{"id":11593,"date":"2015-09-11T21:04:11","date_gmt":"2015-09-12T01:04:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=11593"},"modified":"2026-07-27T22:23:15","modified_gmt":"2026-07-28T02:23:15","slug":"the-hardest-goodbye-book-1-of-a-house-united","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=11593","title":{"rendered":"The Hardest Goodbye – Book 1 of “A House United” (by Pulitzer2016)"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Hardest Goodbye
\nBook 1 of A HOUSE UNITED series<\/strong><\/p>\n

By Sarah Hendess (aka Pulitzer2016)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rating:\u00a0 K\u00a0 (33,830 words)<\/p>\n

A House United Series:<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Hardest Goodbye – Book 1 of A House United<\/a>
\nAnd the War Came – Book 2 of A House United
\n<\/a>Thenceforward and Forever Free – Book 3 of A HOUSE UNITED<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Hardest Goodbye
\nBook 1 of A HOUSE UNITED series<\/strong><\/p>\n

By Sarah Hendess<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Washington, DC
\nJuly 1859<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Josephine Cartwright blew an errant strand of dark hair out of her face and shifted her position between her patient and the window to get more light on the back of the man\u2019s head. His hair was tacky with blood, and she had to wipe it down frequently with a damp cloth.<\/p>\n

\u201cHowever did you manage to do this in your bookshop, Mr. Roberts?\u201d she asked in amazement.<\/p>\n

Mark Roberts grimaced as Josie jabbed her needle through his scalp for a final stitch.<\/p>\n

\u201cClint was carrying a crate of books, knocked into me, and sent me flying backwards into one of the shelves,\u201d he said, clearly exasperated by his son. This was not the first time Clint\u2019s clumsiness had forced someone to seek medical attention.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt least no one landed in horse manure this time.\u201d Josie tied off her thread and gently bandaged his head to keep the stitches clean. \u201cCome back in a week, and I\u2019ll take the stitches out. And take it easy the rest of the day. You may feel dizzy, and we don\u2019t need you fainting and splitting open another piece of your head.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mr. Roberts chuckled. \u201cIndeed I will.\u201d He stood up and collected his hat. \u201cWhat do I owe you for this?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI wouldn\u2019t charge you for five stitches. Reserve me a copy of \u2018A Tale of Two Cities\u2019 when the serial is complete, and we\u2019ll call it even.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll be sure to do that,\u201d Mr. Roberts said and headed for the door. \u201cCongratulations on your acceptance to medical school, by the way. I hear you had some special guests arrive to help you celebrate.\u201d<\/p>\n

Josie\u2019s face split into a wide smile. \u201cI did! My cousins Adam and Joe came all the way from the Utah Territory! I had not seen either of them since we accompanied Adam home after his graduation from Harvard nine years ago. Little Joe was only eight years old then. It\u2019s just too bad my Uncle Ben and Hoss couldn\u2019t come along, too, but I guess someone has to run their ranch.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s hard when family is so far away,\u201d Mr. Roberts reflected. \u201cBut it makes your time together that much sweeter.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI suppose so. I would have liked to have gone back to the territory with them to visit for a while, but school starts in September.\u201d<\/p>\n

Roberts smiled at her. \u201cYou\u2019ll make a fine doctor.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you,\u201d Josie said, smiling back. \u201cNow remember what I said: take it easy the rest of the day.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWill do. Tell your father I said hello.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI will. Take care.\u201d Josie closed the door behind Mr. Roberts and returned to the exam room to clean up.<\/p>\n

She hummed as she dropped her used needle into a jar of alcohol and wiped up some stray drops of blood from the exam table. She would have loved returning to the Nevada region with her cousins, but she had dreamed of going to medical school since she was a small girl. Her visit would have to wait at least the two years it would take her to earn her MD. And it helped that Adam was nearly as excited about her becoming a doctor as she was. He always had been bookish.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, someday,\u201d she sighed to herself as she tossed away a bloody rag.<\/p>\n

\n

When her father returned to the clinic just before supper after a round of house calls, Josie related the details of Mr. Roberts\u2019s accident. Dr. Jacob Cartwright shook his head. \u201cPoor Mark,\u201d he chuckled. \u201cThat boy will be the death of him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIn his own bookshop, no less,\u201d Josie added.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you for stitching him up. It\u2019s good to have you home, even if it\u2019s only for a little while.\u201d His face fell, and Josie noticed for the first time the creases that had developed at the outer corners of his eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone\u2019s always missing someone,\u201d she mused, her thoughts returning to her uncle and cousins.<\/p>\n

Papa looked at her thoughtfully. \u201cThat\u2019s true, I suppose. But just think! In two years, we\u2019ll be ordering a new shingle for the clinic: Cartwright and Cartwright, MDs!\u201d<\/p>\n

Josie grinned. She couldn\u2019t imagine any other vocation for herself than medicine, and working alongside her father made it that much sweeter. Papa had taught her much about medicine over the years, but she had always been merely his assistant. Now she was going to be a doctor in her own right, the same as him, and someday take over the clinic for her own.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome on, Papa.\u201d She threaded her arm through his. \u201cWe\u2019d best get home. Mrs. Crenshaw will be furious if we\u2019re late for dinner again, and Mama will be furious if she has to deal with Mrs. Crenshaw being furious again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Father and daughter stepped out onto the front stoop, Papa checked that the door was locked, and they set off down the city street together toward home.<\/p>\n

\n

Female Medical College of Pennsylvania
\nPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
\nSunday, September 11, 1859<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Dear Adam,<\/p>\n

I am at medical school! I can hardly believe it. We have had only one week of classes, but I already can tell I am in for a challenging two years. But who loves a challenge more than a Cartwright?<\/p>\n

Everyone here is quite pleasant. The dormitory mothers keep a tight watch on us, but they are not overly strict. We are allowed a fair amount of independent movement around the city. My roommate\u2019s name is Michaela. She is from Boston, and her father is a doctor, too. Like me, she plans to join his practice after graduation. There are only fifteen of us in our class, so I expect we will all grow close.<\/p>\n

As I have been in Philadelphia only two weeks, I have not yet had time to see all the sights you recommended, though next weekend Michaela and I intend to visit Independence Hall, and one of the dormitory mothers said she will lead a visit to Valley Forge early next month. I will be sure to write and give you all my impressions.<\/p>\n

Philadelphia is a city wholly different from any I have been to before. In Washington, we are accustomed to the city growing up around us\u2014or in the case of the Washington Monument, growing partway and then stopping abruptly\u2014but Philadelphia is established. It is old like Boston yet seems less preoccupied with decorum. Perhaps this is due to the lack of Transcendentalists. In any event, I expect I will be very happy here. I do not have to worry quite so much if I commit a behavioral faux pas, but thanks to Benjamin Franklin, I still have access to an excellent library.<\/p>\n

Thank you for your letter of August 1. Though I am enjoying Philadelphia, it was nice to have something that felt like home waiting for me upon my arrival at school. I am so glad you and Little Joe had an uneventful journey home. I still cannot believe the two of you traveled four weeks each direction to celebrate my medical school acceptance with me, but I am forever grateful that you did. Nine years is too long to be separated, and I hope to visit all of you at the Ponderosa when I complete my medical degree. I am so eager to see the house you designed. The sketch you sent me was beautiful, and I am sure it is even more stunning in person. I expect the area near the Ponderosa will grow rapidly thanks to the Comstock Lode I heard about. They say it is the biggest silver strike ever discovered in the United States. Perhaps Nevada will break away from the Utah Territory and become its own state.<\/p>\n

I keep the portrait the three of us had done while you were in Washington on my bureau here in my dormitory, and the other girls often ask about my \u201chandsome brothers.\u201d I have attempted to explain to them the Cartwright family tree, but they have collectively decided that you especially should be my brother, and so they call you.<\/p>\n

I apologize for this letter\u2019s brevity, but I must return to my studies. Please give my love to Uncle Ben, Hoss, and Little Joe, and relay my thanks again to Uncle Ben for giving you and Joe the time off from your work to visit me. It meant more than he will ever know.<\/p>\n

I miss you.<\/p>\n

All my love,<\/p>\n

Josephine<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ponderosa Ranch
\nWestern Utah Territory
\nEarly November, 1859<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam Cartwright pushed a stray lock of raven hair out of his eyes and reminded himself to go into town for a haircut soon. He had just reread his cousin\u2019s first letter from medical school for at least the twelfth time, and he felt guilty he\u2019d let two weeks pass without writing back. He typically responded to Josie\u2019s letters immediately, but he\u2019d felt melancholy since returning home from the East, and he didn\u2019t want to squelch her excitement over medical school with his own dreariness.<\/p>\n

He gently refolded the letter and placed it on his bureau next to a ferrotype of the portrait of himself, Josie, and Little Joe. He and Joe had traveled nearly a month to reach the other side of the country. It was five days by stagecoach from nearby Carson City to San Francisco, where the boys boarded a passenger ship. A fortnight at sea delivered them to Panama City, where they spent another day aboard a river boat on the Chagres River traveling to Cristobal. Once there, they had boarded another steamship that carried them through the Caribbean and up the east coast of North America to New York, where they caught a train for Hartford, Connecticut, where Josie was just completing her studies at the Hartford Female Seminary.<\/p>\n

He was still astounded Pa had given him so much time away from the ranch and even more astounded that Pa had also agreed to let Little Joe go with him. Adam often didn\u2019t understand his youngest brother, who was twelve years his junior. Joe was hot-tempered while Adam was level-headed, impulsive while Adam was reflective. But after the death of Little Joe\u2019s mother, he\u2019d helped to raise the now seventeen-year-old and wanted to show him more of the world. The boy had never been east of Texas, and Adam had found his brother\u2019s utter amazement at just about everything on their journey rather endearing.<\/p>\n

They were an odd sight during their day and a half in Panama\u2014two young men from the American West taking a riverboat through the Central American rainforest. They could have taken the new Panama Railway that had opened since Adam last crossed Central America, but he wanted Little Joe to see the rainforest, and he enjoyed every minute of watching Joe experience it.<\/p>\n

Little Joe, for his part, had spent most of the day-long journey along the Chagres River shouting. Every time he spotted a new species of bird or animal, he would holler out, \u201cWOW! Adam! Did you see that one?\u201d By the time they reached Cristobal on the eastern coast of Panama, Joe had concocted an elaborate scheme to capture a parrot to take home to their brother Hoss. Something to do with a fishing pole and his left boot\u2014Adam hadn\u2019t caught all the details. Adam had intervened just in time to stop the boy from spending all his money on a live spider monkey, prompting a loud and rather lengthy argument over whether a monkey could be happy in Nevada.<\/p>\n

Their voyage through the Caribbean and up the Atlantic Coast had been no less amazing to Little Joe, who attempted to dive off the ship near Florida to swim with a pod of dolphins. By the time they disembarked in New York City and boarded their train to Connecticut, Adam was exhausted from keeping his brother out of trouble, but Joe, for all his scheming, was still irritatingly energetic. But when they stepped off their train in Hartford and Adam saw his aunt, uncle, and Josie, grown into a young woman since he\u2019d last seen her, his fatigue fell away. The nine-year-old raven-haired little girl who had clung, sobbing, to him at their parting in Carson City nine years prior had grown into a beautiful raven-haired young woman of eighteen who now clung, sobbing, to him at their reunion in Connecticut. That reunion was the best day of his life to that point. He loved his father, his brothers, and their ranch, but reunited with his cousin, he felt complete.<\/p>\n

They spent a week in Hartford for farewell parties with Josie\u2019s classmates, all of whom were delighted to meet Josie\u2019s handsome cousins from Nevada, before traveling a day and a half by train to the eastern Cartwrights\u2019 home in Washington, DC. Little Joe was sorry to leave the school and its lovely students and to everyone\u2019s amusement expressed his desire to someday attend a ladies\u2019 seminary. But he found Washington exciting, too. He thought the partially completed Washington Monument was hilarious (\u201cWhy would they spend all that money on a silly stone pillar that doesn\u2019t do anything, Adam?\u201d), expressed adequate interest while Adam explained the historical significance of the architecture of the White House and the Capitol, and even consented to sit still long enough for a portrait of the three Cartwright cousins before he and Adam returned home.<\/p>\n

Adam now picked up the ferrotype from his bureau and studied it for the hundredth time. Though the slightly mischievous expression on her face undeniably identified Josie as a Cartwright, he was still amazed by her uncanny resemblance to his own mother, whose hand-drawn portrait also sat on his bureau. The resemblance was no coincidence. Adam and Josie were double first cousins, leading Josie to sometimes refer to him as \u201cCousin-Cousin Adam.\u201d The moniker annoyed him because it made them sound inbred, but he\u2019d never been able to bring himself to insist Josie stop using it. Josie\u2019s father, Dr. Jacob Cartwright, was his own father\u2019s younger brother, and Adam\u2019s mother, Elizabeth Stoddard, and Josie\u2019s mother, Hannah, were sisters.<\/p>\n

Or had been sisters. Though Josie\u2019s mother was alive and well, Adam\u2019s had died mere hours after giving birth to him. Grief-stricken, Benjamin Cartwright almost immediately took his infant son across the Great Plains, first to Nebraska, and eventually to the Nevada Territory, where he established the Ponderosa Ranch\u2014now 1,000 square miles of prime land on the shores of Lake Tahoe.<\/p>\n

Adam had thrived as a boy in the West. He learned to ride, shoot, and run a ranch. His formal schooling was inconsistent until the little family had settled permanently in the western Utah Territory\u2014then still a part of Mexico\u2014when he was nearly ten years old, but Pa made sure he could read, write, and do his figures. He exhibited a quick mind early on, and by the time he was fourteen, the local schoolteacher told Ben she had taught him everything she could and asked if he had considered sending him back east to attend a university.<\/p>\n

By that time, Adam had two younger brothers, Hoss and Joe, by two different stepmothers. Hoss\u2019s mother had died tragically when she was shot by a Lakota arrow in Nebraska when Hoss was only a few months old, but Joe\u2019s mother, a Creole woman originally from New Orleans, doted on all three boys equally. Ben disliked the idea of sending his fourteen-year-old son so far away from home, so he ordered in books by the dozen from New York. Then, the spring Adam turned seventeen and Little Joe was not quite five, Joe\u2019s mother, Marie, died after breaking her neck when she fell from her horse. Adam felt sick at the thought of leaving his father and brothers so soon after yet another family tragedy, but Pa insisted he keep his plans to travel to Harvard that summer. Looking back, he was grateful for his father\u2019s insistence. Those years in college had turned out to be some of the best of his life.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Massachusetts, Washington, DC, and Utah Territory
\nFall 1847 \u2013 December 1850<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

When Adam arrived in New York City Harbor in August 1847, his aunt, uncle, and cousin met his ship, having traveled by train from their home in Washington, DC. He\u2019d never met his extended family, but he immediately recognized his uncle, who, though certainly not Ben Cartwright\u2019s doppelganger, was clearly his brother\u2014something about the eyes and the tilt of the head.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam!\u201d Jacob Cartwright exclaimed, pumping his hand. \u201cSo good to finally meet you in person!\u201d He\u2019d been away at school when his nephew was born, and by the time the then sixteen-year-old Jacob had heard of Adam\u2019s birth and Elizabeth\u2019s death, Ben had already struck out west. He now held Adam at arm\u2019s length and took a long look at him. \u201cMy goodness, you ARE a Stoddard, aren\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo I\u2019ve been told, sir,\u201d Adam said, blushing slightly. \u201cI know I don\u2019t much favor my pa. Or you, apparently.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jacob laughed heartily. \u201cThat\u2019s all right, son. We\u2019ll love you anyway.\u201d He slapped his nephew on the back.<\/p>\n

As Adam smiled and thanked him, he caught sight of his Aunt Hannah and little Josie. Hannah Stoddard Cartwright had the wavy, black-brown hair of all the Stoddards but otherwise didn\u2019t bear a strong resemblance to her older sister Elizabeth. But at only six and a half years old, Josephine Elizabeth Cartwright most certainly did. Adam\u2019s breath caught as he looked upon the first member of his family he\u2019d ever met who looked like him. Josie had the same sable hair, hazel eyes that turned downward ever so slightly at the outward corners, bow-shaped mouth, and slight upturn to her nose that he had.<\/p>\n

Jacob noticed his nephew staring open-mouthed at Josie and guessed what the young man must be thinking. His heart went out to this motherless boy who must have grown up wondering about his family.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo sorry,\u201d Jacob said. \u201cAllow me to introduce you to your Aunt Hannah, and your cousin, Josephine.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHello, Adam,\u201d Hannah said, wiping away a tear and embracing her late sister\u2019s child for the first time since he was an infant. She held him a long time, and as they parted, she instinctively reached up and brushed a strand of hair out of his eyes. \u201cJosie has that same unruly forelock,\u201d she said, smiling through more tears. \u201cYour mother had it, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s eyes welled up, too, and before he could manage a reply, he felt a tug on his elbow. He looked down into the upturned face of the little girl who could be his sister.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m Josie,\u201d she said, proffering her little hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cHello, Josie,\u201d he said, pulling a serious face and solemnly shaking his cousin\u2019s tiny hand. \u201cI\u2019m your cousin Adam, and I\u2019m very pleased to make your acquaintance.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLikewise,\u201d Josie chirped. \u201cWe\u2019re actually double first cousins, you know, because our fathers are brothers and our mothers are sisters.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam raised an eyebrow and caught his uncle\u2019s eye. Jacob shrugged his shoulders and spread his hands as if to say \u201cWhat are you going to do?\u201d This wasn\u2019t the first time Josie\u2019s precociousness had caught an adult off guard.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s true,\u201d Adam said, squatting down to her eye level. \u201cWhich means you and I are more closely related than anyone else in our family, so we better make sure we take real good care of each other. Is that a bargain?\u201d He offered her his hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cMr. Cartwright, I do believe it is,\u201d Josie said grandly, shaking Adam\u2019s hand for a second time.<\/p>\n

\u201cWonderful!\u201d Adam stood and plopped his cowboy hat on Josie\u2019s head so that it fell over her eyes. The little girl giggled and pushed the hat back so she could see but did not take it off. She reached up and took his hand. His heart soared.<\/p>\n

\u201cBetter watch out for that one,\u201d Jacob said, nudging him and pointing to Josie. \u201cShe\u2019ll wrap you around her little finger so fast you won\u2019t know what hit you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m noticing.\u201d He grinned down at his little cousin. The skills he had developed over eleven years of being an older brother were going to serve him well.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam, dear, you must be famished,\u201d Hannah interjected. \u201cLet\u2019s go to our hotel so you can clean up and then we\u2019ll get something to eat.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat sounds wonderful, thank you, ma\u2019am.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAunt Hannah.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, ma\u2019am.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hannah shook her head, and led the little party off the dock, her holding onto her husband\u2019s arm and Adam clutching Josie\u2019s hand.<\/p>\n

******<\/p>\n

When they delivered him to Harvard the next day, Adam got to meet his mother\u2019s older sister, Rachel Stoddard. A formidable woman, Aunt Rachel had never married and made it her mission to preserve, as she said, the \u201clegacy of the Stoddard family.\u201d She studied Adam with a stern eye and said spending time in the East would clearly be good for him. Adam resolved to stick close to Aunt Hannah during family gatherings.<\/p>\n

He thanked his aunts and uncle profusely for going out of their way to meet him. Rachel nodded demurely, but Jacob and Hannah assured him it had been their pleasure and told him to wire them in Washington, DC, if he needed anything.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t forget, you promised you would spend Christmas with us,\u201d Josie reminded Adam sternly as they said their farewells.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wouldn\u2019t miss it for anything in the world,\u201d Adam assured her.<\/p>\n

He enjoyed his first term at Harvard, where he studied engineering and architecture, and when the Christmas holidays arrived, he took the train from Boston to Washington, DC, to his uncle\u2019s home. All three Cartwrights met his train, and Josie flew into his arms when he stepped onto the platform. Jacob and Hannah included Adam in all their family activities as if he were their own son. Jacob, especially, enjoyed taking Adam around Washington City to show him the government buildings, in whose architecture he knew his nephew would take a keen interest. Adam was disappointed Congress was on a holiday recess and he couldn\u2019t sit in on a session of the Senate or the House, but his uncle placated him with a tour of the Capitol building. In the evenings after supper, the family sat together in the sitting room, Jacob reading, Hannah sewing, and Adam and Josie competing to see who could build the tallest tower of wooden blocks. On Christmas morning, Jacob and Hannah surprised him with a handsome volume of \u201cThe Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass,\u201d while Josie, uncharacteristically shy, presented him with a scarf she had knitted herself. Adam missed his father, his brothers, and if he were honest with himself, his horse, but at the same time, he had never felt so contented.<\/p>\n

His school holidays passed in much the same way over the next three years. He reveled in his studies and his classmates at Harvard, but he spent every extended break with his family in Washington. He especially enjoyed his summer vacations, which were too short to travel all the way home to the Ponderosa, but allowed him almost three uninterrupted months with Jacob, Hannah, and Josie, who had adopted him as an honorary older brother\u2014a role he was happy to fill.<\/p>\n

When he wasn\u2019t taking Josie to the library, the new Smithsonian museum, or the theater, he was drawing up plans for the new ranch house he intended to build on the Ponderosa, doing odd jobs for Uncle Jacob\u2019s neighbors, or walking around the Federal City, soaking up the excitement of nation\u2019s capital. On July 4, 1848, all four Cartwrights attended the laying of the cornerstone for the planned Washington Monument, watched a fireworks display, and stuffed themselves silly with fresh-churned ice cream.<\/p>\n

When Adam arrived in Washington in early June 1849 for his summer break between his second and third and final year at Harvard, Jacob met him at the train station alone. His heart sank.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere\u2019s Josie?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt home with the measles, unfortunately,\u201d Uncle Jacob replied. Seeing the concern cross his nephew\u2019s face, he added, \u201cDon\u2019t worry, she\u2019s fine. Or will be, anyway. She came down sick a few days ago, and she\u2019s still a bit feverish, but it isn\u2019t bad. No signs of pneumonia. She should be back to her normal self in three or four days, though I\u2019m keeping her quarantined for the next two weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019ll love that,\u201d Adam said.<\/p>\n

