{"id":23383,"date":"2019-08-23T22:40:59","date_gmt":"2019-08-24T02:40:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=23383"},"modified":"2025-09-25T15:39:38","modified_gmt":"2025-09-25T19:39:38","slug":"regret-by-vcls","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=23383","title":{"rendered":"Regret (by VCLS)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary:\u00a0 <\/strong>A newcomer to Virginia City talks the Cartwrights into a decision they wish they\u2019d never made.<\/p>\n

Rated:\u00a0 K+
\nWord count:\u00a0 13,184<\/p>\n

Story Notes: \u00a0<\/strong>A summer 2019 Round Robin Challenge. \u00a0Bonanza Brand writers were invited to submit an opening chapter that would leave the reader wanting to know more. \u00a0Members voted on their favorite submission and the top three openings were selected for completion.\u00a0 Over the summer, six to eight authors participated in finishing the story, including working through developmental and line edits and re-writes as needed.<\/p>\n

The participants in this story were (in alphabetical order): Bahj,\u00a0BakerJ, Cheaux, JFClover, MicheleBE, Puchi Ann, and SJR Cartwright.<\/p>\n

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

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

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

Regret<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Prologue<\/strong><\/p>\n

Present Day<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cRoy,\u201d I said when I opened the front door.\u00a0 \u201cKind of early for you to be out this way.\u201d<\/p>\n

The sheriff pulled his hat from his head.\u00a0 \u201cI know, Ben, but this ain\u2019t no social call.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSomething happen in town?\u00a0 Someone hurt?\u201d<\/p>\n

The sheriff lowered his gaze and gripped the rim of his hat as he mustered the courage to relay a predawn message.\u00a0 Chair legs scraped the floor when my boys left the breakfast table to flank me.<\/p>\n

\u201cRoy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was an explosion up to the mine.\u00a0 Word around town is \u2026 as much as I hate to say this, Ben, there may not be any survivors.\u201d<\/p>\n

I clung to the sideboard in an attempt to stay upright.\u00a0 My heart beat in my throat as I realized exactly what Roy had said.\u00a0 My son had ridden up just yesterday to settle a dispute, to negotiate a compromise before the men flooded the shafts and caused weeks of delays.\u00a0 And now, what was Roy saying?\u00a0 Was it possible to lose a son in such an absurd manner?\u00a0 A son who was only trying to help men he called friends?<\/p>\n

Warm hands slid across my shoulders.\u00a0 Two boys were present, but were they hanging on for support while they processed the information or were they trying to keep me strong and not let my knees buckle under me?<\/p>\n

Not a word was spoken, not even a protest or the question that formed in our minds over a treasured member of the family.\u00a0 The shock was too morbid to consider.\u00a0 Had an entire crew of men been sacrificed, buried alive in the rubble?\u00a0 There was more to consider than just our own grief.\u00a0 Families would have to be notified.\u00a0 That was my job as co-owner of the mine, but how was I to compose myself enough to visit widows and children when my own son was never coming home?<\/p>\n

I could\u2019ve gone to the mine with him.\u00a0 I offered to ride along, but he said he could handle the men on his own.\u00a0 Paperwork cluttered my desk, and I sighed with relief when he let me off the hook.\u00a0 The new timber contract seemed so important yesterday that I sent my son off alone.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa.\u201d<\/p>\n

The voice was soft and caring, but I couldn\u2019t turn my head.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t dare glance at the tear-filled eyes that whispered my name, that wanted to take the pain from my heart and comfort my soul.\u00a0 I fought my own tears.\u00a0 I was the captain of the ship, and there was work to be done before I could let personal grief overwhelm me and it would.<\/p>\n

But as reasonable thought took hold and my mind began to clear, I reached for my gun belt and hat.\u00a0 I had to see for myself, had to know for sure, and I turned to my two remaining sons.\u00a0 \u201cSaddle up, boys.\u00a0 Let\u2019s ride.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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

Chapter One<\/strong><\/p>\n

Previously\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI have no interest in owning a mine,\u201d Ben reiterated to the earnest young man for the tenth time in as many hours while he made his way out of a conference room on the second floor of the Storey County Courthouse.<\/p>\n

Marcus Albright had cornered Ben at a meeting of the Comstock Mining Commission and dogged him all day.\u00a0 \u201cYou own stock in half a dozen mines,\u201d he said, scrambling down the steps behind his prey.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, but only as a minority shareholder in companies that hold patented claims.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd if you purchase the land on which my shaft sits, sir, we\u2019d be partners and I can get a patent.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben stopped abruptly and turned to face his pursuer, noting the worn, dusty clothing and scraggly reddish beard.\u00a0 The man\u2019s pallid skin spoke of too little sun, and too many missed meals, but his grey eyes sparkled with youthful exuberance.\u00a0 While he recognized that filing an unpatented claim for the sole purpose of extracting and developing mineral deposits on land one did not own was not uncommon and, in fact, legal\u2014Ben had no desire to get involved.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd who are you going to get to invest in your mine?\u00a0 You\u2019ve admitted it\u2019s not producing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know.\u201d\u00a0 Albright\u2019s shoulders sank. \u201cI know the claim has only netted a pittance in revenue to date, but it will.\u00a0 I know the ore is there.\u00a0 All I needed is capital to keep digging.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben sighed.\u00a0 Hard luck cases.\u00a0 Why do I attract hard luck cases?<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cYou can help.\u00a0 People listen to you, Mr. Cartwright.\u00a0 After all, your son is an engineer.\u00a0 I heard he worked with Deidesheimer on the square set timbering that shores up all the mines on the Comstock.\u00a0 If he gave a favorable report, investors would follow.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTrue, Adam is an engineer, but he is a civil engineer, technically a structural engineer, and specifically an architect, not a mining engineer.\u00a0 You should consult one of those or a geologist.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPlease.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben felt the desperation more than heard the plaintive plea.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cDo you have a horse?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA horse.\u00a0 I\u2019m tired and I\u2019m hungry.\u00a0 Follow me home and you can speak to Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

Although not the usual caliber of guest, the young man had an appetite that rivaled Mister Hoss and that made Hop Sing happy.\u00a0 He grinned from ear to ear as he refilled serving bowls and platters, not once but twice.\u00a0 Other household members were more reticent in their appraisal.<\/p>\n

Between mouthfuls, Marcus submitted to an interrogation about his past, present, and his dreams for the future.\u00a0 He told of being orphaned at 13 and going to work in the gold and silver mines of Michigan\u2019s Upper Peninsula.\u00a0 At 19, he fell in love with Janie, the daughter of a mine owner in Colorado Territory, and they married.\u00a0 Curt was born two years later.\u00a0 Mother and son were living in Denver with an auntie until he struck it rich.\u00a0 Minus room and board, he sent what little he earned to them each month.<\/p>\n

Marcus listened eagerly to the tales of his host.\u00a0 He had assumed the Cartwrights were born wealthy.\u00a0 It never occurred to him that the almighty Ben Cartwright struggled for years to build the Ponderosa.\u00a0 He learned of the death of three wives, and the hardships Adam and Hoss had endured on the journey west.\u00a0 Only Joe, it seemed, had been born to privilege.\u00a0 Probably never did a lick of work in his life.<\/em><\/p>\n

When Hoss stepped away after dessert to attend to the stock, Joe didn\u2019t offer to help and remained upright in his chair, elbows on the table, hand over fist covering his mouth, silently observing as he had for much of the evening.\u00a0 Thought so.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

Marcus\u2019s skin tingled under Joe\u2019s steady gaze.\u00a0 He was relieved when the senior Cartwright spoke up.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe, why don\u2019t you set up the chess board at my desk and we\u2019ll leave these two to their discussion.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, Pa.\u00a0\u00a0 Excuse me, Marcus.\u201d\u00a0 Joe raised his eyebrows slightly at Adam as he passed.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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

\u201cWhat do you think?\u201d whispered Ben to Joe after making his opening gambit.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t know.\u00a0 Seems plausible, if a little odd.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow do you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSounded . . . rehearsed.\u00a0 You know?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHmm.\u201d<\/p>\n

Father and son concentrated on the game for the next 15 minutes.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe is tenacious.\u00a0 Kept after me all day.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYouthful enthusiasm or practiced liar?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d Ben said.<\/p>\n

\u201cCheckmate,\u201d Joe grinned.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u00a0 Why you little schemer!\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe laughed, then drew a sharp intake of air through his teeth before tucking his left elbow into his side and leaning to the left.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cYeah,\u201d he said, blowing out a slow breath.\u00a0 \u201cThink I\u2019ll go to bed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNeed some help?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, thanks.\u00a0 Hop Sing changed the bandage before dinner.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t lift anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know.\u00a0 Nothing heavier than my pillow.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

When Adam entered the house and bolted the door, Ben rolled up the Harper\u2019s Weekly he\u2019d been reading but kept it in his hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cMarcus go back to town?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u00a0 I invited him to spend the night, but he didn\u2019t want to leave his claim.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHop Sing just put out fresh coffee,\u201d Ben said, pointing the rolled paper at the plank table.<\/p>\n

Adam poured himself a cup and held the pot in the air.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo thanks.\u00a0 I\u2019ve had enough.\u00a0 What do you think?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, he\u2019s knowledgeable about mining.\u00a0 He\u2019s definitely worked with ores.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe thinks there is something amiss.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLike what?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDidn\u2019t know.\u00a0 Just a feeling.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMmm.\u201d<\/p>\n

Over the years, the family had developed a healthy respect for Joe\u2019s feelings as he often had a sixth sense about people and situations, even if he couldn\u2019t put his finger on it or articulate why.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m going to take a look at the mine tomorrow,\u201d Adam said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow far down is he?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHundred fifty feet, more or less.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBy himself?\u00a0 That is quite an undertaking.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u00a0 Appears to be a hard worker.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI told Joe he was tenacious.\u201d\u00a0 Ben slapped his leg with the paper tube, then threw it on the table.\u00a0 \u201cDo me a favor?\u00a0 Stop by the land office when you\u2019re in town and find out who owns that property.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

Adam reported his findings at dinner the following evening.\u00a0 \u201cThe shaft is ten feet wide and close to two hundred feet deep, all shored up using square set timbering.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you go to the land office?\u201d asked Ben.<\/p>\n

