{"id":12905,"date":"2002-01-11T05:46:03","date_gmt":"2002-01-11T10:46:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=12905"},"modified":"2025-02-27T12:05:07","modified_gmt":"2025-02-27T17:05:07","slug":"nathan-kincaid-4-anyone-who-fights-one-of-us-by-jenny-g","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=12905","title":{"rendered":"Nathan Kincaid #4 – Anyone Who Fights One of Us (by Jenny G)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary:\u00a0 <\/strong>Adam returns home after long years away to find many changes along with some fond and familiar things.\u00a0 A story in the Nathan Kincaid series.<\/p>\n

Rating:\u00a0 T\u00a0 (5,830 words)<\/p>\n

Nathan Kincaid Series:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Fire in the Sky<\/a>
\nSaving Jessica<\/a>
\nThe White Shark<\/a>
\nAnyone Who Fights One of Us<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Anyone Who Fights with Anyone of Us . . .<\/strong><\/p>\n

It was autumn when Adam returned to Virginia City. The year had turned yet again. How many had passed since he went away? He didn\u2019t like to reckon them. He looked out of the stagecoach window. The land, as always at this time of year, was hot, dry and dusty, tired of the sun and the arid winds that blew in from the desert, thirsty from the lack of rainfall and shimmering in the relentless heat. He had already passed through the rolling hills of the lowlands, hills that climbed rank on rank on one another\u2019s shoulders into the haze of the distance. They had been brown, bronze and copper while beyond them, the lower slopes of the mountains were shades of purple and blue. The only green that remained was the spreading, tired, dark foliage of the occasional live oak tree standing sentinel in sere pastureland.<\/p>\n

Up here, where the road climbed into the highlands, the land was barren, desecrated and raped.\u00a0 The road from Reno, where he\u2019d got off the train, now ran through high, dry passes and narrow, stone walled valleys. The way was heaped with great mounds of tailings, mostly pale grey \u2013 almost white in the stark sunlight \u2013 and here and there he caught sight of a mine: mostly abandoned workings, a few broken buildings left to the elements, ugly with age and decay. To Adam, it was all familiar country, yet strange, as he saw it through eyes newly opened by the sights of unfamiliar peoples and distant, far away lands.<\/p>\n

The iron rimmed wheels of the stagecoach threw a plume of fine dust high up in the air, and the boxy, badly sprung vehicle jounced and bounced on the rutted, hard packed earth that made up the last mile of the road. Adam breathed deeply of the moistureless, high-altitude air and felt a familiar, if long absent soreness in his throat and his sinus. It wasn\u2019t unwelcome. Adam Cartwright was coming home.<\/p>\n

The stage rocked and rattled into town scattering all before it. The driver yelled and slapped the reins on the horses\u2019 broad backs. The unwary leapt for their lives. The unwieldy vehicle came to a stop outside the stagecoach office.<\/p>\n

Adam climbed down stiffly \u2013 all his muscles were sore \u2013 and turned to help his two lady travelling companions to alight. Two other men followed. The long bumpy ride had turned all their knees into jelly. The driver threw down Adam\u2019s valise; he would pick up his small trunk later. A voice came from behind him; \u201cAdam? Adam Cartwright?\u201d Adam guessed he should have known the sheriff would be in his accustomed place to watch the stage come in. Most folks still arrived on the stagecoach and the lawman liked to see whom he was getting.<\/p>\n

Adam turned around, a beaming smile on his face. \u201cRoy!\u201d<\/p>\n

Roy Coffee was a little greyer, perhaps, a little more creased around the eyes, but essentially, he looked the same: a deceptively built man in perpetual late middle age. He grabbed Adam\u2019s hand and pumped it hard. \u201cYou sure are a sight for sore eyes!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s good to be home.\u201d Adam meant it. He\u2019d been away a long time. He\u2019d been a lot of places, and he\u2019d done a lot of things. Now, something inside his head had changed. He wasn\u2019t quite sure what, or how, but it really was good to be home.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour Pa said you were coming,\u201d Roy told him. \u201cBut he wasn\u2019t sure when. He\u2019ll sure be glad ta see you!\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam pulled a long breath. There was a lump of emotion somewhere under his breastbone. \u201cAnd I\u2019ll be glad to see him. Can I buy you a beer?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure could use one.\u201d Roy Coffee sighed. \u201cBut I gotta be at a Chamber of Commerce meeting in just a few minutes. That\u2019s all I seem ta do these days: go ta meetin\u2019s fer this an\u2019 meetin\u2019s fer that. An\u2019 there\u2019s more paperwork than a man can shake a hat at!\u201d<\/p>\n