Uncle Jacob chuckled, then grew serious. \u201cHave you had the measles, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, yes, sir. I was a couple years younger than Josie. Got them right in the middle of the Great Plains. Pa still likes to remind me what a terrible inconvenience that was.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jacob laughed. \u201cGood! I can take you home, then.\u201d<\/p>\n

They chatted amiably on the short buggy ride from the train station to the house. When they arrived, Adam greeted Aunt Hannah, who said he was welcome to look in on Josie. He took his suitcase up the guest room, which he had come to think of as his own, opened it, and removed the book sitting atop his clothes. Walking quietly down the hall, he stopped at Josie\u2019s bedroom door and knocked gently.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam?\u201d Josie\u2019s little voice sounded raw.<\/p>\n

He opened the door and stepped through. Josie, who was under her father\u2019s orders to sleep, was sitting up in bed with a book in her hands. Every bit of exposed skin was covered in a red, blotchy rash. \u201cHey, Josie,\u201d he said. Josie reached her arms out to him, and Adam crossed the room in two strides and knelt to hug her. His cousin\u2019s skinny body was too warm through her nightgown, but not dangerously hot. Perhaps Uncle Jacob was right about her condition not being serious\u2014he was<\/em> a doctor, after all\u2014but he felt better having seen her for himself.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou should be sleeping,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am bored with sleeping! It\u2019s all I have been doing for the last three days. I am reading now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam glanced at the cover of the book she was holding. \u201cFrankenstein?\u201d he asked, amused. \u201cInteresting choice.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was closest to the door,\u201d Josie said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeg your pardon?\u201d<\/p>\n

She sighed. \u201cI wasn\u2019t supposed to be out of bed, so I had to sneak into the library to get a book. I wanted \u2018Oliver Twist,\u2019 but I thought I heard someone coming as soon as I got in there. This one was closest to the door, so I grabbed it and ran.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam laughed out loud. Josie reminded him so much of Little Joe sometimes. \u201cWell, here,\u201d he said, handing her the book he had brought for her. \u201cI brought you a present. Seems it was well timed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Josie examined the book, \u201cThe Children of the New Forest.\u201d \u201cI\u2019ve heard of this!\u201d she exclaimed, her face beaming. \u201cMary at school was talking about it, but I had already spent all my pocket money for the month, and Papa wouldn\u2019t give me more.\u201d Her excitement was curtailed by a burst of coughing. Adam poured her a glass of water from a pitcher on the bedside table.<\/p>\n

\u201cEasy there,\u201d he said, handing her the glass and rubbing her back. \u201cWe made a pact to take care of each other, remember? Help me out a little and settle down.\u201d<\/p>\n

When her coughing fit eased, Josie hugged the book to her chest. \u201cI am going to treasure this forever and ever!\u201d Then she sighed wistfully. \u201cI would like to see the New Forest someday.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam smiled. \u201cThat\u2019s all the way in England, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know. But I would still like to see it. I want to see the Ponderosa, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou do?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course! I want to see where you live and meet my Uncle Ben and Hoss and Little Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019d like it there, I think. We\u2019ve got wide-open spaces, but lots of trees, too, especially pine trees. They call them ponderosa pines\u2014that\u2019s where Pa got the name for the ranch. We have mountains and fields, and at the edge of the property, the biggest lake you\u2019ve ever seen.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLake Tahoe,\u201d Josie said.<\/p>\n

Adam smiled. The little girl was bright. \u201cThat\u2019s right. Lake Tahoe, right on the border of the new Utah Territory and California.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUtah and California became part of the United States just last year,\u201d Josie said, puffing out her chest.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlso true.\u201d<\/p>\n

Though Americans such as Benjamin Cartwright and his sons had been living west of the Rocky Mountains for several decades, those regions had technically belonged to Mexico until the United States won the Mexican War in 1848. Under the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, much of the land between the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Ocean was ceded to the United States.<\/p>\n

\u201cWill you take me there someday?\u201d Josie asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomeday I will. That\u2019s a promise. Now get some rest.\u201d He kissed her softly on the forehead, tucked the covers around her, and left the room.<\/p>\n

\n

As her father predicted, Josie recovered quickly from the measles, helped along by her new book and Adam\u2019s company. She especially loved when he would bring his guitar into her room and the two of them would compose silly songs together.<\/p>\n

The thought of his promise to take Josie to the Ponderosa weighed heavily on Adam\u2019s mind. When when he received a letter in July from Pa saying that he, Hoss, and Little Joe would attend his graduation from Harvard next spring, Adam had an idea. That evening, he approached his uncle in his study.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s an intriguing idea,\u201d Uncle Jacob said when Adam told him his plan. He folded the newspaper he\u2019d been reading and laid it on the table next to his chair. \u201cIt would be a lot of time away from my practice, but maybe I\u2019ve earned a break after all these years. Let me talk to Hannah.\u201d<\/p>\n

In his excitement, Adam could hardly sleep that night. The next morning at breakfast, he could only pick at his eggs, prompting Uncle Jacob to ask if he was feeling unwell. Josie immediately jumped down from her chair, skittered to her cousin, and felt his forehead with the back of her hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s not feverish, Papa,\u201d she said. Then, turning to Adam, she demanded, \u201cLet me see your throat.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam smiled at Josie\u2019s tenacity. Not quite nine years old, and she was already turning into quite a little doctor.<\/p>\n

Uncle Jacob chuckled. \u201cI think I know what\u2019s wrong him, Josie, and I think I can set his mind at ease. Adam, your aunt and I have decided your idea is a good one, and we would love to take you up on it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam jumped so violently in surprise that he knocked over both his chair and his cousin. Horrified, he picked Josie up and set her on her feet. The little girl brushed off the front of her green-and-white dress indignantly.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hardly see the need for all of that!\u201d she said. \u201cWhat idea could you possibly have that would justify knocking me down?\u201d Her nostrils flared like Little Joe\u2019s did when he was angry.<\/p>\n

Still apologizing to Josie, Adam glanced at his uncle, who nodded.<\/p>\n

He swallowed hard and tucked a loosened strand of dark hair back behind Josie\u2019s ear. \u201cRemember how I promised to take you to the Ponderosa?\u201d Josie nodded. \u201cHow would you like to go next spring?\u201d<\/p>\n

There was a pregnant pause while Josie narrowed her eyes, clearly trying to decide whether he was pulling her leg. She looked over at her parents, standing at the other end of the table and smiling.<\/p>\n

\u201cReally?\u201d she asked skeptically.<\/p>\n

\u201cReally,\u201d Adam said, and he broke into a huge grin.<\/p>\n

Josie squealed, threw her arms around Adam\u2019s neck and hugged him, then released him and started running laps around the breakfast table and screaming.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hardly see the need for all of that,\u201d Adam teased. Josie stopped abruptly and stuck out her tongue. Adam laughed and led her into the sitting room. He dropped easily onto the settee and pulled the little girl into his lap to fill her in on the details.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy pa and brothers are coming for my graduation next May,\u201d he told her, \u201cso you\u2019ll get to meet them!\u201d Josie grinned, and Adam continued, \u201cThey\u2019ll probably stay here a while to see all the sights, but when they take me home to Nevada, you, Uncle Jacob, and Aunt Hannah are going to come along and stay at the Ponderosa for an entire month!\u201d<\/p>\n

Josie clapped her hands delightedly. \u201cOh, Adam, will you teach me how to ride a horse?\u201d As a city girl, she\u2019d never needed to learn to ride. If the family was going somewhere too far to walk, they either took Jacob\u2019s buggy or hailed a cab.<\/p>\n

\u201cLike a genuine cowhand,\u201d Adam promised.<\/p>\n

Josie hugged him again.<\/p>\n

******<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s final fall semester at Harvard passed quickly, and the Christmas holiday was soon upon him. The Cartwrights had decided to spend Christmas 1849 in Boston with Aunt Rachel, so Adam had only to travel the short distance from Cambridge to the Stoddard home in Boston.<\/p>\n

All the Cartwrights except Hannah, who over the years had learned how to handle her oldest sister, approached this visit with trepidation. Rachel Stoddard spent much of her time complaining about the depths to which the Stoddard family had sunk. On the few occasions Adam had met her since coming east, she spoke highly of his intelligence, manners, and resemblance to his mother, but she always injected a backhanded insult at the same time.<\/p>\n

\u201cSuch a handsome boy,\u201d she would say. \u201cIt is a pity that father of his raised him in such a heathen country.\u201d Or \u201cHe gets his intelligence from the Stoddard side, you know. \u00a0Thank goodness it was not diluted by that Cartwright blood!\u201d<\/p>\n

Josie was even less fortunate. Aunt Rachel never attempted to shroud her disappointment with the child. Josie was never clean enough, polite enough, or interested enough in things Rachel thought little girls should take interest in.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you ask me,\u201d she would say without being asked, \u201clittle girls like that do not grow into ladies, if you know what I mean.\u201d Jacob had learned to avoid his sister-in-law as much as possible and therefore was ignorant of her opinion on him, though he assumed correctly that it was not favorable.<\/p>\n

Despite his best efforts to arrive at the same time as the rest of his family, Adam found himself at the Stoddard home several hours before Jacob, Hannah, and Josie\u2019s train was due. Though it was beginning to snow heavily, he thought he might walk around the city for a bit, maybe have a cup of coffee at a caf\u00e9, and then meet their train, but he dithered outside the house a moment too long. Rachel spotted him from the window and sent her butler to the door to summon him in. He heaved a long sigh and trudged up the front steps and into the house.<\/p>\n

His aunt was waiting for him in the grand foyer. \u201cHonestly, Adam Cartwright, wandering about in the snow!\u201d she chided shrilly. \u201cYour poor departed mother would turn over in her grave if she knew.\u201d Adam had gotten upset the first time Aunt Rachel alluded to his mother thus, but he was so used to it now that he barely noticed. He tried to apologize, but Aunt Rachel shushed him and fussed at the butler to take his coat. \u201cAnd bring my nephew some hot tea!\u201d she ordered as the butler scurried down the hall with Adam\u2019s coat. \u201cCome, Adam,\u201d she said, suddenly sugar and spice. \u201cSit and chat with me for a bit before the rest of the family arrives.\u201d<\/p>\n

He could think of several things he would prefer to chatting with Aunt Rachel for several hours\u2014getting caught in a bear trap came to mind\u2014but he saw little recourse, so he sat. He felt so out of place in Aunt Rachel\u2019s house. His grandfather had done well as a ship\u2019s chandler and then owner of a merchant line after retiring as a sea captain, and the fine old colonial home was furnished accordingly. Pa\u2019s home in Nevada had a single sofa. Rachel had two in the sitting room, plus one in each of the house\u2019s six bedrooms. The gold and crystal chandelier in the dining room alone was probably worth as much as the entire humble ranch house on the Ponderosa. Pa had always met his sons\u2019 needs, but Adam had never known wealth like this. It made him squirmy.<\/p>\n

The butler reappeared with tea and scones for them. Adam would have much preferred coffee, but tea was more common in the East, so he loaded it up with sugar and forced himself not to grimace while he sipped it politely.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, Adam,\u201d Rachel launched in, \u201ctell me all about your school term.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thank goodness she\u2019d picked a noncontroversial topic. He told her about his favorite natural history course and the rowing competitions he\u2019d watched. Aunt Rachel listened attentively and asked polite questions at all the proper moments. The conversation was going swimmingly right up to the point when she inquired if he\u2019d met any young ladies. Adam immediately shot crimson from his hairline to his collarbone.<\/p>\n

\u201cN-no, ma\u2019am. My father sent me here to get an education, and that\u2019s what I have focused on.\u201d He had, in fact, courted a couple of young ladies during his two and a half years in Cambridge, but he certainly didn\u2019t want to delve into this subject with his martinet of an aunt. For a refined Boston lady, she couldn\u2019t have broached a more awkward topic.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, well, it was the least he could do for you, all things considered,\u201d Rachel said, a snide twinge in her tone.<\/p>\n

\u201cMa\u2019am?\u201d<\/p>\n

Rachel nearly spat her answer. \u201cWhat I mean, Adam, is that providing you a quality education is the least your father could do for you after dragging you clear across the continent to live like a savage without a mother and expect you to help him raise those wild half-brothers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam felt like he\u2019d just been punched in the chest. He knew Aunt Rachel had protested Pa\u2019s leaving Boston after Adam\u2019s mother died, but he\u2019d never guessed she held such a deep hatred for him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith all due respect, Aunt Rachel, Pa\u2019s done his best by me, and by my little brothers.\u201d He purposely omitted the distasteful prefix \u201chalf\u201d when referring to his brothers. He had never felt Hoss and Little Joe were anything less than his full brothers, genetics be damned. Besides, Aunt Rachel had never met them. Who was she to judge?<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, really?\u201d Rachel\u2019s eyebrows shot up so high they nearly disappeared into her hair. \u201cYou think it was \u2018best\u2019 to drag an infant across the Great Plains after killing the child\u2019s mother? You think it was \u2018best\u2019 that after losing a second wife he got mixed up with a Creole woman, of all people? And then, if you please, he let her die, too. Tell me, Adam, do you really believe your father has made the \u2018best\u2019 choices?\u201d<\/p>\n

He couldn\u2019t breathe. He\u2019d guessed long ago that Aunt Rachel blamed Pa for his mother\u2019s death, and he took umbrage at this misguided condemnation. He also took offense at Aunt Rachel\u2019s casual dismissal of the two other women who had been the only mothers he\u2019d ever known. He swallowed hard.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy father did not kill your sister, Aunt Rachel,\u201d he said coldly. \u201cHer death was no one\u2019s fault but mine. Excuse me.\u201d His whole body shaking, he stood and strode to the front door. He had no idea where the butler had put his hat and coat, but he had to get out of this house before he suffocated. In just his trousers and shirtsleeves, he headed toward the train station to wait for his uncle.<\/p>\n

******<\/p>\n

By the time Jacob, Hannah, and Josie arrived on their train, Adam was shivering violently. The snow continued to fall, and the wind had picked up and cut through him like a knife. He hadn\u2019t been able to feel his fingers for quite a while. He knew he should go inside, but he was desperate for his family. He didn\u2019t want to miss them. And standing in the cold felt like a just punishment for something he couldn\u2019t quite put his finger on. Josie spotted him as soon as she stepped onto the platform and raced to him before screeching to a halt halfway.<\/p>\n

\u201cPapa!\u201d she cried. Even from a distance, she could see something was horribly wrong with her beloved Adam.<\/p>\n

Jacob was talking to the porter about their luggage when he heard his daughter shout, and he looked up to see Josie run the rest of the way to her pale and horribly underdressed cousin. Good God, why was the boy standing there with no coat? His stomach lurched. He stuck a bill in the porter\u2019s hand and raced to Adam, pulling off his coat as he went.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat happened to you? Where is your coat?\u201d he demanded.<\/p>\n

\u201cA- a- aunt R-rachel\u2019s,\u201d Adam squeaked out through his chattering teeth. Jacob threw his coat around the boy\u2019s shoulders. Adam\u2019s shirt was wet through. He must have been out here for some time.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou poor boy, what happened?\u201d Jacob asked again.<\/p>\n

Hannah reached them then. \u201cGood heavens!\u201d she declared, hand flying to her bosom. \u201cAdam, what happened?\u201d She grabbed one of his hands and gasped. \u201cYou\u2019re as cold as ice.\u201d She paused and narrowed her eyes. \u201cWhat did my sister say to you?\u201d Hannah loved her sister, but she was no fool. There was only one person who could have driven rational, logical Adam into a snowstorm in naught but his shirtsleeves.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll figure it out later,\u201d Jacob said, putting his arm around Adam\u2019s shoulders. \u201cRight now, we have to get him someplace warm,\u201d After a couple steps, he changed position so Adam\u2019s arm was around his shoulders, and he put his arm around the boy\u2019s waist. The boy was stumbling badly, and Jacob didn\u2019t want him to fall and crack his head open.<\/p>\n

Blessedly, there was a cab waiting for passengers outside the train station. Once inside, Josie helped her father unbutton and pull off Adam\u2019s wet shirt and put his arms through the sleeves of Jacob\u2019s coat. She removed her own coat, climbed into Adam\u2019s lap and snuggled against his bare chest.<\/p>\n

\u201cPut your arms around me, Adam,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019ll help warm you up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam obeyed, but his head lolled back against the wall of the cab, and he closed his eyes. \u201cWhere we goin\u2019? I\u2019m so sleepy,\u201d he mumbled.<\/p>\n

\u201cJacob-\u201d Hannah\u2019s voice broke. She knew the signs of hypothermia as well as her husband, and the confusion in her nephew\u2019s voice frightened her.<\/p>\n

Jacob reached around his daughter and slapped Adam sharply across the face. Adam snapped to attention, his face registering surprise and pain.<\/p>\n

\u201cPapa!\u201d Josie cried. She briefly contemplated slapping her father back but wisely decided against it.<\/p>\n

\u201cStay awake, boy!\u201d Jacob ordered.<\/p>\n

Adam recognized the growl in his uncle\u2019s voice\u2014it was the same as Pa\u2019s\u2014and decided he\u2019d better obey. But it was hard. He was so sleepy, and the cab\u2019s seat was so comfortable, and his little cousin in his lap was so toasty. He bit down hard on the insides of his cheeks, hoping the pain would keep him alert.<\/p>\n

His shivering had slowed somewhat by the time they reached the Stoddard home. The butler opened the front door for them, and the Cartwrights burst in without greeting Rachel. Jacob pushed past his sister-in-law and directed Adam into the sitting room, where he sat him so close to the fire that Adam was afraid his eyelashes would singe.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe doesn\u2019t look frostbitten, Papa,\u201d Josie said, checking out the tips of her cousin\u2019s ears and fingers. \u201cGood thing he had the sense to put his hands in his pockets and stand back in that alcove.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think he\u2019ll be all right once we get him warmed up and in dry clothes. Some tea, please?\u201d Jacob asked the butler who was standing in the doorway.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hate tea,\u201d Adam croaked, accidentally speaking his thoughts aloud. He hadn\u2019t meant to complain, but it was really hard to get his thoughts straight right now. Hannah burst out in a very unladylike guffaw. Three Cartwrights, one Stoddard, and a butler turned and stared at her. Hannah Cartwright was nothing if not a sophisticated woman, and none of them had ever heard her carry on so.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt took two years, but the Cartwright in him finally showed itself,\u201d she said, still giggling, overcome with relief that her nephew was making sense again.<\/p>\n

The butler produced the tea, and Adam tried to his best to seem gracious. The hot teacup made his icy hands scream in pain and he nearly dropped it, but Josie sat next to him and steadied his hand. It was then that everyone remembered Rachel\u2019s presence and likely responsibility for Adam\u2019s current state. Jacob was about to bless her out, but his wife beat him to it. Gentle Hannah Cartwright acted completely out of character for the second time in ten minutes and grabbed the ruffle on the front of her sister\u2019s dress and shoved her roughly against one wall of the sitting room. Jacob and Josie\u2019s mouths dropped open in surprise, but while Jacob\u2019s mouth remained hanging open, Josie\u2019s transformed into a wide smile of triumph and approval.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat did you say to him?\u201d Hannah shouted. \u201cThat is Elizabeth\u2019s boy, Rachel! Her only child, and you drove him out into the snow!\u201d Rachel\u2019s mouth opened and worked up and down, but she emitted no sound. She was stabbed by a pang of guilt as she realized how badly she had hurt her departed sister\u2019s son.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was nothing, Aunt Hannah,\u201d Adam piped up, his voice clearer. \u201cJust a misunderstanding. My fault, really. I reacted too quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hannah cut her eyes at her nephew. He was covering up for Rachel, but she wouldn\u2019t challenge him. He clearly didn\u2019t want to get into it. She slowly released her sister and turned back to Adam. As she strode back across the room, she grabbed a quilt off an armchair and wrapped it lovingly around the young man\u2019s shoulders.<\/p>\n

Such an uncomfortable silence settled over the room that Adam considered intentionally dropping his teacup onto the stone hearth just to make some noise. Rachel, however, acted first by ordering the butler to build a fire in the guestroom he had prepared for Adam, thus saving the teacup from an untimely demise.<\/p>\n

Jacob helped his nephew to his feet. \u201cLet\u2019s get you upstairs and into something dry.\u201d He followed Adam closely as they made their way up the stairs in case the boy stumbled again, but he was relieved to see his steps were fairly steady now.<\/p>\n

Josie ached to follow them. The thought of anything happening to her Adam was unbearable, but she didn\u2019t want to embarrass him by poking in while Papa helped him change his clothes.<\/p>\n

Jacob helped Adam into a nightshirt. Adam protested, but Jacob put on his sternest doctor\u2019s expression and ordered the boy to bed. \u201cYou\u2019re exhausted. Your body\u2019s spent too much energy trying to keep warm, and you need to rest or you risk developing pneumonia.\u201d<\/p>\n

Too tired to argue, Adam crawled into bed. Out of necessity, Pa had raised him to be independent from a young age, and he now despised being coddled. But the fire was roaring in the corner fireplace, and the room took on a cozy atmosphere that made him sleepy again. Jacob brushed a lock of dark hair off his forehead in a paternal gesture that reminded him so much of Pa, and he closed his eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cSleep now, son,\u201d Jacob said, his hand still resting on Adam\u2019s forehead. When he was sure his nephew had drifted off, he slipped quietly out of the room.<\/p>\n

When Adam reopened his eyes a few hours later, he saw a dark-haired woman watching him from a chair at his bedside. The still-crackling fire behind her cast a halo of light around her head, and she smiled serenely at him.<\/p>\n

Adam was sure it was his mother.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, that\u2019s it,\u201d he thought. \u201cI\u2019ve died.\u201d<\/p>\n

Just then, a little face popped up next to his.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey there, sleepyhead,\u201d Josie whispered.<\/p>\n

Adam blinked the sleep from his eyes as they focused on his cousin\u2019s cheerful countenance. \u201cHey yourself,\u201d he mumbled, a soft smile playing about his lips.<\/p>\n

Josie placed her hand on his forehead. It was cool against his skin, which had grown warm as he slept, and he sighed contentedly.<\/p>\n

Worry creased Josie\u2019s brow. \u201cYou\u2019re a little warm. I\u2019ll go get Papa.\u201d She rose from where she had been sitting on the floor next to his bed and scampered out of the room, leaving him alone with the dark-haired woman, who he assumed was Hannah.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

