Summary:\u00a0 When family is in danger, should the past remain forgotten?<\/p>\n
Rated:\u00a0 K+<\/p>\n
Word Count:\u00a0 9829<\/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
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Turmoil<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n July 28, 1861\u00a0 The Territorial Enterprise<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n In Memoriam<\/strong><\/p>\n Wyatt James \u201cJimmy\u201d Cheatham, only child of Martha and Earl Cheatham of Virginia City, passed away last night after an uncommonly \u00a0short period of consumption.\u00a0 Although but 20 years of age, Jimmy was a popular young man\u2014before the characteristic weakness brought on by his fatal illness, his\u00a0 feats of strength had entertained and impressed fellow citizens on many an occasion.\u00a0 Well-regarded by his employer and fellow miners at the Chollar diggings where a bright future seemed assured, only last month young Cheatham had announced his engagement to Miss Audrey Vulpine. He will be laid to rest tomorrow morning in the city cemetery. Mr. and Mrs. Cheatham will receive callers after the graveside service.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n \u201cTragic,\u201d Ben Cartwright said. \u201cHis parents must be heartbroken.\u201d\u00a0 Ben rose, pushing his chair back from the dining table and headed to his desk.<\/p>\n \u201cSure is a pity, him so young and all. Never knew him to be sick a day in his life.\u201d Hoss jabbed the last fork full of pancakes on his plate, swirling it into a puddle of syrup before taking the bite. \u201cThat where Shortshanks is this mornin\u2019? At the service?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam hummed in distracted agreement. The reported cause of Jimmy\u2019s death was troubling him. Jimmy Cheatham had been a boisterous, brawny fellow \u2013 hardly the typical consumptive. \u00a0Adam sipped the fresh coffee Hop Sing added to his cup and pondered what he knew of consumption. In his experience, dying from consumption was tortuously slow as the body, wracked by coughing, fever, and pain, wasted away. Adam had seen Jimmy in the past week \u2013 the man had been coughing a bit, but otherwise appeared as hale and hearty as ever. Perhaps Jimmy\u2019s lungs had been weak. Maybe working in the mine had somehow triggered the condition to take him so quickly.\u00a0 If he had time on his next visit into town, Adam would stop by and ask Doc Martin . . .<\/p>\n \u201cThis young man who just die? He same man who tossed Little Joe over fence into pig sty in spring time?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam jumped a little at Hop Sing\u2019s voice. He hadn\u2019t realized their cook had been listening while he read the paper to his father.<\/p>\n \u201cOne and the same. I\u2019d forgotten about that little fracas.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss snorted, then nearly choked from the ill-timed combination of eating and laughing.\u00a0 As he coughed and gasped, Hop Sing hurried around the table to pound his back.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat . . . what was them two fightin\u2019 about . . .about\u00a0 . . . anyway?\u00a0 Goldarn it, Hop Sing! Leave off hittin\u2019 me.\u00a0 I\u2019m all right.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou know our little brother; thus, you know a woman was involved.\u00a0 As they say, the more things change, the more they stay the same.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBoys . . .\u201d<\/p>\n Adam stopped himself from further comment on the memory of Little Joe being pitched over the railing of the nastiest hog wallow in Virginia City.\u00a0 The boy had practically sailed over the high fence, landing face first in the smelly muck. Even a couple of rinses under the nearest water pump hadn\u2019t done much to clean Joe up or rid him of the smell.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you remember the ride home?\u201d Hoss muttered softly.<\/p>\n Oh yes, Adam remembered. They had made their filthy, smelly, downcast little brother ride downwind from them all the way home.Teasing and heckling the kid may also have been involved.\u00a0 It was always entertaining to get Little Joe worked into a snit. When he saw Hoss\u2019s shoulders shake with suppressed laughter, Adam nearly lost his own composure.<\/p>\n \u201cBrother\u2019s bad fortune not funny.\u201d Perfect, now Hop Sing was scolding. How could Adam forget that Hop Sing took grave exception when \u201chis Little Joe\u201d was hurt or upset?