It was a variation on an old and familiar grumble, and it brought a smile to Adam\u2019s face. \u201cSome other time, then.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll take you up on that.\u201d Then Roy\u2019s face changed, just a little. Adam saw the subtle shift of expression. \u201cAdam, I don\u2019t want no trouble in my town. Just you remember that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam thought about it. \u201cTrouble? What do you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n

Words trembled on the very edges of Roy Coffee\u2019s lips. He swallowed them down. \u201cDon\u2019t doubt your Pa \u2018ll tell you all about it first thing. You just bear in mind what I said.\u201d<\/p>\n

A few more words passed, and Adam, bemused, watched his old friend disappear into the crowd on his way to his meeting.<\/p>\n

Adam looked around him, gawking, he knew, like a tourist. The town had changed much more than he had expected. His Pa had written him about the fire that had devastated the town, but he wasn\u2019t prepared for the total transformation. The wood-frame and clapboard buildings with their gaudily painted false fronts and prominent, sometimes flagrant advertising that he remembered so well from the days of his early manhood had been swept away. In their places were much more substantial structures of brick and iron and sombre stone. The precipitous streets that crossed the flanks of Mount Davidson were just the same, and the traffic that ploughed back and forth had changed little, but the tempo of the town was different. The raw frontier that he had known as a boy was gone along with the ox-drawn covered wagon and the prospector\u2019s mule. In their places were black, varnished carriages with shiny-spoked wheels, high stepping horses and open-sided public vehicles with many seats where a man could ride all day for a dime.<\/p>\n

The noise and the smell were familiar: thirty languages spoken by ten thousand tongues, the shout and the squeal of children and the braying of mules, the ringing of bells and the clamour of hammers on anvils. The thump and the draw of the steam driven pumps overlaid it all. It stank of men, women and horses, wood-smoke, hot iron and manure.<\/p>\n

Adam decided that he needed that drink after all. He crossed the street to the nearest saloon using skills he thought he\u2019d forgotten to dodge men, wagons and horses. The saloon was new. It hadn\u2019t been there when he\u2019d gone away. Inside it seemed dark and cool after the glare of the street. Adam smelled polish and lye soap, leather and beer.<\/p>\n

At that time of day the bar was busy serving liquid lunches. Men came and went all the time. Adam didn\u2019t know the names or the faces, but he knew the types: strong, hard westerners who lived off what the land provided, or off of each other like carrion crows picking on the carcass of a cow.<\/p>\n

Adam stepped up to the bar and ordered a beer. All the tables were taken but he didn\u2019t care. He was content to hook his heel in the bar-rail and soak up the atmosphere. The saloon, like the town, had the feel of a boomtown where time was fast running out. Life was lived at a frantic, breathtaking pace. The gold was already gone; tomorrow it might be the silver. Life had to be lived to the fullest today, for a man might be dead by the morning.<\/p>\n

Adam caught sight of his face in the mirror behind the bar, and his tawny-brown eyes stared right back at him. On the whole, the years had treated him well. A substantial man in a dark, dusty suit, white shirt and silk, shoestring tie, he still retained the lithe figure of a man born to the saddle, now somewhat disguised by the cut of his coat. His hair was still black, worn long with a wave, though receding, creeping back from his face. He had the blunt, narrow nose that had been his mother\u2019s and a stubborn set to the jaw from his Pa. The mouth, straight-lipped and firm with determination, was entirely his own. He thought about buying a whisky chaser to go with the beer but decided against it. That was a habit he had better break now.<\/p>\n

He caught a snippet of conversation from the table behind him; the name \u2018Cartwright\u2019 made him prick up his ears. He turned and leaned his back against the bar, looking to see who was talking. There were four burly men at the table, miners by the look of them, men who delved in the earth. Their work clothes were dirty and sweat stained. They each had a glass and were sharing a half-empty bottle, passing it around between them. Adam couldn\u2019t hear much of their conversation, just an odd word here and there, and his family name mentioned again, followed by loud, ugly laughter. He didn\u2019t like the look of the men or the tone of their voices. All of a sudden, the beer had gone flat in his mouth and left a sour taste.<\/p>\n

Adam thought about going over, about tackling the men directly, but then Roy Coffee\u2019s warning rang in his head, \u201cI don\u2019t want no trouble in my town.\u201d Was this what the sheriff had meant?<\/p>\n

He threw down a small silver coin to pay for the beer, picked up his valise and headed for the swinging half-door. The dry, dusty heat of the street held more attraction than the humid, unfriendly bar.<\/p>\n

