Summary:\u00a0 Brothers protecting brothers, but would a better example have prevented it all?
\nRating:\u00a0 PG (5,550 words)<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
A Good Example<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The haze of blue smoke billowed around the room and the smell of good whisky and expensive cigars penetrated every corner.\u00a0 Adam Cartwright leaned back in one of the comfortable, wide leather chairs.\u00a0 Marcia, a pretty brunette slid on to the arm of his chair and he slipped a gentle arm around her pulling her close, careful not to spill a drop from the glass of mellow, imported Irish whiskey in his other hand.\u00a0 This was his idea of a good Saturday night.\u00a0 The Washoe Club entertained only the best clientele, its prices saw to that.\u00a0 There would be no brawls, no loud arguments and no drunks here tonight; just good companionship and conversation.<\/p>\n Andrew Holloway had dropped by to discuss a timbering contract for his mine and when that was done, Adam had shared a half an hour with a friend from Carson City who wanted him to back his run for the State Legislature later in the year.\u00a0 Now he was free to enjoy Marcia’s lighter conversation for the rest of the evening, while other Club members dropped by to exchange pleasantries.<\/p>\n He was settling back with his eyes half closed when he heard a familiar voice at the bar asking for him.\u00a0 He slipped lower in his seat, hoping that Henry, the bartender for tonight, wouldn’t give him away.\u00a0 It was a vain hope and he sighed and sat up straight as he heard the response.<\/p>\n “Sure, Hoss, he’s over in the corner with Marcia.”<\/p>\n Yep, brother Hoss was heading his way and that could only mean trouble.\u00a0 He had left his two younger brothers at the livery stable two hours earlier.\u00a0 They had plans for a rowdy night in The Bucket of Blood and he wanted no part of it.\u00a0 From the look on Hoss’ face his wish was not to be granted and if Hoss was here then it meant that, as usual, Little Joe was the one in trouble.\u00a0 Why was he not surprised?<\/p>\n “Hey, Adam…, Miss Marcia.”<\/p>\n Adam grinned at the flush on his younger brother’s face as he acknowledged the saloon girl.<\/p>\n “Ya gotta come, Little Joe’s in a big poker game\u2026”\u00a0 Hoss blurted out.<\/p>\n Adam shook his head, a bored expression on his face, “So he’s in a poker game.\u00a0 What’s new about that.\u00a0 I suppose he’s losing.”\u00a0 Adam sipped his whiskey and adjusted his hold on Marcia.<\/p>\n Hoss came closer and tried to inject a sense of urgency combined with impending doom into his features.\u00a0 It only made him look slightly crazy.\u00a0 “It’s a big game, big money in tha’ pot.\u00a0 Wade Sinclair an’ all his friends\u2026 they’re pushing Joe to bet high.”<\/p>\n Adam sighed, “It’s about time little brother learned a lesson.\u00a0 When you play poker you can lose your shirt.’\u00a0 He shrugged.\u00a0 “Surely you can handle it.”<\/p>\n “Ain’t just his shirt he’s gonna lose.”\u00a0 Hoss replied, he was getting frustrated now with Adam’s lack of concern. “They’re lettin’ him play for markers.\u00a0 He’s in for hundreds of dollars, Adam\u2026 you gotta come.\u00a0 He ain’t got that sort money and I sure don’t.”<\/p>\n Adam still didn’t make a move, “Are you implying that I do.”\u00a0 He raised an eyebrow.\u00a0 “And\u2026 always supposing I do, what makes you think I intend to bail out our younger brother yet again?”<\/p>\n Hoss drew himself up to his full six feet four inches and announced, “Maybe ‘cos he’s backing himself with the Ponderosa.”<\/p>\n This did produce the reaction Hoss had been waiting for.\u00a0 Adam slammed down his whiskey glass and jumped to his feet, leaving Marcia to recover as best she could.\u00a0 “He’s WHAT?”<\/p>\n Even Hoss made a hasty step back, perhaps he had overdone it a little.\u00a0 “Whal\u2026maybe not the actual ranch, but he’s backin’ his brag with the family name, sayin’ he can afford the bets ‘cos he’s a Cartwright and we own the biggest spread hereabouts.”