Chapter 4

“Don’t worry, Josh,” Sarah said to her cousin, “we’re not late. Oh, but there’s the train,” she exclaimed excitedly, and the two of them hurried to the platform.

Josh tried to breathe deeply as he watched the passengers begin to descend from the train. Ever since A.C. had mentioned that his parents and sisters, along with his nieces and nephews, would be traveling from Australia to the Ponderosa, Josh had been eagerly looking forward to meeting more of his newfound family. Especially his Uncle Adam. Now that the moment had arrived, Josh was filled with anxiety. A.C., Sarah and Benj had accepted him, but what about these cousins? And most important, would his uncle welcome him into the family?

“There they are!” Sarah shouted, waving her arm, and Josh saw an older man-about Bronc’s age, he thought-helping a tiny white-haired woman. “Uncle Adam! Aunt Bronwen!” Sarah called, and the man and woman looked their direction and smiled. Sarah grabbed Josh’s arm and propelled him through the crowd, but he saw two dark-haired women-one much taller than the other-and several dark-haired children of different ages all descending from the train.

“It’s so good to see you, Aunt Bronwen,” Sarah said, bending to kiss the older woman’s cheek and hug her gently. “And you, too, Uncle Adam.” She threw her arms around him and hugged him briefly before stepping back.

“You must be Josh,’ Adam said, extending his hand to the younger man. Adam noted that Josh’s hair was darker than Hoss’s had been and he wasn’t particularly tall, but he definitely had Hoss’s clear blue eyes and the same stocky build.

“Yes, sir,’ Josh replied, and he heard the nervousness in his voice and knew his palm was damp as he took his uncle’s hand and shook it firmly.

“Uncle Adam,” Adam corrected, turning up his lips slightly. “And this is your Aunt Bronwen.”

“I’m so pleased to meet you, Josh,” Bronwen said with a warm smile as she extended her hand. Then Adam introduced Josh to Beth and Gwyneth, and they introduced Josh and Sarah to their progeny. Neither Sarah nor Josh had ever seen that many children all together, and they felt a little overwhelmed. Josh had a hard time taking his eyes off Beth, who was even more beautiful in person. He just couldn’t believe she could be Elen’s mother. He’d forgotten that A.C. had said Elen wasn’t even fourteen; Sarah knew Elen’s age and was shocked at how well-developed she was.

Once all the introductions were complete, Adam said, “Josh, I could hardly believe it when A.C. wrote that you had turned up at the Ponderosa after all these years of searching for you.” Adam’s voice was a little unsteady and Josh saw his uncle’s hazel eyes were suspiciously bright.

“Speaking of A.C., where is he?” Bronwen inquired. “I thought he’d be here to meet us. He’s not hurt?” she added anxiously.

“Oh no,” Sarah answered reassuringly. “He left about a week before we got your telegram. He was very mysterious about where he was going, but from what he said, he should be back in a day or two.”

“That’s our baby brother,” Beth said with a smile. “We travel half way across the world, and he’s not here to greet us.”

“Oh, and Benj is in court or he’d have been here to meet you as well,” Sarah said quickly. “He’s setting up a law practice here in Carson City.”

“Well, even if A.C. isn’t here, I’m very happy to have the chance to spend some time with my niece and nephews,” Adam said, smiling broadly, and Josh realized A.C. had inherited his dad’s dimpled smile.

“Wanna see station, Pa-pa,” Little Adam said then, tugging on Adam’s hand.

“May we go now, Grandpa?” Dylan asked and all the children looked at their grandpa hopefully.

“Right,” Adam said with a smile, “we’ll go to the station.” He said to Josh, “We can talk more on the drive.”

“Oh, Josh drove the surrey and Jacob drove the wagon for your trunks. We thought some of the boys could ride to the ranch with Jacob,” Sarah said then.

“Beauty!” Huw and Dylan exclaimed.

“I wanna ride with Huw and Dylan,” Jory said and his little brothers shouted, “Me, too! Me, too!”

“Jory and Benny may ride in the wagon,” Gwyneth said, “but, Little Adam, I think you should ride with me.”

Seeing his little cousin’s ferocious pout, Huw said quickly, “I’ll look after him, Aunt Gwyneth. I promise.”

“He and Benny could sit by Jacob,” Adam suggested quietly, wanting to prevent a temper tantrum right there on the platform.

Reluctantly Gwyneth said, “All right, as long as Jacob doesn’t mind if Little Adam sits by him, then he may go.”

“Let’s go find Jacob, mates,” Adam said, adding, “Josh, would you escort the ladies to the surrey?”

“Be happy to,” Josh replied with a grin, and then offered Bronwen his arm, which she took with a smile.

Adam spotted Jacob almost immediately and herded the boys over to him.

“It’s good to see you again, Jacob,” Adam said, shaking Jacob’s hand.

“And it’s good to see you,” Jacob said. “A.C. had us a little worried when he told us about your malaria flaring up, but you look in good health now. And these fine young men must be your grandsons.”

“All but the youngest, who’s with his mama,” Adam said with a proud smile. “Let me introduce them.” When Adam finished, he added, “The boys all want to ride in the wagon with you, and we told Benny and Little Adam that if you didn’t mind, they could sit by you.”

“That’ll be fine,” Jacob said with a big grin for the two youngest boys. “I’ll enjoy the company.”

Adam tousled his namesake’s curls and then said to his oldest grandson, “Huw, you keep hold of Little Adam’s hand while Jacob loads our trunks. Your Aunt Gwyneth is counting on you to take care of him.”

“I will, Grandpa,” Huw said earnestly.

“I’ll hold his other hand,” Dylan offered and with a smile Adam said, “I think that’s a good idea. Little Adam, you hold their hands when you aren’t on the wagon. Understand?” The little boy nodded, placing his hands in his cousins’, and Adam left, calling over his shoulder, “I’ll see you all at the station.”

Adam found the surrey easily. Beth was sharing the second seat with Sarah while Bronwen, who was holding Gruffydd, was sitting with Gwyneth and Morwenna in the third one and the two Jones girls sat in the back. Adam climbed up in the front seat with Josh. As he glanced at his nephew’s profile, which was very like Hoss’s he suddenly realized, Adam began thinking of a way to connect with the young man.

As Josh started the horses on the drive back to the ranch house, Adam asked, “Have you seen the old cabin your grandfather built when we first moved to the Ponderosa?” Josh shook his head and Adam said, “I want to show it to you while I’m here. Your grandfather worked hard that first summer building our cabin and another for our livestock, plus planting a garden. It was my job to watch Hoss. He wasn’t a year old yet so he wasn’t walking, but he could sure crawl fast, and like any baby, he’d put everything in his mouth. I still had my old cloth ball and we’d roll it back and forth. When Hoss got older, we’d play catch with it and I taught him how to skip stones on the lake. I had some picture books my grandfather had sent me and I’d read the stories to Hoss. I remember that Puss in Boots was his favorite. Stories about animals were always his favorites.”

Adam stopped for a minute, and Josh looked at him and saw he was lost in memories. Then his uncle smiled at him. “Your dad always loved animals. He never understood how people could kill animals for sport, not because they needed the meat for food or the hide for leather. And Hoss just couldn’t stand to see an animal suffer. He was always nursing birds with broken wings. If we’d lose a cow or a mare giving birth, Hoss would always feed the calf or foal by hand, and he was usually successful. Whenever our cook’s sow had too big a litter, Hoss would bottle feed the runt.” Adam winked as he added, “We’d have to sell the runt to one of our neighbors because Hoss couldn’t bear the idea of eating a pig he’d raised from a little piglet. To tell the truth, I don’t think any of us could have eaten one of Hoss’s piglets.”

Adam glanced back at his wife and daughters before saying, “My family all traveled to Sydney to be there for your Cousin Beth’s birth. Afterward, your dad and your grandfather wanted to see Cloncurry, where we were moving when Beth was a little older, so the three of us traveled there. I remember how fascinated Hoss was with the animals he saw. I had a very hard time persuading Hoss that he couldn’t take a koala back to the Ponderosa with him. And I remember how his face lit up the first time he saw a mob of kangaroos hopping along.”

Josh smiled at his uncle, saying wistfully, “I wish I could’ve known my pa.”

Adam put his hand on his nephew’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “I wish you could have known him, too. He was such a kindhearted and loving man; I know what a good father and husband he would have been.”

After the trunks were loaded on the wagon, the older boys climbed up with them, and Jacob lifted Little Adam and then Benny up on the seat before climbing up by Little Adam. I wish Mr. Ben could see his great-grandsons. He’d be so proud of them, Jacob thought. This little fellow is the spittin’ image of his grandpa. He’d have brought back so many memories for Mr. Ben, just the way Miss Miranda did.

Jacob slapped the reins and said, “Giddap, mules.” Dylan spoke up then.

“Grandpa says ‘giddap’ but Tada says ‘walk on’.”

“Tada?” Jacob repeated and Huw said quickly, “It’s ‘daddy’ in Welsh.”

“Ah,” Jacob said. “Well, your grandpa grew up here in America, and we say ‘giddap’ when we want animals to start and ‘whoa’ when we want ‘em to stop.” Dylan nodded and then Jacob said, “Your Uncle A.C. said you boys like to ride.”

“Too right we do!” Dylan said emphatically and the other boys, except Little Adam, all nodded vigorously.

“Your uncle and I picked out some ponies for you to ride while you’re at the Ponderosa,” Jacob added, grinning broadly.

“Beauty!” Huw, Dylan and Jory exclaimed while Benny’s face lit up with an enormous smile.

“I have a pony at home named Sport,” Dylan said then. “He used to belong to Uncle A.C.”

“I gotta share my pony, Blackie, with Benny,” Jory said, glaring at his little brother’s back.

“Well, you can each have your own pony here,” Jacob said, and both Pentreath boys beamed at him. “We found a Welsh pony for you, Benny. Your uncle thought the rest of you would like mustangs. They’re a little larger than your Welsh ponies.” Then Jacob asked, “So, did you boys enjoy the trip from Australia?”

“Jory and Benny got sick on the ship,” Dylan said smugly.

“So did Grandma and your mama and Siân,” Jory retorted. “Grandpa said that Uncle Hoss and Uncle Joe got sick when they sailed to Australia.” Then he said to Jacob,” Grandpa had to rest when we got to Sydney so we all got to go to Wonderland City and-”

“And ride an elephant named Alice and a miniature railroad,” Dylan said, causing Jory to scowl at him for interrupting.

“I wanted to ride the airship but Mama said no,” Huw said regretfully.

“We thought we could swim in the ocean, but it’s winter back home and my mama and Aunt Beth said it was too cold,” Jory stated quickly before Dylan could interrupt.

Little Adam tugged on Jacob’s sleeve and said, “Tell me ‘tory. Pease.”

“You always wanna hear a story,” Jory complained.

“Do you know the one about the three pigs or the one about Goldilocks and the bears?” Huw asked Jacob. “He likes those.”

“No,” Jacob replied, “but how about Joshua and the walls of Jericho?”

“I like that story,” Dylan said with a big grin. “It’s a ripper!”

Benny, who had been very quiet, spoke up and said, “Yes, that’s a bonzer story.”

Jacob deduced from Benny’s happy expression that ‘bonzer’ must mean good, and he smiled at the little boy, noting he had his great-grandpa’s chocolate brown eyes.

Little Adam got sleepy on the long drive so Jacob put him in the wagon with his head in Huw’s lap. Dylan asked to ride by Jacob and Benny, and that’s how they arrived at the ranch house. Everyone but Adam, Siân, Morwenna and Gruffydd was sitting on the front porch, drinking lemonade and waiting for them. Little Adam was still sound asleep so Jacob carefully picked him up and told Gwyneth he’d carry him up to his bed.