Adam first thought was to find a livery stable and hire a horse. His aim was to take a ride out to the ranch, taking his time, reacquainting himself with the countryside as he went. The Ponderosa, in the fall, was a beautiful, gracious lady, and he was looking forward to meeting her all over again. She would be wearing her finest gown, a tapestry of ethereal light in a thousand shades of brown and green. And the thought of Hop Sing\u2019s cooking made his mouth water; Adam had eaten fine meals in the most famous restaurants of Europe and the Orient, but in all honesty, he would have to confess that the Chinese cook\u2019s simple kitchen produced the best. With this notion in mind, and his head filled with visions of tender roast pork with crispy brown crackling and sharp applesauce, he set off down the street.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam Cartwright!\u201d A square, well-manicured hand was thrust under his nose.<\/p>\n

Adam knew the hand, and he knew the voice that went with it. \u201cPaul!\u201d Warmly, the two men shook hands.<\/p>\n

Doctor Paul Martin was older and greyer, his face more worn. The years of caring too much had taken their toll. Paul looked tired \u2013 Paul, Adam remembered, always looked tired. The eyes, though, were still keen and appraising as they looked the younger man over. \u201cYou look well. Are you home to stay now?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think that I am.\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul nodded the same, curt nod that Adam recalled so well. \u201cI haven\u2019t been out to the ranch for a while,\u201d he said. \u201cBut I know your father will be glad to hear that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam smiled at him. \u201cCome out real soon, Paul. Make it a social occasion. I\u2019ll be having a \u2018coming home\u2019 party.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some sort of shadow crossed over Paul\u2019s face, then he perceptibly brightened. \u201cI\u2019ll be sure to be there, Adam. Just let me know when.<\/p>\n

They shook hands again, and Paul went on his way. Adam continued on down the street, but the smile was gone from his face. The shine had vanished from the bright afternoon, and he had a feeling, deep down in his gut, that something somewhere was very wrong. Thoughts of food and a leisurely ride were completely forgotten. All he wanted to do now was to get home.<\/p>\n

He was half way down the hill and walking fast when he spotted the wagon pulled up on the far side of the street. After all the years that had passed, it wasn\u2019t possible that it was the same wagon, but it had a familiar look. As he drew level, Adam slowed up and looked closer. Sure enough, the mark of the pine tree was deeply burned into the sideboard. He felt a sharp pang. He might, he figured, carry that same distinctive brand seared into his own skin.<\/p>\n

Adam stepped into the street, narrowly avoided an ore wagon drawn by an eight-mule team, and crossed over. The wagon was standing outside a large and impressive general store that bore the immortal slogan, \u2018Bushet and Bracknels emporium\u2019. There were several sacks already stacked in the wagon but no sign of the driver. Adam tucked his valise under the seat.<\/p>\n

Inside, the store was gloomy and fragrant with the mingled scents of tobacco, coffee and leather. A big man stood at the counter, his back to the door. He was buying tins of peaches; a half a dozen stood at his elbow. A large box of assorted groceries was on the floor at his feet. Adam stopped in the doorway, his back to the light. He leaned back on his heels and fondly admired the breadth of the big man\u2019s back. The brown leather vest with its fancy hand stitching might have been the same one that Hoss had worn on the very day that Adam had left. Adam didn\u2019t clearly remember. The tall, white hat was newer.<\/p>\n

The grocer, tallying figures on a pad with a pencil, looked up and caught Adam\u2019s eye. \u201cI\u2019ll be right with you, Mister.\u201d<\/p>\n

The big man turned around to see who the newcomer was. Under the hat his face was the same: unhandsome without being ugly, rounded without being fat, kindly without showing any signs of weakness. His powder-blue eyes were dimmed into greyness by the brown light inside the store. Puzzled, they settled on Adam\u2019s face. Adam felt an overwhelming surge of affection. \u201cI see you\u2019ve still got that sweet tooth, brother,\u201d he said softly.<\/p>\n

Hoss took half a step forward. \u201cAdam? Is that you, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam held out his arms to him. \u201cIt sure is, Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam!\u201d Hoss rushed at him; lifted him clean off his feet. For a time, both men were overwhelmed.<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s throat filled with emotion. He found that he couldn\u2019t breathe. His brother was squeezing the life right out of him. \u201cHey, let me go, will ya?\u201d he said in a strangled gasp.<\/p>\n

Hoss set him down gently and stared at him, still holding him tight by the shoulders. \u201cAdam, it really is you!\u201d Adam would swear he saw the glint of a tear in the big man\u2019s eye.<\/p>\n