<\/p>\n “Pa’ll kill him\u2026\u00a0 I’ll kill him.”\u00a0 Adam muttered as he adjusted his gun belt and made to follow Hoss.\u00a0 As an afterthought he turned to the girl, “Don’t go away honey.\u00a0 I’ll be back just as soon as I teach my little brother a lesson.”<\/p>\n Marcia shrugged.\u00a0 She’d heard it before on a Saturday night.\u00a0 Every time she thought she had Adam Cartwright to herself one or other of his brothers would get in trouble and he’d race off to save them, usually forgetting to return.\u00a0 She wondered if he would ever find time for his own pleasures. He was so busy protecting them from their vices she hardly ever managed to find out his own.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Bucket of Blood was an entirely different proposition to the Washoe Club, brash and noisy, poker games in every corner, an out of tune piano being played badly and patrons crushed together in a mix of sweat, smoke and stale beer.\u00a0 Hoss led the way to a large table where six men were concentrating on bits of pasteboard.\u00a0 The close packed group of voyeurs opened a path to allow Hoss through.\u00a0 Not many men opposed Hoss Cartwright if he wanted to get somewhere.\u00a0 Adam followed in his brother’s wake until they were both standing by a wall looking down on the poker table.\u00a0 Adam’s eyes swept the occupants and registered that three were Sinclair’s close cronies, one was the regular card sharp and the fifth and sixth were Sinclair, himself, and Little Joe.<\/p>\n Chips and notes were pilled high beside Sinclair, with smaller mounds next his friends.\u00a0 Little Joe in contrast had less then ten dollars worth of chips at his elbow and the promissory notes were almost certainly his.\u00a0 The whiskey bottle on the table was almost empty, and, from the glassy look in his brother’s eye, at least one or more bottles had already been consumed.<\/p>\n Joe spotted them immediately, well Hoss was hard to miss. Was that relief he saw in Joe’s expression?\u00a0 Adam nodded to the other players.<\/p>\n “My brother will be leaving the game after this hand.”\u00a0 He said, firmly.<\/p>\n Despite his befuddled state and the amount of his debt.\u00a0 Joe’s pride wouldn’t let the remark go unchallenged.\u00a0 “Adam, you stay outta this.\u00a0 It’s my game and I know what I’m doing.\u00a0 I’ll win it all back, you’ll see. I’ve just been playin’ with these boys.”<\/p>\n Sinclair snorted, “Your play Cartwright, let’s see your hand.”\u00a0 He laid his cards down, a full house of Kings and nines.<\/p>\n Joe threw down his cards in disgust, his queen high diamond flush, of which he had held such hopes.<\/p>\n “How much is he in for?”\u00a0 Adam asked.<\/p>\n Sinclair gathered the pot into his hands and flipped through half a dozen markers, “Nine hundred to me, what about you fellas.”<\/p>\n The final tally came to better than fourteen hundred and Hoss gasped, while Joe felt sick, the effects of the whiskey combined with the realization of the size of his debt making him turn green.\u00a0 Adam kept his expression bland while his head made rapid calculations of just how long it would take his brother to pay him back if he bought the markers.\u00a0 If he handed over all of wages every month he might just pay it off in two years.\u00a0 He considered the alternative; let Joe take his medicine by allowing Sinclair to present the IOU’s to Pa.\u00a0 Sure Pa would settle them.\u00a0 Then he’d settle with Joe, there would be days of tension followed by days of Pa’s bad temper and they’d all suffer.\u00a0 Life at home wouldn’t be worth living until Pa had worked his anger out of his system.\u00a0 They’d all feel the effects for weeks to come and any suggestion of a night in town would be frowned upon even for the innocent parties.<\/p>\n Adam opened his pocket book, “I don’t have that sort of cash on me but I can get it for you Monday morning when the bank opens, maybe this\u2026”\u00a0 he started counting out notes, “as a gesture of good faith\u2026\u00a0 or perhaps you’d allow me to take my brother’s seat and try to win some of it back first?”