Elen said with a big grin, “Gruffydd and Morwenna fell asleep and Mama told Siân she had to take a nap. Then Grandma said Grandpa had to take one, too.” Jacob couldn’t help chuckling softly at that. Bronwen merely smiled and said, “Adam and the children are taking a nap together in our room. I checked and they’re asleep. There’s room for Little Adam with them, and that way he won’t wake up by himself in a strange place.” Jacob nodded and went inside.

“Jacob said he and Uncle A.C. picked out ponies for us,” Jory said eagerly.

“Right, and we’ve just been waiting for you to get here with the trunks so we could change,” Elen said. “I chose the perlino mare.”

“She looks like Rosebud. Your grandpa taught me to ride here on Rosebud,” Bronwen said to her granddaughter, and they shared a smile.

“The quarter horses are for Aunt Gwyneth and me,” Beth said and Gwyneth added, “This will be a short ride since we haven’t ridden for over a month.”

“I’ll help carry the trunks in,” Huw said to Josh.

“Thanks, pardner, but I think I’d better wait for Jacob. Those trunks look pretty heavy,” Josh said. “He’ll be back in a minute.” He smiled at the boy, who looked disappointed.

“Why don’t you boys go look at the ponies,” Gwyneth said, standing up. The boys all ran for the corral and their mothers and Josh followed. Benny was pleased with his dun pony, and Huw was happy with the bay mustang, although he looked longingly at the quarter horses. Dylan and Jory both wanted the chestnut mustang. Knowing how stubborn they both were, Beth asked Josh if he had a coin to toss.

“Sure do,” Josh said with a grin. “Heads or tails, Dylan?”

“Heads,” Dylan said and then both boys watched anxiously as Josh tossed the coin.

“It’s tails,” Josh said and Jory smirked. Jacob, who’d returned while they were looking at the mustangs, suggested to Josh that they carry the trunks upstairs. Everyone but Beth and Dylan followed them.

“They’re all bonzer ponies or Uncle A.C. wouldn’t have picked them for you,” Beth said gently to her son.

“But I wanted the chestnut,” Dylan whined.

“I know, but Jory won the coin toss,” Beth said calmly.

“It’s not fair!” Dylan said, kicking the corral.

“If you don’t want to ride the gray, then you can stay here with Grandma. It’s up to you, Dylan,” and Beth went to join the others. Dylan kicked the corral again, and then he looked at the mustang ponies. The dapple gray was pretty, he decided, just as pretty as the chestnut. He smiled at the pony and then ran inside to change out of his sailor suit.

While the others were changing clothes, Josh and Jacob sat on the porch and Buckshot brought out more lemonade, glasses for himself and Jacob.

“So what do you think of your Australian family?” Buckshot asked Josh after taking a long swallow of lemonade.

“I think Cousin Beth is the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen,” Josh replied. “I can’t believe she’s the mother of kids as old as Huw and Elen. Especially Elen!”

“Elen’s not as old as she looks,” Jacob said quietly. “I remember A.C. said she’s not even fourteen yet.”

“You’re joking!” Josh exclaimed. “I thought she must be at least sixteen. I mean, she’s-” He broke off, his face beet-red.

“I remember the first time I ever saw Beth,” Buckshot said then. “She wasn’t quite old enough to dress like a grown-up lady, but lordy, she had the young men swarmin’ round like bees around honeysuckle.” He and Jacob both smiled at the memory.

“Gwyneth sure takes after Uncle Adam,” Josh commented.

“She sure does,” Jacob said with a big grin. “I remember the first time I met Adam and his family. I’d heard your dad and your Uncle Joe talk about their older brother who’d married and settled in Queensland, but I never figured I’d meet him. Then not long after your Uncle Joe married your Aunt Annabelle, we got word your Uncle Adam was bringin’ his whole family for a visit. Oh, your grandpa and uncle were so excited. Your grandpa was smilin’ from ear to ear when those four little girls got off the train. And he and your Uncle Joe were so happy to see your Uncle Adam. They missed them all so much when they went back to Queensland.”

“I wonder why Uncle Adam settled so far from the Ponderosa?” Josh mused.

“Well, you’ll have a chance to ask him,” Jacob said quietly.

A moment later, the boys came running onto the porch wearing the old knickerbockers they used for riding. Huw was even wearing an Akubra hat A.C. had sent him for his last birthday. They started to run for the corral but stopped when Jacob said, “Whoa!”

“But we wanna ride,” Jory complained.

“Fine, but you’re gonna need some help saddlin’ up your ponies,” Jacob said as he and Josh stood up, and Buckshot headed back to the kitchen with the glasses and pitcher. “I remember your grandpa taught your mamas to ride usin’ English saddles; ours are bigger and heavier than what you’re used to.”

“Elen uses an English saddle,” Huw said, “but we all use Australian stock saddles. That’s what Grandpa uses now, too. He says it’s better for working cattle than the saddle he used here.”

“Hmm,” Jacob said, frowning a little, “your uncle says he misses the tack he used back home.”

“Well, no matter which type of saddle is better, if Jacob and I help, then you’ll get saddled up faster,” Josh said with a wink, and the boys all grinned.

While the six of them were saddling the horses and ponies, the women came outside. They were also wearing knickerbockers. Gwyneth still had her old black Stetson and Sarah wore a gray one. Beth and Elen were wearing Akubra slouch hats. Even though Bronwen wasn’t going to ride, she’d changed from her suit to a simple blouse and skirt.

It wasn’t long before everyone was mounted. Jacob walked back to the porch and asked Bronwen if he could join her.

“Please do,” she said with a smile. As he sat down, she said, “I hope the boys behaved on the drive home.”

“They were good as gold,” he assured her with a friendly smile. “Now, that Dylan can sure talk.”

“Too right he can,” she said with a little giggle. “He’s a chatterbox just like his Uncle A.C. and Aunt Penny.”

Jacob noted she could speak of her little girl without sadness now. I reckon that’s what they mean when they say time heals all wounds, he thought. Shaking his head just a little, he said, “I can’t get over how Huw, and especially Elen, have grown since the last time I saw ‘em.”

Bronwen smiled and then three little voices calling, “Ga-ma!” were heard in the doorway. The children ran over to them-Morwenna a little unsteadily-and Siân said, “Pa-pa says come change Gruffydd’s nappy.”

“Gruffydd stink,” Little Adam added, wrinkling his nose.

“You three sit here with Jacob,” Bronwen said, lifting eighteen-month-old Morwenna and putting her in the chair she’d just vacated before going inside. A moment later, Adam walked onto the porch.

“Pa-pa, Jacob telled me ‘tory,” Little Adam said with a big dimpled grin.

“I should have warned you that you’d be asked to tell this little boy stories,” Adam said with a wink as he picked Morwenna up and then sat down, holding her in his lap.

“Jacob telled me ‘bout wall fall down,” Little Adam said, “and Daniel and lions.”

“I like the story ‘bout Daniel and the lions,” Siân said, smiling at Jacob.

“Oh, I don’t think you’ve met my granddaughters,” Adam said to Jacob. “This is Gwyneth’s daughter, Morwenna,” and Morwenna smiled at her grandpa.

“I’m Siân. I’m four,” the other little girl said to Jacob.

“My, you’re a big girl,” Jacob said, smiling at her. Jacob turned to Adam then. “You’re sure a lucky man,” he said with a quiet intensity.

“And I know it,” Adam said with conviction. Just then Bronwen walked onto the porch with seven-month-old Gruffydd. Adam said to Jacob, “And here is my youngest grandson, Gruffydd.”

“Could I hold him?” Jacob asked Bronwen, and with a smile, she handed him the baby.

“Gruffydd my brother,” Siân announced while Gruffydd grinned, showing his pink gums and the one tooth he’d cut.

“I was just thinkin’ how much your pa would’ve enjoyed seeing all his great-grandchildren,” Jacob said quietly to Adam, and he saw the pain and sadness in the other man’s eyes.

“Yes, he would have,” Adam said softly, “and I know how pleased he would be to know his grandsons are living here on the Ponderosa.”

Little Adam jumped off his chair and walked over to his grandpa. “Play, Pa-pa? Pease,” he asked, tugging on his grandpa’s hand.

“All right, since you asked so politely,” Adam replied. “What do you want to play?”

“Ball,” Little Adam replied and Siân said, “I wanna play.”

“I know where the ball is,” Bronwen said, standing up

“Jacob play?” Little Adam asked.

“Sure, if your grandma holds Gruffydd,” Jacob said with a big grin.

When the others returned from their ride, Siân and Little Adam were sitting at the table with a box of Crayola crayons drawing pictures while Bronwen was playing This Little Piggy with Morwenna and Adam jiggled Gruffydd on one knee as he talked with Jacob.

“Ma-ma!” Morwenna shouted excitedly while Gruffydd began to grin and wave his arms. Adam got up to take Gruffydd over to his mama and Bronwen held the squirming Morwenna and told Little Adam and Siân in a no-nonsense voice to stay where they were. Little Adam started to disobey but when his grandma said sternly, “Adam Joseph Pentreath,” he pouted, but he sat down. Jacob hurried over to help Josh and Adam unsaddle the horses.

The horses and ponies had all been cared for and the ladies had gone to change from their riding clothes when Benj drove up in the buggy. The older boys and Josh were playing catch, and the younger children were watching as their grandpa drew pictures for them. The game stopped and the boys went over to meet their cousin.

“Uncle Adam, Aunt Bronwen, it’s good to see you,” Benj said, shaking his uncle’s hand and then kissing his aunt’s cheek.

“Good to see you as well, Benj,” Adam said, and Josh noted with surprise that his uncle’s greeting to Benj was reserved, a contrast to his own and Sarah’s reception at the train station.

“Yes, it is very good to see you again after all these years,” Bronwen said warmly. “Let me introduce you to some of your cousins.”

Just like Sarah and Josh, Benj felt overwhelmed by the children and he was relieved when Bronc rode up and the children’s attention was focused on him. Not long after that, the women in the family came out on the porch, dressed in blouses and skirts. A few minutes after they’d greeted Benj and Bronc, Buckshot came out and said supper was ready.

Since there were so many of them, the children were all eating at the big kitchen table Adam and Hoss had made for Hop Sing. Buckshot had put the extra leaves in the dining room table so it could seat the five Cartwrights, Beth, Elen, Gwyneth, Bronc and Jacob.

“I’m so thankful you were able to find the old highchair and crib,” Beth said as she put Gruffydd in it.

“I was about ready to give up and see if we could buy new ones when I found them way back in a corner of the attic,” Sarah said. She turned to Gwyneth. “I hope Morwenna will be all right sitting on top of those books.”

“She’ll be apples,” Gwyneth said.

“That means she’ll be fine,” Adam translated with a grin. Then he turned to Bronc. “So A.C. didn’t give you any clues as to where he went?”

“Nope. Just said he hoped he’d be back before you all arrived, but if he wasn’t, to tell you that he’d be comin’ back with a surprise,” Bronc answered.

“Considering his last surprise was telling me he’d decided to leave college because he didn’t want to be an engineer, I’m afraid to speculate on what this surprise might be,” Adam commented dryly.

“From what he wrote in his letter, he’s happy here,” Bronwen said quickly.

“He seems to be,” Sarah said, and Josh nodded.

“If he decides to settle here, that’s fine,” Adam said. “He’s right that it’s his life. I never wanted to force him to be an engineer just because I was.” His lips turned up into one of his crooked smiles as he added, “I wish he would decide what he wants to do with his life though.”

Bronc said quietly, “He just needs time, Adam. But it would mean a lot to him to know you understand about him not followin’ in your footsteps.”

“It sure would,” Josh agreed.

“I know. I was hoping to have a chance to talk with him today,” Adam said quietly.

Adam woke before the sun was up the next morning. He felt better than he had since his recurrence, and so he woke Bronwen up to show her just how much better he felt. Afterward they cuddled together and watched the sun begin to rise in the east, but then he said to her, “I have an errand this morning. If I’m not back by breakfast, please ask Josh to wait for me.”