The two men gazed at each other, breathing each other\u2019s breath, both relearning each plane and angle that made the other man\u2019s face. Hoss inhaled deeply, filling his chest; \u201cAdam, where\u2019d you come from? I mean, what you doin\u2019 here?\u201d He shook his great head as if trying to make sense of his thoughts. \u201cGoldarnit! It shore is good ta see you! How long you bin in town?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI came in on the stage this morning. I was heading for the livery stable to hire a horse when I saw the wagon. Now I can save the expense.\u201d He gave Hoss a wink to show he was joking. \u201cI\u2019ll hitch a ride home with you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s a shore thing!\u201d Hoss beamed at him. Then his face fell. \u201c\u2019Ceptin\u2019 I ain\u2019t headin\u2019 fer home fer a while. I gotta meet up with Pa an\u2019 Joe. We got some business this afternoon that ain\u2019t gonna wait.\u201d Hoss\u2019s face was transparent. Adam had long been adept at reading the emotions that paraded in ordered array across his brother\u2019s broad features. It was clear that the big man had problems.<\/p>\n

Adam screwed his face into a lopsided expression that he knew his brother would recognise – one that conveyed interest, concern and keen appraisal. \u201cWhat is it, Hoss? What\u2019s going on?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss sucked on his teeth, chewed on his lip; his countenance became almost guilty. \u201cI reckon we gotta talk, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

Soberly, Adam inclined his head. \u201cI think that we do. What say I buy you lunch, and you tell me all about it?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss instantly brightened. \u201cSince when did you ever know me turn down the offer of a meal?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam laughed out loud. It was a fact that his larger, younger brother was always ready and willing to eat.<\/p>\n

Hoss had the groceries put on the Cartwright account, and Adam helped him carry them out to the wagon. Hoss took the box, which was heavy, lifting it easily in his huge, ham-like hands. Adam followed behind with the peaches. \u201cYou must have bought out the store\u2019s whole supply.\u201d Hoss had always had a liking for the sweet, canned delicacy. In that respect nothing, it seemed, had changed.<\/p>\n

\u201cYep,\u201d Hoss agreed happily. \u201cShore did!\u201d<\/p>\n

If any man could be trusted to know the best eatery in town it had to be Hoss Cartwright. He led the way to a well-appointed restaurant half a block further on down the street. Within minutes, the brothers were installed in seats by the window, a clean, white linen cloth on the table between them and a handsome view of the street. Both men took off their hats, and Adam loosened his jacket. He saw that his brother\u2019s pale, reddish hair was even thinner, now, than he remembered; the tanned skin of his scalp shone through the strands. It looked like the years had touched both of them.<\/p>\n

Hoss had steak and potatoes with carrots and onions: a huge, heaping plateful, and a great big side order of greens. Adam ordered coffee and ham and eggs, just to keep his brother company. He was no longer hungry. His stomach was churning and he feared he might sicken if he ate. He nursed his coffee and waited until Hoss had taken the edge off his hunger, then prompted the conversation. \u201cSo, what\u2019s the problem?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss slowed in his eating but didn\u2019t quite stop. \u201cDidn\u2019t Pa tell you about a fella named Nathan Kincaid in one of those letters he wrote ya?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think he might have mentioned him once.\u201d Adam finished his coffee and beckoned the serving girl to bring him another. \u201cSome sort of business man isn\u2019t he?\u201d<\/p>\n

Chewing, Hoss pulled a sour face. \u201cI s\u2019pose you could call him that. He turned up on the stage about a year an\u2019 a half ago. He\u2019s bought inta just about every business in town. Lately he\u2019s been running a hydraulic minin\u2019 outfit down in the Comstock Valley.\u201d In a typical gesture of sibling acceptance, Hoss leaned over and forked Adam\u2019s untouched ham onto his own plate. He started to eat it.<\/p>\n

Adam thought about it, working out figures and distances in his mind. \u201cWet mining isn\u2019t pretty,\u201d he said at last, \u201cbut I don\u2019t see how it affects us directly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss poked at the remains of the food on his plate and finally pushed it aside. There wasn\u2019t a great deal left, but the fact that anything remained said a great deal for his state of mind. \u201cHis men have been stealin\u2019 lumber fer their minin\u2019 operation and butcherin\u2019 beef. But that\u2019s just part o\u2019 what this Kincaid\u2019s bin up to. Pa c\u2019n tell you a whole lot more about it than I can. Just lately, his men have bin sneakin\u2019 around on our land. Kinda looks like they\u2019re prospectin\u2019. Lookin\u2019 fer gold\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no gold on the Ponderosa\u2026\u201d Adam started to say. Then he though about the tiny gold nugget that he\u2019d found one day a long time ago, at a place where the streams ran out of the highlands. It had obviously washed down from a lode high up in the mountains. Not caring to see the land raped and pillaged for the sake of the precious yellow metal, he\u2019d never said anything about it. He carried it now, attached to the fob of his watch.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know it an\u2019 you know it,\u201d Hoss grumbled on. \u201cBut there just ain\u2019t no way ta convince Kincaid.\u201d<\/p>\n