\u201cI did and I made a sketch.\u201d\u00a0 Adam retrieved his leather portfolio from the credenza and pulled out a sheet of cartridge paper on which he had duplicated the relevant plat map markings.\u00a0 \u201cHis claim is on this strip of open land here in Crown Point Ravine, north of B Street.\u00a0 Rocky, hilly.\u00a0 You could pick up the surface rights for a song.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss squinted at the markings.\u00a0 \u201cThat the Yellow Jacket?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, and here is the Chollar.\u00a0 Marcus\u2019 shaft is up slope to the west between the two.\u00a0 Rough terrain, which is most likely why no one staked it out before, but it is accessible.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe read the details, admiring anew Adam\u2019s architectural penmanship.\u00a0 Wish I could write like that<\/em>.\u00a0 \u201cThere must be thirty mines in this section alone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam agreed.\u00a0 \u201cMore like fifty.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t mark them all.\u00a0 The small vein Marcus showed me widens out the further down he digs.\u00a0 Whether it will pan out is anyone\u2019s guess.\u00a0 However, the assay report showed it to be of high quality.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSilver\u2019s trading at $1.30 per ounce now,\u201d Ben said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat happens if that vein goes sideways under another mine?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMarcus would still retain the rights, Hoss,\u201d said Adam.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s called the law of the apex. The owner of an unpatented claim has the right to pursue a vein to its point of origin, even if it means tunneling under another\u2019s property.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben snorted.\u00a0 \u201cThat is the law, but it doesn\u2019t mean the Yellow Jacket or Chollar, or any one of a dozen other mines won\u2019t put up a fight.\u00a0 Marcus could be tied up in litigation for years and lose everything even if he won the lawsuit.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTrue,\u201d Adam mused, \u201cbut if we held the patent on the land, people might think twice about taking us on.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYour opinion, boys.\u00a0 Do you think we should obtain the surface rights or go into partnership with Marcus? Or both?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShucks, Pa, I\u2019ll take a three-month cattle drive in a monsoon over goin\u2019 underground.\u00a0 I say neither.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I still believe he\u2019s hiding something, but if the cost is reasonable, I say yes on buying the land, but no on investing in the mine.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI agree with Joe; purchase the surface rights even if it exposes us to litigation.\u00a0 However, I also believe securing an equity interest in the mine would protect us better than leaving all decisions up to Marcus.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow so, son?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s young\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2014he\u2019s my age!\u201d Joe protested.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2014and inexperienced in business.\u00a0 You, Joe, have been bidding on contracts, negotiating deals, and running our horse operations for a number of years.\u00a0 You are most definitely not inexperienced!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh.\u00a0 Well.\u00a0 Thank you,\u201d Joe said, mollified.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re welcome.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben stood to look out the dining room window.\u00a0 When he turned back, he placed his hands on the back of his chair.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right, since we are not unanimous, this will not be a Ponderosa investment, but an individual one.\u00a0\u00a0 Joe, Adam, and I will purchase and hold title to the land in equal shares.\u00a0\u00a0 Adam, you and I will invest in the mine at whatever percentage you\u2019re comfortable with.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd we leave operations to Marcus with no oversight?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cThose details will have to be worked out with him.\u00a0 Although he pursued my involvement, our proposal may not be what he had in mind.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

The next day, Ben and Adam met with Marcus at his diggings.\u00a0 Although pleased about the land purchase, he appeared taken aback at the idea of sharing the wealth.\u00a0 Adam pointed out that he would also be sharing the risk.\u00a0 After much discussion, he grudgingly agreed to give up a small percentage of his mine in return for currency with which to buy tools and lumber and hire two miners.<\/p>\n

As the Cartwrights rode down the hill towards B Street, Marcus\u2019 animated countenance dissolved.\u00a0 His eyes narrowed to a steely glint and the hint of a smile touched his lips.<\/p>\n

That was easier than I thought.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Chapter Two<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Decision made, the purchase of the land was consummated, and the patented claim registered with the Mining District Recorder.\u00a0 The Albright-Cartwright mine was born.<\/p>\n

It was agreed that Marcus would manage the mine with oversight from Adam.\u00a0 Marcus hired on two men, bought the additional equipment and got started.<\/p>\n

Joe became tenacious in visiting and checking up on the mine.\u00a0 Whenever Adam dropped in, Joe tried to be with him and otherwise visited when he could alone.\u00a0 Aware of his son\u2019s preoccupation, Ben wondered.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t know if this was newfound interest or his need to resolve his \u2018feeling\u2019 about Marcus.\u00a0 Ben suspected the latter.<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s intrusions irritated Marcus.\u00a0 It didn\u2019t surprise him that the privileged member of the family should have time to waste.\u00a0 He seemed to have the luxury of choosing when to work and when not to, which annoyed him even more.<\/p>\n

The quality of the silver remained consistent.\u00a0 Marcus assigned one man to dig out the soft ore while he and the other concentrated on deepening the shaft in the hope of discovering the discrete thicker mass.\u00a0 Whenever Adam visited, Marcus assured him the vein was widening, bringing the anticipated large ore pocket closer.<\/p>\n

Months passed, the work on the Ponderosa and the mine fell into a rhythm, and still, Joe kept up his visits.<\/p>\n

The vein of silver began to produce a steady revenue and the workforce increased.\u00a0\u00a0 As the main shaft continued to descend, pumps were purchased to deal with the water that inevitably flowed into it.<\/p>\n

Ben, wary of the rising costs, sent Adam to carry out a review.\u00a0 This gave Marcus the chance to address his persistent shadow.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe told you to stop me visiting?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam considered his younger brother and picked his words carefully.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t wish to offend Joe or deepen the rift that clearly existed between the two men, but he could sympathize with Marcus\u2019 argument.<\/p>\n

The man had poured bitter complaints into his ears about mining being a dangerous enough business without some kid getting under his feet.\u00a0\u00a0At the time, Adam had smiled at the reference to \u2018kid,\u2019 seeing as the age difference between the two was so close, but Marcus\u2019s words did make him think.\u00a0\u00a0When Marcus then brought up that Joe wasn\u2019t one of the owners, Adam wondered if that was really bothering Marcus.\u00a0\u00a0However, Adam understood how Marcus might find it galling, having Joe looking over his shoulder.<\/p>\n

Adam explained, \u201cYou have to see it from his point of view.\u00a0 Marcus is the mine manager.\u00a0 How would you feel if Hoss and I did the same to you?\u00a0 It makes him feel you don\u2019t trust him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s almost retorted that he didn\u2019t but bit it back.\u00a0 Months had passed since they first met Marcus, and Joe\u2019s unsettled feeling still lingered.\u00a0 Joe couldn\u2019t explain it or understand it.\u00a0 Marcus gave him no reason to feel this way, other than a hostility toward him which Joe had the grace to accept was mutual.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have a right to be there, I\u2019m part owner of the land.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut not the mine.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam saw the scowl and flash of anger in the green eyes.\u00a0 Joe hated being trumped.\u00a0 This could go either way.<\/em><\/p>\n

Joe sighed, \u201cAll right, I won\u2019t go down the mine anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam slapped him on the back.<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s devilish smile peeked. \u201cJust remember, big brother, the next time you\u2019re tempted to check up on me mending fences.\u201c Adam crossed his arms and smirked.<\/p>\n

Hoss, industriously cleaning his rifle, joined the conversation.\u00a0 \u201cSay, Adam, how come Marcus ain\u2019t sent fer his wife yet?\u00a0 He must be missing his family.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam hedged, \u201cHe wants to find the main mass first, strike it big before he does.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSeems a shame, to be apart from his family for so long.\u201d<\/p>\n

When Adam had brought up the subject with Marcus, he\u2019d quickly vetoed the idea.\u00a0 The young man was adamant that his wife saw him as a success.\u00a0 Until that happened, he wouldn\u2019t be sending for her.\u00a0 This did explain his driven approach, but Adam had to agree, it was a shame.<\/p>\n

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

Hoss eased down on the rock.<\/p>\n

\u201cWondered where ya got to.\u201d<\/p>\n

Not breaking his rapt surveillance of the mine entrance, Joe grunted.<\/p>\n

\u201cThought you\u2019d agreed to stay away from here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI said I wouldn\u2019t go into the mine.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss frowned. Little brother could always work around a promise.\u00a0 \u201cWhat you got against Marcus anyway?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNothin\u2019!\u00a0 I mean,\u201d Joe chewed his bottom lip, \u201cI dunno.\u00a0 It\u2019s . . . .\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat feeling huh?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe grinned.\u00a0 Even if he couldn\u2019t fathom why or stop the niggle that scratched at the back of his skull, Hoss always understood him.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t be late for supper or the only thing you\u2019ll feel is a sore butt.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe laughed.\u00a0 Pa hadn\u2019t tanned his hide in years. \u00a0\u201cDon\u2019t worry, I won\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

As he returned to the tool shed, Marcus couldn\u2019t miss Hoss\u2019 solid frame strolling away.\u00a0 Spotting Joe on the rock, his eyes darkened, and his jaw clenched.\u00a0 I\u2019d like to swat that pesky fly.<\/em><\/p>\n

Joe stood up.\u00a0 It was time to head home for supper.\u00a0 The rumble under his feet stopped him cold.\u00a0 Seeing Marcus, he yelled, \u201cWhat the hell was that?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not sure.\u201d<\/p>\n

The only access into the mine was by the cage which was situated at the bottom of the shaft.\u00a0 \u00a0Marcus hit the switch to bring the iron beast to the surface.\u00a0 Anxiously, the two men waited as the cable slowly wound around the reel. Two men stumbled out of the cage enveloped in a cloud of haze.<\/p>\n

\u201cFlood! Steam everywhere!\u201d \u00a0The men gasped.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve must have tapped into a geothermic reservoir,\u201d Marcus yelled, pulling a man clear.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho else is down there?\u201d<\/p>\n

The miner in Joe\u2019s arms replied, \u201cFour men\u2014Grady and Flynn were at the ore face.\u00a0 The O\u2019Hara brothers were working the prospecting drift.\u201d<\/p>\n

