{"id":8677,"date":"1997-04-28T16:45:30","date_gmt":"1997-04-28T20:45:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=8677"},"modified":"2025-02-27T12:04:14","modified_gmt":"2025-02-27T17:04:14","slug":"a-dreams-first-bud","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=8677","title":{"rendered":"Heritage of Honor, Book 2-A Dream’s First Bud (by Puchi Ann)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary: \u00a0As he deals with problems in a sparsely settled land, Ben fights his own loneliness after Inger’s death.\u00a0 Another death takes him to New Orleans, where he meets Marie, and they return to struggles at home and the birth of a third son.<\/span><\/p>\n

Word Count: 200,442 \u00a0Rating: T<\/p>\n

Heritage of Honor Series<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

A Dream Deferred
\n<\/a>A Dream’s First Bud
\n<\/a>A Dream Imperiled
\n<\/a>A Dream’s Darkest Hour
\n<\/a> A Dream Divided<\/a><\/p>\n

Heritage Companion<\/strong><\/p>\n

Never Alone<\/a>
\nCentennial! A Journey of Discovery<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

CHAPTER ONE<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 The cabin was dark, silent but for soft sounds of slumber, when Ben Cartwright rose and, dressing quietly, slipped out to walk in the cool, brisk air of the November morning.\u00a0 It was dark outside, too.\u00a0 Not even the sun was awake to accompany Ben on his solitary survey.\u00a0 Too early for him to be awake, too, Ben realized, but this was not a day for sleep.\u00a0 Today was special.\u00a0 Today was a new beginning.<\/p>\n

Ben turned and looked at the cabin behind him, smiling in remembrance.\u00a0 A year ago to the day\u2014\u2014November 1, 1850\u2014\u2014had been a special day, too, though Ben hadn\u2019t known that then.\u00a0 That was the day he and Clyde Thomas had started felling logs to build this cabin.\u00a0 They planned it to be only a temporary home, a place to survive the winter until they could continue on to their true destination in California.\u00a0 Ben laughed softly.\u00a0 No one could have told him that November morning a year ago that he\u2019d already reached his true destination, that western Utah would become his home.\u00a0 But Ben had fallen in love with this land, the pine-forested hills to the west even more than the fertile bottomland here along the Carson River.<\/p>\n

When Ben made his decision to settle east of the Sierra NevadaMountains, he assumed he would continue to live in the cabin he and Clyde had built.\u00a0 But when he offered to buy out Clyde\u2019s share, Ben discovered that the Thomases also wished to remain.\u00a0 Ben was never sure whether Clyde and Nelly had reached that decision independently or whether they simply hadn\u2019t wanted to leave him behind.\u00a0 Regardless, Ben was glad they were staying, though he wasn\u2019t about to consider spending another winter under the same roof.\u00a0 Too much closeness strained the best of friendships, even as warm a one as he shared with these companions of the Overland Trail or the one his older son Adam enjoyed with young Billy Thomas.<\/p>\n

Clyde and Nelly hadn\u2019t argued with Ben\u2019s desire for a place of his own, and there\u2019d been only brief discussion about what to do.\u00a0 The Thomases would keep this cabin along the Carson River, while Clyde would help Ben build another wherever he chose.\u00a0 Once their joint trading post had closed for the season, they\u2019d worked on the Cartwrights\u2019 new home.\u00a0 Now it was ready.\u00a0 Today Ben and his boys would move, and tonight Ben would sleep under his own roof for the first time in a year and a half.<\/p>\n

Ben laughed again.\u00a0 It was longer than that!\u00a0 That roof in St. Joseph hadn\u2019t belonged to him anymore than the myriad of boardinghouse roofs beneath which he and Adam had slept while making their way west.\u00a0 Ben had, in fact, never slept beneath a roof of his own.\u00a0 He and Adam\u2019s mother Elizabeth, daughter of a New England sea captain, had rented their cottage in New Bedford.\u00a0 And, except for the year they had spent in Missouri, Ben and his second wife Inger had slept primarily under a tent beside their covered wagon.<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s brown eyes clouded as he looked northeast.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t, of course, see beyond the pi\u00f1on-dappled mountains to the lonely grave by the Humboldt River where Inger lay buried, but she still felt close to him, perhaps because she, like Elizabeth, had left a son to carry on her memory.\u00a0 Hoss didn\u2019t look a great deal like his mother, but her Swedish heritage was evident in his blue eyes and straight, wheat-colored hair.\u00a0 And, more importantly, his open face showed he had inherited her loving nature.\u00a0 Even at fifteen months, Hoss was a big-hearted boy.\u00a0 Big in every other way, too.\u00a0 Inger had named their son Eric, after her father, but the boy\u2019s size demanded a name as big as the mountains.\u00a0 The one Inger\u2019s brother Gunnar had suggested (and Adam had insisted on) had eventually been adopted by everyone, even Inger herself.<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s long legs strolled slowly through the fields he and Clyde had planted last spring.\u00a0 Barren now, but what a harvest of good food they\u2019d produced!\u00a0 All the two families could eat and enough to sell to emigrants passing by on their way to California.\u00a0 Sixty thousand of them had come over the Carson route this year, so the trading post had done booming business throughout the spring and summer, despite the competition from the one at nearby Mormon Station.<\/p>\n

Though Ben had never quite understood how, Mormon Station had passed into the hands of John Reese, a man in his early forties, who, along with eighteen others, had arrived from Salt Lake City in July, bringing ten wagons of flour, butter, eggs and beef.\u00a0 Although Reese\u2019s Mormon Station was better stocked than Ben and Clyde\u2019s humbler trading post, the two partners priced their goods competitively and had all the business they could comfortably handle.\u00a0 They\u2019d made a handsome profit on their investment, enough to make improvements in their respective cabins and still have some to lay back for livestock next spring.<\/p>\n

Clyde Thomas, having never forgotten or forgiven the way Mormons gouged him (his opinion) for ferry passage over rivers on their overland journey, grunted whenever their neighbors were mentioned.\u00a0 Ben, however, liked Reese.\u00a0 He seemed an honest man, even if his prices were higher than Ben considered justifiable.\u00a0 Still, his and Clyde\u2019s weren\u2019t that much lower, for the cost of freighting goods over the Sierras had to be taken into consideration.\u00a0 No, despite Clyde\u2019s opinion, Reese was a good man, a hard-working man, a man who looked to the future.\u00a0 Unlike Mormon Station\u2019s previous owner, Reese evidently intended to stay.<\/p>\n

Some of the others that came from Salt Lake City with Reese, however, made less pleasant residents with whom to share CarsonValley.\u00a0 James Finney, for instance, was not only illiterate, but feather-brained in the bargain and, in contrast to most of the Mormons Ben had met, almost perpetually drunk.\u00a0 Ben wasn\u2019t sure whether Finney was Mormon or had just hired on as a teamster to make his way west.<\/p>\n

Frankly, Ben would have been glad to see the man continue on over the mountains, but Finney showed no inclination for California.\u00a0 He seemed to prefer chipping around the canyons to the north.\u00a0 Odd behavior for a miner, Ben thought, or maybe not.\u00a0 Maybe the hope of a new strike naturally drove a true prospector to the lonely, isolated places of the earth.\u00a0 Finney, after all, wasn\u2019t the only one searching for gold in the area.\u00a0 The miners even found a little color now and then, but no one had discovered the big strike of which they all dreamed.<\/p>\n

Sandy Bowers was another who had come as a teamster with Reese\u2019s party and stayed to prospect for gold.\u00a0 Bowers was as unlearned as Finney, but Ben couldn\u2019t help liking the big eighteen-year-old with the booming laugh.\u00a0 Everyone, even Clyde Thomas, liked Sandy.\u00a0 Like Finney, like the other miners, Sandy rarely found more than enough gold to buy his daily ration of beans and bacon, but he was perpetually optimistic about the bonanza he was sure to uncover with the next swing of his pickax.<\/p>\n

Ben hadn\u2019t gotten well acquainted with the other miners in the area, but that didn\u2019t seem to matter now.\u00a0 Most of them had gone over the mountains the previous month before snow blocked the passes.\u00a0 By the time Ben returned from his final trip to Sacramento for winter supplies, CarsonValley\u2019s population had dropped to a fraction of its summertime peak.\u00a0 Ben had hoped to persuade his brother John to winter here with him and his sons, but on reaching Placerville, he learned that John had heard of the discovery of gold in New South Wales and joined the transoceanic rush to the new field.\u00a0 Ben shook his head, wondering if it was really the lust for gold that drove John or his craving for salt spray in his face.\u00a0 Unlike Ben, John had never shaken loose the wanderlust of his youth.\u00a0 Ben couldn\u2019t understand how a man with a wife and boy he hadn\u2019t seen in close to three years could set sail for a distant land, but he and John had always been different.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa!\u00a0 Pa!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben turned and smiled as eight-year-old Adam came running across the field to meet him.\u00a0 Though Ben, too, had loved the sea, here was the reason he had left it.\u00a0 This dark-haired, dark-eyed boy and his infant brother.\u00a0 If he never again viewed distant ports, Ben would count himself blessed above all men on earth, so long as he had those two precious faces in sight.<\/p>\n

Ben scooped Adam up in his muscular arms.\u00a0 \u201cWell, you\u2019re up early,\u201d he said, giving the boy\u2019s blue suspenders a teasing yank.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou, too, Pa,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cI guess we\u2019re both pretty excited about our new place, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know I am,\u201d Ben replied, setting the boy down again after giving him a good squeeze.\u00a0 \u201cAre the others awake yet?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust Miss Nelly,\u201d Adam reported.\u00a0 \u201cI think she\u2019s fixing some food to take with us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled as he raked wind-blown brown hair back into place.\u00a0 That was probably exactly what Nelly Thomas was doing.\u00a0 Though she had recognized the need for the two families to live separately, Nelly fretted about how the Cartwrights would manage without a woman to cook for them.\u00a0 Ben had to admit he didn\u2019t cook as well as Nelly, but he figured he and the boys weren\u2019t likely to starve.\u00a0 Especially not when they\u2019d still be sharing meals with the Thomases from time to time.<\/p>\n

Reaching the cabin, Ben went inside, followed by Adam.\u00a0 \u201cGood morning, Nelly,\u201d he said to the sandy-haired woman at the stove.\u00a0 How Nelly\u2019s brown eyes had widened when Ben and Clyde unloaded the new cast iron stove after that last trip over the mountains!<\/p>\n

\u201cMornin\u2019, Ben,\u201d Nelly said softly.\u00a0 \u201cUp early, ain\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou, too,\u201d Ben chuckled.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I had reason,\u201d Nelly asserted.\u00a0 \u201cI aim to see to it you and the boys have a proper breakfast to start the day and a decent meal to reheat for dinner.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAppreciate it,\u201d Ben said, \u201cbut I do wish you\u2019d quit worrying, Nelly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nelly sighed.\u00a0 How could she help worrying?\u00a0 Ben could take care of himself and Adam, she supposed.\u00a0 But a baby?\u00a0 There\u2019d been no persuading Ben to leave Hoss here with her, though.\u00a0 \u201cNow, I\u2019ve written out a bunch of my best receipts,\u201d Nelly told Ben, \u201cand I\u2019ve done my best to make them clear enough for even a man to make out.\u00a0 You follow them, Ben, and you\u2019ll do all right.\u00a0 I don\u2019t want to hear of you feedin\u2019 these younguns nothin\u2019 but bacon and biscuits like you was on the trail.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben responded by giving her a smart salute.\u00a0 \u201cYes, ma\u2019am!\u201d he promised.\u00a0 \u201cTurnips and taters at every meal.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nelly wagged a finger beneath his broad nose.\u00a0 \u201cHush your sass,\u201d she warned.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ll be teachin\u2019 these boys your ornery ways.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cNow, Nelly, since when did Billy need lessons in orneriness?\u201d\u00a0 Nelly laughed, too, acknowledging with a nod the well-earned reputation of her favorite mischief-maker.<\/p>\n

From the bed in the front room came a long, lazy yawn.\u00a0 \u201cYou talkin\u2019 about me?\u201d Billy drawled.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey sure are!\u201d Adam informed his friend as he perched at the foot of their shared bed.\u00a0 \u201cAnd not a word of it good.\u201d<\/p>\n

Billy sat up and frowned, his freckled cheeks bulging out.\u00a0 \u201cWhy\u2019s everybody always jumpin\u2019 on me?\u201d he demanded.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, nobody\u2019s jumpin\u2019 on you,\u201d his mother scolded.\u00a0 \u201cGet on up and get the cow milked, boy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou see to ours, Adam,\u201d Ben ordered.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay,\u201d Adam agreed readily.\u00a0 He gave Billy a shove that sent the redhead sprawling back onto the mattress.\u00a0 \u201cBeat you to the barn,\u201d he challenged.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo fair!\u201d Billy hollered, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed and grabbing for his trousers.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re already dressed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEarly bird gets the worm, Billy,\u201d Ben grinned.\u00a0 Billy scowled and, scrambling into his red shirt and brown britches, followed Adam out the door.<\/p>\n

Yawning and scratching his tangled auburn hair, Clyde came around the canvas curtain that separated his and Nelly\u2019s sleeping quarters from the rest of the cabin.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re sure noisy critters this mornin\u2019,\u201d he muttered.\u00a0 Nelly stopped stirring the pumpkin she was stewing long enough to give her husband a good morning kiss.<\/p>\n

Clyde clapped Ben on the back.\u00a0 \u201cWell, the big day\u2019s finally here, is it?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cThe day you get shed of me, you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n

Clyde frowned, his blue eyes narrowing.\u00a0 \u201cAin\u2019t what I meant and you know it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know,\u201d Ben said, \u201cand now\u2019s as good a time as any to tell you both how much I\u2019ve appreciated your hospitality this last year.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, Ben, this was your cabin, same as ours,\u201d Nelly chided, arms akimbo.<\/p>\n

\u201cSure,\u201d Ben agreed, \u201cbut it wouldn\u2019t have been a home without the touches you added.\u00a0 I\u2019ll always have good memories of this place.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou sound like you was leavin\u2019 forever,\u201d Clyde snorted.\u00a0 \u201cLast I heard, you was gonna be back in a couple of days.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben guffawed.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s right!\u00a0 I can\u2019t bear being away from Nelly\u2019s cooking longer than that.\u201d\u00a0 The three friends enjoyed the private joke.\u00a0 While the Cartwrights were leaving today to establish their own home, everyone knew Ben and Clyde would be working together on a number of projects, so they\u2019d all see each other frequently.\u00a0 And Nelly had insisted on a standing invitation for Ben and his boys to share Sunday dinner each week.\u00a0 \u201cCan\u2019t abide not seein\u2019 my Sunshine at least once a week!\u201d Nelly had declared.<\/p>\n

Ben smiled as he recalled that reference to his younger son.\u00a0 Judging by the bulge beneath Nelly\u2019s skirt, she\u2019d soon have her own infant to fondle.\u00a0 Maybe, then, she\u2019d be less possessive of Hoss.\u00a0 Secretly, Ben doubted it.\u00a0 Even before Inger\u2019s death Nelly had taken comfort in cuddling Hoss\u2019s fat little body, comfort she\u2019d sorely needed after cholera took her younger son, four-year-old Bobby.\u00a0 Then, when Inger was gone, Nelly\u2019d stepped in to provide the mothering the baby had needed, and her attachment for the child had deepened daily.\u00a0 Hoss loved her, too.\u00a0 Separating the two was likely to be the hardest part of the move, Ben realized.<\/p>\n

After a heartier than usual breakfast, Clyde helped Ben load his share of the supplies in the wagon, while Adam and Billy brought the Cartwrights\u2019 personal possessions from the cabin.\u00a0 There weren\u2019t many, so it was soon time to leave.<\/p>\n

Nelly gave Hoss a parting hug and handed him to his father.\u00a0 Hoss crowed merrily when Ben bounced him on his arm, but his blue eyes clouded as his father carried him away, and one plump hand stretched over Ben\u2019s shoulder back toward Nelly Thomas.\u00a0 Hoss wasn\u2019t really old enough to understand what was happening.\u00a0 Though Adam had tried to explain it for the last two days, Hoss only understood that changes were taking place.\u00a0 Sensing the sudden quietness of the child, Ben held him more tightly and pressed a kiss against his chubby cheek.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s all right, son,\u201d he whispered.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll see them again soon.\u201d\u00a0 The promise seemed to satisfy Hoss, who squirmed around to see where they were going, instead of where they\u2019d been.<\/p>\n

The Cartwright cabin was almost four miles northwest of the Thomas home.\u00a0 For the oxen it was a good two-hour haul, though the man and his sons could have walked it more quickly.\u00a0 Someday, maybe next summer, Ben hoped to have a riding horse.\u00a0 Jonathan Payne, another companion of the journey west, had intended to breed horses once he arrived in California.\u00a0 Ben planned to locate him, though all he knew at present was that the Paynes had settled somewhere in the vicinity of Monterey.\u00a0 Since that area would be a good place to find beef cattle, too, perhaps Jonathan could tell Ben what local men had the best stock and the fairest prices.<\/p>\n

Ben chuckled.\u00a0 Here he was planning next year\u2019s work when he had plenty to do right now.\u00a0 Coming out of his own reverie, Ben noticed that Adam was unusually quiet.\u00a0 \u201cSomething on your mind, son?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

Adam frowned up into his father\u2019s face.\u00a0 \u201cI miss Billy,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Ben tousled the boy\u2019s black hair.\u00a0 \u201cHere, now; none of that,\u201d he teased.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ll have us all turning around if you keep that up.\u00a0 Besides, you and Billy will be seeing each other again in just a couple of days.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTomorrow\u2019s Sunday,\u201d Adam pointed out.\u00a0 \u201cMiss Nelly said we could come to dinner every Sunday.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot tomorrow,\u201d Ben said firmly.\u00a0 \u201cWe need to get settled, and their family deserves a day to themselves, too, son.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir,\u201d Adam mumbled.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll be there early Monday to help lay the floor,\u201d Ben reminded Adam, \u201cand if I know Miss Nelly, she\u2019ll save some of her special Sunday pie for us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPie!\u201d Hoss chirped happily.\u00a0 It was one of his favorite words.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, you and your pie,\u201d Ben teased, tickling the baby\u2019s ribs.\u00a0 Hoss squealed with delight.<\/p>\n

The cabin, crowded tight against the abrupt rise of the Sierra foothills, came into sight, and Ben gratefully set Hoss on the ground.\u00a0 Two hours was a long time to carry his armload of a son.\u00a0 Hoss had started life at a whopping fifteen pounds; and though he had no scale to prove it, Ben felt sure the boy was twice that now, thanks to Miss Nelly\u2019s cooking.\u00a0 \u201cWatch your brother while I unhitch the team,\u201d Ben instructed Adam.<\/p>\n

\u201cCan we go in the cabin?\u201d Adam asked.\u00a0 \u201cI want to show Hoss around.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben suppressed the urge to laugh.\u00a0 Showing Hoss around the small cabin should take all of five minutes, maybe less.\u00a0 \u201cSure, Adam,\u201d he said, lips twitching.\u00a0 \u201cGive him a good tour.\u00a0 I\u2019ll be through soon and we\u2019ll unload the wagon.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam took Hoss\u2019s plump hand in his slender one.\u00a0 \u201cCome on, Hoss,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cWanna see your new bed?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss cocked his head, still not understanding what was going on, but content to follow Adam anywhere.\u00a0 Adam had to shorten his steps to accommodate Hoss\u2019s uneven ones, but he was glad his little brother had finally learned to walk.\u00a0 There were times Adam thought the baby never would.\u00a0 Truthfully, Ben had begun to wonder, too.\u00a0 Of course, considering how much weight Hoss had to lift just to stand upright, maybe it wasn\u2019t surprising that he preferred to crawl.\u00a0 Adam thought to himself that they\u2019d probably make better progress if Hoss would drop to his hands and knees, but they finally managed to cross the few yards between the wagon and the front door.<\/p>\n

Adam lifted Hoss over the threshold and gave the puncheon floor a solid stomp with his brown shoe.\u00a0 \u201cSee, Hoss, we\u2019ve got a good, strong floor,\u201d he pointed out.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s something the old place didn\u2019t have.\u201d Adam knew he wouldn\u2019t be able to claim that distinction for long, though.\u00a0 Flooring the Thomases\u2019 cabin was first on the list of projects his father and Mr. Thomas would be working on together.<\/p>\n

Hoss flopped on his rear and began to pat the smooth wood.\u00a0 Adam frowned and hauled the child to his feet.\u00a0 \u201cNo, Hoss,\u201d he commanded.\u00a0 \u201cYou can\u2019t sit right in the doorway.\u00a0 Besides, there\u2019s more to see.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Adam led the way into the main room, Hoss toddled contentedly after him.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s the fireplace,\u201d Adam said, pointing to the recess in the west wall, near which sat a rocking chair.\u00a0 \u201cYou remember to stay away from fire, don\u2019t you, Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s fat chin bobbed up and down.\u00a0 He\u2019d learned that lesson well.\u00a0 Fire was hot; so was Miss Nelly\u2019s new cook stove, though Hoss didn\u2019t know the word for the new piece of furniture that had been installed only a few weeks before.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd see, we have our own table now,\u201d Adam bragged.\u00a0 The benches on each side of it were the old ones from the Thomas cabin, though.\u00a0 Clyde had made new chairs for everyone at his place, and Adam felt jealous of that.\u00a0 Pa had promised, though, that he\u2019d make some for them as soon as he could.\u00a0 Having helped Clyde with the others, Ben was sure he was ready to tackle making one by himself.<\/p>\n

With both palms flat, Hoss patted one of the benches.\u00a0 \u201cEat,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Adam shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cNot yet, you bottomless pit.\u00a0 Come see the bedroom.\u201d\u00a0 Adam took Hoss\u2019s fat hand again and led him to the east end of the cabin.\u00a0 They walked through another doorway into the bedroom.\u00a0 \u201cSee, Hoss, a real wall, not just a curtain.\u00a0 Isn\u2019t that nice?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss didn\u2019t respond.\u00a0 Curtains, walls\u2014\u2014it was all the same to him.\u00a0 He toddled toward the bed with a rush of steps and grinned as he rubbed his face against the patchwork coverlet.<\/p>\n

Adam grabbed the baby under the arms and hefted him onto the bed.\u00a0 \u201cThis is Pa\u2019s bed,\u201d he informed his little brother, \u201cbut look where you and me will sleep.\u201d\u00a0 Reaching down, Adam pulled a trundle out from beneath the larger bed.\u00a0 It, too, was fitted with a mattress stuffed with pine needles and grass and covered with a colorful quilt.<\/p>\n

Hoss leaned over to look at his new bed and tumbled headfirst onto the mattress.\u00a0 He gave one sharp cry of surprise, then grinned up at his big brother.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou stay put when I put you somewhere!\u201d Adam scolded.\u00a0 \u201cWhat if I hadn\u2019t pulled out this mattress?\u00a0 You\u2019d\u2019ve cracked your noggin!\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s grin faded.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t understand what Adam meant, but the reproachful tone was unmistakable.\u00a0 His lower lip started to tremble.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t cry,\u201d Adam soothed, sitting down next to the baby.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m not mad, Hoss.\u00a0 I just don\u2019t want you to get hurt.\u00a0 You have to mind brother, remember?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss wrapped pudgy arms around Adam\u2019s middle.\u00a0 \u201cBubba,\u201d he chortled.\u00a0 Adam grinned and gave the little lad a tickle.\u00a0 Hoss responded, as usual, with a giggle.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, it sounds as though Hoss likes our new home,\u201d Ben said brightly, walking in to see the brothers rolling on the trundle.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, he does, Pa,\u201d Adam reported.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd how about my big boy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBig boy!\u201d Hoss chirped.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, not you,\u201d Ben said, bending over to pinch the toddler\u2019s plump belly.\u00a0 \u201cI meant Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI like it, too, Pa,\u201d Adam said, \u201cbut it\u2019ll be lighter once we get the windows in.\u00a0 I don\u2019t see why we have to do all that work over at the Thomases first.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause Miss Nelly is a lady, son,\u201d Ben explained.\u00a0 \u201cGetting a house just right is important to a lady.\u00a0 It won\u2019t take long to get them fixed up, though; then Mr. Thomas will help us put in our windows.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss pulled on Ben\u2019s pants\u2019 leg.\u00a0 \u201cEat!\u201d he demanded.<\/p>\n

Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cFix him a slice of bread and butter, would you, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to get my things put away,\u201d Adam pouted.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt won\u2019t take that long,\u201d Ben scoffed, \u201cand he\u2019ll get less underfoot with food in his hand.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam laughed.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s for sure!\u201d<\/p>\n

While Adam prepared Hoss\u2019s snack, along with one for himself, Ben started unloading the hundred-pound sacks of flour and cornmeal.\u00a0 One of each went inside the cabin; the others Ben stacked neatly in a small shed he\u2019d built of sawed lumber brought over from Sacramento earlier in the summer.\u00a0 Once the temperature dropped to freezing, he\u2019d use it for meat storage, as well.<\/p>\n

Long before the heavier supplies were unloaded, Adam was ready to unpack his belongings.\u00a0 First things first, though, Adam decided.\u00a0 He found one of their gray blankets, well worn from its use on the journey west, and spread it near the cabin\u2019s front door.\u00a0 He steered Hoss, buttered bread in hand, to it and plopped him down on his rear.\u00a0 \u201cStay,\u201d Adam ordered, pointing at the blanket.<\/p>\n

For the moment Hoss seemed too absorbed in his food to wander, so Adam felt free to scramble into the wagon in search of his personal treasures.\u00a0 Most valuable to Adam, of course, were his textbooks, those he\u2019d brought overland and those his teacher in St. Joseph had sent by the Pacific Mail Steamship Company via the Isthmus of Panama to San Francisco.\u00a0 His arms full, Adam headed for the cabin, checking on Hoss as he passed the door.\u00a0 Still on the blanket, Adam noted.\u00a0 Good.<\/p>\n

Entering the cabin, Adam headed directly for the wall separating the main room from the bedroom.\u00a0 Pa\u2019d built three shelves along that wall and told Adam the lowest would be his.\u00a0 Carefully, Adam arranged his schoolbooks according to size, noting that there\u2019d be just enough room to set the treasured music box that had once belonged to his mother beside them.\u00a0 He went back outside.\u00a0 Hoss was still sitting on the blanket, but the bread was gone now.\u00a0 Adam shook his head at his brother\u2019s buttery chin and fingers.\u00a0 \u201cSit still,\u201d he commanded, \u201cand I\u2019ll get something to clean you up.\u201d<\/p>\n

From the wagon Adam grabbed a knobby flour sack and hurried back to the blanket.\u00a0 \u201cWant your toys, Hoss?\u201d he grinned as he emptied the sack onto the blanket.\u00a0 Wooden blocks rained down, along with a carved squirrel, bird and deer.\u00a0 Hoss crowed happily and snatched up the bird, his favorite.\u00a0 He started to put its wing in his mouth, but Adam pushed the fat hand down.\u00a0 \u201cNo, no; don\u2019t eat,\u201d he cautioned.\u00a0 Then, using one end of the flour sack, he wiped Hoss\u2019s face and hands clean of the butter.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019ll have to do until I fetch some water,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cNow, can you play here with your toys while brother unpacks?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss didn\u2019t respond verbally; he was too busy making his bird fly through the air.\u00a0 Satisfied, Adam went back to the wagon, intending this time to move his spare clothing indoors.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re doing a good job of watching our boy, Adam,\u201d Ben said proudly as he lifted another sack of cornmeal from the wagon.<\/p>\n

Adam squared his shoulders.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m trying, Pa,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cHoss minds me pretty good, but I\u2019m not always sure he understands.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s still a baby, Adam.\u00a0 Believe me, it\u2019s wiser to assume he doesn\u2019t.\u00a0 Just keep watching him like you\u2019re doing.\u00a0 I\u2019m going to need your help more than ever, son, now that we have our own place.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll do my best, Pa,\u201d Adam promised.<\/p>\n

Walking toward the shed, Ben smiled.\u00a0 He knew Adam\u2019s word could be relied on, and it was one of the qualities he most admired in his young son.\u00a0 There were grown men who didn\u2019t have half his eight-year-old\u2019s measure of responsibility and integrity.<\/p>\n

By the time the wagon was completely unloaded, the sun stood directly overhead.\u00a0 Ben sent Adam to a nearby creek for a bucket of water and began building a fire to heat their dinner.\u00a0 \u201cIs Pa\u2019s boy hungry?\u201d he asked his toddler.<\/p>\n

\u201cEat,\u201d Hoss replied, his blue eyes gleaming as his father hung the kettle of stewed pumpkin over the fire to heat.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood,\u201d Ben said, interpreting that one word as an affirmative response, \u201c\u2018cause Miss Nelly fixed us a fine dinner here, Hoss\u2014\u2014fried squirrel, stewed pumpkin and plenty of fresh bread on the side.\u00a0 I\u2019ll fry some potatoes to go along with that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Once he had the potatoes diced and sizzling, Ben lifted the little boy into his arms and sat down in the rocker to keep an eye on the food.\u00a0 Though Ben had protested taking the rocker, Nelly had insisted.\u00a0 \u201cIt helps Hoss get to sleep,\u201d the kind-hearted woman had declared.\u00a0 \u201cBesides, Clyde\u2019s promised to make me a new one.\u201d\u00a0 Ben had submitted to her wishes then, in the knowledge that anything Clyde Thomas made was likely to be of better quality than the rocker Ben had found abandoned outside the Mormon Station trading post last year.<\/p>\n

When Adam returned with the water, Ben saw to it that everyone was washed and ready by the time dinner was hot.\u00a0 They said grace and dug in, each knowing that supper wasn\u2019t likely to be as tasty or as filling.\u00a0 Ben was a fair cook, but he had a long way to go before he could feed his boys as well as Nelly Thomas had for the past year.\u00a0 Ben sighed and resolved to study the recipes Nelly had sent after the boys went to bed.\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t confident the results would compare favorably with hers, even if he followed her instructions to the letter, but he was determined to keep his boys well nourished.\u00a0 He owed that to their mothers.<\/p>\n

After dinner Ben laid his drowsy younger boy on the bed and covered him with the down-filled comforter Nelly Thomas had made the boy for Christmas last year.\u00a0 Coming out of the bedroom, he saw Adam pulling out one of his schoolbooks.\u00a0 The boy\u2019s hand swiftly dropped to his side.\u00a0 \u201cIs it okay to read awhile, Pa?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n

Ben nodded.\u00a0 \u201cSure, son, but you\u2019ll need to go outdoors.\u00a0 It\u2019s too dark in here with no windows.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCan\u2019t I light a lamp, Pa?\u201d Adam wheedled.<\/p>\n

Ben shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cNo, son; Pa tried to buy plenty of lantern oil, but it\u2019s not a good idea to squander it this early.\u00a0 We\u2019ll need it more this winter when we can\u2019t sit outside.\u201d<\/p>\n

A soft whimper drifted through the bedroom door.\u00a0 \u201cBubba,\u201d Hoss called.\u00a0 Adam frowned.\u00a0 He\u2019d been watching Hoss all morning and felt he deserved some time to himself.<\/p>\n

Reading the boy\u2019s thoughts in his expression, Ben gave Adam\u2019s shoulder a consoling pat.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019d probably quiet down quicker if you\u2019d lie down next to him awhile,\u201d he suggested.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d do it myself, but I need to work on getting a supply of firewood laid in.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay,\u201d Adam sighed, \u201cbut he\u2019d better get to sleep fast or I\u2019ll read him a page out of the New England Primer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed softly.\u00a0 \u201cNot a bad idea, Adam, if it weren\u2019t so dark in that room.\u00a0 A story might just do the trick.\u201d\u00a0 No story was needed this time, though.\u00a0 Once both boys lay side by side on their father\u2019s bed, the younger one quickly fell asleep and his older brother soon followed.\u00a0 It had been a busy morning and Adam was tired.<\/p>\n

Adam woke before Hoss, though, so he did find time to study a little and to make an entry in his daily journal before supper.\u00a0 It was a light meal, just some bacon fried to go with what was left from dinner.\u00a0 After the table was cleared and the dishes washed, Ben took from the second shelf the thick volume of Shakespeare\u2019s works that Josiah Edwards had shipped to him as a Christmas gift last year.\u00a0 \u201cReady to start a new play, Adam?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir!\u201d Adam replied enthusiastically.\u00a0 \u201cMore about King Henry, please, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, well, I guess it makes sense to read Part II after Part I, son.\u00a0 Henry the Fourth it is, then.\u201d\u00a0 Ben opened the big book and laid it on the table by the coal-oil lantern.\u00a0 Adam sat down in the rocker and pulled Hoss into his lap.\u00a0 As he listened to his father\u2019s cello-toned voice reading the words of the immortal bard, Adam rocked his baby brother.\u00a0 Hoss didn\u2019t understand a word of the play, of course, but he found his father\u2019s voice soothing and his brother\u2019s lap as good a place as any to snooze.<\/p>\n

CHAPTER TWO<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 When the Thomas cabin came in sight Monday morning, Adam raced ahead.\u00a0 \u201cHey, Billy!\u201d he yelled.<\/p>\n

Billy ran out the door of his cabin, waving and hollering.\u00a0 \u201cHey, Adam!\u00a0 Come see what we got done already.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam charged up to his friend and both headed inside.<\/p>\n

\u201cLands, you folks must have been up before the sun to get here this early!\u201d Nelly exclaimed.\u00a0 \u201cHave you had breakfast?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes ma\u2019am,\u201d Adam replied.\u00a0 \u201cPa fixed pancakes and bacon.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDidn\u2019t burn \u2018em too bad, did he?\u201d Clyde cackled.<\/p>\n

\u201cI did not,\u201d Ben snorted, entering the cabin.\u00a0 \u201cAs evidence, I offer the fact that both my boys cleaned their plates.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll that proves is that they were hungry,\u201d Nelly teased, reaching for the baby in Ben\u2019s arms.\u00a0 \u201cHello, Sunshine.\u00a0 You gettin\u2019 enough to eat at Pa\u2019s house?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEat!\u201d Hoss cried, falling into Nelly\u2019s arms.<\/p>\n

Nelly laughed.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll eat later, Sunshine.\u00a0 Aunt Nelly\u2019s plannin\u2019 a big dinner come noontime.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben raised a thick, dark eyebrow.\u00a0 \u201cAunt Nelly now, is it?\u201d<\/p>\n

Nelly blushed.\u00a0 \u201cWell, I guess I was takin\u2019 liberties.\u00a0 You folks sure seem close as kin, though, so maybe I can be excused.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled warmly.\u00a0 \u201cNelly, I never had a sister of my own, but I\u2019d be proud to call you that\u2014\u2014which would, of course, entitle you to be my boys\u2019 aunt.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam walked over to Mr. Thomas.\u00a0 \u201cDoes that make you Uncle Clyde?\u201d he asked seriously, as Adam tended to take almost everything.<\/p>\n

Clyde chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cI reckon, but just by marriage, it seems.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cClyde!\u201d Nelly scolded, turning apologetically to Ben.\u00a0 \u201cTrust my man to take funnin\u2019 one step too far.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben put an arm around Nelly and gave her a gentle embrace.\u00a0 \u201cThink nothing of it, sister dear.\u00a0 There are black sheep in every family,\u201d he said, giving Clyde a wink.<\/p>\n

Nelly\u2019s face flamed redder than her son\u2019s hair.\u00a0 \u201cHigh time the both of you quit flappin\u2019 your tongues and went to work,\u201d she chided, \u201cif you plan on finishin\u2019 this floor today.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben chuckled and nodded his acceptance of the admonishment.\u00a0 He moved toward Clyde.\u00a0 \u201cLooks like you\u2019ve made a good start,\u201d he said, his hand sweeping toward the doorway Clyde had cut in the cabin\u2019s north wall, against which Ben\u2019s and the boys\u2019 beds had stood when they all lived together.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome on through and see what I\u2019ve done,\u201d Clyde said.<\/p>\n

Ben followed his friend through the doorway into what had once been the stable and had later served as the trading post.\u00a0 Gone was the counter behind which Ben had conducted business.\u00a0 Gone were the shelves along the east wall.\u00a0 Nothing, in fact, remained in the room.\u00a0 The ground had been beaten down firmly and a few half-logs laid in place near the north wall, beyond which Clyde\u2019s smithy still stood.\u00a0 \u201cYou have been working,\u201d Ben whistled.<\/p>\n

\u201cStill plenty to do, Ben boy,\u201d Clyde chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cOr should I say \u2018Brother Ben\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben grinned.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll answer to either, and even quicker to the dinner bell.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHa!\u201d Clyde snorted.\u00a0 \u201cMissin\u2019 your sister\u2019s cookin\u2019 already, ain\u2019t ya?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, yeah,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cTell me where you stowed my ax, and I\u2019ll get to work splitting logs.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the smithy,\u201d Clyde replied.<\/p>\n

With both men working, the area that would become Clyde and Nelly\u2019s new bedroom was completely floored by the time Nelly announced that dinner was ready.\u00a0 Everyone gathered around the table, Adam and Hoss both eyeing the bounty eagerly.\u00a0 Ben cut a surprised glance at Nelly.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ve gone all out, Nelly.\u00a0 This looks more like a Sunday dinner than a weekday\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, now, I\u2014I got to make sure you and the boys eat proper once a week, don\u2019t I?\u201d Nelly stammered.<\/p>\n

Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cYou won\u2019t hear me complain.\u00a0 Someday, though, I\u2019m going to have to invite you to my place, so you can see we\u2019re not really dying of malnutrition over there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLands, I didn\u2019t mean\u2014\u2014\u201d Nelly began, then stopped when she saw Ben smile at her.\u00a0 He was teasing.\u00a0 \u201cWould you say the blessing, Ben?\u201d she asked instead of completing her apology.<\/p>\n

Ben bowed his head, the others followed suit, and a brief prayer thanked the Giver of all good things for the abundance He\u2019d provided for their table.<\/p>\n

\u201cEat!\u201d Hoss demanded as soon as the grownups\u2019 heads came up.\u00a0 Young as he was, he had learned that nothing would reach his mouth before the prayer ended.\u00a0 But he was always ready for food the minute it did.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right, greedy belly,\u201d Ben said, chucking the little fellow under his chubby chin.\u00a0 \u201cGoodness knows, I\u2019ll get no chance at dinner \u2018til you\u2019ve had yours!\u201d\u00a0 Feeling not an iota\u2019s guilt, Hoss just grinned.<\/p>\n

As Ben had said, the table was loaded with enough food to rival Nelly\u2019s best Sunday dinners.\u00a0 And he could see two pies sitting at one end, a sure sign that today\u2019s dinner was intended to be special.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re gonna need to move everything out of here before we can go much further,\u201d Clyde said.\u00a0 \u201cHope that stove don\u2019t take all day to cool down.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, it won\u2019t,\u201d Nelly said.\u00a0 \u201cI cooked everything at the fireplace except the pies, and they were done early.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood thinking, Nelly,\u201d Ben said.<\/p>\n

Nelly laughed.\u00a0 \u201cYou don\u2019t know how I been longin\u2019 for a real floor, Ben.\u00a0 I\u2019ve had everything planned out in my mind for days.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clyde forked another pickle onto his plate.\u00a0 \u201cWhat she means is she\u2019s all set to boss the job.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou planning to sleep outside tonight, Clyde?\u201d Ben asked dryly.\u00a0 Clyde grinned.\u00a0 He got the point.<\/p>\n

As soon as dinner ended, Nelly put the boys to work clearing the table.\u00a0 \u201cTake all the dishes outside,\u201d she ordered, \u201cwell away from the cabin.\u00a0 I\u2019ll wash \u2018em up once the men get started.\u201d<\/p>\n

While the boys worked at the table, Ben and Clyde took down the canvas curtain and began unpegging the bed from the east wall of the cabin.\u00a0 \u201cMight as well take this on in the other room,\u201d Clyde suggested.<\/p>\n

\u201cMight as well,\u201d Ben agreed.<\/p>\n

By the time the men had finished setting up the bed, Nelly and the boys had taken all the chairs and the table outdoors.\u00a0 Ben and Clyde carried out the heavy cast iron stove and started building the floor, beginning at the west end, where the fireplace stood.<\/p>\n

They\u2019d been working for about an hour when Nelly poked her head through the cabin door.\u00a0 \u201cRider comin\u2019,\u201d she announced.\u00a0 \u201cLooks like John Reese.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clyde stood and limped to the door.\u00a0 The leg that had taken a poisoned arrow\u2014\u2014like the one that had killed Ben\u2019s wife Inger\u2014\u2014had never been as strong after that.\u00a0 Clyde had gotten used to the limp, though, and those around him barely noticed it any more.\u00a0 Stepping outside, Clyde shaded his blue eyes with a bronzed hand.\u00a0 \u201cYup, it\u2019s Reese,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cWonder what he wants.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben followed Clyde out and stood waiting until John Reese reined in a chestnut gelding.\u00a0 Reese tipped his felt hat to Mrs. Thomas, but didn\u2019t dismount.\u00a0 \u201cHowdy, ma\u2019am,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHowdy to you, Mr. Reese,\u201d Nelly responded.\u00a0 \u201cSorry I can\u2019t offer you a cup of coffee, but I\u2019m not set up to cook just now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reese nodded.\u00a0 \u201cI can\u2019t stay anyway, ma\u2019am.\u00a0 I just wanted a word with your husband.\u201d\u00a0 He turned toward Clyde.\u00a0 \u201cMr. Thomas, a few men from this area will be meeting at my place next Wednesday, and I\u2019d like you to join us.\u201d\u00a0 He looked at Ben, standing behind Clyde.\u00a0 \u201cYou, too, Cartwright.\u00a0 I was going to ride over to your place as soon as I talked to Mr. Thomas here.\u00a0 As two of the oldest settlers in this region, you should have a voice in our discussions.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s this here meetin\u2019 about?\u201d Clyde inquired.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith so many folks settling in this part of the territory,\u201d Reese explained, \u201cwe\u2019re going to need some government established.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clyde spit tobacco juice onto the bare ground.\u00a0 \u201cThought we had a government,\u201d he muttered, \u201cover to Salt Lake City.\u201d\u00a0 The Compromise of 1850 had set the territorial capital at FillmoreCity, but everyone knew the real power resided with the head of the Mormon church in SaltLake.<\/p>\n

Reese shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s the problem.\u00a0 SaltLake\u2019s too far away to give us any real help, and the leaders there seem in no hurry to set up anything local.\u00a0 Some of us at Mormon Station feel it\u2019s time we undertook the job ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat might not sit too well with the leadership of your church,\u201d Ben said bluntly.<\/p>\n

Reese chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cI may be Mormon, Cartwright, but that doesn\u2019t mean I see eye-to-eye with Brigham Young about everything.\u00a0 I think we need a government more closely tied to our needs here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI agree,\u201d Ben said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYup, me, too,\u201d Clyde added.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll be at your meetin\u2019, Reese.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTen that morning sound about right?\u201d Reese asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe could be there earlier,\u201d Ben said, \u201cbut ten\u2019s fine.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m going to ask a few men from the new settlement at Eagle Station, too,\u201d Reese explained.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s where I\u2019m headed now. They have further to come, so I thought it better to start later.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure you wouldn\u2019t rather light down and help lay a floor?\u201d Clyde suggested dryly.<\/p>\n

Clyde hadn\u2019t sounded like he was joking.\u00a0 Reese saw through the straight face, though, and grinned back at the sweaty builder.\u00a0 \u201cBelieve I\u2019ll pass,\u201d he said.\u00a0 Tipping his hat once more to Mrs. Thomas, he rode north.<\/p>\n

Ben gave his friend a hard clap on the back.\u00a0 \u201cBack to work, Clyde.\u00a0 I plan to get Sister Nelly set up to cook again by suppertime.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHear that, Nelly?\u201d Clyde cackled as he turned toward the cabin.\u00a0 \u201cGive the beggar one good meal, and he invites himself back for more!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLands, he\u2019s earned it!\u201d Nelly cried.\u00a0 \u201cI planned on him and the boys stayin\u2019 to supper.\u201d<\/p>\n

From his perch in her arms, Hoss crowed with delight.\u00a0 \u201cEat!\u00a0 Pie!\u201d he declared.<\/p>\n

Along with the others, Nelly laughed.\u00a0 \u201cYes, Sunshine, there\u2019s pie left, and Aunt Nelly will make sure you get some.\u201d<\/p>\n

Though Ben and Clyde worked hard that afternoon, only half of the cabin\u2019s main room had been floored by the time the sun started to dip behind the mountains.\u00a0 They moved the stove back inside, so Nelly could prepare supper, but left the table outdoors.\u00a0 No use cluttering up the room until the job was done, and eating in the open air would feel refreshing after a day of laboring indoors.<\/p>\n

\u201cNobody\u2019ll be braggin\u2019 on this like it was Sunday dinner,\u201d Nelly said apologetically.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve really had to throw this meal together.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt tastes real fine, ma\u2019am,\u201d Adam said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, thank you, son,\u201d the cook replied with an appeased smile.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s easy to see my younger boy agrees,\u201d Ben laughed.\u00a0 Hoss\u2019s face was smeared with his exuberant enjoyment of the meal.<\/p>\n

Only one face at the table wore a frown.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s your chin draggin\u2019 the dust for, boy?\u201d Clyde demanded of his son.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought you was gonna finish that floor today,\u201d Billy whined.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy, son, your pa and Mr. Cartwright have done their best, I reckon,\u201d Nelly remonstrated.\u00a0 \u201cThey\u2019ll finish up tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, but it\u2019s my bedroom they didn\u2019t get to,\u201d Billy wailed.\u00a0 \u201cWhere am I supposed to sleep?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, lands, what a ruckus over nothin\u2019,\u201d his mother scolded.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll spread your mattress on what floor we got.\u201d\u00a0 Billy didn\u2019t look the least bit mollified.<\/p>\n

Suddenly, Adam\u2019s face lit up.\u00a0 \u201cHey, why don\u2019t Billy come home with us?\u201d he cried.\u00a0 \u201cHe can sleep in my bed!\u201d<\/p>\n

Billy looked up, a grin starting at the corners of his mouth.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s a good idea!\u201d he said and turned pleading eyes on his mother.<\/p>\n

Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s all right with me,\u201d he assured Billy\u2019s parents, secretly wondering why Billy thought Adam\u2019s trundle was that much improvement over a mattress on the floor.<\/p>\n

Billy spent that night in the Cartwrights\u2019 cabin, and for the next several days, while the men worked to finish the floor, install the glass-paned windows and make a few other improvements in the cabin, he and Adam traded off as host to the other.\u00a0 Both families spent a few days apart after that to catch up on regular chores, planning to cut windows in the Cartwright cabin right after the November 12th meeting at Reese\u2019s Mormon Station.<\/p>\n

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

The trading post was just ahead now, but Clyde\u2019s steps had slowed almost to a crawl.\u00a0 Looking back, Ben saw the man, who though just two years older than Ben\u2019s thirty years, walked like a man of much greater age.\u00a0 \u201cLeg bothering you?\u201d Ben asked.<\/p>\n

Clyde shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cNaw, just ain\u2019t anxious to go amongst a nest of Mormons.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cOh, Clyde, don\u2019t start that today!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t hold with their religion, and no man can make me say I do!\u201d Clyde snapped.<\/p>\n

\u201cNeither do I, but that doesn\u2019t mean they aren\u2019t good neighbors,\u201d Ben reasoned.<\/p>\n

Clyde lifted his hat and raked callused fingers through his coppery hair.\u00a0 \u201cSo far, I reckon, but I don\u2019t cotton to old Brigham Young or his kind takin\u2019 rule over my life and land.\u00a0 Any man that goes cavortin\u2019 around with twenty or more so-called \u2018wives\u2019 ain\u2019t fit to make laws for decent folks.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled.\u00a0 \u201cI thought that\u2019s what this meeting was about, Clyde,\u201d he pointed out softly.\u00a0 \u201cReese doesn\u2019t like the idea either.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clyde nodded.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, but I don\u2019t know if the same holds true for the rest of the men here at Mormon Station.\u00a0 We\u2019re gonna be outnumbered, Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben threw an arm around the shorter man\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cSince when aren\u2019t you and I a match for anything thrown at us?\u201d<\/p>\n

Clyde grinned.\u00a0 \u201cMore than a match,\u201d he said with a quick jerk of his chin, \u201cprovided they don\u2019t throw their womenfolk agin us, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat womenfolk?\u201d Ben demanded as he and Clyde started walking once more toward the designated meeting place.\u00a0 \u201cThere isn\u2019t one besides Nelly this side of Salt Lake City!\u201d<\/p>\n

Clyde gave a loud hoot.\u00a0 \u201cAin\u2019t it the truth!\u00a0 Must make it hard for these Mormons to practice their religion, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWill you stop?\u201d Ben hissed.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re almost there, and so help me, Clyde, if you bring up polygamy\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWouldn\u2019t dream of it,\u201d Clyde replied with a maddening grin.<\/p>\n

Ben rolled his brown eyes heavenward.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t figure out whether Clyde was as prejudiced against Mormons as he sounded or if the man just liked to get a rise out of his long-suffering friend.\u00a0 At times like this, Ben suspected Billy came by his penchant for mischief honestly.<\/p>\n

As soon as the two men walked through the door of Reese\u2019s trading post, the Mormon leader strode briskly across the room to greet them.\u00a0 \u201cCartwright; Thomas,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cGlad you could make it.\u201d\u00a0 A second man came up behind Reese and nodded at the two new arrivals.\u00a0 Catching a glimpse of the man out of the corner of his eye, Reese beckoned him forward.\u00a0 \u201cHave you men met William Byrnes?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben extended a hand.\u00a0 \u201cOf course.\u00a0 How are you, Byrnes?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDoing well, Cartwright,\u201d Byrnes replied.\u00a0 \u201cExcited about making a real community out of Mormon Station.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd the rest of Carson Valley,\u201d Clyde added testily.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, of course,\u201d Byrnes agreed hastily.\u00a0 \u201cThe entire valley.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBill, I\u2019m not sure our neighbors here know all the others,\u201d Reese said.\u00a0 \u201cWould you introduce them around?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGlad to,\u201d Byrnes said.<\/p>\n

Ben and Clyde had already met most of the occupants of the room, the exceptions being some of the new settlers in Eagle Valley, so the introductions took but a short time.\u00a0 And that was fortunate since Reese called the meeting to order only minutes after they had finished greeting acquaintances old and new.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll of you know the purpose for our meeting today,\u201d Reese began.\u00a0 \u201cA year or two ago Carson Valley was just a place to pass through.\u00a0 No more.\u00a0 People are beginning to settle here, to make their homes here.\u00a0 But any government available is a long way from our valley, too far to provide effective leadership.\u00a0 We need to take steps to provide it ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHere, here!\u201d Byrnes sang out in agreement.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe must face facts, gentlemen,\u201d Reese continued.\u00a0 \u201cWithout legal title to our lands, all of us here are nothing more than squatters.\u00a0 Yet Salt Lake City seems reluctant to send officials here to deal with that most basic of legal needs.\u00a0 And while we\u2019ve been fortunate in attracting mainly god-fearing, law-abiding citizens, we can\u2019t afford to assume that such will always be the case.\u00a0 We need a plan to deal with criminal activity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben and Clyde nodded to each other.\u00a0 Everything Reese had said so far made sense.\u00a0 Any growing community could expect sooner or later to attract a lawless element, as well as more solid citizens.\u00a0 Better to nip that element in the bud than let it take root.\u00a0 The lack of legal title to their lands was an even more immediate concern.<\/p>\n

\u201cFine words, Reese,\u201d said a man Ben had just met, Frank Hall of Eagle Station.\u00a0 \u201cBut what can we do about it?\u00a0 You think Utah\u2019s gonna just let us order things like we want?\u201d<\/p>\n

Reese smiled.\u00a0 \u201cWhat I propose will take the territory of Utah completely out of the picture.\u00a0 I suggest we petition Congress to grant us a territorial government independent of Utah and to send a surveyor to define all land claims.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clyde whistled.\u00a0 \u201cBold critter, ain\u2019t he?\u201d he whispered to Ben.<\/p>\n

Ben gestured to get Reese\u2019s attention.\u00a0 \u201cIf we expect Washington to honor such a request, we\u2019ll have to show them we\u2019re ready to govern ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAbsolutely right, Cartwright,\u201d Reese said.\u00a0 With a long finger he swept the room.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s why we\u2019re here, to set in motion a government Washington will have to respect.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s others ought to have a say in this,\u201d Frank Hall protested.\u00a0 \u201cAin\u2019t more than twenty men here, and the Federal government ain\u2019t gonna smile on no territorial convention that small.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled.\u00a0 Though his poor grammar revealed Hall to be a man of little learning, he was talking common sense.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s more than just Mormons in this valley,\u201d an even rougher-looking man growled.<\/p>\n

Reese flushed.\u00a0 \u201cYes, of course, though most of the men you\u2019re speaking of are transients rather than permanent settlers like those in this room.\u00a0 Our meeting today is just intended to get things started.\u00a0 I\u2019m sure there\u2019ll be other meetings, and we can involve more men in those.\u00a0 I suggest we elect a committee today to act as our temporary government and give them the power to appoint officials where needed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat about a legislature?\u201d Joseph Barnard, another settler from Eagle Station demanded.\u00a0 \u201cA proper government should have more than just an executive branch.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cKind of gettin\u2019 the cart before the horse, ain\u2019t you?\u201d Clyde snickered.\u00a0 \u201cWe ain\u2019t gonna have no proper government \u2018til Congress recognizes us.\u00a0 And \u2018til then we don\u2019t need no fancy legislature.\u201d<\/p>\n

A loud debate ensued with men vociferously voicing opposing viewpoints.\u00a0 Finally, Ben Cartwright stood, raising both arms to get the men\u2019s attention.\u00a0 \u201cPerhaps the idea of an official legislature is a bit premature,\u201d he said, \u201c so why don\u2019t we simply nominate a committee today to begin thinking about the laws we need most and report to the body at large.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood idea,\u201d Jameson, a resident of Mormon Station, shouted.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll settle for that,\u201d Barnard agreed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we need most,\u201d William Byrnes interrupted, \u201cis a limit on how much land a man can settle.\u00a0 Fertile land\u2019s scarce in the valley.\u00a0 No one man should control more than a quarter-section.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s a good suggestion, Bill,\u201d Reese said smoothly, \u201cbut what we need first, as Cartwright suggests, is a committee to examine such ideas.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right, then, I nominate you,\u201d Byrnes announced.\u00a0 Other Mormons vied with one another for the privilege of seconding the nomination.\u00a0 Though no official vote was taken, Reese obviously would head the new committee on laws for Carson Valley.<\/p>\n

Clyde almost leaped to his feet as soon as nominations were declared open for other members of the committee.\u00a0 \u201cI nominate Ben Cartwright!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben grabbed at Clyde plaid flannel sleeve, jerking him back into his seat.\u00a0 \u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d he demanded.<\/p>\n

\u201cGot to have something besides consarned Mormons on this committee,\u201d Clyde whispered.<\/p>\n

\u201cAren\u2019t enough of us gentiles, as they call us, to elect anybody,\u201d Ben muttered under his breath.\u00a0 To his surprise, however, he was elected to the committee, as was Joseph Barnard of Eagle Station.\u00a0 Then followed the election of the governing committee.\u00a0 William Byrnes, John Reese and Jameson were elected to this committee, as well as the one on which Ben would serve, and four others were selected to round out the committee of seven.\u00a0 The meeting dismissed, and those elected to consider laws and resolutions adjourned to the home of William Byrnes to continue deliberations that afternoon.<\/p>\n

Toward evening Ben walked along the cottonwood-lined banks of the Carson River.\u00a0 Here and there a few orange-yellow leaves still clung to the bare branches, but soon they would all be gone.\u00a0 In the hills to the west red and gold aspen stood in vivid contrast to the dark evergreen of the pines.\u00a0 That view lay behind Ben, though, as he directed his steps toward the Thomas cabin.<\/p>\n

Adam, playing with Billy on the seesaw their fathers had built three months earlier, suddenly jumped off when he saw his father.\u00a0 Billy\u2019s half of the board slammed to the ground and Billy slid off on his backside.\u00a0 \u201cHey!\u201d he yelled.\u00a0 \u201cGive a feller some warnin\u2019!\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam was too far away to pay much mind to Billy, however.\u00a0 Ben laughed and tossed the boy high in the air when he came running to meet him.\u00a0 \u201cYou were gone all day, Pa,\u201d Adam scolded.\u00a0 \u201cThat must have been some meeting!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, well, you can thank Uncle Clyde for how long I was gone.\u00a0 You been a good boy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure,\u201d Adam said readily.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPretty good,\u201d Adam said, his brow furrowing thoughtfully.\u00a0 \u201cHe sure gets underfoot a lot, Pa.\u00a0 Me and Billy\u2019s hardly had a moment\u2019s peace.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam looked so serious Ben couldn\u2019t keep a straight face. He laughed as he set Adam down.\u00a0 \u201cSeems like I remember another little lad who got underfoot a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam frowned.\u00a0 He knew Pa was referring to him when he was younger, but he didn\u2019t think the comparison a fair one.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t possibly have been as annoying as Hoss!<\/p>\n

Clyde came around the corner of the cabin with a load of firewood.\u00a0 \u201cTrust Ben Cartwright to show up when the work\u2019s all done,\u201d he cackled.<\/p>\n

Ben made a growling face at his friend.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ve got some right talking after the job you dumped in my lap.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clyde guffawed even louder.\u00a0 \u201cFace it, Lieutenant Cartwright,\u201d he said, using the honorary title awarded Ben by the people with whom they\u2019d traveled west, \u201cyou were meant for greatness.\u00a0 How\u2019d the meetin\u2019 go?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood,\u201d Ben reported.\u00a0 \u201cWe plan on having another one next week, larger this time, maybe as many as a hundred men involved.\u00a0 We\u2019ll present the laws we came up with today then.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnything I ought to worry over?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben grinned.\u00a0 \u201cI ought to let you stew over that for a week, but, no, nothing you can\u2019t live with.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nelly came to the door, with Hoss toddling after.\u00a0 \u201cPa!\u201d the sticky-faced boy cried, raising his arms to be picked up.<\/p>\n

Ben lifted the youngster and gave him a kiss on his sugary cheek.\u00a0 \u201cNow, what have you been into, Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPie!\u201d Hoss chortled, a wide grin splitting his face.<\/p>\n

Nelly shook her head.\u00a0 \u201cClimbed up in a chair when I wasn\u2019t lookin\u2019 and helped himself.\u00a0 I\u2019m afraid one of the pies I fixed for supper don\u2019t look real invitin\u2019 any more.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cSorry, Nelly.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLike I said, underfoot and into everything,\u201d Adam accused, staring reproachfully at his little brother.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, no harm done,\u201d Nelly laughed.\u00a0 \u201cIf it was any other youngun, I\u2019d fear spoilin\u2019 his appetite, but\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben hooted.\u00a0 \u201cNothing spoils your appetite, does it, Hoss?\u201d\u00a0 He lifted the boy\u2019s wool shirt and blew on his stomach to Hoss\u2019s giggling delight.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, come on in and set a spell,\u201d Nelly said.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, we can\u2019t,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll be cooking a late supper as it is.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBen Cartwright, you are eatin\u2019 supper here!\u201d Nelly declared.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, Nelly\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s all planned,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cLands, the food\u2019s cookin\u2019 now, and I made enough for everyone.\u00a0 You don\u2019t want it goin\u2019 to waste, do you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo fear of that,\u201d Ben chuckled, patting his younger son\u2019s ample stomach.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve sired the perfect solution to leftovers.\u201d<\/p>\n

CHAPTER THREE<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u201cAdam.\u201d\u00a0 Ben shook the small shoulder lying next to Hoss in the trundle bed.\u00a0 \u201cAdam, wake up, son.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s black eyes slowly opened.\u00a0 \u201cMorning, Pa,\u201d he yawned expansively.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood morning, Adam,\u201d Ben whispered, not wanting to wake Hoss yet.\u00a0 \u201cI need you to fetch some water from the creek, son.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam propped himself up on sharp elbows.\u00a0 \u201cHow come so early?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to get the stew on, so there\u2019ll be nothing to do but heat it for the Thomases,\u201d Ben explained. \u00a0\u201cYou know Miss Nelly.\u00a0 If there\u2019s anything left to do when she gets here, she\u2019ll take right over.\u00a0 And this is my party.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam grinned as he swung his bare legs over the edge of the bed and stood up.\u00a0 \u201cYou mean Aunt Nelly,\u201d he reminded his father.<\/p>\n

Ben arched an eyebrow, not sure he\u2019d ever get used to the new appellation.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, well, by whatever name, she\u2019s my guest today.\u00a0 I aim to prove I can take care of my own boys.\u00a0 You with me?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam gave a decided nod.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m with you.\u201d\u00a0 He grabbed his blue pants from a peg on the wall and stepped into them.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know why Aunt Nelly\u2019s comin\u2019 today anyway.\u00a0 You don\u2019t need her to set in the windows.\u201d\u00a0 He drew a suspender over each shoulder.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s coming to watch Hoss and to hang the curtains,\u201d Ben replied, walking through the doorway.<\/p>\n

Following his father into the main room, Adam scowled.\u00a0 \u201cCurtains!\u00a0 Why we need curtains?\u00a0 Ain\u2019t nobody around to spy in, anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben rumpled Adam\u2019s black hair.\u00a0 \u201cI, for one, appreciate the touches a woman adds to a home.\u00a0 You know if your mother or Hoss\u2019s were still alive, we\u2019d have curtains, and I don\u2019t plan to raise a couple of heathens.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s face had grown pensive at the mention of his mothers\u2014\u2014he always felt he\u2019d had two\u2014\u2014but he couldn\u2019t figure what curtains had to do with making him either heathen or god-fearing.\u00a0 From the look on Pa\u2019s face, though, now wasn\u2019t the time to ask.\u00a0 Now was the time to fetch water.\u00a0 Adam trotted outside, grabbed up a pail and headed for the creek.<\/p>\n

By the time he returned, Adam could smell the chunks of deer meat searing in the pot.\u00a0 Ben had the potatoes and carrots peeled and sliced, ready to add as soon as the meat was browned on all sides.\u00a0 Adam sniffed the air appreciatively as another familiar fragrance hit his nostrils.\u00a0 \u201cFried mush!\u201d he chirped.\u00a0 \u201cMy favorite, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIs it?\u201d Ben smiled as he turned the slices of cold mush to fry on the other side.\u00a0 \u201cI thought your taste ran to bacon and eggs.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, it would if we had any chickens,\u201d Adam admitted.\u00a0 \u201cThat is one thing I miss from Aunt Nelly\u2019s place.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cI appreciate honesty, Adam, but today\u2019s not the best time to tell me you preferred living with the Thomases.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t say that!\u201d Adam protested indignantly.\u00a0 \u201cI like having our own place.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 Then he gave Adam a wink.\u00a0 \u201cI miss the eggs, too, son.\u00a0 Maybe next spring I could bring back a brood of our own, if I had a boy willing to be responsible for them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMe, Pa,\u201d Adam announced.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d be responsible and Hoss could help.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s laughter rocked the rafters.\u00a0 \u201cI wouldn\u2019t count on it, son,\u201d he cackled.<\/p>\n

From the next room came a demanding \u201cPa!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUh-oh,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cI didn\u2019t mean to wake him up yet.\u00a0 See to your brother, would you, boy?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam frowned.\u00a0 He knew that \u201cseeing to\u201d his brother\u2019s morning care generally involved changing a dirty diaper.\u00a0 Since Pa was busy with both breakfast and lunch, however, Adam saw no way out of the offensive chore.\u00a0 With a sigh he walked through the doorway and over to the trundle, the edge of which Hoss was trying vainly to roll across.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, up you come,\u201d Adam said, struggling to lift the baby to Pa\u2019s higher bed for changing.\u00a0 Hoss was already almost beyond the older boy\u2019s strength to lift.\u00a0 Adam tickled the baby\u2019s chin.\u00a0 \u201cHoss, you either gotta quit this growing or you gotta grow big enough to tend yourself.\u00a0 This in-between stuff is wearing me out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss smiled adoringly at his older brother and kicked his legs, wafting the fetid odor from his diapers toward Adam\u2019s nose.\u00a0 Adam turned his head away quickly and groaned.\u00a0 The bad kind.\u00a0 Why did he always get stuck with cleaning Hoss up after the bad kind?<\/p>\n

Suddenly, the smile on the baby\u2019s face seemed taunting to his older brother.\u00a0 \u201cYou don\u2019t have to look so all-fired happy about it,\u201d Adam scolded.\u00a0 \u201cHigh time you learned to trot to the outhouse on your own.\u201d\u00a0 The suggestion made no impression on Hoss, however, so Adam set to work making his brother presentable for company.<\/p>\n

Hoss had on a fresh diaper, but nothing else, when Ben stuck his head through the doorway to call his boys to breakfast.\u00a0 \u201cHoss ain\u2019t dressed yet, Pa,\u201d Adam reported.<\/p>\n

\u201cIsn\u2019t,\u201d Ben corrected.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t bother \u2018til he\u2019s eaten.\u00a0 He\u2019ll be warm enough like he is.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd that way we won\u2019t have to change his shirt afterwards, huh, Pa?\u201d Adam grinned.<\/p>\n

Ben laid an affectionate hand on the boy\u2019s slender neck.\u00a0 \u201cAdam, my boy, you\u2019re quite a mind-reader,\u201d he smiled.<\/p>\n

The boys were fed, the dishes washed and the cabin shipshape when the guests arrived.\u00a0 Billy Thomas burst through the door without bothering to knock.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re here,\u201d he announced.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo I see,\u201d Ben scowled playfully.\u00a0 \u201cHow far back did you leave the old folks, Billy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFur as I could,\u201d Billy tittered.<\/p>\n

Ben walked outside, taking a deep breath of the pine-scented breeze.\u00a0 Waving at the Thomases, who were only a short distance behind their son, he walked to meet them.\u00a0 \u201cWhy\u2019d you bring the cart?\u201d Ben asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cEasier than totin\u2019 this much on my back, that\u2019s why!\u201d Clyde snorted.<\/p>\n

Ben looked into the ox-drawn cart.\u00a0 Clyde\u2019s tools were there, of course, as well as a brown-paper-wrapped package Ben took to be the curtains.\u00a0 In addition, the cart held four pies.\u00a0 \u201cGood gracious, Nelly,\u201d he ejaculated.\u00a0 \u201cWe don\u2019t plan to work up that huge an appetite.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSpeak for yourself,\u201d Clyde hooted, giving Ben\u2019s arm a solid punch.<\/p>\n

\u201cI only planned two for dinner,\u201d Nelly explained.\u00a0 \u201cThe others I\u2019ll leave here since you said you weren\u2019t comin\u2019 for Sunday dinner this week.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben shook his head.\u00a0 He wondered if he\u2019d ever convince Nelly Thomas that he and the boys were capable of managing on their own.\u00a0 Still, he had to admit all three of them relished dessert.\u00a0 It was in short supply at the Cartwright table, too, for Ben had never understood the mysteries of pie-making.\u00a0 He smiled his thanks and helped carry the pastries inside.<\/p>\n

\u201cPie!\u201d Hoss crowed in happy greeting when his father walked in.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, and you stay out of them,\u201d Ben ordered, waving an admonishing finger under the nose of his younger son.\u00a0 Hoss looked disappointed, but bobbed his head soberly.<\/p>\n

Nelly, having followed Ben in with the last two pies, set them down and began what was obviously an inspection tour of the cabin.\u00a0 \u201cWhy, you\u2019ve got it fixed up right nice,\u201d she said, smiling at the table already set for dinner, \u201cand whatever that is cookin\u2019 smells almost edible.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAlmost!\u201d Ben sputtered.\u00a0 \u201cYou wait \u2018til you taste it before you go criticizing, Nelly Thomas.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI wasn\u2019t criticizin\u2019,\u201d Nelly contradicted.\u00a0 She approached the mantel over the fireplace and looked at the two daguerreotypes Ben had set there, one on each side.\u00a0 One face she recognized.\u00a0 \u201cI never knew you had a picture took of Inger, Ben,\u201d she said softly.<\/p>\n

Ben gazed dreamily at the picture.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, we had that made on our first anniversary\u2014\u2014first and last,\u201d he said quietly.\u00a0 His thoughts were particularly nostalgic since November was the month he and Inger had married three years before<\/p>\n

Nelly nodded, sharing the moment of sorrow with Ben, for Inger had been a cherished friend.\u00a0 She pointed to the other picture.\u00a0 \u201cThat your first wife?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, that\u2019s Elizabeth, Adam\u2019s mother,\u201d Ben said of the handsome, dark-haired woman in the other gilt frame.<\/p>\n

\u201cTwo fine-lookin\u2019 women you found for yourself,\u201d Clyde said from the doorway.<\/p>\n

\u201cFine-looking and fine-hearted,\u201d Ben said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you aim to put a third picture up there?\u201d Clyde asked with an impish grin.<\/p>\n

Ben paled.\u00a0 \u201cNever,\u201d he said tautly.<\/p>\n

Secretly, Nelly didn\u2019t think Clyde should have brought the subject up this soon after Ben\u2019s loss; but since he had, she thought she might as well express her opinion, too.\u00a0 A year might seem a short time to grieve, but Ben\u2019s boys needed a mother and Ben a wife to share this home he was building.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s other fine-hearted women, Ben,\u201d she said softly.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot of their like,\u201d Ben replied, coloring.\u00a0 To lighten the sudden sobriety in the room, he laughed.\u00a0 \u201cBesides, where in all of UtahTerritory would I find an unmarried woman of anything but the Mormon persuasion?\u201d<\/p>\n

Clyde chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cOr even that kind.\u00a0 With their men takin\u2019 two or three apiece, there can\u2019t be many left over.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nelly clucked her tongue reproachfully.\u00a0 \u201cYou men had best clear out and start to work.\u00a0 I won\u2019t have such matters spoke of before these innocent boys.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cInnocent?\u00a0 Him?\u201d Ben teased, pointing at Nelly\u2019s red-haired son, then skipping out before Nelly could toss a pie at him for his sass.<\/p>\n

\u201cStill set on three winders?\u201d Clyde asked, pulling his saw from the cart.<\/p>\n

Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cI know you think it\u2019s an extravagance, but we want lots of light in our front room.\u00a0 We\u2019re a family of readers, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss, too, I suppose,\u201d Clyde sniggered.<\/p>\n

Ben shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cTime will tell, but he\u2019s gonna have the right example set before him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, all right,\u201d Clyde said, eager to change the subject.\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t setting his own boy much of an example in the education department, and sometimes that made him uncomfortable around Ben Cartwright, who set such store by learning.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re plannin\u2019 to read in bed, too, I reckon,\u201d he added, referring to Ben\u2019s previously stated intention of putting a window in the bedroom, as well as one on each side of the cabin\u2019s front door.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe,\u201d Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cMostly, I plan to wake with the sun coming through that east window and be about my work, unlike some of my lazy neighbors.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clyde turned to spit a stream of tobacco juice away from the cabin.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t need the sun to wake me up.\u00a0 My own innards act like a regular clock when it\u2019s time to start chorin\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben arched a blue-black eyebrow.\u00a0 \u201cDid I say I meant you?\u00a0 I have other neighbors, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clyde slapped his knee.\u00a0 \u201cOkay.\u00a0 You slickered me that time.\u00a0 Who\u2019d you have in mind?\u00a0 Old Virginny, maybe?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben scowled at the reference to James Finney, who took his nickname from his home state.\u00a0 \u201cNo one in particular, but Finney doesn\u2019t strike me as a beaver for work, now you mention it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou men better start workin\u2019 like beavers yourselves,\u201d Nelly warned from the doorway, \u201cor I\u2019ll take a lesson from Inger\u2019s book and make you sing the praises of James Finney before you get your dinner.\u201d\u00a0 Both men smiled, remembering the times on the trail when Inger, who couldn\u2019t tolerate criticism of anyone, had made them earn their dinner in just the fashion Nelly mentioned.<\/p>\n

Ben made her an elegant bow.\u00a0 \u201cYes, ma\u2019am!\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll soon have you a window to dress with those frills you brought.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss tugged at Nelly\u2019s skirt.\u00a0 \u201cPie, Aun\u2019 Nenee?\u201d<\/p>\n

Nelly scooped the toddler up and carried him outside.\u00a0 \u201cNot yet, Sunshine.\u00a0 Let\u2019s take us a walk in the trees \u2018til the menfolk get the window holes cut.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood idee,\u201d Clyde snorted.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019ll get the both of you out from underfoot.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIdea, Clyde,\u201d Ben groaned.\u00a0 He\u2019d tried all last winter to break his friend of his folksy pronunciations and sometimes felt ready to toss it up to a lost cause.<\/p>\n

\u201cIdea,\u201d Clyde corrected himself amiably.\u00a0 \u201cI remember more than I forget nowadays, Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGlad to see you making some progress,\u201d Ben said, though he looked dubious.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, well, I\u2019d like to see you make some progress,\u201d Clyde sniggered.\u00a0 \u201cAt this rate we won\u2019t have the first winder\u2014\u2014uh, window\u2014\u2014set \u2019til long past dinner.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben accepted the rebuke with a nod.\u00a0 It was more true than not.\u00a0 He\u2019d rather jaw with Clyde than do chores any day.\u00a0 He and Adam both, however, were looking forward to having more light in the house, so Ben grabbed up his saw and began to open a square on one side of the door while Clyde sawed away on the other.<\/p>\n

The glass for both front windows was in place by the time the sun stood overhead.\u00a0 \u201cNow you folks sit and rest while I heat up the stew,\u201d Ben ordered.\u00a0 \u201cDinner won\u2019t be as fancy as the ones I enjoy at your place, but it\u2019ll be tasty.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sure it will, Ben,\u201d Nelly said, seeing how nervous the man was and feeling certain he needed reassurance.\u00a0 It was obvious Ben felt the need to prove himself, so despite her desire to pitch in and help, she let him stir and bake his own corn pone to go with the stew.\u00a0 At least, she\u2019d have the satisfaction of topping off the meal with a slice of pie for everyone.<\/p>\n

Ben soon announced that dinner was served, and family and guests alike scooted onto the log benches on both sides of the table.\u00a0 Hoss stood on the bench and spatted the table with both palms.\u00a0 \u201cPie!\u201d he demanded.<\/p>\n

\u201cDinner, first,\u201d Ben said sternly, tying a napkin around the boy\u2019s neck.<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s lower lip shot out, but he didn\u2019t say anything.\u00a0 Once Ben filled his plate with savory venison stew, thoughts of pie fled his mind.\u00a0 Hoss may have preferred pie, but almost any food met with his affectionate embrace.\u00a0 After the first bite the boy banged the tabletop again.\u00a0 \u201cGood!\u201d he announced.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt surely is,\u201d Nelly laughed.\u00a0 \u201cYou followed my receipts right well, Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019ve been a big help,\u201d Ben admitted.<\/p>\n

While Ben\u2019s stew met with unanimous approval, the real attraction of that meal, or any other they shared, was the dessert.\u00a0 Nelly\u2019d made both dried apple and peach pies.\u00a0 They sliced one of each, so everyone could have the kind he favored.<\/p>\n

Nelly had swept the front room clear of the wood splinters before dinner, so as soon as it ended and she\u2019d washed up the dishes, she was ready to hang the curtains. \u00a0First, though, she heated the flatiron she\u2019d brought along and pressed the calico ruffles smooth.\u00a0 Once the curtains were hung, she called to Ben, \u201cCome see what you think.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite being in the middle of installing the bedroom window, Ben willingly stopped to admire the tie-backs now gracing his front windows.\u00a0 He smiled as he saw the blue flowers blossoming on vines of green.\u00a0 \u201cInger would have liked that print,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Nelly smiled back at him.\u00a0 \u201cShe did like it, Ben.\u00a0 I made the curtains from that yardage of hers you give me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBlue was her favorite color,\u201d Ben added, fingering a ruffle.\u00a0 \u201cAlmost everything she made for our little home in St. Joseph was blue.\u00a0 I\u2019m glad you thought to use this for the curtains; we\u2019ll think of her whenever we see it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nelly looked close to tears.\u00a0 \u201cYou better get back and finish that other window, Ben, so I can get the curtain up in there before we have to leave.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded and returned to the bedroom.\u00a0 The work was done by mid-afternoon and, giving his friends his heart-felt thanks, Ben and his boys waved good-bye.<\/p>\n

\u201cSee you Wednesday,\u201d Clyde called.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s Wednesday, Pa?\u201d Adam asked once their company was out of sight.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou remember, son,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cThat second meeting about forming a new government.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, yeah,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cMe and Hoss is gonna stay with the Thomases while you\u2019re gone.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou and Hoss are going to stay with them, Adam,\u201d Ben corrected with a shake of his head.\u00a0 Sometimes he wondered if so much exposure to the Thomases, however good-hearted they were, was a good influence on his boy\u2019s education.\u00a0 Ben rebuked himself immediately for the thought.\u00a0 There were more important things than grammar, and in those things his uneducated friends excelled.<\/p>\n

Ben looked down at Adam.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll be spending the night with them, too, since Reese expects the meeting to go a second day.\u00a0 That\u2019s why I didn\u2019t want to impose for Sunday, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll make out, Pa,\u201d Adam declared.\u00a0 \u201cAfter all, we got pie.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss squirmed in Ben\u2019s arms.\u00a0 \u201cPie!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben frowned at his older son.\u00a0 \u201cNow look what you started,\u201d he scolded.<\/p>\n

Adam shrugged and gave his father a sheepish grin.<\/p>\n

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

The hills to the west were splashed with sunset shades when Ben Cartwright finally approached the Thomas cabin on the evening of November 19.\u00a0 On days like this, Ben really felt the need for a mount.\u00a0 Though Mormon Station wasn\u2019t far from Clyde and Nelly\u2019s home, Ben was tired and would have much preferred to ride rather than walk.\u00a0 The meeting had lasted so long, too, that Ben feared he was holding up dinner.\u00a0 He quickened his pace.\u00a0 A delayed meal was the one thing most calculated to make his younger son hard to handle.\u00a0 And Ben figured the normally sunny little lad was probably just about at that point now.<\/p>\n

Nelly, however, had foreseen the problem.\u00a0 \u201cI fed Hoss early and put him down on Billy\u2019s bed.\u201d she explained when Ben walked in and didn\u2019t see his toddler.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s where we\u2019ll put you tonight, too, Ben; these young ones can handle a pallet for one night.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBetter than I could,\u201d Ben chuckled, then laughed louder as he caught a glimpse of Billy\u2019s disgruntled face.\u00a0 How quickly they spoiled, these privileged boys!\u00a0 Billy and Adam had both been content to sleep on the ground on the journey west.\u00a0 Now, after only a year of settled life, they considered themselves put upon to do the same.\u00a0 Ben said as much, to explain his sudden laughter.<\/p>\n

\u201cAin\u2019t it the truth?\u201d Clyde snorted.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe we ought to bed \u2018em out in the barn, just as a reminder of where they come from.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, sir!\u201d Billy yelped.\u00a0 \u201cMe and Adam\u2019s real content with a pallet by the fire, ain\u2019t we, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s chin bobbed up and down quickly.\u00a0 \u201cReal content,\u201d he assured his father.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood,\u201d Ben said firmly.\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t seen Adam react negatively to Nelly\u2019s edict in the first place but wanted to be certain his boy understood that such behavior was unacceptable.\u00a0 In their own home Ben permitted Adam to speak his mind, but he was glad to see his son had his company manners on tonight.<\/p>\n

Nelly had been keeping dinner warm until Ben\u2019s arrival, so everyone found a chair.\u00a0 \u201cNothin\u2019 fancy,\u201d Nelly declared, belittling her own cooking, as usual.\u00a0 \u201cJust plain oxtail stew.\u00a0 I tried that receipt you brought back from Ludmilla last time you went through Placerville, though, Ben.\u00a0 You be sure and tell me if it\u2019s good as hers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben forced himself to keep a straight face.\u00a0 Nelly had shown definite signs of jealousy ever since Ben and Adam\u2019s first trip over the mountains for supplies last spring.\u00a0 They\u2019d found their old trail mate, Ludmilla Zuebner, running a cafe in Placerville and had returned singing the praises of the food they\u2019d eaten there.\u00a0 Then Clyde had made a later trip for the same purpose and come home singing a second verse of the same song.\u00a0 Nelly had been fit to be tied and had demanded that the next one of them to visit Ludmilla had to bring back recipes for the dishes they were so wild over.\u00a0 To Ben had fallen that thankless task, but Ludmilla had been warmly generous in her response.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know, Nelly,\u201d Ben said as he ladled stew into his plate, \u201cyou ought to make Clyde take you over to Placerville next time he goes.\u00a0 Ludmilla always asks about you, and I know she\u2019d love a visit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nelly touched her protruding belly, knowing that what was growing there was likely to prevent paying any long distance calls for some time to come.\u00a0 \u201cNo more than me, Ben,\u201d she sighed.\u00a0 \u201cBein\u2019 the only woman this side of the mountains, I do get lonesome for decent conversation.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSince when ain\u2019t my conversation decent?\u201d Clyde demanded.<\/p>\n

Nelly reached over to pat his callused hand.\u00a0 \u201cNow, you know what I mean.\u00a0 Women like to talk about babies and sewin\u2019 and the like.\u00a0 All I ever hear is talk of crops and trade and government meetin\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben choked on the stew in his mouth.\u00a0 He\u2019d been just about to bring up the subject of the meeting he had attended that day.\u00a0 \u201cSorry, Nelly,\u201d he apologized, for he saw in her eyes that she had guessed what caused his sudden discomposure.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s all right, Ben,\u201d she laughed.\u00a0 \u201cI want to hear the news, but maybe we could hold it \u2018til after the meal.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, ma\u2019am,\u201d Ben replied meekly.\u00a0 Then mischief sparked in his eyes.\u00a0 \u201cMy, Clyde, that\u2019s a fetching new outfit you\u2019re wearing tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clyde looked down at his red wool shirt and gray pants.\u00a0 They weren\u2019t new.\u00a0 All at once, Clyde grinned, seeing what Ben was up to.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, pleased you like it.\u00a0 And, Ben, that hat of yourn would look right smart with a peacock plume stuck in the band.\u201d<\/p>\n

Billy snickered at his mother\u2019s reddening face, while Adam bit his lip to keep from joining in.\u00a0 He really was on his company manners for the night, even though Pa evidently wasn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

Nelly looked askance at both men, then flapped her hand at them across the table.\u00a0 \u201cAll right, you two nuisances, that\u2019ll be enough.\u201d<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t enough for Billy, though.\u00a0 He bounced up from his chair and began to prance around.\u00a0 \u201cNow, my duds ain\u2019t new,\u201d he announced, \u201cbut ain\u2019t I a purty sight?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYour bottom\u2019ll be a pretty sight if you keep that up,\u201d his mother warned.\u00a0 \u201cSit down and finish your dinner.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI am finished,\u201d Billy insisted.\u00a0 \u201cCan me and Adam go out to play?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s pie, sugar,\u201d Nelly offered.<\/p>\n

\u201cCan I save mine for tomorrow?\u201d Billy asked.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m full, Ma, and I want to go outside.\u00a0 That government talk bores me, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s dark now,\u201d Nelly said.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t want you wanderin\u2019 off.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust to the seesaw?\u201d Billy wheedled.<\/p>\n

Nelly relented.\u00a0 \u201cWell, I reckon you can go that far.\u00a0 You finished, Adam, or do you want pie first?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d like to save it for tomorrow, please,\u201d Adam replied.\u00a0 He\u2019d seen the warning frown on Billy\u2019s face and knew that was the safest answer.\u00a0 Besides, like Billy, he\u2019d rather play than listen to the grownups talk.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re excused then, Adam,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cGo no further than the seesaw.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir,\u201d Adam said, sliding from his chair and following Billy outside.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, if you two tell me you want your pie saved \u2018til tomorrow, I\u2019ll\u2014I\u2019ll give it all to Hoss,\u201d Nelly threatened.\u00a0 \u201cHe, at least, appreciates my cookin\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAs do I, ma\u2019am,\u201d Ben said quickly.\u00a0 \u201cA nice thick slice, if you please.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s better,\u201d Nelly giggled.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll cut us each a slice and get you some more coffee.\u00a0 Then I reckon we\u2019ll be ready to hear about the meeting, Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n

Over pie and coffee the friends discussed the laws the squatter government had passed.\u00a0 William Byrnes\u2019 proposal to limit each settler to a quarter section of arable land had been adopted, as well as one to hold the timbered lands in common.\u00a0 \u201cAnyone buying a claim will be required to improve it in value by five dollars within six months,\u201d Ben continued.<\/p>\n

\u201cI like that,\u201d Clyde said.\u00a0 \u201cWe ain\u2019t interested in riffraff settlin\u2019 here.\u00a0 Folks that make improvements is more likely to stay.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think so, and five dollars is a small enough amount that anyone should be able to handle it,\u201d Ben agreed.\u00a0 \u201cAll of this, of course, is contingent on Congress\u2019s allowing us to separate from Utah Territory.\u00a0 If they don\u2019t, none of our titles would hold up in court.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe gonna set up courts of our own?\u201d Clyde asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Ben replied.\u00a0 \u201cAs a matter of fact, that\u2019s on the agenda for tomorrow, as well as elections for justice of the peace, sheriff and a jury.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat office you runnin\u2019 for, Ben?\u201d Clyde inquired with a wicked wink at his wife.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t you think committee member is job enough?\u201d Ben demanded.<\/p>\n

\u201cNaw, justice of the peace sounds good to me,\u201d Clyde snickered.<\/p>\n

Ben scowled.\u00a0 \u201cYou want me performing weddings for our Mormon neighbors, do you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Clyde guffawed.\u00a0 \u201cSticks in your craw, don\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI wouldn\u2019t do it,\u201d Ben said firmly, \u201cnot if I knew there was already another spouse.\u00a0 I doubt I have anything to worry about, though.\u00a0 Even with more than 100 men voting, the Mormons are as likely to run this government as the one in Salt Lake, my friend.\u201d\u00a0 It was Clyde\u2019s turn to scowl.<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s prediction proved true.\u00a0 In the elections the next day, as well as those for several years to come, the Mormon majority controlled the results.\u00a0 Winning a place on the jury, Ben was among the few gentiles selected to serve.\u00a0 But he thought everyone elected this time, whether gentile or Mormon, would do a good job, assuming, of course, that Congress didn\u2019t disallow all the work the squatter government had begun.<\/p>\n

Ben picked up his boys Thursday afternoon.\u00a0 Nelly was a little put out with him because he wouldn\u2019t stay to supper and refused her invitation to Sunday dinner, too.\u00a0 \u201cHaven\u2019t you seen enough of us the last week or so?\u201d Ben teased.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re always welcome here, and you know it, Ben Cartwright!\u201d Nelly sputtered.<\/p>\n

Ben laid an affectionate hand on her shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cI do know that, and I want to keep it that way.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, you are coming for Thanksgiving, aren\u2019t you?\u201d Nelly demanded, clearly perturbed at not getting her way.<\/p>\n

Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cWouldn\u2019t miss it!\u00a0 If the weather holds, that is.\u00a0 We had our first snow the day after Thanksgiving last year, remember?\u201d<\/p>\n

Nelly nodded.\u00a0 \u201cI do, but there hasn\u2019t even been snow on the mountains yet, Ben.\u00a0 Funny, ain\u2019t it?\u00a0 If the snows had held off last year like they\u2019ve done this, we\u2019d all be livin\u2019 in California.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was funny, Ben thought, as he and the boys headed home.\u00a0 A thing as ordinary as the weather could decide a man\u2019s future.\u00a0 If it had been more favorable last year, he would have bypassed the Carson Valley the way most emigrants did.\u00a0 Had Inger been alive, she would have pointed out that weather was in the hands of God and been sure the snows were His way of making His will known.\u00a0 And she\u2019d have been right, Ben decided, feeling more strongly than ever that this place had been his destined home long before he first saw it.<\/p>\n

Dreamy-eyed, Ben snuggled Inger\u2019s son against his chest.\u00a0 This child, too, had been the product of his wife\u2019s faith, a demonstration of her conviction that God would fulfill her heart\u2019s desire for a child in His time.\u00a0 And now her faith had taken root in Ben\u2019s heart.\u00a0 He\u2019d been a believer in God all his life, of course, but Inger\u2019s simple trust in an all-knowing, all-caring Father had changed the way he looked at everything, from the changes of the weather to the development of this land he would call home.\u00a0 Whatever affected him or his boys, Ben now felt, was not ruled by happenstance.\u00a0 Everything, great and small, was directed by the hand of a loving Creator, who had a plan for each individual life and was perfecting it in ways beyond the understanding of mere man.<\/p>\n

CHAPTER FOUR<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Though snow began to dust the Sierras by Thanksgiving, none fell on the valley floor.\u00a0 The Cartwrights and Thomases were able to count their blessings together over a table even more bountifully spread than the one they had enjoyed their first winter together.\u00a0 Not until mid-December did the first snowflakes float down on the Cartwright\u2019s roof.\u00a0 Ben greeted their coming with pleasure, certain now that the temperature would remain cold enough to store whatever game he shot.<\/p>\n

The day after that first snowfall he and Clyde took an extended hunting trip to lay in a supply of meat.\u00a0 The results of that trip, along with the pig he\u2019d bought from one of the residents of Mormon Station and butchered and smoked earlier, made Ben confident he and the boys would eat well during the months the CarsonValley was shut off from California.\u00a0 Not as well as the Thomases, of course, who had a better cook, but what Ben\u2019s cooking lacked in quality, he could rectify with quantity.\u00a0 And for Hoss, especially, quantity was the key word.<\/p>\n

About a week and a half before Christmas, Ben began to whittle some simple shapes similar to those that had decorated their tree in St. Joseph.\u00a0 \u201cAre we gonna have our own tree or put one up at the Thomases again?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n

Ben saw the yearning look in his boy\u2019s dark eyes, so he didn\u2019t need to ask, but he did anyway.\u00a0 \u201cWhich would you prefer?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOur own,\u201d Adam answered at once.\u00a0 Forthright by nature, Adam had never had the least fear of speaking his feelings, for his father encouraged openness.\u00a0 \u201cCan we have one, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cWhy do you think I\u2019m sitting here whittling these things, boy?\u00a0 If we were sharing a tree, we\u2019d have no need for more than we made last year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam grinned.\u00a0 \u201cI guess that\u2019s right.\u201d\u00a0 He frowned, then.\u00a0 \u201cUh-Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah?\u201d Ben asked, smoothing the back of the deer he was carving.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou think maybe Mr. Thomas would make us some animals to hang on the tree?\u201d Adam asked tentatively.<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s head jerked up.\u00a0 \u201cMine aren\u2019t good enough for you, boy?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s mouth twisted askew.\u00a0 \u201cThey\u2019re all right, Pa, but\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut not as lifelike as Mr. Thomas\u2019s, eh?\u201d Ben said.<\/p>\n

Adam gulped.\u00a0 \u201cN\u2014no, sir, and I think we should make our tree the finest there is\u2014\u2014for Hoss, I mean.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFor Hoss, is it?\u201d Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cI doubt it\u2019s Hoss\u2019s interests you\u2019re concerned about.\u00a0 Tell the truth, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam grinned sheepishly.\u00a0 \u201cFor me, then, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMr. Thomas has enough chores without decorating our tree,\u201d Ben said soberly.\u00a0 \u201cBesides, I think by the time we\u2019re finished, you\u2019ll be pleased with the result.\u00a0 I brought some special things back from Sacramento.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat things, Pa?\u201d Adam demanded.<\/p>\n

\u201cPaint, for one.\u201d\u00a0 Ben smiled.\u00a0 \u201cRemember how much fun you and Jamie had painting the ornaments in St. Joseph?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam was smiling broadly now.\u00a0 \u201cI sure do.\u00a0 That\u2019ll make our tree real colorful, not plain like last year.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019ll be almost like the one we put up in St. Joe,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cI bought some small candles, too, and popcorn to string for a garland.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd to eat!\u201d Adam chirped.<\/p>\n

A bleary-eyed Hoss, just up from his nap, toddled into the room in time to hear his brother\u2019s last statement.\u00a0 \u201cEat?\u201d he asked, rubbing his eyes.\u00a0 Ben and Adam both laughed.\u00a0 They might have known Hoss would wake up to hear that word!<\/p>\n

Once Ben had a dozen shapes carved, he gave Adam small cans of red, blue and yellow paint and a brush.\u00a0 \u201cWait \u2018til Hoss takes his nap, then you can go to work,\u201d Ben whispered.<\/p>\n

Adam nodded solemnly.\u00a0 He could just imagine Hoss\u2019s plump fingers taking a dip in the pretty colors and smearing broad strokes across the table or, worse yet, his big brother\u2019s shirt.\u00a0 Pa was right; waiting \u2018til the baby was sound asleep was the best plan.<\/p>\n

Adam smiled.\u00a0 That way, too, the tree could be a surprise for Hoss, come Christmas Eve.\u00a0 Last year, when Pa was trying to soothe Adam\u2019s disappointment over learning there was no Santa Claus from loud-mouthed Billy Thomas, he\u2019d said that now Adam was old enough to play the Santa game with Hoss.\u00a0 Pa had said then it would be fun.\u00a0 And as Adam anticipated his baby brother\u2019s wide-eyed wonder when he saw the tree, he began to understand what Pa had meant.<\/p>\n

Like Adam, Ben found himself looking forward to Hoss\u2019s daily nap time.\u00a0 While Adam worked busily at painting the new ornaments, Ben sat by the hearth carving first more ornaments and then slats for ladder back chairs the way Clyde had shown him.\u00a0 The house was quiet with both father and son intent on their work, and Ben found the stillness restful after the constant activity of spring, summer and fall.\u00a0 He\u2019d never been overly fond of cold weather, but being shut in had its advantages.\u00a0 Quiet afternoons like this brought a refreshing peace to his soul.<\/p>\n

One afternoon Adam, with the tip of his brush, gave his yellow bird a blue eyespot and sat back, satisfied.\u00a0 \u201cThey\u2019re all painted, Pa,\u201d he reported.<\/p>\n

Ben looked up from the chair he was working on.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s good, Adam.\u00a0 I\u2019ve been watching your work, and you\u2019ve done a real fine job.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWere you gonna carve some more?\u201d Adam asked.\u00a0 \u201cThe tree will seem kind of bare if this is all, don\u2019t you think?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe, but I don\u2019t think we have time to make more this year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam frowned thoughtfully, then his countenance lifted.\u00a0 \u201cWhat about hanging pinecones to fill in with?\u00a0 We did last year.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo we did,\u201d Ben said, \u201cand maybe you could add a touch of paint on the tips.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah!\u201d Adam cried enthusiastically.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll get some cones right away.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot now, son,\u201d Ben said with a shake of his head.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut, Pa, I\u2019ve already got the paint out and everything,\u201d Adam argued.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, but Hoss is likely to wake soon, and you\u2019ll want to get things put away before he does.\u00a0 Then you can take him with you to pick up pinecones and paint them tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAw, Pa, he\u2019s no help,\u201d Adam complained.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen teach him to be a help,\u201d Ben said firmly.\u00a0 \u201cYou might keep your eye out for the tree you want while you\u2019re at it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I already know that!\u201d Adam exclaimed.\u00a0 \u201cI spotted one just the right size last week.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cAll right.\u00a0 Day after tomorrow we\u2019ll chop it down and set it up.\u00a0 Now put your supplies away, son.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam did as he was told, setting the ornaments atop the mantel to dry and the paints and cleaned brush on the highest bookshelf in the cabin.\u00a0 He went to the front window and pressed his nose against the glass pane.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s snowing again, Pa,\u201d he said softly.<\/p>\n

Ben caught the note of uneasiness in Adam\u2019s voice.\u00a0 \u201cReal pretty, isn\u2019t it, when it drifts down slow like that,\u201d he commented tentatively, standing up and stretching the kinks out of his back.<\/p>\n

Adam turned worried eyes to his father\u2019s face.\u00a0 \u201cYou think there\u2019ll be too much?\u00a0 For us to get to the Thomases, I mean.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben moved to the window beside Adam.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t think so, son.\u00a0 Unless there comes a real storm, we\u2019ll make it.\u00a0 I\u2019m looking forward to that goose Mrs. Thomas promised, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd the presents,\u201d Adam grinned.<\/p>\n

Ben tousled Adam\u2019s dark hair.\u00a0 \u201cTime I started supper.\u00a0 Fried ham and potatoes sound good to you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, especially if you throw in some applesauce on the side,\u201d Adam giggled.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood idea,\u201d Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cGet some dried apples out of the shed.\u00a0 I already have everything else.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam snatched his red and black plaid jacket from the peg by the door and ran outside.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cNo, Hoss!\u201d Adam ordered, swatting the little boy\u2019s hand.\u00a0 Hoss immediately sent up a bellow of angry frustration.<\/p>\n

Ben turned sharply from the counter where he was dicing leftover boiled beef.\u00a0 \u201cAdam, what did you do?\u201d he demanded.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just spatted his hand, Pa,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cHe keeps sticking it in the popcorn, and I\u2019ll never have enough for the garland at the rate he eats!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, don\u2019t be ridiculous,\u201d Ben snapped.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s plenty of popcorn, and if you need more, I\u2019ll pop it.\u201d\u00a0 He laid down the butcher knife and sat on the bench next to Hoss.\u00a0 Putting his arm around the youngster, he soothed him until he quieted, then turned displeased eyes on his older son.\u00a0 \u201cIf there\u2019s any spatting to be done, Adam, I\u2019ll do it,\u201d he said gruffly.\u00a0 \u201cLast time I looked, I was still the father.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir,\u201d Adam said, his chin drooping.\u00a0 He picked up a kernel of popcorn and held it out to his brother.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Hoss.\u00a0 Here, you can have a piece.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss grabbed the popcorn and stuck it in his mouth, immediately reaching into the bowl in front of Adam once again.<\/p>\n

\u201cSee what I mean!\u201d Adam fumed.<\/p>\n

\u201cHere, here now,\u201d Ben said, standing up.\u00a0 \u201cI have the solution to this problem.\u201d\u00a0 He took a tin plate from the shelf to the right of the fireplace, filled it with popcorn and set it in front of Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cNow you eat from your own plate, Hoss, and leave brother\u2019s popcorn alone.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat won\u2019t hold him long,\u201d Adam warned.<\/p>\n

Ben arched an eyebrow, but decided the statement was probably valid.\u00a0 He squatted down to meet Hoss at eye level.\u00a0 \u201cIf you want more, Pa will get you some, Hoss.\u00a0 Don\u2019t reach in the bowl.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMo\u2019,\u201d Hoss said.<\/p>\n

Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cEat what you have first.\u201d\u00a0 He stood up.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ve got a ways to go, Adam,\u201d he observed.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cI was hoping to be done by suppertime, but I don\u2019t think I\u2019ll make it, thanks to you-know-who.\u00a0 What are you fixing for supper, anyway?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I thought I\u2019d make some biscuits and cut that smidgen of meat we had left from dinner into some gravy to pour over them,\u201d Ben said, walking back to the counter to continue the meal preparation.<\/p>\n

\u201cGavvy,\u201d Hoss squealed on hearing one of his favorite foods mentioned.<\/p>\n

\u201cGravy, Hoss,\u201d Adam corrected.<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s face puckered with effort.\u00a0 \u201cGwavy,\u201d he tried again.<\/p>\n

Adam shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cNo, Hoss, it\u2019s\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo lessons today, Adam,\u201d Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s Christmas Eve.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam grinned.\u00a0 \u201cOkay, Pa, no lessons.\u00a0 Just lots of gavvy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Soon the three Cartwrights were digging into plates full of biscuits with \u201clots of gavvy\u201d and fried potatoes on the side.\u00a0 Hoss, of course, never dawdled over his food, but tonight even Adam ate hurriedly, anxious to finish his garland and decorate the tree.\u00a0 He had better success after supper, for with a full stomach Hoss seemed less inclined to gobble his brother\u2019s stock of popcorn.<\/p>\n

By the time Ben had the dishes cleared, scoured and put on their storage shelf, Adam\u2019s garland seemed long enough, so the two of them set to work winding it around the tree with Hoss as an avid audience.\u00a0 When the garland was in place, Ben started attaching small candles to the tips of the branches, while Adam hung the painted ornaments by strings of red yarn Nelly Thomas had donated to the cause of Christmas cheer.\u00a0 Hoss watched quizzically for a moment, then grabbed a yellow star and draped it over a lower branch.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Hoss,\u201d Adam scolded.\u00a0 \u201cMe and Pa will fix the tree.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam,\u201d Ben chided softly, \u201cit\u2019s his tree, too.\u00a0 Let him put some on where he can reach.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt won\u2019t look as nice,\u201d Adam grumbled.<\/p>\n

Ben lifted the boy\u2019s chin with one broad finger.\u00a0 \u201cIt will to me,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cThis is supposed to be a night of \u2018Peace, goodwill to men,\u2019 Adam.\u00a0 It had better start between you two.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam nodded slowly.\u00a0 \u201cYes, sir.\u201d\u00a0 He picked up a wooden bird and handed it to Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cHere, baby, put it on the tree.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss grinned, took the bird and fumbled to drape its yarn loop over the tallest branch he could reach.\u00a0 Getting into the spirit of the occasion, Adam helped guide the fat fingers, then patted the toddler\u2019s head.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s a good job, Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben beamed an approving smile at his elder son.\u00a0 \u201cNow I have another surprise,\u201d he said.\u00a0 From behind the wood box that sat just inside the front door, Ben drew a small package wrapped in tissue paper.\u00a0 \u201cAnd since Adam\u2019s been such a cooperative helper, he may open it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA present?\u201d Adam murmured in awe.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot yet,\u201d Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cThis is for the tree.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam grinned sheepishly and removed the tissue paper, drawing out a shiny metal star.\u00a0 \u201cOoh, it\u2019s gold,\u201d Adam cooed.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot exactly,\u201d Ben chuckled, \u201cbut made to look that way.\u00a0 Put it on the top of the tree, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBilly\u2019s tree won\u2019t have anything to match this,\u201d Adam said as he pulled the bench close enough to stand on and reach the top of the tree.\u00a0 He affixed the spiral wire at the star\u2019s base to the tree and turned to look at his father.\u00a0 \u201cLike that, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust like that,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cNow, if you\u2019ll watch Hoss for a few minutes, so I can light the candles, I\u2019ll have one more surprise for my boys.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSomething else for the tree?\u201d Adam asked, jumping down from the bench.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, and no more questions, you inquisitive rascal,\u201d Ben ordered.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome on, Hoss,\u201d Adam said, taking the baby\u2019s hand.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s go sit in the rocker.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben lighted the tiny candles adorning the branches of the verdant pine, then stepped back to admire his handiwork.\u00a0 \u201cThere.\u00a0 What do you think of that?\u201d he asked brightly.<\/p>\n

\u201cGreat, what\u2019s the surprise?\u201d Adam demanded.<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s laughter rocked the rafters.\u00a0 \u201cI shouldn\u2019t tell you anything a minute ahead of time, should I, boy?\u201d he teased.<\/p>\n

Adam ducked his head, a lopsided grin lifting one corner of his mouth.<\/p>\n

Shaking his shaggy brown locks, Ben went into the bedroom for a moment and returned carrying a thin volume Adam had never seen before.\u00a0 \u201cA book!\u201d Adam cried.\u00a0 \u201cFor me?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben scowled playfully.\u00a0 \u201cFor all of us,\u201d he scolded softly.\u00a0 \u201cA Christmas story I want to read you, but I thought I\u2019d pop some more corn first for you to nibble while I read.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s face beamed just as brightly as before.\u00a0 He loved to hear his father read.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll get the popcorn,\u201d he offered, plopping Hoss into the rocker.<\/p>\n

Soon Ben was seated in the rocker, book in hand, while the boys sat at his feet, a large bowl of salty popcorn between them.\u00a0 \u201cNow, this story may get a little intense for Hoss.\u00a0 If it does, we\u2019ll have to stop and put him to bed.\u00a0 You understand?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s brow wrinkled.\u00a0 \u201cNo, sir.\u00a0 What does \u2018intense\u2019 mean, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, in this case, \u2018scary,\u2019\u201d Ben replied.<\/p>\n

\u201cScary!\u00a0 A Christmas story?\u201d Adam scoffed.<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, but you see,\u201d Ben went on, his voice dropping mysteriously, \u201cthis is a Christmas ghost story.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s black eyes widened with excitement.\u00a0 A Christmas ghost story!\u00a0 That was something different, indeed!\u00a0 His arm instinctively slipped around Hoss\u2019s ample mid-section.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t be scared,\u201d he whispered.\u00a0 It would be just his luck for the baby to take fright at the most interesting part of the story.\u00a0 Hoss reached for another handful of popcorn.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018Marley was dead, to begin with.\u00a0 There is no doubt whatever about that,\u2019\u201d Ben began, the cello-timbered tones of his voice hushed with suspense.\u00a0 On he read, while the lights flickered on the fragrant pine and their warmth seemed to waft the brisk aroma across the room.\u00a0 Adam became so involved in the story that he only thought to take a kernel of popcorn now and then.\u00a0 That was fine with Hoss, who was quite content to have it to himself.<\/p>\n

Finally, Ben came to the last line.\u00a0 \u201c\u2018And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God bless us every one!\u2019\u201d he read and slowly closed the book.<\/p>\n

Adam let out a sigh of deep content.\u00a0 \u201cThat was wonderful, Pa,\u201d he whispered, not wanting to break the mood with louder words.<\/p>\n

Looking up, Ben chuckled at the scene before him.\u00a0 Hoss hadn\u2019t quite made it through the story.\u00a0 He lay with his head in Adam\u2019s lap, still clutching two kernels of popcorn in his chubby fist.\u00a0 \u201cLooks like someone\u2019s ready for bed,\u201d Ben said softly, gathering the baby into his strong arms.\u00a0 \u201cProbably time you were asleep, too, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam gave a little yawn.\u00a0 It was late, the story having been a long one, but he wasn\u2019t sure he could sleep with all those images of Christmas ghosts to float through his dreams.\u00a0 Anxious to be up early the next morning, however, he dutifully went to bed and was soon snoozing cozily next to his little brother.<\/p>\n

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

Ben placed the last present under the tree and stepped to the doorway to check on the boys.\u00a0 By some miracle, both of them were still asleep.\u00a0 Ben chuckled softly, pleased with himself.\u00a0 It had been hard work the last several Christmases to wake up before early-bird Adam, but the boy was sleeping soundly this morning.\u00a0 Figuring he\u2019d have time to mix the batter for their pancakes, Ben stepped briskly to his worktable at the other end of the main room.\u00a0 He had just started stirring the ingredients together, though, when he heard rumblings from the bedroom.<\/p>\n

Adam shook Hoss\u2019s small shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cWake up, Hoss,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s Christmas!\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s blue eyes slowly opened.\u00a0 He gave his brother a puzzled look, for he was used to sleeping as late as he liked.<\/p>\n

\u201cTime to get up,\u201d Adam urged, \u201cand open presents.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss showed no inclination to leave his warm bed.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t you want to see what Santa brought you?\u201d Adam demanded.<\/p>\n

\u201cSanna?\u201d Hoss asked, his eyes showing no recognition of the name.<\/p>\n

Adam gave his little brother a shake.\u00a0 \u201cSanta Claus, Hoss,\u201d he repeated impatiently.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve told you a dozen times.\u00a0 He brings presents.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s face showed no greater understanding, so Adam sighed and rolled out of the bed.\u00a0 Reaching back, he pulled Hoss up.\u00a0 \u201cCome on,\u201d he ordered.<\/p>\n

Amiable Hoss, always glad to follow where his big brother led, let himself be guided into the other room.\u00a0 Ben scooped his baby up and snuggled him close.\u00a0 \u201cMerry Christmas, Hoss!\u201d he said enthusiastically, then turned to smile at his other son.\u00a0 \u201cMerry Christmas, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMerry Christmas, Pa,\u201d Adam replied, but his black eyes were staring at the bundles under the tree.<\/p>\n

\u201cGo ahead,\u201d Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe Hoss will get more in the mood once he sees what\u2019s in one of those packages.\u00a0 Yours are on the left.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam grinned and eagerly tore brown paper from a square box. He read the title on the box aloud.\u00a0 \u201cRound the World.\u00a0 What\u2019s that, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a board game,\u201d Ben explained. \u00a0\u201cYou can learn more about geography while you play.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, that sounds like fun!\u201d Adam said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, well, the only problem is you need someone to play with,\u201d Ben explained.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe you\u2019d like to take it with you to the Thomases this afternoon.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam laughed.\u00a0 \u201cYeah.\u00a0 Maybe Billy\u2019ll like geography better if we make a game of it.\u201d\u00a0 He untied the string around the top of a paper bag and pulled out a new pair of shoes.\u00a0 \u201cThanks, Pa,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cI needed a new pair.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know,\u201d Ben chuckled.<\/p>\n

Hoss suddenly seemed to comprehend the purpose of the knobby packages under the tree.\u00a0 He squirmed and pointed.\u00a0 \u201cMe!\u201d he cried.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right, you can go next,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cHand me the small sack, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben untied the string and helped Hoss open the bag.\u00a0 One fat fist plunged inside and drew out a shoe like Adam\u2019s, only smaller.\u00a0 Hoss crowed merrily and banged the shoe against his father\u2019s arm.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s not what it\u2019s for,\u201d Ben scolded gently and laced the shoe onto Hoss\u2019s plump foot.\u00a0 Ben was pleased to see that it fit.\u00a0 Shoes for the boys had been hard to find in California, whose population as yet boasted few women and children.\u00a0 The toys would have been even more difficult had not Ben\u2019s old friend Lawrence Larrimore, owner of a San Francisco emporium, placed a special order for him.<\/p>\n

When both feet were shod, Hoss happily banged them together, then pointed to the tree.\u00a0 \u201cMo\u2019!\u201d he demanded.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou and Hoss have one present just alike,\u201d Ben told Adam.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s open it next.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI see it,\u201d Adam said, grabbing an oddly shaped bundle from each side of the tree.\u00a0 He handed Hoss\u2019s package to Ben and tore the paper from his own.\u00a0 \u201cA top!\u201d he screamed.<\/p>\n

\u201cTop!\u201d Hoss screamed in response.\u00a0 His toy was blue, while Adam\u2019s was red.<\/p>\n

\u201cShow him how it\u2019s done,\u201d Ben suggested.<\/p>\n

Adam took his top to the table and set it spinning dizzily.\u00a0 Then Hoss tried, with less success, but equal pleasure.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne more gift for each of you,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cWho wants to go first?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLet Hoss,\u201d Adam offered.<\/p>\n

Ben smiled broadly.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s my good, unselfish boy.\u201d\u00a0 He set Hoss beside the largest gift under the tree.\u00a0 The baby needed no instruction now.\u00a0 He grabbed the paper and ripped it off.<\/p>\n

\u201cLook, Hoss; it\u2019s a Noah\u2019s Ark,\u201d Adam said, then grinned up at his father.\u00a0 \u201cI bet I know who made this.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019d be half right,\u201d Ben smiled.\u00a0 \u201cI made the ship, but Mr. Thomas did carve several of the animals.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI can tell which ones,\u201d Adam teased.<\/p>\n

Ben tweaked his ear.\u00a0 \u201cOpen your last present now before Santa takes it back for all your sass.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam grinned and carefully took the paper from the last package.\u00a0 He could tell from the size and shape that it held books, and Adam was always careful with books.\u00a0 He eagerly read the titles:\u00a0 Pilgrim\u2019s Progress<\/em> and Aesop\u2019s Fables<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope you enjoy them,\u201d Ben said.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I know I will!\u201d Adam cried.\u00a0 \u201cCan I read one now?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t you want your stocking first?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam giggled.\u00a0 \u201cI forgot.\u201d\u00a0 He ran to the fireplace and took both his stocking and the one he had loaned Hoss from their nails on the mantel.<\/p>\n

Ben set Hoss on the bench at the table and helped him empty his stocking.\u00a0 Hoss\u2019s held mostly candy, while Adam\u2019s included some marbles and a two-bit piece, as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been the best Christmas ever, Pa!\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cI never had so many presents before.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSanta\u2019s been a little more prosperous this year,\u201d Ben said, giving Adam a wink.<\/p>\n

Adam winked back.\u00a0 He knew what Pa meant and understood why he\u2019d said it the way he did.\u00a0 Hoss wasn\u2019t in on the secret about Santa Claus yet, so they\u2019d have to talk circles around him.\u00a0 Suddenly, Adam felt very grown up and knowledgeable, and that was the best Christmas gift of all.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cGet your sled from the barn, son,\u201d Ben ordered, \u201cwhile I get Hoss bundled up.\u00a0 Then we\u2019ll be ready to leave.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s not enough snow to go sledding, Pa,\u201d Adam argued.<\/p>\n

Ben tousled the boy\u2019s dark hair.\u00a0 \u201cNo, but there\u2019s just enough on the ground that I can pull you boys, if you\u2019re willing to hold the gifts for our friends.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam grinned.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m willing.\u00a0 What did you get Billy?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben swatted the youngster\u2019s backside with a light hand.\u00a0 \u201cNo questions.\u00a0 Get the sled.\u201d\u00a0 Adam took off.<\/p>\n

Soon both boys were settled on the sled, the gifts for the Thomases wedged between them.\u00a0 \u201cHang on to Hoss,\u201d Ben instructed.<\/p>\n

\u201cAin\u2019t it about time he did that kind of thing for himself?\u201d Adam grumbled.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s big enough.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIsn\u2019t,\u201d Ben corrected, \u201cand no.\u00a0 It isn\u2019t his size that\u2019s in question, Adam; it\u2019s his age.\u00a0 You hang on.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir,\u201d Adam mumbled, \u201cbut it won\u2019t be easy with all these presents, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll manage,\u201d Ben said bluntly, picking up the rope he\u2019d attached to the sled.<\/p>\n

Despite his doubts, Adam did manage to keep both bundles and brother in place on the sled.\u00a0 He had to admit the trip went quicker this way.\u00a0 The sled skimmed easily over the snow, much faster than Adam\u2019s short legs ordinarily covered the distance between the two cabins.\u00a0 Pa looked kind of out of breath when they arrived, but Adam wasn\u2019t a bit tired, and Hoss was giggling merrily from the brisk slide over the wintry carpet.<\/p>\n

Billy Thomas came bursting out the cabin door as soon as the Cartwrights came into view.\u00a0 \u201cI got a sled of my own now!\u201d he yelled to Adam.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s got real metal runners, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s great!\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cCan we take turns with it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I can talk Pa into takin\u2019 us up in the hills,\u201d Billy promised.\u00a0 He pointed to the packages on the sled.\u00a0 \u201cWhich one of them is for me?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPa wouldn\u2019t tell me,\u201d Adam replied, disgruntled.\u00a0 Honestly, you\u2019d think Pa would know he was big enough to keep a secret!<\/p>\n

Ben gave Billy\u2019s ribs a good tickle.\u00a0 \u201cWho says any of them are for you, you scamp!\u201d<\/p>\n

Billy just grinned.\u00a0 He knew Mr. Cartwright better than to think he\u2019d be left out in the gift-giving.\u00a0 \u201cWant me to tote \u2018em inside?\u201d he offered.<\/p>\n

\u201cI do not,\u201d Ben chuckled, \u201cbut since you\u2019re so fond of toting, I\u2019ll let you tote this.\u201d\u00a0 He plunked Hoss in Billy\u2019s arms.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe presents\u2019d weigh less,\u201d Billy muttered, but he hefted the baby to his shoulder and lugged him inside.<\/p>\n

\u201cNeed any help?\u201d Clyde called from the door.<\/p>\n

\u201cNope!\u201d Ben said, then winked at the other man.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re as bad as your boy; you just want to pinch at the presents.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clyde snickered.\u00a0 \u201cNever denied it.\u201d\u00a0 He stepped aside to let Ben in.\u00a0 \u201cYou can put \u2018em under the tree, but keep your paws off anything else you see there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam leaned the empty sled against the cabin wall and went inside, carrying his new board game.\u00a0 Billy pulled him into his bedroom.\u00a0 \u201cAin\u2019t you got no idea what your pa got me?\u201d he whispered.<\/p>\n

\u201cI got one idea,\u201d Adam whispered.\u00a0 \u201cOne of them feels like something I got, but I ain\u2019t telling.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGimme a hint,\u201d Billy demanded.<\/p>\n

Adam plopped onto Billy\u2019s bed.\u00a0 \u201cOkay, if you tell me what you got for Christmas.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAlready did, mostly,\u201d Billy replied.\u00a0 \u201cI got the sled and a pocket knife and tons of candy.\u00a0 Oh, and a two-bit piece.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMe, too,\u201d Adam said, his brow furrowing.\u00a0 Sometimes he wondered if Pa and Mr. Thomas didn\u2019t work in cahoots on ideas for presents.\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t gotten a pocket knife, though, and he\u2019d surely have treasured one.<\/p>\n

Billy gave Adam\u2019s arm a hard punch. \u00a0\u201cSo, what\u2019s my hint?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam grinned.\u00a0 \u201cWell, mine was red, and Hoss got one, too\u2014\u2014a blue one.\u201d<\/p>\n

Billy frowned.\u00a0 \u201cA baby\u2019s toy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll like it,\u201d Adam promised.<\/p>\n

Billy charged back into the main room.\u00a0 \u201cHey, Ma, when we gonna open them presents?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot \u2018til after lunch,\u201d his mother scolded.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m too busy cookin\u2019 now to be bothered with presents.\u201d\u00a0 She was wearing a crisply starched white apron over her best blue dress, the one that had belonged to Inger and that Ben had given her for Christmas the previous year when there\u2019d been no chance to shop for holiday gifts.<\/p>\n

\u201cWouldn\u2019t be no bother for me,\u201d Billy grumbled under his breath, then turned and called back to Adam, \u201cYou want to seesaw \u2018til dinner?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Adam agreed.\u00a0 Both boys charged out the front door, Billy slamming it hard behind them.<\/p>\n

Hoss toddled across the room and spatted his palms against the log door.\u00a0 \u201cBubba,\u201d he called.<\/p>\n

Nelly lifted the baby in her arms.\u00a0 \u201cToo cold for you outside, Sunshine.\u00a0 How \u2018bout one of Aunt Nelly\u2019s sugar cookies?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTookie!\u201d Hoss crowed, all thoughts of his brother banished by brighter prospects.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right,\u201d Nelly laughed.\u00a0 \u201cA cookie and a nice glass of milk.\u00a0 I don\u2019t think it\u2019ll spoil his dinner, do you, Ben?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing ever does,\u201d Ben said wryly.\u00a0 He lifted chocolate eyes to Nelly\u2019s face.\u00a0 \u201cYou still have milk?\u00a0 I\u2019ve already let my cow go dry for the winter.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted the milk for the holiday bakin\u2019,\u201d Nelly explained.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll let her go dry after today.\u00a0 Chickens has quit layin\u2019, too, but I stored back enough eggs for the pies and cakes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPies and cakes,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cPlural?\u201d<\/p>\n

Nelly\u2019s brown eyes narrowed.\u00a0 Sometimes Ben Cartwright could be right rilesome about throwin\u2019 around high-falutin\u2019 words.<\/p>\n

\u201cThink he means more than one of each, woman,\u201d Clyde offered, remembering the word from the lessons Ben had taught him the previous winter.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, lands, yes, there\u2019s more than one!\u201d Nelly exclaimed.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s dried peach, pumpkin and custard pies, fruit cake and pound cake and plum pudding, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben gave his stomach a sympathetic pat and addressed it directly.\u00a0 \u201cDo you hear that?\u00a0 Do you hear what I\u2019m supposed to fit into you?\u00a0 The woman has no pity.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI reckon it\u2019ll get eaten,\u201d Nelly smirked.<\/p>\n

\u201cI reckon you\u2019re right!\u201d Ben guffawed.\u00a0 \u201cToo many hungry men and boys at the table to let much go to waste.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou gonna talk pie and cake all morning or ain\u2019t you got no man\u2019s business to discuss?\u201d Clyde asked dryly.<\/p>\n

Ben smiled.\u00a0 \u201cNot much going on at my place.\u00a0 Been working on some chairs for the table.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShow him what you made me for Christmas,\u201d Nelly suggested.\u00a0 \u201cThat man of mine\u2019s been busy these cold days, too, Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben already knew what Clyde had made Nelly for Christmas.\u00a0 They\u2019d discussed it many times, but he hadn\u2019t seen the finished project.\u00a0 In the corner by the cook stove sat a new pine cupboard with ivy vines carved into the face of each door.\u00a0 Ben examined its workmanship with interest.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t need anything as fancy for his own use, of course, but it would be nice to have a place to store dishes besides an open shelf pegged to the wall.\u00a0 Ben mentally added a cupboard to his list of projects, though he doubted he\u2019d get to it this winter.\u00a0 Not being as gifted with wood as Clyde Thomas, he was slower about making things.\u00a0 The chairs were probably all he could manage before spring came, leaving him no leisure for woodwork.<\/p>\n

The table Nelly spread for Christmas dinner was lavish beyond Ben\u2019s belief.\u00a0 \u201cNelly, this is the closest thing I\u2019ve had to a real New England Christmas dinner in years,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cRoast goose, Boston-baked beans and steamed pudding, too.\u00a0 It takes me back to my boyhood.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nelly flushed with pleasure at the compliment.\u00a0 \u201cWell, my folks was from there, Ben.\u00a0 These are just old family receipts, handed down from mother to daughter.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought you were from Indiana,\u201d Ben said, surprised.<\/p>\n

Nelly laughed.\u00a0 \u201cI was reared there, but my folks came from Massachusetts, same as yours.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clyde cackled.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe you really are kin, then.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben arched an eyebrow, then smiled.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, now.\u00a0 I hope you saved room for dessert,\u201d Nelly said as she began to clear the blue pottery plates.\u00a0 They, too, were a Christmas gift, and she was using them for the first time.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll take a little pudding,\u201d Ben said, \u201cbut anything else will have to wait.\u00a0 I\u2019m stuffed fuller than that goose.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I want to wait, too, Ma,\u201d Billy said.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s open presents.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo presents \u2018til everyone\u2019s done eatin\u2019 and the dishes cleared,\u201d his mother stated firmly.<\/p>\n

\u201cAw, Ma,\u201d Billy wheedled.\u00a0 \u201cAdam wants his presents now, and he\u2019s company.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clyde guffawed.\u00a0 \u201cWe all know how you\u2019re frettin\u2019 about Adam gettin\u2019 his presents, son!\u201d<\/p>\n

Billy gave a sheepish shrug.\u00a0 Now would have been the perfect time for Adam to take the hint and speak up, but, of course, he didn\u2019t.\u00a0 Adam, unfortunately, was cursed with an overabundance of manners, in Billy\u2019s opinion, and sometimes it got in the way of his doing what the saucy redhead thought he ought.\u00a0 So Billy had to hold in his curiosity until everyone had finished, even that everlastingly slow Hoss, who seemed more interested in custard pie than in what was under the tree.<\/p>\n

The toddler\u2019s attitude changed quickly, though, once the gift exchange began.\u00a0 He squealed with delight when Clyde pulled the wooden squirrel set on wheels across the puncheon floor, and he seemed even more pleased with the soft calico dog Nelly had stitched for him.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just a cuddle critter to take to bed with him,\u201d she explained in response to Ben\u2019s expression of thanks.\u00a0 \u201cI made it from some scraps I had left from my new work dress.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her gift to Ben had been made of scraps, too, but he praised the hooked rug as profusely as though it had been a Turkish carpet.\u00a0 \u201cThis will look perfect in front of our fireplace,\u201d Ben said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was aimin\u2019 to make one for your bedroom, too,\u201d Nelly apologized, \u201cbut I run out of time.\u00a0 I\u2019ll get around to it someday, though.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNelly, you spoil us,\u201d Ben smiled.<\/p>\n

\u201cHope you like that book I picked out for you,\u201d Clyde said.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know one from another, but the bookseller over to Sacramento said this were a good un.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben looked fondly at his new copy of The Count of Monte Cristo<\/em>.\u00a0 \u201cIt looks very interesting, Clyde, and there\u2019s nothing I love more on a winter\u2019s night than a warm fire and a good book.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThought you ought to have something besides that Shakespeare feller,\u201d Clyde explained.\u00a0 \u201cCourse, ain\u2019t no tellin\u2019 how good a man with a name like dumb ass is with words, but leastways he sounds like a good American \u2018stead an old redcoat.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled.\u00a0 No need to tell Clyde that Alexander Dumas was French.
\n\u201cI love my wagon, Uncle Clyde,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 Clyde had made the boy a miniature prairie schooner, its body painted bright blue and its wheels red to match the ones they had all driven west.\u00a0 This one was just the right size for a boy to pull, and Nelly had stitched a white wagon cover to go over the detachable hickory bows.<\/p>\n

\u201cThought you could use something to pull that chunky brother of yours in,\u201d Clyde chuckled, \u201cand I reckon you\u2019ll find other uses for it, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI reckon,\u201d Adam grinned.\u00a0 He was sure he could find better uses than just pulling Hoss around!\u00a0 \u201cThanks for the mittens and the muffler, too, Aunt Nelly,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cI needed new ones.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nelly smiled her acceptance of his thanks and offered a few words of appreciation for the flower seeds and mantel clock Ben had given her.<\/p>\n

\u201cCan me and Adam go to my room and play this here game?\u201d Billy asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cGlad to get shed of you,\u201d Clyde said dryly.<\/p>\n

Knowing he was being teased, Billy just tucked his Snakes and Ladders board game under one arm and motioned Adam to follow him.\u00a0 Hoss toddled in right behind them, carrying Billy\u2019s new yellow top, which he had appropriated as soon as the nine-year-old unwrapped it.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou set for a lickin\u2019?\u201d Clyde asked, setting the checkerboard Ben had given him on the kitchen table.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll see who gets the lickin\u2019!\u201d Ben scoffed, seating himself opposite his friend.\u00a0 \u201cBefore I leave, though, I want to see how you are at chess.\u201d\u00a0 In addition to a store-bought checkerboard and pieces to replace the homemade one he\u2019d given Clyde the previous Christmas, Ben had purchased chessmen.<\/p>\n

\u201cNever played that before,\u201d Clyde said.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ll have to teach me the rules.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded.\u00a0 \u201cThere aren\u2019t many rules to learn, but it\u2019s more challenging than checkers.\u00a0 You\u2019ve got think further ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSounds like you know this game pretty good,\u201d Clyde remarked.<\/p>\n

Ben shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cNo, I\u2019m a beginner.\u00a0 My friend, Josiah Edwards taught me, and we played a number of times that last winter I spent in St. Joseph, but that\u2019s all.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe I won\u2019t be too far behind, then,\u201d Clyde chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cRed or black?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRed,\u201d Ben said and the checkers match began.\u00a0 They played five quick games, Clyde winning three to Ben\u2019s two.\u00a0 Then Ben explained the rules of chess to Clyde and they began a game.<\/p>\n

\u201cSlow-moving game, ain\u2019t it?\u201d Clyde said after they\u2019d been playing an hour.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Ben admitted, \u201cbut I thought it would be a good one to have going this spring while we\u2019re running the trading post.\u00a0 You can think through your next move while we wait on customers.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOr you yours,\u201d Clyde smirked, moving his queen in direct line with Ben\u2019s king.\u00a0 \u201cCheck,\u201d he announced triumphantly.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut not mate,\u201d Ben said, deftly moving his knight to capture Clyde\u2019s queen.<\/p>\n

Clyde scowled.\u00a0 \u201cI keep forgettin\u2019 them horsey fellers can move crooked-like.\u201d\u00a0 He propped his elbow on the table and leaned his cheek against his fist as he pondered what to do next.<\/p>\n

\u201cNelly, I believe I\u2019m ready for a slice of pie now,\u201d Ben announced.<\/p>\n

\u201cHelp yourself,\u201d Nelly said from the rocker by the fire where she sat holding a drowsy Hoss.<\/p>\n

Between pie and games and light-hearted conversation the afternoon passed quickly.\u00a0 Though the Cartwrights had originally planned to stay for an evening meal of leftovers, a light snowfall about four o\u2019clock that afternoon changed their plans.\u00a0 For once\u00a0 Nelly made no protest.\u00a0 Four miles was a long walk, and with the possibility of heavier snow, it was safer for her guests to start home early.<\/p>\n

Ben padded Adam\u2019s new wagon with the multi-colored hooked rug and lifted Hoss to set him inside.\u00a0 When Ben pried Billy\u2019s yellow top from the fat fingers, though, Hoss sent up a loud, indignant wail.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s Billy\u2019s,\u201d Ben said firmly, spatting the little hand.\u00a0 \u201cYou have your own.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, Ben, do it the easy way,\u201d Nelly advised, holding out a sugar cookie to the baby.<\/p>\n

With one final sniffle Hoss grabbed the cookie and willingly let himself be placed in the wagon along with the other gifts his family had received.<\/p>\n

\u201cI boxed up some of the leavin\u2019s to take with you,\u201d Nelly said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWouldn\u2019t put \u2018em in the wagon with that youngun if you expect any supper,\u201d Clyde drawled dryly.<\/p>\n

Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cA point well taken.\u00a0 Loan me a piece of rope and I\u2019ll tie the food box to Adam\u2019s sled.\u201d<\/p>\n

With Ben pulling the wagon and Adam the sled of goose meat, pie and cake, the Cartwrights headed for home, reaching their cabin shortly before the snow began to fall in heavier clumps.<\/p>\n

Hoss had long since fallen asleep, but Ben and Adam celebrated one more tradition before they turned in for the night.\u00a0 Beside a flickering fire Ben sat with Adam in his lap, reading, as he did each year, the centuries-old story that alone gave meaning to all the celebrations since that first one in a Bethlehem stable.<\/p>\n

CHAPTER FIVE<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Snow covered the ground occasionally during January, but most of February was cold and clear.\u00a0 On the nineteenth of that month, Ben finished his chores quickly with Adam\u2019s help.\u00a0 Coming into the cabin, Ben immediately shed his warm coat, but Adam left his on.\u00a0 \u201cCan we go in to Mormon\u2019s Station today, Pa?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

Ben shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s too cold for Hoss to be out that long, son.\u00a0 What\u2019s the attraction at Mormon Station, anyway?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAw, Pa,\u201d Adam whined.\u00a0 \u201cI want to see what Billy got for his birthday.\u201d\u00a0 Billy Thomas had celebrated his tenth birthday the day before while Adam would commemorate his ninth on Friday.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll likely see him Sunday,\u201d Ben said, \u201cand that\u2019s soon enough for you boys to compare notes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut, Pa, I want to check on the mail, too.\u00a0 Can\u2019t I?\u201d Adam begged.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Adam, don\u2019t be foolish,\u201d Ben scolded.\u00a0 \u201cThe mail hasn\u2019t gotten through since October.\u201d\u00a0 A man named Chorpenning had contracted to carry mail from Placerville to Salt Lake City that year, and everyone in the valley had eagerly awaited each monthly delivery.\u00a0 Until November, that is.\u00a0 That month, for the first time, the mail failed to arrive.\u00a0 One hundred miles outside Salt Lake City, Indians had waylaid the mail train and the letters had been lost.\u00a0 As far as Ben knew, he personally hadn\u2019t lost any mail, but neither had he received any.\u00a0 Chorpenning simply didn\u2019t show up at the expected time in either December or January, and Ben suspected the snow-packed passes of the Sierras had defeated the man\u2019s intention to provide regular service.<\/p>\n

\u201cCan\u2019t I check anyway?\u00a0 Please, Pa?\u201d Adam pleaded.\u00a0 \u201cI want to see if my journal to Jamie gets off, and maybe his will be there for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled.\u00a0 He knew how eager Adam was to receive that journal from his friend in St. Joseph.\u00a0 Last year he\u2019d had to wait until spring, but Chorpenning\u2019s monthly visits had given the boy hope he might hear from Jamie Edwards sooner this year.\u00a0 \u201cI think it\u2019s a wild goose chase, Adam,\u201d Ben said, \u201cbut if your heart\u2019s set on it, I guess you can go.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks, Pa!\u201d Adam cheered.<\/p>\n

\u201cBundle up snug,\u201d Ben said, \u201cand ask Mrs. Thomas to give you your dinner.\u00a0 You should have something warm before starting home.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, she\u2019ll be glad to do that,\u201d Adam replied confidently.<\/p>\n

As Ben did his chores that morning, he frowned at the snow-laden Sierras to the west.\u00a0 Much as he enjoyed the beauty of the dark evergreens set against a backdrop of glistening white, the snow effectively cut CarsonValley off from the rest of the world several months each year.\u00a0 Ben chuckled to himself.\u00a0 Funny how little it took to spoil a man, like those boys and their soft beds.\u00a0 Last year all he cared about was having enough food to survive the winter.\u00a0 Now, because of a few months\u2019 mail service, he fretted about blocked passes.\u00a0 Like Adam, he\u2019d grown to rely on the monthly opportunity to send and receive mail, but he saw no way Chorpenning could continue with the snows as deep as they appeared.<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s fears were confirmed that evening when Adam returned without mail.\u00a0 Foolish as he knew it to be, Ben had hoped for a letter from his brother John or his sister-in-law Martha.\u00a0 Adam was especially disappointed, though.\u00a0 \u201cHearing from Jamie would have made my birthday perfect,\u201d he sighed.<\/p>\n

Ben had given his son a sympathetic hug, but he wasn\u2019t too concerned about Adam\u2019s birthday.\u00a0 He had a feeling the new pocketknife the boy would receive tomorrow would make up for any disappointment he\u2019d suffered today.<\/p>\n

Another month passed without the return of the mail carrier.\u00a0 Ben would ultimately learn that Chorpenning had gotten the mail through in February, but he\u2019d had to route it up the Feather River over BeckworthPass, then down to the TruckeeRiver and the Humboldt, far to the north of his usual route.\u00a0 It had been a horrible trip, too, all the horses freezing to death and the men forced to pack mail and supplies for two hundred miles on foot.\u00a0 After that fateful trip Chorpenning\u2019s men quit, choosing to remain in Salt Lake City rather than tackle the deep snows once more.\u00a0 Chorpenning was forced to carry the mail back to California unassisted, but not even he dared risk the journey again until spring.\u00a0 Ben wouldn\u2019t discover that for several months, though.\u00a0 For now he and the other residents of CarsonValley could only guess what was going on in the outside world.<\/p>\n

Winter confined the Cartwrights close to home, but even the coldest days, when no one ventured outdoors, were far from idle.\u00a0 Ben busied himself making chairs, three full-sized ones and a tall one so Hoss could sit at the table.\u00a0 Ben felt prepared, then, for a visit from his friends, although when they came, his older son would have to give up his chair and share a bench with Billy.<\/p>\n

Adam spent extra time with his lessons and seemed perfectly content to spend a chilly afternoon sprawled on his father’s bed reading one of his new books while Hoss napped on the trundle below him.\u00a0 He usually read one of Aesop\u2019s fables to his little brother after lunch each day to help Hoss lie still until he fell asleep.\u00a0 Then, in the evenings after Hoss was in bed, Ben would read aloud to Adam, either an act from one of Shakespeare’s plays or a chapter from The Count of Monte Cristo<\/em>.<\/p>\n

When weather permitted, Ben chopped down pines and split rails for the corral he planned to build once he had enough.\u00a0 March arrived before he completed that task, so it had to be laid aside while he and Clyde plowed their fields in preparation for the spring planting.\u00a0 Technically, the fields were on Clyde’s property, but both men agreed that it made more sense to combine their efforts in one area and share the produce.\u00a0 Since Clyde’s land was closer to the trading post they’d run together once the emigrant traffic began, as well as closer to a water supply with which to irrigate the fields, that’s where they would cultivate their crops.<\/p>\n

The work was done by the end of the third week of March, however, and since that was still too early to plant, Ben went back to splitting rails.\u00a0 He’d only been at it two days, though, before something again interrupted his work.<\/p>\n

Early on the morning of March 24th, Ben woke to the sound of someone pounding on the door.\u00a0 \u201cHey!\u00a0 Let me in!\u201d a young voice hollered.<\/p>\n

Good lands<\/em>, Ben thought.\u00a0 What\u2019s Billy Thomas doing here this time of the morning? <\/em>\u00a0He stumbled to the door and opened it.<\/p>\n

Billy squeezed in as soon as the door opened a crack.\u00a0 \u201cBrr!\u00a0 It’s freezin’ out here,\u201d he declared.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are you doing here, Billy?\u201d Ben demanded.\u00a0 \u201cDo your folks know you\u2019re gone?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, they sent me,\u201d Billy announced.\u00a0 \u201cAin\u2019t Adam up yet?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI am now,\u201d Adam yawned from the bedroom doorway.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s going on?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s comin\u2019,\u201d Billy said, \u201cand Pa said to get out from underfoot, so here I am.\u00a0 What\u2019s for breakfast?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cI haven\u2019t had time to decide.\u00a0 What do you mean \u2018it’s coming\u2019?\u00a0 What\u2019s coming?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe baby, of course,\u201d Billy explained, wondering why Mr. Cartwright hadn\u2019t figured that out for himself.\u00a0 \u201cI like pancakes best, if you’re lookin\u2019 for suggestions.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd sausage,\u201d Adam added.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019d be good, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right.\u00a0 Get some out of the shed then,\u201d Ben ordered, \u201cand see to your regular chores while you\u2019re out there.\u00a0 You can help, Billy.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Billy shrugged.\u00a0 He didn’t mind working for his breakfast so long as it was a big one.<\/p>\n

The size of Billy\u2019s breakfast met with his approval, as did the heaping plateful of rabbit stew Ben dished up at noon.\u00a0 \u201cThis is real good, Mr. Cartwright,\u201d the redhead announced appreciatively.\u00a0 \u201cWe ain\u2019t had no fresh game for a spell on account of Pa stickin\u2019 close to home.\u00a0 And Ma\u2019s cookin\u2019 ain\u2019t been up to snuff lately, either.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI wonder why,\u201d Ben muttered wryly.\u00a0 \u201cCouldn\u2019t be she was extra tired these last few weeks, and you didn\u2019t do your part in helping out, now could it?\u201d<\/p>\n

Billy grinned.\u00a0 \u201cNaw, that couldn\u2019t be it.\u00a0 I been as saintly as ever.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what I meant,\u201d Ben teased.\u00a0 \u201cYou had enough to fill you or you want more, son?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMo\u2019, Pa!\u201d Hoss shouted, banging his spoon against his tin plate.<\/p>\n

Billy shook his head, his blue eyes wide with amazement, for Hoss had already eaten a helping as large as either Billy\u2019s or Adam\u2019s.\u00a0 \u201cHow you ever put enough game on the table to keep up with him is beyond me, Mr. Cartwright!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a challenge,\u201d Ben chuckled.\u00a0 He stood and dished Hoss another plateful of stew, then turned to his older son.\u00a0 \u201cAdam, you and Billy get the table cleared and the dishes washed up.\u00a0 And put Hoss down for his nap.\u00a0 I\u2019ll be back soon, and we\u2019ll take Billy home.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI ain\u2019t forgot the way,\u201d Billy snorted.<\/p>\n

Ben winked at the boy and took his rifle down from its peg over the front door.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere you going, Pa?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot far,\u201d Ben promised.\u00a0 \u201cI thought I\u2019d try to scare up a little fresh game to take to our friends, so Billy here won\u2019t wither on the vine.\u201d<\/p>\n

Billy grinned.\u00a0 Fresh meat on the table would be worth washing a few plates for.<\/p>\n

Ben returned by middle of the afternoon with two sage hens, but Hoss was still asleep.\u00a0 \u201cGuess you\u2019d better stay here, Adam,\u201d his father said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAw, no, Pa,\u201d Adam whimpered.\u00a0 \u201cI wanted to go, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI understand, son, but your brother needs you to watch over him,\u201d Ben explained.<\/p>\n

Adam scuffed his shoe across the floor.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s all I do lately, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben knelt and gave him a hug.\u00a0 \u201cI know I\u2019m asking a lot of you, Adam, and I wish I didn\u2019t have to.\u00a0 There\u2019s just no one else that Pa can depend on, and I\u2019m real proud of the way you handle the responsibilities I give you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam smiled slightly at his father\u2019s words of praise.\u00a0 \u201cOkay, Pa, I\u2019ll take good care of him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben patted the sturdy young shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s my boy.\u201d<\/p>\n

While Billy walked toward his home, he frowned up at Ben.\u00a0 \u201cIf this here baby of ours is as much trouble as Hoss, I might just be willing to sell him off cheap.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not in the market,\u201d Ben said dryly.\u00a0 \u201cBesides, you know you don\u2019t mean a word of it.\u00a0 And what makes you think the baby\u2019s a boy?\u201d<\/p>\n

Billy shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cJust took it for granted.\u00a0 Who\u2019d want a girl baby?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed loud.\u00a0 \u201cYour mother, for one.\u00a0 I imagine she\u2019s about ready for some female company.\u201d<\/p>\n

Boy and man arrived to discover that Nelly had, contrary to Billy\u2019s expectation, given birth to a tiny girl with red-blonde hair and pale blue eyes.\u00a0 \u201cWhat a little doll,\u201d Ben cooed when the baby was placed in his arms.<\/p>\n

Nelly beamed her pride.\u00a0 \u201cAin\u2019t she pretty, Ben?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe is indeed,\u201d Ben replied, not quite truthfully.\u00a0 Like most babies, this infant was red and wrinkled, but all babies were beautiful in the eyes of their parents and doting friends, Ben supposed.\u00a0 \u201cDo you have a name picked?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

Nelly nodded.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d like to call her Inger,\u201d she said softly, \u201cif it\u2019s all right with you, Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s eyes glistened.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d be very pleased,\u201d he said, \u201cand so would my Inger.\u201d<\/p>\n

CHAPTER SIX<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Ben stood, breathless, appreciative eyes scanning the evergreen-edged shores of the alpine lake.\u00a0 The climb to this vantage point had left him winded, of course, but what really took his breath away was the beauty of the scene. \u00a0Never in his life, though he\u2019d traveled widely, had he seen a place so picturesque.\u00a0 Lying north to south, the huge expanse of blue-green water stretched for more than twenty miles, its width half that distance.\u00a0 Reflected in the clear water, so clear Ben could see the pebbly bottom deep below, were the surrounding snow-capped mountains with fluffy clouds floating overhead.\u00a0 The pines and aspens, rocks and boulders encircling the lake also found their counterpart in its shimmering waters, and Ben\u2019s seafaring eyes spied excellent bays and coves in all directions.\u00a0 If this matchless serenity resembled even slightly the mountain lakes of his beloved Inger\u2019s homeland, Ben could understand why she had yearned for them.\u00a0 This was the kind of place any man would cherish as a home, the kind of place Ben would ultimately like to build his.<\/p>\n

For the time being, of course, home was some fifteen miles southeast of this point.\u00a0 Ben had come this far out of desire to see the lakeJohn Fr\u00e9mont had called Bonpland in his descriptions of his travels in the west, but the panorama had exceeded Ben\u2019s imagination.\u00a0 Scenery wasn\u2019t his alleged purpose for being here, however.\u00a0 As it was early April, both he and the Thomases had begun to run short of meat, so he was supposed to be hunting, and it was time he got to it.\u00a0 Reluctantly, Ben turned away from the lake and began watching the ground for animal tracks.<\/p>\n

It felt good to walk alone through the virgin forest.\u00a0 Ben was sorry, of course, that Clyde had been too ill to come on this hunt, but the blacksmith would have wanted to hunt closer to home.\u00a0 Pragmatic by nature, he cared little for scenic views.\u00a0 Adam, however, would have enjoyed the trip.\u00a0 Ben regretted having to leave the boy home, but someone had to look after Hoss.\u00a0 Though their friends hadn\u2019t seemed dangerously ill, Ben had thought it safer to keep some distance.\u00a0 With no doctor this side of the Sierras, he\u2019d hate to have two sick boys on his hands.\u00a0 Besides, with a new baby and both Billy and Clyde coughing hard enough to rattle the cabin walls, Nelly didn\u2019t need two more boys to look after.<\/p>\n

Ben spotted deer tracks and began to follow them, his path leading up a rocky ridge.\u00a0 Suddenly his jaw tightened.\u00a0 The deer tracks still led upward, but they had been joined now by tracks of another sort, tracks no animal had made and, probably, no white man\u2014\u2014moccasin tracks.<\/p>\n

He hadn\u2019t expected to see signs of Indians up here.\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t thought the Washos\u2019 range extended this far north or the Paiutes\u2019 this far south.\u00a0 Foolish of him.\u00a0 Why would people living on the subsistence level of the Diggers ignore a game-rich country like this?\u00a0 Of course, they would come here and one obviously had.\u00a0 Perhaps more than one.<\/p>\n

Ben had continued up the ridge while he thought over the situation, but he came to an abrupt halt.\u00a0 Obviously, another hunter was already on the track of this deer, one who might take interest in more than meat should Ben overtake him.\u00a0 Not a good idea, he decided, prickles starting up his neck.\u00a0 He could find game nearer home and wisdom dictated that he should.<\/p>\n

Just as Ben turned, however, his ears caught a low sound.\u00a0 He held his breath.\u00a0 There it was again, like the whine of a dog with a thorn in its paw, but Ben instinctively knew the sound hadn\u2019t come from an animal.\u00a0 Somewhere down the rocky slope below him was an injured person, probably the one whose moccasins had followed the deer.<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s broad brow furrowed as he pondered the dilemma.\u00a0 He felt wrong to leave without offering assistance to someone in obvious pain.\u00a0 But was it safe to help an injured Indian?\u00a0 After all, Ben was no doctor.\u00a0 What if the man was badly hurt?\u00a0 What if his people showed up and misunderstood Ben\u2019s intention?\u00a0 Ben swallowed hard.\u00a0 What was the use of asking unanswerable questions when someone was lying down there in need of help?\u00a0 Whatever the risk, he couldn\u2019t just walk away.<\/p>\n

He followed the moccasin tracks on up the ridge.\u00a0 They didn\u2019t go much further.\u00a0 At a narrow place scattered with loose gravel the tracks stopped.\u00a0 Ben looked down a sharp incline, not seeing anyone, but certain from the crushed plants below that the Indian had fallen over the edge and rolled down the hill.\u00a0 Ben looked for, and found, a safer place to descend the gorge.<\/p>\n

About halfway down he sighted the Indian and felt instantly foolish for his fears.\u00a0 This was nothing but a boy, a lad of some fifteen or sixteen years.\u00a0 Should he show any signs of belligerence, Ben could easily handle so small an opponent.<\/p>\n

Relaxing, Ben approached the boy.\u00a0 But Ben\u2019s calm contrasted sharply with the sudden tension of the Indian youth.\u00a0 Gripping a knife, he thrust it threateningly toward Ben.<\/p>\n

\u201cHere now, none of that.\u00a0 I mean you no harm, boy,\u201d Ben said, then chided himself for his stupidity.\u00a0 The boy probably didn\u2019t know one word of English.<\/p>\n

The Indian struggled to sit up, drew his arm back and threw the knife, falling back from the expended effort.\u00a0 Ben side-stepped the flying blade just in time, the knife whizzing past his right leg.\u00a0 His jaw tight, Ben stepped toward the boy, hoping he didn\u2019t have a second weapon.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t, but with all the energy he had, the youngster fought against Ben\u2019s hands as they held him to the ground.\u00a0 Exhausted at last, the boy lay still, gazing wide-eyed at the white man.<\/p>\n

Ben slid his hands down to the youth\u2019s injured leg, lying beneath him at an acute angle.\u00a0 Obviously broken.\u00a0 At least, it was an injury Ben knew how to treat.\u00a0 Gently, he pulled the leg from beneath the boy and laid it out straight.\u00a0 Spotting a nearby sapling, Ben took the Indian\u2019s knife and whacked off several branches to use as splints.\u00a0 He broke off one small piece and held it to the boy\u2019s mouth.\u00a0 The Indian spit at it, his dark eyes disdainful.<\/p>\n

Ben arched an eyebrow.\u00a0 Indians were reported to be stoical, of course, but he doubted one this young could accept the pain of having his leg set without something to bite down on.\u00a0 He offered the stick again and met with the same response.\u00a0 \u201cHave it your own way,\u201d Ben muttered, grasping the boy\u2019s leg and giving it a quick yank.<\/p>\n

A groan escaped the youngster\u2019s lips, but nothing more.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re a tough young fellow,\u201d Ben admitted as he tied the splints to the straightened leg.<\/p>\n

Once the procedure was complete, he squatted down beside the Indian.\u00a0 \u201cNow what do I do with you?\u201d he asked, smiling ruefully, knowing he\u2019d receive no answer.\u00a0 What would I do if he were white? <\/em>Ben asked himself.\u00a0 Take him home to his folks, of course.<\/em>\u00a0 But Ben wasn\u2019t sure the Golden Rule was a good guide for this situation.\u00a0 This boy\u2019s folks might decide taking Ben\u2019s scalp was the best way to reward his well-intentioned intervention.<\/p>\n

What alternative did he have, though?\u00a0 Take the boy home with him?\u00a0 Ben scoffed at the idea.\u00a0 Drag a reluctant boy fifteen miles away<\/em> from his home.\u00a0 His own people were surely closer than that and likely looking for the missing lad already.\u00a0 If they overtook Ben, how would he explain why he was taking the boy the wrong direction?\u00a0 No, far better to be caught returning him to his home.\u00a0 That was the right thing to do anyway, Ben decided, so he might as well brace himself to it.<\/p>\n

He took a closer look at the Indian.\u00a0 He was dressed somewhat differently than the Washos Ben had seen close to Mormon Station.\u00a0 \u201cPaiute?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

The boy nodded.\u00a0 \u201cPah-Ute,\u201d he replied.<\/p>\n

Ben pointed north.\u00a0 \u201cHome?\u201d he asked.\u00a0 \u201cTeepee?\u201d<\/p>\n

The boy gave no sign of comprehension.<\/p>\n

Ben laid his head on his hands, as if in sleep.\u00a0 \u201cSleep where?\u201d he asked, hoping the gesture would convey the meaning of his words.<\/p>\n

The boy\u2019s eyes sparked with understanding.\u00a0 \u201cKarnee,\u201d he said, pointing north.<\/p>\n

Ben pointed to himself, then to the Indian, then north once again.\u00a0 \u201cI take you karnee,\u201d he explained while he was gesturing his meaning.<\/p>\n

\u201cTruckee,\u201d the boy replied.<\/p>\n

Truckee?\u00a0 Did the boy mean the TruckeeRiver?\u00a0 Ben hoped not.\u00a0 That was probably a longer trip than the one to his cabin would have been.\u00a0 Still, the river did lie to the north, so Ben might as well head toward it and hope he came across the boy\u2019s family before going that far.\u00a0 He clapped his hand to his head.\u00a0 What was he thinking!\u00a0 Meeting up with the boy\u2019s family was likely to cost him his life.\u00a0 Well, he\u2019d already committed himself.\u00a0 There was no backing out now.<\/p>\n

Getting the boy out of the gorge was Ben\u2019s first problem, and it wasn\u2019t an easy one.\u00a0 In fact, had the Indian not been as tolerant of pain as he was, Ben doubted he could have accomplished it, for he had to half drag, half carry the lad over rocky, steep terrain until they again reached the top of the ridge.\u00a0 It was easier going after that, but Ben and his patient still made little progress before the sun began to sink behind the western slopes.<\/p>\n

When he determined to visit LakeBonpland on his trip, Ben had planned to camp out one night, of course, due to the distance involved.\u00a0 He carried a blanket roll for that reason, so he made the Indian youth a bed, then scouted around for something to eat.\u00a0 Not wanting to go too far, he couldn\u2019t track any large game, but he did spot and shoot two rabbits.\u00a0 That would do nicely for their supper.<\/p>\n

Ben groaned inwardly.\u00a0 To cook the meat, he\u2019d have to light a fire, and that would make his position more visible to the savages.\u00a0 Ben shook his head.\u00a0 With the venture he had before him, meeting them was unavoidable anyway.\u00a0 He built a fire and roasted the rabbit over it.<\/p>\n

The Indian wolfed down his food, making Ben wonder how long the boy had lain helpless in that gorge.\u00a0 Then Ben chuckled.\u00a0 Judging by his own appetite, it didn\u2019t take all that long to make a man ravenous.\u00a0 He polished off his share of the meat almost as quickly as the Paiute boy had.<\/p>\n

Ben covered his patient carefully and sat down opposite the fire, leaning back against a boulder with his gun across his lap.\u00a0 He intended to keep vigilant watch, so no visitors took him unaware.\u00a0 Yet in the quiet of the night, thoughts he\u2019d pushed to the back of his mind all afternoon surfaced, thoughts of the two boys he\u2019d left home alone.\u00a0 Would he ever return to them?\u00a0 If not, how would they manage without their father?<\/p>\n

Ben smiled as he thought of responsible, reliable Adam.\u00a0 The boy would have sense enough to go to the Thomases for help if Ben were overdue.\u00a0 And Ben had no doubt his friends would take his sons in and raise them as their own.\u00a0 The boys would be all right, but how Ben would miss ardent Adam and hearty Hoss.\u00a0 He drifted to sleep, their sweet faces smiling at him in his dreams.<\/p>\n

He woke with a jerk when he felt his rifle yanked from his grasp.\u00a0 Opening his eyes, he saw it pointed at his chest.\u00a0 Afraid to move, Ben pressed his spine against the boulder behind him and prayed fervently.\u00a0 The Indian boy by the fire gave a sharp cry and began to talk with rapid-fire words.\u00a0 Help him explain.\u00a0 Dear God, help him explain<\/em>, Ben prayed.\u00a0 His life was now in the hands of that injured boy, and Ben could only hope the lad had understood his intentions and could communicate them to the other natives now standing over Ben\u2019s frozen figure.<\/p>\n

Another voice rang out.\u00a0 Ben couldn\u2019t understand the words, but they were spoken with authority.\u00a0 As an Indian old enough to be father to the one holding the gun on him came into the firelight, the younger man lowered the rifle.\u00a0 His sputtered words, though, sounded argumentative.\u00a0 Ben had a feeling the man still wanted to kill him, but would not without the other\u2019s permission.<\/p>\n

The older man approached Ben.\u00a0 \u201cMe Truckee,\u201d he said, striking his palm against his chest.<\/p>\n

Ben gasped.\u00a0 Truckee!\u00a0 Was that what the boy had meant?\u00a0 Not the river, but the man for whom it had been named?\u00a0 Truckee was a name Ben knew from his reading of Captain Fr\u00e9mont\u2019s report, the name of the man who had helped guide the explorer over the mountains.\u00a0 Could this be the same man?\u00a0 Ben took hope.<\/p>\n

After announcing his own name, Chief Truckee tapped Ben\u2019s chest.\u00a0 Ben understood.\u00a0 \u201cCartwright.\u00a0 Ben Cartwright,\u201d he replied.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy nah-tze say you help him,\u201d Truckee stated.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d Ben said quickly.\u00a0 \u201cI helped him.\u00a0 I was trying to bring him to his people.\u201d\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t sure how much English the Indian had picked up in his previous contact with the whites so he kept his words simple.<\/p>\n

Truckee said something in Paiute to the man who still held Ben\u2019s rifle.\u00a0 The younger brave grunted and responded in his own tongue.\u00a0 Truckee again turned to Ben.\u00a0 Laying a hand on the other Indian\u2019s shoulder, the chief said, \u201cThis Poito, man of my daughter Tuboitonie.\u00a0 Him ask why you help his son.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben looked into the stony gaze of Poito and answered slowly.\u00a0 \u201cThe boy was hurt.\u00a0 He needed help.\u201d<\/p>\n

Truckee translated, his words meeting with muttered response from Poito.\u00a0 \u201cPoito say white men bad, want only kill Indian, take land, burn pi\u00f1on.\u00a0 Why you not kill son?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben forced himself once more to look directly into the eyes of the distrustful Indian.\u00a0 He decided a bold answer would win him more respect than backing down.\u00a0 \u201cIndians killed my woman,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cDoes that make all Indians bad?\u00a0 Does it make Poito bad?\u201d\u00a0 He waited for Truckee to translate.\u00a0 \u201cI, too, am a father,\u201d he continued.\u00a0 \u201cI know a father\u2019s heart for his sons.\u00a0 That is why I helped yours.\u201d<\/p>\n

When Truckee conveyed Ben\u2019s words to Poito, the man\u2019s expression changed slightly.\u00a0 To say he grew warm and receptive would have been an exaggeration; the expression was more one of thoughtful consideration, as if the Indian father were mulling over the words of the white one.<\/p>\n

Truckee motioned for Ben to rise.\u00a0 \u201cYou come our camp,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Ben paled.\u00a0 \u201cNo,\u201d he said, with what he hoped was polite refusal.\u00a0 \u201cI go to my own camp, to my sons,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cNear?\u201d Truckee asked, his eyes scanning around.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Ben said quickly, wanting to keep Hoss and Adam\u2019s position vague.\u00a0 \u201cFar to the southeast.\u201d\u00a0 He pointed toward that direction.<\/p>\n

Truckee grunted.\u00a0 \u201cWasho land.\u00a0 You come our camp,\u201d he repeated, obviously unwilling to take no for an answer.<\/p>\n

Feeling he had no choice, Ben nodded.<\/p>\n

Truckee muttered harsh words to Poito, who thrust Ben\u2019s rifle into his hands and turned away toward the other Indians assisting his son.<\/p>\n

By the return of his weapon, Ben realized he was being invited as a guest, not taken as prisoner, to Truckee\u2019s camp.\u00a0 He began to believe he would get out of this encounter alive after all and perhaps could even establish the foundation for good relations with these fierce neighbors.\u00a0 Friendly relations could prove invaluable if he did decide to build north of his present location, as he\u2019d been considering, especially after seeing the beautiful Lake Bonpland.<\/p>\n

It was still dark when Ben and his hosts arrived at the Indian camp, but Truckee ordered food prepared for his guest.\u00a0 Ben swallowed hard, hoping it would be something more appetizing than what he\u2019d heard these Diggers ate.\u00a0 Whatever was set before him, however, he was determined to eat enthusiastically, to avoid insulting his hosts.\u00a0 He knew he could carry it off, too, for he\u2019d managed with feigned relish to eat grasshoppers in Africa for the same reason.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, the bowl Ben was handed looked as if it contained nothing more threatening than cornmeal mush.\u00a0 Ben took a tentative taste and smiled at Truckee.\u00a0 \u201cGood,\u201d he said, meaning it.\u00a0 Though the dish obviously wasn\u2019t cornmeal, having a nuttier flavor, its taste was quite respectable.<\/p>\n

\u201cTruckee,\u201d the Indian responded.<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s brow wrinkled.\u00a0 \u201cYes, you are Truckee.\u00a0 You told me before.\u201d<\/p>\n

A slight smile touched the Indian\u2019s lips.\u00a0 \u201cTruckee mean good, like you say,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n

Ben chuckled.\u00a0 Now he understood, not only the chief\u2019s words, but young Natchee\u2019s response when Ben announced his intention to take him home.\u00a0 The boy had meant that going home was good, truckee.\u00a0 Ben lifted his bowl.\u00a0 \u201cFood is truckee,\u201d he said, \u201cbut I do not know its name.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCome from pi\u00f1on tree,\u201d Truckee explained.\u00a0 \u201cPaiute can not live through winter without pi\u00f1on nuts.\u00a0 That why Poito say white men bad to burn trees.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben set the bowl down and looked sorrowfully into the chief\u2019s dark eyes.\u00a0 \u201cI, too, have burned the pi\u00f1on in my fires,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cI will not do so again.\u00a0 I did not know they were Indians\u2019 food.\u201d<\/p>\n

Truckee nodded.\u00a0 \u201cEven white men can learn,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you want white men to go from your land?\u201d Ben asked quietly.<\/p>\n

Truckee looked at the stars overhead.\u00a0 \u201cWhite men here.\u00a0 Cannot make leave.\u00a0 I think can live in peace, but not all my people think this.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPoito?\u201d Ben asked.<\/p>\n

Truckee shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cNo.\u00a0 To Poito, all whites bad.\u00a0 Maybe you show him some have good hearts.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope so,\u201d Ben replied earnestly.\u00a0 \u201cI wish to be a friend to your people, to live in this land as a good neighbor to you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Truckee drew a rolled piece of paper from his shirt.\u00a0 \u201cThis my white rag friend,\u201d he said, handing it to Ben.<\/p>\n

Ben unrolled the scroll and read with amazement a letter addressed on the chief\u2019s behalf by Captain John Fr\u00e9mont.\u00a0 \u201cA treasure,\u201d he said, returning it to the chief.\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t sure the Indian understood the word, but Truckee nodded, having gathered Ben\u2019s meaning from his respectful tone and manner.<\/p>\n

Truckee stood.\u00a0 \u201cNow time sleep.\u00a0 You come my karnee.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben grinned as he recognized another word Natchee had used.\u00a0 Karnee evidently was the name for the wickiup to which Truckee led him and beneath whose domed roof Ben soon drifted to sleep, grateful to be alive and to have made, he hoped, a friend.<\/p>\n

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

Adam read the arithmetic problem a second time, but it didn\u2019t make any more sense than it had the first.\u00a0 He looked toward the cabin\u2019s door and sighed.\u00a0 He needed Pa to explain this lesson, but Pa wasn\u2019t here.\u00a0 He should have been, too.\u00a0 He\u2019d been due back from his hunting trip yesterday.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t just perplexity over his schoolwork that furrowed Adam\u2019s brow: he was beginning to fear something had happened to his father.<\/p>\n

