Summary:\u00a0 WHN for Desert Justice.\u00a0 Adam and Hoss accompanied Dave Walker to Los Angeles to make sure their friend arrived alive for trial.\u00a0 When Walker escapes from jail, Marshal Emmett Dowd enlists the Cartwrights’ help to track Walker down.<\/p>\n
Word Count: 5437<\/p>\n
Rating: T<\/p>\n
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, setting, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Mission<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam signed the guest register at the hotel then drummed his fingers on the counter while he waited for the room key.<\/p>\n \u201cNevada, huh?\u00a0 You\u2019re a far piece from home,\u201d said the clerk.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d was Adam\u2019s response.\u00a0 He knew his voice sounded as irritable as he felt.\u00a0 He and Hoss had spent a couple of days traveling by stagecoach from Virginia City to Los Angeles to make sure one of their hands, Dave Walker, made it alive.\u00a0 When Marshal Dowd had arrived on the Ponderosa, he\u2019d made it clear he preferred Walker dead.\u00a0 Adam and Hoss had accompanied Dave to make sure the marshal didn\u2019t dispose of his prisoner, since he\u2019d beaten Dave once the man was handcuffed and locked up in jail.\u00a0 It was only at the remote stage station on the journey that Dave had showed his true colors by conning a young lady, Andrea Strasser, into removing his chains then trying to escape.\u00a0 Adam knew at that moment Dave had to be guilty of the charges and brought in for trial.<\/p>\n \u201cAnything else I can do for you, Mr. Cartwright?\u201d the clerk asked as he handed over the key.<\/p>\n \u201cMy brother will be joining me.\u00a0 He\u2019s a big man with a big hat.\u00a0 There\u2019s no mistaking anyone else for him.\u00a0 Just send him up when he arrives.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAre you expecting any bags, Mr. Cartwright?\u201d asked the clerk.<\/p>\n Adam stopped on the stairs.\u00a0 \u201cNo.\u00a0 We\u2019re traveling light.\u201d<\/p>\n He entered the room and took in its shabby furnishings before hanging his hat on a peg near the wash stand.\u00a0 The water in the basin was tepid but he cleaned the dust from his face.\u00a0 Afterwards, he sat on one of the beds and ran a hand through his hair.<\/p>\n The marshal had been left with broken ribs and a broken collar bone when Dave\u2019s accomplice ran the stage horses out of the barn.\u00a0 Upon arriving in Los Angeles, Adam had agreed to help the marshal get Dave from the station to the jail.\u00a0 Afterwards, Adam had gone to the lawyer\u2019s office to get back the one thousand dollars his father had wired for Dave\u2019s defense.\u00a0 Adam figured there was no point in wasting the money on defending a man he didn\u2019t want back at the Ponderosa.\u00a0 He had accompanied the lawyer to the bank and then to the telegraph office to let his father know the lawyer\u2019s services were no longer needed.<\/p>\n While Adam had taken care of business, Hoss had escorted Dr. Strasser and his daughter to the dock to board their ship.\u00a0 That had been hours ago.\u00a0 Adam figured Hoss was holed up in a cantina eating all the beans the place could cook up.<\/p>\n Adam was on the verge of sleep when Hoss entered the room.<\/p>\n Hoss tossed his hat on the bed, and set two brown bottles down on the washstand.\u00a0 \u201cMiss Strasser and her pa are on the boat.\u00a0 Sure hope this trip won\u2019t leave a bad taste in their mouths for America.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. \u201cIt\u2019ll give them something to talk about when they return to Austria.\u00a0 What\u2019s in the bottles?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHair tonic.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy did you waste your money on that?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n Hoss squinted at his reflection in the scratched-up mirror.\u00a0 \u201cI saw a good-sized crowd on the way back from the dock and stopped to see what was goin\u2019 on.\u00a0 Turns out it was a medicine show.\u201d\u00a0 He turned his head this way and that, studying the barren pasture on his head.\u00a0 \u201cThat dadburned medicine drummer promised this tonic will make hair sprout up in a week or so.\u00a0 He even said to keep it away from ladies \u2018cause it\u2019ll grow hair on their chests.\u201d\u00a0 He studied the label, which showed a man with a magnificent mane of flowing hair.\u00a0 \u201cI reckon when God created us Cartwrights he saved up all the hair for Little Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n Giving up on his hair for a moment, Hoss pulled a small book from his vest pocket.\u00a0 \u201cThe drummer threw this here book in for free.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss read the cover.\u00a0 \u201c\u2019The True Story of Life in the Garden of Eden by Adam, the First Man.