{"id":5076,"date":"2001-12-15T02:38:31","date_gmt":"2001-12-15T07:38:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=5076"},"modified":"2025-02-27T12:05:10","modified_gmt":"2025-02-27T17:05:10","slug":"well-be-home-for-christmas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=5076","title":{"rendered":"We’ll Be Home for Christmas (by Puchi Ann)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary: \u00a0<\/span>Having promised Pa that they will be home for Christmas, the three Cartwright brothers are ahead of schedule as they return from a late-season shopping trip in San Francisco. A sudden snowstorm in the Sierras, however, may make keeping that promise \u00ad or even staying alive \u00ad impossible.<\/p>\n

Rated: K+ \u00a0WC \u00a015,000<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

We’ll Be Home for Christmas\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hoss Cartwright licked his lips in anticipation as a plate, heavily laden with a combination of scrambled eggs and oysters, was set before him.\u00a0 \u201cDoggone, but that looks good!\u201d he declared enthusiastically.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll food looks good to you,\u201d Adam, seated to his younger brother\u2019s right at the round wooden table, commented dryly.\u00a0 He glanced up at the flaxen-haired matron who had delivered their order.\u00a0 \u201cHowever, I have to admit that no one makes Hangtown Fry quite like yours, Ludmilla.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot even Pa,\u201d Little Joe, across the table from Adam, chirped in agreement.\u00a0 All three brothers laughed in recollection of their father\u2019s yearly tradition of preparing the special egg dish for them every New Year\u2019s morning.\u00a0 Pa\u2019s cooking wasn\u2019t bad, but it couldn\u2019t compare with the food at Mama Zuebner\u2019s restaurant.\u00a0 Nothing but Hop Sing\u2019s could.<\/p>\n

Ludmilla smiled down at the trio of brothers she had watched grow up.\u00a0 She had first met Adam when they traveled west on the same wagon train, and while her acquaintance with the younger boys was of shorter duration, she had known them from infancy and still doted on all three like a maiden aunt, looking forward to every trip they made through Placerville, California.\u00a0 \u201cI am glad you like the food,\u201d she said, \u201cbut I wish still that you would stay with me for Christmas.\u00a0 No one makes good Christmas like Germans.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019d enjoy it very much,\u201d Adam assured her, \u201cbut I did promise Pa we\u2019d be home for Christmas.\u201d<\/p>\n

A frown settled on Ludmilla\u2019s normally placid face.\u00a0 \u201cYou eat hearty, then.\u00a0 Weather is making colder.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll eat hearty, Mama Zuebner,\u201d Hoss vowed solemnly, bringing a titter from his younger brother.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe you will,\u201d Little Joe whispered as the proprietress departed to the kitchen, \u201cbut there\u2019s no way I can finish this.\u00a0 What was she thinking?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSame thing anyone thinks who gets a look at them bird bones of yours,\u201d Hoss snorted, \u201cthat you need fattenin\u2019 up.\u201d\u00a0 He smiled benevolently at the boy beside him.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t you worry none, though, little brother; I\u2019m gonna help you clean that plate\u2014just so\u2019s Mama\u2019s feelin\u2019s won\u2019t get hurt, you understand.\u201d\u00a0 He calculated, with satisfaction, that he\u2019d be confiscating about a third of what was on Little Joe\u2019s plate.<\/p>\n

Cackling, Joe choked on a bite of egg and, grabbing his napkin, held it to his mouth until he got the coughing under control.\u00a0 \u201cOh, yeah, big brother, I understand perfectly,\u201d he sputtered, \u201cbut I ain\u2019t gonna complain, since I can sure use the help.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sipping his coffee, Adam had watched his brothers bantering back and forth with an indulgent eye.\u00a0 They\u2019d all gotten along well on this trip to San Francisco.\u00a0 Maybe it had something to do with the festivity of the season, but even he and Joe hadn\u2019t done much sparring at each other.\u00a0 The only conflict they\u2019d had, in fact, had been about their departure time.\u00a0 Adam had wanted to stay over one more day, to see another show, but Little Joe had begged to go home, instead, as soon as they\u2019d finished their Christmas shopping.\u00a0 Of course, the kid was only eighteen, so some slight homesickness was to be expected, Adam supposed, and it didn\u2019t help that the show he\u2019d offered as enticement was an opera.\u00a0 Hoss had sided with his younger brother in opting to get home, so Adam had given in with good grace.\u00a0 After all, Pa would be that much prouder of him for getting the boys home a day earlier than expected.<\/p>\n

Pa hadn\u2019t been too enthusiastic about his sons\u2019 making this trip.\u00a0 The stores of Virginia City were quite good enough, he\u2019d alleged, and weather in the Sierras was always chancy this late in the year.\u00a0 Adam had pointed out, however, that it wasn\u2019t like the old days, when he and Pa had first come west.\u00a0 Whereas snow had once cut them off from California for months out of the year, roads were better now, and stages ran regularly through the winter.\u00a0 Besides, Adam had been quick to point out, this winter had been an unusually mild one, so Ben had reluctantly agreed to let his sons make the trip, provided they were home for Christmas.\u00a0 The more Adam considered the possibility of delays, the more content he became with his brothers\u2019 decision.\u00a0 If the stage ran on schedule, they\u2019d pull into Carson City tomorrow morning, the twenty-third of December, and be back at the Ponderosa well before that Christmas deadline.<\/p>\n

As the Cartwright brothers finished their breakfasts, Ludmilla appeared once again at their table, this time carrying a large covered basket over one arm.\u00a0 Noting with pleasure Little Joe\u2019s clean plate, she set the basket between him and Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cIf you bound to go, you take this,\u201d she ordered.\u00a0 \u201cNot all stage stations feed good, like here.\u00a0 I put in apple strudel for Adam, good German sausage for Hoss, cheese with brown bread for Little Joe and plenty lebkuchen and pfeffennuch for all.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss stood to wrap a hefty hug around the older lady, who barely came to the middle of his chest.\u00a0 \u201cAw, thanks.\u00a0 This\u2019ll turn that dull ride home into one long Christmas party.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe and Adam stood, as well.\u00a0 \u201cYes, ma\u2019am.\u00a0 We surely thank you,\u201d Joe said.<\/p>\n

Ludmilla turned to embrace him.\u00a0 \u201cYou see brothers share all food, not just cheese,\u201d she advised.\u00a0 \u201cYou need more meat on your bones, little one.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe took the admonition and the diminutive term in stride, only because they came from someone he genuinely liked.\u00a0 \u201cYes, ma\u2019am, I will,\u201d he assured her.<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks again for your hospitality last night,\u201d Adam said, \u201cand especially for these delicacies to take with us.\u00a0 I wish we could stay longer, but that stage leaves at eight sharp.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou go, then,\u201d Ludmilla agreed, still looking reluctant to see them head out into the cold, \u201cand give to Ben my love and wishes for merry Christmas.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam smiled warmly.\u00a0 \u201cI will.\u00a0 Come on, boys; we have to leave now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss and Joe exchanged another quick hug with Mrs. Zuebner and followed Adam outside, each one\u2019s arms laden with bundles, the fruit of their assault on the shops of San Francisco.\u00a0 The only unpleasant part of their journey thus far had been the juggling of these assorted parcels from one conveyance to another: carriage to steamboat to train to stagecoach and now to another stagecoach.\u00a0 Each young man\u2019s face glowed, however, when he thought of how much pleasure the gifts he\u2019d bought would give on Christmas morning.<\/p>\n

Little Joe\u2019s eyes shone especially bright, for with the higher wage that he was earning now that he was older, he finally felt that he was able to do as well by Pa and his brothers as they\u2019d always done by him.\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t appreciated all the harping Adam had done throughout the year about saving his money, but he was glad now that he\u2019d followed that advice with some degree of success.\u00a0 Even so, he\u2019d come up twenty dollars short of having enough for everything he wanted to buy, but Hoss had generously loaned him that amount.\u00a0 The emerald eyes fairly danced in anticipation of how pleased everyone would be with what they found under the tree.<\/p>\n

Leaving his carpetbag and bundles with his brothers, Adam stepped into the stage depot to purchase their tickets.\u00a0 \u201cLooks like we\u2019re the only ones on board this morning,\u201d he commented when he returned to find that all the baggage had been loaded into the boot of the coach, except for Ludmilla\u2019s basket of goodies.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, that\u2019s great!\u201d Hoss exclaimed.\u00a0 Stagecoaches tended to be confining for the big man, especially when crowded.\u00a0 With only the three of them inside, he could claim a seat to himself and stretch out.\u00a0 \u201cWe got all we need, anyway: good food, good company, good\u201d\u2014he wrinkled his nose at the gray skies overhead.\u00a0 \u201cWell, the weather ain\u2019t so good, I reckon.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam draped an arm over each brother\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cGood food, good company, good spirits,\u201d he finished for Hoss and won a gap-toothed grin in response.<\/p>\n

\u201cTime to board, gents,\u201d the driver called, so the three brothers bustled inside, Joe first, followed by Hoss and lastly by Adam, who closed the stage door and settled down on the seat beside his youngest brother.<\/p>\n

Twelve miles down the road the stage stopped, as it would at about that interval all along the route.\u00a0 Though Sportman\u2019s Hall was renowned for the quality of its food, none of the Cartwright brothers was tempted to eat again so soon.\u00a0 Unfortunately, it would be late afternoon before they again reached a station with acceptable food, but Ludmilla\u2019s generosity had insured that none of them would go hungry before reaching Strawberry Valley House.<\/p>\n

Hoss, of course, was the first to dig into the basket, cutting off a hunk of sausage and a thick slice of bread to eat with it.\u00a0 By the time the stage stopped at Webster\u2019s Station to change horses, all three brothers had tasted some of the good food Ludmilla had sent, although in Little Joe\u2019s case the taste had included only one of the honey-flavored lebkuchen cakes and a couple of the round spice drops Ludmilla called pfeffenuch.<\/p>\n

The three brothers got down from the stagecoach at Webster\u2019s, not wanting to miss a chance to stretch their legs.\u00a0 While Joe made a quick trot around to the outhouse, Adam arched his back to work out the kinks and Hoss stood staring up at the sky.\u00a0 Noticing his bigger brother\u2019s wrinkled brow, Adam cocked his head.\u00a0 \u201cSomething bothering you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we may get some weather,\u201d Hoss said.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s a storm sky, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam looked at the glowering gray clouds overhead.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, looks like rain, all right.\u201d\u00a0 He clapped the ample back beside him.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re not going to let a little rain dampen your Christmas spirit, are you, Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss shook his head, a motion that had nothing to do with answering Adam\u2019s question.\u00a0 \u201cNot so sure it\u2019ll be just a little, older brother.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t worry,\u201d Adam urged.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re only nine or ten hours from Carson.\u00a0 I promised Pa we\u2019d be home for Christmas, and we\u2019ll make it with time to spare.\u201d\u00a0 He saw Little Joe coming around the corner of the stage station.\u00a0 \u201cAnd don\u2019t go worrying the kid.\u00a0 He\u2019s fidgety enough about getting home as it is.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI won\u2019t,\u201d Hoss promised earnestly.\u00a0 Nobody could work up a fret like their baby brother, and the thought of being cooped up inside a stagecoach with Joe once he got in that state was enough to silence the first word of his own concern.<\/p>\n

By the time the stage reached Strawberry, twelve miles down the road, the rain had started, and the Cartwright brothers had rolled down the leather curtains over all the windows of the coach.\u00a0 They made a dash for the station, where they opted to eat an early supper.\u00a0 Though it was only four in the afternoon, they were all hungry, having skipped dinner, and the thirty-minute layover the stage always made at this station gave them plenty of time for a meal.\u00a0 The rain had turned to a downpour by the time they reboarded the stagecoach.\u00a0 Just before they pulled out, the door opened and the driver thrust three woolen blankets inside.\u00a0 \u201cCompliments of the company,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cLikely to be colder as we climb up to the summit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam nodded his appreciation, even though he knew that the courtesy was customary.\u00a0 At an elevation of seven thousand feet, Echo Summit was, indeed, likely to be cold, especially on a day like this.\u00a0 In fact, they\u2019d be lucky if this rain didn\u2019t turn to snow before they reached the top.\u00a0 He passed one blanket to each of his brothers.<\/p>\n

