{"id":12941,"date":"2016-01-15T16:22:15","date_gmt":"2016-01-15T21:22:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=12941"},"modified":"2025-02-18T19:10:40","modified_gmt":"2025-02-19T00:10:40","slug":"ben-and-miss-barbara-by-robin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=12941","title":{"rendered":"Ben and Miss Barbara (by Robin)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary: <\/strong>Between the trial and Paiutes, tensions are running high in and around Virginia City.<\/p>\n

Rating:\u00a0 T\u00a0 (9,410 words)<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ben and Miss Barbara<\/strong><\/p>\n

(Excerpted From \u201cFire\u201d)<\/em><\/p>\n

Ponderosa Ranch
\nNevada Territory
\nLate Winter, 1847<\/p>\n

As he worked at his father\u2019s desk, Adam Cartwright found himself listening for the sounding of the grandfather clock near the door, waiting for it to strike twelve. At noon he had to give Little Joe the medicine that his father had left for him. Maybe then he could stop for dinner and spend a bit of time with his baby brother. The ranch paperwork was hard going but Adam was making good headway towards completion. The recordkeeping was the part of ranching that his Pa liked the least, and was the one chore that Adam felt he could best help with while he was stuck in the house tending to Little Joe. Adam had a certain satisfaction in adding the columns of numbers and making all the entries tallied perfectly. He had already caught up most of the pages his father had left for him and hoped to make the ledgers up to date by the time his father got home for supper. There was only one stack of bills that had to be entered and he would be done.
\nAdam knew his father was counting on him as he always had, to be his right hand. Since Adam could remember, Ben had talked to him like another man. He had never coddled him or treated Adam like a baby during all the years they had struggled and worked hard. First, with the two of them traveling west, Adam learned to follow orders without arguing and to pitch in without a complaint or delay.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

When Hoss was a baby, especially after Inger was killed, Ben depended on his older son far more than most men ever depend on a small boy. Adam always worked hard, never protesting, never disobeying any request his father made. He always watched out for his brother and tried to get some schooling at every chance he had. Eventually, when the Cartwrights came to build the Ponderosa and Ben married Marie, things were easier for all of them. They were living in a fine, permanent home. They were always warm and dry and had a stout roof over their heads. Their beds were soft and their bellies full. The ranch that Ben had dreamed of for many years was finally prospering.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam still worked hard and shouldered his responsibilities unquestioningly. Marie and Ben would often argue when Ben demanded too much from Adam but Pa insisted that Adam was the eldest and was a man compared to Hoss and Little Joe. After Marie died, Adam worked even harder trying to help his overburdened father.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Even though Adam was also grieving for his beloved stepmother, he never allowed himself to let his sadness show. He told himself that he just had to be tougher and stronger and work more industriously. He made sure his two younger brothers toed the line and were well-tended and didn\u2019t disturb Pa any more than necessary. That was Adam\u2019s self-appointed job and he made sure he did it to perfection.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The seventeen-year-old had spent the morning trying to pull together the ledgers for the ranch and doing barn chores so he could be near his ailing little brother. Their father had been gone a bit too long for Little Joe\u2019s taste and Adam wasn\u2019t quite sure what he should do next. Ever since his mother had died, Little Joe had a terrible time when his father was out of his sight for very long. Although he never really complained, eleven-year-old Hoss missed Pa too. Hoss was out with the men tending to the cattle.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam was hoping the boys would not make too much of a fuss and that by bedtime their father could be home to say good night to them. Adam would be glad to see his father too. When Pa walked through the door, Adam could breathe a sigh of relief that his shift was done and Pa was back in charge.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

When Adam knew his father was in the house, he felt relief wash over him. For a few brief moments, before he fell asleep, Adam could finally\u00a0 allow himself to feel like the child again — Ben Cartwright\u2019s son and not the grown man in charge. Adam would lie in his bed listening for the sounds of his father walking down the hall. First Pa would check on Hoss, then on Little Joe.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Last, he would open Adam\u2019s door. Ben would sit on the edge of the bed and review the day with his son. Adam would ask how everything went with the cattle or the fences, and, man-to-man, they would discuss what chore should be done next and how to handle all the cattle they were losing. Adam would tell his father how the younger boys managed and how much the little boys missed their father when he was away. Pa would tell him how much he counted on his oldest son and what a big help Adam always was and always would be to him.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Every once in a while, when the boy heard his father\u2019s boot steps approach his door, Adam would pretend to be asleep. He didn\u2019t always want to talk man-to-man with Pa or help solve Ponderosa problems. His father would then pull the covers up over Adam\u2019s shoulders and tuck him in just like he did with the younger boys. Ben would rub his back affectionately or even kiss his first born on his forehead. Adam would never let his father know he was still awake and savoring his father\u2019s affection like a small boy.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam could never admit to anyone that he too desperately grieved for his stepmother and longed for his father when he was gone from the house. He struggled as much as Hoss and Little Joe, possibly more. Adam just kept it to himself not wanting to add to Pa\u2019s immeasurable burdens. In the daylight, Adam wouldn\u2019t even admit that truth to himself. He decided, as the eldest, he was expected to keep up a strong fa\u00e7ade no matter what he felt inside. His father was counting on him and he would never, ever let his father be disappointed in him.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

There was a divisive murder trail going on in Virginia City. Pa had told Adam that Miss Barbara of the Altamont Saloon needed his support during the trial and had made sure Levi Victor, Ben\u2019s own lawyer, was retained as her defense attorney. Ben had even remained in Virginia City helping Sheriff Coffee keep a lid on the hot blooded tension that was building up in town..<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201dAdam, come play with me. I miss Pa and Hoss so much. I\u2019m so very lonely,\u201d Little Joe called from the area next to the fireplace. He had spread all his tin soldiers and wooden animals around and was stacking pieces of firewood around to make fences. \u201cYou can be the army or the pirates, either one. You can pick first.\u201d
\nLittle Joe had been sick off and on all winter, and this round of sickness had dragged on endlessly. Joe was cranky and lonely and impatient to go outside. He kept pleading with Adam for attention and his brother kept putting him off, trying to get the work done for Pa. Neither brother was getting what he wanted.<\/p>\n