Hoss, playing with his Noah\u2019s Ark on the rug by the fire, glanced up at Adam.\u00a0 \u201cDone, Bubba?\u201d he asked, having learned by experience that Adam was unlikely to respond well to any request made during his study time.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs much as I can,\u201d Adam sighed and slammed the book shut.<\/p>\n

Hoss immediately pushed himself up and toddled over to his big brother.\u00a0 \u201cEat?\u201d he asked hopefully.<\/p>\n

Adam frowned.\u00a0 It was getting close to lunch time, all right, but the boy was running out of options for meals.\u00a0 Pa\u2019d made a big kettle of oxtail stew before he left, but that was gone now.\u00a0 There were plenty of supplies still in the larder, but Adam had no training as a cook.\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t sure what he could fix on his own.<\/p>\n

Hoss patted Adam\u2019s leg to get his attention.\u00a0 \u201cEat, Bubba?\u201d he asked again.<\/p>\n

\u201cLater,\u201d Adam muttered.<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s lower lip pooched out.\u00a0 \u201cHungee,\u201d he whined.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou always are!\u201d Adam snapped.<\/p>\n

A tear trickled from the corner of Hoss\u2019s eye.\u00a0 Adam reached out quickly to brush it away.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t cry, baby,\u201d he soothed, feeling ashamed of himself for the sharp answer he\u2019d made to Hoss\u2019s very legitimate request.<\/p>\n

\u201cBubba mad,\u201d Hoss wailed.<\/p>\n

Adam put his arms around his little brother and gave him a hug.\u00a0 \u201cNo, brother\u2019s not mad.\u00a0 I just don\u2019t know what to fix for lunch, Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cStew!\u201d Hoss shouted.<\/p>\n

Adam shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cYou ate it all.\u00a0 I guess I could make pancakes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss scowled.\u00a0 \u201cNo!\u201d he hollered.<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s nose wrinkled in agreement.\u00a0 He\u2019d tried his hand at pancakes that morning with less than appetizing result.\u00a0 \u201cWell, you got any better ideas?\u201d he demanded.<\/p>\n

\u201cPie?\u201d Hoss suggested.<\/p>\n

\u201cPie!\u201d Adam yelled.\u00a0 \u201cI burn plain pancakes, and you want me to tackle pie?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss shook his head vigorously.\u00a0 \u201cAn\u2019 Nenny,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Hoss,\u201d Adam said firmly.\u00a0 \u201cAunt Nelly has sick folks to look after.\u00a0 We can\u2019t bother her unless it\u2019s an emergency.\u201d\u00a0 The boy\u2019s lip started to tremble.\u00a0 If Pa didn\u2019t get home today, Adam figured he\u2019d have a genuine emergency on his hands, and they\u2019d have to head for the Thomases, sickness or no sickness.<\/p>\n

Hoss couldn\u2019t really understand the explanation his brother had given, but he understood enough to know there\u2019d be no pie for lunch.\u00a0 \u201cHungee, Bubba,\u201d he repeated insistently.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, okay, I\u2019ll think of something,\u201d Adam promised.\u00a0 His black eyes brightened.\u00a0 \u201cHow about popcorn, Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss grinned.\u00a0 \u201cGood,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Adam stood quickly, glad to have come up with an idea that would work.\u00a0 Popcorn might not make the most nutritious meal they\u2019d ever eaten, but, at least, Adam knew how to prepare it.\u00a0 And the fluffy kernels ought to fill Hoss up for a while, anyway.<\/p>\n

After lunch Adam pulled out the trundle and made Hoss lie down.\u00a0 \u201cStowy?\u201d Hoss begged.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I\u2019ll read you a story,\u201d Adam said, pulling his volume of Aesop\u2019s Fables<\/em> from beneath his arm.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019ll have to be one you\u2019ve already heard, though.\u00a0 We finished the book yesterday, Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss didn\u2019t seem to care what story he heard, so Adam opened the book to the first page and began to read.\u00a0 Hoss soon drifted to sleep, as he usually did once his tummy was full, and Adam closed the book.<\/p>\n

Ordinarily, Hoss\u2019s soft snores would have been Adam\u2019s cue to find a book of his own and sprawl out on Pa\u2019s bed for a comfortable afternoon\u2019s read.\u00a0 Today, however, Adam was in no mood for books.\u00a0 He slipped out the front door and stood for a long time looking north, but he didn\u2019t see his father.\u00a0 Finally deciding he was wasting his time, Adam took two pails and headed for the nearby creek.\u00a0 Whatever else happened, he\u2019d need more water before morning.\u00a0 As he walked, he tried to decide what he could cook without ruining it.\u00a0 Potatoes, maybe.\u00a0 He could probably chop them up and fry them like he\u2019d seen Pa do.\u00a0 And some bacon.\u00a0 He could slice that off and fry it first so he\u2019d have some grease to fry the potatoes in.\u00a0 Yeah, Hoss would like bacon and potatoes\u2014\u2014so long as his big brother didn\u2019t burn them the way he had the pancakes.\u00a0 Adam sighed and hoped Pa would be home before supper.<\/p>\n

But Ben hadn\u2019t returned by the time the sun started to slip behind the western mountains, painting the hillsides with a pinkish-auburn glow.\u00a0 Hoss was up from his nap and, naturally, hungry again, so Adam got the side meat from the shed and started to slice off short, fat pieces.\u00a0 \u201cGet me a couple of potatoes, Hoss,\u201d he ordered.<\/p>\n

Feeling big, Hoss waddled to the burlap bag in the corner that held potatoes and grabbed one with each hand.\u00a0 He had started back toward Adam when he looked up and saw a familiar figure looming in the doorway.\u00a0 \u201cPa!\u201d Hoss shouted, letting both potatoes drop and roll across the floor.\u00a0 He ran toward the open door as fast as his fat legs would go.<\/p>\n

Ben laughed and scooped his baby into his arms.\u00a0 \u201cPa\u2019s mighty glad to see you, too, little fellow!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ever responsible, Adam first picked up the potatoes his baby brother had dropped, then rushed to throw his arms around his father.\u00a0 \u201cOh, Pa, you were gone so long!\u201d he cried.<\/p>\n

Ben set the baby down and stooped to enfold the older boy in his arms.\u00a0 \u201cI know, son, and I\u2019m sorry for worrying you, but it couldn\u2019t be helped.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you have a hard time finding game, Pa?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n

Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cNo, I just found the wrong kind first.\u201d\u00a0 Seeing Adam\u2019s puzzled look, Ben explained.\u00a0 \u201cI ran into some Paiutes, son.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam paled.\u00a0 \u201cPaiutes!\u00a0 Oh, Pa!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben patted the boy\u2019s shoulder and stood up.\u00a0 \u201cThere, there now.\u00a0 No harm done.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam stared, wide-eyed.\u00a0 \u201cBut Paiutes, Pa!\u00a0 Aren\u2019t they the ones that killed\u2014\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laid his index finger across Adam\u2019s lips and tilted his head toward Hoss.<\/p>\n

Adam got the message.\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t to say anything in front of Hoss about the death of the baby\u2019s mother at the hands of the Diggers.\u00a0 He nodded to show his father he understood.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll tell you all about it later,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cNow what\u2019s this I see you fixing for supper?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust side meat and potatoes, Pa,\u201d Adam said, \u201cbut I\u2019m sure open to other ideas.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cI think bacon and potatoes will do nicely tonight, Adam,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cWe need a quick supper because I want to get a share of the meat I shot over to the Thomases tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTonight?\u201d Adam queried.\u00a0 \u201cBut it\u2019s getting dark, Pa.\u00a0 Won\u2019t it keep \u2018til tomorrow?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have more important things to do tomorrow,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cI want you to get Hoss ready for bed right after supper, and you turn in, too, as soon as you\u2019ve cleaned up the supper things.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy, Pa?\u201d Adam asked, curiosity sparking in his black eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause we\u2019re getting up bright and early tomorrow to pay a visit to our neighbors, the Paiutes.\u201d\u00a0 Seeing his son\u2019s troubled look, Ben reached out to stroke the boy\u2019s cheek.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s safe, Adam.\u00a0 I made friends with them, and the chief himself invited me to bring you boys to Pyramid Lake for their spring gathering.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam could hardly contain his excitement.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll get to bed real early, Pa,\u201d he promised, not even caring now that he\u2019d miss the trip to the Thomases.\u00a0 What was that compared to meeting a Paiute chief!<\/p>\n

CHAPTER SEVEN<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Getting two small boys to PyramidLake was a challenge, of course.\u00a0 Having failed to convince Ben to forego the trip to the savages\u2019 camp altogether, Nelly Thomas had argued vehemently that Hoss, at least, should be left with her.\u00a0 Frankly, Ben himself would have preferred to leave the toddler behind.\u00a0 However, he hadn\u2019t been able to persuade Captain Truckee, as the chief liked to be called, that a three-day journey with an infant in diapers represented a hardship.\u00a0 After all, Indian babies traveled regularly with their nomadic parents, and Truckee had insisted on meeting both Ben\u2019s sons.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Diapers were, of course, the main problem, one Indian parents probably didn\u2019t have to deal with, Ben grumbled to himself.\u00a0 He could just see Nelly\u2019s reaction to letting Hoss traipse through the sagebrush bare-bottomed, though, so he piled every clean didee the baby owned into Adam\u2019s wagon, along with bedrolls, a skillet and grub for the journey.\u00a0 He also squeezed in a tin of tobacco and a bag of flour as gifts for his Paiute friend.\u00a0 That left little room for Hoss, so Ben had to carry the squirming armload except for brief respites when the baby fell asleep.\u00a0 There was room enough in the wagon to wedge a sleeping baby, but not an alert, active one.<\/p>\n

While Hoss\u2019s presence on the trip was almost more trouble than it was worth, Adam\u2019s, on the other hand, more than made up for it.\u00a0 The boy willingly took his turn pulling the wagon (when Hoss wasn\u2019t in it, that is), but more than that, Ben just enjoyed his son\u2019s company.\u00a0 As they walked north the first day, Ben shared the exciting tale of his first encounter with the Paiutes.\u00a0 Adam listened, enthralled, as Ben described seeing the moccasin tracks and following them to the injured Indian and shivered when his father told of waking to find his own gun pointed at his chest.<\/p>\n

As he talked, Ben emphasized to Adam the importance of making friends with these fierce neighbors.\u00a0 \u201cThey\u2019re not bad people, Adam,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cWhen the first white men came through this land, the Paiutes offered friendship and guidance to them.\u00a0 But with the discovery of gold, more and more came, upsetting the balance of survival in this delicate land.\u00a0 We can\u2019t really blame the Indians for shooting at the emigrants\u2019 oxen the way they do.\u00a0 They\u2019re hungry, and some of that is the white man\u2019s fault.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s why they shot Mama, isn\u2019t it?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think these Indians were part of that tribe,\u201d Ben said soberly, \u201cbut it\u2019s true the ones who did were acting out of hunger; they were shooting at our cow, not Mama.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd Mama said to forgive them, didn\u2019t she, Pa?\u201d Adam murmured softly.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, she did,\u201d Ben replied, \u201cand I hope you\u2019ve been able to, son.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI try, but it\u2019s hard, Pa.\u00a0 I miss her so much.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laid a gentle hand on Adam\u2019s slender shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cMe, too, Adam, but I think I honor her by doing as she asked.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam looked up into his father\u2019s face.\u00a0 \u201cI want to honor her, too, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled.\u00a0 \u201cGood.\u00a0 I know your mother would be proud of you for extending the hand of friendship to these people, Adam, and I\u2019m proud of the courage you\u2019re showing in making this trip.\u00a0 I want to caution you, though, to avoid giving offense in any way.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know what you mean, Pa,\u201d Adam said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Indians have different ways from us, son,\u201d Ben explained.\u00a0 \u201cThat doesn\u2019t mean our ways are good and theirs bad.\u00a0 You must keep an open mind and try to understand them, not brag about how much better our customs are.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat would be rude, Pa!\u201d Adam asserted loudly.<\/p>\n

Ben nodded.\u00a0 \u201cIt would be very rude\u2014\u2014and very dangerous.\u00a0 I know I can trust you, Adam, but I should warn you that they may offer you some strange foods, some you may not want to eat.\u00a0 You will eat whatever you\u2019re given, though, and if you don\u2019t like it, keep your opinion to yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam frowned, remembering his brother\u2019s outspoken rejection of the pancakes the previous morning.\u00a0 \u201cWhat about Hoss, Pa?\u00a0 He don\u2019t have sense enough to keep his opinions to himself.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cIf it\u2019s something to eat, Hoss will probably like it.\u00a0 Besides, I think the Paiutes would make allowances for a baby.\u00a0 You\u2019re a big boy, though, Adam, big enough to mind your manners.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI will, Pa,\u201d Adam promised earnestly.\u00a0 \u201cDid you eat any of their food while you were with them?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, of course,\u201d Ben responded, \u201cand what I had tasted fine, so there may not be a problem.\u00a0 I just wanted to prepare you in case there was.”<\/p>\n

When the sun began to sink behind the mountains to their west, Ben selected a campsite and began to unload the supplies they\u2019d need that night.\u00a0 \u201cGather up plenty of firewood, Adam,\u201d he ordered.\u00a0 \u201cThe nights still get real cool outdoors.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay,\u201d Adam agreed readily.<\/p>\n

Hoss toddled toward him.\u00a0 \u201cHelp bubba,\u201d he called.<\/p>\n

Adam turned to frown at him.\u00a0 \u201cSome help you\u2019ll be,\u201d he scolded.<\/p>\n

\u201cTake him with you, Adam,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cHe needs to learn, and big brothers make the best teachers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam scowled at the baby, but took his fat hand and led him into the woods.\u00a0 Finding some dry branches that had fallen from the trees, he placed a small bundle in Hoss\u2019s outstretched arms and gathered an armload for himself.\u00a0 \u201cWalk ahead of me, Hoss,\u201d Adam ordered, \u201cso I can keep an eye on you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss headed back for camp with an unerring instinct that surprised his big brother.\u00a0 \u201cHoss found his way real good, Pa,\u201d Adam reported, when he and his brother dumped their loads at the spot their father had cleared for the campfire.\u00a0 \u201cI didn\u2019t have to give him one hint.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben gave his younger son an approving pat on the head.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re going to make a good woodsman, are you, Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood boy!\u201d Hoss beamed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right,\u201d Ben laughed, then laid a hand on Adam\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cAnd here\u2019s another,\u201d he said fondly.\u00a0 The smile on Adam\u2019s face spread as broad as that on the baby\u2019s.<\/p>\n

While supper was cooking, Ben told the boys about the beautiful alpine lake he\u2019d seen before meeting the Paiutes.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wish I could see that,\u201d Adam sighed.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can,\u201d Ben promised.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll swing by there on our way home.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, boy!\u201d Adam cried.\u00a0 \u201cAnd can we go swimming?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBrr!\u00a0 No,\u201d Ben shivered.\u00a0 \u201cNot this time of year, son.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBrr!\u201d Hoss chortled, not having the slightest idea what the sound meant, but enjoying the way it buzzed past his lips.<\/p>\n

Ben and Adam laughed as they cleared away the supper things and made a bed for the three of them to share.\u00a0 Ben arranged it so that Adam lay closest to the fire with Hoss sandwiched between the two of them.\u00a0 The sleeping arrangement was uncomfortable, of course.\u00a0 Ben would have preferred a bedroll to himself, but didn\u2019t want to take the chance of having Hoss wake and wander off during the night.\u00a0 Actually, though, it was Adam, with his endless questions, who kept Ben awake long after the stars sprinkled the blackness above.\u00a0 Finally, all three Cartwrights fell asleep, each dreaming of the adventure ahead.<\/p>\n

Late in the evening of the third day of their journey, a sheet of blue water came into view.\u00a0 \u201cIs this the lake you told me about?\u201d Adam asked excitedly.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s beautiful, Pa!\u00a0 But I thought we weren\u2019t gonna see it \u2018til we went home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cBeautiful it is, Adam, but it isn\u2019t LakeBonpland.\u00a0 This, I believe, is PyramidLake.\u00a0 See the rock in the middle.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t miss it, Pa,\u201d Adam scoffed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s true,\u201d Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cBut notice its shape, Adam.\u00a0 When Fr\u00e9mont first saw it, it reminded him of the pyramids of Egypt.\u00a0 What do you think?\u201d<\/p>\n

Drawing on his memory of a picture he\u2019d seen in his geography text, Adam nodded.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, I can see what he meant, Pa.\u00a0 So that\u2019s why he called it PyramidLake, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s why.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss squirmed in his father\u2019s arms, pointing ahead.\u00a0 \u201cLookee, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben bounced the boy up and down.\u00a0 \u201cWhat do you see, baby?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMen,\u201d Hoss cried.<\/p>\n

\u201cI see them now!\u201d Adam announced.\u00a0 \u201cAre they Paiutes, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYep,\u201d Ben replied.\u00a0 \u201cRemember all I told you along the road, Adam.\u00a0 Mind your manners.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam nodded his acquiescence and followed his father toward the Paiute encampment by the lake.\u00a0 \u201cThose are funny teepees,\u201d he commented.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re not teepees, Adam,\u201d his father corrected, \u201cand that is just the kind of remark I was warning you about.\u00a0 Don\u2019t use words like \u2018funny\u2019 when describing someone\u2019s home, son.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry, Pa.\u00a0 I\u2019ll do better,\u201d Adam promised.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood boy,\u201d his father said, giving him a smile.\u00a0 \u201cNow, the Paiutes call their homes karnees, though those look different from the one I stayed in before.\u00a0 They may have a different name.\u201d\u00a0 Instead of the mat-covered domes Ben had seen at the winter camp, the structures near PyramidLake consisted of nothing more than a grassy roof stretched over four upright poles.\u00a0 Shelter from the sun, but not much else.\u00a0 Maybe, though, that\u2019s all that was needed during spring and summer, Ben thought, chiding himself for judging by white men\u2019s standards.<\/p>\n

As Ben and his two boys entered the encampment, a dozen small brown children in loin cloths encircled them, evidently fascinated by the small covered wagon Adam was pulling.\u00a0 They\u2019d seen emigrant wagons before, of course, but the sight of one so small clearly amused them.<\/p>\n

Hearing a loud voice, the children scattered.\u00a0 Ben smiled and extended his hand as he saw his friend Truckee walking toward him.<\/p>\n

Truckee took his hand.\u00a0 \u201cYour sons?\u201d he asked, pointing to the two boys.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 He put his hand against Adam\u2019s back and pushed him forward.\u00a0 \u201cMy oldest, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe is welcome,\u201d Truckee said with a nod toward the boy.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd this,\u201d Ben said as he juggled the chubby tike he was holding, \u201cis my second son Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss grinned and reached out to touch the Indian\u2019s craggy face.\u00a0 Something close to a smile touched Truckee\u2019s lips, but he turned away immediately.\u00a0 \u201cTuboitonie!\u201d he called sharply.<\/p>\n

From a nearby shelter a woman approached, a pretty little girl slightly younger than Adam clinging to her apron of sagebrush bark.\u00a0 \u201cMy daughter,\u201d Truckee said, waving his hand toward the woman, \u201cand this shy one who hides from whites is her daughter Thocmetony.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled gently.\u00a0 \u201cThocmetony is a lovely little girl with a lovely name.\u00a0 I hope she will soon learn I am her friend.\u201d<\/p>\n

The little girl stepped out from behind her mother and held out her arms.\u00a0 \u201cI take baby?\u201d she asked in stilted English.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou take,\u201d her grandfather answered before Ben had a chance to say anything.\u00a0 \u201cShe take good care,\u201d the chief assured Ben.<\/p>\n

Hesitantly, Ben lowered Hoss into the girl\u2019s arms, then relaxed as he saw her tender touch with the baby.<\/p>\n

\u201cBoy stay with women,\u201d Truckee said.\u00a0 \u201cWe walk together, talk while food is made ready.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam didn\u2019t like that idea.\u00a0 Being left alone with Indians, even if they were just females, felt uncomfortable.\u00a0 Hoss, on the other hand, showed no trepidation at all.\u00a0 Cooing contentedly, he grabbed one of Thocmetony\u2019s shiny black braids.<\/p>\n

\u201cOw-oo!\u201d she cried.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss!\u201d Adam rebuked, sharply rapping the baby\u2019s fingers.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s no way to act.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss puckered up.<\/p>\n

Thocmetony giggled and gave the baby a quick kiss, turning the impending whimpers into smiles again.\u00a0 \u201cI am not hurt,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cHe surprised me only.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s brow wrinkled.\u00a0 \u201cYou talk pretty good English for a Paiute,\u201d he offered.\u00a0 \u201cWhere\u2019d you learn it, from your grandfather?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGrandfather?\u201d Thocmetony asked, as if the word were unfamiliar to her.<\/p>\n

\u201cChief Truckee,\u201d Adam explained.\u00a0 \u201cHe is your grandfather, isn\u2019t he?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe is father of my mother,\u201d Thocmetony said.\u00a0 \u201cIs that \u2018grandfather\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Adam said, wide-eyed at her ignorance.<\/p>\n

\u201cGrandfather,\u201d Thocmetony repeated, savoring the sound.\u00a0 \u201cI like that word.\u00a0 You have grandfather?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cNot anymore.\u00a0 Pa\u2019s father died when Pa was not much older than me, and my mother\u2019s father when I was about two.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAh,\u201d Thocmetony sighed sympathetically.\u00a0 \u201cToo bad.\u00a0 Grandfathers teach much.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo is he the one who taught you English?\u201d Adam asked again.<\/p>\n

Thocmetony shook her head.\u00a0 \u201cSome from him I learn, more from white people over mountains.\u00a0 I learn fast.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHave you been across the mountains?\u201d Adam asked, stunned.<\/p>\n

Thocmetony nodded.\u00a0 \u201cI not like.\u00a0 Too many whites.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow come you\u2019re scared of whites?\u201d Adam pressed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI not want them eat me,\u201d the Indian girl said seriously.<\/p>\n

Adam tittered.\u00a0 \u201cWe don\u2019t do that!\u201d<\/p>\n

Thocmetony nodded quickly.\u00a0 \u201cOh, yes.\u00a0 No Indian do so bad thing, but in mountains whites in wagons do this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam shook his head.\u00a0 Where had the girl gotten such a stupid idea?\u00a0 \u201cWell, I never met any who did, and we sure don\u2019t,\u201d he said firmly, \u201cso you shouldn\u2019t be afraid.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thocmetony smiled.\u00a0 \u201cI try.\u00a0 Now I must help mother with food.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam gulped.\u00a0 He wanted desperately to ask what was for dinner, but he didn\u2019t dare.\u00a0 Dinner, when it appeared, turned out to be strange, but basically good.\u00a0 Adam had no idea what the tender, pale green shoots were, but he was so hungry for fresh vegetables he didn\u2019t really care.\u00a0 Of course, these would have benefited from a little sideback being mixed in, maybe some salt and pepper, but even without seasoning the novelty of fresh food made the dish a treat.\u00a0 And Adam had been unable to hold back his enthusiasm when he saw the other item offered to the white guests.\u00a0 \u201cEggs!\u201d he chirped.\u00a0 \u201cI haven\u2019t had eggs in forever, Pa!\u00a0 Do they raise chickens here?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cThey\u2019re marsh birds\u2019 eggs,\u201d he said, then did his best to explain to his Paiute hosts the difference between the birds the white men raised for eggs and the ova the Indians harvested here on the shores of PyramidLake.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome white ways good,\u201d Truckee stated.<\/p>\n

\u201cMore bad,\u201d Poito said bluntly from across the fire.\u00a0 Ben arched an eyebrow.\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t thought Truckee\u2019s son-in-law spoke any English.\u00a0 Evidently, he did, though not nearly so much as Captain Truckee or little Thocmetony.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey have more food,\u201d Truckee insisted.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause we have learned to grow our own,\u201d Ben commented.\u00a0 \u201cThis is something your people could learn, too, Truckee, to help them eat better through the winter.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI am old to learn new ways,\u201d Truckee said, \u201cbut it be good Pah-Utes have more food.\u201d\u00a0 Poito only grunted.\u00a0 Truckee ignored the other Indian\u2019s rudeness and turned back to his guest.\u00a0 \u201cTomorrow I show you the treasure of the Kuyuidokado.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cKwi-kwi-kado?\u201d Ben asked.<\/p>\n

Truckee thumped his chest.\u00a0 \u201cKuyuidokado,\u201d he repeated.\u00a0 \u201cIn your tongue, \u2018fish people.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought you were Paiutes,\u201d Ben puzzled.<\/p>\n

Truckee nodded.\u00a0 \u201cAll our people Pah-Ute,\u201d he replied.\u00a0 \u201cMy people, Kuyuidokado.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben wasn\u2019t sure he\u2019d understood correctly, but as best he could make out, Truckee was telling him that his particular branch of the Paiute tribe were known as the fish people.\u00a0 \u201cAre the fish good here?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou see\u2014\u2014tomorrow,\u201d Truckee promised.<\/p>\n

The next day Truckee, accompanied by young Natchee, led Ben to the shores of PyramidLake to show him the fish the Indians came here each year to harvest.\u00a0 \u201cFishing feast next moon,\u201d Truckee explained, \u201cbut for you we spear cui-ui today.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t need to change your plans for me,\u201d Ben said urgently.\u00a0 \u201cIf it will cause bad feelings among your people\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo bad feelings,\u201d Truckee replied quickly. \u201cCatch only few today, but before big harvest we pray and dance so Kuyuidokado spear many fish to dry.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAh,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cMy people wait \u2018til after the harvest to say prayers of thanks, but your way is good, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

While Ben was watching the natives spear the suckerfish from which the tribe derived its name, Adam and Hoss were accompanying Thocmetony as she gathered green shoots from the edge of the marshes.\u00a0 \u201cIs this what we ate last night?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n

Thocmetony nodded.\u00a0 \u201cTule,\u201d she said.\u00a0 Peeling the green exterior from the shoot, she bit off a piece of the white inner layer and then offered it to Adam.<\/p>\n

The boy took a tentative bite.\u00a0 \u201cNot bad,\u201d he said, \u201cbut I like it better cooked.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss grabbed the peeled tule shoot and took a bite.\u00a0 His face puckered and he spit it out.\u00a0 \u201cNo good!\u201d he declared and toddled over to splash at the water\u2019s edge with small bronze bodies diapered, despite Ben\u2019s presumption that they went bare, in coverings woven of sagebrush fiber.<\/p>\n

Adam took a deep breath, fearful the baby\u2019s response would cause trouble, but Thocmetony just tittered.\u00a0 \u201cHe look like me first time I eat white food,\u201d she giggled.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t like white food?\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2014I think it\u2019s real good.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSome like, some not,\u201d the Indian girl said as she waded into the water and began pulling tule shoots to fill the basket she had brought.<\/p>\n

Adam pulled off his shoes and waded in beside her.\u00a0 When he reached for a green shoot, however, Thocmetony pushed his hand aside.\u00a0 \u201cWoman\u2019s work,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cMen hunt eggs.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, okay,\u201d Adam replied.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll look for eggs then.\u201d\u00a0 If there was one thing he didn\u2019t want to do, it was woman\u2019s work!\u00a0 Besides, he\u2019d rather have more eggs for dinner than all the tule in the lake.\u00a0 He waded through the marsh searching for a nest.\u00a0 At last he found one and gathered the eggs into his hat.<\/p>\n

He hurried back to where he had left the Indian girl.\u00a0 \u201cSee what I found, Thock\u2014\u2014Thockma\u2014\u201d\u00a0 He gave her a chagrined look.\u00a0 \u201cWhy do Paiutes have to have such hard names?\u201d he demanded, in his frustration forgetting his father\u2019s injunctions against criticism of Indian ways.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhite names hard,\u201d Thocmetony said calmly.\u00a0 \u201cCa\u2014Ca\u2014rye,\u201d she sputtered.\u00a0 \u201cSee?\u00a0 Hard!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCartwright,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cI guess it is hard to say if you\u2019re not used to it.\u00a0 You can call me Adam if it\u2019s easier.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBetter,\u201d the Paiute girl said.\u00a0 \u201cYou call me Sarah.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSarah?\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s a white name.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thocmetony nodded.\u00a0 \u201cWhite people over mountain call me that.\u00a0 It better for them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEasier,\u201d Adam rephrased.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, it would be, but I want to learn your Paiute name, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

The girl smiled.\u00a0 \u201cThocmetony,\u201d she said slowly.\u00a0 \u201cIt mean \u2018shellflower.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShellflower?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cPink flower of desert,\u201d Thocmetony explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh!\u00a0 I\u2019ve seen that,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s pretty.\u00a0 I\u2019ll call you Shellflower then.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat Adam mean?\u201d Shellflower asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa told me once,\u201d Adam said, \u201cbut I\u2019m not sure I remember.\u00a0 Wait a minute:\u00a0 I think it\u2019s something like \u2018man of red earth,\u2019 because Adam was the first man, and God made him out of the earth, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shellflower tittered.\u00a0 \u201cCall you Red Man then.\u00a0 Good Indian name.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam laughed, too.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re silly, Shellflower.\u00a0 You just want to turn me into an Indian \u2018cause you\u2019re afraid of white people.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAt first,\u201d Thocmetony replied, growing more serious. \u201cI cry with fear when Grandfather make me go over mountain to them.\u00a0 Then I much sick.\u00a0 White woman come with cool hands.\u00a0 Make feel better.\u00a0 Fear go, but sometimes come back.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re not still afraid of me, are you?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d the girl giggled.\u00a0 \u201cYou eat eggs, not Pah-Utes.\u00a0 Now, go find more, Red Man.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

\u201cMore fish, Adam?\u201d Ben asked.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s one piece left.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m full up, Pa,\u201d Adam sighed contentedly.<\/p>\n

Ben looked at his younger son and laughed.\u00a0 No need to ask if this one wanted more.\u00a0 Though he obviously wanted to finish the piece in his hand, Hoss was yawning drowsily, his eyelids fighting to stay open.\u00a0 \u201cCome here, tired boy,\u201d Ben soothed, picking up the toddler.\u00a0 \u201cLet Pa tuck you in.\u201d\u00a0 He settled Hoss in the middle of the bed they\u2019d share and, prying the fish from the child\u2019s clutching fingers, gave him a good-night kiss.<\/p>\n

Ben sat down again and nibbled the final piece of fish.\u00a0 Like Adam, he was \u201cfull up,\u201d but couldn\u2019t let the food go to waste.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ve had quite a trip, haven\u2019t we, son?\u201d he commented.\u00a0 \u201cDid you enjoy it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI really did, Pa,\u201d Adam replied.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2014I didn\u2019t like to say so, but I was a little scared at first.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPa wouldn\u2019t take you into danger, son,\u201d Ben assured him.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know, but they are Paiutes, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAre Paiutes so different from us, Adam?\u201d his father pressed.<\/p>\n

Adam grinned.\u00a0 \u201cI guess not as much as I thought.\u00a0 They were nice, most of them.\u00a0 I like that Shellflower a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA fine little girl,\u201d Ben agreed, \u201cand I think I\u2019m making progress with her father, too, even if he doesn\u2019t think too highly of white men in general.\u201d\u00a0 Part of Poito\u2019s changing attitude was due, Ben felt sure, to the white man\u2019s spontaneous gift.\u00a0 He had originally intended both flour and tobacco for Truckee.\u00a0 At the last minute, though, something told Ben to offer the tobacco to Poito.\u00a0 The Indian had seemed pleased and had even begun to converse a little with Ben in his syllabic English before the visit ended.<\/p>\n

Ben started to say more about the foundation of good relations he hoped they had laid over the last few days, but he saw Adam\u2019s mouth stretch wide.\u00a0 \u201cLooks like I have another tired boy,\u201d he said, smiling.\u00a0 \u201cYou crawl in next to Hoss, son.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI should help you clean up,\u201d Adam murmured slowly.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, no,\u201d Ben assured him.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll take care of everything.\u00a0 We have another hard day\u2019s walk up to the lake tomorrow.\u00a0 You want to be wide awake for that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI sure do,\u201d Adam said as he lifted the blanket and lay down next to his younger brother.\u00a0 Tired as he was, though, Adam found it hard to relax with his mind full of the excitement of his visit to the Paiutes and the prospect of seeing the mountain lake the next day.\u00a0 Instead of going to sleep, he watched his father clear away the plates and feed more wood onto the fire.<\/p>\n

\u201cPaiutes have some funny ideas,\u201d Adam said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope you didn\u2019t tell them that!\u201d Ben chuckled.<\/p>\n

Adam grinned.\u00a0 \u201cOf course not, but I did tell Shellflower we don\u2019t eat people like she thought.\u00a0 She wouldn\u2019t believe me, though.\u00a0 She said white people in the mountains did it.\u00a0 Isn\u2019t that stupid?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot as stupid as you think, Adam,\u201d Ben said soberly.\u00a0 \u201cShe was talking about the Donner party.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam propped his head up on his elbow.\u00a0 \u201cWho\u2019s that?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben came to sit next to Adam.\u00a0 \u201cSome emigrants who got trapped in the Sierras the winter of \u201846.\u00a0 When they ran out of food, they did resort to eating the flesh of the people who died.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam sat up quickly, his face distressed.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s awful, Pa!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben put a soothing arm around his son.\u00a0 \u201cYes, it was a terrible thing.\u00a0 Captain Truckee told me Shellflower\u2019s fear of white men started when she heard those stories.\u00a0 It had the same impact on many of the Indians, I\u2019m afraid.\u00a0 Made them think white men were savage barbarians.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019d never do something like that!\u201d Adam said stoutly.<\/p>\n

Ben kissed the top of the boy\u2019s head.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m just grateful I never had to make a choice like that, Adam.\u00a0 We\u2019ve been blessed.\u00a0 Now lie down and get some sleep.\u00a0 Think about a clear lake surrounded by pines and snow-capped mountains that scrape the sky.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam pulled the covers up to his chin and snuggled close to Hoss.\u00a0 As he closed his eyes, a grisly picture of starving people eyeing each other hungrily flitted past his eyelids; but he consciously replaced it with the image his father suggested and fell to sleep and pleasant dreams.<\/p>\n

The dream became reality the next day when Adam stood beside the lake his father had described to him in glowing terms.\u00a0 As the boy looked at the mountains rimming the vast expanse of water, tears began to trickle down his face.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy, Adam, what\u2019s wrong?\u201d Ben asked, setting Hoss down and kneeling to take his older son in his arms.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s like she saw it,\u201d Adam murmured.<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s face softened.\u00a0 \u201cMama?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam nodded.\u00a0 \u201cLike the mountains in Sweden, remember?\u201d<\/p>\n

Like Ben, Adam had never seen those mountains and couldn\u2019t be sure these were similar, but he\u2019d felt the same impression his father had when he first saw the snowcaps surrounding the lake.\u00a0 \u201cI think Mama would have liked this place,\u201d he said, stroking Adam\u2019s dark, straight hair.<\/p>\n

\u201cCould we live here?\u201d Adam asked impulsively.\u00a0 \u201cWe promised Mama we\u2019d build our house in a place like this, and you said we\u2019d always keep our promises to her.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben was taken aback.\u00a0 How frequently his young son mirrored his own thinking!\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d like that,\u201d Ben said, \u201cbut I doubt building our home here on the lake would be practical.\u00a0 Closer to the valley floor would be better.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut near here?\u201d Adam pressed, his voice almost pleading.<\/p>\n

Ben smiled.\u00a0 \u201cNear here\u2014\u2014a fine, big house just like I promised Mama.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen can we start?\u201d Adam asked, excited.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, not for a long time, Adam,\u201d Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s a dream for the future, not for anytime soon.\u00a0 As sparsely settled as this land is, I think it\u2019s better to stay close to our friends for now.\u00a0 And have you forgotten that the emigrant season is almost on us again?\u00a0 I\u2019ll be spending most of my time at the trading post.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut after that?\u201d Adam insisted.<\/p>\n

Ben tickled his ribs.\u00a0 \u201cNo, not even after that.\u00a0 Our cabin\u2019s good enough for the time being.\u00a0 First things first, Adam.\u00a0 And first comes building up our ranch, stocking it with cattle.\u00a0 Once the ranch is established on a sound footing, we can think about building a better house.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut here?\u00a0 For sure, here?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHere; for sure, here,\u201d Ben said, then, tapping Adam\u2019s nose, \u201cThat\u2019s a promise.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss clapped his hands as he saw Adam smile.\u00a0 \u201cPomish,\u201d he chortled.<\/p>\n

CHAPTER EIGHT<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Dusk was just beginning to fall when Clyde Thomas and Ben Cartwright, each accompanied by a son, arrived in Placerville.\u00a0 \u201cLooks like we made it before the cafe closed,\u201d Clyde yelled back to Ben, who was guiding the second wagon into town.<\/p>\n

Ben guffawed.\u00a0 \u201cAs if you hadn\u2019t timed the trip just to that end, you old hypocrite!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou sayin\u2019 you had other plans?\u201d Clyde snickered.<\/p>\n

Ben shook his head, still laughing.\u00a0 \u201cCouldn\u2019t say it with a straight face,\u201d he called.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s get the stock tended to and see what Ludmilla\u2019s offering tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam and Billy, as eager as their fathers to sit down to one of Ludmilla Zuebner\u2019s hefty plate dinners, helped get the teams situated in a livery at the edge of town.\u00a0 Then everyone headed down Placerville\u2019s main street with mouths drooling.<\/p>\n

Ludmilla, as always, wrapped each of her old friends in an exuberant embrace and seated them at their favorite table by the front window.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s the special today, Ludmilla?\u201d Ben inquired.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you have strudel?\u201d Adam asked, dark eyes hopeful.<\/p>\n

\u201cStrudel I have,\u201d Ludmilla replied, \u201cand special is sauerbraten.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy favorite!\u201d Adam announced.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s what I want, please.\u201d<\/p>\n

Billy leaned over to whisper in Adam\u2019s ear.\u00a0 \u201cWhat is it?\u201d\u00a0 Billy\u2019d only been to Placerville once before and he\u2019d had oxtail stew that time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRoast beef,\u201d Adam whispered back, \u201cin kind of a spicy gravy.\u00a0 It\u2019s real good, Billy.\u201d<\/p>\n

While Billy mulled that information over, Ben placed his order.\u00a0 \u201cI think I\u2019ll have the Hangtown Fry, Ludmilla,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, yeah!\u201d Billy declared.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s what I want, too!\u201d\u00a0 He\u2019d heard both his pa and Mr. Cartwright rave over the combination of oysters with scrambled eggs and decided he\u2019d have to try it.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood, good,\u201d Ludmilla said.\u00a0 \u201cAnd for you papa?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOxtail stew can\u2019t be beat,\u201d Clyde said.<\/p>\n

Ludmilla bustled into the kitchen to dish up their meals.\u00a0 While she was gone, the door to the cafe opened and a young man of fourteen and a younger girl came in.\u00a0 Ben smiled broadly.\u00a0 \u201cStef\u00e1n!\u00a0 Marta!\u201d he called, raising his arm to wave at the youngsters.<\/p>\n

\u201cMr. Cartwright!\u00a0 How good to see you again,\u201d Stef\u00e1n said, coming forward to clasp first Ben\u2019s hand and then Clyde\u2019s.<\/p>\n

Marta, meantime, had pranced up to the table, doubled her fist and slammed it into Billy\u2019s arm.\u00a0 \u201cLook what the cat drug in!\u201d she cried, a mischievous twinkle in her blue eyes.<\/p>\n

Billy\u2019s freckled hand calmly reached up to yank the long blonde braid dangling over her shoulder.<\/p>\n

\u201cHere now, that ain\u2019t no way to act!\u201d Clyde sputtered.\u00a0 \u201cYou been reared better than that, boy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAw, Pa, it\u2019s just Marta,\u201d Billy asserted.\u00a0 \u201cShe\u2019s used to me teasin\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd didn\u2019t miss it a lick,\u201d Marta smirked, then favored Billy\u2019s friend with a softer smile.\u00a0 \u201cHi, Adam.\u00a0 Nice to see you, at least.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHi, Marta,\u201d Adam giggled.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou here for dinner, Stef\u00e1n?\u201d Ben asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, we always eat here when the caf\u00e9 is open,\u201d Stef\u00e1n explained.\u00a0 \u201cIt is easier for Mama than bringing food home.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam, you and Billy move to that next table and let Stef\u00e1n sit here and talk with us,\u201d Ben ordered.<\/p>\n

Adam immediately stood and moved to the next table.\u00a0 Billy got up, too, although a little more slowly.\u00a0 \u201cReckon we\u2019ll have to put up with you,\u201d he told Marta with a playful scowl.<\/p>\n

She scowled right back as she followed the boys to the next table.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll be the one doin\u2019 the puttin\u2019 up with,\u201d she declared, tossing her head so hard that her braid bounced behind her shoulder.<\/p>\n

Marta\u2019s older sister Katerina exited the kitchen, her arms laden with the dishes ordered by her old friends from the Overland Trail.\u00a0 Deftly she slid each plate in front of the appropriate customer after giving them a warm greeting.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy, Katerina,\u201d Ben purred, \u201cyou\u2019re getting prettier all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Katerina blushed, the rosy tint of her complexion making her look even prettier.\u00a0 \u201cIt is so good to see you all again.\u00a0 Is everyone well?\u00a0 Mrs. Thomas?\u00a0 And little Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss is getting to be a big boy now,\u201d Ben reported.\u00a0 \u201cHealthy as a horse with the appetite to prove it.\u201d\u00a0 Katerina smiled.<\/p>\n

\u201cNelly\u2019s doin\u2019 fine, too,\u201d Clyde put in, \u201cand so\u2019s little Inger, even if you didn\u2019t ask.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow could she, Clyde?\u201d Ben chided softly, then smiled at the German girl.\u00a0 \u201cClyde and Nelly had a new baby girl in March and named her after my wife.\u00a0 Fortunately, Inger takes after her mother.\u201d\u00a0 Everyone laughed at the look on Clyde\u2019s face when Ben made that final remark.<\/p>\n

\u201cSuch good news!\u201d Katerina said.\u00a0 \u201cI hope someday I will see these babies.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cKaterina,\u201d her brother interrupted authoritatively, \u201cI, too, would like to eat, as would your sister.\u00a0 We have had a hard day\u2019s digging at the mine.\u201d<\/p>\n

Katerina blushed again, this time from embarrassment.\u00a0 \u201cI am sorry, Stef\u00e1n.\u00a0 What can I bring you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSauerbraten,\u201d he replied.<\/p>\n

\u201cHangtown Fry for me,\u201d Marta called.\u00a0 Katerina nodded and headed back toward the kitchen.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, Stef\u00e1n,\u201d Ben said, \u201chow\u2019s that brewery idea of yours coming along?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI am working toward it,\u201d Stef\u00e1n said, \u201cbut so far I make only a little for private use.\u00a0 If you would like to taste, I will be glad to draw you a glass.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSounds good to me,\u201d Clyde cackled.\u00a0 \u201cOxtail stew gives a man a powerful thirst.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cJust the thought of beer gives you a powerful thirst.\u201d\u00a0 Clyde just grinned and shrugged.<\/p>\n

Stef\u00e1n went to the kitchen and returned with three glasses of homemade beer.\u00a0 Ben and Clyde tasted it and pronounced it good.\u00a0 \u201cMatter of fact,\u201d Clyde mused, \u201cwe could probably sell this at the trading post, if you have some to spare.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI am afraid I do not,\u201d Stef\u00e1n replied, \u201cbut if you are interested, I will make more and save some back for the next time you come.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat you think, Ben?\u201d Clyde asked.\u00a0 \u201cThis is sure better than what folks could get over to Mormon Station.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cYou can say that again!\u00a0 But I thought you liked Valley Tan.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clyde scowled.\u00a0 \u201cMan makes do with what he has,\u201d he protested.\u00a0 He turned to Stef\u00e1n.\u00a0 \u201cYou save us back some, son, and we\u2019ll show these emigrants what good liquor tastes like.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been cooped up east of the mountains the last few months,\u201d Ben began.\u00a0 \u201cAnything going on in the wide world we ought to know about.\u201d<\/p>\n

Stef\u00e1n thought for a moment.\u00a0 \u201cAll I can think of is the flood at Sacramento last March.\u00a0 It nearly wiped out the town.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben looked alarmed.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s where we planned to resupply.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, you will have no problem,\u201d Stef\u00e1n assured him.\u00a0 \u201cThey are set up for business again and will be glad for your trade.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s good,\u201d Clyde mumbled, his mouth full of oxtail stew.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I\u2019m particularly glad to hear that,\u201d Ben stated, \u201cbecause I\u2019d planned to go on to Monterey from there.\u00a0 I might have had to change my plans if we\u2019d had to go to San Francisco for supplies.\u201d<\/p>\n

From the next table Adam caught the word \u2018Monterey\u2019 and his lips curled in a surly pout.\u00a0 Ben\u2019s trip to that town had been a source of contention with his older son.\u00a0 Adam, always eager to explore new sights, had begged to go, too, but Ben had refused.\u00a0 Clyde and Billy would need his help getting the second wagonload of supplies back home, Ben had insisted, and nothing Adam could say would change his father\u2019s mind.\u00a0 Pa could be so stubborn, Adam had grumbled wordlessly all the way across the mountains.\u00a0 It never occurred to him that he was the one souring everyone else\u2019s trip with his stubborn, stony silences.<\/p>\n

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

As the two wagons entered Sacramento, Ben was pleased to see the place bustling with activity.\u00a0 Though reportedly devastated by flood only two months before, the city had made a rapid recovery: muddied buildings scrubbed clean and necessary repairs made with the same zeal that had rebuilt San Francisco after the previous year\u2019s near-total destruction by fire.\u00a0 Sacramento looked fresher than ever, restocked and ready for business and, if the saloons lining the streets perpendicular to the AmericanRiver were any indication, for pleasure, as well.\u00a0 \u201cWesterners pitch right in to rectify anything man or nature throws at them,\u201d Ben commented.\u00a0 \u201cMakes a man proud to number himself among them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Clyde agreed, \u201cbut it stands to reason, Ben.\u00a0 The cowards never started, and the quitters didn\u2019t make it halfway.\u00a0 What you got left is bound to be the cream of the crop.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled.\u00a0 \u201cLike you, you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLike the both of us,\u201d Clyde said firmly.<\/p>\n

The two men guided their wagons to the business that had supplied them with trade goods the previous year and found it in operation.\u00a0 After selecting the items they wished to purchase, they left the wagons to be loaded and led the oxen to a livery for the night.\u00a0 Clyde would pick up the loaded wagons the next morning and with the help of the two boys begin the trip east while Ben headed southwest to Monterey.<\/p>\n

As they walked toward the K Street lodging Clyde had suggested, he pointed out the main reason he\u2019d recommended staying in this part of the city.\u00a0 \u201cThere it is, Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reading the sign posted outside the business, Ben nodded.\u00a0 \u201cAlpha Bath House.\u00a0 Yeah, you could use a good scrubbing, Clyde.\u201d\u00a0 He pinched his nose between his thumb and index finger.\u00a0 Trailing behind their fathers, Billy and Adam snickered.<\/p>\n

\u201cVery funny,\u201d Clyde snorted.\u00a0 \u201cHow long since you had a good washin\u2019, Mr. Snoot-nose?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSaturday before we left,\u201d Ben said with a proud uplift of his chin, \u201cand high time for another, I\u2019ll be the first to admit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clyde scowled.\u00a0 He should have known Ben Cartwright would be one of them weekly bathers, though he hadn\u2019t gone in for it that winter they\u2019d lived together.\u00a0 Not enough privacy, likely enough.\u00a0 Clyde, personally, considered too many baths unhealthful, but the habit didn\u2019t seem to be doing Ben and his boys any harm.\u00a0 Jerking out of his reverie, Clyde pointed to the final words on the sign.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s that shower bath I\u2019m after,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cHad one last time I was through and found it right refreshin\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m willing to try it,\u201d Ben said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, we ain\u2019t got to take no bath, do we?\u201d Billy demanded.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnly if you want one,\u201d his father said.\u00a0 And just let Ben Cartwright wrinkle his nose!<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, we don\u2019t!\u201d Billy declared.<\/p>\n

Ben arched a blue-black eyebrow.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe Adam would like to speak for himself.\u00a0 You want a fresh scrubbing, son?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam thought a shower bath sounded interesting, but before he could answer, he saw Billy shaking his head violently.\u00a0 The look in Billy\u2019s eye told Adam the impish redhead had mischief brewing.\u00a0 Already outside his father\u2019s good graces, Adam decided he\u2019d better stay in Billy\u2019s.\u00a0 \u201cNaw, I don\u2019t want no bath,\u201d he replied, deliberately using poor grammar to further irritate his father.<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s eyebrows knit together.\u00a0 He\u2019d tried to be patient with Adam\u2019s sulkiness, but he\u2019d just about had his fill.\u00a0 \u201cFine,\u201d he said sharply.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll find a room, then have some dinner.\u00a0 Afterwards, Clyde, let\u2019s deposit these two dirty urchins in bed and treat ourselves to a night on the town.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSounds mighty fine,\u201d Clyde agreed.<\/p>\n

After a dinner that in no way lived up to the one they\u2019d eaten in Placerville, the quartet went back to the rooming house on K Street.\u00a0 There Ben and Clyde gave the boys strict instructions on bedtime before heading out for a bath and a beer.<\/p>\n

No sooner had the men left than Billy began to pull on his lightweight jacket.\u00a0 \u201cCome on, now\u2019s our turn for some fun,\u201d he announced.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat you up to?\u201d Adam asked, knowing from experience that some of Billy\u2019s ideas were nothing short of hare-brained.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou remember how your pa told us about that saloon here in Sacramento with all the picture paintings of the trail west?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Adam said slowly.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, don\u2019t you want to see \u2018em?\u201d Billy demanded.<\/p>\n

\u201cSure I do,\u201d Adam said, \u201cbut my pa\u2019d have a fit if I went in a saloon.\u00a0 Yours, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Billy rolled his blue eyes at the ceiling.\u00a0 \u201cSo who\u2019s gonna tell \u2018em?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNobody\u2019ll have to tell them if they come back and find us gone,\u201d Adam reasoned.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe won\u2019t stay out that long,\u201d Billy argued.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe try going in a saloon, though, and they\u2019ll kick us right out.\u00a0 Maybe even send for the law,\u201d Adam said nervously.<\/p>\n

\u201cLook, \u2018fraidy cat,\u201d Billy pressed.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll just peek in at doors \u2018til we find the right place.\u00a0 Then we\u2019ll march in and tell the barkeep we come to see his artistic masterpieces.\u00a0 He\u2019ll be so flattered he won\u2019t give us a lick of trouble.\u00a0 Probably give us a tour of the place.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam bit his lip.\u00a0 He really would like to see the pictures his father had described, and Billy made his plan sound workable.\u00a0 Though he normally thought things through before acting, Adam was just mad enough at Pa to be reckless.\u00a0 \u201cOkay,\u201d he said impulsively, \u201cbut if we don\u2019t find the right place in, say an hour, we got to come back.\u00a0 Agreed?\u201d<\/p>\n

Billy grabbed his friend\u2019s hand and pumped it.\u00a0 \u201cAgreed!\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam slipped his jacket on, and soon the two conspirators were walking the darkened streets in search of one particular saloon.\u00a0 It was a quest destined to fail, for covering all the opportunities for liquid temptation Sacramento offered would take far longer than the hour allotted to the venture.<\/p>\n

Billy didn\u2019t mind, of course.\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t as much interested in art work as he was in seeing the inside of a saloon, anyway.\u00a0 But he intuitively sensed Adam would have said no to that without added enticement.\u00a0 \u201cHey, this one looks interestin\u2019,\u201d he announced as they approached a huge circular tent with big blazing letters declaring it the City Diggins.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cIt looks like a circus tent.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, it ain\u2019t no circus,\u201d Billy scoffed.\u00a0 \u201cUse your ears, boy.\u00a0 Can\u2019t you hear that plunky ole piano and all them miners carousin\u2019 around?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know it\u2019s a saloon!\u201d Adam snapped.\u00a0 \u201cBut it\u2019s probably decorated like a circus inside, too.\u00a0 It won\u2019t have the pictures we\u2019re after.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWon\u2019t know \u2018til we look,\u201d Billy said, nonchalantly pushing Adam inside.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou said we wouldn\u2019t go in,\u201d Adam hissed.<\/p>\n

Billy shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cHow else we gonna see?\u00a0 Come on, \u2018fraidy cat.\u201d\u00a0 He began edging his way into the rowdy crowd.<\/p>\n

\u201cBilly!\u201d Adam wailed, pushing after his friend.<\/p>\n

A miner turned at the sound of the youthful voice.\u00a0 \u201cWhat you doin\u2019 in here, kid?\u201d he demanded, pushing a brawny palm against Adam\u2019s chest.<\/p>\n

Adam pointed into the crowd.\u00a0 \u201cMy friend.\u00a0 I need\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo place for kids,\u201d the man said gruffly.\u00a0 \u201cWhere\u2019s this here friend of yourn?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam pointed again.\u00a0 \u201cThere he is.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe little redhead, huh?\u00a0 Yup, he\u2019s too young to be in here, all right.\u201d\u00a0 The miner plowed through the bodies between him and Billy and, grabbing the youngster by one ear, pulled him back to Adam.\u00a0 Then he grabbed Adam\u2019s ear with his other massive hand and escorted both boys roughly to the entrance to the saloon.\u00a0 \u201cAnd stay out!\u201d\u00a0 he ordered, dusting his hands after thrusting the two intruders outside.<\/p>\n

Billy picked himself up.\u00a0 \u201cWeren\u2019t the right one,\u201d he announced.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat gave you your first clue?\u201d Adam demanded hotly from his seat in the dust.\u00a0 He scrambled to his feet.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s get back to the hotel.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot yet,\u201d Billy insisted.\u00a0 \u201cWe got to try one or two more.\u201d\u00a0 He started off down the street in the opposite direction from their lodgings.<\/p>\n

Adam rolled his eyes heavenward.\u00a0 He should have known better than to let Billy talk him into this fool idea in the first place.\u00a0 But he couldn\u2019t abandon his friend on the dark streets; he had to follow.<\/p>\n

Billy next approached a drinking establishment called the Round Tent.\u00a0 \u201cThey got fiddles playin\u2019 in here,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s the kind of high-class place we\u2019re lookin\u2019 for.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe,\u201d Adam agreed.\u00a0 The music was nice, not as raucous as the out-of-tune piano from the City Diggins.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can stay here,\u201d Billy offered.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll just slip inside the door and see if they got pictures.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, but come right out if they don\u2019t,\u201d Adam told him.<\/p>\n

Billy nodded.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t particularly relish staying long enough for some miner to grab his ear again.<\/p>\n

Adam crowded close to the entrance as Billy went inside.\u00a0 Billy didn\u2019t come out right away, but neither did he tell Adam to come inside.\u00a0 \u201cBilly!\u201d Adam whispered intently.\u00a0 \u201cYou there?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Billy drawled, his voice awestruck.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, do they have pictures or not?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, yeah, they got pictures, all right,\u201d Billy said.\u00a0 \u201cYou gotta see this!\u201d<\/p>\n

Grinning, Adam walked in.\u00a0 His eyes widened when he saw the paintings on the canvas walls.\u00a0 \u201cNaked ladies!\u201d he sputtered, then dropping his voice to a whisper, \u201cWe gotta get out of here, Billy!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUh-huh,\u201d Billy agreed, but he didn\u2019t move.\u00a0 He continued to gape at the erotic paintings as if in a trance.\u00a0 Adam grabbed his arm and pulled him outside.<\/p>\n

\u201cI ain\u2019t never seen the like of that!\u201d Billy exclaimed.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou ain\u2019t supposed to see the like of that!\u201d Adam shouted.\u00a0 \u201cNor me, either.\u00a0 Why didn\u2019t you tell me what kind of pictures they had?\u201d<\/p>\n

Billy shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cToo busy lookin\u2019, I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s eyes narrowed.\u00a0 \u201cBilly Thomas, you wanted to gawk at those ladies!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou did plenty of gawkin\u2019 yourself!\u201d Billy yelled.<\/p>\n

Adam doubled his fist and plowed it into Billy\u2019s nose.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeow!\u201d Billy shouted and landed a flying fist on Adam\u2019s left jawbone.<\/p>\n

Adam fell to the ground and Billy hurled himself on his friend\u2019s prone body.\u00a0 The fist fight turned into a wrestling match with neither boy landing another telling blow, but each tearing the other\u2019s shirt as they clawed and kicked on the ground.<\/p>\n

\u201cFight!\u00a0 Fight!\u201d yelled voices all around them.\u00a0 Pouring from the nearby saloons, men crowded around, amused to see two youngsters scuffling in the street.\u00a0 \u201cHit him, Red!\u201d called one.<\/p>\n

\u201cTwo bits on the little one!\u201d another called, and his bet was accepted by Billy\u2019s supporter.\u00a0 Neither man collected the prize, however, for the fight ended abruptly when strong hands pulled the battling boys apart.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam!\u201d shouted the man collaring the dark-haired boy.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou scoundrel!\u201d the man holding a squirming Billy hollered.<\/p>\n

Both boys looked up into the eyes of their irate fathers, and all the fight washed out of them as they were peppered with questions.\u00a0 What were they fighting about?\u00a0 Where had they been?\u00a0 Why weren\u2019t they in the room where they\u2019d been told to stay?\u00a0 Adam and Billy both tried to answer at the same time, each pointing accusingly at the other.<\/p>\n

A roar of laughter rose from the surrounding throng.\u00a0 Secretly sorry to see the fisticuffs end, the audience still found the aftermath amusing.\u00a0 Two naughty boys berated by two crimson-faced fathers was a sight not often seen in a society dominated by grown men.<\/p>\n

Suddenly noticing the crowd of onlookers, however, Ben decided it was time the spectacle ended.\u00a0 \u201cCome on!\u201d he growled, gripping Adam\u2019s elbow with an iron hand and steering him through the congregation of miners.\u00a0 Clyde, dragging Billy in the same manner, followed in his friend\u2019s wake.<\/p>\n

The quartet moved awkwardly toward their lodgings.\u00a0 When they arrived, Ben exchanged a significant look with Clyde.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re welcome to the use of the room for a while,\u201d he muttered.\u00a0 \u201cAdam and I will be taking a short walk before we turn in.\u201d\u00a0 Adam and Billy exchanged a significant look of their own.\u00a0 Each had a good idea what awaited him at the end of his journey.<\/p>\n

Clyde nodded, giving Billy a swat that was a foretaste of things to come, and pulled him inside while Ben continued to steer Adam down K Street toward the docks.\u00a0 \u201cPa, you\u2019re hurting me,\u201d Adam whined.<\/p>\n

It was the one thing Adam could have said to dilute his father\u2019s anger.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Adam,\u201d Ben said, loosening his grip, but continuing to clasp the elbow firmly enough to steer the boy where he wanted him to go.\u00a0 They turned onto Front Street, walking past the ships tied up along the shore.\u00a0 The riverfront wasn\u2019t entirely silent, for even at night some steamboats were unloading cargo.\u00a0 The street was quiet, the only sound the footfall of their steps on the planked walkway.\u00a0 But to Adam, the stillness was the calm that portended a storm.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2014I guess we\u2019re gonna have a very necessary little talk, huh, Pa?\u201d he asked nervously.\u00a0 He knew that was his father\u2019s favorite euphemism for a spanking.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are,\u201d Ben said firmly.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ve disobeyed and you\u2019ve got that coming, but first we\u2019re going to have an even more necessary little talk.\u201d\u00a0 Adam wasn\u2019t sure what that could mean, but it sounded ominous.<\/p>\n

Ben stopped near a pile of crates that had been unloaded from a now vacant steamboat and motioned for the boy to sit on one of them.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve been very disappointed in you, Adam,\u201d Ben said, facing his son, arms akimbo.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was Billy\u2019s idea, Pa,\u201d Adam accused.<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s right hand fired forward, his index finger almost striking Adam\u2019s nose.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s enough!\u201d he shouted.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t care whose idea it was, and I don\u2019t care why you were fighting!\u00a0 When I say I\u2019m disappointed, Adam, I\u2019m talking about more than just tonight.\u00a0 I\u2019m talking about your behavior this entire trip.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh,\u201d Adam said, his face draining.\u00a0 Ben didn\u2019t need to elaborate.\u00a0 Adam knew he\u2019d behaved badly\u2014\u2014had, in fact, done so intentionally to irk his father the way his father had irked him.\u00a0 But Adam knew he\u2019d crossed over the line tonight and it was all going to catch up with him.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Pa,\u201d he said quickly.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you?\u201d Ben asked dubiously.\u00a0 \u201cAdam, I suspect all you\u2019re sorry about is being called to account.\u201d\u00a0 He lifted the boy to his shoulder and pointed at the boat tied to the wharf.\u00a0 \u201cWhat controls that ship, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe wheel, I guess,\u201d Adam replied.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhich turns?\u201d Ben probed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe rudder,\u201d Adam responded, remembering tales of his father\u2019s life at sea.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho turns your rudder, Adam?\u201d Ben asked softly.<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s lips curled.\u00a0 \u201cI do, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cNo, that\u2019s what you want, not what is.\u00a0 Tonight, by your own report, Billy Thomas turned your rudder, son.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Pa,\u201d Adam insisted.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2014I could have said no.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou could have, yes,\u201d Ben agreed.\u00a0 \u201cYou could have kept your own hands on the wheel, but you didn\u2019t.\u00a0 You turned command over to someone else.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam frowned.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t like the picture his father was painting.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2014I was mad at you,\u201d he offered as explanation.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know that,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ve made that clear every day since I told you you couldn\u2019t come to Monterey with me.\u00a0 So what you\u2019re telling me now is that your anger is your rudder.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Adam protested.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d his father insisted.\u00a0 \u201cYou let it control you, didn\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir,\u201d Adam admitted, his head hanging.\u00a0 He looked up and said, \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Pa,\u201d meaning it this time.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou are forgiven,\u201d Ben said, giving the boy a squeeze, \u201cbut there\u2019s one thing more you need to understand, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s that, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou need to understand, son,\u201d Ben said, \u201cthat you do not command your own vessel.\u00a0 At nine years of age, you haven\u2019t the wisdom to pilot your own life.\u00a0 That is the task of your father.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re my captain?\u201d Adam asked.\u00a0 \u201cIs that what you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s one way of putting it.\u00a0 And when you disobey, Adam, you\u2019re committing an act of mutiny.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam gulped.\u00a0 He knew no crime aboard ship merited harsher punishment.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2014I don\u2019t want to do that,\u201d he said earnestly.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen you\u2019ll do as I say and return home without giving Mr. Thomas any trouble?\u201d Ben asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir,\u201d Adam promised.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd without subjecting him to anymore of your sullen behavior?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam flushed, ashamed now of how he\u2019d acted the last several days.\u00a0 \u201cNo, sir.\u00a0 I\u2019ll behave, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood,\u201d Ben said, setting him down.\u00a0 \u201cAnd now, Adam, I\u2019m afraid it\u2019s time for that \u2018very necessary little talk\u2019 I promised you.\u201d\u00a0 Adam nodded solemnly and dropped his trousers.<\/p>\n

CHAPTER NINE<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Just ahead Ben could see a small adobe house with a red clay tile roof.\u00a0 He hoped the directions he\u2019d been given were accurate and that he would soon see his old friends, Jonathan and Rachel Payne.\u00a0 His journey had already taken three days longer than planned, for the Paynes hadn\u2019t been in Monterey.\u00a0 Ben had, however, learned from a hide merchant that they lived on a small ranchero some fifty miles east of there, and this place fit that description.\u00a0 Though he felt awkward about arriving so near suppertime, Ben walked to the house and rapped on the door.<\/p>\n

A dark-haired woman in her late twenties opened the door.\u00a0 \u201cYes?\u201d she asked, peering into the sunlight from the darker room.<\/p>\n

\u201cRachel?\u201d Ben smiled.<\/p>\n

Rachel squealed.\u00a0 \u201cBen Cartwright!\u201d\u00a0 She grabbed his hand and pulled him through the door.\u00a0 \u201cOh, Jonathan, look who\u2019s come!\u201d<\/p>\n

Long, lanky, light-haired Jonathan Payne got up from the gold Spanish-style sofa and extended his hand.\u00a0 \u201cBen, what a surprise!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cA pleasant one, I hope.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rachel squeezed him.\u00a0 \u201cHow could you think anything else?\u00a0 Where are the boys?\u201d\u00a0 Her face sobered suddenly.\u00a0 \u201cThey\u2014they are all right?\u201d\u00a0 Rachel, as well as anyone, knew the dangers of the overland journey.\u00a0 Like Nelly Thomas, she had lost a son to cholera.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe boys are both fine,\u201d Ben assured her quickly.\u00a0 \u201cAnd how is little Susan?\u00a0 I heard she took quite ill during your ordeal in the mountains.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe did,\u201d Rachel said, \u201cbut she\u2019s fine now.\u00a0 Shows no ill effects of the hardship of her first year.\u00a0 The children had an early dinner, so she\u2019s sleeping in the other room now with her brother.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHer brother?\u201d Ben asked, his countenance lifting.<\/p>\n

\u201cBorn in January,\u201d Jonathan said proudly.\u00a0 \u201cWe call him Samuel.\u00a0 Sit down, Ben, and we\u2019ll share all our news.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd hear all yours, too,\u201d Rachel added as she seated herself in the rocker near the sofa where Ben took his seat.<\/p>\n

\u201cI should see to your horse,\u201d Jonathan said, starting for the door.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t bother,\u201d Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cThere isn\u2019t one.\u00a0 That, as a matter of fact, is why I\u2019m here.\u00a0 You told me once that if I\u2019d see you a year after you reached California, I could pick out the best of your string.\u00a0 I\u2019m a little late getting here, of course.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust as well,\u201d Jonathan laughed as he sat next to Ben.\u00a0 \u201cIt took me longer than I expected to get established here.\u00a0 I lost my colt and my mare in the blizzard that hit us in the Sierras.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I\u2019m sorry,\u201d Ben sympathized.\u00a0 \u201cI remember how much she meant to you.\u00a0 And the little colt Inger helped into the world, too.\u201d\u00a0 Ben shook his head sadly.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I\u2019ve managed to catch and tame a few mustangs,\u201d Jonathan said, \u201cso\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, hush that now,\u201d Rachel protested.\u00a0 \u201cBusiness talk can wait.\u00a0 I want to hear all the gossip about our old friends.\u00a0 You said your boys were fine.\u00a0 Did Clyde and Nelly survive the winter in CarsonValley, too?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey did, indeed,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cIn fact, we\u2019ve survived two winters there.\u00a0 Once spring came, we found we liked the place so well we decided to settle there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, my,\u201d Rachel giggled.\u00a0 \u201cImagine that!\u00a0 So you\u2019re all still living together?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHeaven forbid!\u201d Ben guffawed.\u00a0 \u201cNo, Adam and Hoss and I have our own cabin now, just under four miles from the original one where the Thomases still live.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd is that Billy as sassy as ever?\u201d Jonathan asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cSassier,\u201d Ben said wryly and related the trouble the two boys had gotten into in Sacramento.<\/p>\n

After the three friends had a good laugh at Billy\u2019s expense, Rachel said, \u201cNelly\u2019s got her hands full with that one.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHer hands are doubly full since March,\u201d Ben smiled.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s when her baby was born.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rachel clapped her hands, delighted.\u00a0 \u201cOh, I\u2019m so glad.\u00a0 Of course, the new ones never take the place of the ones we lost, but it is a comfort to have someone to cuddle again.\u00a0 Boy or girl?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA little girl; they call her Inger,\u201d Ben said softly.\u00a0 Rachel reached out to squeeze his hand.\u00a0 She had been one of the original Inger\u2019s closest friends.<\/p>\n

A Mexican lady in a red gathered skirt and a white peasant blouse embroidered with red flowers around its scooped neckline entered from the next room. \u00a0\u201cLa comida est\u00e1 servado, se\u00f1ora<\/em>,\u201d she said softly.<\/p>\n

\u201cGracias, Ma\u00f1uela<\/em>,\u201d Rachel replied.\u00a0 \u201cWe have a visitor, so please set an extra place.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is already done, se\u00f1ora<\/em>,\u201d Ma\u00f1uela said shyly, dark eyes fixed to the floor.<\/p>\n

\u201cBueno<\/em>,\u201d Rachel said, smiling brightly.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s go in to dinner, then, gentlemen.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t have to ask me twice,\u201d Ben said, rising at once.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m afraid you may be in for a surprise,\u201d Jonathan chuckled, taking his guest\u2019s arm.\u00a0 \u201cMa\u00f1uela cooks like a dream\u2014\u2014if you dream of Mexican food, that is.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve tasted it before,\u201d Ben said, \u201cand liked it quite well.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re having arroz con pollo<\/em>,\u201d Rachel announced, sitting at one end of the table.\u00a0 \u201cHave you had that before?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think so,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cAt least, I don\u2019t recognize the name.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cChicken with rice,\u201d Jonathan interpreted as he indicated the chair at the middle of the table to Ben and seated himself at the end opposite Rachel.<\/p>\n

Ben unfolded his napkin and laid it in his lap.\u00a0 \u201cSounds wonderful.\u00a0 You must be doing very well, Jonathan, to afford household help.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jonathan laughed.\u00a0 \u201cNot as well as it looks, Ben.\u00a0 Ma\u00f1uela is married to one of my vaqueros, so we\u2019re almost getting two for the price of one.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI see,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cWell, if this tastes as good as it looks, you\u2019re definitely getting a bargain, my friend.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBelieve me, we are,\u201d Rachel said enthusiastically.\u00a0 \u201cWith two babes under two, I don\u2019t know what I\u2019d do without Ma\u00f1uela.\u00a0 She\u2019s wonderful with the children.\u00a0 Ben, you\u2019ll do us the honor of saying grace, won\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course,\u201d Ben agreed readily and bowed his head.<\/p>\n

As they ate, Rachel reluctantly let the men discuss business.\u00a0 \u201cI know just the horse for you, Ben,\u201d Jonathan said.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s a bay gelding, well-broken to the saddle and easy to handle.\u00a0 And there\u2019s a gray colt about the right size for Adam, if you\u2019re interested.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI hadn\u2019t thought about a mount for Adam,\u201d Ben mused, \u201cbut perhaps he is old enough.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCertainly, he is!\u201d Jonathan said enthusiastically.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019ll be a better horseman for starting early, Ben, and that\u2019s important in this part of the country.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sure you\u2019re right,\u201d Ben said, \u201cso if we can come to terms on the price, I\u2019d like the colt, too.\u00a0 I\u2019d also hoped to purchase some cattle while I was here.\u00a0 I hadn\u2019t, of course, expected you to be in that business, but since the hide merchant in Monterey knew you, I assume you must be.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI am, but not in a big way,\u201d Jonathan laughed.\u00a0 \u201cAt least, compared to some of my neighbors, my herd is quite small.\u00a0 I could let you have about twenty-five head, Ben, but surely you\u2019ll want to make a bigger start than that.\u00a0 With the influx of miners into California, cattle aren\u2019t just raised for their hides anymore.\u00a0 There\u2019s good money in selling the beef now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI suppose so,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cTruthfully, Jonathan, I\u2019m not sure how many I can handle.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d recommend a hundred, to start,\u201d Jonathan advised.\u00a0 \u201cThat is, if your funds will stretch that far.\u201d\u00a0 Jonathan told him the price he could expect to pay for prime Spanish cattle.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think I can swing that,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll be spending a little more than I\u2019d planned, but I do have the funds available.\u00a0 Our trading post did quite well last year.\u00a0 But won\u2019t it be difficult for me to herd that many back over the mountains?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll need help, of course,\u201d Jonathan stated.\u00a0 \u201cI can loan you one of my vaqueros for the trip, and you can probably pick up any others you need in the area.\u00a0 I\u2019ll ask around when we visit some of the neighboring ranchos tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben raised an eyebrow, and Jonathan laughed.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s the only way to find the cattle you need, Ben.\u00a0 Don\u2019t worry; I\u2019ll see to it you\u2019re treated fairly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled.\u00a0 \u201cI knew I could count on you for that, Jon, and I appreciate your taking time to show me around.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, if you gentlemen are through discussing livestock,\u201d Rachel tittered, \u201cI\u2019ll have Ma\u00f1uela serve the flan.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d halt any discussion for that!\u201d Jonathan exclaimed.\u00a0 And when Ben spooned the first creamy taste of cool, caramel-sauced custard into his mouth, he added a hearty amen.<\/p>\n

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

Disgruntled, Billy Thomas took a whack at the weed crowding close to a bushy green turnip top with his hoe, killing both it and the turnip at the same time.\u00a0 \u201cDadbern it!\u201d he growled.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou watch where you\u2019re slingin\u2019 that hoe, boy!\u201d his father snapped.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd watch your language while you\u2019re at it,\u201d Nelly put in.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir; yes, ma\u2019am,\u201d Billy responded perfunctorily.\u00a0 He looked over at Adam, hoeing in the row next to him and sighed.\u00a0 No use looking for sympathy from that direction.\u00a0 Adam actually liked working in the garden.\u00a0 Besides, ever since that night in Sacramento when they\u2019d both taken lickings from their fathers, Adam had been practicing up for sainthood.\u00a0 Even the two babies were more fun these days.<\/p>\n

Billy glanced at the edge of the garden where his sister lay on a blanket spread on the ground with Hoss sprawled beside her, tickling her tummy.\u00a0 Raising his eyes to the distant horizon, Billy saw a rider on a yellowish horse, leading a gray one behind him.<\/p>\n

\u201cBilly, quit that wool gatherin\u2019 and get back to work!\u201d Clyde snapped.<\/p>\n

\u201cRider comin\u2019, Pa,\u201d Billy reported.<\/p>\n

Adam looked up from his diligent pursuit of weeds, shading his eyes against the bright sun.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou need glasses or somethin\u2019?\u201d Billy demanded.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s your pa, stupid!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy, it is!\u201d Nelly cried, overlooking Billy\u2019s disrespectful name-calling.<\/p>\n

Adam threw down his hoe and ran from the garden, heedless of the tender plants he trampled on the way.\u00a0 \u201cPa!\u201d he shouted.<\/p>\n

Hoss clambered up from the blanket and trotted after Adam.\u00a0 \u201cPa!\u201d he yelled.<\/p>\n

Ben all but leapt from his horse and swept the two boys into his arms.\u00a0 \u201cOh, am I glad to see you!\u201d\u00a0 He smothered them both with kisses.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m glad to see you, too,\u201d Billy said, sauntering up to them, \u201cbut don\u2019t try any of that slobbery stuff on me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWouldn\u2019t dream of it,\u201d Ben snorted, reaching out to ruffle the unruly shock of fiery hair.<\/p>\n

Clyde was already examining Ben\u2019s bay gelding.\u00a0 \u201cMighty fine lookin\u2019 animal,\u201d he appraised.<\/p>\n

Ben stroked the animal\u2019s black mane.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, Jonathan sure picked out the best for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, you found them!\u201d Nelly cried, giving little Inger a squeeze to express her pleasure.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, ma\u2019am,\u201d Ben laughed, \u201cand I\u2019m full of gossip, as Rachel calls it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t wait!\u201d Nelly said.<\/p>\n

Perched in Ben\u2019s arms, Hoss reached out to pat the horse, too, in imitation of his father.<\/p>\n

Adam couldn\u2019t take his eyes off the gray colt beside the bay.\u00a0 It couldn\u2019t be for him, could it?\u00a0 Adam shook his head sadly.\u00a0 No, not after the way he\u2019d behaved.\u00a0 The horse must be for Mr. Thomas, though it looked small for a man.<\/p>\n

Ben couldn\u2019t imagine why his older son suddenly seemed so somber.\u00a0 Picking up the reins of the gray\u2019s bridle, he smiled and held it out to Adam.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s not for me,\u201d Adam murmured, then his voice quavering hopefully, \u201cis it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, if he don\u2019t want it, I\u2019ll take it!\u201d Billy hollered.\u00a0 Everyone but Adam laughed.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s yours, son,\u201d Ben said, puzzled by Adam\u2019s behavior.<\/p>\n

A slow smile brightened Adam\u2019s face.\u00a0 \u201cHonest, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cClimb up and give her a try.\u201d\u00a0 He showed Adam how to mount the horse and let him walk her around the yard.<\/p>\n

\u201cCan I try?\u201d Billy begged.<\/p>\n

\u201cBilly, you let Adam enjoy his own horse awhile,\u201d his mother scolded.\u00a0 \u201cYou got weeds to hoe.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAw, Ma,\u201d Billy whined.\u00a0 \u201cWho wants to hoe weeds when he can\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

A heavy swat landed on Billy\u2019s backside.\u00a0 \u201cDo like your ma says.\u00a0 Git now!\u201d his father ordered.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, here now,\u201d Ben soothed.\u00a0 \u201cI didn\u2019t mean to make trouble.\u00a0 I\u2019m sure Adam won\u2019t mind giving his friend a turn on his horse.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I mind backtalk,\u201d Clyde said emphatically, \u201cso Billy\u2019ll just have to wait a spell for his turn.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben didn\u2019t argue the point.\u00a0 A father had the right to discipline his own son.\u00a0 He reached up to lift Adam down.\u00a0 \u201cYou have some hoeing to do, as well, I expect.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir,\u201d Adam said at once and dutifully followed Billy to the garden.<\/p>\n

Hoss lifted his arms toward Ben.\u00a0 \u201cUp!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben obligingly picked the youngster up again, but Hoss leaned out toward the gray filly.\u00a0 \u201cOh, no,\u201d Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re too small for that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss started to whimper, but a tight hug from his father brought back his characteristic toothy grin.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, come on inside and tell me all that gossip,\u201d Nelly suggested.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll make a fresh pot of coffee, and there might even be a doughnut or two left from breakfast.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cProvided, of course, that feed bag you\u2019re totin\u2019 ain\u2019t snuck in and helped hisself,\u201d Clyde snickered.<\/p>\n

Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cYou mean bag of feed, don\u2019t you?\u00a0 He\u2019s heavy enough.\u201d\u00a0 He set the boy down on the ground as they approached the cabin door.<\/p>\n

Inside, Ben reached for the baby in Nelly\u2019s arms.\u00a0 \u201cNow, here\u2019s a load I can handle.\u00a0 Come to Uncle Ben, darling.\u201d\u00a0 He\u2019d been amused when Nelly adopted the title of aunt to his boys, but now that he had a \u201cniece\u201d of his own, Ben decided there was no better word to describe the closeness he felt for this child not of his blood.\u00a0 Of course, that would make Billy his \u201cnephew,\u201d too.\u00a0 Ben chuckled, not at all disturbed by the addition of the irrepressible redhead to his family.\u00a0 At least, life would never be boring.<\/p>\n

Little Inger made no protest at leaving her mother\u2019s arms.\u00a0 \u201cWhat a sweet little lady,\u201d Ben cooed as he sat in the rocker by the empty fireplace and stroked the baby\u2019s wispy, strawberry blonde hair.\u00a0 On a warm spring day like today, no fire was needed; even the heat from the cook stove provided more than the small room required.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you know that Uncle Ben\u2019s been looking out for you while he was away?\u201d Ben teased, more for the ears of Inger\u2019s parents than for the baby\u2019s.\u00a0 \u201cYes, Uncle Ben\u2019s found just the right boy for you.\u00a0 His name is Samuel, and he\u2019s just two months older than you and as handsome as you are pretty.\u00a0 Brown hair like his mother, but he has his father\u2019s blue eyes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nelly spun from the stove where she had just set the coffee to boil.\u00a0 \u201cRachel has a new boy!\u201d she exclaimed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right,\u201d Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re a good guesser, Nelly.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, that\u2019s good news,\u201d Nelly said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Clyde snorted, \u201cbut Ben here\u2019s already tryin\u2019 to marry off our little girl.\u00a0 That ain\u2019t good news to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, you know Ben\u2019s teasing,\u201d Nelly scolded.<\/p>\n

Hoss had pressed close to his father\u2019s knee as soon as Ben sat down.\u00a0 At first Ben thought the boy was jealous of Inger\u2019s place in his father\u2019s arms, but Hoss evidently was as interested in being close to the baby as to Ben.\u00a0 Ben gave the boy\u2019s head an approving pat, receiving another of Hoss\u2019s sunny smiles in response.<\/p>\n

\u201cThought you was gonna bring back some cattle, too,\u201d Clyde was saying.<\/p>\n

\u201cHmn?\u201d Ben said, his attention jerking back to the conversation.\u00a0 \u201cOh, yeah, I did.\u00a0 They\u2019re back at my place.\u00a0 I got in yesterday, but it was so late, I figured I should wait \u2018til this morning to pick up the boys.\u00a0 I hope they weren\u2019t too much trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust keepin\u2019 the feed bag full,\u201d Clyde cackled as he swooped Hoss up and gave him a good-natured tickling.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd Adam?\u201d Ben asked more seriously.\u00a0 \u201cHe give you any problems on the way home?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNaw, not really,\u201d Clyde said.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s been extra quiet, as a matter of fact.\u00a0 That boy\u2019s a brooder, Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben frowned.\u00a0 \u201cStill sulking?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Nelly put in quickly.\u00a0 \u201cMore like he\u2019s mullin\u2019 things over.\u00a0 No trouble, honestly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded, satisfied.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, how many head you buy?\u201d Clyde asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cA hundred,\u201d Ben replied.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s what Jonathan advised.\u00a0 He says prime beef brings a high price now with all the miners to be fed.\u00a0 I can believe it, too, when I see what Jon\u2019s been able to accomplish with his place.\u00a0 You should see the house, Nelly.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to hear all about it,\u201d Nelly said, pouring each of them a cup of coffee.\u00a0 There were only three doughnuts left, so she handed one each to Clyde, Ben and Hoss.<\/p>\n

Clyde tried to turn the conversation back to the price of cattle, but Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cLadies first,\u201d he jibed.\u00a0 \u201cThe Paynes\u2019 house is larger than either of ours, really shows mine up for the hovel it is,\u201d he began.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey!\u00a0 I thought we done right well on your place,\u201d Clyde snorted.\u00a0 \u201cHovel, he says.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI stand corrected,\u201d Ben chuckled, \u201cbut the Payne place does show mine up for a cramped, crudely furnished cabin.\u00a0 Their house is made of adobe in the Spanish style you see so much in southern California, and I\u2019d just as soon have logs like we do.\u00a0 But they have a parlor and dining room and a kitchen out back to keep from heating the house.\u00a0 The climate there\u2019s dry and hot, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA separate room just for eating?\u201d Nelly said.\u00a0 \u201cImagine that.\u00a0 And they got enough furniture for all that?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe furnishings are a little sparse,\u201d Ben admitted, \u201cbut what they have is good quality.\u201d\u00a0 He described the parlor for Nelly.\u00a0 \u201cI didn\u2019t see the bedroom,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s just one large room, where they all sleep.\u00a0 Not liking to intrude in there, I slept with the vaqueros.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey got hired hands, too?\u201d Clyde asked.\u00a0 To him, that was a greater sign of prosperity than store-bought furniture.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey even have a cook!\u201d Ben reported, amused by the surprised looks on both his friends\u2019 faces.\u00a0 \u201cJonathan\u2019s place is small, though, compared to some of his neighbor\u2019s haciendas.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou wishin\u2019 you\u2019d gone on to Californy after all, are you?\u201d Clyde demanded.<\/p>\n

Ben shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cNot at all.\u00a0 I doubt they\u2019re much, if any, ahead of us financially, Clyde.\u00a0 And I surely wouldn\u2019t trade the life I have here for all the gold in California.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNor all the store-bought furniture, either,\u201d Nelly said firmly.\u00a0 Then, she sighed.\u00a0 \u201cA parlor does sound nice, though.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSomeday, darlin\u2019,\u201d Clyde promised.\u00a0 \u201cIf this here emigrant season goes good for us, I just might bring you back a sofa come fall.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019d have to add a room to put it in,\u201d Nelly giggled.\u00a0 \u201cNo, I expect a parlor can wait \u2018til there\u2019s more folks around to entertain in one.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben leaned back in the rocker, patting Inger to sleep.\u00a0 Nelly\u2019s remark about adding another room had been made in jest, but Ben found himself wondering if another room wasn\u2019t just what his own cabin needed.\u00a0 A separate room for the boys with a bed for each, so Adam didn\u2019t wake up next to a soaked diaper every morning.\u00a0 There was no time for that now, of course, with the emigrant season almost upon them, but when the weather cooled\u2014<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d better be getting home,\u201d Ben said softly to avoid waking the baby.<\/p>\n

\u201cCan\u2019t you stay to dinner?\u201d Nelly asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot today,\u201d Ben said, \u201cbut we\u2019ll see you Sunday.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right, then,\u201d Nelly said, mollified.<\/p>\n

Ben handed her the baby and reached for his own boy.\u00a0 \u201cTime to go home, Hoss,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Hoss stretched his arms toward Inger.\u00a0 \u201cBaby,\u201d he said urgently.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right,\u201d Ben said, patting the boy\u2019s sturdy back.\u00a0 \u201cInger\u2019s a baby.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMine!\u201d Hoss said, reaching for her again.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cShe\u2019s not your baby.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nelly giggled.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m afraid he\u2019s got real attached while you were gone.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t have my baby, you little cradle robber,\u201d Clyde snickered, poking Hoss\u2019s well-padded ribs.\u00a0 \u201cTell pa he\u2019ll have to git hisself hitched so he can give you a baby brother or sister of your own.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s head bobbed up and down vigorously.\u00a0 \u201cBubba!\u201d he cried.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s not funny, Clyde,\u201d Ben sputtered.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t go putting something in the boy\u2019s head that he can never have.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, you never know,\u201d Clyde teased.\u00a0 \u201cJust might be a widder woman on one of these emigrant trains who\u2019d take a shine to you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHush now, Clyde,\u201d Nelly hissed.\u00a0 Knowing how sensitive Ben was about the idea of marrying again, she thought her husband had gone far enough.<\/p>\n

Hoss wailed at leaving his new playmate behind, but once Ben lifted him into the saddle of the yellow bay and climbed up behind him, Inger was forgotten in the excitement of the new experience.\u00a0 Adam mounted his gray colt and waved good-bye to the Thomases.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanna ride that horse tomorrow!\u201d Billy called.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can,\u201d Ben promised.\u00a0 \u201cAdam, at least, will be here to help in the garden tomorrow, probably the rest of us, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss babbled happily as they rode along, but Adam was virtually silent.\u00a0 From time to time Ben glanced over at him.\u00a0 \u201cYou seem unusually quiet, son,\u201d Ben finally commented.\u00a0 \u201cSomething wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cNo, Pa.\u00a0 I just, that is, I\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is it, son?\u201d Ben asked gently.\u00a0 \u201cSince when can\u2019t you talk to Pa about whatever troubles you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSince I acted up so bad on our trip to California, I guess,\u201d Adam admitted.\u00a0 \u201cI really am sorry, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know that, Adam,\u201d Ben replied.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s all in the past, son; no need for you to keep brooding over it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I don\u2019t understand you bringing me a present when I don\u2019t deserve it one bit,\u201d Adam quavered.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam, Adam,\u201d Ben said gently.\u00a0 \u201cYou don\u2019t understand forgiveness, do you, son?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI guess not, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cListen, son,\u201d Ben said earnestly.\u00a0 \u201cYou told me you were sorry back there in Sacramento, and I forgave you.\u00a0 When I say it\u2019s all in the past, I mean I won\u2019t hold it against you in the future.\u00a0 So if I choose to make you a present, what you did before is no hindrance to me.\u00a0 You understand?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam smiled.\u00a0 \u201cI think so.\u00a0 Thanks for the horse, Pa.\u00a0 She\u2019s the best present you ever gave me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re very welcome,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cThese animals will certainly make it easier to get around.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Adam agreed.\u00a0 \u201cI can go see Billy any time I\u2019ve a mind to, and\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot quite,\u201d Ben said, his eyebrow arching.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you say I can, I mean,\u201d Adam added hastily.<\/p>\n

Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s better.\u201d\u00a0 He gave Hoss a squeeze.\u00a0 \u201cNow, is my other boy about ready for his present?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss gets a horse, too?\u201d Adam cried.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo!\u201d\u00a0 Ben shook his head, chuckling.\u00a0 \u201cWhat Hoss gets is a puppy.\u00a0 One of the dogs at Rancho Hermosa gave birth a couple of months ago, so Mr. Payne said I could take one of the pups home to my boys.\u00a0 Since you have a new horse, I figure the dog should be Hoss\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI guess that\u2019s fair,\u201d Adam admitted, \u201cbut I\u2019d like a pup, too, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI imagine Hoss will share,\u201d Ben said, \u201cespecially the chore of feeding and cleaning up after him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam scowled, secretly planning to teach Hoss to do his own chores.\u00a0 They rode in silence for awhile, then Adam asked, \u201cWhat\u2019s Rancho Hermosa, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s the name of the Payne place,\u201d Ben explained.\u00a0 \u201cIt means \u2018beautiful ranch.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOoh, I like that!\u201d Adam bubbled.\u00a0 \u201cWe should have a name like that for our place.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I\u2019ll put you in charge of thinking one up,\u201d Ben said, reaching over to tousle Adam\u2019s dark hair.<\/p>\n

\u201cTree!\u201d Hoss shouted.<\/p>\n

\u201cHuh?\u201d Ben asked, looking down at the baby seated in front of him.\u00a0 \u201cWhat about a tree, son?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam giggled.\u00a0 \u201cI think he wants to call our ranch Tree!\u201d\u00a0 Hoss\u2019s fat chin bounced up and down.<\/p>\n

\u201cSurely, we can do better than that!\u201d Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cSomething to do with trees might be appropriate, though.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll work on it,\u201d Adam promised.<\/p>\n

CHAPTER TEN<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Having a name for his ranch made Ben Cartwright feel more like a solid fixture in the community of CarsonValley, though neither he nor Adam was satisfied with the designation of Pine Tree Station.\u00a0 Somehow, the name didn\u2019t suit the lofty dreams Ben described for his son, but they\u2019d been unable to come up with a name grand enough to match their aspirations.\u00a0 For Hoss, of course, even Pine Tree Station was too much of a mouthful.\u00a0 To him, home remained simply \u201cTree.\u201d\u00a0 The toddler\u2019s refusal to use the full title frustrated Adam, for it pointed out the name\u2019s inadequacy.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t worry about it, Adam,\u201d Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cAfter all, this cabin is just temporary.\u00a0 Surely, by the time we build our big house, we\u2019ll have thought of something more appropriate.\u00a0 And by that time Hoss will be better able to pronounce whatever name we choose.\u201d\u00a0 Adam couldn\u2019t take much comfort in Ben\u2019s words, however, for from the way his father talked, the big house was years in the future, so far removed that it seemed as substantial as a castle in the clouds.<\/p>\n

Name aside, the ranch itself was flourishing, the cattle thriving on the rich meadow grasses.\u00a0 Near the trading post the garden, larger this year than last, was sprouting bountifully in expectation of a profitable emigrant season.\u00a0 Though Adam, with Billy\u2019s reluctant help, was kept busy chopping the weeds attacking their produce, this was his favorite season of the year.\u00a0 He liked the feel of the warm sun on his back, the touch of the breeze rippling his sweat-soaked shirt.\u00a0 Best of all, he liked pausing now and then to look at the wild peach trees flaming with pink blossoms.\u00a0 Though most Americans thought of the Great Basin as arid and barren, the CarsonValley, at least, dazzled the eye with vibrant, colorful life every spring.<\/p>\n

Adam threw down his hoe one tranquil afternoon and walked to the bucket of water sitting in the shade of a willow.\u00a0 Tossing a dipperful down his throat, Adam looked up to see Billy reaching for the dipper.\u00a0 \u201cFunny how you always get thirsty same time as me,\u201d Adam teased.<\/p>\n

Instead of answering, Billy dipped up some water and threw it in Adam\u2019s face.\u00a0 \u201cYou need coolin\u2019 off,\u201d Billy snickered.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou, too,\u201d Adam giggled, splashing a handful of water drops at Billy.<\/p>\n

The incipient water fight halted abruptly when the boys saw a rider galloping recklessly toward them.\u00a0 The man bounded off the horse and threw its reins to Adam.\u00a0 \u201cWhere\u2019s your pa, boy?\u201d he demanded urgently.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the trading post,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cHe and Mr. Thomas are stocking the shelves for\u2014\u201d\u00a0 Before Adam could finish his explanation the man turned and raced toward the trading post.<\/p>\n

Billy slapped his friend\u2019s arm.\u00a0 \u201cCome on; let\u2019s see what\u2019s up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam didn\u2019t budge.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe we better not.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I\u2019m going!\u201d Billy declared.\u00a0 \u201cStay or go, it\u2019s all the same to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Overcome by curiosity, Adam followed Billy, his steps, like his friend\u2019s, growing stealthy as they approached the post.\u00a0 Billy plastered himself against the outside wall near the door and Adam crowded close to him.\u00a0 The first words they heard explained the rider\u2019s agitation.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs he dead?\u201d Ben was asking.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot yet,\u201d the man said breathlessly, \u201cbut I don\u2019t see how he can last.\u00a0 Haskill shot him full of holes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s eyes flew wide.\u00a0 Haskill was an important man at Mormon Station, a member of the governing committee.\u00a0 And he\u2019d shot a man!<\/p>\n

\u201cHow can you be sure it\u2019s Haskill that did the shooting, Jameson?\u201d Ben asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, he sure isn\u2019t denying it!\u201d Jameson shouted.\u00a0 \u201cReese has got him locked up in a storeroom at his trading post and aims to hold the trial tomorrow morning.\u00a0 Asked me to see that all the jury members got the word.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll be holding court at Reese\u2019s place?\u201d Ben asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah.\u00a0 Can you make it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll be there,\u201d Ben promised.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood,\u201d Jameson said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve got to get over to Eagle Station to see another juror.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe Barnard,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 Like Ben, Joseph Barnard had been selected for the jury the previous November, but until now there\u2019d been no cases for them to try.\u00a0 Ben followed Jameson outside, suddenly seeing the two boys beside the door.\u00a0 \u201cWhat are you doing here, Adam?\u201d he asked sharply.<\/p>\n

Adam bit his tongue.\u00a0 \u201cListening, Pa,\u201d he admitted.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd how much did you hear?\u201d Ben probed.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe said Mr. Haskill shot someone,\u201d Adam replied, \u201cbut I didn\u2019t hear who.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWilliam Byrnes,\u201d Ben said softly, laying his hand on Adam\u2019s neck.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs\u2014is he gonna die, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSounds that way, son,\u201d Ben answered, \u201cbut we\u2019ll sure pray otherwise. \u00a0Now you and Billy get back to the garden.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam nodded and headed back to his chores at once, Billy following.\u00a0 \u201cI hope they shoot that Haskill full of holes,\u201d Billy sputtered.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s not nice,\u201d Adam said bluntly.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t care; I liked Mr. Byrnes. \u00a0Besides, it\u2019s Bible,\u201d Billy insisted.\u00a0 \u201cAn eye for an eye.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam picked up Billy\u2019s hoe and tossed it to him.\u00a0 \u201cOh, hush and get to work.\u201d<\/p>\n

Billy rolled his eyes heavenward.\u00a0 Murder and carnage going on in the valley and all Adam could think of was killing a few stinkin\u2019 weeds!<\/p>\n

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

Ben\u2019s heart was heavy as he entered Reese\u2019s trading post the next morning.\u00a0 Only a few months ago a hundred men, their hopes high, had met here to establish a basis for law and order in the valley.\u00a0 Now two of those in whom they\u2019d placed the highest confidence had blighted those budding hopes, blasting them as full of holes as Byrnes\u2019 bullet-ridden body.\u00a0 Ben greeted the other members of the jury quietly, their expressions and wordless nods telling him that they, too, were shocked to silence by the sudden intrusion of violence into their peaceful community.<\/p>\n

Reese called the jury to order.\u00a0 \u201cThis is a sad day, men.\u00a0 When we constituted this jury, I assumed we\u2019d be dealing with civil matters, not criminal cases.\u00a0 Now the decision before us is not a matter of property rights, but of\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMurder!\u201d Jameson shouted.\u00a0 \u201cMurder, pure and simple.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAttempted murder,\u201d Reese corrected the vituperative juror.<\/p>\n

\u201cByrnes is still alive?\u201d Ben whispered to Joseph Barnard, seated next to him.<\/p>\n

Barnard nodded.\u00a0 \u201cJust barely,\u201d he whispered back.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s murder,\u201d Jameson insisted.\u00a0 \u201cEverybody knows Byrnes can\u2019t last much longer.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can\u2019t try a man for murder without a dead body,\u201d John Reese protested.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, we can\u2019t keep Haskill locked up in a storeroom \u2018til Byrnes kicks off,\u201d Jameson snarled.\u00a0 \u201cHis partner already tried to break him out last night.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s heart sank further.\u00a0 Washington Loomis, Haskill\u2019s partner, had served with Ben on the committee for laws and resolutions.\u00a0 Now he, too, was caught up in this morass of contention, aligning himself against the laws of civilized men.<\/p>\n

\u201cI understand,\u201d Reese said.\u00a0 \u201cWe aren\u2019t equipped to confine criminals on any long-term basis, so we\u2019ll have to deal speedily with the charges.\u00a0 But we have to act lawfully.\u00a0 Unless Byrnes dies during our deliberations, the charge must remain attempted murder.\u00a0 Is that agreed?\u201d\u00a0 Murmurs of assent rumbled reluctantly across the room.<\/p>\n

\u201cWere there any witnesses to the shooting?\u201d Joe Barnard asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust Byrnes himself,\u201d Reese replied.\u00a0 \u201cI thought we should adjourn to his place and hear his testimony if he\u2019s able to talk.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know what happened,\u201d Jameson snapped.\u00a0 \u201cNo need to be bothering Byrnes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou think you know what happened, but you weren\u2019t there,\u201d Reese pointed out patiently.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s take Byrnes\u2019 statement, if possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reese\u2019s suggestion seemed the best policy, so the others trooped down the street behind him until they reached the small cabin where William Byrnes lay\u2014\u2014weak, wan, breathing hard.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re sorry to disturb you, Bill,\u201d Reese said, \u201cbut the jury needs to hear what happened to you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWent to serve Haskill,\u201d Byrnes gasped.\u00a0 \u201cCourt notice.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe understand,\u201d Reese said.\u00a0 Turning to the jury, he added, \u201cFor those who don\u2019t know, there was a dispute between Haskill and Jameson concerning water rights to an irrigation ditch.\u00a0 Byrnes was acting in his capacity as sheriff to inform Haskill that he\u2019d have to come before our court to settle the issue.\u201d\u00a0 He turned back to Byrnes.\u00a0 \u201cTell the jury what happened when you went to see Haskill, Bill.\u201d<\/p>\n

Byrnes took a slow, shallow breath.\u00a0 \u201cSaid no one had right\u2014\u2014judge him\u2014\u2014grabbed rifle\u2014\u2014fired\u2014\u2014again, again, again\u2014\u201d\u00a0 Byrnes\u2019 voice tapered off and his eyes closed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think we should tax him further,\u201d Reese said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve heard all we need,\u201d Joe Barnard stated grimly.<\/p>\n

Just before they left, Ben reached out to take Byrnes\u2019 hand.\u00a0 The man\u2019s eyes fluttered open, and he smiled slightly when he saw Ben.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll be in our prayers, my friend,\u201d Ben said softly.<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks, Cartwri\u2014\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 The eyes closed again.\u00a0 Ben tucked Byrnes\u2019 hand beneath the covers and walked softly out.<\/p>\n

Back at Reese\u2019s trading post, Reese was trying to quiet the other jurors, some of whom were ready to pronounce Haskill guilty without further discussion.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnyone doubt Haskill\u2019s the one shot poor Bill?\u201d Jameson demanded.<\/p>\n

No one did, but Ben raised a point.\u00a0 \u201cWas there any ill feeling between Byrnes and Haskill?\u201d he asked.\u00a0 \u201cAnything that would make him accuse the man falsely?\u201d\u00a0 Each of the others shook his head.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo the best of our knowledge,\u201d Reese said, \u201cBill was doing the job to which we elected him and was gunned down for no other reason.\u201d<\/p>\n

The evidence seemed clear, and the jury quickly rendered a verdict of guilty.\u00a0 A somber cloud hung over the room, and the next words cracked like lightning through the blackness of the mood.\u00a0 \u201cHaskill deserves to hang,\u201d Jameson announced.<\/p>\n

Murmurs of agreement were heard from some, others just as loudly denouncing Jameson\u2019s statement.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot for attempted murder,\u201d one voice shouted.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s going too far.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHanging\u2019s too good for the likes of Haskill!\u201d another hollered.<\/p>\n

\u201cWait a minute!\u201d Ben shouted.\u00a0 \u201cWhat Haskill deserves isn\u2019t the point.\u00a0 What authority do we have to condemn a man to death?\u00a0 When all\u2019s said and done, what we have is a squatter\u2019s government.\u00a0 Something as serious as the death penalty should only be given by real governmental authority.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere are we supposed to find that?\u201d Jameson snarled.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re the only effective government there is!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right,\u201d Joe Barnard agreed.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cLike it or not, the decision is ours.\u00a0 San Francisco found itself in the same predicament last year.\u00a0 They had to take matters into their own hands and form a vigilance committee.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s not resort to that!\u201d Ben cried.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy not?\u201d Barnard demanded.\u00a0 \u201cIt worked well in California.\u00a0 Cleared out the Sydney Ducks, who were causing all the trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know,\u201d Ben said, \u201cbut I still say we have no right to take a man\u2019s life without appeal to recognized legal authority.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou mean Salt Lake?\u201d Jameson demanded.\u00a0 \u201cTaking Haskill that far is not practical, Cartwright; you know it isn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben made no response.\u00a0 He knew Jameson\u2019s point was valid, but could not consent to hanging Haskill.\u00a0 Still, he had no other solution to offer.<\/p>\n

\u201cLook, men,\u201d Reese reasoned.\u00a0 \u201cI agree that Haskill probably deserves to hang, but Ben is right.\u00a0 If we take the law into our own hands, we may undo all we\u2019ve tried to accomplish so far.\u00a0 If Congress were to hear that lynch mobs ruled in this territory, that might push them to reject our appeal to separate from Utah.\u00a0 Now, none of us wants that, do we?\u201d<\/p>\n

Reese\u2019s words silenced even Jameson.\u00a0 The last thing any of them wanted was to remain under control of the territorial government in Salt Lake City.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right,\u201d Barnard growled.\u00a0 \u201cBut maybe we can learn a lesson from the vigilantes, after all.\u00a0 While they did hang several ringleaders, they just banished most of the riffraff.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a mild penalty,\u201d Jameson complained, \u201cespecially if Byrnes dies.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded sadly, but in the end the jury decided banishment was the only penalty they could risk enforcing.\u00a0 Haskill, along with his partner Washington Loomis, was escorted over the hills into California and warned never to return.<\/p>\n

William Byrnes hovered near death for nearly a week, then began, miraculously, to make a slow recovery.\u00a0 But to Ben, it seemed the barrage of bullets had wounded the man\u2019s soul more deeply than his body.\u00a0 Instead of open interest in the world around him, Byrnes\u2019 eyes held a haunted look, as though he were constantly expecting bullets to fly from some dark corner.<\/p>\n

CHAPTER ELEVEN<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Nelly tied her green-sprigged sunbonnet snugly and, smoothing Inger\u2019s matching smock, lifted the baby in her arms and walked out the cabin\u2019s door.\u00a0 Seeing them, Hoss immediately abandoned his pup and ran over, stretching his arms up.\u00a0 \u201cGo,\u201d he cried.<\/p>\n

Nelly patted his head.\u00a0 \u201cNo, Sunshine, not this time.\u00a0 You stay with Pa and the boys.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s lower lip thrust out.\u00a0 \u201cGo,\u201d he whimpered.<\/p>\n

Coming up behind him, Billy gave his ribs a tickle.\u00a0 \u201cWhat you want with an old hen party anyway?\u201d he teased.\u00a0 \u201cMe and Adam\u2019s got plans, and you\u2019re a part of \u2018em.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat kind of plans?\u201d his ever suspicious mother demanded.<\/p>\n

Billy turned the most innocent set of blue eyes she\u2019d ever seen to her face.\u00a0 \u201cWe was just plannin\u2019 to help Pa and Uncle Ben all we could,\u201d he said angelically.<\/p>\n

Nelly\u2019s eyes narrowed.\u00a0 Helping out was rarely at the top of Billy\u2019s list of activities for the day.\u00a0 \u201cBest help you could be is to keep Hoss occupied and happy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust what I aim to do, Ma,\u201d Billy assured her.\u00a0 \u201cJust keep him out from underfoot.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right, then,\u201d Nelly said, still dubious.\u00a0 Blowing Hoss a kiss, she walked past the corral where the men were inspecting the oxen.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m headed out,\u201d she called.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s a pot of beans simmering that should be ready come dinnertime.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHave a good gabfest, darlin\u2019,\u201d Clyde called.\u00a0 He grinned at Ben.\u00a0 \u201cSeems like I hardly see my good wife since them Motts moved in.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cHardly surprising when you consider how starved for female company Nelly\u2019s been.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, well, she\u2019s sure makin\u2019 up for lost time with that Eliza Ann,\u201d Clyde snorted.\u00a0 \u201cBeans again!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben had to laugh.\u00a0 He was a little tired of beans himself, that being one of the staples on his menu at home.\u00a0 But he didn\u2019t resent Nelly\u2019s helping the Motts make their cabin more livable.\u00a0 The place, thrown together from boards Israel Mott had scavenged from abandoned wagon beds along the Humboldt, needed all the help it could get.\u00a0 And with a new baby, Eliza Ann found it hard by herself to add the little touches that spelled home to a woman.\u00a0 With helpfulness being practically Nelly\u2019s middle name and after almost two years surrounded by nothing but men, Ben could hardly blame her for seeking every opportunity to visit another woman.\u00a0 And their baby girls, born just three months apart were good company for each other, freeing the mothers to stitch curtains or hook rugs while they shared recipes and compared notes on child-rearing.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right, what are these \u2018plans\u2019 you and I have?\u201d Adam demanded as soon as Billy\u2019s mother was out of earshot.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t remember making any plans.\u201d<\/p>\n

Billy grinned.\u00a0 \u201cNo, but Ma\u2019d have been even more suspicious if she knew the idea was all mine.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s brow wrinkled.\u00a0 \u201cIf you\u2019re plottin\u2019 more mischief, Billy Thomas, so help me\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo mischief,\u201d Billy said hastily.\u00a0 \u201cJust helpin\u2019 out, like I said.\u201d<\/p>\n

The furrows in Adam\u2019s brow deepened.\u00a0 Like Nelly, he had no reason to trust Billy\u2019s idea of what constituted help.\u00a0 \u201cSince when do you volunteer for extra chores?\u201d he demanded.<\/p>\n

Billy scowled.\u00a0 \u201cNot chores, but I got an idea to drum us up more business.\u00a0 That\u2019s helpin\u2019, ain\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI guess so,\u201d Adam agreed.\u00a0 \u201cSo what\u2019s the idea?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI figure we ride out to meet some of them emigrants headin\u2019 our way and sort of advertise how our post\u2019s the best in the territory,\u201d Billy explained.\u00a0 \u201cYou know, best prices, best produce.\u201d<\/p>\n

A smile lifted a corner of Adam\u2019s mouth.\u00a0 Advertising sounded like a good idea, but he foresaw a problem.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re supposed to be watchin\u2019 Hoss,\u201d he sighed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe take him with us,\u201d Billy said.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s the best advertisin\u2019 we got.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHuh?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll see,\u201d Billy cackled.\u00a0 \u201cJust go ask your pa if we can go ridin\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam shrugged.\u00a0 That was easy enough.\u00a0 \u201cOkay.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t mind your taking a ride,\u201d Ben said as soon as Adam asked, \u201cbut one of you needs to stay here to mind Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were gonna take him with us,\u201d Adam said.<\/p>\n

Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cWell, I guess your horse will hold all three, but you hang tight to your brother.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018Course I will,\u201d Adam assured his father.\u00a0 He understood that keeping watch over his baby brother was always his first and most important responsibility, and he handled it the way he handled all responsibilities, with a maturity far beyond his years.<\/p>\n

Adam raced back to the cabin.\u00a0 \u201cBilly!\u00a0 We can go,\u201d he called.<\/p>\n

Billy poked his head out the door.\u00a0 \u201cCome clean up your brother!\u201d he hollered.<\/p>\n

Adam frowned.\u00a0 \u201cI thought you were watching him!\u201d\u00a0 He went inside to find his brother\u2019s face smeared with plum jam.<\/p>\n

\u201cI figured we might be out past lunch time, so I was fixin\u2019 some sandwiches,\u201d Billy explained.\u00a0 \u201c\u2018Course, the bottomless pit here had to have one.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, I\u2019ll wash him up,\u201d Adam said, taking Hoss\u2019s sticky hand and leading him outside to the bucket of water set there for just such purposes.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere you boys headed?\u201d Clyde called when the three were mounted.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust down the river a ways,\u201d Billy yelled from his perch behind Adam.\u00a0 \u201cI fixed us a picnic, so you can have the beans to yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks a lot!\u201d Ben guffawed.<\/p>\n

Billy grinned and leaned forward.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s go before they ask anything else,\u201d he whispered in Adam\u2019s ear.\u00a0 Adam tapped the gray colt\u2019s flanks with his heels and the animal trotted forward.<\/p>\n

The three boys rode for two hours before they spotted ten wagons circled near the Carson River for their noon break.\u00a0 \u201cHowdy, folks,\u201d Billy called as they rode in.\u00a0 He slid quickly to the ground, leaving Adam to help Hoss down and manage the horse.<\/p>\n

\u201cHowdy, son,\u201d a rail-thin, brown-bearded man replied.\u00a0 \u201cWhere you younguns come from?\u00a0 I thought we were the first train to make it this far.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou are, mister; you are,\u201d Billy assured him.\u00a0 \u201cWe live here in the valley.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMust be from that Mormon Station we heard about,\u201d the man\u2019s equally skinny wife, her drab, dust-covered calico hanging tattered around her ankles, put in.\u00a0 \u201cFolks back along the trail told us there was a trading post at the base of the mountains.\u00a0 Sure hope it\u2019s close, \u2018cause we\u2019re powerful low on supplies.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFolks always is this late in their journey,\u201d Billy commented sociably, \u201cbut you don\u2019t look like Mormons.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe ain\u2019t,\u201d the man snorted, \u201cbut I reckon they\u2019ll sell to us, Mormon or not.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, they will,\u201d Billy agreed quickly, \u201cbut that ain\u2019t the best place for you, mister.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDidn\u2019t know there was any other,\u201d the woman said.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, yeah!\u201d Billy said.\u00a0 \u201cOur folks run a post a mile this side of Mormon Station, and since you ain\u2019t part of their church, you\u2019d be a heap better off tradin\u2019 with us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat so?\u201d the man chuckled, folding his arms and regarding Billy with bemused gray eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cI reckon I don\u2019t have to tell you how high Mormons price things,\u201d Billy chattered on.\u00a0 \u201cIf they did you the way they done us on our trip out in 1850, you had to pay through the nose every time you come to a ferry or trading post along the road.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAin\u2019t it the truth!\u201d the woman cried.<\/p>\n

\u201cBilly!\u201d Adam hissed under his breath.\u00a0 He had a feeling his pa wouldn\u2019t take kindly to their drumming up business by running down the competition.<\/p>\n

Billy ignored Adam.\u00a0 \u201cWell, mister, it\u2019s the same at Mormon Station.\u00a0 Now, we run an honest American trading post.\u00a0 You get fair value for your dollar when you trade with us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you got what we need,\u201d the man probed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, sir,\u201d Billy said warmly, \u201cwe got prime oxen, recruited from last year\u2019s emigration, to replace these tired beasts of yourn.\u00a0 \u2018Course we got the usual flour and cornmeal to restock your wagons and fresh produce, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood quality?\u201d the emigrant\u2019s wife queried.<\/p>\n

Billy jerked up Hoss\u2019s smock and patted the ample belly.\u00a0 \u201cWhy, here\u2019s proof of that!\u201d he asserted.\u00a0 \u201cThis youngun was just a scrawny thing when we come here.\u00a0 You can see how he\u2019s thrivin\u2019 on what we grow.\u00a0 We eat good at home, don\u2019t we, Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEat good!\u201d Hoss chortled as Adam jerked his clothing down and gave Billy a stern, reproving look while the emigrant family laughed at the way Hoss\u2019s countenance beamed when food was mentioned.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat kind of truck you got?\u201d the woman asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, green beans, turnips, taters and the sweetest watermelons you ever did eat!\u201d Billy said, licking his lips as if the juice were running down his chin.<\/p>\n

\u201cWatermelon!\u201d a tow-headed youngster cried.\u00a0 \u201cOh, Ma!\u00a0 Can we have some watermelon?\u00a0 Please!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll see, son,\u201d his mother said.\u00a0 \u201cDepends on the price.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDirt cheap,\u201d Billy declared.<\/p>\n

\u201cBilly!\u201d Adam protested, giving his friend a sharp poke in the ribs.<\/p>\n

\u201cHush!\u201d Billy hissed.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou let your brother talk, boy,\u201d the man said.\u00a0 \u201cHe ain\u2019t hardly said a word.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe ain\u2019t my brother,\u201d Billy said.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s just, well, my cousin, you could say.\u201d\u00a0 Adam rolled his eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right, then, let\u2019s hear what your cousin has to say.\u201d<\/p>\n

Billy gave Adam a look that told him he\u2019d better go along with Billy\u2019s advertising spiel, but Adam felt uncomfortable with any dishonesty. \u00a0\u201cOur prices aren\u2019t dirt cheap,\u201d he said, his dark eyes serious.\u00a0 \u201cPrices are high in California where we buy our supplies, and we have to charge for freighting them over the mountains, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI understand freighting costs,\u201d the emigrant said, scrutinizing Adam\u2019s face carefully, \u201cbut is it a fair markup?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir,\u201d Adam replied confidently.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ll likely find our prices higher than you want, but they\u2019re below what they charge at Mormon Station and that\u2019s the truth.\u201d<\/p>\n

The man patted Adam\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cSon, I believe you; you got an honest way about you.\u201d\u00a0 He turned to grin at Billy.\u00a0 \u201cYou could take a lesson from your cousin in that, sonny, but I like your spunk.\u00a0 I reckon you can tell your folks we\u2019ll be stoppin\u2019 at their post.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll do that,\u201d Billy grinned, \u201cand if you tell me how many oxen you might be needin\u2019, we could go ahead and pick out the best.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s the goin\u2019 rate of exchange?\u201d the man asked.<\/p>\n

Billy shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cTwo for one, same as anywhere,\u201d he admitted, figuring a dose of Adam\u2019s plain, unvarnished honesty was what was called for.<\/p>\n

The man took a quick poll of the other wagon owners in the train.\u00a0 \u201cTell \u2018em we\u2019ll take eight,\u201d the man said, \u201cprovided they\u2019re in good condition.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir!\u201d Billy shouted, proud of the success of his venture.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll have \u2018em waitin\u2019 for you.\u00a0 Just stick to the north side of the river and it\u2019ll take you straight to our place.\u201d\u00a0 He grabbed Hoss to lift him into the saddle, but the toddler let loose a squeal of protest.<\/p>\n

\u201cEat!\u201d Hoss demanded, wriggling out of Billy\u2019s grasp and heading for the emigrant\u2019s cookfire.\u00a0 \u201cEat!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Hoss, we got our own food,\u201d Adam said, shame-faced.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, now, I reckon we can share a mite, long as we\u2019re close to fresh supplies,\u201d the woman laughed.\u00a0 \u201cYou boys set down and we\u2019ll give you each a helping of salt pork and corn pone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam wasn\u2019t sure what Pa would think of their practically inviting themselves to dinner with total strangers, but it seemed impolite to refuse.\u00a0 The warm food tasted good, too.\u00a0 To repay the emigrants\u2019 hospitality, Adam and Billy donated their jam sandwiches to the children in the party.\u00a0 Hoss, of course, saw no need to share his with anyone.<\/p>\n

The emigrant train that pulled up to the Cartwright-Thomas Trading Post that afternoon was the first of a huge, hungry hoard to pass through CarsonValley that summer.\u00a0 And thanks to the boys\u2019 advertising, business was booming.\u00a0 Clyde and Ben had a good laugh with many of the emigrants over the antics of the two \u201ccousins.\u201d<\/p>\n

Billy had been so pleased with the results of their first effort that he used the same tactics again and again, knowing he could count on Adam to insist on spitting out the truth at just the right moment.\u00a0 Billy was a sharp enough salesman to see that the contrast between his blustering braggadocio and Adam\u2019s painfully precise pronouncements attracted business.\u00a0 Everyone liked to think he\u2019d caught the freckle-faced redhead stretching the truth, but rarely did anyone feel put off by it.\u00a0 If anything, they admired the boy\u2019s loyalty to his pa\u2019s place and enjoyed a good laugh at his expense.\u00a0 Billy didn\u2019t mind, so long as the emigrants arrived at the trading post in good humor, ready to buy or trade.<\/p>\n

Having succeeded in luring a significant portion of the emigrant traffic to the trading post, Billy next suggested to Adam that they ride north to persuade some of the miners in the area to pass up the small posts closer to them and bring their business to the one Billy called \u201cthe best in the West.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right,\u201d Adam agreed, \u201cbut you got to quit showin\u2019 off my brother\u2019s belly.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAw, come on, Adam,\u201d Billy protested.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s our best sellin\u2019 point.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt ain\u2019t decent,\u201d Adam snapped.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s just a baby,\u201d Billy snorted.\u00a0 \u201cHe don\u2019t mind his belly showin\u2019 or his bare bottom, even, if the truth be told.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe stays home or I do!\u201d Adam insisted.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, okay.\u00a0 I reckon we\u2019ll make do without him.\u201d\u00a0 Billy shook his head.\u00a0 That book-crazed Adam just didn\u2019t know a good sales technique when he saw one.<\/p>\n

Neither of the boys, of course, felt it necessary to inform their parents of their intention.\u00a0 When they rode out, the adults assumed they were going to intercept another train and sing the praises of the business.\u00a0 \u201cPush the turnips,\u201d Clyde hollered.\u00a0 \u201cWe got plenty.\u201d\u00a0 Billy gave him a wave to acknowledge the instruction.<\/p>\n

Adam steered the gray colt along the river, as usual, for the miner\u2019s camp, they\u2019d been told, lay not far from the emigrant road.\u00a0 Passing one train on the way, the boys stopped long enough to urge the men there to stop at the trading post, then continued downriver to the point where it turned abruptly to the northeast.\u00a0 Near there, at the mouth of a ravine coming down the south side of a hill, the boys found the miners\u2019 camp and dismounted.<\/p>\n

\u201cHowdy, men!\u201d Billy called, trudging up the ravine to where two grizzle-bearded miners were panning.\u00a0 \u201cYou findin\u2019 any color?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHey!\u00a0 Younguns!\u201d the older man shouted.\u00a0 A child was a rare sight in mining country and almost as welcome a one as a female.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou findin\u2019 any color?\u201d Billy asked again, squatting down to chat.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome, sonny, some,\u201d the man answered.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou done much pannin\u2019, boy?\u201d the other man asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot a lick,\u201d Billy admitted.\u00a0 \u201cMy friend there, he\u2019s done some.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot much,\u201d Adam said, smiling shyly, \u201cbut I know how.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, here, boys,\u201d the first miner said, generously offering them his pan and his partner\u2019s.\u00a0 \u201cYou pan awhile and you can keep half of what you find.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, boy!\u201d Billy shouted, completely forgetting to advertise the trading post in his excitement.\u00a0 He grabbed the pan and sloshed it so hard the water sprayed out, soaking the miner who\u2019d loaned it to him.\u00a0 \u201cSorry, mister,\u201d Billy grinned.\u00a0 \u201cGuess I ain\u2019t got the hang of it yet.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cReckon not!\u201d the man said, wiping his face.\u00a0 \u201cHere, let me show you.\u00a0 Swish it around easy like \u2018til the gravel washes away.\u00a0 Now, what\u2019s this?\u201d\u00a0 He lifted a glistening flake from the bottom of the pan.<\/p>\n

\u201cGold!\u201d Billy yelled.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s what!\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam laughed, looking up from his own pan.\u00a0 \u201cI got some, too,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The two boys panned for about half an hour before turning the pans back to their owners.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s hard work,\u201d Billy admitted, \u201cif you was to keep at it all day.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you got to if you\u2019re gonna make enough to buy beans,\u201d the miner chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cYou got something to tie up your dust in, boys?\u201d<\/p>\n

Billy frowned.\u00a0 As usual, he\u2019d ignored his mother\u2019s frequent admonitions to carry a handkerchief.\u00a0 Adam had one, though, and offered his friend the use of a corner.\u00a0 \u201cThanks a heap, mister,\u201d Billy said, bouncing the gold-laden handkerchief in his hand.\u00a0 \u201cNow it\u2019s time for us to do you a favor.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s that, boy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, sir, you\u2019re gonna be able to buy a sight more beans at the Cartwright-Thomas Trading Post than anywhere else in the territory,\u201d Billy boasted.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s what we rode all this way to tell you.\u201d<\/p>\n

The miners hooted.\u00a0 \u201cCould have saved yourself the trip, boy,\u201d the older one cackled.\u00a0 \u201cWe was by your place last week and stocked up.\u00a0 Didn\u2019t see you younguns, though.\u201d<\/p>\n

Billy shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cMust\u2019ve been out drummin\u2019 up business,\u201d he grinned.\u00a0 \u201cWe just figure everyone ought to know about our place, so you spread the word to the other miners, okay?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBe glad to, son,\u201d the other man said.\u00a0 \u201cLiked the prices and the way we was dealt with.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you, sir,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll tell my pa you said so.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhich one\u2019s your pa, boy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBen Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, you can also tell your pa you boys are welcome to pan over here anytime you like,\u201d the man offered.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, the other miner agreed.\u00a0 \u201cI figure you younguns\u2019ll act like a good luck charm.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam and Billy waved good-bye and mounted the gray colt.\u00a0 \u201cMade out better than we figured,\u201d Billy commented.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Adam said, \u201cbut I don\u2019t know what Pa\u2019s gonna say about me mining.\u201d<\/p>\n

When Ben found out, he was mildly annoyed.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t want you traipsing all over the countryside, Adam.\u00a0 I assumed you went out to talk to the emigrants.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe did that, too, Pa,\u201d Adam said hurriedly.\u00a0 \u201cWe just went a little further than usual.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cQuite a bit further,\u201d Ben said bluntly, then reached out to rumple Adam\u2019s black hair.\u00a0 \u201cNo harm done, I suppose, but in the future I want to know exactly where you\u2019re going, son.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, Pa.\u00a0 Is it all right to do some more mining?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce in a while,\u201d Ben agreed, \u201cbut I\u2019d rather you stuck closer to home most days.\u201d<\/p>\n

The boys spent about one day a week that summer at the miners\u2019 camp, and by the end of the season each had stashed away a few ounces of gold dust.\u00a0 There wasn\u2019t much except food to spend it on this side of the mountains, of course, and while Ben and Clyde teasingly talked of charging the boys room and board, neither youngster took the threat seriously.\u00a0 Both Adam and Billy planned at the earliest opportunity to hit the stores in Sacramento feeling like millionaires.<\/p>\n

Most of their time was spent in the garden.\u00a0 Just after the summer solstice it was time to replant, Nelly wanting to keep fresh vegetables on the table as long as possible.\u00a0 So Billy and Adam did less advertising and mining and more hoeing, as they had in the spring.\u00a0 One day when they were out riding, though, they saw a cloud of dust too large to be an emigrant train.\u00a0 Riding closer, they grew excited and raced back to the trading post.\u00a0 They both tried to leap out of the saddle at the same time and ended up sprawled on the ground in a tangle of legs.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa!\u201d Adam shouted, scrambling to his feet.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is it, Adam?\u00a0 What\u2019s wrong?\u201d his father cried.<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing, Pa,\u201d Adam panted.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s sheep\u2014\u2014thousands and thousands of them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSheep?\u00a0 You sure, boy?\u201d Clyde asked.\u00a0 \u201cC. D. Jones is running a few in the valley, but nowhere near that many.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThousands,\u201d Billy affirmed, \u201cand headed this way, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s a sight I\u2019d like to see,\u201d Clyde said.<\/p>\n

\u201cTake my horse,\u201d Ben offered.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll hold down the fort.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clyde grinned, saddled Ben\u2019s bay and took off with Billy, on Adam\u2019s horse, to lead the way.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019d you find out?\u201d Ben asked when his partner returned.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe boys was right,\u201d Clyde said.\u00a0 \u201cMan named Dick Wootton is bringing some nine thousand head to Sacramento.\u00a0 Says he bought \u2018em for a dollar a head in New Mexico, and figures he can get five or ten in California.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI wouldn\u2019t be surprised.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTold him I\u2019d take ten head off his hands,\u201d Clyde reported.\u00a0 \u201cNelly\u2019ll be glad of the wool, and I figure you and me can trade some beef for mutton.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right by me,\u201d Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cI like a little variety in my diet.\u00a0 But you keep your woolies away from my cattle.\u00a0 I hear the two don\u2019t mix.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t know,\u201d Clyde said.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t know much about sheep, but if there\u2019s that kind of profit in it, might be worth drivin\u2019 a herd over the hills.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot this season,\u201d Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ve got our hands full, thanks to our enterprising sons.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAin\u2019t it the truth?\u201d Clyde cackled.<\/p>\n

The \u201centerprising sons\u201d so enhanced their fathers\u2019 business, in fact, that an extra trip had to be made over the Sierras for supplies.\u00a0 Ben did the traveling, as usual during their busy season, for Clyde\u2019s skill as a blacksmith made it more profitable for him to stay in the valley.\u00a0 Billy, eager to spend his gold dust, raised such a ruckus about being left behind that Ben finally agreed to take him, too, and for once Billy was on his good behavior.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to get my ma somethin\u2019 special,\u201d he announced.\u00a0 \u201cYou got any ideas, Uncle Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, but I\u2019ll help you look,\u201d Ben promised.\u00a0 \u201cIs this a Christmas present or just \u2018cause you\u2019re feeling rich and generous?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d sure like to save it back for Christmas,\u201d Billy said, \u201cbut I ain\u2019t got no place to hide stuff where Ma won\u2019t look.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cYou can stash it at my place, boy.\u00a0 Adam, what do you plan to spend your wealth on?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam grinned sheepishly.\u00a0 \u201cBooks, mostly.\u00a0 Maybe some candy for Hoss, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben gave the boy\u2019s shoulder a proud squeeze.\u00a0 \u201cI think that\u2019d be real thoughtful.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I want a bunch of candy, too,\u201d Billy declared.<\/p>\n

Ben lifted an eyebrow.\u00a0 \u201cFor your mother?\u201d\u00a0 He exploded with laughter at the look on Billy\u2019s face.<\/p>\n

Their purchases successfully made, the trio returned home and settled back into the summer\u2019s routine of equipping emigrant trains for the final trek across the Sierras.\u00a0 September found them busier than anyone wanted to be.\u00a0 Emigrants continued to pour up the Carson River, and in between servicing them, there was corn to pick, as well as the last of the green vegetables.\u00a0 Clyde and Ben had spent odd hours digging a root cellar to store carrots, potatoes, onions and other root vegetables where they wouldn\u2019t freeze during the winter.\u00a0 Later, they\u2019d dig another at Ben\u2019s place, but for now all the spare vegetables went into this one.<\/p>\n

Though snow rarely fell in the mountains until November, the settlers commonly made their final trip west for winter supplies during October.\u00a0 \u201cLet the Mormons handle the stragglers,\u201d Clyde announced.\u00a0 \u201cI aim to do me some special shoppin\u2019 this trip.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben, too, wanted to make some extra purchases for Christmas, so he and Clyde went all the way to San Francisco this time, leaving the two boys home to harvest and store the pumpkins.\u00a0 Everywhere they went there was talk of the upcoming presidential election.\u00a0 Franklin Pierce was running on the Democratic ticket against Winfield Scott, Vice-president Millard Fillmore having been refused the nomination of his party because of his support for the Fugitive Slave Act.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019ll split the Whigs down the middle,\u201d Ben commented.\u00a0 \u201cPierce is sure to win.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, especially with that snappy campaign slogan he\u2019s got,\u201d Clyde cackled.<\/p>\n

Ben laughed.\u00a0 The slogan, \u201cWe Polked you in 1844; we\u2019ll Pierce you in 1852\u201d did have a certain flair, though that was no reason to vote for a man.\u00a0 Actually, whoever won the election, national politics were likely to have little effect on their lives in Carson Valley, but politics was a topic the men liked to discuss as much as Nelly enjoyed her home-and-hearth talks with Eliza Mott.<\/p>\n

CHAPTER TWELVE<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 As soon as the emigrant season ended, Ben went to work on his planned improvements.\u00a0 With Clyde\u2019s help, he first dug a root cellar and moved his share of the produce to his own place.\u00a0 Then he added another room to the cabin, extending it back from the northeast corner and cutting a door from his own bedroom by which to enter it.<\/p>\n

Adam was profuse in his praise of the new arrangement.\u00a0 \u201cI didn\u2019t want to say anything,\u201d he commented, \u201cbut I was getting awfully old to sleep in a trundle.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWere you?\u201d Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, well, I guess so.\u00a0 You sure act more grown up than that.\u00a0 Pa should have noticed sooner, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam gave his father a quick hug.\u00a0 \u201cOh, no, Pa.\u00a0 I understand.\u00a0 The ranch comes first.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben stooped down to wrap the boy in his arms.\u00a0 \u201cNo, Adam.\u00a0 Never.\u00a0 You and Hoss come first.\u00a0 The ranch means nothing unless it\u2019s for my boys.\u00a0 It\u2019s just that Pa can\u2019t give you everything he dreams of at once.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam rubbed his smooth cheek against his father\u2019s stubbled one.\u00a0 \u201cDreams take time, huh, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed as he stood up.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s right; that\u2019s my mature young man.\u201d\u00a0 He swooped Hoss up in his arms.\u00a0 \u201cAnd how does my little boy like his new bed?\u201d<\/p>\n

Two-year-old Hoss looked perplexed, not understanding the changes taking place.\u00a0 That night, when Ben tucked him in his new bed, Hoss wailed.\u00a0 \u201cNow, what\u2019s wrong?\u201d Ben cooed, sitting on the edge of the bed to cuddle his younger son.<\/p>\n

Hoss stretched his arms toward Adam, who was just crawling beneath the covers of the bed on the opposite wall.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, you have your own bed now,\u201d Ben explained, \u201clike a big boy.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss frowned eloquently as Ben laid him down again and tucked the covers snugly up to his chin.\u00a0 Ben gave each of the boys a kiss and went into the front room to read a little before turning in.<\/p>\n

Hoss threw the covers back and slipped to the floor.\u00a0 Toddling over to the other bed, he slapped Adam\u2019s blanketed shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cBubba!\u201d he whispered.<\/p>\n

Adam rotated his shoulder, irritated.\u00a0 \u201cGo back to your own bed, Hoss!\u201d he ordered.<\/p>\n

\u201cSleep Bubba,\u201d Hoss insisted.<\/p>\n

Adam rolled over and sat up.\u00a0 \u201cNo, you can\u2019t sleep with brother.\u00a0 You\u2019re too big to act like such a baby, Hoss.\u00a0 I like having a bed to myself, and you\u2019re just gonna have to accept it.\u201d<\/p>\n

A big tear ran down Hoss\u2019s cheek.\u00a0 Adam groaned.\u00a0 Not that, anything but that.\u00a0 \u201cLook, Hoss,\u201d he pleaded, \u201cbe a big boy and brother will take you down to the creek tomorrow and you can go wading.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPomish?\u201d Hoss begged, his eyes brightening.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I promise.\u00a0 Now, back into bed before Pa catches you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss wasn\u2019t sure what would happen if his father caught him out of bed.\u00a0 Adam made it sound ominous, however, so Hoss scooted back under the covers, clinging to the stuffed dog Nelly had made him for Christmas until he fell asleep.\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t entirely happy with the new arrangement, missing the comfort of Adam\u2019s warm body pressed close to his own.\u00a0 Adam, on the other hand, was only too happy to relinquish the sensation of a damp diaper plastered up against him.\u00a0 Hoss had finally made his acquaintance with the outhouse, but only during daytime hours.\u00a0 At night he slept right through the dampness, so diapering him still seemed the wisest choice.<\/p>\n

Ben was not the only one in the community making improvements in his property.\u00a0 Israel Mott and John Reese had secured a franchise from the squatter government to construct a toll bridge over the Carson River.\u00a0 Clyde grumbled loudly about Mormons setting up their own government, then assigning themselves the privilege of collecting tolls.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s the Overland Trail all over again,\u201d he groused.<\/p>\n

Ben just laughed.\u00a0 \u201cYou have to admit these Mormons are an enterprising lot,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cAt least, the government has set a limit to the tolls they can charge; besides, the contract also calls for them to improve the road up the mountains.\u00a0 That, my friend, is worth paying for!\u201d<\/p>\n

Clyde knew Ben had a point, but he wouldn\u2019t admit it.\u00a0 In his opinion, give a Mormon an inch and he was bound to take the whole territory; so concession was out of the question, regardless of the facts.<\/p>\n

As the Cartwrights and Thomases met to share a Thanksgiving meal, even Clyde was forced to concede that they had much for which to be thankful.\u00a0 It had been a profitable year, and not just financially.\u00a0 The community was growing, and most of the settlers were the kind they were proud to call neighbors, even though they did increase the Mormon majority.\u00a0 Looking back over the previous year, both Ben and Clyde found much to be grateful for and much to look forward to, as well.<\/p>\n

The boys, of course, looked no further forward than Christmas.\u00a0 Even Hoss seemed to anticipate the holiday this year.\u00a0 When Adam told him tales about Santa Claus, his blue eyes sparkled with remembrance and he ran to pat his Noah\u2019s Ark sitting in the corner nearest his bed.\u00a0 \u201cSanta!\u201d he chortled.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s what Santa brought you last year, and this year there\u2019ll be new presents beneath the tree.\u201d\u00a0 Adam paused and looked soberly at Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cIf you\u2019ve been a good boy, that is.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s fat chin bobbed repeatedly up and down.\u00a0 \u201cGood boy!\u201d he announced.<\/p>\n

\u201cPretty good, I guess,\u201d Adam grinned.\u00a0 \u201cSanta\u2019ll probably bring you something nice.\u201d<\/p>\n

Early on Christmas Eve Ben dragged in the tree and set it in place beside the front door.\u00a0 Squealing, Hoss ran to bury his face in the branches, caressing the fragrant boughs with his chubby cheeks.<\/p>\n

Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cMy, you do love trees, don\u2019t you, Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss looked up at his father.\u00a0 Pulling one of the spiny branches, he chirped, \u201cBirdies, Pa!\u00a0 \u2018Tars!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben tossed the boy to his shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cYou remember, do you?\u00a0 Yes, we\u2019ll put birds and stars in the branches again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPwitty,\u201d Hoss declared.<\/p>\n

\u201cPrettier than ever,\u201d Adam announced as he brought the popcorn garland he\u2019d strung to drape across the branches.\u00a0 He and his father had been busy the last couple of weeks carving and painting more birds, bells and stars to hang on the tree.\u00a0 This year there were enough to satisfy even Adam, but he hung a few pinecones, too, just for tradition\u2019s sake.<\/p>\n

Soon all the ornaments decked the tree except the tin star for the top.\u00a0 \u201cLet Hoss put it up,\u201d Adam offered.\u00a0 \u201cI got to last year.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019ll probably need help,\u201d Ben said, smiling approval at his older son\u2019s unselfish suggestion, \u201cso you stand in a chair on the other side while I lift him up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam dragged his chair into position and mounted it.\u00a0 \u201cReady, Pa,\u201d he announced.<\/p>\n

Ben closed Hoss\u2019s fingers around the star and lifted the chunky toddler to his shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cOn the very top, Hoss,\u201d he instructed.<\/p>\n

Hoss seemed to remember where the gold-painted star went.\u00a0 Leaning over, he could reach the upright stem, but as Ben had predicted, his fingers lacked the dexterity to pull the spiral wire down over it.\u00a0 Adam reached out to guide Hoss\u2019s fingers, but it was obvious from the way Hoss clapped afterwards that he felt he\u2019d done it all by himself.<\/p>\n

As soon as his feet touched the floor, Hoss dropped to his knees and began crawling under the tree.\u00a0 \u201cHoss, you get out from there!\u201d Adam ordered.<\/p>\n

Hoss peered out from beneath a drooping pine branch.\u00a0 \u201cSanta!\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n

Ben dragged the reluctant toddler from his quest.\u00a0 \u201cSanta\u2019s not under there, son,\u201d he chuckled, then dropping his voice to a whisper, \u201cSanta won\u2019t come \u2018til you\u2019re sound asleep.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss grabbed Adam\u2019s hand and started to pull him toward their shared room.\u00a0 \u201cBed,\u201d he demanded.<\/p>\n

Adam pulled his hand free.\u00a0 \u201cToo early,\u201d Adam snorted.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou haven\u2019t had your supper yet,\u201d Ben said persuasively.\u00a0 \u201cYou want to eat, don\u2019t you, Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n

For a moment Hoss looked confused.\u00a0 He was eager for Santa to come, but he\u2019d never turned down a meal in his life.\u00a0 \u201cEat!\u201d he decided.\u00a0 \u201cEat now!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cEat soon, yes.\u00a0 Then, a story; then, bedtime.\u201d<\/p>\n

After supper Ben brought out the small volume of Dickens\u2019 Christmas tale and began to read.\u00a0 This year even Hoss stayed awake through the visit of all three Christmas spirits, although he seemed more interested in the bowl of popcorn he and Adam shared than in the fate of Tiny Tim.<\/p>\n

Hoss needed no urging to scramble out of bed the next morning.\u00a0 Just the mention of Santa brought all his eager expectations flooding back and he charged through the door into his father\u2019s bedroom, trotting past a still slumbering Ben.<\/p>\n

Adam pulled him back before he could reach the next doorway.\u00a0 \u201cNo, Hoss; wait for Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss ran back to swat his father\u2019s leg.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m awake,\u201d Ben yawned.\u00a0 \u201cJust give me a moment to get conscious.\u201d\u00a0 Smiling then, he said, \u201cMerry Christmas, boys.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMerry Christmas, Pa,\u201d Adam grinned.\u00a0 \u201cHoss is in a hurry this morning.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo I see,\u201d Ben chuckled, grabbing his toddler and tossing him on the bed.\u00a0 \u201cYou let Pa get his britches on; then we\u2019ll see what Santa\u2019s brought my boys.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood boy,\u201d Hoss chirped.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, yes,\u201d Ben agreed, slipping his legs through the brown trousers Adam tossed him.\u00a0 \u201cBoth of you are very good boys and Pa\u2019s real proud.\u201d\u00a0 Ben took the tan shirt from its peg on the wall and motioned toward the door.\u00a0 \u201cLead the way; I\u2019ll follow,\u201d he said, sticking one arm in its sleeve.<\/p>\n

Adam grinned and took Hoss\u2019s hand.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s see what Santa brought,\u201d he whispered.<\/p>\n

\u201cSanta!\u201d Hoss crowed and ran to the tree, snatching the first knobby bundle he saw.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot that!\u201d Ben shouted.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s brother\u2019s.\u201d\u00a0 He picked up a brown paper-wrapped package from the opposite side of the tree.\u00a0 \u201cThis one\u2019s yours.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss eagerly tore into the package.<\/p>\n

Soon that package and all its companions were opened and the contents of the two stockings hanging from the mantel dumped on the dining table.\u00a0 Hoss clearly liked the candy in his stocking best of all, but he laughed happily as Ben helped him work the jointed wooden bear so it would climb a rope, and he was ecstatic as he galloped around the room on the stick pony his father had made.<\/p>\n

Adam examined his gifts more quietly.\u00a0 \u201cNot disappointed, I hope,\u201d his father queried.<\/p>\n

Adam looked up and smiled.\u00a0 \u201cOh, no, Pa.\u201d\u00a0 He lifted the harmonica.\u00a0 \u201cThis\u2019ll be fun to play, except I\u2019m not sure how.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I was hoping to find an instruction book, but no such luck,\u201d Ben sympathized.\u00a0 \u201cAll I know is that you make sounds by blowing into the instrument and others by sucking air out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam blew into the instrument, producing a couple of wavering notes.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll figure it out,\u201d he grinned, \u201cand then I\u2019ll play you a real tune.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll be looking forward to it,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cI know the books may be a little grown up for you, too, boy, but it\u2019s the best I could do.\u00a0 San Francisco stores don\u2019t stock many books at all, much less ones that are aimed at children.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not a child, Pa,\u201d Adam protested, \u201cand I read real well.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat you do,\u201d Ben said proudly, \u201cbut if Sir Walter Scott proves a little hard, you just ask and I\u2019ll help.\u201d<\/p>\n

After breakfast the Cartwrights prepared to go to the Thomases for Christmas dinner.\u00a0 Because they had gifts to carry there (and presumably back) Ben put Adam\u2019s small prairie schooner to work again.\u00a0 Piling the gifts inside, he set Hoss, bundled in the blue-hooded flannel wrapper that Nelly Thomas had made him, in the middle with strict instructions not to open any of them.\u00a0 Then he tied a rope to the wagon and held the other end as he mounted his bay gelding.\u00a0 \u201cYou ride behind so you can keep an eye on Hoss,\u201d Ben said, turning to Adam, seated on his gray.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, Pa,\u201d Adam promised.<\/p>\n

Pulling the wagon slowed their trip, of course, but they still arrived in time to exchange gifts before dinner.\u00a0 Adam and Hoss each received a small wooden chest, on the ends of which were carved pine trees with each boy\u2019s name surrounded by pine cones on the front.<\/p>\n

\u201cSeein\u2019 as how we got such rich younguns,\u201d Clyde drawled, \u201cI figured they could use a trunk to keep their gear in.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAw, Pa, we ain\u2019t got that much stuff,\u201d Billy sniffed.<\/p>\n

Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d liked to have had half the toys you youngsters have when I was young!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can say that again,\u201d Clyde snorted.\u00a0 \u201cOnly question is whether I made the chest too small to hold all your things, boy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI got one, too,\u201d Billy confided to Adam, \u201cbut mine\u2019s got a cabin on the ends and the river with willows bending over it on the front with my name.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to see,\u201d Adam demanded.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, you best look inside them chests first,\u201d Clyde snickered.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s more?\u201d Adam said, kneeling down to open his chest.\u00a0 The \u201cmore\u201d proved to be only a new set of clothes fashioned by Nelly\u2019s needle and the usual knitted cap and mittens, but Adam said thank you politely.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t get new clothes often enough to take them for granted, even if they didn\u2019t excite him quite as much as books and toys.\u00a0 Hoss\u2019s chest held clothes, too, as well as a small plain bowl.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo feed your pup,\u201d Clyde explained and Hoss grinned.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d carve his name on it, if you\u2019d ever think one up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPup,\u201d Hoss insisted, for that was all he ever called the dog.<\/p>\n

\u201cFace it, Clyde,\u201d Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s the dog\u2019s name.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI reckon,\u201d Clyde cackled.\u00a0 \u201cOkay, Pup it is; I\u2019ll carve \u2018er for you after dinner.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Clyde, it\u2019s Christmas,\u201d Ben protested.\u00a0 \u201cYou don\u2019t have to\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWon\u2019t take long,\u201d Clyde said, as if that settled the question.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, Uncle Ben!\u201d Billy called as he started to go into his room to show Adam his chest.\u00a0 \u201cDid you bring my present for Ma?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy present?\u201d Nelly asked, her brown eyes widening.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, ma\u2019am,\u201d Billy declared proudly, prancing back to take the small package Ben was holding out.\u00a0 He gave it to his mother.\u00a0 \u201cI bought it with my own gold dust, Ma, and Uncle Ben\u2019s been hidin\u2019 it for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, my!\u201d Nelly said, overcome with joy at her boy\u2019s remembrance.\u00a0 Her eyes sparkled even brighter as she unwrapped the package and drew out a lacy white scarf.\u00a0 \u201cOh, my!\u201d she said again, this time overwhelmed by the exquisite craftsmanship.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a mantilla,\u201d Ben explained, \u201clike the Spanish ladies in California wear.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAin\u2019t it purty, Ma?\u201d Billy pressed.\u00a0 \u201cLike you,\u201d he added, planting a shy kiss on her cheek.<\/p>\n

Nelly blushed furiously.\u00a0 \u201cLands, boy, this finery\u2019s a heap prettier than me.\u00a0 Much too pretty to wear over my tousled head.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMa, you gotta!\u201d Billy protested.\u00a0 \u201cI got it so you\u2019d look extra fancy when you go sashayin\u2019 over to Miz Mott\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd so I shall, boy,\u201d Nelly replied, giving her boy a squeeze.\u00a0 \u201cThis is too light to wear for winter, but come spring I\u2019ll sashay like a fine lady and make Eliza Ann pea-green with envy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Billy grinned and, giving a satisfied nod, left to show Adam his Christmas riches.<\/p>\n

Ben Cartwright, too, felt rich as he and the boys returned home that evening after a sumptuous dinner of roast goose and other favorite foods.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t just the contents of his stomach or of the little red, blue and white wagon that made him feel that way, either, though both were bulging.\u00a0 Ben felt himself rich in the love of his sons and the warmth of friendship, treasures too vast to fit in any wagon, even one of the huge Conestogas after which Adam\u2019s small replica had been fashioned.\u00a0 These were riches, too, that would not be depleted, no matter what the upcoming year might bring.<\/p>\n

CHAPTER THIRTEEN<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 The first three months of 1853 were a peaceful interlude between busier times.\u00a0 While Adam watched Hoss each day, trying to fit in a little study time between his brother\u2019s demands, Ben tended to needed chores, including the building of a corner cabinet for their dishware, and rode out to check on his herd.\u00a0 It was doing well.\u00a0 Though the wind could be sharp and the air cold, winter was generally mild on the valley floor; and adult animals, while they didn\u2019t exactly flourish, held their own with the available grasses.\u00a0 The only cattle at risk were newborn calves, but Ben lost just two to winter kill that year.<\/p>\n

The only noteworthy event of the season occurred in February just before Adam\u2019s tenth birthday.\u00a0 Their request for status as a separate territory having been rejected, forty-three residents of Carson Valley, Ben among them, petitioned the California legislature to annex the valley for judicial purposes.\u00a0 Like the previous request, this one, too, was destined to be declined.\u00a0 Feeling the state of California was too large already, Congress refused to increase its boundaries.<\/p>\n

Beyond that, the only events were family ones:\u00a0 Sunday dinners with the Thomases, a joint birthday party for Billy and Adam, and a small celebration to commemorate little Inger\u2019s first year of life.\u00a0 Simple events, unnoted by the world, unrecorded in history, but the kind that make up the fabric of life.\u00a0 To Ben, however, that fabric was not the plain homespun it might have seemed to outsiders; to him, it was tapestry so beautiful it might have graced the palace of a king.<\/p>\n

The trading season began with a boom.\u00a0 In earlier years Ben and Clyde had enjoyed the luxury of slow preparation for the supply-depleted emigrant trains that arrived each summer, eager to purchase whatever provisions were available.\u00a0 There\u2019d been time to plant crops, travel over the mountains to lay in supplies, even harvest some of the produce, before the first customers darkened the door to the trading post.<\/p>\n

This year, however, Ben and Clyde had customers to service almost as soon as they brought their first load of supplies across the Sierra Nevadas.\u00a0 There\u2019d always been a few prospectors, of course, who traveled eastward with the first thaw, hoping to find in Utah the El Dorado that had evaded them in California.\u00a0 This spring, Ben estimated, almost two hundred men were searching nearby ravines for traces of color; and while the miners had brought supplies with them, they soon needed more.\u00a0 Most patronized the trading post at Eagle Station or Spafford Hall\u2019s place at the mouth of the ravine where they were prospecting, but a significant number made the longer trip to give their business to Ben and Clyde.\u00a0 As Billy had pointed out on his advertising ventures, the miners\u2019 gold dust bought more beans and bacon at their trading post than in the others.<\/p>\n

Billy and Adam didn\u2019t need to advertise to keep their fathers busy this year; and that was just as well, for with the men occupied in almost full-time merchandising, to the boys fell the responsibility of the garden.\u00a0 Adam accepted it proudly, enjoying the feeling that he was contributing to the family income.\u00a0 Billy, on the other hand, mourned for the carefree freedom of the previous summer.\u00a0 \u201cPa finally gets me a horse,\u201d he grumbled, \u201cand I got too much hoein\u2019 to take time to ride!\u201d<\/p>\n

The hoeing paid off, though, when the boys harvested the first green beans and turnip greens.\u00a0 Not only did they enjoy the fresh vegetables after a long winter of mostly meat and potatoes, but they had enough to sell.\u00a0 Once the word spread, miners flocked to the Cartwright-Thomas trading post, as well as to Mormon Station, for the other traders didn\u2019t bother growing produce.<\/p>\n

One afternoon a pair of blond-haired, blue-eyed youths walked in.\u00a0 \u201cWe heard you had fresh garden greens,\u201d the taller of the two said.<\/p>\n

Ben smiled at the ruddy-cheeked Grosch brothers.\u00a0 \u201cHosea, Ethan,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cI hadn\u2019t heard you were back in the territory.\u201d\u00a0 The Grosch brothers had done some prospecting the spring of 1851, but hadn\u2019t returned the following year.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, we\u2019re back,\u201d Ethan Allan replied.<\/p>\n

\u201cHavin\u2019 any luck?\u201d Clyde asked amiably.<\/p>\n

\u201cEnough to buy fresh beans, if you have them,\u201d Hosea Ballou chuckled.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, you\u2019re in luck,\u201d Clyde said, nodding as Adam and Billy carried a basket of green pods through the door.\u00a0 \u201cJust got in a fresh shipment.\u201d\u00a0 He slapped his knee, more tickled by his own joke than anyone else was.<\/p>\n

\u201cA couple of sturdy young freighters you have here,\u201d Ethan grinned.<\/p>\n

\u201cHi, Mr. Grosch,\u201d Adam smiled back.\u00a0 He remembered the personable brothers from two summers back.\u00a0 They\u2019d always spoken kindly to him, and he liked them.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe beans look wonderful,\u201d Hosea put in.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll take three pounds, please.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cForget the beans,\u201d a thick voice slurred from the corner.\u00a0 \u201cTake my advice and have some of this top notch beer.\u00a0 Valley Tan don\u2019t hold a candle to it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben frowned.\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t counted on attracting customers like James Finney when he\u2019d brought back two kegs of Stef\u00e1n Zuebner\u2019s home-brewed beer, but Finney seemed to have a built-in magnet for liquor.\u00a0 The beer was good, and Ben didn\u2019t mind stocking some for the miners in the community, but he had no intention of running a saloon for the likes of James Finney.\u00a0 Fortunately, the man was rarely a successful enough miner to afford the price of a drink.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe beer is good quality,\u201d Ben said quietly, \u201cif you boys would care to try a glass.\u00a0 A friend of ours over in Placerville brews it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you, but no,\u201d Ethan Allan refused graciously.\u00a0 \u201cOur father, being a minister, didn\u2019t allow us to touch spirits, and we\u2019ve never acquired the taste.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded, respecting the Grosches even more than before.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t help wishing Finney had had a father like theirs.<\/p>\n

Clyde handed the older Grosch brother the beans he\u2019d weighed out.\u00a0 \u201cAnything else, fellers?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are a little low on cornmeal and bacon,\u201d Hosea said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow \u2018bout eggs?\u00a0 We got half a dozen we could spare,\u201d Clyde offered.<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, yes, that would be a treat,\u201d Ethan said.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll take them, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Finney stumbled across the room to slap Ethan on the back.\u00a0 \u201cYou fellers must be makin\u2019 out good to buy such fancy grub,\u201d he sputtered.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe just came well prepared,\u201d Hosea said calmly.\u00a0 \u201cWe intend to prospect in a scientific manner, and that takes time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHosea!\u201d his brother interrupted sharply.\u00a0 \u201cThere is no need to bore these gentlemen with our plans.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s ears had pricked up at the word \u2018scientific.\u2019\u00a0 \u201cCould I come see you sometime?\u201d he asked eagerly.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam,\u201d Ben chided softly.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s all right, Mr. Cartwright,\u201d Ethan said quickly.\u00a0 \u201cOf course, Adam, you will be welcome any time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t you boys have more beans to pick?\u201d Clyde asked pointedly.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir,\u201d Billy moaned, \u201cand corn to hoe.\u201d\u00a0 Shuffling outside, Billy grabbed Adam\u2019s elbow.\u00a0 \u201cWhat you aim to do at the Grosches?\u201d he demanded.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just want to find out what they meant by scientific mining,\u201d Adam explained.<\/p>\n

Billy groaned.\u00a0 \u201cI might\u2019ve known.\u00a0 Always playin\u2019 the smarty britches.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I\u2019d rather have smart britches than be a dumb donkey,\u201d Adam snapped.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, go grab a hoe,\u201d Billy grumbled.\u00a0 \u201cI ain\u2019t fixin\u2019 to fuss today and chance missin\u2019 that peach cobbler Ma\u2019s makin\u2019 for supper.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam grinned, in total agreement with Billy on that point, if on no other.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cAnd they have all this equipment to test the ore with,\u201d Adam mumbled.\u00a0 Having been given time off from his chores, he had been to visit the Grosch brothers that Saturday afternoon and could hardly contain his enthusiasm for the information about mining he\u2019d gleaned.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t talk with your mouth full,\u201d Ben chided gently.<\/p>\n

Adam chewed his current mouthful carefully and swallowed before speaking again.\u00a0 \u201cThey tested some while I was there, too, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, was it high quality ore?\u201d Ben asked, amused, but proud of his son\u2019s perpetual quest for new knowledge.<\/p>\n

Adam shook his head knowingly.\u00a0 \u201cIt showed some color,\u201d he stated, \u201cbut not enough to rate it a bonanza.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBonanza?\u201d Ben queried.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what Old Frank said,\u201d Adam explained.\u00a0 Old Frank Antonio was a Mexican who, some said, knew more about mining than all the other prospectors thrown together.\u00a0 \u201cHe said a bonanza is what they call a really fine strike, the kind that\u2019ll make men rich.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI see,\u201d Ben said, reaching over the wipe Hoss\u2019s messy face.\u00a0 \u201cYou through, baby?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMo\u2019 peas, Pa,\u201d Hoss demanded.\u00a0 \u201cTaters, too.\u201d\u00a0 Now that he was almost three, Hoss\u2019s vocabulary was growing rapidly, especially in words that designated foods.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa, you speak Spanish, don\u2019t you?\u201d Adam asked as his father dished the requested items into Hoss\u2019s plate.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome,\u201d Ben replied, then chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cI didn\u2019t know \u2018bonanza,\u2019 and that\u2019s Spanish, isn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam grinned.\u00a0 \u201cYeah.\u00a0 I was just wondering \u2018cause Old Frank said something else I didn\u2019t understand, but Mr. Ethan wouldn\u2019t let him explain.\u00a0 You know what \u2018mucha plata<\/em>\u2019 means?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s brow wrinkled in thought; then he shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cSorry, Adam, but I don\u2019t.\u00a0 I think \u2018mucha<\/em>\u2019 means \u2018much,\u2019 but I don\u2019t recognize the other word.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGold, maybe?\u201d Adam suggested.<\/p>\n

\u201cBen laughed.\u00a0 \u201cMercy, no!\u00a0 The word for gold is \u2018oro<\/em>;\u2019 that much I know.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cI just couldn\u2019t figure out why Mr. Ethan didn\u2019t want me to know, unless it had to do with gold they\u2019d found.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben tweaked Adam\u2019s classic Roman nose.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe he thought a certain little boy was sticking this too far into his business.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Pa,\u201d Adam snorted.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s not it.\u00a0 He showed me all his mining books and everything.\u00a0 They got a whole shelf full, Pa!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll on mining?\u201d Ben asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Adam said, his eyes wide with wonder at the memory of the rough plank sagging beneath the weight of all those books.\u00a0 \u201cI asked if I could borrow one, but\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam,\u201d Ben scolded.\u00a0 \u201cI thought I\u2019d taught you better manners than that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam gulped.\u00a0 \u201cI guess I got a little excited, Pa, but it doesn\u2019t matter.\u00a0 Mr. Hosea said the books would be too techni\u2014\u2014well, hard\u2014\u2014for me, anyway.\u00a0 I looked at one, and he was right.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou help me get these dishes cleaned up and I\u2019ll read you some Shakespeare,\u201d Ben offered.\u00a0 \u201cI dare say, you\u2019ll enjoy that more than any dry mining text, my boy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam stood at once and began to clear the table.\u00a0 The night before his father had left off reading Macbeth at an exciting part, and he was eager to see how the play ended.<\/p>\n

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

The population of western Utah increased in early June with the arrival of several settlers from Salt Lake City.\u00a0 \u201cBrigham Young\u2019s scared spitless us gentiles is gonna have some say in our own government,\u201d Clyde groused.\u00a0 \u201cSo scared he\u2019s got to send in fresh recruits.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben turned from the shelf where he was busily arranging tins of oysters and salmon.\u00a0 He\u2019d brought back a few on his last trip west to test the market among the miners, who seemed to relish such things as an occasional treat.\u00a0 \u201cHe didn\u2019t send enough to make much difference, my friend,\u201d Ben said, his lips twitching<\/p>\n

But there was no appeasing Clyde Thomas.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019ll be more,\u201d he prophesied morosely and went back to studying Ben\u2019s last move on the chessboard they kept set up in the trading post.\u00a0 He and Ben had been taking turns handling the supplies and moving their chess pieces; but so far Ben, with his annoying habit of quickly countering Clyde\u2019s long-pondered moves, was doing more of the actual work of the trading post.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe,\u201d Ben mused, turning back to his task, \u201cbut from what the Ellises said, the governor didn\u2019t want to send too many, lest they be corrupted by the lust for gold.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAin\u2019t workin\u2019 too well with them, is it?\u201d Clyde taunted.<\/p>\n

Ben chuckled.\u00a0 Laura and James Ellis had taken up land less than two miles from the canyon where most of the mining activity was taking place.\u00a0 Like Clyde, Ben suspected the temptation to neglect the needs of their farm to go prospecting might prove too strong.\u00a0 The Ellises seemed like sound folk, however, as witnessed by the sturdy log cabin they were building\u2014\u2014a far cry from the huts of canvas and sagebrush the miners generally erected.\u00a0 Maybe, if they did succumb to gold fever, they\u2019d get over it quickly and settle down to become good neighbors.<\/p>\n

Absorbed in their own thoughts, neither Ben nor Clyde noticed the entrance of a third man until his long shadow fell across the chessboard.\u00a0 Clyde looked up to see Paul Martin, one of the valley\u2019s newer residents, staring at the game pieces.\u00a0 \u201cGot a customer, Ben,\u201d Clyde drawled dourly and bent over once more to study the board.<\/p>\n

Ben smiled as he recognized the smooth-featured man, whose weary, shuffling walk made him seem so much older than Ben knew he could be.\u00a0 Though probably only a few years older than Ben, the miner\u2019s dark brown hair was already touched with silver at the temples.\u00a0 \u201cWhat can I help you with, Mr. Martin?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cCoffee,\u201d Martin replied laconically.\u00a0 His words, like his soundless step, always seemed calculated to draw the least possible attention to himself.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow much?\u201d Ben queried.<\/p>\n

Martin seemed lost in his appraisal of the chessboard.\u00a0 \u201cHuh?\u201d he said, his attention jerking back to Ben.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow much coffee did you want?\u201d Ben repeated patiently.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh\u2014uh\u2014about three pounds, I guess,\u201d Martin mumbled, frowning as he saw Clyde move his rook with a satisfied grin and stand up.\u00a0 Martin shook his head in evident disapproval of Clyde\u2019s decision.<\/p>\n

Ben caught the gesture at once.\u00a0 It was the first time he\u2019d seen the tall miner show interest in anything.\u00a0 Usually, Martin\u2019s gray eyes seemed sad, almost haunted, but a spark of life had flickered in them while he watched the board.\u00a0 Scooping out three pounds of coffee beans, Ben asked.\u00a0 \u201cDo you play chess, Mr. Martin?\u201d<\/p>\n

Martin shrugged as he took the small paper cone of coffee beans.\u00a0 \u201cUsed to.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLike to play you sometime,\u201d Ben suggested.<\/p>\n

\u201cI ain\u2019t givin\u2019 you enough competition, am I?\u201d Clyde snorted.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot with moves like that one,\u201d Ben laughed as he walked from the behind the counter, moved one piece and announced, \u201cCheckmate, my friend.\u201d\u00a0 A trace of a smile touched Martin\u2019s lips and he gave Ben an almost imperceptible nod of approval.<\/p>\n

\u201cDoggone!\u201d Clyde sputtered.\u00a0 \u201cNow, why didn\u2019t I see that comin\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMartin did,\u201d Ben replied with a maddening grin.\u00a0 He softened his expression as he addressed the miner.\u00a0 \u201cBoard\u2019s available, if you\u2019d like a match,\u201d he offered.<\/p>\n