\u201cSleep well?\u201d Rachel asked timidly.<\/p>\n

\u201cVery well, thank you,\u201d Adam replied formally. He shifted his head on his pillow so he was no longer looking directly at his aunt, focusing instead on the flames dancing in the fireplace.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have every right to be angry with me,\u201d she said softly. \u201cAnd I doubt I can ever adequately apologize to you. You need to understand that your mother was my best friend. When she died, a piece of me died with her, but I consoled myself, saying \u2018At least we have Adam.\u2019 Even as a baby it was clear you were going to favor her. But then your father took you away, and everything I had left of my sister was gone. Getting to know you these past two years has been such a gift, Adam, but now that you are nearly to your last term in school, all I can think about is how Ben Cartwright is going to come and take you away from me all over again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot Pa\u2019s fault,\u201d he said, cringing at the unintended petulance in his voice. \u201cHe needs me. My little brothers need me. I promised to build them a new house.\u201d The explanation sounded pathetic when he spoke it aloud, but a lump rose in his throat as he remembered his little brothers\u2019 elated reaction when he\u2019d announced he\u2019d build them a new house with separate bedrooms for everyone.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s left eyebrow shot up. Rachel Stoddard was not known for admitting when she was wrong.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou are right that they need you,\u201d she said, \u201cbut you were wrong on one serious point.\u201d<\/p>\n

She reached down and gently tilted her nephew\u2019s face up. Adam allowed this and met her gaze, hazel eyes into hazel eyes. He raised his other eyebrow, waiting for her to continue.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour mother\u2019s death was not your fault.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now he did look away, rolling over so he faced away from Aunt Rachel. His mother\u2019s death was<\/em> his fault. He\u2019d always known that and sometimes struggled to understand how Pa could love the boy who had killed his wife. Aunt Rachel leaned forward and brushed the stubborn lock of hair out of Adam\u2019s eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam, listen to me. I was there. I know. Your mother came down with a fever a month before you were born. Her death was the fever\u2019s fault. It sapped her strength to the point she could not carry you as long as she should have. When her pains began a month early, we all feared the worst, not only that we would lose her, but that we would lose you as well. You were so tiny when you were born your father could hold you in the palm of one hand. But you were strong, and you thrived. Your mother simply wasn\u2019t. All her strength was gone, but it was not your fault. It was never your fault. Plenty of otherwise healthy people in town died of that same fever without first birthing a baby. I guess in a way, your mother was the strongest of them all.\u201d Her voice trailed off.<\/p>\n

The tears Adam had been fighting spilled over and coursed silently down his cheek onto his pillow. Pa had told him the same story, but hearing it from Aunt Rachel, too, lent it more credence. Maybe there was some truth to it.<\/p>\n

Rachel pulled a white lace handkerchief out of her skirt pocket and dried her nephew\u2019s tears. She stood and in a maternal gesture wholly foreign to her, kissed his forehead. \u201cYou do feel warm,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019ll see what\u2019s keeping your uncle.\u201d<\/p>\n

She swept out of the room, dabbing at her eyes. A few moments later, Uncle Jacob entered the room, followed closely by Josie. Adam rolled back over to greet them as Jacob sat down in the chair his sister-in-law had vacated. He felt Adam\u2019s forehead and confirmed he had a low fever. He pulled a stethoscope out of his ever-present medical bag and listened to Adam breathe.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour lungs sound clear,\u201d he said. \u201cA fever isn\u2019t unusual in cases of mild hypothermia. I\u2019ll send up some willow bark tea for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, boy. More tea.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jacob laughed at the crestfallen expression his nephew\u2019s face.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have great faith in your ability to choke it down,\u201d he said. \u201cI expect by this time tomorrow you will be feeling normal again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd until then, I will look after you,\u201d Josie informed Adam. She turned to her father. \u201cWe have a pact, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou better honor it then.\u201d Uncle Jacob patted Adam\u2019s shoulder and headed downstairs to see about the tea.<\/p>\n

Josie plunked down in the chair and stared intently at her cousin.<\/p>\n

After several long moments during which Adam grew increasingly self-conscious, he asked her what she was doing.<\/p>\n

\u201cWatching to make sure your fever does not go up.\u201d<\/p>\n

He bit back a smile. \u201cI\u2019m not sure that\u2019s how it works.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI have lived with a doctor my whole entire life. Do not presume to tell me how it works, Adam Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy apologies.\u201d He couldn\u2019t hide the smile any longer. He rolled over so Josie couldn\u2019t see it.<\/p>\n

He could feel her gaze boring into his back like a bullet. How long could she go without blinking? She was making his skin crawl.<\/p>\n

\u201cTell you what,\u201d he said, rolling back over. \u201cWhy don\u2019t you go get us each a book?\u201d<\/p>\n

Josie believed strongly in the healing powers of stories and cheerfully acquiesced to this request. In her brief absence, the butler came in with Adam\u2019s tea and set it on the small table next to the bed. Adam thanked him, and the butler bowed stiffly and retreated. Propping himself up to a seated position, he reached for the tea tray and was dismayed to discover the butler had neglected to bring him any sugar or milk. He was working out a strategy for how to successfully ingest the pungent beverage when Josie bounced back into the room, a book in each hand. She took one look at the way Adam\u2019s nose was wrinkled up against the tea\u2019s strong odor and giggled.<\/p>\n

\u201cWait until it cools and then drink it all in one big gulp,\u201d she recommended. \u201cThat is the only way I can manage it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam did as she suggested. The tea certainly was less offensive in one go than it would have been in small sips, but it still made his face screw up. Josie snickered and handed him a peppermint stick she extracted from her dress pocket.<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s eyes lit up. \u201cThank you!\u201d he exclaimed. He was genuinely touched by this unexpected gift and happily stuck one end of the candy in his mouth, grateful for something to rid him of the bitter aftertaste of the tea.<\/p>\n

Josie pulled a second peppermint stick out of her pocket and popped it in her mouth. \u201cPlease don\u2019t tell anyone I have these,\u201d she said, her speech garbled around the candy. \u201cAunt Rachel thinks she has them well hidden for Christmas morning.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam grinned. \u201cI won\u2019t.\u201d He leaned over, grabbed Josie around the waist, and pulled her onto the bed next to him. He laughed when he saw the book she had brought for him. \u201c\u2019Frankenstein,\u2019\u201d he chuckled. \u201cGood choice.\u201d<\/p>\n

Josie leaned her head onto Adam\u2019s shoulder, and the cousins sat there together, reading and crunching their candy until Hannah called Josie down to supper.<\/p>\n

Adam took his supper on a tray in his room. Afterward, his stomach full of hot beef stew and unfortunately, more willow bark tea, he couldn\u2019t fight the drowsiness that swept over him, and he fell asleep with \u201cFrankenstein\u201d splayed open across his chest. Hannah found him thus when she went to remove his supper tray and check his temperature. She paused next to his bed and studied him, face smooth in peaceful sleep, long, ebony eyelashes brushing his cheeks, and that stubborn lock of hair drooping over his brow again. \u201cOh, Elizabeth, if only you could see him,\u201d she whispered.<\/p>\n

She was so caught up in her thoughts she didn\u2019t notice her daughter enter the room behind her.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow is he, Mama?\u201d Josie whispered.<\/p>\n

Hannah started a little, and Josie apologized. \u201cAnd Adam is fine. Sleeping well, it seems.\u201d<\/p>\n

Josie went up to the bed and felt his forehead. \u201cHe is a bit cooler,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI expect we will have a hard time keeping him in bed tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d Josie agreed, letting out a long sigh. She leaned against her mother and took her hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is it, child?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI wish we could keep him. He is happy here with us.\u201d The little girl\u2019s lower lip trembled.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know, darling.\u201d Hannah pulled her daughter close to her side. \u201cBut he has a family who needs him in Nevada.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut we\u2019re his family, too. And I need him. He\u2019s my brother.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know.\u201d Hannah fought back tears. The connection between her daughter and her sister\u2019s son ran deep, and it pained her to think of splitting them apart. \u201cCome, let\u2019s let him sleep.\u201d She gently extracted the book from Adam\u2019s curled fingers, tucked a slip of paper into the place he had left off, and laid the closed book on the table. She extinguished the oil lamp, and the two ladies slipped quietly out the door.<\/p>\n

******<\/p>\n

As Hannah predicted, it took all three Cartwrights plus Rachel and the butler to keep Adam in bed the next day. His fever had broken in the night, and he saw no reason why he shouldn\u2019t be allowed to rejoin the family. Finally, after twenty-four interminable fever-free hours, Uncle Jacob granted his wish, and he was set free.<\/p>\n

The rest of the Christmas holiday passed peacefully and even joyfully at the Stoddard home. Once properly attired, Adam loved playing in the snow with Josie, and the cousins spent nearly every afternoon building snowmen, having snowball fights, or tobogganing down the hills in the park. At night they would sip hot chocolate while Adam read to Josie from Charles Dickens\u2019 \u201cA Christmas Carol.\u201d<\/p>\n

Two days after Christmas, the four Cartwrights returned to Washington, where one evening, Adam\u2019s uncle pulled him aside. \u201cYou know, Adam,\u201d Jacob began, \u201cyou\u2019ve become an indispensable member of this family.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know you are planning to return to the territory after graduation, but if you would like to stay here for a while, I could introduce you to some men I know in the architectural field. There is a lot of construction happening in Washington, and I am sure you would have no trouble finding work. Lucrative work, at that. And we sure would love to keep you nearby.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam was stunned. He\u2019d considered this, certainly. He missed his father and brothers and the Ponderosa, but he\u2019d never felt as carefree as he did in Washington with his aunt, uncle, and cousin. Indeed, carefree was an emotion altogether new to him, and he was enjoying it. He stood silently for several moments, unable to put words to his thoughts.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t mean to pressure you, son.\u201d Jacob laid an understanding hand on Adam\u2019s shoulder. \u201cWe have grown awfully fond of having you around, but I understand if you still need your own father.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam at last found his voice. \u201cHe needs me<\/em>, sir. With all due respect, you and Aunt Hannah and Josie all have each other. Pa doesn\u2019t have anyone to help him out but me. I have to go back, at least until Hoss and Little Joe are grown. But please don\u2019t think I\u2019m ungrateful for your offer. Maybe if Marie hadn\u2019t died\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGiven my own good fortune, it\u2019s easy to forget sometimes how much tragedy my brother has had in his life,\u201d Jacob said. \u201cI understand the four of you keeping close. But we sure will miss you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir,\u201d Adam said huskily around a rising lump in his throat.<\/p>\n

******<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s final semester at Harvard flew by, punctuated by several \u201clast nights out\u201d with his friends that typically ended with at least one young man, including Adam, being horribly sick. Most of his friends were headed to jobs in Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, DC, and they teased him good-naturedly about returning to Nevada to build the grandest barn the country had ever seen. But Adam suspected more than one of his pals secretly wished he, too, was heading west.<\/p>\n

In April, he received a letter from Pa saying that Little Joe was recovering from the measles and wouldn\u2019t be coming to Adam\u2019s graduation the following month. Adam was disappointed he would have to wait longer to be reunited with his youngest brother, but he was glad he wasn\u2019t the one who had had to tell Little Joe he was staying behind. The fit that boy must have pitched probably shook the entire Utah Territory. Regardless, he felt bad for Little Joe and resolved to take him on a grand adventure someday.<\/p>\n

Four days before graduation, Benjamin and Hoss Cartwright\u2019s steamship arrived in New York City, where Jacob, Hannah, and Josie met them, just like they had done for Adam nearly three years prior. Jacob and Ben hadn\u2019t seen each other since before Adam\u2019s birth twenty years ago, and neither man could stanch their tears.<\/p>\n

\u201cJacob,\u201d Ben said huskily, \u201cthank you. Thank you for looking after for my boy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t mention it.\u201d Jacob\u2019s voice wavered, too. \u201cYou would have done the same for Josephine.\u201d<\/p>\n

At the mention of his niece, Ben glanced around for the girl. When he spotted her, his breath caught, much as Adam\u2019s had the first time he met Josie. As Ben greeted his niece for the first time, Josie took a handkerchief from her dress pocket and dried his face.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou look so much like your Aunt Elizabeth,\u201d Ben said softly.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat is what I have been told, sir,\u201d Josie sweetly chirped. \u201cPeople mistake Adam and me for brother and sister all the time.\u201d This fact clearly pleased the little girl, and it made her uncle smile. He was glad Adam had found someone to belong to and who so clearly belonged to him.<\/p>\n

Then Josie spotted her cousin Hoss.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhoa!\u201d The little girl\u2019s exclamation was so loud that several other people on the boat dock turned to look. \u201cYou\u2019re huge!\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss blushed and ducked his blond head. \u201cReckon I am,\u201d he said, looking around at the more diminutive New Yorkers around them. A month shy of his fourteenth birthday, the boy already stood six feet and one inch tall, the same height as his twenty-year-old brother.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you sure you are as young as they say you are, and you haven\u2019t been misinformed?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss furrowed his brow and tried to work out a response. Hannah shushed her daughter and reminded her to be polite.<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry,\u201d Josie said to Hoss. \u201cAdam just told me you were his little<\/em> brother, that\u2019s all.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, well, I was littler than him last he saw me. Not by much, though.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss here hasn\u2019t been little a day in his life!\u201d Ben said, slapping his boy\u2019s broad back. \u201cNow let\u2019s go put some food in him!\u201d<\/p>\n

The Cartwrights departed the dock for their hotel, and the next morning the five of them set off on the train for Boston, where they received a polite if chilly greeting from Rachel Stoddard, at whose house they were staying. Rachel and Adam had reached an understanding after the events of last Christmas, but she still felt no warmth toward the man who had come for her nephew. She did, however, find herself unexpectedly delighting in Hoss\u2019s presence, despite her determination to remain strictly anti-Cartwright.<\/p>\n

Though man-sized, Hoss maintained the sunny disposition of a happy-go-lucky boy and was uncommonly kind to man and beast alike. He unwittingly endeared himself to her forever when that first evening he gently removed a splinter from the paw of Rachel\u2019s beloved white terrier. The dog had bared its teeth and snarled at anyone who had tried to render assistance, but after an hour of sitting near the dog and talking softly to it, Hoss had coaxed the animal to him and pulled out the splinter with surprising deftness for someone with hands the size of saucers.<\/p>\n

Jacob observed that perhaps his older brother should send Hoss back east for school when the time came. \u201cHe\u2019d make quite a doctor himself,\u201d he said approvingly.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh no, sir,\u201d Hoss replied politely. \u201cI don\u2019t much care for book learnin\u2019. I can read and write and do my figures, but I\u2019d rather be out there doin\u2019 stuff than sittin\u2019 around reading about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI couldn\u2019t run the Ponderosa without him,\u201d said his proud father.<\/p>\n

******<\/p>\n

The next morning, the five Cartwrights and Rachel boarded a train for the short ride up to Cambridge. Hoss could hardly sit still for the excitement of seeing his older brother again after nearly three years. Ben was equally excited but contained himself better than his 13-year-old son. He cared deeply for all three of his boys, but he and Adam had a special bond. For five years after Elizabeth\u2019s death, the boy was all he\u2019d had. And the pair had seen each other through many difficult situations, not the least of which were the deaths of Ben\u2019s second and third wives. Ben regretted that Adam had needed to grow up so quickly, but he was grateful he\u2019d been able to provide his son with a university education that allowed him time to discover who he was apart from his family and maybe even to let loose a little.<\/p>\n

Adam was waiting eagerly on the platform well before the Boston train pulled into the Cambridge station. Hoss spotted him through the train window and nearly deafened everyone aboard shouting \u201cPA! PA! There he is! There\u2019s Adam!\u201d Forgetting all his manners, the giant boy shoved past everyone in their car and burst out the door before the train had fully stopped. Adam had just enough time to register that his burly younger brother was charging full-speed toward him but not enough time to step out of the way. All 230 pounds of Hoss Cartwright slammed into him, knocking both young men to the ground and causing a chorus of alarmed gasps and \u201cWell I never!\u201d\u2019s to erupt from the other people on the platform.<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry \u2018bout that, Adam,\u201d Hoss said sheepishly. He rose to his feet and extended a hand. \u201cMy excitement done got the better of me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cS\u2019ok,\u201d Adam croaked, clutching at his ribs and trying to regain the wind Hoss had knocked out of him. He took his brother\u2019s proffered hand and was startled by the ease with which the younger boy pulled him to his feet. Upright once more, Adam looked directly into the bright blue eyes of the boy who three years earlier had been six inches shorter than him. \u201cPa wasn\u2019t exaggerating in his letters,\u201d Adam said as he shook his head in wonder. \u201cYou DID get big!\u201d He moved in for a proper hug and immediately regretted it when Hoss nearly squeezed the air right back out of him.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss! Don\u2019t kill him!\u201d Ben called as he half walked, half jogged up to his sons. He pulled Adam to safety and into his own arms. Father and son embraced for several long moments, finally reunited after their longest separation. Ben eventually stepped back, holding Adam\u2019s face gently in both his hands and wiping a stray tear from his son\u2019s cheek. He fought not to cry himself. The boy he\u2019d known was gone, and a man stood before him. \u201cAdam, you look good, son. New England has agreed with you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam smiled. \u201cYes, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben dropped his hands and slapped his son\u2019s back. Then he stepped aside as a blue and white blur raced toward them and launched itself into Adam\u2019s arms. Adam caught his little cousin and swung her around. Josie squealed with delighted laughter and threw her arms around Adam\u2019s neck. Ben\u2019s heart melted at the sight of his son and his niece so overjoyed to see one another. He felt a brief spasm of pain as he thought how wonderful it would have been to have given Adam a little sister. Had Elizabeth lived that little sister probably would have looked just like Josie.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo,\u201d Adam said, still holding Josie and turning toward his father, snapping the man out of his reverie, \u201chow angry was Little Joe when you told him he couldn\u2019t come along?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben rolled his eyes heavenward. \u201cIt was pretty bad.\u201d He shuddered and shook his head.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Hoss agreed, \u201che screamed for three days and then wouldn\u2019t speak to anyone for another three.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s chuckling cut off abruptly as a horrific thought occurred to him. \u201cYou didn\u2019t just leave him on the ranch with Hop Sing, did you?\u201d The Cartwrights\u2019 cook and housekeeper was a kind man, but Little Joe could test anyone\u2019s limits.<\/p>\n

\u201cGoodness gracious, no!\u201d Ben thundered. \u201cHe\u2019s staying in Carson City with the Larsons.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s a shame,\u201d Adam said. \u201cThe Larsons have always been good friends. Now they\u2019ll never speak to us again.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Cartwrights\u2019 laughter was interrupted as Jacob, Hannah, and Rachel made their way through the crowd and greeted their nephew, who set his cousin down on her feet. The adults started fussing about getting to their hotel and cleaning up for supper, and before the three younger Cartwrights knew what was happening, the adults had whisked away off the platform, leaving the younger generation behind and confused.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was rude,\u201d Josie observed.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome on,\u201d Adam said, offering one arm to Josie and draping the other across Hoss\u2019s shoulders. \u201cWe better catch up. We wouldn\u2019t want to miss supper.\u201d<\/p>\n

******<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s graduation from Harvard two days later was a grand affair. Ben frequently had to shush Josie and Hoss, who couldn\u2019t stop giggling over how ridiculous they thought Adam looked in his gown and mortarboard, but when the university president announced \u201cAdam Benjamin Cartwright, summa cum laude,\u201d Josie and Hoss clapped until their hands stung.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s that mean, Pa?\u201d Hoss asked, still clapping.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt means \u2018With highest honors.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo Adam did real good in school?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe certainly did.\u201d Ben puffed up his chest.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am going to graduate with highest honors someday,\u201d Josie announced when the family had reunited with Adam after the ceremony. She decided her cousin\u2019s mortarboard was no longer so silly when he let her wear it, and she twirled around to make the tassel spin.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can see that,\u201d Jacob said amusedly.<\/p>\n

Ben and Hoss accompanied Adam to his dormitory to help him move out his things. After Adam bade farewell to his friends and promised to write, they met back up with the rest of the family at their hotel.<\/p>\n

The next day the entourage returned to Boston to deposit Rachel, whose farewell to Adam and Hoss was tearful but to Ben was chilly.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t ever forget,\u201d she whispered into Adam\u2019s ear as she hugged him, \u201cit was never your fault.\u201d Adam nodded, clasped her hands briefly, and followed his family to their waiting cab.<\/p>\n

They continued on the train to Washington, where they spent a week helping Jacob, Hannah, and Josie prepare for the long voyage to Nevada.<\/p>\n

Josephine attempted to pack everything she owned. \u201cIt might be useful, Adam!\u201d she insisted whenever he tried to talk her into leaving a particular object at home. In the end, her packing was limited by the spatial confines of the single small trunk her parents permitted her to take. Once her clothes, shoes, and a few books and hair ribbons were in the trunk, there was no remaining space for the letter opener, magnifying glass, or portrait of Thomas Jefferson she had insisted were vital to their journey.<\/p>\n

The night before the Cartwrights\u2019 departure, Josie was too excited to sleep. She\u2019d never traveled more than three days from home, and the thought of traveling for four weeks to so distant a land as Nevada was unimaginable. As Adam sauntered down the hall that night to go to bed, he saw a light emitting from under his cousin\u2019s door. He knocked softly and heard a tiny gasp from inside the room, followed by the familiar sound of a small person diving into bed. Chuckling, he opened the door a few inches and stuck his head in.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Adam, it\u2019s you,\u201d Josie sighed in relief. She\u2019d been about to pretend she had fallen asleep while reading, but she now set her book aside.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s past ten, Josie. You should be asleep.\u201d<\/p>\n

Josie flung herself dramatically back onto her pillows. \u201cHow can I possibly sleep when the whole WORLD is in front of me?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam smiled and stepped all the way into the room so he could sit on the edge of the bed next to Josie.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you don\u2019t sleep now, you\u2019ll sleep right through our train ride to New York tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI have been to New York plenty of times,\u201d Josie said. \u201cIt really is not as exciting as everyone says. But the ship, Adam! I have never been on a steamship before! Do you think I will be seasick? I hear people get sick sometimes on ships.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou come from a long line of sailors and sea captains. I expect you will be all right.\u201d<\/p>\n