Hoss immediately bundled up, and soon his snores were rattling the sides of the coach.\u00a0 Joe managed to stay awake a little longer, but the rhythmic drumming of the rain lulled him, too, into drowsiness, and he dozed off, wrapped up in the blanket.<\/p>\n

Adam chuckled beneath his breath.\u00a0 It always amazed him how easily those two could fall asleep, but why shouldn\u2019t they?\u00a0 Nothing else to do.\u00a0 Might as well join them, in fact, since he couldn\u2019t even read with the curtains rolled down.\u00a0 Between Hoss\u2019s snoring and Little Joe\u2019s tendency to curl into his shoulder, however, Adam found it harder to drift off than his two younger brothers.\u00a0 Pulling the wool blanket up to his chin, he nudged Joe back toward the other side of the coach and closed his eyes with determination.<\/p>\n

A sharp staccato replaced the soft spattering that had lulled the younger boys to sleep.\u00a0 Pulling back the edge of the curtain, Adam peered outside and viewed with dismay the frigid precipitation.\u00a0 As he\u2019d suspected from the sound, it was no longer droplets of rain, but pellets of ice now striking the stagecoach.\u00a0 A little snow he had expected, but ice would make the road more treacherous.\u00a0 For the first time Adam entertained the thought that the winter shopping excursion might have been a mistake, and his concern was only accentuated as they climbed toward the summit and snow began mingling with sleet.<\/p>\n

They topped Echo Summit and started down the Osgood Grade, one of the scariest sections of road on the entire route. Passengers and drivers alike were always glad to put this steep descent behind them and pull into the next station.\u00a0 Yank\u2019s came equipped with a fourteen-room hotel, and, given the continuing storm, it would probably be wise to spend the night there and catch the stage for Carson City tomorrow.\u00a0 They\u2019d be late, but should still make it home for Christmas.\u00a0 Joe wouldn\u2019t take the delay well, of course, but Adam was pretty sure he could count on Hoss to side with him this time.<\/p>\n

That settled, at least in his own mind, Adam again huddled inside the gray blanket and let the rocking motion of the stagecoach lull him, too, toward slumber.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t long, though, before the rocking became a positive lurching from side to side.\u00a0 Lifting the curtain again, Adam noted with alarm the slick condition of the road and felt the wheels skid from side to side on the frozen rain, now hidden beneath a thin layer of snow.\u00a0 Looking ahead, he saw that the horses were hard put to stay ahead of the careening coach.<\/p>\n

Adam rolled up the window of the stage door and leaned out, intending to yell up at the driver and ask him to pull over as soon as he could.\u00a0 One glance at the stone-strewn slope to the right, however, was enough to convince him that there was no safe siding anywhere near.\u00a0 The wheels were right against the edge, and just as Adam pulled himself back inside, the rear one slid off the road.\u00a0 The stagecoach tilted to that side, and Adam fell against the door, his weight breaking open the latch.\u00a0 He made a frantic grab for the door, but his hand slipped on the ice-coated wood, and he plummeted out, small rocks stabbing into his arms, legs and torso as he tumbled down the hill.\u00a0 Finally, his head struck hard against a larger one and Adam blacked out.<\/p>\n

Thankfully, the stage managed to stay on the road for a few more feet; otherwise, it would have tipped over onto Adam, but the two passengers sleeping inside were not so fortunate.\u00a0 When the stage skidded off the road and began rolling, bottom over top, down the hill, the two younger Cartwright brothers were tossed helplessly around the interior.\u00a0 The driver\u2019s fate was even worse, for he flew off the driver\u2019s box and landed among the flailing hooves of the six horses pulling the stage, becoming tangled in the harness beyond hope of escape.<\/p>\n

Hoss and Joe had been jolted awake, of course, but both were too groggy to fully comprehend what was happening.\u00a0 Limp as a rag doll, Joe flopped from side to side and from top to bottom until he was thrown from the coach through the opening in the side, the open door having broken off when it first hit ground.\u00a0 Joe landed hard and hurtled, out of control, down the rocky hillside until he slammed up against the thick trunk of a sugar pine.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe!\u201d Hoss cried, clutching frantically and futilely at the slight figure as it flew past him.\u00a0 Being heavier, Hoss wasn\u2019t tossed around as much, but he had no more control over his movements than his bird-boned brother.\u00a0 Though he was thrown against the open doorway more than once, his larger frame didn\u2019t go through, and Hoss rode the stage until its body collided with two closely spaced trees and the plunge down the mountain came to an abrupt halt.\u00a0 Hoss finally fell through the splintered side, screaming as the coach lurched toward him.<\/p>\n

\u00a0* * * * *<\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Light stabbed at the edges of Adam\u2019s eyelids, and for a moment he squeezed them tight.\u00a0 Innate curiosity overcame his desire to avoid pain, however, and Adam slowly opened his eyes.\u00a0 Sharp stings prickled in a dozen or more places, but they were nothing compared to the ache in his head.\u00a0 Dazed, he touched his throbbing temple, and then stared at his bloodstained fingertips, as if trying to comprehend how he had come to be hurt.\u00a0 He raised himself on his elbows and waited for the world to stop spinning before looking at his surroundings.\u00a0 A snow-covered slope\u2014what was he doing out on a snow-covered slope?\u00a0 Willing the dizziness to pass, he sat up.<\/p>\n

The screams of horses to his left drew his attention down the hill.\u00a0 Just below the source of that agonized sound he spotted the wreck, and his first sight of the overturned stagecoach snapped the memories back into place.\u00a0 Hoss and Little Joe were inside that overturned vehicle, no doubt in urgent need of his help.\u00a0 All thought of his own injuries driven out by that overriding concern, Adam struggled to his feet and staggered down the hill.<\/p>\n

Boots slipping on the slick and uneven footing, he scrambled toward the wreck, calling the names of his brothers.\u00a0 The body he saw first, motionless among the writhing horses, belonged to neither of them.\u00a0 The driver was obviously dead, and while Adam hated to hear the anguished cries of the animals, the gun he needed to put them out of their misery was packed away in his carpetbag.\u00a0 Heightened anxiety spurred him past the horses toward the body of the coach.\u00a0 As he drew close, a groan assured him that at least one of his brothers was still alive.<\/p>\n

Adam skidded to the side of his brawny brother.\u00a0 \u201cHoss!\u201d he cried as he touched a hand to the big man\u2019s shoulder.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, Adam,\u201d Hoss said, in an attempt at lightness, though his face was contorted with pain.\u00a0 \u201cI was wonderin\u2019 where you took off to.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m here, buddy,\u201d Adam said softly.\u00a0 He glanced down his brother\u2019s big frame and winced when he saw Hoss\u2019s right leg, pinned under right rear wheel, which was weighted down by the bulk of the coach itself.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s busted,\u201d Hoss said.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood guess,\u201d Adam muttered.\u00a0 \u201cYou hurt anywhere else?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss tried to grin, but the expression looked more like a grimace.\u00a0 \u201cI hurt everywhere else.\u201d\u00a0 Seeing Adam\u2019s forehead wrinkle, he added quickly, \u201cDon\u2019t think nothin\u2019 else is busted, though.\u00a0 Just scraped and sore.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLose consciousness at all?\u201d Adam queried further.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo such luck,\u201d Hoss grunted.\u00a0 \u201cGot to see the whole thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam gave the massive shoulder a sympathetic squeeze and looked directly into Hoss\u2019s lake blue eyes.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m gonna need help to get you out from under there, buddy.\u00a0 Let me find out how badly Little Joe\u2019s hurt, and we\u2019ll see what we can do.\u201d\u00a0 He stood and moved toward the body of the coach.\u00a0 Though badly damaged, one corner was still intact, leaving a space large enough for someone as small as Joe to be lodged within.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe ain\u2019t . . . in there,\u201d Hoss said, his explanation coming out in disjointed phrases, interspersed with gasping breaths as he tried to control the pain.\u00a0 \u201cFlew out . . . somewhere on the way . . . down.\u00a0 Tried to snare him . . . but just couldn\u2019t.\u00a0 Sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam looked up the hill.\u00a0 \u201cAbove us, then.\u00a0 You know which side he\u2019s on?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cSorry.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s discerning gaze rested on his brother.\u00a0 \u201cNo need.\u00a0 Nothing you could do.\u00a0 Might take me awhile to find him, so let\u2019s get you settled first.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNaw, I\u2019m okay.\u00a0 Go . . . go see to the boy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam had spotted one blanket on the ground and, looking inside the coach, found another in that corner where he\u2019d hoped to see Little Joe.\u00a0 He took only enough time to tuck both around Hoss and then began climbing, snowflakes dusting his dark, ebony hair.\u00a0 Waves of dizziness alternated with moments of clearer vision as he moved slowly upward, calling Little Joe\u2019s name at frequent intervals.\u00a0 About halfway up the hillside, Adam thought he heard something.\u00a0 He stopped to listen and made out the sound of soft moaning a little below him on the right.\u00a0 He turned too quickly and had to fight off another attack of vertigo before he dared move.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe!\u201d he called again as he waited for his head to clear, and again he heard a slight moan.\u00a0 Though he wanted to rush toward the sound, Adam knew he had to move slowly and steadily, to avoid falling himself.<\/p>\n

Finally, he saw a dark shape about six feet below him and, throwing caution to the wind, slid quickly down to his youngest brother.\u00a0 \u201cJoe?\u201d he asked, gently rolling the boy over onto his back.<\/p>\n

\u201cA-Adam?\u201d Joe murmured.\u00a0 \u201cWh-what happened?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cStage wreck,\u201d Adam explained laconically, running his fingers through Joe\u2019s damp curls to check for any signs of a blow to the head.\u00a0 Finding no lumps, he breathed a little more easily.<\/p>\n

Joe, meantime, was looking beyond Adam, as if searching for something.\u00a0 His shimmering gaze settled on Adam\u2019s face.\u00a0 \u201cHoss?\u201d he asked fearfully.<\/p>\n

\u201cDown the hill,\u201d Adam responded.\u00a0 \u201cTrapped under the stage, and it\u2019s gonna take both of us to get him out.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s go, then.\u201d\u00a0 As Joe struggled to sit up, a sharp cry burst through his lips.<\/p>\n

Adam pushed him down.\u00a0 \u201cEasy, buddy.\u00a0 Let me check you out first.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Joe argued.\u00a0 \u201cWe got to get to Hoss.\u00a0 We got to, Adam!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd we will,\u201d Adam said firmly, \u201cbut first things first.\u201d\u00a0 When he saw Joe again trying to sit up, he pressed down on both slim shoulders and ordered sharply, \u201cLie still, Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam, I\u2019m okay,\u201d Joe pleaded.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll just bet you are,\u201d Adam grunted.\u00a0 \u201cWhere\u2019s the pain, kid?\u201d\u00a0 He held a hand to his own forehead as another spell of dizziness struck him.<\/p>\n

Joe reached up to touch the blood trickling down the side of his brother\u2019s face.\u00a0 \u201cAdam?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam pushed the hand away.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m okay,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I\u2019ll just bet you are,\u201d Joe muttered, tossing his oldest brother\u2019s words back at him.<\/p>\n

Adam gave him a chagrinned smile.\u00a0 \u201cAll right, so none of us is okay.\u00a0 Look, Joe, we don\u2019t have time for this.\u00a0 Hoss needs us, but I, for one, am not willing to put you to work \u2018til I know for sure what shape you\u2019re in.\u00a0 Now, where\u2019s the pain?\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe bit his lower lip.\u00a0 \u201cLeft side, mostly,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cRibs, I think.\u00a0 Probably just cracked.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s hope,\u201d Adam said tersely.\u00a0 He quickly unbuttoned Little Joe\u2019s sheepskin jacket and tan shirt.\u00a0 Frowning at the bruises darkening the left side of the boy\u2019s torso, he probed the area with deft fingers, noting the location each time his younger brother winced.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust cracked, huh?\u201d Joe asked hopefully.<\/p>\n