<\/p>\n \u201cAw, we ain\u2019t laughing at Little Joe, Hop Sing.\u201d Hoss may have started out strong, but Hop Sing\u2019s glare soon had him back tracking.\u201c Well, not at<\/em> him exactly. You . . .you had to be there.\u201d Hop Sing gave a disbelieving grunt before turning back to Adam.<\/p>\n \u201cThis lady who supposed to marry Mr. Jimmy?\u00a0 Say her name again.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam checked the newspaper before answering. \u201cMiss Audrey Vulpine. Why?\u201d<\/p>\n Hop Sing started gathering the remnants of the meal from the table. \u201cName just sound strange to Hop Sing.\u00a0 Never heard that name before.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI suppose it is an unusual name. Maybe her family comes from Italy.\u00a0 In Latin, vulpine is the word for fox.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWoah, hang on there, Hop Sing.\u201d Hoss fairly leapt from his chair to save Hop Sing from dropping the stack of dishes and cutlery. \u201cYou all right?\u201d\u00a0 Hop Sing nodded and gave Hoss a small bow of gratitude for the timely rescue.<\/p>\n Carefully, Hop Sing placed the stack of china plates and saucers back onto the table\u2014steadying himself briefly against the edge of the table, knuckles white with tension. Adam observed the little man take a deep breath.<\/p>\n \u201cMister Adam sure lady\u2019s name mean \u2018fox\u2019? Very sure?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam felt a little lurch of uneasiness deep in his gut. Hop Sing\u2019s entire demeanor had changed. The little man was dead serious about something that shouldn\u2019t have amounted to a hill of beans, and the cook clearly expected a serious answer.<\/p>\n \u201cVulpine means \u2018fox\u2019 in Latin. I\u2019m sure.\u201d\u00a0 Hop Sing held his gaze squarely for a few more seconds before sketching another small bow.<\/p>\n \u201cBoys. Time to get a move on. Those cows aren\u2019t going to brand themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss moseyed toward the door. \u201cNow, wouldn\u2019t that be a sight to see? Do you think one cow\u2019d\u00a0 be the boss wrangler, or would each of \u2018em\u00a0 have to burn its own hide?\u201d At their father\u2019s laughter, Hoss slapped him on the back and winked at Adam.<\/p>\n One thing about Hoss, when he started spinning a yarn, he knew just how to keep it going.\u00a0 By the time the three men were in hats and gun belts, they were also in stitches.<\/p>\n Deciding he needed that last swallow of coffee before heading out, Adam walked back to the dining room.\u00a0 He expected Hop Sing to fuss at him for interfering with cleaning up.\u00a0 He wouldn\u2019t have been surprised to see Hop Sing grinning in appreciation at Hoss\u2019s joke.\u00a0 Instead, Adam found Hop Sing standing nearly motionless, apparently lost in thought, muttering quietly to himself. Sipping the last of the tepid coffee, Adam thought he heard the man say, \u201cThe more things change . . . \u201d<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n It occurred to Little Joe as he waited for the preacher to pronounce the final words over Jimmy\u2019s grave, that this was a situation he wished he wasn\u2019t so familiar with.\u00a0 You\u2019d think a man not even 20 years old wouldn\u2019t have been to so many funerals.\u00a0 And, you would think if that man had been to a heckuva lot of funerals, that the man would know how to hold onto to his self-control a little better.<\/p>\n Being familiar didn\u2019t seem to ease the pain of saying good-bye one bit.\u00a0 He and Jimmy had known each for their entire lives. Maybe they hadn\u2019t been close, and okay, maybe they had tussled and fussed some over the years, but that didn\u2019t mean they hadn\u2019t liked<\/em> each other. It was just so . . . unbelievable that Jimmy Cheatham who\u2019d always seemed like such a force of nature should be gone, so quick no one hardly knew what ailed him, and right when things seemed to be going his way.<\/p>\n Joe had to swallow hard to keep from making any telltale sounds. He sniffed as quietly as he could, and wiped a sleeve across his eyes when he thought no one was looking. He\u2019d always been the kid who cried easily, and he was starting to suspect that he was growing into a man who cried easily. It wasn\u2019t something he enjoyed, but he felt like he was finally coming to peace with his nature.<\/p>\n He glanced up at Miss Audrey, Jimmy\u2019s fianc\u00e9e.