Still thinking about the nugget, Adam wondered about that. \u201cWhat does Roy say about all this?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss sighed and shrugged. His face wore an unhappy frown. \u201cRoy says his hands are tied. Things have changed some, Adam, since you\u2019ve been gone. There\u2019s committees fer this an\u2019 committees fer that. They brung in a whole load o\u2019 new laws. It seems like a man\u2019s soul ain\u2019t his own any more.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam nodded thoughtful agreement. He\u2019d seen the same thing happen in a good many places. They called it progress. It was supposed to be a good thing. \u201cSo what does Pa propose to do about Kincaid?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPa\u2019s arranged a meetin\u2019 down at the Jail House; see if they c\u2019n come ta some sort o\u2019 accommodation, Pa says. That\u2019s where I gotta go this afternoon.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt sounds more like a confrontation to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Unhappiness clouded Hoss\u2019s broad face. \u201cReckon you could be right about that. Kincaid\u2019s bin puttin\u2019 all sorts o\u2019 pressure on Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam broached the subject he\u2019d been avoiding for a while. \u201cHow is Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss looked him straight in the eyes. \u201cPa\u2019s tired. Adam,\u201d he said, and the tone of his voice said a whole lot more. \u201cGuess that\u2019s what I\u2019d put it down to. He\u2019s just plain tired.\u201d<\/p>\n

They collected the wagon from outside the store and drove it along \u2018C\u2019 street to the Jail House and Roy Coffee\u2019s office. There were two horses tied to the rail outside. The pinto was different, taller and leaner with more black in his coat, but he had that same short-bodied, chunky look that Joe Cartwright favoured. Adam\u2019s father had always preferred a buckskin horse. This one was darker than most with a broad black stripe on his back. Seeing the animals standing together, Adam thought he had flipped back in time.<\/p>\n

There was a man standing close to the pinto\u2019s side. His shape was familiar, not tall or broad, but well proportioned. He wore his hat jauntily and carried a left-handed gun. Adam figured he knew him.<\/p>\n

Hoss hauled hard on the reins. \u201cHey, little brother, look who I got here!\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe Cartwright turned. His face was different, had turned into that of a familiar stranger. Maturity had made it leaner and tighter than the face Adam knew, but the eyes were the same: a sparkling hazel with flecks of dark green.<\/p>\n

Adam jumped down from the wagon and stuck out his hand. \u201cJoe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe stared at him. His mouth came open as if he didn\u2019t really believe what his eyesight told him. He took Adam\u2019s hand. \u201cAdam?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt really is me, little brother.\u201d Adam\u2019s smile lit his face.<\/p>\n

Then Joe did believe it. He pumped Adam\u2019s hand and pulled him into a bear hug. Adam felt a tremor run through his brother\u2019s thin body. As brothers with twelve years between their birth-dates and vastly divergent backgrounds, they frequently had differing views on a great many things, but they shared blood and bone and a deep and abiding bond of affection.<\/p>\n

Beaming all over his face, Hoss climbed down beside them just as the two men came up for air. For the first time in a good many years, the three Cartwright brothers stood together in the streets of Virginia City. Hoss was not the only one who felt the burn of a tear.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs Pa inside?\u201d Adam asked. He knew his father better than anybody, and he knew that this reunion was going to be something of an ordeal for both of them. \u2018Though Ben had understood his son\u2019s reasons for leaving, he hadn\u2019t wanted him to go. Their correspondence had been sporadic, due to Adam being mostly on the move, and he wasn\u2019t quite sure what his reception would be. He guessed it was time to find out. He took the small valise from under the seat of the wagon, stepped up on the boardwalk and opened the door.<\/p>\n

Ben Cartwright was talking to Roy Coffee. He turned at the sound of the door. He was older and greyer. His face was more lined. Adam was aware of his brothers coming through the door after him \u2013 nothing much else. Softly, he said, \u201cHello, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam.\u201d The voice was a deep, rich brown velvet to go with the eyes. \u201cRoy told me you got off the stage.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam stepped forward and held out his hand. Ben Cartwright took it, held it and pulled his son into his arms. Adam dropped the valise on the floor and surrendered as his father engulfed him, crushing him into his chest and, for a time, nothing else mattered other than that they were together again.<\/p>\n