This failed to settle Josie down any. She continued to bounce up and down, so Adam pulled off his shoes, swung his legs onto the bed, and leaned back against the headboard next to her. She snuggled against him and laid her head on his chest. Instinctively, he wrapped his arm around her thin shoulders. A wave of d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu washed over him, and his memory flashed back to a night when he had held Little Joe like this as the small boy sobbed into his shirt. Joe had been just shy of his fifth birthday when his mother died and Pa, nearly broken with grief himself, couldn\u2019t comfort him. It had fallen to Adam to put his little brothers to bed that terrible night, and Joe had clung to him and cried until he fell asleep from exhaustion.<\/p>\n

Automatically, Adam hummed \u201cAmazing Grace,\u201d which he had sung to Joe that night to lull the heartbroken little boy to sleep. His free hand reached up and absently stroked Josie\u2019s dark hair. Josie sighed contentedly, and her breathing slowed and evened out. When Adam was sure she was asleep, he carefully slid off the bed and eased Josie onto her pillows. He pulled the covers up around her shoulders, kissed her forehead, and extinguished the lamp and left the room, closing the door quietly.<\/p>\n

\n

Josie rose before dawn the next morning and woke everyone else in the house. Her excitement spilled over to Hoss, and by breakfast the two of them were dancing around the sitting room and shouting at everyone not to forget anything. When it was time to leave the house, they raced each other out the front door and to the two waiting cabs, where their fathers intercepted them and gave the children stern lectures on minding their manners or no one would be going anywhere. They were then directed onto separate cabs, the men loaded the luggage, and the entourage was off. Adam craned his neck to watch the house\u2014his second home\u2014grow smaller until they turned a corner and it disappeared from sight.<\/p>\n

Once on board the train to New York City, Josie insisted on sitting next to Hoss so she could tell him about everything they could see out the window. The lesson never came to fruition, however, as within ten minutes of pulling out of the station, both children were sound asleep. Hoss\u2019s face was smashed up against the window and Josie rested her head on his broad shoulder. They woke for lunch and then, bellies full of hot food, fell asleep again. By the time they arrived in New York City late that afternoon, however, Hoss and Josie had come back around, and Hoss listened politely while his cousin showed off her knowledge of the city.<\/p>\n

The next morning, the six Cartwrights boarded the steamship that would take them down the east coast and through the Caribbean before delivering them to Cristobal, Panama. Ben had booked a handsome two-bedroom suite for himself and his sons, and Hoss was glad that he would finally get his older brother to himself for at least a little time each day.<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s emotions were a jumbled mess as the ship pushed back from the dock and began its slow progress out of New York Harbor. He was thrilled to return to the Ponderosa and begin building the new house he had been planning for three years, and he could hardly wait to see Little Joe again. The boy could be an enormous pain in the neck, but he was also undeniably charming and had the brightest smile west of the Mississippi River. Adam still felt guilty about leaving his baby brother so soon after Marie\u2019s death, and he wanted to make it up to Joe somehow. With Pa\u2019s permission, he planned to buy Little Joe a .22 rifle for his birthday at the beginning of July and take the boy raccoon hunting.<\/p>\n

But leaving the East was also painful. The past three years had been the best of his life to that point. The scope of his education had far exceeded his academic studies. The years away from his father and brothers and their ranch had given him time to discover who he truly was on his own, and the time with his mother\u2019s family had restored a piece of himself that he\u2019d always felt was missing.<\/p>\n

And Josie. The little sister he never had. From their first meeting, the little girl had held his heart in her delicate hands, and he had no expectation of ever getting it back.<\/p>\n

He was so lost in thought that he jumped when Pa came up behind him and laid a hand on his shoulder. Pa apologized for startling him.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou are awfully preoccupied,\u201d Ben observed. Adam nodded without taking his gaze from the slowly shrinking shoreline. \u201cWhat\u2019s on your mind, son?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam sighed heavily. \u201cI want to go home, but I don\u2019t want to leave.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded his understanding and put his arm around his son\u2019s shoulders. \u201cYou\u2019ll see this city again. I know you will.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI just don\u2019t know how I\u2019m going to say goodbye to Josie,\u201d<\/p>\n

This admission surprised Ben. Adam didn\u2019t usually open up this easily. \u201cThat little girl is something special,\u201d he concurred.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe is.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd she looks so much like your mother.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s more than that.\u201d Adam hesitated, not wanting to hurt Pa\u2019s feelings, and then decided he\u2019d gone too far already not to proceed. \u201cShe\u2019s the first family member I\u2019ve ever met who looks like me<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben gave Adam a look of comic shock. \u201cWhat are you talking about? You and Hoss look so much alike I have trouble telling the two of you apart!\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam smiled despite himself.<\/p>\n

\u201cSeriously, though, Adam,\u201d Ben said, turning his son to face him, \u201cyou have two more months before you have to say goodbye. Don\u2019t start dwelling on it now. Think of all the things you\u2019ll be able to show and teach Josie on the Ponderosa! Don\u2019t worry about the goodbye until it\u2019s time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd who knows? Maybe she\u2019ll want to move west someday.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam smiled again. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t be surprised. She and Little Joe could become outlaws together.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was Ben\u2019s turn to smile. He put his arm back around his son, and the two of them watched New York City fade slowly away.<\/p>\n

******<\/p>\n

Once they were fully out to sea and Adam no longer had a city skyline to brood over, all the Cartwrights had fun on the first leg of their voyage. Josie\u2019s long ancestral line of sea captains and sailors came through for her, and she didn\u2019t get seasick. The weather was pleasant for most of the journey, and the three younger Cartwrights spent most days on deck in the sunshine, reading books, watching the occasional bit of sea life swim by, or seeing who could concoct the most outrageous tall tale\u2014a game at which Hoss exhibited unusual and disconcerting skill. Adam speculated he\u2019d been getting lessons from Little Joe. At night, Hoss and Adam lay awake in their bedroom until late, catching each other up on the last three years of their lives. Hoss kept Adam in stitches with tales of his and Little Joe\u2019s exploits (apparently their school teacher was deathly afraid of toads), and Adam enchanted his younger brother with stories of life in the big eastern cities.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou sure were lucky to have Uncle Jacob and Aunt Hannah and Josie nearby,\u201d Hoss said one night, long after the boys should have gone to sleep.<\/p>\n

Adam murmured his agreement.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wish I had me a cousin like Josie,\u201d Hoss continued.<\/p>\n

\u201cJosie IS your cousin, Hoss. She\u2019s Pa\u2019s brother\u2019s daughter.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know what I mean. Someone related to my ma, too. Yesirree, that\u2019d be real fine.\u201d<\/p>\n

A somber silence settled over the little bedroom. For the first time, Adam realized he had an advantage over his little brothers. While all three of them had lost their mothers, Adam at least had a connection to his through Josie and Aunt Hannah. He felt bad. If any of them deserved a mother, it was Hoss. He was such a gentle, caring soul. He was forever bringing home stray and injured animals, and he was the first to lend a hand to anyone in need. And if there was a \u201cdoctoring touch\u201d running through the Cartwright line, Hoss had inherited it. Though he had no formal training, the 13-year-old could already stitch up a wound and lower a fever. In Adam\u2019s opinion, Hoss was the best of the of the Cartwright brothers.<\/p>\n

******<\/p>\n

Everyone\u2019s favorite part of the journey was the riverboat across Panama. The mosquitoes were brutal, but the sights and sounds of the rainforest were well worth the scratching, though Jacob worried about malaria. Having made the voyage once in the opposite direction, Hoss considered himself an expert on the Panamanian rainforest and spent the entire day telling Josie everything he knew\u2014and a few things he made up\u2014about parrots. Adam spent the day practicing his Spanish with the natives and asking them about the railroad the country was building across its narrowest point. He was impressed by their plans to one day dig a canal across a forty-mile corridor so passengers and goods could pass through from the Pacific to the Atlantic on a single ship.<\/p>\n

\u201cImagine how much time and money that would save!\u201d he told his father in amazement. \u201cThe only thing better would be a train from California all the way east.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben ruffled his son\u2019s hair. \u201cI could have used one of those about twenty years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Cartwrights spent only a single night in Panama City before boarding their steamship to San Francisco, where they arrived after an uneventful ten-day journey. Josie was fascinated by the nearly unbroken string of sea lions all the way up the coast of Mexico to San Francisco, but she was disappointed by San Francisco itself. She\u2019d expected a large, bustling city on the same scale as New York, and what she discovered instead was a dingy little town of only a few squat buildings.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt does not look like much,\u201d she whispered to Adam as they disembarked from their ship.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot yet,\u201d Adam said, \u201cbut give it time. Pa\u2019s friend John Sutter discovered gold here in California two years ago, and this town has been filling up with people. So much so that California should be a state by the end of the year, if Congress can sort it out.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d Josie inquired. She often heard snatches of political news in Washington, but at only nine years old, she didn\u2019t find it particularly interesting.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, California wants to be a free state, but the Southern states don\u2019t want such a large free state joining the Union because then the free states will have more representatives in Congress than the slave states have.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam smiled. This was his thought exactly. \u201cSo, the Southern states are afraid that if the free states get too much of the power then they\u2019ll outlaw slavery.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat would be good, though,\u201d Josie insisted. \u201cI have seen those slave auctions. They\u2019re terrible. All those people being poked and prodded like they were horses.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI agree.\u201d Adam had also seen a slave auction during his time in Washington, and he had walked away nauseated. Several of the male slaves had the tell-tale crisscross scars on his back from an overseer\u2019s whip, and one potential buyer had ripped the ragged dress right off a woman to get a better look at the \u201cgoods.\u201d Adam was afraid he knew only too well which \u201cgoods\u201d the man had been interested in. The memory of that afternoon still left a bitter taste in his mouth, and he decided to change the subject. \u201cI need to do some shopping once we check in at our hotel. Would you like to come with me?\u201d<\/p>\n

Josie happily accepted the invitation, and after they delivered their luggage to the hotel, she, Adam, and Hoss set off into town to refit Adam for returning to ranch life. He had already dug his cowboy hat out of his trunk to replace his eastern-style bowler, and his Colt Walker .44 once more hung from his right hip. But he needed a new pair of boots. He was still wearing the brogues that were popular at Harvard because the boots he\u2019d worn from Nevada three years ago now pinched his feet.<\/p>\n

While he tried on a pair of boots at the shoemaker\u2019s, Hoss sidled up to him. \u201cHey, Adam,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was just thinking. If we\u2019re taking little ol\u2019 Josie out to the Ponderosa, well, she\u2019s gonna need some suitable outfitting. She can\u2019t run around a cattle ranch in that little dress and pointy-toed shoes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam glanced at his cousin who was chatting politely with the shoemaker\u2019s young daughter. Hoss was right. Josie looked like a porcelain doll in her ruffled blue dress and brown, high-topped leather shoes, but her attire was inappropriate for running wild around the Ponderosa with Little Joe, which she was certain to do. The porcelain-doll getup was just a ruse.<\/p>\n

\u201cExcuse me,\u201d Adam caught the shoemaker\u2019s attention. \u201cDo you sell children\u2019s boots?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure do. What size?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam pointed across the shop to Josie. \u201cAbout that size.\u201d<\/p>\n

The shoemaker grinned. \u201cLet\u2019s see what we can do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Twenty minutes later, both Adam and Josie clomped their way out of the shoemaker\u2019s shop in their new boots. Josie was elated.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow I can learn to ride like a genuine cowhand, just like you promised!\u201d she squealed.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot quite yet,\u201d Adam said and directed the trio toward the tailor\u2019s. He\u2019d hoped to buy Josie some split skirts for riding, but the tailor said those would have to be special ordered. So, after exchanging an amused look with Hoss, he bought Josie two pairs of boy\u2019s trousers, a few shirts, and a black cowboy hat just like his only with a string on it to keep her from losing it when it inevitably flew off her head. Josie wanted to change into one of her new outfits right then and there, but Adam told her she had to wait until they reached the ranch. This was a purely selfish order. He wanted his pretty little cousin to impress everyone when they arrived home.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou want to look like a sophisticated Eastern lady when we arrive on the stage in Carson City,\u201d Adam reasoned.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I don\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam cast a despairing look at his brother, who, as usual, saved the day.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t want California dirt on your new duds,\u201d Hoss explained. \u201cIt\u2019s nasty. Nevada dirt is much better.\u201d This logic was just odd enough to satisfy Josie, and she settled for swapping her bonnet for her new hat.<\/p>\n

After a quick stop at the gunsmith\u2019s to buy the .22 for Little Joe, the cousins headed back to the hotel, their arms laden with their purchases. Josie thanked Adam for her new clothes all the way back to the hotel.<\/p>\n

\u201cPlease don\u2019t tell Aunt Rachel I bought you trousers,\u201d he begged. \u201cShe\u2019ll come all the way out to the Ponderosa just to shoot me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAunt Rachel does not believe in violence,\u201d Josie piously informed him.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomething tells me she\u2019d make an exception.\u201d<\/p>\n

Back at the hotel, Ben and Jacob found Josie\u2019s new apparel highly amusing, but Hannah frowned. She knew her daughter needed play clothes for the ranch, but she had hoped for something a bit more ladylike. Hannah had spent the past nine and a half years trying to wrestle her stubborn, independent daughter into a proper and sophisticated lifestyle, and she was dismayed by how cheerfully Josie cast it aside.<\/p>\n

The look on his aunt\u2019s face made Adam do a double-take. \u201cBe careful,\u201d he warned her with a sly smile. \u201cYou look just like Aunt Rachel when you make that face.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hannah slapped her nephew good-naturedly on the arm and laughed at herself. \u201cI suppose I should dry up. If we didn\u2019t bring her out here to enjoy herself, what was the point of bringing her at all?\u201d<\/p>\n

The family spent two quiet days in San Francisco before their stagecoach departed for Carson City. The morning of their departure, Josie once more awoke before dawn, slipped into Hoss and Adam\u2019s room, and pounced on them while they were still sleeping. Hoss jumped up, knocking Adam, who had had precious little space on their shared bed as it was, onto the floor. He landed with a thud. Josie bounced off Hoss and landed safely on the side of the bed her Cousin-Cousin Adam had so conveniently vacated. Giggling, she hung backward over the edge of the bed and peered upside-down at Adam, who was still blinking and shaking his head as he tried to sort out what had just happened.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are you doing down there, silly?\u201d she chirped.<\/p>\n

Adam raised one eyebrow at the little girl and looked up at his brother, who was now peeking over the edge of the bed next to Josie. \u201cI told you we should have locked the door.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI did lock it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss and Adam turned simultaneously to Josie, who smiled angelically.<\/p>\n

\u201cHairpin,\u201d she said simply.<\/p>\n

Hoss burst out laughing, and Adam\u2019s other eyebrow shot up. \u201cWonderful!\u201d he exclaimed sarcastically as he picked himself up off the floor. \u201cWe have a burglar on our hands.\u201d<\/p>\n

The boys shooed Josie out of the room so they could get dressed. She left, but they could hear her dancing in the hall just outside their door.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam,\u201d Hoss began, \u201cyou ever worry about her and Little Joe teaming up when we reach the Ponderosa?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss, it\u2019s been my foremost concern for some time now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe sure is ornery like Joe,\u201d Hoss observed. \u201cA lot like you, too, though. Looks like you, and she\u2019s real smart.\u201d The boy looked wistful.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s a lot like you too, Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow\u2019s that?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe cares very deeply about other people like you do. You should see her working with someone who\u2019s injured. A little boy came by the house last summer because he\u2019d sliced open his hand. It wasn\u2019t bad, but it was bleeding, and he was frightened. Uncle Jacob wasn\u2019t home, but Josie brought him right in and bandaged him up like she\u2019d been doing it every day of her life. She told that little boy funny stories while she was doing it, and by the time he left, he had a smile on his face a mile wide. It reminded me of that time you wrapped up Little Joe\u2019s hand when he got his fishhook stuck in it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss beamed, and the two boys hurried up dressing so they could join Josie for breakfast.<\/p>\n

After a hearty breakfast of eggs, bacon, sausage, and biscuits, the six Cartwrights piled into the stagecoach headed for Carson City. The family and their luggage took up the entire coach. Josie was every bit as excited as she had been the morning they left Washington, DC, but she quickly discovered that five days in a stagecoach was nothing to be excited about. To a girl raised in eastern cities, the 250 miles of desert and mountains between San Francisco and Carson City offered stunning scenery, but the accommodations were less luxurious than she was accustomed to. All six Cartwrights crammed into the tiny coach, where they sat in two rows facing each other, the adults\u2019 knees touching those of the person sitting opposite them. When one accounted for the fact that both sets of Cartwright brothers were large men, three of whom wore guns on their hips, the coach grew even cozier. Sandwiched between her father and Hoss, Josie had barely enough free movement of her arms to turn the pages of the single book\u2014\u201cThe Children of the New Forest,\u201d of course\u2014she had been allowed to bring into the coach.<\/p>\n

Then there was the heat. The weather in San Francisco was mild year-round, but the June heat increased steadily as they made their way deeper into California. By the time they reached Sacramento at the end of the first day, the outside temperature was ninety degrees and inside the stagecoach nearly 100, even with the leather windows tied open as wide as they would go. Josie had expected to be irritated with the stagecoach stopping every twelve to thirty miles as Adam had described to her, but by the time they reached Sacramento, she was grateful for the frequent opportunities to stretch her legs and get out of the dust that flew ceaselessly into the coach, nearly choking the passengers and leaving them coated in thick grime.<\/p>\n

Adam pitied his little cousin who had never known discomfort in her nine short years, but she impressed him with her fortitude. Never once did Josie complain about the rough conditions of the ride. Even when they left Sacramento and entered the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range where the roads grew so rutted and bumpy that the Cartwrights were often thrown into each other inside the coach, Josie uttered nary a protestation. Indeed, her happiness seemed to increase in proportion to the difficulty of the journey. It was as if she had been born for the West. Adam briefly envisioned his cousin as a young woman, tall and slender, her inky hair cascading around her shoulders in waves, as she stood in the front yard of the as-yet-unbuilt ranch house, smiling at him and his brothers as they rode in after a long day of work on the ranch. As quickly as this vision hit him, he shook his head to clear it. Josie belonged to Uncle Jacob and Aunt Hannah. No matter how complete her presence made his family feel to him, he couldn\u2019t lay claim to her.<\/p>\n

In light of their inevitable parting, he renewed his resolve to make the most of every moment he had left with Josie, just as Pa had told him to do. Josie made this easy with her endless barrage of questions about the region and its wildlife. At one way station, Hoss made the mistake of pointing out some old mountain lion tracks to her, and for the rest of the journey, she was desperate to spot a cougar\u2014a sentiment none of her traveling companions shared. They were content to reach Carson City mountain-lion-free, thank you very much.<\/p>\n

Even without a mountain lion spotting, Josie was captivated by the Sierra Nevada. She was familiar with the Blue Ridge Mountains not far from Washington, but she had never seen such soaring peaks, and she was astounded that even in June\u2014and this unbearable heat!\u2014some of the mountains still sported white caps of snow.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo they have snow on them all year round?\u201d she asked incredulously.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome of them do,\u201d Ben said. \u201cIt\u2019s not so bad up there in the summer, but they can be mighty dangerous during the winter.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey sure can!\u201d Hoss interjected eagerly. \u201cWhy, just a couple of years ago, there was this party led by a feller named Donner trying to cross \u2018em, and they started too late in the year and then got lost in a blizzard.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss\u2026\u201c Ben knew exactly where this story was going and deemed it unsuitable for his young niece. Josie however, was eager to hear the rest of the tale and cut him off.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat happened to them?\u201d Her hazel eyes were as wide as wagon wheels.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss!\u201d Ben tried again, but the boy was so caught up in his storytelling that he noticed neither his father nor the sharp jolt from the road that knocked his head against the leather-lined wall of the coach.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell,\u201d Hoss continued, \u201cthey run out of food, and when people started dyin\u2019, they ATE \u2018EM!\u201d<\/p>\n

Josie squealed in delighted terror at her cousin\u2019s story and buried her face in her father\u2019s chest, giggling the whole while.<\/p>\n

\u201cEric Cartwright!\u201d Benjamin Cartwright bellowed, and all five of the other passengers fell silent, their eyes wide. Hoss\u2019s jaw dropped open. He could count on one hand the number of times his father had called him by his Christian name, and it never boded well.<\/p>\n

\u201cOoooooh, you\u2019re in trouble now, boy!\u201d Adam crowed, jabbing his younger brother playfully in the ribs.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam!\u201d Ben snapped and cut his dark eyes toward his eldest son.<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry, sir.\u201d Adam dropped his head and stared at his lap, doing a poor job of stopping his shoulders from quaking with suppressed laughter.<\/p>\n

Josie, however, was not finished with the gruesome saga of the Donner Party. \u201cDid any of them make it out alive?\u201d she asked breathlessly.<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course they did, silly,\u201d Adam said. \u201cOtherwise how would we know the story?\u201d Adam, too, found the topic distasteful in present company, but couldn\u2019t stop himself sating Josie\u2019s curiosity.<\/p>\n

Josie contemplated this for a moment. \u201cSo there are people out there walking around like normal who have eaten their FRIENDS?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam opened his mouth to reply, but Uncle Jacob cut him off. \u201cThat\u2019s enough of the Donner Party!\u201d he proclaimed. He gestured to his nephews. \u201cIf she wakes up screaming tonight from a nightmare, the two of you get to deal with it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry, sir\u201d Hoss and Adam mumbled. The nightmares of small children were familiar to them both. Little Joe had suffered them almost from birth, and they\u2019d worsened after the death of his mother. In the brief interim between Marie\u2019s death and Adam\u2019s departure for Harvard, Little Joe had spent most nights tucked into Adam\u2019s bed, snuggled up tightly against his oldest brother\u2019s chest. Neither Adam nor Hoss relished the idea of awakening in the dead of the night to the terrified screams of a child, though they both doubted Josephine Cartwright would be traumatized by the story of the Donner Party. The child was fearless. Hoss caught Adam\u2019s eye, then had to drop his gaze again as the two boys broke into mirthful smiles that threatened laughter. They had no wish to incur Pa\u2019s wrath further.<\/p>\n