\u00a0 She was like a block of carved marble- cold and unmoving. Everything about her from her clothes, her expression, even the way she stood was just what anyone could expect from a young woman who\u2019d lost her lover. If it weren\u2019t for her eyes, bright and inquisitive rather than glossed with tears, Joe might not have stopped to wonder if Miss Audrey had known Jimmy long enough to feel his death very deeply.\u00a0 As soon as the thought crossed his mind, Joe was ashamed of himself.\u00a0 He knew that not everybody showed their feelings the same way. Even so, seeing her stand so dry-eyed next to the gaping hole that was about to swallow Jimmy forever . . . Joe wasn\u2019t sure if he should admire her for the way she held herself together or pity her lack of heart.<\/p>\n It didn\u2019t look to him like Jimmy\u2019s parents were very admiring.\u00a0 When they weren\u2019t sobbing and holding each other up under the weight of their grief, the couple were glaring at Jimmy\u2019s beloved. Hoo boy, that sort of friction didn\u2019t bode well for the Cheatham wake. He\u2019d seen grief-stricken family members quarrel and fuss before today after laying their loved ones in the grave. It was understandable, he supposed. When death steals away a piece of your heart, \u00a0a body wants something, someone, to blame. Just thinking about the possibility of a ruckus had Joe dreading the idea of calling at Jimmy\u2019s house after the service, but that was the way things were done. Joe figured if Jimmy\u2019s ma and pa could bear to go on without their only child, Joe ought to be able to choke down dry cookies and make small talk for a little while to show the proper respect.<\/p>\n The service felt like it went on forever yet somehow ended too soon when the preacher\u2019s final prayers died away. One by one the mourners tossed a handful of dirt on the coffin, walking away from Jimmy Cheatham for the last time.<\/p>\n The small crowd headed quietly toward the Cheatham house. Joe lingered near the grave, partly to get hold of his emotions and partly to help some of the older ladies navigate the uneven ground.\u00a0 Finally, Joe slowly made his way back to the main road. Head down and hands in his pockets, he almost didn\u2019t\u00a0 see her standing at the gate, one gloved hand resting on the wrought iron.<\/p>\n \u201cLittle Joe, would you mind stopping with me for a moment?\u201d Joe halted obediently, closing and latching the gate behind him.<\/p>\n For Audrey Vulpine, sorrow illuminated rather than dimmed her beauty.\u00a0 Her heart may have been broken, but her brow was smooth and her back unbowed.\u00a0 In the morning sunshine, Audrey\u2019s dark hair, smoothly coiled and pinned up, glinted with reddish tones. Her brown eyes appeared nearly amber.<\/p>\n \u201cMiss Audrey, I\u2019m sorry for your loss. Jimmy was a good man, and I\u2019m\u00a0 . . . going to miss him.\u201d\u00a0 Joe was mortified knowing that tears were welling up in his eyes while Jimmy\u2019s grieving fianc\u00e9e was able to remain so composed. He cleared his throat and tried again. \u201cWould you like me to escort you to the Cheatham house?\u201d<\/p>\n Audrey shook her head. \u201cI was hoping you could walk me back to my rooms.\u00a0 I don\u2019t think the Cheathams want to see me, let alone have me in their house. \u00a0They didn\u2019t\u00a0 . . . approve . . . of our engagement.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m real sorry to hear that.\u00a0 Sometimes, grief does funny things to people.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe offered his arm, and the two began the short walk back to Miss Audrey\u2019s boarding house. It occurred to Joe that the only thing he knew about Audrey was that she\u2019d been Jimmy\u2019s girl.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you have family you can turn to, Miss Audrey?\u201d\u00a0 The question seemed to take her by surprise\u2014she took a few moments before answering.<\/p>\n \u201cMost folks would say I have a very large family,\u201d she told him. \u201cWe are not at all close, and definitely not in the habit of supporting each other. We were all raised to fend for ourselves, as it were.\u00a0 Even so, if I were more like them, they might feel a touch of sympathy.\u00a0 If they were able to speak to you, they\u2019d tell you they don\u2019t understand me. I\u2019d say they never tried to understand. Oh, who cares what they think? \u00a0I\u2019ve made some hard choices, but they were my choices, and it shouldn\u2019t make a bit a difference to any one of them. But that\u2019s not how the world works, is it? \u00a0To dare to be different is asking to be despised. I\u2019m not joking in the least when I say that if I come to a poor end my family would believe it to be only what I deserve.