Giving Thanks<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Hoss wiped the sweat from his florid face with a ham-sized hand.\u00a0 \u00a0\u201cWhew,\u201d he muttered under his breath.\u00a0 \u00a0\u201cFinally.\u00a0 \u00a0Thought I weren\u2019t never gonna git all them axles done.\u00a0 \u201d<\/p>\n
Hoss had spent the last five days stoking the fire to shoe the remaining horses and make repairs to the ranch\u2019s wagons.\u00a0 \u00a0The list of chores to be completed before the onset of harsh winter had seemed endless.\u00a0 It was mid-November, fast approaching Thanksgiving, a regional holiday celebration Ben Cartwright had brought with him from his New England home.\u00a0 Adam and Hoss had spent the last two weeks in frenzied activity, trying to get everything done before the snow set in.\u00a0 \u00a0Ben had promised his older sons time for a hunting trip in the high country if the work was done and the good weather held.<\/p>\n
Looking at the clear azure sky, Hoss saw no trace of storm clouds building on the horizon.\u00a0 \u00a0The temperature was moderate, requiring a jacket in the mornings, but warm enough for shirtsleeves pushed up by afternoon.\u00a0 A man slaving over an open fire got plumb warm.\u00a0 \u00a0Finally, his list of chores was completed.\u00a0 \u00a0Now the hunting trip depended on the results of Adam\u2019s labors over the past two weeks.<\/p>\n
Hoss knew his brother had been riding out early every morning to oversee the last of the cattle moves to lower pastures and to check the fences and roads.\u00a0 Then too, Adam had been staying up late every night to make sure the records for the ranch were up to date.\u00a0 Pa hated bookwork and had been happy to delegate it to his oldest son upon Adam\u2019s return from college that summer.\u00a0 They had earned the time off by the sweat of their brows.<\/p>\n
As Hoss turned to hang up his blacksmith apron, he heard an approaching horse.\u00a0 His sky-blue eyes smiled as his older brother rode into view, dust-covered and looking more than a bit worn.\u00a0 \u201cHowdy, Adam\u201d, he boomed and raised his eyebrows in question.\u00a0 Adam nodded tiredly and smiled at his \u201clittle\u201d brother.\u00a0 Hoss was barely 17, but he was larger than most full-grown men.\u00a0 \u00a0He was two inches taller than Adam and outweighed him by some 30 pounds, though Adam was by no means a small man at 6\u20192\u201d.\u00a0 Both were muscular from years spent at hard ranch labor.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll done, Hoss?\u201dWearily Adam dismounted, arching his back and rolling his neck.\u00a0 \u201cThat was the last of the cattle, and the fences are as solid as they\u2019re going to be this fall.\u00a0 I think we just removed every excuse not to take our trip.\u00a0 Hope Pa sees it the same way.\u00a0 \u201dHoss joined Adam as he led Sport toward the barn.<\/p>\n
\u201cYep, all my things are done.\u00a0 Let\u2019s get to the barn chores, and then we can start packin\u2019.\u00a0 We need to let Hop Sing know we\u2019re goin\u2019 too.\u00a0 \u00a0He can pack us food for a couple of days.\u00a0 How long you reckon we can plan on bein\u2019 gone?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, it\u2019ll be eight days to Thanksgiving if we leave tomorrow.\u00a0 It\u2019s a day\u2019s ride up to the high country; then a day or so to track and kill the size elk we want.\u00a0 Take us half a day to dress it out properly.\u00a0 Better plan for six days on the trail with a little extra thrown in.\u00a0 We\u2019d better not be later than that or Pa\u2019ll have our hides for missing Thanksgiving,\u201d Adam calculated as he pulled the saddle off Sport and prepared to groom his favorite mount.<\/p>\n
\u201cI ain\u2019t about to miss Thanksgiving, Adam, no matter what.\u00a0 Why, can\u2019t nobody set a better table than Hop Sing.\u00a0 \u00a0It\u2019llbe one of the best meals we\u2019ve had for a long time.\u00a0 Besides,\u201d Hoss glanced sideways at his brother, \u201cwe missed havin\u2019 you home, and it\u2019ll be extry special to have the whole family \u2018round the table.\u00a0 Yur chair shore looked empty these past few years.\u00a0 \u201d<\/p>\n
Adam smiled at his younger brother, not that brief quirking of his lips that most people saw, but his real smile, the one that crinkled the corners of his eyes and lit his face, showing his usually hidden dimples.\u00a0 \u00a0His eyes usually looked hazel, but the black shirt he wore made them appear brown right then.\u00a0 \u00a0\u201cI missed you at Thanksgiving too, Hoss.\u00a0 I missed all of you.\u00a0 Grandpa had always gone to visit one of his seafaring friends on Thanksgiving because the housekeeper was with her family.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t want to keep him from his friends, so I usually accepted an invitation from a classmate to go home with them for the holiday.\u00a0 \u00a0It was nice, but it wasn\u2019t home.\u00a0 It\u2019ll be good to hear Pa\u2019s Thanksgiving prayer and watch you try to eat everything in sight.\u00a0 Does Joe still want the story of the Pilgrims and Indians told at the table?\u201d Adam teased, wanting to ease the sentimental moment.<\/p>\n
Before Hoss could comment, Adam continued, \u201cBy the way, where is the kid?He ought to be home by now and starting his chores.\u00a0 Pa\u2018ll be back from the Snyders in a while, and he\u2019ll be upset if Joe is running late.\u00a0 He\u2019s been kept a couple of days after school this week already, and Pa is getting fed up with Miss Jones\u2019s polite little notes.\u00a0 \u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, I been watchin\u2019 fur him too.\u00a0 \u00a0I shore wish Pa hada told Joe we was makin\u2019 this trip so he could get used to the idee.\u00a0 He ain\u2019t gonna be happy cause we \u2018re leavin\u2019 and not takin\u2019 him.\u00a0 \u00a0I\u2019da rather he had some time to get used to the idee\u2019 and make some plans.\u00a0 This way, he\u2019s gonna pitch a fit \u2018cause we\u2019re springing it on him so fast.\u00a0 \u201dHoss knew well how he caved in to Joe when the little boy worked himself up into a real temper.\u00a0 Joe was 10, the baby of the family, but he thought he was as grown as his brothers, and he frequently insisted on being included in adult activities, throwing quite a tantrum when denied his way.\u00a0 \u00a0Then Pa would punish Joe for such behavior, and Hoss hated to see his brother so unhappy.\u00a0 Hoss knew the evening would be bad enough without Pa already being mad at Joe for being late for chores.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u00a0 I asked Pa to tell Joe and got reminded, AGAIN, who\u2019s the father and who\u2019s the brother,\u201d Adam recalled with a grimace.<\/p>\n
Hoss nodded, remembering several of those occasions when Adam had expressed an opinion about Joe and gotten his nose bitten off.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, well.\u00a0 \u201d Adam shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cJoe will just have to get glad in the same pants he got mad in.\u00a0 Nothing we can do, and we sure don\u2019t plan to take him with us.\u00a0 Let Pa deal with the temper and tears.\u00a0 \u201dHe turned back to Sport and the remaining chores.<\/p>\n
\u201cHoss, if you get a chance, will you take a look at Sport\u2019s front leg?I think he pulled a muscle, and I\u2019m not sure he\u2019s fit for the trip tomorrow.\u00a0 Let me know what you think,\u201d Adam requested.\u00a0 Hoss had the gentlest hands and was the most knowledgeable person Adam knew about both domestic and wild animals.\u00a0 Adam was always happy to defer to Hoss\u2019s skill with doctoring and trusted his judgement.\u00a0 Besides, Sport had been his from a colt and Adam would rather take another horse on the trip than risk permanent damage to the spirited gelding.<\/p>\n
The brothers worked in silent harmony, completing their tasks and occasionally reminding the other of something to take on the trip.\u00a0 \u00a0Hoss checked out Sport and turned to his brother.\u00a0 \u00a0\u201cI reckon he just pulled his hamstring a mite.\u00a0 I think you orght to leave him at home and maybe take Chocolate on the trip.\u00a0 She\u2019s plenty big enough to carry you, but she\u2019s also got a smooth ride and is real careful at pickin\u2019 her way.\u00a0 \u00a0\u201c<\/p>\n
They both lifted their heads as they heard the sounds of a fast moving horse entering the yard.\u00a0 Leading his pony, Joe rushed through the double doors and moved toward an empty stall, talking a mile a minute.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs Pa home yet?Man, I thought Miss Jones weren\u2019t never gonna let us go today!\u201d Joe\u2019s words gushed out.\u00a0 \u201cHoss, how about lendin\u2019 a hand with my chores?If I don\u2019t get these chores done and get started on homework, Pa\u2019s gonna have a few words for me.\u00a0 \u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat kept you so late, Joe?You\u2019re just lucky Pa\u2018s not home from the Snyders yet,\u201d responded Adam.\u00a0 \u201cWere you kept after school?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201dI wasn\u2019t paying attention to the history lesson and mean ole Miss.\u00a0 \u00a0Jones made me stay and start some kinda essay on the first settlers in America, them Pilgrims.\u00a0 I like the way Pa tells the story, but I shore hate writin\u2019 it down.\u00a0 Come on, Hoss, lend a hand, pleassee.\u00a0 \u201d Joe begged.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot me, Shortshanks,\u201d replied Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cI got something to arrange with Hop Sing, and I need to clean up fur supper.\u00a0 \u201dWith a grin and a nod to Adam he left to make sure the cook would have their supplies ready for an early morning departure the next day.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t his fault if Joe got kept late at school.\u00a0 Besides, with Joe busy in the barn, he would have a chance to talk with Hop Sing and not be overheard.\u00a0 Let Pa be the one to tell the boy about the trip.\u00a0 With a brief nod, Adam moved to the corral to check out the mount he intended to take on the hunting trip.<\/p>\n
Later, around the supper table, Ben detailed the results of his visit with another local rancher about breeding some of the Ponderosa cows with a new bull.\u00a0 Then he turned to family matters.\u00a0 \u201cJoe, how was school today?Any problems?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n
Joe ducked his head and replied, \u201cGot an essay to finish and some arithmetic.\u00a0 Spelling test tomorrow, but that ain\u2019t no problem.\u00a0 \u201d<\/p>\n
Ben winced at the language, but decided not to fight the battle of proper grammar tonight.\u00a0 He glanced at Adam to see if he was going to take issue with Joe, but Adam kept his eyes on his plate.\u00a0 Ben looked at Hoss and inquired, \u201cDid you finish the blacksmith work, son?\u201dBen waited for the answer, knowing that the hunting trip would come up now for sure.<\/p>\n
\u201cYep, Pa, all done,\u201d Hoss grinned.\u00a0 \u201cReckon me and Adamgot all the winterin\u2019 chores done for certain.\u00a0 \u201dBen looked at Hoss then at Adam, who lifted his eyes and nodded agreement.<\/p>\n
Noticing the looks, Joe demanded, \u201cWhat\u2019s up?What\u2019s it matter that the chores are all done?\u201dKnowing how easily Hoss caved in to his begging, Joe gave his best puppy-dog look from his sparkling green eyes and asked, \u201cHoss, what\u2019s goin\u2019 on? You got some special plans now that the other stuff is done?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAdam and Hoss are leaving in the morning for a trip to the high country.\u00a0 They want to get in a short hunt before winter settles in,\u201d Ben informed his youngest.<\/p>\n
\u201cA hunting trip!What you hunting?Can I go?Oh, please, let me go too!I don\u2019t got to go to school; I wanta go hunting.\u00a0 It\u2019ll only take me a few minutes to pack, and I promise I won\u2019t eat much.\u00a0 I\u2026,\u201d Joe sputtered to a stop as Pa\u2019s hand covered his mouth.<\/p>\n