Finally, Ben pulled back and studied Adam\u2019s face, searching for and finding the boy and the man he had been, accepting and bonding with the man that he had become. They shook hands again. \u201cIt\u2019s good to have you home, son.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss and Joe were grinning like madmen and even Roy\u2019s weathered face wore a smile. Adam pulled a deep breath. \u201cIt\u2019s good to be back.\u201d He needed to discharge the emotion of the situation: to turn the focus of attention away from himself before he lost his composure entirely and sat down and wept. \u201cHoss has been telling me about this man Kincaid.\u201d He let that look of concerned inquiry settle onto his face.<\/p>\n

Ben scowled. He stalked across the room, turned and prowled back. Adam found a good, solid post to lean on and took the weight off his once-broken hp.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s been squeezing us any way he can think of. Nothing illegal, he\u2019s too clever for that.\u201d Ben\u2019s glance at Roy carried a whole wealth of meaning. \u201cJust relentless pressure: political, financial, commercial, forcing me to give way to him, little by little, as he takes over this whole part of the State. It\u2019s something we\u2019ll have to deal with on a personal basis.\u201d<\/p>\n

Roy shook his head. \u201cAn\u2019 I just got through tellin\u2019 ya, Ben, you can\u2019t do things like that any more.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I settled this country with little more than a horse and two sons to my name, stealing another man\u2019s cattle was a hanging offence.\u201d Ben\u2019s voice had risen to little short of a roar.<\/p>\n

In front of the Cartwright onslaught, Roy stood his ground. The grey moustache bristled. \u201cWell, now we got laws, an\u2019 we got courts ta enforce \u2018em. Open range justice don\u2019t apply any more.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen why don\u2019t you arrest Kincaid?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2019Cause you gotta have proof before you c\u2019n haul a man up in front of a judge. You gotta prove that Kincaid told his men ta steal your cows an\u2019 an\u2019 your timber, that he ordered someone ta burn down your horsebarn, that he\u2019s personally responsible fer all the accidents that have happened up at your mine.\u201d Roy spread his hands. \u201cC\u2019n you prove any one o\u2019 those things?\u201d<\/p>\n

Old friend or not, Ben glared into the lawman\u2019s face. Adam saw the powerful, work-worn hands clench into iron-hard fists. \u201cYou know darn well that I can\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen you know that I can\u2019t arrest Kincaid.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd he knows it too,\u201d Ben said. He looked at the clock. The hands were approaching three. \u201cHe\u2019ll be here any minute.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t let you meet him in my office, Ben.\u201d Roy told him sternly. \u201cI can\u2019t be seen to condone any part of this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben squared up his shoulders. \u201cBut you can\u2019t stop me meeting him outside in the street.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I can\u2019t,\u201d Roy conceded. His face was set. \u201cBut if there\u2019s any shootin\u2019 I\u2019m gonna have ta lock you all up. Someone gets killed, and they\u2019ll likely hang you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben sighed heavily. Suddenly he looked as tired as Hoss had suggested, tired and ill. \u201cYou\u2019ll do what you have to, Roy, just as I will.\u201d He looked at Joe and at Hoss. \u201cAre you boys ready?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam straightened up from his lean. \u201cI\u2019m coming with you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s eyes switched to his face \u2013 hard, dark and unrelenting. \u201cNo, you\u2019re not. This isn\u2019t your fight. You\u2019re not even wearing a gun.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a moment he was gone, striding past Adam and out of the door into the sunlight of the bright afternoon. Grim faced, Joe went after him. Adam exchanged long looks with Hoss. Adam had come home to make a new beginning and regain a place in his family. He found them embroiled in a conflict that might bring about its end. Hoss pulled a face and shrugged his wide shoulders. It couldn\u2019t be changed.<\/p>\n

The big man shook his head sadly and followed his father and brother. Adam was left alone with the sheriff and the tick of the old casement clock.<\/p>\n

Adam made a decision. He took off his coat and his hat. He opened the small valise and took out his gun and his gunbelt. Roy took a long step towards him and held up a hand. \u201cAdam, I can\u2019t let you do this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam gazed at him, his tawny eyes bleak. \u201cYou\u2019ll have to kill me to stop me, Roy.\u201d He bucked the gunbelt around his lean hips and eased the Colt in the holster. It had been a while since the gun had been used in anger, but the Colt was well oiled, and all the chambers were loaded. He tied the holster down to his thigh.<\/p>\n