\u201d<\/p>\n How awful. Joe had heard of families who were cold to the point of cruelty, but he couldn\u2019t get used to the idea. Miss Audrey was a young woman. Maybe she had made mistakes. No one was perfect. Rather than help her out of trouble and support her trying to do better, Audrey\u2019s family had driven her away, far away to a rough place like Virginia City. \u00a0Joe hadn\u2019t ever had to do without people who cared about him, and it hit him hard that this poor woman couldn\u2019t say the same thing.\u00a0 He tried to come up with another topic that might distract her from his thoughtlessness.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you like Virginia City? Are you thinking about moving on to someplace new, Miss Audrey?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWould you like me to stay, Little Joe?\u201d Her big brown eyes were wide and innocently questioning.<\/p>\n Joe couldn\u2019t quite see how his opinion mattered, but he wasn\u2019t in the habit of being rude to a lady\u2014especially a lady who had just buried her fianc\u00e9e.<\/p>\n \u201cI think you should stay wherever you feel comfortable and happy.\u201d\u00a0 His answer evidently pleased her because she smiled pleasantly at him. She seemed a bit too happy for someone walking home from a funeral, but Joe had to admit it wasn\u2019t hard to understand why Jimmy had found her so attractive.<\/p>\n He was able to deliver her to the boarding house without putting his foot in his mouth again.\u00a0 When he shook her hand and wished her the best, Audrey surprised him by leaning in and placing a soft kiss on his cheek.<\/p>\n \u201cThank you for your kind regard.\u00a0 I believe I will stay in Virginia City for now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m glad to hear that, Miss Audrey.\u00a0 Let me know if I can help you in any way.\u201d<\/p>\n Doggone if the offer didn\u2019t earn him another peck on the cheek.\u00a0 Audrey waved and slipped inside her boardinghouse.\u00a0 Joe felt he\u2019d eased her grief, and that made him feel a little better about the prospect of dry cookies and somber small talk at the Cheatham\u2019s home.<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n Diary entry, July 29, 1861.<\/em><\/p>\n Foolish! I thought that finally I was entitled to a normal life, that I could have a family, and take care of them in the simple, domestic ways everyone else enjoys. I never thought I would have to face this again. It makes me angry. It frightens me. People who seen what I have seen would say nothing is out of the ordinary.\u00a0 They would tell me not to worry.\u00a0 Maybe those people would be right. Perhaps I am making much of nothing.\u00a0 There are other plausible explanations. Maybe it is all just my imagination. I pray to God that I am mistaken. My great fear is that God will show me I am right.<\/em><\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n Martha Cheatham rubbed shaking fingers across her aching forehead.\u00a0 She didn\u2019t believe she\u2019d slept for days, not since the night Jimmy died.\u00a0 How could she sleep when merely closing her eyes sent her mind straight back to Jimmy\u2019s sick room?\u00a0 The memory of him coughing up blood, convulsing with pain and straining for air \u2013 no, it was better to avoid sleep until exhaustion overwhelmed her.<\/p>\n A sharp rap sounding from the front door reminded her of both her headache and the fact that she was hardly fit to accept any callers, no matter how well meaning.\u00a0 Martha wasn\u2019t expecting anyone other than ladies from the church who were bringing food and sympathy around suppertime.\u00a0 Should she even answer? There was only one person alive she wanted to see, and Earl wouldn\u2019t be home for hours.\u00a0 Nonetheless, it wouldn\u2019t do to be unpleasant to folks who only meant well. She straightened her back, paused to smooth the creases from her dress, and opened the door with the most gracious attitude she could muster.<\/p>\n Audrey Vulpine.<\/p>\n The bile in Martha\u2019s throat rose so violently she was almost sick all over Audrey\u2019s shiny little boots.\u00a0 As soon as she mastered that impulse, she gave into another and slammed the door as hard as she could manage\u2014only to have it blocked open by Audrey\u2019s foot.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat could you possibly want?