Adam sucked in a short breath.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe,\u201d he conceded.\u00a0 He slid his hands under Joe\u2019s arms and pulled him into a sitting position.\u00a0 Leaning the boy against the sugar pine, Adam stood and, cupping his hands around his mouth, hollered down the hill.\u00a0 \u201cI found him!\u00a0 We\u2019ll be down soon.\u201d\u00a0 Squatting, he started to pull off Joe\u2019s jacket.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat you doin\u2019?\u00a0 It\u2019s cold, Adam,\u201d Joe protested.<\/p>\n

Adam massaged his forehead.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry, buddy . . . not thinking straight.\u00a0 Me first; then you. I-I\u2019ll work fast.\u201d Adam quickly skinned out of his own fleece-lined coat and shirt and began tearing the latter into long strips after putting the coat back on over his bare flesh.\u00a0 \u201cThose ribs have got to be wrapped before you do much moving around, kid,\u201d he explained as he worked.<\/p>\n

Joe frowned.\u00a0 \u201cYou could have used my shirt, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot likely,\u201d Adam snorted, gripping the black material between his teeth and tearing off another strip.\u00a0 When he\u2019d finished, he tied the ends together and, laying the bandage aside, he maneuvered Joe\u2019s arms out of his coat and shirt, dropping both onto the snow.\u00a0 Having Joe lean forward, he began binding the boy\u2019s ribs as tightly as he could.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam, I can\u2019t breathe,\u201d Joe gasped.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe general idea,\u201d Adam muttered.\u00a0 \u201cBe quiet.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe rolled his eyes, but recognizing that the sooner this was done, the sooner they could get to Hoss, he made no further comment as Adam finished the wrapping and helped him back into his shirt and coat.<\/p>\n

Joe picked up a strip of black shirt left over from bandaging his ribs.\u00a0 \u201cMight as well fix you up while we\u2019re at it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s not necessary,\u201d Adam grunted as he fastened the final button of Joe\u2019s coat.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam,\u201d Joe chided.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, all right,\u201d Adam conceded, \u201cbut be quick about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe did make quick work of tying the strip around his older brother\u2019s head.\u00a0 Then Adam put an arm around the younger boy and pulled him up.\u00a0 Before he got Joe on his feet, however, Adam felt his own knees buckle and strike the icy slope.<\/p>\n

Both boys uttered a sharp cry at the sudden jolt.\u00a0 \u201cHey, what\u2019s that about?\u201d Joe demanded.<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry,\u201d Adam muttered.\u00a0 \u201cWorld sort of tips sidewise every now and then.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, doggone.\u201d\u00a0 Joe groaned in fear of just how much trouble they were in.\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t medically knowledgeable enough to evaluate Adam\u2019s condition, but he knew a concussion could mean serious trouble, and it sounded to him like Adam had one.\u00a0 \u201cThat must have been some knock on the head you took.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam gave him a lopsided grin.\u00a0 \u201cProbably just cracked.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe released a sputtering laugh and paid for it with a stabbing pain in his side.\u00a0 \u201cShucks, you\u2019ve always been a little cracked,\u201d he managed to choke out.<\/p>\n

Adam shook his head at the bad joke, an action he quickly realized was a mistake.\u00a0 \u201cOkay, let\u2019s try it again,\u201d he suggested after taking a deep breath.<\/p>\n

The two brothers made it to their feet this time, and Adam supported Joe as they walked down the hill.\u00a0 They moved slowly, but even so, Adam could sense that Joe was gasping for air.\u00a0 Any exertion at all would be rough on the kid, but Adam had nowhere else to turn for help with Hoss.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t do it alone, but he resolved to take as much of the load on himself as possible, just as he was doing on this trek toward the stagecoach.\u00a0 When they reached the overturned vehicle, he eased the winded boy down beside Hoss.<\/p>\n

Joe gazed with concern at his brawny brother\u2019s plight.\u00a0 \u201cOh, boy, you are in a pickle.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss reached a hand toward his younger brother.\u00a0 \u201cYou okay?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Joe said, grasping the big hand and giving it a squeeze.\u00a0 \u201cWell, mostly,\u201d he added when he caught Adam\u2019s disapproving glare.\u00a0 He gave his lips a nervous lick and looked up at his oldest brother.\u00a0 \u201cHow we gonna get that weight off him?\u201d he asked, nodding toward the wheel pinning Hoss\u2019s leg.<\/p>\n

\u201cLeave that to me,\u201d Adam stated.\u00a0 \u201cStay here; I\u2019ll be back soon.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere you goin\u2019?\u201d Joe cried as Adam moved away.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust scouting around for a fulcrum and lever,\u201d Adam said.<\/p>\n

Joe looked back at Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cYou got any idea what he\u2019s talkin\u2019 about?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNope.\u00a0 It\u2019s all Greek to me,\u201d Hoss replied.<\/p>\n

Adam laughed at the unwitting appropriateness of the comment, considering that it was the Greek Archimedes who had praised the law of physics Adam hoped to apply.\u00a0 \u201cGive me a fulcrum and I shall move the world,\u201d he called over his shoulder in abbreviated quotation.<\/p>\n

Joe shook his head in concern.\u00a0 \u201cConcussion,\u201d he announced to Hoss in explanation of their older brother\u2019s babbling.<\/p>\n

Hoss nodded solemnly.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, wits plumb scrambled.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam made his way around the stagecoach, hoping to find some broken piece to serve as a lever.\u00a0 There was plenty of splintered wood, but nothing he thought long enough for the job.\u00a0 Then he spotted a dark shape that might work as the other part of the simple machine he needed, if the small boulder weren\u2019t too deeply embedded for him to move.\u00a0 Bending over to check, Adam was surprised to feel what he had assumed to be solid rock give beneath his hand.\u00a0 He laughed.\u00a0 Not what he\u2019d been looking for, but something he could use, especially if the carpetbag were his own.\u00a0 Opening it, he discovered that it was, but he didn\u2019t take time to put on one of the extra shirts.\u00a0 His comfort could wait, but those poor horses had suffered long enough.\u00a0 Taking his revolver from its holster, Adam headed toward the front of the stage.<\/p>\n

Three of the horses were still alive, and Adam quickly fired a bullet into each one\u2019s brain, mercifully ending their death throes.\u00a0 Then he saw the pole to which the horses were harnessed and knew he\u2019d found his lever.\u00a0 The pole had cracked near the coach, leaving enough length, but it wasn\u2019t broken clean through, unfortunately, and Adam didn\u2019t think he could finish splitting it by himself.\u00a0 So much for sparing the kid<\/em>, he thought ruefully.\u00a0 \u201cJoe,\u201d he called, \u201cI need you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe got up, chiding himself for his slowness, and came toward Adam.\u00a0 \u201cWhat you need?\u201d he gasped, holding his side.<\/p>\n

\u201cHave you got your pocketknife?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood.\u00a0 I need you to cut these horses free from the harness and the harness from the pole,\u201d Adam explained.\u00a0 \u201cSave as much length as you can; we might need it.\u00a0 Then we\u2019re gonna break this pole off, here where it\u2019s partially cracked.\u00a0 Think you can do that?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe was already pulling his knife from his pocket.\u00a0 \u201cI can cut the harness.\u00a0 About the other, I\u2014I don\u2019t know, Adam.\u00a0 I\u2019ll try.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have to, Joe.\u201d\u00a0 Adam hated himself for pushing the injured boy, but there was another injured brother to consider, too.<\/p>\n

Joe squared his shoulders.\u00a0 \u201cThen we will,\u201d he said with determination.<\/p>\n

Adam took out his pocketknife, too, and began cutting harness on one side, while Joe worked on the other.\u00a0 Even that job seemed to take an excruciating amount of time, for, between pain and dizziness, neither boy could move at better than a snail\u2019s pace.\u00a0 They took a short breather when they finished, at Adam\u2019s insistence, and then tackled the harder task of breaking the pole free from the coach.\u00a0 \u201cPut your weight behind it,\u201d Adam instructed when he had positioned his brother, \u201cbut if you feel any sharp pain, stop at once.\u00a0 You hear me, boy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI hear you.\u201d\u00a0 Joe set his lips stubbornly.\u00a0 Pain or no pain, this job had to be done, and he wasn\u2019t about to let Hoss down, just to spare himself a little pain.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right, then\u2014push!\u201d\u00a0 Words and action had to be repeated several times, with breathing spells between every push, before the pole broke free.<\/p>\n

Joe fell to his knees, exhausted, and Adam immediately knelt beside him.\u00a0 \u201cJoe, I\u2019m sorry,\u201d the older boy said.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo need.\u201d\u00a0 Joe had to take a deep breath before he could continue.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s . . . my brother, too.\u00a0 I just wish . . . I could be . . . more help.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam brushed snow from his brother\u2019s chestnut curls, which kinked tighter than ever when moist.\u00a0 \u201cGet back down to him and rest up.\u00a0 I can manage the rest of this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe straightened.\u00a0 \u201cNo, I can help.\u00a0 Just need . . . to catch my breath.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI can manage this,\u201d Adam repeated firmly, \u201cbut I will need you again later.\u00a0 Rest while you can, boy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Seeing the wisdom of what his brother had said, Joe nodded.<\/p>\n

Adam gestured toward the carpetbag.\u00a0 \u201cI will let you carry that down as you go.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pleased he could do something, Joe smiled, lifted the carpetbag and made his way down to Hoss.<\/p>\n

\u201cDoggone,\u201d Hoss muttered when he saw the carpetbag.\u00a0 \u201cSure wish it was that food basket you\u2019d found.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll see if I can,\u201d Joe said.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe, I didn\u2019t mean . . .\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe waved the concern aside and moved to the other side of the coach, for he figured he would have already seen the basket had it been on this side.\u00a0 As he moved up the hill, he noticed bundles scattered in all directions and spared a long sigh.\u00a0 Even if any of the Christmas gifts had survived the accident, they\u2019d have to stay here, instead of reaching their intended recipients.\u00a0 He and his brothers would have a hard enough time getting themselves out of this fix, much less carrying home any Christmas cheer.\u00a0 They\u2019d be lucky, in fact, if they made it home for Christmas at all.\u00a0 As Joe noticed the snow, now falling in clumps, rather than individual flakes, he shivered.\u00a0 They\u2019d be lucky, for that matter, just to survive this quickly approaching night.<\/p>\n

Adam, meanwhile, had dragged the pole down the hill and laid it next to Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cWhere\u2019s Joe?\u201d he demanded.<\/p>\n

Seeing the angry spark in Adam\u2019s eye, Hoss winced.\u00a0 \u201cMy fault.\u00a0 Said something about that food basket.\u00a0 Boy took off to find it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd now I have to find him again,\u201d Adam snorted as he followed the footprints in the snow.\u00a0 \u201cFool kid, can\u2019t ever just do what he\u2019s told.\u201d\u00a0 He rounded the coach, fully prepared to administer a harsh tongue lashing, but when he saw Little Joe, coming toward him, face aglow, the anger washed out.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, Adam, look what I found!\u201d Joe cried, holding up the third woolen blanket with one arm and the basket of food over the other.<\/p>\n

Adam nodded, and though his voice was soft, it held a note of authority as he said, \u201cI thought I told you to rest.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe gulped down the knot that suddenly rose in his throat.\u00a0 \u201cHoss was hungry,\u201d he offered as excuse.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss is always hungry . . . and you are always disobedient.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s lips puckered in a pout.\u00a0 \u201cAw, Adam, ain\u2019t you even a little proud?\u00a0 We can use these things.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s mouth twitched.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe a little,\u201d he conceded.\u00a0 Maybe a lot<\/em>, he added to himself.\u00a0 He took the blanket and draped it across Joe\u2019s shoulders.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll be even more proud if you get yourself and those things back over to Hoss and stay put this time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Holding the blanket around his neck with one hand, Joe smiled wryly.\u00a0 \u201cYes, sir, I\u2019ll try.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam laughed, thinking that trying to do as he was told was about as much as one could ever expect of Little Joe.\u00a0 \u201cGo on,\u201d he said with a light shove in the right direction.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve still got to find that fulcrum.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe shook his head as he watched Adam walk away. \u00a0Babbling again.\u00a0 Maybe he ought to keep an eye on his oldest brother . . . or maybe he ought to just do as he was told.\u00a0 Choosing the safer course, Joe headed back toward Hoss.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, you found it,\u201d Hoss cried when he saw the basket on Joe\u2019s arm.<\/p>\n