Setting the man down on the ground, Joe jumped into the cage.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are you doing?\u00a0 I\u2019ll send the cage back down.\u00a0 If they can make it, they\u2019ll signal to come back up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can\u2019t just sit here.\u00a0 Come or don\u2019t, I\u2019m going!\u201d<\/p>\n

Marcus grabbed Joe\u2019s arm, \u201cDon\u2019t be an idiot!\u00a0 You\u2019ll do more harm than good down there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSend me down!\u201d<\/p>\n

Suit yourself, brat.\u00a0 <\/em>Marcus disengaged the brake and let the cage go.<\/p>\n

The dark had never bothered Joe, but the confines of the shaft were oppressive, and the temperature rose as he descended.<\/p>\n

Reaching the lowest point, he found the tunnel filled with steam.\u00a0 By now Joe was soaking, the moisture plastering his hair to his forehead.\u00a0 Two men were at the shaft entrance.<\/p>\n

Shouting over the roar, Joe demanded, \u201cWhere\u2019re the others?\u201d<\/p>\n

A filthy hand pointed the way.\u00a0 As he pushed passed, it restrained him.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re not goin\u2019 down there?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI have to see if I can help.\u00a0 Go up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, we\u2019ll hold the cage.\u00a0 The water will rise fast, there won\u2019t be time for it to come back down!\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe slapped him on the arm, \u201cThanks.\u201d<\/p>\n

Scrabbling down the tunnel, he had to fight the urge to turn tail and run.\u00a0 The noise of the water reverberated off the walls, terrifying in its intensity.\u00a0 Joe staggered, gasping for air as the steam seared his lungs.<\/p>\n

Out of the mist, two figures materialized, one man struggling under the weight of the other.\u00a0 Joe ducked under the free arm and took half the weight.\u00a0 They ran.\u00a0 Scalding water coursed behind them, snapping at their heels.<\/p>\n

The cage was set in motion as they approached.\u00a0 Time was running out; Joe could feel the heat of the rising water through his boots.<\/p>\n

Handing the injured man off, Joe gave the other a leg up.\u00a0 The cage moved faster, and Joe had to jump to catch the bottom.\u00a0 Hauled aboard, the men lay in a pile, sucking in breaths that held no air; the specter of suffocation clawed at them.\u00a0 Joe looked up, seeing only blackness.\u00a0 We ain\u2019t gonna make it.<\/em><\/p>\n

The cage broke the surface into the light, revealing five unconscious men.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cWhere is he?\u201d<\/p>\n

The bellow brought a smile to Joe\u2019s stinging face.<\/p>\n

Ben strode into the doctor\u2019s room where the sight of Joe and the other miners brought him up short.\u00a0 Pink, and covered with wet blankets, they were a sorry spectacle.<\/p>\n

Ben rested a gentle hand on Joe\u2019s forehead.\u00a0 \u201cHow are you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m okay, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben wasn\u2019t impressed with his youngest since Marcus had told them Joe had gone below against his advice.\u00a0 \u201cJoseph, one of these days . . . .\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d he squeaked.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow could you ignore Marcus and go down the shaft?\u201d<\/p>\n

Incredulous eyes flicked from Ben to Adam and Hoss.\u00a0 Seeing the disapproval, Joe\u2019s jaw tightened.\u00a0 \u201cWhat did you expect me to do?\u00a0 Stand by and do nothing?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMr. Cartwright, don\u2019t be angry with Little Joe.\u00a0 If he hadn\u2019t come down, me an\u2019 my brother wouldn\u2019t have made it out.\u201d\u00a0 Todd O\u2019Hara, leaning up on one elbow, looked earnestly across at them.\u00a0 \u201cMike broke through to the water.\u00a0 He took it full on an\u2019 I had to carry him out.\u00a0 If Little Joe hadn\u2019t been there to help me . . . .\u201d<\/p>\n

All eyes went to the sleeping young man on the bed next to Todd.\u00a0 Mike\u2019s face and torso were swathed in bandages.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow is he, Paul?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019ll be scarred, but he\u2019ll live.\u00a0 I have him under because of the pain, but he should recover.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s hand wrapped around Joe\u2019s.\u00a0 How close they\u2019d come to losing him.\u00a0 Could he blame him for what he did? \u00a0Wouldn\u2019t he have done the same?<\/p>\n

He touched Joe\u2019s cheek.\u00a0 \u201cForgive an old fool of a worried father.\u00a0 I\u2019m proud of you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Standing outside the door, Marcus\u2019 intense gaze rested on Ben and Joe.\u00a0 The interaction between father and son sickened him.\u00a0 Turning, he walked away.<\/p>\n

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

Ben looked up from the figures he\u2019d been studying.\u00a0 \u201cThese are correct?\u201d<\/p>\n

Grim-faced, Adam nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd Marcus is sure we need this equipment?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, the only way to clear that deep thermal water is with the heavier hydraulic pumps.\u00a0 Even with those, the heat will still be a problem.\u00a0 We\u2019ll have to construct a cooling chamber.\u00a0 The workers can then take shifts, working in the heat and recovering in the chamber.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s eyes again rested on the paper in his hand.\u00a0 The cost was extensive.<\/p>\n

Adam continued, \u201cMarcus says the vein is widening all the time.\u00a0 He thinks we\u2019re not far from the mass.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHmm, well, this is more than I can take on.\u00a0 What about you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam shook his head.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll need to start looking for other investors.\u00a0 But for now, if we\u2019re to pursue this, it\u2019ll have to become a Ponderosa investment.\u201d\u00a0 Ben looked over at Joe stretched out on the sofa and Hoss sitting on the hearth.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s up to you two.\u00a0 If you veto it, then that\u2019s it and we close it down.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss met Joe\u2019s eyes for a fleeting moment before replying.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll back you an\u2019 Adam all the way.\u00a0 The vote\u2019s unanimous.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

Marcus looked at the order for the equipment signed off by Ben.\u00a0 He pondered what it must be like to have that kind of money.\u00a0 This mine was his chance.\u00a0 He could almost taste the bonanza he knew was waiting.\u00a0 Soon he\u2019d be as rich as the Cartwrights, richer even.\u00a0 His eyes lit with ambition and resolve.<\/p>\n

Nothing will stop me, nothing.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Chapter Three<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Mining continued.\u00a0 A cooling chamber had been installed, but, unbeknownst to the Cartwrights, Marcus was squirreling away more profits from the sale of ore than he recorded.\u00a0 Periodically, he would take his cache to an assayer in Carson City and deposit his money in the bank. The way Marcus comported himself at the mine and in Virginia City belied his cheating.\u00a0 He looked like an average miner, dirty and sweaty from digging in the depths of the mine.\u00a0 With the bank account growing quickly, Marcus would soon be able to do whatever he wanted\u2014buy land, travel the world.\u00a0 Nothing would be beyond his means or dreams.<\/p>\n

He had to be careful, though.\u00a0 There was a chance she might find him and bring his plans to a halt.<\/p>\n

In the meantime, passing Marcus\u2019 hotel, Joe\u2019s \u2018feeling\u2019 overwhelmed him, and he strode through the door.\u00a0 The ambitiously named Castle Hotel was cheap but clean.\u00a0 When the clerk was distracted by an attractive young woman lugging a trunk through the front door, Joe found the room number in the ledger, palmed the key, and headed up the stairs.<\/p>\n

His heart was pounding when he entered the room.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t know what he was expecting to find but having come this far, he couldn\u2019t back out now.<\/p>\n

Searching the dresser, he ran his hands under clothes, anxious not to disturb them.\u00a0 When he reached the bottom drawer, he hit an object.\u00a0 Withdrawing the maroon velvet box, he opened it, and his mouth formed a soft whistle.\u00a0 Nestled in black velvet was an exquisite set of jewels.\u00a0 Surrounded by an impressive gold necklace of linked intricate bows hung with droplets of two pearls and a central diamond, was a matching set of earrings and a brooch.\u00a0 It would make a lovely gift for any woman \u2013 Oh Lord, his wife<\/em>.\u00a0 Suddenly, Joe felt like a heel.\u00a0 Was he wrong about Marcus?<\/p>\n

Replacing the box, he almost missed the leather pouch.\u00a0 The contents made his heart race again.\u00a0 Carson City Bank deposit receipts for large amounts in the name of the Albright Mining Company. \u00a0At first he thought the deposits were made before Pa and Adam invested in the mine, but the dates were wrong. \u00a0Joe\u2019s mind whirled at the implications.<\/p>\n

The pouch also held a small book containing addresses of various women.\u00a0 The last entry caught the breath in his throat \u2013 Janie Albright.\u00a0 On impulse, he copied it into his tally book.<\/p>\n

Returning everything as he found it, he left the room.\u00a0 His luck was in.\u00a0 The front desk clerk was still engaged with the young lady, allowing Joe to return the key and slip away unnoticed.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Chapter Four<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s anger was on slow simmer as he considered the \u201cevidence\u201d he had found.\u00a0 He had an idea and would act on his own.\u00a0 If he created trouble for someone, well, so be it.\u00a0 Time to find out the truth.<\/p>\n

Ben, Adam and Hoss received Joe\u2019s information in grim silence.\u00a0 While Ben did not approve of Joe\u2019s tactics, he could not fault his son\u2019s tenacity for holding to his own beliefs.<\/p>\n

Adam suspected Joe had more investigating in mind and plans he had not mentioned yet. He had a good idea what that might be.\u00a0 While he kept his thoughts to himself, a small, wry grin crossed his face and he gave Joe a small nod.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat does all this prove, son?\u201d Ben asked, looking at Joe.<\/p>\n

Adam jumped in. \u00a0\u201cThe deposit receipts may have nothing to do with the mine\u2019s affairs, although I do think a financial review is in order\u2014especially since our costs seem to outweigh the return on our investment.\u00a0 As part owner, I can request an audit\u2014and I think I will.\u00a0 If Marcus is being honest with us, he won\u2019t object.\u201d<\/p>\n

The next morning in the mine office, Adam broke the news.\u00a0 Object, Marcus did, and strenuously.\u00a0 He accused the Cartwrights of not trusting his judgment.\u00a0 He had justified every expense, and the family had agreed with his rationale.\u00a0 Why was there doubt?\u00a0 Wasn\u2019t the mine fully operational and showing a steady, if minimal, flow of high-grade ore?<\/p>\n

