Summary:\u00a0 Hoss is having trouble at school and uses a boast of Adam’s to help him out.\u00a0 The boast threatens to have tragic consequences when Adam feels obliged to carry it through.
\nRating:\u00a0 \u00a0 G\u00a0 \u00a0(11,300 words)<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Hidden Talents<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n A group of very wet and bedraggled ponies huddled together in one corner of the corral, trying to get what cover they could from the icy sleet, which was being blown across the school- yard.\u00a0 The only shelter available came from the lee of two very old Conestoga wagons which had been abandoned by some pioneer who could go no further.\u00a0 In summer the children played on them, in winter they simply continued to rot.\u00a0 The sky, which had been bright and clear in the morning, had darkened into a gray haze as the storm rolled in from the mountains.\u00a0\u00a0 The town streets were deserted, the inhabitants preferring to find indoor pursuits.\u00a0 A door banged and a crowd of children emerged suddenly into the yard then dispersed quickly as each raced for the warmth of home.\u00a0\u00a0 Only the few whose homes were more distant headed for the corral and the patiently waiting horses.\u00a0 Among this group were the two oldest Cartwright brothers, one anxious to get home, the other dawdling across the yard with his head down.<\/p>\n \u201cC\u2019mon\u2026\u201d Adam yelled, his black hair was already plastered to his forehead and the icy rain was stinging his face.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s get home, its too darn cold to be out.\u201d<\/p>\n His younger brother reached the ponies and began saddling up, his fingers fumbling as they became stiff and cold.\u00a0 He said nothing, but, underneath the brim of his hat, his face was a picture of abject misery.<\/p>\n In his hurry to get home, Adam was unaware of his younger brother\u2019s unhappiness.\u00a0\u00a0 All he cared about right now was getting home to a hot meal and a warm fireside.\u00a0\u00a0 It was on days like these that he wondered why he had ever asked his father if he could continue with his schooling.\u00a0\u00a0 He was older than all his classmates and there was no one to talk with at recess and no one to share his studies.\u00a0 Riding out of town he could see one of his erstwhile schoolmates, Rick Bonner, lounging in the doorway of Dutch Pete\u2019s.\u00a0 He would be willing to bet Rick hadn\u2019t been out in the cold for more than five minutes today or any day.\u00a0\u00a0 Rick had secured himself a job at the livery stable but seemed to spend most of his time propping up the bar at Pete\u2019s.\u00a0\u00a0 Adam wished he was that lucky, a warming whisky would sure go down well right about now.\u00a0 Pa wouldn\u2019t even allow him in there, and whisky was off limits.\u00a0 Not that the edict had stopped him on a couple of occasions.\u00a0 He shrugged deeper into his coat and pulled his scarf higher.\u00a0 He knew deep down that he was luckier than some, his best friend Ross for instance.\u00a0 Ross had left school all right, but today he\u2019d probably be out in the worst of the weather working for his father. That meant mending fences, clearing ditches, chasing steers and the dreaded yard chores that were usually left to the most junior of the ranch hands.\u00a0 At least Adam had spent the better part of the day inside.<\/p>\n Riding a few yards behind his brother and trying to keep as low in the saddle as possible, Hoss fought off tears.\u00a0 He hated school and he\u2019d hated today worse than any other.\u00a0 He was tall for his age and thickset, even at ten he was bigger than most of the other boys.\u00a0\u00a0 Partly because of his size and partly because he wasn\u2019t very good at his lessons, he was constantly teased.\u00a0 The older boys called him dumb and tried to entice him into fights.\u00a0 Today it had been particularly bad.\u00a0 Mr Lawson had called upon him to solve some arithmetic problems on the blackboard and he had become flustered and got them all wrong.\u00a0 To make matters worse, he had been chosen to read out loud this afternoon and he had felt everyone\u2019s eyes on him and had stuttered and stumbled his way through the short passage while his fellow pupils laughed at him.\u00a0\u00a0 Mr Lawson had told them to be quiet but Hoss had known that the moment the teacher wasn\u2019t around they would tease him.\u00a0 Even Adam, usually his staunchest supporter, had raised an eyebrow and frowned at him.\u00a0 It all came so easy to his older brother.<\/p>\n The barn was warmer and both boys felt relief from the bitter wind as they led their ponies inside after the long cold ride.\u00a0 Adam shook out his coat and hung it over one of the stalls before starting work.\u00a0 He hardly looked at Hoss as he got on with his chores.\u00a0 He wanted to get into the house, where he was sure Hop Sing would have a hot drink for them.\u00a0\u00a0 Hoss worked without speaking too.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t know what to say, Adam seemed to be cross with him and he didn\u2019t understand why.\u00a0 Finally, he decided to ask, after all, things could not be worse.<\/p>\n \u201cUh\u2026Adam\u2026\u201d he started quietly, “You mad at me?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n Adam looked up and grunted \u201cNo, I ain\u2019t mad at you.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss moved closer, \u201cYou sure? You ain\u2019t said nuthin\u2019 since we left school!”<\/p>\n Adam sighed.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m not mad, just\u2026well\u2026oh I don\u2019t know\u2026\u201d he didn\u2019t know how to put his feelings into words that would explain without hurting his brother.\u00a0 \u201cI mean, you knew that stuff this morning and you still made a mess of it, and I know you can read better than you did this afternoon.\u00a0 Why can\u2019t you do stuff in school like you do when we\u2019re on our own?\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss sank down on a feed sack and looked up at his older brother.\u00a0 \u201cI dunno, it\u2019s easy when you show me.\u00a0 Then I gets up in front of everyone and I can\u2019t do it no more.\u00a0 I guess I\u2019m just dumb, like they said.\u00a0\u00a0 You think I am, don\u2019tcha?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam stopped grooming his pony and sighed again.\u00a0 How could he explain how he felt.\u00a0 He was embarrassed for his brother and embarrassed for himself.\u00a0 When Hoss made mistakes in school, he felt badly for him but it also made him angry inside.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t understand how his brother could be so\u2026so\u2026yeah, dumb\u2026that was it.\u00a0\u00a0 He shook his head, no, that wasn\u2019t fair.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t really think Hoss was dumb, but sometimes, just sometimes, he lost patience with him and today had been one of those days.\u00a0 Hoss could do much harder arithmetic than the ones set today and when they were at home he could read without faltering.\u00a0 He knew that the other kids had been looking at him with pity, the smart Adam Cartwright with such a stupid brother, that\u2019s what they thought.\u00a0\u00a0 It made him embarrassed and angry, but that wasn\u2019t what Hoss needed to hear.\u00a0 He walked over to his brother and rested a hand on his shoulder, then knelt down in front of him.\u00a0 \u201cYou aren\u2019t dumb and don\u2019t let them say you are.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss brushed his hand across his eyes, \u201cWhaddya want me to do then?\u00a0 If I fight \u2018em, Pa gets mad at me,\u201d he said, angrily.<\/p>\n Adam shook his head, \u201cI don\u2019t know, Hoss.\u00a0 I wish I did.\u201d\u00a0 He patted his brother\u2019s shoulder, \u201cLet\u2019s get these chores finished and then I\u2019ll help you with your homework.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss nodded, but he was not really reassured that his big brother cared.\u00a0 He could take anything if Adam was there to support him, but right now he wasn\u2019t convinced that he was.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ben Cartwright looked from one son to the other across the supper table, something was not quite right but he couldn\u2019t put his finger on it.\u00a0 Adam was always quiet but tonight he seemed pre-occupied and several times Ben had repeated his questions.\u00a0 Across the table from Adam, Hoss also seemed lost in thought, although it didn\u2019t appear to have affected his appetite.\u00a0 Ben glanced at his wife, Marie, seated at the other end of the table and trying to persuade food into the youngest member of the family.\u00a0\u00a0 She smiled and raised an eyebrow, \u201cSomething happen in school today?\u201d\u00a0 Ben tried.<\/p>\n Hoss kept his eyes on his plate and shook his head.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, sir,\u201d Adam replied but with a quick glance at his brother.<\/p>\n \u201cYou two have a fight?\u201d\u00a0 Ben suggested.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, sir,\u201d\u00a0 Adam replied again.