Joe grinned, pleased that one brother, at least, was happy with his discovery.\u00a0 \u201cYeah.\u00a0 You want something now?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, give me one of those honey cakes,\u201d Hoss said, hoping the sweet would take his mind off the pain in his leg.<\/p>\n

Joe sat down and opened the basket.\u00a0 \u201cSide\u2019s busted in,\u201d he said, \u201cbut everything\u2019s still here.\u00a0 Kinda scrambled, though.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cScrambled cookies is still cookies,\u201d Hoss assured him.<\/p>\n

Joe found a piece of lebkuchen, broken on only one corner, and handed it to Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cThink it\u2019s got some strudel on it, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWon\u2019t hurt nothin\u2019,\u201d Hoss said, taking the cookie.\u00a0 \u201cHave one, Joe.\u00a0 You gotta keep up your energy, boy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe shook his head, grinning in appreciation of his brother\u2019s appetite.\u00a0 \u201cAin\u2019t been that long since we ate, Hoss, and it ain\u2019t my energy that\u2019s hurtin\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRibs?\u201d Hoss asked, licking sticky strudel syrup from his fingers.\u00a0 He\u2019d seen his younger brother touch his side gingerly several times.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah.\u00a0 Reckon I better rest up some, like Adam says, if I\u2019m gonna help lift that wheel off you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss frowned.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t see how you can with busted ribs.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe isn\u2019t going to,\u201d Adam said, rolling the small boulder he\u2019d found close to the wheel.\u00a0 He dropped between his brothers and dug into the basket for a pfeffennuch.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m going to lift the wheel.\u00a0 What I need you to do, Joe, is pull Hoss out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe looked dubious.\u00a0 \u201cI know you\u2019re stronger than me, older brother, but you can\u2019t lift that by yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot by myself,\u201d Adam explained.\u00a0 \u201cWith the help of the lever.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe still didn\u2019t understand, but he helped position the fulcrum and lever, just as Adam ordered, and then wrapped his arms around Hoss\u2019s torso, ready to pull as soon as his oldest brother gave the signal.\u00a0 He watched in amazement as Adam pressed down on the lever and the wheel was slowly lifted a few inches above Hoss\u2019s leg.\u00a0 Adam yelled, \u201cNow!\u201d\u00a0 Joe pulled with all his might, and Hoss used his good leg to add extra push.\u00a0 Within minutes, all three boys lay panting on the ground, but Hoss was free.<\/p>\n

Adam sat up first, gazing anxiously at the darkening sky.\u00a0 \u201cJoe, I hate to ask,\u201d he said,\u201d but the light\u2019s fading fast.\u00a0 I need you to gather up some sticks we can use to splint Hoss\u2019s leg.\u00a0 I think I saw something we can use to pull him up the hill.\u201d<\/p>\n

Not wanting to waste precious breath on words, Joe simply nodded and pulled up, first to his hands and knees, and then upright.\u00a0 By the time he had gathered enough straight sticks, Adam had returned, dragging the door of the stagecoach.\u00a0 Though splintered at the bottom, the door was in decent shape to use as a sled for the injured man.\u00a0 Adam examined the sticks his youngest brother had chosen and pronounced them perfect for their intended use.\u00a0 \u201cYou hold Hoss down, while I set the bone,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust a minute,\u201d Joe said, opening the food basket.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can eat later,\u201d Adam said sharply.<\/p>\n

\u201cI got an idea,\u201d Joe insisted.\u00a0 He pulled out one of the thick German sausages, cut off a chunk with his knife and handed it to Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cHere.\u00a0 Bite down on that,\u201d he suggested.<\/p>\n

With a grin Hoss did as he was told, and his brothers went to work setting the leg.\u00a0 The sausage was bitten through by the time they finished, and Hoss figured the best thing to do was just eat it.\u00a0 \u201cBest doggone bit I ever had in my mouth,\u201d he declared.<\/p>\n

Adam chuckled, but quickly turned his attention back to splinting his brother\u2019s leg.\u00a0 \u201cHand me those short pieces of harness, Joe.\u201d\u00a0 Then, while Joe held the sticks in place, Adam began tying them down with leather strips.\u00a0 When he finished, he told Joe to stretch out next to Hoss.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat for?\u00a0 We\u2019re not staying here, are we?\u201d Joe questioned edgily.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, we\u2019re not staying here, but we\u2019re not ready to leave yet.\u201d\u00a0 Adam eased Joe down and began piling the three blankets over his two brothers.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve got to get this sled rigged up, and if you\u2019re going to help me pull it, you have to rest.\u00a0 No argument, boy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s right, Shortshanks,\u201d Hoss put in.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I reckon,\u201d Joe admitted, though he couldn\u2019t help wondering why Adam didn\u2019t need rest, too.\u00a0 He knew his oldest brother wasn\u2019t hurt as badly as he was, except for his addled wits.\u00a0 Well, maybe they weren\u2019t so addled, after all.\u00a0 That fulcrum idea had worked.\u00a0 His trust in Adam renewed, Joe laid his head on Hoss\u2019s chest and felt his middle brother\u2019s arm draw him close.<\/p>\n

Adam worked as fast as the waning daylight permitted.\u00a0 First he cut off one of the long leather thoroughbraces that gave the stagecoach its smooth ride.\u00a0 Puncturing holes in each end, he threaded harness through and fastened the other ends of the lines to the window opening in the door.\u00a0 He wished there were something available to fill that hole, so Hoss would have better support, but he couldn\u2019t think of anything that would help.\u00a0 He hoped his fuzzy wits weren\u2019t keeping him from seeing something that should be obvious.\u00a0 Looking around one last time, he saw nothing.\u00a0 No, this would just have to do.<\/p>\n

Walking back to his brothers, he saw that Joe was asleep.\u00a0 Poor kid, he must be exhausted, and the hardest work, getting Hoss up that hill, still lay ahead.\u00a0 No sense waking the boy \u2018til the last minute.\u00a0 \u201cAlmost ready to go,\u201d he whispered to Hoss, who nodded in response.<\/p>\n

Adam opened his carpetbag and took out a clean white shirt.\u00a0 Removing his coat, he quickly put his arms through the shirtsleeves, buttoned it up and drew his coat back on.\u00a0 Then he gently shook Little Joe, who woke easily, since he had only been dozing lightly.\u00a0 Adam handed him the red shirt and brown britches he had taken from the carpetbag.\u00a0 \u201cPut those on over your own clothes,\u201d he commanded.\u00a0 \u201cYou can use all the extra warmth you can get.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe quirked a smile.\u00a0 \u201cYou gonna put Hoss\u2019s pants on over yours?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam laughed.\u00a0 \u201cI might, if I knew where they were.\u00a0 Hurry up about it, Joe.\u00a0 Time we were leaving.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFeels wrong,\u201d Joe muttered as he pulled Adam\u2019s pants over his own, \u201cme being bundled up warmer than either of you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou need it more,\u201d Hoss stated matter-of-factly.\u00a0 \u201cYou got less flesh coverin\u2019 them bird bones of yours, so stands to reason you\u2019d need more clothes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAw, shut up,\u201d Joe growled, irked by the number of times he\u2019d heard that particular reference to his size on this trip.\u00a0 He thought about pointing out that Hoss had too much flesh covering his bones, but decided that would only make his big brother feel bad about giving them a heavy load to pull.\u00a0 \u201cOkay, I\u2019m bundled and ready,\u201d he declared, instead.<\/p>\n

\u201cTime to get you settled in your new bed, then, buddy,\u201d Adam announced with forced cheer as he set the improvised sled next to Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cCan you slide over onto this?\u00a0 Hold his leg, Joe.\u201d\u00a0 Working together, the three brothers got Hoss situated on the sled, and as Joe covered him with the blankets, Adam dumped out the remaining contents of his carpetbag, except for the soft clothes, and eased it under Hoss\u2019s head for a pillow.\u00a0 Being wider than the window opening, it rested across the open space and provided a bit more support for the immobile man.\u00a0 Finally, Adam used the rest of the harness and, with Little Joe\u2019s help, lashed Hoss, as well as the basket of food, to the sled.<\/p>\n

Moving to one side, Adam motioned for Joe to join him.\u00a0 When the younger boy stood before him, Adam rested both hands on Joe\u2019s slight shoulders.\u00a0 \u201cWe need to get a couple of things straight before we start.\u201d<\/p>\n

Suspicion glinted in Joe\u2019s green eyes.\u00a0 \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

Knowing that what he had to say would not go down well, Adam took a deep breath before starting.\u00a0 \u201cThis trip is going to be hard on you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou, too,\u201d Joe returned bluntly.<\/p>\n

\u201cTrue, but harder on you than on me.\u201d\u00a0 When Joe started to object, Adam raised a silencing hand.\u00a0 \u201cHear me out.\u00a0 Facts are facts, Joe.\u00a0 With those taped ribs it\u2019s harder for you to breathe, which means you\u2019re going to give out more quickly and need rest more often.\u00a0 It can\u2019t be helped, so don\u2019t hesitate to let me know when you need a break.\u00a0 If you wait too long, you\u2019ll end up dropping in your tracks, and that will just jolt Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe swallowed hard.\u00a0 \u201cYeah.\u00a0 I guess it\u2019s him we gotta be thinkin\u2019 of, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Adam agreed, knowing he\u2019d found the key to overcoming Joe\u2019s natural tendency to strain too hard to keep up with his older and bigger brothers.\u00a0 Admitting weakness might hurt the kid\u2019s pride, but he\u2019d suffer it for Hoss\u2019s sake.\u00a0 \u201cSo, this will be the signal between us: when you need to stop, just say \u2018down\u2019\u2014just the one word.\u00a0 I\u2019ll understand what you mean.\u201d\u00a0 His lips tightened.\u00a0 \u201cAnd if I need to stop, I\u2019ll do the same.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe saw the tight lips, the taut brow and knew Adam was worried.\u00a0 \u201cYou still getting dizzy?\u201d he guessed.<\/p>\n

Adam nodded a single time.\u00a0 \u201cNot as much, but, yeah, it happens now and then.\u00a0 If it gets too bad, I\u2019ll let you know.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe smiled.\u00a0 \u201cJust \u2018down,\u2019 right?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRight.\u00a0 Ready to give this a try, little buddy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cReady as I\u2019m gonna get.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam and Joe got into the harness Adam had improvised from the thoroughbrace and reins.\u00a0 \u201cOkay.\u00a0 Up to the main road.\u00a0 Then we\u2019ll just follow it to the next station.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, maybe we\u2019ll get lucky and a stage\u2019ll come along.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe,\u201d Adam said, although he secretly thought they\u2019d be luckier if one didn\u2019t come upon them in the dark.\u00a0 \u201cNo more talking, Joe; conserve your air.\u201d<\/p>\n

Together, the two brothers began pulling Hoss up the hill.\u00a0 Joe was determined that he would not ask to stop until they reached the road, but they\u2019d covered no more than half the distance before he was forced to say \u201cDown.\u201d\u00a0 Blinking back tears of self-disgust, he muttered, \u201cSorry.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, you did just right,\u201d Adam consoled him.\u00a0 \u201cThe climb up to the road is the hardest part, little buddy.\u00a0 It\u2019s downhill from there, and you won\u2019t need to stop as often.\u201d\u00a0 After a brief pause he asked, \u201cReady to go again?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe took as deep a breath as his chest bindings would permit and nodded.\u00a0 Leaning into the thoroughbrace in concerted effort with Adam, he plodded up the hill, and when they reached the top, it was Adam who said, \u201cDown.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDizzy?\u201d Joe asked anxiously.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, just thought we should rest a minute before going on,\u201d Adam explained.\u00a0 \u201cThat was a rough pull, little buddy.\u00a0 How are the ribs?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay,\u201d Joe said, though the truth was that his entire chest was screaming in protest.<\/p>\n

