Summary:  Story by story in this series of seven, Kate becomes more and more involved in Adam’s life first acting as his nurse several times when he is injured as he faces troubles, and then as his love interest.  She has an unhappy past though which Adam has to unravel to win her heart, and then they face heartache as well as joy together.  She is introduced in the first story as Adam faces a significant challenge and his family deals with heartache.

WC = 99,150   Rating — T

Kate

Too Much To Ask

Chapter 1

Staring out of the cell with tears on his cheeks, Hoss could only choke out the words. “Joe, you don’t know what you’re asking.”

Emotionally, Joe wasn’t in any better shape, but someone had to take the lead with Adam so badly injured. “Hoss, I know he’s hurt, I know it’s too much to ask, but it’s our only chance to get out of here.”

Swallowing any more of his objections, Hoss watched Adam slowly roll on his right side. Every movement caused him to groan and grimace. He paused at the slightest progress and then moved again. Hoss didn’t know how he did it. He obviously had damaged ribs that might be broken and what appeared to be a broken leg or a severely injured one. His left side was mostly useless. You could tell just by how still he kept his left arm as he moved even those agonizingly short distances. Finally Adam neared the ring of keys. Next he would have to crawl with that ring to their cell. Hoss wasn’t sure if Adam could do it because he seemed weaker with each push across the floor. Joe kept encouraging Adam to keep going.

Hoss and Joe needed those keys. They had been taunted with that earlier when Adam had been dumped on a thin mattress against the wall opposite their cell. The thugs had dropped the ring of keys next to him and laughed.

“You want to get out of here. Just get him to bring those keys to you.”

The men had left then. They had been merciless to them for three days now. Forced to work in a mine and set dynamite charges before removing the debris and the ore rich with gold from dawn to sundown, the brothers were exhausted. Every time one of the Cartwrights objected to anything, one of those men would hit or kick Adam. They had not understood what was happening that first day, but one of the other men explained it the first night. One man in each group was singled out for punishment so that the whole work force wasn’t disabled by injuries. They liked to pick the leaders, and Adam was seen as the one who led their group and could take the punishment. Hoss understood the logic of it, but it caused him to be furious inside. If they punished each of them for not working or for not following the many rules here, then none of them would be fit for work. Instead they concentrated the punishment on one using that to drive the other two to work.

That afternoon, Joe had lost his temper after they had been pushed to work without food or water for hours. He had turned on the guard who had jabbed him repeatedly and tackled the man. Two others came and pulled him off the man. Feeling a sense of satisfaction at seeing the blood flow from the guard’s nose, Joe’s good feeling was short-lived as he turned and saw Adam staring at him. Without a comment, Adam turned back to his work knowing what was going to happen next. Hoss’ knuckles grew white on the pick he was holding, but he knew if he tried to help, it would only make things worse.

“Oh, my God, Adam, I’m sorry.”

There were so many times when those words were not nearly enough. This was one of those times. More guards arrived. Joe and Hoss had been held back at gunpoint while the guards grabbed Adam and administered a vicious beating. Now however Hoss knew as well as Joe that they needed to get out of this place or Adam would not survive. One more beating like he had gotten that afternoon would be the end of him.

What those men didn’t know was that Adam had strength of will that was daunting. He had survived in the desert after torture and deprivation at the hands of a sadistic man. Most men would have perished. He had come out of so many terrible situations with his life and his sanity, Hoss wondered sometimes how he did it.

As Adam crawled closer and moved into the circle of light thrown by the lantern hanging in the center of the room, Hoss could see the bruises and abrasions as well as dried blood on his face. With the damage done and the beard he had grown in four days, Hoss could hardly recognize his older brother.

One of the men had taken his boots so he was barefoot. They probably assumed that he couldn’t work anymore so had no need of boots. Hoss had seen one of their tormentors wearing the boots earlier. At that point he had been afraid that his brother was dead, but they carried him in and dropped him on the floor a short time after that. Hoss could hear them now. They drank and got loud every evening. They were not likely to see any of them again until morning when the prisoners would be given a thick grainy paste that passed as breakfast and then taken at gunpoint to work that mine.

The three brothers were far from home. They were not known here. They had been approached by men in town and had not known their intent. They were asked if they knew how to mine and how to use dynamite. Joe had chimed in quickly with an affirmative answer, but Adam had cut him off saying they were not interested in a job. The men had left, but as the three brothers rode out of town, Adam said he felt they were being watched. They rode harder than they normally would in such a situation trying to put some miles between them and that little town.

Joe had complained and demanded they stop for lunch. Reluctantly, Adam had agreed after Hoss said he was hungry and they had already left any pursuers in the dust. They had been wrong and were bushwhacked as they ate. They were told to be quiet as their hands were tied. Joe told Adam he was sorry, and one of the men hit Adam in the stomach because Joe had violated the order to be quiet. Hoss told them not to hurt Adam, and they had hit him again. They were informed that from that point on, Adam was to be punished for any of their transgressions but didn’t quite understand the full impact of that. The first day, all three had worked in the mine. By the second day, Adam was having a difficult time doing the tasks assigned after having been hit in the back with a thick rod, and after today, he wouldn’t be able to work at all. He had been hit or kicked periodically but today had been the worst by far.

Turning his attention back to Adam’s agonizingly slow progress across the floor, Hoss noted that it was getting quieter outside their jail. The men were probably dropping off to sleep in a drunken stupor. The time to get away was now, and every minute of delay was a precious minute lost, but he couldn’t press Adam to go any faster. His older brother was sweating and panting with the exertion and the pain already. As he got about five feet from their cell, it was clear he couldn’t go much further. Adam knew it too. He had sharp pains in his left side that almost robbed him of the ability to think and breathing was excruciating especially as he had to breathe harder with the exertion. His vision was getting hazy too and the floor looked like it was crowned to him. Knowing he had very little time and energy to accomplish what he had set out to do and what their tormentors had assumed he could not, he took the keys in his right hand and fell over onto his back. Then using the last reserve of strength he had, he bent his right arm at the elbow and threw the keys toward the cell. They landed only about two feet away from the cell bars, and Joe lay on the floor and stretched out to retrieve them.

Once Joe had the keys, he handed them to Hoss who reached outside the cell and inserted the keys one by one until he found the one that unlocked their cell. Rushing out, both brothers dropped to their knees next to Adam.

“How we gonna get him outta here, Hoss?”

Hoss was quiet. He had no ideas. Adam whispered the only solution.

“Leave me. You’ll hurt me worse by taking me along. Go get help.”

“Adam, when they find us gone, they’re gonna hurt you some more. Ifn they do that, I don’t think you can take it.”

“Lock me in the cell. Lock the door.”

“Hoss, there must be a better way. We can’t leave him. He’s our brother!”

“Joe, what can we do? If we take Adam on horseback, he’s gonna get hurt worse. If we carry him out into the rocks, they’ll probably find us and you know what they’ll do to him then. He can’t take any more.”

Quiet and frustrated, Joe squeezed his eyes shut. They would have to do it that way. Hoss thought it might work, and unfortunately it was the only idea they had. Hoss used the key to lock Adam in the cell after he and Joe had carefully moved him to the mattress in there. Adam had groaned softly as they had moved him. It was clear he wouldn’t be able to ride and couldn’t even walk a little. After Adam was resting in the cell, Hoss gave the keys to the men in the next cell to release all the other prisoners who had been forced to work. Most were Chinese, but there were a few Native Americans as well. He signaled them to be silent as he and Joe left the building. The brothers quietly moved to where the horses were kept and saddled up Cochise and Chubb. They took Sport on a lead rope so that the men couldn’t use him. Then they stampeded the other horses out into the night before riding toward Carson City because it was the nearest source of help they could count on.

As Hoss and Joe rode down the road to Carson City in the early dawn hours, they saw a number of riders headed their way. Once they were closer, they could see their father in the lead. Finally something had gone their way. They rode rapidly to intercept the men.

“Hoss, Joe, I am so glad to see you. Where’s Adam?”

“Pa, it’s too long a story to tell here. Please, we just gotta ride hard. Adam’s life depends on it.”

Accepting Hoss’ leadership, Ben and the other men followed as Hoss and Joe turned to retrace their route. Hoss and Joe yelled as much of the story as they could while riding. As they neared the mining camp where they had been held prisoner, they saw a column of black smoke. Hoss’ heart sank, and as he glanced at Joe, he could see that Joe was as scared as he was. As they neared the camp, they found that most of the buildings had been set afire including the one where the forced labor prisoners had been held each night. Joe rode ahead of everyone and raced up to the building where they had left Adam. There was almost nothing left. The iron bars stood bent in crazy shapes but the rest of the building and its contents were reduced to smoldering ashes. The odor of coal tar was strong. The building had been fired deliberately.

When Hoss and the others arrived, Joe turned to them with tears streaming down his face. Hoss knew immediately why he was crying, but Ben suspected he knew the reason too.

“Did you leave your brother here?”

Hoss told him the whole story then. There was nowhere to race to any more. There were a few explosions when the supply shack on the outskirts of the camp caught fire from the other buildings. By nightfall, there were only ashes where the slave labor mining camp had been. Ben walked to the building where Hoss and Joe had last seen Adam. He knelt and grasped a handful of the warm ashes.

“My son!” And he broke down in heart-rending sobs. There was nothing anyone could do to lessen his sorrow. Hoss and Joe found themselves reduced to tears too. There was nothing they could do. They couldn’t find any remains for the building had burned so hotly everything in it had been reduced to a fine ash except for the iron bars that stood warped and misshapen in a parody of how the three men felt their hearts twisting inside them.

Chapter 2

John Rennick, Paul Barth, Mike Finnan, Dolph Jurgen, Niles Davis, and Pete Thompson were their names. Adam had told them to listen, and in just two days, the three brothers had learned the names of most of the men who held them prisoner. They called each other by first or last names. When the Chinese had been their main work force, it really didn’t matter if they used their real names. They had gotten careless. Like most criminals, they didn’t know that just one mistake was all it took to get the law on them. Hoss and Joe sat with U.S. Marshals and the sheriff of Carson City for most of one day describing and helping a sketch artist draw the faces of the men who had done this. The wanted posters were printed and distributed in every direction and as far as the stage lines were willing to take them. The men were wanted for kidnapping, false imprisonment, extortion, assault, robbery, and murder. The state of Nevada would have preferred even more charges if they could. It was enough. Ben Cartwright added a ten-thousand dollar reward for each man. Bounty hunters and law officers would be able to collect according to the offer made by the Cartwrights.

After being home just two days and seeing the devastating change that had come over their father, Hoss and Joe were ready to leave again.

“Pa, we know what they look like better than anyone. Hoss can track them away from that camp. We’ll follow and bring them to justice.”

“It won’t bring your brother back.”

“We know that Pa. But Joe and me think that ifn we can get all these men, well then maybe we can rest at least some easier at night knowing we got some justice for our brother. It ain’t never gonna be enough, but it’ll be something.”

Ben wanted to retort that they should never have left him in that camp. He knew it was wrong to feel that way, but he had nightmares of his son caught in that fire, beaten, and unable to help himself, and then gradually consumed by the flames. He knew how a small burn on his hand had sent pain shooting up his arm, and he dreaded imagining the agony of feeling your whole body burning and the torment of not being able to get away from it. He hated to go to bed at night. He only crawled into his bed when exhaustion forced him to try, but still the terrible dreams came and robbed him of the rest he needed.

Hoss watched his father and knew what terrible thoughts he probably had because Hoss had those awful dark dreams at night too, and heard screams in them too. He imagined flames searing his brother’s flesh and sometimes thought he could even smell his hair and skin burning. He often spent much of the night staring at the shadows in his room and hearing his father’s footsteps in the hall in the early morning hours. He wanted to go to him but had no solace to give much as he couldn’t find any for himself. And he heard the same recriminations in his head that he imagined his father had for him because he condemned himself for his actions as much as anyone could.

“Pa, do you want to come with us?”

Joe too suffered the same as his father and surviving brother. Joe was tormented by more guilt than Hoss though. If he had not lost his temper that last day in the camp, those men wouldn’t have beaten Adam so badly. Then when they escaped, Adam could have gone with them. Joe wasn’t thinking that if Adam had not been beaten, they would never have gotten those keys.

At this point, Joe just wanted to work together with his family. If they could do this together, perhaps it would help the three of them at least a little. Ben wanted to say no. He wanted to say they needed to run the Ponderosa, but he couldn’t. Until those murderers of his son were brought to justice, he wouldn’t be able to sleep or function normally anyway. He nodded but told Hoss he was going with them before he walked upstairs to pack a few things as Hoss went to the kitchen to tell Hop Sing what was going to happen.

Within an hour, Ben and his two younger sons headed out. There had been no rain so there should still be tracks even after four days. If there were, Hoss would lead them and they would find the murderous thugs who had done this terrible thing to their family. It was dark before they reached the destroyed mining camp. They fixed dinner and rolled out their sleeping rolls. For the first time in days, they would all sleep just a bit better because they had a purpose again and knew they needed the rest to accomplish this task. In his mind as he drifted off to sleep, Hoss kept the last image he had of his older brother. Adam had grasped his vest when Hoss was about to leave and had just said one thing, ‘Hurry, please.’ Hoss had wrapped his hand around his older brother’s and told him he would. Then Adam had let go of his vest and closed his eyes although his face had still been contorted in pain. It was the last that Hoss and Joe had seen of Adam.

For nearly a week, Ben and his sons rode following the tracks that had been barely discernable at first. Each day, Hoss had found the tracks easier to see. They rode from sunup to sundown. They cooked dinner in the moonlight, ate some of the leftovers for breakfast, and packed away the rest of the cold food to eat at midday as they rode. They took no time to bathe or shave. Every available minute was used to find Adam’s murderers. Finally it seemed their quest would be successful.

“Pa, that’s got to be their camp. Looks to be four or five of them there.”

“Hoss, I think you’re right. We should wait for them to settle for the night and then surprise them. You and Joe can work around to the other sides, and I’ll come at them from here. Now no gunfire unless they start it.” Ben said the words but didn’t mean them. He didn’t want his remaining two sons to kill these men. He was thinking he would like to do it himself.

“Pa, it shouldn’t take Hoss and me more than a half hour to get into position. Then we can come in from three sides. We can get the drop on all of them.”

These had to be the men Ben and his sons had been tracking for almost a week. These men had avoided towns but moved at a leisurely pace. They seemed to suspect that there would be an alert for them in towns, but they had stopped at a couple of ranches to get supplies and fresh horses. They had paid with gold nuggets. Ben and his sons wondered how much gold these men were carrying. If it was a lot as they suspected it could be a reason for their slow pace and why they had already worn out two sets of horses. Joe had selected three extra horses for the three of them to ride, and they had just switched off in the middle of each day so all of their horses stayed in good condition. They had ridden so far through rugged backcountry none of them were sure any longer where they were except that their quarry was ahead of them.

The pursued had moved in a southeasterly direction most of the time and led the Cartwrights until they were here well away from any familiar places. They had traveled due south through some very rugged country for a time before moving southeasterly. Just this morning they had turned and started moving to the northeast. Late the night before, Joe had spotted their campfire up ahead. It made the job of tracking them much easier today. Now they had caught them.

Hoss and Joe moved out to flank the men they had been pursuing. Ben waited for the signal but planned to move forward before it was given. Joe had said a half hour. He would move in twenty minutes. He wanted a chance to confront these men when they might think they could fight their way out. Ben wanted the opportunity to fight them. He began moving before his sons could signal him. Once he was close to their camp, he felt his rage build and his heart rate speed up. These were the men who had murdered his son out of anger and nothing more. His death had not helped them in the least. What Ben planned was to let them have a taste of fear before he killed them.

Chapter 3

“Hold it right there. Don’t move or I’ll shoot!”

Five men looked at Ben and worried. The silver haired man held that weapon like he knew how to use it, and the anger was apparent as well.

“Who the hell are you, old man?”

“I’m Ben Cartwright. You held my three sons and forced them to work. You beat my oldest son and then you killed him. It’s time for you to face justice for that.”

“You think you can take all five of us?”

“I’ll send as many of you to hell as I can. You want to be the first one?”

Several of the men were edging toward their weapons when another voice made them freeze. It was behind them and just as angry.

“It ain’t just him. We’re back too.”

And another man stepped from the darkness as the big man behind them came forward.

“Now you can just drop them guns or go to hell just like my Pa told ya. Drop em, I said.”

All of the men but one complied. He drew and was shot by both Ben and Joe. The other four quickly raised their hands.

“Don’t shoot. We ain’t gonna fight back. Please don’t kill us.”

Moving quickly around the camp, Joe gathered up all the weapons. Ben still had his pistol aimed at the man who had spoken last.

“Did you give my son that chance? He wasn’t fighting back. My boys here told me he couldn’t hardly move because you had hurt him so badly. But you murdered him! Why shouldn’t I just shoot you down right here?”

“Pa, don’t do it. I know how you feel. Hoss and I feel exactly the same, but you know how Adam would have felt about this. He would have said they should get a trial and let the law hang them. You know that’s true. Pa, please.”

“Pa, Joe’s right. Adam wouldn’t want you to murder these men no matter how much they deserve to die. I’d like to choke the life out of each one of em with my bare hands. But I would dishonor Adam’s memory by doing something like that. It would be for me and not for him. We came out here to get justice for Adam not vengeance for us.”

The four men stood silently waiting to see how the tense situation would resolve itself. At least the younger ones were speaking for them. One man though didn’t want to wait and suddenly ran. Ben turned and fired hitting the man in the leg. He fell moaning and crying out. It seemed to take the rage from Ben.

“Joe, see to him. Hoss, tie these three up while I keep my gun on them. I assure you men, I will shoot anyone who even looks like they’re trying to escape. In fact, I look forward to any of you trying it.”

None of the men did. They dropped to the ground just as Hoss told them and placed their hands behind their backs. Hoss tied them tightly and then hogtied each one just for security. The man who had been hit in the leg was bandaged and then tied as well before Hoss and Joe left to get their horses and supplies. It was nearly dark. The four men would spend a sleepless night wondering if they would see morning. The next day, the Cartwrights would take them to the nearest town.

The next morning, Hoss made breakfast. He gave some to the men to eat but made them eat like dogs untying some of the ropes but not those that bound their hands behind their backs.

“I don’t want to untie their hands at all. There’s four of em, and they had all night to think of ways to get away. Feeding them like that is necessary and I don’t feel sorry for them one bit. They acted like animals, they can get treated like animals.”

Neither Joe nor Ben was about to stick up for the rights of these men. They had rolled the dead man in a blanket, and now they piled some rocks over him. They didn’t work too hard at it. In their minds, it was better than he deserved. One by one they got the four men up on horses and tied their hands to the pommels. With lead ropes on and the reins tied off on the horses, they would not be able to get away.

“Boys, which way to the nearest town do you think?”

“Gallup is to the east and Flagstaff to the west.” One of the four prisoners had spoken up.

“I figure the sooner we get to a town, the less likely we’re gonna be shot.”

“Well, riding west makes sense to me. I don’t want to backtrack that rugged country we come through to get here. No need for us to avoid towns. Let’s ride west. First place we see we can ask and find out ifn we’re going the right way.” Hoss headed out leading the way.

Joe and Ben nodded at Hoss’ idea and mounted up to ride out each leading two or three horses. They had found saddlebags full of gold nuggets, the ill-gotten gains of illegal forced slave labor. They weren’t sure what they were going to do with it yet, but Joe had suggested giving it to the Chinese community as some compensation for the men who had been forced to work those mines. They didn’t think there was a chance that they could ever find the men who had actually been there with them though. At the first ranch they saw, they stopped in to find that they were in fact headed directly for Flagstaff. Another night camped out and one more day of travel and they reached the town. They were a motley crew who stopped in front of the U.S. Marshal’s office there. A deputy came out and asked them what their business was and assumed by their answer that they were bounty hunters.

“These four men are wanted on federal and Nevada warrants. The most serious charge is murder.” Ben then produced the warrants and identified which man fit each warrant.

“These are just sketches. How can we be sure you got the right men?” The Marshall was skeptical.

“Because my sons are the witnesses, and they can identify each one of them. You can have the reward. It is payable to anyone including officers of the law. All you need to do is make sure they get to Carson City, Nevada for trial.”

“You don’t want the reward? That forty thousand dollars according to these warrants!”

“We’re the ones paying the reward. I’m Ben Cartwright and these are my sons, Eric and Joseph. We’ll be in the hotel if you have any questions.”

As Ben went to get rooms at the hotel, Hoss and Joe led the horses to the livery stopping at the freight station to have the saddlebags and extra gear shipped to the Ponderosa. They would ride their three regular horses on the way home and sell the three extras. After bathing, shaving, and dressing in clean clothing, they met in the hotel restaurant for dinner.

“Funny, but I guess I would feel better somehow once we caught those men. I feel the same as I have. Nothing has really changed.” Joe didn’t even feel like eating. He wished he could go to sleep and wake up to find this was all some horrific nightmare. Each morning he woke up hoping that, and reality would jolt him each time.

“Pa, I been meaning to ask ya. Why didn’t you wait for us before you walked into that camp? Did you want them to draw down on ya? Joe and me practically had to run to get to that camp before there was a shootout.”

Hesitating to answer was as much of an answer as the Hoss and Joe needed, but Ben felt he needed to be honest. “I never felt like I wanted to kill some men as I did that night. I didn’t wait because I did want them to fight back. My heart was broken, and I guess I wasn’t thinking about you two. Now I know how stupid and inconsiderate that was. It could have made things so much more difficult for the two of you and I apologize for my foolish actions.”

“I never been a father, Pa, but I guess I understand. Ifn I had a son and somebody murdered him, I’d want to kill the bastard too.”

“I understand too. It’s all right, Pa. We’ve all been under a lot of pressure.”

“Joseph, I have to say I’m proud of how you stood with Hoss in that camp when I just wanted to kill those men. I know Hoss stood with Adam on that issue in the past, and his words did not surprise me. But yours did. That may have been what helped pull me out of my rage.”

“Pa, I lost my temper in that camp and that’s why Adam got hurt so bad. If I had kept my mouth shut, those men wouldn’t have beaten him like that. Pa, I’ll take that guilt with me the rest of my life. I made a promise when we were at that camp. I promised Adam I’d hold my temper and use my head. It was real hard to do though when I say those murdering bastards. But then I heard what Hoss said and it was like Adam was talking reminding me of my promise.”

Hoss felt a little pride at hearing Joe’s words, but he still had a significant concern. “There’s still one more of em out there, Pa. What’re we gonna do?”

“Hoss, I think we’ll let the law find Niles Davis. According to the four we brought in, he was the ringleader and left before any of them did and headed east. They don’t know where he is, and we’ll never find tracks this late. I can increase the reward if you think that will help.”

“Nah, if ten thousand doesn’t do it, then twenty won’t either. I guess I just want to get home. It won’t ever feel the same though will it? We rode through some beautiful country. A couple of times I caught myself thinking that Adam would enjoy hearing about it. Then I would remember and it was like Sam Hill hit me with his sledgehammer. It feels that way every time I’m thinking on something and remember he’s gone.”

“I never got to say goodbye. It still hurts so much. Here in Flagstaff, we saw those people laughing and talking. All I could think of was that my oldest son would never get to do any of that again.”

“We was just riding home after a successful drive and we didn’t have no money or anything on us, so I thought we would be safe. And then we got bushwhacked and a few days later, Adam was gone. Life sure is awful sometimes when it dumps a surprise on ya like that. Pa, I’m so sorry we left him there. We shoulda thought of something else to do. He asked me to hurry, Pa, but it wasn’t enough. It’s my fault Adam is gone.”

“Pa, I’m so sorry too. What we did was so stupid. We were so desperate, and we never thought they would do what they did.”

“Whose idea was it?”

“Adam. He said he would get hurt worse by riding. Pa, it hurt him just for us to carry him into that cell. He couldn’t even hardly talk.”

All three men sat silently for a time. “My sons, I suggest we all forgive each other and forgive ourselves for what we’ve done. One failure Adam did have was always taking responsibility for things that went wrong and then suffering with the guilt. We need to move forward. We need a fresh start.”

Almost reluctantly, Hoss and Joe nodded although both knew it was far easier to accept their father’s forgiveness than it would be to forgive themselves. Ben saw their frowns and knew how hard it would be for his sons to forgive themselves. They did have that in common with Adam. He knew too that it would take some time for him to be able to forgive them completely as well. But right then, he needed to get their minds on something else at least for a time.

“I never asked. What did you do with the money you got for the cattle?”

“Adam mailed the draft home. He said too many people knew we got a big payout so it would be safer not to carry the money. It’s probably sitting in the post office in Virginia City right now. Yeah, he found some new maps he wanted so he bought those and rolled them all up together in the map tube and mailed it to himself.”

“What did you boys do with all that gold we found? I forgot about it until now.”

“We shipped it home with the other gear we didn’t need any more. The freight guy may wonder at some point why those crates are so heavy, but they should be waiting for us in Virginia City too.”

“Guess Adam taught you boys something.” And then Ben’s grin was erased as he remembered Adam would not be teaching them anything any more. The three men were quiet for the rest of the evening and the next morning as they rode toward home. They had had only a brief conversation before leaving Flagstaff.

“If you boys don’t mind, I would like to avoid most of the towns along the way. Let’s do some hunting and fishing as we ride home. We need the time to heal as much as we can. You boys are more important than anything I own.”

Because of the conversation father and sons had the night before, Joe had anticipated something like this. “So what about the ranch, Pa. Somebody needs to be making some decisions there. Shouldn’t we get back?”

“Joe, the ranch will still be there. We hired very capable people. If we can’t be gone for two weeks, then we need to hire some other men.”

Chapter 4

In Virginia City earlier in the week, an urgent message was delivered to the Chinese community. It was too dark to send someone at that time, but the next morning as soon as possible, the message would be delivered to the Ponderosa. They would let Hop Sing handle the details of how to explain what had happened and what needed to happen next. How could any Chinese explain the presence of a badly injured white man among them especially one who had needed an operation and medical care which had been provided?

Very early the next morning, Hop Sing was in the kitchen making breakfast when there was a light knock on the kitchen door. He answered and found a young man with a roll of paper. After accepting it, Hop Sing unrolled it, thanked the young man, and told him he would be there as soon as possible. Once breakfast was served and arrangements were made for the chuck wagon cook to prepare lunch, Hop Sing went out to hitch up the buckboard to drive into town. He reached the Chinese community in Carson City by nine, and when he drove to where he had been instructed, a long stretcher was carried to the wagon and a man was placed on the mattress in the back. Hop Sing formally bowed and thanked the men before driving back to the Ponderosa. Once there, he went to the bunkhouse to ask some men to help him carry Adam into the house. Even though Adam was asleep or unconscious and looked terrible, he was alive. It was shocking to the men there to see the results of the brutal things that had been done to him. All of the men there were happy that Adam was alive but were concerned about his family.

“Does his father know?” was the first question.

Hop Sing had to tell them that none of the family knew, and that he did not know how to get the message to them. One of the hands volunteered to go into town to tell Roy Coffee and to tell the doctor. Within two hours, Roy and Paul were in Adam’s bedroom. Roy wanted to know where Hop Sing had found Adam.

“Go to Carson City. Some men bring Mr. Adam to wagon. Then I drive Mr. Adam home.”

“I think I get the picture. Doc’s gonna see how he is now. You got any idea where Ben and Adam’s brothers are?”

“They go find bad men who do this. They not know Mr. Adam alive.”

“Do you know how Adam was rescued?”

“He help men escape. Men he save see bad men burn building. They go rescue before too late. He stay with them until now.”

“I think I got the whole picture now. Well ifn you ever see any of these men again, you just let them know that I am very grateful, and if they ever need any help, they should call on me.”

Nodding, Hop Sing retreated to his kitchen with a smile. Roy waited in the great room for Paul to complete his examination. In Adam’s bedroom, Paul was able to get only a little information from Adam who awoke briefly. He was weak but lucid.

“I don’t remember much from the time my brothers left until this morning. I remember someone asking me if I wanted them to help me. I said yes because I was in terrible pain and could hardly breathe. When I woke up later, I was in much less pain and could breathe more easily. That’s about all I know. Some men carried me to a wagon and I saw Hop Sing who brought me home. Where’s my family?”

“First things first: you’ve had surgery on your ribs. They’re all bandaged now and the incision looks clean. You must have had a broken rib that was displaced. Someone operated and put it where it belonged. Your other wounds were cleaned, treated with salve, and bandaged as needed. I’m guessing you don’t remember much because you were drugged for the surgery and to help with pain management. Someone took very good care of you.”

“Paul, where’s my family?”

Pausing and realizing he should tell Adam the truth if only the short version. “I’m not sure, but I think they went to find the men who did this to you.”

Not knowing what to ask next, Adam decided he knew enough for now because he was exhausted. He closed his eyes and quickly succumbed to sleep. Paul walked from the room but left the door open. Once he got downstairs, Roy wanted to know how he was.

“He’s got a severely bruised knee and ankle on his left leg. Looks like he was kicked among other things. He’s covered in bruises and abrasions and has a few light burns. Someone operated on a broken rib and put it back in place, and his ribs are bound. He may have had some internal bleeding possibly from his spleen, but it appears to be resolved. I’ll let Hop Sing know to watch for any new bruising. He’s asleep now. I think he’s going to be all right, but he may need a lot of rest before he’ll be back to normal.”

“Can he talk to me now?”

“He shouldn’t. He needs to stay calm and rest. I thought you had all the information you needed?”

“It would help to have Adam fill in some of the story with what he knows. We have enough for now, but we may need more if any of those jaspers end up in court. But that can wait. I wouldn’t want to cause the boy any more pain. Sounds like he’s been through the mill already.”

Standing near the kitchen door, Hop Sing listened. He told the two men that he would care for Adam if they would please locate his family and let them know Adam was home.

“Well, Hop Sing, we’re gonna do that, but it may take some time. I’ll send out telegrams and try to find them.”

“Hop Sing, there’s a woman who does quite a bit of nursing work in the area. Frequently she has helped me care for more seriously ill or injured patients. She could come out for a few days to sit with Adam and help you?”

Hop Sing agreed that was a good idea. He didn’t like leaving Adam by himself and having someone else there to sit with him would be very helpful. Roy and Paul left then. Roy planned to start sending out telegrams to sheriffs in towns the Cartwrights might visit so that they could let them know the good news.

Day by day, Adam started feeling better. The lady hired to help nurse him noticed that when he began flirting with her. His lips were still a bit swollen from the splits in them received when he was beaten. He asked her to kiss him to check the condition of his lips. She had laughed and said that wouldn’t be necessary. She also told him her services were no longer necessary, and she would be moving back home soon.

“Thank you, Kate. You have been wonderful. Maybe I could call on you in a few weeks?”

“Adam, that’s not a good idea.” Kate would have loved that, but Adam was a sophisticated man and had been with so many ladies. She just didn’t think she would be able to match him and thought it best to avoid the embarrassment of being rejected by him when he found out her shortcomings.

“Well, will you be at the dance in a few weeks? Perhaps you could pencil me in on your dance card? I’ll do my best to be back on my feet if you’ll promise to dance with me.”

“All right, one dance, but that’s it. You have so many women clamoring after you, I don’t want to get lost in the stampede when they see you upright and healthy again.”

“Perhaps, you’ve mistaken me for my brother Joe. He has hordes of women chasing him. Not me.”

Kate looked at him then. Was this a ploy, or did he not really know how handsome he was and how his masculinity made women go weak in the knees with his grin or a few words in that glorious baritone voice? Well, she granted that he didn’t look so handsome right now with his face in various shades of yellow, green, and brown as the bruising slowly faded away, and his lips and left cheek were still swollen, but gosh she still found him attractive. If she wasn’t so shy, she might have kissed those lips when he offered. Like many others she had a bit of a crush on him. But then she had wondered if he was playing with her. She guessed she would never know. Like many women, she found Adam to be intimidating and difficult to approach. He looked dangerous, and he dressed in black like an outlaw. She wasn’t as intimidated as she had been before she had been hired to care for him, but still he scared her in many ways. Joe was so much easier to approach especially compared to Adam.

Watching her, Adam saw her face move through a number of subtle changes. She was obviously thinking intently about something. He rather hoped it was him. He was determined that he would get to know her better.

“How about lunch with me before you go? I would like to try the stairs today if you don’t mind helping me?”

“Are you sure? What if you can’t get back upstairs?”

“Well, if I get down there and can’t get back up here, I can always sleep in the guest bedroom downstairs.”

Kate thought that made sense, so she helped Adam sit on the side of the bed. With her help, he had taken short walks in his room first, and the day before had walked up and down the hallway outside his room. This would be a big challenge though. Kate left to put a chair at the top of the stairs. Then she alerted Hop Sing about what they were going to do. Finally, she helped Adam put on his robe and tie the sash. With his right arm around her shoulders, they walked to the top of the stairs. Adam said he was ready to keep going so they moved down the stairs slowly. Hop Sing waited at the bottom. As Adam neared the bottom, Kate could see how pale he was and asked if he would need a chair at the last step. He said no and pointed at the blue chair. He made it there and gratefully sank into it.

“Dining table, or lunch here?”

“Here would be fine. I think I may try to make it to the table for dinner, but this is enough for now.”

Kate and Adam ate lunch together and chatted. When lunch was finished, she got him a book to read. Adam put his feet up on the coffee table and began to read. It felt good to be doing something so normal. Then he looked over at his father’s desk and groaned. Kate had brought their empty plates to the kitchen and was dismayed to hear the groan.

“What’s wrong?”

“Oh nothing too much. I just looked at the desk. One of the hands must be picking up the mail. My guess is that there are at least several days of work sitting there. Has anyone heard from my family yet?”

“No, the only thing we know is that four of the men are in custody in Flagstaff and will be returned to Carson City for trial. There’s a request for four bounties to be paid.”

“So it wasn’t my family who brought them in but somebody who did it for the bounties. I wish I knew where they were.”

“Would you like me to help you to the desk so you can go through the mail?”

“Yes, thank you, that would be very nice.”

Adam wrapped his arm around Kate’s shoulders for the walk to the desk. He liked the feeling it gave him, and he was thinking more and more that he would like to be able to do this all the time.

Chapter 5

Once Adam was seated behind the desk, Kate began helping by opening letters and parcels for him. He started stacking materials prioritizing what had to be done immediately, what could wait a few days, and what he could put off until his family returned. No one had told Adam that his family thought him dead. They had not wanted to worry him in his weakened state. Kate began to think it was time to tell him though. Although he was still physically weak, he had recovered remarkably well mentally and emotionally.

“Adam, there’s something that Sheriff Coffee and Doctor Martin didn’t tell you about your family.” At Adam’s intense look of worry, she had to quickly reassure him. “No, nothing happened to them. No, it’s just that when they left here, they thought you were dead. I’m sorry if that is rather blunt, but I didn’t want to resort to euphemisms and make it a puzzle for you. Sheriff Coffee sent a lot of telegrams out to try to locate them and let them know you are alive, but we don’t think they got any of them because we haven’t heard from them at all.”

Dropping his head into his hands, Adam found memories flooding back in. He had awakened in terrible pain a number of times. Each time there had been a voice there offering hope and help. Up until now, he had thought that somehow that voice had belonged to Hop Sing even though he had not been able to reconcile that thought with being lifted into a wagon Hop Sing was driving.

“Who saved me?”

Hop Sing had come out to see if the Kate and Adam needed anything and had heard Kate talking. Now he stood and watched Adam struggle with his memories.

“Chinese men rescue you. You save them. They save you. All is in balance. But they afraid what men say or do if find out you cared for by Chinese so they give you to Hop Sing to bring home.”

“So it was a Chinese doctor who operated on me and saved my life. Hop Sing you must tell them how grateful I am. Whatever they want, I will pay.”

“You pay in advance. All in balance.”

“Thank you.”

Unable to help herself, Kate knew she could fall in love with this man so she was even more determined to leave. As Adam continued to work, she went to the guest room she had been using and packed. She would ask a hand to hitch up the carriage and leave after dinner once Adam was back up in his bedroom. When dinnertime came, and Kate announced her plans, she could see how disappointed Adam was, but she assured him it was time. He reluctantly agreed, and thanked her profusely for all she had done after she helped him back up the stairs to his room.

“Is there anything I can say to change your mind?”

“Adam, all you need is help with the stairs, and one of the hands can do that. Just take it easy and don’t try to walk too far too soon. Don’t try to work more than a few hours each day until you feel your strength returning. You’ll be fine. Besides, I know that Hop Sing will be watching out for you and ordering you around.”

“Makes you wonder sometimes who’s the boss around here, doesn’t he?”

Laughing, Kate had bid him goodnight and goodbye. She felt a little sadness on leaving. It had felt good to be needed and appreciated by a man. She would look forward to that happening in her life some day. Once she reached her home, her parents were surprised at her melancholy and wondered what had happened. Her mother was sure that Adam had done something to cause it, but Kate assured her that Adam had been very nice to her. She told her mother she just missed being needed and kept to herself that she missed him.

As Adam lay in bed before he fell asleep that night, he was thinking of Kate. He had decided that one way or another he would be well enough to dance at least a slow dance in a few weeks so he could dance with Kate. Then he wondered again as he gazed at the moonlight streaming in the window: where was his family and why had no one heard from them. After Kate’s news, he knew why they had not contacted him. He wished there was a way for him to let them know he was home but couldn’t think of anything that wasn’t already being done.

Miles to the south, Ben and his younger sons were making camp for one last night. They had pushed hard that day knowing that on the next day, they could be on the Ponderosa. Even though it wouldn’t be the same, it was still home and they missed it. Cooking dinner in the moonlight, Hoss reminisced about the last hunting trip that he and Adam had taken. They had been out in bad weather for the first three days, and had not bagged a single animal as they were all staying put in cover because of the bad weather.

“Pa, I can tell ya now. Adam and I went to Miss Betsy’s Emporium for the rest of that trip. We had a grand time. Adam was laughing all the time with telling tall tales and singing with the gals. That buck we brought home was a lucky chance for us. He just wandered right into our path not more than five miles from the house. Adam brought him down with one shot and then laughed the whole time we was gutting him out and dressing him to bring him home.”

“Miss Betsy’s Emporium! Why I told you boys dozens of times I never ever wanted to hear you had been there.”

“Pa, that was the first time I was ever there. But Pa, them gals called Adam by his name the first time we walked through the doors. Pa, they really liked him there, and he had a grand time.”

“So he had been there before, is that what you’re telling me?”

“Pa, he’s been there a lot of times. They said the first time was when he was seventeen.”

“What?”

“Pa, I ain’t joshing ya. I just thought you could know that Adam was well liked wherever he went. He had fun too. He wasn’t always so serious as he seemed.”

“Please do not tell me that my oldest son went up the stairs with one of those saloon girls! I don’t want to know.”

“Well, Hoss, I want to know!”

“Pa, Adam did not go upstairs with one of them saloon gals.” Ben turned away to roll out his bedroll, and Hoss held up two fingers to Joe and winked. Joe started giggling and only stopped when Ben told him that his oldest son’s shenanigans were nothing to laugh at. All three fell asleep though with a lighter heart than they had before Hoss’ story.

Waking early the next morning, Ben started coffee and breakfast. He knew that would wake Hoss. The two of them would wake Joe he thought, but soon both sons were rising and helping him with breakfast. When both Ben and Hoss made comments about Joe rising early, he told them he just wanted to get home.

“Last night looking at the moon just before I fell asleep, I had this funny feeling that I needed to get home soon.”

Both Ben and Hoss stared at Joe and almost as one said the same thing. “Me too!”

Wondering what it could mean, the three of them gobbled down their breakfast and broke camp quickly. Even Hoss declined lunch later as all were anxious to get home. As they topped the last rise before riding to their home, they looked and everything appeared normal and peaceful. They could see hands working in the pastures, and smoke coming from the chimneys of both the ranch house and the bunkhouse. They rode toward home no longer worried and yet still somewhat ill at ease over their premonitions. As they rode into the yard and dismounted, a voice they had never thought to hear again sounded from the shade on the porch.

“About time you got home. I’ve been worried.”

All three men whirled around to see Adam struggling to stand and using a cane to balance when he did. Ben walked slowly to the porch with his arms out to his son. He was worried it was an apparition and would disappear.

“I’m real, Pa. A little worse for wear though.”

Reaching Adam, Ben gently wrapped his arms around his son and pulled him close. Ben couldn’t talk but the tears streaming down his face said anything that needed to be said. Adam dropped his cane and leaned on his father placing his head on his father’s shoulder like he had not done since he was about seven years old. Completely shocked, Hoss and Joe came up to each lay a hand on Adam’s back and shoulder.

“Now, I don’t want it to sound wrong older brother, but Joe and me thought you were dead and gone. What happened?”

Adam picked his head up from his father’s shoulder and put his hand there to steady himself. Ben couldn’t speak. He kept an arm around Adam and let his heart heal.

“I really can’t remember any of it except for pain, but apparently some of those Chinese workers you released came back when they saw the building on fire. I don’t know how they did it, but they got me out of there. I kept thinking Hop Sing was there but of course he wasn’t. One of them operated on me, and they gave me something for the pain. I don’t remember much until they were loading me in a wagon and Hop Sing was driving. The next thing I remember is waking up here and Paul, Hop Sing, and Kate were taking care of me.”

“Kate?”

“Katherine McHugh. Paul sent her out here to help because all of you were gone and Hop Sing needed some help. She just left yesterday after giving me a list of rules to follow.”

“Thank goodness, someone was here to care for you. Why didn’t someone let us know?”

“Pa, Roy’s been sending telegrams all over trying to intercept you but without any word didn’t really know where to look. If you don’t mind, can I sit down?”

“How about inside? We need to clean up, and you can relax until we’re ready to hear everything.”

“And you need to tell me what you’ve been up to. Roy sent word that four of the men were apprehended in Arizona.”

“Son, that was our doing. We turned them over to the marshal there. He’ll get them to Carson City and then we’ll send the reward to him.”

“Yeah, one of em is dead, four in jail, but there’s still one jasper out there on the loose.” That one of them escaped still rankled with Hoss. Somehow he knew that man would cause heartache for a lot of other families if he wasn’t stopped.

“Niles Davis?”

“Yeah, how’d ya know that?”

“Hoss, I could tell he was the smartest one, the one in charge. He was always standing in the background whenever anyone did anything. He would nod and it would happen.”

Hoss offered to help Adam then, but he said he only wanted someone on his right side as his left still hurt too much to take any kind of pressure. Ben released his hold then and moved to support Adam on his right side. Nodding in appreciation, Adam began walking to the door with his father’s assistance. He asked him to take it slowly as they took the one step down, and then they proceeded toward the front door that Hop Sing was holding open.

“By the way, son, I heard a few stories yesterday about you. Perhaps when you’re telling us everything that happened, you could explain to me what you were doing at Miss Betsy’s Emporium, when you were seventeen!”

Quickly turning his head, Adam stared at Hoss with a look of horror.

“You didn’t?”

Looking chagrined, Hoss could only nod and say one thing. “Sorry, brother, I thought you were dead, and it wouldn’t matter.”

Chapter 6

“Pa, you did say over and over again that you did not want to hear that one of your sons had been at Miss Betsy’s Emporium. Now you never did say we couldn’t go there.”

Adam was smiling and under the circumstances, Ben had to shake his head and smile back at him. This was the Adam he loved and would have missed so much. The Adam who liked to tease him and have fun was someone a person just had to like. He understood very well what Hoss had said when he had stated that Adam was liked wherever he went and that he did have fun. Somehow the pressures of running the ranch and working long hours robbed him of that sometimes. Ben was more determined than ever to find a way for his son to enjoy his life more. He thought perhaps sending him on more buying and selling trips might be a good start. He would miss him, but it would give Adam a more interesting life and relieve some of the stress he faced.

Adam watched the emotions play across his father’s face. Ever since his family had come home, and they had shared stories until everyone knew as much as there was to know, Adam had sensed an undercurrent of emotions that his father and brothers seemed unable to face. Adam suspected guilt was one factor affecting his brothers, but he was still mystified by his father’s attitude. Ben treated Adam as if he was fragile. Now Adam knew he was still recovering and needed more time to be back to normal, but the worst was well behind him. Yet his father acted as if he still needed care and nurturing. Adam found it so ironic that he was the one who nearly died and yet it was his father and brothers who needed to heal now.

The morning of the first day the family had been home together had not started well. Doctor Martin had walked into the house to see Adam but found the other three Cartwrights seated at the breakfast table.

“Oh, I’m very sorry. I had no idea all of you were home. I’m very glad to see you, and I would imagine that Adam was overjoyed.”

“Yes, he was, I think. He’s still sleeping this morning.” Ben pointed up the stairs.

“Well I was heading home from delivering a baby and thought I would stop in to see how he was doing. Kate told me he was much better. I’ll go upstairs and check on him. I know the way.”

A half hour later, an angry Doc Martin added to their guilt. “He’s exhausted. Adam is recovering from some serious injuries. He needs rest and calm. I don’t know what kind of ordeal you put him through yesterday, but there better not be a repeat performance today unless you want to risk him getting weaker and sick.”

The three men had of course offered apologies and promised not to do anything to tax Adam’s strength. Once Adam did get up and dressed, he came to the top of the stairs and asked if someone could help him down the stairs, and three men rushed to be the one to help. He had laughed and said just one would be fine. But as the day went on and all three men continued to pamper him, he started to get rather testy.

“In all the time Kate and Hop Sing were taking care of me, they never hovered like you are doing. It’s suffocating. I’ll ask for help if I need it. I’m not stupid. I know what I can and cannot do. I’ve been dealing with this for two weeks now.”

At the looks that came over all three faces at his statement, Adam was frustrated. He was tired and now he would have to help all of them heal. He needed some time to think so he slowly walked out to the porch and sat in his favorite chair out there. That’s when he came up with his plan. He knew he would need to develop it more as time went on but thought he had a good starting point. He would keep things lighthearted and sometimes funny. He needed his family to get back to acting normally. He might even try a little anger. Needling Joe would likely set him off eventually even if he was feeling guilty, but then he held that thought for it would possibly make him feel more guilty too. So instead, for the next few days, he kept it humorous and brought up fun anecdotes from their shared past to get them to tell stories, and they could share in the laughter. And so it was with Miss Betsy’s.

“Pa, Hoss told me what you said. Now, what I’ve been wondering is how did you know they rebuilt after the fire and added a second story?”

Ben’s red face only set Hoss laughing until his sides hurt, and Joe literally fell from the settee where he had been laying onto the floor because he was giggling so hard.

“I have heard plenty of stories about that place! Debauchery doesn’t begin to describe what goes on there if even a fraction of those stories are true.”

“Perhaps you could tell us the stories you’ve heard, and then Hoss and I could compare it to what we know, all in the interest of learning of course. We must challenge our minds so they don’t become stale.”

Adam’s playful baiting of his father had been so blatant his brothers couldn’t stop their merriment.

“Don’t you two have some work to do?”

Hoss and Joe had left still laughing as they exited the front door. Hoss’ laugh could be heard until the two mounted up and rode off. Ben turned to Adam with a mock fierce look.

“You think you’re quite clever, don’t you?”

Adam just raised his eyebrows as if he were completely innocent of anything his father might accuse him of doing. Ben shook his head but smiled as he got back to the mountain of paperwork on his desk. Adam offered to help and was gently rebuffed. Well, he didn’t like doing paperwork anyway so he picked up his book to do some reading. A knock at the door interrupted both of them just a short time later. Sheriff Roy Coffee was there, and from the look on his face, he didn’t have good news.

“C’mon in Roy, it’s good to see you.”

“Real good to see you home too, Ben. Your boy was missing you something fierce. Good to have you all here safe and sound. Say, where are those other boys of yours?”

“Oh out catching up on some of the work we have piled up because we were gone two weeks. You should see my desk! What brings you out here, Roy?”

“Well, I got some bad news. Cause Adam here is alive, they had to drop that murder charge. Well them four jaspers got themselves a high-priced attorney from San Francisco, and he done got the four of them out on bail. Ben, Adam, there ain’t no easy way to say this, but nobody knows where them four got to. The trial is supposed to start up again tomorrow in Carson City, and it ain’t likely any one of them is gonna be there.”

“And you think my sons are in danger now?”

“Yes, Ben, I hate to say it, but I think that’s the case.”

“Well, I wasn’t looking forward to the ride to Carson either, so this may work out well.”

“Ahh, Adam, there’s just one problem with that. You’ve been called as a witness. You have to be there tomorrow or the judge could order the law to come get you. You and your brothers have to be there when the trial starts up again tomorrow just as if you never heard what I told ya.”

“Roy, that’s ridiculous. You know there won’t be a trial! Why should my sons put themselves in jeopardy for no reason?”

“Now ya see though, there will be a trial. The judge had them in court yesterday to make their pleas and have the lawyers lay out what they was gonna do. Their lawyer said he needed an extra day to prepare as he only got to town, and the judge said all right. That’s when that lawyer of theirs said he wanted bail for them, and it was paid by that lawyer right then and there. It was after that they disappeared. So the judge says the trial has started and it’ll keep going even if the four of em don’t show. He says it’s in absentia. Clem’s been over there and he says he knew by the way that lawyer smiled that he was in on it. They wanted to know what was the evidence against ’em and then they’re gone. Adam, you know as well as I do that you and your brothers are the evidence against ’em. Without you, they’ll walk away free as birds.”

“Roy, you know that’s too much to ask. My sons will have to put their lives at risk. Why can’t they just use the statements Hoss and Joe gave the law when they first talked to them?”

“The judge won’t accept that ifn the witnesses are capable of appearing. Now we could make an argument that Adam can’t attend, but that won’t work for Hoss and Joe.”

“I’ll go. Pa, once they’re convicted and sentenced, we won’t be in danger any more. I need to do this. I think Hoss and Joe will want to do it too.”

When Hoss and Joe returned for dinner, they did agree with Adam. They wanted to end this and put it all behind them. They couldn’t do that if those four men were wanted based on the testimony of the three brothers. The most difficult issue was how to get the three of them safely to the courthouse in Carson City. Once there, the sheriff and deputies could keep them safe. It was the travel there that might be the riskiest element of what they were planning to do although the whole plan had dangers in it. Over dinner, they discussed their options with Roy who had eagerly agreed to talk over one of Hop Sing’s delicious meals.

The next morning very early, Ben and the others rode out as planned. Five of the Ponderosa hands had volunteered to help and rode to the front and back of the main group. They were observed from the moment they rode out of the yard of the Ponderosa, and the trap that had been set for them was ready to be sprung when they rode into range.

“There they are. The one in black, the big one, and the one in the green jacket are the ones we want. As soon as they get close enough that you can be sure of your shots, fire. They won’t know what hit em.”

Five men up in the rocks were situated for an ambush. They had planned all of this after their lawyer for the four who were charged informed them that if the witnesses were eliminated, there would be no evidence against them, and they would be free men. Niles Davis had hired the attorney, and now orchestrated the ambush. These were his handpicked men, and he needed them for other plans he had. Unfortunately for Niles, he wasn’t as good at orchestrating an ambush as he was at kidnapping men and forcing them to work. Terrorizing Chinese immigrants had made him and his associates overconfident in their abilities.

As soon as one of the men leading the way for Ben’s group saw a flash of sunlight on metal up above, he sounded the alert and the whole group headed for cover. Anticipating an ambush and knowing the land, they knew which spots were most likely for an ambush and had been extremely vigilant every time they passed one of those points. The men up above opened fire but were unable to hit any of the rapidly moving men. Ben and the others were in a less desirable position because they were lower than their assailants, but they had brought plenty of ammunition, water, and some food expecting such an assault, and there were nine of them to the five who had intentions of ambushing and killing them. All they had to do was wait it out and stay safe in their defensive positions until Roy and his deputies heard the shooting and moved in to apprehend the outlaws.

Up above, Niles knew it was a classic standoff but wasn’t too upset about it. He was thinking that they could easily hold this group here until nearly dark if necessary. Then they wouldn’t get to Carson City, and the trial would have to be declared a mistrial at worst and possibly their attorney could get the charges dropped if there was no evidence presented. That would be the best outcome in his mind. Then they could take care of these pesky cowboys at their leisure.

Chapter 7

In Carson City, at ten in the morning, the judge in the trial of the four men was angry. The four defendants were very late, and he suspected they would not appear. The judge declared as expected that there would be a trial in absentia because by not showing in court, the four defendants had forfeited their right to confront the witnesses against them. Their lawyer however asked for a mistrial because there were no witnesses. He claimed that without the witnesses there was no evidence against his clients.