“You’re going to visit your family,” she said softly, kissing his cheek.

“This first time I want to do it alone. You understand, don’t you?” he asked after kissing her gently, and she nodded. “I thought Josh and I could go fishing, just the two of us. I don’t think Jacob will mind taking everyone riding.”

“And I won’t mind looking after the ankle biters,” she said with a smile.

“Tomorrow I thought we could all go take a look at our first home on the Ponderosa,” he added.

“That’s a wonderful idea,” she said, giving him a quick kiss.

No one else was stirring when Adam went into the barn and hitched a horse to the buggy. (The distance to the family cemetery was too great for him to ride for the first time in nearly two months.) It was just beginning to be light when he drove out of the yard. He hadn’t made this trip in over ten years, but it was just as familiar as it had been when he’d lived here on the Ponderosa. He walked the last quarter mile, taking his time. He felt the tears begin to burn his eyes as he saw the five granite tombstones.

He stood in front of them with his head bowed, his cheeks wet with tears. “It’s been a long time, hasn’t it? A part of me wanted to come here but another part couldn’t bear the pain. It’s so lonely now that all of you are gone. I don’t know how I would bear it if it weren’t for Bronwen and our children and grandchildren.”

He stood by Hop Sing’s grave and said with a hint of a smile, “Buckshot’s a fair cook, but he doesn’t begin to compare with you, old friend.”

Then he walked over to Marie’s tombstone and placed his hand on the weathered granite. “Belle-mère, it’s been so many years since we laid your body to rest here, but I’ve never forgotten you. You were one of my first friends and except for that brief time I had Inger for a mama, you were the only feminine influence in my life when I was growing up. I can never thank you enough for the love and support you gave me.”

He turned slightly and put his hand on the tombstone that was only a little less weathered by age and the elements. “I’ve met your son, Hoss, and he’s a fine man. Seeing him with the children yesterday, I could see a lot of you in him. I’m going to do my best while I’m here to help him get to know you.”

He moved to stand by the newest granite marker, gently stroking it. “Joe, I see so much of you in Sarah. She’s a lovely young woman with your joie de vie. I’m trying to remember that Benj is your son and find something of you in him. I know he hurt you and I find that hard to forgive, but I am trying.”

Slowly, he turned and knelt at his father’s grave. “Pa, I know you must be enjoying the irony of A.C. turning his back on my dream. It’s only just that now I feel the same hurt I know I inflicted on you. But we both love our sons enough to give them the freedom to follow their own dreams. And I hope A.C.’s dream does lead him here even though his mother and I will both miss him. Bronwen will never complain because I think she feels there is justice in her ‘baby’ moving away from her just as she moved away from Tad and Mam.”

His voice grew thick with tears as he added, “I miss you more than I can say, Pa. I’ve had a good life in Cloncurry, but I wish my dream hadn’t taken me so far from you. I wish you could have watched your grandchildren growing up around you just as I am privileged to do. It’s only now that I truly understand what you missed. I am thankful that at least Miranda, Sarah and Benj spent their summers here and thankful that you were able to see three of your great-grandchildren.” He smiled through his tears as he added, “I’ve told my grandchildren in Cloncurry stories about you and Hoss and Joe and before we go to Hanover, I’ll bring them here.” He looked up at the sky and said, “I have to go now but I’ll be back.”

Bronc and Benj were just leaving the ranch house when Adam drove up.

“Good morning,” Benj said. “I was hoping you’d be back soon.”

“The buggy is all yours,” Adam said coolly.

As Benj drove out of the yard, Bronc said quietly, “I figured where you’d gone. Don’t mind Benj; he has an appointment in Carson City and he just doesn’t want to be late.”

Just then Josh, followed by Little Adam, Benny and Jory, came hurrying onto the porch.

“Pa-pa!” Little Adam shouted and Adam swung him up over his head while he shrieked with laughter.

“Where’d you go, Grandpa?” Jory asked and Benny echoed, “Where’d you go?”

“I went to visit your great-grandpa, great-grandma Marie, Uncle Hoss and Uncle Joe,” Adam replied.

“Like we visit Aunt Penny?” Jory asked and Adam smiled at him and tousled his hair.

“Yes, just like we visit Aunt Penny,” he replied quietly. Then he said, “I’m starving now so I hope Buckshot saved me some breakfast.”

“Fapjacks, Pa-pa!” Little Adam shouted.

“Beauty,” Adam said. Then he turned to his nephew. “Do you like to fish, Josh?”

“Yeah, sure,” Josh said. “I’m not as good a fisherman as Benj though.”

“Gwyneth is probably the best of us all,” Adam replied, his lips turned up in just the hint of a smile, “and maybe after A.C. returns we can all go fishing. But today I thought it could just be me and you. If that’s all right with you, Bronc?” he asked the other man.

“I guess I can spare him for today,” Bronc said, adding with a grin, “just make sure you bring back plenty of trout.”

“We’ll sure try,” Adam said.

“Can I come, Grandpa? Please,” Jory begged since he loved to fish as much as his mama did.

“Not this time, mate. But when your uncle gets back, we’ll go. I promise.”

Bronwen had come out onto the porch and said, “I think Jacob is going to take you for a ride and show you more of the Ponderosa. ” Jory grinned at that, and Adam winked at Bronwen before kissing her.

As they left the ranch house after Adam finished breakfast, Josh commented in an overly casual tone, “Since Benj took the buggy, I’ll hitch the horse to the surrey.”

“Oh, I can still sit a horse, Josh,” Adam said dryly. “I ride every day at home. Of course, Mercury and I are both getting along in years.” Josh’s face flooded with color and Adam clapped him on the back saying, “The fishing hole I have in mind isn’t too far. C’mon, let’s see what horses you’ve got for me to choose from.”

They set out, with Adam on a steady, smooth-gaited grullo quarter-horse that Josh had recommended. “So many things change,” Adam commented as they rode along, “but not the Ponderosa. It’s as beautiful as all my memories.”

“When I first came here, it- it felt like I’d come home,” Josh said.

“It is your home, Josh,” Adam said with a warm smile. “Your father loved the Ponderosa the same way. Hoss wasn’t quite a year old when we moved here, but he always loved it. I know he had no desire to live anywhere else. He never really understood why I wanted to go back East to college and then later to travel and see different places, but he knew it was important to me, and so he accepted it. That’s the kind of man he was; he accepted people as they were, and that’s a real gift. And Hoss always saw the best in people.”

Josh said slowly, “It broke my mama’s heart when he never came back for her, but she always loved him. Jacob explained that he was coming back to marry her, but he was drowned trying to rescue some people. Jacob said my grandpa hired detectives to try and find my mama, but they couldn’t.”

“That’s right,” Adam said. “Your parents met when Hoss had to travel to Kansas City on business. He wrote me a letter while he was there-the last letter I ever got from him-and he told me that he had met the woman he wanted to marry. She was the kindest, gentlest, sweetest woman he’d ever met Your father was always shy around women, but he told me that when he met Claire, he wasn’t nervous at all. He took care of the business that brought him to Kansas City, and then he spent his time with Claire.”

Josh listened quietly, watching his uncle’s features relax as he reminisced. “Hoss wrote me that he rented a buggy and drove her to Independence so they could see where your grandpa, grandma and I started on our trek west. He took her to Coates Opera House and shopping on Petticoat Lane. He was so happy and so much in love. He added a postscript to the letter and told me that he had proposed and she’d accepted him, and he could hardly wait for me and my family to travel to the Ponderosa so Claire could meet us.”

Adam stopped and hesitated for a moment before he added quietly, not quite able to gaze into Josh’s eyes, “He told me that the night he’d proposed, he and Claire were so happy and so much in love that things went further than either of them intended. He wrote that she had a few things she had to take care of in Kansas City so he was going home to tell your grandpa and your uncle Joe. Then he’d go get Claire and bring her to the Ponderosa. They would be married there.”

Adam stopped then and Josh waited patiently until his uncle continued. “I received a letter from Nevada about a month later. I opened it eagerly, thinking it would be about Hoss and Claire’s wedding. Instead it told me that my brother had died.” His voice shook on the last word and he had to blink back the tears that threatened to overflow. “I was devastated at the news and so was Bronwen. I’d told Bronwen what Hoss had written about being in love and getting married but I hadn’t told her what he’d written about the possibility of Claire carrying his child. I knew he only intended for me to know that. Once the first shock had passed, I knew I had to let my father and Joe know. The problem was that it took at least a month for Hoss’s letter to reach me and another for the letter telling me of Hoss’s death. By the time my letter reached your grandpa three months had passed and your mother must have panicked. I’m guessing she moved away from Kansas City, somewhere where people didn’t know her and she could pretend to be a widow.”

“Yes,” Josh said quietly. “She never told me the truth about my father until she knew she was dying. I was angry, thinking he’d abandoned her. Now, the more I learn about him, the prouder I am to be his son.” He swallowed hard and then said, “I’m sure glad I got a chance to meet you, Uncle Adam.”

“And I’m very glad I got to meet you, more than I can say,” Adam said, his voice a little unsteady.

“I’m hoping we can talk about my father,” Josh said quietly. “Bronc, Jacob and Buckshot have all shared memories, but you’re his brother. You knew him when he was just a kid. I guess from when he was a baby.”

“Biggest baby I’ve ever seen,” Adam reminisced with a grin. “Twice as big as Joe or any of ours were. Pa was sure Mama was going to have twins.” He stopped talking for a moment with a faraway look in his eyes. Then he smiled at Josh and said, “After your grandmother died, and before your grandfather remarried, I helped raise your father.”

“But you were just a kid yourself, weren’t you?” Josh asked thoughtfully.

Adam nodded, then added, “There wasn’t another neighbor for miles once we settled on what would be the Ponderosa, so I had to help.” He grinned as he added, “Hoss was lots easier to take care of than Joe was.”

“So you helped raise both your brothers?” Josh asked.

Adam shrugged slightly and replied, “Joe was almost five when his mother died, and I went away to attend Harvard a few months later. Your grandfather and Hop Sing looked after Hoss and Joe on their own. Hoss was twelve then so he helped look after Joe the same way I’d helped to look after him.”

“Growing up without any family except my mama, it’s so wonderful meeting all my cousins, and you and Aunt Bronwen. I wish I could have met Penny.” Josh stopped, his expression stricken.

“It’s all right,” Adam said gently. “I can talk about Penny and Hoss without pain now. It still hurts to talk about your grandpa and Uncle Joe, but your aunt tells me that I should, that it will help me grieve for them. She’s a wise woman and I know that she’s right.” He smiled a little and added, “When it came to being wise about emotions, Hoss and Bronwen were kindred spirits. Hoss could tell from the letters I was writing home that I was falling in love with Bronwen before I’d admitted it to myself.”

Josh smiled and said, “Really?’

Adam nodded, and as Josh listened to his uncle’s voice and watched his expression as he spoke of Aunt Bronwen, he understood that she was one of the reasons why his uncle had settled so far from his home.

A moment later Adam said, “The fishing hole is just ahead.

As they ground tied their horses, Adam said, “Your dad and I found this fishing hole a long time ago when we were boys. One morning after we finished weeding the garden, we decided it would be fun to go exploring.” Adam grinned a little as he said, “Actually, it would be more accurate to say that I decided to go exploring. Hoss was barely three and pretty much did whatever his older brother suggested.”

“How old were you?” Josh asked as they began to cut fishing poles.

“Nine, going on ten. We had some new neighbors, the McKarens, and they had a son about my age. I thought about going to see them, but I’d only been to their place a couple of times and never on my own, so I decided that we’d explore a different direction. I put Hoss in front of me on my mustang pony and we set off. I brought my knife so I could mark the trees and we’d find our way back.”

“That was pretty smart of you,” Josh said.