\u201cJoe, I said Adam and Hoss.\u00a0 You\u2019re not going, son.\u00a0 You\u2019re too young for such a long trip, and you can\u2019t miss that much school either.\u00a0 You\u2019re going to stay home and keep me company.\u00a0 On Saturday, we\u2019ll go into town for haircuts and maybe lunch at the hotel.\u00a0 How does that sound?Just you and me,\u201d Ben coaxed.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wanta go with Adam and Hoss.\u00a0 I ain\u2019t never made a trip with them, and I\u2019ve never gone huntin\u2019 yet.\u00a0 You always say when I\u2019m bigger, and I\u2019m bigger now.\u00a0 \u201dJoe turned his most pathetic face to Hoss and continued, \u201cPlease, please, Hoss, take me.\u00a0 I\u2019ll be real quiet, and I\u2019ll mind you good.\u00a0 \u00a0\u201cJoe knew better than to try the begging act with Adam, who could be tougher than Pa in responding to Joe\u2019s wheedling.<\/p>\n
\u201cSon, that\u2019s enough.\u00a0 You are not going so you can stop asking.\u00a0 Eat your supper.\u00a0 \u201d<\/p>\n
Joe shoved his chair back and yelled, \u201cYou never let me do anything fun!You\u2019re just being mean.\u00a0 \u201d<\/p>\n
Ben\u2019s voice boomed, \u201cThat\u2019s enough, young man.\u00a0 If you can\u2019t behave at the table, you can go to your room.\u00a0 I\u2019ll be there when I finish supper.\u00a0 \u00a0We need to have a necessary little talk about manners.\u00a0 \u201d<\/p>\n
Joe bolted up the stairs, his \u201cIt ain\u2019t fair\u201dechoing in their ears.\u00a0 \u201cThat went well, Pa,\u201d Adam\u2019s cool voice observed.\u00a0 \u201cAre we supposed to break down and let him go with us?\u201d<\/p>\n
Hoss glanced at his older brother, and Ben caught the exchange of looks.\u00a0 Obviously, Hoss had no intention of intervening for his little brother this time, which was unusual.\u00a0 Generally Hoss took Joe\u2019s side and always hated to see the child unhappy.\u00a0 For some reason, Hoss and Adam really did want to make this trip alone.\u00a0 Ben sighed and dreaded the next few days.\u00a0 Joe could be impossible when he was thwarted in getting his way.\u00a0 He hated being denied an activity because of his age.\u00a0 He considered himself quite as grown up as his older brothers.<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you riding out at first light tomorrow?\u201d he asked his sons.\u00a0 \u201cHave you let Hop Sing know you\u2019re leaving and how long you\u2019ll be gone?I expect you home before Thanksgiving, with or without an elk.\u00a0 Understood?\u201d<\/p>\n
His sons nodded agreement and rapidly finished eating.\u00a0 They had several details to attend to before they left the next day, including cleaning their rifles thoroughly.\u00a0 Hoss suggested, \u201cPa, check with Joe after your talk.\u00a0 See if he wants to play me a game of checkers \u2018fore bedtime.\u00a0 \u201d<\/p>\n
Ben nodded and sipped his coffee slowly, delaying the visit to Joe\u2019s room.\u00a0 \u201cYes, sir, a long few days coming,\u201dhe mused.<\/p>\n
Before sunrise, Adam and Hoss had eaten a substantial breakfast (Hop Sing was convinced Mr.\u00a0 \u00a0Hoss would starve in the next few days) and were packing their saddlebags and the pack animal.\u00a0 In addition to bedrolls and camping supplies, the animal carried the generous supply of food that the two men, Hoss in particular, would need.\u00a0 Pa stood on the porch to say goodbye and good luck.\u00a0 He had gone into Joe\u2019s room to wake him so he could see his brothers off, but Joe had pretended to be asleep.\u00a0 As the two departed, Ben looked up at Joe\u2019s window to see him sticking his tongue out at their backs.\u00a0 He heard Joe\u2019s muttered \u201cHope you don\u2019t get nothing but trouble,\u201d and shook his head at the ill-temper still on display.<\/p>\n
Mostly the brothers rode in silence.\u00a0 The sky was sharp blue enough to disturb the eyes, and the winter sun shone brightly and warmly, once the morning chill and mist had burned off.\u00a0 They rode single file with Hoss in the lead and Adam following with the pack animal.\u00a0 The mountains rose in front of them, brown now with the beginning of winter grass and the pine trees reached skyward up the side of the mountains.\u00a0 The peaks were ablaze with the crystal light of the sun, reflecting off the rugged rocks and presenting a spectacle both of grandeur and inaccessibility.\u00a0 A light breeze stirred the air, and the rustling of the grass and leaves on some of the trees offered a hint of music in the air.\u00a0 The birds and small animals of the area gave little notice to the passing of the men, being somewhat accustomed to the brief intrusion of humans in their world.<\/p>\n
Hoss\u2019s gruff voice broke the silence.\u00a0 \u00a0\u201cYou ever seen anything that beautiful, Adam? Them mountains and peaks make me feel real small and unimportant in the world. \u00a0You miss this while you was in Boston?\u201d he asked, trying not to let Adam see how the answer mattered.<\/p>\n
Adam pondered for a minute.\u00a0 \u00a0He could just give Hoss the assurance he wanted, and it would be true, at least mostly true.\u00a0 Or, he could try to explain to this large man\/boy some of the wonders of the world beyond the mountains that meant HOME to both of them.\u00a0 Finally, he replied, \u201cAll the time I was gone, I wondered if seeing this view when Ireturned would be as wonderful as I remembered.\u00a0 You know how that is.\u00a0 Sometimes what you remember is better than the real thing, like thinking about a dance can be better than the dance itself.\u00a0 I was afraid that when I saw it again, it wouldn\u2019t be as grand.\u00a0 \u00a0But it\u2019s more magnificent than I recall.\u00a0 \u201d<\/p>\n
Thoughtfully he continued, \u201cI\u2018ve seen other sights just as beautiful.\u00a0 I often stood by the ocean at night, listening to the waves roll in and watching a full moon rise.\u00a0 \u00a0The moonlight made a path like a string of candles on top of the water, and I would feel insignificant there too, so small in the scope of creation and nature.\u00a0 It\u2019s a different sight but the same feeling.\u00a0 \u00a0I loved that, and I reveled in the music that touched my soul and the great art work that filled me with wonder.\u00a0 And the books! I could find books anytime there.\u00a0 Life is full of grand things to see and experience.\u00a0 I don\u2019t regret seeing them, and I can\u2019t promise that I won\u2019t ever want to see them again.\u00a0 But for now, this is where I belong, at home with the ranch, my family and the mountains.\u00a0 \u201d He glanced at Hoss and saw his relief at the concluding statement.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t actually a promise, but Hoss knew it was the next best thing.\u00a0 \u00a0Adam planned to stay, at least for awhile.<\/p>\n
The two men rode upward, climbing slowly into the forest where larger game roamed.\u00a0 They made a cold meal break, allowing the horses a hour of grazing and water, while they ate the sandwiches Hop Sing had sent and drank water from their canteens.\u00a0 At night, they would take the time to build a fire and prepare hot food, but first, they needed to get closer to the better hunting grounds.\u00a0 Late in the afternoon, Hoss spotted the tracks of a large elk, and they silently began to follow the trail.\u00a0 Perhaps they would be lucky and find their game on the first day out.<\/p>\n
Even as they cut the tracks of the elk, both men noticed that there were unshod hoof prints of several horses trailing the same path.\u00a0 Hoss dismounted, and as Adam watched, he knelt to carefully examine the hoof tracks.\u00a0 \u201cInjuns,\u201d Hoss stated flatly.\u00a0 \u201cLooks like they\u2019re stalkin\u2019 that elk too.\u00a0 Might be best if we find us another trail to foller.\u00a0 I ain\u2019t itchin\u2019 to cross paths with any band of hunters.\u00a0 \u201d<\/p>\n
Adam nodded briefly, and the two men turned from the direction they were going and moved more north northwest, heading at a different angle toward the forested slopes of the mountain range ahead.<\/p>\n
Hoss pondered, \u201cReckon it\u2019s a band of stragglers rather than a large huntin\u2019 party.\u00a0 Only about four sets o\u2019 prints, and I heard the main band of Paiutes was winterin\u2019 on the north side of the lake well away from any ranches.\u00a0 \u201d He glanced at Adam and grumbled, \u201cBeen some time since you\u2019ve gone runnin\u2019 off to Winnemucca\u2019s camp to see that friend of yourn\u2019s, Young Wolf.\u00a0 Never could understand why you took so much pleasure in them visits.\u00a0 Spendin\u2019 time with them murderin\u2019 savages wouldn\u2019t be high on my list o\u2019 things to do.\u00a0 \u201d<\/p>\n
Adam was startled at the bitterness in Hoss\u2019s tone and words.\u00a0 He had been aware that Hoss had no sympathy for Indians but hadn\u2019t realized how deep the feelings ran in his younger brother.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m not quite sure what you\u2019re asking, Hoss.\u00a0 \u00a0Young Wolf and I made friends a long time ago, the first year we were in the area.\u00a0 He was real good to me, teaching me how to hunt, to move quietly and to live in the world around here.\u00a0 \u00a0I found him and his people to be as kind and considerate as lots of white folks in the area.\u00a0 Savage is a harsh description of the village as I knew it.\u00a0 Winnemucca and Young Wolf judged things differently and followed customs strange to me, but they were as true and faithful to their way of life as I try to be to mine.\u00a0 \u201d<\/p>\n
Hoss burst into speech again.\u00a0 \u201cThem savages killed my ma.\u00a0 You and Pa\u2019 ve told me about that: plus, I hear lots of tales about them killin\u2019 and stealin\u2019.\u00a0 I call them like I see them.\u00a0 Lots of folks say the only good Injun is a dead one.\u00a0 I know you and Pa reckon some of them can be trusted, but I ain\u2019t sure \u2018bout that.\u00a0 \u00a0Not after what they did to Ma.\u00a0 Anyway, best we get moving ifen we plan to make camp by a decent stream before dark.\u00a0 \u201dHe rode on, a little too far ahead for Adam to continue the conversation.<\/p>\n
They found a perfect, flat area right by the stream, with wood close by for a fire.\u00a0 \u00a0There was enough grass to both ensure that bedrolls need not rest on rock and to allow the horses to graze freely on a long lead rope.\u00a0 Both men knew better than to let the horses stray far with Indians in the area.\u00a0 Working together, they soon had a cheery campfire with coffee and stew bubbling over it.\u00a0 The horses were unsaddled, watered and tied down to graze.\u00a0 They spread their bedrolls on each side of the fire and ate.\u00a0 Hop Sing had furnished stew they could just warm and eat.\u00a0 The coffee too was left over from the morning.\u00a0 Tomorrow they would make coffee themselves from the beans they had brought, but the warmed over tasted good enough tonight.\u00a0 There was fresh bread for munching and cookies for after.\u00a0 The weather was cool enough that grub would stay good for a few days, which was as long as they intended to be gone.<\/p>\n
Once the men had washed their plates and ground the coffee beans for tomorrow morning, they climbed into bedrolls and rested as the fire died down to embers, the moon came up and the stars came out.\u00a0 In the chilly night air, the bedrolls felt good, and both Adam and Hoss were tired enough to relish the peace and quiet.\u00a0 Then Adam broke the silence.<\/p>\n
With a smile in his voice, he reverted to the prior conversation, \u201cI remember the first time I saw a real Indian.\u00a0 We were on the trail in the middle of the plains.\u00a0 Pa and the other men had been scouting out ahead because we knew we were in Indian country.\u00a0 We had passed the remains of a small wagon train that had been caught by a band of marauding Indians.\u00a0 We were just a day or so behind them, and the blood was still dark on the ground.\u00a0 \u00a0The smell of the burnt wagons hung in the air.\u00a0 Pa and others from our train helped bury the victims, and everyone was muttering about \u201cmurdering savages\u201d and making all kinds of threats.\u00a0 The women and kids were kept away, so as not to see too much.\u00a0 Everyone was real upset.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen we ran across a small Indian band of mostly women and children, with a few old men, camped by the river side.\u00a0 They had practically nothing, only a few horses and a couple of teepees.\u00a0 You could see the kids\u2019 ribs and could tell they were real hungry.\u00a0 Pa recommended that we simply steer clear of the camp and leave them be while some of the others thought we ought to do something to them to pay them back for the recent massacre.\u00a0 I remember feeling scared.\u00a0 I was scared that more Indians would show up to fight us, but I was also scared we might do something to the kids and women.<\/p>\n