<\/p>\n A slow smile spread over Sinclair’s face.\u00a0 He racked his brains to try and remember a time when he’d seen Adam Cartwright in a poker game; he couldn’t.\u00a0 Maybe they could add to their night’s pay.\u00a0 He glanced at one of his cronies, who shrugged.\u00a0 “Fine, if you want to take on his debts and play on, I guess we can accommodate you.”<\/p>\n Joe’s senses were slowly returning, he looked up at Hoss.\u00a0 Adam hardly ever played poker, maybe a small stakes game at the end of a cattle drive but no more than a couple of hands.\u00a0 Pa wasn’t keen on gambling and Adam was usually Pa’s best supporter in all things.\u00a0 “You think he knows what he’s doin'” he whispered to Hoss.<\/p>\n “Better’n you do I ‘spect.”\u00a0 Hoss murmured in reply, although he, himself, was mystified.\u00a0 He’d expected Adam to cover the debt and then take Little Joe into several hundred parts with his sarcastic tongue.<\/p>\n Adam caught a hold of Joe’s green jacket and hauled him unceremoniously from the chair and then slid into it.\u00a0 “Watch and learn, little brother.”<\/p>\n Sinclair’s smile broadened, if this was an act of one-up-man-ship of brother over brother then this Cartwright should be no more difficult than the last.\u00a0 Any good poker player could read Joe Cartwright’s hand in the first few seconds after it was dealt.\u00a0 He could no more keep his joy or sorrow a secret than a baby.<\/p>\n The first hand told them nothing, Cartwright drew three and then folded before more than the initial stake was on the table.\u00a0 He then sat back and watched as the others vied for supremacy, with Sinclair once more coming out the winner.\u00a0 The second game went much the same way.\u00a0 The deal passed to the card sharp at Adam’s elbow and this time it was Sinclair and Adam who carried the betting up until there was almost six hundred dollars in the pot. Hoss and Joe still standing to Adam’s left had no idea what their brother held but it had better be good.<\/p>\n “Okay, Cartwright, you must be holding somethin’ real good there.”\u00a0 Sinclair drawled.<\/p>\n Adam never moved or acknowledged that Sinclair had spoken.\u00a0 Sinclair shrugged and laid down his hand, five dark spades, king high.<\/p>\n Adam allowed a small smile to crease the corners of his mouth, “Not good enough, Sinclair.”\u00a0 He spread his cards face up in front of him, four jacks and the queen of hearts.\u00a0 He nodded at the pot, you take the cash, I’ll take the markers for the same amount.\u00a0 From then on Adam slowly and steadily regained the markers Joe had foolishly put in Sinclair’s hands.\u00a0 He won some then lost some but always the balance was shifting in his favor.\u00a0 When he lost his losses were small as he would fold early in the hand, when he won it was usually a larger amount than any loss.\u00a0 Finally only one marker remained in Sinclair’s hands.<\/p>\n Sinclair’s face was grim he didn’t want to give up the one hold he still had over the Cartwright brothers.\u00a0 He had plenty of chips at his elbow and he was hoping for a good hand, which would win him back the markers he had lost.\u00a0 As the cards fell in front of them he picked them up one by one, his elation increasing with each card.\u00a0 This was one hand Cartwright wouldn’t beat, a straight flush of diamonds.\u00a0 He glanced at Cartwright, the face was closed the eyes hooded and there was not even a hint of a smile.\u00a0 Sinclair figured that his opponent’s hand was mediocre at best.\u00a0 As the pile of money in the pot grew, Sinclair revised his opinion, Cartwright was holding something good but to beat him it would have to be a Royal Flush, something he had only seen a few times in his poker playing career.\u00a0 He allowed the bets to rise and still Cartwright gave nothing away.\u00a0 Suddenly his hand reached for chips and found only a handful, he needed to at least match his opponent’s bet.\u00a0 The markers were gone and so was his own stake.\u00a0 He glanced at his opponent, could he hold a Royal Flush; not likely, was he bluffing?