Josie didn\u2019t have nightmares that night, and after one more long, dusty, jolting day aboard the stagecoach, they finally rolled into Carson City. As they wheeled down the main street, Adam observed the town hadn\u2019t changed much in three years.<\/p>\n

\u201cHasn\u2019t been much need to,\u201d Ben said. \u201cWe\u2019ve gotten a few more miners in the area since the gold rush in California, but nothing much to speak of.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe there\u2019ll be a gold strike here, too,\u201d Hoss suggested.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe,\u201d Ben said. \u201cBut I wouldn\u2019t count on it.\u201d<\/p>\n

When they got closer to the stage depot at the far end of town, Hoss jabbed his older brother and gestured out the window. \u201cLookee who\u2019s waitin\u2019 for ya.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam followed his brother\u2019s gaze and his face split into a huge grin. \u201cJoe!\u201d<\/p>\n

The little boy, tightly restrained by the strong arms of Mrs. Charlotte Larson, heard his older brother call his name and tried to jump up and down, but Mrs. Larson had a death grip on his shoulders. \u201cADAM!\u201d he shouted. Mrs. Larson held fast, not out of spite, but because she knew if she let him go, Little Joe would tear into the road directly into the path of the oncoming stage.<\/p>\n

Adam was halfway out the stagecoach door when it stopped in front of the depot. He leaped down at the same time Mrs. Larson released Little Joe, and the curly-headed boy flew into his older brother\u2019s arms. Adam picked his brother up and held him tight. Joe flung his arms around Adam\u2019s neck, buried his face in the crook between Adam\u2019s neck and shoulder, and burst into tears.<\/p>\n

Fighting back his own tears, Adam reached one hand up and rubbed the little boy\u2019s back. \u201cShhhh,\u201d he said. \u201cHush there, little buddy. It\u2019s ok. I\u2019m home. Adam\u2019s home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben had stepped down from the coach right after Adam and watched the brothers\u2019 reunion. To his surprise, he was overcome with a wave a relief. Not because Adam was actually back in Nevada\u2014he\u2019d never doubted his son would return\u2014but because as a single father, he\u2019d often worried what would become of his boys should anything happen to him. Now he knew: Adam would take care of them. He swelled with pride once more at the man his son had become in his years away.<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s snuffling slowed, and Adam held him back a little bit to get a good look at him. \u201cYou got bigger while I was gone,\u201d he said, poking the boy in the belly and making him giggle. \u201cNot much, though. Hey, Pa!\u201d he called over his shoulder. \u201cYou were supposed to feed him while I was away!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben, who was now helping his sister-in-law out of the stagecoach, didn\u2019t turn around. \u201cHm,\u201d he grunted. \u201cKnew I forgot something.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam set Joe down to help Josie out of the stagecoach, a procedure complicated by the fact that Little Joe had wrapped his arms securely around his left leg and wouldn\u2019t let go. Adam managed, however, and set Josie safely on the ground. Hoss and Jacob bundled out of the coach behind her. Little Joe let go of Adam long enough to greet Hoss and then stuck himself back onto Adam. He continued to cling to Adam with his left arm while he shook his aunt and uncle\u2019s hands with his right. The boy wasn\u2019t known for shyness, but he seemed determined to make sure his big brother didn\u2019t get away again. Josie, however, was not content with a quick hello and stepped behind Adam to get right into Little Joe\u2019s face. Joe\u2019s green eyes widened under his mop of curly brown hair. He was used to little girls giggling and averting their gazes around him, not invading his personal space. He was a beautiful child, and it was already apparent to the girls his age that he would grow into a dashingly handsome young man.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m Josie,\u201d she said, offering him her hand in precisely the same manner she had to Adam three years ago. Nonplussed, Little Joe reached out a suspicious hand and shook Josie\u2019s, never taking his eyes off her. \u201cIt\u2019s ok,\u201d Josie said. \u201cYou will get used to me.\u201d Then a thought occurred to her. \u201cHey, Papa? Why did you and Uncle Ben name us nearly the same?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe both wanted to name a child after our father, Joseph,\u201d Jacob said. \u201cAt the time you were born, we didn\u2019t know Little Joe would be coming along, so we thought we better take advantage of the situation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Josie\u2019s eye met Little Joe\u2019s, and the children reached a silent understanding. Little Joe grinned mischievously at Josie, who grinned right back, her hazel eyes dancing, and a confederation was born.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m gonna show you all around the Ponderosa,\u201d Little Joe boasted. He cocked his head and gave Josie a sidelong glance. \u201cCan you ride?\u201d<\/p>\n

Josie blushed and kicked at a pebble on the ground. She didn\u2019t like to admit there was anything she couldn\u2019t do. \u201cAdam said he would teach me,\u201d she mumbled.<\/p>\n

To Josie\u2019s great relief, Little Joe gazed up at his older brother admiringly. \u201cAdam\u2019s a great teacher! He taught me to ride, and now I\u2019m the best horseman in the whole territory.\u201d He puffed out his skinny chest.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe still rides a pony,\u201d Ben muttered to Jacob so the little boy couldn\u2019t overhear. The brothers shared a quiet chuckle, but Little Joe didn\u2019t notice. \u201cSpeaking of horses,\u201d Ben turned to Adam, \u201cthey\u2019re bringing back the horse race at the Fourth of July festivities next week. Beauty\u2019s getting a little old to be competitive, but I\u2019ve got a couple of fast two-year-olds in the stable if you\u2019re interested.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s eyes shone. He desperately wanted to race, except for one problem. \u201cWe\u2019ll see, Pa. It\u2019s three years since I\u2019ve been in a proper saddle.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam had done some riding with his friends at Harvard, but New England, they rode with English tack, not Western. It had taken him a little while to get used to sitting on a comparatively small saddle and having to hold the reins with both hands all the time. Now it would probably take him some time to readjust to the point he could race.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019ll come back to you,\u201d Ben said. \u201cNow, let\u2019s get you home!\u201d<\/p>\n

Within minutes, Ben and Hoss had thanked Mrs. Larson for watching Joe and scooted over to the livery and retrieved the carriage, buckboard, and horses they\u2019d left when they departed for the East. Adam\u2019s face lit up when he saw the horse tied behind the wagon. \u201cBeauty!\u201d he exclaimed. He shook Little Joe off his leg and rushed to his precious chestnut mare, who whinnied when she saw her long-lost master. He stroked her face, and she snuffled at his pockets, hoping for a handout. Adam laughed. \u201cI just got off the stagecoach, girl! Look at me, I\u2019m filthy. I don\u2019t have any sugar.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled. \u201cIf you want to ride ahead and meet us at the house, I think everyone will understand.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam glanced at Little Joe and Josie, both of whom looked distinctly put out over being abandoned for a horse, Joe\u2019s shoulders sagging. He thought fast. \u201cHey Little Joe,\u201d he said, walking back to his brother and placing a hand on the boy\u2019s shoulder. \u201cI need you to do something very, very important for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe raised an eyebrow in an uncanny impression of Adam.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know this territory better than anyone else, and I need you to ride in the carriage next to Josie and tell her all about it on the way home. Think you can do that?\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe broke into his trademark radiant smile and puffed himself back up. \u201cOf course I can! By the time we get home, Josie\u2019ll know everything there is to know about the Ponderosa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAtta boy.\u201d Adam ruffled Joe\u2019s hair and turned to Josie. \u201cLittle Joe will take good care of you on the way home, okay?\u201d<\/p>\n

Josie frowned but consented. Adam seemed awfully excited to be back on his horse. He smiled at her, bid a temporary farewell to his family, and mounted up.<\/p>\n

\u201cAh,\u201d he sighed as he sat back in his saddle. \u201cThat\u2019s more like it.\u201d He paused a moment to adjust his stirrups\u2014they needed to be lowered about an inch since he had last used his saddle\u2014then leaned down toward Beauty\u2019s ear and let loose a loud \u201cHA!\u201d Horse and rider darted off down the street and out of town, kicking up a swirling cloud of dust in their wake.<\/p>\n

Josie watched admiringly as Adam tore off down the street. A change had come over him as they neared Carson City, she noticed. In Boston and Washington he\u2019d worn a suit, hadn\u2019t carried a gun, and had seemed for all the world like a proper New England gentleman. Once they had landed in San Francisco, however, he\u2019d transformed back into the cowboy she and her parents had met in New York City three years ago. She decided she liked both iterations of her cousin: the suave young man who took her to the theater and the rugged cowboy who was going to teach her to ride a horse.<\/p>\n

\u201cI suppose we better catch up,\u201d Ben said. He helped Hannah and Josie into the carriage, and then he, Jacob, and Little Joe climbed aboard. Little Joe and Josie squeezed into the front seat next to Ben, and Jacob and Hannah situated themselves comfortably in the back row. Hoss clambered into the driver\u2019s seat of the wagon, now laden with luggage, and they rolled out of Carson City. They soon found themselves in countryside of soaring ponderosa pine trees, scrub brush, rolling hills, and an endless azure sky. Josie was breath-taken. She had never seen so much wide-open space, and she imagined herself as a grown woman, wheeling through it on horseback like Adam had just done.<\/p>\n

******<\/p>\n

Several miles up the road, Adam pulled Beauty to a stop. They\u2019d run hard for quite a while, and he wanted to savor the rest of the ride. He was going to be saddle-sore tomorrow, but he didn\u2019t care. He breathed deeply, inhaling the sweet aroma of the ponderosa pines. After three years in the industrial northeast, he had almost forgotten what fresh air was. He tilted his head back and closed his eyes, letting the hot Nevada sun beat down on his face. He would miss Boston and Washington, but he\u2019d never imagined it would feel so wonderful to be home.<\/p>\n

A couple hours later, the small, single-story ranch house came into sight. Adam grinned. The squat log house had never looked so good. Its four rooms\u2014kitchen, sitting\/dining room, and two bedrooms\u2014were completely inadequate for the family, especially with Hoss growing as quickly as he was, but it was home. Adam spurred Beauty, pulling up only when he reached the hitching post in the front yard. He jumped down from the mare before she had come to a complete stop.<\/p>\n

\u201cHop Sing!\u201d he called. \u201cHop Sing!\u201d<\/p>\n

The Cartwrights\u2019 Chinese cook was already on his way out the front door. He\u2019d heard the galloping hoofbeats approaching the house and guessed who it was. He flung open the door and ran into the yard to greet his boy. Ben had hired him when Little Joe was born and Adam and Hoss were twelve and six years old, respectively. He\u2019d baked their birthday cakes, bandaged their scrapes, cooled their fevers, dried their tears, and celebrated their triumphs. After Marie\u2019s death, he\u2019d taken up the role of second parent, and he\u2019d felt Adam\u2019s absence these past three years as keenly as any other member of the family. Ben Cartwright wasn\u2019t the only man who could lay claim to the boys.<\/p>\n

Indignant chickens clucked and scattered as Hop Sing and Adam raced through the yard toward one another, colliding in a warm bear hug. Hop Sing\u2019s grin was so wide he thought his face might split. Even as a boy, Adam hadn\u2019t been particularly physically affectionate, so Hop Sing relished every hug he got from the young man.<\/p>\n

\u201cMr. Adam!\u201d Hop Sing cheered. He held Adam at arm\u2019s length and took a good look at him. He noticed the same changes Ben had. Adam was a little taller and broader, and his features were sharper. Tears welled up in the cook\u2019s eyes as he compared the boy of his memory with the young man before him. All he could think to say was, \u201cYou forget to eat in Boston! You too skinny!\u201d He jabbed a finger into Adam\u2019s chest for punctuation.<\/p>\n

Adam laughed. \u201cYou spoiled me, Hop Sing! Boston just didn\u2019t have any cooks who could compare to you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat probably true,\u201d Hop Sing agreed. He took Adam\u2019s elbow and led him into the house, beckoning for a stable hand to take care of Beauty. \u201cYou come inside. Hop Sing make all your favorites for dinner: roast chicken, baked potatoes, green beans, biscuits, and blueberry pie!\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s stomach rumbled at the thought. \u201cI can\u2019t wait.\u201d<\/p>\n

By the time the rest of the Cartwrights arrived, Adam was nearly dancing in anticipation of his homecoming meal. He raced outside to help unload everyone\u2019s luggage. Jacob and Hannah were taking Ben\u2019s room, while Josie bunked in the boys\u2019 room with Little Joe. Ben, Hoss, and Adam would sleep in the bunkhouse with the ranch hands for the duration of the visit.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can have top bunk, if you want,\u201d Little Joe magnanimously offered as he showed Josie the tiny bedroom he shared with his brothers. \u201cI usually sleep up there, but I\u2019ll letcha have it if you want.\u201d<\/p>\n

Josie peered into the room. A set of bunk beds was pushed up against one wall, and another single bed stood a few feet in front of it. Two small wardrobes took up the remaining wall space near the single window. Josie\u2019s eyes went wide. Her bedroom at home was huge by comparison, and she didn\u2019t have to share it with two other people.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss used to sleep on the bottom bunk,\u201d Joe continued, \u201cbut he\u2019s been sleeping in Adam\u2019s bed for a while now. Got too tall and would crack his head on the underside of my bunk every time he sat up. I\u2019ll be glad to have him out of here for a while. He snores like an old grizzly bear.\u201d<\/p>\n

Josie giggled. She liked this younger cousin of hers. Though he was nearly eight years old, Little Joe was only the size of a six-year-old. He\u2019d always been small for his age, but the doctor had assured Ben not to worry. Joe was a strong, sturdy little boy, and he most likely would catch up in size over time.<\/p>\n

When they were called to dinner, the children raced each other to the table, screaming with laughter as they tore through the small house. Josie pulled up when she reached the table, but Little Joe collapsed breathlessly into his chair, still laughing. Ben raised an eyebrow at his youngest offspring, and the boy fell silent, his cheeks rosy and his skinny shoulders still quaking with laughter.<\/p>\n

Adam typically would have been annoyed with his baby brother\u2019s inability to comport himself, but not tonight. Tonight, he was thrilled to see Little Joe happy. Marie\u2019s death was still so fresh when Adam had left for college, and Little Joe didn\u2019t smile much. Adam had missed that bright smile. He was also glad that Little Joe had a playmate, at least temporarily. By the time Little Joe was born, Adam already had a busy schedule between school and chores, and now that Hoss was a teenager learning to run the ranch\u2019s cattle business, he, too, had precious little time to play with his baby brother. At least for the next month, Little Joe would have another child close to his own age with whom to run wild around the Ponderosa.<\/p>\n

After an unnecessarily long grace, in which Ben thanked God for Adam\u2019s safe return, the visit with their extended family, the food, the Ponderosa, the United States of America, the food again, and \u201cblessings as yet unknown,\u201d they finally tucked into Hop Sing\u2019s feast. Adam had always admired his father\u2019s unwavering faith, but sometimes it was better to be quick and let hungry people eat their supper.<\/p>\n

As they ate, Adam complimented Pa on the new barn and bunkhouse, both of which had been built while he was away at school.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur operations are expanding,\u201d Ben said. \u201cWe need at least a dozen hands year-round. More when we drive the cattle to market. We\u2019re looking at getting into mining, too, after that big gold strike in California. There\u2019s already a mining camp springing up just over the northeastern line of our property. May even become a town eventually.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat would be helpful, wouldn\u2019t it?\u201d Jacob asked. \u201cIt might be nice having a town a little closer than Carson City.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben agreed and launched into an explanation of how a closer town would increase the Ponderosa\u2019s local beef sales. Uninterested in business talk, the younger Cartwrights took turns making goofy faces at each other to try to make the others laugh out loud and get scolded for interrupting. Even Adam, still overjoyed to be home, joined in the silliness. Naturally, his father turned to him just as he was screwing up one eye and sticking his tongue out the opposite side of his mouth at Little Joe, who stuffed his fist in his mouth to stifle his giggles.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam?\u201d Ben said.<\/p>\n

Adam realized a split second too late that he turned to Pa with his tongue still out. He retracted it and gave Ben his most winsome smile. Josie nearly drowned in the milk she was trying to swallow and broke out in a fit of sputtering giggles.<\/p>\n

Ben sighed and covered his eyes with one hand. \u201cMy son, the sophisticated college graduate,\u201d he moaned. He wasn\u2019t really annoyed. He was thrilled that Adam was being silly with his brothers and cousin. Adam had never been prone to goofiness and letting go a little was the best homecoming gift he could have given his father.<\/p>\n

When everyone had recomposed themselves, Ben asked Adam what his plans were for tomorrow. He said he thought he\u2019d put Josie on a pony and show her around the ranch. Josie\u2019s eyes lit up, but Little Joe looked put out.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t worry, little buddy,\u201d Adam said. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t dream of leaving you behind.\u201d<\/p>\n

Placated, Little Joe happily finished the rest of his supper and then scampered off with Josie to play until bedtime.<\/p>\n

Watching them go, Hoss turned to Adam and said, \u201cThink I\u2019ll come along with ya tomorrow. Might need an extra hand keepin\u2019 an eye on them two.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood idea,\u201d Adam agreed.<\/p>\n

Everyone was worn out from their trip and went to bed early. Little Joe tried to keep Josie up talking to him after they were put to bed\u2014he wanted to know all about Washington, DC\u2014but Josie was so exhausted that she fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.<\/p>\n

Stretched out on a top bunk in the bunkhouse, Adam listened to his father\u2019s and brother\u2019s easy breathing and smiled. He hadn\u2019t expected to be this content to be back on the Ponderosa. But with his family around him, he felt at peace. He was home.<\/p>\n

******<\/p>\n

After breakfast the next morning, Adam headed out to the barn to saddle up horses and ponies for the day\u2019s adventure. Beauty was eager to go again, and her enthusiasm rubbed off on Little Joe\u2019s pony, Champ, and the older pony, Daisy, whom Adam saddled up for Josie. Hoss joined him and tacked up his own mare, Lady. The young men led all four animals out to the front yard, where Little Joe and Josie stood waiting in matching outfits of brown trousers, blue checkered shirts, and black hats and boots. Little Joe wore an empty pistol holster on his left hip, and Josie had her black hair secured in a single long braid. Hoss and Adam chuckled at the sight of them.<\/p>\n

\u201cTwo of kind, ain\u2019t they, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe could be in for a very long day.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hannah came out of the house and handed Adam a picnic lunch Hop Sing had packed for them. Adam could see the worry creasing her face. \u201cIs it safe?\u201d she asked, looking warily at Daisy.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t you worry none, Aunt Hannah,\u201d Hoss said. \u201cDaisy here\u2019s so old she wouldn\u2019t bolt even if the devil himself were after her. At her age, it\u2019s just too much trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not going over difficult terrain,\u201d Adam chimed in. \u201cI\u2019ll take good care of Josie.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know you will,\u201d Hannah said, smiling at her nephew. If there was anyone she could trust to keep her daughter safe, it was him.<\/p>\n

\u201cC\u2019mon, Josie!\u201d Adam called. \u201cLet\u2019s get you up on this pony.\u201d Josie scampered off the porch, but Adam held up a hand to stop her. \u201cNot like that,\u201d he said, gently but firmly. \u201cNever run up on a horse, especially one you don\u2019t know. You don\u2019t want to spook her and get kicked.\u201d<\/p>\n

Josie went crimson. Her first day on the Ponderosa and she was already disappointing Adam. Shamefaced, she plodded slowly to where he stood holding Daisy\u2019s lead.<\/p>\n

Adam noticed her despondence. \u201cIt\u2019s ok,\u201d he said, smiling and chucking her under the chin. \u201cYou didn\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n

Josie perked up and listened intently while Adam instructed her how to mount up.<\/p>\n

\u201cAin\u2019t you gonna lift her?\u201d Hoss asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I want her to learn how to do it by herself.\u201d<\/p>\n

Josie walked to Daisy\u2019s left side, took hold of the reins and a fistful of mane in her left hand and the saddle horn in her right, stuck her left foot in the stirrup, and vaulted. She sailed right over the pony and landed with a loud \u201cOof!\u201d on Daisy\u2019s other side. Still on the porch, Little Joe burst out laughing, but Ben, who had wandered outside with Jacob to watch the riding lesson, silenced him with a quick smack upside the back of his head.<\/p>\n

Hannah gasped, but Jacob stopped her from rushing to their daughter\u2019s side. He\u2019d seen Josie take worse falls. She was fine. He was also having a hard time swallowing his own laughter.<\/p>\n

Adam picked up Josie and set her on her feet. Hot, embarrassed tears coursed down the little girl\u2019s red face.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s all this about?\u201d he said, brushing her off. \u201cThat was an impressive show of strength! Even big old Hoss here has never been able to vault clean over a horse like that!\u201d Josie gave him a watery smile. \u201cHow about we try that again? Just give it a little less oomph.\u201d<\/p>\n

Josie walked carefully back around Daisy, set herself back up for the mount, and this time successfully settled herself in the saddle. \u201cI did it!\u201d she exclaimed, tears forgotten, face beaming.<\/p>\n

Adam grinned at her glee as he adjusted her stirrups and showed her how to hold her reins. \u201cNow usually you\u2019ll give the horse a little kick to get her moving, but for right now, I\u2019m just going to lead you around the yard here to let you get a feel for it.\u201d<\/p>\n

He tugged on the pony\u2019s bridle, and Daisy lurched to life. Josie instinctively grabbed the saddle horn. It was like being in a tiny boat on rough water, she thought. She was certain she was going to hit the dirt again, but after a few passes through the yard, she found some semblance of balance and managed to hold on only to the reins.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right, fellas!\u201d Adam called to his brothers. \u201cMount up!\u201d The three Cartwright boys swung onto their horses, or in Joe\u2019s case, pony. Seeing the apprehensive look on Josie\u2019s face, Adam reined up next to her. \u201cDon\u2019t worry. Hoss and I are going to stay right next to you and tell you everything you need to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll be fine,\u201d Josie insisted indignantly, her natural self-confidence returning to her.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I know you will be. But Hoss is a worrier, so we better humor him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s that?\u201d Hoss asked. He\u2019d been telling the parents where they\u2019d be riding and hadn\u2019t heard what Adam said to Josie.<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing!\u201d Adam and Josie chimed in unison.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll be back before supper,\u201d Hoss said.<\/p>\n

\u201cSee that you are,\u201d Ben said from the porch. \u201cAnd be careful.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will,\u201d Little Joe said. The boy was impatient to be off riding with both of his older brothers again.<\/p>\n