\u201d<\/p>\n Audrey\u2019s intent gaze \u2013 curious, calculating and completely devoid of compassion \u2013 only served to remind Martha why she detested this woman. What had Jimmy possibly seen to love in Audrey Vulpine? Martha wasn\u2019t so sheltered that she couldn\u2019t imagine Jimmy\u2019s baser instincts being involved, but love and marriage?\u00a0 There had to be something else.<\/p>\n \u201cI want my ring.\u201d<\/p>\n At first, Martha wasn\u2019t sure she had heard correctly.<\/p>\n \u201cI want the ring Jimmy promised,\u201d Audrey repeated her request. \u201cHe said I would have a ring.\u201d<\/p>\n Of all the bald -faced nerve. Yet something about Audrey\u2019s expression and tone suggested that she seriously believed Jimmy owed Audrey a ring.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s no ring,\u201d Martha said. \u201cIf you\u2019d gotten married, you would have a ring on the wedding day.\u00a0 There\u2019s no Jimmy anymore.\u00a0 No wedding. No ring.\u00a0 Do you understand?\u201d<\/p>\n Audrey nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cGet off my porch. Don\u2019t you ever come back here or talk to me or Earl again.\u201d<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n August 5, 1861\u00a0 The Territorial Enterprise<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Vandalism?<\/strong><\/p>\n Sheriff Coffee was called to the residence of Earl and Martha Cheatham to investigate possible criminal activity that seems to have occurred sometime after dark on August 3rd<\/sup>.\u00a0 On the morning of August 4th<\/sup>, upon going to the ice house located at the back of his property to fetch ice requested by his wife, Earl Cheatham reported finding significant damage to the structure — the door was scarred with long, deep scratches and blocked with dirt, branches, and small stones that looked to have been dug out from the icehouse\u2019s foundation.\u00a0 In Sheriff Coffee\u2019s words, \u201cIt\u2019s a big mess, all right. Don\u2019t know what I\u2019m supposed to do about it.\u00a0 Probably some animal.\u201d Despite Mr. Cheatham\u2019s rather heated insistence that he was the target of harassment, a thorough search around the ice house turned up no signs of an intruder although there were some animal tracks, most likely dog or fox in the sheriff\u2019s opinion.<\/strong><\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n \u201cLittle Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe halted his purposeful stride toward the Silver Dollar Saloon to wait for Miss Audrey to catch up to him.\u00a0 She looked as pretty as always \u2013 her dress was blue, dark as the night sky with white lace at the sleeves and collar.\u00a0 Her long hair fell softly around her shoulders, and her smile was wide and warm as a summer day.<\/p>\n \u201cMiss Audrey,\u201d Joe touched his hat brim. \u201cHow have you been?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat, sir,\u201d she took his arm and tugged at him until they both started walking down the street, \u201cis just why I wanted to talk to you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs something wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, you know what\u2019s wrong.\u201d That pretty smile lost a real quick fight to a pout.<\/p>\n Joe gulped and felt himself blush. He always had his foot in his mouth with Audrey.\u00a0 Here he\u2019d gone and made it seem like he couldn\u2019t remember how much she missed Jimmy.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m just so alone.\u00a0 Other than you, there isn\u2019t a friendly face in town. Can you imagine?\u00a0 I just sit in my rooms all day with nothing to do but stare at the walls.\u201d<\/p>\n That did sound difficult.\u00a0 Joe tried to imagine the isolation, the lack of anyone to reminisce with about Jimmy or just to pat her shoulder. The very idea of her suffering alone was starting to get under Joe\u2019s skin. He could be her friend even if the rest of Virginia City couldn\u2019t be bothered.<\/p>\n \u201cHow can I help?\u201d<\/p>\n Audrey smile lit right back up.\u00a0 \u201cWell, I have an idea . . .\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJoe Cartwright! Just the fellow I was lookin\u2019 for.\u201d Stu Grigsby had walked up while Joe was trying to figure out how to help Miss Audrey. \u201cI need your advice on a nice riding horse for my niece\u2019s birthday.\u00a0 You don\u2019t mind if Joe and I talk, do you, Miss Audrey?\u201d<\/p>\n Stu didn\u2019t wait for an answer which was probably just as well.