\u00a0 Sweat broke out on his upper lip.\u00a0 If he called Cartwright he could lose everything, if he raised enough to make Cartwright fold then he’d be sure.\u00a0 He pushed all his remaining chips into the pile.<\/p>\n Adam checked the pile of chips at his elbow and the markers, well hear goes, he thought, either I show Joe how to play poker or we both leave home before Pa gets to hear of it.\u00a0 <\/em>He counted out the chips carefully, as though considering what to do then set all of them plus an amount equal to the markers on the table.\u00a0 He heard a man behind him whistle and what he knew was Hoss’ sharp intake of breath, but he didn’t change his expression.<\/p>\n Sinclair almost choked, “I can’t match that!”\u00a0 He glanced at his cards.\u00a0 He had the hand he had dreamed of, but he daren’t risk anymore money, when there was an outside chance that Cartwright held the one possible hand that could beat it.\u00a0\u00a0 He studied his opponent for a moment, but the dark eyes and the firm mouth gave nothing away.\u00a0 With a loud curse he threw his cards on the table.\u00a0 “You win Cartwright but I’ll get even.”<\/p>\n Adam folded his cards into his hand and began to gather in the money.<\/p>\n “Hey, ain’t ya gonna show us your hand?”\u00a0 An interested bystander asked.<\/p>\n Adam stuffed the notes into his pocket book and then slowly revealed the five cards he held; a pair of threes and three sevens. A collective gasp greeted the pasteboard.<\/p>\n Adam pushed back his chair and stood, tearing up the markers as he did so.\u00a0 He handed the torn pieces to his younger brother.\u00a0 “Learn to read your opponent and to make sure he can’t read you before you get into a poker game you can’t handle” With that he headed for the swing doors.<\/p>\n “Hey, thanks, Adam.”\u00a0 Joe rushed after him.\u00a0\u00a0 “I owe ya.”<\/p>\n Adam snorted and turned on his younger brother with a raised eyebrow and a sardonic grin.\u00a0 “Yeah, for about the past twenty years, I’d say.\u00a0 Now pay me back by riding home with Hoss and staying out of poker games you can’t handle.”<\/p>\n “You comin’ with us?”\u00a0 Joe asked.<\/p>\n “No, little brother, I am returning to the Washoe Club, some intelligent conversation and a decent whiskey.”<\/p>\n Hoss came up to join them at the door.\u00a0 “You want us to stick around? Sinclair ain’t happy at your showin’ him up and he’s talking up a storm with those friends of his, says he’s gonna get even.”<\/p>\n Adam shook his head, “Nah, Sinclair is all wind.”<\/p>\n Hoss breathed a relieved sigh, the refined air of the Washoe Club wasn’t his idea of a fun night out.\u00a0 “Me and Joe’ll just hang around the Silver Dollar, just in case.”<\/p>\n “You\u2026,”\u00a0 Adam prodded his brother with a finger, “Can do as you please.\u00a0 Little brother here, goes home before he gets into more trouble.”<\/p>\n “Aw\u2026 Adam?”<\/p>\n “You owe me and that’s the deal.\u00a0 Now scoot.”<\/p>\n Adam watched as a reluctant Little Joe accompanied by Hoss, who had decided that an evening without his little brother wasn’t going to be much fun, mounted up and headed for the ranch.\u00a0 Once they were just specks in the distant evening twilight he turned and went back to his own pursuits.<\/p>\n He had just settled with a new glass of whiskey and Marcia when he heard his name again.\u00a0 He sighed.\u00a0 How could they get into trouble riding out of town?\u00a0 But this time it wasn’t a brother it was one of Sinclair’s henchmen.\u00a0 A tall rangy fella who’s hand hung loosely at his side as if always ready for a gunfight.\u00a0 Adam gently set Marcia to one side, his expression was cool but wary and his eyes swept the room for more of Sinclair’s men, but there were none.\u00a0 The man handed a folded piece of paper to Adam and stepped back a pace, and as he did so a circle opened up around him, leaving Adam with no one within touching distance.<\/p>\n Slowly Adam unfolded the paper and read the stark words.\u00a0 Lafe’s livery midday tomorrow and we’ll settle the score.”