\u2019\u00a0 That drummer said it was an honest-to-God diary, kept by Adam, long sought after by folks wantin\u2019 to know about him and Eve\u2019s life before they were cast out.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam snorted.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s the same noise a feller behind me made.\u00a0 Turns out he was a reverend and he done threatened to stone both the drummer and me for blasphemy.\u00a0 I figured I ought to get away from there before the reverend found a rock and tried his aim.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMissing you would be like missing the side of a barn,\u201d said Adam.<\/p>\n Hoss nodded and forgot about the bottles and book.\u00a0 He sat down heavily on the opposite bed.<\/p>\n \u201cAdam, if you\u2019d known Dave was guilty of the crimes Marshal Dowd accused him of, would you have defended him?\u00a0 Would you have insisted on going along to make sure the marshal didn\u2019t kill him on the way?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDowd hid behind the power of his badge.\u201d\u00a0 Adam rubbed his earlobe between his thumb and forefinger for a moment as he thought. \u00a0He shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cIf Dave hadn\u2019t been a friend, I don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah.\u00a0 I suppose it would\u2019ve been different if we hadn\u2019t known Dave.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss scratched his head, causing wispy hair to stand up like the straw Adam and Dave had been forking into the wagon when Marshal Dowd had arrived on the Ponderosa.<\/p>\n A few minutes of silence passed between the men.<\/p>\n Adam tugged off a boot.\u00a0 \u201cGuess we should get some sleep.\u00a0 Pa will expect us back home within a week.\u00a0 Or sooner.\u201d\u00a0 He turned his back on his brother and tried to settle in on the much-worn mattress.\u00a0 \u201cYou gonna be up all night reading that?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNah,\u201d said Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cOnly \u2018til it gets to Adam\u2019s recollections about Eve.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam Cartwright sighed through his nose and closed his eyes.<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n Adam grabbed for his gun belt as pounding on the door threatened to separate it from the frame.<\/p>\n \u201cWho is it?\u201d he yelled in his gruffest voice.<\/p>\n \u201cDowd.\u00a0 Walker\u2019s escaped.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam turned up the lamp as Hoss sat up rubbing the sleep out of one eye.\u00a0 Adam draped his gun belt over his shoulder but kept his pistol in hand as he opened the door.<\/p>\n \u201cCome in before you wake everyone up.\u201d<\/p>\n A disheveled Dowd stepped into the room.\u00a0 His half-buttoned shirt had been hastily yanked over his head and his craggy face still bore the stubble of the stage ride from Virginia City.<\/p>\n \u201cSheriff Thompson won\u2019t give Walker a chance.\u00a0 Folks around here mete out their idea of justice at the end of ropes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy brother and I don\u2019t know this country,\u201d said Adam.\u00a0 \u201cIf the sheriff has gathered a posse and is already on Dave\u2019s trail, we\u2019ll be searching for a needle in a haystack while they\u2019re stringing him up.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA lawman walks a thin line between murder and justice.\u00a0 You showed me killing Walker would make me just like him\u2014a cold-blooded murderer.\u201d\u00a0 Dowd reached into his shirt and adjusted the sling that took pressure off his broken collarbone.\u00a0 \u201cChances are Walker\u2019s headed south.\u00a0 For the Mexican border.\u00a0 It\u2019s rough country so the posse won\u2019t make good time, even with a head start.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNeither will Dave,\u201d Hoss muttered.<\/p>\n Adam paced from one side of the room to the other before stopping in front of Dowd.\u00a0 \u201cDoesn\u2019t John Forster live in these parts?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe does – at the old mission at San Juan Capistrano.\u00a0 You know him?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOur pa does,\u201d said Adam.\u00a0 \u201cHe met him through my grandfather, a New England sea captain.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow far a ride you figure it\u2019d be to the mission?\u201d asked Hoss.<\/p>\n The marshal scratched his stubbled chin.\u00a0 \u201cA hard day\u2019s ride on the stage road.\u00a0 I figure Walker\u2019s likely to lead the posse on a merry chase into the mountains but, if you can get to the old Capistrano mission, Forster might outfit you and lend you some men.\u00a0 Despite being English, Forster has no love for Anglo law, probably because his wife is Mexican and his brother-in-law is the governor.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam raised an eyebrow as he tugged on a boot.