{"id":8936,"date":"2002-08-15T16:22:09","date_gmt":"2002-08-15T20:22:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=8936"},"modified":"2025-09-25T15:35:36","modified_gmt":"2025-09-25T19:35:36","slug":"heritage-of-honor-book-4-a-dreams-darkest-hour","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=8936","title":{"rendered":"Heritage of Honor, Book 4 – A Dream’s Darkest Hour (by Puchi Ann)"},"content":{"rendered":"

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.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rating: T \u00a0 Word Count: \u00a0196,262<\/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

Time of Renewal<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 As Ben Cartwright headed the buckboard north from Genoa, he was smiling.\u00a0 Every day for almost a week now, either he or his oldest son Adam had made the long drive to the former Mormon Station in search of supplies, and today, for the first time, the quest had ended successfully.\u00a0 Ordinarily, Ben bought his supplies in Carson City, which was closer to his sprawling ranch, the Ponderosa, but rations had been so short in western Utah lately that Ben deemed it prudent to meet any incoming freight wagons as soon as they made it over the Sierras.\u00a0 The competition for goods was fierce, and it paid to put in one\u2019s bid early.<\/p>\n

The prices today had been incredibly high, however: fifteen dollars for a hundred-pound bag of flour!\u00a0 Ben had decided to buy just one, to meet the immediate needs of his family and ranch hands, and hope for better prices later.\u00a0 Potatoes weren\u2019t quite so bad, at fourteen cents a pound, although that was a lofty sum to lay out for simple spuds.\u00a0 Still, people had to eat, so Ben placed what he considered an exorbitant amount of cash in the shopkeeper\u2019s palm, loaded the buckboard and left before he was tempted to part with more.<\/p>\n

Ben hated to think what a pouch of tobacco would have brought, had there been any available, but he hadn\u2019t really expected to find a luxury item like that, anyway.\u00a0\u00a0 Still, unreasonable as it was, he felt disappointed.\u00a0 He was completely out of pipe tobacco and missed his nightly smoke after supper.\u00a0 Ben laughed as he remembered how his youngest son had tried to solve that problem for him the night before.\u00a0 When no one was looking, three-year-old Joseph had filled his father\u2019s pipe with ashes from the fireplace and presented it triumphantly, glowing with pride in his helpfulness.\u00a0 Ben had had a hard time explaining to the bright-eyed boy that, however similar the substance might look, it just wouldn\u2019t smoke the same.<\/p>\n

Ben crossed the bridge over the Carson River, noting again with satisfaction that it was sinking back to normal level after the spring thaw had sent it surging over its banks.\u00a0 That wasn\u2019t unusual, of course; the Carson tended to fill to capacity each spring and had overflowed many times in the ten years since Ben had first settled in this area.\u00a0 The amount of snow, both in the Sierras and in western Utah, had been heavier than usual this year, however, and Ben was grateful that his old friends, the Thomases, had moved into Carson City a couple of years earlier.\u00a0 The old cabin in which the Cartwright and Thomas families had spent that first winter had washed away in the torrent that poured down the Carson recently.<\/p>\n

Once across the bridge, Ben\u2019s visage grew grim, as it always did when he rode through this wasteland of dead cattle with buzzards circling and swooping to the feast a harsh winter had provided.\u00a0 Neither nature nor man had been kind to western Utah during the first half of 1860.\u00a0 The winter had been the worst that Ben and his family had yet experienced here, and spring had brought no respite with its unseasonable snowstorms.\u00a0 The valleys were clear now, but less than two weeks before this warm June day, just one day short of the summer solstice, snow had again fallen on the mountains near Genoa.<\/p>\n

Man, too, had brought death to the territory recently, and while the Pyramid Lake Indian War was supposedly over, the country wasn\u2019t really at peace yet.\u00a0 An atmosphere of fear still hovered over the settlements of Carson, Eagle and Washoe valleys, as well as the booming town of Virginia City.\u00a0 That fear was the reason Ben and Adam had been alternating their trips to Genoa.\u00a0 Ben wanted one of them close to home at all times, just in case some renegade Indians decided the war wasn\u2019t really over.<\/p>\n

Ben stopped the team for a moment and rotated his right shoulder to work out some of the stiffness.\u00a0 Dr. Martin would probably skin him if he knew that Ben had removed the sling supporting his wounded shoulder, but it was just too hard to manage a team with one arm bound up like that.\u00a0 Two weeks now since he\u2019d taken that Paiute bullet, and the wound was healing nicely.\u00a0 It was only when he used the arm too freely that the soreness set in again.<\/p>\n

As Ben flicked the reins and moved the team out once more, he reflected that he, along with all his friends and family, had a lot to be thankful for.\u00a0 They were all alive and no one had even sustained a serious injury.\u00a0 Seventeen-year-old Adam, who had fought at his father\u2019s side, had lost his horse in the fray, but escaped uninjured himself, as had his friend Billy Thomas.\u00a0 Billy\u2019s father Clyde had taken a knife wound in the shoulder in the first battle and their friend Mark Wentworth a bullet in the leg in the second, but they were both recovering nicely under Dr. Martin\u2019s expert care.\u00a0 In Mark\u2019s case, that care also included the attentive nursing of his fianc\u00e9, the doctor\u2019s daughter Sally, for the young soldier was recuperating in the Martins\u2019 Carson City home.<\/p>\n

When Ben finally moved onto his own land, his smile returned.\u00a0 No signs of winter\u2019s carnage remained here.\u00a0 They\u2019d lost some cattle to winter kill, of course.\u00a0 That was unavoidable in a winter as severe as this past one had been.\u00a0 Ben had given the animals diligent care whenever he could, though, and his herd had fared better than most in the valley.\u00a0 The cattle he\u2019d lost had long since been disposed of, so no vultures swirled over the Ponderosa.<\/p>\n

Ben pulled into the yard before the ranch house, and by the time he\u2019d jumped down from the seat and tied the horses\u2019 reins to the hitching rail, the front door flew open.\u00a0 Predictably, Little Joe was the first one through it, bare feet pattering through the mud and splashing it onto the hem of his dress.\u00a0 Ben\u2019s golden-haired wife Marie was right behind him, scooping the toddler up and scolding him soundly.\u00a0 \u201cHow many times must Mam\u00e1<\/em> tell you not to come outside in the mud?\u201d\u00a0 She gave the child the lightest of swats on the backside and smiled up at Ben.\u00a0 \u201cIt is the third time today.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust three?\u201d Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ve been a better boy than usual, have you, Little Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n

Grinning, Little Joe fell into his father\u2019s outstretched arms and hugged his neck tightly, just as nine-year-old Hoss burst out the door and charged straight for the wagon.\u00a0 \u201cHurray!\u201d Hoss whooped at sight of the supplies.\u00a0 \u201cReal bread tonight!\u201d<\/p>\n

Hop Sing, the Cartwright\u2019s cook, had also exited, through the side door from the kitchen, and was examining the supplies in the back of the buckboard.\u00a0 \u201cLight blead no have time lize tonight, but Hop Sing make plenty hot biscuit, okay?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay,\u201d Hoss, easily contented, replied, \u201cbut a real loaf tomorrow, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDat light.\u00a0 Much blead \u2018mollow.\u201d\u00a0 Hop Sing beamed, happier even than Hoss to see the large bag of flour.\u00a0 He\u2019d felt a sense of personal failure in not being able to provide proper meals for his family the last couple of weeks.\u00a0 There\u2019d been plenty of beef, of course, since the Ponderosa raised cattle, but the pantry had grown steadily barer of almost everything else, and the only bread Hop Sing had been able to provide had been batches of biscuits, deliberately kept small due to the scarcity of flour.<\/p>\n

Adam, who\u2019d ambled out from the barn, peered into the back of the buckboard with a frown.\u00a0 \u201cJust one bag of flour?\u201d he asked.\u00a0 \u201cThat all they had?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben arched an eyebrow.\u00a0 \u201cAll I cared to pay for at fifteen dollars each,\u201d he stated bluntly.<\/p>\n

Adam whistled.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s steep.\u00a0 Well, less for us to tote in, huh, Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n

As Hoss took the hint and reached for a sack of potatoes, Ben handed Little Joe back to his mother.\u00a0 The youngster immediately screeched his displeasure and squirmed to get down.\u00a0 \u201cNo, you naughty boy,\u201d Marie laughed.\u00a0 \u201cYou have to go inside and get your feet washed\u2014again!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled as she headed toward the house with an armful of uncooperative toddler and then reached into the wagon for a crate.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll take care of that,\u201d Adam said quickly.\u00a0 \u201cYou ought not be lifting much with that shoulder, Pa.\u00a0 You know what Doc Martin would say.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen I don\u2019t need to hear it from you, too, do I, young man?\u201d Ben said, the corner of his mouth quirking upward.<\/p>\n

Adam grinned back.\u00a0 \u201cThere aren\u2019t many supplies, and you\u2019ve got two strong sons to tote them, so why don\u2019t you just take it easy and tell us the news of the day?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Hoss said, easing the potatoes back down.\u00a0 \u201cAnything goin\u2019 on over to Genoa, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben leaned against the wagon.\u00a0 \u201cAny news?\u00a0 Well, let\u2019s see.\u00a0 The big talk in Genoa is that Carson Valley is about to be annexed to California.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam hooted.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s crazy!\u00a0 How would anybody know, since there hasn\u2019t been any mail since the Indian trouble started?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut Billy\u2019s ridin\u2019 for the Pony Express again, ain\u2019t he?\u201d Hoss argued.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe he\u2019s back and brung the news.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe hasn\u2019t had time yet, Hoss,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 Billy Thomas had ridden east with twenty others to protect the incoming mail, but hadn\u2019t been gone long enough for a round trip.\u00a0 \u201cNo, son, the talk of our joining California is just that\u2014talk.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGuess when folks don\u2019t have any real news to talk about, they just make some up,\u201d Adam commented.\u00a0 \u201cCome on, Hoss, we\u2019d better get this flour in to Hop Sing or we won\u2019t even get biscuits for supper.\u201d<\/p>\n

That appalling suggestion was enough to spur Hoss into action, and together the two brothers soon had the wagon unloaded, the horses unhitched and were ready to join their family inside, where Ben sat cuddling a once-more-clean Little Joe.<\/p>\n

Only a few days later four westbound expresses passed through Carson Valley, then finally an eastbound one, bringing news that had come from the east coast, across the Isthmus of Panama, by steamer up to California and then over the Sierras by stagecoach.\u00a0 Finally, western Utah had real news to discuss, but almost everyone was disappointed by the Republicans\u2019 nomination of Abraham Lincoln for president, since William Seward had been the westerners\u2019 first choice.\u00a0 That nomination had occurred on May 17th, while the men of Washoe were marching into battle against the Paiutes.\u00a0 The Democratic Party, divided over the issue of slavery, hadn\u2019t come up with a candidate yet, so Ben wasn\u2019t sure who would be opposing the Republican nominee.\u00a0 He feared, however, that if Lincoln, a known opponent of slavery, were elected, it might launch an even deadlier conflict than the Pyramid Lake Indian War had been.<\/p>\n

CHAPTER TWO<\/p>\n

Time of Celebration<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cGrass sure is growing lush, isn\u2019t it, Pa?\u201d Adam commented as he rode to the left of the buckboard in which the rest of his family was traveling.\u00a0 Since his own horse had been killed in the Indian war, Marie had loaned him the use of her black gelding until another mount could be found.\u00a0 Adam, of course, considered himself too grown up to ride in the back of the wagon with the other youngsters.<\/p>\n

Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cWell, it should, considering the amount of rain we\u2019ve had lately.\u201d\u00a0 The valleys of western Utah had been visited with one thunderstorm after another during the latter part of June, and Ben was just grateful that he wasn\u2019t driving to Carson City through a sea of mud.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t think it\u2019ll rain today, do you, Pa?\u201d Hoss asked with alarm.<\/p>\n

Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cOn the Fourth of July?\u00a0 Why, it wouldn\u2019t dare, Hoss!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, it would be downright unpatriotic.\u201d\u00a0 Adam grinned at his brother.<\/p>\n

\u201cHuh?\u201d\u00a0 Little Joe frowned at the unfamiliar word.<\/p>\n

Hoss leaned over to whisper in his baby brother\u2019s ear.\u00a0 \u201cIt means they\u2019ll have that pie-eatin\u2019 contest, for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe immediately bounced up and gave a happy jump.\u00a0 \u201cPie for me!\u201d he cried.<\/p>\n

Marie jerked around on the seat of the buckboard, but before she could rebuke her youngest for his characteristic recklessness, Hoss grabbed the boy and pulled him down between his legs.\u00a0 \u201cNot for you,\u201d he scoffed.\u00a0 \u201cYou couldn\u2019t even eat enough to come in last.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sensing that Little Joe was about to wail, Marie quickly said, \u201cMais oui<\/em>, there will be pie for you, mon petit<\/em>, but you are too small to enter the contest.\u201d\u00a0 She smiled at Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cAnd as for you, mon ch\u00e9ri<\/em>, I do not know that you will have much chance, either.\u00a0 There will be many hungry men wanting those pies.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam hooted.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d lay odds Hoss holds his own!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben cast a stern gaze on his eldest.\u00a0 \u201cThrowing away your money on blind chance is the surest way to lose it, young man.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam just grinned back.\u00a0 \u201cNo chance involved when it comes to Hoss and food, Pa.\u00a0 Besides, I didn\u2019t say he\u2019d win, just that he\u2019d hold his own.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t care if I win,\u201d Hoss declared with a throaty laugh, \u201cjust so I get all the pie I can eat.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMe, too,\u201d Little Joe chirped.\u00a0 \u201cAll the pie me can eat.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019ll be about half a slice,\u201d Adam chuckled, bending over to tousle his youngest brother\u2019s soft, golden brown curls.<\/p>\n

When the buckboard pulled up before the Thomas house in Carson City, Billy trotted down the steps on lanky legs.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey!\u201d Adam called as he swung down from the gelding.\u00a0 \u201cWasn\u2019t sure you\u2019d make it in for the festivities.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I made it,\u201d Billy laughed.\u00a0 \u201cGot to be back to Buckland\u2019s by tomorrow night, though, in case the Pony runs early.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou boys have got all day to jaw at each other,\u201d Ben chided.\u00a0 \u201cI could use your help unloading this wagon, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, Pa,\u201d Adam agreed readily, chuckling at the irony of his father\u2019s changed attitude.\u00a0 Easy to tell Pa\u2019s arm wasn\u2019t bothering him anymore.\u00a0 When he\u2019d really needed help, pride had made him argue against it; now that he was feeling pert again, he was quite prepared to pass the chores off to younger men.\u00a0 Adam winked at Billy, certain his friend would share the amusement he was silently communicating.<\/p>\n

Billy grinned back and reached into the wagon for a crate of food.\u00a0 With Ben, Adam, Hoss and Billy each toting a load, one trip was all that was needed to empty the wagon.\u00a0 Nelly met them at the door, with a hug for Marie and a kiss for both Hoss and Little Joe.<\/p>\n

\u201cFood\u2019s all in the kitchen, Ma,\u201d Billy announced, needlessly, since everyone had seen it go by.\u00a0 \u201cMe and Adam\u2019s goin\u2019 outside.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGlad to get shed of you,\u201d Nelly said, waving the two older boys out.\u00a0 Then, turning to Marie, she added, \u201cCome show me what needs reheatin\u2019, gal.\u201d\u00a0 She and Marie disappeared into the kitchen, followed by the Thomases\u2019 eight-year-old daughter Inger and Hoss with Little Joe, as usual, dogging his heels.<\/p>\n

Adam and Billy sauntered out onto the porch, each leaning against a post on opposite sides of the steps.\u00a0 \u201cSo, how\u2019s the Pony goin\u2019?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n

Billy shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re gettin\u2019 it in shape again, but it takes time, you know, to build back up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I know,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 Now that the main fight was over, the Indians seemed to have marked the riders of the Pony Express, as well as stage and mail way stations, as the most vulnerable targets.\u00a0 Stations had been burned, agents killed, livestock driven off, and the Pony Express wouldn\u2019t be able to run efficiently until the damage was repaired and the mounts replaced.<\/p>\n

Adam felt a more personal concern for his friend, however.\u00a0 He\u2019d known Billy Thomas, just one year his senior, ever since they\u2019d come west together, and the bond between them was tight.\u00a0 \u201cYou ever see any Indians yourself?\u201d he asked quietly.<\/p>\n

Billy glanced quickly toward the house and stepped closer to Adam.\u00a0 \u201cYeah,\u201d he admitted in an undertone.\u00a0 \u201cEven had to outrun a couple on my last trip east.\u00a0 Don\u2019t tell Ma, though, okay?\u00a0 She frets somethin\u2019 fierce as it is.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam nodded.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll keep quiet if you promise to keep your head low and ride fast.\u201d<\/p>\n

Billy slapped his friend on the back.\u00a0 \u201cFirst thing you learn when you ride for the Pony, buddy, and I got a strong attachment to my hair.\u201d\u00a0 He gave the fiery thatch atop his head an affectionate tug.<\/p>\n

The front door flew open, and Hoss came barreling down the steps.\u00a0 \u201cGrab hold of Little Joe, will you?\u201d he hollered over his shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cMa said I could go to Jimmy\u2019s, and I don\u2019t need him taggin\u2019 me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sure enough, Little Joe came trailing out almost immediately, obviously determined to follow wherever big brother Hoss led.\u00a0 Adam snatched him as he trotted by and swung him up into his arms.\u00a0 \u201cDown, down!\u201d\u00a0 Little Joe demanded, legs kicking.\u00a0 \u201cWanna catch Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLooks like you\u2019re the one got caught,\u201d Billy laughed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy don\u2019t you catch him awhile?\u201d Adam suggested.\u00a0 Tired of wrestling an armful of wriggling arms and flailing legs, he tossed his little brother into Billy\u2019s outstretched arms.\u00a0 Billy tossed the toddler right back, and the two older boys played catch with the youngster until Little Joe forgot about Hoss\u2019s deserting him for the older Jimmy Ellis and began to chortle with excitement in the new game.<\/p>\n

Finally, Adam set him down on the porch and patted his back softly.\u00a0 \u201cGo back in and pester Pa awhile,\u201d he ordered.<\/p>\n

Little Joe was ready for a change, so he did as he was told, ambling into the parlor where his father and Clyde Thomas sat, each enjoying Clyde\u2019s recent acquisition of tobacco in his own favored fashion.\u00a0 Ben had long made it a practice to keep an old pipe and a small supply of tobacco at the Thomas house, just as Clyde normally kept a little chewing tobacco at the Ponderosa for his frequent visits.\u00a0 Recent shortages had bankrupted both places, however, so the two men had not enjoyed a good smoke and chew together since before the Indian war.<\/p>\n

Little Joe promptly climbed into Pa\u2019s lap, his favorite perch and one never denied him, no matter how tired Ben was after a day\u2019s work on the ranch.\u00a0 Ben kissed the top of the boy\u2019s curly head and turned his attention back to the discussion he and Clyde had been having about the dropping cost of supplies.<\/p>\n

\u201cLike I was sayin\u2019,\u201d Clyde continued, \u201cI got a load in yesterday and set aside what I figured you might be needin\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, if the price has come down as much as you say, I\u2019m ready to buy,\u201d Ben remarked.\u00a0 He pushed away the small hand reaching for his pipe.<\/p>\n

\u201cMight come down even more before long,\u201d Clyde commented.\u00a0 \u201cRoads is improvin\u2019 all the time, and the way folks keep pourin\u2019 into the territory, it\u2019ll pay freighters to keep the supplies comin\u2019 in steady.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, but I\u2019m running low again,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 He grabbed Little Joe\u2019s hand, which was again headed for the fascinating pipe.\u00a0 \u201cLittle Joe, I said no,\u201d he stated sharply.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnh-uh,\u201d Little Joe replied, head cocked innocently to one side.\u00a0 \u201cNot say nothin\u2019, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clyde chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cYoungun\u2019s got a point.\u00a0 You didn\u2019t say a word about that pipe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben frowned across at his friend.\u00a0 \u201cI have on other occasions.\u201d\u00a0 He eyed the toddler with a stern stare.\u00a0 \u201cAnd you know you\u2019re not allowed to touch it, don\u2019t you, Little Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n

Uncomfortable under his father\u2019s disapproving gaze, Little Joe slid out of Ben\u2019s lap and moved over to Clyde, instead.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph, answer my question,\u201d Ben demanded.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo touch pipe,\u201d Little Joe admitted without looking at his father.\u00a0 Leaning on the arm of the padded chair in which Clyde was sitting, he stared as the man he had learned to call uncle took another plug of chewing tobacco and placed it inside his cheek.\u00a0 \u201cHow that taste?\u201d the child asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou ain\u2019t likely to find out for a good while to come, tadpole,\u201d Clyde chuckled.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I have anything to say about it, he won\u2019t ever find out,\u201d Ben snorted.\u00a0 \u201cJoseph, you go back into the kitchen and see if Mam\u00e1<\/em> needs you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe just continued to watch Clyde\u2019s jaw as it worked on the chaw of tobacco.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph!\u00a0 Now!\u201d<\/p>\n

There was no missing the ominous tone of those loud words, and Little Joe, who already had a good acquaintance with the feel of his father\u2019s palm on his backside, took off for the safety of the kitchen.<\/p>\n

\u201cMarie may have a few words to say to you about foistin\u2019 Squiggle-wiggle off on her,\u201d Clyde chuckled.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll cross that bridge when I come to it,\u201d Ben said with a smile.\u00a0 He decided a change of subject was in order.\u00a0 \u201cWhat you were saying before about new people coming in, it\u2019s really true, and it\u2019s brought one good change, at least.\u00a0 Mail delivery three times a week from Placerville now!\u00a0 Who would have ever dreamed there\u2019d be a need for that this side of the Sierras?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I reckon it\u2019s a sign of progress,\u201d Clyde conceded.\u00a0 \u201cThey sure charge a pretty penny for it, though.\u00a0 Twenty-five cents a letter, plus<\/em> the express charge the sender already paid!\u00a0 It\u2019s highway robbery, Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cWell, you won\u2019t hear me complaining, and I get more mail than you, my friend.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUsually,\u201d Clyde agreed, \u201cbut I\u2019ve had a whole flock of letters come flyin\u2019 in since this Indian trouble.\u00a0 Never knew so many folks cared what happened to me and mine.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I heard from everyone on the old Larrimore train, too,\u201d Ben said with a nostalgic smile, \u201cas well as from Josiah Edwards back in St. Joseph and my brother John in Denver.\u00a0 It was well worth the price to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMe, too, I guess,\u201d Clyde admitted.<\/p>\n

Nelly came across the hall into the parlor.\u00a0 \u201c\u2018Bout time we loaded up and got over to the plaza, men, if we want to find good seats at the tables.\u00a0 Gonna be a crowd today, I hear.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll be right there, Nelly gal,\u201d Clyde said.\u00a0 He stood and aimed a stream of tobacco at the fire, which sizzled as the moist substance hit.\u00a0 \u201cCome on, Ben.\u00a0 Time to earn our vittles,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m gonna call those lazy sons of ours in to help,\u201d Ben said and headed for the front door.<\/p>\n

Soon everyone was busy transporting food from the kitchen to the wagon for the short drive to the central plaza where the town gathering would be held\u2014everyone, that is, but one tiny boy, who had been waiting for a chance to satisfy his curiosity when no one was looking.\u00a0 With everyone\u2019s attention elsewhere, Little Joe found it easy to slip into the empty parlor, climb into the padded chair Clyde had vacated and help himself to the tin of chewing tobacco on the occasional table beside it.<\/p>\n

Stuffing a sizable wad in his mouth, Little Joe began to chew.\u00a0 Almost immediately, his little face screwed up in distaste.\u00a0 \u201cEew, nasty!\u201d he sputtered and clambered down to spit the terrible-tasting tobacco into the fire as he\u2019d often seen Uncle Clyde do.\u00a0 His technique, of course, was not as polished as Clyde\u2019s, and his aim not nearly as accurate.\u00a0 The brown spittle plopped front and center on the bodice of his blue dress.<\/p>\n

\u201cLittle Joe,\u201d he heard his mother call.\u00a0 \u201cWhere are you, mon petit<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n

Knowing he\u2019d be in trouble the minute anyone saw him, Little Joe ducked behind the chair to hide.<\/p>\n

Marie peered into the parlor, but seeing nothing, she headed back to the kitchen.\u00a0 No baby there, either.\u00a0 Typically, she panicked.\u00a0 \u201cBen,\u201d she cried, hurrying out to the porch, \u201cI can\u2019t find Little Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Standing by the wagon, Adam laughed.\u00a0 \u201cI can\u2019t count the number of times I\u2019ve heard that!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is not funny!\u201d Marie snapped.\u00a0 \u201cHelp me find him!\u201d she ordered with a stamp of her foot and then turned to go back inside and search the second story of the house.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think he likes playing hide and seek,\u201d Adam told Billy as they both headed back inside to join the search.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, so do I,\u201d Billy joked as the two young men entered the parlor.\u00a0 \u201cPlay it with them Paiutes \u2018most every day.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThought you didn\u2019t want your mother to know,\u201d Adam scolded in a stage whisper.\u00a0 \u201cKeep cracking that kind of joke and she\u2019ll\u201d\u2014he held a finger to his lips and pointed at the wisp of blue fabric the chair had not quite hidden.<\/p>\n

Walking almost on tiptoe, Adam moved into position, reached around the chair and made a quick grab.\u00a0 \u201cGot you!\u201d he announced with glee and lifted Little Joe over his head.<\/p>\n

Little Joe squealed and squirmed, desperate to get away.\u00a0 Adam, he had learned, was what Hoss called a tattletale, always ready to run to Mama or to Pa and talk about whatever innocent misstep Little Joe had made.<\/p>\n

\u201cUh-oh,\u201d Billy cackled.\u00a0 \u201cLooks like he\u2019s been into it again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam held the toddler before his face and sniffed the stained dress.\u00a0 \u201cUgh!\u00a0 Chewing tobacco,\u201d he announced.\u00a0 \u201cYou are in for it this time, baby boy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, no!\u201d Little Joe screeched.\u00a0 \u201cLet go!\u00a0 Let go!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben, who\u2019d been conducting a diligent search of the kitchen, heard the noise and walked across the hall, stopping to call up the stairs, \u201cMarie, the lost has been found!\u201d\u00a0 As he entered the parlor, he stood still, shaking his head.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s he gotten into this time?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPa\u2019s chewing tobacco,\u201d Billy reported, his lip quirking up with amusement.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn that case, I\u2019ll ask you boys to step outside,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cThis child and I are going to have a very necessary little talk.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie hurried in, appalled to see the condition of her baby\u2019s clothing.\u00a0 \u201cOh, Little Joe, how could you?\u201d she wailed.\u00a0 \u201cMam\u00e1<\/em> wanted you to look nice for the town dinner.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, tie a white napkin around his neck, and he\u2019ll be appropriately attired in red, white and blue by the time I finish with him,\u201d Ben announced as he laid the toddler across his lap.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Ben, must you?\u201d Marie pleaded.\u00a0 \u201cWe will be late.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, we will,\u201d Ben said firmly, \u201cand, yes, I must.\u00a0 It\u2019s a case of flagrant disobedience, Marie.\u201d\u00a0 He pulled Little Joe up long enough to ask, \u201cYou knew better, didn\u2019t you, Little Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot touch pipe,\u201d Little Joe protested, hoping to get off on a technicality.\u00a0 He instinctively understood the concept, although he did not have the vocabulary to express it.<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s face grew darker.\u00a0 \u201cYou knew better, didn\u2019t you, Little Joe?\u201d he repeated, louder this time.<\/p>\n

Little Joe started to quiver and his chin ducked.\u00a0 \u201cUh-huh,\u201d he whispered.<\/p>\n

Ben looked to Marie for permission to continue and she nodded.\u00a0 \u201cPlease hurry,\u201d she murmured.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll have to clean him up as best I can.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, this won\u2019t take long,\u201d Ben promised and once Marie had left, he again placed the toddler across his knee and planted five firm smacks across the boy\u2019s backside.\u00a0 Then he crossed the hall and delivered the sobbing child to his mother\u2019s care.<\/p>\n

\u201cPlease go ahead and see that the food is properly placed,\u201d Marie requested.\u00a0 \u201cI will be along as soon as I can.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI will,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 Then he cupped Little Joe\u2019s chin in his palm.\u00a0 \u201cJoseph, don\u2019t give Mama any more trouble, or you and I will have another conversation like the one we just had.\u00a0 You understand, naughty boy?\u201d<\/p>\n

Rubbing his fists in his eyes, Little Joe nodded.<\/p>\n

Marie carried the toddler to the table and, setting him on it, began to unbutton the blue frock.\u00a0 \u201cWhat is Mam\u00e1<\/em> going to do with you?\u201d she scolded gently.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, my, my,\u201d Nelly Thomas chuckled from the kitchen doorway.\u00a0 She walked to Marie\u2019s side.\u00a0 \u201cThe little sugarfoot\u2019s been into mischief again, I see.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat am I going to do?\u201d Marie asked mournfully.<\/p>\n

Nelly took the dress that Marie had pulled off Little Joe.\u00a0 \u201cOh, this\u2019ll wash out,\u201d she said, \u201cand be good as new by the time the celebration\u2019s over.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I have nothing else to put on him!\u201d Marie wailed.<\/p>\n

Nelly laughed.\u00a0 \u201cI thought you\u2019d learned long ago to bring extra duds when you travel with this magnet for mud puddles.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie sat in the kitchen chair, shaking her head.\u00a0 \u201cI do know better, and I laid out a change of clothes for him this morning.\u00a0 We must have overlooked that bundle in the rush of loading.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMe go this way, Mama,\u201d Little Joe offered, swinging his bare legs off the table edge.\u00a0 \u201cHot outside.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nelly tweaked his nose.\u00a0 \u201cI think we can do better than sending you out in your underwear, you scamp.\u201d\u00a0 She gave Marie\u2019s arm a consoling pat.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll see what I can find upstairs.\u00a0 I still have some of Bobby\u2019s things.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie gasped.\u00a0 \u201cOh, are you sure, Nelly?\u201d\u00a0 As a mother who had lost a child herself, she knew how the other woman must treasure her few keepsakes of the child who had died along the trail.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sure,\u201d Nelly said and left before she had to say more.\u00a0 Though little Bobby had died years ago, his memory still tugged at her heart.\u00a0 Soon she returned with a small brown and yellow plaid shirt.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s not fancy,\u201d she said, holding it out for Marie\u2019s approval, \u201cbut it\u2019s clean.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie turned from the sink, where she was scrubbing the stain from Little Joe\u2019s own dress.\u00a0 \u201cFancy doesn\u2019t matter at this point,\u201d she sighed, giving up her dream of showing off her beautiful baby boy to the assembled citizens of Carson City.\u00a0 \u201cCould you dress him, Nelly?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGlad to,\u201d the older woman said.\u00a0 More than glad, she might have added, for a moment feeling as though she were once again dressing the little boy who had first worn this shirt.\u00a0 She fastened the final button and lifted Little Joe so he was standing on the table.\u00a0 \u201cThere now, that\u2019s not bad at all,\u201d she commented as she rolled up the sleeves.<\/p>\n

Marie smiled at the little boy dressed in a shirt that almost reached his ankles.\u00a0 Bobby had been four when he died and obviously a bigger child than her boy, but the ill-fitting, makeshift garment only made Little Joe look like an adorable ragamuffin.<\/p>\n

Little Joe surveyed his new apparel with delighted approval.\u00a0 A shirt\u2014a real shirt\u2014just like Pa and Adam and Hoss wore!\u00a0 It only lacked one thing to make it perfect.\u00a0 \u201cBritches, Aunt Nelly?\u201d he asked eagerly.<\/p>\n

Nelly just laughed.\u00a0 \u201cYounguns your size don\u2019t wear britches,\u201d she teased.<\/p>\n

\u201cUh-huh,\u201d Little Joe insisted.\u00a0 \u201cGot big boy shirt; need big boy britches.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, Sugarfoot,\u201d Nelly soothed, \u201call baby boys wear dresses \u2018til their breechin\u2019, and that\u2019s a year or two away for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot a baby!\u201d Little Joe screamed with a stamp of his small foot, a gesture he had obviously copied from his mother.<\/p>\n

\u201cLittle Joe, that will be quite enough,\u201d Marie said firmly.\u00a0 \u201cYou have caused much trouble already, and you would be wise to think carefully before causing more, or Pap\u00e1<\/em> may again decide to put something besides britches on your little bottom.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe instantly adopted the expression of a cherub, and his complexion faded from fiery red to rosy pink.\u00a0 \u201cGood boy, Mama,\u201d he promised earnestly.<\/p>\n

Marie giggled at the swift transformation and gave him a kiss.\u00a0 \u201cWell, do try, mon petit<\/em>, for at least a few minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n

By the time the trio arrived at the town square, Little Joe was all sunny smiles again.\u00a0 \u201cLookee, Pa,\u201d he announced, tugging on his borrowed garment as he and his mother approached Ben.\u00a0 \u201cMe got real shirt; need real britches, doncha think?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed and reached for his baby boy.\u00a0 \u201cOh, you are a real sight, all right.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIs he not?\u201d Marie asked, trying to sound perturbed and failing completely.<\/p>\n

Ben turned so that Little Joe was facing the man standing at his side.\u00a0 \u201cNow, you apologize to Uncle Clyde for stealing his tobacco.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe frowned.\u00a0 \u201cNot steal; just borrow, Pa, like you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clyde cackled.\u00a0 \u201cLike father, like son, huh?\u00a0 Well, I don\u2019t want any used tobacco back from either of you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben scowled at his longtime friend.\u00a0 \u201cHow am I supposed to teach him right from wrong with that kind of support?\u201d<\/p>\n

Clyde Thomas reached around Ben to wag Little Joe\u2019s loose shirttail.\u00a0 \u201cOh, I reckon he learned his lesson pretty well this time.\u00a0 You ain\u2019t gonna borrow Uncle Clyde\u2019s chewing tobacco any more, are you, mischief?\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe shook his head vigorously.\u00a0 \u201cNasty,\u201d he declared. \u00a0\u201cDon\u2019t want no more never!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, that\u2019s some solace, I suppose,\u201d Ben muttered.<\/p>\n

Marie had been glancing around the plaza and had spotted Adam and Billy across the green, talking to Sally Martin and Mark Wentworth, but not the other boy her eyes were seeking.\u00a0 \u201cWhere is Hoss?\u00a0 He was to meet us here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, he\u2019s still over with the Ellises, I suppose,\u201d Ben replied.\u00a0 \u201cLaura\u2019s baking all the pies for the contest again, I hear, so I imagine Hoss is quite content to stay within sniffing range of those.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, there they are now,\u201d Marie said.\u00a0 The smile that touched her lips tilted sideways in puzzlement.\u00a0 \u201cBut who is that holding Laura\u2019s arm?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n

Nelly Thomas looked at the group leaving the bakery where Laura Ellis regularly worked.\u00a0 \u201cOh, that\u2019s George Dettenrieder,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cLives south of here, over to Gold Canyon.\u00a0 I\u2019ve seen him hanging around the bakery a lot lately,\u201d she confided with a significant nod.<\/p>\n

Even without the gesture, Marie\u2019s feminine curiosity was immediately aroused.\u00a0 \u201cWhy is that, I wonder?\u201d she probed.<\/p>\n

\u201cProbably got a fondness for good, hot bread,\u201d Clyde joshed.<\/p>\n

\u201cPerhaps,\u201d Marie smiled, determined not to take the bait.\u00a0 She brushed her dark merino skirt smooth.\u00a0 \u201cWell, it is time Hoss remembered to join his own family.\u00a0 I shall just have to go speak to him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, yes,\u201d Ben snickered.\u00a0 \u201cHoss always needs help finding his way to the table.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cToday it would seem he does,\u201d Marie retorted briskly and swished away.<\/p>\n

The fa\u00e7ade was well in place as Marie sauntered up to her friend.\u00a0 \u201cBonjour<\/em>, Laura,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cHoss seems to have forgotten that I told him to return before the food was served, so I have come for him.\u00a0 I trust he has not been too much trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot a bit,\u201d Laura assured her friend warmly.\u00a0 Seeing Marie\u2019s curious glance at her companion, she made quick introductions.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is a pleasure to meet you, Monsieur<\/em> Dettenrieder,\u201d Marie said, offering him her hand, which he gave a hearty shake.\u00a0 \u201cIf you will excuse me, however, it is time that Hoss and I found our places at the table.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTime for all of us,\u201d George Dettenrieder suggested.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanna eat with Jimmy, okay?\u201d Hoss inserted.<\/p>\n

Seeing the swift exchange of looks that passed between Laura and George, Marie instinctively knew the last thing they wanted was another little boy to look after.\u00a0 \u201cNo, Hoss, your father is expecting us, but if Jimmy would like to join us, he would be most welcome.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCan I, Ma?\u00a0 Please?\u201d six-year-old Jimmy begged.<\/p>\n

Flashing her friend a grateful smile, Laura readily agreed and went off on the arm of what was obviously her beau as Marie herded both boys back to where most of the Cartwright and Thomas families were gathering.\u00a0 Adam and Billy weren\u2019t there, having evidently decided to eat with the Martins and Mark Wentworth, instead.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow come you\u2019re dressed like that?\u201d Hoss asked as soon as he saw Little Joe.<\/p>\n

\u201cShh,\u201d Little Joe whispered, holding a finger to his lips.\u00a0 \u201cMe make a little mess.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHuh! Like always,\u201d Hoss snuffled.<\/p>\n

Ben set Little Joe between Hoss and Jimmy at the table and admonished them to watch him.\u00a0 \u201cHold our places, boys.\u00a0 We won\u2019t be long.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll watch them, Uncle Ben,\u201d Inger assured him in her most womanly manner.<\/p>\n

Ben smiled.\u00a0 \u201cYou do that, Inger.\u00a0 Make them behave\u2014especially this one.\u201d\u00a0 He rubbed Little Joe\u2019s neck.\u00a0 Then he took Marie\u2019s arm and followed Clyde and Nelly to the line that was forming at the food tables.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018Won\u2019t be long,\u2019 my foot,\u201d Hoss grumbled to Jimmy.\u00a0 \u201cJust look at that line!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, how come kids always gotta go last?\u201d Jimmy complained.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeats me,\u201d Hoss returned.\u00a0 \u201cKids are still growin\u2019, so we oughta get first crack at the vittles, but we always gotta take the leavin\u2019s at a shindig like this.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAin\u2019t it the truth?\u201d Inger added, joining forces with her own age group now that the adults were gone.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, but at least you\u2019ll get plenty of pie,\u201d Jimmy grinned at Hoss, \u201cbein\u2019 in the contest.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s one good thing,\u201d Hoss crowed happily.<\/p>\n

As they fell into line, Ben leaned close to Marie\u2019s ear.\u00a0 \u201cSo, is romance in the air again?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAgain?\u201d Marie asked with a smile.<\/p>\n

Ben nodded up the line at a black-haired man with a T-shaped mustache and the tousle-headed girl at his side, who looked almost like an Indian, although she was not.\u00a0 \u201cThee and Margaret still count as newlyweds, don\u2019t they?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI suppose,\u201d Marie laughed.\u00a0 The Winters, neighbors whose Rancho del Sierra was situated just north of Washoe Lake, had only been married four months.<\/p>\n

\u201cA disgrace, that\u2019s what it is,\u201d Nelly Thomas turned to comment, voicing an opinion they\u2019d heard before.\u00a0 \u201cA girl of fifteen married to that old man.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOld man!\u201d Ben hooted.\u00a0 \u201cThee\u2019s two years younger than I am!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, and you\u2019re too old to be married to some slip of a girl,\u201d Nelly insisted.<\/p>\n

Ben circled Marie\u2019s waist and gave her a squeeze.\u00a0 \u201cOh, I don\u2019t know.\u00a0 This slip of a girl doesn\u2019t seem to mind an old man like me.\u201d\u00a0 Marie smiled back warmly.<\/p>\n

\u201cMarie\u2019s years older than Margaret, and you know it,\u201d Nelly snorted.\u00a0 \u201cHow Thee expects that child to stepmother his boy when she ain\u2019t but three years older than him is beyond me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt can be difficult,\u201d Marie said, recalling her early struggles to win the acceptance of her stepson Adam, who was only six years younger than she.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut worth the effort, I hope?\u201d Ben asked.<\/p>\n

Marie briefly touched her golden head to his broad shoulder. \u00a0\u201cMais oui<\/em>.\u00a0 Worth every effort,\u201d she said softly.<\/p>\n

The four friends reached the head of the line, filled their plates and returned to the table.\u00a0 Hoss, Jimmy and Inger immediately jumped up and aimed for the end of the line, and Little Joe was just swinging his short leg over the bench to give chase when Marie swooped him into her lap.\u00a0 \u201cMe eat, too, Mama,\u201d Little Joe protested, squirming.\u00a0 \u201cKids\u2019 turn now!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMam\u00e1<\/em> has food for you, mon petit<\/em>,\u201d Marie said.<\/p>\n

Little Joe frowned as he realized his mother intended to feed him off her own plate.\u00a0 Just like a baby<\/em>, he grumbled internally, wondering when his parents would ever realize that he was past that stage.\u00a0 As his stomach grew more content, however, he found himself realizing there were some advantages to being little.\u00a0 He was already getting full, while the trio of older children still hadn\u2019t started eating.<\/p>\n

A couple of large-boned men sat down across from the Thomases.\u00a0 \u201cBen, you met these fellers yet?\u201d Clyde asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I don\u2019t believe I\u2019ve had the pleasure,\u201d Ben said with a welcoming smile.<\/p>\n

\u201cNew settlers,\u201d Clyde said.\u00a0 \u201cGot some property around that spring in the southeast corner of Washoe Valley.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s good land,\u201d Ben commented.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m afraid Clyde doesn\u2019t make formal introductions, gentlemen.\u00a0 I\u2019m Ben Cartwright,\u201d he added with a chuckle.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am Mathias Fege,\u201d one man said with a thick German accent.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I am Jacob Schroeder,\u201d the other added, his accent similar.<\/p>\n

\u201cPleased to make your acquaintance,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re partners, then?\u00a0 Do you intend to farm the land or run cattle?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, we will farm,\u201d Fege declared.<\/p>\n

\u201cYah, the miners will be glad to get fresh vegetables, we think,\u201d Shroeder amplified.<\/p>\n

Ben nodded.\u00a0 \u201cThey will, indeed.\u00a0 I wish you well, neighbors.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou got land near here, Mr. Cartwright?\u201d Matthias Fege inquired.\u00a0 \u201cYou farm, too, maybe?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cNo, you\u2019ll get no competition from me.\u00a0 I\u2019m a rancher, and all I grow is hay for my stock and a truck garden for my family\u2019s use.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, maybe you won\u2019t want to do even that once you see our produce,\u201d Shroeder suggested with a wide grin.\u00a0 \u201cWe have just begun planting our orchards, so you will have to wait to taste our fruit, but before long, we will have green vegetables to sell.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll look forward to seeing them,\u201d Ben said, mostly to be polite.\u00a0 So far, the Ponderosa had always been able to produce enough to meet the needs of everyone who lived on it.<\/p>\n

As he ate, Ben let his gaze wander down the tables, seeing faces both new and familiar.\u00a0 So many people, like these German farmers, Peter Marquette and his family and the widow O\u2019Neill and her youngsters, had come to western Utah since the Mormon exodus, but Ben noticed the faces of long-time residents mingled among them.\u00a0\u00a0 Some, like James Sturtevant and Dick Sides, he had come to respect, in spite of past disagreements.\u00a0 Others, Dick\u2019s volatile brother William among them, he steered clear of, wanting to avoid trouble.\u00a0 Then there were those whose sight he could barely tolerate.\u00a0 Rough Elliott headed that list, for Ben found it hard to forgive the man for his role in the hanging of Lucky Bill Thorrington and the beating he\u2019d ordered given to Ben when he tried to resist that piece of vigilante justice.<\/p>\n

Hoss, Jimmy and Inger had just arrived back at the table, when a distinguished-looking man rose to speak.\u00a0 \u201cAre you enjoying the good food, folks?\u201d Abraham Curry, founder of Carson City, began.\u00a0 After a chorus of affirmative responses, he continued, \u201cWell, you go right on enjoying it, then.\u00a0 I want to say just a few words in honor of the occasion.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFew,\u201d Clyde scoffed.\u00a0 \u201cAbe Curry don\u2019t know the meaning of the word.\u201d\u00a0 His wife swatted his hand in rebuke, but Curry soon proved the point by droning on until a number of people just got up and headed back to the food tables for second helpings.<\/p>\n

Curry took the hint.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s right, folks,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cWe don\u2019t want any of this fine food to go to waste, so help yourselves to more as long as you\u2019ve got room to hold it.\u00a0 We\u2019ll be starting the contests in about half an hour, shooters at the south end of the plaza and pie-eaters over by the Pioneer Hotel, whose bakery has supplied all the pastries for the contest.\u00a0 The two contests will be going on simultaneously, so decide which you\u2019d like to see and head on over.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I wasn\u2019t expecting that,\u201d Ben commented with a hint of irritation.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d planned to watch both my boys compete, but they\u2019re making it difficult.\u201d<\/p>\n

A small hand tugged at his sleeve.\u00a0 \u201cPa, Pa,\u201d Little Joe demanded insistently.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, son?\u201d Ben asked, rescuing his shirt from the clutching fingers.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t tell me you want Pa to watch you, too, \u2018cause I\u2019ve already got a problem on my hands.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMe fix, Pa,\u201d Little Joe declared earnestly.\u00a0 \u201cMe watch Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben guffawed.\u00a0 \u201cAs my substitute?\u00a0 Well, it\u2019s a solution of sorts, I guess.\u201d \u00a0He turned to his middle boy.\u00a0 \u201cHow about it, Hoss?\u00a0 Will you settle for Little Joe watching you?\u00a0 I\u2019d really like to see that shooting contest.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t care who watches me,\u201d Hoss said, tucking in a final bite of mashed potatoes.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m gonna be too busy to pay that any mind.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI will watch you, Hoss,\u201d Marie laughed gently, \u201cand keep your little brother out of your pie.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, you might better do that,\u201d Hoss snickered.\u00a0 \u201cHe can get into things at the worst times.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUnh-uh,\u201d Little Joe denied.\u00a0 \u201cMe not get in things.\u201d<\/p>\n

His mother tweaked the borrowed shirt he was wearing.\u00a0 \u201cNo?\u00a0 Then, why are you in this?\u201d she giggled.\u00a0 She set him on the ground and took his hand as she led him, Hoss, and Jimmy toward the Pioneer Hotel.\u00a0 Ben, Clyde, Nelly, Inger and Sally all headed the opposite direction for the shooting contest, in which Adam, Mark and Billy had all signed up to compete.<\/p>\n

Laura Ellis gave her friend a warm kiss on the cheek as they met in front of a table loaded with pies.\u00a0 \u201cI have to stay close,\u201d Laura explained, \u201cto get a fresh pie to each contestant whenever he finishes one.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI will help you,\u201d Marie said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks.\u00a0 You never know; they might all be yelling for more at the same time!\u201d Laura laughed.\u00a0 Looking down at her son, she gave instruction.\u00a0 \u201cJimmy, take Little Joe down where he can watch Hoss, and hold tight to his hand.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I will, Ma,\u201d Jimmy promised.\u00a0 \u201cCome on, Little Joe.\u201d\u00a0 Happy to be trusted out of his mother\u2019s grasp, Little Joe willingly toddled along with the older boy.<\/p>\n

The contest started, each man cramming in pie as fast as he could.\u00a0 Hoss, the only youngster in the contest, didn\u2019t rush.\u00a0 Not expecting to win, he planned to savor every bite.<\/p>\n

Little Joe, on the other hand, would have none of that.\u00a0 Jumping up and down, he yelled, \u201cEat fast, Hoss!\u00a0 They beatin\u2019 you.\u201d\u00a0 Mostly to please his little brother, Hoss speeded up his jaw action.<\/p>\n

Standing back, waiting for fresh pies to be needed, Marie leaned toward her friend.\u00a0 \u201cI see your Monsieur<\/em> Dettenrieder is in the contest.\u00a0 Is it you or your pie he favors most?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, what kind of question is that?\u201d Laura chided playfully.<\/p>\n

\u201cBen was asking me if romance was in the air,\u201d Marie commented, then asked softly, \u201cIs it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe,\u201d Laura replied with a demure smile.\u00a0 \u201cGeorge is a fine man, a widower, and he has been attentive of late, but he hasn\u2019t spoken of matrimony yet.\u201d\u00a0 Seeing two of the men finish off their respective pies, both Marie and Laura hurried to replace the empty pans with fresh ones.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd if he did speak of matrimony, would you accept?\u201d Marie asked as they waited for the next man in need of a pie.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not sure,\u201d Laura said.\u00a0 \u201cAfter James died, I didn\u2019t expect to marry again, but I guess enough time\u2019s gone by that I\u2019m willing to consider it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie smiled.\u00a0 \u201cI happen to think second marriages are the best,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Laura gave her hand a squeeze.\u00a0 \u201cYes, but your first wasn\u2019t as happy as mine, dear girl.\u00a0 That makes a difference.\u00a0 Still, it would make life easier, and Jimmy needs a father.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou would not marry for that reason,\u201d Marie said.\u00a0 \u201cI know you too well.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, no more than Ben married you to provide a mother for Hoss and Adam,\u201d Laura agreed.\u00a0 \u201cOh, speaking of mothers, had you heard that Eilley Bowers is one now?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI knew her time must be close,\u201d Marie returned, \u201cbut, no, I had not heard.\u00a0 Boy or girl?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA little boy, John Jasper, but so puny I fear he may not thrive.\u201d\u00a0 Laura cast an eye down the tables.\u00a0 \u201cAh, more men in need of pies, I see.\u201d\u00a0 Again, she and Marie joined forces to rush pies to the table of hungry contestants.<\/p>\n

\u201cMama, Mama!\u201d a small voice called insistently as Little Joe, having broken away from his keeper, ran up to his mother.\u00a0 \u201cHoss need mo\u2019 pie!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMais oui<\/em>, mon petit<\/em>, I will get him one,\u201d Marie laughed, \u201cand you take Jimmy\u2019s hand again, as you were told.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jimmy Ellis made a grab for the small hand and yanked Little Joe back into place.\u00a0 \u201cBe good for a change,\u201d he dictated.\u00a0 Ignoring Jimmy, Little Joe began once more to jump and cheer for Hoss.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, across the plaza, the contestants had taken their places for the shooting contest.\u00a0 \u201cMight as well have saved yourselves the entry fee,\u201d Billy boasted to his two friends.\u00a0 \u201cPrize is as good as mine.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam snorted.\u00a0 \u201cOh, you think so, do you?\u00a0 You\u2019re as big a braggart as ever, Billy Thomas.\u201d<\/p>\n

Billy smoothed an affectionate hand down the barrel of his rifle.\u00a0 \u201cStands to reason, old buddy.\u00a0 You\u2019ve had your nose in the books so long you\u2019re bound to be out of practice, and Mark here is new to soldiering, so I figure he ain\u2019t even up to your standard.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam grinned back.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re about to see how out of practice I am, buddy boy, but I\u2019m glad to hear you think we\u2019re your only competition, \u2018cause I know I can beat you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rubbing his jaw, Billy surveyed the rest of the field.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m not too worried about the old men, but that Marquette kid might make a contest of it, all right.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cKid?\u201d\u00a0 Adam laughed.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s our age, isn\u2019t he?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCloser to yours than mine, kid,\u201d Billy replied with a mischievous wink.\u00a0 Knowing that Billy was almost exactly one year older than Adam, both Adam and Mark Wentworth laughed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe important question is whether he can shoot,\u201d Mark pointed out.<\/p>\n

Billy gave a grim nod.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, I\u2019m afraid he can.\u00a0 He fought with the Carson Rifles alongside me and seemed like a fair shot\u2014as best I could judge between dodging Paiute bullets.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mark shook his head in dismay.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m beginning to wonder why I signed up for this.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, we know, don\u2019t we, Adam?\u201d\u00a0 Billy cackled with mischievous glee.\u00a0 \u201cShowin\u2019 off for something blue-eyed and beautiful, that\u2019s what!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right,\u201d Adam quickly agreed, smiling at his friend in uniform.<\/p>\n

Mark laughed.\u00a0 \u201cAll right.\u00a0 I admit it, but I\u2019ve got a feeling I won\u2019t make much of a showing, with the likes of you two and that other fellow to shoot against.\u00a0 Been spending more time helping to patch up bullet holes than I have shooting, of late.\u201d\u00a0 His evaluation proving true, Mark was eliminated after the first round, but his lack of prowess did not seem to diminish him one iota in Sally Martin\u2019s adoring eyes.\u00a0 When she slipped her arm through his and stood beside him to watch the remaining shooters, Mark felt that he\u2019d won first prize, after all.<\/p>\n

As the contestants lined up for the third and final round, Adam found himself standing next to the Marquette boy, who was as good a shot as Billy had feared.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re doing some pretty straight shooting, Marquette,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The Marquette boy flushed to the tips of his ears, which stuck out from beneath an unruly thatch of muddy-brown hair.\u00a0 \u201cUh, thanks.\u00a0 You, too\u2014Cartwright, isn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam.\u201d\u00a0 He thrust out his right hand.<\/p>\n

The other boy awkwardly switched his rifle into his left hand and closed his fingers around Adam\u2019s outstretched palm.\u00a0 \u201cRoss.\u00a0 Ross Marquette.\u201d\u00a0 He flushed again.\u00a0 \u201cOh, you knew that, already.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cJust half of it, and I can\u2019t go on calling such a fine marksman \u2018that Marquette kid.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cKid?\u201d\u00a0 Ross Marquette frowned.<\/p>\n

Adam laughed aloud at the look on the other fellow\u2019s face.\u00a0 \u201cNot my description, you understand.\u00a0 You\u2019ve met my loud-mouthed friend, Billy Thomas, I presume, the one shooting now?\u00a0 To him, we\u2019re both kids, he being so much older, you see.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ross laughed, too, then.\u00a0 \u201cGuess we\u2019ll have to show that old man what two kids can do, then!\u201d<\/p>\n

A loud voice interrupted the laughter.\u00a0 \u201cRoss!\u00a0 Get your mind back on your business, boy!\u00a0 You\u2019re up next.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ross Marquette flinched.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s my pa.\u00a0 Look, it\u2019s nice talkin\u2019 to you, Cartwright, but like he says, I got to concentrate now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure,\u201d Adam said, a furrow forming in his brow.\u00a0 Peter Marquette was staring at his son with narrowed and almost severe gaze as Ross went to the line and took aim.\u00a0 It had to be making the boy nervous, Adam figured, so he wasn\u2019t surprised when Ross\u2019s shot went wide of the target and he was eliminated.\u00a0 \u201cTough luck,\u201d Adam said as the downcast boy moved back from the line.<\/p>\n

\u201cUh, yeah,\u201d Ross muttered, sweeping a hank of hair out of his eyes.\u00a0 \u201cWell, hope your luck\u2019s better, Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam,\u201d he insisted.<\/p>\n

\u201cRoss!\u00a0 Quit your jawin\u2019 and git over here,\u201d Peter Marquette demanded.<\/p>\n

\u201cUh, gotta go,\u201d Ross said quickly, keeping his voice low.\u00a0 He loped toward his father, and Adam was shocked to see the man swing a none-too-gentle swipe at his new friend\u2019s backside.\u00a0 What was the matter with Peter Marquette?\u00a0 It was only a contest, meant for fun, and Ross had done very well, right up until his father had butted in and made him nervous.<\/p>\n

\u201cNext up, Adam Cartwright,\u201d called the announcer, and Adam approached the line to the cheers of his father and friends.<\/p>\n

Within an hour both pie and shooting contests were finished, and the Cartwrights met back at their buckboard to begin the journey home.\u00a0 \u201cHow\u2019d you do, Adam?\u201d Hoss asked eagerly as his father and older brother walked up.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour brother took first prize,\u201d Ben announced proudly, clapping his eldest son on the back.<\/p>\n

\u201cHurray!\u201d Hoss hollered.<\/p>\n

\u201cH\u2019ray!\u201d shouted his younger echo.<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks,\u201d Adam said, \u201cbut I was lucky to win.\u00a0 That Billy\u2019s a crack shot.\u00a0 Mine was just a hair closer to the center of the target in the final round.\u00a0 They even had to measure to be sure.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, you was best, anyway,\u201d Hoss declared loyally.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd how about you?\u201d Adam asked Hoss, lifting his youngest brother into the back of the buckboard as Ben assisted Marie to the seat and walked around to mount the other side.\u00a0 \u201cHow\u2019d you make out with the pies?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss best, too, Adam!\u201d Little Joe declared.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re kidding!\u201d Adam exclaimed.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe don\u2019t know what he\u2019s sayin\u2019,\u201d Hoss replied, crawling in the back end.\u00a0 \u201cI did better than I figured I would, though.\u00a0 Came in third.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSee?\u00a0 Hoss best!\u201d\u00a0 Little Joe insisted.<\/p>\n

\u201cThird place against grown men?\u201d\u00a0 Adam whistled.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m with you, Little Joe.\u00a0 When it comes to eating, Hoss is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTold you,\u201d Little Joe smirked at his middle brother.<\/p>\n

Ben looked over his shoulder from the seat of the buckboard.\u00a0 \u201cWell, get in, Adam, if you want a ride over to the Thomases.\u201d\u00a0 Adam had left his horse in his friend\u2019s barn and walked the short distance to the plaza, as the rest of the family would have had there been no food to transport.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I\u2019m not leaving yet,\u201d Adam said, but after seeing his father\u2019s frown, he quickly added, \u201cif that\u2019s all right with you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are your plans?\u201d Ben asked.<\/p>\n

Adam shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cNo plans.\u00a0 Just gonna hang around town awhile, talk to my friends a little more.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWill you be home for supper, Adam?\u201d Marie inquired quickly, trying to forestall any conflict between father and son.<\/p>\n

\u201cKind of doubt it,\u201d Adam replied.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll probably eat at either the Thomases or Martins.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t stay out too late,\u201d Ben admonished as he picked up the reins.<\/p>\n

\u201cI won\u2019t,\u201d Adam called to the departing buckboard.<\/p>\n

Before leaving town, Ben swung by his friends\u2019 home to drop off their dishes, since all the food had been carried to the plaza in one buckboard.\u00a0 He and Hoss helped carry Nelly\u2019s kitchenware inside while Marie struggled to separate a disappointed Little Joe from Bobby\u2019s shirt and redress him in his own frock, now clean and dry.\u00a0 \u201cRest a spell before you head out,\u201d Nelly suggested when the Cartwrights prepared to leave.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, better not,\u201d Ben said, almost automatically.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s a long drive, and we should get started.\u201d<\/p>\n

Not having expected to be taken up on her invitation, Nelly nodded easy acceptance of the explanation.\u00a0 She followed the Cartwrights out to their wagon and, with a hesitant look at Marie, added a final comment.\u00a0 \u201cYou think about what I said, Ben.\u00a0 You don\u2019t want to be raisin\u2019 a pack of heathens.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie cocked her head quizzically at her husband, but Ben made no response other than standard words of farewell.\u00a0 When they were outside town, Marie asked, \u201cWhat did she mean about raising a pack of heathens?\u00a0 Was she upset about Little Joe\u2019s behavior?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, of course not,\u201d Ben scoffed.\u00a0 \u201cHaving raised Billy, she\u2019s had plenty of experience with mischievous little boys.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen what?\u201d Marie pressed.<\/p>\n

Ben took a deep breath.\u00a0 \u201cWhile we were watching the shooting, we heard that there were going to be revival services here in Carson on the fifteenth.\u00a0 Nelly was very excited about it and suggested it was time our boys had some religious training.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie sat up stiffly.\u00a0 \u201cSome Protestant religious training.\u00a0 That is what she meant, is it not?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, Marie, don\u2019t take it that way,\u201d Ben urged.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have always thought we were doing a fine job of teaching our sons the right way of life,\u201d Marie said haughtily.\u00a0 \u201cThey are not heathen!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are times I wonder,\u201d Ben laughed, trying to lighten the discussion.\u00a0 When he saw that his wife continued to glower, he tried a different approach.\u00a0 \u201cMy love, you are a good and godly woman, and you are doing a fine job with our boys.\u00a0 No one doubts that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFor a Catholic, you mean?\u201d Marie demanded.<\/p>\n

\u201cMarie, don\u2019t be like this,\u201d Ben pleaded.\u00a0 \u201cHave I ever given you reason to think I felt anything but respect for your beliefs?\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie quieted at once.\u00a0 \u201cNo, mon mari<\/em>, you have not, but others do not think as you do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t care what the rest of the world thinks, so long as you and I are at peace over this issue,\u201d Ben said.<\/p>\n

Marie nodded.\u00a0 \u201cWe will be at peace, however hard we must work for that peace.\u201d\u00a0 She was silent for a few moments and then asked, \u201cThese services?\u00a0 You would like to go?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have so few opportunities to attend church,\u201d Ben stated before answering more directly.\u00a0 \u201cYes, I would like to go, and I would like to take my family with me\u2014my whole family, if you\u2019re willing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie sighed, feeling hesitant, but not wanting to deprive her husband of something he so obviously wanted.\u00a0 \u201cOui<\/em>,\u201d she agreed at length.\u00a0 \u201cI will try your style of worship, mon amour<\/em>, but you must not expect my own preference to change.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben leaned over to kiss her cheek.\u00a0 \u201cI promise I won\u2019t,\u201d he said tenderly.<\/p>\n

~ ~ ~ ~ ~<\/p>\n

Historical Notes<\/p>\n

The following people are historical settlers of western Utah, as Nevada was known in 1860:\u00a0 Theodore Winters and his new wife Margaret, Matthias Fege, Jacob Shroeder, the O\u2019Neill family, James Sturtevant, W. T. C. (Rough) Elliott and Richard and William Sides, as well as Abraham Curry, the founder of Carson City.<\/p>\n

Laura and Jimmy Ellis are also historical figures, as is George Dettenrieder, her beau in this chapter.\u00a0 While I had indicated in a previous volume of Heritage of Honor<\/em> that Laura was near Marie\u2019s age, subsequent research in the 1880 census has revealed that she would actually have been more than twenty years older.\u00a0 The real Laura Ellis was forty-five in 1860.<\/p>\n

Ross Marquette is a character from the Bonanza episode, \u201cThe Dark Gate\u201d by Al C. Ward.\u00a0 All other members of his family are inventions of the author.<\/p>\n

CHAPTER THREE<\/p>\n

An Opportunity to Stretch Out Stakes<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Dressed in a well-fitting gray suit, Adam leaned through the doorway to Hoss\u2019s bedroom.\u00a0 \u201cYou better get a move on,\u201d he cautioned the younger boy.\u00a0 \u201cPa\u2019s ready to leave, and Marie will be as soon as she finishes dressing Little Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019ll take awhile,\u201d Hoss muttered, \u201cfancy as she\u2019s primpin\u2019 him up.\u201d\u00a0 Then, as Adam moved back into the hall, the younger boy called, \u201cHey, help me with this fool tie, okay?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam turned around and walked over to his brother.\u00a0 \u201cSure.\u201d\u00a0 He took the two ends of the brown string tie and looped them expertly into a loose bow.\u00a0 \u201cThere you go.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks,\u201d Hoss said.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t see why we gotta dress up for this revival thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cFolks dress for church.\u00a0 It\u2019s tradition or something, I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou been before?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSome,\u201d Adam replied, sitting on Hoss\u2019s bed and tucking one leg under the other.\u00a0 \u201cWe used to go with your ma\u2014the one who gave birth to you, I mean\u2014when we lived in St. Joe.\u00a0 This may be different, though, because she was Lutheran and this preacher\u2019s Methodist-Episcopal, Pa says.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss shook his head, confused.\u00a0 \u201cAnd which of them is heathens?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

Adam laughed.\u00a0 \u201cNeither one.\u00a0 They\u2019re both Christian churches.\u201d<\/p>\n

Annoyed by his brother\u2019s obvious amusement, Hoss scowled.\u00a0 \u201cWhat is heathens, then?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam smiled mischievously.\u00a0 \u201cYou and Little Joe come to mind as prime examples,\u201d he suggested with a soft laugh.<\/p>\n

Hoss doubled his fist.\u00a0 \u201cQuit makin\u2019 fun of me,\u201d he demanded.<\/p>\n

Adam held both hands protectively before his face.\u00a0 \u201cOkay, okay,\u201d he chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cPeace, little brother.\u00a0 Where\u2019d you hear that word, anyway?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss unclenched his fist and leaned toward Adam.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s what Aunt Nelly\u2019s afeerd we\u2019re gonna be if we don\u2019t come to this revival meetin\u2019,\u201d he whispered.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s silly,\u201d Adam muttered.\u00a0 He patted the bed beside him and Hoss sat down.\u00a0 \u201cA heathen is\u2014well\u201d\u2014he searched for some way to express the meaning simple enough that Hoss might understand\u2014\u201dwell, someone who doesn\u2019t believe in God and, of course, we do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure we do,\u201d Hoss declared.\u00a0 \u201cEverybody knows there\u2019s a God.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot everybody,\u201d Adam stated, \u201cbut most folks around here are believers, so don\u2019t you go calling anyone a heathen, you hear?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t call folks names,\u201d Hoss protested.\u00a0 Having been called some unpleasant names himself, he felt incensed by the suggestion that he could do something so hurtful.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I know you don\u2019t, buddy,\u201d Adam said, giving the chunky lad beside him a quick hug.\u00a0 \u201cBut sometimes when you throw around words you don\u2019t understand, you can hurt people without meaning to.\u00a0 That\u2019s what I meant.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss smiled up at the big brother he had admired as long as he could remember.\u00a0 Then his brow puckered in thought as he recalled other words he\u2019d recently heard without understanding.\u00a0 \u201cAdam, what\u2019s a prostant?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHuh?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cA prostant,\u201d Hoss repeated.\u00a0 \u201cYou know all kinds of words, so I figured you\u2019d know.\u00a0 I\u2014I think Pa is one\u2014and Ma ain\u2019t.\u00a0 She\u2019s something like a cat lick.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam doubled over, cackling, and Hoss clenched his fist once more, this time pounding his brother\u2019s back.\u00a0 \u201cOkay, okay, hold up,\u201d Adam begged, trying to bring his laughter under control.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s not cat lick, Hoss.\u00a0 Marie is a Catholic, and Pa\u2019s Protestant.\u00a0 That must be the other word you meant.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, so what they mean?\u201d Hoss demanded.\u00a0 \u201cWhich one\u2019s a heathen?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam ruffled his fingers through Hoss\u2019s sandy hair.\u00a0 \u201cNeither one, buddy.\u00a0 They\u2019re just different ways of worshipping God.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss shook his head, still obviously confused.\u00a0 \u201cSure must be a bunch of different ways,\u201d he sighed.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, buddy, there are.\u201d\u00a0 Adam patted his brother\u2019s knee.\u00a0 \u201cTime you got a look at one, I guess.\u00a0 We\u2019d better get downstairs.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

Fingers shaking inside delicate lace gloves, Marie retied her hat ribbons as the buckboard pulled up before the large tent that had been erected for the revival services in Carson City.\u00a0 Looking around at the other worshippers entering the makeshift place of worship, she knew instantly that the hat had been a mistake.\u00a0 Though she\u2019d worn it regularly when she attended church in New Orleans, the wide brim and elaborate ornamental feather looked out of place among the homemade poke bonnets.\u00a0 She could feel the eyes of every woman on her as Ben helped her down.<\/p>\n

Marie shook the wrinkles from her maroon dress, the bodice and sleeves of which were covered in lace one shade lighter.\u00a0 Though she\u2019d only wanted to look her best, to combat a little of her nervousness, she decided with a sigh that she\u2019d obviously tried too hard.\u00a0 While the dress was tailored along simple lines, the fabric and accessories made it stand out even among the dark poplins and silks worn by the better-dressed women, much less the faded calicos of those less well off.<\/p>\n

Ben lifted Little Joe down from the wagon, and Marie smiled as she took his small hand.\u00a0 Her child, at least, looked exactly as he should, although he obviously didn\u2019t share her appreciation for the cream-colored dress with six tiny tucks on each side of the row of pearl buttons down the front.\u00a0 Ben took her opposite arm, and they walked into the tent together, with Adam and Hoss following.<\/p>\n

Moving down the narrow aisle, flanked on both sides by long, wooden plank benches, the Cartwrights saw Nelly Thomas stand to wave them forward.\u00a0 To Marie\u2019s dismay, the Thomases were sitting just three rows from the front, but she gave her friend a strained smile as she guided Little Joe down the row toward the older woman.<\/p>\n

Nelly caught the little boy up and gave him a hug and a kiss, which Little Joe promptly returned.\u00a0 \u201cMy, you\u2019ve sure got our little sugarfoot decked out fine this morning,\u201d Nelly observed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think I picked well\u2014for him, at least,\u201d Marie said quietly.\u00a0 Looking down at her own frock, she added, \u201cI fear I have overdressed for the occasion.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sensing the younger woman\u2019s need for reassurance, Nelly squeezed her hand warmly.\u00a0 \u201cNot at all, not at all.\u00a0 You look right fine, honey lamb, and so does your little one.\u201d\u00a0 Nelly had learned long ago that there was no quicker way to bring a smile to Marie\u2019s face than to compliment her beautiful baby.<\/p>\n

As the two ladies sat side by side on the rough bench, Clyde leaned around his wife.\u00a0 \u201cYou did bring little mischief a spare this time, didn\u2019t you?\u201d he chuckled.\u00a0 Young Inger, seated beyond her father, giggled, and Marie returned the laughter.<\/p>\n

\u201cMais oui<\/em>,\u201d she said, the familiar teasing easing her tension a little.\u00a0 \u201cI have learned to check that most closely.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe squirmed out of Nelly\u2019s lap and started to squeeze past his mother\u2019s knees and then his father\u2019s.\u00a0 As Ben lifted the little boy into his lap, the youngest Cartwright let loose a squeal of outrage.\u00a0 \u201cWanna sit wif my bubbas!\u201d he announced loudly.\u00a0 Heads turned at the sound, but most simply turned back again once they\u2019d traced its source.<\/p>\n

\u201cShh,\u201d Ben ordered.\u00a0 \u201cYou sit still and be quiet, Joseph.\u00a0 You\u2019re in church.\u201d<\/p>\n

The word had no meaning for Little Joe and gave him no motivation to surrender.\u00a0 \u201cI wanna sit\u201d\u2014he began firmly, but before he could finish the restatement of his desire, Ben smacked his bare calf, an action his youngest son rewarded with outthrust lip and quivering chin.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can hold him, Pa,\u201d Adam offered from the end of the row.<\/p>\n

Nelly Thomas beamed her approval as Ben passed the boy over to Adam.\u00a0 All to the good<\/em>, she thought.\u00a0 Now his mother can concentrate on the preachin\u2019<\/em>.\u00a0 She patted Marie\u2019s hand.\u00a0 \u201cI reckon this is all kind of new to you,\u201d she said kindly, \u201cso if there\u2019s anything you don\u2019t understand, you just ask.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie nodded, out of politeness, although she had no intention of accepting that offer.\u00a0 If ever a situation warranted following the Apostle Paul\u2019s admonition to women to keep silent in the church and wait until they were home alone to ask questions of their husbands, she decided, this must surely be it.\u00a0 Smiling demurely at Ben, she recalled how, as a young girl, she\u2019d rebelled against the idea of submitting to a man\u2014a rebellion, among others, the Ursuline nuns of New Orleans, in whose orphanage she had been raised, had endeavored long and futilely to quell.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd if you decide you want to sit on the mourners\u2019 bench,\u201d Nelly was chattering on, \u201cI\u2019ll be happy to go along with you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bewilderment filled Marie\u2019s emerald eyes.\u00a0 \u201cMourners\u2019 bench?\u00a0 But I am not in mourning.\u00a0 Jean has been dead many years now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nelly drew a sharp breath.\u00a0 \u201cOh, honey lamb, that\u2019s not what I meant!\u201d\u00a0 She could do no more than shake her head at her friend\u2019s appalling ignorance of spiritual matters, however, for the minister was approaching the crudely built pulpit.<\/p>\n

After introducing himself and welcoming everyone to the service, the Reverend Jesse L. Bennett led the congregation in several rousing hymns, all of which were new to Marie.\u00a0 Ben and Adam sang exuberantly along with the others.\u00a0 Hoss, at first, was too shy to add his voice, but as each song was sung several times, he began to recognize the words and was soon able to repeat them.\u00a0 Hearing Hoss\u2019s voice break into song was all the motivation Little Joe needed to chime in with discordant syllables that had little resemblance to what the other worshippers were singing.<\/p>\n

Adam bent his lips to the little boy\u2019s ear to shush him, but the admonition was only effective until the beginning of the next song.\u00a0 \u201cHush or I\u2019ll have to take you out,\u201d Adam warned.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay,\u201d Little Joe piped cheerfully.\u00a0 He had quickly tired of sitting still and was quite willing to explore the world outside the tent.<\/p>\n

Adam grinned, reading his little brother\u2019s thoughts.\u00a0 \u201cPa won\u2019t like it,\u201d he advised in a whisper.\u00a0 \u201cBetter be good.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe frowned.\u00a0 It made no sense to him that he alone had to sit quietly and listen when everyone else was making noise.\u00a0 One glance at his father\u2019s face, however, was enough to confirm that Pa was, indeed, displeased with his behavior, so Little Joe snuggled back into Adam\u2019s protective embrace and popped his thumb into his mouth for extra solace.\u00a0 Adam rewarded him with a light kiss brushed against his soft curls.<\/p>\n

Ben had no cause for complaint about any of his sons\u2019 behavior during the sermon.\u00a0 Adam was listening intently, and Hoss\u2019s face was screwed up attentively as he tried to understand what was being said.\u00a0 Little Joe, on the other hand, was simply fascinated by the way the preacher paced back and forth across the front of the tent and even came down the aisle once or twice to make more direct contact with his listeners.\u00a0 The second time, when the man stopped close to the row on which the Cartwrights and Thomases were seated, the toddler flashed his sweet smile.<\/p>\n

The Reverend Jesse L. Bennett proved no more resistant than most people.\u00a0 Returning the smile, he gestured toward the child as he closed his sermon.\u00a0 \u201cFriends, this is a picture of the innocence of heart the Savior purchased for you on Calvary.\u00a0 Come now, like a child; be washed of your sins and receive this innocence into your own heart, I urge you!\u201d<\/p>\n

It was all Adam could do to keep a straight face, but feeling certain that no plea of manhood would save him from dire consequences if he laughed out loud during the altar call, he managed to avoid giving vocal expression to his amusement.\u00a0 He had less success, however, in stopping the twitching of his lips as he mused that had the minister been blessed with a better acquaintance with Little Joe, he\u2019d have chosen a different illustration of innocence.\u00a0 His baby brother might look like a cherub, but everyone who\u2019d spent more than an hour in his company knew there was definite impishness behind that sweet, little grin.<\/p>\n

A number of people, however, seemed to want their hearts to feel as clean and innocent as that child\u2019s, for one by one they made their way to the mourners\u2019 bench to signal their sorrow over their sins and invite the prayers of the godly.\u00a0 To Nelly\u2019s evident disappointment, Marie was not among them.<\/p>\n

At the conclusion of the service, Ben put Adam in charge of his younger brothers and took his wife\u2019s arm.\u00a0 \u201cI want to thank Reverend Bennett for his message,\u201d he explained as he led her forward.<\/p>\n

\u201cMais oui<\/em>,\u201d Marie agreed quietly.<\/p>\n

There had been around seventy people crowded into the tent that morning, so they had to wait a few minutes before Ben had his chance to introduce himself and his wife and express his appreciation to the minister.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m glad you could come, Brother Cartwright,\u201d Reverend Bennett said warmly, then turned toward Marie.\u00a0 \u201cAnd you, too, Sister Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie\u2019s brow furrowed for a moment, not being accustomed to hearing anyone but nuns addressed by that title.\u00a0 Another question to ask Ben later<\/em>, she thought as she gave the minister a mannerly nod.<\/p>\n

They made their way outside, Clyde meeting them as soon as they exited.\u00a0 \u201cNelly\u2019s gone on to the house to start dinner, but she says to stay and visit with folks as long as you\u2019ve a mind,\u201d he reported faithfully.\u00a0 \u201cI know I aim to.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, but I should help,\u201d Marie said.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t go yet,\u201d Ben urged.\u00a0 \u201cI see someone else I\u2019d like you to meet.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right, Ben, but then I should go,\u201d Marie insisted.\u00a0 \u201cIt is not right to leave all the work to Nelly.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI agree.\u201d\u00a0 He took her arm again and steered her toward a thin man in uniform.\u00a0 \u201cCaptain Stewart, how good to see you again,\u201d Ben said warmly as he extended his hand.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d like to introduce my wife, Marie.\u00a0 Marie, this is Captain Stewart, under whose command I had the privilege to serve during the recent hostilities.\u201d<\/p>\n

The captain doffed his slouch hat, revealing a receding hairline above jet-black hair, and bowed slightly.\u00a0 \u201cMy pleasure, ma\u2019am.\u00a0 Did you enjoy the services?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, it was different,\u201d Marie began hesitantly, not quite knowing how to express her feelings, \u201cmore\u2014more vigorous than I am accustomed to.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy wife is Catholic,\u201d Ben explained, \u201cand this was her first experience with a Protestant revival.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie saw the heads of several women nearby turn when Ben mentioned her religion and watched the Army officer closely to see if his reaction was equally negative.\u00a0 Captain Stewart, however, merely said, \u201cAh, I can see why things seemed different to you, then.\u00a0 You\u2019re probably used to a more ordered service.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMais oui<\/em>,\u201d Marie smiled.\u00a0 \u201cI do miss that, but there is no Catholic church here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut there is,\u201d Captain Stewart corrected.\u00a0 \u201cSeveral men at the post have requested passes to attend Catholic services in or near Virginia City.\u00a0 I could ask them the exact location if you\u2019d be interested, Mrs. Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know where it is,\u201d Ben said quietly.<\/p>\n

Marie lifted shocked eyes to her husband\u2019s face.\u00a0 \u201cYou knew, and said nothing?\u201d she demanded, feeling her temper rise.<\/p>\n

Ben took her hand and gave it a gentle caress.\u00a0 \u201cThey hold the services inside a mine tunnel, my love.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t consider that an appropriate place for a lady, so I didn\u2019t mention it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s my understanding, Mr. Cartwright, that a small chapel is being planned,\u201d the Army captain offered.<\/p>\n

\u201cIndeed?\u00a0 I\u2019d certainly feel more at ease about my wife\u2019s worshipping above ground.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie gazed longingly into her husband\u2019s eyes.\u00a0 \u201cOh, Ben, may we?\u201d she asked eagerly.<\/p>\n

Ben nodded.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll talk more about it later.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie suddenly remembered her desire to help Nelly with the noon meal.\u00a0 \u201cOui<\/em>.\u00a0 Please excuse me, Captain Stewart,\u201d she said, \u201cbut I am expected at a friend\u2019s home.\u00a0 Thank you so much for telling me of the new church.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re welcome, ma\u2019am,\u201d Captain Stewart said, bowing again.\u00a0 Facing Ben, he added, \u201cI had hoped to speak with you about another matter, Mr. Cartwright, if you can spare a few more moments.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCertainly,\u201d a curious Ben replied.\u00a0 \u201cYou go ahead, Marie, and I\u2019ll be along directly.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll take the boys,\u201d she told him and after looking around for a moment, headed toward Adam, who was talking with Sally Martin.\u00a0 As she passed a group of ladies, she heard one tell the others in a stage whisper too loud to ignore, \u201cShe\u2019s a Papist.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShould have guessed,\u201d another commented, \u201cdecked out in Popish finery like that!\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie lifted her chin and walked past the ladies without a word.\u00a0 \u201cWhere are your brothers?\u201d she asked Adam sharply when she reached him.<\/p>\n

Adam looked surprised at the tone.\u00a0 \u201cThey went with Nelly,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou were asked to look after them,\u201d Marie snapped.\u00a0 \u201cIt is not right to burden Nelly with their care when she is busy cooking.\u201d\u00a0 She turned on her heel and stormed off toward the Thomas residence.<\/p>\n

Adam whistled.\u00a0 \u201cWhat brought that on?\u201d he observed.<\/p>\n

Sally shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cCouldn\u2019t say, but I\u2019d make peace if I were you, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019d be easier if I knew what I\u2019d done wrong,\u201d Adam laughed.\u00a0 \u201cWell, I\u2019d better be going.\u00a0 I have a feeling today is not the day to be late to dinner.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFather\u2019s out on a call, so it doesn\u2019t matter when I cook ours,\u201d Sally responded merrily.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, come on and take dinner with us,\u201d Adam suggested.\u00a0 \u201cYou know Nelly won\u2019t mind, and I could use a buffer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sally shook her head and grinned.\u00a0 \u201cI think I\u2019ll stay clear of there today.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam gave her a friendly kiss on the cheek and left in the same direction as his stepmother, taking care to keep well behind her, however.<\/p>\n

Ben was oblivious to the storm brewing across the plaza, for he found the news Captain Stewart was sharing of vital interest.\u00a0 \u201cThe Army will be staying on, then?\u201d Ben asked.\u00a0 \u201cIn light of the recent problems with the Indians, that will make many people rest easier, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPrecisely why my troops have been restationed here, Mr. Cartwright,\u201d the captain shared, \u201cand to that end, I\u2019ve been commissioned to supervise the building of a new fort, a project with which I could use your help, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy help?\u201d Ben queried.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll do whatever I can, of course, but I don\u2019t know what I have to offer to such a project, Captain.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFirst, I thought you might supply timber for the buildings, Mr. Cartwright,\u201d the captain returned with a smile.\u00a0 \u201cI understand you have quite a stand of it on your Ponderosa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTrees I have in abundance,\u201d Ben laughed, \u201cbut I\u2019ve always considered myself a rancher, not a timber man.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAn area you might want to consider, Mr. Cartwright,\u201d Stewart suggested.<\/p>\n

\u201cCall me Ben,\u201d Ben requested.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d be pleased to, and you may call me Jasper\u2014except in front of my men, of course.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course,\u201d Ben readily agreed, \u201cbut I thought your given name was Joseph, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n

Stewart laughed.\u00a0 \u201cIt is, but I\u2019m Jasper to my friends, and I would like to consider you one.\u201d\u00a0 Returning to his original subject, he continued, \u201cWith the mines going deeper all the time, there\u2019ll be an enormous market for timber, Ben, and a wise man learns to diversify his assets.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben slowly nodded his head.\u00a0 \u201cYes, you could be right.\u00a0 Something to think about.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe plan to construct most of the buildings of adobe,\u201d the captain continued, \u201cso not a large amount of timber will be needed.\u00a0 However, that makes it an ideal project for someone just starting out in the business, and I would prefer to assign it to someone I trust.\u00a0 I found you to be such a man during the action against the Paiutes.\u201d<\/p>\n

The warm praise brought a glow to Ben\u2019s countenance.\u00a0 \u201cSir\u2014Jasper\u2014I\u2019d be honored to take on this assignment, and I thank you for thinking of me.\u201d\u00a0 He extended his hand, and the two men sealed the bargain with a handshake.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is one other area in which I\u2019d appreciate your help, although there will be no profit to you in it,\u201d Jasper continued.<\/p>\n

\u201cName it,\u201d Ben said readily.<\/p>\n

\u201cSamuel Buckland has recommended a site for the new fort,\u201d the captain explained. \u00a0\u201cHowever, since it is on his own land, I would like an outside opinion.\u00a0 You\u2019ve been in this area as long as or longer than anyone else I might consult, so I would appreciate your riding out to the site with me and giving me an honest evaluation.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d be glad to,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cMy only concern would be leaving my family for that length of time.\u00a0 I\u2019ve heard that the Paiutes have been returning to Pyramid Lake.\u00a0 Do you know if there\u2019s any truth to that rumor?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s true,\u201d Captain Stewart replied soberly, \u201cand many of them would still like to massacre the white settlers.\u00a0 Thankfully, we\u2019ve had the assistance of two peace-loving chiefs, who have thus far been able to dissuade their people from further violence\u2014except against the Pony riders and stage stations, of course.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNumaga?\u201d Ben asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, and Oderkeo,\u201d Jasper replied.\u00a0 \u201cI appreciate your concern for your family, Ben, but I doubt they\u2019re in any danger.\u00a0 If the Paiutes do decide to attack, they\u2019d most likely head in the direction we\u2019ll be going, so you\u2019d have advance warning, as well as a complement of soldiers between the savages and your loved ones.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s true,\u201d Ben admitted, relaxing.\u00a0 \u201cIn fact, on that basis, perhaps I\u2019ll bring my son along, if you have no objection.\u00a0 He has quite an interest in structures and might provide some valuable insight.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam?\u00a0 A fine lad,\u201d the captain commented, remembering how stalwartly the young man had conducted himself on the journey from California and during the Battle of Pinnacle Mount.\u00a0 \u201cBy all means, bring him with you.\u201d<\/p>\n

After a brief discussion the two men decided that the following Friday would be the best time for both of them to examine the proposed site for the new fort and agreed to meet around noon that day at the Big Bend of the Carson River.<\/p>\n

~ ~ ~ ~ ~<\/p>\n

Historical Notes<\/p>\n

In 1860 the Reverend Jesse L. Bennett preached the first sermon heard in Virginia City.\u00a0 He had, however, come to western Utah as early as 1859, probably returning to California during the interim.<\/p>\n

Captain Joseph (Jasper) Stewart is a historical figure, the first officer in charge of Ft.Churchill.<\/p>\n

CHAPTER FOUR<\/p>\n

Branching Out<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 In order to shorten their ride to the scheduled meeting with Captain Stewart, Ben and Adam spent the night in Carson City with the Thomases and rose early on Friday, July 20th.\u00a0 Riding south, they reached the Carson River and stopped to water their horses.<\/p>\n

Adam stooped down to splash water on his face.\u00a0 \u201cGonna be a scorcher,\u201d he commented as he stood.<\/p>\n

Ben lowered the just-filled canteen from his lips.\u00a0 \u201cDays don\u2019t come any other way this time of year, son.\u00a0 Besides, we need the heat to cure the hay.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam groaned.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t remind me.\u00a0 If there\u2019s one job I hate . . .\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben clapped his son on the back.\u00a0 \u201cYou and me both, but it has to be done\u2014and right away.\u00a0 We\u2019re late getting started this year as it is.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, that couldn\u2019t be helped, Pa,\u201d Adam pointed out.\u00a0 \u201cAll that foul weather this spring meant the grass got a late start.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cI know, Adam.\u00a0 I was tromping through that snow right along with you, remember?\u00a0 And we\u2019ve been playing catch-up with the ranch work we let slide while we were with the army.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNow here we are again, giving the army more of our time.\u201d\u00a0 Adam grinned.<\/p>\n

Ben plucked Adam\u2019s black hat brim down over his eyes.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019d best get a move on, boy, or the army will be waiting on us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam pushed his hat back.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll make it with time to spare,\u201d he said as he gathered the reins of the black gelding and vaulted into the saddle.<\/p>\n

Father and son rode east along the river, grateful for the wide shade of the dark-leaved cottonwoods.\u00a0 As Adam had predicted, they arrived at Buckland\u2019s Station before the appointed time, but Captain Stewart was already there, waiting for them in the tavern.\u00a0 \u201cGentlemen, may I offer you some liquid refreshment after your long ride?\u201d the Army officer suggested.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d be pleased to accept,\u201d Ben replied.\u00a0 \u201cA day as hot as this does give a man a thirst.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam?\u201d Captain Stewart asked.<\/p>\n

Remembering that his father had once requested he not drink until he was eighteen, Adam started to decline.\u00a0 Before he could answer, however, Ben smiled and said, \u201cYou can have a beer if you like\u2014but just one.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOne\u2019ll be enough,\u201d Adam said, pleased to receive a man\u2019s privilege in the presence of the Army officer.\u00a0 \u201cThank you, Captain Stewart.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThree beers, Mr. Buckland,\u201d Captain Stewart called to the raw-boned tavern owner, who was standing behind the bar.<\/p>\n

\u201cRight away, Cap\u2019n,\u201d Samuel Buckland yelled back, ignoring his one other customer to hastily draw three beers and hustle them to the men who would decide on the sale of his property.\u00a0 \u201cOn the house,\u201d he said as he set the beers on the round, wooden table.\u00a0 \u201cWish they was colder, but reckon they\u2019ll wash the dust out\u2019n your throats, anyhow.\u201d<\/p>\n

Captain Stewart nodded in acknowledgement, his moderate manner intended to convey that his approval of the sale could not be influenced by a free drink.\u00a0 Buckland got the message and backed off to let the men finish their beers in private.\u00a0 When all three mugs were drained, Captain Stewart suggested they head immediately for the proposed site of the new fort.\u00a0 He left the tavern first, followed by Adam.<\/p>\n

Just as Ben was about to exit, he felt a thin arm circle his shoulders.\u00a0 Turning, he found himself looking into deep-set eyes with a ravenous look about them.\u00a0 He raised a quizzical eyebrow.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, Ben, you and me\u2019s old pals, ain\u2019t we?\u201d Sam Buckland queried.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re gonna give a good report on my land, ain\u2019t ya?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben gave the younger man a crooked smile.\u00a0 He\u2019d never considered Sam a \u201cpal,\u201d but he was an old acquaintance, and Ben decided not to take umbrage at the bald-faced attempt to influence his evaluation.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m gonna give it an honest report, Sam,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cYou can be sure of that\u2014and I doubt you\u2019ll be disappointed.\u201d\u00a0 Ben was familiar enough with the territory that he could almost give his approval, sight unseen, but considered it wise to examine the exact location before he spoke.<\/p>\n

The last phrase gave Sam the reassurance he was looking for.\u00a0 \u201cUh\u2014yeah\u2014an honest report, that\u2019s all I was askin\u2019, Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sure it was,\u201d Ben said, clapping the man\u2019s bony back, and went out quickly to join the others, who were already mounted.\u00a0 Having seen the byplay at the door, Adam gave him a grin and a wink.\u00a0 Ben just shook his head, chuckling, and mounted quickly.<\/p>\n

The land Sam Buckland hoped to sell the Army was only a mile west of the tavern, so Captain Stewart was soon pointing out the boundaries of the proposed site.\u00a0 \u201cWell, what do you think, Ben?\u00a0 Would this be a good place for the fort?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cExcellent, in my view, Jasper,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cGood water supply, close to a major road, good view of the trail in both directions.\u00a0 Buckland\u2019s toll bridge means easy access to the opposite side of the Carson River, as well.\u00a0 The only drawback I see is the proximity of that tavern.\u00a0 Might encourage drunkenness among the men.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSoldiers don\u2019t need much encouragement in that department,\u201d Stewart said with a smile.\u00a0 \u201cFrankly, if I must haul tipsy soldiers back to the fort, I\u2019d prefer to travel only one mile, as opposed to twenty-five to the saloons of Virginia City.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed heartily.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s a point.\u201d\u00a0 Suddenly, he realized his son had wandered away from them.\u00a0 \u201cAdam?\u201d he called.<\/p>\n

Adam waved and walked down the slope he\u2019d just climbed.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d build up there, on the elevated ground,\u201d he said as he came up to the other two men.\u00a0 \u201cBeing this close to the river, you\u2019ll want some protection against flooding.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood suggestion, young man,\u201d Captain Stewart said with a smile.\u00a0 \u201cYour father tells me you have an architectural interest, so while we\u2019re here, I\u2019d appreciate your advice on the layout of the buildings.\u00a0 Why don\u2019t we sit under the shade of one of those trees by the river, so I can tell you what we plan to build and we can discuss precise locations and the amount of lumber we\u2019ll need you to supply.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSounds good,\u201d Ben said.<\/p>\n

The three men sat beneath the circular shade of a large cottonwood and discussed the buildings needed, the best location for each and the timber to be provided by the Cartwrights.\u00a0 When all was decided, a contract was signed.\u00a0 \u201cNow, I must get back to Buckland\u2019s Station and finalize the sale of this property,\u201d Stewart said.\u00a0 \u201cOf course, you understand that your timber contract is contingent upon successful purchase of the land, but I don\u2019t anticipate any problems.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d be very surprised if Sam gave you problems,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cHaving soldiers nearby should significantly enhance his profits, as well as providing additional security.\u201d<\/p>\n

Stewart smiled.\u00a0 \u201cAs I said, I anticipate no problems, for those very reasons.\u00a0 If you\u2019d like to return with me, you could verify the validity of your contract this afternoon, and I\u2019ll gladly buy you each another beer.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you, but we\u2019d best be going,\u201d Ben replied.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d like to make another stop on the way home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam cocked his head curiously, but didn\u2019t inquire into his father\u2019s plans until they were alone.\u00a0 \u201cI didn\u2019t know we were going anywhere else today, Pa,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t mention it because I wasn\u2019t sure we\u2019d get away in time,\u201d Ben explained.\u00a0 \u201cI thought I\u2019d ride up through Gold Hill into Virginia City to see if I could learn anything more about that Catholic chapel Captain Stewart mentioned on Sunday.\u00a0 You needn\u2019t come unless you want to.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll ride along with you,\u201d Adam replied.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe you\u2019ll even treat me to a second beer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cI wouldn\u2019t count on it.\u00a0 Maybe I\u2019ll buy you a nice, cool sarsaparilla.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Pa,\u201d Adam grunted.\u00a0 He knew he was being teased, but as he considered that beverage more appropriate for a kid Hoss\u2019s age than a man like himself, he didn\u2019t find the offer amusing.<\/p>\n

Ben grinned even wider.\u00a0 \u201cWell, we\u2019ll see,\u201d he said appeasingly.<\/p>\n

Adam grinned back, and they rode in companionable silence for several miles.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re sure taking on a load of work,\u201d Adam commented at length.\u00a0 \u201cWill we be hiring some extra hands?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we can find any,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cWith the haying to do and the timber contract to fill, we could use extra help, but it\u2019s still hard for us to compete with those miners\u2019 dreams of making a fortune.\u00a0 We\u2019ll have to push to get it all done before you leave for school, so you might as well plan on some long days \u2018til then, young man.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam licked his lips.\u00a0 His father had just touched on a topic he\u2019d known for some time that they needed to discuss, but it was still hard to bring it up.\u00a0 \u201cPa,\u201d he said quietly after a few minutes\u2019 silence, \u201cI\u2019ve been thinking that maybe I shouldn\u2019t go back to school this year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben jolted his horse to a stop.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s ridiculous, Adam.\u00a0 No need for that at all, son.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut with all the extra work\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll manage,\u201d Ben assured him.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd what about the Indians?\u201d Adam pressed.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d feel terrible if I left and things got stirred up again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben scowled.\u00a0 \u201cThe fate of western Utah does not depend upon you, young man, and I don\u2019t need you to patrol the borders of the Ponderosa.\u00a0 For mercy\u2019s sake, we\u2019re going to have a whole fort full of soldiers to protect us from renegade Indians.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut, Pa\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t \u2018but, Pa,\u2019 me, boy!\u00a0 You only have one year left at the academy, and it\u2019s ridiculous for you not to finish.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam winced at the term \u201cboy.\u201d\u00a0 \u201cI was only talking about delaying it, until you could hire more men and until you were certain the territory was secure.\u00a0 I\u2019d go back and finish my work, of course.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben reached over to squeeze Adam\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019d lose your place and have to be put on their waiting list again.\u00a0 That could mean being out an entire year, Adam.\u00a0 You made that mistake once; let\u2019s not repeat it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam turned away, pained by the memory of that previous delay, the one that had occurred when his father brought a new bride home from New Orleans and Adam had overreacted so badly.\u00a0 \u201cAll right, Pa; I\u2019ll go,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Ben was surprised to hear the sad tone, as Adam had always enjoyed school and been eager to return each fall.\u00a0 Well, anyone can get tired of a routine, I suppose<\/em>, he mused.\u00a0 He patted his son\u2019s back and started riding forward again.\u00a0 \u201cCheer up,\u201d he said brightly.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s only one year.\u00a0 Then you can stay on the ranch forever and help out all you want.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dumbfounded, Adam glanced over at his father.\u00a0 Although he had never specifically mentioned continuing his education beyond the academy, he had assumed that his father understood he wanted to attend college, as well.\u00a0 After all, what was the point of a preparatory school if you didn\u2019t go on to what it prepared you for?\u00a0 Now didn\u2019t seem like the right time to bring it up, however.\u00a0 Maybe Pa felt he\u2019d spent enough money on his oldest son\u2019s education.\u00a0 Or maybe he needed Adam at home more than he was willing to admit.\u00a0 Thoughts to ponder, Adam decided, but determined not to speak them aloud until he\u2019d clarified everything in his own mind first.<\/p>\n

CHAPTER FIVE<\/p>\n

Landslide!<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 For the next week everyone on the Ponderosa worked from sunup to sundown.\u00a0 Ben put his foreman, Enos Montgomery, in charge of the haying crew and took the responsibility for starting up the new timber operation himself.\u00a0 Although he\u2019d never worked with timber before, he had definite ideas about how to manage tree cutting.\u00a0 Having seen back east the result of indiscriminate cutting of entire hillsides, Ben had no intention of having the slopes of the Ponderosa similarly denuded.\u00a0 Therefore, he personally selected the trees to be cut, and while some of the men snickered at the new-fangled notion behind his back, his orders were followed.<\/p>\n

To give Adam a break from the hated haying and to acquaint him with a business Ben expected to be a continuing part of ranch life, Ben permitted his oldest son to alternate between the two work forces.\u00a0 Hoss alone seemed to consider the special treatment unfair, for while he didn\u2019t mind doing his share of work under the hot sun, he had a genuine love for the woods and would have preferred to work beside his father and brother at the timber camp.\u00a0 Overhearing his grumbling one day, Ben had only laughed and tousled his middle boy\u2019s sandy hair.\u00a0 \u201cTraining one son at a time at a job that\u2019s new to me, too, is about all I can handle, boy,\u201d he\u2019d said.\u00a0 \u201cYour time\u2019ll come.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss seemed to accept his father\u2019s explanation, but that concluding sentence failed to work the same magic when addressed to the youngest Cartwright.\u00a0 Each night at supper Little Joe demanded to go with his father and brothers the next day, and each night he was told that he was too young to do that kind of work.\u00a0 \u201cMe big now,\u201d Little Joe had protested one evening.\u00a0 \u201cThis many,\u201d he\u2019d added, holding up three fingers.<\/p>\n

Marie had mollified his hurt feelings that night by pointing out that three was the perfect age to help her and Hop Sing replant the vegetable garden.\u00a0 Hop Sing, who\u2019d been serving dessert at the time, had frowned eloquently at the thought of those restless feet tromping down his rows of green beans and peas, but he knew that there was little point in arguing with Missy Cartwright where her baby boy was concerned.\u00a0 She was as unswerving in her decisions about her child as Ben was in his conservationist attitude toward tree cutting.<\/p>\n

By the final Sunday in July, everyone was ready for a break.\u00a0 Hoss wouldn\u2019t officially turn ten until the next day, but Sunday was a more convenient time for the kind of get-together that had become the traditional celebration for the boy\u2019s birthday.\u00a0 Feeling more confident this year in his ability to stay afloat, Hoss had requested that the picnic be held at Washoe Lake.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s better for swimmin\u2019,\u201d he\u2019d explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot as cold, you mean,\u201d Adam had hooted.\u00a0 Seeing his younger brother\u2019s outthrust lower lip, he\u2019d quickly said, \u201cI think Washoe Lake\u2019s better for swimming, too, Hoss, and more convenient for the other guests.\u00a0 That\u2019s a great idea you had.\u201d<\/p>\n

The invitations had gone out, and all Hoss\u2019s special friends were in attendance, with the sole exception of Billy Thomas, whose duties with the Pony Express wouldn\u2019t permit his coming.\u00a0 The rest of his family was there, though, along with the Martins, Ellises, Montgomerys and even Mark Wentworth, on a one-day pass from the Army.<\/p>\n

While the younger children, under supervision of the men, were swimming and the women were setting out the food, Sally Martin was walking, elbows locked with both Mark and Adam, toward the north end of the lake.\u00a0 \u201cI want to show Mark the buttercups,\u201d she told Adam.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s never seen them before.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re worth seeing,\u201d Adam agreed.\u00a0 Leaning around Sally, he gave Mark a piece of information he was sure the young soldier would find more fascinating than flowers.\u00a0 \u201cPa and I plan to make our first delivery to the construction site tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s good news,\u201d Mark responded.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll sure be glad to have a solid roof over my head again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I can imagine,\u201d Adam observed, \u201cand I imagine you\u2019re pretty glad that your unit is going to be assigned here in western Utah for awhile.\u201d\u00a0 He winked, and Sally gave his arm a reproachful shake.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhether Mark is or not, I certainly am,\u201d she declared.\u00a0 \u201cNow, if I could just change his silly mind about postponing our wedding until his term of enlistment is over, I\u2019d be overwhelmed with happiness.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know my feelings on that,\u201d Mark chided, embarrassed that his fianc\u00e9 had brought up a matter he considered private, even to as close a friend as Adam.\u00a0 \u201cI will not try to support a wife on a private\u2019s pay.\u00a0 Eleven dollars a month is barely enough to keep me alive!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I know,\u201d Sally murmured, laying her head briefly against his shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m just disappointed.\u00a0 Five years is an eternity to wait.\u201d\u00a0 She bobbed up happily again a few moments later.\u00a0 \u201cOh, there they are!\u00a0 Aren\u2019t they beautiful, Mark?\u201d she cried, pointing toward the lake.<\/p>\n

\u201cWow, they sure are!\u201d Mark exclaimed as he caught sight of a thousand golden buttercups hidden among the shimmering shoots of green tule grass that rose ten to twelve feet above the surface of the lake.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve never seen anything like it.\u201d<\/p>\n

The three young people sat down side by side, watching the grass wave in the wind and the yellow flowers peek through the blades like little suns moving in and out of obscuring clouds.\u00a0 Adam broke off a piece of tule, stripped away its outer stem and began to nibble on the white inner flesh, as his Paiute friend, Sarah Winnemucca, had taught him long ago.\u00a0 \u201cSo, what are your plans after the Army, Mark, besides getting married?\u201d he asked.\u00a0 \u201cI know Pa\u2019d take you back on as a hand, if ranch work suits you.\u00a0 We don\u2019t pay miners\u2019 wages, of course, but it sure beats Army pay.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything does,\u201d Mark laughed.\u00a0 \u201cI enjoyed working on the Ponderosa last summer, Adam, but I\u2019ve got my sights on something different.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sally\u2019s eyes were shining with pride as she said, \u201cMark\u2019s going to be a doctor, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, that\u2019s one way to get in good standing with the girl\u2019s father, I guess,\u201d Adam chuckled.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Adam, don\u2019t tease,\u201d Sally scolded.\u00a0 \u201cMark\u2019s really interested in medicine\u2014and not just because of me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMatter of the fact, I have your baby brother to thank for sparking my interest,\u201d Mark commented saucily.<\/p>\n

\u201cLittle Joe?\u201d Adam queried, totally perplexed.\u00a0 \u201cWhat could he have to do with your career choice?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou remember that spill he took down the stairs last summer?\u201d Mark asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow could I forget!\u201d Adam chortled, tossing away the rest of his piece of tule and leaning back on his elbows.\u00a0 \u201cMarie about took my head off for letting her precious baby boy take a tumble.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, well, after you rode off, she sent me for the doctor,\u201d Mark continued, \u201cand there was just something about the way he handled the little fellow that made me start thinking about what I wanted to do with my life.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd that\u2019s why Mark took a job as an orderly in the hospital at San Francisco,\u201d Sally added.\u00a0 \u201cHe wanted to see if he really did have an interest in medicine.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cKind of a baptism of fire,\u201d Mark laughed.\u00a0 \u201cBoy, the things I saw\u2014not to mention the things I cleaned up!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you still want to be a doctor?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Mark said, smiling wistfully.\u00a0 \u201cI know the work can be grueling, but there\u2019s a lot of satisfaction in helping people.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, that\u2019s great!\u201d Adam said enthusiastically.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll bet Dr. Martin\u2019s pleased as punch.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, he is,\u201d Mark agreed with a grin.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s even loaned me some books, so I can start reading.\u00a0 I talked with the captain about being assigned to work under the military surgeon, and it looks like that may go through.\u00a0 Of course, I\u2019d rather have Dr. Martin for my preceptor, but I wanted to make a start as soon as I could, and he says the Army trains good surgeons.\u00a0 Then, when I\u2019ve finished there, I\u2019ll work under Dr. Martin until he thinks I\u2019m ready for formal training back east.\u201d<\/p>\n

Suddenly, a vociferous \u201cNo!\u201d cascaded down the lake.\u00a0 Adam laughed.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s your little inspiration, bellowing about being forced to leave the water before he\u2019s ready.\u00a0 Have you read enough medicine to know how to treat this particular ailment, Dr. Mark?\u201d<\/p>\n

Mark stroked his chin, as if in serious thought.\u00a0 \u201cI believe a slice of Hoss\u2019s birthday cake will affect a timely cure,\u201d he pontificated.<\/p>\n

Adam grinned as he leaped to his feet and reached out to pull his friend up.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d have prescribed a firm swat on the seat of the pants, but you\u2019re the doctor.\u201d\u00a0 Each boy took one of Sally\u2019s hands and helped her up, the three young people having correctly interpreted that the children\u2019s forced exit from the water meant that it was time to dig into the food.<\/p>\n

The ladies had, as usual, prepared an abundance, so even appetites whetted by exercise were completely satisfied by the time Hoss\u2019s birthday cake was consumed.\u00a0 \u201cI brung stakes and horseshoes,\u201d Clyde suggested when everyone appeared to be finished eating, \u201cand I\u2019m ready to take on all comers.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re on,\u201d Ben declared forcefully.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s play in teams.\u00a0 I\u2019ll take Paul, and you can have George or Enos, Clyde.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot me,\u201d Enos said quickly.\u00a0 \u201cI promised Katerina we\u2019d walk over and see the buttercups after lunch.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cReckon I\u2019ll take George, then,\u201d Clyde returned genially.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re getting the short end of the stick, Ben,\u201d Paul laughed, nodding toward the man who had escorted Laura Ellis and her son to the picnic.\u00a0 \u201cMr. Dettenrieder looks like he has a stronger arm than I can boast.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I\u2019ll risk it,\u201d Ben chuckled.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow about it, Mark?\u201d Adam asked.\u00a0 \u201cYou want to take on the winners?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, partner, I\u2019ll give it a try,\u201d Mark returned.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey!\u00a0 Me and Jimmy wants to play, too,\u201d Hoss protested.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s my birthday.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right, all right,\u201d Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cYou and Jimmy test your arms against Mark and Adam before your elders play a round; then the winner of each pair will vie for the championship.\u00a0 How\u2019s that?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGreat!\u201d Hoss exclaimed and pulled Jimmy aside to plan their strategy.<\/p>\n

Little Joe bounded up and ran over to his middle brother, pushing Jimmy aside.\u00a0 \u201cMe, me!\u201d he cried.\u00a0 \u201cPlay wif me, Hoss!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAw, you can\u2019t throw a horseshoe, punkin,\u201d Hoss cackled.\u00a0 \u201cThey weigh \u2018most as much as you!\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe\u2019s face turned bright red.\u00a0 \u201cCan, too!\u201d he screamed.\u00a0 \u201cWanna play!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph,\u201d Ben said, his tone sharp enough to silence the impending tantrum.<\/p>\n

\u201cMa, can I take Little Joe wadin\u2019,\u201d Inger Thomas asked quickly, \u201cseein\u2019 as how we\u2019re both left out of the game?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf it\u2019s all right with Marie, you can,\u201d Nelly said.\u00a0 \u201cJust don\u2019t go in above the youngun\u2019s knees.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat will be fine,\u201d Marie agreed quickly, certain another chance to get in the water would provide just the right distraction for her child\u2019s frustration.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow \u2018bout it, Little Joe?\u00a0 Wanna wade in the water?\u201d Inger asked.\u00a0 She leaned over to whisper in the baby\u2019s ear, \u201cWe can pick some buttercups, too, for our mamas.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe smiled brightly.\u00a0 \u201cLike flowers, Mama?\u201d he called loudly.<\/p>\n

\u201cMais oui, mon petit<\/em>,\u201d Marie replied with a tinkling laugh as Inger shook her head in disgust at the ruined surprise.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome on, blabbermouth,\u201d the little girl sputtered, taking Little Joe\u2019s hand and leading him toward the north end of the lake.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, now that that\u2019s settled,\u201d Ben said, \u201cwhy don\u2019t you young fellows go first with the horseshoes?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, us old folks could use a rest,\u201d Clyde snickered.\u00a0 None of the menfolk really rested, though, for those who weren\u2019t playing provided an active and vocal audience for those who were.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs usual, we women get left with the work,\u201d Laura Ellis laughed as she began to put away the leftover food that she had brought.<\/p>\n

\u201cAin\u2019t it the truth?\u201d Nelly said, with a shake of her head.\u00a0 She glanced at Marie, who was shaking crumbs from napkins just to her left.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s a shame the Reverend Bennett had to go back to California so soon after the revival,\u201d she commented, \u201cand you only got to hear him that one time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie smiled back brightly.\u00a0 \u201cHas Ben not told you the news?\u00a0 A new Catholic chapel is being built on Sun Mountain.\u00a0 It should be finished by next month, and we will all be able to attend services there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nelly frowned soberly.\u00a0 \u201cAll of you?\u00a0 But Ben and the boys ain\u2019t Pap\u2014Catholics.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie\u2019s smile dimmed as she caught the note of disapproval in her friend\u2019s voice.\u00a0 \u201cBen has said we will all attend the first time.\u00a0 Then we will talk afterwards.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI see,\u201d Nelly muttered, resolving to have a few private words with Ben about the foolishness of bringing up his sons as Papists.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, ladies, let\u2019s get this food put away quickly,\u201d Laura urged, sensing the charge in the atmosphere and hoping to deflect it.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d like a chance to see how my George can handle a horseshoe.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, your<\/em> George now, is he?\u201d Marie teased, quite willing to lay aside a discussion of religious differences in favor of one about romantic possibilities.\u00a0 Nelly, too, was eager to hear how the relationship of the courting couple was coming along, and soon all three ladies were whispering over the remains of the picnic.<\/p>\n

Adam and Mark, with Sally as an appreciative audience, easily defeated Hoss and Jimmy in the first horseshoe contest, for while Hoss could hold his own in a competition with grown men, Jimmy had only the strength of an average six-year-old.\u00a0 The second match was more hotly contested, but the team of Thomas and Dettenrieder finally bested that of Cartwright and Martin.<\/p>\n

Ben clapped his oldest son on the back.\u00a0 \u201cLooks like it\u2019s up to you to uphold the Cartwright honor, young man.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam tossed his hat aside and flexed his right arm.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll do my best, Pa,\u201d he vowed with a grin.<\/p>\n

The championship game had barely begun when a low rumble to the northwest made everyone glance across the valley toward the sound.\u00a0 The rumble grew to a roar, and a cloud of dust billowed into the air.\u00a0 \u201cLandslide!\u201d Ben shouted.<\/p>\n

\u201cBig one,\u201d Clyde agreed.\u00a0 Because of the excessive snows that winter, the spring thaw had rendered many elevated areas of the region unstable.\u00a0 While there had been smaller landslides earlier, this one appeared to be of mammoth size.\u00a0 \u201cLooks like it\u2019s right by the old emigrant trail,\u201d Clyde added.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeen a lot of traffic on that trail this summer, I hear,\u201d George Dettenrieder observed, looking concerned.\u00a0 \u201cMight be some folks caught up in it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d better go,\u201d Paul Martin announced.\u00a0 \u201cIf there are people injured, prompt medical attention might make the difference.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll take my buckboard,\u201d Ben offered.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019ll hold all who want to go.\u201d\u00a0 Paul nodded and ran to his buggy for the doctor\u2019s bag he made a practice of carrying with him.<\/p>\n

Ben and Adam quickly hitched the team to their buckboard.\u00a0 Hoss moved tentatively to his father\u2019s side.\u00a0 \u201cPa, can I go, too?\u201d he asked earnestly.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis isn\u2019t a time for idle gawking, boy,\u201d Ben replied sharply.\u00a0 \u201cThere may be people in need of help.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s why I wanna go, Pa,\u201d Hoss pleaded.\u00a0 \u201cI can work \u2018most hard as any man, and I wanna help them folks, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben turned to look into the boy\u2019s earnest face and felt shame for his hasty remark.\u00a0 Of course, tender-hearted Hoss would be concerned about possible victims, and he had proven over the last two summers that he was, indeed, almost as strong and hard a worker as any grown man.\u00a0 \u201cAll right, son,\u201d Ben said, laying a loving hand against Hoss\u2019s full cheek.\u00a0 \u201cI guess I can\u2019t turn down the birthday boy, can I?\u201d<\/p>\n

With a beaming face, Hoss ran to the back of the buckboard and climbed in before his father had a chance to give the decision a second thought.<\/p>\n

Marie had walked up in time to hear her husband\u2019s last words.\u00a0 \u201cBen, I do not think that is wise,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cHe is only a boy.\u00a0 He may have a man\u2019s body, but his heart is that of a child.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben took her aside and spoke quietly.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s his heart I\u2019m thinking of, Marie.\u00a0 He has a big, giving heart, just like his mother\u2019s, and it\u2019ll ache unbearably if he\u2019s not allowed to help.\u201d\u00a0 He pressed her cheeks between his palms.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t fret, mother hen,\u201d he teased lightly.\u00a0 \u201cI won\u2019t let anything happen to your rather sizable little chick.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie smiled at the humorous remark, but shook her head as she walked away, wondering why men so rarely realized that the greatest perils weren\u2019t physical, but those that touched the heart, and that those were the hardest to ward away from a child.<\/p>\n

Every male but the two youngest piled into the buckboard, Ben and Paul sharing the seat of the wagon.\u00a0 The others, sprawled in the back, suffered a very bumpy ride, for Ben drove fast, wanting to reach possible victims as quickly as possible.\u00a0 He turned the wagon onto the emigrant trail and drove west until the landslide itself blocked the trail.<\/p>\n

The men climbed out, several whistling at the amount of debris burying the trail that had led many to California.\u00a0 The granite face of the mountain above the trail had been laid bare, as almost two miles of earth had cascaded down to cover the road.<\/p>\n

Hoss hurried to his father\u2019s side.\u00a0 \u201cWe better drive on to the house, don\u2019t you think, Pa?\u201d he queried urgently.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re gonna need shovels to dig anybody out of that!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShovels!\u201d Adam hooted.\u00a0 \u201cBlasting powder is more like it!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll kill \u2018em that way!\u201d Hoss screeched.\u00a0 \u201cWe gotta dig \u2018em out, Adam.\u00a0 Can\u2019t you see that?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss, that\u2019s crazy,\u201d Adam protested.\u00a0 \u201cHalf the mountain came down.\u00a0 You\u2019d be digging for days to reach bottom.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s lower lip started to tremble.\u00a0 \u201cBut we gotta try,\u201d he insisted.\u00a0 \u201cLike that preacher said, we gotta do to others like we\u2019d want \u2018em to do by us.\u00a0 I sure wouldn\u2019t want nobody leavin\u2019 me under a ton of rock, would you?\u201d\u00a0 He was almost screaming by the time he finished his mini-sermon.<\/p>\n

\u201cWill you use your head?\u201d Adam hollered back.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam, that\u2019s enough,\u201d Ben snapped.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut, Pa\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI said that\u2019s enough!\u201d Ben shouted.\u00a0 Seeing the tears begin to trickle down Hoss\u2019s face, he knelt to fold the shaken boy in his arms.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa, we gotta help folks,\u201d Hoss repeated, \u201clike the preacher said.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled tenderly at his middle son.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m glad you were listening and took it to heart, Hoss, because the preacher was right:\u00a0 we should help folks whenever we can.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPa,\u201d Adam interrupted impatiently.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s no hope.\u00a0 Anyone under there is dead.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know that, Adam,\u201d Ben said tersely, \u201cbut that\u2019s no reason to belittle your brother\u2019s concern.\u201d\u00a0 He pushed Hoss back so he could look into his face.\u00a0 \u201cAs I was saying, son, we should help folks whenever we can, but we don\u2019t know that anyone was on the trail when this happened.\u00a0 Even if they were, there\u2019s just nothing we can do.\u00a0 No one could have survived that.\u201d\u00a0 He turned Hoss around so he could see the mass of debris blocking the trail.\u00a0 \u201cNo one, son,\u201d he said quietly and again wrapped the sobbing boy in a tender embrace.<\/p>\n

Ashamed of the thoughtlessness of his previous remarks, Adam squatted down beside his brother and patted the boy\u2019s heaving back.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry, buddy,\u201d he said softly.\u00a0 \u201cI didn\u2019t think before I spoke.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss reared up and glared at his older brother.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, well, you shouldn\u2019t oughta shoot off your mouth \u2018til you know what it\u2019s loaded with!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben started to rebuke the rash retort, but Adam motioned for his father to let him handle it.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, buddy, that\u2019s right,\u201d he said, keeping his voice gentle.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll work on that.\u201d\u00a0 Seeing the younger boy fall into his older brother\u2019s arms, Ben smiled and nodded approvingly at his oldest son.<\/p>\n

That night, after tucking both younger boys into one bed so that Little Joe could provide his bigger brother the comfort he so obviously needed, Marie moved quietly down the hall to her own room.\u00a0 Ben was seated on the side of the bed, head held wearily in his hands.\u00a0 Sensing his anguish, Marie stepped swiftly to him and, kneeling at his feet, raised his face and pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d appreciate it if you didn\u2019t say \u2018I told you so,\u2019\u201d Ben murmured.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, mon mari<\/em>, I would not,\u201d she said with feeling.<\/p>\n

\u201cI should have listened to you,\u201d Ben chastised himself.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I don\u2019t know, Ben,\u201d she sighed.\u00a0 \u201cWe cannot protect our children from all the pain of life, much as we might wish.\u00a0 Perhaps it would have hurt Hoss as much to be kept away.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know.\u00a0 I just hope there were no travelers caught in that landslide.\u00a0 If he were to learn that\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDick Sides came by awhile ago,\u201d Ben told her.<\/p>\n

\u201cI saw him from the window,\u201d Marie replied, \u201cbut I was busy with the boys.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere were some people known to be on the trail earlier today,\u201d Ben sighed.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe they made it through safely, but I\u2019m not sure the bodies will ever be found if they didn\u2019t.\u00a0 Sides said some of the neighbors will be gathering tomorrow to try to clear the road itself, but we won\u2019t try to move any of the debris that isn\u2019t blocking the way.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou will be joining them?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, I feel it\u2019s a civic responsibility.\u00a0 I\u2019ll take Adam and as many men as I can spare.\u00a0 We\u2019ll have to put off our trip to the fort another day, but since there was no set time for this first delivery, it shouldn\u2019t be a problem.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou will not take Hoss this time?\u201d Marie asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Ben replied quickly.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t expect to find any bodies, but I wouldn\u2019t want him there if we did.\u00a0 Plenty of chores to keep him busy here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot chores, Ben,\u201d Marie said with a smile.\u00a0 \u201cI think I can find a better way than that for Hoss to spend his actual birthday.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed lightly and tweaked her nose.\u00a0 \u201cWell, if you can\u2019t, I\u2019m sure Little Joe can.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

\u201cPut your back into it, you scrawny stick in the wind!\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam slammed his pickax into the pile of debris and, nostrils flaring, glared down the line of workers at the man who\u2019d bellowed the derisive order.\u00a0 It was the third time that morning that Adam had heard Peter Marquette lambasting his son for shirking, and as near as Adam could tell by snatched glances here and there, Ross was doing his share, same as any of them.\u00a0 No need to shame him before the men of the community working to clear the emigrant road.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t ten minutes, though, before Adam heard the same voice, yelling again, and turned to see the Marquette boy, sprawled in the dust.\u00a0 \u201cI just slipped, Pa,\u201d Ross tried to explain.<\/p>\n

\u201cSlipped.\u201d\u00a0 Peter Marquette spit in disgust.\u00a0 \u201cA boy\u2019s excuse.\u00a0 If you can\u2019t keep on your feet, hand that pick to the O\u2019Neill boy and take his place haulin\u2019 rock.\u201d<\/p>\n

A red-faced Ross Marquette heaved himself to his feet and meekly handed the tool to nineteen-year-old Washington O\u2019Neill, who tipped his hat and willingly took Ross\u2019s place at the rock face.\u00a0 Without a word, Ross began lifting rocks into a wheelbarrow alongside a couple of younger teenagers.<\/p>\n

Adam exchanged his pickax for a shovel and headed toward Ross.\u00a0 He rammed the shovel beneath some of the loose debris and hefted it into the wheelbarrow.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t have to do that,\u201d Ross said, eyes fixed on the ground.\u00a0 \u201cYou got the tools and the muscle to do a man\u2019s work over there.\u201d\u00a0 He jerked his head back toward the face of the landslide.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo did you,\u201d Adam said, dumping another load into the wheelbarrow.\u00a0 \u201cMan\u2019s work, boy\u2019s work, it\u2019s all got to be done.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ross said no more, and Adam, too, worked in silence until the wheelbarrow was full.\u00a0 Ross took the handles and began rolling the debris toward an area, back from the road, to dump it.\u00a0 He looked up, surprised, when Adam fell into step beside him.\u00a0 \u201cYou really don\u2019t have to do this,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s a one-man job.\u201d\u00a0 His face convulsed.\u00a0 \u201cSorry, should\u2019ve said a \u2018one-boy job,\u2019 I guess,\u201d he muttered.<\/p>\n

Adam bit his lip, unsure of whether he should say anything, but the other young man\u2019s taut grimace brought the words out.\u00a0 \u201cHey, don\u2019t let him get to you.\u00a0 You were doing as good a job as any man here.\u00a0 Anybody can lose his footing.\u201d<\/p>\n

After dumping the load of debris, Ross looked up, and a ghost of a smile touched his lips.\u00a0 \u201cNice of you to say so, but\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRoss!\u00a0 Quit standin\u2019 around jawin\u2019 with that boy and get back to work, you lazy lout!\u201d\u00a0 Peter Marquette\u2019s voice, again, was loud and strident and drew the attention of everyone on the work crew.<\/p>\n

\u201cComin\u2019, Pa,\u201d Ross called, snatching up the handles of the wheelbarrow and hurrying back.\u00a0 Adam had to trot to keep up.<\/p>\n

\u201cI meant what I said,\u201d Adam affirmed after they\u2019d filled and dumped another load.\u00a0 \u201cEverybody can see you\u2019ve done your fair share.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ross shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cNaw, Pa\u2019s right.\u00a0 I don\u2019t carry my weight here, anymore than at home, like he\u2019s always sayin\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure you do,\u201d Adam insisted.\u00a0 Then he grinned, to lighten the atmosphere.\u00a0 \u201cYou just don\u2019t have as much weight to carry, that\u2019s all.\u00a0 Me, either.\u00a0 We\u2019re both slim and trim young gents, but what weight we\u2019ve got, we\u2019ve put into this job\u2014the both of us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ross laughed.\u00a0 \u201cSlim and trim, huh?\u00a0 You, maybe, but I\u2019m skinny as a stick, and that\u2019s the plain truth.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was, of course, and Adam knew any denial was pointless, so he purposely cracked a joke, instead.\u00a0 \u201cWell, then, Skinny, maybe I\u2019ll just have to take on the job of fattening you up, strictly as a matter of self-preservation, you understand.\u00a0 That way I can ease back and leave most of the work to you!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ross laughed again, a sound Adam was coming to like, but the laughter was cut short when Peter Marquette stormed over to grab Ross\u2019s thin arm and jerk him away from Adam..\u00a0 \u201cI told you to quit jawin\u2019, boy!\u00a0 Now, if I see you standin\u2019 idle one more time, I\u2019ll take off my belt and tan your lazy hide here in the middle of the road.\u00a0 And if it shames you to get a whuppin\u2019 in front of your friends, it\u2019s no more than you deserve for shamin\u2019 me before all these men.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam stepped forward quickly.\u00a0 \u201cMr. Marquette, please don\u2019t blame Ross.\u00a0 It\u2019s all my fault; I was the one jawin\u2019 at him.\u00a0 I\u2014uh\u2014I was just thinkin\u2019 of asking him to share lunch with us, figuring we\u2019d be taking a break soon.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ross looked up, brown eyes wide with surprise, but he had no time to respond, even if he\u2019d dared while in the grip of his father\u2019s strong hand.\u00a0 Instead, Mr. Marquette snorted.\u00a0 \u201cSeems to me it\u2019d do the both of you lazy lunks good to work through the noon break.\u00a0 Ain\u2019t either of you earned your feed, to my way of thinkin\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, Marquette, we won\u2019t get much work out of them if we don\u2019t provide some fuel.\u201d\u00a0 The jovial comment was followed by a friendly slap on the back.\u00a0 \u201cThey\u2019re just boys, trying to get acquainted,\u201d Ben Cartwright continued.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe the best way for them to do that is over lunch, and then they won\u2019t feel the need to stop and talk so much when they go back to work.\u00a0 Why don\u2019t both of you join us?\u00a0 We\u2019ve got plenty.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t need charity,\u201d Marquette grunted.<\/p>\n

\u201cNone involved,\u201d Ben declared quickly.\u00a0 \u201cJust a chance for all of us to get to know each other a little better, as is fitting with neighbors.\u00a0 Bring what you\u2019ve got and we\u2019ll pool our resources and both go away better fed than if we ate only what we brought.\u00a0 What do you say?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben had struck the right chord, so Peter Marquette nodded gruffly, his grip on Ross\u2019s arm instinctively easing.\u00a0 \u201cRight neighborly of you, Cartwright.\u00a0 Like you say, we live close enough we ought to know one another better\u2019n we do.\u00a0 We\u2019ll join you for the meal, but there\u2019s still time to do a mite more before then.\u00a0 Back to work, boy!\u201d\u00a0 He swatted Ross\u2019s rear, although not as forcefully as Adam had observed after the boy was eliminated from the shooting competition.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou, too, Adam,\u201d Ben said, although the secretive wink he gave his son belied the firmness of the command.\u00a0 \u201cNo more distracting Ross from his work.\u201d<\/p>\n

Understanding that his father was trying to save Ross from further rebuke, Adam nodded, and the two young men worked in virtual silence for the next half hour, until the older men determined that it was time for a break.<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks for backing up my invitation, Pa,\u201d Adam said late that afternoon as he and his father rode back to the Ponderosa, side by side on the seat of their buckboard.\u00a0 \u201cI know you didn\u2019t really intend to take lunch with Mr. Marquette.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d had my fill of hearing him abuse that boy, too.\u00a0 I\u2019m proud of you, son, for stepping in and trying to defuse the situation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees and thumbs twirling around each other.\u00a0 \u201cWhat makes a man that hard on his own son, Pa?\u00a0 Ross was doing his best; anyone could see it\u2014except his pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know.\u00a0 Frustration, maybe.\u00a0 Marquette strikes me as a man trying too hard to prove his worth.\u00a0 I gather from what he said over the meal that he\u2019s seen some hard times.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve seen hard times,\u201d Adam argued, \u201cbut you never asked me to be the proof of your worth.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben put an arm around his son\u2019s slim shoulders.\u00a0 \u201cDidn\u2019t have to ask,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cEvery time I look at you\u2014or Hoss or Little Joe\u2014I see all the proof I need that my life\u2019s been put to good use.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s lips curved upward, but the smile was a pensive one.\u00a0 He still couldn\u2019t understand why Ross\u2019s father didn\u2019t feel the same way about his boy.<\/p>\n

~ ~ ~ ~ ~<\/p>\n

Historical Note<\/p>\n

Washington O\u2019Neill is a historic settler of WashoeValley.<\/p>\n

CHAPTER SIX<\/p>\n

Construction and Conflict<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Glancing to his right, Adam noted the disgruntled face of the boy on the wagon seat beside him and deliberately slowed the pace of the horses to open up the distance between his rig and the borrowed Thomas buckboard that his father was driving just ahead.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s got you so down in the mouth?\u201d he asked.\u00a0 \u201cI thought you were looking forward to seeing the new fort.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss nodded glumly.\u00a0 \u201cI was.\u201d\u00a0 He shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cStill am, I reckon, but that bad news yesterday is kinda makin\u2019 everything taste sour right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBad news?\u201d Adam laughed.\u00a0 \u201cHoss, you just don\u2019t know good news when you hear it.\u201d\u00a0 Without asking, he knew Hoss was referring to what he and his father had learned while helping to clear the blocked trail the previous day, that their new neighbor Joseph Frey had donated one acre of his ranch for a new schoolhouse in the Washoe Valley community of Franktown.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t like school, Adam,\u201d Hoss muttered.\u00a0 \u201cI just plain don\u2019t see no use in it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam resisted the temptation to point out that Hoss\u2019s mutilation of the English language was strong indication of his need for schooling.\u00a0 Instead, he slipped an arm around his brother\u2019s chunky torso and gave him a brief squeeze.\u00a0 \u201cHey, buddy, it won\u2019t be so bad.\u00a0 There\u2019s always recess,\u201d he chuckled.<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s face scrunched up in a half-grin that still managed to look like he\u2019d just taken a swig of vinegar.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t see why I can\u2019t go on studyin\u2019 with Ma, like I been doin\u2019,\u201d he complained.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t even bother asking,\u201d Adam laughed.\u00a0 \u201cWith Pa supplying the lumber for the new school, you can bet he\u2019s planning on sending you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPa\u2019s doin\u2019 that?\u201d Hoss queried.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, everybody\u2019s pitching in,\u201d Adam informed his brother.\u00a0 \u201cPa\u2019s supplying the raw timber, and Reuben Perkins has agreed to saw it into boards for free at his mill.\u00a0 Now, if we could just talk him into doing that for this Army contract, too, we\u2019d make more profit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam cocked his head to see if Hoss had appreciated the joke, but the younger boy, oblivious to the intended humor, simply sighed in resignation and said, \u201cAin\u2019t no hope, then.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam extended the reins toward Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cHere, you drive awhile,\u201d he said, knowing how Hoss liked to handle the animals.<\/p>\n

Hoss grinned, genuinely this time, and took the reins.\u00a0 As planned, the pleasurable responsibility took his mind off the misery facing him in September, and Hoss made no more complaints during the remainder of the trip.<\/p>\n

As both wagons pulled onto the bluff overlooking the Carson River, signs of activity were everywhere: some soldiers digging footings for buildings, others busily making adobe bricks, while in the distance still others were cutting and curing hay to lay up for the winter.\u00a0 The approach of the wagons had been noted, so Captain Stewart was on hand to greet the Cartwrights as they climbed down from the two buckboards.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m a day later than planned,\u201d Ben said after shaking the officer\u2019s hand.\u00a0 \u201cI hope it wasn\u2019t an inconvenience.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot at all,\u201d Captain Stewart assured him.\u00a0 \u201cAs you can see, we\u2019re just in the beginning stages of construction, and Private Wentworth informed me of the probable delay, due to the local catastrophe.\u00a0 Were there any casualties?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben cut a swift glance at Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cNo,\u201d he said abruptly.\u00a0 \u201cNone that we found.\u201d<\/p>\n

Detecting a father\u2019s concern for his son, Captain Stewart judged a quick change of subject to be in order.\u00a0 He strode toward the younger Cartwrights and extended his hand, first to Adam and then to the sandy-haired boy at his side.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t believe I\u2019ve met this young man,\u201d he said, \u201calthough I seem to remember seeing him at the revival meeting.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy son Hoss,\u201d Ben said with a proud smile.\u00a0 \u201cHe came along to help unload the lumber\u2014and to get a look at your fort, of course.\u201d<\/p>\n

Captain Stewart chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cNot much to see yet, I fear; however, I\u2019d be glad to show you around, son, and let you see what we have planned.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s blue eyes brightened as he looked to his father for permission.\u00a0 \u201cGo ahead,\u201d Ben said with a smile.<\/p>\n

\u201cShould have known he was only along for the ride,\u201d Adam snickered as Hoss walked off with the Captain\u2019s arm draped around his shoulder.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor a boy his age, he does more than his share,\u201d Ben said, his mind flashing back momentarily to another boy, one who\u2019d done his share the day before and gotten no credit for it.\u00a0 \u201cBesides, I doubt we\u2019ll finish this job before he\u2019s back.\u00a0 The captain\u2019s too busy a man to spend much time entertaining a little boy.\u201d<\/p>\n

While Ben and Adam unloaded the lumber, Captain Stewart took Hoss on a quick tour of the camp.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019ll be twenty-some-odd buildings when we\u2019re finished,\u201d he explained.\u00a0 \u201cHere, on the west side of the square, is where the soldiers\u2019 barracks will be built.\u00a0 We originally planned to house a thousand men, but construction materials are expensive here, so at present we\u2019re only building enough barracks for three hundred soldiers.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLike Mark?\u201d Hoss asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cMark?\u00a0 Oh, you mean Private Wentworth.\u00a0 Yes, as an enlisted man, that\u2019s where he\u2019ll be quartered,\u201d Stewart replied.\u00a0 He swept a hand to the right.\u00a0 \u201cThere, on the north, will be the officers\u2019 quarters.\u00a0 We\u2019ll have six buildings, each one story with a half-story attic above.\u00a0 The commissary, fort headquarters, hospital and other needed buildings will be located on the east side of the compound.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat about the animals?\u201d Hoss asked.\u00a0 \u201cYou gotta build quarters for them, too, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n

Captain Stewart\u2019s lips twitched with amusement at the boy\u2019s statement of the obvious.\u00a0 Not wanting to negate Hoss\u2019s concern, however, he responded as if the comment were serious and worthy of consideration.\u00a0 \u201cYes, with your harsh winters, the livestock certainly will need quarters, too.\u00a0 In fact, we\u2019ll be using some of that precious lumber you and your father are selling us for important buildings like that\u2014there, on the south side of the square.\u00a0 We\u2019ll provide for the animals before ourselves, young man.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s good,\u201d Hoss observed.\u00a0 \u201cPa always says we should see to the needs of our livestock before lookin\u2019 out for our own.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYour father\u2019s a very wise man and is training you well,\u201d the captain replied.\u00a0 \u201cWell, that\u2019s about all there is to see, my boy, since we\u2019re just getting started.\u00a0 What do you think?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI reckon it\u2019ll be a grand fort when it\u2019s all done,\u201d Hoss said.\u00a0 He looked across the square to where his father and brother were just starting to unload the second buckboard.\u00a0 \u201cAnd I reckon I\u2019d best get back and do my share of the work,\u201d he added and thrust out his hand.\u00a0 \u201cThanks for showin\u2019 me \u2018round, Captain.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Army officer felt strangely compelled to tousle the boy\u2019s straight hair, but forced himself to give the youngster a manly handshake, instead.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019d make a good soldier, son, with that sense of duty,\u201d he said.\u00a0 Pulling his hand back, he gave the young boy a salute and added with a grin, \u201cDismissed.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss grinned back and scurried over to help with the work.<\/p>\n

Following the completion of the delivery and a discussion of when the next load of lumber might be expected, Ben wrapped one arm around the shoulders of each boy.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know about you fellows, but I\u2019ve worked up quite a thirst.\u00a0 How about stopping by Buckland\u2019s for a little liquid refreshment?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss, too?\u201d Adam asked with an arched eyebrow.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, Hoss may have to settle for a tall glass of water,\u201d Ben admitted.\u00a0 \u201cWay out here, I doubt Sam gets much call for sarsaparilla.\u201d\u00a0 Seeing his younger boy\u2019s disappointed face, he bent over to drop a kiss atop his head.\u00a0 \u201cIf there\u2019s nothing suitable here, Hoss, we\u2019ll find a treat for you in Carson City when we return the buckboard, okay?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, Pa,\u201d Hoss said, a happy grin again splitting his face as he began to consider what kind of treat he could wheedle out of Pa on the way home.<\/p>\n

The drive to Buckland\u2019s Station took little time, and Ben and Adam were soon quenching their thirst over lukewarm beer, while Hoss was contenting himself with a glass of milk, fresh from Sam Buckland\u2019s single cow.\u00a0 Wanting to relax, each Cartwright was sipping slowly, so their mugs were only about half-empty when Frederick Dodge came in.\u00a0 Ben invited the Indian agent to sit at their table and offered to buy him a beer.<\/p>\n

\u201cMuch appreciated,\u201d Dodge said.\u00a0 \u201cI wasn\u2019t expecting to see you today, Ben, but I have some news I know you\u2019ll find of interest.\u00a0 I\u2019ve just directed Deputy Marshal Warren Wasson to post notice of the boundaries of the Pyramid Lake Indian Reservation and warn all intruders to leave.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s face began to glow.\u00a0 \u201cWonderful news!\u00a0 The Paiutes will be allowed to stay on their hereditary lands then?\u00a0 That was what we hoped for.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHoped for and worked for,\u201d Dodge said pointedly.\u00a0 \u201cKnowing your concern for the Paiutes, I knew you\u2019d be pleased.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled broadly.\u00a0 \u201cIndeed, I am.\u201d\u00a0 He drummed his fingers on the table, and his face sobered.\u00a0 \u201cI still have concerns, though, about the Paiutes\u2019 welfare.\u00a0 They were driven from their homes and forced into hiding during their normal fishing and gathering seasons.\u00a0 There may be a resulting shortage of food in store for the coming winter.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I\u2019m sure our red brothers will need help to get through this winter,\u201d Dodge agreed.\u00a0 \u201cI hope I can count on settlers such as you to provide that help.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll do all I can,\u201d Ben vowed.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve always done more than your share, Mr. Cartwright,\u201d the Indian agent responded warmly, \u201cand I have no doubt that I can rely on you.\u00a0 Hopefully, your example will influence other white settlers to render what aid they can, as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll be working with my neighbors on a community project in the coming days,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll take that opportunity to speak with them about providing some supplies for the Paiutes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you, Mr. Cartwright,\u201d Dodge said as he rose from his chair, \u201cand thank you for the beer.\u00a0 Sorry to cut our visit short, but I\u2019ve a long way to go.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAs do we,\u201d Ben said, standing to shake his friend\u2019s hand in farewell.\u00a0 \u201cYou boys finished?\u201d he asked when Dodge had left.<\/p>\n

Adam at once gave an affirmative response, and Hoss gulped down a final swallow of milk and declared that he was ready to go, too.\u00a0 After a brief stop in Carson City, where Hoss was treated to a bag of horehound candy from the general store, the Cartwrights headed back to the Ponderosa.\u00a0 By the time they arrived, however, the moon stood high in the sky, as luminous and almost as round as a pearl on a cloth of black velvet.<\/p>\n

Nevertheless, the next morning Ben, Adam and Hoss were all up early, for the work seemed never-ending during these busy days of summer.\u00a0 Since the hay was now in, they could all work in the woods, although not often together, to avoid taking too many trees from one area.\u00a0 Ben continued to supervise the completion of the Army contract and set Adam and a few others to the task of cutting trees in another part of the pine forest for the new school.<\/p>\n

Ross Marquette was one of those others, his labor\u2014\u201dsuch as it is,\u201d in the words of his father\u2014being donated to the project, and without the overbearing presence of Peter Marquette, Ross was proving what a good worker he was.\u00a0 Adam regularly stationed himself near the other young man and, bit by bit, drew Ross into amiable conversation as they felled timber for the new school.<\/p>\n

When they stopped to eat at noon, Adam invited Ross to share the ample hamper Hop Sing had packed for him and Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cHe always sends twice as much as we need,\u201d Adam assured his new friend.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, noticed that the other day,\u201d Ross commented, unwrapping the single cheese sandwich he\u2019d brought from home.\u00a0 \u201cThis is all I\u2019ve got, but you\u2019re welcome to half, if you like.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam reached for the half-sandwich, mostly out of a desire to make Ross comfortable.\u00a0 \u201cSure, like Cowper says, \u2018Variety\u2019s the very spice of life, that gives it all its flavor.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Ross took a bite of his own half of the sandwich.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t recollect that name.\u00a0 He new to the territory?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam took a swig of water from his canteen.\u00a0 \u201cNo, Cowper was an English poet of the last century.\u00a0 I\u2019ve been reading some of his work lately, so that\u2019s why the quote came to mind.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ross shyly reached into the Cartwright\u2019s open hamper and selected a thick beef sandwich.\u00a0 \u201cOh, yeah.\u00a0 Heard you was some kind of scholar.\u00a0 Wish . . .\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n

Ross gave a self-deprecating shrug.\u00a0 \u201cWish I had more book learnin\u2019 myself, but I reckon Pa\u2019s right when he says a strong back gets a man further in this world.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and pulled a couple of oatmeal-raisin cookies from the hamper.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t like to go against anyone\u2019s pa, Ross, but I think he\u2019s wrong about that.\u201d\u00a0 Not to mention other things!<\/em>\u00a0 He handed one of the cookies to Ross.\u00a0 \u201cI think book learning makes a man\u2019s world wider, helps him see beyond the day-in, day-out drudgery of just making a living and set his sights on better things.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah?\u00a0 Well, that\u2019s worth some thought.\u201d\u00a0 Ross munched contentedly on the cookie.\u00a0 \u201cThat English fellow say anything else interestin\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam laughed.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, lots.\u00a0 Here\u2019s one my pa would agree with: \u2018God made the country, and man made the town.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Reaching for another cookie, Ross grinned.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s one my pa would favor, too.\u00a0 Sounds like the kind of sermon he preaches regular.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYour pa\u2019s a preacher?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n

Ross put his head back and laughed hard.\u00a0 \u201cTo a congregation of one!\u00a0 He takes his religion mighty serious, though; that\u2019s what I meant.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam dusted cookie crumbs from his pants legs.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019d like Cowper, then.\u00a0 He wrote a lot of hymns.\u00a0 Would you like to borrow the book?\u201d<\/p>\n

Eyes glued to his britches, Ross meticulously brushed them free of cookies.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2014uh\u2014sure, I\u2019d like that, but I\u2014uh\u2014doggone it, I\u2019m kinda slow, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, you are not!\u201d\u00a0 Adam slammed the lid to the hamper shut.<\/p>\n

\u201cI ain\u2019t through yet!\u201d a disgruntled Hoss, who had felt shut out of the entire noontime conversation, snapped.<\/p>\n

Adam pushed the hamper toward his brother.\u00a0 \u201cTake it, then, and leave us in peace for a few minutes, will you, kid?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah.\u00a0 Who wants to stick around you?\u201d Hoss grunted, snatching up the hamper and tromping off.<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry, didn\u2019t mean to make trouble,\u201d Ross whispered.<\/p>\n

Adam touched his shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cYou didn\u2019t.\u00a0 I\u2019ll make my peace with Hoss later.\u00a0 Shouldn\u2019t\u2019ve lost my temper, but it makes me mad to hear you putting yourself down all the time.\u00a0 Someone\u2014and I think I know who\u2014has filled you brimful of thoughts about yourself that just aren\u2019t true.\u00a0 You\u2019re a man, not a boy; you\u2019re a hard worker, not a lazy slacker; and your brain\u2019s as strong as your back, I\u2019ll wager.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ross kept rubbing his leg, as if there were still cookie crumbs attached.\u00a0 \u201cGood of you to say so.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt isn\u2019t good of me,\u201d Adam snapped.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s honest of me.\u00a0 You\u2019re doing it again.\u00a0 Now, will you cut it out?\u201d\u00a0 He grabbed hold of his temper.\u00a0 \u201cSorry.\u00a0 I\u2019ve got no cause to yell at you.\u00a0 I get the feeling you get enough of that at home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ross nodded.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, I do.\u201d\u00a0 He looked up quickly.\u00a0 \u201cI ain\u2019t blamin\u2019 Pa, you understand.\u00a0 He\u2019s got his troubles and needs someplace to toss \u2018em.\u00a0 It\u2019s been a rough year, what with the Indians and the winter kill and all, and it don\u2019t help that all the help he\u2019s got is a skinny stick like me.\u00a0 Oops, guess I did it again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cWell, at least you caught yourself that time.\u00a0 It\u2019s just a bad habit you\u2019ve gotten into, Ross, but I\u2019m gonna keep calling you on it, and maybe by the time we finish felling these trees, I\u2019ll have cured you of it, as well as putting some extra meat on your scrawny bones, Skinny.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ross grinned back, wishing with all his heart that the work on the school project could continue forever.<\/p>\n

Hoss would have echoed that sentiment, though for different reasons.\u00a0 Under Adam\u2019s direction, his assignment was to chop the limbs off the felled logs.\u00a0 Normally, the youngster would have been pleased to be working at his brother\u2019s side in the shady woods and proud to be doing work no other ten-year-old could handle.\u00a0 It didn\u2019t help, of course, that Adam was spending more time with that Marquette kid than his own brother.\u00a0 Besides being jealous of his brother\u2019s attention, however, Hoss felt that with every cut of the axe he was helping to build his own prison, and this chain-gang mentality significantly decreased his output.\u00a0 More than once, Adam had to rebuke his brother for his sluggish efforts, and only the ultimate threat of telling Pa returned Hoss to his accustomed diligence.<\/p>\n

When Ben returned from Carson City on Saturday, however, he brought news that made Hoss\u2019s spirits soar once more.\u00a0 \u201cCan we go, Pa?\u201d Hoss begged when his father read the announcement in the Territorial Enterprise<\/em> that the Mart Taylor family of entertainers was touring the Washoe.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, not tonight, obviously,\u201d Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cWe couldn\u2019t possibly get to Genoa in time for the performance, even if we skipped supper.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the dining room, setting the table, Hop Sing frowned eloquently at the mere mention of skipped meals.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe-so Hop Sing go back China,\u201d he muttered, modulating his voice just loud enough to be heard.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re eating, Hop Sing; we\u2019re eating,\u201d Ben groaned.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I wouldn\u2019t miss one of your meals, even to see Pocahontas<\/em> again!\u201d Hoss declared loudly, and Hop Sing nodded in approval of what he considered the only appropriate attitude toward mealtime.\u00a0 \u201cPa, you reckon maybe these folks\u2019ll put on Pocahontas<\/em>?\u201d Hoss queried.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d sure favor seein\u2019 it again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think it\u2019s that kind of show, Hoss,\u201d his father explained.<\/p>\n

Adam looked up from the newspaper.\u00a0 \u201cThe article says there will be short skits, poems and songs, Hoss, not a full play, but you\u2019ll like it.\u201d<\/p>\n

An imperative hand tugged at the sleeve of the eldest Cartwright son.\u00a0 \u201cMe, too, Adam.\u00a0 Me like, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam gave his brother\u2019s soft curls an affectionate rumple.\u00a0 \u201cYou won\u2019t be going,\u201d he chuckled.<\/p>\n

Little Joe pulled back his hand and slapped Adam\u2019s arm.\u00a0 \u201cMe go, too!\u201d he hollered.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph,\u201d Ben said in sharp warning.\u00a0 \u201cIn this family we do not show our displeasure by hitting.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMe go, too!\u201d Little Joe screamed, stamping his foot.<\/p>\n

Ben jumped to his feet and, reaching his youngest son in three long strides, grabbed the now wailing boy up under one arm and headed for the stairs.\u00a0 \u201cWe don\u2019t show it that way, either!\u201d he snapped.<\/p>\n

Marie hurried past the fireplace to intercept her husband at the foot of the stairs.\u00a0 \u201cAnd you, mon mari<\/em>, do you intend to show your displeasure by hitting?\u201d\u00a0 Little Joe\u2019s cries ceased in hopeful expectation as soon as his mother intervened, but feeling almost certain of what awaited him at Pa\u2019s hand if she failed, he was still kicking and squirming to get away.<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s mouth dropped open as he brought Little Joe up to his chest and tried to hold the flailing legs still with one arm.\u00a0 \u201cMarie, it\u2019s scarcely the same thing.\u00a0 I\u2019m only disciplining the boy for his own good.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd do you think he will understand that difference?\u201d Marie demanded, reaching out to calm the child\u2019s frantic movements with a gentle hand.\u00a0 \u201cShould we not try to reason with him first, to explain why he cannot accompany us to the performance?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded quietly, silently marveling at how relaxed his unruly youngest had become under his mother\u2019s touch.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll try reason first, but if he still responds with a temper tantrum\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen you may spank him with my blessing,\u201d Marie affirmed.\u00a0 She took her baby from Ben\u2019s arms.\u00a0 \u201cI will take him upstairs and talk to him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right,\u201d Ben said, giving both her and the smallest Cartwright a kiss.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019d better be down for supper, though, or Hop Sing will do worse than spank the lot of us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie smiled and carried her puckered-faced toddler upstairs.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo when are we gonna go, Pa?\u201d Hoss asked as his father sat once more in the mauve chair by the fire.\u00a0 \u201cTomorrow?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was thinking we might go next Saturday, son,\u201d Ben replied.\u00a0 \u201cThe paper says the show will have moved on to Carson City by then, so I thought we might enjoy going with some of our friends; then we\u2019ll stay the night and go on to Virginia City the next morning to attend services there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCan Jimmy and Inger come with us?\u201d Hoss asked eagerly.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019ll be up to their parents, boy,\u201d Ben laughed, \u201cbut we\u2019ll see if we can\u2019t make up a big party, eh?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah!\u201d Hoss gurgled happily.<\/p>\n