“Your grandpa didn’t want us going off on our own but he knew the temptation might be too great, so he made sure I knew how to mark a trail and when Hoss and Joe were old enough, he taught them. It’s a good thing because I’m sure we would have been lost if I hadn’t been able to follow my trail back to the cabin. Anyway, we rode along; I was trying to learn some birdcalls and Hoss was trying to mimic me. When we were really young, he always wanted to do whatever I did. That only changed when I grew older and interested in things that he didn’t enjoy.”

“Like what?” Josh asked as they dug for worms to bait their hooks.

“I loved to read and I loved learning anything to do with numbers. Hoss just didn’t enjoy what he called book learning. Neither did Joe. I guess you could say I was the odd one because I did. But your grandpa helped us to understand that we each have different gifts and one gift isn’t better than the other. For example, your dad had a way with animals that neither Joe nor I did.” Adam’s expression grew thoughtful as he added, “A.C. reminds me a little of Hoss that way. Before he went to the Technical College, he used to work with Cloncurry’s veterinarian.”

He stopped and smiled at Josh. “I’ve wandered pretty far from telling you how we found the fishing hole. We’d been riding for a while and were getting hungry, so we looked for a place to eat the food we’d brought with us. This looked like a likely spot. After we ate, I thought maybe we could catch some fish to take home so our pa wouldn’t be so upset about our wandering off. I made a pole for myself and a smaller one for Hoss, and then we dug up some worms. He really liked that and we both got pretty dirty, but Pa never cared too much about that.”

“My mama was always gettin’ after me about gettin’ my clothes dirty or torn,” Josh said with a grin.

“Well, I think that’s one of the differences between mothers and fathers,” Adam said with a wink. “Let’s get our hooks baited so we can catch some fish.”

After they were settled, Adam continued. “Hoss was a born fisherman, just like your cousin Gwyneth. Not many three year olds can sit still for very long, but Hoss could. We caught four trout for dinner.”

“And did they stop Grandpa from punishing you?” Josh asked.

“Nope,” Adam replied with a grin. “He punished me since he knew whose idea it was to wander off, but Hoss would always cry when I got a tanning. I think it hurt him as much as it did me. After we ate the trout, Pa had us show him where the fishing hole was, and the three of us often went fishing together here. When Joe was old enough, Hoss and I brought him here.” He winked as he added, “Now, if we’re going to catch any fish, I’m going to have to be quiet.”

Adam and Josh returned with a fine string of trout for supper. Buckshot had fixed sandwiches that everyone going riding could take with them, and so the riders weren’t back yet. Since Gruffydd wasn’t weaned, Beth had stayed behind to help look after the youngest children. She’d gotten Siân and Little Adam to agree to take their naps by lying down with them. They were all napping upstairs and Bronwen was sitting on the porch reading when the two men returned.

“I’ll clean the trout,” Josh said as they dismounted. “Aunt Bronwen looks like she could use some company. Buckshot’ll help me,” he added since his uncle hesitated.

Adam knew it was useless trying to hide how stiff and sore he was from Bronwen, but as she watched him walk over to the porch, she only said, “You need to soak in a hot bath, Cariad.’

“I know,” he said as he eased himself down on the chair by her. “I’ll go to the washhouse in a few minutes.” Then he squinted at the road leading to the ranch house. “Looks like we have a visitor. I wonder if it could be our wandering boy.”

As the rider approached, they could see it was indeed A.C. and Bronwen smiled and waved at him.

“Sorry I wasn’t here when you arrived, Mama and Dad,” A.C. said as he dismounted. He stepped onto the porch and then kissed Bronwen’s cheek before sitting in the empty chair across from his parents. “I have some news to share with you, and I think it will please you both.” He leaned forward and took a deep breath. “I wasn’t here at the Ponderosa because I was in Pullman, Washington, enrolling in the School of Veterinary Science.” He saw his dad raise one eyebrow and added, “I know you were both disappointed that I dropped out of the Technical College. Well, I liked the idea of earning a degree, but not in engineering. Since I left Cloncurry, I’ve been thinking about what I’d like to do. I remembered the satisfaction I always experienced when I helped Mr. McDonald and I realized that as a veterinarian, I would be a real asset to the Ponderosa.”

“I think it’s a wonderful idea,” Bronwen said, smiling at her son and then glancing at her husband, but he remained silent. A.C. waited to see if his father would say anything, but when he didn’t, he continued.

“I did some checking around and the only School of Veterinary Science in this part of the country is at the State College of Washington in Pullman. Means I’ll have to be away from the Ponderosa for four years; I didn’t tell anyone what I was planning because I wanted the two of you to be the first to know.” He paused and said, “Don’t you have anything to say, Dad?”

“I agree with your mama that it’s a wonderful idea,” Adam replied with a slow smile. “In fact, I was just telling Josh how you used to work with Mr. McDonald.” He paused then asked, “How are you going to pay for your tuition and board?”

“Well, I’ve been putting my wages in an bank account here and I thought maybe I’d see if I could find a job in Pullman,” A.C. replied.

“That’s not necessary,” Adam said. “I paid for your sister to attend Radcliffe and I was paying for you to attend the Technical College, so I’ll pay for your tuition and board.”

“You don’t have to, Dad,” A.C. said earnestly and saw his dad’s lips turn up in the familiar half smile.

“I know, but I want to. It’s going to be hard work and I don’t want your studies to suffer because you have to devote time to a job.”

“Thanks, Dad,” A.C. said with a warm smile that lit up his expressive features. He hadn’t truly realized just how much his dad’s approval meant to him.

“How far is it from here to the college?” Bronwen asked.

“It’s hundreds of miles,” A.C. replied with a slight grin, “I’ll spend summer vacations here, but I’ll be on my own at the college most of the year.”

“I don’t really know the geography here,” Bronwen said. “Hundreds of miles in which direction?”

“North. The college is in beautiful country with green rolling hills and fields of wheat and hay,” A.C. replied. “Oh, and lentils. I was told the area is famous for its lentils,” he added, grinning. “It’s nothing like Cloncurry.”

“Well, I’m glad you made it back here today,” Adam said with another tiny grin, “because tomorrow we’re all going to visit the old cabin your grandpa built when we first moved to the Ponderosa.”

“That’ll be beaut!” A.C. exclaimed. Then he asked, “Where is everyone?”

“Gwyneth, Sarah and Jacob took the billy lids for a ride and Beth is helping me look after the ankle biters,” Bronwen answered.

“Josh and I went fishing and he’s cleaning our catch,” Adam added.

“You took him to the fishing hole you and Uncle Hoss found?” A.C. asked, and his dad nodded.

“I promised Jory that once you were back we’d all go fishing,” Adam said. “Everyone who wants to go,” he corrected himself. “Huw and Jory like to fish and, of course, Gwyneth.”

“And Benj,” A.C. said. “We should go on Saturday so he can come.”

Adam nodded, remembering his promise to Joe. Then he grinned, saying, “I don’t think Josh believed me when I said your sister is the best fisherman in the family.” A.C. chuckled.

Adam stood up and said, “Well, I’m going to take a long, hot bath. Would you mind bringing me some clean clothes, Sweetheart?” Bronwen nodded, and he bent over gingerly to kiss her before walking stiffly to the washhouse.

“Guess Dad went for a ride today,” A.C. commented as he watched Adam’s progress.

Bronwen nodded. “The first since his recurrence. I think it was a little longer distance than he realized. He did take the buggy when he went to visit your grandpa and uncles.”

“It must be hard being the only one left,” A.C. said quietly.

“Yes, it is,” Bronwen said softly, “but I think it’s good that he can be here with them because I know what a comfort it is to both of us to visit your sister.”

A.C. and Bronwen were talking when Beth and the children came outside. Beth’s face lit up when she saw her brother, and she hurried toward him. He bent over and kissed her and then took Gruffydd from her. “Stone the crows, mate! You’ve sure grown since I saw you in May.” Gruffydd smiled and A.C. said, “You’ve got a tooth now I see.” Then he turned to the other three. “G’day, mates.”

“Do you remember your Uncle A.C.?” Bronwen asked. Siân and Little Adam shook their heads while Morwenna put a finger in her mouth and sucked on it as she stared up at her uncle. Then Morwenna toddled over to Bronwen and held up her arms. As Bronwen picked up her granddaughter, she said to Siân and Little Adam, “I’m sure Uncle A.C. would play catch with you if you ask him.”

“Too right I will,” A.C. said with a grin and Beth said, “I’ll go get the ball.”

When Beth returned, Bronwen said to her granddaughter, “Grandma has to get Grandpa some clean clothes, so you stay here with Aunt Beth and Gruffydd.” Seeing Beth raise an eyebrow, Bronwen explained Adam was stiff after riding to the fishing hole so was taking a hot bath. “I’m sure he’s wondering where I am with his clothes,” she added with a little grin.

As the family gathered for supper that evening, Sarah asked A.C., “So are you going to tell us where you were, or is it a deep, dark secret?”

Everyone but Adam and Bronwen looked at A.C. expectantly, and he grinned. “It’s no secret; I just wanted to tell Mama and Dad first,” he replied. “You all know that when I arrived here I knew I didn’t want to be an engineer, but I didn’t know what I did want to be. Now I do.” He paused, and they all looked at him expectantly. “I want to be a veterinarian.”

“A veterinarian?” Josh repeated, his expression one of surprise, which was mirrored on the faces of Sarah and Benj.

However, Beth and Gwyneth didn’t look surprised at all. “You did like working with Mr. McDonald,” Gwyneth said thoughtfully.

“I am officially enrolled in the School of Veterinary Science at the State College of Washington in Pullman,” A.C. said proudly. He turned to Bronc and said, “I’ll be gone for four years, but when I return, I’ll be more of an asset to the Ponderosa.”

“That’s true,” Bronc agreed quietly. “Be mighty fine to have our own veterinarian.”

“But you’re gonna be gone four years,” Josh said, his disappointment obvious.

“I’ll spend summer vacations here, but Pullman is too far away to visit here during the school year,” A.C. said.

Bronwen turned to her husband. “Cariad, would we have time to visit Pullman before we sail home? I would like to see where A.C. will be spending the next four years.”

“I was thinking the very same thing,” Adam said with a wink. “We’ll go from Hanover to Pullman, and then travel from Pullman to San Francisco.” He asked his son, “Will you be staying in a dormitory?”

“No, I made arrangements to stay at a boardinghouse that the admissions office recommended to me,” A.C. replied. He turned to Bronc. “Classes start in September but I want to travel to Hanover with my family. It’ll be the first time we’ve all been together since Miranda and William’s wedding.”

“I expected you’d want to go,” Bronc said with a smile. “We’ll all miss you until you come back next summer.”

Seeing the distress written all over Josh’s face, Adam quickly added, “But we won’t be leaving for Hanover for three more days. We’ll go see the cabin my father built with his own hands tomorrow, and anyone who’s interested can come fishing on Saturday.”

“I want to come,” Gwyneth said with a grin. “I don’t get that many opportunities to go fishing.” Then she added quickly, “I mean I’ll go if Mama and Beth don’t mind watching Little Adam and Morwenna.”

“I’ll help watch them,” Sarah said with a grin. “I haven’t spent much time with them or Siân and Gruffydd.”

“And Elen will help, too,” Beth said to her sister, “so go and enjoy yourself.”

“A.C. tells me you still like to fish, Benj,” Adam said with a friendly smile.

“That’s right,” Benj answered, returning his uncle’s smile.

“Dylan’s never shown much interest but the other older boys will all want to come,” Adam said, “so that will make seven of us.” He smiled at Bronc and Jacob and added, “Of course, you’re both welcome to join us.”

“Thanks, but this is a special time for your family,” Bronc said and Jacob nodded, adding, “Maybe I’ll stay here and tell Little Adam some stories. Never saw a child as hungry for stories as that one.”