Adam looked up from his father\u2019s desk. \u201cCan\u2019t, Buddy, I got to get this work done before Pa gets back.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen sing to me while you work, Adam. I like how you sing,\u201d Joe pleaded. He started singing one of Pa\u2019s favorite hymns, \u201cBringing\u00a0 in the Sheaves\u201d, hoping Adam would join in. His brother didn\u2019t get the hint. Before he could sing a second song, Little Joe\u2019s throat started tickling uncomfortably. He started coughing and couldn\u2019t continue with his serenade.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Joe looked up and saw that Adam was ignoring him. The little boy walked over to his father\u2019s chair and ran his hand over the arm. He scrambled into the seat and tried to imagine sitting on his Pa\u2019s lap. He closed his eyes and leaned far back into the deep cushions but it was not the same as cuddling up with his Pa. The little boy slid off the chair and glanced over at Adam. His brother was still working with his head into the papers at Pa\u2019s desk. Pa\u2019s pipe was sitting on the little table next to the chair and Joe cautiously picked it up and put it into his mouth. The smell reminded him of his Pa and made him happier, less lonely.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t you mess with Pa\u2019s things, Little Joe. Are you putting Pa\u2019s pipe in your mouth?\u201d Adam called from across the room. \u201cPa don\u2019t want you slobbering on his things.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Joe quickly put the pipe back in its place and shouted back, \u201cNo, Adam, I am just looking.\u201d
\n\u201dWell look with your eyes and not your hands or your drooling mouth,\u201d Adam reprimanded the child. Joe was amazed, as usual, at how quickly Adam caught him.
\n\u201dThen let me go out side to the barn and play. Just for a little bitty bit.\u201d Joe bargained. \u201cI want to check the horses. I am sure they really miss me.\u201d
\n\u201dNo, it\u2019s too cold. You just play by the fire and keep me company. The horses are fine. Hoss should be back to eat soon. They should be done moving those cattle to lower pasture by the end of the week and then he will be around more after school.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYou work too much, Adam. You need to play with me,\u201d Little Joe argued again.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cThis work has to be done and I have to do it all. If you would quit interrupting me, I would have been done. Now quit bothering me!\u201d Adam added the same column of figures for the third time.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Joe eyed Pa\u2019s pipe again and tried to estimate if anyone would ever catch him if he tried to smoke that pipe. The tobacco would smell just like Pa and Little Joe could pretend he was Mr. Benjamin Cartwright of the Ponderosa and tell his mean son Adam to be nicer to his little brothers and not be so bossy. Then Adam would have to obey him and play and play and play all day. Joe reached out to touch the forbidden smoking pipe but jerked his hand away when he heard some clatter from outside. Maybe it was his Pa coming home.
\nBoth brothers heard the sound of horses approaching outside and heavy steps on the porch. Both brothers hoped it was Pa coming home but neither said anything out loud.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cSeems like we\u2019re takin\u2019 risks we don\u2019t have to be taking,\u201d Shorty complained loudly as he and Hoss walked in the door.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you mean?” Adam put his pencil down and walked purposefully across the room.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cDo you think thirty head or more just wandered off, Adam?\u201d Shorty Magee sounded plenty angry. He had spent most of the last two freezing raw days — riding the High Pasture and claimed there was no trace of them. \u201cFrank Dayton is missing cattle and so is Carl Duprey on the Circle D.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not saying that the cattle wandered off. It\u2019s just we would have seen some tracks or something. It\u2019s a few missing cows from each of us,\u201d Adam answered. He looked Shorty in the eye.
\n\u201dMaybe it was them dang Indians,\u201d Shorty said. \u201cSomeone needs to go out and teach them heathen Paiutes a lesson.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been a hard, cold winter and we\u2019ve got a real long way to go until spring. The Indians must be hungry,\u201d Hoss countered. He was chilled thoroughly from the freezing rain and sleet and the seemingly fruitless search for the missing cattle. He took off his wet coat and hat and hung them up on the hook near the door. \u201cIs supper ready?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI could go, Adam, Maybe I could find the lost cattle. Pa said I have very sharp eyes,\u201d Little Joe offered. \u201cI don\u2019t even need to have no dinner. I can go right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Everyone ignored the child\u2019s suggestion. They were all too tired to even chuckle at his offer.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are you doing over there, Little Joe? You feeling any better?\u201d Hoss asked.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m just playing with my soldiers, Hoss. You come play too.\u201d Little Joe scuttled away from Pa\u2019s pipe and leaped agiley onto the settee. He quickly started playing with his tin soldiers and the little wooden horses his brothers had carved for him. He balanced a line of troops across the cushions and tried to give the illusion he was being a very well behaved, obedient little boy. He would try to snag that pipe another day when there were fewer brothers watching over him.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cThe snow filled in the pass pretty early on and the cavalry has been pushing the Paiutes out of the low lands,\u201d Adam said. \u201cJohn Dayton wrote home from Fort Mead that they had been fighting pretty fierce with Ka-Pusta and his renegades. Frank told me last time I saw him.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cCan I go help too?\u201d Little Joe repeated louder. His voice was raspy and he wiped his nose on his sleeve. Still no one paid any attention to him. He wiped his nose a second time.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Joe stuck out his lower lip and looked back at the pipe. Pa would let him go help. Pa always said that Little Joe had sharp eyes and was really a big help and was shaping up to be a fine rider. \u201cMy Pa would let me help,\u201d he sulked. He eyed the distance between the settee and the pipe and looked to see if anyone was watching him. Maybe he could sneak out of the house with the pipe and smoke it in the bunkhouse with the hands. Shorty or Zeb or that new hand would play poker with him and he could smoke Pa\u2019s pipe like a man.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYou are sick and you ain\u2019t goin\u2019 nowhere, Little Joe.\u201d Hoss walked toward his baby brother. He was just going to play with the boy but Little Joe took it as a warning that he should not attempt to steal the pipe, at least not that very day.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI know your Pa left you in charge of the ranch, Adam, but that don\u2019t mean you know anything,\u201d said Shorty Magee. He had a defiant, angry expression that made Adam feel the hand was looking for a fight. Shorty was a few years older than Adam, a hard drinker and a saloon brawler. Adam was taller and broader but wasn\u2019t quite sure he could hold his own if it came down to a knock-down fight with Shorty Magee. He didn\u2019t really want it to go that way, especially with his two little brothers watching. Pa wouldn\u2019t approve of a fistfight in the house it could be avoided.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hoss looked at his older brother wishing he could think of something to help him, to back him up. The husky blonde boy was embarrassed for his older brother. Shorty Magee was a tough man and it looked like he was devouring Adam skin and bones.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam sighed. His face reddened and he swallowed hard. Speaking in his firmest, most decisive voice he could muster, Adam ordered, \u201cShorty, I know what I am saying and I want you to go back out their tomorrow with Shecky and Zeb and bring the cattle in before the snow is so deep that we can\u2019t bring them down to the lower pasture. All of them.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hoss nodded in agreement. Adam sounded pretty fierce, almost as tough as Pa.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cLook Adam, I\u2019m not goin\u2019 nowhere or doing nothin\u2019 till your Pa tells me what to do. You may be the boss\u2019s son, but you\u2019re just a kid.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam sucked in his breath. \u201cWhat are you saying, Shorty? While my father is off the Ponderosa, you take your order from me; you and all the other men take your orders from me.\u201d He stood tall and glared at the man trying to imitate his father\u2019s staunch demeanor.
\n\u201dI take my orders from your Pa or Hays Newkirk, the Ponderosa owner or the Ponderosa foreman, not some wet behind the ears kid. Ben Cartwright hired me, not his little boy.\u201d