The foursome waved to their parents and set off slowly with Little Joe in the lead.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere are we heading?\u201d Josie asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a surprise,\u201d Adam said, wiggling his eyebrows.<\/p>\n

As they rode, Adam and Hoss coached Josie on proper riding form.<\/p>\n

\u201cSit back in your saddle.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cKeep your heels down.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t let your elbows flap around.\u201d<\/p>\n

Josie was determined to get everything right, but there was so much to remember all at once, and she couldn\u2019t help sitting stiffly. She found the whole thing rather frustrating. Like Adam, she was a quick study, and she wasn\u2019t used to catching onto something slowly.<\/p>\n

Adam watched his cousin fondly. He knew that fall had shaken her up more than she let on, and he could tell she was still uneasy atop her pony, but he admired her tenacity. It was obvious that she was no natural horsewoman, but she\u2019d spend the rest of her life working at if she had to.<\/p>\n

After ninety minutes of riding, Josie was wriggling in her saddle. \u201cHow do you ride all day in one of these?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTo tell you the truth, I don\u2019t remember,\u201d Adam said, shifting his weight in his own saddle. As expected, he was sore from yesterday\u2019s pell-mell ride from Carson City. He should have put this riding lesson off a few days.<\/p>\n

\u201cQuit bellyachin\u2019!\u201d Little Joe bossed. \u201cWe\u2019re nearly there.\u201d<\/p>\n

He was right. Within a few minutes, Josie spotted a slight shimmer on the horizon. \u201cWhat is that?\u201d she asked Hoss.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s where we\u2019re goin\u2019\u201d he answered.<\/p>\n

Slowly, an enormous sapphire mass came into focus. Josie\u2019s eyes widened, and she forgot about her sore backside. \u201cIs that Lake Tahoe?\u201d she breathed.<\/p>\n

\u201cSure is!\u201d Adam grinned. \u201cI promised I\u2019d show it to you, didn\u2019t I?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt looks like the ocean!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShoooooot,\u201d Little Joe drawled. \u201cIt ain\u2019t as big as all that.\u201d He had seen the ocean exactly once and considered himself a maritime expert.<\/p>\n

From the top of the hill they were on, Josie could see the azure water stretching out before her clear to the horizon. She had never seen, or even imagined, a lake so large.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s beautiful,\u201d she said, not once taking her eyes off the water.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of these days I\u2019m gonna build me a boat and row all the way across it,\u201d Little Joe boasted.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot with those puny arms, you ain\u2019t,\u201d Hoss teased.<\/p>\n

Little Joe stuck his tongue out at his brother and spurred Champ down the hill. The other three let him go and picked their way carefully down to the lakeshore where Josie and Adam gingerly dismounted. They spread out a blanket Adam had brought along and tucked into their picnic lunch, Hoss and Little Joe sniggering at the way Adam and Josie tried to keep their weight on one hip or the other inside of sitting directly on their aching rear ends.<\/p>\n

Afterwards, befuddled by their hearty lunch of fried chicken, biscuits, lemonade, and apple pie, the four cousins stretched out lazily on the blanket in the shade of a large oak tree, hats over their faces. Josie had pulled off her boots and socks and let the warm breeze tickle her bare toes. She listened to the water lapping the shore and the soft breathing of her cousins on both sides of her and thought she had never been so content.<\/p>\n

They dozed for an hour or so, when Adam said they should head home. He hated to end their afternoon together, but he didn\u2019t want the parents to worry. The ride home was a little faster as Josie had gotten more comfortable aboard Daisy, but she and Adam were still glad to dismount when they reached the ranch house.<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s dark eyes twinkled in amusement when he saw Adam and Josie walking spraddle-legged back from the stable. \u201cLittle sore, there, you two?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam refused to admit defeat. \u201cI\u2019m fine,\u201d he snapped defensively. \u201cJosie\u2019s fine. We\u2019re both fine.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben shook his head and chuckled as he led the little pack into the house for supper.<\/p>\n

\n

The following days passed in much the same way. Once Adam, Hoss, and Little Joe had finished their chores, often assisted by Josie, the foursome would ride off around the ranch. Josie was still a little unsteady on horseback but making progress. On July 2, the family celebrated Little Joe\u2019s eighth birthday with a big chocolate cake after supper, and Adam presented him with the .22 rifle he\u2019d bought in San Francisco. The little boy wanted to go outside and start shooting it right away, but Adam told him it was getting too dark and he had to wait until the next morning. Little Joe stuck his lower lip out in a classic pout, but Hop Sing cheered him up with a second piece of cake.<\/p>\n

The next morning, Little Joe bolted his breakfast and dragged Adam outside before he\u2019d even finished his coffee. Josie decided to tag along. She had no experience with guns and was curious to see what all the fuss was about. As the trio marched across the yard to get some distance from the house, Hoss glanced out the window and exploded in laughter.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s so funny?\u201d Hannah asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam!\u201d Hoss exclaimed, laughing so hard he clutched his sides. \u201cHe looks like a big ol\u2019 mama duck!\u201d<\/p>\n

The three adults rose from the table and joined Hoss at the window where they saw that Adam did indeed look just like a mother duck. He led the way across the yard with Josie and Little Joe skipping along in single file behind him, all three of them clad in dark trousers, red shirts, and black boots and hats.<\/p>\n

Jacob shook his head. \u201cWould that we were all so popular,\u201d he said, smiling.<\/p>\n

A few minutes later, the report of a small rifle let them know the lesson had begun. It wasn\u2019t long, however, before the shots ceased and the group indoors heard heavy footfalls racing toward the house. Alarmed, Ben, Hannah, and Jacob rushed out the front door, nearly colliding with Adam who was on his way in, eyes wild and sweaty hair plastered to his forehead. He clutched Little Joe\u2019s new .22 in his right hand.<\/p>\n

Fearing the worst, Ben grabbed Adam\u2019s shoulders and demanded to know what had happened.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa!\u201d Adam shouted in his father\u2019s face. \u201cPa, you\u2019ve gotta see this! She\u2019s a crack shot!\u201d With that, he spun on his heel and sprinted back to where he\u2019d left Little Joe and Josie.<\/p>\n

When the adults finally caught up, they found Josie beaming triumphantly next to a downcast Little Joe.<\/p>\n

\u201cShow them, Josie!\u201d Adam said, handing her the gun.<\/p>\n

Josie pulled the rifle to her shoulder, took careful aim at the first of five cans sitting on a fence rail about twenty yards away, and fired off five quick shots, each one blasting a can from its perch. Three sets of eyes went wide.<\/p>\n

\u201cGod save any man who breaks her heart,\u201d Ben said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can shoot good, too,\u201d Little Joe asserted. \u201cI was just lettin\u2019 her use my gun to be polite.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd that was very nice of you,\u201d Aunt Hannah said, patting Joe\u2019s head.<\/p>\n

Josie cottoned on to Little Joe\u2019s feelings. \u201cEspecially after I fell off my horse yesterday,\u201d she offered.<\/p>\n

Joseph was only slightly mollified and spent the rest of the day pouting. Josie wisely gave him a wide berth and helped Hoss clean out the barn that afternoon while Adam and Ben rolled out Adam\u2019s blueprints for the new house and began planning how much labor and lumber they would need to have the house completed by winter.<\/p>\n

The next day, the six Cartwrights and Hop Sing left bright and early to travel into Carson City for the Independence Day festivities. Hannah had coaxed Josie into a dress for the occasion, and even the typically disheveled Hoss had slicked down his hair. Little Joe was still pouting, but he recovered quickly when he found himself in need of a partner for the three-legged race. When he and Josie took first place, all was forgiven, and the two youngest Cartwrights were a team once more.<\/p>\n

Adam felt confident enough in his riding to race one of the two-year-old colts that afternoon. The entire family cheered wildly for him except Jacob. He usually was not a worrier, but as Adam came charging down the homestretch, all Jacob could think of was how many of his nephew\u2019s bones he would have to set if the boy were thrown, and he hid his eyes behind his hands. Being a doctor had its disadvantages. But Adam safely crossed the finish line as a close second to his best friend, Ross Marquette, who good-naturedly teased him for going soft in college. Ross\u2019s fun was cut short, however, when Adam and Hoss easily defeated Ross and his older brother in a tug-of-war match.<\/p>\n

The Cartwrights spent the rest of the afternoon cheering for Hop Sing as his blueberry pie took first place in the pie contest, playing horseshoes, and stuffing themselves with ice cream, just as Adam and Josie had done two years ago in Washington. Those two, however, had learned their lesson and were careful to stop after two helpings<\/p>\n

When the sun went down, the band fired up, and the dancing commenced. The townsmen had constructed a spacious outdoor wooden dance floor. Colorful paper lanterns were strung above the floor to illuminate the entire area with a soft yellow glow. Josie danced with her father, her uncle, and each of her three cousins, though Little Joe took some convincing. He still believed that dancing with a girl could give him a terminal infestation of cooties, even if that girl was his cousin. Flushed and breathless after a fast reel with Hoss, Josie collapsed onto a bench on the side of the dance floor to catch a second wind. She was just thinking about getting up for some lemonade when a blond boy about her own age sat on the bench next to her. He held two cups of lemonade and offered one to Josie.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you!\u201d she said, beaming.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re very welcome.\u201d The boy stuck out his hand to her. \u201cI\u2019m Simon. Simon Croft.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPleasure!\u201d Josie shook Simon\u2019s hand. \u201cJosephine Cartwright. People call me Josie.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh! Are you one of the Ponderosa Cartwrights?\u201d Simon asked eagerly. \u201cI didn\u2019t know Mr. Cartwright had any daughters.\u201d<\/p>\n

Josie explained her relationship to Mr. Benjamin Cartwright of the Ponderosa and how she\u2019d come to visit for the summer. Simon seemed disappointed, though he asked a few polite questions about Washington, DC, before the conversation\u2019s momentum died away.<\/p>\n

An awkward silence settled over the children, who both turned stiffly toward the dance floor to watch the couples whirl past. Adam had found himself a pretty young brunette, resplendent in calico, and even Ben was whisking a dark-haired woman gracefully around the dance floor. Jacob and Hannah were oblivious to everyone around them as they danced together, eyes locked in a loving gaze.<\/p>\n

For the next song, one of the band members produced an Irish pennywhistle and struck up an irresistibly lively jig. Simon turned to Josie and caught her eye. His mouth opened, but he couldn\u2019t force out the words, so he just offered his hand. Josie smiled, took it, and let him lead her onto the dance floor.<\/p>\n

Young Simon Croft was quite the dancer, and the sprightly Josie found herself hard-pressed to match his steps, but before long the two children had caught everyone\u2019s attention as they pranced expertly around the dance floor. They were so caught up in their dancing that they didn\u2019t notice the adults step aside to give them more space. By the end of the tune, they were the only couple left on the floor as everyone else in attendance watched in awe and delight at the dancing children.<\/p>\n

Well, almost<\/em> everyone. Adam, Hoss, and Little Joe were awed but undeniably less than delighted. Adam had abandoned his comely partner to stand next to his brothers, each of them with their arms folded across their chests as they glared at Simon Croft. Adam was strangely aware of the .44 strapped to his hip, and Hoss unconsciously drew himself up to his full height and flexed his massive biceps. Little Joe furrowed his brow and wished he were bigger.<\/p>\n

Ben caught sight of his sons and bit back his laughter. They were quite a sight: two tall, broad young men and one short, scrawny one, all poised to rescue their cousin from the evil clutches of a skinny ten-year-old boy. \u201cRelax, gentlemen,\u201d he said, stepping over to his boys. \u201cThis is a party.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam shot Pa a look but said nothing. The song had just ended, and Simon bowed grandly to Josie, who curtsied in return. Then, hand in hand, the children scampered off to find more lemonade. Adam moved to follow them, but Ben put up a hand to stop him. \u201cSimon\u2019s a good boy,\u201d he said. \u201cHis father just bought a ranch on the east border of the Ponderosa. I was planning to invite the entire family to supper sometime.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam just grunted his acknowledgment, resolving to keep a close eye on Simon Croft for the remainder of Josephine\u2019s visit.<\/p>\n

Over at the lemonade stand, Simon was telling Josie all about his father\u2019s new ranch, the Lucky Star.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s nowhere near as big as the Ponderosa\u2014no other ranch is,\u201d he said, \u201cbut my pa says we should have a good herd of cattle to sell by this time next year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Josie listened politely while she sipped her lemonade, and when the band fired up another jig, she grabbed Simon\u2019s hand and dragged him back to the dance floor. They danced nonstop until the end of the evening when the band announced they would finish off with a waltz.<\/p>\n

\u201cDang,\u201d Simon said sadly. \u201cI don\u2019t know how to waltz.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFortunately, I do.\u201d Adam stepped out of a shadow where he\u2019d been keeping careful watch over Josie. \u201cMiss Cartwright?\u201d He bowed low to Josie and extended his hand with a flourish. She giggled as she accepted and casting an apologetic glance over her shoulder to a dejected Simon, let Adam lead her onto the dance floor.<\/p>\n

She\u2019d never been happier than she was in that moment as her honorary older brother swept her expertly around the dance floor. When the waltz ended, she jumped up and threw her arms around his neck. Grinning, he carried her off the dance floor to their waiting family.<\/p>\n

\u201cWait!\u201d Josie cried when Jacob said it was time to head home. She scurried to where Simon stood waiting for his parents. She shook his hand vigorously. \u201cThank you for the dances!\u201d she gushed. \u201cAnd all the lemonade.\u201d<\/p>\n

Simon blushed and kicked at an imaginary pebble on the ground. \u201cWasn\u2019t nothin\u2019,\u201d he mumbled. Checking that no adults were watching, Josie pecked him swiftly on the cheek and scampered back to her family. Astonished, Simon watched her go, one hand on the cheek Josie had kissed.<\/p>\n

Little Joe and Josie were so exhausted from the big day that they collapsed against each other and fell asleep within minutes of Ben slapping the horses with the carriage\u2019s reins and setting off for home. Once or twice the carriage hit a bump in the road, knocking the children\u2019s heads together, but they were so deeply asleep neither of them stirred.<\/p>\n

It was nearly 2 a.m. when they finally returned home. By that time, even Adam and Hoss were half asleep in their saddles. Jacob and Ben lifted their sleeping children and carried them upstairs to bed, little heads lolling open-mouthed against big shoulders.<\/p>\n

Everyone slept in the next morning before settling into a routine that would carry them through the rest of the month. After morning chores and breakfast, Little Joe and Josie would race outside to play while Adam stayed behind with Ben and Jacob to organize the building supplies that were now coming in for the new house. Adam was proud that he\u2019d designed the house to be built entirely from lumber and stone taken from Ponderosa land, and he had flabbergasted everyone with his cutting-edge plans for indoor plumbing.<\/p>\n

\u201cSee, Pa?\u201d Adam said one day, tracing a line on his blueprints with his finger. \u201cWe connect pipes to the stove in the kitchen and run them through the walls to the second floor, so every time Hop Sing cooks, he\u2019s also heating water for the upstairs washroom. It won\u2019t be unlimited hot water\u2014we\u2019ll still have to carry up buckets sometimes\u2014but it\u2019s a start. The best part is that we won\u2019t have to drag full tubs outside to dump them out. Just pull the drain plug, and the water runs out these pipes to irrigate Hop Sing\u2019s garden behind the house.\u201d Ben marveled at his son\u2019s ingenuity.<\/p>\n

Most days, Hoss would either help with the building supplies or ride off to check the cattle they\u2019d drive to market at the beginning of August. Hannah enjoyed sitting in the shade of a tree to read or watch the men work. She considered making herself useful, but ultimately decided to enjoy this respite from her busy volunteer schedule back home. Adam made a point to take at least a couple hours\u2019 break every afternoon to join Josie and Little Joe in whatever adventure they were having. He continued coaching her on riding, with which she still needed ample help, and shooting, with which she did not.<\/p>\n

Three days before the visit ended, Josie and Little Joe announced at lunch that they were going fishing that afternoon.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re not going down to the lake by yourselves,\u201d Ben said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe know,\u201d Little Joe said impatiently. He knew he wasn\u2019t allowed down at the lake without his father or one of his brothers. \u201cWe\u2019re just goin\u2019 over to the duck pond.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right,\u201d Ben said, \u201cbut you two stay out of that old oak tree down there. It took a lot of damage last winter, and it\u2019s nearly rotted through. I don\u2019t want either of you breaking your neck.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir,\u201d Little Joe and Josie chorused.<\/p>\n

After finishing their lunch, the two smallest cousins grabbed a couple of fishing poles and took off toward the duck pond about a half mile from the house. Once there, Little Joe peeled off his shirt, and they both shucked their boots and socks and sat under the dying oak tree at the pond\u2019s edge, their feet dandling in the cool water. Twenty minutes passed without so much as a nibble on either child\u2019s line, and Little Joe grew impatient.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think there\u2019s any fish over here,\u201d he complained.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo move.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat if there\u2019s no fish over on the other side, either? I\u2019d just be wasting my time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s fishing, Joe, the whole point is to waste time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe rolled his eyes and flung himself backward onto the grass. Looking up at the branches of the oak tree gave him an idea. With a mischievous grin, he popped up, put his boots back on, and picked his way over to the tree\u2019s gnarled trunk. Josie watched him suspiciously.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust thinkin\u2019 that if I could get up high I could see where the fish are.\u201d<\/p>\n

Josie sighed. \u201cUncle Ben said we\u2019re not allowed in that tree. It\u2019s rotted.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe kept staring up at the tree\u2019s branches and waved a hand dismissively at Josie. \u201cBranches won\u2019t break under me. Whole family\u2019s always saying how I don\u2019t weigh nothin\u2019. Besides, what Pa don\u2019t know won\u2019t kill him. You comin\u2019 or what?\u201d<\/p>\n

Josie shook her head. \u201cNot me,\u201d she said. Like most Cartwrights, she harbored a healthy disregard for rules, but she had to side with her uncle on this one. The battered tree looked like it was being held up by nothing but God\u2019s good humor. Several of the branches were cracked and dangling from the trunk at crazy angles.<\/p>\n

\u201cFine, scaredy cat, be a girl.\u201d With that, Little Joe grabbed a low-hanging branch and swung himself up into the tree.<\/p>\n

He made good progress for about fifteen feet when Josie asked if he could see any fish.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot yet!\u201d he called down. \u201cBut there\u2019s a branch in my way. Lemme get a little higher.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think that\u2019s a good idea!\u201d Josie shouted back, but Little Joe had already started climbing again. Josie cringed when a branch creaked under his left boot, but he made it another ten feet, where he reported that all the fish were, in fact, on the other side of the pond.<\/p>\n

\u201cExcellent!\u201d Josie yelled skyward. \u201cNow get outta that tree!\u201d<\/p>\n

Proud of his ingenuity, Little Joe grinned down at Josie and began a careful descent. He was doing fine until he reached the last branch about seven feet off the ground. He set his weight on it and just as he let go of the branch above him, the moldering limb split, and he plunged. He landed heavily on his right side and grunted as he lost his wind. Josie\u2019s stomach lurched, and she wheeled over to him. Relieved that he was conscious, she instinctively began checking him for injuries as he gasped for breath.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you hit your head?\u201d Josie demanded.<\/p>\n

Little Joe shook his head as he finally, mercifully, was able to draw a full breath. Josie ran her hands up the arm he had landed on and announced that it was not broken but was, unfortunately, bleeding freely from a deep gash about three inches long between his elbow and wrist.<\/p>\n

\u201cMust have sliced it on that root,\u201d Joe said, indicating a sharp root sticking up from the ground where he\u2019d landed.<\/p>\n

\u201cHold still,\u201d Josie ordered. She ran back to the pond\u2019s edge and grabbed Little Joe\u2019s discarded shirt. She pulled a pocketknife Hoss had given her out of her trousers pocket and quickly sliced off one arm of the shirt.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey!\u201d Little Joe protested. \u201cRuin your own shirt next time!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cStay out of the tree next time!\u201d Josie shot back. Little Joe shut his mouth and let Josie wrap the sleeve tightly around the cut on his arm. Blood almost immediately saturated the fabric, and Josie shook her head. \u201cThis is a deep cut, Joe. It needs stitches. I better go get Papa.\u201d She rose to her feet, but Little Joe grabbed her arm with his left hand, his eyes wild with fear.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Josie!\u201d he practically screamed at her.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have to. That arm needs attention.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t!\u201d the boy sputtered. \u201cIf you tell Uncle Jacob, he\u2019ll tell Pa, and Pa\u2019ll know I was up in the tree after he told me not to. And I will be in so much trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGuess you should have thought of that before you climbed the tree.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019ll kill me, Josie. And my death will be on your head.\u201d<\/p>\n

Josie rolled her eyes. Little Joe could be more melodramatic than the girls at school. \u201cWhat do you suggest, then, if you\u2019re so smart?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMe?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah!\u201d Little Joe insisted. \u201cYou\u2019re practically a doctor; Uncle Jacob said so. Can\u2019t you do it?\u201d<\/p>\n

Josie bit her lower lip. \u201cI don\u2019t know. I\u2019ve practiced on some old hides Papa gave me, but I\u2019ve never stitched up a live person before.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow different can it be?\u201d Joe contended. He looked directly into her face, his big green eyes welling up with tears and his bottom lip trembling. \u201cPlease? Try?\u201d<\/p>\n

Josie heaved a long sigh. He looked so pathetic, but something told her she was not the first person to receive Joseph Cartwright\u2019s injured-puppy look. \u201cWait here,\u201d she said, defeated. \u201cAnd keep pressure on that wound!\u201d Despite the July heat, she ran full-out back to the house, praying the entire way that the adults would still be fussing with materials for the new house and wouldn\u2019t notice her return.<\/p>\n

She was relieved when she arrived at the house to discover the older Cartwrights were still occupied with their work. There was a horse tied up in the front yard that Josie recognized as belonging to Hop Sing\u2019s cousin Li, but she knew they\u2019d be sitting in the kitchen having tea. If she was careful, she just might pull this off.<\/p>\n