\u201c Ma\u2026\u201d Adam paused to make sure Hoss knew what he had always called Inger.\u00a0 He continued, \u201cMa started gathering some food from our wagon and I could tell she planned to take it to the other camp.\u00a0 Pa wanted to argue with her, but Ma said, \u201cBen, we don\u2019t make war on women and children and we don\u2019t let them starve when we have food.\u00a0 I will do this.\u00a0 \u201d<\/p>\n
And Pa backed off.\u00a0 When Ma got her mind set, nobody was going to change it.\u00a0 \u00a0Besides, it hurt him to see the hungry kids too.\u00a0 So, he and Ma carried over some food; they didn\u2019t want me to come, but I followed behind.\u00a0 \u00a0They didn\u2019t see me until they were in the camp.\u00a0 So, they called me in too, cause it was safer than leaving me alone in the dark.\u00a0 Those folks couldn\u2019t believe someone cared enough to offer them food.\u00a0 \u00a0Even though the kids looked starved, every one of \u2018em waited for permission before they touched anything.\u00a0 I watched them stuffing food in their mouths.\u00a0 Ma pulled me into her arms.\u00a0 \u201d Adam paused and a look Hoss never remembered seeing came over his face.\u00a0 It was a mixture of wonder and tender longing, as if his body still felt those loving arms.<\/p>\n
He continued then, \u201cYour Ma had the warmest arms and gentlest hands of anybody I ever knew.\u00a0 Even a hug from Pa never felt as good as when she pulled me close to her and I could smell the violet stuff she used on her clothes.\u00a0 She smelled like flowers and warm milk and fresh bread\u2026I don\u2019t know what all.\u00a0 \u201d He caught Hoss\u2019s eye and said simply, \u201cShe smelled like love.\u00a0 \u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnyway, she held me tight and told me, \u201cAdam, everywhere you find good people and bad people.\u00a0 \u00a0Make not the mistake to believe all Indians bad because of what some have done.\u00a0 They have reasons for what they do, maybe reasons we don\u2019t think are right, but they be right to them.\u00a0 Bad things have been done to Indians, things just as bad as some Indians have done back.\u00a0 Always take each person for himself.\u00a0 Color and goodness are not the same.\u00a0 Promise me, son, each person, one at a time.\u00a0 \u201d<\/p>\n
Adam looked at his brother and commented, \u201cI promised to judge any man by his actions and not his race.\u00a0 \u00a0Young Wolf and I gambled on each other, and we both found good friends.\u00a0 \u00a0OurMa would\u2019ve liked that.\u00a0 \u201d<\/p>\n
He dropped his eyes and continued.\u00a0 \u201cThat was only a couple of months before we got to Ash Hollow and \u2026.\u00a0 .\u00a0 \u201dFor a long time Adam was silent, and Hoss wondered if the conversation was finished.\u00a0 He still had questions but wasn\u2019t sure Adam was up to more right now.\u00a0 He had heard the break in Adam\u2019s voice at the final sentence.<\/p>\n
Adam turned his back to Hoss with a long sigh and pulled his blanket up to his chin.\u00a0 Guess this conversation is over,<\/em>\u00a0Hoss thought, settling into his bedroll too.<\/p>\nMore than I really expected, but I still got a couple \u2018f questions fur later.\u00a0 <\/em>He listened to his brother\u2019s slow breathing, but somehow knew Adam wasn\u2019t sleeping.\u00a0 \u00a0It took only a couple of minutes before Hoss dropped into slumber.<\/p>\nHoss woke first the next morning and started breakfast.\u00a0 Hop Sing had sent bacon, bread, and fixings for a hearty meal, and Hoss was ready for his food.\u00a0 The smell of coffee woke Adam, and he stretched his long body out, wiggling and arching his back to relieve the soreness from the night on the ground.\u00a0 Hoss wandered over with a cup of hot coffee in his hand to pass to Adam and grinned at his rumpled brother.\u00a0 Adam rarely allowed himself to be seen with a day\u2019s growth of beard and his hair awry with small curls along the neckline and falling forward over his forehead.\u00a0 He knew his brother would be heating water shortly for a shave and would ruthlessly brush his short mane straight.\u00a0 Somehow the disheveled look made Adam seem very young, more like the boy who had gone away to college than the man who had returned.<\/p>\n
Adam grunted his thanks for the coffee, took a swig and climbed out of his bedroll.\u00a0 Snagging some sliced bread with bacon between, he took a tin pan down to the creek to get enough water to heat for a shave.\u00a0 \u201cTastes good, Hoss,\u201dhe mumbled appreciatively, as he returned and put the water over the fire.\u00a0 Stroking his rough chin, he pulled his razor from his pack, along with a bar of shaving soap.<\/p>\n
\u201cAdam, why don\u2019t you jest let your beard go for a couple\u2019a days?I ain\u2019t even shure I \u2018member you ever having much hair on yur face.\u00a0 Seems a bunch \u2018f trouble when there\u2019s jest you and me and the horses to see.\u00a0 \u201d<\/p>\n
Adam grinned easily and ran his fingers gently over the light fuzz on Hoss\u2019s face.\u00a0 \u201cIf mine was as light and fine as yours, I might, but the longer I go the harder it is to shave this stubble.\u00a0 You take your coloring after your Ma, blond and fair.\u00a0 Your beard doesn\u2019t show nearly as much as mine and never will.\u00a0 \u2018Sides, I don\u2019t think the ruffian look does much for me.\u00a0 It\u2019ll only take a few minutes; then I\u2019ll wash the dishes.\u00a0 Only fair after you did the cooking.\u00a0 \u201d<\/p>\n
True to his word, Adam was smooth-shaven, hair in place and clothes straightened in just a few minutes.\u00a0 Then he took the cooking utensils and cups to the creek for scrubbing and carefully extinguished the campfire.\u00a0 Hoss, in the meantime, had watered the horses, put their gear on and packed away the remaining supplies.\u00a0 \u00a0Pa had always been insistent that a campsite be returned as much as possible to its natural state.\u00a0 The Cartwright family was steeped in the tradition that nature was a gift of God and deserved care.<\/p>\n
Mounting, they set out, looking for signs of elk along the creek.\u00a0 It was a natural place for wild animals to water, and they felt sure they could cut tracks at some point.\u00a0 With one of them on each side of the fast-running creek, they rode slowly and steadily for a couple of hours before Adam called a halt.\u00a0 \u201cSee, Hoss, some big prints, leading toward that stand of trees.\u00a0 I think there is a pasture beyond where good grazing can be found.\u00a0 Let\u2019s follow these for awhile.\u00a0 \u201d<\/p>\n
The men moved cautiously and silently through the trees to the edge of the flat ground covered with lush grass.\u00a0 Hoss led and held up a hand as he spotted a flash of brown in the middle of the meadow.\u00a0 \u00a0Quietly they dismounted, pulling their rifles out of the sheaths as they came down.\u00a0 The horses were well trained and stood ground tied as the men dropped the reins and lifted rifles into position.\u00a0 \u00a0Two pairs of eyes carefully picked out the three or more large animals in the pasture.\u00a0 It was fall, not mating season, and the elk were able to graze peacefully on the best grass they could find.<\/p>\n
Adam\u2019s sharp eyes spotted three does with half-grown fawns by their sides, as well as two bucks, one with a small rack of antlers and the other with a set almost twice as large.\u00a0 Gesturing to Hoss, he indicated that Hoss should move to the right to get a clearer shot.\u00a0 Hoss looked at his brother quickly; his gaze asked if Adam wanted the first shot.\u00a0 He got a negative head shake from Adam and knew his big brother was offering him the chance to bring home this particular buck.\u00a0 They would only kill one.\u00a0 The meat would augment Hop Sing\u2019s supplies, but they were hunting for the pleasure it, not for the meat.\u00a0 Besides, the pack horse could carry only one carcass that size.<\/p>\n
Man, oh, man, that is one beautiful critter!<\/em>Hoss marveled at the majesty of the buck he had in his sights and hesitated for a second before pulling the trigger.\u00a0 During that time, the creatures, with a wild animal\u2019s sense of danger, had lifted their heads and were just on the point of bolting for cover.\u00a0 Hoss drew a careful bead and gently squeezed the trigger.\u00a0 The buck jerked and fell as the remainder of the herd sprinted for the cover of the nearby trees.<\/p>\nAdam gave a brilliant smile and a thumbs-up with his left hand in congratulations for the clean shot.\u00a0 \u00a0The two men strolled into the meadow and over to the fallen animal.\u00a0 Hoss had hit the buck in the head, resulting in instant death and very little damage to the hide.\u00a0 They would take the antlers for later carving as buttons, needles, or whatever Hop Sing wanted.\u00a0 \u00a0They planned to make a beautiful piece of leather from the animal skin if they could collect one undamaged.\u00a0 \u00a0They had agreed before departure to give a good pelt to Joe for Christmas.\u00a0 It would make a soft rug to put by his bed.\u00a0 He had envied Hoss his deer rug for several years and getting one of his own might make their little brother less resentful about not being allowed to hunt yet.<\/p>\n
Gutting the animal was a messy job.\u00a0 They planned to hang the carcass high in a tree overnight, allowing the gore to drain out as much as possible.\u00a0 \u00a0Tomorrow morning they would wrap the body in the cloths they had brought.\u00a0 They were less than two days from the ranch, and if they started early enough in the morning, they could possibly make home late tomorrow night.\u00a0 The nighttime temperatures were low enough to keep the meat fairly cool and even the daytime temperature today was chilly enough to ensure it stayed good for a day or two.<\/p>\n
With the elk\u2019s body secured on the pack animal, the two men scraped the skin as much as possible and left the remains in the meadow.\u00a0 Had they been closer to home or with more than basic cooking materials, they might have taken the liver to cook.\u00a0 Under the circumstances, they decided to allow the scavengers to polish off the leftovers.\u00a0 Then they set out to ride back to last night\u2019s campsite.\u00a0 It had been a good place with easy water and would be far enough to ride and still have time before dark to set the carcass to drain.\u00a0 \u00a0By the time they set out, the sun indicated that it was past the height of the day.<\/p>\n
Both men were quiet on the trip back.\u00a0 Clouds had begun to move in, and the wind had picked up and now had a sharp bite to it.\u00a0 The shothad reverberated through the surrounding mountains and silenced the normal sounds of the wildlife in the area.\u00a0 Hoss kept thinking about how beautiful the creature had been before he shot him, and even the thought of the good meat to be eaten did not quite lift his spirits to a feeling of triumph.\u00a0 Adam too seemed pensive, even though he continued to gaze at the mountains and appeared to be watching the sky with an apprehensive eye.<\/p>\n
Back at the campsite, it took the two men only a few minutes to gather more wood for a fire and to turn their hands to making the camp comfortable.\u00a0 Hoss chose a tree with high branches well away from the stream to use for the draining of the buck.\u00a0 He and Adam carefully tied a rope around the hind feet, then Adam tossed the edge over the branch and Hoss caught it on the other side.\u00a0 With ease, Hoss hoisted the elk high into the air, safe from predators and ready for discharge of fluids.\u00a0 Adam secured the horses on fairly short tethers, well away from the smell of the blood, and made sure they had water, sufficient oats and were able to graze.<\/p>\n
Dark was settling in, and Hoss started a fire, blowing gently on the embers to make it flare up and set the dry wood ablaze.\u00a0 Adam had returned from the creek with more water for coffee and for warming the stew Hop Sing had sent.\u00a0 There were biscuits left too for soaking up the gravy and cookies to polish off the meal.\u00a0 \u00a0After finishing, the two men reclined beside the fire, watching the flames and sipping coffee.\u00a0 Finally, Hoss got up enough nerve to ask the question he had pondered for several weeks, ever since they had gone to Marie\u2019s grave for the celebration of \u201cAll Saints Day\u201d the 1st<\/sup>\u00a0of the month.<\/p>\n\u201cAdam, did you leave a headstone on my Ma\u2019s grave?What kind of place was it, the place you left her?\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam\u2019s dark eyes lifted from contemplation of the fire and met Hoss\u2019s blue ones sadly.\u00a0 For a minute Hoss was sure his brother was going to ignore the questions.\u00a0 The desolate look in his brother\u2019s eyes almost made him take the question back \u2013 almost, but not quite.<\/p>\n