<\/p>\n \u201cWell something is wrong. I\u2019ve never known the two of you so quiet at supper.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam glanced at Hoss again, \u201cNothing\u2019s wrong Pa, we just don\u2019t feel much like talking is all.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben let his eyes move from one to the other slowly, \u201cAre you in some kind of trouble at school?\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss pushed his plate away and looked up, his eyes troubled, \u201cI ain\u2019t goin\u2019 no more.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben raised an eyebrow and turned his attention to his middle son, \u201cOh, and just why is that?\u201d he asked, calmly.\u00a0 He knew some of the problems, but it was clear that something specific had happened today.<\/p>\n \u201cI cain\u2019t do it, I ain\u2019t smart like Adam.\u201d\u00a0 He looked up at his father with an appeal in his eyes, \u201cI don\u2019t need book learnin\u2019 to work on the ranch, Pa.\u00a0 I could stay home and help you.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben smiled, a gentle smile and put his hand on top of Hoss\u2019, \u201cI\u2019d love you to be able to help me, son, but you\u2019ll be able to help me much more if you can read and add a column of figures.\u00a0 Now, what\u2019s happened in school to make you so unhappy?\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss shrugged. \u201cSame as always.\u00a0 I got stuff wrong and the other kids laughed at me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSon, everyone gets things wrong sometimes, it\u2019s often the way we learn.\u00a0 I\u2019m sure Mr Lawson understands and explained things to you, didn\u2019t he?\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss nodded \u201cBut I always get stuff wrong, Pa.\u00a0 I\u2019m just dumb.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben sat up straight, shocked by Hoss\u2019 statement, \u201cYou are not dumb.\u00a0 I\u2019m sure Mr Lawson hasn\u2019t said so.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe don\u2019t have to say it, he thinks I am, so does Adam.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss almost shouted back.<\/p>\n Ben glanced briefly at his oldest son, who kept his head down.\u00a0 \u201cHoss, that just isn\u2019t true.\u00a0 I\u2019m sure neither Mr Lawson, nor Adam think that way.\u201d<\/p>\n Before Ben could stop him Hoss had pushed back his chair and was running for the stairs.\u00a0 \u201cHoss, Hoss, come back here\u2026\u201d Ben called but to no avail.\u00a0\u00a0 He sighed and pushed back his own chair.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d better go and talk this out.\u201d\u00a0 He said dropping his napkin on the table and following his son.<\/p>\n Marie nodded and watched him go before turning her attention back to the supper table.\u00a0 She lifted Little Joe from his chair and set him down.\u00a0 \u201cGo ask Hop Sing to warm some milk, sweetie.\u201d\u00a0 She said giving Joe a gentle push in the direction of the kitchen.<\/p>\n Adam felt his stepmother\u2019s eyes on him and after a few uncomfortable minutes he forced himself to look up.\u00a0 \u201cI told him I didn\u2019t think he was dumb,\u201d he said defensively.<\/p>\n Marie fixed him with a look, which said she didn\u2019t believe him.<\/p>\n \u201cI did,\u201d he protested again.<\/p>\n \u201cBut he\u2019s not convinced and neither am I.\u201d\u00a0 She said quietly.\u00a0 \u201cYou used to have lots of patience with him but lately that seems to have gone.\u00a0 You show your impatience every time you help him with his homework.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam screwed up his napkin and threw it on the table. \u201cWell, he\u2019s so slow and the stuff he\u2019s doing in school is real easy.\u201d<\/p>\n Marie frowned. \u201cNot everyone finds school as easy as you do.\u00a0 Hoss works harder at his homework than you do sometimes.\u00a0 He does his best.\u00a0 Can you put your hand on your heart and say you always do, too.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam\u2019s expression turned into a bad tempered scowl.\u00a0 His stepmother must have noticed that he hadn\u2019t been trying too much.\u00a0 He could get reasonable grades without effort and lately he had been coasting.\u00a0\u00a0 Once his father had agreed to let him stay at school for another year, he had relaxed and only done enough to get by.\u00a0 \u201cMy grades are good.\u201d\u00a0 He muttered.<\/p>\n \u201cIf they are that good, why do you hate helping Hoss so much?\u201d\u00a0 Marie queried.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t hate doing it,\u201d he snapped back, \u201cHe does it fine here, then when he gets to school he forgets everything and… \u201c<\/p>\n \u201cHe embarrasses you.\u201d\u00a0 Marie finished for him.<\/p>\n Adam sighed and nodded. \u201cYeah, I guess so.\u00a0 The other kids have started asking, if I\u2019m so smart, how come I\u2019ve got such a dumb brother.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd what do you say\u2026?\u201d when Adam looked embarrassed, she continued \u201cYou try not to say anything or you agree with them, is that it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t agree with them.\u201d\u00a0 He responded with a hurt expression then he sighed, \u201cBut I guess I don\u2019t defend him too much either.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 He pushed back his chair and wandered over to the fireplace.\u00a0 \u201cIts different this year\u2026I mean I don\u2019t have any friends at school and\u2026\u201d\u00a0 He sighed again and stared into the flames.<\/p>\n Marie got up and followed him resting a hand on his shoulder \u201cYou won\u2019t win new friends by being nasty to your brother.\u201d\u00a0 She felt his shoulder sag under her touch.\u00a0 \u201cThink about it Adam, he admires you and looks up to you, give him a good example not a bad one.\u201d<\/p>\n The conversation was halted by the return of Little Joe, carrying a plate of cookies.\u00a0 Behind him was Hop Sing with a tray of coffee cups and mugs of hot milk for the boys.\u00a0 He set it down carefully and quickly rescued the plate from Little Joe before the cookies slid to the floor.<\/p>\n Joe gave up the plate and then helped himself to a cookie, one eye on his mother.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Joe, you may have just one before bed but you must drink all of your milk.\u201d\u00a0 Marie bargained.<\/p>\n Joe grinned and bounced toward his older brother. \u201cRead a story, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam stuck out a hand and managed to stop his little brother from falling on to the hearth.\u00a0 He pulled Joe into a hug and then collapsed with him into one of the red leather chairs beside the fire.\u00a0 \u201cPlease\u2026please\u2026please.\u201d\u00a0 Adam repeated, while tickling his little brother and making him shriek with laughter.<\/p>\n \u201cPwease, Adam.\u201d\u00a0 Joe at last managed to squeak out.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s better.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 Adam glanced up at his stepmother, \u201cI\u2019ll read to you if you go right up to bed when your Mama tells you.\u201d\u00a0 He said.<\/p>\n Joe giggled at his mother, \u201cMama, don\u2019t told me yet, willya?\u201d<\/p>\n Marie had made herself comfortable of the sofa and she patted the place beside her, \u201cCome here and sit by me to drink your milk, then it will be bedtime.\u201d\u00a0 She smiled.<\/p>\n Joe made a face but with a slight push from his older brother, did as he was bid.\u00a0 He held the glass of milk in both hands and began to drink very slowly.<\/p>\n \u201cLittle Joe\u2026\u201d his mother said quietly, \u201cThe longer you take with your milk the less time there will be for stories.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam chuckled and poured himself coffee with a generous amount of cream and sugar.\u00a0 The strong black, almost burnt coffee that the ranch hands drank was an acquired taste and although it made him feel grown-up to drink it when he was with them, he preferred his coffee sweeter.\u00a0 When he had drained his cup he stood up and winked at Marie.\u00a0 \u201cYou ready for that story Little Joe?\u00a0 I\u2019ll read it when you\u2019re in bed.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe looked from mother to brother, he had hoped for a story here by the fire but he knew he couldn\u2019t win against both of them.\u00a0 \u201cYou take me and be horsey,\u201d he begged.<\/p>\n Adam grinned and bent down so Joe could climb on to his back, \u201cOkay, but you hold on real tight.\u201d<\/p>\n Marie smiled as she watched youngest and oldest head up the stairs, then relaxed back against the sofa cushions and sipped her now almost cold coffee.\u00a0 After a few minutes she got up and placed the coffee pot on the hearth to keep warm for her husband,<\/p>\n Ben came down the stairs deep in thought and Marie watched him with concern.\u00a0 \u201cIs he alright?\u201d<\/p>\n Ben shook his head, \u201cHe\u2019s convinced he\u2019s no good at anything and nothing I can say will sway him.