<\/p>\n \u201cHow do you figure we\u2019ll get there?\u201d asked Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cWe don\u2019t have horses.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve outfitted two from my string.\u00a0 They\u2019re out back.\u201d\u00a0 Dowd adjusted his slinged arm again.\u00a0 \u201cThe livery man didn\u2019t ask many questions as he saddled them.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAre you planning to deputize me again?\u00a0 Or is it still good?\u201d asked Adam.<\/p>\n Dowd shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cIf you can hold Walker, I\u2019ll take him into custody.\u00a0 I\u2019ll take the stage to Capistrano.\u00a0 It leaves at eight and will get there this evening.\u00a0 I won\u2019t be much help tracking Walker down but I\u2019ll make sure he gets back to Los Angeles for trial.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat about Forster?\u201d asked Adam.\u00a0 \u201cYou said he doesn\u2019t think highly of the legal system.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll worry about that,\u201d said Dowd.\u00a0 He set a large hand on Adam\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cJust bring Walker back.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss dithered over the bottles of hair tonic and his book.\u00a0 He finally squirreled the book in the inside pocket of his vest and ignored the bottles as he followed Adam out the door.<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n The horses were lathered in sweat by the time Adam and Hoss reached the old Mission San Juan Capistrano.\u00a0 They\u2019d been tempted to stop in the nearby pueblo to wash the grit from their mouths with a cool beer and a plate of beans but they didn\u2019t want to lose any time they might have gained on the sheriff and his posse.<\/p>\n Adam and Hoss approached the old mission with caution.\u00a0 They were met with suspicious looks from two men branding a calf at a firepit in the yard.\u00a0 One of the vaqueros yelled a command and a girl set down a watering can and ran for the house.\u00a0 Adam hoped their father\u2019s name would gain them an audience with the formidable Englishman, Don Juan Forster.<\/p>\n A man clad in simple clothes but with an air of dignity met them at the door.\u00a0 After Adam invoked the don\u2019s name, the man led them into a room with a large desk, shelves of books, and two leather chairs separated by a side table.\u00a0 The man spoke in Spanish to a gray-haired man sitting in one of the chairs.<\/p>\n Adam spoke without waiting for an acknowledgement.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m Adam Cartwright and this is my brother, Hoss.\u00a0 Our father is Ben Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n John Forster set his glass of brandy down on the side table and studied the two strangers before him.\u00a0 He steepled his fingers as he looked them over.\u00a0 \u201cYou have the look of Ben Cartwright,\u201d he said, pointing at Adam with both forefingers.\u00a0 \u201cYou,\u201d he said gesturing at Hoss, \u201cdo not.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re half-brothers,\u201d said Adam.\u00a0 \u201cMy mother was from New England; my brother\u2019s mother was from Sweden.\u201d<\/p>\n Forster tilted his head as he continued studying the two men.\u00a0 \u201cNew England?\u00a0 You are Abel Stoddard\u2019s grandson?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam smiled and held back a sigh of relief.\u00a0 \u201cYes, sir.\u00a0 Did you know him?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI met him when I sailed for my uncle.\u00a0 Our paths crossed several times.\u00a0 That\u2019s also how I met your father.\u00a0 When he was employed by your grandfather.\u201d\u00a0 Forster visibly relaxed and picked up his glass.\u00a0 \u201cHow is that old seadog, your grandfather?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam looked down at the floor and blinked several times before meeting Forster\u2019s gaze again.\u00a0 \u201cMy grandfather died a few years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry to hear that,\u201d said Forster.\u00a0 \u201cHe was a good man.\u201d\u00a0 He took a sip of brandy and set the glass back down on the table before getting to his feet.\u00a0 \u201cWhat is it I can do for you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOne of our hands was brought to Los Angeles to stand trial for the murder of a paymaster and a marshal\u2019s wife.\u201d<\/p>\n Forster nodded.\u00a0 \u201cAh, yes.\u00a0 David Walker.\u00a0 If he\u2019d killed my wife, I would have had him executed.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam traded a look with Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s what Marshal Dowd had in mind when he tracked Walker to the Ponderosa.\u201d<\/p>\n A young woman tapped against the door then entered with a tray bearing glasses and a pitcher of water.