“Mr. Robinson, how do you know there are no witnesses? They have not yet been called.”

“Your honor, I had assumed that the prosecution would be ready to proceed, and I see no witnesses here.”

“Mr. Robinson, are you familiar with our witnesses? I was not aware that you had met them. I thought all you had were their statements.”

“Well, I’m sure someone must have described them to me, Your Honor.”

“I doubt that very much, but we shall proceed with this trial. Now both of you have made your opening statements. Is the prosecution ready to proceed with its case?” Looking pointedly at the prosecution, the judge waited.

“Yes, Your Honor, we are.”

At that point, the defense attorney was the most surprised man in the courtroom. The witnesses were not here, and he had been assured by his clients that they would not arrive on this day. Now the prosecution was proceeding as if everything was as expected. It was a conundrum of major proportions. He did wonder if they were going through the motions trying to buy time, but he smiled a little to himself thinking that they could not possibly buy enough time to save their case.

“The prosecution would like to call Joseph Cartwright to the stand.”

Robinson waited for the inevitable complaint by the judge when the witness did not walk forward. Instead a man wearing a dark green chang shan and a ma gua with a black braided hat. Once he tipped his face up to be seen, it was clear that he was white and not Chinese. He removed the hat and jacket and walked to the witness stand to be sworn in.

“What is the meaning of this charade in my courtroom?”

“Your Honor, my brothers and I mean no disrespect to your courtroom, but there was an attempt to keep us from being here to testify. We were smuggled here by some of our friends in the Chinese community who want justice for their people who were held and forced to work as we were.”

“Do you have any information on who was trying to prevent you from being here today?”

“No, Your Honor, I do not. But Sheriff Coffee from Virginia City was hoping to catch them in the act and turn them over to you.”

“And I now assume the other two gentlemen similarly garbed are your brothers who will also be testifying?”

Adam and Hoss had also removed their hats and jackets by then. The jackets especially were rather warm to wear inside. The two of them were tall and the robes and jackets had been constricting, especially on Hoss. Joe nodded affirmatively and the judge inclined his head to him.

“Very well, then would the prosecution please proceed.”

The testimony took most of the morning. Mr. Robinson looked rather pale and had little to ask on cross examination. The trial had a lunch recess, and when it resumed, the judge asked if the defense had anything to present. The only testimony that the defense attorney could offer was that he was sure his clients did not know anyone was still in any of the buildings when they set the fire. Hearing nothing more from the defense attorney, the judge was about to send the case to the jury when there was a commotion and Ben and Roy pushed five men into the courtroom ahead of them.

“Now what?”

“Your Honor, I’m Sheriff Roy Coffee of Virginia City. I have here the four defendants who run out on ya, and we caught ’em ambushing a group of men from the Ponderosa Ranch.”

“Who is the fifth man?”

“Your Honor, this is Niles Davis. He’s the one we was missing. You have charges against him, but he wasn’t here for the trial.”

“Well, we can remedy that right now. Mr. Davis, do we have to have the witnesses repeat their testimony, or will you stipulate that you accept what they said? And you should remember that I am the one setting your sentence, and I do not look kindly upon men who needlessly waste my time. So do you so stipulate?”

At Davis’ nod, the judge looked to the jury. “It’s all in your hands now. How much time do you need?”

The jury members quickly consulted with each other. “None, Your Honor, we’re in agreement. We find the defendants guilty on all charges except a not guilty on the attempted murder.”

“Very well, then you have been found guilty by a jury of your peers. Your sentence is as follows: for kidnapping twenty years, for false imprisonment ten years, for extortion five years, for assault two years, robbery three years, and bail jumping two years. Now that’s forty-two years in prison total. If any of the five of you would be willing to testify as to who put you up to these things and anyone else who helped you, I will reduce that sentence to twenty years and make you eligible for parole in fifteen. That would get you out in time to enjoy a little of your life yet. You must know that forty-two years is the same as a life sentence. You will never see the outside of those prison walls again.”

The five men looked at each other and then pointed at the attorney telling the judge he was one of their advisors. Then they started naming names so fast the judge had to tell them to slow down so that his clerk could get all the names and information. Roy walked up to the Cartwright brothers, Ben, and Hop Sing and asked if they were ready to go home.

“I’d like to get out of this robe and into my regular clothing.”

The Chinese style clothing was uncomfortable to Hoss, and Adam nodded in agreement to his statement. They had given a set of their clothing to men who had ridden out with their father. It had fooled the men who sought to stop them from testifying. Now however the brothers wanted to change into the clothing they had brought with them.

Ben decided to get some rooms at the hotel so they could all have dinner and celebrate a little. Adam declined the offer to go to the saloon after dinner. He was tired and wanted to rest. Hoss also declined. After their father and Joe had left with the others to go to the saloon, Adam looked at his younger brother.

“I don’t hold it against you.”

“Hold what against me?”

“You know exactly what I mean. You wear your heart on your sleeve all the time. You’ve been pussyfooting around the issue since you got back home. I wish there had been another alternative that night. The last thing I wanted to do was stay there. But I sure couldn’t think of one then, and now when I think about it, I know that it was the best idea we had. Sometimes situations just don’t give you many viable alternatives.”

“Viable?”

“Things that will work.”

“You could have been killed.”

“I could have died if I went with you too. You had no way of knowing that they would fire those buildings. Let it go. Forgive yourself for not thinking of another way to do it.”

“Pa still blames us.”

“He wasn’t there. He doesn’t understand, but he’ll get over it.”

“Joe’s still hurting about everything too. He feels bad about leaving ya there, but he feels bad about the other stuff too.”

“What other stuff?”

“Well when we was tracking them men down, Joe kept telling me that he was gonna handle it just like you. He was gonna take ’em in to the law. Then when we caught ’em, and Pa wanted to kill ’em, Joe wanted to do that too, but he followed my lead, and we took ’em to the law. Adam, you woulda been real proud of our younger brother. But then they got out and threatened you again. I don’t think any of us could have taken it ifn you had gotten hurt again because of us. Joe was thinking he should have done what he wanted to at first and shoot them dirty dogs down so they couldn’t hurt any more people. It was our fault they got out again.”

“The only men responsible for hurting me are locked up right now or soon will be. We may have made mistakes. That’s life. That’s how we learn. But none of us did anything wrong. There’s nothing to feel bad or guilty about. Please let it go. I just want people to act normal around me. It was hard enough having Pa hovering most of the time.”

“You gonna talk to Joe too?”

“I think he needs to chew on it a bit more. I think I’ll know when he’s ready to talk.”

“How will you know?”

“Oh, he’ll yell at me for something or threaten to poke me in the face.”

“Sounds about right.”

“Now go over to the saloon and do a little celebrating. Have a drink for me if it’ll make you feel better, but I just want to go to bed.”

Hoss walked up to his older brother and grabbed him in a hug. Adam hugged back and then released Hoss who smiled and grabbed his hat. Adam locked the door when he left, and after undressing, slid into the cool comfort of the sheets. He had gotten his father to let him plan and carry out the ruse that let them testify. Hoss had just relinquished his nursemaid role. Two down and one to go was Adam’s last thought before sleep claimed him.

About a week and a half later, there was a dance scheduled in town. Joe had a gal to take to the dance as did Hoss. Adam went by himself. There was a lady who had said she would be there and would save a dance for him. He meant to claim that dance. A number of ladies intercepted Adam for the first dances of the evening. He got tired and stepped outside the door to get a break. As he stood there, he felt a hand touch him gently on the forearm.

“I did save a dance for you. I wouldn’t want you to think I don’t keep my promises.”

Offering his arm, Adam walked back inside and danced with Kate. He held her close and felt so lucky to have a slow dance with her. When they finished, she said it was time for her to go home. He offered to walk her there, but she declined. Once Kate was gone, the dance held little interest for Adam so he left to go home too.

The next morning, Joe showed up at breakfast with a shiner. Adam and Hoss stared, and he had to explain. “I danced with a few ladies when you left early and then Hoss took his gal home early too. They said you were on their dance cards. Some of the other men didn’t appreciate it, and one of them hit me.”

“You couldn’t talk your way out of it?”

“No, and for your information, most of what they said was insulting you.”

“Maybe you should remember to keep your guard up when you throw a punch.”

“Maybe I should poke you right in the eye cause this shiner really belongs to you!”

Adam started laughing then which really riled up Joe who stood up from the table looking furious. Adam laughed harder. Hoss understood what it was about, but Ben was mystified.

“What is so funny about you making your brother angry?”

Still laughing, Adam choked out an answer. “I’m just glad to have my feisty little brother back. I’ve been missing him.”

Suddenly Joe understood the laughter and played along. “And don’t call me little!” And then he started laughing too.

All of it started to make sense to Ben too at that point. He thought he could do them one better. “Hoss, Joe said you left the dance early, but I heard you arrive home after he did. If it isn’t too much to ask, would you care to explain that?”

Hoss had such a worried and forlorn look at that question, Adam and Joe started laughing so hard they had to hold their sides. Hop Sing stepped out from the kitchen. “Such foolishment!” Then he went back to work with a smile on his face too.

Thinking About Tomorrow

Chapter 1

Ruby, Nevada:

The pounding on the gallows continued. Here in the walls of the jail yard, they had a crew constructing a three person gallows for the next day. With two strangers, he would die there with no name for they wouldn’t accept the name he gave them. No one would believe who he said he was, and he had no way to prove it. All the avenues he had hoped to use had sent back the wrong answers. Without verification of his name, they wouldn’t believe the rest of his story either. Why his family would not come to his rescue he had no idea. But he had one more day to live so there was still hope although that candle in the wind was flickering and barely hanging on. His father had always said, where there’s life, there’s hope. It just didn’t seem likely that was going to work for him this time.

Stepping away from the window, he sat down on the bunk and dropped his head into his hands. As he did so, he felt a twinge from his ribs that were finally almost healed. The bruising on his face was still visible as yellow and brown coloration but those too would soon be gone. There were scabs from cuts and abrasions that were nearly healed although still quite visibly red. Then he had to sigh and wonder at his own thoughts. Neither his ribs nor his bruises and wounds would ever finish healing. He would die with a broken neck the next day, and there would be no healing after that.

That he would leave this life violently would have been an even odds gamble. He had often used his gun to resolve disputes, and had been shot, stabbed, beaten, and tortured. He had scars on every part of his body and the doctor had said he looked as much like an outlaw as he did a soldier because of them. He had never thought of it that way before, but those were two types of men who collected injuries and wounds fairly often. He and his family had done the same kinds of things defending themselves, their home, and the lives and rights of others.

Two of the men who had found him were in the cells next to him. He had been beaten and stripped of his clothing. Lying unconscious in the shale at the base of a cliff, no one would likely have found him except these outlaws who were riding to escape the law. They had been using an old mining shack near the Ponderosa as a refuge on occasion and were headed there that day. They saw him and decided to show a little humanity. The four men had packed him to the old cabin facedown on one of their horses as two men rode double on another. Once there, they had tended his wounds, covered him with a blanket, and offered him water when he awakened. That was just before the posse arrived surrounding the cabin and ordering the men to surrender. They didn’t and in the ensuing shootout, two of the outlaws were killed, and one member of the posse died of his wounds later. That led to a murder charge being added to the bank robbery charge. He had been seen as one of the gang and had trouble even talking at first to try to explain why he was there. It didn’t help that he had only part of a story to tell them and was missing some vital information. It made it seem as if he was lying. Surly and mean now that they faced the gallows, the two outlaws had refused to tell the truth and had instead said he was part of their gang. That had sealed his fate with the jury.

Gradually lifting his legs to lay back on the bunk, he wondered what his family had thought happened to him. He thought perhaps they were thinking he had left in a fit of pique and done what he had said any number of times that he might. However they would know, he hoped, that he could never leave without saying goodbye. So their lack of response to his messages for help were even more incomprehensible to him. He stared at the ceiling unwilling to sleep for even a second of the twenty-four hours he had left.

The sheriff walked in and asked what they wanted for their last dinner.

“Steaks, big juicy steaks, and wine and whisky. Send in a couple of whores to deliver it.”

Looking in to the middle cell where the dark haired man lay quietly on the bunk staring at the ceiling, the sheriff asked him what he wanted.

“I’m not very hungry, sheriff. Anything you bring will be fine.”

The sheriff had wanted to believe this man’s story. He didn’t seem to fit with the two men who had been brought in with him. However his claim to be Adam Cartwright was outlandish and when his name proved false, there was no choice except to know he was lying. But what his story really was remained a mystery. He had stuck to his original story beyond all reason. The sheriff had to wonder why. He assumed he would probably never know but wondered at times if they were going to be executing an innocent man.

Ponderosa Ranch, Nevada

Ben Cartwright sat at his desk and stared at the blue chair where his son had spent innumerable hours. He had read, offered comments, listened, and occasionally slept in that chair. Now he would never see him again. He was in the ground never to offer a word of advice, a pat on the back, or sing one of his songs. Those rare smiles that could light up a room would never be seen again. They had traveled to Placerville and identified the body. There wasn’t a lot to go on but Sport had been in the stable, the gun belt was his, as were the items of black clothing and his black hat. His wallet with papers had been what the sheriff had used to identify him and wire his family that he was held in jail. His face and body had suffered too much trauma to give them anything else to go on except the black hair, the chest hair, and the long fingers. Accused of a heinous crime, a mob had taken him from the jailhouse and beaten him so severely that he was unrecognizable before hanging him in a tree. By the time the sheriff and his deputies got free of the jail cell they had been locked in, the only thing left to do was arrange for a speedy burial. Three days later, they had exhumed the body at Ben’s insistence, and he and his surviving sons had given the final identification based on what they saw.

As Ben sat and stared, he remembered the last conversation he had with his eldest son. Joe had gone to town the night before and gotten into a poker game that ended with a brawl and several men being carted off to jail including Joe. One of the hands had brought the news, and Ben had sent Hoss to town to bail him out and pay the damages. On Hoss’ return with Joe, Ben was dismayed to learn that the men Joe had beaten in poker had made significant threats against him. So Ben had little choice except to send Adam to do the fence riding and repair in the far north high pastures that should have been Joe’s responsibility. It was his turn as Adam had angrily pointed out, and in fact, he was overdue for this task as he had avoided it the previous time by being ‘busy’ helping a neighbor. Ben couldn’t let him break the promise to the neighbor so he had sent Adam to do the work. Adam had been furious because he had made plans with friends and would have to cancel. It was grossly unfair and they all knew it, but the work had to be done. Hoss had just returned from stocking the line shacks so it would not have been fair to expect him to do it. Adam had seethed as he packed up what he needed and headed out. His father and brothers had hoped they would be able to talk it out when he got back. Only now he would never be back.

Hoss and Joe entered the house after seeing to their horses. Joe grabbed their saddlebags and walked slowly up the stairs with them. Hoss moved to stand in front of the big desk where his father sat still and silent. He was in the daze he had been in for several days. As they had ridden to Placerville, they had been expecting to extricate Adam from a mess. Delayed by storms, they had taken three days to get there. It was three days after the man identified as Adam had been killed. Now they were home. Adam had been gone for more than a week. They had gotten telegrams saying a man in Ruby was trying to impersonate him. They couldn’t imagine why someone would do that and had sent word as soon as they arrived home that Adam was dead. They had ridden out the day before to the high pasture to see if the pack animal Adam had used was there and had found it dead still packed with all the materials that should have been used for fence repair. So he had been to the upper pasture and for some reason had left. They were left with a mystery.

“Pa, maybe we ought to ride over there to Ruby to see this man claiming to be Adam.”

“Hoss, why would we do that? What could an impersonator tell us that we don’t already know?”

“I don’t know. But he had telegrams sent to Roy Coffee, Paul Martin, and to each of us. He has to know something about Adam to know those would be the telegrams to send.”

“He’s desperate. Roy said he’s facing the gallows.”

“I know and that’s why we should head right over there. We don’t have anywhere else to look, and I’d like ta know why he sent those telegrams to us.”

“I would too.” From the stairs, Joe agreed with Hoss. “It’s a puzzle and we’re missing most of the pieces. I’d like to know if this man has any of the answers.”

“Pa, ifn we leave at first light and ride hard, we can be there by late afternoon or early evening.” Hoss was anxious to do something, anything.

Wanting and needing to do something as well, Ben nodded. His two sons nodded in agreement. They would ride to Ruby to see if they could uncover a piece of the puzzle.

Chapter 2

Ruby, Nevada

“Listen, now, if you was to give me a real story to explain how you ended up with these two, I might be able to get the judge to reduce your sentence to prison time. You don’t seem the type to end up robbing banks and running from the law. You seem to be an educated man. Why don’t you tell me the real story.”

“Sheriff, do you believe in heaven?” Adam wanted to make this man understand but knew he was fighting against the odds.

“Well, yes I do, and I believe in hell too.”

“In Salem, Massachusetts, over one hundred and fifty years ago, some women were unjustly accused of witchcraft. If they admitted to being witches, they could save their earthly lives by avoiding the gallows and accepting a lesser punishment. However, that would mean eternal damnation for they would live a lie the rest of their lives. Not one of those Puritan women admitted to being a witch and many died because of it until the governor halted the whole thing.”

“Nice history lesson, but what’s it got to do with you.” The sheriff was intrigued but still heard nothing to help him understand why this man was sitting in this cell.

“I was born in New England. I value truth, honesty, and integrity above all else save love of family. I can’t lie to you to save my neck, literally, and then end up in prison until the day I go to hell. I don’t even know how I ended up with these men in that cabin. I woke up and they gave me water, and the next thing I knew there was a shootout. Then the posse came in and dragged me from the bed and took me back here.”

“How’d you get so beat up?”

“Some men took me from the Ponderosa up into the wilderness up there, took my clothes and my horse, and beat me senseless before they left.”

“Who were those men and why did they beat you?”

“I don’t have any idea.”

“You have got to know how ridiculous your story is. There’s so many holes in that story it would make a sorry sieve.” The sheriff found he did want to believe him but couldn’t.

“It is interesting how the truth can be so weird that it can sound like a lie, but a well crafted lie can sound like the truth.”

Shaking his head in frustration, the sheriff left the cell-block area to head to his desk. He would feel badly about seeing this man hang tomorrow, but the stranger was doing nothing to help himself. At least the pounding on the gallows was over. They were testing the trapdoors now and soon there would be quiet at least for a few more hours until the crowd started to gather to witness the executions. The posse member who had been killed had been well liked and the father of two. His widow would likely be front and center when the trapdoors dropped beneath these three men. Her presence in the courtroom had likely spurred the judge to schedule this hanging so quickly, but as it was inevitable, it was probably the best thing to do. There was no reason to let these men sit and wait for what they knew they faced. The sheriff believed in justice but torture was something he couldn’t abide. When he returned to his office, he found the judge and the dead man’s widow waiting for him.

“Sheriff, Mrs. McTigh would like to say something to the men in there, and I have given her permission to do so.”

“Now, judge, do you think that’s wise. Two of those men in there are just as likely to say something awful to her. Two of em ain’t got the manners of a polecat.”

“Then you shouldn’t mind what I have to say to them. And what of the third man? Are you saying he’s a decent man? He’s a murderer and a thief. He took the hard-earned money from the people here and took my two babies’ father from them. How can he not be a polecat too?”

The sheriff dropped his head. He knew she was a good woman and this had devastated her. He didn’t think she would look back on this day as one of her finer moments, but he couldn’t deny her either. He and the judge escorted her back to the cells. She stood for a moment looking at the three men one at a time.

“Sheriff, you’re right. It does smell like polecat in here. These men are worthless. They took my husband and the father of my children because of their greed and selfishness. They deserve to hang by the neck and the sooner, the better that they go to hell where they belong forever.”

“Hey, little lady, you wanna come in here and save me. You could baptize me, or I could baptize you. You’d have to take your clothes off though.” The two outlaws were getting the last laughs they would have in this lifetime. Both continued with the ribald comments and the sheriff and judge ordered them to stop.

“What you gonna do if we don’t, hang us?” And they laughed more.

In the center cell, Adam stood and approached the bars. “Ma’am, I’m sorry for your loss.”

Mrs. McTigh spit at him, turned on her heel, and walked quickly from the cells. Adam dropped his head. The sheriff looked at him and once again thought that a mistake had been made. He said the same to the judge who reminded him that twelve men on the jury disagreed with him and that was all that mattered.

On the road to Ruby, Nevada

Hoss had been doing a lot of thinking. “Pa, you don’t think Adam left on his own, do you? I mean, I know he was mad but he went all the way up to that pasture and then just left that pack animal to die? That just ain’t like Adam.”

“But he was really mad. Maybe he just got fed up with it all and decided to head out like he’s talking about some times.” Joe was angry and frustrated. Whatever Adam had done, it had hurt their father tremendously, and Joe couldn’t even imagine an excuse for that.

“Joe, now you know that Adam would have said goodbye no matter how mad he was. He woulda come back to the house and said goodbye. This don’t make no sense to me at all.”

“I just don’t know, boys. None of this makes any sense to me either. How could Adam end up in Placerville and get accused of such a terrible crime. To assault a woman and disembowel her of her baby is too awful to even think about, and yet it was done.” Ben was distraught and yet still had to try to make sense of these strange and horrible events. They had not even known that Adam wasn’t in the high pasture when they got the wire from Placerville.

“Why they would have thought Adam had anything to do with that is just crazy.” Joe might have been angry that Adam had left but no one could ever criticize his brother when he was around. That these people had accused him of an awful crime made him even angrier.

“Now we have a stranger in this direction claiming to be Adam to try to avoid the gallows. Boys, the only reason I agreed to going to Ruby is that we have nowhere else to look, but I fear this is a wild goose chase, and we’ll be just as confused as ever.”

“But we’re doing something, Pa. I gotta believe that doing something is better than nothing cause we gotta solve this mystery and clear Adam’s name.” Hoss was as loyal and loving a brother as any man could ever hope to have. He would do this or die trying.

“He’s buried at the lake now. He’ll be with us always, and we know he never did that awful thing even if we don’t know the rest of the story. Now mount up, boys. It’s almost noon and we’ve got another four or five hours of riding ahead of us.”

Chapter 3

Ruby, Nevada

“It’s noon. You boys might want to think about not drinking any more today. Most men who have too much to eat or drink soil themselves pretty thoroughly when they’re hanged. If you want to go out with any kind of dignity, you might keep that in mind.”

It took just a moment for the two outlaws to respond. “Hey, sheriff, how about another big cup of coffee? Keep it coming.”

“Yeah, they wanna kill me, they’re gonna have to take care of my filthy body when they’re done.”

The sheriff watched as the man in the center cell leaned back against the wall looking thoughtful. He knew there would be no requests for food and drink from the center cell.

Adam couldn’t think of a way that hanging had any kind of dignity to it at all, but the thought of hanging there soiled made him recoil even more. He didn’t understand it, but he felt he needed to remain as clean as he could when he died. He would walk there with as much fortitude as he possessed but knew the sweat would be running down his back. It already was, and there were three more hours to wait. His heart was beating faster, and he was finding it difficult to breathe slowly and evenly. He had to concentrate. He would not show his fear to anyone here. He had faced death before but it was in gunfights and battles where the adrenalin was flowing and there was little time to think. To know your death was coming and that there was nothing you could do about it except count off the seconds and minutes of your last hours was tortuous. It would be a strain to any man.

“You think you’re better’n us. You think you’re gonna end up any better’n us? You’re gonna be swinging in the wind just like us. Then they’ll dump your sorry ass in a grave in potter’s field and ain’t nobody even gonna know where you’re buried after the grass grows back.”

The two outlaws lacked the courage they needed and decided to spend the few hours they had left taunting their last victim. It was the only thing they had left to do. One of the two asked the sheriff for paper. He decided he said to write a last will and testament. The sheriff brought him a sheet of paper and a pencil.

“Now nobody gets to read this until I’m dead, right?”

“That’s correct. A last will and testament is read after a person is declared dead.”

“All right then. You got an envelope or something I can put this in when I’m done?”

The sheriff went to his desk and got an envelope and brought it to the cell. He shook his head at the bravado of these men. They should be begging God for forgiveness and all they did instead was taunt and revile those around them. The sheriff went back to his desk closing the door to the cell-block.

“Hey, Gil, you don’t own anything in this world. What you gonna put in a last will?”

“I’m gonna tell them that this yahoo had nothing to do with us. I’m gonna tell them he was telling the truth, and we was lying. Then when they read it, they’ll know we committed one last crime they can’t punish us for. We get the last word at least.”

At two-thirty, the sheriff re-entered the cell-block. He told the men to relieve themselves if they needed to. Adam did, but the other two just snarled and sat on their bunks. The sheriff then had the men put their hands behind their backs and then shove them through the opening in the bars where meals were delivered. He put manacles on each man. He had shackles to chain their ankles together but he would add those last. The judge walked in and asked if they had any last words.

“Your honor, if you look in that man’s last will and testament, you’ll find the truth of what happened. He said he wrote it in there to taunt you with their last crime and that was lying to get me hanged with them.” Adam didn’t expect help from the judge but he had to try.

“You have lied and lied to me and to the court. Why should I believe anything you say? A last will is a sacred thing and should not be tampered with on the word of a liar.”

“Your honor, please?”

The judge turned his back and left. The sheriff had more misgivings now than ever but there was nothing he could do. He was about to open the cells and chain their ankles together when there was a flash of lightning followed by rolling thunder. He took his keys and went out to his office to see the judge. He wasn’t concerned about the men who would hang and die anyway, but it wasn’t safe for anyone else to be out there either. The judge agreed and ordered the execution to occur as soon as the storm cleared even if they had to wait until midnight. Storms out here rarely lasted more than an hour or two at most so the sheriff knew the reprieve would be quite short. He went to the cell block to inform the doomed men that they would be waiting just a bit longer. He left the manacles on because it could be a short wait.

In just over an hour, the sheriff was back. He unlocked the cells and had the men line up outside the cell doors locking a shackle around each left ankle connecting all three men. Then he and the two deputies hired for the day walked the three men out to the gallows. At the foot of the gallows, the first man was unshackled and forced to walk up the steps to the platform. His bravado had failed him and he was shaking while the unmistakable odor of urine assaulted all their noses. Taunts from the crowd rose as the man stood with his wet pants under a noose. Then Adam was unshackled and he walked up the steps to the platform. The crowd quieted with nothing in particular to taunt him with. The third man fell to his knees and begged them not to kill him. The two deputies had to carry him up the steps. The crowd roared with laughter at his performance. Adam stood and kept his eyes on the distant range of mountains. He didn’t want to think about what was happening. The sheriff came and stood beside him and lowered the noose over his head tightening it and setting the knot at an angle well suited to snap his neck when the trapdoor opened and he fell. The deputies did the same with the other two men. Ropes were secured around their chests to hold their arms still and then around their thighs, calves, and ankles. The sheriff put his hand on Adam’s shoulder.

“Can you tell me your name now? I’d like to notify your next of kin.”

“The name my mother and father gave me at birth?” The sheriff nodded. “Adam Cartwright.”

Three riders appeared in the street down about one hundred yards from the gallows. Adam had his eyes turned to the mountains again and did not see them. They had ridden hard even through the lightning and the storm. Hoss had said he had a feeling they had to hurry. As they neared the gallows, Ben was first upset that they might never get to talk with this would be imposter, and then he gasped before yelling out. “Adam!” that the crowd heard just before the trapdoor levers were sprung at the judge’s order. There was a collective gasp from the crowd and then the only sound was the creak of new rope bearing hundreds of pounds of weight and the squeak of the hinges of three trapdoors as they swung back and forth.

Chapter 4

Virginia City, Nevada

“You got the wrong Cartwright! How could you make a mistake like that?” Jason Brent was furious.

“Well when Hoss got him out of jail, he said their pa was gonna make him make repairs to the fence line in the far north pasture. That’s what Frankie’s friends told us and we had no reason to think that wasn’t true. So we hired a few men to go up there and take care of him like you said. They took him to the middle of nowhere so he’d never be found, well at least by people. His bones probably been picked clean by the varmints up there. They took his clothes and everything else and beat him before leaving him lying there. Then they went to Placerville using his clothes to follow your orders there and eliminate that woman.”

“So Joe Cartwright is walking around perfectly healthy after what he did to my son. My son is never going to look the same again. Those missing teeth and that broken nose have ruined his looks.”

“But Mr. Brent, we don’t know it was Joe who threw him up against the bar face first. There were lots of men fighting. It coulda been any one of em.”

“My son says Joe was cheating and when he challenged him on it, Joe started a fight. Doesn’t matter who threw him against the bar. It is Joe Cartwright’s fault and he’s going to pay for it. Something still has to be done about that. He’s not going to get away with it. Losing his brother and having him blamed for that crime in Placerville isn’t enough although this mistake still did get rid of that little problem in Placerville. We won’t have to worry about her claiming my son fathered her baby. That Nick got killed just removes another loose end. I wish he hadn’t chosen such a gruesome method to eliminate that threat but as long as he’s dead, there’s no way to tie it to us. Wait, who hired the men who went with Nick?”

“Nick hired them. He said he knew some guys would do it.”

“Where are those men now?” Brent was going to start planning his next steps.

“Far as I know, they was in Placerville. They’ll likely still be there a while spending the money they made on this job.”

“Send someone there to find out if you can. Eliminate them one way or another as soon as you find them. Now where is Joe Cartwright?”

“As far as we can find out, Joe ain’t in town or on the Ponderosa. Word is that he and his pa and brother rode over to Ruby to see about some man claiming to be Adam Cartwright.”

“Are your sources reliable?”

“Paid the runner at the telegraph office to copy down anything in a message for the Cartwrights. Bought some whiskey at the Silver Dollar and got that other information from hands who work the Ponderosa.”

“All right, I want you to come up with a plan to get Joe Cartwright, and no mistakes this time. My son will want to be there for the end this time. He’s feeling better.”

“Yes sir, Mr. Brent.”

Ruby, Nevada

“Sheriff, you let that man drop or I’ll have you in my courtroom for obstructing justice. Deputies, take the sheriff away from that man and let him drop.”

“No sirree, that ain’t gonna happen or I’m gonna shoot someone.” Hoss sat on his horse with his pistol drawn. With his gun drawn as well, Joe sat next to him on Cochise. Their intent as far as the deputies were concerned was quite obvious. The deputies stayed where they were.

“Let me by. That’s my son.” Ben moved to get past the judge and climb the stairs.

But the judge intended to stop him. “You could go to prison for this. Who are you to interfere with a legal hanging?”

“My name is Ben Cartwright and that is my son. Now let me by.”

The judge stepped back in shock. If the man up there was telling the truth about his identity, then perhaps his whole story was truthful. The sheriff may have avoided a huge miscarriage of justice. “You, deputies, assist the sheriff there.”

When the sheriff had asked Adam his name and he replied, the sheriff knew then that he was telling the truth. He knew this man would never want to die with a lie on his lips. He was thinking of what he knew he ought to do when he heard the order for the levers to be pulled. Immediately he reached out to grab Adam before he could fall. He threw his arms around him in a bear hug. He had almost failed because catching a man who was starting to fall was difficult and Adam was bound and couldn’t help him. The sheriff stood trembling for a time teetering on the brink of the opening until he pulled Adam back enough that Adam could get his feet on the platform. The sheriff was able then to push him upright which was lucky because his arms were beginning to shake with the effort and his back was going to take a month to heal he thought as he stood there. They both had heard Hoss, Ben, and the judge, but they had to concentrate first on making sure Adam didn’t fall. As Ben climbed the stairs, the sheriff loosened the noose and removed it.

“Sheriff, bring that man into your office. He is still officially your prisoner. We have to discuss this.” The judge turned and moved through the nearly silent crowd that parted to let him pass.

Up on the gallows platform, Ben had reached Adam and wrapped his arms around him in relief. Adam’s hands were still secured behind him and his legs were tied together so there was little he could do. He just lowered his head to his father’s shoulder for comfort. One of the deputies pulled a small penknife from his pocket as he stepped toward Adam and sliced through the ropes around his legs and around his chest. Then the sheriff told Adam and Ben to head to his office. Ben kept an arm under Adam’s elbow helping him down the steps. Once Adam reached the bottom of the stairs, Hoss and Joe were there. There were quick hugs for Adam from both of them before all of them moved through the crowd to the sheriff’s office. The crowd that normally would have dissipated once the hanging was over stayed to find the outcome of this drama as the undertaker moved his wagon under the gallows to remove the bodies of the two outlaws swaying there.

In the sheriff’s office, Adam repeated his story but now answered questions put to him by men who believed his story. When they asked if the men who kidnapped him, robbed him, and then beat him said anything, he replied that they said it was ‘for Frankie’. “But I don’t know any Frankie. I never saw those men before.” Finally, the story made some sense especially after Joe added in some pertinent information. Joe had gone a bit pale when he heard ‘Frankie’ for he suddenly understood what had happened.

“Pa, Hoss, Adam, the man that accused me of cheating because I won at poker was Frankie. He’s the one who threw the first punch and started the brawl. I saw him in jail, and he had a mashed nose and was missing his front teeth. His father was there to bail him out almost immediately. Later as Hoss bailed me out, there were some threats yelled to me as we left town. They said they were going to make me pay. It wasn’t hard to figure out who was behind those threats. I’m so sorry, Adam. All of this happened to you because of me.”

“No, Joe, all of this happened to me because there are men who have no respect for law and life.”

The sheriff brought out Gil’s last will and testament and the judge authorized him to open it and read it. When the note revealed that the two men had lied about Adam being with them and doing it to snub their noses at the legal system one last time, it confirmed what everyone was already thinking. Adam had been caught in a set of mistaken identities and the cruelty of two sets of criminals.

The sheriff looked at the judge who nodded. The sheriff moved behind Adam and removed the manacles.

“I’m sorry this happened. I hope you can understand how this looked to us. The verdict in your trial is set aside, and the new verdict is innocent on all counts. I would offer you compensation but I’m afraid the twenty-five dollars I’m authorized to pay would be relatively meaningless to you and your family. All I can really offer is a heartfelt apology. I am sorry.” The judge walked outside to explain the situation to the crowd. The only sound they heard from the crowd was Mrs. McTigh sobbing for she had wanted another man to die for her husband’s death. In her deep sorrow, she just didn’t understand yet that nothing was going to make her feel better. The sheriff told the two deputies their last duty of the day was to get the grief stricken woman home.

Joe wanted to say something to the sheriff for arresting his brother when he was found beaten and naked laying in a bed and unable to hardly talk, but Ben reminded him that it was their telegrams stating that Adam had died in Placerville that had truly sealed his fate. Then they had to explain to Adam and the sheriff what had happened in Placerville.

“Seems to me, that those two things are related somehow. Adam gets stripped of his clothing and possessions and then someone with those items assaults and murders a pregnant woman in Placerville. Those are just too convenient to be coincidence. You find the connection between Frankie and that woman, and you’ll solve the rest of this puzzle.” The sheriff had stated what Adam was thinking, and he was highly motivated at this point to find out who had orchestrated this whole mess. Hoss saw the look on his face and put his hand on Adam’s shoulder letting him know he had an ally in this quest. Joe and Ben looked at the two brothers and nodded. The family would find the schemer.

As Adam stood though, he flinched. The sheriff’s bear hug had saved his life but aggravated the cracked ribs on his left side. He would need some time to recuperate. The four Cartwrights headed to the hotel for some rest. In the morning, they found their hotel and restaurant bills had been taken care of by the sheriff and the judge. They purchased a horse and saddle for Adam and began a slow ride home.

Chapter 5

Ponderosa Ranch, Nevada

Ben and his sons reached the Ponderosa ranch borders after two days of riding. If they pushed it, they could be in their beds that night, but one look at Adam and all of them knew they needed to camp out one more night. The whole thing had come crashing down on him this second day. He was exhausted emotionally, mentally, and physically but had pushed on this day on sheer determination.

“Well, boys, how about one more night under the stars with just the four of us? The sky is clear and the air is fresh. We still have some of that deer that Adam shot so there’s plenty for dinner.”

“Sounds good to me, Pa.” was the immediate answer from Hoss and Joe. Adam looked over at the three of them and simply nodded and said ‘Thank you’ for he had no more energy even to argue that they shouldn’t slow down because of him.

Leaning back on a large log, Hoss and Adam ate roasted venison and talked. Ben and Joe listened as they settled the horses for the night because they were all thinking about the same thing.

“So you’re saying that you think Frankie got that gal with child and wanted to get rid of her. He was planning to blame it on Joe and cause he thought Joe would never be found, there would never be any suspicion of him, Frankie that is?”

“Yeah, but somehow, they got me instead and got me blamed for the murder. That would mean they might still want to go after Joe because part of this at least was revenge. And you think there’s no possible way for us to determine who that man was in Placerville who was pretending to be me?”

“Nah, sorry, Adam, but we thought it was you. All we can say is he was about your height, about your weight, and had black hair. The rest of him was so messed up, no one would know him. They thought it was you there because of the wallet, and we saw all the rest of your stuff and the general resemblance and thought it was you.”

“Well I think he was hired to kill that woman, but I have to wonder if the diabolical method was his idea or was he ordered to do it that way. Seems like whoever orchestrated this went out of his way to avoid being detected so why would he choose something likely to draw so much attention? Doesn’t make sense unless he hired this sick bastard not knowing how he would choose to murder that poor woman and her baby.”

“Well the vigilante mob got it right this time. He got exactly what he deserved.” Joe was still upset knowing how that woman and baby had died.

“Oh no!” Ben looked pale and distressed.

“What is it, Pa?” Joe was at his side in a moment.

“We buried that ‘sick bastard’ on the Ponderosa. Well the first thing we’re going to do is dig up that body and put it in potter’s field.”

“Pa, maybe we shouldn’t do that right away.” Hoss got a scowl from his father then and had to continue. “Adam and I been talking, and we think we oughta keep it a secret that he’s alive and back home. We’ll call Roy out to the ranch to talk and let him know.”

“Why would we do that?” Ben was confused.

“Pa, those men think that their plan was at least partially successful and that there are no witnesses to their crimes and no links to them. Maybe we ought to keep them in the dark about that until we can come up with a plan.” Adam was already thinking of several scenarios they might think about using to trap the conspirators in their own machinations.

“Well, have the two of you come up with any explanation as to why they took Adam if they were after Joe?” Ben’s question left them all quietly pondering because no one had an answer yet.

Hoss set some venison in a pot by the fire to stew overnight as the men laid out their bedrolls. Hoss put his right next to Adam’s which was exactly as Ben had expected, and he smiled when he saw it. Joe was going to put his on the other side of Adam and then looked at their father and moved a yard away smiling at him. Ben nodded and laid his bedroll down next to his oldest son. He was so glad to have him back and couldn’t find enough words to tell him that. Adam rolled onto his right side to sleep and all four men relaxed for a good night’s sleep. They didn’t get it right away. About ten minutes after they were relaxing into a good sleep, Joe’s shout roused them all.

“Hoss, Hoss!” Hoss was grabbing for the rifle he had laid beside him and Adam already had a pistol in hand looking for a threat. All they saw was Joe up on his knees looking excited. “This better be good, little brother, or I’m going to have Hoss shoot you with that rifle.”

“Hoss, when you were bailing me out of jail, what’d you say to me?”

“I said Pa oughta tan your sorry hide for what ya done.”

“No, no, what did you say when I said I was too old for that?”

Frowning in concentration, Hoss suddenly smiled. “I said there was no way Pa was letting you out of riding fence line in that far north pasture.”

With a smug look, Joe looked at Adam and their father. Ben had a question. “But you said Frankie was bailed out right away by his father. How could he have known that if he was already gone?”

“Pa, all his friends were in that jail too. Any one of them could have told him later where I was supposed to be the next day. If they hadn’t yelled out those threats, you would’ve sent me up to that far north pasture.”

There was quiet as they all thought until Adam spoke. “So whoever sent them out there told them to get Cartwright in the far north pasture of the Ponderosa. They didn’t know which one they were supposed to get, but they were familiar enough with the area to know where that pasture was and who the Cartwrights are. One or more of them may even have worked for us at some time probably in a spring roundup when we hire on a few extra hands.”

The others nodded at Adam’s theory for it made a great deal of sense. Hoss had one more thing to say. “So tomorrow we can ask Roy to find out which tall, dark haired man who might hang around with Frankie Brent isn’t around any more.”

“And when Roy gets us that name, we ask who his friends are because it’s likely that they were the ones with him when they took me. The men with him didn’t look too hard even behind those masks they wore.”

Joe was curious. “Hey, Adam, why didn’t you run when those men tried to take you?”

“They set me up well. I came through that little draw that’s just before the trail that leads up the slope to the line shack, and they were on both sides of the draw with guns drawn when I rode out. I thought it was a robbery until they told me to ride with them. Then I thought it was a kidnapping. I had no reason to think they were sent there to kill me. I knew something was wrong when they told me to undress, but I was still thinking they were going to strand me with nothing until the first blow to my back. Then it was punches and kicks until I don’t remember much for a while.”

This was the most that Adam had talked about that part of his ordeal. It was sobering to realize that if a gang of outlaws had not taken pity on him, he would likely be no more than bones scattered by scavengers in the wilderness just beyond the borders of their ranch. Hoss reached over to touch Adam on the shoulder. Adam nodded, took a deep breath, and lay down to sleep.

Later Ben had to get up to take care of business and saw that Adam was sleeping on his right side with his left hand on Hoss’ shoulder. He remembered suddenly a scene from the time immediately after Inger’s death. He had walked into their camp to see Adam slumped next to Hoss who was sleeping. Adam had his hand on the toddler’s shoulder giving him comfort even as he had none. Ben had wanted to go over there and gather Adam into his arms and tell him everything would be all right. But it wouldn’t be and he didn’t. He regretted to this day that he had not given his son more comfort for his loss, but at the same time a bond had formed between Adam and Hoss that was unbreakable. So many times as youngsters they had slept just this way getting and giving comfort with that simple touch. The night before, the three sons had slept as they usually did on the trail with Hoss and Adam to each side of Joe. Ben had smiled at seeing that as well. The two older brothers had been in their role as protectors of the youngest out of habit. Ben vowed to himself that he would do everything possible to find the man responsible for almost losing those connections among his sons.

In the morning, Ben and his sons decided to wait until they got to the ranch house to shave and clean up. Adam didn’t have any clean clothes anyway as he was wearing clothing that had been in the mine shack the bank robbing gang had been using. He would have to buy new boots and get another hat. He wouldn’t wear the things the murderer who impersonated him had worn. It just wouldn’t feel right and his family agreed with him on that point. Adam especially was looking forward to a bath as he hadn’t had one in over two weeks.

Adam stood and looked out over the Ponderosa glowing in the early morning sunshine. Hoss walked up behind him.

“What ya thinking about?”

“It’s really very beautiful. When I was in that jail in what I thought was my last day on earth, I couldn’t think about tomorrow. I didn’t think I had any tomorrows left. Now I can’t help thinking about tomorrow and every day after that. It’s a great feeling.” Hoss threw his arm around Adam’s shoulders.

“Hey, older brother, have you thought about how we’re gonna get you home without anyone noticing that you’re alive?”

“Hoss, you think anyone will recognize me wearing these clothes?”

“With the way you ride, they might. When you get down and walk, the regular hands will know it’s you.” Hoss had no idea on how to sneak him in during daylight. Ben and Joe had heard their conversation and began to think.

“Hey, how about if you ride in like you’re sick. You can slouch over in the saddle. The horse and saddle are new so that won’t give it away. When you get to the house, slide down outta that saddle like you’re practically dying and Hoss can help me carry you into the house.” Joe was proud of his idea.

“I’m not letting you carry me into the house.”

“All right, all right, you can lean on both of us and walk in. Just keep your head down and that hat pulled all the way down.”

“Adam, I think your youngest brother has come up with a good plan. We can make this work. Once you’re in the house, we’ll tell the hands we found a stranger and that you’re very ill. We can call Paul to come. I’m sure he won’t mind helping. Roy can come along and that will be a good time to let him in on what’s going on.” Ben had thought along similar lines and was proud though that Joe had come up with the complete idea first.

Adam thought for a bit and nodded. Then he thanked Joe who was beaming with pride.

“Don’t let it go to your head. Just once you had a good scheme. That doesn’t equal all the other schemes you’ve had that were disasters.”

“Hey, that’s not nice.” Hoss and Ben chuckled and even Joe had to join in.

“All right, maybe one or two of my ideas have what, shall we say, unintended consequences”

“Oh yeah, like the bull fight, the flapjack contest, Sheba, …”

“Enough, enough, I yield. For now. But you gotta admit, this is a good one.”

The four were still chuckling as they mounted up to ride home. As soon as they saw some of their hands in the distance, Adam slouched down in the saddle and leaned forward. After a short time, there was a lot of discomfort from his injured ribs riding that way so the moans were almost real. At the ranch house, Adam slid down almost head first into Hoss’ grasp and Joe rushed in to help. Staggering, Adam was guided into the house by his brothers. Hop Sing met them near the door and Hoss had to slam the door quickly before Hop Sing said anything that could be overheard. Cautioning Hop Sing to be quiet, the brothers filled him in on what had happened. There could be no light or activity seen in Adam’s room so he took up residence in the guest room downstairs. It was the room the hands would expect an ill stranger to occupy. It would be a place Adam could quickly retreat to as well if someone came to the door. Hoss and Joe brought down clothing, shaving kit, and books for him. Hop Sing told him he was heating water for a bath and that he had towels ready for him.

Outside, Candy walked up to Ben to ask what had happened and Ben called over a couple of hands to tend to the horses. Ben told Candy the cover story and then asked him to ride into town to get the doctor. He asked him to tell Roy too so he could come out here and get the ‘stranger’s’ story. It all seemed a little unusual to Candy, but he couldn’t exactly figure out why. He did as he was asked, and Paul and Roy would arrive in the afternoon.

Chapter 6

Ponderosa Ranch, Nevada

Adam had a long bath which caused his brothers to grumble a bit. He always seemed to take long baths, and they usually grumbled about it, but this time Hoss was perturbed because Hop Sing was waiting to serve lunch until his older brother came to the table. Hop Sing finally came in the dining room, and Hoss expected lunch to be served but instead was asked to go assist his older brother. When Hoss got to the washroom, Adam was sitting on a stool by the table Hop Sing used to sort laundry.

“Sorry, Hoss, but it felt really good to soak. Then when I got out I tried to wrap these ribs and found I couldn’t do it.”

“Never you mind at all, older brother, just put your hands on that table and let me take care a this for you.” Hoss could see all the bruising on the left side, mostly old bruises but a few fresh ones and knew it was likely from the sheriff grabbing him in a bear hug up on the gallows and then holding all of his weight with that grasp. “You oughta let doc look at this when he’s here.” Adam shrugged and winced. “And that’s exactly why doc needs to see you.” After wrapping bandage around Adam, Hoss helped him with his shirt, and Adam was still buttoning up when they got to the table where Hop Sing was busy placing dishes of food.

“Wow, Hop Sing musta thought ya was starved in that jail cause there’s enough here for two meals.”

“Four meals if all of us had normal appetites.” Which caused Hoss to throw a biscuit at Adam. Ben snapped at them about their manners, but inwardly, he was rejoicing. Just a few days earlier, he thought he would never see this teasing and camaraderie again.

As they were finishing their lunch, Paul arrived and was shocked when Adam stepped out of the guest bedroom. Roy was standing behind Paul and had to steady him.

“Now, I ain’t a gonna say I ain’t happy ta see ya, boy, but what in tarnation is going on around here?”

Ben stepped forward. “Roy, Paul, it’s a long story. Hop Sing is about to serve dessert and coffee if you would like to join us, and we’ll tell the whole story to you.”

After Ben and Adam finished telling the story, Roy already had one possible answer for them.

“Nick Collins might be the one who got himself killed over to Placerville. I never thought about it before but he was about Adam’s height and build and he had black hair. I ain’t seen him for a while now. I been watching that Brent bunch ever since they come to town. Mostly they hang out in the saloons and run poker games, but I jist get this bad feeling about that bunch every time I see em.”

“Did you notice anyone else hanging with Collins?”

“Well there was some no account cow hands that he was drinking with a lot. Never saw those three with the Brent bunch though.”

Adam looked at Hoss and Joe. “I think we ought to head over to Placerville to see if we can locate these three.”

“But you shouldn’t be seen. If you are and they know you’re on to them, they could cut and run.” Roy hoped to watch and learn. He thought a patient approach would work best.

Hoss brought up another point. “Roy, they made threats against Joe and it was probably Joe they was after when they got Adam instead. If we just sit and wait, they might get luckier with the next plan. I think we gotta stop em before they get another try.”

“Well you and Joe could go and leave Adam here. Oh, damnation, that won’t work. Sorry, I spoke before I thought. You need him to try to identify those men.”

The final plan was the result of a lot of talking. They were bringing Candy in on the plan because as foreman he knew all the men who had worked there for the last several years. He could be invaluable. They would travel overland to Placerville. Joe, Hoss, and Candy would go to the town to see if they could recognize any men who fit the vague description they had. Then they would get those men to the outskirts of town somehow for Adam to see if he could identify whether they were the men who had attacked him. If they found the right men, they would bring a letter from Roy to the sheriff there explaining that it was Nick Collins who had committed that horrible crime and the men they had would have to testify to that. They weren’t sure yet how they would make them talk but knew they had to find a way. Mr. Brent inadvertently ended up helping them with that.

Candy was happy to help. Not only was he glad to find that Adam was alive, he was very close to figuring that out when they told him. He had reasoned out that the odd thing was that the family came home from Ruby without the sad demeanors and sorrowful expressions that he had seen before they left. Then they almost cheerfully assisted a ‘stranger’ into the house moving with an amazing amount of speed considering the man they were helping was supposed to be so sick. Asking for Roy Coffee to come out had only made Candy more suspicious. He was already wondering who the ‘stranger’ was when they called him into the house and he saw that Adam was alive.

Placerville, California

“Bill’s dead, I tell ya. Those men who was following us just up and shot him when he turned around to ask what they wanted. Then they ran. If I hadna ducked into that store, I’d be dead too.”

“Just calm down. We gotta think this through. Who would wanta kill us? Well other than that Cartwright but he’s dead and there’s no way anybody knows we done that. Nick’s dead so he didn’t tell. Who else would know.”

The two men thought and looked up at each other at almost the same moment and said “Brent” for he and his men were the only ones who knew what they had done.

“He must be tying up some loose ends in his plan, and we’re the loose ends.”

“What we gonna do?”

“We spent a lot of money with BetsyLynn. She owes us. Lets get some stuff and head over there to lay low.”

After three days, Brent’s men gave up assuming the remaining two men had hightailed it out of there. Not sure if it was safe yet, the two men stayed indoors when there was any light venturing outside even to take care of the necessities only after it was dark. It was on one of those dark nights that they saw Hoss, Joe, and Candy knocking on doors and asking after cowhands who might have worked on the Ponderosa. They knocked on BetsyLynn’s door and the two men waited out back to see if she had turned on them. Apparently she didn’t because Hoss walked away and stood talking with Candy and Joe in the street looking like they were very frustrated.

“Don’t look, but I think that the gal in that house knows where they are. She hinted that a little money could get the information. I think if we just watch this house, we’ll see them soon enough.” Hoss had picked up enough on BetsyLynn’s nervous tics to know she wasn’t telling the truth.

The three men split up to look for inconspicuous places to watch the house from different angles. It wasn’t long until they saw two men climb over the back fence and head in the direction of the stable. Hoss gave the signal to Adam to move into town by lighting a match and holding it over his head as high as he could reach. Then slowly they followed the two men realizing soon that in fact their destination was the livery stable. Candy verified that he recognized them as men who had worked on the Ponderosa in the spring roundup. The men they were pursuing pulled the stable doors open and walked inside to get their horses. As they saddled them up, Hoss, Joe, and Candy walked to the door and told the two men to come out. They immediately took cover behind a stall wall. They had their guns out ready to do battle when they heard a deep baritone voice directly behind them. Both men spun around in shock with their guns drawn. Hoss, Joe, and Candy heard Adam and headed into the stable. The two men stood between Adam’s pistol and three pistols at their backs.

“You can’t be here. You’re supposed to be dead!”

“Well, obviously you didn’t do the job your employer sent you to do. Now I’m alive so you won’t hang for killing me. But I do think we can take that statement as a confession. Put down your guns. There’s no reason for you boys to die tonight.” Adam was mostly behind a stall wall and had cover, and the two men did not.

“Oh yeah, well Brent’s men are here. They already killed Bill.”