\nThe front door swung open and Hays Newkirk walked into the front hall. He also was wet and cold. He had spent the morning in Virginia City with Ben, sitting beside him at Barbara\u2019s trial and was in no mood for any foolishness.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cIs there some problem here Shorty?\u201d His lake blue eyes were flashing. He pulled off his hat and shook the wet snow off it. Hoss was glad to see Hays and smiled broadly. Mr. Newkirk would know how to back up Adam. Hoss was mighty relieved to see him.
\n\u201dThis kid seems to think he can tell me what to do, Hays.\u201d Shorty grumbled.
\nShorty was a good hand when he wanted to do his job, but right now, Hays Newkirk was in no mood for Shorty\u2019s insolence. The Ponderosa foreman had no tolerance for any man who didn\u2019t back up Mr. Cartwright when he was in a tight spot. Hays felt you signed up to work for an outfit, you backed up the boss no matter if he was riding next to you or if he was off the ranch tending to other concerns. More than once Hays had wanted to fire Shorty but something always came up to save his hide.. He would never push Ben Cartwright to the point of getting fired. Now the Ponderosa was extremely short-handed and Shorty was testing how much he could pull on the Cartwrights.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201dDo you mean young Mr. Cartwright here, Shorty? Don\u2019t you think you should call your boss \u2018Mr. Cartwright\u2019? And since when do you call me Hays? Maybe you should just settle up your wages and ride out of here!\u201d Hays hollered furiously.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hoss and Little Joe had never seen soft-spoken Hays this enraged. Frightened by the foreman\u2019s out burst, Little Joe ducked down behind his father\u2019s leather chair, clutching one of the tiny wooden horses in his hand. He sincerely wished his Pa was back home.
\n\u201dNo sir, Mr. Newkirk. I don\u2019t want to do that, Mr. Newkirk. Just with Mr. Cartwright gone\u2026\u201d
\n\u201dWhich Mr. Cartwright? Mr. Ben is in town but I see Mr. Adam Cartwright standing right in front of your darn fool face. Are you blind or just plain stupid ? Maybe you should tell him that you are sorry and get back to whatever work he was telling you to do. Or go pack up your gear and get your sorry carcass off the Ponderosa and the best job you will ever have in your lazy life.\u201d Hays glared at the disagreeable hand.
\n\u201dYes sir, Mr. Newkirk. Sorry, Mr. Adam.\u201d Shorty put his brown hat back on his head and stomped out the door of the ranch house and headed out to the barn to put up his horse.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cThanks Hays.\u201d Adam smiled.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Wide-eyed Joe wriggled out from behind his father\u2019s chair. He was quite impressed with his giant brother\u2019s courage and glad that Shorty left with his hat in hand.
\n\u201dDon\u2019t go thanking me. Now what was all that about, Adam? Your Pa left you in charge and I came back here to some sort of mess,\u201d replied the foreman.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cNo, everything is really ok. Shorty thinks we are missing some cattle.\u201d
\n\u201dShorty just can\u2019t count past ten without taking off his boots and he is too damn lazy to ride off up into the hills to find some strays. Don\u2019t pay him no mind. He\u2019d rather blame the Indians. Most folks around here are too quick to blame the Indians for their own shortcomings.\u201d
\n\u201dThanks, Hays.\u201d
\nHays sighed tiredly. \u201cNo problem at all, Mr. Cartwright.\u201d It was the first time Hays had ever called him anything but Adam. Adam smiled proudly at the respect Hays had shown him. \u201cThank you, Mr. Newkirk. How is Pa doing in town?\u201d Adam silently hoped Hays would say that Ben was already on his way home.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWe got much bigger problems to deal with than a few head of cattle or even a few dozen head\u2026Hoss, you go in the kitchen and get me some hot coffee from Hop Sing. Little Joe, you go with him.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Little Joe hesitated and looked at Adam, hoping his brother would allow him to stay.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cGo on Little Joe. Hays told you to leave the room,\u201d ordered Adam.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hoss took his little brother\u2019s hand and they both stood stock-still.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam looked at Hays. Something was clearly going on in Virginia City and Hays wanted to talk to Adam privately, man-to-man. Hoss and Joe didn\u2019t move.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hays glared at them. \u201cDon\u2019t just stand there, boys. I am frozen straight through. Go get me some hot coffee before I freeze solid from the cold and you two have to dig me a grave in the barnyard.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Frightened, the two younger boys ran into the kitchen. They had never seen soft-spoken Hays Newkirk look so unyielding and neither of them wanted to risk killing him for lack of a cup of hot coffee.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYour Pa wants you to come into Virginia City with a couple of the men and give him and Sheriff Coffee a hand. He wants me to take your brothers over to my house until this predicament\u00a0 done for. To tell you the truth, it don\u2019t look real good, Adam. The Paiutes are shifting around up in the hills too.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The hair stood up on the back of Adam\u2019s neck. \u201cThe Paiutes?\u201d
\nHays went on to explain that the trial was winding down and if Levi Victor didn\u2019t convince the jury and the townspeople of \u00a0Barbara Gillette\u2019s innocence, it looked as if they just might try to hang her. \u201cImagine, they want to hang a woman? Don\u2019t matter how she earns her living, Adam. There is talk that they don\u2019t even want to wait for the jury to make a decision. The judge is having a bad time keeping order.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Tensions were running high and Sheriff Coffee was worried that the town would erupt into a lynch mob. Ben Cartwright was helping to guard Miss Barbara. He needed Adam to come in and help stand by his side. They were also extremely afraid that some of the men in town might even ride up into the hills to attack the Indians.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Barbara Gillette had been accused of the murder of a miner named Howie Keeler. His body had been found in the alley behind the Altamont Saloon. Earlier that day, the man, Howie Keeler got roaring drunk and had shot an innocent Indian woman who was just walking along the street. The drunk had gone into the Altamont Saloon and continued drinking. Howie had bragged loudly how he had shot down a \u201cdirty squaw.\u201d When Barbara argued with him, Keeler had cursed at the saloon owner and tried to strike her. The piano player, Turner Van Zant, and Cosmo the burly bartender had tossed him out the door.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Shortly after dark, Keeler was found dead in the alley. He had been shot at close rang right in the heart by a small caliber bullet. Miss Barbara was immediately arrested and the new circuit judge, Jacob Marsden, had arrived a week later for the trial.
\n\u201dRoy wired the Major at Fort Mead to send some troops around and he refused, claiming they were too busy and he was too short-handed. Your Pa almost put his fist through the wall when he read that wire, Adam. It\u2019s that Major Chadwick\u2019s job to protect this area of the territory. Roy was fit to be tied too.\u201d
\n\u201dThe Major refused? He can\u2019t do that!\u201d Adam exclaimed. \u201cNot with the Indians threatening to attack.\u201d
\n\u201dChadwick claims he don\u2019t have the men. Levi managed to get help from Fort Channing. The Major there is going to send a detachment of men, but they won\u2019t be here for a few days and Roy and your pa are afraid some of them drunks and yahoos might disrupt the trial or try to stir up an attack on the Indians or go out for Miss Barbara. Things look pretty explosive\u2026 sort of like a tinder dry prairie during a drought with a lightning storm brewing up on the mountains. One flash and the whole place can go up.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hays walked over to the gun case near the stairs. He started pulling out rifles and loading them. \u201cYour Pa said to come armed and I should make sure the hands were ready for trouble here too.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam nodded. \u201cSounds like this is a pretty bad situation.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cThey say the dead squaw was Ka-Pusta\u2019s sister and he\u2019s out to take revenge. I\u2019ll make sure your brothers are safe with Rebecca and my children while you are gone. That is what your Pa told me to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam pulled down his rifle and started loading it. \u201cI can ride out in about a half hour.\u201d
\nHays frowned and continued loading a rifle. \u201cAdam, just be careful. It takes an awful lot to shake up your Pa and I never saw him this vexed.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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