“Oh, I have a feeling he takes after his grandpa,” Bronwen said with a wink. “His father told me once how much Adam enjoyed hearing stories about his days at sea.”

Benj spoke up then. “Uh, I don’t have any appointments tomorrow, so I’d like to see the old cabin. If that’s all right.”

“Of course,” Adam said. Then he turned to Bronc. “I don’t suppose anyone has been there in the last ten years?”

“Nope, but I reckon it’s pretty sound, except for the loft,” Bronc replied.

Josh had been quiet ever since A.C. made his announcement, but now he spoke up. “The boys were tellin’ us that you have a ranch, Uncle Adam, but A.C. said that you own a mining company.”

Adam smiled at his nephew as he answered. “My brother-in-law and I are partners in a mining company but we bought a cattle ranch, or station as we call it, a year or so after we moved to Cloncurry. Mining is so chancy that I thought we should have another source of income. We couldn’t run the mine and the station, so we hired a man to run the station for us. A.C. worked there a couple of summers before he went to the Technical College and the boys want to do the same when they are old enough.”

“What’s your ranch called?” Josh asked his uncle.

Adam grinned at Bronwen as he said, “Rhys and I decided to let our wives name the station.”

Bronwen chuckled as she added, “As we drove there, my sister-in-law, Matilda, said it was a wilderness, so I christened the station Tir Gwyllt, which means wilderness in Welsh.”

“Tir Gwyllt is much prettier than wilderness,” Sarah remarked with a smile.

“The station has been a steady source of income over the years,” Adam said, “whereas the mine has been boom or bust.”

The children finished eating first and came trouping into the great room. Morwenna toddled over to her mama, who lifted her up on her lap. Spying the checkerboard, Huw asked if he and Dylan could play a game.

“Sure thing,” Bronc replied with a smile.

“Jory, why don’t you and Benny, Siân and Little Adam go play catch until we’ve finished eating,” Gwyneth said, and Beth added, “Yes, that’s a good idea.” The younger children all ran outside while Huw and Dylan sat down to play.

When everyone had finished eating, Adam suggested they gather in the great room and sing.

“That’d be beaut, Dad!” A.C. declared. “Your old guitar is upstairs.”

Adam smiled just a little and said, “After all these years, I’m sure the strings need to be replaced, but we can sing a capella. Without accompaniment,” he added, seeing some blank looks. He seated himself in the blue velvet armchair and Little Adam walked over and held his arms up, so Adam lifted him onto his lap.

“What shall we sing first?” Bronwen asked as she and Beth, Gwyneth and Elen sat on the settee, with Morwenna on her mama’s lap while Siân sat on her sister’s and Beth held Gruffydd.

“Sing Jesus Loves Me,” Little Adam commanded.

“Yes, Jesus Loves Me,” Siân echoed.

“It’s the only song they know,” Beth explained.

After everyone was seated, the Australian members of the family sang the children’s hymn while the others listened and watched the littlest children’s innocent, happy faces.

“Could we sing Waltzing Matilda next?” Dylan asked.

“Let’s sing some songs everyone knows first,” Bronwen said gently.

“How about Sweet Betsy From Pike?” A.C. suggested. “We all know that one.”

They sang a selection of American and Australian songs until the youngest members of the family were rubbing their eyes to keep awake.

“Before we stop, could you sing a song, Gwyneth?” A.C. asked. “It’s been a long time since I’ve heard you sing.” He turned to the others, saying, “Gwyneth has such a beautiful voice.”

Gwyneth’s cheeks were just a little pink at her brother’s praise but she asked, “Do you have a request?”

“Fairest Lord Jesus,” he replied. “It’s one of my favorite hymns.”

Gwyneth said, “Daddy, Mama, Beth, if you would sing the melody on the last verse, I’ll sing the descant.”

The others, especially Josh, listened raptly as Gwyneth’s clear, rich soprano filled the great room. Then, as the other three voices blended on the melody, Gwyneth’s soared true and pure on the descant.

“That was the most beautiful singing I’ve ever heard,” Josh said when they finished.

“It was glorious,” Sarah agreed. “Gwyneth, your voice is so beautiful.”

“Yes, you could sing professionally,” Benj said quietly.

“I’d rather just sing for my family,” Gwyneth replied.

“My husband persuades her to sing solos at our church,” Beth said, giving her younger sister a quick hug. Then she stood up and said, “We need to put the ankle biters to bed.” Siân and Little Adam were too sleepy to fuss and let themselves be led off to bed by their mamas and Bronwen went along to help.

As they walked up the stairs, Adam turned to A.C. with a smile and said, “There’s a full moon tonight. How about you and I sit on the porch and talk?”

“Right, Dad,” A.C. replied. He’d been looking for an opportunity to speak with his dad.

Father and son sat down, tipping back their chairs and stretching their long legs in front of them. At first the two men were silent, and then Adam began to speak. “Son, those weeks that I was confined to my bed and the voyage here gave me plenty of time to think about my reaction to your announcement that you had no desire to become an engineer. I wasn’t fair to you.”

“Well, I took you by surprise,” A.C. said with a shrug.

“Yes, but I shouldn’t have been surprised,” Adam stated. “Your mama wasn’t. After you left, we talked about your decision, and she made me see that I viewed you as an extension of myself. Because I liked engineering, I just assumed that you would like it as well. Your mama has always seen us both clearly and recognized our temperaments are very different, or as you wrote, we’re as different as night and day. Still, I could have tried harder to understand you.”

“And I could have tried harder to understand you,” A.C. said quietly. “When I was a billy lid, I was so proud to have you for a dad. You were smart and strong and I thought there wasn’t anything you couldn’t do.” A.C. looked away then before continuing. “When I discovered you were fallible, just like me, I reacted like a child. I wanted to hurt you for not being perfect.”

“I was hurt, but I deserved it for the pain I caused you and your sisters, and most of all, your mama,” Adam said, and A.C. heard the sorrow in his dad’s voice.

“No, Dad, I don’t agree,” A.C. said firmly. “Yes, you made a mistake, but we all make mistakes.” He put a hand on his dad’s shoulder. “I was proud of you, Dad, and I still am. I just know that my path in life is going to be different from yours. Not better, just different.”

Adam nodded slowly. “I’m pleased you’ve found a profession that you’ll enjoy as much as I always enjoyed mine,” he said with a smile as he reached over and gave A.C.’s neck an affectionate squeeze.

They sat in companionable silence and then A.C. said slowly, “Dad, I have a question I’d like to ask you.”

“Go ahead,” Adam said.

A.C. drew a deep breath and then chose his words carefully. “Dad, ever since I’ve been back here on the Ponderosa, I’ve wanted to ask you why you left.” His dad was silent for so long, A.C. thought he wasn’t going to answer, but then Adam began to speak, slowly and thoughtfully.

“There wasn’t one single circumstance that led to my leaving the Ponderosa,” he began, tugging on an earlobe. “I lived here for thirteen years after I earned my degree from Harvard, and as the years passed, I grew increasingly weary of branding and castrating calves every spring and going on cattle drives every summer. The timber operations were more challenging, but ultimately, it was your grandfather who made the final decisions. I had no quarrel with that, but I began to dream of my own business.”

Adam stopped, aware of his son’s intent scrutiny, and gazed up at the velvety black sky, speckled with white stars, and at the luminous white moon. A.C. waited silently until his dad continued.

“That’s one reason. Another is that I wanted to step out of my father’s shadow. I knew that to many people here I would always be Ben Cartwright’s oldest boy, and by the time I was in my thirties, I definitely wanted to be my own man.”

“I can certainly understand that reason,” A.C. said quietly, and then they both smiled wryly.

Adam’s tone was softer when he spoke again. “The final reason that I chose to settle in Australia was because I fell in love with your mama. I could see how close she was to her family and I didn’t want to separate them. Of course, the irony is that by settling in Cloncurry, she didn’t see any more of your tad-cu and mam-gu than I saw of your grandpa.”

“But there were Uncle Rhys, Aunt Matilda and Llywelyn,” A.C. interjected, and his dad slowly nodded.

“Your grandpa never complained, but I knew that it hurt him when I chose to start my mining company in Cloncurry,” Adam said then, his expression pensive. “I regret the pain I caused him, but I’ve never regretted my decision.” He smiled slowly at his son. “I know your grandpa would be pleased that you’ve decided to live here.”

“I really miss everyone in Cloncurry though,” A.C. said softly. “I did when I was in Sydney, too.”

“And we all miss you,” Adam said, “but we can write.” His tone grew more serious as he added, “It would mean a lot to your mama if you’d write more often.”

A.C. nodded, looking guilty. “I promise I’ll do better.”

“I know you will,” Adam said, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly. Then he sat up straight and said, “How about a game of checkers?”

“You’re on,” A.C. replied, grinning.

“My, there is something about the Ponderosa that is certainly invigorating,” Bronwen said with a satisfied smile as she and Adam cuddled early the next morning.

“Too right,” he said with a wink before kissing her. Then as he held her close, he said quietly, “You were right as usual, Sweetheart. This visit has been good for me. The ranch brings back so many memories of Pa and Hoss and Joe. And it’s good to see A.C., Josh, Benj and Sarah living here, to know that Pa’s dream lives on.”

“Yes, it is good,” she said softly.

Adam and Bronwen were the first family members up that morning, so they set the dining room table. Just as they were finishing, Little Adam came hurrying down the stairs in his pyjamas, tightly clutching the banister. They started to say good morning, but he announced desperately, “Gotta go!”

“Here,” Adam said as he rapidly crossed the room, “You can use the Jerry in our room.”

When the two Adams returned, Elen and Siân had come downstairs, Elen wearing her knickerbockers since she was going to ride to the cabin.

“That was close,” Adam said to Bronwen. Then he announced, “Little Adam and I will go make sure the other boys are up.” He added with a wink, “And I’ll make sure Little Adam knows where the chamber pot is in that room.”

Once everyone was gathered in the great room, the children started to head for the kitchen, except Little Adam.

“C’mon, mate,” Huw said, reaching for his cousin’s hand.

“I eat wiv Pa-pa,” Little Adam said, shaking his head.

“No, Little Adam, you eat in the kitchen with the other children,” Gwyneth said firmly.

“I wanna eat wiv Pa-pa,” the little boy said, moving closer to his grandpa. “Pease,” he added, remembering the magic word, and then smiling engagingly at the adults.

“Tell you what, mate,” Adam said, ruffling his namesake’s curls “since you remembered to say ‘please’, I’ll come eat in the kitchen with you, and Elen can take my place here in the dining room.”

All the younger children were happy that their grandpa was going to eat with them and Elen, who’d been eating in the kitchen with the younger children since A.C.’s return, was pleased to be eating with the adults. Gwyneth said quietly to Beth, “I’m afraid Little Adam is going to be spoiled if he always gets his own way.”

“I don’t think so,” Beth replied reassuringly. “He’s still so young, and he did remember to say ‘please’. Gwyneth nodded, but it was clear she wasn’t totally convinced.

Beth, Gwyneth and Elen washed and dried the breakfast dishes while Bronwen and Buckshot made sandwiches for the picnic lunch. (They’d made plenty of ginger cookies the day before.) In the meantime, Josh and A.C. hitched the horses to the surrey and Benj and Jacob helped the boys saddle the horses for everyone who was going to ride to the cabin while Adam watched his littlest grandchildren.

“If you don’t mind, I thought I’d tie my horse behind the surrey and ride to the cabin with you,” Josh said as everyone began to mount up and Adam helped Bronwen into the surrey.

“Of course we don’t mind,” Bronwen said, smiling warmly at her nephew.

“Sit wiv me ‘n’ Pa-pa,” Little Adam said with a big grin.

“Thanks for the invitation,” Josh said, smiling at the little boy. Just before he sat down, he asked, “Uh, could I hold Gruffydd?”

“Too right,” Bronwen said, standing up and handing the baby to her nephew.