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

Ben rode into Carson City on Monday, to vote in the special election called by Judge Child for selecting a number of local government officials and, while there, made arrangements for Sally Martin to watch Little Joe during the Taylor family\u2019s performance.\u00a0 Marie, of course, wanted to take her baby to church with her the next morning, so leaving the youngest with Hop Sing was not a workable option, as Ben had originally thought.\u00a0 Those necessary obligations fulfilled, he next stopped by the Thomas home and insisted that they be his guests at the entertainment in return for free lodging.\u00a0 \u201cOtherwise, we\u2019ll have to stay at the Pioneer Hotel or the Penrod House,\u201d he teased, and his friends laughingly agreed.<\/p>\n

The Cartwrights arrived in Carson City on Friday, just before noon.\u00a0 Having been assured that the Thomases would not need their buckboard before the weekend, Ben had driven it back to the Ponderosa on Monday, and both it and his family\u2019s own wagon were now filled to capacity with lumber.\u00a0 According to Marie, there was scarcely room left to carry everything they would need for three days away from home.\u00a0 \u201cWhy, I\u2019ve got everything I need right here,\u201d Ben joked, fingering his gray flannel shirt, words and action earning him a playful pop on the chin from his wife\u2019s diminutive knuckles.<\/p>\n

Depositing the younger members of the family with the Thomases after a quick lunch, Ben and Adam each drove a wagon on to the fort under construction near Buckland\u2019s Station.\u00a0 Hoss, excited about the opportunity to visit with playmates he rarely saw, had been excused from helping.\u00a0 After all, there were plenty of soldiers to assist with the unloading, if needed.<\/p>\n

After successfully delivering the lumber, Ben and Adam returned to find that Nelly had kept a plate of food for each in the warming oven, although the house\u2019s other occupants had retired for the night.\u00a0 \u201cSee you in the morning,\u201d Nelly said as she left the kitchen.\u00a0 \u201cJust put those plates in that basin of water over there when you\u2019re finished, and I\u2019ll wash \u2018em up in the morning.\u201d<\/p>\n

Saturday evening the men, typically, were dressed long before the ladies.\u00a0 Adam had volunteered to take Little Joe to the Martin home, promising to meet the others at the hotel where the performance would take place.\u00a0 Clyde had been busy at the blacksmith shop all day, so he and Ben had not had much opportunity to visit, even though Ben had been in town all day.\u00a0 \u201cSo, how\u2019s the fort comin\u2019 along?\u201d Clyde queried.<\/p>\n

\u201cSlow going,\u201d Ben admitted.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m beginning to think they\u2019ll still be building this time next year.\u00a0 They\u2019ve got the blacksmith shop up and running, though.\u00a0 Thought that might interest you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clyde chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cStands to reason, Ben.\u00a0 You can\u2019t do much work if you don\u2019t keep your tools in good repair.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re right,\u201d Ben agreed with a grin.\u00a0 \u201cThe stables are going up pretty fast, too\u2014first thing Hoss here asked about this morning.\u201d\u00a0 He wrapped an affectionate arm around his middle boy, who was sitting on the arm of his chair.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, we know what\u2019s important, don\u2019t we, Hoss?\u201d Clyde asked with a wink.<\/p>\n

\u201cSure do,\u201d Hoss said with a determined nod, \u201cand so does that captain at the fort.\u00a0 He said the animals come first and Pa done right to teach me so.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDid he?\u201d Ben asked.\u00a0 \u201cCaptain Stewart\u2019s a good man.\u00a0 I\u2019ll be sorry to see him go.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cArmy ain\u2019t pullin\u2019 out, is it?\u201d Clyde asked, brow wrinkling.\u00a0 \u201cNelly sure has taken comfort from them bein\u2019 out there near where Billy rides his leg of the Pony.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, no, the Army\u2019s staying,\u201d Ben assured his friend, \u201cbut Captain Stewart is taking a sixty-day leave of absence, starting today.\u00a0 A Captain Flint will be in charge while he\u2019s away.\u00a0 I met him yesterday.\u00a0 Seems personable enough, and I\u2019m sure we\u2019ll have no problems carrying out our contract under his direction, but I will miss Captain Stewart.\u00a0 I consider him a friend.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s good the Army\u2019s stayin\u2019,\u201d Clyde observed.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s been rumors in town about more Indian trouble, up north in the Black Desert.\u00a0 Any word of that at the fort?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, it\u2019s true.\u00a0 A colonel named Landers ran into some trouble up there, lost one man,\u201d Ben reported.\u00a0 \u201cCaptain Stewart said the Army hopes to meet with Numaga, maybe some of the other peaceful chiefs, to discuss the matter.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clyde\u2019s countenance grew grave.\u00a0 \u201cYou gonna parley with \u2018em?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe,\u201d Ben said quietly.\u00a0 \u201cI haven\u2019t mentioned it to Marie yet, so I\u2019d appreciate your keeping it under your hat.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUncle Clyde ain\u2019t wearin\u2019 no hat,\u201d Hoss snickered, jumping off the arm of the chair when his father aimed a playful cuff at his ear.<\/p>\n

Clyde cackled.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t see no reason to pay out good money to watch them Taylors strut on stage when we can watch you Cartwrights for free!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, shut up,\u201d Ben ordered with a mock growl.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cAnd after they sung some songs about miners and stuff, Mr. Taylor spoke this real funny poem,\u201d Hoss was sharing with his younger brother as the buckboard rumbled toward the Divide between Gold Hill and Virginia City.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss, I do not think it is a proper time to be talking about the program last night,\u201d Marie said sternly.<\/p>\n

\u201cWanna hear \u2018bout it,\u201d Little Joe protested with an indignant pout on his face.\u00a0 He still couldn\u2019t understand why he\u2019d been forbidden to attend the performance with the rest of the family.\u00a0 Now, not to even hear about it was clearly more than the toddler could tolerate.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are on our way to church,\u201d his mother lectured.\u00a0 \u201cYour thoughts should be on God.\u201d<\/p>\n

Seated, for lack of alternative, in the back of the buckboard along with his brothers, Adam ducked his head between his bent knees and chuckled.\u00a0 The thought of either of his little brothers meditating on God all the way to town was too ridiculous not to bring laughter bubbling to his lips.\u00a0 Fortunately, Marie did not notice his amused expression, for it would have been certain to earn him the sharp edge of her tongue, as well.\u00a0 It had been that kind of morning.<\/p>\n

\u201cMarie, ease up,\u201d Ben admonished.\u00a0 \u201cIt isn\u2019t our sons you\u2019re upset with.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie flushed deeply.\u00a0 Ben was right, of course.\u00a0 Neither Hoss nor Little Joe was the cause of her ill temper this morning, and neither deserved to be the target for the anger she felt toward Nelly Thomas.\u00a0 Though there had been subtle hints of disapproval about this morning\u2019s visit to the Catholic chapel all weekend, it was Nelly\u2019s reaction to Marie\u2019s refusal to eat breakfast that had been the final straw for both women.\u00a0 Marie had tried to explain that Church law required people of her faith to fast before taking Holy Communion, and Nelly had muttered something about \u201ca bunch of Popish foolishness\u201d that had started the sparks flying.<\/p>\n

Obligatory apologies had been made on both sides before the Cartwrights left that morning, but Marie was still seething inside.\u00a0 One more thing to confess<\/em>, she sighed to herself, and with that thought finally admitted that Nelly\u2019s crude remark wasn\u2019t the real cause of her edginess.\u00a0 It had been years since Marie had made confession, and she knew that in the eyes of the Church she was living in sin, a sin for which she felt no repentance.\u00a0 Her future in the Church hinged on how strait-laced a priest Father Hugh Gallagher proved to be.<\/p>\n

The wagon pulled up before a small, unimpressive wooden building, and Ben helped his wife down while Adam lifted his youngest brother to his shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cSince you will not be making confession, there is no need for you to come in yet,\u201d Marie said, gloved fingers incessantly toying with the beads at her throat.\u00a0 Seeing Little Joe in Adam\u2019s arms, she added, \u201cPlease watch him carefully.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLike a hawk,\u201d Adam promised.<\/p>\n

As Marie entered the chapel, Adam took an appraising look at the building itself and shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cI sure wouldn\u2019t have built here,\u201d he commented to his father.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the crossroads of the winds, you mean?\u201d Ben asked, noting how the strong breeze of the relatively calm morning was ruffling the hair of his two younger sons, who wore no hats.<\/p>\n

\u201cRight,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cThey\u2019ll be lucky if this shack doesn\u2019t topple down in the first good gale that comes along.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t call your mother\u2019s church a shack, young man, unless you want the ride home to be equally as pleasant as the trip up here,\u201d Ben warned.<\/p>\n

Adam grinned.\u00a0 \u201cPoint taken.\u201d<\/p>\n

Inside, Marie had hoped to find other worshippers in line to make confession ahead of her, so that she might have more time to collect her thoughts.\u00a0 While there were others already in the chapel, however, they were all male, and out of deference to her gender, they stepped aside to allow her to step into the confessional first.\u00a0 Marie entered the compartmented booth and knelt on a low wooden bench facing a small, curtained window.\u00a0 Though she had known the prescribed words for beginning one\u2019s confession since she was a child, she knelt in silence, her inner discomfort more intense than the physical pain of knees punctured by the splintered plank beneath her.<\/p>\n

\u201cSure and I know you\u2019re in there,\u201d said a voice from beyond the dark curtain, \u201cfor I hear ye breathin\u2019.\u00a0 Now, if you\u2019ve got sins to confess, man, out with them.\u00a0 If not, there\u2019s others waitin\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cB-bl-bless me, F-father, for I\u2014I have sinned,\u201d Marie stammered.<\/p>\n

The voice beyond the curtain softened.\u00a0 \u201cSpeak freely, my daughter, and it\u2019s sorry I am I was short with ye.\u00a0 I\u2019m more used to dealing with rough miners than gentle ladies, I fear.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie smiled, touched by his kindly tone.\u00a0 \u201cOh, Father, you owe me no apology.\u00a0 It\u2019s my fault, but you\u2014you see, it\u2019s been many years since my last confession, and I\u2019m nervous about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo need, my child,\u201d the priest soothed.\u00a0 \u201c\u2018Tis understandable out here where there\u2019s been no one to confess to.\u00a0 Now, what are the sins that weigh heavy on your soul?\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie mentioned a few things, including the argument she\u2019d had that morning over her insistence on fasting before Communion.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd how is it you were staying with such people, my child?\u201d the priest asked.<\/p>\n

Marie took a deep breath.\u00a0 \u201cThey are friends of my husband,\u201d she murmured softly.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho, I take it, is Protestant, as they are,\u201d Father Gallagher observed soberly.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Father.\u201d\u00a0 Marie almost whispered the words.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou married outside the Church?\u201d the priest probed.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Father.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cKnowing the teaching of the Church, that you would be committing a grave sin by such a marriage?\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie\u2019s spine stiffened and her fingers tightened on the separating curtain.\u00a0 \u201cI knew, Father, but I did not agree.\u00a0 Nor do I now think I have sinned in marrying this good and God-fearing man.\u201d<\/p>\n

There was silence from the other side of the confessional for a moment.\u00a0 \u201cDo you presume to set yourself up as a judge of the Church\u2019s teachings, my child?\u201d Father Gallagher asked gravely.<\/p>\n

Marie swallowed hard.\u00a0 \u201cNo, Father, I do not, but I cannot understand how marrying Ben could be a sin.\u00a0 My first marriage was within the Church, and it brought me little but grief and pain, while my life with Ben\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDaughter, please tell me ye haven\u2019t divorced your Christian husband for this man.\u201d\u00a0 The priest sighed.<\/p>\n

Despite her nervousness, Marie had to smile.\u00a0 \u201cNo, Father, I am not such a sinner as that.\u00a0 I was a widow when I met Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, good,\u201d the priest said, clearly relieved.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s glad I am not to have to deal with that thorny a problem.\u00a0 Now, as to your present husband, is there any chance he would consider converting?\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie\u2019s hands dropped to her knees and moved restlessly across her skirt.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know, Father,\u201d she admitted.\u00a0 \u201cHe is here with me, to attend Mass this morning, but he has made no commitment to convert.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, well, it\u2019s a start,\u201d the priest responded, his tone brightening.\u00a0 \u201cPerhaps all may work out in the end, my child.\u00a0 We must have faith in God.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Father,\u201d Marie replied.\u00a0 Then she asked quietly, \u201cWill you absolve me so that I may receive Holy Communion?\u201d<\/p>\n

The question produced a long pause on the other side of the screen, during which Marie could feel her heart racing.\u00a0 \u201cDaughter, I can offer you forgiveness for the other sins you have confessed, but you know I cannot absolve so serious a departure from the faith until you\u2019ve rectified this situation,\u201d the priest finally answered with a deep sigh.\u00a0 \u201cAlthough you seem unrepentant regarding your marriage, I sense that your heart is pure, and if I could follow my own inclinations, I would gladly serve you the Sacrament, but I cannot set aside the teachings of the Church as you have.\u00a0 I answer to those above me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2014I understand, Father,\u201d Marie said, her voice breaking.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, as to your penance,\u201d the priest pronounced, \u201cyou\u2019ll say five Hail Mary\u2019s for each of the minor sins you confessed before, and I want you to speak to your husband about the possibility of converting to the true faith.\u00a0 If he does, it will be my great pleasure to offer the Sacrament to the both of you.\u00a0 That\u2019s as it should be, man and wife together.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2014I will speak to him, Father,\u201d Marie whispered.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood.\u00a0 I\u2019ll be praying for you, daughter, and looking forward to hearing your full confession soon.\u00a0 Now be on your way, and give some of those blacker sinners a chance in here,\u201d the priest chuckled.\u00a0 As she departed, however, the forced mirth faded into a sigh, for the gentle-hearted man of God had sensed the brokenness that lay hidden behind the curtain of separation.<\/p>\n

Forty-five minutes later Father Gallagher was standing at the front of the chapel, saying Mass to a host of miners and a few families, including the Cartwrights.\u00a0 Though Marie\u2019s emerald eyes glistened with tears of disappointment, her face was radiant as she listened and responded to the form of worship with which she felt most comfortable.\u00a0 The expressions on the faces of the rest of the family, however, ranged from Adam\u2019s studious concentration to Ben\u2019s and Hoss\u2019s blank befuddlement.\u00a0 Little Joe fidgeted incessantly, wanting out of this darkened room where a man in strange clothes mouthed words he\u2019d never heard and couldn\u2019t comprehend.<\/p>\n

When the other worshippers approached the front of the chapel to receive the host, Marie whispered to Ben that it was time for them to leave.<\/p>\n

Ben looked puzzled.\u00a0 \u201cI thought you wanted to take Communion,\u201d he whispered back.<\/p>\n

Blinking back tears, Marie shook her head and stood.<\/p>\n

Forehead furrowing, Ben did, as well, and led the family toward the exit, wondering why his wife had changed her mind after her vigorous argument with Nelly over what now seemed a pointless fast.<\/p>\n

\u201cWasn\u2019t it wonderful?\u201d Marie sighed in contentment as the family exited the chapel.\u00a0 Her gloved fingers dabbed at the moist corners of her eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m glad you enjoyed it,\u201d Ben said, taking the tears as a sign of emotional fulfillment.<\/p>\n

Hearing the forced politeness in his voice, Marie glanced quickly into her husband\u2019s face.\u00a0 \u201cDid you?\u201d she asked uneasily.<\/p>\n

Ben gave her a crooked smile.\u00a0 \u201cI didn\u2019t understand a word of it, my love.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, the Latin,\u201d Marie murmured, disappointed.\u00a0 Another problem to be overcome.<\/p>\n

\u201cI understood some of it,\u201d Adam said, \u201cbut it\u2019s a lot harder to translate the spoken word than the textbooks I\u2019ve been studying.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m hungry,\u201d Hoss announced, clearly glad to be out in the sunshine once again.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re gonna eat before we leave town, ain\u2019t we?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Hoss, we are,\u201d Ben chuckled, squeezing the boy\u2019s hefty shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cShall we just try the first restaurant we come across?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOui<\/em>,\u201d Marie said, judging it pointless to discuss spiritual questions with a man when his stomach was growling.<\/p>\n

That night, after the younger boys were tucked in and Adam had gone to his room to read, Marie perched on the arm of Ben\u2019s chair beside the fireplace and pressed a tender kiss to his lips.\u00a0 \u201cThank you for taking me to the chapel this morning.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben stroked her soft hair, causing a few golden tendrils to escape the chignon at the back of her neck.\u00a0 \u201cI was happy to do it for you, my love.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDo\u2014do you think we might go again?\u201d Marie asked hesitantly.<\/p>\n

Ben stared at her in puzzlement.\u00a0 \u201cWell, of course.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t assume you\u2019d be satisfied with one visit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie smiled, twining a lock of his hair around her index finger.\u00a0 \u201cBen, do you think there is any possibility of your converting?\u201d she asked hesitantly.<\/p>\n

Ben arched an eyebrow.\u00a0 \u201cTo Catholicism?\u00a0 No, I\u2019m content with my own faith.\u00a0 When you attended the revival with me, Marie, you told me not to expect your own preference to change and I honored that.\u00a0 Now I ask the same courtesy of you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie sighed.\u00a0 \u201cI feared you would say that, but I did promise the priest I would speak to you about it.\u00a0 I\u2014I am sorry I disturbed you.\u201d<\/p>\n

She started to get up, but Ben pulled her into his lap.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t go,\u201d he whispered.\u00a0 \u201cIf this is troubling you, we should talk about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWould talking change your mind?\u201d Marie asked, a semi-smile on her lips.<\/p>\n

Ben laid her head on his shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cI doubt it,\u201d he admitted.\u00a0 \u201cThere are points on which we\u2019re destined by our different backgrounds to disagree.\u00a0 That doesn\u2019t mean there can\u2019t be mutual respect and acceptance of each other\u2019s beliefs, does it?\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie snuggled against his breast.\u00a0 \u201cNo, not in my heart, but neither your Church nor mine is so tolerant, mon mari<\/em>, and there is the question of the children.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right, let\u2019s talk about them,\u201d Ben replied.\u00a0 \u201cAdam, of course, is old enough to make his own choice.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOui<\/em>, and Hoss is your child,\u201d Marie said quietly.\u00a0 \u201cI have no right to interfere with your wishes for him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben lifted her chin with two broad fingers.\u00a0 \u201cNone of that, young lady.\u00a0 Hoss is your son, as much as mine.\u00a0 I want and expect you to voice your wishes concerning his upbringing\u2014as I expect to express mine concerning our youngest son, whom, I assume, you prefer to see brought up in your religion.\u201d<\/p>\n

At the gravity in his voice, Marie\u2019s eyes lowered.\u00a0 \u201cI would like to see both of our younger sons raised in the true faith, of course,\u201d she said, unable to look at him directly as she spoke words she knew her husband would find unacceptable.<\/p>\n

Crimson crept up Ben\u2019s brow.\u00a0 \u201cMeaning yours or mine, Marie?\u00a0 Is this what you call mutual respect and acceptance?\u201d he demanded, bringing his thumb alongside her face to grip her quivering chin.<\/p>\n

Seeing his rising anger, Marie sighed.\u00a0 \u201cAre we hopelessly at odds, mon amour<\/em>?\u00a0 Is there no solution for us?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s fingers loosened and he began to stroke her chin consolingly.\u00a0 \u201cYes, there is a solution.\u00a0 I\u2019m not sure what it is, but we will find it.\u201d\u00a0 His head dropped to the back of the chair, and he puffed out his frustration in a quick gust of air.\u00a0 \u201cAll I can think of that\u2019s fair to each of us is to expose Hoss and Little Joe to both faiths, so that when they are of age, they can decide which path to follow.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie frowned.\u00a0 \u201cI have never heard of such a thing, Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben threw his hands in the air.\u00a0 \u201cWell, neither have I, for that matter, but at the moment I don\u2019t see any other way to go!\u00a0 You want them to know your faith; I want them to know mine.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie nodded, a trace of sadness flickering in her emerald eyes.\u00a0 \u201cOui<\/em>, I understand.\u00a0 That is best, I suppose.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut\u2014\u201d Ben probed.<\/p>\n

Marie gave him a rueful smile.\u00a0 \u201cIt is not a decision I look forward to sharing with my priest.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, it won\u2019t sit well with my fellow worshippers, either,\u201d Ben said, lifting her chin, \u201cbut all that matters to me\u2014all that has ever mattered to me\u2014is that nothing, not even so weighty a matter as this, ever come between us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie laid her cheek against his.\u00a0 \u201cNothing,\u201d she whispered.\u00a0 \u201cNothing will ever separate us, mon amour<\/em>.\u00a0 Nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n

~ ~ ~ ~ ~<\/p>\n

Historical Notes<\/p>\n

Joseph Frey, who donated land for Franktown School, and Reuben Perkins, superintendent of Franktown\u2019s saw mill, are historic settlers of Washoe Valley.<\/p>\n

Though he was only supposed to be away from Ft.Churchill for sixty days, Captain Joseph Stewart never returned.<\/p>\n

Father Hugh Gallagher is the first priest to appear in this series, but his brother Father Joseph Gallagher was actually the first Catholic priest in western Utah, offering Mass in private homes in the summer of 1858.\u00a0 As this is one year prior to the discovery of the Comstock Lode, it can be presumed that he found few adherents of his faith to whom he might minister and, in all probability, returned to California.<\/p>\n

Mart Taylor and family performed in Washoe Valley in August of 1860.<\/p>\n

CHAPTER SEVEN<\/p>\n

In Search of Peace<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 A cloak of ebony, unrelieved by a single thread of gold, still shrouded the Ponderosa when the Cartwrights gathered at the breakfast table the following Sunday.\u00a0 At its head, elbow propped at an oblique angle, Ben leaned a weary head into his palm.\u00a0 The intervening week had been a long and exhausting one as he had again pushed himself to complete the dual commitments made to the Army and to the educational future of his younger sons.<\/p>\n

To his right, his wife smiled tenderly as she noted his drooping eyelids.\u00a0 What a good man he was, this husband of hers, to extract himself from the sensuous embrace of a soft mattress for her sake alone.\u00a0 Although there had been no further discussion of their religious differences, the atmosphere had been charged with an almost electrical tension sparking between two such magnetically opposite poles.\u00a0 Still, when Marie had hesitatingly asked the evening before if he would accompany her to Mass this morning, her enervated husband had agreed without question or complaint.\u00a0 Marie\u2019s heart filled with love, and her eyes shone with admiration for that bent form at the head of the table.<\/p>\n

Of the three Cartwright sons, only Adam seemed alert and eager to greet the dawn as it tiptoed timidly over the windowsill opposite him at his father\u2019s back, and only he seemed interested in an early-morning ride into Virginia City.\u00a0 A linked chain of yawns kept Hoss\u2019s mouth gaping, and as he awaited the arrival of breakfast, his tousled head fell against the back of the chair around the table corner from Adam.\u00a0 Little Joe, cherubic curls cradled on slender arms folded on the table, was all but asleep in the tall chair between his parents.<\/p>\n

Face beaming as it usually did when everyone was present at mealtime, Hop Sing carried in platters of eggs, bacon, sausage and biscuits, gliding them deftly to the table.\u00a0 Hoss\u2019s eyes finally sparkled with interest, and his tongue slipped over his lips as he watched his father fill his own plate and hand the first platter to Marie, who was gently rousing Little Joe.\u00a0 After filling the toddler\u2019s plate with small portions, she placed an egg and two strips of bacon in her own before passing the platter down to Adam.<\/p>\n

Fork halfway to his mouth, Ben stared at the food on his wife\u2019s plate.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re eating?\u201d he inquired, brow wrinkling.<\/p>\n

\u201cOui<\/em>, Ben,\u201d Marie replied quietly as she directed a spoonful of egg to her baby\u2019s mouth.<\/p>\n

The furrows in Ben\u2019s brow deepened.\u00a0 \u201cBut I thought you had to fast before church.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOnly if I receive Communion,\u201d Marie said, taking a bite of her own food while her son chewed drowsily.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, they don\u2019t serve it every week,\u201d Ben concluded, slathering his biscuit with butter.\u00a0 \u201cWhat is it, once a month?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAt every Mass,\u201d Marie said softly, giving her baby another bite.\u00a0 \u201cI just won\u2019t be receiving the host, Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n

Again Ben\u2019s fork paused in mid-air.\u00a0 \u201cBut I thought it meant so much to you\u2014enough to have a big argument with Nelly over it!\u00a0 I meant to ask you why you changed your mind last week, but it slipped my mind, and now\u2014what\u2019s going on, Marie?\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie turned her face aside.\u00a0 \u201cNothing, Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben set the fork down, and his face was grim as he said, \u201cA lie is a poor way to prepare yourself for church-going.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie\u2019s head whipped back.\u00a0 \u201cI cannot receive Communion, Ben,\u201d she snapped.\u00a0 \u201cThat is what is going on!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben touched her hand with solicitous fingers.\u00a0 \u201cWhy can\u2019t you?\u201d he asked gently.<\/p>\n

Marie\u2019s gaze dropped to her lap.\u00a0 \u201cBecause I am living in sin,\u201d she whispered.<\/p>\n

\u201cLiving in sin?\u201d Ben queried, fingers tightening on her slim hand.\u00a0 \u201cWhat on earth are you talking about?\u201d<\/p>\n

He felt the fingers he held tremble as his wife said almost inaudibly, \u201cOur marriage, Ben.\u00a0 In the eyes of the Church, it is sin.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben jerked his hand away as if her touch burned like the crackling flames of a fire.\u00a0 \u201cSin!\u201d he thundered.\u00a0 \u201cWe are united in the bonds of holy<\/em> matrimony, Marie.\u00a0 How dare any man call that sin?\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe raised a wail of protest at his father\u2019s angry shout.<\/p>\n

\u201cMarriage outside the Church is a sin, mon mari<\/em>,\u201d Marie explained quietly as she lifted the toddler into her lap and began to soothe his distress with gentle strokes.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you want me to convert to a faith like that!\u201d Ben bellowed.<\/p>\n

\u201cBen, please,\u201d Marie pleaded, covering Little Joe\u2019s ears.\u00a0 \u201cNow is not the time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere never will be a time I give in to that kind of tyranny!\u201d Ben snorted.\u00a0 Abruptly pushing his chair back, he stormed from the house.<\/p>\n

Hoss had been cowering in his chair during the exchange, so heated on one side, so grieved on the other.\u00a0 As the front door slammed with a force he himself was often criticized for using, he looked hesitantly across the table.\u00a0 \u201cUh, we goin\u2019 to that church this mornin\u2019 or not?\u201d he asked, silently hoping he could just go back to bed, instead.<\/p>\n

Eyes shimmering with unshed tears, Marie looked at him and with effort kept her voice soft as she answered.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know, mon ch\u00e9ri.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll go,\u201d Adam said quickly.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll drive you in if Pa won\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

Touched by his thoughtfulness, Marie smiled warmly, though her face was still flushed with anger and her lips still quivered with anguish.\u00a0 \u201cThank you, mon ami<\/em>.\u00a0 Would you ask your father what he intends?\u00a0 I\u2014I do not trust myself to speak to him just now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, Marie,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cNo problem.\u201d He quickly finished his breakfast and went outside.<\/p>\n

Seeing Ben hitching the team to the buckboard, Adam hurried around to fasten the harness on the opposite side.\u00a0 \u201cSo you\u2019re still going?\u201d he asked as nonchalantly as he could.\u00a0 \u201cMarie was wondering.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI promised to take her and I will,\u201d Ben grunted, but as he lifted his head to look at his son, his eyes were still glowering.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t think I\u2019ll be going inside, however, or a certain priest might find himself serving Mass with a bloody nose!\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam arched a dark eyebrow.\u00a0 \u201cYou don\u2019t intend to tell her that, do you?\u00a0 \u2018Cause I want to be in the next county when you do.\u201d<\/p>\n

His son\u2019s quizzical expression, so like one often seen on his own face, finally brought a chuckle gurgling up Ben\u2019s larynx.\u00a0 \u201cNo, I\u2019ve still got a little sense left,\u201d he muttered wryly.\u00a0 \u201cTell them to get a move on or they\u2019ll be late.\u201d<\/p>\n

Popping a sassy salute, Adam ran for the house, barely evading the playful swat aimed at his backside.<\/p>\n

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

Despite the sweltering heat of late August, the atmosphere inside the Ponderosa during the next week remained decidedly chilly.\u00a0 Though man and wife traded polite apologies for their unpleasant verbal sparring on Sunday, there was no further discussion of the slowly widening chasm between them.\u00a0 By the time the weekend finally arrived, there was no question of whether Ben would accompany his family to church on Sunday, for reasons that had nothing to do with religious differences, however.\u00a0 The expected call from the Army had arrived, and on Saturday morning Ben made preparations to join Colonel Lander on a mission of peace to the Paiutes.<\/p>\n

After kissing his wife and admonishing Hoss to be a good boy while he was gone, Ben picked up his toddler and held him close.\u00a0 \u201cYou be a good boy, too, Little Joe,\u201d he urged.<\/p>\n

Little Joe gave his father a plaintive look.\u00a0 \u201cMe go, too, Pa,\u201d he pleaded.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, no,\u201d Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cYou can\u2019t go with Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

The toddler pouted eloquently. \u00a0\u201cMe never go,\u201d he whined.<\/p>\n

Ben snuggled the boy against his shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cOh, my poor deprived baby.\u00a0 Well, maybe Pa will just have to take his little son fishing when he gets home,\u201d he soothed.\u00a0 \u201cHow would that be?\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe rose up and favored his father with a sunny smile.<\/p>\n

\u201cMe, too, Pa?\u201d Hoss asked eagerly.<\/p>\n

Ben nodded.\u00a0 \u201cYou, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, how about me?\u201d Adam protested with a chuckle.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t I ever get a day off?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cProbably not.\u00a0 Walk out with me, son?\u201d<\/p>\n

Sensing that his father had things to say to him that the others weren\u2019t to hear, Adam\u2019s expression sobered.\u00a0 \u201cSure, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben wrapped an arm around his eldest son\u2019s shoulders and they exited together.\u00a0 Throwing his saddlebags over the bay gelding, Ben turned to face Adam.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry about the fishing trip, Adam, but chances are I won\u2019t even be home in time to see you off to school.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPa, I don\u2019t have to go,\u201d Adam offered quickly.<\/p>\n

Ben feigned a glower.\u00a0 \u201cYes, you do, and that\u2019s an order, young man.\u201d\u00a0 Smiling warmly, he laid a hand on Adam\u2019s left shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m only sorry that I won\u2019t have these last few days with you.\u00a0 So, this may be farewell for us, son, and I wanted a chance to tell you how much I appreciate your coming home early when you heard about the Indian trouble and how proud I am of the way you conducted yourself during the difficulties.\u00a0 You\u2019ve really pitched in with the extra work around here this summer, too, and I\u2019m going to miss you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Blushing, Adam kicked at the dust of the yard.\u00a0 \u201cYou can always hire an extra hand.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben cupped a palm behind his son\u2019s neck and pulled him into an embrace.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s not what I meant and you know it.\u00a0 As hard as it\u2019ll be to find a worker as willing as you, it\u2019s my son I\u2019ll miss, not just his help around the place.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll miss you, too, Pa,\u201d Adam murmured into his father\u2019s broad shoulder.<\/p>\n

Ben released him and turned to tighten the cinch on his horse.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d appreciate it if you\u2019d escort your mother into Virginia City tomorrow morning.\u00a0 It means a lot to her.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam nodded.\u00a0 \u201cYou two are gonna work this thing out, aren\u2019t you?\u00a0 I hate leaving with it up in the air.\u201d<\/p>\n

Spinning around, Ben clapped his son on the shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll work it out.\u00a0 You just keep your mind on your books, young man, and don\u2019t fret about the old folks at home.\u201d\u00a0 He swung into the saddle and, unable to resist, leaned over to muss his boy\u2019s straight black hair before galloping quickly away.<\/p>\n

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

As his bay gelding drank deeply of the cold waters of the Truckee River, Ben rinsed out his blue paisley bandana and wiped the sweat from his face, wondering if the blistering rays of summer would ever give way to the shivering gusts of autumn.<\/p>\n

\u201cHot one,\u201d commented the man at his side, Frederick Dodge, Indian agent for the territory.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re all hot lately,\u201d Ben complained good-naturedly.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor the sake of our Indian brothers, I hope they stay that way awhile, Ben,\u201d Dodge observed.\u00a0 \u201cThe Paiutes are ill prepared for winter.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded grimly, remembering what his friend had been sharing along the trail north from Fort Churchill.\u00a0 Ben had been at the post when the telegraph wire, which had just the month before been stretched east to the as yet unnamed fort, brought the news that Captain Joseph Stewart\u2019s recommendation that the fort be named for Inspector General Sylvester Churchill had been accepted.\u00a0 He had been pleased for his friend\u2019s sake, though the name had little meaning for him personally, but the news Frederick Dodge had shared as they rode out under the command of Colonel Lander was infinitely less pleasant.\u00a0 Tragic was a better word.<\/p>\n

While many of the Paiutes, hunters and scavengers by tradition, remained near the battleground where they had fought the whites, eking out a bare subsistence in the barren hills, others, less proud, had found new grounds to hunt, new fields to scavenge, in Virginia City itself.\u00a0 \u201cIf you could see them, Ben,\u201d Dodge had sputtered bitterly while they rode toward the appointed meeting with Numaga.\u00a0 \u201cIf you could follow the Paiute women as they slink along the dark streets before the sun comes up, scavenging refuse dumps for bits of wilted carrot, half-rotten fruit and the heads and tails of fish too repulsive for white consumption.\u00a0 If you could go behind the Overland Stables and watch them sift through the manure piles, washing grains of undigested barley from the horses\u2019 droppings like a miner panning out flakes of gold!\u00a0 When I think of what they were . . .\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben shook his head as he recalled the images the Indian agent had pictured with such vivid horror.\u00a0 He turned to the man standing beside him at the stream\u2019s edge.\u00a0 \u201cHas no one in Virginia City offered them help?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cA few,\u201d Dodge admitted.\u00a0 \u201cOccasionally someone will give them a bag of flour, and the slaughterhouses sometimes throw out a bowl of remains not fit even for sausage.\u00a0 Some of the women have learned to wait at the mine entrances for shift change, so they can beg leftovers from the miners\u2019 lunch pails.\u201d<\/p>\n

From the slope above them the two civilians heard the order to mount shouted to their Army escort and responded as if they, too, were under orders.\u00a0 \u201cHopefully, we can provide enough help that some of those poor wretches will return to a more dignified style of life,\u201d Dodge opined as he and Ben swung into their saddles.<\/p>\n

Ben nodded silently, but he entertained little faith in the Indian agent\u2019s expressed desire.\u00a0 However undignified their means of livelihood might seem by white standards, the Paiutes of Virginia City were probably eating more and better than they had when they scavenged for pi\u00f1on nuts and berries, tule shoots and crickets.\u00a0 No matter what the United States Government provided, there would always be men, white as well as red, willing to take the easy route of begging their daily bread.<\/p>\n

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

As the pipe of peace made its way around the circle of men gathered to discuss a workable solution to the Indians\u2019 problems, Ben could not help noticing the change in his old friend Numaga.\u00a0 Though still stately in appearance and manner, the tall Paiute had grown visibly lean on the scant mountain fare, and there was a hardness in the set of his jaw.\u00a0 As he catalogued his people\u2019s grievances with the white man, the glint in his eyes was resolute and unwavering.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was not we who first broke the peace,\u201d Numaga asserted.\u00a0 \u201cWe welcomed your people to this land, guided them through the mountains to the golden streams of California, but always the white man wants more.\u00a0 At the cry of silver, he poured back across the mountains in legions without number.\u00a0 Still we did not raise our hands against those who stole our land, killed our antelope, stripped the pi\u00f1ons from the hills.\u00a0 Not until children of our tribe were taken did any of us strike back, and then only a few.\u00a0 Yet the men of Virginia City marched on us, as we knew they would.\u201d<\/p>\n

Colonel Lander nodded gravely.\u00a0 \u201cI will admit that some of the settlers have behaved despicably, and others have acted out of fear.\u00a0 That is in the past, Numaga.\u00a0 I cannot change it, but I have come today to make a new beginning, so that from this day forward no white man and no Paiute need die.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPeace is good,\u201d Numaga stated solemnly, \u201cbut it is not the work of a single sun or even a moon.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben gestured to the Colonel for permission to speak and it was granted.\u00a0 \u201cNumaga speaks wisely,\u201d he began slowly.\u00a0 \u201cTime will, indeed, be needed to forge a treaty that will achieve lasting peace, but, for the sake of both our peoples, peace cannot wait.\u00a0 It is almost three months since the last blood was shed at Pinnacle Mount.\u00a0 Let us pledge here today to lay down our guns for, at least, that long again, so that no blood is shed while we talk of peace.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA good suggestion,\u201d Colonel Lander stated forcefully.\u00a0 He faced the Paiute leader.\u00a0 \u201cWill you agree to keep the peace three more months, Numaga?\u201d<\/p>\n

Numaga met the white man\u2019s gaze steadily and answered with fierce pride.\u00a0 \u201cI will do more than you ask.\u00a0 I do not speak for all Paiutes, but none of those who follow me will shed the blood of white men for one year from this day.\u201d<\/p>\n

Taken aback by the unexpected offer, Colonel Lander recovered quickly and accepted; then he turned the discussion of longer-range solutions to Frederick Dodge.\u00a0 While the actual treaty would not be signed until later, most of what was discussed during the meetings that began that day would eventually find its way into the finished accord.\u00a0 Reservations would be set up, but the confinement of a freedom-loving people would be rendered more bearable by assigning them locations that surrounded the Paiutes\u2019 traditional fishing places of Pyramid, Walker and Mud lakes.\u00a0 The white man would provide assistance, not only by giving food and supplies to meet the Indians\u2019 immediate needs, but, more importantly, by sending teachers to instruct them in farming skills, as they made their transition to a new way of life.<\/p>\n

Ben rode back to the Ponderosa with a deep sense of satisfaction\u2014and of expectation.\u00a0 He knew without doubt that a hefty portion of Numaga\u2019s willingness to treat with the white men came from his long-term trust of the White Winnemucca, a title Ben continued to wear with pride.\u00a0 The seeds of peace planted in those meetings made hope sprout within Ben, as well.\u00a0 After seeing differences as vast as those of red men and white find common ground, Ben was encouraged to believe that he and Marie could also chart the path back to their accustomed accord.\u00a0 Eager to begin peace talks of his own, Ben found the miles between him and the ranch interminable, but his heart soared as each strong stride of his horse brought him nearer home.<\/p>\n

~ ~ ~ ~ ~<\/p>\n

Historical Notes<\/p>\n

Numaga\u2019s offer to keep the peace for one year is factual.\u00a0 Ben\u2019s prior suggestion of three months is an invention of the author.<\/p>\n

There was a white man, of long acquaintance with the Paiutes, known as the White Winnemucca.\u00a0 I have taken the liberty of assigning that title to Ben Cartwright.<\/p>\n

CHAPTER EIGHT<\/p>\n

Off to School<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Adam handed the last of his bags to the man loading the stage in Carson City. \u201cWell, that\u2019s everything,\u201d he said to Marie.<\/p>\n

She touched slender fingertips to his elbows.\u00a0 \u201cI know your father is disappointed that he could not be back in time to bid you farewell, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam hunched one shoulder in an attitude of dismissal.\u00a0 \u201cWe said our good-byes before he left.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie nodded, a forced smile quivering on her lips.\u00a0 \u201cAnd now we must say ours.\u00a0 I wish it did not have to be so, Adam.\u00a0 I will miss mon ami<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam slid his arms back to clasp her hands warmly.\u00a0 \u201cAnd I will miss mine.\u201d\u00a0 Breaking into a lighter smile, he reached out to tousle Hoss\u2019s sandy hair.\u00a0 \u201cMiss you, too, buddy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure wish you wouldn\u2019t go, Adam,\u201d Hoss muttered disconsolately.\u00a0 \u201cWe have good times when you\u2019re here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, we do, buddy,\u201d Adam agreed, \u201cand I\u2019ll miss them, too.\u00a0 In the meantime\u201d\u2014he reached down to lift Little Joe into his arms for a farewell hug\u2014\u201dyou can have fun with this one.\u201d\u00a0 Adam pulled the toddler close to his chest and nuzzled his neck, wondering why this good-bye seemed hardest of all.\u00a0 In his heart he knew the answer: he had just begun to know this little brother, to grow strongly attached, and he knew losing some of the closeness they now shared was inevitable with the miles and months he was about to put between them.\u00a0 \u201cBrother has to go now, little one,\u201d he whispered.\u00a0 \u201cTry to remember me, okay?\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe pulled back to gaze quizzically into his oldest brother\u2019s face.\u00a0 Finally understanding that they weren\u2019t all getting on the stage for a nice trip, the child began to shake his head vigorously.\u00a0 \u201cNo,\u201d he objected adamantly.\u00a0 \u201cNo, no, no!\u00a0 Me go, too, Adam!\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam laughed softly, blinking back the mist forming in his eyes.\u00a0 \u201cNo, baby, you\u2019re too young to go to school.\u00a0 You\u2019ll get your chance.\u201d\u00a0 Seeing Marie shiver, he added quickly, \u201cNot soon, though.\u00a0 You have to stay home and take care of Mama for a while yet.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe made a fist and pounded Adam\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cNo go!\u201d he dictated, lips puckered and cheeks puffed out in indignation.<\/p>\n

\u201cBetter watch that hitting,\u201d Adam whispered into his brother\u2019s miniature ear as he stroked the child\u2019s ruffled plumage.\u00a0 \u201cYou know how Pa feels about that, baby boy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll aboard,\u201d the stage driver called impatiently from atop the loaded stagecoach.<\/p>\n

Adam tried to hand Little Joe back to his mother, but the little lad clung tenaciously to his brother\u2019s neck.\u00a0 \u201cJoe, let go,\u201d Adam croaked through a strangled airway.\u00a0 \u201cI have to leave now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie firmly detached Little Joe\u2019s clutching fingers from his brother\u2019s throat and hugged him tight.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t worry about him, Adam; he\u2019ll be fine,\u201d she said, seeing the older boy\u2019s look of concern.\u00a0 She stood on tiptoe to plant a kiss on each of his cheeks. \u00a0\u201cHave a safe journey.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam gently kissed her cheek in return and then brushed his lips against his little brother\u2019s soft curls.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll be back, baby; I promise,\u201d he whispered and exchanged a quick hug with Hoss before dashing for the stage.\u00a0 Hanging out the window, he returned the waves of Marie and Hoss, and just before they faded out of sight of the departing stagecoach, he saw a third little hand flutter toward him and felt reassured that his youngest brother was beginning to accept his leaving.\u00a0 \u201cYou don\u2019t know how lucky you are, little fellow,\u201d he thought as he pulled his head back into the coach.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ve got all of them to help you through this, while I\u2019ve got no one to take the sting out of leaving you.\u201d\u00a0 Then, disdaining the blatant self-pity echoing in his head, Adam set his thoughts toward Sacramento, toward the old friends with whom he\u2019d soon be reuniting and the new knowledge that would blunt, though it could never entirely remove, the homesickness he now felt so sharply.<\/p>\n

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

Marie smiled tenderly at the man sitting, with eyes closed and head tilted back, against the massive trunk of a sugar pine.\u00a0 Kneeling beside her husband, she dropped a kiss on his temple.<\/p>\n

Ben stirred slowly, eyes flickering groggily open.<\/p>\n

Marie tittered.\u00a0 \u201cOh, Ben, I\u2019m sorry.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t realize you were actually asleep.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben stifled a yawn.\u00a0 \u201cNeither did I, my love.\u00a0 I must have just drifted off for a few minutes.\u201d\u00a0 He sat up quickly, remembering his promise to keep an eye on his two younger sons while Marie cleared away the remains of their picnic.\u00a0 \u201cThe boys?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAre fine,\u201d Marie assured him, her chin tipping toward the creek bank below them.<\/p>\n

Catching sight of the two youngsters perched beside the gurgling stream, Ben chuckled as he heard Little Joe\u2019s excited exclamation about some new sight or sound that had caught his attention and Hoss\u2019s scolding admonition to \u201ckeep that pole still!\u201d<\/p>\n

Leaning back, he took his wife\u2019s hand and pulled her toward him.\u00a0 \u201cThank you for giving up your day at church for this.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Ben, I don\u2019t expect to be taken to Virginia City every Sunday,\u201d Marie murmured softly.\u00a0 \u201cI know it is a long ride, and you were tired from your journey.\u201d\u00a0 Ben had returned from his peacekeeping mission only the afternoon before, one day after Adam\u2019s departure.<\/p>\n

\u201cToo tired for this, too,\u201d Ben admitted, \u201cbut I promised the boys.\u00a0 I wanted Hoss, especially, to have one more day to enjoy before he starts school tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mischief twinkled in Marie\u2019s eyes as she asked, \u201cDo you imply, monsieur<\/em>, that school is not to be enjoyed?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben arched an eyebrow.\u00a0 \u201cBy Hoss?\u00a0 I doubt it.\u00a0 They\u2019re very different, those two older boys of ours, in their attitude toward school.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMmm,\u201d Marie murmured in agreement as she snuggled against his shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cAnd what of our youngest?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s a long way off yet, thank goodness.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank goodness?\u201d Marie queried with a pixyish slant of her head.\u00a0 \u201cYou, too, would miss him then?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cActually, I was thinking of his teacher-to-be,\u201d Ben snickered wryly.\u00a0 \u201cI pity the person who tries to harness that bundle of energy to a school desk!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOoh, you are infuriating,\u201d Marie cried, slapping his chest.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you, woman, are enticing,\u201d Ben whispered, taking her golden head in both hands and pulling it down until their lips met and locked in lengthy caress.\u00a0 Then he moaned in anticipation as Marie unfastened two buttons of his shirt and twined her slender fingers in the hair on his chest.\u00a0 While it was a promise that, of necessity, could not be fulfilled with two little boys fishing within a hundred feet of them, Ben knew with certainty he would find all a man could yearn for in the arms of his wife that night.<\/p>\n

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

Little Joe locked his arms around Hoss\u2019s knees and held on for dear life.\u00a0 \u201cNo!\u201d he shrieked.\u00a0 \u201cNo go!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, okay,\u201d Hoss said, looking up hopefully at his father.\u00a0 \u201cI sure hate to break the poor little punkin\u2019s heart, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben might have found Hoss\u2019s comment amusing had his youngest not been creating such a grating racket.\u00a0 \u201cJoseph, stop that wailing,\u201d he ordered sharply.\u00a0 \u201cYour brother is going to school, whether you like it or not.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo!\u201d Joe hollered, continuing to cling to his brother\u2019s lower limbs and, for emphasis, adding a stomp of his foot, which barely missed Hoss\u2019s big toe.<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s nostrils flared as he grabbed the child around the waist and yanked him loose.\u00a0 \u201cThat does it, baby boy; you are going to get a very necessary little talking to this very minute!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Ben,\u201d Marie objected forcefully, pulling the child from her husband\u2019s arms and placing him against her shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cThat is not necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMarie\u2014\u201d Ben interjected.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Marie said sharply.\u00a0 \u201cLet me talk to him, Ben.\u00a0 He is not being naughty; he is confused and hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n

The child definitely looked more angry than injured to Ben, but not wanting to strain the bond he was reforging with his wife, he capitulated.\u00a0 \u201cDo as you think best, then,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re the one who\u2019ll have to live with him today.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat will be my pleasure,\u201d Marie said with a smile.\u00a0 Bending over, she kissed the top of Hoss\u2019s head.\u00a0 \u201cBe a good boy, mon ch\u00e9ri<\/em>, and listen well to your teacher.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes\u2019m,\u201d Hoss muttered gloomily and, giving his little brother a final pat on the back, left quickly, along with his father, who would also ride to Franktown school to enroll him.<\/p>\n

Marie carried the still howling youngest Cartwright upstairs and sat in the rocking chair beside his crib, gently rubbing his back.\u00a0 The rhythmic movement of the chair and the tender touch began to soothe the distressed child, and soon he was sitting in his mother\u2019s lap, rubbing his eyes.\u00a0 \u201cTell Mam\u00e1<\/em> what you are feeling, mon petit<\/em>,\u201d Marie requested softly.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlways people leave me,\u201d Little Joe whimpered.\u00a0 \u201cI hate school!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo one is leaving you, mon petit<\/em>,\u201d his mother soothed.\u00a0 \u201cI know Hoss is your favorite playmate, and you will miss him, but he will only be gone a few hours.\u201d<\/p>\n

Having little concept of time measurements, Little Joe remained unconvinced.\u00a0 Shaking his head, he again complained, \u201cAlways people leave me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie gently brushed an errant curl from his brow.\u00a0 \u201cWhat people, mon petit<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPa,\u201d a red-faced Joe accused.\u00a0 \u201cAdam.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, I thought that was it,\u201d his mother said, giving him a kiss on the forehead.\u00a0 \u201cI, too, am lonely when Pap\u00e1<\/em> goes away, but he always comes back, does he not\u2014and Adam, too?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot for a long, long time,\u201d Joe accused petulantly.\u00a0 \u201cToo long, Mama!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOui<\/em>, it seems very long to me, too,\u201d Marie admitted, cuddling him closer, \u201cbut it will not be so with Hoss.\u00a0 He will be home for supper, as will your father.\u201d<\/p>\n

A hopeful glimmer lighted Little Joe\u2019s eyes.\u00a0 \u201cLike when Pa works?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cExactly like when Pa works,\u201d his mother said, smiling.\u00a0 \u201cSchool is Hoss\u2019s work, and he will come home when it is done.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe\u2019s face began to glow.\u00a0 \u201cAdam, too?\u201d he asked eagerly.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Adam\u2019s school is too far for him to come home each night.\u00a0 You know this, mon petit<\/em>,\u201d Marie chided gently, \u201cbut I promise that Hoss will be home this afternoon, and you will have time to play with him before supper.\u00a0 Now, since we are in such a good place for it, would you like Mam\u00e1<\/em> to read you a story?\u201d<\/p>\n

Characteristic smile transfixing his face, Little Joe nodded eagerly.<\/p>\n

Marie took a book from the bureau and began to read.\u00a0 She knew the story so well she could almost quote it, and the words came readily off her tongue, even though her mind drifted elsewhere.\u00a0 As she cuddled her healthy little boy in her lap, she couldn\u2019t help thinking of the tragedy that had befallen her neighbor just days before.\u00a0 As Laura Ellis had foreseen, the Bowers\u2019 child was simply not destined to thrive, and Sandy and Eilley had buried their son just one day shy of two months after his birth.\u00a0 I am so blessed<\/em>, Marie thought, and held Little Joe all the closer.<\/p>\n

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

Hoss, who had never shared his younger brother\u2019s propensity for lightning mood changes, found himself growing more doleful with each stride his horse took toward Franktown.\u00a0 Almost all Hoss\u2019s memories of school were bad ones.\u00a0 Deep inside he could still feel the embarrassment of being mocked by kids half his size and the pain of being called a \u201cfat, stupid gentile.\u201d\u00a0 As he rode, he tried to convince himself that since the Mormons had mostly left and the kids who remained were gentiles like him, the name-calling would end.\u00a0 He was finding himself a hard sell, however.<\/p>\n

Ben and Hoss stopped before a small shed to one side of the main school building, but only Hoss led his horse inside and removed the saddle.\u00a0 Ben, who planned but a brief stay, merely tied his mount at the front of the shed.\u00a0 Then, together, father and son climbed the steps of the small white wooden building with a narrow bell tower at the front.<\/p>\n

Pausing on the porch, Hoss looked eastward with infinite longing.\u00a0 That\u2019s where I\u2019d like to be<\/em>, he mused as he gazed at the inviting waters of placid WashoeLake.\u00a0 Still warm enough to swim, too<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss,\u201d his father called.\u00a0 \u201cThis way, son.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reluctantly, Hoss turned and followed his father through the door on the left, entering a narrow hall.\u00a0 \u201cHang your coat and hat here,\u201d Ben instructed.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I know,\u201d Hoss muttered as he placed his lunch pail on the long shelf running the length of the wall that divided the entranceway from the schoolroom proper.\u00a0 Next he shrugged out of his coat and draped it over one of the hooks beneath the shelf.\u00a0 He plopped his hat on top of the coat and emitted a loud sigh.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m ready, I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben placed a palm on the boy\u2019s broad shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cHoss, it\u2019s a new teacher and new friends you\u2019re about to face, not a firing squad; try to make your countenance reflect that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s nose crinkled, as if even thinking about facing all that newness was an effort, but he nodded in acquiescence and allowed himself to be led into the next room.\u00a0 One large, high-ceilinged room with four windows down each side would serve as classroom for all eight grades.\u00a0 A number of students and some parents were already seated, two to a bench, in the neat rows of flat-topped desks that lined the room on each side of a pot-bellied stove in the center.\u00a0 Ben directed Hoss onto a bench behind one of the desks and, seeing that there wasn\u2019t room for him to sit, as well, stood in the aisle beside his son.\u00a0 Hoss heard someone to his right snicker and turned to glare in that direction, instinctively knowing that his bulk had prompted the ugly sound.\u00a0 His father\u2019s hand came to rest behind his neck and firmly turned the boy\u2019s face toward the front of the room again.<\/p>\n

At the far end, on a raised platform, sat a larger desk, evidently the teacher\u2019s, and behind it a slate blackboard bore a single message, \u201cWelcome to FranktownSchool.\u201d\u00a0 Since the teacher\u2019s desk was empty, Hoss surveyed the room, trying to figure out which of the ladies was his new teacher.\u00a0 Before he could make that determination, however, a slender young woman who didn\u2019t look much older than Adam mounted the platform and turned to face the assembled parents and students.\u00a0 \u201cGood morning and welcome to Franktown School,\u201d said the young woman in a clear voice that carried to the back of the room.\u00a0 \u201cMy name,\u201d she continued, as she turned to write on the board, \u201cis Miss Lucinda Appleton.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss grinned.\u00a0 That would be an easy name to remember because the teacher\u2019s cheeks were as round and rosy as apples.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a special day because so many parents have graciously chosen to visit us,\u201d Miss Appleton said with a smile, \u201cbut beginning tomorrow, all students will wait outside until the bell is rung.\u00a0 Then the boys will line up and enter by the south door and girls by the north.\u00a0 The rules of our school will be few and simple, but I will not allow any disruption in the classroom.\u201d\u00a0 Several parents nodded approval at the firm resolve evident on the young teacher\u2019s face.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs none of you has ever attended this school before, every student will need to be enrolled,\u201d Miss Appleton explained, \u201cand this will be conducted in an orderly manner, using the alphabet as our guide.\u00a0 Would each student whose name, like mine, begins with \u201cA\u201d please come to the platform.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since \u201cC\u201d was so close to the front of the alphabet, Ben was soon escorting Hoss to the teacher\u2019s desk.\u00a0 Miss Appleton peered at her new pupil through bespectacled mud-puddle brown eyes that reflected warmth like sunbeams falling on a quiet pond.\u00a0 \u201cMy, but you\u2019re a fine, strapping boy,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cYour name, please?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss, ma\u2019am,\u201d the boy muttered.\u00a0 \u201cHoss Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss?\u201d Miss Appleton rolled her tongue around the unfamiliar sound.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s a most unusual name.\u00a0 I don\u2019t believe I\u2019ve ever heard it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben cleared his throat.\u00a0 \u201cWe do call the boy Hoss at home, but his given name is Eric.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s a good strong name for a strong boy,\u201d Miss Appleton replied pleasantly as she wrote it in her roll book.\u00a0 \u201cMay I call you that in the classroom, Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss, who had taken an instant shine to her, even though she wasn\u2019t pretty like Ma, nodded quietly, wanting to please.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd have you had any schooling before, Eric?\u201d the teacher inquired.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes\u2019m,\u201d Hoss said quietly.\u00a0 \u201cNot in school like here, but my Ma teached me real good.\u00a0 I\u2019m in the Second Reader, ma\u2019am.\u201d\u00a0 His round face glowed with pride as he announced his accomplishment.<\/p>\n

\u201cI see,\u201d Miss Appleton said, frowning in thought.\u00a0 \u201cWell, you have a great deal of ground to make up, Eric, to reach a level appropriate for your age, but\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s only ten,\u201d Ben inserted.\u00a0 \u201cForgive me for interrupting, Miss Appleton, but I fear you\u2019re laboring under a misconception.\u201d<\/p>\n

Surprise sprang into the teacher\u2019s eyes.\u00a0 \u201cIndeed, I am, Mr. Cartwright.\u00a0 I had assumed\u2014well, he\u2019s such a tall boy\u201d\u2014she gathered herself quickly and gave her new student an encouraging smile.\u00a0 \u201cThat being the case, reaching the Second Reader indicates acceptable progress, Eric.\u00a0 Your mother has done a good job of instructing you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss beamed.\u00a0 \u201cYes, ma\u2019am!\u00a0 She\u2019s the best.\u201d<\/p>\n

Miss Appleton\u2019s smile broadened.\u00a0 A boy who displayed such open admiration for his mother obviously came from a happy home, and by the look of the father, one in which a teacher\u2019s authority might find substantial support.\u00a0 \u201cWelcome to Franktown School, Eric,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cPlease take a seat in the third row.\u201d<\/p>\n

After paying the established fee for Hoss\u2019s first term, Ben walked his son back to his new desk and saw him safely settled before whispering a quick good-bye.\u00a0 He went outside and, untying the reins of his bay, mounted the animal, confident that his son had made a satisfactory start.\u00a0 The teacher was barely more than a girl, of course, but that was typical, since it was rare for a married woman to keep school.\u00a0 Miss Appleton appeared to have both commitment and concern for her students, though, and Ben was pleased to see how well she had related to Hoss.\u00a0 He knew a good teacher could make a world of difference to a student as reluctant as his middle son.<\/p>\n

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

That morning in the classroom went well for Hoss.\u00a0 Of course, being the first day, little real study was required.\u00a0 Miss Appleton spent the morning getting to know her students and exactly where they stood in each subject.\u00a0 Hoss spent the time he wasn\u2019t reciting himself in watching her interact with his new schoolmates, and he began to think that maybe school wouldn\u2019t be as bad as he\u2019d feared, with someone as nice as Miss Appleton for a teacher.\u00a0 He was so entranced, in fact, that had it not been for the rumbling of his stomach, he wouldn\u2019t even have noticed that it was time for lunch.<\/p>\n

Once Miss Appleton dismissed the class, however, Hoss made a quick grab for his lunch pail and hurried outside, aiming for the nearest shade tree.\u00a0 \u201cHey, wait up,\u201d a dark-haired boy called.<\/p>\n

Hoss looked back over his shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cYou talkin\u2019 to me?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d the other boy said, joining Hoss in the circle of shade.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re Ben Cartwright\u2019s kid, right?\u00a0 We ain\u2019t met proper, but our pas know each other.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I seen you around,\u201d Hoss replied.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re Thee Winters\u2019 boy, ain\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

The shorter boy grinned as he thrust out his hand.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, name\u2019s George, and I know Eric ain\u2019t the name you go by.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNaw, just for the teacher,\u201d Hoss agreed quickly.\u00a0 \u201cI go by Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another boy, passing by, snorted.\u00a0 \u201cHorse, yeah, that\u2019s what you look like, all right!\u201d\u00a0 He walked on, snickering in self-appreciation of his wit.<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s lip curled as he took a step toward his taunter.\u00a0 A hand came to rest on his elbow.<\/p>\n

\u201cAw, don\u2019t mind him,\u201d George said.\u00a0 \u201cCal Hulbert\u2019s got the biggest mouth in the territory, but he\u2019s all talk and nothing to back it up with.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, well, he\u2019d better not do much more of that kind of talkin\u2019 around me,\u201d Hoss boasted with a fast flex of his bicep, \u201c\u2018cause I got what I need to back up anything I say.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019s awful big,\u201d piped a high-pitched voice, clearly awed.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019s \u2018most a man.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss dropped his arm and gave the diminutive girl with bright red braids a grin.\u00a0 \u201cWell, hi there, little mite.\u201d<\/p>\n

A boy with hair as coppery as the girl\u2019s yanked her back by one braid.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t be botherin\u2019 folks, Mary Emma,\u201d he scolded.<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, she ain\u2019t no bother,\u201d Hoss laughed.\u00a0 \u201cShe ain\u2019t big enough to be no bother.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe ain\u2019t big enough to be nothin\u2019 else,\u201d the boy cackled, \u201cbut I reckon you\u2019d know about that.\u00a0 I seen you chasin\u2019 one even smaller at the Fourth of July picnic.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, yeah, that one ain\u2019t nothin\u2019 but bother,\u201d Hoss agreed.\u00a0 \u201cListen, I\u2019m gettin\u2019 too hungry to just stand around jawin\u2019.\u00a0 You wanna set and eat?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure,\u201d the redheaded boy replied, plunking himself down and motioning his sister and slightly younger brother to take a seat on the ground beside him.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re the O\u2019Neills,\u201d he announced once Hoss and George Winters were seated, too.<\/p>\n

Hoss opened his dinner pail and pulled out his first sandwich.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, I know.\u00a0 Seen you at the doin\u2019s on the Fourth, too.\u00a0 You live pretty near me, I think, north of the Bowers\u2019 place a ways.\u00a0 Don\u2019t know your front names, though\u2014well, exceptin\u2019 for Mary Emma, that is.\u201d\u00a0 He flashed the little girl a sociable smile.\u00a0 She reminded him of his friend, Inger Thomas, although she looked a smidge younger.<\/p>\n

The other boy shook his wide-eyed stare away from the Hoss\u2019s heavily loaded dinner pail.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m Joseph, and my little brother here is Robert,\u201d he stated.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey!\u00a0 My little brother\u2019s name is Joseph,\u201d Hoss said between bites.<\/p>\n

Robert, redheaded and freckled like his siblings, snickered.\u00a0 \u201cUnh-uh, it\u2019s Little Joe; heard you hollerin\u2019 it plenty at that picnic.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s cute,\u201d dimple-cheeked Mary Emma offered.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Hoss groused good-naturedly.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s cute as a skeeter nippin\u2019 on your arm.\u201d<\/p>\n

Robert whacked Mary Emma on the knee.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s a good one\u2014and you\u2019re cute the same way, little skeeter!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOoh, boys are awful!\u201d Mary Emma sputtered and, grabbing up her lunch pail, set off to find more congenial companionship among the girls.<\/p>\n

\u201cAw, doggone, you went and hurt her feelin\u2019s,\u201d Hoss commiserated.\u00a0 He hated to see anyone hurt.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019ll get over it,\u201d Robert said with a nonchalant shrug.\u00a0 \u201cI heard your pa say you was only ten, Hoss, but I can\u2019t hardly believe it.\u00a0 That\u2019s the same age as Joe here, but you\u2019re sure bigger.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAw, shut up, Robby,\u201d Joe ordered, seeing Hoss\u2019s countenance darken.\u00a0 \u201cAin\u2019t good manners to talk \u2018bout how folks look.\u00a0 Remember how you feel when someone calls you \u2018Red\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry, didn\u2019t mean nothin\u2019,\u201d Robby said quickly.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know I\u2019m big,\u201d Hoss said, his innate defensiveness on the subject quieted by the quick apology, \u201cbut I figure it to be a good thing.\u00a0 I get paid a man\u2019s wage on the ranch \u2018cause I do the work of a man.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWow, that\u2019s great!\u201d Joe cried.\u00a0 \u201cWhat kind of work you do?\u201d<\/p>\n

Before answering, Hoss dug into the dinner pail for another sandwich.\u00a0 He lifted the top slice of bread, and his face scrunched in distaste.\u00a0 \u201cDoggone!\u201d he grunted.\u00a0 \u201cCheese!\u00a0 Hop Sing oughta know by now that I don\u2019t like cheese.\u00a0 Anybody want this thing?\u201d<\/p>\n

Robby all but grabbed the sandwich out of Hoss\u2019s hand.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll take it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe glowered at his one-year-younger brother.\u00a0 \u201cO\u2019Neills don\u2019t take charity.\u00a0 Ma\u2019ll have your hide if she finds out.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, it ain\u2019t charity,\u201d Hoss objected, \u201cjust friends sharin\u2019 what they got.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe cocked his head in consideration.\u00a0 \u201cOkay, so how\u2019d you like one of my ma\u2019s ginger cookies in trade?\u00a0 She makes gooduns.\u201d<\/p>\n

A gap-toothed grin split Hoss\u2019s face.\u00a0 School was turning out just fine without those name-calling Mormons around.<\/p>\n

That impression lasted until the afternoon arithmetic recitation.\u00a0 Arithmetic had always been difficult for Hoss, and he just couldn\u2019t make the figures work out right when he took his turn at the blackboard.\u00a0 He heard some snickering from the back of the room, where the older boys sat, and although it was quickly stopped by Miss Appleton, Hoss felt his cheeks grow hot and he wanted to melt through the cracks in the floor.<\/p>\n

The day went downhill from that point.\u00a0 Hoss knew he\u2019d made the same kind of mistakes that had the kids in the old Mormon school laughing at him, and the titters from the back of the Franktown classroom confirmed that it wouldn\u2019t be different here.\u00a0 Kids were the same, it seemed, no matter whether they were Mormon or gentile, and Hoss felt crushed with the disappointment of that discovery.\u00a0 His despondency grew with each lesson he attempted that afternoon.\u00a0 With the remembered taunts of his earlier schooling echoing in his ears, he couldn\u2019t concentrate on the lessons of the present, and with each failure he knew he\u2019d given his new schoolmates more reason to laugh.<\/p>\n

Miss Appleton kept the boy in from the afternoon recess, not as punishment, but to give him extra help, which he obviously needed.\u00a0 \u201cIt ain\u2019t no use, Miss Appleton, ma\u2019am,\u201d Hoss sighed.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m just dumb.\u201d<\/p>\n

The teacher pressed his plump cheeks between her slender fingers and forced him to look directly into her eyes.\u00a0 \u201cNo, Eric, you are not, and I do not wish to hear that again.\u00a0 You are quite capable of learning; you\u2019re simply not concentrating.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFigures has always been hard for me, ma\u2019am,\u201d Hoss moaned.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen that\u2019s an area we need to work on,\u201d the teacher said with a smile, silently adding, Grammar, too<\/em>.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s look again at those problems you missed, shall we?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss nodded glumly, foreseeing little hope of understanding where he\u2019d gone wrong.\u00a0 Half an hour of Miss Appleton\u2019s patient tutoring, however, brought a smile back to his face.\u00a0 He might be a little slower than the other scholars, but Miss Appleton was right.\u00a0 With someone like her taking the time to help him over the rough spots, he could learn, just like any of them.<\/p>\n

The remainder of the day went better, although the lost recess left Hoss tired and made concentration even more difficult.\u00a0 A few more mistakes started the titters again, but once again Miss Appleton silenced them, this time with even firmer rebuke.\u00a0 The day had been a long one, however, and no one welcomed the announcement of dismissal more than Hoss Cartwright.\u00a0 He was tired and getting hungry again, too, especially since he\u2019d given away part of his lunch.\u00a0 The ginger cookie had been tasty, but it hadn\u2019t filled his belly the way another sandwich would have.\u00a0 Hoss was eager to get home and wheedle a snack out of Hop Sing.<\/p>\n

He waved good-bye to George Winters and the O\u2019Neill kids and then saddled his horse in the shed.\u00a0 As he was leading the animal out, he found his path blocked by the boy who had done most of the snickering at the back of the classroom, the one George had called Cal.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, if it ain\u2019t Horse!\u201d the older boy snorted.<\/p>\n

Hoss looked down at the boy whose head didn\u2019t reach the younger one\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cNot Horse,\u201d he snarled.\u00a0 \u201cMy name\u2019s Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEither way, it suits,\u201d Calvin Hulbert sneered, \u201c\u2018cause you got all the smarts of somethin\u2019 to ride.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss was tired and hungry, and he had taken all he intended to.\u00a0 He\u2019d learned back at the Mormon school how to shut smart mouths like this kid\u2019s.\u00a0 This time he didn\u2019t even need to form a fist.\u00a0 Planting his broad palm on the smaller boy\u2019s chest, he gave a rough shove that sent Hulbert sprawling in the dust; then without a backward glance, he turned to mountCharcoal.<\/p>\n

As Hoss started toward home, Calvin Hulbert scrambled to his feet and hollered, \u201cThis don\u2019t end it, Horse, and you\u2019re still dumb as a critter!\u201d<\/p>\n

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

Hoss barely had time to dismount before the door to the Ponderosa ranch house blared open and a pint-sized explosion, strong as any produced by black powder in the mines of Virginia City and twice as noisy, blasted into the yard.\u00a0 \u201cHoss!\u201d Little Joe shrieked as he barreled into his long-lost brother\u2019s thigh.<\/p>\n

Hoss chortled with delight at the hearty welcome, and conveniently forgetting that this was the child he\u2019d described to his friends as a bothersome skeeter, he scooped the boy up and hugged him tight.\u00a0 \u201cMiss me, punkin?\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe\u2019s head bobbed up and down wildly.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t go \u2018gain,\u201d he ordered adamantly.<\/p>\n

Hoss favored the youngster with a sour smile as he set him down and tousled his curls.\u00a0 \u201cSure like to oblige you there, punkin, but I don\u2019t fancy a trip \u2018cross Pa\u2019s lap.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNes\u2019ry talk?\u201d Joe asked plaintively.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, and you know what they\u2019re like, don\u2019t ya?\u201d Hoss said, gathering the reins of his horse to lead her into the barn.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Joe moaned in sympathy.\u00a0 \u201cTalk bad, school bad.\u00a0 You gone, ev\u2019thing bad.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou got that right,\u201d Hoss grunted.\u00a0 \u201cWanna help me put up Charcoal?<\/p>\n

\u201cUh-huh,\u201d Little Joe agreed, face clearing at once.\u00a0 \u201cMe ride?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay,\u201d Hoss chuckled, swinging his little brother into the saddle for the brief trip to the barn.<\/p>\n

As soon as the gray mare was cared for, Hoss headed for the house with Little Joe riding piggyback.\u00a0 His dog Klamath came racing around the corner to welcome him home, standing on his hind legs, pressing his front paws against Hoss\u2019s thighs.\u00a0 When Hoss leaned over to scratch behind his pet\u2019s ears, Little Joe stretched across his big brother\u2019s shoulder to copy the action and immediately toppled forward, headfirst.\u00a0 Hoss grabbed him just before he landed on the dog and shook his head in wonder as he swung Little Joe to safe ground.\u00a0 Doggone, but that kid could tumble into trouble quicker than anyone he\u2019d ever seen!\u00a0 \u201cCome on, let\u2019s see if Hop Sing\u2019s got any cookies, huh?\u201d he suggested, taking the small hand in his ample one and leading the way.<\/p>\n

Marie, blissfully unaware of her baby\u2019s latest close call, met both boys with a hug and a kiss.\u00a0 She had foreseen Hoss\u2019s hunger, and two glasses of milk sat waiting on the dining table with a platter of sugar cookies between them.\u00a0 \u201cAw, my favorites,\u201d Hoss murmured.\u00a0 \u201cThanks, Ma.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHop Sing baked them, of course,\u201d Marie said as she helped Little Joe into his chair, \u201cbut I did suggest which kind he make.\u201d\u00a0 She sat at the head of the table in Ben\u2019s normal position and rested her chin on laced fingers.\u00a0 \u201cDid you have a good day at school, mon ch\u00e9ri<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss scowled.\u00a0 \u201cCan\u2019t I just take my lessons here with you, like before, Ma?\u201d<\/p>\n

Instantly, Marie\u2019s hand rested comfortingly on his.\u00a0 \u201cWas it so very bad, Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n

Seeing her concern, Hoss hesitated to tell the full truth, and with a moment to think, he realized the end of the day didn\u2019t accurately reflect how everything had gone, anyway.\u00a0 \u201cWell, it wadn\u2019t all bad,\u201d he admitted. \u201cMiss Appleton\u2019s real nice, but I liked it better when I was here with you and Little Joe all day, Ma.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMe, too,\u201d Little Joe mumbled, cookie crumbs spewing from his lips.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo not talk with your mouth full, Joseph,\u201d his mother admonished, wiping his lips with a napkin.\u00a0 She smiled at her other son.\u00a0 \u201cI am much flattered that you enjoyed our lessons together, Hoss,\u201d she said, \u201cbut it is better that you go to school with other children.\u00a0 They will push you to do your best, and you need the companionship of children your own age.\u00a0 Did you not make any friends today, my son?\u201d<\/p>\n

Harking back to the more pleasant memories of the noon meal, Hoss finally smiled.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, I ate lunch with George Winters and the O\u2019Neill kids, and we all got on real good.\u00a0 The O\u2019Neill boys are right around my age, and George is twelve, but he didn\u2019t talk down to me.\u201d\u00a0 Not like some I could mention<\/em>, he thought as Cal Hulbert\u2019s revolting face flashed across his mind.<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, you see, you have made some friends in just one day,\u201d Marie said happily, \u201cand I am sure that in time the other children will also discover what a fine friend you are.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss wiped away a mustache of milk.\u00a0 \u201cSure hope so, Ma.\u201d\u00a0 He felt certain that there were some kids he\u2019d never call friends, though he spared his mother that opinion.\u00a0 Finishing his cookies, he carried the empty dishes into the kitchen and had a few words with Hop Sing on the subject of cheese in dinner pails.<\/p>\n

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

Each day two of the older boys were selected to bring drinking water to Franktown School from the Frey ranch, the closest source.\u00a0 On Wednesday of the first week of school, George Winters raised his hand to ask if he could go for the water that day.\u00a0 \u201cAnd can Hoss go with me?\u201d he added quickly when the teacher agreed.<\/p>\n

Miss Appleton pursed her lips.\u00a0 Certainly, there was no denying that Eric Cartwright had the muscle for the job, despite being younger than those she normally sent; however, he was also a boy who could ill afford to miss a moment of class time.\u00a0 Still, seeing the eagerness that sprang into his young face, the teacher hadn\u2019t the heart to refuse permission.\u00a0 \u201cVery well,\u201d she decided, \u201cas soon as Eric has read a paragraph for me from his reader, you may both be excused.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss grinned back at George, pleased both to be chosen and to have the opportunity of escaping the classroom, even to haul water.\u00a0 After stumbling through his paragraph, Hoss slid his reader onto the shelf beneath his desktop and joined George in the hall, where they scrambled into coats and hats.\u00a0 Each boy took a bucket and exited through the boy\u2019s door to the schoolhouse.\u00a0 \u201cThanks for pickin\u2019 me, George,\u201d Hoss said as soon as they were outside.<\/p>\n

\u201cAw, why wouldn\u2019t I?\u201d George responded with a shrug.\u00a0 \u201cI can trust you to carry your weight in a chore like this.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShucks, I\u2019ll carry both pails if you like,\u201d Hoss offered.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m strong enough.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNaw, I can carry my own weight, too, you know,\u201d George chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t want Miss Appleton thinkin\u2019 it\u2019s a one-man job, do we?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss grinned broadly.\u00a0 \u201cNope, sure don\u2019t!\u00a0 That\u2019d make it just plain work.\u00a0 Any job\u2019s easier when you got good company.\u201d\u00a0 Laughing, the two boys walked to the Frey ranch, filled their pails and headed back to school.<\/p>\n

As the water carriers drew near the schoolhouse, Calvin Hulbert caught sight of them out the window and smirked.\u00a0 He\u2019d figured a way to show that big dumb Horse how it felt to be spilled into the dirt, and now was the perfect time to set his plan in action.\u00a0 He raised his hand and was recognized by the teacher.<\/p>\n

\u201cMay I be excused to visit the outhouse, Miss Appleton?\u201d Calvin requested politely in his best English.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy, it will soon be time for recess,\u201d the teacher observed. \u00a0\u201cCan\u2019t you wait \u2018til then?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, no, ma\u2019am,\u201d Calvin replied with a look of strain.\u00a0 \u201cI got to go bad!\u00a0 My ma fed me prunes for breakfast.\u201d<\/p>\n

Miss Appleton sighed.\u00a0 \u201cVery well, then.\u00a0 Don\u2019t dawdle.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, no, ma\u2019am, straight there and back,\u201d Calvin promised.\u00a0 He hustled from his desk and into his outerwear, then rushed outside and pressed himself flat against the front of the building.\u00a0 Peering around the corner, he saw the pair of boys lugging water and noted with conniving glee that Hoss was the one closer to him.\u00a0 Just as Hoss and George started around the corner, Calvin thrust out a leg and caught Hoss\u2019s ankle.<\/p>\n

As Hoss crashed forward, the full water pail went flying and emptied its contents on his backside and the bare earth beside him.\u00a0 Britches dripping, Hoss clawed his way up and backed his tormentor against the wall of the building.\u00a0 \u201cYou dirty, rotten skunk,\u201d he hollered as he balled his fist.<\/p>\n

\u201cMiss Appleton!\u00a0 Miss Appleton, help!\u201d Calvin screamed at the top of his lungs.<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s fist immediately fell to his side as the teacher rushed through the girls\u2019 door.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, my goodness,\u201d Miss Appleton cried when she caught sight of the boys.\u00a0 \u201cWhat is going on here?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2014I\u2019m sorry, teacher,\u201d Calvin whimpered, affecting an intimidated expression.\u00a0 \u201cI was just hurryin\u2019 to get to the outhouse, and I accidentally bumped into this big galoot, and now he wants to pound me.\u00a0 Don\u2019t let him, teacher.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo one is going to pound anyone,\u201d the teacher declared emphatically.\u00a0 \u201cYou get on to the outhouse, Calvin.\u00a0 George, carry your pail of water into the classroom, and, Eric, you come with me.\u201d\u00a0 Wrapping an arm around Hoss\u2019s shoulder, she herded him toward the small shed where the horses were kept during school hours.<\/p>\n

Since the outhouses were attached to each side of the stable, Calvin\u2019s path lay in the same direction.\u00a0 Seeing that the teacher\u2019s attention was fixed on Hoss, he boldly thrust his tongue at his drenched opponent and then disappeared into the boy\u2019s outhouse, where he finally exploded in pent-up laughter.<\/p>\n

Hoss felt more like crying.\u00a0 His soaked britches clung to his legs, and he was shaking from cold, as well as outrage with Calvin Hulbert.\u00a0 However, he had no intention of letting anyone see tears streak his face, least of all the teacher he admired.\u00a0 He\u2019d be a man in front of her if both legs froze off.<\/p>\n

Miss Appleton, of course, saw only a shivering child and set about remedying that problem as quickly as possible.\u00a0 Spotting a wool blanket draped over one of the horses, she snatched it off and tossed it to Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cGet in one of the stalls and take your britches off, Eric.\u00a0 You can wrap up in that blanket until they\u2019re dry.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss flushed bright red.\u00a0 \u201cAw, I can just stand by the fire, ma\u2019am,\u201d he suggested urgently.\u00a0 \u201cNo need to strip off.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cStrip off those wet pants this instant!\u201d the teacher ordered.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll not have a student of mine catching pneumonia over some silly accident.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMa\u2019am, please,\u201d Hoss begged.\u00a0 No one had to tell him what would happen the minute he entered the classroom wrapped in a blanket with his bare legs poking out.<\/p>\n

The teacher folded her arms and frowned eloquently.\u00a0 \u201cEric Cartwright, you will do as you are told or I will be paying a visit to your parents this very evening.\u00a0 I saw that fist you were aiming at Calvin\u2019s nose.\u00a0 Understanding the provocation, I intended to overlook that, but if you continue to disobey my instructions, I will apprise your parents of both infractions.\u00a0 Do I make myself clear?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes\u2019m,\u201d Hoss mumbled, disappearing quickly into the designated horse stall.\u00a0 He emerged, clad from the waist down in the rust-colored blanket, which reeked of horse musk, and with shuffling steps and eyes hugging the dirt, he followed the teacher back to the schoolhouse.\u00a0 A wave of titters met his entrance, as it had taken no fortune teller to predict, but Miss Appleton sternly told the other students to keep their eyes on their books.\u00a0 She pulled a chair next to the wood-burning stove and planted Hoss in it.<\/p>\n

Hoss held his cold feet to the warmth and glanced over his shoulder.\u00a0 Calvin Hulbert was back in his seat, and since the teacher was busy writing the next assignment on the board, he again favored Hoss with the derision of an extended tongue.<\/p>\n

Hoss scowled back, but turned around before anyone else, particularly Miss Appleton, could notice the exchange of hostility between the two boys.\u00a0 You\u2019ll get yours, Calvin Hulbert<\/em>, he told himself.\u00a0 You ain\u2019t gettin\u2019 away with this<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Not until Friday afternoon did the proper opportunity present itself for paying back Calvin Hulbert.\u00a0 The other boy continued his verbal baiting, not missing a chance to mock Hoss\u2019s slightest mistake or clumsy move.\u00a0 During his tenure in the Mormon school, Hoss had learned that a swift punch in the snoot was the quickest way to silence a loud-mouth like Hulbert, and after a particularly trying afternoon, he concluded that it was time to learn that smart-acre a little respect.\u00a0 Hauling Hulbert around the back of the stable, Hoss administered two solid punches, figuring that was enough to get his message across.\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t really tried to hurt the other boy; nonetheless, Calvin Hulbert ran off, wiping a bloody nose.<\/p>\n

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

Leaving the chapel after making confession, Marie giggled as she saw her husband chasing down the dirt street after their youngest son.\u00a0 Catching the boy by the waist, Ben tossed him up into his arms and marched back toward his wife, who at once took the child and cuddled him close.\u00a0 \u201cYou should keep better watch,\u201d she chided with a lilting laugh that took all bite from the reprimand.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss was supposed to be watching him,\u201d Ben grunted, fixing a reproachful glare on his middle son.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m always watchin\u2019 him,\u201d Hoss muttered irritably.<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s granite gaze narrowed to one of concern.\u00a0 Hoss, the most sweet-tempered of his boys, had been disgruntled all week, an attitude Ben had attributed to dislike for school, but the attitude hadn\u2019t improved, even on Saturday.\u00a0 Ben had to admit, in all fairness, that the boy probably had needed a day to spend on his own pleasure, without books or extra chores to darken his mood, but that hadn\u2019t been possible.\u00a0 With a trail drive starting tomorrow, Hoss\u2019s help had been badly needed to get the herd ready to travel, and the boy had spent Saturday working without complaint at his father\u2019s side.\u00a0 Ben\u2019s adamant refusal to allow him to miss school to go along on the cattle drive hadn\u2019t improved Hoss\u2019s outlook, however.<\/p>\n

Ben laid a hand on his son\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cYes, I rely on you a great deal, Hoss, and you\u2019re always good to watch over your brother.\u00a0 Forgive me if I took advantage of that.\u00a0 I know you\u2019ve had a tiring week.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss shrugged and watched his boots scuff the dust.\u00a0 Pa didn\u2019t know the half of it, of course.\u00a0 The week had been both tiring and trying, in ways Pa knew nothing about, and although Hoss had finally taken action against his tormentor, he wasn\u2019t feeling the satisfaction he\u2019d expected.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t see any other way to handle Calvin Hulbert and his kind, but knowing that neither Pa nor Ma would approve of his fighting at school, he couldn\u2019t go to them for help.\u00a0 Keeping secrets from his parents, Hoss was discovering, carried a torment all its own.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to go in now,\u201d Marie suggested quietly.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I know,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cAbout an hour?\u201d<\/p>\n

As Marie nodded, Hoss looked from one parent\u2019s face to the other.\u00a0 \u201cAin\u2019t you comin\u2019 in, Pa?\u201d he asked, forehead wrinkling.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, son.\u00a0 I\u2019ll pick you up here when the service is over,\u201d Ben said.<\/p>\n

Hoss planted his feet a shoulder\u2019s breadth apart and balled his fists on his hips.\u00a0 \u201cI ain\u2019t goin\u2019, either,\u201d he declared.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss,\u201d Ben remonstrated, giving him a pat, \u201cbe a good boy and go along with your mother.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss pushed out his lower lip.\u00a0 \u201cNo!\u00a0 I don\u2019t like it no better\u2019n you do, and if you don\u2019t gotta go, then I ain\u2019t gotta go!\u201d<\/p>\n

Eyes grieved, Marie shook her head from side to side.\u00a0 \u201cYou see, Ben?\u00a0 This is what comes of disunity in spiritual matters.\u201d<\/p>\n

Glowering, Ben pointed his index finger at her chin.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t start, Marie.\u00a0 I have made my decision, and I will not be swayed by the rebellion of a ten-year-old or the sanctimonious pronouncements of my wife.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBen, you are making a scene,\u201d Marie hissed.\u00a0 \u201cA public street is not the place for this discussion.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben lowered his hand.\u00a0 \u201cThat much, at least, we agree on.\u00a0 We\u2019ll continue this discussion at home.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMais oui<\/em>,\u201d Marie replied curtly and held out her hand toward the boy whose stance and expression hadn\u2019t changed.\u00a0 \u201cCome, Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Hoss insisted, thrusting out his lip.\u00a0 He\u2019d spent an entire week in a place he didn\u2019t want to be and had decided that was enough misery for one seven-day stretch.<\/p>\n

Ben squatted down before his son and took the balled fists in his hands.\u00a0 \u201cSon, please do as your mother asks, and I promise we\u2019ll get this worked out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss shook his head forcefully.\u00a0 \u201cNot unless you go, too, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben stared in shock at his normally tractable middle son.\u00a0 Rebellion from Hoss was almost unheard of, and Ben found himself unprepared to deal with it.<\/p>\n

\u201cBen?\u201d Marie, green eyes glinting, demanded when Ben remained silent.<\/p>\n

Hearing the strident tone in her voice, Ben hardened himself.\u00a0 \u201cNo, Marie.\u201d\u00a0 He stood and draped his arm across Hoss\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cYou go ahead and worship; I\u2019ll keep the boy with me today.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fire flared in Marie\u2019s eyes.\u00a0 \u201cIs this what you mean by exposing the boys to both faiths and letting them make their own decision, Ben?\u201d she asked crisply.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow who\u2019s making a scene?\u201d Ben snapped.<\/p>\n

With a flounce, Marie wheeled around and headed toward the entrance to the chapel.\u00a0 A shriek of protest pierced her ear as the child in her arms reached across her shoulder toward those remaining behind.\u00a0 \u201cBubba!\u201d Little Joe screamed.<\/p>\n

\u201cShh, be quiet, mon petit<\/em>,\u201d Marie soothed, but the child continued to cry.\u00a0 Suddenly, she wheeled around and thrust the toddler at her husband.\u00a0 \u201cHere!\u00a0 Since you are so anxious to have the company of our sons this morning, you may as well have both of them!\u00a0 I can scarcely be expected to worship with him screeching in my ear.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMarie!\u201d Ben protested as his wife stalked away in a huff.<\/p>\n

\u201cMama!\u201d Little Joe wailed, slender arms now stretched toward her departing figure.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, be quiet,\u201d Ben growled as he struggled to keep the squirming boy from falling.\u00a0 \u201cYou don\u2019t know what you want.\u201d\u00a0 He looked ruefully at Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re both in for it when we get home, you know that, don\u2019t you, boy?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss pinched his lower lip between his right thumb and index finger.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Pa,\u201d he mumbled.\u00a0 \u201cI didn\u2019t mean to make trouble \u2018tween you and Ma.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben caressed the boy\u2019s bulky neck.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s not your fault, Hoss.\u00a0 Just something your mother and I have to work out.\u201d\u00a0 And we\u2019re doing a sorry job of it<\/em>, he added to himself.\u00a0 He had a more immediate concern, however.\u00a0 Something was obviously troubling his second son, and he had to find a way to get the boy to open up, a task now complicated by the presence of his youngest.\u00a0 First things first, Ben concluded, and began rubbing Little Joe\u2019s back.\u00a0 \u201cShh, you\u2019re all right,\u201d he soothed.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa mad, Mama mad, Hoss mad,\u201d Little Joe wailed.<\/p>\n

\u201cNobody\u2019s mad at you, precious,\u201d Ben crooned.\u00a0 \u201cHush now; everything\u2019s all right\u2014or will be.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou sure, Pa?\u201d Hoss asked, hiccupping with nervousness.<\/p>\n

Ben gave him an encouraging smile.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sure, son.\u00a0 Let\u2019s find a place where we can sit and talk.\u201d\u00a0 One hand holding Little Joe, who had stopped struggling, and the other on the back of his middle son\u2019s neck, Ben guided Hoss down the street.\u00a0 Turning into Dutch Nick\u2019s saloon, Ben pointed to a table, handed Little Joe to his brother and stepped to the bar to order a beer and a sarsaparilla.<\/p>\n

Back at the table, Ben immediately pushed away the tiny hand reaching for his beer.\u00a0 \u201cOh, no, you don\u2019t.\u00a0 You take one sip of that, and I will never hear the last of it from your mother.\u00a0 Hoss, let him have a bit of yours, please.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, Pa,\u201d Hoss said agreeably, holding the glass while his brother drank.<\/p>\n

\u201cExcuse me, sir,\u201d a voice crackled at Ben\u2019s left.\u00a0 Ben glanced up to see a grizzled miner, standing beside him, hat in hand.\u00a0 \u201cExcuse me, sir,\u201d the miner said again, \u201cbut could I touch the child?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben felt tempted to joke that the man could have \u201cthe child\u201d for the price of a beer, but decided against it.\u00a0 Although there was little likelihood that the remark would reach Marie\u2019s ears, the consequences if it did were too ghastly to contemplate.\u00a0 Instead, he simply smiled and nodded.<\/p>\n

The man reached out a scrawny hand and ruffled Little Joe\u2019s curly hair, face cracking into a wide grin when the baby favored him with a sunny smile.\u00a0 \u201cThank\u2019e, sir,\u201d he said, putting his hat back on his head and taking his leave.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019d he do that for, Pa?\u201d Hoss asked.<\/p>\n

Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cSome of these miners haven\u2019t seen a woman\u2014much less a child\u2014in so many months that they yearn for one look, one touch.\u201d\u00a0 I\u2019m blessed<\/em>, Ben thought suddenly.\u00a0 I see every day what most men in these parts would give their eyeteeth for.\u00a0 Best I remember that and give some attention to preserving it<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, shucks, he coulda messed my hair, too, if I\u2019d known,\u201d Hoss said with a shrug of his shoulder.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cThanks for the sarsaparilla, Pa,\u201d he added after slaking his thirst.\u00a0 \u201cSure tastes good.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re welcome, son.\u201d\u00a0 He began stroking the boy\u2019s arm.\u00a0 \u201cWant to tell me about it, Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAbout what?\u201d Hoss asked, looking away.<\/p>\n

Ben pulled the boy\u2019s chin back toward him.\u00a0 \u201cAbout what\u2019s bothering you, son, and don\u2019t tell me nothing is. \u00a0Lying never solved anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t like her kind of church, Pa,\u201d Hoss whined.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t understand none of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded.\u00a0 \u201cI realize the language is a problem, but you\u2019d come to understand it in time, Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think so, Pa,\u201d Hoss said with a discouraged shake of his head.\u00a0 One of his worst subjects in school was grammar, and the thought of learning still another language, when he couldn\u2019t even speak his native tongue properly, overwhelmed the boy.\u00a0 He took another sip of sarsaparilla and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.\u00a0 \u201cI liked that revival meetin\u2019 we went to,\u201d he observed as he again held the mug so his brother could take a drink.\u00a0 \u201cI could join in the singin\u2019, and what the preacher said made sense to me.\u00a0 Ain\u2019t there never gonna be no more meetin\u2019s like that?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, the way the territory\u2019s growing, I\u2019m sure there will soon be other churches to choose from, Hoss,\u201d Ben said, \u201cbut I think you\u2019re still too young to decide which is best for you.\u00a0 That\u2019s why your mother and I agreed that you boys would attend both Catholic and Protestant services until you were of an age to make up your own minds.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAw, Pa,\u201d Hoss groaned.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss, I won\u2019t force you,\u201d Ben promised.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d feel like a hypocrite if I insisted on your doing something I\u2019m unwilling to do myself, but I am asking you to give your mother\u2019s faith a fair trial.\u201d\u00a0 He leaned forward, touching his head against Hoss\u2019s in a conspiratorial pose.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll make you a bargain, son.\u00a0 You see, the Thomases have been hinting that they\u2019d like to start sharing Sunday dinners with us again, something we\u2019ve neglected since this whole religious issue came up.\u00a0 I\u2019m going to suggest we do that every other week and come to town for church the other two Sundays.\u00a0 Now, if you\u2019ll go to chapel with your mother on just one of those Sundays, I\u2019ll let you stay with me for the other one, until there\u2019s a church with my style of worship, and then we\u2019ll go together.\u00a0 Think you could handle that, son?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust once a month?\u201d Hoss asked and at Ben\u2019s nod, concluded, \u201cI guess I could, Pa, if you think Ma\u2019ll buy the idea.\u201d\u00a0 The youngster considered sitting in a saloon with Pa, sipping sarsaparilla, better than any service in any church, but had sense enough to keep that thought to himself.<\/p>\n

Ben gave the boy\u2019s sturdy back a solid slap.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll sell it to her, son, and I do thank you for your cooperation.\u201d\u00a0 He lifted his mug of beer and, leaning back, sipped it leisurely, hoping his confidence was justified.\u00a0 Then he caught a glimpse of his youngest, head lying drowsily on his brother\u2019s broad shoulder, and sighed.\u00a0 Now, just how was he going to explain to his already overwrought wife that he had taken her baby into a saloon, let him drink sarsaparilla and allowed a dirty miner to run his fingers through those precious curls?\u00a0 The man wise enough to solve that dilemma should probably be put in charge of settling the differences between the states back east, he decided.\u00a0 No<\/em>, he concluded, his mouth twisting awry, that man has the easier task, and I\u2019d gladly trade with him<\/em>!<\/p>\n

~ ~ ~ ~ ~<\/p>\n

Historical Notes<\/p>\n

The description of FranktownSchool comes from Pioneers of the Ponderosa: How Washoe Valley Rescued the Comstock<\/em> by Myra Sauer Ratay, the granddaughter of one of WashoeValley\u2019s original pioneers.\u00a0 Hoss\u2019s teacher, Lucinda Appleton, is fictional.\u00a0 His friends, George Winters and Joseph, Robert and Mary Emma O\u2019Neill were actual residents of WashoeValley.\u00a0 Their physical descriptions are the invention of the author, although George\u2019s is based on that of his father.\u00a0 Calvin Hulbert is entirely fictional.<\/p>\n

CHAPTER NINE<\/p>\n

Keeping Secrets<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Ben toweled himself off, relishing the stimulation of the vigorous rubbing that turned his skin a glowing red.\u00a0 Nothing like a hot bath after a long, dusty trail drive<\/em>, he mused as he slipped into his robe and headed down the hall to his hotel room.\u00a0 This year\u2019s roundup had seemed longer and tougher than usual, partly because of the pressure of time.\u00a0 Always before the fall trail drive had been timed to coincide with Adam\u2019s return to school, but everything was running late this year.\u00a0 Ben felt like he\u2019d been playing catch-up ever since spring when weather and warfare had conspired to put the Ponderosa behind schedule.<\/p>\n

Unlocking the door, Ben entered his room and all but fell onto the bed.\u00a0 The hour was late, and he was exhausted\u2014and, to tell the truth, disappointed.\u00a0 He\u2019d hoped to reach Sacramento in time to take Adam to supper, but he hadn\u2019t met that self-imposed deadline.\u00a0 He\u2019d counted on the new Kingsbury Grade, which shortened the road to Sacramento by fifteen miles, to bring him in before nightfall, but that was before a few recalcitrant cows decided to explore a trailside canyon for greener grass.\u00a0 Getting them back had taken the better part of the afternoon, pushing his arrival long past Adam\u2019s accustomed dinner hour.\u00a0 Oh, well, tomorrow would have to do.\u00a0 Might even be better, since they\u2019d have time to take in a performance at the theater, in addition to a meal together.<\/p>\n

Still wound too tight to sleep, Ben plumped up the pillow and leaned back against it as he contemplated seeing his oldest son the next day.\u00a0 Mercy, how he missed the boy!\u00a0 His thoughts naturally drifted to the two boys he\u2019d left at home, whose company he also missed.\u00a0 Smiling, Ben shook his head as he remembered how Hoss had pleaded to come on this cattle drive.\u00a0 Short-handed as usual, he could have used the boy\u2019s help, but both Ben and Marie had agreed that Hoss\u2019s first responsibility was to school, despite his obvious distaste for learning.\u00a0 Hoss was only a boy of ten, after all, too young to decide that he\u2019d had all the learning he needed to make a top hand, as he\u2019d tried to convince his father.\u00a0 Ben chuckled as he recalled the even younger trail hand who\u2019d offered his services on this year\u2019s drive.\u00a0 That Little Joe, always reaching for the next rung of the ladder.\u00a0 No<\/em>, Ben laughed, not the next one\u2014the rung two or three levels above his head, whichever his big brother happened to be occupying at the time<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Yawning widely, Ben turned back the covers and after pulling a fresh nightshirt over his head, crawled beneath them.\u00a0 He\u2019d have to search out some treats for those two younger boys of his, something to sweeten their disappointment in being left behind.\u00a0 Plenty of time for that tomorrow, since he\u2019d have hours to kill before Adam was free from school.\u00a0 He wanted something special for Marie, too, but he didn\u2019t expect to find that in Sacramento.\u00a0 No, there was only one place for what he wanted to give his lady, and that would be the next stop on his journey.<\/p>\n

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

Lanky Jonathan Payne draped an arm around the shoulders of his slightly shorter friend, Ben Cartwright, as they walked toward the corral of Payne\u2019s Rancho Hermoso near Monterey.\u00a0 \u201cSo you\u2019ve finally decided to present that wild wife of yours with a more spirited mount, have you?\u00a0 I had a fine working horse picked out for Adam, since that\u2019s what your letter indicated you planned to buy, but after seeing Marie take that fence when she was here before, I imagine you\u2019ll want a animal whose mettle matches her own.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry, last-minute change of plans,\u201d Ben apologized.\u00a0 \u201cActually, it was Adam\u2019s idea.\u00a0 Shortly before he left for school, I told him I\u2019d buy him a new horse, to replace the one he lost during the fighting, even offered to let him pick it out himself when he visits here over the holidays.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jonathan\u2019s laugh reflected incredulity.\u00a0 \u201cAnd he turned you down?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot exactly,\u201d Ben laughed back.\u00a0 \u201cMore like negotiated a trade.\u00a0 The boy\u2019s been riding Marie\u2019s black this summer, and I guess he developed more of a fondness for the horse than I realized.\u00a0 Anyway, he said he\u2019d be content with the gelding and suggested getting a new horse for his stepmother, instead.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTurning into a right thoughtful boy, that one,\u201d Jonathan commented as they reached the corral.\u00a0 \u201cYou wait here, and I\u2019ll bring out a horse I think will be challenging enough, even for Marie.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded.\u00a0 Folding his arms over the top rail of the sawed-lumber corral, he leaned his head back to let the warm sunshine, so much milder here than at home, play on his face and the gentle breeze ruffle his dark hair, as Jonathan\u2019s parting remark wisped through his mind.\u00a0 Thoughtful<\/em>, he mused, yes, that\u2019s a good word for Adam, in more ways than Jon intended<\/em>.\u00a0 Always thinking, that boy, often deeper thoughts than his father had any hope of fathoming.<\/p>\n

There was something more behind Adam\u2019s surrender of a new horse than kindness to his stepmother, something Ben couldn\u2019t quite put his finger on.\u00a0 Though the boy had sounded cheery enough when he made the offer, Ben had sensed that the words weren\u2019t completely heartfelt.\u00a0 That\u2019s why he\u2019d felt a need to confirm the decision with Adam during their time together in Sacramento.\u00a0 Adam had hesitated just long enough to let Ben know his son was holding something back, but had still insisted that the black gelding would do just fine for him and then withdrawn behind that impenetrable mask he could don without warning.<\/p>\n

The barn door opened and Jonathan led a tall strawberry roan into the paddock on a long lead rope.\u00a0 Ben\u2019s eyes followed the gelding as he trotted around the corral, head tossing, steps prancing.\u00a0 \u201cWhat do you think?\u201d Jonathan called.<\/p>\n

Envisioning his wife in the saddle, both her emerald eyes and the luminous ones of the horse shining with the joy of unfettered freedom, Ben called out, \u201cPerfect!\u00a0 I\u2019ll take him.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

With uncharacteristic petulance Adam flopped, belly first, onto the bed in his room after seeing his father off that morning, the worst part of his mood coming from the knowledge that his disgruntlement was all of his own making.\u00a0 My own cowardice, I ought to say<\/em>, he chided himself, wondering how he\u2019d ever work up the courage to tell Pa what he obviously didn\u2019t want to hear.<\/p>\n

Those last few weeks at home, after Pa had first commented about his coming back to the Ponderosa to stay at the end of this year\u2019s school term, Adam had tried to think of a way to tell his father of his educational aspirations.\u00a0 Somehow, the right opportunity had just never seemed to arise\u2014or, to be honest, it had, and Adam had let it slip past. \u00a0The perfect opportunity had presented itself when his father offered him the choice of any horse at Rancho Hermoso.\u00a0 Instead of speaking out, however, he\u2019d bitten back his excitement because it just didn\u2019t make sense to buy a new mount if he were only going to be on the Ponderosa two or three months before heading back east to school.\u00a0 Why couldn\u2019t I just tell Pa the real reason?<\/em> Adam groaned internally.\u00a0 Why did I have to pretend it was because I liked Marie\u2019s horse so much<\/em>?\u00a0 That wasn\u2019t what I meant when I said the black would do for me, but that\u2019s how Pa took it, and I didn\u2019t have the heart\u2014or the grit, I guess\u2014to tell him different.<\/em><\/p>\n

Adam sighed and flipped onto his back, folding his arms behind his neck and staring contemplatively at the ceiling.\u00a0 He\u2019d had another chance to speak up the night he and Pa had shared a meal before attending a performance of Macbeth<\/em>.\u00a0 Pa\u2019d carried on so, though, about how much he missed his son, how he could have used his help on the trail and how much he was looking forward to having him home for good that once again Adam simply couldn\u2019t speak what was in his heart.\u00a0 Still holding out hope that he\u2019d find the right words and that Pa would agree to his attending college, Adam had again declared that he preferred the new horse be given to Marie and the black gelding be assigned to his personal use.<\/p>\n

A simple matter of logic, he\u2019d told himself, but when Pa stopped by on his way home to show off the beautiful strawberry roan, Adam had barely been able to conceal his envy.\u00a0 Probably not the mount he\u2019d have chosen for himself, but if he really did end up staying on the Ponderosa, he knew he\u2019d regret losing the chance to pick one equally fine.<\/p>\n

With a sigh, he sat up, stretching long arms over his head before moving to his desk.\u00a0 He sat down and took out a sheet of plain white stationery and scrawled, \u201cDear Pa\u201d at the top.\u00a0 That was as far as he got, however, for writing words he couldn\u2019t speak to his father\u2019s face struck him as further evidence of cowardice, and he couldn\u2019t bring himself to do it.\u00a0 Slipping the paper back into the desk drawer to use later on some innocuous missive, Adam pulled his Latin text from its place in the neat row of books on his desk and opened it.\u00a0 No point in dreaming about college unless he was fully prepared to pass the entrance exam, so he bowed his head to the task at hand, knowing as he did that he was only avoiding an unpleasant duty by fulfilling an easier one.<\/p>\n

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

Along with George Winters and Joe and Robby O\u2019Neill, Hoss sat in the shade of the cottonwood, which the four friends appropriated each noontime.\u00a0 They had fallen into the habit of spreading the contents of their dinner pails on the grassy circle between them and each one helping himself to whatever appealed to his appetite.\u00a0 \u201cWe got boiled eggs, two apiece; that means we could each take one,\u201d Joe O\u2019Neill offered.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, four folks into four eggs goes one time.\u00a0 That\u2019s the kind of arithmetic I favor,\u201d George snickered as he reached for an egg.<\/p>\n

Hoss threw back his head and laughed loudly.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, me, too.\u00a0 Figures you can eat is the best kind.\u201d\u00a0 He, too, picked up an egg and began to peel it.<\/p>\n

As soon as the rest of the food was divvied up, the boys started gobbling it down amidst a discussion of the best fishing spots in the area.<\/p>\n

Robby\u2019s head jerked up suddenly.\u00a0 \u201cThat sounds like Mary Emma,\u201d he cried.\u00a0 He jumped to his feet and took off running toward the place his little sister normally shared lunch with her female friends.<\/p>\n

Joe stretched an ear toward the sound of a little girl crying.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, that\u2019s Mary Emma, all right,\u201d he declared as he tossed the remainder of his beef sandwich to the grass, scrambled to his feet and took off.<\/p>\n

\u201cSounds like somethin\u2019s wrong,\u201d Hoss said to his sole remaining friend.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s see what\u2019s up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m with you,\u201d George agreed readily.\u00a0 Unlike the others, George was an only child, though it hadn\u2019t always been so.\u00a0 He\u2019d had a little sister once, but two-year-old Helen had died in the steamboat accident that almost took his own life seven years earlier.\u00a0 Mary Emma\u2019s cries now reminded him of the way Helen had screamed before the water closed over her head, and he responded the way he wished he\u2019d been able to then.\u00a0 Trotting up on Hoss\u2019s heels, George stared at the sight of two boys tossing a rag doll back and forth over the head of the shrieking child.<\/p>\n

Seeing her older brother, Mary Emma ran over, with tears streaming down her cheeks.\u00a0 \u201cMake \u2018em stop, Joey,\u201d she pleaded, pointing at the two bullies.\u00a0 \u201cThey\u2019re killing Martha May!\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe O\u2019Neill squeezed his little sister\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll get her, sis,\u201d he promised.\u00a0 Fists doubled, he stalked forward.\u00a0 \u201cCal Hulbert, you turn loose of that doll,\u201d he commanded authoritatively.<\/p>\n

Calvin Hulbert tossed the doll to his tow-headed cohort.\u00a0 \u201cMake me,\u201d he snorted.<\/p>\n

Joe marched toward the other boy, but before he could reach him, the doll sailed over his head back to Calvin.<\/p>\n

George, face dark with rage, had taken all he could.\u00a0 With Mary Emma\u2019s heart-rending cries in his ears, he lowered his head and charged ahead, ramming Calvin Hulbert in the stomach.\u00a0 Raggedy Martha May went flying, landing in the dirt near Hoss\u2019s feet as a free-for-all broke out.\u00a0 Hoss picked up the doll and handed it to the little girl, who hugged it to her heart.\u00a0 \u201cScuse me, skeeter,\u201d Hoss said with a grin, \u201cbut there\u2019s a doll-napper needs poundin\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

Both O\u2019Neill boys were rolling on the ground with the tow-headed tormentor, and though the other boy was bulkier than they, Joe and Robby appeared in control.\u00a0 George, on the other hand, was clearly in trouble as he battled the even bigger Calvin Hulbert by himself, so Hoss plunged toward them.\u00a0 Together, he and George forced Hulbert to the ground, and Hoss had just pulled back his fist to administer the promised punishment when another voice cried out, \u201cEric, no!\u00a0 Don\u2019t!\u201d<\/p>\n

Tiny Miss Appleton waded into the fray, firm fingers closing on Hoss\u2019s upraised arm.\u00a0 Hoss was big enough to resist her, had he wished, but he\u2019d been thoroughly schooled by his parents in respect for his elders, and, besides, he genuinely liked his teacher and wanted her to like him.\u00a0 With a final glare at Cal Hulbert, Hoss backed off.<\/p>\n

With the teacher forming a protective barrier between them, Cal sneered at Hoss, but the expression was quickly wiped from his face, for George Winters, face still livid, continued to pummel his prone opponent.\u00a0 \u201cGeorge, stop at once!\u201d the teacher commanded.\u00a0 When George still failed to respond, Hoss came up behind him and grabbed his arms.\u00a0 \u201cGeorge, it\u2019s over,\u201d he hissed in his friend\u2019s ear.\u00a0 \u201cYou gotta stop or you\u2019ll be in trouble.\u201d\u00a0 After a moment\u2019s struggle in Hoss\u2019s brawny grasp, George hung limp and panting.<\/p>\n

Arms akimbo, the teacher surveyed the scene.\u00a0 The other three boys had stopped fighting and lay sprawled on the ground.\u00a0 \u201cYou are all in trouble,\u201d Miss Appleton announced, having heard Hoss\u2019s quiet caution to George.\u00a0 She pointed toward the school.\u00a0 \u201cGet inside this instant, the lot of you!\u201d\u00a0 She stormed toward the schoolhouse and held the door open as the six culprits trailed through, followed by one tiny, red-haired girl.\u00a0 Miss Appleton stooped and gently stroked the child\u2019s tear-streaked cheeks.\u00a0 \u201cNo, Mary Emma, you needn\u2019t come in yet,\u201d she explained.\u00a0 \u201cYou weren\u2019t fighting, sweetie.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mary Emma blinked back more tears.\u00a0 \u201cBut\u2014but I\u2019m what they was fightin\u2019 about\u2014me and Martha May.\u201d\u00a0 She held the doll toward the teacher.<\/p>\n

Miss Appleton stood.\u00a0 \u201cI see.\u00a0 If that\u2019s the case, maybe you\u2019d better come in, dear, and tell me all about it.\u201d\u00a0 With a smile she took the child\u2019s hand and walked in.<\/p>\n

The six boys were standing at the front of the classroom when Miss Appleton walked down the aisle, leading Mary Emma by the hand.\u00a0 Giving each of them a stern look, the teacher said, \u201cYou may all take your seats.\u00a0 I want to talk to each of you individually, beginning with Mary Emma.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe didn\u2019t do nothin\u2019,\u201d Robby protested.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know that, Robert,\u201d the teacher replied patiently, appreciating a boy\u2019s desire to defend his little sister.\u00a0 \u201cMary Emma just has a few things she needs to share with me; then she\u2019ll be free to go back outside.\u00a0 Now take your seat, please, or I will have to add insubordination to your list of offenses.\u201d\u00a0 None of the boys had the slightest notion what \u201cinsubordination\u201d meant, but it sounded sufficiently awesome to cow each of them into a hasty retreat to his desk.<\/p>\n

After a brief interview with Mary Emma, Miss Appleton felt she had an excellent understanding of the incident in the schoolyard, but, to be completely fair, she questioned each of the boys about his participation in the fracas.\u00a0 She dispensed with the O\u2019Neill brothers rather quickly, for she discerned that they were only defending their sister, an action she admired and felt justified.\u00a0 Miss Appleton devoted more time to George Winters, for his reaction, more incensed than that of the child\u2019s actual brothers, mystified her.\u00a0 Blinking back tears, George stammered out what had happened to his baby sister.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Miss Appleton,\u201d he said, \u201cbut I just couldn\u2019t stand hearing that little girl cry.\u00a0 Nobody ever oughta make a little girl cry.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI understand, George,\u201d Miss Appleton said gently, \u201cbut fighting is not the solution.\u00a0 You should have come for me.\u201d\u00a0 George apologized quickly and was just as quickly excused to the schoolyard.<\/p>\n

Only Hoss and the two bullies remained in the classroom.\u00a0 Hoss was visibly shaking as he approached the teacher\u2019s desk, and Cal Hulbert leaned over to his friend to whisper a derisive remark.\u00a0 Although Miss Appleton could not hear the words, she knew the character of the boy saying them and immediately snapped her fingers.\u00a0 Cal pulled back and slumped in his seat.<\/p>\n

With grave eyes Miss Appleton observed Hoss Cartwright, who was licking his lips nervously and scuffing one foot back and forth.\u00a0 \u201cPlease stand still, Eric,\u201d she stated.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes\u2019m,\u201d Hoss replied, pulling his wayward foot up against the other.<\/p>\n

A smile flickered at the teacher\u2019s lips, but she bit it back.\u00a0 \u201cYou needn\u2019t stand at attention, Eric, but I must say I am most disappointed in your behavior.\u00a0 I had not pegged you as a schoolyard brawler.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cN\u2014no, ma\u2019am,\u201d Hoss stammered.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2014I ain\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

Miss Appleton eyed him sternly.\u00a0 \u201cThen why were you brawling?\u00a0 Mary Emma is not your sister, and I don\u2019t believe you made the kind of emotional connection to the situation that George did.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss nibbled his lower lip.\u00a0 \u201cNo, ma\u2019am.\u00a0 I don\u2019t like seein\u2019 little kids hurt, but\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEric, do you not understand that, compared to you, Calvin Hulbert and Peter Hanson are \u2018little kids,\u2019 too?\u201d the teacher demanded.\u00a0 \u201cAnd four against two!\u00a0 Do you consider those fair odds in a fight?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss hung his head.\u00a0 \u201cNo, ma\u2019am.\u201d\u00a0 His head rose.\u00a0 \u201cBut\u2014but they was my friends,\u201d he protested in his own defense.<\/p>\n

\u201cI understand loyalty to friends,\u201d Miss Appleton said, \u201cbut it should not include joining them in wrong behavior.\u00a0 What would your father and mother say about your actions today, Eric?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey wouldn\u2019t like me fightin\u2019,\u201d Hoss admitted reluctantly.<\/p>\n

Miss Appleton\u2019s chin dipped primly.\u00a0 \u201cNo, I am sure they would not.\u00a0 I have always believed you to be well brought up, Eric, and that is why your behavior today is such a disappointment to me.\u00a0 I hope I will never see a repetition of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes\u2019m\u2014I\u2014I mean\u2014no, ma\u2019am.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cVery well, you\u2019re excused,\u201d the teacher concluded, \u201calthough I would suggest you discuss what happened today with your parents.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss stared, horrified at the thought of telling his parents and grateful that Pa, at least, was still in California.<\/p>\n

\u201cEric, you may go outside now,\u201d Miss Appleton repeated.\u00a0 Head bobbing, Hoss backed toward the door and escaped, giving a huge sigh of relief once he reached the porch.<\/p>\n

Hoss joined his friends, who had congregated beneath the cottonwood, and they all compared notes on the lectures they had received.\u00a0 Lunchtime stretched longer than usual, and everyone was curious about what was taking place inside the classroom.\u00a0 Finally, Mary Emma, the least likely to get in trouble if caught, tiptoed to the window and peered in.\u00a0 Scampering back, she delivered her report.\u00a0 \u201cShe\u2019s chewin\u2019 \u2018em up one side and down the other,\u201d the little girl declared with satisfaction.\u00a0 \u201cServes \u2018em right!\u201d she added with an emphatic nod.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou bet it does, sis,\u201d Robby said.\u00a0 The others voiced agreement, and when Miss Appleton required the bullies to make a formal apology to Mary Emma before beginning afternoon lessons, nods of approval passed between her four champions.\u00a0 Cal and Pete both saw them and vowed revenge, but it would have to wait.\u00a0 While the defenders got off with a stern reprimand, the boys Miss Appleton considered the real troublemakers were detained after school and required to write \u201cI will not disturb other children on the school grounds\u201d five hundred times.<\/p>\n

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

The small brown dog trotted up to the porch and dropped a piece of kindling at the feet of his tiny playmate.\u00a0 Little Joe, legs dangling off the edge of the porch, reached over and tossed the kindling as far as he could throw it, and Klamath obligingly padded off to fetch it back once more.\u00a0 The clip-clop of hooves entering the yard caught the toddler\u2019s attention, and he was up and running, straight toward his brother\u2019s horse.<\/p>\n

Charcoal shied away from the flying figure, and Hoss dismounted quickly to grab his baby brother by the shoulders.\u00a0 \u201cHow many times I got to tell you not to run at a horse like that?\u201d he scolded, giving the boy a shake.<\/p>\n

Unperturbed, Little Joe just put his arms around Hoss\u2019s legs.\u00a0 Hoss grinned, the child\u2019s loving nature, as usual, dissipating any irritation he might feel.\u00a0 \u201cYou gotta be more careful, punkin,\u201d he said, tousling the soft, golden brown curls.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay,\u201d Little Joe promised cheerfully, a promise Hoss knew he would forget as readily as he made it.\u00a0 \u201cSchool go good?\u201d<\/p>\n

Klamath, who had dropped the wood and trotted happily toward his real master at Little Joe\u2019s heels, yapped for attention, so Hoss leaned over to scratch the dog behind the ears as he answered the question with which his little brother met him each afternoon.\u00a0 \u201cNaw, rotten, like always.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe shook his small head in sympathy, his conviction that school was a bad thing growing each time Hoss gave this standard answer.\u00a0 To Joe\u2019s mind, school was a thing that took brothers away and made them unhappy.\u00a0 Except Adam, maybe.\u00a0 He acted like he liked school.\u00a0 Maybe he was just pretending, though; maybe he really felt just as unhappy as Hoss.\u00a0 Little Joe liked to think so; it bothered him to think that Adam liked school better than home.\u00a0 With a more vigorous shake of his head, he pushed the unwelcome thoughts from his mind.<\/p>\n

As Hoss stood, Little Joe lifted his arms in another after-school ritual.\u00a0 With a grin Hoss plunked his little brother into the saddle and picked up the reins to lead the gray mare into the barn.\u00a0 \u201cAlways remember to take care of your horse first thing when you ride in, Little Joe,\u201d Hoss instructed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI \u2018member,\u201d Joe agreed, leaning over the horse\u2019s neck to stroke the silvery mane.\u00a0 \u201cI get horse soon, Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n

Inside the barn Hoss grasped the reluctant-to-leave-the-saddle rider under the arms and pulled him off.\u00a0 \u201cNaw, not soon, punkin pie.\u00a0 You ain\u2019t big enough.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s small lips puckered piteously.\u00a0 \u201cAm, too!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat kind of horse you want?\u201d Hoss asked to defuse his brother\u2019s smoldering anger.\u00a0 He\u2019d learned that it was easier to distract Little Joe than to calm him down once he got worked up.<\/p>\n

The little boy smiled brightly.\u00a0 \u201cLike Charcoal.\u00a0 Like you, Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah?\u201d\u00a0 Hoss chuckled, flattered by his baby brother\u2019s desire to emulate him in every way.\u00a0 He patted the small mare\u2019s flank.\u00a0 \u201cShe\u2019s a good one, all right.\u00a0 Maybe I\u2019ll just pass her down to you someday.\u00a0 I reckon I might be needin\u2019 a bigger horse by the time you\u2019re ready to saddle up one of your own.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe\u2019s smile grew from bright to brilliant.\u00a0 \u201cMe help?\u201d he offered eagerly as Hoss uncinched the saddle and lifted it from the horse\u2019s back.<\/p>\n

Hoss set the saddle on its saddle stand.\u00a0 \u201cYou can get me the curry brush,\u201d he suggested, and Little Joe ran as eagerly to fetch it as Klamath had after the oft-thrown stick.\u00a0 Hoss brushed his horse carefully, letting Little Joe take a few strokes, just so he could feel like he was helping.\u00a0 Once the animal was cared for, the two brothers walked side by side to the house, where Marie, as she did every afternoon, greeted each with a hug and kiss.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss need cookies, Mama,\u201d Little Joe informed her solemnly. \u201cSchool rotten, like always.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss, I wish you would not say such things to your little brother,\u201d Marie scolded.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, he asked,\u201d Hoss mumbled defensively.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut you are giving him a bad impression of school when you speak so negatively,\u201d Marie argued.\u00a0 \u201cI want him to hear positive words.\u00a0 Do you understand?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, ma\u2019am,\u201d Hoss said, bobbing his head miserably.\u00a0 \u201cYou want me to lie.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo!\u201d Marie said sharply.\u00a0 \u201cI want\u201d\u2014a sharp tug on her brown twill skirt distracted her.\u00a0 \u201cWhat is it, mon petit<\/em>?\u201d she asked gently, smoothing a wayward curl from her baby\u2019s forehead.<\/p>\n

\u201cCookies, Mama?\u201d Little Joe pleaded.\u00a0 \u201cHoss home, cookies now,\u201d he insisted.<\/p>\n

Marie laughed.\u00a0 \u201cOh, how can I expect either of you to listen to a word I say when there is nothing but cookies on your minds?\u00a0 Oui, mon petit<\/em>, the cookies and milk are on the table, as always.\u00a0 Come.\u201d\u00a0 Taking his hand, she led him to the table.<\/p>\n

Hoss eagerly followed and was soon happily munching lemon-flavored circles.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t give a thought to following his teacher\u2019s suggestion of discussing the school-ground fight with his mother.\u00a0 He decided, conveniently, that nothing he could say about the incident would fall under the umbrella of \u201cpositive words\u201d and, therefore, the whole thing was best kept secret.<\/p>\n

Toward the end of the week, Hoss had added another item to the list of school day secrets he was hiding.\u00a0 On Thursday a boy as old as Adam joined the class at Franktown School.\u00a0 Despite his advanced age, Walter Grogan was behind in his schooling and was, therefore, placed in the same class as Cal Hulbert and Pete Hanson.\u00a0 The older boy, who was husky to boot, seemed to take up with those two right off, and Hoss feared he might turn out to be a troublemaker, just like them.\u00a0 It was a fear he kept to himself, however, for to admit it would be tantamount to confessing the earlier problems.\u00a0 Since such a confession would likely result in one of Pa\u2019s famous \u201cvery necessary little talks,\u201d Hoss concluded that silence was the safest policy.<\/p>\n

~ ~ ~ ~ ~<\/p>\n

Historical Notes<\/p>\n

Pete Hanson, Calvin Hulbert\u2019s cohort in this chapter, and the new boy Walter Grogan are both fictional characters.<\/p>\n

On January 3, 1853, George Winters, his mother and two-year-old sister Helen were returning from a visit to Illinois when both mother and daughter were killed in a steamboat accident.\u00a0 George, too, was tossed in the water, but was rescued and went to live with his grandmother until his father settled in western Utah in 1856, sending for George shortly thereafter.<\/p>\n

CHAPTER TEN<\/p>\n

Secrets Revealed<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The Sierra was splashed with the vivid colors of the season as Ben Cartwright rode homeward.\u00a0 Brilliant red and gold aspens stood highlighted against the dark green of the pines, but even their grandeur was not as beautiful to him as the plain brown logs of the Ponderosa ranch house, smoke curling invitingly from its chimney.\u00a0 Ben had only to see it wafting above the trees to spur him onward, that and the anticipation of his wife\u2019s surprise when he presented his unexpected gift.\u00a0 Touching his heels to his horse\u2019s flanks, he quickened his pace, and the strong-limbed roan on the lead rope responded as if grateful for a chance to stretch his limbs.<\/p>\n

As he rode into the yard, Ben smiled at the toddler galloping back and forth in front of the house on a stick horse with a frayed mane of yellow yarn.\u00a0 The little horseman saw him, too, and immediately dropped the wooden pony to charge toward the real one.\u00a0 Little Joe ran straight for the strawberry roan.\u00a0 \u201cPa, Pa, horse for me!\u201d he squealed with delight.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph, no!\u201d Ben shouted, almost flying from his mount.\u00a0 The strawberry gelding reared, front legs pawing the air as the toddler raced directly beneath them.\u00a0 Ben grabbed his son and pulled him out of danger, then held him at arms\u2019 length.\u00a0 \u201cNever, never do that again, Little Joe!\u201d he bellowed.\u00a0 Seeing tears form in the tiny boy\u2019s expressive eyes, Ben hugged him close.\u00a0 \u201cBaby, baby, you could have been killed,\u201d he whispered, caressing the golden curls with his cheek.<\/p>\n

Panic on her face, Marie came running from the kitchen door.\u00a0 \u201cOh, mon petit<\/em>,\u201d she cried, reaching for her baby.\u00a0 Taking him from Ben, she administered a second scolding.\u00a0 \u201cWhen will you learn to do as you are told, naughty boy?\u00a0 Has not Hoss told you day after day not to run at his horse?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot his horse,\u201d Little Joe argued.\u00a0 \u201cMine!\u00a0 See, Mama; Pa got me horse.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie laughed away the last of her fear, lovingly stroking the toddler\u2019s soft curls.\u00a0 \u201cI scarcely think so.\u00a0 This is Adam\u2019s new horse, non<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Ben repeated with a mischievous smile.<\/p>\n

Little Joe bounced in his mother\u2019s arms.\u00a0 \u201cMine!\u00a0 Mine!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo!\u201d both parents shouted, then looked into each other\u2019s eyes and laughed at the synchronization of their responses.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is not your horse, Joseph,\u201d Ben said firmly.\u00a0 \u201cYou are much too small.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEspecially for this horse,\u201d Marie said, appraising the gelding with an appreciative eye.\u00a0 \u201cOh, what a beauty he is, Ben!\u00a0 Adam will love him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben shook his head in playful rebuke.\u00a0 \u201cYou don\u2019t listen any better than our young son here,\u201d he chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cI already said this was not Adam\u2019s horse.\u00a0 Adam says he\u2019d rather have your black.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie gasped.\u00a0 \u201cBut, then, this . . .\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIs your new mount, my lady,\u201d Ben said, presenting her the reins with a flourish.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Ben!\u201d Marie cried, nuzzling her golden head against that of the roan horse. \u00a0\u201cI never thought to ride such a fine animal again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben clucked his tongue.\u00a0 \u201cMy, my, is that all the faith you have in your husband, woman?\u201d<\/p>\n

She stepped close and stood on tiptoe to press a kiss to his cheek.\u00a0 \u201cI have never lacked faith in you, Ben, but this is a dream come true\u2014though why that should surprise me, I cannot say.\u00a0 From the day we met, you have been a dream come true.\u201d<\/p>\n

The love shining in her eyes awakened a yearning inside him that suddenly seemed unquenchable.\u00a0 \u201cIsn\u2019t it about time to put this young scalawag down for a nap?\u201d he suggested with a significant wink.<\/p>\n

\u201cMais oui<\/em>,\u201d Marie whispered.\u00a0 \u201cI, too, feel strangely in need of a nap this afternoon.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben arched his eyebrow conspiratorially.\u00a0 \u201cI think I\u2019ll join you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSoon,\u201d Marie urged.\u00a0 She carried Little Joe toward the house, turning a deaf ear to his loud protests of \u201cDon\u2019t need nap!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben led both horses into the barn, forcing himself to give them both a thorough rubdown as he calculated how much time he and his wife could have after getting their youngest son to sleep before Hoss returned from school to interrupt their privacy.<\/p>\n

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

Hoss pulled his shirt from Franktown Creek and gave it a good squint.\u00a0 Nope, the red stain still showed.\u00a0 Back into the cold water he thrust the garment, scrubbing it hard between his hands, then rinsing and checking once again.\u00a0 The shirt looked clean this time, so he laid it out on the grass to dry while he skimmed pebbles across the water to pass the time.<\/p>\n

Though he would have preferred to forget the events of the previous week, the recollections surged up no matter how he tried to distract himself.\u00a0 Going to school had been pure hell this week.\u00a0 Hoss winced as the bad word ran through his mind.\u00a0 Pa\u2019d probably paddle him hard for using that kind of language, even in his thoughts.\u00a0 Well, not if I keep my mouth shut<\/em>, the boy concluded; then he sighed.\u00a0 Keeping his mouth shut was proving harder and harder, and if things went on the way they had today, it might be downright impossible.\u00a0 Thank goodness Pa wasn\u2019t back from California yet.\u00a0 It was the only thing keeping Hoss from outright panic.<\/p>\n

Cal Hulbert and Pete Hanson never missed a chance to pester him and had even set some of the younger kids to laughing at Hoss\u2019s frequent mistakes in the classroom.\u00a0 Every day, during the lunch break, Hoss gave those two what they had coming, but before today their scuffles had only amounted to shoving matches, over and done with before the teacher noticed.\u00a0 There\u2019d been no way to hide that afternoon\u2019s all-out brawl, however.<\/p>\n

It had taken Walter Grogan a week to decide where his loyalties lay, but this afternoon he\u2019d taken a stand with Calvin and Pete.\u00a0 With one of the smaller hooligans flanking him on each side, Walter had strolled over to Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cHey, fat boy,\u201d he sneered.\u00a0 \u201cMust be nothing but fat between your ears, \u2018cause you\u2019re dumb as an ox.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s face had reddened.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t reckon I\u2019d be talkin\u2019 if I was so dumb I still had to be goin\u2019 to school at your age,\u201d he retorted.<\/p>\n

Walter had answered with a blow to the face, and Hoss had responded in kind.\u00a0 Cal and Pete plowed in at once, and soon the four boys were rolling in the dust, legs flailing, fists flying.\u00a0 Walter was the biggest boy in school, and fighting just him would have been a challenge for Hoss, even without those other two pesky gnats stinging him with their fists.\u00a0 George Winters had been out sick all week, but Joe and Robby O\u2019Neill quickly flew to the defense of their friend.\u00a0 Everyone not involved in the fight made a circle around the battling boys, yelling out encouragement to whichever side they favored.<\/p>\n

Miss Appleton had waded through the circle and stood with arms folded across her chest.\u00a0 \u201cStop it at once!\u201d she ordered, and when no one responded, she grabbed Robby O\u2019Neill, the closest and smallest and hauled him out by the arm.\u00a0 Dumping him unceremoniously behind her, Miss Appleton pointed her finger and shouted, \u201cStay there!\u201d<\/p>\n

One by one the teacher had extracted boys from the fight until only Hoss and Walter remained grappling on the ground.\u00a0 Both of them were too big for the petite lady to handle, but finally even they responded to her repeated screams to stop. While Walter glared defiantly, Hoss wiped the blood from his nose and looked up sheepishly at his teacher.\u00a0 Miss Appleton\u2019s irate gaze swept the scene.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m ashamed of all of you,\u201d she announced.\u00a0 \u201cClean yourselves up and get inside at once.\u201d\u00a0 She stopped Hoss as he passed her and pulled a clean handkerchief from her pocket.\u00a0 \u201cWet that in the water bucket and hold it to your nose \u2018til the bleeding stops,\u201d she instructed, not allowing her anger to make her overlook the child\u2019s welfare.<\/p>\n

The six hastily scrubbed culprits filed into the classroom, although for a moment Hoss thought Walter Grogan was going to flout the teacher\u2019s order.\u00a0 At the last minute he had shrugged and followed the others inside, where the teacher delivered a scathing lecture on their behavior that had everyone but Walter cowering.\u00a0 \u201cIf I see one more example of this disruptive behavior on the school grounds,\u201d she concluded hotly, \u201cI will call a joint conference with all your parents.\u00a0 Now, who started this fracas today?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss had reluctantly raised his hand, and Calvin and Pete were quick to point accusing fingers at Walter.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right, the rest of you are excused,\u201d the teacher announced and Calvin, Pete, Joe and Robby quickly escaped.\u00a0 Miss Appleton had paced before the remaining two.\u00a0 \u201cWhich of you started it?\u201d she demanded.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe did,\u201d both boys at once declared, and each began to argue vociferously in behalf of his own innocence and the other\u2019s guilt.<\/p>\n

\u201cEnough!\u201d Miss Appleton shouted.\u00a0 \u201cI should have known better than to ask.\u00a0 I will be writing a note to each of your parents tonight, informing them of your misbehavior, and I want both of you to promise that you will take it home.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, sure,\u201d Walter had muttered carelessly.<\/p>\n

Hoss had bit his lip, considering the consequences, but deciding that he had no alternative but to obey his teacher, he had nodded glumly.<\/p>\n

Now, as he idled at the creek, waiting for his shirt to dry, he began to debate the consequences once again.\u00a0 Ma might go easy on him.\u00a0 She wouldn\u2019t like to hear he\u2019d been fighting at school, but she\u2019d understand how he felt and maybe even comfort him with some extra cookies.\u00a0 Trouble was, sooner or later she\u2019d tell Pa, and Hoss had no faith whatsoever that his father would let him off with cookies.<\/p>\n

He pulled on his still-damp shirt and buttoned it up, as he tried to figure what to do.\u00a0 He\u2019d told his teacher he\u2019d bring the note home, and he hated to go against his word.\u00a0 Pa really took a dim view of that.\u00a0 Add lying to fighting at school and Hoss was pretty sure he wouldn\u2019t sit easy for a month if Pa found out.\u00a0 Of course, he\u2019d probably get a whipping just for the fight, anyway.\u00a0 There had to be some way to avoid it altogether, if he just thought hard enough.<\/p>\n

Finally, it came to Hoss that he\u2019d only promised to take the note home; he\u2019d never said he would show it to his parents. Rough as the fight had been, nothing showed that couldn\u2019t be explained away as a fall during one of the games at recess.\u00a0 And he could claim the reason he was late was that the teacher had kept him after to explain the arithmetic lesson, always a source of pure puzzlement to Hoss, as his parents well knew.\u00a0 Sure, that was a lie, too, but only dangerous if he got into more trouble at school; then it would all come out and his goose would be cooked.\u00a0 Deciding he\u2019d have the whole weekend to figure some way to keep that from happening, Hoss swung quickly into the saddle and headed toward the Ponderosa.\u00a0 Just over the ranch\u2019s boundary line, he concluded he was now \u201chome\u201d and delivered the note under a convenient rock.<\/p>\n

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

After saying grace Ben spread his napkin in his lap and gazed with sublime satisfaction at the well-loaded table.\u00a0 \u201cAh, you\u2019ve outdone yourself, Hop Sing,\u201d he said with a smile at the Oriental cook, standing just to his right.\u00a0 \u201cNothing like eating beans on the trail for a few days to give a man an appreciation for truly great cooking.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hop Sing beamed at the compliment.\u00a0 From the moment he had seen Mr. Ben ride in, he had been at work in the kitchen, preparing all the favorite dishes of the head of the house.\u00a0 \u201cYou eatee big,\u201d Hop Sing dictated, \u201cmake up fo\u2019 beans on trail.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat I will, Hop Sing,\u201d Ben chuckled. \u00a0\u201cThat I will.\u201d<\/p>\n

Just before disappearing into the kitchen, Hop Sing cast an imperial eye at the youngest member of the family.\u00a0 \u201cYou eatee big, too,\u201d he demanded.\u00a0 Accustomed to the admonition he heard almost daily, Little Joe just grinned back, planning, as always, to eat exactly what he pleased.<\/p>\n

\u201cI came through Carson on the way home,\u201d Ben told his wife, who was filling Little Joe\u2019s plate, \u201cand I banked the proceeds of our cattle sale\u2014what I didn\u2019t spend on that remarkable horse of yours, that is.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy horse,\u201d Little Joe interjected.<\/p>\n

Ben reached over to tousle his toddler\u2019s hair.\u00a0 \u201cNo, not your horse.\u00a0 Mama\u2019s horse.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe\u2019s mouth puckered and he beat his spoon petulantly against his plate.\u00a0 Seeing a chastising look come across her husband\u2019s face, Marie quickly silenced the banging and pulled her baby\u2019s face toward her.\u00a0 \u201cIt is Mam\u00e1\u2019s<\/em> horse,\u201d she said firmly, \u201cbut perhaps Mam\u00e1<\/em> will take you for a ride on him, if you are a good boy.\u00a0 Would you like that, mon petit<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMais oui<\/em>,\u201d Little Joe said at once, eyes sparkling.<\/p>\n

\u201cMais non<\/em>,\u201d Ben said with a stern look at his wife.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t think that would be wise, my love.\u00a0 That horse is a handful and so, to say the least, is our youngest son.\u00a0 I don\u2019t think you should try to manage both at the same time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie waved his concern aside.\u00a0 \u201cOh, don\u2019t be ridiculous, Ben.\u00a0 I am an excellent equestrienne.\u00a0 Besides, do you think I would take the slightest risk with this one in the saddle with me?\u201d\u00a0 She brushed Little Joe\u2019s curls with an affectionate hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope you don\u2019t plan to be taking any risks, with or without him in the saddle,\u201d Ben observed with a sober arch of his eyebrow.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Ben, of course not,\u201d she assured him.\u00a0 \u201cNow, tell me.\u00a0 What news did you hear in Carson City?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben scowled.\u00a0 \u201cOh, the talk of the town is how the case against William Sides has been dropped.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh?\u201d Marie asked with surprise.\u00a0 \u201cBut I thought the evidence against him was strong.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBack in June of last year, eight members of the jury voted to convict, despite his connection with the vigilance committee,\u201d Ben said, \u201cbut now the prosecuting attorney himself has asked for the dismissal.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen he must feel that Monsieur<\/em> Sides is innocent,\u201d Marie commented.\u00a0 She wiped Little Joe\u2019s hand, which had taken a trip through the mashed potatoes, and glanced across the table at Hoss, noticing that he was swirling gravy through his potatoes, but eating nothing.<\/p>\n

Oblivious to anything except his disgust with the state of affairs in the territory, Ben continued his political commentary.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m afraid justice in this part of the country still depends more on whom a man knows than on the right or wrong of his case.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I am afraid that a murder case is not a proper topic for table discussion when young boys are present,\u201d Marie said, nodding toward Hoss.<\/p>\n

Following her eyes, Ben noticed for the first time that his son was not displaying his customary appetite.\u00a0 \u201cWas I upsetting you, Hoss?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cHuh?\u201d\u00a0 Hoss looked up at the mention of his name and gazed blearily at his father.\u00a0 Lost in his own thoughts, he hadn\u2019t heard the question.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you ill, boy, or did my mentioning the murder case take away your appetite?\u201d Ben probed.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, no, sir, neither one,\u201d Hoss said quickly.\u00a0 It was the first mention he\u2019d heard of the murder case.\u00a0 \u201cI guess my mind was just wandering.\u201d\u00a0 He scooped up a bite of potatoes and planted it abruptly in his mouth, though his stomach churned with inner turmoil.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd where was it wandering?\u201d Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cNot to your chores, I\u2019ll wager.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss gave the expected grin.\u00a0 \u201cUh, no.\u00a0 I was just thinkin\u2019 about, uh,\u201d he stammered, searching for an answer that wouldn\u2019t raise more questions, \u201cabout whether you\u2019d let me go fishin\u2019 tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, that depends,\u201d Ben said with a smile, \u201con how you\u2019ve done in school while I\u2019ve been away.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2014I done the best I could, Pa.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss squirmed, uncomfortable with the half-truth.\u00a0 While he had done his best in terms of schoolwork, in other ways he\u2019d been a complete failure at school, but he didn\u2019t dare tell his father.\u00a0 He\u2019d likely never see a fishing pole again if he did.<\/p>\n

\u201cSon, you know that\u2019s all I ever ask,\u201d Ben said, giving his husky boy a pat on the arm.\u00a0 \u201cYes, you may go fishing tomorrow, as soon as your chores are done.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMe, too!\u201d Little Joe cried, the phrase more an announcement than a question.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf your brother is willing to put up with you,\u201d Ben laughed.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I guess so,\u201d Hoss conceded.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t much feel in a mood for having Little Joe tag after him, but couldn\u2019t think of a single reason to say no without again arousing his parents\u2019 concern.<\/p>\n

The Cartwrights ate in silence for a few moments; then Little Joe stretched across the table to pat his father\u2019s arm.\u00a0 \u201cPa, when I get horse?\u201d he asked insistently.<\/p>\n

Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cWell, not until your legs can reach the stirrups, at the very least.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie kept her eyes carefully on her plate, but Ben could see mischief twinkling in them as she innocuously commented.\u00a0 \u201cStirrups can be shortened, mon mari<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben wagged an admonishing finger at his wife.\u00a0 \u201cThat, woman, really is a topic that should not be raised at dinner in front of an impressionable youngster.\u201d\u00a0 Then he began to laugh, and Marie, and even Hoss, joined in as Little Joe leaned down to make a careful inspection of the length of his legs.<\/p>\n

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

For once Hoss was glad to be sitting in chapel alongside his mother and younger brother.\u00a0 Though he\u2019d tried to think through his problem the day before, while he was fishing, keeping an eye on Little Joe had proved to be such an all-consuming responsibility that he\u2019d had no time for his own thoughts.\u00a0 Here, in the dimly lit building with the priest droning words he couldn\u2019t understand anyway, Hoss finally found the peace and quiet he needed, and by the time the service ended, he was sure he\u2019d come up with the perfect plan to make that trio of bullies leave him alone.\u00a0 Now, if he could just get them to agree to it, Pa need never know about the fights on the school ground, and he could relax and concentrate on his lessons without fear of mocking laughter.<\/p>\n

Hoss couldn\u2019t wait for recess the next day.\u00a0 The morning lessons had gone well, so there was nothing new for his persecutors to twit him about, and for the first time Hoss sought out Cal, Pete and Walter.\u00a0 \u201cI got a piece to say to you fellows,\u201d he began.<\/p>\n

\u201cThink you got the brains to speak a whole piece?\u201d Cal sneered.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou better listen to me for a change,\u201d Hoss growled, \u201c\u2018cause I have purely had enough of listenin\u2019 to you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, yeah?\u00a0 Who\u2019d want to listen to a dummy like you?\u201d Pete scoffed.<\/p>\n

Hoss felt his nostrils flare wide, but he bridled his temper.\u00a0 \u201cYou better\u2014unless you\u2019re yellow-belly scared.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNobody\u2019s scared of you, fat boy,\u201d Walter said, lip curling in derision.<\/p>\n

Hoss folded his arms across his chest and stared the three of them down.\u00a0 \u201cAll right, then, I say we settle this thing, once and for all.\u00a0 I\u2019ll meet you after school, on the other side of Franktown Creek.\u00a0 That\u2019s off school property, so we can have it out without nobody botherin\u2019 us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou and who else?\u201d Cal demanded.<\/p>\n

Hoss punched his own chest with his thumb. \u00a0\u201cJust me, that\u2019s all, and if I beat the three of you single-handed, one on one, you gotta leave me be the rest of the school year.\u00a0 No more makin\u2019 fun, no matter what mistakes I make.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd what if you can\u2019t?\u201d Cal pressed.\u00a0 \u201cWhat do we get?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Pete echoed.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s in it for us if we whip you, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n

Having given no consideration to losing, Hoss had no answer ready.\u00a0 \u201cYou won\u2019t beat me,\u201d he declared with determination.<\/p>\n

Walter pushed his two smaller cohorts aside to stand nose to nose with Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, but if we do, we each get to slug you in the belly once every day for the rest of the year, and you got to just stand there and take it.\u00a0 And no yelpin\u2019 to the teacher, either.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss swallowed hard.\u00a0 It would be a heavy penalty to pay, but he figured he had nothing to lose.\u00a0 If he didn\u2019t stop these three from taunting him the way they\u2019d been doing, he was going to end up in a fight \u2018most every day anyway, and Pa\u2019d be sure to hear about it and then\u2014\u201dNo yelpin\u2019,\u201d he promised.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll just stand and take it\u2014but it ain\u2019t gonna pan out that way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Calvin gave his bigger partner a wink, then snickered back at Hoss, \u201cYeah, well, we\u2019ll just see about that after school.\u201d<\/p>\n

Throughout the rest of the morning, Hoss was so distracted over the upcoming confrontation that he made more mistakes than usual, and his three tormentors laughed louder, harder and longer than ever, only stopping when the teacher threatened to keep them after school.\u00a0 Hoss gritted his teeth and put up with the abuse, telling himself that it would be the last time.\u00a0 It would all be different after this afternoon.\u00a0 Sure, Walter was bigger than he was, but Hoss figured he had right on his side and that would make the difference.\u00a0 Once the biggest foe was out of the way, Cal and Pete would be easy to take.<\/p>\n

By lunchtime Hoss\u2019s friends had figured out that something was in the wind, but Hoss wouldn\u2019t say what.\u00a0 This was his fight, and he didn\u2019t want George, Joe and Robbie caught up in it.\u00a0 In a way he\u2019d be fighting for all of them because the bullies wouldn\u2019t dare tackle Hoss\u2019s friends once he\u2019d whipped the pants off them.\u00a0 At least, that\u2019s what Hoss told himself, and the notion made the battle seem all the more noble, since it wasn\u2019t just for himself anymore.<\/p>\n

When school finally ended, Hoss saddled Charcoal and rode the gray mare to the appointed rendezvous on the opposite side of Franktown Creek.\u00a0 Tethering her to the drooping branch of a willow, he waited just beyond the trees for the other three to show up.\u00a0 They arrived only minutes after him and tied their mounts to the same tree.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou ready to take your lickin\u2019?\u201d Walter taunted.<\/p>\n

Hoss thrust a stubborn jaw toward the bigger boy.\u00a0 \u201cReady to give you yours,\u201d he snorted, having decided that he needed to face his hardest opponent while he was fresh.\u00a0 He doubled his fists, sporting a belligerent stance.\u00a0 \u201cCome on,\u201d he hollered.<\/p>\n

\u201cWalter\u2019s gonna make short work of you, blubber boy,\u201d Cal sneered.<\/p>\n

\u201cNaw, gonna take my time,\u201d Walter boasted, \u201cgive him a good taste of what he\u2019s gonna get every day from now on.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTaste this, big mouth!\u201d Hoss yelled, plowing a fist into Walter\u2019s jaw.<\/p>\n

Caught off guard, Walter staggered back, but recovered quickly and answered with a right fist to Hoss\u2019s jaw and a solid left punch to the stomach.<\/p>\n

Amid shouts of triumph from Calvin and Pete, Hoss doubled over, but instead of trying to stand upright again, he charged forward, ramming Walter in the stomach with his head.\u00a0 Both boys went down, Hoss on top.\u00a0 Then their positions quickly reversed and Walter landed several telling blows on Hoss\u2019s face before Hoss kneed him hard and rolled free.<\/p>\n

Separated by a few feet, both boys took advantage of the brief break to get to their feet again and began circling, eyes wary and fists ready.\u00a0 Hoss had felt his shirt rip when he pulled away from his opponent, and the salty taste of blood dribbling steadily from his nose into his mouth told him that there\u2019d be no disguising the damage as a playground accident this time.\u00a0 With dismay he realized that Pa was bound to know he\u2019d been fighting, and there\u2019d be a price to pay for that.\u00a0 All the more reason to make the fight count; only total victory would make it worth what it would cost him.<\/p>\n

Hoss had no time to worry about that now, however, for Walter suddenly lunged at him, raining fast blows that made Hoss fear for the first time that he might lose this battle.\u00a0 Fear only pumped additional adrenalin into his muscles, however, and Hoss fought back with strikes that came less frequently than Walter\u2019s, but with greater force.\u00a0 He had to win!\u00a0 The consequences of failure were too grim to permit him the luxury of giving in, so even though his face and stomach ached from the blows he\u2019d taken, Hoss just kept coming.<\/p>\n

Finally, Walter began backing away, but Hoss forged forward, striking the other boy again and again.\u00a0 Fear fell across Walter\u2019s features as he stumbled backward, losing his balance and hitting the ground so hard it knocked him breathless.\u00a0 Hoss flipped the other boy over and twisted his arm behind him.\u00a0 \u201cSay \u2018uncle,\u2019\u201d he demanded.\u00a0 \u201cSay it or I\u2019ll break it!\u201d<\/p>\n

Walter resisted, but after another wrench of his arm he cried out, \u201cUncle!\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss let him go and spun to face the other two boys, who were staring in shock at their fallen hero.\u00a0 As Hoss advanced toward them, Cal and Pete exchanged a terrified glance and a conspiratorial nod, and both of them rushed Hoss at the same time.\u00a0 \u201cI said \u2018one on one,\u2019\u201d Hoss sputtered when he went down, spitting fresh blood into the grass.<\/p>\n

\u201cSince when do you make all the rules?\u201d Cal retorted, slamming his fist into Hoss\u2019s ribs.<\/p>\n

Fury flared in Hoss\u2019s eyes, and his face grew crimson with outrage.\u00a0 So they wanted to fight dirty, did they?\u00a0 Well, he\u2019d show them!\u00a0 Even at odds of two against one, he counted himself more than a match for the two smaller boys.\u00a0 Eyes narrowed, he scrambled to his feet and threw blows at first one and then the other.\u00a0 Cal went down first, and before he could recover, Hoss grabbed Pete by the shirtfront and, drawing back his fist, thrust it forward with all the strength he possessed.<\/p>\n

Pete\u2019s eyes rolled up in his head, and he collapsed to the ground and didn\u2019t move.\u00a0 Hoss turned to see Calvin Hulbert scooting away on his backside.<\/p>\n