Adam was cordial but equally adamant in his insistence on an audit.\u00a0 He softened the demand by insisting Marcus come out to the ranch for dinner the following Saturday after he\u2019d had a chance to look over the accounts.\u00a0 \u201cJoe will be away on business and Pa has a Cattlemen\u2019s Association dinner that night.\u00a0 You know how Hop Sing hates to cook for just two people, even if one of those people is Hoss.\u00a0 We can go over any questions I might have afterwards.\u201d\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Reluctantly, Marcus agreed.\u00a0 \u00a0Adam gathered up the ledgers and left.<\/p>\n

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

Janie read the strange telegram with curiosity.\u00a0 She had never heard of the Cartwrights, and she didn\u2019t know why the telegram referenced \u201cher husband, Marcus.\u201d\u00a0 Her husband, David, had disappeared over two years ago.\u00a0 She had hired an investigator to try to locate him but with no success.\u00a0 The investigator had also vanished, taking his substantial fee with him.<\/p>\n

Janie was more than curious as the telegram had invited her to come to Virginia City, in the Nevada territory.\u00a0 All expenses would be paid, and she would be able to leave and return to Denver whenever she wanted.\u00a0 Her aunt was invited to accompany her as a chaperone, if Janie was concerned with the propriety of the matter.<\/p>\n

\u201cAunt Della, I am curious about all of this.\u00a0 But it is so strange that this telegram references my husband, but by a different name.\u00a0 This Joe Cartwright thinks there is something amiss.\u00a0 I tend to agree.\u00a0 I think we should go.\u00a0 Cousin Miranda won\u2019t mind watching Curt knowing how desperate I am to know what happened to David.<\/p>\n

\u201cJanie, I have a friend who lives near Virginia City.\u00a0 Let me contact her to see if she can tell me anything about these Cartwrights.<\/span>\u201d<\/p>\n

Telegrams flew between Virginia City and Denver with the result being that Aunt Della and Janie were soon on a stage to Nevada territory.\u00a0 This Joe Cartwright person would meet them in Carson\u2014all expenses for as long as necessary would be paid by the same Joe Cartwright.<\/p>\n

Soon, Janie thought, she might have some answers to questions that had plagued her life for the past two years.\u00a0 Would she find David\u2014was he even alive<\/em>?\u00a0 And who was this Marcus, her alleged husband?\u00a0 She was both excited and anxious to hear the answers awaiting her in this outlying western place. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Joe Cartwright had not entered the mine since the incident with the thermal stream.\u00a0 Yet, everywhere Marcus went, the youngest Cartwright was there watching him.\u00a0 Joe was friendly, in a distant sort of way.\u00a0 All the Cartwrights appeared friendly but wary of him lately.\u00a0 Did they know or suspect something?\u00a0 Although he had come up with satisfactory answers to Adam\u2019s questions when they met for dinner, Adam continued to monitor the books closely making it difficult to syphon silver from the mine.\u00a0 The Cartwrights were not as generous with the funding as they had been, and safety concerns were paramount to them\u2014not production.\u00a0 Marcus was considering a personal escape plan should a hasty disappearance be necessary.\u00a0 He had money, he had silver, and he had jewels.\u00a0 He could start over if he needed to.\u00a0 But he was close to his own fortune!\u00a0 His thoughts ran in grim circles.\u00a0 Damn!\u00a0 So close!<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

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

The evening stage pulled into Carson City right on time.\u00a0 Janie and Della scanned the waiting crowd to see if they could pick out Mr. Cartwright.\u00a0 The portly gentleman in the black suit?\u00a0 The tall, thin man in rough clothes?\u00a0 The handsome, dapper young man in a trim waistcoat and top hat?\u00a0 Soon, her questions would be answered, wouldn\u2019t they?\u00a0 Della and Janie gathered their personal items and alighted onto the boardwalk.<\/p>\n

A slender young man in buff pants and a green jacket\u2014about Janie\u2019s age\u2014stepped forward and doffed his hat.\u00a0 Very polite, she noted.\u00a0 And very handsome.\u00a0 \u201cMrs. Albright, Janie Albright, I presume?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I\u2019m Janie Albright and this is my Aunt Della.\u00a0 And you would be Joe Cartwright?\u201d\u00a0 she said looking into his sparkling eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I\u2019m Joe Cartwright.\u00a0 I\u2019ll get your luggage loaded in the buggy and take you to the hotel.\u00a0 We will have dinner and I\u2019ll try to give you some idea of what is going on and why I wanted you here.\u00a0 In the morning, we will catch the stage to Virginia City, and I\u2019ll check you into the International House.\u00a0 Things may turn out to be very interesting, I\u2019ll warn you now. However, I promise you won\u2019t come to any harm.\u00a0 And, of course, you can go back to Denver anytime you want to.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMr. Cartwright, I don\u2019t intend to return to Denver without answers\u2014and I have many questions to ask you, one of them being, how did you know who I am and how to contact me?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe smiled at the young woman as he guided her and her aunt to pick up their luggage.\u00a0 Joe knew Janie might be in for more answers than she imagined.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll get you settled at the hotel, then at dinner, I can start answering some of your questions, and I have a few of my own to ask you, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe reserved a small dining room for dinner at the St. Charles Hotel where they would stay the night.\u00a0 Janie and Della arrived promptly at 7 p.m.\u00a0 He seated the ladies and signaled for the hovering waitress to take their orders.\u00a0 The company chatted companionably until the food and wine arrived.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow,\u201d Joe said as he sipped his wine, \u201cLet me tell you a story about an eager young man and a silver mine he talked my family into investing in.\u00a0 The man\u2019s name is Marcus Albright.\u00a0 When we met him, he told us about his wife and child living in Denver with an aunt.\u00a0 Some things seemed peculiar as our association with him and the mine developed over time.<\/p>\n

“Let me stop you right there, Mr. Cartwright.\u00a0 My husband\u2019s name is David, not Marcus, and I have not heard one word from him since he disappeared over two years ago.\u00a0\u00a0I am so afraid that something terrible has happened to him. ”\u00a0\u00a0She dabbed her eyes with her napkin. “I need to know if this Marcus is my David.” Janie spoke with soft passion, her eyes fixed on Joe.<\/p>\n

Della shifted slightly in her seat.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cYou see, Collier\u2014my brother and Janie\u2019s father\u2014had hired David as an engineer for one of his mines.\u00a0\u00a0He was a well-educated and talented professional who had potential and often had very good ideas on how to construct a mine to reach difficult veins and pockets of ore.\u00a0\u00a0Soon, David was practically a part of the family.\u00a0\u00a0He asked Collier for Janie\u2019s hand in marriage.\u00a0\u00a0At first my brother was pleased to have David as a son-in-law, but over time they argued about the management of the mine and David’s willingness to take risks to get the ore out quicker.\u201d<\/p>\n

Janie continued, “The arguments grew worse and my husband begged me to let him strike out on his own.\u00a0\u00a0David wanted so much for us\u2014for me and the baby\u2014so as not to be beholden to my father.\u00a0\u00a0We agreed that with his knowledge and expertise, he should go to west to seek his fortune.\u00a0\u00a0I gave him the jewels my grandmother left me as a stake.\u00a0\u00a0I got a letter from him as soon as he got to California and then again three months later, but after that . . . nothing and so \u00a0I hired a private investigator to see if he could find David.\u00a0\u00a0I paid him a substantial sum, gave him all the information I could about David.\u00a0\u00a0Then, he, too, disappeared.\u00a0\u00a0Then I received your telegram.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe could say nothing.\u00a0 For a time, there was only silence in the small room.\u00a0 He could feel her sorrow, her curiosity, and her quiet anger.\u00a0 He had done the right thing in contacting her, but he had a feeling whatever they found out, it would hurt this beautiful young woman.\u00a0 She would go home to Denver and begin a new life, but what would that life be?\u00a0 As a wife?\u00a0 As a widow?\u00a0 Would the young boy have a father or not? Briefly, the thought crossed his mind how life would have been for him had he not had Pa and his brothers.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat about you, Mr. Cartwright.\u00a0 Are you married?\u201d asked Della, in an effort to change the subject.<\/p>\n

\u201cCall me Joe, ma\u2019am.\u00a0 Mr. Cartwright is my father.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe told the women about his brothers, their father and their ranch outside Virginia City.\u00a0 A few glasses of wine helped the story flow as he included several humorous stories about the family. Still, there was some awkwardness, and the dinner quietly ended as the women went to their room and Joe went to his.\u00a0 He tried to puzzle out Marcus\u2019 story with the pieces of additional information provided by Janie and Della.\u00a0 Morning would see the beginning of a journey toward the answers that would change lives\u2014one way or another.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Chapter Five<\/strong><\/p>\n

Unfortunately, Little Joe Cartwright was a man noted for falling in love at first sight and, Adam often wryly accused, proposing at second.\u00a0 That morning in Carson City, as the first rays of dawn filtered through the curtains of his hotel room, his instincts were running true to form.\u00a0 He was already feeling a strong attraction for Janie Albright\u2014Mrs.<\/em> Albright, he reminded himself, and therein lay the rub.\u00a0 She was a married woman, no doubt about that.\u00a0 The only thing in dispute was the identity of her husband.\u00a0 Was it the man the Cartwrights knew as Marcus Albright or was her missing husband David someone else entirely?<\/p>\n

He folded his arms beneath his head as he lay on his bed at the St. Charles and mulled over everything he\u2019d learned from Janie and her aunt Della at supper.\u00a0 Many of the details Marcus had told them fit: \u00a0his wife\u2019s name, an aunt in Denver, a son named Curt, and the jewels were exactly like those Janie had given David.\u00a0 But the man\u2019s first name was different.\u00a0 Was he using an alias for some reason?\u00a0 But what reason could there be?\u00a0 A man didn\u2019t use an alias unless he had something to hide, and as far as Joe could tell, David didn\u2019t.\u00a0 Was the last name simply coincidence, belonging to two completely unrelated men?\u00a0 No, that didn\u2019t explain Janie\u2019s jewels being in his room.\u00a0 None of it made sense, and for Janie\u2019s sake it had to.\u00a0 She deserved to know the truth, and Joe could only think of one way to give it to her.\u00a0 How best to orchestrate that confrontation had consumed his thoughts through most of the night.<\/p>\n