Hoss walked up behind the two men as they lowered their weapons. “We’ll do our best to keep you alive. Now you can saddle up them horses and ride out of here with us voluntarily or we can go to the sheriff with what we know and have you in jail here. Which is it gonna be?”

The shorter of the two men scratched his head and looked at his partner. “Cletus, we should just go with em. Few years in prison is better than six feet under.” Abe agreed and within minutes they had mounted up to ride back to Virginia City. Joe had their weapons in his saddlebags so there was little to fear from the two men.

However as they rode, Adam and the others discussed how best to keep their two witnesses alive. They decided that the line shack closest to town would work better than riding into town with them and alerting Brent. That line shack was seldom used except as a refuge from bad weather so it wasn’t stocked or in as good a repair as the others, but they didn’t expect to use it for very long. Roy could come and take statements from Cletus and Abe there. The two didn’t seem very bright. Adam’s bluff stating that they wouldn’t face a murder charge worked well. Apparently the two had no idea that as accessories to Nick Collins, they could be charged with the same crimes he committed. They would find that out soon enough. First they needed them as witnesses against Brent, and then they could be extradited to Placerville to face the more serious charges there.

Ponderosa Ranch, Nevada

Tired and sore after four days of riding including some night riding, the men reached the boundaries of the Ponderosa. It was nearly dark when Adam broke off to ride to the house to get supplies and let their father know what had happened. He wanted to change back into his nondescript clothing as well. Hoss, Candy, and Joe escorted the Cletus and Abe to the line shack. When Adam and Ben rode there later, Joe’s horse wasn’t tied with the others. Adam rushed inside.

“Where’s Joe?”

Hoss answered. “Just after you peeled off, he headed to town at a gallop to tell Roy.” Almost at the moment he said it and looking at the shock on Adam’s face, Hoss realized what he had done. Ben had walked in behind Adam wondering at his sudden panic. As he heard Hoss’ words, he sighed. “My son just rode into the lion’s den!”

Chapter 7

Virginia City, Nevada

Hoss and Candy rode with Ben directly to Roy’s office and found what they had feared most. Joe had never seen Roy. The four of them spread out in town and could find no one who had seen Joe. Finally, at the livery stable they found Cochise. Levi told them that he found him wandering and had brought him in knowing he was Joe’s horse. He had not seen Joe at all though. It was too dark to look for tracks so the four were very frustrated. Roy suggested they go question the two men Adam was guarding at the line shack to see if they could get any information.

From the Silver Dollar saloon, Brent and his son Frankie had watched the search but knew they would find nothing. Joe was secured in back of a ‘crib’ that they had set up in town. The girls working there were paid as little as possible but also charged very little. It was a steady stream of cash that the Brents could use to play poker and finance a number of illegal operations.

Frankie with his charm and good looks had been the front man to deal with banks and potential investors. It wasn’t paternal concern that had Jason Brent so upset with the mauling of his son’s face, it was the difficulty it would present in carrying out their nefarious deals. Frankie was supposed to meet with two potential investors: one a wealthy widow who had practically swooned when he had first met with her, and the other was an elderly couple who had been treated grandly by Frankie who also had some of their men do some minor repairs around their place. Those two deals were in jeopardy now if Frankie showed up battered and without his front teeth. It could cost them twenty thousand dollars and Jason wanted someone to pay for that. They had Joe Cartwright now but they weren’t quite sure what they were going to do with him.

Ponderosa Ranch, Nevada

Roy asked Candy to sit in as he grilled Abe and Cletus. He didn’t want the angry Cartwrights in the room as he did his job that only made the angry Cartwrights even angrier. When he emerged after almost an hour of questioning, he had gleaned a fair amount of information from the two witnesses.

“Well, now, I got some useful information but I also got some bad news. Those two gimme at least a coupla places ta look for Joe. But they never had any contact with either of them Brents. They were told by Nick Collins that they were working for and being paid by the Brents. We only got their word that’s what Nick said, and then we’d also have ta get a jury ta believe that Nick was telling the truth. We need something to back up their story. We need some corroboration.”

“Roy, what we need is to find Joe. What places?” Ben cut right to the heart of the matter as far as the Cartwrights were concerned.

“Well, they’re saying that the Brents are running some cribs down near where the Chinese live. They got an opium operation there too. Then on D street, they got a warehouse full of stuff but never get any deliveries that these two have seen. They’ve done some labor but never when the Brents were around. They also did some cleanup and repair over to the Johnston place. Those folks got an old empty stable out behind their house. Joe could be in any one of those places or somewheres else.”

Standing and moving toward his horse, Adam looked determined. Ben and Hoss knew where he intended to go and rose to go with him. Candy and Roy had no idea why the three were leaving.

“Adam, now where are you off to? You know better than ta take the law inta your own hands.”

“Might be best if I didn’t tell you what I was going to do then. Sheriff, you have your witnesses, and the Brents have Joe. We’re going to do something to shift the odds to our side.”

“Ben, now you gotta get your boy to cool down and do this legal.”

“Roy, Adam never said we were going to do anything illegal, did he? Candy, you coming with us?”

“”I think I’m going with ya. Candy, I’m authorizing you as a deputy to hold these two men and keep em safe.”

“Sheriff, you can’t make me a deputy against my will.”

“I can if I need to enforce martial law, and that’s what I’m saying. This here situation is pure lawlessness.”

Roy untied his horse and mounted up as Hoss did a good imitation of an Adam smirk. Roy had just declared that extreme measures could be taken and justified. They would get Joe back.

Virginia City, Nevada

Adam rode directly to the Silver Dollar saloon. Hoss, Ben, and Roy walked in behind him. Adam walked up to the poker table and asked to sit in. Jason Brent had no idea who he was and said of course. The way Adam was dressed, he looked like any other cowhand with a week’s pay to lose. It had gotten very quiet in the saloon although there were many hushed whispers. No one wanted to say anything about the reincarnation of Adam Cartwright especially with his father, brother, and Sheriff Coffee standing at the bar and watching the whole thing. Frankie was playing too as were a friend of his and two cowhands. The table was heaped with coins and dollars mostly stacked in front of the two Brents. After a few hands, there was a growing stack in front of Adam. Jason had a frown and Frankie was looking angry. The next pot grew to enormous proportions because neither Adam nor the Brents would fold and raise and call and raise and call repeated until Adam had pushed all of his table stake into the pot. Jason grinned wickedly and raised. As he reached out to pull in the pot, Adam sharply said no. He reached in his vest pocket and pulled out a roll of bills and matched the raise to call. Jason had to show his hand. He had two pair. Adam laid down his full house and reached for the pot.

“Who the hell are you?”

“Well, Mr. Brent, I would have thought you would have done a little better research than that. I’m Adam Cartwright.”

Frankie responded immediately “You can’t be. He’s dead. I ordered, I, uh …”

Frankie moved to draw his weapon but heard the unmistakable sound of three pistols cocked behind him. He let his pistol drop back into his holster until Roy stepped up and relieved him of it.

“Frankie Brent, you’re under arrest for the attempted murder of Adam Cartwright. Now you come with me.”

“Sheriff, you’ll never get a conviction against my son with half a statement like that. Don’t make a fool of yourself.”

“Well, now, Mr. Brent, I got two witnesses to this attempt as well. I think I got enough to get a conviction and see this lowlife head ta prison. Now there ain’t gonna be no bail. There could be more charges if we don’t find Joe Cartwright soon.”

That last statement got a strong murmur of disapproval from the crowd. Joe was well liked, and if the Brents did anything to him, the people here were going to be itching for some justice. Roy walked out with Ben and Hoss. Adam stayed at the table staring at Jason Brent who moved to get up until he heard a pistol cocked under the table.

“Sit down. You’re going to sit right here. And if they don’t find my little brother or if they find you’ve done something to him, then I’m going to shoot you. I’ll shoot you low too so you’ll take a long time dying.”

“You can’t do that. There are all sorts of people in this saloon who just heard you say you were going to murder me.”

“I don’t know. Cosmo, did you hear anything?”

“Couldn’t hear a thing. I don’t think anybody heard anything. I was just thinking of cleaning up cause there ain’t no customers here tonight.”

With that, the men in the saloon began walking out and the saloon girls walked up the stairs to their rooms. Soon, Adam and Jason were the only ones in the saloon. Jason was sweating. Sweat ran down his forehead and into his eyes but he was too terrified to move so he didn’t wipe it away. Adam sat with that cold deadly stare he had. They could hear the clock ticking each second away. Jason was looking more and more pale it seemed as each of those seconds ticked away. After about twenty minutes of this, he broke.

“He’s in the cistern at the Johnston place.”

Adam turned to the door as Ben and Hoss entered with Roy. Jason used the opportunity to flip the table up. There was the sound of a gun shot and Adam was laid out on the floor groaning as Jason escaped out the back door with Roy in pursuit. Ben and Hoss rushed to Adam who was in obvious pain and holding his left side.

“How bad is it, son?”

Adam was having trouble talking but spit out the words in between short shallow breaths. “It hurts like hell, and it’s hard to breathe.”

Hoss tried to roll Adam onto his back to help him and Adam asked him to just help him sit up.

“You shouldn’t try to sit up until doc gets the bleeding stopped.”

“What bleeding? He pushed the damn table right into my ribs. I think they might be broken now.”

Relieved that it wasn’t a gunshot wound, Ben and Hoss realized they needed to get Adam to a doctor but also wanted to rush to the Johnston home. Cosmo and some of the men who had been in the saloon came back in and offered to get Adam to the doctor’s office. Adam wanted to go along to rescue Joe, but Ben told him he would just slow them down so he acquiesced. Within a half hour, Joe joined him at the doctor’s office anyway. Joe was beaten and bruised and looked almost blue he was so cold. By then Paul had Adam bandaged and lying in a bed. He got to work on Joe. Knowing that Joe was in a cistern, Paul had water already heating by the time Joe came in. Checking to make sure there were no open wounds, Paul had Ben and Hoss strip the filthy clothing from Joe and lift him into the tub. Then they added warm water slowly warming him up. The Brents had failed again.

Chapter 8

Virginia City, Nevada

Frankie Brent was in jail. Abe and Cletus were in jail. But Jason Brent was on the loose with had a lot of resources to use and a probable desire for revenge not just against Joe now but Adam too. Hoss and Ben took turns sitting with Adam and Joe. Although had been the more in need of attention the night before, Adam was the one the doctor was most concerned with. If those now broken ribs moved, he could be in serious or critical condition almost immediately. The doctor had placed a large thick pad over the injury and wrapped it securely but the inclination of these Cartwrights to step up to help each other no matter what had him worried. As soon as Joe was ready to get out of bed, Adam would want to do the same. Paul decided he needed to talk with Ben as soon as possible.

Inside the patient room at Paul’s, conversation was what Joe wanted too, but Hoss was asleep in the chair snoring and Adam was asleep in the next bed. Usually Adam was the first awake and then Hoss, but both of them were sleep deprived and Joe had the advantage of a long uninterrupted sleep after Paul had given him some laudanum. Adam refused it because of the side effects and had spent a restless night until he was so exhausted he fell into a deep sleep. Joe couldn’t talk so he decided to sing a little. He sang softly but soon had awakened Adam.

“You could have just stuck a finger in my eye to wake me. Would have been less painful than your singing.”

“Boy, you sure wake up crabby in the morning. Good thing you usually get up before me. I wouldn’t want to have to deal with you like this every morning.”

The conversation on top of the singing awakened Hoss too who looked grumpily at his brothers. “The two of ya could have had a little consideration. I was up half the night watching over you two yahoos.”

“Yah, you were watching real good too. Those snores were a good cover. No one would have guessed you were watching over us.” Joe laughed at his own statement and Adam chuckled until the stabbing pain in his chest told him not to. His grunt and the way he scrunched up his face had his brothers immediately concerned.

“Adam, you should be starting to feel better not worse. I’m getting the doc.”

“Hoss, don’t. I’ll be fine.”

“Yah, you’d tell me that ifn you had an arrow stuck in your back if it meant you could get outta that bed sooner. No, I’m getting the doc. Joe, you make sure he don’t get outta that bed.”

“How am I supposed to do that?”

“Sit on him if ya hafta. Just don’t sit on his chest. Hell, you ain’t got no clothes on. Just threatening to sit on him ought to do it.” Hoss chuckled to himself and left to find Paul.

Adam looked over at Joe who was grinning. “You wouldn’t dare?”

“Try me, older brother, just try me.”

“Try what?” Ben walked in to find the two brothers staring at each other, one with glee and one with a scowl.

“Adam wants to get out of bed, and I won’t let him.”

“Why shouldn’t he get out of bed?”

“Pa, he’s hurting pretty bad this morning. Hoss went to get Paul.”

Adam should have known the answer before he asked. “Shouldn’t I be the one to decide if it’s too much pain?” Joe and Ben simultaneously said ‘No’ just as Paul walked in the room and echoed it. Paul removed the bandage and the pad and probed gently as Adam lay on his back trying not to react to the painful poking.

“You can try to hide it all you want, but I know that had to hurt like the dickens. There’s inflammation and swelling. There’s some bruising lower on your chest. I’m afraid at least part of a rib is displaced. There’s a strong possibility of gangrene or other infection developing and you may be bleeding internally as well. This looks much worse than last night. How did you sleep?” Not hearing an answer was all the answer Paul needed. “There’s only one thing to do.” Adam groaned not because he was facing surgery but it probably meant ether, and also morphine or laudanum. He didn’t do well with any of those and often found them as difficult to recover from as the initial wound or injury.

Paul needed an assistant for the surgery and because it wasn’t an emergency, he asked if someone would please get Catherine McHugh to come to help. That made Adam groan again and Paul thought he was experiencing more pain, but Hoss cleared it up.

“Adam likes ole Katie, but other than a coupla dances with him on occasion, she won’t have nothing to do with him.” Hoss chuckled at his brother’s discomfort and Adam scowled at him too. Candy volunteered to go get the lady and smiled when Hoss realized then that he would have to stay with Adam after getting him in a temper. Joe had gotten dressed and Ben was taking him to breakfast. After Paul assured them that the surgery was fairly simple, Ben looked over at Hoss and told him that he and Candy would ride back to the ranch with Joe, and asked Hoss to please stay with Adam. Ben intended to return and be there by the time Adam woke up. Hoss glanced over at Adam and didn’t like the stare he was getting. He would have to make amends later with Adam.

There were no surprises in the surgery. Doctor Martin found a shard of bone that was about as wide as a knitting needle and only about two inches long but it was poking into tissue and creating the problems. As a result, the incision was relatively shallow making the surgery a short one. After the surgery, Kate sat with Adam to monitor his condition so Hoss could go get some sleep in another room.

Before Hoss left, Roy had stopped in to let them know there was no sign of Jason Brent. Roy had hired a few men as deputies to watch the jail while he and Clem spent more time walking through the city monitoring activity. There was nothing suspicious at any of the businesses they had identified as his. They had missed a couple of places though. One was a gambling parlor in an old house along D street. There were no games going on there at the moment as Jason and his remaining men plotted their next move.

“First, I want you men to move some of these women to our operations in Carson City. No one wants to go near them now that the nosy sheriff and deputy are around so much. Then, when you’re there, hire a couple of fast guns. We’re going to need some help here to get Frankie out of jail and eliminate any witnesses or obstacles.”

“Mr. Brent, how are we going to do all of that? There’s a lot of firepower over in that jail right now.”

“Well, first we hit the target on the Ponderosa. Once that happens, there’s gonna be a lot of people leaving here. I would guess the sheriff would go out there. They’re not gonna expect us to hit that other Cartwright at the doc’s office, so that will draw more. I’m guessing at least one or two deputies will have to go look that over. Then we hit the jail.”

“Then where do we go? You and Frankie can’t go to Carson City. It’s too close and you’ll be arrested.”

Jason whirled on the man and almost hit him until he realized the man was just trying to determine what they were going to do. He wasn’t questioning orders. In his unit in the War, Jason had dealt very harshly with anyone who questioned his orders. His men had seldom questioned anything. Once the War was over, he had not let his men surrender. He would not quit. Eventually their raids drew the attention of the federal army, and they had to leave. Nevada had seemed lawless enough so he took the wealth he had accumulated on those raids and moved to establish his lucrative businesses there but this complication with Joe Cartwright had certainly messed things up. Previous obstacles had been removed much more easily and ruthlessly warning off potential threats. Those threats had been from others operating outside the law and little had been done to determine how they had died. The law was much interested in knowing why a criminal was dead. How this had gone so wrong, Jason couldn’t yet determine except he knew the Cartwrights who had made this mess for him had to be removed along with anyone who helped them.

“In answer to your question, Frankie and I will go to that little ranch we got north of here. From there, we can handle any issues that arise in either city but we’ll be far enough away so that there won’t be any problems. Frankie won’t want to be seen anyway now that his face is so messed up. I’m thinking about where we can move our operations to as well. Wyoming or Montana may be better suited to our needs. First though we need to make sure that those charges against my son are dropped so we need to get rid of all the witnesses.”

“Mr. Brent, how we gonna do that if we break him out of jail?”

“We’re not breaking him out of jail much as I would like to and wanted to do at first. We’re gonna take care of those two lily-livered bastards who would send him to prison if not the gallows. We’ll leave Frankie there to be legally released once those charges get dropped.”

The men all nodded. Each of them were impressed with how well Jason could plan. Their confidence in him had been shaken by the events of the last weeks but now he seemed to be in charge again. Working for him had lots of benefits: women when they wanted them, whiskey when they wanted that, good money, and plenty of opportunity to take out their anger. They listened carefully as Jason Brent assigned them their duties.

Ben Cartwright had some military experience too and was determined to keep his sons safe. He had left Candy to help Hoss even though it had appeared that Candy had left with them. Candy had circled back and was already entering Doc Martin’s office from the back. Paul was happy to see him and offered to share lunch with him. Ben planned to make sure Joe was safe by calling in hands and setting up a defensive perimeter. Then he would head back to town with a few other men to see how Adam was doing and have others there to protect him. He expected Jason Brent to move against his sons. He knew he would do whatever it took to protect his sons so he expected Jason, a father too, to do no less.

Chapter 9

Carson City, Nevada

“Yes, there’re two more of them.” Sitting in the sheriff’s office in Carson City, Clem pointed out members of Brent’s gang. There was trouble here too and with the information Clem had brought, the sheriff was well on his way to cracking down on the illegal businesses Brent had set up in his town. There was also some suspicion now that the Brent gang may have been responsible for the death of several prominent criminals in that city and the disappearance of others. Jason Brent had lived in Carson City for quite some time before moving to Virginia City. The governor’s office was alerted to the possibility of Brent trying to establish a criminal empire in Nevada and they were beginning to help with the investigation. Property records were being scrutinized in both cities trying to determine everything he owned or had an interest in.

As the investigation proceeded, there was surveillance of men associated with Brent. Interesting things were witnessed giving the watchers at least a partial idea of what Brent had in mind. Telegrams started to flow quickly between Carson City and Virginia City with men waiting at each office to gather them so that no third parties could find out the contents. Once Clem had a good idea of what the Brent gang was doing, he headed back to Virginia City.

Virginia City, Nevada

“What do you mean you can’t find out what the sheriff is up to. He’s been going to that telegraph office a lot. What’s in those telegrams?” Brent was getting very frustrated.

“Mr. Brent, we don’t know. We ain’t got anybody who can read that code, and the sheriff or a deputy takes the telegram as soon as the operator writes it down. Our guy ain’t been near one of em.”

“Well, they’re up to something. I think we gotta move fast to make sure our plan works. The men get back from Carson yet?”

“Yeah, there were able to hire some men there. Pretty much no account drifters. Just the kind of men we like to do the dirty work. They were drooling when they saw some of the women. Obviously won’t take much to satisfy them. One of them is pretty smooth though and seems smart. He might be of real use to us along the way. Might be a good replacement for Nick. Looks like he can kill someone without a backwards look.”

“Good, I want him with me when we go to the doctor’s office. I want to shoot that damn Cartwright ‘down low’ just like he said he was going to do to me. I’ll let him die slow, but there’s bound to be those other Cartwrights after me then so I’ll need a good backup.”

“What about that big Cartwright that’s staying there with him?”

“If he doesn’t leave when he hears there’s trouble out on the Ponderosa, we’ll just have to shoot him first.”

“You have your orders. Now get those men organized and on your way. I expect that you’ll have no trouble blasting into that house with the eight men you have. They have a lot of men working for them but in this weather, they’ll all be out on the range. That leaves just Joe Cartwright, that cook, and maybe Joe’s daddy. Nobody is to be left alive there. No witnesses, is that clear?”

“Yessir, Mr. Brent. We’ll take care of it for ya.”

Ponderosa Ranch, Nevada

Ben lay back on his bed and closed his eyes. Sleep was going to be as difficult as it had been the night before. They expected an attack to come under cover of darkness and made most of their preparations with that in mind. There were two men sleeping in the hayloft. Four were in the bunkhouse. There were two in the downstairs guest bedroom, and one in each of the guest bedrooms upstairs and in Hoss’ room and Adam’s. Joe and Ben were in their bedrooms. Everyone had a rifle, pistol, and extra ammo. Hop Sing had a shotgun in his room off the kitchen but was only expected to use it to defend himself if necessary.

At least two men were scheduled to be on watch at any one time, but most found it difficult to sleep. They didn’t know how many men Brent was sending. If the men were seen leaving Virginia City, there were men assigned to follow them but there was no way of knowing if they would detect the gang leaving. There was a lantern burning on the porch, one by the corral, and one near the stable but no lanterns and lamps were lighted inside any of the buildings. The windows downstairs in the house were shuttered and the doors were barred. They were as ready as they could be but the tension was palpable.

About nine, there was movement in the shadows and the man on watch in the house alerted everyone there. Everyone started looking for more movement and eventually could see the shadowy forms of men getting closer. One was clearly visible as he grabbed the lantern at the corral and turned it down until it was dark and then did the same with the one by the stable. By then Ben and the others had a good count of the men attacking. They had them outnumbered and were in a better position. They waited until Ben yelled out for the men in the yard to throw down their weapons. They didn’t and within seconds a fusillade of bullets flew. The men in the yard were dimly illuminated by the remaining lantern and had no cover. They could only fire at the muzzle flashes all around them. Several were down quickly and the rest began to break for cover. Several more never reached it and then men came from the house, the bunkhouse, and the stable to pursue them.

Within a minute, it was over. So often people talked of gun battles and made it seem as if they went on and on. Telling what happened often took much longer than what had happened. It was so in this case. Three men were dead, two were wounded, and three gave up. One of the men was assigned to ride to town to let them know that a battle had happened, but to the public, the attack by the Brent gang would be reported as far more successful than it had been. Roy would leave town, and they expected that would set the rest of Brent’s plan into motion. After tying up the survivors after seeing to their wounds as best they could, Ben left them in the hands of his men and rode to town with Joe. They would intercept Roy who waited for them just outside the town.

Virginia City, Nevada

The only activity at the jail was a deputy pushing two drunks ahead of him into the jail. Then a rider came in and rushed into the jail. He came out soon and he and Roy rode out of town. Then several of Brent’s men took up positions around the jail. They saw one deputy leave to do rounds. They were about to go to the jail when they saw the second deputy leave by the backdoor and head into the outhouse there. They moved quickly and rolled a barrel in front of the outhouse door and then moved into the jail through the back door the deputy had left unlocked. There was a lantern burning near the cells and one of the men hoisted it up so they could see who was in each cell. The first one held a big man who was snoring. In the second bunk was a much smaller man also snoring. The next cell was Frankie’s, and he pointed to the cell next to him.

“That’s where the canaries are that were singing about me. You gonna get me outta here?”

“Nah, Mr. Brent said to get rid of the witnesses and the charges’ll be dropped, and they’ll hafta let you go. Now what about those two in the first cell?”

“Just a coupla drunks they brought in here earlier.”

Abe and Cletus were cowering in the back of their cell with nowhere to go. Both expected to die until there were voices directly behind the men threatening them.

“Now, boys ya wanna put down them guns. I don’t wanna kill ya.”

Looking over his shoulder, the leader of this group saw the big ‘drunk’ holding a rifle and the shorter ‘drunk’ had a shotgun. Behind them, the deputy came in and then Clem came in behind him.

The leader dropped his weapon and soon the others did too.

“Who the hell are you?” Frankie was very upset. The men who had been sent there to eliminate the witnesses were mostly curious.

“I’m Hoss Cartwright. It’s my brothers you been threatening. This here’s Shorty. He ain’t so good with guns, but ain’t nobody can miss at this range with a shotgun. You already know the deputies I think.”

Clem took over then directing the men into the empty cell. This time it was actually locked. So far the plan was working. The last part was the trickiest but they had a couple of their best men working that angle. Hoss picked up one of the pistols from the floor and stepped to the back door and fired four shots. That got the deputy making rounds running their way and sent Jason Brent to carry out what he thought was the third and final part of the plot not knowing the other two parts had failed already.

Once Jason Brent and his hired gun reached the doctor’s office, they cautiously tried the front door and found it unlocked. Jason smiled. He was going to enjoy this. It had been years since he had actually killed someone, and he found he had missed how you felt before you took a life. He liked the feeling very much. He walked softly and quietly through the front office and opened a door that led to a hallway. There was light coming from one room. He signaled to his man to ease the door closed and the two of them moved silently down the hallway until bursting into the room. Candy looked startled and started to rise from the chair where he had been seated and talking with Adam. They had been eating pie that Doc Martin’s wife had brought to them earlier.

“Don’t move. You, you’re going to die just the way you threatened me. I’m going to shoot you right in your privates and you’re going to die real slow wishing it would come faster.” Brent wanted his victim to suffer a bit first.

“I don’t think so. I think you ought to drop your gun right now. You’re outnumbered.” Adam seemed amazingly calm and it infuriated Brent.

“You seem to have a problem with numbers, you fool.”

“No, you have a problem.”

Brent heard the gunman behind him cock his pistol. When he glanced back to look, he was shocked as it was pointing at him. He turned back only to realize that Candy had a gun in his hand that he had been hiding under the napkin on his lap.

“Hello, cousin.”

“Hello, Will. Thanks for helping out.”

“Glad to be of service.”

“How’s Laura and the family?”

With a roar, Jason Brent swung his pistol toward Adam who flung himself off the bed onto the floor. They had miscalculated one thing. Jason Brent lost his mind when he was this furious. They didn’t know that about him. Candy and Will made sure no one would ever have to worry about him again though. He was dead before he hit the floor. Adam was laying on the floor groaning again and thinking that this was getting entirely too commonplace. Then Doc Martin and Kate rushed in. Paul went to see Jason Brent but found he was no longer in need of medical services. Ben, Hoss, Joe, and Roy rushed in having heard the gunfire from down the street. They stood quietly taking in the scene.

Ben told Hoss to help Adam back up into bed. Hoss took one look at Adam with his head cradled on Kate’s lap with her ample bosom pressing against the side of his face and decided that Adam would probably not appreciate his help at that time. Ben looked over when Hoss pointed and smiled. There was nothing like being injured or wounded to get a lady’s attention. Candy and Will decided getting the body out of there would help keep them from busting out laughing, and Joe and Hoss thought it prudent to help them for the same reason. Paul said he needed to get some things from his wife to clean up the blood on the floor. Standing there and not knowing what to do, Ben said he would go help Paul.

Epilogue

Virginia City, Nevada

“Adam, you’re bleeding.” Kate had been holding his head and caressing his face while looking at his bare lower legs and feet. She thought they looked very nice. Then she blushed a little remembering what had happened after surgery. Doctor Martin had said they would take his pants as well as his boots and hide them so he wouldn’t try to get out of bed and leave. His boots were already off and they unbuttoned his pants, and with Doc on one side and Kate on the other, they began pulling them down when they suddenly realized he wasn’t wearing any drawers. Doc had quickly pulled a sheet over Adam but not before Kate saw him. She had seen babies when she cared for her people’s children, but she had never seen a grown man. There apparently was quite a difference. Doctor Martin had pulled out a nightshirt for Adam to wear, but as he lay here in her lap, she knew he probably didn’t have anything on under that nightshirt.

Adam was enjoying her ministrations and wondered why she blushed when she said he was bleeding. She had assisted in his surgery so blood could not be a problem. The more he thought about it, the more he realized it probably had something to do with his missing pants. He smiled at Kate.

“I think I may have pulled out one or two of those stitches. Paul is not going to be happy with me.”

“Oh, he can’t blame you. You had to do what you could so you wouldn’t get shot. Here, maybe I should help you up into the bed.”

Adam slipped his arm around Kate and let her help him stand and then lay on the bed. He could have easily done it himself, but it was a much more pleasurable experience having Kate that close. She unbuttoned his nightshirt then and saw that he had been correct. She got cloths and soapy water to wash the blood from the area of the incision. Then she used some carbolic acid to clean the area. Finally she pressed a pad of bandages across the incision and waited for the doctor to return to repair the damage.

“I hope that didn’t hurt too much. I suppose the doctor will want you to stay an extra day now.”

“I can’t go anywhere until he gives me my pants again.” Adam was rewarded with another blush that confirmed to him his earlier theory. In fact, now that he wouldn’t have a guardian, it might be nice to spend a day or two with Kate attending him. He smiled at her.

“Do you like to play chess?”

“I don’t know how.”

“Tomorrow, I could teach you or we could play checkers.”

“I’d like that. You can teach me how to play chess, tomorrow.”

No More

Chapter 1

Joe Cartwright walked into a saloon in Yarborough. The young man tipped back one whisky quickly and then the second whisky more slowly and felt each burn down his throat. He had traveled hundreds of miles and hadn’t seen a soul for a week. Now he was in a saloon in a town he had never heard of drinking whisky and still the memories burned more than the whisky. He had a third. His stomach was rebelling so he thought he better get some food in there before he had any more to drink. He asked the bartender where could get some food and was told the only place was right there. He ordered up a steak and threw his green jacket over a chair and sat at a table to wait. He hated waiting. It only gave him time to think, and lately he didn’t like thinking. All of his thoughts made him hate himself. He had hurt those he loved most and thought that by being gone he could hurt them no more. He remembered that night in town all too well. It was the night he got his brother killed. It had been nearly dark and they were just hours from home but they had decided to splurge on dinner and drinks in town.

“Joe, we gotta get going. Adam’s already down by the livery getting our horses. We dropped the draft off at the lawyer’s house and he’ll get it to the bank tomorrow.”

“Just another hand, Hoss. I’m riding a winning streak here.”

“Dammit, Joe, Adam told ya not to get inta this game. Don’t ya ever listen to good advice when ya get it?”

Only it hadn’t been a winning streak. It had been a set-up. Adam had correctly sized up the players. They had let him win so that he would bet everything he had when he thought he had a great hand. Normally it would have been a great hand. Who wouldn’t bet it all with a straight flush. But a royal flush took every cent he had and an IOU he should never have signed. He didn’t have the money. The card shark demanded payment, and all he could do was go with Hoss and admit his losses to Adam hoping he would bail him out. Adam had been furious, but he had walked with Joe and Hoss back to the saloon.

“That’s all we have. You set him up, and you know it. Take this and just be glad we’re not going to be making an issue out of it. You know we know you were cheating, but maybe it will be a lesson learned for my little brother here.”

Adam had tried to be reasonable and forceful at the same time. It had seemed to work. The cardshark took the money he offered and stayed seated. Hoss pushed Joe out the door and soon after Adam followed them. What they didn’t know nor suspect was that as soon as they walked out of that place, the cardshark unobtrusively signaled his men to follow the brothers. They knew their orders were to ‘make them pay’ and Adam had paid the most. Shots had rung out as they crossed the street toward the livery stable and their horses. Adam had fallen face first in the dirt and hadn’t moved as Hoss and Joe had run for cover. Looking back, they had seen no movement. Sheriff Coffee had arrived a few moments later. All three had rushed to Adam’s side.

There had been blood, a lot of blood. Adam had been shot three times. Even in the darkness, the lights from the buildings had cast enough light for them to see the wet sheen on his back, leg, and side. Carefully, Hoss and Joe had started to lift him and suddenly had found more men there to help them. They had carried him face down to the doctor’s office and placed him on the table there. As they walked, Hoss had had tears on his face. He hadn’t been able to tell if his older brother was breathing or not.

Doctor Paul Martin had Joe and Hoss help him remove Adam’s clothing that revealed the extent of the damage. There was a nasty wound over his left shoulder blade that looked like the bullet had impacted with bone. There was another high on his right hip that looked the same. Both of those wounds had been ragged and bleeding profusely. But it was the wound to his right side oozing dark blood that had the doctor’s attention immediately. A new doctor in town had been summoned to help as were two ladies who often assisted in surgeries and patient care. Hoss and Joe had sat in the outer office and waited. Roy had sent a deputy to the Ponderosa to let Ben know what had happened.

Then Roy had gone over at the saloon to interview people there. There had been no witnesses to the shooting. They knew who had been responsible for it but there was no evidence. Roy had told them that much when he had arrived.

Ben had arrived soon after that, and Joe had cringed from the look he had received when Ben heard the whole story from Hoss. Hoss had looked at him a few times, but each time that Joe had noticed, Hoss had looked away. Joe had known then how they felt about what he had done. It only got worse when Paul walked out to talk to them hours later. Those words were seared in his mind and he would never forget them.

“He’s lost too much blood. We’ve stopped the bleeding from his shoulder and his hip wounds, but we can’t do anything about the wounds in his side. He’s losing blood from his liver that was hit. All we can do with that one is wait. If those holes in his side were the only wounds he had and if we could tell if it was minor damage instead of major, I would say we could wait it out and give him a fighting chance. I’m sorry, Ben, but I can’t see this turning out well.”

“Paul, there has to be something you can do.”

“Doctor Major and I agree that any surgery at this point would kill him outright. We can’t do any more. He’s young, strong, and healthy but there’s only so much damage a body can take. You can sit with him. We’ll be changing the dressing on his side frequently. We haven’t closed the wounds that are actually rather small. The bullet went through. We’ll let the blood drain out to stop any additional problems in his abdomen.”

Ben had stood with Hoss’ help and gone to see his son. Joe had gotten as far as the doorway to see his father nearly collapse at the pale form of Adam lying on the table dying for there was no other conclusion to draw from the doctor’s comments. Adam lay where they had done the surgery for they had not wanted to move him for fear of doing any additional damage. The sheet under him had been stained with his blood. Hoss had kept his arm around his father until Paul had brought a stool for him to use. Joe had whirled and left. He had met Roy as he was leaving and told him the diagnosis only to see that same look on his face. Joe had killed his brother as surely as if he had shot him himself.

Within minutes, Joe had been back in the saloon. He had called out the cardshark, and the man had to meet him in the street or leave town. The cardshark had two associates and had thought to win the gun battle for that reason. But Joe had anticipated that after what had happened to Adam and had thrown himself to the ground when drawing, first shooting the cardshark and then the two in the alley who had planned to gun him down like they had his brother. As expected Roy had been there quickly. Witnesses had corroborated Joe’s version of events. As Joe had mounted up to ride away, Roy had grabbed his arm but Joe had shaken him off and ridden out of town at a gallop. He had justice for Adam by punishing the shooters and the man who had sent them, but who would punish him? Joe couldn’t stay here and cause his family any more pain. He left so his actions wouldn’t do any more damage. He would be gone and never return. At least that was his plan as he acted in a manner that was as impulsive and emotional as he had ever been.

Chapter 2

Anticipating getting a job as a wrangler or horse breaker, Joe had been surprised that the only work available in the little town of Yarborough was freight hauling with oxen. He guessed he could do that for a time until he had enough money to move on or a horse job became available. The other teamsters were big men. They looked at Joe and those looks openly questioned his suitability for the job.

“Hey, pretty boy, your pappy know you done took on a man’s job?” One of the teamsters decided to press the issue more. Joe ignored him as he continued to load his wagon. The man walked all around the wagon staring at Joe.

“Do you know the first thing about loading a wagon? Did you put the heavy stuff on the bottom? You know we don’t go by size but by weight.”

Joe had to answer. “It’s all taken care of. Now if you don’t mind, I need to finish loading and get the canvas tied down over these goods.”

“Oh, and ain’t the pretty boy all polite like a girl. Tonight maybe you wouldn’t mind wearing a dress and cooking for us? Then maybe we could have some real fun.”

“Look, I need this job. I can’t fight you and keep it.”

“You couldn’t fight me, boy. Even with that little pea shooter on your hip, I’m ten times the man you’ll ever be. Say what you doing here anyway with your fine clothes and that fancy saddle? You make your pappy mad?”

“I killed someone and had to leave. That’s all you need to know.”

The discussion was halted suddenly by the owner of the freight line. He knew he had hard men working for him but they were supposed to be working. “You men, I don’t pay you to stand around jawing. Get your wagons ready and pull out in half an hour.”

They were hauling heavy equipment, supplies, and food to a remote mining operation. The trail was through some rugged country and horses couldn’t handle the footing and mules found the weight too much to pull up some of the steep grades. The oxen were slow but wouldn’t tire as easily and could handle the trails they needed to use. As ordered, the wagons pulled out in about a half hour. Joe had no experience driving with a team of oxen but found it similar to horses or mules just at a slower pace. The animals themselves were rather docile.

The first night in camp was tense for Joe. The other teamsters still had no respect for him. He wasn’t used to this kind of treatment and realized that he had been sheltered on the Ponderosa where no man could challenge him and keep his job. Thinking of home got him despondent again. He had begun to wonder if he had added to the sorrow in his family by leaving. They were undoubtedly suffering through the death of Adam. Then he remembered the looks he had gotten from Hoss and from his father as well as Paul Martin and Sheriff Coffee. Those looks had been damning looks. Looks that said he should have known better, he should have listened, and he shouldn’t have written that IOU.

Smells of dinner cooking wafted through the camp. One of the men, Big John, had his wife, Melanie, with him. Whether the marriage was official or casual, no one really knew or cared. That happened a lot out in the west where such formal rituals often were not convenient or seen as necessary. She was the official cook and her husband received a small stipend in his pay for her. Joe was going to skip eating until she walked over and handed him a plate of stew. She had done the same for all of the other teamsters. As they ate, a more convivial atmosphere was present unlike the morning. Joe had done his job for the day and answered the initial questions the men had about his competence. There wasn’t much in the way of conversation other than to talk about the weather. Up here, storms could make travel difficult if not impossible and the threat of rain had all of them edgy about the weather.

Awakened by the oxen bellowing and thunder rolling, Joe wrapped himself in his slicker and jammed his hat on his head before rolling out from under the wagon where he had slept. All of the other men were doing the same. Jasper who had challenged Joe the most the previous morning was issuing orders for everyone to get up and going. There was a stream they had to cross and the bridge was minimal at best. He wanted to get them there before the stream was flooded with run-off. They packed up, hitched up their teams, and headed out without breakfast. When they reached the stream, the bridge was torn from its mooring on one side and tilting sideways. It was unusable. The men climbed down from their wagons and stood in a group staring at the bridge.

The question that one asked as all thought it was whether they should turn back. Waiting for the floodwaters to recede and then trying to right the bridge was the other alternative. As Joe looked at the streambed, he remembered how Adam had once rigged a temporary bridge over a rain swollen creek. He suggested to the men that they could build such a temporary bridge if they just had a couple of logs to use as a base. One of the men brought a large crosscut saw from his wagon and Joe pointed out two trees they could use. Once the trees were cut and trimmed, they used the oxen to drag them to the stream.

Then using parts cannibalized from the broken bridge, they built a deck over the two logs using timbers from the bridge to brace it. The hard part came next. They need to get that section into the stream and anchor it against some boulders that showed well above the flood waters. One of the men rigged a block and tackle and after a few throws, the men had the rope around the largest of the boulders. They used the oxen to pull on the rope sliding their floating bridge into place. It worked and the men cheered. Then they used more planking and timbers and built a platform to reach from the shore to the floating section. Once that was secured, they built another similar piece and placed it on the other side connecting to the bank there. The bridge was rough but serviceable.

Jasper volunteered to take his team and wagon across first. The men watched holding their breath as the team plodded across the structure. It held. Then each man ran for his wagon and they lined up to cross. It had taken most of the day, but they were now on the other side of the worst obstacle they would have to face. Jasper walked over to Joe.

“You’re a scrawny runt for a teamster. But ya done your job and then some yesterday and today. My name’s Jasper.” He stuck out his hand and Joe shook it. It felt good too to be accepted and treated with respect by men who had no knowledge of who he was.

“My name’s Joe.”

“Hey, how’d you learn to build a bridge like that? I ain’t never even heard of such a thing?”

Joe was suddenly back in town reliving the night his brother died. “My older brother was real good at stuff like that. He learned engineering and architecture in college.”

“Well where is he now?”

“He’s dead. He got shot in the back because I was stupid.”

No one said much at that. There were a few who said they were sorry to hear that, and then they all got back to work. Many of the men had sad stories to tell of how they ended up working in Yarborough. They understood how a man might want to lose himself to get away from bad memories. He was one of them now.

That night after they ate, Joe rolled out his bedroll under the wagon as they usually did. He didn’t get much sleep though. Visions of the night his brother died and the blood kept intruding whenever he closed his eyes. He saw too the faces of his father and Hoss condemning him for what he had done. And now that his temper had cooled and he had a chance to think about his actions, he felt even more guilt. He should have stayed and done everything he could to help his family. Instead even though he told himself he was leaving to spare his family any more harm, he knew that what he had really done was run away like a child caught out in bad behavior. He had not faced the consequences. Now he had even more reason to believe his family would not welcome him back. When the first light of dawn began to show the outlines of the camp, he had slept only a short time. He got up and helped Melanie prepare breakfast.

Chapter 3

Riding back to the Ponderosa from town, Hoss was lost in thought. Adam was still unconscious after four days. Only Doctor Martin said it wasn’t really being unconscious because he would swallow spoonfuls of water and broth that Kate patiently gave him nearly every hour of the day. The bleeding from his side had stopped. Paul said it was a great sign but still they waited to see if Adam would live. Paul said that each day he was still with them was a stronger indication that he might survive. He had told them that he had not thought Adam would live through that first night.

Ben had barely left that room except to take care of necessities. He sat at Adam’s side or slept in the rocking chair that was in the room. Each time Hoss entered that room, Ben looked at him with hope that he had found some sign of where Joe had gone. Each time Hoss had to shake his head no.

Hoss was running the Ponderosa was well as he could being there part-time. Candy had taken on a lot of the responsibilities. When he wasn’t with his father and Adam, Hoss was sending messages to towns in every direction for some sign of his little brother. How Hoss wished he had talked to Joe that night when Adam was shot. Each time Hoss had looked at Joe and seen how forlorn he was and then thought of how Adam might be dying in the other room and how Joe would be destroyed by that, he couldn’t talk. His throat would feel like a large stone was stuck in it and the tears would start flowing. Each time he had looked away so that his little brother wouldn’t be shaken more seeing how scared Hoss was. But he knew now that he should have found a way to say something. He wondered if he ever would be able to talk with his little brother again. The thought of being the last of the brothers on the Ponderosa was terrifying and he didn’t like to think about it.

In town, Ben continued to sit at his son’s side. Despite every effort of Doctor Martin to move him, he would not leave until there was a sign that Adam was recovering or the end came. He would never leave his son alone, but he couldn’t help thinking of his other son out there. Not knowing where Joe had gone and what he was doing was almost as terrible a strain as this sitting and waiting. He wished he had been strong enough that first night to give comfort to his youngest son but his heart had been pounding so hard in his chest, he had been afraid he might collapse. It took all the effort he had just to get to the room where Adam lay after Paul delivered his diagnosis, and when he did, he almost fainted. Without Hoss and Paul, he would have ended up on the floor. He told himself when Adam was well again, he and Hoss would search for Joe and bring him home. Then he dropped his head and prayed that would be so.

Kate walked in the room and saw Ben with his head bent and his lips moving in a nearly silent prayer. He did that a lot. She had gotten to know Adam and his family when she had helped Adam recover from a relatively minor injury. Her heart broke to see Ben suffer so, and when Hoss walked in with eyes glistening with tears, she had a difficult time not breaking into tears herself. She had found Adam intimidating when she first met him. He was so dark and brooding and at the same time smarter than anyone she had ever met. She had danced with him at the monthly dances on occasion and being that near him was nearly overwhelming to her. He had a presence that dominated just by him being there. So she had avoided him. Then when she came to work for Doctor Martin and had helped to care for Adam, she found that hard exterior hid a sensitive, kind, gentle man. He had taught her to play chess in just a morning by patient instruction. She could picture him now as a teacher and as a father and husband which before had seemed incongruous with her perception of the man. He was far more complex than she could have imagined, and she had hoped to peel away some of those layers and get to know him better. She worked each day now to see if she could make that come true.

“Excuse me, Mr. Cartwright, I need to spoon more broth.”

Ben moved away from Adam’s side allowing Kate to have the stool. He moved to the head of the bed and slid his arm under his son’s right shoulder and gently lifted him enough so that Kate could spoon the fluid in. Usually Adam’s mouth dropped open when he did that, but this time it didn’t. So Kate softly pinched Adam’s nose to get him to open his mouth as one would do with an infant reluctant to eat. Adam squeezed his eyes and groaned instead. Kate set the cup down.

“Mr. Cartwright, get Doctor Martin. He may be waking up.” Ben lowered Adam to the bed and left to find Paul.

Then Kate touched Adam’s cheek. “Open your eyes now, Adam. I know you can hear me. You’ve fought so hard, but there’s one more battle to fight. You need to wake up. Your father is here. He wants to see you very badly. Open your eyes now. I know you can.”

Paul and Ben rushed into the room. Paul started checking vital signs as Kate continued to talk to him. Then she motioned to Ben to do the same. He moved next to Adam.

“Son, please open your eyes. I know how tired you must be, but I have to see your eyes. I have to know you’ll wake up and be all right. Please, son, open your eyes.”

“Keep talking, both of you. His heart rate is up and so is his breathing rate. Keep talking until he lapses or wakes up.”

It took nearly five minutes and both Kate and Ben thought they had failed when Adam opened one eye a little and then the other. He barely had them open. He tried to say something but all that it sounded like was another groan. Kate grabbed his right hand and squeezed it.

“If you can feel that, squeeze back.” He did although it was little more that a tightening of his fingers. “Good, now one squeeze is yes, and two is no. All right?” He squeezed once. “Do you want the broth I have here?” Two squeezes. “Do you want some water?” One squeeze. Then he squeezed several times. “Cold water?” Adam closed his eyes and a small smile brightened their day.

“Now open your eyes again. It’s too easy to fall asleep if your eyes are already closed. Just keep them open.” Adam responded to Kate’s instructions and opened his eyes again.

When Kate went to get the water, Ben took his son’s hand, and got a long soft squeeze in response that caused him to smile for the first time in days. Paul asked Adam if he could see them clearly and Ben got two squeezes. Paul told him that was temporary and that the longer he was awake, the better he would probably see. With Ben’s help, Paul got another pillow behind Adam propping him up and making it a bit easier for him to look at them. Kate brought a cup of ice water and handed it to Ben who began spooning it into Adam. They heard a noise in the outer office and Kate went to see whom it was. It was a patient who needed a few stitches, but as she cleaned up the man’s wound, Hoss walked in the door. Kate jumped up and gave him a hug.

“Does that mean what I think it means?”

“Yes, Hoss, he’s awake. Your Pa and Doctor Paul are with him now.”

Hoss ran through the door and down the hall sliding to a stop inside the room. He saw his older brother squinting at him and then smiling a little smile. Hoss had to grin. He walked to his brother’s side and put a hand on his right shoulder.

“Ya sure had me scared there, older brother. Don’t you ever do that to me again. I don’t reckon I ever wanna be the oldest one. There’s a darn big heap of work to do when you ain’t there.”

Waiting for a response and not getting one, Hoss looked to his father and Paul for an answer.

“He’s too weak yet. You can see he’s still a bit yellow. That’s jaundice. As his liver heals and begins to function more fully, that will fade. For now, he has a lot of healing to do. He will get stronger but this may be a very long recuperation.” Adam heard that last part of what Paul said and bunched up his eyebrows in a frown that started Ben and Hoss laughing. Kate came in to get the doctor and wondered why they were laughing.

“You mighta thought this was the hard part, but wait until you have my brother as a patient when he wants to be up and around and you won’t let him. He can be the most ornery, cantankerous, grouchiest patient you have ever seen.”

That comment from Hoss got another frown and another round of laughter. Ben sobered a bit when Adam looked around trying to see if anyone else was there. Hoss noticed too.

“Ifn you’re looking for Joe, he’s actually out there working. Pa wanted to stay with ya so we had other things we had ta take care of.”

Adam closed his eyes accepting that for now. All of them knew it would be difficult to explain that Joe had taken off and they had no idea where he was. For now, they wanted Adam to get stronger so they let that explanation wait. Hoss and Ben knew how angry he would be to find out they had not told him the truth, but right now they weren’t sure he could handle the truth so they played it safe. They let him fall back asleep.

Chapter 4

Lying in bed for hours that night and no longer so sleepy, Adam had time to think. He remembered the horrible pain of that night when he was shot, and he remembered falling to the dirt street. Then he remembered very little until he heard voices. He had identified his father’s voice, Hoss’, Paul’s, Roy’s, and a woman he now knew was Kate. He could not remember hearing Joe’s voice at all. He could remember some things that people had said. He had been unable to respond but often heard them talking. There were snippets of conversation he could remember and most of it was about him. Sometimes Paul talked about Ben resting, and Ben and Hoss talked about the ranch too. He tried to remember more but still could not remember anyone ever saying anything about Joe. He began to worry that Joe was dead and they were afraid to tell him.

There wasn’t much Adam could do about his theory. He could hardly move. He didn’t have much pain as long as he didn’t try to move which wasn’t much of a problem. His right hip was very heavily bandaged and his right leg was splinted so he could not move it. His left arm was bent at the elbow and strapped across his abdomen. There was a large bandage on his back and thick ones on his right side. He didn’t know the details of the shooting yet but hoped to be strong enough to be able to ask questions the next day. He could hear Hoss snoring in the next room. He would have liked to call to him but didn’t have the strength. He supposed he could groan and get attention, but his brother needed the sleep too.

Instead of doing anything to attract attention, Adam closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep, but an hour later, he was still awake when Kate came in to check on him. By then he had to go and was able to whisper enough for her to understand and to get someone to help him. She woke Hoss and then left the room. Hoss pulled up a large porcelain urinal and bed pan that the doctor had taken out of the cabinet for them to use when needed. Hoss looked at the splinted leg and bandaged hip and tried to figure out how he could place the large bed pan so that Adam could use it. He gave up and called out to Kate to ask her what to do. When she saw what Hoss was holding, she was surprised.

“That’s not what we have been using. The doctor may have guessed that Adam would have more need than a urinal would provide.” Kate went to the cabinet and took out a brass urinal which she handed to Hoss, and then she left the room again. Hoss turned to Adam only to see his eyes closed.

“Now I thought you had to go real bad. Instead you just went back to sleep.”

Adam opened his eyes then and sighed. Hoss realized he was embarrassed but had no idea why. He thought about it for a while and then realized the import of what Kate had said. She must have been positioning the urinal while Adam was unconscious. The doctor had moved it once Adam had regained consciousness, and Adam had assumed that the doctor had been the one to place it there. Now he knew differently and it was embarrassing. Hoss placed the urinal after putting a towel down first as Kate had instructed in case there was any ‘accident’. Then he removed it and emptied it into the chamber pot before rinsing it as instructed.

Hoss was now awake and available so Adam asked the question he had been burning to ask. It took some time for him to get all of the words out, but the look on Hoss’ face scared him. He feared he had been correct. Instead Hoss shook his head and sat on the stool next to Adam’s bed.

“Joe was real upset that he caused you to get shot.” Adam frowned. He hadn’t heard the story yet about how he got shot. “We couldn’t prove it but we know it was that dadblamed cardshark’s two friends who shot ya down. Joe was so upset that he called the man out. Well he come out but he had his two friends in the alley. They was gonna shoot Joe like they shot you.” Adam frowned and started to breathe rapidly. “Now you just settle down. Joe shot all three of them. He dropped and shot and got em all. It was three on one, but he done it.”

Adam frowned. If Joe wasn’t hurt or dead, why hadn’t he been there, and why hadn’t anyone been talking about him. “Where?” Hoss had to tell him they didn’t know because Joe had left town that night, and they had no idea where he had gone.

Adam looked at Hoss and said “North, south.”

“Now how would you know that?”