Cal pointed a shaking finger toward Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cY\u2014you keep away from me, you b\u2014big brute,\u201d he sputtered.<\/p>\n

\u201cSay \u2018uncle,\u2019\u201d Hoss dictated, standing over his fallen foe with clenched fists..<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, \u2018uncle,\u2019\u201d Calvin said, still sliding on his backside away from Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cYou win.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss spun around to face Pete.\u00a0 \u201cYou, too,\u201d he yelled.\u00a0 \u201cYou all three gotta say I win before I\u2019ll quit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pete lay sprawled on the ground, silent, unmoving.\u00a0 Still keeping his distance from Hoss, Calvin crawled across to his cohort and shook his shoulder.\u00a0 When Pete failed to respond, Cal screamed up at Hoss, \u201cYou killed him, you big ox!\u00a0 You killed him!\u201d<\/p>\n

Nursing his twisted arm, Walter got to his feet.\u00a0 \u201cMan, we gotta get out of here!\u201d he hollered at Cal.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019ll be hell to pay when our folks find out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cal took only moments to weigh the advice; then he, too, ran for his horse, jerking the reins free and mounting quickly.<\/p>\n

Hoss, face pasty pale, stared at Pete\u2019s still form, then called to the other boys.\u00a0 \u201cWait!\u00a0 We can\u2019t just leave him here.\u201d\u00a0 But he was shouting to the wind, for the other boys were galloping hard, away from the creek, leaving Hoss alone to deal with the consequences of the fight.<\/p>\n

Kneeling beside the smaller boy, Hoss breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Pete\u2019s chest slowly expand and contract.\u00a0 No matter how frequently he slapped the boy\u2019s cheeks or how loudly he called his name, however, he couldn\u2019t get a response.\u00a0 Scared as he\u2019d ever been in his life, Hoss looked around in panic, waging a harder battle than the one he\u2019d fought with his fists.\u00a0 Realizing that he was in big trouble now, with Pa and maybe even the law, he wanted to ride off, just as those other boys had done, but he couldn\u2019t do it.\u00a0 A boy was hurt, hurt bad by the looks of him, and Hoss knew he was the only one around to do anything about it.\u00a0 No matter what happened to him afterwards, he had to get Pete some help.<\/p>\n

But where?\u00a0 Hoss stared up at the sky, his mind forming no words, but his heart instinctively sending a cry for guidance heavenward.\u00a0 As he gazed down again at the prostrate boy, his first instinct was to get Doc Martin.\u00a0 That\u2019s who could help best.\u00a0 Sure, he\u2019d take Pete to Doc.\u00a0 Hoss shook his head.\u00a0 No, that wouldn\u2019t work.\u00a0 From time to time he\u2019d seen hands on the ranch get hurt, and Pa had always been real careful not to move them much until the doc could get there.<\/p>\n

Well, if he couldn\u2019t take Pete to the doctor, then he\u2019d just have to bring the doctor to Pete.\u00a0 Hoss started toward his horse, then stopped abruptly as he realized that the ride to Carson City and back would take more than two hours.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t leave Pete lying here alone that long.\u00a0\u00a0 He began to breathe hard and fast.\u00a0 Fighting off his rising panic, Hoss scrunched his face in thought.\u00a0 How could he get help for Pete without leaving him?<\/p>\n

I could ride home<\/em>, Hoss mused.\u00a0 Pa\u2019ll be out workin\u2019, but Ma\u2019ll know what to do\u2014better than Pa, maybe, and she won\u2019t yell like him<\/em>.\u00a0\u00a0 The smile that touched his lips when he thought of this solution soon faded.\u00a0 The Ponderosa was closer than Carson City, but Pete would still be lying here alone an awful long time.\u00a0 Hoss started to tremble as the fear came surging back.\u00a0 There just had to be someplace closer he could go for help.<\/p>\n

Franktown was closer\u2014real close, in fact, but Hoss didn\u2019t know the grownups there very well.\u00a0 Suddenly, his face lit up with the conviction of certainty.\u00a0 Miss Appleton!\u00a0 The teacher had a habit of staying late at the school, grading papers or getting things ready for the next day.\u00a0 She\u2019d likely still be there.\u00a0 Even if she\u2019d already left, Hoss knew where she boarded, and he could get to either place pretty quickly.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll be back, Pete,\u201d he vowed, though he knew the boy couldn\u2019t hear him.\u00a0 Running to the tree where Charcoal was tethered, he mounted and raced back across the creek to the nearby schoolhouse.<\/p>\n

Almost falling from the horse in his haste to get inside, Hoss tromped up the steps, stumbling once, and flung the door wide.\u00a0 Seated at her desk, Miss Appleton looked up, startled.\u00a0 \u201cWhy, Eric, what\u2019s wrong?\u201d she asked as the boy raced toward her.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou gotta come, Miss Appleton,\u201d he cried.\u00a0 \u201cPete\u2019s hurt bad.\u00a0 He\u2014he won\u2019t wake up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Miss Appleton leaped to her feet and was around the desk in mere seconds, holding the shoulders of the panting boy.\u00a0 \u201cEric, what has happened?\u201d she asked urgently.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s my fault,\u201d Hoss choked out, and the tears he\u2019d been holding back since he first realized how badly Pete was hurt began trickling down his cheeks.\u00a0 \u201cWe was fightin\u2019 and\u2014and I hit Pete too hard, and he went down and he ain\u2019t moved since.\u00a0 I\u2014I\u2019m scared, Miss Appleton.\u00a0 I\u2014I . . .\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere now, child,\u201d the teacher soothed, slipping a supporting arm around his brawny frame.\u00a0 \u201cPerhaps it isn\u2019t as serious as you fear.\u00a0 Where is Pete?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust across the creek,\u201d Hoss said.\u00a0 \u201cYou gotta come, teacher!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI will, Eric,\u201d she said, taking his hand.\u00a0 Though her heart was racing, she kept her tread steady.\u00a0 For the sake of her two students, the one injured in body and the one torn in spirit, she had to maintain a calm exterior.\u00a0 She couldn\u2019t let her own youth and inexperience affect her confidence, at least not to the extent that the child might sense it.\u00a0 Mounting the gray mare behind Hoss, she urged him to hurry \u201cso Pete won\u2019t have to wait so long.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss ordinarily rode at a leisurely pace, but Charcoal\u2019s hooves sprayed huge splashes of water behind them as he galloped through Franktown Creek with Miss Appleton hanging tight to his waist.\u00a0 He rode directly to the spot where Pete lay.\u00a0 As far as Hoss could tell, the other boy hadn\u2019t moved so much as an inch since he\u2019d left.<\/p>\n

Miss Appleton slid off her horse to kneel at Pete\u2019s side.\u00a0 Using every device Hoss had already tried, she attempted to rouse the youngster, without response.\u00a0 \u201cEric, this is serious,\u201d she said, looking up at the trembling boy.\u00a0 \u201cThis child needs a doctor.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes\u2019m, I\u2014I thought so,\u201d Hoss stammered.\u00a0 \u201cDoc Martin, he\u2019s the best and cl-close as any, but he\u2019s a-all the way to Carson City, and I didn\u2019t like to leave Pete that long.\u201d<\/p>\n

Miss Appleton reached for his hand and gave it a comforting squeeze.\u00a0 \u201cYou did exactly right, Hoss,\u201d she said, using his nickname to put him more at ease.\u00a0 \u201cNow I need you to do just as I say.\u00a0 Do you understand?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI will, ma\u2019am,\u201d Hoss cried earnestly.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood boy.\u00a0 First, I need you to stay calm,\u201d she said with a kind smile.\u00a0 \u201cThen I want you to ride to the Frey ranch\u2014where we get our water, remember?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes\u2019m, sure,\u201d Hoss said, wondering why he hadn\u2019t thought of Mr. Frey himself.\u00a0 Mr. Frey was French, like Mama, and had always acted friendly when kids came on his property to fetch water, even though he had no children of his own.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019ll help; I know he will.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right,\u201d the teacher said in a tone intended to instill confidence in the child, although her own heart was quaking with the awesome responsibility that, as a first-year teacher, she\u2019d never held in her hands before.\u00a0 \u201cAsk him to bring a wagon and tell him where to find us.\u00a0 Then I want you to ride for the doctor, straight from the ranch, and ask him to come to the Hanson place.\u00a0 Do you understand, Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s head bobbed up and down rapidly.\u00a0 Seeing Miss Appleton turn her attention back to Pete, he jumped on his mare and charged back across the creek to carry out the most important assignment the teacher had ever given him.<\/p>\n

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

Marie gently laid her sleeping baby in his crib, still wary lest the slightest movement might reawaken him and renew his sobs of distress.\u00a0 But Little Joe had finally cried himself to exhaustion, and, thumb tucked securely in his mouth, he continued to sleep as she drew a light quilt over him and brushed a trailing curl from his cheek.\u00a0 \u201cPap\u00e1<\/em> is right,\u201d she whispered.\u00a0 \u201cWe shall soon have to cut your hair, but how I shall hate to see these beautiful tresses shorn!\u201d\u00a0 Before drawing the curtains she stood for a moment at the window, gazing into the deepening shadows, wondering where her other son could be.\u00a0 Though the night was young, stars had begun to twinkle in the darkening sky, and Hoss had still not returned from school.<\/p>\n

Almost tiptoeing from the room, she closed the door softly and headed down the stairs.\u00a0 As she reached the lower landing, she heard the front door creak and paused to see which of the missing family members had returned.\u00a0 \u201cOh, Hoss!\u201d she cried when the boy slipped through the slimmest opening that would accommodate his hefty frame.\u00a0 \u201cWhere have you been, mon ch\u00e9ri<\/em>?\u201d she demanded heatedly, running down the stairs.\u00a0 \u201cYour little brother has cried himself to sleep for fear you are lost, and your father is even now looking for you, and I\u2014oh, Hoss, your face!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt ain\u2019t nothin\u2019, Ma,\u201d Hoss muttered, trying to pull his face away from her searching hands.\u00a0 \u201cDoc fixed me up and sent me home.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDr. Martin?\u201d Marie queried, perplexed.\u00a0 \u201cYou have been to see Dr. Martin?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, but not for me,\u201d Hoss assured her quickly.\u00a0 \u201cI went \u2018cause of Pete, but Doc wouldn\u2019t go help him \u2018til he checked me out good.\u00a0 I\u2019m fine, Ma; don\u2019t fret.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie put her arm around his shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cCome sit down,\u201d she urged, \u201cand tell me what has happened.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss let her direct him toward the settee.\u00a0 Then, with her arm around him as they sat side by side, he cried, \u201cOh, Mama, it was awful!\u201d\u00a0 And, choking through the tears, he spilled out every frightening detail of his afternoon.\u00a0 \u201cOh, Mama, I\u2019m scared I killed him,\u201d he sobbed in conclusion, his face now buried in the folds of her skirt.\u00a0 \u201cI never meant to hit him that hard, but he\u2014he just didn\u2019t move.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie pulled his face up between her palms.\u00a0 \u201cBut what does Dr. Martin say, Hoss?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n

Hoss shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know.\u00a0 He said for me to come straight home, that you\u2019d be worried.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd so we were,\u201d Marie said.\u00a0 \u201cWe had no idea where you were, Hoss, but I see now that you were doing as you were told by your teacher and the good doctor, and that is as it should be.\u00a0 You have done no wrong, mon fil<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cExcept to Pete,\u201d Hoss moaned.\u00a0 \u201cI done him a heap of wrong, maybe even\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Marie interrupted firmly.\u00a0 \u201cWe will not believe the worst until such news comes, Hoss.\u00a0 You and I, we will pray, right now, that Dr. Martin will be able to make Pete completely well again, oui<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Hoss whispered.\u00a0 Mother and son slipped to their knees in front of the settee and lifted their hearts in joint petition for the boy that the youngster had counted an enemy and the woman had never even seen.\u00a0 Hoss couldn\u2019t understand much of what his mother was saying.\u00a0 Some of it was in Latin or maybe French, some just spoken so softly he couldn\u2019t hear, but he didn\u2019t care.\u00a0 All that mattered was the strength of her arm around him, and whether he knew what was said or not, he drew comfort just from knowing that his mother was talking to God on his behalf\u2014and Pete\u2019s.<\/p>\n

They were still on their knees when the front door again creaked open.\u00a0 Marie rose up to peer over the back of the sofa.\u00a0 She smiled at her husband and told him that Hoss had returned home safely.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know,\u201d Ben said as he removed his hat and coat and unbuckled his gun belt.\u00a0 \u201cI saw his horse tied to the hitching rail outside.\u201d\u00a0 Coming around the settee, he saw Hoss, still on his knees, body quaking and eyes wide with apprehension.\u00a0 Ben opened his arms.\u00a0 \u201cCome here, son,\u201d he beckoned tenderly.<\/p>\n

Hoss pulled to his feet and stumbled toward his father.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry I\u2019m late, Pa,\u201d he said hesitantly, \u201cbut there was a reason.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben wrapped supportive arms around his son\u2019s shoulders.\u00a0 \u201cYes, I know.\u00a0 I know all about it.\u00a0 I rode to the schoolhouse first, and when I didn\u2019t find anyone there, I started toward Miss Appleton\u2019s residence.\u00a0 I ran into Joseph Frey first, though, and he told me the Hanson boy had been hurt and that you had ridden for the doctor.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss swallowed hard.\u00a0 \u201cIs\u2014is that all he told you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded solemnly.\u00a0 \u201cYes, but that isn\u2019t all there is to tell, is it, boy?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss again felt tears welling up in his eyes.\u00a0 Looking down, shamefaced, he shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cNo, Pa.\u00a0 I\u2014I\u2019m the one that hurt Pete.\u00a0 We was fightin\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I know,\u201d Ben repeated, giving the trembling shoulder a pat.\u00a0 \u201cI went on to the Hanson ranch and heard the rest of the story from Miss Appleton while Dr. Martin was examining Pete.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Ben, how is the boy?\u201d Marie asked.\u00a0 \u201cHoss has been so concerned.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019ll be fine,\u201d Ben assured her, smiling as he saw Hoss draw a long, relieved breath.\u00a0 \u201cPaul says he has a concussion, and he\u2019ll have one whale of a headache for a few days, but he thinks the boy will recover completely.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat is good news!\u201d Marie said, bending to place a kiss behind Hoss\u2019s ear.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sure glad,\u201d Hoss murmured.\u00a0 Then he looked anxiously up at his father.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2014I guess I\u2019m gonna get the hardest tannin\u2019 of my life, huh, Pa?\u00a0 I got it comin\u2019, I know\u2014fightin\u2019 and lyin\u2019 and worryin\u2019 you and\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll discuss all that later, son,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s an important matter to be attended to first.\u201d\u00a0 He smiled at Hoss\u2019s quizzical expression.\u00a0 \u201cWhat have I taught you about the needs of your horse, son?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss gulped, remembering that he had been so fearful of his parents\u2019 reaction that he had come inside the minute he reached home, without giving Charcoal the proper care.\u00a0 \u201cTh-that it comes before my needs, Pa.\u00a0 I forgot.\u00a0 I\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I have a mount to see to, as well,\u201d Ben said, \u201cso let\u2019s go out to the barn together.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss nodded grimly, figuring that seeing to the horses was not the only thing that was going to happen out in that barn.\u00a0 He thought about asking Pa to give him his whipping first, so he could get it over with, but realized that wasn\u2019t fair to Charcoal.\u00a0 The little mare had already been left standing out in the cool night air too long, and making her wait while he took his tanning would just be putting his own needs before hers again.\u00a0 No, if he asked a thing like that, Pa\u2019d probably be even angrier than he already was.\u00a0 And I\u2019d deserve it, too<\/em>, Hoss concluded.<\/p>\n

Father and son walked outside, each taking the reins of his horse, and headed silently toward the barn.\u00a0 Neither spoke as they unsaddled the horses and stored each piece of tackle in its appropriate place.\u00a0 Only when Ben saw that Hoss had relaxed into the rhythm of currying his animal did he voice a quiet suggestion.\u00a0 \u201cWhy don\u2019t you tell me about this trouble you\u2019ve been having at school, son?\u201d<\/p>\n

Brush frozen against Charcoal\u2019s gray flank, Hoss swallowed hard.\u00a0 \u201cThey\u2014they been pickin\u2019 on me, Pa,\u201d he muttered quietly as he began drawing the curry brush down the mare\u2019s side again.\u00a0 \u201cLaughin\u2019 and callin\u2019 me names, \u2018most every day, makin\u2019 me feel like a big, dumb critter.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben folded his arms on his bay\u2019s back and looked across at his son.\u00a0 \u201cAnd the fighting?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI guess that\u2019s mostly my doin\u2019\u2014today, anyway,\u201d Hoss admitted reluctantly.\u00a0 \u201cI just wanted to make \u2018em leave me alone, Pa; I wanted to shut their mouths.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben frowned.\u00a0 \u201cWith your fists?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss shrugged and kept his eyes studiously on the task before him.\u00a0 \u201cSeemed like the only way.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Ben said firmly.\u00a0 \u201cFists are never the appropriate response to mere words, however hurtful they may be.\u00a0 I want you to remember that, son.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI ain\u2019t smart enough to fight back with words, Pa,\u201d Hoss protested, his forehead wrinkling as he looked up.\u00a0 \u201cIt ain\u2019t like I was Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFighting back with words isn\u2019t the solution, either, son,\u201d Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cIn fact, your older brother probably gets into more trouble with his words than you do with your fists\u2014at least with me.\u201d<\/p>\n

A half-grin curled Hoss\u2019s lips as he remembered the times he\u2019d seen Adam talk back to Pa and the inevitable consequences that had followed.\u00a0 Maybe Adam wasn\u2019t so much smarter than him, after all.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome here, Hoss,\u201d Ben said.<\/p>\n

The slight grin faded as Hoss moved around Charcoal to meet his fate.\u00a0 To his surprise, his father didn\u2019t take off his belt; instead, he sat down on a feedbox and patted a spot beside him to indicate that Hoss should sit down, too.\u00a0 Hoss did and drew a sigh of relief as his father\u2019s arm came around his shoulders.<\/p>\n

\u201cSon, you\u2019ve got to learn to live with who you are,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re a big, strong boy with a tender, caring heart, and when you use those gifts as God intended, you can accomplish great good.\u00a0 But every gift carries with it the possibility of being used the wrong way, for selfish purposes, and that\u2019s what you did today.\u00a0 You used your strength against a smaller boy to make him behave the way you wanted him to, and you hurt him badly.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know,\u201d Hoss whispered weakly.\u00a0 \u201cI never meant to, Pa, honest.\u00a0 I\u2019d take the punch back if I could.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know that,\u201d Ben said, pulling the youngster close to his side.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s your tender heart, being used the right way, to care for others.\u00a0 But a tender heart is also one that can be easily wounded, Hoss, as yours has been by the words of these other boys.\u00a0 Because you\u2019re so big and strong, son, you don\u2019t have the luxury of striking back when you\u2019re wounded.\u00a0 You\u2019ve got to let your strong heart control that physical strength, to make yourself think of the other person and how they will be affected by what you do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss gave a firm nod.\u00a0 \u201cI ain\u2019t never gonna fight nobody ever again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben pulled the boy\u2019s face toward him and smiled compassionately.\u00a0 \u201cI wish I could say that would work, Hoss, but there will be times when you have to fight.\u00a0 I don\u2019t expect you to just stand still and take a beating if you\u2019re attacked, and I\u2019d be ashamed if you stood by and watched another child abused when you could stop it.\u00a0 What I do not want to see again is you using your fists to stop someone\u2019s words.\u00a0 Walk away, go to your teacher for help or just let them laugh if you must, but do not answer mere words with physical violence.\u00a0 Do I make myself clear, Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Pa.\u00a0 I\u2019ll\u2014I\u2019ll try.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSee that you do.\u201d\u00a0 Ben\u2019s face grew stern.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s one more thing, son.\u00a0 I understand your teacher gave you a note to bring home last Friday, but I don\u2019t recall your presenting it to either me or your mother.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss bit his lower lip nervously.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2014I hid it, Pa.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t want to get in trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know why you did it,\u201d Ben muttered gruffly, \u201cbut that is scarcely an excuse, boy.\u00a0 What happened today might have been avoided had I been aware of the problems you were having.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss sighed, bracing himself for what he was sure was coming next.<\/p>\n

Reading his son\u2019s mind, Ben smiled.\u00a0 \u201cNo, Hoss, I\u2019m not going to punish you this time\u201d\u2014he hardened his countenance\u2014\u201cbut if you ever deceive me in this manner again, the punishment will be doubled.\u00a0 That\u2019s a fair warning, and I would advise you to heed it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, yeah, Pa,\u201d Hoss murmured.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t never want to hide nothin\u2019 from you ever again.\u201d\u00a0 He threw his arms around his father.\u00a0 Ben\u2019s arms encircled his son, and he held him close until the boy\u2019s heaving back grew still.<\/p>\n

CHAPTER ELEVEN<\/p>\n

Learning the Ways of Peace<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Feeling it essential to be on his best behavior, Hoss was up and dressed early the next morning.\u00a0 After giving careful attention to his morning chores, he slid into his chair at the breakfast table.\u00a0 \u201cLittle Joe not up yet?\u201d he asked, glancing across at the vacant place between his father and mother.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, he was very tired last night,\u201d Marie replied, \u201cand I thought it best to let him sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I guess,\u201d Hoss said, guilt stabbing him as he reached for the platter of bacon.\u00a0 \u201cI was just thinkin\u2019 maybe it\u2019d be better if I saw him before I went to school or he might think I was lost for sure and set off cryin\u2019 again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll have plenty of time,\u201d Ben said, lifting his coffee cup.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re not going to school this morning.\u201d<\/p>\n

Both Marie and Hoss turned startled eyes toward the head of the table.<\/p>\n

Ben took a sip of coffee and lowered the cup.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t look pleased with yourself, boy; what you will be doing is far less pleasant than a morning in the classroom.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss smiled sheepishly.\u00a0 While he didn\u2019t think he\u2019d been looking pleased with himself, he had to admit the thought of skipping school, even one day, had a definite appeal.\u00a0 Not, however, if Pa had something worse planned.\u00a0 \u201cUh, you gonna tell me what I\u2019ll be doing,\u201d he queried hesitantly, \u201cor have I got to wait?\u201d<\/p>\n

Seeing his wife\u2019s head also tilted with curiosity, Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cNo, neither of you has to wait.\u00a0 You and I are going to ride over to the Hanson ranch this morning, Hoss, and you are going to apologize to young Pete for starting the fight and for injuring him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s face fell, but almost instantly he realized that he really was sorry about what had happened and that he\u2019d feel better once he\u2019d said that to Pete.\u00a0 \u201cThanks, Pa,\u201d he whispered.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019ll make it easier with you bein\u2019 there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben gave his son a smile warm with pride.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m happy to help, son.\u00a0 Now, I have a few duties to tend to before we can leave, so I would like you to make good use of the time by starting to clean up the tack room.\u00a0 You won\u2019t be able to finish by the time I return, but you can complete the job after school.\u00a0 Miss Appleton will be expecting you directly after lunch.\u201d<\/p>\n

Figuring he was getting off lightly with a single extra chore, Hoss at once agreed, finished his breakfast without delay and headed immediately for the tack room.\u00a0 He had been working diligently for about an hour when a shadow fell across the open door.\u00a0 Noticing the change in light, Hoss turned and saw his mother, holding his tearful little brother by the hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere, you see,\u201d Marie cooed soothingly.\u00a0 \u201cHoss is home safe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe pulled free and ran across the room, screaming his brother\u2019s name.\u00a0 Hoss grabbed him up and held him close.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s okay, little punkin,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t cry, baby.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe wiped the back of his hand across his eyes.\u00a0 \u201cI thought you was losted,\u201d he rebuked, lower lip puckered.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I know; I\u2019m sorry I worried you,\u201d Hoss said, giving the little boy another squeeze.<\/p>\n

\u201cLittle Joe, you have seen your brother, and now you must leave him to his work,\u201d Marie admonished with a beckoning stretch of her arm.<\/p>\n

\u201cMe help,\u201d Little Joe declared.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, you have not had your breakfast,\u201d his mother insisted. \u00a0\u201cCome, mon petit<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMon petit<\/em>\u201d stamped his petite foot.\u00a0 \u201cNo want bweakfast.\u00a0 Want help Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n

Color rose in Marie\u2019s face and then vanished just as quickly.\u00a0 \u201cOh, I suppose it will do no harm,\u201d she conceded.\u00a0 \u201cHoss will be leaving soon, so you may spend a little time with him and eat afterwards.\u00a0 Is that acceptable with you, mon ch\u00e9ri<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, Ma,\u201d Hoss agreed.\u00a0 When she left, he set Little Joe down.\u00a0 \u201cOkay, punkin, why don\u2019t you bring me that bridle over there, so I can hang it up?\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe scurried over to get the bridle and bring it back to Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cSee, me help,\u201d he declared.<\/p>\n

Hoss laughed.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, you\u2019re a big help.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe grinned; then the smile faded.\u00a0 \u201cWhere was you, Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n

As he hung up the bridle, Hoss began to explain the trouble he\u2019d been having at school to his little brother, telling in detail what had happened the day before.<\/p>\n

\u201cBad boys,\u201d Little Joe sputtered when he heard how the trio of bullies had been making fun of Hoss.\u00a0 Doubling his tiny fists, he declared vehemently, \u201cMe punch \u2018em good, Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss threw back his head and guffawed.\u00a0 The idea of those little knuckles flying to his defense seemed so ludicrous he couldn\u2019t hold back the laughter.\u00a0 Seeing that Little Joe looked hurt, however, he stopped, and gathering the little boy into his arms, he leaned against a saddle stand.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s real sweet of you, punkin pie, to want to help brother, but it ain\u2019t the right way.\u00a0 Pa talked to me last night about tryin\u2019 to stop mean words with my fists, and it just ain\u2019t right.\u00a0 And if it\u2019s wrong for me, it\u2019s wrong for you, too, understand?\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe\u2019s face was totally devoid of understanding, but he nodded and said, \u201cOkay,\u201d just to please Hoss.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay,\u201d Hoss said.\u00a0 \u201cNow, let\u2019s see how much we can get done before Pa gets here.\u00a0 I wanna stay on his good side today.\u201d<\/p>\n

Staying on Pa\u2019s good side was a concept completely comprehensible to the youngest Cartwright, so he hurried to bring his brother whatever piece of equipment Hoss pointed out.\u00a0 As they worked, Hoss found his heart feeling lighter and realized it was the laughter he had shared with his younger brother that had brought the relaxation of his tension.\u00a0 Laughter didn\u2019t have to be hurtful, Hoss realized.\u00a0 Maybe it could even be a way of turning things around.<\/p>\n

How would it be<\/em>, he asked himself, if I just laughed right along with the other kids when they laugh at me?\u00a0 Maybe if I act like it ain\u2019t botherin\u2019 me none, it\u2019ll plumb take the fun out of it for them.\u00a0 Most of \u2018em ain\u2019t mean-spirited\u2014not really; they\u2019re just goin\u2019 along with what them three troublemakers start without givin\u2019 it much thought, I bet.<\/em><\/p>\n

Before Hoss could give his new theory much consideration, however, his father returned and told him it was time to saddle his horse.\u00a0 Little Joe puckered up in protest of Hoss\u2019s imminent departure, but a quick hug and a promise that he could help Hoss again after school sent him scurrying into the house in search of his postponed breakfast.<\/p>\n

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

Fighting back an urge to wheel his horse around and run, Hoss trailed into the Hanson ranch yard slightly behind his father.<\/p>\n

Ben seemed to understand his son\u2019s reluctance.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019ll be over soon, boy,\u201d he said, \u201cand you\u2019ll feel better for it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir,\u201d Hoss returned quietly.\u00a0 He dismounted and tethered his mare to the hitching rail beside his father\u2019s bay.<\/p>\n

\u201cHowdy!\u201d<\/p>\n

Father and son spun to see a lanky, wheat-haired man emerging from the barn.\u00a0 From the resemblance to the boy with whom he\u2019d recently done battle, Hoss knew that the man could be no one but Pete\u2019s pa, and he wondered, as he often had before, why some boys looked so much like their fathers, while he looked so little like his.<\/p>\n

Ben walked across the yard to extend his hand, and Hanson took firm hold of it.\u00a0 \u201cHow is your boy this morning?\u201d Ben asked after exchanging pleasantries with the other man.<\/p>\n

Hanson scratched the back of his neck.\u00a0 \u201c\u2018Bout like the doc said he\u2019d be, I reckon.\u00a0 Got a powerful headache, but seems pert enough beyond that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHopefully, time will take care of that,\u201d Ben observed.\u00a0 He pulled Hoss forward.\u00a0 \u201cThis is my son.\u00a0 He feels badly about the injury done to your boy and would like a chance to apologize for his actions, if you think Pete is feeling up to a visitor.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hanson hitched a drooping suspender back over his left shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t see why not.\u00a0 Come on up to the house.\u201d\u00a0 He led the way to the dingy brown frame house, the Cartwrights following him up the three steps to the porch.<\/p>\n

Before they could enter, the door opened and a woman with straggly straw-colored hair stormed onto the porch.\u00a0 \u201cThat the one done it?\u201d she demanded fiercely, poking at Hoss\u2019s chest with a flour-dusted finger.\u00a0 \u201cYou the over-sized ox that half-killed my boy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHush, woman,\u201d Hanson said sharply.\u00a0 \u201cI won\u2019t have guests in our house spoke to like that.\u00a0 Like as not, the boy got no more than he asked for, and all this youngun is askin\u2019 is the chance to say he\u2019s sorry.\u201d\u00a0 Holding the door open, he turned to Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cYou go right on in, boy, and say your piece.\u00a0 Me and your pa is gonna set in the kitchen a spell and have a cup of coffee.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d be obliged,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cA cup of hot coffee will hit the spot perfectly on a chilly morning like this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mrs. Hanson scowled, but preceded the men into the kitchen to brew a fresh pot of coffee.\u00a0 Ben paused only long enough to give his son an encouraging smile before following her.<\/p>\n

By instinct, Hoss made his way down the short hall to Pete\u2019s room.\u00a0 Swallowing hard, he stepped inside the open doorway.\u00a0 \u201cHey, Pete,\u201d he said shyly.\u00a0 \u201cHow you doin\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n

Pete propped himself up on his elbows.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re \u2018bout the last person I expected to see,\u201d he muttered.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I\u2014uh\u2014yeah, I guess I\u2019m \u2018bout the last person you want to see,\u201d Hoss said, scuffing his right foot back and forth over the plank floor.<\/p>\n

Pete cocked his head and gave the other boy an appraising squint.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe, maybe not.\u201d<\/p>\n

As he lay back against the pillow with a hand held to his head, Hoss hurried forward.\u00a0 \u201cLet me fix that for you,\u201d he offered.\u00a0 \u201cYou wanna sit up or lie down.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBetter lie down, I guess,\u201d Pete said.\u00a0 \u201cHurts less that way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss gulped as he frantically fluffed the pillow.\u00a0 \u201cHey, Pete, I\u2019m real sorry \u2018bout hittin\u2019 you that hard,\u201d he said as he eased the other boy\u2019s head onto the pillow.\u00a0 \u201cI sure never meant to knock you out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pete shrugged off the apology.\u00a0 \u201cWasn\u2019t all your doin\u2019.\u00a0 Doc thinks maybe I hit something when I went down\u2014rock or tree root or maybe just hard ground.\u00a0 Pa says you\u2019re the one that got me home and brought the doc out here to tend me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMiss Appleton and Mr. Frey did most of the \u2018gettin\u2019 you home,\u2019\u201d Hoss insisted, \u201cbut I brung the doc.\u00a0 Least I could do after causin\u2019 the hurt.\u201d\u00a0 He felt a little better, now that he knew it wasn\u2019t his punch alone that had hurt Pete so badly, but he couldn\u2019t totally set aside his responsibility, either.\u00a0 Without his punch, no rock or tree root would have had opportunity to slam into the boy\u2019s head.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I\u2019m obliged,\u201d Pete said, \u201cespecially seein\u2019 as how my so-called friends just run off and left me.\u00a0 Some friends, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey was scared,\u201d Hoss said, sensing how that abandonment had hurt Pete and wanting to ease the pain.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, but real friends would\u2019ve stuck, scared or not,\u201d Pete insisted.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Hoss conceded, perching companionably on Pete\u2019s bed.\u00a0 \u201cSeems like they would.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pete rubbed the thin coverlet between his fingers.\u00a0 \u201cSeems like you was more a friend to me than them two.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss flushed, feeling himself unworthy of any praise.\u00a0 \u201cAw, shucks,\u201d he muttered.\u00a0 \u201cLeast I could do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pete grinned.\u00a0 \u201cYou said that once already.\u00a0 You\u2019ll have me thinkin\u2019 you ain\u2019t just dumb, but crazy to boot, if you start sayin\u2019 everything twice over.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss grinned back.\u00a0 \u201cWell, I sure don\u2019t want that!\u201d he snickered and was rewarded with a good-natured laugh from Pete.\u00a0 Hoss made note of the response.\u00a0 Every time he\u2019d been called \u2018dumb\u2019 before, he\u2019d gotten angry, and the taunts had just kept coming; this time he\u2019d laughed along, and now he and Pete both felt better.\u00a0 \u201cLook, Pete,\u201d he said when they\u2019d both quieted down again.\u00a0 \u201cI know we ain\u2019t been friends before this, but is that any reason we can\u2019t be now?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBoy, no wonder you have trouble in school, if you don\u2019t listen to Miss Appleton any better than you listen to me,\u201d Pete chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cI already said we was friends, didn\u2019t I?\u2019<\/p>\n

Hoss tilted his head in thoughtful consideration; then a wide grin split his face.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, I reckon you did.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

Hoss mounted the steps to the schoolhouse with only slight apprehension.\u00a0 His visit to Pete had turned out better than he\u2019d hoped, and the talk he\u2019d had with Pa over sandwiches and fried pie down by the creek had also had a calming effect.\u00a0 Miss Appleton knew where he\u2019d been, so he wasn\u2019t worried about having to explain his absence in front of the other kids.\u00a0 However, he knew by experience that there were few secrets among the population of a small school, and he couldn\u2019t help feeling a little concerned about how the other children would react to him.\u00a0 Would they be mad at him for hurting Pete or, worse, maybe scared he\u2019d do it to them?<\/p>\n

He opened the door and closed it quietly behind him.\u00a0 Though he would have liked to simply slip into his seat unnoticed, Miss Appleton spoiled that by calling his name as soon as she saw him.\u00a0 \u201cEric, I\u2019m glad you could join us this afternoon.\u00a0 Please take your seat and open your arithmetic book to page twelve.\u00a0 Do all the exercises on that page and be ready to recite with the others after I finish helping the younger students.\u201d<\/p>\n

Grateful that she\u2019d stuck to school business, Hoss murmured a quick \u201cYes, ma\u2019am,\u201d and took his seat, immediately burying his nose in his Ray\u2019s Arithmetic<\/em>.\u00a0 He worked the first row of sums diligently and then sneaked a peek toward the back of the classroom.\u00a0 Walter Grogan\u2019s desk was empty, but Calvin Hulbert, sporting a black ring around his left eye, was in his regular seat.\u00a0 When he looked up and caught Hoss looking at him, he promptly averted his eyes.\u00a0 Everyone else seemed intent on his or her lessons, and Hoss turned his attention back to his own.\u00a0 Today of all days, he didn\u2019t want to fail at his schoolwork.\u00a0 In fact, he wanted to do absolutely nothing to call attention to himself.<\/p>\n

Never a superior scholar, however, Hoss found it harder than usual to concentrate that afternoon.\u00a0 Occasionally he would notice one of his classmates glancing his way.\u00a0 In some of their eyes, he could read questions; in others, he saw anxiety or even outright fear.\u00a0 Desperately wanting a chance to answer those questions, he found his attention wandering from the ones on the page before him, and when Miss Appleton called his class to recite, he was still three problems shy of completing the assignment.<\/p>\n

\u201cI-I\u2019m sorry, ma\u2019am,\u201d he apologized.\u00a0 \u201cI ain\u2019t got \u2018em all done yet.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSlow as molasses,\u201d came a low rumble from the back of the schoolroom, and though the tones had been too soft to be identifiable, Hoss knew the words could have come from no one but Cal Hulbert.\u00a0 A few others tittered softly, but nervously.<\/p>\n

As good a time as any to try using humor as a defense, Hoss concluded.\u00a0 He turned to give the class a sheepish grin.\u00a0 \u201cSlow as molasses,\u201d he admitted, \u201cbut who\u2019d want to chase molasses \u2018round his plate?\u201d\u00a0 The titters were louder this time and more relaxed.\u00a0 Not sure what to make of Hoss\u2019s apparently unbothered response, Calvin merely stared back.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re sweet as \u2018lasses, too,\u201d Mary Emma O\u2019Neill called out loyally.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, that\u2019s enough,\u201d Miss Appleton said, but she didn\u2019t sound angry.\u00a0 \u201cSlowness resulting from deliberation is not necessarily a poor quality.\u00a0 However, Eric, I believe your failure to complete the assignment has less to do with deliberation than with distraction.\u201d<\/p>\n

His face void of understanding, Hoss blinked.\u00a0 \u201cHuh?\u201d<\/p>\n

Miss Appleton merely smiled.\u00a0 \u201cDistraction, not paying attention where you ought because other things are filling your mind,\u201d she explained.\u00a0 The warmth of the smile she directed toward Hoss told him she understood what those \u201cother things\u201d were and why they were filling his mind more than his lessons today.\u00a0 \u201cSince you\u2019re evidently a bit distracted this afternoon, Eric,\u201d she continued calmly, \u201cI believe you should return to your seat and finish your work, instead of reciting with the rest of the class.\u00a0 You may show it to me before going out to recess.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, ma\u2019am,\u201d Hoss said gratefully.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll do my best.\u201d<\/p>\n

Miss Appleton laid her slender hand on his well-built shoulder, and her eyes swept the watching students as she spoke.\u00a0 \u201cYes, Eric, I believe you always do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss returned to his seat, noticing that smiles and friendly nods had replaced most of the nervous looks sent his direction earlier.\u00a0 Feeling his own tension ease, Hoss settled into his seat and made himself focus intently on the remaining arithmetic problems.<\/p>\n

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

For Hoss, the first week following the fight that was supposed to end all his problems was one of ups and downs.\u00a0 Monday and Tuesday had gone fairly well.\u00a0 Although Calvin Hulbert aimed an occasional barb at him, Hoss was able, at least most of the time, to deflect the jibes.\u00a0 He tried to think of clever comebacks for the other boy\u2019s stinging words, but not being a natural-born wit, sometimes he couldn\u2019t think of anything to say.\u00a0 Then he\u2019d just shrug his shoulders and grin and pretend he wasn\u2019t hurt, but the words still cut and sometimes, despite his best efforts to disguise it, the pain showed on his open face.\u00a0 It always eased, though, when he talked his troubles out with Pa, who questioned him each night about how things were going, offering comfort and counsel, along with words of encouragement and praise for Hoss\u2019s honest efforts to keep the peace.<\/p>\n

Wednesday brought a new challenge with the return of Walter Grogan to the classroom.\u00a0 Hoss decided to simply ignore Walter and hope Walter ignored him in return, but Cal Hulbert seemed determined to enlist the older boy\u2019s help in once more taunting their favorite prey.\u00a0 Walter finally brushed him off like a bothersome fly.\u00a0 \u201cLook, maybe you don\u2019t keep your bargains,\u201d he grunted, \u201cbut I do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Having overheard the exchange, Hoss took courage and walked up to Walter.\u00a0 \u201cHey, Walter,\u201d he said, holding out his hand.\u00a0 \u201cNo hard feelin\u2019s?\u201d<\/p>\n

Walter scowled back.\u00a0 \u201cYou beat me fair and square,\u201d he said, \u201cso I\u2019ll keep to what I promised, but that don\u2019t make us buddies, Cartwright.\u00a0 Just keep your distance, and I\u2019ll keep mine.\u201d<\/p>\n

Crestfallen, Hoss watched him turn his back and walk away.\u00a0 He\u2019d hoped that he might make amends with Walter, the way he had with Pete, but the prospects didn\u2019t look promising.\u00a0 Still, if Walter kept his bargain, that left only Cal to deal with, and Hoss figured he could handle one loudmouth.<\/p>\n

Hulbert tried to bait Hoss several times over the next two days, and Hoss almost yielded to the temptation to stuff the ugly words back in his mouth with a well-placed fist.\u00a0 Thoughts of Pete lying unconscious beside the creek were always enough, though, to quiet the angry thoughts\u2014that and a desire to keep his father\u2019s approval.<\/p>\n

On Friday Hoss came home wearing a wide grin.\u00a0 With his father\u2019s permission he had been visiting the Hanson ranch every day after school to take Pete his lessons, and the two boys had been working together, building a bond that Hoss hoped would continue.\u00a0 Pete wasn\u2019t a top student, but he did catch on to things more quickly than Hoss, who found it even easier to ask Pete questions than Miss Appleton.<\/p>\n

Doc Martin had stopped by that afternoon and had declared Pete fit enough to go back to school on Monday.\u00a0 Pete had given the obligatory groan at the thought of schoolwork, and Hoss had commiserated, as any decent friend would.\u00a0 Both boys really considered it good news, though\u2014Pete because even school was better than staying home in bed and Hoss because he now knew that Pete was going to be all right.<\/p>\n

He couldn\u2019t wait to tell Pa, who\u2019d left to deliver another load of lumber to Fort Churchill the morning before and was due back tonight.\u00a0 His impatience for his father\u2019s return, however, was nothing compared to that of their Chinese cook.\u00a0 Hop Sing ranted rebukes in Cantonese that everyone in the family understood, even though they couldn\u2019t translate the words.\u00a0 Finally, Marie had enough and began shouting back in French, while Hoss and Little Joe looked on speechless at the battle of foreign tongues.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, isn\u2019t this a pretty scene!\u201d Ben chuckled as he walked through the front door to the music of unintelligible shouting.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, mon mari<\/em>,\u201d Marie cried, her quarrel with Hop Sing forgotten in joy over her husband\u2019s return.<\/p>\n

Hop Sing was less forgiving.\u00a0 \u201cYou late,\u201d he scolded.\u00a0 \u201cLoast beef all dly up!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sure it\u2019ll be fine,\u201d Ben cajoled.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Hop Sing insisted petulantly.\u00a0 \u201cCook too long.\u00a0 All dly up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust serve it up and we\u2019ll eat it, dry or . . . otherwise,\u201d Ben replied, unable to think of the culinary opposite of dry.<\/p>\n

As the little cook stomped out to the kitchen to dish up the evening meal, Ben took his wife in his arms and kissed her tenderly.\u00a0 \u201cMiss me?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

Marie nuzzled against his broad chest.\u00a0 \u201cUmm, you know I did.\u00a0 I hate it when you are away, even a single night.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll make up for lost time tonight,\u201d Ben promised in her ear.<\/p>\n

A little hand was slapping his leg, demanding attention.\u00a0 \u201cPa!\u00a0 Hold me,\u201d Little Joe ordered.<\/p>\n

In a military frame of mind after his trip to the fort, Ben saluted his youngest son smartly.\u00a0 \u201cYes, sir,\u201d he declared.\u00a0 Then he laughed as he swooped the little boy into his arms.\u00a0 \u201cI missed you, too, little nuisance, yes I did!\u201d\u00a0 He walked to the sofa and sat down.\u00a0 \u201cHave you been a good boy, Little Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAlways good,\u201d Little Joe announced with a sturdy bob of his diminutive head.<\/p>\n

Ben rolled his eyes.\u00a0 \u201cOh, that good, eh?\u00a0 Good as always isn\u2019t such a high recommendation in your case, Joseph.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI been good,\u201d Joe affirmed, nodding and smiling.<\/p>\n

Ben laughed again and cradled the curly head on his shoulder.\u00a0 Turning toward Hoss, he asked the question with which he\u2019d greeted his son every evening that week except the one he\u2019d been away.\u00a0 \u201cHow did things go at school today, Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss snuggled close to his father\u2019s side.\u00a0 \u201cReal good, Pa,\u201d he said and, his voice rising with excitement, told the news he\u2019d longed to share.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat is good news,\u201d Ben agreed.\u00a0 \u201cYou think Pete will continue to be your friend after he comes back or will the Hulbert boy be too strong an influence on him?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we\u2019ll stay friends,\u201d Hoss replied.\u00a0 \u201cMe and Pete talked about that before I left today, and he says I treat him nicer than Cal ever did, so I think he\u2019ll stick with me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m glad to hear that, son,\u201d Ben said, easing Little Joe down to his knee, \u201cand I\u2019m proud of how you\u2019ve been handling yourself this week.\u00a0 As a matter of fact, I think you\u2019ve earned a little reward.\u201d<\/p>\n

A disgruntled Hop Sing shuffled to the edge of the dining room just then.\u00a0 \u201cSuppah leady; you eat\u2014now,\u201d he commanded, arms folded across his chest.<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s brows came together in a straight line, and he almost gave voice to the opinion that he would not be ordered about in his own home.\u00a0 Then, considering the likely consequences, he simply stood up and made his way submissively to the table, carrying Little Joe to his chair.<\/p>\n

After saying grace over a roast beef that looked tender and succulent, rather than dry, Ben smiled at his middle son.\u00a0 \u201cNow, about that reward I mentioned . . .\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss grinned and took a guess.\u00a0 \u201cCandy, I bet.\u00a0 You stopped in Carson City and bought me some candy, didn\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMe, too!\u201d Little Joe shouted.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, yes, candy for both of you,\u201d Ben chuckled, \u201cbut that isn\u2019t the reward. \u00a0This is something you will really enjoy, Hoss, and so will your mother.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, have I, too, earned a reward?\u201d Marie tittered.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou will\u2014later,\u201d Ben said with a naughty grin.<\/p>\n

Marie blushed and shook her head in gentle rebuke.\u00a0 Little Joe was too young to understand the thinly veiled allusion, but Hoss was a different matter.\u00a0 She would have to speak to Ben about making suggestive comments in front of their sons, however welcome to her ears.\u00a0 \u201cWhat is this reward we shall both enjoy?\u201d she asked, pointedly directing Ben\u2019s attention elsewhere than the bedroom.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou and Hoss and I are going to attend the opening of Virginia City\u2019s very first theater!\u201d Ben announced, eyes darting from one surprised face to the other.\u00a0 \u201cI heard about it at the fort and decided we shouldn\u2019t miss a historic event like that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTruly, Ben?\u00a0 A theater here?\u201d Marie squealed.\u00a0 \u201cQue magnifique<\/em>!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Hoss agreed, face beaming.\u00a0 He\u2019d heard that phrase enough to know what it meant, even if it was in French.\u00a0 \u201cWhen, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTomorrow night,\u201d Ben answered.<\/p>\n

\u201cMe, too!\u201d Little Joe screamed.\u00a0 He had noticed the omission of his name, and he never liked feeling left out.<\/p>\n

\u201cShh, hush now,\u201d Ben soothed, stroking the child\u2019s soft cheek with the back of his fingers.\u00a0 \u201cPa has other plans for you, baby.\u201d\u00a0 Seeing the concern in Marie\u2019s eyes, he hurriedly explained.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll be staying over at a hotel, so I\u2019ve arranged for Little Joe to spend the night with Katerina.\u00a0 That\u2019s why I was late getting home.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWanna go wif you,\u201d Little Joe sobbed, twisting tiny knuckles into his eye sockets.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere, there, mon petit<\/em>,\u201d his mother urged, gathering him into her lap.\u00a0 \u201cYou will like it better at Katerina\u2019s than in a dark theater, I am sure.\u00a0 She will probably make you some of her special cookies.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe peeked out through his fingers.\u00a0 \u201cAll for me?\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie laughed.\u00a0 \u201cOui<\/em>, all for you.\u00a0 I suppose it would be late to drive back after the play,\u201d she mused as the toddler began to settle down.\u00a0 \u201cYou are right, Ben; it would be best to spend the night in town.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you can go to church the next morning,\u201d Ben offered, \u201cand we\u2019ll have dinner in town\u2014make a grand day of it!\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie pressed slender fingers to her lips.\u00a0 \u201cOh, Ben, we cannot,\u201d she murmured.\u00a0 \u201cWe were to take dinner with Clyde and Nelly this Sunday.\u00a0 They are expecting us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot anymore, they\u2019re not,\u201d Ben assured her.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s another reason I\u2019m late.\u00a0 I stopped by their place, too, and though Nelly was disappointed at the delay, I assured her we\u2019d dine with them next Sunday without fail.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFor the next two Sundays,\u201d Marie announced exuberantly.\u00a0 \u201cThey will dine here the next week.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019ll like that,\u201d Ben said, smiling.\u00a0 Though Marie had been less than enthusiastic when he first proposed the compromise of alternating weeks at church with weeks with their friends, she had agreed, and seeing her attempt to be scrupulously fair, he began to think maybe the contrived solution might work out.<\/p>\n

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

Ben halted the buckboard before the building on the southeast corner of B and Sutton streets.\u00a0 Vaulting down, he quickly tied the reins to a hitching rail and held Marie\u2019s hand as she stepped down from the wagon.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll get us registered,\u201d Ben announced.\u00a0 \u201cThen you and Hoss can get freshened up while I drive the wagon to the livery and purchase the tickets for this evening\u2019s performance.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie nodded as she brushed dust from her forest green merino skirt.\u00a0 \u201cOui<\/em>, you should do that promptly.\u00a0 As it is the first night in Virginia City\u2019s first theater, tickets may sell out early.\u201d<\/p>\n

Seeing Hoss\u2019s anxious eyes, Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cWe can\u2019t have that, can we, son?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, sir, sure can\u2019t.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss shook his head vehemently.\u00a0 \u201cBetter get them tickets first thing, Pa!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben clucked his tongue as he took Hoss\u2019s chunky chin in his hand.\u00a0 \u201cSay \u2018those tickets\u2019 and I will.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss grinned, his nose scrunching up sheepishly.\u00a0 \u201c\u2018Those tickets,\u2019\u201d he repeated dutifully.\u00a0 Ben tousled the boy\u2019s windblown hair and, wrapping an arm around his broad shoulders, directed him up the steps to the Virginia Hotel, the leading hostelry in the city.<\/p>\n

Since his father had left as soon as the register was signed, Hoss carried both carpetbags upstairs to the room the Cartwrights had rented for the night.\u00a0 He set the plumper one at the foot of one double bed and his own beside the other.<\/p>\n

\u201cTake your suit out right away, Hoss,\u201d his mother directed as she opened her own bag.\u00a0 \u201cThe wrinkles need a chance to smooth out before we dress for supper.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDo I got to wear that suit?\u201d Hoss complained.\u00a0 \u201cIt pinches my shoulders.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOui<\/em>, I know,\u201d Marie sighed.\u00a0 \u201cYou grow so fast, mon ch\u00e9ri<\/em>.\u00a0 I am sure the other patrons of the theater will be well-dressed, though, and we do not wish to bring shame upon your father.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, ma\u2019am,\u201d Hoss sighed.\u00a0 With obvious reluctance he pulled his suit from the carpetbag and laid it out on the bed while, with equally obvious anticipation, Marie did the same for her own and Ben\u2019s evening clothes.\u00a0 Then she set about scrubbing the road dust from Hoss\u2019s face before attending to her own toilette.<\/p>\n

Both Marie and Hoss were clean and dressed in their evening attire when Ben returned, somewhat later than expected.\u00a0 Hoss jumped up from the bed on which he\u2019d been sitting.\u00a0 \u201cYou get there in time to get the tickets, Pa?\u201d he asked eagerly.<\/p>\n

Ben blew out an exasperated gust of air.\u00a0 \u201cIn time, yes, but I didn\u2019t get any tickets, son.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s face plummeted.\u00a0 \u201cWhy, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWere they expensive, Ben?\u201d Marie queried, resting a consoling hand on Hoss\u2019s shoulder.<\/p>\n

Ben tossed his hat onto the bureau.\u00a0 \u201cNot more than I expected.\u00a0 They ranged from two bits to a dollar, depending on the location of the seats.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie looked puzzled.\u00a0 \u201cThen, what happened, Ben?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben raked his right hand through the graying hair at his temple.\u00a0 \u201cWhile I was requesting the tickets, I mentioned that I needed three, one for myself, my wife and my son, and I was politely, but firmly, told that ladies were not to be admitted to the theater.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMa ain\u2019t welcome?\u201d Hoss asked, lips pressing into a thin line.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right, son,\u201d Ben explained.\u00a0 \u201cI talked to the manager, tried to find out the reason, but nothing he said made much sense.\u00a0 I couldn\u2019t seem to convince him that there were any real ladies in Virginia City, just the \u2018other kind.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss cocked his head.\u00a0 \u201cWhat other kind?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNever mind,\u201d Marie inserted quickly.\u00a0 \u201cWell, I am disappointed, of course, but perhaps you and Hoss will enjoy an evening with only men.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben drew both eyebrows up haughtily.\u00a0 \u201cDo you honestly think I would leave you here in a lonely hotel room while I pranced off to take pleasure elsewhere?\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie moved to his side, kissing his cheek tenderly.\u00a0 \u201cMais non<\/em>, not for your own pleasure, but this was to be a reward for Hoss, non<\/em>?\u00a0 And does he not still deserve it?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben took a step away.\u00a0 \u201cYes, of course, but I\u2019ll have to find some other way to reward his good behavior.\u201d<\/p>\n

The hopeful light that had flickered in Hoss\u2019s alpine eyes at his mother\u2019s words faded again when he heard his father\u2019s.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Marie insisted, her emerald eyes flashing.\u00a0 \u201cThere is no need to find another when this is what he wants.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI will not leave you alone!\u201d Ben declared stoutly, folding his arms across his chest.<\/p>\n

\u201cMais oui<\/em>, you will,\u201d Marie replied, her firmness matching his own.\u00a0 Smiling, she stroked his stubbly cheek.\u00a0 \u201cThere is no danger, Ben.\u00a0 The door has a sturdy lock, and I will not perish of loneliness in the few hours you will be away.\u00a0 You are sacrificing your wishes to mine tomorrow; let me be equally generous tonight, mon amour<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Seeing that Ben was at a loss for words, she moved authoritatively to the bureau and handed him his hat.\u00a0 \u201cNow you must go at once and get two tickets before they are sold out, and then you must visit a barber and get a fresh shave.\u00a0 I expect you to look your best and to take me to the finest restaurant in town for supper.\u00a0 That, monsieur<\/em>, is my fee for letting you leave my sight for an evening.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYour fee?\u00a0 You know what kind of woman charges a fee,\u201d Ben chuckled, chocolate eyes twinkling.<\/p>\n

\u201cBen!\u201d Marie protested with a quick, protective glance toward Hoss.<\/p>\n

\u201cMust be the angelic kind,\u201d Ben laughed, giving her a quick kiss of repentance.\u00a0 \u201cWouldn\u2019t you agree, Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss beamed with cherubic rapture befitting the offspring of a member of the heavenly host.\u00a0 \u201cThat Ma\u2019s an angel?\u00a0 Oh, yeah, Pa.\u00a0 I always knew that!\u201d<\/p>\n

Her laughter light as a tinkling silver bell, Marie bent to kiss him.\u00a0 Rising, she looked at her husband.\u00a0 \u201cHurry, please, Ben.\u00a0 There is no time for delay\u2014and buy the best tickets available for this best of sons.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben bowed elegantly.\u00a0 \u201cOui<\/em>, madame<\/em>; your wish is my command.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

As she leaned back against propped pillows, Marie curled her bare toes beneath the hem of her dressing gown.\u00a0 Though the day had been relatively warm, now that the sun had set, the temperature had dropped abruptly.\u00a0 She shifted slightly, searching for a more comfortable position.\u00a0 Though the Virginia House was the best Virginia City had to offer, there was little of which to boast in its accommodations.\u00a0 The choice of seating in the room consisted of one straight-backed chair, so she had chosen to recline on the bed, instead.\u00a0 Unfortunately, the lumpy mattress bore scarcely more resemblance to a comfortable lounge than the wooden chair, and Marie had spent a restless evening and predicted a restless night ahead.<\/p>\n

She turned the final page of the Territorial Enterprise<\/em>, which Ben had picked up on the way back to the hotel after buying the tickets for himself and Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cI had to settle for gallery seats,\u201d he had apologized to his son, \u201cand lucky to get those.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss, however, had seemed completely unperturbed by having to watch the stage from the cheapest seats in the house.\u00a0 Just being there was clearly enough for him.<\/p>\n

Marie smiled as she remembered the eager anticipation that had Hoss picking distractedly at his supper in a manner more reminiscent of his baby brother\u2019s mealtime behavior than his own.\u00a0 Sometimes she worried about his appetite, so much larger than that of other boys his age, but at just over one hundred pounds, Hoss loomed larger than any other ten-year-old in the territory in every other way, as well.\u00a0 Dr. Martin called his appetite normal and healthy and told her not to worry, but it was hard advice for a mother to follow.\u00a0 Tonight, though, she\u2019d found it easy to be unconcerned about his leaving half his meal on the plate; she viewed it as a good tonic for his stomach to have a lighter load to digest once in awhile.<\/p>\n

She, on the other hand, had eaten her own meal with relish.\u00a0 The Caf\u00e9 de Paris had served surprisingly good French cuisine, and she had stuffed herself to capacity on salad and escargot, leaving not so much as a leaf of lettuce or a crumb of delicious baguette.\u00a0 Walking back to the Virginia Hotel on Ben\u2019s arm under a clear, star-studded sky had provided the perfect end to the evening for Marie.\u00a0 Certainly, she was disappointed not to be with her family, but she knew that one look at Hoss\u2019s bright face when he returned would content her as much as hearing every line of the drama at the Howard Street Theater.\u00a0 Besides<\/em>, she thought with an amused smile, I am quite sure to hear every line six or seven times before we reach the Ponderosa tomorrow afternoon<\/em>.<\/p>\n

It hadn\u2019t been a bad evening, even though she was alone and less than perfectly comfortable.\u00a0 She\u2019d taken a long, luxurious soak in the tub down the hall and had read her Bible for a while before turning to the newspaper.\u00a0 Now, having finished that, there was really nothing more to do to pass the time, but she didn\u2019t want to go to sleep until Ben and Hoss returned.\u00a0 Hoss\u2014and probably Ben, too, who could be astonishingly childlike at times\u2014would be too excited to sleep until they\u2019d described every scene to her.<\/p>\n

Despite Marie\u2019s best intentions, however, her eyelids were drooping with heaviness when the grating of the key in the lock made her sit up and rub the sleepiness from her eyes.\u00a0 As the door opened, she spread her arms in welcome.\u00a0 \u201cAh, there are my boys,\u201d she said brightly, \u201cand I can see by the look on your faces that you have had a wonderful time.\u00a0 Come tell me all about The Toodles<\/em>.\u00a0 That is the play you saw, oui<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss bounced down on the bed next to her, wrapping long arms around her waist.\u00a0 \u201cOh, Ma!\u00a0 It was the best ever\u2014except for Pocahontas<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben and Marie exchanged an amused glance above the boy\u2019s head.\u00a0 For Hoss, nothing would ever surpass the memory of the first play he\u2019d ever seen\u2014at least, not until he grew beyond boyhood into the more earthy interests of adolescence.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt had everything, Ma,\u201d Hoss gushed on.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, yes,\u201d Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cDouble-crossing, lies, a hanging\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie stiffened.\u00a0 \u201cOh, Ben, I didn\u2019t think.\u00a0 Perhaps the theater was closed to women because of the subject matter of this play.\u00a0 We should have inquired before permitting Hoss to view it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAw, I could tell it was fake,\u201d Hoss assured her, \u201clike the fightin\u2019 in Pocahontas<\/em>.\u00a0 Wasn\u2019t nothin\u2019 to it, Ma.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s face was a canvas on which concern for his wife\u2019s parental sensitivities warred with offense that his own had been called into question.\u00a0 \u201cNo, of course not.\u00a0 I\u2019d have taken him straight out if I\u2019d seen anything inappropriate,\u201d he demurred defensively, hurrying on to say, \u201cTell her about Mrs. Toodles, son.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss guffawed.\u00a0 \u201cShe was somethin\u2019, Ma!\u00a0 If you was like her, Pa\u2019d have to sell the Ponderosa to pay the bill for this here hotel.\u201d<\/p>\n

The lines in Marie\u2019s face relaxed.\u00a0 \u201cShe spent money a bit too freely, I take it?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cA bit?\u00a0 Oh, you are severely understating the case, my love.\u00a0 Hoss has Mrs. Toodles pegged precisely right; the woman could not pass up an auction sale to save her life\u2014or her husband\u2019s pocketbook.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie tilted her head and gave him a teasing smile.\u00a0 \u201cI trust I have given you no cause for such complaint.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow could you,\u201d Ben teased back, \u201cwhen I keep you at least twenty miles from the nearest auction sale?\u201d\u00a0 He sat down on the bed beside her and kissed her cheek gently.\u00a0 \u201cNo, my love, you give me no cause whatsoever to complain, in that or any other area.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTell about that souse she had for a husband,\u201d Hoss said, leaning around his mother to speak to his father on her opposite side.<\/p>\n

Ben laughed and his eyes twinkled as he repeated his wife\u2019s earlier comment.\u00a0 \u201cI trust I have given you no cause for such complaint.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie giggled and shook her head, but Hoss frowned severely at his father.\u00a0 \u201cAw, quit foolin\u2019 around, Pa.\u00a0 Ma wants to hear about the Toodles.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIndeed, I do,\u201d Marie declared, her slender fingers gently massaging the boy\u2019s back, \u201cand I think you are the best one to tell me.\u00a0 There is too much foolishment, as Hop Sing would say, in this other child.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss beamed and launched into a recital of the woes of the Toodles family, including the virtuous daughter Mary, who suffered most by her parents\u2019 lack of self-control.\u00a0 Ben interrupted a few times to add a detail or comment on the caliber of the performance.\u00a0 When Hoss finally finished, Marie smiled.\u00a0 \u201cI can almost see the stage myself, you describe it so well, mon ch\u00e9ri<\/em>, but it is now very late, and it is time you were in bed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I ain\u2019t told about the afterpiece yet,\u201d Hoss protested, trying to blink the sand from his eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Swiss Swains<\/em> can wait \u2018til morning.\u00a0 Do as your mother says, boy,\u201d Ben stated firmly.\u00a0 \u201cInto your nightshirt and under the covers, quick as a wink.\u201d\u00a0 He ended with an exaggerated wink that made Hoss grin.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt wasn\u2019t exactly Shakespeare or grand opera, but you would have enjoyed the play,\u201d Ben told his wife while Hoss changed into his nightclothes. \u201cPhilip Westwood and the others are all seasoned actors, even his daughter Mercy, who played the part of Mary.\u00a0 I\u2019ve seen better, of course, and you\u2019ve seen much better in New Orleans, but not bad at all for a troupe out of Salt Lake City.\u00a0 An orchestra opened the performance, and I thought they were quite good, especially by local standards.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie giggled.\u00a0 \u201cLocal standards being so high, of course!\u201d\u00a0 She reached for the copy of the Territorial Enterprise<\/em>.\u00a0 \u201cStill, Virginia City is gathering all the accoutrements of a major city: its first theater and now this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben took the paper and scanned the article she pointed out.\u00a0 \u201cWell, I\u2019d consider it better news if having the newspaper move here to Virginia City didn\u2019t mean that Carson City would be losing it.\u00a0 Made it kind of convenient, having it so close to home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie fell back against the pillows, laughing.\u00a0 \u201cClose to home?\u00a0 Oh, Ben, Carson City is not \u2018close to home,\u2019 either.\u00a0 Nothing is!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben reached over and tweaked her nose.\u00a0 \u201cAnd that\u2019s the way I like it, madame<\/em>, far distant from the enticing temptation of all auction sales!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAh! and the, no doubt, more enticing temptation of purveyors of John Barleycorn,\u201d Marie tittered in response.<\/p>\n

Hoss grinned and snuggled into his pillow, soon drifting to sleep to the lullaby of his parents\u2019 soft laughter in the bed next to his.<\/p>\n

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

To the accompaniment of Hoss\u2019s rendition of The Swiss Swains<\/em>, the Cartwrights ate breakfast at Barnum\u2019s Restaurant the next morning.\u00a0 Marie smiled at her son as he finished recounting the story of Dame Glib\u2019s attempt to marry off her daughter Rosalie to a no-account named Swig and Rosalie\u2019s timely rescue by the unexpected return of her true love from war. \u201cA most romantic afterpiece, and again you have made it come alive for me, mon ch\u00e9ri<\/em>, but now you must finish your breakfast.\u00a0 It will soon be time for chapel.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s eyes narrowed for a moment as he wondered whether Marie would hold to their agreement that Hoss would not have to attend the service more than once a month.\u00a0 \u201cYes, son, finish your meal at once,\u201d he said, carefully watching his wife\u2019s reaction, \u201cand after we escort your mother to the chapel, we\u2019ll explore the changing sights of Virginia City, shall we?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s cheeks turned slightly rosy.\u00a0 \u201cUh, Pa, I was\u2014uh\u2014thinkin\u2019 maybe I\u2019d\u2014uh\u2014go along with Ma this mornin\u2019, if you don\u2019t mind.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was Marie\u2019s turn to check out Ben\u2019s reaction.\u00a0 She said nothing, but waited quietly for his response.<\/p>\n

Caught off guard, Ben simply stared in silence for a moment and then murmured, \u201cWhy, of course, son, whatever you prefer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s flush deepened.\u00a0 \u201cWell, it\u2019s just that I got some thank you\u2019s to say\u2014\u2019bout Pete, I mean\u2014and I kinda thought that\u2019d be a good place to say \u2018em.\u201d\u00a0 Keeping his eyes on his plate, he twiddled his fork through his scrambled eggs.<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s hand closed gently over his son\u2019s restless one.\u00a0 \u201cYou don\u2019t need a special reason, Hoss.\u00a0 Anytime you want to accompany your mother to church, you feel free.\u201d<\/p>\n

Head rising slowly, Hoss sent a shy smile toward his father and then his mother.\u00a0 He saw the light in his mother\u2019s eyes and knew she hoped his choice would be a permanent one, but Hoss felt in his own heart that it would not be.\u00a0 It was just as he\u2019d said: he wanted to say thanks to God for saving him from the horror of killing another boy.\u00a0 And though that was his only reason for wanting to attend church when he left the Ponderosa, Hoss also felt another motivation as he polished off the rest of his ham and eggs.\u00a0 He knew his mother had done him a good turn by letting him and Pa go to that theater where she wasn\u2019t welcome and he wanted to make it up to her.\u00a0 Right now, sitting next to her at church seemed like the best way.<\/p>\n

After leaving the restaurant, Ben watched as Hoss proudly took his mother\u2019s arm and guided her toward the chapel on the divide between Gold Hill and Virginia City.\u00a0 He felt a slight sense of abandonment as he turned to walk down C Street.\u00a0 Probably the way she felt that day we all walked off and left her<\/em>, he mused.\u00a0 That boy has a good heart, though, and he\u2019ll make the choice that\u2019s right for him, probably better than if we made it for him<\/em>.\u00a0 As for Joseph<\/em>\u2014Ben shook his head\u2014no, he didn\u2019t want to deal with that, or any other, problem this morning.<\/p>\n

He walked along the street, noticing all the new businesses springing up.\u00a0 The Territorial Enterprise<\/em> had good reason for its upcoming move to Virginia City, he decided, as the town on the hillside was rapidly becoming the population center of western Utah.\u00a0 By the time he\u2019d concluded his tour of the town, Ben had counted more than one hundred and fifty businesses, including the new theater and a music hall and four butcher shops\u2014probably ought to look into selling some of our beef to them<\/em>.\u00a0 Eight lawyers had hung out their shingles\u2014hope I never need to consult one of those<\/em>\u2014and six doctors were vying to provide medical care for the miners\u2014shouldn\u2019t need them; already got the best doctor in the territory a lot closer to home<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Turning back toward the chapel as the time to meet his wife and son drew near, Ben\u2019s steps took on a new buoyancy.\u00a0 It was happening, just as he\u2019d envisioned it long before.\u00a0 He\u2019d come west with dreams of building a new community, and although he hadn\u2019t expected a silver strike to be the means to that end, that community was being built.\u00a0 He\u2019d wanted to build a ranch, a solid heritage to pass on to his sons, and the Ponderosa was developing beyond his expectations.\u00a0 Most of all, he\u2019d wanted to build a home and Ben knew he could ask for no better than the one he now enjoyed.\u00a0 Three healthy, energetic, sound-hearted sons any man would be proud of and, finally, in Marie, a woman to share his dreams through all the years to come.\u00a0 While the journey toward his dreams had been long and costly, particularly in the loss of the women he\u2019d loved, Ben could see nothing on his horizon but clear skies and fluffy clouds.\u00a0 Beneath them, in his mind\u2019s eye, he walked arm in arm with his beautiful wife through verdant pastures into a future that glowed still brighter than this brilliant noonday in Virginia City.<\/p>\n

~ ~ ~ ~ ~<\/p>\n

Historical Notes<\/p>\n

On September 29, 1860, Virginia City\u2019s first theater, the Howard, opened.\u00a0 The plays described in this chapter were the ones presented that first night.<\/p>\n

CHAPTER TWELVE<\/p>\n

Rumblings of a Coming Storm<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Ladle in hand, Hop Sing paused beside Marie\u2019s seat at the table one evening in early October and looked with frustration in the direction of the front door.\u00a0 As another knock sounded sharply, his brow wrinkled yet more.\u00a0 Clearly torn between two self-imposed duties, that of serving the soup and of greeting all callers, he muttered irritably, \u201cWhy anyone come when family eat?\u201d\u00a0 Though it went against his opinion of proper serving etiquette, he started to set the bowl down on the table so he could respond to the summons at the door.<\/p>\n

Marie touched his arm gently.\u00a0 \u201cNo, you are busy, Hop Sing.\u201d\u00a0 She looked across the table.\u00a0 \u201cHoss, would you please answer the door?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss took the napkin from his lap and laid it on the table. \u00a0\u201cSure thing, Ma.\u201d\u00a0 He walked to the front door and opened it.\u00a0 \u201cHowdy,\u201d he said to the broad-shouldered man dressed in a matching gray frock coat, vest and trousers with a charcoal bowler perched over a fringe of straight black hair.<\/p>\n

The man smiled broadly, \u201cHowdy, young fellow.\u00a0 Would your father be Ben Cartwright?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss grinned.\u00a0 \u201cSure would.\u00a0 You wanna see him, mister?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI surely do, if it\u2019s convenient.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAsk the gentleman in, Hoss,\u201d Ben said as he rose from his chair.\u00a0 Moving behind his youngest son and his wife, he walked toward the unexpected caller.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome on in,\u201d Hoss repeated dutifully and closed the door behind the man when he stepped into the great room; then, eager to get on with the meal, Hoss headed back to his place at the table.<\/p>\n

Ben extended his hand.\u00a0 \u201cWelcome to the Ponderosa, Mr. . . .\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaynard, James Maynard,\u201d the man replied.\u00a0 \u201cI apologize for arriving so late in the day, sir, but\u201d\u2014his eyes, following Hoss, suddenly took in the table and those gathered around it.\u00a0 \u201cOh, dear, I am intruding, aren\u2019t I?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot at all, not at all,\u201d Ben assured him courteously.\u00a0 \u201cHow may I help you, sir?\u201d<\/p>\n

Mr. Maynard removed his hat.\u00a0 \u201cI had hoped to speak to you of a business opportunity, Mr. Cartwright, but I have no wish to disturb your meal.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie stepped quietly to her husband\u2019s side.\u00a0 \u201cHave you eaten, Monsieur<\/em> Maynard?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, no, ma\u2019am, I haven\u2019t,\u201d the man replied, the words leaking out awkwardly one by one.\u00a0 He hastened to add, \u201cI certainly didn\u2019t come seeking a meal, ma\u2019am.\u00a0 I\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut you\u2019ll join us, won\u2019t you?\u201d Ben urged, clapping the man\u2019s arm.\u00a0 \u201cI assure you there\u2019s plenty.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMais oui<\/em>, please dine with us, monsieur<\/em>,\u201d Marie added with a gracious smile.\u00a0 \u201cI will not allow you to refuse.\u201d<\/p>\n

Maynard laughed lightly.\u00a0 \u201cMa\u2019am, refusing is the furthest thing from my mind.\u00a0 Thank you very much.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie breezed back to the table.\u00a0 \u201cHop Sing, please bring another plate and silverware.\u00a0 Hoss, if you would please move to my place, Monsieur<\/em> Maynard will be better able to converse with your father.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay,\u201d Hoss agreed readily and moved quickly to the chair beside his baby brother, while Marie sat at the foot of the table, opposite her husband.<\/p>\n

Hop Sing, on the other hand, didn\u2019t move.\u00a0 \u201cHumph,\u201d he declared with open disdain.\u00a0 \u201cWhy Missy Cahtlight not tell Hop Sing man come fo\u2019 suppah?\u00a0\u00a0 How many mo\u2019 come?\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie stood and glared at the cook, arms akimbo.\u00a0 \u201cMonsieur<\/em> Maynard is our guest,\u201d she declared, face reddening and eyes snapping, \u201cand will be treated with respect.\u00a0 Now, do as I asked!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAllight, allight,\u201d Hop Sing sputtered, clearly aware that he\u2019d crossed the line in the eyes of the mistress of the house.\u00a0 \u201cI bling.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI apologize Mr. Maynard,\u201d Ben said as he gestured toward the seat his guest was to take.\u00a0 \u201cSometimes Hop Sing gets a little confused about who owns the Ponderosa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Maynard laughed huskily.\u00a0 \u201cI have a few workers like that myself, men who act like they own the Ophir, when it\u2019s\u2014but, again, I apologize for the untimeliness of my visit.\u00a0 I assure you I did not plan to arrive in the midst of your meal.\u00a0 I simply hadn\u2019t realized how long the ride would be from Virginia City to your ranch or how caught up I would become in examining your fine stand of timber.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hop Sing returned with a full place setting, which he meekly laid before Marie.\u00a0 She smiled and asked him to continue serving.\u00a0 Then she turned to the gentleman on her right.\u00a0 \u201cYou mentioned the Ophir, monsieur<\/em>.\u00a0 Are you the owner of that mine?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, ma\u2019am, not the owner,\u201d James Maynard responded quickly, \u201cbut I am the president of that enterprise, and it is in that capacity that I\u2019ve come to speak with your husband.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben spread his napkin in his lap.\u00a0 \u201cAbout timber?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hop Sing ladled the guest\u2019s bowl to the brim with the rich gumbo Marie had early taught him to prepare.\u00a0 After appraising the unfamiliar dish with a wary eye, Maynard plunged his spoon in with determination.\u00a0 \u201cPrecisely, Mr. Cartwright.\u00a0 I wish to speak with you about the purchase of timber as shoring for the mine.\u201d\u00a0 He drew the spicy broth into his mouth and, eyes alight, immediately dipped into the bowl for a second spoonful.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll be very pleased to discuss that with you, sir, but why don\u2019t we enjoy the meal first and discuss business later, perhaps over dessert?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAn excellent idea,\u201d the Ophir president said at once, as he set about draining every drop of gumbo from the bowl.<\/p>\n

When everyone had finished the soup course, Hop Sing removed the bowls and returned with a platter barely big enough to hold the large beef round, into which incisions had been cut and stuffed with a dressing of onions, butter and bread crumbs.\u00a0 \u201cWhat a beautiful piece of meat!\u201d Mr. Maynard exclaimed.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t think I\u2019ve ever seen anything quite like it.\u00a0 My compliments, ma\u2019am.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is Hop Sing who deserves the praise,\u201d Marie said, nodding toward the cook as he turned to bring in the side dishes.\u00a0 \u201cHe does all the cooking here, although, in this case, he is using my receipt for beef a la mode.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBeef a la mode,\u201d the man repeated.\u00a0 \u201cWell, if sight and smell are any indication, I\u2019m going to enjoy every bite.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Ben carved the roast and served a slice to each person at the table, Hop Sing bustled back and forth, bringing baked beets, potato pudding and creamed peas to round out the meal.\u00a0 In respect to Ben\u2019s wishes, the Ophir president did not again mention the business that had brought him to the Ponderosa.\u00a0 Instead, he discussed the growth of Virginia City, including several new businesses he had heard would be opening there soon.<\/p>\n

After cleaning his plate, Mr. Maynard leaned back with a contented sigh.\u00a0 \u201cI couldn\u2019t eat another bite.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie laughed lightly.\u00a0 \u201cBut you must.\u00a0 We are having Peach Charlotte for dessert.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd that, I assure you, is not to be missed,\u201d Ben added with a significant nod.<\/p>\n

Maynard groaned.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sure you\u2019re right, but I can\u2019t; I just can\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie smiled.\u00a0 \u201cPerhaps a short wait would restore your appetite.\u00a0 Ben, why do you and Monsieur<\/em> Maynard not adjourn to your office and discuss your business?\u00a0 Then, afterwards, you may feel ready for dessert.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s an excellent suggestion, my dear.\u201d\u00a0 Ben stood and pushed his chair beneath the table.\u00a0 \u201cShall we, Mr. Maynard?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTo be sure, to be sure.\u201d\u00a0 James Maynard, too, rose from his chair and followed Ben to the alcove where he handled the business affairs of the Ponderosa.\u00a0 Marie remained at the table to share dessert with the two boys before taking them upstairs to prepare for bed.<\/p>\n

Ben pulled a mate\u2019s chair around to the side of his desk, offering it to the mine president just before sitting in his own padded green leather one.\u00a0 \u201cNow, you said you were interested in buying timber, I believe?\u201d<\/p>\n

Maynard leaned forward, his calloused hands gripping his knees.\u00a0 \u201cVery interested.\u00a0 I hope you don\u2019t mind, but I did some scouting before I came tonight, and I was most impressed with what I saw.\u00a0 I like what I\u2019ve heard about your business dealings, and the Ophir can use all the timber you can supply, Mr. Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben stroked his chin thoughtfully.\u00a0 \u201cMay I ask what you\u2019ve heard\u2014and from whom?\u201d<\/p>\n

The mining president laughed.\u00a0 \u201cWhy, Mr. Cartwright, I believe you\u2019re fishing for compliments!\u00a0 Nothing mysterious about it, though.\u00a0 I heard about your supplying timber for Ft. Churchill, and I figure what\u2019s good enough for the United States Army is good enough for Ophir Mining.\u00a0 I made a few inquiries and heard nothing but descriptions of a man who could be trusted to be fair and honest and to fulfill any agreement he\u2019d ever made.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben could feel warmth creeping up his neck at the glowing words.\u00a0 \u201cWell, that\u2019s gratifying to hear,\u201d he murmured, \u201cbut surely you realize, Mr. Maynard, that my timber contract with the Army was the first I\u2019ve ever transacted.\u00a0 I am hoping to expand in that area, but this is still a very small operation, of only a few months\u2019 experience.\u00a0 You also need to understand that I believe in a very judicious cutting program, one that preserves the beauty and utility of the woodlands as a heritage for future generations.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA lofty ideal,\u201d Mr. Maynard observed, \u201cbut if you can give me free access to your timber, I can offer you tremendous profit as a heritage for the next generation of Cartwrights.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben pulled upright in his chair.\u00a0 \u201cI have a different kind of heritage planned for the next generation of Cartwrights, Mr. Maynard, one that is measured in values of far greater worth than monetary profit.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut you possess such vast resources, Mr. Cartwright,\u201d the Ophir president argued.\u00a0 \u201cWhy, you could sell me all I want and never notice what was taken!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled.\u00a0 \u201cExactly my intention, sir, to use my resources in such a way that no one ever notices the slightest difference in the Ponderosa, and that is precisely why I cannot promise to provide everything any buyer might want.\u201d<\/p>\n

Maynard laughed.\u00a0 \u201cWell, I see you cling to your ideals, Mr. Cartwright.\u00a0 I think you\u2019ll regret it in time to come, but while I\u2019m disappointed not to get all the timber I want from you, I would still like to have your Ponderosa supply whatever timber you are willing to sell.\u00a0 Shall we discuss the price, sir?\u201d<\/p>\n

After some spirited negotiation, the two businessmen came to an agreement and sealed it with a handshake.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll have everything put into writing and ready to sign by tomorrow afternoon,\u201d Maynard stated.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll meet you in your office at\u2014say, three o\u2019clock?\u201d Ben suggested.<\/p>\n

\u201cThree is fine.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben stood, laying a comradely hand on his guest\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cNow, how about sealing our bargain over Peach Charlotte and coffee?\u201d<\/p>\n

Though he still felt full to the seams, Maynard didn\u2019t feel he could courteously refuse.\u00a0 Marie had just carried a well-scrubbed and nightshirt-clad Little Joe downstairs, and the toddler demanded his usual after-dinner perch in Pa\u2019s lap.\u00a0 Hoss had also donned his nightshirt and come back downstairs to beg a second helping of dessert.<\/p>\n

Ben shook his head in mock dismay.\u00a0 \u201cMr. Maynard, I may yet have to sell you that extra timber you want, just to afford enough food to fill this boy\u2019s hollow leg!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAw, Pa,\u201d Hoss protested.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t eat that much.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, no,\u201d Ben admitted, \u201cexcept by comparison, maybe.\u201d\u00a0 He tweaked his youngest son\u2019s diminutive nose.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t suppose you could be persuaded to eat a second helping of Peach Charlotte, now could you?\u201d\u00a0 Little Joe just smiled and shook his head.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is no need to urge him when he ate such a good supper,\u201d Marie said lightly as she brought into the great room a tray with two cups of coffee and three dessert plates of sponge cake, topped with peach halves and sweetened cream.\u00a0 One look was sufficient to assure James Maynard that his courtesy was about to be rewarded beyond measure.<\/p>\n

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

Her golden curls fanned out across Ben\u2019s bare chest, Marie blew gently across his abdomen, but the familiar enticement did not bring forth the familiar response.\u00a0 Rolling back onto her own pillow, she stroked slender fingers along his breastbone.\u00a0 \u201cWhere are your thoughts tonight, mon mari<\/em>?\u201d she chided gently.<\/p>\n

\u201cHmm?\u201d\u00a0 For a moment Ben looked at her blankly; then he smiled and caressed her cheek with his thumb.\u00a0 \u201cSorry, my love, just thinking about the future\u2014and how ill-prepared I am to meet it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie rose up, concern reflected in her iridescent emerald eyes.\u00a0 \u201cSurely nothing is wrong, Ben?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben took her face between his palms.\u00a0 \u201cNo, no, of course not, my love.\u00a0 Everything is right.\u201d\u00a0 He again pulled her down to his chest and began the brush his fingers through her unbound hair.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe a little too right,\u201d he murmured.\u00a0 Feeling her head move against his flesh, he brushed a quick kiss on her forehead.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s just that I can see a lot of possibilities opening up before me and a lot of work I need to do so I can walk through those open doors.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou mean your business with Monsieur<\/em> Maynard, don\u2019t you?\u201d Marie asked, moving back to her pillow so she could see his face.<\/p>\n

Ben nodded.\u00a0 \u201cI can\u2019t keep hauling timber in our buckboard, not if the business is going to expand.\u00a0 I need a proper freight wagon, so I won\u2019t have to make so many trips back and forth to Virginia City.\u00a0 I think I can find what I need in Placerville; might even get lucky enough to locate one of the wagons John Studebaker used to make before he went back east again.\u00a0 I also want to hire some lumbermen, and the hill country might be the best place to look for them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie rose up on one elbow.\u00a0 \u201cWhen will you leave?\u00a0 Soon, I presume.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, right away,\u201d Ben agreed.\u00a0 \u201cI have to sign that contract tomorrow afternoon, but I\u2019d like to leave the next morning, if you think that\u2019s feasible.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie smiled.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll pack your bag while you\u2019re in town tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben pressed her shoulder tenderly.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry you can\u2019t come along.\u00a0 We wouldn\u2019t have time to go beyond Placerville, but I know you\u2019d like to see the Zuebners again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie sighed as she sank into the pillow.\u00a0 \u201cI understand, Ben.\u00a0 You need to travel quickly and be free to move about, but I don\u2019t think it would be wise for me to go, anyway.\u00a0 The weather is so unpredictable this time of year that I would worry about taking Joseph up into the mountains, and I hesitate to leave Hoss here alone, in case there is more trouble at school.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, don\u2019t fret,\u201d Ben urged, comforting her with gentle strokes of his fingers.\u00a0 \u201cEverything\u2019s been going well in that department, and there\u2019s no need to borrow trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I will not,\u201d she conceded, \u201cand you must not borrow trouble, either, worrying about the future and whether you are ready to meet it.\u201d\u00a0 She twined her fingers through the salt-and-pepper hair curling on his chest and smiled provocatively.\u00a0 \u201cThere are better things to think of, non<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are better things to think of, yes,\u201d Ben whispered and pulled her into his arms.<\/p>\n

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

Ben returned to the Ponderosa nine days later with mixed feelings about his trip to California.\u00a0 He\u2019d been successful in the business that took him there, having purchased the used Studebaker wagon he was now driving home and ordered a second freight wagon of a different make, something he would need if his new enterprise thrived as he hoped it would.\u00a0 He wouldn\u2019t pick that one up until spring, when he should be able to pay for it with his profits from the Ophir deal, and he thought there was a good chance that word-of-mouth might have brought in business from other mines by then, as well.\u00a0 He\u2019d hired a number of experienced loggers, who would be arriving within the week, and had spent his evening hours catching up with his old friends in Placerville.\u00a0 In all those ways, the trip had been both profitable and pleasurable.<\/p>\n

There had also been disturbing developments, however, and uneasy feelings had begun to wrestle in his breast even before he left Virginia City.\u00a0 He\u2019d heard talk on the street and in the saloon about the upcoming national election, and almost every word had been divisive.\u00a0 Southern supporters had been adamant that the election of Abraham Lincoln would mean immediate secession, while northerners just as hotly declared that no state had the right to leave the Union.\u00a0 Ben had kept his opinions to himself, knowing that his more moderate view that the conflict back east did not concern the citizens of western Utah would only be interpreted as riding the fence.<\/p>\n

In California, whose citizens, unlike those of a mere territory, actually had a vote in the election, the streets had only rung more loudly with angry words shouted back and forth.\u00a0 Ben was concerned that the situation might be even more volatile in the state capitol of Sacramento, and he wished he could have found the time to go there for a talk with Adam, to warn him to stay out of such discussions.\u00a0 It was just the kind of debate that bull-headed boy might recklessly join without thought of the consequences.<\/p>\n

Ben hadn\u2019t forgotten what his friend Josiah Edwards, back in St. Joseph, had told him about the dangers there of not being \u201csound on the goose.\u201d\u00a0 Most Californians might take the opposite view, but from the talk Ben had heard, he judged that the state of California and the territory of Utah were split about 60-40, in favor of the Union.\u00a0 Such nearly equal odds, Ben feared, might lead to real violence in the streets, come November, no matter how the election turned out.<\/p>\n

\u201cSixty-two miles\u2014a third of it by train, at that,\u201d he chided himself as he made the final approach toward the ranch, \u201cand I couldn\u2019t find the time!\u201d\u00a0 He shook his head.\u00a0 What was the point of reproaching himself?\u00a0 He honestly hadn\u2019t had a day to spare.\u00a0 He had a contract to fulfill and a new lumber camp to set up as quickly as possible, so he\u2019d done the only thing he thought he could by writing Adam a strongly worded letter and posting it from Placerville.<\/p>\n

Dusk was just beginning to fall when Ben drove into the Ponderosa ranch yard.\u00a0 Sitting on the wagon seat, he inhaled deeply.\u00a0 \u201cBeef stew, unless my nose deceives me,\u201d he observed with mild disappointment.\u00a0 Obviously, neither Marie nor Hop Sing had expected him today or there would have been something more lavish on the table.\u00a0 Well, it didn\u2019t matter:\u00a0 Hop Sing made terrific stew, and anything warm and filling would beat his own trail cooking.<\/p>\n

A curly head peeked around the barn door, and immediately afterward short legs came hurtling through the opening, accompanied by a wild scream of \u201cPa!\u201d\u00a0 Alarmed, Ben jumped from the wagon, for Little Joe was headed straight for the horses, as he always did whenever a new one entered the yard.\u00a0 A brawny arm caught the toddler before he\u2019d gone five steps, however, and Ben grinned with gratitude at his middle son.<\/p>\n

Hoss gladly relinquished Little Joe to his father\u2019s arms and went over to examine the new draft horses.\u00a0 \u201cThey sure look strong, Pa,\u201d he said, patting the broad side of the nearest animal.<\/p>\n

\u201cHave to be,\u201d Ben said, hoisting his baby on one arm so he would have a hand free to tousle Hoss\u2019s straight, sandy hair.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s a heavy wagon they\u2019re pulling.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss ran admiring eyes down the length of the wagon.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, we sure ain\u2019t never had nothin\u2019 that size \u2018round here, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben clapped the boy\u2019s sturdy shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cNope, never have.\u00a0 Get a good look at it, son; then stable the horses for me, all right?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, Pa, glad to.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMe, too,\u201d Little Joe insisted, stretching toward the wagon seat.\u00a0 \u201cMe look, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right, all right,\u201d Ben laughed as he lifted the child into the bed of the wagon.\u00a0 \u201cKeep an eye on him,\u201d he told Hoss.\u00a0 Seeing his wife exit from the house, Ben left the boys and hurried toward her.\u00a0 \u201cI suppose you want to climb all over the new wagon, too,\u201d he teased.<\/p>\n

Marie stood on tiptoe to press her smooth cheek against his sand-papery one.\u00a0 \u201cI would rather climb all over you,\u201d she whispered naughtily.<\/p>\n

Ben chuckled and, putting his arm around her waist, headed into the house.\u00a0 Inside, Marie took his hat and helped him off with his coat, and the couple exchanged a long, lingering kiss.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve missed you,\u201d Ben said as they came up for air.<\/p>\n

Marie laid her head on his shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cAnd I, you.\u201d\u00a0 Taking his hand, she led him toward the seating area near the fire.\u00a0 \u201cI see you found the wagon you wanted.\u00a0 Did everything else go as you hoped?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything and more,\u201d Ben said as he fell wearily into the mauve armchair by the fire.\u00a0 As Marie perched on the arm of the chair, he told her about ordering the second wagon and added, \u201cI figure by spring we may need to have two crews working, and Adam can take charge of the second.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut he\u2019s still so young, Ben,\u201d Marie mused.\u00a0 \u201cWill the men listen to a boy of seventeen?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s no ordinary boy of seventeen, and besides, he\u2019ll be eighteen by then,\u201d Ben proudly pointed out. \u201cThat\u2019s still mighty young to run a timber operation, of course, but I\u2019ll make it clear to the men that he\u2019s working under my authority, and I\u2019ll make it clear to young Adam that he is to give good heed to what those experienced lumbermen advise, as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHmm, perhaps,\u201d Marie murmured, though doubt still tinged her voice.\u00a0 \u201cI think you should give more thought to this before you decide, Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s already decided,\u201d Ben grunted with displeasure.\u00a0 \u201cIn fact, I\u2019ve already written Adam about it, so it\u2019s settled, Marie.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sparks flared in his wife\u2019s eyes.\u00a0 \u201cAt times like this, Ben, you don\u2019t make me feel much like Adam\u2019s mother, as you have always said I am!\u201d\u00a0 She flew to her feet and stormed up the stairs.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, you handled that real well,\u201d Ben muttered to himself with chagrin as he reached for his pipe.\u00a0 \u201cSo much for the sweet dreams you had of the perfect homecoming!\u201d\u00a0 Marie would forgive him eventually; of that he had no doubt, but no man could be expected to predict when.\u00a0 That fiery Creole temper of hers could blaze up out of nowhere and fade away just as quickly or, contrariwise, its embers might smolder for days after he\u2019d committed some marital offense.\u00a0 Having yearned for the warmth of her body all those nights on the trail, Ben fervently hoped the fire would fizzle out quickly tonight.<\/p>\n

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

Adam spread the two letters side by side on his desk, glowering at the one on the left.\u00a0 He\u2019d been tempted to wad it into a ball and toss it into the rubbish bin, but there had been some interesting news from home in it, along with all the sage advice on keeping himself out of political quarrels.\u00a0 As if he\u2019d needed that instruction!\u00a0 What did Pa think he was, some kid the age of Hoss or Little Joe?\u00a0 Didn\u2019t Pa credit him with a lick of common sense?\u00a0 Well, obviously he did or he wouldn\u2019t have written about my taking charge of one of the timber crews next spring<\/em>, Adam conceded.\u00a0 And as long as I\u2019m being honest, I might as well admit that\u2019s what really rankles me, Pa just assuming he can plan my life without giving a thought to what I want.\u00a0 Jamie, at least, understands I need to make my own decision<\/em>.<\/p>\n

He picked up the second letter.\u00a0 Odd that the two had arrived the same day, each of them with a different plan for Adam\u2019s future.\u00a0 Jamie Edwards had written excitedly about going to college next year.\u00a0 \u201cI know we\u2019ve talked about several schools,\u201d he\u2019d said, \u201cbut I\u2019ve decided Yale is the right choice for me, and I do so hope you will see your way clear to join me there, Adam.\u201d\u00a0 Jamie had gone on to explain that he felt called to the ministry and believed that Yale, with its ties to the Congregational Church, would be the best place to train for that vocation.\u00a0 \u201cIt is a forward-thinking institution, Adam, often ready to advance new ideas where other schools hesitate,\u201d Jamie had added persuasively.\u00a0 \u201cI feel certain you could achieve your goals there as well as anywhere, and you know how I would treasure being with you again.\u00a0 I will understand, though, if you feel you must make another choice.\u201d<\/p>\n

Attending college with his old friend had long been a cherished dream for the eldest Cartwright son, icing on the academic cake, so to speak.\u00a0\u00a0 He had only to glance at his father\u2019s letter, however, to be reminded that his dream for himself was totally different from the future his father conceived for him.\u00a0 Pa saw him throwing himself into building the finest ranch in western Utah, and there was nothing wrong with that future.\u00a0 In fact, it was the future Adam eventually envisioned for himself, but he wanted to broaden himself first, to learn more about the world and all it had to offer before he shut himself up in the confines of even so large a ranch as the Ponderosa was becoming.<\/p>\n

Pa ought to know<\/em>, he chafed.\u00a0 He ought to know his own son well enough not to just take it for granted that I want what he wants.\u00a0 He ought to ask.<\/em>\u00a0 Adam\u2019s innate sense of fairness added another thought, though: I ought to tell him, and I would if we could just sit down face to face.\u00a0 Doggone it, why couldn\u2019t he have taken one more day to come down here<\/em>?<\/p>\n

Feeling the anger surge inside again, Adam consciously focused his mind on the other letter.\u00a0 Yale.\u00a0 He had no objection to that school, but only Jamie\u2019s company there to recommend it.\u00a0 He really didn\u2019t know too much about the school, except that it was located in New Haven, Connecticut, and considered one of the top two or three colleges in the country.\u00a0 Maybe some of my professors went there or can, at least, give me their opinion<\/em>, he mused.\u00a0 I\u2019ll ask tomorrow<\/em>.\u00a0 He deliberately placed Jamie\u2019s letter on top of the one from his father.\u00a0 First things first: make the decision; then get Pa to agree to it.<\/p>\n

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

Fortunately, Marie\u2019s passion for a night of love proved as strong as Ben\u2019s, and her anger quickly cooled with his first overtures in bed that night.\u00a0 Afterwards, they lay entwined in each other\u2019s arms, flesh against bare flesh, in mellow mood.\u00a0 Ben tenderly kissed her responsive lips.\u00a0 \u201cThank you,\u201d he whispered.<\/p>\n

\u201cMmm, my pleasure,\u201d she murmured.\u00a0 She rolled her head back on his arm and smiled with just a hint of mischief.\u00a0 \u201cAre you in a good mood now, mon mari<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben stroked the line of her chin with his thumb.\u00a0 \u201cThe best you could imagine, young lady, so if you have misdeeds to confess, now would be the time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie\u2019s laugh tinkled softly in his ear.\u00a0 \u201cNot misdeeds, exactly, but I have committed you to something, and I hope I have not overstepped your wishes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben feigned a look of horror.\u00a0 \u201cOh, my, that does sound dangerous!\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie slapped his chest with a flat palm.\u00a0 \u201cBe still and listen, you infuriating man.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, ma\u2019am, whatever you say, ma\u2019am,\u201d Ben replied with a maddening grin.\u00a0 Then he chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cAll right, out with it, what have you committed me to, my love?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing so terrible as all that,\u201d she chided, sounding a trifle peeved.\u00a0 \u201cMonsieur<\/em> Maynard came to call again two nights ago, and he has invited us to a ball being held in Virginia City on Saturday night.\u00a0 He was most insistent, and I thought it proper to accept, as he is a new business associate, whose good will you no doubt wish to cultivate.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled, again stroking her soft face.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d have been glad of a chance to escort you to a ball, my love, with or without business interests at stake.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood,\u201d Marie said, snuggling into the curve of his arm.\u00a0 \u201cI think Hoss is old enough to watch over his little brother, with Hop Sing here in case of problems, don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUmm hmm,\u201d Ben agreed, his hand sliding down her neck, and as it continued its descent, he bent over to trace with his lips the trail blazed by his fingers.<\/p>\n

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

Ben pulled the buckboard to a stop in front of the frame building at the northeast corner of B and Union streets and looked askance at his wife.\u00a0 \u201cAre you absolutely certain you want to stay here?\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie dipped her chin demurely.\u00a0 \u201cOui<\/em>.\u00a0 If the proprietor of the International Hotel is to be our host tonight, we should reward him with our business, non<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben arched an eyebrow.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sure that was his intent, but I don\u2019t feel obligated to stay in an inferior hotel, just because someone holds a dance there.\u00a0 Look at the place, Marie\u2014nothing but whipsawed lumber!\u00a0 You know you\u2019d be more comfortable at the Virginia.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie gave him a smile of concession.\u00a0 \u201cOui<\/em>, we both would, but if the owner is trying to expand his business, should we not encourage that?\u00a0 After all, mon amour<\/em>, he would then need to add more rooms, and that would mean a purchase of lumber and . . .\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben threw his head back and laughed.\u00a0 \u201cIs that what you\u2019re doing, drumming up more business for me?\u00a0 You schemer, you!\u201d\u00a0 Despite his teasing, he was secretly pleased with her interest in promoting his business affairs.\u00a0 He jumped down from the wagon and came around the other side to help her down.\u00a0 \u201cFar be it from me to discourage a fellow entrepreneur, but let me warn you, my love, that the International Hotel is not likely to live up to its lofty name anytime soon.\u201d<\/p>\n

He took her arm and, together, they strolled between the wooden posts supporting the cover of the porch and through the narrow door into the lobby of the single-story hotel.\u00a0 A bar stood on one side of the room, but Ben steered his wife to the opposite wall, where the clerk behind the counter presented him with the register to sign.<\/p>\n

Taking their bag, Ben led the way down the hall.\u00a0 Although he\u2019d seen advertisements in the Territorial Enterprise<\/em> boasting that the International could accommodate one hundred and fifty guests, he counted only twelve rooms.\u00a0 He unlocked number seven, and his eyes swept the room as he entered.\u00a0 It was smaller than the one in which they\u2019d stayed at the VirginiaHotel, but otherwise the furnishings were comparable.\u00a0 \u201cWell, it shouldn\u2019t be too bad for one night,\u201d he conceded.<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course not,\u201d Marie replied.\u00a0 \u201cBen, I think we should eat a light supper as soon as possible, then come back here to change for the ball.\u00a0 There is likely to be a midnight supper, but we will be famished by then.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben took her hand and kissed it in continental fashion.\u00a0 \u201cWhatever you want, my love.\u00a0 I\u2019ll tend to the horses and we can leave as soon as I return.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

Marie looked into the small mirror above the washstand in room seven, holding a necklace of magnificent rubies in ornate gold settings around her neck.\u00a0 \u201cBen, could you fasten this for me?\u201d she called.<\/p>\n

Ben finished buttoning his burgundy brocade waistcoat and stepped behind her, taking the two ends of the necklace in his hands.\u00a0 \u201cSomeday I hope to give you jewels as rich as these,\u201d he murmured as he hooked the clasp.<\/p>\n

Marie turned and kissed his lips lightly.\u00a0 \u201cYou have given me much more than these baubles from a man who wanted only to use me to entice men for his own profit.\u00a0 They carry bad memories, but they do set off the gown well.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou set off the gown,\u201d Ben said, his eyes scanning with approval how well she filled out the off-the-shoulder, rose-coral satin.\u00a0 \u201cThis is my favorite, and you wear it so rarely.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie smiled as she touched the bare flesh above the gold filigree braid edging the plunging neckline.\u00a0 \u201cThere is little call for such attire here, but if it pleases you, I am glad I chose it tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt pleases me,\u201d Ben whispered, brushing his lips against her soft shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll be the envy of every man downstairs tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie laughed, her cheeks rosy at the compliment.\u00a0 \u201cThen put on your frock coat, Monsieur<\/em> Cartwright, so we may give you that pleasure.\u201d<\/p>\n

As they left, another couple came out of room six.\u00a0 \u201cBon jour<\/em>,\u201d Marie said pleasantly as she and Ben waited for the other couple to precede them. The other woman, dressed in a gray silk frock with leg-of-mutton sleeves and wide cuffs of white lace, nodded coolly and turned her back with almost abrupt haste.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, evidently you\u2019ll be the envy of every woman tonight, as well,\u201d Ben whispered in his wife\u2019s ear.<\/p>\n

Marie glowered at him, breaking into tinkling laughter at the persistent twinkle in his eyes.\u00a0 \u201cYou are tr\u00e8s gauche<\/em>,\u201d she chided.\u00a0 \u201cI knew I should have made you study that dance manual more diligently.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHeaven forbid!\u201d Ben cringed in mock horror.\u00a0 Though he had skipped most of the sections on etiquette, the book which his wife had brought from New Orleans had been quite helpful in brushing up on some of the popular ballroom dance steps, as had her practice session with him, to the accompaniment of Hoss\u2019s off-key humming, last night.\u00a0 Not since his days of courting Elizabeth had he attended any gathering even approaching the formality of tonight\u2019s affair.\u00a0 With Inger, there had been nothing grander than a trailside square dance when they passed in proximity to another wagon train, and even the dances he and Marie had attended here in western Utah had been simple community affairs.<\/p>\n

They went down the stairs to the basement, which housed the hotel kitchen and dining room.\u00a0 The tables had been moved to one side, to make room for dancing, and Ben noted that they were covered with white tablecloths.\u00a0 \u201cEvidently, they\u2019ve read the book,\u201d Ben muttered, although he doubted that the International Hotel would be serving the tongue sandwiches or other fancy fare the dance manual had recommended for a late supper at a ball.<\/p>\n

Ben was suddenly aware that most of the conversation in the room had died to a hush as they entered.\u00a0 The men were openly staring at his wife.\u00a0 Nothing surprising about that, of course.\u00a0 Marie turned heads wherever she went, and she looked exquisite tonight, a vision of elegance the miners and businessmen of Virginia City had likely never seen before.\u00a0 He was completely unaware of the approving glances the few women there sent his direction, but Marie saw them and smiled with pride.<\/p>\n

\u201cMarie!\u201d\u00a0 A rustle of taffeta rushed toward them, followed by a man rubbing the inside of his stiffly starched high collar.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Eilley, how good to see you,\u201d Marie cried as she touched cheeks with the plumpish Scotswoman.\u00a0 \u201cI haven\u2019t seen you since those dreadful days at Ft.O\u2019Riley.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll thank you not to be reminding me of that horrid old stone hotel,\u201d Eilley laughed.\u00a0 \u201cIf I\u2019d had to stay in that dark place one more day, I\u2019d\u2019ve been marching off after those Paiutes myself.\u00a0 We have a nice two-story house in Gold Hill now\u2014nearer to the mine, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben was shaking her husband Sandy\u2019s hand.\u00a0 \u201cI understand that mine of yours is doing very well,\u201d he commented.<\/p>\n

\u201cYah, sure is,\u201d Bowers returned jovially.\u00a0 \u201cTen thousand dollars a month it\u2019s bringin\u2019 in.\u201d<\/p>\n

Eilley rapped the back of his hand with her fan; then she opened it to shield her face as she whispered conspiratorially to Marie, \u201cMen!\u00a0 No sense of appropriate conversation whatsoever.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie clucked her tongue playfully in Ben\u2019s direction.\u00a0 \u201cYou are so correct.\u00a0 I tried to interest Ben in the etiquette section of my dance manual, but\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, do you have one?\u201d\u00a0 Eilley almost shrieked her excitement.\u00a0 \u201cI would so like to read it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou may borrow it any time,\u201d Marie said, ignoring the men, who were both rolling their eyes toward the ceiling.<\/p>\n

As a trio of violins began to play a lively tune, Ben extended his hand to his wife.\u00a0 \u201cIt would be a quadrille,\u201d he moaned, \u201cbut I\u2019d best stake my claim for a dance before the rest of the men come out of that stupor you\u2019ve cast them in and start a new rush.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll do fine,\u201d Marie assured him as they joined a set of dancers for the lively series of steps she\u2019d coached him on the night before.<\/p>\n

True to Ben\u2019s prediction, the men overcame their temporary shyness after the first dance, and only rarely did Ben partner with his own wife the rest of the evening.\u00a0 In fact, most of the time, he found himself without a partner, for there were only twelve women present, and he felt foolish dancing with another man in a dress suit, although that was standard practice in a territory perennially short of female partners.\u00a0 \u201cThe dance manual definitely wouldn\u2019t approve,\u201d he excused himself.<\/p>\n

He spent the dances he sat out in polite conversation with other similarly deprived gentlemen, including James Maynard and Isaac Bateman, one of the proprietors of the International Hotel, but it was becoming increasingly difficult to avoid discussions on the one subject he wished above all others to avoid.\u00a0 With the national election less than a month away, the thoughts of many were centered on political divisions.\u00a0 When asked his opinion, Ben merely stated that he was more interested in the establishment of effective local government for western Utah.\u00a0 That being a popular topic, as well, in most cases he successfully steered the conversation to safer ground.<\/p>\n

\u201cTake your places for the Virginia reel!\u201d\u00a0 The loud announcement made Ben spin quickly to see if his wife were close enough to snare for the traditional dance, one with which he felt immeasurably more confident than the quadrille.\u00a0 Spotting her at the opposite side of the room, he immediately abandoned hope, but Eilley Bowers was just a few steps away, so Ben appropriated her from her heavily panting husband, who seemed grateful for a chance to sit out the set.\u00a0 With Eilley on his arm, Ben moved to the end of the line of dancers.<\/p>\n

Suddenly, another voice rang out.\u00a0 \u201cWe don\u2019t wanna dance no reel from the slave-holdin\u2019 state of Virginny that\u2019s threatenin\u2019 to leave the Union when our man Lincoln is elected!\u201d came the belligerent cry.\u00a0 Southern sympathizers bellowed back in irate response, and northerners, with equal fervor and increasing volume, supported the sentiments of the man standing in front of the musicians.\u00a0 The two factions began moving toward each other.<\/p>\n

Ben rushed forward, waving his hands for their attention.\u00a0 \u201cGentlemen, gentlemen,\u201d he reproved.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re here to dance, not to debate eastern issues that don\u2019t affect us out here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWho says they don\u2019t?\u201d demanded a man with a strong southern accent.<\/p>\n

\u201cAin\u2019t a Union man here will dance to that secesh Virginny reel,\u201d cried the man to Ben\u2019s left, who had started it all.\u00a0 Loud shouts and pumping arms expressed the agreement of half the men in the room.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen let\u2019s dance the Virginia City reel!\u201d Ben shouted enthusiastically at the top of his lungs, thrusting both arms toward the ceiling for emphasis.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right,\u201d yelled Eilley Orrum Bowers, who had followed her partner to the front of the room.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll just jump the claim of that eastern state and make the dance our own, and any man who refuses to dance the Virginia City reel won\u2019t get another turn around the floor with me\u2014or any other woman here.\u00a0 Are you with me, ladies?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re with you!\u201d shouted a local laundress with the brawn to make good any pronouncement she made.\u00a0 The other ladies were too refined to make a verbal response, but all ten of them applauded their support of Eilley and the laundress.<\/p>\n

The man who had originally opposed the dance caved quickly.\u00a0 \u201cAll right, then, I\u2019ll dance the Virginia City reel,\u201d he announced, extending a hand toward Mrs. Bowers, \u201cif this lady will do me the honor.\u201d<\/p>\n

Eilley shot an apologetic glance at Ben, and when he nodded, she smiled back at the other man and took his hand.\u00a0 \u201cMy pleasure, sir.\u201d\u00a0 With a gaping grin, the man led her to the head of the line.<\/p>\n

Marie, who had been slowly making her way to the front during the heated exchange, reached for Ben\u2019s hand.\u00a0 \u201cWill you share this dance with me, monsieur<\/em>?\u201d she requested with a demure curtsey.<\/p>\n

Ben took her hand, but as he escorted her into the second position in the line, he whispered in her ear, \u201cThe manual would not approve of a lady asking a gentleman to dance, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie giggled.\u00a0 \u201cNo, nor does the dance manual give instructions on how to avoid a ballroom brawl.\u00a0 You were inspired, mon mari<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBy your grace and beauty, my love.\u201d\u00a0 He smiled suavely and bowed as the violins struck the first chords of the newly christened Virginia City reel.\u00a0 As first one couple and then another sashayed through the steps of the reel, Ben congratulated himself on the quick thinking that had avoided a seemingly unavoidable altercation.<\/p>\n

When the couple at the foot of the line made their final slide under the arched arms of the other dancers to conclude the dance, the southerner partnered with Eilley Bowers returned her to Ben and bowed to Marie.\u00a0 \u201cWould you do me the favor, ma\u2019am?\u201d he asked.\u00a0 \u201cAin\u2019t had a chance to dance with you all night.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMais oui<\/em>,\u201d Marie replied pleasantly, taking the hand he extended.<\/p>\n

The man positively glowed.\u00a0 \u201cYes, ma\u2019am, we sure may.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie laughed softly, but did not correct the man\u2019s misinterpretation of what she\u2019d actually said.<\/p>\n

Ben smiled at Eilley.\u00a0 \u201cWell, it appears I\u2019ll get to dance with my charming\u2014and crafty\u2014neighbor after all.\u201d<\/p>\n

Eilley beamed with pleasure at the compliment, but shook her head.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m winded, Ben.\u00a0 Could we take a cup of punch, instead?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben hooked her arm through his elbow.\u00a0 \u201cAs it happens, madam, I\u2019m feeling winded myself.\u00a0 By all means, let\u2019s have a cup of punch.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Ben and Eilley headed for the refreshment table, the violins struck up the slower music of a waltz, giving the dancers more opportunity for conversation.\u00a0 \u201cYou sure got a musical way of talkin\u2019,\u201d Marie\u2019s partner commented after they had exchanged a few pleasantries.<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, you mean my French accent,\u201d Marie said with a smile.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat where you\u2019re from, ma\u2019am, Paree, France?\u201d the man asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, no,\u201d Marie explained.\u00a0 \u201cI am of French ancestry, but born in New Orleans.\u201d<\/p>\n

The man dropped her hand as if her flesh had scorched his palm.\u00a0 \u201cNew Orleans, Louisiana?\u201d he snorted.\u00a0 \u201cThat slave-holdin\u2019 abomination!\u00a0 No wonder your man was so quick to defend that secesh dance.\u00a0 Got hisself a secesh wife!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMonsieur<\/em>, please,\u201d Marie hissed.\u00a0 \u201cThere is no need to bring politics into a social occasion.\u201d<\/p>\n

The man\u2019s nostrils flared, and Marie almost visualized smoke pouring from them.\u00a0 \u201cAnd no need for me to stay in the company of a secesh hussy, neither,\u201d he bellowed.<\/p>\n

A man who had been on the verge of cutting in grasped the man\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cYou dare insult a flower of Southern womanhood, sir?\u00a0 Not while there is a Southern gentleman at hand to defend her honor!\u201d\u00a0 Marie\u2019s self-appointed defender drew back his fist and slammed it into the nose of the man who had insulted her.\u00a0 Couples dancing nearby broke apart as the men surrounded the brawlers, and several, overhearing the shouted accusations being exchanged, determined the fight was drawn along sectional lines and added their own voices and fists to the controversy.<\/p>\n

Marie stepped back, horrified.\u00a0 \u201cGentlemen, please,\u201d she begged, but no one heeded her pleas.\u00a0 Suddenly, Ben was at her side, pulling her away from the fray.\u00a0 \u201cOh, Ben, stop them,\u201d she implored.\u00a0 \u201cI cannot be the cause of this.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou aren\u2019t,\u201d Ben protested, but one look at her distraught face was enough to send him plunging into the m\u00eal\u00e9e.\u00a0 At first he tried to pull the combatants apart, but soon found himself the target for a hail of fists from all directions, as the fighters lost track of which side each was on.\u00a0 Men who had no idea what had started the fracas joined in for the sheer excitement of battle, and what had been a sectional conflict degenerated into an all-out brawl.<\/p>\n

The women gravitated toward each other and stood in huddled horror, the bolder ones shouting at the men to stop.\u00a0 Their voices went unheard above the general hubbub, as did that of the hotel\u2019s two proprietors, pleading that the quarrel be taken outside to spare the china and crystal in process of being set out for the midnight supper.\u00a0 Nothing stopped the men wrestling on the floor until the explosion of a pistol made everyone freeze in place.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you fools?\u201d demanded the man in the doorway.\u00a0 \u201cDidn\u2019t you hear the disaster bell?\u201d<\/p>\n

Spotting Jim Maynard, the grim-faced miner bolted toward him.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s a cave-in, Mr. Maynard\u2014in the Ophir\u2014seventeen men trapped.\u201d<\/p>\n

Differences forgotten, every man in the room rushed out behind the president of the Ophir Mining Company.\u00a0 Whether they worked in that mine themselves or whether they even knew someone who did, they felt a communal interest in saving the lives of the trapped men.\u00a0 The only men left in the room were the proprietors of the International Hotel, one of them holding the pieces of a broken platter in his hands.\u00a0 \u201cA disaster, a total disaster,\u201d Andrew Paul moaned, and he wasn\u2019t referring to the cave-in at the mine.<\/p>\n

\u201cIndeed!\u201d declared the woman in gray silk as she shot a disdainful look at Marie.\u00a0 \u201cDo you take pleasure in inciting men to fight over you, ma\u2019am?\u00a0 Is it as exciting as enticing men for profit?\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie gasped, suddenly understanding the scorn she\u2019d seen in the woman\u2019s eyes when they met in the hall.\u00a0 Obviously, her private conversation with Ben had carried through the paper-thin walls separating their rooms.\u00a0 \u201cNo, you have misunderstood,\u201d she began.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I think not!\u201d the woman asserted with an arrogant lift of her chin.\u00a0 \u201cYour attire reveals your intent quite clearly.\u201d\u00a0 She slowly lowered her gaze to Marie\u2019s deep d\u00e9colletage.<\/p>\n

Marie\u2019s cheeks flamed with embarrassment and outrage.\u00a0 She started to protest her innocence, but seeing the haughty expressions of every woman except Eilley Bowers, she knew the titillating gossip had already been spread\u2014and believed.\u00a0 Furious, she drew back her hand and slapped the other woman across the cheek.\u00a0 \u201cHow dare you?\u201d she demanded hotly.<\/p>\n

Hands flew to the faces of the other women, and this time even Eilley looked shocked by the breach of conduct.\u00a0 Andrew Paul flew between Marie and the woman in gray.\u00a0 \u201cLadies, please\u2014the china,\u201d he pleaded.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, bother your precious china!\u201d Eilley snorted.\u00a0 \u201cNothing\u2019s going to happen to it.\u00a0 Now, I suggest we use our energy to better purpose than quarreling, ladies.\u00a0 Those men digging out the trapped miners are going to be exhausted and starving by the time the job is done, and there will be wives and mothers at the mine entrance, waiting for word of their loved ones.\u00a0 Let\u2019s package up this fine supper our hosts have prepared, if they agree, and take it down to the Ophir!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, yes, anything that will help,\u201d Paul babbled and his partner concurred.\u00a0 Though inwardly bemoaning the waste of refreshments intended to demonstrate the quality of fare at their hotel, they viewed Eilley\u2019s plan as the best way to prevent further destruction of their property.\u00a0 Besides, both recognized the woman making it as the wife of a wealthy mine owner, just the type of clientele to which they wished to cater, and for the sake of future business, would have acquiesced to any suggestion she made.<\/p>\n

\u201cAn excellent proposal,\u201d the woman in gray announced, \u201cjust what one would expect from a refined lady, such as yourself.\u201d\u00a0 As the other women moved toward the kitchen to lend their aid to the project, she turned a haughty gaze on Marie.\u00a0 \u201cWe won\u2019t require your help; the men aren\u2019t in need of your particular services tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie felt a sudden urge to jerk the woman\u2019s teeth from her mouth, but for the sake of the other women and the work they had to do, she controlled herself and, still seething, drew herself to her full, though petite, height and strode briskly from the room.\u00a0 Climbing the stairs, she headed first for her room.\u00a0 Then, remembering that Ben had their key, she went to the desk clerk and demanded he unlock the door for her.\u00a0 Taking only her cloak from the room, she immediately left the hotel and walked toward the mine.\u00a0 Though her help was evidently not welcome, she also had a man in that mine tonight, and she would not allow any woman\u2019s scorn or any amount of gossip to keep her from being at the mouth of that mine when Ben emerged.<\/p>\n

The hours passed slowly and anxiously for every woman with a man below ground, and as the ebony of night gave way to the gray haze of pre-dawn, Marie grew increasingly concerned.\u00a0 She was shivering from cold and aching from hunger, for pride had kept her from eating any of the food brought by the women who had disdained her help in preparing it.\u00a0 She had offered what words of comfort she could to the other women with loved ones in the mine, but even to her ears the words sounded hollow, without force of conviction.<\/p>\n

The crowd of onlookers gradually drifted away, leaving only those with personal concern for those below ground.\u00a0 The hours gave Marie ample opportunity to think about everything that had happened that night, and her sense of shame grew with the passing minutes.\u00a0 What that insufferable woman in room six believed about her was untrue, at least in the sense it had been meant.\u00a0 Marie could not, however, help looking back on her past through the eyes of those women of Virginia City.\u00a0 Was the truth so much more virtuous than the lie?<\/p>\n

She had been young and foolish when she allowed her cousin Edward to use her beauty to attract men to his gambling salon, where they were encouraged to risk beyond their means, but she had known it was happening and never once questioned the morality of her participation.\u00a0 Now she feared the foolishness of her youth would destroy her reputation, and while she cared little for her own sake, having endured such scorn before, she dreaded it for that of her husband and their sons.\u00a0 \u201cAnd I had hoped to be such a help to him,\u201d she moaned, hiding her face in her hands.\u00a0 She had seen herself using her charm to attract new business for her husband, but was that so different from what she had done for Edward?\u00a0 She closed her eyes and her mind to the disturbing question.<\/p>\n

Still the minutes dragged past, and it was a short journey from regretting how her past might affect Ben\u2019s future to dreading a future without him.\u00a0 How would she raise his sons?\u00a0 How could she fulfill his vision for the Ponderosa?\u00a0 Impossible without him, impossible even to imagine life without him.\u00a0 Shame gave way to anger at the man who had needlessly risked their future by recklessly racing into the bowels of the earth.\u00a0 That, at least, was a gamble she had played no part in encouraging!<\/p>\n

When the hoisting bell rang, the women rushed forward, each desiring to see one particular face.\u00a0 Glad cries greeted each man who surfaced, and those with wives or mothers were immediately engulfed in embraces almost strong enough to choke them.\u00a0 As face after face appeared, without revealing the one she most longed to see, Marie bit down on the knuckles of her right hand.<\/p>\n

Two final faces eventually emerged, black with grime, sweat paving paths down their cheeks, but Marie recognized the features she loved beneath the dirt and ran to throw her arms around her man.\u00a0 The mine owner, who had come out last with Ben at his side, moved quickly toward two women still waiting, and as he did, the hope died in their eyes.<\/p>\n

Marie pulled back from the embrace and pounded Ben\u2019s chest with her fists.\u00a0 \u201cHow could you?\u201d she demanded, unleashing her pent-up emotions.\u00a0 \u201cYou could have been killed!\u201d<\/p>\n

Momentarily taken aback, Ben stared at her fierce countenance.\u00a0 \u201cMarie, I had to,\u201d he protested.\u00a0 \u201cThere were lives at stake.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYour life,\u201d she fumed.\u00a0 \u201cYour life was at stake.\u00a0 I am so angry with you!\u201d\u00a0 Bursting into tears, she fell against his chest.\u00a0 \u201cOh, Ben!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s arms tightened around her.\u00a0 \u201cMy love,\u201d he whispered.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s all over now, and I\u2019m fine, Marie.\u201d\u00a0 He felt her head move up and down against his chest, and as she sobbed out her fear and frustration, he simply held her.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s all right, my love,\u201d he whispered over and over, stroking her straggling hair with his blackened hands.<\/p>\n

Growing quiet, Marie pulled back and looked inquiringly into Ben\u2019s face, although she was certain she already knew the answer to her unspoken question.<\/p>\n

Ben took her face in his hand.\u00a0 \u201cWe saved all but two,\u201d he croaked hoarsely, dust clogging his throat.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s considered a light loss in a situation like this, I understand.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut scarcely light to those who suffer it,\u201d Marie murmured with a sympathetic glance at the stricken women.\u00a0 Only moments before she had feared what they now faced, and the memory intensified her empathy.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u201d\u00a0 Ben took her face in his hands and gazed at her reproachfully.\u00a0 \u201cHave you been out here in this cold air all night?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere else would I be?\u201d she asked softly.<\/p>\n

Ben tenderly kissed her forehead, leaving behind a soiled imprint of his lips.\u00a0 \u201cYou make me so proud.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Ben,\u201d she sighed, fearing his opinion would change when she told him all that had transpired after he left the ballroom.\u00a0 Now was not the time, however.\u00a0 Ben was exhausted and probably hungry, and none of the food brought from the party remained.\u00a0 \u201cYou must be starving,\u201d she whispered.\u00a0 \u201cShall we get some breakfast?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s clean up a bit first, shall we?\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie smiled softly as she looked down at the stains his embrace had left on her gown.\u00a0 \u201cOui<\/em>, I think we both need a bit of cleaning.\u201d\u00a0 Slipping her arm into his, she turned toward the International Hotel.<\/p>\n

An hour or so later, the freshly scrubbed Mr. and Mrs. Cartwright were seated, at Marie\u2019s suggestion, at a table in Barnum\u2019s Restaurant.\u00a0 Though she had not yet shared anything with Ben, she had no desire to encounter in the hotel dining room any of the women who had witnessed her disgrace the night before.<\/p>\n

Halfway through a tasty meal of antelope steak and eggs, the president of Ophir Mining came in.\u00a0 Spotting Ben, he made his way to their table.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m glad I ran into you, Cartwright.\u00a0 I wanted to say again how much I appreciated your help last night.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben stood to shake his hand.\u00a0 \u201cNot necessary, I assure you.\u00a0 Won\u2019t you join us?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy, thank you, I will,\u201d Maynard said.\u00a0 Eyeing Ben\u2019s platter with interest, he ordered the same thing.<\/p>\n

Marie, who had almost finished her smaller plate of ham and eggs, laid her fork down and leaned toward the man at her left.\u00a0 \u201cDo accidents such as the one last night happen often, Monsieur<\/em> Maynard?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFar too often, ma\u2019am,\u201d the mine president admitted sadly.\u00a0 \u201cAs your husband had a chance to see last night, we have a unique engineering problem in the mines here on the Comstock, unlike any encountered before.\u00a0 You see, the deeper we go, the wider the silver veins become, and the harder it is to provide adequate shoring for the roof of the tunnels.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSurely, there must be a solution,\u201d Marie observed.<\/p>\n

Maynard nodded firmly.\u00a0 \u201cThere must be, and I\u2019m going to see to it that solution is found as soon as possible.\u00a0 One of the partners in the Ophir has been talking to an engineer in California named Deidesheimer, and I intend to send a wire this morning asking that he be sent here right away.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you think this man can find the solution?\u201d Ben queried, cutting another slice of his antelope steak.<\/p>\n

Maynard shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cHe studied at the Freiburg School of Mines in Germany, the finest in the world.\u00a0 If there is a solution, he seems like the best candidate for finding it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLet us pray that he shall,\u201d Marie whispered earnestly, remembering the drawn faces of the women with whom she had shared so many anxious hours the night before.<\/p>\n

\u201cAmen to that, ma\u2019am,\u201d Maynard agreed firmly.\u00a0 \u201cAmen to that.\u201d<\/p>\n

~ ~ ~ ~ ~<\/p>\n

Historical Notes<\/p>\n

While there was an Ophir mine on the Comstock, its president in this chapter, James Maynard, is a fictional character.<\/p>\n

The description of this first of three incarnations of the International Hotel and the names of the proprietors come from Elegance on C Street<\/em> by Richard C. Datin.\u00a0 A dance, with twelve ladies in attendance and music by violins, was held there in October, 1860.<\/p>\n

CHAPTER THIRTEEN<\/p>\n

Darkening Clouds<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Seeing Mt.Davidson looming ahead, Ben reached for the reins of the draft team.\u00a0 \u201cBetter let me take them now, son.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss, whose wide grin had seemed to cover half his face as he handled the lines, looked suddenly crestfallen.\u00a0 \u201cWhy, Pa?\u00a0 Ain\u2019t I doin\u2019 a good job?\u201d\u00a0 Today was the first time Pa had let him handle the new team, and he was relishing the grown-up feeling it gave him.<\/p>\n

Ben clapped the boy heartily on the back.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re doing a wonderful job, Hoss, but the grade gets pretty steep up ahead, and you don\u2019t have the experience to handle a load this heavy on that kind of ground.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, okay.\u201d\u00a0 With only slight reluctance, Hoss turned the reins over to his father.\u00a0 Proud as he\u2019d been to drive that wagon full of timber across WashoeValley, he knew his father was right.\u00a0 Going up and down hills was a whole heap different from guiding a team over flat ground.\u00a0 \u201cSomeday I\u2019ll be good enough, though, right, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRight,\u201d Ben said, beaming a proud smile toward his boy.\u00a0 \u201cYou still have some growing to do before you\u2019re strong enough to control a team if it tries to run on you, but you\u2019ll get there sooner than most.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss laughed.\u00a0 \u201c\u2018Cause I\u2019m so big, you mean!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cNo, you\u2019re a strong, sturdy boy, but size isn\u2019t enough.\u00a0 It takes skill with animals, too, and that\u2019s a trait I think you were born with, Hoss.\u00a0 Probably get it from your mother.\u00a0 She was always good with the stock.\u00a0 Why, I remember when Jonathan Payne\u2019s new colt was born on the trail, he wouldn\u2019t let anyone but your mother near his special mare.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat made her special, Pa?\u201d Hoss asked with interest, and Ben launched into the tale, sharing with his son another cherished memory of the boy\u2019s mother.<\/p>\n

It was often the way they passed the miles on trips to Virginia City, at least when it was just the two of them, as it had been with every delivery of timber Ben had made to the Ophir mine.\u00a0 Three weeks had passed since the night he and Marie had attended the ball, and only once had she been willing to go into town with him.\u00a0 After early mass the next morning, they had left at once, Marie insisting that she preferred a late lunch at home to another meal in town.\u00a0 Not until they reached the valley that he and Hoss were now leaving had she told him why she was so anxious to put Virginia City behind her.<\/p>\n

Ben had been furious, not at her, but at those who had cast aspersions on her character.\u00a0 Yet, though he had assured her that she had no cause for shame or embarrassment and shouldn\u2019t let the foolishness of a few gossips influence her, she refused to return, other than once, driving in early last Sunday to attend church and leaving immediately afterwards.\u00a0 Ben had spent that morning wondering why God would bless him with a wife as stubborn and sensitive as Marie without also granting him the wisdom to deal with her.<\/p>\n

He hadn\u2019t really had much time to think about her problems, however, for the last three weeks had been unusually busy ones.\u00a0 He\u2019d had to set up a new lumber camp, acquaint the new men with his conservative timber policies, fire one man who wouldn\u2019t follow orders and another who\u2019d gotten drunk on the job, all in addition to preparing the herd and his home for the winter months just ahead. \u00a0Many a night he\u2019d come in late, eating a warmed-over dinner to a cacophony of cantankerous Cantonese blasting in his weary ears.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa, you ever gonna let Little Joe come along?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s question interrupted Ben\u2019s reverie and made him laugh.\u00a0 \u201cNot unless your mother comes, too, son,\u201d he chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cI am not going to try to manage that feisty bundle of untamed energy and a freight wagon at the same time!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAw, I could handle him, Pa,\u201d Hoss argued.<\/p>\n

Ben put his head back and let loose a throaty chortle.\u00a0 \u201cYou can\u2019t miss your brother that much!\u00a0 I would think you\u2019d welcome a day without him tagging after you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, I do, but I sure hate to hear him cry.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben also remembered his youngest son\u2019s tear-streaked face when, once again, Little Joe had been denied permission to ride to town on the fascinating freight wagon.\u00a0 As his hands were occupied with the reins, Ben leaned over to touch his dark head to Hoss\u2019s light-haired one.\u00a0 \u201cYou have a tender heart, son; that\u2019s like your mother, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pulling into Virginia City, Ben turned the wagon downhill toward the Ophir Mine.\u00a0 He left the wagon at the appointed place, where employees of the mine would unload it, a provision of the contract Ben had felt necessary, in view of his almost constant shortage of available workers.\u00a0 As he and Hoss entered the Ophir office to receive a receipt for delivery of the shipment, James Maynard rose from behind his desk to greet Ben.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s someone I want you to meet,\u201d the mine president said.<\/p>\n

One hand resting on Hoss\u2019s shoulder, Ben followed the man back to his desk.\u00a0 Another man, sporting a short, slightly pointed beard, stood as introductions were made.\u00a0 \u201cBen, I\u2019d like you to meet Philip Deidesheimer, the German engineer I mentioned a few weeks back,\u201d Maynard said.\u00a0 \u201cPhilip, this is Ben Cartwright, owner of the finest stand of timber this side of the Sierras.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, the man who is going solve your shoring problems,\u201d Ben said, grasping the engineer\u2019s hand warmly.<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, and you hope that solution will enable you to sell more timber,\u201d Deidesheimer returned, a twinkle in his eye.<\/p>\n

Ben smiled, but answered seriously.\u00a0 \u201cI hope your solution will save lives, Herr<\/em> Deidesheimer, regardless of profit.\u201d<\/p>\n

While Deidesheimer looked surprised and flattered by the use of the proper German title, his eyes shone with respect as he commented, \u201cI, too, am more interested in lives than in profit.\u201d\u00a0 Ben felt an instant liking for the man.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour arrival is quite timely,\u201d Maynard told Ben.\u00a0 \u201cWe were just about to walk up to the Sazerac.\u00a0 You\u2019ll join us?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy pleasure, sir,\u201d Ben agreed at once.<\/p>\n

The three men, with Hoss tagging in their wake the way his little brother usually tagged in his, walked up the hill to the C Street saloon.\u00a0 Just as they were about to enter, a body came hurtling through the swinging doors.\u00a0 \u201cTrouble, Tom?\u201d Maynard asked the strapping man who had just tossed the other into the street.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust a fool with no more sense than to insult Abe Lincoln to my face\u2014and in my own place, too!\u201d the saloon owner said, dusting his hands.\u00a0 He held the door wide.\u00a0 \u201cCome on in, Mr. Maynard.\u00a0 I know you wouldn\u2019t bring any secesh riffraff with you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cStaunch Union man,\u201d Maynard whispered aside to Ben.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo I see,\u201d Ben observed with an arched eyebrow.\u00a0 He took an anxious look at Hoss, not wanting him to be caught up in a political \u201cdiscussion\u201d of the type becoming more and more prevalent in Virginia City.\u00a0 Not that he could avoid that by staying outside<\/em>, Ben sighed inwardly.\u00a0 The political friction in town seemed hotter every time he came.\u00a0 The election had taken place four days ago, but no one out here knew the results, as yet, so the quarrels just kept escalating.<\/p>\n

Maynard led them to a round green table, ordering three whiskeys \u201cand a sarsaparilla for the boy,\u201d but Ben said he would prefer a cold beer.\u00a0 The drinks were brought to their table by the saloon owner, a tall, powerfully built man several years younger than Ben.\u00a0 \u201cGood man, Tom Peasley,\u201d Maynard told the others.\u00a0 \u201cDoesn\u2019t hold with watering down the whiskey.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve heard that in Virginia City it\u2019s more a case of whiskeying down the water!\u201d<\/p>\n

Maynard guffawed loudly.\u00a0 \u201cThe water\u2019s bad here, all right,\u201d he explained to Deidesheimer.\u00a0 \u201cYou just about have to dilute it with whiskey to make it tolerable.\u00a0 Just another problem to be solved.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd what of the problem that brought you here, Herr<\/em> Deidesheimer?\u201d\u00a0 Ben inquired.\u00a0 \u201cHave you come to any conclusions as yet?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI only arrived yesterday and had my first look at the mine this morning,\u201d Deidesheimer replied.\u00a0 \u201cNo, I am afraid I am not such a genius that I have fathomed the solution so quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPa, could I look at the store next door?\u201d Hoss asked when he finished his drink.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, but only there,\u201d Ben said, realizing that the conversation must be boring to his young son.\u00a0 Too bad that other son of mine isn\u2019t here<\/em>, he thought.\u00a0 Adam would thrive on conversation with a man like Deidesheimer.\u00a0 And how I\u2019d thrive on a glimpse of his face!<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cGentlemen, as much as I\u2019m enjoying the company and the conversation,\u201d Ben said after a lengthy discussion of mining and other problems facing Virginia City, \u201cit\u2019s a long drive home.\u00a0 I\u2019ll have to push to get there in time for supper, as it is.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWouldn\u2019t want to deprive you of that!\u201d Maynard exclaimed exuberantly.\u00a0 \u201cI tell you, Deidesheimer, a meal at the Ponderosa is not to be missed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope you\u2019ll favor us with a visit and see for yourself,\u201d Ben said graciously as he shook the German engineer\u2019s hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt would be my pleasure, Mr. Cartwright,\u201d the man replied suavely.<\/p>\n

Ben walked into the adjoining mercantile, where he found Hoss studiously examining the jars of candy.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s it to be this week, son?\u201d he asked, laying a hand on the boy\u2019s shoulder.<\/p>\n

Hoss grinned up at his father.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d favor some of them lemon sours this time, Pa, but could we get a few gumdrops for Little Joe?\u00a0 He likes soft candy better than hard.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure,\u201d Ben agreed readily and told the clerk how much he wanted of each variety.\u00a0 \u201cA dime\u2019s worth of peppermints, as well,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor you or Ma?\u201d Hoss snickered, knowing both his parents liked that type.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll share,\u201d Ben chuckled.\u00a0 After selecting a few more items that Marie had requested, he headed down the street toward the new offices of the Territorial Enterprise<\/em>.\u00a0 \u201cI want to get a paper,\u201d he explained to Hoss.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlways do,\u201d Hoss said, popping a lemon sour into his mouth.<\/p>\n

Reaching the newspaper office involved another climb, this time up two streets to the corner of A and Sutton.\u00a0 Entering the rickety, one-story frame headquarters, Ben greeted the editor in residence by name.\u00a0 \u201cAny idea when election results will come in, Mr. Williams?\u201d he inquired as he took a paper from a stack near the door.<\/p>\n

Jonathan Williams, one of the two men whose names appeared on the masthead of the Enterprise<\/em>, shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cCan\u2019t tell you how many times I\u2019ve answered that today,\u201d he moaned.\u00a0 \u201cPony Express is making an extra effort for the election run, but no news expected \u2018til the twelfth, and the whole town\u2019s on edge, wanting to know if it\u2019s war or peace.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe whole territory,\u201d Ben corrected soberly.\u00a0 He decided right then that he would be in Virginia City on the twelfth, even though that was only two days away and he would scarcely have any real need of returning that soon.\u00a0 No need except learning the fate of the nation<\/em>, he told himself.\u00a0 If that\u2019s not a reason for putting off chores, I don\u2019t know what is<\/em>!<\/p>\n

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

Ben dabbed a wet cloth to his puffy lip and winced, both at the pain and at his swollen reflection in the mirror in his room at the Virginia Hotel.\u00a0 He realized with chagrin that the fight that had blackened his eye and bloodied his lip could have been avoided entirely had he stayed at the International, instead.\u00a0 Yet, living in the country as he did, how could he have been expected to know that, among residents of Virginia City, the Virginia Hotel was known as a hotbed of secessionist activity?\u00a0 He had no more than mentioned where he was staying to a man in a bar where he\u2019d gone for an after-supper drink before the man shouted out accusations that Ben was \u201csecesh through and through\u201d and expressed his opposite viewpoint by plowing a fist into Ben\u2019s nose.<\/p>\n

Ben had assured Marie that he would not allow himself to be caught up in any of the sectional turmoil raging in the streets, but he had just effectively proven that the only way to do that was to stay off the street.\u00a0 However prudent that policy might have been, the main street of Virginia City drew him like a magnet, for, like every other man in town, he was desperate to hear the election results the minute the pony rider came in.\u00a0 Besides, it just plain went against his grain to hide in a hotel room.\u00a0 After cleaning his cuts Ben walked down to C Street again, steering clear of the saloons, where whiskey and political differences made a belligerent combination.\u00a0 Along with hundreds of other men, he simply milled the streets until long past midnight, when exhaustion drove him back to the hotel.<\/p>\n

Assuming the pony rider might be late, he had warned Marie not to expect him that night.\u00a0 In fact, he had told her that it might be a couple of days before he came home, depending on how long it took the news to arrive.\u00a0 Marie clearly hadn\u2019t been happy about his extended absence, but she hadn\u2019t lodged any real objection, either.\u00a0 Probably as anxious to know as I am<\/em>, Ben realized.\u00a0 Finally, the noise on the streets died down and Ben drifted into an uneasy sleep.<\/p>\n

Surprised at how brightly the sun was shining, Ben pulled the covers back the next morning and stumbled toward the window.\u00a0 Though the street below was fairly quiet, it was an ominous quiet, like the lull before a storm.\u00a0 Ben shaved and dressed and, disdaining to eat in the hotel dining room, walked to Barnum\u2019s Restaurant for breakfast.\u00a0 He\u2019d had his fill at dinner the night before of listening to men advocate states\u2019 rights and secession.<\/p>\n

The talk at Barnum\u2019s was all about the election, too, but at least there both sides were represented.\u00a0 One side argued that the election of Abraham Lincoln would lead to immediate war; the other advocated, just as strongly, that to elect the Democratic candidate, Breckinridge, would mean slaves on Sun Mountain and the notorious Judge David Terry of California as governor of Washoe.\u00a0 Two other men were running for president, as well, but since no one thought either Douglas or Bell had a chance, there wasn\u2019t much talk about them.\u00a0 Ben shook his head ruefully.\u00a0 Probably be better off in a place that did take just one side, but then they\u2019d insist I declare my allegiance, one way or the other<\/em>.<\/p>\n

After an uneventful and solitary breakfast Ben went back to roaming the streets, chiding himself for the foolishness of that behavior.\u00a0 Work piling up at home and here I am, wasting precious hours<\/em>.\u00a0 With a wry grin he conceded that he was only wasting his time with thoughts like that, as well, for he felt an absolute compulsion to stay right where he was, and judging by the number of people on the street, that made him pretty normal.<\/p>\n

All day Ben waited, and still the pony rider did not come.\u00a0 He perused every business in the burgeoning town thrice over and even wandered down to the Ophir to watch the mine\u2019s operation, just to pass the hours.\u00a0 But fascinating as that exploration was, he couldn\u2019t for long stay away from C Street.\u00a0 He had to be there to hear the first clatter of hooves that heralded the announcement of the news every ear strained to hear.<\/p>\n

Night fell, and still the pony rider did not come.\u00a0 Ben grew weary, but felt too tense to sleep, and, evidently, his insomnia was shared by the hundreds thronging the streets, even at midnight.\u00a0 Another hour slipped past and then another, and still Ben could not persuade himself to give up and go to the hotel.\u00a0 There was a sense of expectancy on the street; everyone felt sure that the news would come before morning, and everyone wanted to hear it as soon as it did.<\/p>\n

It was 2:30 on the morning of November 14th when hooves finally thundered down C Street.\u00a0 They didn\u2019t belong to the official Pony Express rider.\u00a0 That man had continued on the regular route, but another man had been stationed at Ft. Churchill to bring the news to Virginia City the minute the Pony rider came in.\u00a0 As he charged into town, the rider flapped his hat, yelling the same words he\u2019d heard Pony Bob scream as he entered Ft. Churchill: \u201cLincoln\u2019s elected!\u201d<\/p>\n

Guns were fired, and both shouts of victory and explosive curses filled the air.\u00a0 Ben participated in neither.\u00a0 Leaving C Street as quickly as he could, considering the press of bodies, he climbed up to B and Sutton and mounted the stairs to his room, sad at heart.\u00a0 Though he had tried to remain neutral, he had to admit that he considered Abraham Lincoln the best man running for the office, but he could scarcely count the man\u2019s election a victory when he knew, to almost certainty, that it meant war.<\/p>\n

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

Having not fallen asleep until past three o\u2019clock, Ben was late to rise the next morning.\u00a0 Anxious as he was to get back to the Ponderosa and his family, he dallied over his grooming.\u00a0 Not much up to a day\u2019s work today, anyway<\/em>, he justified.\u00a0 As he didn\u2019t want Marie to worry, however, he planned to eat an early lunch, in lieu of having breakfast at all, and head for home.<\/p>\n

He went out briefly, for a copy of the extra put out by the Territorial Enterprise<\/em>, and read the full report of the election returns.\u00a0 Lincoln\u2019s one hundred and eighty electoral votes had easily outstripped the seventy-two gained by Breckinridge, and he had led in the popular vote, as well, by almost five hundred thousand votes.\u00a0 As expected, Bell with thirty-nine electoral votes and Douglas with only twelve hadn\u2019t figured into the picture at all.<\/p>\n

Ben was still perusing the editorial comments on the election when a knock came at the door.\u00a0 Responding to it, he accepted the folded note the messenger extended and opened it at once.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Mr. Benjamin Cartwright, Esq.<\/p>\n

Dear Sir:<\/p>\n

I am in hopes that this message will reach you prior to your departure this morning.\u00a0 Please come by the offices of Ophir Mining Company at your earliest convenience.\u00a0 New developments require renegotiation of your contract.<\/p>\n

James Maynard,<\/p>\n

President<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ben frowned, wondering what could possibly have affected his contract so soon after its signing.\u00a0 Someone offering timber at a lower price?\u00a0 No, it couldn\u2019t be that.\u00a0 Ben knew he\u2019d offered a fair price and thought it unlikely anyone would charge less.\u00a0 Better not be trying to get out of our deal<\/em>, not after all the money I\u2019ve laid out for new equipment and hands.\u00a0 After all, a contract is a contract!<\/em>\u00a0 With a sigh he put on his hat and gathered his belongings to check out of the hotel, not relishing the delay in getting home that the business conference was likely to entail.\u00a0 I\u2019m going home tonight<\/em>, he decided, if I have to ride out of here at <\/em>midnight<\/em>!<\/em><\/p>\n

Carrying his bag down the hill to the Ophir did nothing to improve Ben\u2019s mood, and by the time he reached the mine office, lack of sleep, political tension and financial anxiety had combined to put his temper on short fuse.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s this about, Maynard?\u201d he demanded, dropping the carpetbag on the floor with a loud clunk.\u00a0 \u201cI thought we had a solid contract.\u201d<\/p>\n

Maynard froze, his extended hand hanging in mid-air.\u00a0 \u201cWhy, we do, of course, Mr. Cartwright.\u00a0 I\u2014I believe you\u2019ve misunderstood my message, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018New developments require renegotiation of your contract,\u2019 your message read, sir,\u201d Ben asserted, still ignoring the outstretched hand.<\/p>\n

Philip Deidesheimer rose from behind the mine president\u2019s desk.\u00a0 \u201cBut Mr. Cartwright, this is good news!\u201d he cried.\u00a0 \u201cI have found the answer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben gave him a blank look.\u00a0 \u201cThe answer?\u201d\u00a0 His sleep-deprived wits slowly caught up with what the man meant.\u00a0 \u201cOh, the shoring problem, you mean.\u00a0 I\u2019m pleased to hear that, of course, but why would that affect my contract?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIn my excitement I\u2019ve handled this poorly,\u201d James Maynard said.\u00a0 \u201cPlease, Mr. Cartwright\u2014Ben\u2014have a seat and let me explain myself better.\u201d<\/p>\n

Already embarrassed by his display of ill temper toward a man who had shown him only generosity and good will thus far in their relationship, Ben took the chair toward which the businessman gestured.<\/p>\n

\u201cPerhaps I should begin?\u201d Deidesheimer suggested.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, do that,\u201d the flustered Maynard agreed readily.\u00a0 \u201cOnce Ben hears what you propose, I\u2019m sure he\u2019ll understand why I need more of his timber.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMore?\u201d Ben babbled.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re not trying to cancel the contract?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHeavens, no!\u201d Maynard exclaimed.\u00a0 \u201cIs that what you thought?\u00a0 I assure you, my dear friend, this new proposal of Philip\u2019s will take every board-foot you\u2019re willing to sell this mine!\u201d<\/p>\n

Feeling more relaxed, Ben turned with interest toward the German engineer.\u00a0 \u201cI take it your solution involves additional shoring in the tunnels?\u201d<\/p>\n

Philip Deidesheimer smiled.\u00a0 \u201cNot just more shoring, Mr. Cartwright\u2014an entirely new concept.\u00a0 It came to me as I was resting outside the mine entrance.\u00a0 A bee flew past my nose and, like that\u201d\u2014he struck his forehead with his palm\u2014\u201dI knew.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben stared at the enthusiastic engineer, unable to decide whether the man were simply drunk or positively pixilated.\u00a0 \u201cA bee showed you how to shore up the mine?\u201d<\/p>\n

His face earnest, Deidesheimer leaned forward.\u00a0 \u201cPrecisely!\u00a0 As if the creature were a messenger from God.\u201d<\/p>\n

Maynard laughed heartily.\u00a0 \u201cBen, you look exactly the way I must have when Philip shared this idea with me this morning.\u00a0 Show him the drawings, you crazed engineer, or he\u2019ll never see what you mean.\u201d<\/p>\n

Philip Deidesheimer quickly apologized and indicated a set of drawings spread on the mine president\u2019s desk.\u00a0 \u201cYou see, it is a new system of shoring, based on the honeycomb principle\u2014a series of interlocking square sets to equalize pressure from all sides.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI see,\u201d Ben said, and the drawings were so clear that he really did understand the principle almost at once.\u00a0 \u201cIt does look like a honeycomb.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d Deidesheimer declared, his hand sweeping with a flourish over the drawings, \u201cand like a honeycomb, new cells can be added in any direction as the need arises.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAs you can see, though, Ben, this new system of shoring uses far more timber than our old method,\u201d Maynard put in, \u201cand that\u2019s where you come in.\u00a0 You\u2019ve just got to agree to sell me more timber.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t see how I can,\u201d Ben protested.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut think of the savings in lives, Mr. Cartwright!\u201d Deidesheimer cried.\u00a0 \u201cHow can you refuse?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben spread his hands helplessly.\u00a0 \u201cYou don\u2019t understand.\u00a0 Certainly, I favor anything that would save lives, but I don\u2019t have the men and equipment to take on a larger contract.\u00a0 I\u2019m barely able to keep up with the delivery schedule as it is.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m willing to advance the monies needed for more men and equipment,\u201d Maynard insisted.<\/p>\n

Ben considered the offer, but then he shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cYou know my views on careful cutting, Mr. Maynard.\u201d<\/p>\n

Maynard brushed the concern aside.\u00a0 \u201cAll the more reason to take the lead in this venture, Ben.\u00a0 If I\u2014and other mine owners, too, once they learn of this new system\u2014can\u2019t get the timber we need from you, we\u2019ll turn to your neighbors, anyone with a patch of forestland to sell in the Sierras.\u00a0 Do you think they\u2019ll follow your conservative policies?\u00a0 And if they don\u2019t, how would that affect your own property?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s face grew grim.\u00a0 The answer to Maynard\u2019s questions was all too obvious.\u00a0 Men interested only in profit would denude the eastern slopes of the range, destroying the watershed in thoughtless pursuit of wealth and power.\u00a0 To preserve the Ponderosa, he genuinely needed to expand his infant timber enterprise, but to do so meant overextending himself, and the financial risks of that were daunting.\u00a0 \u201cI see the validity of your point, but I can\u2019t give you an immediate answer,\u201d he said quietly.\u00a0 \u201cI need to go home, discuss the matter with my wife and see if it is even possible for me to obtain the men and equipment I would need.\u00a0 If I find I\u2019m able to accede to your wishes, I\u2019ll return within the week to negotiate a new contract.\u201d<\/p>\n