Following a period of silence, Adam finally replied.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ve been told the story about how we got to Ash Hollow and the Indians attacked us.\u00a0 We were a small party, and had meant to join a larger train there, but they had moved on.\u00a0 The guide we had, Rockwell, had tracked down a band of Indians a few days before.\u00a0 Those four or five Indians had pulled a night raid on the camp and stolen Rockwell\u2019s string of horses, along with the liquor and trade goods in his packs.\u00a0 Anyway, Pa and Mr.\u00a0 \u00a0Rockwell had tracked the group and found them drunk and making a bunch of noise.\u00a0 Before Pa could stop him, Mr.\u00a0 \u00a0Rockwell had shot one of the thieves.\u00a0 Pa stopped him shooting the others, and they escaped.\u00a0 Rockwell warned Pa that they would bring back the whole tribe, but there wasn\u2019t much Pa could do about it.<\/p>\n
You were born while Pa and Mr.\u00a0 \u00a0Rockwell were pursuing those Indians.\u00a0 I remember when Pa came back and they told him Ma had the baby.\u00a0 I was sitting in the wagon holding you when he pulled back the cover to see us.\u00a0 Pa\u2019s grin would have lit up a whole town when he saw both you and Ma were safe.\u00a0 Ma said she wanted to name you Erik, and I reminded her of the promise to Uncle Gunnar to name a boy Hoss, cause it means a big friendly man.\u00a0 And you sure were big enough, even then.\u00a0 \u201d<\/p>\n
Adam\u2019s voice trailed off because he knew he was repeating stories Hoss had heard before.\u00a0 Hoss nodded and waited to see if Adam would go back to the real question.<\/p>\n
Taking a final sip of his coffee, Adam tossed the dregs aside and lay back on his bedroll, head pillowed on his saddle, and pulled his blanket up to his chin.\u00a0 Hoss figured they were finished for the night, so he put his own cup aside and crawled into his bed.\u00a0 \u00a0After a couple of minutes he heard Adam\u2019s quiet voice resume the story.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter Ma died in Pa\u2019s arms, and Rockwell went to surrender to the Indians, we came out of the cabin.\u00a0 Pa carried Ma\u2019s body back to the wagon, and the other ladies from the train came to help get her ready.\u00a0 A couple of the men found some planks and hammered together a crude box to put her body in.\u00a0 I heard them talking and knew the burial would be early the next morning.\u00a0 \u00a0It was vital that we could get a full day\u2019s travel if we were to beat the snows.\u00a0 Before dark that day, a couple of Indians rode close and dumped a body where we could see.\u00a0 I knew it was Mr.\u00a0 \u00a0Rockwell, but the women were kept back.\u00a0 Mr.\u00a0 \u00a0Payne and Mr.\u00a0 \u00a0Taylor went to check the body and cover it decent.\u00a0 Then they made another box for him.\u00a0 I never knew how they killed the man, never wanted to know.\u00a0 \u00a0Figured it wasn\u2019t an easy death.<\/p>\n
Next morning, right after daybreak, Pa took my hand and everybody walked up to the top of a little rise behind the Ash Hollow cabin.\u00a0 Some good soul had already dug the holes and put the boxes in them.\u00a0 I had slept through them taking Ma\u2019s body, but I could tell by looking that Pa hadn\u2019t slept a bit.\u00a0 Mrs.\u00a0 \u00a0Taylor had you in her arms, and her oldest daughter held their baby.\u00a0 I knew she was going to nurse you as well as her own child, least till you got big enough to take cow\u2019s milk and mushed-up food.\u00a0 In spite of your size, you were still just about 6 weeks old, too little to wean.\u00a0 \u201d<\/p>\n
Adam\u2019s quiet voice faded to nothing and Hoss heard his brother swallow hard.\u00a0 Then his brother\u2019s baritone continued in almost a whisper.\u00a0 \u201cAfter they read the Bible and prayed, the men shoveled dirt over the boxes and put up two wooden crosses.\u00a0 Pa knelt by Ma\u2019s grave and bowed his head.\u00a0 The rest of the folks moved away, some back down the hill and others well behind, so Pa could have some privacy.\u00a0 I remember standing there with my hat in my hand, watching the slow tears roll down Pa\u2019s face and seeing his lips move as he tried to pray or talk or something.\u00a0 He was too sad for words.\u00a0 \u00a0I thought it was kind of a pretty place, with a few trees around and a nice view of the mountains and of the plains.\u00a0 Lots of sunlight and easy to locate again.<\/p>\n
After awhile a couple of folks came back and lifted Pa to his feet.\u00a0 I wanted to go kneel for a minute too, but Mrs.\u00a0 \u00a0Taylor took my hand and pulled me away, toward the wagons.\u00a0 I could hear Mr.\u00a0 \u00a0Taylor telling Pa we needed to get started cause we was way behind the main train and had long days in front of us if we wasn\u2019t to get caught by the snows.\u00a0 Pa looked like a cripple, barely able to walk.\u00a0 \u00a0They tossed me up on the wagon seat, and Pa climbed up and started the horses moving.<\/p>\n
I sat there for a few minutes, but I could tell he wasn\u2019t seeing anything at all; he had such a far away look in his eyes.\u00a0 I climbed into the back of the wagon to change from my good clothes (I knew Ma would have scolded if I got them dirty or torn).\u00a0 I looked back, and there was only one other wagon following ours.\u00a0 Mr.\u00a0 \u00a0Taylor was driving it and Ms.\u00a0 \u00a0Taylor sat there, holding you.\u00a0 He kept looking back, and I wondered where the rest of the train was.\u00a0 We were moving real slow, so I scooted off the back of the wagon while I knew the Taylors weren\u2019t looking, then slipped through the grass and rocks back to the hill.\u00a0 I wanted to tell Ma goodbye too.<\/p>\n
I knew they had left the graves and crosses so that they could be easily seen, and I didn\u2019t understand.\u00a0 When my friend Johnny had died, they had packed the earth, burned the grass around it and then driven the horses and wagons over it several times to keep the wild animals and Indians from finding the grave.\u00a0 Well, when I sneaked back, they were doing the same thing to Ma\u2019s and Mr.\u00a0 \u00a0Rockwell\u2019s graves.\u00a0 Guess they didn\u2019t want me and Pa to have to watch.\u00a0 I could smell the burnt grass and see how ugly it all looked.\u00a0 Ma was there all alone, and there wasn\u2019t going to be anything left to show the way back.\u00a0 \u00a0\u201c<\/p>\n
There was a long, poignant silence as Hoss tried to picture his brother, little and alone, watching them hide his mother\u2019s grave.\u00a0 \u201cHoss, that was one of the hardest things I ever did, to turn around and leave Ma there, with no cross, no marker with her name, nothing to show where she was.\u00a0 \u201cThe deep voice faltered then continued, \u201cAll I had left of her was the memory of how sweet she smelled, how much she loved me and Pa, and you.\u00a0 You were the gift she gave us: me and Pa.\u00a0 She left us her baby to take care of and to help grow up to be the kind of man she would have been proud of.\u00a0 She would have taught you to be kind and generous and loving.\u00a0 \u00a0So, sometimes, if I sound bossy or something, I really just want to teach you what she taught me in the short time I had her.\u00a0 \u00a0\u201c<\/p>\n
Hoss heard his brother take a deep breath and finish his thought.\u00a0 \u201cShe is so proud of you, Hoss.\u00a0 \u00a0I don\u2019t know how, but she knows what a good man you are becoming.\u00a0 I wish I could\u2019 ve done for her what we did for Marie, but sometimes things just don\u2019t work out the way we want.\u00a0 I don\u2019t think I could even find the place anymore, after all this time.\u00a0 \u201dAdam\u2019s voice trailed away, and Hoss let the silence envelop him.<\/p>\n
He heard Adam\u2019s half-choked breathing and knew his brother needed to be left alone.\u00a0 So, he rolled into his sleeping bag and whispered gently, \u201cGood night, Adam.\u00a0 Thanks for telling me.\u00a0 \u201dHoss let his eyes wander across the cloud-ridden sky, seeing not even a glimmer of the moon or of stars.\u00a0 Long minutes later, he heard his brother regain control of his breathing, and finally he heard the slow, easy sounds that indicated Adam had fallen asleep.\u00a0 It was a long time before Hoss followed his brother into the arms of the sandman.<\/p>\n
Next morning, Hoss was the last one up.\u00a0 When he finally poked his head out of his blanket, he saw Adam shaving and smelled the coffee brewing.\u00a0 The odor of the bacon made his stomach growl, and he climbed out of the bedroll, shivering in the cold.\u00a0 \u201cMan, it\u2019s turned off cold and damp, Adam,\u201d he groaned as he poured a cup of hot coffee and turned the bacon.\u00a0 Them clouds look like a real storm is brewing.\u00a0 We best get a move on, if we ain\u2019t gointa get soaked.\u00a0 \u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRight the first time, Hoss,\u201d Adam agreed as he finished his ablutions and snagged his own cup of coffee.\u00a0 \u00a0\u201cWe need to get moving as soon as we get packed up.\u00a0 I already got the meat wrapped in canvas and loaded on the pack horse.\u00a0 \u201dHe looked at the dark sky and the rapidly moving clouds and wondered what kind of storm was coming, rain or snow.\u00a0 With the rapidly dropping temperatures, it could be either or, worse, both.<\/p>\n
Both men grabbed bread and cooked bacon and began to pack their bedrolls.\u00a0 As quickly as they could, they saddled the animals and loaded all the camping gear.\u00a0 Finishing their coffee and bacon sandwiches as they worked, they took the time to check the camp area for debris.\u00a0 Within 10 minutes they were on their way down the side of the mountain and toward home.\u00a0 Both men were sure they could make the trip in one day if rest stops were few and short.<\/p>\n
Within a couple of hours, the wind was howling and rain was beating against their slickers.\u00a0 The animals and men were miserable in the terrible weather, and all were looking forward to finally getting off the narrow mountain path and on the flatter meadows ahead.\u00a0 Travel would be quicker and easier once they reached more level ground.\u00a0 \u00a0By now, the rain had turned to sleet and fell in audible plunks against their backs.\u00a0 Both knew they needed to get off the mountain path before the ground froze.\u00a0 \u00a0The horses could easily slip on the icy surface.<\/p>\n
As they approached the final part of the trail, Adam turned to check on Hoss\u2019s progress.\u00a0 \u00a0Adam was riding in front of his brother, who was leading the pack animal.\u00a0 Adam gave a broad grin at the sight of his companion, thoroughly drenched and with icy slush dripping off his hat and nose.\u00a0 Hoss glared at his brother, who looked almost as miserable as Hoss felt.\u00a0 \u00a0As Hoss watched, the mare\u2019s foreleg slipped in the mud at the edge of the trail.\u00a0 \u00a0Adam shifted his weight back and released control to the mare so she could regain her balance.\u00a0 Instead, the horse squealed loudly and allowed her weight to fall against the steep trail edge.\u00a0 \u00a0In an instant of panic, Chocolate tried to rear back and her hind legs slipped too.\u00a0 Before his horrified eyes and before he could make the slightest move, Hoss saw his brother\u2019s mount slide closer to the edge of the treacherous drop, then tumble down the mountainside in slow motion.\u00a0 He saw his brother kick his boots loose from the stirrups and leap backward off the horse in an attempt to escape being rolled on.\u00a0 \u00a0Then the sleet and mist hid both from his view.<\/p>\n
Why couldn\u2019t he\u2019dbeen riding Sport?Sport wouldn\u2019t of slipped.\u00a0 <\/em>The completely useless thought flew through Hoss\u2019s mind as the animal\u2019s scream of terror pierced his ears.<\/p>\nHoss jumped from Chubb, and tied both his horse and the pack animal before he began to scramble down the slope toward where he thought his brother would land.\u00a0 Even before he found Adam, he heard the squealing sound of a fearful animal.\u00a0 Hoss slipped and slid his way down toward the dark bundle lying about half way down the mountainside.\u00a0 In his own fear, he was not as careful as he could have been, and just as he approached Adam\u2019s side, he stumbled and cracked his head sharply on a tree trunk.\u00a0 With his head aching, he knelt beside his brother and began to run his hands carefully down the still body.<\/p>\n