Yawning, he swung his legs over the edge of the bed and sat up.\u00a0 They\u2019d meet for breakfast in the downstairs caf\u00e9 and then catch the stage for Virginia City to begin the process that would help them sort out the truth.<\/p>\n

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

The long, bumpy ride in a stage they had all to themselves gave them time to finalize their plans, so as soon as they exited the coach, they moved quickly to the International House.\u00a0 Since it was only 4:00, Joe assumed that Marcus would still be at the mine and not likely to see them on the street.\u00a0 Nonetheless, he wasted no time as he signed the register on behalf of the two ladies and collected the keys to their suite.\u00a0 With instructions to have the trunks sent up to the room when they arrived, he gathered their two carpetbags and led the way upstairs.<\/p>\n

Once there, he suggested that the ladies take their supper in the suite.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t think Marcus frequents the International House much,\u201d he said, \u201cbut he could, and we don\u2019t want him seein\u2019 you \u2018til we\u2019re ready.\u201d\u00a0 They were all hoping that if Marcus actually were David, the shock of seeing his wife would stun him into a truthful explanation, but for that shock to take effect, he couldn\u2019t know Janie was in town until that moment.<\/p>\n

Aunt Della laughed.\u00a0 \u201cAfter jolting around in that stagecoach for what seems like an eternity, I welcome a quiet supper in this lovely room, Mr. Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAs do I,\u201d Janie agreed and then asked, \u201cYou\u2019ll set up the meeting for tomorrow?\u00a0 I am tired, but anxious to know if your Marcus is my David.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSuppertime tomorrow, if I can,\u201d Joe promised.\u00a0 He understood her urgency, but as much as she wanted the matter resolved, she needed a day\u2019s rest after the long stagecoach journey to gather the strength and self-control necessary to face either her errant husband or the disappointment of yet another futile effort to find him.<\/p>\n

Her lip quivered slightly, and Joe had to fight back the urge to take her in his arms and comfort her fears.\u00a0 She\u2019s married<\/em>, he told himself again as he said goodbye with a promise to send a note as soon as the dinner meeting was arranged.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t worry,\u201d he said as he twirled his hat in his hand.\u00a0 \u201cWaiting\u2019s hard, I know, but it\u2019ll all be over tomorrow, and you\u2019ll have your answers.\u00a0 Then you can decide what to do.\u201d\u00a0 Get a good lawyer and divorce the bum<\/em>, he thought and immediately wondered whether he was thinking of her interests or his own.<\/p>\n

She nodded, unable to speak her greatest fear: that the morning would only reveal this Marcus Albright to be a complete stranger and leave her with all the same unanswered questions.\u00a0 As her warm glance followed the handsome and charming Mr. Cartwright to the door, she felt a blush of shame when she realized she wasn\u2019t sure which way she wanted it to go.\u00a0 After all, it had been two long years without so much as a scribble from her husband.<\/p>\n

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

Marcus frantically flung clothes into his carpetbag, emptying the contents of his chest of drawers as fast as his fingers could fly.\u00a0 Perhaps he had only minutes to escape!<\/p>\n

He thanked his lucky stars that he\u2019d decided to leave work early that afternoon.\u00a0 After all, he wasn\u2019t some dirt-poor miner; he was the owner and entitled to take afternoon or even an entire day off if he chose.\u00a0 And thank heavens, he had!\u00a0 Otherwise, he\u2019d have been caught off guard when that pesky Joe Cartwright sprang his nasty surprise.<\/p>\n

He\u2019d been walking up C Street, trying to decide where to eat, when he spotted Cartwright moving toward the International House with two women.\u00a0 By instinct he ducked into the alley, where he could see without being seen.\u00a0 He\u2019d leered with contempt at his nemesis, assuming the good-for-nothing was planning an assignation with some women he\u2019d picked up off the stage.\u00a0 Two of them, no less!\u00a0 Apparently, only one woman was insufficient to satiate his lecherous appetite.\u00a0 If Ben Cartwright only knew what his precious youngest son got up to behind his back!<\/p>\n

Then the younger woman had turned far enough for him to see her profile and he\u2019d recognized her\u2014Janie!\u00a0 The other woman was, no doubt, her Aunt Della.\u00a0 He\u2019d stepped deeper into the alley so quickly that he hadn\u2019t had time for a good look, but it could scarcely be anyone else.<\/p>\n

How had they found him, when he\u2019d covered his tracks so well?\u00a0 Cartwright, of course; it had to be him.\u00a0 But how had he learned where to contact Janie?\u00a0 The second he asked the question he knew the answer.\u00a0 His address book was still here and didn\u2019t appear to have been disturbed, but the little snoop could scarcely have found the information anywhere else.\u00a0 Cartwright had been in his room, pawing through his things!\u00a0 Well, he\u2019d pay and pay dearly for that invasion of privacy.<\/p>\n

He had to find a way to silence the man before he had a chance to ruin everything Marcus had built up.\u00a0 Then he realized that Cartwright\u2014curse him\u2014had already ruined it, just by finding Janie, and that he held in his hand the power to take even more.\u00a0 I was a fool to keep that address book in the first place<\/em>, he chided himself, and a bigger one to keep my Carson City bank book with it.<\/em>\u00a0 Had Cartwright not seen that or, perhaps, not understood its significance?\u00a0 Unlike his brother Adam, Joe was not skilled with numbers.\u00a0 If he silenced him soon enough, he would still have time to collect his assets before disappearing and finding a place to start anew.\u00a0 Grabbing his carpetbag, he cautiously opened the door, and finding the hallway clear, he quickly moved to the back stairs and made his way out to the alley.<\/p>\n

As long as Janie didn\u2019t see him, he was still safe, and there were any number of seedy hostelries, where no one would think to look for him.\u00a0 He\u2019d lay low and\u2014and what?\u00a0 Hope she gave up and left town?\u00a0 He still needed to deal with Cartwright.\u00a0 The infernal pest knew something, maybe not everything, but something, and that made him a danger.<\/p>\n

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

It was late by the time Little Joe arrived at the Ponderosa that night, but he easily persuaded Hop Sing to rustle him up something to eat.\u00a0 In fact, it turned out that the cook had held back an apple pie, Joe\u2019s favorite, in anticipation of his boy\u2019s return.\u00a0 The rest of the family returned to the dining table, as well, happy to share it with him, along with steaming cups of coffee, as they heard his news.\u00a0 Joe filled them in on everything he\u2019d learned from Janie Albright about the disappearance of her husband David.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t seem like he was much of a man,\u201d Little Joe opined, \u201crunnin\u2019 off like he did.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can scarcely call it \u2018running off,\u2019 since she knew he was coming and even staked the venture with her jewels,\u201d Adam observed.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd to abandon her for two years?\u00a0 Would you say that was fine, too, older brother?\u201d Little Joe demanded hotly.<\/p>\n

\u201cI sure wouldn\u2019t,\u201d Hoss put in.\u00a0 \u201cI knew there was somethin\u2019 peculiar about him not wantin\u2019 to send for her.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEasy, now,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cI didn\u2019t say I agreed with his actions, but Marcus could always claim that he merely came west to find his fortune and intended to return to her once he had.\u00a0 It might even be true.\u00a0 Plenty of men out here have wives they\u2019ve left behind for exactly that purpose, and two years, while it may seem an eternity to her, isn\u2019t a long absence among such men.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd never writing home?\u00a0 Not even to let her know he was still alive?\u201d\u00a0 There was a rough, bitter edge to Joe\u2019s voice that was far more revealing than he might have wished.<\/p>\n

\u201cSeems unnecessarily cruel,\u201d Adam admitted, softening his voice, \u201cbut perhaps seeing her will awaken his better instincts.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe snorted.\u00a0 The other Cartwrights, being fully aware of the youngest\u2019s feelings about Marcus Albright, ignored it.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, how do you plan to handle it, son?\u201d Ben asked.<\/p>\n

Little Joe cut himself another slice of pie.\u00a0 \u201cI thought I\u2019d send Marcus a note, invitin\u2019 him to supper at the International House.\u00a0 Figured I\u2019d say something like I felt like, maybe, I\u2019d misjudged him, and I\u2019d like to treat him to supper and see if we couldn\u2019t start over, us bein\u2019 partners and all.\u00a0 Then I\u2019d show up with the two ladies, and we\u2019d see if they recognized him.\u00a0 If they don\u2019t, then I introduce them as friends and we all have dinner; if Marcus really is David, well, I guess I let Janie decide what she wants to do with him . . . and if it\u2019s a punch in the snoot, I\u2019ll be happy to oblige.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, no, no,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cThat won\u2019t do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019d have it comin\u2019!\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam shook his head with a wry smile.\u00a0 \u201cI wasn\u2019t talking about the punch in the snoot; I meant the whole idea.\u00a0 The note shouldn\u2019t come from you, Joe.\u00a0 Feeling about you the way he does, he\u2019d immediately be on guard, and you\u2019d lose your element of surprise.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s right, Joe,\u201d Hoss said, and Ben nodded in solemn agreement.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy don\u2019t I write the note, instead?\u201d Adam suggested.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll tell him my assessment of the books this week, while basically fine, shows a couple of small discrepancies I\u2019d like to discuss over dinner.\u00a0 You and the ladies can come in later, and we\u2019ll play it by ear from there.\u00a0 How does that sound?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBetter,\u201d Little Joe agreed.\u00a0 \u201cHe would be suspicious if I suddenly wanted to make friends.\u00a0 So, you didn\u2019t find anything in the books, huh?\u00a0 I thought sure you would.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I did . . . finally,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cHe hid it well, so it took me awhile to see what he was doing.\u00a0 I\u2019ve already found indications that several thousand dollars are missing.\u00a0 But I\u2019ll play it down, and given his ego, I think he\u2019ll believe that I wasn\u2019t able to discover his expert manipulation of the numbers.\u00a0 If he thinks he\u2019s put one over on us, that should further drop his guard for your little surprise.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe grinned.\u00a0 \u201cI like your thinking, older brother.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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