\u00a0 Forster thanked her after the glasses were served then he dismissed her with a wave.<\/p>\n \u201cMy wife is visiting her brother, General Pico, and I am accustomed to her seeing to our guests\u2019 refreshment.\u00a0 Fortunately, she has trained our servants well.\u201d\u00a0 Forster sipped from his glass as he studied his guests.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy is it you wish my help to find Walker?\u00a0 He\u2019s committed no crime against you or your family.\u00a0 How is it you are involved with this matter?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe didn\u2019t know Walker was a wanted man when he hired on at the Ponderosa,\u201d said Adam.\u00a0 \u201cMy brother and I escorted him on the stage to make sure he would get a trial.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy not let the law in Los Angeles track him down?\u201d asked Forster.<\/p>\n \u201cI fear the sheriff will kill him rather than bring him back for trial,\u201d said Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf he were sentenced to serve time in prison, that would be no guarantee that justice was done.\u00a0 Men have been known to serve their sentences then resume a life of killing once freed.\u00a0 Would it not be better for everyone if the sheriff tracked down Walker and killed him?\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss and Adam traded an uneasy glance.<\/p>\n \u201cMr. Forster,\u201d said Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cIt ain\u2019t right for one man to be judge and jury.\u201d<\/p>\n Forster walked over to the window and gazed at his vaqueros\u2019 sons playing in the yard.\u00a0 \u201cI am the law here.\u00a0 My hands and the people of Capistrano trust me to see justice done.\u00a0 If someone commits a crime, he is brought to me and I decide what his punishment will be.\u201d\u00a0 He turned back to his guests.\u00a0 \u201cHowever, I acknowledge times have changed since California entered the United States and the law to which I was accustomed to enforcing is not always in agreement with the law of our larger country.\u201d\u00a0 He turned to face his guests. \u201cWhat is it you wish of me?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam suppressed the urge to sigh in relief.\u00a0 \u201cMarshal Dowd told us you might outfit us with horses more suitable for the terrain.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe posse you spoke of will need a distraction.\u00a0 I\u2019ll see to it they are diverted.\u201d<\/p>\n Forster crossed the room and poked his head out of the door, speaking in Spanish.\u00a0 Hoss gave Adam a confident nod, sure that whatever orders Forster had given would be carried out without question.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ll spend the night.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam realized it wasn\u2019t a question but a command.<\/p>\n \u201cMarshal Dowd is on the stage for Capistrano,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cHe said he\u2019d take custody of Walker once we find him and make sure Dave gets back to Los Angeles for trial.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cVery well,\u201d said Forster.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll tell one of my men to wait at the station for his arrival and escort him to one of the inns in Capistrano.\u00a0 Dowd will be brought here in the morning, before you leave.\u201d<\/p>\n Forster extended an arm in welcome and ushered his guests into the large entry.\u00a0 He gave instructions to a servant who muttered but did as told.\u00a0 The only words Adam distinctly heard were \u201cLa Se\u00f1ora.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPlease excuse me while I make sure all is ready for company.\u201d<\/p>\n Another servant escorted Adam and Hoss to a large room with two beds.\u00a0 \u201cGuess it ain\u2019t their best room, but it looks right homey,\u201d said Hoss as he took in the quilts on the beds and a painting of a desert sunset on the wall.<\/p>\n A young woman brought in a washbowl and towels then said a few words before leaving.<\/p>\n Hoss looked into the bowl after the woman left.\u00a0 He wrinkled up his nose at the sight of pink rose petals floating in the water.\u00a0 He plucked up one and asked, \u201cYou suppose she\u2019s givin\u2019 us a hint we stink?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam brushed at the dust on his clothes and hoped he\u2019d be presentable for supper.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d say it\u2019s more than a hint.\u201d<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n The rose water had only been the beginning.\u00a0 Hot baths were drawn for Adam and Hoss and ill-fitting clothes were provided.<\/p>\n Supper had been multiple courses followed by dessert and glasses of port.\u00a0 Forster regaled his guests with reminiscences of Abel Stoddard and spoke of the man with great feeling in his voice.