\u00a0 <\/em>He glanced at the messenger, “Is your boss saying I cheated?”\u00a0 He spoke slowly and clearly so there was no misunderstanding.<\/p>\n “Wouldn’t know about that.”\u00a0 The man replied.\u00a0 “He jus’ told me to deliver the message and to tell you to be there or the whole town will know just how yeller you Cartwrights are.”<\/p>\n Adam nodded, he was very glad that his younger brother wasn’t here to respond to that last sentence.\u00a0 “Tell him I got the message.”\u00a0 He folded the paper, slipped it into his vest pocket and picked up his drink.\u00a0 He gave no sign of emotion but he didn’t take his eyes from the messenger until the doors swung shut behind him.<\/p>\n As he rode home in the early hours he considered his options.\u00a0 To show up and try to avoid a fight; not likely.\u00a0 To show and enter into a gunfight with Sinclair; foolish.\u00a0 Not to show and be called a coward and spend the rest of the foreseeable future looking over his shoulder.\u00a0 None of them were particularly appealing.\u00a0 How had a quiet drink with Marcia got him into this mess?\u00a0 One word, brothers!\u00a0 No, that wasn’t entirely fair.\u00a0 He could have simply paid the markers and made Joe work them off or he could have left Joe to his fate.\u00a0 Pa would have paid the debt.\u00a0 He was in this mess because he had allowed one of his greatest faults to get the better of him; he had wanted to show off to his brother.\u00a0 Pride cometh before a fall and this fall could be the final one.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n “You got somethin’ on your mind?”\u00a0 Hoss asked as they mucked out stalls together the next morning.<\/p>\n Adam hesitated a moment then reached into his vest pocket and extracted the note which he handed to his brother.<\/p>\n Hoss read it and then folded it carefully before handing it back.\u00a0 “You goin’?”<\/p>\n Adam shrugged. “Beats watching my back for ever.”<\/p>\n “He’s pretty fast and he’ll have his friends there.”<\/p>\n “You sayin’ he’s faster than me?”<\/p>\n Hoss leaned his pitchfork against the stall wall and planted himself in front of his brother, “You ain’t gonna know until one of you is in the dirt with a hole in him.”<\/p>\n Adam’s smile was grim, “Thanks for the confidence.”<\/p>\n “You told Pa?”<\/p>\n “Nope, don’t plan to.\u00a0 It’s Saturday he won’t think it strange if I go into town.” Adam replied turning back to his raking.<\/p>\n “If we<\/em><\/strong> go into town, brother.\u00a0 You ain’t goin’ alone.”<\/p>\n Adam let out a long breath, “Thanks, but not a word to Joe.\u00a0 The last thing I need is him at my heels, or for Pa to find out what the fight is about.”<\/p>\n Hoss nodded, “You ever gonna stop looking out for him?”<\/p>\n Adam smiled and thumped his brother’s back, “About the same time you do, I guess.”<\/p>\n There were footsteps in the yard and Adam hurriedly stuffed the note in his pants pocket and went back to his work.\u00a0 Hoss glanced at the barn door then did the same.\u00a0 Didn’t do to let Joe know they had been talking and not working.\u00a0 Last up got the worst chores and Joe was invariably the last up.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam was right, apart from a raised eyebrow, Ben did not query his two sons riding into town once the chores were done.\u00a0 Joe did, however, and was told that it was to help out a friend.\u00a0 The suggestion being that there was work involved soon caused him to lose interest.<\/p>\n Half an hour after his brother’s rode off Joe decided to take a trip up to the lake.\u00a0 It was a bright sunny day and a few hours of fishing seemed a good idea.\u00a0 He sauntered into the barn to saddle Cochise and gather his fishing gear and as he was leading the little pinto into the yard he spied a piece of paper by Sport’s stall.\u00a0 He bent down to retrieve it and unfolded it.\u00a0 He read the stark words and then yelled at the top of his voice for his father while running toward the house.<\/p>\n “Pa, Pa!”\u00a0 Joe almost collided with his father on the porch.<\/p>\n “What on earth is all the yelling about?”