?”

Turning to stare out the window as Adam talked, Ben cleared his throat before he began his response.

“There’s been news from California, and it’s not good.”

“What kind of news? Just spit it out. I’m strong enough to hear it now.”

“The father and brother of some of the men killed want revenge. They haven’t broken any laws or none that anyone can prove so nothing can be done about them.”

With a sinking feeling in his stomach, Adam asked what seemed obvious but was still somewhat surprised at the answer.

“Who is the target of their vengeance?”

“You and Abigail.”

“Abigail! Why?”

“The newspaper article in California named her in the article and named you. We’re expecting them to come for you here. Candy has set up a trap. We expect to get them, but we have to be prepared for them to get to the house.”

Nothing happened for weeks. When the assault came, it showed that the two assailants had been watching the house for some time. They had been patient and knew when the guards were to be changed at night. They attacked before that time knowing the guards on duty were likely to be very tired. Joe and Hoss have gone to town with some of the men so there weren’t many men on the ranch. Ben and Candy were handling guard duty inside the house until the men who had gone to town returned.

Candy’s plan worked. The men were surprised to meet armed men when they entered the house and armed men when they turned to retreat. Unfortunately, what they had done wasn’t serious enough for major charges, and even with what they were wanted for in California, they were sentenced to only ten years in prison. It seemed like a lot at the time, but an ominous statement had them worried.

“It’s not over, Cartwright. You’ll pay. It may take ten more years, but you will pay.”

That warning had been fulfilled. Adam was paying a price emotionally and mentally, but he had to hope to be able to rescue his wife and daughter. No matter what happened to him, he couldn’t let them be harmed. The Paiute wanted to help again. Adam had been a friend to them many times and they felt they owed him.

“We have been tracking them and watching them from a distance. We know where they are. The woman and the girl are all alive but have not been treated with respect.”

No details were given. It would only serve to create anger which would interfere with clear thinking. Instead, the Paiute men gave them all the information they had on how best to approach the camp, where Denise and Sara were kept at night where they were most likely to be during the day, and how many men were in the camp as well as where sentries and guards were usually posted. When there was no more information to give, the Paiute left. Adam knew they would continue to watch but wouldn’t help them in any other way.

“There’s five of us and ten of them. Why won’t them Paiute help if they’re such good friends of yours?”

“Griff, they can’t help. Paiute can’t be involved in a fight killing white men no matter how good the cause. I would welcome their help, but I understand.”

“I don’t.”

Candy tried to explain then.

“If they help and word gets out that they killed some white men, no one is going to care why those white men were killed. It’s going to be a reason to ask the government to step in to do something about these Paiute. Their only safety is to stay out of this to protect their women and children.”

“But that’s crazy.”

None of the other men answered. It was time to plan what had to be done. Adam and Candy favored going in at night thinking it would help even the odds. They hoped to take out a sentry and a guard and use surprise to their advantage. Shep was the most worried in the group.

“We need at least one man to go for the two hostages. They have to be protected during any fight. That leaves four against eight probably. It still don’t add up to very good odds.”

“No, it doesn’t. We need something more.”

That something more arrived later that day when a Paiute came to them with news that there were more men approaching.

“Friends or enemies?”

“Adam Cartwright, the one leading wears the metal star.”

“Take me to them, please.”

When Adam saw who was riding to them, it was a huge relief. They had the reinforcements they needed. Clem Foster, former deputy and now sheriff of Virginia City, had five men with him.

“Adam, I heard what happened. These men have all served as deputies at one time or another. They’re good men, and we all want to help find those outlaws and rescue your wife and daughter.”

“We found them. We were planning how to do the rescue with only five of us against ten of them, but now it’s eleven of us against ten of them. I like those odds. I’ll show you where we’re camped and get all of you caught up with the plans so far.”

Far easier to plan with the eleven men, the group settled into a restless night knowing what they would face with the first light in the morning. The last two to turn in were Adam and Candy who made sure the horses were secure and that the guards were awake. One was reminded to wake the next man in two hours and the other a half-hour sooner. The plan was always to have two men on guard and to have the shifts overlap. With a cold camp, it was unlikely anyone knew they were there, but it was wise to be cautious.