James Maynard beamed.\u00a0 \u201cCapital!\u00a0 I\u2019ll expect to hear from you within the week with a favorable response.\u201d\u00a0 He extended his hand, and this time Ben shook it warmly.<\/p>\n

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

As Marie edged her strawberry roan out of the shelter of the pines lining the foothills and moved into the valley, she finally admitted to herself the real reason she was taking this late afternoon ride.\u00a0 She\u2019d told herself it was just for relaxation, but she knew better now.\u00a0 Mere relaxation wouldn\u2019t have brought her all the way to WashoeValley, not at this time of day.\u00a0 Normally, about now, she would have been awaiting the return of her son Hoss from school, seeing to it that cookies and milk were waiting for him on the table.\u00a0 Well, Hop Sing could tend to Hoss\u2019s appetite as easily as she; worry over another wayward \u201cboy\u201d filled all her attention today.\u00a0 Three days Ben had been gone now, and not a word!\u00a0 While she understood his concern about the election and even shared it, she felt a more personal apprehension for his safety, especially after all his talk of the volatile political situation in Virginia City.<\/p>\n

\u201cMama, go fast!\u201d a small voice begged.<\/p>\n

Marie leaned forward to kiss her baby\u2019s golden-brown curls.\u00a0 Lying to herself about her real intent had left her no reason to refuse his puckered-lip pleas to go with her, but now giving in to that demand meant she would be unable to ride into Virginia City after her husband.\u00a0 It would be much too long a trip for a three-year-old.\u00a0 Not that I\u2019m dressed for town, anyway<\/em>, she admitted with a glance down at the divided skirt her friend Laura Ellis had constructed for her after seeing the spirited new horse.\u00a0 \u201cCan\u2019t have you riding that one side-saddle,\u201d Laura had laughed, and Marie had smiled her gratitude at the freedom of movement the garment gave her when she tried it on.<\/p>\n

\u201cMama, please,\u201d Little Joe whined, that pathetic pucker once again forming on his lips.\u00a0 \u201cGo fast!\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie tittered.\u00a0 \u201cOui<\/em>, mon petit Napoleon<\/em>.\u00a0 What a dictator you have become!\u00a0 Mam\u00e1<\/em> will have to break you of that\u2014someday.\u201d\u00a0 As she let the horse have his head, however, she wondered if that \u201csomeday\u201d would ever come.\u00a0 It was easy, far too easy, for her to give in to the slightest frown of this adored child.\u00a0 I spoil him, as Ben says<\/em>, she admitted; then she laughed as the wind whipped her loose hair about her shoulders in unfettered freedom.\u00a0 Ah, but how can I say no to him when he only asks what I want for myself<\/em>!\u00a0 She looked down into his small face, as he sat perched before her in the saddle, and her glowing smile reflected the rapture she saw in his eyes.<\/p>\n

Little Joe chortled with glee as the big roan galloped across the rolling valley.\u00a0 Like his mother, he loved to feel the wind rushing over his face and blowing the hair off his forehead.\u00a0 \u201cFaster, Mama, faster!\u201d he screamed.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, mon petit<\/em>,\u201d his mother laughed.\u00a0 \u201cThis is fast enough for one your size, I think, but what a horseman you will be!\u201d<\/p>\n

Recognizing the rider coming down the road toward her, Marie slowed the roan to a trot and continued toward him.\u00a0 Ben scowled at her as they met and each pulled to a stop.\u00a0 \u201cNo need to act so innocent, young lady,\u201d he scolded.\u00a0 \u201cI saw that wild gallop you were doing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPa!\u201d Little Joe cried before his mother had opportunity to answer.\u00a0 He stretched his arms toward his father, and Ben couldn\u2019t resist taking the child into his arms.\u00a0 \u201cPa, we ride fast!\u201d the toddler announced happily.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I know,\u201d Ben said as he settled the boy into the saddle before him.\u00a0 \u201cHonestly, Marie, how could you?\u201d he chided.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow could you?\u201d Marie retorted, feeling a forceful offense was her best defense.\u00a0 \u201cThree days I have waited and worried about you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou knew where I was,\u201d Ben argued, \u201cand you knew why I was there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThree days, Ben!\u201d she charged angrily.<\/p>\n

Ben lifted his left hand in a calming gesture, while the right circled around the waist of his youngest son.\u00a0 \u201cAll right.\u00a0 I admit I\u2019m later than I expected to be, but there\u2019s a reason for that, and it\u2019s something we need to talk over.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie moved her horse to the side of Ben\u2019s, and they started toward home at a leisurely pace.\u00a0 \u201cWho is the president?\u201d she asked casually, although her interest was keen.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s Lincoln,\u201d Ben said gravely.<\/p>\n

Her eyes shimmered with concern.\u00a0 \u201cIs it war, then?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI pray not,\u201d Ben whispered.\u00a0 \u201cI pray not.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGo fast, Pa,\u201d Little Joe demanded.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot on your life!\u201d Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cSomeone has to teach you safe horsemanship, and it is obviously not going to be your mother.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was not riding that fast,\u201d Marie insisted.<\/p>\n

Ben arched an eyebrow.\u00a0 \u201cYou were.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI am a good rider; I know how to handle myself.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, but\u201d\u2014he broke off, not wanting to argue when there were more important matters to discuss.\u00a0 \u201cWe need to talk, Marie,\u201d he said bluntly.<\/p>\n

Anxiety flew into her eyes.\u00a0 \u201cTrouble?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, no,\u201d he quickly assured her, and as he began to explain about the business challenge that had been presented to him that forenoon, both his horse and Marie\u2019s slowed to a walk.<\/p>\n

After one final, fruitless plea for Pa to ride fast, Little Joe sulked in silence the rest of the way home, resolving that when he got big, he would ride just like Mama, no matter what Pa said.<\/p>\n

~ ~ ~ ~ ~<\/p>\n

Historical Notes<\/p>\n

As is often the case, historical sources differ on the exact date of Philip Deidesheimer\u2019s development of square sets.\u00a0 Some cite November 14, 1860, the date used here, while others place the event two weeks later.\u00a0 Most, if not all, historians, however, agree that the new method changed the shoring of mines worldwide.<\/p>\n

Tom Peasley, owner of the Sazerac Saloon, is a historical character, a staunch supporter of Abraham Lincoln in the 1860 election.<\/p>\n

CHAPTER FOURTEEN<\/p>\n

Turkey Trail<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cYou sure been to town a lot lately, huh, Pa?\u201d Hoss asked with a grin as he perched beside his father on the freight wagon the next Saturday.<\/p>\n

Tousling the boy\u2019s straight, sandy hair, Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cHoss, I sure have\u2014and not home much of the time I wasn\u2019t in town!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I been missin\u2019 you, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s hand slid down to rest for a moment on his son\u2019s broad neck.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve missed you, too, son, and I\u2019m mighty glad to have you with me today.\u201d\u00a0 Although he made excuses to Marie that he needed Hoss\u2019s help with the team, in his own heart Ben knew that simple desire for time alone with his boy was the real reason he tried to make his timber deliveries on Saturdays.\u00a0 He had a feeling Marie knew that, too, though she never indicated her suspicions by word or facial expression.<\/p>\n

\u201cCan I drive the team again, Pa?\u201d Hoss queried, his blue eyes alight with longing.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we get to the valley,\u201d Ben promised.<\/p>\n

Satisfied, Hoss settled back, watching his father\u2019s driving technique carefully as they wound their way down out of the hill country.\u00a0 Someday, Pa had promised, he could drive the team in the mountains, as well as the flatlands, and Hoss wanted to be ready for that day.<\/p>\n

As soon as he reached the flatlands, Ben kept his promise and handed the reins to Hoss.\u00a0 Then he eased back and let his mind drift, smiling as he relished a luxury he hadn\u2019t had much time for the last half week.\u00a0 Only three days had elapsed since his previous visit to Virginia City, but each had been packed.\u00a0 The first evening had been spent in earnest discussion with Marie as the two of them tried to determine what risks they were willing to take.\u00a0 At first, Marie had insisted that the decision was his alone, but he had just as adamantly affirmed that he considered her his partner in business, as well as in life, and valued her opinions above all others.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s a lesson I learned a long time ago\u2014with Elizabeth, and Inger, as well,\u201d he had told her.\u00a0 \u201cWomen often see things men overlook, and the man who doesn\u2019t listen to the cautions or suggestions of his wife is a fool.\u201d<\/p>\n

It had been Marie\u2019s idea, indeed, that had shown Ben how he could expand the timber operation with the least risk possible, to both the land and his financial resources. Her proposal that he lease the timber rights of his neighbors for a portion of the profit had been, in Ben\u2019s view, inspired, and he had spent the next two days in negotiations with his closest neighbors, those whose watersheds most significantly impacted the preservation of the Ponderosa.\u00a0 Three of them had accepted his offer and sealed the agreement with a handshake, and a fourth wanted more time to think it over, but appeared to be leaning toward granting the lease.<\/p>\n

Ben smiled as he glanced at the small packet of letters lying on the seat beside him, among them one to Adam, detailing the recent developments.\u00a0 Ben could almost envision the excitement in his son\u2019s eyes as he read the news.\u00a0 He\u2019d included a rough sketch of Deidesheimer\u2019s new square sets, and he could see Adam poring over them with avid scientific interest.\u00a0 He\u2019d described in detail the part the Ponderosa would play in meeting the mines\u2019 increased need for timber and had praised Marie profusely for her helpful suggestion about the leases.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll be needing your help more than ever, too, son.\u00a0 I\u2019ll harvest as much timber as I can before winter sets in, but the real work begins this spring, just about the time you get home.\u00a0 I know you\u2019re looking forward to being part of the growth of our territory as much as I look forward to having you at my side again on a daily basis,\u201d the letter had concluded.\u00a0 Ben smiled with satisfaction as he drove into WashoeValley and handed the reins to Hoss.\u00a0 Yes, Adam would surely be thrilled to see how the ranch was expanding and branching out in new directions.\u00a0 No doubt the boy would be chomping at the bit to set aside his books and sink his teeth into new challenges.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa!\u00a0 Look at that!\u201d Hoss screeched, pointing to the southeast.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss, for mercy\u2019s sake, boy,\u201d Ben scolded, making a dive for the reins his excited son had dropped.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, sorry, Pa.\u201d\u00a0 For a moment Hoss looked abashed, but the animation almost at once reignited in his dancing eyes.\u00a0 \u201cBut look at that!\u00a0 What are they, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben stared in disbelief at the long line of birds marching toward them.\u00a0 \u201cTurkeys,\u201d he replied in a daze.\u00a0 \u201cHundreds and hundreds of turkeys.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss almost bounced with enthusiasm.\u00a0 \u201cLike Billy shot that time?\u00a0 That was good eatin\u2019, Pa!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled in fond remembrance.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, it was.\u201d\u00a0 He snapped his fingers.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s it, Hoss!\u00a0 Someone\u2019s had the bright idea to drive a herd of turkeys here from California to sell for Thanksgiving\u2014and a handy profit they\u2019ll make, too!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCan we get one, Pa?\u00a0 Can we?\u201d\u00a0 Hoss\u2019s tongue slid unconsciously over his lips.\u00a0 \u201cFor Thanksgiving?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss, we\u2019re not having Thanksgiving at home,\u201d Ben reminded him.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll be sharing the meal with the Thomases, and they\u2019ll be providing the meat.\u00a0 They may already have their plans made.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, but I bet they\u2019d be glad if we was to bring \u2018em a turkey,\u201d Hoss argued.\u00a0 \u201cPa, please.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss rarely whined for what he wanted, so the fact that he was doing so now indicated the strength of his desire.\u00a0 Ben hadn\u2019t the heart to say no, but he didn\u2019t want to offend his friends, either.\u00a0 \u201cTell you what, Hoss,\u201d he suggested diplomatically, \u201cwe\u2019ll pick up one of those turkeys and take it home with us.\u00a0 Then I\u2019ll talk to Uncle Clyde and see whether we eat it for Thanksgiving or fatten it up for our Christmas dinner.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure hope he says now,\u201d Hoss declared.\u00a0 Then he looked shyly at his father.\u00a0 \u201cCan I drive again now, Pa?\u00a0 I won\u2019t drop the reins again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben started to hand the team back over to Hoss, but suddenly realizing how that line of turkeys would clog the narrow road up to Virginia City, he kept the reins and urged the horses forward at a sprightly pace.\u00a0 \u201cAnother time, son,\u201d he cried.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ve got to beat those birds to market!\u201d<\/p>\n

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

Marie grabbed the small hand turning the front door handle and clasped it firmly in her own.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hear horse, Mama!\u201d Little Joe protested, struggling to pull away.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo do I,\u201d his mother laughed.\u00a0 \u201cThat is why your hand stays in mine, mon petit<\/em>.\u00a0 I cannot trust you not to run to the horse, can I?\u201d<\/p>\n

The toddler thrust out his lower lip as he continued to tug on her arm.\u00a0 \u201cWanna go!\u00a0 It be Pa maybe!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s see if it is,\u201d his mother suggested, opening the door a bit awkwardly with her left hand while her right continued to firmly grip her child.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa!\u00a0 Pa!\u201d Little Joe hollered, dragging his mother across the yard.<\/p>\n

Ben quickly tied the horses\u2019 reins to the hitching post and scooped the baby up to give him a kiss.\u00a0 Little Joe grinned down in triumph at his mother until a loud squawking drew his attention to the back of the wagon.\u00a0 \u201cWhat that?\u201d he asked, eyes wide.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat have you there?\u201d Marie asked at almost the same moment, gazing with interest at the big bird.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t tell me you\u2019ve never seen a turkey, either, woman,\u201d Ben chuckled.<\/p>\n

Marie tilted her head and favored him with a coy smile.\u00a0 \u201cMais oui<\/em>, I have,\u201d she giggled, \u201cplucked and hanging in the butcher\u2019s shop.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben clucked his tongue in apparent dismay.\u00a0 \u201cYour education has been as neglected as these boys\u2019, I see.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie wagged a finger beneath his nose.\u00a0 \u201cAh, but that is your responsibility, to teach such things, mon mari<\/em>, and you have been most negligent in your duty, it appears.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo it appears,\u201d Ben conceded with a smile.<\/p>\n

\u201cHop Sing has already started supper,\u201d she teased. \u201cIf you want him to cook this, instead, you will be the one to tell him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss peered around the back of the wagon.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s not for tonight, Ma,\u201d he explained quickly.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s for Thanksgiving.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOr Christmas,\u201d his father reminded him.\u00a0 Seeing Hoss tugging on the rudely constructed crate they\u2019d thrown together from scrap lumber in town, Ben said sharply, \u201cLeave it be, Hoss.\u00a0 That\u2019s too big a load for you to handle alone.\u201d\u00a0 He handed the toddler back to Marie.\u00a0 \u201cSee if Hop Sing can hold dinner half an hour, would you?\u00a0 We need to fix up at least a temporary place in the barn for this monstrous bird.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanna help,\u201d Little Joe protested as he was carried back inside.<\/p>\n

Marie laughed and kissed his curly head.\u00a0 \u201cDo not be ridiculous, mon petit<\/em>.\u00a0 The turkey is bigger than you are!\u201d<\/p>\n

Together, Ben and Hoss lifted the crate out of the wagon and carried it into the barn.\u00a0 With his chin Ben indicated the far back stall.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll put this noisy creature in there.\u00a0 Set him down gently, son.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, Pa, I\u2019m always gentle with animals.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled at the boy\u2019s earnestness as he stretched the kinks from his back.\u00a0 \u201cI know that, Hoss, but everybody can use a reminder now and then.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cI reckon.\u00a0 You think the horses\u2019ll like havin\u2019 a turkey gobblin\u2019 at \u2018em, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI doubt it,\u201d Ben muttered wryly.\u00a0 Patting Hoss\u2019s shoulder, he said, \u201cThis is only temporary, remember?\u00a0 If it turns out we have to keep this bird \u2018til Christmas, we\u2019ll build it a coop like the chickens have.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOnly lots bigger.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss laughed at his own joke; then that earnest look came across his face again.\u00a0 \u201cIf it does turn out we keep the bird \u2018til Christmas, can I take care of it, Pa?\u201d\u00a0 He broke into a broad smile.\u00a0 \u201cAfter all, I am the best around at fattenin\u2019 things up.\u00a0 Just look at me!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben pulled the chunky boy into a one-armed embrace.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re not fat, son, just built on a large scale.\u00a0 Sure, you can have charge of the bird as long as it\u2019s here, and that being the case, I guess it\u2019s up to you to talk to Aunt Nelly about whether she wants to serve him up next week.\u00a0 You can ride over to Carson City tomorrow morning while I take your mother into town for church.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s face screwed up in doubt.\u00a0 \u201cUh, it was my week to go to church with her, Pa.\u00a0 Not that I mind skippin\u2019 it, but\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSomeone\u2019s got to contact them,\u201d Ben said firmly.\u00a0 \u201cGood as you are with horses, I don\u2019t want you driving up to Virginia City without me, and I\u2019m too busy to take a trip to Carson later this week.\u201d\u00a0 He patted the boy\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t worry, son; I\u2019ll settle things with your mother.\u00a0 You can make up your absence the next time.\u00a0 Now, let\u2019s fix up this stall so we don\u2019t lose the main course of our Thanksgiving\u2014or Christmas\u2014meal.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe better hurry,\u201d Hoss urged, \u201cor Hop Sing\u2019ll be threatenin\u2019 to go back to China.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPoint taken,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 Seeing the horses shy at the strident gobble of the turkey, he dug his fingers into Hoss\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cTell Aunt Nelly just how much you want turkey for Thanksgiving, all right, son?\u00a0 Lay it on real thick.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

\u201cHere, Pa.\u201d\u00a0 The sound of the sweet, high-pitched voice made Ben turn his head just as he sent the hammer toward the head of a nail.\u00a0 With an angelic smile Little Joe held another nail toward his father, but the smile fled at the sound of his father\u2019s yelp of pain.\u00a0 \u201cYou gots a hurt, Pa?\u201d the toddler asked, head tilted, expressive eyes full of sympathy.<\/p>\n

Ben pulled his injured thumb from his mouth.\u00a0 \u201cYes, Joseph, I \u2018gots a hurt,\u2019\u201d he grunted.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh,\u201d Little Joe murmured with obvious compassion; then the bright smile returned as he again held out the nail.\u00a0 \u201cYou need nuther nail, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben took a deep breath and counted to ten as he took the gift his youngest offered.\u00a0 \u201cYes, baby,\u201d he said with measured softness, \u201cPa needs another nail.\u00a0 Now go help Hoss for a while.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t need none of that kind of help,\u201d Hoss snickered.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, yes, you do,\u201d Ben growled.\u00a0 Since he and Hoss were occupied with building the turkey coop and Little Joe had been settled down for a nap, Marie had decided to take a ride on her roan gelding after they returned from church.\u00a0 Naturally, the toddler had awakened early and been booted outside almost immediately by Hop Sing.\u00a0 Ever since, Little Joe had been skittering around, underfoot and into everything in sight.<\/p>\n

Hoss took the hint.\u00a0 \u201cHere, punkin,\u201d he called.\u00a0 \u201cYou can hand brother some nails.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe ran eagerly to the other side of the turkey coop under construction, stopping only long enough to dig his hand into the keg of nails.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right,\u201d Hoss said.\u00a0 \u201cBring a whole fistful so you don\u2019t gotta be runnin\u2019 around so much.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI like runnin\u2019 \u2018round,\u201d Little Joe declared, cherubic countenance beaming beatifically.<\/p>\n

\u201cTruer words were never spoken,\u201d Ben muttered.\u00a0 Shaking his aching thumb, he positioned the nail, double-checked for distractions and hit it, squarely this time.\u00a0 Declaring himself ten times a fool, Ben placed another handful of nails in his mouth, pulling them out one by one, as needed.\u00a0 Should have known Clyde wouldn\u2019t need the bird<\/em>, he grumbled inwardly.\u00a0 I couldn\u2019t get that lucky.\u00a0 Never even crossed my mind that those turkey drivers might have made a stop in <\/em>Carson<\/em> first, though, fool that I am.\u00a0 Now here I am, bigger fool, putting out good money for a coop I\u2019ll never need again and extra feed, not to mention extra work I can\u2019t spare the time for.\u00a0 All in all, the most expensive, troublesome Christmas dinner ever to grace our table<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Still, the happy expressions on the faces of his two sons, Ben had to admit, were priceless treasures, worth all the expense and effort.\u00a0 Joseph, of course, had never eaten turkey, but at supper the night before Hoss had begun a campaign to convince his little brother that there was no meat to compare with that of this particular fowl.\u00a0 As usual, especially where food was concerned, Little Joe took every word that spilled from his big brother\u2019s mouth as absolute gospel and had followed with fascination the preparations for the new home of the all-important turkey.<\/p>\n

As for Hoss himself, his excitement had virtually doubled when he learned that there would be turkey for Thanksgiving and Christmas, too.\u00a0 He had stood tall, shoulders squared with pride, when he promised his father that he\u2019d personally see to it the turkey they put on the table come Christmas was the fattest, tastiest ever seen in western Utah.\u00a0 Ben chuckled as he pounded in another nail to hold the wire mesh to the frame of the coop.\u00a0 Not that there was much competition, the population of turkeys in the territory being limited to the five hundred brought in yesterday, most of which would be roasted and eaten within a week.\u00a0 Good experience for the boy, though<\/em>, he conceded.\u00a0 Teach him responsibility and show him the pride a man takes in providing for his family<\/em>.\u00a0 All things considered, not such an expensive bird, after all.<\/p>\n

Ben flinched at the sound of hooves coming up the road.\u00a0 Little Joe, whose ears always seemed tuned to the sound of horse hooves, jumped up.\u00a0 \u201cHoss, grab him!\u201d Ben yelled.<\/p>\n

The admonishment was unnecessary.\u00a0 Hoss, more accustomed than his father to the toddler\u2019s habitual response to an incoming horse, already had tight grip on the little lad.<\/p>\n

The strawberry roan pranced into the yard, and Marie quickly dismounted to take her baby in her arms.\u00a0 Ben dropped the hammer and stormed around the corner of the coop to confront his wife.\u00a0 \u201cMarie, when are you going to learn not to gallop in like that?\u201d<\/p>\n

A spark ignited in her emerald eyes.\u00a0 \u201cI was not galloping,\u201d she retorted crisply.\u00a0 \u201cI slowed the horse down as I approached the house.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, that was slower?\u201d Ben snapped.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d hate to see the pace you set when you think you\u2019re riding fast!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMama ride fast,\u201d Little Joe added, smiling in admiration.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I know,\u201d Ben grunted.\u00a0 He ran his hand over the gelding\u2019s flank and held it, palm up, to show his wife the sweat.<\/p>\n

Marie tossed her head, flipping her golden tresses back from her neck.\u00a0 \u201cI was in perfect control; I am always in perfect control.\u00a0 This horse could run all day, and I, of course, did not expect to find this child outside.\u00a0 I<\/em> left him napping.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not just his safety or the horse\u2019s I\u2019m concerned about,\u201d Ben sputtered through taut lips, \u201cbut while we\u2019re on that subject, I might as well tell you that I didn\u2019t much approve of your speed with him in the saddle when we met in the valley last week.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo you said then!\u201d Marie declared hotly. \u201cI am neither deaf, nor do I have problems with my memory, but since you are so convinced that you can give our son better care than I, I shall leave him to you!\u201d\u00a0 She thrust Little Joe into his father\u2019s arms, snatched up the reins of her roan and headed for the barn to cool down both the horse and herself.<\/p>\n

Ben started after her, but the repeated pats of a small hand on his cheek stopped him in mid-stride.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa, you need nuther nail?\u201d the child in his arms asked eagerly.<\/p>\n

Ben rolled his eyes.\u00a0 Got to learn to time my battles better than this<\/em>.\u00a0 \u201cYes, precious,\u201d he said with strained gentleness.\u00a0 \u201cPa needs another nail.\u201d\u00a0 And a hammer to hit himself on the head<\/em>!<\/p>\n

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

When Nelly Thomas opened the oven door to baste the turkey, she saw, as usual, two necks craning past her to peek inside.\u00a0 \u201cYou younguns better keep back,\u201d she said, repeating a warning the two boys had already heard several times that morning.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, don\u2019t be crowdin\u2019 so close, Little Joe,\u201d Hoss ordered as he pulled his brother back.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou had best follow your own advice, young man,\u201d Marie observed, looking up from the bowl of potatoes she was peeling.<\/p>\n

\u201cLands, yes,\u201d Nelly laughed.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s that tawny head of hair I see pokin\u2019 in first every time I open this door.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss grinned, knowing from experience that the woman he considered a second mother wasn\u2019t really upset with him.\u00a0 \u201cAw, Aunt Nelly, I just wanna see how crisp he\u2019s gettin\u2019.\u201d\u00a0 He turned to his younger brother and commented, as if imparting the wisdom of the ages, \u201cThe skin is practically the tastiest part of the turkey, Little Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Freckled-faced Inger Thomas snickered.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re just sayin\u2019 that so he won\u2019t eat the parts you favor.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo such thing!\u201d Hoss protested.\u00a0 \u201cI wouldn\u2019t take food out of my baby brother\u2019s belly, and I really do like crispy skin.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd breast and thigh and wing\u2014and just about every other piece there is,\u201d Nelly teased, squeezing his shoulder affectionately.<\/p>\n

All the women in the kitchen, which included Dr. Martin\u2019s daughter Sally, laughed at the joke, and Hoss joined in good-naturedly.\u00a0 \u201cWell, I ain\u2019t overly fond of giblets,\u201d he said, crinkling his nose sheepishly.<\/p>\n

\u201cExcept in gravy!\u201d Inger hooted.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, yeah,\u201d Hoss admitted, setting off another round of merry laughter among the cooks.<\/p>\n

Hearing a loud thump, Hoss raced to the front door, for he had been detailed to answer all such summons.\u00a0 Little Joe, naturally, charged right after him, and gave a squeal of delight when he saw who was at the door.\u00a0 \u201cAunt Kat!\u201d he cried, raising his arms.<\/p>\n

The flaxen-haired beauty immediately lifted the little boy and held him close.\u00a0 \u201cHello, sweet baby,\u201d she cooed.<\/p>\n

Little Joe wrapped his arms around her neck.\u00a0 \u201cYou bring me cookies?\u201d he whispered in fond remembrance of the ones she had baked for him when he stayed with her.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, but something just as good,\u201d she assured him.\u00a0 \u201cYou will like my gingerbread, little one.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay,\u201d Little Joe, easily appeased when it came to food, agreed.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, now, don\u2019t I get a hug?\u201d Katerina\u2019s lanky husband chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cCome here, youngun.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe willingly went to the arms of the ranch foreman and gave him an obliging squeeze, but then he started wriggling to get down.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, off you go,\u201d Enos said, planting a light swat on the toddler\u2019s soft behind.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, come on in,\u201d Hoss said.\u00a0 \u201cLadies in the kitchen and gents in the parlor.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAs it should be,\u201d Enos observed with a wink at his wife.\u00a0 \u201cWomen belong in the kitchen, don\u2019t you agree, Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss grinned.\u00a0 \u201cSure do, \u2018cause good things come out when they go in.\u201d<\/p>\n

Enos gave the boy a solid clap on the shoulder and, depositing the pan of gingerbread in Hoss\u2019s welcoming hands, took off for the parlor to join the other \u201cgents.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAunt Kat here,\u201d Little Joe announced as he scooted into the kitchen.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, good,\u201d Nelly said, looking up from the stove to smile at the latest arrival.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s everyone except Billy, and he said he\u2019d be pushing to get here by dinnertime.\u201d\u00a0 Since her son was rarely home, due to his duties with the Pony Express, Nelly had insisted that the Cartwrights spend the previous night with them, the two boys taking Billy\u2019s bed, while Ben and Marie slept in the guest room.<\/p>\n

Marie had welcomed the invitation as it spared them the chore of rousing the family sleepyhead at an early hour and enabled her to help with dinner preparations.\u00a0 Ever since the religious friction had developed between them, Nelly and Marie had been cordial, but not really friendly.\u00a0 Working together in the kitchen, however, had seemed to restore some of the old warmth, and both ladies were glad of it.<\/p>\n

The front door opened about forty-five minutes later, but no one in either kitchen or parlor noticed because there had been no knock.\u00a0 Their first warning came when a red head poked in through the kitchen doorway and called, \u201cYou got room for one more, Ma?\u201d<\/p>\n

Nelly wiped her hands on her apron and advanced on her tall son, arms wide.\u00a0 \u201cLand sakes, boy, you know you\u2019re expected.\u201d<\/p>\n

Billy cackled.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, but you got room for one more besides me?\u201d<\/p>\n

Holding his cheeks between her hands, Nelly laughed.\u00a0 \u201cWhy, you know there is!\u00a0 Did you bring a friend from the Pony?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNaw, just some homeless wretch I picked up at Ft.Churchill.\u201d\u00a0 Billy grinned broadly as he winked at Sally.\u00a0 \u201cCouldn\u2019t leave the poor fellow to Army fare for Thanksgiving, could I?\u00a0 Wouldn\u2019t\u2019ve been the Christian thing to do, now would it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, get out of the way!\u201d Sally laughed, pushing past him into the hall, where Mark Wentworth had remained until Billy had his joke.\u00a0 Sally threw her arms around her fianc\u00e9 and kissed him soundly.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, what about me!\u201d Billy chortled.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t I get some reward for bringing him?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, get in here and help me get the food on the table,\u201d his mother scolded.\u00a0 \u201cAfter the measly meals that Pony Express feeds you, the feast you\u2019re about to sit down to ought to be reward enough!\u00a0 You\u2019re getting plumb skinny, boy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Billy grabbed his mother around the waist.\u00a0 \u201cWell, if that Sally won\u2019t kiss me, I bet my best girl will,\u201d he said as he smacked his lips against his mother\u2019s cheek.\u00a0 Blushing, Nelly herded him toward the stove, where the meal was being kept warm for his arrival.<\/p>\n

Billy and Mark joined forces with the ladies, and soon the main table almost sagged with tempting dishes.\u00a0 The turkey graced one end of the table, while baked ham reigned at its opposite end, and in between marched a line of Boston baked beans with Boston brown bread, sweet potatoes and mashed potatoes, boiled turnips and colorful baked beets, green beans and stewed carrots.\u00a0 The sideboard held a vast array of sweets with which to end the meal:\u00a0 Katerina\u2019s gingerbread, Sally\u2019s rice pudding, Nelly\u2019s mince and pumpkin pies and golden pound cake, along with two apple pies, which Hop Sing had insisted on contributing.<\/p>\n

Clyde had put together a makeshift second table \u201cfor the young folks,\u201d and after a few light-hearted complaints about \u201ceating with the kids,\u201d Billy took his seat, along with Mark and Sally, who didn\u2019t care where they sat, as long as they were together.\u00a0 Once grace was said, the rowdy redhead decided the second table was the best place to be, after all, for he and the others were permitted to take whatever they wanted from the main table before the food was passed around.<\/p>\n

Soon everyone\u2019s plate was full, and the tables rang with laughter and lively chatter as the food was consumed.\u00a0 While Marie and Sally served each person at her particular table with his or her requested dessert, Ben called across the room, \u201cAny news from the east, Billy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust the usual,\u201d Billy called back as Sally handed him a plate with a slice each of pumpkin and mince pie.<\/p>\n

\u201cSecession?\u201d Dr. Martin asked, recalling the main topic of discussion in the parlor before dinner.<\/p>\n

\u201cPlenty of talk about it,\u201d Billy agreed, \u201cbut nobody bolting yet.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPray God nobody does,\u201d Sally murmured with an anxious look at Mark, who gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d Ben agreed solemnly.\u00a0 \u201cThat we are all still one people, united under one flag, is the greatest blessing for which I give thanks this year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mark stood and raised his glass.\u00a0 \u201cTo the Union,\u201d he proposed, and everyone except the children returned the words, \u201cTo the Union,\u201d and drank the toast to peace.<\/p>\n

Brushing a tear from her eye, Sally turned to Ben.\u00a0 \u201cAnd what do you hear from Adam, Mr. Cartwright.\u00a0 He hasn\u2019t written to me as often as usual this year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben coughed.\u00a0 \u201cNor to me, my dear, and the letters I do get are uncommonly short.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sally smiled.\u00a0 \u201cI suppose his final year at the academy must be very full.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI suppose,\u201d Ben conceded.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m expecting a nice long letter next time, though.\u201d\u00a0 He began to share with those who didn\u2019t already know the new developments at the Ponderosa and how excited he knew Adam would be when he read the latest letter from home.\u00a0 Yes<\/em>, he assured himself, Adam\u2019s next letter will be a long one, probably packed full of ideas about how we can meet the challenges ahead of us next spring<\/em>.<\/p>\n

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

Adam stared at the blank sheet of stationery, as if willing the words to write themselves.\u00a0 Never in his life had he found it so difficult to communicate with his father as in the last few months, but he\u2019d already put off answering the last letters from home for too many days.\u00a0 The letter to Hoss had been easy to write, but every time he reread his father\u2019s words, he grew so angry that he couldn\u2019t trust himself not to spew venom all over the page.\u00a0 Now it was Sunday night and the unpleasant task could be put off no longer.\u00a0 The letter had to be posted tomorrow or Pa would know for certain that something was wrong.<\/p>\n

Maybe that\u2019s the way to handle it<\/em>, Adam thought sourly, just keep quiet \u2018til he gets so worried he comes charging over the Sierras to see what\u2019s wrong with his little boy.\u00a0 At least, then we could have it out, face to face<\/em>.\u00a0 He scowled as he jerked the chair back and began to pace the floor.\u00a0 \u201cOf all the craven notions,\u201d he muttered, \u201cthat takes the prize.\u201d\u00a0 He stalked to the window and threw up the sash.\u00a0 Leaning out, he let the chilly wind sting his cheeks, hoping that reminder of reality would restore his power to reason.\u00a0 Even in Sacramento it was cold that last Sunday in November, but Adam knew that up in the mountains snow already covered the ground.\u00a0 That his father would risk his life to come to him if he thought something was wrong, Adam had no doubt, but only a child would put a parent in that position, whatever the provocation.\u00a0 Child, nothing<\/em>, Adam chided himself.\u00a0 Only a baby like Little Joe would pull such a stunt<\/em>!<\/p>\n

He forced himself back to the desk and lifted the pen once more.\u00a0 Slowly the page filled with words, none of them the ones he wanted most to say, just drivel about his daily life: how he was doing in school, how he\u2019d spent the holiday.\u00a0 And just to let his father know he\u2019d actually received the letter from home, a few words expressing appreciation for the drawings of Philip Deidesheimer\u2019s square sets.\u00a0 That, at least, he could be honest about, for he had truly found the engineering principles fascinating.\u00a0 Everything else in his father\u2019s letter had been a source of pure frustration, but he couldn\u2019t bring himself to write that, so he just wrote . . . drivel.<\/p>\n

~ ~ ~ ~ ~<\/p>\n

Historical Note<\/p>\n

In November of 1860, five hundred turkeys were driven from California to Virginia City, to be sold for the Thanksgiving market.<\/p>\n

CHAPTER FIFTEEN<\/p>\n

For Love of Fred<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cLittle Joe, you get down from there!\u201d Hoss scolded from inside the turkey coop.<\/p>\n

Skirt flapping in the breeze, Little Joe curled his fingers through the tight wire mesh as he sought a firmer foothold.\u00a0 \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss came to the fence to glare at his little brother.\u00a0 \u201c\u2018Cause Fred would just as soon nibble your fingers as this chicken feed, that\u2019s why!\u201d\u00a0 Hoss pried the tiny fingers loose and Little Joe dropped to the ground like a sack of potatoes.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho Fred?\u201d Joe demanded.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe turkey.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss looked anxiously at the boy sprawled on the ground.\u00a0 \u201cYou ain\u2019t hurt, are you, punkin?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFred funny name,\u201d Little Joe giggled.<\/p>\n

The infectious sound reassured Hoss that the toddler hadn\u2019t injured himself in his plummet from the fence and he grinned.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, I guess it is, but he looks like a Fred to me.\u00a0 Don\u2019t know why.\u201d\u00a0 His nose crinkled as he saw the dirt on his baby brother\u2019s clothes.\u00a0 \u201cNow, look what you gone and done.\u00a0 Ma\u2019s gonna have a fit when she sees that dress.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe brushed his skirt, dusty hands leaving still more smudges on the light blue fabric.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t like dress,\u201d he grumbled.\u00a0 \u201cNeed britches.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I\u2019m of a mind to think you do,\u201d Hoss agreed.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe ole Santa Claus\u2019ll bring you some if you\u2019re real good \u2018til Christmas.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe favored his beloved big brother with his cherub\u2019s smile.\u00a0 \u201cAlways good.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUh-huh, yeah,\u201d Hoss chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cYou run on in the house now.\u00a0 I got to finish feedin\u2019 Fred.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMe\u2014I wanna feed Fred,\u201d Little Joe insisted.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo sirree,\u201d Hoss snorted.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019ll think you\u2019re a piece of corn and gobble you up.\u00a0 Now, scat!\u201d<\/p>\n

Red-faced, Little Joe turned and ran for the house, charging straight into his father\u2019s leg just outside the front door.\u00a0 \u201cPa, Hoss bein\u2019 mean,\u201d he whined.<\/p>\n

Ben picked the child up and snuggled him close.\u00a0 \u201cWhich means that he wouldn\u2019t let you do precisely as you pleased, I presume?\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe looked blankly into his father\u2019s face and Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cTime you went in to Mama, baby.\u00a0 You can tell her all about your troubles.\u00a0 Hoss and I have to get to town.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanna go town!\u201d Little Joe pleaded.\u00a0 \u201cHoss go all the time, never me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know, I know,\u201d Ben soothed, \u201cbut that\u2019s because it\u2019s a working trip.\u201d\u00a0 He kissed the child\u2019s soft cheek.\u00a0 \u201cBe a good boy and Pa will bring you back something sweet from town.\u00a0 How\u2019s that?\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe shook his head, clearly not happy, but when Ben set him down with a soft pat on the bottom, he trotted inside as he\u2019d been told.\u00a0 That went better than usual<\/em>, Ben congratulated himself.<\/p>\n

He ambled over to the turkey coop, where Hoss was still scattering corn for his turkey.\u00a0 \u201cHaven\u2019t you finished feeding that bird yet?\u201d Ben grumbled.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlmost done,\u201d Hoss said quickly.\u00a0 \u201cHe eats a lot, Pa, and Little Joe\u2019s pesterin\u2019 slowed me down.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat I can believe,\u201d Ben chuckled, \u201cespecially the first part.\u00a0 That bird eats more than all the chickens on the place put together.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss came through the gate, shutting it carefully behind him.\u00a0 \u201cAw, he don\u2019t neither, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben ruffled the boy\u2019s soft, sandy hair.\u00a0 \u201cJust teasing, son.\u00a0 You\u2019re doing a fine job of fattening that bird up for Christmas dinner.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir, I\u2019m tryin\u2019,\u201d Hoss said, with a proud look at his turkey.<\/p>\n

\u201cTime we got started, boy. \u00a0Climb up and I\u2019ll let you drive \u2018til the road gets steep.\u201d<\/p>\n

Excitement brightening his eyes like sunlight does a summer sky, Hoss climbed quickly aboard the loaded freight wagon and reached for the reins.<\/p>\n

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

Wide grin splitting his face, Hoss trotted up the steep hill toward C Street with the unexpected short-bit bonus burning in his pocket.\u00a0 Ten whole cents to spend any way he chose, although Pa had added one condition when he put the coin in Hoss\u2019s palm.\u00a0 \u201cIf you\u2019re going to spend it on candy, boy, not more than one piece before dinner,\u201d Pa had said with an amused quirk of his lips.\u00a0 Hoss figured that would be an easy rule to keep.\u00a0 Since Pa had promised they could eat at Barnum\u2019s Restaurant, Hoss\u2019s personal favorite, he didn\u2019t want to spoil his appetite for the big bowl of chicken and dumplings and slice of apple pie that he planned to order.<\/p>\n

He had one errand to tend to for Pa first, an easy one.\u00a0 All he had to do was hand the list of supplies to Mr. Cass at the store, and he\u2019d be free to ogle the candy as long as he wanted before making the all-important choice.\u00a0 Gotta pick just right<\/em>, Hoss told himself, this bein\u2019 our last trip to town for a while<\/em>.\u00a0 The load of lumber they\u2019d brought in to the Ophir would be the last one \u2018til spring, and with winter coming on, chances to go to town wouldn\u2019t come as often.\u00a0 Can\u2019t dawdle too long makin\u2019 up my mind, though<\/em>, Hoss reminded himself. \u00a0Won\u2019t take Pa all that long to wind up his business with the mining folks, and he\u2019ll be expectin\u2019 me down to Barnum\u2019s by the time he\u2019s through<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Winded by the pace with which he\u2019d climbed the hill, Hoss paused to catch his breath as he reached the main business street of Virginia City.\u00a0 Cass\u2019s store was directly across from him, but he quickly realized there was no way to reach his destination.\u00a0 As far as he could see, a parade of Paiutes was filling the road, and there was no way to get across, short of plowing through their midst, a course of action Hoss was certain his father would consider rude, if not dangerous.\u00a0 So he waited, blowing warm breath on his reddened knuckles.\u00a0 No longer warmed by exercise, he started to feel the chill in the air typical of the first week in December, and he hoped the Paiutes would hurry on about their business, whatever it was.<\/p>\n

Citizens of Virginia City also lined the sides of the road, staring at the Indians.\u00a0 Not since the Pyramid Lake War had any of them seen so many red-skinned visitors to their town.\u00a0 A few had drifted back to scavenge for a meager subsistence wherever they could find it, but never before in such numbers.\u00a0 But for the fact that not a single native carried a weapon and that they all walked down the main street in absolute silence, looking neither left nor right, the white men would have feared an invasion.\u00a0 In a sense that\u2019s what it was, an invasion of gaunt-faced, hungry men, women and children, returning to the mountain they had once called their own in hopes of avoiding starvation in the lean winter months ahead.<\/p>\n

Hoss took a step into the street as he finally caught sight of the end of the line. Cocking his head to one side, he stared, like everyone else, at the figure bringing up the rear.\u00a0 Though dressed in a calico skirt made from cornmeal bags, the Indian was too tall and walked with too wide a stride to be a squaw.\u00a0 A calico bandana hid the face, but the red blouse couldn\u2019t hide the fact that it covered a chest too flat to be that of a woman.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s a man!\u201d a teenage boy across the street yelled.\u00a0 \u201cWhatcha doin\u2019 in them skirts, huh, injun?\u201d<\/p>\n

The Paiute lifted his head, revealing a thin visage and a solemn expression, but he made no response before lowering his gaze again to the dust beneath his feet.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, injun!\u00a0 I\u2019m talkin\u2019 to you,\u201d the boy shouted, but this time the Indian did not even raise his head.\u00a0 The boy scooped up a handful of pebbles from the street and threw them at the man in women\u2019s clothes.\u00a0 The Paiute grunted as the stones struck, but he kept moving forward, eyes on the ground.<\/p>\n

Emboldened by the actions of the first heckler, other children on the street began to run up behind the Paiute, peppering him with pebbles and hooting in derision.\u00a0 When a larger rock hit the Indian on the side of the head and blood began to trickle down the copper cheek, Hoss could hold himself back no longer.\u00a0 Running forward, he pushed the closest attackers aside.\u00a0 \u201cLeave him be!\u201d he yelled.\u00a0 \u201cHe ain\u2019t doin\u2019 you no harm.\u201d<\/p>\n

The teenage boy who had started the trouble ran toward him.\u00a0 \u201cMind your own business,\u201d he ordered, punctuating the command with an index finger driven into Hoss\u2019s sternum, \u201cor I\u2019ll give you cause to wish you had.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou ain\u2019t got no right to rock him,\u201d Hoss declared, planting his hands on his hips.\u00a0 \u201cHe ain\u2019t no different than you or me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re gonna eat that lie, injun lover!\u201d the other boy hollered and plowed a fist into Hoss\u2019s jaw.<\/p>\n

Unprepared for the blow, Hoss went down, hitting the ground hard, but he scrambled up quickly and rammed his attacker in the stomach.<\/p>\n

\u201cFight, fight!\u201d the cry rang out, and men and children made a circle to watch the battle, most shouting encouragement to the older boy, while the few women on the street turned away in disgust at the display of violence.\u00a0 The Paiutes stopped in the middle of the street, most looking concerned about the possible consequences if they were perceived as the cause behind this brawl.\u00a0 The one in skirts looked from one boy to the other, shaking his head.<\/p>\n

Blow after blow was exchanged, with Hoss getting somewhat the worst of it, for while he was strong and well-built, even large for a boy of his age, his opponent was quick and wiry and his fists surprisingly solid, considering they were smaller than Hoss\u2019s.\u00a0 Fueled by his anger at the injustice of the other boy\u2019s attack on a defenseless foe, however, Hoss fought hard and saw his adversary begin to fade under his telling jabs.<\/p>\n

As quickly as it had begun, though, the fight was over.\u00a0 Hoss felt himself pulled back, his arms pinioned.\u00a0 \u201cHoss, stop it; stop it!\u201d Ben Cartwright yelled, struggling to hold the thrashing arms, as across the way another man did the same to Hoss\u2019s antagonist in the fight.<\/p>\n

Recognizing his father\u2019s voice, Hoss slumped forward, as shame surged through him.\u00a0 After all Pa\u2019s talk about holding his temper, not letting others taunt him into a fight, he\u2019d let it happen again.\u00a0 \u201cI-I\u2019m sorry, Pa,\u201d he sputtered, feeling himself an utter failure and a disgrace to his father\u2019s teaching.\u00a0 Then indignation erupted once again.\u00a0 \u201cBut he shouldn\u2019t\u2019ve been hurtin\u2019 that man.\u00a0 It weren\u2019t right.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben turned Hoss around and, kneeling, engulfed him in an embrace.\u00a0 \u201cNo, son.\u00a0 He shouldn\u2019t have.\u00a0 Remember what I said to you that day in the barn, that there would be times when you had to fight?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss looked up, his eyes lighting with tentative hope that he hadn\u2019t lost his father\u2019s respect.\u00a0 \u201cYou think, maybe, this was one of those times?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou were defending a man under attack for no reason, a man who for some reason felt unable to defend himself,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cI may question your wisdom in flinging yourself into this fracas, Hoss, but your motive was beyond reproach.\u00a0 Now, let\u2019s get you cleaned up and get down to the restaurant for that meal I promised you.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Ben stood, he found himself looking into the eyes of the Paiute Hoss had defended, solemn eyes which warmed with respect as the Indian\u2019s gaze dropped to the face of his young champion.\u00a0 Ben shook his head, puzzled by the Indian\u2019s apparel and his apparent willingness to accept abuse.\u00a0 Spotting a Paiute he knew slightly, Ben moved forward to greet him and then asked about what had just transpired in the street.\u00a0 \u201cWhy is that man dressed like a squaw?\u201d he inquired.\u00a0 \u201cAnd why do the rest of your people turn their backs on him when he is attacked by white men?\u201d<\/p>\n

The Paiute\u2019s nostrils flared with disdain as he inclined his head toward the man in woman\u2019s clothing. \u201cHim\u2019s Charley.\u00a0 Charley heap scared battle down Pyramid Lake.\u00a0 Charley no want fight\u2014got no gun, he say, throw um away.\u00a0 Charley all time run, run; all time cry, cry\u2014all same papoose.\u00a0 Charley squaw now.\u00a0 Paiutes call um Squaw Charley.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben glanced at Squaw Charley and nodded in sober comprehension.\u00a0 No matter to what society a man belonged, cowardice lowered him in the eyes of his peers.\u00a0 White men, too, had ways of ostracizing those who failed to live up to the standards set by the majority.\u00a0 The Paiutes were just more graphic in their handling of craven behavior.\u00a0 A man too weak to stand with his brothers in battle was, in their eyes, a woman, and to compel him to dress the part he had played seemed to them a punishment that fit the crime.\u00a0 While Ben felt sorry for Squaw Charley, he couldn\u2019t deny the raw justice of the sentence imposed by his people.\u00a0 However cowardly, though, no man deserved to be subjected to harassment and unprovoked attack, and Ben felt proud of his stalwart young son\u2019s defense of the man shunned by his own people.<\/p>\n

Face washed and cuts cleaned, Hoss frowned as he waited for his bowl of chicken and dumplings to arrive.\u00a0 Seeing the expression, Ben queried, \u201cSomething wrong, son?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss lifted his head from the elbow on which he\u2019d had it propped.\u00a0 \u201cI was just wonderin\u2019, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled encouragingly.\u00a0 \u201cAbout what?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss shifted in his chair.\u00a0 \u201cYou been sayin\u2019 there was a right and a wrong time to fight.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I been hearin\u2019 all this talk \u2018bout war maybe comin\u2019, and I was wonderin\u2019 if war was a right or wrong reason to fight,\u201d Hoss explained, nose crinkled in thought.<\/p>\n

Ben sighed.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s a hard question, son.\u00a0 There are defenseless people involved, even more in need of protection than Squaw Charley, and some feel they must fight to give those people the right to live free.\u00a0 Others, both north and south of the Mason-Dixon Line, talk of war for more selfish reasons.\u201d<\/p>\n

The wrinkles deepened in Hoss\u2019s forehead.\u00a0 \u201cSo how do you know when it\u2019s a right fight or a wrong one, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben reached across the table to smooth his son\u2019s puckered lips.\u00a0 \u201cYou look in your heart, Hoss.\u00a0 You ask yourself why you\u2019re doing it, and if you find good reasons there, then you stand and fight.\u00a0 If it\u2019s just to ease your pride or bend someone to your will, it\u2019s not reason enough.\u00a0 You think you understand the difference?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss nodded soberly.\u00a0 \u201cI think so, Pa.\u201d\u00a0 He paused a moment, then asked quietly, \u201cYou think there is gonna be a war?\u201d<\/p>\n

Shaking his head sadly, Ben shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know, son.\u00a0 It\u2019s looking more and more that way, but I\u2019m going to keep holding onto hope as long as I can.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMe, too,\u201d Hoss declared.\u00a0 The waitress arrived with their food, and, for Hoss, at least, thoughts of war were quickly forgotten in enjoyment of a good, hot meal.\u00a0 Ben, however, couldn\u2019t set aside his concerns so lightly.\u00a0 Less than three weeks \u2018til Christmas<\/em>, he mused, and peace on earth seems like a distant dream, but, dear God, keep me dreaming.\u00a0 Keep us all dreaming\u2014and working\u2014to make it happen<\/em>.<\/p>\n

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

As snowflakes dusted his hat, Ben pulled the collar of his coat close to his ears and moved briskly toward the front door, barely making it through before Marie was at his side.\u00a0 \u201cI have been concerned, mon mari<\/em>; you are so late,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry, my love,\u201d Ben murmured, punctuating his apology with a kiss to her temple.\u00a0 \u201cThe weather hit sooner than I expected, and the roads are slick.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOui<\/em>, I thought that was it,\u201d Marie said, \u201cbut it is almost suppertime, Ben, and you know how Hop Sing gets when\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

She was cut off abruptly by a volatile demonstration of exactly how Hop Sing could get when any member of the family was late to a meal.\u00a0 Ranting in his native Cantonese, the diminutive cook loudly castigated the head of the house.\u00a0 \u201cBelieve it or not, Hop Sing,\u201d Ben exploded, \u201cI do not control the weather.\u00a0 That lies solely within the province of Almighty God!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhom you resemble not at all at this moment,\u201d Marie suggested sharply.<\/p>\n

Ben turned crimson at the pointed reminder that a fit of temper scarcely reflected divine patience.\u00a0 \u201cAll right,\u201d he said tersely, self-control returning slowly.\u00a0 \u201cMy apologies for being late, Hop Sing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou wash up chop-chop,\u201d Hop Sing dictated with a firm bob of his head for emphasis.\u00a0 \u201cDinnah on table plenty quick, now you fin\u2019ly come home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben exhaled gustily as the cook returned to the kitchen.\u00a0 \u201cThat man would try the patience of the Almighty Himself,\u201d he declared.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs do we all, mon amour<\/em>,\u201d Marie laughed lightly.<\/p>\n

Ben returned the laughter.\u00a0 \u201cYes, I suppose we do.\u201d\u00a0 He took his wife\u2019s hand.\u00a0 \u201cHowever, much as you might profit from a good sermon tomorrow, my sweet little sinner, I\u2019m afraid the snow is likely to be too deep for me to drive you to chapel.\u00a0 I\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie nodded.\u00a0 \u201cI had thought it would be.\u201d\u00a0 She added, with a mischievous smile, \u201cPerhaps I should pray that God will only let it snow on the Sundays when your plans will be spoiled.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben tweaked her petite nose.\u00a0 \u201cSee, just as I said, a sinner in need of repentance.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut you will find yourself the one doing penance if you do not wash up for supper at once,\u201d Marie warned with a significant tilt of her head toward the kitchen.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, ma\u2019am,\u201d Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cI repent.\u00a0 No priest could exact severer penance than that irascible cook of ours.\u201d\u00a0 Giving her another swift kiss, he trotted up the stairs at a lively pace in search of a washbasin and a bar of soap.\u00a0 After a fast, but thorough, scrub at his hands and face, he headed back down the hall.\u00a0 About halfway to the stairs, however, he found his forward progress impeded as one pair of arms engulfed him about the hips and another set latched onto his knees.\u00a0 \u201cHere now, unhand me, you varlets,\u201d Ben roared with mock ferocity, \u201cor I\u2019ll have you tossed overboard.\u201d\u00a0 He snatched the smaller boy under the arms and gave him a gentle toss toward the ceiling.<\/p>\n

Little Joe squealed in exhilaration.\u00a0 \u201cDo it \u2018gain, Pa,\u201d he cried.<\/p>\n

\u201cShh, shh, you\u2019ll get me in trouble with Mama,\u201d Ben warned as he brought the child into his chest.<\/p>\n

Little Joe\u2019s emerald eyes sparkled saucily.\u00a0 \u201cI gonna tell,\u201d he declared with a naughty grin.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, threatening your father, are you?\u201d Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s supposed to be Papa\u2019s prerogative, baby boy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ignoring the vocabulary beyond his comprehension, Little Joe just grinned bigger and repeated the threat.\u00a0 \u201cDo it \u2018gain or I gonna tell.\u00a0 Hoss, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss pulled his little brother\u2019s earlobe.\u00a0 \u201cUnh-uh, not me.\u00a0 I know enough to steer clear of trouble, not go makin\u2019 more.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA wise adage to live by, my boy,\u201d Ben said, dropping his right hand to squeeze Hoss\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cAnd dinnertime is definitely not the time to be making trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s for sure!\u201d Hoss guffawed as he clomped down the stairs ahead of his father.<\/p>\n

Marie stood waiting at the foot to take her baby from Ben.\u00a0 \u201cPa been throwin\u2019 me,\u201d Little Joe informed her gleefully.<\/p>\n

\u201cTattletale,\u201d Hoss scolded.<\/p>\n

\u201cOui<\/em>, I know,\u201d Marie tittered, giving the child\u2019s tiny nose the same treatment Ben had earlier accorded her own.\u00a0 \u201cPap\u00e1<\/em> is being naughty, but so are you, mon petit<\/em>.\u00a0 As Hoss says, it is not nice to tell tales.\u201d<\/p>\n

The light-hearted rebuke washing over him with no visible effect, Little Joe donned his most angelic expression and presented his mother with a hug and kiss.\u00a0 The tender scene was interrupted by a strident pronouncement:\u00a0 \u201cYou come table now or I thlow ev\u2019lyt\u2019ing \u2018way!\u201d the dictator of the domestic domain pronounced with a stamp of his foot.<\/p>\n

Hoss looked genuinely worried.\u00a0 \u201cNo, don\u2019t do that, Hop Sing.\u00a0 I\u2019m starvin\u2019!\u201d\u00a0 With an impatient gesture for the rest of his family to follow suit, he hustled to the table.<\/p>\n

The blessing said, platters and serving bowls began to be passed from person to person, and soon everyone, even the smallest Cartwright, was eating with enough relish to appease the Chinese cook.\u00a0 Hop Sing nodded with satisfaction and returned to the kitchen to cut slices of raisin pie for those whose clean plates might merit dessert.<\/p>\n

\u201cWere you able to find all the things I requested?\u201d Marie asked after filling Little Joe\u2019s plate and ascertaining that he was eating.\u00a0 Though it was still ten days \u2018til Christmas, Marie had been concerned that some of the special ingredients she considered essential to her holiday cooking might sell out and had added them to the list of supplies Ben had ridden into Carson City to buy that afternoon.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlmonds and rosewater, brandy and essence of lemon,\u201d Ben reported, adding with a wink, \u201cand all those items of lesser importance, like flour, soda and salt.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you see Aunt Nelly and Uncle Clyde?\u201d Hoss mumbled through a mouthful of mashed potatoes.\u00a0 \u201cThey gonna make it to the party? And Doc and Sally and\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie interrupted with a quick correction of Hoss\u2019s manners, after which Ben said, \u201cSure did, and they\u2019ll all be here, weather permitting.\u201d\u00a0 With a smile at his wife, he added, \u201cI stopped by the Pioneer Bakery, too, and extended an invitation to Laura, along with her son and her beau.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, good,\u201d Marie murmured.\u00a0 \u201cI am glad you did.\u00a0 I have seen so little of Laura these last several weeks.\u00a0 It seems whenever I am in Carson City, she is away somewhere with Monsieur<\/em> Dettenrieder.\u00a0 Did she accept or does she already have plans with him?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing definite,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cApparently, there\u2019s going to be a ball in Virginia City the same night, and George had mentioned taking Laura.\u00a0 I think she\u2019s going to try to persuade him to come here, instead.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure hope she can,\u201d Hoss offered.\u00a0 \u201cI know Jimmy\u2019d like comin\u2019 here better than any fancy ball up the mountain.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cYes, I got the impression Jimmy was going to make it a personal quest, and if he\u2019s as persuasive as the knee-grabbers around here, I doubt that Mr. George Dettenrieder has a chance of reaching Virginia City on Christmas Eve.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat when Fred come dinner?\u201d Little Joe piped up.<\/p>\n

Ben turned to his youngest with a blank stare.\u00a0 \u201cFred?\u00a0 I don\u2019t think we have a friend named Fred, precious.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss glared at Little Joe across the table, but the baby simply smiled sweetly and informed his father, \u201cFred my friend.\u00a0 He come dinner?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s lips twitched merrily.\u00a0 \u201cOh, you<\/em> have a friend named Fred, do you?\u00a0 And just where might your friend Fred live, if I may ask?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOutside,\u201d Little Joe replied with guileless forthrightness.<\/p>\n

Marie touched her fingers to her lips in a vain attempt to hide her amusement, while Hoss slid down in his chair in an equally vain attempt to disappear.\u00a0 Neither behavior escaped Ben\u2019s notice.\u00a0 \u201cAnd do either of you have the slightest idea what this child is talking about?\u201d he demanded with an arch of his eyebrow.<\/p>\n

Marie struggled to control herself.\u00a0 \u201cI know of no person named Fred among our neighbors,\u201d she demurred, keeping her eyes on her plate.<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s brows came together in a straight, suspicious line, and he turned his gaze upon his middle son.\u00a0 \u201cHoss,\u201d he uttered firmly.\u00a0 \u201cDo you know a person named Fred hereabouts?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA person?\u201d Hoss babbled.\u00a0 \u201cUh, no, Pa; I don\u2019t know no person<\/em> named Fred.\u201d<\/p>\n

The emphasis on the word was a dead giveaway.\u00a0 \u201cAnd what, may I ask, is Fred, if not a person?\u201d Ben demanded in a tone that brooked no further evasion.<\/p>\n

Hoss jumped a little and then grinned sheepishly.\u00a0 \u201cA turkey,\u201d he muttered with a feeble laugh.<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s jaw dropped.\u00a0 \u201cA turkey?\u00a0 Our<\/em> turkey?\u00a0 Oh, for the love of mercy, boy, please tell me you haven\u2019t gone and named that bird!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFred,\u201d Little Joe inserted helpfully.\u00a0 \u201cHis name Fred.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben rolled his eyes; then he jerked back toward his crimson-faced other son.\u00a0 \u201cWell?\u201d he demanded.<\/p>\n

\u201cUh, yeah, Pa,\u201d Hoss quavered.\u00a0 \u201cI guess I did go and name him Fred, now you mention it.\u00a0 He\u2014he just looked like a Fred to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMe, too,\u201d Little Joe announced.<\/p>\n

Ben snapped his fingers toward the baby\u2019s startled face.\u00a0 \u201cYou stay out of this,\u201d he ordered.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Hoss grunted, with a condemning glare at the source of his current dilemma.\u00a0 Little Joe, confused, cowered back in his chair.<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s finger jabbed in Hoss\u2019s direction.\u00a0 \u201cAnd you fix your eyes on me, boy,\u201d he thundered.\u00a0 \u201cDidn\u2019t you have better sense than to make a pet out of fowl meant for the table?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss bit his lip.\u00a0 \u201cY-yes, sir.\u00a0 I know we planned to eat Fred, but\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEat Fred!\u201d Little Joe screamed.\u00a0 \u201cWho gonna eat Fred?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are!\u201d Ben shouted.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo!\u201d the baby wailed.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes!\u201d Ben hollered back, fist pounding the table so hard the dishes rattled.\u00a0 \u201cWe are going to stuff that bird full of dressing, roast him to a turn and carve him up for Christmas dinner!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBen!\u201d Marie cried, gathering her shrieking child into her arms.\u00a0 \u201cYou will not scream at this little one, do you hear me?\u00a0 It is not his fault.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben took a deep breath that didn\u2019t calm him nearly as much as he\u2019d hoped it would.\u00a0 \u201cOf course not,\u201d he sputtered.\u00a0 \u201cJoseph is as innocent in this affair as\u2014as Fred!\u00a0 But you, madame<\/em>,\u201d he added, index finger thrust toward his wife, \u201cknew about this, didn\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI guessed,\u201d Marie admitted, stroking the baby\u2019s curls with slow, soothing strokes.<\/p>\n

\u201cKnew and said nothing,\u201d Ben accused.<\/p>\n

\u201cGuessed,\u201d Marie reaffirmed hotly, \u201cbut did not know for certain until tonight.\u00a0 I remind you of our earlier conversation, monsieur<\/em>.\u00a0 You remind me even less of the Almighty now than when you first came home!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laced his fingers together tightly.\u00a0 \u201cAll right,\u201d he muttered through a tight throat.\u00a0 \u201cI stand corrected.\u00a0 However, there is another misconception that needs to be corrected, as well, and I can\u2019t promise I\u2019ll exhibit the longsuffering of God while I do it.\u00a0 So, if you think it will upset Joseph to hear what I have to say to his brother, please take him upstairs.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOn that point, at least, we do agree,\u201d Marie retorted.\u00a0 Standing, she carried Little Joe across the great room, where she paused at the foot of the stairs.\u00a0 \u201cRemember, Ben,\u201d she said with soft-voiced concern, \u201cHoss, too, is a child.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben leaned his head against the back of his chair, giving her time to take their youngest out of earshot and himself time to gain some semblance of self-control.\u00a0 Blowing out a loud gust of air, he sat upright and faced Hoss, who was nervously pulling on his lower lip.\u00a0 He\u2019s afraid<\/em>, Ben realized with chagrin, and Marie\u2019s right; he\u2019s a child, too<\/em>.\u00a0 A child in a man\u2019s body, but a child, nonetheless<\/em>.\u00a0 \u201cHoss, what were you thinking, boy?\u201d he asked, carefully modulating his voice to conceal whatever anger he still felt.\u00a0 \u201cI remember having a talk with you two or three years back, when you wanted to name one of the newborn calves.\u00a0 I told you then that we couldn\u2019t afford to get attached to something we planned to eat.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss rubbed his hand across the tablecloth.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, I know, Pa, but this seemed different.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know.\u00a0 Fred\u2014I mean, the turkey\u2014was mine, and I guess I figured I could handle him like I thought best.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben groaned.\u00a0 \u201cAnd you thought it was best to treat him like a pet, to let your baby brother make a friend of him?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss scrunched up his nose.\u00a0 \u201cI didn\u2019t figure on that happenin\u2019, honest, Pa!\u00a0 That kid gets the funniest ideas.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben scowled.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s not the only one, boy!\u00a0 You do understand that bird\u2019s going on the table Tuesday after next, don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss shifted uncomfortably.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2014I been meanin\u2019 to talk to you \u2018bout that, Pa.\u00a0 I\u2019m thinkin\u2019, maybe, we ought to wait \u2018til New Year\u2019s, so\u2019s he can get real good and plump.\u201d\u00a0 Eyes wide with hope, he grinned broadly and bobbed his head a couple of times.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood gracious, boy,\u201d Ben exploded, \u201cthat bird practically outweighs everything else on the ranch now!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAw, Pa, he don\u2019t, neither,\u201d Hoss argued.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, if it\u2019s an exaggeration, son, it\u2019s a mighty small one,\u201d Ben insisted curtly.\u00a0 \u201cNow, I have invested a goodly sum in feed for that turkey, and he is going on the table Christmas Day.\u00a0 Do I make myself clear?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut, Pa\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t you \u2018but, Pa,\u2019 me, boy!\u201d Ben growled.\u00a0 \u201cNothing is going to change my mind on this subject, and if you really know how to steer clear of trouble, as you claimed before, you won\u2019t say another word.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLittle Joe\u2019s gonna be awful upset,\u201d Hoss whispered, pulling out what he considered his last round of ammunition in the battle to save Fred from the ax.<\/p>\n

For a moment Ben almost relented; then his face hardened.\u00a0 \u201cHe might as well learn early that we do not make pets out of meat for the table.\u201d\u00a0 With that, Ben tossed his napkin down and strode from the room into the cool night air.<\/p>\n

When the shouting stopped, Hop Sing peered furtively around the corner from the kitchen and frowned to see only Hoss remaining at the table.\u00a0 \u201cYou like piece laisin pie, maybe-so?\u201d he asked tentatively.<\/p>\n

Hoss shook his head and, swiping tears from his cheeks with the back of his hand, ran up the stairs and down the hall to his room.\u00a0 Shaking his head, Hop Sing walked back into the kitchen.\u00a0 Sometimes his Cartwrights could be most inscrutable.<\/p>\n

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

Grain trickling from his fingers, Hoss looked up at the sound of footsteps running toward him.\u00a0 \u201cNo climbin\u2019 on the fence,\u201d he warned as Little Joe ran up to the turkey coop.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay,\u201d Little Joe said, squatting just outside the fence and leaning far to the right to catch the eye of the bird pecking at the feed.\u00a0 \u201cHi, Fred.\u00a0 That taste good?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss frowned as he scattered another handful of feed.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t think you oughta keep callin\u2019 him Fred, punkin.\u00a0 You know what Pa said.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe\u2019s lower lip pushed out petulantly.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t like what Pa said.\u00a0 Don\u2019t wanna eat my friend.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss nodded grimly.\u00a0 He shared the sentiment, and he couldn\u2019t shake the feeling that Fred did, too.\u00a0 As much as he tried to convince himself that it was all his imagination, Hoss couldn\u2019t look into the turkey\u2019s piercing eyes without seeing a mute appeal for salvation.<\/p>\n

Ben came out of the barn, leading his saddled horse.\u00a0 He paused at the turkey coop to say good-bye to his sons before heading out.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t dawdle half the morning in there,\u201d he grumbled.\u00a0 \u201cYou have other chores waiting, Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir.\u00a0 I\u2019ll get \u2018em done, Pa,\u201d Hoss promised.\u00a0 Diligent by nature, he had tried extra hard to please his father since the night Pa first learned Fred\u2019s identity.<\/p>\n

Ben turned away and then spun back, deciding he might as well perform the most unpleasant chore on his list first.\u00a0 \u201cWith all that Hop Sing has to do to get ready for the party day after tomorrow, he wants to get a head start on plucking this bird.\u00a0 I\u2019ll be taking you boys and your mother into chapel in the morning, to make up for missing last week, and while we\u2019re gone, Hop Sing will, uh\u201d\u2014he cut a quick glance toward Little Joe\u2014\u201ddo what needs to be done, understood?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir,\u201d Hoss muttered glumly.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa?\u201d\u00a0 The small voice was accompanied by a pull on Ben\u2019s pants just above the knee.<\/p>\n

Ben pried the fabric free from the toddler\u2019s fingers.\u00a0 \u201cYes, baby?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t wanna eat Fred, Pa,\u201d Little Joe pleaded.\u00a0 \u201cHe my friend.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben inhaled slowly, counting to ten, but the words still came out laced with frustration.\u00a0 \u201cPa has tried to be patient with you, precious, but you need to understand that Fred is not your friend; he is your dinner.\u00a0 Now, if I hear any more on the subject, you and I may just have ourselves a very necessary little talk.\u00a0 Is that clear?\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe stared at his father through narrowed eyes, but said nothing.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt had better be,\u201d Ben said firmly and swung into the saddle.\u00a0 As he rode out of the yard, however, he could still see the accusation in those small emerald orbs, could still feel their fire burning into his back.\u00a0 He\u2019s got to learn<\/em>, he told himself as he urged the horse forward.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa mean,\u201d Little Joe declared, curling his fingers through the wire fence.<\/p>\n

\u201cNaw, he ain\u2019t mean,\u201d Hoss corrected quickly.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s right.\u00a0 I know he\u2019s right\u201d\u2014he cast a guilty glance at the turkey\u2014\u201dbut it just feels<\/em> wrong, doggone it!\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe sidled up to his brother as Hoss shut the gate to the pen.\u00a0 \u201cGotta help Fred, Hoss, just gotta.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss looked back at the turkey, which once again appeared to be gazing upon him in earnest petition.\u00a0 \u201cYeah,\u201d he murmured, \u201cbut how?\u201d<\/p>\n

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

Hoss tiptoed in stocking feet down the dark upper hall to the stairs.\u00a0 Clinging to the rail, he felt his way down to the ground floor.\u00a0 The light from the waxing moon, pouring through the horizontal window behind Pa\u2019s desk, helped him see to cross the great room to the front door.\u00a0 Pausing only to slip into his heavy coat, he inched the door open and slid through.\u00a0 One step was all it took to remind Hoss that he should be wearing boots outside.\u00a0 A light layer of snow covered the ground, and its cold dampness soaked through the thick woolen socks as if they were light as linen.\u00a0 He\u2019d been too afraid of making noise if he wore his boots upstairs, though, and of dropping them if he tried to carry them downstairs in the dark, so Hoss just ran across the yard, nightshirt slapping against his bare calves in the brisk wind off the mountains.<\/p>\n

Quickly unlatching the gate to the turkey coop, Hoss trotted over to the shelter beneath which the big bird spent each night and hissed, \u201cFred.\u00a0 Hey, Fred, wake up.\u201d\u00a0 When he got no response, Hoss moved over to the turkey and shook him.\u00a0 \u201cCome on, Fred; you gotta get out of here\u2014now!\u201d<\/p>\n

The bird awakened with a strangled gobble, and Hoss put a finger to his lips as he peered anxiously back toward the house.\u00a0 \u201cShh, be quiet, Fred.\u00a0 We can\u2019t be wakin\u2019 Pa up, not unless you wanna be stuffed and roasted.\u00a0 You don\u2019t want that, do you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Something that sounded to Hoss like vocalized agreement rattled in the turkey\u2019s throat.\u00a0 \u201cOkay, then, let\u2019s get moving.\u201d\u00a0 Taking out a handful of grain, which he had slipped into the pocket of his coat that afternoon, Hoss held his hand toward the bird and took two steps backward.\u00a0 \u201cCome on, Fred, this way,\u201d he urged, backing up.<\/p>\n

Fred craned forward, reaching for the grain, but Hoss carefully kept it just out of range of the greedy beak.\u00a0 Step by step, Fred following with interest, Hoss made his way to the gate of the coop and walked through.\u00a0 The turkey, unaccustomed to being outside the fence, balked for just a minute.\u00a0 \u201cGet a move on, will you, Fred?\u201d Hoss urged through chattering teeth.\u00a0 \u201cMy socks are soaked plumb through.\u201d<\/p>\n

Responding to the familiar voice, Fred moved forward and Hoss continued to lead him into the dark pine forest.\u00a0 \u201cThis is as far as I can go, Fred,\u201d the shivering boy said at last.\u00a0 He pointed up toward the summit as he backed away.\u00a0 \u201cHead that way, okay, Fred?\u201d<\/p>\n

Fred cocked his head and stepped toward the boy.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, doggone it!\u201d Hoss yelled.\u00a0 \u201cYou can\u2019t come with me.\u00a0 Terrible things are gonna happen to you, Fred, if you do.\u00a0 Now run!\u201d\u00a0 Tears running down his cheeks, he scooped up a couple of pine cones and pelted the turkey with them, though his heart ached at inflicting even that slight hurt on a helpless creature who trusted him.\u00a0 \u201cRun, you silly bird, run!\u201d he hollered.<\/p>\n

Startled, Fred flapped his wings a couple of times and headed for the hills, while Hoss gasped in relief.\u00a0 Then the boy raced toward the shelter of his home, anxious to be back in bed by the time the rest of his family awakened.\u00a0 Retracing his steps, he made his way to his bed, pulled off the clammy socks and, throwing them in a corner, slipped beneath the covers.\u00a0 Sleep didn\u2019t come quickly, though, not even after he finally warmed up.\u00a0 Hoss knew in his heart that he\u2019d done the right thing.\u00a0 Still, he couldn\u2019t help thinking as he lay there waiting for dawn to paint the sky rosy that once \u201cSanta\u201d found out what he\u2019d done, he\u2019d likely get nothing in his stocking but a bundle of sticks, come Christmas morning.\u00a0 I don\u2019t care<\/em>, Hoss decided.\u00a0 At least, Fred\u2019ll have a nice Christmas, instead of the one Pa planned for him<\/em>!<\/p>\n

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

Beneath their heavy winter wraps and lap robes, the Cartwrights were dressed in their Sunday best.\u00a0 Marie snuggled close to Ben as the buckboard pulled away from the house.\u00a0 \u201cThank you for coming with me this morning,\u201d she whispered.\u00a0 \u201cIt is a special gift to me to have you all in church with me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, it just seems right to be in church at this time of year,\u201d Ben said with a smile, \u201cand since there still isn\u2019t one of my persuasion in the area, I might as well visit yours, though I doubt I\u2019ll understand much of what is said.\u201d\u00a0 He drew in the reins abruptly and stared with displeasure at the swinging gate of the turkey coop.\u00a0 Jerking his head over his shoulder, he glared at the older boy seated in the back of the buckboard.\u00a0 \u201cDid you leave that gate open last night?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss tried to look surprised.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2014I thought I closed it, Pa, but it sure is open, all right.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss,\u201d Ben chided as he jumped down from the wagon.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ve got to be more careful, boy.\u00a0 If that bird has wandered out . . .\u201d\u00a0 It was already obvious that the turkey, who was normally out scratching around, hoping for breakfast, by this time in the morning, was not in the enclosed pen.\u00a0 Ben had told Hoss not to bother feeding the turkey that morning, so no one had noticed that irregularity until now.\u00a0 One glance inside the empty shed told Ben that his Christmas dinner had taken flight.\u00a0 Snatching his hat from his head, he slammed it against his thigh as he stalked sullenly back to the wagon.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Marie,\u201d he said, \u201cbut I can\u2019t take you to church this morning after all; I\u2019m going to have to track down that bird.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou want me to drive Ma in to church, Pa?\u201d Hoss offered with a trace too much eagerness.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, son.\u00a0 I appreciate the offer,\u201d Ben replied, \u201cbut the grade into Virginia City is still too steep for you, even with this lighter rig.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss was disappointed, mostly because he thought Virginia City just might be a safe enough distance away if Pa ever did figure out that the open gate to the turkey coop was more than just an act of childish carelessness.<\/p>\n

There was, unfortunately for Hoss, no distance whatsoever between father and son when Ben made that discovery.\u00a0 Hop Sing came storming out the kitchen door, waving a wet, muddy sock in each hand.\u00a0 \u201cBad boy, velly bad boy,\u201d he ranted, thrusting the socks beneath Hoss\u2019s nose.\u00a0 \u201cAlla time makee mo\u2019 work for Hop Sing.\u00a0 Bad boy!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben grabbed the socks, feeling their moistness and examining the grime on the soles with a critical eye, an eye that narrowed as he looked at Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cYou didn\u2019t leave that gate open accidentally, did you, boy?\u201d he roared.\u00a0 \u201cYou got up sometime during the night and deliberately let that turkey loose, didn\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Ben, he would not,\u201d Marie protested.<\/p>\n

Ben threw the socks into her lap.\u00a0 \u201cThe evidence says otherwise.\u201d<\/p>\n

One look at Hoss\u2019s guilty face told Marie that Ben was right.\u00a0 \u201cOh, Hoss,\u201d she sighed with commiseration, understanding at once the boy\u2019s reason.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou help Fred?\u201d Little Joe asked, eyes shining with admiration.\u00a0 He started to throw his arms around Hoss, but Ben plucked him out of the wagon and plunked him into his mother\u2019s lap, instead.<\/p>\n

That distraction out of the way, Ben focused his attention on the guilty countenance remaining in the back of the buckboard.\u00a0 \u201cNow, answer me, boy; you let that turkey out, didn\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss nodded glumly.\u00a0 \u201cYes, sir.\u00a0 I\u2019m sorry, Pa, but I just had to.\u00a0 Fred needed my help even more than Squaw Charlie.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t throw my own words back at me, boy,\u201d Ben growled.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s scarcely the same thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is to Fred,\u201d Hoss insisted through quivering lips.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2014it\u2019s worse, even; them boys weren\u2019t aimin\u2019 to eat Charley.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGet out of that wagon and up to your room!\u201d Ben bellowed.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe a little firm \u2018conversation\u2019 will help you see the difference.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBen, please,\u201d Marie remonstrated.\u00a0 \u201cHe is\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA child,\u201d Ben finished.\u00a0 \u201cYes, I remember, but he is a child who is about to learn the consequences of disobedience and dishonesty!\u201d\u00a0 He stalked after Hoss, planting a hard palm against the boy\u2019s posterior to hurry him forward.<\/p>\n

\u201cNes\u2019ry talk?\u201d Little Joe whimpered sympathetically, looking to his mother for confirmation.<\/p>\n

\u201cOui<\/em>, I fear so, mon petit<\/em>,\u201d she sighed.\u00a0 Settling him on the wagon seat, she climbed down, then reached back to lift the child down and carry him inside.<\/p>\n

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

Ben leaned his rifle against the broad trunk of a sugar pine and took a long swig of water from his canteen.\u00a0 Capping the container, he lifted the gun and again started tracking \u201cthat fool turkey,\u201d as he had begun calling the object of his search.\u00a0 He\u2019d been scouring the woods for hours, and although he\u2019d once come across tracks that could only belong to the big bird, he\u2019d lost them again in a part of the forest strewn thickly with pine needles.\u00a0 Ben was beginning to wonder if he\u2019d ever succeed in what seemed more and more like a hopeless quest; he was also beginning to wonder if he truly wanted to succeed.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t have an ally left in his entire household.\u00a0 Though Hoss had freely admitted that he was wrong to turn the turkey loose, he had also boldly declared that he was glad he\u2019d done it, \u201ctannin\u2019 and all.\u201d\u00a0 And when Ben had come downstairs after changing from his suit into something more appropriate for a hunt, he had met the cold stare of his wife and the tears of his youngest son.\u00a0 Even Hop Sing, who had been anticipating the challenge of roasting his first turkey, looked more upset with Ben than with the guilty party upstairs who\u2019d robbed him of the opportunity.\u00a0 Ought to be some special word<\/em>, Ben growled at himself\u2014glum monger, grumble bear, gripy grinch . . . something coined just for a man who\u2019d steal Christmas from the hearts of his loved ones<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Bad as he was feeling, though, Ben wouldn\u2019t\u2014couldn\u2019t\u2014give up the hunt.\u00a0 He\u2019d put his foot down so firmly that pride kept him from admitting that where he\u2019d actually put it was square in his mouth.\u00a0 I can\u2019t afford to back down now<\/em>, he told himself, or those boys will think they can flout my orders anytime they please, then put on a sad face and count on me to let them off<\/em>.\u00a0 Joseph already had a strong leaning in that direction and while Hoss rarely indulged in willfulness, it was better to prevent the first seed of that kind being sown than to weed out a whole crop of it later on.\u00a0 That, at least, was the reasoning Ben used for refusing to simply let the turkey make good his escape.\u00a0 Still, I was too hard on the boy<\/em>, he admitted.\u00a0 Confining him to his room on bread and water \u2018til Christmas Day for what was basically an act of misguided kindness was simply going too far<\/em>.\u00a0 It was that edict that had brought the ice to his wife\u2019s eyes and had sent tears streaming down Joseph\u2019s cheeks at the thought of a hungry Hoss.\u00a0 That much, at least, Ben realized, he was going to have to admit, to all of them, had been a mistake, no matter what battering his pride took in the telling.\u00a0 After all, he couldn\u2019t expect his sons to grow up honest unless he set the example himself.<\/p>\n

Confound that boy\u2019s tender heart, though; I wouldn\u2019t be freezing my boots off out here now if he\u2019d just be a little harder<\/em>\u2014Ben shook his head.\u00a0 No, he didn\u2019t really want that.\u00a0 As cold and frustrated as he felt at the moment, he loved that sweet, sensitive son of his just the way he was.<\/p>\n

Suddenly, his head jolted up from his careful examination of the ground.\u00a0 There was no mistaking that sound!\u00a0 He\u2019d heard it, day in and day out, for better than a month now.\u00a0 With a triumphant gleam in his eye, he turned left, listened again and again heard the welcome sound of a turkey\u2019s gobble.\u00a0 Step by stealthy step, he crept up on the unsuspecting bird until finally he had Christmas dinner in the sights of his rifle.\u00a0 He cocked the gun, steadied his finger on the trigger and prepared to shoot.<\/p>\n

The turkey lifted its head and looked directly at him, making no sound now nor moving one inch.\u00a0 Ben aimed between the bird\u2019s eyes, and it was as though they held him in a trance.\u00a0 As unmoving as the bird, Ben stood, waiting . . . for what, he wasn\u2019t sure.\u00a0 He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to block out the image of the turkey pleading for his life.\u00a0 When he looked again through the sights of his gun, however, the eyes he aimed between seemed to change color\u2014first icy emerald, then almond brown, then shimmering green and, finally, sad, mournful cornflower.\u00a0 Addle-pated by sentiment, that\u2019s what you are, Ben Cartwright<\/em>, the patriarch of the family chided himself.<\/p>\n

Then with a smile he lowered the gun.\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t exactly heard the angels sing, but the message rang through his heart as clearly as the one that had filled the sky centuries before, with only slightly altered words.\u00a0 \u201cPeace on earth goodwill toward men,\u201d the angels had sung the night of Christ\u2019s birth, but, this Christmas the message was evidently intended to be goodwill toward turkeys.\u00a0 \u201cMerry Christmas, Fred,\u201d Ben called, \u201cand if you want it to be a happy New Year, you\u2019d best get on over the summit into sunny California.\u201d\u00a0 As his loud laugh echoed through the trees, he shouldered his gun and walked away.\u00a0 Now, if I can just find a steer that boy hasn\u2019t named<\/em>, he chuckled to himself.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t precisely the merriest Christmas the Cartwrights ever spent.\u00a0 Though Ben apologized for the excessive punishment and released Hoss from confinement, the boy still spent Christmas Eve, Christmas itself and several days thereafter in his room\u2014in his bed, in fact, laid up with a nasty cold earned by his ill-clad, nighttime excursion to liberate Fred.\u00a0 The rest of the family banded together, though, to make his Christmas as merry as it could be, sore throat and hacking cough considered.<\/p>\n

The New Year, however, was not to be a happy one.\u00a0 Ben persuaded Marie to attend the New Year\u2019s Eve ball, but the atmosphere as they drove into Virginia City was far from festive.\u00a0 Though it would be five days before the ugly headline would be blazoned across the front page of the next edition of the Territorial Enterprise, <\/em>the entire town was abuzz with the latest news brought by the Pony Express.\u00a0\u00a0 What everyone had dreaded since the election of Abraham Lincoln had come to pass: South Carolina had seceded, the nation was divided, and the horrors of civil war loomed on the horizon.<\/p>\n

~ ~ ~ ~ ~<\/p>\n

Historical Notes<\/p>\n

Viewers of Bonanza<\/em> may recognize the title character of \u201cThe Saga of Squaw Charlie\u201d by Warren Douglas.\u00a0 It is my belief, although unverified, that the character is loosely based on the historical figure presented in this chapter, spurned by his tribe for alleged cowardice at Pyramid Lake.\u00a0 The Paiute parade into town happened as described, and the explanation given for Charlie\u2019s humiliation is an exact quote from a historical text.<\/p>\n

South Carolina passed a resolution of secession on December 20, 1860, the first of the southern states to leave the Union.\u00a0 As with many historical events in this story, the date the news arrived in Virginia City is an approximation, based on the average time the Pony Express required to cover the distance.<\/p>\n

CHAPTER SIXTEEN<\/p>\n

Call To Prayer<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cCome on!\u201d\u00a0 Little Joe tugged at the basket in his brother\u2019s plump hand.\u00a0 \u201cYou too slow, Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss just grinned without accelerating his steps even a fraction faster.\u00a0 \u201cAnd you\u2019re a heap too feisty, if\u2019n you ask me.\u00a0 We\u2019ll get there when we get there, Little Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWanna get there now,\u201d the three-year-old insisted, turning loose of the basket and prancing ahead on the path through the woods.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou get back here,\u201d Hoss scolded.\u00a0 \u201cYou know you ain\u2019t s\u2019posed to go off on your own.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe tossed an impish grin over his shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cCatch me!\u201d he challenged and trotted off.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou little scamp, you come back here right now!\u201d Hoss yelled, jogging after the flying feet.\u00a0 Freed by his new Christmas pants from the flapping skirt that had inhibited his speed in the past, Little Joe could scamper away quicker than ever.\u00a0 Fast as his legs could pump, though, they were still too short to escape a determined pursuit, and Hoss quickly overtook the laughing youngster and grabbed tight hold of his hand.\u00a0 \u201cYou stay by me,\u201d he demanded, \u201cor there ain\u2019t gonna be no picnic for you, you hear?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay,\u201d Little Joe agreed, swinging Hoss\u2019s hand cheerily as they walked along, side by side.\u00a0 \u201cWhy no picnic for Mama and Pa, Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018Cause they\u2019s fastin\u2019, that\u2019s why,\u201d Hoss said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s fastin\u2019?\u201d Joe asked.\u00a0 \u201cLike me?\u00a0 I run fast.\u201d\u00a0 He started to demonstrate his claim, but was restrained by Hoss\u2019s tight grip on his hand.<\/p>\n

Hoss guffawed.\u00a0 \u201cNaw, not like that.\u00a0 Fastin\u2019 means not eatin\u2019 nothin\u2019.\u00a0 The President of the whole country done asked everybody to fast and pray today so\u2019s there won\u2019t be no fightin\u2019 back east.\u00a0 It\u2019s why Ma and Pa want us out of the house today, too, so\u2019s God won\u2019t have to strain His ears over our noise to hear their prayers.\u201d\u00a0 It was an explanation he had concocted on his own, but however hard he tried, Hoss couldn\u2019t explain, to either himself or his little brother, why not eating was supposed to make folks feel less like fighting.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t make no sense to me,\u201d the chunky boy observed to the youngster at his side, not because he expected any enlightenment from that source, but simply because he\u2019d fallen into the habit of sharing everything with his most constant companion.\u00a0 \u201cAlways makes me feel more like fightin\u2019 when I\u2019m hungry.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe\u2019s brow wrinkled with uncharacteristic worry.\u00a0 If Hoss got into another fight, Pa would give him another necessary little talk, and the boy hated that happening to Hoss almost more than when he himself was on the receiving end of such a conversation.\u00a0 He tugged imperatively at his big brother\u2019s hand.\u00a0 \u201cHurry, Hoss.\u00a0 Eat so you not fight,\u201d he urged.<\/p>\n

Hoss, knowing that Little Joe had totally misunderstood him, nonetheless laughed and picked up his pace.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, you\u2019re right, punkin.\u00a0 Eatin\u2019 is a heap better than fightin\u2019, so let\u2019s get to it.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

Hop Sing shook his head in disgruntled confusion as he added chopped carrots and potatoes to the stew simmering on the stove.\u00a0 Like Hoss, he saw no point in anyone\u2019s missing a good meal because people far away were unhappy with each other, and this was the third meal the adults in his family would be missing.\u00a0 He consoled himself with thinking that the little boys, at least, would welcome a bowl of hot, hearty stew when they came in from their afternoon of picnicking and playing in the cool January air.\u00a0 Strange time for picnic<\/em>, Hop Sing mused, but no snow on ground and not too cold for little boys to play outside.\u00a0 Picnic keep them from foolishment of parents, so good thing, maybe-so<\/em>.\u00a0 Though he had packed their picnic hamper full, he knew that it would be empty when the boys returned, and that Hoss, in particular, would be eager for more of Hop Sing\u2019s good cooking as soon as he came through the door.<\/p>\n

Now, if only Missy Cartwright and Mr. Ben show good sense like number two son<\/em>, he reflected.\u00a0 He shook his head.\u00a0 It wouldn\u2019t happen.\u00a0 Missy had been very firm when she told him about the fast, and though he considered the kitchen his personal kingdom, he knew he did not rule there unchallenged.\u00a0 Mr. Ben he could handle, but Missy had a temper to rival his own, and Hop Sing had clearly seen signs this morning that she would brook no defiance of her edict.\u00a0 Maybe she couldn\u2019t, if it really came from the boss man of Yin Shan, land of the Silver Mountain.\u00a0 Still, Hop Sing thought with a sly smile, there was nothing defiant about preparing a particularly aromatic stew.\u00a0 It would not be his fault if the aroma were so enticing that Mr. Ben and Missy decided to show good sense and ignore the boss man in Washington.<\/p>\n

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

Upstairs, there was unity, rather than confusion.\u00a0 No longer Catholic and Protestant, nor New England Yankee and woman from the Deep South, Ben and Marie knelt side by side, each earnestly petitioning God, as outgoing President Buchanan had requested, for the gift of peace.\u00a0 Ben\u2019s stomach growled demandingly, and Marie paused, beads in hand, to smile in sympathy.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe man\u2019s trying to torture us,\u201d Ben groaned as the scent of savory stew wafted through the open door to their bedroom.<\/p>\n

Marie giggled and her rosary fell to her lap.\u00a0 \u201cBe strong, mon amour<\/em>,\u201d she said, laying a hand on his arm.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m trying, my love; I really am,\u201d Ben said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is power in hungry prayer,\u201d she affirmed, picking up the beads again after giving his arm a parting pat.<\/p>\n

Ben nodded.\u00a0 \u201cAnd in united appeal,\u201d he whispered as he again bowed his head.\u00a0 Dear God, let it be enough<\/em>, he prayed, all of us, all across this divided land, lifting our hearts in joint supplication for Your mercy.\u00a0 Let it be enough<\/em>.<\/p>\n

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

Arms draped loosely over the top rail, Adam stood outside the corral at Rancho Hermoso, his eyes following the horse he\u2019d ridden throughout his holiday stay with the Paynes, old family friends from the trail west.\u00a0 The sun was just beginning to set, and he was hungry, having eaten nothing all day.\u00a0 Rachel Payne had offered to have the cook prepare him something, but he hadn\u2019t felt right about taking food when everyone else in the household\u2014except, of course, for little Susan and Samuel\u2014was fasting.\u00a0 Rachel and her husband Jonathan had done a lot of praying that day, and not just because the President had called the nation to prayer.\u00a0 The Paynes still had family back east, and they were naturally concerned about their safety if the divided nation actually came to war.<\/p>\n

Adam had even done a little praying himself earlier that day, but he didn\u2019t see much point in repeating the same words over and over.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t, however, help worrying about how the news of South Carolina\u2019s secession, which had arrived in California just after Christmas, would affect him personally.\u00a0 He sighed deeply.\u00a0 It looked as though fate or God or just plain bad luck kept throwing barriers between him and that college education he yearned for.\u00a0 After long discussions with professors at the academy and letters back and forth to Jamie, he\u2019d made his decision to attend Yale College, but now he wondered whether there would even be a Yale by the time he finished his work at the academy.\u00a0 Would all the young men who would normally have enrolled in the freshman class next year be signing up with the Army, instead?\u00a0 That would crush his dreams, naturally, but at least it would save him from ever bringing the subject up with Pa, a prospect he still found himself unable to face.\u00a0 He\u2019d have to write his friend soon and see what he thought about the situation.\u00a0 Being closer to the strife, Jamie and his father might have a clearer view of its likely effect on educational opportunities.<\/p>\n

On the other hand<\/em>, Adam mused, maybe <\/em>Connecticut<\/em> will be just as much a foreign country to me as to anybody in <\/em>South Carolina<\/em> if that judge in <\/em>Sacramento<\/em> gets his way<\/em>.\u00a0 The local newspaper had that very morning carried an open letter from the judge advocating the formation of a Pacific Republic made up of California, Oregon, New Mexico, Washington and his home territory of Utah.\u00a0 He found himself wondering what his father, who had tried so hard to stay neutral in the escalating conflict between North and South, would think of that idea. \u00a0What would we call ourselves if we weren\u2019t Americans anymore?\u00a0 Pacificans, maybe?<\/em><\/p>\n

Lost in thought, he didn\u2019t notice the gelding\u2019s approach until he felt a nuzzle on his arm.\u00a0 \u201cHi, fella,\u201d he whispered, stroking the sorrel\u2019s white blaze.\u00a0 \u201cYou gonna miss me when I head back for school tomorrow?\u00a0 I\u2019ll sure miss you, you beauty.\u00a0 Someday I\u2019d like to have a horse just like you.\u201d\u00a0 The young man smiled slightly.\u00a0 Maybe, if he couldn\u2019t get back east to college, it might even be this very animal.\u00a0 As well as Pa\u2019s new lumber business had prospered, he might be persuaded to buy the sleek sorrel for his son.\u00a0 Might have to do some fancy talking to explain why I should have this horse after insisting I wanted the black, but it would be worth it<\/em>.\u00a0 The faint smile widened into a grin as a possible solution struck his fancy.\u00a0 The way Hoss keeps growing, maybe he\u2019ll be ready to move up to the black by spring, and we can let Little Joe have Charcoal<\/em>.\u00a0 Adam laughed aloud as he pictured his tiny brother astraddle the gray mare.\u00a0 The baby of the family would be quite awhile growing into even as small a horse as that one.<\/p>\n

The sorrel nudged his arm again.\u00a0 \u201cOkay,\u201d Adam chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cOne last ride, huh, fella?\u201d\u00a0 The horse tossed his head, seeming to accept the proposal, and Adam scampered across the yard to the barn to fetch saddle and bridle.<\/p>\n

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

There are times in the life of every believing man or woman, referred to in sacred literature as the dark night of the soul, when the heavens seem made of brass and prayer as pointless as a bell without a clapper.\u00a0 As the year of 1861 began, the United States of America went through such a dark night of its national soul.\u00a0 Throughout January the bad news poured in, as one state after another declared its intention to secede.\u00a0 Only five days after the President\u2019s proclaimed Day of Prayer on January 4th, Mississippi left the Union, followed the next day by Florida and the day following by Alabama.\u00a0 Other southern states delayed a little longer, but by the end of the month Georgia and Louisiana had departed, as well.<\/p>\n

The last state to leave the Union that month brought personal grief to Marie.\u00a0 Louisiana was the place of her birth, and while not all her memories of life there were pleasant, to think that the haunts of her childhood were no longer part of the United States could not fail to disturb her.\u00a0 \u201cYour home is here now,\u201d Ben said in an attempt to comfort her as they stood together before the great stone fireplace of the Ponderosa\u2019s ranch house.<\/p>\n

\u201cOui<\/em>, I know,\u201d Marie conceded, her eyes misty, \u201cbut how would you feel if it were Massachusetts, Ben?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMen of my state fighting men of yours,\u201d Ben muttered with a sad shake of his head.\u00a0 \u201cI pray it doesn\u2019t come to that, my love.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCousin Edward would be glad of the chance to take sword against your Massachusetts,\u201d Marie sighed.\u00a0 \u201cI fear for him, Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow can you?\u201d Ben exploded.\u00a0 \u201cAfter all he did to you\u2014destroying your first marriage, blackening your name, conniving with that\u2014that fiend of a mother-in-law\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie touched a finger to his lips.\u00a0 \u201cOui<\/em>, it is all true, but one cannot hold hate forever, Ben.\u00a0 He is still my blood.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s jaw hardened.\u00a0 \u201cIn his case, I think I could hold hate forever.\u201d<\/p>\n

Eyes pleading, she took his face in her hands.\u00a0 \u201cHis offense was against me.\u00a0 If I choose to lay it down, do not pick it up for me, Benjamin.\u00a0 How else is all the bitterness to end?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben glanced away, into the flames of the fire.\u00a0 He understood that she was talking about more than just herself and Edward now.\u00a0 At some point the nation, too, would have to lay down its offenses and forgive or they would never be one nation again.\u00a0 The very image of that man who had caused his wife such pain still brought fury to his heart, however, a fire he was, as yet, unwilling to bank.<\/p>\n

Nor was the nation yet ready to bank its fires of contention.\u00a0 January ended with the admission of Kansas as a free state, an action that scarcely brought back balance.\u00a0 It was in Bloody Kansas that the slavery question had first erupted into violence, and it was hard not to believe that its statehood foreboded only more widespread violence.\u00a0 Though Ben and all his neighbors had longed for statehood themselves, he found himself feeling almost glad that western Utah had not yet obtained that status and, thus, did not have to choose sides.\u00a0 With all his heart he hoped their territory could stay out of the conflict, but every time he visited Carson City or its larger neighbor on Mt.Davidson, the talk in the street indicated that remaining neutral might well prove impossible.<\/p>\n

February snows ordinarily kept the Cartwrights close to home, but because of the unsettled situation of the country, Ben forced himself to make the long ride into town every Saturday to snare a copy of the latest issue of the Territorial Enterprise<\/em>.\u00a0 The national news was increasingly bad, although local news provided a welcome respite, at least in the first half of the month.\u00a0 A new toll road was being built between Washoe and Eagle valleys, which would significantly improve transportation to Carson City for the Cartwrights.\u00a0 Of course, they might not even have to go that far for goods and services if the new town of Washoe City, now under construction, prospered as it hoped to.<\/p>\n

As February entered its second half, however, it seemed as though the Comstock might be torn apart by a minor-scale civil war all its own, a war between two judges, each claiming jurisdiction over the territory.\u00a0 It all started as a mining dispute, but because each mine favored the claims of a different judge, no decision acceptable to both sides could be reached.\u00a0 Two mining companies, represented by two different lawyers, appealing to two different judges\u2014the situation was rife with the potential for violence.\u00a0 It finally erupted when the miners represented by David Terry took eighty rifles left over from the Pyramid Lake Indian War onto the disputed claim and erected a fort, manned by seventy-five armed men.<\/p>\n

Judge Terry was in San Francisco at the time, and the other claimant\u2019s lawyer, Bill Stewart, fast becoming Virginia City\u2019s most able advocate in cases involving mines, met the opposing judge on the street.\u00a0 Using the influence of his pistols, he forced the man to send a telegram disavowing his claim to jurisdiction.\u00a0 By the time Terry returned the following day, the takeover was complete, and he could say nothing except that he had learned a good lesson.\u00a0 \u201cNever go to war unless you have your General in your own camp,\u201d he declared and left that very night to resume both his law practice and his advocacy of southern sentiments in California.<\/p>\n

The formation of the Confederate States of America was the worst news Ben brought home that bleak, cold February.\u00a0 The United States was no longer united, but two separate nations with two separate presidents, one praying to leave quietly, the other declaring that the very act of secession was unconstitutional and would not be permitted.\u00a0 \u201cAll it needs is one spark, one dispute as trivial as that mining claim fracas, and we\u2019ll be at war,\u201d Ben more than once predicted mournfully.<\/p>\n

His two younger sons, untouched by the rising national unrest, simply rejoiced that by the end of the month the snows were too deep for Hoss to ride to school each day.\u00a0 At first, Marie tried to keep him to his lessons, but Little Joe provided typical distraction with repeated pleas for Hoss to play with him until Ben finally told his wife to let the boys play.\u00a0 \u201cSomeone should be happy,\u201d he declared, \u201cand children are the only ones left who can.\u201d<\/p>\n

~ ~ ~ ~ ~<\/p>\n

Historical Notes<\/p>\n

Judge David Terry appeared in \u201cThe War Comes to Washoe\u201d by Alvin Sapinsley and was, in actual fact, as committed to the South as that episode indicates.\u00a0 Terry\u2019s supposed attempt to stampede the 1864 Nevada statehood convention could not have happened, since he had left the West in 1863 to fight for the Confederacy, in whose service he was wounded at Chickamauga.\u00a0 However, at an earlier time he did plot with other Southern sympathizers to invade California and Nevada and sever their lines of communication with the East.\u00a0 His reward, had that attempt been successful, was to be the governorship of Nevada.<\/p>\n

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN<\/p>\n

Uneasy Calm<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Ben held the team\u2019s reins with one hand and with the other tugged the collar of his jacket tighter in a vain attempt to keep the brisk March breeze from whistling down his neck.\u00a0 He was thankful, though, that all he\u2019d had to contend with today was a chilly wind.\u00a0\u00a0 Throughout the first half of the month, snow had alternated with rain, keeping the roads in a quagmire and the Cartwrights effectively confined to the Ponderosa.\u00a0 Not that the roads had been really impassible, of course, just uncomfortable enough to make staying home preferable to a trip to town, especially when all that waited there was, most likely, more bad news.<\/p>\n

Today was Sunday, though, and what awaited Ben and his family in Carson City was a good meal and a pleasant afternoon with friends.\u00a0 He smiled at his wife as they drove down Main Street.\u00a0 \u201cLooks like the bunting is still up from the Inauguration Day festivities.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat is a good sign, isn\u2019t it?\u201d Marie suggested from the depths of her rabbit-skin cape.\u00a0 \u201cSurely, it means there was an inauguration.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, that much, at least.\u201d\u00a0 There had been rumors of plots against the life of president-elect Lincoln, but the red, white and blue bunting draped from windows and balconies seemed to indicate that the town was still in a spirit of celebration, as it would not have been had such a tragedy occurred.<\/p>\n

Ben and his family had elected not to attend the celebrations on March fourth in either Carson City or its more populous neighbor on Mount Davidson.\u00a0 So far, western Utah only had telegraphic communication with California.\u00a0 If wires had been strung from the east, so that they could read a copy of the new President\u2019s first speech after being sworn in, Ben would have considered that worth a trip to town, no matter how inclement the weather, but the Pony Express was still the swiftest means of communication from that direction and that meant a delay of ten days.\u00a0 Ben hoped that trouble with renegade Paiutes hadn\u2019t hindered the latest relay riders and that Saturday\u2019s issue of the Territorial Enterprise<\/em> would have the full text of Lincoln\u2019s Inaugural Address.<\/p>\n

He turned the team onto a side street and drove the short distance to the Thomas\u2019s yellow frame house.\u00a0 \u201cYou and the boys get on inside,\u201d Ben urged his wife.\u00a0 \u201cSend Clyde out to help stable the horses, if you can roust him out of his cozy chair.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie cocked her head in mild reproof.\u00a0 \u201cI will ask<\/em> him,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Ben smiled, knowing she probably wouldn\u2019t even have to ask.<\/p>\n

Hospitable and helpful as always, Clyde was already on his way to help with the team when Marie herded her boys onto the porch.\u00a0 He held the front door open wide.\u00a0 \u201cGet on in,\u201d he ordered.\u00a0 \u201cWind\u2019s mighty sharp today.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOui<\/em>, it is,\u201d Marie agreed with a shiver.\u00a0 \u201cBen would appreciate your help with the team.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOn my way,\u201d Clyde said, pausing only long enough to give both Hoss and Little Joe a pat on the head.\u00a0 He limped back toward the barn, where Ben was unharnessing the team from his buckboard.\u00a0 \u201cNeed a hand?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure do,\u201d Ben agreed.\u00a0 \u201cThe quicker I get inside, the happier my bones will be.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clyde sported a grin that proved that Billy had come by his talent for teasing honestly.\u00a0 \u201cBones get that way when they\u2019re old.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou should know,\u201d Ben drawled dryly.\u00a0 He looked across the team at his friend.\u00a0 \u201cPony rider get in?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNice of you to care about my boy,\u201d Clyde observed, mischievous grin still in residence on his mouth.<\/p>\n

Ben glanced back, perturbed.\u00a0 \u201cWell, I do, of course, but I\u2019m afraid I had a more selfish reason for asking this time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clyde took one of the unhitched horses and headed for the barn.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, I know.\u00a0 It\u2019s news you\u2019re after, and you\u2019re in luck, Ben boy, \u2018cause there\u2019s a passel of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe President\u2019s Inaugural, I hope,\u201d Ben said, following his friend in with the other horse.<\/p>\n

\u201cFull text,\u201d Clyde said, leading the horse into a stall, \u201cbut that ain\u2019t the big news of the day.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben arched an eyebrow.\u00a0 Bigger news than what the President of their country had to say concerning the impending crisis?\u00a0 Hard to imagine, unless actual war had broken out.\u00a0 No, Clyde was looking pleased as punch, so it had to be good news.\u00a0 \u201cI give up,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s bigger news than that?\u201d<\/p>\n

Clyde leaned up against the wall of the stall and paused a moment for effect.\u00a0 \u201cWhy, what the outgoing president done for this part of the country, just \u2018fore he left office.\u201d<\/p>\n

A smile curved Ben\u2019s lips as he guessed the news his friend was doling out, a hint at a time.\u00a0 \u201cNo,\u201d he murmured, excitement edging his voice.<\/p>\n

Clyde\u2019s grin spread from ear to ear.\u00a0 \u201cYup.\u00a0 You are now livin\u2019 in the official territory of Nevada, Ben Cartwright.\u00a0 Buchanan signed the bill March second.\u00a0 Oh, and by the way, that brother of yours is livin\u2019 in a new territory, too.\u00a0 Colorado beat us to the punch by a couple of days.\u00a0 Reckon he\u2019ll be braggin\u2019 on it in that letter waitin\u2019 inside.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a letter from John?\u201d\u00a0 Ben gave his friend a rough clap on the shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cWell, what are we doing out in the barn, then?\u201d<\/p>\n

Clyde rubbed his shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cNow, if that\u2019s the way you take good news, I\u2019d better not tell you there\u2019s a letter from that Missouri friend of yours, too.\u00a0 Not sure my old bones could take much more of your style of thanks.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll try to restrain myself if you\u2019ll help me get these horses tended to quickly, so I can sit in your cozy chair and read all this wonderful news.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGuess I better,\u201d Clyde snorted, \u201cjust as a matter of self preservation.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

Ben chided himself later for being such a poor guest that afternoon, but he couldn\u2019t resist the temptation to bury his nose in newspaper and letters from back east.\u00a0 He read first the article dealing with the government of the new territory and learned that a New Yorker named James Warren Nye was to be the first governor of Nevada.\u00a0 A mere political appointee, of course, with no ties to this part of the country, probably someone to whom Abraham Lincoln owed a debt of gratitude, but Ben would withhold judgment until he met the man.\u00a0 At least, Nye, as the police commissioner of New York, had some experience with law and order, and that, in Ben\u2019s view, was a major need of the new territory.<\/p>\n

He next absorbed every word of Lincoln\u2019s Inaugural Address, and as he read, he prayed that the slave-holding states would hear its clear plea to use Constitutional means for redress of their grievances, rather than ripping the Union apart.\u00a0 One paragraph, especially, seemed to Ben to put forth such sound reasoning that he wondered how anyone could resist it.\u00a0 \u201cPhysically speaking, we can not separate,\u201d Lincoln had argued.\u00a0 \u201cWe can not remove our respective sections from each other nor build an impassable wall between them. A husband and wife may be divorced and go out of the presence and beyond the reach of each other, but the different parts of our country can not do this. They can not but remain face to face, and intercourse, either amicable or hostile, must continue between them. Is it possible, then, to make that intercourse more advantageous or more satisfactory after<\/em> separation than before?<\/em> Can aliens make treaties easier than friends can make laws? Can treaties be more faithfully enforced between aliens than laws can among friends? Suppose you go to war, you can not fight always; and when, after much loss on both sides and no gain on either, you cease fighting, the identical old questions, as to terms of intercourse, are again upon you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yet, even as Ben read, he feared that there would be men who failed to see that the inevitable result of secession would be bloodshed on both sides, which would in no way solve the problems dividing their beleaguered nation.\u00a0 Lincoln had concluded his speech with a poignant promise: \u201cIn your<\/em> hands, my dissatisfied fellow-countrymen, and not in mine,<\/em> is the momentous issue of civil war. The Government will not assail you.<\/em>\u00a0 You can have no conflict without being yourselves the aggressors.\u201d\u00a0 Was it enough, this earnest petition for peace, to draw back those states that had already seceded or would pride keep them from returning and sectional loyalty prompt others to leave the Union, as well?<\/p>\n

The letter from Josiah Edwards, which Ben read after setting the Territorial Enterprise<\/em> aside, hinted that the answer would not be the one Ben hoped for.\u00a0 Josiah had begun by welcoming Nevada Territory into the United States, but Ben could almost hear the wistful sigh with which his old friend expressed the hope that his own state would still be in the Union by the time this letter arrived.\u00a0 Missouri was, as Ben recalled from his sojourn there, a slave state, but it was almost surrounded by states holding the opposing view, making its decision regarding secession particularly difficult.\u00a0 A convention called for the purpose of considering secession had convened just before Josiah wrote, and while a pro-Union slate of delegates had been elected\u2014by coercion, some said\u2014the issue was still unresolved at the time he posted the letter.<\/p>\n

John\u2019s letter, at least, gave no hint of political division in his area.\u00a0 It was filled, instead, with family news and contained, as Clyde had predicted, light-hearted teasing about Colorado\u2019s making it into the Union sooner than his brother\u2019s longer-settled section of the country.\u00a0 Nothing at all in the letter to cause concern, but Ben sighed nonetheless, for it was becoming more and more obvious that John was solidly establishing himself a long distance from Carson Valley.<\/p>\n

As he drove his family home that evening, however, Ben finally admitted that it wasn\u2019t the news in the paper or in either of those letters that had left him feeling so glum that he hadn\u2019t enjoyed his visit with his friends.\u00a0 What bothered him more than anything he\u2019d read was the fact that he\u2019d had nothing whatsoever to read from his oldest son\u2014again.\u00a0 Times being what they were, he didn\u2019t appreciate the sudden slackness in communicating that Adam had displayed this year.\u00a0 From his own trips to Virginia City, Ben knew that heated political exchanges were a daily occurrence, even this far from the source of the conflict, and he assumed the same was true in California.\u00a0 In fact, with Judge Terry back there, fomenting factionalism, California was a potentially more volatile powder keg than Nevada.\u00a0 Adam\u2019s silence, of course, did not mean that the boy had gotten caught up in sectional violence.\u00a0 More than likely he was just absorbed in his schoolwork, but it could be something more serious, and that fear made Ben determine to send his eldest son a tersely worded admonition about writing more often.<\/p>\n

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

Martin Gallagher settled into the padded seat of the family carriage and looked at his sober-faced friend.\u00a0 \u201cI take it you didn\u2019t enjoy the meeting.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam Cartwright\u2019s head came up.\u00a0 \u201cNo, it was interesting, especially your father\u2019s speech.\u00a0 I\u2019m not sorry I went.\u00a0 I guess it\u2019s like my pa says, though: it\u2019s an eastern conflict, not much to do with us out here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Martin chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cNow, that\u2019s refreshing\u2014you and your father agreeing on something!\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam responded with a sheepish smile.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m not sure we really agree on this one, either.\u00a0 Sometimes I think Pa wants to pretend that the Ponderosa is some kind of island, untouchable by anything worse than a winter blizzard.\u00a0 He even tried to ignore the war with the Paiutes last summer, and you know how close to home that was.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut he did fight when it came down to it, when he realized that the external conflict did concern him,\u201d Martin pointed out.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s the main impression I came away with tonight, Adam, that the \u2018eastern conflict,\u2019 as you call it, does concern all of us, because the blight of slavery cannot be allowed to continue.\u00a0 I can\u2019t believe you feel otherwise.\u201d<\/p>\n

The carriage had pulled up in front of Adam\u2019s boardinghouse, but he made no move to get out.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t feel otherwise about slavery,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cYou know that, but is abolishing it worth going to war?\u00a0 Maybe, if there\u2019s no other way, but I\u2019ve seen one war, remember?\u00a0 I hope I never see another!\u201d<\/p>\n

Martin placed a slender hand on his friend\u2019s broad shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cI can only imagine how horrible it was for you, Adam, but it was over and done with quickly, with little loss of life.\u00a0 Everyone seems to think that if the Confederate States do declare war, they\u2019ll be whipped just as easily as those Paiutes.\u00a0 Isn\u2019t it worth one such battle to bring freedom to an oppressed people?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe, but I want no part of it, and I as good as told Pa my feelings after the Battle of Pinnacle Mount.\u00a0 That\u2019s why his latest letter rankled so much, I guess, with all his warnings about staying out of political debates\u2014again!\u00a0 Honestly, sometimes he treats me like such a kid!\u201d<\/p>\n

Martin gave the shoulder on which his hand was resting a smart slap.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s not what rankled you, my friend; it\u2019s the scolding you got for not writing home as often as you should.\u00a0 You, Adam Cartwright, are suffering from a guilty conscience.\u201d<\/p>\n

Smiling, Adam opened the door of the carriage.\u00a0 \u201cIn that case, I\u2019d better get up to my room and pull out some stationery.\u00a0 At least, tonight\u2019s meeting gives me something to write about.\u00a0 Thanks for inviting me.\u201d\u00a0 He stepped down to the street.<\/p>\n

\u201cSure.\u00a0 Happy to have you.\u201d\u00a0 Martin leaned forward as Adam closed the carriage door.\u00a0 \u201cGive some thought to writing about something more personal than a political meeting, all right, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNow you\u2019ve gone to meddling,\u201d Adam chided.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust give it some thought,\u201d his friend admonished once more as he tapped on the roof of the carriage to signal the driver to leave.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe what you think will be a full-scale war will be just one quick battle, like the others.\u201d<\/p>\n

Watching the carriage drive away, Adam shook his head.\u00a0 One quick battle, huh?\u00a0 Anyone who thought that had never tussled with Ben Cartwright.\u00a0 Convincing his hard-headed father to allow him to attend college, when it went counter to all the man\u2019s hopes and dreams, was probably a clash destined to go down in history right alongside the Peloponnesian War.\u00a0 That one had lasted twenty-seven years, and if his confrontation with Pa was comparable, Adam figured he was likely to become the oldest freshman ever to matriculate at Yale.<\/p>\n

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

On a warm, cloudless Saturday, the final one in March, Little Joe trotted his stick pony in endless circles around the dirt yard before the Ponderosa ranch house.\u00a0 However hard he tried, however, he couldn\u2019t make his little mount go fast the way he liked, the way Mama rode when he was in the saddle with her and Pa wasn\u2019t around.\u00a0 As a rider ambled in on a dark brown horse, Little Joe dropped his unsatisfactory pony into the dust and ran toward the visitor.<\/p>\n

The man in the black frock coat and trousers stepped quickly down from his horse and greeted the small boy.\u00a0 \u201cAh, I remember this angelic little face!\u00a0 Not quite the picture of perfect innocence now, though, with this smudge marring the image.\u201d\u00a0 The man licked his thumb and rubbed it across the soft cheek.\u00a0 \u201cThere, that\u2019s better.\u00a0 Is your father home, child?\u201d<\/p>\n

With a grin Little Joe shook his head and pointed to his right.\u00a0 \u201cPa down there, in the garden, makin\u2019 it bigger.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I guess I\u2019ll pay a visit to the garden then,\u201d the man said pleasantly, standing to his feet.<\/p>\n

\u201cI take you,\u201d Little Joe offered.<\/p>\n

The man smiled.\u00a0 \u201cPleased to have your company, child, but you mustn\u2019t leave your pony lying in the yard like that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, no,\u201d Joe assured him earnestly.\u00a0 \u201cI ride to garden.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI believe I\u2019ll walk,\u201d the man chuckled, gathering up his reins to lead the brown horse.<\/p>\n

Little Joe frowned in thought for a moment.\u00a0 Dragging his stick pony by its leather reins didn\u2019t sound like much fun to him, so he straddled the stick and galloped off as fast as his short legs would carry him.\u00a0 The man in the broad-brimmed black hat had no trouble keeping up, and a short walk or \u201cride\u201d brought them both to the garden, where Ben Cartwright and his son Hoss were hard at work.<\/p>\n

Hearing his youngest son loudly calling his name, Ben looked up and saw a stranger following the boy charging up on his makeshift mount.\u00a0 He squinted at the man in the Sunday-go-to-meeting suit.\u00a0 No, not a stranger, after all.\u00a0 Ben was certain he\u2019d seen that face before, though he couldn\u2019t put a name to it at first.\u00a0 Then a broad smile came across his face, and Ben stepped across the clods of upturned earth to welcome his visitor.\u00a0 \u201cReverend Bennett!\u201d he cried.\u00a0 \u201cWhat a pleasure to see you again.\u00a0 Are you going to hold another revival service in the area?\u00a0 I do hope so.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss had tossed aside his shovel and come running as soon as his father called the visitor\u2019s name.\u00a0 \u201cMe, too,\u201d he panted as he came to his father\u2019s side.\u00a0 \u201cI liked them kind of services!\u201d<\/p>\n

The Reverend Jesse Bennett took Ben\u2019s extended hand and gave it a hearty shake, as he favored the youngster with a warm smile.\u00a0 \u201cYou do gratify my heart, my boy, but, no, I haven\u2019t come to preach a revival.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAw, shucks,\u201d Hoss said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d sure rather hear you than that\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss,\u201d Ben cautioned sharply.<\/p>\n

Hoss bit his lip and scuffed his boot through the furrow at the edge of the garden.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, you didn\u2019t let me finish,\u201d the minister chided gently. \u00a0\u201cI\u2019m not here to preach a revival, but to set up a permanent church.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s wonderful news, isn\u2019t it, Hoss?\u201d Ben said, placing an arm across his middle son\u2019s hefty shoulders.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir, it sure is!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been here a short time, doing some street preaching in Virginia City,\u201d Bennett explained, \u201cbut a regular minister has been assigned there now, and I\u2019m pioneering a work in the new town of Washoe City.\u00a0 Since that would be a shorter distance for your family, I took the liberty of calling to invite you to our special Easter services tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, can we, Pa?\u201d Hoss asked eagerly.<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, we can, son,\u201d Ben replied earnestly.\u00a0 \u201cIt will be a privilege to hear you preach again, Reverend.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll hope to see you regularly then,\u201d Reverend Bennett said as he swung up into the saddle.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs regularly as we can,\u201d Ben said hesitantly, for he had just spied a flash of green merino fabric.<\/p>\n

Marie, who had been running down the path to the garden in search of her wayward youngest son, moderated her gait when she saw the stranger talking to Ben.<\/p>\n

Ben stretched an arm toward her.\u00a0 \u201cMarie, my love, look who\u2019s come to invite us to Easter services tomorrow morning, our own Reverend Bennett.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, oui<\/em>, I remember you now, Monsieur<\/em>,\u201d Marie said.<\/p>\n

\u201cPleased to see you once more, Sister Cartwright,\u201d the minister said and continued in blithe ignorance of the family\u2019s religious division, \u201cI wish I could stay longer, but I have a number of other settlers to call on this morning, so I\u2019ll leave you to your work and be about mine.\u00a0 I\u2019ll see you tomorrow.\u201d\u00a0 After exchanging another handshake with Ben and tipping his hat to Marie, he wheeled the horse and rode back the way he had come.<\/p>\n

When the man of God was out of sight, Marie planted both hands on her hips and stared at Ben. \u00a0\u201cHe will see us tomorrow, will he?\u00a0 I think he will not see me, mon mari<\/em>!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAw, shucks, Ma, don\u2019t you like his preachin\u2019?\u201d Hoss asked.\u00a0 \u201cI sure do!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat is fine, Hoss,\u201d his mother said, \u201cand you are welcome to attend church with your father in the morning.\u00a0 He and I, however, need to have a \u2018very necessary little talk,\u2019 I believe!\u201d<\/p>\n

Hearing the fire in her voice, Ben patted Hoss on the shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cJust a little discussion, son, nothing more.\u00a0 You get back to spading up the garden and\u2014Little Joe, quit galloping that pony through the dirt!\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie giggled at the sight of her son, kicking up clods with every trot of his stick horse through the upturned earth.\u00a0 \u201cI think a bath will be in order for that one before he attends anyone\u2019s church.\u201d\u00a0 She smiled up at Ben, her anger dissipating as quickly as it had risen.\u00a0 \u201cWhy did you let this man think I would be coming, Ben?\u00a0 Surely, you do not expect me to attend church with you when you refuse to attend with me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, no, that wouldn\u2019t be fair,\u201d Ben admitted.\u00a0 He put an arm around his wife.\u00a0 \u201cI didn\u2019t mean to lead him astray, Marie.\u00a0 I just didn\u2019t think to tell him of our unique situation.\u00a0 Perhaps I\u2019d better set him straight tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMais oui<\/em>, I think that would be best.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat brought you down here\u2014or can I guess?\u201d Ben asked, with a smile toward the garden.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think you can,\u201d Marie laughed.\u00a0 She pointed to the thin line etched by the stick pony in the path from the house.\u00a0 \u201cI had only to follow the tracks.\u00a0 Shall I take him back or do you wish his help this morning?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, thank you,\u201d Ben chuckled.\u00a0 He called Little Joe and then turned back to his wife.\u00a0 \u201cYou won\u2019t pay me back that way, my love; the punishment exceeds the crime.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOui<\/em>, wrestling him in church tomorrow will be punishment enough,\u201d she teased.<\/p>\n

\u201cSure you wouldn\u2019t rather keep him at home?\u201d Ben suggested.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, no, no,\u201d Marie tittered, wagging her finger beneath his nose.\u00a0 \u201cHe must be exposed to both faiths, non<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded as the child in question trotted up to his side.\u00a0 Ben planted a light swat on the boy\u2019s backside.\u00a0 \u201cBack up to the house, you scamp,\u201d he ordered.\u00a0 \u201cYou know you\u2019re not supposed to be down here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe took off toward home.\u00a0 Marie started after him, but turned as an idea struck her.\u00a0 \u201cBen, perhaps the Thomases would wish to attend the new church, too, especially as they were coming here to dinner tomorrow, anyway.\u00a0 You should inform them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s a good idea,\u201d Ben called back, \u201cand I know just the Pony rider to send with that message.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust so long as it is not the one who rides a stick pony,\u201d Marie giggled.\u00a0 Gathering her skirts, she took off after her youngest son.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cLands, you didn\u2019t need to go to the trouble of a full-course meal, just for us,\u201d Nelly said in mild rebuke as Hop Sing served each person at the table a bowl of onion soup with toasted bread and cheese floating on top.<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, but you are special guests, worth a little extra effort,\u201d Marie responded.<\/p>\n

Nelly sent her sweetest smile across the table.\u00a0 \u201cBut, honey, if you\u2019d just fixed a simple meal, you\u2019d\u2019ve had time to go into town and hear Reverend Bennett.\u00a0 You sure missed a fine sermon this morning, didn\u2019t she, Ben?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was meaningful,\u201d Ben agreed, keeping his reply circumspect to avoid giving offense to either of the ladies flanking him at the table, \u201cbut the choice is Marie\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you all know my choice,\u201d Marie declared firmly.\u00a0 In a more moderate voice she added, \u201cLet us not quarrel.\u00a0 Truly, it is no trouble to offer you a good meal, for Hop Sing does most of the work.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I reckon that\u2019s so,\u201d Nelly admitted.\u00a0 \u201cSure makes my meals look like poor man\u2019s feed, though.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s as is fittin\u2019 for poor folks like us, Nelly gal,\u201d Clyde cackled beside her.<\/p>\n

\u201cNelly\u2019s cooking is magnifique<\/em>,\u201d Marie objected.\u00a0 \u201cIt is fare fit for kings.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt sure is!\u201d Hoss agreed.<\/p>\n

\u201cMais oui<\/em>,\u201d Marie reiterated.\u00a0 \u201cYou must never feel that your meals compare poorly with Hop Sing\u2019s, Nelly.\u00a0 We all look forward to the Sundays we dine in your home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nelly blushed, but it was evident that she was pleased by the compliments, especially Hoss\u2019s hearty one.\u00a0 \u201cStill, if you was to come with Ben, you\u2019d get a chance to see your new town.\u00a0 It\u2019s shapin\u2019 up to be quite a place.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat it is,\u201d Ben agreed quickly, hoping to forestall any more religious argument.\u00a0 \u201cI was surprised to see so many businesses sprouting up.\u00a0 I think Washoe City intends to make a bid to be the main distribution center for all goods coming in from California.\u201d\u00a0 He winked across the table, fully expecting Clyde to take issue with that evaluation.<\/p>\n

Clyde took the bait.\u00a0 \u201cDidn\u2019t look like such a much to me.\u00a0 \u2018Course, if you favor those upstarts\u2019 supplies over what you get in Carson City, I reckon that\u2019s your business.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nelly erupted with laughter.\u00a0 \u201cOh, don\u2019t get your hackles up, you old rooster.\u00a0 Can\u2019t you see Ben\u2019s funnin\u2019 with you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Clyde cocked an appraising eye at his friend and shook his head at the twitching lips.\u00a0 \u201cCartwrights,\u201d he snorted.\u00a0 \u201cCritters don\u2019t come any ornerier.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I can think of one,\u201d Ben chuckled, \u201cthough I miss seeing that ornery redheaded critter.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo do I,\u201d Nelly added with a wistful smile, \u201cbut that Pony Express keeps him mighty busy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s doing an important service,\u201d Ben said, \u201cespecially in these troubled times.\u00a0 Did he bring any news of interest this trip?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust what\u2019s in the paper I brung you,\u201d Clyde said.\u00a0 \u201cLouisiana joined up with the Confederacy, but we was expectin\u2019 that after she seceded, no disrespect to you, Marie.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI take none,\u201d she said at once, \u201cthough it saddens me to hear such news of my old home.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re Nevadan now,\u201d Nelly reminded her.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd that\u2019s neither North nor South,\u201d Ben added firmly.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right,\u201d Clyde announced.\u00a0 \u201cNo need to argue the slavery question out here, when we got more interestin\u2019 stuff to bicker over.\u201d\u00a0 When everyone looked questioningly at him, he sported a mischievous grin and asked, \u201cSo, which is it to be next Sunday, Catholic chapel or Methodist-Episcopal?\u201d<\/p>\n

Nelly slapped his leg in rebuke, but it was Ben who answered.\u00a0 \u201cChapel,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cWe take turns, and you know that, you old troublemaker.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nelly nodded, feeling both embarrassed by her husband\u2019s capers and disappointed in her friends\u2019 decision.\u00a0 \u201cYou take her to an early Mass, then, Ben, so you\u2019ll have time to drive down to Carson for dinner.\u00a0 We can hold it a mite, if need be.\u00a0 Ain\u2019t a bit of sense in you eatin\u2019 in some restaurant when there\u2019s good home cookin\u2019 within reach; leastwise, you said you liked it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd meant it.\u00a0 We\u2019ll do just that,\u201d Ben said after seeing his wife nod, smiling.<\/p>\n

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN<\/p>\n

The Storm Breaks<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Though occasional showers still fell in April, spring had come once again to the Ponderosa.\u00a0 Hillsides and meadows alike were splashed with verdant green and dotted with blossoms in a myriad hues.\u00a0 After planting onions and potatoes early in the month, Marie finally paid a visit to Washoe City and came home determined to bring the colors of spring into their own front yard.\u00a0 Window boxes were planted with geraniums, and a wooden tub beside the porch sprouted a climbing rose that she hoped would one day spread its beauty over the roof.\u00a0 In addition, a small dogwood tree, transplanted from a nearby stream bank, graced the far end of the house, and an assortment of flower seeds were sown along the wall on either side of it.<\/p>\n

The other Cartwrights also welcomed the return of pleasant days and balmy breezes.\u00a0 Hoss and Little Joe were thrilled to spend more time outdoors, and as soon as the older boy returned from school each day, he would hurry through his chores, so he and his little brother could tramp through the woods or seek out a nearby fishing spot.\u00a0 Though young himself, Hoss was trusted implicitly to keep the inquisitive toddler from harm, and he basked in his parents\u2019 confidence and the whole-hearted admiration of that bright-eyed tagalong.<\/p>\n

As Ben rode each day from the scene of one ranch operation to another, he surveyed with satisfaction the blossoming of his dreams.\u00a0 Everywhere he looked were signs of growth, not always appreciable in the ledger book, but visible to the naked eye.\u00a0 Cattle fattening, timber operation starting up again, the sheer beauty of this land he called his own breathing fresh life into his winter-worn spirit, as spring seemed always to do.\u00a0 The Ponderosa was a busy place these days, and Ben looked eagerly toward the day his eldest son would arrive to help him and to enjoy the fruition of what they had envisioned together.<\/p>\n

Only Adam failed to rejoice in the coming of spring.\u00a0 In California, of course, he never experienced the harshness of winter, but he normally looked forward to spring as an indicator that he would soon be going home.\u00a0 Not this year.\u00a0 He had lived in dread of the coming confrontation for so long that, as April advanced, he almost found himself wishing that the school term this year might never end.<\/p>\n

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

Shadows were beginning to lengthen the final Saturday in April when Ben shouldered his garden tools and headed back toward the house with Hoss at his side.\u00a0 The two of them had been hard at work all afternoon, planting root vegetables like parsnips, carrots, beets and turnips, and both of them wore the sweat-stained shirts to prove it.<\/p>\n

Ben smiled as he walked into the yard and saw his wife, seated behind a wooden table on the covered porch, her dress as stained as his shirt.\u00a0 He knew the dirt hadn\u2019t come from the work she\u2019d done.\u00a0 Marie had been planting window boxes with tomato and cabbage seed, to be transferred to the garden when the young plants had taken root, and that wasn\u2019t ordinarily a grimy job.\u00a0 Ben suspected the dirt had come from cuddling the rather grubby boy now chasing Klamath around the yard.\u00a0 \u201cYou need a bath,\u201d he whispered as he stepped close and kissed her cheek.<\/p>\n

\u201cMais oui<\/em>, and you also,\u201d she laughed, \u201cbut I think our baby son should go first.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, thanks,\u201d Ben snorted as he scooped up the toddler, who had just run up to him while the little brown dog ran over to greet Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t relish second chance on bath water after this much dirt comes off.\u201d\u00a0 He swatted Little Joe\u2019s dusty britches.<\/p>\n

\u201cNor I, but if I precede him, I shall surely need to bathe twice, and that I do not wish,\u201d Marie laughed.\u00a0 \u201cI will bathe Joseph first and then myself, mon mari<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s fine,\u201d Ben assured her.\u00a0 \u201cHoss and I will just sit out here and relax, won\u2019t we, son?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo!\u201d Little Joe yelped as his father placed him in his mother\u2019s arms.\u00a0 \u201cHoss wanna play wif me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSomeone\u2019s comin\u2019,\u201d Hoss announced, and when the others stopped to listen, they, too, could hear the clop of horses\u2019 hooves and the rumble of wagon wheels coming down the road.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, look at us,\u201d Marie fretted, brushing her dress with the hand not holding Little Joe.\u00a0 \u201cWhat will these visitors think?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat we\u2019re people who work for a living,\u201d Ben grunted.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s no shame in honest sweat, Marie.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know that, Ben,\u201d she started testily, \u201cbut\u2014oh, it is Clyde and Nelly!\u201d<\/p>\n

Smiling, Ben walked to the side of the wagon as it pulled into the yard.\u00a0 \u201cWell, now, to what do we owe this unexpected pleasure?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t reckon you\u2019ll think it a pleasure when you hear why we come,\u201d Clyde muttered as he climbed down from the rig and reached back to help his wife down.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is always a pleasure to see you,\u201d Marie insisted, \u201cthough we did not expect you \u2018til tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe leaned forward, arms stretched toward Nelly, who gathered him up and hugged him tight.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Nelly, he will soil your dress,\u201d Marie fretted.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo harm done,\u201d Nelly assured her, though her face did not reflect the older woman\u2019s customary ease of manner.<\/p>\n

Ben moved to the back of the wagon to lift little Inger from the buckboard and cocked a glance at the carpetbags he saw behind the wagon seat.<\/p>\n

\u201cTook the liberty of bringin\u2019 our duds, so\u2019s we could spend the night, since we was plannin\u2019 to go to church with you in the mornin\u2019,\u201d Clyde said, following Ben\u2019s line of sight.\u00a0 \u201cFigured you\u2019d want to hear the news soon as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben folded his arms and arched an eyebrow.\u00a0 \u201cYou comin\u2019 out to weasel a free meal isn\u2019t anything new, so what news might that be?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Ben, it\u2019s war!\u201d Nelly cried, eyes moist.<\/p>\n

Ben gasped and Marie grew pale.\u00a0 \u201cOh, no,\u201d she murmured.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s finally happened, then, actual fighting?\u201d Ben queried, his face grim.<\/p>\n

Clyde nodded soberly.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, them dad-blamed rebels opened fire on Ft. Sumter on April 12th<\/sup>.\u00a0 Took it two days later.\u00a0 Lincoln\u2019s called for seventy-five thousand volunteers to serve for three months.\u00a0 He just calls it an \u2018insurrection,\u2019 but I reckon my Nelly\u2019s got the right of it\u2014it\u2019s war, plain and simple.\u00a0 Brung you the Enterprise\u00a0<\/em>so\u2019s you can read all about it; it\u2019s packed away in the bag there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll read it later,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 He shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cSo it\u2019s come to that, open warfare.\u00a0 God help this country; God help us all.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie hung her head, almost as if she felt responsible for the actions of those other Southerners.<\/p>\n

Nelly touched her arm gently. \u00a0\u201cHope we ain\u2019t puttin\u2019 you out, invitin\u2019 ourselves to spend the night.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie looked up and forced a smile to her lips.\u00a0 \u201cOh, no.\u00a0 As you can see, we are all much in need of a bath, so if you will just make yourselves at home, we will make ourselves more presentable for guests.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nelly tweaked Little Joe\u2019s nose, making him giggle.\u00a0 \u201cYou go right ahead and don\u2019t pay us no mind.\u00a0 \u2018Spect you\u2019d better start with this little mess of a boy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie laughed weakly, as though she feared mirth of any kind inappropriate after hearing such sober news.\u00a0 \u201cOui<\/em>.\u00a0 That is just what Ben and I were discussing when you drove up.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

The swing in the backyard at Molly Maguire\u2019s boardinghouse for boys was large enough for two, but that Saturday afternoon only one forlorn figure sat sideways on the wooden planks, knees drawn up and arms wrapped around them.\u00a0 Adam knew that he\u2019d soon have to vacate his private thinking place, for one of his rooming mates was sure to want that swing to entertain a girl.\u00a0 If he hadn\u2019t been feeling so miserable, Adam might have confiscated that swing for a date of his own, but he didn\u2019t think it right to subject any girl to a mood as black as his.<\/p>\n

Adam felt decidedly alone in his reaction to the news about Ft. Sumter, although logic told him that there had to be some people who saw the situation as he did.\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t seen any, however.\u00a0 Ever since the Pony rider had raced into town, waving his hat and crying, \u201cWar!\u201d the streets of Sacramento had rung with sounds of celebration.\u00a0 Everywhere Adam went, he saw balconies draped with bunting of red, white and blue and heard the rhetoric of fast and certain victory.\u00a0 Didn\u2019t they realize, these fools dancing in the streets, that war meant blood spilled in the sand, not parades and bands playing?\u00a0 No<\/em>, he wanted to shout at them, war means death, and not one-sided death, either<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Adam knew he wasn\u2019t being entirely honest with himself, though.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t really the thought of bloodshed back east that troubled him; it was the black clouds looming on his personal horizon that kept him huddled in a despondent ball on the swing, swaying aimlessly back and forth.\u00a0 Facing Pa with a request to go back east had seemed comparable to fighting that Peloponnesian fracas before, but now Adam figured the confrontation might last as long as the Hundred Years War he\u2019d read about in European history.\u00a0 What hope was there that his father would consent to his heading right into a battle zone?\u00a0 New Haven, Connecticut, was a long way from Ft.Sumter, of course, so it seemed unlikely that actual fighting would reach that far north, but Adam wasn\u2019t sure Pa would see the logic of that.\u00a0 Maybe I\u2019ll get lucky and all these prophets will be right<\/em>, Adam mused.\u00a0 Maybe it will take just one or two quick battles to finish this war, and it\u2019ll all be over by the time I need to leave.\u00a0 Sooner or later I have to talk to Pa, but not now, not while everything\u2019s so unsettled.\u00a0 Watch and wait, I guess.\u00a0 <\/em>Watching and waiting was hard, though, especially when all he could see were storm clouds glowering over his head without a single shaft of light to pierce the blackness descending on his soul.<\/p>\n

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

Though Ben, Marie, Clyde and Nelly had stayed up long after the children went to bed that night, talking about the implications of the national situation, they were all up early and dressed for church the next morning.\u00a0 To Ben\u2019s surprise, that even included his wife.<\/p>\n

Marie offered no explanation.\u00a0 She merely said that she would like to worship with them \u201cthis once,\u201d lest anyone think her sudden change of attitude reflected a permanent one.\u00a0 She understood now what Ben had meant at Christmastime when he suggested that there were certain times a person wanted to be in church, even one not of his or her personal persuasion.\u00a0\u00a0 When a nation goes to war, she thought instinctively, was such a time, a time for citizens to band together, to seek the counsel of godly men and offer prayers together, regardless of creed, just as she and Ben had done earlier that year.\u00a0 Odd<\/em>, Marie reflected as they returned to the Ponderosa after an inspiring sermon and a season of prayer had brought a sense of peace to all their burdened souls.\u00a0 This war is tearing our nation apart, but it seems to bring Ben and me closer together, to remind us of all we hold in common<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s go see that garden now,\u201d Inger demanded as soon as the youngsters had scrambled from the back of the Cartwright\u2019s wagon.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou just hold on, young lady,\u201d her mother declared.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re not goin\u2019 anywhere \u2018til you change out of your good dress.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAw, Ma, I done waited forever now,\u201d Inger protested.\u00a0 \u201cYou said it was too late when we got here last night and there wasn\u2019t time this morning.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI reckon that garden\u2019ll still be there ten minutes from now,\u201d Clyde snorted.\u00a0 \u201cYou do like your ma says.\u201d<\/p>\n

Inger frowned, but murmured, \u201cYes, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben gave the little girl\u2019s strawberry bangs a light-handed brush.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s not much to see, child, just a few leaves sprouting so far.\u201d<\/p>\n

Inger\u2019s lips thrust out in a petulant pout.\u00a0 \u201cI know what gardens look like this time of year, but I don\u2019t care.\u00a0 I wanna do something<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nelly put both hands on her daughter\u2019s shoulders and pointed her toward the house.\u00a0 \u201cChanging your dress is something.\u00a0 Now, git!\u201d\u00a0 She smiled toward Marie.\u00a0 \u201cNever seen a youngun yet that took to sittin\u2019 still all mornin\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis one, especially,\u201d Marie agreed, pointing her chin at the boy struggling to get down from her arms.\u00a0 \u201cNo, Little Joe,\u201d she said as she moved toward the house.\u00a0 \u201cLike Inger, you must change clothes before you go to the garden.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAw, Ma, have we got to take him?\u201d Hoss moaned, trailing them inside.<\/p>\n

\u201cOui<\/em>, you do.\u00a0 None of us wants to listen to him wail when he is left behind.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss threw a pleading glance at his father, who merely shook his head.\u00a0 Hoss sighed and began to drag himself upstairs to change.<\/p>\n

The two larger youngsters were back downstairs almost before the adults had time to take off their coats and hats, and both perched impatiently on the fireside table, waiting for Little Joe.\u00a0 Finally, he was ready, too, and all three children charged outside, bounding down the path to the garden.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s like Pa said,\u201d Hoss told his friend, \u201cnot much growin\u2019 yet.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAw, I don\u2019t care.\u00a0 I just want to see if it\u2019s big as you said,\u201d Inger giggled.\u00a0 \u201cThat and I don\u2019t want to hear no more talk about that war, and that\u2019s all we\u2019ll hear if stay around the grown folks.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWar\u2019s a bad thing,\u201d Hoss said.\u00a0 \u201cNothin\u2019 but folks fightin\u2019 who ought to get along.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou just think that \u2018cause you get a lickin\u2019 when you do it!\u201d Inger tittered and, grabbing Little Joe\u2019s hand, she took off down the path.<\/p>\n

\u201cMight just have to give you one if you keep up the sass!\u201d a grinning Hoss hollered after her.<\/p>\n

Inger had stopped at the edge of the garden.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s a right good size,\u201d she admitted when Hoss caught up, \u201cand a lot bigger than ours, but we got all we need for the three of us\u2014and Billy, too, when he makes it in for a meal.\u00a0 Ma even figures we might have some produce to sell to the tradin\u2019 post.\u00a0 That what your folks are aimin\u2019 to do with the extra?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss laughed.\u00a0 \u201cWhat extra?\u00a0 You\u2019re forgettin\u2019 that we got ranch hands and lumberjacks to feed, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot to mention you!\u201d Inger giggled.\u00a0 \u201cHey, race you up to the ridge.\u201d\u00a0 She took off around the end of the garden, aiming toward the rise just south of the Ponderosa.<\/p>\n

Little Joe started after her, but Hoss easily overtook the short-limbed toddler and grabbed him.\u00a0 \u201cWe ain\u2019t racin\u2019, punkin,\u201d he said firmly.\u00a0 \u201cPa said not to stay gone long, and I don\u2019t aim to, \u2018cause I don\u2019t want Hop Sing mad at me.\u00a0 Dinner\u2019ll be \u2018most any minute.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe pulled on Hoss\u2019s hand as he pointed toward the ridge.\u00a0 \u201cIngy gone,\u201d he insisted.\u00a0 \u201cGotta get her or Hop Sing be mad.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss scowled.\u00a0 \u201cReckon you\u2019re right, at that, punkin.\u00a0 Doggone that girl, sometimes she\u2019s \u2018most as much trouble as you!\u201d\u00a0 Letting his younger brother take the lead, Hoss trudged up the rise after his little friend, whom he could still see ahead.\u00a0 About halfway up the slope he heard a high-pitched squeal and, looking up, he saw Inger squat down below the horizon. \u00a0Sensing something wrong, he hurried forward, although Inger was frantically waving him back.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat matter wif Ingy?\u201d Little Joe asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t know.\u00a0 Somethin\u2019s up, though.\u00a0 Hold tight to my hand, Little Joe.\u201d\u00a0 Growing concerned, Hoss plunged ahead.\u00a0 He could tell that Inger was trying to hide, so he approached her stealthily and whispered when he spoke.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cInjuns,\u201d Inger hissed back.<\/p>\n

Little Joe\u2019s eyes grew wide as he spotted the painted warriors riding along the top of the ridge.\u00a0 \u201cInj\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss clapped a rough hand over the small mouth and pulled his younger brother between his legs.\u00a0 \u201cBe quiet,\u201d he whispered in the boy\u2019s ear.\u00a0 \u201cQuiet and still as a mouse, punkin.\u201d<\/p>\n

Not liking the hand over his mouth, Little Joe squirmed, trying to get free.<\/p>\n

\u201cKeep still or I\u2019ll spank!\u201d Hoss hissed.<\/p>\n

The threat, idle one though it was, proved effective.\u00a0 Little Joe sat still, and all three children watched the Indians file past.\u00a0 Surprisingly, considering the noise the children had made, none of the bronze-skinned men looked their direction.\u00a0 Either the Indians hadn\u2019t heard them, which didn\u2019t seem likely, or they had, but were unconcerned about a handful of children.<\/p>\n

As the end of the line moved past them, Hoss leaned toward Inger.\u00a0 \u201cWe got to get back to the house,\u201d he whispered.\u00a0 \u201cYou go first and move quiet.\u00a0 We\u2019ll follow.\u201d<\/p>\n

Inger nodded, gathered up her skirt so it wouldn\u2019t swish in the grass and moved slowly down the hill, taking frequent furtive glances over her shoulder.\u00a0 When she\u2019d gotten well away without attracting notice, Hoss hugged Little Joe to his chest, stood up and followed, moving slowly at first and then picking up speed as he got further from the ridge.\u00a0 By the time he reached the garden he had overtaken Inger and both of them took off at a run.\u00a0 They were all screaming as they ran into the yard.<\/p>\n

The side door into the kitchen opened first, and Hop Sing stomped through.\u00a0 \u201cWhy you all-a time gotta yell?\u00a0 Dinnah waiting and\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cInjuns!\u201d Inger shrieked.<\/p>\n

Hop Sing\u2019s almond eyes darted in all directions.\u00a0 \u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n

The front door opened and Ben came through.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s all the ruckus?\u201d\u00a0 He eyed his older son with disapproval.\u00a0 \u201cI thought I told you not to stay long.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cInjuns, Pa,\u201d Hoss panted, \u201cup on the ridge.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo?\u00a0 Probably some Washos heading up to the lake to fish,\u201d Ben said.<\/p>\n

Hoss shook his head vigorously.\u00a0 \u201cNo, Pa.\u00a0 Not Washos.\u00a0 Paiutes, I think, and some others that looked different\u2014and they\u2019s all wearin\u2019 war paint!\u201d<\/p>\n

Clyde Thomas had joined his friend on the porch to investigate the commotion, and the two women were just coming up behind them when Hoss made his announcement.\u00a0 \u201cYou see \u2018em, too, girl?\u201d Clyde asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Pa!\u201d Inger exclaimed.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s just like Hoss said.\u00a0 Some were Paiutes, and some were dressed different than I\u2019ve seen before, but they was all painted.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clyde turned to the man at his side.\u00a0 \u201cWhat you make of it, Ben?\u00a0 Would\u2019ve thought them Paiutes got their fill of fightin\u2019 last spring.\u00a0 You don\u2019t reckon they aim to attack again, maybe thinkin\u2019 the white men is wrapped up with a war of their own and won\u2019t have the strength to fight two at once?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI doubt they\u2019ve heard about Ft.Sumter,\u201d Ben muttered.\u00a0 \u201cWe barely have ourselves!\u00a0 Numaga promised to keep the peace for a year, and I believe him to be an honorable man.\u00a0 It doesn\u2019t sound good, though.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cReckon we oughta check it out?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded soberly.\u00a0 \u201cYeah.\u00a0 You can borrow Adam\u2019s black.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hop Sing scurried forward as Ben and Clyde headed toward the barn.\u00a0 \u201cYou eat first, Mr. Ben!\u00a0 Dinnah all leady.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll eat later,\u201d Ben called over his shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cThe rest of you go ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hop Sing considered threatening to go back to China, but seeing the determined set of Mr. Cartwright\u2019s shoulder, he quickly changed his mind.\u00a0 Mister Ben was doing the honorable thing in putting his family\u2019s safety before his empty belly, so for once the little Oriental would not chide him.\u00a0 Those who remained behind, however, were convenient and acceptable targets for his bullying.\u00a0 \u201cPlease to come to table now, Missy,\u201d he dictated, \u201cor I thlow food out.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIn one moment, Hop Sing,\u201d Marie stated firmly.\u00a0 \u201cI wish a word with my husband.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd me with mine,\u201d Nelly added quickly.<\/p>\n

Hop Sing planted his hands on his hips and gave both ladies a ferocious glare.\u00a0 Little Inger jumped back, clearly cowed, but Hoss just took the cook by the elbow.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m about to faint away, Hop Sing.\u00a0 You reckon us three younguns could come in and fill our plates?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHumph!\u201d Hop Sing snorted, loud enough for those in the barn to hear.\u00a0 \u201cYoung ones only ones with sense today, I think.\u00a0 Yes, velly good; you come table now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben and Clyde, each with his wife at his side, led a horse from the barn.\u00a0 \u201cBe careful, Ben,\u201d Marie whispered as she rose on her toes to kiss him.<\/p>\n