 <\/p>\n

The endless night dragged on.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

They had all drunk more than their share of coffee. Other than Adam, none of them could sleep from the tension and anticipation of the impending danger. Just before midnight, young Adam had sagged down at Roy\u2019s desk and fallen asleep with his head on the desk.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Leaning his rifle against the wall, Ben took down the lantern from the black iron hook. He pulled a match from the pocket of his leather vest, and scratched it across the stucco wall. It flared up immediately, throwing a bit of amber light into the darkness of the cell area. He stood for a moment, one hand against the wall, the other holding the glass lantern chimney up. He carefully lit the wick and watched it blaze up. \u201cTell me more about you, Miss Barbara.\u201d
\nThe back of the sheriff\u2019s office was chilly. Ben opened up the door of the iron pot bellied stove and stoked the fire.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is it that you want to know, Mr. Cartwright? Is it all right if I call you Benjamin?\u201d Barbara Gillete raised her eyes to look up at him from where she was sitting on the lumpy cot. She felt much more comfortable and safe with the tall, handsome rancher nearby. The streets outside were still quiet but she knew the crowd might reappear at any moment to carry her off.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Sheriff Coffee had left the cell door unlocked and wide open so that Barbara would not be trapped if the worst happened, if the lynch mob broke into the jail.\u00a0 Roy had told her to run out the back into the alley or even the \u00a0front door if she had to.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In the adjoining room, Cartwright\u2019s oldest son, Adam was awkwardly sleeping at Sheriff Coffee\u2019s desk. The boy had his dark head pillowed on his arms and his pistol lying nearby on a stack of wanted posters. Barbara could see Levi Victor nervously peering out the window behind the desk.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cMay I call you Benjamin?\u201d she said softly. He wanted to know more about her life. She was more used to being in the company of men who wanted to talk about themselves. They either wanted to drunkenly brag about themselves or cry miserably on her soft, bare shoulder. Men were rarely interested in her other than physically and then they left. This gentlemanly cowboy was very different from the hordes of rough men who usually frequented the Altamont Saloon and sought the company of Miss Barbara Gillette and her girls.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cMay I call you Benjamin?\u201d Barbara repeated cautiously, watching him walk towards where she was sitting in the cell. He leaned his rifle against the wall.
\nBen smiled warmly at her question. Marie had called him Benjamin. \u201cNot too many people call me that. Usually it is Ben, or Mr. Cartwright\u2026my three boys call me Pa. I hear that quite a bit of late. Pa this, Pa that. My wife died a few months ago and it has been hard for the three of them to loose their mother so suddenly. For all of us.\u201d He paused and looked at her soft brown eyes watching him. He stopped talking for a minute realizing he was running on like a callow schoolboy. \u201dEnough about me and my boys and the Ponderosa, Miss Gillette. But most people call me Ben.\u201d
\n\u201dWhat you would prefer? Ben?\u201d
\n\u201dBenjamin is fine too. I would sort of like that. Benjamin.\u201d It was nice to hear a woman\u2019s voice say his name with such a friendly, musical lilt in her voice.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cBenjamin,\u201d Barbara repeated. She patted the cot next to her. \u201cCome sit down next to me. You look quite tired and it is going to be a long night.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben walked into the cell and sat down on the edge of the cot.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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