\u00a0 Adam appreciated the stories of his grandfather but was eager to pick up Dave\u2019s trail.<\/p>\n When they returned to their room, their trail clothes were laid out on the beds.\u00a0 The garments had been brushed free of dust and looked presentable.<\/p>\n \u201cSounded like your granddad left a big impression on Mr. Forster,\u201d said Hoss.<\/p>\n Adam nodded.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d thought of my grandfather as larger than life, from the stories Pa told about him when I was a boy.\u00a0 When I went to college back East and finally got to meet him, he wasn\u2019t the giant I\u2019d thought him to be.\u00a0 Just a man.\u201d\u00a0 Adam set his boots by the bedside and said, \u201cTimes changed for him, too, and I think he\u2019d had a hard time adjusting.\u00a0 Kind of like our host.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGuess we\u2019d best get some sleep,\u201d said Hoss.\u00a0 He stretched his arms wide, happy to be free of the shirt he\u2019d feared he\u2019d rip if he stood up straight or reached too far during supper.<\/p>\n \u201cYou got to the part about Eve yet?\u201d asked Adam as Hoss set the book by the washbowl.<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u00a0 That first Adam sure seemed to spend a lot of time fishing.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam suppressed a laugh and hoped for a good night\u2019s sleep.<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n In the morning, Adam and Hoss were permitted to inspect several horses before choosing their mounts.\u00a0 Food and boxes of ammunition were stuffed into saddlebags.<\/p>\n Forster returned to his house as Adam and Hoss gave their mounts one last check.<\/p>\n Dowd entered the yard as Hoss and Adam led the horses to the hitching rail.<\/p>\n Hoss looked the lawman over. \u201cYour arm up to this?\u201d<\/p>\n The marshal shrugged his good shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d rather bide my time in a cantina, waiting for you to bring Walker in trussed up like a Christmas goose.\u201d\u00a0 He added, \u201cI\u2019ll keep up,\u201d at a skeptical look from Adam.<\/p>\n Dowd gritted his teeth against the pain as three men began their journey.<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n They rode along the foothills rather than into the mountains.\u00a0 When the sun was straight overhead, they stopped for lunch.<\/p>\n Dowd accepted help getting off the horse and sat heavily on the ground as Hoss handed him a canteen.\u00a0 The marshal took a swig of warm water and then spilled a little into his hand to wipe his face.<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe you should take one of them siestas,\u201d Hoss said as he adjusted the sling holding Dowd\u2019s arm immobile.<\/p>\n Dowd shook his head.<\/p>\n \u201cMight as well argue with a mule,\u201d Adam muttered.\u00a0 He pulled a packet of tamales from his saddlebag and distributed them.<\/p>\n Hoss pried open the cornhusk and inspected the contents with a loud sniff.\u00a0 He took a careful taste and his eyes lit up in delight.\u00a0 \u201cHow come we don\u2019t have these back home?\u201d he asked as he licked his fingers.<\/p>\n Adam shrugged a shoulder but scanned the area while he ate.\u00a0 He glanced over at Dowd and knew the heat was sapping the lawman\u2019s strength.\u00a0 If it came down to a fast ride or a climb into the rocks, they\u2019d have to leave him behind.<\/p>\n As if he\u2019d read Adam\u2019s mind, Dowd lurched to his feet with a groan.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019d best be on our way.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHoss and I can\u2019t watch you and keep an eye out for Dave.\u00a0 Just stay here,\u201d said Adam.<\/p>\n Dowd hauled himself into the saddle and glared at Adam.\u00a0 \u201cDaylight\u2019s burnin\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n The Cartwrights mounted up and the three men headed south at a trot.\u00a0 Dowd did his best to keep up but the jostling was soon too much for his ribs.<\/p>\n \u201cGo on.\u00a0 I won\u2019t be far behind,\u201d said Dowd as he reined his horse to a stop.<\/p>\n Adam turned his horse back and he shot the marshal a skeptical look but preferred not waste his breath arguing.\u00a0 Many a man had made it just on the sheer grit of determination.\u00a0 \u201cFire two rounds and we\u2019ll come back.\u201d<\/p>\n Dowd nodded and nudged his horse to walk.<\/p>\n Adam and Hoss urged their mounts to lope and they were soon nothing more than specks on the shimmering horizon.<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n \u201cYou think we\u2019re in Mexico yet?\u201d asked Hoss after a while of riding in silence.<\/p>\n They slowed their horses to a trot even though the animals still seemed eager to prove their stamina.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re probably still a long way off,\u201d said Adam.