\u201cUh\u2014no\u2014uh\u2014got to be going,\u201d Martin stammered.\u00a0 \u201cWork to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s smile faded.\u00a0 Of all the men who\u2019d come east this spring, Paul Martin seemed the least likely to succeed as a miner.\u00a0 The newly-formed blisters on his hands revealed that he wasn\u2019t used to handling a pick and pan, and he never spoke about making a big strike the way most miners did.\u00a0 Martin seemed satisfied to pan just enough to keep himself fed, though from the way his clothes hung on him, not as well as he\u2019d been accustomed to.\u00a0 Ben knew the fumbled statement of having work to do was simply an excuse to avoid human contact.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy not come by my place this Saturday evening then?\u201d Ben suggested quietly.\u00a0 \u201cHave a bite to eat and a good game?\u00a0 A man deserves a little entertainment after a hard week\u2019s work.\u201d<\/p>\n

Martin started to shake his head, but Ben continued before he had a chance to decline the invitation.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019d be doing me a favor,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d relish a good, challenging game for a change.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHumph!\u201d Clyde snorted.\u00a0 \u201cGuess I know when I ain\u2019t appreciated.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben frowned, but ignored the comment.\u00a0 He\u2019d deal with Clyde\u2019s ruffled feathers later.\u00a0 \u201cHow about it?\u201d he pressed the miner.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, okay,\u201d Martin muttered, clutching his package of coffee with tense fingers and exiting quickly.<\/p>\n

\u201cReckon I ought to be grateful to you for puttin\u2019 up with my poor play long as you did,\u201d Clyde grumbled when the miner had left.<\/p>\n

Ben laid a firm hand on his friend\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s got nothing to do with the way you play, Clyde,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cFor a beginner you do real well, but that man\u2019s in need of company.\u00a0 A miner\u2019s lot is a lonely one, but he carries it to extremes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clyde grinned.\u00a0 \u201cThem two boys ain\u2019t handful enough, huh?\u00a0 You got to play mother hen to every lost soul comes along?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cSomeone has to.\u00a0 Now, seeing as how the sun\u2019s directly overhead, I suggest we see what your good wife has prepared for us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI already know,\u201d Clyde groaned.\u00a0 \u201cShe\u2019s over to Eliza Ann\u2019s this morning.\u00a0 Beans, bah!\u201d<\/p>\n

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

\u201cPut your books away and set the table, Adam,\u201d Ben dictated Saturday evening just as the sun was setting.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m almost done, Pa,\u201d Adam murmured, not looking up from his arithmetic book.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam, put it away,\u201d Ben ordered more sharply.<\/p>\n

There was no missing what that tone meant, so Adam promptly closed the book and slid it back onto the lowest bookshelf.\u00a0 Taking four tin plates from the cupboard, he set them on two sides of the table.\u00a0 \u201cSure smells good, Pa,\u201d he said approvingly.\u00a0 \u201cYou must really want to impress Mr. Martin.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cMostly, Adam, I just want to give him a good meal.\u00a0 I fancy he doesn\u2019t pan enough gold to buy more than beans and bacon.\u00a0 In fact, I know he doesn\u2019t unless he\u2019s been buying them from someone else.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss tugged on his father\u2019s pants leg.\u00a0 \u201cEat soon?\u201d he queried.\u00a0 Like Adam, he found the aroma of roasting sage grouse so appealing he couldn\u2019t wait to sink his teeth into it.<\/p>\n

Ben had gotten precise instructions from Nelly Thomas on how to make the dressing, and she\u2019d even measured out the spices he\u2019d need and wrapped them in a bit of cloth.\u00a0 That made the preparation even easier, and Ben felt confident the result would taste better than anything Paul Martin had eaten in months.<\/p>\n

Hoss yanked harder on his father\u2019s trousers.\u00a0 \u201cEat soon?\u201d he repeated more urgently.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs soon as our company comes,\u201d Ben said, giving the boy\u2019s tawny hair a kindly ruffle.\u00a0 Almost immediately a rap sounded on the cabin\u2019s door.\u00a0 \u201cGet that, would you, Adam?\u201d Ben asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cSure,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 He trotted to the door and opened it.\u00a0 \u201cCome in, Mr. Martin,\u201d he said politely.<\/p>\n

Paul Martin doffed his black felt hat and stepped inside, nodding a wordless greeting at the boy.<\/p>\n

\u201cWelcome, Martin,\u201d Ben said heartily.\u00a0 \u201cExcuse my not meeting you at the door, but this gravy needed a good stirring.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re having a great meal,\u201d Adam said sociably.\u00a0 \u201cRoast grouse with dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans and turnips.\u00a0 Aunt Nelly even sent a chocolate cake for dessert.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, and I\u2019m afraid my bachelor cooking will be hard put to live up to that,\u201d Ben laughed.<\/p>\n

A smile flitted across the miner\u2019s lips.\u00a0 \u201cFrom the smell, it\u2019s better than mine,\u201d Martin said appreciatively.<\/p>\n

Hoss toddled over to the stranger and held his pudgy arms up.\u00a0 Ben caught his breath, unsure how his reclusive guest would respond, but Hoss\u2019s sunny smile proved irresistible.\u00a0 Martin instinctively bent over and lifted the boy up in his arms.\u00a0 \u201cEat soon,\u201d Hoss promised cheerily.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd if you\u2019re an example, the eating\u2019s pretty good around here,\u201d Martin teased, giving Hoss\u2019s plump body a squeeze.\u00a0 Hoss immediately wrapped his arms around the miner\u2019s neck, and Martin laid his stubbled cheek tenderly against the youngster\u2019s soft, smooth one.\u00a0 \u201cQuite a hefty lad you have here, Cartwright,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a real armload all right,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cHard to believe he won\u2019t be three \u2018til the end of next month, and he\u2019s close to his older brother\u2019s weight already.\u00a0 Worries me a little, his growing so fast.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo need,\u201d Martin said with a knowledgeable air.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s large for his age, but\u2014\u201d\u00a0 As if suddenly wary of revealing more than he intended, Martin broke off.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou sound like a man with some experience of children,\u201d Ben probed gently.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome,\u201d Martin said, but offered no explanation.<\/p>\n

Ben thought it better not to push.\u00a0 \u201cWell, take a chair,\u201d he suggested.\u00a0 \u201cDinner\u2019ll be on the table right away.\u201d\u00a0 He had intended the two boys to sit on one side of the table, so Adam could help Hoss while the two men enjoyed undisturbed conversation; however, Martin intuitively placed Hoss in the longer-legged chair that helped him reach the table, then sat next to him, seeming to want to remain close to the little one.\u00a0 Not so surprising, Ben realized.\u00a0 Most of the miners cherished the rare glimpse of a small child, and Hoss\u2019s openness could be absolutely disarming.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou might want to reconsider where you\u2019re sitting,\u201d Ben suggested softly.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s a pretty messy eater.\u201d<\/p>\n

Martin gave the child\u2019s hand a little pat.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll get along, won\u2019t we\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss,\u201d Ben inserted, realizing Martin had faltered, not knowing the child\u2019s name.<\/p>\n

Martin laughed for the first time that Ben had ever heard him.\u00a0 \u201cFits him like a glove.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled.\u00a0 \u201cYeah.\u00a0 His real name\u2019s Eric, but his brother Adam here insisted we call him Hoss, and it\u2019s sort of stuck.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was Uncle Gunnar\u2019s idea,\u201d Adam corrected.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I know, son,\u201d Ben said, setting the grouse on the table.\u00a0 \u201cMy wife\u2019s brother,\u201d he explained for Martin\u2019s benefit.<\/p>\n

Soon the other foods filled the table and after saying a brief grace, Ben told his guest to help himself.\u00a0 Adam politely let company go first, but Hoss hungrily reached toward the dish of roast fowl.\u00a0 Martin smiled and forked a small piece into the boy\u2019s plate.\u00a0 \u201cDoes he need that cut?\u201d he asked Ben.<\/p>\n

Ben shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019ll just use his fingers anyway, I\u2019m afraid.\u00a0 Hoss handles a spoon well enough, but forks seem beyond him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPerfectly natural,\u201d Martin said, that informed tone in his voice once more.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat did you do in the States?\u201d Ben asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cMinded my own business,\u201d Martin said gruffly, then blushed at the rudeness he heard in his own voice.<\/p>\n

Ben had been shocked by the response, for his question was one of the most common ways to open a conversation with a new acquaintance.\u00a0 All the miners had followed some other vocation before coming west, and most waxed nostalgic at the mention of their former lives.\u00a0 Only men with shady pasts tended to be evasive in the free and easy mining country, but Paul Martin didn\u2019t look like the kind of man who should have had something to hide.\u00a0 \u201cSorry, didn\u2019t mean to pry,\u201d Ben said quickly.\u00a0 \u201cI just thought, with your understanding of youngsters, you might have been a schoolteacher.\u201d\u00a0 Then Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cThough I guess that wouldn\u2019t give you much experience with lads Hoss\u2019s age, after all.\u201d<\/p>\n

Martin smiled slightly.\u00a0 \u201cNo, he\u2019s not quite school age.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI am,\u201d Adam announced, \u201cbut there\u2019s no teacher, so I have to study by myself.\u00a0 I wish you were a teacher, Mr. Martin; I\u2019d sure have questions to ask if you were.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam, I invited Mr. Martin here as my guest, not your instructor,\u201d Ben chided softly, then chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cMy boy here has an insatiable appetite for learning and no hesitance about asking anyone he meets to satisfy it.\u00a0 He\u2019s even been pestering the Grosch brothers to read their technical books on mining.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd chemistry.\u00a0 You know anything about chemistry, Mr. Martin?\u201d Adam added, completely ignoring his father\u2019s admonition about pumping their guest for new knowledge.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome,\u201d Martin said, \u201cbut mostly the organic variety.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHuh?\u201d<\/p>\n

Martin smiled.\u00a0 \u201cThe kind that has to do with living things, son.\u00a0 Inorganic chemistry deals with minerals, like the books you were looking at.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cI didn\u2019t know there were two kinds.\u00a0 I\u2019ll remember that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cHe will, too,\u201d then with a pointed look at his son, \u201cjust as I\u2019m sure he\u2019ll remember his manners, if he tries hard enough.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam gulped and turned his attention to his plate.<\/p>\n

\u201cMighty fine meal,\u201d Martin said.\u00a0 \u201cBest I\u2019ve had in some time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPa said it would be,\u201d Adam offered.<\/p>\n

Ben groaned and rolled his eyes toward the ceiling, but Paul Martin just laughed.\u00a0 \u201cYou never know what they\u2019ll say at that age, do you?\u201d he said, clearly bemused by Ben\u2019s embarrassed expression.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2014uh\u2014figured it was something like that.\u00a0 You needn\u2019t feel sorry for me, though, Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben coughed once to cover his discomposure.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m just afraid you\u2019ll end up feeling sorry for me at the end of our chess match.\u00a0\u00a0 I haven\u2019t had a challenging opponent since I left St. Joseph; I\u2019m probably rusty as nails left in the rain.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m looking forward to it,\u201d Martin said, helping Hoss to a second helping of potatoes and gravy after wiping most of the boy\u2019s first off his face.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I\u2019m ready,\u201d Ben announced, \u201cso we\u2019ll leave Adam to clear the table while I set up the board.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam frowned.\u00a0 Washing dishes was not his idea of the best way to spend an evening, but he knew better than to argue.\u00a0 \u201cHurry up and finish,\u201d he hissed to Hoss as he gathered the other plates from the table.<\/p>\n

\u201cShouldn\u2019t rush him,\u201d Martin mumbled.\u00a0 \u201cBad for digestion.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam sighed and sat down to watch Hoss\u2019s slow mastication of his food.\u00a0 Mr. Martin was probably right, but he didn\u2019t know how poky Hoss could be.<\/p>\n

The chess match had barely begun before Ben found himself as badly outclassed as Clyde Thomas was when he played with Ben.\u00a0 Ben lost the first game quickly, but managed to hold his own longer before succumbing to Martin\u2019s superior gamesmanship in the second.\u00a0 \u201cWell, that\u2019s enough for tonight,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re a better player than the man who taught me, Martin.\u201d<\/p>\n

Martin smiled, both in satisfaction at the compliment and in encouragement to Ben.\u00a0 \u201cHe taught you well, whoever he was.\u00a0 I\u2014uh\u2014enjoyed the evening, Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEnough to come back, I hope,\u201d Ben urged.\u00a0 \u201cYou owe me a rematch, my friend.\u00a0 Next Saturday?\u201d<\/p>\n

Martin hesitated for only a moment.\u00a0 \u201cAll right,\u201d he said quietly.\u00a0 \u201cNext Saturday.\u201d<\/p>\n

As he lay in bed that night, arms folded under his neck, Ben congratulated himself on the success of the evening, but he found himself more puzzled than ever about his new friend.\u00a0 The man had opened up a little tonight, but then he\u2019d closed shut again, as though a curtain had dropped on a play moments after its beginning.\u00a0 Behind that curtain loomed some secret Martin seemed determined to hide, but Ben didn\u2019t think it was a sinister one.\u00a0 What, then, could make this urbane, well-spoken, intelligent man build such a wall of silence and solitude?\u00a0 His love of chess had opened a crack in his defenses, and Ben had managed to wedge a toe in that crack.\u00a0\u00a0 Hopefully, weekly visits in his home would widen it.<\/p>\n

CHAPTER FOURTEEN<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u201cWhoopee!\u201d Billy yelled, tossing his hoe out of the garden.\u00a0 As Adam finished hilling the final stalk of corn on his row, he grinned at his friend.\u00a0 He, too, was glad the time had come to let the corn lay by \u2018til harvest.\u00a0 Both Ben and Clyde had promised their boys the day off as soon as they finished, and Billy had sweet-talked his mother into packing them a picnic lunch.<\/p>\n

Billy was already charging up to the cabin to claim the sandwiches, so Adam dutifully picked up the hoe the impulsive redhead had abandoned and took it to the blacksmith shop where all tools were stored.\u00a0 \u201cDone, are you?\u201d Clyde asked when Adam entered.\u00a0 \u201cAnd that ornery scamp of mine left you to put things up, did he?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam shrugged, not wanting to get Billy in trouble.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s fetching our picnic lunch,\u201d he offered as explanation.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right,\u201d Clyde said.\u00a0 \u201cBest let your Pa know before you take off.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI will,\u201d Adam said and walked over to the trading post.\u00a0 \u201cMe and Billy\u2019s headin\u2019 out, Pa,\u201d he called from the doorway.<\/p>\n

Ben looked up from the table where he was trying to calculate a fair price for the latest supplies they\u2019d brought in from California.\u00a0 \u201cWhere you headed?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust downriver, I reckon,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cWe don\u2019t have any real plan, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled.\u00a0 \u201cWell, sometimes it\u2019s more relaxing when you don\u2019t plan too hard.\u00a0 Think you might do some fishing?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe,\u201d Adam said.<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing doing!\u201d Billy snickered from behind Adam.\u00a0 \u201cSounds too much like work.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben guffawed.\u00a0 \u201cFishing?\u00a0 Oh, come on now, Billy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI like to fish,\u201d Adam argued.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t want to sit still and concentrate on bringin\u2019 home supper,\u201d Billy declared.\u00a0 \u201cI want to ride like the wind and put that fool garden miles behind me.\u201d\u00a0 He punched Adam\u2019s arm and leaned over to whisper in his ear.\u00a0 \u201cCome on; let\u2019s get out of here before the pest wakes up and bawls to go along.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam nodded.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t want Hoss along any more than Billy did.\u00a0 Watching the baby was far more likely to turn the afternoon\u2019s fun into work than fishing!\u00a0 He turned and trotted after Billy.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou boys ride careful,\u201d Ben called.\u00a0 Both boys waved back an assurance that they would.<\/p>\n

Had Ben seen the races the two boys ran up and down and across the river, he probably would not have considered their horsemanship careful.\u00a0 Each, however, had too much respect and affection for his horse to run reckless risks.\u00a0 With the exuberance of youth, Billy and Adam galloped in spirited competitions, with the victories split almost half and half, and by the time they stopped for lunch, Billy\u2019s wildly tousled hair testified that he had stirred up as much wind as even he could desire.\u00a0 Adam\u2019s didn\u2019t look much better, but neither boy cared.\u00a0 They dropped, exhausted, by the banks of the Carson, letting the horses crop the lush meadow grass while their owners grazed through a succession of roast beef and cheese sandwiches, topping the meal off with a fried peach pie apiece.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou wanna race some more?\u201d Billy asked, licking the last traces of pastry from his lips.<\/p>\n

Adam sprawled flat on his stomach.\u00a0 \u201cNope.\u201d<\/p>\n

Billy poked a freckled finger in Adam\u2019s ribs.\u00a0 \u201cYou gotta give me a chance to catch up, boy.\u201d\u00a0 Adam was one race ahead.<\/p>\n

Adam lifted his head to grin triumphantly at his friend.\u00a0 \u201cI like the score the way it is,\u201d he snickered.\u00a0 \u201cBesides, I\u2019m tired of riding.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow can you be,\u201d Billy whined, \u201cwhen we ain\u2019t had a day off \u2018til now to do none?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI ride every day,\u201d Adam yawned.<\/p>\n

Billy frowned.\u00a0 \u201cJust to our place,\u201d he argued.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s not much of a ride.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI satisfy easy,\u201d Adam yawned again and rolled over onto his back.\u00a0 \u201cAnd what would satisfy me best right now is a nap.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNap!\u201d Billy hollered.\u00a0 \u201cYou gotta be kidding!\u00a0 I knew I should\u2019ve brought Hoss, instead.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWelcome to ride back and get him,\u201d Adam offered, pulling his brown felt hat over his eyes.\u00a0 He knew an empty threat when he heard one.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey!\u00a0 What\u2019s that?\u201d Billy yelled.<\/p>\n

Adam lifted the hat from his face and looked in the direction of Billy\u2019s pointing finger.\u00a0 \u201cDust,\u201d he said, lowering the hat.<\/p>\n

Billy grabbed the hat and tossed it aside.\u00a0 \u201cKind of a lot of dust, wouldn\u2019t you say?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam sat up.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, I guess so.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t reckon the first emigrant train has got here this early, do you?\u201d Billy puzzled.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not even July yet,\u201d Adam scoffed.\u00a0 \u201cMight be more of them Mormon colonists, though.\u00a0 They don\u2019t have so far to come.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf that\u2019s Mormons, it\u2019s a passel of \u2018em,\u201d Billy declared.\u00a0 Suddenly, his face lighted.\u00a0 \u201cHey!\u00a0 I know what it is!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, what?\u201d Adam asked dubiously.<\/p>\n

Billy stood over his friend, arms akimbo.\u00a0 \u201cWhen\u2019s the last time you seen dust clouds that big?\u201d he demanded.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cWhen that Wootton feller brought that herd of sheep through last spring!\u201d Billy announced exultantly.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll bet he\u2019s back!\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam sat up, looking more intently at the clouds of dust swirling in the distance across the river.\u00a0 \u201cMight be,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, that just might be a flock of woollies.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s go see,\u201d Billy ordered.\u00a0 \u201cOur folks\u2019ll want to know about something that size, whatever it is.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay,\u201d Adam agreed, his curiosity now burning almost as intensely as the other boy\u2019s.<\/p>\n

They mounted quickly and walked their horses across the river before breaking into a gallop.\u00a0 Billy evidently intended to make a race of it, and having a head start, he reached the destination before Adam.\u00a0 \u201cHowdy, mister,\u201d he called out to the stranger riding at the head of the herd of sheep.<\/p>\n

The man doffed his hat, revealing a head of hair that was thinning on top, but fuller below, reaching almost to his broad shoulders.\u00a0 \u201cHowdy, son,\u201d he yelled back.\u00a0 \u201cWhere you from?\u201d<\/p>\n

Billy pointed in a vaguely westward direction.\u00a0 \u201cYou workin\u2019 for Wootton?\u201d he asked sociably.<\/p>\n

\u201cUncle Dick Wootton?\u201d the man asked.\u00a0 \u201cYou know him, boy?\u201d<\/p>\n

Billy pulled his horse alongside the man\u2019s just as Adam rode up.\u00a0 \u201cSure, we know Uncle Dick,\u201d Billy said.\u00a0 \u201cGuess you do, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

The man laughed.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, real well, from the time he was a young whippersnapper back at Bent\u2019s Fort.\u00a0 Me and Uncle Dick was huntin\u2019 partners for a time.\u00a0 So, how is it you younguns know him?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe met him last spring when he brought a flock of sheep through here,\u201d Adam explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I knew about that,\u201d the man said.\u00a0 \u201cFact is, it was Uncle Dick convinced me to bring a herd over myself.\u00a0 Well, boys, seein\u2019 as how you\u2019re friends of a friend, so to speak, I reckon we ought to make our introductions.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m Billy Thomas,\u201d Billy announced, \u201cand he\u2019s Adam Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPleased to make your acquaintance,\u201d the stranger said, a twinkle in his clear blue eyes.\u00a0 \u201cName\u2019s Christopher Carson.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s black eyes all but popped out of his head. \u00a0\u201cNot K\u2014Kit Carson?\u201d he stammered, awestruck.<\/p>\n

\u201cGuilty as charged,\u201d Carson chuckled, \u201cthough I hope I\u2019ve not been charged with anything too serious.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, sir!\u201d Adam exclaimed.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot the one they named this whole blamed valley after,\u201d Billy babbled.\u00a0 \u201cNot that Kit Carson.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m afraid so, son,\u201d Carson said, \u201cand it\u2019s right honored I am to have my name fixed to so fine a place.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, you were one of the first to see it, along with Captain Fr\u00e9mont,\u201d Adam declared.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s only right and proper.\u201d<\/p>\n

Carson gazed nostalgically toward the Sierras looming over the valley floor.\u00a0 \u201cThose were fine days, when I was with Fr\u00e9mont,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cWish I had time to tell you boys about them, but I\u2019ve got a herd to tend.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCome to supper to our place,\u201d Billy said impulsively, \u201cand tell us all about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Carson laughed loud.\u00a0 \u201cNow, don\u2019t tempt me, boy.\u00a0 I\u2019ve been eating trail grub so long, I\u2019m an easy mark for the offer of a home-cooked meal.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou wouldn\u2019t turn it down if you\u2019d ever tasted my ma\u2019s dried apple pie,\u201d Billy grinned.<\/p>\n

\u201cDried apple pie,\u201d Carson mused, licking his lips.\u00a0 \u201cAnybody ever tell you you got natural talent as a tempter, boy?\u00a0 Sure your folks won\u2019t mind?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, sir.\u201d\u00a0 It was Adam who answered this time.\u00a0 He figured all the meals he\u2019d shared at the Thomas table made him an expert on Nelly Thomas\u2019s hospitality.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I\u2019ll take you up on it,\u201d Carson smiled, \u201cif you\u2019ll give me directions.\u201d<\/p>\n

Billy quickly told the famous explorer where to find the cabin; then he and Adam rode home to give Nelly warning that she\u2019d have extra guests for dinner.\u00a0 \u201cUs, too,\u201d Adam told Billy.\u00a0 \u201cShe\u2019ll ask, and Pa won\u2019t turn down a chance to meet Kit Carson!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cReckon not!\u201d Billy agreed.\u00a0 \u201cCome on; first one back gets to spread the news.\u201d\u00a0 Kicking his roan colt\u2019s flanks, he charged ahead.\u00a0 Adam grinned and gave chase.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cJust help yourself, Mr. Carson,\u201d Nelly babbled, clearly flustered by serving such a famous guest.\u00a0 \u201cI know the food\u2019s not fancy, but there\u2019s plenty of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kit Carson flashed the frazzled woman a friendly grin as he filled his blue crockery plate, Nelly having set out her Sunday dishes in his honor.\u00a0 \u201cMa\u2019am, I believe you\u2019ve gone to entirely too much trouble, but I surely plan to enjoy every bite.\u00a0 I can\u2019t even remember when I last had chicken and dumplings.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nelly blushed.\u00a0 \u201cWell, it\u2019s easy to make on short notice.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut it\u2019s the best, Ma,\u201d Billy declared loyally.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, shush now,\u201d his mother ordered, her face flaming redder.<\/p>\n

\u201cTruth should be spoken, ma\u2019am,\u201d Carson said.\u00a0 \u201cThis is every bit as good as my ma used to make, and nobody cooks like a boy\u2019s ma, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou promised to tell us about your expedition with Captain Fr\u00e9mont,\u201d Adam said, helping himself to chicken and dumplings.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, Adam, let Mr. Carson enjoy his dinner,\u201d Ben chided.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I can eat and talk, too,\u201d Carson laughed, \u201cand I\u2019ve got to earn a dinner this good.\u00a0 Well, first off, son, he wasn\u2019t Captain Fr\u00e9mont when I first met him.\u00a0 He was a lieutenant with the United States Topographical Corps in those days and a man with a big dream.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLike you, Pa,\u201d Adam declared.<\/p>\n

\u201cHush, Adam,\u201d Ben said, as eager as the boys to hear the explorer\u2019s reminiscences.\u00a0 \u201cPlease go on, Mr. Carson.\u201d<\/p>\n

Carson winked at Adam.\u00a0 \u201cI went on three expeditions with Lieutenant Fr\u00e9mont,\u201d he said, \u201cand I don\u2019t reckon there\u2019s time to tell all that tonight.\u00a0 I figure you folks would be most interested in the time we spent here in your part of the country.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah!\u201d Billy said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was our second expedition,\u201d Carson continued, \u201cthe first being a short trip with orders to map South Pass.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe know where that is!\u201d Billy announced proudly.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018Course you do, son; all the emigrant trains pass through there,\u201d Carson agreed amiably.\u00a0 \u201cEasiest way across the Rockies.\u00a0 We were hoping to find a shorter, quicker route, but didn\u2019t have enough time to do a proper job of it and follow orders, too.\u00a0 That\u2019s one reason Fr\u00e9mont was so determined to go back.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was the summer of 1843, I believe,\u201d Ben commented.<\/p>\n

Carson looked impressed.\u00a0 \u201cThat it was, Mr. Cartwright.\u00a0 Lieutenant Fr\u00e9mont had hired me and Broken Hand Fitzpatrick as guides.\u00a0 Now, both of us were experienced mountain men, but neither of us knew a short way across the Rockies.\u00a0 It was all new territory to us.\u00a0 The lieutenant sent Broken Hand north over the emigrant route you folks must have traveled coming west; then he and I, with twelve others, turned west, looking for a pass.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you find it?\u201d Adam asked eagerly.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe traveled five days through some of the finest country God ever created,\u201d Carson said.\u00a0 \u201cTall mountains dark with pine, but full of sheer drops that made it an impractical route for wagons.\u00a0 We had a hard time ourselves, but finally came out to find a grassy river bottom covered with wildflowers.\u00a0 Prettiest sight I ever saw, saving my lovely wife\u2019s face.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, you\u2019re married,\u201d Nelly said, her brown eyes sparking with interest.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, Nelly, you\u2019re interruptin\u2019,\u201d Clyde rebuked.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t want Carson distracted from his story to answer any of Nelly\u2019s typically female questions.<\/p>\n

Carson smiled.\u00a0 \u201cTell you about her later, ma\u2019am.\u00a0 These boys look to be on the edge of their chairs.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe sure are,\u201d Billy said, \u201cand we don\u2019t want to hear about no wives.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMind your manners, boy,\u201d Clyde said sharply.\u00a0 It was one thing to feel the way he did, another to blurt it out before company.\u00a0 Billy slunk down in his seat, determined not to say another word.\u00a0 Tonight was no time to get banished from the table.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe met up with Fitzpatrick\u2019s party,\u201d Carson continued, \u201cand went on west.\u00a0 Just two days after Christmas we came to a point of decision.\u00a0 We had reached the southern border of Oregon, which fulfilled all our orders, so we could have just turned around and gone home.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut you didn\u2019t,\u201d Adam said triumphantly, \u201celse how would you have discovered\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam,\u201d Ben said, more sharply than before.\u00a0 \u201cQuit interrupting.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss, seated to Ben\u2019s left, reached up to tap his father\u2019s arm.\u00a0 \u201cShh!\u201d he demanded.\u00a0 \u201cWanna hear story.\u201d\u00a0 Everyone laughed, Carson loudest of all.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right, sonny,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cCome perch on my knee, and I\u2019ll tell it just for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

With a wide grin Hoss scooted out of his chair and claimed his perch on the former mountain man\u2019s buckskin-clad lap.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, as young Adam here said, we didn\u2019t turn back,\u201d Carson said.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019d been away from home for nine months; we were tired and hungry, and we\u2019d faced more than our share of hard times.\u00a0 But Lieutenant Fr\u00e9mont had a hunger to map new territory, to find the legendary Buenaventura River that was supposed to flow west through the mountains.\u00a0 So we headed south into the most God-forsaken desert country I\u2019d ever seen.\u00a0 For two weeks we struggled through that powdery, alkaline soil, wondering if we\u2019d ever see a green leaf again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy brother traveled that part of the country when he came west,\u201d Ben commented.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa!\u201d \u00a0\u201cUncle Ben!\u201d\u00a0 Both boys had been rebuked so many times for interrupting themselves that they were outraged when one of the adults did it.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, now,\u201d Carson appeased, \u201clet\u2019s just say whoever feels a need to say something can.\u00a0 It pleasures me to hear other voices besides my own.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cAll right, then.\u00a0 Interruptions being welcomed, I\u2019ll go first.\u00a0 My brother wrote back to St. Joe and advised me not to take that route.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood advice,\u201d Carson laughed, \u201cand I\u2019m sure you took it.\u00a0 There wasn\u2019t anyone to advise us, though, so we just trusted our lives to the care of Almighty God and He didn\u2019t fail us.\u00a0 Just when we thought we were doomed to starve to death in that desert, we came upon a huge lake and gorged ourselves on salmon trout.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI bet that was Pyramid Lake,\u201d Adam inserted.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was, son,\u201d Carson smiled.\u00a0 \u201cYou seen it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, we went up to visit Captain Truckee there,\u201d Adam replied eagerly.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe try to visit him each spring,\u201d Ben put in quickly, fearing Adam was about to launch into a full rendition of their own adventures.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve been taking the Paiutes a few beef ever since I started my herd.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cKind of you, sir,\u201d Carson said.\u00a0 \u201cThe chief did us a good turn, and I\u2019d like to return the favor.\u00a0 If you have time to make the trip up to Pyramid, I\u2019d be glad to leave a few of my sheep as a gift to my old friend.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d be glad to,\u201d Ben agreed.\u00a0 \u201cTruckee speaks with great warmth of Captain Fr\u00e9mont and is especially proud of the letter he gave him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss pulled on Carson\u2019s chin.\u00a0 \u201cStory!\u201d he demanded.<\/p>\n

Carson nodded solemnly.\u00a0 \u201cYes, sir!\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cOkay if Miss Nelly dishes me up a piece of pie first?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay,\u201d Hoss grinned.\u00a0 \u201cMe, too!\u201d<\/p>\n

Carson paused in his story long enough to take a bite of the dried apple pie.\u00a0 \u201cYour boy surely spoke the truth about this pie, ma\u2019am,\u201d he said enthusiastically.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s real good.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cReal good,\u201d Hoss echoed, his face already sticky with sweet syrup from his portion.<\/p>\n

Carson patted the boy\u2019s protruding belly.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, it\u2019s easy to see you\u2019ve had your fair share of Miss Nelly\u2019s fine cooking.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBoy, has he!\u201d Billy declared.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, back to my story,\u201d Carson said quickly.\u00a0 \u201cWe continued south, finally reaching the river you folks settled by.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Carson,\u201d Adam said.<\/p>\n

Carson laughed.\u00a0 \u201cWell, it didn\u2019t have a name then, but, yes, the Carson.\u00a0 We were low on food again and feeling pretty low down.\u00a0 Having come this far south, we knew for sure the Buenaventura was nothing but a river folks wished for, one that didn\u2019t exist outside men\u2019s dreams.\u00a0 We knew now we couldn\u2019t float into California like we\u2019d planned, but Fr\u00e9mont was still set on getting there.\u00a0 Camped there by the river, he told us he planned to cross the Sierras Nevadas on foot.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t good news.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy not?\u201d Billy demanded.<\/p>\n

\u201cRemember what time of year it was, son,\u201d Carson said patiently.\u00a0 \u201cIt was just past the middle of January, and no one had ever tried crossing the Sierras in winter.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh,\u201d Billy said.\u00a0 \u201cEverybody knows that\u2019s crazy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Carson laughed.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s how most of us felt, but I trusted Fr\u00e9mont, so I\u2019d\u2019ve gone anywhere he ordered.\u00a0 West we went, climbing over the first low mountains, coming into Antelope Valley.\u00a0 From there we could see the main range, snow-packed and sharp with ice.\u00a0 We made our way up for two days, leaving more and more of our personal gear behind.\u00a0 But we still had that infernal cannon.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat cannon?\u201d Billy asked, his blue eyes widening with renewed interest.<\/p>\n

\u201cA twelve-pound howitzer we\u2019d dragged all across the country,\u201d Carson said.\u00a0 \u201cYou see, Fr\u00e9mont and his father-in-law, Senator Benton, had a feeling we\u2019d be at war with Mexico by the time we reached California and thought the cannon might come in handy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd did it?\u00a0 In the war, I mean?\u201d Billy asked eagerly.<\/p>\n

Carson shook his head, chuckling.\u00a0 \u201cNo, son, after all our troubles, we finally had to leave it behind in the mountains.\u00a0 Still there, far as I know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhereabouts?\u201d Billy probed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s enough, boy,\u201d his father said bluntly.\u00a0 \u201cWe can\u2019t leave Fr\u00e9mont\u2019s whole party to freeze in the mountains while you talk artillery.\u00a0 Tell how you got out alive, Mr. Carson.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, two days into the mountains, our last Indian guide quit on us.\u00a0 \u2018Rock upon rock, snow upon snow,\u2019 he said and warned us we\u2019d never get out of those mountains.\u00a0 Fr\u00e9mont realized the Indian\u2019s words would prove true unless he found a trail, so he left everyone behind except me and Broken Hand.\u00a0 It was hard going, but we made it through.\u00a0 We came to a large snowless valley, and beyond it I could see a low range of mountains I knew were the ones bordering the coast of California.\u00a0 Though it had been fifteen years since I\u2019d been there, I recognized Mount Diablo.\u00a0 We went back for the other men, taking about twenty days to get them up to that peak again.\u00a0 Hard days they were, too, with men going snow-blind and getting so hungry they finally broke down and ate their pet dog, Klamath.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo!\u201d Hoss wailed, burying his face into Carson\u2019s shirt.<\/p>\n

The explorer\u2019s countenance dropped.\u00a0 \u201cGuess I should\u2019ve left that part out,\u201d he said apologetically.\u00a0 \u201cForgot what big ears little pitchers can have.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe has a pup of his own,\u201d Ben said by way of explanation.<\/p>\n

Carson patted the boy\u2019s heaving back.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, I understand,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cThe men with us were grown, but they cried, too, when they\u2014\u2014you know.\u00a0 Starving though they were, they\u2019d been saving scraps out of their own plates to keep that little dog alive, and it broke their hearts when they finally had to face the hard truth that it was him or them.\u00a0 Anyway, we finally made it to Sutter\u2019s Fort a month after we left the river here.\u00a0 We looked more like walking skeletons than living men, but we\u2019d proved the mountains could be crossed, even in winter.\u00a0 Only loss to the party, a twelve-pound cannon.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss peered up with red eyes.\u00a0 \u201cAnd a pup,\u201d he added mournfully.<\/p>\n

Carson gave him a squeeze.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, son, and a pup.\u00a0 A fine pup who gave his life so his masters could live.\u00a0 Klamath was the real hero of the expedition, you could say.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss nodded solemnly.\u00a0 Ben wasn\u2019t sure the boy really understood the concept of sacrifice at just under three years of age, but at that moment he appeared to.<\/p>\n

\u201cTell about the war in California now,\u201d Billy demanded.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, that came much later, and I\u2019m afraid I haven\u2019t time to start that story tonight,\u201d Carson said, setting Hoss down and standing.\u00a0 \u201cMa\u2019am, much as I\u2019d like to stay, I\u2019d better get back to those Mexican herders of mine and see that the flock\u2019s secure for the night.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA pleasure havin\u2019 you, Mr. Carson,\u201d Nelly said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou come back anytime,\u201d Clyde added as he escorted their guest to the door.<\/p>\n

\u201cMr. Carson,\u201d Adam said, running up to him, \u201cdid you say your herders were Mexican?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right, son,\u201d Carson replied.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, do you speak Spanish?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEnough to get by,\u201d Carson laughed.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I know where this is headed,\u201d Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cAn old Mexican hereabouts said something about \u2018plata<\/em>,\u2019 and Adam\u2019s been about to die of curiosity because the man wouldn\u2019t explain what he meant.\u201d<\/p>\n

Carson\u2019s lips puckered in thought.\u00a0 \u201cWell, let\u2019s see.\u00a0 I think \u2018plata<\/em>\u2019 means \u2018silver,\u2019 son.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam grinned broadly.\u00a0 \u201cI knew it was something important!\u00a0 You reckon there\u2019s silver in the hills around here, Mr. Carson?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I doubt that,\u201d Carson said.\u00a0 \u201cIf you\u2019re after mineral wealth, son, you\u2019d better head over the Sierras.\u201d\u00a0 He chucked Adam under the chin.\u00a0 \u201cJust don\u2019t do it in winter,\u201d he added with a saucy wink and, tipping his hat to Nelly, departed.<\/p>\n

Nelly sighed.\u00a0 With all the interest the others had shown in his adventures, Carson had never gotten around to talking about his wife.\u00a0 Typical man.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cYou want another slice of pound cake, Ben?\u201d Nelly asked.<\/p>\n

Ben groaned as he flopped back on the blanket spread out for their picnic.\u00a0 \u201cNot another bite or I\u2019ll never get up from here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou, Clyde?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFull to the brim,\u201d Clyde assured his wife.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll just pack things away then,\u201d Nelly said, \u201csoon as I feed Inger.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben looked up at her and smiled.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t you ever rest?\u00a0 It\u2019s the Fourth of July, Nelly, and you\u2019ve worked hard to set out a fine lunch like this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nelly laughed as she lifted her baby girl.\u00a0 \u201cA woman\u2019s work is never done, they say, but it\u2019s so restful here by the lake, it feels like a holiday.\u00a0 Listen to them younguns enjoyin\u2019 themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled and closed his eyes, relishing the sound of his children at play.\u00a0 Adam and Billy had met a couple of Washo lads at the alpine lake Fr\u00e9mont had called Bonpland and the Indians Tahoe, and they were playing a noisy game of tag among the pines with the Indian lads.\u00a0 Nearby, Hoss was frolicking with his pup.\u00a0 Ben could hear him calling again and again, \u201cFetch, Klam; get the stick.\u00a0 Here, Klam; here, boy.\u201d<\/p>\n

From his spot on the blanket near Ben, Clyde chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cWhatever possessed that youngun to call his dog Clam?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

Ben opened one eye.\u00a0 \u201cNot Clam,\u201d he explained dryly.\u00a0 \u201cKlamath, after a certain heroic dog we heard about last week.\u00a0 Hoss just can\u2019t get anything but the first syllable out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clyde cackled louder than before.\u00a0 \u201cOh my lands!\u00a0 That story sure made an impression on the boy, didn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure did,\u201d Ben yawned, \u201cand not just on Hoss.\u00a0 Or hadn\u2019t you noticed what game our older boys have been playing the last few days?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI have,\u201d Nelly tittered.\u00a0 She had moved out of their view to nurse Inger, but she was still close enough to join in the conversation.\u00a0 \u201cOne day Billy plays Fr\u00e9mont to Adam\u2019s Kit Carson, and the next the other way around.\u00a0 They been acting out the Sierra crossing for days now.\u00a0 Fact is, they\u2019re the ones started calling Hoss\u2019s pup Klamath.\u00a0 Hoss sure squalled when they pretended to eat him, though.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t know that,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll have a word with Adam on that subject!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat Carson sure had some tales to tell, didn\u2019t he?\u201d Clyde commented.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe sure did,\u201d Ben said fondly.\u00a0 \u201cNever thought I\u2019d have the privilege of meeting a legend of the west like him.\u00a0 Such a kindly man, too, to put up with our boys\u2019 endless questions.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA real gent,\u201d Clyde agreed, \u201cand with a fine head for business, too.\u00a0 You know he\u2019s takin\u2019 thirteen thousand head of sheep to Sacramento?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was there when he told you,\u201d Ben pointed out.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I know,\u201d Clyde said impatiently, \u201cbut have you figured how much profit he stands to make?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDidn\u2019t figure it was my business,\u201d Ben drawled.<\/p>\n

\u201cCould be, if we was to bring over a flock of our own,\u201d Clyde suggested.<\/p>\n

Ben rolled onto his left side and propped his head up on one elbow.\u00a0 \u201cI had a feeling that\u2019s where we were headed,\u201d he grinned.\u00a0 \u201cSo, how much would we make, my friend?\u201d<\/p>\n

Clyde pulled himself closer to Ben\u2019s head.\u00a0 \u201cCarson said sheep cost a dollar a head in New Mexico and sell in California for anywhere from five to twelve.\u00a0 Even at the lowest price, he\u2019d clear four dollars a head.\u00a0 Calculate for yourself how much that would be, Ben!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben thought for a moment, then sat up.\u00a0 \u201cFifty-two thousand,\u201d he whistled.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the lowest price,\u201d Clyde pointed out.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s a tidy profit,\u201d Ben agreed.\u00a0 \u201cYou really want to do this?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s a chance we shouldn\u2019t pass up,\u201d Clyde said firmly, \u201cand one that won\u2019t last forever.\u00a0 If rumors is right, the emigrant traffic is gonna be slower next year.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd likely to thin down after that,\u201d Ben admitted.\u00a0 \u201cI figured on building up my cattle herd and relying on ranching once trade petered out.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou could build it faster with more funds,\u201d Clyde said.<\/p>\n

Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cBuilding up my ranch is not the reason you want to herd sheep, now, is it, Clyde?\u201d<\/p>\n

Clyde shrugged, grinning.\u00a0 \u201cGot my own reasons,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cI was tryin\u2019 to appeal to yours, Ben boy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben didn\u2019t need to ask Clyde\u2019s reasons.\u00a0 After the years they\u2019d spent together, he could almost read his friend\u2019s mind sometimes.\u00a0 Clyde\u2019s ambition had never included becoming a farmer or rancher; he was a blacksmith and preferred to make his living by that vocation.\u00a0 But once the emigrant traffic stopped, the valley\u2019s need for a blacksmith would decline sharply.\u00a0 As surely as he knew his own heart, Ben knew Clyde wanted to build himself a nest egg against the leaner times he feared were coming.<\/p>\n

Ben sat up.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d like to go in with you on this venture, Clyde,\u201d he said, \u201cbut I\u2019ve already got a sizable herd to tend.\u00a0 What am I supposed to do with my cattle while we travel to New Mexico and back?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou got two men working for you,\u201d Clyde offered wryly.<\/p>\n

From the corner of his eye, Ben threw his friend an irritated glance.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re not serious,\u201d he said bluntly.\u00a0 \u201cDiego\u2019s good with cattle, but he prefers mining; he only works for me long enough to set back a grub stake.\u00a0 Then he\u2019s off to the diggings.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAlways comes back,\u201d Clyde grinned.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen his poke runs empty,\u201d Ben replied gruffly, \u201cand as for Tuquah\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, I\u2019ve heard you brag on his work,\u201d Clyde snickered.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe does real well most of the time,\u201d Ben said, \u201cbut you know how it is with his people.\u00a0 The Washos are hunters and gatherers.\u00a0 Hard for them to understand the kind of life that ties a man to one place.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo Tuquah takes off anytime he gets itchy feet, is that it?\u201d Clyde cackled.<\/p>\n

Ben raised an eyebrow.\u00a0 \u201cSomething like that.\u00a0 When it\u2019s time for the pi\u00f1on harvest or spring fishing or\u2014\u2014well, you get the picture.\u00a0 Not a man I could leave in charge for weeks at a time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Clyde admitted.\u00a0 \u201cI see your problem, but if you could find such a man\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen I\u2019d join you in bringing back a huge herd of woollies,\u201d Ben grinned, \u201cthough I don\u2019t think we could afford as many as Carson.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clyde lay back on the blanket, satisfied.\u00a0 \u201cI figure we ought to leave late January, so we\u2019d be back in time to trail the sheep over with the first thaw.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben stared at the suddenly drowsy man lying beside him, then looked quizzically up at Nelly, who had just laid Inger down to sleep and was packing the leftovers into a basket.\u00a0 She laughed and shook her head.\u00a0 Better than Ben, she knew how rock-headed Clyde could be once he got his mind set on a thing, and in his mind the trip to New Mexico was obviously set as solid as if Ben had given him a definite yes.<\/p>\n

CHAPTER FIFTEEN<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 The sun beat down with a merciless heat the first Saturday in August.\u00a0 Billy and Adam eagerly stripped off their clothing and splashed into the cool waters of the Carson River not far from the Thomas cabin.\u00a0 \u201cOh, yeah,\u201d Billy sighed contentedly.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s what I been needin\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMe, too,\u201d Adam said, stretching full length on the water\u2019s surface.<\/p>\n

\u201cBubba!\u00a0 Bubba!\u201d called an eager voice from the shore.\u00a0 \u201cMe swim, too, Bubba.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam groaned.\u00a0 He might have known Hoss would follow them.\u00a0 \u201cGo back to Aunt Nelly,\u201d he ordered.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah!\u201d Billy yelled.\u00a0 \u201cWe ain\u2019t got the time or the energy to put up with you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAunt Nelwy busy,\u201d the three-year-old stated as he plopped down on the riverbank and began pulling his clothes off.<\/p>\n

Adam gave Billy a sour look.\u00a0 As they both knew, Nelly Thomas was devoting the afternoon to baking bread, and with Inger fretful from teething, she really was too busy to tend Hoss, too.\u00a0 \u201cGuess we\u2019re stuck,\u201d Adam moaned softly.<\/p>\n

\u201cGuess so,\u201d Billy admitted.\u00a0 \u201cCan he swim?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDoubt it,\u201d Adam replied glumly, \u201cbut I\u2019ll be hanged if I\u2019m gonna hold his hand while he wades in the shallow water.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDoggone right!\u201d Billy asserted.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s a get-your-whole-body-wet kind of day.\u201d<\/p>\n

Stripped naked, Hoss stuck a tentative toe in the water, then stretched his arm toward Adam.\u00a0 \u201cBubba,\u201d he called.\u00a0 \u201cHelp, Bubba.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, bother!\u201d Adam snapped, stomping toward his little brother.\u00a0 He grabbed Hoss\u2019s hand and pulled him in.\u00a0 \u201cCome on, Hoss,\u201d he ordered as he dragged the boy behind him.\u00a0 \u201cIf you\u2019re gonna swim with us, you gotta go in the deep water.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss was beaming happily until his chin dipped below the surface.\u00a0 Then he screamed, wrapping pudgy arms around Adam\u2019s waist.\u00a0 \u201cDeep, Bubba!\u201d he hollered.\u00a0 \u201cGo back; go back.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, don\u2019t be such a fraidy baby,\u201d Billy snorted.\u00a0 \u201cLook at me, Hoss.\u201d\u00a0 He dived under the water and came up grinning.\u00a0 \u201cNow you try it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo!\u201d Hoss yelled, clambering up Adam\u2019s neck.<\/p>\n

\u201cTurn loose!\u201d Adam croaked.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re choking me, Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n

But Hoss clung tight, terrified of the water splashing his buttocks.\u00a0 \u201cGo back,\u201d he insisted.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right,\u201d Adam said, \u201cbut you gotta go all the way back.\u201d\u00a0 He sloshed to the river\u2019s edge and pushed Hoss out of the water.\u00a0 \u201cNow get your clothes and go back to the house,\u201d he ordered sternly.<\/p>\n

\u201cWanna swim, Bubba,\u201d Hoss wailed.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, no, you don\u2019t,\u201d Adam sputtered.\u00a0 \u201cWhat you want to do is wade and I don\u2019t.\u00a0 Now get back to the house!\u201d\u00a0 To add emphasis to his command, Adam landed a stinging swat on Hoss\u2019s bare bottom.<\/p>\n

Hoss bellowed his protest, but grabbed up his clothes from the grassy bank and stalked toward the cabin.\u00a0 Adam felt a pang of guilt as the tear-tracked face turned away from him, but he pushed it aside and splashed back into the center of the river.<\/p>\n

Hoss stumbled toward the cabin with full intentions of tattling on his hard-hearted brother, but when a ground squirrel scurried across his path, he forgot his sore bottom.\u00a0 \u201cSwirlwy,\u201d he cried happily, dropping his clothes and trotting after the furry rodent.\u00a0 \u201cCome back, swirlwy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam and Billy enjoyed a carefree afternoon of swimming and sunning themselves on the riverbank.\u00a0 Fully dry, they scrambled into their clothes and raced toward the seesaw, Billy arriving first.<\/p>\n

Nelly, hearing his exultant shout of victory, came to the door.\u00a0 \u201c\u2018Bout time you younguns came up for air,\u201d she scolded, \u201cbefore you burn to a crisp out in that water.\u00a0 Hoss ain\u2019t used to that much sun.\u201d\u00a0 Her brown eyes scanned the dirt yard.\u00a0 \u201cWhere is Hoss?\u201d she demanded.\u00a0 \u201cLands, you scamps didn\u2019t leave that baby alone down by the river!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe sent him back to you, Aunt Nelly,\u201d Adam said, his face blanching.<\/p>\n

\u201cHours ago,\u201d Billy added earnestly.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood lands!\u00a0 Last I seen him he was following you boys to the river,\u201d Nelly cried.\u00a0 She began to run toward the trading post a few hundred yards downstream from the cabin.\u00a0 \u201cBen!\u201d she shouted as she ran, Adam and Billy charging after her.\u00a0 \u201cBen!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben finished loading a hundred-pound sack of flour into an emigrant\u2019s wagon and turned.\u00a0 \u201cWhat is it, Nelly?\u201d he asked anxiously, reading her alarm in her expression.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss!\u201d she cried breathlessly.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know where he is, Ben.\u00a0 I thought he was swimming with the boys, but they say they sent him back to the house hours ago.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t get there, Ben!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben grabbed Adam by the shoulders.\u00a0 \u201cWhere did you see him last?\u201d he demanded.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy the river, Pa,\u201d Adam stammered.\u00a0 \u201cHe was headed for the house, though, honest, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShow me where you were swimming,\u201d Ben ordered, taking Adam\u2019s hand.<\/p>\n

Adam led the way toward the river. \u00a0Suddenly, Ben stopped and bent to pick up a small shirt and trousers from the tall grass.\u00a0 \u201cHoss!\u201d he cried.\u00a0 \u201cHoss!\u201d\u00a0 There was no answer.<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s chin started to tremble.\u00a0 His little brother was lost and it was his fault.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2014I\u2019m sorry, Pa,\u201d he stuttered.<\/p>\n

Ben turned sober eyes on his older son\u2019s face.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll deal with you later,\u201d he said sternly.\u00a0 \u201cRight now the important thing is to find your brother.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir.\u00a0 I\u2019ll help look, Pa,\u201d Adam offered quickly.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou and Billy fan out that way,\u201d Ben said, pointing away from the river.\u00a0 \u201cLook everywhere and look close.\u00a0 Hoss may have gotten tired and lain down in the grass somewhere.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam and Billy trotted away and spread out, each keeping the other in view.\u00a0 Ben walked close to the river, dreading the thought that he might find his baby\u2019s body submerged in the water, but not wanting Adam to be the one to come on such a grisly sight.\u00a0 Half an hour later Clyde Thomas came running up to Ben.\u00a0 \u201cNo sign of the boy yet?\u201d he asked anxiously.<\/p>\n

Unable to speak, Ben shook his head.<\/p>\n

Clyde clapped his friend\u2019s shoulder encouragingly.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll find him,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cI got that emigrant train taken care of, and I can help look now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 Then his eyes scanned the horizon.\u00a0 \u201cBig country,\u201d he murmured.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, but we\u2019ll find him,\u201d Clyde repeated.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t you fret, Ben.\u201d\u00a0 Clyde scratched his head.\u00a0 \u201cYou reckon that pup of his could track him?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s head jerked up.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d he cried, \u201cbut it\u2019s worth a try.\u201d\u00a0 His eyes searched northward until he spotted his older son.\u00a0 \u201cAdam!\u201d he called and waved the boy toward him.<\/p>\n

Adam ran up, smiling.\u00a0 \u201cDid you find him?\u201d he called excitedly.<\/p>\n

Ben shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cNo, son, but we\u2019ve had an idea.\u00a0 Find Klamath and bring him here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay,\u201d Adam replied, \u201cbut it\u2019ll take awhile, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust do it!\u201d Ben snapped.<\/p>\n

Adam flushed, turned and ran to do as he was told.<\/p>\n

Ben felt immediate chagrin.\u00a0 \u201cI shouldn\u2019t have yelled at him like that,\u201d he muttered.<\/p>\n

\u201cWorry\u2019ll do that to a man,\u201d Clyde said.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t fret over Adam now; time enough to make amends once we find the youngun.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI suppose,\u201d Ben mumbled.<\/p>\n

When Adam finally returned with Hoss\u2019s dog, Ben held the boy\u2019s small garments under Klamath\u2019s nose.\u00a0 \u201cCan you find him, boy?\u201d Ben asked urgently.\u00a0 \u201cFind Hoss, Klam.\u201d<\/p>\n

The little dog seemed to recognize his master\u2019s scent and barked sharply.\u00a0 At first Ben thought the dog wasn\u2019t up to the task, for he ran away from the quartet of searchers.\u00a0 But when he stopped, Ben realized the dog was not far from where he\u2019d first picked up the little boy\u2019s clothing.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s right, Klam!\u201d Ben called, trotting behind the pup.\u00a0 \u201cFind Hoss, boy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Klamath began moving slowly westward, toward the foothills of the Sierras.\u00a0 For two hours the searchers followed the dog without sighting the boy.\u00a0 \u201cReckon there ain\u2019t much bloodhound to old Klamath, after all,\u201d Clyde conceded.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t reckon injuns took him, do you?\u201d Billy offered.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I don\u2019t!\u201d Ben snapped.\u00a0 \u201cThis isn\u2019t some wild adventure we\u2019re playing out, boy!\u201d<\/p>\n

Billy kicked at the grass with his bare toes.\u00a0 \u201cSorry,\u201d he muttered.<\/p>\n

Ben looked at him quickly.\u00a0 \u201cNo, I\u2019m sorry, Billy.\u00a0 I\u2019m on edge, that\u2019s all.\u00a0 But I don\u2019t think blaming the Indians is a particularly helpful notion.\u00a0 The Washos are peaceable enough.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey steal, Pa says,\u201d Billy asserted.<\/p>\n

\u201cFood, boy,\u201d Clyde grunted.\u00a0 \u201cFoodstuff and stock, sometimes.\u00a0 Never heard of \u2018em takin\u2019 a youngun.\u201d<\/p>\n

Billy shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cI was just tryin\u2019 to help.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLook, it\u2019s getting late,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cYou boys head back to the cabin and have your supper.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to look for Hoss,\u201d Adam whimpered.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s my fault he\u2019s lost.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben knelt and took the trembling boy in his arms.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll talk about that later, Adam, but there\u2019s no need for you to stay out here looking.\u00a0 Go back to the house like Pa says.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLet me stay, Pa,\u201d Adam pleaded.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d let him, Ben,\u201d Clyde said.\u00a0 \u201cDoin\u2019 somethin\u2019s easier than sittin\u2019 and frettin\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, all right,\u201d Ben agreed, standing up.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m stickin\u2019, too,\u201d Billy declared loyally, feeling that his friend\u2019s problem was his, as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood enough,\u201d Clyde said, \u201cbut stay in sight, boys.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will, Pa,\u201d Billy promised.<\/p>\n

Klamath gave a sharp bark, as if to regain the hunters\u2019 attention, and trotted toward the sun that was just dipping behind the mountains.\u00a0 Dark soon, Ben realized.\u00a0 Harder then to find a small boy.\u00a0 Oh, dear God, let us find him soon.<\/em><\/p>\n

When Klamath reached the forested foothills and moved into the trees, Ben\u2019s heart dropped.\u00a0 Not in there.<\/em>\u00a0 How in mercy would they find Hoss among the pines?\u00a0 On they went, moving deeper into the shadows of the trees.\u00a0 Dark as night here, even if the sun was still peeking over the summit of the Sierras.\u00a0 The temperature was dropping, too.\u00a0 Getting chilly, and none of them had brought jackets along.\u00a0 Ben\u2019s fingers tightened around Hoss\u2019s clothing.\u00a0 The naked boy must be shivering by now.<\/p>\n

Suddenly, Ben stopped, holding up his hand.\u00a0 \u201cWait,\u201d he whispered.\u00a0 \u201cI think I heard something.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWind in the pines,\u201d Clyde said.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, listen,\u201d Ben said urgently.\u00a0 A whimper wafted toward them on the wind, but they couldn\u2019t discern its direction.\u00a0 \u201cHoss!\u201d Ben cried.\u00a0 \u201cWhere are you, son?\u201d<\/p>\n

There was no answer from the boy, but his little dog gave a happy bark and charged ahead.\u00a0 \u201cAtta, boy, Klam!\u201d Billy yelled.\u00a0 \u201cCome on,\u201d he hollered back at Adam.<\/p>\n

The men couldn\u2019t keep up with the little dog, but the boys did.\u00a0 Running into a small clearing, they saw the pup jump into his little master\u2019s lap.\u00a0 \u201cKlam!\u201d Hoss cried, his arms closing around the dog, who licked the tears from his face.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss!\u201d Adam shouted, pouncing on the boy with as much enthusiasm as the little dog.<\/p>\n

Billy grinned and trotted back the way he\u2019d come.\u00a0 \u201cHey!\u00a0 We found him,\u201d he called.\u00a0 \u201cOver here.\u201d<\/p>\n

The words pumped new vigor into Ben\u2019s legs and he ran up the incline to the clearing.\u00a0 \u201cHoss, baby!\u201d he cried, scooping the boy into his arms.\u00a0 \u201cOh, my sweet baby boy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPa!\u201d Hoss whimpered.\u00a0 \u201cCold, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben let loose a laugh of relief.\u00a0 The moonlight revealed the goosebumps on Hoss\u2019s bare flesh.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, I bet you are,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cPa\u2019s got your clothes, baby; let\u2019s get you dressed.\u201d\u00a0 He sat down and began pulling Hoss\u2019s arms through the sleeves of the small shirt.<\/p>\n

\u201cNaked as a jay bird,\u201d Billy scolded.\u00a0 \u201cThat ain\u2019t no way to traipse the woods, boy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss shook his head sadly.\u00a0 \u201cSwirlwy too fast,\u201d he whimpered.<\/p>\n

\u201cSwirlwy!\u201d Adam exclaimed.\u00a0 \u201cHe ran off after a squirrel, Pa!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cLooks like both my boys need a little talking to.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam gulped.\u00a0 Of course, Pa hadn\u2019t said the fatal words, \u201cvery necessary little talk,\u201d so maybe he didn\u2019t mean a spanking, but Adam figured he had one coming.\u00a0 When they finally reached home late that night, however, all Ben did was give a stern lecture to each boy.\u00a0 Hoss was made aware that he was never to leave home unaccompanied, and Adam given explicit instructions on which came first, his own pleasure or his brother\u2019s safety.<\/p>\n

Adam didn\u2019t need the lecture, though:\u00a0 during the anxious hours of searching for Hoss, he\u2019d made a solemn vow that never again would he shirk his responsibilities as an older brother.\u00a0 Hoss had acquired a watchdog more vigilant than Klamath, who, as the hero of the search party, basked in the extra attention and food scraps he received over the next few days.<\/p>\n

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

The next afternoon the three boys were again cooling their bare, sun-browned bodies in the Carson River.\u00a0 This time, however, Adam patiently waded the shallows with his little brother, leaving Billy to splash alone a few yards downstream.\u00a0 Ben and Clyde were back at the cabin waging war at the checkerboard.\u00a0 Though they kept a running game of chess at the trading post during the week, Sunday afternoons were reserved for checkers.\u00a0 Clyde\u2019s skill at the more familiar game was second to none, so the matches were hotly contested.\u00a0 With Inger bedded down for her nap, Nelly was using a drop spindle to make thread from wool recently shorn from their small flock of sheep.<\/p>\n

It was a quiet afternoon, the only sounds the gliding of wooden pieces across the game board and the intermittent creak of Nelly\u2019s rocker on the puncheon floor.\u00a0 Then the stillness was broken as a horse clattered into the yard.<\/p>\n

Clyde, whose chair faced the open doorway, glanced up from the game.\u00a0 \u201cHowdy, Mulligan,\u201d he said, a slight frown on his lips as he recognized one of the miners who frequented their business.\u00a0 \u201cTrading post ain\u2019t open Sundays, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben swiveled in his seat, his brow furrowing as he saw the miner slouched against the doorjamb.\u00a0 \u201cUnless you have an urgent need,\u201d Ben added, noting the pallor of the man\u2019s face.\u00a0 After all, he and Clyde willingly opened their storeroom for emigrants who happened to pass on a Sunday, and Ben saw little point in treating a needy neighbor with less respect.<\/p>\n

Mulligan stumbled into the room.\u00a0 \u201cI got an urgent need, all right,\u201d he murmured, \u201cbut it ain\u2019t for supplies.\u201d<\/p>\n

Seeing the blood caked on the man\u2019s shirtfront, Nelly dropped her spindle and started toward him.\u00a0 Being closer, Ben reached him first and guided the injured miner to a chair.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho done this, Mulligan?\u201d Clyde demanded, jumping up.<\/p>\n

The miner gave a weak grin.\u00a0 \u201cGot no one to blame but myself, Thomas.\u00a0 Reached for a loaded gun muzzle-end first and the thing went off.\u201d\u00a0 His dark eyes looked pleadingly at the others in the room.\u00a0 \u201cGot no right to ask, I know, but you always seemed like kind-hearted folks, so I thought maybe you could see your way to get this here bullet out of me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLands, Mr. Mulligan, we ain\u2019t doctors,\u201d Nelly protested.<\/p>\n

The man shook his head grimly.\u00a0 \u201cI already been to the doctor, for all the good it did me.\u00a0 Sent me packin\u2019 the minute I asked for his services.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are you talking about, man?\u201d Ben queried.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s no doctor this side of the Sierras\u2014\u2014none I ever heard about, at any rate.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShucks, you know him,\u201d Mulligan said weakly.\u00a0 \u201cBunch of us miners knew Doc Martin in California, but he sure ain\u2019t the man he was there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPaul Martin?\u201d Ben asked, amazed.\u00a0 \u201cHe practiced medicine in California?\u201d<\/p>\n

The miner nodded.<\/p>\n

Clyde looked thoughtful.\u00a0 \u201cLots of them what calls theirselves doctors in Californy ain\u2019t had no real schoolin\u2019 in it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMartin did,\u201d Mulligan muttered through gritted teeth.\u00a0 \u201cReal medical doctor, degree on the wall and everything, but I wouldn\u2019t give two cents for all that now.\u00a0 I\u2019m in sore need of help, folks, if you could\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLands, yes,\u201d Nelly said.\u00a0 \u201cHere you two are jawin\u2019 at the man when you ought to be figurin\u2019 what to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben looked beyond Mulligan to Clyde.\u00a0 \u201cYou ever removed a bullet?\u201d<\/p>\n

Clyde shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cNope, and I ain\u2019t about to start.\u00a0 You got steadier hands than me, Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s right,\u201d Nelly put in.\u00a0 \u201cYou men help Mr. Mulligan up on the table, and I\u2019ll put some water on to boil.\u00a0 Then Ben can go to work.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben swallowed hard, then helped Mulligan lie down on the table.\u00a0 Leaning over his patient, he said, \u201cYou understand I\u2019ve never done this; I can\u2019t promise how it\u2019ll turn out.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust\u2014\u2014get the bullet out\u2014\u2014so it don\u2019t fester in me,\u201d Mulligan stammered feebly.\u00a0 \u201cI ain\u2019t gonna complain if you carve me sloppy\u2014\u2014just so\u2019s you get it out.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right, I\u2019ll try my best,\u201d Ben promised.\u00a0 He selected the sharpest knife Nelly had and dropped it in the pan of water to boil.\u00a0 \u201cI guess we\u2019ll need to cauterize the wound once I get the bullet out,\u201d he told Clyde.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s your job.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clyde frowned and, nodding grimly, laid a poker on the stove to heat.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2014uh\u2014wouldn\u2019t have a little whiskey you could spare, would you?\u201d Mulligan asked.<\/p>\n

Ben shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cWe don\u2019t stock it; just a little beer.\u201d<\/p>\n

The miner gave him a crooked grin.\u00a0 \u201cWilling to try it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll get it,\u201d Clyde offered, heading for the trading post.<\/p>\n

With his patient duly anesthetized, Ben bit his lip and, sending a quick prayer heavenward, bent over the miner.\u00a0 He placed the knife at the ragged entrance wound and slit downward to give himself more room to probe for the bullet.\u00a0 Beads of sweat stood out on his forehead as he heard the miner\u2019s moans.\u00a0 \u201cSorry,\u201d he muttered.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can take it,\u201d Mulligan groaned.\u00a0 \u201cDo what you gotta, Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n

The next few minutes seemed like an eternity to Ben.\u00a0 His eyes and fingers stayed intent on the task at hand, but his mind swirled from the shocking revelation about his friend.\u00a0 He\u2019d known, of course, that Paul Martin was shielding his background for some unknown reason, but he\u2019d been encouraged by the way Martin had seemed to be opening up.\u00a0 Now he realized how shallow had been his penetration of his friend\u2019s wall of reticence.<\/p>\n

Ben couldn\u2019t imagine why the man would turn his back on a noble profession and, worse yet, on a man in need of his help.\u00a0 The gentle man who so patiently explained principles of chemistry to inquisitive Adam, the man who calmly wiped potatoes and gravy from Hoss\u2019s messy face, couldn\u2019t be the same man who refused to use his medical skills to aid an injured neighbor.\u00a0 The two images didn\u2019t coincide, but Ben couldn\u2019t find the answer to that paradox.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, he had greater success probing for the bullet.\u00a0 Once Ben had removed it, Clyde steeled himself and laid the hot poker to Mulligan\u2019s chest.\u00a0 The man screamed and passed out.\u00a0 The stench of charred flesh sickened Ben, but he knew no better way to combat infection.\u00a0 Martin might have, Ben thought angrily, vowing in that moment to confront his friend at his next opportunity.<\/p>\n

That opportunity didn\u2019t come until Saturday evening, and the week\u2019s wait gave Ben time to cool down.\u00a0 He still couldn\u2019t bring himself to make cheery conversation at the dinner table, but if Martin noticed his host\u2019s unwonted taciturnity, he didn\u2019t comment on it.\u00a0 Once dinner was over, Ben told Adam to put Hoss to bed.\u00a0 \u201cYou can read in your room afterwards,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll see to the dishes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam looked puzzled.\u00a0 He was happy to leave the dish washing to his father, of course, but he liked watching the two men play chess.\u00a0 And between moves Mr. Martin let him ask questions about the chemistry text the miner had loaned him.\u00a0 The look on Pa\u2019s face invited no argument, though, so Adam took Hoss\u2019s hand as soon as the baby had kissed his father good night.\u00a0 Hoss pulled away and moved across the room to Paul Martin.\u00a0 \u201cNight-night,\u201d he said, lifting his chubby arms.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood night, Hoss,\u201d Paul Martin said, bending over to give the little lad a warm hug.\u00a0 Again Ben was hit by the contrast between the man he knew, or thought he knew, and the one he\u2019d heard about the previous Sunday.\u00a0 But still he said nothing.<\/p>\n

Not until Martin had made a particularly skillful move did Ben broach the subject that had been burning in his brain for nearly a week.\u00a0 \u201cPretty slick move,\u201d he said, adding, \u201cDoctor.\u201d<\/p>\n

Martin\u2019s head snapped up, and he saw Ben appraising him with cool eyes.\u00a0 His shoulders slumped.\u00a0 \u201cWho told you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben leaned forward.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s true, then?\u00a0 You\u2019re a medical doctor?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPast tense,\u201d Martin said curtly.\u00a0 \u201cWas.\u00a0 I was a doctor.\u00a0 Not now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut why?\u201d Ben demanded.<\/p>\n

\u201cNone of your business!\u201d Martin snapped.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is when I have to treat a patient that came to you for help!\u201d Ben retorted.<\/p>\n

Martin\u2019s cheek muscles tightened.\u00a0 \u201cMulligan?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHave you refused anyone else treatment?\u201d Ben asked hotly.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t understand, Paul.\u00a0 How could you leave the man to my inexperienced hands when you knew what to do?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou didn\u2019t have to stick your long New England nose into it,\u201d Paul muttered.\u00a0 \u201cIf you think Mulligan will thank you for it\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe already did,\u201d Ben said, \u201cbut that\u2019s scarcely the point.\u00a0 I\u2019m not a doctor.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNeither am I,\u201d Paul said quickly.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou were trained as one,\u201d Ben sputtered.\u00a0 \u201cWhatever your reasons for leaving the profession, you had no right\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo right!\u201d Martin shouted, flying out of his chair and sweeping the chessmen off the board.\u00a0 \u201cHow dare you judge me, Cartwright!\u00a0 You have no idea what motivated my decision.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben took a deep breath.\u00a0 \u201cThen tell me,\u201d he said quietly.\u00a0 \u201cFor the love of mercy, man, I\u2019m your friend; you can tell me anything.\u00a0 Did\u2014did you lose a patient?\u201d<\/p>\n

Martin laughed harshly.\u00a0 \u201cAll doctors lose patients, Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s face softened.\u00a0 \u201cAnd I\u2019m sure that\u2019s hard to handle for a sensitive man like you, but, surely, no harder than watching them suffer and perhaps die because you refused to try.\u201d<\/p>\n

The doctor moved toward the door.\u00a0 \u201cLook, I came to play chess, not to have you pry into my private affairs.\u00a0 Since the game is obviously over, I\u2019ll just go home and try to forget this whole conversation.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t,\u201d Ben said.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t forget it?\u201d Martin sneered.\u00a0 \u201cIf I don\u2019t, you\u2019ll never see me again, Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t leave,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cYou know perfectly well you can reconstruct this game, play by play, so we might as well finish it out.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo more questions?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo questions, Paul,\u201d Ben said sadly.\u00a0 As he watched the other man set up the chessmen, each in the position it had occupied when he knocked them over, Ben felt a deep sense of defeat.\u00a0 He knew intuitively that some intense torment burned in the doctor\u2019s soul, and he wanted to soothe that pain with the balm of his friendship.\u00a0 How could he, though, when Martin resisted his offer of a listening ear?\u00a0 All Ben could hope was that by remaining friends, on whatever limited basis Paul would accept, he could eventually instill in the doctor the confidence to unburden himself without fear of judgment.<\/p>\n

CHAPTER SIXTEEN<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 September arrived, bringing with it the first crisp breezes of autumn and a bumper crop of emigrants to greet Ben\u2019s thirty-third birthday.\u00a0 Though the emigrant traffic was not as heavy as in previous years and despite the competition of new merchants in the area, business was good.\u00a0 The trading post was busy enough to keep Ben and Clyde occupied there most days, and Ben fell into the habit of having Adam ride out each afternoon to check on the cattle herd.\u00a0 Rarely was there a problem to report, but Adam\u2019s chest swelled almost visibly with new feelings of importance.\u00a0 Usually he chose to make his cattle inspection as soon as Hoss was bedded down for his afternoon nap, for the older boy still considered caring for his baby brother his chief duty, much to Billy\u2019s disgruntled displeasure.<\/p>\n

Sundays were, as always, a welcome haven of peace and rest from the labors of the week.\u00a0 The second one that month was typical.\u00a0 In the cabin Clyde was, as usual, winning the checkers competition, Nelly was knitting, and Inger napping.\u00a0 Outside, the only sound heard was Hoss\u2019s merry chortle as he and Adam, on one end of the seesaw, swung up and down with Billy on the other end.<\/p>\n

\u201cReal nip in the air,\u201d Nelly was saying during a lull in the competition in which each man poured himself a cup of coffee.\u00a0 \u201cMakes me wonder if we\u2019ll have an early winter.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA possibility,\u201d Ben admitted as he sugared his coffee.\u00a0 \u201cMight be a good idea to get our supplies laid in a little earlier than usual.\u00a0 What you think, Clyde?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe,\u201d the older man agreed.\u00a0 \u201cMight give it some thought.\u201d<\/p>\n

Billy came charging into the cabin with his usual gusto.\u00a0 \u201cHey, Pa!\u201d he hollered.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s folks comin\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEmigrant train?\u201d his father asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cNaw, just one wagon,\u201d Billy said and dashed to the door to eye the visitors again.\u00a0 \u201cThey\u2019re strangers, though.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben and Clyde followed Billy out.\u00a0 Ben smiled as he saw Adam helping Hoss get his fat legs over the edge of the seesaw.\u00a0 But prideful thoughts could wait.\u00a0 Like Clyde, he peered curiously toward the approaching wagon.<\/p>\n

\u201cMan and woman,\u201d Clyde said, \u201cbut I don\u2019t recognize \u2018em.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat, my friend, is our latest competitor,\u201d Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cName\u2019s Walter Cosser.\u00a0 Just started a mercantile over at Gold Canyon, and that must be his wife.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, good!\u201d Nelly said, having joined them after whisking a few things into place.\u00a0 \u201cI can\u2019t remember when we\u2019ve had a Sunday caller.\u201d\u00a0 Seeing Ben\u2019s arched eyebrow, she laughed.\u00a0 \u201cYou don\u2019t count, Ben.\u00a0 You\u2019re family.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nelly welcomed the visitors into the cabin and offered them each a slice of pie, but though Mr. And Mrs. Cosser accepted it graciously, the others soon learned that this was not a social call.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve come to ask your advice, Mrs. Thomas,\u201d Mrs. Cosser said, her thick accent marking her Scottish heritage.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy, certainly,\u201d Nelly said, flattered.\u00a0 \u201cAnything I can do to help.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShort of telling all our trade secrets,\u201d Clyde snickered.<\/p>\n

Nelly frowned at what she considered rudeness, but Walter Cosser found Clyde\u2019s remark amusing.\u00a0 \u201cMy wife\u2019s got us in quite a pickle, I\u2019m afraid,\u201d he said, smiling.\u00a0 \u201cWe were told you folks were just about the oldest settlers around and so here we are, hat in hand, but not to beg for trade secrets.\u00a0 Got my own, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHush your foolishness,\u201d Mrs. Cosser sputtered.\u00a0 \u201cThis is no laughing matter.\u00a0 Do any of you know a man named Benjamin Cole?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOnly Benjamin I know is this one,\u201d Clyde said, pushing his thumb at Ben\u2019s chest.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think he came in the trading post once,\u201d Ben, whose memory for names and faces was better than Clyde\u2019s, replied, \u201cbut he\u2019s new in the territory.\u00a0 I really don\u2019t know anything about him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd the Powell family?\u201d Mrs. Cosser asked.<\/p>\n

Not even Ben recognized that name, so he shook his head along with the others.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, dear,\u201d Mrs. Cosser sighed.\u00a0 \u201cWell, I may be interfering when I shouldn\u2019t, but it just doesn\u2019t seem proper to me, and\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cStart at the beginning, my dear,\u201d her husband suggested.\u00a0 \u201cThese people have no idea what you\u2019re talking about.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, of course,\u201d Mrs. Cosser said hurriedly.\u00a0 \u201cWell, Mr. Powell came here to mine this summer, bringing his two children with him.\u00a0 At first, they lived in a tent, like so many of the boys.\u00a0 But with winter coming on, I thought a good boardinghouse would be a profitable investment, so we built one.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBeen doing well, too,\u201d her husband added proudly.\u00a0 \u201cKeeps the customers close, so to speak.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cNow who\u2019s giving away trade secrets.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re both interrupting,\u201d Mrs. Cosser scolded, \u201cand this is a serious matter.\u00a0 As I was saying, Powell left his children at the boardinghouse.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAlone?\u201d Nelly asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, he had little choice,\u201d Mrs. Cosser admitted.\u00a0 \u201cThe mother died recently and he thought the youngsters would be better off with a roof over their heads than camping out at the diggings.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot likely to think so now,\u201d her husband grunted.<\/p>\n

Mrs. Cosser waved her hand to silence her husband, then sighed again.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m afraid he\u2019s right.\u00a0 Well, you know how it is out west, Mrs. Thomas\u2014\u2014a hundred men to every woman.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re definitely outnumbered,\u201d Nelly smiled encouragingly.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, the little Powell girl worked just like pollen on bees to the men around here.\u00a0 No sooner had they heard there was an unattached female staying with us than we were besieged with men begging for rooms.\u00a0 You wouldn\u2019t believe the price I was offered for just a cot in a stone basement.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI would,\u201d Clyde cackled.\u00a0 \u201cA female\u2019s worth \u2018most any price out here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo you\u2019re havin\u2019 trouble keepin\u2019 the men away?\u201d Nelly asked, giving Clyde\u2019s leg a tap with her shoe beneath the table.<\/p>\n

\u201cMore than I knew,\u201d Mrs. Cosser said.\u00a0 \u201cThis Benjamin Cole I mentioned\u2014\u2014he\u2019s gone and married the girl.\u00a0 And her a child of fourteen!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, dear!\u201d Nelly cried.\u00a0 \u201cWithout her father\u2019s consent?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAbsolutely without his consent,\u201d Mrs. Cosser said.\u00a0 \u201cHe doesn\u2019t know a thing about it.\u00a0 Now, I know girls sometimes marry that young, but it just doesn\u2019t seem right to me.\u00a0 I was hoping you could give me your opinion and tell me whether this Cole is the right sort of man or if he\u2019s only taking advantage of the child.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll give you my opinion!\u201d Clyde said, his fist striking the table.\u00a0 \u201cNo man better think of marryin\u2019 my little girl without my say-so.\u00a0 I\u2019d skin him alive.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCole left Mary with us,\u201d Mr. Cosser explained, \u201cwhile he went to build a cabin for them, but my wife thinks maybe we should encourage the girl to wait until her father returns before she goes off with the man.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHave you spoken to Miss Mary about this?\u201d Ben asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot plainly,\u201d Mrs. Cosser replied, \u201cbut she\u2019s talked to me a little, and I think the girl\u2019s having second thoughts.\u00a0 You know how young girls are, Mrs. Thomas\u2014\u2014full of romantic notions.\u00a0 I\u2019m sure she was flattered by all the attention.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd in love with the idea of being in love,\u201d Nelly added, \u201cmore than with the man.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cExactly my feeling,\u201d the other woman said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen she isn\u2019t ready for marriage,\u201d Nelly concluded.\u00a0 \u201cI think you\u2019re right to encourage her to talk with her father first.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThing is,\u201d Mr. Cosser inserted, \u201cthe situation\u2019s already causing a lot of talk.\u00a0 Some of the miners\u2014\u2014friends of Cole, I guess\u2014\u2014think he had a right to marry the girl, so long as she agreed.\u00a0 Others, especially those with children of their own, are taking the father\u2019s side just as strongly.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou think there could be trouble?\u201d Ben asked.<\/p>\n

Cosser nodded grimly.\u00a0 \u201cIf it comes to it, I\u2019d like to know we had the support of prominent settlers like yourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou got mine,\u201d Clyde stated sturdily, \u201cand I reckon I can speak for Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Ben said quietly.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t feel as strongly as Clyde\u2014\u2014maybe because he had sons, not a daughter\u2014\u2014but, still, it wasn\u2019t right, going behind the father\u2019s back.\u00a0 He remembered the support Captain Stoddard had given him and Elizabeth when they married.\u00a0 That\u2019s the way marriage was meant to be, not some sneaky, back-handed contract rushed into without thought.\u00a0 \u201cYeah,\u201d he said more firmly.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll stand with you if troubles comes.\u00a0 Let\u2019s just hope it doesn\u2019t.\u201d\u00a0 And as the autumn leaves began to change colors and drop to earth without any sign of conflict, Ben felt certain his hope had been justified.<\/p>\n

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

October added the annual pumpkin harvest to Adam\u2019s list of chores, and Billy\u2019s, as well.\u00a0 The boys claimed the two biggest ones to save for jack-o-lanterns at month\u2019s end and, after stocking the trading post with all that were likely to sell, divided the rest equally between the two families.\u00a0 All but a few straggling wagon parties had passed by mid-month, and Ben and Clyde made plans for their final trip across the Sierras for winter supplies.\u00a0 The weather had continued colder than usual, and they wanted to make an early trip.<\/p>\n

Two days before their scheduled departure Ben entertained Paul Martin in his home for what he presumed would be their last chess match.\u00a0 Proud to have won it, Ben poured a cup of hot coffee for his friend.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m going to miss these Saturday evenings with you, Paul,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Still trying to analyze Ben\u2019s winning strategy, Paul looked up quickly.\u00a0 \u201cYou saying I\u2019m not welcome here anymore?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, you\u2019re welcome here,\u201d Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cBut I told you I\u2019d be leaving Monday, and I naturally assumed you\u2019d be gone by the time I returned.\u00a0 Hardly any of the miners spend the winter here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, here\u2019s one that plans to,\u201d Martin replied, a hard edge in his voice.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve seen all of California I care to.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHave you got enough supplies stockpiled?\u201d Ben asked as he poured a cup of coffee for himself.<\/p>\n

Paul shrugged nonchalantly.\u00a0 \u201cI figured I could get what I needed at the trading post.\u201d<\/p>\n

A half-smile lifted one corner of Ben\u2019s mouth.\u00a0 \u201cThat was a dangerous assumption, my friend.\u00a0 Most of us shut down for the winter.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou, too?\u201d Paul inquired, looking more serious.<\/p>\n

Ben nodded as he moved to the opposite side of the table.\u00a0 \u201cOf course, Reese stays open, and maybe Cosser will; but Reese, at least, only stocks the basics this time of year.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd maybe not enough to go around?\u201d Paul asked.<\/p>\n

Ben shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know.\u00a0 I bring in my own, of course, so I don\u2019t often have to trade there.\u201d\u00a0 He pulled out his chair and sat down.<\/p>\n

Paul bit his lip.\u00a0 \u201cWould\u2014would you have enough room in your wagon to bring back supplies for me?\u201d he asked, clearly reluctant to request the favor.<\/p>\n

Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cOh, I imagine I could squeeze in a little extra beans and bacon.\u00a0 But are you sure that\u2019s what you want?\u00a0 Winters here get pretty cold.\u00a0 We haven\u2019t had a real severe one since we settled here, but Tuquah tells me they can get bad some years.\u00a0 The way the weather\u2019s been shaping up, this one just might get that way.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I\u2019m sure I don\u2019t want to go back to California,\u201d Paul grunted.\u00a0 \u201cThat doesn\u2019t leave me many options.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben sipped his coffee slowly.\u00a0 \u201cWhat happened in California?\u201d he asked quietly.<\/p>\n

Paul clunked his tin cup down.\u00a0 \u201cStickin\u2019 your long New England nose in where it doesn\u2019t belong again, aren\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben arched an eyebrow.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe I think it\u2019s a friend\u2019s prerogative.\u00a0 That\u2019s the reason you quit medicine, isn\u2019t it?\u00a0 Something that happened in California?\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul took another sip of coffee.\u00a0 \u201cKeep stickin\u2019 your nose out like that, Ben, and it just might get punched back where it belongs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben shook his head, not worried that his friend would suddenly and uncharacteristically resort to violence, but he\u2019d gotten the message, obviously Martin\u2019s intent.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s discuss what supplies you\u2019ll need for the winter,\u201d Ben said, and once launched into that safe topic, found Paul once more easy to converse with.<\/p>\n

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

As the Cartwrights\u2019 wagon pulled up before the Thomas cabin early Monday morning, Adam jumped from the end and reached back to help down his sleepy little brother.\u00a0 \u201cYou about ready?\u201d Ben called to Clyde.<\/p>\n

Clyde made a final check on his oxen\u2019s harness.\u00a0 \u201cReady,\u201d he announced.<\/p>\n

Ben bent over to give Hoss a farewell kiss.\u00a0 \u201cBe a good boy and mind Aunt Nelly,\u201d he instructed.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood boy, Pa,\u201d Hoss assured him with an emphatic bob of his pudgy chin.<\/p>\n

Ben laughed and rumpled the boy\u2019s sleep-tousled tawny hair.\u00a0 Then he laid a hand on Adam\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cAnd you be a good boy, too,\u201d he chuckled.<\/p>\n

\u201cI always am, Pa,\u201d Adam said, a trifle grumpily.\u00a0 Ben wasn\u2019t sure whether the boy was still sleepy like his brother, disgruntled because he\u2019d been refused permission to go on the trip or whether he felt genuinely offended by what he considered an unnecessary admonition.\u00a0 The last problem, at least, Ben could remedy.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sure you\u2019ll be as good as always,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cLook after Hoss for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam smiled.\u00a0 \u201cI will, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clyde was squinting into the rising sun.\u00a0 \u201cDidn\u2019t know Cosser was plannin\u2019 to bring two wagons.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben looked over his shoulder.\u00a0 Sure enough, two wagons were lumbering toward them.\u00a0 \u201cNor did I.\u00a0 Of course, with that boardinghouse to provide for, maybe they need extra supplies.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTwo wagons full?\u201d Clyde scoffed.<\/p>\n

Ben shrugged.\u00a0 The only way to answer that question was to wait and ask Walter Cosser.<\/p>\n

Cosser raised a hand in greeting as his wagon pulled into the yard.\u00a0 \u201cHope you men don\u2019t mind, but I invited Mr. Powell to travel with us.\u00a0 He\u2019s headed for California, and like we discussed before, there\u2019s safety in numbers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled.\u00a0 \u201cAs I told you before, I don\u2019t think there\u2019s much danger, but you\u2019re both welcome to travel with us\u2014\u2014at least to Placerville.\u00a0 I\u2019m not sure our plans coincide after that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat should be far enough,\u201d Powell said.<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s brow wrinkled, and the furrows deepened as he saw two young children peeking through the opening in the wagon cover.\u00a0 \u201cYou expecting trouble?\u201d he asked quietly.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe,\u201d Powell replied cautiously.\u00a0 \u201cCosser here said you\u2019d be willing to help, even if\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are,\u201d Clyde inserted hurriedly.\u00a0 \u201cJust like to know what we\u2019re up against.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFair enough,\u201d Powell agreed.\u00a0 \u201cMy girl\u2019s too young to be married, so I\u2019m gonna resettle in California.\u00a0 Mining chances here don\u2019t seem any better than there, anyway, so it\u2019s all one to me.\u00a0 This Cole fellow don\u2019t know yet that we\u2019ve left, but might be he\u2019d follow.\u00a0 Mary seems to think he\u2019s real attached to her.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou bring your sidearm, Ben?\u201d Clyde asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s in the wagon,\u201d Ben replied gravely.\u00a0 Though he rarely carried a handgun at home, reports of robberies on California roads had made him deem it prudent to buy one for his trips there.\u00a0 So far, he\u2019d never had to use it, but it was cleaned and ready.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, Pa!\u201d called a drowsy voice from the cabin\u2019s doorway.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe I better come along after all.\u00a0 Be an extra gun hand, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben had to laugh.\u00a0 Standing there barefoot in his nightshirt did nothing to make Billy look like a gun hand.<\/p>\n

Clyde, however, didn\u2019t find the offer even slightly amusing.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d better not see you handlin\u2019 my gun, boy!\u201d<\/p>\n

Nelly jerked on Billy\u2019s elbow.\u00a0 \u201cGet back in here!\u201d she ordered.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s the matter with you, showin\u2019 yourself to that girl without proper clothes on!\u201d\u00a0 Billy disappeared an instant later.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s all we\u2019d need,\u201d Clyde grumbled, \u201cto have trouble followin\u2019 and take it along with us, too!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPa,\u201d Adam said, his face concerned.\u00a0 \u201cPa, you be careful.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben knelt down and gave his son\u2019s arms a squeeze.\u00a0 \u201cI will be, Adam.\u00a0 No need for you to worry, boy.\u00a0 Probably won\u2019t be any trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam!\u201d Hoss called from the doorway.\u00a0 \u201cAunt Nelwy fixin\u2019 pancakes!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben stood and gave Adam\u2019s bottom a playful swat.\u00a0 \u201cBetter get them while the getting\u2019s good,\u201d he cautioned.\u00a0 \u201cYour brother\u2019s mighty fond of pancakes.\u201d\u00a0 Adam grinned and trotted into the house.<\/p>\n

The wagons pulled out.\u00a0 Though they made good time, a group of men on horses easily overtook the ox-drawn wagons when they stopped for a light lunch.\u00a0 \u201cBound to be Cole,\u201d Powell declared, pulling his rifle from his wagon.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Pa!\u201d Mary Powell pleaded.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t shoot him!\u00a0 He loves me, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLove!\u201d Powell shouted.\u00a0 \u201cYou don\u2019t know the meaning of the word, girl.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPut the gun down, Powell!\u201d Ben shouted in a commanding voice.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe all the man wants to do is talk.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe don\u2019t need that many men with him to talk,\u201d Powell protested.<\/p>\n

\u201cNonetheless,\u201d Ben said, taking the rifle, \u201cif gunplay starts, it\u2019s these youngsters who are likely to get hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nodding grimly, Powell released the gun.\u00a0 \u201cAll right,\u201d he said, \u201cwe\u2019ll talk, but that man ain\u2019t takin\u2019 my little girl.\u201d<\/p>\n

The first rider, followed closely by three others, reached the encamped wagons and vaulted from his saddle.\u00a0 Sweeping a hank of blonde hair out of snapping brown eyes, the young man stepped swiftly to the side of Mary Powell.\u00a0 The girl\u2019s father stepped just as quickly between them.\u00a0 \u201cIs this the one, Mary?\u201d Powell demanded.\u00a0 \u201cIs this the fiend who preys on little girls?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Pa,\u201d Mary cried.\u00a0 \u201cIt wasn\u2019t like that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll be the judge of that, girl!\u201d her father sputtered.<\/p>\n

Benjamin Cole stuck a long finger beneath Powell\u2019s hooked nose.\u00a0 \u201cYou watch how you talk to my wife!\u201d he yelled.<\/p>\n

Clyde walked up to stand beside Powell, and Walter Cosser flanked the father\u2019s other side.\u00a0 \u201cFourteen\u2019s too young to be anybody\u2019s wife,\u201d Clyde said.<\/p>\n

Cole turned to face him.\u00a0 \u201cLook, I don\u2019t know you, mister, and I don\u2019t know what business you think this is of yours, but\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a father,\u201d Clyde snapped, \u201ca father who can understand what another father feels, that\u2019s all.\u00a0 You had no business goin\u2019 behind Mr. Powell\u2019s back to marry up with his girl.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLook at her,\u201d Cosser pleaded.\u00a0 \u201cA mere child.\u00a0 Find yourself a woman, Cole.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s a woman in every way that counts,\u201d Cole alleged.<\/p>\n

\u201cExcept in judgment, perhaps,\u201d Ben said from the place he\u2019d taken behind the others.<\/p>\n

Cole squinted at the latest man to enter the debate.\u00a0 \u201cI know you, don\u2019t I?\u00a0 Cartwright, isn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know you well enough to judge your intentions toward this girl, Cole, but\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHonorable,\u201d Cole protested.\u00a0 \u201cIf they\u2019d been otherwise, I wouldn\u2019t have bothered with a wedding.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s a point in his favor, Powell,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cMary would have had no defense against a man determined to force her favors.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo maybe he ain\u2019t as bad as he might be,\u201d Powell argued, \u201cbut I don\u2019t call goin\u2019 behind my back honorable, either.\u00a0 He deliberately waited \u2018til Mary had no one to protect her from a smooth talkin\u2019 fancy man.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mary pressed her palms to her burning cheeks.\u00a0 \u201cYou all talk like I wasn\u2019t here at all,\u201d she cried.<\/p>\n

Ben glanced at the girl with sudden sympathy.\u00a0 \u201cShe\u2019s right.\u00a0 I haven\u2019t heard anyone ask Mary what she wants.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s too young to decide,\u201d Powell stammered.<\/p>\n

\u201cPerhaps,\u201d Ben agreed, \u201cbut if this were my daughter or my beloved, I\u2019d want to hear her feelings.\u00a0 Surely, what we all want is what\u2019s best for Mary.\u201d\u00a0 His brown eyes fixed on Cole\u2019s face.\u00a0 \u201cSurely, Mr. Cole, as an honorable man, you wouldn\u2019t demand that Mary return with you against her will.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, no,\u201d Cole admitted.\u00a0 \u201cNot if Mary\u2019s set against our marriage.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen you\u2019re willing to abide by her decision?\u201d Ben pressed.<\/p>\n

Cole flashed a self-assured smile at the pretty young girl.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, whatever Mary wants.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you, Powell?\u201d Ben asked.<\/p>\n

Powell frowned.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2014I don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cole rubbed the handle of his holstered revolver.\u00a0 \u201cMake up your mind,\u201d he mumbled in a low, threatening tone.\u00a0 \u201cIs it Mary\u2019s choice or not?\u201d<\/p>\n

Powell looked at his daughter, and in that look Ben read the agony of heart he was sure he himself would feel in a similar situation.\u00a0 \u201cI think there\u2019s only one fitting choice for a girl her age, but I\u2019ll let her be the one to make it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome on, Mary,\u201d Cole said, stretching a hand toward the flustered girl.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s go home.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I don\u2019t know!\u201d Mary sobbed.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know what to do.\u00a0 Can\u2019t you give me some time?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s reasonable,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cLet the child have an hour to make her decision.\u00a0 Her whole future depends on it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAn hour,\u201d Powell agreed, then took his daughter\u2019s hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.\u00a0 \u201cCan you decide in an hour\u2019s time, honey?\u201d<\/p>\n

Mary gazed into his gray eyes.\u00a0 \u201cI reckon I\u2019ll have to, Pa.\u201d\u00a0 She excused herself and wandered off toward the riverbank near which they\u2019d stopped for the noon break.\u00a0 The others left her alone for almost the full hour.\u00a0 Then Ben ambled over to the river to fill his canteens.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t mean to disturb you, Mary,\u201d he said as he squatted down and let the canteens sink into the water, \u201cbut we\u2019ll be pulling out soon and I need fresh water.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s all right, Mr. Cartwright,\u201d Mary said quietly, twirling a broken reed between her fingers.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2014I want to thank you for stepping in like you did.\u00a0 You\u2019re the only one who cared about me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben sat on a nearby rock.\u00a0 \u201cMary, I think they both care about you, maybe so much they aren\u2019t thinking straight.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mary\u2019s lips formed a soft smile.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m not sure I am, either, Mr. Cartwright.\u00a0 I still don\u2019t know what to do.\u00a0 What do you think, Mr. Cartwright?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben capped his canteens and stood up.\u00a0 \u201cHas your relationship with your father been a good one, Mary?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, yes,\u201d she said immediately.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s been a real good father, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen, shouldn\u2019t you be asking advice from him rather than a complete stranger?\u201d Ben asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe stranger didn\u2019t take sides,\u201d Mary explained.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d rather hear what he thought.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben brushed a wisp of dark brown hair from Mary\u2019s cheek.\u00a0 \u201cDo you think you\u2019re ready for marriage, Mary?\u201d he asked gently.<\/p>\n

Mary tossed the reed aside.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m not sure.\u00a0 I like the idea, and Benjamin\u2014\u2014my Benjamin, I mean\u2014\u2014he\u2019s so handsome and he says such sweet things.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut do you love him?\u201d Ben asked softly.<\/p>\n

Mary kicked at the grass.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe it\u2019s like Pa says\u2014\u2014I don\u2019t really know what love is.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t you think you should find out before you tie yourself to one man for the rest of your life?\u201d\u00a0 Ben smiled.\u00a0 \u201cShouldn\u2019t you know first what you want in a man\u2014\u2014as a husband and as a father to your children?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cChildren!\u201d Mary cried.\u00a0 \u201cLands, Mr. Cartwright, I know I\u2019m not ready to be a mother!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben reached out and took her hand.\u00a0 \u201cOne usually follows pretty much on the heels of the other, child,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Mary paled.\u00a0 \u201cOh, dear, I suppose you\u2019re right,\u201d she sighed.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m really not ready yet, am I?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDoesn\u2019t sound like it,\u201d Ben replied.\u00a0 \u201cWant me to tell them your decision?\u201d<\/p>\n

Mary squared her shoulders.\u00a0 \u201cNo\u2014\u2014thank you, but no.\u00a0 I\u2019m woman enough to do that myself.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben took her arm.\u00a0 \u201cThen, at least, let me escort you back, young lady.\u201d\u00a0 Mary smiled up into his warm brown eyes.<\/p>\n

Together, they walked back to the train.\u00a0 Mary went directly to Benjamin Cole, who smiled triumphantly as she approached.\u00a0 She took his hand and stroked it kindly.\u00a0 \u201cMuch as I like you, Benjamin,\u201d she said, \u201cI\u2019m not ready to be a wife.\u00a0 I still have a lot of growing up to do, and I think the best place to do it is in my father\u2019s house.\u00a0 I want to go on to California.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cole blushed furiously.\u00a0 He\u2019d been so sure she would choose him and now felt embarrassed in front of his friends.\u00a0 \u201cI think you\u2019re makin\u2019 a mistake, girl,\u201d he muttered, \u201cbut I won\u2019t go back on my word.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mary glanced quickly at Ben Cartwright.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m not a girl,\u201d she said, tossing dark curls over her slim shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m a young lady\u2014\u2014something you and my pa both forgot\u2014\u2014and I reckon I\u2019ll stand by my choice.\u201d<\/p>\n

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN<\/p>\n

Ben stopped his wagon in front of the canvas and scrap wood shelter which Paul Martin called home.\u00a0 \u201cHello the house,\u201d he called.<\/p>\n

Bare-chested, with his suspenders hanging from the waist, Martin stepped outside into the fading sunlight.\u00a0 \u201cBack, are you?\u201d he asked.\u00a0 \u201cGood trip?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFine trip,\u201d Ben replied.\u00a0 \u201cA little trouble at the start, but it turned out all right.\u00a0 Saw several old friends and found enough trinkets to brighten my boys\u2019 Christmas.\u00a0 Thought I might as well deliver your supplies directly, rather than unloading them at the store first.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks,\u201d Paul said.\u00a0 \u201cGuess we\u2019d better get the job done, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSoon as possible,\u201d Ben agreed.\u00a0 \u201cI want to get back to the Thomases and collect the boys before dark.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShould have brought them with you,\u201d Paul said.<\/p>\n

Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cWell, that didn\u2019t suit my purpose.\u00a0 I have a favor to ask.\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul looked skeptical.\u00a0 Not once in his acquaintance with Ben Cartwright had the other man let him play the benefactor.\u00a0 Always the other way around.\u00a0 \u201cWhat do you need?\u201d he asked, hoping it was something he could provide.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust a place to hide the afore-mentioned Christmas presents,\u201d Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cThere aren\u2019t enough hidey-holes in my cabin to fool certain prying little eyes, and that Billy Thomas is getting snoopier by the day.\u00a0 I don\u2019t think my usual device of hiding them at his place is going to work this year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul smiled.\u00a0 \u201cMy place is even smaller, but you\u2019re welcome to its use, provided you haven\u2019t spoiled those boys with a pile of toys taller than the mountains.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben ignored the taunt.\u00a0 \u201cI appreciate it,\u201d he said as he began to unload Martin\u2019s supplies.<\/p>\n

Paul hefted a sack of cornmeal to his shoulder and followed Ben into the cabin.\u00a0 \u201cJust pile it in the back corner,\u201d he said in answer to Ben\u2019s query.<\/p>\n

Ben dropped the bag of flour in the designated spot and headed outside to get another load.\u00a0 As he was exiting, however, he noticed the black bag sitting in the corner nearest the door.\u00a0 There was no mistaking the distinctive shape.\u00a0 Ben picked it up and held it out toward his friend.\u00a0 \u201cI thought you\u2019d given up the practice of medicine, doctor,\u201d he said bluntly, \u201cso why keep this?\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul snatched the bag from Ben\u2019s hands.\u00a0 \u201cIt was a gift\u2014\u2014from someone who meant a lot to me.\u00a0 That\u2019s why I keep it.\u00a0 And you dare accuse Billy Thomas of snoopiness!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled wryly.\u00a0 \u201cI assure you he didn\u2019t learn it from me, present evidence to the contrary.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought you wanted these supplies unloaded fast,\u201d Martin muttered as he set the bag down.<\/p>\n

Ben nodded.\u00a0 Working in virtual silence, the men quickly finished their task.\u00a0 \u201cSomething else I\u2019d like to talk to you about,\u201d Ben began when the work was done.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you plan on sticking that nose of yours in my business again,\u201d Paul retorted sharply, \u201cyou can\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHey!\u201d Ben snapped.\u00a0 \u201cWhat I want to discuss is a job offer, but maybe you consider that sticking my long New England nose in, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA job?\u201d\u00a0 Paul looked suspicious.\u00a0 \u201cWhat kind of job?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, you know Clyde Thomas and I have been talking about driving a flock of sheep up from New Mexico,\u201d Ben began again.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve mentioned it,\u201d Paul said, feeling calmer.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, and I was wondering\u2014\u2014since you\u2019re planning to winter here\u2014\u2014if you\u2019d mind looking after my place and seeing to the stock while I\u2019m away.\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul laughed.\u00a0 \u201cDo I strike you as a cattleman?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben arched an eyebrow.\u00a0 \u201cMore so than a miner.\u00a0 Cattle, at least, are living things, more in your line than panning for gold, Doctor<\/em> Martin.\u201d\u00a0 At the risk of offending his abrasive friend, Ben deliberately emphasized the title.\u201d<\/p>\n

Martin blanched.\u00a0 \u201cBen\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben raised an interjecting hand.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, I know.\u00a0 Keep my nose where it belongs.\u00a0 Let\u2019s look at it strictly as a business proposition then.\u00a0 Now, I have two men working for me\u2014\u2014part time, at least.\u00a0 They can handle the day-to-day management of the cattle, but I\u2019d prefer to leave someone more trustworthy in charge.\u00a0 You may not have experience with cattle, but your medical skills will be useful when they calve.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI never was a vet,\u201d Paul chuckled, \u201cbut I imagine I could play mid-wife to a cow, if needed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cExactly what I thought,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d pay you for your help, of course, and you\u2019re welcome to stay at my place while we\u2019re away.\u201d\u00a0 He looked around the ramshackle cabin.\u00a0 \u201cCertainly, you\u2019ll be warmer there than here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat about the boys?\u201d Paul said.\u00a0 \u201cYou want me to look after them, too?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cNo, they\u2019ll stay with Nelly Thomas, though I\u2019d appreciate it if you looked in on them from time to time, just to see that everything\u2019s going well.\u00a0 A woman alone might need someone she could call on, maybe someone to chop a little wood once in a while.\u00a0 It looks to be a cold winter.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI guess I could handle that,\u201d Paul said.\u00a0 \u201cSure, I\u2019ll watch the place while you\u2019re gone, Ben, but I\u2019ll miss our Saturday chess matches.\u201d<\/p>\n

A twinkle sparkled in Ben\u2019s brown eyes.\u00a0 \u201cAbsence makes the heart grow fonder, they say.\u00a0 Maybe you\u2019ll learn to appreciate a certain long New England nose when it isn\u2019t around to poke into your business.\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul chuckled and shook his head.\u00a0 Snoopiness notwithstanding, he was glad it would be three months before he had to give up those weekly visits with the one man he called friend.<\/p>\n

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

November slipped past unnoticed, except for the annual gathering around a table crammed with proof of a bountiful harvest and a prosperous year.\u00a0 That holiday was no sooner celebrated than the Cartwright boys began to feel excited anticipation of Christmas.\u00a0 \u201cHow long now, Bubba?\u201d Hoss demanded each December morning.\u00a0 \u201c\u2018Morrow?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, not tomorrow,\u201d Adam said, exasperated.\u00a0 He squatted next to the fireplace where his father was frying bacon for breakfast.\u00a0 \u201cPa, what are we gonna do with him?\u201d he grumbled.<\/p>\n

Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cServes you right for talking about Santa this early in the month.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss slapped his hand repeatedly against Adam\u2019s back.\u00a0 \u201cHow long, Bubba?\u201d he persisted.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, not tomorrow!\u201d Adam snapped, jumping to his feet.\u00a0 \u201cNot for lots of tomorrows.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam,\u201d Ben rebuked gently, seeing Hoss\u2019s lower lip pooch out.\u00a0 \u201cHe can\u2019t help it.\u00a0 Three-year-olds don\u2019t have much concept of time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, he needs one,\u201d Adam declared adamantly.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s time he learned what a week is, anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben tweaked Adam\u2019s nose.\u00a0 \u201cAll right, little schoolmaster, you teach him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam smiled, liking the idea.\u00a0 \u201cI bet I could.\u201d\u00a0 He gave Hoss\u2019s tawny head a pat.\u00a0 \u201cWant to learn the days of the week, Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s chin bobbed up and down.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, let\u2019s get started,\u201d Adam said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBreakfast first,\u201d Ben said firmly.\u00a0 \u201cThen chores.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam groaned, hating to put off a project once he had it in mind, but there\u2019d be no convincing Pa that teaching Hoss was more important than mucking out the cow\u2019s stall.\u00a0 The lessons would have to wait.<\/p>\n

With necessary duties out of the way, Adam seated his little pupil at the table.\u00a0 \u201cCan I use the calendar, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

His lips twitching, Ben got the desired \u201ctextbook\u201d for his son.\u00a0 Adam spread it open at the proper month.\u00a0 \u201cOkay, Hoss, this shows all the days in December, but we\u2019ll just learn a few at first.\u201d\u00a0 Adam pointed to December 10th.\u00a0 \u201cThis is today.\u00a0 We call it Saturday.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSat-day,\u201d Hoss repeated earnestly.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood boy,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cNow, do you know what happens every Saturday?\u201d\u00a0 Hoss\u2019s head wagged from side to side.<\/p>\n

\u201cSaturday\u2019s the day Mr. Martin comes to teach me chemistry,\u201d Adam lectured.<\/p>\n

Ben looked up from the harness he was mending.\u00a0 \u201cOh, is that why he comes?\u201d he chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cI always thought he came to play with me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam grinned sheepishly.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, I guess so,\u201d he admitted, \u201cbut I like the other part best.\u201d\u00a0 He turned back to the calendar, pointing out two more dates to Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cSee, Hoss\u2014\u2014one, two more Saturdays and it will be Christmas Eve.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSanta come!\u201d Hoss chirped, then cocked his head.\u00a0 \u201cPau-Pau Santa?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed as he recognized Hoss\u2019s garbled pronunciation of their weekly visitor\u2019s name.\u00a0 \u201cNow you\u2019ve done it!\u201d he snickered at Adam.\u00a0 \u201cNow he thinks Paul Martin is Santa Claus!\u201d\u00a0 Of course, Hoss wasn\u2019t far wrong this particular year, Ben thought with amusement.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, no, Hoss,\u201d Adam corrected.\u00a0 \u201cMr. Martin is not Santa.\u00a0 He just usually comes the same day that\u2014\u201d\u00a0 Adam raised quizzical eyes to his father.\u00a0 \u201cIs he coming that Saturday, Pa?\u00a0 Christmas Eve, I mean.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben sat down across from Adam.\u00a0 \u201cYou know, I hadn\u2019t realized \u2018til now that Christmas Eve fell on a Saturday.\u00a0 It might be a neighborly thing to have him here, though.\u00a0 People get lonely at Christmas time when they have no family of their own.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut you wouldn\u2019t just play chess, would you?\u201d Adam asked urgently.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019d still read the Christmas ghost story and fix up the tree like always?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben reached across the table to squeeze the boy\u2019s hand.\u00a0 \u201cOf course, Adam.\u00a0 That\u2019s our special tradition; we\u2019ll always do that.\u00a0 But it doesn\u2019t hurt to share our special times with others, does it?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam smiled.\u00a0 \u201cNo, Pa.\u00a0 Sharing makes them better.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood.\u00a0 I\u2019ll ask Mr. Martin to join us then.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam turned his attention back to Hoss\u2019s instruction and by the time he put away the calendar was convinced his little brother understood just when the gifts would appear under the Christmas tree.\u00a0 He was convinced, that is, until the next morning when Hoss greeted him with \u201cHow long now, Bubba?\u00a0 \u2018Morrow?\u201d<\/p>\n

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

Standing on a chair, Hoss pressed his nose flat against the cold windowpane in the front room, then turned to look at Adam.\u00a0 \u201cSanta Pau-Pau come?\u201d he asked urgently.<\/p>\n

\u201cSanta will come,\u201d Adam promised, \u201cbut I don\u2019t know about Pau-Pau.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben gave the stewed turnips a final stir and looked anxiously out the window.\u00a0 The rain was still coming down and, if the temperature continued to drop, was likely to turn to snow by morning, perhaps earlier.\u00a0 Like Hoss, Ben was concerned that the weather might keep Paul from coming, and though Adam didn\u2019t realize it, in that event Santa Claus wasn\u2019t likely to arrive either.\u00a0 Paul had been reluctant to intrude on a family holiday, but had finally given in to Ben\u2019s insistence and promised to bring the boys\u2019 presents with him when he came.\u00a0 No Paul, no presents, and Ben was disappointed on both counts.<\/p>\n

The skies had been gray all day, but they grew darker as night fell.\u00a0 No sense holding supper, Ben thought as he set out three tin plates. \u00a0Before he could get all the food on the table, however, several loud thumps struck the door.\u00a0 His face lighting, Ben ran to open it.<\/p>\n

In the doorway stood a totally drenched Paul Martin.\u00a0 \u201cPau-Pau!\u201d Hoss cried, bustling over to greet their guest.<\/p>\n

\u201cMercy, man, get in here and dry off,\u201d Ben ordered.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir!\u201d Paul said, giving Ben a smart salute.\u00a0 He gave Hoss a gentle pat.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll hug you later, son.\u00a0 I\u2019m wet to the bone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Oblivious to the dampness, Hoss hugged Paul\u2019s pants leg.\u00a0 Ben pulled the boy away.\u00a0 \u201cLater, son,\u201d he laughed.\u00a0 \u201cLet Mr. Martin over by the fire.\u201d\u00a0 He smiled at Paul.\u00a0 \u201cI was afraid you might not make it, the weather being what it is.\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul winked.\u00a0 \u201cSanta\u2019s sleigh runs through any storm, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss plucked Adam\u2019s shirt sleeve.\u00a0 \u201cSee.\u00a0 Pau-Pau Santa.\u201d\u00a0 Adam rolled his eyes, but it was his ears that pricked up at his father\u2019s next words.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you\u2014uh\u2014bring anything with you?\u201d Ben asked.<\/p>\n

Paul laughed.\u00a0 \u201cIn the barn,\u201d he whispered, but Adam heard him.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe I should put up Mr. Martin\u2019s horse, Pa,\u201d Adam offered, keeping his face innocent.<\/p>\n

Ben and Paul both hooted, seeing at once through Adam\u2019s stratagem.\u00a0 \u201cOh, no, you don\u2019t!\u201d Ben said, ruffling the boy\u2019s dark hair.<\/p>\n

\u201cI tended my horse before I came to the house, son,\u201d Paul added.\u00a0 \u201cYou just didn\u2019t hear me because of the storm.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam grinned, not minding at all that he\u2019d been caught.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re just glad you\u2019re here,\u201d he said, \u201cand even more now that\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCareful, Adam,\u201d Ben cautioned.\u00a0 \u201cLittle pitchers have big ears.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam tittered, remembering all the times grownups had used that phrase around him.\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t liked the feeling of being left in the dark, but now, of course, Pa meant Hoss, and Adam enjoyed being in on the joke.<\/p>\n

Ben loaned Paul some dry clothes, and while his friend was changing, finishing setting out the food.\u00a0 Hoss banged on the door to his father\u2019s room.\u00a0 \u201cHurwy, Pau-Pau,\u201d he called.\u00a0 \u201cTime eat.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss, get away from that door,\u201d Ben scolded.<\/p>\n

The door opened immediately and Paul swooped Hoss up in his arms.\u00a0 \u201cNow for that hug I promised you, little man.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss giggled as Paul gave him a squeeze and swung him to his shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cNow, where\u2019s this food you promised me, Hoss?\u201d\u00a0 Hoss pointed to the table and Paul swung him down into his special, long-legged chair.<\/p>\n

The others gathered around the table and Ben asked their guest to offer thanks.\u00a0 Paul did, then sniffed the air appreciatively.\u00a0 \u201cOxtail stew, isn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have a trained sniffer,\u201d Ben smiled as he ladled his friend\u2019s plate full of the savory broth in which swam large chunks of meat, carrots and potatoes.\u00a0 \u201cNot a traditional meal, I suppose, but stew\u2019s my best dish.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAlways a favorite with me,\u201d Paul said.<\/p>\n

Evidently, the stew was a favorite with everyone, for all four ate large helpings.\u00a0 In fact, by the time they were finished, nothing remained on the table.\u00a0 Ben and Adam hurriedly cleared the table and washed the dishes while Paul amused Hoss playing cat\u2019s cradle with a bit of string he\u2019d brought in his pocket.<\/p>\n

Then they worked together to wind a popcorn garland around the tree and hang the usual ornaments from the branches.\u00a0 \u201cNow we eat popcorn while Pa reads a story,\u201d Adam informed their guest.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou may eat popcorn,\u201d Paul laughed, \u201cbut I am full up to here.\u201d\u00a0 He held his hand just below his chin.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cStorwy, Pa,\u201d Hoss chirped.<\/p>\n

\u201cSoon as I pop the corn,\u201d Ben promised.\u00a0 \u201cAdam, you get the book down.\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul reached for the volume as soon as Adam had taken it from the shelf.\u00a0 \u201cAh!\u00a0 A Christmas Carol<\/em>\u2014\u2014a favorite of mine, too.\u201d\u00a0 He glanced over to the fireplace where Ben was preparing the snack.\u00a0 \u201cMind if I help with the reading, Ben?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, that\u2019d be a treat for me,\u201d Ben said.<\/p>\n

Out of politeness Adam didn\u2019t say anything, though he secretly wanted his father to do all the reading.\u00a0 Pa always made the story seem so real.\u00a0 As the reading began, however, Adam learned that Paul Martin also had a gift for making words come alive.\u00a0 He and Ben divided up the characters\u2014\u2014Ben providing the voice for some and Paul, others.\u00a0 It was almost like seeing the story acted out, Adam decided, and hoped Mr. Martin could be there for all their Christmas Eves.<\/p>\n

When the story ended, the boys said their good-nights and headed for bed.\u00a0 \u201cLook, Pa,\u201d Adam said as he glanced out the window.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s snowing!\u201d\u00a0 He frowned worriedly.\u00a0 \u201cYou think we\u2019ll be able to get to Billy\u2019s place for Christmas tomorrow?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laid the chessboard on the table.\u00a0 \u201cOh, I imagine we can get through, though it looks like Santa will have to use his sleigh and reindeer tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam giggled.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, that\u2019s right. \u00a0Come on, Hoss, let\u2019s get tucked in so Santa can come.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWanna see waindeer,\u201d Hoss insisted, stretching for the doorknob.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you do, Santa won\u2019t leave any presents,\u201d Ben warned with a twitch of his lips.<\/p>\n

\u201cNight-night,\u201d Hoss called as he hustled into the bedroom with Adam close behind.<\/p>\n

Ben chuckled and started to set the chess pieces in place.\u00a0 Watching the snowflakes fall, Paul frowned.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe we\u2019d better forego the chess game tonight, Ben,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cI think I should head home before this gets any heavier.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re not going anywhere,\u201d Ben said firmly.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re staying the night here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Ben, I can\u2019t do that,\u201d Paul protested.<\/p>\n

\u201cCan and will,\u201d Ben stated.\u00a0 \u201cI won\u2019t hear any argument, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cChristmas is for family,\u201d Paul insisted.<\/p>\n

Ben laid a hand on his friend\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cSo, we\u2019ll adopt you for a night.\u00a0 Common sense ought to tell you it\u2019s not safe out.\u00a0 You\u2019d probably catch your death of pneumonia, and as we all know, there\u2019s no doctor in the territory.\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul bristled at the veiled rebuke in Ben\u2019s last words, then a crafty smile touched his lips.\u00a0 \u201cAll right, I\u2019ll stay\u2014\u2014on two conditions.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben arched an eyebrow.\u00a0 \u201cWhich are?\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul shook a finger under Ben\u2019s nose.\u00a0 \u201cFirst, no more snide jokes about my former profession.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAgreed,\u201d Ben said with a smile.\u00a0 \u201cAnd second?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI get to make the first move.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed.\u00a0 He could almost guarantee the results if he gave Paul that kind of advantage, but he readily acceded to his guest\u2019s demand.\u00a0 And as he\u2019d predicted, Paul won the first game.<\/p>\n

By the end of the second, which Ben won, both men were yawning.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019d better turn in,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cThose boys will be up early tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe we should bring in the presents tonight?\u201d Paul suggested.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, good idea,\u201d Ben replied.\u00a0 \u201cIf you can see to that, I\u2019ll move Hoss to the trundle and you can have his bed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFair enough.\u201d<\/p>\n

With the presents placed under the tree, Ben and Paul said good night, and the house lay still beneath the softly falling snow.\u00a0 Hoss and Adam smiled sweetly in their sleep, evidently with the legendary visions of sugarplums dancing in their heads.\u00a0 Ben, too, rested calmly, but Paul Martin tossed uneasily from side to side, moaning as he slept.<\/p>\n

The sky was still black when Ben was awakened by loud, repeated cries from the next room.\u00a0 \u201cAggie!\u00a0 Aggie!\u201d the tormented voice groaned again and again.<\/p>\n

Ben sprang to his feet and hurried through the door.\u00a0 \u201cPaul,\u201d he said, shaking the man\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cPaul, wake up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul\u2019s gray eyes opened.\u00a0 \u201cWhat is it, Ben?\u201d he asked.\u00a0 \u201cSomething wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what I want to know,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cI think you were\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPa,\u201d called a voice from the other bed in the room.\u00a0 \u201cPa, is it time to open presents?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben moved quickly across the room and tucked the covers more tightly under Adam\u2019s chin.\u00a0 \u201cNo, son; it\u2019s the middle of the night.\u00a0 Go back to sleep.\u201d\u00a0 He pressed a kiss to the boy\u2019s forehead.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay,\u201d Adam yawned and turned his face to the wall.<\/p>\n

Paul was sitting on the side of the bed when Ben returned to his side.\u00a0 \u201cSorry,\u201d Paul said.\u00a0 \u201cI didn\u2019t mean to wake the boy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWere you having a nightmare?\u201d Ben asked, sitting beside him.<\/p>\n

\u201cGhost of Christmas past, I guess,\u201d Paul said.<\/p>\n

\u201cLong past?\u201d Ben asked with a smile, taking his text from the story he and Paul had read together earlier that evening.<\/p>\n

Paul stood and headed for the door.\u00a0 \u201cNot long enough,\u201d he mumbled.<\/p>\n

His brow furrowed in consideration of Paul\u2019s cryptic response, Ben followed his friend to the fireplace in the front room.<\/p>\n

\u201cMind if I make some coffee?\u201d Paul asked.<\/p>\n

Ben frowned.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t mind, of course, but that\u2019s not likely to help you sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing does,\u201d Paul sighed.<\/p>\n

Catching the weary tone in Paul\u2019s voice, Ben quietly lighted the coal oil lantern and began to fill the coffee pot with water.\u00a0 \u201cYou have these nightmares often?\u201d he asked gently.<\/p>\n

Paul laughed gruffly.\u00a0 \u201cNot so much lately.\u00a0 At first\u2014\u201d\u00a0 He stopped.<\/p>\n

\u201cWant to talk about it?\u201d Ben asked.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cMight help,\u201d Ben urged.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve known for months you had something bottled up inside.\u00a0 Maybe if you get it out, it won\u2019t disturb your sleep.\u201d\u00a0 Paul said nothing, but he looked as though he were weighing the idea.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho\u2019s Aggie?\u201d Ben probed, hoping the question might help his friend get started.<\/p>\n

Paul paled.\u00a0 \u201cWho told you about her?\u201d<\/p>\n

Of course!\u00a0 Aggie would be a woman\u2019s name.\u00a0 Ben was surprised he hadn\u2019t realized that immediately.\u00a0 \u201cYou called her name in your sleep\u2014\u2014over and over,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid I?\u201d Paul murmured softly.\u00a0 \u201cDear Aggie.\u00a0 I suppose it is thoughts of Christmas that bring her to mind tonight.\u00a0 She loved Christmas so, with the kind of starry-eyed wonder you usually see only in children.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSomeone close to you?\u201d Ben pressed.<\/p>\n

Paul looked steadily into Ben\u2019s face for a moment.\u00a0 \u201cVery close,\u201d he said after taking a deep breath.\u00a0 \u201cHer given name was Agatha, but I called her Aggie.\u00a0 My wife, Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben set the coffee pot down abruptly.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re married?\u201d he asked.\u00a0 Now, why had he assumed Paul Martin was a bachelor?\u00a0 Lots of the miners had wives back home.<\/p>\n

Paul took the daguerreotype of Inger from the mantel.\u00a0 \u201cThe same way you are,\u201d he said and set the picture down again.<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s eyes grew misty.\u00a0 \u201cShe\u2019s gone\u2014\u2014like Inger?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, not like Inger,\u201d Paul sputtered bitterly.\u00a0 \u201cYou had something you could bury.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat happened, Paul?\u201d Ben asked sympathetically.<\/p>\n

Paul shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cOh, Ben, it\u2019s a long, ugly story\u2014\u2014not the kind to tell on this holy night.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laid a hand on his friend\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cExactly the kind to tell on this holy night,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cI can think of no better way to celebrate the night angels sang of peace on earth than to bring peace to your heart.\u00a0 Don\u2019t keep the pain pent up any longer, Paul; let it out and let peace come.\u201d<\/p>\n

A single tear slipped down Paul\u2019s cheek.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe that is possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTonight of all nights,\u201d Ben said, pulling a chair close and motioning Paul to take the rocker.<\/p>\n

\u201cQuite the idealist, aren\u2019t you, Ben?\u201d Paul commented bitterly, then softened.\u00a0 \u201cSo was I once.\u00a0 An idealistic young fool.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t come west for any of the usual reasons\u2014\u2014not for gold, not even for the money to be made off the miners.\u00a0 I came because I knew there\u2019d be a tremendous need for doctors in a newly settled area, and I guess I saw myself as some knight on a white horse, riding from cabin to cabin dispensing medical wisdom to the grateful masses.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou think there was something wrong with that?\u201d Ben asked.\u00a0 \u201cI can see you on that white horse, my friend, and you look more natural there than swinging a pick against a rock ledge.\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cStupid, romantic dream,\u201d he muttered, \u201cbut I left a decent practice in New York and sailed all the way around the Horn to follow it.\u00a0 The real tragedy, of course, is that I didn\u2019t come alone.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDid your wife die on the trip?\u201d Ben asked.\u00a0 \u201cI know many did.\u201d\u00a0 He made a quick conjecture that the reason Paul hadn\u2019t been able to bury his wife was that she\u2019d been lost at sea.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Paul said.\u00a0 \u201cNot then.\u00a0 Even that would have been easier to take.\u201d\u00a0 He paused, not sure he could go on.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s cold,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cStir up the fire and I\u2019ll put that coffee on.\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul nodded, seeming glad to have something to do with his hands.\u00a0 When he had the fire burning bright, he sat down in the rocker again, staring at the flames as if they held a secret meaning.<\/p>\n

Ben set the coffee pot on the grate above the fire and sat down.\u00a0 \u201cHow long were you in California before your wife\u2019s death?\u201d he asked to open the subject again.<\/p>\n

\u201cA little over a year,\u201d Paul replied, \u201cand Aggie never complained, despite the rugged living conditions of the camps.\u00a0 She was a wonderful woman, Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sure she was,\u201d Ben murmured.<\/p>\n

Paul placed his elbow on the arm of the rocker and leaned his forehead on his palm.\u00a0 \u201cThere was another so-called doctor practicing in the same region where we settled.\u00a0 And I do mean \u2018practicing\u2019\u2014\u2014or maybe \u2018experimenting\u2019 is the more precise term.\u00a0 Like so many in California, he just appropriated the title without earning it.\u00a0 The man knew nothing about medicine, and we had several clashes over patients.\u00a0 I was probably a little arrogant in the way I flaunted my medical knowledge against his folksy treatments, so maybe I should have expected retaliation, but I didn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis retaliation,\u201d Ben said when Paul paused.\u00a0 \u201cWas it against your wife?\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul sighed deeply.\u00a0 \u201cNot directly.\u00a0 A miner came to me with a leg badly smashed in a fall.\u00a0 Bones crushed, no way to save it.\u00a0 But when I recommended amputation, the patient refused.\u00a0 Gangrene set in and he died.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA needless tragedy,\u201d Ben commented.<\/p>\n

Paul nodded.\u00a0 \u201cYes, and it led to a greater one.\u00a0 The other \u2018doctor\u2019 stirred up the miner\u2019s friends, claiming he could have cured the man and that his death was the result of my malpractice.\u201d\u00a0 Tears began to stream down Paul\u2019s face.<\/p>\n

\u201cGo on,\u201d Ben urged, sensing they\u2019d reached the heart of his friend\u2019s agony.<\/p>\n

Paul took a slow, deep breath.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d been out late that night with another patient.\u00a0 So tired when I came in that I didn\u2019t even bother grooming my horse, just tossed him some hay and headed for the house.\u00a0 Even left my doctor\u2019s bag in the buggy, which I\u2019d never done before.\u201d\u00a0 He paused and gave Ben a significant look.\u00a0 \u201cA good thing, as it turned out.\u00a0 I told you once it was a gift from someone close to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAggie?\u201d Ben asked, his face tender.<\/p>\n

Paul nodded.\u00a0 \u201cAll I have left to remember her by.\u00a0 I fell into bed and slept like the dead.\u00a0 Even when the yelling finally woke me, I was still groggy, not thinking straight.\u00a0 I started to stumble outside, but Aggie stopped me.\u00a0 She could hear the angry shouts and was afraid the men would harm me.\u00a0 She was right, of course, but I shouldn\u2019t have listened.\u00a0 I should have faced them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat did they do?\u201d Ben asked.<\/p>\n

Paul swallowed hard.\u00a0 \u201cThey set fire to our cabin, to force me out\u201d he said, choking on the words.\u00a0 \u201cIf they knew there was anyone else living there, I guess anger fogged their memory.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded silently, realizing that most miners so revered women that they\u2019d be unlikely to inflict intentional harm on one.\u00a0 Undoubtedly, Paul alone had been their target.<\/p>\n

\u201dAnyway,\u201d Paul went on, \u201cby the time we realized what they\u2019d done, the situation was critical.\u00a0 Aggie begged me to save our little girl. Said she could get out on her own.\u00a0 I threw a blanket around Sally and carried her out through the smoke that was filling the cabin, but when I turned back to help Aggie, the flames were too high to force my way through.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s chin quivered and his eyes swam with sympathetic tears.\u00a0 \u201cShe burned to death?\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul nodded silently.\u00a0 \u201cAnd I could do nothing but listen to her scream.\u00a0 That\u2019s what I dream about night after night\u2014\u2014those screams, those awful, gut-wrenching screams.\u201d\u00a0 He buried his face in his hands and wept.<\/p>\n

Feeling the tears would be cleansing, Ben let him cry.\u00a0 In the meantime he poured each of them a cup of coffee.\u00a0 Paul finally settled down.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve wanted to tell you for weeks now, Ben, so you\u2019d understand, but I just couldn\u2019t get it out.\u00a0 You see now why I can never practice medicine again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s brow wrinkled.\u00a0 \u201cNo, I can\u2019t see that,\u201d he said as he handed Paul a cup of coffee.\u00a0 \u201cWhy deprive innocent people of your help because of the actions of a few vindictive men?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause they\u2019re representative,\u201d Paul muttered bitterly.\u00a0 \u201cI decided if what people in this part of the country wanted was sham doctors, I\u2019d leave them to the mercy of the quacks.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t live with hate,\u201d Ben began.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t,\u201d Paul said bluntly.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t talk about what you know nothing of.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat makes you think I don\u2019t?\u201d Ben asked abruptly.\u00a0 \u201cDo you think I felt differently about the Indians who shot Inger?\u00a0 I hated them at first, but whenever the hate rose in my heart, I\u2019d hear Inger begging me with her dying breath to forgive them.\u00a0 Eventually, I had to, to make my peace with her.\u00a0 I know it\u2019s hard, Paul, but you can\u2019t get on with your life until you get past the hate.\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul stared into the flames as he sipped his coffee.\u00a0 \u201cI can\u2019t, Ben; I just can\u2019t.\u00a0 If I hadn\u2019t played the hero on the white horse, Aggie would be alive today.\u00a0 I can\u2019t be that man again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou feel responsible,\u201d Ben said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, and don\u2019t tell me you know how that feels!\u201d Paul sputtered.<\/p>\n

Ben smiled sadly.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t I?\u00a0 I brought Inger west, took her into dangerous country, just as you did Aggie.\u201d\u00a0 He looked up at the other picture on the mantel.\u00a0 \u201cAnd before her, Adam\u2019s mother died in childbirth.\u00a0 I felt responsible for that, too.\u00a0 After all, I was the one who planted the seed inside her.\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul looked up quickly. \u201cAnd how long did it take you to come to terms with it, Ben?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cQuite awhile,\u201d Ben admitted.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen give me time,\u201d Paul said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right,\u201d Ben agreed slowly.\u00a0 \u201cMy Christmas present to you\u2014\u2014time to heal without anyone\u2019s long New England nose sticking into your business.\u201d<\/p>\n

For the first time since the conversation started, Paul smiled.<\/p>\n

Ben poured himself a second cup of coffee.\u00a0 \u201cYou mentioned a daughter.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSally,\u201d Paul said.\u00a0 \u201cShe\u2019s about Adam\u2019s age.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere is she?\u201d Ben asked.<\/p>\n

Paul looked uncomfortable again.\u00a0 \u201cIn Hawaii.\u00a0 I sent her to a boarding school there shortly after her mother\u2019s death.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben stared at the other man, his eyes betraying his shock.\u00a0 The one thing that had helped him through the grief over his wives\u2019 deaths had been the closeness of their sons.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t imagine a father and child separated at the time they needed one another most.\u00a0 \u201cOh, Paul, she belongs with you,\u201d he murmured.<\/p>\n

Paul shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cNo, not as I am now.\u00a0 I\u2019m not fit for civilized society.\u00a0 That\u2019s why I came here instead of going back east.\u00a0 At least, in Hawaii Sally\u2019s getting a good education, and the missionaries probably give her better parenting than I could now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sure she\u2019d trade all that in a minute for the comfort of her father\u2019s arms,\u201d Ben argued.\u00a0 \u201cAt a time like this, especially, she needs you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIndian giver,\u201d Paul accused.<\/p>\n

\u201cHuh?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat long New England nose is pushing in again,\u201d Paul said dryly.\u00a0 \u201cYou didn\u2019t give me much time to heal.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben flushed.\u00a0 \u201cThat may be a hard promise to keep if I continue to unearth new secrets, but I\u2019ll try.\u00a0 And speaking of trying, maybe we should try to get a little sleep before the boys wake up.\u00a0 We have a busy day ahead.\u00a0 Dinner at the Thomases, and you\u2019re coming with us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Paul said firmly.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d Ben said with equal firmness.\u00a0 Standing, he slapped his friend\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s your Christmas present to me, and I\u2019ll accept no other.\u00a0 High time you reacquainted yourself with civilized society.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

A fiddle\u2019s frolicsome tune drifted down to Ben as he and Adam turned their horses into the corral at Spafford Hall\u2019s Station on New Year\u2019s Eve.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re late, Pa,\u201d Adam grumbled.\u00a0 \u201cI knew Hoss would make us late, dawdling over dinner like he did.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben lifted his three-year-old and smiled down at his older son.\u00a0 \u201cNo harm done, son.\u00a0 We\u2019re no more than fashionably late, as they say.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam couldn\u2019t understand that concept.\u00a0 All he understood was that the first real party in western Utah was starting without them.\u00a0 And it was a big party, too; folks were coming from as far as fifty miles away, Adam had heard.\u00a0 Not that he cared about the dancing, of course.\u00a0 Dances could be fun, as he had discovered at the trailside one he\u2019d attended on their journey west, but trotting around the room with something sweet and frilly wasn\u2019t the main attraction for the boy.\u00a0 At this time of year more than enough time was spent indoors, and anything that broke up the routine of daily chores was welcomed, even if it involved prancing around the upper room at Spafford Hall\u2019s with a bunch of girls.<\/p>\n

Had Ben been able to read Adam\u2019s mind, he would have laughed, for when they entered the rustic ballroom after climbing the stairs, no more than nine fair damsels graced the dance floor\u2014\u2014a small number to constitute a bunch\u2014\u2014and that included ladies as young as twenty-month-old Inger Thomas.\u00a0 Still, nine was a good representation, Ben thought, when you considered that there weren\u2019t more than a dozen females of any age living in this part of the territory.<\/p>\n

Adam spotted Billy Thomas cavorting his way around the room with Inger as a partner.\u00a0 \u201cIs she the best you could find?\u201d Adam hooted as he tapped his friend on the shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cWhy don\u2019t you put her down?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s too slow that way!\u201d Billy chortled as he swung his little sister around, then finally let her feet touch the floor.<\/p>\n

\u201cHere, Inger,\u201d Ben said, putting her little hand in Hoss\u2019s.\u00a0 \u201cHere\u2019s a partner more your size.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss knew nothing about dancing, but he got the general idea from the others stepping to the music and started to hop around, holding both of Inger\u2019s hands.<\/p>\n

Billy ruffled the youngster\u2019s sandy hair.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t you tromp on her toes, Hoss boy,\u201d he cautioned, \u201cor I\u2019ll have to punch your snoot.\u00a0 Matter of honor, you know,\u201d he explained to Hoss\u2019s father.<\/p>\n

Ben snickered.\u00a0 \u201cSince when do you know the meaning of that word?\u00a0 Where\u2019re your folks, Billy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, Ma\u2019s bound to be dancing,\u201d Billy said.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s so many extra men here, Pa\u2019s havin\u2019 to share, but I don\u2019t know where he is.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben searched the dance floor and found Nelly Thomas.\u00a0 He tapped her dance partner, Sandy Bowers, on the arm.\u00a0 \u201cMay I cut in?\u201d he requested.\u00a0 Sandy relinquished his prize with a good-natured grin, then spotting a whiskered miner with a bandanna tied about his arm to designate him as a \u201clady\u201d for the evening, moved to claim his next partner.<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks for rescuing me, Ben,\u201d Nelly laughed.\u00a0 \u201cThat Bowers flaps his arms too hard for my taste.\u00a0 Wore me plumb down.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou want to sit this one out?\u201d Ben asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot when I finally got a partner who can dance,\u201d Nelly tittered.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere\u2019s Clyde?\u201d Ben asked.<\/p>\n

Nelly glanced around, then nodded toward the punch bowl.\u00a0 \u201cJust about where you\u2019d expect,\u201d she snickered.\u00a0 \u201cYour friend Martin\u2019s been dancing pretty steady, though,\u201d she said, nodding the other direction.<\/p>\n

Ben wheeled around to see Paul Martin dancing with a girl who would have made an appropriate partner for Adam.\u00a0 \u201cOh, I\u2019m glad he came,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cI wasn\u2019t sure I\u2019d talked him into it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was here at the beginning, like us,\u201d Nelly said.\u00a0 \u201cFunny thing, though, he ain\u2019t asked any of the grown women to dance, just the young ones.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot surprising to me,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cHe hasn\u2019t spent much time socializing the last several months, and the young ones probably remind him of his own little girl.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMartin has a daughter?\u201d Nelly asked, her feminine curiosity instantly aroused.<\/p>\n

\u201cUm-hmn,\u201d Ben murmured, spinning Nelly around so she\u2019d quit staring at his friend.\u00a0 \u201cName\u2019s Sally, and she\u2019s about the age of the girl he\u2019s dancing with.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t say!\u201d Nelly said.\u00a0 \u201cBack east with her mother, I reckon.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cHer mother\u2019s dead.\u00a0 I\u2019ll tell you about it sometime, but not tonight, Miss Gossip.\u00a0 Tonight is given over to festive frolic.\u201d\u00a0 As the fiddle cranked out a livelier tune, Ben trotted Nelly around the room until she begged for a reprieve.\u00a0 Laughing, Ben took her hand and led her to the punch bowl, where they found Clyde downing another cup.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou save a dance back for me?\u201d Clyde snorted.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m gettin\u2019 mighty tired of them fuzzy-faced ladies I been partnerin\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re next, you fuzzy-faced old thing,\u201d Nelly promised, giving her husband\u2019s auburn beard an affectionate pull.<\/p>\n

Ben uttered a loud laugh.\u00a0 \u201cAdam just cut in on Dr. Martin,\u201d he said in answer to the Thomases\u2019 questioning looks<\/p>\n

\u201cHe lets you call him that now, does he?\u201d Clyde grunted.<\/p>\n

Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cNot to his face, but I\u2019m trusting the day will come when he answers to it again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure glad you asked him to Christmas dinner last Sunday,\u201d Nelly said.\u00a0 \u201cHe seems such a lonely sort of man.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s why I pressed him to come tonight.\u00a0 Even promised I\u2019d wear the bandanna and dance the lady\u2019s part for him, and, thanks to my young son, it looks like I\u2019m gonna have to keep my word.\u201d\u00a0 Ben took the bandanna from his neck and, tying it around his left arm, moved across to offer his services to the now partnerless Paul Martin.<\/p>\n

Music and laughter echoed around the room.\u00a0 Lost in their enjoyment of the evening, the settlers were unaware of softer, stealthier sounds outdoors.\u00a0 Not until the families with young children made preparations to leave did anyone realize they had had visitors uninterested in music and whose laughter was that of victory over the unvigilant dancers.<\/p>\n

Israel Mott, the first to head downstairs, rushed up again, banging open the door to the second floor.\u00a0 \u201cHey!\u201d he shouted.\u00a0 \u201cThe horses is gone!\u201d\u00a0 Immediately he found himself the center of a circle of men, all questioning him at once.\u00a0 Then the circle made a stampede for the door, clattered down the stairs and rushed to the empty corral.<\/p>\n

\u201cFresh moccasin tracks; we can follow them easy,\u201d Spafford Hall declared.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s get our stock back, men!\u201d<\/p>\n

General agreement met his words.\u00a0 Not even a sliver of moonlight touched the earth, so the men knew they wouldn\u2019t make much progress before dawn, but no one wanted to stand around waiting for the morning light.\u00a0 Quickly the men designated three of their number to remain behind to guard the women and children and gathered up all the firearms they could locate.\u00a0 Adam raced up to Ben.\u00a0 \u201cPa, I want to go with you!\u201d he pleaded.<\/p>\n

Ben squatted down to look his son eye-to-eye.\u00a0 \u201cNo, Adam.\u00a0 I need you to stay here with Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAunt Nelly can take care of him,\u201d Adam argued.\u00a0 \u201cI want to take care of you!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled.\u00a0 \u201cI can take care of myself.\u00a0 You see to Hoss.\u201d\u00a0 He stood and shouted \u201cReady!\u201d in answer to Spafford Hall\u2019s call.<\/p>\n

With a troubled frown Adam watched his father\u2019s figure fade into the darkness.\u00a0 Pa was brave and Pa was strong, but sometimes he took chances, like waltzing into a Paiute camp.\u00a0 Sometimes Pa acted like he\u2019d forgotten Indians could be dangerous, but Adam couldn\u2019t forget.\u00a0 He had only to remember what they\u2019d done to his stepmother to make the prickles start up his neck.\u00a0 If it happened to Pa\u2014\u2014<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam!\u201d Nelly Thomas yelled from the open door to Hall\u2019s Station.\u00a0 \u201cGet in here, boy!\u201d\u00a0 Reluctantly, Adam turned and scuffed his feet toward the door.<\/p>\n

Most of the settlers with children had come in wagons and had thrown in blankets so their children could sleep snug on the early-morning journey home.\u00a0 Paul Martin, who had remained with the women, gathered up all he could find, and Nelly supervised the making of pallets.\u00a0 Hoss and Inger were soon tucked in for the night, but the older boys stood, noses pressed to the frosty window that looked down into the yard.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, you don\u2019t plan on spending the night starin\u2019 into the dark, do you?\u201d Nelly scolded, giving her boy a light swat on the seat of his pants.\u00a0 \u201cYou get into bed now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAw, Ma, can\u2019t I wait up for Pa?\u201d Billy whined.\u00a0 \u201cAdam\u2019s gonna.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, he isn\u2019t,\u201d Nelly said.<\/p>\n

Adam turned around, a glint of stubborn determination in his black eyes.\u00a0 \u201cYes, I am,\u201d he announced, his expression defying contradiction.<\/p>\n

But Nelly was used to dealing with defiant boys.\u00a0 \u201cYour pa left me in charge,\u201d she said firmly, \u201csame as he\u2019ll do when he goes to New Mexico, and you will mind me or suffer the consequences.\u00a0 Billy can tell you they won\u2019t be pleasant.\u201d\u00a0 Billy\u2019s nose wrinkled up in distaste and he nodded at Adam.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow get to bed,\u201d Nelly ordered.\u00a0 Once the boys had complied, she leaned over to kiss them both good-night.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t you fret, either of you,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cEverything\u2019s gonna turn out fine.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam nodded dutifully, but he rolled over so she wouldn\u2019t see his eyes fill with frightened tears.\u00a0 He wiped them away quickly, and though none followed the first trickle, the fear grew with the passing hours.\u00a0 Adam was sure he wouldn\u2019t sleep all night, but eventually the stillness of the darkened room combined with his weariness to pull him into the misty realm of troubled dreams.<\/p>\n

The sun was barely up when Adam awoke.\u00a0 Clambering over Billy\u2019s snoring figure, he crept to the window and peered down into the yard.\u00a0 Empty.<\/p>\n

\u201cUp early, aren\u2019t you, Adam?\u201d Paul Martin asked, laying a hand on the boy\u2019s shoulder.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re not back yet,\u201d Adam said.<\/p>\n

Martin pulled him close.\u00a0 \u201cHow could they be, son?\u00a0 There\u2019s just now enough light to make a decent search.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam nodded and wandered away from the window.\u00a0 As Adam passed the pallet Hoss had shared with Inger and Mrs. Thomas, the little boy sat up, rubbing his eyes.\u00a0 \u201cPa back?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot yet,\u201d Adam whispered.\u00a0 \u201cGo back to sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHungy, Bubba,\u201d Hoss whimpered.<\/p>\n

\u201cHere, here,\u201d Nelly said, reaching across Inger\u2019s sleeping body to soothe Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cAunt Nelly will fix you some breakfast, Sunshine.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCake,\u201d Hoss suggested.\u00a0 It had been his favorite refreshment the night before.<\/p>\n

Nelly laughed lightly.\u00a0 \u201cIf there\u2019s some left,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cThen we\u2019ll see what else we can scare up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nelly and the other ladies made a raid on the supplies of the trading post to prepare breakfast for everyone at the station.\u00a0 Unlike Hoss, Adam didn\u2019t feel very hungry, but he ate a couple of biscuits and a slice of bacon.\u00a0 Without waiting for permission, he trotted down the stairs and into the dirt yard, Billy on his heels.<\/p>\n

\u201cSure wish they\u2019d let us go with \u2018em,\u201d Billy said as he climbed the corral to sit on its top rail.<\/p>\n

Adam stood on the bottom rail next to him.\u00a0 \u201cYeah,\u201d he said simply.\u00a0 Neither boy felt inclined to confess his real worry, but their actions that day revealed it clearly to anyone with eyes to see.\u00a0 Some of the other children played tag\u00a0 or hide-and-go-seek, but neither Billy nor Adam felt interested in anything except watching the trail.<\/p>\n

Lunch time arrived, and the women once again joined forces to feed the occupants of the station.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re gonna have to take up a collection to repay Hall for his provisions,\u201d Eliza Mott said later that afternoon.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ve used so much already, and it looks like we\u2019ll have to cook dinner here, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nelly nodded distractedly.\u00a0 How far had the men gone after the horses?\u00a0 Or was the news worse than just a long journey?\u00a0 Had they caught up with the Indians and made a fight of it?\u00a0 Were any of them coming home?\u00a0 She and the other ladies were once again meeting in the storeroom to plan a menu for supper when a cloud of dust appeared on the horizon.<\/p>\n

Billy spotted it first.\u00a0 \u201cHey!\u201d he shouted from his lookout post on the corral fence.\u00a0 \u201cHey, I think they\u2019re back!\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam, who\u2019d been trying to keep Hoss amused, spun around and a wide smile split his face.\u00a0 \u201cAnd they\u2019ve got the horses!\u201d he yelled.<\/p>\n

Billy ran into the trading post.\u00a0 \u201cThey\u2019re back!\u201d he hollered at the top of his lungs.\u00a0 \u201cThey\u2019re back!\u201d<\/p>\n

The women rushed outside.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s Clyde!\u201d Nelly shouted, pointing out one of the lead riders.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd Israel!\u201d Eliza screamed.\u00a0 \u201cPray God they\u2019re all safe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam strained his eyes to see through the dust.\u00a0 He saw Uncle Clyde and Israel Mott.\u00a0 Behind them he spied Sandy Bowers and a couple of other miners he knew.\u00a0 But where was Pa?\u00a0 Adam\u2019s heart jumped into his throat.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t see Pa!<\/p>\n

Finally, at the back of the herd of horses, came a trio of men, one slumped over his horse.\u00a0 Adam looked closer and smiled in relief.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t Pa; it was Spafford Hall, the man who owned the trading station.\u00a0 Pa was riding beside him on his bay horse, and he looked fine.\u00a0 Adam started breathing easier.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa!\u201d yelled Hoss, trotting toward his father.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss, no!\u201d Adam cried and pulled the toddler back out of the path of the oncoming horses.\u00a0 He jerked his now blubbering baby brother away from the corral and held him tight.<\/p>\n

\u201cWant Pa!\u201d Hoss wailed, squirming to get away.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have to wait!\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cBe good or I\u2019ll spank!\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss dropped into the dust and twisted his knuckles into his eyes.\u00a0 \u201cBubba mean!\u201d he whimpered.\u00a0 Then strong arms were lifting him and the tears stopped.\u00a0 \u201cPa!\u201d Hoss cried.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa\u2019s here now, baby; don\u2019t cry,\u201d Ben soothed, patting the heaving back.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was in the way of those horses, Pa,\u201d Adam accused.\u00a0 \u201cI had to get firm with him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI saw,\u201d Ben said, \u201cand you did just right, Adam.\u201d\u00a0 He saw Billy across the yard, jabbering to his father, probably asking a hundred questions a minute.\u00a0 \u201cBilly, come here,\u201d he called.\u00a0 \u201cI need help.\u201d<\/p>\n

Billy didn\u2019t respond right away, but a sharp word from Clyde made him hustle over to Ben.\u00a0 \u201cYes, sir, what you need?\u201d he asked irritably.<\/p>\n

\u201cTake Hoss inside for me, son,\u201d Ben requested.\u00a0 \u201cI need to talk to Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam had run to the corral, searching diligently for his gray filly.\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t spotted her when he heard his father say he needed to talk to him, but she must be there.\u00a0 Among all those horses, she must be there.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam, come here,\u201d Ben said solemnly.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve got some bad news.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam walked slowly to his father.\u00a0 Bad news?\u00a0 But Pa was safe, and they\u2019d gotten the horses back.\u00a0 What else\u2014\u2014<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s about your horse, son,\u201d Ben said quietly.<\/p>\n

Adam grew solemn.\u00a0 \u201cThey got away with mine, didn\u2019t they?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot exactly,\u201d Ben said, putting his arm around the boy, \u201cbut she won\u2019t be coming back, son.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy not?\u201d Adam demanded.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause by the time we reached the Washo camp,\u201d Ben explained, gently rubbing Adam\u2019s shoulders, \u201cthey had had a feast\u2014\u2014a feast of roast horse, son.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s chin trembled.\u00a0 \u201cMy horse?\u201d he asked, his voice quavering.<\/p>\n

Ben nodded sadly.\u00a0 \u201cYours and one more.\u00a0 The others they just turned loose.\u00a0 Rounding them up is what took so long.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam buried his face in his father\u2019s tan vest, and Ben stroked Adam\u2019s dark hair with a soothing hand.\u00a0 \u201cI know how you loved her, son,\u201d he said, \u201cand I\u2019m sorry, but to the Indians she was just meat on the spit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam pulled back and swallowed hard.\u00a0 \u201cAnd I\u2019m supposed to understand that they were hungry, aren\u2019t I?\u201d he asked bitterly.\u00a0 \u201cI know I shouldn\u2019t be mad, Pa, but I am.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben drew Adam to his chest and held him tight.\u00a0 \u201cOf course, you should be mad, Adam,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cYou should be mad and you should feel hurt.\u00a0 Don\u2019t deny the feelings, but don\u2019t hold on to them; just let them work themselves out.\u201d<\/p>\n

The tears came at last.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll miss her, Pa,\u201d Adam whimpered.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know,\u201d Ben said, \u201cbut I\u2019ll get you another horse, son.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t want another horse!\u201d Adam wailed.<\/p>\n

Ben patted the heaving back.\u00a0 \u201cYou will,\u201d he whispered, \u201conce the pain washes through.\u00a0 There\u2019s a settler east of here who has some horses we could look at, or if you\u2019d rather, we could wait until I get back from New Mexico and get one from the Paynes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam blinked back the tears.\u00a0 \u201cCould I go to Monterey to pick her out?\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite the seriousness of the moment, Ben had to smile.\u00a0 He might have known Adam couldn\u2019t resist the temptation to see a new place!\u00a0 \u201cI think that might be arranged, son,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cNow let\u2019s get Hoss and get on home.\u00a0 It\u2019s almost suppertime, and I haven\u2019t had a bite all day.\u201d<\/p>\n

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Nelly sat in her favorite rocker near the low-burning fire.\u00a0 Her hands held one of Billy\u2019s stockings, which, as usual, needed darning.\u00a0 But her stitches were few and far between.\u00a0 Nelly was tired and, to tell the truth, feeling a bit low down and lonesome, as she phrased it.\u00a0 Her husband had been gone for close to two months and she missed him.\u00a0 The four youngsters kept her busy, of course, and they were good company, but she missed the comfort of Clyde\u2019s bony knees poking her in the back at night.\u00a0 She even missed the music of his snoring.<\/p>\n

The boys had really been feeling their oats the last few days.\u00a0 Spring fever, Nelly supposed.\u00a0 She couldn\u2019t blame them.\u00a0 The weather had been colder than usual this winter, and they\u2019d had to stay indoors more.\u00a0 Now that the days had begun to warm, she\u2019d put them to work plowing the fields.\u00a0 Hard work for young ones, but it needed doing, and Clyde and Ben weren\u2019t here to do it.<\/p>\n

Nelly took another stitch or two at the holey sock, then laid it aside.\u00a0 Much as she hated to leave the task to another day, she couldn\u2019t see wearing herself out.\u00a0 After all, tomorrow was Sunday, and she always tried to fix an extra nice dinner for Sunday.\u00a0 If it had been just her and the youngsters, she probably wouldn\u2019t have bothered.\u00a0 Hoss would eat anything, Inger wasn\u2019t hard to please, and neither Billy nor Adam had earned anything special after the way they\u2019d snapped at each other all day.\u00a0 But Paul Martin had been stopping by every Sunday to see if she needed anything, and she welcomed adult company too much to let him leave without taking dinner with them.\u00a0 Besides, Ben had shared Martin\u2019s tragic loss of his wife, and she just naturally wanted to ease the poor man\u2019s loneliness.\u00a0 He seemed to be responding, too\u2014\u2014not at all the morose, scanty-worded man she\u2019d taken him for at first.<\/p>\n

At least, seeing Martin would sweeten Adam\u2019s temper.\u00a0 The man must have the patience of Job, the way he put up with that boy plying him with questions the rest of them weren\u2019t smart enough to ask, not to mention teaching the youngster to play chess.\u00a0 Adam wanted to learn as a surprise for his pa, and Martin seemed glad to oblige.\u00a0 Only Billy disapproved.\u00a0 He might quarrel with Adam all week long, but he could get downright green-eyed with envy when someone else took a few hours of his playmate\u2019s time.<\/p>\n

Laying aside the mending for another day, Nelly turned down the lamp wick and tiptoed to the room Billy and Adam were sharing.\u00a0 As she peered down at the two peaceful slumberers, she chuckled.\u00a0 The little scamps.\u00a0 Looking at them now, you\u2019d never guess what a ruckus they could stir up.\u00a0 Nelly kissed both angelic faces and slipped out to check on the other two children sleeping in her bedroom.<\/p>\n

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

Ben sat easy in the saddle as he rode on the left flank of the flock of sheep.\u00a0 It had been an uneventful trip:\u00a0 no major problems, few animals lost, and a sameness to each day that almost lulled a man to sleep.\u00a0 On the other hand, maybe he was just tired.\u00a0 Ben chuckled to himself.\u00a0 He was tired, all right\u2014\u2014tired of listening to sheep.\u00a0 He\u2019d always found the lowing of cattle soothing to his ear, but the bleat of sheep grated on him like a baby\u2019s bawling.\u00a0 Just let Clyde Thomas try to talk him into another trip like this!\u00a0 Ben\u2019s lips twitched.\u00a0 No chance of that.\u00a0 Clyde was as irritated by the incessant baa-baaing as Ben, and he\u2019d be just as glad when they reached the CarsonValley and could get away from it for a while.\u00a0 It had been a long trip, and they were both eager to get home again.\u00a0 No more than two days\u2019 drive now.<\/p>\n

Ben drifted back and wheeled his bay alongside the chestnut ridden by Jean D\u2019Marigny.\u00a0 The Frenchman touched his gray felt hat in greeting.\u00a0 \u201cMonsieur<\/em> Cartwright,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cAll is well with the sheep.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know,\u201d Ben smiled.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s been a good trip.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOui, un bon voyage<\/em>,\u201d D\u2019Marigny replied, lapsing into his native tongue.\u00a0 \u201cAnd California, is it much further now?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded.\u00a0 \u201cCalifornia is, yes, but we\u2019re getting close to my land.\u00a0 We\u2019ll be stopping there two or three weeks before continuing on, and I, for one, am looking forward to the rest.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Frenchman flashed him a bright smile.\u00a0 \u201cAh, oui<\/em>, that will be good, but I had not realized we were not going straight through.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben reached down to stroke the neck of his bay.\u00a0 \u201cWe can\u2019t.\u00a0 The snows will still be blocking the passes.\u201d<\/p>\n

D\u2019Marigny looked thoughtful.\u00a0 \u201cI should like to have seen snow.\u00a0 I have heard it is most picturesque.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben turned surprised eyes on his hired sheepherder.\u00a0 \u201cBut surely you\u2019ve seen snow in New Mexico.\u00a0 Have you not been in the mountains there?\u201d<\/p>\n

D\u2019Marigny laughed.\u00a0 \u201cNo, monsieur<\/em>.\u00a0 I was only passing through when I met you, and it did not snow then.\u00a0 It is a rare winter indeed that would bring snow to New Orleans.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cIs that where you\u2019re from, New Orleans?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOui, monsieur<\/em>.\u00a0 All my life I have lived in that beautiful city.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBeautiful, it is,\u201d Ben agreed.\u00a0 \u201cI made port there a number of times while I was sailing.\u00a0 But surely you didn\u2019t learn to be a sheepherder there.\u201d<\/p>\n

D\u2019Marigny laughed again.\u00a0 \u201cA sheepherder, monsieur<\/em>?\u00a0 All I know of that profession I have learned from you\u2014\u2014and the other men you hired.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cMostly from them, I\u2019d say.\u00a0 I\u2019ve never been around sheep before.\u00a0 You, either?\u201d\u00a0 When the Frenchman shook his head, Ben commented, \u201cWell, you certainly have an aptitude for livestock.\u00a0 Of all the men we hired for this trip, I\u2019ve been most impressed with your work.\u201d<\/p>\n

The other man doffed his hat and gave as elegant a bow as he could on horseback, the movement serving to emphasize D\u2019Marigny\u2019s grace as a rider.\u00a0 \u201cThank you, monsieur<\/em>.\u00a0 It pleases me to please you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou please me very much,\u201d Ben said, \u201cso much that I\u2019ve been wanting to talk with you about staying on with me.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was D\u2019Marigny\u2019s turn to look puzzled.\u00a0 \u201cBut, monsieur<\/em>, I thought you intended to sell all the sheep.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cMr. Thomas will keep a few for personal use, but the rest will be sold in California.\u00a0 I\u2019ll be buying cattle there, though, to add to my herd, and the increase will mean I\u2019ll need more help than I\u2019ve had before.\u00a0 I plan to ask a couple of the other men to stay on, but I\u2019ll need a foreman.\u00a0 I\u2019ve watched the way you handle yourself, the way you relate to the other men, so I\u2019d like you to fill that position.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI am honored, monsieur<\/em>,\u201d D\u2019Marigny said, his white teeth flashing once again.\u00a0 \u201cIt was my intent to stay in California, but perhaps your UtahTerritory will be far enough from New Orleans.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben arched an eyebrow.\u00a0 \u201cAny reason you need to get far from New Orleans, D\u2019Marigny?\u201d<\/p>\n

Drooping lips replaced the brilliant smile.\u00a0 \u201cUnpleasant memories only, monsieur<\/em>; no trouble with the law, if that is what you feared.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cThen, you\u2019ve got yourself a job.\u201d\u00a0 He rode forward again, shaking his head, wondering where he\u2019d developed such a talent for picking up unhappy strays.\u00a0 Surely, Jean D\u2019Marigny wasn\u2019t another Paul Martin, running from a miserable past.\u00a0 Not that there wasn\u2019t enough tragedy abroad in the world to touch untold numbers of men, and many men did come west as an escape.\u00a0 He\u2019d never have guessed the affable D\u2019Marigny to be one of them, however.\u00a0 Unlike the laconic doctor, D\u2019Marigny seemed gracious, even gregarious.\u00a0 A cover, perhaps?\u00a0 His protection, just as Martin\u2019s sullen silence had been his?<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s grip tightened on the reins, as though that would help him take grip on his thoughts.\u00a0 It was none of his business.\u00a0 Paul Martin was his friend, and he had work enough ahead helping the doctor come to terms with his haunted past.\u00a0 D\u2019Marigny, on the other hand, was merely an employee.\u00a0 Whatever memories lurked back there in New Orleans surely couldn\u2019t be as gruesome as Paul\u2019s.\u00a0 Even if they were, Ben had no intention of opening himself up anew to the charge of sticking his long New England nose into someone else\u2019s affairs.<\/p>\n

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

Hoss and Inger were busily patting mud pies in front of the cabin while inside Nelly was peeling potatoes for supper.\u00a0 When he heard a horse\u2019s hooves galloping toward him, Hoss looked up and with a cry of joy dropped his pastry into the puddle between his legs and trotted toward the rider.\u00a0 \u201cPa!\u201d he yelled, loud enough to alert Nelly and even Billy and Adam, working at the far end of the garden beyond the house.<\/p>\n

Ben leaped from the back of his tall bay and scooped his son up in his arms, oblivious to the mud smeared on his vest and shirt collar.\u00a0 \u201cHow\u2019s my boy?\u201d Ben cried, hugging the youngster close.\u00a0 \u201cMy, how Pa\u2019s missed you!\u201d<\/p>\n

Nelly came running from the house, wind flapping at her brown gingham skirt.\u00a0 \u201cBen, you\u2019re back,\u201d she cried.\u00a0 \u201cAnd Clyde?\u00a0 Where\u2019s he?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBack a ways,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cWe flipped a coin to see who had to stay with the flock, and he lost.\u00a0 He\u2019ll be here soon, though, with an appetite that would put this boy of mine to shame.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, lands, I better see what I can do to stretch dinner,\u201d Nelly said, hurrying back toward the cabin.\u00a0 \u201cI only planned enough for me and the younguns.\u201d<\/p>\n

Following her, Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cWell, looks like these two young ones have dessert under control.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWill you look at them?\u201d Nelly sniffed, spinning back around.\u00a0 \u201cAnd me with not an extra minute to wash \u2018em up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll wash them,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 Nelly nodded her appreciation and headed inside.<\/p>\n

Adam and Billy came running up, Adam straight into his father\u2019s arms.\u00a0 \u201cOh, Pa, I thought you\u2019d never get back,\u201d he scolded.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy goodness,\u201d Ben teased, \u201cand I thought I\u2019d made such good time!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSeemed like forever,\u201d Billy cackled, \u201cas grumpy as Adam\u2019s been.\u00a0 Where\u2019s my pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben jerked his head over his shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cThat way, son.\u201d\u00a0 Billy took off for the barn.\u00a0 \u201cHey, wait!\u201d Ben called.\u00a0 \u201cI need your help getting your sister cleaned up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m riding out to meet Pa,\u201d Billy yelled back.<\/p>\n

Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cLooks like you and I are stuck with the job, boy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBilly\u2019s always sticking me with his jobs,\u201d Adam complained, rankled by Billy\u2019s earlier accusation.<\/p>\n

Ben clucked his tongue.\u00a0 \u201cSounds like you and Billy have seen a little too much of each other lately.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s for sure,\u201d Adam said bluntly.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m gonna be glad to get shed of him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, and just as glad to see him again in a day or two.\u00a0 Take hold of Inger and follow me.\u201d\u00a0 Ben picked up the bucket of water beside the cabin door and led the way toward the grassy area to the east.\u00a0 Setting the bucket down, he plopped Hoss next to it.\u00a0 \u201cOkay, Adam.\u00a0 Which of these two muddy urchins do you want to wash up?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cInger, of course,\u201d Adam replied.\u00a0 \u201cThat other one squirms too much.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss shook his head in vigorous denial.\u00a0 \u201cGood boy, Pa,\u201d he declared.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, you\u2019ve been a good boy, have you?\u201d Ben teased as he stripped off the youngster\u2019s mud-speckled shirt.\u00a0 \u201cWell, I guess Pa will just have to bring you back something special from California then, won\u2019t he?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s double chin bobbed up and down.\u00a0 \u201cCandy,\u201d he suggested with a strong voice.<\/p>\n

\u201cMe, too?\u201d Adam asked, pausing for a moment in his washing of the only slightly less dirty little girl.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve\u2014I\u2019ve been pretty good.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDidn\u2019t sound like it awhile back,\u201d Ben snorted.\u00a0 \u201cBesides, I\u2019m buying you a new horse.\u00a0 Don\u2019t tell me you want more.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cGuess not.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cYour face says different.\u00a0 Well, we\u2019ll see.\u00a0 We just might find some other little gewgaw to bring back your smile.\u201d\u00a0 And the faint glimmer that touched Adam\u2019s lips then made up Ben\u2019s mind for him.\u00a0 Adam, too, would have something special by which to remember this trip across the mountains that gave every promise of being prosperous.<\/p>\n

By the time Clyde arrived, the cabin was permeated with tantalizing aromas.\u00a0 Ben cut a bite of thickly sliced ham and held it beneath his nostrils.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s almost enough just to smell good food again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot for me,\u201d Clyde said, forking a huge piece into his mouth.<\/p>\n

Ben laughed and followed Clyde\u2019s example.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, you\u2019re right,\u201d he chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cEating is definitely better than just smelling.\u201d\u00a0 He speared three slices of carrot onto his fork.\u00a0 \u201cAny news of the territory to report, boys?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll say!\u201d Billy announced.\u00a0 \u201cWe ain\u2019t in Utah Territory anymore!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben looked up quickly.\u00a0 \u201cYou don\u2019t say!\u00a0 Did California annex us?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo such luck,\u201d Nelly replied with a shake of her head.<\/p>\n

\u201cBilly\u2019s wrong, Pa,\u201d Adam inserted loftily.\u00a0 \u201cWe are still in Utah Territory, but now we live in Carson County.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGuess Utah\u2019s so scared of losin\u2019 us they decided to make us into a separate county.\u00a0 Near as I can figure, all we got out of it is a new name,\u201d Nelly said.\u00a0 \u201cYou can read all about it in the newspaper.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNewspaper?\u00a0 What newspaper?\u201d Clyde demanded.<\/p>\n

\u201cMo\u2019 taters, please,\u201d Hoss requested, holding out his plate.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy, sure, Sunshine,\u201d Nelly said, spooning another helping into his plate.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat newspaper, woman?\u201d Clyde asked again, more loudly this time.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy, the Scorpion<\/em>, of course,\u201d Nelly said with a naughty twinkle in her eye.\u00a0 \u201cOh, there\u2019ve been several improvements in our little community while you were away, gentlemen.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA newspaper,\u201d Ben commented, satisfaction in his voice.\u00a0 \u201cWhy, we really are becoming a community if we have enough news to rate a newspaper.\u00a0 Who\u2019s publishing it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cStephen Kinsey,\u201d Nelly answered.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s just one page, hand-written on foolscap, but I saved back a copy of the first issue for you.\u00a0 I knew you\u2019d be interested.\u00a0 No reading at the table, though, mind you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, ma\u2019am,\u201d Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll mind our manners.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe paper tells about the new mill, too, Pa,\u201d Adam announced, savoring reporting news his father hadn\u2019t heard.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the head of Carson Valley,\u201d Nelly explained.\u00a0 \u201cThomas Knott\u2019s building a sawmill for John Cary.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, that is an improvement,\u201d Clyde said enthusiastically.\u00a0 \u201cSawed lumber will help the town build faster.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d Ben mused.\u00a0 \u201cI think I\u2019d still prefer the solidity of log walls when I build again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou aimin\u2019 to build yourself a new place?\u201d Nelly asked, her brown eyes lighting with womanly interest in a new nest.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat for?\u201d Clyde snuffled.\u00a0 \u201cYour place is plenty big for you and the boys.\u00a0 Or did one of them dark-eyed se\u00f1oritas down in New Mexico put ideas in your head?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cClyde!\u201d Ben sputtered.\u00a0 \u201cNo, of course not.\u00a0 It\u2019s just that Adam and I have talked about moving further north eventually.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIs it time, Pa?\u201d Adam asked eagerly.<\/p>\n

Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cNo, I don\u2019t think so.\u00a0 I still want to concentrate on building up my cattle herd first, son.\u00a0 And as Mr. Thomas points out, we don\u2019t really need more space yet.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI guess we don\u2019t either,\u201d Nelly sighed, \u201cthough it\u2019d be nice to have the kitchen separate\u2014\u2014in summer, at least.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I\u2019ll think about it, darlin\u2019,\u201d Clyde promised.\u00a0 \u201cIf we do as well as I expect to with this sheep drive, I reckon we could afford to add you a fancy sittin\u2019 room.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTo this place?\u00a0 Lands, it looks thrown together now, and that would probably make things worse,\u201d Nelly sighed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, we\u2019ll think on it,\u201d Clyde said.\u00a0 \u201cNow, you got any other improvements to report, woman?\u201d<\/p>\n

Nelly brightened.\u00a0 \u201cWhy, yes!\u00a0 The Ellises are havin\u2019 a baby, due any time now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clyde choked.\u00a0 \u201cYou call that an improvement?\u00a0 Another squall-bawlin\u2019 baby to put up with?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I agree with Nelly,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cChildren are the best improvement to any community.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat only goes to prove what listenin\u2019 to a bunch of sheep night and day will do to addle a man\u2019s brains,\u201d Clyde cackled, then stuffed a forkful of carrots into his mouth.<\/p>\n

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

Two weeks had passed since Ben\u2019s and Clyde\u2019s return.\u00a0 The rest and the abundant meadow grasses were putting weight on the sheep, weight that would translate into extra profit when the thawing snow finally permitted driving them across the Sierras.\u00a0 About another week, the men figured.<\/p>\n

Their sons couldn\u2019t wait.\u00a0 Adam, of course, was excited about buying a horse from their old friends the Paynes, but Billy was even more elated.\u00a0 Since several of the sheepherders had deserted to the mines of the region, Billy had prevailed on his father to let him make the trip and had been promised wages for his help with the sheep.\u00a0 Adam, having no horse, didn\u2019t qualify as a hired hand, and Billy lost no opportunity of pointing out that his friend would be a mere passenger with the caravan, while he would arrive in California with coins jingling in his pockets.\u00a0 \u201cPlay your cards right, sonny,\u201d he teased, \u201cand maybe I\u2019ll buy you a peppermint stick.\u201d<\/p>\n

Normally, spending nights apart was enough to smooth over any friction Billy and Adam felt during the day, but Adam found Billy\u2019s lofty attitude hard to take, especially when his tormentor wasn\u2019t even doing his share of the garden work.\u00a0 As usual, Billy didn\u2019t miss a chance to slack off, making three trips to the water bucket for each of Adam\u2019s.<\/p>\n

There he goes again<\/em>, Adam fumed to himself.\u00a0 Deciding he\u2019d had enough, he stomped toward the water bucket where Billy was once again taking slow sips from the dipper.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s a wonder you don\u2019t slosh when you walk,\u201d Adam taunted.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a wonder you don\u2019t dry up and blow away,\u201d Billy snorted back.\u00a0 \u201cHere, you need this.\u201d\u00a0 He threw the remaining contents of the dipper into Adam\u2019s face.<\/p>\n

Adam pursed his lips to restrain his temper.\u00a0 He was getting more than a little tired of Billy\u2019s favorite way of greeting him at the water bucket.\u00a0 \u201cCut it out and get back to work,\u201d he ordered.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re not doing your share.\u201d<\/p>\n

Billy gave a whoop.\u00a0 \u201cInjun no like work,\u201d he said, prancing around Adam in his version of an Indian dance.\u00a0 \u201cInjun like go Tahoe for fishing festival.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam giggled.\u00a0 Tuquah had just taken off again for the annual gathering of his people at Lake Tahoe, and that was, of course, what sparked Billy\u2019s comment.\u00a0 \u201cYou make a silly looking Washo with that red hair,\u201d Adam snickered.<\/p>\n

Warming to the appreciation of his audience, Billy danced more wildly.\u00a0 \u201cThem fighting words, white man,\u201d he called as he danced over to the chopping block and grabbed up the hatchet he\u2019d left there after splitting kindling for his mother that morning.\u00a0 Billy rarely put a tool away without at least one reminder.<\/p>\n

Adam grew sober.\u00a0 \u201cPut that down, Billy!\u201d he yelled.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s not a toy!.\u201d<\/p>\n

But Billy just raised his \u201ctomahawk\u201d aloft and charged toward Adam, patting his palm against his open mouth to produce the traditional replica of an Indian war cry.\u00a0 Adam prudently turned and ran.<\/p>\n

A sharp cry make him spin around to see Billy lying on the ground, screaming and clutching his leg.\u00a0 Adam ran back.\u00a0 \u201cAre you hurt?\u201d he cried.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy leg!\u201d Billy wailed.\u00a0 \u201cI tripped over that blame hoe and cut my leg bad.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam blanched at the blood soaking his friend\u2019s trousers.\u00a0 Not only had Billy cut the back of his leg on the hoe, but he\u2019d dropped the hatchet, slicing a deep cut in the front of his thigh, as well.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll get your ma,\u201d Adam said, taking off at a run.<\/p>\n

\u201cAunt Nelly!\u201d he screamed as he rounded the corner of the cabin.\u00a0 Nelly stepped outside and, noting the panic-stricken face, immediately asked what was wrong.\u00a0 \u201cBilly cut himself.\u00a0 He\u2019s bleeding bad,\u201d Adam reported breathlessly.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, lands!\u201d Nelly cried.\u00a0 \u201cDown by the garden?\u201d\u00a0 When Adam nodded, she turned back to the house long enough to snatch up a couple of rags to stanch the blood, then ran to the garden.\u00a0 Adam was already gone when she came out, having headed for the barn.\u00a0 Quickly saddling Billy\u2019s horse, Adam tore off for the pasture where he knew his father and Billy\u2019s were watching over the sheep.<\/p>\n

The three raced back to the scene of the accident.\u00a0 Clyde flung himself off his horse and squatted beside his son.\u00a0 \u201cHow bad is it?\u201d he asked anxiously.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt hurts, Pa,\u201d Billy whimpered.\u00a0 \u201cIt hurts bad.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s bleedin\u2019 somethin\u2019 fierce,\u201d Nelly said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m havin\u2019 a hard time gettin\u2019 it stopped.\u201d\u00a0 Looking up, she saw Adam staring at the oozing cut in Billy\u2019s thigh.\u00a0 \u201cAdam, boy, run back to the house and check on the younguns,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve been too busy to give \u2018em much thought, and goodness only knows what they\u2019re up to.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay,\u201d Adam replied readily.\u00a0 \u201cTake good care of Billy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will, son,\u201d Ben said, rubbing his son\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cRun along and see to Hoss and Inger.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam walked Billy\u2019s horse back to the cabin, tied it to a post and went inside.\u00a0 \u201cHey, Hoss!\u201d he hollered.\u00a0 \u201cWhere you at?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHere, Bubba,\u201d Hoss called from the back bedroom.<\/p>\n

Adam moved to the doorway and grinned as he saw his baby brother seated on the hooked rug, cradling Inger in his arms.\u00a0 As the little girl wept, the small boy patted her back, trying to console her.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s a good boy, Hoss, to take care of the baby,\u201d Adam said as he bent over them, palms flat on his knees.<\/p>\n

Inger\u2019s head lifted and her blue eyes widened.\u00a0 \u201cMama?\u201d she inquired.<\/p>\n

\u201cMama\u2019s outside with Billy,\u201d Adam explained, lifting the diminutive girl and carrying her into the front room.\u00a0 \u201cBilly hurt his leg and your mama\u2019s fixing him up.\u201d Adam sat in the rocking chair by the fire, holding Inger in his lap.\u00a0 Hoss followed them in and leaned on the arm of the swaying rocker.\u00a0 \u201cBilwy sick?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot sick.\u00a0 Hurt,\u201d Adam said.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh,\u201d Hoss said.\u00a0 \u201cToo bad.\u201d\u00a0 He sympathetically stroked Inger\u2019s strawberry-blonde curls.<\/p>\n

Hearing footsteps, Adam looked up and saw Ben and Clyde carrying Billy to his bedroom.\u00a0 \u201cYou got him all fixed up?\u201d he asked Nelly as she followed them in.<\/p>\n

Giving a happy cry, Inger stretched her arms toward her mother.\u00a0 Nelly stepped across the room to take her baby.\u00a0 \u201cI finally got the bleedin\u2019 stopped,\u201d she told Adam, \u201cat least, for now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019ll be all right,\u201d Adam declared optimistically.\u00a0 \u201cBilly\u2019s tough as nails.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nelly smiled.\u00a0 \u201cHe is that.\u00a0 Well, I\u2019m gonna finish cleanin\u2019 up his leg and get it bandaged tight.\u00a0 Can you watch the younguns \u2018til I\u2019m through?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure,\u201d Adam said, reaching for Inger.\u00a0 The baby whimpered her protest, but the kiss Nelly placed on her forehead seemed to soothe her.<\/p>\n

Clyde bumped into his wife as she headed for Billy\u2019s room.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m gonna see if I can talk that doctor feller into takin\u2019 a look at our boy,\u201d he announced.<\/p>\n

Nelly laid a hand on his arm.\u00a0 \u201cOh, Clyde, if only he would!\u00a0 I think the boy needs stitches.\u201d\u00a0 She saw Ben standing in the doorway to Billy\u2019s room.\u00a0 \u201cDo you think he\u2019ll come, Ben?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know, Nelly.\u00a0 Can\u2019t hurt to ask, but he can be pretty stubborn on that subject.\u201d\u00a0 He glanced sharply at Clyde.\u00a0 \u201cWant me to come with you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNaw, I can handle it,\u201d Clyde said.\u00a0 \u201cYou got your own boys to see to and it\u2019s gettin\u2019 late.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded.\u00a0 \u201cGood luck, then.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nelly moved past Ben into the bedroom.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d ask you to stay to dinner, Ben,\u201d she said, \u201cbut I don\u2019t figure there\u2019ll be much to set out.\u00a0 I want to stay near Billy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou do that,\u201d Ben said, his countenance brightening.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll fix dinner for you for a change.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLands, Ben, we can\u2019t come to your place tonight,\u201d Nelly protested.<\/p>\n

Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cI meant here, Nelly.\u00a0 I think I still know my way around well enough to throw a little grub together.\u00a0 Nothing to compare with yours, but it\u2019ll be warm and filling.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nelly smiled.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m gonna take you up on that offer, Ben, then you and the boys will stay the night.\u00a0 It\u2019ll be too late to ride home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben tweaked her nose.\u00a0 \u201cAll right.\u00a0 I\u2019ll take you up on that.\u00a0 We don\u2019t mind a pallet, eh, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, sir,\u201d Adam declared stoutly.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, you and the boys can take our bed, Ben,\u201d Nelly said.\u00a0 \u201cI figure me and Clyde\u2019ll sit up with Billy, at least \u2018til we see he\u2019s restin\u2019 good, so you might as well take the bed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right,\u201d Ben agreed, seeing there\u2019d be no point in arguing.<\/p>\n

As Nelly went to Billy\u2019s side, Ben began to scrounge through the corner cupboard.\u00a0 He frowned.\u00a0 The Thomases\u2019 larder looked about as lean as his own after a winter\u2019s meals\u2014\u2014leaner, in fact, since the boys had spent most of the winter eating at Nelly\u2019s table.\u00a0 Supper wouldn\u2019t even be up to his usual standard, much less hers, but it wouldn\u2019t matter.\u00a0 So long as it was warm, it would likely get eaten.\u00a0 Ben sliced off pieces of bacon and set them sizzling in a skillet while he chopped onions and potatoes to fry on the side.\u00a0 A hot pan of cornbread would round out the meal.<\/p>\n

\u201cCan I go in and see Billy, Pa?\u201d Adam asked from the rocker.\u00a0 \u201cInger\u2019s asleep.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, if you can put her down without waking her,\u201d Ben said, \u201cand you leave when his mother says he\u2019s had enough.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam had only a short visit, for Billy seemed very tired.\u00a0 \u201cCan I help, Pa?\u201d he asked when he came out.<\/p>\n

\u201cYup, sure can,\u201d Ben said cheerily, feeling useful work the best cure for Adam\u2019s worries.\u00a0 \u201cFix a pot of coffee, then set the table.\u00a0 We\u2019ll be eating soon.\u201d<\/p>\n

The food was ready before Clyde returned.\u00a0 First Nelly prepared a plate for Billy.\u00a0 \u201cHe says he\u2019s hungry.\u00a0 That\u2019s a good sign, don\u2019t you think, Ben?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA very good sign,\u201d Ben agreed heartily.<\/p>\n

\u201cI won\u2019t fill his plate too full, though,\u201d Nelly said.\u00a0 \u201cHe can always ask for seconds.\u201d\u00a0 A horse\u2019s hooves clattered into the yard.\u00a0 \u201cOh, I bet that\u2019s Clyde now with the doctor,\u201d she said brightly.<\/p>\n

Her optimism struck no responsive chord within Ben.\u00a0 He\u2019d heard only one set of hooves.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere\u2019s the doc?\u201d Nelly asked when Clyde entered and shut the door.<\/p>\n

\u201cAin\u2019t comin\u2019,\u201d Clyde grunted.<\/p>\n

Nelly paled.\u00a0 \u201cHe turned you down?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAlmost quicker\u2019n I could ask,\u201d Clyde muttered.<\/p>\n

Nelly shook her head.\u00a0 \u201cI thought he was comin\u2019 around.\u00a0 What makes a man want to hole up inside hisself, Ben, when there\u2019s folks that need him?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s face was rigid with anger.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know, Nelly.\u00a0 I\u2019ve known grief myself, but\u2014\u201d\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t put into words what he was feeling.<\/p>\n

Nelly patted his arm.\u00a0 \u201cNow, don\u2019t fret, Ben.\u00a0 Billy\u2019ll likely do fine\u2014\u2014just an ugly scar or two to impress the girls with later on.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed uneasily.\u00a0 He hoped that\u2019s all the accident would amount to.<\/p>\n

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

Three days passed, and with each sunset Billy\u2019s condition grew graver.\u00a0 The appetite that had seemed so healthy that first night faded as his temperature rose.\u00a0 With each change of bandages a sickly sweet odor arose from the greenish-yellow pus seeping from the ragged edges of the wound.\u00a0 Finally, the boy lay listless, too weak to raise his head, and his tormented parents feared for his life.<\/p>\n

Ben stopped by that evening, as he did at the end of each day\u2019s work, to inquire about the youngster.\u00a0 \u201cOh, Ben,\u201d Nelly wept in a croaking whisper, \u201cI\u2014I think he\u2019s got gangrene.\u00a0 I reckon the only chance he\u2019s got is to take his leg, but I don\u2019t see how I can do it.\u00a0 I\u2019d be as like to kill him tryin\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s my job to do, woman,\u201d Clyde groaned, \u201cif it needs doin\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, if only\u2014\u201d Nelly cried, swiping at her moist eyes.<\/p>\n

She didn\u2019t finish the sentence, but she didn\u2019t have to.\u00a0 Ben could read the desire of her heart.\u00a0 For her son to lose a leg was bad enough, but it would comfort her to know the job had been done properly, to believe that Billy had, at least, a chance of survival.\u00a0 Ben bit his lips and slammed his hat back on his head.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t do anything \u2018til I get back,\u201d he said tersely.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat you aimin\u2019 to do?\u201d Clyde demanded.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat I should have done in the first place,\u201d Ben growled.\u00a0 \u201cGrab a certain doctor by the nape of the neck and drag him here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWon\u2019t do no good,\u201d Clyde snorted.\u00a0 \u201cMan ain\u2019t got a heart.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, he does,\u201d Ben muttered, \u201csomewhere deep down inside, he still does.\u00a0 And if I can\u2019t bring it to the surface, at the very least I\u2019m gonna make him look your boy in the face and tell him why he has to die for what some idiots in California did.\u201d<\/p>\n

Spurred even more by anger than the need for speed, Ben galloped hard toward Paul Martin\u2019s ramshackle cabin.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t ever remember feeling such fury.\u00a0 He considered himself a reasonable man, but he had no intention of reasoning with the recalcitrant doctor tonight.\u00a0 There\u2019d been talk enough, pleading enough.\u00a0 And it had all failed.\u00a0 Now he couldn\u2019t afford to fail.\u00a0 A young boy\u2019s life hung in the balance; and though he abhorred violence, he was prepared to beat Paul Martin to a pulp and drag him every step of the way back to Billy, if that\u2019s what it took.<\/p>\n

He flung himself off his bay gelding as soon as he reached his destination.\u00a0 Without bothering to knock, he burst into the cabin.\u00a0 Paul Martin, seated at his makeshift dining table, looked up.\u00a0 He lifted a smoke-colored whiskey bottle in his right hand.\u00a0 \u201cHello, Ben,\u201d he drawled.\u00a0 \u201cCome to share a nightcap with me?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben stopped, stunned, for he\u2019d never known Martin to take a drink, much less drink himself into a stupor.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s this all about?\u201d Ben demanded.\u00a0 \u201cCan\u2019t you live with yourself sober?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNone your business,\u201d Martin slurred, lifting the bottle to his lips.<\/p>\n

Ben knocked it away with a backhand swipe.\u00a0 The bottle crashed to the floor and shattered, whiskey puddling the dirt floor.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m right, aren\u2019t I?\u201d he yelled.\u00a0 \u201cYou can\u2019t live with what you\u2019ve done.\u00a0 You turned your back on a child who needed you, the son of people who\u2019ve been nothing but kind to you.\u00a0 And you think you can drown that in a bottle?\u00a0 Oh, no, my friend, it\u2019s not that easy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGo away, Ben,\u201d Paul stammered.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m all you say\u2014\u2014and one thing more.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben faced his friend, arms akimbo.\u00a0 \u201cAnd what\u2019s that?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA coward,\u201d Paul moaned, dropping his head into his open palms.<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s jaw hardened.\u00a0 He rounded the table and jerked Martin to his feet by his shirt front.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re coming with me,\u201d he ordered.<\/p>\n

Martin flinched away.\u00a0 \u201cBen, please\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo!\u201d Ben shouted.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s settled.\u00a0 That boy\u2019s eaten up with gangrene, and if he\u2019s got to lose his leg, the least you can do is make sure it\u2019s done properly.\u00a0 You can\u2019t leave that to his parents!\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul\u2019s face went gray.\u00a0 \u201cThey wouldn\u2019t,\u201d he whispered.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat choice do they have?\u201d Ben sputtered.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019ll kill him,\u201d Paul murmured, his hand raking his rumpled hair.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, they won\u2019t,\u201d Ben said, \u201cbecause you\u2019re gonna do the job.\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul lurched to the other end of the cabin.\u00a0 \u201cThink what you\u2019re asking,\u201d he protested.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s a leg wound, for mercy\u2019s sake, Ben!\u00a0 If it had been anything else, maybe I could have faced it.\u00a0 And amputation!\u00a0 Recommending that is what got Aggie killed.\u201d<\/p>\n

The anger drained from Ben\u2019s countenance.\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t stopped to think that the nature of the injury itself had brought Paul\u2019s buried pain boiling to the surface.\u00a0 \u201cLook, Paul,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve helped bury one of Clyde and Nelly\u2019s boys; I\u2019m not gonna stand by and see them lose another.\u00a0 I understand it may be the hardest thing you\u2019ve ever faced; but if you don\u2019t face it, you\u2019ll never be able to hold your head up.\u201d\u00a0 He nudged the broken whiskey bottle with his boot toe.\u00a0 \u201cAnd there won\u2019t be enough of this in any saloon to drown the guilt.\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul backed up against the wall.\u00a0 \u201cBen, I\u2014I\u2019m not in condition to perform surgery.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben grabbed the doctor\u2019s bag sitting in the cabin\u2019s front corner and tossed it at his friend.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll sober you up,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cCome on!\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul Martin was sobered, if not sober, by the time he and Ben entered the Thomas cabin.\u00a0 \u201cNelly,\u201d Ben said, \u201ccould you make the doctor a pot of coffee before he examines your son?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course!\u201d Nelly said.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s some on the stove now, and I\u2019ll fix as much as he needs.\u00a0 Oh, Dr. Martin, thanks so much for coming.\u201d\u00a0 She looked at him with almost worshipful awe, then hustled to the stove.<\/p>\n

Paul groaned inwardly.\u00a0 He\u2019d forgotten that look, that all-trusting look patients and their families often gave physicians.\u00a0 Once he\u2019d felt proud when people looked at him that way.\u00a0 Now he felt nothing but shame, knowing how little he\u2019d done recently to merit anyone\u2019s respect.\u00a0 \u201cMay I see Billy now?\u201d he asked quietly.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis way,\u201d Clyde said, ushering the doctor into the boy\u2019s bedroom.<\/p>\n

Dr. Martin sat in the chair beside the bed and took the youngster\u2019s feverish hand.\u00a0 \u201cHello, Billy,\u201d he said softly.<\/p>\n

Billy pulled his hand away.\u00a0 \u201cYou go away,\u201d he murmured.\u00a0 \u201cI heard \u2018em talkin\u2019.\u00a0 You\u2019re gonna whack off my leg.\u201d\u00a0 His head wagged weakly from side to side as he moaned, \u201cNo, no.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll I\u2019m gonna do right now is look at it,\u201d Paul said soothingly.\u00a0 \u201cThen your folks and I will talk about what treatment you need.\u201d<\/p>\n

The look on Billy\u2019s face wasn\u2019t nearly as trusting as his mother\u2019s had been, but he made no more objection as the doctor unwound the bandages and examined the wound.\u00a0 He groaned when Dr. Martin touched his thigh, but bit his lips to hold back further sound.\u00a0 Paul left the wound unbandaged and pulled the covers back over the boy.<\/p>\n

Returning to the front room, the doctor accepted the cup of coffee Nelly poured for him.\u00a0 He took a seat at the table and motioned for the others to be seated, as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s got to lose it, don\u2019t he?\u201d Nelly wept.\u00a0 \u201cI knew it; I just knew it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul reached across the table to take her hand.\u00a0 \u201cIt may come to that,\u201d he said, \u201cbut I\u2019d like to try to save the leg.\u00a0 A young boy like that.\u00a0 How old is he?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTwelve,\u201d Nelly sniffled.\u00a0 \u201cJust twelve, doctor.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA young one like that needs both his limbs,\u201d Paul said.\u00a0 \u201cObviously, the leg is badly infected.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you know why!\u201d Clyde snapped.<\/p>\n

Paul met the accusative gaze directly.\u00a0 \u201cYes, I do,\u201d he replied meekly.\u00a0 \u201cI take full responsibility for whatever happens to your boy, Mr. Thomas.\u00a0 I\u2019ve done you a grave injury, and all I can do now is ask your forgiveness and do all I can to help Billy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s all we ever asked,\u201d Clyde said gruffly.\u00a0 \u201cYou sayin\u2019 he don\u2019t have to lose his leg?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m saying there\u2019s a chance to save it,\u201d Paul said.\u00a0 \u201cNot a guarantee, mind you.\u00a0 I may yet have to recommend amputation, but I\u2019d like to drain out the wound and close it properly, then see what happens.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI won\u2019t risk his life,\u201d Nelly said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve lost one boy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Ben told me,\u201d Dr. Martin said sympathetically.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll do my best to see you keep this one, Miss Nelly.\u00a0 There is one problem, though.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s that?\u201d Clyde demanded.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe pain,\u201d Paul said plainly.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll need to cut into the boy\u2019s leg.\u00a0 Ordinarily, I\u2019d give him ether, but since I haven\u2019t practiced in some time, I only have a small amount in my bag.\u00a0 And I\u2019d prefer to save that in case I do need to amputate later. \u00a0He\u2019d need it more then.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nelly buried her face in her hands, hating the thought of her child\u2019s suffering.<\/p>\n

For the first time Ben entered the conversation.\u00a0 \u201cBilly\u2019s as \u2018tough as nails,\u2019 as Adam says.\u00a0 He\u2019ll handle the pain.\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul smiled.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d say Adam\u2019s a good judge of character.\u00a0 That\u2019s just how I read Billy, too.\u00a0 Now, Mrs. Thomas, if you\u2019ll heat some water and brew some more coffee, we\u2019ll see what can be done for that tough little fellow of yours.\u201d\u00a0 He looked across the table at Ben.\u00a0 \u201cYou as good at sticking your hands in other people\u2019s business as you are that long nose?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s brow furrowed.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t follow your meaning.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI could use an assistant,\u201d Paul said, \u201csomeone to hold Billy down, and I\u2019d rather it weren\u2019t his parents.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I\u2019ll help,\u201d Ben replied at once.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood.\u00a0 Wash your hands and use plenty of soap,\u201d Dr. Martin ordered briskly.<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s eyebrow arched, and Paul laughed.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t look offended, Ben.\u00a0 I dare say they\u2019re clean enough for normal purposes.\u00a0 Let\u2019s just say I\u2019m extra careful.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNever heard of no doctor bein\u2019 fussy about clean hands,\u201d Clyde commented.<\/p>\n

Paul shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cMost aren\u2019t, but I\u2019ve read some studies by doctors in Europe who think it\u2019s a factor in preventing infection.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nelly turned from the stove.\u00a0 \u201cOh, no, doctor!\u00a0 You\u2019re not sayin\u2019 I made Billy worse \u2018cause I didn\u2019t wash my hands!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I wouldn\u2019t say that,\u201d Paul replied quickly.\u00a0 \u201cWe really don\u2019t know what causes infection, any more than we know what causes diphtheria or whooping cough or cholera.\u00a0 But this Dr. Semmelweis from Austria noticed that far fewer of his maternity patients died of childbed fever when he and his students washed their hands between touching each one.\u00a0 I was skeptical at first, but it was a simple enough thing to do, so I tried it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd it works?\u201d Ben said from the wash basin where he was scrubbing at the grime under his fingernails.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think I get better results,\u201d Paul said, \u201cthough I couldn\u2019t prove it scientifically.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, as you say,\u201d Ben commented, drying his hands, \u201cit\u2019s simple enough that\u2019s it\u2019s worth the effort if it helps even a little.\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul took his turn at the wash basin, then finished by pouring alcohol over both his hands and Ben\u2019s.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t expect you to actually touch the wound,\u201d he told Ben.\u00a0 \u201cThis is just in case of incidental contact.\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul took his instruments in hand and went to Billy\u2019s bedside.\u00a0 \u201cBilly,\u201d he said, \u201cI don\u2019t believe in lying to my patients, not even young ones like you.\u00a0 This is going to hurt, son, and I need you to lie still, so Mr. Cartwright here is going to hold you steady.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben gave Billy a nod and an encouraging smile as he laid his hands on the boy\u2019s shoulders.<\/p>\n

Dr. Martin pulled back the blankets to expose the wound and began to wash the area gently with warm water.\u00a0 Billy winced.\u00a0 The doctor noticed, but gave no indication that he had.\u00a0 \u201cBilly, did Mr. Cartwright ever tell you about the time he played doctor to an Indian boy?\u201d he asked instead.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Billy muttered through gritted teeth.<\/p>\n

\u201cMighty painful, having a broken leg set,\u201d Paul commented, \u201cand the way I heard it told that brave lad didn\u2019t let out a whimper.\u00a0 You think you can be as brave as an Indian, son?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBr\u2014braver,\u201d Billy stammered, then gasped as the doctor\u2019s scalpel sliced his leg.\u00a0 But he didn\u2019t scream.\u00a0 No Indian was going to show him up!<\/p>\n

\u201cYou must have some other stories you haven\u2019t told our young patient, Ben,\u201d Paul suggested.<\/p>\n

Ben took the hint.\u00a0 \u201cYeah.\u00a0 How about my trip to Zanzibar, Billy?\u00a0 I ever tell you about that?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUnh-uh,\u201d Billy grunted.<\/p>\n

Ben immediately launched into a recitation of his adventures in that exotic island that successfully kept Billy\u2019s attention riveted on him instead of the pain.<\/p>\n

Paul cleaned the wound thoroughly, then rebandaged it.\u00a0 Finally, he gave Billy\u2019s arm a pat.\u00a0 \u201cYou did real well, Billy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIs\u2014is it gonna get better?\u201d Billy whispered.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think so,\u201d Dr. Martin said.\u00a0 \u201cNow, you do your part by lying still and getting plenty of rest.\u201d\u00a0 He motioned for Ben to follow him out.<\/p>\n

Nelly, who\u2019d been sitting in her rocker, knitting to keep her fingers busy, stood immediately.\u00a0 \u201cIs he gonna be all right, doctor?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLike I said before,\u201d Paul answered carefully, \u201cI can\u2019t promise, but it looks hopeful.\u00a0 I think it\u2019d be a good idea if you got some clean sheets on that bed and made him comfortable for the night.\u00a0 And, if you don\u2019t mind, I\u2019ll stay the night here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSpeaking of night, I\u2019d better start for home,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cAdam will be wondering what\u2019s kept me this long.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll walk you out,\u201d Paul said.\u00a0 \u201cI need some fresh air.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clyde met him at the door.\u00a0 \u201cThanks, Doc,\u201d he said, but there was a world of emotion in those two simple words.<\/p>\n

Paul nodded and followed Ben outside.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re the one they should thank,\u201d he said quietly.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey don\u2019t need to,\u201d Ben replied.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I do,\u201d Paul insisted.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d forgotten, Ben.\u00a0 Once I took an oath.\u00a0 Among other things, I promised to do no harm, but I\u2019d forgotten that sometimes we can do harm just by doing nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded as he looked up at the stars.\u00a0 \u201cTrue for all of us, Paul, though I guess it\u2019s more obvious when you deal with life and death like you do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul placed both hands on Ben\u2019s upper arms.\u00a0 \u201cThank you for reminding me.\u00a0 You were right:\u00a0 I\u2019d never have forgiven myself if I\u2019d let that boy die without trying to help.\u201d\u00a0 Ben pulled his friend close and gave him an unashamed embrace with only the stars as witness.<\/p>\n

CHAPTER NINETEEN<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Billy Thomas lay back against the pillows propped behind him, a frown on his face.\u00a0 \u201cIt ain\u2019t fair,\u201d he whined.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m feelin\u2019 real good now, and that blame doc still won\u2019t let me out of bed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam, grinning broadly, perched on the foot of Billy\u2019s bed.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re just jealous \u2018cause now I\u2019ll be the one with the jingling pockets.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDoggone right I\u2019m jealous!\u201d Billy exclaimed, sitting forward.\u00a0 \u201cIt was my idea to hire on as a sheepherder.\u00a0 I\u2019m the one talked Pa into it and now you get the job.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAw, Billy, you know you can\u2019t do it,\u201d Adam argued patiently, feeling his friend\u2019s disappointment.\u00a0 \u201cYour leg\u2019s not full healed yet, and you can\u2019t risk breakin\u2019 those stitches open on the trail.\u201d<\/p>\n

Still weak, Billy flopped back into the pillows again.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, I reckon.\u00a0 It ain\u2019t you I\u2019m mad at.\u00a0 You know that, don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, I know that,\u201d Adam assured his friend, \u201cand thanks for loaning me your horse, so I could take the job.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou take good care of her,\u201d Billy ordered, \u201cand you better bring me back a peppermint stick like I\u2019d\u2019ve done for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

A wicked twinkle flared in Adam\u2019s black eyes.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll bring you two,\u201d he said with an elaborate expression of generosity.<\/p>\n

Billy pulled a pillow from behind his back and tossed it at Adam.\u00a0 \u201cAw, get on out of here!\u201d he demanded grumpily.<\/p>\n

Adam fired the pillow back, then stood up.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, I better,\u201d he said.\u00a0 The trail drive was beginning that morning, and Adam\u2019s first responsibility had been dropping his little brother at the Thomases.\u00a0 \u201cTime I got that filly saddled and headed out on the trail to meet Pa,\u201d he added, then ran as the pillow once more flew after him.<\/p>\n

In the front room Adam stopped at the table to give his little brother a farewell hug.\u00a0 \u201cYou be a good boy, Hoss; take care of Billy for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay,\u201d Hoss mumbled, his mouth full of egg.\u00a0 \u201cBwing me pep\u2019mint, too, Bubba.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam scowled at the little boy.\u00a0 \u201cYou been eavesdropping, Hoss?\u00a0 That\u2019s not good manners.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLoud as the two of you were yappin\u2019, a body don\u2019t have to eavesdrop,\u201d Nelly laughed.\u00a0 She handed Adam a paper-wrapped package.\u00a0 \u201cJust some biscuits and bacon to nibble on the trail,\u201d she explained, seeing Adam\u2019s puzzled look.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, thanks,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cWe had an awful hurried breakfast this morning.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFigured as much,\u201d Nelly said.\u00a0 \u201cGet on with you now before your pa figures you\u2019re a stray little lamb needs roundin\u2019 up.\u201d\u00a0 Adam laughed and headed for the barn to saddle Billy\u2019s horse.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cMore coffee, Se\u00f1or<\/em> Cartwright?\u201d a vaquero holding a tin pot asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cGracias<\/em>, Diego,\u201d Ben replied, holding out his near empty cup.\u00a0 As he sipped the hot brew, he leaned back against the trunk of a tall pine at the edge of the meadow where the sheep were bedded down for the night.\u00a0 Next to him, the campfire glowing on an intent face, Adam sat strumming the guitar he had borrowed from one of the men hired in New Mexico.\u00a0 Remarkable, Ben thought, how the boy had picked up the right fingering for the chords from the few lessons Lupe had given him at camps along the trail.\u00a0 Of course, any boy who could coax tuneful music from the cheap harmonica Ben had bought him a Christmas or two ago was bound to have a good ear for music.<\/p>\n

\u201cBon soir, messieurs<\/em>,\u201d Jean D\u2019Marigny said as he approached father and son.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood evening, Jean,\u201d Ben responded to the tall, dark-haired Frenchman.\u00a0 \u201cThe sheep sound contented.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jean squatted beside his employer and held his hands to the warm fire.\u00a0 \u201cOui<\/em>, they are most fond of the rich grass in this\u2014\u2014what was the name?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHope Valley,\u201d Ben replied.\u00a0 \u201cHope was what this place represented to the first emigrants after the long struggle up Carson Canyon.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOui<\/em>, that was a hard trail,\u201d Jean agreed.\u00a0 \u201cIt is good to let the sheep rest a day here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m going fishing tomorrow,\u201d Adam announced, laying aside the guitar.\u00a0 \u201cTrout are real good in that stream over there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll expect a nice mess for breakfast,\u201d Ben drawled, tousling Adam\u2019s black hair.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just might,\u201d Adam giggled.\u00a0 \u201cTrout for breakfast sounds good to me, too. \u00a0You like trout, Mister D\u2019Marigny?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou may call me Jean, Monsieur<\/em> Adam,\u201d the foreman said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I\u2019m just Adam,\u201d the boy stated.\u00a0 \u201cWould you like trout for breakfast, Jean?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOui<\/em>, that sounds good,\u201d Jean said.\u00a0 \u201cI have never eaten trout, but I always liked seafood.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTrout isn\u2019t\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe knows that, Adam,\u201d Ben smiled.\u00a0 \u201cMy son, the instructor,\u201d he added apologetically to D\u2019Marigny.<\/p>\n

Jean flashed the boy his typically bright smile.\u00a0 \u201cHe is a good learner, too, monsieur<\/em>.\u00a0 He is becoming a better herder of sheep each day.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam scowled.\u00a0 \u201cI like cows better.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed loudly.\u00a0 \u201cMe, too, son.\u00a0 No more sheep for us, eh?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, sir!\u201d Adam agreed emphatically.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope they are not too different,\u201d Jean said.\u00a0 \u201cI am just getting used to sheep, and now I must learn all over again with cattle.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf anything, cattle handle more easily,\u201d Ben assured him.\u00a0 \u201cMy opinion, of course, but I have no doubt you\u2019ll make the transition successfully.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou sure ride good,\u201d Adam complimented.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, Adam,\u201d Ben corrected.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir,\u201d Adam replied hastily.\u00a0 \u201cI meant \u2018well.\u2019\u00a0 Jean rides really well.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cVery well, indeed,\u201d Ben agreed.\u00a0 He took another sip of coffee.\u00a0 \u201cWere you raised around horses, Jean?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe stables on our plantation were among the best around New Orleans,\u201d the Frenchman replied.\u00a0 \u201cFrom a child, I had my choice of mounts and I rode often.\u00a0 A Creole gentleman must be an excellent equestrian, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s forehead wrinkled.\u00a0 \u201cCreole?\u201d he asked.\u00a0 \u201cEquestrian?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cNow you\u2019ve done it, Jean. \u00a0Don\u2019t use new words around this boy if you don\u2019t want to become a schoolmaster in addition to your other duties.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jean smiled.\u00a0 \u201cThat would be my pleasure, monsieur<\/em>.\u00a0 A Creole, Adam, is a descendant of the French who first settled Louisiana.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it can refer to those of Spanish descent, too,\u201d Ben commented.<\/p>\n

Jean shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cYou are right, of course, but my family is so proud of their aristocratic French heritage that they act as if none other existed.\u00a0 They do accept the Spanish nobles, grudgingly, but Americans are still considered interlopers and barely tolerated.\u201d<\/p>\n

Surprise flickered in Ben\u2019s brown eyes.\u00a0 \u201cYou were a member of the aristocracy, Jean?\u00a0 And wealthy, I take it?\u201d<\/p>\n

Jean shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cOui, monsieur<\/em>.\u00a0 Few in New Orleans lived more elegantly than the D\u2019Marignys.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m surprised you\u2019d leave all that to come west as a common laborer,\u201d Ben commented.<\/p>\n

Jean colored slightly, but his smile remained warm.\u00a0 \u201cI am content with my life here, monsieur<\/em>,\u201d he said, \u201cthough there are things I left behind with only the greatest reluctance.\u201d\u00a0 A dreamy look came into the man\u2019s dark eyes and the smile faded slightly.\u00a0 \u201cI, too, unfortunately, have my share of the family pride.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou didn\u2019t tell what \u2018equestrian\u2019 meant,\u201d Adam said, giving his father a reproachful look for interrupting the train of his lessons.<\/p>\n

Jean\u2019s smile flashed bright again.\u00a0 \u201cA horseman, Adam, such as you are becoming.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s chin lifted proudly, the compliment and the new word with which to describe himself adding to the grownup feeling surging through his breast.\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t just a boy learning to ride anymore:\u00a0 he suddenly saw himself as an accomplished horseman, an equestrian, and it felt good.\u00a0 \u201cI better get to sleep if I\u2019m gonna get up and catch those trout for breakfast,\u201d he said, standing and squaring his shoulders.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe is a fine boy,\u201d Jean said as Adam walked away.\u00a0 \u201cYou have much reason for pride.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I\u2019m proud of him,\u201d Ben admitted, \u201cunashamedly so.\u00a0 Pride is a good thing when it draws us closer to those we love.\u201d\u00a0 He threw a significant glance at Jean.\u00a0 \u201cNot so good when it pulls people apart.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jean stood abruptly.\u00a0 \u201cI am sure you are right, monsieur<\/em>,\u201d he said hastily, \u201cjust as it is a good thing to sit by a warm fire, but not so good when it is my turn to watch the sheep.\u00a0 I must relieve Lupe, monsieur<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s eyebrows met in a line above his nose as he nodded.\u00a0 \u201cAll right, Jean.\u00a0 You be sure and join us for breakfast.\u00a0 You\u2019ll like the trout.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOui<\/em>, I will see you then,\u201d Jean called as he faded into the darkness beyond the flickering campfire.<\/p>\n

Ben shook his head.\u00a0 There he went again, sticking his long New England nose where it didn\u2019t belong.\u00a0 Or maybe it did.\u00a0 Didn\u2019t the Good Book say something about being your brother\u2019s keeper?\u00a0 All at once, Ben\u2019s thoughts turned to his own brother, whom he hadn\u2019t seen for three years now.\u00a0 How he\u2019d relish sticking his long New England nose into John\u2019s business!\u00a0 He\u2019d love to tell his older brother a thing or two about leaving his family to dig his way around the world in search of golden dreams.\u00a0 Probably he should just be grateful for the miles between them, though.\u00a0 John wouldn\u2019t hesitate to give him the punch in the snoot Paul Martin had once threatened to throw.<\/p>\n

Ben finished his coffee and headed toward his bedroll.\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t likely to influence either John or the man who shared the French equivalent of his name anytime soon.\u00a0 For now he had enough responsibilities getting this flock of bleating sheep to market, finding just the right horse for Adam and driving a herd of new cattle home to CarsonCounty.\u00a0 Then there was the upcoming emigrant season to prepare for.\u00a0 Yes, someone else would have to play brother\u2019s keeper to those two wanderers from home.\u00a0 Ben was just too busy.<\/p>\n

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

Ben and Clyde moved away from the teller\u2019s window of the Sacramento bank and stood to one side of the busy room.\u00a0 \u201cSatisfied with the profits, my friend?\u201d Ben asked, his smile indicating just how rhetorical the question was.<\/p>\n

\u201cNever thought we\u2019d do this good,\u201d Clyde admitted.\u00a0 \u201cI know I talked big, but ten dollars a head is more than I dreamed of!\u00a0 We done good, Ben boy; we done good.\u00a0 And I could never have done it alone.\u00a0 Didn\u2019t have the spare cash to bring through a herd this size.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think those extra weeks pasturing at home fattened them up.\u00a0 That\u2019s what raised their value,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cBut don\u2019t get any ideas; I am through with the sheep business.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMe, too,\u201d Clyde laughed, \u201csoon as we pay off the men.\u201d\u00a0 He grinned down at Adam, who had hugged his father\u2019s side all through the banking process.\u00a0 \u201cReckon we might as well start with this one,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYup, always start with my right-hand man,\u201d Ben agreed, counting out Adam\u2019s wages.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2014I want to send half home to Billy,\u201d Adam said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s a kind thought, son,\u201d Clyde said, \u201cbut there ain\u2019t no need.\u00a0 You earned your pay.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, there is,\u201d Adam argued stubbornly.\u00a0 \u201cHis horse did half the work, so he should be paid for her hire.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTake it, Clyde,\u201d Ben said, his hand resting proudly on Adam\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cI agree with my son.\u00a0 Take it and buy Billy a fine get-well present from all of us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right,\u201d Clyde agreed.\u00a0 \u201cGuess I\u2019d better pay off the men and head down to Stanford Brothers for a load of provisions.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDiego\u2019s still planning to take the second wagon back for you, isn\u2019t he?\u201d Ben asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cFar as I know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll pay Jean and Lupe,\u201d Ben said, \u201csince they\u2019ll be staying with me to bring back my cattle.\u00a0 You can pay the others.\u201d<\/p>\n

They all moved outside, where the hired men were waiting for their wages.\u00a0 Ben motioned Jean and Lupe to one side.\u00a0 \u201cHere\u2019s your pay, men,\u201d he said, counting it out in gold and silver coins.\u00a0 \u201cTry not to spend it all in one place.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lupe grinned.\u00a0 \u201cNo, se\u00f1or<\/em>.\u00a0 There are many cantinas here, s\u00ed<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cS\u00ed<\/em>,\u201d Ben agreed, but he was frowning.\u00a0 \u201cNow, remember, Lupe, we\u2019re leaving in the morning.\u00a0 I want you sober.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, s\u00ed, se\u00f1or<\/em>,\u201d Lupe assured him, grinning as he moved away.<\/p>\n

\u201cWait, Lupe,\u201d Ben called.\u00a0 \u201cWhen you\u2019re through seeing the town, there\u2019ll be a room for you at the Empire Hotel.\u00a0 You, too, Jean.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOui, monsieur<\/em>, the Empire,\u201d Jean said.\u00a0 \u201cI will remember.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPlanning to visit the cantinas, Jean?\u201d Ben asked.<\/p>\n

Jean shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cI may have a drink or two, monsieur<\/em>, but I think I would prefer a bath, a shave and a quiet dinner, then early to bed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded approvingly.\u00a0 \u201cI can recommend the Alpha Bath House.\u00a0 It\u2019s near our lodgings.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMerci, monsieur<\/em>.\u00a0 I will see you in the morning, then.\u201d\u00a0 Pocketing his wages, Jean headed down the street.<\/p>\n

Ben smiled at Adam.\u00a0 \u201cNow, where shall we set our heading, matey?\u00a0 The nearest bookstore?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cI hope I have enough money left over for a book or two, Pa,\u201d he said, \u201cbut there\u2019s something I want more.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt had better not be a visit to a cantina,\u201d Ben chuckled.<\/p>\n

Adam flushed.\u00a0 \u201cNo, Pa, no more saloons for me.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t relish what I got after visiting the last one.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you relish?\u201d Ben asked.\u00a0 \u201cLunch, I hope.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, that first,\u201d Adam admitted.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m hungry.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s see what we can find, then,\u201d Ben said, rubbing the boy\u2019s neck affectionately as they walked along J Street.\u00a0 Entering a modest diner, Ben asked for a window table.\u00a0 The waitress seated him and Adam at the requested table and handed them printed menus.\u00a0 They perused them quickly and placed their orders.<\/p>\n

Adam grinned.\u00a0 He liked to watch the people passing by, and he\u2019d have a good vantage from this table.\u00a0 As his father\u2019s hand covered his own, Adam looked up.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m real proud of you, Adam,\u201d his father said, his expression speaking the message even more clearly.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re getting to be quite a little hand.\u00a0 You did good work on the drive, and sharing your pay with Billy was a kind, unselfish thing to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was just being fair, Pa,\u201d Adam insisted.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right, but Pa\u2019d like to reward you for that fairness,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s make a special night of it, shall we?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam beamed.\u00a0 \u201cSure, Pa.\u00a0 What you got planned?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, we\u2019ll spend the afternoon shopping,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cThen, let\u2019s have dinner in the best restaurant we can find.\u00a0 After that, I thought we might go to the theater.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe theater?\u00a0 Oh, Pa!\u201d Adam cried.\u00a0 He could imagine nothing more wonderful.<\/p>\n

\u201cI saw a playbill posted in one of the store windows we passed,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cThey\u2019re playing King Lear<\/em> at the American.\u00a0 You like to see a little Shakespeare?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir!\u201d Adam exclaimed, then his face took on a puzzled expression.\u00a0 \u201cWe haven\u2019t read that one, have we, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I\u2019ve always thought you a bit young for the tragedies,\u201d Ben admitted, \u201cbut as grown up as you\u2019ve been acting, I think you\u2019re ready, unless you\u2019d prefer something else.\u00a0 There are other theaters in town.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I want King Lear<\/em>,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cShakespeare\u2019s my favorite.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right.\u00a0 Now, I have several stores I want to visit.\u00a0 You have anyplace particular in mind?\u201d Ben asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot a particular place,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cI was hoping I could buy a guitar, like Lupe\u2019s.\u00a0 You think they have a store like that in Sacramento, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI seem to remember passing a music store last time I was through,\u201d Ben mused.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, good,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2014you think I have enough for a guitar.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll have enough,\u201d Ben promised.\u00a0 \u201cOne way or another, you\u2019ll have enough, son.\u201d\u00a0 Their food arrived and both Cartwrights dug in heartily.<\/p>\n

After lunch, feeling more than normally generous after the prosperous sale of the sheep, Ben led Adam on a shopping tour of Sacramento.\u00a0\u00a0 They stopped first at Charles Crocker\u2019s dry goods store, where each came away with a new suit\u2014\u2014for Adam, his first.\u00a0 \u201cI know you don\u2019t have much cause to wear one back home,\u201d Ben said, \u201cbut we are going to a fancy restaurant and the theater tonight, and Pa\u2019s in a mood to splurge.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam admired himself in the mirror.\u00a0 \u201cI like it, Pa.\u00a0 Wait \u2018til Billy sees me duded up like this!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cYou think he\u2019ll be jealous?\u00a0 I, for one, can\u2019t picture Billy Thomas in a suit.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMe, either,\u201d Adam snickered, \u201cbut I gotta wear it some at home, to be worth the price.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s worth the price to me, even for one night,\u201d Ben said indulgently, \u201cbut I\u2019m not totally impractical.\u00a0 I bought it with room to grow.\u00a0 And there\u2019ll be other trips to town, my boy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah.\u00a0 Where to next, Pa?\u201d Adam asked eagerly.\u00a0 \u201cThe music store?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot yet,\u201d Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re headed for Kaerth and Smith\u2019s Philadelphia Boot Store.\u00a0 If you\u2019re going to be a real hand, you need proper footwear for the job, don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir!\u201d Adam agreed enthusiastically.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen I guess we\u2019d better locate some candy and trinkets for your little brother.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd two peppermint sticks for Billy,\u201d Adam grinned.\u00a0 \u201cI promised.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right,\u201d Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cCandy for Hoss and Billy, then the music store.\u201d<\/p>\n

The required sweets, along with two new toys for Hoss, were purchased at Hardy Brothers and Hall on J Street, conveniently located next door to Dale and Company\u2019s music store.\u00a0 Adam found his desired guitar, and Ben purchased some simple sheet music.\u00a0 \u201cI can show you how to read the notes,\u201d he told Adam.\u00a0 \u201cI learned when I was not much older than you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou still remember?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n

Ben swatted his son\u2019s britches.\u00a0 \u201cIt hasn\u2019t been that long, boy!\u201d he guffawed.\u00a0 \u201cNow, what say we take all these packages back to the hotel and head for the Alpha Bath House before we dude up for our night on the town?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSounds good, Pa,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve been wanting to try out that shower bath.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

Rachel Payne answered the rap on her front door, and her hands flew to her cheeks when she saw the two Cartwrights, flanked by Jean D\u2019Marigny and Lupe Rodriguez.\u00a0 \u201cOh, you\u2019re here!\u201d she cried.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ve been expecting you \u2018most a week now.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t know you were bringing Adam, though.\u00a0 What an unexpected delight!\u201d\u00a0 She stooped down and gave Adam a hug.\u00a0 \u201cMy goodness! how you\u2019ve grown, boy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam cocked his head at his father.\u00a0 \u201cHow\u2019d she know we were coming?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy, from your pa\u2019s letter, of course,\u201d Rachel replied, standing up to exchange an embrace with Ben.\u00a0 \u201cWe were real sorry to hear about your horse, Adam, but Jonathan\u2019s got one picked out for you that I\u2019m sure you\u2019ll like.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut there\u2019s no wintertime mail from Carson County,\u201d Adam puzzled.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t mail it from there,\u201d Ben explained.\u00a0 \u201cThey do keep a southern route open, Adam, and I made connections with that when we went after the sheep.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, sure,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cI just didn\u2019t know.\u00a0 I was hoping to pick my own horse, though.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rachel smoothed his dark hair.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re welcome to anything we\u2019ve got, sweetie, but I bet you\u2019ll choose this one in the long run.\u00a0 She\u2019s the sweetest little sorrel mare.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFull grown mare?\u201d Ben asked, his brow wrinkling.<\/p>\n

Rachel smiled.\u00a0 \u201cFull grown, but small, Ben.\u00a0 She\u2019ll fit Adam fine.\u00a0 Now, you both come in and I\u2019ll fix some lemonade.\u00a0 I\u2019ll bet you could use some after your long, hot drive.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

\u201cThat sounds good,\u201d Ben said, \u201cbut I need to see to my men here first.\u00a0 You have a place where these two could bunk tonight?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, we built a new bunkhouse since you were here last.\u00a0 They can stay with our men.\u201d\u00a0 She pointed south.\u00a0 \u201cYou see that building there?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cS\u00ed, se\u00f1ora<\/em>,\u201d Lupe replied, doffing his sombrero.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, take your gear down there,\u201d Rachel said, \u201cand I\u2019ll send Ma\u00f1uela down with some refreshment for you, too.\u00a0 The other men should be back in about two hours for dinner.\u00a0 Plenty of frijoles and tortillas for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lupe bowed, smiling happily.\u00a0 \u201cGracias, se\u00f1ora<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFrijoles and tortillas,\u201d Ben moaned.\u00a0 \u201cWith Diego cooking for the trail drive, I\u2019ve had my fill of beans and tortillas, I assure you.\u00a0 I do hope there\u2019s something else on the menu at the main house.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is,\u201d Rachel smiled, \u201ceven at the bunkhouse.\u00a0 But you know most of our hands are Mexican, so they expect frijoles and tortillas at every meal.\u00a0 Whatever else shows up on the table is immaterial.\u00a0 I think it\u2019s enchiladas tonight.\u00a0 For us, too, probably.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s enchiladas?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cCheese and onions wrapped in a tortilla and covered with chili and more cheese,\u201d Rachel said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll ask Ma\u00f1uela to fix some albondigas soup, too.\u00a0 That\u2019s meatballs.\u00a0 You\u2019ll like it, Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sure I will.\u00a0 Now, how about that lemonade?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMercy, yes,\u201d Rachel laughed.\u00a0 \u201cCome in out of this hot sun and we\u2019ll get that right away.\u201d<\/p>\n

As soon as they entered, a pretty little blonde of about Hoss\u2019s age popped into the room from the bedroom beyond.\u00a0 \u201cMama,\u201d she called.\u00a0 \u201cSammy\u2019s awake.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, he would, the minute I sit down with company,\u201d Rachel laughed.<\/p>\n

\u201cCan I get him up for you?\u201d Adam asked, feeling he\u2019d rather spend time with the two youngsters than listen to adult conversation.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m used to babies.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy, Adam, that would be so nice,\u201d Rachel said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHi, Susan,\u201d Adam said to the little girl.\u00a0 \u201cWant to show me where your little brother is?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow you know my name?\u201d Susan lisped softly.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, sweetie, Adam was on the wagon train when you were born,\u201d Rachel explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh!\u201d Susan cried in awe.\u00a0 \u201cSammy\u2019s in here,\u201d she said, pointing to the bedroom.<\/p>\n

Adam followed her in and grinned at the drowsy two-year-old boy.\u00a0 \u201cHi, there, Sammy,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cIf I know babies, I bet you need your diaper changed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUnh-uh.\u00a0 No diaper,\u201d Susan said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBig boy,\u201d Samuel chortled.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd boy am I glad!\u201d Adam announced, lifting the little boy and swinging him around.\u00a0 \u201cBabies are a lot more fun when they keep themselves dry.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

Ben tiptoed into the spare bedroom the Paynes had added to their hacienda since his last visit.\u00a0 Adam had turned in not long after dinner, while Ben and the Paynes had recounted old times and shared news of their separate lives.\u00a0 Ben sat down on the bed, eager to pull off his new boots.\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t broken them in yet and they were tight.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa,\u201d Adam said.<\/p>\n

Ben twisted around to look at his son.\u00a0 \u201cYou still awake?\u00a0 Can\u2019t you sleep, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust thinking, Pa,\u201d he replied.<\/p>\n

\u201cAbout getting your new horse tomorrow?\u201d Ben asked, plunking his boots in the floor and stretching out beside Adam.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, that\u2014\u2014and other things.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat other things?\u201d Ben asked, noting Adam\u2019s sober tone.<\/p>\n

\u201cAbout Hoss, Pa,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cSusan\u2019s just his age, isn\u2019t she?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAbout six weeks older, as I recall,\u201d Ben answered.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe sure talks better than him,\u201d Adam said.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, yeah, I noticed that,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cOf course, she\u2019s a girl, son, and I sometimes think girls are born talking.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2014you don\u2019t think there\u2019s anything wrong with Hoss, do you?\u201d Adam asked anxiously.\u00a0 \u201cLittle Sammy sure seems quicker about things than I remember Hoss being.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, don\u2019t you worry about your little brother,\u201d Ben said, giving Adam a comforting pat.\u00a0 \u201cHe picks up things slower than I remember your doing, for a fact, but he seems to get there eventually.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I guess that\u2019s what matters,\u201d Adam yawned.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m getting sleepy, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRoll over and start snoring, then,\u201d Ben chuckled, planting a kiss on the boy\u2019s cheek.<\/p>\n

\u201cNight, Pa,\u201d Adam smiled and obediently rolled over.<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s smile faded.\u00a0 Was Hoss\u2019s slowness that obvious?\u00a0 Obvious enough to worry Adam?\u00a0 Ben had noticed himself, of course, but he\u2019d just figured that Adam, being extra quick and bright, made his more stolid brother look slow.\u00a0 But both the Paynes\u2019 children seemed sharper than Ben\u2019s roly-poly son.\u00a0 Was it possible there was really something wrong with Hoss?\u00a0 Ben couldn\u2019t have asked for a healthier boy or a sweeter one, but he wanted Hoss to be sound in mind, as well.\u00a0 Obviously, he wasn\u2019t equipped to judge that, but maybe Paul Martin could tell him.\u00a0 Might be a good idea to have him check the boy out once they got home.\u00a0 Laying aside the concern, Ben quickly finished undressing and climbed under the covers next to Adam.<\/p>\n

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

Riding his new sorrel mare and leading Billy\u2019s roan by the reins, Adam rode up to the garden beside the Thomas cabin and raised a hand in greeting.\u00a0 \u201cHey!\u201d he called.<\/p>\n

\u201cBack, are you?\u201d Clyde responded.\u00a0 \u201cWhere\u2019s your pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSettling the cattle in at our place,\u201d Adam replied.\u00a0 \u201cHe sent me to fetch Hoss.\u00a0 How\u2019s Billy doing?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSee for yourself,\u201d Clyde said.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s up to the house watching the younguns.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam grinned.\u00a0 He could just imagine how Billy relished that chore.\u00a0 He walked the horses up to the cabin and slid off, slipping his hand into the saddlebag and pulling out two slender striped sticks.\u00a0 With them hidden behind his back, he walked into Billy\u2019s room unannounced.\u00a0 Billy wasn\u2019t there.\u00a0 \u201cHey, where you at?\u201d Adam called.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn here,\u201d Billy hollered from his parents\u2019 bedroom.<\/p>\n

Adam ambled back through the front room and into the one where Billy lay sprawled on the bed, watching Hoss pile blocks one atop the other, only to send them crashing down again the next time his inept fingers tried to add a block to his tower.<\/p>\n

\u201cBubba!\u201d Hoss cried, scrambling up and running to wrap his older brother in a bear hug.<\/p>\n

\u201cKeep it quiet, will you?\u201d Billy demanded.\u00a0 \u201cInger\u2019s still asleep.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam grinned at the baby in her crib, then laid a finger to his lips.\u00a0 \u201cShh, quiet, Hoss.\u201d\u00a0 He ran an appraising eye over Billy\u2019s prone figure.\u00a0 \u201cYou doing better, ole buddy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, doin\u2019 good,\u201d Billy said.<\/p>\n

Adam pulled his hand from behind his back and held out the peppermint sticks.\u00a0 \u201cHere\u2019s that candy I promised you,\u201d he snickered.\u00a0 \u201cTwo.\u00a0 Count \u2018em.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCandy!\u201d Hoss cried, stretching for the red and white sticks.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Hoss!\u201d Adam said sharply.\u00a0 \u201cThese are for Billy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAw, he can have one,\u201d Billy said.\u00a0 \u201cPa brought home some candy, so my sweet tooth ain\u2019t achin\u2019 too bad right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, and I\u2019ll bet Hoss has already had his share,\u201d Adam giggled.\u00a0 Then he frowned at Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cI have some for you in my saddlebag, Hoss.\u00a0 You can have it on the way home.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss\u2019s lips curled at having to wait, but he let Adam give both candy sticks to Billy without further whining.<\/p>\n

Billy took a lick of his candy.\u00a0 \u201cThanks,\u201d he said, \u201cand thanks for sharin\u2019 that money with me, too, pardner.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s okay,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cI spent my share on a new guitar.\u00a0 I\u2019m learning to play pretty good now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWanna see what Pa spent mine on?\u201d Billy asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cAw, I was hoping he\u2019d let you spend it yourself,\u201d Adam groaned.\u00a0 \u201cGuess I should\u2019ve given it to you direct.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNaw, that\u2019s okay,\u201d Billy assured him.\u00a0 \u201cI like what Pa picked just fine.\u00a0 Fact is, he put some extra with it to bring me somethin\u2019 special.\u00a0 Wait\u2019ll you see!\u201d\u00a0 Billy swung his legs over the edge of the bed and stood up.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, are you allowed out of bed?\u201d Adam sputtered.<\/p>\n

\u201cSure,\u201d Billy said.\u00a0 \u201cLeg\u2019s still kinda sore, so I don\u2019t do much walkin\u2019 yet, but Doc Martin says a little exercise is good for me.\u00a0 Come on; it\u2019s in my room.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam followed Billy, with Hoss tagging along.\u00a0 Billy reached up to the pegs over his doorway and pulled down a shiny twenty-two.\u00a0 \u201cA rifle!\u201d Adam shouted.\u00a0 \u201cYou got a rifle!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAin\u2019t she a beauty?\u201d Billy drooled.\u00a0 \u201c\u2018Course, it\u2019ll be awhile before I can take her out, but I can\u2019t wait to bring home some real game.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam nodded.\u00a0 Now, why hadn\u2019t he thought to buy a rifle?\u00a0 Then he shook his head.\u00a0 Because Pa wouldn\u2019t have let him, that\u2019s why.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe I can get one next year,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Billy understood immediately what Adam meant.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, we\u2019ll have us a real good hunt then,\u201d he said sympathetically.<\/p>\n

\u201cCan you go outside?\u201d Adam asked.\u00a0 \u201cI wanted to show you my horse.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure,\u201d Billy said.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s go.\u201d<\/p>\n

They went outside and Billy made the appropriate oohs and ahs over the sorrel mare.\u00a0 Hoss just pointed to the saddlebag.\u00a0 \u201cCandy!\u201d he cried.\u00a0 \u201cMy candy now!\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam laughed.\u00a0 \u201cOkay, okay.\u201d\u00a0 He took another peppermint stick from the saddlebag and gave it to Hoss, then stroked the sorrel\u2019s white mane.\u00a0 \u201cWhat do you think?\u201d he asked Billy.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s something,\u201d Billy said.\u00a0 \u201cThat white mane and tail really make her an eyeful.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMr. Payne picked her out for me,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cI could\u2019ve had any I wanted, but I liked this one best.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure makes my filly look plain,\u201d Billy said, \u201cbut she\u2019s a good horse.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, she is,\u201d Adam agreed, \u201cand I\u2019d better get her stabled and head for home.\u201d\u00a0 He looked disapprovingly at Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cCome on, sticky face.\u00a0 You can finish off that candy while I tend to Billy\u2019s horse.\u00a0 Then I\u2019ll clean you up and we\u2019ll go see Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPa!\u201d Hoss chortled happily.\u00a0 Not even a second peppermint stick sounded better than that.<\/p>\n

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

Ben eagerly opened the door in answer to Paul Martin\u2019s rap.\u00a0 It was the first Saturday after his return from California and the first opportunity they\u2019d had to play chess since the middle of January.\u00a0 Though Ben had arrived back in the territory in early April, he\u2019d been too involved with the sheep then to take time for their weekly game.\u00a0 He was looking forward to an enjoyable evening.<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s lips twitched with amusement as he saw the bag in Paul\u2019s hand.\u00a0 \u201cYou aiming to do some doctoring while you\u2019re here?\u201d he chuckled.<\/p>\n

\u201cBack to my old habits,\u201d Paul smiled.\u00a0 \u201cNever know when I might need it.\u00a0 As a matter of fact, I\u2019ve just been called upon to give my professional opinion of Adam\u2019s new horse.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben guffawed.\u00a0 \u201cThe boy\u2019s insufferably proud of that animal, but she is a little beauty.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd certified sound,\u201d Martin said in his most doctorly tone.<\/p>\n

Ben arched an eyebrow.\u00a0 \u201cAnd what will the bill be for your services, doctor?\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul sniffed the air.\u00a0 \u201cTwo plates of oxtail stew should cover it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s Adam\u2019s bill,\u201d Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cHe should pay it, not me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right, then,\u201d Paul snickered.\u00a0 \u201cSince he\u2019s grooming my horse, we\u2019ll call it square.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss with him?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure.\u00a0 Planning to help, I think.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben scowled.\u00a0 \u201cAdam won\u2019t appreciate that.\u201d\u00a0 He started to set the table.\u00a0 \u201cAll joking aside, I would appreciate your medical opinion on something.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, Ben,\u201d Paul said, sobering.\u00a0 \u201cAre you not feeling well?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben shook his head as he placed a spoon by each plate.\u00a0 \u201cNo, I\u2019m fine.\u00a0 It\u2019s Hoss I\u2019m concerned about.\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul laughed.\u00a0 \u201cI thought you were serious.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI am,\u201d Ben said gravely.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat boy\u2019s as healthy as a horse,\u201d Paul said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know, but\u2014\u201d\u00a0 Ben took a deep breath and told Paul his concerns about Hoss\u2019s development, how much slower he seemed than Adam had been or even the two Payne babies.<\/p>\n

When Ben finished, Paul laid a warm hand on his friend\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cDo you demand perfection from your sons, Ben?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, of course not,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cNothing could change the way I feel about the boy; but if there is a problem, I want to be aware of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul smiled.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s the matter, Ben?\u00a0 Now that you\u2019ve gotten me straightened out, aren\u2019t there enough problems in the world without imagining them in your own boy?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben looked intently into the doctor\u2019s \u00a0gray eyes.\u00a0 \u201cIs that what I\u2019m doing?\u00a0 Imagining problems where there are none?\u00a0 I pray I am!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou want the plain truth?\u201d Paul asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cCertainly, I want the truth!\u201d Ben sputtered.\u00a0 \u201cQuit tiptoeing around the question and give it to me straight.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right,\u201d Paul agreed.\u00a0 \u201cSit down.\u201d\u00a0 When Ben complied, Paul sat down, folding his hands.\u00a0 \u201cUnless you\u2019re demanding a perfect child, there is no problem, Ben.\u00a0 That\u2019s why I asked.\u00a0 In all honesty, Hoss isn\u2019t as bright a boy as Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, who is?\u201d Ben muttered.\u00a0 \u201cI know I didn\u2019t have that boy\u2019s head for learning when I was his age.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPrecisely,\u201d Paul said.\u00a0 \u201cAdam is exceptionally sharp-witted, and he loves learning.\u00a0 Hoss, on the other hand, is a little slow, I think.\u00a0 Not feeble-minded, not dim-witted.\u00a0 But while Adam seems to catch on to new ideas immediately, Hoss will probably be one of those boys who really has to study hard to learn his letters.\u00a0 But he does learn, Ben, and I doubt he\u2019s much behind other boys his age.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled, relieved.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s a precious, loving boy; I hated the thought of his not being able to make his way in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe can make his way,\u201d Paul assured him, \u201cbut his way won\u2019t be Adam\u2019s way, nor yours\u2014\u2014though not so different, at that.\u00a0 The way the child loves animals, I\u2019d say he\u2019s a born rancher.\u00a0 And he doesn\u2019t need to understand Shakespeare or chemistry to be a good one.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben stood to give the stew another stir.\u00a0 \u201cThanks, Paul,\u201d he said.\u00a0 Turning, he asked, \u201cHow does it feel to be doctoring again?\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul grinned broadly.\u00a0 \u201cIt feels wonderful, Ben.\u00a0 I\u2019ve even had my second patient already.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cYou referring to Adam\u2019s horse or his little brother?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNeither,\u201d Paul chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cI meant a real patient.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh?\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cWho\u2019s sick?\u00a0 Anyone I know?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo one\u2019s sick,\u201d Paul laughed more heartily, \u201cand you haven\u2019t met this particular patient yet.\u00a0 His name is James Brimmel Ellis, and he was just born May first.\u00a0 And I\u2019ll tell you another thing, my nosy friend: saving a life, bringing a new one into this world\u2014\u2014I\u2019d forgotten how good that could feel.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know yet whether I can make a living at medicine here, but no more mining for me.\u00a0 I\u2019m a doctor.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled.\u00a0 \u201cWord\u2019s bound to spread quickly, but if the pickings get a little lean, there\u2019s always a plate of stew for you here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTwo plates,\u201d Paul reminded him.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s my bill for medical advice concerning your younger son.\u00a0 And you can\u2019t argue your way out of paying it this time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben ladled the doctor\u2019s plate brimful of steamy stew.\u00a0 \u201cHere\u2019s your first installment, then, doctor.\u00a0 Eat hearty, and if you want a second helping, eat fast.\u00a0 Where food is concerned, there\u2019s nothing slow about Hoss!\u201d<\/p>\n

CHAPTER TWENTY<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 The latter half of 1854 brought a number of changes to the residents of Carson County\u2014\u2014for the most part, developmental changes, the kind any growing community desired.\u00a0 A few were less pleasant.<\/p>\n

The emigrant season was much as it had always been.\u00a0 Though the traffic didn\u2019t approach the numbers of the gold rush years, more than two hundred wagons had passed through Carson Valley by the first of July.\u00a0 But while the number was smaller, Ben felt busier than ever.\u00a0 He had put a large portion of his profits from the sheep drive into cattle, and they required more and more of his time.\u00a0 The business of the trading post, which had once been his livelihood, now seemed an intrusion on time he preferred to spend developing his ranch.<\/p>\n

So far, Clyde hadn\u2019t complained about Ben\u2019s frequent absences, but Ben felt stretched by the pull of two opposing responsibilities. \u00a0He knew at some point he\u2019d have to snap one direction or the other.\u00a0 He began to ponder the idea of dropping his partnership in the trading post.\u00a0 The sale of his cattle would be sufficient to support him and the boys, and Clyde no longer really needed his capital to purchase trade goods.\u00a0 The profits made from their trip to New Mexico would enable Clyde to continue the venture without Ben, if that\u2019s what he wanted, or to give him the needed cushion if he decided to switch completely to blacksmithing.\u00a0 Ben didn\u2019t feel the need to make an immediate decision; the end of the year would be soon enough.\u00a0 In the meantime, he had plenty of work to occupy his days.\u00a0 More than occupy; overload was a more accurate term.<\/p>\n

Thomas Knott finished building the sawmill for John Cary and began another, as well as a grist mill, for John Reese.\u00a0 Ben would have preferred to give his business to the pioneer he\u2019d known and respected for years, but when Cary\u2019s mill opened July 26th, Ben was among its first customers.\u00a0 His new hired hands hadn\u2019t complained about being housed in tents, but Ben wanted to provide them with a regular bunkhouse.\u00a0 He\u2019d have to, anyway, before winter came, and the sooner the better.\u00a0 He\u2019d found some good hands, and he wanted to keep them.\u00a0 The best way to do that, Ben felt, was to treat them the way he\u2019d want to be treated in their place.\u00a0 And that meant a solid roof over their heads.<\/p>\n

Hoss turned four only a couple of days after Ben started the bunkhouse and seemed to celebrate the event by shooting upward in height, measuring almost a foot for each year of his life.\u00a0 The growth, of course, had been gradual, but Ben suddenly became aware of just how tall his baby boy was.\u00a0 He was tempted to ask his physician friend whether that was normal, but checked his concerns before he spoke.\u00a0 He figured he\u2019d just get laughed at again and told that he was once more imagining problems where none existed.\u00a0 And this time Ben was pretty sure he was.\u00a0 Boys, like communities, were meant to grow, and if Hoss was doing it more quickly than most, well, so did some cities.<\/p>\n

The August 5th issue of the weekly Scorpion<\/em> brought news of a change that was either desirable or horrifying, depending on one\u2019s outlook.\u00a0 Adam greeted with exultant joy the news of a school to be opened September 4th, but Billy moped openly, mourning the good old days of running barefoot and ignorant through the grass.\u00a0 According to the Scorpion<\/em>, Israel Mott, having built a new home for his family, was donating his former cabin for use as a school, and his wife Eliza would act as teacher.<\/p>\n

While the benefits of a new school might be open to debate, everyone in CarsonCounty regretted the news printed the final Saturday in August.\u00a0 Editor Stephen Kinsey couldn\u2019t remain unbiased as he reported the disaster which had befallen his uncle, John Reese.\u00a0 E. L. Barnard, one of Reese\u2019s partners in Reese and Company, had absconded with the total profits of a large cattle drive in which most of the company\u2019s assets had been invested.\u00a0 For Reese, personally, the financial failure couldn\u2019t have come at a worse time, for he was unable to pay for his recently completed sawmill and grist mill, thus adding debt and disgrace to his disappointment in what had been a trusted friend.<\/p>\n

The next week\u2019s issue of the Scorpion<\/em> reported the sale the previous day of all the holdings of Reese and Company to William Thorrington, known as \u201cLucky Bill\u201d to his friends.\u00a0 Included in the sale were all ranch and farm property, livestock, tools, household furniture and cooking utensils and all the dry goods, groceries and hardware at the Mormon Station trading post, as well as the claim to Eagle Valley Ranch and half-ownership in the toll bridge over the Carson River.<\/p>\n

\u201cWiped out,\u201d Ben murmured as he read the paper the next afternoon at Clyde and Nelly\u2019s.<\/p>\n

\u201cSure makes you want to count your blessings,\u201d Clyde said.<\/p>\n

Ben nodded gravely, then smiled at his old friend.\u00a0 \u201cYeah,\u201d he said, \u201cand chief among them I count a partner who can be trusted.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cExactly what I meant,\u201d Clyde replied, giving Ben a hearty slap on the arm.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cWhich books should I take, Pa?\u201d Adam queried seriously.<\/p>\n

Ben looked up from stirring the pot of oatmeal.\u00a0 \u201cOh, I think just your speller and reader today, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut arithmetic, Pa,\u201d Adam pressed.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sure hoping we\u2019ll study arithmetic.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right; take that, too,\u201d Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cThen you can tell Mrs. Mott what other texts you have and ask which you should bring.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam added his gray copy of Joseph Ray\u2019s Arithmetic<\/em> to the pile on the table containing McGuffey\u2019s Third Eclectic Reader<\/em> and Noah Webster\u2019s blue-backed speller.<\/p>\n

Hoss leaned over from his chair to pat the book.\u00a0 \u201cRead story!\u201d he demanded.<\/p>\n

Adam impatiently pushed the little hand away.\u00a0 \u201cNo, Hoss.\u00a0 It\u2019s not a storybook; these are my schoolbooks, and you don\u2019t touch.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s lower lip pooched out.\u00a0 \u201cStory!\u201d he yelled.<\/p>\n

Ben plunked a bowl of oatmeal in front of his younger son.\u00a0 \u201cNo story,\u201d he said firmly.\u00a0 \u201cTime for breakfast.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss grabbed his spoon and dug in, smearing his cheeks with clumps of cereal as he ate.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat a pig,\u201d Adam muttered under his breath.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam,\u201d Ben said sharply.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, look at him, Pa,\u201d Adam insisted.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s getting it everywhere but in his mouth.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben chuckled as he wiped Hoss\u2019s face with a red-checked napkin.\u00a0 \u201cTrue, true, but you must not call your brother names\u2014\u2014however well deserved.\u00a0 You just concentrate on your own breakfast.\u00a0 You don\u2019t want to be late your first day.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, sir!\u201d Adam declared, lifting a spoonful to his mouth.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve been looking forward to this for weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Ben drawled playfully.\u00a0 \u201cYou don\u2019t say!\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam grinned at the teasing tone in his father\u2019s voice.\u00a0 No need to tell Pa how much he wanted to go to school again, he had to admit, not when he\u2019d talked about little else since hearing the news.\u00a0 Adam lost no time finishing his oatmeal and bundling into his jacket and cap.<\/p>\n

Hurrying outside, he saw his father lead his sorrel mare, already saddled, from the barn.\u00a0 Adam tied the leather strap holding his books around the saddle horn.<\/p>\n

Seeing his brother prepared to ride out, Hoss trotted to the barn for his stick pony, mounted and galloped to Adam\u2019s side.\u00a0 \u201cMe go, too!\u201d he announced.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, no, you don\u2019t!\u201d Adam giggled as he swung into the saddle.<\/p>\n

\u201cMind your manners and be attentive to your teacher,\u201d Ben admonished.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t let that Billy lead you astray.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPa, I wouldn\u2019t!\u201d Adam protested, offended.\u00a0 \u201cNot at school.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLook to your horse when you get there,\u201d Ben reminded him.\u00a0 Adam nodded as he touched his heels to his mount\u2019s flanks and moved away.<\/p>\n

Hoss started after him.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, no,\u201d Ben laughed, swooping the hefty boy, pony and all, into his arms.\u00a0 \u201cPa can\u2019t spare you today.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss wriggled, both arms flailing wildly.\u00a0 \u201cI wanna go Bubba!\u201d he whimpered.<\/p>\n

Ben spit the stick pony\u2019s yarn mane from his mouth.\u00a0 \u201cYou stay Pa,\u201d he said firmly, setting Hoss down.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re too young for school, Hoss.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss looked like he was about to let loose a loud squall, so Ben quickly took his hand.\u00a0 \u201cCome help Pa in the barn, son,\u201d he said.\u00a0 With one longing look at the dust from Adam\u2019s trail, Hoss trotted to the barn beside his father.<\/p>\n

\u201cPut your horsey up,\u201d Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cNo riding in the barn.\u201d\u00a0 He and Adam had laughed heartily at the way Hoss treated his toy horse with the same attention they showed their mounts.\u00a0 When they groomed their horses, the stick pony got a rub down, as well; when Ben and Adam pitched hay for their animals to eat, Hoss took a handful to feed his wooden horse.\u00a0 Amused at first, Ben had decided that caring for his toy was a good way for Hoss to learn how to treat live animals, so he\u2019d designated one corner of the barn as Hoss\u2019s stall, and there the boy stabled his wooden pony.<\/p>\n

As Ben started to feed his bay and the milk cow, Hoss crawled between his legs to get a handful of straw.\u00a0 Ben tripped over him and landed bottom first on the dirt floor.\u00a0 Grabbing Hoss and pulling him out of reach of the cow\u2019s hind legs, Ben scowled.\u00a0 \u201cNow, how am I supposed to work with you underfoot?\u201d he demanded roughly.<\/p>\n

His face reddened.\u00a0 Just yesterday Nelly Thomas had posed that very point to him and offered to keep Hoss while Adam was in school.\u00a0 But Ben had proudly asserted that he could take care of his own son and still tend to his chores.\u00a0 After all, Hoss was a big boy now.\u00a0 Lips set with determination, Ben picked himself up, then guided Hoss across the barn and plunked him down.\u00a0 He\u2019d prove he could take care of his boy if it were the last thing he did.<\/p>\n

The barn chores took extra time that morning, due to a small distraction that wouldn\u2019t stay put in his corner of the stable.\u00a0 For the last week Ben had looked forward to getting Adam out of the house.\u00a0 The boy\u2019s interminable chatter about the delights of returning to school had been grating on his father\u2019s nerves.<\/p>\n

Now Ben thought putting up with the racket a small price to pay for having Adam\u2019s help around the place.\u00a0 Until this morning Ben hadn\u2019t realized how much help Adam gave him.\u00a0 Not only did the boy do his share of chores, but he kept his younger brother occupied, a greater blessing than Ben had recognized before. \u00a0He sighed as he set the pitchfork down, suddenly feeling very appreciative of his older son.\u00a0 A boy who loved learning as much as Adam deserved his chance at an education, though.\u00a0 Ben planned to see his boy got that chance if it were the last thing\u2014\u2014<\/p>\n

Ben grinned.\u00a0 That phrase had trickled through his mind too many times this morning.\u00a0 Maybe some fresh air would clear his thinking.\u00a0 \u201cCome on, Hoss,\u201d he chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s work outside awhile.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben led his younger son into the yard.\u00a0 \u201cPa\u2019s gonna chop a little kindling.\u00a0 You want to ride your horsey or get some of your toys from the house?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cEat, Pa,\u201d he said, pointing to the house.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t be hungry already!\u201d Ben argued, arms akimbo.<\/p>\n

Hoss bobbed his head hurriedly.\u00a0 \u201cHungry, Pa.\u00a0 Eat!\u201d he demanded, tugging on his father\u2019s hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, all right,\u201d Ben conceded grudgingly.\u00a0 He could just imagine the look on Nelly\u2019s face if she saw this scene, but he\u2019d show her.\u00a0 He\u2019d prove he could handle whatever arose without the help of any woman. \u00a0\u201cI\u2019ll give you some jam and bread,\u201d he said, taking Hoss\u2019s hand, \u201cbut that\u2019s gonna have to hold you \u2018til dinner.\u00a0 Pa has work to do, baby.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJam!\u201d sweet-toothed Hoss chortled, licking his lips.\u00a0 The snack contented him for a while, but before Ben could get much kindling split, a small hand tugged on his pants\u2019 leg.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s too soon for dinner, Hoss,\u201d Ben said firmly.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Pa; gotta go,\u201d Hoss tried to explain with his limited vocabulary.<\/p>\n

Seeing the boy point toward the outhouse, Ben comprehended the message and slammed the hatchet into the chopping block.\u00a0 While Hoss was old enough to visit the outhouse on his own, he didn\u2019t like going into the dark shed alone to do his biological business.\u00a0 Didn\u2019t, for that matter, even relish sleeping in a room without a candle burning.\u00a0 Ben sighed.\u00a0 Another chore he\u2019d always relegated to Adam.\u00a0 Well, no help for it.\u00a0 The boy needed assistance, and there was no one else to give it.\u00a0 Ben escorted his son to the outhouse.<\/p>\n

By the time Ben managed to get a good supply of kindling chopped, the sun was directly overhead.\u00a0 Time to cook dinner and it had better be a good one, he decided, for he planned to head into the nearby hills afterwards to fell some trees for firewood.\u00a0 He figured if he filled Hoss full enough, the boy could sleep on a pallet out of harm\u2019s way, and Ben just might get a full afternoon\u2019s work accomplished.<\/p>\n

After eating, Ben draped a couple of blankets over one of his oxen and set Hoss atop.\u00a0 Hoss seemed to enjoy the smooth-gaited ride up the hill, but protested when his father spread out the blankets and told him to lie down and go to sleep.\u00a0 \u201cStory,\u201d he whined.<\/p>\n

Ben sighed.\u00a0 Hoss was used to his brother reading to him before his nap each day, but Ben had brought no book.\u00a0 \u201cPa\u2019ll just have to tell you a story, I guess,\u201d he said as he sat beside the boy on the blanket.<\/p>\n

Hoss snuggled close, laying his head in Ben\u2019s lap.\u00a0 Ben smoothed the boy\u2019s wheat-colored hair with a tender hand and began, \u201cI was just thirteen when I first went to sea.\u201d\u00a0 As Ben reminisced nostalgically, Hoss slowly began to yawn, finally closing his eyes and snoring softly.<\/p>\n

Smiling, Ben slid the small head off his thigh and walked downhill to the tree he\u2019d selected.\u00a0 Grabbing an ax, he swung blow after blow into its bark.\u00a0 As he worked, Ben whistled happily.\u00a0 Despite the delays of caring for a small child, the day was going well.\u00a0 He\u2019d soon have this tree down and chained to the ox\u2019s yoke for transport back to the cabin.\u00a0 By the time they arrived, Adam should be home and he could tend his brother for a while.<\/p>\n

Ben finished the undercut and started to chop on the opposite side of the tree.\u00a0 When the tall pine began to sway, he ran to the side and stood watching the massive trunk topple.\u00a0 Suddenly, from beyond the tree came a happy cry, \u201cPa!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s attention snapped at the sound and he saw Hoss running toward him, arms outstretched.\u00a0 \u201cNo, Hoss!\u00a0 Stop!\u201d Ben yelled, his face contorted with alarm, for the huge pine was falling directly across the boy\u2019s path.<\/p>\n

Hoss gamboled on, heedless of danger.\u00a0 Ben ran toward the child, wishing his legs could race as rapidly as his heart.\u00a0 Moments before the trunk crashed to ground, he flung himself at Hoss, knocking the boy aside and rolling with him down the hill.\u00a0 Ben slammed to a stop against another pine and Hoss almost immediately piled into his chest.<\/p>\n

Hoss wailed, and Ben instinctively gathered the boy into his arms.\u00a0 \u201cThere, there now,\u201d he cooed soothingly.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s all right, son; you\u2019re safe now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss continued to cry and Ben soon realized the tears came from pain and not just fear.\u00a0 \u201cOh, baby, you\u2019re hurt,\u201d Ben cried, tenderly touching the cut on the little head.<\/p>\n

Gently, he lifted his son and carried him back to the blanket, where he\u2019d also left a canteen of water.\u00a0 Ben took the bandanna from around his neck, wet it and wiped the blood away as best he could.\u00a0 \u201cOoh, you\u2019re gonna have a goose egg, too,\u201d he purred sympathetically.<\/p>\n

Hoss had gradually quieted.\u00a0 \u201cTree,\u201d he whimpered.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, the tree fell,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cI didn\u2019t expect you to wake up so soon.\u00a0 Pa should have kept better watch.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Hoss whimpered, frustrated that his father didn\u2019t understand.\u00a0 \u201cWanna go Tree, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Realizing Hoss was referring to his name for their ranch, Ben squeezed the child to his chest.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, we\u2019ll go home, son,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cJust let Pa get things together and we\u2019ll go home.\u00a0 Stay right here, Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n

As he chained the downed tree to the ox and gathered up his tools and the blankets, Ben chided himself harshly.\u00a0 What a fool he\u2019d been!\u00a0 What a proud, ignorant fool to think he could adequately care for his child and still do the needed work of the ranch.\u00a0 Nelly had been right, and Ben wouldn\u2019t let pride stand in the way of accepting her offered help anymore.\u00a0 That mule-headed pride had almost cost him one of his most cherished treasures, and what a poor trade that would have been!\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t a mistake he\u2019d make again.\u00a0 No matter how much crow he had to eat, no matter how many times Nelly said \u201cI told you so,\u201d he\u2019d trust his precious boy into her hands and rest in the assurance that Hoss was safe.<\/p>\n

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

Adam clattered into the yard and led his mare to the barn.\u00a0 \u201cPa?\u201d he said, peering inside.<\/p>\n

\u201cOver here,\u201d Ben called from the cabin\u2019s front door.<\/p>\n

Adam grinned and trotted across the yard.\u00a0 \u201cHi, Pa!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHi, yourself,\u201d Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cHow was your day?\u201d<\/p>\n

Before Adam could answer, he felt his legs wrapped in a circle of small, fleshy arms.\u00a0 \u201cBubba!\u201d Hoss crowed happily.<\/p>\n

Leaning over to give his little brother a hug, Adam noticed the white bandage around the little fellow\u2019s head.\u00a0 \u201cOoh, what happened to you?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe took a tumble,\u201d Ben said soberly.<\/p>\n

Adam gave the little boy\u2019s head a gentle pat.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s too bad, Hoss.\u00a0 Does it hurt bad?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s head bobbed.\u00a0 \u201cHurt bad,\u201d he reported.<\/p>\n

Ben lifted the child and gave him a squeeze.\u00a0 \u201cNow, son, it doesn\u2019t still hurt, does it?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss touched his head and nodded solemnly.<\/p>\n

Ben sighed.\u00a0 \u201cWell, I don\u2019t know what I can do that would help, child.\u201d<\/p>\n

A wide grin split Hoss\u2019s face.\u00a0 \u201cJam!\u201d he cried.<\/p>\n

Ben and Adam both laughed.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m kind of hungry, too, Pa,\u201d Adam giggled.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome on in, then, soon as you\u2019ve stabled your horse,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cI guess we don\u2019t need Dr. Martin to administer that kind of painkiller.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben handed Adam a slice of bread spread with peach jam when the boy ran in after completing his chores.\u00a0 He again asked Adam how his day had gone.<\/p>\n

\u201cPretty well,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cMrs. Mott isn\u2019t nearly as interesting a teacher as Mr. Edwards was, though.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t think she would be,\u201d Ben admitted.\u00a0 \u201cDo you feel you\u2019re wasting your time, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cOh, no.\u00a0 There\u2019s plenty she can teach me; it\u2019s just that she sort of makes it work.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled.\u00a0 \u201cAnd Mr. Edwards made it fun?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Adam said fondly.\u00a0 He took a bite of the bread, then jerked up.\u00a0 \u201cOh, I forgot, Pa.\u00a0 Mrs. Mott wants to see you at your earliest con\u2014convenience.\u00a0 Yeah, that\u2019s the way she put it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben arched an eyebrow.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t tell me you\u2019re in trouble already.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam frowned.\u00a0 \u201cNo, Pa!\u00a0 Of course not.\u00a0 I think it has something to do with geography.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cGeography?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam swallowed his mouthful of jam and bread.\u00a0 \u201cYeah.\u00a0 I showed her my books, like you said, and told her what others I had.\u00a0 Then Billy piped up and said he liked geography best of all \u2018cause you made it so exciting with all your stories about the places you\u2019d been.\u00a0 That\u2019s when Mrs. Mott said she wanted to see you, so I think it has something to do with geography.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I\u2019ll ride in with you tomorrow and see,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll need to leave early though; I\u2019ve got to stop by the Thomases first to eat some humble pie.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss looked up expectantly.\u00a0 \u201cPie?\u201d he queried, his blue eyes brightening hopefully.<\/p>\n

Ben collapsed with laughter.<\/p>\n

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

When the door opened, Eliza Mott looked up from the rough plank desk at the front of her classroom, which had at one time been the kitchen of her cabin.\u00a0 \u201cWhy, Mr. Cartwright,\u201d she said, rising quickly.\u00a0 \u201cI didn\u2019t dream you\u2019d respond so quickly to my message.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was in the area,\u201d Ben said simply, \u201cand, of course, I\u2019m very concerned about anything that relates to Adam\u2019s education.\u201d<\/p>\n

Eliza smiled at the boy who had entered behind Ben.\u00a0 \u201cYes, I can understand that.\u00a0 He\u2019s a very bright boy, and I can tell he\u2019ll be one of my best students.\u201d\u00a0 Adam blushed furiously, but it was obvious he was pleased by his teacher\u2019s praise.<\/p>\n

\u201cActually, what I wanted to talk with you about, Mr. Cartwright\u2014\u201d Eliza began.<\/p>\n

\u201cPlease call me Ben,\u201d Ben interrupted.<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, Ben,\u201d Eliza smiled.\u00a0 \u201cAs I was saying, it wasn\u2019t really for Adam\u2019s sake that I asked to see you.\u00a0 I\u2019m sure he\u2019s already had the benefit I hope you\u2019ll afford the other students.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben cocked his head quizzically and Eliza rushed on.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s geography, Ben.\u00a0 The only traveling I\u2019ve ever done was the trip here from Missouri, so I\u2019m afraid what little I know comes strictly from books.\u00a0\u00a0 And when Billy Thomas mentioned your teaching him the subject, I just knew that if that little scamp actually enjoyed the lessons, the other children would surely profit by listening to you lecture.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m afraid I also tried teaching the little scamp some basic grammar, and I couldn\u2019t tell he profited much from that!\u201d<\/p>\n

Eliza smiled.\u00a0 \u201cWell, I can deal with grammar.\u00a0 I truly would appreciate your help with the geography lessons, however.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019d like me to come by sometime and talk to the children?\u201d Ben asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot just sometime,\u201d Eliza explained.\u00a0 \u201cI thought it over last night, and it seems to me the best thing to do is have you come in once a week, say on Saturdays, and teach the children then.\u00a0 It would be something for them to look forward to and I trust not unduly take up your time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m not overly busy at this time of year, of course, but once Spring comes\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I understand,\u201d Eliza said hurriedly.\u00a0 \u201cAnd while I can\u2019t pay you for your help, I would write off Adam\u2019s tuition in return.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s more than fair,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll be glad to help out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Eliza extended her hand.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll see you Saturday morning, then.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben clasped her hand warmly and the bargain was sealed.<\/p>\n

As Mrs. Mott had predicted, all the children looked forward to Saturdays.\u00a0 Each Saturday morning brought another of Ben Cartwright\u2019s intriguing stories about life and customs in foreign lands.\u00a0 After the geography lesson the children competed in a spell down.\u00a0 Since there were only six scholars in the Mormon Station school, the contest never lasted long.\u00a0 To reward the youngsters for good work and good behavior during the week, Mrs. Mott dismissed class as soon as someone, frequently Adam, emerged victorious.\u00a0 The prospect of a free afternoon provided sufficient motivation to keep the children attentive the rest of the week, and Mrs. Mott had few discipline problems.<\/p>\n

For Ben, as well as the young scholars, Saturdays were a pleasant break in the regular routine.\u00a0 While giving his weekly geography lectures, Ben couldn\u2019t miss the look of pride in Adam\u2019s eyes, and Ben found it difficult to keep a similar expression out of his own as he watched Adam\u2019s regular triumphs in the spelling bees.\u00a0 Then, too, teaching the children gave Ben a sense of contribution to his community, made him feel a part of its growth.<\/p>\n

While the changes taking place in Carson County were primarily good ones, the news outside the valley was increasingly bad.\u00a0 The country had been in turmoil ever since Congress passed the Kansas-Nebraska Act annulling the provisions of the Missouri Compromise.\u00a0 Giving each territory the right to choose whether to permit slavery within its borders had only exacerbated the controversy dividing North from South.<\/p>\n

As proponents of both viewpoints flocked to Kansas, trying to insure a majority for their cause, open hostility raged within that afflicted territory.\u00a0 Each month\u2019s mail from back east brought word of more fighting and killing, and even the Scorpion<\/em>, normally devoted to news of local interest, began to carry stories of what was all too appropriately labeled Bleeding Kansas.<\/p>\n

Ben felt thankful for the safe haven of the West.\u00a0 California was already within the fold of free states, and slavery was unlikely to find a foothold in Mormon Utah, even if it ever achieved a population large enough to merit statehood.\u00a0 Carson County was certainly doing nothing to enhance Utah\u2019s chances of that, Ben had to admit ruefully.\u00a0 But obscurity and isolation had their blessings, and the chance to grow and develop slowly seemed greatest among them whenever Ben heard news of the turmoil outside his peaceful valley.<\/p>\n

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 After receiving Eliza Mott\u2019s thanks for his help with the geography class, Ben walked outside to meet Adam one Saturday.\u00a0 Resting a hand on the boy\u2019s shoulder, Ben said, \u201cWe\u2019re branding the new calves this afternoon.\u00a0 You want to come along?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam bit his lip and glanced at Billy, with whom he\u2019d been in earnest conversation just moments before.\u00a0 \u201cWell, I\u2019d like that,\u201d Adam admitted, \u201cbut me and Billy\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBilly and I,\u201d Ben corrected with a smile.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir.\u00a0 Billy and I,\u201d Adam said hurriedly.\u00a0 \u201cWe were talking about making kites.\u00a0 The wind\u2019s good for flying this afternoon.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, it\u2019s brisk.\u00a0 So where\u2019s this kite-building taking place?\u00a0 Our place or Billy\u2019s?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOurs,\u201d Adam grinned.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve got the makings all set aside.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know you\u2019ll have to watch Hoss, too,\u201d Ben pointed out.<\/p>\n

\u201cAw, you could leave him at our place,\u201d Billy argued.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I couldn\u2019t,\u201d Ben said firmly.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s not fair to your mother; furthermore, I have no intention of going all the way back there from my cattle range just to give you rapscallions the pleasure of an afternoon alone.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s all right,\u201d Adam quickly assured his father.\u00a0 \u201cWe can pick Hoss up first.\u201d<\/p>\n

Billy groaned, but saw little point in arguing further.\u00a0 Ben Cartwright was even less vulnerable to that kind of manipulation than his own folks.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s go,\u201d he urged, elbowing Adam.\u00a0 \u201cYou can take dinner at our place.\u201d\u00a0 He threw Ben a significant glare.\u00a0 \u201cMa won\u2019t mind,\u201d he insisted.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know she won\u2019t,\u201d Ben grinned.\u00a0 \u201cFine with me if my boys have a hot meal.\u00a0 There\u2019s not much ready to eat at our place.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s for sure!\u201d Adam exclaimed.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m hungry, too.\u00a0 Let\u2019s go, Billy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Billy agreed, \u201cbefore that chunky brother of yours picks the table clean.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam and Billy mounted their horses and raced for the Thomas cabin, four miles to the north.\u00a0 Billy won and, leaping off his horse, rushed into the cabin.\u00a0 \u201cMa, me and Adam\u2019s gonna build kites at his house this afternoon.\u00a0 That\u2019s all right, ain\u2019t it?\u201d he asked, rushing his words.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf it\u2019s all right with Ben, I got no objection,\u201d Nelly replied, pushing a damp tendril of light hair off her forehead.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe done said yes,\u201d Billy announced.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s for dinner?\u00a0 Adam\u2019s eatin\u2019 with us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShould have told Ben to come along, too,\u201d Nelly chided.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s anxious to get to the calf branding, ma\u2019am,\u201d Adam said from the doorway.\u00a0 \u201cDiego\u2019ll have something for the men to eat there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHumph!\u201d Nelly sniffed.\u00a0 \u201cSome meal that\u2019s likely to be.\u00a0 Well, at least, you younguns will have good food.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, good food!\u201d Hoss chirped, clambering into a chair at the table.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot yet,\u201d Nelly laughed.\u00a0 \u201cYou run along and play with Inger awhile longer.\u00a0 Dinner\u2019ll be ready in about half an hour.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLong?\u201d Hoss asked Adam as he climbed down.<\/p>\n

\u201cShort,\u201d Adam said, knowing those two words comprised Hoss\u2019s entire concept of time.\u00a0 Hoss grinned and trotted back into the bedroom where he\u2019d been playing with Inger.<\/p>\n

After a filling lunch the boys mounted, Hoss behind Adam on the sorrel mare, and rode to Pine Tree Station.\u00a0 Adam helped Hoss down, then faced the four-year-old, arms akimbo.\u00a0 \u201cAll right now, Hoss, you want to feed your pony while Billy and I take care of our horses?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cPony all fed,\u201d he said.\u00a0 His pup came racing from the barn to greet him with leaps and licks.<\/p>\n

\u201cGo find some toys to play with then,\u201d Adam ordered.\u00a0 \u201cBilly and I\u2019ll be real busy making our kites, and we don\u2019t want you underfoot.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMe help,\u201d Hoss offered amiably, turning his face aside to avoid Klamath\u2019s wet tongue.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, no, you won\u2019t!\u201d Adam sputtered.\u00a0 \u201cYou keep your hands off.\u00a0 Now, in the house and find some toys.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss thrust out his lower lip, then drew it back in when he thought of something he\u2019d like better than toys.\u00a0 He jogged toward the cabin, Klamath trotting at his heels.\u00a0 \u201cNo, Klam, stay,\u201d Hoss ordered.\u00a0 He patted the little dog\u2019s head, went inside and pulled from the corner cupboard half a loaf of bread and a crock of plum jam, successfully carrying both to the table.<\/p>\n

Feeling like a big boy, able to fix his own snack, Hoss climbed in a chair, stuck his fingers in the crock of jam and slathered it lavishly on one end of the loaf of bread.\u00a0 Pa, of course, would have sliced off just one piece, but Hoss instinctively knew he\u2019d be in trouble if he touched one of Pa\u2019s sharp knives.\u00a0 Besides, jam and bread tasted sweet no matter how you put them together, and Hoss was prepared to finish off all the bread anyway.\u00a0 Highly satisfied with his creation, he sunk his teeth in.<\/p>\n

When Adam and Billy walked in, Hoss was sloppily applying more jam to the nibbled end of the loaf.\u00a0 \u201cWant some?\u201d he offered generously, favoring Adam with one of his sunniest smiles.<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s lips tightened, his brows met in a straight line, and his face reddened\u2014\u2014a perfect copy of his father, when angry.\u00a0 \u201cWhat have you done?\u201d he demanded.\u00a0 \u201cLook at the mess you\u2019ve made, Hoss!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSorwy, Bubba,\u201d Hoss whimpered, lapsing into baby talk at the sight of Adam\u2019s angry countenance.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t \u2018sorry,\u2019 me, Hoss Cartwright!\u201d Adam snapped.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat youngun\u2019s a mess waitin\u2019 to happen,\u201d Billy charged.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can say that again,\u201d Adam moaned.\u00a0 \u201cNow we\u2019ll have to clean him up before we can start the kite.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot to mention the table,\u201d Billy commiserated.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s swiped jam everywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n

Disgruntled, Adam grabbed Hoss roughly by one arm and herded him outdoors.\u00a0 When Klamath stood and growled, Adam let go of Hoss\u2019s arm and snatched up the bucket resting by the front door.\u00a0 \u201cStay right there and don\u2019t touch anything,\u201d Adam ordered, heading for the creek.<\/p>\n

Hoss flopped down on the ground and, with Klamath\u2019s tongue busily assisting him, began to lick plum jam from his fingers.\u00a0 When Adam returned, he held his pudgy palms out to demonstrate that he was already clean.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot good enough,\u201d Adam snapped, thrusting first one, then the other, sticky hand into the water and scrubbing hard.\u00a0 Hoss whined, for the water was icy.\u00a0 Klamath began nipping at Adam\u2019s heels.\u00a0 Adam kicked at him, and though the dog wasn\u2019t hurt, he slunk back, adding his whimpers to Hoss\u2019s.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s your own fault,\u201d Adam said harshly, \u201cso you can just quit the bellering.\u201d\u00a0 Not sure whether Adam meant him or his dog, Hoss wiped his dripping nose with his just-washed hand while Adam scrubbed the other.\u00a0 Adam dried both his brother\u2019s hands.\u00a0 \u201cNow sit here \u2018til we get the table washed off,\u201d he ordered.<\/p>\n

\u201cCold,\u201d Hoss whimpered.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen go in the house,\u201d Adam retorted, \u201cbut stay in your room.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam, with Billy\u2019s help, was vigorously scouring the table when Hoss ambled in from the bedroom he shared with Adam.\u00a0 Crumpled in his hand was a large sheet of paper.\u00a0 \u201cHere, Bubba,\u201d he said, obviously hoping to appease his irritated sibling.\u00a0 \u201cMake kite.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam yelped and jerked the paper from Hoss\u2019s hand.\u00a0 \u201cDoggone you!\u00a0 You\u2019ve gone and scrunched it full of wrinkles.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTore it, too,\u201d Billy added, conveniently overlooking the fact that it was Adam\u2019s precipitous action that had torn the paper.<\/p>\n

\u201cS\u2014sorwy,\u201d Hoss sputtered.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t start that again!\u201d Adam snapped.\u00a0 \u201cSorry doesn\u2019t cut it, Hoss.\u00a0 Billy\u2019s right.\u00a0 You\u2019re a ca-catastrophe waiting to happen.\u201d\u00a0 He chose to replace Billy\u2019s simpler term with one from the previous week\u2019s spelling list.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe won\u2019t get nothin\u2019 done with him around,\u201d Billy complained.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo I\u2019m just gonna see to it he\u2019s not around,\u201d Adam said firmly.\u00a0 He grabbed Hoss by one elbow.\u00a0 \u201cGive me a hand,\u201d he ordered Billy.<\/p>\n

Billy took the other elbow.\u00a0 \u201cWhere we headed?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe tool shed,\u201d Adam replied.\u00a0 \u201cHe can\u2019t open it from the inside.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood idea,\u201d Billy said.\u00a0 Between them, the two boys dragged the kicking, squirming youngster.\u00a0 Behind them, Klamath barked in loud protest.<\/p>\n

Adam opened the door to the shed and shoved Hoss inside.\u00a0 \u201cYou, too,\u201d Adam ordered as he pushed Klamath in with his young master and slammed the door.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Bubba!\u201d Hoss screamed.\u00a0 \u201cDark!\u201d<\/p>\n

For a moment Adam felt a twinge of guilt.\u00a0 He knew Hoss hated dark places.\u00a0 That\u2019s why he\u2019d never go to the outhouse alone or sleep without a lighted candle.\u00a0 \u201cTime he got over it,\u201d Adam mumbled under his breath.\u00a0 Aloud he said, \u201cQuit that blubbering, Hoss.\u00a0 I just want you out of our hair for a while.\u00a0 I\u2019ll let you out soon as we finish the kites.\u201d\u00a0 And I\u2019ll do that a lot sooner with you in there<\/em>, Adam told himself, justifying his actions.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s get to it,\u201d Billy urged, \u201cbefore your Pa gets home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam flinched.\u00a0 Pa.\u00a0 That was the fly in the ointment, all right.\u00a0 Pa\u2019d have his hide for treating Hoss this way.\u00a0 Maybe it wasn\u2019t such a good idea, after all.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome on,\u201d Billy, who had already reached the cabin, called.<\/p>\n

Adam squared his shoulders.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t back down now\u2014\u2014not in front of Billy.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m coming,\u201d he shouted over Hoss\u2019s vociferous pleas for help.<\/p>\n

Without Hoss\u2019s interference, the older boys quickly constructed two wind-worthy kites.\u00a0 \u201cBet mine\u2019ll fly the highest,\u201d Billy bragged.<\/p>\n

Adam tossed the challenge back in his friend\u2019s face.\u00a0 \u201cNo, sir; mine\u2019s the best.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cProve it,\u201d Billy dared, racing outside.\u00a0 He ran as fast as he could and soon the kite was soaring skyward.\u00a0 Adam charged after him, grinning as he saw his kite sail higher than Billy\u2019s, higher than the emerald pines fringing the foothills west of the cabin.\u00a0 Back and forth the boys raced, each flaunting the merit of his own creation whenever it chanced to rise above its competitor.<\/p>\n

Evening shadows lengthened unheeded.\u00a0 Suddenly, a voice rang through the trees.\u00a0 \u201cAdam!\u201d Ben Cartwright called.\u00a0 Jubilant with triumph, his cheeks chafed ruddy by the wind, Adam ran to greet his father.<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s face, however, was glowering with a different kind of warmth.\u00a0 \u201cI thought I told you not to leave Hoss at the Thomases,\u201d he said tersely.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t,\u201d Adam said, then clapped his hand over his mouth.\u00a0 Hoss!\u00a0 He\u2019d meant to let his little brother out of the tool shed as soon as he\u2019d finished his kite, but in the excitement of his contest with Billy, he\u2019d completely forgotten.\u00a0 Adam hurriedly explained what he\u2019d done.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou did what!\u201d Ben shouted with undisguised fury.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, he\u2014he was being an awful pest,\u201d Adam sputtered, \u201cand we wanted to make the kites and\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI get the picture,\u201d Ben growled, \u201cand it\u2019s not a pretty one.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam gulped.\u00a0 \u201cNo, sir, it\u2019s not.\u00a0 I\u2019m sorry, Pa.\u201d\u00a0 Suddenly, his face drained.\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t accepted Hoss\u2019s apologies.\u00a0 Why should he expect any better response from Pa?<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s time you went home, Billy,\u201d Ben said firmly as he turned his back on the boys and headed for the tool shed.<\/p>\n

\u201cHigh time,\u201d Billy muttered.\u00a0 \u201cBoy, are you gonna get it!\u201d\u00a0 He gave Adam a sympathetic look.\u00a0 \u201cI hope he ain\u2019t too hard on you.\u00a0 It was part my fault.\u00a0 Tell him that if you think it\u2019ll help.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam shook his head.\u00a0 Pa was smart enough to figure out Billy\u2019s part without being told, but whatever his friend had done wouldn\u2019t excuse Adam\u2019s behavior.\u00a0 That was the attitude Pa would take, so there was no use trying to squirm out of whatever punishment Pa laid down.\u00a0 And seeing Hoss\u2019s tear-streaked face when he was released from the confining shed convinced Adam more than any amount of scolding that he deserved the worst Pa could think up.<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s footsteps dragged the dust as he approached the bench beside the cabin door where Ben sat comforting his younger son.\u00a0 A growl rumbled in the throat of the dog sitting at their feet and Adam took a step back.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Pa,\u201d he said again, not hoping to lessen his penalty by the words, just feeling the need to say them.<\/p>\n

Anger was still glinting in Ben Cartwright\u2019s eyes.\u00a0 Hoss, too, looked up at Adam with a look the older boy had never seen before.\u00a0 Nothing akin to the hero worship with which Hoss ordinarily ogled him.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry, baby,\u201d Adam murmured.\u00a0 \u201cBrother forgot.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cForgetting wasn\u2019t the problem, Adam!\u201d Ben grunted.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, sir, I know that,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cIt wasn\u2019t right in the first place, but I never meant to leave him that long.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow long is \u2018that long\u2019?\u201d Ben demanded.<\/p>\n

Adam shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cA couple of hours, I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTwo hours,\u201d Ben sputtered.\u00a0 \u201cHow do you think it feels to be shut up in the dark for two hours, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot good, I guess,\u201d Adam admitted.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, you\u2019re about to find out,\u201d Ben stated bluntly.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019ll be your punishment.\u00a0 I\u2019ll lock you in that shed for exactly two hours.\u00a0 Then we\u2019ll have a little talk about how it feels!\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam nodded silently and headed for the tool shed.\u00a0 He pulled the door shut behind him and immediately felt the darkness close in.\u00a0 A few minutes later he heard the door latched from the outside and knew he was as hopelessly trapped as Hoss had been.\u00a0 Adam started to cry, but not for himself.\u00a0 For Hoss and the fear he\u2019d endured at his big brother\u2019s hands.\u00a0 Adam sat down on the cold earth and let the shame wash over him.<\/p>\n

The minutes straggled past, dragging as slowly as his footsteps had earlier, until Adam was sure that Pa\u2019d forgotten him the way he\u2019d forgotten Hoss.\u00a0 Finally, the door creaked open.\u00a0 \u201cYou can come out now,\u201d Ben said.<\/p>\n

Adam almost didn\u2019t respond, the dark shed seeming preferable to the sight of his father\u2019s wrathful eyes.\u00a0 Two hours had done little to wipe the fury and disappointment from Ben\u2019s visage.\u00a0 Adam silently followed his father into the cabin.<\/p>\n

Ben pointed to a slice of dry bread and a cup of milk on the table.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s your supper,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cEat it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not much hungry, Pa,\u201d Adam whispered.<\/p>\n

\u201cEat it,\u201d Ben said, but his voice was gentler this time.<\/p>\n

Adam sat down and tried to comply, but the dry bread stuck in his throat.\u00a0 Ben sat across from him.\u00a0 \u201cWell, how was it, son?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

Adam choked down the bread in his mouth.\u00a0 \u201cBad, Pa,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cWorse than I thought.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd worse yet for Hoss,\u201d Ben said grimly.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s only four, Adam.\u00a0 He was terrified.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know, Pa,\u201d Adam murmured, staring at the tabletop.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2014I guess he hates me, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was very angry, very hurt,\u201d Ben said, \u201cbut I talked with him about it.\u00a0 I think he\u2019ll forgive you, Adam, but you can\u2019t play this kind of game with his feelings.\u00a0 Baby or not, Hoss is a person, same as you; he deserves to be treated with kindness and respect\u2014\u2014no matter how much he gets in the way of what you\u2019d rather do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir, I know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen behave as if you knew,\u201d Ben said firmly.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve entrusted you with a great responsibility, Adam, and most of the time I\u2019ve been proud of how you handle it.\u00a0 But I don\u2019t feel proud today.\u201d<\/p>\n

Something shriveled inside Adam.\u00a0 He\u2019d basked in his father\u2019s approval for so long.\u00a0 Now it was gone, and Adam would rather Pa had blistered his bottom than to lose that respect.\u00a0 \u201cWill\u2014will you forgive me, Pa?\u201d he asked hesitantly.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou are forgiven, son,\u201d Ben said without hesitation, \u201cbut not excused.\u00a0 When you\u2019ve finished your dinner, go straight to bed.\u00a0 And for the next week, you\u2019ll pick up Hoss after school and come directly home\u2014\u2014no dawdling at Billy\u2019s afterwards.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 He finished his milk quickly and went to his room without saying anything else.\u00a0 Quietly, he undressed and pulled his nightshirt over his head.<\/p>\n

\u201cBubba,\u201d a timid voice called.<\/p>\n

Adam knelt beside the bed where Hoss lay on his stomach.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou still mad, Bubba?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam threw his arm across the chunky little boy\u2019s back.\u00a0 \u201cNo, I\u2019m not mad.\u00a0 You still mad, Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUnh-uh,\u201d Hoss muttered.\u00a0 \u201cSc\u2014scared.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam patted the youngster\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cWant me to sleep with you?\u201d he offered.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah!\u201d Hoss cried, scrunching over to let Adam in.<\/p>\n

Adam grinned and crawled beneath the covers.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry I scared you, Hoss,\u201d he whispered as he lay his dark head beside the sandy one on the pillow.<\/p>\n

Hoss cuddled close, nestling his head against Adam\u2019s chest.\u00a0 \u201cKite fly good?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cReal good,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll show you tomorrow, maybe even let you fly it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, boy!\u201d Hoss shouted.<\/p>\n

\u201cTime for bed, boys,\u201d Ben ordered from the doorway.\u00a0 His voice sounded firm, but he was smiling, glad to see the brothers at peace again.<\/p>\n

The next morning Adam got the kite soaring high, then handed the string to Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cHold tight,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cLooky, Bubba,\u201d Hoss cried.\u00a0 \u201cSee it fly!\u201d\u00a0 Hoss clapped his hands in delight and the kite string slipped from his hands.<\/p>\n

Adam lunged forward and caught it, tumbling to the ground.\u00a0 Hoss clapped his hands again and laughed.\u00a0 Lying on the ground, Adam laughed, too, suddenly realizing that Hoss could be as much fun as Billy.\u00a0 You had to get down on his level, of course, but that was a small price to pay for the toothy grin you got in return.\u00a0 Over the next week, deprived of Billy\u2019s society, Adam had a chance to work on his relationship with Hoss, and he rediscovered just how much he liked his little brother.<\/p>\n

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

Shortly after Adam\u2019s reprieve from confinement at home, Ben had a chance to practice the patience he\u2019d preached to his older son.\u00a0 Though he regularly sent Hoss to stay with Nelly Thomas while Adam was in school, one crisp September morning Ben decided to keep the boy home with him.\u00a0 Hoss had a slight case of the sniffles, and since Ben planned to spend the day doing chores in the barn and tack room, he saw no reason to send the child on a long, cold ride.\u00a0 Better to keep him indoors and ward off a bad cold.\u00a0 Even with a doctor in the county, Ben preferred healthy boys to fretful, sick ones.<\/p>\n

Hoss wasn\u2019t, however, sick enough that he appreciated staying inside.\u00a0 \u201cWanna help, Pa,\u201d he insisted as Ben prepared to go out.\u00a0 \u201cHoss big boy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s mouth twitched.\u00a0 Hoss was indeed a big boy, a fact confirmed every time Ben tried to lift him.\u00a0 \u201cHoss is a big boy,\u201d he agreed, \u201cand a good one to want to help Pa.\u00a0 But I think you\u2019d better stay out of the wind today, son.\u00a0 Pa\u2019ll be in the barn if you need anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWanna help, Pa,\u201d Hoss repeated, his face drooping.<\/p>\n

Ben gave the youngster a hug.\u00a0 \u201cThe best help is to do as you\u2019re told, Hoss.\u00a0 Now, go back to your room and play with your Noah\u2019s Ark.\u201d\u00a0 Ben opened the door, then turned, remembering Adam\u2019s description of what had first irritated him the day he\u2019d locked Hoss in the tool shed.\u00a0 \u201cAnd stay out of the jam,\u201d Ben ordered firmly.\u00a0 \u201cThis place is messy enough without your making it worse.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s chin bobbed up and down.\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t forgotten the aftermath of the last time he\u2019d helped himself to a snack.\u00a0 As his father disappeared, he looked at the table covered with the dirty dishes from breakfast.\u00a0 Ben, who hated washing dishes just about worse than anything, had decided to let them sit until lunch time and do them all at once, but Hoss didn\u2019t know that.\u00a0 He thought his father had just forgotten.\u00a0 \u201cPlace messy,\u201d Hoss muttered, repeating Ben\u2019s evaluation.<\/p>\n

A wide grin split the youngster\u2019s face as he spotted the bucket of water set just inside the door.\u00a0 Adam had brought it from the creek earlier that morning so he could wash up for school and had left it for the dishes.\u00a0 \u201cHoss help Pa,\u201d the boy cried, pulling the tin dishpan down from the counter and setting it in the floor by the fire.\u00a0 Hoss dragged the water bucket over to the pan and tipped it so the water spilled into the pan.\u00a0 Most of it, at least.\u00a0 Some was on the floor, but not enough to bother Hoss.<\/p>\n

The four-year-old grabbed a bar of lye soap and lathered up a pile of suds.\u00a0 Then he took the fortunately unbreakable tin plates from the table and dropped them with a splash into the dishpan.\u00a0 Hoss frowned as he saw more water slosh onto the floor.\u00a0 He\u2019d have to remember to ease the next ones in.\u00a0 Sitting on the hooked rug, he hummed off key as he scoured the plates with vigor.\u00a0 Holding the first one up, he grinned at his dull image reflected from the metal surface.\u00a0 Nice and clean.\u00a0 He gave the others similar treatment and, drying them with the towel ordinarily used for hands, stacked them back on the table.<\/p>\n

All that remained was the three-legged spider in which Ben had fried the bacon that morning.\u00a0 Hoss grabbed the long handle and pulled.\u00a0 The skillet hit the floor with a loud bang.\u00a0 The boy ran to the window and peered anxiously out.\u00a0 It wouldn\u2019t do to have Pa come investigating suspicious noises and discover Hoss\u2019s surprise before it was completely done. \u00a0Satisfied the clatter hadn\u2019t reached the barn, Hoss scooted back to finish the job.\u00a0 He slipped in the bacon grease that now filmed the floor and sat down hard.\u00a0 Hoss shook his head.\u00a0 He was going to have to do something about that floor.\u00a0 First, though, he gave the skillet an energetic rub, dried it and set it back on the table.<\/p>\n

All done now except emptying the dishpan.\u00a0 Hoss had started to drag it to the front door when an idea struck him, an idea that would solve the problem of the greasy floor, as well.\u00a0 Instead of pulling the dishpan of water out the door, he just tipped it over and let the water flood the puncheon floor.\u00a0 Now to find something to scrub with.\u00a0 He ran into the bedroom he shared with Adam and snatched his brother\u2019s nightshirt from the peg on the wall.\u00a0 Adam wouldn\u2019t need that until nightfall.\u00a0 It would do nicely.<\/p>\n

Hoss had worked halfway across the front room when the door opened.\u00a0 \u201cOh, you peeked,\u201d he cried in disappointment.\u00a0 \u201cNot done, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot done with what?\u201d Ben demanded, staring at the wet floor.\u00a0 \u201cWhat have you done, Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPlace messy,\u201d Hoss explained, sure his father would understand and be as proud of him as he always seemed to be of Adam.\u00a0 \u201cMe help.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHelp!\u00a0 Is that what you call it?\u201d Ben croaked, then stopped as he caught sight of his little boy\u2019s sudden change of demeanor.<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s lower lip was trembling.\u00a0 \u201cTry help,\u201d he whimpered.<\/p>\n

Ignoring the water soaking through his trousers, Ben knelt and gathered the youngster into his arms.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, it was a good thought, Hoss,\u201d Ben said comfortingly.\u00a0 \u201cPa knows you meant well, but you\u2019ve made quite a mess, son.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss shook his head in denial.\u00a0 \u201cMop,\u201d he said, \u201clike Aunt Nelly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben guffawed.\u00a0 \u201cIs this what she uses, Hoss?\u201d he laughed, pulling Adam\u2019s nightshirt from the pudgy fingers.\u00a0 Hoss gave his father a sheepish grin.\u00a0 Now that Pa mentioned it, he could remember that Aunt Nelly didn\u2019t use clothes; she used a scrub brush.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I hate to admit it,\u201d Ben said, looking around the room distastefully, \u201cbut this place could use a thorough cleaning.\u00a0 Not what I planned for this afternoon, but I guess I\u2019d better make a change, starting with this floor.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMe help,\u201d Hoss offered.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo thank you,\u201d Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll\u2014\u201d\u00a0 He stopped abruptly, seeing Hoss\u2019s wet clothes.\u00a0 And this was the child he was keeping out of the cold so his sniffles wouldn\u2019t worsen!\u00a0 \u201cIn the other room right now!\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cYou need dry clothes, boy!\u201d\u00a0 Hoss shrugged and followed his father\u2019s pointing finger.<\/p>\n

Ben soon had the child redressed.\u00a0 \u201cNow into bed, son.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cNo, no.\u00a0 Help Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve done your share,\u201d Ben grinned.\u00a0 \u201cGet under the covers and warm up while I finish the floor.\u00a0 Then Pa\u2019ll fix us something to eat.\u00a0 Sound good?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood!\u201d Hoss agreed.\u00a0 \u201cToy?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben poked through the chest at the foot of Hoss\u2019s bed and handed him the calico dog Nelly had made him.\u00a0 \u201cThis do?\u201d\u00a0 Hoss grinned and reached for the soft, cuddly dog.\u00a0 Klamath would have made a better companion, of course, but Pa wouldn\u2019t let a real dog in the house.\u00a0 Hoss never could understand why.<\/p>\n

Ben went back into the front room and located the rarely used scrub brush.\u00a0 His knees hit the floor, a position Ben was sure the Almighty had only intended man to use in prayer.\u00a0 \u201cHousework.\u00a0 Blah!\u201d he grumbled with masculine disdain as he vigorously scoured the puncheon floor.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cCome in out of the cold, you tardy wretch,\u201d Ben laughed, opening the door for Paul Martin.<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry, had to see a patient,\u201d Paul said quietly.<\/p>\n

Ben nodded understandingly.\u00a0 \u201cI figured it might be that, and I\u2019m afraid I\u2019ve got another one for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul looked up, alarmed.\u00a0 \u201cNot Hoss?\u201d he asked.\u00a0 Adam was reading in the rocker by the fire, but the younger boy was nowhere to be seen.\u00a0 \u201cWhy didn\u2019t you send for me?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think it\u2019s serious,\u201d Ben explained, \u201cbut I\u2019d like you to take a look as long as you\u2019re here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, right away,\u201d Paul said, going at once to the boys\u2019 room.\u00a0 \u201cWell, little man,\u201d he said, sitting on the edge of Hoss\u2019s bed.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s your trouble?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss coughed hoarsely.\u00a0 \u201cSick,\u201d he mumbled.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust a cold, I think,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s been sniffling around for two or three days, and yesterday he said his throat hurt.\u00a0 He started coughing today.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Martin laid his hand across the boy\u2019s forehead.\u00a0 \u201cNot much fever,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cOpen your mouth, Hoss, and let Pau-Pau see your throat.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss obliged and the doctor smiled up at Ben after giving the throat a quick examination.\u00a0 \u201cA little red, but I agree with your diagnosis, Dr. Cartwright\u2014\u2014just a common cold.\u00a0 Keep him warm and see he gets plenty of rest.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been feeding him salt pork and onions,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cHis mother said it was an old Swedish remedy, and it always seemed to help Adam when his throat was sore.\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul chuckled lightly.\u00a0 \u201cI imagine it\u2019s the salt that helped, Ben.\u00a0 I sometimes recommend gargling with salt water for a sore throat, but Hoss will probably prefer his mother\u2019s medicine.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s food,\u201d Ben said, as if that explained everything.<\/p>\n

The doctor gave Hoss a parting pat and stood with a sigh.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomething wrong?\u201d Ben asked.<\/p>\n

Paul shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cJust not feeling worth much as a doctor these days.\u00a0 I\u2019ve seen three patients this week and couldn\u2019t help one of them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut Hoss isn\u2019t seriously ill, is he?\u201d Ben asked, puzzled.<\/p>\n

Paul rested an assuring hand on his friend\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cNo, he\u2019ll be fine in a few days, and so will the patient I saw earlier this evening.\u00a0 Not because of any help I gave, of course, but that doesn\u2019t matter when the situation isn\u2019t serious.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou mentioned three patients,\u201d Ben probed as he followed the doctor into the front room.\u00a0 \u201cWas the other situation serious?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFatal,\u201d Dr. Martin murmured softly.\u00a0 \u201cThe first patient I\u2019ve lost since settling here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I\u2019m sorry,\u201d Ben said sympathetically.<\/p>\n

Paul took a chair.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, and it makes it harder when the patient is a neighbor, someone you know and care about.\u201d\u00a0 Seeing the question in Ben\u2019s eyes, he answered without being asked.\u00a0 \u201cJames Ellis,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cShot himself cleaning his rifle.\u00a0 I did all I could, but a gutshot from short range\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh,\u201d Ben moaned.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, there\u2019d be no way to treat that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI closed the wound,\u201d Paul said, \u201cbut he\u2019d lost too much blood by the time I got there.\u00a0 He died about an hour afterwards.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow\u2019s his wife taking it?\u201d Ben asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cPretty well,\u201d Paul said.\u00a0 \u201cThanked me for trying to save her husband and started counting her blessings, like having that new baby to carry on his father\u2019s name.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBrave woman,\u201d Ben said admiringly.\u00a0 \u201cDoes she have folks back east she can go to?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDoesn\u2019t plan to,\u201d Paul said.\u00a0 \u201cSays this is her home, and she\u2019s not leaving.\u00a0 Plans to take in sewing and washing, maybe do some baking for the miners.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know, my boys could use some new clothes,\u201d Ben mused.\u00a0 \u201cNelly Thomas usually makes them, but she has enough to do taking care of her own.\u00a0 I think I\u2019ll bring some cloth back from California and see if Mrs. Ellis won\u2019t take on the job.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA kind thought, Ben,\u201d Paul smiled.\u00a0 He saw through Ben\u2019s transparent reasoning at once.\u00a0 Ben Cartwright was just the kind who\u2019d want to help a young widow and do it in a way that didn\u2019t hurt her pride.\u00a0 \u201cSpeaking of California, though, are you heading that direction soon?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIn about a week,\u201d Ben replied.\u00a0 \u201cYou want to send a list of supplies with me?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI do,\u201d Paul said, \u201cincluding a list of medicines I\u2019d like you to pick up, if that\u2019s all right.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s all right, provided you print it out legibly,\u201d Ben smiled.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve seen your writing, my friend, and I have no intention of deciphering your scrawl for some poor apothecary.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll print it in big block letters,\u201d Dr. Martin laughed.\u00a0 \u201cNow, what\u2019s for dinner?\u201d<\/p>\n

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

Ben looked thoughtfully at the signboard announcing Ghirardelli\u2019s Fine Chocolates above the store across the street.\u00a0 Might make a nice gift to take Camilla Larrimore, Ben mused.\u00a0 Not that his friend from the overland journey couldn\u2019t buy all the candy she wanted now, especially here in San Francisco, where she lived.\u00a0 But her husband Lawrence always insisted Ben stay with them when he was in town, and Camilla would appreciate the gesture of courtesy to her as his hostess.<\/p>\n

Ben smiled.\u00a0 Camilla had started taking on airs ever since Lawrence had built her the grand mansion she\u2019d always dreamed of back in St. Joseph.\u00a0 Then he chuckled.\u00a0 Be honest, Ben<\/em>, he scolded himself; Camilla took on airs back then, too.\u00a0 She just didn\u2019t have the money to flaunt them in those days<\/em>.\u00a0 Now she did, and her ambition seemed to be the best of everything\u2014\u2014for herself, her husband, and especially for her two children.\u00a0 Ben quickly crossed the street and entered the chocolate confectionery.<\/p>\n

Inside, the florid face and extravagant hand gestures marked the man behind the counter as an Italian.\u00a0 Since the man was busy with another customer, Ben eyed the candy behind the glass counter.\u00a0 So many kinds.\u00a0 At least, they looked different in size and shape, though all were obvious made of chocolate.\u00a0 Ben shook his head in wonderment.\u00a0 Wouldn\u2019t Hoss crow with joy if he could see this lavish display?\u00a0 The boy\u2019d never actually eaten chocolates, but Ben knew they\u2019d meet with Hoss\u2019s immediate approval.\u00a0 All candy did.<\/p>\n

The Italian concluded his business with the previous customer and came at once toward Ben, his smile broad, either by natural tendency or business courtesy.\u00a0 The former, Ben decided.\u00a0 \u201cSignor<\/em>, how may Ghirardelli help you?\u201d the man asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re Ghirardelli, the owner?\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cPleased to meet you, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, s\u00ed, signor<\/em>,\u201d the Italian beamed.\u00a0 \u201cDomingo Ghirardelli.\u00a0 You have not been to my shop before?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cI live out of the state and haven\u2019t had the pleasure.\u00a0 I\u2019m visiting friends and thought I might take a box of chocolates to the lady of the house.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, s\u00ed<\/em>, and what kind would you like?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben raised his hands in perplexity.\u00a0 \u201cI have no idea what I\u2019m looking at, Signor<\/em> Ghirardelli, and no idea what the lady would like.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAn assortment, then,\u201d Ghirardelli suggested.\u00a0 \u201cIf you permit, I will make up a box of my especial favorites.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, please,\u201d Ben agreed readily.\u00a0 \u201cAbout a pound, I think.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cS\u00ed, signor<\/em>,\u201d the proprietor said, reaching immediately for a triangular piece of candy.\u00a0 \u201cSince this is your first visit to my establishment, perhaps you would like a sample?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded and accepted the chocolate, biting into its creamy,\u00a0 orange-flavored center.\u00a0 \u201cDelicious,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sure my friend will love these, and I may return tomorrow to buy some to take back to Utah with me.\u00a0 They keep well?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLike any chocolate, they will melt in the heat, signor,\u201d Ghirardelli said, \u201cbut the weather is cool now.\u00a0 They should travel well.\u00a0 Shall I make up another box for you to pick up tomorrow?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, like this one, please,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019ll go to an even more special lady.\u201d\u00a0 Ghirardelli beamed, his romantic soul clearly putting the wrong cast on Ben\u2019s words.\u00a0 Ben didn\u2019t bother to correct the obvious misconjecture.\u00a0 Nelly Thomas might not be the woman of his heart, but she was the most special lady he knew.\u00a0 She deserved a fine Christmas present like those chocolates\u2014\u2014and would appreciate them more than Camilla Larrimore, who could have all she wanted any day of the week.<\/p>\n

Ben enjoyed his stroll through the streets of San Francisco.\u00a0 The town had grown, even since his last visit, but Ben had paid scant attention to the stores before.\u00a0 Now, with all the money he\u2019d made this year from the sheep drive, the trading post and, most recently, the sale of some cattle, Ben felt rich.\u00a0 More than rich\u2014\u2014extravagant.\u00a0 For the first time in his life, he could rain gifts on his boys, and he was tempted to buy out the town.\u00a0 He resisted the temptation, though.\u00a0 He had only to look at Lawrence Larrimore\u2019s two children to see what too much too easily obtained did to children, and he had no desire to spoil his own youngsters.<\/p>\n

Hoss and Adam, however, were good boys, and Santa was going to be good to them this year, unusually good.\u00a0 Ben would, as always, get some of the gifts at Larrimore\u2019s Emporium, in honor of his friendship with the proprietors, but this year he wanted to find the best San Francisco had to offer for his boys.\u00a0 So he was scouting out possibilities today, even though he couldn\u2019t make the purchases until he left the Larrimores tomorrow.\u00a0 Better not to let Camilla know he gave his business to anyone else.<\/p>\n

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

Ben grinned happily as he leaned on the railing of the stern-wheeler Eclipse<\/em> that would carry him northeast to Sacramento.\u00a0 It felt good to be afloat again.\u00a0 A steamer, of course, couldn\u2019t compare with the square-rigged ships Ben had sailed on long ocean voyages, but it was, at least, a reminder of those happy times.\u00a0 What Ben would really like to sail was one of those fast clipper ships he\u2019d read about in newspapers from back east.\u00a0 Why, only three years ago the Flying Cloud<\/em> had made the trip from New York to San Francisco in just eighty-nine days.\u00a0 Imagine that!\u00a0 But the speedy little clippers wouldn\u2019t be too useful for travel on western rivers.\u00a0 No, Ben would have to content himself with steamers, probably for the rest of his days.<\/p>\n

For now, though, this uneventful boat trip was luxury enough for Ben, a far more pleasurable way to travel than following an ox team\u2014\u2014for an old sea dog, anyway.\u00a0 Ben felt prosperous enough now to afford the fare; he\u2019d even splurged on one of the thirty-dollar cabins.\u00a0 Probably should have saved himself the extra price, though, Ben admitted, since he\u2019d spent the majority of the voyage leaning over the rail, enjoying the scenery floating by and the feel of a deck beneath his feet.<\/p>\n

The cabin made a good place to leave the overwhelming number of bundles and boxes he\u2019d brought back with him, though.\u00a0 In addition to his sons\u2019 Christmas gifts, there\u2019d been presents for the Thomases and for his hired hands.\u00a0 The cabin also held Dr. Martin\u2019s requested medicines, Ben having felt they would be more readily obtainable in San Francisco than in the smaller towns closer to home.\u00a0 Thankfully, he didn\u2019t have to manage the box containing that huge doll Paul had instructed him to purchase for young Sally Martin.\u00a0 Ben had posted it on the steamer to Hawaii, along with a thick letter from her father.\u00a0 Ben knew the letter would brighten Sally\u2019s heart, for Paul had shared its contents, a promise to meet Sally in San Francisco in May and bring her home to live once more with her father.<\/p>\n

Ben hired a young fellow passenger to help him get his baggage from the steamboat landing on Front Street in Sacramento to the stage depot.\u00a0 Travel in a crowded stage was about as uncomfortable a means of conveyance as Ben had ever experienced, but he had no other way to get to Placerville.\u00a0 Clyde Thomas, who had elected to bypass the annual trip to San Francisco, had agreed to shepherd, with Lupe\u2019s help, both his own and Ben\u2019s wagonload of supplies back to Carson County.<\/p>\n

In Placerville Ben somehow juggled the packages to the nearby El Dorado Hotel.\u00a0 He decided to try the hotel\u2019s dining room rather than walking down the street to Ludmilla Zuebner\u2019s place.\u00a0 If she found out Ben was in town, she\u2019d insist on boarding him at her house, and Ben hated to be eternally imposing on his friends.\u00a0 Not when he could afford the price of a room.\u00a0 He\u2019d see Ludmilla tomorrow, for breakfast, at least.\u00a0 Hopefully, the buckboard he\u2019d contracted from local wheelwright John Studebaker would be ready and he could leave for home soon after that.<\/p>\n

Ben opted for the three-dollar full meal that included rice pudding for dessert.\u00a0 The pudding was excellent, but the rest of the meal made him wish he\u2019d gone to Ludmilla\u2019s after all.\u00a0 The food wasn\u2019t bad, not bad at all, but it didn\u2019t compare to the fare at the Zuebner Cafe.<\/p>\n

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

Ben took his time on the journey home, partly to give the new team he\u2019d purchased at the livery in Placerville time to get used to him and partly to baby them over the rough Sierra roads.\u00a0 The steady emigrant traffic over the years had gradually improved them, but the sharp rocks could still be hard on a horse\u2019s tender feet.\u00a0 Ben took his time and skirted every rough spot he could avoid.\u00a0 The snows were holding off, so he was in no hurry.<\/p>\n

His first stop, once he reached Carson County, was the little community growing up at the mouth of Gold Canyon.\u00a0 He dropped off the fabric he\u2019d purchased for the boys\u2019 new clothing with Laura Ellis, who thanked him gratefully for the work.\u00a0 Then he\u2019d made his way to Cosser\u2019s boardinghouse, where Paul Martin now made his home.<\/p>\n

Paul helped him carry the boxes of medical supplies into his room.\u00a0 \u201cI suppose the rest of this is supposed to fit in my quarters, too,\u201d Paul snickered, looking at the wagon filled with boxes and barrels.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot quite all,\u201d Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cI at least want to leave Adam\u2019s new rifle here, though.\u00a0 He could tell in an instant what that was, just by the shape.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, maybe I can disguise it by Christmas,\u201d Paul mused.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy his birthday,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s not getting that rifle until he turns twelve.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou shop early,\u201d Paul said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHave to when you live this far from the stores,\u201d Ben pointed out.\u00a0 Despite the encouraging growth of the area, anything beyond basic supplies was still hard to find during the winter months.\u00a0 And the county offered nothing too fancy, even in warm weather.\u00a0 Someday Ben hoped it would be different, that he wouldn\u2019t have to plan so far ahead.\u00a0 But that seemed less likely than ever this year.\u00a0 The gold fields in the region were petering out, most miners making no more than five dollars a day at the diggings.\u00a0 With prospects of wealth as slim as that, Ben suspected that few of them would return next spring.<\/p>\n

Paul somehow made room for all Ben\u2019s Christmas bundles inside his room, leaving only the three kegs in the buckboard.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ll have to make other arrangements next year,\u201d Paul advised.\u00a0 \u201cWith Sally here with me\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHere?\u201d Ben asked with an arch of his dark eyebrow.\u00a0 \u201cI think you\u2019re the one who may have to make other arrangements, my friend.\u00a0 You don\u2019t want some Benjamin Cole-type snapping her up for a wife, do you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust let them try!\u201d Dr. Martin snorted.<\/p>\n

Ben grinned and mounted the seat of his wagon.\u00a0 \u201cWell, maybe Adam will take her off your hands before the miners get a good gawk.\u201d<\/p>\n

This time it was Paul Martin\u2019s eyebrow that arched disdainfully.\u00a0 \u201cCan\u2019t have a rifle until he\u2019s twelve,\u201d he taunted, \u201cbut you\u2019ve no scruple against marrying him off early, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cSo far, I don\u2019t think any female could attract him as readily as a new book.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWait\u2019ll he gets a \u2018good gawk\u2019 at Sally,\u201d Paul warned.\u00a0 \u201cHe might grow up a lot quicker than you think.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shaking his head, Ben drove away chuckling.\u00a0 He made his way back to the Thomas cabin to unload the three kegs of Zuebner Beer Clyde had requested and to pick up Hoss and Adam.<\/p>\n

\u201cSure not much in that new wagon,\u201d Adam commented as he helped his father hitch the oxen to the larger one that held their winter supplies.\u00a0 \u201cThought you went to San Francisco to buy some things.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you know what kind of things,\u201d Ben teased, \u201cso quit prying.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, where are they?\u201d Adam inquired.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the north pole,\u201d Ben replied slyly.<\/p>\n

Adam hid his mouth behind his hand and tittered softly.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t ask, of course, but from what he remembered of last year\u2019s Christmas, he figured the north pole was a lot closer to Gold Canyon than he\u2019d ever thought before.<\/p>\n

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO<\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 As the Cartwrights and the Thomases gathered around the table for their annual Thanksgiving feast, another guest took the place of honor.\u00a0 Clyde and Nelly felt that the preservation of Billy\u2019s ornery hide (Clyde\u2019s description) was their greatest blessing of the previous year and, among human benefactors, Dr. Paul Martin most merited their thanks.<\/p>\n

To see Billy that day, however, no one would have believed his well-earned reputation as an ornery nuisance.\u00a0 Having provided the turkey for the meal with his own rifle, Billy beamed with pride and seemed determined to act with grown-up dignity, though Adam, green with envy, called it swelled-headed swaggering.\u00a0 Loud and lavish were the praises heaped on Billy\u2019s fiery head as the blue crockery plates were filled and filled again with succulent turkey and savory sage dressing.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur most traditional Thanksgiving yet,\u201d Ben said as he raised his glass of water, \u201cand I propose a toast of gratitude to the fine young hunter who provided it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul Martin lifted his glass.\u00a0 \u201cHurray for Billy!\u201d he announced.<\/p>\n

Adam lifted his glass grudgingly.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, hurray,\u201d he muttered.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018Ray, Billy!\u201d Hoss shouted fittingly, for only the three men had consumed more of the bird than he.<\/p>\n

\u201cHush,\u201d Adam hissed in his brother\u2019s ear, then turned guiltily away from the puzzled frown on Hoss\u2019s face.\u00a0 Why\u2019d Billy have to be a year older, anyway?\u00a0 If Adam had had a rifle of his own, he could have been the one reaping in the acclaim.\u00a0 Adam knew what he was feeling wasn\u2019t right, though, so he kept his thoughts to himself.<\/p>\n

\u201cToo bad them men of yourn can\u2019t have a feed like this,\u201d Clyde taunted.<\/p>\n

Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cThey may not be having turkey, my friend, but I imagine Mrs. Ellis is doing well by them.\u201d\u00a0 To express his appreciation for the work his hired men had done, Ben had asked Laura Ellis to prepare a Thanksgiving meal for them.\u00a0 Needing the money, she had gladly accepted, and because Ben was paying for the food, had promised to leave the leftovers, if any.\u00a0 Since Nelly would undoubtedly send food home with him, too, Ben figured he and his sons would eat well for days to come without his doing much cooking on his own.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn fact,\u201d Ben continued, smirking at Clyde, \u201cmaybe I\u2019ll just have Mrs. Ellis prepare a big meal and have you all at my place for Christmas.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBen Cartwright!\u00a0 You\u2019ll do nothing of the sort,\u201d Nelly scolded hotly.\u00a0 \u201cThe day you have to hire a Christmas dinner for me!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry, Nelly,\u201d Ben apologized quickly.\u00a0 \u201cIt wasn\u2019t your goat I was trying to get.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, well, if it\u2019s Clyde you\u2019re aimin\u2019 to rile, I reckon I won\u2019t object,\u201d Nelly laughed, \u201cso long as you promise to take Christmas dinner here like always.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben lifted his right hand, palm out.\u00a0 \u201cI promise,\u201d he pledged, \u201cthough I wish I could return some of the hospitality I\u2019ve enjoyed here so many times.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know what you mean,\u201d Paul said, \u201cbut it\u2019s hard for a couple of bachelors like us, Ben.\u00a0 Perhaps when my Sally gets here, we can put a meal together with her help.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, are you bringing your girl here?\u201d Nelly asked eagerly.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve been prayin\u2019 you would.\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul nodded and told the Thomases what Ben already knew, that Sally would arrive from Hawaii in May.\u00a0 \u201cI got a letter back from her by the last carrier, and she\u2019s thrilled about coming here to live.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, of course, she is,\u201d Ben said enthusiastically.\u00a0 \u201cShe\u2019s missed her pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, that\u2019s what she wrote,\u201d Paul agreed.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t deserve her love, after the way I\u2019ve treated her, and the fact that I still have it is what I\u2019m most thankful for this year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben patted Hoss\u2019s stomach.\u00a0 \u201cAnd what are you most thankful for, my boy, as if I didn\u2019t know?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss cast an affectionate glance at the sideboard.\u00a0 \u201cPie!\u201d he shouted and everyone laughed at the totally predictable answer.<\/p>\n

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

Winter winds blasted CarsonCounty, and though they brought no snow, the weather was bone-biting cold.\u00a0 Nightly songfests, however, warmed the Cartwright cabin or, at least, the hearts of those within it.\u00a0 Ben\u2019s baritone rang in spirited accompaniment to Adam\u2019s guitar, while Hoss\u2019s lusty, if tuneless, singing demonstrated clearly that he had none of his brother\u2019s gift for music.\u00a0 Nor even his father\u2019s, Ben admitted ruefully.<\/p>\n

As December began, Adam started to learn Christmas carols, practicing faithfully whenever he had time to spare from lessons and chores.\u00a0 He\u2019d been asked to sing and play for the school\u2019s Christmas program later that month and wanted to do his best.\u00a0 When Ben informed him one night, however, that he couldn\u2019t listen to \u201cJoy to the World\u201d one more time, Adam decided to take a break and tackle a second project he had in mind.<\/p>\n

He\u2019d tried with limited success to teach Hoss the days of the week a year before.\u00a0 Now Hoss began repeating those same tiresome questions about Santa\u2019s arrival, so Adam took down the calendar and made a determined effort to give his little brother some concept of time.\u00a0 Hoss\u2019s tongue didn\u2019t fight the syllables the way it had last year, so within a few days he could rattle off the days of the week and did so incessantly.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d rather hear \u2018Joy to the World\u2019 again,\u201d Ben grumbled one night after Hoss had recited Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday for the twelfth time.\u00a0 Adam grinned and obligingly picked up the guitar.<\/p>\n

When Adam finished playing his four favorite carols, Hoss clapped exuberantly.\u00a0 \u201cGood, Bubba!\u00a0 Play \u2018em again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam frowned.\u00a0 \u201cQuit calling me Bubba, Hoss,\u201d he scolded.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re not a baby any more, and it\u2019s time you called me by my name.\u00a0 Now say Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBubba!\u201d Hoss insisted stubbornly.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo\u2014\u2014Adam!\u201d the older boy demanded.\u00a0 \u201cSay it!\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss wagged his head from side to side.<\/p>\n

\u201cDoggone it!\u201d Adam shouted.\u00a0 \u201cIf you can say a big word like Wednesday, you can say Adam.\u00a0 You mind me!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam,\u201d Ben chided softly.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ll catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHuh?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s not going to respond to your yelling,\u201d Ben explained, \u201cand if you keep it up, I\u2019ll give you a response you won\u2019t care for.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, what else can I do?\u201d Adam sputtered.<\/p>\n

\u201cTry giving him a reward,\u201d Ben suggested.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe ate the last of the cookies after dinner,\u201d Adam moaned, \u201cand food\u2019s all he cares about.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Adam,\u201d Ben laughed, \u201csurely there\u2019s something else he likes.\u201d<\/p>\n

A light sparkled in Adam\u2019s dark eyes.\u00a0 \u201cHow about a story, Hoss?\u00a0 Would you like that?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s fat chin bounced up and down.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, then, I\u2019ll read you one if you say my name right,\u201d Adam offered.<\/p>\n

Hoss frowned for a moment.\u00a0 He had a feeling he was being tricked, but he couldn\u2019t figure out how.\u00a0 Still, a story would be nice.\u00a0 \u201cRead me a story,\u201d he said and after a slight hesitation added, \u201cAdam.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam grinned.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s good boy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cStory now!\u201d Hoss shouted.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, okay, let\u2019s go in the bedroom and pick one out,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 Soon the two brothers were seated side by side on Adam\u2019s bed as the older boy, by the aid of a coal oil lantern on a shelf between the two beds, read Hoss\u2019s favorite fables by Aesop.\u00a0 And while Hoss frequently lapsed into the use of \u201cBubba\u201d during the following days, Adam continued to tempt the little boy with a story or a song or a romp in the woods, and soon Hoss\u2019s use of his brother\u2019s proper name became habitual.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cI can\u2019t decide which songs to sing,\u201d Adam moaned as his father looped the brown string tie around his neck.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoy to the World<\/em>!\u201d Hoss cried.<\/p>\n

Adam shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cNo, Hoss; Pa\u2019s tired of that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I\u2019m not,\u201d Ben laughed, standing back to admire Adam in his brown suit.\u00a0 \u201cBesides, it\u2019s the one you practiced most, and it really does sound best, Adam.\u00a0 I think you should definitely treat the folks to that one.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay,\u201d Adam said, smiling with relief.\u00a0 He really had wanted to sing his favorite.\u00a0 \u201cBut what else?\u00a0 Mrs. Mott asked for two, one to open the program and one to end it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy, my,\u201d Ben clucked, \u201cmy boy sure is the highlight of this program.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam beamed; he thought so, too, and he liked feeling important.\u00a0 \u201cWhich other song do I sing really well, Pa?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cHark Angels,\u201d Hoss suggested.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou already picked one,\u201d Adam scolded gently.\u00a0 \u201cLet Pa choose now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, you do Hark the Herald Angels<\/em> real well,\u201d Ben mused, \u201cbut I think I prefer The First Noel<\/em>.\u00a0 Why don\u2019t you sing that one, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, I\u2019ll do that one first,\u201d Adam decided, \u201cand save Joy to the World<\/em> for the end.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSounds like a good plan,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cNow, let\u2019s get bundled up and on our way.\u00a0 We don\u2019t want to be late for such a special night.\u201d<\/p>\n

Every proud parent in Mormon Station and from the homesteads round about crammed into the Mott\u2019s old cabin that now served as the community schoolhouse.\u00a0 Adam opened the program with a sweet rendition of The First Noel<\/em> that won applause from all in the audience.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy, I had no idea Adam was that good,\u201d Nelly whispered to Ben, seated just beyond Hoss to her left.\u00a0 She had dressed in her best blue dress edged with ivory lace and, despite the cool weather, had draped the light mantilla Billy had given her across her shoulders.<\/p>\n

\u201cWait \u2018til you hear his other song,\u201d Ben whispered back.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s even better.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShh!\u201d Inger, on her mother\u2019s lap, urged, her finger to her lips.\u00a0 \u201cBilly gonna talk.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded solemn acceptance of the little girl\u2019s mild reproof and focused his attention on Billy\u2019s recitation of a holiday reading about a naughty boy who found nothing but lumps of coal in his stocking Christmas morning.\u00a0 Everyone who knew the impulsive redhead considered the choice most appropriate.\u00a0 As the reading concluded, Clyde leaned around Nelly.\u00a0 \u201cYou got any coal lumps I can borrow for a certain stocking?\u201d he asked Ben.\u00a0 Nelly thrust a sharp elbow in his side.<\/p>\n

Each child presented a poem, story or verse of Scripture.\u00a0 The younger ones, of course, spoke very brief pieces, but the older students amazed their parents with the lengthy recitations they had memorized.\u00a0 Ben was perhaps most surprised when Adam flawlessly quoted A Visit from St. Nicolas<\/em> by Clement Moore, for the boy had deliberately kept his choice secret.<\/p>\n

Thunderous applause of appreciation greeted Eliza Mott as she stood before the assembled parents and friends of her students.\u00a0 Wearing her best black satin dress, unadorned except for a little white frill at the neck, she smiled.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re not finished yet,\u201d she said, \u201cbut we will have a short intermission while the children get into costume for their version of the Christmas story.\u00a0 They\u2019ve dramatized this all by themselves, and I\u2019m sure you\u2019ll find it quite unlike any Christmas pageant you\u2019ve ever seen.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sure of that,\u201d Ben chuckled, turning to Nelly.\u00a0 \u201cWhat part is Billy playing?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLands, I don\u2019t know,\u201d Nelly tittered.\u00a0 \u201cThe boy\u2019s turned shy on me.\u00a0 Won\u2019t say a word about what he\u2019s doin\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben arched an eyebrow.\u00a0 The idea of Billy\u2019s turning shy was too ludicrous to contemplate.\u00a0 No one else would have believed it either after the youngster\u2019s boisterous portrayal of the innkeeper.\u00a0 Even Adam, acting the part of Joseph, was caught off guard when the innkeeper knocked him to the ground in answer to his request for shelter.\u00a0 They hadn\u2019t rehearsed that part!\u00a0 With a warning glint in his eye, Adam stood and went on with his lines as though nothing unexpected had happened.\u00a0 The innkeeper\u2014\u2014after an ad-lib monologue, in which he paced and pondered what to do with these unwanted guests\u2014\u2014finally relented and allowed young Joseph to escort his visibly pregnant wife to the stable.<\/p>\n

And there, with a couple of cutely costumed lambs bleating in the background, the Child Jesus somehow appeared in the manger.\u00a0 As the little Mary held a blanket-swaddled doll up for the audience to see, Adam, still costumed as Joseph, drew his guitar from behind a bale of hay and sang an exuberant conclusion to the school\u2019s first Christmas program.\u00a0 Everyone joined in on the choruses, as if they, too wished to express the joy that come into their hearts while they watched this retelling of the story that never grows old.<\/p>\n

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

The next week found Ben Cartwright busily trying to sandwich in preparations for Christmas between the necessary work of the ranch.\u00a0 He\u2019d spoken to Laura Ellis after the school program about once again providing a holiday dinner for his workers.\u00a0 She had agreed, provided the meal could be served other than on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.\u00a0 Those, she explained, she wanted to observe at home with her baby.<\/p>\n

Ben had readily accepted her conditions and decided on Saturday, the twenty-third, as the best date.\u00a0 Then, determined to provide something other than beef for the party, Ben had gone hunting.\u00a0 Unlike Billy, he didn\u2019t flush a turkey, for they were rare in the region, but he did manage to shoot enough sage grouse to feed everyone in the bunkhouse.<\/p>\n

Ben decided to invite Paul Martin to dinner that night, too, so he and Adam set up two rough plank tables, one for the hired hands and the second for the family and their other guests, Adam having begged permission to have Billy come.\u00a0 The tables, of course, had to be outside since there wasn\u2019t room for that many people in the cabin, but Ben planned a big bonfire.\u00a0 That would keep everyone warm enough unless it snowed.\u00a0 If it did, they\u2019d all just have to crowd into the house and probably eat in two shifts.\u00a0 Not a pleasant prospect, so Ben hoped the weather continued as fair as it had been thus far.<\/p>\n

Stars shone in a cloudless sky Saturday night as the guests gathered for the celebration.\u00a0 Everyone took their places, Ben shaking hands with each man as he arrived and giving him an envelope containing his week\u2019s pay, along with a silk neckerchief as a token of appreciation.\u00a0 The wide smiles which greeted the gifts assured Ben that no one, with the possible exception of Jean D\u2019Marigny, had ever owned a bandanna quite so elegant.<\/p>\n

Hoss had been perched in his chair ready to eat from the moment the first dish was set on the table.\u00a0 Finally, everyone expected had arrived and the others joined him, Paul giving the youngster an affectionate pat on the head as he seated himself to Hoss\u2019s left.\u00a0 \u201cI know I can trust you to show me what\u2019s good,\u201d Paul chuckled.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll good,\u201d Hoss assured him.\u00a0 The only experience he\u2019d had with Laura Ellis\u2019s cooking had been the leftovers from the Thanksgiving meal, but they\u2019d been tasty and this looked even better\u2014\u2014especially the pumpkin and custard pies.<\/p>\n

Paul tickled the boy\u2019s well-padded ribs.\u00a0 \u201cTell me, Hoss, is there any food you don\u2019t think is good?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s face screwed up as he spat out \u201cLiver!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, it is good for you, of course,\u201d Paul said, catching Ben\u2019s nod of approval out of the corner of his eye.\u00a0 Then he leaned close to Hoss\u2019s ear.\u00a0 \u201cBut I don\u2019t like it either,\u201d he whispered.\u00a0 Hoss grinned.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018Course this ain\u2019t as good as turkey,\u201d Billy announced from across the table, \u201cbut sage grouse makes mighty fine eatin\u2019, and these look prime, \u2018most as good as my ma would make.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA left-handed compliment if ever I heard one,\u201d Ben commented dryly.<\/p>\n

From the foot of the table opposite Ben, Mrs. Ellis laughed.\u00a0 \u201cEvery boy thinks his own mother\u2019s cooking is the best there is.\u201d\u00a0 She smiled gently at Billy.\u00a0 \u201cI know that\u2019s just the way I hope my boy will feel.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019d have reason,\u201d Billy said, having taken his first bite of the bird.\u00a0 \u201cThis is as good as it looked.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure is, ma\u2019am,\u201d Adam said.<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s face held an unusually thoughtful expression.\u00a0 \u201cMy ma cook good?\u201d he asked Adam.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe best,\u201d Adam replied emphatically.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, she did good,\u201d Billy acknowledged.\u00a0 \u201cA lot like my ma.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBetter,\u201d Adam insisted.\u00a0 \u201cAll you ever ate was her trail cooking, but when we were at home, Inger made the best meals you ever tasted.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam,\u201d Ben chided softly.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s not polite to brag.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam shrugged.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t understand why it was wrong to brag up his mother (Hoss\u2019s, really) when Billy had sung Aunt Nelly\u2019s praises to the sky without anyone\u2019s scolding him for the loud-mouthed braggart he was.\u00a0 Adam decided to try a safer approach.\u00a0 \u201cRemember that Swedish Christmas dinner she fixed, Pa?\u00a0 Wasn\u2019t that special?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled in fond remembrance.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, real special.\u201d\u00a0 He looked down the table at Laura Ellis.\u00a0 \u201cOur last Christmas together my wife prepared traditional holiday foods from her country.\u00a0 Very unusual.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know anything about Swedish cooking,\u201d Laura said.\u00a0 \u201cDo you remember what she fixed?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, there was a corned pork roast,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cIt took ten days to prepare and it was unforgettable.\u00a0 Then there was sauerkraut cooked with onions, apples and brown sugar.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd pork, Pa,\u201d Adam added.\u00a0 \u201cThere was pork in it, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right,\u201d Ben nodded, remembering.\u00a0 \u201cAnd split peas with bacon and caramelized potatoes and some kind of fish.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLutfisk, Pa,\u201d Adam inserted.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t you remember?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot as well as you, evidently,\u201d Ben laughed.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was swimming in cream sauce,\u201d Adam continued.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat don\u2019t sound good at all,\u201d Billy declared.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, it was!\u201d Adam snapped.<\/p>\n