Before opening the front door, she used what little moisture remained in her mouth to spit on the creaky middle hinge Little Joe had warned her about. She grinned when the door opened with nary a squeak. She slipped soundlessly into the house and crept down the hall to Uncle Ben\u2019s bedroom, where her parents were staying. Feeling like a thief, she unlatched her father\u2019s black medical bag and pulled out a bottle of silver nitrate, some bandages, a spool of catgut, and a needle. Guilt ran her over like a stampede of cattle. Jacob had imparted to her the importance of staying out of his medical bag\u2014there were things in there that could be harmful\u2014and she knew she was stealing. But she thought of Little Joe sitting under the oak tree trying to staunch the bleeding gash on his arm and shoved the catgut and the needle\u2014safely wrapped in the bandages\u2014into her pockets, re-latched Jacob\u2019s bag, and slipped out of the room. She stopped in the boys\u2019 bedroom to grab a fresh shirt for Little Joe. She tied it around her waist by its sleeves and headed back into the common room.<\/p>\n

She was nearly out the front door, when she noticed something odd about the voices coming from the kitchen. One of them was clearly Hop Sing, but also not Hop Sing. Curiosity got the better of her, and she crept to the kitchen doorway, being careful to stay out of sight.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo not worry, Li,\u201d Hop Sing said, \u201cHenry Clay will ensure California enters the Union as a single free state. It won\u2019t make the Southerners happy, but I\u2019m sure he will come up with a consolation for them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Josie wrinkled her nose, trying to deduce exactly what was off about Hop Sing\u2019s voice. When she finally figured it out, her mouth dropped open with a soft popping sound. She clamped a hand over the offending orifice, but the damage was already done.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne moment,\u201d Hop Sing said. Eight years of living with Cartwright boys had given him the sharpest senses on the continent.<\/p>\n

Josie\u2019s heart pounded as a chair scraped across the wooden kitchen floor and Hop Sing\u2019s soft footfalls came closer to her hiding place next to the supper table. There was nothing for it. Hiding the bottle of silver nitrate behind her back, she stepped into view of the kitchen doorway just as Hop Sing reached it from the other side.<\/p>\n

\u201cHiya, Hop Sing!\u201d she said brightly.<\/p>\n

The cook narrowed his eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat happen to Little Joe?\u201d he asked in his usual pidgen.<\/p>\n

Josie knew she was caught and decided to go for broke. \u201cWhat happened to your accent?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hop Sing\u2019s eyebrows shot up. \u201cYou overheard,\u201d he said, returning to the perfect English she had heard him use mere moments before. Josie gave him a wry smile. \u201cJosie, you need to understand something.\u201d He pulled a chair out from the supper table and sat facing the girl. He rubbed his temples under his pillbox hat. \u201cMr. Cartwright is a good man, but it would not be\u2026 appropriate for him to hear me speak this way. Do you understand?\u201d The puzzled look on Josie\u2019s face made it plain that she did not. \u201cHow can I explain?\u201d He stared up at the ceiling. \u201cJosie, white folks tolerate the Chinese in this country because they believe they are intellectually superior to us. This is a charade we maintain in order to keep ourselves safe and employed. If we were to make it known that we are intelligent, capable people, we would find ourselves even more unwelcome than we already are. Does that make sense?\u201d<\/p>\n

This time it did. \u201cIt\u2019s like the Black people back home,\u201d Josie said. \u201cThey play dumb so they do not get beat up in the streets. So people don\u2019t feel like they\u2019re dangerous.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cExactly!\u201d Hop Sing said, smiling. \u201cSo I will make a bargain with you. If you promise never to tell anyone how you heard me speak today, I will not breathe a word about the bottle of liniment you have hidden behind your back, which I assume is for a curly-headed boy of our mutual acquaintance.\u201d<\/p>\n

Josie smiled sheepishly. \u201cDeal,\u201d she said, extending her hand to Hop Sing, who shook it.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou better run along. I expect Little Joe is anxiously awaiting your return.\u201d<\/p>\n

Josie grinned again and raced out the front door, leaving Hop Sing wiping his brow at his near miss.<\/p>\n

The little girl sprinted back to her cousin, who was leaning against the trunk of the dead oak with his hand pressed firmly over the cut on his arm.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow you doing, Joe?\u201d Josie asked anxiously. He\u2019d gotten awfully pale while she was gone. She shouldn\u2019t have wasted time eavesdropping on Hop Sing.<\/p>\n

\u201cOk,\u201d he said shakily.<\/p>\n

Josie removed the blood-soaked sleeve and checked the wound. Fortunately, the bleeding had stopped, but Little Joe had lost a lot of blood, especially for such a small boy. She grabbed her canteen and a small brown-paper package from where she had abandoned them next to the pond. She unscrewed the canteen\u2019s lid, took a couple quick swigs, and handed the canteen to Joe with orders to drink up. He took the canteen and drank deeply while Josie unwrapped the package, which contained a half-dozen sugar cookies Hop Sing had sent along with them after lunch. She handed one of them to Joe.<\/p>\n

\u201cEat this. It will make you feel better.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe jammed the cookie into his mouth. While he chewed, Josie pulled the bandages, needle, and catgut out of her pockets. Joe swallowed his cookie, and Josie used the silver nitrate and the canteen\u2019s remaining water to flush out the cut. Joe gasped and lost what little color was returning to his face as the medicine set his arm afire.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d Josie said gloomily. \u201cI have to clean it out.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know. Just hurry up, ok?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll try.\u201d<\/p>\n

Once she was satisfied the wound was clean, Josie cut a long length of catgut and threaded it through the needle. Little Joe\u2019s eyes went wide, and his cookie churned in his stomach. Josie read the fear so plain on his face and suggested that he not watch. Joe nodded bravely and turned his face away from his injured arm and squeezed his eyes shut.<\/p>\n

Josie surveyed the cut and decided to start at the end closest to Little Joe\u2019s elbow. Then she could sew him up from left to right, just like writing a sentence. She took a deep breath, said a silent prayer, and poked the needle through her cousin\u2019s skin. Joe squeaked at this first stab of pain, and a single tear squeezed out of the corner of his clenched right eye. This had to be done, but she hated hurting Little Joe. She reminded herself this was Joe\u2019s own fault and refocused on the work at hand. In her head she chanted, \u201cIn one side, out the other, make a diagonal path to the next spot.\u201d<\/p>\n

After what seemed like an eternity to Josie and Little Joe but was mere minutes, Josie tied off the thread and snipped the excess. She took a clean bandage and carefully wrapped his arm.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s ok,\u201d she told Joe. \u201cYou can look now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe glanced down at his bandaged appendage and let out a long, shuddering breath. \u201cThat wasn\u2019t so bad.\u201d<\/p>\n

Josie saw the tears still welled up in her cousin\u2019s eyes and knew he was just trying to be brave. She leaned over and gave him a big hug, being careful to avoid his bandaged arm. Little Joe wrapped his good arm around her and hugged her back.<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAny time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Josie broke away and gave Little Joe another cookie. After the cookie and some water from his own canteen, he felt a little better and the color returned to his cheeks. Josie helped him into his clean shirt, and they sat together under the tree, polishing off the rest of the cookies.<\/p>\n

At length, Little Joe glanced up at the sun. \u201cWe better get back. It\u2019ll look suspicious if we\u2019re late for supper.\u201d<\/p>\n

A horrible thought struck Josie. \u201cBut we don\u2019t have any fish!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh,\u201d Joe said dismissively, \u201cno one expects us to come home with anything from this old pond.\u201d<\/p>\n

Josie was about to ask him why, then, they had bothered to attempt fishing in the first place, but after a month in Joe\u2019s company, she knew better than to expect his decisions to be logical. She kept her mouth shut.<\/p>\n

Little Joe rose slowly to his feet, and Josie stood by, ready to catch him if he got dizzy. But Joe took a couple of deep breaths and held firm. They gathered up their fishing poles, canteens, and the brown paper from the cookies and started for home.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, wait!\u201d Josie said. She rushed back to the pond, used a stick to dig a small hole next to the oak tree, and buried the remains of Little Joe\u2019s ruined shirt. Joe looked on approvingly.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood idea,\u201d he said, and the cousins set off toward the house.<\/p>\n

For most of the evening, it seemed they would get away with their escapade. They\u2019d arrived home with just enough time before the adults returned for Josie to replace her father\u2019s medical supplies. At dinner, Josie sat on Little Joe\u2019s right side so no one would unwittingly bump his stitches. Though the evening was warm, Little Joe kept his shirtsleeves rolled all the way down to his wrists, but no one seemed to notice. They were all too busy talking about the new house. Josie and Joe shared several knowing smiles during the meal. Things were going great.<\/p>\n

Right up to the point they didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

Everyone had finished their meals, and Hop Sing was bringing out coffee. Disinterested in coffee, Little Joe and Josie asked to be excused. They carried their dishes to the kitchen and scampered past the table again toward the sitting area, where they intended to play checkers until bedtime. As Little Joe passed his father, Ben remembered the children\u2019s fishing trip that afternoon and caught Little Joe\u2019s right forearm to stop him so he could ask if they had had any luck.<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s strong hand clamped down right on top of Little Joe\u2019s stitches. Joe blanched and let out a wheezing \u201cooooo\u201d sound like a dying steam engine. Josie froze mid-step, her supper suddenly unsettled.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph, whatever\u2019s the matter?\u201d Concern creased Ben Cartwright\u2019s tanned face as his hand reflexively sprang open to release his son\u2019s arm.<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing, Pa,\u201d Little Joe gasped out, cradling his injured arm. \u201cJust jammed my wrist this afternoon. It\u2019s fine.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jacob immediately rose from his chair. \u201cHere, son, let me take a look at it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe took two steps backward, away from his father and approaching uncle. \u201cNo, sir!\u201d he exclaimed, a little too loudly. \u201cIt\u2019s fine, really.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now everyone\u2019s suspicions were raised. The three oldest Cartwrights stared expectantly at Little Joe, while Adam and Hoss smirked at each other. They could hardly wait to hear what their baby brother had gotten into this time.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph,\u201d Ben said, \u201cshow your uncle your arm.\u201d<\/p>\n

His father\u2019s soft tone was worse than if Pa had yelled at him. With a despairing glance at Josie, Little Joe reluctantly rolled up his sleeve.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood heavens!\u201d Ben thundered when he saw the bandage that covered most of his youngest son\u2019s forearm. \u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe seemed to have lost his voice, so Jacob came over and gently unwrapped the curiously familiar-looking bandage. A row of even stitches winked up at him from his nephew\u2019s arm. He looked at his older brother and raised an eyebrow.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe,\u201d Jacob began, \u201cwho gave you these sutures?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s gaze shot over to his middle son. \u201cHoss, did you stitch him up?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss wiped the smirk off his face. \u201cPa, you know I wouldn\u2019t sew him up without tellin\u2019 you first. Besides,\u201d he glanced at the stitches, \u201cthat\u2019s a lot prettier than anything I woulda done.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben had to accept the truth behind this statement. \u201cWell,\u201d he said impatiently, \u201cif Jacob didn\u2019t stitch him up, and you didn\u2019t stitch him up, then who did?!\u201d<\/p>\n

All eyes drifted to Josie, who was tiptoeing out of sight behind Ben\u2019s blue armchair.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d she said innocently.<\/p>\n

\u201cJosephine Elizabeth, come here,\u201d Jacob ordered.<\/p>\n

Josie\u2019s heart sank as she slunk over to her father.<\/p>\n

Jacob pointed to Little Joe\u2019s arm. \u201cDid you do these stitches?\u201d he asked quietly. Like Little Joe, Josie would have felt better if her father had shouted at her. His soft tone was laced with disappointment.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes sir,\u201d she whispered, staring down at her boots.<\/p>\n

\u201cAm I to assume this means you went into my medical bag without permission?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir,\u201d Josie whispered again.<\/p>\n

Jacob pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. \u201cIf you knew Joe needed stitches, why didn\u2019t you come for me?\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe shot Josie a look of sheer terror and shook his head, silently begging her not to tell. But Josie knew she was caught and lying would only get them into more trouble.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause,\u201d she began, then faltered. \u201cBecause\u2026\u201d she ended in a sigh.<\/p>\n

Hannah had now risen and joined her husband, and they both stared down at their daughter, waiting for her to continue.<\/p>\n

Seeing his cousin under interrogation on his behalf filled Little Joe with unbearable guilt. \u201cBecause she didn\u2019t want to get me into trouble!\u201d he blurted.<\/p>\n

All eyes shifted back to Little Joe, who reddened with shame.<\/p>\n

\u201cI fell out of that oak tree by the duck pond and gashed my arm on a root,\u201d he confessed. Tears spilled out of his eyes. \u201cI talked Josie into stitching me up herself so I wouldn\u2019t get in trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re in trouble now anyway, young man!\u201d Ben thundered. \u201cI specifically told you to stay out of that tree, for this very reason. You\u2019re lucky you didn\u2019t break your neck. Why did you disobey me?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was tryin\u2019 to see where the fish were,\u201d he mumbled. Hoss and Adam snorted with laughter. Ben shot them a stern look, and the two young men bit their lower lips and avoided looking at each other.<\/p>\n

\u201cJosephine!\u201d Hannah cried in horror. \u201cYou\u2019re older. Why didn\u2019t you stop him?\u201d<\/p>\n

Josie opened her mouth to reply, but Ben cut her off.<\/p>\n

\u201cHannah, don\u2019t hold Josie responsible. When Little Joe gets a harebrained idea like this, the Lord Almighty himself is hard-pressed to stop him.\u201d He turned to his son and niece. \u201cBut since the two of you clearly need more supervision, you\u2019ll spend tomorrow helping Hop Sing with the housework.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir,\u201d the downcast children replied.<\/p>\n

Ben turned to his older two boys. \u201cAdam, Hoss, first thing tomorrow I want the two of you to go down to the duck pond and chop down that tree.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir,\u201d they said.<\/p>\n

Josie fought back tears. She\u2019d disappointed her entire family, and now she and Adam wouldn\u2019t be able to go out riding together tomorrow like they\u2019d planned. Josie didn\u2019t much like riding\u2014she still felt unsteady in the saddle\u2014but she\u2019d looked forward to getting Adam to herself one last time before she and her parents departed for home.<\/p>\n

Jacob was still examining his daughter\u2019s handiwork. \u201cWhat did you use to clean this out?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSilver nitrate and water,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlso from my medical bag,\u201d he muttered, but a half-smile played about his lips as he nodded in approval. He rewrapped Little Joe\u2019s arm, and he and Ben sent the two children to bed early as part of their punishment. As she trudged toward the bedroom, Josie heard Papa apologize to Uncle Ben.<\/p>\n

\u201cBen, I am so sorry. I never would have let her stitch up your boy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s all right. No harm done it would seem.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Jacob chuckled. \u201cYou have to admit, that little girl did a damn fine job. Those are some of the neatest stitches I\u2019ve ever seen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Josie smiled. She would serve her punishment tomorrow, but her father had forgiven her.<\/p>\n

Exhausted from the day\u2019s adventures and blood loss, Little Joe had no trouble falling asleep early, but Josie lay awake staring at the ceiling. Try as she might, sleep refused to come. After an hour of counting sheep, she heard footsteps outside the door. A small shaft of light spread across the floor as the door opened a few inches. Josie shut her eyes and pretended to be asleep. She heard someone enter the room and slip over to the bunks.<\/p>\n

\u201cFaker,\u201d a familiar baritone whispered in her left ear.<\/p>\n

Josie sighed and rolled over. \u201cI have been trying, Adam, honest I have.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry we can\u2019t go on our ride tomorrow,\u201d Josie said sadly. \u201cI spoiled everything.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam reached up and brushed Josie\u2019s hair off her face. \u201cOnly half,\u201d he assured her, smiling wryly. \u201cLittle Joe spoiled the other half. He\u2019s good at that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Josie smiled back, but a tear trickled down her cheek.<\/p>\n

\u201cEnough of that,\u201d Adam said, wiping it away. \u201cTomorrow\u2019s shot, but Sunday we\u2019ll have another picnic down by the lake, just like your first day here. How does that sound?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood.\u201d Josie smiled a little wider now. It seemed fitting that her visit would end the way it had begun.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s settled then.\u201d Adam kissed her forehead. \u201cNow go to sleep.\u201d He stooped down to lift Little Joe\u2019s legs back onto his lower bunk\u2014how did that child manage to sleep like that?\u2014and slipped back out of the room.<\/p>\n

Hop Sing worked Josie and Little Joe nonstop the next day. Immediately after breakfast, he set them to washing the dishes. Once they finished, they set the table for lunch and headed outside to feed the chickens. Josie thought this was great fun. She had never had chickens, and their sassy clucking and the way they shoved each other to get the feed made her laugh. Little Joe rolled his eyes. Feeding chickens wasn\u2019t so great.<\/p>\n

After lunch, they washed the dishes again and then got to work scrubbing the floors. Little Joe tried to reason that he couldn\u2019t scrub floors with a lame arm, but Hop Sing reminded him that he was left-handed and it was his right arm that was laid up. Scrubbing the floors took the rest of the afternoon, and Josie gained a new appreciation for all the hard work her family\u2019s cook and housekeeper, Mrs. Crenshaw, performed.<\/p>\n

Once Hop Sing was satisfied the floors were clean, he had the children set the table for supper and then allowed them thirty minutes\u2019 of closely supervised play before the rest of the family came home. Because their visit was nearly over, Ben had taken Jacob and Hannah on a last buggy tour of the ranch. Hoss and Adam had chopped down the old oak tree and then finished digging the foundation of the new house, which would be about half a mile from the old one, next to the new bunkhouse and barn.<\/p>\n

\u201cNext time you visit, we\u2019ll put you up in style!\u201d Adam announced proudly to Josie.<\/p>\n

Josie smiled, but she and Adam shared a sad gaze. They\u2019d both been trying to ignore how very little time they had left together, but now that they were down to their last thirty-six hours, it was hard to push to the backs of their minds.<\/p>\n

Adam and Josie both slept fitfully that night and woke the next morning pale and bleary-eyed. Ben, Jacob, and Hannah watched in concern as the two cousins pushed their breakfasts around their plates without eating much. Josie had trouble swallowing around a stubborn lump in her throat, and Adam felt a weight on his chest that was somehow familiar, but he couldn\u2019t quite place it. Finally, as Hop Sing cleared the breakfast dishes\u2014frowning at Adam\u2019s and Josie\u2019s nearly full plates\u2014Adam finally realized it was the same weight he\u2019d felt when Marie died.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t be daft, Cartwright,\u201d he told himself. \u201cNo one\u2019s died.\u201d But try as he might to convince himself otherwise, the impending loss of Josie felt the same.<\/p>\n

Silently, Adam and Josie tromped to the barn to saddle their horses for their ride. Still unsteady in the saddle, Josie had at least mastered tacking up her own mount. The rest of the family watched them go, and even Little Joe, who would have loved to invite himself along, stayed quiet. In an unusual bout of intuitiveness, he sensed this was a ride Adam and Josie needed to take alone. Besides, he and Josie had already had an exciting final adventure together, and he would forever carry the scar to prove it.<\/p>\n

Adam and Josie mounted up, waved to the family, and headed slowly out of the yard. They rode along in silence for the entire two hours, Josie drinking in the fresh air and expansive sky. When they reached the glimmering lake, they spread their blanket under the same oak tree they had sat under on Josie\u2019s first full day and opened their picnic basket. Skipping breakfast had caught up to them, and they dived greedily into their lunch despite their lingering sadness. Hop Sing had packed them each a roast beef sandwich, an early-season apple, and several cookies. The mood lightened considerably when Adam bit into his apple and immediately sucked in both cheeks.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a bit tart,\u201d he squeaked as his eyes started to water.<\/p>\n

Josie laughed hysterically. \u201cBe careful!\u201d she warned between peals of laughter. \u201cYour eyes are about to pop right out of your head!\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam took a big swig of water from his canteen to wash down the offending fruit. \u201cDare you to eat yours.\u201d He grinned.<\/p>\n

Josie couldn\u2019t resist a challenge. Staring straight at Adam, she took a gigantic bite out of her apple.<\/p>\n

\u201cOoooo!\u201d she squealed around the fruit. Now Adam erupted in gales of laughter as Josie\u2019s eyes crossed. He was impressed that she managed to hold the enormous piece of apple in her mouth long enough to chew and swallow it.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think Hop Sing was a bit ambitious picking these apples this early,\u201d Adam said. He stood up and sauntered over to Beauty, who happily accepted the rest of his apple. Josie did the same for Daisy and sat back down on the blanket next to Adam. Despite the early afternoon heat, she nuzzled under his arm and rested her head on his chest.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t want to go home,\u201d she sighed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know. We\u2019ve had fun these past few years, haven\u2019t we?\u201d<\/p>\n

She nodded. That stubborn lump had risen again in her throat and she didn\u2019t trust herself to speak without crying. Adam toyed absently with the end of her braid.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019ll be okay,\u201d he said, fighting to keep his voice from breaking. \u201cWe can write each other letters, and we can visit again.\u201d<\/p>\n

There was nothing else to say, nothing that could properly convey the heartbreak, so they sat in silence under the oak tree and watched the sun glide slowly over the water. Eventually, they dozed off, exhausted from their restless night. When Adam stirred a few hours later, he was alarmed to see how low the sun had sunk. He shook Josie, and the cousins rose stiffly to their feet, packed up their picnic basket and blanket, and high-tailed it home. Or as fast as they could high-tail it, anyway, with Josie still wobbling in her saddle from time to time.<\/p>\n

Supper that night was a somber affair. Occasionally someone, usually Hoss or Little Joe, would tell a joke to try to break the gloomy silence, but the punchlines all fell flat. Ben felt he should say something philosophical to wrap up his brother\u2019s visit, but he couldn\u2019t figure out exactly what that something should be. In the end, everyone ate quickly both to escape the depressing atmosphere and to get around to spending one last evening together.<\/p>\n

While the five oldest sat around the common room drinking coffee and chatting, Little Joe beckoned Josie into the boys\u2019 bedroom. She was supposed to be packing, and her empty trunk lay open in the middle of the bedroom floor.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to show you somethin\u2019,\u201d he said. Josie watched with interest as Little Joe stepped into her trunk and curled up inside, his knees up against his chest. \u201cI fit!\u201d he crowed, his voice slightly muffled.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo?\u201d Josie asked. Little Joe hated being reminded of how small he was. Why should he be so excited to fit into her traveling trunk?<\/p>\n