<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe we should turn back,\u201d said Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cIf the sheriff and his posse catch up to him and hang him it\u2019s not our fault.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam shifted in the saddle and scratched a bug bite on his cheek.\u00a0 \u201cEvery man deserves his day in court.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEven if we know he\u2019s guilty?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe law gives every man the right to a jury trial.\u00a0 It\u2019s not up to us, or the posse, to deprive Dave of that right.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI reckon so,\u201d muttered Hoss.<\/p>\n Adam\u2019s horse squealed as its legs buckled and Adam threw himself from the saddle to avoid being crushed as the animal went down.<\/p>\n Hoss hit the ground with a heavy thud as the rolling echo of a another shot drifted in the still air.<\/p>\n Adam belly-crawled to Hoss and winced at the sight of the reddening hole on the back of his brother\u2019s vest.\u00a0 Adam pulled his bandanna out of his back pocket and snaked his hand down into Hoss\u2019s shirt to stuff the wad of cloth against the exit wound.<\/p>\n \u201cStay with me,\u201d Adam muttered as he frantically calculated the distance to the rocks.<\/p>\n \u201cJust let me go!\u201d yelled Dave.<\/p>\n Adam checked his brother\u2019s pulse and was satisfied with the steady thump.<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t do that!\u201d<\/p>\n A bullet pinged off of a nearby rock.<\/p>\n \u201cThis isn\u2019t your concern!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re not giving me a choice!\u201d yelled Adam.<\/p>\n Hoss mumbled something and Adam pressed a hand against his brother\u2019s arm.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ll have to kill me, Adam!\u201d yelled Dave. \u00a0\u201cI\u2019m not going back.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll try to make this quick,\u201d Adam whispered.\u00a0 He grabbed Hoss by the legs and dragged him towards the rocks, ignoring his agonized growls.<\/p>\n A bullet kicked up a spray of sand in Adam\u2019s path but he didn\u2019t stop.<\/p>\n Adam panted from exertion as he propped Hoss up against one of the rocks.<\/p>\n Hoss gulped shallow breaths as black spots clouded his vision. \u201cJust . . . gotta . . . rest.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam ran his sleeve across his face to wipe sweat out of his eyes as he tried to figure out his next move.\u00a0 His rifle was in the saddle scabbard but trapped between the ground and the horse\u2019s body.\u00a0 Hoss\u2019s horse had run off and Adam figured it was well on its way back to Forster\u2019s stable.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry I hit Hoss.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t mean it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCome on out, Dave.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam holstered his pistol and stepped away from the safety of the rock.\u00a0 He raised his hands, hoping Dave wouldn\u2019t put a bullet in his head or heart.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ve got to stand trial.\u00a0 You\u2019ll probably be sentenced to a few years in prison.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t know that!\u00a0 Dowd will see to it I\u2019m strung up.\u201d<\/p>\n Several minutes of silence passed.\u00a0 The hairs on the back of Adam\u2019s neck prickled.<\/p>\n Adam turned as Dave\u2019s voice sounded as if it were coming from a different location.\u00a0 \u201cHoss will be okay if I can get him back to Capistrano.\u00a0 Help me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t!\u00a0 If that posse catches me, they\u2019ll hang me.\u00a0 Your word as a Cartwright doesn\u2019t carry any weight around here.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam felt his temper rising but knew he wouldn\u2019t be able to hold it in check if this standoff continued.\u00a0 \u201cHoss and I protected you.\u00a0 Even after you admitted to killing Dowd\u2019s wife, we stayed with you to make sure he didn\u2019t shoot you and dump you somewhere out in the desert.\u201d\u00a0 He played the card he thought would draw Dave out into the open. \u201cI never figured you for a coward, Dave.\u201d<\/p>\n The crunch of boots on rocky soil told Adam he\u2019d played the card well.<\/p>\n Dave stepped into the open, covering Adam with his pistol.\u00a0 He knew from his time on the Ponderosa that a wrong against one Cartwright was a wrong against them all.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re always harpin\u2019 about the law, Adam.\u00a0 Quotin\u2019 from those books of yours, sayin\u2019 the law makes men civilized.\u00a0 I\u2019m not a savage.\u00a0 You know that.\u00a0 But the law doesn\u2019t treat every man equal.