\u201d\u00a0 He sighed and bent down to pour a coffee, cursing softly as the handle burned his fingers.\u00a0 He straightened up and sipped the dark liquid.\u00a0 \u201cI think it\u2019s Adam\u2019s attitude that hurts him most.\u00a0 I don\u2019t understand it; Adam\u2019s always been his staunchest supporter since he was a baby.\u201d<\/p>\n Marie moved closer to him as he sat down beside her.\u00a0 \u201cAdam\u2019s having a hard time too.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben glanced up in surprise.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t see how!\u00a0 He\u2019s doing fine in school, which I might add he badgered me to attend.\u00a0 He would have been useful on the ranch, so if he\u2019s not enjoying it he can soon leave.\u201d\u00a0 Ben said sharply.<\/p>\n Marie smiled and patted his knee, \u201cCalm down.\u00a0 He is enjoying it, but he\u2019s also having to adjust to being the only one in his group of friends who is still in school.\u00a0 He sees Ross and the Bonners with money in their pockets\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s been told to stay away from Rick Bonner more times than I care to count.\u201d\u00a0 Ben interrupted.<\/p>\n \u201cYes dear.\u00a0 He knows that but it doesn\u2019t stop him seeing them around town.\u201d\u00a0 Marie tried to cool the conversation.\u00a0 She knew that once Ben got on to the thorny subject of Rick Bonner his temper would get the better of him.\u00a0 She cuddled closer \u201cHoss and Joe are in bed and Adam\u2019s reading stories. Let\u2019s just enjoy the peace and quiet for once and talk about something else.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLike what?\u201d\u00a0 Ben grumbled, only slightly mollified.<\/p>\n Marie cast her mind around for a topic that wouldn\u2019t be controversial, there wasn\u2019t one.\u00a0 If she mentioned the planned trip to Genoa, he\u2019d worry about leaving Adam and Hoss; if she mentioned the ranch, he’d start in about the bad weather affecting the spring roundup and if she mentioned the new furnishings she was planning, he\u2019d worry about money.\u00a0 She sighed.\u00a0 \u201cLike how about an early night.\u201d\u00a0 She giggled.<\/p>\n Ben turned to her and smiled then kissed her lightly on the cheek.\u00a0 She reached her hand up to his chin and turned him towards her making her kiss more passionate.<\/p>\n \u201cUh\u2026umm\u2026\u201d\u00a0 Adam cleared his throat as he reached the bottom of the stairs.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m just collecting my book then I\u2019m going back to my room to read.\u00a0 Is that okay?\u201d he grinned.<\/p>\n Marie and Ben broke apart, Ben embarrassed and Marie giggling.\u00a0 \u201cYes, of course.\u201d\u00a0 Ben grunted.<\/p>\n \u201cIs Little Joe asleep?\u201d\u00a0 Marie asked.<\/p>\n \u201cUhuh!\u2026, sound.\u201d Adam kept his grin and picked up his book.\u00a0 \u201cNight Pa, night Marie.\u201d He called as he bounded up the stairs.<\/p>\n Marie got to her feet and tried to pull Ben to his but he resisted.\u00a0 \u201cCome on, we can look in on Hoss and Joe as we go up.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben frowned.\u00a0 \u201cAdam\u2019ll still be awake.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen we will have to be very quiet, won\u2019t we?\u201d she whispered, kissing him as she pulled him to his feet.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n By Saturday the weather had improved and the first signs of spring were showing themselves in the Washoe Valley.\u00a0 The meadows wore skirts of lush green, here and there dotted with wild flowers and the sun sparkled on the lake.\u00a0 Ben whistled as he harnessed the wagon for a trip into town.\u00a0 Little Joe was playing a game of chase with Hoss in the yard and their laughter made him smile.\u00a0 Hoss seemed to have got over his bad mood or perhaps it was just the prospect of no school for two days.<\/p>\n \u201cHere, finish this off for me son, while I go and hurry Marie.\u201d Ben asked his oldest son as Adam emerged from the house and dodged his brothers’ game.<\/p>\n \u201cSure, Pa,\u201d\u00a0 Adam grinned.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know why it takes her hours to dress for a trip to town.\u201d Ben grumbled as he walked away.<\/p>\n Adam finished tightening and checking the harness on the team and then tied the reins around the brake.\u00a0 As he was finishing, Hoss and Joe raced up to him, Joe dodging behind his older brother to avoid being caught.\u00a0 Adam pulled him forward and picked him up.\u00a0 \u201cYou can\u2019t have him, Hoss, he\u2019s all mine.\u201d\u00a0 Adam laughed as he began to tickle his little brother.<\/p>\n Joe squirmed and giggled but he was held fast.\u00a0 “Time to get you in the wagon,” Adam laughed, hoisting his little brother over the side on to a pile of sacks, which made a comfy seat for them all for the trip to town.<\/p>\n Hoss leaned on the side of the wagon and sighed.\u00a0 “You think Pa’d let me drive on my own today?\u00a0\u00a0 I’m pretty near as big as you and he let’s you do it.\u00a0 How old was you when you drove on your own for the first time?”<\/p>\n Adam was proud of his skills with a wagon and team and couldn’t help boasting a little.\u00a0 “Yeah, well I’ve been driving for years.\u00a0 I mean I helped Pa bring the wagon all the way from Independence.”<\/p>\n Hoss frowned. “Yeah, but you didn’t drive it on your own, didya?\u00a0 The one we brought here first off was bigger than this one.”<\/p>\n Adam thought back to the days on the prairie and made a few adjustments to show himself in a good light.\u00a0 “Sometimes I did, ‘specially after you were born and Pa was busy with the stock,”\u00a0 he boasted, conveniently forgetting that there was always another adult alongside him and he was only permitted to drive on the flat desert trail.<\/p>\n Hoss looked up at his older brother with admiration. If Adam had been allowed to drive a Conestoga wagon with four horses at eight then Pa would have no problem with him driving this one with two at ten, surely.\u00a0 He was much bigger and stronger than Adam had been at the same age.\u00a0 As luck would have it Ben and Marie were just emerging from the house and Hoss ran over to put in his request. “Pa, can I drive today?”<\/p>\n Ben wasn’t really paying attention or he would have seen and heard the underlying word alone.<\/em>\u00a0 “I don’t see why not, if your mother doesn’t mind being squashed a bit on the seat.”<\/p>\n “She don’t have to be squashed, if’n you ride in the back, Pa.”\u00a0 Hoss replied, eagerly.<\/p>\n Ben nodded slowly, “Ah, I see.\u00a0 No, I’m sorry Hoss but you aren’t strong enough yet to handle a loaded wagon on your own.”<\/p>\n For a second Hoss’ face fell, then he thought again, Pa was always fair and if Adam could drive a wagon and a much bigger one than this at eight, well\u2026\u00a0 “But, Pa, Adam says\u2026”<\/p>\n Ben misunderstood what was coming next and interrupted, “I am not interested in what your older brother has been telling you, I <\/em>decide and the answer is no and I don’t want to hear another word on the subject,” he said, firmly.<\/p>\n Hoss was about to protest again when his father’s hand caught his arm and propelled him toward the back of the wagon.<\/p>\n “Now get up there and let’s get moving, we’re late enough as it is.”<\/p>\n Hoss climbed into the wagon grumbling under his breath very quietly and settled himself next to Adam, who had vaulted over the side while they were talking.\u00a0 Adam’s grin just made him madder and he subsided into a sulk as the wagon moved off.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Town was a fancy word for Johntown, it boasted one trading post, one tented saloon, a so- called livery stable, a school house which served as a church and a collection of miners\u2019 shacks and tents but it did cover a wide area. There wasn’t much for the boys to do but Ben still thought it necessary to issue warnings and instructions, before he and Marie went into to the post to collect supplies.\u00a0 Saturday was the day when the outlying homesteaders and farmers could be sure of meeting in the store and the wives could catch up on the gossip.\u00a0 It could take more than two hours to complete the transactions in between conversations and during this time the boys could wander and meet their friends.<\/p>\n Adam was relieved when Marie announced that Little Joe needed new boots and so he would be accompanying his parents instead of being left in the charge of his older brothers.\u00a0 He loved his little brother dearly but it did somewhat limit his activities to have a four-year-old in tow.\u00a0 He was more surprised when Hoss elected to go too.\u00a0 The family wagon came to a halt behind a half dozen similar ones and Adam spotted his friend Ross right away.\u00a0 He was loading supplies into the Marquette wagon at the head of the line.<\/p>\n “Hey, skinny!”\u00a0 Adam called out.<\/p>\n “Hey, yourself,”\u00a0 Ross yelled back.\u00a0 “Some of us have to work for a living.”<\/p>\n Adam grinned and took hold of one end of a sack of grain to help his buddy.\u00a0 “I’ll have to work, once Pa has made his purchases,” he grinned,\u00a0 “and I get homework to do.”