\u00a0 Audrey\u2019s face might just as well broken out in words.\u00a0 It was quite clear that she did very much mind the interruption.<\/p>\n When Stu had Joe a few yards down the walkway, he leaned in to whisper conspiratorially.<\/p>\n \u201cLittle Joe, a word to the wise. That woman is pure trouble. I saw her and Jimmy together more than once, and I ain\u2019t lying when I say I think the gal\u2019s a little wrong in the head. Once they started courting, Jimmy changed.\u00a0 You know how healthy he was, but he started getting sick. The longer they were together, the sicker Jimmy got. Maybe . . . maybe she was poisoning him. You need to stay clean away from her.\u201d<\/p>\n Stu was a good fella, but one of the things you had to know about him was that all those months spent around mining and explosives had made the man a tad deaf.\u00a0 So, for Stu a whisper was as good as a shout for most almost anyone else.<\/p>\n Joe could see Audrey right over Stu\u2019s shoulder, and she clearly heard what Stu was yammering about. She was pretty riled.<\/p>\n \u201cStu,\u201d Joe threw an arm around the man\u2019s shoulder and drew him even farther away.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t worry about me.\u201d\u00a0 He relaxed when he saw Audrey turn on her heel and stride off toward her boardinghouse.\u00a0 \u201cYou can\u2019t be serious to think Miss Audrey would poison anyone, much less Jimmy.\u00a0 The doctor said it was consumption.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s what she’d like everyone to believe, Joe!\u00a0 You don\u2019t want her to poison you, do ya?\u201d<\/p>\n Where in the world did folks come up with such fool ideas?\u00a0 Joe was beginning to think mining had damaged more than Stu\u2019s hearing.<\/p>\n He gave Stu a confident smile and used the soothing tones that seemed to work well with the wild horses he broke.<\/p>\n \u201cEverything is fine. This is the first time I\u2019ve seen her since the funeral.\u00a0 She just needs a friend.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s all?\u00a0 Well, all right then.\u00a0 You just remember what I told you. I gotta get to work now.\u00a0 I\u2019ll see you around.\u00a0 You\u2019ll remember what I said, won\u2019t you?\u00a0 \u2018Cause it\u2019s important, Joe.\u00a0 Don\u2019t forget.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow could I forget?\u201d<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n August 8, 1861\u00a0 The Territorial Enterprise<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Tragic Accident<\/strong><\/p>\n A\u00a0 little past supper last night, a long-time citizen of Virginia City fell victim to a fatal accident.\u00a0 Stu Grigsby, one of the first men employed by the Chollar Mine, was crushed when his horse spooked and fell atop him.\u00a0 A few minutes after Grigsby had bade his fellow miners good-night following their shift, his friends heard bone-chilling cries of pain from man and beast. Rushing toward the sounds, they found Grigsby barely alive, pinned beneath his struggling horse. Seeing that the horse had broken its leg, the tormented creature was put out of its misery.\u00a0 It took five of the strongest of his fellow miners to extricate Grigsby from beneath the dead horse. In great pain, but still conscious, Grigsby told his rescuers that the accident occurred because a fox had rushed at them, snapping at the horse\u2019s heels.<\/strong><\/p>\n Accustomed to the risks of mining, Grigsby had considered the possibility of an early death.\u00a0 His friends were told that if the worst should happen, they were to bury him \u201cquick and deep, then raise your glasses to me in farewell.\u201d\u00a0 Anyone wishing to honor Stu Grigsby\u2019s memory should meet in the Bucket of Blood tonight after evening shift.<\/strong><\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n Diary Entry August 8, 1861<\/em><\/p>\n I make sure I hear all of the news from Virginia City, and what I hear grieves me. I may be the only one that realizes what is responsible for the recent accidents, sickness, and trouble causing such turmoil in my new home. Do I intervene? I\u2019m not known here; who would believe me? I trust that time will make all things clear<\/em>.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n That boy didn\u2019t eat enough to keep a bird alive.<\/p>\n Hoss watched Little Joe take only a couple of bites of his breakfast before throwing his napkin on the table and scooching back the dining chair.