\u201cUh-huh,\u201d Adam responded, sounding dubious.\u00a0 He looked over his shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cHoss, how you doing?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, I\u2019m fine,\u201d Hoss said.\u00a0 \u201cYou ain\u2019t the steadiest draft horses I ever saw, but you work cheap.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll try to do better,\u201d Adam snorted as he raised the harness once more and nodded to Joe to start again.<\/p>\n

As Adam had promised, the downhill grade and the smoothness of the well-traveled road, as compared with the stony slope, made the going easier.\u00a0 The two \u201cdraft horses\u201d still had to stop periodically, Joe about twice as often as Adam, but they were making progress.\u00a0 Adam tried to gauge how long it would take them to reach the next station.\u00a0 In the stagecoach they could have made it in about forty-five minutes, but on foot, dragging an injured man, the journey might better be measured in hours, not minutes.\u00a0 How many hours, Adam couldn\u2019t say, for there were just too many factors to be weighed in: the stamina of his kid brother, the slippery footing and the poor visibility, to mention only three.\u00a0 The sun was fully down now, and the night was a dark one, especially with snow swirling in their faces.\u00a0 It was coming down thicker, too, and colder.\u00a0 Adam could hear Joe cough from time to time, and the rasping sound added to his sense of urgency about getting to shelter as soon as possible.<\/p>\n

After they\u2019d labored for quite awhile, Adam called for a longer halt.\u00a0 Digging into the food basket, he gave Joe a handful of apple strudel and took one out for himself, as well.\u00a0 \u201cFor energy,\u201d he said, and though he wasn\u2019t hungry, Joe ate.\u00a0 Having nothing else to do, Hoss had fallen asleep, and Adam said not to wake him.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll all have a good hot meal once we get to Yank\u2019s,\u201d he promised as he and Joe got back into harness.<\/p>\n

On they plodded, through the deepening snow and the wind that seemed to blow more fiercely with every step they took.\u00a0 Although an occasional spell of vertigo still assaulted Adam, he deliberately disregarded the dizziness, refusing to halt except when Little Joe needed to rest.\u00a0 The boy\u2019s strength was deteriorating fast, the cough erupting more frequently, the need for warmth and walls between him and the wind growing imperative.<\/p>\n

Feeling the same urgency, though not for his own sake, Joe fought to stay on his feet as long as possible.\u00a0 It hadn\u2019t escaped his notice that Adam never asked to stop anymore, and only the fear of dropping Hoss prevented Joe from following that example.\u00a0 The snow was up to his knees now, and it was getting harder to move forward, but even taking that into account, Joe had a mounting awareness that something was wrong.\u00a0 Finally, he could keep it to himself no longer.\u00a0 \u201cAdam.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam turned toward him and held a gloved finger to his lips to remind Joe not to talk.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam, please,\u201d Joe cried.\u00a0 \u201cDown!\u201d\u00a0 It seemed to be the only word that Adam would respond to.<\/p>\n

The two brothers eased their load to the ground.\u00a0 \u201cSorry, Joe.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t understand what you wanted,\u201d Adam said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to talk,\u201d Joe said.<\/p>\n

Adam shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cNo, don\u2019t waste your breath.\u00a0 Just rest, boy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe grabbed his brother\u2019s arm and gave it a shake.\u00a0 \u201cAdam, something don\u2019t feel right.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam reached toward him with an anxious hand.\u00a0 \u201cYour ribs?\u00a0 Sharp pain?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe batted the hand away.\u00a0 \u201cNot me.\u00a0 The\u2014the ground, I guess.\u00a0 It don\u2019t feel right.\u00a0 I think we may be off the road.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam rolled his head back, scrunching his eyes shut, hoping that the world would look less topsy-turvy when he opened them.\u00a0 \u201cTrust me, Joe,\u201d he urged.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll get you to shelter soon, boy.\u00a0 I promise.\u201d\u00a0 Just like I promised I\u2019d have us home for Christmas<\/em>, he thought.\u00a0 Well, I haven\u2019t failed to keep that one yet.\u00a0 Just gotta keep pushing on<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam, you seeing straight?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m fine, Joe.\u201d\u00a0 He lifted the thoroughbrace.\u00a0 \u201cTime to move on.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam, something\u2019s wrong,\u201d Joe cried, but when Adam just started walking without comment, Joe had no choice but to move with him.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t, however, shake the feeling that something was wrong.\u00a0 The footing seemed more treacherous, stonier and steeper than it should be on the Osgood Grade.\u00a0 He tried once more to convey his concern to Adam, but received only a stern rebuke in return, accompanied by a reminder that \u201cI know this part of the territory much better than you, boy.\u201d\u00a0 Joe felt a budding fear that that concussion was affecting Adam\u2019s judgment and a burgeoning terror that they were headed in the wrong direction.<\/p>\n

They slogged on, each hoping, though with unequal expectation, to see the lights of Yank\u2019s Station twinkle below them, but no matter how long they walked, the lights never appeared.\u00a0 Even Adam was beginning to wonder if they had somehow gone astray when something happened that told him definitely that they had.\u00a0 He stepped forward and slipped as icy water sloshed over his left boot.\u00a0 When he fell, he took Joe with him, of course.\u00a0 The younger boy toppled forward, and his hands broke through the thin layer of ice and splashed into the water.<\/p>\n

Adam pulled Joe back and jerked the wet gloves from his hands.\u00a0 Pulling his own off with his teeth, he quickly placed them on Joe\u2019s hands.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Joe moaned in protest.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d Adam insisted.\u00a0 Hearing a groan from the sled, he moved toward Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cSorry, buddy; we slipped,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m all right, Adam,\u201d Hoss said, though his face said otherwise.\u00a0 \u201cWe close to Yank\u2019s yet?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cStill down the road a bit,\u201d Adam said softly.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2014there shouldn\u2019t be water over the road, should there?\u201d Joe asked, gulping down the knot in his throat and praying that Adam was ready to listen to reason this time.<\/p>\n

Adam shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cNo.\u00a0 You were right.\u00a0 We\u2019re not on the road.\u201d<\/p>\n

They were the words Joe had wanted to hear, but that confirmation of his fears broke his resolve to be strong.\u00a0 Leaning forward, he buried his face in his hands and began to shake uncontrollably.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re lost; we\u2019re lost.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam moved back toward his youngest brother.\u00a0 \u201cEasy, Joe, easy; don\u2019t give way on me now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat difference does it make?\u201d Joe cried.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re gonna die out here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam grabbed the trembling boy by both arms.\u00a0 \u201cGet a grip on yourself,\u201d he ordered brusquely. \u201cWe\u2019re not lost and we\u2019re not gonna die.\u00a0 I know where we are, Joe.\u00a0 Now, get those emotions under control before you do yourself harm.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s voice was strained as he tried to make his brother comprehend his concern.\u00a0 \u201cAdam, your head\u2019s in a whirl; you don\u2019t know which end\u2019s up, much less where we are.\u00a0 It\u2019s that concussion.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, it probably kept me from thinking straight,\u201d Adam admitted, \u201cbut I do know where we are now.\u00a0 This is Echo Creek, Joe.\u00a0 It can\u2019t be anything else.\u201d<\/p>\n

Feeling a tiny spark of hope, Joe glanced up.\u00a0 \u201cEcho Creek?\u00a0\u00a0 The road crosses over Echo Creek, don\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right,\u201d Adam assured him softly, rubbing a soothing hand over the boy\u2019s back.<\/p>\n

Joe choked on the saliva filling his throat.\u00a0 \u201cSo, so all we gotta do is follow the creek, and it\u2019ll take us back to the road.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam took a breath.\u00a0 \u201cIt would, but we\u2019re not going that way; we\u2019re going the other direction.\u201d<\/p>\n

Certain now that Adam had completely lost his mind, Joe shook his head violently.<\/p>\n

Adam stilled the motion, holding Joe\u2019s neck between his bare and shivering hands.\u00a0 \u201cListen to me, boy.\u00a0 Like I said, I know this part of the country.\u00a0 There\u2019s an old cabin down the creek.\u00a0 We can get to it quicker than to Yank\u2019s, and that\u2019s where we\u2019re going.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam, you sure?\u201d Hoss asked, head turned toward his brothers.\u00a0 \u201cWe for sure know there\u2019s shelter the other way.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sure,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cJoe\u2019s too young, but you should remember old Baxter.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s forehead wrinkled as he searched his memory.\u00a0 \u201cNate Baxter, that old prospector?\u00a0 Yeah, he did have a cabin around Echo Creek.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRight on the creek,\u201d Adam added, \u201cno more than half a mile beyond the bend\u201d\u2014he pointed to a curve in the stream just south of them\u2014\u201cthat bend, unless I miss my guess.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYour guesses ain\u2019t been none too good the last hour or so,\u201d Joe charged.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe, give me a chance,\u201d Adam pleaded.<\/p>\n

\u201cHalf a mile,\u201d Hoss mused.\u00a0 \u201cNot so far we couldn\u2019t turn around if he\u2019s wrong.\u00a0 I say we give Adam that much chance, Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d Joe whispered.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re outvoted, Shortshanks,\u201d Hoss announced, knowing they had no time to waste in further debate.<\/p>\n

Adam shot his middle brother a look of gratitude.<\/p>\n

Joe looked disgruntled at the way the older boys had closed ranks against him and even more worried, but he accepted Adam\u2019s help in standing up and getting into harness again.\u00a0 \u201cSure hope you\u2019re right, older brother,\u201d he whispered, so Hoss wouldn\u2019t overhear, \u201c\u2018cause I don\u2019t think I got an extra mile in me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou only need half a mile,\u201d Adam stated, \u201cand you can make it if you save your breath for pulling, instead of wasting it flapping your mouth.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Adam had intended, the taunt angered Joe and poured fire into his flagging footsteps.\u00a0 Keep it up, little brother, <\/em>Adam urged.\u00a0 Only a little further, I promise<\/em>.<\/p>\n

They had covered, perhaps, half the distance to the cabin when Joe collapsed onto his knees.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d he murmured as Adam lifted him.\u00a0 \u201cI didn\u2019t give the signal.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s okay, buddy,\u201d Adam said, his voice gentle now.\u00a0 \u201cI didn\u2019t give it last time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe smiled weakly.\u00a0 \u201cSo we\u2019re even?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re even.\u00a0 Come on, boy,\u201d Adam urged.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s not much further.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re right.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI am.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe sincerely hoped his brother\u2019s recollection of the location of that cabin was accurate, for each step felt like the last he could possibly take.\u00a0 But he somehow convinced himself each time that he could take just one more.\u00a0 Walking on sheer willpower now, Joe trudged forward beside his older brother, legs aching, lungs screaming for air.<\/p>\n

Adam felt like shouting when he saw the dark, rectangular shape looming through the driving snow. \u00a0He grabbed Joe and pointed.<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s face lit up, brighter than moonlight on snow.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s there; it\u2019s really there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, doggone it, don\u2019t just stand there, admirin\u2019 the view,\u201d Hoss snorted.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s get inside!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou always were the practical one,\u201d Adam chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cCome on, Joe.\u00a0 A few more steps and we can quit being draft horses for this big lug.\u201d<\/p>\n

They pulled the sled right up to the cabin door, where Adam cut the harness holding Hoss in place.\u00a0 Then, using his brothers as crutches, Hoss hopped between them to the slat bed pegged to one side of the small cabin.\u00a0 While Adam supported Hoss, Joe jerked the straw mattress into place, and they both eased their middle brother down.<\/p>\n

\u201cAah,\u201d Hoss sighed.\u00a0 \u201cFlat as a pancake, but it sure beats that stage door.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll get the blankets,\u201d Joe said and headed toward the door.<\/p>\n

Adam caught him by the elbow.\u00a0 \u201cYou will lie down right now\u2014and no argument.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd where will you sleep?\u201d Joe demanded as his oldest brother steered him across the room to the only other bed.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe said \u2018no argument,\u2019 Shortshanks,\u201d Hoss pointed out.\u00a0 \u201cThat sounds like arguin\u2019 to me, don\u2019t it to you, older brother?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt most certainly does,\u201d Adam agreed, easing Joe onto a mattress little, if any, thicker than the one Hoss lay on.<\/p>\n