“I’ve never been around a baby before, but he’s as cute as a bug’s ear,” Josh commented as he settled Gruffydd on his lap.

“A bug’s ear?” Bronwen repeated doubtfully while Siân and Little Adam began to giggle.

“It’s no worse than stoning crows, Sweetheart,” Adam said, turning around and winking at her, and she nodded and grinned.

“Can we go now, Grandpa?” Jory yelled so Adam said, “Giddap,” and slapped the reins and they all set out.

They hadn’t gone far before Little Adam said, “Tell me ‘tory, Pa-pa. Pease.”

Adam smiled at his namesake and said, “A long time ago, another family traveled to the same place that we’re going. They were a much smaller family-just a daddy and his two little boys.”

“And a mama,” Siân said from the second seat, where she and Morwenna and Bronwen were sitting.

“No, Siân, these little boys’ mamas were in heaven,” Adam said quietly. He saw that Josh was listening as intently as the little ones, and smiled at him. “The older boy was the same age as Benny and the younger was about the same age as Gruffydd. Now, this family wasn’t traveling in a surrey like ours. They traveled in a wagon that was covered with a watertight canvas bonnet to keep out the rain. The older boy had been traveling in that wagon ever since he could remember, but his daddy told him they were going to live out west and build their own cabin to live in instead of the wagon.”

“When they traveled west, they saw a beautiful blue lake with the tallest trees the boy had ever seen. The boy wanted to build their cabin there, but the daddy explained that it was too late. They wouldn’t have time to grow the food they’d need during the long cold winter. But he promised the boy they’d come back in the spring and build a cabin and plant a garden. And that’s just what they did.”

“They found the perfect spot to build their cabin. They wouldn’t have to go too far to get water and they could catch fish to eat. The very first thing they did was to plant a garden. The daddy worked hard with the spade, turning up the good black soil, while the older boy played with his baby brother. When the daddy finished digging the garden, he made a sort of sling out of a blanket so he could carry the baby on his back while he and the older boy planted seeds.”

“Like Jack plant?” Little Adam asked excitedly.

Adam chuckled before replying, “No, they weren’t magic seeds. These seeds grew into cabbages and peas and carrots and squash and beans and potatoes that the family could eat.”

“Even the baby?” Bronwen asked skeptically.

“The daddy and the older boy would mash up the peas and carrots and squash and potatoes so he could eat them,” Adam replied, turning his head and winking at her. “Once the garden was planted, it was time to build the cabin. First, the daddy dragged rocks and stones to build the cabin’s foundation, and the older boy dragged the biggest ones he could manage so he could help. When they laid the foundation, the daddy had a big axe he used to cut down one of those tall pine trees. The older boy wanted to help chop the tree. He talked back to his daddy when his daddy told him he was too little to chop down trees, so his daddy had a necessary talk with him.”

Siân’s and Little Adam’s eyes got big and round because they knew what that meant, while Bronwen grinned, easily picturing the scene.

“What’s a necessary talk?” Josh asked.

“A spanking,” Adam replied with a grin. Then he continued the story. “Once the daddy stacked the logs to make walls, it was time to fill in the chinks between the logs. That was fun and everyone could help, even the baby. They jammed sticks and wood chips into the cracks. The older boy kept having to stop his baby brother from trying to eat the wood chips.” Josh chuckled at that, and hearing him, Siân and Little Adam began to giggle. Smiling broadly, Adam continued. “Then came the really fun part. They mixed dirt, sand from the lakeshore and water together to make a cement, and then they covered all the cracks. The baby got more of the cement on himself than he did the cabin, but he had fun. The older boy was pretty dirty too, but he was glad he and his brother got to help build their new home.”

Adam turned his head to smile at his granddaughters and then at his grandsons. “In just a little while, we’re all going to see the cabin that the daddy and his two little boys built.”

Benny was riding close so he could listen to the story, and now he said, “You were the big boy, weren’t you, Grandpa? And Uncle Hoss was the baby?”

“That’s right,” Adam said. Then he called out to the others, “Why don’t we sing?”

“Sing that song about Matilda,” Josh said. “That’s a catchy tune.”

As the party approached the little clearing, Huw reined in his horse and whistled. “Stone the crows! It sure is small,” he exclaimed.

“Too right!” Dylan agreed. “It’s even smaller than Grandma and Grandpa’s house.”

“You and Great-grandpa and Uncle Hoss and Uncle Joe all lived here?” Elen asked. She’d thought the parsonage was small, but it was a mansion compared to this.

“That’s right. And most of the time your Great-grandma Marie and Hop Sing lived here too,” Adam replied, amused at his grandchildren’s astonishment. “Give me a minute to make sure it’s safe, and then we can go inside. We cannot go up in the loft though,” he added. “I know that wouldn’t be safe.”

They all ground tied their mounts. The older children, along with A.C., Benj and Sarah, began to look at the cabin’s exterior while Adam examined the cabin’s structure. Beth and Gwyneth walked over to the surrey to see how their youngest children were doing.

I’ll take Gruffydd,” Beth said to Josh with a smile. He turned to Little Adam and said, “You stay with me, Pardner, until your grandpa says we can go inside.”

Gwyneth added, “Little Adam, hold Josh’s hand,” as she put her hand around Morwenna’s, and Beth said, “Siân, you take Grandma’s hand.” Then their little group went to join the others.

“See, children,” Bronwen said, “this is where your grandpa, great-grandpa and Uncle Hoss smeared on the dirt, sand and water.” Little Adam tugged on Josh’s hand until he pulled them close to the cabin, and then he touched the homemade cement smeared all over the bottom logs.

“And look at the stones your grandpa and great-grandpa dragged here to make the foundation. They worked hard,” Josh said with pride.

“It’s amazing to think that our grandfather built this cabin all by himself, except for the help of a six-year-old,” A.C. commented to Benj and Sarah.

“I wonder how he stacked the logs,” Sarah said. “They’re too big and heavy for him to have lifted on his own.”

Adam overheard them and said, “He used a hoist. It was slow and dangerous work.”

“Who lived in the other cabins?” Elen asked then, glancing around at the other two cabins in the clearing.

“That one was the barn,” Adam replied as he pointed to the one a distance away from the other two. “And that one was the bunkhouse for our hands. It wasn’t built until around the fourth spring we lived here and began raising cattle. The first year, we grew just enough food to feed ourselves. But then your great-grandpa began growing extra food that he could sell to other pioneers who were traveling over the mountains to Oregon. He saved the money they paid him until he could buy some calves.”

“How long has this cabin been here?” Josh asked.

“Almost seventy years,” A.C. replied.

“Sixty-five to be precise,” Adam corrected with a little grin. “Your grandpa did a good job. I’ve checked and it’s safe to go inside and look around.”

“I remember Grandpa put in new windows and a new floor before Miranda and William used the cabin on their honeymoon,” Gwyneth commented as they walked inside.

“I wouldn’t want to spend my honeymoon here,” Elen declared as she took in the small room furnished with a crudely made wooden table, chairs and settee.

“Oh, I don’t know,” A.C. said. “With a little cleaning, it would be cozy and romantic.” Elen rolled her eyes.

“It’s so little,” Jory said, ignoring all the talk about honeymoons.

“Where did you sleep, Grandpa?” Benny asked.

“When we first lived here, your Uncle Hoss and I slept over there by the fireplace, and your great-grandpa slept by the window. We didn’t have real beds then-just what they called sleeping shelves. They were wooden planks supported by boards. At least it meant we weren’t sleeping on the dirt floor,” Adam replied.

“Dirt floor!” Elen said, sounding horrified.

“Your grandpa didn’t have time to build a floor until just before winter set in. A dirt floor would have been too cold in the winter.” Adam shivered involuntarily at the idea. “It snowed so much that we had to stay inside, and so your grandpa made some real beds with frames, bedsprings made of ropes, and mattresses stuffed with straw. I was too little to use a hammer and saw, so it was my job to rub the wood smooth with a piece of pumice.”

“There’s no stove,” Elen said. “How did you cook?”

“We used the fireplace,” answered Adam. He walked over to a door at one end of the cabin and opened it, revealing a small lean-to that contained a simple bed like Adam had been describing. “This was Hop Sing’s room.”

“Stone the crows! That’s the smallest bedroom I ever saw!” Dylan exclaimed. Benny and Jory said, “Too right!” vigorously nodding their heads.

Adam smiled and walked over by the door at the other end of the cabin. “About the fourth summer we lived here, your great-grandpa built the loft. I helped him take apart the bed Uncle Hoss and I shared so we could carry it up the ladder to the loft, and it became our bedroom.”

“Where’s the ladder?” Dylan said, looking around.

“It probably rotted over the years,” Adam said. “There wasn’t much to see in the loft because we basically only used that room for sleeping. After your grandpa made the loft for us, he made this lean-to for his bedroom, and it soon became his and your great-grandma Marie’s.” He opened the door to a larger lean-to.

“It must have been very hard for my grandmother, leaving New Orleans to come live here,” Benj said as the children and the women moved away to examine the main room and its contents more carefully. The disgust in Benj’s tone was obvious and both his cousins resented it.

“Yes, it took courage to leave the way of life she knew and come here,” Adam agreed quietly. “But she loved your grandfather, and in time she came to love your Uncle Hoss and me. And she had a very good friend and neighbor in Jessie McKaren. In spite of the hardships she faced here, I think she was happy.”

“But why should it always be the wife who makes the sacrifice?” Benj asked bitterly. “Why couldn’t Grandfather have brought you and Uncle Hoss to New Orleans and made a life there?”

“I’ll try and answer your question, Benj,” Bronwen said, startling the four men, who hadn’t realized that she had rejoined them. She moved close to Adam and he put an arm around her shoulders. “For most women, Benj, being with the man we love is more important than where we live. It is just that simple. Life in Cloncurry was an adjustment for me and for my sister-in-law, but our husbands were in the mining business and they had discovered copper in Cloncurry, so naturally that is where we lived. Your grandfather had a dream to settle in the west and your grandmother understood that just as Josh’s grandmother and A.C.’s had before her.”

Bronwen smiled up at her husband as she put her arm around his waist and hugged him. “We loved our husbands, and so we went where their dreams took them. We quickly discovered frontier life was even more difficult than we had imagined, but we chose to be content with what we had, rather than longing for what we had left behind.”

Benj shrugged and walked away, but he thought about his aunt’s words. All these years, he’d blamed his dad for his parents’ separation, thinking that he didn’t love his family enough, but now Benj was beginning to think that explanation was too simplistic.

As the women examined the fireplace, Elen asked her mama, “Did Aunt Miranda cook on the fireplace when she and Uncle William were here on their honeymoon?” To her surprise, her mama began to laugh.

“What’s so funny?” A.C. asked, walking over to join his sister and niece, followed by the other men.

Beth managed to stop laughing as she said, “Elen wanted to know if Miranda cooked meals in the fireplace while she and William honeymooned here.” When she said that, Adam, Bronwen and Gwyneth all began to laugh while the others looked bewildered. Beth explained to them, “Miranda can’t cook. I think the only meal she cooked for William was toast for their very first breakfast, and William admitted that she burnt it. They ate their meals at the ranch house.”

“Oh, I remember that they ate with us,” Sarah said with a grin. “I just didn’t know why.”

“She really can’t cook?” Elen asked, finding that hard to believe.

“We all have different gifts, as your tada would say,” Beth explained. “Aunt Miranda may not be able to cook, but while I struggle with the household accounts-”

“And so do I,” Gwyneth interjected.

“Aunt Miranda has always been good with numbers,” Beth finished.

“She’s more than good with numbers,” A.C. added. “She’s published papers on mathematics, and your grandpa, Uncle Rhys, Cousin Llywelyn and Uncle Mark are the only other people in our family who can understand them.”

“Fortunately, they can afford to hire a cook to prepare their meals,” Bronwen said with a smile.