“Horses.” Hoss sat back and thought about it. Arizona with its ranches or Wyoming and Montana would be likely destinations for a man who loved horses like Joe. East didn’t work at all and he would know how quickly they might find him if he went west. Hoss looked at Adam and grinned. “Sick as you are, you think things through a lot better’n the rest of us. Course you didn’t sit here day after day wondering if your brother was gonna make it.” Adam raised his hand from the bed and Hoss grasped it in his hands. The two sat that way for a time until Adam’s eyelids began to droop and then closed. He had finally been able to fall asleep again. Hoss pulled the blanket up to cover Adam and then returned to his bed.

The next morning when Ben came to the office after spending a night at the hotel, he was dismayed to learn that Hoss had told Adam so much.

“Pa, he asked. He would have been more upset ifn I didn’t tell him. He told me Joe went north or south.” Then Hoss explained why that made sense. Ben looked at him and sighed deeply. There was simply too much territory to cover with no leads as to where his youngest had gone. With no resolution to the question of what they should do next, they went in to see Adam who was still sleeping. Quietly, Hoss recounted the tale of the urinal. Ben could see how that would embarrass Adam, but it was an amusing story too. The two men started to chuckle, but then heard a groan from the bed.

“What’s wrong, Adam? Are you hurting?” Ben had rushed to Adam’s side.

“Not funny!”

Ben had to smile. How just like Adam who was facing months of recuperation from life threatening injuries to worry about who placed the urinal when he was unconscious and near death. “Son, we’ll be sure to help you with that from now on.” The only response was a harrumph. Ben then discussed what he and Hoss had been talking about. Adam said just one word. “Pinkertons.” It would take time but that agency would likely find him. Ben smiled at Hoss who nodded. The three of them made a good team. Ben looked down at his oldest son.

“We’ll find him!” Hoss nodded at his father. As Adam recuperated, his father hired the Pinkerton Agency to start looking for Joe. They sent them all the information they had that they thought might help. Then they waited.

In Yarborough, Joe continued to work for the freight line and found he liked the work of a teamster. There was enough responsibility and decision making to make him feel like he was standing on his own. There was also a lot of time outdoors and hard work. But in the evenings, there was the companionship of a group of men who accepted him. He had more trouble when he was all alone and not busy. Then he would think of the family he had abandoned. He didn’t think as much any more of Adam’s death for he knew he couldn’t change that. He grieved, but his thoughts returned again and again to Hoss and his Pa especially. He knew he had hurt them and thought often about how he could right that wrong. After a month on the job, he was sent out on a few solo trips, and after another month, the owner, Matthew Price, started asking him if he had any ideas for improvement.

“Joe, I’ve watched you. You’re not some ordinary cowhand who’s running away from a sad story. You have intelligence, wit, daring, and more animal smarts than anyone I’ve ever met. What I want to know is after these months you’ve spent here, do you have any ideas on how to improve this business?”

Joe felt pride in those words. He was a man here. No one called him ‘little’, well at least not any more. He thought about what the boss had said. “Mr. Price, I think if you bought some draft horses, you could start hauling freight between Nevada and Arizona. The stage line through here is unreliable and doesn’t carry much.”

“Why buy horses? Why can’t the oxen do the job?”

“They could, but they’re slow. You’d get more for the money using horses on the road. The oxen are great on those trails, but horses would be a better bet.” Joe winced a little at the use of the word ‘bet’ and his employer noticed but said nothing.

“I’ve been thinking the same things. I wanted to see what you thought without letting on. Now I have a proposition for you. I want you to go out and get me some teams of horses. Then when you’re back here with those, you can start setting up some hauling contracts between Nevada and Arizona. I want you to manage that part of the business and I’ll pay you double what you’re earning now. If we start turning a big profit, I could give you a share.”

“You’d trust me to go out and buy the horses?”

“The way you work with animals, and with that wonderful horse you ride, yes, I trust you to do just that.”

Smiling, Joe stuck out his hand and his boss shook it. They had a deal. For the next five weeks, Joe traveled to Arizona in search of big horses. He managed to get two good teams for freight hauling. Mr. Price wondered why he didn’t venture north into Nevada, but began to think that was the place he had left originally. Price Freight Company set reasonable rates for hauling and soon the ranches and storeowners up and down the road from Yarborough were clamoring for their services. It was relatively easy for Joe to get contracts. The hardest part was fitting them all in the schedule with the two teams they had. Mr. Price suggested he go buy another team, and Joe took one more trip to Arizona.

Chapter 5

“If that man wants to complain, let him complain to the walls. I’m tired of his surly remarks when all I’m trying to do is help him.” Kate was getting very frustrated working with Adam and had come stomping down the stairs to the great room where Ben and Hoss were discussing ranch business. It had been nearly a month before they had been able to move Adam home. Kate had been hired to help with his care for he had been unable to do much of anything for himself confined to his bed.

“Now, Kate, we’ve talked about this before. Adam is used to being active. Being forced to remain in his bed has strained what little patience he has with being hurt. Now that he feels better, he wants to get out of bed but Doc Martin won’t let him. He’s afraid that hip is not adequately healed yet.” Ben had played peacemaker with Kate and Adam several times.

“Oh, I know that, but when I try to help him, nothing is right. There’s something wrong with everything I do for him. He has gotten just so grouchy lately.”

“Well that’s not acceptable. I’ll go up and talk with him. We still need you here and Adam is going to have to behave himself.” Ben headed up the stairs. Hoss decided to follow along because he liked Kate a lot and knew she liked Adam. He didn’t want his brother to ruin this before it had a chance to develop. When Ben and Hoss got to Adam’s room, they heard him groaning softly and found him grimacing in pain. When he saw them, he tried to hide it but they had seen enough.

“Adam, what hurts so much?” Ben moved to his son’s side.

“My back and my legs. They just ache and now I’m getting muscle spasms in my back.”

Hoss moved to Adam and carefully rolled him up on his left side. He began to massage the muscles in his back and found several spots that made Adam groan. “Brother, you shoulda told somebody about this.”

“I need to get out of this bed. Lying here day after day with no movement is just too much.”

Kate had heard them talking and had come upstairs to see what the problem was. She heard Adam’s statement, and Hoss showed her the tender spots on Adam’s back.

“We need to get you doing some exercises. Hoss and I can do some massages too. Hot packs will help too. There’s no reason for you to suffer like this. You should have told me.”

Ben and Hoss knew and Kate was finding out that Adam had a difficult time admitting he had a problem and an even more difficult time asking for help.

“I’m sorry, Kate. I should have told you.” Kate smiled at his apology. She knew already how difficult that was for him. When she smiled, Adam grinned at her. She couldn’t stay angry with him when he smiled at her like that. Over the next several weeks, Adam was much more comfortable and began to be more like the man the others knew. His progress in his recuperation was better than expected.

In Flagstaff, progress was occurring too in the search for the missing brother. “That’s him. That has to be him. Everything fits. You send a telegram to the home office, and we’ll follow him. This time we need to find out where he goes.” The Pinkerton agents split up for the time being. The first horse-buying trip had gotten their attention as they had almost no leads in investigating where Joe Cartwright had gone. When they found the young man who bought the eight horses fit the description they had, the home office had dispatched three agents to Arizona to follow up the lead. They had hit pay-dirt.

The telegram sat in Virginia City for almost two days. There was a lot of work on the Ponderosa that had to be done. Ben had taken a more active role, but they were still short handed compared to their usual operations. Adam was finally out of bed but unable to do any work. He couldn’t ride yet and walked with a cane. He got tired easily. Ben had him doing the ledgers but that was about all he could manage. By the end of the third month, Paul said the hip fracture was healed enough for him to try standing, but by then, his muscles were so weak he needed help to move around. The first time he wanted to venture downstairs, he had made it as far as the top of the stairs.

“I can’t do it. I think if I try, I’m going to tumble down these stairs.”

Kate had anticipated that problem and had a chair waiting. She had helped him sit and then pulled another chair from Hoss’ room and sat beside him. Once he felt rested enough, she helped him down the stairs. He had one arm around her shoulders and used the other on the railing. Again once he made it down the stairs, all he could do was to sit in a chair. Nevertheless, he had a big grin. He had finally escaped the prison that his room had become. It had always seemed to be a sanctuary until he couldn’t leave it. At that point, Kate wasn’t needed as much and moved back to town to work for Doctor Martin. However she did visit the Ponderosa frequently and everyone knew it. So when the telegraph operator saw her in a riding skirt, he asked if she would deliver the telegram to the Cartwrights and she agreed of course.

In Yarborough, the Price Freight Company was growing almost daily it seemed. They needed to set up some satellite offices if they wanted to continue to build. Mr. Price asked Joe for ideas and he suggested Carson City and Flagstaff. Matt Price liked the idea of Carson City. Now that he had a growing profitable business, moving to a larger community with more to offer was attractive. His wife was all in favor of the idea. Joe started to get nervous though. He didn’t want to work out of Carson, at least not yet. As they planned and organized, he suggested Jasper for the Flagstaff office and Big John to handle the oxen hauling to the remote mines and farms near Yarborough.

“Where will you go, Joe?”

The idea struck like lightning, and Joe knew what he had to say. “Home. I’m going home.” The idea had been building for weeks if not months. Joe had to make amends with his father and brother.

“When will you leave?” Matt had been expecting this at some point so he wasn’t very surprised. Joe’s next statement did surprise him.

“I’ll help you set up the expansion. Once that’s done, I’m heading home.”

“You’re sure you want to take the time to help me do that? There won’t be that much in the way of benefit for you if you leave right after.”

“Yes, my Pa always said the reward in a job was the feeling you got when it was finished and done well. I’ll finish this job and that will be my reward.”

“Joe, I can’t thank you enough for what you’ve done. You pushed me out of my complacency and so many people have benefited from that. Thank you. You or your family ever need help, you can call on me.”

The two men shook hands and got to work. Jasper and Big John were thrilled to find they were being promoted and given more pay. They would need to hire a few more teamsters and Matt had them get busy with that. Joe packed up to head to Carson City where he would scout out an office and a house for the Price family. Then he planned to ride to the Ponderosa.

On the Ponderosa, Kate arrived with the telegram. She handed it to Adam who saw that it was addressed to ‘Ben or Hoss Cartwright’ which surprised him. He had Kate place the telegram on the desk, and then she sat in a chair at the table by the stairs where the chessboard was set up. She and Adam had been playing regularly and had not finished their last match. It had been the first time that Kate had been able to prolong a game for two hours. She knew that she would lose this one because she had lost too many pieces already, but she wasn’t beat yet. Adam was impressed with how quickly she had learned to play the game that well. When Ben and Hoss returned for lunch, Adam told them there was a telegram for them. Ben opened the telegram and then dropped into the desk chair. Hoss and Adam were concerned until he looked up with a huge smile.

“He’s in Yarborough. Joe’s in Yarborough!”

Hoss had to ask where that was and how they knew where he was. There wasn’t much in the telegram to explain how they knew. Ben and Hoss started making plans to go see Joe and bring him home. Kate saw the sad look on Adam’s face at being left out.

“You know you can’t go. We’ll get things ready here for his return.” Adam responded to that by grasping Kate’s proffered hand. Ben and Hoss realized at that point how hard it would be for Adam to wait at home.

“Son, why don’t you start planning the homecoming party? The Fourth of July is coming up. We could have a big party here that day and celebrate Joe coming home.” No one even wanted to voice the thought that Joe might not want to come home. Hoss was thinking to himself that one way or another Joe was coming home.

Chapter 6

After Ben and Hoss left for Yarborough, Adam threw himself into planning the party. He had to get others to run all the errands but Hop Sing and Kate apparently loved the idea too so were very happy to help. Hop Sing got some cousins together to organize a fireworks show. Kate worked with Hop Sing on the menu for the evening. Because Ben would not be there to make punch, Kate volunteered to do that. Candy thought the party was a great idea and went to town with the list of supplies Adam had created. Candy was also instructed to let Roy and Paul know that Joe might be coming home. Other invitations to the party only mentioned the Fourth of July celebration.

Two days after Ben and Hoss had left, another telegram arrived. Adam tore it open and was dismayed but also happy with the content. Joe had left Yarborough and was headed north presumably to Carson City. Adam asked Candy if he could get Roy to telegraph sheriffs in towns along the road to Yarborough to intercept his father and brother and send them to Carson City instead.

“I wonder if he was coming home.” Kate was musing aloud as she worked with Adam on the party plans.

“I’ve been wondering the same thing. Yarborough is a long, hard ride away. Carson City is a day trip. He may have been working his way back.” Adam turned and Kate was looking at him and their faces were very close. He wanted to reach out to hug and kiss her, but didn’t want to take advantage of her being there to help him for the last three months. Quickly, he looked back at the lists they had been creating. He hadn’t seen any signs from her that she was interested in being more than a friend to him. And after his three months of exile, he wondered if he wasn’t just feeling lonely and projecting that feeling into love for Kate.

Disappointed, Kate turned back to the lists too. She had been hoping that Adam would show some romantic interest in her. She had grown to love him over the past three months but had seen no sign from him that he felt at all the same way. For a moment there, she thought perhaps he might even kiss her, but the moment passed and nothing happened. She sighed and got back to work.

Each day Adam worked on the party and then on the ledgers as Candy brought him bills of sale, bills, and other information. He was overdoing it. On the day before the party, Kate arrived in the early afternoon to help with the last preparations for the party: decorating. She knocked and entered the house seeing Adam finishing his lunch. He was still thin from his ordeal, but his appetite had returned, and he had better color now as well. As he stepped away from the table to greet her though, he stumbled and Kate rushed to help him so he wouldn’t fall. She had her arms around him quickly steadying him and then looked up to see his face inches from hers. Impulsively, she placed a quick kiss on his lips and then began to move away but Adam’s arms tightened around her and he leaned down to brush his lips across hers. She moved into his embrace and he kissed her. He leaned back then and looked at her trying to read her and found he had trouble with that as she hid her feelings as well as he did.

“You can do that again, if you like.” Adam grinned and kissed her again, and she responded with enthusiasm.

“Much work to do, no time foolishment.” Hop Sing had put coffee and dessert on a tray when he had heard Kate arrive. He set it on the table now and returned to the kitchen with a small grin. He had been waiting for the two of them to show each other how they felt. He didn’t know what had made it happen, but whatever it was, it made him happy for the number one son.

Still in Adam’s embrace, Kate took time to evaluate him. “You’re too tired. Your eyes are drooping, and that stumble was an indication that you need rest. I think that I’ll decorate and you go take a nap.”

Adam had been using the downstairs guest room for naps during his recuperation. It was so much easier than tackling those stairs with his sore hip. He nodded at Kate and agreed to a nap. He had gotten used to taking her orders on his health for he found it didn’t do him much good to argue with her on that. He kissed her softly before releasing her and moving into the bedroom. He and Kate talked after his nap and agreed to take things slowly as both of them returned to their normal lives. At the same time, both admitted caring very much for the other although the ‘love’ word was never used. Both wanted to be sure before making that commitment.

In Carson City, Joe was sure that he had made the right decision. The closer he had gotten to home, the better he had felt. He expected he would hear some things about his leaving and felt he deserved that. He would take it like a man and tell them he would not do anything like that again. Meanwhile, after getting a room, he made a tour of various offices that were for rent, and looked for a stable to use as well. Both of those were found quickly and he bargained a decent rate for rent for both including an option to buy. Then he set out with the list he got from Mrs. Price on what she was looking for in a house. Of all the houses for sale in Carson City, there wasn’t one that had what she wanted with the price limit that Matt had given Joe. He created a list of houses that had the most of the things she wanted and noted the price for each. The Prices were going to have to determine which house they wanted. Then he went to the hotel and made reservations for the Price family for the day they planned to arrive and for a few days after that.

Spending the whole day on the tasks he had agreed to do for Matt, Joe was hungry. He had wanted to get everything done in a day if he could so he could ride home the next day. It was late and he was hungry for a steak. Unknown to him, Joe had been followed for the entire day. The Pinkerton Agency prided itself on its successes. This man was going to be kept under surveillance until his family arrived however long that took. It didn’t take long. The man from the Sacramento office recognized Ben Cartwright as he saw him ride into town. Soon, Ben and Hoss were striding so fast they were almost running to the hotel where Joe had been enjoying dinner. As Joe exited the dining room, his family entered the hotel lobby. All three men froze in place like children playing the game of statues. Joe moved first as his father and Hoss stood almost not believing their eyes. Joe moved toward them and then Ben opened his arms hardly believing that he finally was seeing his youngest.

“Oh, Pa, I’m so sorry for what I did. I hope you can forgive me someday, but I just had to come home.” Ben wrapped his arms around Joe as Joe buried his head in his father’s broad chest.

“Home?” Ben was confused.

“Yes, Pa, I was coming home. I just had some business to take care of here, and I was gonna ride home. It’s still my home, isn’t it?” Joe was scared yet of how his father would react.

“Of course, it’s your home. Adam’s there waiting for you.”

“Oh, Pa.” Tears started to flow and Joe couldn’t stop. The grieving he had done had done little to assuage his feelings of guilt and loss. Hoss put his arm around his little brother and that only made Joe cry more. Ben and Hoss were teary eyed but couldn’t understand how distraught Joe was. Finally Joe was able to choke out a few words.

“Is Adam out by the lake, by my mother?”

“Why would he be out by the lake?” Hoss was as confused as Ben and they asked the question almost in tandem. Then suddenly both understood.

“Adam’s didn’t die, son. He had a hard time of it, but he’s still with us.”

“What? But the doctor said?”

“Joe, the doc was wrong. And if you think our older brother got cranky when he was in bed a week or two, you ain’t seen nothing of how cantankerous he can get. He was in bed for almost three months because of that hip that was broken. It was like having a dadblamed bear in the house. Boy howdy, you are lucky you missed that part. He’s getting better n better now though.”

Joe looked from one to the other. He had trouble believing what they said, but every look of theirs supported what they said. They could never look that relaxed talking about Adam unless he really was alive.

“He’s alive, he’s really alive?”

Ben relinquished his hold on his youngest so that Hoss could grab him in a hug. Then Hoss suggested they could go to the saloon and have a drink.

“Pa, I haven’t had a drink in six months. I haven’t played poker either. I decided that for gambling it had to be no more. No more taking chances like that.”

“Aw, Joe, it wasn’t the poker that was the problem. It was trying to win big that got ya in trouble so much. Adam and I play poker on occasion. But we keep it a friendly game with bet limits and no IOUs or nothing like that. I almost never win, but I don’t lose much either. Adam wins quite often but it’s the same pretty much cause he don’t ever win much money. It’s the game and the friends that matter not the money. Heck we got better ways to make a bunch of money.” Hoss wasn’t prone to big speeches but felt he had to make a point here.

Joe nodded in agreement. He was beginning to understand. The three moved to a saloon after Ben and Hoss got rooms for the night. Joe told them all about his business dealings and how he had used Adam’s idea to get himself accepted that first week with the teamsters. Hoss reached over to squeeze his arm to see if he really did get more muscle as he claimed and found it was true. Then Hoss and Ben told story after story about Adam’s recuperation including the story about the urinal. That story soon had Joe giggling like he had always done and Ben and Hoss were soon laughing uproariously as well.

The next morning, Ben and his two youngest sons were up early. All three wanted to see Adam as soon as possible. With the holiday, they couldn’t send a telegram so all they could do was start riding home as early as they could. Joe couldn’t wait to see the brother he had thought was dead, and Ben and Hoss wanted to see the reunion. Hoss told Joe about the party and all that Adam had started planning it when they left. Ben had done it mostly to give his oldest son something to do so he wouldn’t brood about not being able to ride and accompany his father and brother on such an important quest. Now however, they were all looking forward to having a great time. It would be fun to see many of their friends and celebrate Joe’s return with them.

By the time they neared the Ponderosa, they saw a number of horses and carriages headed to their home. The party was obviously starting soon or had already started. They rode into the yard to find tables set with food and people bringing more. There were musicians setting up on the porch. There were red, white, and blue streamers everywhere it seemed. Hoss took the horses into the stable and asked a couple of the hands to put them up. There were a lot of greetings shouted as people realized Joe was back. Adam was standing on the porch leaning on his cane which Kate had insisted he use for it would be a long day. He had to put a hand on the porch support to steady himself when he saw his youngest brother. Joe walked up to Adam and reached out his hand. Adam grabbed it and pulled his brother close.

“Don’t you ever do anything like that again, or I’ll have to give you a good tanning. Never leave. Please?”

“Nothing stupid like that ever again. No more stupid stuff if I can help it. I promise. No more.” Joe could barely keep from crying and he saw tears in Adam’s eyes too, but he knew Adam would never show his feelings so openly with all of these people around. “We’ll talk later. It’s been fun talking with Hoss and Pa. They told me a lot of stories, mostly about you.”

Adam rolled his eyes and looked at his father and brother who didn’t look the least bit chagrined. “We’ll have lots of time to talk now, brother, lots of time. Welcome home.”

Chapter 7

Dropping an empty plate on the table, Joe thought he had had about all the barbecued beef that one could ever want. Hoss had handed him a plate stacked with beef and other food, and he had eaten it to please his brother. Hoss said he needed to put a little ‘meat’ on his bones. Full of good food and drink, Joe wandered around the party greeting people he hadn’t seen in six months. It was more difficult when he got to Roy. His leave taking of Roy had been too abrupt. Joe needed to apologize.

“Roy, I’m so sorry about that last time I saw you. I should never have treated you that way.”

“Now, Joe, I know how you was worried about your brother what with the Doc saying he wasn’t gonna make it. I understand and accept your apology. Ain’t enough good friends that I can afford to lose one. Glad ta have ya back.”

“Thanks, Sheriff. It’s darn good to be back.” Joe continued to walk around the party. He greeted Paul Martin next who smiled immediately putting Joe at ease.

“Good to see you, Joe, and not in need of my services. That is a refreshing change. I’m at the Ponderosa and no one needs me.”

“Paul, I want to thank you again for saving my brother. I thought he was dying when I left. I carried that burden for months. Then to find out he was still alive, well, you can imagine how I feel.”

“It was amazing. He has outstanding recuperative powers or someone intervened up above. Maybe a little of both.”

Nodding, Joe continued to make the rounds. His family had pulled out all the stops to give him a rousing welcome home party. They planned to celebrate the Fourth of July at the same time so there was a crew setting up fireworks. Ben stood on the porch of his home and watched his sons, all of his sons, home, happy, and healthy. He couldn’t imagine anything else he would celebrate with as much enthusiasm as that. Joe came up to him and stood beside him.

“Joseph, I can’t tell you how good it feels to have you stand by me. I feel better than I have in years.”

“Pa, it’s only been six months.”

“Oh, I know that, but I feel rejuvenated. Thank you for coming home. We needed you, all of us needed you.”

Sitting on the porch with guitar in hand, Adam was playing songs with the musicians. A number of ladies had come up to ask him to sign their dance cards but he had declined. As Joe and Ben stood watching, Adam looked over and smiled at them.

“He’s really all right, isn’t he?”

“Yes, still needs that cane often especially after riding or doing a lot of walking. Paul thinks he will fully recover but that hip gets a lot of work and it has slowed the healing. He won’t be going on the drive this fall even though he has told me he could. You’re going to have to be ramrod and help Hoss with the trail boss duties. Candy will go too so you’ll have plenty of help. Now if you don’t mind, there’s a little filly I think would like to dance with me.” Ben moved quickly to ask a lady to dance as his sons looked on and grinned.

Hoss walked up to Joe next. “Ya really did make Pa happy again. Even happier than he was before.”

“Why would he be happier?”

“Well, Adam saw how devastated he was when you was gone and now he ain’t talking about leaving no more. He and Pa have talked about a few trips he could make and that seems to make both of them happy. Pa said he might like to go along when Adam goes back east. He said they could take in the theatres and such together, and visit Adam’s mother’s grave together too.”

“When are they planning to do this?”

“Not sure. Just happy to know the family is going to stay together. Now I got a little gal I’d like to dance with too. Find yourself a gal and dance.” With that Hoss moved to ask his gal for a dance and soon was having a rollicking good time.

It was nearly nine o’clock and the fireworks were going to be shot off soon. People started moving away from the well lit yard toward the area where the fireworks would be. Men carried blankets to spread on the ground so everyone could sit and watch. Joe noticed Adam sitting on the porch long after the other musicians and most of their guests had departed for the fireworks.

“Aren’t you going?”

“Yes, Joe, I was planning on it. Just wanted to walk there with one of my best friends.”

Joe looked around and no longer saw anyone in the yard. Using his cane, Adam walked over to him.

“Would you mind giving an old friend some help? I’d rather not have to walk out in the pasture with this cane.”

Joe grabbed Adam in a hug. Adam dropped the cane and hugged him back. Joe stood back a bit then and wiped tears from his eyes. Adam looked at him with that grin he had, and then wrapped an arm around Joe’s shoulders. The fireworks began then as the two brothers walked to see the best fireworks show in Nevada that night.

Once they reached the pasture, the area was illuminated by the first fireworks. Joe saw where Hoss and his father were sitting and turned that way with Adam. Once they got to the blanket, Adam dropped to his left knee and then to his left arm before turning to sit. He looked up to see Joe staring at him.

“If you think that looked awkward, wait until you see me get up.” Adam had spent three months mostly in bed with that broken hip. Now the bone was healed although there was still some tenderness, but the damaged muscles as well as the healthy ones were still regaining strength and elasticity making it difficult for him to move at times. What happened next, surprised Joe even more. Catherine dropped to her knees next to Adam and sat on the blanket behind him, and he laid back resting his head on her thigh. Both of them were looking up at the sky watching the fireworks explode. Ben and Hoss looked at each other and wondered how much had developed in the few days they had been gone.

“Hey, Kate, hope Hop Sing didn’t have you working too hard in the kitchen.” Hoss liked her and liked how well she and Adam got along now. He was hoping that they would decide they liked each other enough to make it permanent. He thought a sister would be nice, but Adam had been close before and it had never happened.

“Not at all. We talked and we could hear the music through the door that was open.” Kate sat and absently ran her fingers through Adam’s hair with her right hand as she leaned back on her left arm. “Welcome back, Joe. I know everyone in the family has missed you terribly. Now maybe they won’t be so grumpy.”

A Game of Chess

Chapter 1

“It will be fun. I have friends you can stay with. Your parents will be assured you will be chaperoned. There’s so much to do in San Francisco and in that area. There are great restaurants, theatres, and shopping.”

“Adam, I can’t go. It’s just too soon to make that commitment and I’ve promised several women that I would be there when they have their babies. I can’t back out on them now.”

“Kate, I was cooped up for months. I can’t face being cooped up for the winter too. I would go crazy. I need to do this.”

“I know you do. I wish things were different, but we agreed to take things slowly. We have been a couple for just over four months. In that time, we have spent only a day or two per week together, sometimes less.”

“I’m sorry, but with Joe and Hoss gone on the cattle drive for over six weeks and Candy too, I had to do as much as I could to help out. You were busy too many times. We’re just going to have to work around those things.”

“I agree, but leaving for three months with you is just too much right now. I’m just not that sure of myself.”

Wrapping his arms around Kate, Adam rested his chin on her head that buried in his jacket against his chest. He caressed her back and held her tightly.

He heard a muffled “When will you go?”

“The Monday after Thanksgiving.”

“That’s just over a week away! You won’t be here for Christmas?” Kate leaned back to look at him to make sure he wasn’t teasing her. He was serious.

“I can’t. I need to travel while the roads are still clear. By Christmas, there’s too much snow in the mountains. I couldn’t face a crisis right now. I’ll be back in February or March as soon as the roads are clear again.”

From the front door, there was a call “Catherine, come in now. It’s ten o’clock. No lady is out with a man without a chaperone at this hour.”

Adam looked down at Kate. “And that’s the other reason we have so little time together. I don’t think your mother likes me.”

“It’s not that. My mother just doesn’t trust men in general. I don’t know if she likes you or not. She doesn’t say much about it at all.” That wasn’t entirely true, but Kate wasn’t ready to tell Adam why leaving with him scared her so much or why her mother was so overprotective. She knew she would have to tell him at some point, but now wasn’t the right time. Not with him leaving. She was worried that telling him could change his feelings for her. She hoped he loved her but the words had not been spoken yet. To be fair, she hadn’t told Adam how she felt either. With her mother watching, Adam kissed Kate’s hand and bid her goodnight.

As Adam rode away, he worried about his relationship with Kate. She seemed to like him and wanted to spend time with him, but all they had done to show affection was kiss. Whenever he wanted to do more, she was immediately defensive. He had learned to be satisfied with kissing, but it made him wonder if Kate loved him. He loved her but was afraid to say it knowing she might not feel the same way. He chided himself for being so cautious and decided right then when he would tell her. Satisfied with his plan, he rode home and slept well that night.

Thanksgiving at the Ponderosa included everyone who was close to the family so they were very surprised when Adam said that Kate would not be there. You could hear the disappointment in his voice even though he glossed over the slight.

“Kate said her mother insisted that she should be with her family on Thanksgiving, and she added that I should be with mine.”

“Hey, oldest brother, seems your charm hasn’t worked on Mrs. McHugh. You losing your touch with the ladies?”

“She definitely doesn’t like me, but I have no idea why. I could tell from the first time I met her. Now that I’m seeing Kate, it’s worse.”

Roy was already at the house when Joe had started teasing Adam and had an opinion to offer. “She don’t like men in general. I don’t think she much likes her husband. That man does anything she asks, and she treats him kind of cold, like she doesn’t care about him at all.”

Hey, Adam, maybe she’ll like you better after you’re gone for three months. Kate too. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, right?”

“Or colder.” Adam turned and stared into the fireplace.

Joe was going to keep going, but Hoss poked him and shook his head no. Looking at Adam, it was clear that Kate not being there with him on Thanksgiving had hurt. There was no more talk of the McHugh ladies that day. On Sunday, Adam took Kate to church with him. She seemed strangely subdued after the sermon that concentrated on Proverbs and especially the verse: Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are his delight. Nothing Adam said could break through her reserve. He asked her to ride to the Ponderosa with him, but she said he needed to spend time with his family before he left. He dropped her at her home and she jumped out of the carriage as quickly as she could.

“Will you see me off tomorrow? The stage leaves at nine.”

“Maybe. I’ll try to be there.”

Adam nodded and snapped the reins to send the carriage in the direction of the Ponderosa. He stopped at the lake and sat for hours in thought until he was so cold, he had to drive home. When he got in the house and sat before the fire, he had little to say. No one pressed him for it appeared to all that his relationship with Kate had soured.

In the morning, Adam had his whole family there to see him off on the stage. Joe gave him a slap on the shoulder and Hoss gave him one on the back that nearly knocked him over. His father shook his hand.

“Now remember to check the stage line for packages. I have a number of things to get for Hop Sing, and items that each of you has requested. I may ship some other items home too.”

Getting last minute ideas about shopping, Adam looked around several times for Kate and finally saw her walking toward him with only a few minutes before the stage was to leave. Adam walked quickly to her and grasped her hands.

“You don’t have to say anything. I will think about you every hour of every day I am gone. When I come back, I hope you will have sorted out your feelings. But I want to tell you this one thing before I leave. I love you.”

The driver called for everyone to get aboard. All the luggage was stowed and all the other passengers were already in the coach. Adam turned to Kate and kissed her hand. “I don’t lie. I’ll see you in three months.” Then he climbed aboard the stage, the door closed, and he was on his way. Kate watched the departing stage and said “I love you, too.” Hoss had been moving toward Kate to ask if he could escort her home and heard her words. He would tell Adam if he ever thought he should for it had been eavesdropping. Kate had never meant for anyone to hear those words.

Chapter 2

The trip to San Francisco had long ago lost any charm for Adam. The sights were the same. The coach was just as drafty, dark, and as smelly as the people cramped inside with the window flaps secured tightly against the cold winds. Once through the mountain passes and down the western slope of the Sierras, the conditions improved. Adam found himself getting anxious to get to San Francisco. He had friends who wanted to see him. He had shopping to do, and he had a chance to tour the city and study the architecture there.

Walking down the gangplank from the steamer he took from Sacramento, Adam was greeted by an old friend from college and his wife, Jeffrey and Marlene Dees. They had offered a room at their home for him to use and he had accepted. What he didn’t know was that they hoped to introduce him to Marlene’s unmarried sister, Delores, and have a romance develop. Delores was a strong, intelligent woman who owned a bookstore, loved the theatre, and scared off any man who was attracted by her beauty. She lived with Jeffrey and Marlene, and they hoped she would marry and move out. In fact if she moved to another city like Virginia City, they would have been thrilled.

Jeffrey and Marlene, and Adam and Delores attended the opera and the theatre, and ate in some of the finest restaurants in the city. Jeffrey was an officer of a prominent bank and people noticed him when he was out. There was a story in the Daily Alta California which mentioned the four of them being seen at a theatre production and then in a restaurant afterwards. That newspaper was delivered all over the country to let people know what was happening in San Francisco and in California. Copies frequently made their way to cities like Virginia City. The Church Benevolent Society was able to get a copy of the one that mentioned Adam Cartwright and just had to discuss it at their next meeting.

Mrs. McHugh was a member and couldn’t wait to get home to tell Kate how untrustworthy Adam had proved to be. She borrowed the paper to show Kate. To her, Adam was just like all other men. Kate read the article and didn’t know what to think. There were more stories over the next few months. By the time January arrived, Kate was wondering what she would do if Adam dared to show up at her house when he returned to Nevada.

By early January, Adam was lonely. He had never thought he could be lonely in a big city but he was. Marlene and Jeffrey were wonderful hosts and had made him part of their Christmas holiday celebration. Delores had been a splendid conversationalist as they attended theatre and opera productions with or without Jeffrey and Marlene. But the ones he wanted to be with were in Virginia City.

Adam had nearly made up his mind to go home early and was walking through the city streets thinking about how he would do it when he spotted a building in a style he had never seen. It was based on the mansard method from France where it was undergoing a revival. Adam had read about it but here was an example right in front of him on the corner of Mission and Embarcadero. He walked across the street and walked the length of the building and then across the end and back again. It was a two-story mansard style building with a garret providing an additional floor. The garret was striking with its tall rounded top windows. The building did not have ornamentation but the colors of the brick, and the painting scheme were elegant. The lower slope of the roof was almost vertical and the upper part of the roofline was not visible from the street below. Cast iron pilasters were on the first floor of the building.

As Adam studied the building, a man came out to enquire if he had business there. He just said he was admiring the architecture and that he had never seen a mansard building before other than in pictures from the Renaissance. The man left him to his study and reentered the building. Soon another man came out and addressed Adam in heavily accented English. Adam responded in French and the man could not have sported a bigger grin. The man was the owner of the building, Hippolite d’Audiffred, and he started explaining the building to Adam but so rapidly, Adam had to ask him to slow down. It had been many years since Adam had held a prolonged conversation in French and he was rusty. D’Audiffred smiled and began again speaking more slowly and waiting for Adam’s nod that he understood before continuing. Adam asked who the architect was and he replied he had carried the plans from France when he left in eighteen-fifty and did not know who had drawn them. Adam was invited to his home and the two spent quite a bit of time together over the following two weeks.

Once the excitement of that discovery waned though, Adam was anxious to go home. Despite all that he had done, and all that he had seen and learned, at night his only thoughts were of Kate and of his family. He surmised that being so hurt and helpless, he had needed people and the ones who were there for him were the ones he was missing now. He had joined a gym in the city as most of the men who could afford it did. He felt more fit now than he had in a long time. As January came to a close, he decided to go home for he thought that if there was a problem in travel, he could handle it now. He did a bit more shopping and shipped those items home except for a few small purchases that ended up in his valise. He bid adieu to Jeffrey and Marlene and thanked them for their hospitality. He thanked Delores for being his companion on many evenings, and then invited all three to visit the Ponderosa when they could. He left on the steamer for Sacramento anxious to get home to see his family and Kate.

The trip back took longer than the trip out to San Francisco. The roads were icy or snow covered at times, and the stage would wait at a way station for a day or two for the weather to clear. By mid-February, he was nearly home. He sent a telegram then to tell them to expect him soon. A few days later, he arrived late in the day in Virginia City. He was tired and dirty and quite happy. He took a room at the hotel and planned to head home the next day. At the hotel, they told him his family had his horse at the livery stable they used. Adam smiled at that. It felt so good to be back with people who cared so much for him.

The reception at the house the next morning was all that he expected. There were presents from Christmas and all sorts of stories to tell. When Adam mentioned that he wanted to go see Kate though, the mood changed dramatically. Ben pulled out the newspapers and showed Adam what people in town had been reading about him. He looked up in horror knowing how those stories must have hurt Kate.

Arriving at the McHugh house late that day, Adam knocked and Mrs. McHugh answered the door.

“Kate isn’t here. She is in Laramie helping to care for my brother who is all the family I have left except for Kate. She left a letter for you should you call.” Mrs. McHugh got the letter from a table in the entryway and handed it to Adam almost with an air of victory. He took the letter and left. Once he was away from the house, he opened the letter and read it.

Dear Adam Cartwright:

I have read of your escapades in San Francisco and was dismayed to learn how

quickly you found another. It is clear to me that I never had a place in your heart. My

feelings are clear now. I do not wish to see you again. Please do not contact me.

Yours truly,

Catherine McHugh

Carefully Adam refolded the letter and placed it in his pocket, and slowly rode home arriving well after dark. His family sat at the dining table when he entered. He said nothing and walked up the stairs to his room closing the door softly. He sat in the dark in the chair by the window for hours. About midnight, he lit a lamp, pulled some paper from his desk, and wrote a letter. Addressing it to Kate, he finally laid down to get some rest about one. Each week, he wrote another letter. He got no replies.

Chapter 3

Expecting Adam to be in a better frame of mind after his trip to San Francisco, his family was dismayed to find that he was more surly and quiet than he had ever been after a long winter. He worked from dawn to dusk but his relationships with his family and the hands suffered from his critical comments. He finally volunteered to ride to repair and supply the line shacks and everyone was relieved.

“Pa, ifn he didn’t get away from here for a while, there was gonna be a bad situation between him and me. I can’t take no more of his comments. So many times I had to hold back or I woulda hit him. I don’t want to do that, but he makes me so mad.” Hoss had become frustrated with Adam to the point that he was ready to try to pound some sense into him.

“He’s hurting very much.”

“Pa, I know that, but he don’t have to make everyone else suffer.”

“No, but he’s not sleeping at night, and not eating meals frequently either.”

“What do you mean, he’s not sleeping? He goes to his room long before any of us do.”

“Yes, but he doesn’t go to bed. He knows how awful he is to be around. He leaves to spare us. Then often at midnight or later, I’ll hear him leave the house. I’ve seen him head off into the garden and I’ve seen him head out riding. If he was Joe’s age, I’d probably tell him to stop those rides in the dark, but I can’t do that with him.”

“He won’t go to town with us. He skipped the big dance too. People was asking about him. It’s like he ain’t even back from his trip. Nobody sees him.”

“I wish Kate would answer his letters. One way or the other, that needs to be resolved. He can’t keep going like this, so deeply depressed because it’s over but hoping that he can somehow convince her to give him another chance.”

“Well, he did it to himself. He shouldna been with that other woman while he was in San Francisco.” Hoss felt for Kate and how betrayed she must feel.

“Hoss, there’s something odd about that too. He came home alone and quite happy. There has not been one word about this Delores. I would think that if he was seeing her for three months, there would be something, but there’s nothing.”

“Well, he can’t go from woman to woman and expect to keep one of em. He has to make a commitment and stick to it. I don’t think he can. It’s like with Laura. He took so long without marrying her, she looked around and found someone who would.”

Ben raised his eyebrows at his son. He thought they had all agreed it was a good thing that Adam had not married Laura. Now Hoss was using that to criticize him further. There was going to have to be some changes or this family was going to be fighting within itself.

After two weeks Adam returned home. The trip seemed to have done some good. He was still quiet but the comments to others were civil if somewhat dispassionate. He even agreed to go to town on Saturday with Hoss and Joe. They talked about ranch business and about what they had done over the winter at the ranch. Adam said little but listened and offered some ideas about plans they had developed to improve pasturage.

In town, the brothers had some errands to do, and then planned on dinner before the second big dance of the season. After Hoss dropped off paperwork with the lawyer and handed in some lists to the mercantile for things they needed ordered, he saw Adam riding out of town. Hoss was angry, and headed to the livery stable to get his horse. He rode out after Adam intending to try to clear the air once and for all. He expected him to go home but saw that he had ridden off the road just after reaching the Ponderosa because Hoss saw Sport grazing in a meadow. He rode over to find Adam sitting against a tree with his head down. Hoss walked over to him not so sure any more of what he would say.

“You all right?”

Adam didn’t respond.

“Ya done it to yourself, ya know. Ya never shoulda been seeing that other woman.”

Adam looked up at Hoss and gave a crooked grin that had no humor in it. “I wasn’t ‘seeing’ another woman. Delores isn’t interested in men, other than as friends or companions. That’s all I was.”

Hoss looked confused for a bit, and then suddenly realized what Adam meant. He had met a couple of women in the west here who were like that. He never could understand it, but he knew there were men who weren’t interested in women either. It seemed odd to him but if they weren’t hurting anyone, he didn’t see a problem with it despite what the minister said sometimes about that. “Why didn’t you tell that to Kate?”

“I tried.” Adam reached in his coat and produced a stack of letters he had gotten when picking up the mail for the Ponderosa. Every letter he had written to Kate was there, unopened, with a ‘Return to Sender’ clearly written in Kate’s handwriting. “She sent them all back. She never read any of it.” Adam paused and then looked at Hoss directly. “I still love her, Hoss. I don’t know what I’m going to do. I’ve lost her, but I can’t let her go.”

“She loves you too, you know.”

“How would I know that? She never said it. Now she won’t even communicate with me.”

“She said it. She said she loved you. I was walking up to her after your stage left to offer her a ride home, and I heard her say it. She never meant for me to hear it, and I never knew she didn’t ever tell you that. But I was eavesdropping and I didn’t think it was right to just tell you. But maybe now it’s important enough that I had to.”

“But why would she turn her back on me if she loves me?”

“I don’t know but you oughta go see her. It’s like one of them chess games you always want to teach me. You made a move going to San Francisco. She made her move by going to Laramie. You made the next move. You wrote all those letters. She didn’t hafta send them letters back. She coulda just tossed em in the stove. Why’d she even keep them for all these weeks? She sent em back for a reason. She made another move. It’s time for you to make your move. Ya gotta go see her.”

“Right now? I can’t. Pa is counting on me to boss that drive. I’ll be busy for the next four weeks.”

“But when we’re done, you’ll be well over halfway to Laramie. You could just keep going instead of coming directly back home.”

Looking at Hoss, Adam slowly let a small smile develop. It felt good to have a plan. It might not work any better than the letters but at least he had something to look forward to again. And what Hoss had said had gotten him thinking. She had kept the letters even if she didn’t read them. She sent them back so she still cared about how he felt even if she wanted to hurt him. He would go see her and see if there was a spark of love left. That was all he needed. He was sure he could fan it into something more. Hoss saw the change in his posture and in his demeanor.

“Ya gonna come back to the dance? I done told a bunch of ladies you’d be there.”

“Aw, Hoss, that could just be more trouble.”

Hoss grinned at him. “Nah, it’s all the widows, spinsters, and married ladies with husbands who won’t dance.” Adam grabbed a large pinecone that lay near him and chucked it at Hoss who ducked, laughing. The two mounted up and rode back to town.

Chapter 4

Spring roundup took longer than expected. It was nearly five weeks before the drive was over. At least the weather had held for most of that time, and they got a healthy herd to the buyers. Adam and Hoss had not shared their conversation with anyone, but everyone was relieved when Adam started acting like the Adam of old. There were still the comments, but even when they were critical, there was an element of humor in them that softened the impact.

There was no talk of Kate, and Ben and Joe were under the impression that Adam had given up on her and was recovering from the loss. Joe had seen Adam dancing in town and having a good time at the dance. He thought all the attention Adam had gotten from the ladies was helping him forget. What neither knew of course was that Adam was thinking of Kate all the time and rehearsing in his mind what he would say to her depending on how she reacted to him. He thought he had most possibilities covered. He packed two small packages in his extra saddlebags along with extra clothing. That went in the chuck wagon with all the other gear.

Adam took his guitar along on the drive and entertained many of the nights they were out on the trail. He encouraged sing-a-longs, and one evening, they had a dance like the mountain men did with an apron passed around as each man took a turn dancing as the ‘lady’. There was uproarious laughter when Hoss donned the apron and no one wanted to dance with such a large ‘lady’. Hoss was actually relieved and took the laughter well. He couldn’t remember when he had ever had so much fun on a drive.

It was a relatively small drive compared to what they had done the previous year, but that meant that all the hands were experienced regular hands from the Ponderosa which made things work very smoothly as well. It had seemed odd to drive cattle into more cattle country, but the winter’s blizzards had decimated the herds in this region and ranchers were anxious to buy cattle to rebuild their herds. They wondered how the Ponderosa had managed to avoid such heavy losses and were happy to be able to discuss that with Adam and Hoss. After several days, they finally had all the cattle sold and the bank drafts in hand. Adam handed them over to Hoss. The men were paid part of their wages and would get the rest on return to the Ponderosa so they wouldn’t spend it all right away. There was going to be a bonus for everyone so the men were in very good spirits. Adam got a bath and got his dirty clothes laundered. He took the extra saddlebags from the wagon and his guitar. He planned to head out early the next morning. Only Hoss knew where he was going.

“You can tell Pa when you get back. Best to give him fair warning if this doesn’t turn out well. I may be a while getting back either way.”

“I know this is gonna work out. I just know it.”

“Another one of your premonitions?”

“Well, I’m right a lot, ain’t I?”

Adam just grinned. He wasn’t in the mood to spar. He wanted a good night’s sleep so he could ride a long time the next day.

Unable to get a rise out of Adam, Hoss smiled at him. “Ya got it bad, older brother, ya got it bad.”

“No big brother, that’s where you’re wrong. I got it good.”

Shaking his head, Hoss headed out to go to the saloon and enjoy a rousing night with the men before they headed for home the next day and the drudgery of ranch work where the chores were never really done. He hoped Adam could win Kate’s heart again. He would say a little prayer for him each night. After all, they had three angels up there looking out for them. He knew Adam would be out at first light so he wouldn’t see him again until this was settled one way or another.

Over the next two days, Adam rode hard and made good time. Sport enjoyed being able to run after the work of the cattle drive. They arrived in Laramie late on the second day of travel. Adam made a few enquiries, and got a room, a bath, and dinner. The next day he hoped to find Kate and talk with her or at least get her to agree to see him at a mutually agreeable time and place.

Early in the morning, Adam shaved and put on clean clothing. Then he had breakfast and savored his coffee until the clock showed it was near eight. He stood and walked purposefully to the seamstress shop where he had been told a Miss McHugh was working. He waited outside the door to the shop and saw her walking toward him in the company of a very large man with a slight resemblance to Kate and her mother. Standing in the shadows in front of the store, he wasn’t seen by Kate who didn’t look toward him until she was just a few feet away. He took just one step toward her and she gasped. Then he was belted by the large man and flew back into the window of the shop shattering it. Adam felt a sharp pain in his left arm and grabbed it. The man who had pushed him back so forcefully now stood with his hand ready to draw.

“I don’t want to fight you. I don’t want to fight with anyone.”

“I seen enough to know who you are. I heard enough from Katie to know what ya done. Now you’re here to bother her some more. Only one way to get rid of men like you.”

Adam took his right hand away from his left arm to wipe blood on his pants. He didn’t want to fight but wasn’t going to let himself be shot down without defending himself.

“Adam, you’re bleeding.” Kate moved between the two men and toward Adam.

“Katie, get away from him.”

“Uncle Abe, he’s hurt. He’s not going to do anything to me. He needs help.”

Adam looked down at the blood dripping from his left hand to the boardwalk and realized he was hurt worse than he had thought. He pulled his handkerchief from his pocket and was going to use it to stanch the flow of blood, but Kate took it from his hand and tied it tightly above the cut he had received from the glass. The owner of the store was already outside wondering who would pay for her window and Kate asked her for some cloth remnants to use. Seeing the blood, she quickly got some and handed them to Kate who pressed them against the wound.

“Of all the ways I thought we might meet, this one wasn’t on the list.”

“Uncle Abe, please help me get him to the doctor’s office.” Grudgingly, Abe helped Adam and even put his arm around him when he faltered as they walked with Kate maintaining pressure against the cut. Once at the doctor’s office, Abe waited outside but Kate continued on into the surgery with the doctor.

“Well, it’s deep but it’s a clean cut and fairly narrow. We’ll dose it up, give you a few stitches, and you’ll be fine in no time.” Once the wound was taken care of and bandaged, the doctor gave some cloth to Kate to rig a sling for Adam’s arm. She had to stand very close to him to do that and it was unnerving to her.

“Why did you come?”

“You know why. I love you. I want to be with you, but I didn’t mean to surprise you this morning and make trouble. I wanted to ask you to agree to talk to me at some place some time today. I’ll pay for the window at the shop, and I’ll pay for this. I just want to talk with you.”

“I suppose after you went through all this and traveling here and all, I could talk. But it will be just talk. Then will you leave?”

“It depends on if you want me to leave after we talk.”

“Oh, I don’t think there’s much doubt as to how that will turn out.” Kate finished tying the sling and stepped away. Adam reached into his pocket for his wallet and asked the doctor how much he owed him. He paid the doctor and then stood to leave, but the room started moving when he did that.

“Whoa, young man. You just sit back down on that bed and lean back.” The doctor put an extra pillow behind Adam and then helped ease him back. “It’s not a bad injury, but you should probably take an hour or so to recuperate. You’ll be fine.”

Looking at Kate as she stood there looking worried, Adam’s hope was renewed. She did care at least. “When can we meet to talk?”

“I work until four and I eat my lunch as I work. We can meet for dinner at your hotel. Which one are you staying at?”

They made arrangements to meet for dinner at five. Adam fished a few bills out of his wallet and handed them to Kate. “That should be enough to pay for the window. If it isn’t, let me know, please.”

Kate’s Uncle Abe was standing in the door by then with a disapproving look thrown Adam’s way. “I’ll be at that restaurant too. Don’t think you’ll be taking advantage of Katie.”

“That’s something I would never do.”

After Abe and Kate left, the doctor had a few more questions. “You the man she ran away from?” At Adam’s nod, he continued. “She helps here now and then. Fine young lady, but she’s got a fear in her, and from what I could tell just now, it’s not you. Find out what scares her, and take her home. I could tell she cares for you. I never saw her act that way around a man before. And I can see you care for her too. Make her happy. But for now, close your eyes and take a nap. I have a feeling you’re going to need all the strength you can muster before this day is through.”

Chapter 5

An hour before Adam was scheduled to meet with Kate, he was already in the restaurant making arrangements for dinner. Then he went to his room to shave again and put on a clean shirt. He had slept a good part of the morning at the doctor’s office, had lunch with the doctor, and then spent much of the afternoon talking with him and playing chess when no patients arrived needing care. He was well rested now from the drive and the two days of hard riding to get here. The doctor had some interesting observations to share, and they had spent some time talking about Kate and her uncle. Her uncle had not been sick at any time since he had lived in Laramie so the story about caring for him was false. Kate had come here to escape.

When Kate arrived at the restaurant, her uncle was with her. He took another table where he could watch them in their alcove. Kate seemed calm but her eyes showed her nervousness. She kept glancing around as if everyone knew what their story was. She started out with the obvious.

“How’s your arm?”

“Stings a little. I’ve had worse with splinters from chopping wood. This was a clean cut so not a problem.”

“I’m sorry my uncle did that. I guess I had been complaining about you too much, and he is a bit overprotective.”

“A bit?”

Kate got a little steamed. “He has good reason.”

“Just like your mother?”

“Yes. Now what did you want to talk about?” Kate wanted to get off that topic.

“I wanted to talk about why you came here, and why you wouldn’t read my letters or answer them.”

“I thought that was explained in the letter I left for you. Mother wrote and said you got it.”

“Yes, but I wish you had trusted me just a little. I did not find someone else. Delores was only a companion. She’s the sister of the lady of the house where I was staying.”

“And you weren’t attracted to her at all? I read the article. They described her as a ‘statuesque beauty’ if I recall.”

“No, I was not attracted to her. Someone else already had my heart. She’s a beautiful woman, but she wasn’t interested in me either.”

“Well, I find that hard to believe too.”

“She is not interested in men.” Adam let the statement lie there for a while. He actually didn’t know how much Kate understood about things like that.

“She’s like my mother?”

Adam looked at Kate in surprise. He actually didn’t understand what she meant. Kate saw the look and decided to divulge a family secret.