“Tomorrow, it doesn’t seem like you care to take any back alive for trial. Clem mentioned that and you ignored his comment.”

“There’s only one way to be sure these men don’t do this again.”

At that point, Candy grabbed Adam’s arm startling him.

“Damn, that’s what Joe said to me the night we caught them the first time. He wanted to shoot them on sight. He said exactly what you said. But Ben and I said we could take them in to the sheriff.”

“I guess Joe was right.”

Pulling his arm free, Adam walked into the darkness. Candy guessed he wouldn’t sleep much. He hadn’t probably slept much since his wife and daughter had been abducted. In the plan, Adam, Shep, and Candy were going to go in first with Candy taking out the sentry, Shep killing the guard, and Adam getting to the tent where his wife and daughter were being held. Once the three completed their jobs, the other men would come into the camp from all directions with each wearing a white band on their arm to show which side they were on. As the three men approached the camp the next morning and Adam slipped off his boots, Candy took his arm again.

“A change in plans. We’ll take out the sentry together and I’ll go with you to the tent where your wife and daughter are.”

“Why?”

“It’s not that I’m so fond of you, but I promised your father I would bring you back, and I think he meant alive, and you have a wife and three children who need you.”

“All right.”

Surprised at the easy acquiescence, Candy said nothing. Adam had a quiet quip.

“You didn’t think I was stupid, did you?”

“Well, there have been moments now that you ask.”

“Are you two ready to do this?”

Shep was getting impatient, but Candy and Adam had been watching the horizon for enough light to do the job but not too much to be discovered as they moved in. Judging it was about the right time, they nodded, and the three men moved out. As expected there was a guard at the tent where Denise and Sara were being held. Adam moved up behind him with Candy at his side. They took the man out quietly and permanently.

“That leaves only seven.”

“Denise, it’s me. Don’t make a sound.”

The tent flap opened and Adam heard her voice. Despite his orders, it was a relief. She was smart and spoke as softly as he had.

“The change in the guard happens as soon as it’s light.”

Quickly, Adam moved into the tent and pulled the dead man in with him. Following his lead without needing any instructions, Candy took up a position outside the tent doing his best to look as bored as the guard had looked. Adam shoved the man’s hat out and Candy switched hats shoving his hat into the tent.

Denise had awakened Sara and was doing her best to keep her quiet.

“Lay down flat on the ground with Sara beside you. There’s going to be a lot of bullets flying soon.”

Staying in a position to help Candy, Adam couldn’t move to comfort his wife and daughter no matter how much he wanted to do that. Outside, he heard a man call out something to Candy as the man approached the tent. Candy mumbled something in return keeping his head down and rubbing his neck like he had a headache.

“What did you say? And why is that tent flap loose? You know it’s supposed to be tied up tight all the time.”

The relief guard never got to say anything more as Candy swung his rifle hitting him in the jaw which dropped him to the ground. His head was at an odd angle indicating a likely broken neck so he was no longer a threat. It was too much noise though, and a couple of men stirred from their tents calling out to Candy asking what had happened. Not recognizing him and seeing a man on the ground, they went for their weapons. That’s when men led by Clem attacked. It was over quickly. As soon as the shooting started, Adam went to his wife and daughter to be sure they stayed safe. Candy dropped down behind the man he had felled. The other six villains chose to fight and were shot. Not all died that day, but with the wounds they had, death was likely. Too far from any town and medical intervention, they had no chance to survive except by divine intervention. There were no miracles that day. There were a few minor wounds among the rescue party, but nothing was serious. Clem took charge of the three wounded men and they headed back to town as soon as they could. The other men began digging graves.

With his wife in his arms, Adam could finally relax. Sara was snuggled down into her blankets sound asleep knowing her father was there. Both of them had heard the gunfire and knew the men who had held them hostage had been gunned down by Adam and the others. They had no sympathy for those men. It was liberating to know they were dead. Bruised by rough treatment, they were dirty too because they had not been allowed even the least care. Adam asked if someone could find some soap, towels, and warm water as soon as they could. Later as he helped his wife and daughter bathe and clean up their clothing as much as they were able to do, he had to ask but had to be careful how he phrased it with his daughter there. When he asked, he put a special emphasis on hurt so his wife could understand what he was in fact asking.