 <\/p>\n

\u201cNobody told me that the road would be easy \u2026 that my life wouldn\u2019t be so terribly difficult. But I was completely devastated that he brought me this far just to send me away again,\u201d Barbara told Ben softly. She had been telling Ben Cartwright how she came to be in Virginia City. Like many others in town, she had been brought up back east, in Pennsylvania. She had fallen in love with a medical student in her hometown and he had joined the Army as a surgeon with a cavalry unit after he graduated. The little potbellied stove had warmed up the cell area and Barbara had removed the severely tailored jacket of her black velvet suit and folded it neatly across the foot of the cot. The blouse she wore underneath was softly shirred cream-colored silk that flattered her graceful throat and showed off her well-rounded figure. Barbara\u2019s father, a tailor, had given his wholehearted approval for their marriage shortly before he died. \u201cMy father was very fond of Dr. Morton. Papa was sure he would take good care of his only daughter. I had just turned nineteen and thought I was quite grown up. About eight months after Father died, Dr. Morton sent for my mother and me. We were to come west and the wedding would be where he was stationed. Nonnie and I would live with my husband at Fort Mead.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cNonnie?\u201d Ben asked softly.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201c I call my mother Nonnie. My husband would make a career with the military for a few years. If he liked it, he would stay on with the army. If not, we could settle in one of the growing towns out here and he could be able to start a medical practice anywhere he wanted. I would be an officer\u2019s wife or a physician\u2019s wife. It was so very exciting. I was going to have a whole new life here in the west.\u201d
\n\u201dThen what happened?\u201d Ben asked. He had moved from sitting up straight on the edge of the cot to leaning his back against the wall more comfortably. The long night was dragging on. Tensions were high and no one but Adam slept. The streets outside were silent and deserted right now. Perhaps they were too quiet. Only a half hour earlier, the group inside the jail house had heard some yelling from the alleyway across the street near the Rusty Bucket Saloon.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Through the doorway Ben could see Roy nervously pacing in his office and eyeing the door. Adam had awakened and was quietly watching for trouble through the barred windows of the Virginia City Sheriff\u2019s office. Levi Victor checked and rechecked the ammunition in each rifle. He was trying to appear nonchalant about this, to seem casually confident, but he had never bargained for this. He had lived quite elegantly in New York, the youngest son of a well-respected judge. He and his wife had only been in Virginia City only two years and never imagined he would be protecting a client from a lynch mob and worrying about an Indian uprising.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

As the night went on, Ben told Miss Barbara how he and his two older boys had come west and how they had built the Ponderosa. He told her about marrying Marie and how happy they all had been when Little Joe was born. Barbara knew that Ben\u2019s beloved wife had died suddenly just before she had come to Virginia City. \u00a0Even though Ben never said as much, she knew that he and his boys were still mourning Marie\u2019s unexpected loss.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cDr. Morton made arrangements for my mother and me to travel out here with a wagon train. One of the other officers, Captain Chadwick, was bringing his fianc\u00e9 and her sister out there too. Irma was her name. She was planning to marry Captain Chadwick. The two officers hired a man to drive our wagon. I don\u2019t recall his name but he was a sturdy, quiet fellow. He was a nice man but he got killed in the fight when the Apaches attacked us. I thought my mother was killed too. Everything happened so fast. It was so terrible.\u201d
\n\u201dApaches?\u201d Ben knew how brutal the Apaches could be to settlers who came into their territory.
\n\u201dThey killed many of the men and set most of the wagons on fire. The Indians took a few of the women hostage. They took me and Irma and her sister. A minister\u2019s wife too. Only Irma and I managed to stay alive. The first week the Apaches killed the other women when they cried or couldn\u2019t keep up or tried to run away. They killed them all. Only Irma and I were left. Just the two of us women survived.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ben poured some water from the tin pitcher in the corner and offered it to Barbara. She took a sip from the cup and continued with her story. \u201cEventually we were brought back to Fort Mead. It was months later. I discovered to my delight that my mother was still alive. All along Nonnie had insisted that I was alive too. My darling mother never gave up hope for me, even though Dr. Henry Morton did.\u201d
\nBen held her hand. \u201dI would never give up hope if one of my boys was missing until I was sure\u2026 I would never give up either. I would search to the ends of the earth for one of my boys.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Barbara smiled. It was clear to her how he adored his beloved sons. She could imagine Ben Cartwright never giving up on his boys, just as her mother never stopped her devotion to her. Even when things got desperate, her mother never stopped loving her.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cMy intended was sure I had been killed by the Apaches. I think he would have found that far more admirable than what had actually occurred while I was in captivity. When I finally got to Fort Mead, Dr. Morton told me to leave. He refused to marry me. My mother found us a place and a few days later, when I had regained my strength, we left the Fort. Chadwick married Irma, but we were told to leave, leave as soon as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ben automatically wrapped his arms around her \u201cHow could that Morton fellow do that? And he was a doctor too!\u201d
\n\u201dHe said that I was damaged goods. Doctor Morton said that he wouldn\u2019t accept delivery of damaged goods.\u201d Barbara held her chin up proudly, but her eyes flashed with the pain of the old hurt.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ben gasped \u201cMy God! You were just a young girl, not a load of merchandise.\u201d
\n\u201dThat was how he felt, Benjamin\u201d She looked at her graceful hands in her lap.
\n\u201dWe can\u2019t choose how we feel, Barbara, but we can choose what we do about it. Had he no heart?\u201d Ben was aghast that any man could be so cruel, so disloyal to a woman he had claimed to love. To Ben Cartwright, love didn\u2019t end so easily.
\n\u201dHe said I was damaged goods,\u201d she repeated softly. She looked right into Ben\u2019s dark eyes. Barbara was absolutely sure that Ben Cartwright would never have behaved as Doctor Henry Morton had behaved.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWeren\u2019t you engaged? Morton had wanted to marry you. He had asked you to come out to the fort to meet him, to be married and become his wife, for better or worse.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Barbara nodded. \u201cBut that was before the Indians. The Apaches took us first. The two of us, Irma and me, and they\u2026\u201d Barbara hesitated to continue with her story. \u201cThey had their way with us. For weeks. Finally we were traded to some Paiutes for some cattle and three horses. They were fine horses we were told.\u201d Miss B smiled despite the sadness of the tale. \u201cWe were considered quite valuable and worth some very fine livestock in payment. One of the men who took us was Ka-Pusta.\u201d
\n\u201dKa-Pusta? The son of the chief? The one they keep chasing?\u201d Ben was amazed that Barbara had known this infamous rebel.
\n\u201dYes,\u201d she whispered softly. \u201cKa-Pusta, the one the cavalry keeps chasing and the same Ka-Pusta that some of the Paiutes want to kill. Ka-Pusta. He protected us from the other Indian men. He kept us safe and even brought us back to the fort. He had traded good livestock for us but returned us to the cavalry. Ka-Pusta didn\u2019t ask for any payment in exchange.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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