\u201cGangin\u2019 up on me again,\u201d Joe groused.\u00a0 \u201cStory of my life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam and Hoss both laughed, and even Joe grinned, out of sheer relief at being out of the snowstorm.\u00a0 Adam grabbed up the three blankets and the food basket from the sled and shut the door.\u00a0 Setting the basket on a rickety table in the middle of the room, he put one blanket over Hoss and laid the other two over Little Joe\u2019s slighter form.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll take it back later, when I\u2019m ready to sleep,\u201d he said, to forestall the protest he saw forming on Joe\u2019s lips.<\/p>\n

Joe didn\u2019t think anything about it when Adam removed the borrowed gloves, until he saw his older brother pull them over his own hands.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re not going out again, are you?\u201d he asked anxiously.<\/p>\n

Adam tugged on the second glove.\u00a0 \u201cNot for long.\u00a0 I\u2019m gonna gather up some wood and build a fire.\u00a0 You two rest easy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI could do that,\u201d Joe said, rising on his elbows.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe flopped back on the mattress as Adam went through the cabin door, shutting it behind him.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s the most mule-stubborn, cantankerous critter that ever\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAlmost,\u201d Hoss corrected with a significant look at his younger brother.<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s nose screwed up in distaste when he realized what Hoss meant.\u00a0 \u201cI ain\u2019t that bad; I ain\u2019t never been that bad.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss beamed a broad, beatific smile across the room.\u00a0 \u201cFace facts, little brother.\u00a0 I\u2019m the only non-cantankerous Cartwright in the whole dadburned bunch.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe groaned loudly.<\/p>\n

\u201cFacts that painful?\u201d Hoss teased.\u00a0 \u201cOr are them ribs hurtin\u2019 again?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNever stopped,\u201d Joe muttered bluntly.<\/p>\n

The grin evaporated off Hoss\u2019s cherubic face.\u00a0 \u201cDoggone, Joe, I\u2019m sorry; I thought you was funnin\u2019 with that groan.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was, Hoss; I was,\u201d Joe assured him, \u201cbut the ribs do hurt pretty bad.\u00a0 Don\u2019t let on to Adam, though, huh?\u00a0 He\u2019ll be takin\u2019 the whole load on himself if you do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cReckon you\u2019re right about that, but it ain\u2019t the kind of secret I ought to keep, Shortshanks,\u201d Hoss said soberly.\u00a0 \u201cI feel real bad about how hard you and Adam both had to work to get me here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe rolled onto his uninjured side to face his brother.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t.\u00a0 All I need\u2019s a little rest.\u201d\u00a0 Propping his head up on one elbow, he looked at the door.\u00a0 \u201cDoes it seem like Adam\u2019s been gone an awful long time, just to gather a few sticks?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u00a0 Maybe he\u2019s gettin\u2019 more than a few. I\u2019d favor a big fire, personally; this cabin ain\u2019t been chinked in years.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, it\u2019s drafty,\u201d Joe conceded, \u201cbut better than being outdoors.\u00a0 I\u2019m glad Adam remembered this place.\u201d\u00a0 He glanced toward the door again.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe I should check on him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe you shouldn\u2019t,\u201d Hoss said firmly.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss, he ain\u2019t runnin\u2019 on all four wheels,\u201d Joe observed with evident concern.<\/p>\n

Hoss fell into a fit of laughing.\u00a0 \u201cJust so he don\u2019t tip over and land on my other leg, like that stagecoach that wadn\u2019t runnin\u2019 on all four wheels,\u201d he cackled.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss!\u201d Joe hissed.\u00a0 To him, his brother\u2019s accident was no joke; nor was the possibility that his other brother really might just tip over on them\u2014and then where would they all be?\u00a0 In just about as bad a pickle as Hoss had been under that stage.\u00a0 He certainly couldn\u2019t pull both his older brothers back up the creek!<\/p>\n

The door blared open, and Adam came through, bearing a load of twigs and branches he\u2019d culled from the area surrounding the cabin.\u00a0 Shutting the door with his hip, he dumped the wood near the fireplace.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s so funny?\u201d he asked, as he saw Hoss trying to contain his laughter.<\/p>\n

\u201cNothin\u2019,\u201d Joe declared vehemently.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe was just\u201d\u2014Hoss struggled to stop cackling\u2014\u201chavin\u2019 this real interestin\u2019 discussion\u201d\u2014more laughter\u2014\u201c about wheels.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam looked from the laughing face of his middle brother to the glowering one of his youngest and arched an eyebrow.\u00a0 \u201cShould I be checking him for fever?\u201d he asked, gesturing with his head toward Hoss.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d Joe replied with a curt nod.<\/p>\n

Adam shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cWell, I\u2019m glad someone can find humor in this situation.\u201d\u00a0 It didn\u2019t surprise him that Hoss had managed to make light of their troubles.\u00a0 He was good at that.\u00a0 But, then, so was Joe, normally.\u00a0 In fact, the kid\u2019s infectious giggle generally resounded from the rafters of the Ponderosa, whether the joke was on him or someone else, although a little louder in the latter case. As Adam laid the wood for the fire, he pondered what might be bothering Joe and finally decided that his youngest brother was just too exhausted to find anything funny.\u00a0 And well he should be, after what he\u2019d been through that night.\u00a0 Typically, Adam discounted his own weariness as insignificant.\u00a0 After all, he was in better shape than either of his younger brothers, so, of course, he should bear the brunt of the load.\u00a0 A matter of simple logic<\/em>, he concluded as he lit the fire.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, that\u2019s better,\u201d Hoss sighed, a big smile transfusing his face as the warmth of the fire began to reach him.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we\u2019ll do fine tonight,\u201d Adam said, more for Joe\u2019s benefit than Hoss\u2019s, although the comment was directed toward the older boy.\u00a0 \u201cRoof over our heads, warm fire on the hearth and a fine meal\u2014what more could anyone ask?\u201d\u00a0 He opened the food basket on the table.\u00a0 \u201cDinner is served, gentlemen.\u00a0 I believe you\u2019ve perused the menu, so what\u2019s your pleasure?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnything but that dadgum cheese,\u201d Hoss snorted.\u00a0 He tossed a wink at the glum boy across the room.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m gonna make a present of that to you, Shortshanks.\u201d\u00a0 Expecting some saucy remark in response, or at least an out-thrust tongue, Hoss was shocked when Little Joe, instead, rolled his back toward his brothers and turned his face to the log wall.\u00a0 \u201cJoe, I didn\u2019t mean nothin\u2019.\u00a0 Eat anything you want.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam shook his head at Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s not it; he doesn\u2019t care what he eats.\u201d\u00a0 He quickly sliced off a hunk of sausage and handed it to Hoss with a slice of brown bread.\u00a0 Moving across the room, he squatted at the side of Joe\u2019s bed, noting the quivering back.\u00a0 \u201cThat can\u2019t be comfortable, lying on those cracked ribs.\u201d\u00a0 He pulled gently on the boy\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cTurn over, Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLeave me alone,\u201d Joe muttered.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u00a0 You\u2019re hurting yourself, and I won\u2019t allow that,\u201d Adam stated, drawing on his authority as the oldest brother.\u00a0 His voice softened.\u00a0 \u201cIf you\u2019re trying to hide the tears, don\u2019t bother.\u00a0 I know you\u2019re crying, Joe.\u00a0 Now, turn over.\u201d\u00a0 Once more he pulled on the slim shoulder, more insistently this time.\u00a0 There was no resistance, but Joe still refused to meet his brother\u2019s gaze.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong, boy?\u201d Adam asked, moving to sit on the edge of Joe\u2019s bed.<\/p>\n

\u201cNothin\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss scooted up in his bed, propping himself upright with both hands.\u00a0 \u201cIs it somethin\u2019 I said?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe bit his lip and looked away and then slowly nodded, to the amazement of both his brothers.\u00a0 Joe could be touchy at times, but he usually could take a joke, as he must surely have realized Hoss\u2019s jibe was meant to be.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought you liked cheese,\u201d Hoss said.<\/p>\n

Joe uttered a short, humorless laugh.\u00a0 \u201cNot that.\u00a0 \u2018Present\u2019\u2014you said, \u2018Present.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss stared at Adam in complete consternation and shrugged.<\/p>\n

Joe swallowed hard.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d almost forgot about presents; you just brought it back to mind, that\u2019s all.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAw, shucks, I\u2019m sorry,\u201d Hoss muttered, quickly contrite.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo need,\u201d Joe urged him.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s just that I had such nice presents for you this year\u2014the best ever.\u00a0 Now you\u2019ll never get \u2018em.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re not getting anything from us, either, you know,\u201d Adam commented with a rueful smile.<\/p>\n

Joe rolled his face to the wall again.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t care about that.\u00a0 I know I\u2019m just bein\u2019 a fool kid, but it\u2019s the first chance I had to get anything really nice for you both and\u2014and Pa\u2014and it hurts to think about them scattered out there on that hillside, doin\u2019 nobody any good.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t sound like a kid talkin\u2019 to me, do it you, Adam?\u201d Hoss inquired, gazing with pride at his younger brother.<\/p>\n

The pride was reflected in Adam\u2019s eyes, too, as he said, \u201cNo.\u00a0 Thinking about others, instead of himself, just as he has been through this whole situation.\u00a0 That\u2019s not a kid; that\u2019s a man I hear talking.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe turned back and looked up into his oldest brother\u2019s dark eyes.\u00a0 Swiping the tears from his cheeks, he murmured, \u201cI thought you said you didn\u2019t have any presents for me.\u00a0 That\u2019s the best one there is.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBetter than cheese?\u201d Hoss teased.\u00a0 He scrunched his face into an exaggerated pout.\u00a0 \u201cHe likes your present better than mine, Adam.\u00a0 I think I\u2019m gonna bust out bawlin\u2019 now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, that sounds like a kid!\u201d\u00a0 Adam laughed and both brothers joined him.<\/p>\n

Each doing his best to keep the others\u2019 spirits up, the three brothers feasted on the contents of Ludmilla\u2019s gift basket and toasted one another with melted snow.\u00a0 They had to take turns with that, though, since Adam had found only one, slightly rusty tin cup in the cabin.\u00a0 Then it was time to turn in, for all three were worn out, physically and emotionally, by the events of the evening.\u00a0 Since he had to sleep on the floor, Adam confiscated the carpetbag as a pillow and, as promised, took back the second blanket from his youngest brother.\u00a0 Then he stretched out in front of the fire, between the other two boys, urging them to call him if they needed anything during the night.<\/p>\n

For none of them was it a restful night.\u00a0 Pain kept Hoss wakeful, and the discomfort of his bed did the same for Adam.\u00a0 While Joe slept more than they, his breathing grew increasingly labored, the wheezing and intermittent coughing more pronounced.\u00a0 Sometime toward morning Adam became concerned and got up to check on his youngest brother.\u00a0 He laid a hand across the boy\u2019s forehead and frowned.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow\u2019s he doin\u2019?\u201d Hoss asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s running some fever.\u201d\u00a0 Adam glanced across the room.\u00a0 \u201cI take it you\u2019re not resting well, either.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot too good,\u201d Hoss admitted.\u00a0 \u201cLeg hurts somethin\u2019 fierce.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam walked back toward the fireplace and picked up the carpetbag.\u00a0 He brought it to Hoss\u2019s bed, lifted his brother\u2019s broken leg and placed the bag beneath it.\u00a0 \u201cElevating it should help keep the swelling down some,\u201d he explained.\u00a0 \u201cPacking it in snow would help, too, but it would melt pretty quickly, and I don\u2019t want Joe going outside to replenish the supply.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss cocked his head quizzically.\u00a0 \u201cJoe?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019ll be the only one here to help you.\u00a0 I\u2019m leaving at first light.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u201d\u00a0 The sound came from the bed behind Adam.\u00a0 \u201cWe need to stay together,\u201d Joe said, coughing between the last couple of words.<\/p>\n