He could see the blood on Adam\u2019s face; it looked like he had hit his head on a rock as he fell.\u00a0 \u00a0He could see numerous scrapes and scratches, but hoped against hope for no broken bones.\u00a0 \u00a0CheckingAdam\u2019s legs and arms, he could find no obvious break on any of them.\u00a0 \u00a0Scrapes would heal if he could get Adam home.<\/p>\n
\u201cAdam, Adam,\u201d he demanded as he finished his body check.\u00a0 He could tell Adam was still breathing, and he needed to know what hurt, if possible.\u00a0 Adam lay perfectly still, breathing but unconscious.<\/p>\n
Hoss took a look at the hill in front of him and knew he couldn\u2019t carry Adam up to the trail alone, and it would be impossible to get the horses down to help.\u00a0 By now Hoss\u2019s head was throbbing, and he was cold, wet and scared.\u00a0 What could he\u00a0do?<\/em>Always before, Adam or Pa had been around to take charge, to provide a plan.\u00a0 Hoss dropped his head briefly onto Adam\u2019s forehead, just to feel the warmth and get a brief respite from his own pain.<\/p>\nThere was a movement next to him, and he knew that somehow, someone was there.\u00a0 Hoss lifted his head too quickly, and his vision swan.\u00a0 \u00a0Much to his horror, he saw two Indians standing beside him and his brother with rifles pointed.\u00a0 \u00a0Hoss, in pain and fear, tried to stand and found his head swimming.\u00a0 His vision faded, and he knew no more.<\/p>\n
—— – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – — – – – – – – – – – – —- – – — – — — – – —<\/p>\n
The smells were the first thing he noticed, along with his headache.\u00a0 The air was close and filled with mingling odors of unwashed flesh, some kind of animal fat, the smell of near-by campfires and a faint smell of something cooking, but not a very appetizing something.\u00a0 His head ached, but not badly;the worse pain was on his forehead, which he remembered banging into that tree on the mountainside.\u00a0 Injuns<\/em>, he thought.\u00a0 That was his last memory.\u00a0 Adam was hurt and there was Injuns!<\/em><\/p>\nMore aware now, he cautiously opened his eyes and saw the crossed poles of an Indian teepee with various items hanging down.\u00a0 Turning his head, he saw his brother across the way with an old woman kneeling beside him.\u00a0 He could see the deep bruise above the injured man\u2019s brow and the paleness of his face.\u00a0 \u00a0He watched as the woman forced Adam\u2019s mouth open and tried to get something liquid into it.\u00a0 Adam coughed and moaned a little, and Hoss sat up.\u00a0 \u201cWhat ye doin\u2019? he demanded in what he hoped was a commanding voice.\u00a0 The woman turned her head briefly, then ignored his question and continued to drip something into his brother\u2019s partially open mouth.<\/p>\n
As Hoss rose unsteadily, the small woman stood and walked over to him.\u00a0 He looked at her face, trying to read intentions, but could tell very little from her blank expression.\u00a0 Close up, he could see that she was not really old but tired and gaunt.\u00a0 \u00a0Then he looked at her eyes and thought he saw concern in the dark pupils.\u00a0 She put a gentle hand on his arm, shook her head and muttered something as she looked again at Adam.\u00a0 He had no clue what she was saying but realized that she had not been hurting his brother.\u00a0 He could not have said how, but he knew she meant no harm.<\/p>\n
Still, he was worried about Adam.\u00a0 He took the couple of steps that brought him to Adam\u2019s side and dropped to his knees.\u00a0 He put a big hand to Adam\u2019s forehead and brushed the raven hair from the edges of the bruise.\u00a0 \u201cIs he OK?\u201d he asked, even though he was sure the squaw didn\u2019t understand a word of English.\u00a0 Drat it, he shoulda listened more when Adam spouted off his Indian words.\u00a0 Might be useful right now.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n\u201cAdam,\u201d he whispered.\u00a0 \u201cAdam, come on.\u00a0 \u00a0Wake up for ole Hoss and let me know you\u2019re all right.\u00a0 \u201dAdam remained unconscious, but his head turned toward the sound of Hoss\u2019s voice.\u00a0 The woman knelt again beside him and continued to add small sips of liquid in his brother mouth, making sure he didn\u2019t get too much at one time and choke.\u00a0 Looking at Hoss, she jerked her chin toward a bowl beside the skins Hoss had been resting under.\u00a0 Hoss looked and decided it was meant for him.\u00a0 About that time, his stomach growled loudly, and she tittered just a bit to hear it.\u00a0 \u201cBeg yer pardon.\u00a0 \u201dHoss remembered his manners even though she didn\u2019t understand what he said.<\/p>\n
He picked up the bowl, lukewarm and full of a thin kind of soup or stew.\u00a0 Not much in it except liquid, but it didn\u2019t smell too bad.\u00a0 He tipped the lip to his mouth and took a swig.\u00a0 Right poor excuse for soup, but he was hungry enough for it to taste purty good<\/em>.\u00a0 \u00a0As he finished the offering, a flap of skin was lifted, and a brave came into the teepee.\u00a0 He growled (at least it sounded like a growl) a question to the woman and considered her reply.\u00a0 Then he looked carefully at Hoss, gauged his size and held up his hand in the peace sign.\u00a0 Hoss made the same sign back and tried, \u201cSpeak English.\u00a0 \u201dThe man shook his head and returned, \u201cEspanol, senor?\u201dHoss shook his head because languages, even his own, weren\u2019t a strong point with him.<\/p>\nNow the brave gestured to the empty bowl and made a sign for more.\u00a0 Hoss wanted to say no but found he was still hungry and nodded yes instead.\u00a0 Motioning, the Indian led Hoss outside and to a campfire with a bubbling pot of the same stuff on it.\u00a0 Hoss noticed that the few other people in the camp were all eating the same puny soup.\u00a0 There were even a couple of skinny kids eating too.\u00a0 \u00a0It looked like all of them were half starved.\u00a0 \u00a0There was no sign of meat in the pot, just a few unidentifiable bits of something and a broth.\u00a0 Not very filling<\/em>, Hoss decided.<\/p>\nHoss looked around, seeing a very poor, small encampment with practically no sign of food for its occupants.\u00a0 At the edge of the camp, he noticed their two horses and the pack animal and moved over to check out Chocolate.\u00a0 He could see a couple of scraps and cuts on the horse, but her legs looked fine.\u00a0 Shaking his head, he marveled at the pure luck of no damage to the horse in that fall.\u00a0 Now if Adam was just all right<\/em>,\u00a0it would be one of them miracles the reverend preached about<\/em>.<\/p>\nHe saw the gear had been removed from the animals and was stacked close to the haltered horses.\u00a0 The canvas containing the carcass of the elk had been lifted above the ground to protect it from animals.\u00a0 Remembering the thin soup and the lack of food in the camp, Hoss motioned the brave over and gestured to the meat.\u00a0 He hoped he was understood as he offered the elk and the contents of their grub stakes, coffee, meal, some pork and mesquite beans to his host.\u00a0 For a moment the Indian looked like he would refuse, but glancing at the faces around him, he nodded acceptance instead and opened his hands in a reluctant gesture of gratitude.<\/p>\n
One of the women came immediately and gathered the food stuffs, and another lowered the carcass and cut off some of the meat.\u00a0 \u00a0Then it was carried off to Hoss knew not where because he had no idea how they preserved their meat.\u00a0 Very soon, some of the meat and meal had been added to the stock pot, and a rich, savory smell began to permeate the camp.<\/p>\n
Hoss went back to the tent where Adam lay, white and still.\u00a0 The squaw was kneeling beside him, wiping his face gently with a wet cloth.\u00a0 Hoss knelt too and asked.\u00a0 \u00a0\u201dAdam, you awake in there?Open your eyes and say something.\u00a0 \u201d<\/p>\n
This time he was rewarded with a flicker of eyelids opening and then shutting rapidly.\u00a0 Adam blinked a couple of times, almost as if his lids were too heavy to stay open, then he managed to look at Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cYou ok, Hoss?\u201d were his first words.\u00a0 \u201cWhere are we?\u201d<\/p>\n
Hoss breathed a deep sigh of relief and asked, \u201cHow you feelin\u2019?You took a hard tumble halfway down a mountain.\u00a0 I thought you and the horse was goners, but neither of you is too much the worst for wear.\u00a0 \u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhich of you is asking, little brother?\u201d Adam managed with only a faint grimace.<\/p>\n
Hoss\u2019s heart dropped.\u00a0 If Adam was seeing two of him, he had what Doc Martin called one of the \u2018concussion<\/em>\u2019\u00a0things.\u00a0 How bad remained to be seen<\/em>.\u00a0 Hoss remembered well the one time he had hit his own head hard enough for the doctor to be called.\u00a0 His vision had blurred, and his stomach had roiled for two days.\u00a0 \u201cTake it easy, Adam.\u00a0 If yer seeing double, you ain\u2019t needin\u2019 to be moving around much.\u00a0 \u201d<\/p>\nAdam must have agreed because he closed his eyes and drifted off again.\u00a0 Hoss looked helplessly at the squaw, and she nodded back reassuringly.\u00a0 Then she went back to putting cool cloths on his brother\u2019s head, which Hoss knew ached far worse than his own.<\/p>\n
At least he woke up for a minute and made some sense,\u00a0<\/em>Hoss thought as he looked around the hut again.\u00a0 He knew he coulda\u2019 insisted on nursing his brother himself, but the woman seemed to know what she was doing, and Hoss still had a headache.\u00a0 By now, even though he wasn\u2019t fond of Injuns, he figured they were safe enough here.\u00a0 \u00a0There was nothing threatening in this place, just poor hungry people who\u2019d willingly helped him and his brother.\u00a0 \u00a0He crossed over to the skins and blankets on the other side and rolled himself up for a short nap.\u00a0 Gotta get Adam home,<\/em>was his final thought as he slipped into slumber.<\/p>\nWhen he woke again, Hoss pulled his watch out to check the time.\u00a0 \u00a0Almost 3, and judging by the light coming through the door, it had to be daylight, afternoon most likely.\u00a0 Hoss wondered how much time had passed.\u00a0 Adam fell midmorning of the third day of the trip, which meant they had 3 days to get back before Thanksgiving.\u00a0 After a minute or so, Hoss gave up worrying about what day it was and looked at his brother.<\/p>\n
This time, Adam was turned on his side in his favored sleeping position, and his face was not quite as pale.\u00a0 The woman was no longer at his side, so Hoss got up and moved over.\u00a0 \u201cAdam,\u201d he entreated.\u00a0 \u201cAdam, wake up!\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam\u2019s eyes opened and tried to focus on him, but they still looked funny.\u00a0 \u00a0\u201cYou don\u2019t have to yell, Hoss,\u201dAdam admonished, putting a hand on his obviously aching head.<\/p>\n
\u201cSorry, Adam, didn\u2019t mean to make you hurt worse,\u201d Hoss apologized.\u00a0 \u00a0\u201cCan I get you something to drink?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot right now, Hoss.\u00a0 Are you sure you are all right?I can see the knot on your hard head.\u00a0 \u201d<\/p>\n
I\u2019m fine, Adam, just bumped it on a tree coming down that dadburn hill to check on you.\u00a0 Plumb careless of me.\u00a0 \u201d<\/p>\n
Adam\u2019s eyes wandered around the tent, and he asked, \u201cWhere are we, Hoss?I can tell we are at some Indian camp, but I know Winnemucca\u2019snowhere near here.\u00a0 How did we actually get here?Do you remember?Last I remember is the horse slipping and us both falling off the trail.\u00a0 You carry me out?\u201d<\/p>\n
Hoss reached out to check his brother\u2019s temperature, and Adam pulled away, just like he did for Pa.\u00a0 Grinning, Hoss responded, \u201cAin\u2019t too much wrong if you can ast that many questions in a row.\u00a0 Let me see,\u201d he paused to collect his thoughts.\u00a0 \u201cI ain\u2019t actually sure how we got here.\u00a0 I \u2018member looking up and seeing two Injuns with guns pointed at us.\u00a0 I kinda remember somebody pullin\u2019 and pushin\u2019 me up onto Chubb and draping you across Chocolate\u2019s back.\u00a0 You was limp as a rag and had a bloody head.\u00a0 It\u2019s more like a dream or a nightmare or somethin\u2019 rather than a real memory.\u00a0 \u201d<\/p>\n