\u201cI will,\u201d Ben promised as he kissed her back.\u00a0 Beyond them, Clyde and Nelly were exchanging similar endearments.<\/p>\n

The men mounted and walked their horses out of the yard.\u00a0 They retraced the path the children had described and rode up to the ridge.\u00a0 Clyde pointed to the tracks, plainly visible in ground still soft from spring rains.\u00a0 \u201cUnshod horses, all right.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, Indian ponies, most likely,\u201d Ben admitted.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll follow a ways, but try to keep far enough back so we don\u2019t spook them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRight,\u201d Clyde agreed, dropping his voice warily, though he had no reason to think the Indians were close enough to hear them.\u00a0 He let Ben take the lead, bringing Adam\u2019s black horse in behind the bay gelding.\u00a0 Since they were moving slowly, it took the men almost an hour to come close enough to the Indians to spot them.\u00a0 By that time the painted warriors had left the ridge, still moving in a straight line toward the south.<\/p>\n

Ben and Clyde remained on the ridge, looking down from the cover of the pines.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t look like they\u2019re headed toward any of the settlements,\u201d Clyde remarked, \u201cbut they are painted up, like the younguns said.\u00a0 What you make of it, Ben?\u201d<\/p>\n

Eyes fixed on the valley below, Ben shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know.\u00a0 Those others\u2014I\u2019ve seen men dressed like that in the Paiute camp before.\u00a0 I think they\u2019re Bannock, and, worse yet, that\u2019s Wahe riding at their head.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWahe?\u201d Clyde\u2019s brow wrinkled.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t recall that name, Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou fought him.\u00a0 Winnemucca\u2019s half-Bannock brother,\u201d Ben reminded his friend.\u00a0 \u201cWinnemucca has no great love for white men, but he\u2019s a reasonable man.\u00a0 Wahe\u2014totally different\u2014cunning, cruel.\u00a0 Numaga\u2019s promise would mean nothing to him.\u00a0 With Wahe around, I have to think that means trouble is brewing, though not come to full boil yet, it appears.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe I ought to take my folks home and ride on to Fort Churchill, let the army know,\u201d Clyde suggested.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou couldn\u2019t get to the fort before dark, and night\u2019s no time to be out alone if those are renegades, looking for trouble,\u201d Ben pointed out.\u00a0 \u201cI was due to go into Virginia City tomorrow, anyway, to discuss a new timber contract with another mine.\u00a0 I\u2019ll gather my gear and ride in tonight.\u00a0 Maybe I can arrange my business for late this evening\u2014or reschedule it, if not\u2014and leave for the fort first thing in the morning.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWant me to take Marie and the boys back with me?\u201d Clyde offered.<\/p>\n

Ben smiled.\u00a0 \u201cWhat, and deprive Hoss of a day of school?\u00a0 Well, maybe the boy deserves a vacation.\u00a0 I doubt there\u2019s any danger yet, but, yeah, I\u2019d feel better if they were with you.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

The streets of Virginia City were agitated when Ben rode in late that Sunday afternoon, though not with concern for another Indian uprising.\u00a0 War talk, north versus south, that\u2019s what filled the air as he rode down C Street to the International Hotel.\u00a0 Though the accommodations weren\u2019t quite as good as at the Virginia, Ben wasn\u2019t about to make the mistake of staying there again.\u00a0 He wanted no part of the conflict back east, but he favored seeing the Union preserved, and that put him in direct opposition to most of the people who stayed at that hotel.<\/p>\n

After signing the guest register, Ben went to his room to change into a suit.\u00a0 Since most mines and mills shut down on Sunday, he wasn\u2019t sure he would find anyone at the offices of Gould and Curry, but he wanted to look his best, in case the business meeting did come off that night.\u00a0 First impressions could be important, he remembered from his years of wandering from town to town in search of work, and he did want this contract.\u00a0 It would make a nice surprise for Adam, due to arrive home about a month from now.\u00a0 This contract makes it definite that I\u2019ll be putting the boy in complete charge of the new operation.\u00a0 Yeah, he\u2019ll be pleased as punch to get that responsibility as his graduation gift.\u00a0 Make him feel himself a man.<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Walking down to F Street, he found the superintendent of the mine in his office, working on the books, and when the man learned why Ben Cartwright wished to move the date of their meeting, he was completely agreeable.\u00a0 After some preliminary discussion they agreed on basic terms, and the superintendent suggested that he have a contract drawn up and ready for Mr. Cartwright\u2019s final approval upon his return from Fort Churchill.\u00a0 A handshake sealed the bargain, and Ben went back to the International in search of supper.<\/p>\n

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

Ben knocked sharply on the door to the Indian Agency and was startled when it was answered by a young Paiute man.\u00a0 \u201cI need to see Warren Wasson,\u201d he said a bit brusquely, the nature of his business making him somewhat uneasy in the presence of an unknown Indian.<\/p>\n

\u201cAsk him to come in,\u201d came the instruction from within, and the bronzed man silently opened the door to admit the visitor.<\/p>\n

Warren Wasson, acting Indian agent while Frederick Dodge was away in Washington, D. C., scooted his chair back from his desk and stood as soon as he recognized his caller.\u00a0 \u201cBen Cartwright!\u00a0 What brings you this far from the Ponderosa?\u201d\u00a0 He walked forward to greet his old acquaintance.<\/p>\n

Ben shook the hand of the man, whom he had long respected for his concern for the Indians.\u00a0 \u201cTrouble, possibly.\u201d\u00a0 He glanced furtively at the young Paiute, who had gone back to his work of straightening up the office.\u00a0 \u201cI saw some suspicious movement on the Ponderosa, and when I reported it to Colonel Lander at FortChurchill, he asked me to bring the report directly to you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wasson motioned toward a chair beside his desk and sat down in the one he had just vacated.\u00a0 \u201cThis suspicious movement involved Indians, I take it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s head bent questioningly toward the Paiute in the room.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s all right.\u00a0 You may speak freely,\u201d Wasson assured him.<\/p>\n

Ben still seemed hesitant, but he began, \u201cWell, it was a combined group of Bannocks and Paiutes I saw, headed south.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cToward Walker River,\u201d Wasson supplied.<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s eyebrow arched up.\u00a0 \u201cThen you\u2019re aware of it already.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTo some extent,\u201d the Indian agent said.\u00a0 \u201cThey\u2019ve been congregating near the mouth of the river, presumably to fish, though the number is larger than expected, somewhere near fifteen hundred.\u00a0 Nor, for that matter, did I anticipate Bannock participation, although that isn\u2019t necessarily suspicious.\u00a0 There are ties between the two tribes, as you know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIn some cases, family ties,\u201d Ben returned soberly, \u201cas with the man leading those I saw\u2014Wahe.\u201d\u00a0 He\u2019d kept his eye on Wasson\u2019s Paiute servant as he mentioned the name and was not surprised to see the young man flinch and glance toward him nervously.<\/p>\n

Wasson\u2019s brow furrowed.\u00a0 \u201cWahe,\u201d he muttered.\u00a0 \u201cThat doesn\u2019t bode well, not the way he feels about white men.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe men I saw were wearing paint,\u201d Ben added softly.\u00a0 \u201cThat doesn\u2019t bode well, either.\u201d<\/p>\n

The concern in Wasson\u2019s eyes deepened as he turned toward the Paiute man.\u00a0 \u201cOssowam, what do you know about this?\u201d<\/p>\n

The Paiute glanced up with veiled eyes.\u00a0 \u201cYou speak me, Missa Wasson?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know I did,\u201d Wasson said bluntly, \u201cand you know what I said, too.\u00a0 Don\u2019t play games with me, boy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ossowam shook his head vigorously.\u00a0 \u201cNo, no.\u00a0 No play game, but must not speak against spirit chief.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wasson spat on the bare floor.\u00a0 \u201cSpirit chief!\u00a0 Is that what Wahe calls himself now?\u201d<\/p>\n

The Paiute swallowed hard and his chin trembled.\u00a0 \u201cWahe big spirit chief; he say white man bullet no hurt him; all who fight him, white or Indian, will die.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben folded his arms and stared at the young man.\u00a0 \u201cIf Wahe is big spirit chief, could he not hide his plans from the whites?\u00a0 But you see he cannot.\u00a0 The Great Spirit has revealed him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Doubt flickered in the dark eyes of the Indian.\u00a0 \u201cGreat Spirit think Wahe wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n

Warren Wasson was quick to pick up on what Ben had suggested.\u00a0 \u201cAs the White Winnemucca has said, the Great Spirit is displeased with plans for more bloodshed between white men and red.\u00a0 That is why He reveals these evil plans.\u201d<\/p>\n

Doubt ignited into fear in the dark eyes, and the Paiute boy stumbled back a few steps.\u00a0 Wasson jumped to his feet, moved swiftly across the small apartment and towered over the youth.\u00a0 \u201cTell what you know, Ossowam, or perhaps the Great Spirit will show His displeasure with you!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ossowam cowered back.\u00a0 \u201cNo, me know nothing.\u00a0 Spirit chief bring cruel death if me tell.\u201d<\/p>\n

The two remarks were so obviously contradictory that the white men knew the young Paiute knew more than he was willing to tell.\u00a0 Ben Cartwright strode briskly to the side of the Indian Agent.\u00a0 \u201cWho is greater, Ossowam, the spirit chief or the Great Spirit?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Great Spirit,\u201d the youth said at once.\u00a0 \u201cHe is above all men and all things.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen, can the spirit chief, for all his power, do anything against a man who does the will of the Great Spirit?\u201d Ben posed persuasively.\u00a0 \u201cHe cannot!\u00a0 He is powerless as a rabbit before the wrath of the Great Spirit.\u00a0 Wahe cannot harm you, Ossowam, for telling what the Great Spirit has shown He wishes to be known.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right,\u201d Wasson declared.\u00a0 \u201cDo not oppose the will of the Great Spirit, Ossowam!\u201d<\/p>\n

The Paiute nodded slowly, although it was evident when he spoke that he still felt reluctant.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2014it is as you say.\u00a0 Many Paiutes gather; many Bannock, too, to make war on the white man\u2014on you, Missa Wasson.\u201d<\/p>\n

Warren Wasson lifted his chin and stared at his servant and sometime interpreter.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve been threatened directly?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d Ossowam admitted, eyes lowered in shame, for he had great personal respect for this white man whom he served and only fear of Wahe had kept him from warning Wasson before this.\u00a0 \u201cWahe say kill white agent, take guns, then go fort in small bands\u2014eight, ten at time\u2014act friendly, wait for signal, then kill all soldiers.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDear God,\u201d Wasson murmured.\u00a0 \u201cIt could have worked.\u00a0 There are only forty soldiers at Fort Churchill now, Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe must warn Colonel Lander,\u201d Ben declared.\u00a0 His heart contracted hard as he thought of his old friend\u2019s son, Mark, a private at Fort Churchill.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, and we will,\u201d Wasson agreed, \u201cbut perhaps we can put a stop to this nonsense, by taking the bull by the horns, so to speak.\u00a0 Are you with me, Ben?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s dark eyebrows came together in a thoughtful line.\u00a0 \u201cWith you where?\u201d he asked, fearing he knew the answer.<\/p>\n

\u201cWill you ride with me to Walker River and confront Wahe?\u201d Warren Wasson asked plainly.<\/p>\n

Ben swallowed hard.\u00a0 \u201cI have no particular influence on Wahe,\u201d he demurred.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho does?\u201d Wasson tossed back with a wry smile.<\/p>\n

Ben released a short, sputtering laugh.\u00a0 Two men, riding into a war counsel of fifteen hundred men\u2014it was madness, but it was just the kind of madness that might work.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll ride with you, if only to lend you my support.\u201d\u00a0 It\u2019s the least I owe Ebenezer Went\u00adworth<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u201cSaddle two horses, Ossowam,\u201d the Indian agent dictated.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll need you to act as interpreter.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Paiute looked grim, but evidently deciding that he would be safe with these white men, who seemed in closer contact with the Great Spirit than Wahe, he gave a curt nod and left the small office.<\/p>\n

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

The air was still as Ben Cartwright and Warren Wasson rode toward Walker River.\u00a0 Not a leaf quivered in the breeze; not a blade of grass rustled, almost as if Nature were holding her breath, and the hush seemed to presage peril, at least to Ben\u2019s heightened imagination.\u00a0 The camp looked peaceful as the two men arrived at the head of the river.\u00a0 Had Ben not known better, he would have thought the Indians were simply holding their annual fishing rites, on a somewhat larger scale than usual.\u00a0 That peaceful appearance, though, had been part of the plan, so the chattering voices of the children as they splashed in the water and the happy cries when fish were captured only made him shiver, for the joy seemed hollow and the peace a pretense.<\/p>\n

Just before entering the camp, Wasson leaned toward Ben.\u00a0 \u201cDo you think they\u2019ll respond to a show of strength?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben arched an eyebrow.\u00a0 Odd time to be asking<\/em>, he thought, now that we\u2019re here<\/em>.\u00a0 \u201cI can\u2019t guarantee it,\u201d he said, \u201cbut it\u2019s our only hope.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhatever you do, don\u2019t show fear,\u201d Wasson warned.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Ben chuckled wryly.\u00a0 \u201cThey definitely would respond to that\u2014and not in the way we\u2019d hope!\u201d<\/p>\n

The two men rode forward.\u00a0 The Indians stood motionless at first, just watching the white men.\u00a0 Then, slowly, they began to move toward Ben and Wasson, gathering in a semi-circle before the two horses.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t see Wahe,\u201d Wasson said, keeping his voice low enough that only Ben could hear.<\/p>\n

Ben, too, responded in a whisper.\u00a0 \u201cCan\u2019t afford to be seen if he plans to catch the soldiers unaware.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s here, though,\u201d Wasson said.\u00a0 \u201cI can almost smell him.\u201d\u00a0 He lifted a hand in casual greeting.\u00a0 \u201cIs the fishing good?\u201d he said through his interpreter, Ossowam.<\/p>\n

The query met with silence, but Wasson simply waited, and finally one brave stepped forward and said, \u201cThe fishing is good.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt must be to bring the Bannock so far from their homes,\u201d Wasson said, his gaze seeking out unfamiliar faces.\u00a0 His eyes narrowed.\u00a0 \u201cHave the streams of Oregon gone dry\u2014or have the ravings of Wahe taken root in foolish hearts?\u201d<\/p>\n

Though it was hard, with his stomach leaping into his throat, Ben schooled his face to remain immobile.\u00a0 Wasson had thrown out the gauntlet, and the next few moments would tell whether the challenge would be met with words or weapons.\u00a0 Two men against fifteen hundred; they wouldn\u2019t stand a chance.<\/p>\n

Dark eyes sought other dark eyes, but before any Indian could speak, Wasson\u2019s voice rang out once more.\u00a0 \u201cLook not to the right or to the left!\u201d he proclaimed.\u00a0 \u201cIt is not any of these who have revealed the plans of Wahe.\u00a0 It is the Great Spirit Himself!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben listened with amazement as the Indian Agent forcefully presented the same proposition that he himself had used to sway Ossowam, that the revelation of Wahe\u2019s plot showed the Great Spirit\u2019s displeasure with what the Paiutes and Bannocks were planning.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo not listen to the words of this empty bag of wind called Wahe,\u201d Wasson warned, \u201cfor if you follow him, I promise before the Great Spirit that more blood will be spilled than was lost at Pinnacle Mount.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben sensed the shiver that ran through the crowd of Indians at the mention of that defeat, its memory so recent and so bitter to the red men.\u00a0 None spoke, however.\u00a0 Perhaps none had the authority.\u00a0 Or, perhaps, they simply didn\u2019t know what to say.<\/p>\n

\u201cTell Wahe, who cowers in his wigwam like a frightened child, what I have said,\u201d Wasson ordered.\u00a0 \u201cWe leave now to tell the soldiers at Fort Churchill what the Great Spirit has revealed.\u00a0 Think well on my words and be wise.\u00a0 All are welcome to enjoy the fishing, but let none think to take the white soldiers by surprise.\u201d<\/p>\n

He wheeled his horse and began to walk away at an unhurried pace.\u00a0 Ben turned with him, and the two white men rode side by side in silence for several minutes.\u00a0 Then Wasson released a rush of air.\u00a0 \u201cWell, I think we\u2019re out of bowshot range by now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed out his relief.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, we\u2019re probably safe now, unless we start hearing hoof beats heading this way.\u00a0 That was some speech, Wasson.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe germ of it was yours,\u201d the Indian Agent said, finally daring to turn toward his companion.\u00a0 \u201cThank you for the support, Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded.\u00a0 \u201cAnd now I\u2019m going to ask for yours.\u201d\u00a0 Grinning at the quizzical cock of Wasson\u2019s head, he added, \u201cNext time you come to dinner at the Ponderosa, Warren, don\u2019t mention this little escapade to my wife.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe won\u2019t hear it from me,\u201d Warren Wasson promised, adding with a chuckle, \u201cbut I doubt you\u2019ll be able to keep \u2018this little escapade\u2019 a secret, my friend.\u00a0 I have a feeling it might be the talk of the territory by morning!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben groaned, certain his friend was correct and certain also that his confrontation with Marie, when she heard, would make facing fifteen hundred Paiutes seem like a waltz at a barn dance.\u00a0 He was right about that, and it was days before Marie quit giving him the benefit of her opinion.\u00a0 A few tense weeks passed, while the white citizens of the new territory of Nevada waited to see what their bronze brothers would do, but in the end that show of strength had turned the tide.\u00a0 Wahe and his Bannock followers returned to Oregon, and Ben fervently prayed they would stay there.<\/p>\n

~ ~ ~ ~ ~<\/p>\n

Historical Notes<\/p>\n

The conspiracy planned by Wahe was a historical event in April and May of 1861.\u00a0 The plot was revealed by a young Paiute, who served as servant and interpreter for Indian Agent Warren Wasson, but the name Ossowam, while an authentic Paiute word, is an invention of the author.\u00a0 As related in the story, the plot was thwarted when Wasson boldly entered the Indian camp and persuaded the Indians against their attack.<\/p>\n

CHAPTER NINETEEN<\/p>\n

Celebrations<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Peaceful days, as mild as the May weather, settled over the Ponderosa.\u00a0 The Indian uprising appeared to have been averted, and there was even a lull in the alarming news from back east.\u00a0 Ben viewed it much as he viewed the lulls between thunderstorms so typical of this time of year.\u00a0 Sooner or later there would be another storm, but the days between were balmy and reasons to rejoice, and May held a number of special occasions for the Cartwrights.\u00a0 By the end of the month, Adam would be home, and Ben always felt happier when his family was intact, all sleeping beneath the roof of the sprawling ranch house his oldest son had helped to design.<\/p>\n

That was joy yet to come, however.\u00a0 There was one celebration, earlier in the month, which simply could not be ignored.\u00a0 Not that Ben would have wanted to; the birthday of a son always made his heart sing with reminders of the happiness he\u2019d felt at that child\u2019s birth.\u00a0 Though Ben secretly thought that Joseph was a bit young for a real party, Laura Ellis had insisted that she be given the privilege of baking a cake for the little lad\u2019s birthday.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve been cheated out of it for two years now,\u201d she\u2019d laughed, \u201cand I won\u2019t wait another year.\u00a0 With a war going on, goodness knows what could happen by the time that boy turns five.\u201d<\/p>\n

True enough, Ben had to admit.\u00a0 Two years ago, they\u2019d all traveled to Placerville around the time of Joseph\u2019s special day, and last year the war with the Paiutes had been going on in May.\u00a0 The boy was due a celebration, though Ben still felt a private family party was more appropriate for a child just turning four.\u00a0 Laura\u2019s special cake, however, seemed almost to demand more people to share it, at least in Marie\u2019s opinion, and she joined forces with her friend to plan a guest list almost as large as that for one of their Christmas Eve gatherings at the Ponderosa.<\/p>\n

Leaving party preparations to the ladies, Ben, although somewhat reluctantly, accepted the responsibility of obtaining an appropriate gift for his youngest son.\u00a0 \u201cI will not get him a horse, though,\u201d he asserted firmly, referring to the child\u2019s oft-repeated whining for a mount of his own.<\/p>\n

\u201cMais non<\/em>,\u201d Marie agreed quickly.\u00a0 \u201cHe is much too small.\u201d\u00a0 She\u2019d smiled encouragingly at her husband.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sure the perfect idea will come to you, mon mari<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Though he\u2019d struggled in thought for days, Ben was confident that the perfect idea had finally come to him.\u00a0 By Joseph\u2019s birthday, however, he still had not worked up the courage to tell Marie what he\u2019d arranged.\u00a0 \u201cWait and see,\u201d was all he would say, for he was afraid she wouldn\u2019t welcome the gift as much as Joseph would.\u00a0 He\u2019d commissioned Clyde Thomas to make the gift and deliver it at the party, figuring that Marie wouldn\u2019t dare dress him down in front of their guests.\u00a0 Ben winced.\u00a0 Putting that off \u2018til they went to bed probably wasn\u2019t the wisest way to bedroom bliss, but maybe she\u2019d have time to simmer down by then.<\/p>\n

The twelfth of May fell on a Sunday in 1861, and it was Ben\u2019s turn to worship in Washoe City.\u00a0 Marie had suggested that he take the boys to church, as usual, and let Little Joe\u2019s birthday party be a surprise for the boy.\u00a0 Joseph, of course, had no acquaintance with the calendar, so they simply hadn\u2019t mentioned that he had a birthday coming.\u00a0 As he rode off, seated in front of his father on the big bay, Joe assumed that it was a plain, ordinary Sunday, although he had been told that the Thomases would be at the ranch when they returned from church.<\/p>\n

As soon as the other three Cartwrights had ridden off, Marie flew into action, decorating the house with flowers and ribbons in colors as bright as the blossoms.\u00a0 Some of the hands from the bunkhouse, with whom Little Joe was a special pet, helped set up tables in the yard and Hop Sing set a side of beef on a spit over an open fire. \u00a0One of the hands assigned himself the task of turning the spit to insure that the meat was evenly roasted, while Hop Sing returned to the kitchen to prepare the rest of the meal.<\/p>\n

Laura Ellis arrived early.\u00a0 Setting the cake in the kitchen, from which it would make a glorious entrance after the main meal, she drew Marie out of the kitchen and over to the settee.\u00a0 \u201cIf I know you, you haven\u2019t rested a moment since your menfolk left.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, but there is still so much to do,\u201d Marie argued.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd it\u2019ll get done,\u201d Laura assured her, \u201cbut I\u2019ve got news to share, and you\u2019d just better sit down and listen to it, Marie Cartwright, or I\u2019ll take that cake straight home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie laughed, but she sat down, as ordered.\u00a0 \u201cOh, you would blackmail me, ma amie<\/em>?\u00a0 For shame!\u201d<\/p>\n

Laura smiled brightly.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ll be glad I did.\u201d\u00a0 Her eyes shone with excitement.\u00a0 \u201cOh, Marie, I can scarcely believe\u2014oh, it\u2019s just the most wonderful news!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen I must hear it at once,\u201d Marie declared.\u00a0 \u201cThere are stars in your eyes, Laura.\u201d\u00a0 She took her friend\u2019s face between her hands and smiled with feminine intuition.\u00a0 \u201cI think it is the light of love I see.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLove come to full bloom,\u201d Laura admitted with happy fervor.\u00a0 \u201cGeorge has asked me to marry him, Marie, and I\u2019ve accepted.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh!\u201d Marie cried, enveloping the older woman in a warm embrace.\u00a0 \u201cIt may be Little Joe\u2019s birthday, but I feel as if I were the one receiving a gift.\u00a0 How happy I am for you both!\u00a0 He is a fine man, oui<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, he is, Marie,\u201d Laura said as she pulled back.\u00a0 \u201cBoth being widowed, we took our time and tested our feelings, but we\u2019re sure now and ready to tie the knot, as they say.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen?\u201d Marie demanded.\u00a0 \u201cSoon?\u201d<\/p>\n

Laura blushed.\u00a0 \u201cQuite soon.\u00a0 We\u2019ve set the date for May twenty-fifth.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie squealed.\u00a0 \u201cBut that is less than a fortnight from now!\u00a0 How can you be ready?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot much to be done,\u201d Laura said with a shrug.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll just speak our vows before the justice of the peace.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie bounced up and faced her friend, arms akimbo and face resolute.\u00a0 \u201cYou most certainly will not.\u00a0 You will speak them here, in this very room, in the presence of your friends.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I couldn\u2019t,\u201d Laura demurred.\u00a0 \u201cWhy, you\u2019ll be busy getting ready for Adam\u2019s return and\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie brushed the concern aside.\u00a0 \u201cI insist.\u00a0 Do not think to deprive a Frenchwoman of this romantic moment, ma amie<\/em>.\u00a0 I will not have it!\u201d\u00a0 She gave a small stamp of her foot for emphasis.<\/p>\n

Chuckling, Laura shook her head.\u00a0 \u201cWell, if you\u2019re going to throw a tantrum, I guess I\u2019ll have to give in gracefully or we\u2019ll never get this birthday party put on.\u00a0 Now, what\u2019s left to do?\u201d<\/p>\n

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

Little Joe looked puzzled when his father lifted him into the saddle in front of Hoss after the church service.\u00a0 \u201cWanna ride wif you, Pa,\u201d he said with a pout.\u00a0 Since Hoss let him ride Charcoal into the barn every day after his return from school, Joe didn\u2019t consider riding her anything special.\u00a0 Besides, even though Pa didn\u2019t ride as fast as Mama, he almost always kept his bay at a faster pace than poky old Charcoal.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, you need to ride with your brother today,\u201d Ben insisted.\u00a0 \u201cPa has to hurry home to help Uncle Clyde with something.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe grinned.\u00a0 \u201cHurry wif me, Pa; I like ridin\u2019 fast.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben guffawed.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t I just know it!\u00a0 Well, you\u2019re gonna ride at a nice, slow, safe pace today, baby boy.\u201d \u00a0Moving out of the line of vision of his youngest son, Ben looked up at his grinning middle son and mouthed, \u201cSee to it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss, who was in on the surprise, knew what his father meant.\u00a0 Pa wasn\u2019t worried about him riding fast with his baby brother, \u2018cause he never did.\u00a0 Ma was the only one who pulled that shenanigan.\u00a0 No, Pa wanted him to keep Little Joe away from the house \u2018til all the folks who were coming to the party had a chance to get there.\u00a0 He figured a lot were there already, but the ones just getting out of church would need time to drive to the Ponderosa.\u00a0 \u201cCome on, punkin.\u00a0 We\u2019ll cut through the woods and see if we can\u2019t spot some critters.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay,\u201d Little Joe agreed, smile bursting out at the prospect of adventure.<\/p>\n

\u201cKeep clean,\u201d Ben warned as he swung into the saddle.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir, we will,\u201d Hoss promised.\u00a0 He headed in the general direction of home, but took a long, roundabout route, mostly walking Charcoal.<\/p>\n

\u201cGo fast, Hoss,\u201d Little Joe urged.<\/p>\n

\u201cCan\u2019t go fast when you\u2019re lookin\u2019 for critters, punkin,\u201d Hoss reminded the child.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ll scare \u2018em off.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe pouted, but acquiesced quickly.\u00a0 He\u2019d been on enough trips through the woods with his older brother to realize that the noise of flying hooves would scare animals away, so although he squirmed impatiently in the saddle, he didn\u2019t complain again.\u00a0 The boys saw a few ground squirrels and spotted one jackrabbit, leaping across a meadow into a patch of trumpet-shaped scarlet gilia, but the real reward of the expedition was the sighting of a big blue grouse, spreading his gray tail in a wide fan and inflating his purple neck sacs as he paraded through the grass.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s tryin\u2019 to get himself a wife,\u201d Hoss explained in a soft whisper.\u00a0 \u201cSee how he\u2019s struttin\u2019 around?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUh-huh,\u201d Little Joe responded.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s just his way of gettin\u2019 the gal\u2019s attention, showin\u2019 what big stuff he is.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe nodded, filing the information away and gazing with renewed admiration at his big brother.\u00a0 Hoss knew everything about critters and he always had the time and the patience to answer all Joe\u2019s questions.\u00a0 Joe was having a good time in the woods, as he always did with his big brother, but his tummy was starting to rumble.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m hungry, Hoss,\u201d he whimpered softly.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, punkin,\u201d Hoss said, heading Charcoal on a more direct path toward home.\u00a0 \u201cI reckon it is about time for dinner.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

As he rode into the yard, Ben recognized the Thomas buckboard and saw the large shape in the back, covered with canvas.\u00a0 \u201cMarie\u2019s tried to peek a couple o\u2019 times,\u201d Clyde tattled, \u201cbut I shooed \u2018er off.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is a very large gift for such a small boy,\u201d Marie hinted as she came up to greet Ben.\u00a0 \u201cI cannot guess what it could be.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben took a look around the yard and waved at the friends who had already arrived for the party. \u00a0\u201cI guess there\u2019s enough people here to protect me,\u201d he chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cGo ahead and show her, Clyde.\u201d<\/p>\n

A tall, lanky redhead trotted across the yard.\u00a0 \u201cLet me give you a hand.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBilly!\u201d Ben said, pumping the young man\u2019s hand.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s been much too long, boy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI had a couple days off,\u201d Billy explained, \u201cand figured I\u2019d come help the little fellow celebrate bein\u2019 all of four years old.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFigured he\u2019d help hisself to some of the little fellow\u2019s birthday cake is what he means,\u201d Clyde snorted.<\/p>\n

Marie shook her clasped hands.\u00a0 \u201cOh, stop your teasing and let me see this gift\u2014at once!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, ma\u2019am,\u201d Clyde said with a grin and a tip of his hat.\u00a0 He and Billy began unfastening the ropes tied over the tarp on one side of the buckboard, while Ben and Enos Montgomery, who had come over to help when he saw the others tugging at the knots, worked on the other side.<\/p>\n

The guests gathered around, curious to see what was hidden beneath that tarp.\u00a0 Katerina Montgomery, Laura and Nelly already knew, but they crowded close, too, wanting to see the expression on Marie\u2019s face when she saw what they\u2019d been up to.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, my,\u201d Marie gasped when she saw the varnished pine frame with its four scrolled spindle posts, each topped by a delicately carved pinecone.\u00a0 \u201cOh, oh, my.\u201d\u00a0 She looked sideways at her husband and shook her head.\u00a0 \u201cOh, I don\u2019t know, Ben.\u00a0 I\u2019m not sure he\u2019s ready.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s ready,\u201d Ben said quickly.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sure Joseph will be thrilled to get shed of that crib and have his own room.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joseph\u2019s having his own room was, of course, the sticking point with Marie.\u00a0 Obviously, the larger bed would not fit in the tiny nursery.\u00a0 That had been obvious at first glance.\u00a0 Therefore, the child would have to be moved to one of the other bedrooms, away from his mother, whose ear, even in sleep, seemed stretched for his slightest cry.\u00a0 Marie\u2019s heart wrenched at the thought of not being able to hear Little Joe if he called to her, but she smiled bravely, admitting in a sudden burst of honesty, \u201cYou are right: he is ready; it is I who am not.\u201d<\/p>\n

The assembled friends laughed, some visibly relieved that the doting mother had taken the upcoming separation so well.\u00a0 Ben squeezed his wife to his side and whispered in her ear, \u201cYou\u2019ll see; it will have its advantages.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBen, we have guests,\u201d she hissed in rebuke, and those close enough to overhear laughed again.<\/p>\n

\u201cWant us to set the bed up before the kid gets here, Uncle Ben?\u201d Billy suggested.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, that was my plan,\u201d Ben said, \u201cbut we\u2019d better hurry.\u00a0 I told Hoss to dawdle, but they could show up any time now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll get it done fast as the Pony delivers the mail,\u201d young Thomas promised.\u00a0 \u201cLend a hand, Enos?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou bet,\u201d said the ranch foreman.<\/p>\n

As the four men started to lift the bed from the back of the wagon, one of the guests, Henry Van Sickle, who had come from south of Genoa, hurried forward.\u00a0 \u201cBetter let me take that, Ben,\u201d he suggested.\u00a0 \u201cYou lead the way and show us which room to put this bed in.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks, Henry,\u201d Ben said, readily giving up his place.\u00a0 \u201cI was thinking we\u2019d put Joseph next to Hoss and across from Adam,\u201d he told his wife as they moved toward the house.<\/p>\n

\u201cOui<\/em>,\u201d she sighed.\u00a0 \u201cIf he cannot be close to us, I would like him to be close to his brothers.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMarie, he\u2019ll be fine,\u201d he whispered.\u00a0 They entered the house and led the way up the stairs to the first bedroom on the right side of the hall, nearest the stairs.\u00a0 Marie almost reconsidered.\u00a0 She could just picture Little Joe sailing down that banister with no one to stop his reckless plunge.\u00a0 The other unoccupied bedrooms, however, were at the end of the hall from the room she and Ben shared, and it was better that he be near his brothers than down there alone, she concluded.<\/p>\n

The men set up the bed and then the ladies went into action, for once Nelly knew that Clyde was making a bed for the youngest Cartwright, she had organized a quilting party to make a coverlet to fit.\u00a0 Katerina had volunteered to make matching curtains, while Laura had sewn and stuffed a mattress.\u00a0 \u201cI didn\u2019t have time to hook him a rug,\u201d Nelly apologized, \u201cbut I\u2019ll try to finish one by the time the weather turns cold again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t believe what you have accomplished already!\u201d Marie cried with delight.\u00a0 \u201cJoseph will be so surprised\u2014and so happy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMarie!\u201d Ben hollered from downstairs.\u00a0 \u201cThe boys just rode in.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou go on down,\u201d Laura urged.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll get everything set up and then you can bring Little Joe up to see his new room.\u00a0 Oh, I can\u2019t wait to see his face!\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe\u2019s face at that moment was already bright with excitement.\u00a0 He was, of course, surprised to see so many people in the yard.\u00a0 Some of them he knew well, like Enos, Clyde, Billy, Dr. Martin and Jimmy Ellis.\u00a0 Others he\u2019d met only recently, for they were families that attended the church in Washoe City.\u00a0 The Reverend Bennett was there, and Joe liked him, of course, but he was most excited about the children.\u00a0 The Perkins family was there.\u00a0 Little Joe didn\u2019t know the names of all five children yet, but he squealed with delight when he saw the two youngest, for Winchester and William were barely older than Joe himself.\u00a0 There was another boy about their size, too, although Joe couldn\u2019t at first remember his name.\u00a0 It had been almost a year since he\u2019d seen John Van Sickle, but he remembered playing chase with him at the Fourth of July celebration in Carson City.\u00a0 Soon all four boys were chasing each other, darting around the long legs of the older guests.<\/p>\n

Hoss was having a good time, too, for some of the families also had youngsters his age, like the oldest Perkins kid, Charles, who was about a year older.\u00a0 Marie had also invited the O\u2019Neill family and George Winters, especially for Hoss, so both Cartwright boys were surrounded by playmates.\u00a0 The adults, too, were enjoying the rare opportunity to get together during this busy time of year and were looking forward to savoring that tasty side of beef, whose tantalizing aroma permeated the air.<\/p>\n

When the ladies returned from their labors in the house, Ben snatched his youngest son up in his arms.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m playin\u2019, Pa,\u201d Little Joe protested.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know, I know, and you can play more soon,\u201d Ben assuaged as he carried the boy back to the center of the yard.<\/p>\n

Sensing that a presentation was about to be made, all the guests circled around the Cartwrights.\u00a0 Ben turned Joe so he could see them.\u00a0 \u201cDo you know why all these fine people are here today, Joseph?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s mouth puckered in thought and then his infectious giggle rent the air.\u00a0 \u201cEat dinner and play chase.\u201d\u00a0 Everyone around joined in the child\u2019s laughter.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I expect some of them are here precisely for that,\u201d Ben agreed with a chuckle, \u201cbut most of these friends came to wish you a happy birthday, Little Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe cocked his head and gazed into his father\u2019s face.\u00a0 \u201cBirt\u2019day?\u201d<\/p>\n

Mary Emma O\u2019Neill tittered into her hand.\u00a0 \u201cHe don\u2019t even know it\u2019s his birthday,\u201d she snickered to Hoss.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I know,\u201d Hoss whispered back with a grin.\u00a0 \u201cSure made it easier to keep the surprise.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right, Little Joe,\u201d Ben was saying.\u00a0 \u201cToday is your birthday.\u00a0 Can you tell our friends how old you are?\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe automatically held up three fingers, as he\u2019d been doing for a year now.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, baby, add one more,\u201d Ben said, pulling up a fourth finger.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re four years old today!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019s big now!\u201d Little Joe crowed to the amusement of those around him.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, yeah, a regular whopper.\u201d\u00a0 George Winters jabbed Hoss with an elbow.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s tellin\u2019 one, you mean,\u201d Hoss teased back.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, are you ready to see your birthday presents?\u201d Ben asked his youngest son, who answered with a wild bobbing of his head that set the visitors off on another round of laughter.<\/p>\n

Enos Montgomery brought a chair to the center of the yard, and with a grateful smile Ben sat down, holding Little Joe in his lap.\u00a0 One by one, his little guests brought small remembrances of the day: a bag of candy, a wooden whistle, a small pair of knitted stockings and an assortment of similar items.\u00a0 Joe was so thrilled with each one that he immediately wanted to eat it or play with it or put it on, but in each case Marie would remind him to thank the giver and hand him another package to open.\u00a0 Finally, all the gifts had been received, and Ben stood up with Joe on his arm.\u00a0 \u201cTell everyone thank you,\u201d he told the boy.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you!\u201d Joe cried.\u00a0 \u201cI like ev\u2019wything!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNow let\u2019s see if you like your present from Pa and Mama, shall we?\u201d Ben suggested.\u00a0 He looked around at the guests.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re all welcome to follow us up and see, but it may get a bit crowded in there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo shovin\u2019,\u201d Billy Thomas hollered in jest, pushing his way to the front.<\/p>\n

Sally Martin, who had been helping to arrange the bedroom, met him at the front door.\u00a0 \u201cFollow your own advice, you awful boy,\u201d she said, snaring his elbow and holding him back.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, me and Shortshanks are special friends,\u201d Billy alleged.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019d want me up there to see his fancy new fixin\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGo on with you, then.\u201d\u00a0 She gave him a shove toward the stairs and hurried after him, for she, too, wanted to see what Little Joe thought of his new room.\u00a0 Evidently, almost everyone at the Ponderosa that afternoon was curious about that gift and the little boy\u2019s reaction to it, for almost everyone came in and the line stretched down the hallway after all who could had crowded into the bedroom.<\/p>\n

They made way, of course, for the birthday boy and his parents, and Little Joe\u2019s face, when he saw the newly decorated room and understood that it was to be his, reflected all the amazement and joy anyone could have anticipated.\u00a0 \u201cA big boy bed!\u201d the youngster crowed, wriggling out of his father\u2019s arms, trotting over and immediately jumping smack in the middle of the plump mattress.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Little Joe, not with your shoes on,\u201d his mother chided.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can tell you right now how much good it\u2019ll do to make that a rule,\u201d Nelly Thomas cackled.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I can confirm it,\u201d Laura chimed in, the sentiment echoed by Jane Perkins, Mary Van Sickle and every other mother of a boy.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou gonna like sleepin\u2019 next door to me, Little Joe?\u201d Hoss asked.\u00a0 \u201cI told Pa it was the best place to put you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe best!\u201d his little brother chirped happily, jumping up to give his brother a hug, setting a sentimental scene that made almost everyone murmur, \u201cAah.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFriends, I believe it\u2019s time we sliced that beef and filled our plates with the other fine dishes Hop Sing has prepared,\u201d Ben suggested, \u201cso why don\u2019t we head back outdoors and dig in?\u201d<\/p>\n

The suggestion met with a whoop of approval, led by Billy Thomas, but joined by every male in the room.\u00a0 The ladies stayed behind a few minutes, wanting to examine the furnishings of the new room.\u00a0 The quilt was a log cabin pattern\u00a0 in shades of green, beige and brown, while the curtains were made of a calico print with blue flowers and green leaves on a background of beige.\u00a0 The rocking chair, brought in from the nursery, didn\u2019t match, but Marie was already planning a trip to Washoe City, Carson or Genoa for fabric to make new cushions in colors that would blend more smoothly with the rest of the room\u2019s d\u00e9cor.\u00a0 She would have Ben and Hoss move her baby\u2019s chest of drawers from the nursery later, but perhaps it was time Little Joe had an armoire of his own, she mused.\u00a0 That would, of course, mean a trip to California.\u00a0 Well, perhaps they were due for one, but plans of that magnitude would have to wait for later.\u00a0 Today there were guests to attend and even the ladies were finally ready to leave that freshly decorated room and find something to fill their plates\u2014if the men had left them anything.<\/p>\n

The afternoon was spent in play for the children and conversation for the adults.\u00a0 Then, after the food had had a chance to digest, a fiddler began playing and the yard was filled with couples dancing.\u00a0 Toward sundown everyone said their goodbyes and loaded into their wagons and buggies for the trip home.\u00a0 Some had far to go and all had a full day\u2019s work facing them tomorrow.\u00a0 Ben and Marie thanked everyone for coming, and without exception the guests responded that they had had a wonderful time.\u00a0 \u201cNever thought a baby\u2019s birthday party could be such fun,\u201d Reuben Perkins said, echoing the sentiments of one and all.<\/p>\n

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

It took quite awhile to get Little Joe settled in his new room after all the guests had left.\u00a0 Marie brought his nightclothes from the nursery and sat in the rocking chair to help him change.\u00a0 Getting into his tiny nightshirt took longer than usual, for now that he was a big boy, Little Joe wanted to do it all by himself, even the buttons down the front.\u00a0 In fact, by the time he was dressed for bed, Ben and Hoss had successfully moved his chest of drawers down the hall and into place.\u00a0 Marie lifted the child into his new bed and tucked the covers securely around him.\u00a0 Though the bed was smaller than adult-size, Little Joe looked lost in its vast width.\u00a0 Suddenly, he started to whimper.\u00a0 \u201cOh, dear,\u201d his mother sighed.\u00a0 \u201cIt is as I feared: he isn\u2019t ready to sleep away from us, Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss snapped his fingers.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s it!\u00a0 I know what\u2019s wrong.\u201d\u00a0 Without explaining, he ran down the hall, snatched up the two stuffed animals from the crib and returned at a trot.\u00a0 \u201cThere you go, punkin,\u201d he said as he popped the animals under the covers.\u00a0 \u201cNow you won\u2019t be alone in that big ole bed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe grinned and snuggled up to Bun-bun and Barker, as he had named his \u201cwater doggie.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSee, no fears, just needed a friend.\u00a0 You\u2019re a big boy, aren\u2019t you, precious?\u201d Ben said, bending over the bed to give the little boy a kiss on his curly head.<\/p>\n

\u201cUm-hmm,\u201d Little Joe murmured, yawning.\u00a0 He turned on his side and his eyes soon shut, for having missed his afternoon nap, the little boy was tired.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome on,\u201d Ben whispered.<\/p>\n

Marie whispered, \u201cIn a few minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n

It hadn\u2019t seemed like a few to Ben, as he\u2019d waited somewhat impatiently, wondering if he should ask to borrow Bun-bun or Barker, just so he\u2019d have a companion in bed that night.\u00a0 Marie had finally decided that her baby was sleeping soundly, however, and slipped into bed beside her husband\u00a0 \u201cNow to show you those advantages to an empty nursery that I mentioned earlier,\u201d Ben said with a lascivious grin.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I know already,\u201d she said with studied solemnity. \u201cYou want to fill it again with another child!\u201d\u00a0 She giggled at the look on his face and bent to cover his protesting lips with her own.<\/p>\n

Perhaps half an hour later Marie\u2019s golden head rose from its resting place.\u00a0 \u201cI thought I heard a cry,\u201d she murmured as Ben pulled her back down to his bare chest.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re imagining things,\u201d Ben whispered.\u00a0 \u201cThe boy\u2019s fine, and he knows where to find us if he needs us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOui<\/em>, I suppose,\u201d Marie sighed, nestling back into her husband\u2019s embrace, but her ear remained cocked toward the open doorway to the hall.\u00a0 Alert as she was, however, she did not hear the patter of little feet later that night as the youngest Cartwright padded into the room next door, dragging Bun-bun by one ear, and cuddled up next to Hoss.<\/p>\n

The next few nights followed the same pattern, but gradually Little Joe became more comfortable in his own room and began spending entire nights in his new bed, to Hoss\u2019s heartfelt relief.<\/p>\n

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

Marie was almost frantic for the next two weeks.\u00a0 \u201cThere is so much to do and so little time,\u201d she moaned to Ben.\u00a0 He just shrugged, a movement that, at least briefly, infuriated his wife.\u00a0 Then, sighing, she shook her head and chalked it up to the general ignorance of men regarding social affairs.\u00a0 The first order of business was the guest list.\u00a0 Its preparation involved a trip to Carson City to consult with Laura, and even then the list wasn\u2019t complete, for the bride-to-be needed to ask the prospective groom which of his friends should be invited.\u00a0 Though the ladies would have liked to send properly engraved invitations, both the expense and the limited time caused them to quickly set aside that romantic notion.\u00a0 Marie purchased some gilt-edged stationery, for which she had to travel to Genoa, and set to work hand-writing invitations to those whose names she had.\u00a0 She couldn\u2019t afford to wait until she had the complete list if the invitations were to go out a week before the wedding, as was customary.\u00a0 It didn\u2019t seem likely that George would add many friends to the guest list, but Marie hoped that she would receive the rest of the names in time to properly invite them.\u00a0 Of course, since George\u2019s friends were primarily miners, even one day\u2019s notice would satisfy them.<\/p>\n

Besides the invitations, arrangements had to be made for the wedding ceremony itself and the levee afterwards.\u00a0 Laura and George still insisted on a civil ceremony, so the justice of the peace had to be contacted.\u00a0 That responsibility was assigned to Ben, and he got in touch with Thomas Knott promptly, fearing the marital consequences he might reap if he delayed.\u00a0 Refreshments had to be planned for the levee, and while common sense indicated that the menu should be kept simple, Marie wanted the occasion to be memorable for her friend and planned a feast to rival any ever seen in the new territory of Nevada.\u00a0 Feeling it inappropriate for Laura to bake her own wedding cake, Marie detailed that duty to Hop Sing and then had to spend a day escorting him to Laura\u2019s bakery in the Pioneer Hotel so that he could be acquainted with the proper baking of a tiered cake.\u00a0 There would be dancing afterwards, but Marie had talked to the fiddlers the day of Little Joe\u2019s birthday party, so that detail was more quickly settled than any other.<\/p>\n

A telegram had been dispatched to Adam in Sacramento with a description of the type of gift Marie wanted to give the new couple.\u00a0 Several nail-biting days passed before the package arrived, but Marie was completely pleased with the fine taste Adam had shown.\u00a0 A letter inside the package indicated that the boy had wisely enlisted the aid of his female friend, Philippa Gallagher, in the selection of the damask tablecloth and napkins and the silver napkin rings.<\/p>\n

On Friday before the wedding, Marie kept Hoss home from school and had him accompany her to pick up supplies for the party.\u00a0 Hop Sing was already busily mixing the batter for the wedding cake when they left, and by the time they returned, the tiers were baked, frosted and stored away in the pantry.\u00a0 The supplies in the wagon were brought in and placed wherever Hop Sing directed, depending on whether he would need them tonight, tomorrow or, in the case of more general foodstuffs, at a later time.<\/p>\n

Saturday, the twenty-fifth of May, seemed the busiest day of all.\u00a0 Early that morning Marie sent Hoss and Little Joe out to harvest vines, ferns and wildflowers.\u00a0 While they were gone, the Montgomerys arrived, and Ben and Enos began moving furniture under the direction of their wives.\u00a0 Although Katerina had only known Laura Ellis for two years and hadn\u2019t seen her often in that time, she well remembered that the older woman had been one of those who helped to make her own bridal cabin so warm and inviting a first home, and she wanted to return the favor.<\/p>\n

The little boys, grubby as only boys could get, traipsed in, toting baskets of greenery and blossoms.\u00a0 Ben volunteered to take charge of getting them bathed and dressed, so that his wife would be free to decorate the great room of the Ponderosa.\u00a0 Katerina trailed vines down the banisters of the staircase, while Marie followed, artistically placing flowers among the green leaves.\u00a0 The mantel over the fireplace received similar treatment, and vines were laid down the center of the serving table with a basket of blue lupine, red Indian paintbrush and mahogany-colored wild peonies in the very middle.<\/p>\n

They had barely finished these preparations when they heard hooves trotting into the yard.\u00a0 Opening the door, Marie smiled as she recognized the buggy and the three people riding in it.\u00a0 \u201cOne bride, delivered as ordered,\u201d Paul Martin chuckled as he stepped down and then reached back to assist first Laura Ellis and then his daughter Sally.\u00a0 As the four ladies exchanged kisses on the cheeks, Paul went to the back of the buggy and unfastened the straps holding two dress boxes in place.\u00a0 Giggling, the girls took the boxes and went inside to change into their finery.<\/p>\n

Ben and the boys passed them on the stairs as they went up.\u00a0 \u201cPaul is here,\u201d Marie told him.\u00a0 \u201cPlease help him with his horse, Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, of course,\u201d Ben muttered, slightly disgruntled that she\u2019d felt the need to dictate something so basic to good hospitality.<\/p>\n

Marie turned at the head of the stairs.\u00a0 \u201cAnd keep them clean,\u201d she called.<\/p>\n

\u201cPaul and his horse?\u201d he asked with an amused arch of his eyebrow.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe boys,\u201d she sputtered.\u00a0 \u201cI will have none of your teasing today, Ben Cartwright.\u00a0 It is a solemn and sacred occasion.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, ma\u2019am!\u201d he declared, bringing his hand to his brow in a snappy salute.<\/p>\n

\u201cOoh, men!\u201d Marie fumed as she led the way to her bedroom, where Laura would prepare for the wedding.\u00a0 Sally and Katerina, by prior arrangement, slipped into Adam\u2019s room to change.<\/p>\n

Ben ambled into the front yard with two spanking clean boys trailing behind and saw that Dr. Martin had unhitched his horse.\u00a0 \u201cLet me stable him, Paul,\u201d he said, taking hold of the halter.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll do it, Pa,\u201d Hoss offered.\u00a0 With a wide grin he added, \u201cHi, Doc.\u00a0 Hey, where\u2019s Jimmy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHi, Doc,\u201d Little Joe gurgled in imitation.<\/p>\n

\u201cHi to both of you,\u201d Paul Martin chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cJimmy will be coming later with the Thomases, Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, okay.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss stretched his hand toward the horse\u2019s halter.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I\u2019ll do this,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cYou just keep an eye on your baby brother and make sure that fancy suit stays clean.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAw, Pa, that\u2019s a heap worse chore than stablin\u2019 a horse,\u201d Hoss whined.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe knows that,\u201d Paul teased, cupping the back of Hoss\u2019s neck and winking at Ben.\u00a0 \u201cHe wants the easy job for himself.\u00a0 Saddles you with the hard chores a lot, doesn\u2019t he, son?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis one he does!\u201d Hoss declared with an emphatic jut of his chin in his younger brother\u2019s direction.<\/p>\n

Paul Martin rested his other hand on the smaller boy\u2019s golden-brown curls.\u00a0 \u201cGuess I\u2019d better give you a hand with it, then.\u00a0 You need help more than your pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Hoss cackled.\u00a0 \u201cI sure do!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow\u2019s that new bed treating you, Little Joe?\u201d Paul asked as he herded the youngsters toward the house.<\/p>\n

Shaking his head at the twitting he\u2019d endured at the hands of friend and family, Ben led the horse to the barn.\u00a0 He had time after he finished to sit and talk awhile with his good friend before other guests began to arrive and he was kept busy, finding places for horses and rigs to be stowed for the afternoon.<\/p>\n

The wedding ceremony was to begin at 2 p.m.\u00a0 Just prior to that hour Ben made his way upstairs, for Laura had asked him to give her away.\u00a0 Little Inger Thomas, in a brand new dress of pale pink, led the way down the stairs, scattering peony petals on each step.\u00a0 Then Marie, designated as matron of honor, followed.\u00a0 Most of the ladies present had made new gowns for the occasion, but with all her other responsibilities Marie had not had time to sew a new dress.\u00a0 While the green gown was one she had brought from New Orleans, however, she looked lovely to Ben as, with Laura on his arm, he descended the staircase behind her.<\/p>\n

Laura was dressed in a simple gown of cream-colored silk, and though she wasn\u2019t as handsome a woman as her matron of honor, her eyes shone with the beauty of contentment as they fell upon the face of her groom.\u00a0 They\u2019ll make a good couple<\/em>, Ben thought as he placed her hand in that of George Dettenrieder.\u00a0 Like him and Marie, this man and woman had each been married before.\u00a0 They had known the joy of young love and the grief of later loss; they both knew the hardships of single parenthood and the loneliness of a single bed.\u00a0 Now they would discover anew the comfort of companionship and the everyday struggle to nurture their first blush of love into deep, abiding devotion.\u00a0\u00a0 Instinctively glancing toward his wife, Ben felt a swell of emotion rise within him.\u00a0 He and Marie had reached that point in their relationship.\u00a0 Their love had grown deep and strong, like two trees growing side by side, their roots intertwining until it was nearly impossible to tell which root came from which tree.\u00a0 Trees so inseparable could withstand any gale, Ben mused, and he found himself almost looking forward to the storms he and this flesh of his flesh would weather together through the long years to come.<\/p>\n

~ ~ ~ ~ ~<\/p>\n

Historical Notes<\/p>\n

Several of the guests attending Little Joe\u2019s birthday party are historical characters, such as the Van Sickle and Perkins families.<\/p>\n

While I have not yet learned the date of marriage between the historical Laura Ellis and George Dettenrieder, property records indicate that he was married to someone else in October of 1858 and to Laura by May 29, 1861.\u00a0 I have set the marriage date just four days before that simply for the convenience of the plot.<\/p>\n

CHAPTER TWENTY<\/p>\n

Homecoming<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Slapping the side of his thigh repeatedly, Ben stared down the length of Carson Street and then drew his watch from his vest pocket.\u00a0 Nine-thirty-five.\u00a0 Five minutes overdue.\u00a0 A silvery laugh at his side made him turn toward his wife.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow long since the last time you checked?\u201d she asked with a soft smile.<\/p>\n

Chuckling at an anxious father\u2019s foolishness, Ben shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cTen whole minutes.\u00a0 Wouldn\u2019t think time could move so slowly, would you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA watched pot never boils, they say,\u201d Nelly Thomas, standing beyond Marie, teased.\u00a0 \u201cI guess that goes for stagecoaches, too.\u00a0 Maybe you ought to take a run around the plaza, like our younguns, and see if the time don\u2019t move faster.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben glanced across the street to the green square where his two youngest sons were romping with Inger Thomas, Jimmy Ellis and a couple of other children he didn\u2019t recognize.\u00a0 \u201cTown sure is growing,\u201d he commented.\u00a0 \u201cMore new faces every time I come.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut only one you long to see,\u201d Marie said, stilling the incessant slapping by laying her hand over her husband\u2019s.\u00a0 \u201cThe stage is only a little late, Ben.\u00a0 I am sure Adam will be here soon.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, he will,\u201d Ben agreed, squeezing her hand.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m just anxious to see him after all these months.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, look who is here,\u201d Marie said, her eyes lighting.<\/p>\n

Ben glanced down the boardwalk and saw a tall man in the blue uniform of a Federal trooper, walking toward the group awaiting the arrival of the Pioneer Stage from Placerville.\u00a0 Stepping toward him, Ben thrust out his hand.\u00a0 \u201cMark, my boy, I haven\u2019t seen you in months.\u00a0 Don\u2019t tell me you\u2019re using one of your precious days\u2019 off to welcome my son home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mark grinned.\u00a0 \u201cWell, we are friends, after all.\u00a0 Since I was in town, I thought I\u2019d like to meet his stage.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled at the blue-eyed brunette standing beside Mark.\u00a0 \u201cI appreciate that, although somehow I think this little lady is the real attraction in Carson City this morning.\u00a0 Hello, Sally.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sally Martin smiled in greeting and moved down the boardwalk to exchange kisses on the cheek with Nelly and Marie.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa, it\u2019s coming!\u201d Hoss hollered as he charged across the street toward the hotel, in front of which the stage would stop.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss, your brother!\u201d Marie screamed.<\/p>\n

Hoss trotted back to snatch up his baby brother, who was running straight for the street with his usual lack of concern for horses or wagons in the road.\u00a0 Hoss still made it to the boardwalk in time to thrust Little Joe at his mother before the stagecoach rumbled up to the hotel.<\/p>\n

The stage had barely stopped before the door was flung open and Adam Cartwright leaped out into the sea of welcoming faces.\u00a0 Everyone was shouting at once, reaching out to pump the boy\u2019s hand or clap him on the back.\u00a0 Hoss, Jimmy and Inger were jumping up and down to get Adam\u2019s attention, while Little Joe was adding his voice to the general hubbub, but hung back in his mother\u2019s arms.\u00a0 Knowing how Adam hated any public display, Ben tried to restrain himself, but finally yielded to the urge to at least wrap an arm around his son\u2019s shoulders.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s good to have you home, boy,\u201d he murmured softly.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve missed you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you bring me somethin\u2019?\u201d Hoss demanded.<\/p>\n

Tousling the stocky boy\u2019s sandy hair, Adam chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cAs a matter of fact, I did, greedy belly.\u00a0 In fact, I brought something for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCandy?\u201d Hoss queried eagerly.\u00a0 \u201cThem chocolates from San Francisco, maybe?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam gave his brother\u2019s backside a soft swat.\u00a0 \u201cI came from Sacramento, remember?\u00a0 So happens I did bring something from San Francisco, though, and it\u2019s sweeter than Ghirardelli\u2019s chocolates.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sally Martin laughed knowingly.\u00a0 \u201cAnd it\u2019s high time you unpacked that sweet surprise, don\u2019t you think?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBefore it unpacks itself,\u201d Adam joked back, giving a wink to Mark Wentworth, who, like Sally, knew exactly what the \u201csweet surprise\u201d was.<\/p>\n

Adam reached back into the stagecoach, and a slender hand was placed in his solid grip.\u00a0 A black, buttoned boot, brushed by a skirt of lavender calico, stepped down.\u00a0 Soon a smiling face was seen beneath a matching bonnet.<\/p>\n

\u201cLands sakes, it\u2019s little Mary!\u201d Nelly Thomas cried.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe real reason I\u2019m meeting the stage on a Monday morning,\u201d Mark told Ben with a mischievous smile.<\/p>\n

Marie set Little Joe down and enfolded the girl in an embrace.\u00a0 \u201cOh, Mary, what a wonderful surprise.\u00a0 I thought you had decided not to accept our invitation to visit this summer.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope you don\u2019t mind being surprised,\u201d Mary said.\u00a0 \u201cThe boys insisted it would be more fun this way, but if you\u2019re not prepared for a guest, I could stay with Sally.\u00a0 She and I have been corresponding, and I do plan to spend the night there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben wagged a chiding finger at the doctor\u2019s daughter.\u00a0 \u201cOh, so you\u2019re in on this, too, are you, young lady?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, I am,\u201d Sally said, linking arms with her fianc\u00e9.\u00a0 \u201cMark and I have no secrets.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe tugged at the lavender skirt.\u00a0 \u201cMary, I need hug you,\u201d he insisted.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, you sweet thing, do you remember me?\u201d the girl cried, happily giving the little boy the desired hug.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou he remembers; his big brother he forgets,\u201d Adam snorted.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo not,\u201d Little Joe contradicted with outthrust tongue.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen where\u2019s my welcome home?\u201d\u00a0 Adam opened his arms, and his little brother ran into them.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s better,\u201d Adam said, tossing the boy up to his shoulder.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhich of these go to the Ponderosa and which stays with you tonight, little sister?\u201d Mark called.\u00a0 The others turned to see him surrounded by a formidable pile of carpetbags, boxes and bundles.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, most of them are mine, and they go to the Ponderosa,\u201d Adam chuckled, \u201calthough if Mary wants to borrow something . . .\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is all I need for tonight,\u201d Mary inserted with a smile of mild rebuke, pointing to one worn carpetbag.\u00a0 \u201cOh, and that package is for you, Mark.\u00a0 It\u2019s cookies.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks, sis!\u201d the soldier cried, smacking his lips in anticipation, for nothing that came out of the commissary at Fort Churchill could match the taste of home cooking.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss, you help load the wagon,\u201d Ben directed.\u00a0 \u201cIt appears your brother has his hands full.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure thing, Pa.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss grabbed up two bags and carried them to the buckboard.\u00a0 \u201cGimme a hand, Jimmy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben, Mark, Hoss and Jimmy loaded all the luggage, while Adam listened to Little Joe\u2019s chatter about his new bedroom \u201cjust \u2018cross from you.\u201d\u00a0 Ben helped Marie to the seat, but when he tried to place Little Joe beside his mother, the child would have none of it.\u00a0 \u201cI wanna sit back there, too,\u201d he squealed.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph,\u201d Ben said in a warning tone.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll watch him,\u201d Adam offered.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ve got some ground to make up, don\u2019t we, little brother?\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe had no idea what that phrase meant, but he bobbed his head and stretched his thin arms toward his oldest brother.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, all right,\u201d Ben conceded.\u00a0 \u201cAll of you boys climb in.\u00a0 It\u2019s a long way home and time we got started if we plan to be there by dinner.\u00a0 I assume you remember how Hop Sing feels about people who show up late to meals, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam grinned as he set Little Joe in the back of the buckboard and climbed up after him.\u00a0 Hoss and Jimmy Ellis clambered in, too, and settled down close to Adam, who held Little Joe between his legs.<\/p>\n

Marie smiled at those still standing on the boardwalk.\u00a0 \u201cNow, you are coming to us tomorrow, oui<\/em>, Mary?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d Sally Martin answered for her friend.\u00a0 \u201cMy father will bring her.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou must come, as well, and take dinner with us,\u201d Marie insisted.\u00a0 \u201cThat is, unless Mark will still be with you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I have to be back to the fort by noon tomorrow,\u201d the young soldier said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou got a place to stay the night, boy?\u201d Nelly Thomas asked.\u00a0 \u201cNot much room over to Doc\u2019s, I know.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mark grinned.\u00a0 \u201cI was hoping to borrow Billy\u2019s bed, ma\u2019am.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, that shows sense!\u201d Nelly declared.\u00a0 \u201cSally, you tell your pa that all of you are taking supper with us tonight.\u00a0 My, won\u2019t Clyde be surprised when he comes in from work!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think that pretty much situates everyone for the night,\u201d Ben said, \u201cso say your goodbyes, folks, and let\u2019s head for home.\u201d<\/p>\n

A chorus of farewells followed, and as Ben clucked to the team to start, waves were exchanged; then everyone went their separate ways.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust how did you talk Pa into letting you skip school today, Hoss?\u201d Adam queried as the wagon rumbled down Carson Street toward the edge of town.<\/p>\n

Ben looked back over his shoulder and answered for his middle son.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s not every day a long-lost brother returns, you know.\u00a0 Besides, not much gets done the last week of school.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam laughed.\u00a0 \u201cI wouldn\u2019t say that!\u00a0 I got quite a bit done my last week of school.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you think you did well with your final exams, Adam?\u201d Marie queried.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe report will be sent later,\u201d Adam answered, \u201cbut I think they went very well.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTop of your class, most likely,\u201d Ben said proudly and though Adam shrugged, he didn\u2019t deny it.<\/p>\n

\u201cBet you can\u2019t guess why Jimmy\u2019s going home with us,\u201d Hoss challenged his older brother.<\/p>\n

\u201cBet I can,\u201d Adam tossed back.\u00a0 \u201cSo happens I saw his mother\u2014and his new stepfather\u2014when they stopped in Placerville.\u00a0 There\u2019s an hour between stages, you know, and some little bird told them Mama Zuebner\u2019s was the best place to eat.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA whole flock of little birds,\u201d Ben chuckled.<\/p>\n

\u201cStill don\u2019t see why I couldn\u2019t go on the wedding trip,\u201d Jimmy grumped.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d like me a taste of that strudel and stew Hoss told me about.\u201d\u00a0 Ben, Marie and Adam laughed, while Hoss, as ignorant as Jimmy of what went on between newlyweds on their wedding trip, just shrugged.\u00a0 Little Joe yawned and laid his head against his oldest brother\u2019s knee.<\/p>\n

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

The buckboard pulled to a stop in the Ponderosa yard, and two little boys spilled out the back almost before the wheels stopped turning.\u00a0 With Little Joe in his arms, Adam moved more slowly, laughing when he saw Hoss and Jimmy head for the back of the house at a dead run.\u00a0 \u201cLooks like I carry my own baggage in,\u201d he said, handing Little Joe to Marie.\u00a0 She promptly set him down, and, though groggy, he, too, stumbled toward the back of the house.<\/p>\n

In the privacy of their own yard, Ben threw an arm around his son\u2019s shoulders and drew him close.\u00a0 \u201cNo, no, those two scalawags can do it after they get back from the outhouse.\u00a0 You\u2019ve had a long trip, so you just come inside and take it easy \u2018til dinner.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat sounds good, Pa,\u201d Adam said with a smile as, arms wrapped around each other, they moved toward the front door.\u00a0 Stepping inside, he sniffed the air.\u00a0 \u201cAnd something smells good, too!\u00a0 Yankee pot roast?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what my nose tells me,\u201d Ben confirmed.<\/p>\n

Marie slipped to Adam\u2019s side and brushed his cheek with a tender touch.\u00a0 \u201cHop Sing asked your favorite meal.\u00a0 I hope I remembered correctly.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI couldn\u2019t ask for better,\u201d Adam acknowledged.<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, velly good.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam turned to see the little Oriental cook bowing in welcome.\u00a0 \u201cHop Sing!\u201d he cried.\u00a0 \u201cYou have no idea how much I\u2019m looking forward to your good cooking again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey not feed you in Saclamento?\u201d Hop Sing queried, tilting his head to scrutinize the slim figure of Mr. Cartwright\u2019s number one son.\u00a0 He shook his head and then smiled.\u00a0 \u201cYou too skinny, but no wolly.\u00a0 Hop Sing fix chop-chop.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow long until dinner, Hop Sing?\u201d Marie asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou washee up now, please,\u201d the Chinaman directed.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe-so food be on table then.\u201d<\/p>\n

The front door blared open and the three youngsters charged through.<\/p>\n

Ben fired a finger toward the open doorway.\u00a0 \u201cBack outside, both of you older ones, and get that luggage brought in.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll of it?\u201d Hoss whined.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, of course, all of it!\u201d Ben barked.\u00a0 \u201cDo you think your brother wants only part of his things?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think I\u2019d prefer to bring in my guitar myself,\u201d Adam chuckled as the youngsters ran back outside.<\/p>\n

\u201cProbably a good idea,\u201d Ben admitted with a wry smile.\u00a0 \u201cMake yourself at home, son.\u00a0 I\u2019m gonna stable the team.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam walked out behind him and rescued his guitar from the hands of Jimmy Ellis.\u00a0 Depositing it in the corner by the fireplace, he went back outside and started to help his father unhitch the team.\u00a0 \u201cYou told me to make myself at home, Pa,\u201d Adam quickly said when he saw his father\u2019s mouth open to protest.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t see how I can unless I\u2019m out here doing chores like the rest of you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cOh, well, if it takes chores to make you feel at home, boy, I can sure come up with them.\u201d\u00a0 He took one horse toward the barn, while Adam followed with the second.\u00a0 \u201cMatter of fact, son, it\u2019s time I told you about the assignment I\u2019ve got lined out for you,\u201d Ben said as he started tending the draft animal.\u00a0 \u201cDidn\u2019t want you to get so excited you couldn\u2019t concentrate on your exams or I\u2019d\u2019ve written about it before.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam arched an eyebrow, wondering how his father could possibly think that the prospect of chores would take his mind off his studies.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve always done my share, haven\u2019t I?\u00a0 I expected to do that this summer, too, of course.\u201d\u00a0 Though only \u2018til about the middle of August, hopefully<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Ben let the curry brush rest against the horse\u2019s side.\u00a0 \u201cI know that, son,\u201d he said softly.\u00a0 \u201cMatter of fact, that fine sense of responsibility is what convinces me you can handle this job.\u201d\u00a0 He stroked down the horse\u2019s flank and paused to grin at Adam.\u00a0 \u201cYou remember that new mine contract I wrote you about?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I want you to boss the job, start to finish,\u201d Ben announced and waited to see the excited expression he was sure would meet his words.<\/p>\n

It was shock, rather than excitement, that registered on Adam\u2019s face, however.\u00a0 \u201cBoss the job?\u00a0 You want me to be the boss?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust of the timber crew,\u201d Ben said quickly, sensing that his son was overwhelmed.\u00a0 \u201cI think straw boss is the term the men use.\u00a0 You\u2019d work under my ultimate authority, of course, but you\u2019d be in charge of day-to-day operations.\u201d\u00a0 He moved toward Adam and rested a hand on his shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cI know you\u2019re young, son, and this has taken you by surprise, but I have every confidence in you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPa, I\u2014I don\u2019t know what to say,\u201d Adam stammered.\u00a0 There was much he wanted to say, much he needed to say, but Adam felt that this was the wrong time.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t bring himself to broach the subject of college his first day home; he wanted to enjoy his homecoming and settle in a few days before the fireworks began.\u00a0 By tomorrow, however, Mary Wentworth would arrive.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t want to risk an explosion with that fragile flower in the house, so he had already concluded that his confrontation with his father would have to wait for a month until Mary went home.\u00a0 While frustrating, that much delay wouldn\u2019t hinder his being ready to leave in August.<\/p>\n

Still, his father\u2019s announcement made it all the more clear that Ben Cartwright envisioned his son stepping straight into leadership of the Ponderosa.\u00a0 That prospect certainly appealed to the young man\u2019s pride and was what he ultimately envisioned for himself, as well.\u00a0 There was another dream to pursue first, though, one he still found difficult to share with his father.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I didn\u2019t mean to knock you off your feet within an hour of coming home,\u201d Ben said, giving the boy a hearty clap on the back.\u00a0 \u201cYour new responsibilities don\u2019t start \u2018til tomorrow, so don\u2019t give them a thought \u2018til then.\u00a0 Your mother and Hop Sing have a fine feed planned to welcome you home, and we\u2019d best finish up here in the barn and get in there while it\u2019s hot or they\u2019ll both have our hides.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam nodded quietly and went to work.<\/p>\n

Ben cocked his head and studied his son for a brief moment and then went back to his work.\u00a0 Adam hadn\u2019t taken the news quite the way Ben had expected.\u00a0 Probably just overwhelmed the boy<\/em>, he told himself.\u00a0 Probably has some doubts about making the transition from schoolboy to supervisor.\u00a0 It\u2019s a big step, a big change, and change always comes hard. \u00a0Just need to stand by, I guess, let him find his own way if he can and be on hand to offer advice if he needs it<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Chores finished and luggage unloaded, the Cartwrights sat down to a feast of Adam\u2019s favorite foods.\u00a0 Ben offered a prayer of gratitude for his son\u2019s safe return and set to work carving the roast and passing plates.<\/p>\n

Slumped in his high chair between his parents, Little Joe rubbed at his eyes with one hand while the other pushed his plate away.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cToo much,\u201d he whined.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, it is not,\u201d Ben scolded.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust eat what you want, mon petit<\/em>,\u201d his mother said, gently stroking the child\u2019s curls.\u00a0 He is tired<\/em>, she mouthed at her husband and Ben nodded.\u00a0 Marie turned toward the other end of the table.\u00a0 \u201cWe had thought to have a large gathering to welcome you home, mon ami<\/em>, but after the birthday party and the wedding, it seemed too much to ask of our friends.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBusy time of year\u2014for ranchers, especially,\u201d Ben added apologetically, \u201cand two parties in two weeks . . . well, most folks just couldn\u2019t afford to take time off for a third this soon.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, I understand,\u201d Adam said, scrutinizing the knife cutting through his beef with extraordinary attention.\u00a0 \u201cNo need to make a fuss over me, anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNonsense!\u00a0 I wanted to make a fuss,\u201d Ben insisted enthusiastically.\u00a0 \u201cNot every day a boy completes his education with such shining success.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s head jolted up.\u00a0 It was the perfect opening for him to say that he didn\u2019t consider his education complete, but it was far from the perfect time.\u00a0 He said nothing and lowered his gaze to his plate again.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am so sorry, Adam,\u201d Marie said, reading the young man\u2019s unaccustomed quietness as disappointment.\u00a0 \u201cI feel it is my fault, but I did not know about the wedding until the day of Little Joe\u2019s party, and I offered our home to Laura before I thought to speak to Ben or of how it might affect you.\u00a0 It is a weakness with me, acting by impulse, instead of careful thought.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam looked up and smiled at her to relieve the anxiety etched on her porcelain countenance.\u00a0 \u201cYou did exactly right, Marie.\u00a0 A marriage happens once in a lifetime, so it certainly merits more attention than just the end of a school term.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou are kind, as always,\u201d Marie said, the lines in her forehead relaxing, \u201cbut to us your homecoming is an occasion, mon ami<\/em>, and we did want to celebrate it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust wasn\u2019t practical,\u201d Ben explained, cutting his meat.\u00a0 \u201cOnly a month \u2018til the Fourth of July, too, and there\u2019ll be a big celebration in Carson City for that.\u00a0 Still, we might tempt a few of your young friends over for a little dinner party, if you\u2019d like.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPlease, Pa, don\u2019t bother,\u201d Adam urged, face flushing.\u00a0 \u201cSure, there\u2019s people I want to see, but they don\u2019t all have to sit down at a table together to make me happy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t I get to have my party, Pa?\u201d Hoss asked, looking worried.\u00a0 \u201cLittle Joe got one, so I don\u2019t see why I can\u2019t, too, especially if Adam ain\u2019t gonna . . .\u201d\u00a0 Embarrassed, he trailed off weakly.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat kind of party would you like, Hoss?\u201d Marie asked as she coaxed a bite of potato into Little Joe\u2019s gaping mouth.\u00a0 \u201cA large gathering like your younger brother\u2019s or a picnic, as we\u2019ve had before?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPicnic\u2019d be fine,\u201d Hoss said, smiling broadly.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t care about all that dancing and stuff, but I got more friends now, Ma, and it\u2019d be nice if they could come, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI am sure that can be arranged,\u201d Marie said.\u00a0 \u201cA picnic is simple to plan, Hoss, and I\u2019m certain friends of your age will be able to come, if not their parents.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMe!\u201d\u00a0 Jimmy Ellis hollered.\u00a0 \u201cInvite me, Hoss.\u00a0 I\u2019ll even ask Ma to bake a cake, big as the one she made for Little Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMe!\u201d Little Joe echoed.<\/p>\n

\u201cOui, mon petit<\/em>, both of Hoss\u2019s brothers must be there, and, of course, you are invited, Jimmy,\u201d Marie said quickly.\u00a0 \u201cHowever, there is no need to bring a cake.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, there is!\u201d Hoss declared urgently.<\/p>\n

Everyone at the table, except the youngsters, laughed.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right now, that\u2019s enough talk of parties and picnics,\u201d Ben said, patting his lips with his napkin and standing.\u00a0 \u201cThis is Adam\u2019s day, Hoss, not yours.\u201d\u00a0 He walked to the alcove, took a package from his desk and returned to the table, stopping beside Adam\u2019s chair.\u00a0 He handed it to his son.\u00a0 \u201cAs you know, I planned to buy you a fine horse as a graduation gift, but since you prefer to take Blackie for your mount, I thought you might appreciate this, instead, as a token of my pride in your accomplishment.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBen, you are interrupting Adam\u2019s meal,\u201d Marie chided in soft rebuke.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnly for a minute,\u201d Ben argued.\u00a0 \u201cI suppose I should have waited, son, but I\u2019ve been sitting on this surprise for quite some time now, so indulge me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s smile was wide and genuine.\u00a0 \u201cI wasn\u2019t expecting anything, Pa.\u00a0 Thanks!\u201d\u00a0 Eager as a child on Christmas morning, he slipped the twine off the end of the package and tore away the brown paper.\u00a0 The box was narrow and just over a foot long.\u00a0 Adam lifted the lid and gasped when he saw the sleek eight-inch barrel of blue-black steel and the polished walnut handgrip of the Colt Army revolver.<\/p>\n

\u201cEighteen-sixty model, just like the United States Cavalry carries,\u201d his father said, proud of the gun\u2019s newness.\u00a0 \u201cMark located it for me.\u00a0 I hope you never have cause to use a sidearm, son, but I know I can trust you to handle it responsibly.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAlways,\u201d Adam promised in a hushed tone.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve got an old holster you can use for now,\u201d Ben added as he moved back to his chair at the head of the table, \u201cbut I want you to have one made to fit as part of the gift.\u00a0 Next time we\u2019re in town, we\u2019ll see to it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s great, Pa.\u00a0 Thanks again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd now, please, finish your dinner before it gets cold,\u201d Marie admonished.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd before we start hearing wrathful ranting in Cantonese,\u201d Adam chuckled, dutifully setting the box aside.\u00a0 When he\u2019d finished eating, he scooted his chair back.\u00a0 \u201cGuess I\u2019d better get changed into work clothes and start earning my keep.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right, then,\u201d Ben said, fighting to keep a straight face.\u00a0 \u201cYou can earn your keep by taking care of\u00a0 your younger brother this afternoon.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s eyes immediately turned toward Little Joe.\u00a0 Noting the child\u2019s heavy eyelids, he smiled softly.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t think he\u2019ll last long enough for a story, Pa, but I\u2019ll be glad to put him to bed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot that brother,\u201d Ben stated.\u00a0 \u201cThe other one.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t need no tendin\u2019,\u201d Hoss protested.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m half grown, Pa!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think Pa means he\u2019s giving us the afternoon off, Hoss, to do whatever we want,\u201d Adam said, catching sight of the grin twitching at his father\u2019s lips.<\/p>\n

\u201cHonest, Pa?\u201d Hoss bubbled in disbelief.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019d be great!\u00a0 Right, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou bet, buddy; that sounds great,\u201d Adam agreed.\u00a0 He looked across the table at his father.\u00a0 \u201cIf you\u2019re sure you don\u2019t need . . .\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben chuckled at the distressed look that crossed Hoss\u2019s open face.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sure, boy; go get reacquainted.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMe, too; me, too,\u201d Little Joe cried, rubbing his eyes with both small fists.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, mon petit<\/em>,\u201d his mother said firmly.\u00a0 \u201cYou must have a nap.\u201d\u00a0 She looked across at Jimmy Ellis.\u00a0 \u201cI think you, too, should rest this afternoon, Jimmy.\u00a0 I know you are a big boy, but we woke you very early this morning.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yawning, Jimmy nodded.\u00a0 He would have liked to go with Adam and Hoss, of course, but he sensed that the brothers really preferred to be alone.\u00a0 Besides, he was very tired, and even if naps were for babies like Little Joe, one sounded pretty good at the moment.<\/p>\n

Pointing out that he had to go upstairs, anyway, to change clothes, Adam again offered to put Little Joe down for his nap.\u00a0 As predicted, the child fell asleep after only five minutes of Adam\u2019s crooning a lullaby as he rocked back and forth.\u00a0 Having tucked Little Joe snugly beneath the covers, Adam changed into a pair of dark trousers he\u2019d worn the previous summer and noted that they were a good inch too short, although the red shirt he wore with it still fit reasonably well.\u00a0 Seems a shame to waste good money on work clothes, when I\u2019ll need something altogether different for Yale<\/em>, he thought, sighing, but it can\u2019t be helped.\u00a0 Can\u2019t expect men to look up to a boss who looks like a kid shooting out of his clothes<\/em>.\u00a0 Hope Pa\u2019s willing to give me an advance on my first wages or that\u2019s just what they\u2019ll see, though<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Hurrying downstairs, Adam opened the front door and grinned when he saw that Hoss had already saddled both Blackie and Charcoal.\u00a0 \u201cLooks like you\u2019re ready and rarin\u2019, little brother,\u201d he called.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah!\u201d Hoss yelled back.\u00a0 \u201cWhere you want to go, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s head up to the lake,\u201d Adam suggested.<\/p>\n

Hoss grinned.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s what I figured you\u2019d pick.\u00a0 Bet you\u2019ve missed it, huh, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam tousled his brother\u2019s sandy hair.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve missed everything\u2014and everybody\u2014on the Ponderosa, buddy.\u201d\u00a0 As he and Hoss slowly moved through the forest west of the house, Adam took deep draughts of the pungent fragrance of the pines and soaked in the pristine beauty of the wildflower-dotted clearings.\u00a0 Nothing like this in Sacramento<\/em>.\u00a0 Adam admitted, as he had not let himself do until this moment, how homesick he had been for this land the Cartwrights called home.\u00a0 Probably won\u2019t be anything like it back east, either<\/em>, he conceded.\u00a0 Maybe I am a fool to give up all this for a little more book learning<\/em>.\u00a0 Pa was likely to see it that way, Adam was sure, but even the thought seemed a betrayal of a dream as cherished to him as the Ponderosa had been to his father.\u00a0 Except that the Ponderosa was his dream, too, not just his father\u2019s.\u00a0 A better Ponderosa, though, Adam told himself, a Ponderosa that\u2019s bigger and better because of what I\u2019ll bring to it with that \u201clittle more book learning.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam, I ain\u2019t a baby now, you know,\u201d Hoss complained.<\/p>\n

Adam glanced down at his brother.\u00a0 \u201cHuh?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss squirmed in his saddle.\u00a0 \u201cI ride good now.\u00a0 We don\u2019t gotta go at a walk.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou ride well,\u201d Adam corrected, \u201cand I know we don\u2019t have to walk; it\u2019s just more pleasant to go slow when you haven\u2019t seen a place for a long while.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss grinned.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s okay, then.\u00a0 I\u2019m glad it\u2019s just the two of us, Adam.\u00a0 Little Joe and Jimmy are just too little to be taggin\u2019 along.\u201d<\/p>\n

Knowing the younger boys\u2019 size wasn\u2019t the real reason, Adam smiled in understanding.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m glad we can have some time alone, too, Hoss.\u00a0 I really have missed my best buddy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss blushed, but his face was beaming.\u00a0 \u201cYou gonna miss stuff in Sacramento, too, Adam, like school\u2014and that girl?\u201d\u00a0 He grimaced as he said the final word.<\/p>\n

Adam laughed.\u00a0 \u201c\u2018That girl\u2019 is just a friend.\u00a0 Sure, I\u2019ll miss my friends, but there\u2019s nothing more that school can do for me.\u201d\u00a0 His thoughts drifted eastward for a moment, to the school he hoped would do much for him; then he turned in the saddle to face his younger brother.\u00a0 \u201cHow about you, buddy?\u00a0 School\u2019s been better for you this year, hasn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s candid face wrinkled.\u00a0 \u201cMostly.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThose bullies you wrote me about haven\u2019t been giving you any more trouble, have they?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss looked down, uncomfortable for a moment, for he had been keeping secrets again.\u00a0 \u201cYou won\u2019t tattle to Pa if I tell you, will you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot unless it would hurt you more to keep it from him,\u201d Adam replied, his face registering concern.\u00a0 \u201cYou haven\u2019t been fighting again, have you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss nodded glumly.\u00a0 \u201cJust the last couple weeks.\u00a0 After Little Joe\u2019s party, some folks that didn\u2019t know before figured out Ma was from New Orleans and started sayin\u2019 awful things about her, especially that Cal Hulbert.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam reined Blackie to a stop.\u00a0 \u201cYou mean because she\u2019s from the South?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe called her \u2018secesh\u2019\u2014and worse.\u201d\u00a0 The exact phrase Calvin Hulbert had used was \u201csecesh whore,\u201d but Hoss couldn\u2019t bring himself to say the ugly word, even to Adam.\u00a0 Thrusting out his chin, he declared, \u201cHe wouldn\u2019t take it back, so I pounded him good.\u00a0 I know Pa don\u2019t want me fightin\u2019, but I couldn\u2019t let him talk like that about Ma, Adam.\u00a0 I just couldn\u2019t!\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam had heard enough boyish taunts in his day to guess what the Hulbert bully had called Marie. \u201cOf course, you couldn\u2019t,\u201d his assured Hoss at once.\u00a0 \u201cA gallant knight always defends the honor of his lady, and a fellow\u2019s mother deserves the highest honor of all.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s how I saw it,\u201d Hoss said, gusting out his relief, \u201cbut I ain\u2019t sure Pa would.\u00a0 You won\u2019t tell?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou think you\u2019ve got the situation under control?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss doubled his fist and showed Adam his solid knuckles.\u00a0 \u201cI can close Cal Hulbert\u2019s mouth anytime he opens it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOnly if you have to,\u201d Adam admonished, \u201cbut I won\u2019t tell Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOr Ma?\u201d Hoss pressed.<\/p>\n

Adam gave a short laugh.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s the same as telling Pa, little brother, so it goes without saying that I won\u2019t tell either one.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss took his still-doubled fist and gave his older brother\u2019s arm an affectionate punch.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re the best, Adam!\u00a0 Sure glad you\u2019re home\u2014to stay this time.\u201d<\/p>\n

A shadow crossed Adam\u2019s face.\u00a0 Seeing it, Hoss wondered if he\u2019d said something wrong, but the look was swept away almost immediately.\u00a0 The sapphire waters of Lake Tahoe came into view, and both boys were lost in gazing at its majestic expanse.<\/p>\n

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

Soft shadows of twilight were just beginning to stretch across the yard when Adam and Hoss returned to the Ponderosa.\u00a0 Up from their naps, Little Joe and Jimmy Ellis were chasing each other back and forth, with Hoss\u2019s dog Klamath nipping at their heels and yapping in canine contentment.<\/p>\n

Little Joe stopped as soon as he heard the sound of horse hooves, spun around and ran to meet his brothers, heedless, as usual, of their mounts.<\/p>\n

\u201cLittle Joe, no!\u201d Jimmy Ellis yelled.<\/p>\n

Adam set Blackie\u2019s feet dancing away from the toddler, vaulted off the tall horse and snatched his baby brother up in his arms.\u00a0 Planting a stinging swat on the child\u2019s backside, he shouted, \u201cDon\u2019t you ever do that again!\u00a0 Do you hear me, Little Joe?\u201d\u00a0 Whimpering, Little Joe laid his head on Adam\u2019s shoulder, and the older boy instinctively started to give the small back a comforting rub.<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry.\u00a0 I tried to stop him,\u201d Jimmy Ellis apologized.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot your job,\u201d Adam grunted.\u00a0 He turned severe eyes on his other brother.\u00a0 \u201cHaven\u2019t you broken him of this habit yet?\u00a0 Obviously not.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss glared at the small cause of the commotion.\u00a0 \u201cWell, I try, Adam, and Ma and Pa do, too, but he don\u2019t listen so good.\u201d<\/p>\n

As if to prove how little attention he paid to any admonition regarding horses, Little Joe looked up and gave his oldest brother a captivating smile.\u00a0 \u201cI can ride Blackie?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOver my dead body,\u201d Adam sputtered.\u00a0 \u201cOr, more likely, yours.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe cocked his head and favored Adam with a pleading pout.\u00a0 \u201cJust to the barn?\u00a0 Hoss lets me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOn Charcoal,\u201d Hoss explained quickly, \u201cnothing bigger.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you\u2019re not even getting that today,\u201d Adam told his baby brother.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ve been naughty, Little Joe, and don\u2019t deserve a reward.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe sent up a wail, which ended abruptly when another solid swat landed on his bottom.\u00a0 \u201cThat does it,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cYou are going inside right now.\u201d\u00a0 He looked at Hoss and Jimmy.\u00a0 \u201cCan you two get the horses stabled?\u00a0 I\u2019d appreciate it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, Adam,\u201d Hoss said at once.\u00a0 \u201cFor a city kid, Jimmy does a right smart job of currying horses.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam chuckled as he toted a protesting Little Joe back to the house.\u00a0 The idea of calling any boy from practically rural Carson City a \u201ccity kid\u201d was hilarious to the young man just back from Sacramento.\u00a0 The sense of mirth faded as he walked through the door into the great room.<\/p>\n

Marie, sewing in the mauve chair nearest the fireplace, looked up when she heard the sobbing of her child.\u00a0 \u201cIs he hurt?\u201d she asked at once.<\/p>\n

Adam shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cThis one is in need of a very necessary little talk.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie frowned tautly as she dropped her mending and stood up.\u00a0 \u201cThat is not for you to decide, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam took a slow breath.\u00a0 \u201cNo, it\u2019s not,\u201d he agreed quickly, though his voice was strained, \u201cbut if he keeps running at any horse that gallops into the yard, he\u2019s gonna get hurt, Marie.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie paled briefly, and then her color heightened as she took Little Joe and stared severely at him.\u00a0 \u201cHave you done that again, mon petit<\/em>, after all that has been said to you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam hit me,\u201d Little Joe whimpered.<\/p>\n

\u201cA swat on the bottom,\u201d Adam retorted gruffly, \u201cnot hard enough to raise dust from your britches.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you have my permission to do so whenever you see such behavior,\u201d Marie declared firmly.\u00a0 She raised her child\u2019s chin and looked into the misty emerald eyes.\u00a0 \u201cDo you hear me, Little Joe?\u00a0 And if Adam is forced to spank you again, Mam\u00e1<\/em> will spank, too\u2014and when Pap\u00e1<\/em> comes home, he will have a very necessary little talk with you, as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo!\u201d Little Joe wailed piteously.<\/p>\n

\u201cOui<\/em>, it will be so,\u201d she insisted.\u00a0 Her voice softened.\u00a0 \u201cYou must learn not to run at the horses, mon petit<\/em>; you are very precious to me, and I wish only to keep you safe.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanna horse, all my own,\u201d the baby whimpered.<\/p>\n

Marie and Adam both laughed at the thought of such a tiny child straddling a saddle by himself.\u00a0 \u201cNot for many days, mon petit<\/em>,\u201d his mother said, setting him down.\u00a0 \u201cNow go to your room and stay there until your father comes to speak to you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fear flashed in the emerald eyes.\u00a0 \u201cNes\u2019ry talk?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat is up to your father.\u201d \u00a0She pointed her finger at the stairs.\u00a0 \u201cGo.\u00a0 Now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sending an arrow of anger in Adam\u2019s direction, Little Joe stomped up the stairs and headed for his room.\u00a0 As the door slammed, Marie giggled.\u00a0 \u201cSuch a temper!\u00a0 He had better get that in check before Pap\u00e1<\/em> comes up there, or there will, indeed, be a necessary talk of the most painful kind.\u201d\u00a0 She sat down and picked up the brown pants she had been hemming when the two brothers came in.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre those mine?\u201d Adam asked, assuming by the size that they must be.<\/p>\n

Marie smiled.\u00a0 \u201cWe cannot have you meeting your timber crew in what you wore today, mon ami<\/em>; those are most disreputable.\u00a0 I let these out as much as I could, and I think the length will be close to correct.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks,\u201d Adam said, taking the blue chair across from her.\u00a0 \u201cI have to admit I was worrying about that.\u00a0 I guess I\u2019ve grown some this year.\u00a0 I mean, I knew I had, because Mrs. Maguire let down my school pants a couple of months back, but I hadn\u2019t thought about my work clothes needing the same.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen it is good you have a\u201d\u2014she paused, having almost said \u201cmother,\u201d but quickly corrected herself\u2014\u201ca friend to think for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, it\u2019s good,\u201d Adam said softly, his mind drifting back to the time when he and Marie had been anything but friends.\u00a0 It was, indeed, good that now they were.\u00a0 It made home a place to yearn for when away and savor now that he was back.<\/p>\n

It was not the peace and tranquility of a happy homecoming, however, that Adam experienced that night after the house grew quiet and the only sound was the wind whispering gently through the pines outside his open window.\u00a0 Turning from side to side to escape unwelcome thoughts, Adam only found new concerns facing him with each turn.\u00a0 He set aside his apprehension about the inevitable confrontation with his father, having determined that the best way to prepare Pa for the idea of college was to demonstrate that he was a young man of sound thinking and ample ability to meet any challenge.\u00a0 The challenge he would face on the morrow, however, was a formidable one, formidable enough to keep him restless on his bed throughout a very long night.<\/p>\n

Chapter Twenty-One<\/p>\n

The New Boss<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Those already at the breakfast table looked up as Adam clattered down the stairs the next morning.\u00a0 \u201cMornin\u2019, sleepyhead,\u201d Hoss snickered as his older brother moved toward the dining room.<\/p>\n

\u201cMornin\u2019 to you,\u201d Adam tossed back with a grin.<\/p>\n

Leaning to the side, Marie scrutinized the dark pants brushing the top of Adam\u2019s black boots.\u00a0 \u201cI think they will do,\u201d she concluded, sitting up.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019ll do fine\u2014at least \u2018til I can spare the time for a trip to town,\u201d Adam assured her as he took the seat at the foot of the table.\u00a0 Though that would have customarily been the place for the lady of the house, Marie had long ago made it clear that she preferred to sit at Ben\u2019s right hand, with Little Joe between them.\u00a0 The high chair where the toddler normally sat was empty now.\u00a0 \u201cI looked in on the little fellow on the way down.\u00a0 He\u2019s still sound asleep.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie smiled.\u00a0 \u201cThat is what I like to hear.\u00a0 He is more easily handled when he rests well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam laughed as he opened his napkin and placed it in his lap.\u00a0 \u201cI would have thought a good night\u2019s sleep would just give him extra energy for mischief.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt does.\u201d\u00a0 Ben winked down the table at his oldest son.\u00a0 \u201cIs that what you were trying to do, Adam, build up extra energy for mischief?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam flushed, taking mild offense at the teasing.\u00a0 \u201cI know I\u2019m up late,\u201d he said, \u201cand I apologize.\u00a0 City habits laid siege to me, I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll break you of those soon enough.\u00a0 Better dig in and eat now, though, son, or we will be running late.\u00a0 Showing up late to work won\u2019t make much of an impression on the men you\u2019ll be supervising.\u201d<\/p>\n

If there was a remark calculated to take Adam\u2019s appetite away, that reminder of what he was to face that morning was surely it.\u00a0 Eyes studiously on his plate, he ate with determination and prayed that his nervousness wouldn\u2019t show\u2014either to Pa now or to the lumberjacks later.<\/p>\n

Hoss, on the other hand, was dawdling over his breakfast, his plate still half full despite an earlier start at the meal.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019d better dig in, too, boy,\u201d Ben observed.\u00a0 \u201cIt won\u2019t do for you to be late to school, especially when you have a guest to introduce to your teacher.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jimmy Ellis, sitting beside Hoss, lowered his glass of milk and grinned beneath a mustache of creamy white.\u00a0 Ordinarily, he was a class of one, with his mother as teacher, so he was looking forward to visiting Hoss\u2019s school and being around the other kids at noon and recess.<\/p>\n

Hoss, caught in the grips of spring fever, stabbed at his fried egg.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t see why I gotta go, anyhow,\u201d he grumbled.\u00a0 \u201cAin\u2019t but four days left.\u00a0 Can\u2019t learn much in that time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019d better learn, boy,\u201d Ben said sharply, \u201cor I\u2019ll set you some new lessons to study that you\u2019ll enjoy far less.\u201d<\/p>\n

Suspecting that this was just another way of threatening a \u201cnecessary little talk,\u201d Hoss scowled and poked a bite of egg into his mouth.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, for mercy\u2019s sake,\u201d Ben scolded, noting the boy\u2019s sour expression.\u00a0 \u201cYou never heard your older brother put up a fuss about going to school, did you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam looked up quickly and grasped the opportunity staring him in the face.\u00a0 \u201cNo, certainly not.\u00a0 One should never pass up the opportunity for more learning, right, Pa?\u201d\u00a0 In a flash of insight, he concluded that the best way to handle his own problem, at least for now, might be to plant seeds of this nature whenever he could and hope that they sprouted by the time he had to tell Pa of his own desire for further education.<\/p>\n

Ben fell straight into the trap.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s right, son.\u00a0 You listen to your brother, Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss, instead, favored his older brother with the look of one betrayed.\u00a0 \u201cI ain\u2019t going to no academy,\u201d he asserted strongly, his glinting blue eyes daring anyone, especially his learning-crazed older brother, to contradict him.<\/p>\n

Ben cleared his throat.\u00a0 \u201cNo one\u2019s asking you to, but you will go to Franktown School \u2018til the end of the term without further complaint\u2014or you will spend the next four days in your room, lying on your belly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nothing veiled about that hint.\u00a0 Hoss promptly polished off the rest of his breakfast and jumped up from his seat.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s get goin\u2019, Jimmy,\u201d he ordered.<\/p>\n

\u201cKiss your mother,\u201d Ben said softly, \u201cand be off with you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWouldn\u2019t forget that!\u201d Hoss chirped, habitual grin back on his face.\u00a0 As soon as Marie had kissed his cheek, he took off for the kitchen, Jimmy at his heels, to pick up his lunch pail from Hop Sing and charge out the kitchen door.<\/p>\n

Adam set his knife and fork across his empty plate and pushed back from the table.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll be ready as soon as I saddle my horse, Pa.\u201d\u00a0 He stood still for a moment and then gave in to the impulse that had struck him when he saw Hoss\u2019s parting ritual.\u00a0 Leaning over, he pressed a light kiss to Marie\u2019s cheek.\u00a0 \u201cThanks again for fixing my pants.\u201d<\/p>\n

A warm glow shimmered in Marie\u2019s emerald eyes.\u00a0 \u201cIt was nothing, mon ami<\/em>\u2014and yet I have received such gracious payment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Slightly embarrassed by the attention he\u2019d drawn to himself, Adam blushed and left without response, but a contented smile touched his lips as he went through the front door.<\/p>\n

It was reflected on the lips of his father.\u00a0 He\u2019s growing up, more ways than one<\/em>.\u00a0 Ben glanced over at Marie and saw that she, too, was remembering how Adam had rejected her when she first arrived.\u00a0 It had been a hard time, the hardest they had known together, but they\u2019d all somehow survived it.\u00a0 The seeds of love she had so patiently planted had born fruit, and though she and Adam still referred to one another simply as friends, Ben knew, if they did not, that a stronger relationship was slowly being knit between them, one that might be more accurately termed mother and son, and he rejoiced to see it.\u00a0 His farewell kiss to his wife was especially fervent that morning, but in a hurry to get to the timber camp, he didn\u2019t express what he was feeling.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t have to; she knew.<\/p>\n

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

Adam coughed back the acid surging up his throat.\u00a0 Nerves, sheer nerves, <\/em>he castigated himself, willing the food to stay in his jumpy stomach.\u00a0 That\u2019s all I need.\u00a0 Pa may think showing up late will make a bad first impression, but it wins, hands down, over upchucking my breakfast in front of the crew I\u2019m supposed to take charge of!<\/em>\u00a0 He took a deep breath and the acid receded, leaving a bacon-laced aftertaste in his mouth.\u00a0 The woods were fragrant, their deep brown beauty dappled with patches of sunlight, and riding through them would ordinarily have brought a tranquil hush to Adam\u2019s soul.\u00a0 Not today.\u00a0 Today, the woods seemed dark and foreboding, although he knew the ominous atmosphere came from within, not from the pungent pines through which he had ridden the day before in perfect peace and certainly not from the twittering calls of songbirds flitting among the branches.<\/p>\n

The forest opened into a clearing, where the timber camp had been set up.\u00a0 \u201cYou men gather \u2018round,\u201d Ben Cartwright called as he and his son rode to the center of the camp.\u00a0 He dismounted and gestured for Adam to do the same.\u00a0 Ashamed of his hesitation, Adam did so hastily, his foot catching in the stirrup.\u00a0 He caught himself before he tumbled to the ground, but he heard someone snicker and knew that he hadn\u2019t covered the misstep quite as successfully as he\u2019d hoped.\u00a0 Nothing like making a good first impression!<\/em><\/p>\n

Ben clapped a broad hand on the young man\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cMen, I know a few of you will recognize this young man, but for those who don\u2019t, Adam Cartwright, my son\u2014just back from California\u2014and the man who will be heading up this outfit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam could feel the eyes riveting on him, a few who knew him in warm welcome, some in cautious appraisal and others in cold disdain.\u00a0 At least, Pa didn\u2019t say just back from school<\/em>, he thought, although he suspected that most of the workers knew that.\u00a0 They didn\u2019t, however, need a reminder that strong of just how young their new boss was.\u00a0 He felt his father tap his shoulder twice and knew that he needed to say something, to give these men some sense that he was up to the job that had been thrust upon him.\u00a0 Anticipating this moment, he had wrestled with the right words half the night and hoped he\u2019d found them.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m happy to be home,\u201d he said, squaring his shoulders, \u201cand looking forward to the opportunity of working with you men.\u00a0 While I\u2019ve worked with timber before, I\u2019m well aware that many of you have years more experience in this business than I have, and I trust you\u2019ll let me tap into that expertise.\u00a0 If you have suggestions for making the work more productive or efficient or ideas on how to make this camp a better place to work, you\u2019ll find me ready to listen, and my decisions will be based on what is best for the workers and the job\u2014in that order.\u201d\u00a0 Watching carefully the eyes watching him, Adam was relieved to see some of the cautious ones warm up.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe gonna keep the same crews your pa set up?\u201d one stocky man in plaid flannel called out.<\/p>\n

Adam glanced over at his father.<\/p>\n

\u201cI divided them into two crews and set their starting tasks,\u201d Ben said, \u201cjust so you\u2019d have a base to begin with this morning.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam nodded and raised his voice.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll keep those crews for now,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll reevaluate the divisions and what each of you is doing after I\u2019ve had a chance to get to know you men better.\u00a0 As I said, I\u2019m open to new ideas, so don\u2019t be afraid to let your preferences be known.\u00a0 Now, I suggest you all get to the work that\u2019s been assigned to you.\u00a0 Daylight\u2019s burning.\u201d<\/p>\n

The men nodded, most in apparent approval, although Adam could still see scorn for his youth in the eyes of some.\u00a0 Again he felt his father\u2019s hand on his shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cLike you said, \u2018Daylight\u2019s burning,\u2019 and I\u2019ve got a crew of my own to supervise.\u00a0 Unless there\u2019s something else you need, son, I\u2019ll be on my way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam forced a confident smile to his lips.\u00a0 \u201cSure, Pa.\u00a0 See you at the house.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFor dinner,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cYou remember that we\u2019re having guests.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI remember,\u201d Adam said in an undertone, wanting to welcome the guests, but dreading what kind of impression it would make on the men for their new boss to take a long noon break his first day on the job.<\/p>\n

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

Adam smiled as he rode in at noon and saw the doctor\u2019s buggy standing in the yard.\u00a0 Assuming Dr. Martin had himself driven the girls here, it meant that he\u2019d be able to greet one more familiar face that he hadn\u2019t seen since sometime last August, and after a morning of new faces watching his every move, simple acceptance from someone he knew and respected wouldn\u2019t be unappreciated.\u00a0 It hadn\u2019t been a bad morning; so far, the men were just sizing him up with no sign of outright rebellion.\u00a0 He had a feeling, though, that some of them had already concluded that the youthful boss didn\u2019t quite measure up.\u00a0 He\u2019d have to keep his eye on them and try to catch trouble before it started, and though he still thought taking off for dinner on the first day was a bad move, he had to admit the rest from all that watchfulness\u2014both his and the men\u2019s\u2014was welcome.<\/p>\n

His smile broadened as he opened the door and saw the tranquil tableau: his father and Dr. Martin bent in concentration over a checkerboard, since they didn\u2019t have time for a chess match; Little Joe cuddled up in Mary Wentworth\u2019s lap, with Sally Martin cooing over his curls; and Marie, beaming beatifically as they made over her precious baby boy.<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, there you are,\u201d Ben said, looking up after sliding a red checker diagonally.\u00a0 \u201cI was beginning to wonder if you\u2019d forgotten what I said.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam stole a glance at the grandfather\u2019s clock to his right.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s barely past noon.\u00a0 I\u2019m not late.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, you aren\u2019t,\u201d Sally called, her blue eyes bright with welcome.\u00a0 \u201cCompared to some I could mention, who are habitually late to supper, you are promptness personified.\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul Martin threw a mock scowl in his daughter\u2019s direction.\u00a0 \u201cYou talk my patients into getting sick on schedule, and I\u2019ll be glad to show up for meals, regular as clockwork.\u201d\u00a0 He stood up and walked over to lay his hands on Adam\u2019s shoulders.\u00a0 \u201cGood to see you again, boy; you\u2019ve been missed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you, sir,\u201d Adam said simply.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s good to be home.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou come to play wif me?\u201d Little Joe piped up.<\/p>\n

Along with the others in the room, Adam laughed.\u00a0 \u201cNo, I came home to eat dinner with you, but I have to go back to work this afternoon, baby.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe\u2019s face reddened abruptly as he fold his thin arms across his chest.\u00a0 \u201cI am not a baby!\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam picked up his little brother and hugged the child to his chest.\u00a0 \u201cNo, what you are is a tyrant, pure and simple.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLording it over the ladies, to be sure,\u201d Dr. Martin chuckled.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t tease him,\u201d Mary urged gently.\u00a0 \u201cIt isn\u2019t fair to talk over his head so.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI suppose not,\u201d Adam conceded, \u201cbut it\u2019s hard not to, given how short that head is.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mary smiled at him then, in appreciation of the humor.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome table now, please,\u201d Hop Sing dictated roughly from his stance beside the well-loaded table and none dared delay a moment longer.<\/p>\n

Ben rubbed his hand along Adam\u2019s shoulder blade in passing.\u00a0 \u201cHow\u2019s it going, son?\u00a0 Any problems?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo far, so good, Pa,\u201d Adam replied lightly as he took his seat, doing his best to disguise any apprehensions he felt.<\/p>\n

Ben arched an eyebrow at the short response, but shrugged off his fleeting concern.\u00a0 After all, Adam had always been laconic, and at the moment he was probably more interested in food than anything else.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cI\u2019m a feller, not a trimmer!\u201d\u00a0 Nostrils flaring and veins throbbing in his forehead, the burly lumberman glared at Adam.\u00a0 Muscles bulged beneath the flannel sleeves folded stubbornly across his barrel chest, warning Adam that this man had the strength to back up any position he took.\u00a0 That it was a belligerent one was something the young straw boss had been expecting almost from the first moment they\u2019d met.\u00a0 Wilbur Watson had eyed him with disdain the first day, scowled in derision the second, mumbled with disrespect the third and now, on the fourth day of Adam\u2019s tenure, Watson was challenging him at a volume no one within a hundred yards could ignore.<\/p>\n

Adam licked his lips, determined to keep his own temper in check and give this antagonist every chance to adopt a more cooperative spirit.\u00a0 \u201cYou do a fine job of felling trees, Watson, but that\u2019s not what I need you to do today.\u00a0 I want a load, dressed and mine-ready, to haul to Virginia City tomorrow.\u00a0 We\u2019re behind on the finishing stages, so I\u2019m asking you and these other three men to step in and take up the slack.\u201d<\/p>\n

Watson\u2019s laughter was rough and harsh.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re askin\u2019, huh?\u00a0 Well, let me give you my answer, sonny\u2014no\u2014pure and simple.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam hissed in a sharp breath.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe I should make myself more plain.\u00a0 I\u2019m not asking; I\u2019m giving you a direct order.\u201d<\/p>\n

Watson aimed a stream of spittle at Adam\u2019s boots and came close to hitting the right one.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t take up the slack for any man, sonny boy.\u00a0 If we\u2019re caught up with our work, that just means we\u2019ve earned ourselves a day off, to my way of thinking.\u201d\u00a0 The leering trio behind him echoed the sentiment.<\/p>\n

Adam squared his shoulders.\u00a0 \u201cTake the day off, gentlemen, and you don\u2019t need to bother reporting back to work.\u201d<\/p>\n

Watson\u2019s arms unfolded, and his hands clenched into fists.\u00a0 \u201cWhy, you milk-soppin\u2019 little whelp!\u201d\u00a0 He lunged forward, right fist suddenly connecting with Adam\u2019s outthrust chin.\u00a0 Taken by surprise, Adam fell back, hitting the ground hard.\u00a0 \u201cYou talk like you\u2019re bull of the woods, boy.\u00a0 Let\u2019s see you prove it.\u201d\u00a0 Elbows bent, fists raised, he danced around the clearing.\u00a0 Like dogs on the scent of blood, men wielding axes and saws hurried out from the trees and across the clearing to form a circle around the combatants, large enough to give them room to maneuver, but close enough to feel like participants in the fracas.<\/p>\n

Adam wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and stood up slowly.\u00a0 He figured the audience would insure that the lumberman didn\u2019t attack until he was on his feet, hitting a man while he was down being frowned upon in any group where a fair fight was esteemed.\u00a0 He doubled his fists and began moving around the perimeter of the circle, eyes fixed on his opponent.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t intend to be caught off guard again.<\/p>\n

Watson struck first, and Adam\u2019s head rocked backward from the force of the blow.\u00a0 He kept his feet this time, however, and struck back as hard as he could.\u00a0 Watson danced away, laughing as the blow flicked off his left cheek.\u00a0 He charged in again, driving a hard right into Adam\u2019s midriff and following it quickly with an explosive left jab to the jaw and another hard right, this time hitting the side of Adam\u2019s face, barely missing his eye.<\/p>\n

Adam staggered back, caught his balance and moved forward again, stumbling slightly.\u00a0 Quick to spot an opportunity, Watson plowed a powerful fist into Adam\u2019s abdomen.\u00a0 Adam folded over at the waist, and Watson\u2019s fists repeatedly stabbed into his stomach and ribs.\u00a0 Breaking free, a winded Adam struck out and hit his opponent somewhere\u2014he really couldn\u2019t tell where because a cut over his eye was bleeding enough to obscure his vision.\u00a0 Obviously, he hadn\u2019t done much damage, for Watson was on top of him with scarcely time to draw a breath, concentrating on Adam\u2019s abdomen now, first one fist and then the other pummeling him to the proverbial pulp.\u00a0 As Adam fell to one knee, Watson lashed out with his hard-toed boot and drove it into the young man\u2019s side.\u00a0 Adam cried out in pain and crumpled.\u00a0 With a grin of malevolent satisfaction, Watson again lifted his foot.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s enough,\u201d Adam heard someone say, though he didn\u2019t know the timber crew well enough yet to recognize the voice.\u00a0 He took advantage of his opponent\u2019s momentary distraction to pull up to his knees.<\/p>\n

\u201cStay out of this, Webber,\u201d Watson snarled.\u00a0 Catching Adam\u2019s movement from the corner of his eye, the burly lumberman grasped the young straw boss by his shirt collar, hauled him to his feet and drew back his fist.<\/p>\n

Webber grabbed Watson\u2019s arm and jerked him around, breaking the troublemaker\u2019s grip on Adam\u2019s collar.\u00a0 Adam fell and for a moment could do nothing but lie there.\u00a0 He recognized the man who had come to his aid, one of the few who had seemed to accept him from the first.\u00a0 Shorter than most in the camp, Jake Webber, about ten years Adam\u2019s senior, was built square and stocky, with hard muscles rippling beneath his shirt.<\/p>\n

\u201cI said, \u2018That\u2019s enough,\u2019\u201d Webber growled.\u00a0 \u201cBeatin\u2019 a bare-faced boy don\u2019t make you bull of the woods, Watson.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe,\u201d Watson snapped, \u201cbut it sure as anything proves the bare-faced boy ain\u2019t the bull, and I ain\u2019t about to take orders from some lily-livered pup what can\u2019t hold his own in a fair fight.\u201d<\/p>\n

Webber thrust the man away from him.\u00a0 \u201cThen I reckon you ain\u2019t workin\u2019 for Ponderosa.\u00a0 Pup or not, big boss man says he\u2019s the straw boss.\u00a0 You can\u2019t live with that, you pack your gear and leave\u2014or I\u2019ll make you wish you had.\u00a0 And I reckon you can see I ain\u2019t no bare-faced boy, Watson.\u201d<\/p>\n

Watson ran an appraising eye over Webber\u2019s beefy build and noted the complete confidence reflected in his square face.\u00a0 Deciding that Webber could probably take him if he pushed a fight, Watson brushed dust from his pants.\u00a0 \u201cAin\u2019t worth it,\u201d he grunted.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s other outfits.\u201d\u00a0 He pushed his way outside the circle of spectators.<\/p>\n

Webber snorted.\u00a0 \u201cGo find one,\u201d he called.\u00a0 He raised his voice.\u00a0 \u201cAnd any of you that can\u2019t follow the boss\u2019s orders can trail along after that fool.\u201d\u00a0 Only two men turned to follow Watson.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe rest of you men get back to the work you\u2019ve been assigned,\u201d Webber ordered, and one by one the others moved away until Adam and his defender were alone.<\/p>\n

Though Adam had managed to pull to his hands and knees, he welcomed the calloused hand that helped him to his feet.\u00a0 \u201cThanks,\u201d he said, having no breath to say more.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy pleasure,\u201d Webber chortled.\u00a0 \u201cThat one just needed to learn the difference between bein\u2019 bull of the woods and a plain, ordinary bully.\u00a0 Anything that sticks in my craw, it\u2019s a bully.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam massaged his neck and smiled.\u00a0 \u201cSort of sticks in my craw, too.\u00a0 Thanks, Mr. Webber.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJake,\u201d the other man said.\u00a0 \u201cJust Jake\u2019ll do, Mr. Cartwright.\u201d\u00a0 He rubbed his hands awkwardly down his britches legs.\u00a0 \u201cReckon I owe you an apology for takin\u2019 it on myself to fire Watson.\u00a0 I know it ain\u2019t my place; it\u2019s yours, boy, if you\u2019re gonna boss this outfit, but it needed doin\u2019 and he\u2019d only have laughed if you said it.\u00a0 You ain\u2019t got the muscle to back it up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam flushed, recognizing the truth of the assessment, but suffering adolescent embarrassment nonetheless.\u00a0 He\u2019d known the minute Watson challenged him that he didn\u2019t stand a chance.\u00a0 While Adam could hold his own with anyone his own size or slightly larger, Watson was a head taller, fifty pounds heavier and about a dozen years more experienced as a fighter.\u00a0 \u201cYou only anticipated my action\u2014if I could\u2019ve made it stick.\u201d\u00a0 He tossed a sour grin at Jake Webber.<\/p>\n

Webber laughed, liking the boy all the more for his ability to laugh at himself.<\/p>\n

Adam rubbed his aching jaw.\u00a0 \u201cWill the other men follow me, you think, or do I have this to look forward to every day?\u201d<\/p>\n

Jake shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cYou ain\u2019t got much experience at handling rough lumberjacks\u2014couldn\u2019t have at your age, so that\u2019s nothing against you\u2014yeah, you might have some more trouble.\u00a0 I could give you a few pointers on holding your own in a tough fight.\u00a0 You\u2014uh\u2014can\u2019t treat it like a gentleman\u2019s boxing match, boy; you got to learn to fight a little dirty.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam scowled in chagrin.\u00a0 \u201cI think I could use a few pointers, Jake, but I would like to find a way to earn the men\u2019s respect.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jake looked awkward then, scuffing his thick-soled boots through the pine needles covering the ground.\u00a0 \u201cMeanin\u2019 no disrespect, Mr. Cartwright, but your pa\u2019s wrong to put you in charge, in my opinion.\u00a0 Just bein\u2019 the boss\u2019s kid ain\u2019t enough; you gotta prove yourself a man.\u00a0 In a lumber camp that can mean beatin\u2019 down all challengers, but maybe you can find another way.\u00a0 You\u2019re a sharp kid\u2014fair one, too.\u00a0 I could tell right off, and the men\u2019ll see that in time.\u00a0 Give \u2018em time, boy, and I reckon you\u2019ll find the respect you\u2019re after.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s good advice,\u201d Adam said, thrusting out his hand.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll take it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jake grasped the extended hand and shook it firmly.\u00a0 \u201cThen take a little more.\u00a0 Clean up, son; ride over t\u2019other camp and tell your pa what\u2019s happened; talk to him about what replacements we\u2019ll be needin\u2019.\u00a0 I\u2019ll keep the men workin\u2019 \u2018til you get back\u2014and you make sure you get back today, whether you\u2019re hurtin\u2019 or not, you hear?\u00a0 It\u2019ll say something to the men.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam grimaced in sheer distaste for facing Pa.\u00a0\u00a0 He would have preferred to keep his troubles to himself and only confess them once he had the situation under complete control.\u00a0 The marks on his face would confess for him, though, so there was no point in putting off the inevitable.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll be back,\u201d he promised as he walked stiffly over to his horse.\u00a0 \u201cMight take awhile, but I\u2019ll be back\u2014and I\u2019m making you acting straw boss \u2018til then.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jake Webber grinned broadly.\u00a0 \u201cSure thing, boss\u2014and thanks!\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam nodded and mounted the big black, ignoring the pain in his side.<\/p>\n

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

Adam reined Blackie to a walk as he entered the yard of the Ponderosa Ranch.\u00a0 Though his father would have normally been at the other lumber camp at this time of day, Adam knew that he was at home today, working on the books and watching over Little Joe while Marie and Mary did some shopping in Washoe City.\u00a0 He told himself that it was the likely presence of his little brother in the yard that made him slow down, but honesty compelled him to admit that was primarily an excuse.\u00a0 Mainly, he wasn\u2019t looking forward to showing his face inside the house, considering what was likely to happen the minute he did.<\/p>\n

The yard was empty, so Adam walked his horse past the barn and tied the reins to the top rail of the corral beside it.\u00a0 Then, muscles still aching, he walked gingerly to the water trough between there and the house, pumped some fresh water and made an attempt at cleaning up before he went inside.\u00a0 Between splashes of cold water, he looked up to see a small face, cocked to the side, carefully examining his cuts and bruises.\u00a0 \u201cWhere\u2019d you come from?\u201d Adam queried.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe barn,\u201d Little Joe replied.\u00a0 \u201cYou been fightin\u2019, Adam!\u00a0 You gonna be in trouble; Pa don\u2019t like fightin\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWere you in that barn alone?\u201d Adam demanded, meeting attack with counterattack.\u00a0 \u201cPa won\u2019t like that, either, baby boy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe pouted eloquently.\u00a0 \u201cI was just lookin\u2019 at the horses; didn\u2019t bother \u2018em.\u00a0 Gotta go somewheres.\u00a0 Pa don\u2019t want me in the house; he workin\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite his irritation with the way the morning had gone and his dread of what he was about to face, Adam had to grin.\u00a0 \u201cBooted you out, did he?\u00a0 Can\u2019t imagine why!\u00a0 You weren\u2019t making noise or anything like that, were you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe grinned.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe little bit.\u00a0 Pa kinda cranky.\u00a0 Don\u2019t know why.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam dried his face with his bandanna.\u00a0 \u201cBookwork,\u201d he told his little brother.\u00a0 \u201cIt has that effect on him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHuh?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBooks make Pa cranky,\u201d Adam simplified.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss, too,\u201d Little Joe shared conspiratorially.<\/p>\n

Adam laughed.\u00a0 \u201cDifferent kind of books.\u00a0 Anyway, baby brother, you stay out of that barn.\u00a0 I can guarantee Pa will be cranky enough to tan your little bottom if he catches you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou gonna make Pa cranky?\u201d Little Joe inquired, small face scrunching with concern.<\/p>\n

\u201cMore than likely,\u201d Adam muttered, straightening up and staring at the front door.<\/p>\n

Little Joe\u2019s head bobbed in sober conclusion.\u00a0 \u201cThink I stay outside.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSmart thinking,\u201d Adam said, and after giving his brother\u2019s gold-brown curls a soft pat, he headed for the house, like a man prepared to meet his doom.<\/p>\n

Adam slipped four fingers behind the door handle and slowly depressed the lever above it with his thumb.\u00a0 As he eased the door open, however, a noisy creak announced his entrance.\u00a0 Hinge needs oiling<\/em>, he noted with irritation.\u00a0 Not that the extra second or two a noiseless hinge would provide would have helped him much.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph, is that you?\u201d a voice reminiscent of Moses on Mt.Sinai called from the alcove.\u00a0 \u201cI told you to play outside!\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam closed the door, took a deep breath and stepped past the grandfather\u2019s clock.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph!\u201d Ben shouted.<\/p>\n

\u201cWrong son,\u201d Adam muttered as he rounded the corner.<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s mouth gaped in surprise.\u00a0 \u201cAdam?\u00a0 I\u2014I wasn\u2019t expecting\u2014good lands, boy, what happened to your face?\u201d\u00a0 He sprang to his feet, surged past the desk and touched anxious fingers to the cut on Adam\u2019s brow.<\/p>\n

Adam bristled away.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m all right.\u201d\u00a0 Seeing his father\u2019s frown, he added in a less strident tone, \u201cIt\u2019s not as bad as it looks, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve been in a fight,\u201d Ben said.<\/p>\n

Adam made a feeble attempt at a cocky grin.\u00a0 \u201cAnd you\u2019re given to understatement.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam!\u201d\u00a0 Curbing his irritation at the boy\u2019s manner, Ben steered him toward the settee.\u00a0 \u201cSit down, boy, and tell me who did this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam resisted, but finally gave in to the pressure of two strong hands on his shoulders.\u00a0 \u201cThat doesn\u2019t matter.\u201d\u00a0 He shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cWell, I guess it does, since you need to take the man\u2019s name off the payroll\u2014Wilbur Watson\u2014and Todd Jacobs and Jim Swenson went with him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThose three did this to you?\u201d Ben demanded, eyes sparking with fury.\u00a0 \u201cThey beat you like this?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam waved his right hand in negation.\u00a0 \u201cNo, no.\u00a0 Just Watson\u2014and it wasn\u2019t a beating, Pa; it was a fair fight.\u00a0 I just got the worst of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s mouth set in a grim line.\u00a0 Not surprising, considering the relative sizes of Watson and his young son, but he couldn\u2019t take it as lightly as Adam appeared to be doing.\u00a0 He sat down on the fireside table, facing his son.\u00a0 \u201cWhat happened?\u201d he asked simply.<\/p>\n

Adam had barely started his explanation when a wild neigh shot through the open window in the alcove.\u00a0 Both his head and Ben\u2019s snapped up simultaneously, but while his father paused, momentarily puzzled by the sound, Adam bolted off the settee and raced toward the door in sudden and certain knowledge of what was upsetting his horse.\u00a0 He flung open the heavy oak door and dashed through it, ready to snatch his baby brother away from Blackie\u2019s prancing hooves.<\/p>\n

What met his eyes, however, was a scene far worse than he had imagined.\u00a0 Little Joe wasn\u2019t standing beside the horse, trying to pet it.\u00a0 He had evidently climbed the rails of the corral to which the horse was tethered, had grasped the saddle horn and was swinging one small leg over the saddle as Adam charged toward him, screaming his name.<\/p>\n

Blackie reacted by throwing up his hind legs, and Little Joe, eyes wide with surprise, bounced skyward, his hands slipping off the saddle horn.<\/p>\n

\u201cDear God!\u201d Ben cried as he ran forward, knowing he couldn\u2019t possibly reach the child in time.<\/p>\n

Adam, thankfully, was closer, and, fortunately, Joe came flying his direction.\u00a0 Though he said nothing aloud, Adam was praying, too\u2014hard.\u00a0 And hard is just how Little Joe hit him, careening into his chest and knocking him off his feet.\u00a0 As he lay there, aching ribs inflamed afresh, he caught a glimpse of Joe\u2019s exhilarated little grin, and the sight pushed him over the edge.\u00a0 Sitting up, he plunked his brother across his lap.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t you ever dare touch my horse!\u201d he shouted, accentuating each staccato syllable with a hard swat on the upturned buttocks.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam, Adam,\u201d Ben chided softly, reaching for his youngest son.<\/p>\n

As Ben lifted Joe from his arms, Adam leaned back, panting, on his elbows, and the fury and fear slowly began to ebb out of him.<\/p>\n

Little Joe, however, was red-faced with resentment and evidently figured one attack deserved another.\u00a0 \u201cAdam been fightin\u2019, Pa,\u201d he accused.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy, you tattle-telling little brat!\u201d Adam hollered.<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s response silenced both boys.\u00a0 Laying Little Joe over his shoulder, he gave the boy\u2019s bottom a stinging wallop.\u00a0 Ignoring the child\u2019s wails, he set him down and slapped his bottom one more time.\u00a0 \u201cUp to your room\u2014now!\u201d he bellowed.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll have more to say to you later!\u201d\u00a0 As Joe ran for the house, Ben rolled his head back and exhaled long and gustily; then he looked down at his oldest son.<\/p>\n

Adam gave him a rueful smile.\u00a0 \u201cSorry, Pa.\u00a0 I should have left that to you to begin with.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded.\u00a0 \u201cYou should have, but given the provocation, I doubt you could have.\u201d\u00a0 He chuckled and extended his hand.<\/p>\n

Adam grasped it and let his father help him up.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, let\u2019s go back inside and discuss that other little provocation you dealt with this morning,\u201d Ben suggested, \u201cand then I\u2019ll deal with the greater one upstairs.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

\u201cAnd he didn\u2019t even have the good sense to be afraid!\u201d Ben exclaimed as he ended his rendition of Little Joe\u2019s encounter with Blackie, told to the Thomases over Sunday dinner in Carson City.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018Spect you put the fear into him afterwards,\u201d Nelly chuckled, offering a second helping of greens to Ben.<\/p>\n

Ben smiled ruefully as he took the bowl from her hands.\u00a0 \u201cI tried; I\u2019m not sure I succeeded.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clyde hooted across the table at his friend.\u00a0 \u201cMight as well face facts, Ben boy; you\u2019re gonna have to get that youngun a horse.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe looked up in bright anticipation.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d his father said, staring directly at his youngest son.\u00a0 \u201cNot at four years old, I don\u2019t have to get him a horse!\u00a0 He\u2019s too young and too small.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMais oui<\/em>,\u201d Marie agreed with a shiver.\u00a0 \u201cWhen I think what might have happened.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I know,\u201d Mary Wentworth added, her arm coming protectively around the youngest Cartwright.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m so glad God had His angels looking out for this precious child.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat \u2018precious child\u2019 does his best to keep heaven employed and on its toes, I\u2019ll admit,\u201d Clyde snickered, \u201cbut I still say you\u2019re gonna have to get the youngun a pony before you\u2019re ready.\u00a0 He\u2019s too dadburned determined not to find a way to get what he wants.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s gaze narrowed in a display of his own determination.\u00a0 \u201cHe is gonna learn who\u2019s in charge if I have to wear out the seat of a dozen pairs of britches!\u201d<\/p>\n

Clyde grinned.\u00a0 \u201cI \u2018spect that\u2019s just what you\u2019ll have to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right, now,\u201d Nelly scolded as she went to the sideboard to get the dessert \u201cYou\u2019ve teased enough, you ornery old coot.\u201d\u00a0 She set the peach pie on the table and began slicing it.\u00a0 \u201cI was surely disappointed that Adam didn\u2019t come with you,\u201d she remarked to Ben.\u00a0 \u201cYou tell him he\u2019s expected next time, and his Aunt Nelly won\u2019t take no for an answer.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI will,\u201d Ben promised.\u00a0 \u201cHe surprised me when he said he wanted to visit the Marquette place today.\u00a0 I hadn\u2019t realized he and that boy had spent enough time together last summer to form much of a relationship.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019ve been writing, Adam said,\u201d Marie pointed out.<\/p>\n

Hoss, who hadn\u2019t taken his eyes off the pie since its arrival at the table, spoke up quickly.\u00a0 \u201cLong as Adam ain\u2019t here, could I have his share of the pie?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Hoss,\u201d Marie chided gently.<\/p>\n

Nelly, however, just laughed.\u00a0 \u201cI reckon you can, Sunshine.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clyde reached over to chuck Hoss under the chin.\u00a0 \u201cStakin\u2019 your claim early, huh, boy?\u00a0 Better watch out; I just might jump it!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFirst one through the first gets seconds,\u201d Hoss announced and set to work to earn the prize.<\/p>\n

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

Ross Marquette hooked a foot-long rainbow trout to the end of his string and slipped it back into the rippling water of Franktown Creek.\u00a0 \u201cThat puts me two up on you,\u201d he taunted with a wide-mouthed grin.<\/p>\n

\u201cLuck, boy\u2014pure luck,\u201d Adam Cartwright drawled.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re just jealous,\u201d Ross said, dropping down at Adam\u2019s side and digging a worm from the can between them.\u00a0 Rebaiting his hook, he tossed the line into the water and eased back next to his friend.\u00a0 \u201cMust have scared you spitless,\u201d\u00a0 he observed, picking up the conversation that had been interrupted by a sudden pull on his line.\u00a0 Throughout their afternoon together, Adam had shared the experiences of his week and had just told Ross about catching Little Joe when he flew off Blackie.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Adam conceded, shaking his head and chuckling.\u00a0 \u201cSo much that I lost my head for a minute and started whaling away at the kid\u2019s bottom, right in front of Pa.\u00a0 Good thing Marie wasn\u2019t there!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll say!\u201d Ross agreed.\u00a0 Though he had yet to meet the lady of the Ponderosa, Adam had told him how Marie doted on Little Joe.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re just lucky she didn\u2019t tan you<\/em>!\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam laughed.\u00a0 \u201cNo, she was more in the mood to pin medals to my chest when she heard.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd so she should,\u201d Ross declared loyally.\u00a0 \u201cYou saved the kid\u2019s life, after all.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam glanced away, for a moment back in the yard, seeing that little body speeding toward him.\u00a0 He felt a hand on his upper arm.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam, you okay?\u201d asked his friend.<\/p>\n

Adam nodded and, licking his lower lip, turned back toward Ross.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, I\u2019m okay, but it\u2019s like you said, it scared me spitless.\u00a0 You can\u2019t imagine.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I can,\u201d Ross muttered, pulling a blade of grass and starting to chew on one end.\u00a0 \u201cMy little sister fell in the creek one day, back home in Tennessee, and like to have drowned.\u00a0 I could feel my heart scrunch up inside when I saw her little blond head go under.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut you got her out, right?\u201d Adam asked.\u00a0 \u201cI mean, you did mean Margie, didn\u2019t you?\u201d\u00a0 He\u2019d been introduced to Ross\u2019s younger sister when he\u2019d ridden over that morning to ask if Ross could join him for some fishing.<\/p>\n

A fond smile touched Ross\u2019s broad lips.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, I just got the one sister, Adam, but it wasn\u2019t me pulled her out.\u00a0 That was my big brother, the one wearing all the medals in our family.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam sat up and hugged his knees to his chest.\u00a0 \u201cDidn\u2019t know you had a brother.\u00a0 You\u2019ve never\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t,\u201d Ross said sharply, a shadow crossing his face.\u00a0 He swallowed down the lump in his throat.\u00a0 \u201cHe died of snakebite comin\u2019 west.\u201d\u00a0 He turned toward his friend, grief still haunting his brown eyes.\u00a0 \u201cLike to killed Pa when he passed on.\u00a0 Pete\u2014he was Pa\u2019s namesake\u2014and he was, well, everything I\u2019m not in Pa\u2019s eyes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re doing it again,\u201d Adam reminded his friend.\u00a0 \u201cYou promised me you\u2019d work at not listening to that garbage.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI do work at it,\u201d Ross insisted, \u201cbut it\u2019s hard to turn a deaf ear day in, day out.\u00a0 I just gotta face the fact that I am a pure disappointment to my pa.\u201d\u00a0 He worked his shoulders like a mule trying to shed a pack.\u00a0 \u201cWhat I don\u2019t understand, Adam, is why you was so scared to tell your pa about the trouble up to the lumber camp.\u00a0 He don\u2019t strike me as the type to\u2014well, to be over-hard on a fellow who\u2019s tryin\u2019 his best.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s not,\u201d Adam said at once, \u201cand I wasn\u2019t scared of him\u2014at least, not the way you mean.\u00a0 It was more embarrassment than fear, I guess.\u00a0 I knew the minute I walked in\u00a0 he\u2019d be firing questions, wanting to know who hurt his little boy, wanting to step in and deal with Watson for me, when I\u2019m past the age for running to Pa with every little problem.\u00a0 In a way, it\u2019s like the opposite side to the coin of what you feel with your pa.\u00a0 Pa thinks so highly of me that it can be hard to live up to, and my biggest fear, I guess, is letting him down after all he\u2019s been to me and done for me all the years of my life.\u201d<\/p>\n

There was a pull on Ross\u2019s line again, but he ignored it.\u00a0 \u201cThat why you ain\u2019t told him about wantin\u2019 to go back east to school, \u2018cause you\u2019re scared of lettin\u2019 him down?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPartly,\u201d Adam admitted, jumping up and trotting to the creek bank to help haul in Ross\u2019s fish, another rainbow trout.\u00a0 \u201cMostly, maybe,\u201d he admitted as Ross ran up beside him.\u00a0 \u201cPa\u2019s got a head full of plans for me, for how I\u2019m gonna fit into running this ranch, and I know he\u2019s going to be disappointed to hear that my plans don\u2019t match his.\u00a0 I guess maybe that\u2019s what bothered me so much about what happened on Friday.\u00a0 I\u2019d figured that if I fit in with Pa\u2019s plans this summer, showed him that I valued them, did a good job of bringing them off while I was here, then maybe he\u2019d be more likely to value mine when the time came.\u00a0 I sure messed that up!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ross reached into the water and drew up a string of fish.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t think so, Adam.\u00a0 So you got your nose bloodied a little.\u00a0 Bet that\u2019s happened to him a time or two, when he was a young sailor boy, like you wrote in your letters.\u00a0 And you still got time to show him you can handle the job.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, sure\u2014hey!\u201d\u2014Adam caught his friend\u2019s hand as he started to hook the fish to the string.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s my string you pulled up, not yours.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know that,\u201d Ross chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re behind, remember?\u00a0 And we wouldn\u2019t want your pa thinkin\u2019 you can\u2019t even bring in a mess of fish!\u00a0 Might go real unfavorable with you when you finally work up the nerve to tell him your big goal in life is to stay a schoolboy forever.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pleased, as always, to see his overly sober friend in a good mood, Adam grinned.\u00a0 As he rode back to the Ponderosa that evening, in time to deliver the fish to Hop Sing for supper, he pondered why it seemed so easy to share his heart with Ross when he struggled for words with anyone else.\u00a0 He\u2019d known Billy Thomas years longer, for instance, and counted him just as close a friend, but he\u2019d never once considered telling Billy his ambitions for furthering his education.\u00a0 Billy would have twitted him mercilessly and probably blurted the secret out in front of Pa in some incautious moment.\u00a0 Ross was closed-mouthed, of course, but it was more than just the knowledge that he could keep a secret that made Adam feel free to unburden himself to his newer friend.<\/p>\n

Maybe it was because Ross was more like him than anyone Adam had known in years\u2014not since Jamie Edwards.\u00a0 Ross hadn\u2019t had much chance for education, but he had the spark for learning, a spark that had only needed a little encouragement to flicker into flame.\u00a0 Oh, he\u2019d never be a scholar, never share Adam\u2019s dream of going to college, but in the letters they\u2019d exchanged since last summer, he\u2019d shown an interest in Adam\u2019s studies, often asking questions that sent Adam back to his books to dig out the answer.\u00a0 And he\u2019d taken a positive fancy to the poetry of William Cowper after Adam loaned him the book.<\/p>\n

Maybe, Adam conceded as he arrived at the ranch, it was like what he\u2019d told Ross that afternoon about them being opposite sides of a coin.\u00a0 Funny, in a way, but because Ross had problems at home that he found hard\u2014no, impossible was the better word\u2014to discuss with his father, that seemed to make it easier for Adam to admit that he was having trouble talking to Pa.\u00a0 Much as he was looking forward to seeing Billy Thomas at the earliest opportunity, he knew he wouldn\u2019t be admitting that problem to his lighthearted friend, who was never at a loss for words\u2014with Clyde or anyone else.\u00a0 Just thinking about Billy, though, made Adam grin.\u00a0 Everybody needs a Billy in his life<\/em>, he decided, to bring some joy and laughter, but I need Ross, too, to lean into the load with me.\u00a0 Throw Jamie into the mix, to share my dreams, and I guess I\u2019ve got about all a fellow could ask for in a circle of friends<\/em>.<\/p>\n

~ ~ ~ ~ ~<\/p>\n

Historical Note<\/p>\n

The character of Jake Webber is taken from the Bonanza episode \u201cThe Quest\u201d by John Joseph and Thomas Thompson<\/p>\n

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO<\/p>\n

Ribbons and a Rescue<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Wednesday morning, the fifth of June, Ben climbed aboard the freight wagon loaded with squared timber beams, destined for the Gould and Curry mine.\u00a0 \u201cTime to go, boys!\u201d he called.\u00a0 Hoss and Jimmy Ellis gave Klamath a final pat on the head and came running, clambering up to sit beside Ben on the broad seat.<\/p>\n

Adam smiled at Marie as she straightened his string tie one last time and then started toward the hitching rail, stopping short when Little Joe put up his accustomed wail at being left behind.\u00a0 Coming back, he stroked the small, heaving back a couple of times.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll bring you something, little fellow,\u201d he offered.\u00a0 The promise elicited no response from the sobbing child, so Adam left Little Joe to the comfort of Mary Wentworth\u2019s arms and hurried to mount his black horse, which he would ride because there was no room on the wagon.<\/p>\n

Smiling her gratitude to both young people, Marie walked quickly to the wagon.\u00a0 \u201cOh, Ben, there is one thing I\u2019d forgotten.\u00a0 Please see if you can find some light yellow hair ribbon\u2014one yard, please.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben grimaced as if in physical pain.\u00a0 \u201cHair ribbon?\u00a0 Can\u2019t it wait \u2018til you\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie faced him, arms akimbo and jaw set with determination.\u00a0 \u201cNo, monsieur<\/em>, it cannot wait.\u00a0 You know how rarely I get to Virginia City, and Mary hopes to wear her new dress to church this Sunday.\u00a0 She has no ribbons to match, and there were only red and blue ones in Washoe City.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s face at that moment resembled that of his youngest son.\u00a0 \u201cBut, Marie,\u201d he protested in a voice that was almost a whimper,\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know how to pick hair ribbon.\u00a0 I\u2019ll probably get it too wide or too narrow or too yellow or not yellow enough or\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie interrupted his forlorn pleading with her distinctive laugh and reached into her pocket for a square of yellow calico.\u00a0 \u201cJust ask Mrs. Cass at the mercantile to match this, Ben.\u201d\u00a0 She handed the scrap of fabric to Jimmy, who passed it on to Hoss, who then dropped it into his father\u2019s hand as quickly as if it were hot coals.\u00a0 Marie turned to Mary, shaking her head and laughing again.\u00a0 \u201cMen\u2014they can make the simplest task incomprehensibly difficult.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe because it is,\u201d Ben growled.\u00a0 He flicked the harness lines sharply.\u00a0 \u201cGet up, boys!\u201d\u00a0 He drove off, mumbling to himself.\u00a0 \u201cNot enough I deal with mule-stubborn lumberjacks all week; not enough I negotiate with hard-headed mine owners; not enough I haul a wagonload of supplies back for Hop Sing.\u00a0 No, I have to match hair ribbon to yellow calico, too!\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam prudently kept Blackie behind the wagon until his father\u2019s ranting subsided.\u00a0 About half an hour after leaving the house, he deemed it safe to ride up alongside his father.\u00a0 \u201cThanks for driving this load in, Pa.\u00a0 I know you need to be at your own lumber camp, but I do appreciate your taking time to go into town and introduce me to the mine\u2019s superintendent.\u00a0 You won\u2019t have to be bothered next time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben looked up at Adam.\u00a0 \u201cI wanted to come in with you, son.\u00a0 It\u2019s only right that I make the proper introductions and see you well started in your own relationship with the superintendent.\u00a0 That\u2019s no bother to me.\u00a0 It\u2019s just\u2014well\u2014hair ribbon I\u2019m peeved over.\u00a0 Matter of fact, son, if you\u2019d like to show how much you appreciate my help, paying a little visit to Cass\u2019s Mercantile for me would be a fine way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019d have to do a lot more than make introductions before I let you rope me into that!\u00a0 Like saving me from a stampeding steer, for instance.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben scowled, thinking that a stampeding steer might be easier to face than his wife, if he came home without that yellow ribbon.\u00a0 \u201cThe youth of America are losing all respect for their elders,\u201d he muttered.<\/p>\n

\u201cI ain\u2019t,\u201d Hoss said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou volunteering to buy that hair ribbon, Hoss?\u201d Adam teased, leaning forward to see around his father.<\/p>\n

Hoss gulped.\u00a0 \u201cNo, sir!\u00a0 I ain\u2019t gettin\u2019 roped into that, either.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy ma\u2019d do it, if she was back,\u201d Jimmy mumbled.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t seem like she\u2019s ever comin\u2019, though.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe and your new pa will be by to pick you up Sunday, son,\u201d Ben told his young house guest.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe ain\u2019t my pa,\u201d Jimmy protested.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s just ma\u2019s husband.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat makes him your pa,\u201d Hoss insisted.<\/p>\n

\u201cDoes not!\u201d Jimmy retorted.\u00a0 \u201cMy pa\u2019s dead.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I know,\u201d Hoss argued, \u201cbut God done give you another one in his place, just like he gave Ma to me after my mother died.\u00a0 It\u2019s a good thing, Jimmy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you let it be,\u201d Adam added.\u00a0 \u201cTake some advice from a fellow who once fought against having a new mother, Jimmy.\u00a0 Whether you let Mr. Dettenrieder become your pa or not is up to you, but you\u2019ll be happier\u2014and so will your mother\u2014if you let him be a true father to you, in place of the one you never knew.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe,\u201d Jimmy conceded, looking as if he were thinking it over.<\/p>\n

Ben kept his eyes on the horses, lest they betray the pride he felt in both his sons.\u00a0 Hoss\u2019s response wasn\u2019t surprising, of course, but to hear Adam actually speak of his own feelings for Marie and how they\u2019d changed was\u2014both surprising and satisfying.\u00a0 Suddenly, buying a bit of hair ribbon seemed a small price for having elicited those words from his eldest son.<\/p>\n

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

The delivery to the Gould and Curry mine had been made, and Adam had met the superintendent, coming away with the distinct impression that the man was only dealing with him with the understanding that Ben Cartwright himself was taking ultimate responsibility for the job.\u00a0 It irked the young man\u2019s pride, of course, but he understood that he would have to earn the respect of men like this and figured it was an easier challenge than earning respect from the lumberjacks he worked with every day.\u00a0 That quest was going reasonably well, with the help of Jake Webber\u2014as were his lessons in down-and-dirty fisticuffs\u2014and Adam felt sure he could earn the businessman\u2019s respect, too, given time.\u00a0 He just wasn\u2019t sure he\u2019d have that kind of time before he left for back east.<\/p>\n

He had expected that they would head up to C Street after the transaction was completed, but his father turned the wagon toward the Ophir Mining Company offices on F, instead.\u00a0 \u201cI thought you did your business on Saturday,\u201d Adam said, \u201cor are you just introducing me here, too?\u00a0 I didn\u2019t think I\u2019d be dealing with the Ophir.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou won\u2019t be,\u201d Ben replied, \u201cbut I thought I might wangle you a tour of those square sets I wrote you about, if you\u2019re interested.\u201d\u00a0 He smiled, knowing that he\u2019d assumed correctly.<\/p>\n

Adam almost bubbled with excitement.\u00a0 \u201cThat would be great, Pa!\u00a0 The drawings you sent were fascinating, but I\u2019d really like to see them in person.\u201d\u00a0 His enthusiasm soared even higher when they walked into the Ophir office and found the designer of the square sets himself inside.<\/p>\n

Philip Deidesheimer welcomed the eager young man with a warm handshake and, as he had free time, offered to personally show Adam through the section of the mine that had been timbered with the new shoring system.\u00a0 \u201cOf course, you and the other boys are invited also, Mr. Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFascinating as your square sets are, Herr<\/em> Deidesheimer, I\u2019ve seen them,\u201d Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m willing, if the youngsters are interested, of course.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t much like goin\u2019 underground,\u201d Hoss said with a shiver.<\/p>\n

\u201cMe, neither,\u201d Jimmy announced loyally.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn that case, we\u2019ll forego the kind offer and go along to Cass\u2019s Mercantile,\u201d Ben decided.\u00a0 \u201cMeet me at Winn\u2019s Restaurant\u2014on B St., between Union and Sutton\u2014when you\u2019re done here, Adam, and we\u2019ll have dinner before heading back to the Ponderosa.\u00a0 You\u2019re welcome to join us, Herr<\/em> Deidesheimer.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you, Mr. Cartwright, but I have another appointment,\u201d the engineer replied.<\/p>\n

Ben, with the two youngsters seated beside him, drove up the steep hillside from F Street to C, turned right and moved down the main business street of Virginia City.\u00a0 Pulling up in front of Cass\u2019s Mercantile, Ben shook his head in wonder.\u00a0 No matter how often he came to Virginia City, he felt as if he were visiting a new town almost every trip, although he had to admit, laughing to himself, that the town hadn\u2019t changed much since Saturday.\u00a0 Put a full week between trips, though<\/em>, he thought, and I\u2019ll spot something new every time, I\u2019ll bet!<\/em>\u00a0 Virginia City, at two years of age, boasted a hundred solid homes, eight hotels, nine restaurants, ten livery stables and twenty-five saloons.\u00a0 Twenty-five saloons, but no bank<\/em>, Ben noted with irony.\u00a0 Just about what you\u2019d expect in a mining community!\u00a0 Wells, Fargo and Company was filling that economic vacancy, though, and Ben had no complaint with their service.<\/p>\n

Shaking loose from his reverie and walking inside, Ben handed his list of supplies to Will Cass and with some temerity drew the scrap of yellow calico from his pocket to show the merchant\u2019s wife.\u00a0 Viola Cass laughed lightly and assured Ben that she knew exactly what Marie wanted and that they had it in stock.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe wagon\u2019s outside, but we\u2019ll be in town another hour or so,\u201d Ben told Will.\u00a0 \u201cI came by here first to give you a chance to get things together, in case you were busy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAppreciate it,\u201d Will said, \u201cbut as you can see I\u2019m not swamped with customers at the moment.\u00a0 Tends to get this way close to noon every day.\u00a0 Can\u2019t imagine why!\u201d\u00a0 He winked at Ben.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can!\u201d Jimmy Ellis volunteered.\u00a0 \u201cFolks is hungry!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cI think I know a couple of other folks who are hungry, too, right, Hoss?\u201d\u00a0 Turning, he saw that his middle son had his nose pressed to a glass case, behind which stood jars of rainbow-colored confections.\u00a0 \u201cHoss,\u201d he chided.\u00a0 \u201cYou are not having any of that truck \u2018til you\u2019ve eaten a proper dinner.\u00a0 Your mother would skewer me with her epee.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCan we have some after?\u201d Hoss begged.\u00a0 \u201cJimmy\u2019d like some, I bet.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah!\u201d Jimmy agreed exuberantly.<\/p>\n

Ben grabbed each boy by the nape of the neck and gave them both a light shake.\u00a0 \u201cAll right, you beggars, tell Mrs. Cass what you\u2019d like.\u201d\u00a0 He glanced up at the proprietress behind the counter. \u00a0\u201cA nickel\u2019s worth each and the same each of peppermints and lemon sours for the sweet teeth at home.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHaven\u2019t seen much of your missus lately,\u201d Will Cass observed, looking up from reading Ben\u2019s list.\u00a0 \u201cNot scared to come to town, is she?\u201d\u00a0 He flushed under the hard look Ben gave him.\u00a0 \u201cI mean her bein\u2019 secesh and all,\u201d he stammered.\u00a0 \u201cCould be a mite dangerous.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe isn\u2019t secesh,\u201d Ben grunted.\u00a0 \u201cShe\u2019s from the South, yes, but as grieved about what\u2019s happening there as any of us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGlad to hear it,\u201d Cass hastened to say.\u00a0 \u201cDidn\u2019t mean no offense.\u00a0 Folks talk, is all, and I\u2019d heard\u2014well\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFolks have no business gossiping about what goes on in my family,\u201d Ben countered gruffly.<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry, Ben.\u00a0 Like I said, no offense.\u201d\u00a0 Cass wiped his suddenly sweaty palms on his white apron.\u00a0 \u201cYour order will be ready by the time you finish dinner.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wanting to show that he harbored no ill will, Ben thrust his hand forward.\u00a0 \u201cAppreciate it, Will.\u00a0 It\u2019s a long drive back to the Ponderosa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Leaving the mercantile, Ben and the boys climbed up nearby Sutton Avenue.\u00a0 As they reached the intersection with B Street, however, the sound of loud voices rolled down the hill from the street above them.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s going on?\u201d Hoss asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot sure,\u201d Ben muttered, instinctively starting toward the uproar.\u00a0 Hearing footsteps behind him, however, he turned and remembered that he had two young boys with him and should be careful about leading them into unknown situations.\u00a0 \u201cHoss, you take Jimmy on down to Winn\u2019s and have a look at the menu.\u00a0 It\u2019s just half a block that way,\u201d he said, pointing to the left.<\/p>\n