<\/p>\n “Your choice, buddy, me, I prefer a pay packet.\u00a0 Got my wages today, wanna go spend some of it?”<\/p>\n Adam eyed up the store entrance.\u00a0 Pa was already talking to a couple of homesteaders and Marie had gone inside.\u00a0 “Yeah, why not,”\u00a0 He replied.<\/p>\n Ross raised a hand to his father who was talking a few feet away.\u00a0 “Half an hour, okay, Pa?” he asked.<\/p>\n Paul Marquette nodded, “Don’t make it no longer, I want to get down to Davis’ and pick up that harness I ordered, then we head home.”<\/p>\n Ross acknowledged the instructions and then turned back to Adam.\u00a0 “Okay, I can stand you a beer.”<\/p>\n Adam frowned “Okay, if we make it quick.\u00a0 Pa’ll have a fit if he sees me in Pete’s.”<\/p>\n The two boys took the long way around to the tented saloon and were soon enjoying a beer.\u00a0 Several other friends came up to them and it was obvious to Adam that his old school friends made this a regular meeting place on a Saturday.<\/p>\n “Hey, Adam, you get let off the leash or sumthin’?” a familiar voice broke into the conversations.<\/p>\n “Hi, Rick,” Adam responded, ignoring the implied insult.<\/p>\n Rick Bonner was a year older than Adam, and they had a volatile relationship, sometimes friendly but more often sparring. Rick worked spasmodically at the livery stable and his younger brother Jeff did chores for anyone who would pay him a few dollars.\u00a0 Most of what they earned went on beer and poker and very little back to their stepmother or little half-sister.\u00a0 Their father was more than halfway through a long jail sentence and Mrs Bonner took in the miners’ washing to make ends meet.<\/p>\n “Shouldn’t you be working, Rick?”\u00a0 Adam asked.\u00a0 The last thing Adam needed was for his father to find out he had been drinking with Rick.<\/p>\n “Nah, won a fair bit in a poker game yesterday, don’t need to work this week.\u00a0 I’m checking out some business deals for my Pa.”\u00a0 Rick replied.<\/p>\n Both Ross and Adam swung toward him startled. “Your Pa!”\u00a0 Ross exclaimed, “He’s in jail in Sacramento, ain’t he?” knowing full well he was, it had been Paul Marquette and Ben Cartwright that had put him there after a bout of cattle rustling.<\/p>\n “Gets out next month,”\u00a0 Rick grinned.\u00a0 “We’re gonna go into the cattle business.”<\/p>\n “Thought that’s what he was in when he went to jail.”\u00a0 Adam said, sourly, remembering how and when Bonner had been put away for rustling the Ponderosa steers among others.<\/p>\n “All legal and above board this time,”\u00a0 Rick said, “We’re gonna offer to trail cattle from here to the gold fields and maybe all the way up from Texas too.\u00a0 Beef fetches good prices in California.”<\/p>\n Ross sniffed. He couldn’t see folks around here trusting the Bonners with a herd.\u00a0 The cattle and the money would never be seen again.<\/p>\n Adam drained the last of the beer and set his glass down.\u00a0 “I’d better be getting back before Pa misses me.”<\/p>\n “Yeah, I told Pa half-an-hour and it\u2019s been more than that already.”\u00a0 Ross added, following his friend’s lead.<\/p>\n “Yeah, you do that, don’t want to upset your Daddy now do we?”\u00a0 Rick scoffed at Adam.\u00a0 “You keep going to school like a good little boy and running errands for your Pa.”<\/p>\n Ross gripped his friend’s arm, “C’mon, Adam, don’t let him get to you, he ain’t worth it.”\u00a0 He could feel Adam’s muscles tense and knew that trouble wasn’t far off.<\/p>\n The two boys turned to leave and as they went through the opening into the street, Rick called after them.\u00a0 “If you ever cut loose from your Daddy’s apron, you come and see me and I’ll show you how to be a man.”<\/p>\n Ross caught Adam’s arm as his friend turned.\u00a0 “Don’t!” he said sharply.<\/p>\n “I oughta punch him in the mouth,” Adam grumbled.<\/p>\n “Oh sure, get yourself hurt, and get both of us in trouble for being in Pete’s.\u00a0 Just cool off,”\u00a0 Ross’ tone was one of exasperation.<\/p>\n Adam shook himself free of Ross’ grasp.\u00a0 “I’m all right now.\u00a0 Someday, I’ll show him.”<\/p>\n Ross just shook his head and continued to walk back to the mercantile.\u00a0 He hoped that when the ‘someday’ came he’d be a hundred miles away.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam made his way back to the family wagon and leaned against it waiting for his family to return.\u00a0 Suddenly he heard the shouts of \u2018fight, fight\u2019 from a group of youngster in the side street.\u00a0 He ran to the corner to take a look.\u00a0 At first he couldn\u2019t see much.\u00a0 It looked as though a group of boys were picking on another.\u00a0 He recognised most of them including Jeff Bonner, who was leaning against the store wall nursing a bloodied nose.\u00a0 Then, as a boy of about twelve went flying past him after being given a haymaker of a punch, he realised that the victim <\/em>was his younger brother.\u00a0 Hoss was more than holding his own against three or four opponents all older than himself, but Adam felt obliged to wade in and help.\u00a0 One Cartwright was formidable, but two made overwhelming odds, at least that\u2019s the way the other boys saw it and they soon beat a hasty retreat.<\/p>\n Adam dusted himself down then set about attending to his younger brother.\u00a0 \u201cWhat started all that?\u201d he asked, his tone showing his disapproval.\u00a0 \u201cYou know Pa don\u2019t like us to get into fights.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss wiped some blood from his mouth with the sleeve of his jacket, making Adam fish in his pocket for a handkerchief to hand to him.<\/p>\n \u201cThey was making fun of you,\u201d Hoss mumbled, \u201cSo I told \u2018em to shut up, they didn\u2019t, so I hit \u2018em.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam took a moment to digest what his brother had said, \u201cME!\u201d he exclaimed.\u00a0 \u201cThey were making fun of ME?\u201d\u00a0 He stood back in amazement.\u00a0 He had assumed the boys had been making fun of Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cWhat about me?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n Hoss made another unsuccessful attempt to stop the blood flow from his split lip, \u201cJeff said you wuz \u2026well you wuz yeller.\u00a0 He said you allus has your head in a book an\u2019 you stayed at school \u2018cos you weren\u2019t no good on the ranch an\u2019 Pa wouldn\u2019t let ya do nuthin\u2019 anyways.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam cursed then turned to march off.<\/p>\n \u201cI told \u2018em you could do stuff.\u00a0 I said you could drive a wagon better\u2019n Jeff\u2019s brother.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss called out.<\/p>\n Adam was already almost out of earshot and he only heard half of the remark.\u00a0 It was nice of Hoss to defend him but Pa would be mad if he found out about the fight.\u00a0 When Hoss came up to him he saw that hiding it was going to be difficult.\u00a0 Hoss\u2019 lip was now three times its usual size.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHow can we trust you left alone with Hop Sing while we go to Genoa, if I can\u2019t even leave you for five minutes while I am in the store a few feet away?\u201d\u00a0 Ben yelled.\u00a0 He was pacing up and down the Ponderosa living room while his two older sons stared at the floorboards.\u00a0 \u201cI thought you were keeping an eye on your brother.\u201d\u00a0 He added, directing a stern glare at Adam.<\/p>\n Adam sighed.\u00a0 \u201cI thought he was old enough to look after himself.\u201d\u00a0 He grumbled under his breath, but unfortunately not quietly enough.<\/p>\n Ben swung around from his last pass across the room and pointed a finger at his oldest son.\u00a0 \u201cWell you were wrong there, weren\u2019t you?\u00a0 That\u2019s your trouble you do too much thinking, either that or you\u2019ve got your head stuffed into a book.\u00a0 I suppose you were off somewhere reading.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam debated the wisdom of defending himself.\u00a0 If Pa started down that road it would only be a matter of time before he was forced to confess his visit to Dutch Pete\u2019s.\u00a0 He held his tongue and allowed his father to assume his guess had been a correct one.<\/p>\n Ben let out a sigh. \u201cGo on, get on with your chores and no more fighting from either of you.\u201d<\/p>\n He waited until the boys had left then turned to Marie\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m not sure it\u2019s a good idea to leave them while we are in Genoa, it\u2019s two days and heaven knows what they can get into in that time.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBen, Adam\u2019s sixteen, almost a man, and Hop Sing will be here to keep an eye on them.\u201d\u00a0 She knew what her husband was suggesting but she was reluctant to give up a trip.\u00a0 \u201cYou know you have to go to sort out the taxes and to see that cattle buyer and I was so looking forward to some time alone with you.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben laughed. \u201cAlone!\u00a0 With Little Joe, along!