As it turned out, however, that well scripted meeting at the International House never took place.\u00a0 Adam\u2019s note of invitation was a masterpiece of conciliatory persuasion but having seen Janie and her aunt entering the hotel, Marcus suspected that the meeting had an entirely different purpose than the one Adam suggested.\u00a0 It also raised another specter of concern, for Adam\u2019s writing the note suggested that, in addition to Joe, the oldest Cartwright brother knew about her, too.\u00a0 Perhaps all the Cartwrights did, but for now Marcus would hope that he had only two men to dispose of, in order to keep his secret.\u00a0 Accomplishing that would be no small task, but the fate he\u2019d been planning for Joe could just as easily accommodate the demise of his older brother, as well.<\/p>\n

He took great pains with the response he crafted to Adam\u2019s invitation:<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

My dear Adam,<\/em><\/p>\n

How gratified I was to receive your kind invitation and how I wish that I could accept.\u00a0 However, I find myself, instead, appealing to you for help with a grave situation that has arisen at the mine this morning.\u00a0 A crew of men has holed themselves up at the lowest level and is threatening to flood the mine if their demands, which I consider completely unreasonable, are not met.\u00a0 I appeal to you to come as soon as possible.\u00a0 The respect accorded the Cartwright name and your skill in handling people may be the only thing that will turn the tide.\u00a0 Indeed, I fear failure is almost certain without it.<\/em><\/p>\n

I\u2019m sure you must realize how it pains me to make this additional request, but some of the men are insisting that they will only talk with your brother Joe.\u00a0 The leaders seem to be the O\u2019Hara brothers, whose lives he saved in the previous incident.\u00a0 I am enclosing their note to him.<\/em><\/p>\n

I know I said I wanted Joe to stay out of the mine, and that remains my preference, but now I find I must ask his help, too, and he may be reluctant to give it.\u00a0 Would you kindly help persuade him and bring him with you?\u00a0 After all, we all stand to suffer great financial loss if we cannot resolve this situation favorably.\u00a0 I am assured that nothing will be done until you and your brother arrive.\u00a0 Please make all haste to come directly to the mine.<\/em><\/p>\n

Marcus<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

A sly smile spread across his face as he folded the letter and slipped it into an envelope, along with a much more roughly crafted one, signed with Todd O\u2019Hara\u2019s name.\u00a0 He addressed it to Adam Cartwright, and then found a messenger to take it to the Ponderosa, paying extra to encourage its speedy delivery.<\/p>\n

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

Along with Hoss, Adam had left the ranch early that morning, so he never received the note.\u00a0 Exhausted from his long journey, Little Joe had been allowed to sleep in and had just finished his late breakfast when the messenger delivered the envelope into his hand.\u00a0 \u201cWait here,\u201d he told the boy, gesturing toward the porch, \u201cIn case there is a reply.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s addressed to Adam,\u201d he told his father as he carried the envelope into the office alcove.\u00a0 \u201cOrdinarily, I wouldn\u2019t open another man\u2019s mail, but this is probably Marcus\u2019 answer to his invitation to dinner, and I kind of need to know if it\u2019s happening.\u00a0 You think it\u2019d be okay?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we have to,\u201d Ben said, offering his letter opener to his son.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ll need to get word to the ladies, so they\u2019ll be prepared.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe slit the envelope and removed two pieces of paper.\u00a0 By chance, he opened the note from Marcus first, and his brow immediately furrowed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cDid he agree to join Adam for dinner or not?\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cGuess that\u2019s called off for now.\u00a0 There\u2019s trouble at the mine.\u201d\u00a0 He handed the letter to his father, and while Ben read it, he opened the second note and scanned its contents.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom the O\u2019Hara brothers?\u201d Ben asked, his chin gesturing toward the paper Joe held.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom Todd, yeah,\u201d Little Joe replied.\u00a0 He folded the letter and stuffed it in his pocket.\u00a0 \u201cGuess I\u2019d better get up there pronto.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI doubt we should take time to send word to Adam.\u00a0 I suppose I could take his place,\u201d Ben said with a sigh, as he thought of all the paperwork cluttering his desk, including an important timber contract in need of amendment before it was concluded.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo need,\u201d Little Joe said.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s me the men want.\u00a0 They trust me because they don\u2019t see me as part of the management the way they would you or Adam and, well, \u2018cause I did sort of save Mike\u2019s life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled.\u00a0 \u201cNo \u2018sort of\u2019 about it.\u00a0 Sure you can handle it on your own?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure.\u00a0 They\u2019ll listen to me,\u201d Little Joe said confidently.\u00a0 \u201cSend a message to Mrs. Albright for me, all right?\u00a0 She and Miss Della are expecting to hear from me, but I need to get to the mine, sooner the better.\u00a0 Messenger\u2019s on the porch.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll take care of it,\u201d Ben promised.\u00a0 \u201cYou be careful, Little Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe tossed him a cocky grin.\u00a0 \u201cAren\u2019t I always?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben landed a light swat on his youngest\u2019s backside.\u00a0 \u201cGet on with you,\u201d he scolded with a chuckle.<\/p>\n

“I may spend the night in town once it’s all over, have myself a drink or two to celebrate my negotiating skills,” Joe said as he scooted out the door.<\/p>\n

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

Joe kept Cochise at a steady pace all the way from the Ponderosa to the Albright-Cartwright mine, while trying to slow his racing thoughts.\u00a0 The workers had always had a good relationship with the management, at least the Cartwright part of it, so he immediately suspected that Marcus was responsible for whatever problems had surfaced today.\u00a0 Ordinarily, he\u2019d have been only too pleased to rip into the man with accusations and demands for explanations; today, however, he was reluctant to do anything to drive them further apart.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t dare risk a rift that might make Marcus reluctant to come to the planned dinner, whether it took place tonight or, possibly, the next.<\/p>\n

Then Joe laughed at his foolish concern.\u00a0 The invitation was, supposedly, from Adam, so it really didn\u2019t matter whether he himself quarreled with Marcus; in fact, the man might become suspicious if he didn\u2019t go in with both barrels loaded.\u00a0 Well, maybe one barrel.\u00a0 It couldn\u2019t hurt to hold back a little, could it?\u00a0 No, it might even help, later on.\u00a0 Yeah, that was the way to go: show some irritation but try to come across as wanting to set things right again, for all their sakes.\u00a0 That settled, he let Cochise run a little faster, eager to get there and set the plan in motion.<\/p>\n

He slowed down only when he reached the Geiger Grade and followed its steep path into Virginia City.\u00a0 Traffic kept him to a slower pace through town, and he waved at Roy Coffee as he took the turn that led up to the mine.\u00a0 Once he reached it, he sprang off the horse and stalked over to Marcus.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s this about, Marcus?\u201d he demanded.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere\u2019s your brother?\u201d Marcus demanded right back.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019d already left the house by the time your note came.\u201d\u00a0 Joe shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s me the men asked for, anyway, isn\u2019t it?\u00a0 I figured I could handle it myself, not bother Adam.\u00a0 He\u2019s got his own work to manage.\u201d<\/p>\n

Arrogant fool<\/em>, Marcus thought.\u00a0 Typical of this privileged brat!<\/em>\u00a0 Still, for now, it suited his purpose to feed the fool\u2019s ego.\u00a0 \u201cYes, that\u2019s right.\u00a0 The men seem to feel they can trust you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cExactly,\u201d Joe said, \u201cso I\u2019ll ask again\u2014what\u2019s this about?\u00a0 We\u2019ve never had this sort of problem before, so it must be something you\u2019ve done.\u201d\u00a0 He thought he\u2019d measured the level of aggravation just about right.<\/p>\n

Marcus released an exaggerated sigh.\u00a0 \u201cWell, I did mention a slight decrease in pay, given the higher expenses we\u2019ve experienced lately, but it was only fifty cents an hour.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, is that all?\u201d Little Joe scoffed.\u00a0 \u201cYou got any idea what four dollars less a day means to men like these?\u201d<\/p>\n

More than you do, rich boy<\/em>, Marcus thought.\u00a0 \u201cI was only trying to protect our assets,\u201d he said.\u00a0 Having baited his hook, he decided to wiggle it a little more.\u00a0 \u201cOf course, they seemed more concerned about my suggestion of a slight extension of the time between trips to the cooling chamber.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you crazy?\u201d\u00a0 Joe took a deep breath to control his genuine anger at the ludicrous idea.\u00a0 \u201cSorry.\u00a0 Didn\u2019t mean to yell,\u201d he said, \u201cbut that chamber has made all the difference to the men at the lower levels.\u00a0 You should have known that they would balk.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, perhaps so,\u201d Marcus conceded.\u00a0 Time to land the fish.\u00a0 \u201cI thought the changes I proposed were small and that they\u2019d prefer a little hardship to the loss of their jobs, which could happen if we can\u2019t control expenses, but I may have misjudged, being new to management.\u00a0 That\u2019s why I need you to talk to them, Joe.\u00a0 They\u2019ve barricaded themselves down there, determined to have their way, and they made it clear they wouldn\u2019t talk to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe rested a conciliatory hand on the other man\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s why I\u2019m here, Marcus, to help.\u00a0 I\u2019ll go down and talk to them, and I\u2019m sure I can explain that you were only making suggestions, not laying down rules.\u201d\u00a0 His voice hardened slightly.\u00a0 \u201cThat is right, isn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, yes, of course.\u00a0 Whatever you advise, Joe.\u201d\u00a0 Marcus was meekness itself.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll wait here, so as not to antagonize them and to give you a free hand.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, probably best.\u201d\u00a0 As Joe turned and strode toward the mine entrance, he failed to see the smirk of satisfaction aimed at his back.\u00a0 He rode the cage directly to the lowest level, oblivious to the bell immediately summoning it back to the surface, intent only on what to say to the men once he reached them.\u00a0 Only belatedly did his ears catch the familiar sound of picks striking rock at the end of the tunnel, and it took even longer for him to realize that what he was hearing was the sound of men at work, men who supposedly had refused to work and were holding the mine hostage to a threat of flooding.<\/p>\n