\u201cAw, Pa,\u201d Hoss whined.\u00a0 \u201cI wanna see what the commotion\u2019s about, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben snapped his fingers and again pointed in the direction of the restaurant.\u00a0 \u201cGit!\u201d<\/p>\n

Knowing better than to argue when his father sounded that adamant, Hoss took off at a trot, with Jimmy at his heels.\u00a0 Ben felt a chuckle tickling his throat, but another loud shout from A Street killed any hint of humor the boys\u2019 hasty retreat had inspired.\u00a0 Determined to learn the cause for the angry yelling, he began to climb.<\/p>\n

By the time Ben reached the next level, he was breathing hard, for the hill was steep.\u00a0 Pausing to catch his breath, he took in the situation: hundreds of men milling around the old stone saloon owned by John Newman, shouting and pointing toward the roof.\u00a0 As Ben\u2019s gaze followed the pointing fingers, he gasped in shock, for waving in flagrant defiance atop the building was a Confederate flag.\u00a0 Perhaps shock was what made him move forward through the shouting throng, although common sense dictated staying out of politically divided crowds.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s going on here?\u201d he demanded, but his voice went unheard among the dozens of others roaring out similar questions and angry answers.<\/p>\n

Men were surging forward, intent on tearing the rebel flag down, while others thrust them back forcefully.\u00a0 Ben, deliberately refusing to take either side, found himself elbowed this way and that, until he was next to the boardwalk, where the saloon\u2019s owner strutted back and forth, rifle in hand, daring anyone to take down that flag.\u00a0 \u201cOver my dead body\u2014or yours!\u201d he bellowed.<\/p>\n

Suddenly, a sharp cry rang out above the boisterous horde.\u00a0 \u201cLook!\u00a0 Up on the roof!\u201d\u00a0 Since the crier was pointing at the opposite end of the building from where the Confederate flag flew, the crowd backed up to see what had drawn such excited notice.\u00a0 As interested as the rest, Ben moved into the street, looked up and saw a Union flag unfurling in the blustery wind.\u00a0 Beside it perched a man waving a pistol, defying anyone to take it down.\u00a0 \u201cHey, Newman, it\u2019s your partner!\u201d a southern sympathizer called.<\/p>\n

John Newman stormed into the street.\u00a0 \u201cTear it down, Waterhouse!\u201d he demanded.<\/p>\n

\u201cNever!\u201d R. M. Waterhouse screamed down to his business associate.<\/p>\n

Newman lifted his rifle, but it was wrenched from his hands by a northern supporter, and suddenly what had been basically a shoving match became an all-out brawl.\u00a0 Trying to separate belligerent opponents, Ben ducked fists right and left, but a few found his face.<\/p>\n

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

Ben turned toward the sound, although how he had known that he was the pa the speaker intended he could not have explained, for he hadn\u2019t actually recognized his son\u2019s voice.\u00a0 A father\u2019s instinct, he told himself later.\u00a0 As he turned, he saw Adam on the outskirts of the melee, trying to push toward him.\u00a0 \u201cStay there, boy!\u201d he cried, urgently thrusting aside the men in his way as he moved toward his son.\u00a0 \u201cStay out of this!\u201d<\/p>\n

He had almost escaped when he felt his arm roughly grabbed.\u00a0 \u201cBe you secesh or Union?\u201d the bearded man demanded, fist ready to inflict punishment for the wrong answer.<\/p>\n

\u201cNevadan!\u201d Ben roared, shaking the hand off as he might a pesky fly.<\/p>\n

\u201cNevadan!\u201d cried a man nearby.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s it; we\u2019re Nevadans!\u201d\u00a0 But few others joined that cry, most yelling out affiliations with either north or south.<\/p>\n

Ben got to Adam and dragged him to the opposite side of the street.\u00a0 \u201cWhat are you doing here?\u201d he shouted.<\/p>\n

Fire flamed in Adam\u2019s cheeks and in his eyes.\u00a0 \u201cWhat am I doing here?\u00a0 What are you<\/em> doing here?\u201d he demanded.\u00a0 \u201cI show up at the restaurant and Hoss tells me you\u2019re headed for trouble.\u00a0 What did you expect me to do, sit down and order pork chops?\u201d<\/p>\n

For the second time within half an hour, Ben was speechless with shock.\u00a0 Then he said, \u201cThat is no way for a young man to talk to his father.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd this is no place for a young man\u2019s father to be,\u201d Adam countered, chin jutted stubbornly forward.<\/p>\n

Ben stared, wordless, at his oldest son, and then a rueful smile brushed his lips.\u00a0 \u201cNo, I suppose it\u2019s not.\u00a0 And, frankly, I don\u2019t think Virginia City is any place for this family to be this afternoon.\u00a0 Let\u2019s collect the little boys and head for home.\u00a0 We can get some cheese and crackers at Cass\u2019s and eat on the way.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSounds fine to me,\u201d Adam said as his father wrapped an arm around his shoulder, \u201cbut Hoss won\u2019t be happy, not with cheese.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, we can find plenty at Cass\u2019s to pad it out\u2014as if that boy needed any extra padding,\u201d Ben chuckled as he and Adam reached B Street and turned toward Winn\u2019s Restaurant to collect the younger boys.<\/p>\n

Hoss was disappointed when his father told him that they wouldn\u2019t be eating in town after all, but he was easily appeased with the promise that he could eat anything he could find in the store.\u00a0 He and Jimmy treated it like a treasure hunt, and while they browsed the store, trying to decide what to have for lunch, Ben and Adam helped Will Cass load the rest of the supplies.\u00a0 Then Ben paid the bill while Adam picked something for both of them to eat, as well as a miniature wooden pony for Little Joe.<\/p>\n

Another customer came in, just as the Cartwrights were leaving.\u00a0 \u201cHeard what\u2019s going on up to Newman\u2019s Saloon?\u201d the man asked the proprietor.<\/p>\n

\u201cBen here was just telling me,\u201d Cass said.\u00a0 \u201cUnion flag still waving?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBoth of \u2018em, fur as I know,\u201d the man said, \u201cand there\u2019s help comin\u2019.\u00a0 Old John Collins is ridin\u2019 for Fort Churchill.\u00a0 We\u2019ll see what the boys in blue have to say about that secesh flag!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben herded his covey of boys outside and onto the wagon.\u00a0 Personally, he felt an urge to stay in town and find out what the soldiers did about this minor uprising, but he didn\u2019t feel he had that luxury with three young boys in his charge.\u00a0 Seeing Adam mount his black horse to ride beside them, he smiled as he recalled how his son had rushed up the hill to his rescue and stood up to him and made him realize that he wasn\u2019t exhibiting the sense God gave a goose.\u00a0 Make that two young boys<\/em>, he corrected himself mentally, two boys and one brave and sensible young man<\/em>.\u00a0 His heart brim full with pride, just as it had been on the way into town, Ben droved down C Street and left Virginia City.<\/p>\n

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

Not until Sunday, when the Thomases came to dinner, did Ben learn the aftermath of the fracas outside Newman\u2019s Saloon.\u00a0 Billy, who had made a special point of arranging his schedule so that he could see Adam, brought the latest news from Fort Churchill.\u00a0 \u201cSeems like some folks figured what happened was a feeler, to test how much secesh sympathy there is \u2018round these parts,\u201d Billy reported as the men sat on the porch, awaiting the call to dinner.\u00a0 \u201cNewman claimed it was just a joke.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJoke,\u201d Ben snorted.\u00a0 \u201cNo one but an addle-pated fool aims a rifle as a joke.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cArmy didn\u2019t take it for one, for sure,\u201d Billy continued, long legs sprawled out before him as he leaned against a porch post.\u00a0 \u201cI talked to Mark about it, and he said that more than a third of the arms issued in that Paiute War ain\u2019t been accounted for, and the army was fearful they might fall into secesh hands.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s why they been searchin\u2019 house to house, in Virginia City and Carson both,\u201d Clyde Thomas added.\u00a0 \u201cGot eighty muskets from Sheriff Blackburn in Carson\u2014the ones Judge Terry had when he was hopin\u2019 to make hisself governor of Washoe, I reckon\u2014and twenty-one more from Silver City before they went on to tear that confounded flag down.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam stood leaning against the other rough pillar supporting the roof of the porch.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s a rumor that those muskets will be issued to a volunteer unit being recruited soon.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben looked up, surprised.\u00a0 \u201cWhere did you hear that?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLumber camp,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cA couple of men brought the rumor back from town and told me they were thinking about quitting so they could join up\u2014to protect the country, they said.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not just rumor,\u201d Billy affirmed.\u00a0 \u201cMark told me the recruiting is set to start today in Virginia City.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust see to it you don\u2019t get any such foolish notions, boy,\u201d Ben grunted.\u00a0 He turned an iron gaze on Adam, as well.\u00a0 \u201cOr you, either, young man.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAs if I would!\u201d Billy snorted.\u00a0 \u201cGot my fill of the army last summer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Irritated that he was once more being cautioned about involvement in the sectional conflict, Adam bolted upright at his father\u2019s admonition.\u00a0 Reminding himself, however, that he needed to keep confrontations with Pa to a minimum in preparation for the major one to come a month from now, he swallowed his offense and said quietly, \u201cI have no intention of joining the army\u2014now or ever, Pa.\u00a0 You really don\u2019t need to keep saying it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben had noticed both Adam\u2019s first reaction and his curbing of his temper.\u00a0 \u201cGuess I don\u2019t, at that.\u00a0 Just need to remember that my son has a good head on his shoulders.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam smiled and nodded.<\/p>\n

Clyde stood up to rumple Billy\u2019s shaggy red locks.\u00a0 \u201cThis one ain\u2019t, though, so keep it up where he\u2019s concerned, Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAw, Pa.\u201d\u00a0 Billy gave an exaggerated groan and looked to his friend for sympathy.\u00a0 \u201cThey don\u2019t never change, do they?\u00a0 Still gonna see us as kids when we\u2019re old and gray.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you live that long, boys,\u201d Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cIf you live that long.\u201d<\/p>\n

The call to dinner superseded any response the boys might have made.<\/p>\n

~ ~ ~ ~ ~<\/p>\n

Historical Note<\/p>\n

The incident at Newman\u2019s Saloon occurred on June 4th<\/sup> or 5th<\/sup>, 1861.\u00a0 Though considered a joke by the owner of the building, the flying of the Confederate flag was viewed by others as a feeler to test Southern sympathies in Virginia City.\u00a0 Subsequently, two companies of militia, comprising four hundred men, were organized to protect the Union and suppress any rebellion.<\/p>\n

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE<\/p>\n

Season of Celebration<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 As summer drew on, the new territory of Nevada entered a season of celebration, although the event that ushered it in was one less joyous than those scheduled to come soon after.\u00a0 Yet in a sense it seemed appropriate to bid farewell to an icon of the early days before welcoming the era of new beginnings.\u00a0 The latter part of June found the Cartwrights and many of the other first settlers of Nevada gathered in a cemetery in Dayton to mark the passing of one who had, for better or worse, been a founding father of the territory.<\/p>\n

James Fennimore, otherwise known as Old Virginny, died as he had frequently lived, lost in an alcoholic daze.\u00a0 At least, that was the report that had come to Ben.\u00a0 Old Virginny, he\u2019d heard, had tried to mount a horse while intoxicated, caught his foot in the stirrup and been dragged to death.\u00a0 Fennimore was not a man Ben had ever held in high regard, but he had felt drawn to Dayton to pay his last respects nonetheless.\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t too surprised when Marie decided to accompany him; after all, it gave her an excuse to pay a visit to Laura Dettenrieder\u2019s new home.\u00a0 Presumably, that was part of the attraction for Nelly Thomas, too, or so Clyde claimed with a mischievous grin.\u00a0 Mary Wentworth had volunteered to watch Little Joe while they were away, and Adam, who felt too busy to attend, had taken Hoss on as the youngest member of his timber crew.<\/p>\n

While the ladies visited with Laura after the funeral, sharing the news about the Bowers\u2019 new baby girl, Ben and Clyde passed the time in the saloon run by George Dettenrieder in Gold Canyon.\u00a0 \u201cSeems like the right way to see Old Virginny off,\u201d Clyde commented, raising his drink.\u00a0 \u201cHe sure could down more tarantula juice than any man I knew!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot much of a legacy to leave behind,\u201d Ben observed, although he dutifully clinked his mug of beer against Clyde\u2019s shot glass of whiskey.<\/p>\n

\u201cTrue,\u201d Clyde admitted, \u201cbut he does have another one\u2014and it\u2019s growin\u2019 into a right good-sized legacy, Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cVirginia City.\u00a0 Yeah, you\u2019re right; his name will live on\u2014long past yours and mine, most likely.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI figure my name\u2019ll live on in my younguns\u2014and their younguns,\u201d Clyde said, motioning toward George for a refill.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019ll be the same with you, Ben, and I reckon that\u2019s legacy enough.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMore than enough,\u201d Ben agreed, lifting his glass for a more heartfelt toast this time.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cAdam, get some blankets to pile in the back,\u201d Ben suggested.<\/p>\n

Distributing hay evenly in the back of the freight wagon normally used to haul timber to the mines, Adam laughed aloud.\u00a0 \u201cBlankets!\u00a0 Pa, it\u2019s the Fourth of July, not the fourth of January!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben arched a far-from-ferocious eyebrow.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t get smart with me, boy.\u00a0 It\u2019ll be after dark by the time we get home.\u00a0 July or not, the nights still get cool.\u00a0 The ladies and little ones will appreciate the cover, coming back.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re right,\u201d Adam agreed, jumping down from the wagon.\u00a0 As he headed toward the house, he passed Hop Sing, who was loading the buckboard with baskets and crates, from which wafted tempting aromas.\u00a0 \u201cYou need some help, Hop Sing?\u201d he asked.\u00a0 \u201cI can send Hoss out.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Cantonese cook snorted in disdain.\u00a0 \u201cHop Sing not need that kind help\u2014not if you want food get to Vi\u2019ginia City.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPoint taken,\u201d Adam chuckled.\u00a0 Putting Hoss in charge of packing the food wagon was definitely akin to setting a fox to watch over the henhouse.<\/p>\n

Nevada\u2019s first Fourth of July as a new territory was a time of rejoicing for all but the most die-hard supporters of southern secession.\u00a0 Carson City, of course, was staging its own festivities, as were several of the smaller communities, but by far the grandest celebration was being planned in Virginia City.\u00a0 Posters had been tacked up all over town for the last couple of weeks, listing activities and contests, and both Hoss and Adam had fallen victim to their lure.\u00a0 Then an invitation from James Maynard settled the question, and when Ben let his friends know that the Cartwrights would be celebrating in Virginia City, three other families\u2014the Thomases, Montgomerys and the newly married Dettenrieders\u2014all decided that they, too, would hail the Glorious Fourth in the larger town.<\/p>\n

Because so many were being transported from the Ponderosa, Adam had suggested a hay ride, and Ben agreed that his son had come up with a most practical idea.\u00a0 Since they\u2019d soon have a new crop of hay to harvest, he and Adam piled the old hay deep in both freight wagons, to soften the ride of family, friends, ranch hands and timber crew.\u00a0 Ben and Marie sat on the high seat at the front, while Adam, Mary, Hoss and Little Joe climbed in the back of one wagon and settled on the soft hay.\u00a0 At least, the older three settled; Little Joe immediately burrowed head first into the hay, determined to discover if there was anything interesting underneath.<\/p>\n

Adam pulled him out and held him upside down as he brushed hay off the squealing youngster, giving special attention to the seat of Joe\u2019s pants.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Adam, don\u2019t,\u201d Mary pleaded.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right, angel heart, for you I\u2019ll resist,\u201d Adam said amiably, turning Joe right side up and setting the child between his legs with an admonishment to stay there.<\/p>\n

\u201cLeaving now, Mr. Cartwright,\u201d called the driver of the second freight wagon.\u00a0 A number of the ranch hands were sitting on hay in the back, and more workers would be picked up at the lumber camp, for everyone had the day off and most wanted to spend the day in Virginia City.\u00a0 In fact, the employees\u2019 wagon was likely to be crowded.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right, Carlton,\u201d Ben acknowledged with a raised hand.\u00a0 \u201cYou know where to meet us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCorner of D and Taylor,\u201d Carlton called back as he lifted the reins.\u00a0 \u201cNo fear of me forgetting that once I got a whiff of the vittles in that buckboard!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cYou lead off, then.\u00a0 We\u2019ll follow and, Hop Sing, you bring up the rear.\u201d<\/p>\n

The wagons set off in the order prescribed, but soon separated, one headed to the lumber camp, one making a swing to the northeast to pick up another passenger and the buckboard continuing down the road to Virginia City.\u00a0 The passenger was waiting at the end of the road that led to a neighboring ranch, a wicker basket hanging from one rail-thin arm.\u00a0 \u201cI told you there\u2019d be plenty to eat,\u201d Adam chided as he took the basket and stretched a hand to help Ross Marquette into the wagon.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know how Pa is about a man carrying his own weight,\u201d Ross said with a shrug.\u00a0 \u201cEven goes for picnic food, I reckon.\u00a0 Ma\u2019s a good cook, too, so it\u2019ll get eaten, I reckon, even if there is plenty besides.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re doing a lot of reckoning today,\u201d Adam teased.<\/p>\n

Seeing Ross flush a deep crimson, Marie gave him an encouraging smile.\u00a0 \u201cI am sure we will all enjoy your mother\u2019s cooking, Ross, and I am pleased to meet you at last.\u201d\u00a0 She cocked her head, casting a mildly reproachful glance at Adam.<\/p>\n

Adam got the message.\u00a0 \u201cSorry.\u00a0 I should\u2019ve made introductions straight off.\u00a0 You know Pa and Hoss, of course.\u00a0 The lovely lady reminding me of my manners is my stepmother Marie, and you\u2019ve probably guessed that this scamp between my legs is my youngest brother, Little Joe.\u00a0 That leaves only the sweetest little lady ever to grace the territory of Nevada, our houseguest for the summer, Miss Mary Wentworth.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ross gazed awestruck and open-mouthed at Mary\u2019s fair beauty.<\/p>\n

\u201cPleased to meet you is the appropriate response,\u201d Adam suggested with a wry smile.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, oh, yeah,\u201d Ross stammered.\u00a0 \u201cPleased to meet you, Miss Wentworth\u2014and, uh, you, too, Mrs. Cartwright\u2014and Mr. Cartwright\u2014well, I already met you, uh, so\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam grinned naughtily.\u00a0 \u201cBest quit while you\u2019re behind, Skinny.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAs should you,\u201d Marie scolded.<\/p>\n

At the same time Mary touched a light, restraining hand to Adam\u2019s arm.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s teasing everyone today, Mr.\u201d\u2014she frowned, for Adam had failed to mention the name of his friend.<\/p>\n

\u201cMarquette, Ross Marquette,\u201d Adam supplied.<\/p>\n

\u201cMr. Marquette,\u201d the girl continued.\u00a0 \u201cMay I call you Ross?\u00a0 You mustn\u2019t be embarrassed by Adam\u2019s teasing.\u00a0 I\u2019m pleased to meet you, too, and you must call me Mary, for we are all like family here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s in the basket?\u201d Hoss asked before Ross could mumble out a response.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t be so nosy, greedy belly,\u201d Adam said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m curious, too,\u201d Mary said with a smile at Ross.\u00a0 \u201cMay we peek?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ross had to swallow, but finally found his tongue.\u00a0 \u201cSure, Miss Mary; you\u2014you look all you want.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss quickly scooted over, so he could see inside the basket as soon as Mary lifted the lid.\u00a0 \u201cOoh, fried chicken\u2014my favorite,\u201d he announced.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat isn\u2019t?\u201d Adam snorted.<\/p>\n

Mary gave his hand a playful swat.\u00a0 \u201cNone for you \u2018til you learn to curb your tongue.\u201d\u00a0 When Adam puckered up into a petulant pout worthy of his baby brother, Mary laughed, and as he joined in, Ross began to relax and feel, as Mary had described it, like family.<\/p>\n

Adam had brought his guitar, and soon everyone was singing.\u00a0 The music made the miles seem shorter than they were, and soon Ben was parking the wagon next to the vacant lot at the corner of D and Taylor.\u00a0 \u201cThis is where they\u2019re planning to build the new Methodist-Episcopal church, Reverend Bennett said,\u201d Ben informed everyone.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe gonna start comin\u2019 here?\u201d Hoss asked, standing up and leaning on the back of his parents\u2019 seat.\u00a0 \u201cI like goin\u2019 to Washoe City.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd we still will, every other week,\u201d Ben assured him.\u00a0 \u201cThe weeks we drive your mother in to chapel, you and I will probably come here, though.\u00a0 Well, just one of those weeks for you, that is.\u201d\u00a0 He gave his wife an apologetic smile, which she acknowledged with a gentle nod.\u00a0 Jumping off the wagon, he moved swiftly to the other side to help her down.<\/p>\n

Marie shook her head as she surveyed the barren plot, with little more than odd patches of grass scattered across bare dirt.\u00a0 \u201cI have seen better picnic spots,\u201d she observed with a slight crinkle of her nose.<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing to compare with the Ponderosa,\u201d Ben admitted, drawing her close to his side, \u201cbut it\u2019s the best I could come up with here in town, and we did agree to attend that dinner at the Ophir.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie patted his arm.\u00a0 \u201cIt will be fine, Ben.\u00a0 It is our friends we came to see, and as you say, we never lack for scenery in our own backyard.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd speaking of those friends, I think most of them are here already.\u201d\u00a0 Ben took her arm.\u00a0 \u201cShall we join them, my lady?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOui<\/em>,\u201d she laughed.<\/p>\n

Arm in arm, they walked over to the shady spot selected by whoever had arrived first, probably Laura Dettenrieder, for she seemed to be directing the placement of the food her husband George, Clyde Thomas and Enos Montgomery were unloading from the Cartwrights\u2019 buckboard.\u00a0 \u201cWhere\u2019s Hop Sing?\u201d Ben called as they drew closer.\u00a0 \u201cI figured he\u2019d be here, making sure\u00a0 you gave his contributions center stage.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPromised we would and run him off,\u201d Nelly tossed back with a grin.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, it wasn\u2019t like that,\u201d Laura chuckled, coming forward to kiss Marie on both cheeks.\u00a0 \u201cHe was eager to get to Chinatown\u2014to be with his own folks, I guess\u2014so when we told him we could manage, he took off.\u201d\u00a0 Right behind her Katerina Montgomery gave Marie the same greeting.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, that\u2019s one less to feed,\u201d Ben said, laying his hand on Hoss\u2019s hefty shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cMore for you and me, right, boy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRight,\u201d Hoss declared, \u201cand everything looks great!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWait\u2019ll you see the cake my ma baked!\u201d Jimmy Ellis announced.\u00a0 Showing no disposition to wait \u2018til later for that enticing sight, Hoss grabbed Little Joe\u2019s hand and took off after Jimmy.<\/p>\n

Not many of those gathered in the vacant lot had met Ross, so Adam introduced him.\u00a0 Ross found himself feeling awkward and shy again, especially when yet another pretty girl was presented to him.<\/p>\n

\u201cGet your eyes back in your head,\u201d Adam teased as red-eared Ross shook hands with Sally Martin.\u00a0 \u201cShe\u2019s taken.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ross dropped Sally\u2019s hand as if he\u2019d touched fire.\u00a0 \u201cBy you?\u201d he gulped.\u00a0 \u201cYou never said.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam laughed.\u00a0 \u201cNo such luck!\u00a0 She lost her heart to a boy in blue.\u201d\u00a0 He laid his hand on his chest and sighed melodramatically.<\/p>\n

Sally gave the hand a sharp slap.\u00a0 \u201cHe wasn\u2019t wearing blue when I lost my heart,\u201d she scolded.\u00a0 \u201cHe did that for me, like a true Sir Galahad.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam gave her a peck on the cheek.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, I know.\u00a0 Mark\u2019s on duty today, I suppose?\u201d\u00a0 When Sally, looking wistful, nodded, he scanned the group and asked, \u201cHey, where\u2019s Billy?\u00a0 I thought he was scheduled to be off today.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nelly sighed.\u00a0 \u201cHe was, but he had to ride for another boy that took sick real sudden.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat where your father is?\u201d Adam asked Sally.<\/p>\n

She shook her head.\u00a0 \u201cWith patients, yes, but not that one.\u00a0 Some boys in Carson City were careless with firecrackers and burned themselves.\u00a0 He might be here later; at least, I hope so.\u00a0 It\u2019s sad, having to come without either of my men today.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam hooked his arm through hers.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll just have to stand in for them, then, won\u2019t we, Ross?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ross doffed his tan felt hat.\u00a0 \u201cYes, ma\u2019am, if\u2014if you\u2019ll have us,\u201d he stammered.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeggars can\u2019t be choosers,\u201d Sally laughed; then, seeing that Ross had taken her teasing seriously, she quickly slipped her other arm through his.\u00a0 \u201cThat was meant for Adam, not you, of course.\u00a0 I\u2019m sure I\u2019ll enjoy your company completely, Mr. Marquette.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRoss,\u201d he said, taking courage from the wink Adam sent toward him.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, don\u2019t you be rushin\u2019 off \u2018til I\u2019ve delivered your mail,\u201d Clyde declared, planting a restraining palm on Adam\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cBilly sent orders to tell you that he was sorry he couldn\u2019t make it today, but he should be off Saturday, instead, and he wants you to meet him at our place about five in the afternoon.\u00a0 Won\u2019t say what he has planned, just to spruce up and be there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam saluted snappily.\u00a0 \u201cYes, sir!\u00a0 Orders received.\u00a0 We\u2019ll be there.\u201d\u00a0 He looked pointedly at Ross.\u00a0 \u201cWe, as in you and me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ross gave an awkward shrug of one shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t want to horn in on you and your friend.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t be insubordinate, trooper,\u201d Adam said, feigning the ferocity of a general commanding a buck private.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve got my orders, and I\u2019m giving you yours.\u00a0 High time my two best friends got acquainted.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sally gave Ross\u2019s arm a comforting pat.\u00a0 \u201cBilly won\u2019t mind.\u00a0 I\u2019ve known him for years, and I can assure you, \u2018the more, the merrier\u2019 is his motto.\u201d<\/p>\n

As the three young people started to move away from the adults, Laura asked, \u201cNow, where are you children taking off to so soon?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cChildren!\u201d Adam and Sally both protested at once, Sally adding, \u201cI\u2019m practically married!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam, we do need to know where you\u2019ll be,\u201d Marie admonished.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I think I can guess,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cUp the hill for the flag raising?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam nodded.\u00a0 \u201cYes, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHeadin\u2019 there myself,\u201d Clyde put in.\u00a0 \u201cYou, Ben?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMe, too,\u201d Ben admitted, and all of the other men chimed in their intention to be part of the ceremony, as well.\u00a0 \u201cSure you don\u2019t want to watch this spectacle?\u201d he asked Marie after kissing her forehead.\u00a0 \u201cSupposed to be quite a do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOui<\/em>, quite certain,\u201d Marie said with a smile.\u00a0 \u201cA climb to the top of Mt.Davidson does not seem pleasurable to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNor to any of us,\u201d Laura added, speaking for herself and the other ladies, who nodded their complete agreement.<\/p>\n

\u201cHead up to C Street when you hear the music, then,\u201d Ben advised.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll meet you there for the parade.\u00a0 Surely, you ladies want to see that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t know as I do,\u201d Nelly laughed.\u00a0 \u201cBunch of miners cavortin\u2019 down the street ain\u2019t that rare a sight, and someone needs to stay by the food, else them thievin\u2019 Paiutes is likely to help themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

Remembering what Frederick Dodge had shared with him about the Indians\u2019 scavenging for food here in town, Ben\u2019s visage grew sober.\u00a0 \u201cLet them, then.\u00a0 We have more than enough.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanna go, Ma,\u201d Nelly\u2019s daughter Inger whined.<\/p>\n

\u201cMe, too,\u201d Little Joe declared, his face set with determination.<\/p>\n

When he saw his mother cock her head inquiringly, Hoss sighed.\u00a0 \u201cYes, ma\u2019am.\u00a0 I\u2019ll look after \u2018em both.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I\u2019ll help,\u201d Jimmy added.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t need lookin\u2019 after,\u201d Inger announced huffily.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s boys who need watchin\u2019.\u00a0 I know how to behave.\u201d\u00a0 A swift swat on the plumpest part of her petticoat, though probably unfelt, produced a remarkably rapid change of attitude.<\/p>\n

With waves and kisses, those braving the steep climb departed.\u00a0 Adam and Ross, with Sally between them, led the way and soon left the others behind.\u00a0 Ben, Clyde, George and Enos followed, and a quartet made up of Inger, Jimmy, Hoss and Little Joe brought up the far rear.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy we goin\u2019 up there, Ingy?\u201d Little Joe asked as he trotted to keep up with the others.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, poor baby, it\u2019s hard on your little legs, isn\u2019t it?\u201d Inger asked, stopping.\u00a0 \u201cHoss, you\u2019d better carry him,\u201d she ordered.<\/p>\n

Hoss tromped back down from the head of the line and scooped Little Joe up under one arm.\u00a0 \u201cDoggone you, I knew you\u2019d be nothin\u2019 but trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy we goin\u2019 up there, Hoss?\u201d Little Joe demanded, clinging to his brother\u2019s belt as he rode sideways up the hill.\u00a0 \u201cIngy won\u2019t tell me!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I will,\u201d the little girl said, coming up beside Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re gonna watch \u2018em raise the biggest flagpole ever,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh!\u201d\u00a0 Little Joe looked suitably impressed.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s a flagpole?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow big is it?\u201d Jimmy asked before anyone could answer the smaller boy\u2019s question.<\/p>\n

\u201cTwenty feet tall,\u201d Hoss, who had seen the posters, told him.\u00a0 \u201cGonna take a heap of men to plant a pole that big, and Pa\u2019s gonna be one of \u2018em.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy pa, too,\u201d Jimmy boasted.<\/p>\n

Hoss grinned, glad to see that his friend had decided to take his advice\u2014and Adam\u2019s, too\u2014to lay claim to his mother\u2019s new husband as his pa.<\/p>\n

As the children finally puffed up to the top of the hill, Jimmy spotted a man handing out barrel staves.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s them for?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

Hoss wanted to know, too, so he set Little Joe down and led his small flock over to the man.<\/p>\n

\u201cHowdy, sonny,\u201d said the scruffy-bearded man, looking pleased to see the four youngsters, for children were still a rare sight on the streets of Virginia City.\u00a0 \u201cWant to leave your mark on the mountain?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow you mean?\u201d Hoss asked, taking the barrel stave being held out to him.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf\u2019n you got a pocketknife, you kin carve your name on this,\u201d the miner explained.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re gonna drop \u2018em all down that old rock chimney there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to,\u201d Inger insisted.<\/p>\n

The miner laughed.\u00a0 \u201cYou got a knife, little gal?\u201d<\/p>\n

Inger shook her head.\u00a0 \u201cMa says it ain\u2019t ladylike.\u201d<\/p>\n

The man gave one of her strawberry blonde braids a gentle tug.\u00a0 \u201cYour ma\u2019s right, little darlin\u2019.\u00a0 You let your friend do the carvin\u2019.\u00a0 I reckon that stave\u2019s big enough for four names.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I want mine on the same board as Hoss,\u201d Jimmy insisted.<\/p>\n

\u201cI guess that\u2019s what we should do, since we\u2019re here together,\u201d Inger admitted, \u201cbut you better spell my name right, Hoss Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss stuck his tongue in her face.\u00a0 \u201cI spell better\u2019n you, Miss Smarty Britches.\u201d<\/p>\n

Inger said no more, for fear the taunt might be true.\u00a0 Hoss had been to real school, while she\u2019d only had her mother for a teacher.<\/p>\n

After watching his brother carve letters for a few minutes, Little Joe reached for the knife.\u00a0 \u201cI do my own,\u201d he demanded.<\/p>\n

Hoss held the knife out of Joe\u2019s reach.\u00a0 \u201cNo!\u00a0 Don\u2019t you touch this knife, you hear me?\u00a0 You\u2019ll cut yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s lips puckered into a pout.\u00a0 \u201cWill not.\u201d<\/p>\n

When he again reached for the knife, Inger grabbed his hand and pulled it back, giving it a smart slap.\u00a0 \u201cNo, no, baby.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t be hittin\u2019 him,\u201d Hoss ordered.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust to learn him,\u201d Inger argued, tossing her braids over her shoulder.<\/p>\n

Hoss pulled his younger brother toward him.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll learn him all he needs.\u201d\u00a0 He set Joe down, facing him, and adopted a stern expression.\u00a0 \u201cYou better be good, punkin, \u2018cause there\u2019s lots of fun happenin\u2019 today.\u00a0 You don\u2019t wanna miss it, do you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe threw his head from side to side.\u00a0 \u201cWanna see it all.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen don\u2019t grab at the knife again,\u201d Hoss said.\u00a0 \u201cYou was just bein\u2019 silly, anyhow, \u2018cause you don\u2019t know how to write your name, much less carve it.\u00a0 You want it to look good, don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUh-huh,\u201d Little Joe said, \u201cbut do mine now, okay, Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay,\u201d Hoss agreed, tousling his brother\u2019s curls.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen me,\u201d Jimmy dictated.<\/p>\n

Inger rolled her eyes.\u00a0 \u201cThat makes me the cow\u2019s tail, like always.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust where girls oughta be,\u201d Hoss teased.<\/p>\n

Inger folded her arms across her chest, thrust out her lower lip and glared in indignation.\u00a0 \u201cOoh!\u00a0 Boys!\u201d\u00a0 As if to prove how maddening they could be, the boys all laughed.<\/p>\n

Hoss finished carving their four names and at Jimmy\u2019s suggestion added the date.\u00a0 Then he led the other children up to the old chimney protruding from the some miner\u2019s abandoned coyote hole dug into the mountain; he handed the stave to Little Joe and, hefting him up, told him to toss it down.<\/p>\n

Little Joe seemed reluctant to let go of the board with his name until Hoss promised to carve him one all his own when they got home.\u00a0 Then he grinned and turned loose, practically tumbling down the chimney after it in his attempt to watch the stave plummet downward into the darkness.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, they\u2019re gettin\u2019 ready to raise the flag!\u201d Jimmy cried.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s get over there and find our pas.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLook at all the men!\u201d Inger cried, trailing behind the longer-legged boys.\u00a0 \u201cThey all gonna grab that pole?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t see how they could, but I sure hope our folks get a hand on it,\u201d Hoss replied.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s Pa and Uncle Clyde.\u201d\u00a0 Though it was difficult to spot anyone in particular in the crowd of five thousand surrounding the tall flagstaff, George and Enos had taken positions relatively close to the other men, so the children quickly found them, as well, but couldn\u2019t spot Adam, Sally or Ross.\u00a0 When the pole was raised and wedged into the peak of the mountain, a small howitzer recently discovered in the mountains, supposedly the one brought west by John Fr\u00e9mont, was fired.\u00a0 Everyone clapped, waved their hats and shouted in exultation, and the band began to play.<\/p>\n

Each child ran to his or her father.\u00a0 Ben lifted Little Joe and put an arm around Hoss, and together they watched Old Glory fly in the brisk breeze at the top of the mountain.\u00a0 Even though he had publicly espoused that Nevada was neither North nor South, Ben felt a rush of pride and patriotism at the sight of that symbol of American unity.\u00a0 A Union of sovereign states\u2014that was what young men back east were fighting and dying to preserve, what others, just as valiantly, were fighting and dying to dissolve.\u00a0 Ben didn\u2019t really know who was right about the sovereignty of individual states, but as he gazed up at the flag, he knew what his heart told him.\u00a0 The states were meant to be united under this one banner, not to stand separately under the two that had flown from the roof of Newman\u2019s Saloon, and he hoped that, somehow, the opposing states would yet find a way back together with minimal bloodshed on either side.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa, ain\u2019t it time to be goin\u2019 down for the parade?\u201d Hoss asked anxiously.<\/p>\n

Shaken from his reverie, Ben smiled down at the boy.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, I guess it is,\u201d he admitted, having caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye of the crowd of men making their way toward C Street.<\/p>\n

Little Joe tugged at his father\u2019s sleeve.\u00a0 \u201cPa, where\u2019s Adam?\u00a0 He lost?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben bounced the boy on his arm as he moved down the hill.\u00a0 \u201cNo, son, your big brother isn\u2019t lost.\u00a0 He\u2019s somewhere in this crowd, and the easiest way to find him is to head toward the parade.\u00a0 Adam knows where we planned to watch it, and your mother should be there, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd Mary,\u201d Little Joe crowed happily.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, your favorite girl, too,\u201d Ben chuckled, \u201cthough, goodness knows, she\u2019s much too good for a rascal like you.\u201d\u00a0 He tickled the child\u2019s ribs \u2018til the resulting squirming made him fear he might drop his son.<\/p>\n

Ben and his boys joined the other men in their party at the corner of C and Taylor.\u00a0 Little Joe immediately stretched his arms toward Adam, and when Adam took him, grabbed tight hold of the older boy\u2019s neck.\u00a0 \u201cHe thought you was lost,\u201d Hoss explained with a grin.<\/p>\n

Adam cocked his head at his youngest brother.\u00a0 \u201cOh?\u00a0 You weren\u2019t worried were you, baby?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not a baby,\u201d Little Joe insisted.\u00a0 \u201cYou s\u2019posed to be smart, Adam.\u00a0 How come you can\u2019t \u2018member that?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam laughed.\u00a0 \u201cHaven\u2019t studied the subject enough, I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe textbook hasn\u2019t been written,\u201d Ben grunted, and Clyde, by his side, slapped his knee and cackled.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat you makin\u2019 like a rooster over?\u201d his wife asked as she and the other ladies arrived, several of them panting from the steep, one-block climb.<\/p>\n

Clyde eyed her with narrowed gaze.\u00a0 \u201cNever mind that.\u00a0 Thought you was gonna stay down and guard the food.\u00a0 Ben may favor feedin\u2019 every thievin\u2019 injun in sight, but I ain\u2019t so sociable.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe I am,\u201d Nelly retorted.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t like to see no one go hungry.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018Ceptin\u2019 your husband,\u201d Clyde snorted.<\/p>\n

She laughed then.\u00a0 \u201cQuit your worryin\u2019, Clyde.\u00a0 Couple of Ben\u2019s men showed up and said they\u2019d keep watch over the vittles.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom the timber camp?\u201d Adam asked, adding with a whimsical arch of his eyebrow, \u201cThe food would probably be safer with the Paiutes.\u00a0 I\u2019ve never seen men pack it away like those lumberjacks!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot even your little brother?\u201d Ben asked, his eyebrow a carbon copy of his eldest son\u2019s.<\/p>\n

Adam patted Little Joe\u2019s flat tummy.\u00a0 \u201cOh, he\u2019s not such a big eater.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAw, he meant me,\u201d Hoss muttered with a self-conscious crinkle of his nose.<\/p>\n

\u201cCouldn\u2019t have,\u201d Adam tossed back with a grin.\u00a0 \u201cHe said my little<\/em> brother; you\u2019re not little, Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss grinned back.\u00a0 \u201cNo, I sure ain\u2019t; he must\u2019ve meant Joe, all right.\u201d\u00a0 A frown almost immediately replaced the merrier expression.\u00a0 \u201cSure hope them lumberjacks don\u2019t eat up all of Aunt Nelly\u2019s blackberry pie, though.\u00a0 I been cravin\u2019 it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I\u2019ll see you get as much as you want, Sunshine,\u201d Nelly assured him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat with six families putting their efforts together, there\u2019s so much food I don\u2019t see how even lumberjacks could eat it all,\u201d Laura contributed.<\/p>\n

\u201cSix?\u201d Katerina queried, momentarily puzzled.<\/p>\n

\u201cCounting Ross and Sally, who each brought a basket,\u201d Laura explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, yes, of course,\u201d Katerina said, smiling at the two young people.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, here comes the band!\u201d Jimmy yelled.<\/p>\n

Adam lifted Little Joe onto his shoulders, so the child would be able to see above the heads of the adults lining the street.\u00a0 \u201cOh, Adam, be careful,\u201d Marie urged, her hand instinctively fluttering toward her son.<\/p>\n

The smile on Adam\u2019s face faded.\u00a0 \u201cI always am,\u201d he said sharply.\u00a0 Then, seeing her duck her head, he added softly, \u201cI always will be.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie looked up apologetically.\u00a0 \u201cOui<\/em>, I know\u2014and I do trust him with you always, Adam.\u201d\u00a0 The smile she exchanged with Adam was warm with love and mutual, though hard-earned, respect.<\/p>\n

The band passed by, followed by the benevolent societies of Virginia City and representatives of virtually every organization in town, including the First Virginia Engine Company, Number One, with its new fire engine, said to be one of the largest on the west coast.\u00a0\u00a0 Atop the fire engine, brass fire-trumpet in her hand, sat the newly elected mascot of the company.<\/p>\n

\u201cMiss Julie!\u201d Little Joe squealed, bouncing on his brother\u2019s shoulders in excited recognition of the woman who had helped entertain him during the long, dreary days at Fort O\u2019Riley during the Pyramid Lake Indian War.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey!\u00a0 Watch the kicking, kid, or you\u2019ll lose that nice lofty perch,\u201d Adam advised.<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry, Adam,\u201d Little Joe giggled and went right back to waving, kicking and shouting out the name of his friend.<\/p>\n

Julia Bulette heard the sweet tones of a child\u2019s voice, looked in the direction of the sound and waved at the little charmer who had eased her interment in the old stone hotel as much as she had his.<\/p>\n

Marie lifted her hand and blew a kiss toward her friend.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Marie, you shouldn\u2019t,\u201d Laura chided.<\/p>\n

\u201cPourquoi<\/em>?\u201d\u00a0 Marie asked, and then realizing that she\u2019d lapsed into her native French, translated, \u201cWhy?\u00a0 She is my friend.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShouldn\u2019t be,\u201d Nelly scolded.\u00a0 \u201cYou got to think about your family, girl, and their place in this new territory we\u2019re buildin\u2019 and leave \u2018friends\u2019 like that hussy behind.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI will never leave a friend behind,\u201d Marie spewed hotly.\u00a0 \u201cHow can you even\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLadies, please,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re here to celebrate the birth of our country.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd a hen fight ain\u2019t the way to do it,\u201d Clyde snorted.\u00a0 \u201cMind your tongue, Nelly.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was just thinkin\u2019 of her\u2014and Ben and the boys,\u201d Nelly muttered, turning her gaze pointedly away from both the woman on the fire engine and the woman standing beside her.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs she a bad woman?\u201d Mary whispered to Katerina.<\/p>\n

The young German woman leaned close to the younger girl\u2019s ear.\u00a0 \u201cShe\u2019s a harlot.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPoor thing,\u201d Mary murmured, following Julia with her eyes as the fire engine rolled past.\u00a0 \u201cThere must be a great emptiness inside her.\u00a0 I wish I could show her how to fill it with a purer love.\u201d<\/p>\n

Katerina wrapped her arms around the slender girl.\u00a0 \u201cOh, Mary, a love as pure as yours would be wasted on that\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWill you stop?\u201d Marie demanded sharply with a stamp of her foot.\u00a0 \u201cShe is my friend.\u201d\u00a0 She stepped into the street and called loudly, \u201cIl est bon de vous revoir, ma amie!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMarie,\u201d Ben hissed, pulling her back to his side.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat, you, too?\u201d she snapped, emerald eyes flashing.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll talk about it later,\u201d Ben said tersely.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s enjoy the rest of the parade, if that\u2019s possible, madame<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie nodded curtly.\u00a0 There was not much parade left, however.\u00a0 The Chinese, organized in groups distinguishable only to themselves, marched under banners no one else could read, and at the end of the column came a group of Indians, Paiutes first, with a few Washos bringing up the rear.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I guess that\u2019s it, folks,\u201d Ben said.<\/p>\n

\u201cTime to eat now, right, Pa?\u201d Hoss asked, tongue sliding over his lower lip in expectation.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou bet, little brother,\u201d Adam answered, in place of his father, \u201cand if we don\u2019t get down there soon, I may have to nibble on whatever\u2019s close to hand.\u201d\u00a0 Little Joe squealed as Adam took a playful nibble at the calf of his leg, eliciting laughter from everyone.<\/p>\n

\u201cI will thank you not to gobble up my baby boy,\u201d Ben said with feigned glare.\u00a0 Then he smiled.\u00a0 \u201cWhy don\u2019t you lead the way, son?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam lifted his right hand to his eyebrow in salute and then called to his troops, \u201cAll right, everyone line up behind me and let\u2019s parade to the picnic!\u201d\u00a0 Girls giggling and little boys snickering, all the youngsters lined up behind Adam, with Little Joe still riding on his shoulders, and started down to D Street.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel badly not to be sharing the picnic with you,\u201d Marie murmured to the other ladies as they prepared to follow Adam\u2019s parade, \u201cand, worse, to leave you to deal with my children.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s enough of us to watch over those two little angels, I reckon,\u201d Nelly laughed, \u201ceven the one with the lopsided halo.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t worry for a minute,\u201d Laura urged.\u00a0 \u201cJust have yourself a fine time among all the fancy folk.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie touched a slender hand to her friend\u2019s forearm.\u00a0 \u201cI would rather be among \u2018folk\u2019 I love, but Ben wishes it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben frowned, but said nothing until they were alone.\u00a0 \u201cYou should have told me,\u201d he chided.\u00a0 \u201cWe didn\u2019t have to accept Mr. Maynard\u2019s invitation.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know,\u201d Marie said as she slipped her arm through his, \u201cbut it will be good for your business, oui<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben directed her down C Street toward the International, where the dinner sponsored by the Ophir Mining Company was being held.\u00a0 \u201cProbably, but I was coming out of a sense of appreciation for his past business, rather than buttering him up for more.\u00a0 Even with Adam\u2019s help, we\u2019re stretched about as thin as we can manage.\u00a0 Still\u201d\u2014he paused, for a moment debating the wisdom of what he wanted to say\u2014\u201dif you really want to help my business image . . .\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut, of course, I do, Ben,\u201d Marie interrupted his trailing thought.<\/p>\n

Ben took a deep breath and plunged on.\u00a0 \u201cIt really isn\u2019t helpful to that\u2014or to our acceptance among better society in this new territory we\u2019re building\u2014to flaunt your relationship with . . . that woman.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie stopped abruptly and Ben braced himself for her stinging retort.\u00a0 The retort, if such it could be called, however, was spoken softly, in tones barely above a whisper.\u00a0 \u201cI am shocked, mon mari<\/em>, that you would so harshly judge a woman for the circumstances in which she finds herself.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA person should be judged for his\u2014or her\u2014choices in life, Marie,\u201d he asserted.\u00a0 \u201cYou see yourself in her, I know, but you made better choices, even when you were under your cousin Edward\u2019s diabolical influence.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPerhaps,\u201d Marie conceded with a sigh.\u00a0 \u201cI agree that Julie has not made good choices, and I fear for what that may one day cost her, but I meant what I told the ladies, Ben.\u00a0 I will not turn my back on a friend.\u00a0 Would you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben circled his arm around her waist.\u00a0 \u201cI suppose not, not so long as there was hope of influencing him\u2014or her\u2014toward a better choice.\u00a0 There is, however, a difference between help discretely offered and a demonstration on a public street, my love.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOui<\/em>, I lost my temper,\u201d Marie admitted.\u00a0 \u201cI had no right to embarrass you before our friends or others whose influence is important to your future.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd that of our sons,\u201d Ben added, escorting her through the front door of the hotel.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd of our sons,\u201d she agreed.\u00a0 \u201cIt is for them we do all, non<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded.\u00a0 He saw James Maynard moving toward them as they entered the dining room and lifted a hand in greeting.<\/p>\n

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

Ben laughed heartily as he and Marie returned to the picnic site later that afternoon.\u00a0 \u201cLooks like the little angel with the lopsided halo is leading them quite a chase!\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie\u2019s voice tinkled with laughter, too, as she saw several of her friends running after Little Joe, who squealed in protest when Laura caught him.\u00a0 She hurried over and took the child into her arms.\u00a0 \u201cWhat mischief have you caused, mon petit<\/em>, to make all these ladies look so exhausted?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat mischief hasn\u2019t he caused?\u201d Adam observed coolly, coming up behind the ladies.\u00a0 \u201cChasing the lighted firecrackers one of the men gave the boys was just his latest escapade.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Joseph, how could you?\u201d Marie chided.\u00a0 \u201cYou know fire is not a toy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss play with it,\u201d a red-faced Little Joe insisted.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen I shall have to speak to him, too,\u201d Marie said.\u00a0 \u201cAfter what Sally told us about those boys in Carson City, I do not think any of my sons need to play with firecrackers.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss was careful,\u201d Adam assured her.\u00a0 \u201cI was watching him and Jimmy.\u201d\u00a0 He gave her a rueful smile.\u00a0 \u201cSorry, but I didn\u2019t see what Little Joe was up to \u2018til he was out of reach.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben clapped his eldest son on the shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cNo one knows better than we how quickly that can happen!\u201d\u00a0 He glanced inquiringly toward the blanket where the picnic feast had been spread.\u00a0 \u201cAnything left?\u201d<\/p>\n

Clyde, sprawled on the edge of that blanket, raised up on one elbow and grinned.\u00a0 \u201cDidn\u2019t put on much of a feed at that fancy restaurant, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOui<\/em>, the food was excellent,\u201d Marie assured everyone.\u00a0 \u201cI cannot believe Ben wants more!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben probed his stomach here and there with his fingertips.\u00a0 \u201cAh, there it is,\u201d he said, touching a spot on his lower left, \u201croom enough for one piece of Nelly\u2019s pie\u2014or perhaps a slice of Laura\u2019s cake.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPie\u2019s gone,\u201d Nelly called with a laugh.\u00a0 \u201cHoss saw to that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI do have some cake, though,\u201d Laura said, \u201cand there are some cookies left, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben dropped onto the blanket next to Clyde.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll take a slice and then we\u2019d best be heading for home.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut, Pa, we can\u2019t,\u201d Hoss protested as he and Jimmy charged up to claim the last of the cookies.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s gonna be fireworks tonight, Pa, and I wanna see \u2018em.\u00a0 Please, Pa.\u00a0 I ain\u2019t never seen fireworks.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben reached up and pulled Hoss down beside him.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ll see them, boy,\u201d he promised, letting his hand ruffle through the straight, sandy hair.\u00a0 \u201cThey\u2019ll light up the sky for miles.\u00a0 We should still be in Washoe Valley when they\u2019re fired off and able to see them quite well.\u201d<\/p>\n

After Ben polished off his slice of cake, there were goodbyes, hugs and kisses all around, and then the Cartwright contingent piled into the freight wagon for the long ride home.\u00a0 Since a very sleepy Little Joe was clinging to his mother, Marie decided to lie down beside him on the hay.\u00a0 Adam offered to drive the team, so Ben climbed in the back and settled into the hay next to his wife, while Ross elected to sit beside Adam and Mary and Hoss found soft spots in the hay to cushion their ride.<\/p>\n

As Ben had predicted, darkness fell while the wagon was still crossing Washoe Valley.\u00a0 When Hoss, who had kept his eyes peeled toward town, squealed at the sight of the first burst of colored fire over Virginia City, Adam pulled to a halt.\u00a0 Everyone watched, oohing and aahing as the valley echoed with the distant boom of rockets and the sky erupted with colorful arcs that soared upward and sprayed down over Mt.Davidson.\u00a0 While the boys and Mary were distracted by the sparkling display, Ben stole a kiss from his beautiful wife, and she took it back.\u00a0 Life is so good<\/em>, he thought as the fireworks ended and he lay down in the hay with his wife in his arms.<\/p>\n

Glancing over his shoulder, Adam saw Little Joe put his head in his mother\u2019s lap and smiled as her tender hand came to rest on his tousled curls.\u00a0 He turned the reins over to Ross and picked up his guitar, strumming and singing softly, and as the music drifted over the quiet valley, it lulled Little Joe and everyone else in the back of the wagon into peaceful sleep.<\/p>\n

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR<\/p>\n

Sinister Celebration<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Ross Marquette dragged his right leg over the saddle and set it on the ground with discernible deliberation.\u00a0 \u201cStill don\u2019t feel right, hornin\u2019 in on this\u2014well, whatever it is,\u201d he muttered.<\/p>\n

Adam Cartwright was already in front of his horse, tying the reins to the hitching rail outside the Thomas house in Carson City.\u00a0 \u201cYou sure take some convincing, don\u2019t you, Skinny?\u201d<\/p>\n

The front door flew open, and a flaming head of hair, attached to a body perennially in motion, bounded down the porch steps.\u00a0 \u201cHey, Adam.\u00a0 Been keepin\u2019 an eye out for you.\u201d\u00a0 He glanced at the man tying his horse beside Adam\u2019s black and extended his hand.\u00a0 \u201cMarquette, ain\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ross gave his lips a nervous lick.\u00a0 \u201cYeah.\u00a0 Ross Marquette.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt ain\u2019t dirty,\u201d Billy said dryly.<\/p>\n

\u201cHuh?\u201d\u00a0 Ross caught sight of Billy\u2019s empty hand, still stretched toward him, and made an awkward grab for it.\u00a0 \u201cOh, sorry.\u00a0 I wasn\u2019t worried about that\u2014just . . .\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSlow,\u201d Adam supplied with a wry grin.<\/p>\n

Billy gave Ross\u2019s hand a vigorous pumping.\u00a0 \u201cHope you ain\u2019t that slow on the draw\u2014if\u2019n you ever need to draw, that is.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYour folks would have your hide for even suggesting it,\u201d Adam advised loftily.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t aim to, in front of them,\u201d Billy observed with his characteristic carefree grin.<\/p>\n

\u201cRoss here\u2019s feeling a little awkward about coming with me, uninvited,\u201d Adam explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, no need,\u201d Billy said at once, as Adam had known he would.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s fun enough for three in what I got planned.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd just what might that be?\u201d Adam queried, his staccato delivery indicating a certain suspiciousness.\u00a0 Billy had, after all, been known to come up with some near-lunatic stunts during their long relationship.<\/p>\n

Billy slapped his best friend on the back.\u00a0 \u201cJust a little celebration.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cAnd just what is it we\u2019re celebrating, old buddy, the end of your career as a Pony rider?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat ain\u2019t funny,\u201d Billy said with a rare display of ill temper.\u00a0 Though telegraph service had existed to California for a long time, the Fourth of July had seen the planting of the first poles for a transcontinental telegraph at Ft. Churchill and Julesburg, Colorado.\u00a0 The Pony Express would only run until the two lines, being built from opposite directions, met, and then Billy would be out of a job.<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry,\u201d Adam said quickly.\u00a0 \u201cI know you\u2019ll be sorry to see it end, Billy, even though a telegraph across the country does represent progress.\u00a0 You gonna blacksmith with your pa afterwards?\u201d<\/p>\n

Billy shuddered.\u00a0 \u201cNot if I can help it.\u201d\u00a0 His characteristic grin flashed back into place.\u00a0 \u201cNot sure what I\u2019ll do when the time comes, but something\u2019ll turn up\u2014always does.\u00a0 Anyway, I ain\u2019t worryin\u2019, so don\u2019t you, neither.\u00a0 Like I said, we\u2019re havin\u2019 us a celebration tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam laughed.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll ask again then: just what is it we\u2019re celebrating, or will any excuse work for you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe end of your schooldays, boy,\u201d Billy cackled.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cLong-time-comin\u2019.\u00a0 Thought the day would never come, in fact, but you finally made it through, slow as you are.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam caught his friend by his freckled neck and shook him.\u00a0 \u201cIn my opinion, learning never ends, you ignorant rube, and, anyway, celebrations should be for beginnings, not endings.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ross held his breath, waiting for some sign that Billy had caught the hidden meaning behind those words.\u00a0 When it didn\u2019t come, he knew in a flash of insight that Adam hadn\u2019t shared his college ambitions with Billy, despite their long-time friendship, and a sudden surge of pride dispelled the awkwardness that had been gnawing at Ross ever since Adam started pushing him to come today.\u00a0 He sensed that, in Adam\u2019s eyes, he was as good a friend as Billy, and maybe, in some ways, a closer one.<\/p>\n

Oblivious to subtle hints, Billy just laughed.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ve had enough book-learning, schoolboy.\u00a0 There\u2019s fun to be had out here in the real world, and it\u2019s high time you had yourself a fling at it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam turned loose of Billy\u2019s neck, laughed and said he agreed.\u00a0 \u201cYou still haven\u2019t told us what kind of celebration you have in mind.\u00a0 Considering the uneducated and undisciplined\u2014not to mention devious\u2014mind it\u2019s coming from, you can understand my concern.\u201d<\/p>\n

Billy pressed his palm to his chest.\u00a0 \u201cI am crushed, old buddy.\u00a0 How could you think I\u2019d plan anything but a good time in your honor?\u201d\u00a0 He draped an arm around Adam\u2019s broad shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cI thought we\u2019d start with a beer or two at the Magnolia Saloon, best place in Carson, just to loosen you up.\u00a0 How\u2019s that sound?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat sounds fine.\u00a0 And after I\u2019m \u2018loosened up\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n

Billy gave him a clap on the shoulder and released him.\u00a0 \u201cThen dinner at Van Sickle\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, why would I want to ride all the way to Van Sickle\u2019s when I could dine with one of the best cooks on the Washoe?\u201d\u00a0 Adam swept his hand toward the house.<\/p>\n

Billy waved the idea aside.\u00a0 \u201cMa\u2019s the best, I got to admit, but I eat her cooking all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t!\u201d Adam laughed.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I never have,\u201d Ross dared to insert, wanting to side with Adam if choices were to be made.\u00a0 \u201cA hot meal, I mean.\u00a0 What she brung to the picnic the other day was prime, though, and I\u2019d favor sampling some more.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAw, come on,\u201d Billy wheedled.\u00a0 \u201cWe got to go near that far, anyway\u2014for the dance.\u201d<\/p>\n

Both Adam\u2019s and Ross\u2019s faces perked up.\u00a0 \u201cDance, what dance?\u201d Adam demanded.<\/p>\n

\u201cTonight, in Genoa.\u201d\u00a0 Billy grinned broadly at the effect of his surprise on the other two boys.\u00a0 \u201cYou didn\u2019t think I\u2019d tell you to spruce up just for dinner with Ma, now did you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI usually do,\u201d Adam teased, referring to the fact that he generally ate Nelly\u2019s cooking after going to church.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd since the dance don\u2019t start \u2018til eight, we got time to kill.\u00a0 Food\u2019s good at Van Sickle\u2019s, so I favor goin\u2019 there over hangin\u2019 around dead-dull ole Carson.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd Genoa\u2019s an improvement?\u201d\u00a0 Adam hooted at the idea.<\/p>\n

Billy tugged the loops of his string tie tighter.\u00a0 \u201cThey got some fair-lookin\u2019 girls over to Genoa,\u201d he drawled persuasively.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe dance sounds good,\u201d Ross put in, making a quick change in allegiance, \u201cand Van Sickle\u2019s ain\u2019t far past Genoa,\u00a0 like Billy says. . .\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam chuckled in easy acceptance.\u00a0 \u201cWell, if you\u2019re both going to gang up on me, I guess I might as well give in.\u201d\u00a0 He draped an arm across the shoulders of each of his friends and began to steer them toward the plaza.<\/p>\n

Once they\u2019d crossed the central square of Carson City, the three young men mounted the steps in front of the Magnolia Saloon.\u00a0 Just before passing through the swinging doors, Adam turned to give Billy a light-hearted reminder that he was buying.\u00a0 Walking backwards, he didn\u2019t see the pair of men leaving the saloon at the same time and bumped into a man of burly build.\u00a0 \u201cSorry, mister,\u201d he said promptly as he spun around.<\/p>\n

The tawny-headed man with side whiskers tied under his chin grabbed Adam by the lapels of his black broadcloth vest.\u00a0 \u201cWho you shovin\u2019, sonny?\u201d he demanded, voice booming with belligerence.\u00a0 Breathing heavily, he thrust his florid face close to Adam\u2019s.<\/p>\n

Adam leaned back, trying to get away from the liquor-laced spray from the man\u2019s mouth.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d he said again, eyes fixed on the large revolver holstered on the man\u2019s leg and the huge Bowie knife slung to his belt.\u00a0 \u201cI wasn\u2019t watching where I was going.\u201d<\/p>\n

The man cast a glance at Adam\u2019s two friends and grinned at the slight build of all three young men.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe I just oughta teach you to watch where you go then, sonny boy.\u201d\u00a0 He turned back to Adam and bared yellowed teeth in a sinister leer.<\/p>\n

The man\u2019s companion caught his arm, just as he drew it back, fist doubled.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s too small a fish, Sam,\u201d the second man urged.\u00a0 \u201cThrow him back.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut it\u2019s my birthday,\u201d the red-haired man slurred in reply.\u00a0 \u201cGot to have me a man for supper on my birthday, Al.\u201d<\/p>\n

Al slowly pulled Sam\u2019s arm down.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, but you want a man, not a boy, don\u2019t you, Sam?\u00a0 Put these three together and you still wouldn\u2019t have a good-sized meal.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sam threw his head back and roared raucously, side whiskers bouncing on his Adam\u2019s apple as he laughed.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, need me a man-sized meal for my birthday, I sure \u2018nough do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCome on, then,\u201d Al urged as he herded his friend down to the street, Sam\u2019s long, Spanish spurs clanking on each step.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhew!\u00a0 That was close.\u201d\u00a0 Billy wiped his forehead and leaned against the front wall of the saloon.\u00a0 \u201cYou know who that is?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam tried to shrug nonchalantly, not quite bringing it off.\u00a0 \u201cJust some drunk,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome drunk,\u201d Billy scoffed.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s when he\u2019s dangerous, all right.\u00a0 Boy, you been out of the territory too long if you don\u2019t know who that was.\u201d<\/p>\n

Looking sick to his stomach, Ross nodded.\u00a0 \u201cSam Brown, wasn\u2019t it?\u00a0 Pa pointed him out to me once.\u00a0 Told me to steer clear of him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood advice,\u201d Billy said as they moved through the swinging doors into the saloon.\u00a0 He stepped to the bar and ordered three beers while Adam and Ross found a table and collapsed in chairs beside it.<\/p>\n

\u201cSam Brown,\u201d Adam muttered.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve heard of him, all right.\u00a0 Bad reputation.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe worst,\u201d Ross agreed solemnly, bony elbows propped on the table.\u00a0 \u201cPa said he had fifteen notches on his gun before he got to the Comstock, and there\u2019s more now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Billy thumped a mug of beer in front of each of the others.\u00a0 \u201cLooked like he was aimin\u2019 to add an extra notch for the schoolboy here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWho was that with him?\u201d Adam asked, raising the beer to his mouth.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlex Henderson,\u201d Billy supplied.\u00a0 \u201cKind of walks in old Sam\u2019s shoes.\u00a0 Wants to be a tough like him, but ain\u2019t got the sand for it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll take him over the sandy one any day,\u201d Adam quipped, the left side of his mouth quirking up in a twisted grin.\u00a0 His friends laughed, uneasily at first, and then more freely as they began to relax and relate how each had felt during the encounter.\u00a0 After a couple of beers, the three young men left, watching carefully as they moved through the swinging doors.\u00a0 They walked briskly back to Billy\u2019s house, collected their horses and mounted for the ride to Van Sickle\u2019s for dinner, Adam still protesting that it was a waste of money when Nelly\u2019s cooking could be had for free.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat you bellyachin\u2019 about?\u201d Billy snorted.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m payin\u2019, ain\u2019t I?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot for me,\u201d Ross insisted.\u00a0 \u201cYou wasn\u2019t figurin\u2019 on me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t mind,\u201d Billy said easily.\u00a0 \u201cPony pays pretty good, and I ain\u2019t got much to spend it on, anyhow.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, thanks then,\u201d Ross said, genuinely grateful, for his father paid him considerably less than the twenty-five dollars a week he\u2019d heard that Pony Express riders made.<\/p>\n

They rode companionably for several miles until Ross reined up sharply.\u00a0 \u201cOh, man, look who we\u2019ve been trailin\u2019!\u201d<\/p>\n

Following his friend\u2019s line of sight, Adam groaned as he recognized the two men arguing with the owner of Webster\u2019s Hotel.<\/p>\n

\u201cWanna stop and see if Sam gets his birthday man?\u201d Billy teased, pushing his hat back from his forehead.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I don\u2019t,\u201d Adam retorted with a scowl at the impish grin on Billy\u2019s face.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t believe in tempting fate twice in one afternoon.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s characteristic soberness made Billy laugh out loud.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s the matter, Adam?\u00a0 You ain\u2019t scared, are you?\u201d he taunted.\u00a0 \u201cYou got nothin\u2019 to worry about.\u00a0 You\u2019re too small a fish, remember?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam blew out an exasperated gust of air.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, but he might figure you\u2019d make a good mouthful\u2014before he bit into you and found out you were all air.\u201d<\/p>\n

Billy just wrinkled his nose and said, \u201cVery funny.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam lifted the reins and touched his heels to the black gelding\u2019s sides.\u00a0 \u201cCome on, old buddy.\u00a0 Supper\u2019s waiting.\u201d\u00a0 Looking over his shoulder a few paces later, he noticed that Ross was still rooted in place, continuing to stare in fascination at the argument going on at Webster\u2019s Hotel.\u00a0 \u201cYou coming, Skinny?\u201d Adam called.<\/p>\n

Ross jerked, gave a curt nod and followed the other two young men.\u00a0 They arrived at the two-story stone hotel, set in a grove of locust, elm and cottonwood against the pine-crested Sierra foothills.\u00a0 Dismounting, the three friends joined a collection of other would-be diners lounging around the yard as they waited for the dinner bell.<\/p>\n

Billy wrapped his long, thin arm around Adam\u2019s shoulders.\u00a0 \u201cGuess I\u2019d better fill you in on some of the pickin\u2019s around here, schoolboy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFood\u2019s good, I hear,\u201d Ross offered.<\/p>\n

Billy chortled.\u00a0 \u201cNot that kind of pickin\u2019s!\u00a0 I meant girls.\u00a0 Knowin\u2019 what a slave driver Uncle Ben can be, I figured Adam here hadn\u2019t had a chance to meet many since he\u2019s been back, but now I\u2019m beginning to worry about you, too, boy, if you can\u2019t tell the difference between girls and food.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ross laughed.\u00a0 \u201cI admit I ain\u2019t had much chance to mix with girls, either, my pa bein\u2019 a harder slave driver than Mr. Cartwright, but I do know one when I sight one.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, that\u2019s a relief,\u201d Billy said, swiping his forehead as though pushing worries from his mind.\u00a0 \u201cNow, of course, I aim to claim the prettiest and spriteliest for myself, but I\u2019ll try to point some of the others your direction, boys.\u201d<\/p>\n

A slightly superior smile played at Adam\u2019s lips.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t need your help, boy.\u00a0 I can charm the ladies three times quicker than you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah?\u00a0 We\u2019ll see about that.\u201d\u00a0 Billy laughed his acceptance of the challenge.<\/p>\n

Ross kept his mouth shut.\u00a0 Thanks to the tight rein his father kept him on, he had virtually no experience with girls and had a feeling he\u2019d come in third in any contest with the suave Adam Cartwright and the supremely confident Billy Thomas.<\/p>\n

Just as the dinner bell rang, two more horses clattered into the yard.\u00a0 \u201cLook who\u2019s here,\u201d Ross whispered to Adam.<\/p>\n

Though his tone was soft, Billy was close enough to catch it.\u00a0 He spun around and caught sight of Sam Brown and Alexander Henderson.\u00a0 \u201cJust can\u2019t seem to get shed of them today, can we?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s brow wrinkled with concern.\u00a0 \u201cCome on.\u00a0 Let\u2019s get inside.\u00a0 We\u2019re not here for trouble, just a meal.\u201d<\/p>\n

Billy slewed an impish smile in Adam\u2019s direction.\u00a0 \u201cWhy, Adam, that\u2019s all old Sam\u2019s here for\u2014a man for supper, remember?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWill you shut up?\u201d Adam hissed.\u00a0 \u201cThe way you run your mouth, he just might end up having you for his birthday supper.\u201d\u00a0 He spun on Ross when he heard the other boy laugh.\u00a0 \u201cI wasn\u2019t joking!\u00a0 Don\u2019t you play the fool, too, Skinny.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAw, simmer down,\u201d Billy drawled with a disdainful shrug.\u00a0 \u201cLike you said, let\u2019s get inside and tie the feedbag on.\u201d<\/p>\n

Having dawdled slightly, the young men were lucky to find a place at one of the long tables and, in fact, Billy had to elbow one man out of the way so that they could all sit together.\u00a0 Just as the food was being served, however, Van Sickle himself came running through the dining room, yelling for everyone to get down.\u00a0 Sam Brown burst in behind him, waving his pistol and firing random shots in no particular direction, one splintering the leg of a table, the next plowing through a bowl of mashed potatoes on another.\u00a0 No one was sure where the following bullets struck, for everyone in the hotel\u2019s dining room dived for cover under the nearest piece of furniture.\u00a0 As Van Sickle hightailed it through an inner door, he bellowed back, \u201cYou wait \u2018til I get my gun, Brown!\u201d<\/p>\n

Wide-eyed, Ross Marquette crawled forward for a better view, oblivious to his friend\u2019s yanking on his pants\u2019 leg.\u00a0 There was no action to see, however, for Brown, taking note of the packed dining room, simply turned on his heel and left.\u00a0 Cautiously, men crawled out from their makeshift shelters and stood up all around the room.<\/p>\n

In a noisy gust Adam blew out the breath he hadn\u2019t realized until then that he was holding.\u00a0 \u201cAnother close call.\u201d<\/p>\n

Billy slapped him on the back.\u00a0 \u201cNow, Adam, if you\u2019re gonna live back in the Territory, you got to get used to sights like that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam favored his friend with a smirk.\u00a0 \u201cSeems to me I had your company under that table, Billy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Billy grinned.\u00a0 \u201cBest place to see that kind of sight, old buddy.\u00a0 Nothing to worry about, though.\u00a0 From what I hear, Brown\u2019s pretty much a coward unless he catches a man alone and unarmed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ross started to say something, but just then Van Sickle came running back through the dining room, this time carrying a fowling gun.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s going after him!\u201d the Marquette boy cried, pushing past the table.<\/p>\n

\u201cRoss!\u201d Adam called.\u00a0 \u201cWhat do you think you\u2019re doing, boy?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ross stopped, momentarily called to his senses, but when Billy, too, made for the door, he fell in behind the redhead.<\/p>\n

\u201cRoss!\u00a0 Billy!\u201d Adam yelled in protest, but neither of his friends responded.\u00a0 Gritting his teeth, Adam gave chase.\u00a0 Might\u2019ve known Billy\u2019d head toward trouble, first chance he got.\u00a0 Been dragging me into messes ever since we met on that wagon train.\u00a0 Thought Ross had more sense, though.\u00a0 What\u2019s got into him?<\/em><\/p>\n

He caught up with his friends outside, where both were tightening the cinches on their horses.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re not serious,\u201d he scolded.\u00a0 \u201cYou not chasing after those maniacs, are you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanna see how it ends,\u201d Billy said.<\/p>\n

\u201cMe, too,\u201d Ross insisted.<\/p>\n

Adam threw his hands toward the sky.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s gonna end with one of them getting shot, you fools!\u00a0 And the same thing could happen to anyone who gets between them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAw, come on, Adam,\u201d Ross wheedled.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re just gonna watch.\u00a0 We\u2019ll be careful, won\u2019t we, Billy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure,\u201d Billy replied cheerily.\u00a0 He threw his arm around Ross, as if the two were taking sides against their more sober friend.\u00a0 \u201cCome on.\u00a0 Let\u2019s show the squeamish schoolboy here how real Nevada men face down a bully.\u201d<\/p>\n

Van Sickle, now mounted, blared out of his barn and charged down the road still covered with the dust of Sam Brown\u2019s flight.\u00a0 Ross and Billy split apart, each jumping into his saddle.\u00a0 For a moment Adam refused to mount, shouting at them to use their heads, but when it became obvious that neither was listening, he quickly tightened his own cinch and galloped after them.\u00a0 Just like the time Billy had wandered off from the trail when they were kids, Adam knew that tagging along was wrong, but he felt a responsibility toward his friends; he couldn\u2019t leave them, no matter how much they deserved to be abandoned to their own foolishness.<\/p>\n

A mile down the road Van Sickle overtook Brown and his companion.\u00a0 Billy and Ross were close enough to hear him shout at Henderson to get out of the way, but Adam only arrived in time to hear the blast as Van Sickle fired both barrels of his shotgun.\u00a0 Henderson had dashed out of the line of fire, as ordered.\u00a0 Deciding that friendship with Sam Brown was not good for his health, he kept going, back toward Genoa.<\/p>\n

The percussion knocked Brown from his horse, but he wasn\u2019t hurt badly.\u00a0 The notorious tough of Virginia City remounted and fired two shots, one of which whizzed past Adam\u2019s ear, missing him by no more than an inch.<\/p>\n

Adam instinctively ducked, although the bullet had already passed him by the time he reacted.\u00a0 \u201cHave you had enough yet?\u201d he demanded of his friends.<\/p>\n

Sam Brown kicked his horse and tore off down the road once more with Van Sickle still dogging his heels.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe fool, he\u2019s used up all his ammunition,\u201d Billy hollered as he galloped after the belligerents.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a fool?\u201d Adam shouted after him.\u00a0 He turned sparking eyes on Ross.\u00a0 \u201cAnd you\u2019re no better.\u00a0 You want to see blood run!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ross looked abashed at the rebuke, as if finally coming to his senses.\u00a0 \u201cWe can\u2019t leave him, can we?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam shook his head, knowing Ross was right.\u00a0 Responsibility once again was calling his name, but that didn\u2019t stop him from feeling like a fool as, with Ross at his side, he raised dust to catch up with Billy.\u00a0 Riding south, they came to Mottsville, the next community south.\u00a0 Van Sickle had evidently reloaded, for he again fired both barrels at Brown and must have missed, for the shots had no visible effect.\u00a0 Brown fired back three times, missing Van Sickle, as well, and then rode directly to the Mott residence.<\/p>\n

For Adam the escapade took on intensified significance when Brown disappeared inside.\u00a0 Eliza Mott had been his first teacher here in the West, and he couldn\u2019t bear the thought of her being terrorized in her own home, though he saw or heard nothing to indicate that anyone other than Sam Brown was in the darkened house.\u00a0 He dismounted and sidled over to Van Sickle, who was keeping watch from behind a water trough as the shadows of twilight deepened.<\/p>\n

A long time went by, with no one saying anything, and no sound coming from the house.\u00a0 Van Sickle finally broke the deadly quiet that had descended over the homestead.\u00a0 \u201cYou reckon he\u2019s still in there?\u201d he asked the Cartwright boy.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d Adam whispered.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s so quiet, maybe no one\u2019s inside.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOr might be he\u2019s still in there, and the Motts too scared to make a sound,\u201d Billy suggested, crouched behind the other two.<\/p>\n

Ross leaned in close.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe they ain\u2019t there,\u201d he whispered.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe the Motts went to the dance.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHope so,\u201d Van Sickle said.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t want any innocent folk gettin\u2019 hurt.\u00a0 Thought I saw some movement earlier, but might just have been Sam.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe if we all just went home,\u201d Adam suggested, \u201cBrown would leave, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd have that killer come after me in my bed?\u201d\u00a0 Van Sickle snorted.\u00a0 \u201cYou can take off any time you please, young fellow.\u00a0 None of your business, anyway, but I\u2019m ending this here and now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam frowned, but was forced to concede that Van Sickle was probably right.\u00a0 Sam Brown might be a coward in a fair fight, but judging by his reputation, he also was the kind to hold a grudge and seek a stealthy opportunity to take his vengeance.<\/p>\n

Van Sickle turned toward the more sympathetic-looking Billy Thomas.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s got nothing against you, boy.\u00a0 Why don\u2019t you go in and see if he\u2019s still there?\u201d<\/p>\n

Billy blanched for a moment before his customary bravado took over.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, okay, I\u2019ll check it out.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you crazy?\u201d Adam hissed.<\/p>\n

Billy emitted a sick-sounding chuckle.\u00a0 \u201cLike as not, but somebody\u2019s got to do it.\u201d\u00a0 He ducked low, in case anyone inside got trigger happy, and began inching stealthily toward the house.\u00a0 Exhaling in exasperation, Adam fell in behind him, and after a moment\u2019s hesitation Ross flanked Billy on the other side.<\/p>\n

As they neared the frame building, Adam, bent almost double, sprinted to the right side of the door, motioning to Ross to take the left.\u00a0 He pulled his gun from his holster and when he saw that Ross had done the same, he nodded once and kicked the front door open, ducking inside.\u00a0 A woman screamed as Billy dashed through, and both Adam and Ross leaned around his respective door jamb, guns at the ready, Adam being forced to expose more of his body since he wasn\u2019t left-handed.<\/p>\n

\u201cMrs. Mott?\u201d he called.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s Adam Cartwright.\u00a0 Are you all right?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam?\u201d a timorous voice warbled. \u00a0\u201cLands, boy, I never dreamed\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you all right?\u201d Adam asked insistently.\u00a0 \u201cIs Sam Brown in here with you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, no, he\u2019s gone, ran out the back,\u201d Eliza Mott rushed to say.\u00a0 Striking a match, she lit a lantern on a small round table in the center of the room.\u00a0 \u201cHe said that someone was gunning for him and asked for protection.\u00a0 I never dreamed that you . . .\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, not me,\u201d Adam assured her.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s Van Sickle out there, and he\u2019s determined to find Brown tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reminded of the reason they entered the house, Billy ran out the front door and called to Van Sickle.\u00a0 \u201cNo sign of him here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Van Sickle stood from behind the meager cover and ran for his horse.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s taking off again,\u201d Billy called, dashing out the door.<\/p>\n

Ross automatically ran after him.\u00a0 Adam groaned.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s been like that all evening,\u201d he told his former teacher.\u00a0 \u201cIf you\u2019re sure you\u2019re all right, Mrs. Mott, I\u2019d better see if I can keep those two from getting their fool heads blown off.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, you go on,\u201d Mrs. Mott urged him.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m shaken a bit, but fine otherwise, and Israel should be home soon.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam leaped into the saddle and galloped hard, trying to catch up with his friends, still not willing to admit that he was just as anxious as either Ross or Billy to see the denouement of this afternoon\u2019s adventure.\u00a0 He rode into the yard of Luther Olds\u2019 hotel just as Van Sickle and the two young men following him were coming out.\u00a0 \u201cNot in there,\u201d Billy announced with a shrug.\u00a0 \u201cNot sure where he could be.\u201d<\/p>\n

A jangle of spurs made everyone\u2019s head turn in the direction of the barn.\u00a0 Van Sickle took off toward the sound, the others at his heels.\u00a0 Spotting a burly man beside a horse, Van Sickle bellowed out, \u201cSam, I have got you now!\u201d and let loose with both barrels of his shotgun.<\/p>\n

With a cry of pain, Sam Brown crumpled to the ground and didn\u2019t move.\u00a0 Van Sickle and the others approached cautiously and stood in a semi-circle around the motionless body.\u00a0 Billy nudged Brown\u2019s leg with the toe of his boot, and when there was still no response, Adam squatted down and pressed two fingers to Brown\u2019s neck.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s dead,\u201d he said, standing up.<\/p>\n

\u201cSelf defense,\u201d Van Sickle claimed.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re all witnesses.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s head came up with a jolt.\u00a0 Self defense?\u00a0 Maybe, in the sense that Brown would have killed Van Sickle if Van Sickle hadn\u2019t shot him first, but it was Van Sickle who had insisted on pursuit, who had forced Brown into a showdown and who had, ultimately, gunned him down before the notorious tough could draw his gun.\u00a0 Did that constitute self defense, even here in the virtually lawless West?\u00a0 It was a question for the law to decide, and a wave of nausea swept over Adam as he realized that he\u2019d have to give testimony at that inquest and at trial, if there were one\u2014which meant there was no keeping tonight\u2019s antics from Pa, and Adam knew of no defense that would stand up before that tribunal.\u00a0 Van Sickle might get off; he was doomed.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cAdam, get a move on!\u201d Ben called up the stairs.\u00a0 He stalked back to the breakfast table and sat down to his half-finished plate of sausage and eggs.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe came in so late last night, mon amour<\/em>,\u201d Marie said gently as she coaxed another mouthful of scrambled egg into Little Joe\u2019s mouth.\u00a0 \u201cPerhaps he is tired and doesn\u2019t wish to attend the festivities with us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot want to meet the new Territorial Governor?\u201d\u00a0 Ben eyed askance at the idea.\u00a0 \u201cA boy with Adam\u2019s curiosity and interest in current affairs?\u00a0 Of course, he wants to go!\u201d\u00a0 He stormed back over to the stairs.\u00a0 \u201cAdam!\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam finally made his reluctant appearance.\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t overslept, in fact hadn\u2019t slept much at all after his return from points south, but he was putting off the coming confrontation as long as possible.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t going to be a pretty sight, and there were three impressionable youngsters at the table.\u00a0 With a rueful grimace at the lameness of that excuse for his procrastination, Adam rounded the corner and started slowly down the stairs.<\/p>\n

\u201cAbout time,\u201d Ben fumed.\u00a0 \u201cYou know Governor Nye\u2019s due in to Carson today, and you know we plan to be there to greet him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know, Pa; I\u2019m sorry,\u201d Adam murmured, sliding into his seat at the foot of the table.\u00a0 He forked a single sausage patty and spooned a few bites of egg, all he\u2019d likely get a chance to eat, onto his plate.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you well, mon ami<\/em>?\u201d Marie inquired solicitously, her eyes on the meager breakfast, more appropriate in its size to Little Joe than to his eldest brother.\u00a0 Mary Wentworth, too, cast a concerned glance in his direction.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m fine,\u201d Adam said, concentrating on his plate.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo need to starve yourself,\u201d Ben muttered gruffly.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re not that pressed for time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam swallowed what was in his mouth and set the fork aside.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re not pressed for time at all,\u201d he said after taking a deep breath, \u201cat least not on my account.\u00a0 I\u2019m not going.\u201d<\/p>\n

As heads rose all around the table, Ben stared holes in the face across from him.\u00a0 \u201cWhat?\u201d he asked, incredulous.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut it\u2019s the governor, Adam,\u201d Hoss protested loudly.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t you wanna\u2014\u201d\u00a0 Mary patted his arm soothingly and tried to shush him.<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, I wanna!\u201d Adam snapped.\u00a0 In reaction to the stares that met his sharp tone, he dropped his voice almost to a whisper.\u00a0 \u201cI just can\u2019t, that\u2019s all.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s wrong, son?\u201d Ben asked, concerned by Adam\u2019s despondent manner.\u00a0 \u201cI thought you were looking forward to this.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPa, I was; I am.\u00a0 I mean, I would be if something hadn\u2019t come up,\u201d Adam sputtered, running his index finger up and down the handle of his fork.<\/p>\n

Ben arched an eyebrow.\u00a0 \u201cSince yesterday afternoon?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam nodded.<\/p>\n

Growing exasperated with the process of dragging out, bit by bit, whatever was bothering his son, Ben took tight grip on the edge of the table.\u00a0 \u201cWell?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI ran into a little trouble last night,\u201d Adam began.\u00a0 He stole a look at his father and saw the alarm reflected in those dark chocolate eyes.\u00a0 \u201cNo, I don\u2019t mean I\u2019m in any trouble,\u201d he hastened to say.\u00a0 \u201cI just\u2014well, I witnessed a shooting, and I have to give testimony at the inquest today, that\u2019s all.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, no,\u201d Mary murmured.\u00a0 \u201cHow terrible for you, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWho got shot?\u201d Hoss queried.\u00a0 \u201cIs it anybody we know?\u00a0 It ain\u2019t Billy, is it?\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe\u2019s head snapped up, and he looked ready to burst into tears.\u00a0 \u201cBilly shot?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo!\u201d Adam shouted.\u00a0 Then, at the chiding look from Marie, he lowered his voice again.\u00a0 \u201cNo, of course not, little brothers.\u00a0 Billy is just fine.\u201d\u00a0 He dropped his voice still more and muttered to himself, \u201cDespite his best efforts not to be.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s that?\u201d Ben demanded.<\/p>\n

\u201cBen, perhaps our younger sons should not be present for this discussion,\u201d Marie suggested, for she had caught a few words of Adam\u2019s last statement, enough to sense that there was a difficult story to be told.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, they shouldn\u2019t,\u201d Adam agreed at once.\u00a0 His little brothers didn\u2019t need to hear about last night\u2019s reckless pursuit of danger, and they especially didn\u2019t need to hear what Pa was likely to say about it.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right, fine.\u00a0 Take Little Joe upstairs and change him into his good clothes, and since Hoss is already dressed, he can check the harness on the team.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOui<\/em>, that sounds best,\u201d Marie said quickly.\u00a0 \u201cWould you help me dress him, please, Mary?\u00a0 Little Joe is such a handful.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mary knew, of course, that she was being gracefully asked to leave Ben and his son alone, but sensing the need, the compliant girl quickly assented.<\/p>\n

As Mary carried Little Joe upstairs, Marie whispered assurances that his friend Billy was quite all right.\u00a0 Hoss scowled at Adam and headed for the front door, moving slowly in hopes that he\u2019d hear something before being banished outdoors.<\/p>\n

Ben waited until he heard the front door close.\u00a0 \u201cWell?\u201d he asked again.\u00a0 \u201cWhat mischief have you been into, boy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI haven\u2019t been into mischief!\u201d Adam retorted.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t lie to me,\u201d Ben advised tersely.\u00a0 \u201cI know a guilty countenance when I see one.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam took a deep, hopefully calming breath.\u00a0 \u201cI haven\u2019t been into mischief,\u201d he repeated slowly, \u201cbut between Billy and Ross, I did get myself tangled up in some tomfool idiocy.\u201d\u00a0 He began with the first encounter with Sam Brown on the porch outside the Magnolia Saloon and told the whole sad story, leaving out nothing.<\/p>\n

Predictably, Ben exploded.\u00a0 \u201cTomfool idiocy\u2014that\u2019s sure the right name for your behavior, boy!\u00a0 Here you are, almost a man, one I thought could be trusted with responsibility, and you go chasing off after excitement with as little regard for the consequences as a boy Hoss\u2019s age\u2014or maybe Little Joe\u2019s might make a more accurate comparison!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, that\u2019s not fair!\u201d Adam shouted, his own temper triggered by the deprecating remark.\u00a0 \u201cI wasn\u2019t chasing excitement.\u00a0 I was chasing two friends in hopes of keeping them alive.\u201d\u00a0 Even as he said the words, though, Adam knew they didn\u2019t reflect an accurate assessment of what had happened.\u00a0 He had gotten caught up in the drama last night, almost as if he\u2019d been watching a play on the stage.\u00a0 Not as quickly as Billy or Ross, but he\u2019d been primarily a gaping spectator, just like them.\u00a0 His presence throughout the evening hadn\u2019t insured their safety at all, nor helped to resolve the situation in any way; all it had done was give Sam Brown one more potential target.\u00a0 Feeling unable to defend himself, he fell silent.<\/p>\n

Seeing his son wilt under the verbal chastisement, Ben relented.\u00a0 \u201cWell, what\u2019s done is done.\u00a0 I regret missing the governor\u2019s arrival, of course, especially for the ladies\u2019 sake, but I\u2019ll take you to the inquest.\u201d<\/p>\n

This time Adam really exploded.\u00a0 \u201cTake me!\u00a0 I\u2019m not a kid, Pa; I don\u2019t need you to take me!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t raise your voice to me,\u201d Ben warned.<\/p>\n

Heedless, Adam continued to rant at a high pitch.\u00a0 \u201cTake me\u2014like a dog on a leash, to make sure I don\u2019t run from my duty.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t raise your voice,\u201d Ben demanded, raising his own.\u00a0 \u201cOf course, you\u2019ll do your duty.\u00a0 I don\u2019t doubt that from a son of mine, but you will do it with me at your side.\u00a0 No argument, boy.\u00a0 Finish your breakfast and meet me outside.\u201d\u00a0 He bolted to his feet and strode briskly to the stairway, trotting up it to explain to his wife why she wouldn\u2019t be meeting Governor Nye today.<\/p>\n

Adam leaned his head into his hand and began to massage his throbbing temple.\u00a0 \u201cBoy.\u201d\u00a0 There could be no surer sign of where he now stood in his father\u2019s esteem than that one word.\u00a0 Not man, not even young man\u2014all the way down to boy in one swift plunge, and it was likely to be a long, hard climb back.\u00a0 Suddenly, even the meager amount of food on his plate was more than he wanted, and Adam pushed it away.<\/p>\n

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

Adam stood in a huddle with his two friends outside the sheriff\u2019s office in Carson City, where the inquest would be held.\u00a0 Several yards away, the three fathers held conference, probably commiserating the woes of parenthood, Adam thought grimly.\u00a0 \u201cI can\u2019t believe he\u2019s missing the governor\u2019s arrival, just to play watchdog to his little boy,\u201d he groused to his friends.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt ain\u2019t such a bad idea, havin\u2019 your pa along for a thing like this,\u201d Billy advised.\u00a0 He talked for a few minutes about testifying at the Elzy Knott trial and how glad he\u2019d been that both his father and Uncle Ben had been there to stand by him.\u00a0 \u201cA fellow can use all the support he can get for a thing like this,\u201d he insisted.<\/p>\n

Sitting in the witness chair shortly afterwards, Adam discovered how true that was.\u00a0 He\u2019d told himself that as long as he stuck to the truth, testifying would be easy, but he could feel butterflies fluttering in his stomach.\u00a0 The cannon that went off as he was describing the wait outside the Mott house only made him tense up more, with its reminder that he was causing his entire family to miss the long-awaited arrival of Governor Nye.\u00a0 And the distant music of a band welcoming the official kept the acid churning in his stomach.\u00a0 My fault, all my fault<\/em>, he berated himself.\u00a0 If only I\u2019d done what my head said was right and stayed out of the whole mess<\/em>.\u00a0 But his heart, not his head, had ruled last night, and it still insisted that he couldn\u2019t have done otherwise.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t leave a friend behind, anymore than Marie had been able to turn her back on Julia Bulette three days before.\u00a0 Suddenly, he wished she were with him, instead of Pa; she would understand.<\/p>\n

Adam was subdued as he rode home beside his silent and glowering father.\u00a0 It was obvious his youthful transgression hadn\u2019t been pardoned yet.\u00a0 Billy had gotten off scot-free, his father, though irritated, viewing him as a man responsible for his own actions.\u00a0 Ross hadn\u2019t fared so well with martinet Peter Marquette, who had administered a tanning guaranteed to keep Ross uncomfortable in the witness chair, but at least it was all over for him.\u00a0 Even Van Sickle was a free man, having been discharged from any culpability in the killing of Sam Brown.\u00a0 No, I\u2019m the only one stilling paying for this tomfool idiocy<\/em>, Adam told himself mournfully.<\/p>\n

He\u2019d planned to sit down with Pa sometime Monday, after putting Mary on the stage back to San Francisco, with a trusted neighbor headed that way as escort.\u00a0 He had intended to tell him all about his ambition to attend Yale University that fall and plead his case so persuasively that Pa would find it impossible to object.\u00a0 Adam grimaced, almost hearing his father\u2019s bellowing rejection of that request now.\u00a0 \u201cYou can\u2019t stay out of trouble in <\/em>Carson City<\/em>, and you expect me to trust you three thousand miles from home!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

One look at his father\u2019s granite-edged silhouette told Adam that he had a lot of ground to make up before he dared broach that subject.\u00a0 He\u2019d bided his time and worked hard all these weeks to prove his trustworthiness and reliability, his maturity and ability to handle himself\u2014and he\u2019d lost all he\u2019d gained in one night of reckless running with the crowd.\u00a0 How long would it take, he wondered, to build back his character in his father\u2019s eyes?\u00a0 Weeks, at least, and he didn\u2019t have many left.<\/p>\n

~ ~ ~ ~ ~<\/p>\n

Historical Note<\/p>\n

Sam Brown, first and worst of the Nevada bad men, died on his birthday, July 6, 1861, at the hands of Henry Van Sickle, in the manner described.\u00a0 The inquest took place the next day, the same day the new Territorial Governor arrived in Carson City, as stated in this chapter.<\/p>\n

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE<\/p>\n

Final Celebration<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Ben Cartwright stopped directly in front of a raised wooden platform and within view of an arch erected over C Street by the ladies of Virginia City.\u00a0 \u201cI think this will be the best place,\u201d he said, turning to his wife, who was walking behind him.<\/p>\n

\u201cBest place,\u201d Little Joe chirped from his father\u2019s arms, eliciting a laugh from the entire family\u2014with one glaring exception.\u00a0 Adam was in town under protest today, and his face reflected his displeasure with being ordered here by his father.\u00a0 The past week had been a miserable one for the young man.\u00a0 In the wake of the Sam Brown incident, he had begun his campaign to rebuild his father\u2019s good opinion of him, rising early and working late at the lumber camp, scarcely taking time for meals.\u00a0 He had, of course, taken off the Sabbath, to accompany his family to church, and he had argued forcefully that he couldn\u2019t take the next day off, as well, and fulfill his responsibilities to the job.<\/p>\n

Ben Cartwright, however, had just as stubbornly insisted that his family was not going to miss this second opportunity to welcome Governor Nye to the territory.\u00a0 \u201cAnd I do mean the entire family, boy,\u201d he\u2019d declared sternly, in tones that brooked no argument.<\/p>\n

\u201cBoy\u201d again, Adam had noticed, wondering if he could possibly rise to \u201cyoung man\u201d by early August, as late as he could possibly put off speaking to his father about attending the fall term at Yale.\u00a0 Two weeks, maybe two and a half if he cut the margin close, and considering how the past week had gone, he was likely to need every minute of it, even to have a slim chance of getting his way.\u00a0 The quarrel the previous night hadn\u2019t helped his cause.<\/p>\n

When the strains of the brass band filtered over the Divide from Gold Hill, however, even Adam felt the rising excitement.\u00a0 He had, after all, been looking forward to laying eyes on Nevada\u2019s first Territorial Governor, up until his fall from grace, and something of the old exhilaration fluttered in his chest and brought a hesitant smile to his lips.\u00a0 He glanced to his right, hoping to share the moment with his father, but Ben\u2019s attention was on the arch, through which the uniformed members of the Virginia Union Guards were now marching behind the band.<\/p>\n

As the band began to play \u201cHail to the Chief,\u201d the Guards presented arms and a shout went up from the crowd lining both sides of the street.\u00a0 The Governor\u2019s carriage appeared, and a salvo of guns were fired to welcome him to Virginia City.\u00a0 The carriage stopped and Governor Nye stepped down.\u00a0 As he mounted the platform, another cheer greeted the friendly face beaming from beneath a crown of long, white hair.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat a striking man he is,\u201d Marie murmured.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat the governor?\u201d Hoss whispered, blue eyes wide with awe.<\/p>\n

Ben laid his left hand on his middle son\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s right, son.\u00a0 Be quiet now; he\u2019s going to speak.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss nodded and grinned up at his brother Adam.\u00a0 Adam smiled back and ruffled his slim fingers through his younger brother\u2019s unruly thatch of sandy hair.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was told that I was coming into a wild and dangerous country,\u201d Governor Nye began in ringing tones, \u201cbut, on the contrary, I find here the most hospitable people I ever met.\u201d\u00a0 Virginia City declared her hospitality with more cheers and several more rounds of gunfire.<\/p>\n

\u201cLooks like some of our citizens are determined to give Governor Nye a Wild West welcome,\u201d Ben muttered in disapproval, catching sight of several men who appeared to have imbibed rather freely in the nearby saloons and were waving and shooting their pistols without regard to the direction they were pointed.<\/p>\n

Marie gathered Little Joe into her arms and turned sideways, so that her body was a shield between him and the street.\u00a0 \u201cPerhaps we were not wise to come today, Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were invited,\u201d Ben pointed out tersely, \u201cand you don\u2019t turn down dinner with the Governor, my love, not if you hope to prosper in this new territory.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe children are not invited to dinner,\u201d Marie reminded him.\u00a0 \u201cPerhaps they should have remained home.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I wanna see the Governor,\u201d Hoss whined.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo look across the street,\u201d Adam suggested dryly.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss gave his brother a sheepish look.\u00a0 \u201cOh, yeah.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t see!\u201d Little Joe protested, and his mother reluctantly brought him slightly forward.\u00a0 With an understanding smile at his wife, Ben moved closer to her, so that his youngest son was now sheltered behind him, but still able to peek over his shoulder at the festivities.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have come to this distant country with the hope of adding one more bright and glorious star\u2014Nevada,\u201d the new governor continued.<\/p>\n

The mention of statehood brought louder shouts, for there was scarcely a man, woman or child on the street who didn\u2019t cherish that dream.\u00a0 There was more gunfire, too, and suddenly Ben\u2019s attention was drawn to a man who seemed more reckless than most with his explosive salutes to the governor.\u00a0 One of the wild shots struck the rail of the platform behind which Governor Nye was standing, and a man wearing a badge swiftly pulled the governor down to protect him.\u00a0 Concerned as he was for the new governor, Ben\u2019s more immediate concern was for his own family.\u00a0 \u201cGet down,\u201d he ordered sharply, making certain that Marie and their baby did before crouching in front of them, gun drawn.\u00a0 Simultaneously with his father\u2019s warning, Adam had pushed Hoss to the ground, moved in front of him and drawn his own gun.<\/p>\n

\u201cArrest that man, Williams!\u201d the law officer yelled from the platform, and one of his deputies moved toward the man still waving his pistol and shooting it off whenever the urge hit him.<\/p>\n

\u201cPut it down, Butler,\u201d Deputy John Williams shouted.\u00a0 \u201cPut it down or I\u2019ll shoot.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t see,\u201d Little Joe whined.<\/p>\n

\u201cShut up,\u201d Ben hissed, and the whine turned into a whimper.<\/p>\n

\u201cBe quiet, mon petit<\/em>,\u201d Marie urged.<\/p>\n

As if in defiance of the order, Butler fired a shot over the deputy\u2019s head.\u00a0 Williams returned fire, hitting the man in the knee.\u00a0 \u201cPut it down, Butler,\u201d Williams warned again.<\/p>\n

With a bellow of pain, Butler refused, turning his back and limping down the street, toward the Cartwrights, still firing aimlessly.\u00a0 Williams sighted his weapon, aimed carefully and hit the man in the shoulder, obviously still intending to wound, rather than kill.<\/p>\n

Face red with fury, Butler turned around, dragging his bad leg, and aimed directly at the deputy this time.\u00a0 \u201cDrop it!\u201d Williams ordered and when Butler declined, he aimed at the man\u2019s face and fired.<\/p>\n

A gasp went up from the crowd as the bullet grazed Butler\u2019s cheek.\u00a0 Adam held his breath, awed by the deputy\u2019s accurate aim, if, indeed, he had intended once again merely to wound.\u00a0 Butler dropped his gun and put one hand to his bleeding face while he raised the other in surrender.\u00a0 As the Cartwrights stood to their feet, they were shocked to hear the crowd booing in disgust.\u00a0 \u201cAw, what\u2019d you give up for?\u201d one drunken fool shouted.\u00a0 \u201cYou wadn\u2019t hurt that bad.\u201d<\/p>\n

Between the lawman and his diligent deputy, order was restored, and the governor continued his speech as though nothing had happened.\u00a0 Ben had to admire the man\u2019s courage and calm demeanor in the face of danger.\u00a0 Maybe James Warren Nye came from the East, but he was evidently a man with sand enough to govern this wild territory, and he would have Ben\u2019s support from this moment forward.<\/p>\n

The speech continued, and afterwards the new governor shook hands warmly with any who wished to greet him.\u00a0 Ben brought his family forward and introduced each member.\u00a0 \u201cCartwright\u2014yes, I\u2019ve heard that name,\u201d Governor Nye said.\u00a0 He smiled at Marie.\u00a0 \u201cI trust I will have the company of this lovely lady at dinner today?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir, they\u2019ll be joining us,\u201d a broad-shouldered man announced, his red-gold hair gleaming in the bright sunlight.\u00a0 Ben recognized him as William Stewart, the prominent mining lawyer.\u00a0 At six foot-two, Stewart stood head and shoulders above most men, but Ben, at a single inch shorter, could look him eye to eye.<\/p>\n

\u201cExcellent, excellent,\u201d the governor said.\u00a0 He turned his benevolent gaze on the three Cartwright sons, reaching out to touch Little Joe\u2019s soft curls.\u00a0 \u201cAnd shall we also have the company of these fine specimens of young Nevada manhood?\u201d<\/p>\n

Seeing Stewart give his long and luxurious beard a nervous stroke, Ben spoke up quickly.\u00a0 \u201cNo, the boys will be returning home.\u00a0 I did want them to have the honor of meeting you, sir, before they left, and I thank you for your time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot at all, the honor is mine,\u201d Nye insisted, shaking Adam\u2019s hand and then Hoss\u2019s.\u00a0 With a final pat of Joe\u2019s head, he extended his hand to Ben.\u00a0 \u201cI will see you and your dear lady soon, sir, and I hope she will do me the honor to sit at my side.\u201d<\/p>\n

Head bowed to hide her blushing cheeks, Marie curtseyed and assured the governor that the pleasure would be hers.\u00a0 Then the Cartwrights moved on to permit others to greet the governor.<\/p>\n

\u201cWow, Ma!\u00a0 You\u2019re gonna sit right next to the governor,\u201d Hoss said, bouncing with excitement.\u00a0 \u201cAin\u2019t that something?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf he does not find a more congenial companion by then,\u201d Marie answered demurely.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow could he?\u201d Adam asked suavely.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow, indeed?\u201d Ben added.\u00a0 \u201cThere is no more gracious dinner companion in the entire Territory of Nevada.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNor two more gracious flatterers,\u201d Marie laughed.\u00a0 \u201cI suspect some lady who stands higher in society\u2014one who maintains less questionable friendships, perhaps\u2014will find herself sitting beside the governor at dinner today.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, we\u2019ll see,\u201d Ben muttered, wondering why his wife had to bring that up, today of all days.\u00a0 Reaching into his pocket, he took out a gold half eagle and handed it to Adam.\u00a0 \u201cThat should cover dinner for you and your brothers.\u00a0 The governor\u2019s party is at the Virginia Hotel, so choose anywhere but there, have yourselves a good meal and head on back to the Ponderosa.\u201d\u00a0 Ben\u2019s hand rested on Little Joe\u2019s head for a moment.\u00a0 \u201cI suspect this one will be ready for a nap by the time you reach home.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf not in the saddle,\u201d Adam chuckled.<\/p>\n

Marie touched her fingers to her youngest son\u2019s cheek.\u00a0 \u201cBen, perhaps I should return, as well. \u00a0After that incident in the street, I mean.\u00a0 Joseph may be disturbed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben, Adam and Hoss all hooted.\u00a0 \u201cAll that child is disturbed about is that he didn\u2019t get a better look at the ruckus,\u201d Ben snorted.\u00a0 He drew Marie to his side.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t worry about him for a minute, my love.\u00a0 He\u2019s fine, and in any event, Adam can take care of him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCertainly, I can,\u201d Adam said, a happy bubble inflating in his heart.\u00a0 Pa was beginning to trust him again, a sign that his campaign to restore his good standing had hope of success.\u00a0 Feeling better than he had in a week, Adam was suddenly glad that his father had insisted he come today.\u00a0 \u201cAfter all, we can\u2019t deprive the governor of the most gracious lady in the territory,\u201d he added with a conspiring wink at his father.<\/p>\n

\u201cIndeed, not,\u201d Ben agreed enthusiastically, returning the wink.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, you are flatterers all,\u201d Marie scolded, her voice tinkling with laughter, \u201cbut I see I must yield.\u201d\u00a0 She leaned over to kiss Little Joe.\u00a0 \u201cBe good for brother, mon petit<\/em>.\u201d\u00a0 Kissing Hoss, she added, \u201cI know I need not say that to you, my good boy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss blushed with pride.\u00a0 \u201cAw, Ma.\u00a0 Yeah, sure, I\u2019ll be good.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd what about me?\u201d Adam teased as she turned to take Ben\u2019s arm.\u00a0 He tapped his cheek.<\/p>\n

Marie laughed in delight at his hint for a kiss and gladly bestowed one.\u00a0 \u201cOh, Ben,\u201d she said as they walked toward the Virginia Hotel.\u00a0 \u201cI think Adam has truly accepted me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, he has,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cDidn\u2019t I tell you long ago that he would?\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie squeezed his arm.\u00a0 \u201cIt was a little slower coming than you promised at first, mon amour<\/em>, but I think, truly, we are finally there.\u00a0 Our oldest boy is all I could ask in a son, and now I know that they are all truly mine.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOurs,\u201d Ben corrected as they mounted the steps to the hotel.<\/p>\n

\u201cOui<\/em>, ours,\u201d she agreed.<\/p>\n

Ben shook his head as they entered the dining hall.\u00a0 \u201cEven if this is considered the best hotel in Virginia City, it seems odd to me to choose such a known hotbed of southern secession to welcome the governor.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCan we not forget the war for even one afternoon?\u201d Marie implored.<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, my love,\u201d Ben murmured, adding with an impish gleam in his eye, \u201cif you can forget worrying about your precious baby boy for one afternoon.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie shook her finger under his nose and then laughed.\u00a0 \u201cOui<\/em>, I will try.\u00a0 I know Little Joe is safe with his brothers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bill Stewart approached the Cartwrights as they moved inside.\u00a0 \u201cPlease come with me, friends.\u00a0 The governor has specifically requested that Mrs. Cartwright sit on his left.\u00a0 My wife will be on his right, so you and I will have an opportunity for close conversation, Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s eyebrow arched at the use of his first name.\u00a0 While he knew the lawyer, of course\u2014who on the Comstock did not?\u2014they were scarcely intimates.\u00a0 Evidently, the governor\u2019s interest in Marie had opened a door, not only with him, but also with those who wished to curry his favor.\u00a0 Ben had no objection, however, to making closer acquaintance with Stewart.\u00a0 He had, after all, the look of a man who might go far, and it never hurt to know such men personally, especially if one had political ambitions of his own.\u00a0 Ben caught a glimpse of himself in the governor\u2019s chair, perhaps when Nevada became a state, and his beautiful wife gracing his table as first lady of the land.\u00a0 He brushed the image quickly aside; even if the vision were true, its fulfillment was some distance in the future.\u00a0 Today, it was enough to relish meeting the present governor and having the opportunity to share his aspirations for the territory.<\/p>\n

As the first course, a corn chowder, was served, Stewart bent his head toward Ben.\u00a0 \u201cThe Governor and I have been discussing the selection of a capital for our territory, once it\u2019s organized, Ben.\u00a0 I hope you will agree with me that Carson City would provide the best site\u2014better water, for one thing, and a more congenial setting to legislators with families.\u201d<\/p>\n

So that was it.\u00a0 Ben smiled.\u00a0 Stewart had hopes of being a legislator, and he preferred to raise his family in Carson City, rather than in a noisy, mining community of predominantly men, such as Virginia City certainly was.\u00a0 You couldn\u2019t fault a man for wanting the best for his family, but since Ben didn\u2019t enjoy being made the ploy for another man\u2019s ambition, he suggested first that Genoa would make an even more congenial setting.\u00a0 \u201cHowever, for purely selfish reasons, I would like to see Carson City made the capital,\u201d he stated directly after that, to let Bill Stewart off the hook.\u00a0 \u201cCarson City is closer to me, and to locate the capital there might enable me to have some influence in the shaping of our new territory\u2014and its ultimate statehood.\u201d<\/p>\n

Governor Nye smiled in appreciation of Ben\u2019s openness, so refreshing to a man accustomed to dealing with politicians.\u00a0 \u201cFrom what I\u2019ve heard, Mr. Cartwright, I would certainly expect that you might exercise that influence to the betterment of our future state.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA central location\u2014an excellent point in Carson City\u2019s favor,\u201d Stewart inserted.<\/p>\n

The governor waved the comment aside.\u00a0 \u201cYes, yes, Mr. Stewart, I\u2019m well aware of your views and will consider them, I assure you.\u00a0 I would like to seek Mr. Cartwright\u2019s opinion now on another matter.\u00a0 I\u2019m told, Mr. Cartwright, that you have some understanding of Indian affairs in this territory.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSome, yes,\u201d Ben demurred.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy husband is too modest,\u201d Marie said, leaning close to the governor\u2019s ear.\u00a0 \u201cHe is a personal friend of Chief Winnemucca and Numaga and has been, I believe, instrumental in maintaining peaceful relations with the Paiutes, in particular.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo I had heard,\u201d Governor Nye replied.\u00a0 \u201cPlease, Mr. Cartwright\u2014may I call you Ben?\u2014please give me your assessment of the current situation of our Indian residents.\u00a0 I consider this a matter of the highest priority.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bill Stewart, whose only experience with Indians had come during the brief war with the Paiutes, was forced to sit in silence as Ben Cartwright waxed eloquent on a subject dear to his heart.\u00a0 \u201cPerhaps you should consider a political career, Ben,\u201d Stewart said at the close of the dinner.\u00a0 \u201cYou certainly appear to have a gift for communication.\u00a0 Did you perhaps study law at one time?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m afraid I have little more than a grammar-school education, Bill, though I thank you for the compliment.\u00a0 Most of my learning, such as it is, came from reading everything I could get my hands on, during my years at sea.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bill Stewart laughed.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe I should have gone that route, instead of putting in my time at Yale.\u00a0 Didn\u2019t stay long enough to graduate, anyway.\u00a0 Came west in \u201848, looking for gold, and decided about four years later that the study of law held more promise for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom what I\u2019ve heard, sir, you made a good decision,\u201d\u00a0 Ben said cordially.\u00a0 \u201cI trust you\u2019ll use equal wisdom as you offer direction to our new territory.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll return the compliment, sir, and express the wish that I may have your assistance in offering direction to Nevada,\u201d Stewart returned smoothly.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy dear,\u201d his wife interrupted in her soft southern drawl, \u201cwe really must return home if we\u2019re to be properly attired for this evening\u2019s ball.\u00a0 I\u2019m sure Mrs. Cartwright will be changing, as well.\u00a0 Do you have rooms here, ma\u2019am?\u00a0 If not, may I offer our home for your use?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMost gracious of you,\u201d Ben said, \u201cbut we engaged rooms at the International House for the purpose, although we do intend to return to the Ponderosa tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll the more reason we should be on our way,\u201d Marie stated gently.\u00a0 \u201cI have enjoyed your company at dinner, Mrs. Stewart.\u00a0 Perhaps you will be able to attend the next gathering in our home.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d be delighted, I\u2019m sure,\u201d Annie Stewart replied.<\/p>\n

Marie stifled a giggle until she was alone on the street with Ben.\u00a0 \u201cDid you see how relieved she looked when you said we had rooms elsewhere?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I don\u2019t know,\u201d Ben returned with a shrug.\u00a0 \u201cI thought she might be drawn to you, as you\u2019re both obviously from the south.\u201d\u00a0 Probably have her to thank for the choice of the <\/em>Virginia\u00a0<\/em>Hotel<\/em>!<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cMississippi, in her case,\u201d Marie amplified with a simpering drawl, \u201cand you must not be taken in by all that southern charm, mon mari<\/em>.\u00a0 There is craft behind that charm.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know,\u201d Ben acknowledged, \u201ctaking her cue from her husband.\u00a0 I suspect he hopes to trade political favors with me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMais oui<\/em>,\u201d Marie agreed at once.\u00a0 \u201cHe sees the favorable impression you made on Governor Nye and wishes to warm himself in its reflection.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben took her hand in his and kissed it.\u00a0 \u201cI have you to thank for that, my lady.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her head cocked at a coquettish angle, Marie gazed back at him.\u00a0 \u201cPerhaps, then, all my training from Cousin Edward has not been wasted.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou needed no help from him,\u201d Ben chided a bit gruffly.\u00a0 He pulled her close and, with a lecherous lift of his eyebrow, whispered in her ear.\u00a0 \u201cAnd if you persist in looking at me like that, madame<\/em>, we shall miss the entire dance, while I ravish you like the wanton woman he meant you to be.\u201d<\/p>\n

An idle threat, considering the paper-thin walls of rooms at the International House.\u00a0 Though tempted to call him on that bluff, Marie merely smiled in sweet, and alluring, submission and went through the door.<\/p>\n

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

The moon was at its half phase as Ben and Marie drove home late that night, but the stars sparkled, and to Marie, the dim light only gave the night more romantic appeal.\u00a0 \u201cOh, Ben, can\u2019t we stop awhile?\u201d she asked when Washoe Lake came into view, its rippling waters lightly kissed by pale moonlight.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you tired?\u201d Ben asked solicitously, pulling off the road.\u00a0 \u201cI know it\u2019s been a long day\u2014and night.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot so very tired,\u201d she said, her fingers gliding across his broad back as she lifted her welcoming lips.<\/p>\n

Savoring a pleasure denied him throughout the day spent in public view, Ben pressed his mouth against hers.\u00a0 \u201cDid you enjoy the dance?\u201d he asked after an extended kiss.<\/p>\n

\u201cUmm, so much,\u201d she murmured, touching her head to his shoulder, \u201cbut it ended too soon.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cToo soon?\u201d\u00a0 Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s two in the morning, my love.\u00a0 We really should have stayed the night, I think.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I wanted to come home,\u201d she said, adding with an enticing smile, \u201cbut not just yet.\u00a0 You owe me, monsieur<\/em>, one more dance.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I shall be pleased to pay the debt, my love,\u201d he whispered.\u00a0 Jumping down from the seat of the buckboard, he came around the wagon and lifted Marie down, his broad hands almost encircling her narrow waist.\u00a0 Then he twirled her in his arms toward the shimmering lake, her toes barely brushing the grass, as he hummed the music to a waltz they\u2019d heard earlier that evening.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Ben,\u201d she sighed in content as they came to a stop at the moonlit water\u2019s edge and he lowered her feet to the ground.\u00a0 \u201cI did help you today, didn\u2019t I?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou help me every day, Marie,\u201d he said earnestly, kissing her forehead.\u00a0 \u201cJust the sight of your beautiful face, lying beside me, is all the inspiration a man needs to work his heart out and send his dreams soaring to the heavens.\u201d\u00a0 As he pressed his lips to hers once more, he felt her fingers slide between his buttons and laughed.\u00a0 \u201cYou are<\/em> a wanton woman!\u201d he exclaimed.\u00a0 \u201cHere, under the stars?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHere, there, anywhere, everywhere,\u201d she whispered seductively.\u00a0 \u201cRavish me, mon amour<\/em>.\u201d\u00a0 She unfastened the top button of his shirt and put her lips to his chest as her fingers sought the next hindrance to her full enjoyment.\u00a0 Slowly, button by button, kiss by kiss, she opened the shirt, and then slid her arms around his waist as Ben quickly drew off his shirt and went to work on her restricting buttons.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you sure you aren\u2019t too tired?\u201d he asked and got the answer he wanted when she toppled him to the grass.<\/p>\n

\u201cRavish me,\u201d she commanded.\u00a0 \u201cNow.\u201d<\/p>\n

And there, with only the glimmering stars as witness, he obeyed her command, and they expressed their love as passionately as if this were to be the last time ever\u2014neither dreaming that, in fact, it was.<\/p>\n

~ ~ ~ ~ ~<\/p>\n

Historical Note<\/p>\n

Virginia City officially welcomed Governor James W. Nye on July 15, 1861.\u00a0 His speech to the crowd in this chapter is an exact quote of his words on that day.\u00a0 The gunfight between Deputy John Williams and a citizen named Butler happened during the ceremonies, as described.<\/p>\n

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX<\/p>\n

The Darkness Descends<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Ben Cartwright frowned at the face of the grandfather\u2019s clock beside the front door of the ranch house.\u00a0 \u201cWhere can she be?\u201d he muttered.<\/p>\n

Adam, sitting in his favorite blue chair, looked up from his book.\u00a0 \u201cPa, you know where she is\u2014at a quilting bee at Katerina\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben swept his hand toward the clock.\u00a0 \u201cAt this hour?\u00a0 She knows what time supper is served, young man!\u201d<\/p>\n

A light sparkled in Adam\u2019s dark eyes.\u00a0 \u201cYoung man\u201d\u2014even if the words were said in anger, they were sweet to his ears, for it was the first time in nearly three weeks that his father had called him anything but boy.\u00a0 Besides, the anger wasn\u2019t directed against him this time.\u00a0 \u201cYou know what hen parties are like,\u201d Adam offered conciliatorily.\u00a0 \u201cShe\u2019s just lost track of the time.\u00a0 I\u2019m sure she\u2019ll be home in time for supper, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

As if on cue, Hop Sing appeared in the dining room.\u00a0 \u201cWhere Missy Cahtlight?\u201d he demanded.\u00a0 \u201cHop Sing no like keep food warm too long.\u00a0 All dly up, not good\u2014you unnastand?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I understand!\u201d Ben snapped.\u00a0 He threw open the door and stormed outside, casting a concerned glance at the deepening shadows of twilight.\u00a0 Thrusting his hands in his pockets, he paced toward the porch.\u00a0 Adam was right, of course: get a gaggle of women together and it was hard to break them apart.\u00a0 Laura and Nelly would have long rides home, too, but, being older, had probably exercised more sense than Marie and left earlier.\u00a0 No doubt she was helping Katerina clear up, maybe even helping to get supper started.\u00a0 Then, knowing his wife, she\u2019d ride that fidgety roan too fast to make up for lost time when it dawned on her how late it was.<\/p>\n

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

Ben\u2019s assessment of the situation was all too accurate.\u00a0 Marie had stayed behind, not only to help clear up, but to console Katerina, who had that morning been presented yet again with evidence that she was not with child, a disappointment she\u2019d faced every month of her married life and one which was becoming increasingly distressful to the young woman.\u00a0 Then, when Marie had finally started toward the Ponderosa, she\u2019d been lost in her own thoughts, wondering whether it wasn\u2019t time to consider having another child of her own.\u00a0 Dr. Martin, of course, thought she shouldn\u2019t, after the difficult time she\u2019d had with Little Joe\u2019s birth, and Ben, not wanting to take chances with the love of his life, had adamantly insisted that they limit their intimate encounters to safe times of the month.\u00a0 But Little Joe was no longer a baby, and Marie\u2019s arms had begun to long for the feel of an infant.\u00a0 She wanted to fill the Ponderosa with strong sons and daughters for Ben\u2014and for herself, she admitted with a laugh.\u00a0 She felt healthy, and even if carrying a another child was a risk, it was one she was prepared to take, for the joy of once again cradling a baby.\u00a0 Now, if only she could persuade Ben.<\/p>\n

Marie suddenly became aware of the sinking sun and the lateness of the hour.\u00a0 Ben would be worrying, and that was no frame of mind for him to be in when she approached him about having another child.\u00a0 She needed to hurry.\u00a0 Touching her heels to the roan\u2019s flanks, she urged him into a gallop.\u00a0 She\u2019d have to slow down once she reached the foothills, of course, but here on the flat of Washoe Valley, she could make up some lost time.<\/p>\n

Throwing her head back, Marie felt the wind on her face and let it whip at her uncovered head.\u00a0 As a couple of hairpins came loose, golden tendrils trailed down her neck, and when she slowed to ascend the foothills toward home, she reached up to pull the other pins out and let her hair cascade over her shoulders in unfettered freedom.\u00a0 With a shake of her luxurious mane, Marie laughed.\u00a0 Ben liked her with her hair down, and perhaps giving him a vision of what might await him in bed tonight was the best way to begin her campaign to have another child\u2014as well as to soothe his irritation over her late arrival.<\/p>\n

The road straightened out on the final approach, and Marie grabbed that last opportunity to hasten her arrival by signaling a faster gait to the gelding.\u00a0 A full-out gallop wasn\u2019t safe here, as Ben had often told her, but the horse was flying almost that fast as the eager woman entered the yard, thinking only of how soon she would be in her husband\u2019s arms, promising him a night of love to rival the one beneath the stars at Washoe Lake five nights before.<\/p>\n

Ben was at the far end of the porch, still pacing, when he heard the thunder of hooves, and thunder glowered on his brow as he turned to rebuke his wife for her heedless speed.\u00a0 The vixen\u2014she\u2019d never ride that fast if she thought her precious baby boy might still be outside, but at this hour she knows he\u2019s safe indoors and thinks she can do as she pleases!<\/em>\u00a0 As Ben strode angrily down the porch, though, his heart halted in mid-beat as the horse stumbled, neighing wildly, and his wife\u2019s delicate frame soared skyward and came crashing to earth.\u00a0 \u201cMarie!\u201d he screamed, running toward her motionless body.<\/p>\n

He gathered her into his arms, calling her name frantically, and caught his breath in relief as her emerald eyes fluttered open.<\/p>\n

\u201cBen?\u201d she whispered.\u00a0 Her eyelids closed, and her head fell to one side.<\/p>\n

\u201cMarie?\u201d\u00a0 Ben tapped her cheek several times.\u00a0 There was no response.\u00a0 \u201cMarie!\u201d<\/p>\n

Inside, Adam\u2019s gaze jerked up from his book.\u00a0 Though absorbed in the story, he\u2019d been vaguely aware of the sound of hooves coming into the yard, but hadn\u2019t paid much attention until a sharper sound struck his ear.\u00a0 Was it a scream?\u00a0 He listened for a minute, and then heard it again, recognizing his father\u2019s voice this time, loud and frantic.\u00a0 Adam slammed the book shut, tossed it onto the table before him and ran to the door.\u00a0 He opened it and froze, unable to move and unable to speak, able only to stare at the shocking tableau before him.\u00a0 Marie lay in his father\u2019s arms, not only motionless, but with her head held at such an awkward angle that Adam knew instantly that her neck was broken.<\/p>\n

As Ben clasped her lifeless body to his breast, stroking her cheek, whispering her name, Adam started forward, but stopped when he heard his little brothers clattering down the stairs.\u00a0 Not wanting them to see what lay beyond the door, he closed it quickly and turned around.<\/p>\n

\u201cWas that Mama\u2019s horse I heard?\u201d Hoss asked, jumping the final two steps to the landing.\u00a0 \u201cWe gonna eat now?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam rushed to the stairs and blocked the way.\u00a0 \u201cYes, that was her horse,\u201d he said, \u201cbut it\u2019ll be awhile \u2018til we eat.\u00a0 Go back upstairs and wait \u2018til you\u2019re called.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I\u2019m half starved, Adam,\u201d Hoss complained.\u00a0 \u201cHow come we gotta wait if Mama\u2019s home?\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe pushed past Hoss and tried to squeeze by Adam.\u00a0 \u201cI wanna see Mama,\u201d he declared dictatorially when Adam caught him and held him back.<\/p>\n

\u201cLater, baby,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 Swallowing the lump that had risen in his throat, he added, \u201cPa and\u2014and Mama need some time alone.\u201d\u00a0 Mama<\/em>, his heart cried.\u00a0 Why, oh why, didn\u2019t I call you that while you were alive to hear it?\u00a0 How could I let you go without once hearing the word you wanted most from me?<\/em><\/p>\n

This was no time for self-reproach, however.\u00a0 These two little innocents had to be kept back \u2018til Pa had time to gather himself together and tell them what had happened.\u00a0 \u201cHoss, take Little Joe upstairs and play quietly \u2018til you\u2019re called.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI want my Mama!\u201d a fiery-faced Little Joe demanded, trying once more to push past Adam.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo as you\u2019re told,\u201d Adam said sharply, turning the child around and pushing him toward Hoss.\u00a0 He hated himself immediately for the harsh tone, but he didn\u2019t know what else to say.\u00a0 The truth couldn\u2019t be told, not yet, and that left him with nothing stronger to fall back on than a big brother\u2019s authority.<\/p>\n

Hoss was staring at him, clearly sensing that something was wrong and that he was being kept in the dark deliberately.<\/p>\n

Seeing the apprehension in the boy\u2019s blue eyes, usually so calm and peaceful, Adam made himself speak softly.\u00a0 \u201cLook, Hoss, I\u2019ll explain later, but it\u2019s important that you both stay upstairs for now.\u201d\u00a0 He tilted his head toward Little Joe, while his eyes remained locked with those of his middle brother.\u00a0 \u201cI need your help, boy.\u00a0 Take care of the little one, okay?\u201d<\/p>\n

Chin quivering, Hoss nodded and took Little Joe\u2019s hand.\u00a0 \u201cCome on, punkin.\u00a0 Supper ain\u2019t ready yet.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t want supper,\u201d Little Joe whined, pulling his hand away.\u00a0 \u201cI want Mama, Hoss.\u00a0 She\u2019s been gone all day!\u201d\u00a0 He turned back to his oldest brother and planted both hands on his small hips. \u00a0\u201cShe wants to see me, too, Adam; she does, and you\u2019re mean!\u201d<\/p>\n

Though his heart ached for the child, Adam forced firmness into his voice.\u00a0 \u201cDo you know what happens to little boys that don\u2019t mind?\u201d he asked with his hands on the narrow shoulders.<\/p>\n

Little Joe\u2019s eyes grew wide.\u00a0 \u201cThey get nes\u2019ry little talks,\u201d he mumbled.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right,\u201d Adam said solemnly, resisting the urge to pull the boy into his arms and squeeze him tight.\u00a0 For now, it was best that Little Joe continue to see him as the mean big brother, so mean that he must be obeyed.\u00a0 \u201cThey get necessary little talks, right on the seat of their pants, so if you don\u2019t want a little talk like that, you\u2019d better go with Hoss and not give me any more backtalk.\u201d\u00a0 Oh, God, don\u2019t let him call me on this; I couldn\u2019t do it right now; I just couldn\u2019t, but he\u2019s got to mind.<\/em><\/p>\n

Having twice this summer been on the receiving end of a paddling from Adam, Little Joe puckered up in a pout, but he flounced around and grabbed Hoss\u2019s hand and let himself be led upstairs.<\/p>\n

Adam exhaled slowly, but the sense of relief didn\u2019t last long.\u00a0 His father needed him.\u00a0 Squaring his shoulders, he walked to the door, lifted the latch and swung the door back.\u00a0 Slipping through, he closed it carefully and stepped into the yard.\u00a0 To his right, he saw a few of the hands standing outside the bunkhouse, just looking\u2014staring, really\u2014paralyzed by shock as Adam had been when he first opened the door.<\/p>\n

He walked tentatively toward his father, who was still rocking back and forth with Marie cradled next to his heart.\u00a0 \u201cPa?\u201d Adam asked softly.\u00a0 There was no response.\u00a0 \u201cPa?\u201d he whispered again.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe we should take her inside.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d Ben murmured, but he didn\u2019t move, just kept rocking and stroking her long golden hair, loose on her shoulders.<\/p>\n

Hop Sing appeared in the open doorway to the kitchen.\u00a0 Seeing Adam, he scurried over, and Adam rose to meet him.\u00a0 \u201cHop Sing see something wrong, set food off fire,\u201d the cook told him in hushed tones.\u00a0 \u201cMissy hurt bad, you think, Mr. Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n

Tears stung Adam\u2019s eyes, but he blinked them back.\u00a0 \u201cShe\u2019s dead, Hop Sing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hop Sing nodded, as if the words only confirmed what he had suspected.\u00a0 He buried his face in his stained apron and began to keen in Cantonese, his body swaying in rhythm with the words.<\/p>\n

Adam looked from the cook to his father, both of them so lost in grief that they apparently would be of no help whatsoever in doing what needed to be done.\u00a0 He glanced toward the bunkhouse.\u00a0 \u201cI could use some help here,\u201d he called, his voice raspy.<\/p>\n

Hank Carlton, the man who had driven the freight wagon to Virginia City on the Fourth of July, came forward to lay a supporting hand on the young man\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cJust tell us what needs doing, son.\u201d\u00a0 The other men moved up behind him, also ready to do whatever was asked of them.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to move her inside\u2014the downstairs bedroom would be best, I think,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 He stepped quickly to his father\u2019s side and squatted down beside him.\u00a0 \u201cPa,\u201d he said gently.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re going to take her inside now, okay?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d Ben murmured, staring off into the darkness.<\/p>\n

Carlton moved in front of his employer and slid his arms under Marie.\u00a0 \u201cLet me take her, sir,\u201d he requested respectfully.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d Ben said, but his arms still held her against his body.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa, please,\u201d Adam implored.\u00a0 \u201cYou have to let go.\u00a0 Please, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben turned toward the sound of his son\u2019s voice, but his eyes were as vacant as before.\u00a0 \u201cWhat?\u00a0 Oh.\u00a0 Oh . . . yes; yes, son.\u201d\u00a0 His arms relaxed, and Carlton, with the help of two other men, was able to take Marie from him.\u00a0 Adam helped his father to his feet and led him into the front room.\u00a0 Settling him in the chair closest to the fireplace, the young man hurried across the room to open the bedroom door and show the men where to place the body of his stepmother.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re real sorry about this, son,\u201d Carlton said.<\/p>\n

\u201cReal sorry,\u201d another hand choked out.\u00a0 The other man didn\u2019t say anything at all, but all three faces were etched with grief.\u00a0 Marie had been well loved and respected by the men, and all of them knew what a blow her passing was to the Cartwright family.\u00a0 They walked out silently, none speaking to Ben, each sensing that their employer was too overcome to even hear them.<\/p>\n

As the last of them filed out of the room, Hop Sing, having recovered enough to realize his assistance was needed, entered with a basin of water.\u00a0 \u201cYou go to father,\u201d he told Adam.\u00a0 \u201cI see to Missy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Unable to speak, Adam nodded, his hand resting briefly in silent gratitude on the shoulder of the young Chinese cook before moving past him.\u00a0 As he entered the great room, he saw his father, slumped over, his face buried in his hands, and Adam\u2019s mind flashed back to that afternoon on the trail when he\u2019d last seen his father this broken.\u00a0 Why?<\/em> his heart screamed.\u00a0 Why do we have to go through this again?\u00a0 Twice wasn\u2019t enough?<\/em>\u00a0 Couldn\u2019t just one of us have an unbroken childhood?<\/em>\u00a0 The thought brought his younger brothers back to mind, and he glanced toward the stairs before moving toward his father.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa, I\u2019m so sorry,\u201d he whispered as he sat down on one end of the fireside table, facing his father.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know what to say.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben didn\u2019t move, didn\u2019t speak, and Adam again found his mind rushing back to the trail, to the dreadful, silent days following Inger\u2019s death, when it seemed almost as if his father, too, were no longer alive.\u00a0 \u201cPa,\u201d he said softly, \u201cwhat shall we do about Hoss and Little Joe?\u00a0 They heard the horse ride up.\u00a0 I\u2014I kept them back, but they won\u2019t keep much longer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben didn\u2019t move, didn\u2019t speak, and in his frustration Adam grabbed him by both shoulders and shook him.\u00a0 \u201cPa!\u00a0 They have to be told.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben looked up, face blank, eyes lifeless.\u00a0 \u201cAll right.\u00a0 Tell them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alarm flashed in Adam\u2019s ebony eyes.\u00a0 \u201cMe?\u00a0 Pa, I can\u2019t!\u00a0 You\u2019re their father, not me.\u00a0 They need to hear it from you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben stared at him.\u00a0 \u201cI . . . can\u2019t.\u00a0 Not . . . yet.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s mouth set in a grim line.\u00a0 \u201cWe don\u2019t have the luxury of time here, Pa. Hoss already senses that something\u2019s wrong.\u00a0 Little Joe knows his mother\u2019s come home, and he wants her, and . . .\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI want her, too,\u201d Ben moaned, burying his face in his hands again, shoulders shaking.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa, please,\u201d Adam pleaded.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t leave this to me.\u201d\u00a0 He leaned forward, putting his hand behind his father\u2019s neck with a tender touch.\u00a0 \u201cWouldn\u2019t it be easier, coming from you?\u201d he asked gently.<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing makes it easier,\u201d Ben groaned, and his face fell to his knees this time.<\/p>\n

Adam stood up.\u00a0 Eyes fixed on his father\u2019s folded body, he backed, step by step, toward the stairs, as if praying for a reprieve.\u00a0 When he felt the square newel post against his spine, he bit his lower lip and turned to climb up, every few steps casting a mute plea over his shoulder at the still form of his father.<\/p>\n

Reaching the second floor, Adam moved toward his own room first, longing to escape inside, at least long enough to get his own emotions under control and figure out what to say to those little boys across the hall.\u00a0 Ought to just hide out in there<\/em>, he fumed inwardly, \u2018til Pa has no choice but to do the job himself.\u00a0 He should; it\u2019s his job, not mine!<\/em>\u00a0 Adam reached for the doorknob and started to turn it.\u00a0 Then, slowly, he drew his hand back.\u00a0 It wouldn\u2019t work.\u00a0 You couldn\u2019t force a man past his grief on your schedule; he had to follow his own.<\/p>\n

A man.\u00a0 That\u2019s how he\u2019d wanted Pa to see him, and he\u2019d never get a better chance to prove himself than in this awful moment.\u00a0 Adam closed his eyes as another painful realization washed over him.\u00a0 It didn\u2019t matter now whether Pa saw him as a man or a little boy.\u00a0 Yale was lost to him, lost to the greater needs of those he loved, but what was the loss of a dream, compared to what those two little ones had just lost, what they\u2019d all lost?\u00a0 Oh, Marie . . . mon ami . . . Mama!\u00a0 <\/em>He leaned his head against the door to his room.\u00a0 His hand again reached for the doorknob. \u00a0Five minutes.\u00a0 I deserve that much time for my own grief<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Then he shook his head, knowing he couldn\u2019t risk having either of his brothers come out of Hoss\u2019s room, slip past him and come upon Pa the way he was now.\u00a0 So, instead of retreating to the sanctity and solitude of his room, Adam stood in the hallway, back against the wall, staring at the door he must soon enter, searching for words that just wouldn\u2019t come.\u00a0 Oh, God, help me<\/em>, he implored.\u00a0 Give me the words.\u00a0 Show me how to help them<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Adam stood there until he felt a measure of calmness descend, and he moved across the hall, trusting that when he needed the words, they\u2019d come to him.\u00a0 He knocked softly on Hoss\u2019s door, turned the knob and walked in.\u00a0 His heart leaped into his throat as he caught sight of Little Joe, riding astraddle Hoss as the bigger boy \u201cgalloped\u201d around the room, the bittersweet scene recalling all too vividly that the child\u2019s mother had just fallen from a horse.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a Pony rider, Adam,\u201d Little Joe chirped.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you?\u201d Adam asked. \u00a0\u201cGive me my mail then.\u201d\u00a0 He lifted the boy from Hoss\u2019s back and sat down on the bed, holding Little Joe in his lap.\u00a0 As the young Pony Express rider handed his oldest brother a pretend letter to read, Hoss sat on the rug to catch his breath.<\/p>\n

\u201cTime to eat now, Adam?\u201d Little Joe asked.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m a little hungry now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSoon, baby,\u201d Adam murmured, stroking the gold-brown curls, only slighter darker than those of his mother.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not a baby!\u201d Little Joe declared indignantly.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right.\u00a0 Brother keeps forgetting, doesn\u2019t he?\u201d\u00a0 Adam licked his lips.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re getting to be a big boy now, aren\u2019t you, Little Joe?\u00a0 Big enough to understand some hard things, maybe?\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe cocked his head and gazed up at his brother\u2019s face, wondering why Adam looked so serious.\u00a0 \u201cHard things?\u00a0 Like school, you mean?\u201d\u00a0 His face brightened.\u00a0 \u201cI wanna go to school like Hoss and you, I do, Adam.\u00a0 He don\u2019t like it, but you do and so maybe I will.\u00a0 You think I will?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope so,\u201d Adam said gently, \u201cbut that\u2019s not what I meant.\u00a0 I meant like\u2014like what you hear in church sometimes.\u00a0 Do you know about heaven, Little Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUh-huh.\u00a0 Mama told me.\u201d\u00a0 Little Joe squirmed a bit, ready to get down, but Adam wouldn\u2019t let go.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat did she tell you?\u201d Adam probed.<\/p>\n

\u201cAin\u2019t we never gonna eat?\u201d Hoss asked grumpily, getting to his feet.<\/p>\n

Eyes filled with compassion, Adam looked up at him.\u00a0 \u201cSoon, Hoss, but this is important.\u201d\u00a0 He looked down again at the child in his lap.\u00a0 \u201cWhat did Mama tell you about heaven, Little Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a beautiful place,\u201d the child recited, \u201cbut just for good people.\u00a0 I gotta be very good if I wanna live there someday, but I think I like the Ponderosa better, anyway, and I don\u2019t gotta be good all the time to live here.\u201d<\/p>\n

At any other time Adam would have smiled at the childish logic and agreed that the Ponderosa was a little bit of heaven, but his mind, just now, was weighed down with the daunting task before him.\u00a0 \u201cYour mama\u2019s a very good person,\u201d he pressed on.\u00a0 \u201cYou know that, don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUh-huh.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam sent a pleading glance toward the open doorway, willing his father to walk through it, but the doorway remained empty.\u00a0 \u201cSo you know she\u2019ll go to heaven, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe\u2019s nose wrinkled in puzzlement.\u00a0 \u201cSomeday.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, someday,\u201d Hoss put in quickly, a tremble in his voice.<\/p>\n

Adam looked directly into the alpine eyes and saw that Hoss had begun to suspect where this was leading and wanted to forestall the news he feared.\u00a0 \u201cNot just someday,\u201d Adam said softly, eyes fixed on Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cToday.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss started backing toward the far corner, hands pressed tight to his ears, but Little Joe just laughed.\u00a0 \u201cNo, Adam, Mama go see Aunt Kat today.\u00a0 Aunt Kat not live in heaven; she live in our old cabin.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam wrapped both arms around the baby, wondering how he could possibly make a child this young understand.\u00a0 \u201cYes, she went to see Katerina\u2014but then she had to go to heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo!\u201d Hoss screamed as he collapsed in the corner, his head dropping between his knees.<\/p>\n

Torn between the needs of his two brothers, Adam didn\u2019t know what to do.\u00a0 He instinctively reached toward Hoss, and Little Joe took advantage of his older brother\u2019s distraction to slip off his lap.\u00a0 Scurrying over to the corner, he began to pat Hoss\u2019s head.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s-a matter, Hoss?\u00a0 Your head hurt?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss stared at his little brother.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t you know nothin\u2019, you stupid baby?\u201d\u00a0 Then, with an anguished cry, he grabbed Little Joe and pulled him into his lap, hugging him tight.<\/p>\n

Adam followed his brothers into the corner and, squatting down, began to rub his hand across Hoss\u2019s heaving shoulders.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s-a matter, Adam?\u201d Little Joe asked, looking worried.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s-a matter wif Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n

Still stroking Hoss with one hand, Adam drew his youngest brother close with the other.\u00a0 \u201cLittle Joe, I know it\u2019s hard for you to understand, but when your mama came home today, she had an accident and fell off her horse.\u00a0 She was hurt very badly, baby, and God thought He could take better care of her in heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe frowned, forehead creasing.\u00a0 \u201cBetter than Doc Martin?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, much better.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen she be back, when God gets her all fixed up, huh, Adam?\u201d\u00a0 The little head bobbed up and down hopefully, although the child was beginning to look worried.<\/p>\n

Adam shook his head, choking down a sob before he answered.\u00a0 \u201cNo, baby.\u00a0 When people go to heaven, they have to stay and live there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo!\u201d Little Joe shrieked, and before Adam could catch him, he broke free and ran for the doorway.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe, come back!\u201d Adam called, scrambling to his feet.\u00a0 He paused long enough to check on Hoss, who hugged his bent knees close to his chest and laid his head down on them.\u00a0 Adam wanted to gather the sobbing boy into his arms, but there wasn\u2019t time, not now.\u00a0\u00a0 Time only for a single, soothing touch, and then Adam, his heart divided, ran after Little Joe.<\/p>\n

The child trotted down the stairs and had reached the landing before Adam left Hoss\u2019s room.\u00a0 Seeing his father, still slumped in the fireside chair, Little Joe ran straight to him.\u00a0 \u201cPa!\u201d<\/p>\n

From the landing Adam gasped, wondering how his father would respond.\u00a0 Maybe it was what he needed, to be forced to think of someone besides himself.\u00a0 Adam held back, watching, praying that the child could accomplish what he, with all his supposedly mature logic, had failed to achieve.<\/p>\n

Ben instinctively lifted the little boy and set him on his lap, but he held Joe woodenly, without the accustomed warmth the child had known all his life.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa, make God send Mama back,\u201d Little Joe demanded.<\/p>\n

With a tortured groan, Ben fell back in the chair, holding his youngest son at arms\u2019 length, unable even to look into the indignant little face.\u00a0 \u201cTake him,\u201d he begged as he spotted Adam, slowly descending the last few stairs.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2014I can\u2019t.\u00a0 Take him\u2014please.\u201d<\/p>\n

Disappointed, for he\u2019d hoped the child\u2019s need might draw Ben out of his near-stupor, Adam nodded.\u00a0 Stepping quickly across the room, he lifted a protesting Joe from their father\u2019s lap and into his own arms.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo!\u201d Little Joe screamed, tiny feet kicking Adam\u2019s ribs, tiny fists pounding his chest.\u00a0 \u201cPut me back.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHush, baby,\u201d Adam urged, but Little Joe continued to wrestle him as he carried the child outside.\u00a0 He walked into the yard, noticing with gratitude that one of the hands had taken care of the horse.\u00a0 The air was still and warm as he moved toward the corral, feeling each kick of those little boots against his side.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s all right, baby,\u201d he soothed.\u00a0 \u201cEverything will be all right.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re mean, Adam,\u201d Little Joe whimpered.\u00a0 \u201cYou wouldn\u2019t let me go to Mama; you won\u2019t let me stay wif Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam nestled the curly head against his shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cYou can\u2019t go to Mama; it\u2019s too far.\u00a0 And you can\u2019t stay with Pa right now; he\u2019s too . . . sad.\u00a0 But brother\u2019s here, baby, and brother will always be here.\u00a0 I\u2019ll take care of you, just like Mama would.\u00a0 I promise, baby; it\u2019ll be all right.\u00a0 In time\u201d\u2014Adam stopped himself.\u00a0 The child was four, barely capable of comprehending the loss.\u00a0 How could he hope to understand that time would heal it\u2014or at any rate ease its pain?\u00a0 \u201cBrother\u2019s here,\u201d he whispered again, cooing the words tenderly into the miniature ear.<\/p>\n

Slowly, Little Joe pulled back to stare at his older brother with such soulful eyes that Adam didn\u2019t know how to read what thoughts lay behind them.\u00a0 Concerned about leaving Hoss alone, he walked back to the house, noticing that Ben was no longer in the room.\u00a0 Had he gone in to Marie\u2014or just shut himself away in his room, to lick his wounds with less risk of intrusion?\u00a0 It was too much to hope that he had gone to Hoss.<\/p>\n

As Adam moved toward the stairs, Hop Sing came out from the downstairs bedroom and called the young man\u2019s name softly.\u00a0 Mindful of his words in the presence of the youngest Cartwright, he said, \u201cNeed talk to you, Mr. Adam, \u2018bout what to do.\u00a0 Hop Sing ask Mr. Ben; he not say, just leave.\u201d<\/p>\n

Well, that answered one question.\u00a0 Pa wasn\u2019t with Marie.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, in a minute, Hop Sing,\u201d Adam replied, inclining his head toward the child in his arms.\u00a0 \u201cLet me take Little Joe upstairs.\u00a0 Then we\u2019ll talk.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll light, Mr. Adam, I wait,\u201d the cook said, bowing slightly.<\/p>\n

Adam took the stairs as fast as he dared with a child in his arms.\u00a0 The door to Hoss\u2019s room remained open, so he went straight in, saddened to see that his younger brother was still in a disconsolate heap in the corner.\u00a0 \u201cHey, buddy,\u201d he called.\u00a0 \u201cHow you doin\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss looked up, his eyes red, his normally placid face etched with pain.\u00a0 \u201cI ain\u2019t doin\u2019 so good, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s okay, Hoss,\u201d Adam assured him as he sat on the edge of the bed.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s okay to be any way you have to be right now.\u201d\u00a0 Which goes for Pa, too, I guess, <\/em>he conceded with a sigh.\u00a0 He patted the bed beside him.\u00a0 \u201cCome here, buddy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wiping his nose with the back of his hand, Hoss got up and moved to the bed, perching next to his brother and leaning his aching head against Adam\u2019s strong shoulder.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss, I hate to keep leaving you when I know you need me, but I have to take care of some things downstairs,\u201d Adam explained as his arm circled the younger boy.\u00a0 \u201cCould you watch Little Joe for me awhile, just \u2018til I get back?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere\u2019s Pa?\u201d Hoss asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not sure,\u201d Adam replied.\u00a0 \u201cIn his room, maybe, but don\u2019t bother him unless you have to.\u00a0 He\u2019s not doin\u2019 so good, either.\u00a0 Come get me first if you have any problems.\u00a0 Just get Little Joe dressed for bed and . . . help him the best you can.\u201d<\/p>\n

His tender heart touched by the baby\u2019s troubled, confused gaze, Hoss overcame his own emotions and reached for Little Joe, who came willingly into that warm place of refuge.<\/p>\n

Adam stood, giving Hoss a pat of approval.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll be back soon as I can,\u201d he promised.\u00a0 He went downstairs, where Hop Sing still stood, awaiting his return.\u00a0 Motioning for the cook to sit on the settee, Adam took his familiar seat in the blue chair.<\/p>\n

Feeling awkward at taking a place reserved for the family, Hop Sing sat on the outermost edge of the settee.\u00a0 \u201cI clean Missy up best I know, Mr. Adam,\u201d he began, \u201cbut me man.\u00a0 Not know how fixee \u2018Melican way.\u00a0 Think, need woman\u2014Missy Nelly, maybe-so?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam rubbed his hands on the arms of the chair.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, she\u2019d know what to do, and they should be told, in any case.\u00a0 I\u2019ll send one of the hands tomorrow morning.\u00a0 It\u2019s too late to send anyone that far tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat \u2018bout dinnah, Mr. Adam?\u201d the cook inquired, his deferential manner indicating that he considered Adam the man in charge of the household now.\u00a0 \u201cFood all leady, but Mr. Ben gonna eat?\u00a0 You, little boys?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam ran his fingers through his hair.\u00a0 \u201cOh, I don\u2019t know,\u201d he sighed, his own stomach churning so wretchedly that he didn\u2019t think he could possibly put anything in it.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m not sure anybody will be hungry,\u201d he said when he saw that the cook was waiting patiently for an answer.\u00a0 No stronger sign that the world\u2019s spun off its axis than that Hop Sing isn\u2019t ranting about a missed meal<\/em>, he mused.\u00a0 \u201cFix up a plate for Pa, and I\u2019ll take it to him in his room.\u00a0 I think he wants to be alone.\u00a0 Then I\u2019ll ask the boys if they\u2019re hungry.\u00a0 They were before, and they ought to eat something, I suppose.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBe good if they can, maybe-so make tloubles lighter,\u201d Hop Sing agreed, standing quickly to his feet and hurrying to the kitchen, where he felt more at ease, especially now that he had some way to minister to his grieving family.\u00a0 He returned shortly with a plate of food and handed it to Adam.\u00a0 \u201cI put just little,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cHope Mr. Ben eat that much.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll see,\u201d Adam said. \u00a0\u201cThanks, Hop Sing.\u201d\u00a0 He climbed the stairs, plate in hand, and carried it down the hall to his father\u2019s room.\u00a0 His room<\/em>, he thought, not theirs anymore,<\/em> just his<\/em>, and he ached with the simple change of term.\u00a0 Rapping on the door, he waited for a moment, and then entered when there was no answer.\u00a0 \u201cHop Sing fixed you up a plate, Pa,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cI know you\u2019re probably not hungry, but it might help to eat.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sprawled on his bed, Ben shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t want it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll just leave it, in case you change your mind,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 He started to leave, but stopped when he heard his father ask if his brothers were all right.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re hurting,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cThey need you, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded in acknowledgement.\u00a0 \u201cI haven\u2019t anything to give them right now,\u201d he murmured, voice breaking.\u00a0 \u201cTake care of them for me, will you, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe best I can,\u201d Adam replied reluctantly.\u00a0 He felt himself a poor second to his father, but decided not to push.\u00a0 \u201cHave you\u2014uh\u2014given any thought to funeral arrangements?\u201d he asked hesitantly.\u00a0 When Ben stared at him blankly, he hurried on.\u00a0 \u201cI thought I\u2019d send one of the men into Carson tomorrow morning, to tell the Thomases.\u00a0 I thought Nelly could help, if that\u2019s all right with you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s good,\u201d Ben said after a moment\u2019s pause.\u00a0 \u201cJust leave it to Nelly; she\u2019ll know what to do.\u00a0 Whatever she plans is fine with me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay,\u201d Adam said, concerned at his father\u2019s apathy.\u00a0 He left and went down the hall to Hoss\u2019s room again.\u00a0 Opening the door, he smiled at the sight of Little Joe, dressed in a pale green nightshirt, sitting Indian-style in the middle of Hoss\u2019s bed, clutching the old calico dog that Nelly Thomas had made for Hoss years before.\u00a0 Hoss was beside him, with his arm protectively around the little boy.<\/p>\n