Adam swiveled around to face his youngest brother.\u00a0 \u201cNo, Joe.\u00a0 I\u2019ll make better time alone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe tossed off the covers and swung his legs over the side of the bed.\u00a0 \u201cIf you get there at all, you mean!\u00a0 Adam, your head ain\u2019t workin\u2019 right.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam stepped across the room and sat down next to Joe.\u00a0 \u201cMy head\u2019s working much better this morning.\u00a0 Haven\u2019t had a dizzy spell for hours, which makes me the best candidate to go for help.\u00a0 Hoss certainly can\u2019t, and you\u2019d be slower\u2014if you got there at all.\u00a0 So it\u2019s settled.\u201d\u00a0 He slipped an arm around the slender waist.\u00a0 \u201cBefore I leave I\u2019ll bring in a good supply of firewood.\u00a0 You\u2019ll be in charge of keeping the fire built up and seeing to it that Hoss has anything he needs.\u00a0 Beyond that, I want you in this bed.\u00a0 You\u2019re not well, boy, and unless you want pneumonia for a Christmas present, you\u2019ll do as I say.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll see to it, Adam,\u201d Hoss promised.<\/p>\n

Adam smiled.\u00a0 \u201cAll right, then.\u00a0 I\u2019m putting each of you in charge of the other.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSomebody needs to be in charge of you, too,\u201d Joe grunted.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe,\u201d Adam conceded with a tousle of his brother\u2019s chestnut curls, \u201cbut that somebody will not be my baby brother!\u201d\u00a0 Sliding his hand down, he gave Joe\u2019s neck a light caress and stood up.\u00a0 Going outside, he gathered all the loose wood he could see and brought it into the cabin.\u00a0 Taking a piece of strudel with him, to nibble on the way, Adam left.<\/p>\n

The snow had stopped, leaving behind a glistening wonderland through which a morning\u2019s walk would have been pleasant, but for Adam\u2019s concern for those he\u2019d left behind.\u00a0 The breeze was brisk, but no longer blustery as it had been the night before, and the crunch of ice-crusted snow beneath his boots was the only sound in the silent world.\u00a0 Adam had no trouble following the path of the creek to the main road, and from there it was only a short walk to Yank\u2019s Station and the willing help of residents and stage line employees.<\/p>\n

Weak-kneed from having pushed himself unstintingly, Adam stumbled up to the hotel, set in a snow-frosted grove of tamarack, pine and aspen, and practically fell through the front door.\u00a0 A multitude of hands reached to support him and helped him to a chair by the fire.\u00a0 \u201cStage wreck . . . this side of the summit,\u201d Adam stammered, shivering.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe knew there was a stage overdue,\u201d said a man dressed in buckskins and moccasins with shoulder-length, curly hair.<\/p>\n

Adam recognized him as Ephraim Clement, proprietor of the station.\u00a0 \u201cMy brothers . . . still out there . . . need help, Yank,\u201d he pleaded, using, as everyone did, the nickname derived from Clement\u2019s Green Mountain origin.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, of course, we\u2019ll help,\u201d declared a lady whose gracious apparel bore no resemblance to the garb her husband affected to enhance his image as a mountain man.\u00a0 \u201cAre the boys bad hurt, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam had caught his breath by now.\u00a0 \u201cHoss has a broken leg and Joe some cracked ribs.\u00a0 They\u2019re holed up in old Baxter\u2019s cabin down by Echo Creek.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cKnow just where it is,\u201d Yank said, giving Adam a sturdy clap on the shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t worry a minute more, boy; I\u2019ll get them brothers of yours back here safe, sooner than you\u2019d think possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m going with you,\u201d Adam said, standing.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo need for that, my boy,\u201d Lydia Clement protested.\u00a0 \u201cYou look done in, and I\u2019ll wager you haven\u2019t had a decent meal since sometime yesterday.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam smiled at the remembrance of strudel and sausage and German confections.\u00a0 \u201cWe haven\u2019t exactly starved,\u201d he said, \u201cbut we could all use a good, hot meal.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you will have one before you step one foot outside this hotel, young man,\u201d the proprietress proclaimed.\u00a0 Though Adam protested, it was to no avail, but no time was lost.\u00a0 While he consumed a bowl of beef and barley soup with dumplings, Yank rounded up a trio of men from the small number of families that lived near the station, and by the time the mountain man had hitched strong-limbed horses to a sleigh, Adam had finished eating and the rescue party set out.<\/p>\n

\u00a0* * * * *<\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Hoss watched his younger brother lift the lid of the food basket.\u00a0 \u201cAnything left in there?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

Joe tossed him a mischievous grin.\u00a0 \u201cWell, there\u2019s cheese.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss gave a mock growl.\u00a0 \u201cI ain\u2019t that hungry.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI ain\u2019t disposed to share, anyway, seein\u2019 as how it\u2019s my Christmas present,\u201d Joe popped back.\u00a0 He followed the jibe with a regretful half-smile.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s just a little bread and a couple of cookies, besides that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou want \u2018em?\u201d Hoss queried.<\/p>\n

Joe shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cI can eat the cheese.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss looked almost pained.\u00a0 \u201cShortshanks, I know you ain\u2019t got much gumption when it comes to food, but I\u2019m pretty doggone sure you favor cookies over cheese.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, sure,\u201d Joe snickered.\u00a0 \u201cI ain\u2019t addle-pated.\u201d\u00a0 He handed over the two spice drops and broke the piece of bread in half.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s all there is.\u00a0 Not worth fighting over, and I don\u2019t mind eating cheese.\u00a0 Honest.\u00a0 You want some water?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss popped a cookie in his mouth and reached for the tin cup Joe extended toward him.\u00a0 \u201cHow long you calculate \u2018til Adam might get back?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cI ain\u2019t the calculatin\u2019 member of the family.\u201d\u00a0 He cast an anxious glance at the door.\u00a0 \u201cSure wish I knew he was all right, though.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAw, sure he is.\u00a0 A little knock on the head ain\u2019t gonna faze ole Adam, hard-headed as he is.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss tossed the second cookie into his mouth.<\/p>\n

Joe grinned naughtily.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m gonna tell him you said that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss wiped cookie crumbs from his chin and eyed his younger brother with narrowed gaze.\u00a0 \u201cYou do, and I\u2019ll tell him how many times you been out the door this morning\u2014and how little time you\u2019ve spent in that bed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe waved his hands back and forth before his face.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m goin\u2019; I\u2019m goin\u2019.\u201d\u00a0 He looked duly subdued, but how much of that was real and how much was put on, Hoss didn\u2019t have the ability to assess.\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t the calculating member of the family, either.<\/p>\n

The Cartwright gifted with calculating ability was at that moment slowly making his way through the wintry woods.\u00a0 The journey took far longer than he wished it would, for since there was no road along the creek, the horses had to break a path wide enough for the sleigh, skirting around trees, seeking the surest footing.\u00a0 Despite knowing that his younger brothers were well situated, Adam couldn\u2019t help feeling concern, especially for Little Joe.\u00a0 The boy was worried enough and impulsive enough to leave that cabin and come looking for his big brother if they didn\u2019t get there within a reasonable amount of time\u2014what Joe judged to be a reasonable amount of time, that is\u2014and even Adam wasn\u2019t gifted enough to calculate that equation.<\/p>\n

Finally, he saw smoke through the trees and knew it had to come from the cabin\u2019s chimney.\u00a0 If the fire was still going, the odds were that Joe was still there, feeding it as need arose, and when he realized that, Adam\u2019s heart dropped back into place.\u00a0 Minutes later the sleigh pulled up before the cabin, and Adam jumped out, almost before it stopped.\u00a0 He burst through the door, eyes swiveling from one bed to the other.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey!\u201d Hoss called.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re back.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you ever doubt it?\u201d Adam parried.<\/p>\n

Hoss put on his most innocent and cherubic look.\u00a0 \u201cMe?\u00a0 Never!\u00a0 But you know how Shortshanks is.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow is he?\u201d Adam asked pointedly, pulling off his gloves as he walked over to brush aside the errant curls straggling down Joe\u2019s forehead and check for fever.<\/p>\n

\u201cTuckered,\u201d Hoss said.\u00a0 \u201cCoughing some, but not much more than when you left.\u201d\u00a0 He saw the other men coming through the door.\u00a0 \u201cHey, Yank!\u00a0 Long time no see.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHowdy, Hoss,\u201d the station keeper called.\u00a0 \u201cSorry to be seein\u2019 you like this, but we\u2019re gonna get you back to my place, fill you up with my Lydia\u2019s good cooking and bundle you into a nice warm bed.\u00a0 How\u2019s that sound, boy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSounds like all a man could ask for,\u201d Hoss said with a grin.\u00a0 He\u2019d tasted Miss Lydia\u2019s good cooking before, and while the beds at Yank\u2019s place didn\u2019t rival the one at home, they were a far sight better than what he was lying on now.<\/p>\n

Adam had roused Little Joe and was helping him into his sheep-lined coat.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll get Hoss situated in the sleigh; then I\u2019ll come back for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Overhearing him, Yank quickly said, \u201cYou leave Hoss to us, boy.\u00a0 You best be puttin\u2019 out that fire while we do that.\u00a0 I\u2019ll give a holler when it\u2019s time to bring the young one out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam nodded acceptance of the offer.\u00a0 \u201cAll right, Yank.\u00a0 Thanks.\u201d<\/p>\n

The four rescuers carried Hoss out to the sleigh, propping his splinted leg on pillows brought for that purpose.\u00a0 Yank yelled back to the cabin, and Adam, after checking to make sure the fire was well out, helped Joe into the sleigh and then climbed in beside him.\u00a0 When all three were bundled under warm buffalo robes, Yank turned the sleigh around and headed back to the road, the other rescuers following on foot.<\/p>\n

\u00a0* * * * *<\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Adam drew back the curtain and gazed out the window of the upstairs bedroom he had shared with Little Joe the previous night, Hoss having slept in a separate room on the first floor.\u00a0 As he gazed at the picturesque view of frosted pines thrusting heavenward from the snow-covered slopes of the Sierra Nevadas, he mused that this wasn\u2019t such a bad place to spend Christmas, if one had to, especially in the company of good people like Yank and his wife.\u00a0 By the time they had arrived at the station yesterday afternoon, Lydia had prepared a meal fit for holiday fare, including mince and pumpkin pies.\u00a0 After stuffing themselves, they\u2019d all settled around the fire and listened with fascination to Yank spinning yarns of his adventures in the Green Mountains and the Sierras.\u00a0 The stories were fantastic, of course, since Yank was known far and wide as a teller of tall tales, but Hoss and Joe, especially, had been kept on the edge of their seats and had stayed up longer than either probably should have.\u00a0 Hoss, at least, had made it up for a filling breakfast of hotcakes and ham, but Little Joe was still asleep, even though it was almost noon.\u00a0 Deciding the boy shouldn\u2019t miss another meal, Adam turned to wake him.<\/p>\n

Touching his brother\u2019s cheek, Adam tried to determine whether his fever was up or down.\u00a0 Down a little, he thought, but touch was such a subjective measurement, he couldn\u2019t be sure.\u00a0 Adam lowered his hand to the boy\u2019s shoulder and shook him slightly and then more forcefully when Joe didn\u2019t respond.\u00a0 Finally, still groggy and yawning, Joe opened his eyes a crack.\u00a0 \u201cTime for breakfast?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