\u00a0 Ben had been enjoying a quiet cup of coffee when Joe’s shouting had roused him.<\/p>\n Joe held out the paper, “It’s Adam, he’s gonna be in a gunfight.\u00a0 We gotta get there.”<\/p>\n Ben had been a father too long to lose his cool just because a son yelled.\u00a0 He read the note then fixed Joe with a stern look.\u00a0 “What’s this about?”<\/p>\n Joe tried an innocent expression; it sometimes worked.\u00a0 “I don’t really know for sure, but it might be because of the poker game last night.\u00a0 He kinda made a fool out of Wade Sincliar.”<\/p>\n “Poker game?”\u00a0 Ben was alert and all ears.\u00a0 “Adam never\u2026, well hardly ever plays poker.\u00a0 What’s he doing playing against a rogue like Sinclair?”\u00a0 He asked, puzzled.<\/p>\n Joe’s innocent expression turned to one of guilt, “He wasn’t, well\u2026 not to begin with.\u00a0 He kinda played to help me out.”<\/p>\n Ben pursed his lips and then sighed and threw up his hands in resignation, “Don’t tell me anymore, let me guess.\u00a0 You lost money to Sinclair and Adam tried to win it back.”<\/p>\n “He did win it back, all the markers\u2026”\u00a0 Joe’s excited voice trailed off as he realized what he had just revealed.<\/p>\n Ben pointed to the barn, “Saddle my horse and make it quick.\u00a0 Your brother may need help and we don’t have much time.”\u00a0 Under his breath he muttered, “Of all the dadblame fool things. Don’t they ever grow up?”<\/em><\/p>\n Joe did as he was bid only too pleased not to have to listen to a lecture at this point, although he knew there would be a reckoning with his father.\u00a0 He just hoped that Adam would be around to hear it.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam and Hoss arrived at the livery stables a little after eleven and handed their horses over to Lafe.<\/p>\n “I want to take a look around town, see how many of Sinclair’s men I can spot and see if he has broadcast this little assignation to the world at large.”\u00a0 Adam rubbed his hands and unconsciously let his right fall to his gun butt.<\/p>\n Hoss nodded, “You can bet he has.\u00a0 He ain’t gonna make much outta it if you don’t turn up and he ain’t told nobody.\u00a0 An iffn you do turn up he wants everyone to see him take down a Cartwright.”<\/p>\n Adam raised an eyebrow then a slow smile crossed his face, “You really don’t rate my chances, do you?”<\/p>\n Hoss colored a little, “Aw, Adam, it ain’t that\u2026 but, well\u2026 Sinclair’s fast, I seen him kill Rufe Norwood before Rufe’s gun cleared the holster and it was self-defence, even Rufe’s brother agreed on it.\u00a0\u00a0 You sure you gotta go through with this?”<\/p>\n Adam blew out a long breath, “I’m sure.”<\/p>\n It soon became clear that Sinclair had indeed spread the word, most of the townsfolk and a good few from outlying ranches were gathering.\u00a0 The two brothers wandered from the livery stable to the main street and then headed back to the designated spot.\u00a0 As they drew near to where a crowd was gathering, Adam felt a light tap on his shoulder.\u00a0 He turned to see Roy Coffee, the Storey County Sheriff at his elbow.<\/p>\n “You want I should put a stop to this?”\u00a0 Roy indicated the crowd and the betting that was going on.<\/p>\n Adam sadly shook his head, “It’s a pity folk have nothing better to do but I guess this is the most excitement some of them have seen in a while.”\u00a0 He faced the Sheriff with an open expression.\u00a0 “I didn’t start this Roy and I don’t intend to draw first but I’ll not back down to him either, too many have already done that.”<\/p>\n The Sheriff looked up at his young friend, “Them as didn’t mostly ain’t around to talk about it and Sinclair is richer for it.” He let the implication hang in the air.<\/p>\n Adam tried a smile, “If he draws first and you and Hoss are right about him then you can try him for murder.”<\/p>\n Hoss caught Roy’s arm. “Cain’t ya lock him up for somethin’?”<\/p>\n Now it was Roy’s turn to smile just a little, “Who?\u00a0 Adam or Sinclair?\u00a0 Ain’t neither one of ’em broke the law up to now.”