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou fled to the Ponderosa without finding out. A jury might have recommended manslaughter instead of murder for Dowd\u2019s wife.\u201d<\/p>\n Dave shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cNot with Dowd as a witness.\u00a0 He would have convinced them I\u2019m a woman-killer when he was the one who shot her.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam slowly lowered his arms but kept his palms facing towards Dave.\u00a0 \u201cWhat if Hoss dies?\u00a0 Can you live with his death on your conscience?\u201d<\/p>\n Dave craned his neck to see around Adam.\u00a0 Hoss looked like he\u2019d soon be a meal for the buzzards. An odd look swept over Dave\u2019s face then was gone.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re the only witness, Adam.\u00a0 Who\u2019s to say it wasn\u2019t some bandit?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam regretted holstering his gun.\u00a0 He had one of the fastest draws in the Utah Territory but didn\u2019t know if he could get off a shot before Dave fired.<\/p>\n \u201cJohn Forster knows Hoss and I are on your trail.\u00a0 If we turn up dead, no one between Mexico and Sacramento will believe any tale you weave.\u00a0 Forster will see to it you\u2019re hanged.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSounds like you\u2019re passing judgment,\u201d said Dave.\u00a0 \u201cI think you only believe the principles of law when you\u2019re on the right end of a gun.\u201d<\/p>\n Words were useless.\u00a0 Adam pulled his gun free of the holster before Dave fired, but his shot went wild as the impact knocked him backwards, his back colliding with the rocky earth as a searing pain coursed through his arm.<\/p>\n Heavy bootsteps approached and Adam struggled to open his eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry it\u2019s come to this, Adam.\u00a0 You were a good friend.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam tried to speak but no words came out.<\/p>\n He flinched at the sound of the gunshot. The breath was knocked out of him as Dave\u2019s body fell across his.\u00a0 Between the pain and the lack of air, Adam\u2019s world turned black.<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n Adam awoke in a dimly-lit world.\u00a0 He took a deep breath and regretted it.\u00a0 He tried to move his arm but it wouldn\u2019t budge so he cautiously moved his head for a look.\u00a0 His arm was held to his chest with bandages.\u00a0 His head fell back against the pillow and he closed his eyes.<\/p>\n At a gentle caress against his forehead, he opened one eye and saw a young woman.\u00a0 \u201cHoss?\u201d he asked in a raspy voice<\/p>\n She turned his head so Adam could see his brother was in the other bed.\u00a0 After a few words in Spanish, she held a glass of water to his lips.\u00a0 She picked up her sewing and left the room, partially closing the door behind her.<\/p>\n Adam heard a man and woman on the other side of the door.<\/p>\n Dowd entered the room and took the recently vacated chair.\u00a0 \u201cWelcome back among the living.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou missed the excitement,\u201d said Adam in a sarcastic tone.<\/p>\n \u201cI arrived for the grand finale,\u201d Dowd said.\u00a0 He raised his hand to stop Adam from speaking.\u00a0 \u201cI rode as hard as I could to catch you up.\u00a0 It just wasn\u2019t hard enough.\u201d\u00a0 One corner of Dowd\u2019s mouth turned up in a wry smile.\u00a0 \u201cMessing with you Cartwrights is like poking a caged bear.\u201d\u00a0 The marshal poured a glass of water for himself and took a long drink.\u00a0 \u201cYour brother must have a deep reserve of strength. He shot Walker when you went down.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam snorted a harrumph.<\/p>\n Dowd shrugged a shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cI didn\u2019t say he killed him.\u00a0 Walker will just be parting his hair different for a while.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhere\u2019s Dave now?\u201d asked Adam.<\/p>\n \u201cShackled and under heavy guard in the jail at Capistrano.\u00a0 I\u2019m taking him back to Los Angeles in the morning with a few of Forster\u2019s men as guards.\u00a0 Wouldn\u2019t want my prisoner making a break for it again.\u201d\u00a0 Dowd straightened in the chair and stretched his back.\u00a0 \u201cWalker\u2019s going to stand trial even if I have to hogtie him in a jail cell until his court date.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam\u2019s eyes clouded with confusion.\u00a0 \u201cHow did you get us all back here?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cForster\u2019s men.\u00a0 One of your horses ran past me like it was high-tailin\u2019 it for home.\u00a0 I figured a search party would be sent out so I set up camp.\u00a0 A couple of Forster\u2019s vaqueros showed up during the night with a wagon.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam unsuccessfully tried to stifle a yawn.