\u201cBoys, boys,\u201d Ben said, \u201cneither of your mothers would approve of this behavior.\u201d\u00a0 Adam and Billy looked at each other quickly and nodded in agreement.\u00a0 It was too close to Christmas to get caught acting up.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can see why you remember that meal,\u201d Laura said brightly to dispel the sudden silence.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve never heard of such dishes.\u00a0 I\u2014I don\u2019t suppose your wife left the receipts, Mr. Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t think she ever wrote them down\u2014\u2014just carried them in her memory.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd the cookies!\u201d Adam cried.\u00a0 \u201cOh, she made good cookies.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben started to caution Adam about starting up the controversy again, but before he could speak, Hoss looked wistfully at his brother.\u00a0 \u201cMa made cookies?\u201d he asked.\u00a0 \u201cLike Aunt Nelly?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben quickly reached out to brush his fingers through the boy\u2019s fair hair.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, good ones,\u201d he said softly, regretting the boy\u2019d never had a chance to taste them.\u00a0 Adam might remember Inger, but this boy had no memories of his mother, and that seemed to Ben an incomparable loss.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2014I wish she was here,\u201d Hoss murmured.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, so do I, Hoss,\u201d Ben said, his voice barely audible.\u00a0 Like Laura before him, he smiled suddenly to keep the party from being bogged down with sentiment.\u00a0 \u201cBetter eat up,\u201d he cautioned Hoss, \u201cif you plan on having pie.\u201d<\/p>\n

That night, though, after the guests had gone home and the boys were in bed, Ben sat in the rocking chair by the fire, staring at his second wife\u2019s picture.\u00a0 This was supposed to be a season of joy, and he\u2019d make it one for the boys, of course; but tonight all he felt was loneliness.\u00a0 He missed Inger, and if he let his thoughts wander further back, he\u2019d be missing Elizabeth, too.<\/p>\n

Tonight, however, Hoss\u2019s plaintive words echoed in Ben\u2019s heart and made him think of Inger.\u00a0 Deep words they\u2019d been for such a little lad.\u00a0 Oh, it was probably cookies Hoss was really wishing for, but maybe it did go deeper than that.\u00a0 Maybe it was mothering the boy craved and cookies just symbolized that for him.\u00a0 Maybe I\u2019m wrong to deprive him of a mother because I can\u2019t bear the thought of marrying again<\/em>, Ben mused.<\/p>\n

For a moment he thought of Laura Ellis, left to make her way in the world without a mate, her baby boy left without a father.\u00a0 It was a match that made sense, but you couldn\u2019t form a union based on mutual need, could you?\u00a0 Well, maybe.\u00a0 Ben had heard of successful marriages starting just that way, but such a coupling wasn\u2019t for him.\u00a0 Having been blessed twice with deeply loving relationships, he wasn\u2019t willing to settle for one of convenience.\u00a0 And as fine as woman as Laura Ellis was, he simply wasn\u2019t in love with her.\u00a0 Nor she with him, more than likely.<\/p>\n

Ben stood and set Inger\u2019s picture back on the mantel.\u00a0 He touched his index finger to his lips, then to her portrait, then kissed Elizabeth in the same way.\u00a0 \u201cMerry Christmas, my loves,\u201d he whispered and headed for bed, more convinced than ever that he would never again know a woman\u2019s closeness.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cCan\u2019t you hurry him up?\u201d Adam complained, frowning at Hoss, who was taking far more time eating his oatmeal than Adam considered needful.\u00a0 \u201cI want to see Billy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, my, yes,\u201d Ben scoffed.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s been almost twenty-four hours since he left here, so I can well understand the urgency, Adam.\u201d\u00a0 Billy had spent the night after the Christmas party and hadn\u2019t left until mid-morning of the next day.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut, Pa, it\u2019s Christmas,\u201d Adam moaned.\u00a0 \u201cI want to hear what he got.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd brag about your own gifts.\u00a0 I know,\u201d Ben laughed, \u201cbut we\u2019re not leaving until your brother finishes his breakfast.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCome on, Hoss,\u201d Adam wheedled.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019ll be more presents at the Thomases.\u00a0 Want more toys, Hoss boy?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s spoon paused in mid-air.\u00a0 \u201cMore toys,\u201d he agreed cheerfully just before popping the spoon in his mouth.\u00a0 \u201cBreakfast first, Adam,\u201d he mumbled.\u00a0 \u201cThen more toys.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben roared with laughter as he reached over to run affectionate fingers through his younger son\u2019s wheat-colored hair.\u00a0 \u201cSounds like you know what\u2019s really important, boy; your brother here seems to have forgotten.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam rolled his eyes.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s Christmas,\u201d he repeated as if that one fact made his impatience logical.<\/p>\n

\u201cTake your time, Hoss,\u201d Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cGive your food plenty of time to digest.\u00a0 Greedy britches here can just wait for \u2018more toys.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam frowned.\u00a0 Toys, indeed!\u00a0 As if that\u2019s what he really wanted.\u00a0 Of course, the chemical cabinet he\u2019d found beneath the tree this morning with its pint-sized powders and potions was obviously meant for children, not real scientists, but Adam considered it more a learning tool than a toy.\u00a0 And his new books couldn\u2019t be considered toys either; Moby Dick<\/em> and Ivanhoe<\/em> were both bound to have plenty of hard words.\u00a0 So Pa was seeing him as somewhat grown up.\u00a0 Obviously not enough, though, or Adam would have received what he\u2019d so earnestly wished for.\u00a0 Sighing, he propped his elbows on the table and watched his poky brother lick every grain of cereal from his spoon.<\/p>\n

Hoss eventually finished his breakfast, and while Ben quickly cleaned up the dishes, Adam saddled their horses.\u00a0 The boy raced his sorrel mare ahead with Hoss holding on for dear life, while Ben, gifts tied behind his saddle, trotted at a more leisurely pace.\u00a0 Galloping up to the cabin, Adam helped Hoss slide down, then vaulted from the saddle.<\/p>\n

Billy rushed outdoors to greet them.\u00a0 \u201cDid you get it?\u201d he whispered.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cAw, shucks!\u201d Billy commiserated.\u00a0 \u201cI was aimin\u2019 on askin\u2019 my pa to take us huntin\u2019 tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, my pa spoiled that,\u201d Adam muttered.\u00a0 He planned to straighten up his face by the time Ben arrived, however.\u00a0 No matter how disappointed he was at not finding a shiny rifle beneath the tree, Adam wouldn\u2019t have dreamed of revealing his shattered hopes.\u00a0 Pa\u2019d been too good to him for that.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, come on in and see my loot,\u201d Billy suggested.\u00a0 \u201cIt was my biggest Christmas ever.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam grinned with genuine pleasure.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, mine, too,\u201d he said and started to chatter about his chemical cabinet.\u00a0 Somehow, though, even that grand gift paled in comparison with Billy\u2019s sharp new hunting knife.\u00a0 A man\u2019s tool.\u00a0 When would Pa ever understand that Adam was as near manhood as Billy, even if he was a whole year younger?<\/p>\n

Ben received a warm welcome from the Thomases when he came in.\u00a0 Inger, dressed in a crisp new frock of blue calico, immediately claimed his attention.\u00a0 \u201cMy, what a pretty dolly,\u201d Ben cooed when the little girl showed him the rag doll her mother had obviously crafted since it wore a dress identical to Inger\u2019s.\u00a0 Uh-oh,<\/em> he thought.\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t meant to compete with her parents\u2019 gift, but, having no experience with girls, he hadn\u2019t known what else to buy the child except a doll.<\/p>\n

\u201cWant see my stove?\u201d Inger asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cSure do,\u201d Ben replied.<\/p>\n

The diminutive strawberry-blonde took his hand and led him into the next room.\u00a0 \u201cPa make,\u201d she said proudly.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd a fine job he did,\u201d Ben stated.\u00a0 That Clyde, he could make anything with his hands.\u00a0 Inger\u2019s tiny wooden stove, painted coal black, was an exact replica of her mother\u2019s cast-iron one.\u00a0 And it came equipped with miniature pots and pans, some obviously store-bought, but Ben suspected the little three-legged spider had come straight from Clyde\u2019s blacksmith shop.<\/p>\n

As Ben ambled back into the front room, Nelly turned from her stove.\u00a0 \u201cClyde, show Ben what you got me for Christmas,\u201d she giggled.<\/p>\n

Clyde blushed.\u00a0 \u201cAw, Ben\u2019s seen lumber before.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben arched an eyebrow.\u00a0 \u201cLumber?\u201d he scoffed.\u00a0 \u201cA romantic gift if ever I heard one.\u201d\u00a0 He laid a firm hand on his friend\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cAre you trying to run this dear woman off, sir?\u00a0 Bad policy with so many unattached men in the county.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nelly laughed, enjoying Clyde\u2019s discomfort.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s a better gift than it sounds,\u201d she explained.\u00a0 \u201cClyde\u2019s gonna cut a door where this stove is now and build a kitchen beyond it.\u00a0 Then, come Spring, I\u2019m goin\u2019 to Californy to pick out some parlor furniture and make this a regular sittin\u2019 room.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAh!\u201d Ben said appreciatively.\u00a0 \u201cI take back all my mocking words.\u00a0 That, sir, is a gift worthy of this lovely lady.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was Nelly\u2019s turn to blush, but she pretended it was the heat of the stove that made her suddenly fan her face with a dishtowel.<\/p>\n

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

Ben\u2019s most cherished gift of the season arrived during the week between Christmas and New Year\u2019s Day.\u00a0 He still wasn\u2019t used to the idea of receiving mail during the winter, but this year carriers had been bringing it over the Sierras by pack mule, using snowshoes when necessary.\u00a0 And while getting mail of any kind as long as snow blocked the passes was a pleasure, the letter from his brother John was an even more unexpected delight.\u00a0 Since John had traipsed off to New South Wales, letters had been few and far between.<\/p>\n

This one, however, brought news Ben wasn\u2019t pleased to read.\u00a0 John confessed himself ready to give up his quest for gold nuggets, but instead of sailing for the coast of California, John had signed on as second mate for an extended voyage in exactly the opposite direction.\u00a0 Needed the money to get home, he said, but Ben knew that wasn\u2019t the real reason.\u00a0 Pride was behind John\u2019s reluctance to return home, that and perhaps a nostalgic yearning for the sea thrown in to boot.<\/p>\n

Maybe it was the holiday season that made the importance of family seem so fresh to Ben as he read his brother\u2019s letter.\u00a0 How long had John been away from home now?\u00a0 Since the Spring of \u201849, almost six years.\u00a0 A lifetime when you realized how quickly boys grew up.\u00a0 John\u2019s boy Will was just older than Adam and hadn\u2019t seen his father since he was seven.\u00a0 His wife Martha\u2019s letters, too, were increasingly despondent, as if she\u2019d given up hope of seeing her wandering husband again.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t right, Ben decided, and it was high time he took his older brother to task.\u00a0 That approach had never worked before, however; maybe a gentler, less condemning appeal would be better.\u00a0 Ben took pen in hand and wrote a warm letter describing how his own boys had been growing, how much they had changed in the time since John had last seen them, then suggesting that Will would probably be barely recognizable to his long-absent father.\u00a0 Ben mentioned the emptiness he had felt a few days earlier while thinking of his beloved Inger and mused that John must surely feel a similar loneliness for Martha, whose letters clearly showed signs of missing her husband.\u00a0 Wasn\u2019t it time, Ben concluded, for John to consider returning to his wife and boy?\u00a0 If it was only a matter of money, Ben would be more than happy to help his brother on his way.\u00a0 And if it were pride, John would do well to remember that the Scripture said that went before destruction.<\/p>\n

Ben reconsidered the last phrase.\u00a0 Too strong?\u00a0 No, the tone was exactly right, he decided.\u00a0 He signed and sealed the letter, then consulting the list of ports at which John was scheduled to call, chose the one which the mail steamer would most likely reach before John\u2019s vessel and addressed it there.<\/p>\n

The mail carrier wouldn\u2019t be back through for several weeks, of course, but Ben dropped the letter off at Mormon Station when he and the boys went to the Thomases for Sunday dinner.\u00a0 Later that evening they all traveled together to Spafford Hall\u2019s Station for the New Year\u2019s Eve dance.\u00a0 This one promised to be even better attended than the first, with more female partners available, and they\u2019d make sure to avoid last year\u2019s mistake.\u00a0 This time the men would take turns standing guard over the horses, so none of them provided a holiday feast for their neighbors, the Washo.<\/p>\n

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE<\/p>\n

\u00a0Adam\u2019s nose wrinkled in appreciation of the aroma that awakened him New Year\u2019s morning, 1855.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t recognize the fragrance, but whatever it was smelled appealing, so he bounded out of bed to investigate.\u00a0 \u201cWhat is that, Pa?\u201d he called as he entered the front room.<\/p>\n

\u201cSpecial New Year\u2019s breakfast,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cHoss up yet?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, sir, not yet,\u201d Adam replied, scuffing over to the fireplace to find a more specific answer to his query.\u00a0 \u201cHangtown Fry!\u201d he cried.\u00a0 \u201cThat is special, Pa!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed lightly.\u00a0 \u201cThought you\u2019d like it.\u00a0 Been saving eggs back just for today.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam grinned and climbed up to perch on the table\u2019s edge, bare feet hanging from beneath his faded gray nightshirt.\u00a0 \u201cI wonder if Hoss will like it.\u00a0 He\u2019s never been to Placerville to taste Miss Ludmilla\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll be mighty surprised if he doesn\u2019t,\u201d Ben chuckled, cracking another egg into the spider.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I guess it is food,\u201d Adam commented dryly, \u201cbut there must be some kinds he doesn\u2019t like.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLiver, remember?\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cHe was quite adamant about that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam wriggled uneasily.\u00a0 \u201cPa,\u201d he asked hesitantly, \u201cwould it be too soon to hint for my birthday present?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben turned to look at his older son.\u00a0 \u201cToo late would be more like it, Adam.\u00a0 Surely you\u2019re bright enough to realize that I bought your present on my last trip to California.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam sighed.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, I guess you\u2019d have had to, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYup,\u201d Ben said, reaching out to smooth Adam\u2019s sleep-tousled hair.\u00a0 \u201cNow, don\u2019t tell me you\u2019re already bored with your Christmas gifts.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam bit his lower lip.\u00a0 \u201cNo, sir,\u201d he started, \u201cit\u2019s just that\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGo on,\u201d Ben encouraged when Adam broke off.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, me and Billy had made plans to go hunting,\u201d Adam sputtered, \u201cbut I didn\u2019t get a rifle for Christmas like I wanted, so I was sort of hoping\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat you\u2019d get one for your birthday?\u201d Ben finished for him.<\/p>\n

Adam nodded sheepishly.<\/p>\n

Ben set the eggs off the fire and sat down in a chair facing Adam.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry you were disappointed in your Christmas.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, no, Pa,\u201d Adam assured him.\u00a0 \u201cI like what I got.\u00a0 It\u2019s just that\u2014\u2014well, Pa, don\u2019t you think I\u2019m as grown up as Billy?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben rubbed the boy\u2019s knobby knees affectionately.\u00a0 \u201cOh, at least!\u201d he laughed.\u00a0 \u201cCompared to Billy, Adam, you\u2019re a little man.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam flushed.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m serious, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo am I,\u201d Ben stated.\u00a0 \u201cThe way you take hold around here, especially the responsibility you show in caring for your brother.\u00a0 Those are signs of maturity, son.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen why can\u2019t I have a rifle?\u201d Adam pleaded.\u00a0 \u201cI guess I shouldn\u2019t ask, but\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course you should ask,\u201d Ben said quickly.\u00a0 \u201cYou can always ask Pa anything, Adam.\u00a0 You may not get the answer you want, but you can always ask.\u201d\u00a0 Ben took the two slender hands in his larger-boned ones.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s not wrong for you to want a rifle, son, but there are a couple of things you do have wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

Ben gave the small hands an encouraging squeeze.\u00a0 \u201cFirst of all, you\u2019re wrong to think you should have a rifle just because Billy has one.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut if I\u2019m more grown up than him\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLet me finish, Adam,\u201d Ben said firmly.\u00a0 \u201cThere are other factors involved, not just maturity.\u00a0 There\u2019s bodily strength and coordination to take into account, and you\u2019re not the best person to evaluate all those factors.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou are, I guess,\u201d Adam mumbled.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right,\u201d Ben said solemnly, \u201cand when I make decisions about you, I don\u2019t look at what\u2019s going on with Billy or any of your other friends.\u00a0 I just look at what\u2019s best for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir,\u201d Adam sighed, picturing his cherished rifle fading further and further from sight.<\/p>\n

Reading the boy\u2019s mind, Ben smiled sympathetically.\u00a0 He hated to see his child miserable, but the boy\u2019s joy would be all the greater when his birthday did arrive.\u00a0 He pulled Adam into his lap and gave him a tight hug.\u00a0 \u201cThere is one other thing you had wrong,\u201d he whispered.<\/p>\n

Adam sighed again.\u00a0 \u201cYes, sir?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYour first hunting trip will not be with Billy Thomas,\u201d Ben said gently.\u00a0 \u201cI claim that privilege for myself.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam smiled and laid his head on his father\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d like that fine, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben dropped a kiss on his son\u2019s forehead.\u00a0 \u201cWould you like that for your birthday present, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n

The dark head came up quickly.\u00a0 \u201cA hunting trip?\u00a0 I\u2019d love it, Pa, but without a rifle?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed loudly.\u00a0 \u201cI might let you take a shot with mine.\u00a0 Would you like to start learning to use it, so you\u2019ll be ready on that far distant day when you get a gun of your own?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam beamed.\u00a0 \u201cYes, sir!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s for breakfast?\u201d Hoss yawned, rubbing his eyes as he stumbled into the room.\u00a0 \u201cMe\u2019s hungry.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m hungry,\u201d Adam corrected.<\/p>\n

Hoss yawned again.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, me, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam slid off his father\u2019s lap and scooted over to his little brother.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re having Hangtown Fry, Hoss.\u00a0 You think you\u2019ll like eggs and oysters?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLike eggs,\u201d Hoss replied sleepily.\u00a0 \u201cEat now, Bubba.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam wagged his finger under Hoss\u2019s nose.\u00a0 \u201cNot Bubba,\u201d he scolded.\u00a0 \u201cSay Adam, Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam Hoss,\u201d the younger boy chortled, giving his brother a playful push.\u00a0 Adam went sprawling to the floor.<\/p>\n

\u201cHere now,\u201d Ben scolded.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t play so rough with your big\u2014\u201d\u00a0 Suddenly, Ben roared with laughter, for it no longer seemed appropriate to call Adam Hoss\u2019s big brother.\u00a0 Physically, the younger boy was more than a match for the older.\u00a0 Ben pulled Adam to his feet.\u00a0 \u201cBe kind to your older brother, Hoss,\u201d Ben cautioned, tongue in cheek.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s just a little fellow.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMe big boy!\u201d Hoss cackled happily, while Adam glowered at him, obviously not appreciating the role reversal.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll boys, big and small, get your faces washed while I finish up this breakfast,\u201d Ben said quickly to divert their attention.\u00a0 Both hungry boys dashed for the wash pan and began to lather their hands.<\/p>\n

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

Ben passed the latest copy of the Scorpion<\/em> back to Clyde, who was warming his backside at the Thomas fireplace.\u00a0 \u201cLooks like we\u2019re gonna have some real government at last,\u201d Ben commented.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf Mormon government can be called real,\u201d Clyde scoffed.\u00a0 \u201cReckon you noticed that Orson Hyde they\u2019re sendin\u2019 here as judge is one of their twelve apostles.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI noticed,\u201d Ben smiled, \u201cbut I figured to wait until I met the man to decide what I thought of him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI figure we got a few months before we have to worry about what damage the man can do,\u201d Clyde stated firmly.\u00a0 \u201cHyde won\u2019t be here \u2018til Spring.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cClyde, Clyde,\u201d Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cDo you always have to look for the cloud in every silver lining?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen the clouds rain Mormons, I do,\u201d Clyde grinned good-naturedly.\u00a0 He and Ben had long ago agreed to disagree on the subject of their neighbors.<\/p>\n

Ben stood and stretched his arms.\u00a0 \u201cOn that note, I\u2019ll take my leave,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cTime Adam and I headed for home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nelly looked up from the panful of dishes she was washing.\u00a0 \u201cHate to see you leave, but it is gettin\u2019 late.\u00a0 Don\u2019t fret none about Hoss now; he\u2019ll be fine with us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know that,\u201d Ben smiled.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll just step in and tell him good-bye.\u201d\u00a0 Ben walked into Clyde and Nelly\u2019s bedroom, where Hoss was amiably playing house with Inger.\u00a0 \u201cIs she a good cook, son?\u201d Ben chuckled as he watched the boy pretend to eat what the little girl had prepared on her new stove.<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s chin bobbed agreeably.\u00a0 \u201cVery good pie,\u201d he announced.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, don\u2019t let her get away then,\u201d Ben said with a twinkle in his eye.\u00a0 \u201cGood cooks are hard to come by out here.\u201d\u00a0 He stooped down and put his arms around Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cTime for Pa to leave now, boy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss scrambled to his feet.\u00a0 \u201cOkay, let\u2019s go Tree.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, no,\u201d Ben said, running his fingers through the lad\u2019s thin, sandy hair.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re staying with Aunt Nelly while I take Adam hunting, remember?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s face puckered.\u00a0 \u201cTake me, too,\u201d he wailed.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Hoss, you\u2019re too young,\u201d Ben said firmly, \u201cand stop that blubbering right now or Pa will have to spank.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss swiped his hand across his eyes.\u00a0 \u201cWanna go, Pa,\u201d he whimpered.<\/p>\n

Nelly\u2019s head poked in the door.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t cry, Sunshine,\u201d she cooed.\u00a0 \u201cAunt Nelly\u2019s gonna make cookies tomorrow and you can help.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere now, won\u2019t that be fun?\u201d Ben said brightly.<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s chin bobbed and the tears that threatened to spill down his face dried almost immediately.\u00a0 \u201cYeah,\u201d he agreed.\u00a0 \u201cI gonna make some for you, Pa!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled wryly.\u00a0 \u201cJust so he doesn\u2019t make them out of mud,\u201d he muttered as he passed Nelly.\u00a0 From the front room he called to Adam.\u00a0 \u201cTime to go, boy.\u00a0 We want to get an early start tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cComin\u2019,\u201d Adam called from Billy\u2019s room, where Billy had been filling Adam full of advice for his first hunt.\u00a0 Adam hustled out and thrust his arms into his warmly padded plaid jacket.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t forget your package,\u201d Clyde reminded the boy.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, sir, I wouldn\u2019t forget that,\u201d Adam grinned.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s from my friend Jamie, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFigured as much,\u201d Clyde snorted.\u00a0 Lands, how could he forget after all the years he\u2019d picked up that journal at the post office for Adam!\u00a0 Since the Cartwrights almost always took Sunday dinner with the Thomases, Clyde had fallen into the habit of picking up Ben\u2019s mail when he got his own and giving it to him on Sunday.\u00a0 Same way with the newspaper.<\/p>\n

Ben wrapped his Christmas muffler tightly around his throat, for the air was chilly.\u00a0 \u201cHappy birthday, Billy,\u201d he said once more as he and Adam prepared to head out into the wind.\u00a0 Since Billy\u2019s birthday fell on Sunday this year, he and Adam had shared a birthday cake after dinner rather than meeting on the day between the two boys\u2019 birthdays as they often did.\u00a0 And Adam would get his promised hunting trip a day early because it was more convenient to leave Hoss with the Thomases tonight than to make the trip back again tomorrow.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, it was a good one,\u201d Billy acknowledged.\u00a0 \u201cHope Adam enjoys his as much.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI will,\u201d Adam promised.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll still be out hunting with Pa, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBring back a big buck,\u201d Billy challenged.<\/p>\n

Adam grinned.\u00a0 Nothing would please him more than to bag a deer his first time out.\u00a0 So far, Billy\u2019s greatest triumph had been that turkey at Thanksgiving, and Adam longed to outshine his friend and put a stop to Billy\u2019s endless bragging.<\/p>\n

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

Ben shook his older son\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cAdam,\u201d he said softly.\u00a0 \u201cTime to wake up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rubbing his eyes, Adam yawned.\u00a0 \u201cMorning, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHappy birthday, son,\u201d Ben said cheerily.<\/p>\n

Adam sat up, grinning.\u00a0 \u201cNot \u2018til tomorrow, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cYou saying you\u2019d rather wait \u2018til tomorrow to see your present?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, sir!\u201d Adam exclaimed.\u00a0 \u201cI thought the hunting trip was my present, though.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust part of it,\u201d Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cHustle into your clothes and come see what\u2019s waiting on the table for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam needed no further encouragement.\u00a0 He pulled on his blue shirt and gray pants, drawing the suspenders quickly over his shoulders, and hastened into the front room.\u00a0 His mouth gaped as he saw the Sharps rifle lying on the table.\u00a0 \u201cPa!\u201d he screamed.\u00a0 \u201cYou did get me a rifle!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t you think I knew what you wanted most, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou sure did!\u201d the boy declared, hugging his father enthusiastically.\u00a0 \u201cI should\u2019ve known, Pa.\u00a0 I shouldn\u2019t have any trouble hitting a deer with this!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA deer, is it?\u201d Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cSure you wouldn\u2019t rather bring home a squirrel?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam shook his head, grinning.\u00a0 He knew Pa was teasing.\u00a0 He\u2019d already shot plenty of squirrels, using his father\u2019s gun.\u00a0 It was time to hunt for bigger game.<\/p>\n

Adam was quite willing to forego breakfast, but his father insisted he eat.\u00a0 Then, with a warm, filling meal in their stomachs, the two Cartwrights headed into the foothills, leading a pack mule to carry their supplies.\u00a0 They\u2019d sleep under the stars at least one night, maybe more if they didn\u2019t find game sooner, so the pack included bedrolls.<\/p>\n

They headed north, gradually moving into the forest. \u00a0Though the valley floor had been free of snow, an icy crust crunched under their feet, for beneath the canopy of evergreens the snow was sheltered from thawing rays of the sun.\u00a0 While they walked, Ben reviewed all he\u2019d been teaching Adam about the safe handling of guns and the necessity of making his first shot count.\u00a0 \u201cOtherwise, you\u2019ll have to track the animal and finish him,\u201d Ben stated.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s unkind to wound an animal and leave it to suffer a slow death.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir,\u201d Adam replied.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d never want to do that.\u00a0 I\u2019ll aim true.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shortly after midday they came to a small clearing.\u00a0 \u201cThis is where we\u2019ll make camp,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s get the mule unloaded, then you can picket him over there where the grass is thickest.\u00a0 Always look to the needs of your animal before your own, son.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRight, Pa.\u201d\u00a0 Adam hurried to relieve the mule of its burden and stake him out to graze.\u00a0 When the animal was cared for, he gathered all the dead branches and pinecones he could find for the fire.\u00a0 They would eat a cold lunch, but hopefully they\u2019d have found some kind of game for supper.\u00a0 Even if they didn\u2019t, they\u2019d need the fire once the sun faded behind the Sierras and plunged the eastern slopes into shivering shadows.<\/p>\n

After munching on bacon and biscuits left over from breakfast, Ben wiped his mouth.\u00a0 \u201cYou still set on bagging a deer, Adam?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir,\u201d Adam replied with determination.\u00a0 \u201cDo\u2014do you think I can, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019ll be a challenge,\u201d Ben admitted, \u201cbut it\u2019s one I think you\u2019re ready for.\u00a0 I\u2019m gonna show you a spot where I\u2019ve had good success in the past.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam jumped to his feet, rifle in hand.<\/p>\n

Ben laughed as he stood.\u00a0 \u201cYou won\u2019t be doing any shooting this afternoon, Adam, but you\u2019re right to keep your gun with you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy not now, Pa?\u201d Adam pressed.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m ready.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laid one hand on Adam\u2019s shoulder as the two walked side by side.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re ready,\u201d he said, \u201cbut the deer are not.\u00a0 They\u2019ll be hidden in thick brush this time of day, son, but tonight they\u2019ll come out to feed and we\u2019ll be waiting.\u201d<\/p>\n

Suddenly, Ben stopped and laid a finger across his lips.\u00a0 Adam looked where his father pointed and descried the shape of the rabbit crouched against a snow bank, its white fur blending into the background so well it was barely visible.\u00a0 Ben raised his rifle quickly and fired, hitting the little animal in the head.\u00a0 He smiled down at Adam.\u00a0 \u201cThere!\u00a0 That assures us of a hot supper, no matter what else happens.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam nodded.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t as if Pa didn\u2019t trust him, he consoled himself, but better safe than sorry had been their motto for so long the thought was almost habitual.\u00a0 It was good planning, too; after all, you couldn\u2019t count on a deer coming within sight just when you needed one.<\/p>\n

Within a hour Ben pointed out the spot where he\u2019d often seen deer come to feed.\u00a0 \u201cFirst we get downwind,\u201d he said, \u201cthen we keep as quiet as possible.\u00a0 Deer have a keen sense of smell and of hearing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s voice immediately dropped to a whisper.\u00a0 \u201cThen we can\u2019t talk at all, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can now,\u201d Ben chuckled softly, \u201cbut once the shadows start to lengthen, you\u2019ll want to stop.\u00a0 Any questions?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIs deer about the hardest game to shoot, Pa?\u201d Adam queried.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam, Adam,\u201d Ben scolded gently.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s pride asking that question.\u00a0 You need to quit thinking about impressing Billy Thomas with your prowess.\u00a0 I don\u2019t approve of killing animals for sport.\u00a0 A man needs to learn to hunt so he can put food on the table, son, not to give himself bragging rights.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s ears perked up at the word \u2018man.\u2019\u00a0 \u201cIt does take a man to shoot a deer, though, doesn\u2019t it, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben frowned.\u00a0 \u201cAdam, have you heard a word I\u2019ve said?\u201d<\/p>\n

The boy\u2019s face fell.\u00a0 \u201cYes, Pa,\u201d he whispered.<\/p>\n

Ben reached out with two fingers and lifted the boy\u2019s crestfallen chin.\u00a0 \u201cI suppose it\u2019s natural for a boy to yearn for manhood.\u00a0 And our neighbors, the Washo, do connect that with a boy\u2019s first deer kill.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHonest, Pa?\u201d Adam asked eagerly.\u00a0 \u201cA Washo that kills a deer is a man?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf it\u2019s big enough,\u201d Ben replied with a wink.\u00a0 \u201cThey turn the antlers\u2019 points down; then the boy tries to crawl through.\u00a0 If he\u2019s shot a deer large enough so he can, he\u2019s considered a man, and he\u2019s eligible to take a wife.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what I\u2019m gonna do,\u201d Adam boasted, \u201cshoot one big enough to crawl through.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot if you don\u2019t quiet down, you\u2019re not,\u201d Ben pointed out.\u00a0 Adam nodded solemnly and pressed his lips together.<\/p>\n

Father and son waited in silence until the sun started to splash the horizon above them with shades of lavender and burnt orange.\u00a0 Then Ben pointed to the far side of the clearing where three deer were just stepping into sight.\u00a0 He nodded at Adam when the buck came toward them.<\/p>\n

Adam raised his rifle.\u00a0 So did Ben, in case his son missed the first shot and only wounded the deer.\u00a0 Adam fired, his bullet glancing off the buck\u2019s rack of antlers.\u00a0 The three deer started to run.\u00a0 Ben immediately pulled the trigger and the buck crumpled.<\/p>\n

Adam looked up at his father, his face abashed.\u00a0 \u201cI missed,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou did,\u201d Ben agreed, \u201cbut your shot was mighty close, son.\u00a0 Sometimes you have to get used to a new rifle, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Adam muttered, but he didn\u2019t think the excuse a valid one.<\/p>\n

Seeing the boy\u2019s disappointment, Ben touched his shoulder gently.\u00a0 \u201cYou can have another chance in the morning, Adam.\u00a0 Now, we\u2019d best get the meat back to camp and fix our supper.\u00a0 Rabbit stew sound good?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam nodded morosely.<\/p>\n

Back in camp, Ben had Adam skin the rabbit while he peeled and chunked potatoes and carrots for the stew.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe we should put some of the leg meat of that buck in, too,\u201d Ben mused.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m hungry enough to eat a lot.\u00a0 What do you think, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t care,\u201d Adam muttered.<\/p>\n

Ben frowned.\u00a0 \u201cAdam, quit moping,\u201d he ordered.\u00a0 \u201cWe got meat and that\u2019s what counts.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I wanted to shoot it, Pa\u2014\u2014not you,\u201d Adam protested.\u00a0 \u201cEverybody already knows you\u2019re a crack shot.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI wasn\u2019t at your age,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cCome here, son; I want to show you something.\u201d\u00a0 When Adam dragged over to his father\u2019s side, Ben pointed to the antler broken by Adam\u2019s first shot.\u00a0 \u201cDo you realize how near the mark you were, Adam?\u00a0 You\u2019ve nothing to be ashamed of, and I\u2019m certainly proud.\u201d<\/p>\n

The boy\u2019s countenance lifted slightly.\u00a0 \u201cYou think I\u2019ll do better tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWouldn\u2019t be a bit surprised,\u201d Ben offered encouragingly, \u201cand even if you don\u2019t, it\u2019ll still have been an enjoyable and worthwhile trip.\u00a0 Don\u2019t get your eyes so stuck on one thing that you miss everything else, Adam.\u00a0 Look at those stars, boy.\u00a0 You ever see them shine so bright?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam looked into the dark sky, glittering with twinkles of light.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, there\u2019s a bunch tonight,\u201d he admitted.\u00a0 He looked at the surrounding trees and smiled.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s really pretty up here, Pa.\u00a0 Remember how we used to talk about settling up this way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben leaned back on one elbow.\u00a0 \u201cYeah.\u00a0 Haven\u2019t talked much about it lately, have we?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam sprawled companionably next to his father.\u00a0 \u201cIt was a promise, Pa, a promise to Inger.\u201d\u00a0 Now that Hoss was old enough to understand that he and his brother had had separate mothers, Adam had fallen into the habit of referring to his stepmother by her first name.\u00a0 It seemed to prevent confusion for the younger boy, who couldn\u2019t comprehend the difference between \u201cMother,\u201d by which Adam referred to the woman who had given him birth and \u201cMama,\u201d as he had called Hoss\u2019s mother while she was living.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou think it\u2019s time we kept that promise, do you, boy?\u201d Ben asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cI do, Pa.\u00a0 Don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I guess so,\u201d Ben agreed.\u00a0 \u201cTime to start planning anyway.\u00a0 First thing we should do is decide what kind of house we want.\u00a0 Then we\u2019ll scout out a place to put it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA big house,\u201d Adam said, lying back with his arms folded beneath his head.\u00a0 \u201cYou promised her that, too, remember?\u00a0 A house big enough to shelter anybody that came by needing a place to stay.\u201d<\/p>\n

Misty memories floated in Ben\u2019s warm brown eyes.\u00a0 He did indeed remember the night he\u2019d made that promise to his second wife.\u00a0 It was during the time Adam\u2019s young friend Jamie Edwards had been ill with cholera and Inger had longed to bring him and his father into their home where she could nurse the boy properly.\u00a0 That hadn\u2019t been possible in their tiny quarters behind the Larrimore store in St. Joseph, and to console her, Ben had promised that when they came west, they\u2019d build a home large enough to accommodate anyone who needed help.\u00a0 Inger was gone now, but Ben, like Adam, still felt constrained to keep that promise, whether it made sense or not, if only to honor the big-hearted woman to whom he had made it.<\/p>\n

\u201cA big house, then,\u201d he replied.\u00a0 \u201cWhen we get home, why don\u2019t you draw out a picture of what you think it should look like?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll do that, Pa,\u201d Adam said eagerly.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve got lots of ideas.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, they\u2019ll probably need some modifications,\u201d Ben laughed, \u201cbut I sure want to see them.\u201d\u00a0 He sat up.\u00a0 \u201cBetter see how that stew\u2019s coming along.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

Ben roused the boy long before daybreak the next morning, so they could get into position in a clearing not far from the one where Ben had shot the deer the day before.\u00a0 Again they waited in silence until a lone buck entered open ground.\u00a0 Adam spotted the animal and, raising his Sharps, took careful aim and squeezed the trigger.\u00a0 The buck fell, a bullet through his head.\u00a0 Adam jumped to his feet, his jaw dropping.\u00a0 \u201cI got him!\u00a0 I got him!\u201d he screamed.<\/p>\n

Ben leaped up and wrapped his boy in a bear hug.\u00a0 \u201cYou sure did!\u00a0 And a big one, too.\u00a0 Let\u2019s get it back to camp.\u201d<\/p>\n

Back at the clearing Ben helped his son skin and cut the venison into pieces.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll split the meat with the Thomases,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cWe don\u2019t need this much for ourselves, and it won\u2019t keep with the days getting warmer.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPa, you think I could keep this rack of antlers?\u201d Adam queried.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t see any harm in it,\u201d Ben chuckled, \u201cbut you\u2019ll have to earn the privilege.\u201d\u00a0 He took the rack of antlers and turned it so the points touched the ground.\u00a0 \u201cCrawl through, boy, and I\u2019ll help you peg it on the wall above your bed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam quickly pulled off his jacket to make himself as thin as possible.\u00a0 Lying flat on the ground, he squiggled carefully between the upright antlers, so he wouldn\u2019t tear his clothing.\u00a0 Emerging on the other side, he smirked triumphantly.\u00a0 \u201cThere!\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cNow I\u2019m a man!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHeaded that direction, for sure,\u201d Ben smiled.\u00a0 \u201cYou got the girl picked out yet, son?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPa!\u201d Adam cried, horrified.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t want to get married!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben guffawed.\u00a0 \u201cOh, I see.\u00a0 You want all the pride of manhood and none of the responsibilities.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam shrugged sheepishly, and Ben swung the boy into the air.\u00a0 \u201cWell, Pa\u2019s proud enough for both of us,\u201d he crowed.\u00a0 \u201cProud as punch of my fine young man.\u201d\u00a0 And from that time forward, he regularly referred to his older son by that title.<\/p>\n

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

Adam and Billy swung down from their mounts almost simultaneously and charged toward the door to the Cartwright cabin.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam!\u201d\u00a0 Ben shouted.\u00a0 \u201cSee to your horse first, young man!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAw, Pa, I want to show Billy those antlers,\u201d Adam protested.\u00a0 \u201cIt won\u2019t take a minute, and we\u2019ll tend the animals right after, I promise.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

Hoss slid off the back of Ben\u2019s bay.\u00a0 \u201cWait, wait,\u201d he called.\u00a0 I wanna see, too.\u201d\u00a0 Chuckling, Ben gathered the reins of the three horses and led them all to the barn.<\/p>\n

\u201cWow!\u00a0 What a rack!\u201d Billy was exclaiming when Hoss trotted in.<\/p>\n

\u201cOoh,\u201d the four-year-old murmured, wide-eyed.\u00a0 He reached out to grab one of the points.\u00a0 \u201cOuch!\u201d he cried as it stuck his hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cKeep your hands off!\u201d Adam ordered.\u00a0 He snatched the small hand and examined it.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re okay,\u201d he said, dropping Hoss\u2019s hand.\u00a0 \u201cIt didn\u2019t break the skin.\u00a0 Now, don\u2019t touch, Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss nodded, sticking his finger in his mouth to suck on the imagined wound.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere you gonna hang \u2018em?\u201d Billy asked.<\/p>\n

Adam pointed at the head of his bed.\u00a0 \u201cI figure right above there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, that\u2019ll look grand,\u201d Billy agreed.<\/p>\n

Hoss frowned, staring at his own bed, which suddenly looked plain and unadorned.\u00a0 \u201cHow \u2018bout here, Bub\u2014\u2014uh, Adam?\u201d he corrected quickly, pointing above his own bed.<\/p>\n

Billy hooted.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ll have to grow big and shoot your own buck if you want a rack of antlers, boy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right,\u201d Adam said, setting the antlers up on his quilt-spread bed for safekeeping.\u00a0 \u201cWe better get to the barn, Billy, before Pa comes looking.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re right,\u201d Billy said.\u00a0 The two friends headed out immediately to give their horses the needed attention.<\/p>\n

When they were gone, Hoss tiptoed over to Adam\u2019s bed and gingerly touched the antlers.\u00a0 Growing bolder, he stroked their smooth sides affectionately.\u00a0 No sense asking Adam to give up his prize, and Pa wasn\u2019t likely to make him, either.\u00a0 So Billy was right:\u00a0 if Hoss wanted a rack of antlers, he\u2019d have to shoot a deer himself.\u00a0 His lower lip thrust out with irritation.\u00a0 Billy\u2019d had one thing wrong, though.\u00a0 I don\u2019t need grow big<\/em>, Hoss thought.\u00a0 I big now.<\/em><\/p>\n

It was true, at least in the sense Hoss understood.\u00a0 Adam might be taller, but Hoss already weighed more than his older brother.\u00a0 From the corner of his eye, he spotted the rifle Adam had tossed on the bed and picked it up.\u00a0 Acting quickly, before Adam or Pa had a chance to catch him and take the rifle away, Hoss slipped quietly through the front door and began to run toward the woods.\u00a0 As usual, though, his clumsy feet tripped him up.\u00a0 He fell and the rifle discharged with a terrifying boom.\u00a0 Throwing his hands over his ears, Hoss screamed.<\/p>\n

Ben, Billy and Adam, in that order, rushed from the barn.\u00a0 \u201cHoss!\u201d Ben yelled.\u00a0 \u201cWhat are you doing with that gun?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss sat up, fear in his blue eyes.\u00a0 \u201cGoin\u2019 huntin\u2019, Pa,\u201d he said quickly.\u00a0 \u201cI wanna deer, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam ran over to snatch his new rifle up from the ground.\u00a0 \u201cYou little idiot!\u201d he screamed.\u00a0 \u201cPa makes me wait \u2018til I\u2019m twelve to have a gun, and you expect to use one at your age!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s enough, Adam,\u201d Ben said sharply.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll handle this.\u201d\u00a0 He held his hand out toward his younger son.\u00a0 \u201cCome here, Hoss,\u201d he said sternly.\u00a0 \u201cPa needs to have a very necessary little talk with you.\u201d\u00a0 Head drooping, Hoss stood and reluctantly put his hand in his father\u2019s.\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t had many spankings, but he sensed he was due for another.<\/p>\n

As they walked toward the house, Ben called over his shoulder, \u201cYou come inside, too, Adam.\u00a0 I\u2019ve a few words to say to you, as well.\u201d\u00a0 Adam scuffed the ground with his shoe and slowly followed his father and brother.<\/p>\n

\u201cUh\u2014guess I\u2019d better head for home,\u201d Billy suggested.\u00a0 \u201cNot a good time for me to stay the night, I reckon.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, you can stay,\u201d Ben said from the doorway, \u201cbut I\u2019d suggest you make yourself useful outside for a while.\u00a0 There\u2019s some kindling needs chopping.\u201d\u00a0 Billy nodded and went immediately to the woodpile.\u00a0 With two boys already in trouble, he didn\u2019t plan to make it three.<\/p>\n

Adam propped his elbows on the table and stared at his rifle morosely as he listened to his father administering the \u201cvery necessary little talk\u201d to his brother\u2019s buttocks.\u00a0 Hoss shouldn\u2019t have touched his gun, of course, but it was really his fault for leaving it on the bed to tempt the little fellow.\u00a0 How could he have known, though, that Hoss would do something that stupid?<\/p>\n

Ben emerged from the boys\u2019 bedroom and sat opposite Adam.<\/p>\n

Adam raised a penitent head.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m the one you should whip,\u201d he muttered.\u00a0 \u201cI shouldn\u2019t have left Hoss alone with that gun in reach.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, you shouldn\u2019t have,\u201d Ben agreed soberly, \u201cbut I have to share the responsibility with you, Adam.\u00a0 Owning a gun is new to you.\u00a0 I should have reminded you to stow it high, and I should have provided you a place to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen why\u2019d you spank Hoss?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor the same reason I used to spat your hand when you reached for the fire,\u201d Ben smiled.\u00a0 \u201cA little pain to make you avoid a greater one.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t remember doing that, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou were young,\u201d Ben chuckled, \u201cyounger than Hoss is now, and while you may not remember the lesson, you certainly learned the principle.\u00a0 Hoss will, too.\u00a0 Don\u2019t berate yourself too harshly, Adam.\u00a0 I\u2019ve cautioned Hoss often enough about touching my guns that he knew he was doing wrong.\u00a0 He deserved what he got.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd me?\u201d Adam probed.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re getting a mite old to spank,\u201d Ben said, \u201cand in this case there\u2019s little to be gained by it.\u00a0 I think you\u2019ve already learned your lesson.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir,\u201d Adam said seriously.\u00a0 \u201cIf anything had happened to Hoss\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben stood, circled the table and gave his older son a consoling embrace.\u00a0 \u201cThank God, nothing did.\u00a0 Just be more careful in the future, young man.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI will, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Loud thumping sounded through the door.\u00a0 \u201cHey!\u00a0 You about through whuppin\u2019 them boys?\u201d Billy hollered.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s cold out here!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed and opened the door.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, I\u2019m through whuppin\u2019 them boys,\u201d he announced.\u00a0 \u201cNow, while I fix supper, you two whittle some pegs so we can mount that rack of antlers.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd my rifle,\u201d Adam added.\u00a0 \u201cI want it up high, where certain snoopy little fingers can\u2019t reach.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHuh!\u00a0 That ain\u2019t likely to stop him,\u201d Billy snorted.\u00a0 \u201cHe knows how to climb a chair.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben arched an eyebrow.\u00a0 \u201cHe also knows what\u2019ll happen if he does.\u201d<\/p>\n

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR<\/p>\n

\u00a0Leaning on a rail on the wharf overlooking San FranciscoBay, Ben took a deep draught of the salt-tipped breeze.\u00a0 To him, no fragrance ever seemed quite so refreshing, though the pine-scented air near the big lake the Indians called Tahoe ran a close second.\u00a0 This trip to San Francisco had been unusually relaxing.\u00a0 For the first time Ben\u2019s attention hadn\u2019t been focused on the purchase of supplies.\u00a0 He\u2019d bought a few things, of course, primarily treats to take back to the boys.\u00a0 But since dropping out of partnership in the trading post, he no longer needed to be burdened with a wagonload of goods.\u00a0 He\u2019d be buying all his supplies from Clyde from now on.<\/p>\n

In fact, there was really no reason for Ben to be in San Francisco this May morning\u2014\u2014none, that is, except to provide moral support for the world\u2019s most flustered father.\u00a0 Ben glanced over his shoulder to confirm that Paul Martin was still restlessly pacing the boards behind him.\u00a0 The ship from Hawaii that would carry his daughter was due to anchor this morning, and Paul\u2019s attitude was a mixture of eager anticipation and absolute dread.<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s ostensible reason for making the trip with Paul was to show the drawings of the projected house he and Adam had worked out to someone who could advise them on their feasibility.\u00a0 Ben had been a little leery of using the man Lawrence Larrimore had recommended.\u00a0 After seeing Larrimore\u2019s new home, he simply wasn\u2019t sure the man who had designed that palatial residence could even understand the rustic elegance he and Adam envisioned.\u00a0 Clarence Williams had been enthusiastic, however, and had contracted to draw a set of working plans based on young Adam\u2019s design.\u00a0 \u201cYour boy has a fine eye for line, Mr. Cartwright,\u201d Williams had said.\u00a0 \u201cMost of his ideas are quite usable, though some alterations will be needed to give the proper foundation and structural strength for your home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben had filed away that compliment to repeat to Adam, but to be honest, the design wasn\u2019t entirely Adam\u2019s.\u00a0 Ben had added his own ideas, of course, but so had almost every friend the Cartwrights had.\u00a0 Even young Hoss had put in his two-cents\u2019 worth by demanding a big pantry with one shelf set aside for the pies he was sure Aunt Nelly wouldn\u2019t mind donating.\u00a0 Nelly had insisted on a sizable kitchen and had made the suggestion Ben liked best, that of placing it with a family dining room on one side and one for his hired hands on the other, to serve the men who would sleep in the bunkroom beyond that dining area.<\/p>\n

He hadn\u2019t been as fond of the addition Paul Martin had declared essential.\u00a0 Ben didn\u2019t like entertaining the idea that one of his boys might become ill enough to require close supervision, but he\u2019d finally admitted having one bedroom downstairs was probably a good idea.\u00a0 As Paul had pointed out, little boys and broken bones sometimes went together, and if it happened, the affected youngster wouldn\u2019t enjoy negotiating stairs often.\u00a0 And in the passage of time, some of the Cartwrights\u2019 friends might grow old or otherwise become incapacitated enough to appreciate a first-story guest room, as well.<\/p>\n

Most of the house, though, reflected young Adam\u2019s ideas, and Ben especially loved the openness of the lower floor his son proposed.\u00a0 Reflecting the multi-purpose room which had been its progenitor in the original cabin, the lower floor was a combined dining room and living area with a huge stone fireplace as its focal point.\u00a0 Ben had suggested having a desk at which he might work on the ranch books while still keeping his sons in sight, so Adam had drawn an alcove at the front of the house that flowed smoothly with the rest of the room.\u00a0 Clarence Williams had waxed particularly eloquent about that open flow from area to area, so different from the homes he\u2019d been called on to build in San Francisco.<\/p>\n

Strong fingers gripped Ben\u2019s elbow.\u00a0 \u201cBen, Ben!\u201d\u00a0 Paul croaked hoarsely, drawing Ben from his reverie.\u00a0 \u201cIsn\u2019t that a clipper?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled at his nervous friend.\u00a0 \u201cProbably the very one,\u201d he agreed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI knew it; I knew it,\u201d Paul babbled.\u00a0 \u201cOh, what will I say to her?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben propped an elbow on the rail.\u00a0 \u201cHow about \u2018Howdy, Sally\u2019?\u201d\u00a0 He gave his friend a mischievous wink.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t make fun,\u201d Paul sputtered.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve got to make a good beginning with my girl.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen give her a hug and hand her that box of chocolates we picked up this morning,\u201d Ben suggested.\u00a0 \u201cThat ought to win her over quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe chocolates!\u201d Paul cried, looking frantically in every direction.\u00a0 \u201cWhere did I leave the chocolates?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWith me, thank goodness,\u201d Ben chuckled, bending over to pick up the box of assorted candies Mr. Ghirardelli had personally selected for them.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, thank goodness,\u201d Paul said with a sigh of relief.<\/p>\n

They stood side by side, waiting as the passengers disembarked.\u00a0 \u201cThere she is!\u201d Paul cried, spotting a kelly green bonnet.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s my little lady.\u201d<\/p>\n

The face beneath the bonnet lit up brightly as Sally caught sight of her father, but the girl politely kept her place in line.\u00a0 \u201cA well-mannered little lady, indeed,\u201d Ben declared.\u00a0 And a lovely one, too.\u00a0 Ben couldn\u2019t help but contrast Sally\u2019s rosy-cheeked charm with the appearance of the daughters of two of his old friends from the Overland Trail, both of whom he\u2019d visited the day before.\u00a0 Mary Wentworth had always been a pretty child, of course, in a pale, fragile sort of way.\u00a0 The trip west had been difficult for Reverend Wentworth\u2019s child, and she\u2019d never really recovered her health.\u00a0 If anything, though, Ben had found himself more disturbed by the change in little Jewel Larrimore.\u00a0 Affluence had only made it possible for her mother to spoil her more easily than before, and Jewel was growing positively pudgy on a steady diet of bonbons and pastries.\u00a0 To counter the image of a fat child, Camilla dressed her daughter in low-cut gowns far too mature for her, and the effect was one of a little girl playing dress-up in her mother\u2019s cast-off finery.\u00a0 At least, Jewel didn\u2019t paint her face yet, but that was the only thing that saved her from looking completely ridiculous.<\/p>\n

How different the blooming girl who now stood before him, smiling sweetly!\u00a0 \u201cBen, this is my Sally,\u201d Paul said proudly, then touching her arm, \u201cSally, my best friend, Mr. Benjamin Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sally curtsied demurely, her green hem brushing the toes of her neatly buttoned brown boots.\u00a0 \u201cPleased to meet you, Mr. Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben took the diminutive hand gently.\u00a0 \u201cAnd I, Miss Sally, am most pleased to make your acquaintance.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

Ben found Sally Martin a most engaging young person, and the impression was only heightened by her congenial conversation and courteous conduct on the trip to CarsonValley.\u00a0 His response to the doctor\u2019s daughter, however, was mild compared to the reception that awaited her at the Thomas cabin, where Ben stopped to pick up his sons.<\/p>\n

Nelly\u2019s invitation to dinner was, of course, predictable and readily accepted after a long day\u2019s journey.\u00a0 Clyde behaved normally, too, as did Adam, Hoss and Inger, but Billy was uncharacteristically struck silent by the ruffled vision that descended from the wagon. It wasn\u2019t her red-headed admirer who caught Sally\u2019s eye, however.\u00a0 Those sparkling blue orbs were fixed smilingly on Ben\u2019s older son.\u00a0 Uh-oh<\/em>, Ben thought.\u00a0 Looks like we\u2019ve just introduced a little Eve into our Garden of Eden<\/em>.\u00a0 Only we\u2019ve got two <\/em>Adams<\/em> to vie for her favor<\/em>.\u00a0 Or perhaps not.\u00a0 The boy who actually bore the name of Eve\u2019s Biblical mate seemed glad to welcome Sally as the daughter of his father\u2019s respected friend, but he showed no interest in her obvious feminine allure.\u00a0 Billy, on the other hand, openly gaped at the girl.<\/p>\n

\u201cDinner\u2019ll be on the table in about an hour,\u201d Nelly said, \u201cso you men go off and do your jawin\u2019 about the latest news.\u00a0 Then we won\u2019t have to listen to it at the dinner table.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMay I help you with the meal?\u201d Sally asked as Nelly herded Hoss and Inger back into the cabin.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat a sweet girl to offer,\u201d Nelly cooed, \u201cbut it\u2019d be a bigger help to me if you\u2019d help these young ones finish up their bakin\u2019. I\u2019m gonna need to set the table soon, but they\u2019ve got it cluttered up playin\u2019 with some pie scraps I gave them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2014I could help, too, Ma,\u201d Billy offered.\u00a0 Both Billy\u2019s mother and his friend Adam stared at him in disbelief.<\/p>\n

\u201cSince when are you so eager to help?\u201d Nelly asked, her brown eyes narrowing.<\/p>\n

Billy\u2019s face flamed to match his red hair.\u00a0 \u201cAw, Ma, you know I help out a lot around here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, if you\u2019re so eager to be a help,\u201d Nelly said crisply, \u201cyou can start with your regular chores.\u00a0 Plenty of work left in the barn.\u00a0 Now, clear out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Billy scowled, but turned on his heels and dragged toward the barn, not expecting to find anything there half so attractive as what he was leaving behind.<\/p>\n

Inside the cabin Hoss and Inger climbed back into the chairs they\u2019d left when the wagon pulled up.\u00a0 Sally stood behind them, laying a soft hand on each small shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cWhat are you making, children?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cSin rolls,\u201d Hoss informed her.<\/p>\n

Sally tilted her head, puzzled for a moment.\u00a0 \u201cOh, you mean cinnamon rolls,\u201d she laughed suddenly.<\/p>\n

\u201cHelp them roll out the scraps, then spread it with butter,\u201d Nelly began as she tied a dishtowel around Sally\u2019s waist to protect her dress.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen sprinkle it with cinnamon and sugar,\u201d Sally said, dusting her hands with flour.\u00a0 \u201cAt least, that\u2019s how my\u2014my mother used to help me make them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nelly noticed the catch in the girl\u2019s voice when she mentioned her mother.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s right, dear,\u201d she said gently.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s exactly how we do it, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, then, who wants to roll out the dough?\u201d Sally asked the two youngsters.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss,\u201d Inger replied.\u00a0 \u201cHe do it better.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sally gave the little strawberry blonde a hug.\u00a0 \u201cMy, aren\u2019t you the prettiest little thing,\u201d she whispered, \u201cand a sweet, unselfish girl, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss impulsively threw his flour-coated hands around Sally, powdering the back of her lavender gingham skirt.\u00a0 \u201cMe, too,\u201d he demanded.\u00a0 Sally laughed and returned the hug the boy obviously wanted.<\/p>\n

Nelly turned from the stove to smile sadly at the scene.\u00a0 Hoss was such an affectionate boy that she was sure he suffered from the lack of cuddles and kisses a child normally receives from his mother.\u00a0 Of course, Ben was a warmer father than most\u2014\u2014always hugging and kissing and mussing his boys\u2019 hair like a mother might do\u2014\u2014but he was still a man, often so caught up in his work he missed the little signs that hinted at a youngster\u2019s yearnings.\u00a0 A child like Hoss needed and deserved a mother, but Ben was as adamantly opposed to remarriage as he\u2019d always been.\u00a0 Doctor Martin seemed of the same mind, so Nelly saw no hope for either of their motherless children.\u00a0 She\u2019d do what she could to fill that void, of course, but there was only so much a family friend could do.<\/p>\n

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

Hoss threw the short stick as far as he could.\u00a0 \u201cGet it, Klam,\u201d he urged.\u00a0 \u201cGet the stick, boy.\u201d\u00a0 The brown dog yipped and obediently chased after the stick.<\/p>\n

Billy Thomas clattered into the yard and jumped off his horse, wrapping the reins around the hitching rail Ben had erected in front of the Cartwright cabin.\u00a0 \u201cHi, Nuisance,\u201d he called to Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cThe big boys around anywhere?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss planted both palms on his hips.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m a big boy,\u201d he insisted, then obligingly pointed to the barn.\u00a0 Klamath returned, stick in mouth, and Hoss bent over to reward the dog with a solid pat on the head.<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks, big boy,\u201d Billy snickered and sauntered toward the barn.\u00a0 He found both Adam and Ben inside.\u00a0 \u201cHowdy, gents,\u201d he drawled, stuffing his thumbs behind his gray suspenders.<\/p>\n

\u201cHowdy, yourself,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cYou come to give us a hand?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot hardly,\u201d Billy snorted.\u00a0 \u201cI come to ask Adam if I could borrow his mare, seein\u2019 as how he said he\u2019d be tied up all day chorin\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s wrong with your horse?\u201d Adam inquired, leaning on the pitchfork he\u2019d been using to toss down fresh straw in the stalls.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot a thing,\u201d Billy replied, \u201cbut I need two.\u00a0 I figured to show Sally Martin some of the scenery hereabouts.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam frowned.\u00a0 What was the fun in that?\u00a0 \u201cIf you\u2019d help with these chores, I could be through early enough to ride up and show you where we\u2019re thinking about building the new place,\u201d he suggested alternatively.<\/p>\n

Billy scuffed his black boot through the straw scattered on the barn floor.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, I\u2019d like that sometime, Adam,\u201d he said awkwardly, \u201cbut I got other plans today.\u201d\u00a0 He threw his shoulders back and lifted his chin defensively.\u00a0 \u201cAfter all, it\u2019s only neighborly to show new folks around.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s lips twitched.\u00a0 \u201cWhy, I\u2019m proud of you, Billy,\u201d he chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s wonderful to see a young man exhibit such civic responsibility.\u201d<\/p>\n

Billy glowed.\u00a0 \u201cYeah,\u201d he agreed readily.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s what it is, a civic responsibility.\u201d\u00a0 He\u2019d have never thought of those fancy words on his own, but he liked the feeling of importance they carried.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, that\u2019s fine,\u201d Ben continued, trying to control the laughter gurgling into his mouth.\u00a0 \u201cAccording to the Scorpion<\/em>, there\u2019ll be a number of new settlers arriving next month from Salt Lake City, and I\u2019m sure you\u2019ll be equally glad to take them on a tour of the territory.\u201d<\/p>\n

Billy blanched, his rusty freckles standing out against his suddenly pale face.\u00a0 \u201cWell\u2014uh\u2014I don\u2019t know about that,\u201d he stammered.\u00a0 \u201cThey\u2019ll likely be mostly grownups.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben guffawed.\u00a0 \u201cOh, I see!\u00a0 There\u2019s a limit to your civic responsibility!\u201d<\/p>\n

Billy grinned sheepishly.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, sort of,\u201d he admitted.<\/p>\n

\u201cSort of, my foot!\u201d Ben roared, raising dust from Billy\u2019s red shirt as he slapped him on the back.\u00a0 \u201cYour civic responsibilities are limited to twelve-year-old girls!\u201d<\/p>\n

Billy grinned more broadly.\u00a0 The joke was on him, but he didn\u2019t mind.\u00a0 \u201cWorse than that,\u201d he cackled, willing to pick a little fun at himself.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s limited to pretty twelve-year-old girls.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I\u2019m sure Adam won\u2019t mind loaning his horse to such a good cause,\u201d Ben chuckled.<\/p>\n

Adam shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cSo long as I get her back, I reckon.\u201d\u00a0 He didn\u2019t think Pa should have agreed to loan out his horse without checking with him first, but he really had no reason to object.<\/p>\n

\u201cSally and her pa\u2019s comin\u2019 to your place tonight, ain\u2019t they?\u201d Billy asked.\u00a0 \u201cI figured she could keep the mare \u2018til then.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019ll be fine, Billy,\u201d Ben assured him.<\/p>\n

Sally Martin returned Adam\u2019s horse that night when she and her father arrived for the usual Saturday night dinner and chess match.\u00a0 While Adam felt somewhat disgruntled by the fact that his friend had chosen to spend his free time with this girl, he found himself enjoying her company, too.\u00a0 Not as a girl, of course, but Sally had fascinating tales to tell about her stay in the Sandwich Islands.\u00a0 Adam was particularly interested in the courses the girl had taken in the school there.\u00a0 Like him, Sally enjoyed learning, and Adam found himself looking forward to Saturday nights, when he and Sally could exchange information.\u00a0 Besides, Sally had learned enough from her mother to help with the cooking, and the quality of their Saturday night suppers definitely improved with her arrival in Carson County.<\/p>\n

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

Nelly refilled the bowl of gravy and set it on the table near Hoss, who immediately grabbed for the spoon and sloshed his mashed potatoes liberally.\u00a0 \u201cYou don\u2019t have any more of that stashed out, do you?\u201d a chagrined Ben muttered.\u00a0 Giggling, Nelly shook her head as she sat down.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s okay,\u201d Hoss assured her.\u00a0 \u201cI got enough.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s not exactly what I was worried about,\u201d Ben chuckled, tweaking the boy\u2019s ear.\u00a0 \u201cGo a little slower, son; someone else just might crave a little gravy, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss gulped.\u00a0 \u201cOh, sorry,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s all right, Sunshine,\u201d Nelly said, giving his hand a comforting pat.\u00a0 \u201cYou know you must always eat your fill at Aunt Nelly\u2019s house.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAs if he didn\u2019t do that everywhere he goes!\u201d Billy cackled.<\/p>\n

Nelly frowned at her son, and Billy turned his attention back to the chicken remaining on his plate.<\/p>\n

\u201cAw, don\u2019t let your pa fool you, youngun,\u201d Clyde snickered.\u00a0 \u201cAin\u2019t you he\u2019s riled at; it\u2019s them new neighbors.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben frowned.\u00a0 Clyde had, unfortunately, hit the nail on the head.\u00a0 The new contingent of colonists from Salt Lake City had recently arrived, but instead of settling near Mormon Station as expected, they had taken up claims to the north in Washoe Valley, some of them on land Ben had hoped one day to call his own.\u00a0 Not, thank goodness, the proposed site for their new home, but much of the best pastureland in the area.\u00a0 Ben was upset about it, and it didn\u2019t help that Clyde was taking pure pleasure in seeing his old friend irritated with the Mormons for a change.<\/p>\n

\u201cHave you met any of the new folks yet?\u201d Nelly asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, a few,\u201d Ben said, absent-mindedly stirring an extra teaspoonful of sugar into his coffee.\u00a0 \u201cI met Hyde, of course, and his wives.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fork half-way to her mouth, Nelly frowned.\u00a0 Though she knew Mormons believed in polygamy, it had still come as a shock when the new judge arrived with four women in tow.\u00a0 \u201cWell, everyone\u2019s met him, I think,\u201d she sputtered.\u00a0 \u201cI meant the regular folks.\u00a0 Like the Cowans, for instance.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, yes,\u201d Ben moaned.\u00a0 \u201cThey\u2019re the ones who snatched up the piece of ground I favored most.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nelly laughed gently.\u00a0 \u201cSorry I brought it up then.\u00a0 I got to meet Mrs. Cowan, though.\u00a0 A right likable woman.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFor a Mormon,\u201d Clyde groused into his auburn beard.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, now, Clyde,\u201d Nelly protested.\u00a0 \u201cFrom the looks of it, Eilley ain\u2019t what you\u2019d call a faithful Mormon.\u00a0 Done her shoppin\u2019 here \u2018stead of with her own kind and told me straight out she\u2019d left her first husband \u2018cause he wanted to bring in a second wife.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re in favor of divorce now?\u201d Ben queried with a significant arch of his eyebrow, which had begun to sprout a few gray hairs at the outer edges.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know better,\u201d Nelly scolded, rapping Ben\u2019s knuckles with her spoon, \u201cbut even that\u2019s a far cry more decent than polygamy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s lig\u2019my?\u201d Inger asked, her blue eyes wide in consternation at her mother\u2019s abnormally petulant tone.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomething you ain\u2019t never gonna have nothin\u2019 to do with, that\u2019s what!\u201d her father snorted.<\/p>\n

Ben decided it was time to repay Clyde for some of his sass.\u00a0 \u201cNow, I don\u2019t know, Clyde,\u201d he commented with apparent seriousness.\u00a0 \u201cThere aren\u2019t many but Mormon men to choose from.\u00a0 You may just have to swallow your pride and take one for a son-in-law.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clyde turned beet red and his cheeks puffed out with barely contained rage.\u00a0 \u201cOver my dead body!\u201d he yelled.\u00a0 \u201cAin\u2019t one of them cusses gonna touch my girl!\u00a0 Over\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOver!\u00a0 That\u2019s just what this conversation is,\u201d Nelly snapped, banging her palm flat against the tabletop.\u00a0 \u201cI won\u2019t have such topics at the table with these innocent little pitchers listening in.\u00a0 Behave, the both of you!\u00a0 For lands sakes, Clyde, Inger\u2019s three years old.\u00a0 You\u2019re more than a decade too early worryin\u2019 about some man carryin\u2019 her off.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, it\u2019s that other youngster of yours you need to be worrying about,\u201d Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s moving pretty fast.\u201d<\/p>\n

Billy\u2019s ears flamed to match his father\u2019s face.\u00a0 \u201cNo such thing,\u201d he protested.\u00a0 \u201cSally\u2019s just\u2014just\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust a civic responsibility,\u201d Ben finished, nodding his head with gravity denied by the twinkle in his eye.\u00a0 \u201cYes, Billy, you told me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam snickered, and Billy flushed a deeper shade of red.\u00a0 \u201cYou stay out of it!\u201d Billy demanded.<\/p>\n

Adam stuck out his tongue.\u00a0 \u201cMake me,\u201d he taunted, then jumped to his feet and ran out the side door that led outside from the new kitchen.\u00a0 Billy leaped up, knocking over his chair, and charged after Adam.<\/p>\n

\u201cBoys, boys, you haven\u2019t had dessert yet,\u201d Nelly called, but her words didn\u2019t penetrate the slammed door.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet \u2018em go,\u201d Clyde snorted.\u00a0 \u201cLeaves more for the rest of us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMore for us!\u201d Hoss chortled happily and clapped his hands as his elders and Inger joined in his laughter.<\/p>\n

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE<\/p>\n

\u00a0Ben finished yoking the final ox to the wagon and gave the animal\u2019s side an affectionate stroke.\u00a0 \u201cGonna kind of miss you, boy,\u201d he murmured.\u00a0 He\u2019d had the ox a long time.\u00a0 Most of the team was made up of animals he\u2019d traded emigrants for over the past few years, but this one had made the trip west with him.\u00a0 He had no more use for oxen, though.\u00a0 Now that he was through freighting heavy wagonloads of supplies over the Sierras, it made sense to sell them, along with the bulky wagon they pulled.\u00a0 The light buckboard he\u2019d bought last year was more useful for ranch chores and transportation in the valley.\u00a0 So once he reached Placerville, he\u2019d sell the wagon and oxen.\u00a0 He and the boys could travel the rest of the way by stage and steamboat.<\/p>\n

Ben went inside to check on his sons\u2019 progress.\u00a0 Entering their bedroom, he saw clothes piled on the bed, but few actually in the carpetbag he\u2019d told them to pack.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re not gonna get a very early start at this rate,\u201d he mumbled.<\/p>\n

Adam heard him.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m not sure what to take, Pa.\u00a0 What about my suit?\u00a0 Will we be going to the theater or anything?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben looked quickly at Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cWell, I\u2019m not sure, Adam.\u00a0 I\u2019d like to, of course, but it may not be practical.\u201d\u00a0 Not with Hoss along this trip.\u00a0 He was a little young to attend most stage performances, and Ben wasn\u2019t certain he\u2019d be able to leave the boy with anyone.<\/p>\n

He looked back at Adam.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019d better pack it, anyway, for when we visit the Larrimores.\u00a0 They dress for dinner nowadays.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam scowled.\u00a0 Who\u2019d ever heard of putting on a suit and tie just to eat!\u00a0 And with that stuffed shirt, Sterling Larrimore, too!\u00a0 \u201cWe gotta go see them, Pa?\u201d he whined.<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, we do,\u201d Ben insisted.\u00a0 \u201cLawrence is one of my oldest friends.\u00a0 Besides, the Larrimores have never met your brother.\u201d\u00a0 He smiled.\u00a0 Introducing his younger son to his old friends was the part of this trip Ben anticipated most.\u00a0 Everyone always asked about the youngster they\u2019d left behind when the rest of the wagon train moved on, leaving the Cartwrights and the Thomases in Carson Valley.\u00a0 None of them had seen him since he was three months old, and the women, especially, would be thrilled to see this stalwart lad.\u00a0 They\u2019d been so afraid he wouldn\u2019t thrive without a mother\u2019s care.\u00a0 Well, one look should silence those concerns forever.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa, Hoss doesn\u2019t have a suit,\u201d Adam pointed out.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019ll we do about him?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I don\u2019t know,\u201d Ben said abruptly.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll worry about that when the time comes.\u00a0 Now, get that bag packed, so we can head out!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, okay,\u201d Adam muttered, hastily stuffing shirts and pants into the bag. \u00a0\u201cReady!\u201d he beamed.<\/p>\n

Ben rolled his eyes.\u00a0 Maybe he could get one of Camilla\u2019s servants to press the boy\u2019s suit when they got there.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s get loaded then,\u201d he muttered.<\/p>\n

Adam snatched up the carpetbag and ran out to the wagon, while Ben carried the last of their supplies for the trip.\u00a0 Hoss grabbed his calico dog and trotted after them.\u00a0 Klamath barked when he saw his young master, and Hoss squatted to give him a farewell pat.\u00a0 \u201cYou can\u2019t go, boy,\u201d he said sadly.\u00a0 \u201cPa says it\u2019s too far for a pup.\u00a0 I\u2019ll be back soon, boy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDo not worry, my little friend,\u201d a voice with a soft French accent assured Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cI will care for your dog.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss grinned up at Jean D\u2019Marigny.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, I know, but he\u2019ll miss me.\u00a0 I ain\u2019t never left him before.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOui<\/em>,\u201d Jean said sympathetically, \u201cbut I will keep him company, and I see you have someone to keep you company.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss squeezed his stuffed dog tight.\u00a0 \u201cYeah.\u00a0 Bye, Jean.\u201d\u00a0 Pa had tried to teach him to use the foreman\u2019s last name, as was proper for a young boy speaking to a man, but Hoss couldn\u2019t manage the odd French pronunciation, so everyone had finally decided \u201cJean\u201d was respectful enough, at least for now.<\/p>\n

Hoss crawled in the wagon, while Ben and Adam mounted their horses to ride alongside.\u00a0 The sides of the canvas covering the hickory bows was rolled up, so Hoss could see the countryside as they traveled.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t get enough of the new sights.\u00a0 He\u2019d been some distance to the north before, on regular visits to the Paiute camp with his father, but as the wagon rumbled south past Mormon Station, Hoss found himself in unexplored territory.\u00a0 Ben rode close to answer the unending questions, but Adam had his fill of Hoss\u2019s chatter quite quickly and trotted out ahead, priding himself that he was scouting for possible danger.<\/p>\n

A few days\u2019 travel brought them to Placerville.\u00a0 Hoss\u2019s blue eyes shot wide when he saw all the buildings.\u00a0 \u201cBig town!\u201d he cried.<\/p>\n

\u201cPlacerville\u2019s not big,\u201d Adam scoffed.\u00a0 \u201cWait\u2019ll you see San Francisco!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOne experience at a time, Adam,\u201d Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cThere was a time you thought Placerville was quite a sight, remember?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam grinned and nodded.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s still quite a place,\u201d he told Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re gonna love Mama Zuebner\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s nose wriggled.\u00a0 \u201cMama Zuebner, is it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what everyone calls her,\u201d Adam said defensively, \u201cand Hoss will love her cooking.\u00a0 You know he will.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, yes!\u201d Ben agreed readily.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s eat,\u201d Hoss suggested eagerly.<\/p>\n

Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cNot yet.\u00a0 I need to transact a little business first.\u201d\u00a0 He took Hoss\u2019s hand and led the way to the corner of Main Street and Bedford Avenue, where John Studebaker kept his wagon shop.\u00a0 \u201cAh, Mr. Cartwright,\u201d Studebaker said when Ben and the boys entered.\u00a0 \u201cNo problems with that wagon I sold you, I trust.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo problems; it\u2019s a fine piece of work,\u201d Ben assured the craftsman.\u00a0 \u201cNo, I\u2019m here because I have an old wagon I\u2019d like to sell, and I wondered if you might be able to help me find a buyer.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s see it,\u201d Studebaker said.\u00a0 They went outside, where he examined the old wagon.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s seen a lot of use,\u201d he told Ben, \u201cbut it\u2019s in good condition.\u00a0 I don\u2019t market anything this heavy myself, but if you\u2019d care to leave it with me, I could probably sell it to a freighting company that comes through regularly.\u00a0 Can\u2019t promise a high price, though.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDoesn\u2019t matter,\u201d Ben replied.\u00a0 \u201cI know from my previous dealings with you that it\u2019ll be a fair one.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat it will,\u201d Studebaker promised.\u00a0 \u201cThe team looks too old to fetch much of a price, though.\u00a0 Might as well sell them for meat.\u00a0 Philip Armour should give you a fair deal.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks,\u201d Ben said and followed Studebaker\u2019s directions to Armour\u2019s shop.\u00a0 He briefly explained his business to the red-headed butcher and, after a little haggling, arrived at an acceptable agreement.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, lunch,\u201d Ben told the boys.<\/p>\n

\u201cHooray!\u201d Hoss shouted.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m hungry.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTell me something I don\u2019t know,\u201d Ben guffawed.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s go.\u201d<\/p>\n

The three trooped into Mama Zuebner\u2019s Cafe, where they were greeted by a pretty flaxen-haired maiden of fifteen.\u00a0 \u201cOh, Mr. Cartwright, how good to see you again!\u201d she cried.\u00a0 \u201cAnd you, too, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWonderful to see you, Katerina,\u201d Ben smiled.\u00a0 \u201cYou grow prettier by the month, my dear.\u201d<\/p>\n

Katerina Zuebner blushed modestly.\u00a0 \u201cAnd you have brought a friend?\u201d she asked to change the subject.<\/p>\n

\u201cFriend, nothing!\u201d Adam hooted.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s my brother.\u201d<\/p>\n

Katerina screamed.\u00a0 \u201cOh, it can\u2019t be!\u00a0 Not this big boy!\u201d<\/p>\n

A large, amply padded woman hustled out from the kitchen.\u00a0 \u201cKaterina!\u201d she called.\u00a0 \u201cWhat is wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, nothing, Mama,\u201d Katerina said quickly.\u00a0 \u201cJust see who\u2019s here.\u201d<\/p>\n

A welcoming smile spread across Ludmilla Zuebner\u2019s florid face.\u00a0 \u201cAh, Ben!\u201d she cried, then turned to frown at her daughter.\u00a0 \u201cBut, mercy, what a scream.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry, Mama,\u201d Katerina said, \u201cbut when I saw Hoss\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss!\u201d Ludmilla screamed, louder than had her daughter.\u00a0 \u201cThis is Hoss?\u201d\u00a0 She immediately wrapped her plump arms about the boy and squeezed tight.\u00a0 \u201cI not see you since you little baby,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s not little now,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 And a good thing, too, or he\u2019d never survive the hug Ludmilla was giving him.<\/p>\n

Ludmilla patted the boy\u2019s sturdy shoulder and felt down his arms.\u00a0 \u201cNo, no, he big boy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss grinned brightly.\u00a0 \u201cAre you Mama Zuebner?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cYah, yah, I Mama,\u201d Ludmilla said, \u201cand I gonna fix you big plate oxtail stew.\u00a0 You like?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019ll like,\u201d Adam snickered.\u00a0 \u201cI guarantee he\u2019ll like.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou like, too?\u201d Ludmilla laughed.<\/p>\n

Adam nodded.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, me, too, unless you got sauerbraten today.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot today.\u00a0 Sorry,\u201d Ludmilla said, \u201cbut I fix extra big plate oxtail stew.\u00a0 You need meat on your bones, Adam, like your brother.\u201d<\/p>\n

Grinning, Adam shook his head.\u00a0 He had no ambitions of putting as much meat on his bones as Hoss had.\u00a0 When Ludmilla hustled back to the kitchen, Adam turned to Katerina.\u00a0 \u201cWhere\u2019s Marta?\u201d he asked.\u00a0 \u201cOut mining?\u201d<\/p>\n

Katerina giggled.\u00a0 \u201cNo, we don\u2019t do much mining any more, Adam.\u00a0 Stef\u00e1n is busy with the brewery, and we try to keep Marta in the kitchen.\u00a0 She is fourteen now, old enough to act like a young lady.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMarta?\u201d Adam laughed heartily.\u00a0 \u201cShe\u2019ll never be a lady.\u201d<\/p>\n

Katerina shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cWell, Mama tries.\u00a0 I will tell Marta you are here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shortly, Marta, a slightly smaller copy of her sister, burst out of the kitchen.\u00a0 \u201cHi, Adam,\u201d she said, sliding into the chair beside him.\u00a0 She exchanged greetings with Ben, too, then looked across at the younger boy, whose coloring resembled her own.\u00a0 \u201cThis can\u2019t be Hoss,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I am,\u201d Hoss replied.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re a big one,\u201d Marta laughed.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s gonna outgrow you, Adam.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss\u2019s chest puffed out, but Adam scowled at Marta\u2019s prediction.<\/p>\n

Seeing his expression, Marta laughed again.\u00a0 \u201cWhere\u2019s that nuisance of a Billy?\u201d she asked.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s about time for him and Mr. Thomas to come back through for more supplies, isn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPretty soon, I think,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cWe don\u2019t keep track of the business much now.\u00a0 We\u2019re busy at the ranch.\u00a0 But I reckon he\u2019ll come with his pa unless he\u2019s too busy sparkin\u2019 that girl.\u201d<\/p>\n

A strange glint flickered in Marta\u2019s blue eyes.\u00a0 \u201cWhat girl?\u201d she demanded.<\/p>\n

\u201cSally Martin,\u201d Adam said.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, her,\u201d Marta murmured.\u00a0 \u201cI met her when your pa and hers brought her through here.\u00a0 She\u2019s pretty, all right.\u00a0 I\u2014I guess Billy\u2019s head over heels for her, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSomething awful,\u201d Adam reported.<\/p>\n

Marta\u2019s face fell slightly.\u00a0 \u201cWell, you tell him I said \u2018howdy,\u2019\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cHere\u2019s Katerina with your food.\u00a0 I\u2019ll get back to my dishes while you eat, but don\u2019t leave without saying good-bye.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe won\u2019t,\u201d Ben promised, giving her a sympathetic smile.\u00a0 Adam might be blind to the girl\u2019s obvious feelings, but Ben was not.\u00a0 And who could tell?\u00a0 In the long run, this merry-hearted lass might be the one who won mischievous Billy.\u00a0 They had much in common.<\/p>\n

Marta leaned close to Adam\u2019s ear.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s strudel,\u201d she whispered, and Adam grinned happily in response.<\/p>\n

After a thoroughly satisfying lunch, including two helpings of apple strudel for Hoss, the Cartwrights bid their friends farewell.\u00a0 \u201cYou will stop again on your way home?\u201d Ludmilla asked.\u00a0 It was a needless question.\u00a0 The Cartwrights always did take at least one meal there when they passed through.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll be here,\u201d Ben promised anyway, to reassure her.<\/p>\n

Hoss threw affectionate arms around the German lady\u2019s hips.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll make \u2018em,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cI like you, Mama.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ludmilla laughed, delighted, and returned the embrace exuberantly.\u00a0 \u201cMama likes you, too, sweet boy.\u00a0 You only one in family eat good.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben shook his head amused.\u00a0 In Hoss\u2019s case, at least, the way to a boy\u2019s heart was definitely through his stomach.\u00a0 He and the boys made their way down the street and caught the next stage for Sacramento.\u00a0 There\u2019d be no old friends there, and certainly no strudel, but Ben was eager to see what Hoss thought of California\u2019s capital.<\/p>\n

They had only a short layover in Sacramento before the steamer was scheduled to leave, so Hoss saw little of the town.\u00a0 The size of what he did see, however, impressed him more than had Placerville\u2019s, and he found it hard to believe his brother\u2019s declaration that San Francisco would be larger still.<\/p>\n

There was only enough time to visit a few shops.\u00a0 Their first stop was Kaerth and Smith\u2019s Philadelphia Boot Shop.\u00a0 Hoss had outgrown his last pair of shoes, as he always quickly did, so Ben took him in to be measured for a custom-made pair to be picked up on their return trip.\u00a0 Adam\u2019s feet hadn\u2019t grown much in the last year, so he didn\u2019t need new shoes.\u00a0 To keep things even, Ben took him by Dale and Company\u2019s music store and treated him to some new sheet music.<\/p>\n

Then the three Cartwrights trooped next door, where Hoss stood enthralled by the jars of brightly colored candies standing along the counter of Hardy Brothers and Hall\u2019s dry goods store.\u00a0 \u201cPa!\u201d he cried.\u00a0 \u201cCan I have some?\u00a0 Please, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben ruffled the light hair indulgently.\u00a0 \u201cOh, a little, I guess.\u00a0 You want some, too, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I\u2019d like some lemon balls,\u201d Adam replied.<\/p>\n

\u201cMe, too,\u201d Hoss announced, \u201cand some licorice and some\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI said \u2018a little,\u2019 Hoss,\u201d Ben said firmly.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll take a nickel\u2019s worth of the lemon balls,\u201d he told the proprietor, \u201cand a nickel\u2019s worth of whatever this little greedy belly wants.\u201d<\/p>\n

The proprietor\u2019s salt-and-pepper mustache twitched merrily as he bent over the counter to speak to Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cAnd what for you, little man?\u00a0 Maybe a mixture?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss beamed.\u00a0 \u201cYeah!\u201d\u00a0 That way he didn\u2019t have to make the difficult choice of what to leave out.<\/p>\n

Around mid-afternoon they boarded the stern-wheeler, the Hartford<\/em>, headed for San Francisco.\u00a0 This time Ben didn\u2019t bother paying for a cabin, even though the trip would take ten hours.\u00a0 He assumed, accurately as soon became apparent, that Hoss would want to stay on deck and see the countryside along the riverbanks, even after dark.\u00a0 Hoss might not have his older brother\u2019s scientific mind, but he was definitely impressed by new sights and sounds, and he obviously enjoyed the new experience of floating on water.\u00a0 Ben finally gave up keeping the boy tied down to one location and posted himself on one side of the steamer and Adam on the other and let Hoss run back and forth between them.\u00a0 \u201cWe might as well have let him walk to San Francisco,\u201d Ben grumbled under his breath.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s covering more ground this way than he would have if we\u2019d gone by foot.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

Hoss ran his index finger around the inside of the tight, stiffly starched collar of the fancy dress shirt once owned by Sterling Larrimore.\u00a0 He had quickly decided that he shared Adam\u2019s opinion of dressing up for dinner.\u00a0 And so far the food wasn\u2019t making up for the discomfort of his clothing or the high, delicately carved chair on which he perched at the Larrimore table.\u00a0 The raw oysters had tasted all right, though a bit slimy for Hoss\u2019s taste, and the soup was good, creamy and flavorful.\u00a0 There wasn\u2019t enough of it, however, and his father had warned him not to ask for more unless it was offered.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t offered.<\/p>\n

Hoss sighed as the yellow-skinned man in silky blue pantaloons and tunic reached to take his bowl.\u00a0 No seconds, then.\u00a0 Soup wasn\u2019t much of meal to offer guests, Hoss decided, wishing earnestly that he could go back to Placerville for some of Mama Zuebner\u2019s heartier hospitality.\u00a0 She knew how to feed people!\u00a0 Mrs. Larrimore obviously did not.<\/p>\n

His opinion changed moments afterward when the Chinese servant presented him with a plate on which sat thin slices of both ham and beef, potatoes and creamed peas.\u00a0 Now this was more like it!\u00a0 Hoss felt a little puzzled, though.\u00a0 When Pa made stew at home, that, along with bread and milk, was their meal.\u00a0 You got all you wanted, of course, but just the one thing.\u00a0 Even at Aunt Nelly\u2019s, where the choices were more plentiful, they all appeared on the table at once.\u00a0 Hoss had never seen a meal served in stages the way this one was.\u00a0 Must be more fancy dinner nonsense, he figured, not sure he liked it any better than the borrowed suit that pinched his elbows and hung short of his ankles.\u00a0 Hoss thought it was better to see what you had to choose from, so you knew how much of each thing to take.<\/p>\n

\u201cI do hope the meat is to your liking,\u201d Camilla Larrimore was saying to Ben.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s so hard to get decent beef here, and our new Chinese cook hasn\u2019t learned our American style of cooking as well as I\u2019d like.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe meat is fine,\u201d Ben assured her, keeping to himself the conviction that this meal was much tastier than the ones Camilla used to cook herself before growing affluence made possible all the frills of the Larrimore\u2019s new lifestyle.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot as good as we raise, of course,\u201d Adam couldn\u2019t resist saying, although he knew Pa would give him what for later.\u00a0 He was dressed in his brown suit with matching string tie.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t mind, though.\u00a0 Since they were going to the theater right after dinner, it made sense to dress for the meal.<\/p>\n

Ben coughed into his napkin.\u00a0 \u201cWell, our beef is fresher, of course, and that does make a difference.\u201d\u00a0 He glared at Adam, then turned to smile at Camilla.\u00a0 \u201cThis meal certainly surpasses my feeble attempts at cooking, however.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I\u2019m sure,\u201d Camilla sympathized.\u00a0 \u201cIt must be difficult for you to prepare a proper meal after a day\u2019s work.\u00a0 I must say, though, that your younger boy hasn\u2019t suffered, by the look of him.\u00a0 He\u2019s certainly a stout little fellow!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben caught the note of disapproval in Camilla\u2019s voice and wondered silently how she could criticize Hoss\u2019s size and overlook the obvious weight problems of her own two youngsters.\u00a0 Hoss, after all, was more large than fat.\u00a0 Aloud, he said, \u201cYes, he\u2019s a fine, healthy boy, and I\u2019m very proud of him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, of course, you are,\u201d Camilla stammered quickly, discerning that she\u2019d offended her old friend, \u201cbut, really, Ben, it might not be a bad idea to let a doctor examine the child while you\u2019re here.\u00a0 He does seem to be growing at an enormous rate.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a physician back home,\u201d Ben said quietly, \u201cand he assures me Hoss\u2019s size is normal for him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, well, good,\u201d Camilla said.\u00a0 \u201cI just hope he\u2019s a qualified man.\u00a0 It isn\u2019t easy to find one, I can tell you.\u00a0 Why, I searched and searched before finding a doctor who could properly understand my children\u2019s needs.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, Camilla, Ben doesn\u2019t need your advice,\u201d Lawrence inserted, \u201ccertainly not on that subject.\u201d\u00a0 Observing the difference between Ben\u2019s two hearty sons and his own sickly offspring, Lawrence couldn\u2019t help thinking that Ben was not the one who needed advice.\u00a0 Larrimore wasn\u2019t at all happy with the way his children were turning out, but he hated the thought of confronting Camilla about it.\u00a0 He never won those arguments.\u00a0 Three against one were daunting odds.\u00a0 Besides, a man preferred peace at home after a day of wrestling with merchandising problems.<\/p>\n

Lawrence patted his lips with the lace-edged linen napkin and stood.\u00a0 \u201cReally, my dear, if we\u2019re going to reach the theater before the curtain rises, we\u2019d best be leaving.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDear me, yes,\u201d Camilla murmured.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t want Ben to miss this opportunity to hear our opera company.\u00a0 I\u2019m sure he misses cultural pursuits in that backwoods wilderness of his.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCamilla,\u201d Lawrence muttered sharply.<\/p>\n

Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s all right, Lawrence.\u00a0 Camilla is quite correct.\u00a0 We do have few cultural performances in CarsonCounty, though that may come in time.\u00a0 This is my first opera, and I\u2019m looking forward to it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMe, too,\u201d Adam added eagerly.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve been to the theater a couple of times in Sacramento and I liked it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cReally, it gets incredibly boring after a while,\u201d sixteen-year-old Sterling yawned, \u201cbut I suppose it\u2019s better than staying home with the children.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t see why I have to stay home, mother,\u201d Jewel pouted.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ll be going to Delmonico\u2019s afterwards, and you know how I love their desserts.\u201d<\/p>\n

Camilla smoothed the girl\u2019s carefully positioned ringlets.\u00a0 \u201cNow, sweetheart,\u201d she cooed.\u00a0 \u201cYou wouldn\u2019t want to leave Hoss alone.\u00a0 Be a good little hostess, and Mama will bring you home some pastry from the restaurant.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, all right,\u201d Jewel agreed, but the pretty pout didn\u2019t leave her painted lips.\u00a0 The one touch lacking to make the eleven-year-old a ridiculous caricature of a lady of fashion had now been added with the application of cosmetics.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, you mustn\u2019t be a bit concerned, Ben,\u201d Camilla said as she rose from the chair her husband pulled out.\u00a0 \u201cThe governess will see that Hoss goes to bed at eight just as you ordered.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded, and after giving Hoss a few words of admonition about minding the governess who was being left in charge of him and Jewel, left with the others for an evening\u2019s entertainment.<\/p>\n

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

Jewel, blue merino and velvet wrapper tied loosely over a ruffled and ribboned blue linen nightdress, ran to her mother as soon as the opera party entered the vestibule of the Larrimore home.\u00a0 \u201cWhere\u2019s my pastry?\u201d she demanded.<\/p>\n

Adam, yawning against his father\u2019s thigh, stared at her in disbelief.\u00a0 How could anyone want to eat at this hour?\u00a0 He\u2019d been too sleepy to do more than nibble at his dessert after the musical performance.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, Jewel,\u201d her father protested.\u00a0 \u201cWhy don\u2019t you wait until tomorrow?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sweetheart,\u201d her mother purred.\u00a0 \u201cYou know how delicate your stomach can get when you eat late at night.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jewel stomped her foot.\u00a0 \u201cI want it now!\u00a0 And I deserve it after all I\u2019ve put up with from that horrible boy!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben bristled.\u00a0 The \u2018horrible boy\u2019 in question could be none another than his own Hoss.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy, whatever do you mean, dearest?\u201d Camilla was asking her daughter.\u00a0 \u201cDid you and Hoss not get along?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe hit me!\u201d Jewel declared, squeezing tears from the corners of her eyes.<\/p>\n

Adam jolted instantly awake.\u00a0 \u201cHoss wouldn\u2019t do that!\u201d he sputtered defensively.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, he did,\u201d Jewel accused, flipping her brown ringlets back from her face.\u00a0 \u201cHe knocked me to the floor and smudged my pretty dress.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, really,\u201d Camilla said, eyeing Ben with displeasure as she put a protective arm around her daughter.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019ll excuse me,\u201d Ben said soberly, \u201cI\u2019ll speak to Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019ll just deny it,\u201d Sterling snorted, glaring at Adam as if he were responsible for his brother\u2019s misbehavior.<\/p>\n

Setting his lips tightly, Ben ignored the boy\u2019s words and headed down the hall to the room Hoss was to share with Adam, who followed on his father\u2019s heels.\u00a0 Ben walked into the room, expecting to find Hoss asleep at this post-midnight hour, but the youngster lay awake on his bed, sobbing as if his heart were broken.<\/p>\n

Ben immediately sat next to Hoss on the bed and pulled the youngster close to his side.\u00a0 \u201cHere, now, boy,\u201d he soothed.\u00a0 \u201cSettle down, son, and tell Pa what\u2019s upset you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss shook his head violently from side to side.<\/p>\n

Ben frowned.\u00a0 \u201cThat wasn\u2019t a request, Hoss,\u201d he said firmly.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m going to ask you some questions, and I expect you to answer me honestly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss looked into his father\u2019s face and nodded, though his face continued to be streaked with tears.<\/p>\n

\u201cJewel says you hit her,\u201d Ben reported, \u201cand pushed her down.\u00a0 Is that true, Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss swiped at his wet face.\u00a0 \u201cI pushed her,\u201d he admitted, \u201cbut she hit me first, Pa!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy did she hit you?\u201d Ben pressed.\u00a0 \u201cWere you arguing?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cN\u2014no,\u201d Hoss quavered.\u00a0 \u201cShe kept pokin\u2019 me in the stomach and callin\u2019 me a fat baby, so I pushed her back.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI see,\u201d Ben said gravely.\u00a0 \u201cWell, Jewel shouldn\u2019t have behaved that way, son, but that doesn\u2019t give you the right to respond in kind.\u00a0 Boys mustn\u2019t hit girls, Hoss.\u00a0 Women\u2014\u2014small ones, especially\u2014\u2014are built more delicately than men\u2014\u2014or boys\u2014\u2014and they must be treated with respect, whether they deserve it or not.\u00a0 And you must be extra careful because you\u2019re such a big boy.\u00a0 You could hurt someone without meaning to.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut she killed him!\u201d Hoss wailed.<\/p>\n

\u201cHuh?\u201d Adam asked, crawling onto the bed at Hoss\u2019s other side.\u00a0 \u201cKilled who, baby?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy doggy,\u201d Hoss whimpered and buried his face in his father\u2019s gray satin vest.<\/p>\n

Ben looked completely perplexed, but Adam began to search the room, and soon his sharp eyes spotted Hoss\u2019s little calico dog, its head torn off, tossed under a table.\u00a0 Adam hopped up and grabbed the little dog.\u00a0 \u201cLook what she did!\u201d he yelled.\u00a0 \u201cNo wonder Hoss pushed her.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Hoss admitted honestly.\u00a0 \u201cI pushed first, then she took my dog and\u2014\u2014and\u2014\u201d\u00a0 He buried his face again.<\/p>\n

Ben held the boy close for a moment.\u00a0 \u201cYou see, Hoss, that\u2019s just what I\u2019ve been trying to tell you.\u201d\u00a0 He took the fabric dog from Adam\u2019s hand.\u00a0 \u201cJewel did this because she lost her temper, and if you don\u2019t learn to control yours, you could hurt a real person just as badly.\u00a0 You know, like when you play too rough with Adam sometimes?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTell me about it!\u201d Adam grinned.\u00a0 His tailbone had been bruised for a week after his last wrestling match with his brother, and that had been in fun.<\/p>\n

Ben frowned at his older son for distracting Hoss\u2019s attention from the point he was trying to make.\u00a0 \u201cDo you understand, Hoss?\u00a0 No pushing,\u201d Ben said firmly.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2014I\u2019m sorry, Pa,\u201d Hoss said meekly.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd that\u2019s just what you must tell Jewel tomorrow morning,\u201d Ben dictated.\u00a0 He stood and eased Hoss into a reclining position.\u00a0 \u201cGo to sleep now, Hoss.\u201d\u00a0 He looked at the damaged toy in his hand and continued, \u201cAnd don\u2019t worry about your dog.\u00a0 I\u2019m sure Aunt Nelly can mend him good as new.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure,\u201d Adam said, wrapping a comforting arm around his brother.\u00a0 \u201cAunt Nelly can fix anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

At last a feeble smile flickered across Hoss\u2019s face.\u00a0 Ben kissed both boys good night and took the injured dog with him to pack away in his carpetbag until they reached home again.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam,\u201d Hoss whispered after his father had left.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2014I still don\u2019t like that girl.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMe, either,\u201d Adam replied loyally, as he undressed for bed, \u201cor her fancy pants brother either, but we\u2019d better keep that to ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, to ourselves,\u201d Hoss agreed.<\/p>\n

Adam pulled his nightshirt over his head, buttoned it snugly and crawled in beside Hoss.\u00a0 The younger boy huddled close and Adam let him lay his tawny head against his shoulder.<\/p>\n

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

The atmosphere at breakfast the next morning was decidedly chilly.\u00a0 Urged by her mother, Jewel accepted Hoss\u2019s apology, but neither mother nor daughter regarded the youngster with warmth afterwards.\u00a0 Ben ached for his little boy.\u00a0 Hoss had always been such a loving child, and to see him slighted pained Ben\u2019s heart.\u00a0 He said nothing, however, for fear he\u2019d say too much.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t see destroying a friendship over a disagreement between two children and could only hope the Larrimores would feel as he did.\u00a0 The look on Camilla\u2019s face, however, didn\u2019t bode well for that hope.<\/p>\n

When the meal ended, Lawrence asked if he could see Ben alone in his study.\u00a0 Reluctantly, Ben followed his host into the book-lined room and sat in the leather armchair Lawrence indicated.\u00a0 Lawrence sat in a matching chair nearby, nervously fingering the brass studs on the armrest.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m supposed to be saying some firm words to you about your son\u2019s behavior toward my daughter,\u201d he said quietly.<\/p>\n

Ben shifted uncomfortably, though the chair was amply padded.\u00a0 \u201cLawrence, I\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

Larrimore raised his hand, palm toward Ben.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s no need to defend your boy, Ben,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cHe hasn\u2019t told his version of the story\u2014\u2014at your instruction, I\u2019m sure\u2014\u2014but without hearing it, I know whatever happened was instigated by Jewel.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben blew out a sigh of relief.\u00a0 \u201cWell, Hoss was at fault, too,\u201d he conceded.\u00a0 \u201cHe did push her\u2014\u2014though not without some provocation.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m certain of that!\u201d Lawrence ejaculated.\u00a0 \u201cYou don\u2019t have to tell me how provoking that child can be.\u00a0 Sometimes I despair of her\u2014\u2014and Sterling, too, for that matter.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben sat forward, his face grave.\u00a0 \u201cLawrence, far be it from me to criticize another father\u2019s parenting.\u00a0 Goodness knows, I make mistakes with my boys, but if you\u2019re dissatisfied with your children\u2019s behavior, isn\u2019t it up to you to change it?\u201d<\/p>\n

Lawrence sighed.\u00a0 \u201cEasier said than done, Ben.\u201d\u00a0 He looked earnestly into his old trailmate\u2019s eyes.\u00a0 \u201cYou don\u2019t know what it\u2019s like, Ben, to have disharmony in your home.\u00a0 You and Inger always agreed on everything.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled.\u00a0 \u201cNot everything,\u201d he said quietly, \u201cbut the important things, yes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, Camilla and I are miles apart on everything,\u201d Lawrence stated bluntly.\u00a0 \u201cSometimes I think we\u2019d have been better off if we\u2019d never come west.\u00a0 I thought I could make a better living here, and I have.\u00a0 We\u2019ve made money, but it only seems to make Camilla want things she\u2019d never have been tempted with in St. Joseph.\u00a0 She even talks of my running for political office.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIs that what you want?\u201d Ben asked quietly.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood lands, no!\u201d Lawrence protested.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m a businessman, not a politician.\u00a0 It\u2019s the prestige of a title Camilla yearns for, but I don\u2019t need that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen, tell her,\u201d Ben said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI try,\u201d Lawrence sighed, \u201cbut it\u2019s like talking into the wind.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cKeep trying,\u201d Ben urged as he stood.\u00a0 He laid an encouraging hand on his friend\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cAnd keep trying with those youngsters, too,\u201d he continued.\u00a0 \u201cSterling\u2019s almost a man, Lawrence.\u00a0 If changes are going to be made, they should be made soon.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lawrence nodded, though his face reflected no hope, and reached out to shake Ben\u2019s hand.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll see you out,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Ben smiled.\u00a0 \u201cWould it help if I looked duly chastened?\u201d<\/p>\n

Lawrence chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cIt might, but I\u2019d rather keep things honest, at least between you and me.\u00a0 Tell Hoss I\u2019m sorry about the unpleasantness and that we\u2019ll try to make his next visit a happier one.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI will,\u201d Ben promised.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd give my best to the Reverend Wentworth.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

Ben loaded their carpetbags and got the boys settled into the carriage, then gave directions to the driver.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s not down by the wharf, is it, Pa?\u201d Adam asked as Ben stepped inside the vehicle.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Adam, it\u2019s not,\u201d Ben said, sitting across from the two boys.\u00a0 \u201cI thought we\u2019d stop by Ghirardelli\u2019s first and pick up a box of chocolates for Mary.\u00a0 I doubt she gets many treats.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd deserves \u2018em more than some who get more than their share,\u201d Adam observed.<\/p>\n

\u201cHush,\u201d Ben cautioned.\u00a0 \u201cLittle pitchers\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know who you mean,\u201d Hoss protested, \u201cand I know who Adam means, too\u2014\u2014that bad girl.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss\u2014\u201d Ben said, warning in his tone.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t like her, Pa; I don\u2019t like that Jewel at all,\u201d Hoss sputtered.<\/p>\n

Adam slunk down in his seat.\u00a0 Trust Hoss to blurt out what he\u2019d promised to keep to himself.\u00a0 Now, if he just wouldn\u2019t implicate his big brother\u2014<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, let\u2019s not talk about her,\u201d Ben said, lifting Hoss\u2019s chin with two fingers.\u00a0 \u201cPa\u2019s gonna take you to a place that\u2019ll make you forget all about Jewel Larrimore.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam sat up straighter.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, Hoss.\u00a0 Mister Ghirardelli makes chocolates.\u00a0 Candy, Hoss, a whole store of nothing but chocolate candy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, boy!\u201d Hoss cried and his characteristic smile returned.<\/p>\n

Ben sat back, relieved.\u00a0 Never before had he heard Hoss express dislike for anyone.\u00a0 The little lad had always been open and trusting of everyone he met, and Ben hated to see that innocence die.\u00a0 A few chocolates wouldn\u2019t really cure a brush with harsh reality, but an afternoon with the Wentworths might.\u00a0 The minister and his family had little to share of material goods, but they had warm, loving hearts, and right now that was what Ben\u2019s wounded little boy needed.<\/p>\n

The carriage pulled up outside Ghirardelli\u2019s Confectionery and Ben jumped outside.\u00a0 \u201cWe won\u2019t be long,\u201d he told the driver.\u00a0 \u201cPlease wait.\u201d\u00a0 The carriage driver tipped his top hat in acknowledgment.<\/p>\n

Adam had helped Hoss out of the conveyance, and the younger boy was tugging on his brother\u2019s hand, eager to go inside.\u00a0 Ben laughed and gave Hoss\u2019s free hand a happy swing.\u00a0 All smiles, the three Cartwrights entered.<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, Signor<\/em>,\u201d the Italian behind the counter called.\u00a0 \u201cYou have come again and brought another new customer, I see.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is my younger son, Hoss, Signor<\/em> Ghirardelli,\u201d Ben said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, a fine, big boy, he is,\u201d Ghirardelli said, his face beaming, \u201cand do you like chocolates, my leetle friend?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLots!\u201d Hoss cried.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, well, lots is not what you\u2019re gonna get,\u201d Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cToo many sweets aren\u2019t good for you, son.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s-a true,\u201d Ghirardelli agreed, \u201cbut it\u2019s a long way to come for more, Signor<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Laughing, Ben agreed.\u00a0 \u201cI want a pound of assorted chocolates like you\u2019ve made up for me before\u2014\u2014for a very sweet little lady, and then a small bag for each of the boys here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, sure,\u201d the Italian agreed readily.\u00a0 \u201cWhat-a kind you like, boys?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI want all orange,\u201d Adam said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd how about a you?\u201d Ghirardelli asked Hoss.<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s nose was pressed up against the glass behind which all the tempting confections lay.\u00a0 \u201cAre they different?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, all different,\u201d the confectioner said as he was putting Adam\u2019s triangular chocolates with the creamy orange centers into a bag.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe I fix you up with a few each kind, eh?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what you should do, Hoss,\u201d Adam advised.\u00a0 \u201cThat way you can decide which kind is your favorite.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss nodded eagerly and Ghirardelli went to work fixing up his bag of chocolates and filling a box for Mary Wentworth.<\/p>\n

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

Ten-year-old Mary was thrilled when the Cartwright boys presented her with the box of candy.\u00a0 \u201cOh, how wonderful!\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve never had such a treat.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI got some, too,\u201d Hoss informed her, \u201cbut not as many.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss,\u201d Ben rebuked quickly.<\/p>\n

Fair-haired Mary laughed, a silvery sound.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s all right.\u00a0 I can\u2019t imagine how long it\u2019ll take me to eat so many.\u00a0 Maybe Hoss would like a piece of mine.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe would not,\u201d Ben said firmly and Hoss\u2019s face fell.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s nice,\u201d Hoss announced, \u201cnot like that Jewel girl.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss,\u201d Ben chided again, then shook his head, chuckling.\u00a0 No need to keep up appearances with Ebenezer Wentworth.\u00a0 They\u2019d been through far too much together on the journey west to keep secrets.\u00a0 \u201cHoss and Jewel had a disagreement last night,\u201d he explained.\u00a0 \u201cHoss is still upset because Jewel ripped his toy dog apart.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAunt Nelly fix when we get home,\u201d Hoss declared, but his blue eyes were still clouded.<\/p>\n

Mary bent down to look into Hoss\u2019s face.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe I could mend your doggy,\u201d she offered.\u00a0 \u201cWould you like me to try?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sure Mary can do the job,\u201d Ebenezer said, smiling at Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cShe\u2019s a fine little needlewoman.\u201d\u00a0 The proof of his statement was all around them, in the yellow gingham curtains at the roughly cut window and the cushions tied to the plain, unmatched chairs in the Wentworth\u2019s makeshift sitting room.<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s face lit up, as if sunny rays had split the clouds in his eyes.\u00a0 \u201cUnh-huh.\u00a0 Try,\u201d he said, fumbling at the clasp on his father\u2019s carpetbag, which still sat in the floor.<\/p>\n

When Hoss had burrowed beneath his father\u2019s shirts and stockings to pull out the beheaded dog, Mary took his hand.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s go back to my room, then, Hoss, and find a needle and thread.\u00a0 You coming, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam will be coming with me, Mary,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cHoss, are you sure you want to stay here?\u201d\u00a0 Oh, how he hoped the boy would say yes!\u00a0 A squirming almost-five-year-old was the last thing Ben wanted to take to Clarence Williams\u2019 office, but after his experience last night Hoss might not be trusting enough to stay with strangers.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanna stay,\u201d Hoss said.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s fix my dog, Mary, and go look at the big boats.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right, that\u2019s just what we\u2019ll do,\u201d Mary agreed as she led Hoss toward her room.\u00a0 \u201cAnd you mustn\u2019t think too harshly of Jewel, Hoss; she\u2019s been very good to me.\u00a0 Did you know she gave me this dress of hers after she outgrew it?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss shook his head, not believing that Jewel Larrimore could ever have worn anything that small.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cNow this alcove at the front is where I\u2019ll do the book work,\u201d Ben said, pointing to the finished plans spread out on the table around which the Reverend Wentworth and his two sons, along with Ben and Adam, were grouped.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a fine house, Ben,\u201d Ebenezer said admiringly.\u00a0 \u201cYou must be very proud.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben ran affectionate fingers through Adam\u2019s dark hair.\u00a0 \u201cIf you mean proud of my boy, I certainly am.\u00a0 The ideas were mostly his.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd fine ideas they were,\u201d Wentworth\u2019s older son, eighteen-year-old Matthew said with a kind smile toward Adam.<\/p>\n

Adam couldn\u2019t respond.\u00a0 He was still glowing with the warm praise Clarence Williams had heaped on his head, and to receive more from the young man he\u2019d admired so much on their trip west was overwhelming, like icing on a cake already too sweet.<\/p>\n

The door cut in the side of the old sailing vessel in which the Wentworths lived opened.\u00a0 \u201cPa!\u201d Hoss yelled, running to his father.\u00a0 \u201cI saw the ocean and big, big boats.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, that\u2019s fine, son,\u201d Ben said, then noticed with alarm how bedraggled Hoss\u2019s pretty companion looked as she shut the door.<\/p>\n

\u201cMary, you shouldn\u2019t have gone out with the wind so chilly,\u201d her seventeen-year-old brother Mark admonished.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Mark, don\u2019t scold,\u201d Mary pleaded.\u00a0 \u201cHoss wanted to go, and it wasn\u2019t that cool.\u201d\u00a0 Her sudden cough gave more credence to Mark\u2019s words than her own.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d have taken him when I got home,\u201d Mark said.<\/p>\n

\u201cMary, love, go lie down a bit,\u201d her father urged, his dark eyes clouded with concern.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re tired.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s time to start supper,\u201d Mary protested.<\/p>\n

Ben laid a gentle hand on her frail arm.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ll not be cooking tonight, my dear.\u00a0 I\u2019m taking you all to dinner.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Ben, no,\u201d Ebenezer protested.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s too costly.\u00a0 There\u2019s four of us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve done very well with my ranch, Ebenezer.\u00a0 I may not have the kind of wealth the Larrimores do, but I\u2019ve more than enough for our needs,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cLet me share with you what God has blessed me with.\u00a0 It would give me pleasure.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Papa, a real restaurant,\u201d Mary murmured, her blue eyes shining.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2014I would so like that, and I am tired.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mary was the one person who could possibly have swayed the Reverend Wentworth, for the softest spot in his heart was reserved for his delicate daughter.\u00a0 \u201cWell, if Mary would enjoy it, I suppose I oughtn\u2019t say no,\u201d he said, smiling fondly at her, \u201cbut she must rest awhile before we go.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI will, Papa,\u201d Mary promised, lightly kissing his cheek before heading down the hall to her room.\u00a0 Like a faithful pup, Hoss trotted after his new friend.<\/p>\n

\u201cHave you had a doctor examine Mary recently?\u201d Ben asked anxiously.<\/p>\n

\u201cLast month,\u201d Wentworth said.\u00a0 \u201cShe\u2019s not ill, Ben, just not strong, so we tend to be protective.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe needs a warmer home, Ebenezer,\u201d Ben stated flatly.\u00a0 \u201cShe\u2019s done wonders in turning this old hulk into one, but it\u2019s drafty and hard to heat, I should imagine.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI tell father that constantly,\u201d Matthew muttered.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the best we can afford,\u201d Wentworth said, laying a silencing hand on his older son\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cMy congregation is small, at least the portion of them which pay their tithes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey pay them on the Barbary Coast,\u201d Mark spat out bitterly.<\/p>\n

Ebenezer sighed.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m afraid that\u2019s more true than not.\u00a0 Are you familiar with the area, Ben?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded.\u00a0 \u201cSlightly.\u00a0 I don\u2019t go there myself.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank God!\u201d Ebenezer exclaimed.\u00a0 \u201cThat twelve-block section is the most depraved place I\u2019ve ever seen: nothing but cheap groggeries and bawdy houses, where girls sell their souls for the price of a drink.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd Cheap John stores, don\u2019t forget them,\u201d Mark snapped.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019d all be naked but for those and the Larrimores\u2019 charitable castoffs.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCheap Johns sell used clothing, Mr. Cartwright,\u201d Matthew explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cProbably stolen from shanghaied sailors,\u201d Mark groused, \u201cbut we aren\u2019t too proud to wear them, are we, father?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBoys, this is no way to behave before a guest,\u201d Ebenezer chided.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not a guest,\u201d Ben said quickly.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m your friend, practically a member of your family.\u00a0 Why haven\u2019t you told me how hard things were?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ebenezer brushed against Ben\u2019s shoulder as he passed him and sat down in one of the rickety chairs.\u00a0 \u201cThe Lord provides,\u201d he whispered.<\/p>\n

Ben flushed.\u00a0 He believed in that principle, of course, but he also believed that God generally provided through people.\u00a0 \u201cEbenezer,\u201d he said softly.\u00a0 \u201cLike others in your congregation, I\u2019ve been remiss in paying my tithes\u2014\u2014for years now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wentworth smiled.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re not part of my congregation, Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen, whose?\u201d Ben pressed, taking a seat near the other man.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re the only minister I\u2019ve had since I left St. Joe.\u00a0 There\u2019s certainly none in Carson County, unless you count Mormons.\u00a0 Why shouldn\u2019t I express my gratitude to God for all He\u2019s given me by supporting your work here?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ebenezer sat forward, tears in his eyes.\u00a0 \u201cBless you, Ben.\u00a0 How can I refuse?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust see you spend it on Mary and not on drunken sailors or whores from Pacific Street,\u201d Mark said harshly.<\/p>\n

\u201cMark!\u201d his father protested, but Mark merely folded his arms and stared his father down, obviously unrepentant.<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s eyes narrowed.\u00a0 He\u2019d never heard one of Ebenezer\u2019s boys speak so disrespectfully to his father.\u00a0 Too much hardship, endured too long, perhaps\u2014\u2014that and a brother\u2019s honest concern for the welfare of his little sister.\u00a0 Well, Ben would do his best to relieve the hardship and lessen the concern, starting tonight.\u00a0 \u201cLook, you\u2019re going to have to tell me where we should eat,\u201d Ben suggested.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t get here often enough to know the best places.\u00a0 We ate at Delmonico\u2019s last night, and it was good, but a little on the grand side.\u00a0 We can go there, of course, if that\u2019s what you\u2019d like, but I\u2019d be content with simpler fare.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s the Irving Restaurant, not far from here,\u201d Matthew suggested.\u00a0 \u201cNot a door the Larrimores would darken, of course, but it would suit us, I\u2019m sure.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Irving it is, then,\u201d Ben said brightly.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll leave as soon as Mary\u2019s sufficiently rested.\u201d\u00a0 He stood and began to roll up the plans for his new home.\u00a0 Tapping them, he turned to Ebenezer.\u00a0 \u201cWhen this is built, I want you all to come for a nice, long visit,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll have plenty of room.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBen, I couldn\u2019t,\u201d Wentworth said.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s a kind offer, but I couldn\u2019t leave my work here.\u00a0 The needs are too great.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben sighed, but he knew the minister too well to argue against what the man saw as his duty.\u00a0 \u201cMary, at least,\u201d he said softly.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s why we\u2019re building those extra rooms, for people like her.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBen,\u201d Ebenezer said, standing to hold his friend by both arms.\u00a0 \u201cBen, that isn\u2019t possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut, Ebenezer, think how good it would be for her,\u201d Ben urged.\u00a0 \u201cA few months in our cool, dry air would strengthen her; I know it would.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wentworth sighed.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t doubt that, but it would ruin her reputation, my friend.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben blanched.\u00a0 \u201cSurely, you don\u2019t think I\u2019d\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

The minister\u2019s bony fingers gripped Ben\u2019s arms tightly.\u00a0 \u201cNo, of course not!\u201d he said firmly.\u00a0 \u201cBut that isn\u2019t the point.\u00a0 The Scripture teaches us to avoid the very appearance of evil, and you must consider how it would appear. \u00a0I can\u2019t send my girl to live with an unmarried man, Ben; you know I can\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s face dropped.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2014I didn\u2019t think of that,\u201d he whispered hoarsely.\u00a0 \u201cForgive me, Ebenezer.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFor what?\u201d Ebenezer smiled.\u00a0 \u201cFor having a generous heart, a heart so free of guile it didn\u2019t stop to think how less honorable hearts might construe his kind offer?\u00a0 No, Ben, don\u2019t be ashamed of that, and don\u2019t worry about what you\u2019re unable to give.\u00a0 What you can do is quite sufficient and all God expects of anyone.\u00a0 Now, shall we see if Mary\u2019s ready to go to dinner?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben blinked back the moisture in his velvety brown eyes and nodded.<\/p>\n

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

The horse pulling the hired buggy clopped along at an easy pace.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re close now, aren\u2019t we, Pa?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cAbout a mile,\u201d Ben replied, then smiled.\u00a0 \u201cYou tired of traveling, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cKind of,\u201d Adam admitted.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ve been a lot of places this trip.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat we have,\u201d Ben agreed.\u00a0 And now, at last, they were approaching the destination that was the main reason for this summertime journey.\u00a0 He\u2019d wanted to pick up the plans for the house, of course, and introduce Hoss to all his old friends, but the real purpose of this trip to California had been to purchase a horse for Hoss\u2019s birthday.<\/p>\n

The boy would turn five tomorrow, and though that was far younger than Adam had been when he received his first mount, Hoss\u2019s size made the acquisition of an animal almost imperative.\u00a0 He\u2019d been riding double behind his father or brother, but now his added weight had become a disservice, if not outright cruelty, to any horse.\u00a0 And to whom else but Jonathan Payne would Ben turn to find the right animal for his son\u2019s first mount.\u00a0 He\u2019d written ahead of their arrival and was sure Jonathan would have the perfect horse already selected.<\/p>\n

Ben had tested Hoss out at home and decided he was ready for a horse of his own.\u00a0 Though young, the boy was careful around the ranch stock.\u00a0 He\u2019d happily groomed his father\u2019s bay under Ben\u2019s direction and was thrilled when Ben rewarded him by helping him into the saddle and letting him walk the big animal around the yard.\u00a0 Still, Hoss had no suspicion of the birthday present Ben had planned for him.\u00a0 In fact, he hadn\u2019t mentioned his birthday once since they\u2019d left home.\u00a0 Ben suspected the boy had lost all track of the date.\u00a0 He still had little notion of the passing of time.<\/p>\n

The buggy rounded a curve and the Payne hacienda came into view.\u00a0 \u201cThere!\u201d Adam cried, pointing ahead.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s where we\u2019re going, Hoss, Rancho Hermosa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood,\u201d Hoss said.\u00a0 \u201cWe gonna eat soon?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t you ask,\u201d Ben cautioned.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s the middle of the afternoon, boy.\u00a0 Think of something besides your belly for a change.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay,\u201d Hoss agreed grumpily.\u00a0 What difference did it make what time it was if a fellow was hungry?\u00a0 His face perked up again, however, when he saw the three children playing tag in the yard as his father reined up before the house.\u00a0 \u201cLook, Pa, kids!\u201d he cried.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome your age for a change, eh?\u201d Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cWell, clamber down, son, and I\u2019ll introduce you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss \u201cclambered down\u201d more quickly than Ben had ever seen him move before and trotted over to the youngsters who stopped their play to examine the newcomer.\u00a0 \u201cHi,\u201d Hoss called, running to them.<\/p>\n

\u201cUncle Ben!\u201d the little girl squealed and came running.<\/p>\n

Ben tossed her high and gave her a quick squeeze.\u00a0 \u201cHello, Susan,\u201d he said, then setting her down, \u201cI want you to meet my son Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n

Susan, though slightly older than Hoss, had to look up into his face.\u00a0 \u201cHi, Hoss,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cMama said you\u2019d be coming, and I\u2019m real glad.\u00a0 We\u2019re gonna have a party for you\u2014\u2014with cake and even ice cream!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCake!\u201d Hoss shouted.\u00a0 \u201cOh, boy!\u201d\u00a0 Then his face screwed up in thought.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s ice cream?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cOh, you\u2019ll like it.\u201d\u00a0 He started to stoop down to greet three-year-old Samuel Payne, but just as his knees bent, he heard a rush of footsteps running across the porch.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Ben!\u201d Rachel Payne cried, throwing her arms around him and planting a kiss on his cheek.\u00a0 She spun around and gasped as she caught sight of the sandy-haired boy standing by Susan.\u00a0 \u201cOh, this can\u2019t be Hoss,\u201d she murmured, folding him in her arms.\u00a0 \u201cOh, Ben, he\u2019s so\u2014so tall.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFor five, you mean?\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cYes, you\u2019re quite a big boy, aren\u2019t you, Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss nodded, tilting his head to gaze quizzically at the dark-haired lady.\u00a0 Ben read the question correctly and answered it.\u00a0 \u201cThis is Mrs. Payne, Hoss, your mother\u2019s dearest friend.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss smiled then.\u00a0 That made the lady seem very special.<\/p>\n

\u201cMama, may Hoss come play with us?\u201d Susan asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cBen?\u201d Rachel queried.<\/p>\n

\u201cSure,\u201d Ben said, then touched Hoss\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cRemember to play gentle, boy; they\u2019re smaller than you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss grinned and walked away with Susan, Samuel and the little Mexican girl they\u2019d been playing with.\u00a0 Adam hadn\u2019t been invited, but he tagged along after the younger children, figuring that would be more fun than listening to his father and Mrs. Payne talk over how all their friends were doing.\u00a0 That conversation had been repeated at every stop they\u2019d made the last couple of weeks, and Adam didn\u2019t care to hear it again.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome in, Ben,\u201d Rachel said, taking his arm.\u00a0 \u201cWould you like some coffee, or maybe lemonade?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLemonade sounds refreshing,\u201d Ben suggested.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s been a dusty drive.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rachel smiled.\u00a0 \u201cI just knew you\u2019d come today.\u00a0 Jonathan wasn\u2019t sure, but\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNor was I,\u201d Ben chuckled as they entered the hacienda, \u201cbut I\u2019m glad it worked out as planned.\u00a0 I really wanted to give Hoss his birthday present on the right day.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, Jon had just the horse picked out,\u201d Rachel said, sitting on the sofa, \u201cbut I have a feeling he\u2019ll have to pick another.\u00a0 You wrote that Hoss was big for his age, but we took it for a proud father\u2019s bragging.\u00a0 You weren\u2019t exaggerating, though!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, no,\u201d Ben laughed as he sat beside Rachel.\u00a0 \u201cNow, what\u2019s this I hear about a party?\u201d<\/p>\n

Rachel flushed.\u00a0 \u201cOh, I hope you won\u2019t mind, but I\u2019ve asked a few of my children\u2019s friends to a luncheon tomorrow in Hoss\u2019s honor.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow could I mind such a thoughtful gesture?\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cHoss will be thrilled, especially by that ice cream.\u201d<\/p>\n

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX<\/p>\n

\u00a0Ben sat casually in his saddle and gazed across the range where the men were finishing the fall roundup by branding the new calves and those that had evaded the spring cow gather.\u00a0 He was smiling, happy on this, his thirty-fifth birthday.\u00a0 Though there\u2019d be no cake and ice cream for him, as there had been for Hoss\u2019s special day, Ben was content.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t need the trappings of a celebration to tell him how much he had to celebrate.\u00a0 The ranch continued to show a profit; in fact, as Ben had indicated to the Reverend Wentworth, he had far more than enough to meet basic needs\u2014\u2014both for him and his boys.<\/p>\n

Ah, those boys! They were the pride of his life.\u00a0 Ben smiled even more broadly as he saw Hoss walking his gray mare in the wake of Adam\u2019s sorrel one.\u00a0 The younger boy still didn\u2019t sit a steady saddle, so he was required to stick close to either his brother or his father when he rode.\u00a0 He obeyed that restriction flawlessly, however, so Ben didn\u2019t worry about him even when he was out of sight.\u00a0 Hoss was doing his share of chores around the place now, too.\u00a0 To be honest, more than his share, for the boy\u2019s physical strength enabled him to carry out tasks that Adam could only have dreamed of doing when he was five.<\/p>\n

Hoss loved animals and gladly did any chore concerned with their care.\u00a0 In fact, the only problem Ben had had with Hoss lately had developed when they\u2019d started branding the day before.\u00a0 Fearful the little animals were being hurt, Hoss had wept openly, but finally seemed to accept his father\u2019s word that burning the calves\u2019 hide with a searing iron was essential.\u00a0 Seeing the gangly-legged creatures get up and run off afterwards as if nothing had happened seemed to convince Hoss that all was well, and he definitely liked the look of the brand Ben had chosen, a stick figure portraying a pine tree.<\/p>\n

Then, Adam.\u00a0 What a fine hand that older boy was turning out to be!\u00a0 Adam didn\u2019t have Hoss\u2019s affinity for animals, but he possessed a firm devotion to duty and always seemed to be looking for new ways to help out.\u00a0 He was picking up the skills of a real cattleman from the men, too.\u00a0 Ben laughed joyously as he saw Adam expertly cut a calf from those milling about and drive it to the branding area.\u00a0 Better than I could have done,<\/em> Ben admitted.\u00a0 But then Adam had gotten an earlier start.\u00a0 Yes, both boys had a fine future ahead of them on this ranch Ben was building and that was fitting: he was building it for them.<\/p>\n

Building.\u00a0 Yes, there\u2019d be a lot of building going on this year and next.\u00a0 As soon as roundup was finished, Ben hoped to begin logging trees and squaring timbers for the new house.\u00a0 That would take some time, so he didn\u2019t plan the actual raising of the house until next spring.\u00a0 By that time, though, he hoped to have all the preparations made, so by this time next year, he and the boys should be well settled into their new home.<\/p>\n

Ben jerked himself out of his reverie.\u00a0 Birthday or no birthday, there was work to do, and he\u2019d best get back to doing his share.\u00a0 He touched the bay gelding\u2019s flank with his heels and trotted across the range.<\/p>\n

Later that evening Ben met with his foreman Jean D\u2019Marigny to assess the final tally of calves branded.\u00a0 \u201cMore than I expected,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ve had a good year.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOui, un bon an<\/em>,\u201d Jean replied.<\/p>\n

Ben smiled.\u00a0 \u201cYou must miss having someone around who understands your language, Jean.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jean shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cOne becomes accustomed to what one must, monsieur<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s smile faded.\u00a0 \u201cA sad philosophy, Jean.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jean spread his hands in a noncommittal gesture.\u00a0 \u201cIt is a sad world, monsieur<\/em>.\u00a0 We can but make the best of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s brows knit together.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2014you said once you had a wife, Jean.\u00a0 I\u2019m sure you must miss her greatly.\u201d\u00a0 A sudden thought made Ben brighten.\u00a0 \u201cIt just occurred to me, Jean, that by this time next year I\u2019ll have no need for my cabin.\u00a0 Perhaps you\u2019d like to bring your wife out and\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Jean said abruptly.\u00a0 \u201cThat one will never share my bed again!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2014I\u2019m sorry,\u201d Ben stammered.\u00a0 \u201cI didn\u2019t mean to pry.\u00a0 I just assumed\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

Jean shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cA natural assumption, monsieur<\/em>; think nothing of it.\u00a0 It was a kind thought, but as much as I love my wife, never again can I exchange with her a kiss, an embrace.\u201d\u00a0 The Frenchman\u2019s voice broke slightly, but he recovered quickly and flashed Ben the smile that his employer now suspected he used to cover a heart filled with pain.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut if you love her,\u201d Ben began, then stopped himself.\u00a0 It was really none of his business.<\/p>\n

Jean, however, seemed to think his employer had a right to an explanation, or perhaps, Ben later thought, the Frenchman really needed to unburden himself.\u00a0 Whatever his motive, Jean said passionately, \u201cI love Marie as I love my heart and my soul, but I cannot hold in my arms a woman who was unfaithful.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you certain she was?\u201d Ben asked sympathetically.<\/p>\n

\u201cI myself found her in the arms of another\u2014\u2014in the bed where we had shared only a month together as man and wife,\u201d Jean declared.\u00a0 \u201cShe protested her innocence, of course, but it was impossible to misread the evidence of my own eyes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d Ben conceded, feeling the other man\u2019s grief over his wife\u2019s behavior.\u00a0 \u201cI am sorry, Jean.\u00a0 That\u2019s why you left New Orleans, I suppose?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOui<\/em>, and why I can never return,\u201d the foreman said, a trace of sadness touching his words.\u00a0 \u201cEvery sight, every smell is a reminder of Marie and of the amour<\/em> we shared, though for so short a time.\u00a0 She betrayed that love, then lied to cover her sin.\u00a0 I can never forgive that, monsieur<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben lightly touched the Frenchman\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201c\u2018Never\u2019 is a long time, Jean,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cI can\u2019t pretend to know how you feel, but I have learned that harboring unforgiveness only poisons your own heart.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jean pulled away.\u00a0 \u201cAs you say, monsieur<\/em>, you cannot know how I feel.\u201d\u00a0 D\u2019Marigny, evidently fearing he\u2019d already too openly revealed his emotions, excused himself quickly.<\/p>\n

Ben went inside the cabin and looked at the pictures on the mantel.\u00a0 How blessed he had been to find two such worthy women to share his love.\u00a0 He lifted both frames and held them close to his heart, glad no one was there to see the foolish gesture, although it was meaningful to him.\u00a0 Like Jean, he would never again know the embrace of a woman, for no one, he was sure, could fill the shoes of Elizabeth or Inger.\u00a0 Though clutching their likenesses made him doubly aware of that, it made him feel closer to them, too.\u00a0 Ben knew something that would work even better, though, so he set the pictures back in place and headed for the barn, where Adam and Hoss were doing chores.\u00a0 The boys were living legacies of their mothers\u2019 love, and with them in his arms, Ben knew the aching loneliness couldn\u2019t touch him.\u00a0 The boys were everything to him, and that\u2019s what he wanted for them\u2014\u2014everything.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cHey, Ben!\u201d Clyde shouted.<\/p>\n

Ben raised a hand in salutation and waited for the older man to reach him.<\/p>\n

Clyde swung down from his mount.\u00a0 \u201cYou goin\u2019 in or comin\u2019 out?\u201d he asked, jerking his head toward the building behind Ben.<\/p>\n

Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cComing out, Clyde.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDone made your choices, have you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYup, too late to campaign for your favorite candidates,\u201d Ben smiled.<\/p>\n

Clyde scowled.\u00a0 \u201cYou know my favorite candidates,\u201d he said gruffly.\u00a0 \u201cEvery gentile on the ticket, few though they be.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s the truth!\u201d Ben laughed, shaking his head.\u00a0 It really wasn\u2019t a laughing matter.\u00a0 Virtually every office for which the new judge Orson Hyde had called this September 20th election offered a slate of only Mormon candidates.\u00a0 Worse than that, in Ben\u2019s opinion, was the fact that many of them were new to the county, and Ben hadn\u2019t gotten to know them as well as he would have liked to before marking his ballot.\u00a0 \u201cNever felt less prepared for an election in my life,\u201d he remarked to Clyde.<\/p>\n

Clyde snorted.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t see as how it makes much difference how we vote; we\u2019re plumb outnumbered.\u00a0 Well, gotta go through the motions, I reckon.\u00a0 Stick around while I do this fool thing, and we can ride back to my place together.\u00a0 Nelly\u2019ll have my hide if I don\u2019t ask you to lunch.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCan\u2019t have that!\u201d Ben said gravely.\u00a0 \u201cYour ornery hide wouldn\u2019t even make decent shoe leather, so I\u2019d better wait.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clyde aimed a stream of tobacco juice just short of Ben\u2019s boots and walked inside to do his civic duty.<\/p>\n

Ben didn\u2019t learn the election results until the following Sunday when he and the boys arrived for dinner at the Thomas\u2019s.\u00a0 The Mormons hadn\u2019t scored quite the unvarnished victory Clyde had feared, but they had elected their own candidates to every office except that of prosecuting attorney.\u00a0 Clyde\u2019s was not the only voice raised in protest.\u00a0 Elsewhere in the county, discontent with Mormon domination became increasingly vocal; many openly declared that they would prefer to align themselves with California.\u00a0 In response to the outcry, Orson Hyde requested California governor John Bigler to conduct a survey to determine whether Carson County lay within the borders of that state.\u00a0 To no one\u2019s surprise, the survey concluded that the residents of Carson Valley were completely within the jurisdiction of the Territory of Utah.<\/p>\n

Though Ben had tried to support the Mormon government, as being the only one they had, he found it hard to defend the actions of the special term of court which met in John Reese\u2019s home October 27th.\u00a0 At Sunday dinner the next day Clyde was fuming about the \u201cconnivin\u2019 Mormons\u201d granting themselves \u201cthe sole and exclusive\u201d right to dig ditches to channel the waters of the Carson River near Gold Canyon.\u00a0 Ben had to agree; the ruling seemed biased, for one of the men granted the privilege was none other than Judge Hyde himself.\u00a0 Other prominent men involved included John Reese and his nephew Stephen A. Kinsey, editor of the Scorpion<\/em>.\u00a0 \u201cGot half a mind never to buy a copy of Kinsey\u2019s rag again!\u201d Clyde stormed.<\/p>\n

Ben smiled.\u00a0 Small chance of that.\u00a0 The Scorpion<\/em> probably did slant its stories to a pro-Mormon viewpoint, but it also provided practically the only news available in this remote region.\u00a0 Not likely Clyde would be willing to give that up.<\/p>\n

Reese brought in fifty Chinese laborers to dig his ditches, which gave Clyde something else to complain about.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re drownin\u2019 in heathens,\u201d he growled.<\/p>\n

Ben kept his opinion to himself, but he personally admired the Orientals.\u00a0 They were hard workers, who mostly kept to themselves and caused problems for no one.\u00a0 Besides, Ben thought they added a little exotic flavor to the community with their loose blue cotton tunics and pants, and their peaked straw hats.\u00a0 More and more of them, however, were exchanging their Chinese garments for the red flannel shirts and denim britches of the local miners.\u00a0 Reese complained that too many were deserting the work for which he\u2019d imported them to prospect in the mines, but that was his problem.\u00a0 Ben didn\u2019t feel inclined to criticize a man for wanting to better himself, although he didn\u2019t personally think mining was the surest road to prosperity.<\/p>\n

Despite his diminishing work force, Reese completed his water project and began to compel other settlers to pay for the use of the water which had previously been free to all.\u00a0 Neither the Cartwrights nor the Thomases were personally affected, however; both lived too far from Reese\u2019s canal to be serviced by it.\u00a0 The Mormon leader, nonetheless, fell a rung or two on the ladder of Ben\u2019s respect.<\/p>\n

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

Just before entering the building Ben laid a firm hand on Adam\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cI want you to remember, son, that however much this place looks like a barn, it is, in actuality, a court of law.\u201d he admonished.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re here to listen and learn how our government works, not to call attention to yourself in any way.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not a baby, Pa,\u201d Adam protested.\u00a0 \u201cI know how to act.\u201d\u00a0 I sure should<\/em>, he grumbled to himself, after all the lectures I had to listen to before you\u2019d let me come.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cSee that you do, then,\u201d Ben said and went inside the stable.\u00a0 He and Adam climbed a ladder into the loft, the only place in town large enough to hold court sessions.\u00a0 When Clyde Thomas signaled him, Ben angled to the left for the seats his friend had saved, giving the one on the aisle to Adam so he could see around the taller heads of the men in the room.\u00a0 Adam was the only youth there.\u00a0 Clyde had offered to let Billy come, but despite the fact that attending the first criminal trial in the newly organized Carson County meant a day\u2019s reprieve from school, Billy had chosen to remain at his desk.<\/p>\n

So he wouldn\u2019t miss a chance to ogle Sally Martin, Adam suspected.\u00a0 He felt proud that no girl could turn him into that kind of fool and glad that work at the ranch was slack enough on this second day of November to permit his father to bring him here.\u00a0 Adam was certain the experience would be educational\u2014\u2014and downright interesting to boot.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s Charles Daggett,\u201d Ben said, pointing to the bearded man in the black suit who was seated to their right behind a table at the front of the room.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s the new prosecuting attorney.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam nodded.\u00a0 \u201cAnd the other man?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t know his name,\u201d Ben admitted, \u201cbut he\u2019s the defendant\u2019s lawyer.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWho talks first?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cMr. Daggett, son.\u201d\u00a0 As he saw Orson Hyde enter the courtroom, Ben laid a finger across his lips to silence any further questions.<\/p>\n

After the preliminaries Charles Daggett called his first witness, A. J. Wyckoff.\u00a0 \u201cMr. Wyckoff, please describe in your own words the incident that occurred between you and Mr. Thacker at your store on the morning of October 29th,\u201d Daggett said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThacker come in my store for supplies,\u201d Wyckoff said, \u201cand had \u2018em mostly together when Mrs. Jacob Rose come in.\u00a0 Naturally, I went to wait on her.\u00a0 Thacker didn\u2019t like the idea of waitin\u2019 his turn and got right rilesome.\u00a0 When I tried to service the lady instead, he started threatening both me and Mrs. Rose.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat was the nature of those threats?\u201d Daggett asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cSaid he\u2019d burn my store down around my ears\u2014\u2014with me in it,\u201d Wyckoff snarled.\u00a0 \u201cMrs. Rose spoke up and said she\u2019d tell the authorities if he did what he said.\u00a0 That\u2019s when he said he\u2019d set her place ablaze, too, and cut her heart out and roast it on the coals if she opened her mouth.\u201d\u00a0 A roar of outrage greeted his words.\u00a0 Women were highly revered in Carson County, and no threat to one was taken lightly.<\/p>\n

Judge Hyde banged his gavel.\u00a0 \u201cSilence!\u201d he ordered.\u00a0 The observers quieted down.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd did you and Thacker become embroiled in an altercation at that point?\u201d the prosecutor pressed.<\/p>\n

\u201cHuh?\u00a0 Well, we had a fight, if that\u2019s what you mean.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what I mean,\u201d Daggett stated.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I slugged the nigger, sure,\u201d Wyckoff declared proudly.\u00a0 \u201cWadn\u2019t gonna stand for no ugly black buck insultin\u2019 a white woman.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cObjection, your honor!\u201d shouted the defense attorney.\u00a0 \u201cThe witness should be admonished against the use of such defamatory language as \u2018ugly black buck.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, that\u2019s what he is, ain\u2019t he?\u201d Wyckoff demanded, glaring at the defendant\u2019s attorney.\u00a0 Murmurs of agreement rippled through one section of the room.<\/p>\n

Hyde slammed the gavel.\u00a0 \u201cMr. Wyckoff,\u201d he ordered.\u00a0 \u201cYou are out of order in responding to counsel.\u00a0 That is my job, sir, and the objection is sustained.\u00a0 There\u2019ll be no gratuitous name-calling in my court.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood,\u201d Ben whispered.\u00a0 \u201cNo need for that.\u201d\u00a0 Adam cut his father a reproachful look. \u00a0Honestly! after all Pa\u2019s admonitions about keeping quiet in court, he was the one breaking the rules!<\/p>\n

\u201cTo continue,\u201d Mr. Daggett said, \u201cwhat was the outcome of this altercation?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTwo other men come in about then and between the three of us, we wrestled that black\u2014\u201d Wyckoff looked sharply at the judge and amended his original phrasing\u2014\u2014\u201cman\u2014\u2014outside and sent for the law.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThacker was then taken into custody and held until his trial today, is that correct?\u201d the prosecutor asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, that\u2019s right,\u201d Wyckoff said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour witness,\u201d Daggett said and sat down.<\/p>\n

The defense counsel was a considerably younger man than the prosecutor.\u00a0 The beardless young Mormon stood and approached the witness.\u00a0 \u201cMr. Wyckoff,\u201d he began, \u201cis it not true that Mr. Thacker had already gathered his supplies and was ready for you to tally the total when Mrs. Rose entered?\u201d<\/p>\n

Wyckoff shifted uneasily.\u00a0 \u201cCouldn\u2019t be sure of that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut did he appear to have finished his selections?\u201d the attorney pressed.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, it looked that way,\u201d Wyckoff admitted.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen, why didn\u2019t you simply tell him how much he owed, let him pay and leave?\u201d the lawyer asked, his head cocked to one side.\u00a0 \u201cAfter all, the lady had just arrived.\u00a0 No doubt she wanted to look around awhile before making her choices.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cObjection,\u201d the prosecutor stated, looking up from the notes he was jotting on a sheet of paper.\u00a0 \u201cCounsel is calling for a conclusion from this witness, asking him to read the mind of a woman.\u00a0 I submit no man is qualified to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Laughter met his jibe.\u00a0 \u201cYou can say that again, mister!\u201d a miner called out.\u00a0 Daggett turned to grin at the man while Hyde again called the courtroom to order and sustained the objection.<\/p>\n

\u201cWithout attempting to read the lady\u2019s mind, then,\u201d the defense attorney asked, \u201cwhy did you leave a customer ready to pay to inquire into her needs?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018Cause she was a lady,\u201d Wyckoff sputtered.\u00a0 \u201cNo lady oughta have to wait on a\u2014a\u201d\u00a0 He broke off, uncertain what to call the defendant without drawing down the wrath of Judge Hyde.<\/p>\n

\u201cAn ugly black buck?\u201d the Mormon lawyer suggested.<\/p>\n

\u201cObjection, your honor!\u201d Daggett cried, jumping to his feet.\u00a0 \u201cCounsel is violating the ruling he himself elicited.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGoes to the bias of the witness, your honor,\u201d the other attorney stated.<\/p>\n

Hyde nodded.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll allow it.\u201d\u00a0 Looking at the prosecutor, he frowned.\u00a0 \u201cTake your seat, Mr. Daggett; your objection is overruled.\u00a0 The witness will answer the question.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFor the sake of clarity, let me rephrase my inquiry,\u201d the defense counsel continued.\u00a0 \u201cAre you stating that your sole reason for refusing Mr. Thacker service was the color of his skin?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t refuse him,\u201d Wyckoff said.\u00a0 \u201cI told him to wait.\u00a0 The lady deserved that respect.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause she\u2019s white?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, because she\u2019s white,\u201d Wyckoff snapped.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you can\u2019t understand how a man might take offense at such arbitrary treatment?\u201d Thacker\u2019s lawyer quizzed, sarcasm in his tone.<\/p>\n

\u201cHis kind should know their place,\u201d Wyckoff declared.<\/p>\n

\u201cHis kind being black men?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHis kind bein\u2019 niggers, yeah,\u201d Wyckoff snarled, daring the judge to make him alter his words.\u00a0 No objection was lodged this time.\u00a0 The defense attorney turned from the witness with a look of contempt and announced, \u201cI have no further questions.\u201d<\/p>\n

The next two witnesses, the men who had come to Wyckoff\u2019s assistance, were dispatched quickly.\u00a0 The prosecutor drew from them a straightforward description of their actions, and the opposing attorney scored a point when he compelled the men to admit that they had not actually seen who instigated the scuffle they broke up.\u00a0 They were followed to the stand by Mrs. Jacob Rose, a middle-aged woman dressed in the conservative style favored by Mormon women.<\/p>\n

\u201cMrs. Rose, did you have a conversation with the defendant on the morning of October 29th?\u201d Mr. Daggett began.<\/p>\n

\u201cI did,\u201d Mrs. Rose replied.<\/p>\n

\u201cWill you relate that conversation for us, please?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI overheard Mr. Thacker threaten to burn down Mr. Wyckoff\u2019s store,\u201d Mrs. Rose stated, \u201cand immediately told him that should he do so, I would inform the authorities and see to his arrest.\u00a0 He told me to mind my own business or he would seek out where I lived and burn my home to the ground, as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWere those his precise words?\u201d Daggett asked.<\/p>\n

Mrs. Rose blushed furiously.\u00a0 \u201cSir, I cannot repeat Mr. Thacker\u2019s exact words,\u201d she pleaded.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cAs a saint, I believe such language to be inappropriate.\u00a0 I have given you his meaning as I understood it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFar be it from me to compel a lady to repeat the strong language used between men during an altercation,\u201d the lawyer said smoothly.\u00a0 \u201cHowever, I must ask whether you can verify that Thacker told you he would cut out your heart and roast it over the hot coals of your home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mrs. Rose nervously twisted the handkerchief in her hands.\u00a0 \u201cYes, he said precisely that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd did you fear for your life?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI did, sir; oh, I assure you, I did,\u201d Mrs. Rose murmured, her lips trembling.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have no further questions, madam,\u201d the prosecutor said.<\/p>\n

The defense attorney rose slowly from his seat.\u00a0 \u201cDo you need a moment to compose yourself, Mrs. Rose?\u201d he asked with deliberate gentleness before approaching her.<\/p>\n

Mrs. Rose shook her head and settled back in the witness chair.\u00a0 \u201cNo, I\u2019m perfectly able to continue.\u201d<\/p>\n

The lawyer smiled graciously.\u00a0 \u201cI have only a few questions.\u00a0 Were you able to hear any of the argument that preceded these alleged threats?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot at first,\u201d Mrs. Rose admitted.\u00a0 \u201cAs their argument became more heated, their voices rose.\u00a0 I heard Mr. Thacker\u2019s threat clearly.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you, for instance, hear Mr. Wyckoff call Mr. Thacker a dirty nigger and order him to remember his place?\u201d the attorney queried.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t recall those exact words,\u201d Mrs. Rose said, \u201cbut they\u2019re similar to what I did hear.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd do you believe such language appropriate, to use your own word, when referring to those of Negro descent?\u201d Thacker\u2019s counsel asked pointedly.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, certainly not,\u201d Mrs. Rose replied, sitting with her spine rigid against the back of the chair.\u00a0 \u201cI believe all men are created in the image of God.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen, why, madam, did you insinuate yourself into the conversation when all Mr. Thacker was doing was defending his personhood?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI did not,\u201d Mrs. Rose said, her chin rising haughtily.\u00a0 \u201cI \u2018insinuated\u2019 myself, as you call it, only when violence was threatened.\u00a0 I believe my actions were proper.\u201d<\/p>\n

The defendant\u2019s lawyer realized he might have overstepped the line of safe cross-examination with the Mormon lady.\u00a0 \u201cIndeed, madam,\u201d he said quickly.\u00a0 \u201cI meant no disparagement of your behavior or disrespect to your person; I sought only to remind the court that my client also is a person meriting respect.\u00a0 Thank you for your testimony, Mrs. Rose.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe people rest, your honor,\u201d Mr. Daggett announced.<\/p>\n

Thacker\u2019s attorney stood.\u00a0 \u201cYour honor, we have heard from all the witnesses to this incident except one.\u00a0 I call Mr. Thacker to the stand.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Thacker stood, Ben could easily see why diminutive Mrs. Rose had felt so intimidated.\u00a0 The burly black miner could have broken her slender neck with one squeeze of his mighty hands.\u00a0 Thacker lumbered to the front, swore to tell the truth, then sat in the designated chair.<\/p>\n

\u201cMr. Thacker, I\u2019d like to ask you a few questions about your background,\u201d his counsel began.\u00a0 \u201cAre you a free citizen of the United States?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYassuh, I is,\u201d Thacker answered.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut that wasn\u2019t always the case.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, suh, I done been born a slave.\u00a0 Been a slave \u2018most all my life.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUntil when?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018Til my massa brought me to Californy in de gold rush.\u00a0 When it become a state, weren\u2019t no slav\u2019ry \u2018lowed, so I up and left him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWould you say your master treated you with respect and dignity, Mr. Thacker?\u201d the lawyer asked, his voice dripping with implied empathy.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour honor, I object,\u201d the prosecutor said wearily.\u00a0 \u201cWhat does this recitation of the defendant\u2019s past have to do with the crime for which he stands accused?\u201d\u00a0 Ben nodded.\u00a0 He\u2019d been wondering that himself.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt relates directly to the motive behind his actions, your honor,\u201d the other attorney argued.<\/p>\n

Hyde thought for a moment.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll overrule the objection, for now.\u00a0 I would advise counsel to make his point quickly, however.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you, your honor,\u201d the defense counsel replied briskly.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll be brief.\u00a0 Mr. Thacker, what kind of treatment have you come to expect from white men such as Mr. Wyckoff?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAin\u2019t knowed hardly none white mens ever treat me like I\u2019s worth scratch,\u201d the black man alleged bitterly.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you feel such treatment is unfair?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYassuh; I\u2019s a man, same as white folk.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMr. Thacker, you don\u2019t deny being in Mr. Wyckoff\u2019s store or having an argument with him, do you?\u201d the lawyer asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, suh, and dey done tole de truf \u2018bout what I said,\u201d Thacker admitted.\u00a0 Ben\u2019s eyes widened; the man had just admitted his own guilt.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou did threaten to burn both Mr. Wyckoff\u2019s store and Mrs. Rose\u2019s home?\u201d the lawyer continued.<\/p>\n

\u201cYassuh.\u00a0 I ain\u2019t proud on it, but I said dem tings,\u201d the black man replied.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy, Mr. Thacker?\u201d his counsel pressed.\u00a0 \u201cWhy did you say those threatening words?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI said \u2018em in anger, suh.\u00a0 I\u2019d heared words like Mr. Wyckoff were usin\u2019 all my life, and it were just too much all on a sudden,\u201d Thacker explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd the vivid language you used to Mrs. Rose,\u201d the attorney said.\u00a0 \u201cWhat made you choose such gruesome words, Mr. Thacker?\u201d<\/p>\n

Thacker looked sorrowfully across the courtroom to where Mrs. Rose sat.\u00a0 \u201cDin zactly choose \u2018em, suh.\u00a0 Dat what ole massa used to say to me when I don\u2019 hop to de way him tink I ought.\u00a0 I do \u2018pologize to de lady, but I was so mad I wanna lash out, kinda de way my back been lashed to ribbons by ole massa.\u00a0 Only ting, I use words, not a whip.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou fought back with words, not a weapon.\u201d\u00a0 The attorney leaned close to his client.\u00a0 \u201cAnd would it ever have gone beyond words, Mr. Thacker?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019 tink so, suh,\u201d the defendant said earnestly.\u00a0 \u201cAfter I simmer down, I\u2019s sorry I say dem words.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou wouldn\u2019t actually have harmed either Mr. Wyckoff or Mrs. Rose?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, suh, don\u2019 tink so.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIn fact, you did them no harm, did you, Mr. Thacker?\u201d<\/p>\n

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

\u201cYour witness,\u201d the attorney informed the prosecutor.<\/p>\n

Daggett leaped immediately to his feet, his attitude belligerent.\u00a0 \u201cYou admit you made the alleged threats, right?\u201d he asked sharply.<\/p>\n

\u201cYassuh,\u201d the defendant replied.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou expect us to believe that you wouldn\u2019t have carried them out, but we have nothing but your word for that, do we, Thacker?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cReckon not, suh, but I\u2019s tellin\u2019 de truf.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you or did you not have to be restrained and dragged bodily from Mr. Wyckoff\u2019s store?\u201d Daggett demanded loudly.<\/p>\n

\u201cYassuh, dat true.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd have you not been incarcerated from that time to this?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBeen locked up, yassuh.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo even if you\u2019d wanted to carry out your threat, you had no opportunity, did you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Thacker looked down at the floor.\u00a0 \u201cNo, suh, reckon not.\u201d<\/p>\n

Both attorneys made passionate closing arguments, then Judge Hyde adjourned the court until one o\u2019clock.\u00a0 Ben, Clyde and Adam left the courtroom, and Ben was surprised to find his foreman, Jean D\u2019Marigny waiting outside.\u00a0 \u201cJean, problems at the ranch?\u201d Ben asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, monsieur<\/em>,\u201d Jean assured him.\u00a0 \u201cI did not think you would mind if I came to watch the trial.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, of course not,\u201d Ben replied.\u00a0 \u201cGoodness knows, you\u2019re due for some time off, but I didn\u2019t see you inside.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI came late and sat in the back, monsieur<\/em>,\u201d Jean explained.\u00a0 \u201cI wanted first to set the men to their work.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled.\u00a0 Yes, Jean would want to do that.\u00a0 He was a good and trustworthy foreman, and Ben thought himself lucky to have found the Frenchman.\u00a0 \u201cHave you found the trial interesting?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLook,\u201d Clyde interrupted, \u201cI reckon we all got things to say about this here trial, but I\u2019m in favor of findin\u2019 some grub first.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cAn excellent point, my friend, but we don\u2019t have time to get to your place, much less mine, and be back by one.\u00a0 Bread and cheese from the store satisfy you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cReckon it\u2019ll have to,\u201d Clyde groused, \u201cbut let\u2019s get it down to Moses Job\u2019s place.\u00a0 His prices are as fair as we\u2019re likely to get in a Mormon town.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJoin us, Jean?\u201d Ben offered.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m buying.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOui, monsieur<\/em>, with much thanks,\u201d Jean said.\u00a0 He fell into step at Adam\u2019s side behind Ben and Clyde.\u00a0 \u201cAdam, my young friend, did you understand the words of these lawyers?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cMost of them,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know what Mr. Thacker\u2019s lawyer meant by \u2018mitigating circumstances.\u2019\u201d\u00a0 The attorney had used that phrase in his closing argument.<\/p>\n

\u201cMe, neither,\u201d Clyde admitted, talking over his shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cThem lawyers sure do like to throw around the fancy words, don\u2019t they?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cThey do, for a fact.\u00a0 What the man was trying to say, gentlemen, was that he wanted the judge to look at more than just what Mr. Thacker did.\u00a0 He wanted him to consider, as well, the reason he did it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll that about what happened when he was a slave makin\u2019 him extra touchy?\u201d Clyde asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what I understood,\u201d Ben replied.<\/p>\n

\u201cSuch treatment I do not understand,\u201d Jean inserted.\u00a0 \u201cMy family, of course, owns slaves.\u00a0 All the best families do, but we treat them well.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt isn\u2019t always so, Jean,\u201d Ben pointed out.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Jean admitted, \u201cbut in New Orleans the type of treatment this man received would have been censored by other slave owners.\u00a0 Our Code Noir would enable such a cruel master to be brought to court by others of his class.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben stepped onto the porch of Moses Job\u2019s store.\u00a0 \u201cBut would the charges be upheld, Jean?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOui<\/em>.\u00a0 At least, it was so before the Americans came,\u201d Jean hedged.\u00a0 \u201cThey try to impose their barbaric laws on our people, and\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHey!\u201d Clyde sputtered, his patriotic pride offended.\u00a0 \u201cAmerican law is the best there is!\u201d<\/p>\n

Jean shook his head in disagreement.\u00a0 \u201cNo, Monsieur<\/em> Thomas.\u00a0 Americans treat their blacks far more harshly than we Creoles ever did, and as for free men of color, they are scarcely allowed to exist.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIs there a difference between black and colored?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n

Ben rolled his eyes.\u00a0 \u201cBefore we get into that, let\u2019s get something to eat.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m for that,\u201d Clyde cackled.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou would be,\u201d Ben said dryly.\u00a0 \u201cSo help me, I think my younger boy inherited his appetite from you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHuh!\u201d Clyde snorted.\u00a0 \u201cI ain\u2019t blood kin, remember?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, he sure didn\u2019t get it from me or Adam,\u201d Ben teased, going inside.<\/p>\n

Purchases made, the quartet of courtroom observers exited the store and the three men sat along the edge of its porch.\u00a0 Adam plopped down Indian-style in the street facing them so he could hear the conversation more clearly.\u00a0 \u201cSo what\u2019s the difference between black and colored?\u201d he asked again, taking a nibble of cheese.<\/p>\n

\u201cNone that I know,\u201d his father answered.<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, you are wrong,\u201d Jean said, \u201cat least, in New Orleans.\u00a0 We say \u2018black\u2019 when speaking of a Negro slave and \u2018colored\u2019 when we mean a person of color who is free.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCan\u2019t be many of those,\u201d Clyde snorted.<\/p>\n

\u201cAgain, you are wrong, Monsieur<\/em> Thomas,\u201d Jean smiled.\u00a0 \u201cBefore the Americans came, almost a third of the Negroes of New Orleans were free people of color.\u00a0 There are still many.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t realize that,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cMy visits to New Orleans were always brief, not long enough to comprehend all the distinctions of the society.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jean laughed lightly.\u00a0 \u201cA lifetime would be too brief to understand the society of New Orleans, Monsieur<\/em> Cartwright; it is most complex.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGettin\u2019 back to the trial,\u201d Clyde said, \u201ceither of you gents think Thacker\u2019ll get off?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cHard to say.\u00a0 He admitted making the threats, but did no real harm.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDidn\u2019t have a chance,\u201d Clyde alleged.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018Cause they locked him up,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cHow can anyone tell what he\u2019d have done if he was loose?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo how would you decide the case, Adam?\u201d Ben inquired.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d be interested.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s face pinched in thought.\u00a0 \u201cI understand why he got mad and why he said those things, but they were still wrong.\u00a0 And Mrs. Rose is too nice a lady to have to stay scared.\u00a0 I think they should do something.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGuilty as charged,\u201d Clyde stated.\u00a0 \u201cAin\u2019t no other verdict Hyde can give.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben looked at the sun and judged the time.\u00a0 \u201cI guess we\u2019ll know soon.\u00a0 Shall we finish eating and head that way?\u201d\u00a0 Everyone made gestures of agreement and turned his attention to his meal.<\/p>\n

Court reconvened at one o\u2019clock with Judge Orson Hyde behind the bench.\u00a0 He ordered the defendant to rise for the verdict.\u00a0 \u201cIn light of Mr. Thacker\u2019s confession, I have no choice but to find him guilty of the charge of using threatening language,\u201d the judge stated, \u201cbut in assessing the penalty I have taken into consideration the other facts presented here today.\u00a0 My decision is based not on the defendant\u2019s background, for had he actually carried out his threats, no sympathy for his unfortunate past could excuse criminal behavior.\u00a0 However, such behavior did not occur, and no one can state with certainty that it ever would have.\u00a0 A man may have malice enough in his heart to kill another, and judgment and discretion to prevent him from committing the deed; he may have the ability to cut a lady\u2019s heart out and roast it upon the coals and at the same time he may have the good sense not to do it.\u00a0 In the absence of evidence to the contrary, this court will assume that Mr. Thacker possesses such good sense.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hyde gazed gravely at the defendant.\u00a0 \u201cThe judgment of this court,\u201d he stated, \u201cis that the defendant will pay a fine of fifty dollars and the costs of this suit.\u00a0 Thereafter, Mr. Thacker, though I have no legal authority to so order, I recommend for your own safety that you return to California and that in future you guard your words when hot with anger.\u00a0 I wish you well; you are free to go.\u201d<\/p>\n

The quartet of storefront commentators gathered outside.\u00a0 \u201cI thought that was a fair verdict,\u201d Ben stated.\u00a0 \u201cJust, but merciful.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Adam chipped in.\u00a0 \u201cI think so, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOui<\/em>,\u201d Jean agreed.\u00a0 \u201cI had not expected so impartial a ruling from an American court.\u00a0 It is good.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clyde took out a plug of tobacco and put a chaw into his cheek.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, Hyde done better than I thought he would.\u00a0 Shows he can be fair\u2014\u2014when his own interests ain\u2019t at stake, that is.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben arched an eyebrow, agreeing with the assessment, but disturbed by it.\u00a0 After all, when did a judge more need to be fair than when his own interests were at stake?\u00a0 If fair play could only be expected when Mormon interests weren\u2019t involved, then surely Justice\u2019s legendary blindfold had slipped and the government she represented was unworthy of trust.<\/p>\n

For that reason, when other Gentiles began circulating a petition requesting the California legislature to annex Carson County, Ben added his signature to the list.\u00a0 The proposal met with favor in the neighboring state, where a resolution was passed urging Congress to permit the merger.\u00a0 When the decision finally came down, however, Ben and those of like spirit were destined for disappointment once again.\u00a0 Congress evidently felt that California was too large already, and that the interests of the settlers on the eastern slope of the Sierras would best be served by improving the government in Utah Territory.<\/p>\n

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN<\/p>\n

\u00a0Ben led three saddled horses from the barn, then frowned.\u00a0 The boys should have been ready to go by now.\u00a0 He walked across to the cabin door, opened it and hollered inside, \u201cHey!\u00a0 Get a move on, you two!\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam and Hoss emerged a couple of minutes later.\u00a0 \u201cYou want to be late for school?\u201d Ben scolded.\u00a0 \u201cYour Christmas holiday\u2019s over, boy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry, Pa,\u201d Adam said, \u201cbut I wanted to get my journal ready to mail to Jamie.\u00a0 I\u2019ll drop it by the post office after school.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben shook his head, chuckling.\u00a0 \u201cAdam, Adam, no need to do that this early.\u00a0 The mail won\u2019t be picked up for days, assuming, that is, that it\u2019s picked up at all.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I know,\u201d Adam sighed, \u201cbut I can\u2019t take the chance it won\u2019t be on time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right,\u201d Ben teased.\u00a0 \u201cJamie couldn\u2019t possibly wait an extra week or so to learn of your doings over the past year.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOr me to learn of his,\u201d Adam grinned.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, well, maybe by your birthday, if the snows don\u2019t delay the carrier too much.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam nodded in grim acceptance of the unreliability of winter mail to their valley.\u00a0 \u201cCome on, Hoss,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cGot to get going so I can drop you by Aunt Nelly\u2019s before school.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanna go with you,\u201d Hoss complained.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot a chance!\u201d Adam snorted, swinging into the saddle and stroking his sorrel\u2019s white mane.\u00a0 He started forward.<\/p>\n

Hoss frowned, mounted his gray and followed at a slow trot.\u00a0 Ben rode the opposite direction to check on the herd.<\/p>\n

What neither Ben nor his boys knew that frosty January morning in 1856 was that reliable mail service lay just on the horizon for Carson County.\u00a0 Ben couldn\u2019t believe his eyes the first time he saw their new mail carrier come sliding into town on the longest set of snowshoes Ben had ever seen.\u00a0 They had to be ten feet if they were an inch!\u00a0 Narrower than normal snowshoes, too, with upturned front edges; the man fairly skimmed over the snow.<\/p>\n