He looked at his brother and asked, \u201cHow are ye feelin\u2019, Adam?You still sickening at your stomach.\u00a0 \u201d<\/p>\n
Reluctantly, Adam confessed, \u201cI don\u2019t think I could sit a horse right now; that\u2019s for sure.\u00a0 Not planning on trying any food for awhile either.\u00a0 Any idea how long we\u2019ve been here?\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u201cNope,\u201d Hoss replied.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s bout 3 or so in the afternoon, but I ain\u2019t sure what day.\u00a0 \u201cWe gonna need to get home next couple of days though, or Pa\u2019s gonna have the whole ranch out lookin\u2019 for us.\u00a0 Adam,\u201d Hoss hesitated briefly.\u00a0 \u201cThese Injuns look half-starved to me.\u00a0 \u00a0Even the young\u2019ens are puny.\u00a0 I give \u2018em the elk carcass and the rest of our grub.\u00a0 Figured it was the least I owed \u2018em fur your life.\u00a0 \u201d<\/p>\n
Adam smiled gently at his \u201cbaby\u201d brother.\u00a0 \u201cCourse you gave them our food if they were hungry.\u00a0 Wouldn\u2019t expect anything different from you.\u00a0 Now, how about checking out the camp while I grab some more shuteye?I want to travel home tomorrow, if we can.\u00a0 \u201dAdam\u2019s eyes were drooping by then, so Hoss stopped talking and eased quietly away from his side, making sure Adam was covered before he left.\u00a0 It was just plain cold.<\/p>\n
Walking into the open, Hoss noticed that there were a couple more men around now, keeping an eye on the cooking fire and the squaws tending it.\u00a0 At the edge of the camp, Hoss saw several boys playing with some sort of a ball thing and a scoop stick.\u00a0 Hoss watched as the boys scampered and tossed the thing and generally played, just like kids everywhere.\u00a0 He felt himself smile at the sight and even forgot to remind himself that these was Injuns, like killed his Ma.\u00a0 Folks<\/em>,\u00a0different but still just folks.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\nHoss wandered toward their horses, wanting to check them over again and make sure they could be ridden when Adam felt good enough to travel.\u00a0 \u00a0Hoss expected that to be real soon even if Adam wasn\u2019t well.\u00a0 He knew his brother wouldn\u2019t want to worry Pa more than absolutely necessary and wouldn\u2019t rest easy until they got home.\u00a0 One of the younger braves walked over and, with gestures, showed Hoss where to take his horses for water.\u00a0 Hoss\u2019s companion also took him over to where the horses for the camp were grazing.\u00a0 There were several beautiful mares and a couple of yearlings, all fine looking animals.\u00a0 Hoss was willing to bet they had been culled from one of the herds of wild mustangs that roamed the hills nearby.<\/p>\n
Nobody paid him any mind as he sauntered through the small camp.\u00a0 \u00a0Counting shelters, he decided it was probably only a couple of families plus a few spare huts.\u00a0 Good hunting was getting scarce in the area.\u00a0 \u00a0Meat hunters for the hungry bellies in Virginia City were rapidly killing off all the game that hadn\u2019t been displaced by the growing herds of cattle and horses on the ranches.\u00a0 \u00a0He wondered if they had cut across the same Injun hunters on their first day out, but it really didn\u2019t matter.\u00a0 There were no signs of abundant food supplies in the camp, so he found himself glad that Adam had understood about giving the elk.\u00a0 Adam would have offered it ifen I hadn\u2019t,<\/em>\u00a0Hoss decided.\u00a0 \u00a0Adam couldn\u2019t stand to see people hungry either, as Hoss remembered from the days before college.<\/p>\nThe days were shortening in the late fall, and dusk came early.\u00a0 Hoss watched as more fires were lit, and people began to gather around the cooking pot.\u00a0 He peeked inside \u201cAdam\u2019s\u201d teepee and saw that his brother was still asleep, so he moved toward what he figured was the eating area.\u00a0 A woman stood up from the pot holding a wooden bowl piled with a savory-smelling stew and flat piece of bread on the side.\u00a0 Silently, she handed the food to Hoss and gestured that he should eat.\u00a0 He noticed that the men were fed first then the children given their portion.\u00a0 Apparently women ate last in Indian camps, but there was enough food left for them.<\/p>\n
Hoss would\u2019ve sworn that all Indians looked alike before today, but as everyone finished eating, he noticed \u201chis\u201d squaw take a bowl of stew and start toward the hut where Adam was sleeping.\u00a0 Quickly, he crossed over and lifted the hide door so she could enter.\u00a0 Stooping low, he followed and, to his pleasure, saw Adam\u2019s eyes open and looking at him.\u00a0 \u201cHow ye doing?\u201d asked Hoss as he knelt by his brother.<\/p>\n
\u201cA bit better, maybe,\u201d was the quiet reply.\u00a0 \u201cAt least there is only one and a half of you now.\u00a0 \u201dAdam blinked as if to clear his vision, and Hoss saw the furrow in the middle of his forehead, the only visible sign his brother usually showed of being in pain.\u00a0 He reached into the water still on the floor, wrung out a cloth and put it on Adam\u2019s head.\u00a0 \u201cUmmm,\u201dThe pain lines in Adam\u2019s face relaxed.<\/p>\n
The woman jostled Hoss a bit and knelt beside him.\u00a0 She touched Adam\u2019s arm gently, and when his eyes opened and looked at her, she lifted a spoon of stew from the bowl and held it to Adam\u2019s lips.\u00a0 To Hoss\u2019s dismay, Adam lifted his hand briefly in a negative sign and mumbled something strange that Hoss did not understand.\u00a0 Apparently the Indian woman did because she did not offer any more food.<\/p>\n
\u201cAdam, maybe you better try to eat a bite or two.\u00a0 It ain\u2019t bad stew, and you ain\u2019t had nothing for a least a day.\u00a0 Ifen we\u2019re gonna leave here tomorrow, you best have somethin\u2019 to eat.\u00a0 \u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cProbably not a good idea yet, Hoss, unless you want to clean up a mess.\u00a0 My stomach\u2019s still turning cartwheels, and my head is aching too much to even try.\u00a0 \u201dAdam was not one to complain, but he knew how to be honest about his condition when it was important.<\/p>\n
Looking around the hut, Hoss knew being sick would be very unpleasant for both of them, so he stopped his urging.\u00a0 The Indian woman looked at both of them and then left, taking the stew with her.<\/p>\n
Hoss stayed quietly by his brother watching as Adam closed his eyes briefly then opened them again and asked, \u201cAre all three horses fit to travel, Hoss?I need to find out how far from the Ponderosa we are and how long it will take us to get back.\u00a0 I asked her to send in one of the braves.\u00a0 He can probably answer our questions.\u00a0 Did you get enough supper?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYep, checked the horses over myself.\u00a0 Chocolate is bruised and cut a bit, but she ain\u2019t hurt.\u00a0 You can ride her, no problem.\u00a0 That is assumin\u2019 that you can sit a saddle.\u00a0 I miss all the grub Hop Sing can put on the table, but the foodt\u2019wern too bad, and I got enough.\u00a0 I sure could use a cup of coffee about now, but ain\u2019t no way I\u2019d be able to ast, so I\u2019ll do without.\u00a0 \u00a0Adam closed his eyes in an attitude of waiting, so Hoss sat and waited too.\u00a0 In a few minutes the Indian woman came back into the hut; this time she carried a cup with something steamy hot in it.\u00a0 It smelled like the herbal brew Hop Sing plied themwith when they were sick.\u00a0 Hoss moved to rest Adam against his own broad chest so Adam could sip the tea, or whatever, without choking or spilling it down his neck.\u00a0 \u00a0Slowly, as the woman watched, Adam drained the liquid from the cup and then thanked the woman politely in that language Hoss did not understand.<\/p>\n
As the woman left, an older brave entered the teepee, walked over and squatted beside them.\u00a0 Adam kept his head resting on Hoss\u2019s broad chest and spoke quietly to the Indian.\u00a0 The man nodded and gestured a bit as Adam struggled to remember the correct words.\u00a0 Hoss figured he was thanking them for the rescue and trying to find the location of the camp.\u00a0 After a few minutes, the conversation seemed to be finished, and the brave departed.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou need any more to drink, Adam?\u201d inquired Hoss.\u00a0 At Adam\u2019s negative gesture, Hoss carefully lowered his brother and pulled the blanket up to his chin.\u00a0 \u201cHow long home?\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam looked up at Hoss and half-grinned.\u00a0 \u201cThese folks are camping in the wild area just beyond the far north fields.\u00a0 They figured we\u2019d have all the stock closer to the ranch and they\u2019d be safe here.\u00a0 We\u2019re about 8 hours from home if we take it steady and not snail slow.\u00a0 \u00a0I told them we needed to leave tomorrow, so he offered to send a couple of his young braves to make sure we got back safe.\u00a0 We leave at dawn.\u00a0 \u201d<\/p>\n
Hoss watched Adam\u2019s eyes struggle to stay open, and he soothed, \u201cShh, go to sleep.\u00a0 It\u2019s all right; I\u2019ll take care of you.\u00a0 \u201dA small smile flickered across Adam\u2019s still pale face at hearing the words he had used in the past to soothe younger brothers\u2019 rest.\u00a0 He slept.<\/p>\n
Hoss stretched his aching body to its full height, almost brushing the top of the tent, and wiggled his shoulders to relieve some of the tension there.\u00a0 His fingers strayed to the bump on the side of his head, now a minor nuisance rather than a hard pain.\u00a0 Adam might be sound asleep, but Hoss still felt alert and unready for bed.\u00a0 He pulled the blanket high around his brother\u2019s neck then left the dwelling to see what was happening with his hosts.<\/p>\n
He watched several Indians slip into the largest of the dwellings and walked toward the entrance.\u00a0 Two youngster running through the camp bumped into his legs in the dark and stood gaping at the \u201cgiant\u201d in their midst.\u00a0 Hoss had noticed most of the males were shorter than he was, trim and hard-muscled, so he figured his height was another reason for staring.\u00a0 The braver of the boys tugged at Hoss\u2019 arm, his hand warm, and urged him toward the meeting place.\u00a0 A brave gestured him in, and after hesitating briefly, Hoss passed through the opening and found the band of natives seated around a banked fire -men on one side and women on the other.\u00a0 He clumsily lowered his frame, trying to fold his sturdy legs under him.<\/p>\n
The oldest looking brave spoke words to him, probably words of welcome, but Hoss was clueless as to their meaning.\u00a0 The gestures that accompanied the speech made the welcome clear however, and the passing of a skin jug filled with a liquid Hoss couldn\u2019t identify sealed the hospitality.\u00a0 Grave faces and dark eyes examined him closely.\u00a0 Gee, I thought Adam was a great stone face but these folks sure got him beat.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/em>Instead of worrying about it, Hoss allowed himself to gaze back with curiosity and began to recognize subtle differences in the faces; some were equally curious, others a little hostile, but none threatening.\u00a0 He began to notice the distinctive ways the eyes looked at him and the small variations in the way the individuals held their lips.<\/p>\nHowever, they all turned their attention to a powerful looking, older brave who began to speak in measured tones.\u00a0 Hoss didn\u2019t understand a word but decided the man was telling a story; he began to gesture with his hands and his tone rose and fell with the narration.\u00a0 Everyone gave rapt regard to the speaker, and Hoss learned to discern when something amusing was said because some individuals would say \u201cHoy\u201d at a certain time while others would pat the ground.\u00a0 None of the faces broke into smiles, and no laughter was heard, but the amusement was evident.\u00a0 What was it Adam had said?Something about strange customs but just people anyway.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\nBefore long, Hoss noticed one of the women slip from the group.\u00a0 He\u2019d sworn it was Adam\u2019s nurse, and he waited for her return. \u00a0As she eased back into her position, she looked over at him and nodded her head.\u00a0 Adam must still be sleeping and all right or she\u2019d figured a way to let me know.\u00a0 <\/em>\u00a0He turned his attention back to the storytelling and felt himself relax.<\/p>\nNext morning the camp was stirring before daylight.\u00a0 Hoss felt the cold of the outside as someone lifted the hide flap over the opening.\u00a0 The fire was stirred and flared up enough to cast light over the woman kneeling beside his sleeping brother.\u00a0 Hoss struggled from his cozy bed of animal hides and knelt by Adam\u2019s shoulder as the woman gently shook him, speaking softly.\u00a0 Adam jerked awake, his eyes wide with a hint of panic until they met Hoss\u2019s.\u00a0 He looked then at his nurse and replied in that guttural language.\u00a0 She shook her head in the universal language of \u201cno\u201d and felt to see if there was fever.\u00a0 Adam said something else firmly, and she nodded acquiescence, then rose and left the teepee.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat was that all about, big brother?\u201d Hoss asked as he replicated the gesture of checking his brother\u2019s forehead.\u00a0 Adam pulled back again, but not before Hoss felt too much warmth under the hair on the forehead.\u00a0 \u201cHow ya feeling?\u201d<\/p>\n