\u201cSee?\u00a0 He came back,\u201d Hoss told Little Joe, patting him on the back.<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, I did.\u00a0 I promised, didn\u2019t I?\u201d Adam asked as he sat down.\u00a0 Reaching over, he pulled the thumb from his youngest brother\u2019s mouth.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ve got better food than that downstairs,\u201d he teased.\u00a0 He looked beyond Joe to his other brother.\u00a0 \u201cHow about it, Hoss?\u00a0 You ready for supper now?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI ain\u2019t hungry,\u201d Hoss muttered, words Adam could never remember hearing from his middle brother.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou were before,\u201d the oldest brother pointed out.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry to keep you waiting, but\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI wouldn\u2019t-a been then if you\u2019d told the truth!\u201d Hoss snapped, jumping up from the bed.<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s long arm snaked out to grab his elbow.\u00a0 \u201cHoss,\u201d he pleaded.<\/p>\n

Hoss turned around and stared back at Adam.\u00a0 His gaze dropped to the floor, and he mumbled, \u201cSorry.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s okay, buddy,\u201d Adam assured him, drawing the chunky boy into an embrace.\u00a0 With his other arm he pulled Little Joe close and took the consoling thumb from his mouth again.\u00a0 \u201cI really think you two should get something into your stomachs before you go to bed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFood don\u2019t even sound good,\u201d Hoss said sadly, and Little Joe, never as concerned about meals as his bigger brother, anyway, nodded in agreement.<\/p>\n

\u201cI could use a good example here,\u201d Adam said, but when he caught sight of his middle brother\u2019s shame-filled expression, he gently smoothed the tousled sandy hair.\u00a0 \u201cNever mind.\u00a0 That wasn\u2019t fair.\u00a0 You don\u2019t have to be anybody\u2019s example, Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI tried to help,\u201d Hoss muttered defensively.\u00a0 \u201cI gave him my dog, and I\u2019m lettin\u2019 him sleep with me tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe held the calico toy up for Adam to see.\u00a0 \u201cMine now,\u201d he announced.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was very kind of Hoss,\u201d Adam said, smiling proudly and making sure that Hoss saw it, \u201cand you have been a big help already, buddy.\u201d\u00a0 He thought for a moment of how hard the evening had been and how much harder the next day was likely to be.\u00a0 He\u2019d need help then, too, but it really wasn\u2019t right to demand more of Hoss than the boy felt able to give.\u00a0 Marie was his mother, too\u2014the only one he\u2019d ever really known\u2014and Adam knew just how it felt to lose someone that special and to have the care of someone younger forced on you before you were ready.\u00a0 He wouldn\u2019t do it to Hoss; he\u2019d give him his time to grieve and somehow find comfort enough inside himself for both his little brothers\u2014and Pa, too, if he\u2019d let anyone comfort him.<\/p>\n

\u201cLook, if you\u2019re not hungry, why don\u2019t I ask Hop Sing to make us all some hot cocoa?\u201d Adam asked, standing up.\u00a0 \u201cWe can have it right here in the room.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hot cocoa brought warm memories of nights by the fire, and Hoss nodded with a wistful smile.\u00a0 \u201cThat sounds good.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe didn\u2019t say anything, but Adam thought he\u2019d drink the cocoa if it were placed before him.\u00a0 \u201cOkay, I\u2019ll get it,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cWhy don\u2019t you both get under the covers, and I\u2019ll bring it right up?\u201d<\/p>\n

As soon as Adam left the room, Hoss turned back the covers.\u00a0 \u201cIn you go, punkin,\u201d he ordered, \u201clike Adam said.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe crawled toward the head of the bed, dragging the calico dog by one ear, and tucked his bare feet beneath the sheet and blanket.\u00a0 Hoss had just snuggled in next to him when Little Joe whimpered, \u201cWant Bun-bun and Barker.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAw, no, you don\u2019t,\u201d Hoss argued, for he didn\u2019t want to get up again so soon.\u00a0 \u201cYou got my dog.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy dog,\u201d Little Joe corrected, frown on his lips.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, yeah, your dog,\u201d Hoss agreed quickly, \u201cbut he\u2019s all you need.\u00a0 There ain\u2019t room for all three critters in bed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe shook his head wildly.\u00a0 \u201cBun-bun and Barker, Hoss.\u00a0 They be scared to sleep alone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss tossed the covers back and jumped, barefoot, to the floor.\u00a0 \u201cDoggone you.\u00a0 I should-a known you\u2019d be nothin\u2019 but a nuisance if I let you sleep over.\u201d\u00a0 Suddenly remembering why he\u2019d made the offer, Hoss was ashamed of himself for complaining.\u00a0 Maybe Little Joe was right; maybe having the bed packed full tonight would make both of them feel less lonely for Mama.\u00a0 Choking down a sob, Hoss scurried into the next room and took the stuffed bunny and harbor seal from Little Joe\u2019s bed.\u00a0 He hurried back to tuck the animals where Joe said they should sleep and then hopped back into bed himself.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t long before Adam returned, carrying a tray with three steaming cups of hot cocoa and a plate of cookies.\u00a0 The little boys sat up, each stretching out both hands, and Adam placed a cup of cocoa between each set of palms.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s like to spill his,\u201d Hoss grumbled, casting a baleful eye at Little Joe after taking the first sip, \u201cand it\u2019s bad enough havin\u2019 him and them three critters in the bed without wet sheets, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam scooted over next to his youngest brother to help balance the cup.\u00a0 \u201cFeel safer now?\u201d he asked, giving Hoss a half-smile, the most he could manage.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome,\u201d Hoss admitted, reaching for a sugar cookie.<\/p>\n

Little Joe nibbled only half a cookie, Adam and Hoss polishing off the rest of the plate between them.\u00a0 The child drank all his cocoa, however, and Adam thought that would probably be enough for tonight.\u00a0 Tomorrow was soon enough to worry about proper nutrition.\u00a0 Tonight, he just wanted to soothe these little boys to slumber and finally find those few minutes he\u2019d craved to deal with his own torn heart.<\/p>\n

As he tucked the youngsters in, side by side, Adam hesitated a moment, pondering whether he should give them the kiss they were accustomed to receiving each night.\u00a0 Would it be too sharp a reminder that their mother was gone or would the loss be easier to bear if her simple gesture of love were perpetuated by another?\u00a0 The promise he had made to Little Joe in the yard earlier that night came back to him and answered the question.\u00a0 He\u2019d promised to take care of his baby brother \u201cjust like Mama would,\u201d and a kiss was probably the easiest part of keeping that vow.\u00a0 Bending over the bed, Adam placed a kiss, first on the broad forehead nearest him and then on the tiny one on the next pillow.\u00a0 \u201cSleep tight, little brothers,\u201d he whispered.\u00a0 Lowering the wick of the lard oil lamp, he started to leave.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam,\u201d Hoss called, voice trembling slightly.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCould you leave the door open\u2014and your door, too?\u201d<\/p>\n

Fear.\u00a0 Adam couldn\u2019t remember when he\u2019d last heard fear in his stalwart younger brother\u2019s voice, but if Hoss needed reassurance that someone was near, Adam wanted him to have it.\u00a0 \u201cSure, buddy\u2014and you just sing out if you need anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay.\u00a0 Thanks.\u201d<\/p>\n

Relief replaced the fear, the transformation readily discernible to Adam\u2019s ear as he slipped out of the room.\u00a0 Crossing the hall, he left the door ajar and wandered over to the window.\u00a0 He raised the sash and leaned out to catch the faint breeze, though he hadn\u2019t noticed \u2018til now that he was hot.\u00a0 And tired.\u00a0 More than tired, he now realized\u2014wrung out, with nothing left to give.\u00a0 And tomorrow would be worse.\u00a0 Unless Pa climbed out of that hole in which he\u2019d buried himself, there\u2019d be those two little brothers to see to again in the morning, and there\u2019d be decisions to be made and a troop of well-meaning friends to deal with, when all Adam really wanted was to be alone, to let the grief over Marie and the disappointment over what her death meant to his dreams of college just come leaking out, with no one to see and have their own pain made worse by his.<\/p>\n

Staring down into the yard, where all their dreams had come crashing down, Adam could still envision his stepmother\u2019s lifeless body, neck dangling to one side, golden hair cascading over his father\u2019s almost inert arms.\u00a0 With a shudder he turned away from the window and threw himself down, crosswise, on the bed, too exhausted to even remove his boots.\u00a0 He tried to cry, but the tears, held back too long, wouldn\u2019t come on command.\u00a0 They\u2019d catch up with him sometime, he was sure, and as he drifted into uneasy sleep, he prayed that it wouldn\u2019t happen at some inopportune time, like tomorrow with all those friends, and especially his little brothers, looking to him for direction.<\/p>\n

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

The house was quiet, quiet as a tomb<\/em>, Ben reflected mournfully as he moved down the dark hall.\u00a0 He paused briefly and looked through the open door to Adam\u2019s room, seeing the boy sprawled across the bed, boots hanging off the side.\u00a0 He can\u2019t possibly be comfortable like that<\/em>, Ben mused, but he made no move to enter the room.\u00a0 At least, the boy was sleeping and that was more than his father could do.\u00a0 Noticing that Hoss\u2019s bedroom door was also open, Ben peeked inside, smiling softly at the two figures, sleeping locked in each other\u2019s arms.\u00a0 Then his eyes fell on the golden curls of his youngest son\u2014so like hers<\/em>\u2014and with a strangled cry he turned away.\u00a0 He padded down the hall and went slowly down the stairs to the great room below.\u00a0 Crossing it in the faint light from the window above his desk in the alcove, he walked to the bedroom, opened the door and went inside.<\/p>\n

There she lay, the love of his life, beautiful as always, looking as she had so many nights when he\u2019d come in late, tired from work or from some trip that took him away from the Ponderosa.\u00a0 She\u2019d always wake at his touch and open her arms to welcome him home\u2014and what welcomes they had been!\u00a0 Indulging himself in the fantasy for a moment, Ben touched her hand with his fingers and drew them back abruptly from the cold, rigid flesh.\u00a0 Oh, God, she was gone!\u00a0 Gone!\u00a0 As surely\u2014and as permanently\u2014as Elizabeth and Inger before her, the third woman to share his dreams was gone.<\/p>\n

Ben fell into the chair beside the bed and dropped his head once more into his palms, where it had rested most of the evening.\u00a0 Why, God, why?<\/em> he demanded, tears springing from both anger and grief dropping down onto the thin sheet that covered her cherished flesh.\u00a0 Why a third time do You deprive me of love?\u00a0 What is my sin, that I must be punished again and again?\u00a0 The dream itself?\u00a0 Is that where I went astray, just in daring to dream at all?\u00a0 Or was the dream a selfish one, for myself alone, without regard for the needs of these precious hearts?\u00a0 Why?\u00a0 You tell me why!<\/em><\/p>\n

There was no answer, only the same questions, again and again reverberating in his hollow heart until Ben feared he would go mad if they did not stop.\u00a0 Jumping up, he thrust the chair back and fled.<\/p>\n

~ ~ ~ ~ ~<\/p>\n

Historical Note<\/p>\n

The manner of Marie\u2019s death is drawn from Ben\u2019s description in \u201cMarie, My Love\u201d by Anthony Lawrence.<\/p>\n

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN<\/p>\n

Darkest Day, Darkest Night<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Trying to work the kinks out of his back, Adam staggered groggily across the room to his washstand.\u00a0 He lifted the porcelain pitcher, pouring and yawning at the same time.\u00a0 Splashing cold water in his face helped.\u00a0 He ran a hand over his stubbly chin, but decided a shave could wait.\u00a0 So could a change of clothes.\u00a0 His stomach was rumbling, and however little he felt like eating, it would be wise to stoke in some fuel.\u00a0 Who knew what he\u2019d have to deal with later in the day, so now, while everything was quiet, before anything had a chance to go wrong, he\u2019d get some breakfast\u2014hot coffee, at least.\u00a0 That would help him wake up and clear his aching head.<\/p>\n

Vowing that he\u2019d never sleep sideways in his bed again, he left his room and stepped across the hall.\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t heard a sound so far, so peeking into Hoss\u2019s room was just a precaution.\u00a0 No, the boys were both still asleep, and Adam thought it best to leave them that way as long as possible.\u00a0 He spared a glance down the hall toward his father\u2019s room.\u00a0 Probably best to let him sleep, too.\u00a0 Odds were Pa wasn\u2019t any better prepared to face up to things this morning than he had been last night.<\/p>\n

Adam made his way downstairs and into the kitchen, pleased to see that the Chinese cook was up and about, the same as always.\u00a0 There was something comforting in seeing that some things hadn\u2019t changed.<\/p>\n

Hop Sing turned from the stove when he heard footsteps behind him.\u00a0 \u201cOh, Mr. Adam,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cI not know you up yet.\u00a0 So solly.\u00a0 I fixee bleakfast light away.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTake your time,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 He pointed his chin toward the back burner of the stove.\u00a0 \u201cIf the coffee\u2019s ready, I\u2019ll take a cup.\u201d<\/p>\n

Proud that he had anticipated what was needed, Hop Sing beamed and reached for the metal coffee pot with a padded holder.\u00a0 Taking a tin cup from a peg above the open fireplace to his left, he poured in the hot brew.\u00a0 \u201cMuch people come later, I think,\u201d he explained, \u201cso Hop Sing save good china for visitors, yes?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam smiled in appreciation of the cook\u2019s thoughtfulness.\u00a0 \u201cYes.\u00a0 Thanks for thinking ahead, Hop Sing.\u00a0 You don\u2019t know how much it helps.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHop Sing know,\u201d the diminutive Cantonese said softly.\u00a0 He\u2019d seen death many times in China, from natural disaster, starvation and domestic revolts, but this was no time to speak of the hardships that had brought him to America.\u00a0 The young man sipping his coffee had hardship enough of his own this sad day, and Hop Sing wanted only to ease the load.\u00a0 \u201cMr. Ben up yet?\u201d he asked as he laid strips of bacon in the cast-iron skillet.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think so; I don\u2019t know when he will be.\u201d\u00a0 Or if<\/em>, Adam might have added.\u00a0 After Inger died, his father had barely been able to put one foot in front of the other, only doing so because they had to keep pace with the other wagons or be left alone in that savage desert country.<\/p>\n

\u201cLittle boys?\u201d Hop Sing asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re still asleep, and I plan to let them sleep as late as they can,\u201d Adam said, setting down the empty cup and waving his hand to refuse the second cup the cook offered to pour.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat be good,\u201d Hop Sing agreed, turning back to the stove.\u00a0 \u201cI fixee food for them when they leady.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks, Hop Sing.\u201d\u00a0 Adam opened the kitchen door and stepped into the yard.\u00a0 A shudder went through him as his eyes fell on the spot where his stepmother had fallen, and he shut his eyes to block out the grim vision.\u00a0 Intending to get a start on the morning chores while his breakfast was cooking, he walked over to the barn and was surprised to see two of the hands already at work.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s all taken care of, sir,\u201d Carlton said when he saw the young man.\u00a0 \u201cYou just see to the family today.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks, Hank,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 He wandered back outside and was halfway across the yard when he realized that he really didn\u2019t know what Hank had meant.\u00a0 The barn chores, obviously, were being taken care of, but what about the other work of the ranch?\u00a0 Adam sighed.\u00a0 No, Hank wouldn\u2019t have taken that responsibility upon himself.\u00a0 He was a good man, one Adam was coming to respect more by the day, but he was relatively new to the Ponderosa and had no real authority.<\/p>\n

The man who did rode into the yard as Adam stood there in thought.\u00a0 \u201cHey, Adam,\u201d Enos Montgomery called as he dismounted and led his horse to the hitching rail.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re up and out early, boy.\u00a0 Your pa inside?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam tucked his hands in his back pockets.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, but he\u2019s still asleep.\u201d<\/p>\n

The ranch foreman, still lean and lanky as when he\u2019d traveled west with the Larrimore train, laughed. \u00a0\u201cAsleep?\u00a0 At this hour?\u00a0 Don\u2019t think I\u2019ve ever seen Ben Cartwright lay abed this late.\u00a0 You\u2019re pullin\u2019 my leg, aren\u2019t you, boy?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cSomething happened here last night, Enos,\u201d he said, eyes fixed on the ground.\u00a0 \u201cSomething bad.\u201d<\/p>\n

The young man\u2019s solemn demeanor troubled the foreman.\u00a0 \u201cWhat is it, son?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam took a deep breath.\u00a0 \u201cThere was an accident.\u201d<\/p>\n

Concern flickered across Enos\u2019s angular face.\u00a0 \u201cYour pa ain\u2019t hurt, is he?\u00a0 That why he\u2019s in bed?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam shook his head and forced himself to look up.\u00a0 \u201cNot him.\u00a0 Marie.\u00a0 She . . . fell from her horse when she came in last night . . . riding too fast, like always.\u201d<\/p>\n

Strong fingers gripped the young man\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cIs she bad hurt?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam looked toward the house, mostly because he didn\u2019t want to see pity spring into the foreman\u2019s blue eyes.\u00a0 \u201cShe\u2019s . . . dead.\u201d<\/p>\n

The grip tightened, and Enos\u2019s voice was choked as he said, \u201cNo.\u00a0 Don\u2019t seem possible.\u00a0 She was at my place just last night, teasing me about taking Katerina out in the moonlight.\u00a0 I\u2014I\u2019m sorry, Adam, sorrier than I know how to say, boy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you,\u201d Adam murmured perfunctorily, wondering how many times today he\u2019d be saying those words.\u00a0 He looked up at the foreman.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2014there\u2019s things that need to be done, and, well, you\u2019re the foreman.\u00a0 I guess you\u2019re here to talk to Pa about his plans for the ranch today, but I don\u2019t think he can.\u00a0 I\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

Seeing that the young man was close to breaking down, Enos steered him toward the front door.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s go inside, son, and you and me will talk about what needs doing.\u00a0 Between us, we can figure it out, I reckon.\u00a0 No need to bother your pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, yes.\u00a0 Thank you,\u201d Adam said again, beginning to hate the babbling sound of those repeated words.<\/p>\n

Hop Sing came to the kitchen door.\u00a0 \u201cBleakfast leady, Mr. Adam,\u201d he called.\u00a0 \u201cYou come eat now, please.\u00a0 Mr. Enos, you want something, too, maybe-so?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, thanks, Hop Sing,\u201d the young foreman said as they turned toward the kitchen.\u00a0 \u201cThe wife fed me before I left, but if you got a cup of hot coffee, I\u2019ll take that.\u00a0 Me and the young boss here got some talkin\u2019 to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s head jolted up.\u00a0 Young boss, huh?\u00a0 Was that what he was now?\u00a0 There was a time when hearing that title from one of the men, not to mention the ranch foreman, would have thrilled him.\u00a0 Now he would gladly have foregone the privilege, just to have his father filling his rightful place as boss of the Ponderosa.<\/p>\n

He went through the door and, seeing the filled plate on the work table in the kitchen, picked it up and carried it into the dining room.\u00a0 Hop Sing poured two cups of coffee and handed them to Enos Montgomery.\u00a0 The foreman followed Adam into the dining room, where Adam was sitting in his accustomed place at the foot of the table.\u00a0 Enos sat down at Adam\u2019s left and took one sip of his coffee before speaking.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve got a good feel for where the ranch stands and what to do to keep it going \u2018til things settle down a bit,\u201d he said, \u201cso you leave that to me, son.\u00a0 You got anyone you can count on up at the lumber camps?\u00a0 You could put in a thimble what I know about that business.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam broke a piece of bacon in half.\u00a0 \u201cI can count on Jake Webber at my camp,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cI just need to get word to him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe got hands we can send on errands like that,\u201d Enos suggested.\u00a0 \u201cHow about the camp your pa usually runs?\u201d<\/p>\n

Swallowing a bite of bacon, Adam shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t really know many of the men there.\u00a0 Pa handled that operation strictly by himself, never even talked about it, except in general ways.\u201d<\/p>\n

Enos nodded grimly.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll ride up there then,\u201d he offered.\u00a0 \u201cLike I said, I know nothin\u2019 about lumber, but I can usually size a man up pretty well.\u00a0 If you\u2019re willing, I\u2019ll scout out a man I think can manage things a day or two and leave him in charge.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat sounds like a plan,\u201d Adam agreed gratefully.\u00a0 \u201cIt helps, just to talk things out like this, Enos.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure.\u00a0 Glad to.\u201d\u00a0 Enos leaned forward, his face earnest.\u00a0 \u201cWant to help all I can, son.\u00a0 Your pa\u2014your whole family\u2014you all mean the world to me.\u201d\u00a0 He took another sip of coffee.\u00a0 \u201cThat should take care of the ranch.\u00a0 I reckon there\u2019s folks you\u2019ll want to let know what happened.\u00a0 Just tell me who, and I\u2019ll find some men to send wherever they need to go.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Thomases first.\u00a0 Pa and I agreed that Nelly was the best to help with . . . with the arrangements.\u201d\u00a0 Adam stirred his scrambled egg thoughtfully.\u00a0 \u201cI guess Mrs. Dettenrieder will want to be at the funeral, but I don\u2019t know when that\u2019ll be yet, and Dayton\u2019s a long ride.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019ll keep, then,\u201d Enos said, \u201cbut I\u2019d best have the man who rides to Carson City let the doc know, too\u2014and Sheriff Blackburn.\u00a0 He\u2019s the closest law, I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam looked up, and his eyebrows came together as his forehead furrowed.\u00a0 \u201cThe law?\u00a0 Why do we need the law?\u00a0 It was an accident!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd it\u2019s best to get that set down official,\u201d Enos said patiently, reaching over to touch the young man\u2019s forearm.\u00a0 \u201cThat way there won\u2019t be no questions later.\u00a0 The doc can examine the body, and you\u2014or your pa\u2014can tell the sheriff what happened.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, God!\u201d\u00a0 His appetite suddenly gone, Adam pushed the plate away.\u00a0 Was there no end to what he had to take over for his father?\u00a0 \u201cWill they take my word?\u00a0 I didn\u2019t really see what happened . . . just heard the horse ride up and a scream . . . and when I ran out, I saw her . . . lying there . . . dead.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd your pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was outside.\u00a0 He saw,\u201d Adam said with a shake of his head, \u201cbut he\u2019s\u2014I don\u2019t know if he can.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI reckon the sheriff will want to talk to him, then, if he\u2019s the one saw it,\u201d Enos said.\u00a0 \u201cKnowin\u2019 your pa\u2019s high standin\u2019 hereabouts, I reckon they\u2019ll take his word, though.\u00a0 Don\u2019t fret so, boy.\u00a0 Your pa\u2019s a strong man.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIs he?\u201d Adam asked absently.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe is.\u201d\u00a0 Enos pushed Adam\u2019s plate back toward him.\u00a0 He waited until he saw the young man take a bite and then asked, \u201cYou want me to send someone to the preacher?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPreacher?\u201d\u00a0 Adam stared blankly at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cReverend Bennett, over to Washoe City,\u201d Enos amplified.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s where you folks worship, ain\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cNot Marie; she was Catholic.\u201d<\/p>\n

Enos shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s the livin\u2019 that need comfort, and none of you are Catholic, are you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam wasn\u2019t sure what he was, but he said, \u201cNo, guess not.\u00a0 Guess maybe we should tell the Reverend Bennett, whether he performs the service or not.\u00a0 Maybe he could help Pa.\u201d\u00a0 He rubbed his temple with both hands.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t even know if her priest would come, anyway, feeling the way he did about her marriage to Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSomeone ought to ask, I guess,\u201d Enos said, \u201cbut that\u2019s not a job for ranch hands, son.\u00a0 Ought to be family that talks to the priest.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meaning me<\/em>, Adam realized with a groan.<\/p>\n

Enos hung his head.\u00a0 \u201cSorry, boy.\u00a0 Wish I could\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam looked up quickly.\u00a0 \u201cNo, don\u2019t feel bad, Enos.\u00a0 You\u2019ve helped so much, but you can\u2019t do everything.\u201d<\/p>\n

The foreman again reached over with a supportive hand.\u00a0 \u201cNeither can you, boy.\u00a0 Just you remember that.\u00a0 Wait \u2018til Mrs. Thomas gets here and ask her advice about the church question.\u201d\u00a0 He stood up.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll get men posted to Carson and Washoe City and head on up to the lumber camp.\u00a0 Anybody else you want told?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam started to say no.\u00a0 Then a face flashed before his eyes.\u00a0 \u201cRoss,\u201d he murmured.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d like Ross Marquette to know\u2014and to come if he can break free.\u201d<\/p>\n

Enos nodded, understanding the young man\u2019s need of a friend to lean on.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019ll come,\u201d he said confidently.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam turned at the sound of the plaintive voice behind him and saw Hoss standing on the stair landing, bare legs protruding from beneath his blue-striped nightshirt.\u00a0 \u201cHey, buddy,\u201d he called.\u00a0 \u201cSleep okay?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss rubbed at his eyes.\u00a0 \u201cI reckon.\u00a0 Is it okay to come down?\u00a0 I\u2019m kinda hungry.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam smiled sympathetically.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll bet you are.\u00a0 Come on down, and we\u2019ll get you fixed up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Enos stood up.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll see myself out, Adam, and I\u2019ll tell Hop Sing the youngun needs some breakfast on the way out.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks again, Enos.\u201d\u00a0 The words came easily this time, for the foreman\u2019s help had been sincerely appreciated.<\/p>\n

Hoss padded hesitantly across the room and took the chair that Enos had vacated.<\/p>\n

\u201cLittle Joe still asleep?\u201d Adam asked, taking another bite of his own breakfast.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss twisted the hem of his nightshirt as one foot twined around the chair leg.\u00a0 \u201cI kinda thought it was all a bad dream \u2018til I saw him sleepin\u2019 in my bed and it all came back.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam stared out the window across from him, behind the chair where his father normally sat.\u00a0 \u201cI had a moment like that myself this morning, when it didn\u2019t seem real.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah?\u201d\u00a0 Hoss looked surprised.\u00a0 Adam had seemed so calm the night before, like nothing, however bad, could set him off-balance\u2014just like he seemed now, poking in eggs, one bite after another, as if nothing had changed.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t seem right, somehow, to feed my face when . . . when . . .\u201d<\/p>\n

Having eaten enough to satisfy his hunger, Adam pushed his plate away and leaned forward to touch Hoss\u2019s arm.\u00a0 \u201cI know how hard it is, buddy,\u201d he began, but stopped when Hoss jerked away.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t know nothin\u2019!\u201d Hoss snapped.\u00a0 \u201cShe wasn\u2019t your ma; you didn\u2019t even want her!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss!\u201d Adam cried, shocked.\u00a0 \u201cHow can you say that?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI remember,\u201d Hoss sputtered.\u00a0 \u201cI \u2018member you pullin\u2019 down my ma\u2019s picture from the mantel\u2014the one up in heaven\u2014the other one up in heaven, I mean\u2014and you said\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know what I said,\u201d Adam returned sharply.\u00a0 Then he fought down his indignation at the accusation\u2014all too deserved in those difficult early days, though it hadn\u2019t come then\u2014and forced himself to speak gently.\u00a0 \u201cI really hurt you back then, didn\u2019t I, Hoss?\u00a0 And I never said I was sorry, but you must know I was.\u00a0 It took me a lot longer than you, but I loved her, too.\u00a0 I\u201d\u2014Adam turned away, not wanting Hoss to see the tears filling his eyes.<\/p>\n

He looked up when he felt a light touch on his elbow and glanced back to see Hoss standing beside him.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d the younger boy said.\u00a0 \u201cIt did hurt, back then, when you was so mean to her, but I know you changed.\u00a0 I just never heard you say you loved her, Adam, so I didn\u2019t figure you was hurtin\u2019 much as me and Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Eyes shimmering, Adam turned around and caught his solidly built little brother around the torso.\u00a0 \u201cOh, Hoss,\u201d he croaked and let the tears unashamedly roll down his cheeks.\u00a0 She never heard it, either.\u00a0 Oh, Mama!<\/em><\/p>\n

The two brothers clung to each other, heart speaking to heart, until Hop Sing came in and placed a plate of hot bacon, eggs and biscuits before Hoss, as well as sliding a biscuit onto Adam\u2019s plate.<\/p>\n

Though he had thought his appetite assuaged, Adam couldn\u2019t resist the appeal of that hot bread.\u00a0 Taking his knife, he split the biscuit and slid a slice of butter into the fluffy center. \u00a0\u201cHoss, I hope you won\u2019t ever say anything again about the way I treated Marie when she first came,\u201d he said as he waited for the butter to melt.\u00a0 \u201cI had changed by the time Little Joe came along, and I don\u2019t want him ever to know that I felt that way about his mother.\u00a0 He wouldn\u2019t understand, and it would hurt him badly, worse than it did you then.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI won\u2019t tell,\u201d Hoss promised.<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks.\u201d\u00a0 Adam took a bite of biscuit, chewed and swallowed.\u00a0 \u201cI really appreciated your help with him last night, Hoss, and I\u2019m gonna need to lean on you for awhile.\u00a0 It\u2019s gonna be up to you and me to help Little Joe\u2014and each other\u2014because Pa\u2019s so upset himself he just can\u2019t.\u00a0 You know how much he loved Marie . . . Mama.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mouth full, Hoss just nodded.\u00a0 He swallowed the bite of egg.\u00a0 \u201cYou want I should go up and sit with Little Joe \u2018til he wakes up, so\u2019s he won\u2019t be alone?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam smiled in appreciation, but he shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cNo, you just finish your breakfast, and then you can go upstairs and get washed up and dressed.\u00a0 If Joe\u2019s not awake by then, I\u2019ll come up and stay with him awhile.\u00a0 You need to take care of Klamath and see if any of your other chores need doing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGuess they all do,\u201d Hoss chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cI ain\u2019t done a one yet.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHank said he\u2019d take care of things out there,\u201d Adam explained, \u201cbut he might have missed some of the little chores, like gathering eggs, for instance.\u00a0 Just check and see.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss washed his meal down with a tall glass of milk and trotted upstairs to change.<\/p>\n

Adam took advantage of the brief break between responsibilities to get out of the clothes he\u2019d slept in all night and to have a quick shave, a little too quick, he decided when he cut a place beneath his right ear.\u00a0 Wearing only his brown slacks, he held a towel to his jaw, to stop the bleeding.<\/p>\n

Hoss peeked in through the open doorway. \u201cLittle Joe\u2019s stirrin\u2019 around some, but still sleepin\u2019,\u201d he reported.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, I\u2019ll see to him,\u201d Adam said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou okay?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLittle nick, that\u2019s all.\u201d\u00a0 Adam dabbed at the cut, glad to see the towel come away clean this time.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s nothing, Hoss, not even bleeding now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay.\u00a0 I\u2019m gonna find Klamath,\u201d Hoss said.<\/p>\n

Adam nodded and tossed the towel down beside his washbasin.\u00a0 He drew on a clean tan shirt and took a pair of dark socks from the top drawer.\u00a0 Staring at them, he shook his head.\u00a0 No, not yet.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t bear the thought of putting anything on his feet yet, not after sleeping in boots and socks all night.\u00a0 Grabbing up his boots, he took them and the socks into the opposite bedroom and set them in the floor beside the bed.<\/p>\n

He smiled down at his little brother, lying sprawled on his tummy with one of what Nelly Thomas called \u201ccuddle critters\u201d tucked under his right arm and one resting above his head on the pillow.\u00a0 Who\u2019s missing?<\/em> Adam asked himself.\u00a0 Oh, Bun-bun.\u00a0 Now, where could that little rabbit be hiding?<\/em>\u00a0 He lifted the sheet, the only cover remaining over Little Joe, and pulled the missing member of Joe\u2019s menagerie from beneath his brother\u2019s small foot.<\/p>\n

He tucked the animal under Little Joe\u2019s arm, holding his breath as his little brother squirmed a little, but then settled back into sleep.\u00a0 Arms reaching toward the wall behind him, Adam yawned widely.\u00a0 Maybe it wouldn\u2019t hurt to lie down a few minutes<\/em>, just \u2018til Joe wakes up.\u00a0 Might even do me some good<\/em>.\u00a0 Stretching out on top of the covers, Adam laid his head on Hoss\u2019s pillow and closed his eyes.\u00a0 His long lashes lifted for a moment when he felt Little Joe cuddle up against him, but seeing that the child was still asleep, he lowered them again and drifted off himself, one hand resting on his brother\u2019s soft curls.<\/p>\n

To Adam, it felt like only moments before a hand was shaking his shoulder.\u00a0 Alarmed by the unfamiliar touch, he jolted awake and bolted upright.<\/p>\n

Disconcerted by the reaction, Hop Sing took a step back.\u00a0 \u201cSo solly, Mr. Adam,\u201d he murmured, eyes lowered, \u201cbut thought you want know Mr. Ross come.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam quickly swung his legs over the side of the bed.\u00a0 \u201cOh, thanks, Hop Sing.\u00a0 I\u2019m glad you woke me.\u201d\u00a0 He bent over to snatch his socks from the floor, unfolded them and began to slip one over his right foot.\u00a0 \u201cTell him\u201d\u2014he stopped, looking anxiously back at Little Joe.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou want Hop Sing stay with little boy?\u201d asked the cook, discerning the young man\u2019s concern.<\/p>\n

\u201cWould you?\u201d Adam requested.\u00a0 \u201cHe probably won\u2019t sleep much longer, but I don\u2019t want him to wake up alone, not this first day.\u201d\u00a0 The hardest day.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cHop Sing stay.\u201d\u00a0 The Chinaman pulled a chair close to the bed and sat down.<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks.\u201d\u00a0 Adam hastily pulled on his boots and hurried downstairs.\u00a0 He saw Ross sitting on the settee.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, Adam,\u201d Ross called softly.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, Ross,\u201d Adam returned.\u00a0 He walked over and sat down next to his friend, and for several long minutes neither spoke.\u00a0 Finally, Adam said, \u201cI hope it didn\u2019t put you out, asking you to come.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNaw, not a bit.\u00a0 Didn\u2019t have a thing to do but chores.\u201d\u00a0 Ross grinned a little.\u00a0 Then, remembering the soberness of the occasion, his smile faded.\u00a0 \u201cSorry.\u00a0 Didn\u2019t mean to make light.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what you\u2019re here for,\u201d Adam returned gently.\u00a0 \u201cJust having you here makes the load a little lighter, Ross.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGlad I can be, then,\u201d Ross said, relaxing.\u00a0 \u201cMa wanted me to wait \u2018til she had a chance to cook up some grub to send, but I wanted to come straight off, and\u2014wonder of wonders\u2014Pa sided with me.\u00a0 Said I\u2019d been sent for, and it wasn\u2019t right to dawdle at a time such as . . .\u201d\u00a0 His voice tapered off, as he hesitated to bring up any reminder of the tragedy that had brought him here.\u00a0 Suddenly, he leaned forward, folded hands dropping between his legs.\u00a0 \u201cDoggone it, Adam.\u00a0 I ain\u2019t much help for such as this, but I\u2019d sure like to be.\u201d\u00a0 He turned to face his friend.\u00a0 \u201cJust tell me what I can do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam leaned his head against the back of the settee.\u00a0 \u201cJust stay . . . close,\u201d he whispered.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s hard right now\u201d\u2014he licked his lips\u2014\u201dand I think it\u2019s gonna get worse before it gets better.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Ross murmured, thinking of the difficult days after his own brother\u2019s death.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, you got that right.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hop Sing appeared at the top of the stairs, holding Little Joe, nightshirt-clad and barefoot.\u00a0 \u201cLittle boy want brother,\u201d he said, deliberately failing to mention that Adam had been the third name the child asked for.<\/p>\n

Adam got up at once and, meeting them at the foot of the stairs, took Little Joe in his arms.\u00a0 \u201cMorning, baby,\u201d he said, pressing a light kiss to his brother\u2019s cheek.\u00a0 \u201cYou had a nice long sleep, didn\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe said nothing, just laid his head on his big brother\u2019s shoulder and popped his thumb in his mouth.<\/p>\n

As he had the night before, Adam calmly removed it.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s not something\u201d\u2014he broke off abruptly, for he had been about to finish by saying \u201csomething Mama would like to see.\u201d\u00a0 Starting over, he said gently, \u201cThat\u2019s not something big boys do, Little Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

With a trace of typical defiance, Little Joe put the thumb right back, sucking noisily.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, all right,\u201d Adam sighed, moving toward the settee.\u00a0 Evidently, the baby was finding some comfort in that thumb, and he didn\u2019t want to make a battle over its removal.\u00a0 He had battles enough to fight already.\u00a0 Shrugging at Ross, he sat down beside his friend.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, there, little fella,\u201d Ross said, brushing the tangled gold-brown tresses.<\/p>\n

Momentarily distracted, Little Joe looked up.\u00a0 \u201cHey, Ross.\u00a0 Why you here?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ross cut a quick glance at Adam.\u00a0 \u201cI just come for a visit.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh.\u201d\u00a0 Little Joe looked around the room.\u00a0 \u201cWhere\u2019s Hoss?\u201d he demanded.<\/p>\n

\u201cOutside,\u201d Adam answered.<\/p>\n

Little Joe peered intently into his older brother\u2019s eyes.\u00a0 \u201cHe not go heaven?\u201d he asked, his voice tiny and trembling.<\/p>\n

Adam clutched the child to his chest.\u00a0 \u201cNo, baby, no.\u00a0 Hoss is just outside with Klamath.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWanna see,\u201d Joe insisted.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay.\u201d\u00a0 Adam stood up and walked to the front door, whispering soothing words in the baby\u2019s ear.<\/p>\n

When the two brothers had passed outside, Ross looked up at Hop Sing.\u00a0 \u201cBoy, this is gonna be one tough day.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hop Sing nodded and moved toward the kitchen, the swish of his soft slippers the only sound in the room.<\/p>\n

Feeling uncomfortable alone in the great empty room, Ross stood up and after pacing a bit, followed his friend outside.\u00a0 On the porch to the left he spotted the three brothers, Little Joe clinging desperately to Hoss\u2019s neck and Adam standing over them like the guardian angel in a picture Ross had seen in his mother\u2019s Bible.\u00a0 Ross moved to the porch and rested a hand on Adam\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 Adam looked across at him, eyes full of gratitude for the silent support.<\/p>\n

Both young men turned at the sound of hooves and wheels behind them.\u00a0 Adam immediately moved toward the buckboard driven by Katerina Montgomery, and Ross, sensing that his friend might want to speak to the lady alone, asked, \u201cHey, Hoss, you taught that pup any tricks?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAw, Klam ain\u2019t much for tricks, Ross,\u201d Hoss admitted with a shrug, but he glanced up with a proud little smile as he added, \u201cHe can\u00a0 fetch right smart, though.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure like to see it,\u201d Ross said.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s go find us a good throwin\u2019 stick, what you say?\u201d\u00a0 He scooped up Little Joe and headed off toward the trees behind the house, Hoss trotting alongside.<\/p>\n

Katerina threw her arms around Adam as soon as he helped her down from the wagon.\u00a0 \u201cOh, Adam, it\u2019s a terrible thing!\u00a0 I\u2019m so sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam instinctively closed his arms around the young woman, but his movements were awkward, stiff.<\/p>\n

Sensing his discomfort, Katerina moved out of his embrace and cupped his elbows in her slender palms.\u00a0 \u201cHow are you holding up, Adam?\u00a0 How\u2019s your pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam ignored the first question and answered the second.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s not doing well.\u00a0 It\u2019s like\u2014like the way he was on the trail after Inger . . .\u201d<\/p>\n

And that makes it harder on you, my young friend<\/em>, Katerina surmised, but not wanting to embarrass Adam, who was so obviously trying to hold his own emotions in check, she kept the thought to herself.\u00a0 \u201cI remember,\u201d she whispered simply, blue eyes filling with compassion.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe hasn\u2019t even left his room this morning, hasn\u2019t eaten.\u00a0 Maybe I should try to get him . . .\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Katerina advised.\u00a0 \u201cYou have enough on your shoulders, Adam, from what Enos told me.\u00a0 There\u2019s others your pa might listen to quicker.\u00a0 Let them help.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam nodded in appreciation of the advice.\u00a0 Smiling slightly, he said, \u201cLet me help you, then, if that food\u2019s intended to go in the house.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is.\u201d\u00a0 Katerina took the lightweight basket herself, letting Adam lift the small crate.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s not much, just what I could put together on short notice, mostly leftovers from . . .\u201d\u00a0 She tapered off, not wanting to mention the quilting bee yesterday for fear it would bring back to mind the tragic end to that gathering.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t need food, really,\u201d Adam said as he walked toward the kitchen door.<\/p>\n

Katerina forced a light laugh.\u00a0 \u201cOh, Adam, you need it more than you know!\u00a0 The way Ben Cartwright is thought of in the territory, there\u2019s bound to be people in and out over the next few days, and you can\u2019t send them home hungry, distances being what they are.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam smiled ruefully.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re right; I wasn\u2019t thinking.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd good as Hop Sing is, he won\u2019t be able to keep up alone.\u201d\u00a0 She touched his arm with her free hand.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t worry.\u00a0 I\u2019m here to help, whatever you need, and there\u2019ll be others, too, I know.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam nodded as Katerina opened the door and held it for him.\u00a0 There would be others, ready and more than willing to lend a hand: Enos and Katerina, Clyde and Nelly, Billy if they could get word to him, Ross, Doc Martin, the preacher and the Ponderosa hands.\u00a0 Though his heart was still heavy, Adam took comfort in the long list of friends he could call on.<\/p>\n

Hop Sing looked up from the stove as the two young people walked in.\u00a0 \u201cOh, Missy Kat\u2019lina, velly good you come.\u201d<\/p>\n

Katerina set the basket on the work table and turned to smile at him.\u00a0 \u201cWhy don\u2019t you just call me Kat, like Enos does, Hop Sing?\u00a0 It\u2019s easier.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hop Sing cocked his head, looking to Adam for confirmation.\u00a0 \u201cDat all light?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s respectful, since she asks,\u201d Adam assured him, recognizing the real concern behind the Chinaman\u2019s query.<\/p>\n

Hop Sing smiled in relief.\u00a0 \u201cAll light.\u00a0 Missy Kat, den; dat be easier.\u201d<\/p>\n

Katerina stepped to the stove.\u00a0 \u201cAnd I\u2019m here to make things easier any way I can. \u00a0What are you cooking here, Hop Sing?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLittle Joe bleakfast,\u201d the cook replied, pouring batter into the hot skillet.\u00a0 \u201cWhere little boy, Mr. Adam?\u00a0 Food \u2018most leady.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam moved toward the kitchen door.\u00a0 \u201cI left him on the porch with Ross and Hoss.\u201d\u00a0 The sound of a giggle stopped him in his tracks.<\/p>\n

Katerina was trying to stifle the merry sound behind her fingers.\u00a0 \u201cRoss and Hoss,\u201d she choked out when the others continued to stare at her.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Adam, but it struck me funny, the way it rhymes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam grinned, drawing fresh strength as the lighter moment blew away some of the heavy shroud of gloom that had hovered over the house since the evening before.\u00a0 He opened the door, intending to call to his brothers, but frowned when he saw the empty porch. \u00a0\u201cNow, where could they have gone?\u201d he muttered.<\/p>\n

Katerina spun around.\u00a0 \u201cOh, didn\u2019t you see?\u00a0 They went around the side of the house, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks.\u201d\u00a0 Adam stepped outside, shutting the door and headed across the yard.\u00a0 As he rounded the corner into the side yard, he could hear his middle brother calling out encouragement to Klamath, and following his ears, he found the trio of boys with the dog at the back of the house.\u00a0 He snatched Little Joe from behind and lifted him onto his shoulders for a piggyback ride.\u00a0 \u201cTime to come in and eat,\u201d he replied to the child\u2019s squeal of protest.<\/p>\n

Not having eaten the night before, breakfast sounded good to Little Joe, and he went willingly, especially since his playmates trailed along behind.<\/p>\n

Adam ducked as he went through the doorway into the kitchen.\u00a0 As he lifted the child over his head, he noticed the dirty bare feet and the dusty hem of Little Joe\u2019s nightshirt and shook his head.\u00a0 Marie never let her baby play outside barefoot, and she prided herself on keeping him neat and clean.\u00a0 \u201cYou are a mess,\u201d Adam said as he set Little Joe down in a chair next to the worktable.\u00a0 \u201cI can see brother will need to give you a bath first thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, let me do that, Adam,\u201d Katerina offered.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d love to, really.\u201d<\/p>\n

Realizing that the doctor and sheriff might arrive before he could finish the task, Adam started to agree, but he was caught up short by the response of his youngest brother.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, thank you, Aunt Kat,\u201d Little Joe said politely.\u00a0 \u201cI wait for Mama.\u00a0 Mama always give me my bath.\u201d<\/p>\n

Everyone in the kitchen stared at the child, and Katerina\u2019s fingers flew to her lips.\u00a0 \u201cOh, Adam,\u201d she murmured.\u00a0 \u201cI thought you\u2019d told him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI did,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 He squatted beside his youngest brother\u2019s chair.\u00a0 \u201cWe talked about this last night, remember, Little Joe?\u00a0 You remember that Mama went to heaven, don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hop Sing quietly slid a plate with two hotcakes in front of the child and poured syrup over them.<\/p>\n

Little Joe at first ignored his brother, but when Adam posed the question again, he looked up.\u00a0 \u201cI \u2018member, but she be back soon.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam caught his brother\u2019s left hand, the one holding the fork.\u00a0 \u201cLittle Joe . . .\u201d he began.<\/p>\n

Hop Sing interrupted with a hand on the young man\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cLet little boy eat,\u201d he stated firmly.\u00a0 \u201cDen talk mo\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

Recognizing the wisdom of that suggestion, Adam stood, nodding his agreement to the cook.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow come Little Joe gets flapjacks and all I got was eggs and bacon?\u201d Hoss demanded, a petulant frown on his face.<\/p>\n

Arms akimbo, Hop Sing stared at the large child.\u00a0 \u201cBoy want mo\u2019 food, all he have do is ask.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI want flapjacks,\u201d Hoss muttered grumpily.<\/p>\n

\u201cSit down,\u201d Hop Sing said, pointing at the second chair by the table.\u00a0 \u201cI fix.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ross tossed an impish grin at the Chinese cook.\u00a0 \u201cDoes that offer go for bigger boys, too?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHop Sing never be through wi\u2019 bleakfast this rate,\u201d the little Oriental muttered, feigning disgruntlement, although he was actually pleased to see his cooking appreciated.\u00a0 \u201cI fixee mo\u2019 flapjack fo\u2019 you, Mr. Ross, but no mo\u2019 chairs here.\u00a0 Go dining loom, please.\u00a0 Missy Kat want, too?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, thank you, Hop Sing,\u201d the young German woman replied with a smile.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s only boys who have hollow legs.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cVelly hollow, all-a-time empty.\u201d\u00a0 Hop Sing turned back to the stove, smiling as he emitted a string of Cantonese phrases that sounded fierce, but were really words of supreme satisfaction.<\/p>\n

Ross headed for the dining room at once, and Katerina herded Adam that direction, too.\u00a0 \u201cI want to ask you something about the boys,\u201d she whispered.\u00a0 When the three young people were seated at the dining table, she leaned close to Adam.\u00a0 \u201cHave Hoss and Little Joe seen her yet?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe body?\u201d\u00a0 Adam shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cNo.\u00a0 I\u2014I haven\u2019t even done that myself . . . since she was out in the yard, I mean.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know if . . .\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt might help,\u201d the girl suggested.\u00a0 \u201cI remember when Papa died along the trail, it just wasn\u2019t real to me \u2018til I saw him, lying there so still.\u00a0 I was older than Little Joe, of course\u2014closer to Hoss\u2019s age now\u2014but it might help, Adam.\u00a0 It\u2019s obvious the poor baby doesn\u2019t understand.\u00a0 He thinks she\u2019s just on a trip.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBelievin\u2019 what he wants to believe,\u201d Ross put in.\u00a0 \u201cKinda went through that myself when my brother was took.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam closed his eyes, wondering where he\u2019d find the strength to get through this day that just seemed to get harder and harder with each passing minute.<\/p>\n

\u201cI could do it,\u201d Katerina offered hesitantly.<\/p>\n

Adam shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cNo, it needs to be\u201d\u2014Pa<\/em>, he thought, glancing toward the staircase; it needs to be Pa<\/em>\u2014\u201cme,\u201d he finished, knowing with certainty that no help would descend those stairs.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think that\u2019s best,\u201d the girl admitted.\u00a0 \u201cDo it as soon as they\u2019ve eaten, Adam, and then I\u2019ll take Little Joe up for his bath.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLittle boys almost done.\u201d\u00a0 Hop Sing slid a plate of hotcakes in front of Ross.\u00a0 \u201cI fixee bath light away, Missy Kat.\u201d\u00a0 Not waiting for thanks, he shuffled soundlessly back to the kitchen.<\/p>\n

A couple of minutes later Hoss walked in, holding Little Joe by the hand.\u00a0 \u201cHop Sing said you wanted to see us, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam reached out and Hoss moved into the circle of his arm.\u00a0 \u201cWould you like to see Mama?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cMama back?\u201d Little Joe asked, eyes lighting up.<\/p>\n

Adam gently touched the child\u2019s tousled curls.\u00a0 \u201cNo, Little Joe.\u00a0 That\u2019s not what brother meant.\u201d\u00a0 He looked back at Hoss and saw the boy\u2019s Adam\u2019s apple move up and down as he swallowed hard and then nodded.\u00a0 \u201cCome on, then.\u201d\u00a0 He took one brother in each hand and moved toward the bedroom, which opened into the dining area.\u00a0 He turned loose of Hoss\u2019s hand to open the door and let his middle brother go in first.<\/p>\n

There was no holding Little Joe back, though, when he saw his mother\u2019s face on the pillow.\u00a0 Jerking free, he ran to the side of the bed and patted her arm.\u00a0 \u201cWake up, Mama,\u201d he cried happily.\u00a0 \u201cI need bath.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss stopped at the foot of the bed, biting his lip anxiously and looking to Adam for guidance.<\/p>\n

\u201cGive me a minute,\u201d Adam told the older boy and squatted down to put an arm around the four-year-old.<\/p>\n

\u201cMake Mama wake up, Adam,\u201d Little Joe begged.<\/p>\n

Adam smoothed the child\u2019s rumpled hair.\u00a0 \u201cI can\u2019t, baby.\u00a0 Mama isn\u2019t just sleeping; she\u2019s gone away\u2014to heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Adam,\u201d the little boy protested, patting her cheek.\u00a0 \u201cMama here.\u201d\u00a0 He frowned at the coldness of her flesh.\u00a0 \u201cMama cold, Adam; need blanket.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam sat down on the rug beside the bed and pulled Little Joe into his lap.\u00a0 \u201cA blanket won\u2019t help, baby.\u00a0 Mama isn\u2019t really here anymore.\u201d\u00a0 He lifted Marie\u2019s hand.\u00a0 \u201cThis is just the house that Mama used to live in, but she doesn\u2019t live in it now.\u201d\u00a0 He let the hand fall to the mattress to illustrate the lifelessness of the empty shell.\u00a0 \u201cMama has a new house to live in, up in heaven, a brand new body that won\u2019t ever get sick or hurt again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss crept close and sat down next to Adam.\u00a0 \u201cI understand what you mean, Adam, but I don\u2019t think he does, do you, punkin?\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe wagged his head back and forth.\u00a0 He pointed to his mother.\u00a0 \u201cThat not house.\u00a0 This house.\u201d\u00a0 His hand swept around the walls and toward the ceiling.<\/p>\n

\u201cNaw, that ain\u2019t what Adam means.\u201d\u00a0 The youngster fought for words the baby would understand.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s like this, punkin: we got two parts, an outside and an inside.\u201d\u00a0 He lifted Little Joe\u2019s arm and ran his index finger up and down it.\u00a0 \u201cThis here\u2019s your outside part, the part we see, and it changes all the time\u2014like when you grow or get scratched up or dirty\u2014and it can get hurt and sick.\u201d\u00a0 He placed his hand over his younger brother\u2019s heart.\u00a0 \u201cBut you got a part inside, too, punkin, that don\u2019t change like that.\u00a0 It\u2019s the real you, the part that thinks and feels and loves and . . . just\u00a0 . . . is.\u201d\u00a0 He looked up at the bed.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s Mama\u2019s outside part there, but her inside part went on to heaven, so she don\u2019t need this outside part no more and just left it behind.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMama\u2019s inside part come back?\u201d\u00a0 Little Joe, chin quivering, looked to Adam.\u00a0 \u201cPlease?\u201d<\/p>\n

Blinking back tears, Adam shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cShe can\u2019t, baby.\u00a0 She would if she could \u2018cause she loves you so much, but once the inside part leaves, it can\u2019t get back in the outside part.\u00a0 It\u2019s like a door that\u2019s locked, and only God has the key.\u201d\u00a0 Too symbolic<\/em>, he chided himself.\u00a0 Keep it simple, like Hoss did<\/em>.\u00a0 Not really knowing what else to say, though, Adam pulled the child close to his chest and, feeling the slight form start to tremble, he murmured, \u201cGo ahead and cry, baby.\u00a0 Let it out.\u00a0 Don\u2019t keep the hurt inside.\u00a0 Let it all out and don\u2019t take any of it back in.\u00a0 You\u2019ll feel better.\u201d<\/p>\n

Slowly, Adam could feel his youngest brother begin to shake with noiseless sobs, and finally the tears came, dampening his shirt front.\u00a0 Adam rocked back and forth on the floor, encouraging the child to cry, not realizing until this moment that Joe hadn\u2019t done so before.\u00a0 The child had reacted the night before with anger and demands, but no healing tears.\u00a0 Katerina was right<\/em>, Adam realized; it wasn\u2019t real to him \u2018til now, maybe not fully yet, but it\u2019s coming<\/em>.<\/p>\n

As the sobbing slowed down, Adam pulled his little brother back and peered into the reddened eyes.\u00a0 Wiping away the last trickling tears, he asked, \u201cNow, how about that bath?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAunt Kat?\u201d Little Joe asked, and when Adam nodded, he did, too.<\/p>\n

Adam stood up and lifted the child into his arms.\u00a0 He looked down at his other brother, still sitting quietly in the floor, gazing at the face on the pillow.\u00a0 \u201cHoss, you okay?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss turned to look at his older brother.\u00a0 \u201cCan I stay awhile longer, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can stay as long as you want.\u00a0 Let me give Little Joe to Katerina, and I\u2019ll come back and stay with you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCan\u2019t I be alone with her, just a little while?\u201d Hoss demanded.<\/p>\n

Shocked by the anger coming from gentle Hoss, Adam laid a comforting hand on the sandy head.\u00a0 \u201cSure, buddy, if that\u2019s what you want.\u201d\u00a0 He carried his baby brother through the door, closing it behind him, and handed the boy to Katerina.\u00a0 Then he went upstairs to exchange his damp shirt for a dry one.<\/p>\n

As soon as the door closed, Hoss moved closer to the bed and got up on his knees to prop his elbows next to his mother.\u00a0 \u201cMa?\u201d he whispered.\u00a0 \u201cI know you ain\u2019t in there no more, but I figure you ain\u2019t gone far yet, so I\u2019m just gonna talk to you like you was still here, okay?\u00a0 I just wanted to tell you one more time that I love you, and I always will.\u00a0 You wasn\u2019t always my mama, but I \u2018member the day you came, and it was the happiest day ever.\u00a0 Guess this is \u2018bout the saddest.\u00a0 I miss you somethin\u2019 awful, Ma.\u201d<\/p>\n

He lowered his head to the covers and cried for a while; then he lifted his head and gazed lovingly at her face once more.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m gonna grow up good, just like you\u2019d want, Ma,\u201d he promised, \u201cand I\u2019m gonna do my best to help Little Joe grow up good, too.\u00a0 I won\u2019t never let nothin\u2019 hurt him, leastways if I can help it.\u00a0 He\u2019s hurtin\u2019 now, Ma, and I don\u2019t know \u2018xactly how to make it stop \u2018cause I\u2019m still hurtin\u2019, too, but I\u2019ll try.\u00a0 I promise you, I\u2019ll try, and Adam\u2019ll help, too.\u00a0 He did love you, Ma, even if he never said it.\u00a0 I thought you oughta know.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss sat back on his heels and wiped away the tears, satisfied that he\u2019d said what needed to be said and that his mother had heard him.<\/p>\n

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

A soft smile touched Adam\u2019s lips as he breathed in the sweet smell of his freshly bathed baby brother.\u00a0 Dressed in clean clothes, Little Joe was nestled in his lap, damp curls resting on his chest, while Hoss was huddled up against his side on the settee.\u00a0 Ross was sitting quietly in the mauve armchair to their left, not wanting to intrude on the peace of that scene or the comfort the brothers obviously were drawing from each other.\u00a0 Katerina and Hop Sing were at work in the kitchen, baking pies against an onslaught of well-wishers, and upstairs the Reverend Bennett was trying to bring some consolation to the distraught head of the family.<\/p>\n

Ross sprang to his feet when three solid knocks sounded on the front door.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll get it.\u201d\u00a0 He moved across the room with long strides and opened the door.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s Doc Martin,\u201d he called over his shoulder.\u00a0 As he caught sight of the square-built man with a badge pinned to his chest, who stood behind the doctor, he added softly, \u201cand a lawman, but it ain\u2019t Sheriff Blackburn.\u201d<\/p>\n

Closing his eyes, Adam took a deep breath and stood up, still holding Little Joe, and moved toward the door.<\/p>\n

Hoss scrambled up from the settee and rushed toward the man who had always been more friend than doctor to him.\u00a0 \u201cPau-pau,\u201d he sobbed, falling back on the name he\u2019d used in childhood as he threw his arms around Paul Martin.<\/p>\n

Paul knelt at once and took the boy in his arms, looking up at Adam and the child he was holding with silent compassion.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhich of you is the Cartwright boy?\u201d the unknown law officer asked, eyes moving from Ross to Adam.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am,\u201d Adam replied.\u00a0 \u201cPlease come in, sir.\u00a0 Would you care for some coffee?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCoffee would go well after that dusty ride, son,\u201d the deputy replied.\u00a0 He chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve always felt a certain kinship to a drink named after me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSir?\u201d Adam queried.<\/p>\n

\u201cCoffee,\u201d the lawman explained with a wry grin.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s my name\u2014Roy Coffee.\u00a0 Just signed on as deputy to Sheriff Blackburn, who\u2019s indisposed this afternoon, you might say.\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul Martin snorted, but said nothing, not deeming this the right time to discuss the foibles of the local sheriff.\u00a0 Indisposed, indeed!\u00a0 Once the most respected lawman in the region, John Blackburn had taken to heavy drinking, and the doctor had patched up more than one prominent citizen in Carson City who had aroused the sheriff\u2019s unruly temper.\u00a0 He\u2019d even heard that Blackburn had shot a prisoner, arrested on some minor offense, for failing to quit singing when ordered.\u00a0 The last thing the Cartwrights needed to deal with in their grief was a man of Blackburn\u2019s erratic temperament, and Dr. Martin had been pleased to learn that the new deputy sheriff would be handling the investigation.\u00a0 Though he\u2019d had no contact with the deputy prior to their riding out here together, that brief acquaintance indicated Coffee to be a decent, fair-minded man.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll tell Hop Sing,\u201d Ross offered.\u00a0 He reached for Little Joe.\u00a0 \u201cHow \u2018bout I take the younguns outside for a spell?\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul Martin stood up.\u00a0 \u201cThat would be best, I think, all things considered,\u201d he said, his hand still resting on Hoss\u2019s sandy head.\u00a0 \u201cGo help Ross with Little Joe now, son,\u201d he urged, \u201cand we\u2019ll visit more later.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, Doc,\u201d Hoss said, wiping his shirt sleeve across his eyes.\u00a0 He followed Ross, who was carrying his younger brother, into the kitchen, Ross delivering the request for coffee as they passed through.<\/p>\n

Following Adam\u2019s gesture, Deputy Coffee moved around the settee and took the seat Ross had recently vacated.\u00a0 \u201cFirst, let me say I\u2019m sorry to be bothering you at such a time as this, son.\u00a0 I\u2019ll keep it as short as possible, but there are a few questions that need to be asked.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam sucked in his chapped lips and made a conscious effort to relax as he worked them out again.\u00a0 \u201cI understand.\u201d<\/p>\n

Roy Coffee absently scratched his chin.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve asked the doctor here to act as coroner, so if you\u2019ll tell us where the body is, he can get right to his examination.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam inclined his head toward the room behind him.\u00a0 \u201cIn there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Martin rested a supporting hand on the young man\u2019s broad shoulder for a moment and then made his way into the downstairs bedroom.<\/p>\n

Katerina brought in a tray with three cups of coffee, leaving as soon as she\u2019d set it on the table before the fireplace.<\/p>\n

True to his word, Deputy Coffee kept his questioning brief and to the point.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll talk to the ranch hands you say were around at the time, just to confirm your story,\u201d he said, \u201calthough I have no doubt you\u2019ve spoken the truth, son.\u00a0 I really need to speak to your pa, too, if that\u2019s possible, him bein\u2019 the only one present when the lady was injured.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Reverend Bennett is with him now,\u201d Adam explained.\u00a0 \u201cIf you could wait \u2018til . . .\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCertainly,\u201d the deputy agreed at once, his attention focusing on the doctor as Paul Martin exited the bedroom where Marie lay.\u00a0 \u201cWere you able to determine the cause of death, doctor?\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul nodded grimly.\u00a0 \u201cHer neck was broken, consistent with a fall from a horse.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s other ways it could\u2019ve gotten broke, though,\u201d Coffee suggested.<\/p>\n

Paul\u2019s nostrils flared.\u00a0 \u201cNot in this family!\u201d<\/p>\n

The lawman raised his hands to ward off the anger.\u00a0 \u201cThat fits with all I\u2019ve ever heard,\u201d he admitted. \u201cAin\u2019t never heard a bad word spoken about Cartwright in the brief time I\u2019ve been in the territory\u2014to the contrary, in fact\u2014but I try to be impartial when I\u2019m investigating a violent death, doctor.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, of course,\u201d Paul Martin sighed as he took a cup of coffee from the tray and sat down beside Adam.\u00a0 \u201cCertainly, there are other ways a neck can be broken, but the contusion on her right temple, while not conclusive, also confirms a fall.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe horse was standing right there; all the men saw it,\u201d Adam sputtered through gritted teeth.<\/p>\n

\u201cExactly why I want to talk to them,\u201d the deputy said.<\/p>\n

Heavy steps came down the stairs, and the Reverend Bennett\u2019s head was bowed as if it were as heavy as his tread.\u00a0 As he came to the ground floor, he lifted sorrowful eyes to Adam\u2019s face.\u00a0 \u201cI tried,\u201d he said, \u2018but he\u2019s a broken man, beyond comfort.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know,\u201d Adam murmured.\u00a0 \u201cThank you, sir.\u201d\u00a0 In response to the minister\u2019s quizzical gaze at the others in the room, he introduced the doctor and the deputy.<\/p>\n

\u201cAny reason Mr. Cartwright can\u2019t be questioned now?\u201d Coffee asked, standing to his feet.<\/p>\n

The minister shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cNo, but, please, be gentle.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t intend anything else,\u201d the deputy said as he moved toward the stairs.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d like to come up with you,\u201d Dr. Martin said, rising from his seat.<\/p>\n

\u201cSure.\u00a0 Coroner\u2019s got a right.\u00a0 Might even be helpful,\u201d Coffee replied, and the two men mounted the stairs, one behind the other.<\/p>\n

Reverend Bennett moved toward the settee.\u00a0 \u201cI told your father I\u2019d perform the service, if he wanted,\u201d he said, \u201cand he seemed content with that.\u00a0 If you prefer another minister, of course . . .\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, personally I don\u2019t,\u201d Adam said, \u201cbut you know she wasn\u2019t Protestant.\u00a0 I haven\u2019t had a chance to speak with her priest yet, and, frankly, I don\u2019t know if he\u2019ll agree to come.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI realize it\u2019s a complicated situation,\u201d the minister said, laying a gentle hand on the young man\u2019s knee.\u00a0 \u201cJust let me know what you decide.\u201d\u00a0 He stood.\u00a0 \u201cPlease let me know when the service will be, at any rate; I will wish to attend.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you,\u201d Adam said, standing and moving toward the door to see the minister out.<\/p>\n

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

Paul Martin sat on the side of the bed, strong supportive arm around his friend.\u00a0 Deputy Sheriff Coffee had asked his questions, few and precise, and left.\u00a0 Ben, still in his robe though it was almost noon, had barely been able to answer even those simple questions, however, his words mumbled and barely coherent.\u00a0 Now, with the need to hold up in front of the lawman past, Ben had broken down entirely.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy?\u201d he asked through choking sobs.\u00a0 \u201cWhy?\u00a0 She was everything to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know, Ben; I know.\u201d\u00a0 Paul gently stroked the dark head buried in his chest, like the deputy keeping his words few, knowing Ben probably wouldn\u2019t hear even the ones he spoke, so lost was he in his grief.\u00a0 Paul remembered back to his first Christmas in what was then Utah Territory, remembered how his friend had reached down into the depths of his own pain over a similar loss, and he wished that he could provide the same sort of comfort Ben had given him then.\u00a0 Ben had forced him to look that pain square in the eye and come to grips with it, but it wasn\u2019t time for that yet.\u00a0 This loss was too fresh, too raw, for mere words to soothe, and confrontation was not the answer.\u00a0 Ben didn\u2019t need talk; he needed a shoulder to cry on.\u00a0 That Paul could offer, as a friend, but as a doctor he could give more.<\/p>\n

He stood and moved to the washstand.\u00a0 Tearing open a packet of sleeping powder, he emptied it into a glass, poured water from the pitcher into it and stirred.\u00a0 He came back to the bed and handed the glass to his friend.\u00a0 \u201cDrink this, Ben,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cThen lie down and get some rest.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRest?\u201d a blank-eyed Ben babbled, as though the concept were foreign to him.\u00a0 He glanced at the empty pillow beside his own barely used one.\u00a0 \u201cWithout her?\u00a0 How can I . . . ever again?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDrink this, Ben,\u201d the doctor urged.\u00a0 \u201cIt will help, I promise.\u201d<\/p>\n

Obedient as a child, Ben drank.<\/p>\n

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

Ross, who\u2019d been occupying the younger boys with an energetic game of chase, snatched up Little Joe when a buggy pulled into the yard.\u00a0 Adam had told him more than once about the youngster\u2019s propensity for rushing toward any horse within view, and he didn\u2019t want his friend to have to deal with another nasty accident.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, it\u2019s Aunt Nelly,\u201d Hoss cried, moving with his usual caution toward the vehicle.<\/p>\n

Nelly reined the horse up sharply and opened her arms to the boy who still seemed like a son to her, even though she had relinquished that role to another.\u00a0 \u201cSunshine!\u201d she cried as she pulled him into an embrace.\u00a0 \u201cOh, my poor Sunshine.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tears flushed Hoss\u2019s eyes, but he blinked them back.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s awful hard, Aunt Nelly, but I gotta be brave\u2014for Little Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nelly squeezed him tighter, her brown eyes warm with compassion as they fell on the little boy in Ross\u2019s arms.\u00a0 \u201cThe little lamb,\u201d she murmured tenderly.\u00a0 Accepting Hoss\u2019s help, she stepped down from the buggy and reached up to pat Little Joe\u2019s cheek.\u00a0 While her feeling for the youngest Cartwright was not quite the same as for the boy she had, in part, helped to raise in his earliest years, her heart went out to Little Joe, so young to bear such a loss.\u00a0 Just the age of my Bobby when he was took<\/em>, she remembered.\u00a0 As she imagined how her little four-year-old might have felt had she been the one taken, instead of him, that connection knit her soul still closer to the little boy in Ross\u2019s arms.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t know you had a buggy, Aunt Nelly,\u201d Hoss said.<\/p>\n

Nelly smiled down at him.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t, Sunshine.\u00a0 I rented this from the livery, just for the day.\u00a0 Uncle Clyde will be bringing the buckboard when he and Inger come.\u00a0 He\u2019s ridden out to see if Billy can get free and let some other friends know, and my girl\u2019s cookin\u2019 up a passel of food.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cKaterina and Hop Sing are in the kitchen, cookin\u2019 up a storm, too,\u201d Hoss informed her.<\/p>\n

Nelly gave him another squeeze.\u00a0 \u201cAnd I\u2019ll be in there helpin\u2019 \u2018em, soon as I\u2019ve had a word with Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ross switched Little Joe to his other arm, the left one having grown tired from holding the squirming youngster.\u00a0 \u201cAdam\u2019s been waitin\u2019 to talk to you, Miss Nelly.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam?\u201d she asked with a puzzled expression.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes\u2019m.\u00a0 He\u2019s kind of taken charge,\u201d Ross explained.\u00a0 \u201cFact is, I ain\u2019t even seen Mr. Cartwright since I been here; he\u2019s that torn up about\u201d\u2014he cut a quick glance at Little Joe and bit his lip.\u00a0 \u201cAnyway, Adam wants to talk to you about the arrangements.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll go right in,\u201d Nelly said.\u00a0 \u201cCould you boys see to the horse for me?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, ma\u2019am.\u00a0 Proud to.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd, Sunshine, if you could bring my carpetbag in after a while, I\u2019d be appreciative.\u201d\u00a0 She glanced up at the older boy, for some reason feeling a need to explain.\u00a0 \u201cI come prepared to stay, figurin\u2019 I might be needed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes\u2019m, you sure are,\u201d Ross replied with a smile and a nod.\u00a0 He plunked Little Joe into the seat of the buggy and moved to the horse\u2019s head to lead him toward the barn.<\/p>\n

\u201cGo for ride?\u201d Little Joe begged, leaning forward in an attempt to reach the reins.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy don\u2019t you?\u201d Nelly suggested to Ross.\u00a0 \u201cI \u2018spect you\u2019ve had your hands full, keepin\u2019 that one occupied.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ross chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cYou know him pretty good, don\u2019t you?\u00a0 Yeah, we\u2019ll take a short turn around the meadow if you don\u2019t mind.\u00a0 Don\u2019t want to overtire the horse after his comin\u2019 all the way from Carson.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nelly gave his arm a couple of encouraging pats.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re a good, thoughtful boy, and I can see you\u2019re bein\u2019 a big help to your friend.\u201d\u00a0 She could almost have sworn that Ross Marquette\u2019s shoulders set a little squarer as she moved past him toward the door.\u00a0 When Adam answered her knock, she wanted to throw her arms around him, as she\u2019d done with Hoss, but even as a little boy, Adam hadn\u2019t seemed to welcome hugs like his younger brothers did.\u00a0 And now he looked like the weight of the world was bearing down on him.\u00a0 Tryin\u2019 hard to be a man, bless his heart<\/em>, Nelly concluded and determined to treat him with the deference due that status.<\/p>\n

Walking in, she saw Dr. Martin sitting in the mauve armchair.\u00a0 \u201cDoc, you lookin\u2019 after Ben?\u201d she asked.\u00a0 \u201cHow\u2019s he holdin\u2019 up?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot too well, Nelly, as I was just telling Adam,\u201d the doctor said sadly.\u00a0 \u201cI sedated him, so he\u2019d get some rest, but he has yet to touch food since\u00a0 . . . last night.\u201d\u00a0 Like everyone else, he found it hard to put the tragic event into words.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been wanting to talk to you, Nelly,\u201d Adam said as he directed her toward the settee.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo Ross said,\u201d Nelly responded, holding her blue calico skirt as she sat down at the right end of the settee.<\/p>\n

Licking his lips, Adam sat in the blue chair near her.\u00a0 \u201cYes.\u201d\u00a0 He took a deep breath.\u00a0 \u201cI talked to Pa last night, and we decided to ask you to advise us about the arrangements.\u00a0 We both felt you\u2019d be most likely to know how to do things right.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Martin\u2019s eyes narrowed in concern for the young man.\u00a0 Having seen how disoriented Ben was, he had a good idea who had done most of the \u201cdeciding\u201d in the conversation last night.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve had some experience with these things, right enough,\u201d Nelly agreed, \u201cand I\u2019ll be glad to help all I can.\u00a0 I even took the liberty of packin\u2019 a bag so I could stay over.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s no liberty,\u201d Adam said smoothly.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re family, always welcome here.\u201d<\/p>\n

She smiled and reached over to pat his arm, as much touch as she thought he\u2019d be comfortable with.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s just how I feel toward all of you, too.\u00a0 Now, I assumed you\u2019d be havin\u2019 the buryin\u2019 tomorrow afternoon; that\u2019s what I\u2019m havin\u2019 Clyde tell all the folks he sees.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt shouldn\u2019t wait longer, unless you intend to put the body on ice,\u201d Dr. Martin inserted.<\/p>\n

Seeing Adam\u2019s face go gray, Nelly glared at the doctor.\u00a0 \u201cNo need to speak so blunt, there bein\u2019 no real reason to wait longer.\u00a0 Ben\u2019s brother is too far away to come, at any rate, and tomorrow is just right for friends in the territory to make their way here.\u00a0 That\u2019s why I went ahead and told Clyde what I did\u2014just usin\u2019 common sense.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam smiled, a trifle weakly.\u00a0 \u201cSee?\u00a0 We knew you\u2019d handle things just right.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAbout two o\u2019clock seem good to you, son?\u201d Nelly asked deferentially.\u00a0 \u201cGive folks time to get here and time to make it home \u2018fore it gets late, in most cases, and it bein\u2019 Sunday, the minister will be tied up \u2018til noon, anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam nodded.\u00a0 \u201cTwo is fine.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNext thing is to get hold of the minister then, I reckon,\u201d she went on.<\/p>\n

Adam sat forward, dropping his hands between his knees and twirling his thumbs around each other.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s one thing I wanted to ask you about\u2014which minister to ask.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy, the Reverend Bennett, of course,\u201d Nelly said matter-of-factly.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut Marie was Catholic,\u201d Adam pointed out.\u00a0 \u201cShouldn\u2019t I at least ask her priest?\u00a0 I don\u2019t know if he\u2019ll come, disapproving of the marriage the way he did, but I know that\u2019s who she would want.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nelly\u2019s lips set in a hard line.\u00a0 \u201cYou know I don\u2019t hold with Papists, Adam, so to my mind there\u2019s only one man fit to ask, but I understand you wantin\u2019 to show respect to your ma\u2019s wishes.\u00a0 Most folks hereabouts won\u2019t fancy listenin\u2019 to that Latin drivel, though, and you know it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sighing, Adam raked his fingers through his dark hair.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, I know, but I won\u2019t feel right if I don\u2019t ask.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nelly\u2019s mouth softened.\u00a0 \u201cThen do it, boy.\u00a0 You gotta do what you think is right, and if folks fuss, they fuss.\u00a0 Those who love you will stand by you, either way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam nodded his appreciation of her understanding.\u00a0 \u201cGuess I\u2019d better ride in to Virginia City right away then.\u00a0 You\u2019ll see to the boys while I\u2019m gone?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, you didn\u2019t need to ask that,\u201d Nelly scolded gently.<\/p>\n

Adam stood.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll head on out then. \u00a0Be back soon as I can.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll do no such thing!\u201d<\/p>\n

Everyone in the great room turned to see Katerina, standing just outside the entrance to the kitchen with her hands on her hips.\u00a0 \u201cYou will not stir a step \u2018til you\u2019ve had your dinner, young man.\u00a0 Hop Sing and I have a tasty stew bubbling, and it\u2019ll be ready by the time I get this table set.\u201d\u00a0 Her gaze rested on the woman on the settee.\u00a0 \u201cHello, Nelly.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t realize you\u2019d come yet, but there\u2019s plenty\u2014enough for you, too, Doc.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNever crossed my mind to turn you down,\u201d Paul said with a smile, \u201cand she\u2019s right, Adam.\u00a0 You should eat before you leave.\u00a0 It\u2019s a long ride, son.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNever crossed my mind to turn it down,\u201d Adam responded, smiling in response to the kindness of all these good friends.<\/p>\n

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

The setting was serene: emerald pines thrusting toward the cloudless sky and white-tipped waves, stirred by the gentle breeze, washing the lake shore.\u00a0 Standing before the open grave, Adam could hear the voice of Reverend Bennett, and somewhere in the back of his mind the words registered.\u00a0 Like thunder rumbling softly in the distance, though.\u00a0 Segmented as an earthworm, his thoughts crawled from one concern to another, and he couldn\u2019t follow what was being said, except to acknowledge that the words were gracious.<\/p>\n

Riding into Virginia City the day before had been a waste of time, time better spent comforting his little brothers, instead of leaving them in the hands of caring friends, but he\u2019d had to try.\u00a0 Father Gallagher had been compassionate and kind, but firm in his position that he could not bless the burial of a woman out of communion with the Holy Church.\u00a0 Adam had understood, had even expected that response, but he ached over it, nonetheless.\u00a0 He had so wanted to do this one last thing for Marie, to express the love he\u2019d never voiced, but it had been denied him.\u00a0 Father Gallagher, laying aside his clerical robes, had come as a friend and fellow mourner, which Adam appreciated, but it wasn\u2019t quite the same.\u00a0 The Methodist-Episcopal minister was doing a fine job, lauding Marie as a god-fearing woman, despite the difference in her beliefs, but Adam still felt that he had somehow failed his mother.<\/p>\n

That sense of failure made him all the more determined to fulfill his other responsibilities, and they were legion.\u00a0 Already today he\u2019d pressed his father to decide on the burial site, had organized some of the hands to dig the grave and had selected six friends to serve as pallbearers: Clyde Thomas, George Dettenrieder, Enos Montgomery, Ross Marquette, Billy Thomas and Mark Wentworth, on a special pass from Ft.Churchill.\u00a0 He\u2019d welcomed mourners to the Ponderosa, greeting them in place of his father, who had remained in his room until Nelly Thomas finally took the bull by the horns and insisted that he come down to greet the friends who had arrived to pay their respects.<\/p>\n

He\u2019d seen to it that his younger brothers were properly dressed in their best suits, although Nelly, who\u2019d spent the night, and Katerina, who\u2019d been back by breakfast time, had managed the actual washing and dressing.\u00a0 He\u2019d supervised the spread laid on the table at noon for the roomful of people and had made sure that everyone took nourishment, including his father.\u00a0 He\u2019d also tried, with limited success, to steer his younger brothers away from the ladies who wanted to weep over the poor motherless little things.\u00a0 Ross and Billy had been godsends in that department, somehow managing to keep Hoss and Little Joe occupied and clean, even when they took the youngsters outside to escape the maudlin cooing of the more melodramatic mourners.\u00a0 They were both still watching over the younger boys, Billy standing directly behind Hoss and half-hugging him, while Ross stood just to the right, too shy to touch anyone, but close at hand, if needed.<\/p>\n

Adam was grateful for their help with his brothers, as he was grateful to Paul Martin, who was standing at Ben\u2019s left hand to offer both moral and physical support.\u00a0 Adam, at his father\u2019s right, was supporting him, too, his left arm circling the slumped man\u2019s waist, while his right hand rested on Hoss\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 I need a third arm<\/em>, Adam sighed to himself as he glanced down at Little Joe.\u00a0 Hoss, bless him, was acting as that third arm, though, his chubby arms wrapped around Little Joe\u2019s small frame, holding him steady as the service went on.<\/p>\n

Little Joe.\u00a0 More than to anyone else, Adam\u2019s heart went out to the baby, who was peering from face to face as if searching for someone to help him understand what was happening.\u00a0 But how could anyone explain the incomprehensible to a four-year-old child?\u00a0 All the adults around him were still so lost in shock themselves that they had little to offer, and that was true of no one more than Pa.<\/p>\n

Adam remembered with anguish the moment when Pa had finally come downstairs.\u00a0 Little Joe, who had been wandering from person to person, accepting their pats on the head and hugs, had seen his father descending the stairs and had scrambled up to the landing with an ecstatic cry.\u00a0 Pa, however, had only given him an absent-minded pat on the head, briefer by far than the ones mere friends were doling out, and the little boy\u2019s face had crumpled.\u00a0 As he gathered the stricken baby into his arms, Adam had glared at his father, but the anger died when he looked into those vacant velvet eyes.\u00a0 Pa wasn\u2019t ignoring Little Joe; he wasn\u2019t even seeing him.<\/p>\n

The words ended, shaking Adam from his reverie, and one by one friends dropped a handful of earth onto the wooden coffin resting in the rectangular hole.\u00a0 Little Joe looked puzzled, as if he couldn\u2019t understand why people were throwing dirt at his mama.\u00a0 When it came time for the family to say their farewell, Adam stooped down beside his youngest brother and trickled a little dirt into the tiny palm.\u00a0 \u201cTo say goodbye,\u201d he whispered.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll come back another time and plant some flowers in the dirt.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMama likes flowers,\u201d Little Joe whispered back.\u00a0 \u201cYellow and blue ones best.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam nodded and held the child\u2019s hand over the open grave, uncurling his fingers so the earth would spill out.\u00a0 He noted with gratitude that Ross and Billy were flanking Hoss as he performed the same rite.\u00a0 Lifting Little Joe, he placed him in Billy\u2019s arms and turned back to his father, who was standing, much as Little Joe had, just staring at the dirt-dusted coffin.\u00a0 \u201cTime to say goodbye, Pa,\u201d he said, feeling almost as if he were dealing with a child of Joe\u2019s age.<\/p>\n

He didn\u2019t, at least, have to put the dirt in his father\u2019s hand.\u00a0 Ben nodded half-heartedly and bent to gather a handful for himself.\u00a0 Dribbling the dirt down into the grave, he stood staring into its depths until Dr. Martin led him away.<\/p>\n

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

The house was finally quiet, but Adam still couldn\u2019t sleep, despite feeling completely exhausted by the events of the day.\u00a0 Being surrounded by people \u2018til dark had left him no time for contemplation, and now that they were gone and he had time, he couldn\u2019t silence his thoughts, no matter how much he needed sleep.\u00a0 So many people.\u00a0 Somehow, he hadn\u2019t expected such a large turnout for Marie\u2019s funeral, hadn\u2019t realized until then just how respected his father was in the larger community.<\/p>\n

They\u2019d come from every stratum of society: the high and the low, everyone from newly arrived Territorial Governor James Nye, with politically ambitious attorney Bill Stewart hugging his side; to their neighbors, Eilley and Sandy Bowers, who had risen from humble beginnings to become some of the Comstock\u2019s first millionaires; to Touqua, the lean-fleshed Washo Indian who worked the Ponderosa whenever he got hungry enough.\u00a0 There had been a large representation of Ponderosa employees, many of whom had known, admired and even loved his stepmother, but a number of the newer workers at the lumber camps had come, as well, some of whom had probably never even met Marie.\u00a0 They\u2019d come for Pa, though, and while Pa had barely acknowledged them, their support must surely have bolstered him.<\/p>\n

It had been a largely male gathering, partly because the Territory itself was still largely male, but other than close friends and neighbors, the female population of Nevada had stayed away in droves.\u00a0 Marie had stirred ill-will among that segment of the community: some from simple envy of her beauty, some because of her Southern origin during this time of war, a few because she was Creole and in their view racially inferior, a few more due to religious differences and others because of her championship of social outcasts like Julia Bulette, who had, thankfully, had the good sense to stay away today, if she even knew.\u00a0 Adam\u2019s thoughts went back to the Fourth of July, to Marie\u2019s fiery insistence that she would never leave a friend behind.\u00a0 That\u2019s the kind of woman you spurned<\/em>, he fumed at those hoity-toity ladies of Virginia City and Washoe Valley, who hadn\u2019t wanted to sully their reputations by associating with Marie, even in death.\u00a0 You weren\u2019t fit to kiss her feet.\u00a0 And what about yourself, Adam Cartwright?<\/em> he scolded.\u00a0 You didn\u2019t deserve her, either.\u00a0 You were the first to spurn her<\/em>.\u00a0 He threw his arm across his forehead.\u00a0 I tried to make it right, Mama.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t say it as clearly as I probably should have\u2014didn\u2019t really know how and still don\u2019t\u2014but you knew, didn\u2019t you?\u00a0 Oh, God, I hope you knew!<\/em><\/p>\n

Adam bolted upright in bed as a sharp cry cut through the silence.\u00a0 His bare feet hit the floor, and he instinctively hurried across the hall into his baby brother\u2019s room.\u00a0 Little Joe was thrashing with the covers, most of which were tangled around his lower legs, and he was crying aloud for his mama, alternating that plea with screams of \u201cNo, don\u2019t!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBaby, baby,\u201d Adam whispered, picking the child up and holding him against his chest.\u00a0 \u201cShh, it\u2019s all right, baby,\u201d he soothed as he gently patted his brother\u2019s back.<\/p>\n

Little Joe pulled back, blinking his eyes and looking into his brother\u2019s face.\u00a0 \u201cAdam?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam moved to the rocking chair near the open window and sat down.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s all right, baby,\u201d he said again.\u00a0 \u201cI think you were having a nightmare.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNightmare?\u201d\u00a0 Little Joe cocked his head in puzzlement over the unfamiliar term.<\/p>\n

\u201cA bad dream,\u201d Adam explained.\u00a0 \u201cDid something scare you in your sleep?\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe\u2019s head bobbed up and down.\u00a0 \u201cDark, Adam.\u00a0 Cold.\u00a0 Mama don\u2019t like it in the box in the ground.\u00a0 Too dark, too cold.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam stroked his brother\u2019s tousled curls.\u00a0 \u201cMama\u2019s not in the box, remember?\u00a0 Only her outside part.\u00a0 Mama\u2019s in heaven, remember?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot in the box?\u201d\u00a0 The question was a plea for reassurance, and Adam quickly gave it.\u00a0 \u201cMama like heaven, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sure she does,\u201d the older brother replied.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe miss me?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sure she does,\u201d Adam said again, \u201cbut she has God to comfort her, just like you have me and Hoss and\u201d\u2014he stopped before mentioning Pa, recalling that their father hadn\u2019t been of much comfort to anyone so far.<\/p>\n

Little Joe didn\u2019t seem to notice the omission as he snuggled closer to his brother, slipping his thumb in his mouth.<\/p>\n

\u201cReady to go back to bed now?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n

Little Joe shook his head violently from side to side.<\/p>\n

Adam didn\u2019t want to rush the little boy, but he hesitated to stay in the rocking chair for fear that he would fall asleep and lose his grip on the child.\u00a0 \u201cWant to come to my bed?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

The thumb came out, and Little Joe smiled as he nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay.\u201d\u00a0 Adam stood up and carried his youngest brother into his own room, pausing only a moment to glance down the hall.\u00a0 You\u2019d think Pa would have heard his baby screaming.\u00a0 Marie would have, Adam was sure.\u00a0 But maybe only a mother\u2019s ear stayed cocked for sounds of her baby\u2019s distress.\u00a0 To be sure, Hoss was still snoring away, and his room was right next door.\u00a0 Maybe Pa just hadn\u2019t heard.\u00a0 It was far better to assume that than to think that his father might have heard and just not come.<\/p>\n

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT<\/p>\n

Bittersweet Birthday<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 As the copper sun started to sink below the evergreen-fringed ridge to the west, Adam rode toward home at a walk, slumped over his saddle horn, so bone-tired that just sitting upright seemed tantamount to scaling some sheer rock face reaching straight up to the sky.\u00a0 Marie had been buried a week now, and it had been the hardest week of\u00a0 his life.\u00a0 Oh, he\u2019d thought life was hard right after Inger\u2019s death, but this was worse.\u00a0 The sense of loss had been more devastating back then because he\u2019d opened his heart wide to the gentle Swede, and she\u2019d filled it with all the love he\u2019d ever dreamed of in a mother.\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t been as open with Marie, maybe out of some sense of not needing a mother at his age or maybe, if he looked deep enough, out of fear of losing her, too, if he cared too much.\u00a0 And now, as if to fulfill that foolish fear, he had.\u00a0 Maybe the fear hadn\u2019t been so foolish, then; maybe love did lead inevitably to loss.\u00a0 It seemed to in this family.\u00a0 In all families eventually, of course, but it shouldn\u2019t come so soon.\u00a0 Love should last a decade or two, at the very least, shouldn\u2019t it?\u00a0 But it hadn\u2019t.\u00a0 Not for him, not for Pa, nor for Hoss or Little Joe.\u00a0 They\u2019d had Marie the longest, but even she had left them after five brief, mostly blissful years.\u00a0 For all of them, the time with the ones they loved had been short\u2014much, much too short.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t the grief, though, that made this death harder to deal with; that was no greater than before.\u00a0 It was, rather, the crushing burden of responsibility that had been thrust upon him overnight.\u00a0 He\u2019d been a child when Inger died, and while he\u2019d tried to bear some of the load, especially in caring for Hoss, that had been child\u2019s play compared to shouldering the entire responsibility of running a ranch as diverse as the Ponderosa had become.\u00a0 Up before sunrise and home after sunset had become the pattern of his days, as Adam struggled to keep the far-flung ranch operations afloat.\u00a0 Jake Webber had virtually taken over for him at one lumber camp, but Adam still hadn\u2019t found anyone he could rely on that completely at what had been his father\u2019s camp.\u00a0 So he was spending a lot of time there, fielding questions, making work assignments, solving problems and confronting troublemakers.\u00a0 Thankfully, there hadn\u2019t been too many of them\u2014so far, at least.\u00a0 Adam thought he saw signs of trouble brewing, of men who didn\u2019t appreciate working for a boy when they\u2019d signed on under a man, but he couldn\u2019t afford to borrow tomorrow\u2019s troubles.\u00a0 He had enough to deal with today.<\/p>\n

Enos was handling the cattle operation efficiently, but it was still necessary to meet with him every day or so, to discuss any changes needed in the regular routine, and while he trusted the foreman implicitly, the men working under him needed to see the boss from time to time, to keep up morale, if nothing else.\u00a0 The young boss<\/em>, Adam corrected himself with a wry smile, employing the title Enos had used the morning after Marie\u2019s death.\u00a0 Scant chance they\u2019ve got of seeing the real boss anytime soon<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Every time Adam tried to arouse his father\u2019s interest in the ranch, he ran head-on into a blank wall of indifference.\u00a0 \u201cWhatever you think best, son,\u201d was becoming a standard answer to any question.\u00a0 Adam was tempted to scream back, \u201cI don\u2019t know what\u2019s best, Pa!\u201d\u00a0 But he never did.\u00a0 It would be like slamming his fist into the midriff of the scarecrow staked in Hop Sing\u2019s garden, for Pa seemed almost as lifeless as a man made of straw.\u00a0 He staggered around the house in a haggard daze, rarely bothering to change out of his dressing robe, forgetting to wash and shave unless reminded, and he never remembered to eat unless someone set a plate in front of him and urged him to take nourishment.<\/p>\n

Hop Sing and Hoss had been dividing that chore between them, and Adam felt terrible about it, as if he were foisting off on others responsibilities that should have been his, but he had no one else to turn to.\u00a0 As Enos had so wisely told him that first day, he couldn\u2019t do everything, and Adam was forced to admit the truth of that every morning when he reviewed all he needed to accomplish that day.\u00a0 Like it or not, he had to rely on the resources available to him.\u00a0 For watching over Pa and Little Joe during the day, Hop Sing and Hoss were the only resources he had, but sometimes Adam felt as if he\u2019d dumped the dirtiest chores of all on those willing shoulders.<\/p>\n

Hop Sing had always felt free to scold any member of the family not doing justice to meals, but even he spoke tentatively to Pa now, urging rather than demanding, as if fearful of breaking an egg already cracked.\u00a0 And often\u2014far too often, to Adam\u2019s way of thinking\u2014Hoss was acting as caretaker to his father, instead of the other way around.\u00a0 The youngster was almost full-time caretaker for his younger brother, too, although Hop Sing was beginning to loosen up his rigid sense of respectful relationship between employer and employee enough to provide some personal care for the youngest Cartwright and let Hoss have a little time off.<\/p>\n

Hoss had made it plain that he wanted to work alongside Adam, that he enjoyed being up at the lumber camp and didn\u2019t like hanging around the house and yard all the time.\u00a0 He\u2019d been looking forward to working the ranch all through his school term, and he didn\u2019t appreciate being deprived of a reward he felt he\u2019d earned.\u00a0 He\u2019d understood, of course\u2014or said he did\u2014when Adam told him that he was doing the most important job of all in taking care of Little Joe.\u00a0 Much as he loved his baby brother, though, Hoss didn\u2019t relish tending him all the time and hadn\u2019t been shy about expressing his frustration to his older brother.<\/p>\n

Adam didn\u2019t blame him.\u00a0 He could remember all too well how he\u2019d felt as a boy of seven, washing out dirty diapers in the shallow waters of the Humboldt River as their wagon skirted its meandering shore.\u00a0 Seven\u2014or even ten, as Hoss was\u2014was simply too young to take on the full responsibility for a younger child.<\/p>\n

Suddenly, Adam jolted upright in the saddle.\u00a0 Ten, had he said?\u00a0 Hoss would be eleven any day now, and no one, Pa least of all, had given the slightest thought to planning a celebration.\u00a0 Not that any of them felt like celebrating, but Hoss deserved something to make his day special, something to lift the sadness for one day, at least.<\/p>\n

Adam shook his head.\u00a0 Planning a celebration meant trying to talk to Pa, and he had a feeling Pa\u2019s answer would be that same standard \u201cWhatever you think best, son.\u201d\u00a0 He urged the black gelding to a quicker pace, not admitting \u2018til this moment that the slow gait had been a result of his reluctance to go home.\u00a0 For if the days were hard, the nights were worse.\u00a0 After supper they\u2019d all gather in the great room, as before, but the evenings weren\u2019t as they\u2019d been before, warm times of sharing the experiences of the day or just relaxing in one another\u2019s company.\u00a0 Adam tried to make the hour after the meal a pleasant one for his brothers, playing checkers with Hoss or reading a story to Little Joe, but it seemed harder each day because each day he felt more exhausted.\u00a0 All he really wanted to do after the evening meal was drop down in his blue armchair and let every muscle go slack.\u00a0 Most nights, he was too tired even to read.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t the unrelenting weariness that sullied evenings at home, though.\u00a0 It was the silence.\u00a0 Pa just sat in his chair, staring into the fire, saying virtually nothing, and Hoss spoke only in hushed, hesitant tones when their father was around.\u00a0 With Little Joe, it was worse.\u00a0 The first few days he\u2019d been unnaturally quiet, drawn into himself in a way that seemed totally alien to the active four-year-old.\u00a0 Then a couple of nights ago the baby had evidently decided to take matters into his own hands and try to force things back to the way they\u2019d been before.<\/p>\n

Sitting in his father\u2019s lap had been a nightly ritual as long as the child could remember, but not once since his mother\u2019s death had he been snuggled and cuddled at the end of the day.\u00a0 That night Little Joe had climbed into Pa\u2019s lap to claim the attention he craved, and for the briefest moment Pa had permitted it.\u00a0 Then, staring into those iridescent emerald eyes, so like Marie\u2019s, tears had started to fall down Pa\u2019s cheeks, and he\u2019d gingerly set the child in the floor and rushed up the stairs to his room.\u00a0 Adam had cradled his heartbroken baby brother in his strong arms until Little Joe cried himself to sleep.<\/p>\n

There\u2019d been another nightmare that night, and Adam had taken his youngest brother into his bed for the third time in a week.\u00a0 The next morning the damp sheets told Adam that sucking his thumb wasn\u2019t the only childish behavior to which Little Joe had reverted.\u00a0 He\u2019d talked it over with Dr. Martin, who\u2019d stopped by early that morning after an all-night vigil at a neighbor\u2019s home, and learned that backtracking like that wasn\u2019t uncommon when little children were upset.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t be surprised if his language development takes a step back, too.\u00a0 Be patient with him,\u201d the doctor had urged, \u201cand he\u2019ll get over it as he becomes accustomed to the new situation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam sighed as he made the final approach to the house.\u00a0 Last night there had been an even more traumatic confrontation between Ben Cartwright and his youngest son.\u00a0 Little Joe was nothing, if not determined, and he had once more attempted to take his accustomed place in his father\u2019s lap.\u00a0 Ben reacted at once this time, setting Joe down.\u00a0 \u201cNot tonight, baby,\u201d he\u2019d whispered hoarsely.\u00a0 \u201cPa\u2019s tired.\u201d\u00a0 And he\u2019d turned back to gazing into the fire.<\/p>\n

Fire in his eyes, Little Joe had slapped his father on the knee, and Adam had held his breath, wondering how Pa would react.\u00a0 Taken by surprise, Pa had stared at the impudent little face and then turned slowly away.<\/p>\n

Little Joe\u2019s jaw dropped, and his eyes widened in disbelief that the act of disrespect was being ignored.\u00a0 Then, in what was clearly an attempt to make Pa jealous, he\u2019d climbed up onto the settee and into Hoss\u2019s lap.\u00a0 Ben didn\u2019t even turn around.<\/p>\n

Hoss had looked to Adam for guidance and at his older brother\u2019s encouraging nod, he pulled Little Joe into an embrace and spent the rest of the evening cuddling the little boy.\u00a0 Joe had soaked up the petting like a thirsty sponge, but every few minutes Adam would catch him looking toward that lonely figure in the chair and a little more light would fade from those expressive eyes.<\/p>\n

As Adam rode into the yard and dismounted, the door to the bunkhouse opened, and one of the hands walked out.\u00a0 \u201cStable your horse for you, Mr. Adam?\u201d the wiry young fellow asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, Lou, I\u2019d appreciate it,\u201d Adam said, handing the young man the reins.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou sure been keeping late hours, boss,\u201d Lou offered.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 And even that wouldn\u2019t be so bad if I could sleep soundly at night<\/em>.\u00a0 Little Joe had ended up in his bed again last night, and Adam had been awakened when he rolled over to discover that his nightshirt was sopping wet on the side next to his baby brother.\u00a0 Not wanting to change the sheets in the middle of the night, he\u2019d tossed off both his own garment and Little Joe\u2019s, picked the baby up and carried him across the hall.\u00a0 He\u2019d wrapped the sleeping baby in a blanket and crawled into Joe\u2019s pint-sized bed with him, but that had been a mistake.\u00a0 Joe didn\u2019t take much room, but even without his baby brother, Adam\u2019s long frame would have been cramped in that small space.\u00a0 Little Joe had giggled\u2014a rare and precious sound these days\u2014when he woke up and realized that both he and his big brother had been sleeping naked.\u00a0 Adam, on the other hand, had awakened with a groan, stiff in his limbs and with an aching crick in his neck.\u00a0 Nothing like a miserable night to set a man up for a frustrating day<\/em>, he\u2019d moaned to himself, and whether the prophecy was self-fulfilling or not, \u201cfrustrating\u201d had turned out to be a perfect description of how today had gone.<\/p>\n

Adam opened the front door and came inside, plunking his hat on one of the pegs to the left and unbuckling his gun belt.\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t unfastened the first notch, however, when an odd sound caught his ear, and he glanced over to see Little Joe standing upright in the middle of the wooden table before the fireplace, stomping his little feet, eyes glued to his father\u2019s face.\u00a0 It was another obvious bid for attention, but Adam couldn\u2019t afford to just stand back and watch to see what developed, not when the child might fall and injure himself at any moment.\u00a0 He dashed around the settee and snatched Little Joe up in mid-stomp.\u00a0 Not, however, before that small foot sent the bowl of apples on the table crashing to the floor.<\/p>\n

\u201cUh-oh,\u201d Little Joe said, darting a peek in his father\u2019s direction.\u00a0 \u201cGonna be nes\u2019ry talk now, I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n

You little imp!<\/em> Adam thought.\u00a0 That\u2019s exactly what you want<\/em>.\u00a0 The anger rising within him, however, wasn\u2019t directed at the baby, for he understood the desperation that made his little brother willing to take a spanking just to have some kind of contact with Pa.\u00a0 And Pa was just sitting there, staring at the boy, seemingly without a clue that what he was really seeing was a cry for help.<\/p>\n

Suddenly, the pent-up frustration and anger came surging out.\u00a0 \u201cWere you just gonna let him?\u201d Adam demanded as he clutched the child to his chest.\u00a0 \u201cOr don\u2019t you care if he gets hurt?\u201d\u00a0 He regretted those words a moment afterwards.\u00a0 Not for his father\u2019s sake.\u00a0 Pa deserved them, but Little Joe shouldn\u2019t have heard any suggestion that his father didn\u2019t care about him.\u00a0 There was no calling the words back, however, so Adam just stood his ground, glaring at his father.<\/p>\n

Ben looked up, through a haze of confusion.\u00a0 \u201cNo, I\u2014I\u201d\u2014he broke off, his thoughts too fragmented to complete the sentence.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry, son.\u201d\u00a0 He slumped forward, dropping his face into his hands.<\/p>\n

Hop Sing, who had heard a crash, scuttled in from the kitchen and, seeing the apples scattered across the floor, grabbed the bowl and started to pick up the fruit.\u00a0 \u201cWhat happen here?\u201d he scolded.\u00a0 \u201cHop Sing no have time fo\u2019 foolishment.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLittle Joe kicked it over,\u201d Adam explained.\u00a0 \u201cWhere\u2019s Hoss, Hop Sing?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe not here?\u201d the little cook asked, eyes darting around the room.\u00a0 \u201cHe here befo\u2019, Mr. Adam.\u201d\u00a0 He set the bowl of apples back on the table and wagged a finger at Little Joe.\u00a0 \u201cNo mo\u2019 foolishment, little boy.\u00a0 Velly bad boy.\u201d\u00a0 Muttering in Cantonese, he scurried back to the kitchen.<\/p>\n

\u201cBad boy,\u201d Little Joe echoed, nodding his head soberly, as he looked intently at his father.\u00a0 Seeing Pa\u2019s face still buried in his hands, the little boy then glanced anxiously up at Adam.\u00a0 \u201cNes\u2019ry talk?\u201d he whispered, his expression fearful this time.\u00a0 He clearly didn\u2019t want a spanking if it were to be his big brother administering it.<\/p>\n

Adam kissed the soft cheek.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe,\u201d he said, \u201cbut not with you, sweet baby.\u201d\u00a0 To comfort Joe, he put the boy over his shoulder and rubbed up and down his back.\u00a0 Then\u00a0 Adam looked toward his father and raised his voice.\u00a0 \u201cPa?\u201d\u00a0 When there was no response, he spoke still more sharply.\u00a0 \u201cPa?\u00a0 Where\u2019s Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben looked up.\u00a0 \u201cI . . . I don\u2019t know.\u00a0 I should know, shouldn\u2019t I?\u00a0 A father should know where his sons are . . . but I . . . don\u2019t.\u201d\u00a0 His eyes were troubled as he glanced around the room, as if searching for his middle son.<\/p>\n

The front door opened, and the missing family member walked into a whirlpool of concern.\u00a0 \u201cWhere were you?\u201d Adam demanded.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re supposed to be watching this baby.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI been watchin\u2019 him,\u201d Hoss protested.\u00a0 \u201cAll day I been watchin\u2019 him.\u00a0 Ain\u2019t I even got the right to traipse to the outhouse when I need to?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam winced in chagrin.\u00a0 \u201cSure you do, Hoss.\u00a0 Sorry I snapped.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAw, that\u2019s okay, Adam.\u201d\u00a0 Quick to forgive, Hoss came close to his brother.\u00a0 Planting both hands on his hips, he frowned at Little Joe.\u00a0 \u201cOkay, punkin, what mischief did you get into that\u2019s got Adam so riled?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cClimb on table, kick off bowl, bad boy,\u201d Little Joe explained, hanging his head in what Adam was sure was false shame this time.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re a mess, all right,\u201d Hoss said.\u00a0 \u201cCan\u2019t turn my back a minute, can I?\u201d\u00a0 He looked up at his older brother.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Adam, honest.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam tousled his brother\u2019s sandy hair.\u00a0 \u201cNo harm done, Hoss.\u00a0 I hate to impose again, but could you take Little Joe upstairs and get him cleaned up for supper?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, sure,\u201d Hoss said, reaching for his younger brother.\u00a0 He gave the little boy a bounce as he headed toward the stairs.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd Hoss?\u201d Adam called as his brothers started up.\u00a0 \u201cKeep him up there \u2018til I call you to supper.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHuh?\u00a0 Oh . . . okay.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss wasn\u2019t sure why Adam wanted them out of sight for a while, but he responded with trust.\u00a0 Hopefully, it wasn\u2019t anything as bad as the last time Adam had told him to keep Little Joe upstairs.\u00a0 No, it couldn\u2019t be.\u00a0 Nothing could be as bad as losing Ma, like they had that night.<\/p>\n

Adam tucked his hands in his back pockets and licked his lips as he surveyed his father, who was again staring into the flickering fire.\u00a0 No time like the present, I guess<\/em>, he told himself as he moved around the table and sat on the end closest to his father\u2019s chair.\u00a0 \u201cPa?\u00a0 We need to talk.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d\u00a0 Stirred from his melancholic musings, Ben turned slowly toward him, moisture glistening in his eyes.\u00a0 \u201cI haven\u2019t done too well by you boys, have I?\u201d<\/p>\n

No, you haven\u2019t,<\/em> Adam accused silently, but he only said, \u201cYou aren\u2019t doing too well by yourself, either, Pa.\u201d\u00a0 He took a deep breath and plunged in.\u00a0 \u201cLook at yourself, Pa.\u00a0 Here it is time for supper and you\u2019re still puttering around in your robe and slippers, and you didn\u2019t shave today, either, judging by the length of that stubble.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben rubbed his spiny jaw.\u00a0 \u201cI . . . I forgot, I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n

Concern etched deeply in his features, Adam leaned forward.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t you think you\u2019d feel better, think clearer, if you did make an effort to clean up\u2014and to get out some?\u00a0 Fresh air would do you a world of good, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled weakly.\u00a0 \u201cFresh air.\u00a0 It does sound inviting.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s ebony eyes sparkled with hope.\u00a0 \u201cA world of good, Pa,\u201d he repeated.\u00a0 \u201cWhy don\u2019t you get dressed in the morning and have one of the men saddle a horse for you after breakfast?\u00a0 Ride up toward the lake, smell the pines.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded.\u00a0 \u201cYes.\u00a0 I\u2014I might do that.\u00a0 But not\u2014not the lake\u2014not near there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Not near her grave, he means<\/em>, Adam realized.\u00a0 \u201cAnywhere you like, Pa,\u201d he urged.\u00a0 \u201cJust get out and about.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah.\u00a0 Yeah, maybe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Seeing his father\u2019s attention start to drift away again, Adam spoke quickly.\u00a0 \u201cPa, that isn\u2019t what I needed to talk to you about.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben blinked, as if trying to focus on his son\u2019s words.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2014uh\u2014I know I\u2019ve been leaving a lot in your hands these last few days.\u00a0 Are\u2014are you having problems with the ranch, son?\u201d<\/p>\n

Yes!<\/em>\u00a0 Adam wanted to scream the word, but he had a more important concern to deal with tonight.\u00a0 \u201cNothing urgent,\u201d he said, \u201cbut I just realized this evening that there\u2019s a special day coming up next week.\u201d\u00a0 He waited, hoping his father would make the connection on his own.\u00a0 When Ben didn\u2019t, Adam said softly, \u201cHoss\u2019s birthday.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben looked startled.\u00a0 \u201cOh.\u00a0 I\u2014I hadn\u2019t realized, either.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam edged forward.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t you think we should make some plans?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPlans?\u201d\u00a0 Bewildered, Ben shook his head.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo mark the day,\u201d Adam explained.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t bring himself to use the word \u201ccelebrate.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is a gift.\u00a0 She\u2014she saw to that, and I\u2019m sure she had something in the works for the boy, but\u201d\u2014Ben sucked in a shallow breath\u2014\u201cI don\u2019t feel much like a party, Adam.\u201d\u00a0 He paused and then added, \u201cI doubt Hoss does, either.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt might do him good,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t you think he deserves a little happiness?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s head came up sharply.\u00a0 \u201cOf course, he does.\u201d\u00a0 His left hand raked through his dark, tangled hair.\u00a0 \u201cWell\u2014well, you go ahead and plan something, if you think that\u2019s what he\u2019d like.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMe go ahead,\u201d Adam sputtered.\u00a0 \u201cWill you be there . . . or will you be \u2018too tired\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben flushed with sudden shame.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll be there,\u201d he promised weakly.<\/p>\n

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

At the sound of heavy footsteps on the stairs, three heads came up at the breakfast table.\u00a0 Swiveling in his chair at the foot of the table, Adam smiled with warm welcome.\u00a0 \u201cGood morning, Pa,\u201d he called.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood morning, boys,\u201d Ben returned with some effort.<\/p>\n

Little Joe went right back to playing with his oatmeal, but a wide grin split Hoss\u2019s face as their father moved across the great room toward them.\u00a0 It had been a week since Pa had been up in time to eat breakfast with them, and he was dressed in something besides night clothes, too.\u00a0 As Ben took his place at the head of the table, however, Hoss noticed that his father was wearing range clothes and thought he\u2019d better mention it.\u00a0 \u201cUh, Pa,\u201d Hoss began tentatively, \u201cyou gonna change into your suit after breakfast?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s brow wrinkled in bewilderment.\u00a0 \u201cSuit?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFor church,\u201d Hoss explained.\u00a0 \u201cDid you forget it was Sunday, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben absently massaged his temple.\u00a0 \u201cSunday?\u00a0 I\u2014uh\u2014yes, son, I did forget.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s plenty of time, if you want to change,\u201d Adam suggested.\u00a0 \u201cI still have to dress Little Joe, and you know how long that can take.\u201d<\/p>\n

A brief smile touched Ben\u2019s lips as he recalled other Sunday morning struggles to get his youngest ready for church, but the smile faded as he pictured the golden-haired woman in whose lap those struggles had generally taken place.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2014I hadn\u2019t intended to go to church,\u201d he mumbled.\u00a0 Now or ever<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Though disappointed that the family would not be together, Adam nodded in understanding.\u00a0 For him, it was progress enough to see Pa up and dressed and sharing breakfast with his sons; getting him out and among other folks could wait.\u00a0 \u201cSure, Pa, I remember.\u00a0 You were going to take a ride around the ranch today, weren\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

For a moment Ben looked as though he didn\u2019t remember the previous night\u2019s conversation, but then he stammered, \u201cYes, I\u2014a ride\u2014fresh air.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe\u2019s head came up abruptly, and his eyes sparkled as he declared, \u201cMe, too!\u00a0 Not go church; go ride with Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo!\u201d Ben said sharply.\u00a0 Then, embarrassed, he softened his voice.\u00a0 \u201cNot today, baby.\u00a0 Pa needs to go alone today.\u201d\u00a0 Seeing tears begin to form in the small boy\u2019s eyes, he turned away.<\/p>\n

Adam spoke up quickly.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s right, Little Joe.\u00a0 Pa needs to ride alone today . . . and brother needs you to help drive the team.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHim?\u201d Hoss snorted.\u00a0 \u201cHe ain\u2019t big enough to\u201d\u2014he broke off abruptly in response to the significant glare Adam sent his direction.\u00a0 \u201cOh, yeah.\u00a0 Time he learned, I reckon.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe\u2019s face was alight with excitement now.\u00a0 \u201cReally?\u00a0 Me drive team?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHelp,\u201d Adam corrected, having no intention of taking his own strong hands off the reins while they were held in his brother\u2019s diminutive ones.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay.\u201d\u00a0 Little Joe grinned broadly.\u00a0 Turning to his father, he announced, \u201cMe go church with Adam, Pa.\u00a0 Him need me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben forced himself to turn and smile at his youngest son.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s fine, son.\u00a0 You help your brother.\u201d\u00a0 He looked down the table, giving his eldest a nod of genuine gratitude.\u00a0 Adam was shouldering so much responsibility these days; his father was just beginning to realize how much.<\/p>\n

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

Crisp.\u00a0 Cool.\u00a0 Pungent with pine.\u00a0 Ben Cartwright sucked in air thirstily, like a man gulping water after a long walk in the desert, and a little of the life of the pines seeped inside.\u00a0 It\u2019s good to be up here, alone with the trees<\/em>, he mused.\u00a0 He\u2019d had a few bad moments in the ranch yard, when Hank Carlton had offered condolences as he saddled the horse for his boss.\u00a0 Ben had nodded perfunctorily, mounted and ridden away from painful reminders.\u00a0 Then he\u2019d run into a couple of hands as he rode through the valley, looking over the herd.\u00a0 More condolences, more painful reminders of what he\u2019d lost, so Ben had headed up into the hills, weaving his way among the silent pines, carefully avoiding the lake she had loved so much and near which she lay buried.<\/p>\n

Ben shook the thoughts loose.\u00a0 He\u2019d spent too much time thinking about her this past week or so.\u00a0 Adam was right: it was time to think of other things, even if he had to force himself.\u00a0 The ranch.\u00a0 Think about the ranch<\/em>.\u00a0 It was looking good, well cared for, everything in order, and Ben knew whom he had to thank for that.\u00a0 Adam\u2019s done a good job, as good as any man could, but he shouldn\u2019t have to.\u00a0 No boy should have to shoulder his father\u2019s responsibilities.\u00a0 Oh, Adam, son, I\u2019m just not doing right by you!<\/em><\/p>\n

Ben squared his shoulders.\u00a0 That would change; it had to change.\u00a0 He slumped over the horse again.\u00a0 Yes, it\u00a0 had to change . . . and it would. . . soon.\u00a0 Just need a little more time to . . . to face things<\/em>.\u00a0 A shudder of shame rippled down his spine.\u00a0 No, not good enough.\u00a0 Adam deserves better, deserves an end to carrying this load.\u00a0 Set a date, Ben<\/em>, he scolded himself.\u00a0 Tomorrow?\u00a0 First day of the week, a good day for beginning anew.\u00a0 But then there\u2019s Hoss\u2019s birthday the next day.\u00a0 No use working one day and laying off the next.\u00a0 Wednesday, then.\u00a0 I\u2019ll go back to work on Wednesday<\/em>.<\/p>\n

That decided, he urged the horse on, his thoughts drifting to his second son as he climbed through the tall trees.\u00a0 Hoss\u2014my dear, undemanding boy\u2014how could I forget your birthday?\u00a0 How, when I\u2019m so proud of the man you\u2019re becoming?\u00a0 A man in size already, but still a boy at heart.\u00a0 She always reminded me of that.\u00a0 Have to work at it now, now that she\u2019s . . .enough pity!\u00a0 Think about Hoss.\u00a0 Adam was right\u2014again.\u00a0 Hoss deserves a little happiness, even at this sad time.\u00a0 She promised him a picnic with all his friends.\u00a0 It\u2019s what I should give him, but I can\u2019t . . . not yet.\u00a0 Can\u2019t abide being around people.\u00a0 Hard enough just to be with my boys, especially\u2014<\/em><\/p>\n

Ben vaulted off his horse and began to walk\u2014long, forceful strides, as if trying to out-walk\u2014what?\u00a0 My anger, my shame?\u00a0 Bad enough what I\u2019m doing to Adam, to Hoss, but my baby\u2014oh, Marie, what am I doing to our baby?\u00a0 I can\u2019t bear looking at him.\u00a0 God forgive me, but it\u2019s like looking at you, every time I see that little face . . . so like yours . . . and those eyes!\u00a0 They\u2019re your eyes, and my heart breaks every time I see them, so full of emotion, as yours always were<\/em>.\u00a0 Ben put his head back and laughed harshly.\u00a0 No more pity, did I say?\u00a0 You\u2019re a pathetic excuse for a father, Ben Cartwright<\/em>.<\/p>\n

He threw himself down on a carpet of wildflowers in the small clearing to which he\u2019d come and idly plucked a few blooms.\u00a0 Lifting them to his nostrils, he breathed in their gentle fragrance, such a contrast to the pungent pine scent of the surrounding evergreens.\u00a0 She would love it here, had loved it here.\u00a0 He lifted his head and, closing his eyes, let the soft breeze caress his face, imagining that it was her slender fingers brushing his cheeks.\u00a0 Marie, Marie!\u00a0 How can I go on without you?\u00a0 How can I be anything but a pathetic father without you to guide me?<\/em><\/p>\n

You did before<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s eyes flew open, almost as if he\u2019d heard an audible voice, but the meadow was empty, the wind whispering in the pines the only voice to be heard.\u00a0 The thought, from wherever it had come, remained, however.\u00a0 He had done it before.\u00a0 Twice before he\u2019d picked up the pieces and gone on.\u00a0 Why did it seem so hard to do it a third time?\u00a0 Maybe a man just ran out of strength, eventually, like a bank account drawn on too often.\u00a0 \u201cI can\u2019t do it again!\u201d he cried aloud, and from somewhere within the voice came again.\u00a0 You have to try<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Ben looked up at the sky and noticed that the sun was directly overhead.\u00a0 Noon.\u00a0 The boys would be home from church soon, sitting down to one of Hop Sing\u2019s fine meals.\u00a0 Ben knew he should be there with them, but he couldn\u2019t pull himself to his feet.\u00a0 It was peaceful here, quiet and serene, and his heart was still too heavy to heed the message it had heard.\u00a0 Try, I have to try<\/em>, he told himself as he picked another posy.\u00a0 Tomorrow.\u00a0 <\/em>He plucked a blue lupine, one of her favorites.\u00a0 I\u2019ll try tomorrow<\/em> . . . or perhaps the day after<\/em>.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cAdam!\u00a0 Adam Cartwright!\u201d<\/p>\n

Lifting Little Joe up to Hoss, who was already seated on the buckboard, Adam turned to see a spare-boned woman, her jet-black hair bound in a severe knot at the nape of her neck, swooping down on him.\u00a0 \u201cMrs. Hunter,\u201d he said, lifting his hat.<\/p>\n

The fortyish woman panted breathlessly as she scuttled up to the young man.\u00a0 \u201cMercy, boy, no need to take off so fast,\u201d she scolded.\u00a0 \u201cI wanted to ask about your pa.\u00a0 Missed seein\u2019 him in church this mornin\u2019.\u00a0 Still grievin\u2019 hard, is he?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam cast a concerned glance at his younger brothers.\u00a0 \u201cWell, yes, ma\u2019am, he is.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mrs. Hunter bobbed her head sympathetically.\u00a0 \u201cSuch a sad thing.\u00a0 I know exactly how he feels.\u00a0 Took me months, just months, to get over losin\u2019 my Obadiah, but life goes on, and your pa\u2019s got these poor little ones to think of.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUh, yes, and I\u2019d\u2014uh\u2014better get the little ones back home, ma\u2019am.\u201d\u00a0 Adam sprang into the buckboard beside his baby brother.<\/p>\n

The Widow Hunter caught his arm, her bony fingers digging in, as he reached for the reins.\u00a0 \u201cNow, you tell your pa that if he needs help, anything at all, I\u2019m available.\u00a0 All he need do is ask.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, ma\u2019am.\u00a0 Pa appreciates everyone\u2019s support.\u201d\u00a0 Pa was, of course, still too numb to appreciate anything, but in time the words would be true, so Adam didn\u2019t think speaking future, rather than present, truth counted as a lie.\u00a0 He lifted his arm, but Mrs. Hunter\u2019s grip didn\u2019t relax.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you tell your pa that he needs to be in church next Sunday,\u201d the woman urged.\u00a0 \u201cHe needs the consolation of God\u2019s people at a time like this.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, ma\u2019am.\u201d\u00a0 As Adam again tried to raise the reins, he felt Little Joe crawling across his knee.\u00a0 \u201cNo, baby, sit still,\u201d he said sharply.<\/p>\n

Little Joe frowned at the harsh tone, but he tumbled over between Adam\u2019s knees and stood his ground.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, the little lamb, he wants a kiss, I\u2019ll bet.\u00a0 Been missing a mother\u2019s affection, have you, lambie pie?\u201d\u00a0 The Widow Hunter puckered up and, holding the child by both shoulders, pressed slurpy affection on his smooth cheek.\u00a0 Little Joe scowled and wiped his cheek with his hand, but Mrs. Hunter didn\u2019t see, for her gaze had shifted to Adam.\u00a0 \u201cI know it\u2019s a terrible thing for a child to lose his mother,\u201d she rattled on, \u201cbut at least now the sweet babe can be brought up in the true faith, instead of that Popish nonsense\u00a0 That much will be a blessing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe slapped at Adam\u2019s chest, calling his name imperiously.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d Adam snapped, although it wasn\u2019t Little Joe he felt like biting.<\/p>\n

Little Joe drew back, but there was nowhere for him to go in the tight space between the seat and the front of the wagon.\u00a0 \u201cMe drive?\u201d he whimpered, lower lip trembling.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot now,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 His arm finally freed, he lifted the reins.\u00a0 \u201cI really have to get the boys home for dinner,\u201d he said.\u00a0 Shifting the reins to his left hand, he grabbed Little Joe around the waist and, lifting the boy over his knee, plopped him down between his older brothers.\u00a0 \u201cGood day, Mrs. Hunter.\u201d\u00a0 Husband Hunter, that\u2019s what she is<\/em>, he fumed as he whipped the horses forward, and Marie not gone ten days!<\/em>\u00a0 He set the team to a lively pace until he was well outside Washoe City; then he pulled to a stop.\u00a0 \u201cOkay, Little Joe,\u201d he said as he placed his youngest brother back between his knees.\u00a0 \u201cYou can drive now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNow that we\u2019re shed of her, right, Adam?\u201d Hoss asked with a grin.<\/p>\n

Adam gave his middle brother a conspiratorial wink.\u00a0 \u201cRight.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe put his hands directly behind Adam\u2019s on the reins and yelled, \u201cGiddyup!\u201d\u00a0 At the appropriate signal from Adam, the horses responded, and the Cartwright brothers headed for home.<\/p>\n

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

Leaning his head back against the broad trunk of a shady cottonwood, Adam closed his eyes, but kept his ear cocked toward the chatter of his little brothers on the creek bank just below.\u00a0 His worn body craved a nap on this warm and sunny late July afternoon, and the rippling waters of Franktown Creek trilled a lullaby hard to ignore.\u00a0 He had to stay awake, though.\u00a0 Pa, although he was trying, still had too much tendency to stare off into space, lost in his own thoughts, to be trusted to keep a proper watch over the boys.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Little Joe! I ain\u2019t got the worm on the hook yet,\u201d Hoss complained, his voice drifting up the slope to his older brother.<\/p>\n

\u201cHurry, Hoss, hurry!\u201d Little Joe squealed in high-pitched excitement.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou ain\u2019t gonna catch nothin\u2019 if you don\u2019t settle down,\u201d Hoss scolded.\u00a0 \u201cNow, sit!\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam grinned at the sudden silence\u2014good for about two minutes, if Little Joe\u2019s average held true.<\/p>\n

Hoss had seemed content with, if not excited about, the family fishing trip for his birthday.\u00a0 He\u2019d seemed to understand that Pa couldn\u2019t face a crowd of people, not even the close friends who had always attended the boy\u2019s previous birthday celebrations.\u00a0 He\u2019d seemed to understand that Pa didn\u2019t want to go near Lake Tahoe, where the memories of the funeral remained strong, and that fishing in Franktown Creek was a pleasant, but private alternative with few past associations to bring back thoughts of Marie.\u00a0 He\u2019d seemed happy enough, but it would be like Hoss to keep any unhappiness he might feel to himself.\u00a0 Over the last eleven days the boy had gotten a lot of practice at holding back his own grief to avoid upsetting Pa or Little Joe, and he\u2019d more than earned the right to be happy today.<\/p>\n

He\u2019d been happy with his birthday gifts, presented at breakfast that morning; of that Adam was certain.\u00a0 And he\u2019d better have been, after all the trouble I had collecting them yesterday!<\/em>\u00a0 His parents\u2019 gifts had already been selected and paid for, but the saddle that was his main gift had to be picked up in Carson City, and when he\u2019d stopped by the Thomases to beg a meal, they had sent a special set of checkers with a horse\u2019s head carved by Clyde on each round piece.\u00a0 Adam had taken the opportunity to pick up some candy at the general store, to add to his own gift, and that, of course, had met with a warm welcome from his younger brother.<\/p>\n

Hoss had loved the saddle and the checkers, but he\u2019d cast a wary eye at the book Adam gave him until Adam opened it and read one of the nonsense rhymes by Edward Lear:<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

There was an Old Man in a tree,<\/p>\n

Who was horribly bored by a Bee;<\/p>\n

When they said, \u2018Does it buzz?\u2019<\/p>\n

He replied, \u2018Yes, it does!\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2018It\u2019s a regular brute of a Bee.\u2019<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Then Hoss had laughed and said he thought he\u2019d like reading that kind of poems.\u00a0 The gift that had drawn the strongest reaction, however, was a simple bag of marbles.\u00a0 Of course, they were special sulfide marbles, come all the way from Germany, a regular menagerie with the frosty figure of some kind of animal inside each clear glass globe.\u00a0 That wasn\u2019t what brought the mist to Hoss\u2019s alpine eyes, though; it was knowing that his mother had picked them out for him that made them a gift he\u2019d treasure forever.<\/p>\n

They\u2019d all been close to tears when Ben gave those marbles to his son and told him who had chosen them, but then Little Joe, eager to join in the giving, had dashed upstairs and run back down, dragging his newly adopted calico dog by one ear, to return it to Hoss as his gift.<\/p>\n

They\u2019d all laughed then, even Pa, and Hoss had ruffled Little Joe\u2019s hair and said, \u201cNaw, that\u2019s all right, punkin.\u00a0 Brother gave that to you, and I ain\u2019t no Indian giver.\u00a0 You just gimme a hug, and that\u2019ll be present enough.\u201d<\/p>\n

With a big grin Little Joe had thrown his small arms, dog and all, around Hoss\u2019s middle, as far as they\u2019d reach, and hugged with all his might.<\/p>\n

Except for the marbles, perhaps the most meaningful gift had come from Hop Sing, though he had entrusted its delivery to Adam.\u00a0 \u201cStarting tomorrow, you go back to work at the lumber camp,\u201d he\u2019d told his suddenly bright-eyed brother.\u00a0 \u201cHop Sing says he\u2019ll look after Little Joe while we\u2019re away.\u201d<\/p>\n

The celebration had spiraled slowly downhill after that.\u00a0 Pa\u2019d tried to maintain a cheerful face during the picnic lunch, but he kept fading away from them, then jerking back with a flush of guilt.\u00a0 By the time the candles were lighted on Hoss\u2019s birthday cake, the strain evident in Pa\u2019s face was beginning to affect everyone.\u00a0 As soon as they\u2019d each had a slice of chocolate cake, Adam had hustled his brothers down to the creek and gotten them set up for fishing.\u00a0 Too tired to join them, he\u2019d moved back up the slope a ways, just far enough to find some restful shade and, hopefully, a few moments of relaxation.<\/p>\n

Despite his best intentions, Adam must have drifted off, for he awakened with a start when he heard Little Joe\u2019s excited shouts, close at hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa, Pa!\u201d the little boy was shouting as he ran up the hill, Hoss at his heels.\u00a0 In his arms Little Joe held a flopping fish as he trotted toward his father.<\/p>\n

With a sense of foreboding, Adam scrambled to his feet and gave chase, arriving moments behind his brothers at the patchwork quilt where they\u2019d eaten their picnic lunch and where Ben still sprawled after the meal.<\/p>\n

\u201cLookee, Pa,\u201d Little Joe demanded, struggling to hang on to the fish as he held it out for inspection.\u00a0 \u201cI caughts it all my own self!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben blinked as the fish fell onto the quilt.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s nice, baby,\u201d he murmured.\u00a0 He tried to smile at the child, knowing he should, but was too drained emotionally to have anything left to give.\u00a0 As he felt the fragile smile falter, his eyes dropped to the log-cabin pattern of the quilt, and he began to trace the outline of a block with his index finger.<\/p>\n

Little Joe\u2019s face fell, his lower lip began to quiver and his eyes filled with tears.\u00a0 Turning, he ran away, but Adam caught him before he\u2019d taken ten steps, swung him up to his shoulder and began to pat his heaving back.\u00a0 \u201cHoss, get that fish on a string and into the water,\u201d Adam ordered.\u00a0 Then he walked swiftly down the hill, whispering soothing words in his baby brother\u2019s ear.<\/p>\n

For a moment Hoss stared at his father and then stared at the fish.\u00a0 Finally, his obedient nature overcame his rising emotions, and he picked up the fish and scurried down to the water\u2019s edge.<\/p>\n

That night, though, when he was finally alone and no one could be bothered, Hoss let the churning emotions boil over.\u00a0 He\u2019d given up the party his mother had promised him, to make things easier on Pa, but it wasn\u2019t enough.\u00a0 Pa still acted like it plumb wore him out to spend an afternoon with his sons.\u00a0 Then, to top it off, he\u2019d gone and made Little Joe cry.\u00a0 There just wasn\u2019t any call for that!\u00a0 All the little punkin wanted to do was show off that fish I let him think he hauled in by himself.\u00a0 Just wanted to make Pa proud, but Pa wouldn\u2019t even look.<\/em><\/p>\n

Sharp shrieks reverberated through the wall between Hoss\u2019s bedroom and the one next to it, and the boy heard fast footsteps crossing the hall.\u00a0 Another nightmare.\u00a0 He moaned and rolled over, pulling his pillow over his ears to muffle his baby brother\u2019s frightened cries.\u00a0 Adam would settle Joe down, like he had night after night, but listening to his baby brother scream was a miserable way to end what had always before been a special day, a day packed full of love.\u00a0 I ain\u2019t never gonna celebrate another birthday!<\/em> Hoss vowed, soaking his pillow with tears. \u00a0All it does is make folks sad.<\/em><\/p>\n

~ ~ ~ ~ ~<\/p>\n

Historical Note<\/p>\n

The limerick quoted in this chapter is from A Book of Nonsense<\/em> by Edward Lear.\u00a0 Editions were published in 1846, 1855 and 1861.\u00a0 Although the quotation is taken from an online version of the 1861 edition, Adam\u2019s gift would have been a copy of the 1855 book.<\/p>\n

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE<\/p>\n

Sowing Bitterness<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 To Adam\u2019s surprise, Pa had shown up at breakfast Wednesday morning, dressed and ready to go to work.\u00a0 He\u2019d only lasted an hour or so at the lumber camp before he took off somewhere and wasn\u2019t seen again \u2018til supper, but Adam still felt encouraged.\u00a0 At least, Pa was making an effort, and he\u2019d seemed to get along a bit better the next day.\u00a0 On Thursday Pa\u2019d been up and out before breakfast, even, probably relishing the chance to work alone in the cool morning air.\u00a0 That first day back so many men had come up to him, telling how sorry they were about Marie, and Adam suspected that those kind expressions of condolences were what had driven his father away so quickly.\u00a0 He had run into a few men on Thursday whom he hadn\u2019t seen the day before, and the condolences had come pouring out again, but not as many, and Pa\u2019d managed to stay on the job two or three hours that day.\u00a0 Yesterday had been more encouraging yet.\u00a0 No one had said anything about the family\u2019s recent tragedy, at least in Adam\u2019s hearing, and Pa had stayed on the job \u2018til the sun stood directly overhead.\u00a0 Father and son had ridden back to the house together for dinner, talking over ranch affairs\u2014not quite as freely as they had before, but at least they were talking.\u00a0 Exhausted by his efforts at controlling himself around the men, however, Pa hadn\u2019t gone back to work after the meal.<\/p>\n

Adam didn\u2019t know how things had gone today because he\u2019d been away from the ranch since sunup.\u00a0 Not surprisingly, Pa hadn\u2019t wanted to go into Virginia City, so with Hoss along for company, Adam had driven a load of timber beams to the Gould and Curry, while having Jake Webber oversee a similar shipment to the Ophir.\u00a0 Adam had dealt with the superintendents of both mines personally, of course, and deposited the payments rendered with Wells, Fargo.\u00a0 Then, while he loaded up a few supplies at Cass\u2019s Mercantile, he\u2019d let Hoss pick out two bits\u2019 worth of candy for himself and Little Joe.\u00a0 Mrs. Cass, expressing her sorrow at the boys\u2019 recent loss, had wrapped up some fresh-baked gingerbread for them to take home.\u00a0 \u201cNow, be sure you share with the little one\u2014and your pa,\u201d she\u2019d said, running a motherly hand through Hoss\u2019s straight, tawny hair.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes\u2019m, sure will,\u201d Hoss had assured her as they moved out the door.<\/p>\n

After treating his younger brother to chicken and dumplings at Barnum\u2019s Restaurant on the west side of C Street, Adam had turned the team toward home.\u00a0 It was still only mid-afternoon when they arrived at the Ponderosa, time enough to put in another couple of hours work, but Adam didn\u2019t think it worth the effort of saddling up Blackie and riding out.\u00a0 He might as well just unload the supplies, groom the horses and take the rest of the afternoon off.\u00a0 Goodness knows, he\u2019d earned a couple of hours free time, and no one else around here would be hesitant to take it!<\/p>\n

He jumped down from the seat of the freight wagon and reached over its high side to retrieve the paper-and-string-wrapped package of gingerbread.\u00a0 \u201cGet that in to Hop Sing,\u201d he said, handing it to Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s been out in the hot sun long enough as it is.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, don\u2019t want it dryin\u2019 out.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss gave his lips a little anticipatory lick as he took the package.\u00a0 \u201cI can carry more than just this, though,\u201d he offered.<\/p>\n

Adam patted his shoulder in appreciation, but shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll get the rest.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, okay,\u201d Hoss replied with a shrug.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll run it in and be right out to help with the team.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I\u2019ll take care of that, too.\u201d\u00a0 Adam chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ve got a bigger job to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss scrunched up his nose in thought, but couldn\u2019t come up with his brother\u2019s meaning.<\/p>\n

\u201cTaking Little Joe off Hop Sing\u2019s hands for a while,\u201d Adam explained with a grin at his middle brother\u2019s quizzical look.\u00a0 If there was anyone who had looked more strained at the end of the day this week than Pa, it had to have been Hop Sing after a day of chasing Little Joe from pillar to post, but so far, the stalwart cook was sticking to his bargain manfully.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s a chore and a half, all right!\u201d Hoss said, but his eyes were shining.\u00a0 He\u2019d enjoyed working at the lumber camp again this week, feeling almost like a man as he\u2019d wrestled with the big trees, but he had missed his little brother and was still boy enough to relish the idea of playing with him \u2018til time for supper.<\/p>\n

As Hoss headed for the house, Adam unhitched the team and led them into the barn, spotting his father\u2019s horse in its usual stall.\u00a0 He\u2019d have been more surprised if the animal hadn\u2019t been there, of course, but he hoped Pa had managed to get some work accomplished this afternoon.\u00a0 There was plenty to be done, since the ranch was still running a bit behind, but Adam was more concerned that his father keep taking those little steps back toward life.\u00a0 In that regard, it had been a good week, and he had hope that the next one might be even better.\u00a0 Taking the team to the far back stalls reserved for draft animals, Adam began to whistle as he tended to the horses\u2019 needs.\u00a0 He heard a horse come into the yard, but assuming that it was just one of the men, riding in early to clean up for a night in town, as they often did on Saturday, he didn\u2019t look up from his work.<\/p>\n

The visitor was greeted, instead, by Hoss, who was romping around with an exuberant and energetic Little Joe.\u00a0 \u201cHey, Reverend,\u201d the larger boy said, catching hold of the smaller.\u00a0 \u201cYou come to see Pa?\u00a0 He\u2019s inside.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI did, my boy; I did.\u201d\u00a0 The Reverend Jesse Bennett smiled at Hoss as he reached out to pet Little Joe.\u00a0 \u201cIs he feeling any better?\u201d\u00a0 He\u2019d talked to Adam before church the previous Sunday and had gathered that Ben Cartwright was having a difficult time adjusting to the loss of his wife.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, some better,\u201d Hoss said.\u00a0 His lips curved upward slightly, although the expression couldn\u2019t really have been called a smile.\u00a0 \u201cSeems like he gets a little better every day\u2014some ways, anyhow.\u201d\u00a0 And some ways not<\/em>, he could have added, but didn\u2019t.\u00a0 Pa still didn\u2019t seem to want them\u2014or anyone else\u2014around much, and he wouldn\u2019t cuddle Little Joe at all.\u00a0 Hoss had pretty much taken over doing that himself after supper each night, having noticed how tired Adam was lately.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m glad to hear that,\u201d Bennett said gently.<\/p>\n

Hoss walked the minister to the front door, opened it and showed him in.\u00a0 \u201cPa, it\u2019s Reverend Bennett, come to call.\u201d\u00a0 Duty performed, he hurried back outside, shutting the door behind him, and started chasing his squealing little brother around the side of the house.<\/p>\n

Ben Cartwright stood up awkwardly.\u00a0 \u201cReverend,\u201d he said, his voice stiff and almost toneless.<\/p>\n

\u201cBrother Cartwright\u2014Ben\u2014I hope I\u2019m not imposing,\u201d he began, feeling awkward himself in the face of such a cool greeting from the man whose hospitality heretofore had always been warm and inviting.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is it you want?\u201d Ben asked bluntly.\u00a0 \u201cIf it\u2019s about my missing services last Sunday . . .\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Bennett said quickly.\u00a0 \u201cCertainly, I missed seeing you and hope you soon feel like returning to church, where you\u2019ll find the support of your brothers and sisters in the Lord, but I\u2019m here to ask your assistance with a project to aid in the construction of our sister church in Virginia City.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben fell back into his fireside chair.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2014I don\u2019t see how I can be of any help . . . with any project.\u00a0 I\u2014I\u2019m not getting out much yet.\u201d<\/p>\n

Though he hadn\u2019t been offered a seat, the Reverend Bennett sat down on the settee, near Ben.\u00a0 \u201cYes, I know,\u201d he murmured sympathetically, \u201cbut sometimes, my brother, concern for the needs of others helps us forget our own sorrows.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben reared forward.\u00a0 \u201cI have no desire to forget her,\u201d he snapped.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t mean\u201d\u2014the minister swallowed to give himself time to regroup his thoughts.\u00a0 Obviously, he needed to be more careful of his words with this touchy man.\u00a0 \u201cAs you know, the Reverend Samuel Rooney has taken over the work in Virginia City that I pioneered, although he\u2019s had no regular meeting place.\u00a0 I believe you attended his services a time or two.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce,\u201d Ben said tersely.\u00a0 The Sunday before Marie died he and Hoss had joined Rooney\u2019s congregation in an E Street boardinghouse, while Adam and Little Joe had attended Mass with their mother.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t appreciate the reminder, with its inevitable association with what had happened a few days later.<\/p>\n

Bennett shifted uneasily, for this conversation was not proceeding as he\u2019d hoped.\u00a0 \u201cYes, well, as I was saying, the Virginia City church has been meeting in private homes and lodging houses\u201d\u2014he laughed slightly, trying to lighten the atmosphere\u2014\u201ceven in a blacksmith shop, when nothing else was available.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 The attempt had fallen flat, as a quick glance at Ben Cartwright confirmed.\u00a0 \u201cAt any rate, as I told you about a month ago, the church has obtained a vacant lot in town and has been trying to raise funds to construct a building.\u00a0 I just learned this week of one of their projects, and as I believe it is in the interest of all in the territory to promote such a good work, our church will be participating tomorrow night in a box social, to be held on the property.\u00a0 I apologize for the short notice, but I hope that you will cooperate in making the venture a success.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben shook his head, not understanding and not particularly caring whether he did or not.\u00a0 \u201cCooperate?\u201d he asked perfunctorily.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re one of the larger landowners in our Washoe City congregation,\u201d Jesse Bennett explained, \u201cwhich means that you have a large workforce.\u00a0 I hope that you\u2019ll encourage your men to attend, Ben, as the more people we attract, the higher the bidding is likely to go on those box suppers the ladies are preparing.\u00a0 I hope you and your sons will attend also, but I\u2019ll understand, of course, if you don\u2019t feel like being involved in a public gathering so soon after your bereavement.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben drew himself haughtily upright.\u00a0 \u201cIs that all you wanted?\u201d<\/p>\n

The minister took a deep breath.\u00a0 \u201cYes.\u00a0 Just that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben stood up, his attitude clearly one of dismissal.\u00a0 \u201cMy men are free to do as they please, outside of working hours, and I have no objection to my sons\u2019 attending, if Adam feels inclined to take his brothers, but I have no desire to promote your church\u2014or that of Reverend Rooney.\u201d<\/p>\n

Concerned deepened in Jesse Bennett\u2019s eyes as he, too, stood to his feet.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry to have troubled you, then, Ben.\u201d\u00a0 He moved toward the door, but paused, turning to face the other man.\u00a0 \u201cMay I hope to see you in church tomorrow?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s dark brows came together in a single line.\u00a0 \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hand outstretched, Bennett took a step toward him.\u00a0 \u201cBen, I honestly think it would help you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben stood rigidly erect, head held high, mouth hard as he said, \u201cI don\u2019t need your help\u2014or the help of your church.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bennett grasped the back of the settee, gripping it so tightly his knuckles turned white.\u00a0 \u201cMy church,\u201d he said soberly.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s twice you\u2019ve referred to it as my church.\u00a0 I thought it was yours, as well, Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo\u2014no more.\u201d\u00a0 Ben turned toward the fireplace, his body rigid from head to heel.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd is it \u2018my God,\u2019 also?\u201d the minister asked perceptively.<\/p>\n

Ben spun around, finally letting the anger show in his countenance.\u00a0 \u201cAnd why should I worship a God who cares nothing for me and mine?\u201d he demanded harshly.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Ben, He does.\u201d\u00a0 Reverend Bennett moved toward the other man, longing to embrace him with the love of God.<\/p>\n

Shaking his head sharply, Ben stepped back, his stance defying the minister\u2019s attempt to reach out to him.\u00a0 \u201cIs it caring to rip the love of a man\u2019s life from his heart\u2014not once, not twice, but three times?\u00a0 Is it love to deprive a child of his mother\u2014not once, not twice, but three times?\u201d\u00a0 He was shouting as he finished, so intent in his denunciation that he didn\u2019t even notice the front door opening.<\/p>\n

Bennett smiled sadly, paying as little attention to the footsteps behind him as did Ben.\u00a0 \u201cThose are hard questions, Ben, and I have no pat answers for you.\u00a0 I know that life is often unfair, often unjust, often unkind, but I still believe in the goodness\u2014and the undying love\u2014of the One who for our sakes gave His only son, whom He surely loved as much as we do those close to us.\u00a0 Ben, I beg you not to turn your back on the only One who can help you.\u00a0 If you insist on sowing bitterness, you are likely to reap a bitter harvest.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGet out of my house, you and your sermonizing, and take your God with you!\u201d Ben shouted, pointing toward the open door.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa!\u201d Adam cried, shocked by the vehemence and irreverence of his father\u2019s declaration.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is none of your business, boy!\u201d Ben bellowed.<\/p>\n

Reverend Bennett rested a hand on Adam\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t concern yourself, young man.\u00a0 I\u2019ll see myself out.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I\u2019ll see you out,\u201d Adam insisted as the minister moved past him.\u00a0 \u201cI, at least, have not forgotten the manners my father taught me!\u201d\u00a0 He followed Bennett out, slamming the door behind him.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t quarrel with your father on my behalf, son,\u201d the minister urged when they were alone.<\/p>\n

\u201cReverend Bennett, I am so sorry,\u201d Adam apologized.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve never seen him like that, so\u2014so\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBroken,\u201d Bennett suggested with a sad smile.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s as I told you that first day, Adam; he\u2019s a broken man, beyond comfort\u2014and angry with the One from whom he should seek it.\u00a0 Don\u2019t judge him; just continue to support him and pray for him, as I shall\u2014and for you, my son.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lips pursed, Adam nodded.<\/p>\n

The minister put an arm around the young man.\u00a0 \u201cLet me tell you why I came.\u201d\u00a0 Standing in the yard, he explained to Adam about the box social and requested his help in spreading the word among the Ponderosa\u2019s employees.\u00a0 \u201cAnd you come, too, young man,\u201d Reverend Bennett urged.\u00a0 He inclined his head toward the ranch house.\u00a0 \u201cYou need a night away from this.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll come,\u201d Adam promised, \u201cand even though it\u2019ll be a late night, I\u2019ll bring Hoss, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

Sitting alone in the great room, Ben poured another measure of wine into his goblet and swished it around as he stared into its ruby clarity.\u00a0 Wine wasn\u2019t a strong enough painkiller to completely block his misery, but it was the only liquor in the house and it did somewhat blunt his sharp self-recrimination.\u00a0 It couldn\u2019t, however, erase his memory of the reproach in the dark eyes of his eldest son, when Adam had caught him yelling at the minister, or the confusion in Hoss\u2019s honest blue ones, when he\u2019d adamantly refused to go to the box social.\u00a0 Then, after the two older boys were gone, the deep emerald pools of Joseph\u2019s eyes had stared at him with mute appeal until Ben had suggested strongly to Hop Sing that it was the boy\u2019s bedtime.<\/p>\n

No eyes stared at him now in the silent room, but the accusation glared back at him from the ruby-red wine.\u00a0 Not strong enough, not by half<\/em>, Ben decided, red droplets splashing over the top of the glass as he slammed it down on the occasional table to his right.\u00a0 Ben swiped the drops off the table with a hasty hand and stood up abruptly.\u00a0 He needed a drink, and if he didn\u2019t have what need demanded here, he knew where to find it.\u00a0 Striding across the room, he snatched his hat from the peg by the door and stormed out to the barn to saddle his bay.<\/p>\n

Uncertain which direction to take, he pulled up short when the road from the ranch reached the valley floor, but it didn\u2019t take Ben long to decide.\u00a0 Washoe City was the closest town, but it didn\u2019t have many saloons to choose from.\u00a0 That, in itself, didn\u2019t pose a problem because, for Ben\u2019s purposes, the quality of the liquor was unimportant, but he was more likely to run into people he knew close to home, especially when there weren\u2019t many places for his neighbors to find liquid refreshment in Washoe City.<\/p>\n

He could find the anonymity he sought in Virginia City, of course, but he ran a risk, however slight, of running into Adam and Hoss or someone from the church on those streets.\u00a0 Besides, the mining town was further away than the third choice, anyway.\u00a0 Ben had friends in Carson City, as well, but there were a number of saloons to choose from, and if he chose carefully, he should be able to steer clear of any place likely to attract those he knew.\u00a0 Carson City it was, then.\u00a0 Touching his heels to the bay\u2019s flanks, he took off at a pace he had often chided his young wife for using.<\/p>\n

Steering clear of the more popular Magnolia Saloon and the one attached to the Ormsby House, Ben tied his horse outside the What Cheer on the east side of Carson Street, down near 5th<\/sup>, and pushed through the swinging doors in hopes the place would live up to its name.\u00a0 It didn\u2019t.\u00a0 For an hour Ben determinedly downed one shot glass of rotgut after another, trying to ignore the belligerent voices railing about the Union defeat at Bull Run.\u00a0 North\u2014South\u2014what difference did it make who won that foolish clash of arms back east?\u00a0 What difference did anything make without her?\u00a0\u00a0 Full to the gills of both liquor and political oratory, Ben lurched up from his table in a dark corner of the loud and raucous room and wove his way out, from table to table. Staggering through the swinging doors, he stumbled and would have fallen had not a convenient upright post provided a support to latch onto.<\/p>\n

\u201cMr. Cartwright?\u00a0 You all right?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben raised his aching head and stared at the swimming double image of a face he knew he should recognize, but couldn\u2019t quite place.\u00a0 Narrowing his eyes, he saw a shiny metal shape pinned to the man\u2019s shirt.\u00a0 \u201cI know you, officer?\u00a0 Don\u2019t think I do.\u00a0 Pleased to make your\u2014your \u2018quaintance, sir.\u201d\u00a0 He moved to shake the lawman\u2019s hand and fell forward.<\/p>\n