Adam went out of the door with Roy Coffee close on his heels. Ben, Hoss and Joe stood in the street in a row. The fall sunlight was shining behind them, casting their shadows in front. The brims of their hats threw the upper parts of their faces into shadow; all that could be seen of their features were their grimly set mouths. Facing them were six burly men in dirty mining clothes. Adam knew four of them, by sight if not by name. They were the same four that he\u2019d encountered in the barroom of the First Chance saloon. They\u2019d been joined by two of their friends, and all of them carried guns. Standing out in front of them, confronting old Ben, was a man who could only be Nathan Kincaid.<\/p>\n

Kincaid stood around six feet tall and wore a bushy, greying moustache. He was pasty pale in the face as if he was ill, and his thick, swollen lips had a bluish tinge. His grey, three piece suit hung loosely from his shoulders as if it had originally been tailored for a much larger man.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m gonna to prospect that land of yours,\u201d Kincaid was saying. \u201cI\u2019m gonna push you an\u2019 shove you, Cartwright, until you get out of my way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben Cartwright filled his chest and drew himself up to full height. Standing there in the street, in the sunlight, he made an impressive figure \u2013 a man who was determined to defend what was his, the personification of the west that was passing away. \u201cYou\u2019ll have to kill me first Kincaid. Me and my sons.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kincaid smiled an unpleasant smile: browned and broken teeth showing plainly between the bulbous blue lips. \u201cYou don\u2019t expect me to shoot you down in front of your good friend the sheriff. I know better than that. There are other, less violent but equally effective ways of taking care of three insignificant men.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam saw his father bristle and Joe\u2019s face pale with rage. The young man\u2019s left hand clenched and stretched above the butt of his gun. Adam stepped into the street alongside his brothers. \u201cMake that four.\u201d<\/p>\n

Every man\u2019s eyes turned in his direction. He felt a swift chill as Kincaid\u2019s cold grey gaze slid over him. He had disliked the man even before he set eyes on him \u2013 now he liked him less. He fought to control the instinctive curl of his lip.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo you\u2019re the missing son, are you?\u201d Kincaid inquired with a sneer. \u201cYou expect to make some sort of difference?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam allowed his weight to settle back on his heels and hooked the callused sides of his thumbs onto the edge of his gunbelt. A vagrant breath of hot air fluttered the ends of his black silk tie. \u201cI expect to put you right on a few things, Kincaid,\u201d he said evenly. \u201cFor a start, you pick a fight with my family, and you pick a fight with me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat sounds fair.\u201d Kincaid chuckled: an ugly, flat sound. \u201cIn fact, I wouldn\u2019t have it any other way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam gave him a level stare. The miners shifted uneasily. The odds were changing, and they didn\u2019t like this cool-eyed confrontation. Adam could smell their fear. \u201cThe other thing I have to tell you,\u201d he continued in that same, steady voice, \u201cIs that you\u2019re mistaken if you think that there\u2019s gold on the Ponderosa. I know every square inch of it by heart. If there was gold there, I\u2019d know it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kincaid laughed in his face. \u201cYou expect me to take your word for that?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy son doesn\u2019t lie.\u201d Ben told him gruffly. He didn\u2019t know what Adam was up to, but he was prepared to back him every inch of the way.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is gold still to be found.\u201d Adam slipped two fingers into the little slit pocket behind his pants belt and pulled out his old, battered watch. He unclipped the small nugget and held it up between finger and thumb. It caught everyone\u2019s attention as it glittered in the afternoon sun. \u201cI found this some years ago, but it didn\u2019t come from the Ponderosa.\u201d In one sense, it was the truth. He flipped the nugget into the dirt at Kincaid\u2019s feet.<\/p>\n

Kincaid bent down and picked it up. He rolled it back and forth in his fingers. \u201cWhere did you find it?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam saw the greed in his eyes and gave him a wintry smile. \u201cThat\u2019s something for me to know and you to find out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kincaid glared at him long and hard. \u201cYou\u2019ve got a smart mouth on you, Mister.\u201d His eyes switched back to Ben. \u201cI\u2019ll look into this Cartwright, but you haven\u2019t heard the last of me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll be waiting.\u201d Ben Cartwright growled.<\/p>\n

Kincaid closed his fist over the tiny nugget. He favoured Adam with another cold glare, turned abruptly on his heel and stalked away to the high-wheeled carriage that waited, with driver in attendance, to take him away. The half-dozen miners, left behind without direction, retreated in confusion, looking anxiously over their shoulders.<\/p>\n