\u201cSo I can come back to Washington with you!\u201d<\/p>\n

Josie\u2019s eyes lit up. \u201cYou\u2019ll love Washington! I\u2019ll show you all around the city, and you can come to school with me!\u201d She examined the trunk. \u201cWe\u2019ll have to punch some air holes in here, though. You don\u2019t want to suffocate.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe\u2019s head popped out of the trunk. \u201cI already thought of that.\u201d He hopped out of the trunk and slid halfway under Adam\u2019s bed. When he emerged, dust wafting down from his brown curls, he held an awl in one hand and a hammer in the other. He glowed triumphantly. \u201cI borrowed these from the barn this afternoon while you and Adam were out riding.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou brilliant, brilliant boy!\u201d Josie cheered.<\/p>\n

Little Joe glowed at the praise and knelt next the trunk. \u201cI\u2019ll take my canteen and some food in there with me, but you\u2019ll need to let me out at nights so I can get more food and water and, you know, go<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Josie nodded in agreement. \u201cI can do that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAl lright,\u201d Joe said, \u201clet\u2019s figure out where to put these holes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Back in the common room, Ben realized he hadn\u2019t heard any sound from Josie and Little Joe for quite some time.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam,\u201d he said, \u201cgo check on the little ones. They\u2019re being entirely too quiet.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam dutifully rose from his comfortable seat on the settee and ambled toward the boys\u2019 bedroom. He got there just in time to see Little Joe raise the hammer to bore the first hole into Josie\u2019s trunk.<\/p>\n

\u201cWatcha doing?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

Both children jumped, and Little Joe dropped his tools.<\/p>\n

Josie sighed in relief. \u201cOh, Adam, it\u2019s just you. We\u2019re poking air holes in my trunk.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam forced back an amused smile. \u201cDare I ask for whom?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMe, of course,\u201d Little Joe said, realigning the awl. His older brother could be awfully stupid sometimes.<\/p>\n

Adam stepped around the trunk and swiped the awl.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey!\u201d Joe protested.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe, you can\u2019t stow away in Josie\u2019s trunk.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy not?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam turned to Josie. \u201cHow were you planning to explain Little Joe\u2019s absence tomorrow morning?\u201d<\/p>\n

Josie wrinkled her nose. \u201cWe\u2019re still working on that.\u201d In truth, it hadn\u2019t occurred to either of them.<\/p>\n

Irritation unexpectedly coursed through Adam. \u201cYou need to get packing,\u201d he snapped. With a final disapproving glare at Little Joe, he took the awl and the hammer and stalked out of the room.<\/p>\n

Josie was utterly flabbergasted as she watched Adam\u2019s retreat. He\u2019d never scolded her before, not seriously, at least. She fought tears and realized she was angry with him for the first time in her life.<\/p>\n

\u201cKilljoy!\u201d she shouted and kicked her trunk in rage.<\/p>\n

Josie\u2019s epithet fell heavily on Adam\u2019s ears as he made his way back into the common room, and he immediately felt regretful. He hadn\u2019t meant to be short with Josie, but he felt so edgy this evening. He\u2019d make it up to her with an extra bedtime story. At nearly ten years old, Josie was getting a bit big for bedtime stories, but some of his best memories were of reading with her, so he could stretch the story-telling one more night.<\/p>\n

Back in the common room, Adam showed everyone the awl and hammer and explained what Josie and Little Joe had been attempting. Jacob hid his growing smile behind the book he was reading and avoided looking at his older brother. Any eye contact would set them both to laughing. Hannah was alarmed, but Adam assured her he\u2019d intervened before the trunk sustained any damage. Hannah excused herself to supervise her daughter\u2019s packing.<\/p>\n

Once Josie\u2019s things were safely packed and the children were washed up for bed, Adam slunk guiltily back into the bedroom.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey,\u201d he said softly.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey,\u201d Little Joe replied. Josie didn\u2019t answer. She rolled over and faced the wall.<\/p>\n

Adam crossed the room to Josie\u2019s upper bunk. \u201cI\u2019m sorry I snapped at you. Guess I\u2019m a little uptight tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n

Josie remained silently facing the wall. She intended to make Adam pay for his transgression.<\/p>\n

Adam played his trump card. \u201cI brought a book,\u201d he said, holding up the collection of Andersen\u2019s fairy tales in his hand.<\/p>\n

That did it.<\/p>\n

Josie rolled over to face her cousin. \u201cApology accepted,\u201d she said and rewarded him with a smile.<\/p>\n

\u201cC\u2019mere.\u201d Adam tossed the book onto the other bed and grabbed Josie around the waist. \u201cI can\u2019t climb up there to read to you. One of us will fall out, and I\u2019m afraid it might be me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Josie giggled, wrapped her arms around Adam\u2019s neck and let him lift her out of bed. Adam set Josie on the floor and bent to peer at Little Joe.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou comin\u2019?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

Little Joe grinned and hopped out of bed, too. Adam plopped himself in the center of the larger, free-standing bed, and Little Joe and Josie climbed up next to him, one on each side. Joe was careful to sit on Adam\u2019s right so he wouldn\u2019t smash his stitches between himself and his brother. The cut on his arm still ached a bit.<\/p>\n

Adam wrapped an arm around each child and held the book in front of them. It fell open to the first page of a much-loved story, and Adam began to read.<\/p>\n

From the common room, Hoss heard his brother\u2019s smooth baritone start in with \u201cThere were once five-and-twenty tin soldiers. They were all brothers, born of the same old tin spoon.\u201d Hoss grinned. He loved \u201cThe Steadfast Tin Soldier.\u201d The soldiers reminded him of himself and his brothers. They were all born of that same old \u201ctin spoon,\u201d Benjamin Cartwright. And though its ending was sad, Hoss thought the one-legged soldier\u2019s love for the ballerina doll was the most beautiful tale in the world. He excused himself and headed into the bedroom, where after nodding to Adam, he pulled off his boots and stretched out on Little Joe\u2019s abandoned bottom bunk to listen.<\/p>\n

Little Joe made it only halfway through the story before he fell asleep with his head on Adam\u2019s chest. Josie lasted nearly to the end before she, too, succumbed to sleep, snuggled up against Adam, one skinny arm thrown across his chest toward Little Joe. Hoss made it to the end, but only just. As Adam\u2019s voice trailed off the final words, Hoss muttered \u201cThat sure is a nice story,\u201d smacked his lips twice, and drifted off.<\/p>\n

Adam sat there for several long moments, listening to his brothers and cousin breathe. Feeling a bit drowsy himself, he slid down a little so he could rest his head on the edge of the pillow he was leaning on but didn\u2019t disturb Josie and Little Joe. He thought he\u2019d read another story to himself before slipping out to the bunkhouse, but within two pages of \u201cThe Wild Swans,\u201d he, too, fell asleep, the open book sliding into his lap, his arms still encircling the sleeping children.<\/p>\n

Sitting next to her husband and reading a book, Hannah realized it had been quite some time since she had last heard Adam\u2019s voice drifting from the boys\u2019 bedroom. She rose and walked over to the bedroom door, which was slightly ajar. She pushed it open, looked in, and was greeted by the most touching scene she had ever witnessed. Hoss was stretched out to his full length on the bottom bunk\u2014was it possible he had grown taller in the month they had been visiting?\u2014and Adam was asleep in the middle of the single bed with Josie snuggled against him on one side and Little Joe pressed against him on the other. Josie\u2019s left arm reached across him so her hand rested atop Little Joe\u2019s right hand.<\/p>\n

Hannah stepped out and turned toward the common room. \u201cJacob! Ben!\u201d she hissed. The men looked up. \u201cCome see this!\u201d<\/p>\n

The brothers shared a questioning look and got up to join Hannah at the bedroom door.<\/p>\n

\u201cHeh,\u201d Jacob sniggered.<\/p>\n

Ben smiled, his heart swelling with love. He took a step into the room to wake Adam and Hoss and send them to bed in the bunkhouse, but Hannah stayed him with a gentle hand on his arm.<\/p>\n

\u201cLeave them be. It\u2019s their last night together.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded and stepped back. He watched as Hannah crossed to the bed and carefully removed the book of fairy tales from Adam\u2019s lap. She kissed all four foreheads, extinguished the oil lamp, and ushered the fathers out of the room, closing the door gently behind her.<\/p>\n

The sunshine streaming in the window the next morning spread warmly across Adam\u2019s face. He blinked awake slowly, wondering where he was and why he couldn\u2019t feel his arms. As his eyes focused, he also wondered why there was a small, grubby foot in his face, mere inches from his mouth. Gradually, he remembered reading \u201cThe Steadfast Tin Soldier\u201d last night. He must have fallen asleep. His dead left arm was still curled around Josie, who was sleeping soundly against his chest. His right had been around Little Joe, but somehow in the night, Little Joe had rotated 180 degrees so his knees rested on Adam\u2019s stomach, and his feet stuck directly into Adam\u2019s face. Adam\u2019s right arm was pinned under Little Joe, whose face was smashed against Adam\u2019s right knee. Joe clearly had been drooling all night long because the knee of Adam\u2019s trousers was soaked through to the skin.<\/p>\n

Adam jostled Josie gently. \u201cHey there, sleepyhead,\u201d he said softly. The little girl blinked and raised her head, looking every bit as confused as Adam had felt when he first awoke. She smiled at him, then frowned as she remembered what day it was. Wordlessly, she rose from the bed and stretched. Adam used his now-free left arm to roll Little Joe off his right arm and cringed as the blood flow returned to his fingers. He stood up, shook Hoss awake, and the two older brothers headed to the bunkhouse to wash up.<\/p>\n

After a quick breakfast, the seven Cartwrights headed to Carson City so Jacob, Hannah, and Josie could catch their stagecoach back to San Francisco. Adam insisted on driving the carriage, so Ben mounted up on his tall, black stallion. Hoss drove the buckboard full of luggage again, while Jacob and Hannah settled into the backseat of the carriage and Josie sat up front with Adam. Little Joe considered his options and then, to everyone\u2019s surprise, climbed up not next to Josie, but next to Hannah. Delighted, she put her arm around the small boy, who, slightly abashed, nestled close. Adam understood how he felt. Hannah had been a mother to him, too, these past three years. Her absence would hurt.<\/p>\n

No one felt much like chatting on the four-hour ride to Carson City. Jacob and Hannah took in as much of the scenery as they could. It was a beautiful, clear day, and they didn\u2019t know when they would get to see such unspoiled wilderness again. Ben rode just behind the carriage, watching the back of his younger brother\u2019s head sway with the wagon\u2019s movements. Jacob had still been a boy when Ben had struck out West, and he rued having missed so much of Jacob\u2019s growing up. He prayed silently that it wouldn\u2019t be another twenty years before they met again.<\/p>\n

Hoss drove along and tried to distract himself by counting pine trees. But he soon realized the futility of this endeavor on a ranch named \u201cThe Ponderosa\u201d and instead tried to clear his mind of all thoughts. Thinking was just too sad this morning.<\/p>\n

Josie sat pressed against Adam, legs, hips, and arms touching. She\u2019d never felt so sad in her short life. Her stomach felt like it was hosting a butterfly hurricane, and a weight as heavy as a ponderosa pine settled on her chest. Adam tried to distract himself by mentally conjugating Latin verbs as he drove. \u201cAbbito, abbitis, abbitit, abbitimus\u2026\u201d He cut off when he realized he was using the Latin word for \u201capproach\u201d\u2014a concept too painful for that morning of parting.<\/p>\n

This morning the typically interminable ride to Carson City passed all too quickly, and before it seemed possible, they were rolling into town. Josie spotted the waiting red stagecoach, and her world crashed down around her. It was real. She was leaving. Adam echoed her despair and unenthusiastically reined the horses to a stop in front of the stage depot. Everyone either dismounted or hopped down from the carriage, and Jacob, Ben, Adam, and Hoss unloaded the luggage and helped the coach driver load it onto the waiting stage.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re pullin\u2019 out in three minutes,\u201d the driver drawled.<\/p>\n

The Cartwrights formed a small circle and stared awkwardly at each another. They all knew it was time to say goodbye, but no one wanted to start. As he so often did, Hoss rescued his family from embarrassment, crossed to Jacob, and caught him up in one of his trademark bear hugs.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you so much for comin\u2019, Uncle Jacob,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s been real fine gettin\u2019 to know ya.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jacob returned his nephew\u2019s hug. \u201cYou, too, Hoss. You take good care of your old man, you hear? Don\u2019t let him get into any trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss smiled. \u201cNo, sir, I won\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss bid farewell to Hannah and Josie, making sure the girl still had the pocketknife he had given her. She gave him a sly smile and showed him she had it tucked into her dress pocket.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou hold onto that,\u201d Hoss said. \u201cNever know when you might need to cut yourself loose.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe took his turn saying goodbye to Jacob and Hannah, whom he held onto a little longer, and then turned to Josie. The cousins gazed into each other\u2019s eyes for several moments, and then Joe threw his arms around Josie and squeezed her tightly, all his previous fears of catching cooties forgotten.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you for stitching me up,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re welcome. Make sure Hoss takes those out in a couple days.\u201d<\/p>\n

They broke apart but continued to stare at each other. Tears broke loose from Little Joe\u2019s green eyes and cut rivulets through the dust on his cheeks. \u201cYou have to come back, Josie,\u201d he hiccupped.<\/p>\n

Josie\u2019s eyes betrayed her and set free tears of their own. \u201cI will,\u201d she trembled. \u201cI promise.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe nodded and stepped aside so his father could bid Josie farewell. He swung her up in his strong arms, and she hugged him tightly around the neck. She kissed his cheek and thanked him for his hospitality, and then Ben set her down so he could say goodbye to his brother and sister-in-law. He hugged Hannah warmly and instructed her to keep a close eye on Jacob.<\/p>\n

\u201cI always do,\u201d she said, smiling through her tears.<\/p>\n

Ben stepped over to his brother. He had so many things he wanted to say, to tell him how proud he was of the man Jacob had grown into, how beautiful his wife and daughter were, how much he was going to miss him, but all that came out was, \u201cIt won\u2019t be twenty years again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Jacob agreed, and the brothers embraced, tears flowing.<\/p>\n

Hoss looked on, imagining how he would feel saying goodbye to one of his brothers, not knowing when he\u2019d see them again. Adam leaving for college had been bad enough, and at least they\u2019d known when he would be back. Hoss teared up just thinking about saying goodbye to Adam or Little Joe on such uncertain terms.<\/p>\n

Adam paid no heed to the brothers\u2019 farewell because he was busy saying goodbye to his Aunt Hannah.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t thank you enough for everything you\u2019ve done for me,\u201d he said, his voice wavering.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you will never have to, sweetheart,\u201d Hannah replied, caressing his cheek. \u201cYou will always have a home in Washington.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam bit his lower lip and nodded, then embraced his aunt. After a similar goodbye with Jacob, there was only one person left.<\/p>\n

Adam turned to Josie, who looked up at him, her hazel eyes, so similar to his, flowing freely. She attempted a watery smile, then her face crumpled, and she ran to him, sobbing. She wrapped her arms around his waist, buried her face in his stomach, and bawled. Adam, aware his entire family was watching, fought to maintain his composure. He pried Josie\u2019s little arms off his waist and stooped to catch her eye. She wouldn\u2019t look up at him, so he cupped her chin in one hand and tilted her head gently upward.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not forever,\u201d he said huskily, trying to convince himself as much as Josie.<\/p>\n

Josie needed a moment before she was able to speak. \u201cI\u2019ll write you all the time, Older Brother,\u201d she forced out between sobs.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll write you back, Little Sister.\u201d The tears welled up in Adam\u2019s eyes and threatened to spill over. \u201cI\u2019m always here if you need me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Josie nodded, then threw her arms around his neck. \u201cI love you, Adam,\u201d she sobbed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love you, too, Josie,\u201d Adam croaked. He could barely breathe. He couldn\u2019t possibly bear to watch Josie board that stagecoach and ride away. Watching her go would break him. He pulled away from the hug, placed his hands on her shoulders, and said, \u201cYou be good, okay?\u201d Then, too quickly for anyone to stop him, he spun and ran, away from Josie, away from his father and brothers, away from the whole terrible scene. He sprang onto his father\u2019s stallion and wheeled away, the horse\u2019s hooves thundering down the dirt street.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe stole your horse, Pa!\u201d Hoss exclaimed in utter astonishment.<\/p>\n

Little Joe, unused to seeing Adam behave so rashly, was startled out of his own sadness and shook his head. \u201cHe\u2019ll hang for that,\u201d he said grimly.<\/p>\n

Ben, nonplussed by Adam\u2019s rude behavior, turned to apologize to his brother, but Josie piped up first.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t be angry with Adam, Uncle Ben,\u201d she squeaked through her tears. \u201cHe just couldn\u2019t hold it in anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben understood and offered his hand to Josie to help her into the stage. He clasped his brother\u2019s hand one last time before Jacob boarded the stagecoach behind his wife and daughter, who buried her face in his lap as soon as he sat down. The driver slapped the reins across the horses\u2019 haunches, and just like that, they were off.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome on, boys,\u201d Ben said to Hoss and Little Joe once the stagecoach faded into the distance. \u201cLet\u2019s go home.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat about Adam?\u201d Hoss asked. He\u2019d never seen his older brother so distraught, and it frightened him. Adam had always been the epitome of composure and control.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam knows the way home. He just needs some time to himself.\u201d He climbed into the carriage with Little Joe and turned the horses in wide circle to head back toward the Ponderosa with Hoss following behind in the buckboard.<\/p>\n

Several miles up the road, Adam pulled up alongside a small, clear brook. His father\u2019s stallion was coated in a thick, white lather, and his canteen was nearly empty. He stopped under a willow tree next to the brook and dismounted, ground-tying the horse in a shady spot where he could reach both water and grass. Adam knelt and dipped his canteen in the brook. He let it fill, took several deep swigs and filled the canteen again. He sat under the willow tree and leaned against its cool trunk, his arms resting on his propped-up knees. Only then, when he was certain he was alone, did he let go. Great, wracking sobs tore out of his throat so fiercely he thought he\u2019d choke. He sobbed until his chest and throat burned and his nose dripped. He cried not only for Josie but for every loss in his life. His mother, whom he had never met. Hoss\u2019s mother, Inger, who had nursed him through illness. Joe\u2019s mother, Marie, who had helped convince his father to send him to college when Ben was reluctant to part with him.<\/p>\n

When his sobs finally subsided and he could breathe again, he checked the pocket watch his father had given him as a graduation gift. He was startled to see he had been sitting under the tree for only twenty minutes. It felt like hours. His eyes burned and his stomach felt like it was twisted around itself. He rose shakily to his feet and returned to the little brook, still babbling away, cheerfully oblivious to its his anguish. Adam knelt again and splashed his face with the cool water. He took a swig from his canteen and ambled over to the stallion, who was waiting patiently. He swung into the saddle, clucked to the horse, and set off again for home.<\/p>\n

Adam was forever grateful that Pa said nothing about his hasty departure from the stagecoach depot. Benjamin Cartwright understood sorrow all too well and gave his son space to grieve. Over the next several months, Adam threw himself into the construction of the new ranch house; he was determined to have at least the exterior completed by the first snowfall. The house went up even more quickly than Adam had dared hope. Ben hired a dozen men from Carson City to help with the construction, and even Little Joe pitched in any time something needed to be painted. By mid-October, they were laying the wood-plank floor on the first level and constructing the second story.<\/p>\n

Ben had been surprised when Adam showed him the plans for six bedrooms\u2014five plus the washroom upstairs, and an additional guestroom on the ground floor.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut, son, there are only four of us!\u201d Ben exclaimed. Adam patiently explained they might have guests. It was unspoken, yet understood between father and son, that Adam was planning space for Jacob, Hannah, and Josie to return.<\/p>\n

By Christmas they were moving in the furniture\u2014and discovering how much more furniture they would need to fill so much space. The new house was at least three times as large as the old one. Ben ordered a new sofa and armchairs for the sitting room, new beds, wardrobes, and dressers for everyone, and a handsome, leather-topped desk for himself. He had to admit, the house was beautiful, and not just because his son had designed it. He loved the way that Adam had left the first floor open\u2014the kitchen was walled off, but the dining room, giant sitting room, and Ben\u2019s study flowed in a single great-room. Adam had made good use of the house\u2019s orientation, too, by ensuring there were plenty of windows on the east and west sides to draw in as much daylight as possible. And that indoor plumbing was a stroke of genius. None of them would miss making mid-winter trips to the outhouse in the blinding snow.<\/p>\n

Adam was grateful for the diversion of building the house. It felt good to build something for his family, to give something back to his father who had sacrificed so much for his sons.<\/p>\n

As she had promised, Josie sent Adam regular letters, telling him about school, the politicians she had met in Washington (Henry Clay was her favorite\u2014he told her she was as pretty as a china doll), and how her father had allowed her to start stitching up small wounds in his clinic and would soon allow her to assist with surgeries. The first letter stabbed him through the heart, and he felt every bit as overcome as he had that horrible morning in Carson City. But he always wrote back, telling Josie about the house\u2019s progress and Little Joe and Hoss\u2019s latest exploits (Hoss had very nearly convinced Little Joe that he needed to be cemented into one of the bedroom walls to provide support). And as time passed, Josie\u2019s letters cheered him more than they saddened him, though he felt a pang every time one arrived.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Next Story in the A House United Series:<\/strong><\/p>\n

And the War Came – Book 2 of A House United
\n<\/a>Thenceforward and Forever Free – Book 3 of A HOUSE UNITED<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Tags:\u00a0 Family<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Summary: As the Civil War approaches, Adam reflects on his college years and the relationship he cultivated with his younger cousin, Josephine. After graduation, Josephine and her parents visit the Ponderosa for a month of fun, after which Adam must say the hardest goodbye of his life.<\/p>\n

Rating:\u00a0 K\u00a0 (33,830 words)<\/p>\n

A House United Series, links to stories within the series are included.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8061,"featured_media":10260,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"template-full-width-post.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"categories":[7,23,30],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11593","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-a-u","category-drama","category-prequels","wpcat-7-id","wpcat-23-id","wpcat-30-id"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/Untitled5.jpg?fit=275%2C342&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11593","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/8061"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=11593"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11593\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/10260"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=11593"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=11593"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=11593"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}