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

Ben Cartwright\u00a0 found himself amazingly comfortable and content sitting next to Barbara Gillette on the narrow cot and talking his heartfelt thoughts. He confided his misgivings to Barbara as they sat side by side on the narrow bunk in the jail cell. His thigh felt the pressure of her hip through the soft fabric of her skirt. \u00a0\u201cIt has been a terrible hard year. Maybe the worst time I ever had since we came out here and I don\u2019t know if it is going to get much better for a long time. I\u2019m really not quite sure how I am going to manage if my oldest boy goes off to college… when he goes, I should say. He has his heart set on it.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a smart young fellow, I\u2019ve heard,\u201d Barbara said.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI count on my oldest son Adam a great deal. Probably more than I should.\u201d Ben never had admitted that aloud before, even to Marie.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cHe is a fine boy.\u201d She smiled. \u201cAdam is a brave young man. You must be so proud of him.\u201d
\n\u201dVery proud,\u201d Ben bragged.
\n\u201dIt must be difficult for you to be alone.\u201d
\nBen nodded silently. \u201cI don\u2019t want to be alone, Barbara. Nor do you.\u201d
\nBarbara looked deeply into his sincere eyes and remained silent.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ben swallowed hard and took Barbara\u2019s hand in his. Suddenly he realized he was suggesting they should continue seeing each other when this situation was resolved. He wanted her to marry him, to be his wife. \u201cAll I can really offer is difficult times, Barbara, and my love for you. Things have been really bad for me this year since Marie died. I lost a good part of my herd over this winter and all my boys have been sick. Little Joe is sick right now; he just can\u2019t seem to shake it.\u201d Ben sighed. \u201cJust about the most trying, difficult year I had since I came out here to Nevada Territory.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cBenjamin, any woman with half a brain would rather have difficult times with you than good times with anyone else.\u201d Miss Barbara took both his rough hands between both of hers and gently squeezed them. \u201cYou are a fine gentleman.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He smiled at her compliment. \u201cThank you.\u201d He had forgotten how much he enjoyed the gentle warmth of a woman\u2019s soft hand touching him. \u201cI am not talking about \u2018any woman with half a brain\u2019, Barbara. I am talking about you.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cBut what on earth do I have to offer you, Benjamin? It seems like every time I see you I am in the center of turmoil and you have to ride out and rescue me from a dangerous situation. First, when we met on the road with those awful bandits and then you sent Levi Victor to defend me in court and now\u2026 You and Adam are keeping me safe until the trial finishes. I am just making your life far too complicated. Maybe you would be better off alone then getting involved with a woman like me.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI would rather be beside you in the middle of a storm, a blizzard, in all this turmoil, than all by myself, alone, and safe and warm and calm. Alone is just no good.\u201d Ben shook his head. Hearing his own words out loud, Ben finally acknowledged how terribly desolate he had been since Marie\u2019s sudden death. He been burying his grief working day and night and taking care of his boys as best he could. Many nights he collapsed into his bed too tired to think about how much his missed his beloved Marie and how desperately lonely he was. Spending this time with Barbara, the rancher realized that building the Ponderosa was not enough; raising his boys was not enough and would never be enough for him. He was a man who enjoyed having a woman to share his life with, both good and bad. Ben truly didn\u2019t want to be alone. This is what he hungered for those cold lonely nights since Marie had died. There was not only an empty place beside him in his bed; there was emptiness in his heart. His boys, friends like Roy Coffee and Levi Victor, and working his ranch could keep him busy but not really fill that icy void.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Here, he was sitting close to a woman who stirred his blood in a way that he hadn\u2019t even realized he had even been missing. The nearness of an attractive woman was setting fire to Ben Cartwright. He gently took her hand in his. He turned her face to his and gave Barbara a soft kiss. She didn\u2019t pull away.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201dBut what about your boys, Ben? What about them? You aren\u2019t alone.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Barbara had waited so long for a man like Benjamin Cartwright to come into her life but now her personal situation was far too complicated to seriously consider his offer. She couldn\u2019t allow her past and how she lived her life now to tarnish his fine reputation in Virginia City. He was a gentleman, an important person in Virginia City. He didn\u2019t deserve what would happen if he publicly associated with her.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