Spotting Todd O\u2019Hara ahead of him in the passage, which showed no sign of a barricade, he moved briskly toward him.\u00a0 \u201cHey, Todd, what\u2019s up?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust about to ask you the same thing, boss,\u201d the Irishman said with a grin.\u00a0 \u201cThought you wasn\u2019t allowed down the mine.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m here in answer to your note,\u201d Joe said, grinning back, \u201cthough it looks like I\u2019m not needed anymore.\u00a0 You decided to go back to work, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been workin\u2019 here since sunup, Joe,\u201d Todd said, looking puzzled, \u201cand I\u2019ve got no notion what you mean about a note.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe drew the crumpled paper from his pocket.\u00a0 \u201cYou didn\u2019t send this, sayin\u2019 I was the only one you\u2019d negotiate with?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNegotiate?\u00a0 What about?\u201d Todd asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe pay cut?\u00a0 Your threat to flood the mine?\u201d\u00a0 Joe took one look at the other man\u2019s stunned face and drew a quick conclusion.\u00a0 \u201cYou don\u2019t have a clue what I\u2019m talking about, do you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNary a one,\u201d Todd said.<\/p>\n

Joe scratched his head.\u00a0 It made no sense, but obviously Marcus had lied to him.\u00a0 What could he possibly have to gain from such a tall tale?<\/p>\n

Just then, with a deafening blast, a cloud of dust and debris surged toward them.<\/p>\n

\u201cCave in!\u201d someone yelled, and men began rushing, futilely, up the stope toward the shaft entrance.<\/p>\n

Three levels above them Marcus issued commands to get out of the mine.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s men trapped down there!\u201d one of the miners yelled.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll try to get them out, once things settle,\u201d Marcus said.\u00a0 \u201cGet yourselves to safety first!\u201d\u00a0 It was a shame, of course, that the crew on the lowest level had to be sacrificed, but it couldn\u2019t be helped, and it was worth the death of a few insignificant pawns to silence Little Joe Cartwright forever and secure his own personal wealth.\u00a0 If only that smart aleck Adam had shown up, as well, so he could have swatted two pesky flies with one\u2014Marcus grinned\u2014with one load of dynamite, a highly effective fly swatter.<\/p>\n

Once he and the men surrounding him reached the surface, he gave out new orders.\u00a0 \u201cWait \u2018til you\u2019re sure it\u2019s safe before going back in, men,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cThen do what you can without endangering yourselves.\u00a0 I\u2019ll run down into town and get help.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks, boss,\u201d a man called as Marcus headed down the hill.\u00a0 \u201cWe need all the help we can get.\u201d<\/p>\n

He ignored the thanks, knowing he wouldn\u2019t be earning them.\u00a0 He was confident that the few men here couldn\u2019t possibly reach the lowest level in time, and he had no intention of summoning help.\u00a0 He headed, instead, for the livery, where he had a horse and a packed bag waiting and was soon on his way to Carson City, determined to empty his secret bank account and get out of the territory before anyone, particularly anyone named Cartwright, realized he was gone.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Chapter Six<\/strong><\/p>\n

Present Day<\/em><\/p>\n

Marcus pulled up short just outside of Carson City.\u00a0 His horse was all in a lather from running the last few miles.\u00a0 After lighting the fuse Marcus had headed toward Virginia City full of confidence.\u00a0 He had thousands of dollars squirreled away in the bank, enough to start a new life back East, maybe Boston or New York, but the little voice at the back of his mind kept nagging at him.\u00a0 The Cartwrights were a self-righteous, nosey, interfering bunch, and even though he\u2019d taken care of Little Joe and left enough devastation to keep the rest of the family occupied for weeks, he couldn\u2019t manage to keep the roiling knot of worry from the pit of his stomach.\u00a0 He\u2019d kept pushing his horse to move faster and faster until finally they were at a full gallop.\u00a0 Now the poor beast stood with heaving sides and foam-caked mouth and chest.\u00a0 He quickly tied it to a tree, brushed himself off, and walked toward the city.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t even look back when a few seconds later the horse thudded dead on the ground.<\/p>\n

Trying to keep calm, Marcus entered the bank.\u00a0 The amount of people in line made him groan.\u00a0 The teller he\u2019d picked chose to treat every customer like a long-lost relative rather than concentrate on the transaction.\u00a0\u00a0 As he tapped his foot to the rhythm of the large clock, ten and then fifteen minutes passed and there were still two people in line. The stage would leave in a half hour and he intended to be on it, but when the town sheriff started through the front door, his legs nearly buckled.\u00a0 The sheriff headed straight for him.<\/p>\n

\u201cHowdy, sir,\u201d the sheriff said, \u201cI wonder if you\u2019d mind coming over to my office with me?\u00a0\u00a0 I\u2019ve got a few questions you might be able to help me out with.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marcus\u2019s head was reeling.\u00a0 How<\/em>?\u00a0 Before he even realized what he was doing, he grabbed the lady in line in front of him, shoved her toward the sheriff and made a run for the back door.\u00a0 It was locked.\u00a0 In a panic, he rushed the teller who was pulling a revolver from under the counter.\u00a0 He wrenched the gun away, aimed at the teller\u2019s head and then crumpled to the floor, his eyes open and lifeless as blood oozed from the wound above his left ear where the sheriff\u2019s bullet had entered his skull.<\/p>\n

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

A search of the man\u2019s body revealed his name:\u00a0 Marcus Albright.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlbright!\u201d a young woman who had been in line exclaimed.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you know this man, Miss?\u201d the Sheriff asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cN-No, I\u2019ve never seen him before, but there was a Mrs. Albright staying at the St. Charles a few days ago.\u00a0 I work in the restaurant there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIs she still at the hotel?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u00a0 She and the other lady she was with checked out.\u00a0 I think they went to Virginia City on the stage.\u00a0 Joe Cartwright was with them.\u201d<\/p>\n

By this time two deputies had arrived, and the sheriff instructed them to remove the body to the undertakers.\u00a0 \u201cThen one of you high tail it to Virginia City, find that woman, and bring her back here pronto.\u00a0 If you can\u2019t locate her, find Joe Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

The rap on the door startled Janie.\u00a0 She\u2019d been staring out the window of the hotel, gazing on the hills to the east, thinking about home and her son.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll get it Aunt Della.\u00a0 It\u2019s probably Joe.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 She patted down a few stray hairs and pinched her cheeks before opening the door to a man with a badge.<\/p>\n

\u201cMrs. Albright?\u201d<\/p>\n

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

\u201cI\u2019m Deputy Stone from Carson City.\u00a0 I need you to come with me, please.\u201d<\/p>\n

Della stepped in front of her niece.\u00a0 \u201cWhat is this about, deputy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s been a . . . an accident.\u00a0 We have reason to believe you may be able to identify the body.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBody?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, ma\u2019am.\u00a0 A man with the last name of Albright.\u201d<\/p>\n

Janie swooned and was caught by the deputy who placed her in a nearby chair while Della fetched a glass of water.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, dear, I wish Joe were here,\u201d Janie said when she recovered.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we should go with the deputy.\u00a0 You\u2019ve waited long enough for answers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Janie nodded slowly.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe sooner we get started, the sooner I can have you back here,\u201d the deputy said as he escorted the women to the buggy and settled them in.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s all the excitement about?\u201d Janie asked the deputy as the buckboard passed the Crown Point Ravine on the way down to Carson City.\u00a0 There were men scrambling all over the hill while a siren blared.<\/p>\n

\u201cCave in, Ma\u2019am.\u00a0 It happens.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, my!\u201d\u00a0 Della grabbed her niece\u2019s arm as Janie clutched her throat. \u201cI\u2019m sure he\u2019s all right, my dear.\u201d\u00a0 But for whom does she fear?<\/em>\u00a0 David or Joe?<\/em><\/p>\n

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

Three hours later the women were standing in front of a window on Carson Street.\u00a0 The sign said:\u00a0 Samuel C. Wright, Undertaker.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou wait here, my dear.\u00a0 I\u2019ll go in.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Aunt Della.\u00a0 I can do this.\u00a0 I must do this.\u00a0\u00a0 Deputy, your arm if I may?\u201d<\/p>\n

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

Deputy Stone escorted Janie to a room inside the building where a pine box rested on two sawhorses.\u00a0 The lid had been removed.\u00a0 As she approached, Janie covered her nose with her handkerchief, and stared at the moldering corpse.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat most definitely is not my husband.\u00a0 That is the man I hired to find him.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

Roy sat at his desk and considered the telegram he held.\u00a0 Towns near and far were still abuzz with the story of David Albright\u2019s imposter, and the near-death of the men in the mine explosion.\u00a0 Roy couldn\u2019t blame folks.\u00a0 They hadn\u2019t had excitement like this in a long time, but Roy knew the suffering behind the gossip.<\/p>\n

The look on his friend\u2019s face wasn\u2019t something he\u2019d easily forget as Ben waited in quiet agony, praying for the lives of his youngest son and those men.\u00a0 He\u2019d gone up to see Ben at the mine, to pass on the news about the death of the man they thought was Marcus Albright.<\/p>\n

Deputy Stone had ridden over to Virginia City with the story of what had happened.\u00a0 One of Carson\u2019s younger citizens had been out picking berries when he\u2019d seen the imposter ride in, tie up his horse, and then walk away as the animal dropped stone dead.\u00a0 The boy had run to the jailhouse with the tale and pointed out the fake Albright in the bank.\u00a0 Approached by the sheriff, the man had panicked and met a quick end.<\/p>\n

The incident started to get interesting when Mrs. Albright identified the dead man, not as her husband, but as the investigator she\u2019d hired to find him\u2014William Meade.<\/p>\n

The Carson City sheriff searched Meade\u2019s bag and found not only the jewelry set Mrs.\u00a0Albright claimed as hers, but also an onyx signet ring engraved with her husband\u2019s initials that was her gift to him on their engagement.\u00a0 Also discovered was a copy of the mining claim affidavit signed by David Albright and an address book.\u00a0 Making inquiries at the bank, the sheriff found out Meade\u2019s account held a sizeable amount of money.<\/p>\n

Curious to know more, Roy had requested a copy of the address book and dispatched telegrams to law officers in the cities listed, seeking information on Meade.<\/p>\n