\u00a0 What you mean is you were hoping for a visit with Kate and the Milfords on the way back and a good gossip.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBen!\u00a0 We don\u2019t gossip, we catch up on each other\u2019s news.\u201d\u00a0 Marie tried to look shocked but spoiled the effect with a giggle.<\/p>\n \u201cAlright, we\u2019ll go, but those boys had better behave themselves,\u201d he growled.<\/p>\n Marie grinned and raised an eyebrow, \u201cI\u2019m sure you\u2019ll make that more than clear to them before we leave.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hoss stood on the bottom rail of the corral and leaned his arms on the top one, bending forward as much as he could to watch his older brother working with one of the yearlings.\u00a0 It was Saturday afternoon and he was bored.\u00a0 Pa and Marie had been gone for hours and he had finished his chores.\u00a0 Now he was waiting for Adam to finish in the hope that they could go somewhere, maybe fishing or exploring.\u00a0 Pa had forbidden swimming, saying it was still too early in the year.\u00a0 Mind, Pa had forbidden most everything that was fun.<\/p>\n \u201cYou \u2018bout done?\u201d\u00a0 Hoss asked for the fifth time in ten minutes.<\/p>\n Adam walked over to the rail and nodded.\u00a0 \u201cOkay, I\u2019ll stop now, but I gotta do a few other things before we can go anywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss gave a long weary sigh and Adam grinned.\u00a0 \u201cOkay, I\u2019ll leave the rest until we get back.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhere we goin\u2019?\u201d\u00a0 Hoss asked eagerly.<\/p>\n \u201cInto town,\u201d Was Adam\u2019s confident reply.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re meeting Ross.\u00a0 He\u2019s coming back with us and staying overnight.<\/p>\n Hoss\u2019 eyes widened, \u201cWe \u2018llowed?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPa never said we couldn\u2019t.\u201d\u00a0 Adam said slowly.\u00a0 \u201cHop Sing won\u2019t mind, we\u2019ll be back for supper and evening chores and he always likes having Ross to praise his cooking.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hoss leaned against one of the old Conestoga wagons in the school yard and finished off the last of the peppermint sticks he had bought.\u00a0 He had planned to save some for his older brother but the temptation had been too much.\u00a0 He had played marbles with his friends for a while, then hung around one of the claims to see if any gold was being washed out today, but now he was bored.\u00a0 He had been waiting for Adam for ages.\u00a0 His older brother had told him to be here by five and he had checked with the mercantile and it had been five to then, now it must be almost half past.<\/p>\n Five more minutes passed before he saw a group of boys coming down the street.\u00a0 He recognised the Bonner brothers first and decided to ask them if they had seen Adam.\u00a0 He knew his older brother was supposed to stay away from Rick Bonner, but it was an order Adam rarely obeyed.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, Hoss,\u201d Rick greeted him before he could open his mouth, \u201cYou waitin\u2019 on Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss nodded and swallowed a mouth full of sticky candy.\u00a0 \u201cYou seen him?\u201d<\/p>\n Rick chuckled. \u201cNot since he threw up out back of Pete\u2019s.\u00a0 He was looking kinda green.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss\u2019 round face creased into a worried frown.\u00a0 \u201cYou mean he\u2019s sick?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n \u201cNah, just a bit drunk,\u201d\u00a0 Rick and the others laughed\u00a0 \u201cNot man enough to hold his drink, your brother.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot man enough for much\u2026\u201d Another older boy laughed.\u00a0 \u201cSaid he had to look out for his little brother and get home to do his chores, or his daddy would get mad at him.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss didn\u2019t like the way they were talking about his brother but he remembered the trouble he had been in just a few days before when he had defended him so he kept quiet.<\/p>\n Adam turned the corner of the school yard and looked up to see the group of boys gathered around his brother.\u00a0 Ross was half supporting his friend but he didn\u2019t feel too good either.\u00a0 Adam felt like death, his mouth tasted awful and his head ached, his stomach was now empty but it still felt queasy.\u00a0 He was not in the mood to face any more of Rick\u2019s teasing but they had to get home.\u00a0 He approached cautiously, hoping Hoss would take a hint and come and meet him, but Hoss seemed rooted to the spot.<\/p>\n \u201cWell if it isn\u2019t the man himself.\u201d\u00a0 Rick yelled, making the others turn towards Adam.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t\u2019cha mean boy?\u201d another called out.<\/p>\n Jeff Bonner nudged Hoss, \u201cYou wanna get yourself a real big brother like Rick.\u00a0 You\u2019re more of a man than he is.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAdam can do anything your brother can do and<\/em> other stuff.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss yelled back; no longer able to keep his temper.<\/p>\n \u201cOh yeah, like what?\u201d\u00a0 Jeff came back at him.<\/p>\n Hoss glanced around for inspiration and his eye fell on the wagons.\u00a0 \u201cMy brother can drive one o\u2019 them, he\u2019s bin doin\u2019 it since he was smaller than me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh yeah, well he\u2019s still smaller than you.\u201d\u00a0 Jeff laughed in Hoss\u2019 face.<\/p>\n Rick had half overheard the exchange and his eyes lit up.\u00a0 \u201cHey, Adam your brother here says you can drive one of them wagons.\u00a0 I got a dollar says you can\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou can, cain\u2019t ya, Adam?\u201d Hoss jumped in, now desperate to have Adam look good in front of these boys.<\/p>\n \u201cShut up, kid.\u00a0 You don\u2019t know nuthin\u2019 you\u2019re just dumb.\u00a0 The smart Adam Cartwright\u2019s got a dumb brother.\u00a0 One of the other boys taunted<\/p>\n Adam had missed most of what had been said but he couldn\u2019t miss the appealing look in his brother\u2019s eyes.\u00a0 He hesitated.\u00a0 His boast to his younger brother had been just that; sure he had driven a wagon but nothing as big as the Conestoga\u2019s in the yard.\u00a0 The wagons were old and falling apart and he was pretty sure Rick couldn\u2019t find any others that they could use.\u00a0 Maybe, just maybe he wouldn\u2019t be called on to actually back up his brag and if he was, well a short drive at the back of the school couldn\u2019t be too difficult, could it?\u00a0 Hoss was almost begging him to say something.\u00a0 He hated to see his younger brother so upset.<\/p>\n \u201cSure I can drive it,\u201d\u00a0 He replied, with more confidence than he felt.<\/p>\n Rick choked a little, now not so sure of himself.\u00a0 \u201cSo put your money up then.\u201d\u00a0 He challenged, not able to back out now.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cRoss you hold the stakes.\u201d\u00a0 He slapped a dollar into Ross\u2019s hand, surprising the boy.<\/p>\n Ross glanced apprehensively at his friend as another dollar was added to the first.\u00a0 \u201cYou sure about this?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n Adam nodded. \u201cHey, what say we make it a race?\u201d\u00a0 He bit his lip hoping that challenged in this way Rick would back down.<\/p>\n Now it was Rick\u2019s turn to prevaricate.\u00a0 He had never expected Adam to go this far.\u00a0 He\u2019d felt sure Adam would back down.\u00a0 He\u2019d driven a team lots of times but never with a wagon this big.\u00a0 He felt the eyes of all the other boys on him and knew he would lose face if he refused.\u00a0 Maybe if he pushed it just a little further.<\/p>\n \u201cSure, how about from here to the bottom of Six Mile canyon.\u201d he challenged.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe start at the cemetery so we don\u2019t have to race through town,\u201d he added.\u00a0 He could tell from Adam\u2019s white face that he had hit his target but he wasn\u2019t prepared for his opponent\u2019s stubborn nature.<\/p>\n Adam swallowed hard, the bile he had been trying so hard to keep down had risen into his mouth again.\u00a0 \u201cWhere we gonna get two teams?\u201d he asked, hoping Rick had no more idea than he had.<\/p>\n \u201cWe do it tomorrow when folks is in church.\u00a0 I\u2019ll get a team from the freight yard, no one goes there Sundays \u2018ceptin\u2019 early morning and late evenin\u2019.\u00a0 You can bring a team from the Ponderosa, cain\u2019t ya?\u00a0 Your Pa\u2019s away.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam felt like a cornered animal, there was no way out that wouldn\u2019t mark him as a coward and Hoss as a liar.\u00a0 He nodded.\u00a0 \u201cTomorrow, ten minutes after church starts then.\u201d\u00a0 He agreed reluctantly, trying to ignore the look of triumph on Hoss\u2019 face and the sheer horror on Ross\u2019.