“Mother doesn’t like men either. She and father sleep in separate bedrooms. I think on occasion, mother allows father into her bedroom but not often.”

“Well I would think at least once in a while or you wouldn’t be here.”

Kate paused then in obvious discomfort. “Adam, I understand now that I was wrong in my assumptions, but there is a lot you don’t know. I have something to explain to you and this is not a good place to do it. You may want to get away from me as fast as you can once I tell you the family secret. Can we go some place else?”

“Well, I would say my room, but I don’t want your uncle to try to shoot me. You’ve lived here so where should we go?”

“Let me go talk with my uncle.” Kate got up and sat with her uncle and they had their heads close together discussing whatever Kate had thought he needed to know. Then they both stood and walked to the table where Adam still sat.

“We’ll both go to your room. I’ll tell them to send our dinners up there if you don’t mind.” It wasn’t a question. Her uncle had taken charge. Adam stood and offered his right arm to Kate and she put her hand on his arm. He smiled. It was progress. Once they were in Adam’s room, Kate sat on the couch that was there and her uncle chose the large chair. Adam asked if he could sit next to Kate and she nodded. Then she started to talk.

“This is Uncle Abe. He is also my brother. My mother is also my sister.” Kate paused as Adam first looked terribly confused and then both Kate and Abe saw he understood. “My father attacked my mother repeatedly. When she complained to her mother, she confronted her husband. My mother does not remember what was said, but that day, her mother fell down the stairs and broke her neck. No one in our family believes that is what happened. After that he attacked mother frequently until she had me. While she was nursing me, he wanted nothing to do with her. He brought in a young orphan girl to work for the family and of course attacked her. My mother thought she was safe though and planned to leave with me before my father looked at me as another victim. She waited too long. My father had gone after her when she was twelve. He attacked me when I was just seven years old.” Kate stopped then as tears were flowing. Adam wanted to gather her in his arms but knew she would reject that at this moment.

Abe picked up the story. “Men who worked for us found my father attacking Katie in the barn. They pulled him off of her and beat him. He was furious when he got to the house. Mary and I grabbed Katie and headed outside. We hid in the woods. We heard that girl scream in the house and then it was silent. I snuck up close to the house and saw him standing over her. Her clothes were torn and she was dead. I ran to where the men had gone back to work and told them what he done. They rushed to the house and when he wouldn’t answer the door, they busted in. It was clear what had happened. They took him out and lynched him right there in the front yard. I helped.”

Spellbound by Abe’s story, Adam finally looked back to Kate who had her eyes closed. He reached over and held her hand. “I am so sorry that this happened to you.”

“Now you know why I left. I’m ruined. No man will ever want me.”

“I love you. There’s nothing you can say that will change that. I will never hurt you.”

“How can I know that?”

“Yeah, how can she know that? I’m sure when my mother married my father she had no idea what he would do to her and to her children.”

“Kate, have you ever seen me hurt someone intentionally. Well other than with my mouth. I know I have to work on that. I’m thirty-five years old. If I had a propensity to hurt people, don’t you think it would be known by now? I have been with a few other women. Feel free to talk with them to ask if I ever hurt or threatened to hurt them. I have confidence that not one of them will tell you I did. They may have a few other complaints about me, but not that, never that. I treat every woman and girl with the respect they deserve.”

“But what I’ve told you, doesn’t that bother you?”

“It does, but not for the reason you worry about. It bothers me that a man could hurt his family that way. It bothers me that he did so much damage that all three of you are suffering nearly twenty years after it was over. It bothers me that you think I would blame you for being attacked.”

“But I’m not a, a …” Kate lowered her eyes and couldn’t say it or look at Adam or Abe. She felt ashamed.

“Did you ever sleep with a man willingly without benefit of marriage?”

Kate looked up then with fire in her eyes. “Of course not. How dare you ask me that?”

“Because your answer says your heart is pure and you gave the only answer that matters.”

There was a knock on the door, and Adam answered to let the server bring in their dinners. Other men brought in a small table and two additional chairs. Adam tipped the men and thanked them. They sat at the table to have dinner. Adam had another question.

“Who is Daniel McHugh then if he’s not your father?”

“Oh, he’s my father as much as anyone can be. He is kind and considerate and takes care of us as well as anyone could. He would do anything to make my mother happy.”

“Danny was sweet on Mary already when we was kids. He was a coupla years older but didn’t get much schooling working on the farm with his family so he was in school with us in the winter. After our father was lynched, the hired men took off so the law wouldn’t get after them. We sold what we could because we couldn’t run the farm. Mary was only twenty and I was sixteen. We thought we could come out here and get work. That’s when Danny stepped up and said he would marry Mary and do whatever she wanted. She didn’t want no formal wedding so they just agreed to be husband and wife and she started using his name. We gave that name to Katie too so no one would think she wasn’t their daughter once we got out here.”

Surreptitiously, Kate kept stealing looks at Adam. She had hoped but still couldn’t believe that he had accepted her story and hadn’t left. She knew how men were in this country. Other men would have seen her as ruined. She had thought for a long time that she would never be able to marry unless it was someone like her stepfather. She never expected a strong, virile man like Adam to be willing to accept her. She caught her uncle’s eye a few times too, and he looked as surprised as she was at how well this had gone.

Well they would leave him tonight to think about it all. There were so many women he could marry, why would he choose someone like her? Maybe he would be gone in the morning. She finally decided that was what would probably happen. He was a kind man and wouldn’t hurt her intentionally. She thought he would do something like leave her a letter explaining he wasn’t good enough for her and offer to help her in whatever she chose to do. She would miss him terribly, but had expected all along that he would leave when he knew her background.

As Abe and Kate were ready to leave, Abe stepped into the hall and waited for Kate but left the door open. Adam asked Kate if he could kiss her, and then gently kissed her lips when she nodded yes. They said good night and Kate left with Abe. By the time they reached the stairs, the tears had started to flow.

“He might not leave, Katie. He seems a good man. Maybe he’ll stick with ya.”

Chapter 6

The next morning, Abe and Kate were having breakfast as the first light of dawn was breaking across the sky. Neither had slept well and both had to work that day. There was a knock on their door, and Kate started to go to the door but Abe told her he would get it. Anyone knocking on their door at five in the morning might just be a bit crazy. Kate turned to ask Abe who it had been when she heard him returning to the kitchen, but when she turned it was Adam who stood in the doorway.

“I couldn’t wait. I know I’m doing things backwards compared to how I planned it, but would you marry me, and as soon as possible?”

“How can you be sure? How can you be sure I love you?”

“Hoss told me.”

Now Kate was confused.

“Hoss heard you the day I left for San Francisco. The day I told you I loved you. I said I didn’t lie, and I would be back for you. Well, here I am.”

Adam held out his arms and Kate rushed into his embrace. “Is that a yes?”

“Yes, I will marry you, and yes, I love you. I love you more than life itself.”

“I think that was supposed to be my line.”

“Oh wait, you have to ask Uncle Abe first.”

“Why? I don’t want to marry him.” With the gleam in his eye, Kate knew he was teasing her. “I asked him at the front door. Amazingly, he said yes right away. I hardly had the question out.”

“When?”

“Well, let’s sit down and have some breakfast and talk about that. How committed are you to your job?” Kate left Adam’s embrace but kept hold of his hand. They sat and then Abe was there smiling as only a big man can. He had waited until he heard them moving things on the table so he knew it was safe to come back in to finish his breakfast.

“What about your mother? What if she doesn’t approve?”

“Won’t matter. I’ll send her a telegram and tell her I gave approval for the family. She would never approve Kate marrying you.”

Looking at Adam who was obviously still confused by the family dynamics, Abe felt he had to elaborate. “Mary won’t trust any strong man. A strong man hurt her and hurt her daughter. The only kind of man she will allow is a man like Danny. He’s a sweet man and I love him like a brother, but the man has the backbone of a caterpillar. Mary orders him about like a servant. You scare her with your strength so she doesn’t like you. Pretty much simple as that.”

As Abe ate his breakfast, he had another thought. “Is Katie gonna be living out at that ranch with your father and brothers and no other women?” Adam and Kate both nodded. “Oh, Lord, Mary is gonna need smelling salts.” Kate and Adam started laughing and soon Abe was too. “Sorry about your arm there, Adam. I had heard so much about you I thought you was a threat to my Katie.”

“It’s all right.” Abe left for work promising to be back for lunch to hear what they had planned out for the wedding. Adam walked Kate to the dress shop so she could tell the owner that she no longer needed the job. The owner came out from behind the counter and hugged Kate and then hugged Adam and wished them well. Adam asked Kate to marry him right away and then travel back to the Ponderosa to have a big wedding there.

“Why twice?”

“I don’t want anyone to question the two of us traveling together. And I want your uncle to see you married, but I also want my family to see us marry so two weddings takes care of that.” It made sense and Abe agreed when he heard the plan. They went to see the minister who said he could marry them that evening if they wished. Kate went to the friends she had made in town including the doctor and invited them to the ceremony. Abe took off an afternoon from work and set up a small celebration party unbeknownst to them. Adam already had a room at the hotel and had the hotel staff create a honeymoon atmosphere for that night. The dress shop had a dress that fit Kate, and all that was left was the ring. Adam reached into his pocket and took out a small box and inside it was a velvet pouch. He opened it to show Kate a wedding ring. He had come prepared hoping it could happen.

At six, they arrived separately at the church. Adam handed a small box to the doctor and asked him to bring it to the bride. He could hear Kate’s reaction as he stood with the minister at the front of the church. He assumed she liked her present. He had bought it as a late Christmas present when he was in San Francisco but had not been able to give it to her. It was a diamond and emerald necklace. When the minister touched his elbow, he looked to the door and saw Kate walking in on Abe’s arm. Adam didn’t remember much of the wedding ceremony as he found it difficult to take his attention from Kate. He kept smiling and smiling. When the minister said they were married and he could kiss the bride, he kissed her with a lot of pent up feeling and she returned the kiss. Then they turned to thank the guests for coming to their wedding, and Abe surprised them when he announced there was a small party ready to go at the house as soon as everyone could get there.

Once the food and drink had been devoured, and wedding toasts had been made, the guests began to leave. Most had to work the next day. When the last guests left, Adam asked if Kate had packed a bag. She had but her nerves made her almost unable to speak. Adam saw that and wrapped his arms around her. “Remember this. I will never hurt you. I will never ask you to do anything that would upset you. We have all the time in the world now. There’s no rush. We will spend the night together, and if all we do is talk and sleep, that’s fine. Please don’t be frightened.” Kate gave him a brave smile but he knew she was putting on a front.

Abe had been married until his wife had died of a fever. He asked Adam if he could talk with Kate before they left. Walking her into the kitchen, Abe put his hand on Kate’s shoulder. “Now you should have a mother or a sister telling you this, but that ain’t gonna happen, is it. A man and a woman can have a lot of pleasure together. Just follow Adam’s lead and tell him if anything bothers you. He’s a good man, but he can’t read minds. You’ll have to let him know what you like and what you don’t like. You talked pretty honestly with him last night. That’s the way it has to be from now on. You tell that man the truth no matter what, you hear me?” Kate nodded. “You promise?” She nodded again. “Now off with you. I’ll see you in the morning before you leave.”

Valise in hand, Kate walked to the front door where Adam was waiting. He took the valise from her and offered her his arm. She smiled and took his arm. Then she took a deep breath, looked up at him, and smiled. She had never thought this day would arrive for her. It still seemed to be a dream.

At their hotel room, Adam dropped the valise at the door, unlocked it, and then picked Kate up and carried her into the room. She was amazed for there seemed to be flowers everywhere. There was a bucket of ice cooling a bottle of champagne and a plate of chocolates and berries was next to it. There were two glasses. Adam had asked for a dressing screen to be brought into the room and pointed it out to Kate as he returned to the door to pick up the valise and close the door. He brought the valise to Kate and then started undressing. Within a minute he was wearing only his pants. He had folded his other clothes over the chair. He heard Kate mumbling and asked if there was anything he could do. She declined, but after about five more minutes of struggle, she admitted she needed his help. Adam was more than willing to help. Kate had not removed any clothing yet for she couldn’t reach the buttons on the back of her dress. Adam started laughing then which made her mad, and then she couldn’t help it and started laughing too.

“No honeymoon night for Mr. and Mrs. Adam Cartwright as the bride was trapped in her dress and couldn’t remove it.”

“Stop it, stop it, or I’m going to have an accident.”

“An accident?” So Kate explained to Adam what happened sometimes when women laughed too hard or too long when they had been unable to use the necessary for a while. He was amazed. He had no idea that could be a problem. He expected he would learn a lot about women now. Kate returned to the dressing screen to remove her petticoats, stockings, and other undergarments. Then she donned her prettiest gown and slipped her prettiest robe over that and tied the ribbons in front. She stepped out to see Adam sitting on the bed in just his pants. Now she had seen all of Adam at one time or another during his care. For much of the three months that he was confined to a bed, he wore nothing except a sheet and a blanket. With the splinted leg, bandages on his hip, and his strapped left arm, it was too inconvenient to think about having him wear anything. Somehow though this was so different. Adam stood and walked to Kate. He held out his arms and she stepped into his embrace.

“You’re trembling. Sweetheart, remember, we don’t have to do anything tonight.”

“Don’t you want to?”

“Oh yes, I want to very much, but not if it means hurting you or frightening you. We can do this slowly, one move at a time.”

“Move?”

“Yes, like in chess. You see first, we introduce ourselves like this.” Adam leaned down to kiss Kate and she liked that. They kissed for quite a while with their tongues probing, touching, and tasting each other. “Then we have to set up the board for play.” Adam untied the ribbons of Kate’s robe and slipped it off her shoulders letting it fall to the floor. He began nuzzling her neck and kissing her shoulders. Kate raised her hands then and ran her fingers through the hair on Adam’s chest. She had wanted to do that so many times when she was caring for him. He seemed to like it too as he leaned back and watched her face as she caressed him.

“What’s next”

“Well you make the first moves with your pawns to set up a plan.” Adam’s hands moved from her sides across her stomach and up. Kate was enjoying the sensations. “Now the knights have to be positioned just so.” Adam slid his hands up her gown and started pulling it up. Kate raised her arms and he pulled the robe up and off. Kate may have seen Adam but he had never seen her. He stood for a moment admiring the view.

“Now do I get to move my knights and get them in position?” Kate was enjoying the chess analogy. It took her mind off the part that scared her. She unbuckled Adam’s belt and unbuttoned his trousers and then pushed them down his hips and to the floor. They stood then just inches apart.

“Now I think the bishops need to be moved.” Adam wrapped his arms around Kate as she wrapped her arms around him and they pressed their bodies together as they kissed.

“Adam, how do I know when it’s checkmate.”

“When the queen takes the king.” And they lay down on the bed and worked slowly to the last move before sleeping together wrapped in each other’s arms as the champagne and chocolates waited.

About three in the morning, Adam awakened and needed to use the chamberpot. When he moved, he awakened Kate who had the same need then. They used the dressing screen for modesty and to be respectful of each other. Adam went first and smiled when he came from behind the screen to see that Kate had donned her robe.

Adam eyed the champagne and berries as Kate was busy. She heard a loud pop and when she came out from behind the screen, Adam walked to her and untied the ribbons of her robe and slipped it off her shoulders. “We don’t need to hide anything from each other.”

“Adam, I’m just not used to this, I mean, I’m not used to being naked like this, I mean …”

“It’s all right. It will take some time to get used to all of this.” Adam guided Kate to the bed and then pulled the sheet to her that she pulled up to her chest. Next he handed her a glass of champagne with berries in the bottom of the glass. He climbed into the bed and pulled the sheet up to his waist and asked Kate to lean on him as he wrapped an arm around her. He clinked his glass against hers. “To many years of bliss.” Kate smiled and they drank to their wedding and ate the berries. Then Adam reached over to the plate of chocolates he had put on the bedside table and took two. He put one in Kate’s mouth and ate one himself before reaching for the champagne bottle next to the chocolates to refill their glasses. They had their first picnic in bed.

Chapter 7

The next morning was well underway before Adam and Kate awoke. They had to hurry to dress to meet Abe for a late breakfast. When Adam had heard him say he needed to go to work and such, he had no idea Abe was talking about the business he owned. He could take time off as needed. Kate’s wedding was important enough for him to take some time away from work. They rushed into the restaurant to see Abe sitting at a table with a big grin. Adam rather sheepishly bid him good morning and Kate just blushed. Abe nodded. He could tell all had gone well. They had breakfast and then said their goodbyes. Adam and Kate planned to head toward home that day. They would camp on the trail or stay in towns along the way. They would decide day-by-day what they wanted to do. Adam had his guitar and they could sing around a campfire at night if they wanted to. They had time to talk about all that had happened in the time since they had last been together.

After a week, Adam stopped Kate as they crested a ridgeline. They looked out over the terrain in all its beauty.

“How much longer until we reach the Ponderosa?”

“We just did. This is the northeast corner. It gets greener as we move toward the house.”

“They’re really going to be surprised, aren’t they?”

“That would be my guess too. Want to ride fast? This pasture is fairly smooth and the slope downhill is gradual.”

The horses enjoyed the chance to run. Adam had bought a pretty chestnut mare for Kate in Laramie. Both of them thought that the offspring of Sport and the new mare could be beauties. Kate had yet to name her horse. She was mulling possibilities and when Adam would ask, she would tell him she would have the name when she had finished thinking about it. Adam laughed and said she spent more time thinking about the horse’s name than she had deciding if she would marry him. She denied that and said she’d been thinking for almost a year that he would make a good husband. He looked at her with a more thoughtful look then.

When Adam and Kate arrived at the ranch house, all was very quiet. As they moved their horses into the stable, they saw that Buck, Cochise, and Chubb were all gone and had been for some time by the looks of their dusty stalls. Adam unsaddled both horses and led Sport into his stall and then Kate’s horse into a spare stall. “Her name’s Hera.” Adam nodded in approval. They brushed the horses down and fed and watered them. They headed to the house and found the kitchen quiet as well. Hop Sing was gone. Then Adam remembered the horse auction in Carson City. He was supposed to have gone with Joe but he guessed that Hoss had gone in his place. He remembered too that he was supposed to sign some contracts while he was there which is probably why his father was gone as well. Hop Sing likely had gone to visit relatives with the main house empty and most of the men out working on the range. Adam grinned as he looked at Tracy.

“We have the whole house to ourselves.”

“What do you want to do first? Never mind, I shouldn’t have even asked that question. I want to get something to eat first.”

They found some ham and bread and made grilled sandwiches. Kate said her mother did that all the time with older bread like the bread they found. Then Adam went to the garden and grabbed a couple of ripe tomatoes. He sliced those up and put them on each plate. They each grabbed a glass and filled it with water at the pump in the kitchen. After eating, Adam gathered Kate in his arms and invited her to take her belongings up to their bedroom.

“And would you be coming with me to our bedroom.”

“Well, I had planned to do just that. I have to help you find places for all of your clothing.” He had such a lecherous leer when he said that Kate had to laugh. They headed upstairs and ended up in bed within minutes. The pleasures Kate was discovering in bed with Adam were erasing all those bad memories from her childhood. She found that making love with the man you love is the most exhilarating experience one could have. As they lay in bed entwined, they talked until they heard horses in the yard. “Oh, oh, I think the rest of the family just got home.” Both climbed out of bed to start dressing.

Ben and his younger sons had seen the horses in the stable and walked to the house excited to see Adam and they assumed Kate which was confirmed when they saw her light jacket and hat on the credenza. Ben asked Joe to go upstairs to see if they were upstairs putting things in their bedrooms. When Joe came down, he wasn’t sure how to say it so he just stated the truth quickly.

“Well, Pa, they may be upstairs but the only bedroom with a door closed is Adam’s, and I didn’t want to knock.”

Ben’s face started to flush. Hoss and Joe were fairly sure they knew what was coming next.

“In my house! I will need to talk with him. He can’t act that way in my house.” Ben stalked over to his desk to deposit the satchel with the business papers in it. He sat in the chair and silently fumed. Once he was out of sight, Joe grinned at Hoss. It was good to see Adam in trouble with their father instead of him. Within a few minutes, Adam and Kate appeared at the top of the stairs. Adam had his left arm around Kate, and they walked down the stairs together. Kate ran her hand down the banister and Joe suddenly poked Hoss and told him to look. Ben stood up and walked to the front of the desk, and both Hoss and Joe expected an explosion but Hoss worked to stop it before it started.

“Pa, just a minute. I got something to say before you say anything.” Ben threw a scowl toward Hoss and could not understand why both Hoss and Joe were smiling. “Pa, may I present Mr. and Mrs. Adam Cartwright?”

Ben turned back toward Adam and Kate who had stopped on the landing. Adam grasped Kate’s left wrist and raised her hand to his chest making the ring clearly visible to all. Ben began to smile so much his face hurt later. Adam and Kate reached the bottom of the stairs and Ben stepped in to hug Kate and kiss her cheek, and then hugged his son. He finished by giving Adam a slap on the left arm that caused him to groan and grasp his arm. All three of the Cartwright men were surprised.

“Hey, older brother, what’s wrong with your arm?”

“Just some stitches, Hoss. It’ll be fine.”

“Stitches! What happened?” Ben was very concerned.

“Well, because of a little misunderstanding, Uncle Abe decided to throw me through a window. But we’re good now. He even gave Kate away at the wedding.”

“Adam, I wish we could have been there for your wedding. I would have liked to see my son get married.”

“Pa, we plan to have another wedding here. Kate and I didn’t want to travel together when we weren’t married, and we wanted Abe to be able to see her married too.”

Hoss had a more pertinent question. “Who’s Uncle Abe?”

“That’s my mother’s brother who lives in Laramie.”

Joe stepped up to Kate. “Well I get to kiss the bride, right?” He gave Kate a kiss and a hug. Hoss stepped up to do the same. Joe wasn’t finished. “Well then let’s plan this second wedding so I can get another kiss from the bride.”

Adam scowled at that remark. “I think I ought to be the only one to be kissing my bride from now on. You can get your own bride.”

“Hey, Adam ya gonna live here?”

“For now.”

“Then where?”

“We haven’t decided anything yet. Hoss, you told me to go to Laramie to get Kate. You didn’t tell me what to do next.”

Hoss was surprised by that statement and then saw Adam grinning at him. He went to punch him in the arm but thought better of it and chucked him under the chin instead. Ben had another question.

“You married in Laramie. What about Kate’s mother and father? Did you have their blessing?”

“Ah, no. Uncle Abe gave me permission to marry Kate. He said he telegraphed Kate’s parents to let them know.”

“Now you two, do you think that was proper? You may have to apologize to Dan and Mary. Have you gone to see them yet?”

“No, Pa, we haven’t. We got back only a little over an hour before you did.”

Hoss and Joe started chuckling. Ben tried to remain serious but it was a struggle. Hoss and Joe said they better go see to the horses. They could hear them laughing after they had exited the house. Kate started to blush, and Adam gave his father a wry look. What did they expect? They had only been married a week. It was still their honeymoon.

“Will you have your wedding here or did you have another place in mind?”

Adam looked at Kate and she nodded. She still wanted to be married here. “Here. We’re not sure if Kate’s parents will attend. Kate’s mother does not approve of me. It may take some time before she accepts our wedding.”

“If ever.” was Kate’s muttered comment. She looked at Adam and shrugged. She didn’t expect the conversation with her mother to go well. Mary had warned her daughter about Adam, had been happy to show her the newspaper article that seemed to show she was right, and then encouraged her to write a letter breaking off their relationship before going to stay with her uncle. It was unlikely the wedding would have changed Mary’s attitude for the better.

Chapter 8

By mid-afternoon, Hop Sing had returned as well. He was very happy for number one son and Kate. He didn’t have time to bake a cake but promised a special cake for the wedding. He did find some cookies that Hoss had not found and spread red frosting on them for dessert. They had ham with fresh peas and fried potatoes for dinner. The family spent the evening around the dining table and then the fireplace talking about family stories, things they had done or seen, and the wedding they would have at the Ponderosa in just over a week. Adam and Kate had talked for a long time on the trail about her family history and whether they should share it with his family. They had decided it might be best not to share any of it. More than anything, the factor that was most important in that decision was they could not tell Kate’s story without telling that of Mary and of Dan. It would be an intrusion into their private lives, and neither could consider doing that.

As the evening came to a close, Ben was quietly celebrating that not only was he lucky enough to say good night to each of his sons as they walked upstairs, he was able to bid goodnight to a daughter-in-law, finally. He sat in his red chair by the fireplace and finished smoking the tobacco in his pipe as he watched the small fire gradually reduce to glowing embers. He thought about how much heartbreak his sons had endured, and he hoped that tomorrow Adam would not have too much trouble when he took Kate over to the McHugh place to talk and get the rest of her things.

At breakfast the next morning, Ben asked when Adam and Kate would be leaving which got a deep sigh from Adam. Kate gently elbowed him as Hoss and Joe chuckled.

“Ya, Pa, Adam done got mother-in-law troubles already. Maybe he and Kate shoulda stayed in Laramie just a bit longer.” Hoss was loving the chance to needle his older brother a bit. Adam was in a very good mood overall so Hoss knew he could get away with a lot more than he normally would. “Maybe he could tell her they’re already hard at work on making some grandchildren.”

Joe couldn’t wait to join in. “Yeah, Pa, Hoss and I were talking earlier. Did we have a little earthquake last night? There was all this creaking and squeaking in the house. Sounded like the earth was moving.” Hoss almost spit out his mouthful of bacon at that one. Adam dropped his head and massaged his forehead with one hand as he held Kate’s hand with the other. Kate just blushed.

“Kate, I’m sorry, but this is what passes as conversation with my brothers. Pa, maybe after I show Kate where I would like to build a house, we could put a big tent up there until the house is built.”

With a pronounced scowl thrown toward his youngest sons, Ben addressed his oldest. “I’m sure that now that the novelty has worn off, your brothers will be more than happy to consider the feelings of their new sister before they try to use your marriage for their amusement. There is no need to go pitch a tent when you can live here as long as the two of you wish, and I am quite sure that your brothers will do everything possible to ensure that you and especially Kate are quite comfortable here.” Ben would have found the comments funny too except for the presence of Kate. He did not think it proper that his sons speak that way in front of her.

After breakfast, Kate started removing dishes from the table to bring to the kitchen. Adam told her that Hop Sing would take care of that but she just smiled at him and continued. When she entered the kitchen, there was a short stream of Chinese and then all they could hear was the murmur of conversation. Kate came out to get the rest of the dishes, and Hop Sing was right behind her to pick up the platters.

“Hop Sing has agreed to teach me to cook. I will be his assistant now. He’s going to let me collect the eggs and milk the cow.” Kate had a big grin.

“Missy Kate is good woman. Number one son very lucky man. I teach her so Mister Adam eat well in new home. Missy Kate show appreciation for Hop Sing like he not hear much ever.”

All of the Cartwright men then had to offer statements of praise for the cooking and all the work that Hop Sing did. Ben said that they would try to tell him more often how important he was to the family. Hop Sing was having a very good morning.

Adam hitched a team to the large buckboard wagon for the trip to town and to the McHugh place. They had arranged for Kate’s things from Laramie to be shipped to Virginia City, and that shipment should already be in town. Then they would drive to see the McHughs and try to smooth the troubled waters. The shipment was in town as expected, and Adam and Kate quickly packed that small load into the wagon. Adam took Kate over to Doctor Martins to tell him their news. It didn’t take long for Roy to track them down either, and they shared their news with him as well. They got the minister to agree to come to the Ponderosa to perform a marriage ceremony a week from Saturday. Then they looked at each other, took deep breaths, and headed out of town toward the McHugh place that was a very short distance away.

Mary McHugh heard them arrive, and she and Dan stood on the porch by the time they alighted from the wagon. From the look on Mary’s face, they were sure this was not going to go well. She looked furious.

“How dare you bring him here? He has ruined my family, and you show up here as if nothing has happened?”

“Mother, I’m sorry it was so abrupt, but Adam and I didn’t want to travel together without benefit of marriage. I also wanted Uncle Abe to see us marry, and I know how hard it is for him to get away from his business.”

“I forbid you to see this man, and got you to a safe haven in Laramie. Yet you defied me, and married him at the first opportunity. Well this marriage will never last. I told you he is not to be trusted, and you’ll find that out soon enough. I’ll be here for you once that happens, but for now while you’re with him, you are not welcome here. I cannot stand the sight of him.”

“Mother, I just came to get the rest of my things. I hope someday you will accept Adam, but I love him and he loves me, and our marriage will last.”

“He is the worst kind of man. He is not the right man for you.”

“Mother, John Davidson was an evil, sick man. Most men are not like that. Men can be strong and good too.”

“Men use strength to hurt women.”

“Mama, I have thought about this a lot. Adam reminded me of Uncle Abe all along. I thought about how you told me to be afraid of him, but I couldn’t help thinking about him. I know he is a strong man and he frightens some people. But Mama, he doesn’t frighten good people. Like Uncle Abe, he is a strong man but he is kind and caring too. He is capable of the greatest gentleness you could imagine. You tried to convince me he was a bad man. You always talked against him and his family and led me to believe that hurt was all I could expect from them. They are a good family, Mama, and I hope you will come to see that.”

“Never, never. I will never allow myself to fall under the spell of men like that who can use their power to hurt people. Never.”

“Mama, we are having a marriage ceremony on the Ponderosa a week from Saturday. I hope you will come.”

Mary stood defiantly on the porch unwilling to accept anything her daughter had said or done. When Kate moved toward her by climbing the porch steps, Mary stepped closer and told her that she was not welcome until her marriage to Adam Cartwright was over. Kate turned and walked to Adam with her back straight. The tears didn’t start flowing until they were well away from the house. All Adam could do was wrap an arm around her and hold her close.

As Adam drove Kate back to the Ponderosa, he asked if she still wanted to see the home site he liked. She nodded and leaned on him so he pulled her closer and held her tightly. As he neared the site, he pulled the team from the road and drove slowly across a meadow. When he neared the trees, he stopped and helped Kate down from the wagon to walk her to the crest of a hill. From there, the lake, the forest, the mountains, and the meadow all blended into amazing vistas regardless of which way one turned. Kate looked up at Adam with awe in her eyes for the spot he had chosen.

“There will be a grand view from every window in the house if you like this spot. We can start building right away. It will take some time to order everything we need so I don’t think we can be in for another four or five months and that’s if you are agreeable to not having all the rooms finished when we move in.”

Grabbing Adam in a hug, Kate stood on tiptoes to kiss him until he leaned down to kiss her.

“I take it you like my choice.”

Kate kissed him more and began unbuttoning his shirt.

“Here?”

There was a lot of nonverbal communication as Kate made clear she wanted Adam to make love to her then and there. He was more than willing, but Kate’s emotions were so jumbled up that she ended up crying on his shoulder as they finished.

“Oh, sweetheart, I didn’t hurt you, did I? I never want to hurt you.”

“You didn’t hurt me. My mother hurt me. I needed you to show me your love again and you did. You’re wonderful to me. I love you so much. I just wish I could get my mother to see what a wonderful man you are.”

As Adam drove Kate back to the house, they talked about the upcoming wedding and what they each wanted in the house. Adam had already drawn some preliminary plans years ago in anticipation of building a house there. He was glad he had not used the site to begin a house for Laura. That would have compounded the mistakes he made with her. Instead, he and Kate would get a fresh start.

As Adam helped Kate from the wagon, he realized there were a few grass stains on the back of her dress. Hoss and Joe came out to help them unload, and as Kate moved toward the house with some small parcels, Adam quietly admonished Joe and Hoss not to say anything relating to the grass stains promising that he would tell them more about the day later.

Chapter 9

All of the Cartwright men were dismayed with how Kate’s mother had treated her. Ben’s sons knew that no matter what they ever did, they had their father’s love and that he would always be there to help them. To them, it was very sad to know that Kate did not have that. As a result, all of them went out of their way to show kindnesses to Kate over the next week. They were also very careful not to say anything about her family not wanting to remind her of the troubles with her mother.

On Friday, Adam rode to town to pick up a few small items for the wedding the next day. He never reached town. He was waylaid soon after leaving the Ponderosa. Some men had their guns on him and forced him to disarm. They tied his hands together and to the pommel of his horse. One of the riders took the reins from Sport, tied them off, and attached a lead rope. They led him to the nearest line shack of the Ponderosa where there was already a carriage sitting. They untied his hands and forced him to dismount and walk to the shack. Inside, Adam saw a woman who had to be a prostitute by trade by the way she was dressed. There was also a bottle of whisky on the table. He had no idea what this all meant but soon found out. One of the men forced him to sit in a chair and another opened the whisky bottle.

“Drink.”

“Ah, no thank you. A little early in the day for me.”

“It’s not a choice. Drink.”

Adam refused and they grabbed him and forced his head back trying to pour whisky down his throat. There were four of them but it was still difficult to get Adam to drink anything. When he kicked one of them in his privates, the man came back at him furiously once he had recovered. He smashed his fist into Adam several times before the others could stop him.

“Damn you, he’s the one supposed to be hitting her, not us hitting him. It ain’t gonna look right if he’s all banged up.”

“Well, not much hope we can pull this off now. He’s senseless.”

The three men holding Adam in the chair let go, and he fell to the floor. He was acting some. Although hurt, he was not unconscious but wanted the men to think so. So far he only had a vague idea what they were up to. He needed more information.

“What do we do now?”

“Well, we was supposed to get him drunk and then make it look like he beat on Summer here and forced himself on her. Anybody see how we can still make it look like that happened?” No one responded except Summer.

“I was supposed to get paid for taking a few hits and then swearing he hit me and forced himself on me. Who’s gonna pay me for my time?”

“Aww, take his wallet. You do that all the time to men who pass out in your room.”

Summer knelt by Adam’s side, and he had all he could do not to reach out and actually hit her. He understood now what they had meant to do, and he had a very good idea who had financed the attempted charade. She rifled through his pockets and got his wallet and then the watch in which he had his mother’s picture. That almost caused him to show his hand, but he had to restrain himself with the thought that he would find her later and get that back. He continued to lay there as if unconscious.

“Let’s take the money she gave us and head out. So far we ain’t done enough that the law would come after us. If we’re gone, we’re good. Summer, you got enough to keep your mouth shut?”

“Yes, I’m quite happy with this. I won’t be saying nothing to nobody.”

“All right, the carriage is paid for. Just leave it at the livery when you get to town. Don’t say nothing about none of this and no one will ever know. Heck he might just lay here long enough to miss the wedding anyway.”

“What about his horse? Anybody sees that horse outside, they’ll check inside for him.”

“We’ll take it with us for a bit and then let it go. Even if he goes home then, they’ll be following the wrong trail to find him here.”

“Why don’t we just keep the horse?”

“Cause it’s got the Ponderosa brand and everyone will know it ain’t ours. Besides they might hang us for that or lock us up. I hate being locked up.”

Once they all left, Adam sat up and gradually was able to pull himself up on the chair and sit. He had hoped they had left the whisky, but it was gone. Sport was gone too. He had a long walk ahead of him and his head hurt. He stood and stayed in one place until the room stopped spinning. Then he walked outside and looked around. Seeing no one, he began a slow walk to the house. He had a lot of miles to cover.

Later at the Ponderosa, it was dinnertime and everyone was wondering why Adam wasn’t back yet. They had expected him hours earlier. Kate was worried, but Ben assured her that it was just a trip to town, and Adam must have been delayed by other business. That reassurance lasted until Mike from Blount Mercantile Emporium showed up with two deliveries. Ben checked and found they were the items Adam had gone to town to get.

“Adam told us he needed these for the wedding, and when he didn’t show up to get them, Mr. Blount said I should deliver them. Adam is a good customer like all the Cartwrights, and Mr. Blount didn’t want him to be disappointed.”

All of the Cartwrights looked at each other then. Ben offered a coin to Mike who left without realizing the bad news he had delivered. Within a short time, Hank showed up leading Sport.

“Mr. Cartwright, we found Sport ground tied in the southwest pasture. There weren’t no sign of Adam. I got the men looking all around out there for him. They’re working in pairs, and I tole em when it got dark to set up campfires so ifn he sees one a them, he can make his way to it.”

That got tears trickling down Kate’s cheeks. Hoss wrapped an arm around her. It was already too dark to organize a search. They would have to wait for morning. All that could be done was being done already. They had many questions and no answers. Ben thanked Hank for what he had done and told him to get some dinner. Joe went out to take care of Sport. Hoss had guided Kate to the settee and sat next to her trying to reassure her when he himself was very worried. The night was somber as they all had thoughts of what could have happened. None of their imagined scenarios though came anywhere near the truth.

Miles away, Adam could finally see the lights of the house at times. He hoped his family would stay up late. It was easy to get disoriented out here in the dark, and he needed that beacon of light to guide his way. He was tired, hungry, thirsty, and hurt. He couldn’t walk fast enough to suit him because every time he tried, he tripped and fell adding to his woes. So he kept up his plodding pace. After hours, he was finally in the yard and began to walk faster to the house. That caused him to fall one more time, and he didn’t have the energy to get up.

Inside the house, Joe sat up. “What was that?”

“What was what?” Hoss had responded that way each time that night when Joe had asked the same question. They were all on edge.

“No, that was clearer than the other times. I’m sure I heard something this time.” Joe walked to the front door and opened it to peer out. “Hoss, Kate, Pa, come here quick.” Joe rushed out to Adam who had managed only to get himself sitting up against the side of the house. Kate knelt by Adam’s side.

“Nothing could keep me away from you, sweetheart. Nothing and nobody.”

The smell of the whisky was still apparent as were the bruises on Adam’s face. Ben gently pulled Kate back so Hoss and Joe could get him upright and into the house. Once he was sitting on the settee, Ben had to ask.

“What happened?”

“It’s a long and nasty story.” Adam proceeded to tell them what had happened as well as what he had heard as his family tended to his injuries. His torn, smelly, and dirty shirt was removed revealing more bruising. No serious injuries were found though. Kate noticed the abrasions on his wrists and asked what they were so Adam explained about the rope and how he had tried to free himself to no avail. After carefully bathing the abrasions, Hop Sing put salve on them and wrapped them loosely with soft cotton bandages. With a clean shirt on although not buttoned nor tucked in, Adam was fed by Kate. That hadn’t happened since the previous year when she had been nursing him back to health.

“My mother is responsible for this. I don’t know if I can ever forgive her for this.”

No one had anything to say for they all suspected the same. Adam said he did want to find Summer and get his watch back. Ben said they would have Roy take care of it the next day. Hoss alerted the men in the bunkhouse that Adam had been found so there would be no need for a search the next morning.

Hop Sing said he had a bath ready for Mister Adam. He wouldn’t be able to bathe himself, but Kate smiled and said she could do that for him. With an arm around Kate’s shoulders, Adam walked to the washroom. With her help, he undressed and got in the tub where he leaned back and closed his eyes. Kate washed his arms as he rested them on the side of the tub, and washed his hair, face, and shoulders. Then she sat on a stool by the tub as he soaked some of the soreness and weariness away.

When Adam was ready to get out, Kate opened the washroom door and called for Hoss who came to help Adam stand and step out of the tub. Once Adam donned his robe, he and Kate retired to their bedroom although the walk up the stairs took a lot longer than usual. The next morning, he looked worse. The right side of his face had swollen and both eyes were blacked. He looked like he had been in a brawl.

As the family sat at breakfast, they were quite somber. There wasn’t much doubt on anyone’s mind that Mary McHugh had orchestrated this to end her daughter’s marriage by showing how disreputable Adam was. Had she hired more capable men, she might have been successful too. The sound of a horse in the yard had them all wondering what the next problem would be. Ben answered the door, and when Kate heard the voice, she jumped up and ran to greet their visitor.

“Well, normally, Katie I can’t get away from the business much but with over two weeks notice, I was able to manage time away to see where my niece is living and see her wedding. Oh damn, what happened to you?” Adam had walked to greet Kate’s uncle.

“Had a little run-in with some people intent on ruining my marriage as well as the wedding.”

“Nah, don’t tell me Mary has gone that far? Dear Lord, I’m going to have to do something about that.”

Chapter 10

After Abe was introduced to everyone, he had a cup of coffee with the Cartwrights and they decided on what they would do. Ben and Abe said they could handle it if everyone else would take care of the wedding preparations. Joe mentioned that it might be better if he handled one part of the plan, and Ben grudgingly agreed. The three got their horses and headed to town.

Within an hour of their arrival in town, the three of them were sitting in Roy’s office with a very dejected Summer who expected she was going to jail. Joe had gone to D street and found where she was working. Most people he talked to were curious. Summer seemed to be a lot less of a beauty than Joe was usually pursuing. She also was willing to do almost anything with anyone if the price was right so they wondered what Joe wanted her to do. No one had any idea he would be taking her to the sheriff’s office when the two of them were seen walking away together.

“If we get Adam’s watch and wallet back, there will be no charges. But, you have to help us with this plan.”

Summer looked at Sheriff Coffee who nodded. She nodded as well. She would play the role they asked and say what they wanted her to say. Abe left the office first.

“I’ll make sure you can hear what’s said. Just be sure to be there soon after Summer arrives. My sister tends to get right to the point. Small talk is not something she does much.”

Waiting quietly for the next ten minutes, Summer was finally told to go do her part. A few minutes after she left, Ben, Roy, and Joe left.

At the McHugh house, Mary had been surprised to see Abe and then angry. She had quite a few words for him because he had given Kate permission to marry Adam. Thinking that if Kate had come back to Virginia City first, Mary would have been able to sabotage the wedding. Mary didn’t say it but her brother could see it.

“Gosh, Mary, it’s hot in here. Open some windows. I’ll help.” Abe set about opening all the windows on the side of the house and in the back. Mary thought he was overdoing it, but she often deferred to Abe’s judgment in such things. He was more practical than she was by far. She opened the windows to the porch and found that the cool breeze did feel nice. When Abe returned to the front parlor, she continued to jab at him.

“The wedding might not take place here anyway. Kate has had time to see what kind of man he is. She might change her mind. We can get that marriage in Laramie annulled. He was not a resident there when he applied to marry her so we can get that marriage license thrown out.”

“Mary, I know the man. I spent some serious time with him and saw him with Katie. He’s a good man.”

“He will hurt her, Abe. I have to stop him before he can hurt her.”

A knock at the door interrupted them. Mary was dismayed to see Summer there.

“Mrs. McHugh, I want more money or I’m going to tell the sheriff the truth about what we done to Adam Cartwright.”

Dan had been standing by as he had since he had married Mary, but suddenly he was involved. “What do you mean you did to Adam Cartwright?”

“Your wife paid us to make it look like Adam got drunk, hit me, and forced himself on me. Well, I want more money or I’m telling the sheriff.”

“You’ll be in trouble too if you tell.” Mary’s statement incriminated her beyond a doubt. Abe shook his head sadly, but Dan was incensed.

“Mary, I have done everything you have asked for almost twenty years because I loved you so much. But this has to end. Your father was a twisted evil devil. But I have never hurt you. Abe has never hurt you. Not a single man in this world has hurt you except your father. Now that was awful but it’s time to move on. Hell, it’s been time to move on for years. I love your daughter as if she was my own. I will go to her wedding today and celebrate her marriage. If necessary, I will testify to the sheriff about what I heard here today.”

“That won’t be necessary, Dan.” Roy walked in followed by Ben and Joe. I think I got plenty of witnesses to what happened. Summer you can go, but get those things to my office pronto. Ben, what do you want me to do about all this here?”

“Adam and Kate want the whole thing dropped for now. But if anything else happens, this is to be made public record. Dan DeQuille would love to print this story.” Ben wasn’t sure he agreed with their decision but had no better idea of how to proceed without creating a huge scandal. Mary turned almost white with the thought of this story being in the newspaper.

Abe suggested one more thing had to happen. He sent Mary upstairs to change. “Danny, I didn’t think ya had it in ya. Ya showed ya got em, all right. Now don’t forget where they are. Mary is going to need someone watching her for some time to keep her in line, I’m afraid. But you’re the man for the job.” Dan flushed with pride at the unaccustomed praise. He stood taller and straighter than he had in years. “We’ll see you later?” Dan shook his head yes immediately and then smiled.

“Gentlemen, we have a wedding to attend, and I want to see my son married. I don’t want to miss a minute of that, so we best be going. Thank you, Dan.” Ben, Joe, and Roy left.

“Abe do you think Katie would allow me to give her away at the wedding?”

“I think she would be proud to have ya do that, Danny.”

So at the wedding on the Ponderosa that day, guests were told that Adam had been hurt while working on Friday, and people nodded of course because they knew how Adam was such a hard worker. Mrs. McHugh sat in the first row of chairs in her best dress smiling all the while even though it pained her to do it, but the alternatives were far more painful so she chose the lesser of two evils in her book. Kate was radiant as she walked toward Adam with her arm held lovingly by her father, Daniel McHugh. Abe sat next to Mary making sure nothing untoward happened and beamed at seeing his niece Katie marry Adam Cartwright for the second time. Then everyone was treated to a wedding celebration Ponderosa style.

As the guests were leaving, Hoss and Joe showed Adam the downstairs guest room. It was bedecked with flowers, and wood was set in the fireplace if needed. There was champagne chilling in a silver bucket of ice with two crystal flutes on the table. There was a plate of chocolates. Adam looked in amazement at his brothers.

“Hey, we can be romantic too when we want to.”

“Yeah, Adam, most of this stuff was Joe’s idea. But we both done the work.”

Adam, who was not prone to physical displays of affection, hugged Joe and then Hoss, and it was their turn to be embarrassed by a hug. “Thank you. Kate will love it.”

Ben walked up behind them. “The coverlet is your mother’s wedding quilt. It’s yours now. The boys and I are heading to town for the night as soon as we put everything away. You do have the house all to yourself. Hop Sing has left some light pastries for your breakfast. We would like to see you at church, and then we have a reservation for lunch at the International with Abe and Dan.”

Ben got a hug then from his son, and it brought a tear to his eye. It had been so very long since his son had come to him for a hug. Kate came in the house then after bidding good night to her Uncle Abe. Ben quickly pulled the bedroom door shut. Kate knew there was a surprise coming but didn’t get to see it until everyone had left and Adam opened the door and carried her over the threshold.

“Adam, maybe we don’t have to build our own house. Your family has been so sweet.”

“May I remind you of a few other things that have happened.”

Kate thought back to her first breakfast here and then nodded. She knew too that she did need help with the buttons on the dress. They laughed as they recalled that first night together. Then they spent their second wedding night together playing another special game of chess. It was the beginning of their lives together that no one could ever interfere with again.

(At least that was the hope, but these are Cartwrights after all.)

An Example Set

Chapter 1

It hurt and it hurt a lot. Barbed wire was wrapped around his chest and upper arms very tightly holding him to the fence post. There was more wrapped around him but more loosely encircling his stomach and legs. It didn’t matter. He couldn’t get loose. The wire cutters had been thrown in the dirt just a few feet away from him. It was a taunt. The men had wanted him to feel awful and had done everything they could to make that happen.

“We got ya out here to set an example. We knew one a you Cartwrights would be out here once we pulled that section of fence down. Well we don’t like fences. We drove our cows through here for years and there weren’t no fences. Now you tell your pappy that when he finds ya here.”

“He’s not expecting me back until late tomorrow.”

“Well, good, you’ll have plenty of time to think on the error of your ways like the preacher likes ta say in church.”

Laughing at his predicament, the men had ridden away. Adam tried to get Sport to leave but he wouldn’t even though the scent of blood obviously made him nervous.

“Sport, it would be nice as long as you’re staying if you could pick up that wire cutters and hand it to me. No, I didn’t think you would. Damn, I should get a dog. Well now this could be very uncomfortable before it’s done. I may need to have Kate give me another one of those massages she does so well. Then we could take another bath together. That would be nice.” Adam tried to occupy his mind with pleasant thoughts because he was in a position that was anything but pleasant. He thought back to the day before and had to smile.

Kate returned from a trip to town and walked in the house to find Adam with his head resting on his arms on the dining room table. She set her purchases down and walked behind him to start massaging his neck and shoulders. He groaned in appreciation.

“I’m so glad you’re home. I missed you.” Kate worked on his tired muscles a bit longer until Adam couldn’t take it anymore. He sat up and pulled her onto his lap and started kissing her. “Your father is going to walk in here in the next minute or two. He brought the horses to the stable, but he’ll have one of the hands take care of them.”

“He’s been married. He knows how much a man misses his wife when he’s been gone for almost a week.” Adam had left on Sunday and just returned late in the afternoon on Thursday.

“I do, but there may be a better location to get reacquainted than the dining room.” Ben had smiled though at Adam’s chagrined look and Kate’s ‘I told you so’ look at him. When Kate moved to get up from his lap, he held her there though. “How did things go up at the camps?”

“I put the ledger with all the figures on your desk. I have enough trees marked for the contracts, and we got an extra flume built too. Everyone is healthy up there and the work is proceeding ahead of schedule. I checked in at the mill on the way back as you asked, and they’re on schedule too.”

When his father moved to the desk, Adam whispered in Kate’s ear and she nodded yes. He smiled and let her get up then. Adam went to see how Hop Sing was coming with heating bath water for him only now it would be them. He grabbed two towels to bring to the washroom and Hop Sing scowled at him but smiled when he turned away. Number one son was so much happier these days. Kate returned with clean clothing for Adam. After Hop Sing emptied all the large pots of hot water into the tub, Kate closed the door and locked it. Adam was already nearly undressed and ready for the tub. He slid in well before Kate was ready and watched her finish undressing. Then she stepped into the tub with him. They bathed, got reacquainted, and made love. It was a wonderful hour for the couple until Joe was banging on the door saying he needed to use the tub too.

Joe wasn’t ready to let the issue drop when Adam emerged from the washroom. “You don’t have to hog the washroom. Other people live here too.”

“Joe, I’ve been up at the timber camps for five days. I haven’t had a chance to clean up since Saturday. I would think one hour in the washroom isn’t too much to ask.”

Hearing the bickering, Ben had stepped into the kitchen to admonish the two. Kate was standing silently by. She had seen quite a bit of this between Adam and Joe and had no idea why it happened so often. Both worked hard, both were responsible men, and both loved each other. But somehow, Joe was there with a quip or comment that would immediately set Adam off. It was like Joe liked doing it, but why Adam had so little patience with his youngest brother was still a mystery to Kate. Most people couldn’t penetrate Adam’s armor like that and get him to react. Kate talked to him about her thoughts on the matter later when they were alone in their bedroom. He had no answers to her questions. He did however have an answer when she asked if he wanted to try making a baby. He definitely liked that idea.

“Dammit, Kate. I would much rather be at home with you than out here working on the damn fence line. Oh hell, I’m not working at all any more. I’m tied up like a pig for slaughter and not for the first time in my life, but damn this is getting old.”

The sun beat down on his head and chest. The men who had done this had taken his hat and shirt from him. He could take quite a bit of sun but this was going to be too much and he knew it. He tried to keep his face turned down but that pulled on the wire across his chest and upper arms making the barbs move. He was already punctured in dozens of spots. There was blood running from those spots and flies were crawling on him as a result. He was thinking it couldn’t get much worse when he heard a wolf howl. He knew it was quite a ways away but if they got the scent of blood, he wouldn’t stand a chance.

“Well, old Sport, they like to go for the soft belly of their prey first. They’re going to have a hard time getting to mine with all that wire wrapped around it.” Then Adam looked down and realized where he would be attacked first if the wolves did come. He groaned in frustration and worry. This was an awful predicament, and he was unable to think of a solution. By late in the day, he was burned by the sun, thirsty, tired, and in pain. In addition to the many puncture wounds, his muscles were beginning to complain about being in the same position for so long. There was absolutely nothing he could do about any of that.

Adam had been hoping that somehow a rider might come along and free him. As darkness began to descend, he knew that hope was futile. “Dammit, Joe and Hoss. Look what you got me into this time.” At home that morning, Adam had been set to have a relatively easy day doing a few chores around the house like chopping wood and helping his father on some contracts. Those weren’t jobs he loved, but he didn’t hate them like his brothers did. After five long days at the timber camps, his father had assigned him relatively light work for Friday. That was the plan until Joe got a sliver in his hand. He was supposed to come out here with Hoss to fix this line of fencing at least with a temporary fix until they could get a crew out here to do a complete repair job. Just a week before, Joe got out of branding duties by claiming a splinter and it turned out to be a tiny little pin prick of a problem. He had however fooled them all with a large bandage and a lot of moaning. Then just that morning, he did the same thing except he really did hurt himself.