“All this talk of cooking has made me hungry,” Adam said. “I thought we’d have our picnic on the lakeshore. Are we ready to eat?”

“I wanna eat,” Benny said and his little brother yelled, “Eat!”

They all decided they had seen enough and headed for the lake. As they rode along, Josh said to A.C., “I meant to ask you, what’s a ringer? Jory told me that when he grows up, he wants to be a ringer and work on his grandpa’s station.”

“Hmm. I guess you’d say a ringer is a very experienced cowboy who only works with cattle,” A.C. replied slowly. “For example, a ringer doesn’t help with harvesting the hay or oats. That’s the job of a stationhand.”

Josh smiled and nodded to indicate he understood. “I’m sure glad your family got to come for a visit. I was eager to meet your dad, but I really like your mama and sisters and all the kids. I’ve never really spent any time around kids, but they’re fun,” Josh added with a smile. “I wish I could’ve met Miranda.”

“Oh, I’m sure you will,” A.C. said with a grin. “Now that Jon and Laura are older, I think they’ll probably come visit here in the summers the way they did when Grandpa was alive. At least, I hope so. I really only know Miranda from her letters so it’ll be nice to spend time with her and her family.”

“I guess she’s awful smart. Her husband, too, if he’s a professor.”

“Right, but she’s not up herself and neither is William,” A.C. said.

“Huh?” Josh said, totally baffled.

“Uh, I mean they don’t act superior,” A.C. translated. “I’m sure you’ll like them.”

After they ate the picnic lunch, Adam got out the horseshoes he’d brought and he and A.C. challenged Josh and Benj to a game. The boys had a contest skipping stones while Bronwen got the little ones to lie down and take a nap. The other women all went for a walk along the shore, looking for wildflowers they could take to the family cemetery.

“I’m so glad you were able to visit,” Sarah said as they walked together. “I love the Ponderosa, but it can be lonely being the only woman here. And I miss my friends back in Boston.”

“Have you made any friends here?” Beth asked.

“Yes, but in Boston I could visit my friends every day. Here we’re lucky to visit once a week,” Sarah replied. “I can’t even call them on the telephone.” Then she smiled ruefully. “I’m sorry. I don’t want to complain. I’m just enjoying spending time with you all so much. I’m going to miss you when you leave on Monday.”

“I don’t think you’re complaining,” Beth said. “I admit that I’m glad we lived in Cloncurry when I was growing up, and not on our cattle station. The isolation would have been hard to bear.”

“Do you have any beaus?” Elen asked then, and her mama frowned at her for asking such a personal question, but Sarah smiled.

“A couple of young men have called on me since I’ve been back. One of them I really do like. His name is Victor Scott. He’s a teacher at the Stewart Indian School. He likes his work there, but he thinks it’s wrong to forbid the students to speak their native languages or to practice any of their native customs. I didn’t agree, but now he almost has me convinced.”

“He sounds interesting,” Gwyneth said and Beth asked, “Will we have a chance to meet him?”

“Yes, you can meet him on Sunday,” Sarah replied with a little smile. “We all attend the First Methodist Church in Carson City. That’s where we met.” She added, “Josh and A.C. both like him.”

“What about Benj?” Gwyneth asked curiously.

“Well, Benj is very conservative,” Sarah replied carefully. “He’d prefer I were courted by someone who shared his views, but he doesn’t dislike Victor.” She smiled wistfully as she added, “I think Daddy and Grandpa would like Victor.”

“I’m sure we’ll like him,” Beth said, reaching for Sarah’s hand and giving it a squeeze.

Once the women returned with the wildflowers, they all went to visit the family cemetery. Each of Ben’s great-grandchildren placed a flower on the five graves, with the two youngest helped by their mothers. Then the grandchildren placed their flowers, and lastly, Adam and Bronwen. After Adam gently laid the flower on his father’s grave, he turned to the others and said, “My pa’s favorite hymn was Amazing Grace, and I would like us to sing it for him.”

The American Cartwrights joined in a little hesitantly but soon everyone but the very youngest sang the familiar words:

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come;
‘Tis Grace that brought me safe thus far
and Grace will lead me home.

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.

When we’ve been there ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun.
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we’ve first begun.

Adam made no effort to check the tears that wet his cheeks as he sang. When they finished, everyone quietly headed for the horses and surrey, giving him a moment alone to say his final goodbyes.

The next day the family broke into two groups: those going fishing and those who weren’t. Sarah, Elen, Dylan and Benny went for a ride while Bronwen and Beth entertained the youngest children. The fishermen (and woman) returned with plenty of fish for dinner. Benj, A.C. and Josh cleaned the fish; Beth fixed baked beans and Bronwen and Gwyneth made cole slaw, while Buckshot prepared hushpuppies and fried the fish. Rather than the children and adults separating into two groups, they all ate outside. Once everyone was finished, Adam suggested they make some ice cream.

“Ice cream?” Benny asked.

“That’s a bonzer idea, Dad!” A.C. exclaimed. “Josh, let’s pound the ice.”

“Can I help pound?” Huw asked eagerly.

“Sure,” Josh replied.

“But they only need one helper,” Adam inserted quickly as the three headed for the ice house. “Dylan, Jory and Benny, you can turn the crank on the freezer. That’ll be your job.”

“Mr. Buckshot, you’ve worked hard enough,” Bronwen said. “I’ll stir up the custard for the ice cream.”

“All right, ma’am, but if you ain’t made any ice cream fer a spell, I’ll just hunt up my old recipe,” Buckshot said. “It’s fer Philadelphia-style and ya don’t hafta cook it, so the kids won’t hafta wait as long to eat it.” They both headed for the kitchen.

“I’m pretty sure I saw the old freezer out in the barn,” Benj said. “Come help me look, Sarah.”

“But what’s ice cream?” Benny repeated.

“Oh, it’s delicious,” Gwyneth answered with a smile. “The first time I ever had it was when I was here on the Ponderosa. We made some and it was a ripper. Then your grandpa and Aunt Beth and Aunt Miranda went to Boston and your grandma, Uncle A.C., Aunt Penny and I all stayed here. I remember Aunt Penny and I went with Uncle Joe to drive them to the train station and afterward, Uncle Joe bought me and Aunt Penny our very first ice cream soda. We shared it and it tasted so good.”

“And your grandpa took me and Aunt Miranda to an ice cream parlor in Boston,” Beth said. “We didn’t have ice cream sodas though, just ice cream. It was delicious, but not quite as good as what we’d made ourselves.”

“How long does it take to make?” Dylan asked.

“It shouldn’t be too long before it will be time for you to turn the crank. In the meantime, you and your cousins could play a game.”

“London Bridge!” Siân shouted, for that was her favorite game.

“I’ll be half the bridge; who’ll be the other half?” Adam asked.

“I can’t because I have to change Gruffydd’s nappy,” Beth said.

“Yes, and Morwenna needs a clean nappy as well,” Gwyneth added. The two sisters took their babies inside to change them.

“I’ll be the other half,” Elen offered and so they began the game.

It wasn’t long before Benj and Sarah returned with the freezer.

“It’s awfully dusty,” Sarah said.

“The dasher and the can should definitely be washed before we use them,” Adam agreed.

Elen immediately said, “I’ll do it,” so Benj handed them to her and she went inside.

“I’ll get a rag and wipe off the bucket and crank,” Sarah said, heading after Elen.

“Benj, would you take Elen’s place as the other half of the bridge?” Adam asked.

“Uh, sure,” Benj replied. He’d been trying to avoid the children, but this morning while they were fishing, he’d discovered Huw and Jory weren’t the little nuisances he’d imagined.

They were on the third game of London Bridge when A.C. carried the burlap sack of ice out front, followed by Josh and Huw.

“Huw, please go to the kitchen and tell your grandma the ice is ready,” Adam requested. Huw returned, followed by Elen, carrying the clean dasher and can. After Elen came Bronwen and Buckshot, carrying the bowl of cream, sugar and vanilla, all mixed together with a pinch of salt.

Adam carefully positioned the can in the freezer and Buckshot poured in the ice cream mixture. Then Adam put the top on the can and attached the crank. Once that was done, Josh and A.C. began alternating layers of crushed ice and salt until the bucket was full.

“Benny, I think you should turn first,” Adam said.

“Wanna turn!” Little Adam shouted excitedly and Siân yelled, “I wanna turn.”

“You both forgot the magic word,” their grandpa said, sounding very serious but with a twinkle in his eye.

“Please!” Siân hollered and not to be outdone, her cousin shouted, “Pease!

“All right, you can all take turns,” Adam stated. “We’ll start with Little Adam since he’s youngest, then Siân, Benny, Jory and Dylan. Then I’ll finish.”

Just as Adam had known would happen, the younger children quickly lost interest in turning the crank so their mothers and Sarah played Follow the Leader and Mother, May I? with them.

Jory immediately noticed that the crank was becoming harder to turn, and when he commented on it, his grandpa explained that meant the ice cream was starting to freeze.

“We’ll know it’s ready when we can’t turn the crank,” Adam added. “If it’s getting too hard, you need to give Dylan a turn at the crank.”

“No, it’s not too hard, Grandpa,” Jory said quickly.

“He’ll never want to admit that it’s too hard,” Bronwen commented softly as she watched the determination on Jory’s face as he used both hands to turn the crank.

“You’re right,” Adam said with a chuckle. “I’ll give him another minute and then tell him that it’s Dylan’s turn.”

“It’s ready!” the boys shouted when Adam stopped turning the crank.

“Almost,” Adam said. “The ice cream still needs to ripen.” He added hastily, “But you can eat what’s on the dasher.”

“I’ll go get a big bowl and some spoons,” Bronwen said, smiling at her grandchildren.

“I’ll help, Uncle Adam,” Josh offered while the children all crowded around, eager to taste the ice cream.

Adam carefully removed the crank and then Josh wiped all the ice and salt from the top of the can. When Bronwen brought out the bowl and passed out a spoon to each child, Josh held the can down while Adam pulled out the dasher and stood it up in the bowl. The children swarmed around and Adam said, “Let Morwenna, Siân and Little Adam get their spoonful first.”

Siân swallowed her spoonful and was surprised by how cold it was, but then she grinned and exclaimed, “A ripper!” Morwenna’s face just lit up. Little Adam tried to get more, and when the older boys wouldn’t make room for him, he shoved Benny as hard as he could to get him out of the way. Benny hit him and then they both felt their grandpa’s big hands close around their arms and pull them apart. (The older boys were so busy scraping ice cream off the dasher that they didn’t pay any attention.)

“He hitted me Pa-pa,” Little Adam said angrily.

“You pushed me first,” Benny said, scowling at his little brother.

“Let’s see what your mama has to say to the pair of you,” Adam said sternly, walking them over to Gwyneth, who was wiping the sticky ice cream off Morwenna’s face.

“Benny and Little Adam were fighting,” Adam explained.

“He started it, Mama!” Benny said while Little Adam said, “He hitted me!” Gwyneth sighed.

“Right now I want you both to go sit on the porch. And no talking or you won’t get any more ice cream. Do you understand?” Gwyneth said firmly.

“Yes, Mama,” they both answered before stomping off to the porch with identical sulky pouts.

The older boys finished with the dasher so A.C. suggested a game of tag while they waited for the ice cream to ripen. Elen would have liked to play tag, but it was too hard to run in her long skirt so she asked Siân if she’d like to play Old Bachelor, and Sarah offered to join the game.

“Can I play?” Benny asked hopefully.

“No, you and your brother are being punished for fighting,” Gwyneth replied firmly.

It’s not fair! Benny thought, blinking back angry tears. Little Adam pushed me first.

“Do you mind if I talk to the boys?” Adam asked Gwyneth, seeing Little Adam’s ferocious pout and Benny’s angry scowl.

“Not at all,” Gwyneth said with a tired smile and her daddy kissed her cheek and his littlest granddaughter’s before walking over and sitting down behind his grandsons.