Honesty compelled Adam to reply, \u201cI don\u2019t feel that good, but still believe we need to leave today.\u00a0 Pa will be fit to be tied if we don\u2019t get home tonight.\u00a0 \u00a0He\u2019ll send out a search party.\u00a0 Worst still, Joe\u2019ll come looking for us.\u00a0 \u201d<\/p>\n
Hoss grinned at the thought of his noisy younger brother, but his gaze at Adam was worried and apprehensive.\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t sure the injured man was up to the long ride but knew nothing would keep him from trying.\u00a0 He\u2019d best get some food and get the horses packed.\u00a0 Not that there was much left to pack: no foodstuffs left, no elk meat, only the bedrolls and few cooking utensils.<\/p>\n
Hoss wandered outside to check the cook pot.\u00a0 No one was eating yet, so he strolled over to the tied horses and pulled the Cartwright three aside.\u00a0 He saddled the riding horses and loaded the pack horse.\u00a0 He knew he\u2019d have to bring the bedrolls out of their tent because the blankets were mixed with the animal hides used as bedding.<\/p>\n
Just as he finished, a young boy approached, tagged by a group of others about his age, and tugged at Hoss\u2019s coat.\u00a0 Hoss smiled in a friendly fashion and followed his young guide to the cooking fire where he was offered a bowl of whatever the other men were eating.<\/p>\n
At least he was fed and the horses were ready to travel.\u00a0 Now he needed to check on his brother.\u00a0 As he turned toward the tent, Adam stepped carefully out the flap, shading his eyes as the sun\u2019s rays broke through the cloud-scattered sky.\u00a0 He stopped and seemed to need a minute to orient himself, get his balance.\u00a0 Spying Hoss, he shambled toward the fire and the waiting Indians.\u00a0 Hoss picked up a bowl of mush to offer him, but Adam barely shook his head to indicate no.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe horses ready?\u201dAdam stood gazing around the mean camp with its worn shelters and inadequately clad occupants.\u00a0 \u201cAre you sure they have enough food, even for a few days?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, they got more than they had \u2018fore they found us.\u00a0 There\u2019s been real meat in the pot, and I see some of our bacon and flour around.\u00a0 Reckon we helped \u2018um some with our grub and the elk meat.\u00a0 \u00a0\u201cJust then, one of the squaws walked over to Hoss and handed him a rolled hide.\u00a0 Hoss flicked it open to see the skin of the animal he\u2019d shot, carefully scraped and ready for stretching.\u00a0 \u201cHey, Adam.\u00a0 It\u2019s the hide for Joe\u2019s rug.\u00a0 Guess we got his Christmas present anyway.\u00a0 \u201d<\/p>\n
Hoss beamed at the woman while Adam tried to thank her in her own language, struggling to remember the proper words.\u00a0 Least Hoss figured he was expressing appreciation as she nodded, and he could see a satisfied gleam in her eyes.\u00a0 Humm.\u00a0 Reckon I\u2019m getting\u2019 better at reading these folks.\u00a0 Ain\u2019t really all that hard, just gotta look careful.\u00a0 <\/em>He nodded over and over to her, and she covered her mouth as if to hide a smile, but nothing else showed on her face.<\/p>\nThe old man Hoss figured was the chief walked over to Adam and gestured to two braves with him.\u00a0 He appeared to introduce them, and Adam lifted his hand in the universal sign of peace and replied something.\u00a0 Then the four men walked toward the waiting horses as Adam summoned Hoss to follow with the lift of an eyebrow.\u00a0 Hoss felt a hand on his sleeve and stopped to find \u201chis squaw\u201d standing there offering the canteens, filled with water and a cup filled what looked and smelled like more herbal tea.\u00a0 She turned her head to follow Adam and indicated the tea was for him.\u00a0 Hoss was willing to bet Adam hadn\u2019t dared take food yet because of his rebellious stomach, so he took the cup.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll make sure he drinks it \u2018afore we leave.\u00a0 \u00a0Thank you, ma\u2019am.\u00a0 \u201dHe knew she didn\u2019t understand the words but hoped she heard his gratitude.\u00a0 She shook her head slowly then lifted the bead necklace from around her neck.\u00a0 She handed it to Hoss, but unsure of what she wanted, he tried to return it to her.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s offering an exchange for the food, Hoss.\u00a0 They don\u2019t have anything else, and pride demands something in payment.\u00a0 Take it and put it on.\u00a0 It\u2019s a beautiful thing.\u00a0 \u201d<\/p>\n
The instructions were issued in Adam\u2019s quiet, but commanding voice.\u00a0 Hoss held the adornment and before he could move, she took it and standing on tiptoe, slipped it around his neck.\u00a0 It felt funny wearing a necklace, but Hoss trusted Adam\u2019s knowledge of Indian custom enough to wear it.\u00a0 \u00a0The woman gave a slow nod of approval, patted his big arm and stepped back.\u00a0 Her face was unreadable but Hoss was sure he saw regret at their leaving and pleasure that they were well enough to depart.\u00a0 \u00a0I ain\u2019t believin\u2019 how kind these folks\u2019ve been, \u2019specially to someone they ought to be mad at.\u00a0 They been driven from their usual winterin\u2019 spots and can\u2019t find enough to eat, but still they share with \u201cthe enemy.\u00a0 \u201d Reckon Adam was right \u2018bout the decency of people, no matter who they are.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n\u201cReady, Hoss? We need to hit the trail if we\u2019re going to make it home by evening.\u00a0 \u201dAdam finished the cup of tea and without waiting for a reply, lifted his hand in farewell and followed one of the two braves accompanying them.\u00a0 Hoss mounted Chubb and trailed Adam with the other native bringing up the rear.<\/p>\n
The mercurial weather of early winter had struck again.\u00a0 All the ice had melted, and the trails were muddy, but passable.\u00a0 The sun was shining brightly, and the temperature was merely cool, not cold.\u00a0 Hoss slung his heavy coat over the back of the saddle and saw Adam had done the same after a few miles.\u00a0 He kept a close eye on his injured brother, but Adam sat straight in the saddle and was alert to his surroundings.\u00a0 Occasionally one of the guides would utter a few words, and Adam would respond.\u00a0 Once, he laughed and repeated a cutting remark to Hoss for his enjoyment.<\/p>\n
They\u2019d ridden for several hours according to the sun when Hoss noticed Adam rubbing the furrow between his eyes.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m getting\u2019 hungry and thirsty, Adam.\u00a0 How \u2018bout a break for lunch?We can let the horses rest.\u00a0 \u201d<\/p>\n
Adam turned his head slowly and looked at his brother.\u00a0 \u201cI think we\u2019d be better off to keep moving.\u00a0 Do you know where we are?I\u2019m not sure, so maybe it\u2019s best to keep going till we get to familiar territory.\u00a0 Then we can let our guides return home.\u00a0 \u2018Sides, I\u2019m not too sure I can make myself get back in this saddle if we stop.\u00a0 There\u2019s only a little dried jerky to eat anyway.\u00a0 Bet Hop Sing\u2019ll have us a good meal when we get home.\u00a0 \u201d<\/p>\n
Hoss understood and didn\u2019t ask again.\u00a0 Adam was bound and determined to get home by tonight, and Hoss wanted his own bed enough not to protest unless he thought Adam was hurting too bad to go on.\u00a0 A rough camp with little food wouldn\u2019t make his brother feel any better, and at home they could send for the doctor.<\/p>\n
A little past noon according to the sun, they broke from the shadows and trees of the mountains to a small meadow that Hoss recognized.\u00a0 It was located at the far north end of the ranch, and he knew his way home for sure now.\u00a0 Adam looked at the far end of the small field and grinned.\u00a0 \u201cGuess we must have missed that bunch.\u00a0 \u201d<\/p>\n
Hoss followed his gaze and saw a herd of 6 cows grazing in the corner.\u00a0 They\u2019d tried to move all the cattle to lower elevations before winter so they could feed some of them if the snows got too high and stayed too long.\u00a0 I wonder\u2026<\/em><\/p>\nBefore he could open his mouth, Adam gestured to the cattle and said something to the guides.\u00a0 The one in front started to protest, but Adam waved away whatever he was saying.\u00a0 Then Adam said something else in an emphatic way and held up three fingers.\u00a0 For a minute Hoss thought there was going to be an argument, and he had no idea what about.\u00a0 Then the two men nodded, held up their hands in a gesture of farewell and rode over to the cattle.\u00a0 With soft yelps, they began to drive the cows back the way the four men had come, back toward the encampment in the hills.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou offer them those cows, Adam? It ain\u2019t that Pa is stingy, but you can reckon he\u2019s gonna have something to say.\u00a0 \u201dGlad it\u2019s big brother gonna have to explain that action to Pa.\u00a0 I was \u2018bout to ask, but he beat me to it.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n\u201cMade a bargain with them.\u00a0 In the spring, they\u2019re to bring us three green-broke mustangs to add to our herd.\u00a0 Pa\u2019s been talking about applying for a contract with the army to supply some horses, so I figured it\u2019s a good way to increase the herd and get some new blood in it.\u00a0 I told them no stallions, only good mares.\u00a0 Just giving them the cattle would\u2019ve made us seem weak and let them think we wouldn\u2019t mind if they siphoned off a few.\u00a0 This way, it\u2019s a bargain.\u00a0 We both get something we want and need, and they\u2019ll have food for the winter.\u00a0 \u201d<\/p>\n
Hoss acknowledged his brother\u2019s smarts with a quick admiring look and a muttered, \u201cStill glad yer the one doing the \u2018splaining to Pa.\u00a0 You reckon yer good for another couple of hours riding?I figure we can get home \u2018fore dark if we keep going.\u00a0 \u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSure thing.\u00a0 You don\u2019t really think I want to spend a night out this close to home, do you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, I could get to the house a lot faster if you stayed behind, and I\u2019d bring a buckboard to get you home.\u00a0 \u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d rather ride than be jostled around in a buckboard.\u00a0 Besides, we may be late enough that Pa won\u2019t insist on sending for Paul tonight.\u00a0 If you go alone, Pa\u2019ll have the doctor there before you get me home in a wagon.\u00a0 \u00a0No thanks.\u00a0 \u201d<\/p>\n
Hoss looked carefully at his brother.\u00a0 Adam\u2019s face was pale; there was a deep furrow between his eyes.\u00a0 There was a sheen of sweat on his face, either from the direct sun or from pain.\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t sure which.\u00a0 He caught his brother\u2019s reins for a minute and took the canteen from Chubb\u2019s saddle.\u00a0 \u201cTake a little water then.\u00a0 You look like you\u2019ve been rode hard and put up wet.\u00a0 \u201dAdam took the offered water and sipped only a little before returningthe canteen to Hoss.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy stomach\u2019s not jumping all over the place, but I don\u2019t want to risk getting sick.\u00a0 Thanks.\u00a0 Let\u2019s get going.\u00a0 \u201d<\/p>\n