Realizing by the canvas pack on the man\u2019s back who he must be, Ben made his way directly to the post office in hopes of receiving a letter.\u00a0 Other people of the town were just as eager for news, so by the time Ben reached his destination, he found so many ahead of him, there seemed little point in standing in line.\u00a0 He decided to meet the mail carrier instead of crowding the harried postmaster.\u00a0 \u201cWell, you\u2019re a sight for sore eyes,\u201d Ben said. \u00a0\u201cCan\u2019t tell you how we look forward to news of the outside world.\u201d<\/p>\n

The tall, muscular young man uttered a loud, hearty laugh.\u00a0 \u201cYah, I know,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cYou folks look like me when I get letter from home.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIs home in Sweden?\u201d Ben asked, smiling.\u00a0 The man\u2019s accent reminded him of Inger\u2019s.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, no, but near there,\u201d the man replied with good humor.\u00a0 \u201cI am from Norvay.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy late wife was from Sweden,\u201d Ben explained.\u00a0 \u201cYour speech sounds like hers, Mr.\u2014\u2014uh\u2014\u201d\u00a0 He tilted his head questioningly.<\/p>\n

\u201cThompson,\u201d the Norwegian replied, thrusting out a huge hand for Ben to shake.\u00a0 \u201cJohn Thompson.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBen Cartwright, and I sure hope we\u2019re going to be seeing a lot of you this winter!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYah, yah, I come twice a month,\u201d Thompson promised.\u00a0 \u201cSnow not stop me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI noticed those shoes of yours,\u201d Ben commented.\u00a0 \u201cThey look like they could really fly over the snow.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShoes?\u201d Thompson asked, looking with puzzlement at his feet.\u00a0 Suddenly, the light dawned.\u00a0 \u201cAh, mine snowshoes, you mean.\u00a0 I make like I see at home in Norvay, not fat ones, like here.\u00a0 Yah, they are fast.\u00a0 Only five days from Placerville to here.\u00a0 I think when I know the route better I make it in four or even three, maybe.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThree days!\u201d Ben cried.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s amazing!\u00a0 You don\u2019t plan to pack mules at all, then?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, faster this way,\u201d Thompson said, \u201cand I strong, so I carry \u2018bout a hundred pounds in pack.\u00a0 No need mules.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s eyes widened.\u00a0 The man looked strong of course, but carrying one hundred pounds over the ninety-mile journey from Placerville was quite a feat.\u00a0 No wonder Thompson was dressed so lightly in only a Mackinaw jacket.\u00a0 Every added ounce would slow him down.<\/p>\n

The crowd was thinning out, so Ben excused himself and took his place in line, willingly paying postmaster Stephen Kinsey the dollar charged for each letter.\u00a0 He walked out shortly, gratified at receiving two pieces of mail, the letter he had been hoping for from his brother John and a small package from Josiah Edwards, a book by the shape and feel of it.\u00a0 Ben smiled.\u00a0 That Josiah, always concerned with keeping his friend supplied with the best new literature, always worried that important works wouldn\u2019t reach the unlettered western wilderness he pictured Ben\u2019s home to be.<\/p>\n

As he tucked the book and letter into his saddlebag, Ben congratulated himself on the book he\u2019d mailed to Josiah as a Christmas gift.\u00a0 The engraved drawings by George Holbrook Baker in his Sacramento Illustrated<\/em> just might help convince the erudite Mr. Edwards that Ben wasn\u2019t quite so far from civilization as his friend feared.<\/p>\n

Ben walked down the street to John Reese\u2019s store.\u00a0 Though he normally made his purchases at Clyde Thomas\u2019s trading post, on occasion he bought some small item in town.\u00a0 Today he found himself running short of tobacco and the Thomas place was enough out of the way that he thought he\u2019d just get it here.<\/p>\n

Ben was surprised, however, to see Bill Thorrington, whom everyone called Lucky Bill, behind the counter.\u00a0 \u201cHello, Bill,\u201d he said in greeting.\u00a0 \u201cYou working for Reese now?\u201d<\/p>\n

The smooth-faced man shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cNope, workin\u2019 for myself,\u201d Thorrington said proudly.<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s face registered surprise.\u00a0 \u201cReally.\u00a0 Reese sold out to you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Thorrington shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cWasn\u2019t exactly a sale.\u00a0 Transfer for moneys owed.\u00a0 Reese hasn\u2019t been doing too well since that partner of his took off with his assets.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, yeah?\u201d Ben murmured.\u00a0 \u201cSorry to hear that.\u00a0 He\u2019s one of our oldest settlers.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd a good man,\u201d Thorrington said.\u00a0 \u201cHate to see him lose everything, but I can\u2019t afford to be out what I loaned him either.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure,\u201d Ben agreed.\u00a0 \u201cYou say Reese lost everything?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAlmost,\u201d the new proprietor reported.\u00a0 \u201cHad to give some property to Thomas Knott to pay for that sawmill he built him, some to me.\u00a0 I think he\u2019s still got some left, but I hear there\u2019s more creditors out there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cToo bad,\u201d Ben said with a shake of his head.\u00a0 \u201cWell, I came in for some pipe tobacco, best grade you\u2019ve got.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure thing,\u201d Thorrington said brightly, turning to the shelf behind him.\u00a0 He handed Ben a tin of tobacco, which Ben paid for.\u00a0 \u201cHope to see more of you, Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t get in here often,\u201d Ben replied, \u201cbut I expect you\u2019ll see me from time to time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMake \u2018em close together,\u201d Thorrington grinned.<\/p>\n

At home, Ben eagerly read the letter from John, but he frowned with disappointment as he finished.\u00a0 No word of plans to come home, no mention of the letter Ben had written, urging his brother\u2019s return.\u00a0 Was John angry, then, so angry he couldn\u2019t bring himself to broach the subject at all?\u00a0 Ben sighed and laid the letter aside, hoping he hadn\u2019t made the situation worse by his firm words of admonishment.<\/p>\n

Turning to the package, Ben found a copy of Uncle Tom\u2019s Cabin<\/em>.\u00a0 The letter Josiah had slipped inside its front cover explained why he had sent the volume.\u00a0 \u201cThis book\u2019s been available about four years now,\u201d Josiah wrote, \u201cbut you wrote that you hadn\u2019t read it.\u00a0 As unpleasant as the subject is, Ben, I think you should acquaint yourself with Mrs. Stowe\u2019s work.\u00a0 The question with which it deals grows more heated by the day, and this book is playing no small part in stirring up the furor.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben sighed and laid the book aside.\u00a0 Josiah was undoubtedly right, but Ben was reluctant to admit it.\u00a0 He\u2019d hoped the issue splitting the United States into northern and southern factions had been left behind when he came west.\u00a0 There were so few blacks residing in Carson County that slavery seemed a mute point out here.\u00a0 A man couldn\u2019t be an ostrich, hiding his head in the sand, though, however much he might wish to.\u00a0 Ben nodded grimly to himself.\u00a0 Yes, he\u2019d make himself read the book, and if it weren\u2019t too gruesome, he\u2019d have Adam read it, as well.\u00a0 If the issue were destined to be as volatile as Josiah Edwards thought, it would undoubtedly come to Adam\u2019s attention, for the youngster read any newspaper he came across as avidly as did his father.\u00a0 Since it would be impossible to shield his son from the controversy over slavery, Ben preferred to discuss it openly with him and guide the boy\u2019s understanding.<\/p>\n

The day after Adam\u2019s thirteenth birthday in late February, news came that made Ben glad he and Adam had started talking about the issue of slavery.\u00a0 That Saturday the Scorpion<\/em> reprinted the text of President Franklin Pierce\u2019s February 11th proclamation asking citizens of all states to stop meddling in Kansas\u2019s affairs, though it was Sunday before the Cartwrights picked up the copy they shared with the Thomases.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou think folks will leave Kansas alone, Pa?\u201d Adam asked that night after he, too, had read the article.<\/em>\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019ll go Union if they do, don\u2019t you think?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think so, Adam,\u201d Ben replied, \u201cwhich is why I doubt the interference will stop.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSlavery\u2019s wrong, Pa. Why don\u2019t folks just see that?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled and gave Adam\u2019s neck an affectionate rub.\u00a0 \u201cNot as wise as you, boy, I suppose.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam didn\u2019t return the smile.\u00a0 He wanted to be taken seriously, and Pa was making jokes.\u00a0 \u201cI mean it,\u201d he said bluntly.<\/p>\n

Ben sat back and drew a thoughtful draught on his pipe.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s a hard thing, Adam, when men are raised in one belief, to make a 180-degree turn and steer into a wind that blows against all they\u2019ve ever been taught.\u00a0 Take Jean, for instance.\u00a0 He really doesn\u2019t see anything wrong with slavery because he\u2019s known it all his life.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd because his family were good masters, I guess,\u201d Adam mused.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t think that matters, though, Pa.\u00a0 Uncle Tom had a good master to start with, but look how he ended up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah.\u00a0 Well, of course, that\u2019s a work of fiction, Adam,\u201d Ben said, \u201cbut if it comes even close to the truth, it demonstrates the blight slavery is on our country.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou think it\u2019ll ever end, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it has to.\u201d\u00a0 Ben shuddered to think of the price that might ultimately be paid to purge the land of the blight of slavery, but couldn\u2019t bring himself to mention that to Adam.\u00a0 He prayed, as did all\u00a0 good men, whether their allegiance lay with the North or the South, that their country would be spared the bloody ravages of war that now engulfed the Territory of Kansas.<\/p>\n

Kansas seemed far away, however, and though Adam discussed its problems for several days, the arrival of Jamie Edwards\u2019 journal turned his thoughts to more personal concerns.\u00a0 Night after night, as soon as Hoss was in bed, he avidly read through the cherished remembrance of his old school chum, covering weeks of the journal at each reading.<\/p>\n

Within two weeks of the journal\u2019s arrival in the mail, Adam finished the final entries and closed the slim volume with a sigh.<\/p>\n

Ben caught the sound and looked closely at his son.\u00a0 \u201cAnything wrong, Adam?\u201d he asked.\u00a0 \u201cJamie not feeling well?\u201d\u00a0 Too often, as Ben knew, the December entries of Jamie\u2019s journal reported sickness, for Adam\u2019s friend was prone to severe colds during the winter months.<\/p>\n

\u201cBetter than usual,\u201d Adam answered.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen why the glum face?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJamie writes a lot about his plans for next year,\u201d Adam sighed.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s going on to the academy after he graduates.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben suddenly understood.\u00a0 \u201cAnd there\u2019s nothing like that around here,\u201d he said sympathetically.\u00a0 \u201cIs that what troubles you, son?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam looked chagrined.\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t meant to let his disappointment show.\u00a0 The last thing in the world he wanted was to make Pa feel bad about bringing him west.\u00a0 Nothing but the truth ever suited Ben Cartwright, however, so Adam nodded quietly.\u00a0 \u201cSounds like he\u2019ll be learning a lot of real interesting things,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Ben laid aside his nightly pipe and patted his knee.\u00a0 \u201cCome here, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam willingly perched on his father\u2019s lap, though he secretly considered himself a little old to be dandled on anyone\u2019s knee.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m glad we came to live here, Pa,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Ben smiled.\u00a0 \u201cSo am I, but I think you\u2019re missing some opportunities we left behind.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cNo sense wishing for what can\u2019t be.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben pulled Adam close against his shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know that it can\u2019t be.\u00a0 We don\u2019t have any academy here, of course, but I understand they\u2019re starting to teach some advanced subjects in Sacramento.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s face brightened with interest.\u00a0 \u201cYeah?\u00a0 What kind?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, history, astronomy, bookkeeping,\u201d Ben said, remembering what he\u2019d read in the last Sacramento Bee <\/em>he\u2019d seen.\u00a0 \u201cEven some foreign language, I think.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLatin?\u201d Adam asked.\u00a0 \u201cJamie\u2019s going to study Latin.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cProbably,\u201d Ben said, \u201cthough I don\u2019t know for certain.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam sighed deeply.\u00a0 \u201cWell, that\u2019s nice to know,\u201d he said, \u201cbut Sacramento\u2019s a long way from here, too far to go to school.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot if you want it,\u201d Ben said firmly.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019d have to board, of course, so you couldn\u2019t see me or your brother for months at a time, and you\u2019d have to spend Christmas alone.\u00a0 But if you\u2019re willing to pay that price, I can handle it financially.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s brow creased with thought.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know if I\u2019d like being away from here that long, Pa.\u00a0 I\u2019d miss you, and Hoss, too.\u00a0 Besides, you need me to take care of him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s doing a pretty good job of taking care of himself these days,\u201d Ben chuckled, \u201cand he\u2019ll be in school, as well, next year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam laughed.\u00a0 \u201cI forgot about that!\u00a0 My baby brother\u2019s not such a baby anymore, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, you don\u2019t need to be concerned about him,\u201d Ben said, \u201cthough it makes me proud that you thought of his needs.\u00a0 I\u2019m not trying to push more education on you, Adam.\u00a0 Goodness knows, I\u2019d like to keep you close, but I don\u2019t want to stunt the growth of your mind, either.\u00a0 So you think about whether you want to take those advanced studies over at Sacramento.\u00a0 I trust you to make a wise decision.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam flushed in the glow of those words of respect.\u00a0 Then, the dignity of his thirteen years notwithstanding, he threw his arms around his father\u2019s neck.\u00a0 \u201cYou are the best pa ever born,\u201d he declared.<\/p>\n

Ben returned the embrace.\u00a0 \u201cAnd you\u2019re the best son.\u00a0 You and Hoss both.\u201d<\/p>\n

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT<\/p>\n

\u00a0Spotting Paul Martin as the doctor entered the crowded room, Ben motioned him forward.\u00a0 \u201cSaved you a seat,\u201d he said when Paul reached him.<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks,\u201d Paul said, then nodded beyond Ben to Clyde and Nelly Thomas.\u00a0 \u201cHowdy, folks.\u201d\u00a0 He blew a kiss to Inger, in her mother\u2019s lap, then ruffled the sandy hair of the little boy seated beside Ben.\u00a0 \u201cHowdy, Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHowdy, Doc,\u201d Hoss grinned.\u00a0 He\u2019d decided Pau-Pau was too babyish a name to call anyone, but still didn\u2019t like using the doctor\u2019s formal name.\u00a0 They were much too good friends for that.<\/p>\n

\u201cHowdy, Doc,\u201d Inger mimicked, giggling into her fingers.<\/p>\n

\u201cGlad you made it,\u201d Nelly said.\u00a0 \u201cWe were beginnin\u2019 to worry.\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul laughed.\u00a0 \u201cNo, I wouldn\u2019t dare miss Sally\u2019s graduation exercises.\u00a0 Almost did, though.\u00a0 Patient kept me late.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNothin\u2019 serious, I hope,\u201d Nelly said, smoothing her gray skirt, where Inger\u2019s fidgeting had wrinkled it.<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing the boy won\u2019t survive,\u201d Paul replied.\u00a0 \u201cJimmy Ellis took a tumble down the front steps.\u00a0 Raised a real goose egg, but he\u2019s all right.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGlad to hear it,\u201d Clyde said.\u00a0 \u201cHis ma works too hard as it is to be tied down with a sick youngun, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo mother escapes that!\u201d Nelly snorted.\u00a0 \u201cOne time or another they all take sick.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot my boys,\u201d Ben announced, his prideful posturing swelling the breast of his starched white shirt.\u00a0 \u201cThey respect their pa.\u201d\u00a0 He gave Hoss a squeeze.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd it doesn\u2019t hurt that they have the constitution of horses,\u201d Paul remarked wryly.\u00a0 \u201cOr should I say \u2018hosses\u2019?\u201d he teased.\u00a0 Hoss looked up at him, grinning at the joke.<\/p>\n

Ben grinned, too.\u00a0 \u201cOne of life\u2019s chiefest blessings, I\u2019ve always felt.\u00a0 One reason I\u2019m willing to let Adam board over at Sacramento during the school term is the assurance that his health is sound.\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul nodded.\u00a0 \u201cYes, a healthy child is definitely a blessing.\u00a0 I\u2019ve been blessed that way, too.\u00a0 Incidentally, I\u2019m supposed to beg you to make Adam quit pestering my girl to go away to that academy with him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clyde guffawed.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s been after Billy to go, too, but my boy was lucky to make it this far.\u00a0 Graduatin\u2019 a year behind them other two as it is.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEighth grade is more learnin\u2019 than we ever had, anyway,\u201d Nelly said.\u00a0 \u201cI reckon it\u2019ll be enough for that rapscallion of ours.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFor Sally, too, I think,\u201d Paul added.<\/p>\n

\u201cLands, yes!\u201d Nelly said.\u00a0 \u201cGirl don\u2019t need much education to run a home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul smiled.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m not sure I agree, but Sally felt she couldn\u2019t bear to leave her old father after being reunited so short a time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sure you tried to talk her out of that,\u201d Ben commented with a mischievous wink.<\/p>\n

\u201cDidn\u2019t try at all,\u201d Paul admitted.\u00a0 \u201cI was flattered.\u201d<\/p>\n

Eliza Mott, who had been at the door greeting parents as they came in, walked to the front of the room.\u00a0 \u201cLet me welcome you all, on this first Saturday in April, to the closing exercises of Genoa School,\u201d she said formally.<\/p>\n

Ben smiled.\u00a0 He liked the new name Orson Hyde had given the town of Mormon Station.\u00a0 Having never sailed into the Mediterranean, he couldn\u2019t confirm Hyde\u2019s opinion that the mountains here resembled those surrounding Genoa, Italy, but the association was a pleasant one and the name rolled well off the tongue.\u00a0 Even Clyde liked it; of course, he\u2019d have liked anything without the offensive word \u201cMormon\u201d in its title.<\/p>\n

Hyde was also trying to lay out Genoa, as well as the newer settlement over in Washoe Valley called Franktown, on the Mormon plan first used in Salt Lake City.\u00a0 Ben approved of the broad streets with irrigation ditches on each side, but he and Adam both frowned at the new homes being raised under Hyde\u2019s direction.\u00a0 The Mormon houses were nothing if not plain, while the Cartwrights preferred a building to have grace and beauty, not just unadorned utility.<\/p>\n

At Mrs. Mott\u2019s direction, the students all came forward for the spelling bee.\u00a0 The competition was fiercer than during the weekly contests, for everyone had studied extra hard for this final program of the year, when every parent tried to attend.\u00a0 Even Billy, whose spelling skills were pathetic, held his own longer than usual, but in the end the competition came down, as it generally did, to a heated contest between Sally Martin and Adam Cartwright.\u00a0 When Adam successfully spelled the word Sally had just missed, he grinned triumphantly, then shook hands with his opponent and congratulated her on a good contest.<\/p>\n

Normally, Sally would have smiled sweetly in return, then said, \u201cI\u2019ll get you next time.\u201d\u00a0 But there would be no next time and both youngsters knew it.\u00a0 As they clasped hands, Sally said, instead, \u201cIt\u2019s been fun, Adam.\u00a0 I\u2019ll miss you next year.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou could still come with me,\u201d Adam teased as they took their seats in the front row.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor the millionth time, no,\u201d Sally said, rapping him sharply on the knee.\u00a0 \u201cFather needs me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam nodded.\u00a0 He could understand duty.\u00a0 He still felt a little guilty about leaving his father with the extra responsibility of Hoss\u2019s care.\u00a0 That had been Adam\u2019s job for so long, it didn\u2019t feel right to leave it, even for something as important as his education.<\/p>\n

Adam, Sally and Billy waited with varying degrees of patience while the younger students presented their recitations.\u00a0 Then Mrs. Mott again faced the assembled parents.\u00a0 \u201cThis is a particularly proud day for Genoa School,\u201d she said, \u201cfor today I have the honor to present to you our first graduating class.\u201d<\/p>\n

The three graduates filed to the front, faces flushed with the excitement of this culmination of their years at the small school.\u00a0 Mrs. Mott had words of praise for each of them before she handed each a hand-printed certificate of merit for successfully completing the course of study.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m particularly pleased to announce that one of our students, Adam Cartwright, will be continuing his education at the academy in Sacramento,\u201d she said when she handed him his.\u00a0 \u201cAdam was one of my first students here, and has always set a standard of excellence for his schoolmates.\u00a0 I expect great things of him, and I\u2019m sure Sally and Billy will also make important contributions to our community.\u00a0 I ask you to join me in congratulating these three fine young people.\u201d\u00a0 Mrs. Mott began to applaud and the parents stood to add their hearty clapping to hers.<\/p>\n

As the exercises ended, Clyde reached over and pulled at the buttons of Ben\u2019s gray satin vest.\u00a0 \u201cStill attached, I see,\u201d he cackled.\u00a0 \u201cI figured you\u2019d have bust \u2018em off by now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben gave his friend a playful shove.\u00a0 \u201cAs if you weren\u2019t equally proud of your boy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clyde grinned.\u00a0 \u201cI admit it.\u00a0 Never thought Billy had it in him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think a certain charming young lady dressed in blue had something to do with his success,\u201d Ben teased.<\/p>\n

Nelly laughed as she shifted her slumbering little girl to her shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cI know it did!\u00a0 Billy\u2019s given a lot more attention to his books since Sally came to the valley.\u00a0 Didn\u2019t want to look the fool in her eyes, I reckon.\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul Martin smiled.\u00a0 \u201cI think it has to do more with not letting the competition outdo him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you mean Adam,\u201d Ben objected, \u201cthere\u2019s no competition.\u00a0 He\u2019s too interested in his studies to give much thought to girls.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clyde and Paul both hooted.\u00a0 \u201cTake a look,\u201d Paul suggested, \u201cat who\u2019s holding Sally\u2019s hand.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd who\u2019s mad as a hornet watchin\u2019 \u2018em,\u201d Clyde added.<\/p>\n

Ben looked to the front of the room, where Adam indeed held Sally by the hand right under Billy\u2019s glowering gaze.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe I\u2019d better pack that boy off to Sacramento sooner than I\u2019d planned,\u201d he smiled.<\/p>\n

The other parents laughed.\u00a0 \u201cWhen does he leave?\u201d Paul asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I don\u2019t know exactly,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cWe have to deal with spring roundup first, then drive some cattle over the hills for sale.\u00a0 We\u2019ll enroll him then and see when the term actually begins.\u00a0 I\u2019m guessing the first of September.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe got chocolate cake and coffee down to our place to celebrate,\u201d Nelly said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m expectin\u2019 you all to stop by.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss, who\u2019d been slumping sleepily against his father\u2019s thigh, suddenly came to life.\u00a0 \u201cOh, we will!\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cChocolate\u2019s my favorite!\u201d<\/p>\n

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

The heavy clouds had grown steadily darker for the last thirty minutes, and the storm Ben had feared all morning, ever since he saw the halo around the sun, threatened to break.\u00a0 \u201cAdam!\u201d he yelled and waved the boy toward him.<\/p>\n

Adam trotted around the edge of the herd, Hoss following slowly behind.\u00a0 \u201cYou need me, Pa?\u201d he asked, raising his voice to be heard above the increasing wind.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I need you to take Hoss back to the house,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cThis storm\u2019s gonna break any minute, and I don\u2019t want him out here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAw, Pa,\u201d Adam moaned.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t want to miss roundup.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI ain\u2019t scared of gettin\u2019 wet, Pa,\u201d Hoss protested, \u201cand I wanna help, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo argument out of either of you!\u201d Ben snapped.\u00a0 \u201cThese animals are getting edgy, and you know perfectly well Hoss isn\u2019t a good enough rider to handle a skittish horse.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, okay,\u201d Adam grumbled.\u00a0 \u201cCome on, Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s lower lip stuck out with irritation, but he did as he was told.\u00a0 He was pretty sure what the consequences would be if he didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

With the boys safely out of the way, Ben turned his attention back to the herd.\u00a0 So far, as he\u2019d said, the cattle were only edgy, but that could change in a minute.\u00a0 He\u2019d seen cattle stampede before, and running all their flesh off was the last thing these animals needed right before a drive to market.<\/p>\n

Feeling the first drops of chilly rain strike his face, Ben pulled the slicker from behind his cantle and put it on.\u00a0 Rain started to pelt down, so cold it felt like icicles stabbing his cheeks.\u00a0 Occasional light showers were common in April, but fierce-looking storms like this didn\u2019t usually hit until a month later.<\/p>\n

Then the first bolt of lightning struck.\u00a0 The animals reacted as Ben had feared they would.\u00a0 They began to mill around, their eyes wide with terror.\u00a0 Just in the eyes so far, though.\u00a0 Maybe they could still be calmed.<\/p>\n

Another fiery beam zigzagged to earth.\u00a0 Ben\u2019s horse shied, but he got him under control.\u00a0 The herd, however, suddenly made an about face and began to run for the open valley.\u00a0 Ben and the other men charged after them, trying to circle around and head off the cattle.<\/p>\n

Ben had just reached the front of the stampeding animals and started to turn them when another bolt of lightning crashed with ear-splitting closeness.\u00a0 His horse, terrified, reared and Ben flew off, landing with stunning force on the ground.\u00a0 He looked up to see three cattle veer off from the others and head straight for him.\u00a0 He scrambled to get out of the way, knowing with heart-draining dread that there wasn\u2019t time.<\/p>\n

His foreman, Jean D\u2019Marigny, saw the danger and quickly galloped between the charging beasts and his employer.\u00a0 The animals turned slightly, giving Ben the time he needed.\u00a0 But in his concern for Ben, Jean failed to realize how close he himself was to the animals.\u00a0 One cow bumped hard against his horse\u2019s flank, and the sorrel gelding flung his front hooves heavenward,\u00a0 and throwing Jean back into the path of the other two cattle.\u00a0 Jean screamed as four pairs of hooves trampled him.<\/p>\n

\u201cJean!\u201d\u00a0 Ben cried, running toward him on foot.\u00a0 The herd was still moving past them, too close for comfort.\u00a0 Ben put both hands under his foreman\u2019s armpits and pulled him out of harm\u2019s way.<\/p>\n

But the harm had already been done, as was all too evident from the Frenchman\u2019s contorted face and gasping struggle for air.\u00a0 \u201cJean,\u201d Ben whispered hoarsely.\u00a0 \u201cJean, you saved my life.\u00a0 You lie still now, and we\u2019ll get you the help you need.\u201d<\/p>\n

The foreman nodded once, too breathless to respond verbally.\u00a0 Ben\u2019s hired hand Diego galloped up.\u00a0 \u201cSe\u00f1ores<\/em>!\u201d he cried.\u00a0 \u201cYou are all right?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJean\u2019s hurt,\u201d Ben called.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ve got to get him back to the ranch.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cS\u00ed, Se\u00f1or<\/em> Ben,\u201d Diego said.\u00a0 \u201cI will get the wagon.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 He sat down beside his foreman and took the man\u2019s hand.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s gonna be all right, Jean,\u201d he promised, squeezing hard.\u00a0 \u201cEverything\u2019s going to be all right.\u201d\u00a0 Ben wasn\u2019t sure whether he was talking to encourage Jean or himself.\u00a0 The injuries looked serious.<\/p>\n

While the other men successfully stopped the stampede, Diego rode to the house for the buckboard.\u00a0 With Adam\u2019s help he carried a mattress from the bunkhouse and laid it in the back.\u00a0 Hoss, the tears streaking his face quickly washed away by the pouring rain, clambered up onto the mattress.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss, you get down from there!\u201d Adam ordered.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo!\u201d Hoss shouted.\u00a0 \u201cJean\u2019s my friend.\u00a0 I\u2019m gonna help him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSome help you\u2019ll be,\u201d Adam bellowed.\u00a0 \u201cGet down this minute or I\u2019ll spank your bottom.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPlease, Se\u00f1or<\/em> Hoss,\u201d Diego pleaded as he pulled on the boy\u2019s legs.\u00a0 \u201cYou are keeping me from going to Se\u00f1or<\/em> Jean.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss bit his lip and quit resisting.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t want to slow Diego down, not when it might mean his friend\u2019s life.<\/p>\n

As soon as Diego pulled Hoss within reach, Adam snatched the younger boy off the buckboard and landed a heavy swat on his backside.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s for disobeying!\u201d he shouted.\u00a0 \u201cNow get inside or you\u2019ll get more!\u201d\u00a0 Hoss hustled into the cabin, less from fear of a spanking than from concern to get out of the way quickly so Diego could get the needed help to Jean.<\/p>\n

Adam entered soon after and immediately grabbed Hoss by both shoulders.\u00a0 \u201cIf I leave for a while, can I trust you to stay put?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere you goin\u2019?\u201d Hoss demanded, quivering at the sight of Adam\u2019s grave face.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf Mr. D\u2019Marigny\u2019s hurt bad, like Diego said, he\u2019s gonna need a doctor,\u201d Adam explained quickly.\u00a0 \u201cI can ride over and fetch Dr. Martin, but not if I have to stay here to make sure you behave.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll behave,\u201d Hoss promised.\u00a0 \u201cGet Doc here fast, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam gave his little brother a smile of approval.\u00a0 \u201cI will.\u00a0 You shouldn\u2019t need to put any wood on that fire before Pa gets here, so leave it be.\u00a0 You can get some toys and play right here where it\u2019s warm.\u00a0 Don\u2019t go outside.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI won\u2019t,\u201d Hoss said.\u00a0 \u201cHurry, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam ran outside and re-saddled his horse, tearing east as soon as the mount was ready.\u00a0 Hoss watched him leave through the front window and stood there looking out until he saw his father and Diego arrive with the buckboard carrying the ranch foreman.<\/p>\n

Ben and Diego carried Jean inside and placed him on Ben\u2019s bed.\u00a0 \u201cAdam!\u201d\u00a0 Ben called.\u00a0 \u201cAdam, come here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss followed them into the bedroom.\u00a0 \u201cAdam, ain\u2019t here, Pa,\u201d he said softly, hoping he wasn\u2019t getting his older brother into trouble.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you mean he\u2019s not here?\u201d Ben demanded.\u00a0 \u201cWhere is he?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2014he went to fetch Doc,\u201d Hoss explained hurriedly.\u00a0 \u201cI promised to be good, so he could go.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh,\u201d Ben sighed with relief.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s good; that\u2019s just where I was going to send him.\u00a0 That boy\u2019s got a good head on his shoulders.\u201d\u00a0 He bent over D\u2019Marigny.\u00a0 \u201cYou hear that, Jean?\u00a0 The doctor\u2019s on his way.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOui, bon<\/em>,\u201d Jean murmured.\u00a0 \u201cDo\u2014do not look so worried, little friend.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben turned to look at Hoss\u2019s anxious face.\u00a0 Then, taking him by the hand, he led him into the front room.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d rather you stayed out here, son,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cJean is very weak and needs to rest.\u00a0 Can you play quietly?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t wanna play, Pa,\u201d Hoss whimpered.\u00a0 \u201cI want to help.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben gave the tender-hearted boy a hug.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, that\u2019s fine, son, but the best way to help is to be quiet, all right?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right,\u201d Hoss said.\u00a0 \u201cCan I look at Adam\u2019s book, the one with the pictures of all the animals?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll bring it to you,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 Soon he handed Hoss Adam\u2019s copy of Aesop\u2019s Fables<\/em> and went to do what he could to make Jean comfortable.<\/p>\n

When Dr. Martin arrived, he made a thorough examination of the foreman, then, not wanting to speak in front of Hoss and Adam, motioned Ben into the boys\u2019 bedroom.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s serious, Ben,\u201d he said gravely.\u00a0 \u201cHis ribs are crushed, and I suspect internal injuries.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow serious?\u201d Ben pressed.\u00a0 \u201cIs there any chance at all?\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Martin shook his head sadly.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Ben.\u00a0 He may hang on a day or two, but it\u2019d be a mercy if he went quickly.\u00a0 He\u2019s in a great deal of pain.\u00a0 Laudanum will help, but\u2014\u201d\u00a0 He broke off, knowing no further words were necessary.<\/p>\n

Ben sat at Jean\u2019s side throughout the night as the Frenchman drifted in and out of consciousness.\u00a0 Often, just as he was coming to, he\u2019d whisper, \u201cMarie,\u201d and Ben wished with all his heart he could bring the man\u2019s wife to him, but that would be a journey of months, not hours.<\/p>\n

\u201cMarie,\u201d Jean murmured as he again awoke from the fog in which he drifted.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Jean, it\u2019s Ben,\u201d Ben whispered.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlways here,\u201d Jean breathed raggedly.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2014I have not much longer, have I, monsieur<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n

Some people might have thought it a kindness to deny the truth, but Ben couldn\u2019t do that.\u00a0 \u201cNot much longer.\u00a0 I\u2019m sorry, Jean.\u00a0 If-if you need to make things right with your Maker, now\u2019s the time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tears began to flow slowly down the Frenchman\u2019s cheeks.\u00a0 \u201cOne thing only troubles me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is it?\u00a0 Can I help?\u201d Ben asked gently.<\/p>\n

\u201cMarie,\u201d Jean said.\u00a0 \u201cYou were right, monsieur<\/em>; I should have forgiven her.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben stroked the callused hand lying listlessly on the covers.\u00a0 \u201cYes, and now you have.\u00a0 Now you can rest in peace.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut she does not know,\u201d Jean wept.\u00a0 \u201cMy Marie, she must know.\u00a0 You will do this for me, monsieur<\/em>?\u00a0 You will take a message to my wife? You will tell her that I love her and I forgive her?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, yes, of course,\u201d Ben agreed readily.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t consider the length of the journey he\u2019d have to undertake to carry out his promise or the disruption it would bring to his life.\u00a0 All he could think of at that moment was that the man who had saved his life at the cost of his own had made but one request in return.\u00a0 The thought of saying no never entered his mind.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cYou\u2019re not serious!\u201d Nelly Thomas protested.<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, I\u2019m serious,\u201d Ben insisted.\u00a0 \u201cHow could I be anything but serious on a day like this?\u201d\u00a0 They\u2019d buried Jean D\u2019Marigny that morning in the cemetery at Genoa, and Nelly had invited the Cartwrights to her home afterwards for lunch.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut New Orleans!\u201d Nelly remonstrated.\u00a0 \u201cDo you have any idea how far that is?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled ruefully.\u00a0 \u201cOf course, I do, Nelly; you don\u2019t need to tell an old sailing man where New Orleans is.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou talk sense to him, Clyde,\u201d Nelly ordered.\u00a0 \u201cI got to start cookin\u2019.\u201d\u00a0 She bustled into the kitchen, where the banging pots declared her frustration.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s right, you know,\u201d Clyde began.\u00a0 \u201cAin\u2019t no sense in goin\u2019 all that way to deliver a message you could send by mail.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWould you want to get that kind of message by mail?\u201d Ben asked, settling back onto the parlor sofa and crossing his legs.<\/p>\n

\u201cI admit it might make it some easier on the lady to hear it in person,\u201d Clyde said, \u201cbut it\u2019s too far to go, Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot as far as Jean went for me,\u201d Ben replied quietly, \u201cand this is what he asked.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clyde shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cI know you feel you owe the man your life, but think how hard a trip like this is gonna be.\u00a0 What you plan on doin\u2019 with your place, for instance?\u00a0 Got no foreman now, and busy as Doc Martin stays these days, ain\u2019t likely he could fill in like before.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben moved to the edge of his seat and pressed his palms against his knees.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s the first problem I have to deal with, of course.\u00a0 I thought I\u2019d visit with Jonathan Payne.\u00a0 Lots of good cattlemen in his part of California, and he could suggest one that would make a trustworthy foreman.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I reckon,\u201d Clyde conceded, \u201cand I don\u2019t mind lookin\u2019 out for the money end of it, if you want.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI want,\u201d Ben smiled.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d also like to leave the boys with you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGoes without sayin\u2019,\u201d Clyde responded gruffly.\u00a0 \u201cWouldn\u2019t have it no other way.\u00a0 But what about that house you was gonna build?\u00a0 No way I can supervise that and run the trading post, too.\u00a0 Busy season\u2019s comin\u2019 up soon.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I know,\u201d Ben sighed.\u00a0 \u201cThe house will have to wait, I\u2019m afraid.\u00a0 Adam will be disappointed, but it can\u2019t be helped.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nelly appeared in the doorway.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re set on this fool trip,\u00a0 aren\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m set on it,\u201d Ben said firmly.\u00a0 \u201cI consider it a sacred obligation.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMight have known,\u201d Nelly scolded.\u00a0 \u201cI always said there was nothin\u2019 on earth as stubborn as a mule or a Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf being a man of my word qualifies me as stubborn,\u201d Ben said, raising his eyebrow in his characteristic gesture of moral certainty, \u201cthen I\u2019ll carry the label proudly.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, just carry yourself to the table,\u201d Nelly ordered irritably.\u00a0 \u201cDinner\u2019s ready.\u201d<\/p>\n

That night after Hoss finally fell asleep, Adam tiptoed past him into the front room.\u00a0 \u201cPa,\u201d he called softly.\u00a0 \u201cCan we talk?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure,\u201d Ben said readily, stretching an arm to invite Adam close.\u00a0 \u201cCan\u2019t you sleep, boy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDidn\u2019t really try,\u201d Adam said. He twisted the tail of his nightshirt nervously.\u00a0 \u201cI was just waiting \u2018til Hoss was asleep so we could talk, man-to-man.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled at the phrase.\u00a0 \u201cAll right, young man,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s on your mind?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI heard you talking today at the Thomases,\u201d Adam began, \u201cabout the things you have to take care of before you can keep your promise to Mr. D\u2019Marigny.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEavesdropping, were you?\u201d Ben smiled, his eyebrow rising.<\/p>\n

Adam nodded.\u00a0 \u201cEnough to hear you need a new foreman.\u00a0 I\u2014I\u2019m volunteering for the job, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

The idea would have struck Ben as ludicrous had Adam not looked so serious.\u00a0 \u201cSon\u2014\u201d he began.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m as good a horseman as anyone around here,\u201d Adam argued hurriedly, \u201cand I know cattle.\u00a0 I can do the work, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sure you could handle the day-to-day operations, Adam,\u201d Ben said proudly, \u201cbut I have to hire someone who can handle emergencies, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI can do that, Pa,\u201d Adam insisted.\u00a0 \u201cYou always said I was mature for my age.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, and I meant it,\u201d Ben said, \u201cbut even if you were completely able to deal with anything that came up in my absence, I couldn\u2019t leave you in charge, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy not?\u201d Adam sputtered.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t you trust me?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben reached to take the flustered boy in his arms.\u00a0 \u201cWith all my heart, I trust you, Adam.\u00a0 I trust you more than I would many grown men, but I have to be practical.\u00a0 The men here will not be comfortable taking orders from a thirteen-year-old boy, and that\u2019s the plain fact that overrides everything else.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd the house?\u201d Adam asked.\u00a0 \u201cI guess you think I\u2019m too young to boss that job, too?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, the same facts apply,\u201d Ben said, giving his son a comforting squeeze.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven though I\u2019m the one who drew up the plans?\u201d Adam persisted.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven so,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s something else we need to discuss about the house, Adam.\u00a0 You realize, of course, that even if I can persuade Clarence Williams to start as soon as I return, the house can\u2019t possibly be finished before you leave for school.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam pulled away, his frustration obvious.\u00a0 \u201cYou know how much it means to me to be here while we\u2019re building, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I know,\u201d Ben said, \u201cand I\u2019m sorry, Adam.\u00a0 The only alternative is to put it off another year.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI can think of another one,\u201d Adam declared.\u00a0 \u201cI could put off school for another year.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou could,\u201d Ben admitted.\u00a0 \u201cI hate to put you in this predicament, son, but I feel I must keep my word to Jean.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, you must,\u201d Adam said firmly.\u00a0 \u201cI know that; I just hate the way it\u2019s messing up our other plans.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI hate that, too,\u201d Ben said sympathetically, \u201cbut part of growing up, Adam, is realizing that sometimes plans change.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLike when we put off coming west for a year?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n

Ben nodded firmly, pleased that Adam had remembered so apropos an example.\u00a0 \u201cExactly like that.\u00a0 We made that decision because we felt we\u2019d be better off in the long run.\u00a0 And though it involved sacrifice in one way, I think we made the right choice.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Adam said quietly.\u00a0 \u201cSo what gets put off this time, the house or the schooling?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben took the boy\u2019s face between his hands.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re the one most affected,\u201d he said gently.\u00a0 \u201cYou decide.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s countenance brightened.\u00a0 \u201cReally?\u00a0 I decide?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled warmly.\u00a0 \u201cAs I said, Adam, I trust you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll think about it,\u201d Adam said seriously, \u201cand let you know in a couple of days.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSoon enough,\u201d Ben agreed.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t plan to leave until the first of next week.\u00a0 Any time before then will be fine.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

The Cartwrights spent Sunday, the 20th of April at home alone.\u00a0 Ben would be leaving the next morning, and he wanted this final day alone with his boys.\u00a0 Hoss had sat in his lap for most of the afternoon, while Ben tried to help him understand what a lengthy journey this would be.\u00a0 Hoss seemed unable to comprehend the difference between this trip and one to California, but he clung to his father as he had increasingly since the death of Jean D\u2019Marigny.\u00a0 Hoss apparently needed reassurance that his father would not depart, never to return, the way his friend had.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can fix supper if you want to pack,\u201d Adam said late that afternoon.<\/p>\n

\u201cI believe I\u2019ll just let you,\u201d Ben smiled.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can help you pack,\u201d Hoss, not to be outdone by his big brother, offered.\u00a0 Ben chuckled softly, not wanting to hurt the little boy\u2019s feelings.\u00a0 \u201cSure,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cJust what I need.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLike you need an extra thumb,\u201d Adam teased.<\/p>\n

\u201cShh,\u201d Ben cautioned with a wink.\u00a0 \u201cAs for you, young man, I\u2019m going to need your final decision tonight.\u00a0 If you want to attend the academy, I should probably enroll you on my way through Sacramento.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not going,\u201d Adam stated.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou sure?\u201d Ben asked.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ve been wavering back and forth all week, and I know how you\u2019ve looked forward to school.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot as much as seeing the house go up,\u201d Adam explained.\u00a0 \u201cI think a builder\u2019s what I want to be, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, in that case,\u201d Ben said as he slid Hoss off his knee and stood, \u201cI don\u2019t think you should pass up the chance to watch Mr. Williams at work.\u00a0 I hear he\u2019s one of the best.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRight,\u201d Adam said, glad his father approved of his decision.\u00a0 \u201cBesides, with you being gone so long, I\u2019d hate to leave right after you got back.\u00a0 It\u2019d be like not seeing you for almost a year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben gave his son a quick embrace.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, I\u2019d thought of that, and I\u2019d sure hate sending you off so soon myself.\u00a0 I\u2019ll check with Mr. Williams, and if he\u2019s not able to start in August, I\u2019ll go ahead and enroll you at the academy.\u00a0 But I hope it works out so we can do as we\u2019ve planned.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben took Hoss\u2019s hand and started toward the bedroom.\u00a0 \u201cYou think you know what Pa should pack, son?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou goin\u2019 to them fancy folks again, Pa?\u201d Hoss asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Larrimores?\u00a0 Yeah, I imagine so, Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll need your suit, then,\u201d Hoss sighed.<\/p>\n

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

Ben walked into the Payne parlor patting his stomach.\u00a0 \u201cAh, Rachel, that was a wonderful meal.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rachel laughed lightly as she followed Ben and her husband into the room and settled into the rocker, while the men took the sofa.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m afraid the credit for that belongs entirely to Ma\u00f1uela,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cI cook so little these days it\u2019s almost embarrassing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, my compliments to Ma\u00f1uela, then,\u201d Ben smiled.<\/p>\n

\u201cWait \u2018til you see the breakfast she\u2019s planning,\u201d Rachel teased.\u00a0 \u201cYou haven\u2019t had huevos rancheros<\/em> before, have you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I don\u2019t believe so,\u201d Ben replied.<\/p>\n

\u201cHope you like your eggs spicy,\u201d Jonathan Payne commented dryly, laughing at the uncertain expression that crossed Ben\u2019s face.<\/p>\n

\u201cBen, I was so sorry to hear about the death of your foreman,\u201d Rachel said.\u00a0 \u201cHe seemed such a personable young man when he was here with you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, in many ways,\u201d Ben agreed.\u00a0 \u201cHoss was particularly fond of Jean, and his death upset the boy badly.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, it would,\u201d Rachel murmured sympathetically. \u00a0\u201cHoss is such a gentle, loving child.\u00a0 I could tell that just from the couple of days he spent here last year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll take that as a compliment to my son.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen I\u2019ll add another,\u201d Rachel continued.\u00a0 \u201cSusan told me after Hoss left that she was sorry he didn\u2019t live closer because she liked playing with him better than any boy she\u2019d met around here.\u00a0 And speaking of Susan, I\u2019d better check on her bedtime preparations.\u00a0 She has a tendency to dawdle.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIs there a child who doesn\u2019t?\u201d Ben chuckled.\u00a0 One perhaps, he immediately thought, that exception being sober, dutiful Adam.<\/p>\n

Rachel smiled in response to the jest and excused herself.<\/p>\n

Ben adjusted the sofa pillow behind his back and turned to Jonathan.\u00a0 \u201cSo, do you think you\u2019ll be able to help me find a new foreman?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAlmost positive,\u201d Jonathan replied.\u00a0 \u201cI have a young fellow in mind that I think would suit you well.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow young?\u201d Ben inquired.<\/p>\n

\u201cLate twenties,\u201d Jon answered.\u00a0 \u201cTwenty-eight, I think.\u00a0 He\u2019s worked with cattle about six years now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou sound like you know this fellow pretty well,\u201d Ben commented.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell enough to recommend him,\u201d Jon said.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s working on the Rivera place.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere I bought some of my cattle?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s the place.\u00a0 Rivera only hires the best, as I\u2019m sure you\u2019d agree.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded.\u00a0 Some of Rivera\u2019s men had helped him drive his first herd over the mountains.\u00a0 They were among the best vaqueros he\u2019d ever seen.\u00a0 \u201cRivera pays well,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cWhy would this young man be willing to leave a good position?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFor the chance to advance himself,\u201d Jonathan replied readily.\u00a0 \u201cHe came by here hoping I could make a place for him as a foreman, but I already had a good one.\u00a0 The same\u2019s true at Rivera\u2019s ranch, so there\u2019s no real future for the boy there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I\u2019d be interested in talking to him, if it can be arranged,\u201d Ben decided.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll send for him tomorrow morning,\u201d Jonathan promised.\u00a0 \u201cYou care for a cup of coffee before we turn in?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBetter not,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cKeeps me awake if I take it too late.\u00a0 Same room as last time?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s the one.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThink I\u2019ll hit the sack, then,\u201d Ben said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd dream of huevos rancheros<\/em>?\u201d Jon teased.\u00a0 Ben rolled his eyes and headed down the hall to the guest room.<\/p>\n

The next morning Ben\u2019s mouth had barely had time to cool down from the salsa-covered fried eggs that sat atop crisp tortillas when he heard Jon greeting the young man who hoped to become Ben\u2019s foreman.\u00a0 The lean, lanky man entered, removing his slouch hat as soon as he came inside.\u00a0 \u201cHow do you do, sir?\u201d he said formally, but as he raised his eyes to Ben\u2019s face, they shot wide with surprised recognition.\u00a0 \u201cMr. Cartwright!\u201d the young man cried.<\/p>\n

The sunlight behind the young man made it difficult for Ben to see him without squinting, but as the man moved further into the room, Ben\u2019s face reflected the same startled recognition.\u00a0 \u201cEnos?\u201d he asked in disbelief.\u00a0 \u201cEnos Montgomery, is that you, boy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure is,\u201d the dark-haired, sunburned cattleman said.<\/p>\n

\u201cEnos!\u201d Ben cried and wrapped the other man in a bear hug.\u00a0 Then he looked reproachfully over at Jonathan Payne, who was grinning like Alice\u2019s Cheshire cat.\u00a0 \u201cYou rascal!\u201d he scolded.\u00a0 \u201cYou never said a word.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou never asked,\u201d Jon chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cI guess I don\u2019t have to tell you much about Enos\u2019s skill with cattle.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIndeed not,\u201d Ben said. \u00a0Enos Montgomery had worked his way west by caring for the extra cattle Ben and other members of the wagon train had brought with them.\u00a0 Ben could think of no one he would trust more to take over Jean D\u2019Marigny\u2019s role at the ranch.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you the man looking for a new foreman?\u201d Enos asked, excitement gleaming in his blue eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m the man,\u201d Ben said, \u201cand if you want the job, it\u2019s yours.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen do I start?\u201d Enos asked eagerly.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs soon as Se\u00f1or<\/em> Rivera\u2019s willing to release you,\u201d Ben replied.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll be out of the country for around three months, so the sooner you can leave the better.\u00a0 Clyde Thomas is watching the place for me until I send someone to take over.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust give me directions, and I can leave in the morning,\u201d Enos said.\u00a0 \u201cSe\u00f1or<\/em> Rivera\u2019s never been one to stand in a man\u2019s way when he had a better job waiting.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben stretched his hand forward to seal the bargain with a handshake, then wagged his index finger at Jonathan Payne for springing such a surprise on his unsuspecting friends.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cBen, dear, you won\u2019t mind taking a bit of advice from an old friend, will you?\u201d Camilla Larrimore asked as the servants placed a piece of thickly frosted lemon cake before each person at the table.<\/p>\n

Ben hesitated a moment, not sure what advice Camilla was qualified to give.\u00a0 To be polite, he responded, \u201cOf course not, Camilla.\u00a0 I\u2019m sure there\u2019s much about me that needs amending.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, no, no,\u201d Camilla hastened to say, her face growing flustered.\u00a0 \u201cNothing about you personally, Ben.\u00a0 It\u2019s your clothes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCamilla!\u201d her husband protested.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s hardly the way to speak to a guest.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBen knows I have only his best interest in mind,\u201d Camilla silenced her critic smoothly.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s just that your suit is years out of fashion, Ben.\u00a0 Now, that\u2019s no problem out here where no one seems to care about being up to date.\u00a0 You did say, however, that this woman you plan to see\u2014\u2014your foreman\u2019s mother\u2014\u2014was of the French aristocracy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right,\u201d Ben said, \u201cand of course I plan to see his wife, as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, but his mother\u2019s the one to consider when you choose your wardrobe,\u201d Camilla stated emphatically.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ll want to look your best before such a distinguished person.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, Camilla,\u201d Lawrence asserted, \u201cI still say\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, that\u2019s all right, Lawrence,\u201d Ben interrupted.\u00a0 \u201cI hadn\u2019t thought of it, but Camilla is correct.\u00a0 I haven\u2019t had a new suit in years, and I\u2019m sure I\u2019ll look quite the rube to Jean\u2019s mother dressed in this worn old thing.\u00a0 But I\u2019m not sure I\u2019d know what to buy to correct my style.\u201d<\/p>\n

Camilla sat up, clasping her hands eagerly before her.\u00a0 \u201cOh, Ben, you must let me take you shopping tomorrow,\u201d she cried.\u00a0 \u201cI study all the latest fashions from back east, and we do try to keep a selection of the best fabrics and accessories at the emporium.\u00a0 I can take you to the finest tailor, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled awkwardly.\u00a0 He\u2019d never shopped for clothing with a woman before, and while there wasn\u2019t much else about Camilla Larrimore he cared to emulate, he certainly had to admire the fashionable flair with which she dressed her family.\u00a0 \u201cYes, I\u2019d appreciate your help, Camilla,\u201d he said, \u201cif you think there\u2019s time to have a suit tailored before my ship leaves.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe first of May you said?\u201d Camilla inquired.\u00a0 At Ben\u2019s affirming nod, she smiled.\u00a0 \u201cPlenty of time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you certain you\u2019ll be able to find these people, Ben?\u201d Lawrence asked.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s a long way to go without a definite address.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI have one for his mother\u2019s home, of course,\u201d Ben replied.\u00a0 \u201cD\u2019Marigny was able to tell me that much, but he wasn\u2019t certain his wife would still be at the address where they lived together.\u00a0 He gave me the name of his old fencing master, who was a close friend to both Jean and his wife.\u00a0 It shouldn\u2019t be too hard to locate the Angierville Academy on Exchange Street, and, hopefully, Monsieur<\/em> Angierville will be able to direct me to Mrs. D\u2019Marigny.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, that sounds workable,\u201d Lawrence agreed.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I do envy you the trip to New Orleans,\u201d Camilla sighed.\u00a0 \u201cSuch a fine city, from all I\u2019ve heard.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled ruefully.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m afraid my trip to New Orleans is strictly business, and unpleasant business at that.\u00a0 It\u2019s what comes after I\u2019m looking forward to.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh?\u201d Camilla asked with a coquettish tilt of her ringlet-crested head.<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s smile grew broader.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m going to treat myself to a steamboat up to St. Joseph to see my dear friend Josiah Edwards.\u00a0 I can\u2019t imagine I\u2019ll ever have another chance, and it will only add a couple of weeks to my time away.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, St. Joseph,\u201d Camilla said flatly.\u00a0 Of all the places on earth she had no desire to see again, provincial St. Joseph, Missouri, headed the list.<\/p>\n

Her husband\u2019s eyes, however, perked up at Ben\u2019s words.\u00a0 \u201cNow, that\u2019s a destination I could envy,\u201d he cried.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d like another look at the old store, like to see what the new owner\u2019s made of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, you would,\u201d Camilla chided.\u00a0 Sometimes she feared she\u2019d never make a society man out of Lawrence Larrimore.\u00a0 She had greater hopes, however, for her son Sterling, who was already showing a taste for the finer things of life.\u00a0 Suddenly, Camilla clapped her hands.\u00a0 \u201cOh, Ben, if it\u2019s truly just a business trip, perhaps you wouldn\u2019t mind conducting some business for us in New Orleans.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCamilla!\u00a0 What on earth!\u201d her husband sputtered.<\/p>\n

\u201cThink of it, Lawrence,\u201d Camilla continued, brushing aside his outrage.\u00a0 \u201cThink of the quality merchandise Ben could purchase for us in New Orleans and how well it would sell here.\u00a0 And for all his personal simplicity, Ben knows quality when he sees it.\u00a0 I know he\u2019d choose wisely.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lawrence was growing redder by the minute, but his wife\u2019s idea appealed to his business sense.\u00a0 \u201cIt would be better than ordering sight unseen,\u201d he admitted.\u00a0 \u201cWould it be asking too much, Ben?\u00a0 We\u2019d pay you, of course, for your time and effort.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cThat would help offset the cost of the trip.\u00a0 Yes, Lawrence, if you and Camilla give me clear instructions about the type of merchandise you want, I\u2019ll make the selections and arrange for their shipment before I go to St. Joseph.\u00a0 That\u2019s the least I can do to repay Camilla for getting me decked out in decent duds.\u201d<\/p>\n

Camilla squealed with delight.\u00a0 \u201cOh, this is working out beautifully, isn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded, but he couldn\u2019t help thinking that however much profit came out of this trip, it could never pay for the loss that made it necessary.<\/p>\n

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE<\/p>\n

\u00a0One day short of three weeks after leaving San Francisco, Ben stepped off the steamer onto the dock at New Orleans, happier than he\u2019d dreamed possible to touch land again.\u00a0 He\u2019d enjoyed the sea voyage down the coast\u2014\u2014though he would have preferred a fast clipper to the more plodding, less graceful steamship\u2014\u2014and the new railroad across the Isthmus had connected the next day with the Pacific Mail Steamship Company\u2019s boat to New Orleans.\u00a0 So the journey had taken far less time than before, and Ben had been spared the discomfort of transport by natives through a stifling jungle and the unpredictable wait for an available steamer that the pioneers who\u2019d come this way in \u201849 had bemoaned.\u00a0 Still, he was tired, and while he was anxious to conclude the serious errand on which he\u2019d come to this southern seaport, it could wait until tomorrow.\u00a0 For now, all Ben wanted was a hot bath, a good meal and a comfortable bed.<\/p>\n

Having made inquiries of fellow passengers returning home to New Orleans, Ben had been assured that he could do no better than the St. Charles Hotel, two blocks above Canal Street in the American sector.\u00a0 He told the driver of the carriage seeking passengers at the dock where he wished to go and soon found himself gazing admiringly at what the driver told him was one of the architectural wonders of the New World.\u00a0 Seeing it, Ben wished his son Adam were at his side.\u00a0 How Adam would have appreciated the white dome covering the Corinthian portico!\u00a0 Truly, a magnificent building.<\/p>\n

As he entered, however, Ben caught sight of the activity taking place under the rotunda of the stately hotel.\u00a0 A slave auction, the barter and sale of human flesh, Negro men and women stripped bare to reveal their physical strength or fecundity.\u00a0 Ben felt his stomach churn and averted his eyes, glad now that he\u2019d left Adam at home.\u00a0 They\u2019d both seen similar scenes in Missouri, but somehow it seemed more out of place here in the presence of such classic beauty.\u00a0 Or perhaps the reminder of whose labor had made possible such structures was more than appropriate here.\u00a0 Maybe it was just, though unintended, tribute.<\/p>\n

Ben registered and went to his room, setting his carpetbag at the foot of the brass bed.\u00a0 He walked to the mirrored table where a pitcher of water and wash bowl stood ready for his use.\u00a0 Looking into the mirror, Ben scowled.\u00a0 No wonder the clerk had turned up his nose when Ben requested a room.\u00a0 Not wanting to wear his new suit on the sea voyage, Ben had arrived in his well-worn brown one, which, frankly, looked as though he\u2019d traveled in it for a month, and though he\u2019d shaved that morning, Ben\u2019s face was stubbled with a five-o\u2019clock shadow that added nothing to his appearance.\u00a0 Ben poured water into the bowl and set to work to rectify his grooming before looking for a place to dine.<\/p>\n

Dressed in a gray cut-away jacket with tails and fawn-colored pants stylishly strapped beneath his boots, Ben admired his reflection in the mirror as he set on his head the tan hat banded in a lighter shade of the same color.\u00a0 Quite stylish, according to the other attire he\u2019d seen on the streets of New Orleans.\u00a0 Camilla had done well by him, and she\u2019d kept the cost down, too.\u00a0 Ben had only the one jacket, but two pairs of trousers and several vests that would allow him to change his look from day to day with little added expense.\u00a0 He\u2019d chosen the wine-colored one to wear this evening, along with the beige and wine plaid string tie.<\/p>\n

Not feeling particularly hungry yet, Ben decided to walk the streets of New Orleans on a sort of get-acquainted tour.\u00a0 He saw much that pleased his eye.\u00a0 Going down Canal Street to the Custom House, he walked inside to look at what he\u2019d been told was the finest Greek Revival interior in the country.\u00a0 Most of the newer buildings he passed were built in the Greek style, but this one was outstanding, even outside, with its colossal columns.<\/p>\n

Pulling his slate gray, knee-length cape close against the damp wind, Ben left the Custom House and crossed Canal Street.\u00a0 As he neared the corner leading to the Rue Royale, a rider came galloping past on a powerful black stallion.\u00a0 Ben pulled close to the wrought iron fence and stared up at the rider as the stallion reared close to him.\u00a0 A smile touched Ben\u2019s lips.\u00a0 The rider was a young woman, no more than twenty, the most spectacularly beautiful woman he\u2019d ever seen.\u00a0 It was no exaggeration.\u00a0 Framed between a black top hat, ribboned in white with a crimson plume, and a gray, frilled jabot that set off her black riding habit was the face of a golden-haired, emerald-eyed angel.\u00a0 She nodded demurely at Ben, her way of apologizing for the close encounter, then urged the horse on down the Rue Royale.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ve been in the wilderness too long<\/em>, Ben scolded himself, if the first female you see turns you to mush.\u00a0 Think what sport <\/em>Clyde<\/em> and Nelly would make if they saw you now<\/em>.\u00a0 Slowly, he began to walk into the French section of the city.\u00a0 Though he had no intention of calling on anyone tonight, undoubtedly those he planned to see on the morrow lived within the confines of the original settlement.\u00a0 It wouldn\u2019t hurt to acquaint himself with the streets.\u00a0 He tried to take note of their names as he passed each intersection.<\/p>\n

It was hard to keep his mind on streets and avenues, however, when such a rich panorama of life flowed around him.\u00a0 New Orleans was a cosmopolitan city, where people of all races, nationalities and stations teemed the streets.\u00a0 Ben saw Frenchmen, of course, but just as many of Spanish descent.\u00a0 That made sense, since the Spaniards had held title to the city for so long.\u00a0 Much of the architecture, in fact, was Spanish in style, with overlapping clay tile roofs and balconies graced by rails of intricate, lace-like wrought iron.\u00a0 There were Americans, too, some elegantly attired, some in simple homespun.<\/p>\n

Ben passed the Place d\u2019Armes and entered the French Market, where an intriguing variety of goods could be purchased, and found an even greater ethnic mix.\u00a0 Greeks, Italians, a few Chinese selling shrimp and fish, and even Indians, wrapped in blankets, with more exotic wares.\u00a0 And weaving in and out through the crowd, black faces of every shade from the midnight of recent arrivals from Africa to the cafe-au-lait of those whose African heritage had been diluted to virtual extinction.<\/p>\n

Most of the vendors sold foodstuffs and Ben couldn\u2019t resist nibbling his way from one booth to the next.\u00a0 He ate oranges and bananas until he was sure he\u2019d ruined any dinner he planned to have later.\u00a0 Then, when he reached the riverfront, he visited the oyster stalls and, like the other customers, waited while the oysters were opened so he could eat them fresh from the shell.\u00a0 So much for supper!\u00a0 Moving back through the square, however, he did find room for a dish of sherbet sold by a Greek vendor in a red fez.<\/p>\n

Ben chuckled to himself as he returned to the St. Charles Hotel. Too bad there was no way to pack that sherbet back to CarsonValley!\u00a0 Adam might have enjoyed the architecture of this old, yet ever-new city, but Hoss would definitely have been the one to take on a tour of the French Market.\u00a0 Ben undressed and went to bed, feeling lonesome for both his boys.\u00a0 The sooner he finished his business here and got back to them, the better pleased he would be.<\/p>\n

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

Ben had passed Exchange Alley on his walk the previous night, so it was a simple matter to locate the AngiervilleAcademy.\u00a0 As was true of most two-story structures built during the period of Spanish rule, the academy was made of brick, which had been painted gray.\u00a0 The door was standing open, so Ben walked in without knocking.<\/p>\n

A flight of wooden stairs stood almost at the entry.\u00a0 Ben moved past them, past the embroidered tapestry of a rearing golden horse hanging on the wall above a narrow table decorated by two statuettes, one a knight in armor, the other a swordsman in more modern attire.\u00a0 He saw, sitting beside a table, an elderly man with a luxurious shock of wavy white hair and an ample mustache, stretching horizontally past his cheeks and climaxing in sharp points.<\/p>\n

The man, with his back to Ben, sat polishing his already gleaming rapier.\u00a0 He paused to finish the glass of red wine that sat on the table.\u00a0 As he again started to polish the blade, the old man spotted Ben.\u00a0 He flexed the steel with both hands.\u00a0 \u201cA fine instrument, eh, monsieur<\/em>?\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cThirty-five inches of authority.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir,\u201d Ben said,\u00a0 hat in hand.\u00a0 \u201cExcuse me, sir.\u00a0 Are you Marius Angierville?\u201d<\/p>\n

The fencing master scarcely turned.\u00a0 \u201cA bit worn in the tooth,\u201d he said, stroking the rapier, \u201ca little bit sour in the stomach, but the very same.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m glad I found you, sir.\u00a0 My name is Ben Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n

The other man cocked his head toward Ben.\u00a0 \u201cShould I know you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, no, sir, no,\u201d Ben replied quickly.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve just arrived in New Orleans.\u00a0 I have a ranch up in Utah Territory.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, you\u2019ve come a long way, monsieur<\/em>,\u201d Angierville commented, still polishing the rapier.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cBy ship?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBy steamer, yes, and train from Aspinwall to Panama City, then another steamer.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA fine voyage?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled fondly.\u00a0 \u201cYes, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, how I miss that!\u201d Angierville sighed.<\/p>\n

Ben hadn\u2019t realized before how aged Jean\u2019s friend was.\u00a0 Ben hated more than ever to bring the sad news he carried, but delay wasn\u2019t likely to soften the blow.\u00a0 \u201cSir, there was a man who worked on my ranch,\u201d Ben began.\u00a0 \u201cHe was from New Orleans\u2014\u2014Jean D\u2019Marigny.\u201d<\/p>\n

Angierville stood at once.\u00a0 \u201cJean?\u201d he asked eagerly.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s been so long.\u00a0 Is he well, happy?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben took a breath.\u00a0 \u201cNo, sir.\u00a0 He\u2019s dead.\u201d<\/p>\n

The fencing master looked away in pained disbelief.\u00a0 \u201cJean?\u00a0 He was like my own son.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHis last thoughts were of you and his wife,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cI promised I\u2019d see you both and, of course, his mother.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHis mother!\u201d\u00a0 Angierville almost spit the words at Ben.\u00a0 \u201cForgive me, but there are some things\u2014\u201d\u00a0 He looked into Ben\u2019s face and stopped.\u00a0 \u201cBut, no.\u00a0 Whatever else Madame D\u2019Marigny may be, she was Jean\u2019s mother.\u00a0 She must be told, of course.\u00a0 I can direct you to her home.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI have the address, sir.\u00a0 I\u2014I thought perhaps you might accompany me,\u201d Ben suggested.\u00a0 \u201cThe presence of an old friend might ease the situation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Angierville uttered a bitter laugh.\u00a0 \u201cNo, my boy, you will be more welcome in that home without me.\u00a0 But where are you staying?\u00a0 Have you accommodations here in New Orleans?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir, at the St. Charles.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, a fine hotel, monsieur<\/em>, but perhaps it would be more convenient if you stayed here, closer to the people you must see,\u201d the Frenchman offered hospitably.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, yes,\u201d Ben stammered, taken aback by the offer, \u201cif you have room.\u201d<\/p>\n

Angierville gestured with his head to the room that opened between the stairs and the front door.\u00a0 \u201cI have room, and any friend of Jean\u2019s is welcome here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI accept gratefully, then.\u00a0 I trust you can help me find Jean\u2019s wife Marie,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cYou know where she lives?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, not where she lives,\u201d the old man sighed, \u201cbut I know where we can find her.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s brow furrowed, not understanding the cryptic answer nor the fencing master\u2019s evident animosity toward Jean\u2019s mother.\u00a0 Perhaps all would become clear later, when he met the two women in Jean D\u2019Marigny\u2019s life.<\/p>\n

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

Ben observed the D\u2019Marigny townhouse from across the street, a two-story white brick home with dark green shutters at each downstairs window and the usual wrought-iron adornments across the second story.\u00a0 Not as ostentatious as he\u2019d expected, though Marius Angierville had assured him that Jean\u2019s family was every bit as prestigious as the young foreman had boasted.\u00a0 \u201cDirect descendants of Antoine Phillippe de Maringy de Mandeville,\u201d Marius had said, as if that explained everything.\u00a0 Ben didn\u2019t recognize the name, but it was obvious from the way Marius said it that the first D\u2019Marigny was a man of renown.<\/p>\n

And power.\u00a0 Marius had emphasized the power.\u00a0 \u201cThere is great power in wealth,\u201d he stated ominously, \u201cespecially when one has no compunction against using it.\u00a0 Be careful, my boy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Such warnings seemed ridiculous as Ben looked at the silver-haired grand dame who received him after he passed through the arched doorway into the sitting room.\u00a0 The furnishings demonstrated the owners\u2019 wealth, as did the ornate jewels gracing the lady\u2019s neck and ears, but Ben saw nothing to fear in this elderly woman listening to the news of her son\u2019s death with such rigidly contained grief.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry to have to bring you such bad news, Madame D\u2019Marigny,\u201d Ben said kindly after explaining the circumstances of Jean\u2019s death.\u00a0 \u201cI hope that it might give you some consolation to know of your son\u2019s courage.\u201d<\/p>\n

Madame D\u2019Marigny dabbed her nose with a lacy handkerchief drawn from inside her blue sleeve.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m growing old, monsieur<\/em>, and quite dry of tears,\u201d she said proudly.\u00a0 \u201cThe D\u2019Marignys carry a proud, but bitter, heritage.\u00a0 We cried at the death of the Emperor; we cried in the streets of New Orleans when the French flag came down, and I cried when my son ran away from his disgrace.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s eyes narrowed in puzzlement.\u00a0 \u201cHis disgrace, Madame?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou knew little about him,\u201d the mother stated.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnly that he had separated from his wife, whom he loved very dearly,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 He knew more, of course, but couldn\u2019t bring himself to mention the infidelity of Jean\u2019s wife.\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t sure the mother knew about that, though perhaps that was the disgrace of which she spoke.<\/p>\n

Madame D\u2019Marigny made no explanation.\u00a0 \u201cLove is often a crown of thorns,\u201d she said, softly touching the black velvet bows cascading down the light blue yoke of her dress, whose sleeves and overskirt were a deeper shade of blue.<\/p>\n

Ben looked at the floor.\u00a0 \u201cYes, yes, I suppose that\u2019s true.\u00a0 I hope to see his wife Marie.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI do not wish to discuss her, monsieur<\/em>,\u201d the aristocratic woman said, standing abruptly, as if in dismissal.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, Madame,\u201d Ben stammered, \u201cshe is your son\u2019s wife.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMarie D\u2019Olivier was never meant to be the wife of a D\u2019Marigny!\u201d Jean\u2019s mother declared haughtily.\u00a0 \u201cForgive me, monsieur<\/em>, but that is not your concern.\u00a0 If I can be of service while you are in New Orleans\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, there is one thing,\u201d Ben began.<\/p>\n

\u201cOui<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI had been engaged to purchase some quality merchandise for a friend\u2019s business in San Francisco, and I thought perhaps you could direct me\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut, monsieur<\/em>, I have little connection with my late husband\u2019s import business,\u201d Madame D\u2019Marigny said.\u00a0 \u201cStill, I could give your name to his associate.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d greatly appreciate it,\u201d Ben said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere are you staying?\u201d she asked.\u00a0 \u201cI will have Monsieur<\/em> Clairmont contact you there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWith a friend,\u201d Ben said, \u201cMarius Angierville, at his academy in Exchange Alley.\u201d<\/p>\n

Madame D\u2019Marigny\u2019s eyes grew icy.\u00a0 \u201cYou know Marius Angierville?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, yes,\u201d Ben faltered, feeling the chill.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s a friend of your son\u2019s,\u201d he added hastily.<\/p>\n

Madame D\u2019Marigny\u2019s drew herself stiffly upright.\u00a0 \u201cThat one is no friend to my son.\u00a0 Bonjour, monsieur<\/em>.\u201d\u00a0 There was no mistaking the air of dismissal this time.<\/p>\n

Ben bowed from the waist.\u00a0 \u201cThank you, Madame.\u00a0 Good day.\u201d\u00a0 When Jean\u2019s mother made no response, Ben left quietly.<\/p>\n

Later, in a carriage with Marius, Ben described his visit to the D\u2019Marigny home.\u00a0 \u201cJean\u2019s mother wasn\u2019t too friendly toward me,\u201d he said wryly.\u00a0 \u201cShe isn\u2019t exactly fond of her daughter-in-law, is she?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, she isn\u2019t,\u201d Marius stated bluntly.\u00a0 \u201cNever was.\u00a0 I\u2019m afraid Marie isn\u2019t very fond of me.\u00a0 We may not receive a warm reception, my boy.\u00a0 I haven\u2019t seen her since the day Jean left New Orleans.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben stared at the other man.\u00a0 \u201cJean told me that you were very good friends,\u201d he said, wondering how that could be true if they weren\u2019t even on speaking terms.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were,\u201d Marius said, \u201cuntil I challenged her beloved cousin, Edward D\u2019Arcy to a duel.\u00a0 She\u2019s never forgiven me for wanting to kill him, which I was most anxious to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

No further explanation was forthcoming, so Ben sat back, remembering what Jean had once said about the complexity of New Orleans\u2019 society.\u00a0 Evidently it rubbed off on the inhabitants, for Ben felt certain the people he\u2019d met so far in this city were more complex than any he\u2019d seen in his travels around the world.\u00a0 And though he had no inkling of it at that moment, he was about to meet the most complex of all.<\/p>\n

The carriage halted before a building similar, at least on the exterior, to the D\u2019Marigny home, though perhaps less ostentatious.\u00a0 Inside, however, the furnishings rivaled that dwelling.\u00a0 Mirrors with gilt frames surrounded a room graced by gold brocade draperies, and crystal chandeliers spread a soft glow over round tables intended for gaming or t\u00eate-\u00e0-t\u00eate.<\/p>\n

A woman stood conversing with two gentlemen seated at the nearest table.\u00a0 Leaving them, she approached Ben and Marius.\u00a0 She moved gracefully, a vision of loveliness in her light blue, off-the-shoulder gown, whose low neckline revealed a sapphire pendant that matched her earrings.\u00a0 Ben found himself staring at the woman.\u00a0 She seemed so familiar, but he was sure they\u2019d never met.\u00a0 Suddenly he knew.\u00a0 This was the same woman who had nearly run him down in the street two days before.\u00a0 He had thought her angelic then, but in this regal attire she seemed even more stunning.<\/p>\n

Ben was glad he\u2019d changed into a fresh white shirt and topped it with the beige satin vest and red string tie.\u00a0 Even so, he looked less elaborately dressed than the other occupants of the room.\u00a0 Even Marius, seemed more fashionable with his wide blue bow tie and dark blue top hat, and it was to him that the woman directed her steps.\u00a0 \u201cMarius Angierville, I thought by now the devil had claimed you for his own,\u201d she said with a beguiling smile.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m afraid both you and he will have to wait a trifle longer,\u201d Marius said smoothly.\u00a0 \u201cI brought a friend to meet you, fresh from the wilderness, Marie.\u00a0 May I present Monsieur<\/em> Cartwright from the Utah Territory?\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie directed her attention toward Ben.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve heard there is such a place,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Ben was struck silent for a moment.\u00a0 This ravishing creature couldn\u2019t be Jean\u2019s wife!\u00a0 No wonder the separation had tormented the young Frenchman so. \u00a0\u201cYes, ma\u2019am,\u201d Ben stammered, in his fluster forgetting the French form of address, \u201cI\u2019m afraid there is, full of wild animals and much wilder people.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, if you\u2019ll forgive me, I\u2019m going to the bar,\u201d Marius excused himself.<\/p>\n

\u201cMadame, may I speak with you in private?\u201d Ben asked as the fencing master walked away.<\/p>\n

\u201cMonsieur<\/em>, is that a western custom, demanding a lady\u2019s attention on such short acquaintance?\u201d Marie asked.\u00a0 Ben couldn\u2019t be sure if her tone indicated offense or bemusement.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat I have to say is rather serious,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cSerious?\u201d Marie laughed.\u00a0 \u201cWhy, no one is serious here.\u00a0 People come here for pleasure.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat I have to say, it\u2019s about your husband,\u201d Ben began.<\/p>\n

One of the men who had been at the table with Marie when Ben and Marius entered the gambling salon approached them.\u00a0 \u201cMarie,\u201d he said peevishly, \u201cI thought you were going to join us.\u201d\u00a0 Marie turned to assuage the gentleman.<\/p>\n

At the bar Marius was sipping a glass of brandy when a man in an expensively tailored suit of royal blue approached the bar.\u00a0 \u201cA little cognac for me, please,\u201d the gentleman ordered, and the bartender immediately came to serve him.\u00a0 The man turned toward Marius.\u00a0 \u201cIt seems the game-legged old hotspur himself has decided to distinguish us with a visit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marius regarded the other man with an arrogant eye.\u00a0 \u201cWhy not, D\u2019Arcy?\u00a0 We will squat in hell together, you and I.\u201d\u00a0 He raised his glass in a disdainful toast.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you are in a hurry to get there, hotspur, I am always available to assist you on your way,\u201d D\u2019Arcy replied, returning the toast with a sneer.<\/p>\n

\u201cNext time the boot may be on the other foot,\u201d Marius declared, but D\u2019Arcy\u2019s only response was a noncommittal spread of his hands that somehow managed to convey unacceptance of the possibility of defeat.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Marie had successfully soothed her offended gentleman friend and introduced him to Ben.\u00a0 \u201cI am pleased to have met you, monsieur<\/em>,\u201d the man said with disinterested social courtesy.\u00a0 \u201cMarie, please hurry,\u201d he added as he went back to the table.<\/p>\n

Marie turned to Ben.\u00a0 \u201cMonsieur<\/em>,\u201d she said bluntly, \u201cI do not wish to discuss my husband.\u00a0 I\u2014I think you had better leave.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIs your husband of no interest to you?\u201d Ben pressed.<\/p>\n

The lovely woman\u2019s chin lifted proudly.\u00a0 \u201cOf no interest whatsoever.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben tried again.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m afraid there\u2019s something that you don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie shook her head.\u00a0 \u201cThere is nothing I wish to know about Jean.\u00a0 Bonjour, monsieur<\/em>.\u201d\u00a0 She turned her back on Ben and returned to the two gentlemen eagerly awaiting her at the table.<\/p>\n

Ben started to follow her, to somehow make her listen, but a man\u2019s hand restrained him.\u00a0 \u201cMonsieur<\/em>!\u201d the man said quickly.\u00a0 \u201cMy name is D\u2019Arcy.\u00a0 I\u2019m the proprietor here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow do you do?\u201d Ben said perfunctorily, his eyes still following Marie D\u2019Marigny.<\/p>\n

D\u2019Arcy\u2019s eyes followed Ben\u2019s.\u00a0 \u201cAre you a friend of Marius?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, in a way,\u201d Ben replied.\u00a0 No further explanation seemed necessary to a total stranger.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t seem to be attracted to our little sport,\u201d the proprietor commented, preferring the newcomer\u2019s attention to be fixed on gambling rather than on his pretty cousin.\u00a0 \u201cMost Americans find it very stimulating.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t come here to gamble,\u201d Ben said sharply.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m afraid I\u2019m not exactly attracted to blind chance.\u201d<\/p>\n

D\u2019Arcy glanced at the lovely Marie.\u00a0 \u201cPerhaps you are attracted more by aesthetic things?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben was growing irritated.\u00a0 \u201cAnd if I am?\u201d he asked, challenge in his voice.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, that would surprise me,\u201d D\u2019Arcy replied, his tone smoothly insulting.\u00a0 \u201cYou lack a certain polish in your technique.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben squared his shoulders.\u00a0 \u201cI guess my polish has been dulled by hard work, monsieur<\/em>,\u201d he said bluntly.\u00a0 \u201cGood night.\u201d\u00a0 He turned to look for Marius, but the fencing master had already left.\u00a0 Ben lost no time in following suit.\u00a0 What was it about these New Orleans people that made it impossible to hold a normal conversation with any of them? he fumed as he rode back to Marius\u2019 place.\u00a0 Whether he was talking to Madame D\u2019Marigny or Marius, Marie D\u2019Marigny or her cousin D\u2019Arcy, Ben always seemed to come away feeling like he\u2019d been on the losing end of a clash of rapiers.<\/p>\n

With such thoughts in mind, it seemed perfectly reasonable, when he returned to the academy, to find Marius practicing sword thrusts before a three-paneled mirror.\u00a0 As the old man lunged forward, however, his left hand dropped to grab his leg.\u00a0 Ben walked toward him.<\/p>\n

\u201cI fought amid the grapeshot and bullets of Waterloo, a saber in my hand, with valiant men, honorable men,\u201d Marius boasted, his voice slurring.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve had too much to drink, Marius,\u201d Ben chided.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t tell me what I\u2019ve had,\u201d Marius commanded, his touchiness proving Ben\u2019s accusation.\u00a0 \u201c\u2018In vino veritas<\/em>.\u2019\u00a0 In wine, there is truth.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben rolled his eyes and took the old man\u2019s arm.\u00a0 \u201cLet me help you.\u201d\u00a0 He noticed the sudden grimace of pain.\u00a0 \u201cWhat is it?\u201d<\/p>\n

Marius shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cAn old wound.\u00a0 This afternoon it became as fresh as the day I received it\u2014\u2014defending the honor of an old friend.\u201d\u00a0 He sat down in the chair to which Ben led him.<\/p>\n

Ben patted his shoulder and started to go to his room at the foot of the stairs.\u00a0 \u201cAh, Jean, Jean, you came to me, but I failed you; we all failed you,\u201d Marius sighed.<\/p>\n

Ben stopped, then walked to a table near the stairs on which sat a pitcher of water.\u00a0 He returned, carrying a damp cloth.\u00a0 \u201cBetter?\u201d he asked as Marius held the cloth over his face.<\/p>\n

\u201cUmn,\u201d the old Frenchman murmured from behind the cloth.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat did that mean?\u201d Ben asked.\u00a0 \u201cYou all failed him?\u201d<\/p>\n

Marius sighed, lowering the cloth.\u00a0 \u201cWell, he\u2019d just been married.\u00a0 He adored his young and beautiful wife.\u00a0 But when he believed her unfaithful, he ran, his whole world shattered.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd his mother knew?\u201d Ben queried.\u00a0 \u201cThat would explain why Madame D\u2019Marigny didn\u2019t want to talk about her.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI never believed the stories spread about Marie,\u201d Marius declared.\u00a0 \u201cI tried to prove them false.\u00a0 She was the innocent victim of deceit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben found himself wanting to believe Marius rather than the story Jean had told him.\u00a0 Having actually met Marie, he found it difficult to believe evil could reside in so fair and flawless a package.\u00a0 \u201cWhat was the truth?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

Marius shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cThe real facts about what happened are locked in her heart, along with grief and disillusionment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben considered the words soberly as he lay sleepless on his bed that night.\u00a0 Grief and disillusionment.\u00a0 Yes, those words might describe what he\u2019d seen in her face when he mentioned her husband.\u00a0 If she were truly guiltless, how must she have felt when the person who should have stood by her side simply left her to face the gossips alone?\u00a0 Such thoughts seemed disloyal to the man who\u2019d saved his life, but like all these other inhabitants of his native city, Jean had been full of complexities, paradoxes, puzzles.\u00a0 Still, Ben had made him a promise, a promise to deliver a message, and however little Jean\u2019s wife wished to hear it, somehow Ben would have to speak it.\u00a0 He\u2019d try again tomorrow.<\/p>\n

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

Ben smiled approvingly at the simple dwelling before him.\u00a0 If the information Marius had finessed from the bartender was correct, this was the home of Marie D\u2019Marigny.\u00a0 From the ornate elegance of the room in which he\u2019d seen her last night and from the fashionable dress she\u2019d worn Ben had expected something as lavishly overwhelming as the home of Jean\u2019s mother.\u00a0 This building, however, was only one story, roofed in red tile, its front courtyard fenced with heavy black wrought iron between pillars of red brick topped with large gray finials.\u00a0 Most attractive, as was the courtyard through which Ben walked to reach the recessed doorway, ornamented on each side with potted plants.<\/p>\n

Marie answered his knock.\u00a0 She was dressed today in a royal blue frock with a more modestly cut neckline that, to Ben, made her seem even more attractive than what she\u2019d worn to the salon.\u00a0 Her hair was dressed more simply, too, forming a softer frame for her lovely face.<\/p>\n

But while she was a delight to Ben\u2019s eyes, he was anything but delightful to hers.\u00a0 \u201cSacr\u00e9 boulon<\/em>!\u201d Marie cried.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s you again!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben removed his hat.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m a stubborn man, Madame.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPlease go away,\u201d Marie said firmly.<\/p>\n

\u201cI will, as soon as you give me a chance to talk to you,\u201d Ben insisted.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know all I need to know about Jean,\u201d Marie said and began to close the door.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you know that he\u2019s\u2014\u2014dead?\u201d Ben blurted out.\u00a0 Marie\u2019s slender hand touched her bare throat.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d Ben apologized, his eyes compassionate.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s what I\u2019ve been trying to tell you.\u00a0 He made me promise to seek you out and let you know.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie made a demure gesture with her head to invite him inside.\u00a0 \u201cThank you,\u201d Ben said as he entered.\u00a0 In a glance he took in the few furnishings of the foyer:\u00a0 another potted plant just inside the door, a single chair to one side of the entrance, a small table with a candelabra\u2014\u2014not gold, however, like the one at Madame D\u2019Marigny\u2019s.\u00a0 Everything here was plainer, yet, to Ben, twice as appealing as the wealthier woman\u2019s home.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry I had to give you the news so bluntly,\u201d Ben said, \u201cbut you left me little choice.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGo on, monsieur<\/em>,\u201d Marie invited, preceding him through an open door made of finely turned spindles into a parlor lighted by a wall of ceiling-to-floor windows that looked out on the greenery of the courtyard.\u00a0 The furniture here was stylish, its wood finely carved, but unadorned by the gilt he\u2019d seen in Jean\u2019s former home.<\/p>\n

\u201cJean died after saving my life,\u201d Ben said to Marie, who kept her back to him.\u00a0 \u201cHe was a brave and courageous man.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI accept your statement, monsieur<\/em>,\u201d Marie replied, plucking at the white undersleeve peeking from beneath a wide blue ruffle, \u201cbut it does not fit the Jean D\u2019Marigny I knew.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe asked me to tell you that he loved you,\u201d Ben began again.<\/p>\n

\u201cLove,\u201d Marie sputtered bitterly.\u00a0 \u201cHe didn\u2019t know what it meant to love.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA man on his death bed doesn\u2019t lie,\u201d Ben stated firmly.\u00a0 He owed some defense to Jean\u2019s memory, after all.<\/p>\n

Marie turned toward him, her face hard.\u00a0 \u201cAll right, you\u2019ve told me.\u00a0 Now, good day, monsieur<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat isn\u2019t all he asked me to say to you,\u201d Ben declared.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not interested,\u201d Marie replied, her head high.<\/p>\n

That was obvious, but Ben had to continue.\u00a0 \u201cHe asked me to say that he forgave you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cForgave me!\u201d Marie cried.\u00a0 Fire sparked in her emerald eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d Ben made himself say, \u201chis words were he loved you and he forgave you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFor what?\u201d Marie demanded.\u00a0 \u201cHe believed a horrible lie.\u00a0 It was absurd.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t have accepted it and really loved me.\u00a0 Instead of trusting me, he ran off, leaving me disgraced and humiliated.\u00a0 Where was he when I needed him, when my baby needed him?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben was taken aback.\u00a0 \u201cI didn\u2019t know there was a child.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie regained control of her emotions.\u00a0 \u201cThere is no child,\u201d she said more quietly.\u00a0 \u201cHis mother took him from me at birth.\u00a0 He died of the fever.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJean never told me about that,\u201d Ben admitted, then looked up at her sharply, suddenly recalling that Jean and Marie had been married only one month before they separated.\u00a0 \u201cDid he know?\u201d<\/p>\n

The fire flew back into her face.\u00a0 \u201cIf he knew, would he have cared?\u201d she asked hotly.\u00a0 Turning away, she begged, \u201cLeave me alone, monsieur<\/em>, please.\u201d\u00a0 She collapsed on the nearby settee.<\/p>\n

Having no words to heal her pain, Ben turned and walked softly out, leaving her to weep away her grief and anger in solitude.\u00a0 He decided to walk back to the academy instead of hiring a carriage.\u00a0 He needed time alone, time to think, time to sort things out.\u00a0 He\u2019d done his duty to Jean now; now he was free to leave New Orleans, to put these confusing people and their entangled emotions behind him.\u00a0 But he didn\u2019t feel free.\u00a0 His own emotions felt as tied in knots as theirs, and he had no idea how to loosen their grip.\u00a0 Maybe he wouldn\u2019t be able to until he left the exotic fragrances of this city behind and breathed once more the pure, invigorating air of home.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t leave yet, though.\u00a0 He still had a commission to fulfill for Lawrence Larrimore, and he had yet to hear from Monsieur<\/em> Clairmont.<\/p>\n

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

Marie D\u2019Marigny exchanged rapier thrusts with her old fencing master, Marius Angierville.\u00a0 Despite his greater age, Marius easily parried her attack time after time.\u00a0 \u201cTouch\u00e9<\/em>,\u201d Marie said as the point of her opponent\u2019s sword touched her protective vest.\u00a0 She pulled off the mesh mask.\u00a0 \u201cMerci, cher ma\u00eetre<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marius removed his mask and shook her hand.\u00a0 \u201cYou have speed and accuracy,\u201d he analyzed, \u201cbut your long lunge left you open to my riposte.\u00a0 You\u2019re too anxious for the kill.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie loosened the sides of her black skirt, which had been fastened to permit her legs freer movement.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m an impatient woman, Marius.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt will be the death of you,\u201d Marius said soberly, then suggested more brightly, \u201cAnother bout.\u00a0 Three touches.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie brushed back the damp hair on her forehead with both hands.\u00a0 She\u2019d worn it down today, falling loosely to her shoulders.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m tired.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou didn\u2019t come here for a fencing lesson, Marie,\u201d Marius said, laying a hand on her shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cNot after all this time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie gave him an enigmatic smile.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m not sure why I came.\u00a0 I\u2019m not sure of anything anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I can\u2019t give you any fatherly advice,\u201d Marius sighed.\u00a0 \u201cThere are no words to prevent memories from coming back to haunt you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie sat in the chair beside a small table and looked fondly into her old fencing master\u2019s face.\u00a0 \u201cYou remind me of a gaunt old tree, gnarled and sad, all covered with Spanish moss and standing up to your knees in dark water.\u00a0 You\u2019ve been a loyal friend, Marius, even though you were wrong about my cousin Edward.\u00a0 He\u2019s been very good to me.\u00a0 I\u2014\u2014I think I wanted to tell you I\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n

Just then Ben walked in, gray cape over his arm, hat in hand.\u00a0 He dropped both in the brocade-covered chair beside the door.\u00a0 Marie immediately stood and reached for her cloak.\u00a0 \u201cOh, please don\u2019t run off on my account,\u201d Ben urged.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll be out of your way.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMarius told me you wouldn\u2019t be here today,\u201d Marie said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI came back sooner than I planned,\u201d Ben explained.\u00a0 \u201cI was out walking around your magnificent city.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie looked embarrassed.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2014I\u2019m sorry if I\u2019ve been rude, but you just don\u2019t understand.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAllow me,\u201d Ben said, opening the door and placing the black cloak about her shoulders.\u00a0 \u201cNew Orleans is a strange city, strange and unpredictable.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s none other like it in the world,\u201d Marie agreed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI find the people rather difficult to understand, too,\u201d Ben continued, for some reason not wanting the conversation to end.\u00a0 \u201cThey\u2019re a blend of so many things.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie nodded, an intriguing smile playing at her lips.\u00a0 \u201cYes, good and evil, bitterness and sorcery and virtue.\u00a0 You could live a lifetime and find nothing worse than warm sunshine or bubbles in honey.\u201d\u00a0 Her face darkened.\u00a0 \u201cOr you might suddenly become aware of the most\u2014\u2014the most terrible rottenness.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe west is like that, too,\u201d Ben said quickly.\u00a0 \u201cOut west there are trees that touch the blue of the sky, unimaginably beautiful, and yet there\u2019s an anger and violence about nature that seems to be there just to test people.\u00a0 But it hardens them, too, makes them strong and unfeeling.\u00a0 It\u2019s a man\u2019s country.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you going back soon?\u201d Marie asked, surprised that she cared.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d Ben replied.\u00a0 \u201cI thought\u2014\u2014maybe\u2014\u2014before I go\u2014\u2014maybe we could have supper together, and I promise not to talk about anything more personal than bubbles in honey.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie looked down demurely, then up into his face.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry.\u00a0 Good day, monsieur<\/em>.\u201d\u00a0 She looked over her shoulder and called, \u201cBon jour<\/em>, Marius.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben closed the door behind her, wondering why her refusal so saddened him.\u00a0 He\u2019d only meant the invitation as a courtesy to the widow of a friend.\u00a0 Certainly, it had no meaning beyond that.\u00a0 Perhaps it was the very commonplaceness of his gesture that made her refusal seem so tragic, as if there were no room left in her life for simple joys.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s like a woman possessed,\u201d Marius commented as he poured himself a glass of wine, \u201cone moment gay and full of life, the next driven, running to escape from something which seems to chase her.\u00a0 Well, she loses herself in her way and I in mine.\u201d\u00a0 He took a sip of the wine.<\/p>\n

Ben picked up the fencing glove Marie had left on the table, folded it and laid it aside.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ve got to learn to recover from sorrow.\u00a0 I did from mine.\u201d\u00a0 He sat down, moving the mask Marie had left in the chair.<\/p>\n

During the evenings they\u2019d spent together Ben had told Marius about the loss of his two wives.\u00a0 Now the old Frenchman faced Ben directly and queried, \u201cDid you?\u00a0 I think not.\u00a0 You\u2019re still nursing your wounds, just like me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI learned to forget, Marius,\u201d Ben alleged, pouring himself a glass of wine.<\/p>\n

\u201cMarie can\u2019t forget!\u201d Marius declared hotly.\u00a0 \u201cA husband who deserted her, a mother-in-law who loathed her.\u00a0 They had to be married secretly to avoid her interference.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat about this other man, the one who was supposed to\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

Marius stood and began gathering his fencing equipment from the table.\u00a0 \u201cI never found out who he was.\u00a0 One of D\u2019Arcy\u2019s friends, perhaps.\u00a0 I tried to make Jean see the truth, but it was no use.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben stood and lifted the glass of wine.\u00a0 \u201cWell, it isn\u2019t my affair.\u00a0 I have my own responsibilities.\u201d\u00a0 He took a drink.<\/p>\n

\u201cJean saved your life!\u201d Marius accused loudly.\u00a0 \u201cHe gave you this responsibility.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust a minute, Marius,\u201d Ben objected.\u00a0 \u201cI paid my debt to Jean.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow?\u201d Marius pressed.\u00a0 \u201cBy bringing us the sad tale of his death?\u00a0 By bargaining with his mother for the purchase of rare imports?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s a business obligation,\u201d Ben said defensively.\u00a0 \u201cBesides, what could I do here that you have not been able to do?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou could help me find the other man,\u201d Marius declared.\u00a0 He placed his sword, mask and glove on the bench beside the stairs.<\/p>\n

\u201cAw, that happened years ago,\u201d Ben argued, toying with the remaining sword.\u00a0 \u201cWouldn\u2019t help Jean now anyway.\u00a0 It\u2019s a dead issue.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot to me!\u201d Marius cried.\u00a0 \u201cAnd Marie is not a dead issue either.\u00a0 You could talk to her, make her see that D\u2019Arcy isn\u2019t what she thinks, that he isn\u2019t trying to help her, that he wants only to fulfill his own ambitions by marrying her off to some fat aristocrat.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, what makes you think she\u2019d listen to me?\u201d Ben shouted.\u00a0 \u201cShe all but ran from the room the minute she saw me.\u201d\u00a0 He dropped the sword to the table with a clatter.\u00a0 \u201cAnyway, I\u2019m not going to get involved.\u00a0 I have two sons; I\u2019m going to get back to them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marius stared thoughtfully at Ben for a long moment.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe you\u2019re right, my boy,\u201d he said with poignant softness.\u00a0 \u201cWhy bother with other people\u2019s agonies when you have your own to keep you company?\u201d\u00a0 He drained his wineglass.<\/p>\n

Ben blanched.\u00a0 How dare he?\u00a0 How dare this crippled old man presume to read his heart?\u00a0 How dare he stab him with truths too painful to face?\u00a0 Ben walked away without responding and spent another restless night trying to sort out his turbulent thoughts.<\/p>\n

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

Sunday morning Ben finally received a note from Monsieur<\/em> Clairmont, stating that he would be pleased to discuss business with Monsieur<\/em> Cartwright the next evening at the Salon D\u2019Arcy.\u00a0 Having nothing better to do that afternoon, Ben took another stroll around the Vieux Carre<\/em>, the French sector of New Orleans.\u00a0 He had dressed in his fawn trousers and looped a matching string tie beneath the collar of his white shirt.\u00a0 With his gray cut-away jacket and tan hat, he felt he had achieved a casual, but well-dressed look that seemed in keeping with the attire of most men he passed on the street.\u00a0 He wanted to blend in, to call no undue attention to himself, just to wander alone with his thoughts.<\/p>\n

When he peered through a spindled gate into the garden of the Convent of Ursuline Nuns, however, he was glad he\u2019d gone to the trouble of dressing neatly.\u00a0 On a gray iron bench beneath a statue of some unknown saint sat Marie D\u2019Marigny, lovely as always, in a ruby dress with white lace yoke and a large, shady hat with crimson ribbons and creamy feathers framing her delicate face.<\/p>\n

Ben entered the garden and walked up to her.\u00a0 \u201cI saw you from the street, Madame.\u00a0 May I?\u201d he suggested, gesturing toward the bench.\u00a0 Marie nodded and he sat down.<\/p>\n

\u201cI come here often,\u201d Marie said, looking around the garden with affection.\u00a0 \u201cI was brought up in the convent after my parents died.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a beautiful place,\u201d Ben commented.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was happy here,\u201d Marie said fondly, \u201cthough something of a rebel.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben tilted his head to examine her face and smiled.\u00a0 \u201cYes, I think I can imagine you as a rebel.\u201d<\/p>\n

A slight smile touched Marie\u2019s lips, as well.\u00a0 \u201cI used to climb that tree,\u201d she said, nodding toward one near the gate, \u201cand look over the wall, fascinated by the beautiful French ladies in their Paris gowns with shining black hair and skin like roses.\u00a0 I couldn\u2019t wait to wash my face in sour buttermilk.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed, amused that this exquisite beauty could ever have thought her looks lacking in any way.\u00a0 Her recollections made him think of his own youthful dreams.\u00a0 \u201cWhen I was a boy,\u201d he told her, \u201cI used to stand on a pier and watch the great ships putting out to sea.\u00a0 I used to imagine myself a captain on the quarter-deck, scanning the horizon, looking for rich new lands to discover.\u201d\u00a0 He laughed.\u00a0 \u201cFor a long time I had to content myself with finding my heroes in books.\u201d<\/p>\n

A shadow crossed Marie\u2019s fair face.\u00a0 \u201cI think that was far better,\u201d she said, that customary trace of bitterness lacing her voice.\u00a0 \u201cThen if they disillusion you, you can throw them into the fire.\u201d\u00a0 She stood and twirled her gray parasol in her white-gloved hands.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s getting late.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMay I walk you home?\u201d Ben requested.\u00a0 When Marie nodded, he took her arm.\u00a0 \u201cWho were your heroes, Marie?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon Jean of Austria, Henri of Navarre, Cardinal Richelieu,\u201d she responded readily.<\/p>\n

\u201cBold, forceful men,\u201d Ben said as they passed through the gate onto the street.<\/p>\n

\u201cPerfect heroes for a young Creole girl who hadn\u2019t the vaguest ideas about love and life.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou seem to have some definite ideas now,\u201d Ben said soberly, as he guided her past the Indians selling beads along the sidewalk.\u00a0 Ideas entirely too grim for a girl of twenty, he thought, but didn\u2019t voice it.<\/p>\n

\u201cAbout life?\u201d Marie asked.\u00a0 \u201cWe don\u2019t live; we\u2019re only in the expectation of living.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd love?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTo love is to place one\u2019s happiness in someone else\u2019s hands,\u201d Marie sighed, clearly thinking of Jean.<\/p>\n

\u201cYet there are hands that would cherish such happiness,\u201d Ben said softly, \u201chands in which love would be safe.\u201d<\/p>\n

As she opened a parasol so small it was little more than ornamental, Marie gave a deprecating laugh.\u00a0 Sometimes Monsieur Cartwright seemed naive beyond belief.\u00a0 \u201cYou have known such hands, monsieur<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, twice,\u201d Ben replied.\u00a0 Marie looked up at him quizzically.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve been married twice,\u201d Ben explained, \u201ceach time to a woman in whose hands I could trust my love without fear of betrayal.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, oui<\/em>,\u201d Marie said.\u00a0 \u201cI had forgotten you were from Utah, where men take as many wives as they wish.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed, loud and hearty.\u00a0 \u201cNo, no,\u201d he assured her.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m no Mormon.\u00a0 I\u2019ve also been widowed twice, Madame D\u2019Marigny.\u00a0 Now I\u2019m quite alone, except for my boys.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie blushed in embarrassment at her innocent misconception.\u00a0 \u201cYou have sons?\u00a0 You are fortunate in that, monsieur<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey are the spark of my life,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cWithout them, I don\u2019t think I\u2019d have had the heart to go on after the deaths of their mothers.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d Marie agreed sadly, \u201cto go on alone is the hardest task life demands of us.\u00a0 We have more in common than I had thought, monsieur<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

They had reached her house.\u00a0 \u201cI see so much of my own loneliness in you,\u201d Ben said as they entered the courtyard.\u00a0 He paused for a moment.\u00a0 \u201cI know I have no right to ask, but what happened that night?\u201d<\/p>\n

Looking into his face, Marie felt she could trust this man who had also known sorrow and loss, but the words locked so long within the dungeon of her heart came slowly, painfully.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2014I was alone.\u00a0 Jean had finally worked up the courage to\u2014\u2014to tell his mother we\u2019d been married.\u00a0 But he wanted to do it by himself.\u201d\u00a0 She took a breath.\u00a0 \u201cI must have been sleeping for some time when I\u2014I became aware of someone near me.\u00a0 I thought it was Jean.\u00a0 When I realized it wasn\u2019t, I struggled.\u00a0 That\u2019s when Jean came in the room.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt must have been terrible for you,\u201d Ben said softly.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe should have believed me,\u201d Marie declared, her golden head proudly lifted, her eyes brimful of the crushed idealism of youthful romance.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d Ben said slowly, sympathetically, \u201che should have.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHis mother was anxious to believe the lie,\u201d Marie stated bitterly.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomething should have been done about that lie a long time ago, Marie,\u201d Ben said.<\/p>\n

Marie looked into his face, seeing no dissimulation, no mockery.\u00a0 Without a word, she turned and walked inside.\u00a0 That was rude<\/em>, she told herself later, but she had been too shocked to think of manners at the time.\u00a0 How could this stranger believe her so readily when the man who had promised to love, honor and cherish her had so easily accepted the lie?\u00a0 It made no sense, nor did her attraction for the man.<\/p>\n

Marie smiled as she remembered all the gentlemen to whom her cousin Edward had introduced her since Jean\u2019s departure.\u00a0 Any one of them would have made a better match than this rough westerner.\u00a0 Yet, though Edward had urged her to remarry\u2014\u2014for her own benefit and future security\u2014\u2014Marie had not been able to bear the thought of giving her heart to another man.\u00a0 Secretly, she had hoped Jean would one day return to beg her forgiveness.\u00a0 Instead, he had sent a blunt-mannered rancher to offer forgiveness to her!\u00a0 The message was unspeakably insulting.\u00a0 But the messenger?\u00a0 Once Marie separated him from his awkward message, Ben Cartwright no longer seemed the boorish barbarian she had first thought him.\u00a0 He was a man of sensitivity\u2014\u2014one, perhaps, in whose hands love could be trusted\u2014\u2014and Marie found herself envying the two women who had been blessed to be his wives.<\/p>\n

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

Marie felt foolish giving so much attention to her toilet Monday evening.\u00a0 She always dressed well when she went to her cousin\u2019s salon, of course.\u00a0 Edward expected it of her and had often told her that her beauty encouraged the right sort of customers to frequent his place of business.\u00a0 Many nights Marie would have preferred a quiet evening at home, but she felt she owed Edward any help she could give.\u00a0 It was small repayment for all his kindness to her.<\/p>\n

Tonight, however, she wanted to look especially fine, so she chose her coral satin gown edged with gold braid.\u00a0 She adjusted the puff sleeves so a graceful ruffle circled the curve of each elbow, then added the most exquisite jeweled necklace and earrings that Edward had bought her.\u00a0 All because she knew Ben Cartwright would be coming to the salon tonight to meet with Monsieur<\/em> Clairmont.<\/p>\n

Foolish<\/em>, she chided herself again.\u00a0 To him, you are only the widow of a man to whom he feels a debt of honor.\u00a0 Tomorrow or the next day he will be gone, and he will forget you.\u00a0 Be wise, and forget him as quickly.<\/em>\u00a0 None of her arguments succeeded, however.\u00a0 She made herself as alluring as possible, as Edward had often urged her to do.\u00a0 If nothing else, Monsieur<\/em> Cartwright\u2019s last impression of her would be a pleasurable one.<\/p>\n

When Ben entered the salon with Marius, Marie\u2019s feelings of foolishness faded, for Mr. Cartwright also was dressed to please the eye. Her eye, perhaps?\u00a0 He wore the same gray jacket as always\u2014\u2014Marie suspected he had no other\u2014\u2014but tonight he wore gray trousers with a gray vest flecked with crimson and a crimson tie.\u00a0 To her, he looked as handsome and as well-dressed as any of the rich plantation owners idling away the hours over a hand of cards.<\/p>\n

Edward D\u2019Arcy, seated with her at a small table, noticed her distracted attention.\u00a0 \u201cHow popular we are becoming, cousin!\u00a0 Marius and his American friend are becoming regular customers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie stretched an imploring hand across the table.\u00a0 \u201cLeave Marius alone, Edward,\u201d she pleaded.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t concern yourself,\u201d Edward said smoothly, covering her hand with his.\u00a0 \u201cMy quarrel with the old hotspur is ancient history.\u201d\u00a0 He performed a deft card trick for her amusement and Marie gave him an obligatory smile.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s Monsieur<\/em> Clairmont with his back to us at the table,\u201d Marius told Ben.<\/p>\n

\u201cWait for me at the bar,\u201d Ben suggested.\u00a0 He approached the rear table where four men sat playing a game of cards.\u00a0 \u201cMonsieur<\/em> Clairmont, I\u2019m Ben Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh it is a pleasure to meet you, monsieur<\/em>,\u201d the importer replied, shaking Ben\u2019s hand.\u00a0 He wore spectacles above a narrow brush-like mustache of iron gray.<\/p>\n

\u201cI got your note and came at the time requested,\u201d Ben said.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, yes, yes,\u201d Monsieur<\/em> Clairmont said absently, \u201cabout some goods you hope to purchase for resale.\u00a0 Madame D\u2019Marigny spoke to me.\u00a0 Er\u2014\u2014you play poker, Monsieur<\/em> Cartwright?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben looked puzzled.\u00a0 \u201cWell, I thought you wanted to discuss business, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, certainly, my boy, certainly,\u201d Monsieur<\/em> Clairmont replied.\u00a0 \u201cI have a room in the back reserved for our negotiations.\u00a0 But won\u2019t you join us for a little while and we\u2019ll discuss business later?\u201d<\/p>\n

Another man at the table gestured to the empty chair between him and Monsieur<\/em> Clairmont.\u00a0 \u201cPlease do join us, monsieur<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, thank you,\u201d Ben said, reluctantly taking the seat.\u00a0 He could count on one hand the number of times he\u2019d played poker in his life, and he didn\u2019t particularly want to play tonight.\u00a0 It seemed, however, the only way to conclude the business he\u2019d contracted to do for Lawrence Larrimore.<\/p>\n

Monsieur<\/em> Clairmont smiled.\u00a0 \u201cI have one vice\u2014\u2014cards.\u201d\u00a0 Ben nodded perfunctorily and the game began.<\/p>\n

They had played for approximately half an hour when Edward D\u2019Arcy approached their table.\u00a0 Ben\u2019s luck had been surprisingly good for one unpracticed in the art of gambling.\u00a0 \u201cWell, gentlemen, I have three queens,\u201d he announced, showing another winning hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, Monsieur<\/em> D\u2019Arcy, have you had the pleasure of meeting Monsieur<\/em> Cartwright?\u201d Monsieur<\/em> Clairmont asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d D\u2019Arcy replied coolly.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s the gentleman who does not devote himself to blind chance.\u201d\u00a0 Ben glanced sidewise at the salon\u2019s proprietor.<\/p>\n

\u201cCertainly doing well with it tonight,\u201d Monsieur<\/em> Clairmont announced amiably.<\/p>\n

\u201cThrow a lucky man in the Nile, says an old Arabian proverb, and he\u2019ll come up with a fish in his mouth,\u201d D\u2019Arcy commented.\u00a0 Ben joined in the laughter that rippled around the table, though he wasn\u2019t sure D\u2019Arcy\u2019s comment had been made in jest.\u00a0 There was a cynical undertone to the comment that Ben found disturbing.\u00a0 One man, having lost repeatedly, excused himself from the game.\u00a0 \u201cMay I join in?\u201d D\u2019Arcy suggested.<\/p>\n

\u201cPlease do,\u201d Monsieur<\/em> Clairmont invited.<\/p>\n

D\u2019Arcy sat in the vacated chair and the game continued.\u00a0 Surprisingly, so did Ben\u2019s good fortune.\u00a0 When Ben raised the last bid, Clairmont folded his cards.\u00a0 \u201cI believe you, Monsieur<\/em> Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll pay for the pleasure of seeing your hand, Monsieur<\/em> Cartwright,\u201d D\u2019Arcy declared, matching the raise.<\/p>\n

Ben laid down his hand, a straight.\u00a0 \u201cIncredible luck!\u201d Monsieur<\/em> Clairmont exclaimed.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s your deal,\u201d D\u2019Arcy pointed out.<\/p>\n

Alone at her table, Marie looked across to the bar where Marius stood, decked in his usual drab olive jacket with black velvet lapels.\u00a0 \u201cMarius, won\u2019t you join me?\u201d she called.<\/p>\n

Marius bowed.\u00a0 \u201cThank you.\u201d\u00a0 He brought his drink and sat in D\u2019Arcy\u2019s vacated chair.\u00a0 Together, they watched the progress of the game of poker.\u00a0 This time Ben was the dealer.<\/p>\n

\u201cMonsieur<\/em> Cartwright, may I see those cards?\u201d D\u2019Arcy demanded abruptly.<\/p>\n

Startled and irritated, Ben slapped the cards to the table.\u00a0 D\u2019Arcy slowly spread them out, face up, revealing three aces at the bottom of the deck.\u00a0 Monsieur<\/em> Clairmont cut a suspicious glance at Ben.\u00a0 D\u2019Arcy stood.\u00a0 \u201cYou are a cheat and a thief,\u201d he accused.\u00a0 Alarmed, Marie and Marius stood, as well.<\/p>\n

So did Ben.\u00a0 \u201cD\u2019Arcy, you cut those cards!\u201d he sputtered.<\/p>\n

\u201cBarbarian!\u201d D\u2019Arcy cried, his outrage visible to all in the room.\u00a0 \u201cYou accuse me!\u00a0 Why, you uncouth, backwoods\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben doubled his fist and slammed it into the man\u2019s jaw, decking him.\u00a0 Though he rarely resorted to violence, he knew instantly that he\u2019d been deliberately set up, deliberately made to appear dishonest, and he was furious.<\/p>\n

The other three men at the table stood quickly and moved aside as D\u2019Arcy rose from the floor, touching his bleeding lip.\u00a0 \u201cI demand satisfaction for this insult, monsieur<\/em>:\u00a0 the Plantation Allard at dawn.\u00a0 Weapons\u2014\u2014rapiers.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOui<\/em>,\u201d Ben said, using the French word to exhibit the contempt he felt for his French opponent.<\/p>\n

Marius came forward, grabbing D\u2019Arcy\u2019s arm.\u00a0 \u201cHe can\u2019t fence, D\u2019Arcy, and you know it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf he doesn\u2019t wish to satisfy me, he\u2019d better conduct himself out of town immediately,\u201d Edward advised with a surly sneer.<\/p>\n

Marius took a wineglass from the card table beside him and flung its contents into D\u2019Arcy\u2019s face.\u00a0 \u201cHe won\u2019t need to do either!\u201d he shouted.<\/p>\n

\u201cMarius, you stay out of this,\u201d Ben cautioned.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m already in it,\u201d Marius announced with fierce pride.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is my affair,\u201d Ben insisted.\u00a0 \u201cNow stop interfering.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can have him when I\u2019m through with him,\u201d the old fencing master said hotly.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow popular I am,\u201d Edward laughed disdainfully.\u00a0 \u201cGentlemen, it will be a pleasure to do business with both of you.\u00a0 Whoever is first is immaterial.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLet the cards decide,\u201d Marius suggested.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, Marius, listen to me,\u201d Ben protested.<\/p>\n

Marie had followed Marius to the scene of conflict, but had remained silent until now.\u00a0 She laid delicate fingers on Edward\u2019s sleeve.\u00a0 \u201cEdward, no, please,\u201d she begged.<\/p>\n

\u201cMarie, you stay out of this,\u201d Edward ordered.<\/p>\n

\u201cMarius, will you please listen?\u201d Ben was continuing to ask an unheeding Marius.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou cut the cards,\u201d Marius said.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t be ridiculous,\u201d Ben snapped.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right, I\u2019ll cut them for you,\u201d Marius replied, lifting first one card, then another.\u00a0 \u201cYours, queen; mine, king.\u00a0 You lose, my boy.\u201d\u00a0 He turned to the salon\u2019s proprietor.\u00a0 \u201cAll right, D\u2019Arcy, the oak grove, Allards Plantation, at dawn.\u201d<\/p>\n

D\u2019Arcy lifted his chin haughtily.\u00a0 \u201cPerfectly satisfactory.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, Marius\u2014\u201d Ben started to protest again.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome along, my boy,\u201d Marius ordered, taking Ben\u2019s arm.\u00a0 \u201cCome along!\u201d<\/p>\n

When they had left, Marie turned to her cousin, fire in her eyes.\u00a0 \u201cEdward, no, please,\u201d she repeated, pulling his elbow to make him face her.\u00a0 \u201cMonsieur<\/em> Cartwright is no match for your rapier.\u00a0 He knows nothing of such things.\u00a0 And Marius is an old man!\u00a0 He\u2019s crippled!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy are you so concerned about Monsieur<\/em> Cartwright?\u201d Edward asked, eyes intent on her face.<\/p>\n

Marie\u2019s cheeks flamed.\u00a0 She couldn\u2019t answer.\u00a0 She barely understood herself what her feelings were for Ben Cartwright.\u00a0 How could she explain them to Edward?\u00a0 And just now, she was too angry with her cousin to speak at all.\u00a0 She walked away without answering, took her cloak and left the salon.<\/p>\n

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

Ben leaned against the back of a chair as Marius practiced thrusting his rapier before the three-paneled mirror.\u00a0 He\u2019d started the minute they arrived back from Salon D\u2019Arcy and had thus far given himself no rest.\u00a0 \u201cTo a Frenchman, my boy, honor is sacred,\u201d the old fencing master declared.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, come on, Marius,\u201d Ben argued.\u00a0 \u201cI was tricked into that duel; you know that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, you were,\u201d Marius agreed, lunging forward once again.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy?\u201d Ben asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cObviously, you\u2019re considered a threat,\u201d Marius stated matter-of-factly.<\/p>\n

Ben pulled himself upright.\u00a0 \u201cA threat?\u00a0 To what?\u00a0 To whom?\u201d\u00a0 He spread his hands to the walls\u00a0 \u201cBy whom?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cObviously, again, by Madame D\u2019Marigny,\u201d replied Marius, tucking his rapier beneath one arm, \u201cwhich is why she\u2019s hired D\u2019Arcy to arrange your convenient demise.\u201d<\/p>\n

That made no sense to Ben.\u00a0 What threat could he possibly pose to Jean\u2019s mother?\u00a0 Did she that greatly fear his uncovering the truth about the night that had led to her son\u2019s repudiation of his wife?\u00a0 He folded his arms.\u00a0 \u201cWell, it\u2019s still my fight, and I won\u2019t have you interfering.\u201d<\/p>\n

After placing his weapon on the bench by the stairs, Marius turned to face Ben.\u00a0 \u201cMy dear boy, do you actually believe you could meet D\u2019Arcy in a cartel with rapiers?\u00a0 The man\u2019s a professional duelist.\u00a0 He\u2019s killed four men.\u00a0 He half crippled me, a fencing master!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben couldn\u2019t deny those facts.\u00a0 \u201cWell, then, we\u2019ll have to find some other way to settle it.\u00a0 That\u2019s all.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is no other way!\u201d Marius shouted.\u00a0 \u201cUnless I kill the man first, he\u2019ll kill you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben gave the older man a confident look.\u00a0 \u201cMarius, I\u2019m not helpless.\u00a0 I may not be a fencer, but I can hold my own with the best of them with my fists or with practically any kind of firearm.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cToo late for that,\u201d Marius sneered eloquently.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s maneuvered you so he has the choice of weapons.\u201d\u00a0 He walked to the table and poured himself a glass of wine.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019d better understand me, Marius,\u201d Ben warned.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m not leaving town, and I\u2019m not going to let you do my fighting for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marius, blue eyes snapping, declared, \u201cAnd there\u2019s something you must understand:\u00a0 I have been given another chance, and you\u2019re not taking it from me.\u00a0 You have everything\u2014\u2014a great future, sons; for me, there is only honor.\u00a0 Without it, I\u2019m nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHonor!\u201d Marie cried, sweeping into the room through the open doorway.\u00a0 She had walked from the salon to the academy, but it wasn\u2019t just the exercise that brought the heightened color to her cheeks.\u00a0 \u201cThe word hangs in the air of New Orleans like the refrain of a song.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI taught you the art of fencing, Marie,\u201d Marius responded defensively.\u00a0 \u201cI taught you the code that holds men to the high standard of honor and courtesy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Code,\u201d Marie said bitterly.\u00a0 \u201cMarius, this time you will die.\u00a0 I know it,\u201d she added, her voice soft with feeling.<\/p>\n

\u201cPerhaps, but with dignity,\u201d Marius announced proudly.<\/p>\n

Marie stepped over to Ben.\u00a0 \u201cBen, Marius is just trying to save you.\u00a0 He can\u2019t win.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s not gonna have a chance to try,\u201d Ben assured her.<\/p>\n

\u201cBen!\u201d Marius protested.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve heard all I want to hear, Marius; the discussion is over.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marius looked at his friends thoughtfully.\u00a0 \u201cWell, maybe you\u2019re right, my boy,\u201d he said, suddenly, inexplicably, tractable.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe it\u2019s just the stubborn pride of an old man.\u201d\u00a0 He left the room, going up the stairs.<\/p>\n

Marie looked into Ben\u2019s brown eyes.\u00a0 \u201cWhat about you?\u201d she asked.\u00a0 \u201cHow are you going to fight D\u2019Arcy?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben gazed searchingly at her.\u00a0 \u201cI thought your concern was for Marius.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie averted her eyes.\u00a0 \u201cI love the dear man, but\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut what?\u201d Ben pressed.<\/p>\n

Marie blushed, then looked steadily into Ben\u2019s face.\u00a0 \u201cMy concern isn\u2019t only for Marius,\u201d she admitted.<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s heart leaped.\u00a0 For him, then.\u00a0 She was concerned for him.\u00a0 As she would be for anyone in danger?\u00a0 Or did he dare hope her concern was more personal?\u00a0 Sleep came slowly to Ben that night, not solely from fear over his fate, to be decided at dawn.\u00a0 As on other nights since he\u2019d come to New Orleans, he found himself trying to solve the enigma of surging emotions, emotions he\u2019d thought dead and buried in the graves of Elizabeth and Inger, emotions that tonight seemed not only alive, but flaming hot.<\/p>\n

When Ben finally fell asleep, he slept heavily and woke feeling sluggish.\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t sure at first what had awakened him, then he became aware of the pounding on the front door. \u00a0He pushed aside the mosquito netting around his bed and stumbled to answer the door.\u00a0 He opened it and Marie stepped inside.\u00a0 She was still dressed in the gown she\u2019d worn the night before, wrinkled now.\u00a0 \u201cBen, I couldn\u2019t go to sleep,\u201d she said hurriedly. \u00a0\u201cI just saw Marius and Edward headed for The Oaks.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben was suddenly aware of daylight.\u00a0 Already dawn, the scheduled hour of his duel with D\u2019Arcy, and because he\u2019d overslept, Marius was making good his threat to take on the professional swordsman before Ben had a chance.\u00a0 \u201cThe fool!\u201d Ben cried.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ll have to show me where they hold these stupid duels.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy carriage is outside,\u201d Marie said.<\/p>\n

Ben snatched his great cape from the rack by the door and hurried out after her.\u00a0 Though Marie urged the driver to make all haste, the duel was well underway by the time they arrived at The Oaks.\u00a0 Ben sprang from the carriage and helped Marie down, then they both ran toward the rapid clang of steel on steel.<\/p>\n

D\u2019Arcy made a final vicious lunge and plunged his blade between two of Marius\u2019 ribs.\u00a0 The old fencing master staggered back, dropping his rapier.\u00a0 Marie rushed forward crying his name.\u00a0 Ben was close behind her.\u00a0 \u201cMarius, you old fool!\u201d he cried as he eased the old man to the ground beneath a towering oak.<\/p>\n

\u201cI failed you, my boy,\u201d Marius gasped.\u00a0 \u201cI failed you both.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fire flashing across his face, Ben stood and moved toward D\u2019Arcy.\u00a0 \u201cBen!\u201d Marie cried, still kneeling at Marius\u2019 side.<\/p>\n

Ben ignored her.\u00a0 \u201cYou know what you are, D\u2019Arcy?\u201d he demanded.\u00a0 \u201cA hired assassin, fighting an old man.\u00a0 You\u2019re a white-livered disgrace to yourself and your so-called code of honor!\u201d<\/p>\n

With the back of his hand, D\u2019Arcy slapped Ben\u2019s cheek.<\/p>\n

Ben saw his chance.\u00a0 \u201cI consider that a challenge which supersedes our previous arrangement,\u201d he announced.\u00a0 \u201cMy choice of weapon is pistols\u2014\u2014here and now!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAgreeable, monsieur<\/em>,\u201d D\u2019Arcy snapped.\u00a0 \u201cAndr\u00e9, the pistols.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Ben removed his cloak, he saw Marius nod in satisfaction.\u00a0 Now Ben and D\u2019Arcy stood on equal footing.\u00a0 Now the fight would be a fair one.\u00a0 Marie put her arm behind Marius\u2019 back and raised him to watch the contest.<\/p>\n

The two opponents stood back to back and paced away from each other to the count of ten.\u00a0 Then both turned and D\u2019Arcy immediately fired.\u00a0 The shot grazed Ben\u2019s upper arm, but drew little blood.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou did not fire, monsieur<\/em>,\u201d D\u2019Arcy\u2019s second, Andr\u00e9, pointed out.<\/p>\n

Ben pointed the pistol at Edward D\u2019Arcy.\u00a0 He had, despite his contempt for the man, no desire to kill.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ll live, D\u2019Arcy,\u201d he announced, \u201cif you tell the truth about Marie and the man you hired to disgrace her.\u201d<\/p>\n

D\u2019Arcy sneered.\u00a0 \u201cYou know nothing of the matter of honor,\u201d he shouted.\u00a0 \u201cFire and be done with it!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHonor,\u201d Ben spat.\u00a0 \u201cWhat do you know about honor?\u201d\u00a0 Pointing his weapon skyward, he discharged it, tossed the pistol aside and advanced on D\u2019Arcy.\u00a0 He doubled his fist and slammed it into the Frenchman\u2019s jaw.<\/p>\n

D\u2019Arcy went down, but came up at once, hitting the side of Ben\u2019s head with the pistol he still held.\u00a0 Ben fell, and before he could rise, D\u2019Arcy kicked him in the ribs.\u00a0 From his knees Ben swung and knocked the pistol from D\u2019Arcy\u2019s hand, then stood and threw his opponent against a towering oak.<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s skills clearly exceeded D\u2019Arcy\u2019s in a fair fight, which this was, now that D\u2019Arcy was disarmed.\u00a0 Though the Frenchman was younger than Ben and kept himself fit through regular fencing engagements, the rancher had muscles built by hard work, while D\u2019Arcy\u2019s were the sensitive hands of a professional gambler.\u00a0 Ben\u2019s advantage was further strengthened by his righteous indignation.\u00a0 D\u2019Arcy had smeared an innocent woman; he had dealt an old man a fatal blow with his rapier; he didn\u2019t deserve to live.<\/p>\n

Fury fired Ben\u2019s fists, and he soon pummeled his opponent into gasping submission.\u00a0 \u201cTell them, D\u2019Arcy,\u201d Ben ordered, clutching the Frenchman by his frilled shirt front and hauling him around to face the assembled observers of the fight.\u00a0 \u201cTell them the truth about Marie.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d D\u2019Arcy stammered breathlessly.\u00a0 \u201cMadame D\u2019Marigny arranged the whole thing\u2014\u2014through me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marius sank back to the ground, a smile of supreme satisfaction on his frail face.\u00a0 Ben released D\u2019Arcy, letting him slump against the carriage wheel against which Ben had held him, and walked immediately to the dying fencing master.<\/p>\n

Marius stretched a hand toward him.\u00a0 \u201cThank you, my boy,\u201d he whispered, then turned to Marie, kneeling at his other side.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m knee deep in dark water,\u201d he said, recalling her earlier description, \u201cbut no longer sad.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie wept softly, her emerald eyes shimmering as she watched him die.\u00a0 \u201cNo, Marius, no!\u201d she cried, shaking him.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t leave her; he was all she had in the world now that Edward\u2019s perfidy had been exposed.<\/p>\n

Ben looked across at her with deep compassion.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t cry, Marie,\u201d he said, longing to comfort her.\u00a0 \u201cHe died as he wanted to, according to the code by which he lived.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie jumped to her feet.\u00a0 \u201cThe Code!\u201d she cried as she turned and stalked away.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sick to death of the Code.\u00a0 All this stupid, shallow desperation that drives decent men to destroy themselves.\u201d\u00a0 She turned to find Ben directly behind her.\u00a0 \u201cLook at this hanging moss with its slime and sickness,\u201d she fumed, flinging her head at the ancient oaks shrouded in feathery gray drapes of Spanish moss, \u201clike this proud society that builds a wall around itself and shuts out the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben took her by both shoulders.\u00a0 \u201cMarie, there\u2019s a world beyond that wall\u2014\u2014a real world, a beautiful world.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie stared defiantly at him.\u00a0 \u201cWhere trees touch the sky?\u201d she asked sarcastically.<\/p>\n

Ben ignored the tone.\u00a0 \u201cYes, where trees touch the sky,\u201d he said earnestly, \u201cand they grow straight and tall and clean, where life is reborn every moment, every day.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie glanced back to the body of her old fencing master, now being attended by his seconds for the duel.\u00a0 \u201cNot for me,\u201d she said, looking sadly toward the scene.\u00a0 \u201cDeath follows me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben pulled her around so all she could see was his face.\u00a0 \u201cOnly in the past, only in the past,\u201d he promised fervently.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s life ahead for you, for us. \u00a0Without you, it would be empty for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie seemed overwhelmed.\u00a0 \u201cEmpty?\u201d she murmured in disbelief.\u00a0 \u201cBut with your sons and the future you are building for them?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUntil I came here, I thought my life was quite full,\u201d Ben declared, amazed himself by the ardor of his words, \u201cMy sons were all I needed, but now I know:\u00a0 without you it could never be complete.\u00a0 Come back with me.\u00a0 Be my wife.\u00a0 I love you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie gazed into his warm, tender eyes.\u00a0 It couldn\u2019t be true.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t love her.\u00a0 Yet as soon as he said the words, she realized how much she longed for them to be true, how much she loved him, though she was admitting it to herself for the first time.\u00a0 But for him to love her, too?\u00a0 That wasn\u2019t possible.\u00a0 Such love happened only in storybooks.\u00a0 But those velvet eyes couldn\u2019t, wouldn\u2019t, lie.\u00a0 \u201cOh, Ben,\u201d she cried, impulsively casting aside her fears, \u201cI love you!\u201d\u00a0 She melted into his arms and his impassioned kiss breathed life into her heart once more.<\/p>\n

CHAPTER THIRTY<\/p>\n

\u00a0Morning sunshine sifted through lace curtains, forming interesting patterns of light and shadow on the small table in Marie\u2019s kitchen.\u00a0 \u201cMore caf\u00e9<\/em>, Ben?\u201d Marie asked, reaching for the pot.<\/p>\n

Ben tried to keep from smiling.\u00a0 \u201cNo, thank you, my dear; this will be quite sufficient.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pouring herself a cup, Marie laughed.\u00a0 \u201cOh, I\u2019m sorry, Ben.\u00a0 Americans do not take their coffee so strong, do they?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben reached across the table to press her hand.\u00a0 \u201cNot by a considerable measure,\u201d he chuckled.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I shall learn to do all things to your taste,\u201d she promised.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything about you is to my taste,\u201d Ben purred.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m glad you asked me to breakfast here, instead of stopping at the restaurant as I suggested.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is more private,\u201d Marie said, as she had during their earlier conversation, \u201cand we have much to talk about.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe do, indeed,\u201d Ben agreed.\u00a0 \u201cSo much has happened so fast I scarcely know where I am.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIn New Orleans,\u201d Marie teased, \u201cthough I hope not for long.\u201d<\/p>\n

A sour look crossed Ben\u2019s face.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d be happy to leave this evening, as soon as we\u2019ve buried Marius, but unfortunately I still haven\u2019t made those purchases for my friend in San Francisco.\u00a0 Now, without Monsieur<\/em> Clairmont\u2019s help, I don\u2019t even know where to start.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie broke off a piece of flaky croissant and spread a little butter on it.\u00a0 \u201cWhy do you think he will not help you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben reached for the pot of strawberry jam.\u00a0 \u201cI can\u2019t imagine he\u2019d want to do business with a cheat.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBen!\u201d Marie cried.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s how he sees me, my love,\u201d Ben said, \u201cafter that charade D\u2019Arcy staged last night.\u00a0 And for all I know, Clairmont may have been in on it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie laughed.\u00a0 \u201cYou would not say that, Ben, if you knew Monsieur<\/em> Clairmont.\u00a0 He is easily manipulated, that is true, but only because he himself has so innocent a heart.\u00a0 And by now all of New Orleans knows of the confession you forced from Edward this morning.\u00a0 It is he who is discredited, not you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben looked hopeful.\u00a0 \u201cYou think there\u2019s a chance, then, that I could conclude my business relatively soon?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI am sure it can be arranged,\u201d Marie said, \u201cand, like you, I am eager to leave New Orleans.\u00a0 It holds nothing for me now but painful memories.\u201d\u00a0 She looked at Ben and her face brightened.\u00a0 \u201cBut I shall bury all that this afternoon, along with dear Marius.\u00a0 And tomorrow we shall begin a new life, oui<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA new life, a wonderful life,\u201d Ben vowed.<\/p>\n

Marie glanced shyly at him.\u00a0 \u201cBen, could we be married soon?\u201d she asked quietly, \u201cI know you might prefer to wait until you can be with your family and friends\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Marie.\u201d\u00a0 Ben took her hand again.\u00a0 \u201cI would like to have the boys at our wedding, of course, but that simply isn\u2019t practical.\u00a0 It will take weeks to reach my home, and if we\u2019re to travel together all that time, I believe we should do so as man and wife.\u00a0 I wouldn\u2019t jeopardize your reputation for anything on earth, my love.\u201d<\/p>\n

A single tear trickled from the corner of Marie\u2019s eye.\u00a0 \u201cBen, you touch me: your courageous actions this morning have vindicated my honor, and still you guard it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t feel courageous,\u201d Ben said wryly.<\/p>\n

Marie\u2019s eyes fell lovingly on his face.\u00a0 \u201cTo me, you are Don Jean of Austria, Henri of Navarre and Cardinal Richelieu, all my childhood heroes in one.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, my,\u201d Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cHow shall I ever live up to that?\u00a0 But I promise you one thing, my love.\u201d\u00a0 He spread his hands, palm up, before her.\u00a0 \u201cThese may be only the hands of a rancher, rough and worn from wind and weather and work, but you can trust your love, your honor, your life in them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie put both slender hands in his outstretched ones. \u00a0\u201cThat I will never doubt.\u201d\u00a0 For a moment they sat quietly, drinking in the affection and respect each saw in the other\u2019s eyes.\u00a0 Then Marie pulled her hands back and broke off another piece of croissant.\u00a0 \u201cWe can be married soon, then, as soon as tomorrow?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAs soon as you can make the arrangements,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2014I suppose you\u2019ll want to be married by your priest.\u00a0 Can he do that tomorrow?\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie shook her head, smiling at his ignorance.\u00a0 \u201cNo, Ben, not tomorrow\u2014\u2014nor any other time.\u00a0 I cannot marry you in the church.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut why?\u201d Ben asked.\u00a0 \u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter to me, of course, since I\u2019m not Catholic, but I thought you\u2019d want\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is because you are not Catholic, Ben,\u201d Marie interrupted to explain.\u00a0 \u201cNo priest will marry us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re stepping outside your faith to marry me, is that it?\u201d Ben asked, his brow wrinkling with concern.\u00a0 When she nodded, he asked, \u201cDoes that disturb you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA little,\u201d Marie admitted, \u201cbut only a little.\u00a0 It is a long time since I felt welcome in church, Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t understand.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe priests, the nuns treat me well enough,\u201d Marie told him, \u201cbut every time I went to Mass, each woman I passed drew her skirts aside, lest they be sullied by brushing against the sinner.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSinner!\u201d Ben fumed.\u00a0 \u201cIt was those who slandered you who sinned.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie nodded.\u00a0 \u201cBut the proud women of New Orleans would never admit they judged me wrongly.\u00a0 Their pride would make them find other things to criticize.\u00a0 No, I will not be sorry to leave the church.\u00a0 Except for the blessed sisters, the only women there who accepted me were the prostitutes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMarie,\u201d Ben chided softly.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was so,\u201d Marie said defensively.\u00a0 \u201cMany of them are not evil, Ben, just women with no place to turn.\u00a0 And such I might have been had it not been for Edward.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEdward!\u201d\u00a0 Ben all but spat the name.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know,\u201d Marie said, then looked sadly at the white linen tablecloth as she ran her index finger along its edge.\u00a0 \u201cI know now that what Marius told me long ago was true:\u00a0 Edward was only kind to me to bring advantage to himself.\u201d\u00a0 She looked up.\u00a0 \u201cBut when Jean abandoned me, I had no way to make my living, Ben.\u00a0 Before I married, I lived by my needle, but when he left, no one wanted to employ an adulteress, as I was believed to be.\u00a0 Edward came to me, claiming affection for one of his own blood, and offered to support me.\u00a0 Everything I have, Ben\u2014\u2014my house, the table at which we sit, the very clothes on my back\u2014\u2014came from Edward.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben came to kneel beside her, enfolding her in his arms.\u00a0 \u201cNo wonder you defended him so staunchly.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was completely taken in,\u201d Marie sighed, \u201cso you see why I wish to marry quickly.\u00a0 Who knows if I shall have a place to lay my head by tomorrow?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have a place to lay your head,\u201d Ben said, gently placing it against his shoulder.<\/p>\n

Marie smiled up into his face.\u00a0 \u201cI could ask for no sweeter pillow.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben stroked her smooth cheek.\u00a0 \u201cSo, we\u2019ll be married tomorrow, a civil ceremony, I suppose.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen as soon as you finish your business we will set sail for your home,\u201d Marie sighed contentedly.<\/p>\n

Ben bit his lip.\u00a0 \u201cUh, there\u2019s just one thing, my love.\u201d\u00a0 He stood and walked a step away before turning to face her.\u00a0 \u201cI had made other plans\u2014\u2014before I met you\u2014\u2014and, of course, if they must be changed, we will, but\u2014\u201d\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t make himself ask.<\/p>\n

Marie stood and came to him, encircling him in her arms.\u00a0 \u201cWhat is it, Ben?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben looked chagrined.\u00a0 \u201cWell, I\u2019d planned to travel upriver to Saint Joseph, to visit an old friend.\u00a0 I know it\u2019s not much of a honeymoon, but it\u2019s so far from there to CarsonValley that I doubt I\u2019ll ever have another chance.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen we will go,\u201d Marie said tenderly, \u201cand the journey there shall be our honeymoon.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s face lighted happily.\u00a0 \u201cOh, what a woman I\u2019m marrying!\u201d\u00a0 For the second time that morning, he wrapped her in his arms and pressed his lips to hers.<\/p>\n

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

Propped on his left elbow, Ben brushed the loose, golden hair lying next to him on the snowy pillowcase.\u00a0 He still couldn\u2019t believe this beautiful creature could be his wife.\u00a0 So lovely, so young, only twenty.\u00a0 What did she see in an old man like him?\u00a0 Why, he was almost old enough to be her father, but there was nothing in the passion with which they\u2019d made love the night before that indicated she saw him as old and fatherly.\u00a0 Slowly, the long-lashed eyelids fluttered open and those exquisite emerald eyes were gazing up into his tender brown ones.\u00a0 \u201cGood morning, Mrs. Cartwright,\u201d he whispered, still awed by his incredible good fortune in calling her his.<\/p>\n

Marie smiled and stretched her arms toward him.\u00a0 He bent to kiss her lips, then, gathering her into his arms, lay down again, her head cradled against his breast.\u00a0 \u201cToo soon it is morning,\u201d Marie sighed contentedly.\u00a0 \u201cI would lie by your side until the moon rises again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben kissed her forehead.\u00a0 \u201cI suppose we could,\u201d he chuckled, \u201cthough our neighbors might think us quite decadent.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOur neighbors?\u201d Marie asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the other staterooms,\u201d Ben explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, them,\u201d Marie giggled.\u00a0 \u201cWhat do we care for them?\u00a0 I suddenly find I am hungry, though.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo am I\u2014\u2014for you,\u201d Ben teased, nibbling her ear.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am not a disappointment to you, then?\u201d\u00a0 She sounded serious.<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s brow furrowed.\u00a0 \u201cA disappointment?\u00a0 How could you be?\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie twisted the edge of the sheet between her slender fingers.\u00a0 \u201cI have little experience, you know, only that one month with Jean, and we could meet but rarely.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed and caught her up in his arms.\u00a0 \u201cAnd I\u2019m such a man of the world, am I?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve had two others to compare me by,\u201d Marie whispered.<\/p>\n

Ben gently stroked her golden hair.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m not in the habit of comparing my wives,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cElizabeth and Inger were both fine women, and I loved them dearly, but not more than you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie smiled then and snuggled against his shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cTell me about them,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cWere they beautiful?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben sank back on the pillow.\u00a0 \u201cYes, each in her way.\u00a0 Elizabeth was dark-haired with fine black eyes that were sharp with intelligence.\u00a0 Adam\u2019s a great deal like her.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYour older son?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cAdam\u2019s thirteen now and quite a young man. \u00a0You know, when Jean passed away, Adam wanted me to make him foreman of the ranch.\u00a0 I almost could have, too; he\u2019s a very responsible boy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut that would be too much responsibility for one so young, oui<\/em>?\u201d Marie asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cOui<\/em>,\u201d Ben said, \u201cthough I\u2019m not sure Adam would agree.\u00a0 I think he was still unhappy with me when I left, but he should be over it by now.\u00a0 His mother could be stubborn, too, downright hard-headed once her mind was made up, and Adam\u2019s like her in that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie studied Ben\u2019s face.\u00a0 \u201cElizabeth was not perfect, then?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled and tickled her chin.\u00a0 \u201cNo one is, my love.\u00a0 You\u2019ll find I have faults enough, I\u2019m sure.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie lifted her lips to his cheek.\u00a0 \u201cNot in my eyes, my love, never in my eyes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll remind you of that after our first quarrel,\u201d Ben chuckled.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhich shall be in two minutes if you keep this up,\u201d Marie threatened.\u00a0 \u201cI have a terrible temper, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know; I\u2019ve seen it, but you\u2019re beautiful when you\u2019re angry,\u201d Ben laughed, rolling her onto his prone body.<\/p>\n

Marie pushed away and hammered his chest with diminutive fists.\u00a0 \u201cTell me about your second wife, you naughty man,\u201d she ordered.<\/p>\n

\u201cInger?\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cVery different from Elizabeth.\u00a0 She was Swedish\u2014\u2014large-boned, but lovely\u2014\u2014though she didn\u2019t think so.\u00a0 I suppose, to be honest, her real beauty was her sweetness of spirit, her large heart.\u00a0 And Hoss, my younger boy, seems to have inherited her loving nature.\u00a0 He\u2019s a big boy, with nearly a foot of height for each of his five years, but so gentle with little children or animals.\u00a0 He\u2019ll take you to his heart in an instant.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAs I shall take him.\u00a0 I cannot wait to meet him\u2014\u2014and Adam,\u201d Marie murmured, \u201cthough I think I shall be a shock for them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot a shock, a wonderful surprise,\u201d Ben predicted.\u00a0 \u201cThe boys need a woman\u2019s touch as much as I do.\u00a0 Now, perhaps, we should dress and see what\u2019s available for breakfast.\u201d<\/p>\n

They got up and Ben poured water for washing and shaving while Marie fingered through the contents of her trunk.\u00a0 Hearing her sigh, Ben turned and smiled.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t tell me; you don\u2019t have a thing to wear.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie sat in the floor beside the overflowing trunk.\u00a0 \u201cMore than I need, I think,\u201d she admitted, \u201cbut I\u2019m not sure they are the right sort of clothes.\u00a0 These gowns were meant to entertain in the salon, to attract men\u2019s attention, I am ashamed to say.\u00a0 Perhaps I should have left them behind, but I had few others.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben stepped across the cabin and lifted her to her feet.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re beautiful in them, and you earned them, my love.\u00a0 Wear them without shame, but I agree they may not be appropriate to life on a ranch.\u00a0 We\u2019ll be in Saint Joseph about a week, time enough to visit a dressmaker and have some simpler things made.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCould I, Ben?\u201d Marie asked, her eyes lighting.\u00a0 \u201cHave you money enough for that?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMercy, woman,\u201d Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cDid you think I\u2019d married you without having funds to feed and clothe you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie blushed.\u00a0 \u201cI have no idea how much money you have, Ben, nor do I care.\u00a0 But a wife should know such things, so she does not bankrupt her husband with her purchases.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can buy a complete new wardrobe without bankrupting me,\u201d Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cI may not be as wealthy as the D\u2019Marignys, but I\u2019m doing well.\u00a0 Why, we\u2019re even planning a fine new house.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTruly, Ben?\u201d Marie asked with evident interest.\u00a0 \u201cOh, you must tell me all about it!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIn good time, my love,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cNow please pick one of these dresses, so we can, at least, have a cup of coffee before our neighbors take it all.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI shall be dressed before you,\u201d Marie tittered, pushing him away. \u00a0\u201cGo shave your scruffy face.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben rubbed his chin.\u00a0 It was rough, and here he\u2019d been pressing it up against her smooth, porcelain cheek.\u00a0 He lathered his face quickly and lifted his razor.<\/p>\n

Marie, of course, was not ready by the time Ben had shaved and dressed.\u00a0 He\u2019d never met a woman who could put herself together that quickly, but he didn\u2019t have to wait long.\u00a0 And he was gratified to find that they weren\u2019t so late in arriving that there was nothing left to eat.\u00a0 Fresh fruit was such a treat that Ben loaded his plate with pineapple, orange segments and bananas, along with apples and figs and dates.\u00a0 With a freshly baked pastry and a steaming cup of coffee, made to American taste, Ben considered himself well fed.<\/p>\n

After breakfast he and his bride strolled along the promenade, finally leaning against the rail to watch the magnificent plantation houses sliding past.\u00a0 As a particularly large one came into view, Marie pointed it out.\u00a0 \u201cThat was Jean\u2019s home,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Ben gaped, mouth open.\u00a0 \u201cBut\u2014but I thought his home was in New Orleans.\u00a0 I saw his mother there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was their townhouse,\u201d Marie said, \u201cbut they spent the summers here.\u00a0 All the wealthy families leave New Orleans when the heat comes, Ben.\u00a0 The risk of yellow fever is too great in the city.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I see,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s what took your baby, isn\u2019t it, the fever?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d Marie replied, her eyes reflecting the sadness of that memory.\u00a0 \u201cThat is where he lies buried,\u201d she continued, nodding across the water to the D\u2019Marigny estate, \u201cthough I have never seen his grave.\u00a0 I was not welcome there even for that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben took her by the shoulders.\u00a0 \u201cWould you like to?\u201d he asked, his voice hard.\u00a0 \u201cI could see to it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie placed gentle hands on his taut muscles.\u00a0 \u201cNo, Ben,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cThe past is buried; let it stay so.\u00a0 And your sons shall become mine.\u00a0 Besides, my little boy is not in that plot of earth.\u00a0 He is alive in heaven; I would rather wait and see him there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben took her face between his hands.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re a remarkable woman, Marie.\u00a0 You\u2019re right, of course; we both have loved ones waiting in heaven, but, please God, we shall have many happy years together before we go to meet them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA hundred would be too few,\u201d Marie said, drawing close, her arms circling his waist.\u00a0 They embraced, inviting the indulgent smiles of other couples promenading the deck.<\/p>\n

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

Ben spotted the tall, thin man with bushy black sideburns and silk top hat.\u00a0 \u201cThere he is!\u201d he cried, pointing.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s Josiah Edwards, Marie.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA most handsome man,\u201d Marie teased.\u00a0 \u201cHow sad I did not meet him first.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben frowned eloquently at her, then laughed and waved to Josiah.<\/p>\n

Edwards waved back, as did the young, fair-haired boy at his side.\u00a0 When the gangplank was lowered, Ben\u2019s old friend charged up it, his son at his heels.\u00a0 \u201cBen, Ben!\u201d Josiah cried, wrapping Ben in a hug worthy of any bear.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s so good to see you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you,\u201d Ben said, returning the embrace warmly.\u00a0 He smiled down at the youngster peering up and down the deck.\u00a0 \u201cYou, too, Jamie.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere is he?\u201d the boy demanded.\u00a0 \u201cWhere\u2019s Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam?\u201d Ben asked, puzzled.\u00a0 \u201cWhy, Jamie, he\u2019s back home in Carson Valley; I thought I\u2019d made it clear I was coming alone.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou did,\u201d Josiah smiled, resting his hand atop Jamie\u2019s head, \u201cbut when we got your wire telling your date of arrival and saying that you were bringing a surprise, I\u2019m afraid Jamie leaped to the conclusion he wanted.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh,\u201d Ben said sympathetically.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Jamie; I didn\u2019t mean to mislead you.\u201d\u00a0 He turned and took the slender hand of the woman behind him.\u00a0 \u201cThis is the surprise I mentioned.\u00a0 Josiah, Jamie, I\u2019d like to present my bride, Marie Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n

Josiah\u2019s jaw dropped.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re joking!\u201d\u00a0 Marie\u2019s eyes sought the deck.\u00a0 Seeing her embarrassment, Josiah took her hand.\u00a0 \u201cYou are a most unexpected, but very welcome, surprise, Mrs. Cartwright.\u00a0 I thought Ben was a confirmed bachelor.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo did I,\u201d Ben admitted ruefully.<\/p>\n

Jamie made a graceful bow to Marie.\u00a0 \u201cVery nice to meet you, ma\u2019am.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie smiled gently.\u00a0 \u201cI hope I am not too great a disappointment, Jamie.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jamie grinned.\u00a0 \u201cNo, ma\u2019am; you\u2019re a beautiful lady.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHere now,\u201d Ben said, \u201cdon\u2019t practice your flattery on my wife, young man.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I meant it,\u201d Jamie, still too young to disguise his feelings, declared honestly.\u00a0 The adults laughed at his earnest face.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe may have to find other lodgings,\u201d Josiah said.\u00a0 \u201cI reserved only a small room for you.\u00a0 Perhaps a suite would be better for a couple.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I think so,\u201d Ben agreed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, let\u2019s get your bags and walk over to the hotel,\u201d Josiah suggested.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right, but I\u2019m afraid we\u2019ll need a wagon; I have a trunk, as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe means I have a trunk,\u201d Marie said, blushing, \u201ca trunk full of worthless dresses.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf they\u2019re as pretty as the one you\u2019re wearing, ma\u2019am,\u201d Jamie said quickly, \u201cthey\u2019re a far cry from worthless.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie tittered.\u00a0 \u201cBen is right; you are a flatterer.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJamie, why don\u2019t you escort Mrs. Cartwright to the hotel while Ben and I tend to the luggage?\u201d Josiah suggested.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s a good idea, Father, and I\u2019ll ask them to change the room to a suite,\u201d Jamie offered.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood lad,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 As Jamie and Marie walked down the gangplank, Ben turned to Josiah.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s growing into a fine young man, Josiah.\u201d<\/p>\n

Josiah smiled proudly at his son.\u00a0 \u201cI couldn\u2019t ask for a better boy, though I could wish him sturdier.\u00a0 He had a rough winter.\u00a0 Feeling better now, though.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood,\u201d Ben said, then threw his arm around his friend\u2019s shoulders.\u00a0 \u201cOh, how I\u2019ve looked forward to seeing you again!\u201d<\/p>\n

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

Having deposited Marie at the dressmaker\u2019s, Ben and Josiah were walking down the main street of St. Joe.\u00a0 \u201cIncidentally, I read that book you sent,\u201d Ben said amiably, \u201cand I\u2019d be interested in discussing it with you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot here,\u201d Josiah muttered quickly.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s walk down by the river.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben glanced sharply at his friend.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t understand.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cToo crowded,\u201d Josiah hissed.\u00a0 \u201cLater, Ben, when we\u2019ve left the docks behind.\u201d\u00a0 Seeing the look on Ben\u2019s face, he softened his tone.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s a dangerous topic to discuss in the open, Ben, but we will talk, I promise.\u00a0 Tell me what else you\u2019ve been reading.\u00a0 Any Shakespeare, for instance?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded, still perplexed by Josiah\u2019s unwonted secretiveness.\u00a0 \u201cYes, as a matter of fact, I finally talked Adam into reading Romeo and Juliet<\/em> with me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow did he like it?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cBetter than I\u2019d hoped.\u00a0 You see, there\u2019s a certain pretty little thing back home that\u2019s changing his attitude toward tragic tales of love.\u201d<\/p>\n

Josiah laughed, as well.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve been spared that so far with Jamie; he still prefers a good book to any \u2018pretty little thing\u2019 hereabouts.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYour time\u2019s coming, my friend,\u201d Ben teased.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d bet on it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI wouldn\u2019t be so sure,\u201d Josiah replied.\u00a0 \u201cJamie\u2019s completely intent on his upcoming studies at the St. Louis academy.\u00a0 I suppose Adam\u2019s excited, too, about that school you mentioned in Sacramento?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was,\u201d Ben sighed as they reached the river and turned their steps northward along the bank, \u201cbut we\u2019ve had to delay that.\u00a0 Adam wants to be home while we build the new house, and we can\u2019t possibly get it finished before school starts.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut, Ben, you shouldn\u2019t allow the boy to delay his schooling,\u201d Josiah objected.\u00a0 \u201cAdam has too bright a mind to neglect.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t intend to neglect it,\u201d Ben sputtered.\u00a0 \u201cA choice had to be made, and I felt Adam should make it himself.\u00a0 He knows what he wants, Josiah.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s thirteen, Ben,\u201d Josiah protested.\u00a0 \u201cNo boy of thirteen should\u2014\u201d\u00a0 He stopped himself.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Ben,\u201d he apologized.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s your son; you have every right to make whatever decision you feel is best without my interference.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben rubbed his friend\u2019s back.\u00a0 \u201cI respect your opinion, Josiah, but I respect Adam\u2019s, too.\u00a0 He thinks he wants to be a builder, and this seemed too fine an opportunity to miss.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI see,\u201d Josiah mused.\u00a0 \u201cAdam\u2019s considering becoming an architect, then?\u00a0 Yes, I see your point.\u201d<\/p>\n

They had reached the outskirts of St. Joe.\u00a0 Ben pointed to a shady willow overhanging the Missouri River.\u00a0 \u201cShall we sit there awhile and talk?\u00a0 It looks like a private enough place for any discussion.\u201d<\/p>\n

Josiah nodded, and he and Ben both sprawled beneath the feathery canopy of the willow.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry if I was abrupt with you before,\u201d he said, \u201cbut I didn\u2019t want you voicing your opinion of slavery on the street.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou were never shy about voicing yours when I lived here,\u201d Ben pointed out.<\/p>\n

Josiah smiled ruefully.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve grown older and wiser, perhaps.\u00a0 Incidentally, Ben, if anyone asks you if you\u2019re sound on the goose, either say yes or feign sublime ignorance.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s forehead furrowed.\u00a0 \u201cI won\u2019t have to feign anything,\u201d he declared.\u00a0 \u201cI have no idea what you\u2019re talking about.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you\u2019re probably better off staying ignorant,\u201d Josiah sighed, \u201cthough I don\u2019t suppose that would satisfy you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know me too well for that!\u201d Ben exclaimed.\u00a0 \u201cWhat is this \u2018sound on the goose\u2019 business?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA sort of code,\u201d Josiah explained.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s used to determine whether you hold the right views on slavery.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRight in this case being in favor of it, I take it,\u201d Ben commented.<\/p>\n

Josiah closed his eyes and nodded.\u00a0 \u201cIt isn\u2019t safe not to be \u2018sound on the goose,\u2019 Ben.\u00a0 Had you been here a few weeks ago, I could have shown you the bruises to prove it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat happened?\u201d Ben demanded.\u00a0 \u201cWhy didn\u2019t you write me?\u201d<\/p>\n

Josiah gave an ironic laugh.\u00a0 \u201cI did, Ben; the letter undoubtedly crossed you in transit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled wryly.\u00a0 \u201cOh, yeah, nothing speedy about postal service to the west, is there?\u00a0 Well, what did the letter say?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt didn\u2019t amount to much,\u201d Josiah said.\u00a0 \u201cI was asked the question I warned you about and made an uncircumspect answer.\u00a0 A few border ruffians, as we call those who hope to influence the ballot boxes of Kansas with their fists, escorted me into an alley and gave me a thrashing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou weren\u2019t badly hurt?\u201d<\/p>\n

Josiah shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cBattered and bruised, one cracked rib.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJosiah!\u201d<\/p>\n

Josiah slapped Ben\u2019s thigh.\u00a0 \u201cNo harm done.\u00a0 At least, they spared me the tar and feathers.\u00a0 Some slavery opponents have been subjected to that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s brown eyes widened.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re not serious.\u00a0 It\u2019s come to that?\u00a0 In a land that protects freedom of speech?\u201d<\/p>\n

Josiah shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cNot on that subject, my friend, not in this state.\u00a0 You must have read of the recent conflict.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI haven\u2019t read many newspapers lately,\u201d Ben admitted.\u00a0 \u201cI was traveling the greater part of May; then after I reached New Orleans, I was absorbed in other things.\u201d<\/p>\n

Josiah smiled.\u00a0 \u201cAnd very pretty things they were.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben arched an eyebrow.\u00a0 \u201cNot all of them,\u201d he said, thinking of Marius\u2019 body lying beneath the oaks of the Plantation Allard.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know, of course, the fury that\u2019s been raging over Kansas\u2019 statehood,\u201d Josiah said, eyeing Ben inquiringly.<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cI read the President\u2019s proclamation urging other states to stop interfering in the matter.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, they haven\u2019t stopped,\u201d Josiah said sarcastically.\u00a0 \u201cIn fact, the situation\u2019s grown hotter, especially after the raids last month.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat raids?\u201d Ben asked.\u00a0 \u201cI seem to remember something about looting in Lawrence.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat attack was against the free staters,\u201d Josiah instructed, \u201cand John Brown followed it up, about the time you were in New Orleans, with a massacre at Pottawatomie Creek.\u00a0 Five settlers who favored slavery were slaughtered, and the aftershocks are still rocking this side of the Missouri.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben looked out across the water. \u00a0How calm it looked, but on both sides of its banks a storm was raging, a storm that could blow the nation apart.\u00a0 He gazed toward the western horizon, unable, of course,\u00a0 to see all the way to his home, but Ben found himself wishing he were already back in that peaceful valley, a valley he hoped would never be touched by the kind of conflict brewing in the eastern half of the United States.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cTell Adam I\u2019ll write as soon as I get to school and tell all about my classes and what the teachers are like,\u201d Jamie directed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI will,\u201d Ben promised, solemnly shaking the young man\u2019s thin hand, \u201cand I\u2019m sure Adam will write you all about how the house is coming along.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI want pictures,\u201d Jamie dictated.\u00a0 \u201cIf he\u2019s going to be an architect, he ought to be able to draw his plans out for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe can,\u201d Ben laughed, \u201cand I\u2019ll see to it.\u201d\u00a0 He reached to shake the hand of Jamie\u2019s father.\u00a0 \u201cJosiah, I\u2019ve truly enjoyed my visit with you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo more than I have,\u201d Josiah said, giving Ben\u2019s shoulder a hearty clap.<\/p>\n

\u201cOr I,\u201d Marie ventured softly, as if reluctant to intrude.<\/p>\n

Josiah bent to kiss her hand.\u00a0 \u201cMeeting you, my dear, has been the most delightful part of the visit.\u00a0 If Ben here doesn\u2019t treat you properly, you know you\u2019ll always have a home in St. Joseph\u2014\u2014with Jamie, that is.\u00a0 I believe he\u2019s thoroughly smitten.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFather!\u201d Jamie protested.\u00a0 \u201cYou mustn\u2019t tease like that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCome, Jamie,\u201d Marie said, extending her hand.\u00a0 \u201cWhy don\u2019t you see me to our stateroom while these two saucy fellows say their good-byes?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d be pleasured, ma\u2019am,\u201d Jamie said, tossing his father a triumphant look.<\/p>\n

Josiah watched them walk away.\u00a0 \u201cShe\u2019s quite wonderful, Ben,\u201d he said, then, looking warmly into his friend\u2019s eyes, \u201cI\u2019m sure Inger would be pleased to see you so happy again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s eyes grew misty.\u00a0 \u201cYou think so?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know so,\u201d Josiah assured him.\u00a0 \u201cShe loved you too much to want you to remain alone forever.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI never thought I\u2019d marry again,\u201d Ben admitted, smiling at his bride\u2019s disappearing figure, \u201cbut, like Jamie, I was thoroughly smitten.\u201d\u00a0 He looked back at Josiah.\u00a0 \u201cNow you owe me a visit west, my friend.\u201d<\/p>\n

Josiah shook his head, laughing.\u00a0 \u201cI doubt you\u2019ll collect on the debt soon, Ben.\u00a0 I\u2019m not a pioneer, you know.\u00a0 Then, there\u2019s Jamie to consider.\u00a0 He\u2019ll be at the academy several years, then on to a university, I hope.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe does get time off for good behavior, doesn\u2019t he?\u201d Ben scoffed.\u00a0 \u201cSchool terms don\u2019t run year-round nowadays, do they?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, but I still doubt we\u2019ll see that new home of yours for many years.\u201d\u00a0 Josiah didn\u2019t add \u201cif ever,\u201d but both men knew the thought was there.\u00a0 They exchanged a long embrace, knowing that it might be the last they ever shared.\u00a0 \u201cNow, you\u2019ve got the box of books for Adam?\u201d Josiah checked.<\/p>\n

Ben slowly nodded.\u00a0 \u201cYes.\u00a0 That was a good idea to send him a set of the same texts Jamie will be studying.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCan\u2019t have that sharp mind neglected,\u201d Josiah twitted.\u00a0 \u201cTell Adam to write any questions he has.\u00a0 If I can\u2019t answer them, perhaps Jamie can.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI will.\u00a0 Take care, my friend,\u201d Ben urged. \u00a0\u201cDon\u2019t tell anyone you\u2019re not sound on the goose.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI keep my convictions to myself,\u201d Josiah said, \u201cthough I won\u2019t deny them if I\u2019m questioned directly.\u00a0 You\u2019d better get aboard, Ben.\u00a0 I believe that whistle\u2019s the last call.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled, pressed his friend\u2019s hand warmly once more and hurried up the gangplank, passing young Jamie on the way down.\u00a0 He stood at the rail and waved as the steamboat pulled away.\u00a0 Feeling a soft hand on his elbow, he looked down to see his wife blowing kisses ashore with her free hand.\u00a0 \u201cThose had better be to the younger one,\u201d he teased.<\/p>\n

Marie laughed and laid her head against his shoulder.\u00a0 They stayed at the rail until they could no longer see their friends, then turned and made their way to their stateroom.<\/p>\n

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

Ben\u2019s conversation with Josiah Edwards had reawakened him to the seriousness of the political situation, so though he still considered himself on his honeymoon, he made a more diligent effort, as they drifted down the Mississippi to New Orleans, to obtain a newspaper each time the boat docked.\u00a0 He chose, however, to read it in the privacy of his stateroom, rather than in the Gentleman\u2019s Cabin, where his newly alert ears began to pick up heated conversations on the subject of slavery and the upcoming presidential campaign.<\/p>\n

Ben whistled as he read the article describing the convention of the new Republican Party that had begun on June 17th.<\/p>\n

Marie, touching up her hair in preparation for the evening meal, turned from the vanity.\u00a0 \u201cSomething astounds you?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, though I\u2019m not sure it should,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ve heard of the new anti-slavery party?\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie shook her head.\u00a0 \u201cNo, Ben, I leave politics to the men; it has never interested me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, well I don\u2019t want to bore you,\u201d Ben said.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, no, whatever interests you, interests me,\u201d Marie encouraged with a smile.\u00a0 \u201cYou support this party?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know yet,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cI was just surprised at the man they\u2019ve nominated for president\u2014\u2014John Charles Fr\u00e9mont.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFr\u00e9mont?\u00a0 That is a French name, is it not?\u201d Marie asked with interest.<\/p>\n

Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cI guess you\u2019re right.\u00a0 I\u2019ve never met him, of course, but he was one of the trailblazers of my part of the country.\u00a0 Governor of California under the Bear Flag Republic.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo you will support him?\u201d Marie asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy support is of little importance, my love,\u201d Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cWe don\u2019t vote in the national election.\u00a0 Utah\u2019s not a state yet, remember?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, oui<\/em>,\u201d Marie laughed.\u00a0 \u201cWell, I told you I was not political.\u00a0 But if you cannot vote, why do you care who becomes president?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled.\u00a0 \u201cI care, Marie, because that man affects the entire nation.\u00a0 I can\u2019t vote, but I can, at least, pray that those who can will make a wise choice.\u00a0 I\u2019ve always respected Fr\u00e9mont, and certainly I hold the same view of slavery as\u2014\u201d\u00a0 Ben stopped suddenly.\u00a0 \u201cHere I am rattling on, when I\u2019ve never asked how you feel on the question.\u00a0 I\u2014I suppose, having grown up around it, slavery doesn\u2019t disturb you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDisturb me?\u201d Marie pondered, getting up and coming to sit beside Ben on the bed.\u00a0 \u201cNo, I suppose not, Ben.\u00a0 I never had dealings with slaves myself, but those I saw seemed content enough with their lot.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018Seemed\u2019 being the key word, I think,\u201d Ben said quietly, \u201cbut I thought you had a slave.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMe?\u201d Marie cried.\u00a0 \u201cWhere would I have found the money to buy a slave?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, no, I\u2019m sure she was actually your cousin\u2019s property,\u201d Ben hastened to say, \u201cbut I did see a black woman working at your house.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, you mean Matilde,\u201d Marie laughed.\u00a0 \u201cNo, she was born free, Ben, and she is not black.\u00a0 She is a griffone.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGriffone?\u201d Ben queried.<\/p>\n

\u201cThree-quarters black,\u201d Marie explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re not serious,\u201d Ben said, dumbfounded.\u00a0 \u201cYou don\u2019t actually have names for the degree of racial mix?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMais oui<\/em>,\u201d Marie declared.\u00a0 She began tolling the names on her fingers.\u00a0 \u201cThere is the full-blood African, of course, and the griff or griffone, if she\u2019s female.\u00a0 Then you have the mulatto, half-black; the quadroon, one-quarter black; the octaroon, one-eighth black.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPlease tell me it doesn\u2019t go further than that!\u201d Ben exclaimed, closing his eyes.<\/p>\n

Marie laughed.\u00a0 \u201cBeyond that is only cafe-au-lait, like coffee with a little cream\u2014\u2014what Madame D\u2019Marigny feared I might be.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s head jerked in her direction.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re\u2014\u2014uh\u2014\u2014part Negro?\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie looked anxious.\u00a0 \u201cDoes it matter, Ben?\u00a0 I did not think you were the sort of man who would care.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben folded her into his arms.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t care; it doesn\u2019t matter in the slightest.\u00a0 I\u2019m just surprised.\u00a0 You\u2019re so fair-skinned, and your hair\u2019s so fine and light, I naturally assumed\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCorrectly, I think,\u201d Marie said, smiling at his flustered face.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut you said\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI spoke of Madame D\u2019Marigny\u2019s fears, Ben, not of what is true.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh.\u201d\u00a0 Ben shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cI suppose that would matter to her.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cVery much it mattered,\u201d Marie declared.\u00a0 \u201cIt would to any Creole family of unmixed blood, Ben.\u00a0 That is why they investigate one\u2019s background so carefully.\u00a0 They refuse to permit marriage to anyone who cannot prove his lineage, and my family had no such proof.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben fell back on the bed.\u00a0 \u201cI will never understand Creoles,\u201d he ejaculated.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou had better learn,\u201d Marie tittered, her blue satin skirt rustling as she fell into his arms.\u00a0 \u201cYou are married to one.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cWell, maybe I\u2019ll learn to understand one, then, but just one, I\u2019m sure.\u201d\u00a0 He began to cover his wife\u2019s cheeks with kisses, and as a consequence, they were both among the last to arrive at the dinner table.<\/p>\n

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

Marie woke slowly, her right hand seeking Ben\u2019s pillow, but, feeling nothing, she came fully alert.\u00a0 \u201cBen?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m here, love,\u201d he called from across the room.<\/p>\n

Marie sat up and saw her husband, fully dressed, seated in a gold brocade chair reading the morning paper.\u00a0 \u201cIs it very late?\u201d she asked, hiding a yawn behind her pretty fingers.<\/p>\n

\u201cAbout ten o\u2019clock,\u201d Ben smiled as he folded the paper and came toward her.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Ben, I\u2019m sorry,\u201d she murmured.\u00a0 \u201cWhy did you not wake me?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause I had greater pleasure in watching you sleep,\u201d he chuckled, sitting beside her to give her a kiss.\u00a0 \u201cAfter all, it was quite late when the steamboat pulled in last night; you had every right to be tired.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIs that caf\u00e9<\/em> I smell?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUm-hmn, nice and strong, the way you like it.\u00a0 I had some pastries sent up, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Ben, you spoil me,\u201d Marie sighed.\u00a0 She stood and slipped into a lacy peignoir, tying each of the three pastel green ribbons that closed the front.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love spoiling you,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cNow, we have the whole day free since our passage on the Pacific Mail steamer is booked for tomorrow morning.\u00a0 Anything special you\u2019d like to do?\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie shook her head.\u00a0 \u201cWhatever you like, Ben.\u00a0 After all, New Orleans is not new to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought you might like to do some shopping this morning,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cYou know, for feminine foofaraw and the like.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI do not know this word \u2018foofaraw,\u2019\u201d Marie said, tilting her head quizzically.<\/p>\n

\u201cThings strictly for ladies,\u201d Ben laughed, \u201clike cosmetics, perfume, underthings.\u00a0 You\u2019d better lay in a good supply, you know.\u00a0 They\u2019re hard to come by where we\u2019re going, so buy enough to last a year.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I hadn\u2019t realized,\u201d Marie said.\u00a0 \u201cI will need some things then, if you can spare the money.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMarie, I\u2019ve told you before, get whatever you need,\u201d Ben said patiently.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll give you some cash for this morning.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are not going together?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben kissed her fingers.\u00a0 \u201cDo you mind?\u00a0 I have an errand to run, and I thought it best if we worked separately this morning, then met for lunch.\u00a0 We\u2019ll shop together after we eat.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie giggled.\u00a0 \u201cFor more foofaraw?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cI was thinking more of furniture.\u00a0 We have a house to furnish, remember?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRemember?\u201d Marie squealed.\u00a0 \u201cYou have said nothing, Ben.\u00a0 You don\u2019t have furniture now?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben fell back on the bed, overcome with laughter.\u00a0 \u201cOh, Marie, Marie.\u201d<\/p>\n

She flounced down beside him.\u00a0 \u201cAnswer me, Ben,\u201d she demanded.\u00a0 \u201cIt is important.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben propped himself up on one elbow.\u00a0 \u201cYes, Madame Cartwright,\u201d he said with exaggerated docility.\u00a0 \u201cI have furniture, but none I care to take to our new home.\u00a0 We need everything.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie threw her hands to her cheeks.\u00a0 \u201cEverything!\u00a0 But, Ben, how can we buy everything in one afternoon.\u00a0 What were you thinking?\u00a0 I don\u2019t even know what size the rooms are or the colors or\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhoa!\u201d Ben said, grabbing her waist.\u00a0 \u201cNone of that matters, my love.\u00a0 I don\u2019t intend you to buy everything today, just a few basics:\u00a0 a bed for us and one for each of the boys, and some parlor furniture, maybe a dining table.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIs that all?\u201d Marie asked hotly.\u00a0 \u201cBen, you ask the impossible!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben put his arms around her trembling figure.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t worry, darling.\u00a0 What we don\u2019t decide on today can be ordered later.\u00a0 I just thought we might make a start.\u00a0 Come over here now and have your breakfast.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie still looked perturbed, but she let Ben lead her to the tiny table and pour her a cup of coffee.\u00a0 \u201cBen, what about spices?\u201d she asked as she munched the flaky pastry.\u00a0 \u201cAre they as hard to find as those other things?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben sat across from her.\u00a0 \u201cWell, it depends on what kind,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sure you could find most of what you need in San Francisco or Sacramento, but if you have in mind anything unusual, you\u2019d best get it here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLike fil\u00e9?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI have no idea what that is,\u201d Ben laughed.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor gombo<\/em>,\u201d Marie explained.<\/p>\n

Ben looked as puzzled as before.\u00a0 \u201cGombo<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie set the coffee cup down with a clatter.\u00a0 \u201cBen, how can you possibly visit New Orleans and not know what gombo<\/em> is?\u201d she demanded.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been busy,\u201d Ben teased and his wife smiled back at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, you must have a bowl of gombo<\/em> for lunch, whatever else you eat,\u201d she ordered.<\/p>\n

Ben raised his right hand in a crisp salute.\u00a0 \u201cAye, aye, captain,\u201d he acquiesced, lips twitching.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo I will need to visit the market, too,\u201d Marie sighed, \u201cfor fil\u00e9 and saffron, perhaps ginger?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBring back some of those gingercakes, why don\u2019t you?\u201d Ben suggested, then sighed.\u00a0 \u201cToo bad they won\u2019t keep long enough to take to Hoss.\u00a0 He\u2019d love them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll bake him some fresh ones,\u201d Marie promised.\u00a0 \u201cCan you have your errands done by one?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEarlier, I should think,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cWhere would you like to eat?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, it will be easiest here, Ben,\u201d Marie replied.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll have packages to bring back to the room, and the chef in the hotel dining room is excellent.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll meet you back here at one, then,\u201d Ben said.<\/p>\n

Shortly before the appointed hour the door to the Cartwright\u2019s room at the St. Charles opened, and Marie, in the ruby dress she\u2019d worn the afternoon Ben saw her in the convent garden, stepped through, followed by a slim black youth, heavily loaded with packages.\u00a0 Marie took a silver coin from her ivory reticule and handed it to the young man after he placed the bundles on the small table where she and Ben had eaten breakfast.<\/p>\n

Ben thanked the black man for his assistance and closed the door behind him.\u00a0 \u201cWell,\u201d he said, examining Marie\u2019s pile of purchases, \u201cI expected more than this.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI only bought what I thought necessary, Ben,\u201d Marie said defensively, \u201cand what of your purchases?\u00a0 I see no boxes at all.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t say anything about shopping,\u201d Ben smiled.\u00a0 \u201cI said I had errands.\u00a0 But, as a matter of fact, I did bring back one small package.\u201d\u00a0 He slipped his hand into his pocket and drew out a tiny square velvet box.\u00a0 \u201cFor you,\u201d he said, handing it to his wife.<\/p>\n

\u201cBen, what have you done?\u201d Marie demanded.<\/p>\n

\u201cOpen it,\u201d he ordered softly.<\/p>\n

Marie lifted the hinged lid and gasped in delight.\u00a0 \u201cOh, Ben!\u201d she cried, taking the ring of two intertwined golden bands from the slotted cushion in which it nestled.\u00a0 She looked inside the ring and read the inscription, BC – MD – May 21, 1856<\/em>.\u00a0 \u201cHow did you know?\u201d she whispered.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know I told you I hadn\u2019t had time to buy you a ring because we were married so quickly,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cThat wasn\u2019t quite the truth.\u00a0 I visited a jeweler that morning, intending to pick up whatever I could, but the jeweler told me this was the kind of ring that\u2019s traditional around here.\u00a0 Since he assured me he could have one ready before we sailed from New Orleans, I ordered the work done.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie\u2019s emerald eyes glistened.\u00a0 \u201cAll my life I dreamed of wearing a ring just like this.\u00a0 All Creole girls do, but I had given up hope of its ever happening for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut surely Jean, with all his money,\u201d Ben stammered.<\/p>\n

Marie shook her head.\u00a0 \u201cYou must remember, Ben, that my marriage to Jean was a secret.\u00a0 Someone as well known as a D\u2019Marigny could not purchase an engraved ring like this without the matter being known.\u00a0 No, this is my first and means so much more to me than anything the richest man could have given.\u00a0 Thank you, my love.\u201d\u00a0 She kissed his cheek.<\/p>\n

Ben slipped the ring on her slender finger, then kissed the hand that wore it.\u00a0 \u201cNow, shall we go down to the dining room and try that dish you insist I must eat?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGombo<\/em>, Ben,\u201d Marie laughed, \u201cand I do insist.\u00a0 Yes, let us eat right away; we have much to do this afternoon.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

Ben and Marie stood on the deck of the Pacific Mail steamer, watching the levee of New Orleans fade away.\u00a0 Ben smiled down at his bride.\u00a0 \u201cWill you miss it much?\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie nodded.\u00a0 \u201cSome things I will miss\u2014\u2014the sights, the smells\u2014\u2014but it is exciting to think of the new places I shall see.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou haven\u2019t traveled much, have you?\u201d Ben asked.<\/p>\n

Marie laughed.\u00a0 \u201cNot at all.\u00a0 So far, the furthest I have been from New Orleans is St. Joseph.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, here\u2019s hoping you\u2019re a good sailor,\u201d Ben teased.<\/p>\n

Fortunately for the comfort of their journey, Marie, after a brief bout of seasickness, did prove to be a good sailor, and the crossing to Aspinwall, on the Atlantic side of the Isthmus of Panama, was uneventful.\u00a0 Ben purchased passage on the railroad for twenty-five dollars each, and within three hours of docking, the Cartwrights were moving overland.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow long \u2018til we reach the Pacific coast?\u201d Marie asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cAbout four and a half hours,\u201d Ben replied.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s just forty-eight miles.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, good,\u201d Marie said, patting her damp neck with her lacy handkerchief.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s warm.\u201d\u00a0 She glanced out the window beside her.\u00a0 \u201cOh, Ben,\u201d she cried, \u201ca monkey!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed at her childlike delight.\u00a0 \u201cThey have the most colorful birds in the world here, too.\u00a0 You\u2019ll want to keep a sharp eye out for them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I will,\u201d Marie said enthusiastically.\u00a0 Soon she spotted a large bird with green feathers, along with markings of crimson and yellow.\u00a0 \u201cOh, Ben, what is that?\u201d she murmured, pointing.<\/p>\n

Ben looked around her.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s a macaw, I believe.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, he is so beautiful.\u00a0 I wish we could have one.\u00a0 Could we?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben patted her hand.\u00a0 \u201cIt couldn\u2019t live through one of our winters, my love.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, does it get very cold?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cVery,\u201d Ben chuckled.<\/p>\n

Despite the heat, Marie gave a slight shiver.\u00a0 \u201cI am not used to cold.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben put his arm around her.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll keep you warm,\u201d he promised.<\/p>\n

Marie smiled, but pulled away.\u00a0 \u201cI do not need warming now,\u201d she giggled.<\/p>\n

The train reached the summit station at Culebra, where the passengers disembarked.\u00a0 \u201cCare for something to drink?\u201d Ben asked, nodding toward the roadside saloon.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomething cool,\u201d Marie sighed.\u00a0 \u201cI feel ready to wilt.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI shouldn\u2019t wonder, in that tweed traveling dress.\u00a0 It looks warm.\u201d\u00a0 The matching golden brown skirt and jacket were both trimmed in dark braid, as were the tapered sleeves.\u00a0 Stylish, to be sure, but not comfortable, at least to Ben\u2019s eye.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is,\u201d Marie said ruefully.\u00a0 \u201cThe dressmaker in St. Joseph suggested this fabric, but it is too heavy for the tropics, I fear.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe probably had Missouri winters in mind when she chose it,\u201d Ben teased.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019ll feel about right around November, I imagine.\u201d<\/p>\n

After refreshing themselves with liquor or lemonade, according to their taste, the passengers reboarded the train, which chugged along at a steady pace.\u00a0 In just over the time Ben had predicted, it pulled into the final station at Panama City, where Ben found lodgings for himself and Marie.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen will the ship for San Francisco leave?\u201d Marie asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cDay after tomorrow,\u201d Ben reported, a trifle disgruntled.\u00a0 Panama City was not his idea of a good place to lay over, but it couldn\u2019t be helped.<\/p>\n

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

Ben tipped the bellboy who had carried their bags and trunks to the suite at the Parker House in San Francisco, closed the door and, tossing his hat and jacket on a chair, flopped across the bed.<\/p>\n

Marie removed the jacket of her golden brown tweed traveling dress, revealing a gold blouse with ruffled jabot, and perched beside him.\u00a0 \u201cYou are tired, mon amour<\/em>?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cAren\u2019t you?\u201d Ben asked in return, taking the hand she extended.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s been a long trip.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOui<\/em>, I, too, am tired,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cAre we near your home now, Ben?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed wearily.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m afraid we\u2019ve still a long way to go, my love.\u00a0 But let\u2019s take a rest before we go on.\u00a0 Two or three days here in San Francisco will refresh us, and while it\u2019s not quite the city New Orleans is, there are a few attractions you might enjoy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut are you not anxious to see your sons again?\u201d Marie asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur sons,\u201d Ben corrected, \u201cand, of course, I am eager to see the boys and introduce them to my wonderful surprise.\u00a0 But a few days more won\u2019t matter.\u00a0 I have friends here who won\u2019t forgive me if I don\u2019t bring my new wife by to meet them, and I\u2019d like to take you to the architect\u2019s office and show you the plans for the house.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOoh,\u201d Marie squealed.\u00a0 \u201cI can hardly wait for that.\u00a0 Can we go right away?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHorrors, no!\u201d Ben protested.\u00a0 \u201cThis afternoon we rest.\u00a0 I may find the strength to venture out for a brief stroll later, but nothing more.\u00a0 I\u2019ll send a message to Mr. Williams\u2019 office and request a meeting tomorrow morning.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie lay down beside Ben.\u00a0 \u201cAll right,\u201d she yawned.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sure your plan is best.\u00a0 But I hope our stroll will lead past a few interesting stores.\u00a0 I\u2019d like to see what San Francisco has to offer.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t expect too much,\u201d Ben warned.\u00a0 \u201cThis isn\u2019t New Orleans.\u201d\u00a0 There was no response, and, glancing sideways, Ben saw that Marie was already drifting into slumber.\u00a0 He closed his eyes and sought the same repose.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cA pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Cartwright,\u201d Clarence Williams said enthusiastically, \u201cand how fortuitous that you have arrived before we began building.\u00a0 We will want, of course,\u00a0 to make any adjustments to the house you feel necessary, but I should warn you that major changes will delay our projected schedule.\u00a0 I\u2014I hope our basic design will meet with your approval.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sure it will,\u201d Marie replied, giving him a charming smile.<\/p>\n

Williams visibly relaxed.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s really a beautiful plan,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve prepared a drawing of how the exterior will look.\u00a0 Would you like to see that first?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, please,\u201d Ben urged.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t help seeing how the architect\u2019s eye ran approvingly over Marie\u2019s slender figure, shown to its best in the green suit she wore today.\u00a0 Ben felt no jealousy, however.\u00a0 How could any man be expected not to notice how beautiful his wife was?\u00a0 Especially a man like Clarence Williams with an eye for fine lines.<\/p>\n

The architect had taken a color drawing from his portfolio and spread it on his desk.\u00a0 As Marie bent to look at it, Ben peered over her shoulder.\u00a0 The sketch Williams had previously shown him had been in pencil.\u00a0 This one caught all the color of the surrounding pines, as if the architect had actually seen the site of the proposed building, though Ben knew he had not.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut this is lovely,\u201d Marie murmured.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re sure you wouldn\u2019t prefer something more like the plantation houses we passed along the Mississippi?\u201d Ben asked.\u00a0 Clarence Williams flinched fearfully.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, no,\u201d Marie said, to the architect\u2019s relief.\u00a0 \u201cThat would look out of place, I think.\u00a0 See how this almost blends into the forest behind it, Ben, like it had grown there always, side by side with the pines.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, yes.\u201d\u00a0 Williams\u2019 face was warm with affection.\u00a0 \u201cThat is exactly the effect I hoped to achieve.\u00a0 How perceptive you are, Madame!\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie smiled, pleased by the compliment.\u00a0 She was used to men praising her beauty, but they generally overlooked her other qualities.\u00a0 It felt good to have one of them affirmed.\u00a0 \u201cMay I see the interior now, Monsieur<\/em> Williams?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, of course,\u201d Williams declared, drawing several sheets from his portfolio.\u00a0 \u201cThis is the first floor, Madame.\u00a0 You see how it all flows together.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOne big room,\u201d Marie said.\u00a0 \u201cI am used to more intimate settings, but this is nice.\u00a0 We can all be together, no matter what we are doing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cExactly,\u201d Williams enthused.\u00a0 \u201cOh, I do hope you like it; it\u2019s my favorite aspect of the plans.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI like it very much,\u201d Marie said, amused by his earnestness.\u00a0 \u201cThere is another story?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, one more,\u201d the architect replied, pulling out the sheet under the first sketch.\u00a0 \u201cA stairway leads up here from the main room and another narrow one near the kitchen.\u00a0 These rooms are, of course, bedrooms\u2014\u2014more than the family actually requires, as Mr. Cartwright directed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFor guests,\u201d Ben explained.\u00a0 \u201cI hope we shall have many, and with distances what they are out here\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course,\u201d Marie said quickly.\u00a0 \u201cAll your friends must feel welcome to stay as long as they like.\u00a0 But, Monsieur<\/em> Williams, I see no room for\u2014for personal care.\u201d<\/p>\n

The architect merely looked puzzled, but Ben, understanding her meaning, winced.\u00a0 \u201cUh\u2014\u2014there isn\u2019t any indoor plumbing, Marie,\u201d he said softly.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh,\u201d Marie sighed.\u00a0 \u201cWell, that is all right, Ben.\u00a0 It is what I knew as a girl, in my parents\u2019 home.\u00a0 I suppose I can become accustomed to it again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe might, at least, provide a pump in the kitchen,\u201d Mr. Williams suggested.\u00a0 \u201cThat would require no structural changes, and you did plan to dig a well, didn\u2019t you, Mr. Cartwright?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I did,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cCertainly, we can bring water into the kitchen.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPlease do,\u201d Marie requested.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs\u2014is everything else to your liking, then?\u201d the architect asked hopefully.<\/p>\n

Marie looked hesitant.\u00a0 \u201cWell, there is one change I would like, if it is not too difficult.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is your home, Marie,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cYou mustn\u2019t be afraid to ask for exactly what you want.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFirst show me which room is to be ours,\u201d Marie directed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhichever you like, of course,\u201d Ben said, \u201cbut I\u2019d planned to take this one.\u201d\u00a0 He pointed to a room at the southern end of the house that overlooked the front yard.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s why I made it the largest,\u201d Williams explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought so,\u201d Marie smiled, \u201cbut I wanted to check.\u00a0 Would it be difficult, Monsieur Williams, to make that room a little larger and have doors opening from it into the next room?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEasily done, Madame,\u201d he replied, \u201cbut it will, of course, make the other room quite small.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA nursery does not need to be large, Monsieur<\/em> Williams,\u201d she said sweetly.\u00a0 She looked into Ben\u2019s face and smiled, her eyes full of love and of promise.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat, Mr. Williams, is a room we didn\u2019t plan for,\u201d Ben laughed.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, indeed, but one you\u2019ll certainly want to include,\u201d the architect responded cheerfully.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll make those changes, then, and I\u2019m sure I can still arrive by our anticipated date of August first.\u00a0 I have a project here to finish first, but it\u2019s on schedule.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood,\u201d Ben said, extending his hand.\u00a0 The architect shook it.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll be looking forward to your arrival.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

Marie knelt before her open trunk, a silk dress in one hand, a muslin in the other.\u00a0 \u201cBen, what should I wear tonight?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe best you have,\u201d Ben chuckled.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I do not wish to embarrass your friends,\u201d Marie pleaded.\u00a0 \u201cI felt badly about the silk I wore to the Wentworths last night.\u00a0 Mary looked very sweet in her little yellow frock, but I could see it was quite worn.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben stood behind his wife to massage her taut shoulders.\u00a0 \u201cYou were kind to notice,\u201d he said, \u201cbut I\u2019m sure Mary didn\u2019t begrudge you your finery.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie looked up into his face.\u00a0 \u201cNo, I suppose not; she seemed an unusually unselfish girl.\u00a0 I liked her very much, Ben, and her father and brothers, too.\u00a0 I was a little afraid to go there when you told me Monsieur<\/em> Wentworth was a reverend, but he treated me most graciously.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy wouldn\u2019t he?\u201d Ben queried.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy religion,\u201d Marie whispered.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, that might have been a problem a few years ago.\u00a0 Ebenezer was pretty rigid when I first met him, but he mellowed a lot on the trek west.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie giggled.\u00a0 \u201cThen I am glad I waited \u2018til now to meet him.\u00a0 But you have not answered my question.\u00a0 What should I wear?\u00a0 Do these Larrimores dress as\u2014as modestly as the Wentworths?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou mean as cheaply,\u201d Ben said bluntly, walking back to the mirror to finish shaving, \u201cand the answer is no.\u00a0 Mrs. Larrimore will be dressed in the best San Francisco has to offer, so I recommend you pick your fanciest gown, Mrs. Cartwright.\u00a0 It will give me fiendish pleasure to see you outshine Camilla.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Ben, what a wicked thought,\u201d Marie chided gently.\u00a0 \u201cDo you not like these people?\u00a0 Monsieur<\/em> Larrimore seemed pleasant enough when we met at his emporium yesterday.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben wiped his face free of lather.\u00a0 \u201cI like them, of course,\u201d he said, \u201cbut since they\u2019ve come into money, Camilla, especially, tends to put on airs.\u00a0 Sometimes I find that hard to handle.\u00a0 She\u2019s got a basically good heart, though.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAirs?\u201d Marie said pensively.\u00a0 \u201cThen I think I shall wear my coral satin.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, do; it\u2019s my favorite,\u201d Ben said, splashing his cheeks with bay rum.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll be squiring the most elegant woman at the opera tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie laughed and pulled out the coral gown edged with gold braid.\u00a0 \u201cI suppose I should wear my rubies, too, if we\u2019re trying to impress.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cBy all means.\u00a0 Camilla will turn green with envy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Whatever jealousy Camilla felt on meeting Ben\u2019s bride was well hidden beneath the veneer of the gracious hostess.\u00a0 She took Marie\u2019s arm and led the way into the dining room.\u00a0 \u201cNow you must tell me all about your husband\u2019s family, Mrs. Cartwright,\u201d she began.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut\u2014but you have known Ben longer than I,\u201d Marie demurred as she took her designated seat.<\/p>\n

Camilla laughed as she placed herself to Marie\u2019s right.\u00a0 \u201cBut, my dear, I didn\u2019t mean Ben,\u201d she tittered.\u00a0 \u201cI know all there is to know about Ben.\u00a0 I was interested in the family of your former husband.\u00a0 French nobles, weren\u2019t they?\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie blushed and Ben\u2019s face tightened.\u00a0 He knew how little Marie wanted to speak on that subject!\u00a0 But she handled the question with poise.\u00a0 \u201cI never actually met Jean\u2019s family, Madame Larrimore,\u201d she said quietly.\u00a0 \u201cWe were married only briefly, you know, before Jean came west.\u201d<\/p>\n

Camilla\u2019s disappointment was obvious.\u00a0 \u201cOh, that\u2019s too bad,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cI thought we might have some interesting conversation.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I would find it much more interesting to talk about your life here,\u201d Marie said.\u00a0 \u201cIt is all new to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy dear child, of course it is,\u201d Camilla said, then launched into a string of French words, evidently hoping to make her guest feel more at home.<\/p>\n

Ben coughed into his napkin.\u00a0 Even to his untrained ears, Camilla\u2019s accent sounded deplorable.\u00a0 How painful it must be to Marie!\u00a0 He felt her slender fingers seek his, felt them squeeze his hand, but nothing showed on her smiling countenance.<\/p>\n

\u201cMerc\u00ed<\/em>, Madame,\u201d Marie replied.\u00a0 \u201cYou are most kind to use my tongue, but let us speak in English.\u00a0 I need the practice.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nearly choked at the artless ease with which his wife told the bald-faced lie.\u00a0 He knew that Marie\u2019s education at the convent of the Ursuline nuns included extensive instruction in English, and what she hadn\u2019t learned there, she had perfected with practice at her cousin\u2019s business, which was regularly frequented by Americans.\u00a0 The little minx!\u00a0 Ben might have credited her with concern for Camilla\u2019s feelings had it not been for the mischievous twinkle in her emerald eyes when she turned to smile at him.\u00a0 Ben had a feeling they were in for an interesting evening at the opera.<\/p>\n

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

Marie was unusually quiet as she lay beside Ben in the mahogany four-poster at the Parker House.\u00a0 \u201cBen, do you come to San Francisco often?\u201d she asked finally.<\/p>\n

\u201cAbout once a year, usually,\u201d Ben replied, fingering the lacy edge of her nightgown.\u00a0 \u201cI suppose we could come more often if you\u2019d like.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I did not mean that,\u201d Marie said.\u00a0 \u201cDo\u2014do you always visit the Larrimores when you come?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou didn\u2019t like them,\u201d Ben discerned, his hand dropping to take hers in a comforting caress.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, not as much as the other friends I have met,\u201d Marie admitted.\u00a0 \u201cI did like Lawrence, though he seems a weak man, and Camilla is merely tiresome.\u00a0 But their children, Ben!\u00a0 Sterling is a languid, lazy lout, and Jewel a cloying caricature of a lady of high fashion.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, yeah,\u201d Ben muttered.\u00a0 \u201cI know what you mean.\u00a0 They are insufferable little brats.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTo have all they have and be so discontent,\u201d Marie ranted on.\u00a0 \u201cWhen I think how much less the Wentworth children have and how grateful they are for the smallest kindness\u2014\u201d\u00a0 She touched her hand to Ben\u2019s cheek.\u00a0 \u201cPlease promise me that no matter how our ranch prospers, we will never allow our children to become so\u2014so\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI promise with all my heart,\u201d Ben said, silencing her with a kiss.\u00a0 \u201cOur boys will know the meaning of good, honest sweat.\u00a0 There won\u2019t be a languid, lazy lout among them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Satisfied, Marie settled into her pillow.\u00a0 \u201cBen,\u201d she murmured softly, \u201cwill there be many more people to meet before we reach your home?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOur home,\u201d Ben corrected.\u00a0 \u201cNo, not many, my love.\u00a0 I\u2019m sorry if I\u2019ve overwhelmed you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie smiled weakly.\u00a0 \u201cIt did not seem so until tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben chucked her under the chin.\u00a0 \u201cNo more like the Larrimores, I assure you.\u00a0 I do have other friends in California, but the only ones we\u2019ll see on the way home are the Zuebners in Placerville, and them only briefly.\u00a0 Ludmilla Zuebner is another dear friend from the Overland Trail, a simple-hearted soul I\u2019m sure you\u2019ll like.\u00a0 She runs the best caf\u00e9 in Placerville, so I always eat there when I pass through.\u00a0 And her son is keeping my wagon and team for me.\u00a0 If the stage arrives in Placerville early enough, we won\u2019t even spend the night.\u00a0 Just eat, pick up the wagon and go.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I hope so,\u201d Marie whispered.\u00a0 \u201cI am so eager to meet Hoss and Adam.\u201d\u00a0 Nervously, her fingers plucked at the linen sheet.\u00a0 What if they do not like me?<\/em>\u00a0 The words rattled in her heart like seeds in a gourd.\u00a0 But Ben had assured her his sons would soon grow to love her as deeply as he himself.\u00a0 That was too much to ask, of course.\u00a0 But, oh, please let them like me<\/em>, she prayed, and let me love them with all the affection I would have given my own little boy<\/em>.\u00a0 She snuggled close to the security of Ben\u2019s side, and her fears faded.<\/p>\n

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE<\/p>\n

\u00a0The brilliant sun stood almost directly above the cottonwoods along the Carson.\u00a0\u00a0 The trees spread their limbs wide, dark leaves creating broad circles of shade, as the newlyweds rolled eastward in the buckboard.\u00a0 Ben turned to his bride with a wide grin.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s the Thomas place just ahead,\u201d he announced.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s where the boys are.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo close?\u201d Marie shrieked.\u00a0 \u201cOh, Ben, stop, please!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben reined in the horses.\u00a0 \u201cWhatever for?\u00a0 I thought you couldn\u2019t wait to meet your new sons.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI can wait until I wash the dust from my face,\u201d Marie sputtered, scrambling down from the wagon without waiting for assistance.\u00a0 \u201cI am covered with it, Ben!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right,\u201d Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cJust don\u2019t fall in the drink, Mrs. Cartwright.\u00a0 That won\u2019t add a thing to their first impression of you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie cast him a reproachful look and scurried to the river\u2019s edge to dabble her handkerchief in the water and wipe her face.\u00a0 Ben walked up behind her and turned her around.\u00a0 \u201cYou look beautiful,\u201d he said, planting a kiss on her freshly washed cheek.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow can you say that?\u201d Marie fretted, brushing the skirt of her green traveling suit.\u00a0 \u201cLook at me!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cNo one here will be bothered by a bit of dust.\u00a0 We\u2019re used to it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie smiled.\u00a0 \u201cIt is just, as you say, that I wish to make a good first impression.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou will,\u201d Ben assured her.\u00a0 Putting an arm around her waist he led her back to the wagon and helped her to the seat.<\/p>\n

In the packed dirt of the cabin\u2019s yard, four youngsters were at play.\u00a0 Billy and Adam, for all their pretensions of manhood, were taking a turn at the seesaw that Sunday morning, while Hoss and Inger played toss-and-fetch with Klamath.<\/p>\n

Sharp-eyed Billy was, as usual, the first to spot the approach of visitors.\u00a0 \u201cReckon who that could be?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

Hoss, a little closer than the older boys, stood still, stick in hand, and squinted at the approaching wagon.\u00a0 The stick fell to the ground.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s Pa,\u201d he hollered and took off.<\/p>\n

\u201cCan\u2019t be,\u201d Adam scoffed.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s a lady with that gent.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure is,\u201d Billy agreed, \u201cbut that\u2019s your pa, sure as the world.\u00a0 Come on!\u201d\u00a0 He hit the ground running, leaving Adam to pick himself up off the ground at his end of the seesaw.\u00a0 Billy charged up to the cabin door.\u00a0 \u201cHey, Ma!\u201d he yelled.\u00a0 \u201cUncle Ben\u2019s back, and he\u2019s got a lady with him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nelly wiped her floured hands on her apron and came to the doorway.\u00a0 \u201cLands, who can that be?\u201d she asked, shading her brown eyes with her palm.\u00a0 She stepped into the yard, Clyde joining her as the wagon, with Hoss running at its side, pulled up.<\/p>\n

Ben sprang down and wrapped the chunky youngster in his arms.\u00a0 \u201cHow\u2019s Pa\u2019s big boy?\u201d he cried.<\/p>\n

Before Hoss could answer, Adam had thrown himself at his father, too, and for all three Cartwrights actions made words unnecessary.\u00a0 The fourth Cartwright sat on the wagon seat, thirstily drinking in her first view of her new sons, until she became aware of the ocean of eyes staring at her.\u00a0 Her cheeks reddened under the scrutiny.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you bring me something, Pa?\u201d Hoss, the only one oblivious to the newcomer, demanded.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss!\u201d Adam scolded, cheeks flaming.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s a fine thing to let fly out of your mouth first thing!\u201d\u00a0 Seeing all the boxes and bundles in the back of the buckboard, he was wondering the same thing himself, of course, but it was ill-mannered to ask for presents straight off.<\/p>\n

Hoss looked chagrined, but Ben just rumpled his sandy hair and laughed.\u00a0 \u201cYes, I brought surprises for both my boys,\u201d he said, \u201cbut you can\u2019t have yours \u2018til after dinner.<\/p>\n

\u201cCandy!\u201d Hoss squealed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right,\u201d Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cBonbons for you and books for Adam.\u201d\u00a0 He smiled back at the lady blushing on the wagon.\u00a0 \u201cAnd I brought an even more special surprise,\u201d he announced, offering her his hand to descend from the wagon.\u00a0 When Marie stood at his side, Ben said, \u201cClyde, Nelly, children\u2014\u2014I\u2019d like you to meet Marie D\u2019Olivier D\u2019Marigny\u2014\u201d\u00a0 He intended to add Cartwright, but Nelly cut him off.<\/p>\n

\u201cJean\u2019s wife!\u201d Nelly cried.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s who you are!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, yes, I was.\u201d\u00a0 Marie sent Ben a mute appeal for help, but Ben just folded his arms, obviously finding sport in letting the misconception play itself out.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, dear,\u201d Nelly was saying sympathetically, assuming Marie had used the past tense because Jean was now dead.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ve suffered a terrible loss, and you must be tired, too, after your long trip. \u00a0You come right inside and refresh yourself.\u201d\u00a0 She led Marie to the rocking chair by the fire in the parlor.\u00a0 \u201cThere now, you just rest.\u00a0 I\u2019ve got dinner started, but I\u2019ll hurry it along.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, please, may I help?\u201d Marie asked, starting to rise.<\/p>\n

Nelly pushed her gently back into the rocker.\u00a0 \u201cI wouldn\u2019t hear of it, Mrs. D\u2019Marigny.\u00a0 You must be exhausted.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, but\u2014but I am not\u2014\u201d Marie sputtered.\u00a0 She threw Ben another pleading look, but he just winked mischievously.<\/p>\n

The men and youngsters had followed the two women into the parlor.\u00a0 Nelly turned around.\u00a0 \u201cClyde, you\u2019d best ride over to Cosser\u2019s boarding house after dinner and see if they have a room for Mrs. D\u2019Marigny.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo need of that, Nelly,\u201d Ben chuckled.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, of course, there\u2019s need, Ben,\u201d Nelly scolded.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re tired, and Clyde\u2019ll be glad to see to the arrangements.\u00a0 The lady will need a place to stay while she\u2019s here seein\u2019 to her husband\u2019s affairs.\u201d\u00a0 Nelly wasn\u2019t sure what affairs Jean D\u2019Marigny could have left unattended here in UtahTerritory, but she could imagine no other reason the woman would have traveled from New Orleans.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I meant that the lady will be staying at my place,\u201d Ben announced, watching carefully for the explosion he was sure would follow.<\/p>\n

\u201cBen!\u201d Nelly hissed.\u00a0 \u201cHow could you even think of anything so scandalous?\u201d\u00a0 She took Marie\u2019s hand protectively.\u00a0 \u201cIf you don\u2019t care what folks think of you, at least consider this poor child\u2019s reputation.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019ll be a lot more talk if I don\u2019t take her home with me,\u201d Ben stated wryly.\u00a0 \u201cAfter all, man and wife generally sleep under the same roof.\u201d<\/p>\n

The silence that followed was as deafening as the aftermath of a cannon blast.\u00a0 Everyone stared first at Ben, then at the furiously blushing Marie.\u00a0 Finally, Clyde grinned and clapped Ben on the back.\u00a0 \u201cYou sly old dog!\u201d he cackled.\u00a0 \u201cLet you out of our sight a few weeks, and you go and git yourself hitched!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right, I just can\u2019t be trusted,\u201d Ben chuckled.<\/p>\n

Nelly pressed her hands against her cheeks.\u00a0 Then, as Ben tried to give her a repentant hug, she slapped his arms away.\u00a0 \u201cOoh, you awful man!\u201d she fumed.\u00a0 \u201cLettin\u2019 me go on like that, after you led me astray deliberate.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben just laughed and gave her a squeeze.\u00a0 \u201cIs it my fault you interrupted my introduction?\u201d he asked, raising an eyebrow.\u00a0 He took Marie\u2019s hand and lifted her to her feet.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s start again, then.\u00a0 This, my friends, is Marie D\u2019Olivier D\u2019Marigny Cartwright.\u201d\u00a0 He laid heavy emphasis on the final word.<\/p>\n

Ben caught sight of Hoss\u2019s puzzled face and stooped down to the little lad\u2019s level.\u00a0 \u201cI brought you more than bonbons, Hoss,\u201d he said softly.\u00a0 \u201cI brought you a new mama.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFor real and true?\u201d Hoss whispered, awestruck.\u00a0 \u201cA real mama?\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie bent to take his pudgy cheeks between her palms.\u00a0 \u201cI hope to be a good one, Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss threw his chubby arms around her.\u00a0 \u201cI always wanted a mama,\u201d he declared.<\/p>\n

Marie held him close.\u00a0 What a darling boy!\u00a0 He was just as Ben had described him, warm and loving, taking her to his heart in an instant.\u00a0 She looked hopefully at the older boy and her smile faded, for Adam was staring at her with dark, brooding eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam, don\u2019t you have a greeting for your new mother?\u201d Ben was asking.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s not my mother!\u201d Adam shouted, spun on his heels and ran from the cabin.\u00a0 Billy trotted after him.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh,\u201d Marie cried, \u201cwe have hurt him!\u201d<\/p>\n

Nelly was at her side in an instant, holding the slender, trembling girl in her warm embrace.\u00a0 \u201cThere now; don\u2019t fret, honey lamb.\u00a0 Adam\u2019ll come around.\u201d\u00a0 She turned censorious eyes on Ben.\u00a0 \u201cYou and your surprises,\u201d she chided.\u00a0 \u201cIt was bad enough leading me on, but to spring the news on the boy that way!\u00a0 Ben, where was your head?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI guess I didn\u2019t think,\u201d Ben conceded, \u201cbut I sure never expected that reaction.\u00a0 Adam\u2019s been taught better manners than that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Ben, no one remembers manners when he is wounded,\u201d Marie objected in Adam\u2019s defense.\u00a0 \u201cYou must go to him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis child\u2019s got more sense than you,\u201d Nelly said.\u00a0 \u201cFor mercy\u2019s sake, Ben, go after the boy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben looked torn.\u00a0 He hated to leave Marie among virtual strangers, but she was nodding her permission, and Hoss had instinctively moved closer to comfort her.\u00a0 \u201cWill you take care of Mama for me while I talk to Adam, son?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, I will,\u201d Hoss declared, chest puffing out.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll be back soon,\u201d Ben promised, pressing a soft kiss to Marie\u2019s forehead.<\/p>\n

\u201cBen, you been out of commission longer than I figured if you think that\u2019s the way to kiss a new bride,\u201d Clyde guffawed.<\/p>\n

Ben smiled, his spirit lightened by the jibe.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re right,\u201d he said as he pulled Marie into his arms and gave her lips a loud, vigorous smack.<\/p>\n

\u201cBen, please,\u201d Marie pleaded, embarrassed.<\/p>\n

\u201cScat, Ben,\u201d Nelly ordered, flapping her apron at him.\u00a0 \u201cYou come in the kitchen with me,\u201d she said, gently pulling Marie toward the door.\u00a0 \u201cI think I could use a little help after all.\u201d\u00a0 Better to keep the girl busy, Nelly decided, and for all she\u2019d been married twice, the new Mrs. Cartwright was still little more than a girl, young and innocent like the two little ones who followed at her heels.\u00a0 Clyde could call Ben a sly dog if he wanted, but Nelly figured cradle-robber came closer to truth.<\/p>\n

Adam hadn\u2019t gone far.\u00a0 He leaned back against the cabin\u2019s west end, arms stiffly folded, black eyes flinty.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s the matter with you?\u201d Billy demanded.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019d think your pa\u2019d brought home a grizzle bear instead of the prettiest lady I ever saw!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s looks got to do with anything?\u201d Adam snarled.\u00a0 \u201cShe\u2019s got no business here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHuh!\u201d Billy snorted.\u00a0 \u201cSeems your pa thinks different, and I\u2019m takin\u2019 his side.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam clenched his fist and took a step toward Billy, but before he could reward his friend\u2019s impudence with the appropriate retaliation Ben rounded the corner.\u00a0 Adam\u2019s fingers loosened and fell to his side.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t need to tell me,\u201d Billy announced.\u00a0 \u201cI know when to clear out.\u201d\u00a0 He ran back around the corner Ben had just passed.<\/p>\n

Adam jerked away from the wall and stalked to the nearby woodpile.\u00a0 Picking up the hatchet stuck in the chopping block, he slammed its blade along the edge of a small log.<\/p>\n

Ben frowned.\u00a0 \u201cI didn\u2019t hear anyone ask for more kindling, boy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam winced.\u00a0 The very address his father had chosen told him he was in deep trouble.\u00a0 \u201cJust figured to make myself useful,\u201d he said, splitting off another piece of wood.<\/p>\n

Ben grabbed Adam\u2019s elbow and wrenched the hatchet away.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re avoiding me, Adam; that\u2019s not like you.\u00a0 Now, what\u2019s this all about?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam answered with another question.\u00a0 \u201cHow could you, Pa?\u201d he demanded.\u00a0 \u201cHow could you go and get married without asking us first?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben took a deep breath.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t need your permission to take a wife, boy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam folded his arms and glared at his father, stubborn as before.\u00a0 \u201cYou did when you married Inger.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben shook his head in disbelief.\u00a0 \u201cOh, Adam, I wasn\u2019t really asking your permission back then, either.\u00a0 I already knew you loved Inger.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou didn\u2019t know it about this one,\u201d Adam sputtered, knocking the remaining wood off the chopping block.\u00a0 \u201cYou didn\u2019t even tell us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben took the boy by both shoulders.\u00a0 \u201cI couldn\u2019t, Adam; everything happened too quickly for that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou could have written, at least,\u201d Adam insisted.<\/p>\n

Ben removed his hands.\u00a0 \u201cI suppose I could have, but I wanted to tell you this news in person, son.\u00a0 I admit I did a poor job of choosing time and place, and for that I apologize.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI just don\u2019t understand, Pa,\u201d Adam murmured, the pain evident in his voice.\u00a0 \u201cWas it because you felt bad about the way her husband died or \u2018cause she didn\u2019t have anyone to take care of her?\u00a0 Why, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFor none of those reasons,\u201d Ben said calmly, \u201cbut for the best of possible reasons.\u00a0 I fell in love with her, Adam, and you will, too, if you give yourself a chance.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam shook his head violently.\u00a0 \u201cNo,\u201d he declared adamantly.<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s face grew stern.\u00a0 \u201cAdam,\u201d he said sharply, then made his tone more conciliatory.\u00a0 \u201cYou shouldn\u2019t make such snap judgments, son; it\u2019s never wise and totally wrong in this case.\u00a0 Marie is going to make a wonderful addition to our home.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t need her,\u201d Adam pleaded, his black eyes anguished.\u00a0 \u201cWe were fine the way we were.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI wasn\u2019t fine,\u201d Ben said quietly.\u00a0 \u201cI was incredibly lonely, Adam.\u00a0 Now I have someone to share my life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tears were filling Adam\u2019s eyes, but he blinked them back.\u00a0 \u201cYou had someone before.\u00a0 You had me and Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s room in Hoss\u2019s heart for someone else; why not in yours?\u201d Ben asked soberly.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss is a baby,\u201d Adam railed, \u201cand too dumb to know better.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s enough!\u201d Ben shouted.\u00a0 \u201cAt this moment I\u2019ll take the baby\u2019s maturity over the boy\u2019s.\u00a0 Now, dinner will be ready soon.\u00a0 I expect you to be at the table and I expect you to be civil.\u00a0 As long as you\u2019ve started, I suggest you go ahead and split a little kindling.\u00a0 Maybe you can work off some of your temper!\u201d\u00a0 He turned and walked away.<\/p>\n

Adam stared sadly at his father\u2019s retreating back.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t ever remember feeling this desolate, this devastated.\u00a0 His father had always been his best friend, his greatest supporter.\u00a0 Now all that seemed lost, all because of an unexpected, unwanted intruder.\u00a0 He picked up the hatchet and a block of wood, but no matter how forcefully he whacked at it, he couldn\u2019t release his anger.\u00a0 He came to dinner when he was called, but sat silent at the table, eyes riveted to his plate.\u00a0 He was afraid if he raised them, his feelings would show and drive his father further away.<\/p>\n

As soon as dinner ended, the Cartwright boys gathered their possessions and loaded them in the buckboard.\u00a0 Ben helped Marie in, then noticed Hoss climbing up on the other side.\u00a0 \u201cNo, Hoss,\u201d he said, \u201cyou ride in back, son.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, there is room,\u201d Marie said, scooting close to Ben\u2019s side.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right,\u201d Ben laughed indulgently, \u201cbut don\u2019t complain if he\u2019s a tight fit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s addition did make for tight seating, but Marie wouldn\u2019t have dreamed of asking him to move. \u00a0She put her arm around him in a welcoming embrace and he snuggled close, each happy in the other\u2019s closeness.\u00a0 Alone in the back of the cluttered buckboard, Adam smoldered all the way home, rejecting all Marie\u2019s attempts to draw him into the conversation.\u00a0 Klamath, trotting alongside the wagon, received more of his attention than she.<\/p>\n

\u201cI cannot wait to see our home,\u201d Marie enthused.\u00a0 \u201cAre we near there, Ben?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnother mile,\u201d Ben said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd is it as small as the Thomas\u2019s cabin?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben coughed.\u00a0 \u201cWell, uh, as a matter of fact\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s smaller,\u201d Adam grunted, finally favoring them with a remark since it could be a discouraging one.\u00a0 \u201cLots smaller, barely big enough for three.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben turned and fixed a stern stare on his elder son.\u00a0 Adam shrugged and slid toward the back of the wagon and back into silence.<\/p>\n

\u201cI guess we will just have to squeeze together then, like now, oui<\/em>, Hoss?\u201d Marie giggled, hugging him tighter.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe?\u201d Hoss said.\u00a0 \u201cYou mean me and you, Mama?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cNo, Hoss; \u2018oui\u2019<\/em> means yes in French, and you\u2019d better learn it.\u00a0 Your new mama uses it a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI do, don\u2019t I?\u201d Marie smiled.\u00a0 \u201cA old habit.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t bother breaking it,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m rather fond of that habit, and the boys will soon become accustomed to it, right, Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss tittered.\u00a0 \u201cOui<\/em>, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam scowled, resolving never to use or respond to the French terminology.\u00a0 Blamed if he\u2019d let any foreigner change the way he talked!\u00a0 He conveniently forgot how readily he\u2019d adopted Inger\u2019s Swedish phrases.<\/p>\n

Hoss pointed excitedly ahead as a rough cabin came into view on the far horizon.\u00a0 \u201cThere, Mama!\u201d he cried.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s Tree!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTree?\u201d Marie asked inquisitively.<\/p>\n

\u201cPine Tree Station, to be more precise,\u201d Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cHoss shortened it to Tree early on, and we\u2019ve never been able to break him of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt needs a better name,\u201d Adam grumbled, making his first contribution in more than half an hour.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t want the newcomer thinking they were satisfied with anything so prosaic.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, it does,\u201d Ben agreed, then added brightly.\u00a0 \u201cPerhaps Marie can help us come up with a new name.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, but Ben, I know already,\u201d Marie bubbled.\u00a0 \u201cYou remember that man we met in Panama City, the one who studies trees?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe botanist who was headed back east?\u00a0 Sure, I remember,\u201d Ben said.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid he not have a special name for the pines he studied in the mountains?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right,\u201d Ben recalled.\u00a0 \u201cHe called them\u2014\u2014let\u2019s see\u2014\u2014ponderosas, wasn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, that is it,\u201d Marie cried.\u00a0 \u201cI remember thinking what a beautiful sound the word had.\u00a0 Wouldn\u2019t the Ponderosa make a lovely name for our home, where so many pines grow?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Ponderosa.\u201d\u00a0 Ben rolled the word across his tongue, liking the feel of it.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s perfect, my love.\u00a0 What do you think, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, it\u2019s better than Tree,\u201d Adam admitted grudgingly.\u00a0 He wrapped his arms around his legs, holding himself tight.\u00a0 It wouldn\u2019t do to admit how much he liked the name.\u00a0 Not when she\u2019d chosen it.\u00a0 Of course, it was really that unknown botanist who had provided the terminology, and the scientific basis for the ranch\u2019s new name was what appealed to Adam.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t afford to let his father\u2019s wife know he liked it, though.\u00a0 Might make her feel he was warming to her, and Adam had no intention of doing that.\u00a0 \u201cLikely we won\u2019t get Hoss to use a long word like that, though,\u201d he grumbled.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I will,\u201d Hoss declared defensively.\u00a0 \u201cI ain\u2019t a baby no more.\u00a0 I can say Ponderosa, so there!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben winced at Hoss\u2019s slaughter of English grammar.\u00a0 He should have corrected it, of course, but not today.\u00a0 Considering that Hoss was the only one of his sons giving Marie an unreserved welcome to the family, Ben hadn\u2019t the heart to find the slightest fault with him.\u00a0 A good thing, though, that the boy would be off to school in a few months.\u00a0 His grammar needed attention.<\/p>\n

Ben reined the team to a halt before the door of his three-room cabin.\u00a0 \u201cWell, here we are,\u201d he announced with forced enthusiasm.\u00a0 Suddenly, presenting the cabin to his bride, Ben realized how woefully inadequate it was to anything but a bachelor\u2019s use.\u00a0 What would Marie think of her hero now that he was offering her a shack to live in?<\/p>\n

Looking at her new home, Marie\u2019s heart dropped.\u00a0 It was, as Adam had said, much smaller than the Thomas cabin.\u00a0 \u201cWell, let us see the inside,\u201d she remarked, keeping her voice lilting to cover any disillusionment she felt.<\/p>\n

Ben smiled ruefully and helped her down.\u00a0 Hoss jumped off the wagon seat and raced around the front of the team.\u00a0 Grabbing Marie\u2019s hand, he pulled her toward the door.\u00a0 \u201cCome on, I\u2019ll show you around,\u201d he offered.<\/p>\n

Ben released Marie to her new guide, then turned to Adam.\u00a0 \u201cComing in, son?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam dropped over the side of the wagon.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll unhitch the team; someone needs to,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Ben nodded quietly, guessing the real motive behind Adam\u2019s helpfulness.\u00a0 But, motive aside, the work did need to be done.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, you do that,\u201d he suggested, \u201cand we\u2019ll see you inside later.\u201d\u00a0 Ben went into the cabin and found Hoss eagerly pointing out its features to his new mother.\u00a0 Marie was looking around the main room, the dismay on her face unconcealable.<\/p>\n

Ben crossed the room quickly to take her in his arms.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cYou deserve so much better than this.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t you like it?\u201d Hoss murmured, worry furrowing his brow.<\/p>\n

\u201cMais oui<\/em>,\u201d Marie whispered, her tone more one of concern for the child than one of conviction.\u00a0 \u201cIt is a good home, but I am glad we are already planning one where we will have more room.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss looked puzzled.\u00a0 Unlike his father and brother, he\u2019d never quite understood the need for a bigger house.\u00a0 This one had always seemed fine to him, but maybe it would be extra crowded with a fourth person living here.\u00a0 Yeah, that must be it; that must be what his new mother meant.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll build it fast, huh, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFast as we can,\u201d Ben chuckled.\u00a0 He looked apologetically into his bride\u2019s green eyes.\u00a0 \u201cThink you can make out here a few months?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut, of course,\u201d Marie declared.\u00a0 \u201cNow, where is the kitchen, Ben?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s mouth twisted awry.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re in it,\u201d he said softly.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut\u2014but where is the stove?\u201d Marie asked urgently, her face almost frantic.\u00a0 \u201cWhere do you cook?\u201d\u00a0 As Ben pointed to the open fire, she collapsed in a chair beside the table.\u00a0 \u201cOh, Ben,\u201d she cried, \u201cI do not know if I can.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, you can,\u201d Ben said encouragingly.\u00a0 \u201cIt can\u2019t be all that different from cooking on a stove.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie looked dubious.\u00a0 She ran her finger along the edge of the table, leaving a trail in the dust.\u00a0 She frowned at Ben.<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry about the dust,\u201d he said, \u201cbut no one\u2019s lived here while I\u2019ve been away.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, dust, at least, I know how to deal with,\u201d Marie said, standing.\u00a0 \u201cIf I could have some water\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll fetch a pail,\u201d Hoss said, eager to help.<\/p>\n

Ben beamed his approval.\u00a0 \u201cGood boy.\u201d\u00a0 He turned to Marie.\u00a0 \u201cI should let my foreman know I\u2019m back and see how things have gone in my absence.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, Ben, please go about your work,\u201d she urged.\u00a0 \u201cI have plenty to keep me busy here, and I\u2019m sure Hoss will give me all the help I need.\u201d\u00a0 She was suddenly aware of the absence of the other member of the family.\u00a0 \u201cBut where is Adam?\u00a0 Has he run away again?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, no,\u201d Ben assured her.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s busy in the barn.\u00a0 I\u2019ll bring back a couple of men from the bunkhouse to help Adam and me unload our belongings.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is no hurry,\u201d Marie said with a weak smile.\u00a0 \u201cI do not want my things brought in until the house is clean.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben winced.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe I\u2019d better put them in the barn for now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie nodded, her eyes at last lighting with a twinkle of amusement.\u00a0 \u201cJust bring me something plainer to change into, s\u2019il vous plait<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRight away,\u201d Ben said.<\/p>\n

Hoss soon returned, lugging two full pails of water.\u00a0 Marie, now dressed in a brown-sprigged calico with cream-colored apron, took one from him.\u00a0 \u201cMy, what a strong boy you are, Hoss!\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss squared his shoulders proudly.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m a big boy, and I can be lots of help.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I will need lots of help,\u201d Marie said.\u00a0 \u201cDid you ever see such dust?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLots of times,\u201d Hoss offered ingenuously.<\/p>\n

Marie tittered.\u00a0 \u201cOh, Hoss, you are a priceless jewel,\u201d she said, giving him a hug.\u00a0 \u201cNow, where shall we start?\u00a0 With the table, I suppose.\u00a0 We must eat before we sleep, oui<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOui<\/em>,\u201d Hoss agreed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI will need soap and a scrub brush.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll get \u2018em,\u201d Hoss offered.<\/p>\n

Adam appeared in the doorway.\u00a0 \u201cPa said to ask if you needed anything,\u201d he muttered.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I could clean better with hot water,\u201d Marie replied. \u201cDo you know how to build a fire, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, sure,\u201d Adam declared, his tone implying that anyone who couldn\u2019t was no smarter than a jackass.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would appreciate it,\u201d Marie said, offering him a smile.<\/p>\n

Adam shrugged and went to bring in the needed wood.\u00a0 Marie didn\u2019t ask for anything else, so he wandered back outside, scuffing at the dust with his boots until his father returned and they began to unload the boxes and bundles from the buckboard.<\/p>\n

Inside, Hoss and Marie made a concerted attack on the piled up dust, and before long the front room looked better than it had since the day the three Cartwrights moved in.\u00a0 Marie fingered the curtains at the windows.\u00a0 \u201cWho made these, Hoss?\u201d she asked.\u00a0 \u201cYour mother?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUnh-uh,\u201d Hoss said.\u00a0 \u201cAunt Nelly.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAunt Nelly?\u201d Marie queried.\u00a0 \u201cMrs. Thomas is your aunt?\u00a0 But Ben called them friends, not family.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d Hoss said.\u00a0 \u201cBetter ask Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI will,\u201d Marie smiled.\u00a0 \u201cShe did a nice job with these curtains, but they have not been washed for some time, I think.\u201d\u00a0 She didn\u2019t add \u201cprobably never,\u201d but their condition implied that the curtains had never seen a wash tub.\u00a0 To be expected, she supposed, with only a man and two boys to do the housework after their other chores.\u00a0 Well, she\u2019d rectify that as soon as she could.\u00a0 Not tonight, though.\u00a0 \u201cTime to work on the bedrooms,\u201d she told Hoss cheerfully.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay,\u201d Hoss agreed.\u00a0 \u201cWanna see mine first?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBy all means,\u201d Marie laughed.\u00a0 She followed the boy through the first room into the one beyond.\u00a0 She looked approvingly at the two beds, each with a small chest at its foot.\u00a0 One bed sported a rack of antlers above its head.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat one\u2019s Adam\u2019s,\u201d Hoss informed, following her line of vision.\u00a0 \u201cMine\u2019s over here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou boys keep your things neatly put away,\u201d she praised.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot always,\u201d Hoss admitted.\u00a0 \u201cPa made us clean up extra good before we left.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie touched the quilt covering Hoss\u2019s bed.\u00a0 \u201cMore of Mrs. Thomas\u2019s work?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cI think Mama\u2014\u2014my mama, I mean\u2014\u2014made those.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie smiled tenderly at him.\u00a0 \u201cThey are beautiful,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cYour mama was a good seamstress.\u00a0 See the tiny stitches she used.\u201d\u00a0 She took the boy\u2019s hand.\u00a0 \u201cDo you remember much about your mother, Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t \u2018member her at all,\u201d Hoss answered.\u00a0 \u201cI was a baby when she died.\u00a0 She was pretty, though; Pa\u2019s got a picture of her\u2014\u2014Adam\u2019s mother, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI saw them on the mantel,\u201d Marie said quietly.\u00a0 \u201cYour mother is the one with hair light like yours, oui<\/em>?\u00a0 She was pretty, Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, but not pretty as you,\u201d Hoss said with a grin.<\/p>\n

Marie laughed and gave him a hug.\u00a0 \u201cWell, like the curtains, these quilts need washing, but that is too big a job for today.\u00a0 Let\u2019s take them outside and give them a good shaking, though, to get rid of some of the dust.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, I\u2019ll take mine,\u201d Hoss offered.\u00a0 Marie nodded, picking up Adam\u2019s quilt.\u00a0 As she passed back into the other bedroom, the one that must be hers and Ben\u2019s, she paused to take the quilt from that bed as well.\u00a0 She halted with a frown.\u00a0 This bed was as narrow as either of the boy\u2019s.\u00a0 Obviously, it hadn\u2019t been built for two.\u00a0 Marie sighed.\u00a0 Another problem to solve.\u00a0 But that one she would have to leave to Ben.\u00a0 Turning her attention to the one she could solve, Marie carried the two quilts outside.<\/p>\n

The sun was beginning to dip behind the western mountains by the time the house was cleaned to Marie\u2019s temporary satisfaction.\u00a0 She sat wearily in a chair at the table and stared into the fire, contemplating the biggest problem she\u2019d yet faced.<\/p>\n

Hoss, standing beside her, patted her arm.\u00a0 \u201cTired, Mama?\u201d he asked solicitously.<\/p>\n

Marie smiled at him.\u00a0 \u201cNot half as much as I would be without your help.\u00a0 But now it is time to cook supper, and I have never cooked over an open fire.\u00a0 I do not even know what there is to prepare.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI like pie best,\u201d Hoss suggested.<\/p>\n

Marie laughed.\u00a0 \u201cThere is no oven, Hoss.\u00a0 How could I make pie?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know much about cookin\u2019, Mama.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere would your father keep meat, if he had any?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, that\u2019s easy,\u201d Hoss said.\u00a0 \u201cIn the root cellar.\u00a0 There\u2019s lots more food in there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie stood at once.\u00a0 \u201cShow me this root cellar,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Hoss trotted to the door to comply and met his father coming in with Adam.\u00a0 \u201cMama wants some meat to cook, Pa,\u201d Hoss announced.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou and Adam bring some salt pork and potatoes from the cellar,\u201d his father dictated.\u00a0 When they disappeared, Ben crossed the room to give Marie a kiss.\u00a0 \u201cThe house looks so much better already,\u201d he praised.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ve been working hard.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, but the hardest work is just ahead, I fear,\u201d Marie sighed, casting a discouraged glance at the fireplace.<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s arm slipped to her waist to give her an encouraging hug.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll keep it simple tonight.\u00a0 Just fry some salt pork and potatoes and stir up a batch of cornbread.\u00a0 You can handle that, can\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell\u2014\u201d Marie murmured uncertainly.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, of course, you can,\u201d Ben assured her.\u00a0 \u201cIs there anything you\u2019d like brought inside now that the place is clean?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat trunk of dresses I had made in St. Joseph,\u201d Marie replied.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t suppose I\u2019ll have any use for the silks and satins out here, so they might as well stay in the barn.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben chucked her delicate chin.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t be so sure.\u00a0 We throw a fandango or two even here in the wilderness, and, of course, you\u2019ll want nice clothes for our trips to San Francisco.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie laughed.\u00a0 \u201cOh, Ben, I did not mean to complain.\u00a0 But there is no room for unneeded clothes in here.\u00a0 If you could find the bundle of spices I brought from the market, I am sure I can find a place for those.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYour wish is my command, fair princess,\u201d Ben smiled.<\/p>\n

Adam and Hoss entered just as their father left, bringing the supplies he had ordered.\u00a0 Marie took them, then stared perplexedly at the boys.\u00a0 \u201cHow\u2014how does your father cook this salt pork and potatoes?\u201d she asked nervously.<\/p>\n

\u201cCan\u2019t you cook?\u201d Adam jeered.\u00a0 \u201cI thought all ladies could cook.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, I can cook,\u201d Marie sputtered, her color rising, \u201cbut I am used to different foods.\u201d\u00a0 She turned to Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cCan you answer my question?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, Pa kinda chunks \u2018em up and fries \u2018em,\u201d Hoss offered.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat does not sound too difficult,\u201d Marie said tentatively, taking the food to the counter just left of the fireplace.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll get a knife,\u201d Hoss said.<\/p>\n

Marie spun around.\u00a0 \u201cNo, Hoss!\u201d she cried.<\/p>\n

Adam grabbed Hoss\u2019s arm.\u00a0 \u201cYou know better than that!\u201d he yelled.\u00a0 \u201cPa never lets you touch knives.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie pulled Adam\u2019s fingers from his brother\u2019s arm.\u00a0 \u201cThere is no need to be so harsh,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cHoss was only trying to help.\u00a0 Why don\u2019t you find a sharp knife for me?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure,\u201d Adam muttered.\u00a0 Giving Hoss a disapproving scowl, he found the knife and slapped it on the counter.<\/p>\n

Marie frowned at the boy\u2019s obvious distemper, but she resolved to say nothing.\u00a0 No mere words would win Adam\u2019s heart, she was sure, but perhaps if she responded to his rudeness with courtesy and kindness, he would at length relent.\u00a0 \u201cThank you, Adam,\u201d she said, in her sweetest voice.<\/p>\n

Adam shrugged and walked away.\u00a0 He sat in a chair and watched as Marie diced the salt pork and potatoes and poured them into a frying pan.\u00a0 When she stooped to hold it over the fire, he laughed with derisive harshness.\u00a0 \u201cYou really don\u2019t know anything, do you?\u201d he ridiculed.<\/p>\n

Marie stood and spun around, facing him with one hand on her hip, the other trembling under the weight of the panful of pork and potatoes.\u00a0 \u201cIf you know better what to do, you should tell me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam placed the metal grate over the fire.\u00a0 \u201cAnybody ought to know better than to squat and hold the pan the way you were,\u201d he taunted.\u00a0 \u201cHow would you cook anything else?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, that is better.\u00a0 Thank you, Adam,\u201d Marie said again, but there was less sweetness in her tone this time.\u00a0 \u201cDo you also know how to bake cornbread without an oven?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the spider, of course,\u201d Adam scoffed. \u00a0\u201cAnybody\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I know, anybody should know that!\u201d Marie snapped.\u00a0 \u201cSo you have said.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben walked in and his eyebrows met in a straight line.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s going on?\u201d he demanded.<\/p>\n

\u201cJ\u2014just showing her how to use a spider,\u201d Adam stammered defensively.\u00a0 He glanced anxiously at Marie.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d Marie said quickly.\u00a0 \u201cBoth the boys have helped me much this day.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I can see that,\u201d Ben grunted.\u00a0 He gave Adam a hard look, certain \u2018helpful\u2019 wasn\u2019t the best description of his behavior.\u00a0 Marie obviously wanted to shelter Adam, though, and for now Ben would allow it.\u00a0 Adam had been hurt by the sudden announcement of his father\u2019s marriage and needed time to heal.<\/p>\n

Marie tried hard to prepare a good meal for her new family, but the results were less than tasty.\u00a0 Distracted over baking the cornbread in the unaccustomed way, she neglected to stir the main dish often enough, and it came out blackened on one side, underdone on the other.\u00a0 She didn\u2019t know to heap coals on the lid of the spider, either, so only the underside of the cornbread baked, leaving raw dough on top.\u00a0 In her frustration, she also prepared the coffee with habitual French strength.<\/p>\n

Ben and Hoss made a stalwart effort to eat what was put before them, but Adam impatiently pushed the plate aside.\u00a0 \u201cThis is awful,\u201d he declared.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cWell, it is!\u201d the boy snapped.\u00a0 \u201cYou want me to lie?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI want you to watch your tone, boy!\u201d Ben shouted.<\/p>\n

Marie threw her hands to her cheeks and fled from the house.<\/p>\n

Ben flung his fork to the table.\u00a0 \u201cNow, look what you\u2019ve done!\u201d he growled.\u00a0 He stalked outside, slamming the door.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy\u2019d you talk ugly to her?\u201d Hoss, almost in tears, demanded.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s stupid,\u201d Adam groused.\u00a0 \u201cCan\u2019t even cook.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019ll learn,\u201d Hoss said.\u00a0 \u201cI bet she learns fast.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re stupid, too,\u201d Adam taunted.\u00a0 \u201cShe\u2019ll learn to cook about as quick as you learn to read.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s cheeks puffed out with anger.\u00a0 He knew he wasn\u2019t as smart as Adam, but he didn\u2019t like being twitted about his slowness.\u00a0 Adam had never done that before.\u00a0 \u201cTake it back,\u201d he ordered through gritted teeth.<\/p>\n

\u201cMake me,\u201d Adam sneered.<\/p>\n

Hoss lunged at him and soon the brothers were wrestling, knocking over chairs and sending plates rattling to the floor.<\/p>\n

Outside, Ben found Marie staring up at the stars.\u00a0 He wrapped his arms around her.\u00a0 \u201cYou shouldn\u2019t come out without a shawl,\u201d he whispered.\u00a0 \u201cThe nights can get cool, even in summer.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot as cool as in the house,\u201d Marie replied tensely.\u00a0 \u201cIcicles wouldn\u2019t melt in there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve had a hard day,\u201d Ben said, \u201cand Adam\u2019s behavior has made it more so.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt has,\u201d Marie agreed, \u201cbut he is right about dinner.\u00a0 I ruined everything, and I am the one who is sorry about that.\u00a0 I am sorry, too, that I have come between you and your son.\u201d\u00a0 A sob caught in her throat.<\/p>\n

Hearing it, Ben turned her around and wiped the tears from her face.\u00a0 \u201cThe only person who owes anyone an apology is Adam, and I\u2019ll see to it he gives it to you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Ben, please no,\u201d Marie wept.\u00a0 \u201cThat will only make more distance between us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI won\u2019t have him thinking such behavior is acceptable,\u201d Ben said firmly.\u00a0 \u201cI ought to blister his britches for the way he\u2019s acted.\u201d
\n\u201cNo, Ben,\u201d Marie pleaded.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, for your sake, I won\u2019t,\u201d Ben promised, \u201cbut he will wash up the supper dishes.\u00a0 He deserves that much discipline.\u00a0 Let\u2019s go back in now and salvage what we can of dinner.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou go,\u201d Marie said.\u00a0 \u201cI would like to soak in the peace of the trees and the stars a little longer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded, gave her a tender kiss and went back inside.\u00a0 What he saw the moment he opened the door made him wish that he, too, had remained beneath the peaceful, starlit trees.\u00a0 \u201cWhat in the world!\u201d he hollered, stomping across the room to grab one boy in each hand.<\/p>\n

The fight died out of both youngsters as soon as they saw their father\u2019s livid face.\u00a0 \u201cS\u2014sorry, Pa,\u201d Hoss stammered at once.<\/p>\n

Ben rounded on Adam.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s this about?\u201d he demanded.\u00a0 \u201cHasn\u2019t there been enough unpleasantness today to suit you, boy?\u00a0 You have to add fighting to it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe threw the first punch,\u201d Adam fumed.\u00a0 Pa was acting like the whole thing was his fault!<\/p>\n

\u201cHe called Mama stupid,\u201d Hoss yelled, \u201cand he called me stupid, too\u2014\u2014too stupid to learn to read!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben glared angrily at Adam.\u00a0 \u201cIs that true?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam shuffled his feet uneasily.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, I guess so.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben planted both palms on his hips.\u00a0 \u201cThe only reason you\u2019re not getting a whipping this minute is because your mother\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s not my mother!\u201d Adam screamed.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause your mother begged me not to,\u201d Ben finished, uttering each word distinctly.\u00a0 \u201cYou will, however, clear the table and wash the dishes.\u00a0 Then, since you\u2019re so much smarter than anyone else, you can prepare breakfast in the morning and do the cleanup then, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right,\u201d Adam sputtered.\u00a0 At least, we\u2019ll eat better<\/em>, he told himself, chin jutting up proudly.<\/p>\n

Ben turned to Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cDefending your mother shows your heart is in the right place, Hoss,\u201d he said gently, \u201cbut it doesn\u2019t excuse your fighting with Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir, Pa; I\u2019m sorry,\u201d the youngster replied readily.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, you tell Adam you\u2019re sorry, then I think you\u2019d better go on to bed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir.\u00a0 I\u2019m sorry, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam stopped clearing the table long enough to nod curtly.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, me, too, Hoss.\u00a0 I\u2019m sorry I hit you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded his approval at both boys, then took Marie\u2019s shawl from the peg where she\u2019d hung it and carried it outside.\u00a0 He placed it over her shoulders and they walked into the woods with his arms around her.\u00a0 \u201cIt is as beautiful as you promised,\u201d Marie whispered.\u00a0 \u201cTrees that touch the sky.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re not sorry you came?\u201d Ben asked, brushing a wisp of golden hair from her cheek.<\/p>\n

Marie shook her head.\u00a0 \u201cOne day\u2019s hardship would scarcely make me forget your love or mine for you.\u00a0 I only hope I can make tomorrow better.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll all work at that,\u201d Ben pledged.\u00a0 He yawned.\u00a0 \u201cYou as tired as I am?\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie nodded, laying her head against his shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cDo you think it is safe to go inside?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, it\u2019s safe,\u201d Ben sputtered.\u00a0 \u201cI won\u2019t allow Adam\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie laughed.\u00a0 \u201cIt was not Adam\u2019s temper I was worried about, Ben, but mine.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled.\u00a0 \u201cIt seems well in hand.\u00a0 We should go in now, I think.\u00a0 I sent Hoss to bed, and I\u2019d like to tuck him in before he falls asleep.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, yes, that I would like, too,\u201d Marie murmured contentedly.\u00a0 \u201cHe, at least, loves me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd Adam soon will,\u201d Ben said as they turned their steps back to the cabin.<\/p>\n

Adam continued washing the dishes without looking up when they entered.\u00a0 Ignoring him, Ben and Marie went through their bedroom and into Hoss\u2019s.\u00a0 \u201cWe wanted to say good-night, mon cher<\/em>,\u201d Marie said, tucking his covers snug and bending to place a kiss on his forehead.<\/p>\n

Hoss grinned, though he looked puzzled.\u00a0 \u201cIs that more French talk?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

Marie laughed lightly.\u00a0 \u201cOui<\/em>.\u00a0 It means \u2018my dear one.\u2019\u00a0 I could think of no better name for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI like it,\u201d Hoss announced.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I like Mama,\u201d Marie responded, kissing him once again.\u00a0 \u201cIt is a word I have wanted to hear for a very long time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSleep tight,\u201d Ben said, patting Hoss\u2019s head.\u00a0 Hoss rolled over and sank deeper into his pillow as Ben and Marie walked softly out.<\/p>\n

In the next room Marie frowned at the narrow bed.\u00a0 \u201cI meant to ask earlier, Ben,\u201d she began, \u201cbut what are we to do about this?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAbout what?\u201d Ben asked with childlike innocence.<\/p>\n

Marie rolled her eyes.\u00a0 \u201cThe bed, Ben.\u00a0 You did not build it with a wife in mind, I think.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s face fell.\u00a0 \u201cOh, no, you\u2019re right about that.\u00a0 Well, I guess we\u2019ll have to snuggle close,\u201d he suggested with an uneasy laugh.<\/p>\n

Marie giggled.\u00a0 \u201cWe can try, I suppose, but I think something will need to be done before many nights pass.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTomorrow,\u201d Ben promised.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll ride over and see if Clyde can help me work it out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam appeared in the doorway.\u00a0 \u201cDishes are done,\u201d he reported.\u00a0 \u201cCan I stay up and read in the front room?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, you go on to bed,\u201d Ben ordered.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ve all had a tiring day, and you have to be up early to fix breakfast.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir,\u201d Adam mumbled and slid past to his own room.<\/p>\n

\u201cMore punishment,\u201d Marie asked, \u201cor are you afraid of my cooking?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed and, pulling her down onto the bed, began to nibble her ear.<\/p>\n

\u201cBen,\u201d she hissed softly, \u201clet me undress first.\u201d\u00a0 Ben chuckled and released her.\u00a0 She slipped into her filmy, beige nightdress and joined him in the bed.\u00a0 Try as they might, however, they couldn\u2019t get comfortable in such tight quarters.\u00a0 Finally, Marie sat up.\u00a0 \u201cThis is impossible, Ben,\u201d she cried.<\/p>\n

Cramped against the wall, Ben gingerly raised himself on one elbow.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve got an idea,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll be right back.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie rose to let him out of bed, then watched with bewilderment as he stripped the blankets and sheets and carried them outside.\u00a0 Were they to sleep under the stars as they had on the journey from Placerville?\u00a0 She sighed.\u00a0 She was weary of bedding on rough ground, but even that was no doubt preferable to squeezing together in such a small space.<\/p>\n

Ben returned as promised, wrapped her shawl around her and led her out to the barn.\u00a0 \u201cHere, with the animals?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey won\u2019t look,\u201d Ben teased, as he eased her onto the bed he\u2019d constructed of straw.<\/p>\n

\u201cUmm, it is soft,\u201d Marie sighed.\u00a0 She stretched her arms up to Ben.\u00a0 \u201cIt wants only you beside me to make it the best of beds.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben removed his trousers and crawled beneath the covers to hold her almost as closely as had been necessary in the narrow bed in the house.<\/p>\n

They returned laughing to the cabin the next morning, Marie still pulling wisps of hay from her hair.\u00a0 Hoss, in his nightshirt, immediately ran to engulf her in a chubby-armed hug.\u00a0 \u201cMama!\u201d he cried.\u00a0 \u201cI was scared you\u2019d gone away!\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie stooped to gather him in her arms.\u00a0 \u201cI will never go away, mon cher<\/em>,\u201d she cried and covered his cheeks with kisses.\u00a0 Adam clinched his teeth and took a vicious stab at the bacon sizzling in the skillet.<\/p>\n

Marie went into the bedroom to dress while Ben heated water with which to shave.\u00a0 Hoss hustled to his room to pull on shirt and pants.<\/p>\n

Soon everyone was gathered around the breakfast table.\u00a0 Marie heaped praise on Adam\u2019s culinary efforts, but he made no response.\u00a0 When he finished, Ben wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m going over to the Thomases, boys,\u201d he announced.\u00a0 \u201cYou stay here and help Mama all you can.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI am going with you, Ben,\u201d Marie said quietly.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no need,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cI thought you\u2019d want to get more settled here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI am going with you, Ben,\u201d she repeated firmly.<\/p>\n

Ben saw something in her face that troubled him, but he couldn\u2019t read its meaning.\u00a0 \u201cAll right,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll hitch the buckboard, then.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll help, Pa,\u201d Hoss offered.\u00a0 \u201cAdam\u2019s got dishes to do.\u201d\u00a0 There was just a trace of condescension in his voice.\u00a0 Adam heard it, but bit his tongue.\u00a0 No need to say anything now; he could repay Hoss\u2019s sass after the grownups were gone.<\/p>\n

As soon as the buckboard rolled away, Adam took Hoss by one arm and dragged him to the fireplace.\u00a0 Pulling Inger\u2019s picture from the mantel, he shoved it in Hoss\u2019s face.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s your mama,\u201d he lectured.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know,\u201d Hoss said, his nose crinkling with bewilderment.<\/p>\n

\u201cCouldn\u2019t tell it to hear you talk,\u201d Adam ranted.\u00a0 \u201cGiving her name to this\u2014this\u2014\u2014you ought to be ashamed, Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2014you think she\u2019d mind?\u201d Hoss whimpered, his blue eyes filling.<\/p>\n

Seeing the tears, Adam felt a moment\u2019s remorse.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s just plain wrong, Hoss, whether she\u2019d mind or not.\u00a0 She was the best mother there ever was, and you don\u2019t need this new one.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I do,\u201d Hoss cried.\u00a0 \u201cI do need her, and I like her, too, and she\u2019s gonna bake me special cookies like they have in New Orleans and\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCookies!\u201d Adam snorted.\u00a0 \u201cIs that all you ever think about, filling your fat belly?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo!\u201d Hoss yelled.\u00a0 \u201cBut I don\u2019t see why I can\u2019t have cookies and things like kids with mothers get all the time.\u00a0 Why you gotta spoil everything?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam grabbed a pail from beside the door.\u00a0 \u201cOh, go milk the cow,\u201d he ordered grumpily.\u00a0 What was the use arguing with Hoss?\u00a0 He was just too young to understand.<\/p>\n

Hoss jerked the pail from Adam\u2019s hand.\u00a0 He was only too glad to get away from his touchy older brother.<\/p>\n

As Ben helped Marie from the buckboard, Nelly came out to meet them.\u00a0 \u201cLands, didn\u2019t expect to see you two again so soon,\u201d she laughed.\u00a0 Then the smile faded from her lips.\u00a0 Something was wrong.\u00a0 \u201cCome inside, honey lamb,\u201d she cooed as gently as she might have soothed her daughter Inger.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2014uh\u2014I need to speak to Clyde,\u201d Ben said awkwardly.\u00a0 He and Marie had ridden in virtual silence, so he knew something was bothering his wife, and the fact that she obviously intended to tell Nelly Thomas what she refused to tell him was disconcerting.<\/p>\n

\u201cUp to the trading post,\u201d Nelly said, waving him off.\u00a0 She drew Marie inside and closed the door.\u00a0 \u201cWhat is it?\u201d she asked, taking the girl\u2019s face between her motherly hands.<\/p>\n

Marie burst into tears.\u00a0 \u201cOh, I do not know what to do,\u201d she cried.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs it Adam?\u201d Nelly asked.\u00a0 \u201cIs he still actin\u2019 fractious?\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie nodded, then contradicted the gesture by wailing, \u201cNo!\u201d<\/p>\n

Nelly folded the girl into her arms and let her weep herself quiet.\u00a0 \u201cNow, which is it?\u201d she asked, smiling.\u00a0 \u201cYes or no?\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie gave a nervous giggle.\u00a0 \u201cAdam is difficult, yes, but that is not why I came.\u00a0 It is\u2014there is\u2014\u2014no stove!\u201d\u00a0 She threw her hands over her eyes and wept profusely.<\/p>\n

Nelly\u2019s womanly heart understood at once.\u00a0 \u201cOoh, that Ben!\u201d she fumed.\u00a0 \u201cIsn\u2019t it just like a man to take a wife without stopping to think that he wasn\u2019t set up for one.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie wiped her eyes.\u00a0 \u201cWell, I did not think, either,\u201d she said, \u201cnot of practical things.\u00a0 We thought only of our love for one another.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, that\u2019s natural in the first blush of romance,\u201d Nelly comforted, \u201cbut it\u2019s time to think of practical things now.\u00a0 There\u2019s no reason in the world Ben can\u2019t provide you a stove, and I\u2019m going to see to it he does.\u00a0 Should have picked one up when he came through California, but I reckon it never crossed his mind.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNor mine,\u201d Marie said, catching her breath at last.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, why should it, honey lamb?\u201d Nelly said.\u00a0 \u201cYou didn\u2019t know what things were like out here, but Ben did.\u00a0 It\u2019s the man that\u2019s at fault here, like they usually are.\u00a0 You leave Ben to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2014he is asking Clyde to help about our bed,\u201d Marie stammered.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2014we had to sleep in the barn last night.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nelly laughed.\u00a0 \u201cLands, I never thought of that.\u00a0 When Clyde and Ben built that bed, they didn\u2019t plan on anyone usin\u2019 it but Ben.\u00a0 But don\u2019t you worry, honey lamb; Clyde will know how to fix that quick as a wink.\u00a0 Now I\u2019m goin\u2019 up to the tradin\u2019 post to give Ben a earful.\u00a0 Could you watch Inger for me?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course,\u201d Marie said, smiling at the sweet-faced child with strawberry blonde hair.\u00a0 \u201cBut, please, do not be too hard on Ben.\u00a0 He is only a man and does not think.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey never do,\u201d Nelly said flatly.\u00a0 Within minutes she burst through the door of the trading post and backed Ben up against a wall.\u00a0 \u201cOf all the empty-headed notions,\u201d she scolded, \u201chow could you expect a city-bred gal to cook without a proper stove?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, yeah, well, I guess I wasn\u2019t thinking,\u201d Ben admitted.\u00a0 \u201cIs that what she\u2019s upset about?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAmong other things,\u201d Nelly spewed, \u201cbut this one you can fix, and you\u2019re going to.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTell me how,\u201d Ben pleaded.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t want her to be unhappy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, she\u2019s going to be unhappy until she can make a proper home for you, cook and clean the way a wife should.\u00a0 That\u2019s important to a woman, Ben, especially a new bride,\u201d Nelly explained.\u00a0 \u201cNow you can just turn around and head your wagon for Sacramento and bring back a stove and some decent cooking utensils.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou mean right now, woman?\u201d Clyde demanded.\u00a0 \u201cWithout so much as a change of clothes?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I reckon it\u2019ll wait \u2018til morning,\u201d Nelly conceded, \u201cbut don\u2019t dilly-dally, Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll go tomorrow,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cI hate to impose again so soon, but I guess we\u2019ll need to leave the boys with you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nelly faced him, arms akimbo.\u00a0 \u201cNo need,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re the only one travelin\u2019.\u00a0 Their new mother can look after the boys, and there\u2019s plenty for her to do here to make your house her home.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNelly, she\u2014she can\u2019t cook,\u201d Ben protested, \u201cand Adam\u2019s been pretty vocal about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou tend to Adam\u2019s mouth, and I\u2019ll see to Marie,\u201d Nelly said.\u00a0 \u201cI can teach her enough to get by until you get back, and I\u2019ll make up a list of what I expect you to bring back for her.\u00a0 You\u2019ve got money enough, so don\u2019t you quibble about any of it, Ben Cartwright!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, ma\u2019am!\u201d\u00a0 Ben tapped his heels together and gave her a snappy salute.<\/p>\n

\u201cOoh, men!\u201d Nelly stormed and stomped out.<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s trip to Sacramento proved unnecessary, however.\u00a0 When his foreman, Enos Montgomery, heard that Ben planned to leave again so soon, he offered to go in his employer\u2019s stead.\u00a0 That seemed a better plan to Ben, since he could then be available to ease his wife\u2019s adjustment to her new home and to serve as a buffer to Adam\u2019s continued hostility.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, that will be much better,\u201d Marie cried with relief when Ben told her.\u00a0 \u201cI hope it is not too much imposition on Monsieur<\/em> Montgomery.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, as a matter of fact, I think he relished the idea of a few days off in the big city,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cThis way, too, I can be here for Hoss\u2019s birthday.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIs it soon?\u201d Marie asked with quick interest.<\/p>\n

\u201cNext Wednesday,\u201d Ben replied.<\/p>\n

Marie clapped her hands with childlike delight.\u00a0 \u201cOh, we must plan a celebration!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy, yes, we should,\u201d Ben agreed.\u00a0 His smile broadened as an idea struck him.\u00a0 \u201cI know just the thing.\u201d\u00a0 Marie gave him eager attention.\u00a0 \u201cThe last few years we\u2019ve made a trip up to Tahoe for the Fourth of July, but I was gone this year.\u00a0 Why don\u2019t we do that for Hoss\u2019s birthday, instead?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere is this Tahoe?\u201d Marie inquired.\u00a0 \u201cIs it far?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot too far,\u201d Ben replied.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s a beautiful alpine lake up in the mountains.\u00a0 We usually take a picnic lunch and spend the day swimming and fishing.\u00a0 The boys love going there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, yes, that sounds perfect,\u201d Marie said.\u00a0 \u201cMay I tell Hoss right away?\u00a0 He seems a little down-hearted today.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh?\u201d\u00a0 Ben\u2019s brow furrowed, then cleared.\u00a0 \u201cI bet I know what\u2019s wrong.\u00a0 I suspect Hoss is unhappy because he senses that you\u2019ve been upset.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh,\u201d Marie sighed.\u00a0 \u201cI am sure you are right; he is such a tender-hearted little boy.\u00a0 I must go at once and tell him that all is well and that we have planned a wonderful celebration for his birthday.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou do that,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve got to get this list of supplies to Enos.\u00a0 Nelly Thomas will never forgive me if an item gets overlooked.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie laughed and went to the barn in search of Hoss.<\/p>\n

The little boy looked up from his stool beside the milk cow as she came in.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m almost through, ma\u2019am,\u201d he said quietly.<\/p>\n

For a moment Marie looked hurt, but, setting aside the pang in her own heart, she walked to the boy\u2019s side and ran slender fingers through his wheat-colored hair.\u00a0 \u201cThat is fine, Hoss,\u201d she said softly, \u201cbut what does this \u2018ma\u2019am\u2019 mean?\u00a0 Yesterday you called me Mama, and I so liked the sound of that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss sighed deeply.\u00a0 \u201cMe, too,\u201d he said sadly, \u201cbut Adam says I shouldn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam?\u201d Marie cried.\u00a0 \u201cPourquoi<\/em>?\u201d\u00a0 Realizing she\u2019d lapsed into a language Hoss couldn\u2019t understand, she translated.\u00a0 \u201cWhy, Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s lower lip trembled.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2014he thinks my mother wouldn\u2019t like it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie stooped to put her arms around the torn child.\u00a0 \u201cThis is why you are so unhappy?\u00a0 Because of Adam\u2019s words?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss nodded mutely, his eyes brimming with unshed tears.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2014I like havin\u2019 a mama here instead of in heaven, but I don\u2019t wanna hurt her.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie hugged him to her breast.\u00a0 \u201cOh, Hoss, to love me will not hurt her,\u201d she declared.\u00a0 \u201cMay I tell you a secret?\u201d\u00a0 Hoss\u2019s fat chin bobbed.\u00a0 Marie blinked back the mist in her eyes.\u00a0 \u201cI had a little boy once, Hoss,\u201d she said quietly.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere is he?\u201d Hoss asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn heaven, like your mother,\u201d Marie said.\u00a0 \u201cI miss him so much, but I know he is happy where he is and glad for me to have another little boy to love.\u00a0 I am sure it is the same with your mother.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s chubby face began to brighten.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2014you think\u2014\u2014maybe\u2014\u2014my mama could take care of your little boy for you, and you could take care of me for her.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, mon cher<\/em>, I am sure that is just what God has planned,\u201d Marie said.\u00a0 \u201cIt will make us all happy, oui<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOui<\/em>!\u201d Hoss grinned.\u00a0 His face sobered for a moment.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry about your little boy.\u00a0 I\u2019d\u2019ve liked a little brother.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie laughed and kissed his cheek.\u00a0 \u201cWell, perhaps in time I shall give you one, mon cher<\/em>, but today I have a different sort of present.\u00a0 That is why I came to seek you, so I could tell you of our plans for your birthday.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah?\u00a0 You gonna bake me a cake?\u201d Hoss asked, then he bit his tongue.\u00a0 \u201cOops, I guess you can\u2019t, not without a stove.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie sighed.\u00a0 \u201cNo, I don\u2019t think I would know how to do that over an open fire.\u00a0 I am sorry my cooking is so bad now, Hoss, but it will be better soon, I promise.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s okay,\u201d Hoss assured her.\u00a0 \u201cTell me about my birthday.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYour father thought we might go to Lake Tahoe for a picnic and swimming and fishing,\u201d Marie explained.\u00a0 \u201cYou would like that?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss almost bounced in her arms.\u00a0 \u201cYeah!\u00a0 I missed goin\u2019 on the Fourth.\u00a0 And will the Thomases go with us?\u00a0 They usually do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will see if they can,\u201d Marie promised, \u201cand perhaps Mrs. Thomas could help with the picnic, as her cooking is so good.\u00a0 Let us take this milk inside now and think what we can do about dinner.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss stood and picked up the pail of milk.\u00a0 \u201cOkay, Mama,\u201d he replied, and they both exchanged a smile, enjoying the sound of that sweet name.<\/p>\n

Ben returned to help Marie prepare the meal.\u00a0 A simple repast was soon ready and the Cartwrights gathered around the table.\u00a0 Ben offered grace over the meal, but few other words were spoken.\u00a0 Adam had been sullenly silent at every meal since Marie arrived, but today Marie sat wordless, as well.\u00a0 Only Hoss had much to offer to the conversation.\u00a0 Excited about the celebration planned for his birthday, he chattered happily about the big fish he planned to catch the following week.<\/p>\n

When everyone had eaten, Marie stood.\u00a0 \u201cBen, may I have a word with you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course,\u201d Ben said, eyes narrowing in concern.<\/p>\n

\u201cOutside, please,\u201d Marie said and preceded him through the door.<\/p>\n

Ben followed, worrying creasing his brow.\u00a0 \u201cIs something wrong?\u00a0 Hoss seems happy again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d Marie said, \u201cbut that is no thanks to his brother.\u00a0 Ben, I think you must speak to Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben sighed.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s he done now?\u00a0 I thought he\u2019d been working away from the house this afternoon.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe has not been here,\u201d Marie said.\u00a0 \u201cThe damage must have been done while we were away.\u00a0 He has said things to Hoss that are inexcusable, Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s visage grew stern.\u00a0 \u201cWhat kind of things?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat Hoss must not love me or call me Mama because this would displease his mother in heaven,\u201d Marie sputtered.\u00a0 \u201cI know Adam dislikes me, but I had not thought him cruel enough to ruin a little boy\u2019s happiness.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben was shocked.\u00a0 \u201cI wouldn\u2019t have believed him capable of that, either!\u00a0 You\u2019re sure?\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie flared.\u00a0 \u201cIt is what Hoss says.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, Hoss is young; he could have misunderstood,\u201d Ben suggested, wanting to give his older boy every benefit of the doubt.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you really believe that?\u201d Marie demanded hotly.<\/p>\n

Ben glanced away for a moment, then met her stare directly.\u00a0 \u201cNo, no, I don\u2019t.\u00a0 It looks like I\u2019ll have to have a very necessary little talk with that young man, after all.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, do,\u201d Marie urged, not understanding that Ben was implying a spanking rather than a conversation.\u00a0 \u201cYou must make Adam understand that whatever his feelings, Hoss has a right to different ones.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, he\u2019ll understand that, I assure you,\u201d Ben promised.\u00a0 \u201cHe will definitely understand that!\u201d\u00a0 He stalked to the cabin door.\u00a0 \u201cAdam, get out here!\u201d he yelled.<\/p>\n

Adam, who\u2019d been helping Hoss clear the table, dragged reluctant steps outside.\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t sure what the problem was, but his father\u2019s furious face plainly spoke the existence of one.\u00a0 What could that hateful woman have told Pa to make him so suddenly angry?<\/p>\n

Adam soon learned the source of his father\u2019s ire and felt its fury at the end of a birch switch.\u00a0 He readily admitted his wrongdoing in regard to Hoss, but continued obdurate in his attitude toward Marie.\u00a0 She was the one who\u2019d forced Pa to give him this whipping when Pa knew he was too grown up for one.\u00a0 She was the one who\u2019d caused the problem in the first place, wedging her way into their lives, getting between him and Pa, him and Hoss.\u00a0 Everything was her fault.\u00a0 Adam knew marriage was a lifelong commitment in his father\u2019s book, so, unfortunately, there\u2019d be no getting rid of the interfering outsider, but Adam had every intention of doing whatever he could to make her life as miserable as she had made his.<\/p>\n

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO<\/p>\n

\u00a0Ben leaned back against the granite boulder shaded by a giant ponderosa pine.\u00a0 Below him, at the lake\u2019s edge, Hoss dangled a fishing pole in the glassy blue water.\u00a0 Adam, swimming with Billy, was dim in the distance, but Ben could still hear their frolicsome shouts.\u00a0 How wonderful to hear Adam laugh again.\u00a0 Ben closed his eyes, relishing the sound.\u00a0 Then another sound struck his ear.\u00a0 He turned at the crack of a stick under a boot.<\/p>\n

\u201cPlannin\u2019 to doze off on me, are you?\u201d Clyde snickered, squatting beside Ben.<\/p>\n

\u201cNope,\u201d Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m feeling too lazy to make plans, even that kind.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clyde grinned appreciatively.\u00a0 \u201cGood idea you had, comin\u2019 up here for the youngun\u2019s birthday.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded.\u00a0 \u201cGood idea all around.\u00a0 Marie called it the most beautiful place she\u2019d ever seen, and even Adam seems content today.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cStill givin\u2019 you problems?\u201d Clyde asked, a frown furrowing his forehead.<\/p>\n

\u201cMe, no,\u201d Ben sighed, \u201cbut he makes things as difficult as he can for Marie.\u00a0 She\u2019s showing him the patience of an angel, while he\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cActs like a little devil?\u201d Clyde suggested with a rueful grin.<\/p>\n

Ben winced.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d hate to identify any child with that particular personage, but he\u2019s certainly not offering his new mother much of the milk of human kindness.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss turned toward his father.\u00a0 \u201cI give Mama all the milk she needs, Pa,\u201d he called.<\/p>\n

Ben guffawed.\u00a0 \u201cI didn\u2019t mean cow\u2019s milk, Hoss!\u201d\u00a0 He tossed a tiny pebble at youngster.\u00a0 \u201cNow turn around and keep your mind on your fishing instead of eavesdropping.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLittle pitcher\u2019s gettin\u2019 an earful, is he?\u201d Clyde sniggered.<\/p>\n

\u201cMorning and night,\u201d Ben muttered.\u00a0 \u201cNo way to protect him from all the unpleasantness.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry things ain\u2019t workin\u2019 out,\u201d Clyde commiserated, \u201cbut I reckon Adam\u2019ll come around in time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope so,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cThe ladies back yet?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNaw, still out pickin\u2019 strawberries,\u201d Clyde reported.\u00a0 \u201cHope they find a bunch.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot likely this close to the lake,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cThe Washos are fond of strawberries, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAin\u2019t seen as many injuns as usual,\u201d Clyde commented.<\/p>\n

\u201cMost have moved into the higher meadows, I think,\u201d Ben yawned.\u00a0 \u201cFishing season\u2019s about over, and gathering time started.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou keep up on their doin\u2019s?\u201d Clyde asked.<\/p>\n

Ben shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cNo, not really.\u00a0 What little I know I learned from Tuquah.\u201d\u00a0 He laughed loud.\u00a0 \u201cYou should have seen Marie\u2019s face the first time she saw him.\u00a0 The way she screamed!\u00a0 You\u2019d have thought the whole tribe was on the warpath.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clyde cackled.\u00a0 \u201cLike to have seen that!\u00a0 I reckon your child bride ain\u2019t seen many Indians.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled.\u00a0 \u201cJust the tame variety, the kind that sell beads on the street corners of New Orleans.\u201d\u00a0 Ben grew sober.\u00a0 \u201cNo, the West keeps offering my wife new experiences, and, unfortunately, my older son doesn\u2019t miss a chance to point out her slightest shortcoming in facing them.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you want to get shed of him for a few days, to lighten things up, I\u2019m willin\u2019,\u201d Clyde offered.<\/p>\n

Ben glanced sideways at his friend.\u00a0 \u201cI may have to take you up on that sometime, but I guess we\u2019ll keep trying for now.\u00a0 Adam\u2019s at least being civil now, when I\u2019m around to keep him in line, that is.\u201d\u00a0 He stood quickly.\u00a0 \u201cPull him in, Hoss!\u201d he hollered.\u00a0 \u201cPull, boy, pull!\u201d\u00a0 He started to make his way down through the rocks to Hoss, but before he could reach the boy, Hoss toppled into the water.<\/p>\n

Screaming, Hoss frantically flapped his arms.\u00a0 \u201cPa!\u201d he sputtered.<\/p>\n

Ben skittered down the rocks as fast as he could, Clyde right behind him.\u00a0 \u201cJust stand up, Hoss,\u201d he yelled.\u00a0 The water wasn\u2019t deep here, but to hear Hoss, anyone would have thought he was drowning.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m coming, son,\u201d Ben called, pulling off his boots and slipping into the water.\u00a0 His bare toes moved tenderly over the pebbly bottom of the lake until he reached Hoss and pulled him into his arms.\u00a0 \u201cHoss, you\u2019ve got to get over this fear of the water, son,\u201d Ben said, his voice soothing.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s no reason for it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t swim, Pa,\u201d Hoss whimpered.\u00a0 \u201cI just can\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou need to learn, Hoss,\u201d Ben persisted.<\/p>\n

Hoss shook his head vehemently.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll go straight down, Pa,\u201d he whined.\u00a0 \u201cI weigh too much.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss, that is ridiculous,\u201d Ben said, then stopped.\u00a0 What was really ridiculous was having this conversation with rock-bruised, freezing feet.\u00a0 He pulled Hoss over to the lake\u2019s edge and, giving him a boost, handed him up to Clyde.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re supposed to catch the fishies, Hoss,\u201d Clyde cackled, \u201cnot go in to tickle \u2018em.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2014I d\u2014didn\u2019t,\u201d a shivering Hoss protested.<\/p>\n

Ben climbed up on the rocks and started to pull off his trousers.\u00a0 \u201cGet those clothes off and lay them on the rocks to dry, Hoss,\u201d he ordered.\u00a0 \u201cThen I think Uncle Clyde and I had better help you with the fishing or we\u2019ll never have enough for supper.\u201d<\/p>\n

About half a mile to the south, Marie and Nelly had just stripped the last strawberry from its jagged-leafed vine.\u00a0 \u201cNot much more than enough to eat for dessert,\u201d Nelly sighed.\u00a0 \u201cI usually get enough to put up a few pints of jam, but we\u2019re later gettin\u2019 here this year.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut fresh strawberries are a treat just like this,\u201d Marie laughed, popping another between her lips, \u201cand I do not have to cook them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCookin\u2019 goin\u2019 any better?\u201d Nelly asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cA little,\u201d Marie said.\u00a0 \u201cBen helps quite a bit, which troubles me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLands, if you can get a man to help out in the kitchen, let him!\u201d Nelly laughed.<\/p>\n

Marie shook her head sadly.\u00a0 \u201cIt does not lift me in Adam\u2019s eyes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nelly laid a gentle hand on Marie\u2019s arm.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t fret, honey lamb,\u201d she soothed.\u00a0 \u201cI always said there was nothin\u2019 on earth as stubborn as a mule or a Cartwright, and Adam\u2019s just goin\u2019 out of his way to prove it.\u00a0 He\u2019ll get past it, though.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope so,\u201d Marie sighed.<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, he will,\u201d Nelly said brightly.\u00a0 \u201cAdam\u2019s a good boy at heart.\u00a0 I know that\u2019s hard for you to believe right now, but\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I do believe it,\u201d Marie declared.\u00a0 \u201cBen told me such wonderful things about his sons while we traveled here.\u00a0 Hoss is everything he said, and I am sure Adam is a fine boy, too.\u00a0 I only hate that my coming here has put such distance between him and Ben.\u00a0 I think they were very close before.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nelly nodded.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019ll work out,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll be keepin\u2019 you folks in my prayers.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPlease do,\u201d Marie urged.\u00a0 \u201cA miracle may be precisely what we need.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a sense the miracle for which Marie prayed had already begun to germinate.\u00a0 Though Adam\u2019s attitude toward her did not change, the trip to Lake Tahoe seemed to remind him that, however dark his altered circumstances appeared, there were still simple joys to be pursued.\u00a0 And the fact that Clarence Williams was scheduled to arrive only days after Hoss\u2019s birthday expedition gave Adam something else to look forward to and a further motivation to guard his tongue and his behavior.\u00a0 Ben and Marie both began to breathe a little easier as they saw the boy\u2019s brooding introspection turn outward to more constructive thoughts.<\/p>\n

As promised, the architect appeared at the Cartwright cabin early on the morning of Friday, August 1st.\u00a0 Ben warmly welcomed him inside.\u00a0 \u201cYou can see why we\u2019re anxious for a larger place,\u201d he laughed as Williams sat at the dining table with all the Cartwrights gathered around him.<\/p>\n

Williams smiled.\u00a0 \u201cYes, but this cabin is solidly built, not at all like some of the ramshackle affairs I observed on my journey here.\u00a0 You are to be commended for that, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben put an arm around each of his sons.\u00a0 \u201cYou need walls that can take a lot of wear and tear when you have rough fellows like this around,\u201d he chuckled.<\/p>\n

\u201cAw, Pa,\u201d Hoss took exception.\u00a0 \u201cWe ain\u2019t so rough.\u201d\u00a0 Laughing, Ben rumpled his hair.<\/p>\n

Mr. Williams opened his portfolio.\u00a0 \u201cI thought you\u2019d like to see and approve my final drawings,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve incorporated the changes we discussed on your last visit to San Francisco.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s visage darkened abruptly.\u00a0 \u201cWhat changes?\u201d he demanded.\u00a0 \u201cWho wanted changes?\u00a0 Her?\u201d\u00a0 He gave Marie a venomous glare.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnly small changes, Adam,\u201d Marie assured him quickly.\u00a0 \u201cI love your plans for the house.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat kind of changes?\u201d Adam pressed, eyes flashing.<\/p>\n

\u201cTruly, very small ones,\u201d Williams assured him, disturbed by the commotion he\u2019d innocently caused.\u00a0 He spread open the diagram of the proposed house\u2019s first floor.\u00a0 \u201cYou see, we\u2019ve added a pump in the kitchen with a sink for washing dishes, etc.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing too drastic about that, is there, Adam?\u201d his father asked.<\/p>\n

Adam shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cI guess a pump\u2019s all right,\u201d he admitted.\u00a0 \u201cIt would be easier than fetching water every day.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, it would,\u201d Ben said enthusiastically, glad to see his older son grow reasonable.<\/p>\n

Williams pulled out the next sheet, showing the house\u2019s second floor.\u00a0 \u201cThis is the only other change, Adam,\u201d he explained, pointing to the two rooms at one end.<\/p>\n

Ben pointed to the door connecting the two rooms.\u00a0 \u201cYou see, Adam, it only affects my sleeping quarters\u2014\u2014and Marie\u2019s, of course.\u00a0 We\u2019ve just opened this up so we can reach the nursery easily.\u00a0 That\u2019s what this small room will be, we hope.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA\u2014a nursery?\u201d Adam stammered.\u00a0 Until that moment he\u2019d not given a thought to the possibility of his father\u2019s having more babies.\u00a0 Her<\/em> babies!<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s a nursery, Pa?\u201d Hoss asked, face crinkled in thought.<\/p>\n

\u201cA room for babies, Hoss,\u201d his father explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh!\u00a0 That\u2019s where my new baby brother\u2019s gonna sleep,\u201d Hoss cried happily.\u00a0 Adam cut him a sharp glance.\u00a0 Did Hoss know something he didn\u2019t?<\/p>\n

But Ben was laughing.\u00a0 \u201cWho says it\u2019ll be a brother, if God does bless us with a child?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss grinned.\u00a0 \u201cI do, and I want the room next to his.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll think about it,\u201d Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cWe thought you\u2019d like this one, across the hall from Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s lips puckered.\u00a0 The way Adam had been lately, he wasn\u2019t sure he wanted to sleep close to him.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t say anthing, though.\u00a0 Even if he\u2019d been willing to set his older brother off again, he wasn\u2019t the kind of boy who could deliberately hurt anyone.<\/p>\n

Mr. Williams gave a nervous laugh.\u00a0 \u201cWell\u2014uh\u2014does everything meet with your approval, then?\u201d\u00a0 He pursed his lips, deliberately avoiding looking at Adam.<\/p>\n

\u201cLooks fine to me,\u201d Ben assured him, then turned hopefully to his older son.\u00a0 \u201cHow about you, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam swallowed hard.\u00a0 The idea of new babies coming along to take away more of his father\u2019s love was a new one, one he didn\u2019t particularly relish, but he was old enough to understand that babies were the natural result of man and woman coming together.\u00a0 It made sense to plan a place to put them.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, I guess so,\u201d he said quietly.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood,\u201d Ben said, relieved.\u00a0 He turned back to the architect.\u00a0 \u201cNow, I suppose you\u2019d like to view the proposed site.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIndeed, yes,\u201d Williams said enthusiastically.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, let us all go,\u201d Marie said.\u00a0 \u201cWe can pack a lunch and make another picnic of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHooray!\u201d Hoss yelled.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll drive Mama in the wagon, okay, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben patted the boy\u2019s sturdy shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cSure, good idea.\u00a0 The rest of us will ride ahead to give Mr. Williams all the time he needs to get the lay of the land.\u00a0 Adam, you help Hoss hitch the wagon, then come on.\u00a0 You should catch up quickly.\u201d\u00a0 Adam nodded.<\/p>\n

Hoss raced out the door and ran to the barn as fast as his stubby legs would carry him.\u00a0 Adam followed at a slower pace.\u00a0 No need to hurry.\u00a0 The lunch wasn\u2019t packed yet, and, considering how handy that woman was around a kitchen, the team would no doubt stand waiting long enough without rushing to harness them.<\/p>\n

Once the team was ready, Hoss hustled back to the cabin to see if he could help his new mother.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think I will just make some sandwiches from that roast beef we had last night,\u201d Marie said.\u00a0 \u201cDoes that sound good to you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, but you better make a bunch, if that\u2019s all we\u2019re havin\u2019,\u201d Hoss urged.<\/p>\n

Marie giggled.\u00a0 \u201cNo, that is not all.\u00a0 What else can you suggest, Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss thought for a moment.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s still some dried apples.\u00a0 We could stew \u2018em.\u00a0 And we could take more bread and plum jam, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, all that sounds good,\u201d Marie agreed, \u201cand can you find a crock to carry fresh milk in?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, right away,\u201d Hoss said.<\/p>\n

Working together, they soon had the picnic prepared and loaded into the buckboard.\u00a0 The others had been at the house site about an hour when Hoss reined the horses to a halt.<\/p>\n

Ben came to lift Marie from the wagon.\u00a0 \u201cLooks like you did a fine job of handling the team, Hoss,\u201d he said, smiling with pride.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, he did, Ben,\u201d Marie praised.\u00a0 \u201cAs you told me long ago, he has a gentle touch with animals, and he has given us such a smooth ride.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood, good,\u201d Ben said, his smile broadening.\u00a0 He turned and called, \u201cAdam, come help your brother unload the wagon.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Adam shuffled down the hill, Clarence Williams also came to greet the rest of the party.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ve chosen a lovely site for your new home, Mrs. Cartwright,\u201d he enthused.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe didn\u2019t choose it,\u201d Adam snapped from the side of the buckboard.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, he is quite right,\u201d Marie said quickly.\u00a0 \u201cThe choice was Adam\u2019s and his father\u2019s, but I am so happy with it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMe, too,\u201d Hoss chimed in, taking the basket of sandwiches from the wagon.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt belongs to all of us,\u201d Ben said, \u201cand we\u2019re all happy with the site.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m so glad you\u2019ve already had it cleared,\u201d Williams said.\u00a0 \u201cI had assumed we still had that work ahead of us, but now we can start digging the foundation tomorrow morning.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie clapped her hands.\u00a0 \u201cAnd finish that much sooner!\u00a0 Oh, that is wonderful.\u201d\u00a0 She spread Ben\u2019s worn blue-checked tablecloth on the pine needle-strewn ground and placed the food and plates the boys brought to her.\u00a0 Ben sat next to her, arm around her waist, as they ate.\u00a0 Above them mountain bluebirds twittered in the evergreens and violet-green swallows flitted from branch to branch.<\/p>\n

Marie leaned her head against Ben\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cIt is so peaceful here,\u201d she murmured.<\/p>\n

Ben squeezed her waist.\u00a0 \u201cThink you\u2019ll be happy so far from your nearest neighbor?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot so far,\u201d Marie laughed, pointing to a bluebird nesting above them.\u00a0 \u201cI think we have excellent neighbors, Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t expect this country to become populous, then?\u201d Williams queried.<\/p>\n

Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cWhat would draw anyone here?\u00a0 It\u2019s good grazing land, of course, and cheaper than you\u2019d find in California, but it\u2019s not an easy place to live, as you\u2019ll discover if the snows come before you finish your work.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI will finish it as quickly as possible, then,\u201d Williams smiled.\u00a0 \u201cI am prepared to winter here, if I must, but I would prefer to be back in California.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, sunny days and gentle nights,\u201d Ben chuckled.<\/p>\n

Williams laughed lightly in response.\u00a0 \u201cNot at that season,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cDrizzly days and chilly nights would be a more accurate description of San Francisco in winter.\u00a0 Still, I find it preferable to six feet of snow.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie shivered.\u00a0 \u201cOh, does it get that deep, Ben?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt can,\u201d he admitted, \u201cbut those are the days we cuddle close to the fire, my love.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBen,\u201d Marie chided softly.\u00a0 \u201cYou speak too plainly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Way too plainly, Adam thought as he snatched another sandwich from the basket and bit savagely into it.\u00a0 He was the one Pa used to snuggle up with on winter nights.\u00a0 They\u2019d sit together and read from Shakespeare, oblivious to the howling wind and blowing snow outdoors.\u00a0 Hoss managed to wedge his way in from time to time, of course, but Adam had a feeling both boys would be left out in the cold this winter.\u00a0 No Shakespeare, no tales of Pa\u2019s days at sea.\u00a0 Pa\u2019d probably be too busy making babies to spend any time with his first two sons.\u00a0 Maybe Hoss wouldn\u2019t be so eager to have a mother or a baby brother once he realized he no longer had a father.<\/p>\n

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

One evening, only days after Clarence Williams started the foundation, two wagons pulled into the Cartwrights\u2019 yard.\u00a0 Marie, Hoss at her side, went out to greet the new arrivals and recognized Enos Montgomery at once.\u00a0 \u201cOh, you have brought the stove!\u201d she cried joyfully.\u00a0 \u201cPlease tell me you have.\u201d<\/p>\n

Enos doffed his slouch hat.\u00a0 \u201cYes, ma\u2019am,\u201d he replied respectfully, \u201cand a load of other goods, too.\u00a0 That\u2019s why I\u2019m later gettin\u2019 back than I figured.\u00a0 Had to arrange transport for your shipment from New Orleans.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, the furniture, too?\u201d Marie asked.\u00a0 \u201cBut where shall I put it?\u00a0 There is no room here and the new house is little more than started.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t rightly know, ma\u2019am,\u201d Enos said, with a trace of a grin.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe I ought to find Mr. Cartwright so he could help you decide.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWould you?\u201d Marie pleaded.\u00a0 \u201cHe is at the house site with Mr. Williams and Adam.\u00a0 Do you know where that is?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, ma\u2019am,\u201d Enos answered.\u00a0 \u201cMr. Cartwright didn\u2019t have time to show me before he left.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI could show him, Mama,\u201d Hoss offered.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you sure, mon cher<\/em>?\u201d she asked.\u00a0 \u201cI do not think I could find my way again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss giggled.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s \u2018cause you\u2019re a city lady.\u00a0 I\u2019m woods born, Mama.\u00a0 I can find it.\u201d\u00a0 He ran to the barn to saddle his horse.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019ll come to no harm, ma\u2019am,\u201d Enos promised.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll see to that, and I got some idea what direction to head, anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cVery well,\u201d Marie said.\u00a0 \u201cPlease ask Mr. Cartwright to return as soon as he can.\u201d<\/p>\n

Enos replaced his hat and touched its brim in farewell as he went to saddle a mount of his own.<\/p>\n

Marie went about her work, torn between the joy of finally being able to prepare a proper meal and the panic of not knowing where to store the furniture she and Ben had purchased for the new home.\u00a0 When Ben arrived, he merely laughed at her frantic face.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy, I thought we\u2019d put the stove in the cabin\u2019s front corner,\u201d he teased.<\/p>\n

Marie pounded his chest with diminutive fists.\u00a0 \u201cOoh, you know that is not what I meant!\u00a0 The other things, Ben.\u00a0 They cannot all go in the barn unless the animals leave.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I suppose they could \u2018til the weather turns cold,\u201d Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll put as much in there as we can fit, then throw a cover over the rest.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWill it keep safe?\u201d Marie moaned.<\/p>\n

\u201cMost likely,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cWe don\u2019t get much rain this time of year, and what comes shouldn\u2019t penetrate both cover and crate.\u00a0 Just tell me what\u2019s most precious to you, and we\u2019ll try to fit those things in the barn.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut, of course, the armoires are the most precious,\u201d Marie declared.<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, yes,\u201d Ben twitted.\u00a0 \u201cNo proper Creole home would be complete without armoires.\u201d\u00a0 He was still amused by Marie\u2019s insistence that they purchase an armoire for each bedroom, even if they had to wait to buy beds.<\/p>\n

\u201cTease all you like,\u201d Marie sputtered, \u201cbut you will be glad you have them once we are settled.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, my love,\u201d Ben said in his most conciliatory tone.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Ben, do you think you could have the stove in place in time for supper?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Marie!\u201d Ben protested.\u00a0 \u201cWe have to tear out that counter to make room for it and cut a hole in the roof for the stovepipe, then bring it in and set it up and\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot tonight, I take it,\u201d Marie smiled.<\/p>\n

\u201cTomorrow, I promise.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss had been crawling in and around the crates housing the furniture.\u00a0 Finally, he emerged from his explorations to ask, \u201cWhat\u2019s in these things?\u00a0 We gonna open \u2018em now?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAbsolutely not!\u201d Ben shouted.\u00a0 \u201cGet down from there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie took Hoss\u2019s hand as he jumped from the wagon.\u00a0 \u201cWe will open them when we move to our new home, Hoss.\u00a0 It will be like opening presents, oui<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, like Christmas,\u201d Hoss cried.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhich should be close to the time we actually open them,\u201d Ben laughed, \u201cso Santa won\u2019t have to bring us anything else, will he, Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s face fell.\u00a0 \u201cJust furniture?\u201d he whimpered.\u00a0 \u201cNo toys?\u00a0 No candy?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben guffawed.\u00a0 \u201cYou should see your face!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBen, you must not tease about Christmas,\u201d Marie scolded, then bent to give Hoss a hug.\u00a0 \u201cBut, of course, there will be toys and candy,\u201d she promised.\u00a0 \u201cFor such a good boy, Santa will bring many gifts, I am sure.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd what should Santa bring Adam?\u201d Ben twitted.\u00a0 \u201cA bundle of switches?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah!\u201d Hoss declared, while Marie wagged a finger beneath her husband\u2019s nose.\u00a0 She did not think Adam\u2019s naughtiness a fit subject for jokes and prayed earnestly it would end long before Christmas.<\/p>\n

With the arrival of the new stove, one of Adam\u2019s chief complaints departed.\u00a0 Meals improved remarkably, and Hoss finally got his promised gingercakes.\u00a0 Noting his pleasure in sweets, Marie kept a well-stocked basket of cookies, and even Adam seemed to appreciate dipping into it to boost his energy when it started to flag.<\/p>\n

The days fell into a pleasant routine.\u00a0 Ben and Adam were at the construction site most of the day, for while hired men did most of the work, Ben and his son worked alongside them, squaring timbers and hefting them into place until the shadows grew long.<\/p>\n

With Hoss\u2019s help, Marie cleared and planted a small garden with seeds from Nelly Thomas\u2019s surplus.\u00a0 Planting this late, of course, they couldn\u2019t harvest vegetables like corn and pumpkin that required a longer growing season, but before many weeks passed, fresh green beans and green onions graced the Cartwright table.\u00a0 Other vegetables were available at the Thomas trading post, so Marie felt proud of the healthful meals she placed before her family.<\/p>\n

Evenings could still be awkward.\u00a0 With them all crowded in one room, Adam\u2019s continuing animosity was hard to ignore.\u00a0 He kept a civil tongue in his mouth, at his father\u2019s command, but his compliance was at best cold and begrudging.\u00a0 Assuming his father wouldn\u2019t want to read with him, he began to study the texts brought back from the east.<\/p>\n

One evening after washing the supper dishes, Marie approached Adam, who was reading at the table by lantern light.\u00a0 \u201cI have had a thought, Adam,\u201d she suggested tentatively.\u00a0 When he didn\u2019t respond, she took a deep breath and continued.\u00a0 \u201cI know you love to learn, but it must be hard for you to study without a teacher.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI get by,\u201d Adam mumbled, turning a page.<\/p>\n

\u201cMais oui<\/em>,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cI am sure you do, but I was thinking that perhaps you would like to learn the French language.\u00a0 I would be glad to teach you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t have any use for French,\u201d Adam muttered.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut it is a beautiful language,\u201d Marie argued, \u201cone used in diplomacy and much fine literature.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot here,\u201d Adam said, turning his back to her.<\/p>\n

Just then Adam felt a firm hand on his shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cAren\u2019t you cutting off your nose to spite your face, son?\u201d his father asked gently.<\/p>\n

Adam squirmed.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s that mean?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMarie has made you a gracious offer, one you\u2019d accept if anyone else made it,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sure French is one of the languages taught at the academy in Sacramento.\u00a0 You could get a head start on it, if your stubborn pride would let you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam swallowed hard.\u00a0 \u201cPride\u2019s got nothing to do with it,\u201d he alleged.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve already started studying Greek, and I don\u2019t want to tackle two new languages at the same time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben frowned.\u00a0 \u201cI should think the one that offers a native speaker as teacher would be the better choice.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam gave his father a hard look.\u00a0 \u201cDo I have to?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben rubbed the boy\u2019s neck tenderly.\u00a0 \u201cNo, I won\u2019t force learning on you; I just think you\u2019re being foolish.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam slammed his Greek text.\u00a0 \u201cLook, maybe you got a point about needing a teacher,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cNot just for languages, but all these subjects.\u00a0 I\u2014I think maybe I\u2019d like to enroll in the academy this year after all.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie paled.\u00a0 She knew without being told that the real reason Adam suddenly wanted to leave home was not educational.\u00a0 He wanted to get away from her.<\/p>\n

Ben sat in a chair next to his son.\u00a0 \u201cI thought you wanted to be here for the construction of the house.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam swirled his index finger on his pants\u2019 leg.\u00a0 \u201cI did, but I\u2019ll see a lot before I leave.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam, I\u2019m not even sure what you\u2019re asking is possible,\u201d Ben sighed.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve been told the waiting list for the academy is quite long, and you\u2019d surely be at the end of it, enrolling this late.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut we could try, couldn\u2019t we?\u201d Adam pressed.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019d let me go if they have room.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cI understand what this is really about, boy, and I\u2019ve never felt problems were best solved by running away from them.\u00a0 Maybe you should stay right here and work on your attitude.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fire flashed in Adam\u2019s eyes, and he cut a hard look at Marie.\u00a0 \u201cI want to go to school,\u201d he sputtered.\u00a0 \u201cYou were willing before\u2014before\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t say it,\u201d Ben cautioned.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve had quite enough of your impudence, Adam.\u00a0 I will consider your request, and I\u2019ll let you know my decision.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBefore, you said it was my decision, and you trusted me to make it,\u201d Adam murmured sadly.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not the one who\u2019s changed,\u201d Ben charged.<\/p>\n

Adam flounced out of the chair, grabbed his books and stalked to his room.<\/p>\n

Hoss pulled on Marie\u2019s skirt.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2014you want to teach me, Mama?\u201d he asked.\u00a0 \u201cI ain\u2019t very smart, but I\u2019d try.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie fell to her knees and wrapped him in her arms.\u00a0 \u201cOh, my sweet boy,\u201d she cried.\u00a0 \u201cYou are very kind, but you will soon have lessons enough, mon cher<\/em>.\u00a0 I will help you with them, but you do not have to learn French to make me happy.\u00a0 I only thought it might give Adam and me a chance to share something and grow closer.\u00a0 How foolish I was!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben raised her to her feet.\u00a0 \u201cNo, my love, you were not the one behaving foolishly.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWill you allow him to go to school, Ben?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben raked his hands through his dark hair that was just beginning to show a few streaks of gray.\u00a0 \u201cOh, I don\u2019t know.\u00a0 I can\u2019t take time for two trips to Sacramento this month, so he\u2019ll have to wait until nearly time for school to start before we can go, and that increases the chance that all places will be taken.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut you are not unwilling?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben sat in the rocker and pulled her onto his knee.\u00a0 \u201cDo you think his attitude lately merits reward?\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie gently stroked his cheek.\u00a0 \u201cNo, but perhaps a little happiness would sweeten his attitude.\u00a0 Perhaps a little time apart will cool the fire that burns within him.\u00a0 Perhaps if he sees we want only his best\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s a lot of \u2018perhaps,\u2019\u201d Ben smiled.\u00a0 \u201cAs I said I\u2019ll think about it, and I\u2019ll think about what you\u2019ve said, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat is all I ask,\u201d Marie said with a kiss.\u00a0 \u201cHe is your son.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd yours,\u201d Ben reminded her, \u201chowever long it takes him to admit it.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

Marie peered out the second-story window of the Orleans Hotel in Sacramento.\u00a0 No sign yet of Ben and Adam.\u00a0 Though the hotel was distinctively Creole in its style and furnishings, it was not to honor Marie that the Cartwrights had chosen it.\u00a0 The lodgings seemed ideal because the second and third floors were devoted to parlors and chambers designed for a family, and everyone was along for this trip.<\/p>\n

\u201cMama, I can\u2019t tie this fool thing,\u201d Hoss declared with frustration as he came from the room he would share with Adam.<\/p>\n

Marie turned and walked to him with a smile.\u00a0 \u201cLet me, then,\u201d she said, pulling the ends of the brown string tie and looping them artfully. \u00a0\u201cThere.\u00a0 You look most handsome.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel plumb awful,\u201d Hoss groaned.\u00a0 He hated dressing up, but both his mother and father had insisted he look his best for the planned evening at the theater.\u00a0 It would be Hoss\u2019s first, so he\u2019d put up with fancy dress if that\u2019s what it took to see the show.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t, however, feel obligated to like it.<\/p>\n

Marie smoothed his sandy hair with a gentle hand.\u00a0 \u201cYou will feel better after a good dinner, oui<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOui<\/em>,\u201d Hoss grinned.\u00a0 \u201cI wish they\u2019d get back so we could go.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie nodded and returned to her post at the street-front window.\u00a0 She did not, however, see her husband and Adam return, for they had entered the hotel while she was helping Hoss with his tie.\u00a0 The door to the parlor opened.\u00a0 \u201cOh, was the school able to take you, Adam?\u201d Marie asked eagerly, for she knew how the boy had looked forward to enrolling today.<\/p>\n

Adam took one look at her and fled for his room.\u00a0 Ben glanced at Marie and shook his head.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am so sorry,\u201d Marie said.\u00a0 \u201cAdam is very upset, isn\u2019t he?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Ben replied, heading for the boys\u2019 room.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe still goin\u2019 to dinner and the play, Pa?\u201d Hoss asked anxiously.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, of course, son,\u201d Ben said, giving the boy\u2019s shoulder a consoling pat as he passed.\u00a0 \u201cGive me a few minutes alone with your brother, all right?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right,\u201d Hoss agreed and went to sit beside Marie on the sofa.<\/p>\n

Ben closed the door quietly and walked across to the bed, where Adam lay sprawled, face down.\u00a0 He placed a firm hand on the boy\u2019s heaving back.<\/p>\n

\u201cLeave me alone, Pa,\u201d Adam sobbed.<\/p>\n

Instead, Ben sat down and pulled his son into his arms.\u00a0 \u201cLet it out, little boy,\u201d he urged softly.\u00a0 \u201cLet it all out and don\u2019t take any of it back in.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam tried to pull away, but when Ben held him tightly, he quit resisting and let those comforting arms encircle him as they had so many times before.\u00a0 It felt good, being wrapped in his father\u2019s embrace, like something remembered from a long-distant past and yearned for ever since.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know you\u2019re disappointed,\u201d Ben said as Adam grew still, \u201cbut I warned you this could happen.\u00a0 At least, your name\u2019s on the list for next year, and the director assured you you\u2019d find a place then.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI really wanted to go to school this year,\u201d Adam said.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you?\u201d Ben asked, pulling Adam up to face him.\u00a0 \u201cYou said otherwise in the spring.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t understand,\u201d Adam whimpered.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think I do,\u201d Ben replied.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s not learning you\u2019re after now; you just want to get away from home.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2014it\u2019s not my home, not anymore,\u201d Adam stammered.<\/p>\n

Ben felt angry, but he kept his voice gentle.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s as much your home as ever.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Pa,\u201d Adam insisted.\u00a0 \u201cEverything\u2019s changed.\u00a0 You don\u2019t have time for me anymore.\u00a0 We never read together or talk together.\u201d\u00a0 All the charges Adam had rehearsed nightly in the solitude of his room came rolling out.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho made that choice?\u201d Ben demanded.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m not the one who buries his head in textbooks and stalks off to his room, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam flushed.\u00a0 \u201cYou act like it\u2019s all my fault.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben pulled the dark head against his chest.\u00a0 \u201cNo, not all.\u00a0 I\u2019ve made mistakes, too.\u00a0 I admit I have trouble understanding you sometimes, but I do want to be with you, son.\u00a0 I miss reading with you, playing chess, just talking.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re too busy talking to her,\u201d Adam snapped.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam, there\u2019s room for you, too,\u201d Ben said, \u201cbut you can\u2019t bite people\u2019s heads off every time they speak to you and expect them to carry on much of a conversation.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEverybody hates me,\u201d Adam muttered.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverybody loves you,\u201d Ben said, holding him close.\u00a0 \u201cCan\u2019t you see that you\u2019re the one holding everyone else at arms\u2019 length?\u00a0 I\u2019m sorry you\u2019re unhappy, son, but you\u2019re unhappy because you choose to be.\u00a0 You have only to look at your brother to see the results of a different choice.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s little,\u201d Adam argued, as if that explained everything.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s exactly the age you were when I married his mother,\u201d Ben reminded Adam.\u00a0 \u201cYou didn\u2019t have problems accepting her because, like Hoss now, you wanted a mother then.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t want one now,\u201d Adam said, lips trembling.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m almost grown.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen don\u2019t think of Marie as a mother,\u201d Ben suggested.\u00a0 \u201cTry to think of her as a friend.\u00a0 She isn\u2019t so very much older than you, Adam, and you don\u2019t have a monopoly on unhappiness.\u00a0 You\u2019re making her very unhappy, but to my knowledge she hasn\u2019t said or done anything unkind to you.\u00a0 Has she?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam shook his head.\u00a0 As miserable as Marie\u2019s coming had made him, he couldn\u2019t with any honesty say she\u2019d mistreated him.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn that case, can\u2019t you, at least, be kind and courteous in return?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam looked into his father\u2019s imploring eyes.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2014I could do that, I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben gave him a warm smile of approval.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s my fine young man; that\u2019s the young man I\u2019ve always been so proud of.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam flushed with pleasure at the designation of young man.\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t heard it for weeks.<\/p>\n

Ben stood.\u00a0 \u201cBetter get freshened up quickly, son.\u00a0 We need to dine early if we\u2019re to reach the theater on time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam wiped his damp cheeks.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll be ready in just a few minutes, Pa.\u201d\u00a0 True to his word, he emerged within five.<\/p>\n

As they headed for the door, Marie took Adam\u2019s hand for a moment.\u00a0 \u201cI am so sorry for your disappointment, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam didn\u2019t say anything; he just looked up into her face and nodded, but he didn\u2019t jerk his hand away as Marie had feared he would.\u00a0 She smiled, seeing it as a token of hope.<\/p>\n

They ate at a restaurant near the Forrest Theater, which was located at 2nd and J streets.\u00a0 Hoss pronounced the meal wonderful, and though he didn\u2019t care for the main presentation of King Lear<\/em>, he thoroughly enjoyed John Brougham\u2019s afterpiece, Po-ca-hon-tas; or, Ye Gentle Savage<\/em>.\u00a0 \u201cCan we see it again tomorrow night?\u201d he pleaded.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re stayin\u2019 over, ain\u2019t we?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAren\u2019t we,\u201d Ben corrected.\u00a0 \u201cYes, but they\u2019re not showing the same plays again tomorrow, son.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat will be playing, Ben?\u201d Marie asked. \u00a0\u201cIf it is appropriate for the boys, I think we should attend again.\u00a0 We have so few opportunities.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s true,\u201d Ben laughed.\u00a0 Consulting the playbill posted outside the theater, he frowned at the announced performance of Camille; or, The Life of a Coquette<\/em>.\u00a0 \u201cNo, I don\u2019t think we\u2019d better take our boys to that<\/em>!\u201d\u00a0 Seeing two crestfallen faces, Ben put an arm around each of his sons.\u00a0 \u201cHere now, don\u2019t give up hope yet; we\u2019ll see what\u2019s playing at the Sacramento.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMore Shakespeare, I hope,\u201d Adam announced.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I hope so, too,\u201d Marie said.\u00a0 Like Hoss, she would have preferred something written in more modern English, but she so enjoyed seeing Adam happy for a change that she willingly set aside her wishes in favor of his.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, back to the hotel,\u201d Ben ordered.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s late, and we have a big day of shopping ahead tomorrow.\u00a0 If we don\u2019t get some sleep, we may all be too tired for another evening at the theater.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, no we won\u2019t!\u201d Hoss declared, and his words were echoed by similar ones from Ben\u2019s other two listeners.\u00a0 Hearing the cacophonous counterpoint of overlapping protests, everyone laughed.<\/p>\n

The following morning the Cartwrights made a concerted attack on the shops of Sacramento.\u00a0 Now that Marie had a better idea of the size and style of her new home, she found it easier to select its furnishings.\u00a0 Some had already arrived from New Orleans, of course, and more had been ordered in San Francisco, but there were numerous small items still to be chosen.<\/p>\n

Even Adam seemed to enjoy the shopping expedition, for Marie let him choose the furnishings for his own room.\u00a0 He selected a relatively plain washstand with a mirror.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll be shaving soon,\u201d he announced to justify his choice.<\/p>\n

\u201cMais oui<\/em>,\u201d Marie said and shared a secret smile with Ben.\u00a0 Neither of them thought Adam\u2019s beard likely to appear anytime soon, but decided not to insult his budding manhood with mere facts.\u00a0 Dreams made better companions, after all.<\/p>\n

Adam hooted when he saw the rose-adorned, swirl-handled pitcher and bowl his younger brother picked.\u00a0 His own solid white ones had been Spartan by comparison.\u00a0 \u201cWhat you want something that girlish for?\u201d Adam demanded.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s purty,\u201d Hoss said, \u201cand I like flowers.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI like it, too,\u201d Ben inserted.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe we should have one just like it, eh, Marie?\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie pointed to a gold-banded one even more bedecked with flowers than Hoss\u2019s choice.\u00a0 \u201cI would prefer that one, if you do not object.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow could I?\u201d Ben smiled.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s beautiful.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood, we will take it, then,\u201d Marie decided.\u00a0 She cast her eyes around the store.\u00a0 \u201cI think that is all we need here, Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere to next, my lady?\u201d he inquired with a formal bow that made Hoss giggle and Adam blush.\u00a0 Pa could act plumb foolish when it came to that woman.<\/p>\n

Seeing Adam\u2019s embarrassment, Marie whispered, \u201cBehave, Ben.\u201d\u00a0 Louder, she announced, \u201cWe still need fabric for curtains and drapes and linens.\u00a0 Where would be a good place to find such things, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHardy Brothers and Hall\u2019s,\u201d Adam reported, proud to offer his opinion.\u00a0 He had never, of course, purchased any of the items Marie mentioned, but he knew the store for its fair prices on other things.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, that\u2019s a good place,\u201d Ben agreed, \u201cbut are you sure you want to go there now?\u00a0 Fabric\u2019s your department, my dear, and we did plan to split up this afternoon.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know,\u201d Marie said, \u201cbut I would like the boys to choose what they like for their drapes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t care,\u201d Hoss said.\u00a0 \u201cCurtains is curtains, but I would like to go to Hardy\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, and I know why!\u201d Ben guffawed.\u00a0 \u201cAll those enticing jars of candy on his counter.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss gave his father a lop-sided grin.\u00a0 No sense denying the truth.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll get your wish, either way,\u201d Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re going with Mama this afternoon, while I take Adam with me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam looked puzzled.\u00a0 This was the first he\u2019d heard of any plans to separate, and he saw no reason for it.\u00a0 He was glad, however, at the way the split had been determined.\u00a0 An afternoon alone with Pa suited him just fine.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2014I would like to pick what goes in my room,\u201d he suggested hesitantly.\u00a0 No fancy flowers for him!<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right, then, Hardy Brothers it is,\u201d Ben decided.\u00a0 \u201cYou lead the way, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie enthused over Adam\u2019s selection of a blue nautical print on a beige background.\u00a0 \u201cOh, that is perfect for you,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cYou would like it, too, Ben?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI like it,\u201d Ben said, \u201cbut let\u2019s have something different for our room.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie fingered bolt after bolt, then finally sighed.\u00a0 \u201cNo, I do not see quite what I am looking for.\u00a0 Are there other places we might look?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, but do that this afternoon,\u201d Ben suggested.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sure I\u2019ll be satisfied with whatever you choose.\u00a0 It\u2019s approaching noon, and you wanted to see some carpet this morning, I believe.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, yes.\u00a0 Let us do that, then have something to eat.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat sounds good,\u201d Hoss affirmed.<\/p>\n

\u201cFood always sounds good to you,\u201d Adam scolded, but he was grinning as he did.\u00a0 \u201cYou haven\u2019t picked your curtain material yet.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDo I have to?\u201d Hoss moaned.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know what to get.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will look more this afternoon,\u201d Marie suggested, \u201cand if you still cannot decide, I will choose for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

The party moved on to the establishment of Charles Crocker and Company, whose sign advertised the sale of dry goods and carpets.\u00a0 Here, both boys had adamant ideas of what they wanted to deck their bare floors.\u00a0 Ignoring the prevalent floral designs, Adam and Hoss made a beeline for rugs imported from native tribes of the southwest.\u00a0 \u201cOh, that\u2019ll look just grand with your red rose pitcher,\u201d Ben groaned when Hoss pointed out a predominately orange rug.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is his room, Ben,\u201d Marie argued.\u00a0 Then she stooped to Hoss\u2019s level.\u00a0 \u201cIt would be better, I think, to choose one whose color does not clash so strongly\u2014\u2014something like that blue and yellow, perhaps.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I like that, too,\u201d Hoss said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI need one with blue in it,\u201d Adam complained, \u201cand I don\u2019t see any others.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cKeep looking,\u201d Ben suggested.\u00a0 Adam did and found one with blue, brown and beige stripes that he declared satisfactory.<\/p>\n

Surprisingly, Marie also selected one of the Indian patterns.\u00a0 \u201cTo put before the fireplace,\u201d she explained.\u00a0 \u201cIt will seem more a part of this western land than flowers, oui<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you really want something authentic to our part of the country, you need a robe of rabbit skins,\u201d Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cNeither the Washos nor the Paiutes weave like this.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s still better than flowers,\u201d Adam proclaimed, surprised to find himself agreeing with Marie.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right, all right,\u201d Ben said, raising his hands in surrender.\u00a0 \u201cI have no objection.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t worry,\u201d Marie smiled with a teasing twinkle in her eyes, \u201cI shall choose something quite flowery for our room.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow \u2018bout that nursery?\u201d Hoss said.<\/p>\n

\u201cSurely that can wait!\u201d Ben chuckled.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want my new brother right away,\u201d Hoss pouted.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, you can\u2019t have one right away, stupid,\u201d Adam scoffed.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam,\u201d Ben cautioned.\u00a0 \u201cNo name-calling.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir.\u00a0 Sorry, Hoss,\u201d Adam said at once, \u201cbut I\u2019m right about the baby.\u00a0 Tell him, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s right, Hoss,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cA baby can\u2019t possibly arrive before next spring, and it may take longer.\u00a0 They don\u2019t always come when they\u2019re ordered.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy not?\u201d Hoss demanded.\u00a0 \u201cFurniture does.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie turned several shades of violet.\u00a0 \u201cYour father will explain later, Hoss, but we do not need to purchase anything for the baby\u2019s room today.\u00a0 We have time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s go eat, then,\u201d Hoss muttered.\u00a0 \u201cNothing else we need here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie still wanted a carpet for the room she and Ben would share, but she knew a tired, hungry boy when she saw one.\u00a0 \u201cLet us eat now,\u201d she agreed, \u201cand return later.\u00a0 I would also like to see the fabric here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFine,\u201d Ben agreed.\u00a0 He, too, was getting hungry.<\/p>\n

An excellent meal at the hotel restaurant refreshed everyone. Afterwards, Marie and Hoss returned to Crocker and Company, while Ben and Adam set off in the opposite direction.\u00a0 \u201cWhy did we split up, Pa?\u201d Adam asked almost as soon as they were alone.<\/p>\n

\u201cChristmas shopping, Adam,\u201d Ben smiled.\u00a0 \u201cI thought you could help me decide what to get Hoss\u2014\u2014other than candy, I mean; I already know that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, sure,\u201d Adam said, \u201cbut that means\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d Ben asked when the boy broke off.<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing,\u201d Adam muttered.\u00a0 How could he tell Pa what fear had suddenly crossed his mind?\u00a0 If he and Pa were shopping for Hoss, that meant one of two things concerning Adam\u2019s Christmas:\u00a0 either there\u2019d be no presents at all, since Pa could scarcely buy them right under his nose, or the gifts would be chosen by his father\u2019s new wife, a prospect Adam found almost as disheartening as receiving nothing.\u00a0 But Adam didn\u2019t want to say anything, now that he and his father were getting along better again.\u00a0 He determined to enjoy the afternoon and just be a man about whatever happened come Christmas.<\/p>\n

Hoss was having a fine time with his new mother.\u00a0 With her permission, he roamed through the stores, looking at things that interested him instead of the rugs, fabrics and other household goods that seemed to hold Marie\u2019s attention.\u00a0 Lost in a world of candy and toys, he never even noticed her surreptitiously purchase a few items he would have found far more interesting than sheets and towels.<\/p>\n

As they were walking down J Street, Marie pointed excitedly across the road.\u00a0 \u201cThere!\u00a0 That is exactly what I want,\u201d she cried.\u00a0 \u201cCome, Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s nose crinkled.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s it say, Mama?\u201d he asked, pointing to the sign above the entrance.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeal\u2019s Daguerrean Galley,\u201d Marie read.\u00a0 \u201cI want to have my picture made as a Christmas gift for your father.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh,\u201d Hoss grinned.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019ll like that.\u00a0 He likes pictures.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know,\u201d Marie smiled.\u00a0 She knew Hoss was referring to the daguerreotypes of Ben\u2019s previous wives, and while she wouldn\u2019t have admitted it to Hoss, she was anxious for one of her own to catch her husband\u2019s eye whenever it fell on the mantel.\u00a0 Despite Ben\u2019s reassurances, she sometimes felt hard-pressed to live up to the memory of those two wives, whose images were caught in eternal, flawless youth and beauty, while she was subject to the ravages of time and the inevitable mistakes of daily existence.\u00a0 She wanted Ben to see her the way he saw them.<\/p>\n

Mr. Beal was pleased with the pretty subject for his work.\u00a0 Hoss watched with fascination as the artist placed Marie in an attractive position and readied his equipment.\u00a0 \u201cI wish I could have my picture took,\u201d Hoss said when the exposure was complete.\u00a0 \u201cYou think Pa\u2019d like one of me?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMais oui<\/em>,\u201d Marie said.\u00a0 \u201cIt will make a nice present from you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t have any money,\u201d Hoss sighed.<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, but you have been such a help to me,\u201d Marie smiled, \u201cthat you have earned enough for this.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHonest?\u201d Hoss beamed.\u00a0 \u201cIt could really be from me, then?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt will really be from you,\u201d Marie replied, \u201cand I shall speak to your father about some pocket money for you, too, Hoss.\u00a0 You should be paid for your chores as Adam is.\u00a0 Your father has just not realized that you are growing up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI really am,\u201d Hoss declared.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m going to school real soon.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know,\u201d Marie sighed.\u00a0 \u201cI had hoped to have new clothes made for you before then, but you will be starting almost as soon as we return.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt don\u2019t matter,\u201d Hoss assured her.\u00a0 \u201cFolks don\u2019t dress fancy back home, not like here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, we must finish quickly, so you can \u2018dress fancy\u2019 for tonight,\u201d Marie laughed.\u00a0 The Sacramento Theater was presenting a program Ben considered appropriate for young boys, so they would have one more evening\u2019s entertainment before boarding the train to Folsom, where they\u2019d catch the stage to Placerville.<\/p>\n

Marie planned to ask Ludmilla Zuebner for her recipe for apple strudel, since Adam liked it so much.\u00a0 Then they\u2019d begin the long trek back to Carson Valley.\u00a0 Ben was right in what he\u2019d told her back in New Orleans.\u00a0 Shopping in the West required vastly more time and effort than a walk through the French Market.\u00a0 No wonder people out here did it so rarely.<\/p>\n

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE<\/p>\n

\u00a0The Cartwright ranch bustled with activity following the family\u2019s return from Sacramento.\u00a0 Work continued on the new house, of course, and Adam could be seen hugging Clarence Williams\u2019 elbow all day long.\u00a0 Ben was busy laying in a new crop of hay for the winter months, while Marie occupied her days sewing new clothes for Hoss, who started school only two days after their return.\u00a0 Unlike Adam, he did not attend Eliza Mott\u2019s school at Genoa.\u00a0 A new school had opened in the Washoe Valley community of Franktown, and while it was slightly further now than the Genoa school would have been, it would be the closest available once they moved into the new home.\u00a0 Therefore, it seemed wise to start Hoss at Franktown, where he\u2019d no doubt attend throughout his school years.<\/p>\n

Marie eagerly awaited Hoss\u2019s return each day.\u00a0 Though she would never have complained to Ben, the days did get lonely, especially for a girl used to life in a populous city.\u00a0 The small cabin took little time to clean each morning, and one couldn\u2019t sew all day, so Marie filled the empty hours by baking cookies.\u00a0 When Hoss arrived home, there was always a fresh batch waiting; over cookies and milk mother and son would talk about his day.\u00a0 Any that were left the next morning, either Adam or Ben took to share with their hired workers.<\/p>\n

Hoss had entered school eagerly, but it soon became apparent that he did not share his older brother\u2019s aptitude for learning.\u00a0 What had come so easily to Adam, Hoss had to labor over.\u00a0 After the first week Hoss no longer looked forward to school.\u00a0 He went because he had to, because that was his job, the way building the house was Adam\u2019s job and putting up hay was his father\u2019s.\u00a0 Hoss would have found either task more appealing than squinting with perplexity at the mysterious shapes that were supposed to make words when put together.\u00a0 The only good part of school was coming home to that milk and cookies.<\/p>\n

One day while munching an oatmeal cookie, Hoss asked his mother a question.\u00a0 \u201cMama, what\u2019s a gentile?\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie shook her head as she poured milk into his tin cup.\u00a0 \u201cI do not know, Hoss, but if your teacher used a word you did not understand, you should have asked her its meaning.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt wasn\u2019t Miss Knott,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cSome\u2014some kids called me a gentile.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss\u2019s schoolmates had actually called him a \u201cfat, stupid gentile,\u201d but Hoss chose not to share that with his mother.\u00a0 He knew all too well what the other words meant, and if \u201cgentile\u201d was in their vein, he figured it had to be something bad, too.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will ask your father tonight,\u201d Marie promised.<\/p>\n

Ben laughed when the question was put to him.\u00a0 \u201cOf course, you\u2019re a gentile, Hoss!\u00a0 So am I; so is Adam; so is Marie\u2014\u2014the Thomases, too, for that matter.\u00a0 It just means you\u2019re not a member of the Mormon church.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought everyone knew that,\u201d Adam scoffed, giving his stepmother a superior look.<\/p>\n

Ben arched an eyebrow in his direction.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe everyone around here knows it,\u201d he said firmly, \u201cbut it\u2019s not common knowledge outside Utah.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam bit his lip.\u00a0 Since their return from Sacramento, he\u2019d tried to watch his tongue more closely, but as his feelings hadn\u2019t really changed, some of the old sarcasm had a tendency to slip out.\u00a0 \u201cGuess not,\u201d he admitted quickly, \u201cbut Hoss should have known.\u00a0 He was raised out here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s cheeks puffed out.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m not stupid!\u201d he hollered.<\/p>\n

Adam stared at him, not understanding Hoss\u2019s sudden vehemence.\u00a0 \u201cI didn\u2019t say that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou said it before!\u201d Hoss accused angrily.<\/p>\n

Ben stood behind his younger son, rubbing his tense shoulders.\u00a0 \u201cHere now, what\u2019s this all about?\u00a0 This isn\u2019t like you, Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not stupid,\u201d Hoss sputtered.\u00a0 \u201cJust \u2018cause I don\u2019t learn quick like Adam don\u2019t make me stupid.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, no, of course not,\u201d Ben soothed, then he peered down into Hoss\u2019s unhappy face.\u00a0 \u201cAre you having trouble at school, son?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s lower lip began to shake.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t think I\u2019ll ever learn to read, Pa,\u201d he whimpered.\u00a0 \u201cIt comes easy to the others, but not me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re the ones who called you stupid, aren\u2019t they?\u201d Adam asked with quick comprehension.\u00a0 \u201cThe kids at school?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, they would not, surely,\u201d Marie protested.\u00a0 \u201cLittle children would not be so unkind.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Marie!\u201d\u00a0 Even Ben couldn\u2019t resist scoffing at her naivet\u00e9.\u00a0 \u201cThey don\u2019t make a more cruel creature than a school-aged child.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was not so at the convent,\u201d Marie argued.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, CarsonCounty\u2019s no convent,\u201d Ben snorted.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe I better pay a visit to that school and show them who\u2019s stupid,\u201d Adam sputtered, his fists clenching.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll do nothing of the sort!\u201d Ben snapped.\u00a0 \u201cThat would only make things worse for Hoss.\u00a0 Besides, violence is no way to solve any problem.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou wear a gun,\u201d Adam pointed out stubbornly.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I know how to use it,\u201d Ben said firmly, \u201cbut I hope I never have to\u2014\u2014not against another man.\u00a0 You\u2019d best remember, Adam, that a boy who battles with his fists is likely to turn to firearms when he\u2019s older.\u00a0 I don\u2019t want either of my sons thinking a fist fight or, worse yet, a gunfight is a solution to anything.\u00a0 It\u2019s a last resort.\u00a0 You hear me, boy?\u201d\u00a0 Ben\u2019s face was fiery as he waited for an answer.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir,\u201d Adam mumbled, head hanging.\u00a0 He looked contrite, but inside he was fuming.\u00a0 Why\u2019d Pa have to get so mad when all he\u2019d wanted to do was protect his baby brother?<\/p>\n

\u201cYou mind what I say,\u201d Ben reaffirmed.\u00a0 \u201cNow, if you want a constructive way to help your brother, why don\u2019t you spend a little time going over his letters with him?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s head lifted.\u00a0 \u201cI will\u2014\u2014right after supper,\u201d he promised.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I will help you after school each day,\u201d Marie added.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s my brother; I\u2019ll help him,\u201d Adam snapped.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam,\u201d Ben said, his tone ominous.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am sure Hoss will appreciate all the help we can give,\u201d Marie said, laying one gentling hand on her husband\u2019s arm and the other on Adam\u2019s slim shoulder.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, sure,\u201d Adam replied.\u00a0 With a subtle movement he twisted his shoulder free.<\/p>\n

After supper Adam took Hoss to their shared room and went over the ABCs with him.\u00a0 The next day after he\u2019d had his cookies and milk, Marie worked with Hoss.\u00a0 Not liking the idea of her taking over a responsibility he viewed as his, Adam began coming home from the construction site early to review Hoss\u2019s letters with him.\u00a0 Before long Adam was arriving almost as soon as Hoss, and, over shared cookies and milk, the brothers gradually started to make sense of the mysterious printed shapes.<\/p>\n

Marie said nothing.\u00a0 The important thing, after all, was that Hoss receive the help he needed.\u00a0 And since the lessons were done before dinner, the evening hours could be spent in pleasanter ways.\u00a0 After Adam\u2019s accusations in Sacramento, Ben frequently made a point of taking down his volume of Shakespeare and reading an act or two.\u00a0 Since Hoss didn\u2019t care much for Shakespeare, on alternate nights Ben would set the youngster on his knee and weave exciting tales of the seafaring life.\u00a0 Marie found herself hurrying through the dishes those nights, so she could sit at Ben\u2019s feet and listen, enrapt.\u00a0 Learning of his life before she met him gave her insights into his character she thought she could learn no other way.<\/p>\n

So many settlers were requesting the services of Paul Martin that he no longer found it possible to share a game of chess with Ben every Saturday evening.\u00a0 He had a standing invitation, however, and came whenever he could, bringing young Sally with him.\u00a0 Sally oohed and ahed over Marie\u2019s delicate embroidery stitches, and before many weeks passed had started a sampler under Marie\u2019s instruction.\u00a0 Adam, who\u2019d just begun to comprehend what Billy Thomas had seen in girls months earlier, resented the fact that Marie was once again coming between him and something he wanted.\u00a0 Not caring to be twitted about his budding interest in the opposite sex, though, Adam for once kept his feelings hidden.<\/p>\n

The Cartwrights no longer went to the Thomas household for Sunday dinner every week.\u00a0 Marie had declared that unfair\u2014\u2014to both Nelly and herself\u2014\u2014and insisted they trade off, so every other week the four Thomases came to the Cartwright home for dinners Nelly (and especially Billy) raved over.\u00a0 Adam didn\u2019t like the change, but he couldn\u2019t in good conscience come up with a valid reason for his distaste.\u00a0 He finally decided he simply didn\u2019t like changes, and since his father\u2019s new wife had arrived, there\u2019d just been one after the other.\u00a0 They weren\u2019t all bad, Adam had to admit, but he still wished his father had never gone to New Orleans.\u00a0 He kept that opinion to himself, but he had a feeling Marie knew, nonetheless.<\/p>\n

The leaves of the cottonwoods turned yellow-orange, like tongues of fire reaching for the sky, and the weather began to cool.\u00a0 Over the Sierras at intervals arrived shipments from San Francisco and Sacramento.\u00a0 Foreseeing the storage problem, Ben had set one crew of men to work building a barn at the new home site.\u00a0 Since no animals would be housed there until the actual move, that space served well for storing household goods packed in crates.\u00a0 Everything was sheltered from the weather now, not just Marie\u2019s precious armoires, and she felt easier about the fate of her furniture.<\/p>\n

Days drifted by, one blending into the other, the only change the noticeable drop in temperature.\u00a0 Feeling increasingly chilled at night, Marie purchased several lengths of flannel from the Thomas trading post to make warmer nightdresses for herself and new nightshirts for the two boys, who were fast outgrowing the lightweight ones they\u2019d worn all summer.\u00a0 By early November they were all glad for something warmer to wear at night.\u00a0 Even Adam felt grateful enough to thank Marie for making his new clothes.<\/p>\n

November also saw the departure of Judge Orson Hyde.\u00a0 Since the CarsonCounty probate court had been suspended in September, there was no longer any reason for Hyde to remain.\u00a0 Leasing his sawmill to Jacob Rose, Hyde returned to Salt Lake City, and with his departure the gentile community again rumbled about the undependability of government under the banner of Utah Territory.\u00a0 The national elections had been held two days prior to Hyde\u2019s departure, but residents of CarsonCounty would not learn the results until mid-December.<\/p>\n

Toward the end of the November Ben began to speak to Marie about the upcoming Thanksgiving celebration.\u00a0 \u201cIn the past I\u2019ve asked Mrs. Ellis to prepare a meal for the men,\u201d Ben explained.\u00a0 \u201cWe always share Thanksgiving with the Thomases.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI see,\u201d Marie said, aware of the black eyes fastened on her face, awaiting her response.\u00a0 Adam clearly feared disruption of the usual celebration.\u00a0 \u201cOf course, if Nelly does not mind, to spend the day with them would be most enjoyable,\u201d she answered carefully, \u201cbut there is no need to hire someone to serve your workers.\u00a0 I can prepare food for them, Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, you can,\u201d Ben smiled, emphasizing the final word, \u201cbut why not take a real holiday, my love?\u201d\u00a0 He took her hand and pressed it softly to his lips.\u00a0 \u201cIt would be a kindness to Mrs. Ellis, Marie; she can use the extra income.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat is different,\u201d Marie said.\u00a0 \u201cOf course, we must ask her to do as she has done before, but perhaps I could help and give the men a bigger feast.\u00a0 They have all worked so hard, and there are more of them, with those who build the house included, no?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI hadn\u2019t thought of that,\u201d Ben admitted.\u00a0 \u201cYes, perhaps it will take both of you.\u00a0 I\u2019ll drive you over to her place as soon as I can find time, so you can plan your menus.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBen, surely I can go alone,\u201d Marie argued.\u00a0 \u201cI rode everywhere in New Orleans.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know,\u201d Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cYou almost rode me down my first day there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie planted her palms on her slim hips.\u00a0 \u201cWhy, Ben Cartwright!\u00a0 We did not even meet for days after your arrival.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben wagged a finger under her nose.\u00a0 \u201cAh, but when we did, I remembered the wild horsewoman who all but forced me up a fence on the Rue Royale.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDid she really, Pa?\u201d Hoss snickered.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d like to seen you climb a fence.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even Adam grinned.\u00a0 \u201cIn his fancy suit?\u00a0 That would\u2019ve been a sight, all right.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie tossed her head.\u00a0 \u201cIt is all a wild tale invented to taunt me,\u201d she said, and no matter how Ben protested, she would never believe the encounter he described had taken place.<\/p>\n

Marie instantly liked Laura Ellis and was soon dandling her two-year-old boy on her knee while they discussed what to serve for the hired men\u2019s Thanksgiving meal.\u00a0 \u201cTurkey\u2019s traditional, but hard to come by,\u201d Laura explained.\u00a0 \u201cBen shot some sage grouse last year, but it would take more.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam would help, I imagine,\u201d Marie said, \u201cbut one cannot depend on how much game they can shoot.\u00a0 Perhaps we should bake hams, as well.\u00a0 Ben can purchase them in Genoa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHam\u2019s good,\u201d Mrs. Ellis agreed.\u00a0 \u201cWhy don\u2019t you cook those, while I handle the hens and dressing.\u00a0 I\u2019ll make sweet potato pies, too.\u00a0 The men all seem to like those.\u201d<\/p>\n

The women talked on into the afternoon, finally settling on exactly what they\u2019d prepare and how to divide the duties.\u00a0 Woven between that discussion were words that made each woman leave the meeting feeling she\u2019d made a friend.<\/p>\n

The dinner was to be served Saturday night, November 28th.\u00a0 Laura Ellis arrived early that morning to find Marie busily stretching recently made tablecloths over quickly constructed wooden tables.\u00a0 \u201cI hope we were not foolish to plan the dinner for noon,\u201d Marie laughed.\u00a0 \u201cThere is so much to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll be ready,\u201d Laura smiled.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss is milking in the barn,\u201d Marie said.\u00a0 \u201cI asked if he would watch little Jimmy for us.\u00a0 He is very gentle with little children.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know; he\u2019s a sweet boy,\u201d Laura said.\u00a0 She took her little son by the hand. \u00a0\u201cWant to watch Hoss milk a cow, Jimmy?\u201d\u00a0 When the toddler bobbed his head eagerly, she led him to the barn and released him into Hoss\u2019s able hands.<\/p>\n

As Laura had predicted, everything was ready by the appointed hour.\u00a0 Ben went from table to table, welcoming the men, expressing individual words of appreciation to them for a job well done.\u00a0 When the food was served and the men started to dig in, Ben joined his family and the Ellises at their table.\u00a0 He knew better than to come between men and a good meal, even for words of thanks.<\/p>\n

Once everyone had eaten their fill, Ben stood to formally thank his workers for their efforts over the past year.\u00a0 \u201cSpecial thanks goes to my fine foreman, Enos Montgomery,\u201d Ben said, \u201cwho took over at a trying time and kept things running smoothly in my absence.\u201d\u00a0 A hearty cheer greeted his words, for Enos was popular with the men.\u00a0 They thought his praise well-deserved.<\/p>\n

Ben lifted a cup of coffee.\u00a0 \u201cOn a personal note, I would like to offer a thanksgiving toast to someone I\u2019m very grateful to have in my life\u2014\u2014Mrs. Marie Cartwright!\u201d<\/p>\n

The men stood, raising their cups to acknowledge the young woman whose beauty and grace they all openly admired.\u00a0 Hoss cheered and lifted his glass of milk, and little Jimmy Ellis tried to copy his new hero, sloshing milk onto the table as he juggled his tin cup.\u00a0 Marie blushed furiously, but she was pleased\u2014\u2014until, that is, she noticed the one person who didn\u2019t salute her.<\/p>\n

Seeing his father stare at him, Adam finally raised his water glass an inch off the table, but there was no sincerity in the gesture.\u00a0 Marie sighed.\u00a0 Obviously, there was one person not even slightly thankful to have her in his life, and she was beginning to lose hope that the aloof tolerance with which Adam regarded her would ever warm into real acceptance.<\/p>\n