\u00a0 Good thing for the kid\u2019s hide that Pa and Adam had lit out for Carson City for a couple of days to see about water contracts. Pa had been fussing just last night that Joe was lookin\u2019 scrawny and pale. All of them heard the boy coughing in his room.\u00a0 Nope, pa wouldn\u2019t like seein\u2019 Joe in his Saturday boots and duds first thing of a mornin\u2019 when there was work to be done and trouble to avoid.<\/p>\n \u201cJoseph,\u201d Hoss scraped the remains of Joe\u2019s plate onto his own.\u00a0 No need for it to go to waste after all.\u00a0 \u201cThose are mighty nice boots for a day of branding.\u00a0 Might want to change before we head out.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss could see the ornery little cuss cut his eyes and put on that sly face.\u00a0 Yup, Hoss knew as well as the next man when a little brother was about to weasel out of work.<\/p>\n \u201cBrother, you don\u2019t need me today.\u00a0 There are only a handful left, and you\u2019re the best in the territory at roping and branding.\u00a0 Those calves hardly have time to bawl for the mamas before you have them up on their feet.\u201d<\/p>\n That was the truth, Hoss was good at it.\u00a0 Nice to be appreciated some.\u00a0 See, you had to be quick and smooth to move those animals along. He hated to see branding rushed \u2013 the calves might not remember it, but Hoss was pretty sure that no feller wanted a brand burnt on his own hide.\u00a0 If you were careful and quick . . .<\/p>\n \u201cJoseph, you just hold on a minute. Stop tryin\u2019 to bamboozle me.\u00a0 I know you ain\u2019t goin\u2019 to the branding dressed like that.\u00a0 Where are you headed?\u201d<\/p>\n The prettiest, most charming smile spread across his brother\u2019s face.\u00a0 Hoss knew he was a goner.\u00a0 When Joe put on the charm for mere\u00a0 brothers, something was definitely up.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m going into town to meet Miss Audrey.\u00a0 She\u2019s having a rough time and needs a friend.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe needs a friend who\u2019s all slicked up?\u00a0 She don\u2019t like friends to just look regular?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe turned his attention to the wall mirror, adjusting his hat to a jaunty angle.\u00a0 \u201cPa says a man who takes pride in his appearance shows respect for his friends and neighbors.\u201d<\/p>\n Didn\u2019t that just beat all?<\/p>\n \u201cPa says!\u00a0 Pa says!\u00a0 I never heard him say\u00a0 nothing like that before, and more than that, I don\u2019t believe Pa would say nothing about getting all slicked up to ride miles into town when there\u2019s all this hard work here on the ranch.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe had his hand on the door knob.\u00a0 \u201cYou just don\u2019t listen to Pa as careful as I do.\u00a0 See you tonight.\u201d The boy had the audacity to wink and smirk before saunterin\u2019 through that front door like he owned the world.<\/p>\n Dangnabbit.<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n Hop Sing could hear the bickering in the kitchen.\u00a0 Nothing new, especially when Mr. Cartwright was away from home.\u00a0 When he heard the door shut, he knew Little Joe had left.\u00a0 Number three son didn\u2019t know how to close the door quietly.<\/p>\n There was time for tea and a little rest before starting the morning\u2019s chore.\u00a0 He knew Hoss would linger for a while to finish his breakfast in peace. Just as he thought, number two son was munching away at a strip of bacon while reading the latest edition of the newspaper. Tea cup in hand, Hop Sing joined Hoss at the dining table.<\/p>\n \u201cLittle Joe gone to work?\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss\u2019s first answer was a big, gusty sigh. \u201cYep, he\u2019s gone. Naw, he ain\u2019t goin\u2019 to work none.\u00a0 I\u2019ll give you three guesses where he went, and the first two don\u2019t count.\u201d<\/p>\n This was bad.\u00a0 Hop Sing had too many reasons not to be cautious since the string of strange events in Virginia City had begun. Leave it to the youngest son to ride into the middle of it. What to do?<\/p>\n \u201cListen up, Hop Sing.\u00a0 Here\u2019s a good story in the paper.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss cleared his throat and read out loud.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n August 11, 1861 The Territorial Enterprise<\/strong><\/p>\n Freak of Nature<\/strong><\/p>\n Following up on a report of\u00a0 disturbing noises occurring nightly in the alley behind Mrs. Sutherland\u2019s boarding house, last evening Deputy Clem Foster staked out the alley to get some answers.