Just as the short winter day was coming to an end and the hills and trees were growing purple in the waning light, they saw the lights of the house in the distance.\u00a0 Before Adam could tighten his reins, Chocolate broke into a canter, wanting the barn and her stall.\u00a0 Chubb followed suit, and Hoss heard Adam groan as he pulled the horse back to a walk.\u00a0 Hoss pulled Chubb up short to keep from running into his brother and shouted out, \u201cHello, the house.\u00a0 \u201dAdam raised hishand to his obviously aching head, and Hoss apologized.\u00a0 \u201cSorry, Adam.\u00a0 Didn\u2019t think about yer head.\u00a0 \u201d<\/p>\n
Light spilled out the door as Ben appeared.\u00a0 Joe rushed past his father and yelled, \u201cWhere\u2019s the meat?Didn\u2019t the big hunters find anything to bring home?\u201d<\/p>\n
Hoss jumped off Chubb and grabbed Adam\u2019s reins.\u00a0 Joe tried to grab his brother\u2019s arm, and Hoss brushed him off like a pesky fly.\u00a0 \u201cEasy, Adam.\u00a0 Let me help.\u00a0 \u201d<\/p>\n
By then, Ben had gotten a good look at his oldest son and seen the bloodstained bandage on his head, the rips in his clothes.\u00a0 \u201cWhat happened to you? Hoss, let me get him down.\u00a0 Joe, go tell Hop Sing Adam\u2019s hurt.\u00a0 \u201dHis broad hand reached out to Hoss\u2019s face, and he turned it to see the purplish bruise.\u00a0 \u00a0\u201cYou all right?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m fine, Pa.\u00a0 Just a bump.\u00a0 Sure you can git him by yerself?\u201dHoss hadn\u2019t tended Adam all that way just to have him hit the ground at home.\u00a0 Catching the determined look on his father\u2019s face, he knew he was wasting his breath.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll git the horses put away and be right in.\u00a0 \u201dAs he turned away, he saw Hop Sing come to the door and motion Pa to get Adam into the house.\u00a0 Adam was leaning heavily on his father as they entered.\u00a0 Hoss snagged Joe\u2019s shirt as he tried to follow them.\u00a0 \u201cCome on, Joe.\u00a0 You can help me put up the horses.\u00a0 You and Pa have a good time while we was gone?Did he take you to dinner at the International House?\u201d<\/p>\n
Joe was busting with questions, but he wasn\u2019t ready to tell the story yet, so he continued to quiz his brother as they removed the gear from the animals, gave them a quick rubdown, food and water.\u00a0 \u00a0Joe happily told him all about school, the trip to town with Pa and the new puppies at Mitch\u2019s house.\u00a0 \u00a0Charlie, the stove-up ranch hand who did many of the yard chores, ambled in to finish putting away the horses.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow\u2019s Sport doing?You been putting the liniment on his leg and letting him soak it in the crick?\u201dHoss nodded his appreciation to Charlie for the assistance and went to check the front leg of Adam\u2019s favorite mount.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s doing good.\u00a0 Still skittish as a girl walking through a graveyard, but ready to be ridden again.\u00a0 I seen Adam looking right poorly.\u00a0 You reckon yer Pa\u2019s gonna want the doc?I can send one of the boys ifen he wants me to.\u00a0 \u201d<\/p>\n
Hoss saw Joe\u2019s mouth open and put his hand over it.\u00a0 \u201cLater, Joe.\u00a0 We best wait til Pa and Hop Sing take a look at him.\u00a0 \u00a0Adam\u2019s be madder than a wet hen if we bring the doctor out.\u00a0 He\u2019ll sit still if Pa orders him to, but we better wait and see.\u00a0 \u00a0Thanks anyway.\u00a0 \u201d<\/p>\n
He pushed Joe out the barn door ahead of him.\u00a0 \u201cHow \u2018bout givin\u2019 me a hand getting water into the tub, shortshanks.\u00a0 \u00a0I sure could use a bath.\u00a0 \u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, I thought I smelt something stinky.\u00a0 \u201dJoe\u2019s grin lit his face.\u00a0 \u201cIt ain\u2019t Saturday, but I guess you\u2019ve hung around with Adam long enough to like bathing better than I do.\u00a0 \u201dThey walked through the great room and kitchen to the bathing room.\u00a0 Hoss checked to see if there was hot water ready and wasn\u2019t surprised to find Hop Sing had been prepared for their return and the inevitable bath that Adam would demand.<\/p>\n
Hoss went up to his room, passing Adam\u2019s and taking a quick look in.\u00a0 Pa and the cook were bathing Adam\u2019s face and upper chest, and Adam had that patient, \u2018What did I do to deserve this\u2019 look on his face.\u00a0 The hazel eyes caught his and winked before closing again.<\/p>\n
Reckon he ain\u2019t too bad off if he\u2019s winkin\u2019 at me and lettin\u2019 them get by with tendin\u2019 him without a yelp.\u00a0 He\u2019d know how worried Pa\u2019s been and let him mess around for awhile \u2018fore he kicks up too big a ruckus.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\nHoss entered his room to gather clean clothes.\u00a0 He remembered the necklace and pulled it off.\u00a0 \u00a0Carefully he placed it on his dresser in front of the picture of his mother.\u00a0 Then he grabbed an arm full of garments and went back for his bath.<\/p>\n
Sinking into the deep tub of hot water, he felt the tension in his shoulders and the aches from rolling down the mountainside begin to ease.\u00a0 Joe sat on a stool in the corner and continued to describe the puppies and how wonderful each one was.\u00a0 His youngest brother had never given up the hope that he might someday be allowed a dog no matter how many times Pa had said no.\u00a0 Hoss wished Joe would go away and let him soak in peace, but he was too kind-hearted to tell him so.\u00a0 He knew Adam would simply have locked the door before he got into the tub, but he\u2019d forgotten, and now his ears were paying the price.<\/p>\n
For a brief moment, Hoss remembered the way they\u2019d come to have a bathing room, then he closed his eyes and shut out everything except the warmth of the water.<\/p>\n
In way too short a time, the water grew cold, and he emerged.\u00a0 Joe whipped out of the room as Hoss dried off and dressed.\u00a0 Wonder where\u2019s he\u2019a gonna.\u00a0 Hope he ain\u2019t gonna bother Adam yet.\u00a0 Big brother\u2019s headache is bound to make him a trifle short o\u2019 temper, not to mention the coddling by Pa and Hop Sing.\u00a0 \u00a0I better make sure Joe don\u2019t pester him too much.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\nThe house was filled with the smells of good food being prepared, and Hoss relaxed even more as he heard the sounds of Hop Sing clanging pans and muttering to himself.\u00a0 They must be finished tending Adam if the Chinese cook was getting ready for dinner.\u00a0 \u00a0Hoss\u2019s stomach growled loudly, and he felt his mouth water at the scent of the food.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t even Thanksgiving neither, so that meal was to come.\u00a0 Hoss wondered what day it was; they had probably lost at least one day between Adam\u2019s fall, the travel to the village and the period of unconsciousness.<\/p>\n
Hoss knocked lightly on his brother\u2019s closed door and heard Pa\u2019s,\u201cCome in.\u00a0 \u201d<\/p>\n
Adam looked better now with a fresh, smaller bandage on his head and his face and hands clean.\u00a0 He was in a nightshirt and his closed eyes opened as he saw Hoss\u2019s face peek around the door.\u00a0 Pa was sitting in the old rocker by Adam\u2019s bed.\u00a0 That chair usually sat in Pa\u2019s bedroom, but made its way to the side of an injured or sick son.\u00a0 \u00a0Hoss knew his father had spent many a night in that chair, and it looked like he planned another vigil.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou feelin\u2019 better, Adam.\u00a0 You look a mite better.\u00a0 \u201dHe looked at Pa.\u00a0 \u201cHe was seein\u2019 double earlier and ain\u2019t had much to eat \u2018cause it made him wanta puke.\u00a0 \u201d Hoss saw his brother\u2019s lips tighten.\u00a0 \u00a0He had no intention of allowing Adam\u2019s need for privacy risk his health.\u00a0 Besides, Pa was no fool; he knew Adam too well to take a casual \u2018I\u2019m fine\u2019 from his oldest.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m going to wait until tomorrow to decide about summoning Paul.\u00a0 If you,\u201d he looked hard at his injured son, \u201ccan eat the broth Hop Sing is fixing and keep it down, plus take the headache powders and get a good night\u2019s sleep, I won\u2019t send for him.\u00a0 \u201dPa gave Adam a stern glance.\u00a0 \u201cI trust you to tell me if you hurt too much or feel sick, just like I trust you to stay in this bed until I feel comfortable letting you up.\u00a0 \u201d Then he smiled and relented a little.\u00a0 \u00a0\u201cAt least tomorrow in bed.\u00a0 If you\u2019re all right the next day, you can join us for Thanksgiving dinner.\u00a0 But no work and no reading for the next day or so.\u00a0 \u201d<\/p>\n
Adam groaned and covered his eyes, then lowered his hand and indicated agreement.\u00a0 Hoss knew his brother would keep his word and obey the rules, except maybe the reading one.\u00a0 Bet he\u2019d cajole Pa into reading to him before tomorrow was over.\u00a0 \u00a0Folks thought Joe could wheedle anything out of Pa, and he generally could, but Adam had a different style.\u00a0 Adam just lay back and looked resigned, not pathetic, but kinda wistful.\u00a0 Pa melted every time Adam did that -just like he usually surrendered to Joe\u2019s puppy dog eyes and gave in to Hoss\u2019s phrase of\u2018pleaseee.\u00a0 \u2019Ben was a father who hated to disappoint his sons if he could help it, and truly, Adam and Hoss asked very little.\u00a0 Joe was still young and the baby, so they all tended to cut him slack and try to protect him from his own impulsive nature and quick temper.\u00a0 All in all, Hoss was very happy to be home and let Pa take over.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to hear everything\u2026\u201dBefore Pa could complete his request, Joe burst into the room; the beaded necklace swung from his left hand.\u00a0 \u201cHoss, what\u2019s this doing on your dresser?Did you run into Indians?Can I have it?I sure would like to show the guys at school\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
Hoss grabbed Joe\u2019s hand and removed his memento of their rescue.\u00a0 \u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s mine, Joe.\u00a0 \u00a0Sorry, but it\u2019s a gift.\u00a0 \u201dHe glanced at Adam.\u00a0 \u201cGuess you could say it\u2019s a gift from my mother, to remind me \u2018bout good in all kinds of folks, ifen I give \u2018um the chance.\u00a0 \u201d<\/p>\n
Adam intervened, \u201cLots of reasons for thanks, little brother.\u00a0 We\u2019re home; we\u2019re safe, and we didn\u2019t miss the holiday.\u00a0 And you have something else to remember about your mother.\u00a0 The Pilgrims have nothing on us.\u00a0 \u00a0By the way, Joe, did you get that essay finished?\u201dIn the burst of conversation that followed, it was possible Pa would forget about his and Adam\u2019s strange remarks, but Hoss was willing to bet it would never happen.\u00a0 Pa never let anything rest \u2018till he understood what his boys had been up to.<\/p>\n
Thanks, Lord.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/em>Hoss knew he was grinning, but right now, life was just plain perfect and his heart swelled with appreciation for his family, all safe and here.\u00a0 \u00a0Thanks, Ma, fur teaching my brother, who teaches me.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\nJune 2003.<\/p>\n
Author’s Note:\u00a0 This story was originally for a list challenge for Thanksgiving 2001. \u00a0\u00a0 Nothing slow about me.<\/p>\n
Thanks to the people who read this and suggested changes and corrections. I considered all recommendations and corrected those portions that I felt were beneficial to the story. I did \u201cuntack\u201d that horse, ladies. Special thanks to Gwynne Logan for her careful edit.<\/p>\n
Disclaimer:\u00a0 I know they don\u2019t belong to me, but I take very good care of them and return them in mint condition. I realize that Thanksgiving didn\u2019t become a holiday until the time of Abraham Lincoln and that it\u2019s very possible that the Cartwrights didn\u2019t celebrate it with food and the story of the Indians and Pilgrims. I obviously took literary license. It fit with the story.<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n