For one brief instant, sitting next to Miss Barbara Gillette in the dark jail cell, Ben realized he had completely forgotten all about his sons. He had shocked himself. He was so caught up in enjoying Barbara\u2019 feminine companionship that for the first time since Marie died he hadn\u2019t even thought about his boys for an instant.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Suddenly, there was an angry shout and the crash of breaking wood and shattering glass from outside. A shot was fired, then a second. Ben bolted up and grabbed his rifle.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYou think we are going to have real bad trouble?\u201d Adam asked Roy and Levi Victor.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cBenjamin?\u201d Barbara\u2019s voice trembled. \u201cBe careful. Don\u2019t get yourself killed. I\u2019m not worth it.\u201d
\n\u201dDon\u2019t say that, Barbara!\u201d Ben slid his pistol from his gun belt and handed it to her. \u201cUse this if you have too.\u201d She stood alone in the middle of the cell and watched his retreating back as he cautiously walked out of the cell area into the sheriff\u2019s office.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cSounds like trouble is here if we want it or not,\u201d Roy Coffee sighed. \u201cBen, I sent one of your men riding off to see if he could catch up with that cavalry unit and get them up here as fast as he can.\u201d
\n\u201dThat leaves us one man short,\u201d Adam said nervously.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI know it does but we didn\u2019t have much choice, son. We can\u2019t let this situation start trouble with the Paiutes,\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Levi Victor took a shotgun and nervously followed the sheriff out into the street. He had never expected to be defending a client in this manner when he left New York City. The nervous attorney prayed they would all be safe there until this was over.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ben stood facing the doorway, his back to the cell area. He had put himself between Barbara and the entrance into the sheriff\u2019s office. He headed for the front door to face the angry lynch mob that was approaching the jail.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cPa, it\u2019s not right. Miss Barbara didn\u2019t ask for this.\u201d Adam looked past his father at the pale frightened woman standing shaking in the cell. The hand holding Ben\u2019s gun was hidden in the folds of her ebony velvet skirt.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201dThere\u2019s always a possibility of trouble whether you ask for it or not, son. Maybe it is just better to face up to it now. You watch that side of the street over there. Just like we discussed.\u201d Ben opened the door slightly and stepped out in front of the sheriff\u2019s office to stand next to Sheriff Roy Coffee and Levi Victor.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cSheriff, you better give us that woman!\u201d an angry man demanded.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Slowly, Ben levered a bullet into the rifle. He hoped he wouldn\u2019t have to use it, but he wanted to be ready to shoot if he had to.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYou figure you can shoot us all, Cartwright?\u201d the ringleader shouted.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYou and Levi can\u2019t get all of us!\u201d Deke Glen shouted.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam stepped out and stood beside his father. He was almost as tall as Ben but not quite as broad. He raised his rifle and aimed it at Deke.
\n\u201dHold your fire, son,\u201d Ben said softly. \u201cWait until I give the signal.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cJust give us Barbara Gillette and we\u2019ll let you all go!\u201d one man shrilly demanded from the back of the crowd. \u201cShe killed Howie Keeler and we are gonna string her up!\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYou men just get movin\u2019!\u201d Roy Coffee ordered. A whiskey bottle flew from the back of the crowd and struck Roy in his head. He fell to the ground, blood streaming from his wound.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Levi Victor fired his shotgun over the heads of the lynch mob. \u201cThis one is over your heads, boys, but the next one will be hitting flesh!\u201d He hoped the miners didn\u2019t see his hands shaking. The only time he had ever fired a rifle was back in New York when he rode on a fox hunt with a Columbia College classmate. He hadn\u2019t hit anything except once when he accidentally fired his rifle and hit a tree. Roy told him to use the shotgun, as he didn\u2019t have to aim very well to hit something or someone.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ben immediately took charge. \u201cGet moving!\u201d the rancher shouted forcefully. \u201cGo home, all of you. Let the court finish this trial legally.\u201d There was no way he would ever allow the men to harm Barbara. He glanced down at Roy Coffee lying bloody at his feet. Shattered glass littered the wooden sidewalk. Roy moaned softly and seemed to be regaining consciousness. His hand went to the gash in his head. \u201cStay steady,\u201d Ben calmly urged Adam and Levi. \u201cStay steady.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Deke shouted. \u201cYou men can\u2019t take on all of us.\u201d He waved his pistol in the air. \u201cGive us Barbara Gillette, now!\u201d
\nBen looked directly at him unblinking. His voice rumbled with authority. \u201cMaybe I can\u2019t get all of you. But I can shoot you first and he\u2019s next.\u201d Ben pointed his rifle barrel directly at Deke\u2019s brother, Dexter. \u201cAfter that, do you really care much what happens?\u201d Ben held his breath and stared defiantly at Deke Glen.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam prayed that the crowd listened to what his father had said. He glanced sideways at Ben, watching for a signal. Then he quickly shifted his gaze back at the unruly crowd and the side of the street his father had ordered him to watch.
\nDeke lowered his gun. \u201cLet\u2019s go,boys, \u201d he sneered to the rest of the men. They turned and started to walk back down the dark, empty street.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

As suddenly as it had started, the crowd had quickly receded. As Ben described it years later, the confrontation was like a sea squall, a big blast of bad weather and then sudden, dead calm silence, no wind, and flat, dead seas.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cAdam, help me get Roy inside,\u201d Levi directed as Ben kept his rifle on the men\u2019s receding backs. Cartwright stood resolutely. He stared unblinkingly at the angry miners, his finger steady on the trigger.Levi\u2019s hands were shaking but he could see Ben\u2019s stance was as firm as granite.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYes sir.\u201d Adam helped the sheriff to his feet. Roy leaned his weight on the boy and stumbled inside. Blood was running down Coffee\u2019s pale face from the gash in his forehead.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWe did it, Ben,\u201d Levi smiled proudly. \u201cThey are gone. It\u2019s all over.\u201d The ragtag mob had turned tail and dispersed into the shadows.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ben nodded. \u201cIt\u2019s all over.\u201d He watched the suddenly deserted street for a minute and then turned and walked into the sheriff\u2019s office.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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


\n<\/strong>Neither one of them wanted to be the first to say “goodbye”, so neither one did. Neither wanted to end what was going on but both Ben Cartwright and Barbara Gillette knew it would not be simple to continue what a begun between them. Her life was far too complicated to draw in Ben Cartwright she insisted.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He knew she was probably right.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t make you love me if you don\u2019t.\u201d Ben paused hoping she would give him the answer he wanted. He desperately wanted Barbara to throw her arms around his neck and exclaim that things would work out. He wanted her to tell him that there was no complication that they couldn’t defeat together. He wanted her to say she would not wait for Ka-Pusta to return, that she loved only Ben Cartwright, not Ka-Pusta. He longed for her to tell him that she loved him just as he had realized that he loved her.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t make your heart feel something that it won\u2019t feel for me.\u201d Ben sighed pulling her close to him. \u201cWhat if I gave you more time to think? What was that word you use? To \u2018process\u2019 this situation, to sort things through?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