\u00a0 After spending a few hours huddled behind some crates, the deputy saw a large red-brown fox slink into the alley and start to paw through the piles of refuse.\u00a0 Satisfied he had found the culprit, Deputy Foster sidled out into the alley to get a better look and a clean shot.\u00a0 What he saw then was so surprising, he forgot the revolver in his hand.\u00a0 Foster claims that the fox had a veritable bouquet of tails! Foster said,\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m pretty sure I counted nine tails before it saw me and lit out of there faster than any fox I\u2019ve ever seen before.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n News of this strange animal has spread quickly through town. Many young men are hard on its trail hoping to capture it alive and display it to public. With any luck, one of these stalwart lads will capture the animal in time for the next fair.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cYou ever seen anything like that, Hop Sing?\u00a0 Nine tails?\u00a0 That\u2019s something, ain\u2019t it? You ask me, ol\u2019 Clem was actually sleepin\u2019 and dreamed that up.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss gave the newspaper a shake before folding it messily.\u00a0 \u201cI better get going. Looks like I\u2019m the only Cartwright working here today.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cStop.\u201d Hop Sing grabbed his arm to keep him from getting out the door too quickly. \u201cYou hitch up wagon for me.\u00a0 I need go to town.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReally?\u00a0 Didn\u2019t you just go a couple of days ago?\u00a0 Can\u2019t it wait?\u201d<\/p>\n Hop Sing had shed his apron before Hoss\u2019s half-hearted argument was finished.\u00a0 He grabbed his own hat and coat from the peg and fixed number two son with a stern look.<\/p>\n \u201cCannot wait.\u201d<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n The house of Zhang Wei was comfortable and well-appointed. He\u2019d found great success in importing from China the items the Virginia City community craved. The man had even found a Chinese bride and been blessed with a handsome son, Zhang Jie, who would eventually take over the father\u2019s business.<\/p>\n Indeed, the man was renowned for the quality of his hospitality, including providing truly exceptional tea.\u00a0Hop Sing drank the exceptional tea and conversed politely with his host, carefully observing all the usual conventions, well aware that his host was well aware that this was more than a visit to a dear friend.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, my friend,\u201d Wei broached the subject of the visit first. \u201cI thought I might expect a visit.\u201d<\/p>\n Hop Sing placed the delicate cup carefully upon the tray.\u00a0 He saw Zhang Wei\u2019s keen interest and understanding shining in his eyes.\u00a0 It was a relief to be spared the effort of explaining.<\/p>\n \u201cYou are already aware of what is in our midst?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI believe so.\u201d Zhang Wei shifted around a little in his chair. Age made it difficult to sit long without feeling stiff.\u00a0 However, success had rendered him soft, round, and inclined to sit. \u201cDo you intend to intervene?\u00a0 These things are not uncommon in the old country.\u00a0 Ordinarily, the common decision was, as they say here, to live and let live.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWith all respect, it may have been common, but not in my opinion, correct.\u201d Hop Sing leaned forward.\u00a0 It was time to get to business at hand.\u00a0 \u201cThis is more than a mischief maker. This one has killed two men that we know of.\u00a0 Now it has eyes on number three son. This cannot be permitted to continue.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAs you say,\u201d Zhang Wei smoothed the hem of his silk robe, \u201cIt is dangerous. It seems to have an appetite for handsome young men.\u201d Hop Sing saw the great fear for Zhang Jie in Zhang Wei\u2019s expression and hurried to comfort him.<\/p>\n \u201cThis will go no further, I promise you. May I have the scroll that you keep in your library?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course.\u00a0 What else do you require?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf you would copy the appropriate verses today so that I could take them away with me, I would be grateful.\u201d<\/p>\n