Adam laughed.\u00a0 \u201cTry dinner,\u201d he suggested.<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s eyes widened and he sat up.\u00a0 \u201cShould\u2019ve woke me,\u201d he complained.\u00a0 \u201cDid we miss the stage?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s another,\u201d Adam said, \u201cif we take it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAin\u2019t we?\u201d\u00a0 Joe\u2019s surprised expression faded, replaced by one of concern.\u00a0 \u201cOh, you mean Hoss?\u00a0 You figure it\u2019s too rough a ride for him with that broken leg?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cActually, Hoss should be fairly comfortable, since we\u2019d be going in a company sleigh,\u201d Adam observed.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, yeah.\u201d\u00a0 Joe hadn\u2019t personally traveled by stage this late in the year, but he\u2019d heard the company ran a sleigh between Strawberry and Carson Valley when snow covered the road.\u00a0 It was the main reason one could get through to California year \u2018round now.\u00a0 The mildness of the winter had lulled everyone into thinking the sleighs wouldn\u2019t be needed or that accident would probably not have happened.\u00a0 \u201cSo we are going then.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe.\u201d\u00a0 Adam perched at the foot of the bed, one leg drawn up in a V and resting on the coverlet.\u00a0 \u201cI would like to get into Genoa, at least, and get some medical attention for the two of you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe scowled as he reached for his tan shirt, hung on a chair by the bed.\u00a0 \u201cHoss may need medical attention, but I sure don\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, of course not.\u201d\u00a0 Adam chuckled at the entirely predictable response.\u00a0 \u201cNot a thing wrong with you\u2014cracked ribs, difficulty breathing, cough, fever\u2014why would I think you needed a doctor?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018Cause that concussion still has your wits scrambled?\u201d Joe suggested as he sat in the chair to pull on his pants.<\/p>\n

Adam grinned.\u00a0 \u201cNice try, but my wits aren\u2019t so scrambled I can\u2019t see through that!\u201d\u00a0 Not wanting his brother to put any strain on his ribs, he squatted down to help Joe with his boots.\u00a0 \u201cI know you want to go home, Joe, and I\u2019d like nothing better than to keep my promise to Pa and you boys about being home for Christmas, but it would mean a lot of hours out in the cold for you.\u00a0 I hesitate to put you through that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam, please.\u00a0 Pa\u2019ll worry if we don\u2019t make it home.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can\u2019t make it home in time to prevent that, Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I want to go home,\u201d Joe pleaded.\u00a0 He thrust out a pouty lip.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m just a kid, you know, and kids need to be home for Christmas.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAah, but you\u2019re a man now, remember?\u201d Adam teased.<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s nose crinkled.\u00a0 \u201cAin\u2019t what it\u2019s cracked up to be.\u201d<\/p>\n

Laughing, Adam helped him up.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s get some dinner.\u00a0 We\u2019ll try for Genoa, at least.\u00a0 Whether we go further depends on what Doc Phelps there has to say.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0* * * * *<\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0It was around two o\u2019clock on Christmas morning, as best Adam could calculate, when the buckboard finally pulled into the Ponderosa yard.\u00a0 The three-seat sleigh used by the stage line had left Yank\u2019s about three the previous afternoon and had arrived in Genoa at a quarter past six.\u00a0 Another couple of hours had been spent at the doctor\u2019s office, getting everyone evaluated and bandaged and admonished about proper care.\u00a0 Dr. Phelps hadn\u2019t been overly pleased at the idea of the three Cartwright brothers heading for home that night, but he\u2019d finally given in to Little Joe\u2019s pleas and agreed that they would probably suffer no appreciable harm if they kept well bundled.<\/p>\n

While his brothers waited at the doctor\u2019s office, Adam had hurried to rent a team and wagon from the local livery, thinking it better to go directly to the Ponderosa than to load Hoss into the connecting stagecoach to Carson City for fourteen bumpy miles and rent a wagon there.\u00a0 Then he raced to the general store and pounded persistently on the door, rousing the owners, who lived on the second floor above it, from their Christmas Eve celebration.\u00a0 His disgruntlement assuaged by the generous amount Adam paid for the blankets and pillows, the man had even helped carry them out to the buckboard and spread them over the straw that would cushion the long ride home.<\/p>\n

The house was dark, as was to be expected at this hour.\u00a0 Adam climbed wearily down from the driver\u2019s seat and roused his slumbering brothers.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re home, boys,\u201d he said softly.\u00a0 \u201cPa\u2019s asleep, so let\u2019s keep as quiet as possible.\u00a0 I\u2019m gonna get one of the hands to put away the team.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Adam headed toward the bunkhouse, Joe helped Hoss out of the wagon and tucked the crutches Yank had made under his arms.\u00a0 Joe keeping close, in case Hoss needed assistance, they walked to the front door.\u00a0 Joe opened it, and they went inside.\u00a0 In the light coming through the open doorway, Hoss\u2019s eyes traveled up the ceiling-sweeping evergreen, bedecked with garlands and simple ornaments, which stood, as always, in the corner beside the staircase.\u00a0 \u201cLook at that!\u201d Hoss said, his voice reflecting his awe.\u00a0 \u201cAin\u2019t that a sight to come home to?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s gaze was riveted a bit lower.\u00a0 \u201cLook at the presents!\u201d he cried softly.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou keep away from those,\u201d Adam warned from the doorway, where he stood holding the blankets and pillows from the wagon.<\/p>\n

\u201cAw, Adam,\u201d Joe whined.\u00a0 \u201cIt is<\/em> Christmas now, ain\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Adam said adamantly, dropping the bedding on the settee.\u00a0 \u201cIt isn\u2019t Christmas \u2018til we\u2019re all together, including Pa.\u201d\u00a0 He glanced up at Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cI think it would be better if we put you in the downstairs guest room, at least for tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust as soon sit up awhile, Adam,\u201d Hoss said, making his way toward the burgundy leather chair by the stone fireplace, \u201cespecially if you build up that fire.\u00a0 I\u2019d like to warm up before I go to bed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, buddy.\u201d\u00a0 Adam took the poker and began stirring the embers of the banked fire.<\/p>\n

Little Joe opened the wood box sitting on the hearth.\u00a0 \u201cLet me help you,\u201d he urged.\u00a0 \u201cYou must be tired.\u201d<\/p>\n

From protective habit, Adam started to refuse.\u00a0 Then, seeing the earnestness of his youngest brother\u2019s expression, he nodded.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, I am; I can use the help, little buddy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Together, they got the fire blazing brightly and stood side by side, holding their hands to the warmth.\u00a0 A loud snore behind them made both turn and laugh.\u00a0 \u201cOh, I knew it was a mistake to let him sit down,\u201d Joe giggled.\u00a0 \u201cNow we\u2019ll never get him up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShh.\u201d\u00a0 Struggling to keep from laughing aloud himself, Adam held a finger to his lips.\u00a0 \u201cAll things considered, I believe we should just let sleeping hosses lie.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, yeah,\u201d Joe agreed quickly as he sat on the hearth, elbows propped on his knees and chin cupped in his hands.\u00a0 \u201cHe can be a real bear if he wakes up sudden.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cSeems to run in the younger half of the family.\u201d\u00a0 He shook his head as he gave up the idea of seeing his own cozy bed that night and began propping pillows behind Hoss\u2019s head and under the leg resting on the fireside table.\u00a0 \u201cI guess I\u2019ll stay down here with him, in case he does wake up and decide to go to bed.\u00a0 How about you?\u00a0 You need some help up the stairs?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNaw, I\u2019ll stay down here with you,\u201d Joe said.\u00a0 \u201cAfter all we\u2019ve been through together, don\u2019t seem right not stickin\u2019 together now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019d be more comfortable in your own bed,\u201d Adam suggested.<\/p>\n

Joe shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cI want to be with you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, you can take the settee.\u201d\u00a0 Adam walked to the cabinet by the front door and took out extra blankets.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll make up a bed for you.\u201d\u00a0 When he turned around, he saw Little Joe gazing wistfully at the packages beneath the tree.\u00a0 He started to repeat his previous admonishment about leaving them alone, but then he suddenly realized that it wasn\u2019t the packages beneath the tree that Joe was thinking of, but the ones that weren\u2019t there.\u00a0 Adam sighed, remembering how upset Joe had been at having nothing to give.\u00a0 Foolish boy, don\u2019t you know you\u2019ve brought home the one thing your pa wants most this Christmas?<\/em>\u00a0 Adam couldn\u2019t bring himself to say those words aloud, but he wished there were some way to express it, so Joe would truly understand.<\/p>\n

Later, after his two brothers were both asleep, the idea came.\u00a0 With a sly smile on his face, Adam tiptoed into the kitchen in search of the items he needed.\u00a0 Sitting at the dining room table, he cut and penned and, when he was finished, gathered the prepared materials and took them to the front room.\u00a0 Being sound sleepers, neither of his younger brothers woke as he looped the material around their necks and made the final adjustments on his surprise.\u00a0 Looking from Hoss to Joe with satisfaction, Adam gave his own neck the same treatment.\u00a0 Then, sitting down in the blue chair across from Hoss, he curled up in his blanket and dozed off, smiling as he envisioned his brothers\u2019 reaction, as well as Pa\u2019s, to what he\u2019d done.<\/p>\n

At the crack of dawn, Ben came down the upstairs hall, dressed for cold weather.\u00a0 He\u2019d waited up long into the night, hoping against all reasonable hope that the boys would make it home, and had reluctantly gone to bed with a vow to start out at first light and find his wayward sons.\u00a0 He kept using that word, \u2018wayward,\u2019 despite knowing that not even Joseph would dawdle about getting home for Christmas, because he didn\u2019t want to face darker possibilities and because anger was an easier emotion to deal with than fear.<\/p>\n

Clomping down the stairs, he halted abruptly on the landing and stared at the scene before him.\u00a0 He could only see the top of Adam\u2019s dark head above the blue chair, but he had a clear view of both Joseph on the settee and Hoss in his father\u2019s favorite chair.\u00a0 What made Ben blink his eyes to be sure he was seeing straight, however, was the bright red ribbon each of his younger sons wore around his neck.<\/p>\n

Ben walked softly down the few remaining steps and moved to Little Joe\u2019s side.\u00a0 Scooping up the blanket lying in the floor, he covered the boy and brushed a loving hand over his tousled curls.\u00a0 Then Ben picked up the tag attached to the bow and read, \u201cTo Pa, from Hoss and Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

Stepping around the table, he stared at Hoss\u2019s splinted leg, shook his head and lifted the tag hanging from his second son\u2019s bow, which read, \u201cTo Pa, from Adam and Joe.\u201d\u00a0 Chuckling, Ben looked up to see his eldest son smiling at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cMerry Christmas, Pa,\u201d Adam whispered.<\/p>\n

Ben arched an eyebrow as he spotted the red ribbon around Adam\u2019s throat.\u00a0 \u201cAnd does your tag read, \u2018To Pa, from Joe and Hoss\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right,\u201d Adam chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cWe don\u2019t have anything to give you this Christmas, except each other, and it took all of us, working together, to see to it you got that gift.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just what I wanted,\u201d Ben said with a smile.\u00a0 He sat down on the table directly in front of Adam.\u00a0 \u201cWhat exactly did happen to you boys?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a long story, Pa,\u201d Adam said, resting his head against the back of the blue chair.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt so happens I\u2019ve got the time,\u201d Ben announced, \u201csince I\u2019m not going to have to spend the morning looking for my lost little boys.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s grin was almost a smirk.\u00a0 \u201cWhy would you do that, Pa?\u00a0 Didn\u2019t I tell you we\u2019d be home for Christmas?\u201d\u00a0 Then he started at the beginning, and Ben listened, enthralled, to all that his sons had endured to make this Christmas one he would always remember with wonder and thanksgiving.<\/p>\n

\u00a0The End<\/p>\n

\u00a9 December, 2001<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Tags: Adam Cartwright, Ben Cartwright, Hoss Cartwright, Joe \/ Little Joe Cartwright<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

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

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

Summary: \u00a0Having promised Pa that they will be home for Christmas, the three Cartwright brothers are ahead of schedule as they return from a late-season shopping trip in San Francisco. A sudden snowstorm in the Sierras, however, may make keeping that promise \u00ad or even staying alive \u00ad impossible.<\/p>\n

Rated: K+ \u00a0WC \u00a015,000<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":48,"featured_media":5077,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"template-full-width-post.php","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5076","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drama","wpcat-23-id"],"a3_pvc":{"activated":true,"total_views":1894,"today_views":0},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/PonderosaChristmas2.jpg?fit=188%2C142&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":26927,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=26927","url_meta":{"origin":5076,"position":0},"title":"Christmas in July (by Truthwriter)","author":"VCLS","date":"December 25, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"This story was written for the 2017 Advent Calendar - Day 7 Summary: This piece is based on a reference from the Season One episode, \u201cThe Avenger\u201d. 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