<\/p>\n The marshal winced as he stretched his neck.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d best let you get some sleep.\u201d\u00a0 Dowd rose to leave but stopped his hand on the doorknob.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019d make a fine lawman, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n Adam awoke the next day to the smell of coffee.\u00a0 He cracked open an eye, which didn\u2019t go unnoticed by Forster.<\/p>\n \u201cBuenas dias,\u201d Forster said.<\/p>\n Adam took as deep a breath as was comfortable and returned the greeting.<\/p>\n \u201cThe doctor assures me you and your brother will be fit for travel in about a week.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t wish to be a burden.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNonsense,\u201d said Forster.\u00a0 \u201cLa Se\u00f1ora would be angry with me if I turned out injured guests.\u00a0 You wouldn\u2019t want to cause a rift between my wife and me, would you?\u201d\u00a0 Forster added a wink.<\/p>\n Adam chuckled and said, \u201cI wouldn\u2019t want news of that to get back to my father.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood man,\u201d said Forster.\u00a0 \u201cSpeaking of your father, I sent him a telegram this morning to let him know you\u2019re under my care and will return home when you feel up to the journey.\u201d\u00a0 He set his cup in the saucer and placed it by the coffeepot.<\/p>\n \u201cGracias, Se\u00f1or,\u201d said Adam as he settled into the pillows.<\/p>\n \u201cEl placer es m\u00edo,\u201d answered Forster.<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n After several days of doting, Hoss felt he could get used to life on the Forster hacienda.\u00a0 The se\u00f1oritas fussed over him and took great delight in spoon-feeding him from large bowls of stew.<\/p>\n Adam grew more restless each day, ready to put this behind him and return home.\u00a0 He knew the se\u00f1oritas must be disappointed he didn\u2019t enjoy being waited on as much as Hoss.<\/p>\n *<\/p>\n The brothers spent part of an afternoon playing checkers on a patio shaded by climbing roses.\u00a0 A young woman hovered nearby, ready to freshen either man\u2019s glass if one took a sip of lemonade.<\/p>\n \u201cDave sure fooled us all.\u00a0 We\u2019d have never known he was a cold-blooded killer if Dowd hadn\u2019t showed up.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam jumped three of Hoss\u2019s pieces, two of which he was certain he\u2019d removed minutes ago.\u00a0 \u201cProves no man can run from his past forever.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss slid a piece forward then back to its starting point.\u00a0 \u201cI couldn\u2019t let him kill you, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt would have been self-defense, not murder.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSeems a thin line between the two,\u201d Hoss said.<\/p>\n Adam changed the subject.\u00a0 \u201cYou finish that diary about the first Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah.\u00a0 Eve didn\u2019t show up \u2018til the last page. \u00a0That Adam sure had a lot to talk about for not having her around.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam chuckled and said, \u201cWomen do make the world more interesting.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey sure do,\u201d said Hoss. He drained his glass then smiled at the se\u00f1orita with the lemonade pitcher.<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n By the end of the week, Adam declared he and Hoss were fit for travel back to Nevada.<\/p>\n Forster walked them to the waiting buggy that would take them the short distance to the stage station in San Juan Capistrano.\u00a0 \u201cI regret we didn\u2019t meet under more pleasant circumstances.\u00a0 You must come back someday.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThank you for your hospitality, Se\u00f1or Forster,\u201d said Adam.\u00a0 \u201cOur father is in your debt.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot at all,\u201d said Forster.\u00a0 \u201cHe would have done the same for my sons.\u201d<\/p>\n A chorus of feminine voices called out, \u201cAdios, Se\u00f1or Hoss!\u201d once the Cartwrights were seated in the vehicle.<\/p>\n Hoss waved to the ladies then settled back for the ride.\u00a0 \u201cIf only Joe could see this.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf Joe were here, they wouldn\u2019t be waving goodbye to you,\u201d said Adam.\u00a0 He smiled and waved at the ladies, not the least bit disappointed they were so taken with his younger brother.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The End<\/p>\n The suits were:\u00a0 Location (clubs); Person to be avoided at all costs (hearts); object desired or coveted (diamonds) and calamity (spades)<\/p>\n The words dealt were:<\/p>\n Mission San Juan Capistrano
\nSheriff
\nReverend
\nDiary
\nDead Horse<\/p>\n