“Did they hurt you?”

Looking at Sara, Denise made sure Adam didn’t ask too much.

“No, they said they wouldn’t ‘hurt’ us until you were here, and then they would ‘hurt’ us when you could watch.”

“Papa Adam, those were very bad men.”

“Yes, Sara, they were. Sheriff Foster’s other two men and Candy and the others will bury them here. They will never hurt anyone ever again. These marauders will never return.”

They were quiet then, and they didn’t talk about what had happened for several days. The gear from the camp was packed on the horses the villains had owned and the only evidence they had ever been there were the ten mounds of earth marking where they were buried. Those who had not left with Clem stayed with Adam and the others one more day. Adam wanted to give Denise and Sara some time to rest and recover before traveling. They waited for the last two villains to die and then buried them. Then the last two deputies headed back to town with the horses and gear from the villains. The Ponderosa crew headed home, but there was still no talk about what had happened until Denise asked about her mother.

“She was fine when we left.”

“I know what you mean when you say ‘fine’ so tell me the rest.”

“She was weak, and Doctor Martin was worried, but she was talking, eating, drinking, and seemed like she would recover. I can’t tell you anything more. Hop Sing was in about the same condition although physically not as weak, his head injury made him dizzy and he had trouble talking.”

“The boys were never found, right? You wouldn’t lie about that?”

“No, the boys were good. They heard what you yelled and stayed hidden. Josh and AC were both scared but unharmed. They may be having some nightmares, but Pa and Jamie are there to help them. AC didn’t understand what happened. Josh did.”

“Where did they hide?”

“In the smokehouse.”

“Really?”

“Yes, Josh is as practical as his father was. He said he figured they couldn’t get through that door even if they figured out where they were. There was firewood inside to keep them warm and plenty to eat. Although, he didn’t think about the fire inside creating smoke or about other necessary matters. He is rather young. They only came out when they heard Pa calling for them.”

It brought the first real smile from Denise that Adam had seen. It was a start. He knew from experience that it would take some time for both his wife and daughter to recover from these days as hostages. He suspected his daughter would recover much faster because she was too young to truly understand all the implications of what had happened. As her memories of her physical mistreatment faded, she would regain her old self. However, for Denise, it had been far more than a physical ordeal. He was going to have to be patient. She had already rebuffed any attempts for anything more than a hug and a light kiss. She wanted to be held close but nothing more. A step-by-step process was going to be needed. It would be like courting her again, and the first time had not been easy but at least he knew what he had to do. It would help him too to recover from the trauma.

When they got home, there were many other issues too. Adam had a ranch to run with timber operations, contracts, cattle, horses, and it was all too much for one man. Jamie could help, and Ben still did much of the paperwork. At dinner on a Sunday a month after their return, Adam made a bold suggestion.

“I think we ought to make Candy a partner.”

“What? I know he’s always been important to this family, but a partner?”

“We need him, Pa. One way to keep him here is to make him a partner and give him a share of the Ponderosa. One thing we have in abundance is land. Let’s carve out a piece for him if he’ll stay.”

“Pa, I agree with Adam. We need his help. If he’s a partner, he could take on more of the responsibilities. Then there would be three of us.”

“Four of us – I’m not gone yet.”

“Sorry, Pa, but I meant out on the ranch or traveling to all the camps and so on. You don’t do that anymore. It’s a lot for me and Adam, and he has three small children.”

Dropping his head trying to conceal his small smile, Adam remembered what Denise had told him. He had been slowly working to seduce his wife, and with chocolates and back massages, as well as small poems and conversations in the dark, he was winning her back. After some gentle lovemaking, he had said if they continued like that, there might be another little Cartwright. She had responded that it was too late to worry about that. There was already one on the way. That was when she finally opened up and admitted why she had been so upset about being taken. She had been terrified she would lose the baby, but now it was five months and there was no problem. Adam felt the bump that he had attributed to her eating more and getting older. Instead, he was overjoyed to know there would be one more child in their family.

“Adam, is there something you want to tell us?”

Ben had guessed by Adam’s reaction, but he had to hear him say it.

“I think you know. There will be four small children. I need to have more help running all these operations and especially the timber camps. Candy would be perfect to promote into that position.”