By December the cottonwoods stretched naked branches across perpetually cloudy skies.\u00a0 Clarence Williams had given up hope of returning to California before spring, but the sizable bonus the Cartwrights would pay him to remain consoled him as snowflakes began to flutter to earth.\u00a0 Only the foolhardy braved the Sierras in winter\u2014\u2014only the foolhardy or Snowshoe Thompson.<\/p>\n

Most of the citizens of Genoa and the outlying valleys hovered near the post office the day the intrepid mail carrier was expected.\u00a0 They lined the streets and cheered as he glided into town on his narrow, ten-foot snowshoes.\u00a0 \u201cWho won?\u201d shouted man after man.\u00a0 \u201cWho\u2019s the new president?\u201d<\/p>\n

Thompson just smiled and pointed toward the post office.\u00a0 Until his mail was delivered, he was a man with one purpose, and serving as a national news service was not part of that purpose.\u00a0 Some of the mail he carried, however, were newspapers announcing the results of the election that had featured the introduction of a new political party.\u00a0 But Republican candidate John Fr\u00e9mont, while popular locally, had carried only eleven free states, not enough to elect him, and Millard Fillmore, candidate for the all-but-defunct Whig Party won but one free state.\u00a0 The victory, including all fourteen slave states and four free ones, had gone to Democrat James Buchanan, who personally considered slavery immoral, but argued against interfering in southern affairs.<\/p>\n

\u201cWill he make a good president?\u201d Marie asked Ben as they drove home in lightly falling snow after learning the news.<\/p>\n

\u201cHard to say,\u201d Ben replied.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s had success in the past at keeping a balance between slave and free interests, but he strikes me as an indecisive man, not the sort we need at this crucial moment in history.\u00a0 If I\u2019d had the right, I\u2019d have cast my vote for a stronger leader.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFr\u00e9mont?\u201d Marie asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cProbably,\u201d Ben conceded.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s had a load of manure thrown on his campaign\u2014\u2014charges like illegitimacy and cannibalism clouding the real issues\u2014\u2014but I believe him to be a stronger leader than Buchanan.\u00a0 Yeah, I\u2019d probably have gone with Fr\u00e9mont.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam stood in the buckboard behind his father, resting his hands on Ben\u2019s broad shoulders.\u00a0 \u201cWhat did you mean by \u2018this crucial moment in history,\u2019 Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled over his shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cAlways the inquisitive one, aren\u2019t you, Adam?\u201d\u00a0 He slowed the team while he answered the boy\u2019s question.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s the slavery issue, son.\u00a0 It\u2019s boiling hotter all the time with the southern states threatening to secede if Fr\u00e9mont won.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSecede?\u201d Marie asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cLeave the Union,\u201d Ben explained.<\/p>\n

Adam frowned.\u00a0 \u201cNot be part of the United States?\u00a0 Any state that would do that must be full of ignorant folk.\u201d\u00a0 Marie didn\u2019t miss the glance the boy threw in her direction, nor did she miss its significance.\u00a0 Obviously, Adam was lumping her in with the \u2018ignorant folk\u2019 of her home state.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot ignorant, Adam,\u201d his father, who had also caught the exchange of glances, disagreed, \u201cjust tied to a system that ultimately must fail of its own ineptitude.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou think slavery will die on its own?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf the extremists on both sides will let it,\u201d Ben commented, \u201cif it doesn\u2019t die in the flames of war first.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie shivered, not entirely from the brisk December wind.\u00a0 \u201cLet us pray it does not come to that.\u00a0 I would hate to think of the streets of New Orleans running with blood.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOr the streets of Boston,\u201d Ben agreed soberly.<\/p>\n

Their curiosity over the elections satisfied, the Cartwrights turned their attention to the rapidly approaching completion of their new home.\u00a0 \u201cI do hope we can be settled in before Christmas,\u201d Marie said wistfully.\u00a0 \u201cI would like to spend our first Christmas in our new home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben reached across the supper table to squeeze her hand.\u00a0 \u201cWe should make it,\u201d he said, \u201cbut not with a lot of time to spare.\u00a0 Would it be too much, my love, to ask you to prepare a party for our workers and friends on Christmas Eve?\u00a0 You could have Laura Ellis help you again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I would like that!\u201d Marie cried.\u00a0 \u201cA big party to celebrate our new home.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat sound good to you boys, too?\u201d Ben asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cSure!\u201d Hoss agreed readily, his taste buds already whetted for the refreshments certain to be offered.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam?\u201d Marie asked cautiously.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, a party\u2019s fine,\u201d he replied, \u201cbut what about Christmas Day?\u00a0 We always eat with the Thomases.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf they\u2019re with us that night, I think we should all spend a quiet Christmas at home,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cThis year, especially, I\u2019d find that attractive, if it\u2019s all right with the rest of you.\u201d\u00a0 He was looking straight at Adam, who merely shrugged.\u00a0 Ben chose to act as though his suggestion had won universal approval.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s settled then.\u00a0 I\u2019ll see if I can get hold of a fiddler for the party.\u00a0 We\u2019ll have room enough to hold a dance.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie clapped her hands.\u00a0 \u201cA dance!\u00a0 How exciting, Ben!\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam felt torn.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t relish seeing his father dance the night away with that woman, but a dance did offer other pleasant possibilities, like waltzing around with Sally Martin, for instance.\u00a0 Seeing himself cutting in on Billy Thomas as often as possible, Adam started to smile.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, a dance sounds like fun,\u201d he admitted.<\/p>\n

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

With a meticulous eye Marie examined the nautical print drapes she and Laura Ellis had just hung.\u00a0 Knowing Adam\u2019s critical eyes would search out any fault, she wanted them to look just right.\u00a0 \u201cThey are straight?\u201d she asked Laura anxiously.<\/p>\n

\u201cPerfectly straight,\u201d Laura concluded.\u00a0 \u201cYou worry too much, Marie.\u00a0 Boys aren\u2019t that fussy, anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam is,\u201d Marie sighed.<\/p>\n

Another female voice laughed from the doorway.\u00a0 \u201cShe\u2019s right about that, but even Adam shouldn\u2019t quarrel with the way those curtains look.\u201d<\/p>\n

Smiling, Marie turned and rushed to welcome Nelly Thomas in a warm embrace.\u00a0 \u201cOh, how good you are to come so far to help me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nelly kissed the younger woman\u2019s smooth cheek. \u201cWhy, what else are neighbors for, honey lamb?\u00a0 You\u2019d do as much for me, I reckon.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMais oui<\/em>,\u201d Marie said quickly, \u201cbut I am grateful still to have two such kind friends.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, there\u2019s plenty to be done if we\u2019re to have you settled in and the house ready for that party next week,\u201d Laura remarked.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I know,\u201d Marie laughed.\u00a0 \u201cIt is madness to plan things so close together, but the final touches took longer than we planned.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a beautiful house, and well worth the wait,\u201d Nelly said.\u00a0 \u201cNow, where can I be the most help?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss\u2019s room next,\u201d Marie said.\u00a0 \u201cIf you will each bring a chair, I will get his curtains.\u201d<\/p>\n

As directed, Laura and Nelly each took a chair and carried it into the room across the hall.\u00a0 Since no baby brother seemed disposed to appear, Hoss had decided to move into his previously selected quarters close to Adam\u2019s room.\u00a0 Marie followed the other ladies, smoothing out the curtains as she walked.\u00a0 Somehow she had managed to choose fabric that coordinated with Hoss\u2019s Indian rug, while picking up the red of the roses on his wash bowl and pitcher.<\/p>\n

Nelly threaded the curtains onto the round rod, then handed them up to Laura and Marie, each perched on a chair at opposite sides of the window.\u00a0 \u201cGood and straight,\u201d Nelly commented when the other ladies turned to her with inquisitive faces.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s one more room done, then,\u201d Laura laughed as she stepped down from the chair.<\/p>\n

Marie started to descend, but suddenly she swayed awkwardly and grabbed the chair back to keep from falling.<\/p>\n

\u201cMarie!\u201d Laura cried, rushing to steady her.<\/p>\n

\u201cLands, you give us a scare,\u201d Nelly scolded once they had the young woman on the hardwood floor again.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d Marie murmured breathlessly.\u00a0 \u201cI am sorry.\u201d\u00a0 She still looked pale and shaken.<\/p>\n

\u201cHere, sit a spell,\u201d Nelly ordered, easing Marie into the chair.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll wager you\u2019ve been workin\u2019 yourself to death, gettin\u2019 this house ready to move into.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie shook her head.\u00a0 \u201cNo, it is not that.\u00a0 I am not tired, truly; there is too much to do for me to be tired.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cListen to the woman,\u201d Laura hooted.\u00a0 \u201cAs if that weren\u2019t the very reason she is tired.\u201d<\/p>\n

But Nelly was examining Marie\u2019s face carefully, and a swift smile spread across her own.\u00a0 \u201cI think maybe there\u2019s another reason.\u201d\u00a0 Looking up, Marie read in Nelly\u2019s brown eyes the revelation of her secret and the color flaming into her cheeks only confirmed Nelly\u2019s suspicions.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m right, aren\u2019t I?\u201d Nelly asked.<\/p>\n

Laura squealed as soon as she understood what Nelly meant.\u00a0 \u201cOoh, a baby!\u201d\u00a0 Then a look approximating anger crossed her face.\u00a0 \u201cPregnant and climbing up and down these chairs all morning long.\u00a0 Why didn\u2019t you say something, Marie?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe work will not go away because I feel a little dizzy,\u201d Marie smiled, \u201cand there is still much to do.\u201d\u00a0 She stood, but both of the other ladies reached out to push her back into the chair.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou rest, honey lamb,\u201d Nelly ordered.\u00a0 \u201cIf there\u2019s any more climbin\u2019 to be done, I reckon me and Mrs. Ellis here will be a-doin\u2019 it.\u201d\u00a0 She pulled up the other chair and sat knee to knee with Marie.\u00a0 \u201cBut before either of us does a lick more work, we want the details.\u00a0 When\u2019s this baby comin\u2019, and what do Ben and the boys say about it?\u00a0 I bet Hoss is fit to be tied.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2014I have told no one yet,\u201d Marie admitted, blushing again.<\/p>\n

Nelly took her hand.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s Adam, isn\u2019t it?\u201d she discerned.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re afeared of how he\u2019ll take the news.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie hated to admit her concerns.\u00a0 \u201cWell, I do not know how Adam will feel,\u201d she admitted hesitantly.\u00a0 \u201cHe does not want me, and I do worry about how he will accept my child.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSurely, he wouldn\u2019t hurt your baby,\u201d Laura protested.\u00a0 \u201cHe doesn\u2019t seem like that kind of boy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s not,\u201d Nelly declared, almost indignant.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, no, I know he would do the child no harm,\u201d Marie explained quickly.\u00a0 \u201cWhat I question is whether he can love a child I bring to this home, hating me as he does.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHate\u2019s a strong word, honey lamb,\u201d Nelly soothed.\u00a0 \u201cI know Adam\u2019s been difficult, but I don\u2019t think his feelings are that strong against you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are times I wonder,\u201d Marie sighed, \u201cbut it does not matter how he feels about me.\u00a0 It is my baby that matters.\u00a0 Little ones know whether they are loved or not, and I shudder to think of my baby\u2019s pain if Adam cannot accept him or her better than he does me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHasn\u2019t Ben guessed?\u201d Laura asked.\u00a0 \u201cThe signs are there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou did not see,\u201d Marie smiled.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd men are blind as bats,\u201d Nelly scoffed.\u00a0 \u201cTake it from the mother of three, girls: the man\u2019s always the last to know.\u201d\u00a0 All three women giggled, and the somber mood occasioned by thoughts of Adam lightened.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought I would save my news as a special Christmas present for Ben,\u201d Marie said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe best you could give him,\u201d Nelly laughed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe won\u2019t say a word,\u201d Laura promised, \u201cbut you never answered the other question.\u00a0 When\u2019s the baby due?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIn June, I think,\u201d Marie replied.\u00a0 \u201cI will see Dr. Martin after the holidays and perhaps he can tell me more closely.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSpeaking of holidays,\u201d Laura laughed, \u201cwe\u2019d better get the rest of these draperies hung so you can move in by then.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMais oui<\/em>,\u201d Marie exclaimed, standing quickly.<\/p>\n

Nelly wagged a finger under the younger woman\u2019s petite nose.\u00a0 \u201cBut no more chairs for you, Marie Cartwright.\u00a0 You\u2019ll be the one standing on solid ground telling us if things look straight.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAmen to that!\u201d Laura agreed.\u00a0 \u201cOn to the next room, ladies.\u00a0 Forward, march!\u201d\u00a0 Laughing, Marie and Nelly fell into step.<\/p>\n

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

Saturday, December 20th, found almost as many people assisting the Cartwright\u2019s move into their new home as would be guests there on the following Wednesday.\u00a0 Ben had, of course, asked Clyde Thomas to help him, and he wasn\u2019t surprised when Paul Martin also arrived to offer his assistance.\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t, however, expected either Laura Ellis or Nelly Thomas to be there.\u00a0 He\u2019d thought their part done days before, but he finally tossed their presence up to feminine curiosity about Marie\u2019s new furnishings.\u00a0 He either never noticed or never guessed the reason behind their solicitous hovering over his young wife.<\/p>\n

\u201cMrs. Cartwright, where\u2019s this go?\u201d Enos Montgomery asked, bringing in one of the smaller crates.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, that must be the glassware,\u201d Marie said.\u00a0 \u201cIn the kitchen, please, Monsieur<\/em> Montgomery.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEnos, ma\u2019am, just Enos,\u201d the foreman told her for what he was sure must be the twelve thousandth time.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, in the kitchen, Enos,\u201d she said, as though she\u2019d never called him anything else.\u00a0 \u201cMost of the small crates will go in the kitchen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Enos walked past her through the dining room and into the kitchen.\u00a0 Marie started to follow him, but Laura placed a restraining hand on her elbow.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re overdoing again,\u201d Mrs. Ellis chided.<\/p>\n

\u201cI reckon we can figure where the glasses go,\u201d Nelly scolded.<\/p>\n

Marie pouted at them, arms akimbo.\u00a0 \u201cAnd I \u2018reckon\u2019 it will not strain my poor delicate condition to lift a goblet or two.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNever can tell,\u201d Nelly laughed.\u00a0 \u201cThey go in that hutch the men brought in awhile ago, don\u2019t they?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMarie!\u201d Ben called from the stair landing.\u00a0 \u201cWhich armoire goes in what room?\u201d<\/p>\n

Laura Ellis turned Marie around and pushed gently.\u00a0 \u201cGo, go,\u201d she urged.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust don\u2019t be moving any of them cupboards yourself,\u201d Nelly yelled.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s men enough around for that kind of work.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lifting her skirt, Marie hurried up the stairs to find the hall almost blocked by a massive rosewood armoire.\u00a0 \u201cThat is the one for our room,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cPut it against the west wall, please, to the left of the doors to the nursery.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, ma\u2019am,\u201d Clyde chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t reckon you could\u2019ve bought a heavier chest, do you, ma\u2019am?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cQuit complaining, lazybones,\u201d Ben twitted, taking his place on the opposite side of the armoire.\u00a0 \u201cIf all you do is jaw, we\u2019ll never get everything in by dinnertime.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDinner!\u201d Marie cried, her hands flying to her face.\u00a0 \u201cI have given no thought to it.\u00a0 How will I ever cook for so many when the stove is not in place yet?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNelly brought a load of grub,\u201d Clyde laughed.\u00a0 \u201cDidn\u2019t figure anyone would be cookin\u2019 here today.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI foresee cold sandwiches in my future,\u201d Ben grunted, pressing his shoulder against the armoire.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd apple pie,\u201d Clyde offered as consolation.\u00a0 Bit by bit they scooted the bulky armoire down the hall and into the designated position.<\/p>\n

To add to the bedlam, children scrambled underfoot everywhere.\u00a0 Adam and Billy weren\u2019t technically children, of course, but they weren\u2019t muscled enough to provide much help moving heavy furniture.\u00a0 They did their part, however, in placing the smaller pieces, Adam being sure to give oversight to everything that passed through his bedroom door.\u00a0 Sally Martin was there, too, and Billy seemed determined to devote as much attention to her as to the work he was presumably doing.<\/p>\n

Hoss was supposed to be in charge of two-year-old Jimmy Ellis and four-year-old Inger Thomas.\u00a0 Since he wanted to see what was going on all over the house, however, he fulfilled that responsibility by dragging the two youngsters wherever he wanted to go.\u00a0 As eager to watch the movers as he, the little ones followed wherever Hoss led until Ben finally yelled at his younger son to \u201cget those kids outside before someone trips over them!\u201d<\/p>\n

By the time the sun stood overhead, everyone was ready for a break.\u00a0 Fortunately, Laura and Nelly both had brought food with them, so there was enough to stave off starvation, and no one seemed to mind cold fried sage hen or the ham and beef sandwiches that padded out the meal.\u00a0 There wasn\u2019t enough dessert to go around, though, and Ben felt genuinely perturbed when Hoss claimed a wide wedge of pie for himself.\u00a0 Obviously, the boy needed a lesson or two in putting guests first, but no one had time to teach him today.<\/p>\n

After eating, Ben insisted that everyone take an hour off to relax.\u00a0 Then the work began again, with everyone determined to finish well before nightfall.\u00a0 They succeeded, the last piece of furniture being placed around half past three that afternoon\u2014\u2014or, at least, the last the Cartwrights knew about.\u00a0 After everyone else had left, Clyde approached Ben.\u00a0 \u201cHope you don\u2019t mind, but I made you a little something for your new house.\u00a0 Don\u2019t have to use it iffen you don\u2019t like it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben regarded his friend with warm appreciation.\u00a0 \u201cAnything you made, we\u2019ll like, you know that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s in the back of my wagon,\u201d Clyde said.\u00a0 \u201cThought I\u2019d leave it there \u2018til I knew it was wanted.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s bring it in,\u201d Ben said, tossing an arm around Clyde\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 He followed his old friend out to the buckboard and pulled the duck cover off Clyde\u2019s hand-crafted gift.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s mighty plain,\u201d Clyde said tentatively.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t know as it\u2019ll look right next to that fancy sofa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019ll look fine,\u201d Ben said, running his hand over the smooth wood.\u00a0 Together, he and Clyde carried the low table inside and set it between the sofa and the huge stone fireplace it faced.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, how perfect!\u201d Marie cried.\u00a0 \u201cIt is just what we needed.\u00a0 How did you know?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, Nelly told me what all you\u2019d already bought,\u201d Clyde answered, face flushed with pleased embarrassment.\u00a0 \u201cThought a table would fit right good here, give you a place to set your coffee cup or prop up your feet of an evening.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFeet!\u201d Marie squealed.\u00a0 \u201cNo feet on the furniture, if you please, Monsieur<\/em> Thomas.\u00a0 This is too fine a piece for that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled at her.\u00a0 The table was, as Clyde had said, plain\u2014\u2014just even slabs set on block legs.\u00a0 No ornate carvings\u2014\u2014nothing decorative at all, in fact\u2014\u2014but somehow it blended with the rustic look of stone and wood that predominated the main room.\u00a0 \u201cToo fine a piece for feet,\u201d he agreed, then clasped Clyde\u2019s hand to express his thanks.<\/p>\n

That night the Cartwrights gathered around the small table in the kitchen, rather than the fancier one in the dining room.\u00a0 The kitchen table was really intended as a work surface for rolling out pie and bread dough, but as Marie had kept supper very simple, it seemed best to serve the steaming bowls of soup directly from the stove.\u00a0 The dining room would not be saved for company, however; beginning tomorrow, the family would eat every meal there.<\/p>\n

After supper, they gathered before the huge fireplace, Ben puffing on his pipe in a mauve armchair, Adam relaxing across the room in a matching blue one.\u00a0 On the sofa, whose upholstery alternated maroon stripes with cream ones dotted with tiny blue flowers, Marie and Hoss sat side by side, but not for long.\u00a0 Soon Hoss\u2019s eyelids began to droop, for he\u2019d been up early and had had a busy day.<\/p>\n

While Ben finished up the last act of Shakespeare\u2019s Othello<\/em>, Marie led the younger boy upstairs and helped him into his flannel nightshirt.\u00a0 \u201cDo you like your new room, Hoss?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s awful fancy,\u201d Hoss said, looking at the big mahogany four-poster, the large armoire and his washstand.\u00a0 \u201cI like it, though,\u201d he added quickly, rubbing his bare toes on the thick rug of blue and yellow.\u00a0 \u201cI ain\u2019t never slept alone before,\u201d he said, a shade of apprehension in his voice.<\/p>\n

Marie lowered the wick of the lantern on the bedside table, pulled the covers back and helped Hoss scoot beneath them.\u00a0 Tucking the blanket up to his chin, she sat beside him on the bed and gave him a kiss.\u00a0 \u201cYou will become used to it,\u201d she promised, \u201cand your father and I are just down the hall if you need us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd Adam\u2019s even closer,\u201d Hoss added, \u201cbut I don\u2019t think he wants me in his bed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie tittered.\u00a0 \u201cNo, I think Adam feels too grown up to welcome his little brother into his bed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, my little brother\u2019s gonna be welcome in mine,\u201d Hoss declared emphatically, then his voice grew more hesitant, \u201cif I ever get one, that is.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie could scarcely bear to keep her secret to herself, but Ben should, of course, be told before Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cI am sure you will sometime,\u201d she said, but trusted herself to say no more.\u00a0 She kissed him goodnight once more and returned downstairs.<\/p>\n

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

Sunday was celebrated in reverence and relaxation, but Monday morning found Marie already beginning preparations for the party to be held on Wednesday evening.\u00a0 Laura Ellis had been hired to help, and the menu had already been decided, but Marie wanted to be certain they didn\u2019t run short of sweets.\u00a0 Tantalizing aromas of freshly baked gingercakes filled the house, and for once Hoss was forbidden to touch a single cookie.\u00a0 On Tuesday Marie began baking pies and apple strudel, the latter to please Adam.<\/p>\n

Wednesday was devoted to decorating the main room for what Marie called a soir\u00e9e<\/em>.\u00a0 Adam frowned at the fancy French term, but he willingly gathered pine boughs and cones to grace the mantel and swag from the wooden beam between dining room and living area.\u00a0 He wanted the place to look its best, too, and he was more than glad to help rearrange the furniture so there\u2019d be plenty of room for dancing on the hardwood floor.\u00a0 After all, he planned to do a lot of twirling around that floor himself.<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s desired partner was among the earlier arrivals at the party.\u00a0 Sally was dressed in yellow silk with a matching yellow ribbon pulling back her soft brown hair.\u00a0 She looked prettier than Adam ever remembered seeing her, and he was quick to ask for the first dance.\u00a0 Sally giggled and promised he would have it.<\/p>\n

Ben, in his best gray suit and gray vest flecked with crimson, and Marie, in her coral evening gown, welcomed Sally\u2019s father at the door.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re glad you could come,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cWe don\u2019t see nearly enough of you these days.\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul bent at the waist to kiss Marie\u2019s hand, then gave Ben an impish wink.\u00a0 \u201cIt helps, of course, when you invite most of my patients, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cExactly why we did it.\u00a0 Just to be assured of the pleasure of your company.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe pleasure\u2019s mine,\u201d Paul said smoothly.\u00a0 He looked around the room, taking a deep breath of the pine-scented air.\u00a0 \u201cEverything\u2019s beautiful, Marie\u2014\u2014a far cry from the bachelor parties Ben and I used to share on Saturday nights.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie blushed prettily.\u00a0 \u201cYou must share them more often, Doctor Martin.\u00a0 Ben does not complain, but I know he misses your chess matches.\u00a0 Please come whenever you can.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I can,\u201d Paul promised.<\/p>\n

Other guests started to arrive, and the room was soon filled to capacity with smiling faces, the rafters ringing with convivial chatter, and the exuberant strains of a violin invited everyone to dance.\u00a0 To Billy Thomas\u2019s hot-cheeked displeasure, Sally gave Adam the promised first dance, then graciously divided her dances between them.\u00a0 Neither boy partnered her as often as he desired, however, for grown men also claimed the attentions of the budding young beauty.\u00a0 Women were still scarce in Carson County, and even the youngest learned early to expect a multitude of men begging for the privilege of a dance.<\/p>\n

Only rarely that evening did Ben have the opportunity of squiring his own lovely wife around the dance floor.\u00a0 In her New Orleans finery, she was clearly the best-dressed woman in the room, even without the jewels she had declined to wear lest her guests feel outshined.\u00a0 Had she worn frayed calico, though, Marie Cartwright would still have been the most beautiful woman in the room, and she was obviously the most desired partner by everyone there in long pants, with the sole exception of her stepson.\u00a0 Determined to be the gracious host, Ben let man after man cut in on his rare turns about the floor with Marie.\u00a0 But he made a solid determination that it wouldn\u2019t happen at the New Year\u2019s Eve dance, to be held, as usual, at Spafford Hall\u2019s old station.\u00a0 Ben wouldn\u2019t be host then, and he intended to be selfish.<\/p>\n

Midway through the evening Ben gathered the younger guests around the huge, decorated tree that stood beside the L-shaped staircase.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s a tradition in our home to read Charles Dickens\u2019 A Christmas Carol<\/em> each Christmas Eve,\u201d he explained.\u00a0 \u201cWith the assistance of my good friend, Dr. Paul Martin, I\u2019d like to share that story with you now.\u201d<\/p>\n

The children clapped and at once sat on the floor, faces eager, attention rapt as Paul and Ben created a moment children of the community would look forward to every Christmas for years to come.\u00a0 While the story-telling was intended for children, however, older ears listened in, too, and many guests, on taking their leave that evening, declared the reading the highlight of the party.<\/p>\n

Some of the younger children barely managed to stay awake for Tiny Tim\u2019s universal blessing, and Marie suggested they might lie down on the boys\u2019 beds upstairs until their parents were ready to leave.\u00a0 Adam\u2019s room was designated for boys and Hoss\u2019s for girls, and soon both beds were covered with small, snoozing bodies, Hoss\u2019s among them.<\/p>\n

Free of oversight of their children, the adult guests alternated between the dance floor and the refreshment table as the party lasted late into the night.\u00a0 No one wanted to leave, but most had a long drive awaiting them and children who couldn\u2019t bear to be away from home on Christmas morning.\u00a0 The Cartwrights stood in the yard waving until the last wagon faded into darkness.\u00a0 Then Ben swung Marie through the air.\u00a0 \u201cA wonderful soir\u00e9e<\/em>, Madame Cartwright,\u201d he declared.<\/p>\n

Marie giggled with exhilaration.\u00a0 \u201cPut me down, Monsieur<\/em>!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben let just her toes touch ground as he held her close and kissed her.\u00a0 \u201cMerry Christmas, my love,\u201d he whispered.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is not Christmas yet,\u201d Marie smiled.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlmost,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cBesides, when will I get a chance tomorrow with two boys clawing into their presents and, I hope, hollering with delight?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, do not forget Adam\u2019s big present,\u201d Marie said.<\/p>\n

Ben clapped his palm to his forehead.\u00a0 \u201cI almost did!\u00a0 I\u2019d better get one of the men to help me before they turn in.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou had better hurry,\u201d Marie urged. \u201cIf they feel as tired as I\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

Without a word, Ben rapped on the door to the bunkhouse and had one of his workers help carry a large crate from barn to house.\u00a0 He returned to find Marie clearing the refreshment table.\u00a0 \u201cOh, let that wait \u2018til morning,\u201d he urged.<\/p>\n

\u201cBen, I cannot,\u201d she argued.\u00a0 \u201cTomorrow is Christmas, and I will have no time then.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLet me help you, then,\u201d Ben said and Marie made no objection.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe we should think about getting you some help with this place,\u201d he suggested as they carried cups and plates to the kitchen.\u00a0 \u201cMrs. Ellis might welcome a steady job.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Ben,\u201d Marie stated firmly.\u00a0 \u201cLaura is my friend.\u00a0 To hire her on occasion is fine, but I would not wish to make her my servant.\u00a0 It might put distance between us.\u00a0 Besides, I am not sure I would like another woman in my kitchen.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, it was just a thought,\u201d Ben murmured.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s get these washed up quickly.\u00a0 I\u2019m tired, and I can guarantee those boys won\u2019t let us sleep in.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss had retired early enough to ensure the accuracy of his father\u2019s prediction, but while Adam had gone to his bed as soon as it was cleared of slumbering visitors, he lay awake into the early morning hours.\u00a0 He was almost fourteen, old enough, he told himself, to know things didn\u2019t always work out the way you hoped they would, but still young enough to yearn for the magic of Christmas, a magic he feared would be absent for him this year.<\/p>\n

He had resigned himself, or so he thought, to there being no gifts for him beneath the tree that morning, but as he lay restless between cool sheets, he found himself growing nostalgic over Christmases past, Christmases made special by Inger\u2019s loving touch.\u00a0 Adam sighed.\u00a0 No point in dreaming of corned pork roast or lutfisk or any of the Swedish dishes his father\u2019s second wife had prepared for holiday meals.\u00a0 Probably they\u2019d have to suffer through exotic French cooking this Christmas, and goodness only knew what strange foods would appear on the table.\u00a0 In all fairness, Adam had to admit that Marie\u2019s cooking was usually good, but in his eyes no one could live up to the memory of Inger.<\/p>\n

Adam wasn\u2019t ready to wake up when Hoss jerked impatiently on his arm early Christmas morning.\u00a0 \u201cCome on,\u201d the younger boy urged.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t you wanna see what Santa brought you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBundle of switches, probably,\u201d Adam grumbled as he pulled back the covers.\u00a0 That\u2019s what Inger had taught him Juletomten, the Swedish version of Santa Claus, brought to naughty boys, and Adam had reason to believe that Santa Ben Cartwright had consigned his older son to the ranks of the naughty.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t want to ruin his little brother\u2019s Christmas, though, so he dressed quickly and let the youngster tug him to the head of the stairs.<\/p>\n

\u201cWow!\u201d Hoss yelled when he saw the big crate beside the towering pine crowned with a gold star.\u00a0 \u201cWho you reckon that\u2019s for?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam stared.\u00a0 Nothing he\u2019d helped his father select for Hoss in Sacramento would require a package that big.\u00a0 Hope leaped into his throat, but he choked it down.\u00a0 It couldn\u2019t be for him, could it?\u00a0 When would Pa have bought it?\u00a0 Slowly, he followed Hoss downstairs.<\/p>\n

Ben and Marie entered from the kitchen, where they\u2019d been sharing an early morning cup of coffee, made mercifully weak.\u00a0 They stood side by side, each one\u2019s arm encircling the other\u2019s waist and watched the boys examine the present.<\/p>\n

Hoss looked up just as Adam stepped off the last stair.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s yours,\u201d he said, with just a hint of disappointment.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow you know?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n

Hoss thumped the top of the crate.\u00a0 \u201cSays so right here.\u00a0 I read good enough to spell out Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

A slow smile spread across Adam\u2019s countenance as he read his name painted on the wood.\u00a0 He looked up to find his father handing him a tool with which to pry off the lid.\u00a0 Adam took it and soon he and Hoss were peering down into the package, Hoss not even caring what mysteries awaited him beneath the tree until he learned the contents of that most intriguing box.\u00a0 It appeared to be a piece of furniture.<\/p>\n

Ben helped Adam pull the crate apart to reveal a small, but well-crafted desk with cubbyholes and drawers enough to hold a variety of boyish treasures.\u00a0 \u201cA desk of my own!\u201d Adam cried, face glowing.\u00a0 He threw his arms around his father.\u00a0 \u201cThanks, Pa.\u00a0 I never dreamed of having anything this fine to do my studying at.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re welcome,\u201d Ben said, returning the embrace warmly, \u201cbut I think you should know your\u2014\u2014uh\u2014\u2014well, Marie chose it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam flushed.\u00a0 \u201cTh\u2014thank you, ma\u2019am,\u201d he stammered.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am pleased you like it, Adam,\u201d Marie smiled.\u00a0 \u201cYou have several other gifts, but Hoss must open one now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right,\u201d Adam said quickly, eager to get their attention off his embarrassed face.\u00a0 \u201cThat one, Hoss; that looks interesting.\u201d\u00a0 Soon the floor was littered with paper and the boys sat surrounded by their new riches.\u00a0 Hoss crowed with happiness when he opened the last package and found a mechanical train that rolled effortlessly on runners across the floor.\u00a0 His sack of marbles and new books and clothes lay forgotten as he chugged-chugged the little engine this way and that.<\/p>\n

Adam, who had feared his Christmas would be so dreary, scarcely knew where to look first.\u00a0 As usual, a nice collection of new books (always his favorite gift) had been beneath the tree.\u00a0 One of them showed detailed drawings of architecturally interesting buildings back east.\u00a0 \u201cWe brought that back from New Orleans,\u201d Ben explained.\u00a0 There were new clothes for him, too, and Adam found himself delighted with the little theater Marie had picked out in Sacramento.\u00a0 \u201cNow you can put on your own plays,\u201d she suggested, \u201cand we will not have to wait for our next trip to Sacramento for fine entertainment.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPut one on tonight,\u201d Hoss demanded.\u00a0 \u201cWe should have something special for Christmas night.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, that would be wonderful,\u201d Marie cried with delight, then hesitated.\u00a0 \u201cIf\u2014if Adam does not think that is too short a time to prepare.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam shrugged.\u00a0 He was thrilled with the idea, but hated to give her the satisfaction of knowing how much.\u00a0 \u201cI guess I could come up with something.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNow open your presents,\u201d Hoss ordered his father.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s even one from me!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA present from you?\u201d\u00a0 Ben\u2019s lips twitched merrily.\u00a0 \u201cMy, my, I\u2019ll have to see that right away.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is a fine present,\u201d Marie whispered, \u201cand truly his own idea.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss handed his father the rectangular package wrapped in brown paper.\u00a0 Ben opened it and smiled into the grinning image of his younger son.\u00a0 \u201cWhy, that\u2019s wonderful!\u201d he said enthusiastically.\u00a0 \u201cAnd is there one of Adam, too?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI am afraid not,\u201d Marie said softly.\u00a0 \u201cAdam was not with us when we went to the daguerrean studio, but perhaps we can have his picture made when he goes to school in the fall.\u00a0 Then we will have it to look at whenever we miss him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, we\u2019ll do that,\u201d Ben agreed, pleased with the idea.<\/p>\n

Adam thought it a good idea, too, even if it was her<\/em> idea, but he couldn\u2019t bring himself to say so.\u00a0 He felt ashamed that his little brother had thought to get a gift for Pa when, for all his grown-up pride, it had never occurred to Adam.\u00a0 Of course, likely it was the woman who\u2019d put Hoss up to it.\u00a0 Maybe she\u2019d even intentionally left him out to make him look bad in Pa\u2019s eyes.\u00a0 The irritation Adam had felt with himself suddenly found a new target.<\/p>\n

Marie was handing Ben a package identical in size and shape to the one Hoss had presented.\u00a0 \u201cOh, is this what I hope it is?\u201d Ben asked.<\/p>\n

Marie glanced modestly aside when Ben opened the package and gazed lovingly at the beautiful, framed face of his third wife.\u00a0 Adam frowned.\u00a0 Like Ben, he\u2019d had a feeling the package contained another picture, one to compete with those his father had cherished for so long; in fact, judging by the look on Pa\u2019s face, one likely to take their place in his affections.<\/p>\n

There were other gifts for Ben and several for Marie, including a warm woolen cloak to protect her from chilly winter winds.\u00a0 Finally, Marie stood.\u00a0 \u201cThis has all been most wonderful fun, but I must hurry to the kitchen now to prepare our special Christmas breakfast.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOoh, a special breakfast,\u201d Hoss crowed.\u00a0 \u201cWhat you fixin\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOmelets,\u201d Marie laughed, knowing the word would be meaningless to Hoss.<\/p>\n

\u201cHuh?\u201d\u00a0 Hoss\u2019s face obligingly screwed up with bewilderment, and Adam\u2019s would have, too, if he\u2019d been willing to let his guard down enough to admit his ignorance.<\/p>\n

\u201cEggs, Hoss,\u201d his father laughed.\u00a0 \u201cFrench style.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam groaned.\u00a0 Just what he\u2019d been afraid of.<\/p>\n

Marie turned to go into the kitchen, but Ben grabbed her hand and began pulling her toward the front door.\u00a0 \u201cNot \u2018til you\u2019ve opened your last present,\u201d he ordered softly.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnother present?\u201d Marie queried.\u00a0 \u201cBut where?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the barn, of course,\u201d Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cI could scarcely put this<\/em> under the tree!\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie and the boys soon learned what Ben meant when he took his hands from Marie\u2019s eyes as he laid her slender hand on the mane of a black gelding with four white stockings.\u00a0 Marie squealed with delight.\u00a0 \u201cOh, a horse of my own!\u201d she cried, \u201cbut how?\u00a0 When?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLast night, while you were busy with your guests,\u201d Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cI bought her two weeks ago, and Ben Palmer brought her over last night.\u201d\u00a0 Palmer was a black man who had started a horse ranch near Genoa.\u00a0 Ben patted the horse\u2019s flank.\u00a0 \u201cI hope to get you a finer mount someday, but this is a sound animal\u2014\u2014and a safe one for a lady.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, at least, you cannot accuse me of riding anyone down with this horse,\u201d Marie tittered.\u00a0 \u201cHis temperament seems very\u2014\u2014very stable.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, not a lot of fire in his blood,\u201d Ben admitted, \u201cbut he\u2019ll serve for pleasant rides around the ranch.\u00a0 You will accompany me on one this afternoon, won\u2019t you, Madame?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cToday?\u00a0 I don\u2019t see how,\u201d Marie protested.\u00a0 \u201cI must cook the omelets, then put on the roast for dinner\u2014\u2014Yankee style, as Nelly Thomas tells me you like it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter dinner, then,\u201d Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cSurely the boys won\u2019t mind washing a few dishes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, sir,\u201d both boys said willingly enough.\u00a0 On Christmas, even Adam felt magnanimous enough to be cooperative, and peace on earth appeared to have spread to the Ponderosa, if only for a day.<\/p>\n

The omelets, flavored with chopped ham and onion, made a hit with all the Cartwrights, and while the New England pot roast was not as good as the ones Nelly prepared, it was tasty enough, and the oyster bisque that preceded the main course was declared the best part of the meal.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s have this every day,\u201d Hoss suggested.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut it wouldn\u2019t be special then,\u201d Ben had laughed, pinching Hoss\u2019s double chin.<\/p>\n

Leaving the dishes on the table, Ben and Marie rode into the hills under a gray, but clear sky.\u00a0 Emerald evergreens stretched their arms toward a sky rendered pale by the brilliant blue of Lake Tahoe, which they surrounded.<\/p>\n

In her new cloak Marie huddled close to Ben, chilled, but enchanted by the view.\u00a0 \u201cI am glad we came here today,\u201d she murmured.\u00a0 \u201cIt is the perfect place for me to give you your other gift.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat, more?\u201d\u00a0 Ben squeezed his wife closer yet.\u00a0 \u201cWhat more could I ask for than you by my side in the loveliest spot God ever made and two wonderful boys to go home to.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThree, perhaps,\u201d Marie suggested, smiling up into his face.<\/p>\n

\u201cThree what?\u201d Ben asked, his eyes puzzled.<\/p>\n

\u201cThree wonderful boys to go home to,\u201d Marie said softly.<\/p>\n

Ben grabbed her shoulders and held her at arms\u2019 length.\u00a0 \u201cNo!\u201d he cried.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re\u2014you\u2019re\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I am.\u201d\u00a0 Marie\u2019s silvery laughter echoed across the water.\u00a0 \u201cBy next Christmas there will be three little ones to buy for.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Marie!\u201d Ben cried and folded her into his arms.\u00a0 \u201cWait\u2019ll the boys hear!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Ben, not tonight,\u201d Marie begged.\u00a0 \u201cThey are enjoying Christmas so much.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben cupped her delicate chin in his hands.\u00a0 \u201cThis will only add to it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie shook her head.\u00a0 \u201cFor Hoss, perhaps, but we cannot be sure how Adam will react.\u00a0 He seems happy today, Ben; let him stay so.\u00a0 Besides, I would like to consult Dr. Martin and make sure all is well before we tell our sons.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right, if you\u2019ll feel easier,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 He walked her to her horse, then paused.\u00a0 \u201cIf I\u2019d known this, I\u2019d have bought you a new buggy and a plodding old nag instead of a riding horse,\u201d he chided.\u00a0 \u201cWomen and their secrets!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI am not ready for a buggy and nag yet!\u201d Marie protested.\u00a0 \u201cI am glad you did not know.\u00a0 Time enough for pampering when I am out to here,\u201d she added, holding her hand three feet before her belly.<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s mouth began to twitch.\u00a0 \u201cThat I\u2019d like to see,\u201d he teased.\u00a0 \u201cEven Hoss\u2019s mother didn\u2019t get that big.\u201d<\/p>\n

They rode home and Ben somehow kept the joyous news from showing all over his face.\u00a0 With Hoss\u2019s dubious help, Adam had made sandwiches from the roast beef.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s enough, isn\u2019t it?\u201d he asked.\u00a0 \u201cWe want to hear you read the Christmas story, Pa, and we have a play ready, too.\u201d\u00a0 Clearly, he didn\u2019t want to waste time in mere eating.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019ll be plenty,\u201d Ben agreed.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s eat by the fire, shall we?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, yes, that will be cozy, and a good place to watch the entertainment,\u201d Marie said.<\/p>\n

After eating the sandwiches, an enrapt audience watched as Adam\u2019s cardboard characters portrayed the simple tale of Little Red Riding Hood.\u00a0 Hoss managed the part of the wolf, making such vigorous attack on first the grandmother and then the little girl that Adam feared his figures weren\u2019t destined for a long life, even with the timely entrance of the woodsman.\u00a0 And the wolf\u2019s dialogue was somewhat muffled by leftover cookies crammed in the mouth of the youngster giving him voice.<\/p>\n

Nonetheless, Ben and Marie clapped and clapped as the curtain came down on the little stage.\u00a0 \u201cA most excellent performance,\u201d Ben declared.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll do better next time,\u201d Adam promised.\u00a0 \u201cI had to keep it simple for Hoss to learn so quick.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou both did wonderfully,\u201d Marie praised, \u201cand we will look forward to your next evening of entertainment.<\/p>\n

Ben took his Bible, then, and opened it to the second chapter of Luke.\u00a0 By the light of the fire he read once more the story of the birth of the holy infant, but he couldn\u2019t resist glancing every few moments at the glowing face of his own personal Madonna and thinking of the happy day when she would hold in her arms a child as precious as that other Mary\u2019s must have been to her.<\/p>\n

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR<\/p>\n

\u00a0Setting the tray on their bedside table, Ben stood gazing at the beautiful face of his slumbering wife.\u00a0 It seemed a shame to wake her, but it was late already.\u00a0 Even the boys would soon be awake, and she wouldn\u2019t want to sleep later than they.\u00a0 Ben sat beside her and, bending over, pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.<\/p>\n

\u201cUmn,\u201d Marie murmured, her eyelids slowly opening to reveal her exquisite emerald eyes.\u00a0 \u201cIs it morning?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was morning when we got home,\u201d Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cThe sun\u2019s well up now, sleepyhead.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie struggled to sit up.\u00a0 \u201cOh, it is late!\u201d she cried, seeing the bright sunlight through the open drapes.\u00a0 \u201cWhat will the boys think of me?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed again.\u00a0 \u201cNothing at all.\u00a0 They\u2019re still asleep.\u00a0 They had a late night, too, remember?\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie sighed contentedly and sank back onto the feather pillow.\u00a0 \u201cBut a most happy one, oui<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOui<\/em>,\u201d Ben said and kissed her again.\u00a0 They\u2019d danced away the old year the previous night.\u00a0 Marie, in her blue satin and sapphire jewels, had once again been the most popular partner for the miners, Mormons and other men attending the annual community dance.\u00a0 \u201cIt was a happy send-off for the old year,\u201d Ben said now, \u201cwith a happier one yet to look forward to.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope it will be,\u201d Marie murmured.\u00a0 \u201cAt least, Adam seemed happy again last night.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben lifted her and held her close.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t worry so much about him, my love.\u00a0 The news of the baby took him by surprise, that\u2019s all.\u00a0 I\u2019m sure he\u2019s used to the idea by now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie shook her head.\u00a0 She entertained no such certainty.\u00a0 As soon as Dr. Martin had confirmed her pregnancy and assured her that everything appeared normal, she and Ben had told the boys that a new baby was expected.\u00a0 While Hoss had bounced with ecstatic anticipation, Adam had kept his eyes riveted to the floor and quickly excused himself.\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t said anything, but his silence screamed his true feelings, at least to Marie\u2019s sharply attentive ears.\u00a0 She was sure he wanted nothing to do with the brother or sister scheduled to arrive in June, and her heart was torn with grief.<\/p>\n

Ben chucked his wife under her small chin.\u00a0 \u201cPut a smile on this pretty face,\u201d he said softly.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve brought you a cup of coffee, made strong enough for a spoon to stand up in.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie laughed.\u00a0 \u201cThat should be almost strong enough for my Creole taste.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben wagged his index finger under her nose, then made an elaborate presentation of the tray set with one cup of coffee, along with the sugar bowl and creamer.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Ben, you spoil me,\u201d Marie said, taking a comforting sip of the hot brew, \u201cbut I really shouldn\u2019t take time.\u00a0 It is so late, and I must prepare breakfast.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, no, breakfast is my responsibility this morning,\u201d Ben soothed her.\u00a0 \u201cA Cartwright tradition, my love.\u00a0 Hangtown Fry a la Pa for New Year\u2019s Day.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd what is Hangtown Fry?\u201d Marie asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cEggs,\u201d Ben chuckled, remembering a similar conversation with Hoss only a week earlier.\u00a0 \u201cEggs Placerville style this time.\u201d<\/p>\n

While Ben took the tray downstairs and began to cook the Hangtown Fry, Marie went to wake the boys.\u00a0 She stopped first at Adam\u2019s room, rapping lightly, then entering.<\/p>\n

Seated at his new desk, Adam quickly slammed shut a book in which he\u2019d been writing.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, you are already awake,\u201d Marie said.\u00a0 \u201cI came to tell you that your father is making\u2014\u201d\u00a0 She paused, unable to remember the name of the dish, then finished \u201c\u2014eggs a la Placerville.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHangtown Fry,\u201d Adam corrected contemptuously.\u00a0 Why did she have to turn simple Hangtown Fry into some French-sounding dish?<\/p>\n

\u201cOui<\/em>, that is what your father said,\u201d Marie smiled, then cocked her head quizzically.\u00a0 \u201cAre you studying so early this New Year\u2019s Day, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m finishing up my journal to Jamie, if you must know,\u201d Adam snapped peevishly, \u201cand it\u2019s private.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMais oui<\/em>,\u201d Marie said quickly.\u00a0 \u201cI did not mean to intrude.\u00a0 I know how special this journal is.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam fidgeted uneasily.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, I\u2019m just telling him about the dance last night,\u201d he said in an effort to be polite.\u00a0 \u201cThen it\u2019ll be ready to mail.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I know Jamie will look forward to receiving it,\u201d Marie said.\u00a0 \u201cHe has saved all the ones you sent him, you know.\u00a0 He showed them to me.\u00a0 You write a beautiful hand, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s face reddened.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2014he let you read my journals?\u201d<\/p>\n

Too late, Marie realized how intensely private Adam felt about his words to Jamie.\u00a0 \u201cHe showed me only a little,\u201d she whispered defensively, \u201cto help me know my new\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, you\u2019re not reading this!\u201d Adam sputtered hotly, anxious to stop the relational word he sensed she was about to use.<\/p>\n

\u201cI did not ask to!\u201d Marie snapped, immediately regretting her outburst.\u00a0 \u201cI am sorry for my temper, Adam,\u201d she said a moment later, \u201cbut you need never fear my prying in your papers.\u00a0 I would not.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, okay, then,\u201d Adam mumbled.\u00a0 In his heart he knew he owed her an apology as much as she\u2019d owed him one, but he couldn\u2019t force the words out past the lump of stubborn pride in his throat.<\/p>\n

\u201cFinish quickly,\u201d Marie urged.\u00a0 \u201cYou do not want to be late for your father\u2019s special breakfast.\u201d\u00a0 With a swish of her skirts, she escaped into the warmer welcome of Hoss\u2019s room across the hall.<\/p>\n

Adam posted his journal to Jamie as soon as possible and whiled away the wintry days of January dreaming of the day Jamie\u2019s journal would arrive.\u00a0 It came, as usual, shortly before his birthday, but Adam didn\u2019t take the pleasure this year in reading it that he\u2019d enjoyed before\u2014\u2014at least, once he\u2019d passed a certain date.<\/p>\n

The first half of the journal was as much of interest as always, but when Adam came to the June entries, he was forced to read page after page of Jamie\u2019s admiration for Ben Cartwright\u2019s new wife.\u00a0 Jamie was openly envious of his friend Adam\u2019s having such a beautiful new mother.\u00a0 \u201cAt least, I met her first,\u201d young Jamie crowed on the printed page.<\/p>\n

Adam slammed the book shut.\u00a0 How did she do it?\u00a0 How did she make everyone like her\u2014\u2014everyone but him, that is?\u00a0 Adam threw himself on his walnut bed and burrowed his face in the downy pillow.\u00a0 Why couldn\u2019t he like her?\u00a0 Why?\u00a0 Adam couldn\u2019t think of any real reason for his dislike.\u00a0 He\u2019d had reason to be angry in the beginning, of course.\u00a0 Pa\u2019d sprung a terrible shock on him, but was his anger still justified?\u00a0 Suddenly seeing Marie through Jamie\u2019s eyes, Adam began to wonder.\u00a0 Was there really any reason for his feelings other than his own fear of change,\u00a0 his own unwillingness to admit he\u2019d been wrong?\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t ready to answer those questions, but the seed had been planted and gradually began to sprout.<\/p>\n

Adam finally resumed reading Jamie\u2019s journal, but the later entries gave him little pleasure either.\u00a0 Beginning in September, Jamie described his classes and teachers at the St. LouisAcademy, and Adam burned with jealousy.\u00a0 He should have been reading about Jamie\u2019s exciting new studies while experiencing his own in Sacramento.\u00a0 He should have been writing diary entries about his own new classes and teachers to send to Jamie, but there was nothing to tell.\u00a0 And whose fault was that?<\/p>\n

Adam winced, ashamed of the unworthy accusation that had crossed his mind.\u00a0 No, he couldn\u2019t with any honesty lay the blame for his missed educational opportunity at his stepmother\u2019s feet.\u00a0 Might as well blame Jean D\u2019Marigny for dying or that lightning for spooking the cattle.\u00a0 That\u2019s what started it all; that\u2019s what sent Pa to New Orleans and delayed the construction of the house.\u00a0 Still, Marie was the reason Adam o desperately regretted his original decision to give up a year of learning for the chance to watch a real architect at work.\u00a0 She was at least partly responsible for his unhappiness, wasn\u2019t she?\u00a0 It couldn\u2019t be all his own fault, could it?\u00a0 Turmoil roiling inside, Adam spent the next several days sulking in his room.<\/p>\n

His mood didn\u2019t improve when the twentieth of February dawned without anyone\u2019s so much as saying \u201cHappy birthday\u201d to him.\u00a0 No greeting, no cake, no presents\u2014\u2014just a long list of chores that would keep him away from the house all day.\u00a0 Obviously, Pa was so wrapped up in the new baby\u2019s upcoming birth, he\u2019d forgotten all about his firstborn.\u00a0\u00a0 For a while Adam had hoped it was all a mistake, but now there was no missing the meaning of Marie\u2019s softly rounded form.\u00a0 The baby was coming, no doubt about it, and once it came, sons number one and two would really get pushed to the back burner.\u00a0 So far, Hoss didn\u2019t seem to mind, but just wait \u2018til Pa forgot his birthday!\u00a0 That would wipe the sappy smile off his fat little face.\u00a0 Angry, Adam stomped off to do his assigned chores.<\/p>\n

He returned near suppertime.\u00a0 As he rode wearily into the yard, he noticed a number of wagons and a buggy standing there.\u00a0 The buggy, of course, would be Dr. Martin\u2019s, but why would he be there?\u00a0 Not to play chess; it was Friday, not Saturday.\u00a0 Was something wrong?\u00a0 With Pa or Hoss?\u00a0 Fear lunging at his heart, Adam ran to the front door and flung it open.\u00a0 \u201cSurprise!\u201d yelled a dozen voices.<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s mouth dropped and he stared wide-eyed at the banner draped across the mantel.\u00a0 It read \u201cHappy Birthday, Adam,\u201d in bold letters.\u00a0 \u201cHa!\u00a0 Bet you were surprised!\u201d Hoss was chortling.\u00a0 \u201cBet you thought we forgot.\u201d<\/p>\n

Then Sally Martin was at his elbow whispering a birthday greeting in his ear.\u00a0 Suddenly, his father, Marie at his side, stood before him.\u00a0 \u201cHappy birthday, son,\u201d Ben grinned.<\/p>\n

\u201cGo upstairs and clean up,\u201d Marie suggested softly.\u00a0 \u201cThere is a warm tub waiting, and your suit is laid out.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cY\u2014yes, ma\u2019am,\u201d Adam stammered, overwhelmed.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t be in any hurry,\u201d Billy Thomas joked.\u00a0 \u201cMe and Miss Sally can get along just fine without you, birthday boy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Finally, Adam grinned.\u00a0 \u201cJust try not to bore her too much, buddy; I\u2019ll be down in a wink.\u201d Adam weaved his way through a crowd of well-wishers and trotted up the stairs to his room.\u00a0 As Marie had promised, he found a tub waiting.\u00a0 Shedding his work clothes in a flash, he climbed in and gave himself a quick scrubbing, then dressed and groomed his hair.<\/p>\n

Soon enough to irk Billy, Adam appeared downstairs and smiled at the friendly teasing of his friends.\u00a0 There were some adults, of course, like the Thomases and Dr. Martin, but most of the guests were younger friends he\u2019d known in school or who lived on neighboring ranches.\u00a0 A couple of children had been invited to keep Hoss company, but the party had clearly been planned for Adam\u2019s enjoyment.<\/p>\n

Ben placed an arm around his son\u2019s shoulder and embraced him warmly.\u00a0 \u201cHope you didn\u2019t think we\u2019d forgotten your birthday,\u201d he smiled.\u00a0 \u201cWhen Marie mentioned having a party for you\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s her idea?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe party\u2019s her idea,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m afraid I\u2019m responsible for the surprise.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd a mean trick it was, Mr. Cartwright,\u201d Sally Martin scolded, then laughed.\u00a0 \u201cThe look on your face was worth it, though, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYup, too bad we don\u2019t got one of them picture-takin\u2019 machines,\u201d Billy cackled.<\/p>\n

Ben groaned.\u00a0 \u201cBilly, it\u2019s a good thing we didn\u2019t invite Mrs. Mott.\u00a0 She\u2019d cringe to hear her good teaching thrown out the window like that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Unperturbed, Billy just grinned.\u00a0 \u201cCome see the cake,\u201d he dictated.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s a sight.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam let himself be led to the table, where an apple strudel sat with fourteen candles stretched down its length.\u00a0 He looked up to see Marie gazing nervously at him.\u00a0 She\u2019d planned this for him, invited his friends, fixed his favorite dessert, after all his surliness to her.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t the time or place to say he was sorry, but one thing needed saying.\u00a0 \u201cTh\u2014thank you, ma\u2019am,\u201d he murmured.<\/p>\n

Marie smiled happily.\u00a0 \u201cOh, you are welcome, Adam,\u201d she cried, impulsively flinging her arms around him.\u00a0 Almost by habit, Adam flinched, and she quickly withdrew.\u00a0 \u201cWe will light the candles later,\u201d she said, \u201cbut first we have a nice dinner planned.\u00a0 And you must not fear:\u00a0 Mrs. Thomas has helped to prepare your favorite foods, so I am sure you will like it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam gave her a sheepish smile, suddenly chagrined that she\u2019d felt obliged to have someone else do the cooking just to please him.\u00a0 But he couldn\u2019t tell her.\u00a0 Not now, not with everyone gathering around the table, eager for the meal to begin.\u00a0 He was at a loss for words, anyway.<\/p>\n

Late that night, after all the guests had gone and all the gifts were put away, Adam lay awake thinking about the party.\u00a0 It was the biggest birthday celebration he\u2019d ever had, and he had his father\u2019s new wife to thank for it.\u00a0 He\u2019d done that, of course\u2014\u2014said the words, that is\u2014\u2014but it didn\u2019t seem enough.\u00a0 Adam found himself remembering the conversation he and his father had had in Sacramento.\u00a0 Pa\u2019d suggested he start thinking about Marie as his friend, but Adam hadn\u2019t been ready for that then.\u00a0 It had been hard enough just to be kind and courteous, as he\u2019d promised.\u00a0 Yet hadn\u2019t Marie shown him time and time again that she wanted to be his friend?\u00a0 Maybe, if he tried, he could begin to think of her that way.\u00a0 It would please Pa, for sure, and Adam was surprised to discover the idea sort of pleased him, too.\u00a0 Maybe, just maybe, it was worth a try.<\/p>\n

But before Adam had much opportunity to test out his new line of thinking, an unexpected illness left him with little strength to think of anything except drawing his next breath.\u00a0 Ben\u2019s boys were so rarely ill that at first he didn\u2019t take Adam\u2019s coughing seriously.\u00a0 Just a case of the sniffles.\u00a0 Hard to get through the winter without one.\u00a0 No need to call a doctor for a little cold.<\/p>\n

But within days the cold settled deep in Adam\u2019s chest, he wheezed with every breath and his fever rose sharply.\u00a0 \u201cPneumonia,\u201d Dr. Martin informed the worried parents gravely.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s a very sick boy.\u201d<\/p>\n

They tried every remedy they knew, everything the doctor suggested:\u00a0 warm broth, mustard plasters, even Inger\u2019s old Swedish formula of salt pork and onions.\u00a0 Nothing helped.\u00a0 The fever rose still higher and delirium set in.<\/p>\n

Marie bathed his burning flesh by the hour, but if it helped at all, her hands couldn\u2019t feel the difference.\u00a0 He seemed as warm as before\u2014\u2014and as petulant.\u00a0 Time after time he pushed her hands away.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t want you,\u201d he whimpered repeatedly.\u00a0 \u201cI want my mother.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tears in her eyes, Marie bent over him each time, continuing to stroke him with a cool cloth.\u00a0 \u201cI know, Adam, I know,\u201d she whispered, \u201cbut she is not here.\u00a0 Let me help you, mon fils<\/em>.\u201d\u00a0 She didn\u2019t dare call Adam her son in English for fear of upsetting him, but her native tongue let her express the relationship she felt without his understanding.<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s head wagged from side to side, whether from weakness or rejection no one could say for certain, but Marie was sure it was the latter.\u00a0 If she had needed proof that the boy would never accept her, his pulling away in his moment of need provided all the evidence she\u2019d ever require.<\/p>\n

Ben, standing behind her late one night, rubbed her shoulders, feeling the tension.\u00a0 \u201cYou should go to bed, Marie,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cIn your condition, you need extra rest.\u00a0 You\u2019re wearing yourself down.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie shook her head violently.\u00a0 \u201cNo, I am fine, Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben pulled her around.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re not,\u201d he said firmly.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re exhausted.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo are you,\u201d Marie accused.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s different,\u201d Ben insisted.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s my son.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd mine!\u201d Marie retorted with a fierce flounce of her head.\u00a0 \u201cOr so you once said.\u00a0 He may not want me, but I thought you understood.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI do understand,\u201d Ben assured her, pulling her into an embrace.\u00a0 \u201cI didn\u2019t say what I meant.\u00a0 I\u2019m just trying to say that you have another child to consider\u2014\u2014our child, Marie.\u201d\u00a0 He laid his hand on her rounded belly.\u00a0 \u201cYou must think of this little one, too, my love.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI do,\u201d Marie whispered, \u201cbut truly you do not understand, Ben.\u00a0 I do not feel differently about Adam than I do this little one.\u00a0 They are both my children.\u00a0 I cannot deny one to spare the other.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know how to love in\u2014in part.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben cupped her face in his hands.\u00a0 He\u2019d known, of course, the passion of her love for him, but he hadn\u2019t until that moment realized that she loved his sons with equal fervor.\u00a0 He loved her all the more for her willingness to sacrifice herself and what she wanted most for Adam, but he couldn\u2019t allow it.\u00a0 \u201cMarie, go to bed,\u201d he said firmly.\u00a0 \u201cThat is not a request, my love; it\u2019s an order.\u00a0 If you don\u2019t know how to spare yourself, I do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut, Ben,\u201d she protested, casting an anxious look at the boy feverishly tossing his covers aside.<\/p>\n

\u201cGo to bed,\u201d Ben ordered more firmly.\u00a0 Marie nodded submissively and went away for a few hours rest, but she was back at Adam\u2019s side before the sun rose.<\/p>\n

As the days passed, friends learned of the boy\u2019s illness and both Nelly Thomas and Laura Ellis began coming by to give the weary parents an occasional break from nursing duties.\u00a0 After her first visit Nelly offered to take Hoss home with her, but the distraught little boy refused to leave.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s my brother,\u201d Hoss whined.\u00a0 \u201cI got a right to stay.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut Sunshine,\u201d Nelly argued, \u201cit just makes that much more work for your poor, tired mama.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Nelly,\u201d Marie objected.\u00a0 \u201cHoss is no trouble to me, truly.\u00a0 And I think he will worry less if he is here where he can know how his brother is.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, that\u2019s likely true,\u201d Nelly admitted, \u201cbut the invitation stands, whenever you need it.\u201d\u00a0 She made a point from that day forward of bringing some little treat for Hoss along with a dish or two of food.\u00a0 At least, she could take over some of the cooking chores for Marie.\u00a0 The young woman seemed to accept that kind of help more readily than help with Adam, anyway.<\/p>\n

Adam grew progressively worse, mumbling disconnected phrases meaningless to minds not ravaged by fever, and Ben and Marie began to fear for his life.\u00a0 As both hovered over his restless form one endless night, Ben hadn\u2019t the heart to order Marie away.\u00a0 He knew she wouldn\u2019t obey him tonight, for they both sensed that Adam would pass a point of crisis sometime before dawn streaked the sky with shades of auburn and orchid.<\/p>\n

Around 2 a.m. the boy began to sweat profusely.\u00a0 \u201cA good sign,\u201d Ben insisted, and he was right.\u00a0 By morning the fever had broken and Adam, for the first time in days, slept quietly.\u00a0 Laura Ellis arrived early that morning and insisted both exhausted parents go to bed.\u00a0 \u201cIf the boy\u2019s on the mend, I can surely see to him for a while,\u201d she contended.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll get no argument from me,\u201d Ben said appreciatively, \u201cand I\u2019ll see to it this young lady behaves herself, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie laid her head wearily on his shoulder and smiled into his face.\u00a0 \u201cI shall make no argument either,\u201d she murmured.\u00a0 \u201cThank you, Laura.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam woke to find Mrs. Ellis at his side.\u00a0 \u201cWhere\u2019s my pa?\u201d he asked feebly.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s asleep, dear; so is your mother,\u201d Laura replied.<\/p>\n

For a moment Adam looked puzzled.\u00a0 \u201cShe\u2019s not my mother,\u201d he murmured.<\/p>\n

\u201cStepmother, then,\u201d Laura said, disapproval in her tone.\u00a0 Adam heard it and closed his eyes wearily.\u00a0 He\u2019d spoken out of habit, out of his characteristic need for accurate statement, not disrespect to Marie, but he felt too weak to defend himself.<\/p>\n

The door opened and the woman they\u2019d been discussing walked in.\u00a0 \u201cWhat are you doing back here already?\u201d Laura hissed under her breath.<\/p>\n

\u201cI woke up,\u201d Marie said, as if that were explanation enough.\u00a0 \u201cHow is Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n

Laura looked at the closed eyes.\u00a0 \u201cHe was awake, but I think he\u2019s drifted off again.\u00a0 He doesn\u2019t need you, Marie, and the ungrateful little wretch doesn\u2019t appreciate your help one bit, so you get right back to bed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe does not have to appreciate it,\u201d Marie said hotly.\u00a0 \u201cHe has only to accept it, and that, for now, he is powerless to deny me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Laura faced her, arms akimbo.\u00a0 \u201cMarie Cartwright, you listen to me.\u00a0 Adam\u2019s fine, and it\u2019s high time you started giving some consideration to your own baby.\u00a0 Do you want to miscarry it because you\u2019ve worn yourself to a frazzle nursing this\u2014this\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBe careful what you call my son,\u201d Marie warned, fire in her eyes.<\/p>\n

Laura caught herself.\u00a0 Whatever she thought of Adam, she was only upsetting Marie with her name-calling.\u00a0 \u201cAll right, sweetie,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll watch my tongue if you\u2019ll go back and lie down awhile longer.\u00a0 I\u2019m sure it\u2019s what Ben would want.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell,\u201d Marie hesitated, \u201cif Adam is truly resting.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe truly is,\u201d Laura assured her.\u00a0 \u201cLet me take you back to bed, dear.\u201d\u00a0 She put her arm around the woman who, despite the bulk of her pregnancy, seemed so childlike that Laura naturally felt protective.\u00a0 Marie let herself be led meekly back to her room.<\/p>\n

As soon as they left, Adam\u2019s eyes flickered open.\u00a0 Though Laura had thought him asleep, he wasn\u2019t.\u00a0 He\u2019d heard every word of the women\u2019s conversation, and remorse burned in him hotter than the fever that had oppressed him earlier.\u00a0 He heard Laura call him ungrateful and, painful as it was, admitted he had been.\u00a0 Marie had shown him so many kindnesses, but, with rare exceptions, he had rewarded her with aloofness, even open hostility.<\/p>\n

Now, if he\u2019d understood correctly, she\u2019d even risked the life of her baby to care for him.\u00a0 Why<\/em>? he asked himself, finally arriving at the only possible conclusion.\u00a0 She loved him; she loved him that much.\u00a0 He buried his head in the pillow, needing to cry, but too exhausted for the effort.\u00a0 Weariness, however, didn\u2019t prevent guilty questions from hammering his soul.\u00a0 What if something did happen to the baby?\u00a0 Adam hadn\u2019t wanted that child, hadn\u2019t planned to welcome it, had even in his darker moments wished it would just go away.\u00a0 But what if his deadly wish came true?\u00a0 What if Marie did lose the baby?\u00a0 It would be his fault, not just because of the wish, but because he was the reason she\u2019d endangered herself.\u00a0 For all his stubbornness Adam had a sensitive conscience and it was tormenting him now.\u00a0 He had to make things right, but he didn\u2019t know how.\u00a0 Too tired to think about it, his mind began to wander, and by the time Laura Ellis returned, he was asleep once more.<\/p>\n

Adam was oblivious to the people peeking in on him that morning.\u00a0 Ben came, but finding Adam sleeping peacefully, went out to check ranch affairs with Enos Montgomery.\u00a0 Hoss popped in and out of his brother\u2019s room, only to be shooed away each time with admonitions not to waken Adam.\u00a0 Marie returned around noon.\u00a0 \u201cYou needn\u2019t stay,\u201d she told Laura.\u00a0 \u201cI am quite refreshed, as you see.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI do?\u201d Laura scoffed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI could not sleep now if I tried,\u201d Marie argued.\u00a0 \u201cI thank you for your help, Laura, but you need not fear to leave now.\u00a0 You have work of your own to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI do, for a fact,\u201d Laura admitted.\u00a0 \u201cPromise me you won\u2019t overdo.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI promise,\u201d Marie smiled.\u00a0 She kissed Laura good-bye, then sat beside Adam, rejoicing in the feel of his cool flesh beneath her fingers.<\/p>\n

Eventually, Adam stirred and his black eyes opened to see her smiling down at him.\u00a0 \u201cFeeling better?\u201d Marie asked softly.<\/p>\n

\u201cUh-huh,\u201d Adam mumbled awkwardly.\u00a0 Now was the time to say something, but the boy felt tongue-tied.\u00a0 He had to try, though; he\u2019d missed too many opportunities already.\u00a0 \u201cUh\u2014ma\u2019am,\u201d he began, still not able to call her mama, \u201cI kinda remember saying some things when I first took sick.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

\u201cI\u2014I think I said I didn\u2019t want you,\u201d Adam went on.<\/p>\n

Marie wasn\u2019t nearly as refreshed as she thought, and in her weariness her naturally quick temper flared.\u00a0 \u201cI remember, too, Adam,\u201d she said hotly, \u201cbut I don\u2019t wish to discuss it.\u00a0 I\u2019ve heard enough of that kind of talk.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, listen,\u201d Adam pleaded.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, you listen,\u201d Marie demanded.\u00a0 \u201cI know you dislike me; you always have.\u00a0 I know you don\u2019t want me; you never did.\u00a0 It has all been said, but I beg you, Adam, not to hold that against my child.\u00a0 You will be as much brother to my little one as you are to Hoss, no matter how you feel about me, and I could not bear it if my baby suffered because you hated his mother.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie\u2019s voice had risen to a high, shaky pitch as she gave vent to fears she had harbored for months.\u00a0 Then, seeing Adam\u2019s shocked face, her lips began to tremble.\u00a0 \u201cOh, I am sorry, Adam,\u201d she choked.\u00a0 \u201cYou are not well, and I am wrong to burden you now. \u00a0I do hope you will be kind to your new brother or sister, though.\u201d\u00a0 She bent over to tuck his covers snugly around him.\u00a0 \u201cRest quietly now, and I will heat some broth for you.\u201d\u00a0 She walked quickly out before he could see her cry.<\/p>\n

As Adam watched her leave, two emotions struggled within him.\u00a0 He was angry, hurt by the words she\u2019d said, by the fact that she hadn\u2019t given him the chance to say what he needed to say, but simple justice battled against his offended pride.\u00a0 Without being a mind reader, how could his stepmother have possibly realized his attitude had changed?\u00a0 She should have listened, of course, but she was tired.\u00a0 Worn as he was himself, Adam could see that.\u00a0 But if she wouldn\u2019t listen, he\u2019d have to find some other way, some way to show her what words alone were probably inadequate for anyway.\u00a0 Adam sighed and turned to one side.\u00a0 He\u2019d have to think of something, but later.\u00a0 Now he was too tired to think, too tired to eat, too tired to do anything but sleep.<\/p>\n

The fourteen-year-old began a slow, but steady recovery, and during that time he enjoyed an extravagant amount of pampering by the rest of his family.\u00a0 When Hoss was home from school, he willingly ran errands for his big brother, bringing him books and papers from upstairs whenever Adam required them.\u00a0 The invalid was usually enervated enough to retire directly after supper, Ben going upstairs with him to read Shakespeare every night.<\/p>\n

Most of the day, of course, Adam was alone in the house with Marie, confined by the chilly weather.\u00a0 Day after day he sat in his blue armchair by the fire, wrapped in the cozy comforter she snugged around him.\u00a0 He made a point of thanking her politely each time she showed him a kindness, hoping she\u2019d notice that his feelings toward her had changed.\u00a0 But while Marie did notice the improved behavior, she attributed it more to lack of energy than conscious effort.\u00a0 She was grateful, though, that Adam accepted her solicitous attentions without complaint, without telling her once again that she was not his mother.<\/p>\n

Two weeks had passed since that night when Adam made his turn for the better.\u00a0 The family was eating a breakfast of pancakes and sausage.\u00a0 \u201cQuit dawdling, Hoss,\u201d Ben scolded.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ll be late for school.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss could think of nothing he\u2019d like better than missing a few minutes of educational torment, but he dutifully shoveled in a mouthful of syrup-coated pancake.<\/p>\n

\u201cAny special plans for today?\u201d Ben asked Marie.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Adam and I will keep company at home today,\u201d she replied, as she had daily since his illness.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2014I\u2019d like to go out, Pa,\u201d Adam suggested hesitantly.\u00a0 \u201cThe sun\u2019s bright today.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, no, the wind is still chilly,\u201d Marie argued.\u00a0 \u201cYou must not take fresh cold, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam bit his lip to stifle his irritation.\u00a0 He knew she was only showing concern for him, only acting\u2014\u2014well, the way a mother would act\u2014\u2014but she couldn\u2019t understand how badly he needed to get out.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d wrap up warm,\u201d he wheedled.\u00a0 \u201cI just want to ride over and see Billy.\u00a0 It\u2019s been weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot since he was here,\u201d Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cAre you sure you wouldn\u2019t rather ride over to see Sally Martin?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPa!\u201d Adam protested.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t have to guard his words with Pa as vigilantly as with Marie.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is not a time for teasing, Ben,\u201d Marie chided.\u00a0 \u201cWe must consider his health.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2014I appreciate your concern, ma\u2019am,\u201d Adam said carefully, \u201cbut I don\u2019t think it will hurt me to ride a few miles.\u00a0 I\u2019m feeling lots stronger.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWanna arm wrestle?\u201d Hoss offered.<\/p>\n

Ben scowled and pointed at the front door.\u00a0 \u201cOut!\u201d he hollered.\u00a0 \u201cYou ought to be half-way to school by now.\u00a0 Arm wrestle, indeed!\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss wiped his face with a checked napkin and, giving his mother a quick hug, raced for the door.<\/p>\n

Wide grin on his face, Ben turned back to Adam.\u00a0 \u201cNow that the distractions are gone\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMay I go?\u201d Adam pleaded.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s important, Pa.\u201d\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t explain why, not with Marie standing by.\u00a0 He\u2019d thought of a way to demonstrate his newfound acceptance of her, but he needed help with his project.\u00a0 Not Billy\u2019s, however.\u00a0 Seeing Billy was just an excuse to get out of the house.<\/p>\n

Ben reached over to pat the boy\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, I guess it is important to get out after being cooped up so long.\u00a0 That it, son?\u201d<\/p>\n

Close enough, Adam figured.\u00a0 \u201cYeah,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cSo how about it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBen, I do not think\u2014\u201d Marie began, but Ben raised a hand to silence her.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou may go, Adam,\u201d he said, \u201cprovided you bundle up as you promised and don\u2019t do anything strenuous while you\u2019re over there.\u00a0 No tearing up and down the territory on wild races with Billy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam beamed.\u00a0 \u201cThanks, Pa.\u201d\u00a0 His newly awakened concern for Marie\u2019s feelings made him notice the frown on her face.\u00a0 \u201cI won\u2019t overdo, ma\u2019am; you needn\u2019t worry.\u201d<\/p>\n

The frown relaxed.\u00a0 \u201cAnd you must come home if you begin to tire,\u201d Marie urged.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, ma\u2019am, I will,\u201d Adam assured her, excused himself and headed for the barn to saddle his horse.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is too soon, Ben,\u201d Marie argued when he had gone.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think so, Marie,\u201d Ben responded.\u00a0 He came behind her chair and encircled her shoulders.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re being a typical mother hen, but it\u2019s time to let the chick leave the nest for a short flight.\u00a0 The exercise will likely do him good.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie laughed.\u00a0 \u201cA mother hen, am I?\u00a0 Well, perhaps so.\u00a0 Have you noticed, Ben, how much more respectful Adam is these days?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I noticed,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s growing up, Marie.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOui<\/em>, I hope that is it,\u201d she smiled, \u201cthough it is more likely that he is behaving so he can have what he wants, like visiting his friend.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUmn, maybe,\u201d Ben murmured, bending to kiss her cheek, \u201cbut I\u2019ll take good behavior any way I can get it.\u00a0 Have a pleasant day, my love.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie laughed.\u00a0 \u201cI think I, too, shall take a short ride in the sunshine.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot on your life!\u201d Ben protested.\u00a0 \u201cGood lands, Marie, you\u2019re six months pregnant!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNow who is an old mother hen?\u201d Marie tittered.<\/p>\n

Every day that week Adam requested permission to visit Billy Thomas.\u00a0 Since Ben and Marie considered him too weak to return to his regular chores, they had no reason to object.\u00a0 Marie, however, felt obligated to remonstrate when Adam returned later and later each day.\u00a0 \u201cHe is avoiding me, Ben,\u201d she sighed.\u00a0 \u201cThat I can accept, but he must not make a nuisance of himself at the Thomases, and he is staying out until the air grows chilly.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll speak to him,\u201d Ben promised.<\/p>\n

Speaking to Adam appeared even more essential when the sun dipped behind the mountains that night with no sign of Ben\u2019s older son.\u00a0 Finally, just as the family was sitting down to dinner, the front door opened.\u00a0 \u201cIs that you, Adam?\u201d Ben demanded hotly.\u00a0 \u201cWhat do you mean staying out this late, young man?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam rounded the corner into the dining area, a bulky object covered by a blanket under one arm.\u00a0 \u201cSorry, Pa,\u201d he apologized, \u201cbut I wanted to finish this today.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss left his chair and hustled to Adam\u2019s side.\u00a0 \u201cWhat is it?\u201d he asked, jerking at the blanket.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not for you, greedy britches,\u201d Adam snorted, pulling the bundle aside.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s for\u2014\u2014for Marie.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie stood, trembling fingers touching her lips.\u00a0 \u201cFor me?\u201d she asked as she walked toward him in a daze.<\/p>\n

\u201cUh-huh,\u201d Adam mumbled, embarrassed by the number of eyes staring at him.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2014I know I haven\u2019t always treated you like I ought.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t want you here in the beginning.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t think we needed you, but I was wrong.\u00a0 We do need you; we all need you\u2014\u2014me, too\u2014\u2014and I tried to tell you, but I guess I said it all wrong.\u00a0 Anyway, I made this to show you, instead.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie had reached him by the time he finished his difficult speech.\u00a0 She pressed her cool hands to his flaming cheeks, and in her moist eyes was a look of sublime joy.\u00a0 \u201cOh, Adam!\u201d she cried.\u00a0 \u201cIt is the best gift you could give me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou ain\u2019t even seen it yet,\u201d Hoss argued.<\/p>\n

Ben laid a hand on the shoulder of each of his sons.\u00a0 \u201cShe means the gift of love, Hoss,\u201d he explained, \u201cthe greatest gift we ever give one another.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I wanna see the other,\u201d Hoss complained.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs do I,\u201d Marie laughed.\u00a0 \u201cPlease show me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam set the object down and lifted the blanket, revealing a small cradle carved with rosebuds on its head.\u00a0 The rosebuds had been painted a delicate pink, their green vines arching graciously across the wood.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, how beautiful!\u201d Marie cried.\u00a0 \u201cYou made this yourself, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUncle Clyde helped,\u201d Adam admitted.\u00a0 \u201cHe carved the rosebuds for me, but I painted them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what you\u2019ve been up to all these days at their place,\u201d Ben said.<\/p>\n

Adam laughed.\u00a0 \u201cWell, you didn\u2019t really think I wanted to see Billy that badly, did you?\u201d\u00a0 Marie had knelt beside the little cradle, and Adam squatted on its opposite side.\u00a0 \u201cI figure you\u2019ll want a bigger bed for upstairs,\u201d he said, \u201cbut you could keep this down here, and the baby could sleep right by the fire and stay nice and warm.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, yes,\u201d Marie said, reaching across to brush back a lock of black hair that had fallen into his eyes.\u00a0 \u201cSuch a thoughtful oldest son I have.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam flushed.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t really think of her as his mother.\u00a0 She seemed too young for that, but \u2018son\u2019 no longer sounded objectionable from her lips.\u00a0 In fact, it sounded kind of nice.\u00a0 Looking up, he saw his father smiling at him and knew whatever breach had existed between them was now erased.\u00a0 They were once again a family, with more love than before because now there was one more person to share it and soon to be another.<\/p>\n

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE<\/p>\n

\u00a0Hoss leaned on the elbow of the blue armchair that Adam had insisted Marie take after supper.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s closer to the fire,\u201d Adam said, \u201cand you chill easier than me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOuch!\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cBest watch your grammar, young man, if you hope to do well at the academy this fall.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam grinned.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re right; I should polish it up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAin\u2019t you makin\u2019 them booties awful small?\u201d Hoss inquired, a worried pucker on his face.<\/p>\n

Ben groaned and slid down in the mauve chair across the room.\u00a0 Where did a father begin to correct grammar that butchered?<\/p>\n

Marie\u2019s knitting needles didn\u2019t miss a loop.\u00a0 \u201cBabies are tiny things, you know, Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAw, no,\u201d Hoss contradicted.\u00a0 \u201cNo brother of mine\u2019s gonna be that teensy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cAnd what makes you so sure this baby will be a boy?\u00a0 God does make them in another variety, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot Cartwrights,\u201d Adam alleged, looking up from his book.\u00a0 \u201cYour folks had nothing but boys, Uncle John just has cousin Will, and\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, if John would stay home once in a while, he\u2019d have more chance of producing a daughter,\u201d Ben scoffed.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you just have boys, Pa,\u201d Adam continued, ignoring his father\u2019s interruption.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I admit Cartwright babies tend to be boys,\u201d Ben smiled, \u201cbut even Cartwrights produce an occasional daughter, and this just might be the time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNope,\u201d Hoss grinned. \u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s gotta be a brother.\u00a0 I need one.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTo push around,\u201d Adam teased.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Hoss denied.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m gonna teach him to milk cows and fish and\u2014\u2014oh, lots of things.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLike swimming?\u201d Adam taunted.<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s lower lip thrust out angrily.\u00a0 Adam knew perfectly well he couldn\u2019t swim, that he was, in fact, terrified of the water, but he didn\u2019t need to bring that up in front of Pa.<\/p>\n

It was Adam, however, who received the rebuke from his father.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s enough teasing,\u201d Ben said, then wagged a playful finger at Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cAs for you, boy, save a few things for your poor old father to teach the little lad.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSee!\u201d Hoss crowed triumphantly.\u00a0 \u201cIt is gonna be a boy!\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie laughed.\u00a0 \u201cI hope so.\u00a0 That is what I want, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, no,\u201d Ben moaned.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m clearly outnumbered.\u00a0 Don\u2019t you think I have sons enough?\u00a0 A sweet, quiet little girl sounds mighty restful for a change.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen you had better pray she does not inherit her mother\u2019s temper,\u201d Marie laughed.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have any names picked out?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust for a boy,\u201d Marie tittered.\u00a0 \u201cI have always been fond of Fran\u00e7ois.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFran\u00e7ois!\u201d Adam hooted.\u00a0 \u201cYou wouldn\u2019t!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam,\u201d Ben cautioned.<\/p>\n

Adam understood that his father meant he shouldn\u2019t hurt Marie\u2019s feelings, but some things were too important to leave to chance.\u00a0 \u201cBut she can\u2019t, Pa,\u201d he protested.\u00a0 \u201cShe can\u2019t saddle him with a name like Fran\u00e7ois; he\u2019d never live it down.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m afraid he\u2019s right, Marie.\u00a0 I foresee a lifetime of fistfights for an American boy with an appellation like that.\u201d\u00a0 He smiled beguilingly at her.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d always hoped to name my next son Joseph, in honor of my father.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s better,\u201d Hoss stated with a firm bob of his head.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I like Joseph,\u201d Marie agreed, \u201cand if it is a girl, I suppose we could call her Josephine.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s smile faded.\u00a0 \u201cI think I\u2019d better start praying for a boy,\u201d he muttered.<\/p>\n

The knitting needles dropped to Marie\u2019s lap.\u00a0 \u201cAnd what is wrong with Josephine?\u201d she demanded, temper flaring.\u00a0 \u201cIf it was good enough for the Empress of France\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s probably too aristocratic for a country girl,\u201d Ben countered.\u00a0 \u201cNow, tell me, young lady, have you given any thought to my suggestion that you hire some help around the house?\u201d\u00a0 He felt a change of subject would be a wise move, but the topic he chose proved more volatile than the one he\u2019d left.<\/p>\n

\u201cBen, I have told you many times,\u201d Marie said hotly, \u201cthat I do not wish another woman in my kitchen.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, let her take over some of your other chores,\u201d Ben urged.\u00a0 The suggestion made perfect sense to his masculine logic, but Marie\u2019s countenance continued to darken.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m concerned that you\u2019re working too hard, Marie,\u201d Ben pressed, \u201cespecially in your condition.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI will not be pregnant much longer,\u201d Marie snapped.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, but a baby means even more work,\u201d Ben argued.<\/p>\n

\u201cBen, I do not wish to hear of this again,\u201d Marie declared, face florid.\u00a0 \u201cI will care for my own children, and it will be a joy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m gonna take over the garden, Pa,\u201d Adam offered, clearly feeling it was time for the intervention of a peacemaker.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, that\u2019ll help,\u201d Ben agreed.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I could stay home from school to help Mama, too,\u201d Hoss suggested.\u00a0 \u201cI wouldn\u2019t mind a bit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben guffawed.\u00a0 \u201cOh, I\u2019m sure you wouldn\u2019t!\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie smiled, her temper drowned by amusement.\u00a0 \u201cBen, he meant well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben shook his head, still laughing.\u00a0 \u201cI know an ulterior motive when I hear one.\u00a0 You stick to your books, boy; you\u2019re none too quick with them as it is.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss plopped down on the broad hearth and leaned on his elbows.\u00a0 Didn\u2019t Pa see that that was the problem?\u00a0 No matter how hard he tried, he always stood at the bottom of his class, and the other kids were more than ready to twit him about it.\u00a0 He had a feeling Pa was gonna be awful disappointed when the final reports came out.<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s attention had moved back to Adam\u2019s idea of planting the garden.\u00a0 \u201cYou have all the seed you need?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, sir,\u201d Adam replied, \u201cbut I figured I could get some more from the Thomases.\u00a0 I thought I\u2019d ride over tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t bother,\u201d his father said.\u00a0 \u201cI have to deliver some cattle to Walter Cosser for the boardinghouse, so I\u2019ll stop by and get your seed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, that means I can start spading up the garden tomorrow,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cIf you get back early enough, I might get some planting done, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll try to,\u201d Ben promised.<\/p>\n

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

Ben smiled with satisfaction as he rode toward the tree-lined banks of the Carson River.\u00a0 He\u2019d gotten a good price for his cattle from Walter Cosser, but the real reason for his contentment was the appearance of the cottonwoods.\u00a0 You could always tell spring was coming when the gray-brown limbs of the cottonwood put forth its pale green buds.\u00a0 Soon the air would be filled with snow-white tufts of cottony soft fibers.\u00a0 The cottonwoods\u2019 seedlings might pile against cabin walls like drifts of snow, but their floating flakes signaled that winter was over.\u00a0 Though they sometimes made him sneeze, Ben welcomed them as a harbinger of spring; he was ready for sunny days again.<\/p>\n

He rode easy in his saddle, in no hurry to reach the Thomases.\u00a0 It felt good to ride slowly, at peace with the world, no worries to drive him on.\u00a0 Adam might be in a rush to get his seed in the ground, but Ben didn\u2019t care if the garden waited until tomorrow.\u00a0 Besides, Adam had some seed at home to start with.<\/p>\n

As Ben neared the river, he heard raucous laughter, almost drowning out another sound, the cry of a creature in pain.\u00a0 He spurred his bay forward, topping a rise and looking down on a scene that chilled him, despite the warmth of the day.\u00a0 Hanging by his pigtail from the arching limb of a cottonwood was an Oriental, no doubt one of the Chinese Reese had imported to dig his ditches.\u00a0 Swinging him back and forth between them were three miners in rough red flannel shirts.\u00a0 One drew back his boot and rammed its toe into the side of the little man dangling in the tree.\u00a0 The Chinaman screamed with pain as his limp body swayed at the end of his hair.<\/p>\n

Face filled with fury, Ben charged down the slope to the river and flew off his horse, landing on the back of the man with the heavy boots.\u00a0 Then two miners were on top of him.\u00a0 Ben pushed them back and swung around, fists flying.\u00a0 Three against one were daunting odds, but Ben had seen tougher brutes than this in his days at sea.\u00a0 He felt confident he could handle the ruffians; they couldn\u2019t be brave men, anyway, or they\u2019d not find sport in tormenting so helpless a target.<\/p>\n

Ben decked one of his assailants, but the other two came after him with narrowed eyes and pumping arms.\u00a0 As blows rained on Ben\u2019s face, a cut appeared over one eye, bruises on his cheeks, but Ben inflicted as much damage as he endured.\u00a0 Driving a hard punch into one man\u2019s midriff, Ben saw the miner crumple to the ground and turned his attention to the remaining antagonist.<\/p>\n

Seeing himself left alone to deal with the irate rancher, the miner stumbled backward, raising his hands protectively.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s your beef, mister?\u201d he yelled.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s just a Chinee.\u00a0 Caught him jumpin\u2019 our claim.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWere you claim jumping, boy?\u201d Ben hollered over his shoulder.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, no jump claim!\u201d\u00a0 the young man cried.\u00a0 \u201cMy claim!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben stepped toward the miner.\u00a0 \u201cWe seem to have a difference of opinion here.\u00a0 Don\u2019t you have a miners\u2019 court to settle this kind of thing?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo one take the word of a Chinee over a white man!\u201d the miner snorted.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s the matter with you, mister?\u00a0 Ain\u2019t you got sense enough to stand with your own kind?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben turned purple.\u00a0 His own kind!\u00a0 The day he considered a coarse, bigoted bully his kind was the day he\u2019d lose all self-respect.\u00a0 He charged forward, grabbing the miner by his shirt collar.\u00a0 \u201cGet out!\u201d\u00a0 he shouted, thrusting the man ahead of him.\u00a0 \u201cTake these other louts with you, and if you ever bedevil this boy again, you\u2019ll answer to Ben Cartwright!\u00a0 I make myself clear?\u201d\u00a0 He shoved the man to the ground.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, clear enough,\u201d the man panted.\u00a0 He stood up, dusting off his britches.\u00a0 \u201cDanged yeller-lover,\u201d he spewed as he stalked past Ben and helped his two cohorts to their feet.<\/p>\n

\u201cGo on; get out!\u201d Ben yelled again, and the three miners hurried to comply.\u00a0 Ben walked over to the cottonwood, took out his knife and slit the rope tying the Chinaman\u2019s queue to the limb.\u00a0 He slid the youth, who appeared to be in his early twenties, to the ground and knelt beside him.\u00a0 \u201cYou all right, boy?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

Holding his side, the young man groaned.\u00a0 Ben gently lifted the blue tunic and gingerly touched the bruised ribs.\u00a0 \u201cYou need a doctor, son.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo Chinese doctor here,\u201d the boy said.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I\u2019ll take you to my doctor,\u201d Ben offered.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019ll take good care of you.\u201d<\/p>\n

The little Chinaman\u2019s head wagged wildly from side to side.\u00a0 \u201cNo, no white man doctor.\u00a0 No, no.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laid gentle hands on the lad\u2019s slim shoulders.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s all right,\u201d he soothed.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s my friend; he\u2019ll treat you well.\u00a0 You need help, boy.\u201d<\/p>\n

The almond-skinned man continued to shake his head, but, ignoring the gesture, Ben helped him to his feet and assisted him into the saddle.\u00a0 Soon he was knocking on the door of Dr. Martin\u2019s room at Cosser\u2019s boardinghouse.<\/p>\n

Sally opened the door.\u00a0 \u201cOh, Mr. Cartwright,\u201d she said, then paled as she saw the bent form of the young man dressed in blue tunic and loose trousers.\u00a0 \u201cIs he hurt?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d Ben replied.\u00a0 \u201cIs your father here?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, sir, but I expect him soon.\u00a0 He just went up the canyon to treat a miner who struck his foot with a pick,\u201d Sally answered.\u00a0 \u201cBring him in, please.\u201d<\/p>\n

About half an hour later Dr. Martin returned home and began to examine the patient.\u00a0 The slanted eyes were white with terror, but once the Chinaman saw the doctor meant to help, not hurt, he calmed down and let the doctor tape his broken ribs.\u00a0 \u201cThey\u2019re just cracked,\u201d Paul informed Ben, \u201cbut the boy should rest quietly for several days.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll see him home,\u201d Ben said.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot \u2018til I stitch that cut over your eye,\u201d Paul ordered sternly.\u00a0 \u201cThe idea of a man your age picking a fight with three burly miners.\u00a0 Didn\u2019t it occur to you they might do more damage than I could repair?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNever entered my mind.\u00a0 You see the confidence I place in you as a physician,\u201d Ben joked, then winced as the doctor swiped the open wound with alcohol.\u00a0 \u201cOf course, maybe it was misplaced.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cQuit whimpering,\u201d Paul scolded.\u00a0 \u201cYou didn\u2019t see this boy carrying on like a baby, and he\u2019s hurt worse than you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere\u2019s your folks, boy?\u201d Ben asked as the doctor closed the cut with expert sutures.\u00a0 \u201cOver to Chinatown?\u201d\u00a0 When the mines in Gold Canyon seemed to be petering out, the white miners had deserted them for more promising ground, but the diligent Chinese, many of them deserters from Reese\u2019s work crew, managed to eke out a living from the abandoned claims.\u00a0 So many of them had moved into the area around Spafford Hall\u2019s old station that it was now known as Chinatown.<\/p>\n

But the young Oriental shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cNo folks,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cHop Sing go you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUh-oh,\u201d Paul smiled, standing back to admire his work.\u00a0 \u201cI foresee a problem.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben frowned at him.\u00a0 \u201cNow, Hop Sing\u2014\u2014that your name, boy?\u201d<\/p>\n

The Chinaman beamed.\u00a0 \u201cDat light.\u00a0 Hop Sing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, now, Hop Sing,\u201d Ben began again, \u201cyou\u2019ll be much happier among your own people.\u00a0 Surely, there\u2019s someone who could look after you.\u00a0 A friend, a partner?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hop Sing shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cHop Sing have no one.\u00a0 Go you, pay debt.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, no,\u201d Ben protested.\u00a0 \u201cYou don\u2019t owe me anything, young fellow.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOwe life,\u201d Hop Sing declared indignantly.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s not far wrong,\u201d Dr. Martin observed, folding his arms.\u00a0 \u201cMany more blows to his ribcage, and he could have had a punctured lung.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hop Sing nodded in vigorous agreement.\u00a0 \u201cOwe life,\u201d he repeated.\u00a0 \u201cNot pay debt, lose face.\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul started to laugh.\u00a0 \u201cI think you\u2019re stuck, Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben threw up his hands.\u00a0 \u201cWhat am I supposed to do with him?\u00a0 The boy\u2019s welcome to stay at the ranch until he\u2019s well, of course, but he doesn\u2019t strike me as much of a cowhand.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHop Sing velly good cook, velly good houseboy,\u201d the Oriental proclaimed.\u00a0 \u201cYou see, Mistah Cahtlight.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat I\u2019d like to see is Marie\u2019s face when you bring home this little surprise,\u201d Dr. Martin chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cWhat are the chances of being invited to supper tonight?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSlim, doctor, mighty slim,\u201d Ben muttered, scowling his contempt for his friend\u2019s ill-timed attack of humor.<\/p>\n

Unable to think of another alternative, Ben helped Hop Sing into the saddle and mounted behind him again.\u00a0 The young Chinaman chattered constantly as they rode toward the Ponderosa.\u00a0 Ben answered the numerous questions about his ranch and family, but between his curt responses he pondered the problem of how to tell his wife she had inherited a houseboy.\u00a0 There wasn\u2019t any easy way to say it, either; he\u2019d just have to tell her straight out and wait for the rafters to crack. \u00a0Of course, Clarence Williams was a master builder.\u00a0 The roof might<\/em> hold.<\/p>\n

He dropped Hop Sing at the side of the barn.\u00a0 \u201cNow, you wait outside until I\u2019ve had a chance to break the news to Mrs. Cartwright.\u00a0 You understand, Hop Sing?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHop Sing unnastand English velly good, Mistah Cahtlight,\u201d the young man declared proudly.\u00a0 \u201cSpeakee good, too, you see.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, yeah, real good,\u201d Ben muttered, rolling his eyes in an appeal to heaven.<\/p>\n

Wondering how he\u2019d broach the subject, Ben entered the front door with a tentative step.\u00a0 The only one in sight was Adam.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re late,\u201d the boy chided.\u00a0 \u201cWe expected you hours ago.\u201d\u00a0 The boy\u2019s black eyes snapped wide.\u00a0 \u201cWhat happened?\u201d he demanded.<\/p>\n

\u201cHuh?\u201d Ben asked, then all at once it hit him.\u00a0 He had no hope of sneaking up on the subject with his face clearly testifying to the fight he\u2019d been in.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s nothing, Adam,\u201d he said, palm raised to shush the boy.<\/p>\n

But Adam was already raising the alarm.\u00a0 \u201cMarie!\u201d he yelled.\u00a0 \u201cPa\u2019s hurt!\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie flew in from the kitchen.\u00a0 \u201cOh, Ben!\u201d she cried, running to caress his battered face between her hands.<\/p>\n

Ben pulled her hands away.\u00a0 \u201cNow, now, it\u2019s nothing, my love.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing!\u201d Marie protested.\u00a0 \u201cLook at your poor face.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou been fighting, Pa?\u201d Adam demanded.<\/p>\n

Hoss came barreling down the stairs.\u00a0 \u201cPa!\u201d he hollered.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben moaned.\u00a0 \u201cAnother country heard from.\u00a0 Now, listen, all of you.\u00a0 I\u2019m all right.\u00a0 I did get into a scuffle, but Doc Martin patched me up.\u00a0 No harm done.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou said fighting was no way to solve a problem,\u201d Adam reprimanded.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, it can\u2019t always be avoided,\u201d Ben snapped.\u00a0 Suddenly, he was standing in a pool of silence.\u00a0 \u201cLook, I\u2019m sorry,\u201d he said, \u201cbut you\u2019re all leaping on me before I\u2019ve had a chance to explain.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, Ben, you are right,\u201d Marie said.\u00a0 \u201cCome, boys, let us all sit down and let your father speak without interruption.\u201d<\/p>\n

The boys moved to the fireplace and sat side by side on the hearth while Marie escorted Ben to the mauve armchair.\u00a0 \u201cNow tell us what has happened,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Before Ben could respond a sharp rap sounded on the door.\u00a0 Ben groaned.\u00a0 Not yet.\u00a0 He\u2019d told the boy to wait.\u00a0 He stood quickly, face flushed.\u00a0 \u201cNow, Marie, don\u2019t be upset,\u201d he cautioned.\u00a0 \u201cI wanted to prepare you first, but I think I\u2019d better let the boy in before he beats down the door.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBoy?\u00a0 What boy?\u201d Marie queried.<\/p>\n

Ben didn\u2019t answer, just scurried to the door and opened it to admit Hop Sing, who bowed deeply.\u00a0 \u201cI wait long time, Mistah Cahtlight,\u201d he chided.\u00a0 \u201cYou not come.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot long enough,\u201d Ben muttered under his breath.\u00a0 Aloud, he said, \u201cCome in, Hop Sing, and meet my family.\u201d\u00a0 He pointed to the perplexed woman standing by the fire.\u00a0 \u201cThis is Mrs. Cartwright and those are my two boys, Adam and Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hop Sing beamed.\u00a0 \u201cVelly happy meet you, Missy.\u00a0 Velly happy be part of Pondelosa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPart of Ponderosa?\u201d Marie babbled, her emerald eyes raised questioningly to Ben.<\/p>\n

Ben put on his bravest smile.\u00a0 \u201cA surprise,\u201d he offered boldly.\u00a0 \u201cSomeone to help around the house.\u00a0 You said you didn\u2019t want another woman in your kitchen.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo you bring a man?\u00a0 Oh, Ben!\u201d Marie shrieked.<\/p>\n

Alarm flew into Hop Sing\u2019s face.\u00a0 \u201cOh, Missy,\u201d he cried.\u00a0 \u201cHop Sing velly good houseboy, you see.\u00a0 Cook, clean, ev\u2019lyting.\u201d\u00a0 He stared at her protruding belly.\u00a0 \u201cYou need help, Missy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie could only stare at him, speechless.\u00a0 Choosing to take her silence for acquiescence, Hop Sing looked around the room.\u00a0 \u201cWhere kitchen, please?\u00a0 I fixee good dinner light away.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2014I\u2019ve already started dinner,\u201d Marie whispered.<\/p>\n

\u201cUh, Adam, why don\u2019t you show Hop Sing to the kitchen?\u201d Ben suggested hastily.\u00a0 \u201cI need a moment with Marie.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019ll take more than one,\u201d Adam grinned, hopping up.\u00a0 Ben scowled at him, but Adam knew his father was in too much trouble of his own to take him to task for his sass.\u00a0 \u201cCome on, Hop Sing,\u201d he said.\u00a0 As he led the Chinaman to the kitchen, Hoss fell into line behind them.\u00a0 He was fond of his mother\u2019s cooking and felt obligated to see that the intruder didn\u2019t do anything to ruin it.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, Marie,\u201d Ben began, \u201cif you\u2019ll please sit down, I can explain.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI doubt you can do so to my satisfaction, monsieur<\/em>,\u201d she declared, flaring her skirt over the sofa arm as she plopped down on the cushion.<\/p>\n

Ben sat on the table Clyde had made and took both her hands.\u00a0 As quickly as he could, he described seeing Hop Sing dangling from the cottonwood, told her about the fight, the trip to see Dr. Martin and Hop Sing\u2019s insistence on returning to the Ponderosa with Ben as repayment of the debt he felt he owed.<\/p>\n

As she listened, the fire drained from Marie\u2019s eyes.\u00a0 \u201cSo you did not really plan this, to bring me a man because I did not want a woman\u2019s help?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood lands, no!\u201d Ben protested.\u00a0 \u201cMarie, dearest, I wouldn\u2019t.\u00a0 I just didn\u2019t know what else to do with the boy.\u00a0 He says he has no where to go, and the doctor says he needs rest.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLike cooking and cleaning?\u201d Marie smiled.\u00a0 \u201cIf you think that is restful, mon mari<\/em>, you may try it yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve done it many times,\u201d Ben reminded her with an upraised eyebrow.\u00a0 \u201cThe work is the boy\u2019s idea, his way of saying thanks.\u00a0 Now, I figure if we let him do a little work around the place, he\u2019ll consider the debt repaid and go back to his own people.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I don\u2019t know, Ben,\u201d Marie murmured.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t deny you could use some help cleaning this big house,\u201d Ben smiled.<\/p>\n

Marie laughed.\u00a0 \u201cNo, I won\u2019t deny it.\u00a0 I am so slow these days that there is always work I cannot finish, but\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen let the boy help out a few days,\u201d Ben suggested.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019ll be good for both of you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I will try,\u201d Marie agreed, standing, \u201cbut now I must return to the kitchen to check on dinner\u2014\u2014my<\/em> kitchen, I remind you, monsieur<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Over the next few days it became maddeningly apparent that the kitchen no longer belonged to Marie.\u00a0 Hop Sing had taken over\u2014\u2014lock, stock and cooking pot.\u00a0 He deferred to Mrs. Cartwright\u2019s right to plan the meals, but demanded the preparation be left to him.\u00a0 He did not, of course, know how to prepare all the family\u2019s favorite dishes, but he was a quick learner.\u00a0 \u201cI have only to show him once, Ben,\u201d Marie reported, \u201cand he knows what to do.\u201d\u00a0 And once he knew, Hop Sing tolerated no help in the kitchen.<\/p>\n

Soon he\u2019d taken over the laundry, as well.\u00a0 This time Marie made no protest.\u00a0 Though nowhere near as large as Inger or even Elizabeth had been at this stage, her advancing pregnancy made bending over a washtub uncomfortable and lifting clothes heavy with water an agony.\u00a0 She willingly delegated the detested chore to her new houseboy.<\/p>\n

As if he hadn\u2019t already proven himself useful enough, Hop Sing began bringing a tray of coffee and toast to Ben and Marie\u2019s bedroom each morning.\u00a0 \u201cI feel like a princess,\u201d Marie giggled as, propped against her pillow, she munched a slice of toast spread with marmalade.<\/p>\n

Beside her, Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cNot such a bad idea I had, hiring that boy, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was not your idea, as I recall,\u201d Marie smiled, \u201cbut, no, not a bad one.\u00a0 He spoils me, hardly letting me lift a finger.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood,\u201d Ben said, raising the appendages she\u2019d mentioned to his lips.\u00a0 \u201cThese fingers are too beautiful to be ruined by work, my princess.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA little work will not hurt even a pregnant princess,\u201d Marie tittered.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo knit another pair of booties,\u201d Ben laughed as he drained his cup and slid out of bed.<\/p>\n

\u201cA pink pair, perhaps?\u201d Marie teased.\u00a0 \u201cFor our little Josephine?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben moaned.\u00a0 His wife had the memory of an elephant.<\/p>\n

While Marie felt some frustration at the usurpation of her traditional roles by Hop Sing, Ben was sure her discomfort was nothing compared to the abuse he was enduring from their friends.\u00a0 Dr. Martin, frequently too busy to come for his traditional Saturday night dinner and chess match, somehow managed to work in a visit the first Saturday after Hop Sing\u2019s enthronement as king of the kitchen.\u00a0 Sitting catercorner to Ben, Paul had smirked at him throughout the meal as Hop Sing scurried around the table, making certain each person\u2019s plate and coffee cup remained filled.\u00a0 \u201cJust what you need,\u201d Paul teased, \u201csomeone to bully you into a hearty appetite.\u201d\u00a0 He gave Hoss, seated on his left, a solid squeeze.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve been worried about this scrawny child, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cScrawny child,\u201d Ben snuffled.\u00a0 \u201cScrawny as a bag of potatoes that one is.\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul laughed, then nodded toward Marie.\u00a0 \u201cThis one on the other hand could use a bit of fattening.\u00a0 Not having morning sickness at this late stage, are you, Marie?\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie shook her head.\u00a0 \u201cNo, that ended months ago, and my appetite is healthy, Monsieur<\/em> Doctor.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hop Sing, moving behind her chair, frowned.\u00a0 \u201cMissy need eat more, eat for two now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAbsolutely right, Hop Sing,\u201d Dr. Martin pontificated with twitching lips.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m putting you in charge of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hop Sing stood as tall as his diminutive stature would permit.\u00a0 \u201cHop Sing take velly good charge,\u201d he vowed and disappeared into the kitchen.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow look what you\u2019ve done,\u201d Ben scolded.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t we have enough problems without your going out of your way to create them?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMe?\u201d Paul Martin protested.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re the one who cut him down from that cottonwood.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Daddy, don\u2019t be mean,\u201d Sally chided from across the table.\u00a0 \u201cAs if you\u2019d have just left the poor little man there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI might have,\u201d her father said, \u201ccowardly as it seems.\u00a0 I\u2019d think twice before I\u2019d risk leaving my child an orphan.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere wasn\u2019t that much risk involved,\u201d Ben argued.\u00a0 \u201cBullies tend to be cowards themselves, doctor.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe,\u201d Paul conceded, patting his lips with a white linen napkin.\u00a0 For guests, Marie always laid out her finest damask tablecloth and sparkling crystal.\u00a0 \u201cMarie, you look quite well, but as long as I\u2019m here, it wouldn\u2019t hurt to see how things are coming along.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d appreciate that,\u201d Ben said, then scowled teasingly at his friend.\u00a0 \u201cMake it almost worth putting up with you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHumph!\u00a0 You\u2019re just peeved because you know you\u2019re about to lose another game of chess,\u201d Paul snorted as he escorted Marie into the downstairs bedroom for a brief exam.<\/p>\n

By the time they came out, Ben had the chessboard set up on the table Hop Sing had quickly cleared.\u00a0 \u201cHow is she?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am fine, Ben,\u201d Marie assured him.<\/p>\n

Ben arched an eyebrow.\u00a0 \u201cI wasn\u2019t asking you, my dear.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s fine, Ben,\u201d Paul smiled, \u201ca little smaller than I\u2019d expect at this stage, but that\u2019s just her build, I think.\u00a0 The baby is undoubtedly small, too, but he has a sturdy kick and seems very active.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCan I feel him kick?\u201d Hoss asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cMais oui<\/em>,\u201d Marie said, beckoning him forward.<\/p>\n

Hoss laid his palm flat on his mother\u2019s belly.\u00a0 \u201cOh, ho!\u201d he hooted.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s no kick; he\u2019s just squirming around.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie reached down to tickle his stomach.\u00a0 \u201cIf you could feel it as I do, you would think otherwise, mon cher<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cReady for a walloping?\u201d Ben asked, gesturing toward the chessboard.<\/p>\n

\u201cReady to give one,\u201d Paul announced, raising his eyebrow in imitation of Ben\u2019s favorite expression.<\/p>\n

The two friends sat down to amiable rivalry, while Adam entertained Sally with the latest song he\u2019d learned on the guitar.\u00a0 Marie sat on the sofa, Hoss\u2019s head in her lap, as the soft music gently lulled the younger boy to sleep.\u00a0 The evening ended without further chiding, however playful.<\/p>\n

Dr. Martin\u2019s humorous response to the new member of the Cartwright household was gentle compared to the scornful words with which the Thomases reproached Ben when the Cartwrights arrived for Sunday dinner the next day.\u00a0 Adam had ridden over to their place the day following Hop Sing\u2019s arrival to get the seed his father had had no time to obtain, so both Clyde and Nelly already knew about the Chinaman\u2019s presence at the Ponderosa.\u00a0 Both freely voiced their fierce opposition.<\/p>\n

\u201cMust\u2019ve been out riding without your hat that day,\u201d Clyde sputtered.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow\u2019s that?\u201d Ben demanded.<\/p>\n

\u201cSun-touched,\u201d Clyde snorted.\u00a0 \u201cOnly explanation for lettin\u2019 one of them filthy Chinee in your house.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe looked clean to me,\u201d Hoss offered, his small face screwing up with puzzlement.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe is,\u201d Ben snapped.\u00a0 Hoss hunkered down in his chair, not understanding that his father\u2019s wrath was not directed at him.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s got into you, Clyde?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve heard how them Chinaboys do laundry,\u201d Nelly put in.\u00a0 \u201cSprayin\u2019 clothes straight out of the mouth is as filthy a habit as I ever heard of.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Ben admitted, \u201cbut we put a stop to that first thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHop Sing knows he must do things the American way or leave,\u201d Marie added.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe girl\u2019s hit on the real problem,\u201d Clyde said.\u00a0 \u201cThem Johns ain\u2019t American nor likely to be.\u00a0 They got foreign ways.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLike Mormons?\u201d Ben smiled.\u00a0 The Mormons were the only other group Ben could remember Clyde\u2019s showing such prejudice against.\u00a0 Well, them and the Indians.\u00a0 Clyde had never forgotten the Paiute arrow that had lamed his leg.<\/p>\n

But Clyde refused to see any humor in Ben\u2019s remark.\u00a0 \u201cWorse than Mormons, even,\u201d he alleged.\u00a0 \u201cMormons may overdo family by a wife or two, but Chinamen don\u2019t go for family at all.\u00a0 Ain\u2019t a woman among \u2018em.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd that ain\u2019t natural,\u201d Nelly added.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, that\u2019s ridiculous,\u201d Ben scoffed.\u00a0 \u201cHow many white men came west alone during the gold rush?\u00a0 It\u2019s no different with these Orientals.\u00a0 They came here to make their fortune and take it home to their families.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTake it out of the country,\u201d Clyde accused, \u201cnot back East like the forty-niners.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s true,\u201d Ben agreed, \u201cMaybe the government should do something about that, but it\u2019s no reason to call hard-working men unnatural or to act like they have something against family life.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, maybe not,\u201d Nelly conceded.\u00a0 \u201cI worry about their heathen ways, though, Ben.\u00a0 With a new baby in the house, especially.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss sat up quickly.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2014he wouldn\u2019t hurt my baby brother, would he?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, son, of course not,\u201d Ben assured him.\u00a0 He turned back to Clyde and Nelly.\u00a0 \u201cLook, my friends, you\u2019ll be coming to dinner next Sunday.\u00a0 See for yourselves what a fine, decent young man Hop Sing is.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I don\u2019t know,\u201d Nelly fretted.<\/p>\n

\u201cAw, Ma, come on,\u201d Billy urged.\u00a0 \u201cI got a yen to taste some of that Chinee cookin\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t wait to see the expression on Billy\u2019s face when Hop Sing served up Yankee Pot Roast.<\/p>\n

A week later the Thomases left the Ponderosa somewhat ameliorated.\u00a0 \u201cI reckon he\u2019s decent enough,\u201d Nelly commented as Clyde helped her into their wagon that afternoon.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor a Chinee,\u201d Clyde groused.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t like admitting he was wrong after the strong words he\u2019d used earlier.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll the same,\u201d Nelly continued, frowning at Clyde\u2019s interruption, \u201cI\u2019ll expect you to be callin\u2019 me when it\u2019s time for the baby to come.\u00a0 You can\u2019t let this yeller play midwife to our little girl, Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought I\u2019d leave that role to Paul Martin,\u201d Ben chuckled.<\/p>\n

\u201cGet in this wagon, Billy,\u201d Clyde yelled.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve taken about all the Cartwright sass I can handle for one day.\u201d\u00a0 He sounded irritated, but the amiable wave of his hand as he drove off told Ben and Marie he was joking.<\/p>\n

As the weeks passed, with both Dr. Martin and the Thomases making repeated visits to the Ponderosa, Hop Sing\u2019s slippers shuffling around the table soon seemed as natural as the boots of Ben\u2019s ranch hands stirring up dust elsewhere on the ranch.\u00a0 A good thing, too, for the young Chinaman showed no inclination to leave.\u00a0 Ben may have considered his rescue of the little Oriental a debt easily and quickly repaid, but in Hop Sing\u2019s eyes a saved life merited a lifetime of service.\u00a0 Though the Cartwrights wouldn\u2019t realize it for some time, the Chinese houseboy had become a permanent addition to the Ponderosa.<\/p>\n

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX<\/p>\n

\u00a0Adam smoothed crumbled earth over the pumpkin seeds he\u2019d just dropped into the ground, stood and wiped his brow.\u00a0 He\u2019d already planted watermelons and cucumbers that afternoon and hoped to replant a new stand of beans before suppertime.\u00a0 Thirsty, he walked to the edge of the garden plot and took a long swig from his canteen.\u00a0 The water was lukewarm now, but it helped.<\/p>\n

Adam dropped into the scant shade of a nearby birch and sighed.\u00a0 At times like this he almost regretted offering to tend the garden for Marie.\u00a0 Today was the kind of day a fellow liked to spend in the saddle, sniffing the blossom-scented breeze, letting its gentle touch cool his sweating body.\u00a0 Still, Marie shouldn\u2019t be the one out here sweltering under a hot sun.\u00a0 Not with the baby due in just six weeks, according to Dr. Martin.\u00a0 Besides, Adam figured he owed her for all the misery he\u2019d caused her before.<\/p>\n

Responsibility was nothing new to Adam.\u00a0 It seemed as rooted in his nature as the onions and potatoes he\u2019d planted a month earlier now were in the garden.\u00a0 So, once he\u2019d rested a short while, he trudged back to the broken earth, determined to do his duty.\u00a0 He had another incentive besides his admirable sense of responsibility: Spring roundup was scheduled to begin in about two weeks, and Adam hoped to have the garden in good enough shape to let it lie while he took on the more satisfying role of wrangler.\u00a0 Any weeding that needed to be done could easily be delegated to Hoss, who\u2019d be out of school by then.<\/p>\n

Adam looked up, surprised to see his younger brother riding toward him.\u00a0 Usually, Hoss headed straight for the house to get his chores and homework done early after snacking on milk and cookies.\u00a0 Of course, this was the last full day of school, with only the closing program tomorrow night remaining, so there wouldn\u2019t be any homework.\u00a0 \u201cHey!\u201d Adam saluted his brother as the younger boy slid off his gray mare.\u00a0 \u201cCome to give me hand?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUnh-uh,\u201d Hoss said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2014I think I got troubles, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam stepped carefully over the row of lettuce at the edge of the garden.\u00a0 \u201cWhat kind of troubles?\u201d he asked, laying an arm across Hoss\u2019s sturdy shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cThose Mormon boys still ragging you about being a gentile?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure,\u201d Hoss said, \u201cbut it\u2019s worse than that.\u00a0 F\u2014final reports came out today; I ain\u2019t looked, but I think it\u2019s bad news.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAw, doggone,\u201d Adam sympathized.\u00a0 It wouldn\u2019t sit well with Pa if Hoss had done poorly.\u00a0 \u201cLet me see,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Hoss handed over the envelope and Adam scanned its contents.\u00a0 \u201cWhew!\u201d he whistled.<\/p>\n

Hoss quivered.\u00a0 \u201cBad, huh?\u00a0 Bad enough for a lickin\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPretty bad,\u201d Adam acknowledged.\u00a0 \u201cWhy didn\u2019t you tell me you were having this much trouble?\u00a0 I\u2019d\u2019ve helped with your lessons if I\u2019d known.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I know,\u201d Hoss said, \u201cbut you was sick so long, and I didn\u2019t want to bother you or Mama then.\u00a0 And\u2014and you know how Pa is.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam nodded.\u00a0 Ben Cartwright actually made a good teacher, at least for other people\u2019s children.\u00a0 While he never intended to intimidate his own boys, however, he had an uncanny ability to strike them with a fear equaled only by that with which the Israelites faced fiery, smoke-shrouded Mount Sinai.\u00a0 Both Adam and Hoss cringed whenever they failed to meet their father\u2019s expectations, preferring to hide their shortcomings, if possible.\u00a0 Obviously, it wouldn\u2019t be possible this time, and panic was evident in Hoss\u2019s blue eyes.<\/p>\n

Adam gave the younger boy a comforting rub on the shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cLook, it\u2019ll be all right,\u201d he promised.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll talk to Pa first and try to calm him down before he lights into you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWould you, Adam?\u201d Hoss pleaded, throwing his arms around the older boy\u2019s waist.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re the best big brother in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cHelp me finish planting these beans, then we\u2019ll head for the house.\u00a0 You can hightail it upstairs to clean up and I\u2019ll find Pa and talk this over man-to-man.\u201d<\/p>\n

Looking like a load of grain had been lifted from his shoulders, Hoss eagerly grabbed a handful of bean seed and followed Adam into the garden.<\/p>\n

Ben led his bay into the barn that evening, tired from his day\u2019s work.\u00a0 Hearing a step behind him, he turned.\u00a0 \u201cOh, Adam,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cStable my horse for me, will you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, glad to,\u201d Adam agreed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m gonna catch thirty winks before supper,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m beat.\u201d\u00a0 He headed for the door.<\/p>\n

\u201cUh, Pa?\u201d Adam began tentatively.\u00a0 \u201cI need to talk to you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben stretched to work the kinks from his back.\u00a0 \u201cCan it keep?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t think so,\u201d Adam muttered, mouth twisted.\u00a0 It was a risk, of course, talking about Hoss\u2019s troubles while Pa was tired, but Adam didn\u2019t think the little fellow could handle shivering under a cloud of descending doom much longer.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right, what is it?\u201d Ben asked, brushing at the dust on his pants.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa, you\u2014you know what a good-hearted boy Hoss is,\u201d Adam began.\u00a0 \u201cAs good a boy as a man could hope to have.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBoth my boys are,\u201d Ben said, folding his arms and gazing carefully into Adam\u2019s nervous face.\u00a0 \u201cWant to tell me what the soft soap\u2019s for?\u201d<\/p>\n

The boy winced.\u00a0 How did Pa always manage to read him so easily?\u00a0 Well, no sense holding back the dismal news.\u00a0 \u201cHoss got his final report today, Pa,\u201d Adam said.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot a good one, is that it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir, that\u2019s it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd sent you to face me with it instead of coming himself?\u201d Ben asked.\u00a0 \u201cThat doesn\u2019t bode well.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI volunteered,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cI figure it to be my fault, as much as his, that he didn\u2019t make out the way you\u2019d like.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben arched an eyebrow.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d be interested to know how you figure that, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir.\u201d\u00a0 Adam took a deep breath.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s like this, Pa: we all knew Hoss was having a hard time, but when I was helping him every day, he managed to keep up.\u00a0 Then I took sick and he had to go on by himself.\u00a0 After I got better, I got wrapped up in making that cradle and then with the garden and just never gave a thought to whether Hoss needed help.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s face eased.\u00a0 \u201cI see your point, son.\u00a0 I guess we all got caught up in other concerns and just assumed Hoss was getting along all right.\u00a0 There\u2019s no need for you to assume the blame, however; you couldn\u2019t help getting sick.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, but afterwards\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, son, if there\u2019s blame to be cast, it falls on me.\u00a0 I should have taken a more regular interest in his marks,\u201d Ben said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s scared you\u2019re gonna lick him, Pa,\u201d Adam said.<\/p>\n

Ben smiled.\u00a0 \u201cNot if he\u2019s done his best.\u00a0 That\u2019s all I ever ask of you boys, you know that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam nodded, though he entertained a certain degree of doubt.\u00a0 What his father said was probably true; the rub came in trying to determine what Ben Cartwright considered a boy\u2019s best.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere is your brother?\u201d Ben asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn his room getting washed up for supper,\u201d Adam replied.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd doing the most thorough job of his life, I\u2019d wager,\u201d Ben chuckled.<\/p>\n

\u201cProbably,\u201d Adam grinned, satisfied with the way he\u2019d smoothed things over for Hoss.\u00a0 If Pa was laughing, he likely wouldn\u2019t be too hard on the boy.<\/p>\n

Ben entered the house only to be met by a flustered Marie.\u00a0 \u201cBen, I am worried,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cHoss has not returned from school, and he has never been so late before.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben gave her a reassuring kiss.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s here, Marie, probably snuck up the back way.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut why?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBad report card,\u201d Ben whispered.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m going up to talk to him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBe gentle, Ben,\u201d Marie murmured.<\/p>\n

Ben frowned slightly.\u00a0 Why did everyone act as if he were some sort of tyrannical ogre?\u00a0 Compared to his own father, he was leniency personified.\u00a0 He walked up the stairs and rapped on Hoss\u2019s door before entering.\u00a0 \u201cI understand you have a report to show me,\u201d he said when he stood face to face with Hoss.<\/p>\n

Hoss, whites of his eyes showing, gave two slow, solemn nods.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, let\u2019s see it,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 Hoss handed him the report and bit his lip as Ben read it.\u00a0 It was worse than Ben had suspected; a failing mark was printed beside practically every subject.\u00a0 \u201cThis isn\u2019t good, Hoss,\u201d he said, returning the paper to his son.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, sir,\u201d Hoss said, his voice shaking.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI have only one question,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cDid you do your absolute best?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss shuffled uneasily from foot to foot.\u00a0 \u201cWell, I did try real hard, Pa, but I might could\u2019ve tried a little harder.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled and, sitting on Hoss\u2019s bed, patted the mattress beside him.\u00a0 \u201cI appreciate your honesty, son.\u00a0 That\u2019s more important to me than all the book learning in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss sat next to his father.\u00a0 \u201cPa, I don\u2019t see why I need that book learnin\u2019 anyway.\u00a0 I ain\u2019t no good at it, and I\u2019d a thousand times rather tramp the woods.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause you are good at that?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI am, Pa,\u201d Hoss said proudly.\u00a0 \u201cI know all about birds and squirrels and every kind of flower and tree there is, and nobody had to teach me, either.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, those things come natural to you,\u201d Ben agreed, \u201cbut you\u2019re missing something, son.\u00a0 You see, if a fellow only tackles what comes easy to him, he never grows into a man.\u00a0 Growing up is all about facing challenges.\u00a0 You want to grow up, don\u2019t you, Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, Pa, sure I do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben held the boy close.\u00a0 \u201cThen you\u2019ve got to face the challenge of learning your letters, face it head on, and not give up \u2018til you conquer it, because if you let it conquer you, you\u2019ll do the same with other challenges that come your way later on.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir,\u201d Hoss said, \u201cbut I don\u2019t see how I can, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re all here to help you,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cShould have been doing that all along, but in fairness, you should have asked for help before things got this bad, Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir,\u201d Hoss mumbled, looking edgy again.\u00a0 \u201cYou gonna whup me, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cYou deserve some discipline for failing to do your best, but a whipping would be excessive.\u00a0 Instead, I want you to spend an hour each day this summer going over your reader with either Marie or Adam or myself.\u00a0 Maybe by the time school starts again, you\u2019ll be better prepared.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, Pa.\u201d\u00a0 Inside, Hoss was groaning.\u00a0 He\u2019d looked forward to the end of school, to spending his days riding and fishing and playing in the sunshine.\u00a0 Now all that loomed before him was a summer filled with the lessons he loathed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s one other thing, Hoss,\u201d Ben said gravely.\u00a0 Hoss looked up.\u00a0 \u201cSneaking up here the way you did caused your mother to worry that some harm had come to you.\u00a0 You owe her an apology and greater consideration in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, Pa,\u201d Hoss agreed quickly.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll go right down and tell her I\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben tousled his son\u2019s sandy hair.\u00a0 \u201cGood lad, but don\u2019t do that just yet.\u00a0 I saw some lovely wildflowers blooming just down the east slope.\u00a0 Why don\u2019t you run pick some for your mother?\u00a0 When you\u2019ve offended a lady, it\u2019s always best to come bearing gifts.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know just where they are,\u201d Hoss cried and ran for the door.\u00a0 He hesitated a moment, then turned to face his father.\u00a0 \u201cThanks, Pa,\u201d he said, \u201cfor not being mad at me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben came across the room to hold his son by both shoulders.\u00a0 \u201cAre you that afraid of me, Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss gulped.\u00a0 \u201cNot most times, but\u2014but I know how proud you are of the way Adam does in school, and I wanted you to be proud of me, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben gave the boy a consoling hug.\u00a0 \u201cI am proud of you, Hoss, proud of your gentle ways, your kind heart, your helpfulness\u2014\u2014all the qualities that make you such a special person.\u00a0 You don\u2019t have to be like Adam to earn my respect, boy.\u00a0 Just be your own best self and that\u2019ll be good enough for Pa\u2014\u2014or anyone else whose respect is worth having.\u00a0 Now go pick those flowers.\u00a0 Supper\u2019ll be ready soon.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss grinned and took off down the back stairs.\u00a0 He returned quickly to present Marie with a handful of carefully selected red paint brush, mixed with blue lupine.\u00a0 \u201cThese are for you, Mama,\u201d Hoss said, \u201cto say I\u2019m sorry for worrying you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you, Hoss,\u201d Marie, who had been apprised of Hoss\u2019s difficulties, said gently.\u00a0 \u201cThey are very sweet\u2014\u2014like you.\u00a0 We will put them in water and they shall make our dinner table beautiful.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Marie headed for the kitchen to find a vase, Hoss sat on the hearth and idly rocked the cradle that sat near it.\u00a0 \u201cI wish I could give the baby a present, too,\u201d he sighed, \u201cbut I couldn\u2019t make anything this nice.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam looked up from the book he was reading.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll help you make something, Hoss.\u00a0 How about a rattle?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, that\u2019d be good,\u201d Hoss said.\u00a0 \u201cDo we have time before the baby comes?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPlenty of time,\u201d Ben assured him.\u00a0 \u201cThe baby won\u2019t be here for another month, month and a half.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, thanks, Adam,\u201d Hoss said, dropping his voice to a whisper, \u201cbut let\u2019s keep it a secret.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay,\u201d Adam grinned, lowering his voice conspiratorially.<\/p>\n

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

Marie had just finished discussing the day\u2019s meals with Hop Sing as she did each morning.\u00a0 Passing through the dining room, she smiled at the vase of wildflowers sitting on the table.\u00a0 For the last ten days Hoss had kept her supplied with beautiful blooms.\u00a0 These were beginning to droop a little, so he would likely appear at lunchtime with a fresh handful.<\/p>\n

Marie quickly grabbed for a chair as an unexpected wetness trickled down her thighs.\u00a0 She recognized the feeling, having experienced it once before, but it wasn\u2019t possible.\u00a0 How could her water be breaking now, when the baby wasn\u2019t due for another month?\u00a0 She pressed her hands to her abdomen, as if willing the infant to remain inside for the full nine-months.\u00a0 At least, there were no contractions yet.\u00a0 That was a good sign, wasn\u2019t it?\u00a0 Something was clearly wrong, however, and Marie realized she needed help.<\/p>\n

The two boys were working nearby in the garden now, Adam being anxious to get Hoss trained to take over for him when roundup started at the end of the week, but she couldn\u2019t walk that far.\u00a0 Hop Sing!\u00a0 Of course.\u00a0 He could find the boys and they could go for help.\u00a0 Moving cautiously, Marie returned to the kitchen.\u00a0 \u201cHop Sing,\u201d she whispered.<\/p>\n

The little Chinaman looked irritated.\u00a0 \u201cFood all planned, Missy,\u201d he scolded.\u00a0 \u201cHop Sing have much work.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, but I\u2014I need help, Hop Sing.\u201d<\/p>\n

The irritation dissipated immediately.\u00a0 Obviously, it made all the difference if Missy Cahtlight needed him.\u00a0 \u201cWhat you need, Missy?\u00a0 Cup tea, maybe so?\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie shook her head.\u00a0 \u201cI need you to go to the garden and ask Adam and Hoss to come to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Oriental bristled.\u00a0 \u201cHop Sing houseboy, Missy,\u201d he said with evident offense.\u00a0 Obviously, in Hop Sing\u2019s opinion, houseboys were not required to chase down children and deliver messages.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know, but it\u2019s important,\u201d Marie cried, a tear sliding down her cheek.\u00a0 \u201cSomething is wrong, Hop Sing, and I need them to go for help.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alarm replaced the offense.\u00a0 \u201cWlong, Missy?\u00a0 With baby?\u201d<\/p>\n

Face taut, Marie nodded.\u00a0 \u201cBut don\u2019t tell the boys that.\u00a0 Just say I need them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGo light away,\u201d Hop Sing declared.\u00a0 He ran to the garden, chattering Chinese nervously.\u00a0 When he arrived, he stood at the edge of the garden plot and yelled.\u00a0 \u201cMistah Adam, Mistah Adam\u2014\u2014you come!\u201d<\/p>\n

Frowning, Adam stepped over rows of sprouting plants.\u00a0 What could the man possibly want?\u00a0 \u201cWhat is it?\u201d he asked when he was close enough.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou come house,\u201d Hop Sing dictated.\u00a0 \u201cMissy want you at house.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMe, too?\u201d Hoss, following in Adam\u2019s wake, asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cDat light,\u201d Hop Sing said.\u00a0 \u201cVelly important.\u00a0 You come, please.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s up?\u201d Adam demanded.\u00a0 \u201cWe got work to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou come chop-chop,\u201d Hop Sing demanded with a stamp of his slippered foot.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf Mama wants us, we better,\u201d Hoss said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I guess,\u201d Adam grumbled.\u00a0 Didn\u2019t Marie understand how much he had to do if he was to be free to join the roundup?\u00a0 He and Hoss trudged back to the house but couldn\u2019t see Marie anywhere.\u00a0 Calling her name, Adam mounted the stairs.\u00a0 From the end of the hall he heard her voice, though he couldn\u2019t distinguish the words.\u00a0 It must be coming from her bedroom.<\/p>\n

Adam entered to see Marie taking a nightdress from the armoire.\u00a0 Going to bed in the middle of the morning?\u00a0 That didn\u2019t make sense.\u00a0 Suddenly, Adam\u2019s heart leaped into his throat.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong?\u201d he cried.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d Marie murmured, \u201cbut something.\u00a0 I\u2014I think the baby is trying to come, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut you said not for another month,\u201d Hoss protested from the doorway.\u00a0 \u201cHow\u2019ll I get my rattle finished in time if he comes now?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHush, Hoss,\u201d Adam ordered.\u00a0 He turned back to Marie.\u00a0 \u201cWhat do you want me to do, get Doc Martin?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, yes,\u201d Marie said, \u201cand if Hoss could find your father\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure,\u201d Hoss said quickly.<\/p>\n

\u201cGet going, boy,\u201d Adam said, pointing his finger out the door.\u00a0 Hoss took off for the barn to saddle his horse.\u00a0 Adam glanced back at Marie.\u00a0 \u201cYou need anything before I go?\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie smiled.\u00a0 How thoughtful Adam had grown these last few months!\u00a0 \u201cNo, I am just going to lie down and rest quietly until the doctor comes.\u00a0 That is best, I think.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam bit his lip.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, you rest easy,\u201d he said, then ran down the stairs after Hoss.<\/p>\n

Marie had just slipped into her nightgown when Hop Sing entered, carrying a tray.\u00a0 \u201cBling tea, Missy,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cMake feel better.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie nodded.\u00a0 Yes, a cup of tea did sound relaxing.\u00a0 \u201cJust what I need, Hop Sing,\u201d she whispered.\u00a0 \u201cThank you.\u201d<\/p>\n

The little Chinaman beamed, but as he left, his smooth face grew furrowed.\u00a0 Missy looked worried and that worried him.<\/p>\n

Having a shorter distance to travel, Hoss completed his errand and had his father home again long before Adam arrived with Dr. Martin.\u00a0 Ben went into the bedroom to find Marie weeping into her pillow.\u00a0 \u201cDearest, what\u2019s wrong?\u201d Ben asked, sitting beside her and smoothing her tousled golden hair.<\/p>\n

Marie turned and reached for her husband\u2019s comfort.\u00a0 \u201cOh, Ben,\u201d she sobbed.\u00a0 \u201cMy labor has started and it will not stop.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, no,\u201d Ben moaned.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s wrong with that?\u201d Hoss asked innocently.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t mind gettin\u2019 my baby brother sooner.\u201d<\/p>\n

Moaning in agony, Marie put her hands over her face.<\/p>\n

\u201cShut up, Hoss,\u201d Ben snapped.<\/p>\n

Marie\u2019s hands immediately flew to Ben\u2019s cheeks.\u00a0 \u201cOh, no, Ben,\u201d she rebuked, pressing his face gently between her palms, \u201cyou must not scold; he doesn\u2019t understand.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded.\u00a0 Marie was right, of course.\u00a0 How could a six-year-old understand what a premature birth might mean?<\/p>\n

Marie was reaching her hand toward Hoss now.\u00a0 The boy came forward hesitantly, not sure what he\u2019d said to make his father erupt so harshly.\u00a0 \u201cHoss, would you do one thing more for me?\u201d Marie asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, sure,\u201d the youngster stammered awkwardly.<\/p>\n

\u201cPlease go to Mrs. Thomas and ask her to come.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s face registered surprise.\u00a0 Though Nelly had offered to come\u2014\u2014in fact, demanded it after the introduction of Hop Sing to the household\u2014\u2014Ben had assumed, when the time came, his wife would prefer the company of Laura Ellis, a woman nearer her own age.\u00a0 Come to think of it, though, what his young wife probably needed right now was a motherly presence, and Nelly fit the bill better than Laura.\u00a0 \u201cGo on, Hoss,\u201d he urged.\u00a0 \u201cTell Aunt Nelly that the baby\u2019s coming now and your mother needs her.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir,\u201d Hoss said, leaving the room readily.\u00a0 Something was obviously wrong, and he was glad to do whatever he could to help.\u00a0 Besides, anything was better than staying here where no one would explain anything and might bite your head off if you asked.<\/p>\n

He rode faster than he ever had and reached the Thomas cabin in record time.\u00a0 \u201cAunt Nelly!\u201d he yelled, flopping off his horse and running into the house without knocking.<\/p>\n

Nelly came into the parlor from the kitchen.\u00a0 \u201cLands sakes, Hoss!\u00a0 You give me a scare stormin\u2019 in here like the house was afire.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMama needs you!\u201d Hoss cried.<\/p>\n

Nelly grabbed him by both shoulders.\u00a0 \u201cCalm down, boy, and tell me what\u2019s happened.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d Hoss grumbled.\u00a0 \u201cNobody\u2019ll tell me nothin\u2019, but I\u2019m supposed to tell you the baby\u2019s comin\u2019 now and Mama needs you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, no,\u201d Nelly murmured, removing her apron at once.<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s face screwed up with irritation.\u00a0 Another adult acting like the world was coming to an end just because his baby brother was a little over anxious to come into it.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong with him comin\u2019 now?\u201d Hoss demanded.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Sunshine,\u201d Nelly soothed, folding the boy in her arms.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s dangerous when they come early.\u00a0 The baby may not be full growed, maybe not enough to live.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot live?\u201d Hoss stammered.\u00a0 \u201cY\u2014you mean my little brother might die?\u201d<\/p>\n

Nelly nodded gravely.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll be prayin\u2019 the good Lord keeps him safe, though, Sunshine, so don\u2019t you fret.\u00a0 They sent for the doctor, I reckon?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, Adam\u2019s fetchin\u2019 him,\u201d Hoss replied.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, that\u2019s good; likely he\u2019ll know just what to do,\u201d Nelly said.\u00a0 \u201cNow, you ride on back and tell your folks I\u2019ll be there just soon as I can get Inger ready and my wagon hitched.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll hitch it for you,\u201d Hoss offered.\u00a0 \u201cThen you can leave quicker.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nelly gave his stout shoulder a pat.\u00a0 \u201cNow, that\u2019s good thinkin\u2019, boy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meantime, Dr. Martin had arrived at the Ponderosa and examined Marie.\u00a0 He took her hand consolingly.\u00a0 \u201cNo help for it, Marie; this baby\u2019s determined to see the world now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCan the child survive this early?\u201d Ben asked.<\/p>\n

Paul Martin shrugged his shoulders.\u00a0 \u201cThere are risks, of course, but I\u2019ve heard of infants born earlier than this who survived.\u00a0 It depends mostly on how developed the lungs are.\u00a0 No way to know until the baby\u2019s born, Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie groaned.\u00a0 \u201cThe pain, it is bad, doctor.\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul patted her hand.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s the price women pay for this miracle of life, my dear.\u00a0 You\u2019ll forget it once you hold that sweet child in your arms.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie bit her lips.\u00a0 \u201cIt seems different from the first time.\u00a0 It doesn\u2019t feel right.\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul\u2019s eyes narrowed.\u00a0 Most of his colleagues would have discounted the young mother\u2019s feelings as unscientific evidence, but he had learned that patients often had an uncanny ability to sense when things weren\u2019t right in their own bodies.\u00a0 He wouldn\u2019t tell either of the anxious parents of his concern yet, however; time enough for bad news when it was verified by observation.<\/p>\n

When Hoss arrived back with Nelly, Adam was sitting nervously by the fireplace.\u00a0 \u201cI seen a rig outside; that the doc\u2019s?\u201d Nelly asked him as she untied her bonnet and laid it on the table.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, he\u2019s upstairs with Pa,\u201d Adam reported.\u00a0 \u201cI reckon you can go up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou boys keep an eye on Inger for me,\u201d Nelly said and started up the stairs.\u00a0 She put a cheery smile on her face in the hallway and entered the bedroom after rapping lightly on the door.\u00a0 \u201cHow\u2019s our little girl doin\u2019, doc?\u201d she asked breezily.<\/p>\n

Before Dr. Martin could answer Marie gave a cry of relief and stretched her arms toward Nelly.\u00a0 The older woman hurried to her side and wrapped her in strong, supportive arms.\u00a0 \u201cThere now, honey lamb,\u201d she cooed.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019ll be all right.\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul took Ben\u2019s arm.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s leave the women alone for a while,\u201d he suggested.<\/p>\n

\u201cScoot on out,\u201d Nelly ordered.\u00a0 \u201cThe father shouldn\u2019t be up here in any case.\u00a0 Bad luck for him to watch the birthin\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOld wives\u2019 tale,\u201d Ben muttered as soon as Paul had escorted him into the hall.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, but I wouldn\u2019t pick this time to challenge it,\u201d Paul warned.\u00a0 \u201cWomen can get real irrational during the rigors of labor, so even if one wants to do something as unreasonable as putting a sharp knife under her mattress to cut the pain, I usually go along with it.\u00a0 I don\u2019t have anything better to offer.\u201d\u00a0 He clapped Ben on the shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cHow about a cup of coffee?\u00a0 This could be a long siege, my friend.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded and after an apprehensive glance at the closed door behind them, headed downstairs.\u00a0 Coffee might help them through the hours of waiting, but what would help Marie?<\/p>\n

The boys leaped to their feet when the two men descended the staircase and bombarded them with questions.\u00a0 How was Marie?\u00a0 Would the baby be all right?\u00a0 Was he really coming soon?<\/p>\n

\u201cWhoa, whoa,\u201d Dr. Martin said.\u00a0 \u201cI can\u2019t answer that many questions at once.\u00a0 Truth is, I can\u2019t answer most of them yet; we\u2019ll just have to wait and see.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wait.\u00a0 That\u2019s what they did, hour upon hour.\u00a0 Wait and listen to the anguished cries of pain descending from the room upstairs.\u00a0 Ben paced the floor before the fireplace \u2018til Adam was sure he\u2019d soon rub it right through to the foundation.\u00a0 Occasionally, he\u2019d drain another cup of coffee, which only seemed to increase his nervous agitation and the frenetic urgency of his pacing.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs it always like this?\u201d Hoss whispered to Adam after hearing a particularly sharp scream.\u00a0 To pass the time, his older brother had been helping him finish the rattle for the baby.<\/p>\n

Licking his lips edgily, Adam shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cYour mother didn\u2019t holler like that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hearing the soft discussion, Ben turned and came to kneel beside Adam\u2019s chair.\u00a0 He laid one hand on the older boy\u2019s knee and took Hoss\u2019s hand with the other.\u00a0 \u201cInger was strong,\u201d he explained, \u201ca large, peasant woman she always called herself.\u00a0 She had a lot of pain, too, but it\u2019s harder on Marie because she\u2019s so small and delicate.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLike my mother?\u201d Adam asked nervously.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t forget that his own mother had died in childbirth and had been sitting there for hours worrying that maybe his stepmother might, too.<\/p>\n

Knowing Adam as he did, Ben read the thought without its being expressed.\u00a0 \u201cMarie\u2019s even smaller than she was,\u201d he said honestly, \u201cbut your mother had been ill, Adam.\u00a0 She went into labor already weak.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd Marie\u2019s healthy,\u201d Adam said to reassure himself, but he needed his father\u2019s confirmation.<\/p>\n

Ben read that thought, too, and said at once, \u201cYes, Marie\u2019s healthy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hop Sing set a tureen of soup on the table.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t what he and Mrs. Cartwright had planned for dinner that morning, but the Chinaman reasoned no one would have a large appetite tonight.\u00a0 He did intend, however, to see that everyone ate.\u00a0 \u201cSupper leady now, Mistah Cahtlight,\u201d he announced firmly.\u00a0 \u201cEv\u2019lybody eat now, please.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBe right there, Hop Sing,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t hungry, but thought he should set a good example for the boys.\u00a0 They both complied willingly, but Hoss was less cooperative when Ben announced his bedtime later.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanna stay up \u2018til the baby comes,\u201d Hoss whined.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss, it could be hours,\u201d Ben said patiently.<\/p>\n

\u201cAw, let him stay up,\u201d Adam urged.\u00a0 \u201cWho could sleep through that?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben frowned, but he supposed Adam had a point.\u00a0 In his own room, Hoss would be even closer to his mother\u2019s suffering.\u00a0 Maybe it was better to keep him downstairs.\u00a0 \u201cAll right, Hoss,\u201d he conceded.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll make you a bed here on the sofa.\u00a0 You don\u2019t have to sleep if you\u2019ll lie quiet.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay,\u201d Hoss agreed quickly, feeling lucky to have his father relent even that much.<\/p>\n

Ben had rightly judged that, once settled down and quiet, Hoss would soon sleep.\u00a0 So the younger boy was not awake when Nelly came scurrying down the stairs.\u00a0 \u201cBen,\u201d she said urgently, \u201cthe doc wants to see you.\u201d\u00a0 As Ben started past her, she grabbed his arm.\u00a0 \u201cBen, it\u2019s a breech,\u201d she hissed.<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s face went ashen and he took the stairs two at a time.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s a breech?\u201d Adam asked urgently.\u00a0 Though Nelly had spoken only for Ben\u2019s ears, he had heard.<\/p>\n

\u201cLands, ain\u2019t you seen enough animals birthed to know that?\u201d Nelly asked.<\/p>\n

Adam shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s it mean?\u201d he demanded.<\/p>\n

\u201cBaby\u2019s comin\u2019 out backside first,\u201d Nelly whispered.<\/p>\n

Adam didn\u2019t need anyone to explain what that meant.\u00a0 Though he hadn\u2019t recognized the term, he had seen a calf born that way the previous summer.\u00a0 It had died from lack of oxygen before its head emerged from the birth canal.<\/p>\n

Nelly looked down at Hoss, slumbering peacefully on the sofa, and suddenly remembered her own child.\u00a0 \u201cWhere\u2019s Inger?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n

Adam gestured toward the downstairs bedroom.\u00a0 \u201cPa laid her down in there,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cShe dozed off right after supper.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, that\u2019s good,\u201d Nelly said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll check on her before I go back up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Upstairs, Dr. Martin had drawn Ben into a corner.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s a breech birth, Ben,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cNelly told me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul nodded.\u00a0 He had assumed she would, but he had to be sure Ben understood.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s a breech, and she\u2019s small, Ben.\u00a0 I know it\u2019s hard, but I need you to tell me what to do if worse comes to worst,\u201d the doctor said quietly.\u00a0 \u201cIf it comes to a choice, do you want me to save the mother or the child?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben turned away, unwilling to face the grim possibility.\u00a0 Still, there was only one decision he could make.\u00a0 They could have other children, God willing, but there was only one Marie.\u00a0 \u201cMy wife,\u201d he whispered.\u00a0 \u201cSave her, Paul; keep her alive for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul dropped out of the role of physician momentarily to give his friend an encouraging embrace.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll do all I can\u2014\u2014for both of them.\u00a0 I promise.\u201d\u00a0 Ben nodded and went to his wife, kissing away the tears on her cheeks, but he left when Nelly returned.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t believe old wives\u2019 tales, but he figured they needed all the luck they could muster for the fearful minutes ahead.\u00a0 All the prayer, too.\u00a0 He walked downstairs pleading with God for the lives of his wife and child.<\/p>\n

The wait seemed interminable as Ben stood with his head bowed against the mantel and Adam\u2019s arm consolingly across his back.\u00a0 Marie\u2019s anguished cries grew louder, more frequent.\u00a0 Ben jerked away from the fireplace and held his hands to his ears.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t bear it, couldn\u2019t bear hearing her suffer another moment.\u00a0 Then, suddenly, the air was split with a different cry, sharp and thin, a cry of anger rather than pain.<\/p>\n

Adam started to grin and dashed to the sofa, shaking Hoss\u2019s shoulder before Ben could stop him.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s here,\u201d he told his younger brother.\u00a0 \u201cWake up, sleepyhead.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss sat up, rubbing his eyes.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s here?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam laughed.\u00a0 \u201cThe baby, what else?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben rushed past them and charged up the stairs.\u00a0 Dr. Martin stopped him outside the bedroom door.\u00a0 \u201cGive Nelly a minute to clean him up, Ben,\u201d he said, smiling.\u00a0 \u201cYou have another bouncing baby boy, my friend.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd\u2014and Marie?\u201d Ben pressed.\u00a0 Dear God, let her be all right, too!<\/p>\n

\u201cWeak, exhausted,\u201d Dr. Martin reported, \u201cbut she\u2019ll be all right.\u201d\u00a0 Ben would have collapsed had the doctor not caught him.\u00a0 \u201cThere, there now,\u201d Paul soothed.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s all over.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben panted with relief.\u00a0 \u201cAnd the baby?\u00a0 Is he sound?\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul laughed.\u00a0 \u201cAre you kidding?\u00a0 Didn\u2019t you hear that lusty cry?\u00a0 Nothing wrong with that boy\u2019s lungs.\u201d\u00a0 He gave Ben\u2019s back a hearty pounding.\u00a0 \u201cQuit worrying and get in there, man.\u00a0 Your new son wants to meet you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben grinned, hurried into the room\u2014\u2014and gasped.\u00a0 His wife lay drained against the perspiration-drenched pillow, but in her arms she held the tiniest, but most beautiful baby Ben had ever seen.\u00a0 Hoss and Adam had both been born virtually bald, but this little one\u2019s head was covered with soft, golden brown hair.\u00a0 And from his delicate, handsome face peered a set of emerald eyes exactly like his mother\u2019s.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s you, Marie,\u201d Ben murmured, awestruck.<\/p>\n

Nelly stood to one side, beaming.\u00a0 \u201cAin\u2019t he, though?\u00a0 The spittin\u2019 image.\u00a0 I never seen a prettier babe, Ben, my own included.\u00a0 Makes me wish he was mine.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed with delight, but Marie\u2019s reaction was alarmingly different.\u00a0 Her frantic fingers clutched at Ben\u2019s sleeve.\u00a0 \u201cNo, no,\u201d she pleaded weakly.\u00a0 \u201cDo not let her take him.\u00a0 Please, Ben, she must not take him.\u00a0 Not again.\u201d\u00a0 She fell back, exhausted.<\/p>\n

Ben knew instantly what Marie meant.\u00a0 \u201cNo, my love, of course not.\u00a0 She won\u2019t take your baby.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, of all the ungrateful\u2014\u201d Nelly exclaimed and stormed out the door.<\/p>\n

Ben winced.\u00a0 Marie had not, of course, been referring to Nelly, but that was obviously what his old friend thought.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t let her leave under a shroud of offense.\u00a0 \u201cMarie, I\u2019ll be back soon,\u201d he whispered and ran out the door.<\/p>\n

Paul Martin grabbed his elbow as he dashed past.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong?\u201d he demanded, having been almost knocked down by Nelly\u2019s mad flight.<\/p>\n

\u201cMisunderstanding,\u201d Ben muttered.\u00a0 \u201cStay with Marie.\u201d<\/p>\n

Still befuddled, Paul nodded and went to his patient while Ben ran down the stairs.\u00a0 Nelly already had her bonnet on.\u00a0 \u201cNelly, for the love of mercy, wait,\u201d Ben shouted.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s wrong, Pa?\u201d Adam cried.\u00a0 \u201cWhy\u2019s Aunt Nelly upset?\u201d<\/p>\n

Nelly marched toward the door of the bedroom where Inger lay sleeping.\u00a0 Ignoring Adam, Ben rushed across the room.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, is it a brother or a sister?\u201d Hoss demanded.<\/p>\n

\u201cBrother!\u201d Ben yelled, then clasped Nelly\u2019s elbow with iron fingers.\u00a0 \u201cWill you hold up a minute?\u201d he pleaded.<\/p>\n

\u201cI reckon I know when I ain\u2019t wanted,\u201d Nelly snorted with a proud toss of her head.\u00a0 \u201cAfter all the hours I sat by that girl\u2019s bedside soothin\u2019 her fears, and she thinks\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laid his fingers across her lips.\u00a0 \u201cShe didn\u2019t mean you,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Nelly planted both hands on her hips.\u00a0 \u201c\u2018Don\u2019t let her take him,\u2019 she said, and last I looked, I was the only other woman in the room.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, you weren\u2019t,\u201d Ben said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBen!\u201d Nelly snorted.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, listen,\u201d Ben pleaded.\u00a0 \u201cYou may have been the only living woman in that room, but there was another presence there, a ghost from the past.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nelly shivered.\u00a0 \u201cA ghost?\u00a0 Whose ghost?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMadame D\u2019Marigny,\u201d Ben muttered bitterly.\u00a0 \u201cJean\u2019s mother.\u00a0 Didn\u2019t Marie ever tell you what happened when her first baby was born?\u201d<\/p>\n

Nelly looked shocked.\u00a0 \u201cNever even told me she\u2019d had another.\u00a0 I thought this was her first.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cNo, she had a little boy with Jean, too, though I\u2019m certain he never knew.\u00a0 Jean\u2019s mother, a woman of great power and influence in New Orleans, had the child taken from Marie within hours of his birth.\u00a0 He died soon afterwards, and Marie never saw him again.\u00a0 Never even saw his grave.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nelly\u2019s face grew redder, but her anger had changed direction.\u00a0 \u201cBen, that\u2019s horrible,\u201d she fumed.\u00a0 \u201cHow could anyone part a child from his mother?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben shook his head.\u00a0 Such cruelty was beyond explanation.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t you see?\u201d he pleaded with Nelly.\u00a0 \u201cIn her weakness, her weariness, her mind drifted back to that time, and all she could think of was the fear it might happen again.\u00a0 When you said you wished the baby were yours, she confused you with Jean\u2019s mother for a moment.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, of course, I see that now,\u201d Nelly said.\u00a0 \u201cI shouldn\u2019t\u2019ve been so quick to take offense.\u00a0 That poor little lamb!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen, you\u2019ll stay?\u201d Ben said.<\/p>\n

\u201cCertainly, I\u2019ll stay!\u201d Nelly sputtered.\u00a0 \u201cAs if I\u2019d leave the care of that sweet child to that yeller.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPa,\u201d Hoss yelled, leaning over the back of the sofa.\u00a0 \u201cAm I gonna get to see my brother or not?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed, relieved.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, come on up.\u00a0 You can\u2019t stay long, \u2018cause Mama\u2019s tired, but it\u2019s time you met that little brother of yours.\u201d\u00a0 They tiptoed into the bedroom.\u00a0 \u201cI found a couple of louts downstairs who are mighty anxious to see this little fellow,\u201d Ben said as he bent to kiss his wife\u2019s forehead.<\/p>\n

Marie smiled at the boys, but seemed troubled.\u00a0 \u201cWhere is Nelly, Ben?\u201d she asked, obviously not remembering her earlier mutterings.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust downstairs; she\u2019ll be up soon,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 No need to explain what had happened.\u00a0 Misunderstandings were best forgotten.\u00a0 He took the baby from Marie\u2019s arms and presented him to his brothers.<\/p>\n

Hoss and Adam huddled close, gazing into the miniature face.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s beautiful, Marie,\u201d Adam whispered, smiling at her, then at the baby.\u00a0 \u201cHi, Joseph.\u201d\u00a0 He looked up at the baby\u2019s parents.\u00a0 \u201cIt is Joseph, isn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cJoseph Fran\u00e7ois Cartwright.\u201d\u00a0 He\u2019d added the middle name as a concession to his wife.\u00a0 After all she\u2019d been through, she deserved the name of her choice, but Ben was wise enough to stick the French title in the middle where it wouldn\u2019t be as likely to cause trouble for this small American boy.<\/p>\n

Hoss giggled.\u00a0 \u201cAw, no, Pa.\u00a0 That name\u2019s bigger than he is.\u00a0 He ain\u2019t even big enough for Joseph.\u00a0 Better call him Joe\u2014\u2014Little Joe, at that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, I like the sound of that.\u201d\u00a0 He kissed the baby\u2019s diminutive forehead.\u00a0 \u201cWelcome to the family, Little Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss touched the baby\u2019s tiny fingers.\u00a0 \u201cWas I ever that small?\u201d he asked, awed.<\/p>\n

Ben and Adam exchanged an amused glance, then both answered together: \u201cNever!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben noticed that Marie\u2019s eyes were closing wearily.\u00a0 \u201cTime to go, boys,\u201d he said.\u00a0 Understanding his father\u2019s concern, Adam at once took Hoss\u2019s arm and herded him out the door.\u00a0 Ben laid the baby beside Marie.\u00a0 \u201cSleep, my dear ones,\u201d he whispered and kissed them both.<\/p>\n

Late that night, when everyone else was asleep, Ben stood by the bedroom window, gazing into the starlit sky.\u00a0 The window was open and he could smell the pine-scented breeze, the aroma of home.\u00a0 Looking down at his slumbering wife and son, Ben released a sigh of deep contentment.\u00a0 He was a lucky man\u2014\u2014no, not just lucky\u2014\u2014blessed.\u00a0 Blessed beyond measure by the love of three wonderful women, blessed with three fine sons, the fruit of their love.<\/p>\n

Blessed, too, to see his dreams becoming reality.\u00a0 Elizabeth, who\u2019d given him Adam, had shared that dream, but never lived to see its first seeds planted.\u00a0 Inger, whose gift was Hoss, had carried those seeds west with him, but she, too, had died before they could take root.\u00a0 And now Marie had given him another gift of love, another precious little boy, and with his birth Ben felt he had all a man could hope for to make his dreams come true.<\/p>\n

Those dreams were, of course, just beginning to show the first green sprouts of all would come later.\u00a0 But everything was in place: a loving family, a prospering ranch, even a blossoming society of friends and neighbors.\u00a0 Everything a man needed to build a heritage for the future.\u00a0 \u201cYour heritage,\u201d Ben whispered as he stroked his new son\u2019s downy soft hair.\u00a0 \u201cYours and your brothers\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

There\u2019d been a time\u2014\u2014was it only a year ago?\u2014\u2014when his life had centered around his sons, when he\u2019d thought it complete with just Hoss and Adam.\u00a0 But as he gazed at the new baby, Ben was glad his dream had changed to include this little one and his mother, as well.\u00a0 He was richer, far richer, with them in his life.<\/p>\n

Ben looked once more through the window.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t see far into the darkness, and he couldn\u2019t, of course, see into the future.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t need to.\u00a0 His dreams might blossom and grow in directions unforeseen, but what mattered now was that they had taken root.\u00a0 Dreams, like gardens, required a lot of care, but they yielded a harvest more enduring than pumpkins and parsnips.\u00a0 And the joy of harvest lay as much in the work of the growing season as in the final reaping.\u00a0 Ben smiled in happy anticipation of the work\u2014\u2014and the harvest\u2014\u2014that lay ahead as buds turned to blossoms\u2014\u2014then, developing plants\u2014\u2014and in the fullness of time, mature fruit.<\/p>\n

\u00a0The End<\/p>\n

\u00a9 April, 1997<\/p>\n

Next Story in the Heritage of Honor Series<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

A Dream’s Darkest Hour
\n<\/a> A Dream Divided<\/a><\/p>\n

Heritage Companion<\/strong><\/p>\n

Never Alone<\/a>
\nCentennial! A Journey of Discovery<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Tags: Adam Cartwright, Ben Cartwright, Hop Sing, Hoss Cartwright, Joe \/ Little Joe Cartwright, Marie Cartwright, Paul Martin<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

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

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

Summary: \u00a0As he deals with problems in a sparsely settled land, Ben fights his own loneliness after Inger’s death.\u00a0 Another death takes him to New Orleans, where he meets Marie, and they return to struggles at home and the birth of a third son.<\/p>\n

Word Count: 200,442 \u00a0Rating: T<\/p>\n

Heritage of Honor Series, links to all stories of this series included.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":48,"featured_media":8678,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"template-full-width-post.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[23,1008,30],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8677","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drama","category-family","category-prequels","wpcat-23-id","wpcat-1008-id","wpcat-30-id"],"a3_pvc":{"activated":true,"total_views":3260,"today_views":0},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/1stBud.jpg?fit=259%2C194&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":9739,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=9739","url_meta":{"origin":8677,"position":0},"title":"Never Alone (by Puchi Ann)","author":"Puchi Ann","date":"June 19, 2000","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: \u00a0The first weeks after the death of Inger Cartwright, as seen through the eyes of young\u00a0Adam. \u00a0The time and location of her death correspond to the Heritage of Honor series, which differs to a minor degree from the series. Word Count: 2680 \u00a0\u00a0Rating: K+ Heritage of Honor Series, links\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Adam Cartwright"","block_context":{"text":"Adam Cartwright","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=1005"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":15556,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=15556","url_meta":{"origin":8677,"position":1},"title":"A Gift of Memories (by DanceDiva)","author":"DanceDiva","date":"December 25, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0 This story was written for the 2016 Advent Collection. Rating:\u00a0 G\u00a0 (390 words)","rel":"","context":"In "Drama"","block_context":{"text":"Drama","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=23"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/00001_Advent1.jpg?fit=791%2C680&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/00001_Advent1.jpg?fit=791%2C680&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/00001_Advent1.jpg?fit=791%2C680&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/00001_Advent1.jpg?fit=791%2C680&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8750,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=8750","url_meta":{"origin":8677,"position":2},"title":"Heritage of Honor, Book 3-A Dream Imperiled (by Puchi Ann)","author":"Puchi Ann","date":"October 20, 1998","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: \u00a0The Cartwrights are caught up in ever-increasing conflict between\u00a0Indians\u00a0and white settlers, culminating in the greatest peril of all, the Pyramid Lake Indian War. Word Count: \u00a0222,074 \u00a0\u00a0Rating: T Heritage of Honor Series, links to all stories of this series included.","rel":"","context":"In "Drama"","block_context":{"text":"Drama","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=23"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/IndianWar.jpg?fit=620%2C441&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/IndianWar.jpg?fit=620%2C441&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/IndianWar.jpg?fit=620%2C441&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5670,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=5670","url_meta":{"origin":8677,"position":3},"title":"Heritage of Honor, Book 5–A Dream Divided (by Puchi Ann)","author":"Puchi Ann","date":"March 2, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: \u00a0Following the death of his wife Marie and his son Adam's departure for college, Ben Cartwright and his two younger sons struggle to deal with both losses while meeting the challenges of a growing community and the crises in the lives of their friends. Rated: T \u00a0 \u00a0 Word\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Drama"","block_context":{"text":"Drama","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=23"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":8936,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=8936","url_meta":{"origin":8677,"position":4},"title":"Heritage of Honor, Book 4 – A Dream’s Darkest Hour (by Puchi Ann)","author":"Puchi Ann","date":"August 15, 2002","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: \u00a0Ben Cartwright begins to see his boldest dreams take root and blossom, but dark clouds loom on the horizon.\u00a0 The long-dreaded storm of the Civil War breaks, and the death of Marie plunges the Cartwrights into the darkest hour of their lives. 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