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Later when they had eaten their fill of Hop Sing\u2019s chicken dumplings and Hoss had retired to his own room.\u00a0 The two older boys talked as they waited for sleep to come.\u00a0 As was usual when the two were together it was a long time coming.<\/p>\n \u201cYou worried about tomorra\u2019?\u201d\u00a0 Ross asked looking up at Adam from his position on a mattress laid out on the floor.<\/p>\n Adam was glad that in the half-light Ross wouldn\u2019t see his face.\u00a0 He knew he was more than worried, he was scared.\u00a0 Despite his boasting, he had never driven anything as big as those wagons and the run from the cemetery to the bottom of the canyon was down one of the worst trails in the area, plunging from Mount Davidson into the valley.\u00a0 He vaguely remembered the trek out here from Missouri and how the wagons had been eased gently down slopes like that one, some with brakes catching fire from the friction as the drivers tried to help the teams.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, not really,\u201d\u00a0 Adam lied.<\/p>\n Ross grunted.\u00a0 \u201cLiar!\u00a0 If you ain\u2019t scared you oughta be.\u00a0 First off you ain\u2019t never driven a wagon that big and you know it.\u00a0 Second you must be crazy to wanna take anything down the canyon, my Pa worries about the buckboard when she\u2019s fully loaded and he\u2019s been driving it for years.\u201d\u00a0 He rolled on to his side and tried to see his friend\u2019s expression, \u201cAnd third you could kill yourself, that\u2019s if your Pa don\u2019t do it for you, when he hears about you borrowin\u2019 his horses for this crazy stunt.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam knew that every word Ross spoke was the truth but he couldn\u2019t and wouldn\u2019t back out now.\u00a0 \u201cPa won\u2019t know about it.\u00a0 He\u2019s not back until supper time and the horses\u2019ll be back in the yard by then.\u201d<\/p>\n Ross grunted.\u00a0 \u201cWell I\u2019m darn glad I\u2019m not caught up in this one.\u201d\u00a0 He rolled onto his side with his back to Adam and closed his eyes.<\/p>\n Adam lay awake for a long time.\u00a0 Ross\u2019s even breathing told him that his friend had gone to sleep but then he had no worries.\u00a0 Pa was going to be awful mad at him if the horses were hurt, but then he wouldn’t be there to worry, he’d be dead, like as not.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Although they didn\u2019t attend church, Adam had never prayed so hard or been so sincere in his prayers as he was that Sunday morning. It had taken every bit of cunning to sneak out of the yard this morning with a team of horses and one of Adam\u2019s prayers was that Jake hadn\u2019t seen them go and wouldn\u2019t check the corral until evening feed time. The two boys headed for the school-yard, where a group of youngsters were already gathered.\u00a0 Adam began checking the harness.<\/p>\n \u201cWhich wagon d\u2019you want?\u201d\u00a0 Rick asked.<\/p>\n Adam shrugged \u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter, they are the same.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFine, I\u2019ll have the one with the back board missin\u2019\u201d Rick replied indicating the nearest wagon.<\/p>\n Neither boy thought to do more than give the wagons a cursory look.\u00a0 Rick hitched up his team and slowly drew the big wagon out into the back trail that led behind the town to the cemetery.<\/p>\n The wagon Adam was left with had been hidden behind the first and its timbers were not so weathered, as it had been better protected by its neighbour.\u00a0 He harnessed his team and nervously climbed aboard.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll go watch from the stones.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss suggested, naming a vantage-point above the trail about a mile away.<\/p>\n Adam bit his lip. Hoss wasn\u2019t supposed to wander the hills on his own but there was no other choice and at least from there he\u2019d be able to see the wagon on most of its journey.\u00a0\u00a0 He nodded \u201cYou don\u2019t go off anywheres else, you hear?\u201d\u00a0 This admonition soothed his conscience just a little.<\/p>\n The team was experienced and the lightest touch set them moving and Adam felt his confidence grow, this was no different than driving a laden buckboard or the wagon they used for carrying fence posts and the like.\u00a0 The trail to the cemetery was flat and well worn and he had no trouble driving up alongside Rick at the start.<\/p>\n \u201cWe go along the bottom of the cemetery then turn and follow the trail down to the main trail to Eagle Station.\u201d\u00a0 Rick shouted from atop his wagon.\u00a0 \u201cFirst one to the fork is the winner.\u00a0 Jeff you and Ross go down there and be ready to decide the winner.\u201d<\/p>\n Ross nodded nervously, he really wanted no part of this but a duty to his friend kept him from saying so.\u00a0 \u201cYou wait ten minutes before you start then, we gotta get our horses clear of the trail and down to the bottom in plenty of time.\u201d<\/p>\n Rick snorted. Ross really was an old woman.\u00a0 They could take the saddle horses over the hills and be there an age before the wagons.\u00a0 Never the less they waited the ten minutes and then one of the other boys started them off, before racing off to join the others.\u00a0 The first part of the road was wide and the wagons could travel more or less side by side, but then as it neared the entrance to the canyon road it narrowed and began to wind down to the valley.\u00a0\u00a0 Adam drove cautiously and was soon left in Rick\u2019s dust.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t let this worry him, accepting the challenge was bad enough. He didn\u2019t plan on killing himself trying to win the race.\u00a0 Turning a bend he could see Rick about a quarter of a mile ahead of him, the big wagon swaying from side to side as it negotiated the rough terrain.\u00a0 Carefully, Adam eased the team around the curve, now driving didn\u2019t seem so easy.\u00a0 The wagon was moving faster than he would like and applying the brake made little difference.\u00a0 His nervousness flowed through the lines to the team and they were less controlled.<\/p>\n From his rock at the summit Hoss had a good view of the road.\u00a0 He had worried when the wagons passed from sight then relaxed again as first Rick\u2019s wagon then Adam\u2019s came into view.\u00a0 Adam was well behind now and there was little chance that he would catch Rick, even when the road allowed them to pass each other.\u00a0 Hoss could see the wagons swaying and he worried for his brother, wishing he had never started this dare.<\/p>\n Adam was concentrating hard on negotiating the tight bends and slowing the team, so hard that he wasn\u2019t aware of what was happening ahead of him until he heard a loud thud followed by several more.\u00a0\u00a0 He took his eyes from the trail for a moment and looked ahead; there was no sign of Rick\u2019s wagon.\u00a0 Then he heard a lot of yelling from high in the rocks and saw the group of boys plunging down the hillside toward the road below him.\u00a0 He tried to slow his team but the horses weren\u2019t responding, they hit the next curve at speed and he felt a jolt as the wagon hit a rut.\u00a0 His wagon was travelling slower than Rick\u2019s had been but it still took every bit of his strength and skill to keep the wagon upright.\u00a0 It seemed to be an age before the wagon came to a shuddering halt very close to the edge of the ravine.\u00a0 Shaking, Adam climbed down, a little afraid that his legs wouldn\u2019t hold him.<\/p>\n Once on the ground he rushed to the edge.\u00a0 Fifteen or so feet below the trail Rick\u2019s wagon had come to a halt too, on its side as he watched the wagon rocked and fell back on to its wheels, collapsing as it did so.\u00a0 One horse was trapped and screaming in pain, the others were standing to one side still harnessed to the now broken wagon.\u00a0 Of Rick, Adam could see no sign.<\/p>\n He scrambled down the slope heedless of the thorns tearing at his clothes.\u00a0 He reached the wagon almost at the same moment as the boys who had been observing from above.\u00a0\u00a0 Seeing the destruction and hearing the horse screaming, two of the boys turned and ran back toward town, wanting nothing to do with the consequences of the race.\u00a0\u00a0 Jeff Bonner was yelling for his brother, his terrified voice adding to the sense of chaos and unreality.<\/p>\n Adam took in the scene quickly, it was obvious that Rick was either under the wagon or had been thrown clear and was lying somewhere in the scrub.\u00a0 He swallowed hard, what if Rick had been killed?\u00a0 He was here with a ten year old, a couple of boys who were more interested in the macabre scene than in helping, Ross, who seemed rooted to the spot and Rick\u2019s brother who was hysterical. Dismayed but practical, he took charge.\u00a0 \u201cYou two unharness those horses,\u201d he ordered.\u00a0 He turned to his younger brother,\u00a0 \u201cHoss climb up to the other wagon and fetch my gun.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss, was surprised but did as he was asked without question.