“Congratulations, son, and yes, based on everything, it is a good solution. I’m sure you have already worked out how it would be organized.”

“Actually, no, but we can all sit down and negotiate that if Candy is agreeable.”

“Should we go find out?”

“Maybe ask him here? Jamie would you do the honors?”

Although Candy wasn’t sure why he was being summoned to a family meeting, Jamie was smiling so it had to be good news. The proposition though left him speechless which meant Adam wasn’t.

“I already like this arrangement. He’s not talking, and for me that’s a huge improvement.”

“Adam, I don’t think insulting him is a way to get him to agree to your proposition.”

“It was his idea. I was going to say yes, but now I have to reconsider.”

“Don’t worry, Pa. He’s trying to set himself up for a good bargaining position.”

“Bargaining what?”

“Oh, how much land we’re going to throw in, and how much money it means for you, and how much travel you get to do, those kinds of things.”

“Travel?”

“Don’t get too excited, Candy, Adam doesn’t like going to the timber camps and I’m too young to take than on so he’s looking to you.”

“Figures he would dump a job like that on me.”

“There would be travel to San Francisco and Sacramento too especially until the baby is here.”

“Baby? You? I thought you were too old to have a baby.”

Ben rolled his eyes.

“Do you think we could get to the business of this and stop acting like boys in a pissing match?”

There was silence at the table for a few seconds before all four broke into laughter. It was settled even if Candy had not verbally said yes.

“Will I still be foreman because I can’t see how I could do that and be gone so often?”

“No, I don’t see how that could work. You and Adam will have to hire a new foreman.”

Looking at each other, the two men nodded. Jamie and Ben wondered what that meant. It was eerie because it was the way Adam and Hoss used to communicate. Candy spoke up.

“We should promote Shep. He’s been thinking of leaving to find that kind of job. Arty is a top hand. He’ll leave too if Shep leaves. If Shep is foreman, Arty will stay, but he’ll need to get paid a bit more. Maybe make him the assistant to Shep.”

“See, Pa, he’s already thinking like a partner.”

“No, he’s already thinking like you. This is going to cost more.”

“In the long run, it will save money.”

“I like it too.”

Candy was sitting where Hoss used to sit. Jamie was in Joe’s old spot. Adam sat where Adam always sat. Ben looked at them and smiled.

“I guess it’s three against one again.”

They knew what he meant. Hop Sing came out with coffee and dessert.

“Better smiles than yells. Family happy again.”

Sitting at the fireplace and reading to the children, Denise smiled as the men worked out the details of the business relationship they had created. She had been thinking perhaps they ought to go back to Australia, but now she was sure they were in the right place. Occasionally one of the children would wander over to the table and put a hand on Adam’s arm or simply lean against him. They did that kind of thing often needing some reassurance that all was well and would remain so. Without being deterred from his business dealings, he would slip an arm around whichever one it was and offer a hug. It was what was needed and the child would return to the activity recently left behind. Her mother sat in the blue chair knitting some small garments. Looking at her daughter and grandchildren, she couldn’t imagine a better place to be either. What she had heard Ben ask Adam earlier and his response had only strengthened that feeling. It had been a warm and inspiring moment even though she had not meant to eavesdrop, but those male voices did carry across the room very well.

“Son, I hope this experience hasn’t hurt too much. I hope it won’t be a reason you consider leaving again.”

“No, Pa, you don’t have to worry about that. When I was younger, I felt hemmed in here by family. I wanted to be on my own to do things my way. When I left, I missed having my family, my brothers, by my side. That surprised me. Then I came back and missed Hoss so much it hurt every day when I woke up. When I lost Joe, I thought I couldn’t manage doing everything that had to be done without their help. I felt so alone. On this trip, remembering their advice, their concern, I know they’re still with me. I started thinking about what they would think about things I said and things I did. It was as if they were still by my side. Then I knew they still were there. I haven’t lost them if they’re in my thoughts like that. They’re part of who I am.”

“I hope you can help Jamie with that too.”

“I think he’s further down that road than I am, Pa. He’s a good brother.”

Almost slipping and saying ‘kid’ had made Adam smile. Ben had some idea why he smiled because he heard the beginning of the word before Adam changed it to brother. He smiled too. He felt better than he had in years.