<\/p>\n The sound of horses made all three glance down the street.\u00a0 The pinto was in the lead and Joe swung down with his customary flair before the horse had fully come to a stop.\u00a0 Surprisingly agile for his age, Ben wasn’t far behind though his dismount was slower.<\/p>\n “What in tarnation is going on here?” were the first words from his mouth.<\/p>\n “I found the note.”\u00a0 Joe explained with a slight shrug.<\/p>\n “Oh,” Adam rubbed his ear and tried to avoid his eyes connecting with his father’s.<\/p>\n “Oh.\u00a0 Is that all you can say?\u00a0 Stop this nonsense at once.”\u00a0 Ben’s temper was ready to explode.<\/p>\n “I can’t Pa, surely you can see that.\u00a0 Everyone in town backs down to Sinclair and until someone stands up to him, he’ll go on causing trouble.”\u00a0 Adam’s voice was calm and measured now.\u00a0 He knew he had to go through with this and he was mentally composing himself.<\/p>\n “Adam ain’t got no choice, Pa.”\u00a0 Hoss’s voice was soft and slightly sad.<\/p>\n Ben fussed in his usual way and grunted, “Well it’s not over young man, you and I will have a talk about this\u2026”<\/p>\n Adam’s mouth turned up at the corners and he rubbed the back of his neck, “At least you have more faith in me coming through this than big brother here.”\u00a0 He slapped Hoss on the back. “I’ll look forward to our talk.”<\/p>\n Joe had kept silent but was aching to say so many things to his brother, after all it might be his last chance.\u00a0 He, too, didn’t rate Adam’s chances against Sinclair.\u00a0 “Adam, it should be me, I got you into this.”\u00a0 Was all he could get out.<\/p>\n Adam cupped his younger brother behind his neck with a strong hand.\u00a0 “No, Joe, I got myself into this.\u00a0 I was trying to be the clever big brother and I got in too deep.\u00a0 None of this is your fault.”<\/p>\n “Cartwright!\u00a0 You gonna hide behind your family or are we gonna settle things.”\u00a0 Sinclair’s voice rang out from about twenty yards away.\u00a0 He was surrounded by his friends, but they began to move back to clear a space around him.<\/p>\n “We can settle this without guns.”\u00a0 Adam suggested.<\/p>\n Sinclair laughed, “You outweigh me by fifty pounds or more and you’re younger.\u00a0 You humiliated me once you won’t do it again.\u00a0 Now draw.”<\/p>\n Sinclair was in shirtsleeves and his gun seemed to grow in Adam’s eyes until it was all he could see.\u00a0 Don’t watch his hand, watch his eyes.\u00a0 <\/em>Adam cautioned himself. For a moment there was a hushed and expectant silence.<\/p>\n Joe found his eyes fixed on the sight, he didn’t want to watch but he couldn’t look away.\u00a0 His big brother, who he admired and loved, was about to die and it was his fault.\u00a0 No matter what Adam said, it was his foolishness that had led to this.<\/p>\n It was if the world suddenly went into slow motion for Adam.\u00a0 He saw Sinclair’s eyes flick toward him once, he reached for his gun and then he heard an explosion.\u00a0 He knew his own gun was in his hand but had he fired or had Sinclair or maybe both.\u00a0 He felt a searing pain and his legs buckled and the dirt came up to meet him.\u00a0 He fell to one side with his face turned away from Sinclair so he couldn’t see if the man was gloating or laughing.\u00a0 From far off he heard voices but then there was just darkness.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n It was like coming up from the bottom of the lake.\u00a0 Faces were blurry then slowly his vision cleared and he could see his father and Paul Martin bending over him.\u00a0 He was no longer in the street.\u00a0 He could feel a soft bed and feather pillows.\u00a0 He wanted to speak but his throat felt dry and no words would come.<\/p>\n “Take it easy, son.\u00a0 You’ve got a head wound.\u00a0 Paul’s patched it up and its not serious, the bullet just grazed your temple, but its better you don’t move for a few hours.”\u00a0 Ben gently pushed his son back into the pillows.<\/p>\n Paul Martin was lifting his eyelids and looking into his yes.\u00a0 “He’ll be fine by nightfall, but you’d better get a buggy to take him home.”