\u00a0 The others took a moment to respond but they too recognised the authority in Adam\u2019s voice and got on with the tasks assigned.\u00a0 Adam glanced at Ross and together they moved to the wagon.\u00a0\u00a0 Only Jeff was left wandering distractedly around the scrub.<\/p>\n Adam leaned down to look under the wagon, holding his breath in fear of what he might find.\u00a0 Rick was lying with his legs trapped under the wagon axle, which had broken and the weight of the wagon was pinning it to the ground.\u00a0 Ross went to crawl under but Adam held out a hand to stop him.<\/p>\n \u201cHold on, it might not be safe. No sense in us gettin\u2019 hurt too.\u201d\u00a0 He looked around for inspiration.\u00a0\u00a0 The horses had now been parted from the wagon shaft and it was lying broken on the ground.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe we could wedge that under the wagon and give it some more support,\u201d he said, doubtfully.<\/p>\n Hoss ran up to him with the old flintlock.\u00a0 \u201cHere it is, Adam.\u00a0 What ya gonna do?\u201d his voice wavered, he had a pretty good idea of his brother\u2019s intentions.\u00a0 Hoss hated to see any animal killed but he hated even more to see them in pain.<\/p>\n Adam didn\u2019t answer.\u00a0 He simply went about loading the gun He was careful but moved as quickly as he could.\u00a0 When it was done, he took a deep breath and swallowed hard before aiming at the injured horse that had now stopped writhing in agony and lay with its leg at an unnatural angle breathing heavily.\u00a0 The shot echoed around the valley, bouncing off the rocks and reverberating against the mountainside.\u00a0\u00a0 By the time he had checked to see that he had done the job properly, Ross had brought up the shaft and was positioning it so that the wagon couldn\u2019t slip any further.<\/p>\n Hoss stood back with tears in his eyes as the two boys tried to reach Rick.\u00a0 Jeff was more composed now and he anxiously knelt beside the wagon calling his brother\u2019s name.\u00a0 The other two boys had moved away nervously, not wanting to be involved but too fascinated to leave.<\/p>\n \u201cOne of us is gonna have to crawl under and pull him out,\u201d\u00a0 Ross said nervously.\u00a0 Every time they moved the wagon rocked dangerously even with the extra support.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll do it.\u201d\u00a0 Adam replied, his voice shaking a little. \u201cYou keep clear and make sure the others stay out of the way too.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss had been watching the wagon move and he was afraid for his brother.\u00a0 He almost reached out a hand to stop him, but then he withdrew it, knowing that someone had to get to Rick.<\/p>\n Adam inched his way slowly under the wagon and carefully checked Rick\u2019s breathing.\u00a0 He noted that the axle was resting across his legs and to move him he\u2019d have to lift the wagon a little.\u00a0 He called out to Ross.\u00a0 \u201cIf you could all take the weight of the wagon at the front, I think I can get him out.\u201d<\/p>\n Ross called to the two boys watching but both shook their heads, saying it was too dangerous.\u00a0 Ross looked at the other help available.\u00a0 Jeff was still very upset and not thinking straight and although only a couple of years younger than his brother he was a weedy looking youngster.\u00a0 Ross himself was rail thin and although he had a wiry strength he wasn\u2019t sure he could support a wagon, and Hoss, although big and strong for his age was not yet eleven.\u00a0 He sucked in a breath, \u201cWe\u2019ll give it a try.\u201d<\/p>\n Ross took one side while Jeff and Hoss lined up on the other and at Adam\u2019s command they lifted.\u00a0\u00a0 Painfully slowly Adam began to drag Rick clear, he pulled the boy to one side clear of the axle and then inched his way back toward the edge of the wagon.\u00a0 Suddenly with no warning the rotten wood broke away on the side Ross was holding, the wagon lurched and Jeff let go too.<\/p>\n All Hoss could think of was his brother\u2019s safety and as the whole weight of the wagon was left in his hands he drew on some superhuman strength and held on.\u00a0 The wagon bed had dropped to within inches of Adam\u2019s head as he ducked in an effort to avoid being crushed.<\/p>\n \u201cHurry Adam, I can\u2019t hold it,\u201d Hoss screamed, as he tried to get a better grip on the timbers, tearing the skin on his hands in the process.<\/p>\n In one last manic effort Adam dragged Rick free and then rolled out as the wagon came crashing down, splintering and digging into the sand beneath it.\u00a0 He lay on his back breathing heavily as the fear left him.<\/p>\n Jeff and Ross rushed to Rick but Hoss\u2019 only thought was for his brother. \u201cYou okay, Adam?\u201d he asked, wide eyed.<\/p>\n Adam nodded. He had no breath left to speak.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Four very worried boys sat in the shack that the doctor used as an office an hour later waiting for the verdict on Rick. The doctor wasn\u2019t actually qualified as one, but everyone called him that.\u00a0 He had once worked in an army field hospital as an orderly and his rudimentary medical knowledge surpassed anything anyone else had.\u00a0 He had come here to prospect and found nothing so he\u2019d set himself up as a doctor, veterinarian and purveyor of patent medicines to the miners.<\/p>\n All were relieved to discover that apart from a nasty cut on his head and a few more on his legs he would be fine, there were no broken bones. \u201cHe\u2019s a lucky boy.\u201d\u00a0 The doctor glared at the others,\u00a0 \u201cWhat ever possessed you to do something so stupid?\u201d he asked of Adam.<\/p>\n Adam shook his head; it was going to be hard enough explaining to Mrs Bonner and his father without having to try to give reasons to the doctor.\u00a0 He idly wondered if he could keep it from Pa, but he knew Doc would tell the tale and one glance at his own clothes would alert his father to some kind of trouble.<\/p>\n Rick staggered to his feet and Jeff rushed to help him.\u00a0 \u201cWhat we gonna tell Mr Taylor?\u201d\u00a0 Jeff asked.\u00a0 The livery stable owner was not known for his sweet disposition.<\/p>\n Rick was in no state to respond as he held his bandaged head and groaned.<\/p>\n \u201cI took the three horses back.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss offered.<\/p>\n Ross glanced from Adam to Rick, \u201cHe\u2019s likely expecting four when he gets there tonight to feed \u2018em.\u201d\u00a0 He said sarcastically.\u00a0 Not for the first time today, he wondered why he had got himself mixed up in this mess.<\/p>\n Adam gave him a disapproving frown.\u00a0 It was all right for Ross, he could go home with a clear conscience, well almost.\u00a0 \u201cC\u2019mon Hoss, we\u2019d better get our team home before Jake throws a fit.\u201d<\/p>\n Rick glanced up at the Cartwright brothers.\u00a0 \u201cThanks Adam,\u201d he said softly.<\/p>\n Adam shrugged. \u201cDon\u2019t thank me, thank Hoss.\u00a0 He\u2019s was the one who held on to the wagon and stopped us both being killed.\u201d<\/p>\n Rick nodded then winced as the movement hurt his head.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, thanks Hoss.\u00a0 I\u2019m sorry I said you was dumb, you ain\u2019t\u2026you\u2019re both\u2026well good friends,\u201d he finished, embarrassed.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, well not good enough that I\u2019m gonna explain to Mr Taylor.\u201d\u00a0 Adam replied.\u00a0 \u201cThat little chore is yours.\u00a0 I got my Pa to handle.\u201d<\/p>\n The doctor was slowly putting away his instruments, \u201cThey hang horse thieves.\u201d\u00a0 He said quietly.<\/p>\n The boys\u2019 heads shot up in alarm.\u00a0 \u201cBut we meant to return \u2018em.\u201d\u00a0 Jeff squeaked.<\/p>\n \u201cBut you didn\u2019t\u201d the doctor continued inexorably.\u00a0 \u201cMr Taylor is short one horse.\u00a0 How you going to explain that?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo one saw us take them.\u201d\u00a0 Rick blustered.<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe, maybe not but I know you took \u2018em and Hoss might have been seen returning them,\u201d he said when he saw that Adam was less concerned than his friend. \u201cAll of you are involved.\u00a0 They call it being an accessory to a crime.\u00a0 Now I suggest you get yourselves over to Mr Taylor\u2019s house and explain and hope he\u2019s understanding and just let\u2019s you pay for the horse.\u00a0 If you don\u2019t then I\u2019ll be reporting all this to him tomorrow. \u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Outside the office the boys stood in a worried huddle.\u00a0 \u201cWhat we gonna do?\u201d\u00a0 Jeff asked, looking to his brother for a lead.<\/p>\n Some of Rick\u2019s normal bravado and disregard for authority had gone.\u00a0 He\u2019d never been faced with anything this serious before.\u00a0 He glanced at Adam for a lead.<\/p>\n Adam sighed.\u00a0 \u201cI guess we go talk to Mr Taylor before the doc does.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWill we really get hung?\u201d\u00a0 Hoss\u2019 voice quavered.