“Come here, boys,” he said and they got up and walked over to stand on either side of him. “Now, Little Adam, you know that it was wrong to push Benny, don’t you?”

The not-quite-three-year-old’s face assumed a mulish expression and he said, “Benny hitted me!”

“But that was after you pushed him, wasn’t it?” Adam asked gently.

Little Adam stuck out his lower lip, but he reluctantly nodded.

Adam turned to Benny then and said, “Benny, you know that you aren’t to hit your brothers, even if they do hit you first, don’t you?”

His expression miserable, Benny nodded. Then he blurted out, “But it’s not fair!”

“You’re twice as big as your brother and can hit twice as hard. Do you really think it’s fair for you to hit him?” Adam asked in the same gentle tone he’d used with Little Adam. Benny’s chin began to wobble as he slowly shook his head. “Now, if you boys tell each other that you’re sorry, then I think your mama will say your punishment is over.”

“I’m sorry I hit you,” Benny said, and at the same time, Little Adam said, “I sorry.”

“Now let’s go tell your mama,” Adam said, standing up and taking their hands.

“I wish we could have ice cream every day,” Dylan stated as he scraped his bowl clean.

“Too right!” Jory exclaimed enthusiastically.

“I’m sure there are ice cream parlors in Hanover we can visit, and I know there are in Boston,” Adam said, enjoying their enthusiasm.

“Can I have a soda like Mama and Aunt Penny?” Benny asked and his mama smiled at him.

“I’m sure you can,” she replied.

“Oh, ice cream sodas are good, but my favorite ice cream is a hot fudge sundae,” Sarah said.

“What’s a hot fudge sundae?” Bronwen asked curiously.

“They pour a hot fudge sauce over vanilla ice cream,” Sarah explained. “It’s heavenly!”

“I want to try one of those,” Elen announced.

“Could I have both?” Dylan asked hopefully.

“Not unless you want a stomachache,” Bronwen replied, unable to suppress a grin.

“I’m sure we’ll make more than one visit to an ice cream parlor,” Adam said. “One time you can have a soda and another time you can have a sundae.”

“That’s a bonzer idea, Grandpa,” Huw said with a grin, anticipating devouring sundaes and sodas.

“Since we’re going to be leaving early for church tomorrow,” Beth said then, “it’s time for all you children to start taking your baths. Siân and Morwenna will go first.”

“Benny and Little Adam, you’ll be next,” Gwyneth added.

“Why do I hafta take a bath with Little Adam?” Benny whined. He was big enough to scrub himself clean but his mama still bathed his little brother.

“Because there is only one bathtub and lots of people who need to bathe tonight. Aunt Beth and I decided the youngest children would bathe together,” his mama replied in a no-nonsense tone.

Benny knew better than to talk back to his mama but his sullen expression showed that he wasn’t happy. His grandpa said, “After you and Little Adam have taken your bath and you’re ready for bed, I’ll come tell you a bedtime story.” Benny’s expression brightened at that and Little Adam clapped his hands.

“I wanna story,” Siân said then.

“You can come in the boys’ room and listen,” Adam said, “but right now, you need to take your bath.

“I think I’ll come listen,” A.C. said. “It’s been a long time since I heard one of your grandpa’s bedtime stories,” he added with a wink.

That night as Adam brushed Bronwen’s hair, she said to him, “Beth told me that while they were on their walk, Elen asked Sarah if she had any beaus. Sarah mentioned one young man by name, Victor Scott, and told them that she really does like him.” Bronwen’s lips curved up just a little as she watched her husband’s expression in the shaving mirror on the wall. “Apparently, he teaches at a school for Indians.”

“Stewart Indian School,” Adam said automatically.

“Yes, that sounds right. She mentioned A.C. and Josh both like him. Evidently, he and Benj have different political views so Benj doesn’t favor the young man’s suit. I don’t think that matters much to Sarah though.”

“If A.C. and Josh both like him, that’s in his favor,” Adam said thoughtfully.

“Sarah said we’ll meet him tomorrow at church,” Bronwen added.

“I think I’ll invite him to dinner,” Adam remarked as he put down her hairbrush.

“I thought you might,” she said and they shared a smile.

Sunday morning, as Adam drove the surrey to the stone church that stood at the corner of Division and Musser, followed by A.C., Josh, Benj and Huw on horseback, people on the street stopped to stare at the little procession. When they halted in front of the church, other people arriving gathered around. There were one or two old-timers who remembered Adam and expressed pleasure at seeing him again and A.C. introduced his family to the others. Then Sarah approached with a young man who appeared to be in his mid-twenties. Bronwen, Beth and Gwyneth all noted that he was attractive, but not extraordinarily handsome. He was of average height and build with curly brown hair and brown eyes.

“Aunt Bronwen, Uncle Adam, Beth and Gwyneth, I’d like for you to meet Victor Scott. Victor, this is my aunt and uncle, Mr. and Mrs. Adam Cartwright, and their daughters, Mrs. Dafydd Jones and Mrs. Mark Pentreath.”

“I’m very pleased to meet you all,” Victor said with a warm, friendly smile. “Your family here has really been looking forward to your visit.” His smile broadened as he added, “A.C. told me that he had a large family, and I see he didn’t exaggerate.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Scott. I would like to extend an invitation to have dinner with us at the Ponderosa this afternoon,” Adam said, smiling at the young man.

“I’m happy to accept your invitation” Victor replied. He knew Benj didn’t favor his courtship of Sarah, so winning her uncle’s approval was important to him.

After Adam had blessed the food and everyone had filled their plates, he turned to Victor, who was seated on his right, and said, “I understand that you teach at the Stewart Indian School.”

“Yes, sir,” the young man replied. “This will be my third year.”

“When my father wrote me the state legislature was creating a boarding school for Indian children, I had very mixed emotions,” Adam stated. “I was very much in favor of the children learning to read and write in English as well as arithmetic and so forth. Ultimately, they will need to acquire the skills to survive in our culture. What troubled me was that the children would be separated from their families, and they would be forced to speak only English.” He frowned as he added, “Whenever Europeans or their descendants encounter native cultures-here in the Americas or in Australia or Africa-the native cultures suffer.”

Bronwen spoke up then. “Not only in those lands. The English have done their best to wipe out Cymraeg, or Welsh as they call it. My parents told me how children who spoke Cymraeg at school were punished or ridiculed. The English tried to stamp out all the Celtic languages and they succeeded with the Cornish language.”

“Well, really Aunt Bronwen, wouldn’t it be better if everyone in Great Britain spoke English? What use are the old native languages?” Benj asked, and his tone was definitely condescending.

“Our native language is part of what makes us Welsh, and not English,” Bronwen answered, and her tone was glacial.

“And that’s why I think it’s wrong that we forbid the children at our school to speak their native languages,” Victor said with conviction. Then, in a more relaxed tone, he said, “And speaking of languages, since I’ve known A.C., I’ve noticed that while Americans and Australians both speak English, it’s not the same English.”

“No, it’s certainly not,” Adam said with a chuckle. “When we first moved to Cloncurry, I felt like I was hearing a foreign language. A bedroll became a swag, grub became tucker, and a ranch became a station. Those are just a few examples. Then there is my wife and children’s propensity for stoning crows,” he added, smiling broadly. The others all grinned since they’d heard A.C. and his family use the expression.

“I know exactly what you mean, Dad,” A.C. said, “because it works both ways. If I say something is a ripper here, I just get blank looks.”

“Fair dinkum?’ Gwyneth asked.

Smiling, her brother said, “Too right, just like the ones you’re getting now.” And everyone chuckled.

“I keep telling A.C. he’s gonna have to learn to speak American,” Josh said with a grin.

“I’m sure he’ll adapt, just as Miranda did when she attended Radcliffe College,” Adam said, winking at his son.

“I’ve just enrolled at the School of Veterinary Science at the State College of Washington,” A.C. explained to Victor.

“Then I guess I won’t be seeing much of you,” Victor commented.

“Only during summer vacation,” A.C. agreed. “In fact, this is the last time you’ll see me until next summer. Tomorrow my family is leaving for Hanover, New Hampshire to visit my sister, Miranda, and her family. From there I’ll go straight to Pullman.”

“Well, I wish you every success,” Victor said sincerely.

“Thank you,” A.C. replied.

Then Victor turned to Adam. “So you have a daughter who lives here in the U.S.?”

“Yes. Miranda is our second born. She wanted to attend Radcliffe College here in the States. It meant so much to her that her mother and I agreed. She met a young man named William Gordon who was working on a doctorate in history at Harvard and they decided to marry.”

“Excuse me, but would he be the Dr. William Gordon who wrote The Importance of America’s Westward Expansion?” Victor asked.

“Yes,” Adam replied with a hint of a smile. “You’ve read it?”

“Yes, I thought it was brilliant,” Victor replied.

“When Miranda first wrote us that she was marrying a history professor, I thought he’d be dull,” Beth admitted, “but when we traveled here for the wedding, I discovered that I couldn’t have been more wrong.”

“I knew I’d like him when he agreed to have their wedding here so Adam’s father could attend,” Bronwen said quietly.

“He’s a man I’d like to meet,” Victor said with a nod for emphasis.

“I’m sure you’ll have an opportunity,” Adam said. “If A.C is going to spend his summers here, I’m certain Miranda and William will bring their children for a visit.”

“I’ll look forward to meeting them,” Victor said with a smile.

Later that evening, after the children were in bed and A.C. and Josh were playing a game of checkers while Benj waited to play the winner, Sarah joined the rest of the family on the porch.

“So what did you all think of Victor?” she asked, trying to sound casual.

“I liked him,” Adam stated, “and I think your father and grandpa would have liked him, too.”

“That’s what I thought,” Sarah said with a happy smile. “I- I like him better than any of the young men I’ve known in Boston. They are all so superficial compared to Victor.” She stopped and said self-consciously, “Of course, there’s nothing serious between us. We just enjoy each other’s company.”

Bronwen, Beth and Gwyneth exchanged a knowing look at that remark.

The next morning the family set out for the train station in Carson City. Just as they had before, the boys rode in the wagon with the luggage, with Little Adam and Benny sitting by Jacob. Sarah squeezed into the back seat of the surrey with Elen and Siân while A.C. sat with his mama.

“I’m sure gonna miss all of you,” Josh said, turning his head to smile at his Australian cousins and aunt.

“We’ll miss you and Sarah and Benj,” Bronwen said. “This visit has been so wonderful.”

“We need to make an effort to write more regularly,” Adam stated firmly.

“I know I should do a better job of writing,” Sarah admitted.

“So should we,” Gwyneth said.

“I can see why you and Beth don’t have time to write,” Josh said, smiling at Morwenna and Gruffydd, who were sitting on their mamas’ laps.

“I’m not as busy as Mama and Aunt Gwyneth,” Elen said then. “I could write and tell you what’s happening to all of us,” she added shyly.

“I would love to read your letters,” Sarah said with a warm smile for her young cousin. “And I promise to write and tell you what’s happening here on the Ponderosa.”

When it was time for Adam’s family to board the train, Sarah hugged her aunt, uncle and cousins tightly, feeling her eyes fill with tears, knowing that except for A.C., she would never see them again. Josh started to hang back, but when first his aunt and then his cousins hugged him, he gently hugged them back. Like Sarah, he couldn’t hold back his tears as he said goodbye to the family he’d grown so close to over the past week, knowing this was a last goodbye.

He wiped at his eyes and said in a voice that wasn’t quite steady, “I’ll be lookin’ forward to your letters, Elen.” Then he turned to his uncle, who was the only one left on the platform. “I’m so grateful that I got to meet you, Uncle Adam. I just wish we could have spent more time together.”

Adam was too moved to speak and hugged his nephew tightly before hurrying aboard the train as it started to move. Josh and Sarah saw the children waving to them from the windows until the train carried them out of sight.