<\/p>\n “What happened?\u00a0 Sinclair?”\u00a0 Adam asked, slightly agitated.<\/p>\n “You got him, Adam.\u00a0 You were faster, his shot almost missed you.\u00a0 He fired as he was falling.”\u00a0 Joe’s voice was excited and high pitched.<\/p>\n Hoss shook his big head, “Nah, that’s not how it was.\u00a0 Sinclair was faster outta his holster but he didn’t aim true.\u00a0 You fired after him but you hit him square in the chest.”<\/p>\n “Stop it, both of you.” Ben’s voice rang out with authority.\u00a0 “A gunfight is not a fairground attraction.\u00a0 A man died and it could have been your brother.”\u00a0 He cast his eyes on all three sons.\u00a0 “We have things to discuss, but we’ll do it at home tomorrow.”<\/p>\n Adam sighed and relaxed back into his pillows, while Hoss and Joe looked away from their father with sheepish expressions.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The afternoon was stretching into evening and it would soon be time to do yard chores.\u00a0 For once all three Cartwright sons were looking forward to them.\u00a0 Hoss sat in the chair that he considered to be Adam’s, his big hands resting on the chair’s blue velvet clad arms.\u00a0 He didn’t know why he felt guilty or why he had been included in his father’s ‘talk’, after all he had done nothing.\u00a0 But then it was often so. His brothers caused trouble and he either helped them out of it or got caught up in the aftermath.\u00a0 Pa had stopped pacing and lecturing his youngest son but he was still not finished, you could see that.<\/p>\n Joe was perched on the wood box, his feet resting on the hearth.\u00a0 It might have been the heat from the fire that made his cheeks and neck flushed but it was more likely his father’s recent lecture directed mainly at him and his poker playing activities.\u00a0 He longed to slip away to feed the hogs and bed down the horses, even splitting logs would be preferable to being here right now.\u00a0 At least Pa seemed to be cooling off and had turned his attention to Adam.<\/p>\n Adam had spent the day resting on the sofa and as his father’s eyes fell on him he shifted uncomfortably.\u00a0 This sofa had always been hard and uncomfortable and Adam avoided lying on it or even sitting on it unless there was no alternative.\u00a0 His book lay discarded on his knees, put down when Pa had begun his little talk.\u00a0 Pa usually delivered his lectures in private, but today he had held forth to them all.\u00a0 No doubt he considered it good for them.\u00a0 Adam’s discomfort had less to do with the sofa than with what he knew was coming next.\u00a0 He didn’t have long to wait.<\/p>\n Ben had come to a halt in front of the fireplace and he stuck his thumbs into his belt and glared at his oldest son. “Well, do I need to repeat myself on the evils of gambling or do you have some good reason for taking up Joseph’s debts?”<\/p>\n Adam cleared his throat and tried to find a comfortable position but there wasn’t one.\u00a0\u00a0 Usually articulate and able to deal with most of his father’s accusations, he found himself strangely lost for words today.\u00a0 Must have been the head wound he decided.\u00a0 He’d try the truth.\u00a0 The truth was always a good line to take with Pa.\u00a0 “Well, Pa, you see\u2026\u00a0 I’m always getting Little Joe out of trouble and I figured this time I’d teach him a lesson and show him how not to get into trouble in the first place.”\u00a0 Why was Pa looking at him like that.\u00a0 It was a perfectly reasonable explanation.<\/p>\n Ben sighed and shook his head in desperation, “I fail to see how getting into a showdown with a fast gun was going to teach your younger brother a lesson.\u00a0 Maybe if you try setting your brother a good example in the first place it wouldn\u2019t be necessary to teach him a lesson.”<\/p>\n Adam closed his eyes and reflected.\u00a0 Put like that Pa’s view sounded even more reasonable but he had the feeling that somehow Joe’s problem has become all his fault.\u00a0 “I think I feel a little faint, ‘ll just take a nap, Pa.”<\/p>\n <\/p>\n