“He pulled that stunt last week and made me do his work. It was nothing and he sat around the house all day.”

“Well, this time it is something. Hoss is going to drive him into town so Doctor Martin can take a look at it. He needs that wound cleaned out and he may even need stitches.”

“Hoss was supposed to go with me.”

“Well he has to take Joe because these contracts have to be done and in town by five today. I can’t take Joe in and get the contracts done, and everyone else is already out on their jobs for the day. Just do the best you can with the fence line today and tomorrow, and we’ll get a crew out there next week to take care of it.”

“Two days? I thought you were sending us for one day.”

“Yes, but now it’s just you, and it will take you two days. Hop Sing will pack all the food you need. The rest of what you need you can get in the tool shed. The wire on that section of fence is relatively new so it can be reused. There are posts already stacked out there because we were going to add another fence line. When we bought that property last spring, there weren’t any fences on it and our cattle stray too much there. We need to keep them from wandering away from the Ponderosa when we use those new pastures.”

So here Adam was in a major predicament and no solution to his woes until his family realized he didn’t return home late on Saturday. He was well aware how dire his situation was but was hoping that somehow tomorrow a rider might come by heading up into the mountains to hunt or trap. Heck at this point he would be happy with a kidnapping. Then he heard it. Not a wolf but a coyote yipping and it was close.

Adam tensed up and waited. There was nothing he could do and the sweat began to pour out even though the night was cool. In the moonlight, he saw the coyote when she was probably ten feet away. The coyote stood and eyed him up. Normally a coyote wouldn’t consider attacking a man, but he was helpless and smelled of blood so the attack instinct was triggered in the small beast. Adam could hear Sport snorting nearby as the coyote made him even more nervous than the smell of blood and the darkness. Suddenly the coyote ran forward and bit Adam in the calf. The animal got cut in the mouth by the barbed wire and backed off taking another look at his victim. That’s when Adam worried about where the next attack could come. Even a minor attack there could cause him to bleed to death within a short time. He tried yelling at the coyote but that did little to discourage the animal as it prowled around him evaluating her prey and deciding on a plan of attack. Adam found he couldn’t take his eyes off the coyote for the animal would be his death.

Snarling, the coyote tensed itself for another attack. It never came. Sport’s hooves crashed down on it breaking its back. In its hunger for Adam’s blood, it had ignored the other animal that was present. Sport reared up and stomped several more times splattering himself with the blood of the coyote. Adam tried to talk reassuringly to his faithful mount and slowly Sport walked to him and stood by him for the rest of the night.

By morning, Adam was growing very weak. He was shivering with the cold and knew that within hours, he would be sweating in the heat of the sun. He wasn’t sure he could still be alive by the time anyone in his family came looking for him. That’s when he heard a rider. He couldn’t look in that direction but someone was definitely riding close. He tried to call out but couldn’t make more than a throaty whisper for help. Then the rider was there.

“Saw you working here yesterday morning. I went up to check my trap lines. I was surprised not to see a campfire down here last night. Then this morning from up on the hill, it looked just like what I’m seeing now. What ya done that somebody did this to ya?”

Adam tried to answer but couldn’t talk. “Well ya musta been there a while if you’re that parched.” The rider got his canteen from Sport and walked over to give him water. He wanted more but the rider wouldn’t give him more. “Y’all just throw it up if ya have any more. Now answer my question.”

“I was putting this fence back up. Some men didn’t like that.”

“Well I don’t like fences either, but it seems the punishment ought to fit the crime and this is too much. Ya got a wire cutters here about?”

“At your feet.”

“Ah, put it there so’s you’d have to look at it and suffer more. Mean bastards who done this to ya.” Then there was relief for his legs as the wire holding them were cut. The rider worked up Adam’s body cutting the tightest wires that were around his chest and upper arms last which caused him to topple to the ground. “We gotta get you cleaned up and you’re quite a mess. Here, wrap your arm around my shoulders and we’ll go over to that little stream. Ok, now, let’s strip off them pants you soiled and get you washed up. Adam couldn’t open his belt buckle much less his pants buttons so that was done for him. Then he was helped into the stream and sat down in the gentle current. He was able to use his hands and arms enough to splash water all over himself and cool the burned skin as well as wash the many small puncture wounds he had although a few were ripped open and bleeding quite a bit more than the others.

“All right now, I got your pants washed and hanging on a bush. Let me help you out of there. You can lay on this blanket and I’m gonna use a little whisky to wash them wounds of yours. We’ll bandage up the worst ones but most of em will stop bleeding on their own now. Likely to get some infection so you’re gonna need a doctor.” Adam grimaced and groaned as the wounds were cleansed but managed a “Thank you” when he heard the ‘All done!’. “You got a nasty wound from that coyote bite. I see your horse saved you from being taken back to the den in small pieces to feed her litter.”

“Thanks for that thought.”

“Just making conversation to keep your mind off what I’m doing here.” More alcohol was suddenly poured in the coyote bite on his calf. He yelled. “Sorry mister, but that wound looks infected already. Had to do something.”

Adam managed to gasp out a “Thank you.”

“Here have a few slugs of this. I shoulda given ya some right away for the pain but I had to be sure I had enough to wash all them wounds ya got. There’s a lot of em. Drink as much as ya want now. I’ll get another blanket and you can sleep here in the shade.”

Waking later to the sound of the babbling stream and a crackling campfire, Adam opened his eyes to see his rescuer sitting across from him. The hat and jacket were gone in the heat of the day. “You’re a woman.”

“Well, my prince awakens. Of course, I’m a woman. Need anything?”

“I’m cold.”

“Well your pants ain’t dry yet. I just checked a little while ago. I’ll put more wood on the fire and get the other blanket. Have another drink a that whisky. That should help.”

Adam had a few more drinks. She was right. It was helping. So he had a few more swallows. The next time he awoke it was to the sound of his father’s voice.

“Hey, pa, how’s ya doing?”

“Adam, are you drunk?”

“I certainly hope sho. I drank enough whisky to drown a mule. Hey Joe, Hoss, want a drink? Oh shorry, I think I drank it all.”

“What happened here?”

“This morning, I found him tied to that fence post with barbed wire. He said he was there since yesterday morning. Said some men wanted to make an example of him. I washed him off in the creek and washed each wound with alcohol. He has a coupla nasty cuts from the barbed wire and a bite from a coyote on his leg. I bandaged those but he’s gonna need a doctor I think.”

“Coyote?”

“Yeah his horse stomped it to death. It’s that bloody mess way over by that tree yonder. I dragged it further away to keep scavengers getting too close to him. You gonna take care of him now?”

“Yes, and thank you. If there’s anything you ever need, please, just ask and it’s yours.”

“Well I been trapping on your land up this way for quite a while. Would be nice if ya told me I had your permission to do it.”

A little surprised by the request, Ben nevertheless was quick to agree although Hoss didn’t

like the idea. Adam said “Any time.” but of course he was drunk. “Hey trapper, what’s your name?”

“The name is Melody, Melody Ames.”

“Aww, that’s a pretty name. That’s a pretty name, isn’t it Pa.”

“Adam, just lie quietly. We’ll get you home as soon as we can.”

Chapter 2

Within three hours, they had Adam home. It hadn’t been easy. He was drunk and didn’t understand the gravity of his situation in that state. He sang songs and asked frequently if they could stop and have a picnic. When they said no, he would attempt to climb down from the horse anyway. Ben and Hoss did most of the riding with him because Joe couldn’t stop him from moving.

“Hi, Katie girl. I met Melody. She took care of me. She even gave me a bath in the stream and washed my pants.”

Kate had a shocked look on her face and wondered what was going on.

“Is he drunk? Who’s Melody?”

“It’s a long story. Let’s get him in the house and in bed, and then we’ll tell you what we know. Joe’s already gone for the doctor.” Ben released his hold on Adam as Hoss came to help ease him to the ground. Then Ben dismounted and the two men took Adam into the house and up to his bed. Kate was appalled at her husband’s condition when they removed the blanket from around his shoulders. They pulled off his boots, socks, and then his pants showing more puncture wounds there with bruising around each one but also the bandaging that covered the coyote bite. As Adam settled into their bed, he relaxed and fell asleep again. Ben wasn’t so sure they ought to mention the coyote, but he explained the rest.

“Some men attacked him yesterday morning and tied him to a fence post with barbed wire. They left him there in the sun with no hat or shirt so that’s why he’s got a bad sunburn too. A trapper found him this morning, cleaned up his wounds, and bandaged the worst of them. Gave him some whisky for the pain after washing out the wounds.”

“Who’s Melody?”

“That’s the trapper who found him and helped him.”

“You’re jealous. That’s funny. I thought she was a man until she took her hat off. Oh, gees, Pa, she saw me without my pants on. Katie, I’m sho sorry, she took my pants off because I couldn’t do it.” Adam was awake again.

“Go to sleep until the doctor gets here.” Ben’s voice penetrated his drunkenness. Adam closed his eyes like a small child being ordered to go to sleep. Soon though he was breathing softly and evenly as he slept. “He’s going to be in a lot of pain when that whisky wears off. Probably sick too. He doesn’t usually drink to excess. In fact, I don’t think he’s been drunk for nearly twenty years.”

Hoss came up to tell them that the sheriff was there. Ben and Hoss left Adam in Kate’s capable care and went downstairs to let Roy know what had happened. Roy was the one who had alerted them that Adam might be in trouble. Two men who had quit a free ranging outfit had talked of doing something to a Cartwright to set an example. The only one not accounted for at that time had been Adam, so Ben, Hoss, and Joe had ridden out at first light to see if he was all right. Of course he wasn’t, and Ben was incensed.

“You didn’t arrest those two men, and now they’re gone?”

“Ben, now ya know I couldn’t rightly arrest them men on a count of what they said in a saloon when they was drinking. I had to have some evidence. Well I sent out wires to towns around here, and ifn they was to stop at one a them, they’ll be arrested. Seems they ain’t the ones who was in charge anyways. We got ta find the boss of this outfit what done it, and arrest him. Now can Adam give us a description so we know who we’re a looking for?”

“Adam can’t explain much of anything now. He’s drunk.”

“Drunk?” So Ben had to explain about Melody and the whisky. “Well, I’ll be darned. If that boy a yours don’t get in some peculiar situations. Now, I was heading out there to see what I could find out. Do any a you want ta ride with me and show me the exact spot ya found him in?”

Both Hoss and Joe wanted to go. Adam was in no danger although he would be in some pain for a few days at least. They went to Hop Sing to get a food pack, and then joined Roy for the ride to the new pasture where Adam was attacked. Roy picked up Adam’s torn shirt and fragments of barbed wire with blood on them. He put those in his saddlebags along with the wire cutters he had found at the post where Adam had been secured. Shaking his head at the inhumanity of it all, he nodded at Hoss to start tracking. Candy and a few hands from the Ponderosa caught up with them a short time later.

“Thought maybe this posse needed a few more men. Mr. Cartwright told us we could go, so here we are. Those free ranging bunches usually are pretty tough hombres.” Candy had spent some time riding with a free ranging bunch but quit them when he realized how little regard they had for the law and for the lives of people who got in their way.

Tracking the bunch was relatively easy for someone as skilled as Hoss. They were moving faster than the group had been the day before and soon caught up to where they had been grazing their cattle. They had obviously moved them through the more remote of the Ponderosa pastures and then through the area where Adam had gone to fix the fence. Now they were moving them toward California so it was apparent they were ready to market them. There were probably Ponderosa cattle mixed up in that herd. Even without charges for what they had done to Adam, they could get them arrested for rustling if they caught up with them after they entered California. Roy would have no authority there, but every lawman out here took a dim view of men rustling.

Once it was clear the free rangers were heading toward the mountain passes that would bring them near Placerville, most of the posse rode ahead with Joe to wait for them. Hoss and Roy stayed in pursuit by tracking them and within another day had the herd in sight.

“Wonder if Joe, Candy, and the boys got ahead of them yet. We need to watch today and tonight for the signal.” Roy nodded. He was out of his element out here in this rough country and deferred to Hoss and Joe to make the plans. So they hung back well behind the herd but keeping them in sight. Late in the afternoon, they saw a flash of light from a hill ahead of the herd. Hoss rode up the hill near them and flashed back with a small mirror kept in his saddlebags just for that purpose. They used to joke on the trail that Adam carried a large mirror so he could shave, but that Joe and Hoss didn’t need to carry anything but a small one to use for signaling. That had usually resulted in a number of barbs being thrown back and forth among the brothers to the amusement of the hands. Now though it just reminded Hoss of how badly his brother had been treated by these men for just doing his job on their land.

There were two more flashes and Hoss answered. They would move in on the free rangers in two hours. He checked his watch and then rode down to tell Roy the plan. They were still in Nevada if only by a few miles, but it would be enough. Roy could take them into custody, and they could be tried in Virginia City for their crimes.

Slowly and carefully, Roy and Hoss rode near the herd as the free rangers slowed and began to settle the herd for the night. Hoss kept them in cover looking ahead all the time to see how they could get close without being seen. They would be the ones to move in on the free rangers first. They expected the two men riding drag to take off for the other end of the herd where they would be met by Joe and Candy and the other men from the Ponderosa. None of them were in a good mood thinking about what these men had done to Adam. They liked Adam as a boss and as a man, and he had been treated horribly. The men in both parts of the posse drew their weapons and prepared themselves.

As a gun battle, it didn’t last long. Hoss and Roy rode out first as planned. Roy yelled that those men were under arrest and they took off as expected. The cattle were the wild card in the scenario but they stayed bunched up until the shooting started. Hoss and Roy had to ride hard to get out of their way then as they headed back up the trail they had made. By the time they reached where the front of the herd had been, most of the free rangers were pinned down, wounded, or dead. Once Roy yelled from behind them, they gave up. Better to face a jury than die here was their thought. The men who had bossed this group were lying dead. They had foolishly met the charge of Joe and his men.

Bodies were wrapped in blankets and buried. The wounded were tended to, and all were tied or handcuffed. Roy only had two pairs of handcuffs so the two men who were wounded got those. The others were tied with rope. They set up camp. The next day, Hoss with Candy and the rest of the Ponderosa hands would round up the cattle and ironically drive them back to the pasture where it had all started. Roy and Joe would escort the prisoners back to Virginia City.

The next morning, Joe thanked Candy and the men for coming to help them. He promised them an extra day off that month with pay. Hoss nodded in approval. Hoss had a few other plans for some of the men. They had made the Ponderosa even bigger with a few purchases in the last year. He thought that Candy deserved a raise and would bring that up with his pa and brothers, but didn’t think they would object. He was also thinking that they needed an assistant to Candy who could take over in his absence. The skills, and the loyalty shown by the men who had come with Candy spoke highly of them. Again, if the rest of the family agreed, he thought Candy ought to pick one of them as an assistant foreman. They could also start organizing some of the men into crews and those crews would need chiefs. Hoss had a few suggestions for that too.

By the time Hoss and the men arrived back on the Ponderosa, Joe was already back and sitting on the porch with Adam and Kate. Hoss was relieved to see his older brother sitting outside dressed and looking healthy. After he put up Chubb and walked closer to the house, Adam’s injuries were still apparent but obviously were the minor injuries the doctor had assured them they were. Adam’s sunburn was fading but his eyes still looked red and sore, and he spoke hoarsely.

“What happened to your voice? You sounded better when we brung ya back than you do now.”

With Kate chuckling a little and getting a scowl from Adam for that, Joe answered. “Older brother doesn’t have our experience with getting drunk. He was retching most of the day apparently. He still can’t keep anything solid down.” Hoss noticed then the cup of tea next to Adam.

“We did find some of our cattle mixed in with that herd. Candy went to town with one of the men to let the sheriff know and sign a statement about it. Not much doubt now that they’re all gonna get some prison time.”

“Thank you, Hoss, for all you did. I heard you and Joe promised an extra day off with pay for the men. Thank you for that too.”

Hoss looked at Joe. “He already thanked me, and I told him all about what we did. Now you need to tell him your ideas before we talk with Pa.” So Hoss laid out his plan for how he thought they could organize the men more efficiently.

“Never thought about doing it that way, but I like the way you’ve set it up. I’m in favor.”

“In favor of what?” Ben had walked outside after finishing up some work because he had heard Hoss’ voice.

Hoss started explaining about giving Candy a raise, about making one of the men an assistant foreman, and about organizing the men in crews with crew chiefs to be more efficient.

“Now, I don’t see any reason to make any changes. Things have been working just fine the way they are.”

Adam could see the disappointment on Hoss’ face and even on Joe’s face. “Pa, did you forget what we talked about?”

“What do you mean what you talked about? Things being decided again without our having any say?” Joe was getting angry. That temper of his was like lava rising.

“Don’t get upset at your brother. He was just telling me that he didn’t think it was right that he be sent out to do things like fix that fence.” Seeing Joe’s face drop, Ben decided to explain it all. “No, he wasn’t blaming you, either of you. He was blaming me.” That made Adam start. “Adam felt that with his skills and experience, it was a waste to have him fixing fence that almost any greenhorn could do with instructions. And he added that it wasn’t fair either. He had just spent five very long days working hard and deserved to take it easy for a day or two.”

“What does that have to do with Hoss’ ideas?”

“Well, I was getting to that. Part of the problem seems to be that I make all of the decisions as to what work will be done and when. The three of you have a better idea of what’s going on sometimes than I do. I have to admit, I sent Adam too because it was convenient. Sometimes I do that. I send one of you because you’re right there.”

“So does our oldest brother think he can do better?”

“Joseph, we are trying to have a civil discussion here. Your jealousy of your brother has no place here; is that understood.” Kate was listening intently. She was gaining a better understanding of the family dynamic especially the relationship between Joe and Adam. Joe nodded but anyone could tell he was still upset.

“What Adam has suggested is that we should all sit down together and plan what needs to be done. Therefore, what I think he wants is for all of us to discuss the merits of Hoss’ proposals? Is that correct?”

Adam nodded. Joe was speechless but only for a moment. “Sorry, Adam, I shot my mouth off before I knew what was going on.”

A pinch on the arm from Kate kept Adam from retorting. He planned to talk with her later about that!

“Well, if everyone is agreeable, I think on Monday morning, we should discuss the plans for the week.”

“Ah, Pa, how about after Sunday dinner? It won’t be working. We’ll just be talking, and if we need to make any preparations for work on Monday we’ll be able to do that.” Joe got a reluctant nod from Ben when it was apparent that both Adam and Hoss liked Joe’s idea.

“Pa, could we include Candy in the discussions? He knows all the men here and what they can do.” That idea from Hoss was easier for Ben to accept. He liked Candy and as foreman, he thought he probably should be included.

Hop Sing announced that dinner was ready. Adam reluctantly stood and it was apparent how stiff he was when he did that. Joe suggested he ought to soak in the tub, but Kate said the doctor said no soaking because three of the wounds were infected and draining. He didn’t want him soaking and possibly spreading the infection to any of the other numerous small wounds. At the dining table, none of the food looked appetizing to Adam who sat quietly as the others filled their plates. Then Hop Sing brought him a small bowl of beef barley soup. He tried a small spoonful and liked it. He turned to thank Hop Sing who beamed. Hop Sing had included a few thin crackers with the soup and had set another cup of tea beside that.

The next morning, following the instructions the doctor had left, Kate cleaned up the wounds Adam had. The three largest ones looked quite a bit better than the day before and she wrapped them in soft cotton bandages. Adam ate a more normal breakfast, and the family went to church services. After services, the three brothers were busy answering questions about what had happened. Adam called it quits saying he was tired and telling everyone that Joe could tell the story much better than he could which got a smile from Joe.

Kate and Adam talked a lot on the ride home. “I don’t understand it. Joe shoots critical comment after critical comment your way, and you often send them right back. Yet he seems to crave your praise and would do anything for you. He’s jealous of you, you can make him angrier than anyone else can without even saying a word sometimes, and he loves and respects you like no other.”

“Yeah, that probably sums it up quite accurately.”

“This is an interesting family to watch. I never know what’s going to happen next.”

Chapter 3

On Sunday evening after dinner with Candy included for the first time, the Cartwrights discussed the merits of Hoss’ plan. They had agreed in advance to a raise for Candy and told him about that at dinner. The assistant foreman idea was accepted after discussion and Candy had a candidate in mind whom the others liked so he was given the go-ahead to discuss it with him. The crew idea was discussed quite a bit, and because no one had a clear idea of how to make it work, it was shelved for further discussion.

Next, they laid out a plan for work to be done that week. All of them knew the weather or unforeseen complications could change things, but it was good to have some idea of what to expect for the week. Adam was not in the rotation for any of the outdoor jobs. He would stay with Ben and work on contracts and ledgers as needed until he was completely well. Adam groaned but only a little. There were a lot of pluses that went with those two minuses.

Surprising everyone, Hoss said he would go out to fix the fence that had been the start of all the recent trouble. Adam came right to the point.

“Why do you want to do that? None of us like fence mending.”

“Well, I was thinking that ifn I was up there a few days, maybe I’d run into that trapper who saved you. And well, I was thinking maybe I could work out a different deal with her if you would all support it.”

Joe had picked up on Adam’s curiosity and wanted to know what was going on too. “What kind of deal?”

“Well, we got way too many coyotes and wolves and even an occasional mountain lion that take calves in that area. If she would go for those, we could pay her for each one and she wouldn’t have to trap out all them other critters.”

“Makes sense to me.” Hoss liked it when Adam approved an idea right away like that. It would take some major objection from someone else for anyone to want to take Adam on in an argument. So he got what he wanted and all agreed to his proposal.

The next morning, Hoss loaded up a pack-horse and headed out. He needed more wire because of the wire that was cut when Adam was tied to the post. He also brought some extra feed for Chubb and lots of ammunition. If he saw any coyotes or wolves, he intended to hunt them. Based on Adam’s experience, there were too many near that pasture. A few men rode out with him. They would separate the Ponderosa cattle from the others they had brought back. They were going to drive the rest to the homesteaders in the flatlands. They could raise them or eat them: it would be their choice.

All day, Hoss worked on the fence after his arrival. He found that many of the posts had been broken and he needed to set new posts. By the end of the day, he had a long line of posts in the ground. The next day he planned to string the barbed wire. He might finish the job in two days. He kept alert for any sign of Melody Ames but saw no one. He built a large campfire that night and was alert for any sound of wolves or coyotes even in the distance but heard nothing.

The next morning, Hoss began the job of stringing the wire. There were a few dagnabits and dadburnits as he was pricked by the barbs. Bu the end of the day though, he was finished, The fence would again prevent their cattle from wandering off. He fixed his dinner and sat back to relax. His plan now was to ride up the mountain to see what kind of sign he might find of coyotes or wolves. Hoss whirled about when suddenly there was someone behind him.

“Good thing I ain’t a desperado. You’d be a dead man right about now.”

“Dadburnit, Melody Ames, ya ain’t supposed to sneak up on a man’s camp like that. You coulda been shot.”

“By who? You had no idea I was there.”

Hoss raised the rifle he had in his hands higher so she could see it. “I heard ya coming a long ways off. When I realized ya was small and alone, I figured it was a Paiute boy out to steal something to prove his bravery, or it was you. Either way, I wasn’t going to shoot unless I guessed wrong.”

“Well, ya gonna offer me some a your coffee?”

“Oh, yeah, have a seat. Ya got a cup cause I only brung one with me?”

“Course I do. Just let me get it outta my pack.” Melody savored the fine coffee and leaned back against the log. “I found the pups from that coyote your brother’s horse killed. They was all dead already. Something else found em first.”

“Do you see a lot of coyotes up here?”

“Oh, I see a lot of em. Lots of wolves too. No trade in those hides though but they do make a mess of what I get in my traps sometimes.”

“How about if we paid you for every coyote and wolf you got up here?”

“Paid me, like in real money?” At Hoss’ nod, Melody continued. “I usually just make things with the pelts I get and sometimes, trade those or the pelts for things I need. Money would be right handy to have.”

“Well we would expect you to stop trapping all the other critters up here.”

“Well I could do that ifn your pappy was to shake on it. He’s the one who made the deal with me so he rightly ought to be the one who changes it.”

“I was going to hunt to see if I could find any of them varmints, but if you could come with me, we could go to the house tomorrow and you could shake on it with my pa.”

“I can do that.”

Hoss and Melody spent the evening talking about animals and the beauty of the mountains. The next morning they rode out to the ranch house so finalize the deal with the Cartwrights by having Ben modify his agreement with Melody.

At the ranch house, Adam had received a telegram that Delores was coming for a visit. He had invited Jeffrey and Marlene and Delores expecting that if they came, they would come together. However Delores apparently wanted some time away from her sister and brother-in-law and thought visiting the Ponderosa would be perfect. Knowing that Jeffrey and Marlene were unaware of Delores’ nature, they probably encouraged her to come not knowing that Adam was already married. However Delores was a beautiful woman and Adam wondered what that would do to stir up things. Delores was arriving at any time so he had to let Kate know. On the day, pretty Melody who had seen Adam nude arrived at the ranch house, so did Delores who had been linked with Adam according to the Alta California newspaper. Kate was not in a good mood.

At dinner, the Cartwrights were entertained by Delores and her stories of San Francisco and engaged by the pretty Melody who was charming in her innocence. Her reactions to Delores’ stories had everyone laughing except Kate who excused herself to get some fresh air. Adam took a deep breath and excused himself as well. Delores worried that she had said something wrong but Ben, Hoss, and Joe assured her that she was upset with Adam about something and encouraged her to tell more stories. Melody added her support to that as she couldn’t wait to hear more about the city.

Outside, Adam saw Kate leaning on the corral fence. As he got to her, he tried to turn her to him but she resisted. He stood back with his arms at his sides not knowing what to do. He hadn’t done anything wrong so he couldn’t apologize. He wasn’t planning on doing anything wrong so he couldn’t promise not to. Finally, he just said two words. “Trust me.” Then he repeated them.

Turning to look at Adam, Kate let him see that she had been crying. Adam reached out and pulled her into his embrace. “Sweetheart, tell me what’s wrong.”

“Delores is beautiful. Melody is so pretty. They have everyone in thrall with their stories and their wit. And then there’s me. I’m just dull.”

“You enchant me. I spend any time away from you thinking about being with you. I like just being in the same room with you. In the mornings, as the light of dawn breaks through the window, I lay in bed and watch you and think how lucky I am to have you at my side.”

“Really? You just look at me?”

“Yes, until I have to get out of bed. I think of all the things I would like to do with you, in bed or out. Eventually I can’t stop myself, and I kiss you. Sometimes you awaken and sometimes you just smile in your sleep. It’s beautiful. I love you. Now, trust me?”

“Yes, of course. There is no one I trust more than you. I love you.”

“Can we go back in the house and visit with our guests?”

“Not yet. Please, can we kiss?”

“Sweetheart, the answer to that will always be the same.” Adam pulled Kate into his arms and kissed her passionately. She responded with the same ardor. Then they went back in to visit with their guests as Kate smiled at Adam and he stayed by her side for the rest of the evening.

The next morning, Adam walked down the stairs to see only his father at the dining table. He joined him and Hop Sing immediately brought out a cup of coffee and a plate of breakfast. Adam shook his head and his father chuckled. None of them had ever understood how he did it, but unfailingly he did.

“So, son, are you and Kate on good terms again?”

“We were never on bad terms. Kate was feeling a little insecure last night, that’s all. I reassured her, and everything is fine.”

“Are you still planning on taking that trip to New York and Boston?”

Adam looked at his father with consternation. “Absolutely. Are you still planning on joining us for the trip to Boston?”

“Yes, I was just wondering if the timing of the trip in November and December, and Kate’s emotional reaction last night might have a similar cause?”

Looking at his father thoughtfully, Adam wondered how he did it. “Maybe, we’re not sure yet but it’s looking very likely.”

“What’s very likely?” Hoss and Joe were walking down the steps with Hoss in the lead and a sleepy looking Joe right behind him.

“Adam and Kate will be traveling to New York after the drive this fall. Then I will join them and we will travel to Boston before the three of us return here.”

“Aww, Pa, you’re not going to be gone for Christmas, are you?” Joe loved Christmas and they had a few without Adam but never had had one without their father.

“No, we want to get Kate back here by Christmas, so the whole family will be here to celebrate that holiday together.”

“Why do you need to get Kate back here by Christmas?”

Adam looked at his father before answering. He didn’t want to share more than necessary at this point. “We don’t need to, but we want to. Kate has never celebrated Christmas like we do on the Ponderosa.”

That got Hoss and Joe reminiscing about all the Christmas traditions and past Christmas celebrations, and they forgot to ask about the trip and about Kate. Adam smiled at his father. Unlike his father, his brothers were relatively easy to misdirect. He and Kate would keep the reason for the fall trip and the return by Christmas to themselves.

Meanwhile, they were entertained as Hoss and Joe discussed the merits of Delores versus Melody with Joe not knowing about Delores not liking men. Hoss led him into a plan where Hoss would pursue Melody and Joe would pursue Delores. Joe thought he won that one and wondered at all the laughter when he said that.

It was an interesting week at the Ponderosa until the two ladies left. Hoss was looking forward to seeing Melody again, and Joe was questioning his attraction to the ladies for he had gotten nowhere with Delores. It was all very disconcerting for him. Finally Hoss couldn’t take Joe moping about and told him about Delores. Joe pledged to get even, and Hoss got worried. With the drive coming up, Joe would have plenty of opportunities for revenge. Adam recounted some of the things Joe had done in the past to get even with him or with Hoss. It was going to be interesting to see what Joe would do this time to make an example of Hoss for tricking him. It was all in good humor though, so everyone hoped Hoss would take it as such when it happened. Adam and Kate enjoyed watching that drama unfold.

After the fall roundup and movement of cattle from the upper pastures to the lower, the extra cattle were gathered for a small drive to California. Adam was trail boss and Joe was ramrod. They ran into a problem at one point when they came across some fencing blocking their way on a trail they had used many times before. Adam negotiated a fee with the landowner for passage, and they moved forward.

One of their drovers took a bad tumble and broke his leg when his horse stepped in a hole and went down. Adam groaned in frustration and sympathy for the man when one of the hands came carrying him up to the wagon at the end of a day. The leg was splinted and he spent the rest of the drive riding in the chuck wagon.

The next day after they had stopped for the day, the same hand came walking to the camp carrying Joe who was moaning. Hoss jumped up from where he had been sitting and rushed to Joe’s side. Adam was immediately suspicious because of the way Joe was moaning. It just didn’t seem to be authentic. Hoss took Joe from the hand and carefully carried him up to where Adam was standing.

“Is he really hurt?”

“Course he is, Adam, can’t ya hear him?”

Hoss carefully laid Joe down and Adam saw his eyes. Then he knew and he kicked Joe in the foot.

“Hey, what did you do that for?” Joe looked up at Adam angrily.

Suddenly Hoss got it. Joe started to giggle and then saw the look in Hoss’ eyes.

“Joe, I’m gonna pound you for that.”

Joe jumped up to run and Hoss was right after him. Adam watched, shook his head, and sat down again to finish his dinner. A few weeks later, he was happy to climb aboard the stage with Kate. They had gotten to leave a bit earlier than expected.

“Adam, I’ll see you in New York in a month.”

“Yes, Pa. We’ll be there.”

And Adam and Kate started off on another adventure.

Melancholy and Joy

Chapter 1

When the stage got to Reno, Kate started to feel a bit nervous. She had never traveled and now in each town, there would be new things. She had been excited when Adam had talked of the trip to New York and Boston and of the theatres and concerts they would see, the shopping they could do, and the sights they could see. But Kate began to worry that she would not fit in with his friends and all their worldly sophistication. Their first stopover was in Salt Lake City. Adam thought that Kate would tolerate the journey better if they stopped for a day or two in some of the larger cities along the way.

Laughing with joy, Kate danced barefoot in the shallow water of the Great Salt Lake. They had a picnic lunch, and then strolled through the developing city. As they walked through Temple Square, Adam was fascinated by the ongoing construction of the Temple itself. Construction had been going on for over a dozen years and by then people could see what a grand edifice it would be. They shopped at the newly opened Zion’s Cooperative Mercantile Institution, and though most of the shoppers there were Mormon, they were treated well and found a few items to take with them. Kate was well rested then, and they continued their trip to New York.

The next stopover of course was in Laramie where they spent the night at Uncle Abe’s home. He was quite happy to learn they were expecting a baby in seven more months and looked forward to becoming a great uncle. As they continued their travels, Kate was amazed at the variety of terrain they covered although she still thought the greatest view had been looking back at the Sierras as the sun set. They saw more of the mountains as they continued to Denver where they planned to spend two days visiting with friends of Adam, Matt and Irena Noth. The only sour spot on the trip east occurred here for Kate though. The couple they stayed with were early risers as were Kate and Adam. As Adam shaved, Kate went downstairs in the home to see if she could get coffee for the two of them. What she heard made her retreat but not before she heard what the two truly thought of them.

“I can’t believe Adam is married. I never thought he would marry.”

“I know. He backed out the other times. I can’t believe this will last, not with his wandering eye. He always did have an appreciation of beautiful women. I can’t believe he settled for this Kate. She certainly doesn’t have the classical beauty I thought he appreciated.”

“Perhaps he felt sorry for her. After all, by her age, most women have found a husband and have given their husbands children.”

“Maybe that’s what he’s after. She looks like she could produce an heir for the man at least.”

“Well if last night was any indication, he’s trying to do that. There was a lot of bed springs squeaking.”

“I know. I heard it too.”

“Well if that’s all he wanted her for, he could have set her up as a mistress. He didn’t have to marry her for that.”

“Well I would assume tonight the little backwoods girl will have to be with us at the theatre. It is always so difficult with an uneducated person in our group explaining everything to them.”

“Well, dear husband, we’ve survived it before, we can do it again.”

Kate turned to head back up the stairs. She had no idea how to act around these people any more now that she knew how they felt about her. She did her best to hide her dismay when she walked back into the room to see Adam finishing his shaving. She looked at him and wondered now too why such a wealthy, handsome man had married her. Self-doubt had always been a problem for Kate, and it reared up again. Instead of caving in to it though, she walked up to Adam and kissed him lightly after he had wiped his face with a damp cloth.

“Ahh, that’s a great way to start the day. But I think we can improve on that.” Adam wrapped Kate in his arms and kissed her deeply. He felt a little resistance at first but Kate soon melted into his arms and returned his passion.

“I would love to do more than kiss, sweetheart, but we have made plans for the day. We should finish dressing and get going.”

With reluctance, Adam let Kate slip from his embrace. He thought he saw a bit of sadness in her look.

“Is there something wrong? Are you feeling all right?”

“Of course, I’m fine. Just a little tired perhaps. You did keep me up until late last night.”

Smiling, Adam hugged Kate once again. “I promise tonight to let you sleep so you’ll be well rested for the next part of our trip.” He kissed her again and then let her go so they could dress.

After a quick breakfast, Adam and Kate toured the rapidly growing city by hiring an open carriage and driver. There was little evidence any longer of the fire that had devastated the city only a few years earlier. The smell of freshly hewn lumber was everywhere as it seemed the newly rich wanted homes to advertise their new status. Some homes were so ostentatious they made Adam laugh. Kate would ask why, and he would explain all of the unnecessary accoutrements of some of the new homes. They had lunch at one of the new restaurants and were very happy with the dishes that were served. Kate was eating more and felt that she could already feel a baby bump but Adam said there was no difference yet. Each night she would have him feel to see if he could tell. Kate was in a joyous mood until they had to return to the Noth home.

After dinner, Kate tried to tell Adam she could skip the theatre that night, and when he asked if she was ill, she couldn’t lie to him. He told her he would explain anything she didn’t understand and that only made her feel worse even though she smiled at him when he said it. They attended the theatre that evening with Matt and Irena, but the conversation was stilted. Adam couldn’t determine why his friends seemed to have trouble conversing with Kate and why she was basically just polite to them. By the end of the evening, he was more than ready to retire early to get a good rest before their continuing travels the next day. When he asked Kate if anything was bothering her, she said she was anxious to continue the journey which made Adam happy even if he had lingering doubts as to whether he truly understood why Kate was upset.

Riding the rails, the couple were soon in St. Louis where Adam was fascinated by plans to build a bridge over the Mississippi River. The couple spent some quiet time strolling through the several large parks the city was developing. Adam was impressed with the city planning though the city suffered through repeated bouts of cholera and typhus epidemics that would continue until they stopped dumping waste in the river north of the waterworks. Both marveled at the Mississippi River. Adam had seen it before but the river was magnificent no matter how many times one saw it. Kate was like a child cooing in delight as they crossed the river for the next part of the journey.

Once across the Mississippi, Kate and Adam had no more stops planned until they reached New York. Adam had reserved a sleeping berth so they were reasonably comfortable. It was cramped but they had each other and that was all that mattered. The memories from Denver were fading for Kate who resumed her more usual engaging personality. As they traveled they watched the landscape change again and again. Kate was soothed by Adam’s presence and the rocking train, but her doubts and insecurities had been unleashed by those harsh words.

On the Ponderosa, Hoss rode over to Adam’s building site every day as he had promised to be sure the work was proceeding as Adam had instructed. The house was looking good already and would be rough finished by the time that Adam and Kate returned. As Adam and Kate were touring St. Louis, Hoss had a guest and was showing her the house.

“Melody, look over here. See this doorframe with the hole in the middle. Adam says that he’s gonna have a pocket door on each side.”

“Hoss, what’s a pocket door?”

“Well, see, it’s a door that slides into the doorframe instead a swinging out or in. Adam says that way there’s no wasted space. This here room is gonna be his study or office, and this way he can open it up to see everything going on of close it off when he’s working in here.”

“Your brother sure is smart.”

“Yeah, he is. And I want him to build me a house like this sometime. He’s even got something ordered called a water closet. It’s gonna go in the upstairs washroom. They won’t even have to go outside to use the necessary. Now that would be right handy to have in the winter especially or when the mosquitoes are bad.”

“Hoss, what will they do with the, you know, the mess?”

“Come around the back and I’ll show ya. He’s got a pipe that’s gonna come out of there and into a big hole in the ground and it’ll be all covered up and everything so there won’t be no smell. He’s got the washroom right over the kitchen and he’s got some way he was talking about to even get water up there. I don’t know how he’s gonna do it, but he’ll find a way. Then he’s got the big washroom down here. He’s gonna have a big tub in there for washing clothes and a bath tub too. Even got a stove in there for heating water and the room, on top of it all.”

“Wow, all of that would make some wife a happy woman. You gonna marry someone, Hoss, and build her a house like this someday?”

Melody was walking around the back seeing all the land that had been cleared for a stable, corral, and other necessary buildings. Adam planned a smithy and a smokehouse but wasn’t sure yet what else he would add. There was room off to the side for a garden and that was already staked out. Hoss couldn’t get enough of watching Melody. She had an innocence he found enchanting. He had kissed her a few times, and she had kissed him back, but he still wasn’t sure if her feelings were as strong as his. He knew he had to ask her soon though for she was going to be heading back to her cabin in the mountains, and with winter coming on within months, he wouldn’t see her again until the snow melted in spring. He didn’t want to wait that long.

“Melody, I got something ta ask ya, and you don’t have to answer me now although that would be real nice.”

“What is it, Hoss? You need help with something?”

“I do, but I don’t reckon I really know how to ask for it so alls I can do is just blurt it out. Melody, would you marry me?” When Melody didn’t answer right away, Hoss felt he had to convince her. “I know I ain’t much to look at. I ain’t handsome like Adam or cute like Joe. And I ain’t smart like Adam, or funny like Joe, but Melody, I would do anything ya asked. I would do anything I could to make ya happy.”

“Hoss, you are the sweetest man. You have beautiful blue eyes, and you got shoulders that let everyone know you’re all man. I would be honored to be your wife. I just never thought a man like you would want a woman like me. I ain’t never been to school. I can read just a smidgeon that my ma taught me before she died, and I can cipher some cause pa showed me. But I ain’t educated like you. Are you sure you won’t be embarrassed to be seen with me?”

Hoss grabbed Melody in a hug and let his actions speak for him. He kissed her with a lot of pent up passion. He held her in his embrace and they kissed until both needed to catch their breath.

“Lord, Almighty, you sure can kiss. I never been kissed like that.”

“You’re gonna get kissed like that a lot now. Can we go tell Pa and Joe now?”

Chapter 2

Arriving in New York with high expectations, Adam and Kate were both dismayed. Manhattan Island, located between the Hudson and East Rivers and bounded on the north by Westchester, was where they had hotel reservations. They intended to attend the theatre and as many musical productions as they could. New York was the largest city in the nation and the gateway city to the country but there was increasing misery and squalor everywhere one looked. Manhattan, Brooklyn and the west end of Long Island were where much of the city’s population lived. Manhattan was neatly laid out in a grid of rectangular blocks. But it was not at all level and was marked by low hills, gullies, streams, marshlands and small meadows. Some of the areas along the Hudson and East rivers still had large pockets of swamp and wetlands.

The city was still densely populated however in some areas and as a solution was growing up not out. The sun was blocked by the thousands of tenements that had been already been built in Manhattan. A landscaped Central Park was being developed far away from much of the squalor and the smell, and Kate and Adam retreated there frequently.

The streets where Kate and Adam were staying were paved with cobblestones, but streets in general in the city were muddy, dirty, and had pools of stagnant water. Manure from thousands of horses daily dirtied the streets and removal was not efficient. Yet the city was bursting with energy and buildings were being constructed at a feverish pace. The city never slept.

Within a day of arriving in the city and having contacted some old friends, Adam was already getting job offers. The first came from an old acquaintance from Boston, Ned Fitzgerald, who had worked for Adam’s grandfather. For a man with little education, he seemed to be doing well and was well connected with the city’s elite.

“Adam, I tell ya, Tammany Hall is the place to go. They’ll hire ya as an architect or engineer or both. There’s a fortune to be made in this city. If ya was to want to go independent, there’s lots of firms what want more architects and engineers.”

“I’m not interested in a move to New York. Just one day here has me yearning for the clean air and water of home.”

“Now, boyo, you wouldn’t have to live here. You could build yourself a fine home anywhere. All you would have to do is sign contracts, design buildings, collect your check from the city, and then send a little commission to Tammany. Most of the wealthy people here are cooperating. No one loses.”

“Ned, that sounds illegal.”

“Nah, it’s just a friendly little deal we all get to share in.”

“Ned, it’s a kickback scheme. I won’t do it.”

“Well, then, I guess I’ll finish my beer and be on my way. I was just trying to help ya out because you’re the Captain’s grandson. Abel Stoddard didn’t have your standards, boy. He knew how to make money and go with the flow. I guess you really wouldn’t fit in here.”

Leaving the Irish-American social club, Adam got some strange and suspicious looks. He supposed he didn’t look much like an Irishman. But he had been with Ned so people did not question him. When he got back to the hotel, Kate wanted to know what Ned wanted.

“He gave me a job offer to be an architect or engineer. I turned him down. I have no interest in working with the people he works with.”

“What if someone you respect made you an offer?”

“I would have to consider it and talk it over with you. What would you think of living here in the east?” Adam expected the answer he got.

“I don’t like it here. The shops have wonderful things, and I have enjoyed the theatre and the musical performances, except for opera. But I don’t want to live here. It’s so crowded and dirty. I want to take a bath whenever we return. It’s like being soiled every time you go outside.”

Adam nodded and Kate thought she saw the hint of disappointment in his look. Instead Adam was hiding his amusement at the fact that her opinions so closely mirrored his own except for the opera. He adored opera.

“Perhaps, if we saw a few more opera performances, you would grow to like them?”

“I doubt it.”

“Well, my dear, frankly operas are just not nearly as important as you. I’ll have to do without.”

Shaken a little by his answer, Kate was trying to decipher a hidden meaning behind his words. There was none, but Kate worried that if Adam gave up things on her behalf that he would one day come to resent her for denying him things she loved. She tried to backtrack on the opera idea, but Adam was having none of it.

“Kate, you don’t have to like opera. Many people don’t. It doesn’t mean anything about you as a person just like it doesn’t mean anything about me that I do like it. I don’t want you to change for me. I fell in love with who you are, not who you could become.”

“What are we doing tonight? I forgot.”

“We’re having dinner at a friend’s place. There will be all sorts of important people there from lawyers and politicians to writers and artists. It should be a very entertaining evening.”

What Adam didn’t say was that it was a banquet with over two dozen people who talked knowledgeably about the theatre, the government, literature, religion, and almost any topic one could imagine. He just expected that well educated people could have these conversations. He and Kate talked about many similar things, and he didn’t realize that she might feel out of place and unwelcome. Kate ate little and felt more and more nauseous as the evening progressed. She excused herself from an after dinner conversation with the ladies about fashion, French wines, travel in Europe, and finding a good chef. After she cooled her face by splashing water in the washroom, she walked out to the balcony for some fresh air. Soon she wished she had not.

“Adam, you don’t need to go back to Nevada. My firm has need of a man just like you. You could make millions for the firm and you would get a good share of that.”

“Kate isn’t comfortable here. I need to take her home.”

“Send Kate home. You don’t need her. There are lots of women here for you.”

Kate never heard Adam’s answer as she fled back into the house. She found a chair in an unoccupied room and sat there dazed. She now believed she was holding Adam back. He had gotten job offers and she wondered if he really did want to accept them. She didn’t hear him threaten to hit the man who made those comments. Adam had come inside immediately to look for her so they could leave. He found her but only after nearly an hour had passed.

“Sweetheart, are you all right? You’re sitting here in the dark.”

“I’m fine, Adam. Are you ready to leave?”

“Oh, yes, I am. I’ll get your wrap and we can go. Pa’s supposed to be here tomorrow so I want a good night’s sleep.”

Quiet on the way back to the hotel, Kate was still feeling nauseous. She had not suffered with any morning sickness and wondered if it could start nearly three months into a pregnancy. She wasn’t hungry at all in the morning, and Adam asked again if she was feeling all right. She said she was tired and laid on the bed and fell asleep.

On the Ponderosa, Melody was sleeping very well at night too. Hoss had gotten his father’s permission for Melody to stay with them. He decorated the downstairs guest room for her so that there would be no suspicion of him acting as anything but a gentleman where Melody was concerned. He got several items from town to brighten the room, and carved a bear for her to have there to remind her of him. She smiled when he said that. Hoss made sure there was wood in the small fireplace in that bedroom each night so that she would not get chilled. She assured him that she slept in much worse conditions before.

“But, ya see, Melody, ya don’t have to do that anymore. You’re going to be my wife and I want you to be comfortable. Ain’t no fun shivering so I got plenty of wood here for you. You light that fire and you’ll be toasty warm at night.”

“Do you have a fire in the fireplace in your bedroom?”

“Nah, I’m so hot, I only use the fireplace in the middle of winter.”

“So when we get married, I won’t need the fireplace cause I’ll have you.” Then Melody blushed at her own audacity, and Hoss blushed too thinking about how he had been thinking the same thing and all the ways he could make sure they were warm at night. Finally, he didn’t know what else to do, so he kissed her. His hands moved along her back to her side and then Hop Sing called out that dinner was served.

“Hoss, we really do need to get married soon.”

“Why?”

“Because of where you hands was moving to, and I wanted them to keep going.”

Hoss smiled, and took Melody by the arm to escort her to dinner.

Chapter 3

Adam awoke Kate early because they needed to meet his father at the New York Central Railroad Depot. There was planning for a new depot that would be a central location for all railroads into New York City but it wasn’t built yet so each railroad had its own depot. Kate begged off still feeling nauseous so Adam went to get his father. It was fairly easy to see Ben Cartwright amid the throngs of immigrants and workers milling about the depot. His silver gray hair and the air of authority in his walk set him apart from all the others.

“Isn’t Kate with you?”

“She wasn’t feeling well and stayed at the hotel.”

“That morning sickness can be a major problem.”

“I don’t think it’s morning sickness. I’m worried that Kate is ill. She hasn’t been eating hardly anything for the last several days and now she has the nausea. I want her to see a doctor but she keeps saying, it will pass.”

When Ben arrived at the hotel, he was surprised at Kate’s appearance. She did not have the healthy glow he associated with women who were going to have babies. She was pale and it looked like she had lost weight instead of gained. They made plans to leave for Boston the next day. They would take a ferry across New York Harbor to the other side and then make their way to the New Haven Railroad Depot to ride the train to Boston. On the train trip to Boston, Kate asked for tea and sipped it. She wanted nothing to eat and said she didn’t think it would stay down anyway. Adam hoped that the quieter environs of Boston would help Kate recover from whatever was causing her to feel so awful.

As Adam saw Boston again for the first time in over a dozen years, he was amazed and chagrined at the changes he saw. The city had grown in size and sophistication, but like New York, there was a marked increase in the filth. The air, the water in the harbor, and the streets all smelled and looked dirty. They got Kate settled in at the hotel resting in the bed. Ben had an adjoining room. They decided to turn in early to get a good start the next morning.

In the morning, Kate was feeling only a little better. Again all she had for breakfast was tea. Adam again encouraged her to see a doctor, and for the first time, she weakened a little on that point. She told him if she didn’t feel better by the next day, he could summon a doctor for her. She still insisted she would feel better after some rest and some time away from New York’s filth and stress. They hired a hansom and rode to the cemetery where both Adam’s mother and grandfather were buried. Adam bought flowers from a vendor. They were small flowers but in this season, they were lucky to find any at all. At the cemetery, they found Abel Stoddard’s marker and next to it the much older Elizabeth Cartwright marker. Adam laid the flowers on his mother’s grave and stood with his head bowed. He would have loved to have some memory of her but never would.

As they stood there, Adam was hailed by a short gentleman wearing a dark gray long coat.

“Adam Cartwright, it is so good to see you. I can see the weight of the world has not pressed down those proud shoulders of yours.”

“Professor Rose, I am honored that you remember me.”

“How could I forget those scowls when I criticized your work and then the remarkable results when you reworked them.”

Adam smiled and introduced one of his professors. “This is Professor Rose who taught me so much about architecture and drawing that I can never thank him enough. Professor this is my father, Ben Cartwright, and my wife Kate.”

“Well, most pleased to meet you. Has Adam been impressing the western reaches with his great skill?”

Immediately the professor realized that was the wrong question to ask. Adam finally rescued all of them from the awkwardness of the situation. “I’m currently building a new home incorporating many of the fine design elements that have developed since I left school. Unfortunately, many items had to be ordered from England or from the east so the home won’t be complete until those deliveries are made.”

“Well, I would be delighted if all three of you could join me at my home for lunch. Then you could tell me all about the house you are building.”

When Adam looked at his father and at Kate, he could see they were willing so he accepted the invitation and got directions to Professor Rose’s home. It was the most pleasant day they had visiting with anyone on the trip. After several hours of engaging conversation, Adam saw how tired Kate was getting and gave his thank you and goodbye to Professor Rose inviting him to the Ponderosa if he and his wife ever traveled to see the west.

“We have talked of doing that. Indeed, with the new railroad being built, it will be a most comfortable ride, and I am interested to see how they overcame all the engineering difficulties in such a massive project.”

Professor Rose gave them a ride to the hotel in his carriage. Once they got to their rooms, Kate almost fell on the bed in her exhaustion and was soon sleeping. They had made plans for dinner but Kate had not been interested in eating. Adam was too worried to leave her alone so he had food delivered to the room. When it arrived, Kate awoke at the knock on the door, but the aromas were too much, and Kate began retching. Adam hurriedly moved the food into his father’s room.

Sitting on the side of the bed, Adam caressed Kate’s cheek and neck and found she wasn’t warm. If there was no fever, he feared it was the pregnancy that was the cause of her feeling so ill. As she rested, he resolved to arrange for a doctor to see her the next day. That was all an academic when Kate suddenly doubled up in agony.

“What’s wrong? What’s happening?

“I don’t know. Oh Adam, it hurts so bad. It feels like someone is stabbing me in the back.”

“Your back?”

“Yes, ahhhhh, the pain is so terrible. Oh no, Adam, I feel something happening. Oh no. What is happening to me?”

With her hand pointing below her abdomen, Adam lifted her skirt and petticoats and saw the white undergarments stained with blood. He immediately went to his father’s room to give him a quick synopsis and ask him to get a doctor.

Hours later as Adam paced back and forth in his father’s room, there was a knock on the adjoining door and the doctor entered to tell them the story. Kate had a miscarriage. There were no complications as far as the doctor could tell. She would need bed rest for a time, and there should be no stress or excitement until she was feeling better.

“What could have caused this, doctor? Did our traveling here from Nevada cause this?”