<\/p>\n Adam shook his head. \u201cI think doc was just tryin\u2019 to scare us.\u201d\u00a0 He glanced at Rick knowing that it was a lie but warning him to keep quiet.\u00a0 The younger ones were probably safe but he and Ross and Rick could very well face such a fate.\u00a0 \u201cYou get on home and I\u2019ll follow with the horses after we\u2019ve seen Mr Taylor.\u201d\u00a0 Adam was trying to think fast.\u00a0 If Hoss went home at least one of them would stay out of trouble and if Pa got back early Hoss would be there and Pa might never know he\u2019d been involved.<\/p>\n Hoss was reluctant to leave without his brother, \u201cWhadda I say if Mama and Pa are home?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNuthin\u2019,\u201d Adam snapped. \u201cThen seeing his younger brother\u2019s worried expression he moderated his tone, \u201cTry not to say too much, maybe that I went to meet friends but no more if you can help it\u2026but don\u2019t lie for me.\u00a0 I\u2019ll think of something.\u201d<\/p>\n The other boys looked on enviously as Hoss rode away.<\/p>\n \u201cWish I was goin\u2019 with him.\u201d\u00a0 Ross grumbled.\u00a0 \u201cNone of this was my fault.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen go home,\u201d Adam responded, his fear making his temper short.<\/p>\n Ross shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cNah, I was there, I\u2019ll come along.\u201d<\/p>\n Zeke Taylor was relaxing in his parlor before going back to the livery stable to check out his stock and feed them.\u00a0 Sundays was his favorite day and he was mellow after a good meal and a whisky to chase it down.\u00a0 He saw the boys approaching from his window and wondered why those three were visiting.\u00a0 It didn\u2019t take long for him to find out even though the boys explained in halting sentences and with much hesitation and worried looks between them.<\/p>\n \u201cSo you\u2019s tellin\u2019 me, that you stole my horses and killed one \u2018o them?\u201d\u00a0 Zeke summed up.<\/p>\n \u201cWe were just borrowing them, Mr Taylor.\u201d\u00a0 Adam tried.<\/p>\n Zeke grunted, \u201cBorrowers gen\u2019lly asked first.\u201d\u00a0 He swung around to Rick, “You was the one as \u2018borrowed\u2019 \u2018em, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n Rick nodded.\u00a0 \u201cHow far you drive the wagon?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUh!\u201d\u00a0 Rick was nonplussed, what on earth did it matter?\u00a0 \u201cOh, almost to the last bend before the valley.\u201d He answered, mystified.<\/p>\n \u201cYou think you\u2019re a pretty good driver then?\u201d\u00a0 Zeke asked.<\/p>\n Again Rick was puzzled at the question.\u00a0 \u201cOkay, I guess, the wagon fell apart but I was doing okay up to then.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou start work for me tomorra, working the stables and the corral and maybe driving some.\u00a0 I\u2019ll pay you half wages until the debt\u2019s paid off.\u00a0 Fergit Pete\u2019s you ain\u2019t workin\u2019 there no more.\u201d<\/p>\n Rick\u2019s face showed his shock,\u00a0 \u201cWhat if I don\u2019t wanna work for you?\u201d he protested.\u00a0 Rick was no fool; he could see that work for Zeke would be hard.<\/p>\n \u201cThen I takes ya to Hangtown and finds a sheriff or maybe I don\u2019t bother with no law and jest hangs ya.\u201d\u00a0 Zeke replied.\u00a0 \u201cMakes no never mind to me.\u00a0 Folks round here be glad to have one less Bonner.\u201d<\/p>\n Rick swallowed hard,\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s a deal.\u201d\u00a0 He sighed.<\/p>\n \u201cKinda thought you might see it that way.\u201d\u00a0 Zeke muttered.\u00a0 \u201cNow git off with ya, I got another hour of peace due me.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam cleared his throat noisily,\u00a0 \u201cWhat about me and Ross?\u201d<\/p>\n Ross sighed and turned away, why couldn\u2019t Adam leave well enough alone?\u00a0 Zeke hadn\u2019t even mentioned them.<\/p>\n \u201cYour Pa know you bin using his horses to race?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam shook his head.<\/p>\n \u201cThen you tell him when you get home, you too.\u201d\u00a0 He nodded at Ross.\u00a0 \u201cI know your folks, I won\u2019t need to do nuthin\u2019, they\u2019ll take care of things.\u00a0 Now get on outta here.\u201d<\/p>\n Outside the three boys looked at one another.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d say you two got off lightly.\u201d\u00a0 Ross groaned, \u201cI don\u2019t see why I have to say nuthin\u2019, I didn\u2019t do anythin\u2019,\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo keep quiet and maybe your Pa won\u2019t find out.\u201d\u00a0 Rick suggested.<\/p>\n The boys went their separate ways, Ross mulling over what to do, Rick working on a way out of the hard work he knew was coming his way, and Adam going over in his head how to word all this to his father.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n By the time Adam arrived home he had it pretty much worked out.\u00a0 He would tell his father the bare minimum and hope there weren\u2019t too many questions.\u00a0 There was no need to involve Hoss and he could say that he drove, not raced and that\u2026 he stopped in mid thought as he saw his father standing on the front porch.\u00a0 Uh, oh!\u00a0 From his expression Pa already knew or at least he knew a bit more than the fact that Adam was late home.\u00a0 He opened the corral gate and allowed the four horses to run inside and then took Sport into the barn to unsaddle him.\u00a0 He had his back to the door and sensed, rather than heard, his father approach.\u00a0 He felt his muscles tense as he waited for his father to speak.<\/p>\n \u201cI believe you have something to tell me.\u201d\u00a0 Ben said quietly.<\/p>\n Adam pulled Sport\u2019s saddle from his back and heaved it on to the side wall of the stall.\u00a0 He hated it when Pa worded questions that way.\u00a0 For there was no doubt in his mind that it was a question but one to which Pa already knew at least some of the answer.\u00a0 He turned slowly to face his father, trying to buy himself some time.\u00a0 \u201cYou mean about the team?\u201d\u00a0 he replied carefully.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, I mean about the team.\u201d\u00a0 Ben barked back.\u00a0 \u201cSuch as where have you been with them?\u00a0 What were you doing?\u00a0 And why was your younger brother here alone?\u201d<\/p>\n Slowly, inexorably, Ben dragged the whole story from his son.\u00a0 Adam tried to prevaricate, to tell only the bare minimum but eventually he admitted defeat and the truth tumbled out.<\/p>\n \u201cI couldn\u2019t let Hoss down.\u201d\u00a0 Adam finished.<\/p>\n \u201cLet him down!\u201d\u00a0 Ben bellowed. \u201cYou think horse stealing, gambling on a Sunday and almost getting yourself killed and maybe him too, is the way to support him?\u201d<\/p>\n Put that way it didn\u2019t sound so good, Adam thought.\u00a0 \u201cThey called him dumb, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, you weren\u2019t thinking of that.\u00a0 You were defending yourself, weren\u2019t you?\u00a0 You didn\u2019t want to be called a coward; you didn\u2019t want to lose face in front of your friends.\u00a0 Well, Adam the only dumb one in this mess is YOU?\u00a0 You allowed yourself to be talked into something you knew was wrong and dangerous.\u00a0 In fact you WERE a coward, you took the easy route.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam protested but Ben cut him off.\u00a0 \u201cThe courageous thing to do would have been to walk away.\u00a0\u00a0 This isn\u2019t the first time we\u2019ve talked about Rick Bonner but it had better be the last.\u00a0 Do you understand that?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, sir,\u201d Adam almost whispered, feeling about five years old.<\/p>\n Ben sighed.\u00a0 He could recall doing things as a boy that were equally foolhardy and for much the same reasons.\u00a0 \u201cSince Rick is paying off his debts with work, you can do the same.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut Pa, I don\u2019t owe\u2026\u201d\u00a0 Adam started.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, yes you do boy.\u00a0 You owe me a measure of obedience, you owe Hoss your life and you owe it to yourself to think before you boast of accomplishments you don\u2019t have.\u201d\u00a0 Ben watched as these words penetrated his son\u2019s brain and saw the change in expression from slightly arrogant to one of contrition.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, sir,\u201d Adam muttered, meekly.<\/p>\n Ben nodded. \u201cI think a few weeks helping Hoss with his homework wouldn\u2019t hurt and with his chores.\u00a0 Because of his size and strength, I think sometimes you forget that he is only ten.\u00a0 Maybe if you are more receptive and spend more time with him you will discover that the learning process isn\u2019t one way.\u00a0 Hoss has an awful lot he can teach you.\u201d\u00a0 Ben almost smiled as he saw his oldest son\u2019s jaw drop.\u00a0 \u201cThere are many different talents, son, and not all of them come from books.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n THE END<\/p>\n <\/p>\n