It turned out his full name was William Marcus Meade.\u00a0 His middle name had been real at least, even if nothing else about him was.\u00a0 A serial con man; his marks of choice were married women whose husbands had gone missing in the goldfields.\u00a0 These poor wives all paid him substantial sums to find their loved ones only to never hear from Meade again.<\/p>\n

The telegram in his hand confirmed yet another victim.\u00a0 Roy laid it down atop the others, got up, and poured himself some coffee.\u00a0 Taking a sip, he ruminated on Mrs. Albright.\u00a0 He\u2019d never tell her his thoughts\u2014lordy no, that young lady carried enough guilt believing her husband had run out on her, only to find it was no such thing.\u00a0 No, he\u2019d never tell her what he suspected\u2014that it was her telling Meade about the jewels her husband carried that caused the crook to break his usual mode of working and sent him scuttling out in search of the man.\u00a0 His intent was probably just to rob him, but you could never be sure.\u00a0 When Meade found Albright and realized he\u2019d dug himself a promising silver mine, avarice kicked in.\u00a0 The habitual con man hit on his most ambitious scam, one which would eventually ensnare the Cartwrights.\u00a0 On that day, the fate of both men had been fixed.<\/p>\n

Roy leaned on the door frame of his jail and gazed up at Mount Davison, his eyes dark with somber reflections.\u00a0 Meade\u2019s fate ended on the floor of the Carson City Bank and, in his gut, Roy knew somewhere in that mine was the last resting place of David Albright.<\/p>\n

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

Several weeks later, Ben stood on the front porch, one hand leaning against the post, the other holding a steaming cup of coffee Hop Sing had brought him.\u00a0 He heard a rider approaching and tried not to let Roy see him flinch when he realized it who it was.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t worry, Ben,\u201d Roy chuckled, \u201cno bad news this time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled and sat down, waiving for Roy to join him.\u00a0 \u201cSo, what brings you out all this way?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThought you might like to know that the judge awarded Mrs. Albright full ownership of her deceased husband\u2019s assets.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAs it should be,\u201d Ben said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIncluding the mine where Little Joe, well, er . . .\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben shivered.\u00a0 Thank God Roy had been wrong about no survivors.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201c. . . it seems that explosion Meade set off opened up a pretty good-sized vein of silver.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s eyes widened. \u201cWell, isn\u2019t that something.<\/p>\n

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

Epilogue<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I should\u2019ve felt joy when Roy mentioned the new vein.\u00a0 Since we\u2019d been the only investor, the Ponderosa would profit but at what price had the influx of wealth come?\u00a0 I nearly lost Joseph, and no amount of riches was a likely substitute for the life of a son.<\/p>\n

Joe and four other men were buried alive for almost twenty-four hours, long enough that the air they breathed had become thin and stale.\u00a0 Their chests would have heaved, their bodies convulsed, and their fingertips would have bled from scratching through rubble to survive.\u00a0 Five men would\u2019ve died if not for Adam\u2019s engineering prowess and Hoss\u2019s undying love for a brother trapped in the depths of the mine.<\/p>\n

Given how agonizing each hour would have been, I was also aware that my elder sons might discover five motionless victims when they broke through the wall of rock and debris.\u00a0 Adam insisted I wait near the mine entrance rather than clambering down slippery shafts and becoming an added casualty.\u00a0 I agreed with the plan but waiting and doing nothing to help went against my nature.<\/p>\n

Three healthy sons were in danger because of one man\u2019s greed.\u00a0 If Marcus hadn\u2019t been killed at the bank, I would\u2019ve struggled with the strict righteous behavior I\u2019d preached over the years and sent the man to an early grave before the law could intervene.\u00a0 My fury was that intense.<\/p>\n

A shout echoed through the cavernous walls.\u00a0 \u201cThey\u2019re alive.\u00a0 They\u2019re all alive.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another half hour passed, and I could feel the earth rumble as five dirt-faced men rode the cage up to solid ground and unlatched the gate of the bulky, iron contraption.\u00a0 They moved forward as one.\u00a0 Patting each other\u2019s backs, they blinked away tears as they each coughed up particles of dust that had filled their lungs.<\/p>\n

I stared at each man\u2019s face, but there was no spark of recognition.\u00a0 I knew none of the men standing in front of me, and my anticipation forced me to step forward and plead for answers.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m Ben Cartwright,\u201d I said, and all five men turned their heads my way.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe made us come up first, Mr. Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s okay?\u00a0 My boys are okay?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re all fine, Sir.\u00a0 If it weren\u2019t for your sons, I don\u2019t think \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

The miner\u2019s voice trailed off and another man seemed to pick up where he left off.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re mighty grateful, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, yes of course,\u201d I muttered, not sure of my own voice.\u00a0 The roar of the cage heading down the shaft caught my attention, and the conversation dropped like a dead weight.\u00a0 We all turned and stared and waited for it to rise again.<\/p>\n

Steadying Joe between them, all three of my sons stepped into the sunlight and the glorious abundance of fresh, clean air.<\/p>\n

Tears welled in my eyes as I approached the sight of a stalwart young man who tried to do the right thing, who cared more about the people he considered friends than his own safety.\u00a0 \u201cYou okay, Son?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m fine, Pa. Tired and hungry but I\u2019ll live.\u201d<\/p>\n

I looked toward Adam.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re the last to come up?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, thanks to your baby son.\u201d<\/p>\n

I smiled as Joe rolled his eyes at his brother\u2019s comment.\u00a0 Relieved with the knowledge that everyone survived the blast, I turned back to my youngest boy, who stared upward as if he wasn\u2019t certain he\u2019d ever see blue sky again.\u00a0 \u201cSure you\u2019re okay?\u201d\u00a0 Though I didn\u2019t expect an answer, I slid my hand across Joe\u2019s shoulder and grabbed hold.\u00a0 I needed to touch.\u00a0 I needed to know I wasn\u2019t dreaming.\u00a0 As I guided him toward the buckboard, which I brought in case one or several men were injured, Adam and Hoss followed, both swiping at telltale remains of dirt and grime that saturated their shirtfronts and the knees of their trousers.<\/p>\n

Pride in all three sons filled my heart like the air Joe gulped to fill his lungs when he stepped away from the cage.\u00a0 All three boys had worked as one to make our family whole again.\u00a0 My sons were safe.\u00a0 Marcus was dead, and Janie\u2019s questions had been answered.<\/p>\n

\u201cI guess Janie and her aunt will return to Denver now that everything\u2019s settled.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe looked me in the eye.\u00a0 My idle chat appeared to make him uneasy.\u00a0 \u201cShe tell you that?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u00a0 I assumed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh.\u201d<\/p>\n

I was just making conversation, but something was off, and Joe\u2019s demeanor changed in an instant.\u00a0 \u201cJoseph?\u201d\u00a0 He slipped his fingers through Cochise\u2019s mane.\u00a0 I swear he\u2019d tell his horse hidden secrets before he\u2019d tell me.\u00a0 I questioned him again.\u00a0 \u201cJoe?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s nothing, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Oh, but it was.\u00a0 I wasn\u2019t born yesterday, and I\u2019d seen that look before, but delving into my son\u2019s personal affairs was none of my business.\u00a0 Getting Joe home and washed and filling his stomach should\u2019ve been my only concern, but there was more to the story than he let on.\u00a0 Fine, Joseph.\u00a0 Tell your horse and leave me in the dark.<\/p>\n

I shrugged off my foolish thoughts and helped Joe to the seat of the buckboard.\u00a0 I had everything I needed or wanted.\u00a0 My sons escaped a tragedy that could have changed the dynamics of our family and brought sorrow none of us would ever escape.\u00a0 Call it a miracle or call it fate.\u00a0 Whatever the term, I was thankful, and we started for home.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The End<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

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

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

Summary: A newcomer to Virginia City talks the Cartwrights into a decision they wish they\u2019d never made.<\/p>\n

Rated: K+
\nWord count: 13,184<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":77,"featured_media":378,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"template-full-width-post.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[23,1008,40],"tags":[916],"class_list":["post-23383","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drama","category-family","category-challenges","tag-rrc","wpcat-23-id","wpcat-1008-id","wpcat-40-id"],"a3_pvc":{"activated":true,"total_views":2474,"today_views":0},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/bonanza-1.jpg?fit=193%2C140&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":12750,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=12750","url_meta":{"origin":23383,"position":0},"title":"A Modern Cartwrights Story #3 – A Quarter\u2019s Worth of Glory: Joe in the Infernal Machine (by Robin)","author":"profrobinw","date":"January 23, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0 Headlines ripped from the daily newspaper in this modern era tale of the Cartwrights. Rating:\u00a0 K+\u00a0 (775 word) A Modern Cartwright Story Series, links to stories within the series are included.","rel":"","context":"In "Alternate Universe"","block_context":{"text":"Alternate Universe","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=7"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":12747,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=12747","url_meta":{"origin":23383,"position":1},"title":"A Modern Cartwrights Story #2 – Substitutes in the Cemetery (by GinnyF)","author":"Ginny F","date":"January 23, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0 A continuation of A Modern Cartwrights Story.\u00a0\u00a0 Rating:\u00a0 PG\u00a0 (1,215 words) A Modern Cartwrights Story Series, links to stories within the series are included.","rel":"","context":"In "Alternate Universe"","block_context":{"text":"Alternate Universe","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=7"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/frontporch.jpg?fit=439%2C305&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":20238,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=20238","url_meta":{"origin":23383,"position":2},"title":"To the One — A Poem by Adam Cartwright (By JC)","author":"JC","date":"March 5, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"My entry for the World Poetry Day (March 21) Challenge -- A poem by Adam Cartwright.\u00a0 Summary: The choices a man makes in his youth may be called into question over time. Rating K\u00a0 \u00a0221 words","rel":"","context":"In "Poetry"","block_context":{"text":"Poetry","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=9"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/coming-soon-4.jpg?fit=320%2C240&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":29614,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=29614","url_meta":{"origin":23383,"position":3},"title":"A Simple Life (by Annie K Cowgirl)","author":"Annie K Cowgirl","date":"May 19, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0Marie takes a moment to contemplate her life: past, present, and future. 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