“No one knows what causes these. Some people have some theories, but no it would appear traveling is not a culprit. Many women heavy with child travel with no ill effects. We may better understand this in the future, but for now it appears to happen in some pregnancies and not affect the childbearing ability of the mother. Your wife should be able to provide you with children. Just give her a few weeks. Now you also must know that something like this can have a more profound impact on the mind than on the body. If she appears unwilling to get out of bed or seems overly quiet or reclusive, you should call me again.”

“Melancholia?” Ben had known people who suffered from this, and he hoped it would not afflict Kate.

“It is possible.”

Adam dropped his head into his hands as he sat down heavily. Then he looked up and offered to pay the doctor’s bill for services.

“That’s not necessary. The hotel keeps me on retainer to see to the care of their guests as needed. My fee will be added to your bill. Thank you, and if I can be of any more service, please call on me.”

The doctor left and Adam went to see Kate. The doctor’s assistant was finishing cleaning up, and Adam saw a lot of blood on the linens that were being removed. He sat down carefully on the edge of the bed and touched Kate on the shoulder. She slowly opened her eyes, teared up, and began to cry. All Adam could do was caress her cheek and hold her hand. They sat that way for some time until Kate cried herself to sleep.

Over the next two weeks, Kate did get out of bed but didn’t like Adam touching her. She turned away from his attempts to hug her. She was afraid that she would burst into tears at the first word or gesture of condolence. She resolved to be strong in appearance but inside she was crying all the time. Adam made arrangements for them to travel home but even that did nothing to lift Kate’s spirits. Adam summoned the doctor, but Kate refused to talk with him. All he could do was to tell Adam that perhaps time would heal the emotional wounds, but he also told him to watch carefully that his wife not sink into a deep depression. Of course Kate was already depressed and her coldness was the shield she had erected to try to make Adam and Ben not worry so much about her. She felt awful for causing Adam so much pain, but in trying to protect him, she caused him more emotional agony than she could have any other way.

On the Ponderosa, Hoss and Melody were having some problems too, but it was a matter of getting to know each other better and preparing to share a life together.

“Melody, I just want you to buy some things so that you can go to town and church and be comfortable. You don’t need to wear them things ya made. We can get some dresses at the dress shop or buy some pretty material for you to make some new ones.”

“Well then how about I buy some nice blue material and make some shirts for you so you don’t have to wear those old white ones ya got. Most of them are almost gray anyway they’re so old.”

“Well, come on now, this is what I always wear.”

“And this is what I always wear. If you want me to change, then you ought to be willing to do the same.”

So there was a trip to town and bolts of cloth were purchased, and Melody agreed to a fitting at the dress shop so some fancier dresses could be made. She planned to make her own riding skirts and everyday dresses insisting to Hoss that she would have plenty of idle time on her hands as the snow got deeper. She also planned to make Hoss a few new shirts as soon as she could get him to sit still long enough to be measured. Hoss picked out some gloves and a muff for her as well as a winter coat. She accepted the gloves and the wool coat, but insisted she could make a fur muff much better than the one in the store. Hoss agreed because he thought he was getting almost everything he had asked her to do.

The purchases filled the back seat of the carriage as well as the boot. Then Hoss invited his fiancée to have lunch with him at the International House restaurant. Many people came up to them to congratulate them on their upcoming nuptials wondering if there would be a big party at the Ponderosa to celebrate. Hoss told them the final plans would be made when his Pa and Adam and Kate got home.

Chapter 4

Boarding a train in Boston, Adam helped Kate up the steps and then reached back to give his father a hand. Inside, they found their seats. Kate sat next to the window and stared out seeing nothing. Adam sat by her side and watched her until the train pulled out. She did not react to anything including the jerk they all felt as the train began moving. Adam looked at his father and shrugged. He had hoped that heading home would help improve Kate’s mood, but if anything, she was more morose than she had been.

The silent treatment continued. She gave perfunctory answers to questions that Adam asked, and never volunteered anything in conversation with him. Ben could nudge her into conversing on occasion but if she saw that Adam was listening, she would break off talking with Ben too. Adam thought that when they got further west and were confined in the space of a stagecoach that she might show some interest in him or at least talk a little, but that didn’t happen either. In each hotel, she pulled to the edge of the bed away from him lying on her side with her back to him. He no longer even tried to touch her or get her to react. Her complete rejection of him could not have been more obvious. Each day as they traveled, Kate kept her hat pulled down nearly covering her eyes and keeping her face in shadow.

Ben tried to engage Kate in conversation but found she would talk only of the scenery or the weather or other mundane things. She would not share her worries, her fears, and her reasons for rejecting his son. Ben had a little more luck with Adam as he vented his frustration with the situation.

“She won’t let me touch her. At night, she stays as far from me as she can. I wake sometimes and hear her crying, but when she realizes I’m awake, she stops and acts as if she is sleeping. There couldn’t be a bigger gulf between us, and yet I still don’t know what I did.”

“Maybe it was nothing you did. Maybe it was the miscarriage. Kate may need to see a doctor. This seems to be a state of melancholy she is in. It may be more than you alone can deal with.”

“I’ve already asked her to do that. She just turns away from me and won’t speak with me. It seems she thinks I’m the problem.”

“Well Laramie is our next stop. Tomorrow perhaps we can see if her Uncle Abe can have an impact.”

“We’re not scheduled for a stopover though. We only have an hour or so before we make the next stage connection.”

“Son, maybe we need to reschedule.”

“Pa, I’ll do anything, anything at all. I just want my Kate back. I never knew that loving someone could hurt so much.” Ben put his hand on Adam’s shoulder knowing how much he was hurting if he felt he had to admit it.

The next day in Laramie, Adam and Ben were shocked by Kate’s request. She asked Adam to get her bags from the stage.

“Just yours? Kate, if you want to stay, I’ll stay with you.”

“No, you should go. I just want to spend some time with Uncle Abe.”

“Please, Kate, don’t shut me out. I love you. I want to be with you.”

Kate did what she had been doing. She turned away from him and lowered her head. Adam thought he could literally feel his heart breaking. He pulled Kate’s bags and then stood waiting to see if there would be any reaction from her. She kept her back to him. The station manager announced that the next stage was loading. Uncle Abe arrived not understanding the situation at all. Adam asked again if he could stay and got the same answer as Kate told him to get on the stage so he wouldn’t miss it. Defeated as never before, Adam climbed aboard the stage in grief and bewilderment. He found he couldn’t speak when his father asked him what happened. At the station, Abe picked up Kate’s bags and they walked in silence to his home.

For several days, Kate was like a wraith in Abe’s home moving from room to room and saying nothing. Finding the situation with Kate to be highly worrisome, Abe did his best to get her to talk with him. Finally he could not stand her reticence any longer.

“You may be twenty-eight years old, but so help me, if you don’t tell me what’s wrong, I will take you over my knee. This has to be resolved. You cannot go on like your mother wallowing in memories of the sad and hurtful times from her life and failing to live for the present and the future. Now what happened? And don’t tell me it was just the miscarriage because I know that was awful, but I know too that there has to be more.”

The comparison with her mother shook Kate. She had never considered that as a possibility: that she would grow old and bitter living alone. So Kate told him about what Matt and Irena had said, what the friends of Adam had told him to do in New York, of the job offers he had, and then finally the miscarriage.

“I’m so sad all the time, all I want to do is cry. I couldn’t even talk with Adam. All he would have to do is say one kind word, and I would have broken into tears. He wanted me to see a doctor and as I looked at those eyes of his, I had to turn away. I would have collapsed if I had tried to talk with him. I cried at night so often after he was sleeping. I couldn’t sleep next to him or he would have known. I couldn’t be that weak and helpless. I hid my eyes from him so he wouldn’t see that I had been crying.”

“So have you told your man this? Dammit, I can tell ya haven’t just by the look on your face. Katie, you promised me you would be honest with him. You’re not being honest now. You need him so much but you sent him away. The only way for you to heal is to be with him, and I daresay he needs you too but not the way you are now. You’re keeping it all to yourself and letting the man think you don’t love him any more.”

“But, Uncle Abe, I do love him. That’s why I don’t want to be with him. All I do is make him worry and hurt him. He deserves so much more. I couldn’t even give him a baby.”

“Katie, dear, you are not thinking straight. That man loves you more than his life. The look on his face was so sad when you told him to leave on that stage, it almost got me to crying. He’s hurting worse than you are.”

“How can that be? He didn’t lose a baby.”

“Oh, it wasn’t his baby?”

“Oh, of course it was. It’s just not the same for a man.”

“Darling, that’s where you are so wrong. My Anna and I had a miscarriage. And, yes, we had it. My dream of a family was as strong as hers. When she lost the baby, we both lost the baby. I thought I had to be strong for her, but she understood that I had to grieve too. There were times we shed our tears together. We would have tried again if my poor Anna didn’t die of that fever.”

“But Adam didn’t cry.”

“Not where you could see it. The way you are now, you couldn’t accept him crying. You are so wrapped up in your own grief and loss, you didn’t give him a chance to grieve. He’s had to take care of you, weather your emotional storm, and then hold himself up when you pulled the marriage out from under him.”

“Oh, Uncle Abe, what can I do?”

“Well, first we’re gonna send a telegram to Ben and find out where Adam is.”

“He must be at home.”

“Katie, dear, it’s a long trip and bad weather is threatening. I’m not hauling you out there to find out he’s someplace else. If I was him, I wouldn’t want to be on the Ponderosa when Christmas rolls around. All those happy people would just be too much.”

“Next, I want you to sit down and write down everything you said to me only this time it will be a long letter. You can mail it to Adam or you can deliver it in person, but the man deserves to know every single thing that you told me. Now sit and write, and I’m going to the telegraph office.”

On the Ponderosa, Christmas decorating and preparing was well under way. Adam was mostly a quiet observer, and no one pushed him to do otherwise. After Ben had informed all of them about the events of the past few weeks, they wished they could help him in some way, but all they could really do was allow him to grieve his losses. Hoss and Melody were planning a wedding for New Year’s day. It seemed a great way to start the new year and a new marriage. Hoss did have one question for Adam.

“Adam, could you design a house for me and Melody. We’re gonna live here at first, but eventually we’re gonna need a bigger house.” Suddenly Hoss realized he shouldn’t have said that, but Adam reassured him it was all right.

“I can’t expect everyone else to stop living because I have. Maybe I should finish the house I started and let you have that. I could stay there and work on it this winter.”

“Now, Adam, Kate’s gonna come back. She just needs time.”

“Hoss, you didn’t see her. She doesn’t want to be anywhere near me. I’ll finish the house.”

“Where you gonna live then ifn you give that house to us?”

“I don’t know, Hoss, I don’t know.”

“You’re not thinking on leaving again, are ya?”

Adam’s silence was all the answer he needed to have. Hoss talked with his father, with Joe, and with Melody, but no one had any idea how to help Adam. He had to grieve his losses and come to terms with them. Ben hoped he would get angry and want to fight someone, anyone, but he stayed away from people as much as he could and worked to fill his days before falling into an exhausted sleep at night. He grew thinner and more sallow looking each day it seemed. He skipped meals to avoid conversations about the wedding and Hoss and Melody’s plans to have as many children as they could. When he wasn’t outside working, he worked inside on bridles that needed repair or on a pair of old snowshoes that he restrung with new leather straps and webbing.

Chapter 5

On Christmas Eve morning, Ben got up at the usual time. He was surprised that Adam was not already downstairs. When he heard the front door open, Ben expected to see Adam, but it was Joe instead coming in from doing all the chores as he did every Christmas Eve and Day. He never wanted to miss a moment of the holiday traditions and celebrations. Today was the day they usually went to get a tree and put it in the great room. Then the rest of the day, they would decorate the tree, decorate the house, and smell all the aromas coming from the kitchen as Hop Sing baked cookies and pies.

Hoss came down the stairs next and seeing Joe and his father, he asked where Adam was.

“I heard him up early, but I rolled over to get a little more shuteye.”

“Yeah, Hoss, so once again I did your chores for you and Adam. Every year it seems you two sleep in on these two days like you think you don’t have chores to do. Wonder where the heck Adam is though.”

Melody came out of the guest bedroom dressed in a thick wool riding skirt because she intended to go with the brothers when they got the tree.

“Has anyone seen Adam at all this morning?”

Melody was the only one with an answer “Last I saw him was when I got up to use the necessary. He was working on that old set of snowshoes again.”

“Well he wasn’t in the stable. Sport is there too so he didn’t leave.”

Then Hop Sing came from the kitchen. “He say he go new house. He say let him be. He say he back in two days. He take food, rifle, and extra blankets.”

“Well, how in tarnation did he go if he didn’t ride Sport?” At Ben’s words, it only took a moment for all of them to look at the fireplace. For the last week, that old set of snowshoes had been propped against the hearth next to the blue chair. They were gone now. Hoss grabbed his coat and hat and went outside. He was back in less than ten minutes.

“Yep, he’s walking. He’s pulling the sled too. I guess he didn’t want Sport standing outside in the cold for two days. The stable ain’t hardly even started over there yet. It’s just framed up and the roof is on. He’s walking as the crow flies so he has probably about a three mile walk ahead of him.”

Right then, Ben wished he had confided in his son that he had gotten a telegram from Abe who said he was going to bring Kate to them. Ben had not been sure that would happen and was afraid of the effect on Adam if he had to suffer another crushing disappointment. He told Hoss, Melody, and Joe though as they ate breakfast.

“Well, when are they supposed to get here?”

“Hoss, I don’t know. You know how fickle the weather can be at this time of year. Today, tomorrow, the next day, I don’t know.”

“Pa, why didn’t you tell Adam?”

“Joe, you’ve seen how he is. What would happen if I told him, and she didn’t come?”

All of them knew what Ben meant. After breakfast, Hoss drove the wagon with Melody at his side and Joe rode in the back. There was about six to eight inches of snow on the ground with more threatening. They picked a tree, cut it, and loaded it into the wagon with the top hanging off by about six feet or so. Once at the Ponderosa, Melody wondered how they would ever get the tree in the house, but they managed with a few words Ben wouldn’t approve of if he had heard them. Melody swept up the needles as the brothers got the tree to stand straight. Ben had gotten a lot of the ornaments from the attic, and Joe went to get the rest. They finished decorating the tree and the house by late afternoon. No one talked about what they were thinking: it would have been more enjoyable if Adam and Kate could have been there to share in the fun.

All of them changed into clean clothes before dinner and were enjoying a glass of brandy before dinner when they heard a carriage arrive. Thinking it was Paul Martin and his wife, Ben walked to the door to welcome them as Joe grabbed his jacket to help them with the horses. Instead, all were surprised when Abe Davidson walked in with Kate.

“I’m sorry we couldn’t let you know when we would arrive, but the telegraph lines were down most of the way because of an ice storm.”

“Welcome, welcome. Kate, I must say you are looking much better than the last time I saw you. Are you feeling well?”

“Yes, and I have to apologize for my behavior. I don’t know what got into me, but Uncle Abe set me straight.”

“Welcome Miss Kate. You remember Melody, don’t ya?”

“Yes, of course I do. I heard that congratulations are in order too.”

“Thank you, Kate.” Hoss and Melody said the same thing at the same time and then smiled broadly.

“Oh, Hoss, that is a wonderful blue shirt. It makes your blue eyes stand out even more. Makes you look so handsome!” Kate was impressed at how well Hoss looked in his new shirt.

“Well, thank ya, Kate. It was all Melody’s doing.”

“And Melody, you look absolutely beautiful in that dress.”

“Hoss bought me some new duds. I like this one best.”

Taking a deep breath, Kate asked what she hoped would get her an answer she wanted. “Is Adam here?”

“Not right here, ma’am, but we know where he’s at. One of us can take ya there in the sleigh. He’s at the new house.”

“Is it done?” Kate was surprised because Adam had said they wouldn’t be able to finish the house until spring.

“Not completely, but it’s rough finished. I was pushing the crew all fall until the snow fell to get as much done as they could.”

“I’m sorry, Hoss, but what does ‘rough finished’ mean?”

“Oh it means the walls, floors, roof, and siding and such is done, but not the plastering, the painting, and such. The stove got delivered before the snows fell, but there ain’t any furniture there except the benches we used for building.”

“But why is Adam there then instead of here?”

Ben stepped in because he knew Hoss would have a hard time telling Kate the rest. He and Joe had been hurting almost as much as Adam. “He’s been very sad. I think he didn’t want to be here and ruin our Christmas, so he went there to work and keep himself busy.”

“And it’s all my fault. When can I go there?”

“Right now if the boys will hitch up the sleigh for me, and hand a few lanterns on it.” Hoss and Joe grabbed their coats and headed out to do just that. Melody went to tell Hop Sing so he packed a basket with food as well as a few extras. Melody gathered a couple of blankets and a thick quilt. Ben told Abe to make himself comfortable. Then he and Kate went outside to help load up the sleigh.

“Why are we taking so much stuff?”

“Kate, my son took some food and blankets with him, but only enough for himself. I think it might be a good idea for the two of you to spend some time together and your new house may be the best place to do that. Now, would you like to pack a valise and bring it along?”

“I have my small travel valise. I could bring that with me.”

Ben climbed into the sleigh with Kate. Joe said he ought to ride along to accompany his father on the return trip. “Pa, you know you wouldn’t want one of us out there alone at night. It will be getting dark by the time you can return. I’ll just ride along to help if needed.” Ben had to agree that made sense. In about forty minutes, they were at the new house. Smoke was coming from the chimney and they could see light through the windows in the center of the house. Ben pulled the sleigh to a stop in front of the house. He helped Kate down and they walked to the front door. It wasn’t locked and they stepped inside. Adam was sitting by the fireplace with his head down. To Kate, he looked like a defeated man. She had never thought she would see him look like that, and knew she was the cause of it.

“Pa, I told Hop Sing I didn’t want anyone to come here.”

“And I would have followed your wishes except there’s someone else here for you.”

Adam looked up then and Ben had seen that look before. He showed no expression even though he had to be greatly surprised. He would show nothing until he knew what was happening.

Kate walked to him and he did not react. Ben stepped outside and waited. He hoped that one of them would come to tell him he could leave. He feared that he would be giving Kate a ride back to the Ponderosa for the look on Adam’s face had not been a welcoming one.

Inside, Kate started talking. “I’m your wife even if I haven’t been acting like it for some time now. I’m back to stay. I did see a doctor, and he did diagnose me with melancholia but said he thought it was already lifting and that seeing him meant I was on the road to healing myself. That’s not an excuse. It’s just a statement of fact. I had to come see you but the roads were awful and the telegraph lines are down. I’m just babbling because no matter what I say I know I cannot undo what I did. I hoped that your love for me wouldn’t be gone and that you could find it in your heart to forgive me.”

“So you just expect me to go back to the house and act like nothing has happened?”

“No, I thought we could stay here and talk. I have a lot to tell you that I should have told you much sooner. Your father packed a lot of stuff we could use if you want me to stay, but he’s waiting outside if you want me to go.”

Adam stood then and walked to the door. Kate was worried that he would tell her to leave. Instead, he opened the door and waved to his father to bring it all in. Once the items were deposited inside, Ben and Joe wished them a Merry Christmas and left. They had told them as they were unloading the supplies that they would be back in two days to see if they wanted to come back to the house. Adam waved as they climbed into the sleigh. Then he closed the door and looked at Kate. She thought he would ask her to start talking, but he walked to her and kissed her. She kissed back and was nearly overwhelmed by the passion Adam expressed.

“We can talk later. Make love with me. Show me you care.”

Chapter 6

Adam held Kate tightly waiting for her answer. She nodded and leaned into him. Kate was trembling and Adam caressed her back and held her to him. Slowly she began to respond. She wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her body into him. She tipped her head up hoping for a kiss. Adam waited and let her initiate the contact. Kate raised her hand to caress his cheek before she kissed him probing into his mouth with her tongue. He met her advances and they kissed for a long time. As Adam touched her breasts, Kate began to unbutton his shirt and then slipped her hands inside and ran them through the hair on his chest. She kissed him then and buried her face in it as she inhaled his smell, something she had missed so dearly. As Adam dropped his shirt to the floor, he reached over and rolled out one of the mattresses that his father had brought.

“There are two of them.”

“For now, we only need one.”

Stepping close to Kate again, Adam began to undo the buttons of her dress. Kate smiled at him, slipped out of her dress, and threw a blanket over the mattress before lying down on her side. Adam lay beside her and pulled the quilt over them. He slipped his pants off and felt Kate’s hands touching him lovingly. He laid still and enjoyed the sensations of being touched by loving hands. It had been so long. He hadn’t had a hug or gentle touch like this in so long, he was starved for it. He slid his hand up Kate’s side pushing her camisole up. She raised her arms and he slid it over her head. Then he moved his hand to her hip and slid it inside her pantaloons sliding one side of it slowly down her thigh. Kate rolled on her back and lifted her hips so he could remove it. Adam leaned down and kissed Kate again only this time he brushed his lips softly over hers before nudging her lips apart with his tongue. He kissed and caressed each inch of skin it seemed as he moved down her body reveling in the willingness of his wife to give herself over to him so completely. As Adam moved up to kiss her lips, Kate’s hands started moving across his chest and then she pushed him on his back, and he enjoyed that Kate was doing the same for him as he had done for her. She kissed and caressed every spot on his body it seemed. Kate had expected the lovemaking to be fast and intense after so long a time, but instead, it was very slow and sensuous. When Kate was ready, she laid back and pulled Adam atop her, and he joined with her as they completed their renewal of passion.

When Adam and Kate had finished making love, he held her tightly in his arms and rolled on his back pulling her atop him. Kate rested her head on his chest as Adam ran his hands up and down her back.

“I do love you. I missed you terribly and it was all my fault that you weren’t there. We should talk now. I have a letter in my valise for you to read too.”

“I do love you. It hurt so much to be pushed away. You said you would explain, but first we need more wood for the fire and another blanket. I’m feeling a little chilled now.”

After gently sliding Kate to the side, Adam slipped out from under the quilt and grabbed a blanket and handed it to Kate who threw it over the quilt. Walking quickly, Adam got some more wood for the fire, grabbed Kate’s valise as requested and set it beside her, and then slid back under the quilt and blanket as fast as he could.

“It’s cold out there when you’re not wearing anything. Kate snickered as she reached for her valise. She pulled out a fat envelope and handed it to Adam who looked at it somewhat suspiciously.

“Uncle Abe made me tell him everything. He said he would put me over his knee if I didn’t.”

“Now there’s a thought. If you won’t talk to me, I could do that.”

“Don’t even think about it. No, then he made me write every single thing I told him in this letter. He said I could mail it or deliver it, but that you had a right to know. He was mad at me because I held back how I was feeling and what I was thinking, and that was the root of all of our troubles. So here’s the letter.”

Adam reached out to pull a lantern closer. He pulled the sheets from the envelope, turned onto his stomach, and began to read. It didn’t take long to get his first reaction.

“They said what!” Adam was furious as he read Kate’s letter. She was finding it was easier to discuss things with him if he had some idea of it already by reading what Uncle Abe had made her write. She was ready to talk about that incident but didn’t know if she could ever have repeated those hateful words his friends had said if he was looking at her.

“I’m sorry, Adam. I know I was eavesdropping and shouldn’t have done that.”

Pulling Kate into his arms again, Adam reassured her.

“I’m not angry with you. They always treated me so well, I assumed they respected me too. Too late I have realized that I wrongly assumed they would respect my wife. I guess I was very wrong. Tomorrow, I’m writing a letter rescinding my invitation for them to visit us here. They’re planning a trip to San Francisco, and I told them they could stay with us on the way, but that’s not happening now.”

Kate smiled at the tone of Adam’s voice. She could hear the heat of his anger and indignation in his words and knew they would be in that letter too.

“I am so sorry that I put you in those predicaments. I knew that they always thought of me as their country friend but I had no idea the disdain they have for me too. I had thought we could have some enjoyable conversation. Their comments about you are so awful, I can’t imagine the pain you must have felt. I wish you had told me when we were there.”

“Adam, do not blame yourself for what those people said.” Kate emphatically emphasized the ‘not’ drawing another smile from Adam. “I should have told you right away. It made things so much worse by trying to endure them silently. But what would you have done if I had told you? Shoot them?”

Adam looked over at Kate then and was relieved and then cheered by the look she gave him. She was teasing him. She hadn’t done that in a long time. He continued to read and looked at her several times before speaking.

“Kate, I wasn’t upset that you didn’t want to live in New York. The city held no attraction for me once I saw the reality of it. Those job offers all came with strings attached that would have made me sacrifice principles that I could never give up. Sweetheart, you need to tell me when you have these feelings. I will never love another. I love you. I can’t imagine my life without you. When you were gone, I had no idea what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. It all seemed so pointless without you.”

“Will you do the same? Will you tell me when you are feeling bad?”

“That’s very hard for me to do.”

“Adam, that is also very hard for me to do. But if you want us to never suffer through anything like what happened, we both have to talk with each other more. I don’t care how we do it. I find this letter that Uncle Abe made me write is making it so much easier for me to let you know what I was thinking. Perhaps there is a lesson in there. I could write letters to you telling you what is in my heart and mind when I am troubled. We wouldn’t always have to talk about them, but if you wondered about something, we could talk just like this.”

“Oh, you mean lying naked next to each other wrapped in blankets before a nice warm fire in the fireplace.”

Kate was going to tell him to be serious when he pulled her into a long, sensuous kiss. It made her forget what she had been going to say.

“That’s not fair. We were supposed to be having a serious conversation. You said after we made love, we would talk.”

“Sorry, sweetheart, I was just buying some time to think.” Leaning back a bit so he could see her face, Adam took a deep breath.

“I write journals. I have written journals for much of my life. If you want to read them, any of them, you have my permission. I will continue to write, and you can read any or all of it. Just one caveat, you may not discuss the contents of those journals with anyone but me. Promise?”

“Adam, thank you for trusting me so much. Yes, I promise, but you wouldn’t need my promise. I would never violate a confidence with you.”

“Hmm, letters and journals. Not the classic communication between husband and wife, I suppose, but I think it will work for us.”

“I’m hungry. Can we see what Hop Sing sent along for us?”

At the main house, dinner was pleasant. The Martins and Roy Coffee had been there for the feast but with snow threatening, they had left early. After dinner, it was quiet. All were wondering how Kate and Adam were doing. Abe had been invited to stay but had said he better go see how his sister was doing as long as he was there.

“I shur wish Adam was here to sing some songs or at least play that guitar so we could sing.”

“Hoss, I know it’s going to be different, but we have to give your brother and his wife some time alone. That’s why I wanted them to stay at the new house. They’ll have time to talk.”

“And do other things if I know Adam.”

“Joseph, that is no way to talk especially in front of a lady.”

“Sorry, Melody. Guess I forgot it wasn’t just us guys here any more. You fit in so well. Hey, what plans have you two made for your wedding? It’s less than a week away now.”

“Melody and I ain’t made too many plans yet. I wanted Adam and Kate to be at the wedding and we was thinking of postponing the wedding until this happened. Now it looks like they’ll be here and we can get married on New Year’s.”

“Hoss and I want to keep it simple. I will wear my favorite dress and he will wear his new blue shirt. We want to be married right here. With it being so cold, I don’t know how many people we can invite. I only have a few friends up on the mountain. I mostly kept to myself. They couldn’t travel here anyway with the weather as it is. But you folks have so many friends. How can we possibly have them all here?”

Ben had been thinking of a solution ever since Hoss had said they wanted a winter wedding. “If the two of you don’t mind, I have an idea. We could invite only our closest friends to the wedding and keep it small. Then in spring, when the weather is nice, we could have a big outdoor picnic to say goodbye to winter and celebrate your wedding with as many people as you want including your friends from up on the mountain.”

Hoss looked over at Melody who smiled broadly at him. He looked at his father and nodded. Joe jumped up and started describing all the things he could do to make the spring celebration a rousing success. Ben rolled his eyes, but Hoss was looking up at Joe with a dreamy look as Joe talked of fireworks, magicians, a giant cake, carriage rides, and all sorts of entertainment ideas.

Chapter 7

On Christmas morning, Kate awoke to a vision of Adam sitting on the hearth drinking a cup of coffee and watching her. He was fully dressed and had his coat on too.

“Are you leaving?”

“No, but it was quite cold in here this morning, and the snow is really coming down. I got the fireplace fired up and stoked the stove in the kitchen. I don’t have a stovepipe in for the one in the washroom so I moved the table from there into the kitchen and put a bowl on it. You can wash there. The buckets by the back door are empty again so if you need to use them, go ahead. I hung one blanket in a corner of the kitchen near the stove for privacy. That’s about all I can do about that.”

“Where are my clothes?” Kate had been looking all around and couldn’t see a single piece of her clothing.

“They’re all in there with you. I put them there when I got up. My clothes were frigid, and I thought you might like yours warmed up a little. If you don’t want to put your boots on, there’s a pair of my thick socks in there for you to use.”

“Can I have a cup of coffee before I brave the cold out there?”

Smiling, Adam stood and reached behind him to retrieve the coffee pot to pour a cup for Kate.

“Sorry, all we have are these metal cups. But they worked for the wine last night, so coffee should be just fine.” He handed her a cup, and as he leaned down, Kate was sure she smelled chocolate.

“Did you have chocolate?”

“Yes, Hop Sing packed some in the basket. I found them this morning when I emptied the packets from the bottom of the basket.” After opening a small box near his feet, Adam leaned forward and popped a chocolate into Kate’s willing mouth. “Merry Christmas!”

“Hmmm, that is so good.” Looking at him, Kate had another question. “Did you shave already?”

“I was up and the water is hot, so, yes.”

“Well, then, it’s still warm in here. Maybe you’d like to come back in and we could think of something to give each other for Christmas?”

“Hold that thought. Breakfast is in the oven. I’ll serve you breakfast in bed. You may need the energy.” With a big grin, Adam walked to the kitchen and came back quickly with plates and forks. “There’s scrambled eggs with bacon and some of Hop Sing’s corn bread warmed up.”

As Kate started eating, she realized she was ravenous and ate everything on the plate. Adam took her plate and poured more coffee for her. Kate drank it down and then looked up sheepishly at Adam.

“Now I think I need to go take care of a few things.”

“Go ahead. Just wrap one of those blankets around you and you should be warm enough. The kitchen is smaller than this room, and is much warmer already.”

As Kate was finishing her morning ablutions, she felt Adam’s arms encircle her from behind. Taking the towel from her hands, he wiped her face and hands for her before dropping the towel on the table. His arms were bare so Kate was not surprised to turn around in his embrace to find he was shirtless. He had removed his jacket of course but also his boots. Wearing stockings and pants, Adam picked Kate up as she was still wrapped in her blanket and carried her back to the bundle of blankets and the quilt atop the mattresses where they had slept the night before. She saw that he had her clothing and his shirt hanging from a bench in front of the fire. He set her down and pulled the blankets back. She dropped the blanket she had wrapped around herself and quickly moved to slide under the blankets. Adam watched her every move. Then he unbuttoned his pants and dropped them and slipped his socks off placing all three items on the bench with Kate’s clothing and his shirt. Sliding under the blankets with Kate, Adam made her shiver just a bit until his skin warmed again.

“Last night, you said you were surprised at how long we made love and that it wasn’t more intense after all the time we spent apart. Well now we can go for intense and passionate.”

To emphasize the point, Adam wrapped his arms around her and kissed her deeply as he moved his body along hers stimulating both of them. Within moments, Kate was enthralled by the intense emotions and was moaning with pleasure. Adam moved quickly over her, and they joined again but in a much more physical reaction as both stroked each other and kissed passionately even as they continued to move in that ancient dance of lovers. Kate nearly bit down on Adam’s shoulder with the intensity of her release as Adam moaned in his own ecstasy. Panting and sweating, they lay in each other’s grasp for some time before either spoke.

“Adam, we’re creating some truly amazing Christmas traditions. I don’t think we will ever be able to top this.”

“We could try.” Adam grinned and kissed her on the nose. “Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas, love, and to many, many more as sweet as this one.”

“So, we have time to talk again. Tell me about your trip here.”

With a lot of theatrics, Kate talked about the ice storm and the terrible road conditions, the smelly man on the stage with them who luckily finally disembarked in Reno. She told him of the way station with the bugs in the beds so she and Abe slept at the kitchen table sitting in chairs wrapped in their coats with their heads resting atop their arms on the table. “We woke up in the morning and could hardly move we were so stiff. It was terrible.”

“Oh, I’ve done that too. It takes a day usually for everything to loosen up again.” And Adam told her about his back which troubled him periodically and why it was that way. They spent the rest of the day talking about mundane things and serious things, but talking all the time whether preparing a meal, eating, or even as Kate helped Adam put shelves in the pantry. Finally, they got to the most sensitive topic of all.

“Do you still want to have a baby?”

“Oh, yes, Adam, I do. I just hope and pray that God will bless us with a child this time. I know I have to accept whatever happens, but another miscarriage would just be so terrible.”

“Did you talk to a doctor about it?”

“Briefly. He said that I should not worry about the next pregnancy. He said lots of women have them and then have children. Some women even have children and then have a miscarriage. Apparently not many people talk about it but the doctor said about ten or twenty percent of his patients have had them at one time or another. He said if I get through the first three months, the odds of miscarrying should be less.”

“I talked to Paul. He said the same thing the doctor in Boston said. They don’t know why miscarriages happen. He suggested normal activities, nothing strenuous, and lots of good food and rest. Other than that, he said it’s in God’s hands. So I guess we ought to pray a lot too.”

“And hope. We can’t give up hope that it will happen for us. I think I blamed myself for the miscarriage. I thought I had let you down by losing our baby. I was wrong about that of course, and I was wrong to shut you out. Never let me do that again.”

“Can I put you over my knee if you’re being stubborn?”

“No, but you can give me a good whip lashing with your words. I know you can do it.” At Adam’s look, Kate continued. “It’s what I may need sometimes. Don’t back away from me. I’m not that fragile even if I act like I am some times. I’m a survivor, and I can be as strong as I need to be. Don’t let me feel so sorry for myself that I forget to live.”

Pulling Kate into his embrace again, Adam held her and she wrapped her arms around him. “Adam, we are so much more when we’re together. I think we’re ready to go back home and work together on our marriage.”

“I think so too. We can pack everything up in the morning, and hope that the snow stops by then. If it doesn’t, we have all the basic necessities covered but meal times could get pretty boring. There’s only basic foodstuffs in the pantry.”

At the main house, they were worried about the snow too, and worried that Kate and Adam might get snowed in without adequate supplies. Heavy snows didn’t usually fall this early but this storm looked like it could last a long time.

“Hoss, you worked with Adam in the last few weeks at the new house. How much does he have for supplies?”

“Pa, we stacked a lot of firewood next to the house and there’s also the scraps left over from building so they’ll be warm. Adam was thinking of working on the inside some this winter so we knew he’d need a lot of firewood. There’s plenty of the basic food supplies there but if this lasts very long, they’ll be eating a lot of beans, flatbread, and oatmeal because that’s mainly the type of supplies we stocked up on. There’s some sugar and some salt, but other than the food he brought with him when he went or that basket you took there, he ain’t got much variety. There’s no smokehouse or cellar yet so there’s no meat like ham or bacon, and no fruit or vegetables either.”

“Well, tomorrow, boys, we’ll hitch up the draft horses and go get them as soon as it stops snowing and blowing.”

By the next day at noon, the storm seemed to suddenly end and the sun was shining. Ben, Hoss, and Joe grabbed their coats and hats and headed outside only to stop in shock on the front porch. The yard was filled with snowdrifts that were three to five feet high. Even the draft horses would not be able to get through. They looked at each other in resignation. There was nothing they could do. They went to the stable to do the basic chores and then trudged back inside with Melody looking at them wondering why they looked so dejected. When they told her, she went to the front door and looked for herself. The snow would melt and the yard and the roads would be cleared but not in the next day or two. She shut the door and went to sit by Hoss. Everyone was quiet and thinking about how Christmas had not turned out nearly as well as they had hoped. Hop Sing announced lunch, and they went to the table, but there was little holiday merriment.

That afternoon, Ben sat with the new book he had received for Christmas. Hoss had his new carving tools and was working on a block of wood cutting it down into the rough shape of a raccoon that he had found was Melody’s favorite animal. Melody was organizing the new sewing chest she had received. There was an identical one sitting under the tree for Kate. Joe was settled in the blue chair by the tree reading one of his presents, the latest dime novel. They heard some noise on the porch and Hoss went to see what it was.

“Pa, Joe, Melody, ya gotta come see this. Come here, quick.”

As the four of them crowded in the doorway, they were amazed by the sight before them. Adam looked like a tall snow man covered it seemed from boots to hat which he had tied on with a scarf. Equally snow covered was Kate who was struggling to stand. Adam took her hands to pull her up, grabbed her valise, and moved quickly toward the house with his snowshoes in hand as well.

“Did you walk the whole way?”

“Yes, I used the snowshoes and pulled Kate on the sled. When the storm stopped and I saw how deep the snow was, I knew we had to get moving. Took about an hour and a half but here we are.”

Hoss slapped Adam on the back and was rewarded with a bunch of snow spattering across him and the front entry. Ben put one hand on Adam’s shoulder and one on Kate’s. “It is so good to have the two of you here. It really seems like Christmas now.”

Chapter 8

Standing at the fireplace, Hoss looked up the stairs to see Melody descending on his father’s arm. Unlike Kate, Melody had no family in the west as they had succumbed to a mountain fever years earlier. She had remarkably survived. Now she was minutes away from being Hoss’ wife. He felt drops of perspiration running down the back of his neck. Adam leaned in close and whispered to him.

“This is the worst of it. Once you get past these few moments, it will be joy and adventure.”

Looking briefly at Adam, Hoss thought he had to be right if he could say that after all that he had been through. It must truly be remarkable to be married and wake up with your lover by your side every day. He took a deep breath and gave Adam a small grin.

“That’s it. Now just keep smiling like that. You don’t want our guests to think you’re not thrilled about this.”

That got a bigger grin from Hoss. Several of the ladies in attendance were known to be quite good at making sure everyone knew about everyone’s business. His father had warned him to be sure to make a good impression so the stories would be positive. Looking at Melody walking toward him, Hoss’ smile grew even broader making everyone in the audience smile as well. The minister conducted the ceremony, and after Hoss’ kissed the bride, Joe led their guests in a rousing cheer.

The wedding reception was attended only by two dozen of their closest friends. There was a small cake, and lots of food on the table with Ben’s famous punch. The weather had finally cleared for a bit, and everyone was relaxed and was able to enjoy themselves without worrying about being stranded due to the weather. But it was still winter and at about four, the guests began departing. The family had dinner together and then after dinner at about seven, they told Hoss and Melody to take a look at the downstairs guest room. It had been decorated by Kate and Adam with Joe’s help. There were no flowers because of the season, but there were pine boughs tied with blue and white ribbons that gave the room a fresh welcoming smell. There was champagne chilling in a pail of ice and two flutes beside it. There was a plate of chocolates and small cakes. The bed was done in blue and white gingham that Kate had sewed just for the occasion.

“Kate, how did you do this? I never saw you sewing.” Melody was amazed.

“Well, Adam wasn’t in the bedroom all the time especially in the mornings. I really do not sleep that late.” That made everyone laugh, and even got Adam to blush a little. He had been very attentive to Kate, and everyone had noticed although no one had said anything.

“With these two ladies in our family now, I think we may all be getting new bed linens and curtains.” Ben was proud of his sons’ choices for wives. The house had needed a feminine touch but neither of these ladies were going to overdo it. It was a good balance.

“Now Hoss and Melody, we are all going to retire to our rooms to read and such.” Joe poked Adam in the side and snickered at their father’s statement and got a scowl in response that only made him laugh more.

“Joseph, will you please remember there are ladies present!”

“I can’t help it, Pa, their room is right next to mine.” Joe wanted to say more but his father’s glare silenced him. “Sorry, Pa. Sorry, sisters.”

Adam was looking forward very much to the end of winter so he could finish his house and move there. It was very difficult to he and Kate to have any real privacy living with his family. He knew that she would be reticent tonight as she would be all too aware now of Joe listening in the next room. Hoss and Melody would not have that problem for tonight they would be downstairs, and in the future, Hoss’ room was across the hall from Adam and Joe so they would have more privacy. Hoss’ room was next to their Pa’s, but he would never say anything like Joe did.

January passed very pleasantly for a change. Adam was in a good mood that seldom happened when he was confined for a long period. There were a few arguments between him and Kate but nothing serious. Joe witnessed the first one and was mystified. Ben and Hoss had come in from the stable and to see Joe sitting and staring up the stairs.

“What’s wrong, Joe, lose something?”

“No, Hoss, but the strangest thing happened. Kate and Adam started to bark at each other. You know how he is. Well she can give as good as she gets. Then he stormed up the stairs and she stomped over to the desk. She pulled out a sheet of paper and wrote like a madwoman for a little while. Then she grabbed that paper and stomped up the stairs. Then it was real quiet before I heard talking. Then it got real quiet again until, you know, there were those sounds that Pa doesn’t want me to mention. What do you suppose that’s all about?”

No one could quite understand it, but after they had witnessed the same thing happen a few more times, Ben had an observation. “Those two have the most unusual fights I have ever seen a married couple have, but somehow it works for them. I guess it would have to be Adam to come up with something like that. They have their arguments in writing.”

“Hey, Pa, wouldn’t you like to read some of them letters Kate writes?”

“Maybe, maybe not.” Then they all laughed.

Upstairs, Adam and Kate could hear the laughter and correctly surmised that once again they were the center of attention. They had argued, made love, and were lying in each other’s embrace talking. It seemed that making love relaxed the barriers that each had, and they could converse so much more honestly. So they often took advantage of that situation to bring up important things with each other.

“Are you sure?”

“Well, as sure as I can be at this point. It’s been four weeks and nothing, so I would say, probably.” Kate knew Adam would be overprotective now, but she wouldn’t mind. She knew how much he loved her and that he needed to be that way now.

“Now, we need to make sure to follow Paul’s advice. He did say that in his experience, most miscarriages happen in the first three months.”

“Well, it’s not likely that I could overdo it snowed in as we are most of the time now. And I’m getting plenty of rest, and with Hop Sing cooking, I’m getting lots of good food too.”

“No morning sickness though?”

“None. I asked Uncle Abe if my mother had that, and he said he didn’t remember anything like that. I wish I could ask Mother but I’m afraid to bring up anything that has to do with you. She’s still mad about you marrying me.”

“Maybe a grandchild will help.”

“One can always hope, but I don’t know if my mother can ever be happy. Uncle Abe says she relives all those horrible times over and over in her mind. She can’t let go. Other than me and Uncle Abe, she doesn’t trust anyone. It’s a terrible way to live.”

“She seems so angry too like she’s angry at the world for what was done to her. I suppose it’s even more difficult now that you’re not there to help her.”

“Adam, I was wondering. Do you think at some point that Mother and Father could live with us?”

That shook Adam to the core. He had never considered that, and his look must have conveyed his shock to Kate. She took a deep breath and rested her forehead against his chest.

“Kate, I’m sorry, but you just surprised me so much with that request. I don’t know if I could ever be comfortable with your mother living in the same house. I think the tension would be too much for all of us. But, I have another idea. How about if you float the idea to her of them living near us? I could build a small cottage near our house for them. We could share meals often, and they could visit a lot, but when things were too tense, we could each retreat to a safe haven.”

“You mistrust my mother so much?”

“Kate, I’m sorry, but she is a little unbalanced. Abe told me that one of the reasons he lives in Laramie when he could locate his business almost anywhere out here is that Mary has the ability to poison his mind. Now he’s a strong man and if he’s worried about her, I think it logical that I pay attention to that. Look what she did to try to drive us apart.”

“I guess I always forget the bad stuff. She’s my mother and I love her. She went through so much, and my heart breaks to see her continue to suffer.”

“I wish there was something we could do. Maybe we could talk to Paul to see if he has any ideas. We need to see him at some point anyway.”

Building wasn’t just on Adam’s mind. Hoss came to him and asked him again about designing a house for him and Melody. Adam had worked on plans earlier and brought them out for the couple to evaluate.

“It would help if I knew where you wanted to build.”

“In the meadow just about four miles toward the northeast. You know, the one with the stand of pines on both edges and that little stream with the rocks in it at the bottom.”

“So you want to build on a slope?”

“Yes, is that a problem?”

“Not at all. I just need to adjust the drawing to account for the slope. I’ll have to use estimates until we can get out there to look over the site, but it should be close. When do you want to build?” Adam had to laugh at Hoss’ emphatic pronouncement that as soon as possible would be best.

By Valentine’s Day, Hoss and Melody were happy with the house plans and only had to wait for the snows to melt to begin building. That would be about the same time Kate and Adam planned to move to their house for Adam thought he could get more done finishing the house if they were living there. Ben suggested a big family dinner for it looked like the last holiday they might all be living in the same house. At dinner, Ben offered wine to everyone but Kate and Melody both asked for a glass of milk instead and at the same time. Both couples looked at the other and smiled knowingly.

“Well, it looks like my married sons have even more to celebrate. Here’s to family!”

“Hey, what’s the ‘even more’ we have to celebrate?” Joe was mystified.

“All in good time, Joseph, all in good time. Let’s just say there’s a lot of joy in this house right now.”

Chapter 9

With Easter fast approaching and the wedding celebration to be held in conjunction with Easter on the Ponderosa, Joe was feeling very pressured. He had promised Hoss a super celebration but there was so much work to do to get ready. He thought there was no possible way he could complete all of his plans when Adam and Candy offered to help. He would have hugged them if he thought either of them would have allowed it. Instead he gave them a grin and handed off tasks for each of them. Adam had to prepare everything for an Easter egg hunt and carriage rides. Candy was in charge of decorations for the yard and setting up a stage for the magician. Hop Sing of course was in charge of food. Adam was curious as to what else Joe was going to do.

“Well, I have to get the fireworks and set them up in the pasture. Then I have to make sure the flowers are going to be here. Then I have to get the bunnies and kittens for the children’s area. I got some older girls to agree to watch the young ones so their parents can enjoy the party in the afternoon until it’s time for dinner. They’re going to need some toys and things to keep the kids busy. Then I have to find someone to dress up in the Easter bunny outfit. It’s Hoss’ party so he can’t do it this time.”

“Joe, is this a carnival or a wedding celebration?” Adam was laughing.

Candy wasn’t laughing but had a huge grin. “Joe, remind me never to let you plan a party for me.”

“You just wait. When people see this, I may have to start a wedding planning business. I could see people from all over Nevada and even California hiring me to set something like this up. Hey I could even expand and do camel rides and have a hot air balloon. Hey do you think Pa would be up for trying to buy another elephant. She could work on the ranch during the week and then I could use her for parties on the weekend.”

Candy couldn’t hold it in any more and started laughing so hard he leaned on Adam’s shoulder. Hoss came out of the house to see what all the fun was about, but neither Adam nor Candy was able to speak so Hoss looked at Joe.

“They think my ideas are funny. But you just wait, Hoss, people will be talking about your party all over Nevada. You’ll be famous.”

“Be sure to invite Dan so he can write a first-hand account. Oh my Lord.” And Adam lost it again, and he and Candy had to walk away so they could stop laughing and get back to work.

On Easter morning, after church, there was a parade of wagons and carriages headed to the Ponderosa ranch. Many had heard rumors of the entertainment and couldn’t wait to be there. The Easter egg hunt was first. Adam saw Kate standing with her parents and grabbed two small baskets before heading over to them.

“Would you ladies be interested in an Easter egg hunt? I have a basket for each of you.”

Mary was going to refuse but a sharp ‘Mary’ from Dan and she nodded yes. Dan had a question though. Don’t you know where all the eggs are?”

“Yes, but the ladies do not. Ladies and children are to look. Husbands and fathers may give advice only in terms of ‘hot’ or ‘cold’. Let’s go. They’re all in the garden and field behind the house.” Adam offered an arm to Kate and one to Mary who slowly accepted. Dan took Mary’s other arm and the four of them marched to the hunt. Once they got there, Kate spotted an egg right away. Soon Mary was being coached by Dan, and Adam saw her smile for the first time when she found some eggs. She was much nicer looking when she smiled. After about fifteen minutes, the ladies thought they had enough eggs and would let all the rest for the children who were scurrying about searching for eggs. Hoss was coaching Melody as much as he could and her basket was nearly overflowing with eggs when she called it quits eliciting a small frown from Hoss.

Some children were more disappointed than Hoss and found only one egg or in some cases, none. Adam called a halt when he saw a number of children with full baskets of eggs.

“All right. That’s the end of the first hunt. Now the second hunt is just for those who have one or two eggs or none. The others will have to wait for the third hunt.”

Adam walked over to one little girl who had been squinting and finding no eggs. He reached behind her ear and when he opened his hand, there was a beautifully colored egg in it.

“Now, Mary Lou, how are you ever going to get a basket full of eggs if you keep hiding them behind your ears.” The little girl squealed in delight. Then Adam reached behind her other ear, opened his hand, and presented her with another egg. The children as well as many of the adults smiled or laughed at his sleight of hand. Mary Lou was grinning from ear-to-ear. Adam took her hand and led his small band to the center of the garden and had them look up. There in the tree branches were eggs. He reached up and grabbed some for the children, and then by request started lifting children to grab the eggs themselves. Soon all had eggs and Mary Lou was sitting on his broad shoulders. He walked with her back to her parents and lifted her down.

“Thank you, Adam. Thank you so much.” Mary Lou’s mother was almost overcome with joy and a few tears did make it down her cheeks. Her daughter had impaired vision and would never see clearly. But this day, she had found eggs and would remember it fondly forever.

Standing with Kate and Mary, Dan had watched the whole proceeding. “He’s going to make a great father someday.”

Looking at her parents, Kate just said a few words. “Sooner than you may think.” Mary gasped, and Dan smiled. They were going to be grandparents. “Only you, Ben, Hoss and Melody know. Well other than the doctor. About five more months.”

Adam announced that anyone could look for eggs until they were all found and then came to stand with his wife. Dan grabbed his hand and shook it so he knew that Kate had told them. He grinned broadly then. Adam offered his arm to Mary who took it, and Dan took Kate on his arm and they walked back to the yard where most of the party was. Adam told them that he and Kate were going to be taking people on ‘carriage’ rides except it was really a buckboard to which Adam had added bench seats and railings. Then he and Kate had decorated it and put pillows and blankets in the back for the comfort of passengers. Many people had never seen some of the beauty of the Ponderosa so it was a chance to take a short tour. Adam said each ride would only be about an hour as they took them to the ridge near where he was finishing their home. Dan insisted to Mary that they should be in the first group so they climbed aboard with six others. Adam climbed into the front seat with Kate at his side. Once they were well away from the buildings and corral fences, he handed the reins to Kate and pulled his guitar from under the seat to lead the group in singing.

Back at the ranch, the magician assisted by Joe put on a short show. It was the man’s juggling that amazed the children most. Joe did a little juggling too and soon were instructing some children and their parents in the fine art of juggling. Then it was time to get the children into their play area and turn to the dancing for the adults. Everything was going so well until one of the barn cats saw all those tempting little bunnies hopping about with the children and decided to try to get one for a meal. Soon there were squealing girls, sobbing children, and overturned chairs and tables. It took nearly an hour to set everything up again, and to catch all the bunnies to assure the children that all were safe and the cat had failed. As Adam drove the ‘carriage’ back in, everyone was surprised that the dance hadn’t started yet. Soon Hoss was telling them the story, and Adam and Kate were laughing. The musicians started to play, and the dance was back on. Hoss and Melody had to dance the first dance as the newlywed couple. Ben stepped in to cut in and dance with Melody, so Hoss whisked Kate away from Adam. Adam paused for just a moment and then turned to Mary.

“Mrs. McHugh, would you do me the honor of this dance?” Mary hesitated and then smiled. She took Adam’s hand, and he led her to the dance floor.

“I don’t know how you can be so nice to me.”

“You’re Kate’s mother. You’re family.”

“It’s that simple?”

“It is.” And Adam danced with Mary as Kate and Hoss danced and watched. Hoss saw Kate had tears in her eyes and offered her his handkerchief.

“My brother could charm a rattler out of his rattles if you give him time.”

“He is very charming. Hey, you’re not comparing my mother to a rattler, are you?”

Hoss stammered a ‘no’ in reply, but Kate started chuckling so he knew she was teasing him. Adam’s conversation with Mary continued with that more serious tone.

“I can see why Kate married you. You are charming, kind, and very clever. Please, never hurt my Kate.”

“Mrs. McHugh, I would die before I would hurt Kate. I love her with all my heart.”