They stood silently, staring into each other\u2019s eyes, holding on to each other. Ben could feel the rhythm of her heart beating like a drum as he held her for one last time. Barbara pulled from his arms.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cBarbara, we can do this, together. We can make a life together on the Ponderosa.\u201d
\nShe shook her head. \u201cJust because we can do something doesn\u2019t mean we should. Benjamin, I can\u2019t just be a rancher\u2019s wife. You are a good man. A proper, fine gentleman. I can\u2019t do this to you or to your sons. You are part of this community. Virginia City is building into a really fine town, not an uncivilized fork in the dusty frontier trail. You need a fine, proper lady for a wife, one who can stand beside you, not someone who will cause your children terrible pain.\u201d
\n\u201dPain? Barbara, you would never be cruel to my sons. You would never hurt my boys…\u201d Ben started not completely understanding when she was saying.
\n\u201dYour boys shouldn\u2019t be the subjects of hateful gossip and vicious looks each time they walked into the Mercantile or go to the school or you all sit down in church.\u201d
\n\u201dHow can you say that….?\u201d Ben tried to interrupt her.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

She put her finger on his lips to silence his argument. \u201cThere is no way this will ever work out, Benjamin. This is not a fairy tale. It is real life. And life doesn\u2019t always work out fairly or happily ever after!\u201d Barbara said firmly.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWe can try!\u201d Ben argued. He had never been dissuaded by anything difficult. Life was hard but he was a determined man and willing to face the challenges.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not Marie,\u201d Barbara whispered. She had heard all about beautiful Marie Cartwright from Levi and others in town. She had heard from Roy Coffee how Ben\u2019s late wife was graceful and clever and adored by all who knew her. Levi Victor even told Barbara how Ben despaired when his beloved wife died. \u201cI\u2019m not your Marie.\u201d Barbara repeated softly.
\nBen pulled her closer to him. \u201cNo, you are not Marie. You are Barbara Gillette. I am not expecting you to be Marie.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cBen, I have a past that would make life difficult for us\u2026\u201d she started.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cHanging on to the past just stands in our way,\u201d Ben argued. \u201cWe both have pasts.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cBut the past is sometimes our present,\u201d Barbara answered enigmatically. She rested her cheek on his broad shoulder as he held her close in his arms.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d Ben smoothed his hand slowly though her long loose hair.
\n\u201dI still love Ka-Pusta; I always will\u2026\u201d she said softly.
\n\u201dI\u2019ll always love my boy\u2019s mothers, also,\u201d Ben started to respond. Perhaps the main reason he was so anxious to have another woman in his life was the fact that he did love his late wives so much and sorely missed that part of his life.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cBenjamin, your wives are dead. Ka-Pusta is still alive. He is going to come back for me. He promised me.\u201d
\n\u201dCome back for you? Come back here, to Virginia City for you, Barbara?\u201d Ben was astonished he had not really understood the depth of the relationship Barbara had shared with Ka-Pusta. \u201cYou haven\u2019t seen him in years!\u201d
\n\u201dNo, you are wrong. I saw him not very long ago, here in Virginia City. The Indian woman Keeler shot was Ka-Pusta\u2019s sister. I\u2019m certain he knows what happened. He will be back for me. Ka-Pusta is not dead. He\u2019s coming back for me.\u201d Only Levi Victor had known of her connection to the rogue Indian. Barbara had told him in confidence and Levi kept that secret.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

And now Ben Cartwright knew this secret as well.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ben was silent. His Marie was dead; she could never come back. Ka-Pusta was alive and could return. Perhaps he would and Barbara was going to await his return.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve made up my mind. I thank you for all you and Adam have done for me these last few days. I truly do. Far more than you will ever know.\u201d Barbara looked directly into Ben\u2019s sad dark eyes.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

They heard footsteps behind them. \u201cGot some papers for you to sign, Miss Gillette. Then you can go on home.\u201d Roy Coffee interrupted. Adam had done a good job of bandaging his head while Mr. Victor\u00a0 had written up the legal documents.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cThank you, sheriff.\u201d Barbara walked silently to the outer office where Levi Victor waited to escort her back to the Altamont Saloon.
\n\u201dShe told you, Ben. Don\u2019t go chasing waterfalls,\u201d Roy Coffee said as he put his hand on his friend\u2019s shoulder. \u201cYou and Adam can head on home now. I\u2019m sure your other two boys miss you quite a bit.\u201d
\nBen nodded silently.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYou know how Little Joe gets when his Pa is gone for too long,\u201d Roy reminded him.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam agreed. \u201cLittle Joe has a real bad time. We better ride out, Pa.\u201d Adam really wanted to get to the Ponderosa and make sure his brothers were safe at the Newkirks.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Barbara had turned her back to Ben as she signed the release papers Levi had brought to her. She had already made her decision.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cJudge ruled that Howie Keeler died from natural causes,\u201d Levi smiled proudly.
\nRoy laughed, thinking of the bullet hole in the Keeler\u2019s chest. \u201cLead poisoning?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cLead poisoning? Who knows, who cares. Barbara is free and the cavalry made sure there was no trouble with the Indians.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s ride out, Adam.\u201d Ben said reluctantly, putting his hand on Adam\u2019s shoulder.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201dYou sure, Pa?\u201d The boy looked from his father\u2019s sad face to Sheriff Coffee.<\/p>\n

\u201dYou heard your Pa, boy. Go home to your little brothers,\u201d Levi directed. He watched as the father and son walked out the front door of the Virginia City Sheriff\u2019s office leaving Miss Barbara Gillette behind.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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

 <\/p>\n

Tags:\u00a0 Adam Cartwright,\u00a0Ben Cartwright,\u00a0Hoss Cartwright,\u00a0Indians,\u00a0Joe \/ Little Joe Cartwright,\u00a0rustlers,\u00a0Trial<\/p>\n

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

Summary: Between the trial and Paiutes, tensions are running high in and around Virginia City.<\/p>\n

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