The Cartwrights began to relax. Hoss heaved a sigh. \u201cI guess that\u2019s the end of it, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben looked along the line of his sons. He shook his head. \u201cNo, that\u2019s not the end of it. This is only the beginning. But, at least, now we have a fighting chance.\u201d He shrugged himself into an easier frame of mind. \u201cCome along, boys. Let\u2019s go home. I think we\u2019ve got some celebrating to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Potter\u2019s Bar 2002.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Tags:\u00a0 Adam Cartwright,\u00a0Ben Cartwright,\u00a0Hoss Cartwright,\u00a0Joe \/ Little Joe Cartwright<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

<\/g><\/svg><\/i> \"Loading\"<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Summary:\u00a0 Adam returns home after long years away to find many changes along with some fond and familiar things.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Rating:\u00a0 T\u00a0 (5,830 words)<\/p>\n

Nathan Kincaid Series, links to all stories of this series included.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9737,"featured_media":12466,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"template-full-width-post.php","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,1005,23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12905","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-actionadventure","category-adam-cartwright","category-drama","wpcat-2-id","wpcat-1005-id","wpcat-23-id"],"a3_pvc":{"activated":true,"total_views":936,"today_views":0},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/vlcsnap-2015-12-13-01h47m48s177.png?fit=768%2C576&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":12904,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=12904","url_meta":{"origin":12905,"position":0},"title":"Nathan Kincaid #3 – The White Shark (by Jenny G)","author":"Gwynne & JennyG","date":"January 11, 2002","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0 Ben finds trouble haunting him in the business world.\u00a0 Another in the Nathan Kincaid series. Rating:\u00a0 T\u00a0 (6,775 words) Nathan Kincaid Series, links to all stories of this series included.","rel":"","context":"In "Action\/Adventure"","block_context":{"text":"Action\/Adventure","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=2"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Fathers-Day.jpg?fit=300%2C300&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":5784,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=5784","url_meta":{"origin":12905,"position":1},"title":"Breed of Violence (by Rona)","author":"Rona","date":"May 25, 2005","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: \u00a0\u00a0A What happened in between for the episode. Rated:\u00a0 T \u00a0 \u00a0WC 4400","rel":"","context":"In "Drama"","block_context":{"text":"Drama","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=23"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/coming-soon-9.jpg?fit=320%2C240&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":13834,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=13834","url_meta":{"origin":12905,"position":2},"title":"Decisions Made (by HelenB)","author":"HelenB","date":"May 27, 2003","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0\u00a0 A ranch hand and decisions made could change the lives of the Cartwrights forever. Rating:\u00a0 T\u00a0 (6,725 words)","rel":"","context":"In "Drama"","block_context":{"text":"Drama","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=23"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Family-3.jpg?fit=272%2C320&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":40451,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=40451","url_meta":{"origin":12905,"position":3},"title":"On and On and On (by BettyHT)","author":"BettyHT","date":"July 14, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: This is a series featuring Adam but with significant roles played by Hoss, Joe, and Ben. Each story can stand alone, but features the same OCs and they tell a progressive story as well.--On Borrowed Time\u2014 There are conflicting accounts of what happened in a gunfight, and the family\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Action\/Adventure"","block_context":{"text":"Action\/Adventure","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=2"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Square-Deal-Sam.jpg?fit=600%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Square-Deal-Sam.jpg?fit=600%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Square-Deal-Sam.jpg?fit=600%2C450&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":12902,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=12902","url_meta":{"origin":12905,"position":4},"title":"Nathan Kincaid #1 – Fire in the Sky (by Jenny G)","author":"Gwynne & JennyG","date":"January 11, 2002","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0 Hoss is the only Cartwright at home when Nathan Kincaid mounts an attack. Rating:\u00a0 T\u00a0 (8,925 words) Nathan Kincaid Series, links to all stories of this series included.","rel":"","context":"In "Action\/Adventure"","block_context":{"text":"Action\/Adventure","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=2"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":12903,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=12903","url_meta":{"origin":12905,"position":5},"title":"Nathan Kincaid #2 – Saving Jessica (by Jenny G)","author":"Gwynne & JennyG","date":"January 11, 2002","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: Joe finds more than enough trouble. Rating:\u00a0 T\u00a0 (7,550 words) Nathan Kincaid Series, links to all stories of this series included.","rel":"","context":"In "Action\/Adventure"","block_context":{"text":"Action\/Adventure","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=2"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Joe-copy-7.jpg?fit=594%2C592&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Joe-copy-7.jpg?fit=594%2C592&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Joe-copy-7.jpg?fit=594%2C592&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12905","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\/9737"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12905"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12905\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/12466"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12905"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=12905"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=12905"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}