“I believe you, I do. I think perhaps you should call me something other than Mrs. McHugh though. Could you at least call me Mary. We can work on something else as we get to know each other better.”

“Yes, Mary, that is a wonderful idea.” And Mary started to take the first steps toward healing. Adam knew it would be a long and winding road after all this time, but she was a good person, and wanted to be a part of the family. He couldn’t wait to let Kate know, but of course, she could tell just by watching the two of them dance. Mary and Dan declined the offer of the cottage for the time being, but they both said in ten years or so, they would probably like that idea.

They heard cheers then and looked to see Hoss and Melody cutting the cake. The buffet tables were officially open. There was beef, potatoes, beans, spiced fruit, cheeses, biscuits, and of course cake. The dance and the buffet continued until dusk. Then everyone was invited to the meadow near the house where the fireworks show would be. Ben stood there proudly as the fireworks exploded and lit up the scene over and over. He saw Hoss with his arm around Melody holding her close. He saw Adam and Kate kissing at one point. And in the middle of it all, Joe stood as tall as he could proud of his first party production. Then Ben groaned. With this success, who knew what Joe would want to do next.

Mistakes Made

Chapter 1

Two bodies, beaten beyond recognition, were lying in cells in the Nevada State Prison as evening roster was being checked. The men dressed as guards in that cell block didn’t report that. Once the count was done verifying that all inmates were accounted for, the day guards walked out the gate at the end of the shift. Dinner had been served and inmates were locked down for the night. The guards on the wall waved, and the guards leaving waved back. Two of the men who had hung back walked on after the others went into their dwellings. Once they knew they were no longer under observation, they sprinted into the grove of trees where they met two other men holding horses.

“Hey, Frankie, that was slick. We’ll be gone at least twelve hours maybe longer before they know we left. It’ll take them that long to realize those bodies are two dead guards instead of us.”

“That’s what my pa always said. A great plan is always the best way to go. Now we can take care of the men who killed my pa. Those Cartwrights are never gonna know what hit em.”

And Frankie Brent mounted up and rode away after serving only a short part of his term. He had plotted and prepared and now was ready to execute his plan of revenge against the Cartwrights for killing his father, Jason Brent. The four men rode down the road in the light of the full moon. One bound for revenge and the others motivated by greed.

A few days later in Virginia City, Roy Coffee was worried about the telegram he had received warning him that Frankie Brent might be headed his way. He hoped the young man was smarter than that and would try to blend in somewhere in the west and live a normal life. However, by his experience, men like that seldom did the smart thing. He decided that he ought to ride out to the Ponderosa to let them know and perhaps get a slice of pie from Hop Sing. Once he arrived, he found the Cartwrights were worried for Hoss had not returned from a routine trip to the high pastures to evaluate the quality of the feed before the herds were moved back up there. He had missed his rendezvous with Adam and Joe who had ridden back wondering if Hoss had returned without them only to find that no one had seen him. With Roy’s news, they were much more concerned.

A disagreement between Adam and Candy developed over the best way to proceed. The two men stood toe to toe and argued.

“We ought to get some men together and ride fast to the high pastures to find Hoss. He might need our help right now.” Candy was worried about Hoss’ safety.

“If you do that, any trail Hoss left could be obliterated. Besides how could Frankie Brent have known that Hoss was in the high pastures? He’s only been out of prison for a couple of days.” Adam was sure that Hoss wasn’t in danger from Frankie Brent but was concerned that he had some difficulty somewhere and tracking him would be the only way to find him quickly in that event.

Finally they agreed that Candy and Joe would ride to the highest pasture by the shortest route because it was unlikely that Hoss had gone up that way. Adam would take two men and track Hoss. Hopefully one party or the other would find him before anything bad happened.

“Well, miracles can still happen. I never saw Candy or Adam ever back down like that.”

“Joe, they didn’t back down. They settled it like men who disagree. There were no insults thrown and nobody was yelling. They talked it out and reached a compromise that makes sense to both of them. Probably something I should remember with Adam. I always seem to lose my temper with him, and you know how he is when he gets hot.”

“Pa, I know how you get when you get hot. I think he stokes that fire a bit just to get you so mad he might have a better chance of winning.”

“Oh, and how did you draw that little conclusion?”

“Well, see, you’re already a little upset with me. Anyway, remember when the two of you were having that row about the windmills and, it sounded like Adam was really mad?”

“Yes, I remember that very well, and he was mad.”

“Pa, he walked out of that house when you said he could go with the biggest darn grin you ever saw and calm as could be.”

Ben thought it over and remembered other disagreements they had had. “That scoundrel. He’s been acting all the time?”

“Well, not all the time. But sometimes, yeah, I think he is.”

After Joe went to get some supplies, Ben knew that he and Roy would have to let Melody and Kate know what was happening. Within days, Adam had expected to move into his new house with Kate. Now that didn’t seem like a good idea at all. It was only three miles away but having a pregnant woman there alone didn’t seem reasonable any longer. Ben tried to be as calm as possible as he told his daughters-in-law what had happened. Melody burst into tears and Kate was by her side in a moment. Ben sat on the other side of her and explained what would be done to find Hoss and make sure he was safe. Ben reached out his arms and held Melody in a hug to soothe her while Kate went in search of Adam.

Once the men had packed supplies, they were ready to leave but four of them waited while Adam said goodbye to Kate. Ever since Kate had learned she was pregnant, she had become increasingly emotional which she found preferable to the idea of morning sickness. However in situations like this when she wanted to appear strong, it was extremely difficult not to cry. Adam held her in his arms until he felt her relax. Then he bent down and kissed her thoroughly.

“Joe, do you ever get a little envious of that?”

“Candy, I never thought I would be jealous of a married man, but I am sometimes. I always thought how terrible it would be to be tied down to the same woman. Now I wonder how it would be to have a hug or a kiss whenever you want it. Or how nice it would be to wake up in the morning with a soft warm body pressed up against me.”

“Yeah, and the more obvious benefits.” That comment by Candy got the other three men to snicker, but inside Candy was feeling the same things that Joe had mentioned. He wondered if he ought to think about heading out from the Ponderosa to see if he could find someone like Ann.

As Adam joined the men and saw their looks, he had a fairly good idea of what the conversation had been. It didn’t matter though. He would give Kate the attention she needed whenever she needed it, except of course, if he had to ride out to find his brother and make sure he was safe. So he wheeled his horse and followed the others as they headed toward the high pastures.

As Kate stood with her hand still raised in farewell to Adam, Ben walked up and put his arm around her. He had calmed Melody but knew that both ladies were going to be on edge until their husbands returned. Turning Kate gently, he walked her back into the house where Roy was talking with Melody hopefully trying to put her mind at ease as well. In his mind, Ben was thinking of precautions he ought to take to make sure he kept the two women safe. There was no way to tell how far Frankie Brent might take things if he was in fact headed their way and looking for revenge. What Ben didn’t know was how to evaluate how clever Frankie was. His father, Jason Brent, had pulled all the strings in their criminal organization, and Frankie had enjoyed the ladies, the liquor, and the cards. What he would do now was only a guess.

Chapter 2

Just before Roy left later that day, he and Ben talked about the danger of Frankie Brent.

“He’s a wild one. No telling what he would do. His father was greedy and would do anything for money or to protect his son. This young one, though, I think he does whatever he wants and don’t need to make money or protect family to do it. He hurt some of them saloon gals but his father paid them not to file charges and paid Paul to treat them.”

“If you knew he did that, why didn’t you arrest him?” Ben was incensed that a man could hurt a woman and get away with it.

“Now, without a complaining witness and just rumors for evidence, what good would that a done? No, I just said that to ya because I want you to know he would hurt these women here without a second thought. You need to make sure ta keep em safe.”

“You know I will, Roy, you know I will. Those two ladies are my daughters now and they’re carrying my grandchildren. I’ll do everything I can to protect them.”

As Roy left, Ben asked if he could let Will know what was happening. It had been Candy and Will who had fired the fatal shots at Jason Brent so they both needed to watch for Frankie Brent as much as Ben and his sons did. Then Ben went to the bunkhouse to talk to the men. He had one of them move to the hayloft promising extra compensation for staying up there to keep watch. He had another two men agree to move into the guest bedroom upstairs. They would get no extra compensation but would get to dine with the family and enjoy the comforts of the ranch house until his sons returned home.

Miles away, the two groups of men had split. Adam was looking for Hoss’ trail intending to follow his path and find him. Hoss was the best tracker in the family because he had almost a sixth sense about it. Adam was quite good however because he was very observant and could read sign as well as any Paiute for they had taught him well. After just a few hours, he had found Hoss’ trail and moved out leading two men who watched his back as he sought his brother.

Meanwhile, Joe and Candy were watching each other’s backs which was fortuitous because as soon as Candy saw the flash of metal in the trees, he yelled to Joe who dropped low on Cochise as bullets whined over his head. They were in some heavy brush and trees, so finding cover was not difficult.

“Who the heck was that?”

“I don’t know, Joe. I was just lucky and saw the sunlight glint off the metal and yelled to you. I never saw anything else.”

“Let’s get these horses behind the boulders. Then you work your way around to the side of whoever it is, and I’ll keep some firing going on here.”

As they tied the horses, they grabbed their rifles. Joe made his way to a higher spot and fired a few shots down into the woods where the shots at him had originated. Candy took that as his signal to start moving downhill toward that same spot. As Candy drew closer to the woods, he could hear what sounded like drunken cursing. He got into an opening where Joe could see him but the unknown man in the woods could not and waved at Joe to work his way down. Once Joe arrived, the two of them stealthily approached the location with the curses and surprised a man who was still looking up the hill where they had been. He got quite a surprise when he heard an order to drop his rifle and looked back to see two armed men standing behind him. He dropped the rifle.

“Now, lookee here, gents, I jes shotted at tha biggest damn elk you ever shaw in yer lifes an it dropped too. Then some crazy yahoos starts ta shooting at me. So far they mished me but ya never know when dey coulds get lucky. So youse two can huncher down hear now wit me and we’ll all stake care a tings.”

“You’re drunk!” Joe said it but Candy could hear and smell it on the filthy man too. “That was no elk, you idiot. That was me, and you could have killed me.”

Taking a rope that the man had lying on the ground, Candy stepped behind him and made a loop that he dropped over the man securing his arms to his sides. Then despite the man’s protests, he wound it around him a few more times before knotting it securely behind his back. Joe had a few questions.

“Do you always get drunk when you go hunting?”

“Nah, I didn’t thish time neither.”

“But you’re drunk and you’re hunting.”

“Yash, but, you see, I was drunk first and then deshided to go hunting. The mishus kicked me outta the house. So I grabbed my jug and came out her to gets drunk and I did. But then I got hungry and I saws this damn giant elk just a walking through the brush. Say did you see him up there. I’m shur hungry.”

If the man hadn’t almost shot Joe, Candy would have been in hysterics by now. All he could do was try to remember everything the man said because this was going to make a heck of a story to tell. He watched Joe’s face too. He needed to be able to describe Joe’s reaction to this ridiculous situation.

“You got a horse?”

“Nope, no hoss.”

“Well how did you get up here?”

“I lives up here. Well aways away from here, I guesh. I got here on Betshy.”

“Where’s Betsy now?”

“Right down theres in tha meadow eating grash.”

Pushing the man in front of them, Joe and Candy got him down to his mule and put him in the saddle. They stuck his rifle in the scabbard but didn’t untie the man. In fact Candy used more rope to secure him to the saddle.

“Hey, hows I shupposhed to get home without my armsh?”

Candy answered by slapping the mule on the butt, and it took off at a good pace heading uphill and undoubtedly for home. Candy was chuckling.

“We’re so all fired worried about Frankie Brent, and you almost get shot by a drunk in the woods.”

“Yeah, well Candy, keep your eyes open. I have a feeling if Brent comes for us it won’t be as obvious as that drunk was.” It was a sobering thought.

Not more than a mile away, Hoss had heard the shots. There were two shots, and two more later. He guessed they were hunters. What he was hoping to hear was the three shots that indicated that someone in his family was near. How he would love to hear someone call out his name right about then.

Chubb had slipped in some loose rocks throwing Hoss who had injured his ankle. But more importantly, Chubb had gone down and scraped both of his front legs. Hoss had done the best he could. He stopped the bleeding and used his shirt to bind up the wounds, but Chubb needed more care than that. Hoss couldn’t walk far, and Chubb couldn’t carry him, so the two of them had camped in this spot for days.

Knowing it would take at least several days for him to be missed, Hoss did expect help to come soon now. He was almost out of grub too and couldn’t hunt well in his condition. He wished he had paid more attention to how Adam made those snares of his. So he sat and waited as Joe and Candy made their way up higher and higher on the Ponderosa pulling further and further away from Hoss who needed their help so much. As Hoss waited, he hoped that Melody wasn’t too upset. He didn’t want to have anything that would cause a problem with the pregnancy for he was so looking forward to being a father.

Chapter 3

Dreaming about ham, Hoss was salivating in his sleep. He awoke and swore he could still smell ham. In fact the smell was so strong, it was like it was right next to him. Hoss turned his head then to see a ham sandwich held in those long fingers that could only belong to one man. He grabbed the sandwich out of Adam’s hand and took a huge bite. The bite he took was so huge, he couldn’t talk for almost a minute. Then he asked just one question before he took another bite.

“What took you so long?”

“Well you could say thank you. I don’t see anyone else here to rescue you, especially anyone carrying ham sandwiches Hop Sing made just for you.”

“Thanks. Where’s Joe?”

“He and Candy were sure you were higher up. I didn’t think you were so I trailed you.” Adam pulled his pistol and fired three shots. They heard an answering three shots from quite a ways off.

“Why’d you figure I wasn’t up higher?”

“If you were and still alive, you would have lit a big smoky fire to lead us right to you. Down here in the trees, wouldn’t do much good. We wouldn’t likely have seen it anyway. What happened to Chubb?”

“Aw, musta been some hunters. We were riding over some loose shale when there was a shot. Chubb just took one step sideways but that was all it took. He went down and I went flying.”

After grabbing his saddlebags, Adam went to take a look at Chubb. He unwrapped the makeshift bandages and evaluated the wounds. He asked Hoss to come help, and they cleaned the wounds and dressed them in clean bandages.

“Don’t worry about him, Hoss. Once we get him back to the ranch and taken care of properly, he’ll be fine. Tomorrow, why don’t you ride one of the horses, and the two hands can double up. I’ll lead Chubb.”

“I can lead him.”

“You take it easy.”

The four of them camped that night eating the food Hop Sing had sent along. The next morning, the small caravan moved slowly down the mountain. Eventually Joe and Candy caught up to them.

“Damn, Adam, don’t you get tired of being right all the time?” Candy was a little perturbed.

With a smirk, Adam simply shook his head no as Hoss and Joe laughed. This was one of those times they were happy he had been correct in his assumptions. How he did it, they had no idea. It was like he could get in someone’s mind and think like them. Joe had surmised to Hoss once that was the reason Adam drank so little and so seldom. He didn’t want to lose that edge. It made sense to Hoss who from that point on always tried to get Adam to take just one more drink. He thought it would be highly entertaining to see his serious, sober, intelligent brother reduced to acting like an idiot, but somehow he had not been able to get it to happen.

At home that night as Hoss sat on the settee with his foot resting on a pillow on the table in front of the fireplace and his arm around Melody, Candy started telling his stories. Soon everyone was laughing. Kate sat on the blue chair with Adam sitting on the hearth next to her and holding her hand. When she complained of a backache, Adam suggested they could go to bed and get some rest. Once they reached the top of the stairs, there was laughter down below.

“You never fool them, you know.”

“I know, but it stops them from saying anything else. I missed you and wanted to be with you.”

“Adam, you were only gone one night. Of course, it was a very long night, and I’m so glad you’re back now. I really could use a back massage.” With a coy grin as she removed her dress, Kate had to add more. “And we could see where we go from there.”

“Oh, I know where I’m going, and I’m taking you along for the ride.” The couple kissed and then Kate laid down for her back massage which of course developed into something more. They both slept well that night.

A week later, Joe and Hoss rode into town to get more salve for Chubb who was healing nicely. A week earlier and Ben would have insisted that Candy ride with them and that Adam stay with Ben in the house to make sure the ladies were protected. But with nothing happening and no sighting of Frankie Brent, the whole family was starting to relax. Joe and Hoss came home with news from one of their bankers.

“Well, Jarrod thinks it’s a good investment. He invested already. If we wait too long, the opportunity will be lost.” Joe was frustrated. He had been so happy to bring his father this news and now Adam was dousing the flame.

“An opportunity can be good or bad. How long did Jarrod study mining before he sat behind that bank desk?” Adam was frustrated as well but for entirely different reasons. He knew Joe was anxious to show that he could make good investments too, but Adam thought he would be better off if he stuck to investing in what he understood. Unfortunately his father’s ego was also on the line.

“You’re not the only one who knows about investing. I made many investments when you were just a boy and more when you were gone to college.”

“Yes, you invested in cattle, timber, and land. You knew all you needed to know about those things. And Joe knows everything there is to know about horses. But this is a mine.”

They grudgingly reached a compromise that Adam would go check the mine and if the vein of silver and the silver ore looked as good as advertised, they would invest. He planned to ride out the next morning.

At that mine the next morning, Frankie Brent was consulting with the five men who were doing his bidding. They had salted this mine well and the investors had lined up to pay their money. Next they would get a large ransom from the Cartwrights if everything worked as they planned.

“Did it work?”

“Like a charm. That oldest Cartwright son is riding to this mine right now.”

“Is he alone?”

“Yep, you were right. They already let their guard down.”

“You did a great job as that drunken hunter. Little episode like that shook them up. I bet they laughed a lot after they ran you off. So with that, and what you did to the big one, and a few weeks time, I would guess they’re relaxing thinking they got nothing to worry about from me. I bet that Cartwright is riding over to the mine all by his lonesome cause he thinks he can handle anything coming his way.” Frankie was proud of himself for working out a scheme instead of reacting emotionally. There was nothing like prison to settle a man down, but he had no intention of going back to one, so now he planned and prepared. Two men had started his plan in motion before he and his cellmate killed those two guards and took their place so they could escape. He had a new appreciation for what his father had done. Once he pulled off this caper, he would contact some of the men his father had worked with and re-establish his father’s business, but now it would be his.

“Boss, you sure planned this one well. They got no idea what’s going on.”

“All right, let’s make sure the boys do a good job of tying him up.”

As Adam approached the mine according to the directions Joe had given him, he saw what he would expect to see at a new strike. There were several tents, some tables, various mining tools, and several horses tied to a line between two trees. He rode in not expecting any trouble and found himself facing three pistols aimed at his middle as he dismounted and turned around.

Chapter 4

Disarmed, Adam was forced at gunpoint to mount up again, but the reins of his horse were held by another man. Frankie Brent came out of one of the tents laughing. Adam stared at him. There was nothing he could do at this point anyway.

“You’re going to help make us rich, Cartwright, and then you’re going to die. Think about that for the next week.”

Three of the men mounted up with Frankie while two set about dismantling the camp and packing everything in a wagon. There would be no evidence there had ever been an operation here by the time anyone came to look. The wagon would be driven onto the property of another mine and abandoned. No one would ever connect this to Frankie Brent. It would appear that everyone involved in this operation had vanished including the would be mine inspector, Adam Cartwright. The five men headed down the road. They would veer off several times leaving false trails before they returned to the road that would take them to an isolated cabin purchased by one of Brent’s allies well before he escaped from prison. Again no one would think to look there because there was no connection to Brent.

Once they arrived at the cabin, Adam was forced into the cabin and tied up before being shoved in a corner. The plan was to give him just water and keep him alive long enough to get a ransom. Then the other men planned to leave, and Frankie would do whatever he wanted with their hostage.

When Adam did not return for dinner, Joe, Hoss, and Candy immediately rode to the location of the mine that he had been going to check out. When they arrived, there was no one and nothing there. None of the three could make sense out of what they were seeing so they headed to town and banged on Jarrod Parker’s door. There was no answer. They pounded louder getting some attention from the neighbors who said they had not seen him all day. Hoss went to see Roy as Joe and Candy went to the bank president’s house. He reported that Jarrod had not been to work that day and had seemed sweaty and uncomfortable the day before. He had assumed the man stayed home because of illness. As Joe and Candy walked back to Jarrod’s house determined to wake him up, they saw Hoss and Roy step outside Jarrod’s front door.

“You boys don’t wanna go in there. It’s a mess. That boy was beaten to death. There’s blood everywhere. Whoever did this is a savage man.”

“Just one person did it.” From what they were describing, Joe and Candy thought it would be more than one perpetrator so Candy had asked the question.

“Only one set of footprints in the blood.” Hoss was looking pale. What he had seen had unnerved him and now he feared for his older brother. Hoss looked at Joe and saw realization dawn on him too. The mine investment that Jarrod had endorsed had gotten Adam to go to the mine that was not a mine and now Adam was missing and Jarrod was dead. They knew it was connected. Now they would have to go home and tell their father and Kate.

“You think it’s Frankie Brent?” Joe voiced what they were all thinking.

“Who else? He’s a mean, vicious man. He murdered two guards so he could walk out of that prison. But he didn’t just kill them. He beat them until they were almost unrecognizable and then mutilated them on top of all of that.”

Hoss was upset. “Roy, why didn’t you tell us all of that before?”

“Well, I told your Pa some, and well, you was all taking precautions. I didn’t think that all the awful details were really necessary. When nothing happened, I just thought Frankie had headed off to greener pastures. But this does seem like the kind a thing he would do. As soon as it’s light again, we’ll look for tracks, but in the city like this, I don’t expect we’ll find anything.”

Hoss added more information. “Someone brushed out all the tracks at the mine. There’s nothing there until you get to the road, and then there’s so many tracks, there’s no way of knowing which way to even look.”

Joe started to get very upset. “You’re not just going to give up, are you? That’s our brother out there and who knows what’s happened to him. We have to look for him.”

Candy tried to soften the impact of Hoss’ and Roy’s statements. “We’ll look, Joe, but Hoss and Roy are just telling us that it’s gonna be really tough.”

“No, what’s really going to be tough is telling Kate and Pa what happened. We let Adam down.”

As expected, Kate was distraught. Ben tried to be strong for her, but tears rolled down his cheeks as he held his daughter-in-law as she sobbed. Melody was nearly in tears herself. Hoss, Candy, and Joe had already re-established watchmen but felt it was too late to do any good. If Brent was going to storm the Ponderosa, he would have done it when their guard was down. Instead, they would have to do what they could, and then hope this was a kidnapping. They began to discuss how much money they could get together in a short time. It was about all they could do before they retired to their bedrooms and tried to sleep.

There was no ransom demand and they found no clues and no trail. For days they waited and suffered. Ben began not only to fear for Kate and Adam’s baby but for Kate herself. She had dark circles under her eyes showing her utter exhaustion. She ate little, and when pushed to eat more, said it made her nauseous to eat more. Hop Sing began plying her with small snacks throughout the day but with little success. If Frankie Brent wanted to torture them, he was successful. On the fifth day since Adam’s disappearance, Roy rode into the yard of the Ponderosa to deliver a package.

“This parcel was left outside my office some time last night. We just found it this morning. It says to be opened by Ben Cartwright.”

Immediately taking the package from Roy, Ben untied the string holding the box closed and opened it to find Adam’s pistol, holster, and watch. There was a note with a map.

Bring $50,000 to the location marked on the map. You make the deposit. Anyone follows you or us and the next delivery will be your son’s head.

Ben had that much money already collected and could have matched an even higher demand if necessary. There had been a lot of arguing among the kidnappers over the demand. Frankie had actually wanted a number so high they couldn’t match it but never told his allies that. Instead he had been forced to make a high but reasonable demand to satisfy the greed of his partners. He might have to be satisfied with killing just one or two Cartwrights this time. He was young though and assumed he would have other opportunities. His partners had no idea that he was out to murder Cartwrights. They knew he wanted revenge but thought hurting the man they held would be enough for him. They also didn’t know what he had done to Jarrod Parker. That had been a great risk for Frankie, but he had enjoyed the excitement of going to the town where so many knew him and getting away with murder, literally.

That night as two of the kidnappers took Adam outside to relieve himself, he knocked one of the men down and grabbed the pistol out of the hand of the other man shoving him back then. He ran into the woods and tried to get as far away as possible. Unfortunately for Adam, he didn’t know that there was another man waiting outside just in case something like this happened. He yelled to the others in the cabin and ran immediately after Adam who was weak with lack of food. They caught him before he could get out of sight and disarmed him forcing him to walk with his hands on his head back to the cabin. Once back at the cabin, Frankie gave orders to the three men who threw Adam to the floor.

“Hold him down. Now roll him on his stomach and pull off his boots.”

Frankie walked to the fireplace and stoked the fire with more wood and then inserted the poker into the hottest part of the fire for a few minutes until it was almost glowing.

“Hold him tight now. Don’t let him move.”

Frankie laid the hot end of the poker across the sole of one of Adam’s bare feet. Adam screamed with the sudden intense pain and even with three men holding him down nearly managed to throw them off. One kneed him in the side and the three got control of him again just as Frankie had the reheated poker and laid it across the other bare foot.

“He won’t run away now.”

Adam gritted his teeth against the intense pain of being burned and the throbbing severe pain that followed. It robbed him of conscious thought. All that his mind could process was the horrible pain from his burned soles. Frankie directed the men to wrap a rope around him tying his arms to his sides and to leave him lying face down on the floor. He was not able to sleep at all. In the early morning hours, one of the men walked over to him and kicked him in the side snarling at him to stop groaning so they could sleep. Frankie told one of the men to light a lantern. He dug a bottle of laudanum out of his saddlebags. He had intended to use it on the Cartwright wives if they had taken one or both of them to make them compliant with his wishes. Instead he gave some of it to Adam to shut him up. There was some relief from the pain and Adam drifted off into an exhausted drugged sleep.

Chapter 5

In the morning, Frankie and his men found Adam was very compliant under the influence of the drug. Frankie had them drag Adam into a corner and untie him. He poured the rest of the laudanum into a large canteen of water and brought it to Adam.

“Here’s some water. It’s all you get, so don’t drink it all at once.”

They weren’t giving Adam any food to make him weaker, so even in his slightly drugged state, he had no doubt this was all the water he was going to get. He sipped water only when his thirst was unbearable. The water was bitter and smelled but in Adam’s drugged state, he didn’t realize why that was so. Frequently he dropped off to sleep only to awaken with the pain from his feet. He was unknowingly treating himself for the pain but addicting himself to laudanum at the same time.

Out on the ridge above the meadow where Ben was going to make the drop of the ransom later, Candy was slipping through the brush trying to find a hiding spot where he could observe and see which way the men who picked up the money went. Unfortunately, Frankie had anticipated that possibility and had men watching for just such a try. Candy was under surveillance most of the time he was there. When Candy slipped behind some boulders to watch, Frankie’s men were able to move to either side of him and behind. They surprised him, disarmed him, and hit him. Thinking they had another Cartwright, they brought him back to the cabin. Frankie had been sure that one or both of Adam’s brothers would try to come to his rescue so had basically set a trap for them but caught Candy instead. When Frankie heard horses outside the cabin, he rushed outside. He saw a man in a red shirt and black vest bleeding from several abrasions and bruised.

“You’re not a Cartwright! Who are you?”

“The names Canady. I work for the Cartwrights.”

“So they sent you out here to take the risks. The cowards! And you idiots! I set up several occasions for you to see the Cartwrights. You were supposed to learn what they looked like so I could avoid this situation. Put him inside and tie him up while I think.”

“Adam, Adam, wake up.” Candy repeatedly hissed at Adam but got no response. Adam sat in the corner with a blanket over his legs leaning against the wall and sleeping. He was not tied nor restrained in any way, but he did smell bad. While Candy was there, no one seemed to pay much attention to Adam, and Candy had hoped he would untie him but was unable to even wake him. Finally after about two hours, Adam awoke and looked at Candy.

“What are you doing here?” Adam’s words were slurred but clear enough.

“Can you untie these ropes before they come back inside?”

Candy turned his back on Adam so that he could get his wrists untied. Adam fumbled with the ropes and eventually got them loose enough that Candy could wriggle his hands free. It was too late though as Frankie and the others walked back inside. Candy received a second beating. Candy wondered at Adam sitting in the corner looking concerned but not helping him. Then Frankie had them drag Candy outside. Inside, Frankie kicked Adam’s foot causing him to cry out from the pain that penetrated his laudanum tranquilized state. Candy heard the yell but didn’t know the reason.

“You kill him, and those Cartwrights will hunt you down.”

“All right, all right, don’t worry about your boss. I won’t kill him yet. But you tell old man Cartwright that he owes us $100,000 now or his son dies today. I want that money by 5 or he’s dead.” After instructing Candy, Frankie turned to his men. He was not as angry any more because he saw an opportunity now where earlier he had just been angry that his plan had not worked as well as he had hoped. He gave instructions to his men and a final word to Candy. “Now take him back to that meadow and release him. Ride fast, Canady, unless you want one less boss on that ranch.”

At the ranch house, Ben was packing the valise with the money on Buck. He planned to ride to the meadow, drop the money, and then ride part of the way back and wait for Candy to tell them which way the kidnappers had gone. He was sick to his stomach with worry. Kate was not doing well, and Doctor Martin had come out to check her over. He told them that the stress might contribute to another miscarriage. Ben knew how devastating that would be to Adam and Kate, but he had to get his son back first. They had already made so many mistakes. He prayed that there would be no more, and that he would have his son back soon. Hoss and Joe came out to wish him well. Afraid that they might be watched, they would not ride out to protect their father. Candy had left at the first light of dawn, and they were counting on him.

“Pa don’t take no extra chances now. We don’t want to give them another hostage.”

Less than halfway to the drop point, Ben was intercepted by Candy.

“Candy, what happened to you?”

“Frankie is smarter than we thought. His men were ready for me. I saw Adam, and he’s alive. But Frankie said to double the ransom by five, or he’ll kill him.”

Ben could feel his heart start pounding harder in his chest. They could do almost eighty thousand but there was no way to get the rest by five. He began to suspect that Frankie wanted to kill Adam, and that was more important to him than the ransom. Ben and Candy rode fast back to the Ponderosa to see what they could do. A rider who had been shadowing Candy rode back to tell Frankie that to that point, everything seemed to be working.

At the Ponderosa, there was frustration and fear.

“What if we don’t get the money to them? What will they do to Adam?”

Kate had to be taken to a bedroom and comforted by Melody. All she could think of now was Adam and what could happen to him. Hop Sing brought some tea for the ladies to help soothe them. Joe had perhaps the best idea of all.

“Lets wrap the money in different sized bundles. They would have to take each one apart and count it to know how much is in there. I bet these men have never seen ten thousand dollars much less one hundred thousand. Eighty thousand should look like the right amount. If they hang around to count it, it gives us more time to get to them anyway.”

“Mr. Cartwright, Joe’s probably right. Those men seemed to be greedy rather than vicious other than that Frankie. If we can get them focused on the money, that might be our best bet.”

“Pa, I agree with Joe and Candy. There’s no way we can ask for more time, and we can’t just not deliver money or they’ll kill Adam outright. We gotta make them think they got the ransom. Then we better move fast before they can do anything to Adam.”

As they were discussing how to proceed, there was the sound of a big wagon pulling into the yard. Price Freight had the items Adam had ordered for his new house. Big John was driving and Melanie was beside him. Big John expected a warmer welcome from Joe and had to ask what was wrong. Joe gave him the short version. Candy stood staring at the wagons and then turned to the Cartwrights.

“That freight road to Placerville goes near the meadow where you have to drop the money. If we stowed away in the wagon with some saddles, we could be ready to help in minutes if need be. Big John, you sometimes deliver horses, don’t you?”

“Oh, yeah, we can take up to three or four. We tie em in a line behind the wagon.”

Suddenly everyone understood what Candy was proposing including Big John.

“Now, I owe Joe, and I’ll help, but only if Melanie gets to stay here. I ain’t gonna put her in harm’s way especially now.”

Joe had to ask and found that Melanie was pregnant too. They sent her into the house to stay with the other ladies, and Ben again asked some men to take up positions to protect them. Big John backed the wagon near the stable to offload the crates. Then he packed up saddles and gear and threw a canvas tarp back over the wagon. With a number of men from the bunkhouse milling around, anyone watching would have had a hard time realizing that suddenly there were three less men as Hoss, Joe, and Candy slid under the canvas before it was tied down. The men took three horses from the corral and put lead ropes on them. They were secured to the back of the wagon and Big John waved goodbye and headed off to take the road to Placerville. Ben mounted up on Buck and began the trek to the meadow to drop the money.

Chapter 6

As Ben reached the center of the meadow and dropped the money satchel, shots rang out from the ridge above him. He turned Buck, and riding as low on his back as he could, he raced back to the cover of the trees he had recently left. Whoever was shooting at him wasn’t very accurate, and Ben made it back to the trees and into cover. Tying Buck off in a safe spot, Ben grabbed his rifle and worked his way forward until he could see the opposite side of the meadow. What he saw unnerved him. The money satchel was gone, and there was no one in sight. He couldn’t pursue the shooter or the man who had taken the money.

On the opposite ridgeline, Frankie was angry. He had missed. Telling his men that he was only going to drive Ben Cartwright back into the trees so they could safely retrieve the money, what he actually had meant to do was to kill the man who had led the assault on his father. He wished he had spent more time practicing with firearms, but he and his father had relied on others to do their dirty work and had seldom practiced. Ben Cartwright was still alive because of that. Turning to leave, he began to think of how he could still kill more than one Cartwright. He would take their money for now, and then he could work out another plan. Satisfied with that for the moment, he noticed a freight wagon moving up the road but dismissed it as unimportant. His men had said no one left the Ponderosa following Ben so he was assured that he had gotten away with this completely. He planned to go take care of Adam Cartwright though before doing anything else.

Big John had heard the gunfire and assumed correctly that Ben was under attack. He pushed his team as hard as he could and pulled off the road as soon as he had some cover. Jumping down, he quickly untied the ropes securing the canvas and Hoss, Candy, and Joe climbed out of the wagon carrying their saddles and gear. Within minutes, they had saddled up, thanked Big John, and raced toward the meadow. The lone rear guard that Frankie had left mounted up when he saw the three men riding in. He needed to report this as soon as possible.

At the hideout cabin, Frankie had ordered his men to drag Adam from the cabin. He intended to kill Adam, but he wanted his father to find the body so they had to take him some other place to do that. Adam was in a drug-induced stupor and hardly knew what was happening. Frankie had them hoist him onto a horse, and tie the laudanum-laced canteen onto the pommel of the saddle. All of them had their gear already packed on their horses. About then the man he had left behind to watch for pursuit showed up and surprised them all. Frankie didn’t know which man deserved his anger more: the one who had reported that no one left the Ponderosa or the rear guard who had run back here directly instead of confronting the pursuers. The man wearing Adam’s boots suddenly gave Frankie an idea. He pulled his pistol and shot the man in the stomach. At close range, anyone could hit the target.

“Boss, what’d you do that for?”

“He didn’t do his job and put all of us in jeopardy. Now drag his sorry body back into that cabin and set it on fire. Leave his feet out the door.”

Two men grabbed the dead man and dragged him to the door leaving his feet encased in Adam’s boots lying across the threshold. They went inside and started several small fires before retreating from the flames. The old cabin started to burn rapidly and smoke rose as a geyser into the air. Then the men mounted up and rode off with the money and Adam who would live a bit longer now because Frankie knew they might need a hostage at this point. He was trying to plan for all contingencies.

In the meadow, Ben emerged from the trees when he saw his sons and Candy ride up. They headed to the opposite side of the meadow looking for a trail when Candy spotted the smoke starting to rise. They rode rapidly up the ridge and beyond heading to the nearby fire assuming it was related to their quest. Once there, Ben dismounted and ran toward the burning cabin when he saw the boots in the doorway. The cabin collapsed as he ran, and he dropped to his knees in shock. He wanted to go closer and try to rescue his son, but the flames were too hot. He backed away from the intense heat but his eyes were focused on the spot where he had seen the soles of those familiar boots. As they watched the fire consume the cabin and the body inside, Ben said they should go home to tell Kate what happened and get more men to pursue Frankie and his gang. Joe disagreed.

“I don’t think that’s Adam in there. I know we didn’t see much, but it didn’t look like Adam to me.”

“Joe, Kate has the right to know what happened.” Ben was so worried about what telling her would do it had actually taken his mind from his grief for a bit.

“Kate has the right to know the truth, and we’re not absolutely sure we know that, are we?” Joe was vehement in defense of his belief that they had to follow the trail to save his brother.

“Pa, I’m kinda leaning toward what Joe is saying. Somehow, it just doesn’t seem like that could be Adam. Pa, I gotta believe he’s still alive, and if he is, Joe’s idea is the only way to keep him that way.”

“Well, then, who could that body be in there? Those boots were Adam’s!” Ben was starting to listen intently.

“It could be one of those men in there, and they burned the cabin to try to put us off the trail.” Candy was backing Joe. It just made more sense to him considering what they knew.

“Frankie would kill one of his own men to trick us into thinking it was Adam?” Even as he said it, Ben knew it was possible. He walked to Buck and mounted up. The men who left had done nothing to obliterate their trail this time. They would follow them and rescue his son if he was still alive. If he wasn’t, they would make sure justice was served. Frankie had thought that the thought of Adam’s death would paralyze his father for a time, and it had to some degree but his other sons were more intent on following Frankie and that made all the difference.

The battle came quickly. Frankie and his men heard the pursuit and stopped in a clearing. Leaving Adam on his horse in the middle of the clearing, they moved to cover and waited for the pursuers. As Ben and the others neared the clearing and saw Adam, they couldn’t help but let some small smiles appear but those were quickly gone as they knew they needed to win the upcoming battle first. No one could understand why Adam stayed on his horse in such obvious danger nor why he didn’t try to ride away. Shots rang out and they returned fire. Soon it was fiery fight.

As Ben saw Adam sitting on that horse not moving as shots were fired all around him, his heart beat rapidly. Two of Frankie’s men were hit and dropped almost immediately. They weren’t used to facing men as accurate with rifles and pistols as the Cartwrights and Candy. When one more was wounded, the other retreated to his horse intending to ride out until Frankie shot him in the back. Frankie was enraged. He stood and aimed at Adam and fired but missed. Damning himself for his lack of skill with a pistol, Frankie stood and walked toward Adam raising his pistol to fire the fatal shots. It never happened. Frankie’s chest exploded in a cloud of red as four bullets hit him almost simultaneously.

Ben ran to Adam then. He called his name, and Adam slowly turned to look at him.

“Hi, Pa.”

Noticing Adam’s feet for the first time, Ben was horrified. He gingerly picked one up by grasping Adam’s ankle and saw the long blister and the inflamed flesh all around it. Adam hardly flinched with what should have been severe pain.

“Help me get him down from there.”

Hoss stepped forward and helped pull Adam from the horse and then carried him to a soft spot in the grass. Adam was filthy and his feet made all of them cringe, but it was his demeanor that was so frightening.

“Pa, can I have some water? I’m so thirsty.”

“Get that canteen from the horse.” Ben directed his statement at all of them but Hoss was the first to react. He handed the canteen to his father who opened it and was about to give it to Adam when Candy stopped him.

“Don’t. When I was in the cabin with him, he looked like he was drunk. He only had that canteen with him, and he sipped from it. He didn’t do much of anything else. There might be something in that canteen he shouldn’t have. Maybe they wanted him drunk.”

Pulling the canteen to his nose, Ben sniffed and immediately suspected what was in the water. He poured some into his cupped hand and verified his theory.

“It’s laudanum. They’ve been giving him laudanum.”

As they had talked, Adam had fallen asleep. He hardly seemed to be breathing.

“We gotta try to get him awake. When I scouted for the Army, I saw a wounded soldier get too much laudanum. He just stopped breathing. We had to pound on him to get him to breathe and we couldn’t let him sleep.”

Candy’s instructions probably saved Adam’s life. They pulled him until he was sitting upright and Hoss thumped his chest and back until he was awake although still in a stupor. They would have to get him through this, and none of them realized at this point how hard that was going to be.

Chapter 7

There was little that Ben or anyone could do for Adam where they were. Hoss picked Adam up, and with Joe’s help, settled him in the saddle of the horse he had been riding. Adam was agreeable to whatever they wanted to do. The bodies of the dead men were rolled in blankets and tied over their saddles. The wounded man got some basic care and had his hands tied to the pommel. Then they rode back to where Big John was waiting with the wagon and supplies. Hoss led Adam’s horse because even with the laudanum, he couldn’t put his feet in the stirrups. Once at the wagon, they organized. Adam was laid on a blanket, and Hoss and Ben started tending to his feet. They did their best to wash the wounds and bandage them.

“Joe and Candy, I would like you to take this man and the bodies to town. If Paul is in town, please send him back to the Ponderosa, and tell him what we’re facing. Hoss, I’ll ride in the wagon with Big John. Would you ride back to the house and get things ready?”

“Yeah, Pa. We gonna need a warm bath for him, ya think?”

“I’m afraid so. I don’t know how we’re going to clean those burns on his feet any other way. Hoss, prepare Kate. This is going to be hard to do, very hard.”

As the wagon rolled slowly to the Ponderosa, it was clear that the analgesic effect of the laudanum was beginning to wear off. Ben held his son upright with his arms around his chest. He felt the groans as much as heard them as Adam suffered from pain in his feet.

Once back at the Ponderosa, Kate climbed into the wagon and hugged her husband. Adam was grimacing, but the pain wasn’t overwhelming him yet.

“Love, we’ve got a bath ready for you. Paul is ready for us in the washroom.”

Hoss and Ben carried Adam inside and set him on a bench that had been moved next to the tub. Kate and Ben began stripping off Adam’s filthy clothing as Paul began examining his feet. Kate tried not to look, but when Adam flinched and groaned in pain, she looked down. The sight made her start to gag, and she had to leave. She came back after retching up her lunch. By then, Adam was naked and ready to be placed in the tub. Hop Sing came in with kettles of warm water and placed them next to stacks of clean towels.

“Ben and Hoss, I want each of you to hold an arm firmly. When he hits this water, the pain is going to be bad. I’ll lift his legs with Hop Sing’s help.”

“Paul, what can I do?”

“Kate, you talk to him. Try to soothe him and keep his calm. It won’t be easy.”

The four men lifted Adam and placed him in the tub. Paul and Hop Sing held up his lower legs so that his feet entered last. As the water surrounded Adam’s feet and the heat and soap penetrated the burns, he screamed and convulsed. It took all four men to hold him in the water as Paul and Kate washed him. Kate had tears running down her face and dripping into the water as she washed Adam’s chest, face, and hair. Adam begged them to stop hurting him and continued to buck against the hands holding him until Paul told them to take him out. They laid him on the table that had been draped with blankets to cushion him and a sheet to wrap around him when Paul finished. Kate and Ben wrapped him in towels as Paul worked on his feet with Hop Sing’s help covering the burns with salve and then lightly bandaging them.

After Adam was wrapped in a sheet, Hoss picked him up and carried him into the downstairs guest room and laid him on the bed. Adam hadn’t stopped moaning since they lifted him from the tub. Kate sat at his side and caressed his chest. Moving her hand in a gentle circle, she tried to soothe him and quiet him.

“Ben, after examining Adam, I’m afraid that the tincture of laudanum that they gave him had a very high concentration of opium in it. He was very sleepy and his breathing was shallow by your account.”

“Well, Paul, how long until the effects wear off?” Ben wanted to hear some good news from Doctor Martin, but he was going to be disappointed.

“Ben, I’m in a quandary here. If I don’t give any more laudanum to Adam, he’s going to be in severe pain. He may not be able to sleep. He may have severe aches, sweat, have the chills, retch, and worse.”

“Can you give him some then?”

“If I do, then he will have an even harder time beating the addiction. Ben, he would have to have laudanum for the rest of his life.”

“My son will not be an opium eater!”

“No, he won’t.” Kate was standing outside the room. “He’s my husband, and you should be talking to me about his care.” Seeing Adam suffering had brought a major change in Kate. The strength of character was back banishing the emotional weakness she had felt with her pregnancy. “He’s a strong man, and he will beat this thing.”

“Kate, Adam is going to suffer terribly.”

“How much more would he suffer reduced to taking laudanum every day for the rest of his life because we didn’t think he was strong enough to recover from those burns and this addiction?”

“Kate, the symptoms you are seeing are just the beginning. He probably still has some laudanum in his system after taking in so much. The runny nose, watery eyes, the sweating, and the nervous agitation are the start. He will become more and more agitated. He won’t be able to sleep. He’ll have chills and fever, nausea and vomiting, loose bowels, cramps, aches, and pains in places that no one ever hurts. In addition he will be suffering terrible pain from his feet and we won’t be able to give him anything for it. He’ll exhaust himself and be unable to rest.”

“How long?”

“It will be days, two at least and maybe more. The longer it lasts, the worse he will get. He won’t be able to eat and he’s already lost weight because they starved him. He’ll get weaker. If it gets too bad, Kate, he could die.”

In her heart, Kate knew as well as Ben that Adam would prefer to fight. But her heart was breaking too knowing how much he would suffer. In the guest room, Hoss was sitting at Adam’s side talking to him. Adam was still moaning in pain and tears fell as he cried for relief that wouldn’t come.

“Adam, sometimes I thought I wanted to see you drunk and silly. I wanted to see what you would be like if you had too much. I wondered what you would be like without all the hard outside you got. But Adam, I was wrong. You need to come back to us and be the Adam we know. You gotta beat this thing.”

For two full days, Adam suffered through the pain and the torment. Someone sat with him every moment. He drank tea which was the only thing he didn’t immediately vomit back up. Cold packs were applied to his feet to give him some relief from the pain of the burns. Bandages were changed on his feet often and salve reapplied each time. Kate, Ben, or one of his brothers would use cool cloths to sponge his neck, chest, arms, and face. He was sweating profusely with a high fever even as he shivered and was covered in goose bumps. Nothing they did chased the chills away even as Adam begged for help.

After two days of watching over Adam and caring for his needs as he withdrew from laudanum, everyone was exhausted physically and emotionally. At midnight, Ben arose, slipped on his robe, and headed downstairs to take his turn with his son. As he descended the stairs, he was surprised by the quiet. There was a lamp burning in the guest room where his son lay because he could see the light spilling out into the great room, but the moaning or groaning was absent. He worried as he neared the room until he saw Kate’s smile when she looked at him. She was pale and there were large circles under her eyes, but the smile said it all. Adam was sleeping. He had turned the corner and now things would get better day-by-day.

“I didn’t know if I should wake you and the others to say you could stay sleeping.”

“Of course you could wake us with news like this. Someone will need to be with him though until morning anyway.”

“I’ll stay with him. I’ll sleep beside him so I’ll know if he needs me.”

Ben was going to disagree but didn’t for two reasons. One was that Kate would have argued with him about doing this any other way. And as he stood and watched his son sleep, the worry that had made his chest hurt and disturbed the little slumber he had was dissipating.

“I’ll tell everyone. Someone will be here bright and early.”

So Kate slept beside her husband who was not even aware anyone was there. Adam slept until almost noon the next day. When he awoke, he was thirsty and hungry. For the first time since his ordeal began, he got to have some food. Even the light small meal made him a bit nauseous though so they had to revert to broth and bits of bread for another day. His feet were healing but he still couldn’t walk, so they got the wheelchair out of storage and wheeled him about the house. He and Kate stayed in the downstairs bedroom for a few weeks until Adam could walk although it was gingerly at first. Life was returning to normal.

Chapter 8

“Well, you’re in good health again and there’s no restriction on what you can do. The runny nose should clear up slowly. Try not to hurt yourself though because I can’t give you anything for the pain in the future. It would be too dangerous. Is the nausea gone?”

“Not completely. If I eat a lot or eat a normal helping of meat, I get nauseous.”

“Well, stick to light meals and avoid fried foods and heavy foods like meat as much as you can. Eat a snack if you’re hungry between meals. That nausea should be gone soon as well.”

It was early in the day and Doctor Martin was there for the last checkup for Adam who still had trouble walking on his tender soles, but otherwise was looking very good. Hop Sing plied him with special snacks and drinks frequently, and he had gained back most of the weight he had lost. He needed to regain his strength but that would take time. Adam had smiled at the doctor’s statement and Paul knew why. Adam hated painkilling powders because of the side effects he suffered. He wouldn’t ever have to worry about those now.

One good thing that had come out of the ordeal was that Joe had found an inexpensive way to deliver horses. The Price Freight Company would deliver four or eight at a time depending on if they were sending one or two wagons to a site. Joe had sat down with Matt Price and they had worked out a contract. Unless the buyers wanted more horses or had strict time limits, the horses would be delivered for a small fee. Ben was questioning Joe about paying for horse deliveries when Paul was upstairs with Adam and Kate. Ben still wasn’t sure it was a wise business decision.

“Pa, how much does it cost for me and a hand to be gone for up to two weeks making a delivery. Now we can stay here and work. It’s a win-win as far as costs and profits go. We save money on delivery costs, and Matt makes some money on deliveries for wagons already traveling in that direction.”

“All right, we’ll give it a try. You did put an escape clause into that contract.”

“Not necessary. I worked it out to pay on demand for services. If we don’t ask them to do it, we don’t owe them anything.”

“Joe, you’re getting better and better at business. Have you got any other ideas, although I’m almost afraid to ask.”

“Nothing definite right now, but I got some ideas I’m working on.”

Raising his eyebrows, Ben gave Joe that look that said you better use your head. Joe laughed.

“Don’t worry. I’ll talk it over with the family before any decision is made.”

As Ben and Joe had been talking, Adam came downstairs with Paul. He went outside and bid Paul goodbye. Then he hitched up a team to ride to his house to see what still needed to be done. He had been unable to do any of the finishing work, and that had slowed down their timetable for moving into the new house. Then he hoped to ride to Hoss’ building site to do the same. Just getting the carriage ready though had him sweating and coughing. Kate made him sit on the porch and drink some lemonade with her before they left. As they sat there, Ben and Joe walked outside and were immediately concerned because Adam was flushed and sweating.

“Nothing to worry about. Paul said I’m in good health, but some of these symptoms may last for a while yet.”

Ben looked at Kate who nodded and that drew a scowl from Adam.

“I’m telling the truth.”

“Yes, but you have been known to leave out part of it. And don’t look like you’re all that mad. I know you’re not and you’re just trying to make me feel a little guilty so you can get what you want. What do you want, by the way?”

Adam sat wondering how his father had worked that out after all these years. Those temper tantrums were real on occasion, at least often enough for him to fake it so his father would give in. He would think about how his father learned of his deception when he had more time.

“Kate and I would like to move to the new house by the end of the week.”

Ben was going to react negatively immediately but caught himself. This was a decision that his son and his wife should make. So he nodded and asked how he could help. Joe’s mouth dropped open. Adam’s would have but he had learned how to keep a blank face a lot better than Joe could ever hope to do. Kate was gracious and said ‘thank you’.

Adam worked at his house every day that week until Kate made him stay home and rest the day before the move. She was sitting next to Melody on the settee as they worked on patching work shirts.

“You’re going to be working very hard tomorrow. You’re already tired and you haven’t even begun to do any work today.”

“Yeah, Adam, if you’re so all fired ready to work, you could start doing your chores again.”

“Shut up, Joe. I won’t be here to do chores after tomorrow, so it would seem to be a moot point.”

“What do cows have to do with chores?”

“Joe, that’s utter nonsense.”

“There you go again with the cows. What’s udder nonsense anyway.”

Then the two brothers started laughing so hard they had to sit down. Kate looked at both of them and shook her head. Ben looked at Kate and smiled even as Melody started to giggle.

“This is what you got yourself into with these sons of mine. Sure you don’t want to back out of this marriage for your own sanity?”

Kate rubbed her distended abdomen and sighed. “Too late now.” Then she and Ben joined in the laughter. Hoss and Candy walked in and wondered what all the laughter was about. Ben explained to them and they looked at each other. Candy spoke first.

“Guess we had to be here.”

“Ya, reckon so, jest don’t seem all that funny.”

The looks on Hoss’ and Candy’s faces got Joe giggling and then everyone had to laugh. No one could avoid laughing at what Adam sometimes referred to as Joe’s ‘insane cackle’. Ben walked over to his desk and sat in his big leather chair. He watched his sons and daughters-in-law and Candy and thought how lucky they were. They could make mistakes or engage in ‘foolishment’ as Hop Sing called it, but in the end, here they were: a loving family who enjoyed being together.

 

Tags:  Adam Cartwright, ESA, ESJ, Family, SAS