The man wearing the deputy\u2019s badge instinctively grabbed the falling man, and though shorter than Ben, easily supported the dead weight.\u00a0 \u201cMr. Cartwright, it\u2019s Roy Coffee,\u201d the deputy said.\u00a0 \u201cYou remember, I came out to the Ponderosa to speak with you after\u2014after your wife\u2019s death, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben pulled back.\u00a0 \u201cI \u2018member.\u00a0 Don\u2019t wanna talk \u2018bout that now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Or think about it, either<\/em>, Roy Coffee concluded with a sad shake of his head.\u00a0 This besotted wretch bore little resemblance to the upstanding citizen he\u2019d had described to him by various people in Carson City during his investigation, but the forty-five-year-old lawman had had plenty of opportunity to see how grief could change people.\u00a0 He had, in fact, personal acquaintance with the grief of losing a spouse and knew how it could cut the ground from under a man\u2019s feet.<\/p>\n

Staggering away from the deputy, Ben stepped off the edge of the wooden walkway and grabbed hold of the hitching rail, barely managing to stay on his feet.<\/p>\n

Coffee was at his side a moment later.\u00a0 \u201cMr. Cartwright, you might best find yourself a place to sleep it off,\u201d he suggested as he hauled the man upright again.<\/p>\n

Ben shook free and listed toward his horse.\u00a0 \u201cGoin\u2019 home,\u201d he mumbled.\u00a0 \u201cGot a ranch, boys to see to.\u201d<\/p>\n

Deputy Coffee guided Ben\u2019s foot into the stirrup.\u00a0 \u201cSure you can make it?\u201d he asked, a trace of anxiety edging his voice.\u00a0 \u201cWe got plenty of hotels here where you could take a room for the night.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben didn\u2019t say anything in response; he just gathered up the reins and began to walk the horse north on Carson Street.<\/p>\n

Roy Coffee shook his head.\u00a0 At that rate Ben Cartwright would be lucky to get to the Ponderosa by morning, but maybe he\u2019d have a better chance of staying in the saddle at a walk than a gallop.\u00a0 Roy hated to let the man ride off in that condition, but felt he had no choice.\u00a0 Oh, he could have locked Cartwright up for his own protection, on a charge of drunk and disorderly, perhaps, but it wouldn\u2019t stick.\u00a0 Wasn\u2019t even fair, since Cartwright hadn\u2019t been disorderly, just a mite disoriented.\u00a0 Besides, that miserable log shanty wasn\u2019t even fit for felons, much less a man of Cartwright\u2019s caliber.\u00a0 If he\u2019d lived closer, the deputy could have seen him home, but it was a long ride out to the Ponderosa, and with Sheriff Blackburn as inebriated tonight as the grief-stricken rancher, someone had to stay on guard here in Carson City.<\/p>\n

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

Just past midnight Adam dismounted in one fluid motion and quickly wrapped his horse\u2019s reins around the hitching rail.\u00a0 \u201cDown you come, buddy,\u201d he said, reaching a protective arm toward Hoss.<\/p>\n

Hoss gave a prodigious yawn.\u00a0 \u201cAw, Adam, I ain\u2019t Little Joe; I know how t\u2019get off a horse.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you\u2019re awake, you mean,\u201d Adam chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cCome on down, then.\u201d\u00a0 He let Hoss dismount by himself, but stayed close in case his younger brother\u2019s pronounced grogginess caused him to slip.\u00a0 When Hoss was safely on the ground, Adam rubbed across the back of his brother\u2019s shoulder blade.\u00a0 \u201cLate night for you, buddy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yawning again, Hoss nodded.\u00a0 \u201cSure had a good time, though.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam grinned.\u00a0 \u201cI noticed you took quite a liking to that little blonde with the pigtails.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss scowled.\u00a0 \u201cWhat I took a likin\u2019 to was her ma\u2019s fried chicken and peach cobbler.\u00a0 Miz Wilkins sure can cook!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I think you made out better than me in the food department,\u201d Adam said, mouth twisting awry at the memory of the overly tart apple pie in the box he\u2019d purchased.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019d better get you straight to bed, though, buddy, and don\u2019t hurry getting up in the morning.\u00a0 You can sleep in and just do some chores around here \u2018til dinner.\u00a0 Then I\u2019ll take you back to the lumber camp with me for the afternoon.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss stretched his arms to both sides.\u00a0 \u201cBetter get Charcoal bedded down first.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s good thinkin\u2019, little brother,\u201d Adam said with an approving squeeze of the boy\u2019s brawny biceps, \u201cbut I\u2019ll tend the stock after I\u2019ve gotten you into bed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAw, Adam,\u201d Hoss muttered again, but he didn\u2019t argue as Adam walked in with him and went up the stairs just behind him.\u00a0 Truth was, Hoss felt like he could just sink right down on the first landing, curl up and go to sleep, so maybe it was a good idea for his big brother to prod him on up.<\/p>\n

Adam stopped at the door to Hoss\u2019s room.\u00a0 \u201cCan you make it from here?\u201d<\/p>\n

His hand on the doorknob, Hoss turned to give his older brother a vinegary look.<\/p>\n

Waving his hands before his face, Adam laughed softly.\u00a0 \u201cOkay, okay.\u00a0 I\u2019ll just look in on Little Joe and head back down to tend those horses.\u00a0 Good night, buddy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss grinned back.\u00a0 \u201cNight, Adam.\u00a0 Thanks for takin\u2019 me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam moved back down the hall and walked through the open door into his youngest brother\u2019s bedroom.\u00a0 His eyes widened in shock when he saw the empty bed, but before he even had time to turn around, he heard the disgusted voice of his other brother in the next room, hollering, \u201cDoggone you!\u201d<\/p>\n

Rushing from one room to the next, Adam saw Hoss tugging at their younger brother, who woke with a cry.\u00a0 \u201cHoss, what are you doing?\u201d he demanded.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat am I<\/em> doin\u2019?\u201d\u00a0 Hoss pointed an accusative finger at the intruder in his bed.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s he<\/em> doin\u2019 in here?\u201d\u00a0 Planting both hands on his hips, he glared at Little Joe.\u00a0 \u201cThis is my bed!\u00a0 You go get in your own.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe sat up, rubbing his eyes with his fists.\u00a0 \u201cMy bed wet,\u201d he whimpered.<\/p>\n

\u201cFigured as much,\u201d Hoss grunted, \u201cand now you aim to soak mine!\u00a0 When you gonna quit bein\u2019 such a baby, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss!\u201d Adam rebuked sharply.<\/p>\n

\u201cMe not baby,\u201d Little Joe whined.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah?\u00a0 Prove it, then.\u201d\u00a0 As Little Joe\u2019s thumb headed toward his mouth, Hoss roughly pulled it away.\u00a0 \u201cQuit that!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou quit,\u201d Adam hissed.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s got into you, Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s got into the lot of you?\u201d a booming voice demanded.\u00a0 \u201cDo you know what time it is?\u201d<\/p>\n

Three sets of eyes turned toward the doorway, where a glowering Ben Cartwright loomed over them, although he was leaning heavily against the doorjamb.\u00a0 Adam stood quickly.\u00a0 \u201cPa, I\u2019m sorry.\u00a0 Did we wake you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben raised his left hand to his aching head.\u00a0 \u201cHow\u2019s a man to sleep through this\u2014this\u201d\u2014he appeared to be struggling to find the right word, finally settling on \u201cracket.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m very sorry, Pa,\u201d Adam apologized again.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll get them quieted down right away, I promise.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell\u2014well.\u201d\u00a0 Again Ben appeared to be searching for elusive words.\u00a0 \u201cAll right, then.\u00a0 See that you do.\u201d\u00a0 He turned too quickly and staggered into the doorjamb on the opposite side.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa?\u201d Adam asked with concern as he moved to his father\u2019s side.\u00a0 \u201cAre you all right?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTired.\u00a0 Need sleep,\u201d Ben managed to slur out.\u00a0 \u201cNo more noise.\u201d<\/p>\n

Catching a whiff of whiskey-laced breath, Adam gasped and took tight grip on his father\u2019s elbow.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s get you back to bed then,\u201d he said, hustling Pa out the door in the vain hope that neither of his younger brothers would notice anything amiss.\u00a0 He steered his father\u2019s unstable steps down the hall and helped him back into bed.<\/p>\n

Ben rolled over, burying his face in the pillow, and for a moment Adam just stared down at him.\u00a0 Never, absolutely never, had he seen his father drunk, and his mouth curled in distaste at the sight.\u00a0 Pa had seemed to be doing better; then he\u2019d uttered near-blasphemy to the preacher this afternoon\u2014and now this.\u00a0 Was there no end to this relentless spiral downwards?\u00a0 Adam had no time to seek an answer to that question, however; down the hall another situation in need of rectifying awaited his attention.<\/p>\n

Arriving back at Hoss\u2019s room, he saw that his youngest brother was sobbing pitifully, repeating over and over again that he wasn\u2019t a baby, but Hoss, at least, seemed more like himself.\u00a0 He had his arm around the younger boy and was trying to quiet him, if only to keep Pa from coming back and yelling at them again.\u00a0 Adam walked in and, picking Little Joe up, sat on the edge of the bed with the boy on his knee.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t help noticing the moisture that seeped into his pants\u2019 leg from the wet tail of Joe\u2019s nightshirt.\u00a0 \u201cLooks like you need a change, little fellow.\u201d\u00a0 He looked over at Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cCan you fetch him some dry nightclothes?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I guess.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss sounded grumpy, but he went into the next room and returned with a pale yellow nightshirt.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s the last one he\u2019s got, so you\u2019d better hope he don\u2019t soak it again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOne accident a night has been the extent so far,\u201d Adam said with an attempt at cheer.\u00a0 He unbuttoned the damp blue garment Joe was wearing and pulled it off.<\/p>\n

Hoss had the yellow one gathered up and ready to pop over Joe\u2019s head.<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks,\u201d Adam said as he pulled the nightshirt down and began to fasten the buttons.\u00a0 Without looking up, he asked, \u201cWanna tell me what got under your skin tonight?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss scuffed his boot across the rug by his bed.\u00a0 \u201cJust tired, I reckon.\u201d\u00a0 He looked up, frowning.\u00a0 \u201cPlumb tired a-bein\u2019 the onliest one around here that\u2019s gotta act grown up.\u201d\u00a0 His face flushed as he peered up at Adam, and he added quickly, \u201c\u2018cept you, o\u2019 course.\u00a0 Didn\u2019t mean you, Adam; you been the best, but Pa\u2019s just lettin\u2019 go, and this one\u2019s takin\u2019 to talkin\u2019 and actin\u2019 like he was two years younger than he is.\u00a0 Makes me mad.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think you mean \u2018worried,\u2019\u201d Adam suggested gently.\u00a0 \u201cThey can\u2019t help it, Hoss, either one of them.\u00a0 Pa and Little Joe both are coping the only way they know how.\u00a0 I know it\u2019s hard to handle\u2014for me, too\u2014but you don\u2019t have to act grown up, buddy.\u00a0 I told you before: you can be any way you need to be.\u00a0 That still goes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss cocked his head to one side.\u00a0 \u201cFor you, too?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, for me, too,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 Don\u2019t I wish!\u00a0 But Hoss is right: somebody has to behave like a grownup, and I\u2019m evidently elected\u2014by default<\/em>.\u00a0 He stood up, lifting Little Joe to his shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cYou better get dressed for bed yourself now,\u201d he told Hoss, \u201cand climb under those covers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss nodded.\u00a0 As he began fidgeting with his top button, he looked up and saw Adam headed for the door.\u00a0 \u201cAdam?\u00a0 He can sleep here, if\u2019n he wants.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t have to do that, Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cLike you said, he only soaks the sheets once a night, so it\u2019s okay.\u00a0 I\u2019d\u2014I\u2019d kinda like him to know I ain\u2019t mad, Adam.\u201d\u00a0 And maybe I\u2019ll tell him a little night-night story about how big boys is \u2018sposed to act.<\/em><\/p>\n

With a smile Adam tucked Little Joe back into Hoss\u2019s bed, gave him a kiss on the forehead and stood up.\u00a0 \u201cInto bed, quick as a wink,\u201d he told Hoss as he gave him a hug.\u00a0 Then he headed toward his own room.\u00a0 He hustled into his nightclothes and slid under the covers, grateful that Hoss had offered to let Little Joe sleep with him.\u00a0 A night alone in his own bed\u2014that would be heaven.\u00a0 With a sigh of contentment, he closed his eyes, but they immediately popped open again.\u00a0 \u201cOh, doggone it, I forgot the horses!\u201d\u00a0 Groaning, Adam sat up, pulled his boots back on and headed downstairs to do his duty.<\/p>\n

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

Ben Cartwright slept late the next morning, but by the time Adam returned for the noon meal, he was up and dressed, although he still looked rather the worse for wear.\u00a0 Having had a late breakfast, he said he wasn\u2019t hungry and so declined to join his sons at the table.\u00a0 He strode to the cabinet beside the front door and began to buckle on his gun belt, glancing\u00a0 over his shoulder with irritation when he heard footsteps behind him.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa, about last night . . .\u201d Adam asked tentatively.<\/p>\n

\u201cLast night was a disgrace,\u201d Ben grunted.\u00a0 \u201cYou needn\u2019t worry that it\u2019ll happen again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Face lined with concern, Adam leaned against the low cabinet.\u00a0 \u201cI was really surprised to see you like that, Pa, after all you\u2019ve said to me about drinking to excess.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sure,\u201d Ben snapped.\u00a0 \u201cBelieve it or not, Adam, I do not need an eighteen-year-old boy telling me right from wrong.\u00a0 I was wrong to try to drown my sorrows in liquor last night, and it won\u2019t happen again.\u00a0 Now, if you don\u2019t mind, boy, I\u2019d like to get to work.\u00a0 I haven\u2019t done my fair share the last couple of weeks, and that\u2019s another wrong I mean to set right, starting today.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd the boys?\u201d\u00a0 Adam knew he shouldn\u2019t press, but he couldn\u2019t help himself.\u00a0 \u201cAren\u2019t there things to set right there, too?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben almost crumpled in on himself.\u00a0 \u201cGive me some time, son,\u201d he pleaded.\u00a0 \u201cLet me take it one step at a time\u2014please.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, Pa,\u201d Adam murmured, but the words carried no confidence.<\/p>\n

Flushing, Ben turned away, determined to prove that he could, at least, be trusted to do a day\u2019s work.\u00a0 Beginning that afternoon, he threw himself into his ranch responsibilities as if his very survival depended on getting the requisite number of trees cut or the right number of cattle herded to each green meadow.<\/p>\n

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

Ben kept his promise, and now it was he who worked sunup to sundown\u2014and even beyond, not returning home in time to take supper with his sons either Monday or Tuesday.\u00a0 He was as obviously trying to drown his sorrows in hard work as he had tried to drown them in hard liquor that grim Sunday night.\u00a0 At least, that was how Adam saw it.\u00a0 Not that he was ungrateful.\u00a0 With Pa taking renewed interest in the ranch, the young man\u2019s workload eased up markedly, and he was once again merely bull of the woods of his own timber operation, instead of trying to manage the entire Ponderosa.<\/p>\n

While he no longer carried the responsibility for the ranch, the burden of caring for and comforting his younger brothers still rested solely on Adam\u2019s strong, but sagging shoulders.\u00a0 He\u2019d far rather his father had taken on that load and left the ranch to him, but he couldn\u2019t bring himself to share that sentiment.\u00a0 Pa had asked for time, so time Adam would give him, but the young man was beginning to fear that the ones suffering the most from his inability to fill Pa\u2019s shoes were Hoss and Little Joe.<\/p>\n

Joe did seem to be doing a bit better, at least outwardly.\u00a0 Adam had started restricting his fluids after supper, and it had apparently helped, since Joe had slept dry the last two nights.\u00a0 The two older brothers had discussed the problem as they worked side by side, and Hoss had outlined his talk with Little Joe in bed Sunday night about acting like a big boy.\u00a0 Adam wasn\u2019t sure how much good that little discussion had done, but he decided that he should probably stop referring to his youngest brother as \u201cbaby.\u201d\u00a0 It was a hard habit to break, especially when Little Joe gazed up at him with those abandoned-baby-calf eyes, but Adam was determined to call the little boy by the title he wanted him to live up to.<\/p>\n

While encouraging Joe to act his age, it occurred to Adam that his other brother had the same need, in the opposite direction.\u00a0 Hoss was man-sized now, physically as able to put in a day\u2019s work as any other hand on the ranch, and with Pa leaving them short-handed, it had been easy to overlook that the willing young worker was not really a man yet.\u00a0 At eleven, Hoss was still a boy, and he needed time to be a boy, to run and play and just be at loose ends.\u00a0 That had hit Adam like a sledge sometime Monday morning, and he had instituted a policy that very afternoon of sending Hoss home early, just to give him some time to romp and play with Little Joe and Klamath.<\/p>\n

It was a policy that benefited everyone, for Hoss arrived home just at the time Hop Sing needed to start supper.\u00a0 The Cantonese cook almost sang as he moved freely about his kitchen without having to worry about what Little Joe might be getting into while his back was turned.\u00a0 The Cartwrights, one and all, had learned long ago that a happy cook tended to make for peaceful mealtimes at the Ponderosa, and the atmosphere at the table the last two nights, when Hoss had arrived home early, had proven the point once again.<\/p>\n

However, Hoss deserved some free time that didn\u2019t come attached with responsibility for Little Joe as part of the bargain, and Adam thought a trip to Carson City for the mail fit the bill perfectly.\u00a0 Although the Overland Stage had started daily deliveries just last month, the Ponderosa rarely received mail urgent enough to require that anyone pick it up in the middle of the week.\u00a0 Hoss didn\u2019t have to know that, though.\u00a0 As the older Cartwrights discussed their plans for the day over breakfast Wednesday morning, Adam blithely announced the surprise and promptly cursed his lack of forethought in mentioning it in front of Little Joe.\u00a0 Intent on giving Hoss that bit of pleasure, he overlooked the completely foreseeable certainty that Little Joe would beg to go, too.<\/p>\n

Before Adam could explain why that was impossible, however, their father exploded.\u00a0 \u201cNo!\u201d he shouted, banging his hand on the table.\u00a0 \u201cYou may not ride to Carson City\u2014or anywhere else\u2014with your brother, Joseph.\u00a0 Now, stop that whining this instant!\u201d\u00a0 Ben bolted to his feet, glowering at his two older sons.\u00a0 \u201cNever, absolutely never is either of you to take this child into your saddle, understood?\u00a0 Never!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, Pa,\u201d Adam murmured hastily, as images of his stepmother hurtling from her horse rushed into his mind, similar to images he suspected were tormenting his father.<\/p>\n

Eyes still snapping, Ben rounded on his second son.\u00a0 \u201cHoss?\u201d he demanded.<\/p>\n

\u201cS-sure, Pa.\u201d\u00a0 Eyes dropping, Hoss swirled his fork through the runny egg on his plate, his appetite suddenly gone and his pleasure in the proposed expedition shattered.<\/p>\n

Thumb creeping toward his mouth, Little Joe cowered back in his chair, confused and apprehensive, but not until his father stormed out through the kitchen did tears start to trickle down his cheeks.\u00a0 Adam quickly gathered the little boy into his lap, wiping away the tears with his napkin and trying to explain that Pa just wanted him to be safe.\u00a0 \u201cYou can\u2019t go with Hoss, anyway,\u201d he said, \u201cbecause Hoss will be leaving from the lumber camp and it\u2019s too far to come back here for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Somehow he managed to get Joe calmed down, and Adam and Hoss rode out, leaving to Hop Sing the thankless task of coping with the cranky youngest Cartwright.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam, is\u2014is Pa ever gonna get back to bein\u2019 Pa again?\u201d Hoss asked, moving Charcoal alongside Blackie.<\/p>\n

Adam reached over to give his brother\u2019s brawny arm a comforting pat.\u00a0 \u201cSure he is.\u00a0 Look how much different he is from just a week ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss twiddled with his horse\u2019s reins.\u00a0 \u201cI reckon.\u201d\u00a0 He didn\u2019t sound convinced.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe just needs time, Hoss,\u201d Adam assured him.\u00a0 \u201cIt took him awhile to get back to normal when your mother died, too, but he made it then and he will again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah?\u00a0 After your ma, too?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam gave his brother a gentle smile.\u00a0 \u201cI was barely born then, Hoss, so I can\u2019t say for sure.\u00a0 I think it must have been the same, though.\u00a0 In fact, I can\u2019t ever remember Pa being really happy \u2018til he met your mother.\u00a0 Something came alive in him then.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd died when she did?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam cocked his head at his younger brother.\u00a0 \u201cMore like went to sleep.\u00a0 Like now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss smiled, then, pleased with the picture Adam\u2019s words had painted.\u00a0 If Pa were only sleeping, sooner or later he was bound to wake up.\u00a0 \u201cThanks, Adam,\u201d he murmured.<\/p>\n

\u201cSure.\u00a0 Look, Hoss, why don\u2019t you take off around eleven this morning,\u201d Adam suggested.\u00a0 \u201cThat way you can take dinner with the Thomases.\u00a0 They\u2019ll love havin\u2019 you.\u201d\u00a0 And Nelly can cuddle you up and fill up some of that emptiness inside, like she used<\/em> to when we lived with them<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s smile broadened into a wide grin, and he touched Charcoal with his heels to make her trot a little faster into the good time to come.<\/p>\n

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

As reliable as Hoss generally was, Adam wasn\u2019t quite sure he could be trusted to get home on time that afternoon, so he made a point of coming in early himself, to relieve Hop Sing.\u00a0 Taking Little Joe into the barn with him, Adam tried to complete the evening chores, reconfirming in the process just how underfoot a four-year-old could get.\u00a0 At the sound of horse hooves clattering into the yard, Adam instinctively grabbed his youngest brother around the waist, as the boy tried to dart past him.\u00a0 \u201cNo, no, not yet,\u201d he insisted.\u00a0 Then, through the open door, he saw Hoss dismount.\u00a0 \u201cOkay\u2014now,\u201d he said as he turned Joe loose and propelled him forward with a soft swat on the bottom.<\/p>\n

Soon Adam heard Hoss holler, \u201cHey, punkin!\u201d and couldn\u2019t resist coming to the barn door to watch what sounded like such a cheerful reunion.\u00a0 As he peeked around the door, he saw Hoss catch Little Joe up under his arms and swing the little boy in a circle as Joe squealed with delight.<\/p>\n

\u201cGuess what I saw, Little Joe!\u201d Hoss cried, turning round and round.<\/p>\n

\u201cDown, Hoss, down!\u201d Little Joe screamed.<\/p>\n

Hoss obligingly set the child on the ground and tousled his curls.\u00a0 \u201cGuess what, Joe,\u201d he said as he squatted down to Joe\u2019s level.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s a circus come to town!\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe\u2019s face puckered in thought.\u00a0 \u201cWhat circus is, Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right.\u00a0 You ain\u2019t never seen one.\u201d\u00a0 Pushing his hat back from his brow, Hoss laughed, more at himself than at Little Joe.\u00a0 \u201cWell, I ain\u2019t, either, \u2018til today\u2014\u2019cept in pictures.\u00a0 A circus is\u2014well, a kind of show, Little Joe, with clowns and tightrope walkers and folks doin\u2019 fancy tricks on horses and such.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s eyes widened, especially at the mention of tricks on horses.\u00a0 \u201cCan we go, Hoss?\u00a0 Can we, can we?\u201d he asked, bouncing with excitement.<\/p>\n

Hoss bit his lower lip.\u00a0 \u201cWell, I don\u2019t know.\u00a0 Pa might . . .\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe stopped dead still, and his gaze dropped to the dust.\u00a0 \u201cNo,\u201d he sighed.\u00a0 \u201cPa won\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam ducked back inside the barn, not wanting his younger brothers to see the emotion their simple exchange had evoked.\u00a0 Needing some way to release the anger building inside, he slammed his palm against the upright of one of the stalls.\u00a0 How dare Pa add to the grief of these two youngsters!\u00a0 How dare he deprive them of even the hope of an evening\u2019s enjoyment as a family!\u00a0 A circus comes to Nevada for the first time, and they can\u2019t run straight to Pa and ask if they can go?\u00a0 No, they\u2019ve got to worry about him, just like I did crossing the Forty-Mile Desert after Inger . . . well, I won\u2019t have it!\u00a0 Those little boys are going to get the chance to be little boys, if it\u2019s the last thing I do!\u00a0 Hoss and Joe will have their night at the circus, even if it means bearding our lion of a father in that cage he\u2019s built around himself!<\/em><\/p>\n

Striding outside, Adam forced a cheerful expression to his face.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s all this about a circus?\u201d he asked.\u00a0 \u201cDid you get the particulars, Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n

The light of hope sparkled in Hoss\u2019s clear blue eyes.\u00a0 There wasn\u2019t a chance of Pa\u2019s taking them to the circus, but Adam just might\u2014if he wasn\u2019t too busy.\u00a0 \u201cHey, I sure did, Adam.\u00a0 It\u2019s in Carson through Saturday night and then moves on to Virginia City.\u00a0 Sure wish we could go.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSaturday night, huh?\u201d\u00a0 Adam stroked his chin as if in thought.\u00a0 \u201cThat might work.\u00a0 Don\u2019t say anything to Pa, though, okay?\u00a0 Let me do the talking.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss grinned.\u00a0 \u201cSure thing, Adam.\u201d\u00a0 He dug into his saddlebags and pulled out three envelopes.\u00a0 \u201cGood thing you sent me into Carson, \u2018cause it was a big day for mail\u2014even one for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks,\u201d Adam said, taking the letters.<\/p>\n

Hoss swung Little Joe up onto Charcoal and started toward the barn to tend his mount.<\/p>\n

Adam didn\u2019t get a chance to see who the letters were from.\u00a0 Hearing a soft plop, like flesh on leather, he looked up quickly, and his heart caught in his throat as he saw the little boy in the saddle.\u00a0 His eyes darted swiftly down the road leading up to the house.\u00a0 Needless worry, of course.\u00a0 Pa never got in this early, but after the explosion at the breakfast table, Adam hated to think what would happen if Pa were to ride in and see Little Joe sitting on that horse.\u00a0 The admonitions Hoss was pouring into their younger brother\u2019s ear about keeping the circus a secret were needless, too.\u00a0 If he had the chance, Little Joe would heedlessly blurt everything out, not a doubt in the world about that!\u00a0 Sadly, the little boy wouldn\u2019t likely get that chance, for if pattern held to form, he\u2019d be asleep by the time their father decided to join them.<\/p>\n

Glancing at the first envelope, Adam walked toward the house.\u00a0 It was a letter, probably one of condolence, from Reverend Wentworth.\u00a0 Mark must have written to his father about Marie\u2019s death.\u00a0 Well, maybe Pa\u2019s old friend would find the right words to comfort him.\u00a0 He\u2019d lost his wife along the trail and had nearly fallen to pieces himself, so if anyone could understand what Pa was feeling, it was likely to be Ebenezer Wentworth.<\/p>\n

As he opened the door, Adam slid that letter to the back of the bundle and read the return address of the second.\u00a0 He sighed as he read the name of John Cartwright.\u00a0 He\u2019d lay odds that Pa hadn\u2019t written his brother yet about what had happened.\u00a0 I\u2019ll probably have to do it for him<\/em>, Adam concluded with a snort.\u00a0 He laid both letters on his father\u2019s desk and moved toward the staircase.<\/p>\n

The final letter had to be the one Hoss had said was for him, but Adam wouldn\u2019t look at it until he was safely in his room, door closed to shut out prying eyes.\u00a0 While he had school friends who might have written, he had an instinctive dread that this letter had come from St. Joseph, Missouri, and represented another problem to be faced.\u00a0 Adam was fed up to his gizzard with problems to be faced, but this one, being truly his, he\u2019d somehow have to handle.<\/p>\n

Entering his room, he tossed the letter onto his bed and with slow, deliberate care removed his hat and gun belt, which he\u2019d absent-mindedly forgotten to do downstairs.\u00a0 Then he sat on the side of the bed, one leg drawn up in a V on top of the coverlet.\u00a0 Shutting his eyes, he took a deep, bolstering breath, opened his eyes and reached for the letter.\u00a0 As expected, it was from Jamie Edwards, and also as expected, it made urgent inquiry as to whether Adam had yet spoken to his father about coming east to school.<\/p>\n

After scanning the lines, Adam slumped back against the headboard.\u00a0 Attending Yale with Jamie was a dream that had died with Marie.\u00a0 So why did it hurt so much, still, if it were dead?\u00a0 He shook his head, disgusted with himself for asking such a fool question and even more disgusted that he hadn\u2019t done his duty by his friend before now.\u00a0 I\u2019m as bad as Pa, not writing Uncle John that his wife had died<\/em>.\u00a0 Since Adam was no longer available, Jamie needed to find a new roommate to share expenses, and he had little time left to do so before the start of the fall term.\u00a0 In all fairness Adam knew he had to write at once, telling his friend about the tragic loss of his stepmother and how that had changed all his plans.<\/p>\n

With a sigh, Adam went to his desk, took out a sheet of stationery and began to write:<\/p>\n

Dear Jamie,<\/p>\n

It is with heartfelt regret that I must inform you that I will not be attending Yale with you this year. . . .<\/p>\n

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

Little Joe was in bed when Ben returned, but Adam waited until Hoss had gone upstairs, as well, before approaching his father.\u00a0 After eating his warmed-over dinner in the kitchen, Ben had immediately gone to his desk.\u00a0 When Adam walked up, he was still sitting there, unopened letters shoved to one side, ledger spread before him, although he didn\u2019t seem to be recording figures, just staring off into space.\u00a0 \u201cPa?\u201d Adam began hesitantly.<\/p>\n

Ben jumped slightly.\u00a0 \u201cYes, son?\u00a0 How\u2014uh\u2014how did things go at your camp today?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFine, Pa.\u201d\u00a0 Adam licked his lips.\u00a0 \u201cPa, there was something else I wanted to ask you about.\u201d\u00a0 He rushed into an announcement of the arrival of a circus in Carson City and explained how much the boys would like to attend.\u00a0 \u201cQuite an opportunity, don\u2019t you think, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d\u00a0 Ben blinked, trying to focus on what his son was saying.\u00a0 \u201cOh, yes, of course, Adam.\u00a0 The boys will enjoy that.\u00a0 When did you plan to take them?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSaturday.\u201d\u00a0 Adam placed both hands on top of the desk and leaned toward his father.\u00a0 \u201cI was hoping\u2014and so were the boys\u2014that you would come, too, Pa.\u201d\u00a0 There.\u00a0 It was said.\u00a0 Adam stood back, squaring his shoulders to face . . . whatever would happen next, certain it wouldn\u2019t be light-hearted acquiescence.<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s mouth hardened into a straight line.\u00a0 \u201cNo.\u00a0 No, you take them.\u00a0 I have no interest in circuses just now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Or anything else<\/em>, Adam might have added, but didn\u2019t deem it prudent. \u00a0\u201cPlease, Pa,\u201d he requested plaintively.\u00a0 \u201cIt would mean a lot\u2014to all of us\u2014and maybe do you as much good as . . . fresh air . . . and hard work.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s fingers tightened around the pen in his hand.\u00a0 \u201cDo you honestly think clowns and pony acts will make me forget what I\u2019ve lost, boy?\u201d he asked tersely.<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s nostrils flared, and the anger he\u2019d felt earlier came spewing out.\u00a0 \u201cWell, maybe!\u00a0 Just maybe you could forget for an hour or so, if you\u2019d let yourself think about something besides your<\/em> loss.\u00a0 It isn\u2019t just your loss, Pa; it\u2019s mine and Hoss\u2019s and Little Joe\u2019s, too!\u201d<\/p>\n

Forearms falling to the desktop, Ben slumped forward.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t you think I know that, Adam?\u00a0 Don\u2019t you think I know I\u2019m failing all of you and reproach myself for it every day?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHang your reproach!\u201d Adam shouted.\u00a0 \u201cWhat good does that do anyone?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s head snapped up, and his black eyes sparked.\u00a0 \u201cYou lower your voice, young man!\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam sucked in a slow breath, forcing himself to calm down.\u00a0 \u201cAll right, Pa, I\u2019ll lower my voice, but it won\u2019t change the truth.\u00a0 The boys need you\u2014especially Little Joe\u2014and all your lofty self-reproach won\u2019t give them a minute\u2019s comfort.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben dropped his head into his left palm, and his fingers closed around a handful of salt-and-pepper hair.\u00a0 \u201cI can\u2019t give them what I haven\u2019t found myself, son.\u201d\u00a0 He glanced up, his eyes pleading for understanding.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t you think I\u2019ve tried to make myself reach out to them?\u00a0 I can a little with Hoss, but Joseph\u201d\u2014he dragged his hand down to cup his chin and shook his head in despair.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve tried.\u00a0 I honestly have, but every time I look at him, the pain rushes at me, like salt being poured into an open wound.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s hurting, too, Pa,\u201d Adam persisted relentlessly, although his voice had grown quieter.<\/p>\n

Ben sighed deeply. \u00a0\u201cI know he is, but I\u2019m afraid that if I take him in my arms, all he\u2019ll feel coming from me is the pain\u2014and that will hurt him all the more.\u201d\u00a0 He raised his head and found the courage to meet his son\u2019s smoldering eyes.\u00a0 \u201cI do appreciate your concern, Adam, and how you\u2019re holding things together.\u201d\u00a0 His eyes fell on the letter from his brother.\u00a0 \u201cReminds me of how John took me in hand when our parents died.\u00a0 Like him, you\u2019re a good older brother.\u00a0 You\u2014you go right ahead and take your brothers to that circus and show them a good time.\u00a0 I\u2019ll foot the bill.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe bill.\u201d\u00a0 Adam almost spat the words back.\u00a0 \u201cWell, thanks for that, I guess, but you won\u2019t go?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Ben answered curtly, fumbling for his pen and pulling the ledger toward him.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2014I have a great deal of bookwork to catch up on, son, so if you\u2019ll excuse me . . .\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, by all means, you do your bookwork!\u201d Adam snorted.\u00a0 \u201cAnd I hope that includes writing your own brother about what\u2019s happened . . . or do I get that lovely little chore, too?\u00a0 You\u2019ll pay for the stamp, I trust!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben stared at the irate face before him.\u00a0 \u201cI think you\u2019d better go to your room, young man, and give some thought to how you conduct yourself before you come out again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGo to my room?\u00a0 You\u2019re sending me to my room?\u201d\u00a0 Eyes raised to the ceiling, Adam released a short, abrupt and humorless laugh.\u00a0 Here he\u2019d practically run the Ponderosa for a couple of weeks and filled a father\u2019s shoes with his younger brothers, but in Pa\u2019s eyes he was still a kid!\u00a0 He lowered his gaze to his father\u2019s face once more and stared back intently as he ran his tongue around the inside of his mouth while weighing his words.\u00a0 \u201cAll right, Pa.\u00a0 I\u2019ll go to my room, like a naughty schoolboy\u201d\u2014he took three steps toward the stairs and spun around\u2014\u201dbut it won\u2019t change what I said.\u00a0 You know I\u2019m right!\u201d<\/p>\n

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

Adam herded his brothers into the canvas tent of Dr. Bassett\u2019s Circus and down the aisle of rough plank benches to a spot where there was room for three.\u00a0 Handing a brown bag of popcorn to Hoss, he put Little Joe between them and sat down.\u00a0 Not surprisingly, Hoss immediately dug into the bag and pulled out a handful of buttery white puffs.\u00a0 \u201cMe, too,\u201d Little Joe demanded, making a grab for the sack, squealing in protest when Hoss held it out of his reach.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, you let Hoss hold it,\u201d Adam admonished as he restrained his youngest brother\u2019s reaching arm.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019ll share.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure I will.\u00a0 Just didn\u2019t want you spillin\u2019 it,\u201d Hoss said, dropping several popped kernels of corn into Little Joe\u2019s outstretched palms.<\/p>\n

Grinning, Adam shook his head.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t believe that even Hoss was hungry this soon after the rather sizeable supper he\u2019d put away at the Alcove Restaurant on the plaza.\u00a0 They could have begged a meal with friends, of course\u2014and would probably be taken to task by Nelly Thomas when she found out they hadn\u2019t\u2014but if Pa\u2019s only contribution to the evening was to be footing the bill, Adam was feeling just perverse enough to run up a good one.\u00a0 He\u2019d told his brothers to order anything they pleased, and while Joe hadn\u2019t eaten all that much, Hoss had really packed it away, including a hefty helping of apple brown betty after cleaning his plate.\u00a0 And now popcorn?\u00a0 Well, there was just something in the air inside that circus tent that made a fellow want to munch. \u00a0Adam reached across Little Joe to snare a handful of popcorn before it all disappeared down his middle brother\u2019s gullet.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou ever seen a circus, Adam?\u201d Hoss asked between mouthfuls.\u00a0 \u201cBack east, I mean.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam gazed dreamily at the single ring before them.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, once.\u00a0 I was about Little Joe\u2019s age or maybe closer to five.\u00a0 Pa and I came to this good-sized town\u2014don\u2019t remember the name, just that there was a lot of tall corn growing along the roadsides.\u00a0 Anyway, Pa was short of funds, as usual, so he tried to find work, but couldn\u2019t.\u00a0 We were just getting ready to head down the road, hoping for better luck in the next town, when the circus wagon rolled down the main street.\u00a0 Pa made a bargain to help tend the animals for the price of a meal for me and him and two tickets to see the show.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWow!\u00a0 Bet that was fun,\u201d Hoss said.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019d you see?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam laughed and looked back at his brother.\u00a0 \u201cAbout what you\u2019ll see tonight, I imagine: clowns, riders, a trained dog act.\u00a0 Oh! and an elephant.\u00a0 That made my eyes pop, I\u2019ll tell you!\u00a0 I\u2019d never even seen a picture, and there was this huge gray mountain standing right in front of me, long trunk snaking out to feel me over while Pa cleaned up after him.\u00a0 I scurried behind Pa, fast as I could move!\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe scooted close to Adam\u2019s side.\u00a0 \u201cEl-fant not get me?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam gave him a hug.\u00a0 \u201cNo, Joe.\u00a0 This circus doesn\u2019t have an elephant.\u00a0 That was back east, when brother was a little boy the size of you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Grinning, Little Joe shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cAdam never size of me\u2014always big.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot always,\u201d Adam laughed, tousling the golden brown curls.\u00a0 \u201cI grew, just like you will.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMe grow big like you, like Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cLike me?\u00a0 Good chance.\u00a0 Like Hoss?\u00a0 Not on your life!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAw, Adam,\u201d Hoss protested.\u00a0 \u201cI ain\u2019t so all-fired big as all that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re just the right size,\u201d Adam assured him.<\/p>\n

The show started then, and soon the boys were clapping at the performances of the trained dogs and holding their breaths as they watched the astounding Mrs. Walter P. Aymar and the Aymar Brothers perform on the tightrope.\u00a0 Between each act a clown in baggy pants and over-sized shoes cavorted around the ring, making everyone laugh, especially Hoss, who was cackling with such abandon that he almost fell off the narrow bench.<\/p>\n

Then the equestriennes took the ring, and Little Joe stared at them, positively enrapt.\u00a0 \u201cI gonna do that!\u201d he cried as Mademoiselle Camille stood on the back of her prancing pony as it raced around the ring.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t you try it, little boy,\u201d Adam scolded.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll spank your bottom!\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe pouted, but the ill temper didn\u2019t last past the next acrobatic trick on horseback.\u00a0 Someday, when I\u2019s big as Adam, I will do that!<\/em> he promised himself.<\/p>\n

Gymnasts followed the equestriennes, and then more horses trotted out, this time trained ponies performing tricks, one of them dancing around the ring with all the precision of a waltz on a ballroom floor.\u00a0 \u201cWhen I gets a horse, I gonna teach him tricks, Adam.\u00a0 I am,\u201d he insisted with a determined jut of his tiny chin.<\/p>\n

Pleased with the more articulate way Joe was expressing himself tonight, Adam just laughed this time.\u00a0 \u201cI bet you will, Little Joe.\u201d\u00a0 As the clowns ran out again, he leaned back, watching his younger brothers, instead of the comic in the ring.\u00a0 It felt so good to see them laughing again, carefree, untouched for a few brief hours by the tragedy that had disrupted their lives.\u00a0 If only Pa could have granted himself that same reprieve; if only he could relax and laugh again, like these innocent-hearted boys; if only . . .<\/p>\n

~ ~ ~ ~ ~<\/p>\n

Historical Note<\/p>\n

In August of 1861, a circus came to Nevada for the first time.\u00a0 The performers listed in this chapter were members of that first troupe, and, with the exception of the trained dogs, the acts described were part of the show. \u00a0The dogs are included as the author\u2019s interpretation of the \u201cvariety acts\u201d listed in historical record, since canine performances did take place in Virginia City on other occasions.<\/p>\n

CHAPTER THIRTY<\/p>\n

Bumper Crop of Grief<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Ben sealed the envelope and shoved the letter aside.\u00a0 One duty done, but the harder one still loomed ahead.\u00a0 Writing back to Ebenezer Wentworth had been a strain, but at least he already knew about Marie, and a concise note of thanks for his condolences was all that duty required.\u00a0 Pulling out a fresh sheet of stationery, Ben sighed.\u00a0 Writing to John, who knew nothing, would mean reliving that night of horror afresh, even if he kept to the bare facts and shared none of his feelings.<\/p>\n

Ben stared at the blank sheet for a long time.\u00a0 Then, looking up, he became aware of a set of emerald eyes\u2014her eyes\u2014peering at him over the desk top.\u00a0 \u201cWhat are you doing here?\u201d he asked gruffly.\u00a0 Immediately contrite for the rough tone, he softened his voice.\u00a0 \u201cI mean, why aren\u2019t you at church with your brothers, Joseph?\u201d<\/p>\n

Yawning, the four-year-old rubbed at his eyes.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t know.\u00a0 They gone?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, they\u2019re gone.\u201d\u00a0 A battle with his conscience having kept his sleep fitful, Ben had awakened after the boys had left for church, or, at least, church was where Ben had assumed they were.\u00a0 Of course, he had also assumed that his youngest son was with them, and that conclusion was clearly wrong.\u00a0 \u201cI suppose they thought you might need extra sleep after your trip to town last night.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe\u2019s face brightened.\u00a0 \u201cWe went to the circus, Pa.\u00a0 I liked it!\u201d<\/p>\n

Willing himself to do right by his child, Ben smiled gently.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s nice, baby.\u00a0 Pa\u2019s glad you had a good time.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was the warmest response Little Joe had received from his father since his mother\u2019s death, and the affection-starved child responded eagerly.\u00a0 Moving around the desk, he came to his father\u2019s side, babbling excitedly about dinner at the Alcove and the funny clowns and popcorn and horses \u2018til Ben\u2019s head began to swim.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s enough, Joseph,\u201d he said sharply.\u00a0 \u201cPa\u2019s busy now and . . . look at you.\u00a0 Not even dressed and probably haven\u2019t had your breakfast.\u00a0 You\u2014you run along now, child, and ask Hop Sing to take care of you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chin quivering, Little Joe drew back, turned and ran for the kitchen.<\/p>\n

Hearing the patter of small footsteps, Hop Sing looked up from his work table.\u00a0 \u201cOh, dere you are.\u00a0 Hop Sing wonder how long you sleep.\u201d\u00a0 He caught sight of the brimming eyes.\u00a0 \u201cWhat mattah, little boy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPa\u2019s busy,\u201d Joe answered with a slight whimper.<\/p>\n

Hop Sing nodded sadly.\u00a0 \u201cYes, honolable fathah always much busy.\u00a0 You sit down; I fixee bleakfast chop-chop.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere\u2019s my brothers?\u201d Little Joe inquired, climbing into the slat-backed wooden chair.<\/p>\n

\u201cDey go chu\u2019ch,\u201d Hop Sing replied, putting more kindling into the stove.\u00a0 \u201cSay let you sleep.\u00a0 You wantee egg o\u2019 flapjack?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEgg,\u201d Little Joe decided.<\/p>\n

Forty-five minutes later, fed and dressed, Little Joe was given a bowl of scraps for Klamath and told to play outside for a while.\u00a0 He put the bowl in front of the small brown dog, but didn\u2019t sit down to pet him, as he usually did.\u00a0 Instead, he wandered around to the side of the house, kicking pine cones and clumps of needles out of his way.\u00a0 Finally, he sat down beneath a Jeffrey pine, picked up a cone and sniffed it.\u00a0 The vanilla scent always reminded the child of pleasant aromas in Hop Sing\u2019s kitchen and usually brought a smile to his face.\u00a0 Today, however, Little Joe began viciously stripping the scales from the cone, as if hurting something would somehow make him feel better.<\/p>\n

Why didn\u2019t anybody want him?\u00a0 Pa never did anymore, but today even Hoss and Adam had left him behind, and Hop Sing had turned him out, too.\u00a0 Hoss and Adam would be back by dinnertime, Hop Sing had promised, and the cook would let him back in, too, sooner or later, but Pa never would.\u00a0 Little Joe had been avoiding that conclusion for a long time now\u2014to him, it seemed like forever\u2014and he\u2019d thought for a minute this morning that Pa was going to be like he used to be.\u00a0 Then he\u2019d closed up again and sent Joe scooting out of his way.<\/p>\n

Little Joe sighed, tossing away the pinecone.\u00a0 In the way.\u00a0 That\u2019s how he felt all the time now.\u00a0 They all teased him about being underfoot, but maybe it wasn\u2019t a joke.\u00a0 Maybe Hop Sing and Hoss and Adam all felt the same way Pa did.\u00a0 No, they didn\u2019t.\u00a0 They still loved him; they were just too busy to play with a little boy most of the time.\u00a0 Mama never had been.\u00a0 She\u2019d always had time for him, and she\u2019d kissed him and cuddled him and made him feel wanted.<\/p>\n

Little Joe sprang to his feet.\u00a0 Maybe Mama didn\u2019t know how much he missed her; maybe she\u2019d come back if she knew.\u00a0 Joe shivered as he remembered the nightmares he\u2019d had the first few nights after they put Mama in the box in the ground.\u00a0 Mama didn\u2019t like that box, he was sure she didn\u2019t, so maybe if he went there and told her, she\u2019d come back and make them all happy again.\u00a0 He remembered riding through trees up to that place by the lake where his mama was buried, so he set off through the pines to find his mother.\u00a0 To the four-year-old, however, one tall pine looked much like another, and though he had started in roughly the right direction, he soon was wandering aimlessly from one tree to another in a direction altogether different.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cLittle Joe!\u00a0 Where you hide, bad boy?\u201d\u00a0 Hop Sing called as he circled the house for the second time.\u00a0 \u201cHop Sing no have time fo\u2019 foolishment.\u00a0 You come now!\u201d\u00a0 The Chinaman walked a short distance into the woods, calling the child\u2019s name, but he had food on the stove and didn\u2019t dare leave it unattended for long.\u00a0 Coming out of the woods near the kitchen door, he started inside, but stopped when he heard horses entering the yard.<\/p>\n

\u201cMr. Adam,\u201d he cried, scurrying to the hitching rail where number one and number two sons were tying their horses.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, Hop Sing, what\u2019s for dinner?\u201d Hoss asked with a quick slurp of his lips.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo dinner no time soon,\u201d Hop Sing ranted.\u00a0 \u201cLittle boy cause much foolishment, hiding flom Hop Sing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Patting the black\u2019s flank, Adam moved toward the cook.\u00a0 \u201cHiding?\u00a0 Were you playing a game with him, Hop Sing?\u00a0 You don\u2019t have to do that, you know; you have enough work as it is.\u201d<\/p>\n

Arms akimbo, Hop Sing glared at Adam.\u00a0 \u201cHop Sing have plenty work all-a-time.\u00a0 He not play with little boy, but little boy play with him, maybe-so.\u00a0 Hop Sing look hard, no can find.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam laid a reassuring hand on the smaller man\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll find him.\u00a0 Where have you looked so far?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hop Sing waved his arms wildly.\u00a0 \u201cLook ev\u2019lywhere, Mr. Adam.\u00a0 Alound house, alound barn, by garden, in trees.\u00a0 No can find.\u00a0 Not see since bleakfast.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s eyes narrowed in greater concern.\u00a0 \u201cDoes Pa know the boy\u2019s missing?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hop Sing shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cMr. Ben much tired today.\u00a0 He work at desk, then go bed.\u00a0 Say no wake, even for dinnah; say he eat when he want.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t bother him, then,\u201d Adam said, straightening up.\u00a0 \u201cJoe\u2019s probably just hiding, like you said.\u00a0 We\u2019ll find him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy would Joe hide?\u201d Hoss asked as the cook shuffled back to the kitchen.<\/p>\n

Adam shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cSome kind of game, I guess.\u00a0 Kid\u2019s got to amuse himself somehow.\u00a0 You check out the barn, and I\u2019ll look behind the house.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay,\u201d Hoss agreed.\u00a0 He went into the barn, calling his brother\u2019s name.\u00a0 \u201cYou better come out, punkin, or Hop Sing\u2019ll put you<\/em> in the stew pot.\u201d\u00a0 After scouting out all the stalls, he looked up at the loft.\u00a0 Would his little brother be foolish enough to climb that high by himself?\u00a0 Hoss nodded grimly.\u00a0 It would be just like Joe to pull a fool stunt like that.\u00a0 Ma shoulda made \u2018Foolish\u2019 your middle name, \u2018stead of that French one<\/em>.\u00a0 \u201cJoe, you up in that loft?\u201d he called.\u00a0 \u201cYou better come out, \u2018cause I don\u2019t fancy climbin\u2019 up there after you.\u201d\u00a0 Hearing no answer, Hoss set his face with determination and climbed the ladder into the loft.\u00a0 A thorough search, however, revealed that his little brother was not up there.<\/p>\n

Convinced that Joe was not in the barn, Hoss checked carefully around the building and then searched through all the smaller outbuildings in the area.\u00a0 He met up with Adam at the side of the main house.\u00a0 \u201cI can\u2019t find him no place, Adam,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cIf he\u2019s hidin\u2019, he\u2019s doin\u2019 a bang-up job of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam nodded soberly.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t think he\u2019s old enough to do a \u2018bang-up job\u2019 of playing hide-and-go-seek, Hoss.\u00a0 I don\u2019t think he\u2019s hiding; we\u2019d have heard that giggle by now if he were.\u00a0 I think he may have wandered off and gotten himself lost.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fear flickered in Hoss\u2019s blue eyes.\u00a0 \u201cWhat we gonna do, Adam?\u00a0 He\u2019s too little to be wanderin\u2019 around in the woods.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re telling me!\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 Adam licked his lower lip.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ve got to find him; that\u2019s all there is to it.\u00a0 Let\u2019s go in the kitchen.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe ain\u2019t in there,\u201d Hoss snorted disdainfully.<\/p>\n

Adam put an arm around his brother\u2019s broad shoulders.\u00a0 \u201cI know, but let\u2019s see if Hop Sing can dish us up a plate of something before we start looking.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAw, I don\u2019t care nothin\u2019 \u2018bout eatin\u2019,\u201d Hoss protested, adding with a fearful glance into the woods.\u00a0 \u201cHe could get hurt, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know,\u201d Adam murmured, steering Hoss toward the kitchen, \u201cbut you should eat something.\u00a0 Might be awhile before you get another chance, \u2018cause we\u2019re gonna have to keep looking \u2018til we find him, buddy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Though Hop Sing fussed that the food wasn\u2019t ready to serve, he managed to dish up two plates and then stood over the Cartwright brothers, scolding them for eating too fast.\u00a0 \u201cYou get sick; then Hop Sing have to take care of you and find bad boy, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll find him,\u201d Adam said, standing as he swilled down the last of his coffee.\u00a0 \u201cHoss, you check the bunkhouse, see if any of the men are around, tell them I need to see them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, Adam,\u201d Hoss agreed, wiping off his milk mustache with the back of his hand and heading for the door.<\/p>\n

Only a couple of men were in the bunkhouse on their day off, but both quickly agreed to help the two brothers look for Little Joe, whom most of the men looked on as a sort of pet.\u00a0 \u201cThanks,\u201d Adam said in response to their offer of help.\u00a0 \u201cHoss and I will saddle a couple of horses for you while you get yourselves a bite of food from Hop Sing.\u00a0 Then we\u2019ll take off in different directions and see if we can\u2019t find that little scamp.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

Looking over his shoulder as his feet pounded through the forest, Little Joe didn\u2019t see the fallen limb lying across his path.\u00a0 His left foot rammed into the wood, and he tumbled forward with a cry.\u00a0 A thick layer of pine needles cushioned his hands and knees slightly, though, as he plummeted to earth, and Little Joe soon scrambled up to lean, panting, against the furrowed, cinnamon-shaded bark of a ponderosa pine.\u00a0 He stood still for a moment, listening, and exhaled his relief at the silence that met his ears.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t know what kind of animal it was he\u2019d heard before, but the sharp cry had scared him and made him run away from the sound.<\/p>\n

Joe slid down to sit at the base of the pine tree and rested his head on his knees.\u00a0 He felt like he\u2019d been walking for days, but he knew it couldn\u2019t be that long, since the sun hadn\u2019t gone down yet.\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t found the lake.\u00a0 In fact, he hadn\u2019t seen anything but trees and more trees since he left the house. \u00a0He wanted to go home, but didn\u2019t know which way to go.\u00a0 Glancing around in despair, he thought he saw an opening to his left and rocks beyond.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t home, obviously, not with those big rocks, but at least it wasn\u2019t trees and more trees.\u00a0 Joe stood up and walked toward the beckoning light.<\/p>\n

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

As agreed, the four searchers met back in the Ponderosa\u2019s yard an hour later.\u00a0 None of them had seen a glimpse of the missing child, and each knew what that meant:\u00a0 the little boy wasn\u2019t close to home, and the search would have to be widened.<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s face was frantic when the final man rode in and reported that he hadn\u2019t seen Little Joe.\u00a0 \u201cWe gotta find him, Adam!\u201d the youngster cried, arms around his brother\u2019s waist.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will,\u201d Adam soothed, supple hands massaging Hoss\u2019s back.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut the Ponderosa\u2019s so big, and he\u2019s so little,\u201d Hoss sobbed.\u00a0 \u201cI shoulda stayed home with him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam pulled back and tipped Hoss\u2019s chin up.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s not your fault, and we will find him,\u201d he said, wishing he felt the confidence he was espousing for Hoss\u2019s sake.\u00a0 As Hoss had said, however, the ranch was huge and riddled with nooks and crannies large enough to conceal an under-sized four-year-old\u2014assuming that Joe was still on the ranch.\u00a0 Hop Sing hadn\u2019t seen him since breakfast, and in that length of time, even those short legs might conceivably have wandered off the property.<\/p>\n

Embarrassed to be seen crying in front of the two hands, Hoss wiped his eyes, but his voice was still choked as he asked,\u00a0 \u201cBefore dark?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam drew his brother to his side in a one-armed embrace.\u00a0 \u201cIf we can, but we\u2019re going to need help, Hoss, precisely because we do have a lot of ground to cover.\u00a0 I want you to ride over to the Montgomery place first and then into Carson City.\u00a0 Tell Uncle Clyde what\u2019s happened and ask if he can get some men together.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay,\u201d Hoss agreed quickly, glad to have something to do.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll get Doc, too, if he\u2019s around.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood idea,\u201d Adam said with a clap to the boy\u2019s back.\u00a0 \u201cIn fact, I want you to stop by the Sheriff\u2019s Office.\u00a0 Don\u2019t talk to Sheriff Blackburn, though.\u00a0 Find that deputy of his, the one that came here about Marie\u2014Coffee, that was his name\u2014see if he\u2019ll help, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll raise dust there and back,\u201d Hoss said, foot in the stirrup.<\/p>\n

Adam placed a restraining hand on his brother\u2019s thigh.\u00a0 \u201cThat kind of foolishness is\u201d\u2014he bit his tongue, for he\u2019d almost said \u201cwhat cost us our mother,\u201d and he didn\u2019t want to bring up that kind of painful reminder, especially now when his brother\u2019s emotions were already raw.\u00a0\u00a0 He boosted Hoss on up into the saddle. \u201cUnnecessary,\u201d he finished.<\/p>\n

\u201cHuh?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat kind of foolishness is unnecessary,\u201d he repeated.\u00a0 \u201cYou ride fast, but you ride safe, you hear?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFast, but safe.\u00a0 I promise,\u201d Hoss said and turned his horse toward the road.<\/p>\n

One of the men who\u2019d been searching for Little Joe earlier came out of the bunkhouse, followed by two more men, who had come in early from their day off.\u00a0 One of them, Hank Carlton came up to Adam and asked if he should ride up to the lumber camps and get some more volunteers.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d appreciate it,\u201d Adam said, \u201cand tell the men to bring lanterns.\u00a0 I hate to think we won\u2019t find him before dark, but it\u2019s best to be prepared, if we don\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou bet, boss,\u201d Hank said.<\/p>\n

After a brief discussion of what ground each would cover, Hank and the other three hands rode out again, while Adam went into the house.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t even bother taking off his hat as he moved past the tall grandfather\u2019s clock and rounded the corner into the alcove.\u00a0 Though he dreaded telling his father, the time for sparing him was past.\u00a0 The alcove was empty, however.<\/p>\n

Hearing steps behind him, Adam spun around.\u00a0 \u201cOh.\u00a0 Hop Sing.\u00a0 Is Pa still sleeping?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hop Sing shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cGuess so, Mr. Adam.\u00a0 I not bother, like you say.\u201d\u00a0 His almond eyes shimmered with compassion and concern.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs there something I should be bothered about?\u201d a voice behind them brusquely demanded.<\/p>\n

Turning, Adam saw his father on the stair landing.\u00a0 \u201cYes, Pa, there is,\u201d he said.\u00a0 Pausing, he added softly, \u201cLittle Joe is missing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben took an involuntary step toward the stair rail and grasped it with both hands.\u00a0 \u201cWh-what do you mean, \u2018missing\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam spread his hands.\u00a0 \u201cMissing\u2014gone\u2014nowhere around.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s grip on the rail tightened.\u00a0 \u201cHow long?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been looking since we got back from church.\u201d\u00a0 Adam glanced toward the cook at his side.\u00a0 \u201cIn fact, Hop Sing hasn\u2019t seen the boy since giving him breakfast.\u201d\u00a0 Seeing his father\u2019s sudden pallor, he added quickly.\u00a0 \u201cOf course, that doesn\u2019t mean he\u2019s been gone that long . . . just that no one\u2019s seen him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hop Sing wrung his hands, his face contorted with anguish.\u00a0 \u201cSo solly.\u00a0 I send Little Joe out to play.\u00a0 Not think he go \u2018way.\u00a0 He always stay close befo\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam squeezed the Chinaman\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s not your fault, Hop Sing.\u201d<\/p>\n

No, it\u2019s mine<\/em>, Ben thought as he came down the final five steps.\u00a0 I\u2019m the one who sent him away, who wouldn\u2019t give him the attention he needed<\/em>.\u00a0 He recalled vividly the dismal pleading in those earnest emerald eyes when he\u2019d told the child to run along that morning.\u00a0 He\u2019d turned away from it, as he had time and again the past three weeks.\u00a0 \u201cWho\u2019s on hand to help search?\u201d he asked crisply.<\/p>\n

Adam looked back and saw his father, standing square-shouldered, ready for action.\u00a0 This was the Ben Cartwright he\u2019d seen many times in the past when confronting a problem, and Adam felt as though a one-ton load had shifted off his shoulders.\u00a0 \u201cFour men, plus me and Hoss, but there\u2019ll be more.\u00a0 Hank Carlton is heading up to the lumber camps to get more men, and I sent Hoss to tell Enos, Clyde, Doc Martin and Roy Coffee.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe deputy who was here?\u201d Ben inquired.\u00a0 He remembered the man\u2019s gentleness as he\u2019d asked about Marie\u2019s accident.\u00a0 \u201cYes, I think he might be the kind of man to care about a missing child.\u201d\u00a0 Though his face was strained, he smiled tautly at Adam.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ve done well, son\u2014except you should have told me sooner.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s gaze dropped to the floor.\u00a0 \u201cI wasn\u2019t sure you were up to it,\u201d he murmured.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Adam, Adam.\u201d\u00a0 Ben gathered the young man into his arms.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve been the worst kind of father\u2014to all of you\u2014but I promise you that\u2019s going to change, as of this minute.\u00a0 No more excuses, no more begging for time, no more putting off on others\u2014you, in particular\u2014what I should be doing myself.\u00a0 I\u2019m so sorry, son.\u201d<\/p>\n

Though he longed to relax into the comfort of his father\u2019s embrace, longed to lay the load in those strong arms and leave it there, Adam drew back.\u00a0 Time was wasting.\u00a0 \u201cThe important thing now is to find Little Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben squeezed both of his son\u2019s broad shoulders, the shoulders that had carried too much responsibility for too long, and released them with an inner vow that those shoulders would henceforth carry no more than a boy\u2019s fair share.\u00a0 \u201cYes, you\u2019re right.\u00a0 Would you saddle my horse, son?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRight away, Pa,\u201d Adam said, moving toward the door before the moisture in his eyes betrayed his manly dignity.<\/p>\n

Ben moved to the alcove and picked up the framed photo sitting at the corner of the desktop.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry, my love,\u201d he whispered, contrition choking his voice.\u00a0 \u201cYou gave me a beautiful gift, and I\u2019ve let it slip through my fingers.\u00a0 But I promise you I will find him, and he will know he is loved.\u00a0 Never again will any of our sons have cause to doubt that.\u00a0 I give you my word.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

Having trudged through sand and sage for half a day, the little boy could barely put one foot in front of the other, and dust covered his face, except for the muddy courses carved by rivers of tears and perspiration.\u00a0 Little Joe was tired and hungry, but there was no place to rest and nothing to eat.\u00a0 Occasionally he would look back at the forest on the hillside, now far behind him.\u00a0 Young as he was, the child knew that both home and his mother\u2019s grave by the lake lay among trees, but to him, the trees were an impenetrable maze of light and shadows with the cries of unknown animals coming at him from the dark.\u00a0 He definitely didn\u2019t want to go back to the trees, so he kept trudging ahead through sand and sage, without a destination and having no idea of what lay ahead.\u00a0 That uncertainty, more than any immediate fear, sent tears tracking down his dusty face.<\/p>\n

Once he flushed a sage hen, but that only startled him for a moment and made him think of food.\u00a0 The snake that swished across his path later scared him, and he ran hard to get away, although had Hoss been there, he could have told the child that it was only a gopher snake, nothing to fear.\u00a0 The red-gold sun was starting to sink behind the forested hills, but though he felt very drowsy, Little Joe didn\u2019t like the idea of sleeping on the ground, where snakes and mice might slither and scamper over him in the night.\u00a0 Maybe he should find some higher ground and take a nap.<\/p>\n

Looming just ahead, he saw a mammoth red sandstone slab, stabbing the flame-streaked, saffron sky like the jagged point of a Paiute arrowhead, jutting so high that heaven surely couldn\u2019t be far from its top.\u00a0 Sudden inspiration sparked the child\u2019s imagination.\u00a0 Adam had told him more than once that Mama wasn\u2019t in the box in the ground.\u00a0 She was in heaven, so maybe the lake had been the wrong place to look for her.\u00a0 Maybe a place like this was what he\u2019d needed all along!\u00a0 If he could just get to the top, he\u2019d be safe from snakes and mice and close enough to Mama to make her hear his pleas to come home.\u00a0 The sheer sides of the barren promontory offered scant hold for either hand or foot, but those tiny hands and feet could fit in cracks too small for grownup ones.\u00a0 Scaling that height would still be a challenge, but Little Joe didn\u2019t daunt easily.\u00a0 With thoughts of seeing his mother again soon, he began to climb.<\/p>\n

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

Dadbern that Deputy Coffee!<\/em> Hoss fumed as he led Charcoal into the barn.\u00a0 Who asked him to\u2014well, I guess we did, but he didn\u2019t have to come in, givin\u2019 orders and takin\u2019 over like\u2014like he knew what he was doin\u2019, I guess<\/em>.\u00a0 He unbuckled his saddle cinch, pulled off the saddle and threw it, blanket and all over a half-moon stand.\u00a0 Pairin\u2019 everybody up in twos was a good idea, with dark comin\u2019 on, but he had no business tellin\u2019 Adam to send me home!\u00a0 Said I wasn\u2019t needed and shouldn\u2019t be out after dark.<\/em>\u00a0 Hoss grabbed a curry brush and began stroking Charcoal\u2019s gray coat with more vigor than he commonly used.<\/p>\n

Tears welled in eyes that normally shone with pure contentment.\u00a0 Blinking them back, the man-sized boy, faithful to his father\u2019s teaching, continued to groom his horse.\u00a0 Adam shouldn\u2019t have listened to that deputy, shouldn\u2019t have sent me home, like some kid scared of the dark.\u00a0 Well, I do hate the dark, I really do, but Little Joe\u2019s my brother, too, ain\u2019t he? \u00a0Ain\u2019t I got a right to help look for him, dark or no dark?<\/em><\/p>\n

Hoss leaned his head against the mare\u2019s side.\u00a0 More than a right.\u00a0 He\u2019d made a promise to Mama to take care of Little Joe and see that nothing ever hurt him, and he felt as if he were breaking his word.\u00a0 For all his talk of being a big boy, Little Joe really was a baby, too small to be out in the dark, and probably scared, too, \u2018cause there was plenty out there to be scared of.\u00a0 Doggone fool kid, why\u2019d you run off, anyhow?\u00a0 If Pa or Adam don\u2019t tan your britches, I will<\/em>!<\/p>\n

After seeing that Charcoal had feed and water, Hoss went into the house.\u00a0 At the sound of the front door opening, Hop Sing scuttled out from the kitchen.\u00a0 \u201cAll come back?\u201d the cook asked anxiously.\u00a0 \u201cLittle boy, too?\u201d<\/p>\n

Closing the door, Hoss shook his head sadly.\u00a0 \u201cJust me.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Chinaman\u2019s face reflected the disappointment etched on the boy\u2019s.\u00a0 \u201cOh.\u201d\u00a0 Seeing tears swimming in the boy\u2019s blue eyes, Hop Sing gave the slumped shoulder a tentative pat.<\/p>\n

Needing comfort and seeing no other source of it, Hoss put his arms around the diminutive Chinaman.\u00a0 For a moment Hop Sing didn\u2019t know what to do.\u00a0 He was an employee in this home, and he had been taught from his youth the importance of comporting himself properly, especially when in the service of white people.\u00a0 This family, though, had never treated him as he\u2019d been treated by others of their race; they had always accorded him an intimacy that went across all racial lines and beyond rules of comportment.\u00a0 They had treated him\u2014like family.\u00a0 While his mind debated the proper response, his arms instinctively closed around the frightened boy.\u00a0 \u201cNumber two son not wolly.\u00a0 Little boy be all light, you see.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss turned loose, nodded and swiped his eyes dry.\u00a0 \u201cThey\u2019ll find him.\u00a0 They gotta.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hop Sing beamed with encouragement.\u00a0 \u201cDat light.\u00a0 Dat light.\u00a0 You clean up, put on night clothes, then come kitchen, have sandwich, milk.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay,\u201d Hoss said.\u00a0 Worried as he was, Hoss was still a growing boy, and he hadn\u2019t eaten a bite since choking down that hurried meal at noon.\u00a0 A sandwich and milk sounded good.\u00a0 Bet Joe could use some, too<\/em>, he sighed as he slowly climbed the stairs.<\/p>\n

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

Halfway up the sheer precipice, Little Joe lay flat against the warm sandstone.\u00a0 Even though the sun was nearly down now, the rock still retained the heat baked into it by the blistering summer sun, and it felt good, especially in contrast to the cool wind whipping across the child\u2019s back.\u00a0 He\u2019d torn his shirt in a couple of places, and the wind crept right through to bare flesh in those spots.<\/p>\n

Joe looked up, dismayed by how far he still had to climb.\u00a0 Maybe this hadn\u2019t been such a good idea, after all.\u00a0 Heaven sure was a long way off, and the descending dusk made it harder to see where to put his hands.\u00a0 A high-pitched cry made the boy\u2019s head jerk in the opposite direction, and he shivered as he saw a long-tailed, tawny cat slink through the sage below him.\u00a0 He\u2019d seen an animal like that once before, when he was out with Hoss.\u00a0 Hoss had called it a puma and said it was dangerous, and they\u2019d gotten away from that place as fast as they could.<\/p>\n

While the cat didn\u2019t look so big from up here, Little Joe knew it was, big enough to gobble up a little boy in a single bite\u2014two, at the most.\u00a0 Any notion he\u2019d had about making his way down again vanished at first sight of that puma, and Little Joe began to climb with renewed determination.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t stop \u2018til he\u2019d reached the very top, where he wedged himself into a narrow crevice and raised his face to the sky.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m here, Mama,\u201d he called urgently.\u00a0 \u201cCome get me\u2014please!\u201d\u00a0 When the only sound coming from heaven was a low rumble of thunder, the little boy put his face in his scratched hands and began to cry.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cBeen carryin\u2019 quite a load lately, haven\u2019t you, son?\u201d<\/p>\n

Torn from his anxious reverie, Adam slowly turned toward the lawman riding beside him.\u00a0 \u201cAs much as I can,\u201d he said simply.\u00a0 \u201cPa\u2019s been having a hard time since\u2014well, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I know.\u201d\u00a0 Roy Coffee pursed his lips in consideration and continued, \u201cSaw your pa in town a week ago tonight.\u00a0 He was . . .\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThree sheets to the wind?\u201d Adam suggested, mouth curling up on one side.<\/p>\n

Coffee uttered a short laugh.\u00a0 \u201cYou knew, then?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I knew.\u201d\u00a0 Adam lifted his chin and declared loyally, \u201cIt just happened that one time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGlad to hear it,\u201d Coffee returned steadily.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve seen men take to drink after a loss like you folks have had and end up losing all the more.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam nodded, his mind immediately flashing to Little Joe.\u00a0 He\u2019d seen his father\u2019s face when he\u2019d learned that his little boy was lost, seen the guilt and grief in those velvet brown eyes.\u00a0 He\u2019d known in that moment that his father couldn\u2019t handle the loss of his son, especially so soon after his loss of the child\u2019s mother.\u00a0 If that were to happen, Ben Cartwright really might topple over the edge and become a drunk\u2014or worse, a madman.\u00a0 \u201cWe have to find him,\u201d he muttered aloud, talking more to himself than to the lawman.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will, son, we will,\u201d Roy Coffee assured him.\u00a0 \u201cWe won\u2019t rest \u2018til we do, and that\u2019s a promise.\u201d<\/p>\n

Feeling bolstered by the support, Adam smiled.\u00a0 \u201cI appreciate your help, sir.\u00a0 I know your responsibility is to the citizens of Carson City, not us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen a child\u2019s involved, responsibility doesn\u2019t end at the city limits, boy,\u201d Coffee said gruffly.\u00a0 \u201cChildren are . . . special.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have some?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n

Roy Coffee didn\u2019t answer at first.\u00a0 Then he said quietly, \u201cNo.\u00a0 My wife Mary died in childbirth\u2014and the child was stillborn, too, so I lost them both that night.\u201d<\/p>\n

A lump caught in Adam\u2019s throat.\u00a0 \u201cYou really do know what we\u2019re feeling, don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, son, I do.\u201d\u00a0 The deputy stretched tall in the saddle.\u00a0 \u201cWhich way did you say your pa had gone?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam recognized the question as a deliberate change of subject, but while he suspected that the other man knew the answer to his own question, he responded factually.\u00a0 \u201cOver toward Clement\u2019s Ridge,\u201d he said, his arm sweeping to the left.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t like the idea of a man alone in that rough country,\u201d Coffee grunted, stroking his chin in contemplation..\u00a0 \u201cWish he\u2019d stayed long enough to pair up with another man.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam nodded, knowing Roy Coffee spoke with the voice of wisdom.\u00a0 There\u2019d been no stopping Pa, though, once he knew his youngest son had gone missing.\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t worried about his father, but he did hope his baby brother hadn\u2019t gone that direction.\u00a0 While Pa knew how to take care of himself in the roughest country, Little Joe didn\u2019t, and the deputy was right about that rugged stretch of sand and sagebrush and savage-shaped red rocks.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot anybody searching between here and there,\u201d Coffee commented.\u00a0 \u201cWhy don\u2019t we head that direction, son, and meet up with your pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

Feeling a need to be near his father if bad news lay ahead, Adam quickly agreed, and the two men turned their horses toward Clement\u2019s Ridge.<\/p>\n

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

Ben pulled the front of his jacket together and began fastening the buttons.\u00a0 Typically, once the sun had gone down, the temperature had dropped, and the wind was beginning to be chilly.\u00a0 Hearing a roll of thunder in the distance, Ben looked up and saw a dark cloud scud across the face of the moon.\u00a0 Just shy of half stage, the celestial orb provided only a pale light, anyway, and now, if it were further obscured by storm clouds, how would he ever spot one small boy, lost somewhere in this vast, empty land?\u00a0 Dear God, don\u2019t let it rain<\/em>, he prayed, and then his heart shuddered to a stop.<\/p>\n

What right did he have to ask anything of God?\u00a0 Ben recalled with shame his searing words to the Reverend Bennett, his denunciation of a God who had three times deprived him of love, his demand that the minister leave his house and take his God with him.\u00a0 Oh, God, what a fool I\u2019ve been!\u00a0 I\u2019ve done just what he warned me against; I\u2019ve planted enough bitter seeds to harvest a bumper crop of grief.\u00a0 Must this be part of it, the loss of my child?\u00a0 Dear God, no\u2014please no!\u00a0 Whatever I\u2019ve done, whatever wrath I\u2019ve incurred, my child is innocent.\u00a0 Don\u2019t let him suffer for my sin.<\/em><\/p>\n

A sudden gust of biting wind made him hunch forward, but the jacket kept out the cold.\u00a0 Little Joe probably had no such protection, Ben realized ruefully.\u00a0 He was only a child, and his flight had not been a planned one.\u00a0 Ben couldn\u2019t accept the theory that his son had simply wandered off and couldn\u2019t find his way home.\u00a0 No, Little Joe had run away\u2014from the misery of a home that was no longer a home and from a father who no longer acted like a father.\u00a0 He\u2019d taken nothing with him, no food and nothing to keep out the chilly wind.\u00a0 He must be freezing<\/em>, Ben sighed.\u00a0 I have to find him\u2014and soon<\/em>.<\/p>\n

He reined up and called the child\u2019s name again, though he\u2019d already shouted himself hoarse during the hours he\u2019d searched this barren landscape.\u00a0 What on earth had possessed him to come this direction, anyway?\u00a0 No one else seemed to think the boy might have come this way; at least, he hadn\u2019t run into any other searchers throughout the long afternoon and early evening.\u00a0 Maybe that was why; maybe he instinctively felt that his independent youngest would naturally choose a direction inexplicable to any mind but that of a four-year-old.\u00a0 Ben only knew that he\u2019d been led here by some inner urge . . . or could it be more?<\/p>\n

He shook his head.\u00a0 That kind of thinking came from his second wife, who had a simple, solid faith in God, unlike the harsh New England doctrine in which Ben had been reared.\u00a0 Elizabeth, too, had inherited that puritanical fear of God\u2019s retribution for the smallest of sins.\u00a0 Ben remembered, sadly, how Liz had asked him if she were one of the people that God and good angels would protect.\u00a0 He\u2019d assured her that she was, but though her childlike heart had forgotten the question in her delight over a cloud shaped like an elephant, he\u2019d pondered it often after her death.\u00a0 Why hadn\u2019t God and good angels protected Liz?\u00a0 What sins had she\u2014or he\u2014committed to merit such harsh punishment?<\/p>\n

He\u2019d carried that pain for years \u2018til he met Inger, and the sunlight of God\u2019s love, reflected in her eyes, had melted away the ice in his heart and driven back the dark shadows.\u00a0 He\u2019d come to see God the way she did, as long as he had her faith to lean on.\u00a0 Then that arrow had come flying toward her, and God and good angels hadn\u2019t stopped its flight.\u00a0 Enough of her faith had taken root in his own heart by then, however, to see him through\u2014enough, even, to make him wonder now if his impulse to search near Clement\u2019s Ridge had, in fact, been planted by God Himself.\u00a0 Was this the way God sent his \u201cgood angels\u201d to protect His children?\u00a0 Were God and good angels trying to protect Little Joe by leading him to his cherished child?<\/p>\n

The thought gave him the courage to raise his face to heaven again.\u00a0 \u201cHelp me find him,\u201d he prayed aloud, \u201cand I promise I will never turn my back on You again, whatever hardships come my way.\u00a0 Just show me where to look\u2014please.\u201d<\/p>\n

No voice came from heaven; no location suddenly popped into his mind.\u00a0 Nothing at all happened outwardly, but a quiet peace settled into Ben\u2019s tormented spirit, and he felt as though God were telling him to just keep going as he had been, but this time to search with trust in his heart that God and good angels were, indeed, watching over his youngest son.<\/p>\n

He moved down to the dirt road below Clement\u2019s Ridge, walking the horse, calling out Joe\u2019s name, stopping every few feet, just to listen.\u00a0 It was during one of those quiet times when a small sound, barely audible, seeped into his ear.\u00a0 Not the wind rustling in the sage, not the scampering footsteps of some little animal or the swish of a snake or lizard through the sand, but a distinctly human sound, the soft sobs of a child crying.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph!\u201d Ben called, but there was no answer\u2014not surprising since his overused voice could emit little more than a whisper now.\u00a0 And perhaps his ears, equally strained by hours of careful listening, were only hearing what they wished to hear.\u00a0 After all, the wind could play tricks on a man, Ben told himself.\u00a0 Still, something\u2014or Someone\u2014told him to be quiet and simply listen.\u00a0 He did, and the sound came again, seemingly from above him.<\/p>\n

Ben lifted his eyes, trying to track the source of the sound, and gasped.\u00a0 Eagle\u2019s Nest!\u00a0 Its very name implied its height.\u00a0 A rusty arrow, notched at the top, piercing the fabric of the obsidian sky.\u00a0 As if directed, Ben\u2019s eyes went straight to the notch, and there in the pale light of the cloud-shrouded moon, he saw the object of his search.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m coming, baby,\u201d he whispered, and vaulting off his horse, he began to climb.<\/p>\n

He inched his way upward, hand over hand, eyes riveted to that sheltering cleft at the very top.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t move, baby; don\u2019t move,\u201d he pleaded, only voicing his concern for his own ears, for he was afraid that if Joseph did hear, the boy would try to come to him down that treacherous sheet of sheer rock.\u00a0 One misstep and the child would skid over the edge, with nothing to break his fall except scattered bushes of fragile gray-green sage.\u00a0 Don\u2019t move<\/em>, he pleaded again, not even trusting a whisper this time.\u00a0 Dear God, don\u2019t let him move<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Inch by inch, handhold by handhold, Ben pulled himself up the face of that forbidding rock, his only concern the rescue of his child.\u00a0 Finally, when he\u2019d almost reached the top, he spoke his son\u2019s name softly.<\/p>\n

Little Joe\u2019s head came up from his knees, and when he saw his father, just below him, he gave a wild cry of unleashed elation.\u00a0 \u201cPa!\u201d\u00a0 He started to squirm out of the tight crevice<\/p>\n

Frantically Ben thrust his hand toward the child, palm out.\u00a0 \u201cNo, Joseph, don\u2019t move, baby.\u00a0 Let Pa come to you.\u201d\u00a0 Miraculously, the little boy obeyed, and Ben murmured, \u201cGood boy, Joe, good boy.\u00a0 Just stay still.\u201d\u00a0 Still moving with caution, he climbed the final few feet.\u00a0 Settling himself on a small, flat outcropping of sandstone, he stretched out his arms and pulled Little Joe into his chest.\u00a0 \u201cThere now, baby,\u201d he soothed, fingers twining in the golden-brown curls.\u00a0 \u201cPa\u2019s precious little boy is safe now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe clung to him, sobbing out his fear and relief.\u00a0 \u201cI was scared, Pa!\u201d<\/p>\n

On that fragile shelf of sandstone, Ben gently rocked his son \u201cOh, my little love, of course you were, but everything\u2019s all right.\u00a0 Pa\u2019s got you now.\u201d\u00a0 Slowly he moved Joe back, so he could wipe the child\u2019s tears, his thumb leaving smudge marks from eyes to ears.\u00a0 Ben smiled.\u00a0 His son\u2019s face was dirty, but to him, absolutely beautiful.\u00a0 How could I ever think that seeing this little face, this perfect image of my lost love, would bring me anything but joy?<\/em> Ben asked himself reproachfully.\u00a0 I could look at you forever, my beautiful little son<\/em>.<\/p>\n

But such thoughts were best reserved for solid ground, Ben decided as he looked down at the daunting distance to the earth below.\u00a0 Climbing up had been hard enough; getting down with a small child in his arms would be infinitely more difficult.\u00a0 \u201cLittle Joe, we need to get down to my horse, so we can ride home,\u201d he explained simply, hoping the child would not hear fear in his voice.<\/p>\n

Whether Joe did or not, fear was what sprang into his glimmering green eyes.\u00a0 \u201cNo, Pa,\u201d he wailed.\u00a0 \u201cToo far.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben cuddled him close again.\u00a0 \u201cI know, baby.\u00a0 It won\u2019t be easy, but we can\u2019t stay here.\u201d\u00a0 A bolt of lightning flashed in the distance, and thunder rumbled toward them seconds later.<\/p>\n

Little Joe hid his face in his father\u2019s vest, but Ben tipped the little face up.\u00a0 \u201cYou see, it\u2019s going to rain.\u00a0 We can\u2019t spend the night up here in the rain.\u201d\u00a0 Dear God, one more mercy, <\/em>he pleaded.\u00a0 Don\u2019t let the rain come \u2018til we get off this wretched rock<\/em>.\u00a0 Though he hesitated to rush the frightened child, Ben knew they had little time to spare.\u00a0 He drew his gun.\u00a0 \u201cI want you to cover your little ears, precious.\u00a0 There are some other people out looking for you, so Pa\u2019s going to fire his gun three times to let them know I\u2019ve found you.\u00a0 All right?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right,\u201d Joe whispered, putting his small palms over his ears.<\/p>\n

Ben smiled and pulled the trigger three times.\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t sure if any of the other searchers were close enough to hear, but, if not, he\u2019d signal again after they were on the ground and had ridden down the road a bit.\u00a0 Now wasn\u2019t the time to think about what he\u2019d do once he got down, however; now he needed to focus every thought on moving down this precarious precipice, one inch at a time.\u00a0 \u201cPut your arms around my neck, Joseph,\u201d he said.\u00a0 When Joe had done so, he added, \u201cNow, we\u2019re going to start down.\u00a0 You just hold tight and don\u2019t look down, precious; just keep looking straight at Pa\u2019s face.\u201d<\/p>\n

As he started down the ruddy precipice, however, Ben could feel the boy trembling in his arms.\u00a0 \u201cJoseph, I\u2019m sorry I was too preoccupied to listen to all you were saying this morning.\u00a0 Why don\u2019t you tell me about the circus now?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cO-okay,\u201d Joe stammered through trembling lips.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2014there was clowns.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s foot found another toehold and he moved another cautious inch downward.\u00a0 \u201cOh?\u00a0 Did they wear funny clothes?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUh-huh,\u201d Little Joe whispered, looking straight into his father\u2019s face.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, tell me more about how the clowns were dressed, precious,\u201d Ben urged, sliding slowly down \u2018til his free hand caught another crevice. \u201cWhat funny things did they do?\u201d<\/p>\n

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

Adam reined up.\u00a0 \u201cDid you hear that?\u201d<\/p>\n

The deputy from Carson City pulled up beside him.\u00a0 \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

Dark eyes alight with hope for the first time in hours, the young man looked back.\u00a0 \u201cSounded like gunfire to me.\u00a0 Two, maybe three shots.\u201d<\/p>\n

Roy Coffee shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe.\u00a0 Hard to tell with that thunder booming so close now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sure I heard shots\u2014down below us, I think,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cI think we should check it out, don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

As a drop of rain splashed onto the tip of his nose, Coffee tugged his hat down over his face.\u00a0 \u201cGood a place as any,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cWe certain sure need to get off this ridge before the rain hits.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRight,\u201d Adam agreed at once, and since he knew this area close to home better than the lawman, he took the lead on the trail down from Clement\u2019s Ridge.<\/p>\n

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

Plop.\u00a0 Plop.\u00a0 Ben could feel random drops plopping against his back, still far enough apart to count each one, and he was praying with all the fervency he possessed that the drops wouldn\u2019t start coming closer together.\u00a0 Even the scant rain that had fallen was making it harder to move steadily down the side of the rock.\u00a0 Ben risked a glance down.\u00a0 He and the child in his arms had come about three-quarters of the way down from the top of Eagle\u2019s Nest, but there was still a lot of rock between them and solid ground.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa, cold,\u201d Little Joe whimpered.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know, sweetheart, but we have to get down before Pa can do anything about that,\u201d Ben explained patiently.\u00a0 He stretched his foot for another toehold, hit a slick spot and skittered down, out of control, for a few feet.<\/p>\n

Clinging tighter to his father\u2019s neck, Little Joe screamed, and so did Ben.\u00a0 \u201cGod, help me!\u201d he cried.\u00a0 Suddenly, he felt spiny barbs prick his hand and grabbed hold of the clump of sagebrush growing out of a crevice in the rock.\u00a0 Hanging by one hand, Ben felt around with his boot toes and found an indentation large enough to wedge one in.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re all right now, Joseph,\u201d he assured his son.\u00a0 \u201cTell me about those trained dogs again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI-I don\u2019t \u2018member,\u201d Little Joe whimpered.<\/p>\n

Ben squeezed him.\u00a0 \u201cSure you do.\u00a0 The little ones rode on top of the big ones, you say?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUh-huh, like the ladies on the ponies.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Little Joe resumed his broken chatter about the circus, Ben slowly inched down the forty-five degree slope toward the safety of earth below.\u00a0 Finally, he felt his feet come to rest on a flat ledge.\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t on the ground yet, but from here on the descent wasn\u2019t steep.\u00a0 Ben stood up and by comparison with the slow progress of the last half hour, he raced the rest of the way down.\u00a0 The minute his feet touched solid earth, he hoisted Little Joe above his head and gave a shout of victory.\u00a0 \u201cWe made it, Little Joe; we made it.\u00a0 Hurray!\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe giggled with the exhilaration of being held so high in his father\u2019s strong hands and shouted back down, \u201cH\u2019ray!\u201d<\/p>\n

Delighted at the sound of his child\u2019s merriment and wanting to share it, Ben laughed aloud, but he quickly set Little Joe down.\u00a0 Pulling off his own jacket, he wrapped it around the shivering boy and then picked him up again.\u00a0 Just then the rain began to fall in streams, instead of drops.\u00a0 Looking back up the steep slope of Eagle\u2019s Nest and realizing what it might have meant had the heavier rain come a few minutes sooner, Ben raised his quivering face to the sky and let the rain wash it as he whispered, \u201cThanks.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben had barely swung into the saddle before he heard the clop of horses\u2019 hooves on the road behind him.\u00a0 Glancing back, he saw his oldest son, riding with Roy Coffee and turned his horse to meet them.<\/p>\n

Catching sight of his father and the bundle in his arms, Adam raced forward, reining the black up hard beside his father\u2019s mount.\u00a0 \u201cIs he all right?\u201d he asked anxiously.<\/p>\n

\u201cRight as\u201d\u2014feeling the water pelting his cheeks, Ben laughed\u2014\u201drain.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam sagged with relief and then straightened as Roy Coffee came up alongside them.\u00a0 Adam leaned forward to tousle Little Joe\u2019s damp curls.\u00a0 \u201cHey, you little scamp.\u00a0 Do you know what a scare you gave us?\u201d<\/p>\n

From the shelter of his father\u2019s arms, Little Joe peeked out at Adam.\u00a0 \u201cI scared, too, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

Seeing that pathetic little face, Adam didn\u2019t have the heart to scold.\u00a0 \u201cDo you want me to take him?\u201d he asked his father.<\/p>\n

Unable to bear the slightest separation from the child so recently restored to him, Ben shook his head and laid his left cheek against the damp head curled into his chest.<\/p>\n

Watching closely, Adam was certain he saw the salt of tears mingling with the fresh rain from heaven.\u00a0 \u201cGet him home,\u201d he urged.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll make the rounds and let everyone know the lost has been found.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben sat up and touched a grateful hand to the young man\u2019s shoulder as he passed.\u00a0 \u201cThank you, son\u2014for everything.\u201d\u00a0 He stopped beside the deputy then and murmured words of thanks to him, as well.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re welcome at the Ponderosa anytime.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMight take you up on it sometime,\u201d Roy Coffee said with a grin.\u00a0 \u201cI hear the feed\u2019s mighty good at your place.\u201d\u00a0 He laid a tender hand on Little Joe\u2019s head.\u00a0 \u201cTake good care of this young one,\u201d he urged.<\/p>\n

\u201cI will,\u201d Ben promised and without further delay tapped the bay\u2019s flanks with his heels and galloped toward home.<\/p>\n

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

Having heard the front door open, Hop Sing scurried in from the kitchen, beaming as he caught sight of the child in Mr. Ben\u2019s arms.\u00a0 He quickly wiped the broad smile from his face and began to scold, wagging his finger before the youngster\u2019s face.\u00a0 \u201cBad boy.\u00a0 Velly bad boy, lun away flom Hop Sing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe laid his head on Ben\u2019s shoulder and slid his thumb into his mouth.\u00a0 Ben gently removed it and said, \u201cNow, Hop Sing, I think what this boy needs is a nice, hot bath and something to eat.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHumph.\u00a0 Dat light,\u201d Hop Sing snorted.\u00a0 \u201cLittle boy bling in mud\u2014fathah, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben looked at the muddy puddle pooling around his boots.\u00a0 \u201cWell, yes,\u201d he conceded, \u201cand the sooner we get cleaned up, the sooner this can be cleaned up.\u201d\u00a0 He set Little Joe down, took the dripping jacket from around the boy, which Hop Sing immediately snatched before he could hang it to drip on the cabinet below the row of pegs.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Hop Sing threw his hands toward the ceiling and stormed away, chattering in what sounded like irate Cantonese.\u00a0 Ben just laughed as he removed his gun belt.\u00a0 Nothing, absolutely nothing could bother him tonight.\u00a0 As he\u2019d read long before in some poem, God was in His heaven and all was right with the world.<\/p>\n

Hoss, who had been dozing on the settee, woke up to the cacophony of Chinese ranting.\u00a0 The minute he spotted Little Joe, he jumped up with a whoop, rounded the end of the settee in two long bounds and crushed the little boy in a fierce, protective hug worthy of any she bear.\u00a0 Then he held Little Joe at arms\u2019 length and scolded him soundly.\u00a0 \u201cShame on you for runnin\u2019 off like that!\u00a0 You worried ev\u2019rybody plumb to death.\u201d<\/p>\n

The thumb snuck back into Little Joe\u2019s mouth.\u00a0 \u201cI sorwy,\u201d he mumbled around it.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, you should be,\u201d Hoss insisted emphatically.<\/p>\n

Ben placed a hand on his middle son\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cNo time for lectures tonight, Hoss,\u201d he said, his warm voice soothing both his sons.\u00a0 \u201cI need to see to my horse, so if you could watch your brother, I\u2019d appreciate it, and if Hop Sing gets his bath ready before I\u2019m back, start washing him, all right?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, Pa,\u201d the older boy agreed at once.\u00a0 As soon as his father went through the door, Hoss took his younger brother\u2019s thumb from his mouth.\u00a0 \u201cWhat did I tell you about that, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBig boys don\u2019t,\u201d Little Joe repeated glibly.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you wanna be a big boy, don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe\u2019s head bobbed up and down.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood.\u00a0 That\u2019s settled, then,\u201d Hoss decreed, taking his brother by the hand.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s go see how that bath water\u2019s comin\u2019 on, \u2018cause you sure need one.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

Ben had bathed quickly while Little Joe was eating.\u00a0 Now, dressed only in a maroon flannel robe he had hastily tossed on when he stepped out of the tub, he turned back the covers of his youngest son\u2019s bed and started to lay the boy down on the plump feather pillow.\u00a0 Something in those expressive emerald eyes gripped his heart, however.\u00a0 \u201cWhat is it, son?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cNes\u2019ry talk?\u201d the child asked anxiously.<\/p>\n

Ben would have laughed had the boy not looked so frightened.\u00a0 \u201cWhy would I give you a necessary little talk, Joseph?\u201d he inquired seriously.<\/p>\n

Little Joe pulled at his lower lip.\u00a0 \u201cBad boy run off, Hop Sing say.\u00a0 Hoss, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh.\u00a0 Did you run off, Joseph?\u201d\u00a0 Ben smiled, lifting the boy\u2019s small feet in one hand.\u00a0 \u201cI thought it was only these naughty little feet that ran away with my good boy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe tittered as his father ran a finger from heel to toes up each little foot.\u00a0 \u201cMe good,\u201d he agreed quickly.\u00a0 \u201cFeet naughty.\u201d\u00a0 Then he looked worried again.\u00a0 \u201cYou spank naughty feet?\u201d<\/p>\n

This time Ben did laugh.\u00a0 \u201cI suppose I should.\u00a0 Such naughty little feet to run away with my precious boy!\u00a0 But I\u2019d rather do this.\u201d\u00a0 He brought the sole of each foot to his lips and kissed it.\u00a0 Then he popped Joe\u2019s feet beneath the covers.\u00a0 \u201cThere, I think they\u2019ll stay put now.\u201d\u00a0 He bent to kiss his son good night, but pulled back.\u00a0 Something still wasn\u2019t right; the emerald eyes still looked troubled.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong, Joseph?\u00a0 You can tell Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe\u2019s thumb started moving toward his mouth.\u00a0 Then, mindful of Hoss\u2019s admonition, he dropped it to his side and just shook his head, as if to deny that anything was troubling him.<\/p>\n

Something clearly was, though, and Ben thought he caught the look of fear in his son\u2019s eyes.\u00a0 Joe couldn\u2019t still be afraid of a spanking; that was settled.\u00a0 However, Ben wondered fleetingly if a grain of fear remained from the time Joe had spent in the cold and the dark atop Eagle\u2019s Nest.\u00a0 Yes, that must be it.\u00a0 \u201cWould you like to sleep with Pa tonight, precious?\u201d he asked gently, fearing that, left alone, his child would only awaken in the grips of a nightmare.<\/p>\n

Little Joe nodded eagerly, raising his arms.<\/p>\n

Smiling, Ben lifted the boy to his shoulder and carried him down the hall.\u00a0 For a moment he felt his heart lurch as he laid that little golden head on his mother\u2019s pillow, but the pain was quickly swallowed up in sheer thankfulness that he still had this blessed remembrance of his beloved Marie, just as he had Adam and Hoss to keep alive the memories of Elizabeth and Inger.\u00a0 He tucked the covers up to Little Joe\u2019s chin and bent to kiss him on the forehead.\u00a0 \u201cClose your eyes and sleep tight, little love.\u00a0 Pa\u2019ll be right here all night, so not a thing can harm you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe smiled, sweetly as a cherub, and, exhausted, fell quickly asleep.<\/p>\n

Ben pulled a chair close enough so his hand could rest on the damp curls on the snowy pillowslip.\u00a0 When he was certain that his son was sleeping soundly enough that movement wouldn\u2019t disturb him, he slid into his side of the bed.\u00a0 Little Joe rolled down the slope created by Ben\u2019s heavier weight on the mattress and, still asleep, snuggled up against his father\u2019s side.\u00a0 With a sigh of complete contentment, Ben put an arm around the boy and lay for a long time in the dark, enjoying the satisfying sound of his son\u2019s regular breathing.<\/p>\n

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

The house was dark when Adam finally rode in that night, but he had expected that.\u00a0 It had taken a long time to make the rounds and tell everyone that Little Joe was safe at home and to thank each man for his efforts.\u00a0 Eager to get inside and out of his dripping clothes, he gave Blackie a quick, but thorough, rubdown and hurried across the yard, grateful that the rain had finally stopped.<\/p>\n

Depositing his hat and gun belt on the cabinet by the door, he moved across the room and after warming himself slightly by the fire\u2019s fading warmth, sat down on the table to remove his boots.\u00a0 He set them on the hearth, hoping they\u2019d dry out by morning and made his way upstairs in his stocking feet.<\/p>\n

He paused to peek into Little Joe\u2019s room, just to reassure himself that the little boy really was home again.\u00a0 Seeing the empty bed, he shook his head and moved down the hall.\u00a0 Should\u2019ve known they\u2019d be sleeping together after a scare like this<\/em>.\u00a0 As he looked into the next bedroom, however, Adam saw only Hoss, and his brow wrinkled.\u00a0 Where could Joe be, if not with his brother?\u00a0 A smile touched the young man\u2019s lips.\u00a0 With Pa?\u00a0 Was that possible? After all these weeks of avoiding the little boy, had Pa taken him into his own bed?<\/p>\n

Adam tiptoed down the hall and around the corner, stopping at the open doorway to his father\u2019s room.\u00a0 Peering in cautiously, he exhaled in deep satisfaction at the scene that met his eyes: Little Joe, cuddled up against Pa, whose arm was wrapped protectively and lovingly around his little son.\u00a0 Adam stood watching the tranquil tableau for a few moments, and then the dampness of his clothing made him shiver and he turned to leave.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam?\u201d\u00a0 Ben rose up in bed.\u00a0 \u201cIs that you, son?\u00a0 You just getting in?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, Pa,\u201d Adam whispered.\u00a0 \u201cSorry.\u00a0 Didn\u2019t mean to wake you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWho has a better right?\u201d Ben said, sliding out from under the covers.<\/p>\n

Adam stepped forward, hand raised to stop his father.\u00a0 \u201cOh, no, stay with him.\u00a0 I\u2019ve never seen a more beautiful sight\u2014you and him, back together again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled down at the golden curls nestled on the pillow beside him.\u00a0 \u201cIt is a beautiful sight,\u201d he murmured.\u00a0 Looking up, his lips twitched as he said, \u201cYou, on the other hand, young man, have rarely looked worse.\u00a0 You\u2019re soaked to the skin, Adam!\u00a0 Get out of those wet clothes, and I\u2019ll draw you a hot bath.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam waved the offer aside.\u00a0 \u201cOh, no, Pa.\u00a0 It\u2019s late; I\u2019m tired.\u00a0 I\u2019d rather just dry off and get to bed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you sure, son?\u201d Ben asked, brow furrowed with concern.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d be happy to do it for you, and you might rest better.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sure, Pa.\u201d\u00a0 Adam smiled down at his little brother again and swallowed the lump in his throat.\u00a0 \u201cJust seeing him sleeping so peacefully is all the sedative I need to sleep like a baby myself.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know what you mean,\u201d Ben chuckled.\u00a0 He started to crawl back beneath the covers, but as something struck his mind, he got up and followed his oldest son into the hall.\u00a0 \u201cAdam,\u201d he called softly, \u201cI need to ask one more favor of you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam turned.\u00a0 \u201cJust ask.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s smile was warm with love and pride.\u00a0 \u201cMy good boy, always there when I need him.\u201d\u00a0 His fingers gripped Adam\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve imposed on you too much of late, and it will end, I promise.\u00a0 I have to ask you to fill in for me one more time, though, with ranch responsibilities.\u00a0 I really feel a need to spend some time with Joseph tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course.\u00a0 You should,\u201d Adam replied simply.\u00a0 He shivered slightly.\u00a0 \u201cPa, I really would like to change now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded, loosening his grip on the boy, although what he really wanted was to take Adam in his arms, drenched shirt and all.\u00a0 \u201cOf course.\u00a0 You should,\u201d he said softly and let his son go.<\/p>\n

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

Monday morning Ben sat at his desk, scribbling figures in the ledger, but keeping an ear cocked for the sound of little footsteps on the stairs.\u00a0 Finally, he heard them and glanced up in time to see Little Joe duck behind the Indian blanket hung over the railing at the landing.\u00a0 With a chuckle Ben leaned back in his green leather chair and waited to see what the little boy was up to.\u00a0 He saw the tiny head full of curls dart out at first one side and then the other and smiled in amusement.\u00a0 \u201cWhy are you hiding, Little Joe?\u201d he called eventually since his son appeared disinclined to come further downstairs.<\/p>\n

Little Joe peered around the edge of the blanket once more.\u00a0 \u201cPa mad?\u201d he asked hesitantly.<\/p>\n

Shutting his eyes, Ben sighed deeply.\u00a0 He had ground to make up with this child.\u00a0 He\u2019d realized that and had, in fact, been sitting here waiting for Joe so he could start mending those broken bridges.\u00a0 \u201cNo, Joseph,\u201d he said softly after a slight pause.\u00a0 \u201cPa has no reason to be angry with you.\u00a0 Come here, son.\u201d\u00a0 He stretched a hand toward the boy.<\/p>\n

Barefoot, Little Joe moved cautiously down the steps to the great room and almost tiptoed over to the desk, as if fearful his father would at any moment withdraw the invitation.\u00a0 He edged slowly around the bulky piece of furniture until he stood next to his father.<\/p>\n

Ben picked his son up and set him on his knee.\u00a0 \u201cGood morning, sleepyhead,\u201d he said cheerfully.<\/p>\n

\u201cI sleep long time?\u201d Joe asked, still looking slightly fearful that he\u2019d done something wrong.<\/p>\n

Ben nodded.\u00a0 \u201cYes, just as you should, son.\u201d\u00a0 He snuggled the child against him and planted a kiss on top of his curly head.\u00a0 \u201cTell me, Little Joe, if you could do anything you wanted with Pa today, what would it be?\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe cast a suspicious glance at the open ledger and the consoling thumb slid into his mouth.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t know,\u201d he mumbled.<\/p>\n

Ben removed the thumb.\u00a0 \u201cI can\u2019t hear you with that in your mouth, Joseph.\u00a0 Now, what would you like to do?\u00a0 Would you like to go fishing, just you and Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe\u2019s eyes widened in surprise.\u00a0 Him and Pa go somewhere alone?\u00a0 Never had this happened, not even in the good days when Mama was still with them.\u00a0 His eyes cut toward the ledger again.\u00a0 \u201cYou don\u2019t got work?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI have work,\u201d Ben said, \u201cbut I\u2019d rather fish with you.\u00a0 How about it?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s entire face lit up.\u00a0 \u201cYou mean it?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laid his work-toughened cheek against the child\u2019s velvety one.\u00a0 \u201cI want very much to spend this day with my little son, whom I love very much.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe\u2019s arms circled his father\u2019s neck.\u00a0 \u201cLove you, Pa,\u201d he cried.<\/p>\n

\u201cLove you, too, Joseph,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 He set the boy on the floor.\u00a0 \u201cRun into the kitchen now,\u201d he said, \u201cand tell Hop Sing to give you breakfast.\u00a0 Tell him I\u2019ll get you dressed because he needs to pack up a big picnic lunch for two hungry men.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay!\u201d Little Joe cried happily and took off for the kitchen.<\/p>\n

~ ~ ~ ~ ~<\/p>\n

Historical Notes<\/p>\n

The incident at Eagle\u2019s Nest is derived from the Bonanza episode, \u201cBetween Heaven and Earth\u201d by Ed Adamson.<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s recollection of Elizabeth\u2019s query about God and good angels is taken from \u201cElizabeth, My Love\u201d by Anthony Lawrence and is a reference to a passage from John Milton\u2019s Paradise Lost<\/em>.<\/p>\n

While the character of Roy Coffee appears in many episodes of Bonanza, his family background, including his wife\u2019s name, is based on \u201cNo Less A Man\u201d by Jerry Adelman.<\/p>\n

The poem referred to in this chapter is \u201cPippa Passes,\u201d written by Robert Browning in 1841.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE<\/p>\n

Dream Divided<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cMy turn,\u201d Ben said, plucking his nightshirt-clad youngest from Hoss\u2019s ample lap.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ve hogged my boy long enough,\u201d he added with a chuckle and a wink at his grinning middle son.\u00a0 Little Joe squealed, but settled contentedly in his father\u2019s lap as soon as Ben sat down.\u00a0 It had become a nightly ritual in the last few days, for Little Joe still went first to Hoss each evening after he was dressed for bed.\u00a0 Ben felt a measure of pain each time it happened, for he knew that his repeated rejections had resulted in the child\u2019s turning elsewhere for consolation.\u00a0 He could scarcely fault Little Joe for feeling hesitant to ask him for anything, but he longed for the day when that would change, when the little lad would crawl up in his lap uninvited, as he\u2019d always felt free to do before.<\/p>\n

As he cuddled his youngest and tickled his bare toes, Ben gazed across at the young man seated on the opposite side of the fireplace and pondered, as he had the last couple of nights, the disturbing change that had come over his oldest son.\u00a0 He had no fault to find with the boy\u2019s performance of his duties.\u00a0 Adam was working steadily and had made his weekly delivery of timber to the mine today, regular as clockwork.\u00a0 During the evenings, when they were all gathered in the great room, however, the boy had become positively moody, burying his nose in some dull Latin tome, barely noticing either of his brothers and refusing to converse with his father beyond the briefest of responses.\u00a0 Ben could think of no reason for Adam\u2019s unaccustomed behavior, except one, and he dreaded having to face the possibility that his son was seething with silent anger, most likely directed toward him.<\/p>\n

Goodness knows, he\u2019d given the boy cause during the time he\u2019d refused to accept his own responsibilities and thrust them off on his oldest son.\u00a0 Adam had been a bulwark to his brothers and a rock for his father to lean on during those difficult days.\u00a0 There\u2019d been flashes of anger, even then, but Ben had chosen to ignore those signals.\u00a0 Was he now simply seeing evidence of the full-blown fury beginning to leak out?\u00a0 Or was it merely that Adam was finally allowing himself to grieve, now that he didn\u2019t have to be that rock-solid bulwark any longer?\u00a0 Petulance and isolation were poor ways of grieving, of course, but Ben felt he had no right to criticize anyone\u2019s method of dealing with his feelings after handling his own so badly.<\/p>\n

Still, the boy shouldn\u2019t be allowed to curl up inside himself and shut others out.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t good for me, and it isn\u2019t good for him<\/em>.\u00a0 Ben cleared his throat.\u00a0 \u201cI wish I\u2019d thought while we were in town, but you really could use some new books, couldn\u2019t you, son?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam slowly lowered his well-worn Latin reader.\u00a0 \u201cWere you talking to me?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben forced out a light laugh.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re the reader in the family, aren\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m trying to be,\u201d Adam said flatly, eyes dropping back to the Latin lines.<\/p>\n

Frowning, Ben raised his voice.\u00a0 \u201cI said we needed to get you some new books.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I want a new book, I\u2019ll buy one,\u201d Adam muttered without looking up.\u00a0 \u201cI have money enough.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d like to get something special for you,\u201d Ben said, \u201csomething you might not buy for yourself\u2014as an expression of my gratitude for all you\u2019ve done for me lately.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sighing, Adam clapped the book shut.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s no need, Pa.\u00a0 There\u2019s nothing I\u2019ve done that I need to be paid for.\u201d\u00a0 And nothing I\u2019ve lost that the price of a new book would cover!<\/em>\u00a0 He stood up, tucking the book under his arm.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m tired, so if you\u2019ll excuse me, I\u2019ll go on up to bed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s eyes narrowed with concern.\u00a0 \u201cNot feeling poorly, are you, son?\u201d<\/p>\n

At the foot of the stairs, Adam turned to give his father a smile that didn\u2019t reach past his lips.\u00a0 \u201cNo, Pa.\u00a0 I\u2019m fine.\u00a0 See you in the morning.\u201d\u00a0 He mounted the stairs, feet dragging from one step to the next, as if they were as heavy as his heart.\u00a0 Moving down the hall, he escaped into the refuge of his room and closed the door firmly behind him.<\/p>\n

He set the Latin book on the desk with a sigh.\u00a0 Taking it downstairs had been a mistake; opening it at all had been a mistake, for that matter.\u00a0 All it had done was remind him of the college courses he\u2019d never take, the broadening of his mind he\u2019d never experience.\u00a0 As he sat down in the desk chair to remove his boots, Adam shook his head.\u00a0 He was no better than Pa, just like him, in fact.\u00a0 Pa was finally coming to grips with the loss of his wife; and life, at least for the others, was getting back to normal\u2014or as normal as life could be with a gaping hole in its middle.\u00a0 But here I sit, moping and mourning over the loss of a few years of bettering myself and enjoying the companionship of my best friend from years gone by.\u00a0 How childish!<\/em><\/p>\n

He dropped each boot to the floor with a clunk, letting them lie where they fell, and moved to the chest of drawers in his stocking feet.\u00a0 Pulling a nightshirt, gray to match his mood, from the top drawer, he tossed it onto the bed and began removing his outer clothing.\u00a0 He\u2019d only posted the letter to Jamie a week ago, so it hadn\u2019t had time to reach St. Joseph, but Adam had agonized for days over the disappointment he was causing his childhood friend.\u00a0 He\u2019d apologized profusely in the missive for holding up Jamie\u2019s school preparations, and he knew that gentle boy well enough to know he\u2019d be forgiven.\u00a0 Forgiving himself was harder, though.\u00a0 Unreasonable as he knew it was, he felt a core of rancor toward his father and little brothers for needing him and, still more unreasonably, toward Marie for dying and throwing all his plans topsy-turvy.<\/p>\n

With a sigh Adam pulled the nightshirt over his head, not bothering to button it.\u00a0 He walked over to the desk and laid his hand on top of the Latin text he\u2019d never need again.\u00a0 His dream of higher education was dead; time, then, to bury it.\u00a0 Maybe then he could come to grips with his loss, somehow get back to normal, despite the gaping hole inside him.\u00a0 Opening the bottom drawer of his desk, Adam placed the book inside.\u00a0 Taking from his shelf several others that reminded him of his lost hopes, he placed them inside also.\u00a0 \u201cRest in peace, foolish dreams,\u201d he muttered darkly and slammed the drawer.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cOw!\u00a0 Quit pullin\u2019!\u201d Little Joe bellowed.<\/p>\n

Adam clamped both knees like a vise around his perpetually squirming youngest brother.\u00a0 \u201cI wouldn\u2019t have to if you\u2019d stand still,\u201d he complained, trying once more to run a comb through Joe\u2019s unruly curls.<\/p>\n

They were all running late that Sunday morning, mostly because this little rowdy had made a shambles of breakfast, tipping over his milk, which had set a straight course toward Pa\u2019s best suit pants.\u00a0 Pa had to go back upstairs and change, of course, and Hoss had been delegated to hitch up the team, leaving Adam to contend with getting the youngest Cartwright dressed and groomed for church and making him feel that he was getting the raw end of the deal yet again.<\/p>\n

The eldest Cartwright brother had awakened in a miserable mood to start with.\u00a0 Last night\u2019s mock burial had done nothing to lay his dreams to rest; in fact, he\u2019d had one whale of a nightmare about ghostly books rising from freshly mounded earth in a dark and gloomy cemetery, each familiar title pointing a bony accusatory finger and proclaiming Adam Cartwright its murderer.\u00a0 With such scenes bombarding his brain, the night had been anything but restful, and he\u2019d overslept and had to rush through his chores to get to the table on time.\u00a0 Joe\u2019s shenanigans, both at breakfast and now, were making it hard for Adam to hang on to a temper already on short fuse from sheer exhaustion.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou hurt!\u201d Little Joe screeched, dropping to the floor since Adam\u2019s knees were preventing forward movement.<\/p>\n

Adam reached down and jerked the child to his feet.\u00a0 Little Joe shrieked, and Adam responded with a smart slap to his brother\u2019s leg.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam!\u00a0 What do you think you\u2019re doing?\u201d Ben demanded from the head of the stairs.\u00a0 His footsteps clattered noisily down the steps.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa!\u201d Little Joe wailed, running straight to his father as soon as Adam released him.<\/p>\n

Ben scooped the little boy up and carried him to the settee.\u00a0 Sitting down, he held Joe in his lap and stretched his palm toward his oldest son.\u00a0 \u201cGive me the comb, please, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFine,\u201d Adam snapped, jumping up to slam the comb into his father\u2019s hand.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe he\u2019ll sit still for you.\u201d\u00a0 He started past the end of the settee.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam, sit down,\u201d his father directed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m going to help Hoss with the team,\u201d Adam countered, although he halted.<\/p>\n

\u201cI said, \u2018Sit down,\u2019\u201d Ben repeated firmly.<\/p>\n

Exhaling with exasperation, Adam dropped back into the chair he\u2019d vacated and sat there fuming as Ben calmly combed the tangles from those impossible golden-brown curls.<\/p>\n

Finally, Ben set Joe down and gave his backside a couple of pats.\u00a0 \u201cThere, that\u2019ll do.\u00a0 Run outside and see how Hoss is coming along with the team, Joseph.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe trotted off, turning just once to thrust a defiant tongue at his older brother.<\/p>\n

Adam rolled his eyes, wondering why his father had rejected his offer to help Hoss in favor of sending someone who would be absolutely no help whatsoever.\u00a0 On second thought, he knew exactly why.\u00a0 Sitting forward on the edge of his chair as the door slammed shut behind Little Joe, Adam announced, \u201cI don\u2019t think I need a lecture, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben arched a silver-tinged black eyebrow.\u00a0 \u201cYou might, at that,\u201d he said, \u201cbut I don\u2019t intend to lecture, son.\u00a0 I just want to know what\u2019s wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n

The gentleness of his father\u2019s voice caught Adam off guard.\u00a0 \u201cWrong?\u201d he mumbled.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s nothing wrong, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben propped his elbow on the arm of the settee and rested his cheek on his curled fingers.\u00a0 \u201cOf course, there\u2019s not.\u00a0 That\u2019s why you slapped your little brother, because there\u2019s nothing wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam tried to shrug the comment off.\u00a0 \u201cI just lost my temper, that\u2019s all.\u00a0 I\u2019ll tell Joe I\u2019m sorry and that\u2019ll be the end of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018Til the next time,\u201d Ben observed dryly.\u00a0 \u201cSomething\u2019s gnawing away at you, Adam, and I think I know what it is.\u201d<\/p>\n

That remark caught Adam\u2019s attention.\u00a0 He stared back at his father in disbelief.\u00a0 As a child, he\u2019d been sure that Pa could read his mind, but he was a child no longer, and he was quite certain that his father didn\u2019t even know he had entertained notions of going to college.\u00a0 \u201cYou couldn\u2019t,\u201d he whispered.\u00a0 Then, realizing that could be construed as a confession, fumbled out, \u201cI mean, there\u2019s nothing to know; there\u2019s nothing wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben shifted his position and rubbed his thigh, unable to look at his son as he said, \u201cYou\u2019re angry with me, aren\u2019t you, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAngry?\u201d\u00a0 Adam squirmed on the edge of his chair.\u00a0 \u201cNo, of course not.\u00a0 You had every right to call me to task about treating Little Joe that way.\u00a0 I was impatient with him and\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s not what I meant,\u201d Ben interrupted, still picking at his pants\u2019 leg.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re angry because I let you carry the load after Marie died, instead of shouldering it myself, and you have every right to feel that way, son.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s jaw dropped in shock.\u00a0 \u201cPa, I don\u2019t.\u00a0 I mean, I did, sure, for the boys\u2019 sake, but that\u2019s changed now.\u00a0 You\u2019ve been fine this week.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut you haven\u2019t,\u201d Ben stated pointedly.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ve been moody, withdrawn and, to my eye, very angry, though you hide it well.\u00a0 I\u2019ve been unable to think of any reason for that, other than your just resentment of my failure as a father, and I only pray that you can forgive me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Pa, no, please don\u2019t think that,\u201d Adam implored.\u00a0 \u201cYou got lost in a fog for a little while, that\u2019s all.\u00a0 It\u2019s not that, honestly; it\u2019s . . . just the way things are now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Eyes clouded in confusion, Ben cocked his head.\u00a0 \u201cThe way things are?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam jumped up and began to stride back and forth in front of the hearth.\u00a0 \u201cDo we have to talk about this?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s troubled gaze followed the pacing figure of his oldest son.\u00a0 \u201cYes, I think we do.\u00a0 How are things . . . now?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cImpossible!\u201d\u00a0 Adam rounded on his father.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s how things are now.\u00a0 Don\u2019t you think I ever get tired of wrestling with children day and night?\u00a0 Don\u2019t you think I ever want time to myself, to do the things I want, instead of what\u2019s best for Hoss and Joe and you and the ranch and . . . I\u2019m sorry.\u201d\u00a0 Collapsing on the fireside wood box, Adam dropped his head into his hands.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have been working hard,\u201d Ben said softly, \u201cand you deserve some time off.\u00a0 You were gracious enough to give me time when I needed it, so just tell me how long you need, son.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s head came up, and there was a wild look in his eye as he spouted, \u201cHow about four years?\u201d\u00a0 He banged the back of his head against the stone fireplace, wondering what had possessed him to blurt that out.<\/p>\n

Ben, who had been struggling throughout this conversation to understand what was troubling his son, now looked thoroughly perplexed.\u00a0 \u201cWhat could take four years?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI just threw out a number, Pa,\u201d Adam said, raking a restless hand through his dark hair.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think so,\u201d Ben replied, noting that Adam could not meet his eyes.\u00a0 \u201cWhat takes four years, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam slumped forward, forearms dropping to his thighs.\u00a0 Why had he ever thought he could hide anything from Pa?\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t been able to when he was Joe\u2019s age, and, evidently, he still hadn\u2019t acquired the poker face or the rein on his temper required.\u00a0 \u201cCollege,\u201d he whispered in defeat.\u00a0 \u201cCollege takes four years.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben leaned forward, one hand instinctively covering his gaping mouth.\u00a0 Then he lowered his hand and asked, dumbfounded, \u201cYou want to go to college?\u00a0 Why\u2014why haven\u2019t you said anything?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cWhat would be the point?\u00a0 I can\u2019t go.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben sat back, eyes fixed on his son\u2019s face, trying to read there what Adam was apparently still reluctant to reveal.\u00a0 \u201cWhy can\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam laughed harshly.\u00a0 \u201cI should think that would be obvious!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben cleared his throat.\u00a0 \u201cJust assume your poor, befuddled father is still lost in a fog and explain the obvious to me, please.\u201d<\/p>\n

The door opened just then, and Hoss came through with Little Joe in tow.\u00a0 \u201cTeam\u2019s all hitched, Pa.\u00a0 Reckon we better get goin\u2019 if we aim to get to church on time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben stared back at the boy, his mind really in a fog for a moment.\u00a0 Then the mist cleared and he said, \u201cWe\u2019re not going to church, son.\u00a0 Please unhitch the team, and then take Little Joe up the back stairs, and both of you change out of your good clothes and go play.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHuh?\u201d\u00a0 Now Hoss was the one who looked befuddled.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour older brother and I have something to talk about,\u201d Ben explained, \u201cso please do as I ask and give us some privacy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss flicked commiserating eyes toward Adam.\u00a0 \u201cOh.\u00a0 Sure, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe\u2019s wide-eyed gaze alternated between his father and oldest brother.\u00a0 \u201cNes\u2019ry talk?\u201d he asked anxiously, sibling loyalty instantly replacing his previous anger with Adam.<\/p>\n

Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cNo, Joseph, just a regular talk.\u00a0 Run along with Hoss now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe smiled in relief.\u00a0 \u201cOkay.\u201d\u00a0 Taking Hoss\u2019s hand, he pranced toward the door.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s play!\u201d<\/p>\n

Not as easily assured that all was well, Hoss gave his older brother one more concerned glance, but obediently led Little Joe outside and shut the door.<\/p>\n

The interruption had given Adam the time he needed to get his emotions under control again, and his voice was calm as he said, \u201cThere\u2019s really nothing to talk about, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI disagree,\u201d Ben countered.\u00a0 \u201cYou still haven\u2019t explained why college is impossible . . . the way things are now.\u00a0 You mean because your mother died?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, of course!\u201d Adam erupted and immediately bit his tongue.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t mean to shout, but it does change everything; you know it does.\u00a0 I can\u2019t leave you to run this ranch alone and take care of two small boys, as well.\u00a0 You need me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben shook his head from side to side.\u00a0 \u201cAdam, Adam.\u00a0 I\u2019m not sure that sending you\u2014where is it you wanted to go?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNew Haven,\u201d Adam muttered.\u00a0 \u201cNot that it matters.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, it matters.\u00a0 Why New Haven?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam licked his lips, hesitant to talk about his dead dream, but finding a certain release in finally sharing the secret.\u00a0 \u201cJamie\u2019s choice, mostly, although all my instructors at the academy said Yale was a fine school, the best or second best in the country, depending on who was talking.\u00a0 We wanted to room together, study together, as we used to when we were boys.\u00a0 I know that sounds childish . . .\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben moved across the room to lay a warm hand on his son\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cNo, it doesn\u2019t.\u00a0 I know I\u2019d cherish the chance to spend time with Josiah again, and your desire to be with Jamie is no different.\u201d\u00a0 He curled his hand around Adam\u2019s biceps and pulled on his arm.\u00a0 \u201cCome on over here and sit beside me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Responding to the draw of his father\u2019s touch, Adam let himself be led to the settee.<\/p>\n

Ben wrapped an encouraging arm about his oldest son.\u00a0 \u201cIs that your only reason for wanting to go to college, reuniting with your friend?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam shook his head, darted a quick glance at his father\u2019s face and, seeing there genuine interest and concern, gave his lips a nervous lick and began to talk.\u00a0 Everything spilled out: his yearning to broaden his education, his dreams of becoming an architect, all the concerns that had kept him silent throughout the last several months.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou were afraid I\u2019d say no.\u201d\u00a0 Ben\u2019s somber words were a statement, not a question.<\/p>\n

Adam nodded miserably.\u00a0 \u201cI was, but I thought if I caught you at just the right moment and explained it well enough, there was a chance, even though what I wanted ran against all you had planned for me.\u00a0 You had your dreams, and I knew you wanted me to be part of them.\u00a0 Yes, I was afraid that you wouldn\u2019t understand that I have dreams, too, and that they might be different from yours.\u201d<\/p>\n

Overwhelmed by what he was hearing, Ben rolled his head back against the settee.\u00a0 \u201cOh, Adam, I\u2019m sorry.\u00a0 I\u2019ve never meant any of you boys to fear me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam touched his father\u2019s arm.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t fear you, Pa; it was disappointing you, letting you down that I feared.\u00a0 I would have come to you with this, except . . .\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben lifted his head and smiled sadly at his son.\u00a0 \u201cExcept she died\u2014and you had to take over for a father so lost in his own grief that he couldn\u2019t see yours.\u00a0 I\u2019ve been blind to everything but my own pain, my own problems.\u201d\u00a0 He sat up and squared his shoulders.\u00a0 \u201cWell, that\u2019s finished\u2014and keeping secrets from your father is finished, too, young man.\u00a0 Now we can face the issue head-on and determine what\u2019s best for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam sighed.\u00a0 Why couldn\u2019t his father understand one simple, overriding fact?\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s nothing to determine, Pa.\u00a0 I\u2019m glad it\u2019s out in the open, but I\u2019m not leaving.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy?\u201d Ben demanded.\u00a0 \u201cHave your desires changed?\u00a0 Obviously not!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Pa, dreams die hard,\u201d Adam admitted reluctantly, \u201cbut the situation has changed.\u00a0 Of course, I can\u2019t leave you to deal with the ranch and the boys\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, you can,\u201d Ben interrupted sharply.<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, I can\u2019t!\u201d Adam retorted with equal sharpness.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s just like after Inger died.\u201d<\/p>\n

Smiling, Ben shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cNo, Adam, it\u2019s not.\u00a0 I was very dependent on you then, that\u2019s true.\u00a0 I absolutely could not have managed without the help of my responsible older boy when I was left in the middle of nowhere with a tiny baby to care for.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam let a trace of humor touch his lips.\u00a0 \u201cHoss was never tiny.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cNo, he wasn\u2019t, but he was as helpless as any other baby.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAs Joe is now,\u201d Adam pointed out.<\/p>\n

Again, Ben shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cJoseph is a little boy, not an infant.\u00a0 In a way, that makes him require more supervision, not less\u201d\u2014he leaned forward, taking Adam\u2019s hand\u2014\u201dbut I\u2019m not alone now, son.\u00a0 I had some help besides yours, even back then, but now we\u2019re surrounded by friends and neighbors.\u00a0 Now, in addition to an older brother\u2014and I mean Hoss, not you\u2014I have Hop Sing and a bunkhouse full of hands who care enough about that little boy to give up their day off to search for him.\u00a0 No, Adam, I can manage your brothers without your help, although I\u2019ll miss it\u2014and you.\u00a0 I can manage the ranch, as well, just as I did while you were at the academy.\u00a0 As you said, the Ponderosa is my dream.\u00a0 Of course, I had hoped you would share it, but\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPa, I do,\u201d Adam insisted.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut,\u201d Ben continued as if uninterrupted, \u201cit isn\u2019t your complete dream.\u00a0 There\u2019s a part missing, something you can only find back east.\u00a0 Isn\u2019t that what you\u2019ve been saying?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam bit his lower lip, afraid to speak for fear he\u2019d start crying if he did.\u00a0 Finally, since his father just sat silent, waiting, he did softly admit, \u201cYes, that\u2019s how I feel.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben felt his heart convulse in his chest.\u00a0 His boy wanted to leave home, couldn\u2019t find the complete happiness here that he\u2019d anticipated for all his sons.\u00a0 Coming so soon after the loss of his wife, to give up his son, as well, was an overwhelming blow.\u00a0 He\u2019d been selfish long enough, however, imposed on this boy long enough, and he wouldn\u2019t do it a minute longer.\u00a0 \u201cThen I want you to go,\u201d he said, though it broke his heart.\u00a0 \u201cMy only concern is your personal safety.\u00a0 This trouble back east\u2014I want your word you\u2019ll stay out of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam spread his hands in consternation.\u00a0 \u201cI would, of course.\u00a0 I got my fill of fighting last summer, but you\u2019re overlooking the obvious again.\u00a0 I\u2019m not going.\u201d\u00a0 His jaw was set with determination.<\/p>\n

Frustrated, Ben stood up and stalked a few steps away; then he swiveled swiftly.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re fired,\u201d he said bluntly.<\/p>\n

Adam stared back at him.\u00a0 \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re fired,\u201d Ben repeated.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re off the payroll, as of\u2014when do you need to leave?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam waved his hands aimlessly through the air.\u00a0 \u201cLeave?\u00a0 I should have left last week, Pa!\u00a0 That\u2019s why I\u2019ve been such a bear.\u00a0 Knowing that, I just couldn\u2019t get my mind off all I was missing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Anguish flooded Ben\u2019s eyes.\u00a0 Had his lengthy drift through the fog deprived his boy of this cherished dream?\u00a0 No, at worst, it would only be a dream deferred, as he and Inger had called their delayed journey west, but was the deferral really necessary?\u00a0 \u201cAre you sure it\u2019s too late?\u201d he asked as he came back to the settee.\u00a0 \u201cWhen does the fall term start?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam curled one leg up on the settee.\u00a0 \u201cAccording to Jamie, entrance exams begin September 10th<\/sup>.\u201d\u00a0 He shrugged eloquently.\u00a0 \u201cI could make it, actually, if I left within the next two or three days and traveled day and night, but I\u2019d be pushing it and I\u2019d be dead tired when I got there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben arched an eyebrow.\u00a0 \u201cOh?\u00a0 And your dream isn\u2019t worth the effort?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam choked out a short laugh.\u00a0 \u201cTo me?\u00a0 Sure.\u00a0 I\u2019d suffer any discomfort, push as hard as I had to, but I will not ignore my responsibilities here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s eyes were warm with love and respect.\u00a0 \u201cYou have no responsibilities here, son,\u201d he said, laying his hand gently on his son\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cThe responsibilities are mine.\u00a0 I know I forced you to carry them for a time, but they were never yours, always mine, and it\u2019s time now to let the load fall where it should.\u201d<\/p>\n

As hope rose within his heart, Adam began to tremble, his chin quivering so hard that his words came out as a stammer.\u00a0 \u201cY-you\u2019re saying y-you don\u2019t n-need me?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben squeezed the shoulder beneath his hand.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m saying I can manage.\u201d\u00a0 Laughing, he clapped his son\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cAnd since you\u2019re out of a job, you might as well go to school.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam released a laugh that acted like the pressure valve on a steam boiler.\u00a0 \u201cI guess I might as well, at that.\u201d\u00a0 His head fell forward to rest against his father\u2019s chest.\u00a0 \u201cOh, Pa!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben cradled the dark head against him, as if his oldest son were as young as Little Joe, and his touch was as soothing as if he were dealing with a small child.\u00a0 Feeling the young man relax in his embrace, Ben gave the ebony hair one final stroke and lifted Adam so they could look eye to eye.\u00a0 \u201cNow, what do we need to do to get you ready for this new adventure, young man?\u201d<\/p>\n

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

Pandemonium reigned at the Ponderosa for the next few days.\u00a0 After dinner Sunday, Ben sat his younger sons down in the great room and explained to them that Adam would be leaving in just a couple of days, to attend college on the east coast for four years.\u00a0 That was as far as he got before Little Joe burst into tears, but if anything, Hoss took the news even harder.\u00a0 Having a better sense of time and distance than his younger brother, Hoss realized just how long this separation would be.\u00a0 \u201cNo!\u00a0 You\u2019re \u2018sposed to be through with that blame schoolin\u2019!\u00a0 I\u2019m \u2018sposed to work the trees with you, and we\u2019re \u2018sposed to go huntin\u2019 and fishin\u2019 and all kinds of things!\u201d he shouted, stomping his foot in a rare display of temper.\u00a0 \u201cIt ain\u2019t right, and it ain\u2019t fair!\u201d<\/p>\n

Handing his sobbing youngest to Adam, Ben put an arm around his trembling middle boy and drew him over to the settee.<\/p>\n

As Little Joe\u2019s arms fastened possessively around his neck and tears dampened his shirt collar, Adam shook his head in despair.\u00a0 \u201cI can\u2019t do it, Pa; I can\u2019t do this to them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust give me a minute, Adam,\u201d Ben urged.\u00a0 \u201cThis has come out of the blue, and your brothers need a little time to take it in, as I did, if you recall.\u201d He set Hoss down and sat beside him.\u00a0 \u201cHoss, do you know what\u2019s really not right, really not fair?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss wiped a drip from his nose with the back of his hand and shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t much think I wanna hear,\u201d he mumbled.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, you\u2019re gonna hear,\u201d Ben said firmly, though his voice was gentle.\u00a0 \u201cIt isn\u2019t right and it isn\u2019t fair to expect Adam to give up everything he wants just to do what we want,\u201d Ben explained.\u00a0 \u201cI know you\u2019ll miss your brother.\u201d\u00a0 He looked across at Adam, as if storing up memories of that endearing face.\u00a0 \u201cI will, too, but he has a right to his own wants and wishes, not just ours\u2014just as you\u2019ll have the right to follow your own heart someday and do wherever you might choose.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss shook his head violently from side to side.\u00a0 \u201cNot me.\u00a0 I ain\u2019t never leavin\u2019 the Ponderosa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t have to, son,\u201d Ben assured him, \u201cbut you\u2019ll be free to go or to stay, when you\u2019re of age.\u00a0 Adam\u2019s old enough now to make some choices, and this is what he wants.\u00a0 Do you really want him to stay, just to keep you happy, when doing that would make him unhappy himself?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnybody oughta be happy on the Ponderosa,\u201d Hoss muttered, throwing a dark look at the family traitor across the room.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t help noticing, however, how miserable Adam looked, and his innate fairness took over.\u00a0 Like his father, he had seen how grumpy Adam had been this whole past week.\u00a0 Was this why, this fretting over traipsing back east to school?\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t want to make him unhappy,\u201d he conceded reluctantly.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou could never do that, buddy,\u201d Adam said as he continued to stroke his youngest brother\u2019s back.<\/p>\n

Hoss fidgeted with a loose thread on the frayed cuff of the old shirt he\u2019d changed into.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t see how more schoolin\u2019 can make anybody happy.\u00a0 Can\u2019t wait to get shed of it myself.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam smiled gently.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re built different, buddy, always have been in that regard.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss looked up at him.\u00a0 \u201cYou promise goin\u2019 back there to school is gonna make you happy, Adam?\u00a0 You gotta promise or I ain\u2019t lettin\u2019 you go.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI promise,\u201d Adam said easily.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood.\u00a0 It\u2019s settled,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cAdam goes with our blessing, then, doesn\u2019t he, boys?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir,\u201d Hoss said quietly, although his face still reflected a different opinion.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph?\u201d Ben inquired.<\/p>\n

Little Joe lifted his head from Adam\u2019s shoulder and shook it from side to side.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t want Adam go!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben gave his oldest son an eloquent shrug.\u00a0 \u201cSome people take a little longer.\u201d\u00a0 An idea struck him.\u00a0 \u201cWhy don\u2019t the three of you spend some time up at the lake this afternoon?\u00a0 Fish . . . swim . . . talk.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMake memories?\u201d Adam suggested with a nostalgic smile, recalling other such trips before leaving for school each fall.<\/p>\n

\u201cExactly,\u201d Ben said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s so much to do,\u201d Adam pointed out.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know, son,\u201d Ben agreed, \u201cbut not much you could do on a Sunday afternoon.\u00a0 Spend it with your brothers, and we\u2019ll hit the ground running tomorrow morning.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

Hit the ground running, they did.\u00a0 Monday morning was devoted to reorganization of ranch assignments, especially at the lumber camp Adam had bossed.\u00a0 Many of the men, even some who\u2019d eyed him with skepticism when he\u2019d first taken over, expressed regret that their young boss was leaving the territory, but they seemed content to work under Jake Webber\u2019s direction.\u00a0 After all, the straw boss had taken over a lot more responsibility since the death of Mrs. Cartwright, anyway, and the men were used to his ways.\u00a0 Things would continue to run smoothly at the lumber camp.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s a tribute to your management, son,\u201d Ben told Adam.\u00a0 \u201cYou laid a solid foundation, and that gives the next man something to build on.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam, with both his brothers in tow, drove into Washoe City that afternoon to request a letter of recommendation from the Reverend Bennett and picked up some ranch supplies while the minister was writing it.\u00a0 Back at home by about four o\u2019clock, he helped Hoss unload the buckboard and then set about the difficult task of determining what to take, what to leave, what to have shipped to him later.\u00a0 Again, his two shadows were right at his side, completely underfoot, but Adam wouldn\u2019t have chased them away for anything.\u00a0 Every minute with them was priceless, so he listened to their dubious suggestions about how to sort his belongings as if each were a pearl of wisdom.<\/p>\n

On Tuesday Adam and his father rode into Carson City to make arrangements for his transportation east and to seek one more letter of recommendation.\u00a0 Ben had remembered that the lawyer Bill Stewart had attended Yale and thought that a letter from a former student, even if he hadn\u2019t graduated, might carry some weight, perhaps more than that of an unknown minister of a different sect than the Congregationalist background of the college.\u00a0 Stewart had professed himself pleased to assist a young man in pursuit of higher education and had written an eloquent letter, praising Adam as a young man of sterling character from an upstanding family.\u00a0 Ben thanked him extensively, although he wondered what sort of political patronage Bill Stewart might hope to influence by extending this favor.\u00a0 Whatever it was, he\u2019d deal with the issue honestly when it arose.<\/p>\n

Next, he and Adam visited the ticket office of Wells, Fargo and Company, purchasing a one-way ticket to Atchison, Kansas, as far as the Overland Stage Line went.\u00a0 Adam gulped at the price, two hundred dollars, which didn\u2019t even include meals, but he listened intently as the clerk explained that he could carry up to forty pounds of luggage with him.\u00a0 \u201cI may have to leave some of my books,\u201d Adam said, \u201cand the guitar, though I\u2019d hoped to take it with me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPick what you\u2019ll need the first few weeks, son, and I\u2019ll ship anything you need later on,\u201d Ben replied.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s the way to handle it,\u201d the ticket agent quickly agreed, with an eye to future business.<\/p>\n

Ben chuckled and led Adam across the room to the banking department of the venture.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ll need a letter of credit for expenses, as well as some cash for meals along the route.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI have enough for food,\u201d Adam said.<\/p>\n

Ben clapped him on the back.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d have to feed you if you were at home, boy, so I guess I\u2019ll foot that bill while you\u2019re on the road.\u00a0 Let\u2019s see.\u00a0 The agent said about seventy-five cents to a dollar per meal, most places.\u00a0 About forty-five dollars for that, and then you\u2019ll need steamboat passage across the Missouri and train fare to the east coast and meals all that time, too.\u00a0 I\u2019d say about two hundred and fifty dollars.\u00a0 How much is tuition?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNinety dollars for the year,\u201d Adam replied ruefully.\u00a0 \u201cThis is mounting up to a terrible bill, Pa.\u00a0 Are you sure you can spare it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sure, son.\u00a0 Three fifty then, but you\u2019ll need some new clothes for school and money for food and lodging after you get there.\u00a0 Let\u2019s make it\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLodging!\u201d Adam yelped.\u00a0 \u201cOh, Pa!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben turned to see a boy jumpy as if he\u2019d found a scorpion in his boot.\u00a0 \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLodging,\u201d he moaned.\u00a0 \u201cJamie and I were going to lodge together.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI assumed you would.\u00a0 Half the expense that way.\u00a0 What\u2019s the problem, boy?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam pounded his skull with his fist.\u00a0 \u201cI wrote him that I wasn\u2019t coming, to find a new roommate.\u00a0 He\u2019ll probably get the letter today or tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cRelax, then.\u00a0 He won\u2019t replace you that quickly.\u00a0 Jamie\u2019s probably the only St. Joe boy with his sights set on Yale, so he\u2019ll have to wait \u2018til he reaches New Haven to find a new mate.\u00a0 You can send a telegram from here to the end of the Overland Telegraph line, and the Pony Express will carry it to the western terminus of the Pacific Telegraph Company\u2014somewhere around Ft. Kearney, last I heard.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam caught his breath, relieved, but concerned at the same time.\u00a0 More money out of Pa\u2019s pocket.\u00a0 Telegrams weren\u2019t cheap to send, up to a dollar a word some places, he\u2019d heard, though, hopefully, a more standard rate would be charged here.\u00a0 \u201cI promise I\u2019ll make this up to you, Pa,\u201d he said earnestly.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll be frugal and make the money stretch and I\u2019ll work as hard as I can to give you your money\u2019s worth and\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, for mercy\u2019s sake, quit babbling, boy,\u201d Ben scolded lightly.\u00a0 \u201cDo you think I\u2019d send you across the country if I had the slightest doubt as to your character.\u00a0 I know you\u2019ll make the most of this opportunity, as you have everything you\u2019ve ever received at my hand.\u00a0 Now, let\u2019s get that letter of credit\u2014we\u2019ll make it for three hundred\u2014and you can take two hundred and fifty in cash for expenses along the route.\u00a0 Sound about right?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSounds perfect, Pa.\u201d\u00a0 Adam couldn\u2019t trust himself to do more than simply acknowledge the sum quoted, for his heart was near bursting at his father\u2019s expression of confidence.\u00a0 I\u2019ll live up to it, Pa; I promise I will<\/em>, he vowed silently, lest he be accused of babbling again.<\/p>\n

Before he stepped up to the teller\u2019s window, Ben took a ten-dollar gold eagle from his pocket and handed it to his son.\u00a0 \u201cRun get that wire sent off, boy,\u201d he said with a chuckle.\u00a0 \u201cThat should cover it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clasping the coin, Adam took off and within minutes a telegram was speeding its way eastward:<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

James Edwards<\/p>\n

St. Joseph, Missouri<\/p>\n

DISREGARD PREVIOUS LETTER<\/p>\n

STOP<\/p>\n

ON MY WAY<\/p>\n

STOP<\/p>\n

YALE HO<\/p>\n

STOP<\/p>\n

ADAM CARTWRIGHT<\/p>\n

FULL STOP<\/p>\n

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

Little Joe was crying again, as Ben detached him from his oldest brother\u2019s neck.\u00a0 \u201cHush, now,\u201d Ben soothed, running his hand up and down the small back.\u00a0 \u201cBrother needs to say good-bye to others besides you, little one.\u201d<\/p>\n

Quite a crowd had turned out to bid Adam farewell.\u00a0 The Thomases were there, except for Billy, but Adam had hopes of seeing him at one of the stage stops shared by the Pony Express.\u00a0 Ross Marquette had come, of course, and with the exception of Little Joe, looked more glum than anyone else gathered outside the stage office.\u00a0 Having evidently been the only person with whom Adam had shared his dream of a college education, Ross said he was happy that things had worked out, but the boy was obviously going to miss his friend.<\/p>\n

Weren\u2019t they all?\u00a0 Since Enos was needed at the ranch today, he and Katerina had come over last night to say their farewells, but other friends had come out this morning, early as it was.\u00a0 Even Roy Coffee had stopped by on his morning rounds to shake the boy\u2019s hand and wish him God speed.\u00a0 Ben had seen Paul Martin slip his son some packets of powders, but wasn\u2019t sure what traveling ills they were meant to cure, and right after that Sally Martin had thrown her arms around Adam, kissing her old friend on the cheek and shedding a tear or two, as girls felt free to do.<\/p>\n

Ben felt like shedding a few himself\u2014more than a few, if he were honest\u2014but he kept them dammed up, not wanting to let Adam see how much he dreaded this separation\u2014or the fears he harbored in his heart.<\/p>\n

\u201cHere she comes!\u201d Ross announced as the stage rolled in from Genoa.<\/p>\n

Eyes brimming, Hoss threw his arms around Adam for a final hug, and Adam returned it, his firm-muscled arms conveying strength to the younger boy.\u00a0 \u201cTake care of them for me,\u201d Adam whispered.<\/p>\n

Taking the charge to heart, Hoss nodded.\u00a0 \u201cYou gonna write me, ain\u2019t you, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou bet, buddy,\u201d Adam promised.<\/p>\n

Little Joe squirmed around to face his oldest brother.\u00a0 \u201cMe, too?\u00a0 Write me, too, Adam,\u201d he whimpered.<\/p>\n

Adam laughed, amused by the notion of sending a letter to a child who couldn\u2019t read, but he promised anyway.\u00a0 \u201cYou, too.\u00a0 One last hug, baby?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not a baby,\u201d Little Joe said, lips puckering into a pout, but he came at once into his brother\u2019s arms.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, a big boy now,\u201d Adam said, wondering how much his little brother would have grown and changed by the time he returned.\u00a0 It seemed like he\u2019d had so little time with Joe, mostly summers all the boy\u2019s life, and the changes when he returned from California each year had been difficult to take in.\u00a0 Now, due to the distance between them, it would be four long years before he saw Little Joe\u2014or Pa or Hoss\u2014again, and Adam couldn\u2019t even imagine how much all of them\u2014Joe, especially\u2014and the Ponderosa might have changed in that length of time.\u00a0 As before, he had a hard time detaching those clinging arms from his neck\u2014maybe because he, too, dreaded the soon separation\u2014and his heart ached as he saw the tears start to trickle again.\u00a0 Keep that up and I\u2019m likely to join you, baby brother<\/em>.\u00a0 He sent an anguished, questioning look toward his father.<\/p>\n

Ben laid Little Joe\u2019s head on his shoulder again and began once more the soothing strokes that always seemed to quiet the child.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019ll be all right,\u201d Ben assured Adam.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t worry.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBetter get aboard, boy,\u201d Clyde Thomas recommended.\u00a0 \u201cTeam\u2019s well nigh switched.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd don\u2019t be forgettin\u2019 this here lunch I packed you,\u201d Nelly said, holding out a package wrapped in brown paper.<\/p>\n

\u201cOr the one from Hop Sing or Aunt Kat\u2019s cookies,\u201d Hoss said, piling two similar packages atop the one already held in the crook of Adam\u2019s arm.<\/p>\n

\u201cOr mine,\u201d Sally laughed, loading Adam down with yet another bundle of cookies.<\/p>\n

Adam laughed.\u00a0 \u201cYou see, Pa,\u201d he teased.\u00a0 \u201cI told you that you didn\u2019t need to send so much money for meals.\u00a0 This should last me two or three days, at least.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben arched an eyebrow.\u00a0 \u201cOr just one, if I know boys, and I speak from considerable experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll back you on that one,\u201d Nelly laughed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI really do need to get boarded,\u201d Adam said, saving his last goodbye for his father.\u00a0 Friends, sensing the family\u2019s need for a few moments of privacy, drifted down the boardwalk a ways.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know how to thank you for this, Pa,\u201d Adam whispered.<\/p>\n

Ben handed Little Joe off to Hoss, so he could take his oldest son in his arms.\u00a0 \u201cJust take care of yourself; it\u2019s all I ask by way of thanks.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve come through some hard times together,\u201d Adam said, adding as his eyes flicked toward Little Joe, reminding him of their recent loss, \u201cand I think there are still some hard times ahead.\u00a0 We won\u2019t be facing them together this time, though.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben placed a hand on each of his son\u2019s smooth cheeks.\u00a0 \u201cYes, we will.\u00a0 We\u2019re bound together by something distance can\u2019t sever, and we are always together, son, even when we\u2019re apart.\u00a0 You understand?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s dark eyes misted and came dangerously near spilling over.\u00a0 \u201cYes, Pa.\u00a0 I understand.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben turned the young man around and gave his backside a soft slap.\u00a0 \u201cOn that stage with you, then, boy.\u00a0 There\u2019s a dream waiting out there, and high time you headed toward it.\u201d<\/p>\n

With a grin over his shoulder, Adam stepped into the coach, and moments later six swift horses were galloping down Carson Street, taking him out of his family\u2019s lives for a time, but not out of their hearts.\u00a0 As Ben watched the stagecoach pull away, he thought of the news Clyde Thomas had shared with him earlier that morning, brought by the latest Pony rider.\u00a0 There had been another defeat for the Union Army, this time at Wilson\u2019s Creek, but Ben\u2019s concern wasn\u2019t for a nation divided now.\u00a0 Now the news had taken on personal significance, for Wilson\u2019s Creek was in Missouri, and the path his son was pursuing toward his dream led straight through that battle-torn state.<\/p>\n

Though that disturbing news had planted seeds of fear, seeds of trust had been sown ten days prior, and the fruit of faith had grown tall enough to overshadow the fear itching to sprout.\u00a0 God and good angels had watched over his youngest son that night at Eagle\u2019s Nest, and Ben sensed that God and good angels were traveling that stagecoach east with his eldest, too.\u00a0 Adam would be fine, and he and his other sons, though they would miss him, would be fine, too.\u00a0\u00a0 And one day\u2014God willing and good angels watching\u2014they\u2019d all be together again, sharing the dream that was the Ponderosa, a dream strong enough to survive its darkest hour and, though temporarily divided, still shining with the light of one united vision.<\/p>\n

The End<\/p>\n

August, 2002<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Next Story in the Heritage of Honor Series<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

A Dream Divided<\/a><\/p>\n

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

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

 <\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

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

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

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.<\/p>\n

Rating: T \u00a0 Word Count: \u00a0196,262<\/p>\n

Heritage of Honor Series, links to all stories within the series are included.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":48,"featured_media":8938,"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-8936","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":3977,"today_views":3},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/DarkestHour6.jpg?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":9739,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=9739","url_meta":{"origin":8936,"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":8750,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=8750","url_meta":{"origin":8936,"position":1},"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":61062,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=61062","url_meta":{"origin":8936,"position":2},"title":"Fevered Sea (by Annie K Cowgirl)","author":"Annie K Cowgirl","date":"December 9, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: Adam, a boat, and a storm at sea. A poem about Adam's fever dreams while he lay ill in \"Elizabeth My Love\". Rating: K Word Count: 482","rel":"","context":"In "Adam Cartwright"","block_context":{"text":"Adam Cartwright","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=1005"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Captain-Cartwright.jpg?fit=384%2C512&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":20275,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=20275","url_meta":{"origin":8936,"position":3},"title":"From Adam’s Pen (by DJK)","author":"DJK","date":"March 10, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: Three poems in the voice of Adam Cartwright. Publish here in honor of the March Poetry Challenge though they have been individually posted elsewhere previously. rating: k+word count: 302","rel":"","context":"In "Adam Cartwright"","block_context":{"text":"Adam Cartwright","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=1005"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/coming-soon-4.jpg?fit=320%2C240&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":5670,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=5670","url_meta":{"origin":8936,"position":4},"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":13805,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=13805","url_meta":{"origin":8936,"position":5},"title":"My Dearest Husband (by Annie K Cowgirl)","author":"Annie K Cowgirl","date":"February 21, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: The year is 1848, and\u00a0Marie Cartwright writes a letter to her husband for Valentine's Day. Rating:\u00a0K\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Word Count:\u00a0649","rel":"","context":"In "Prequel"","block_context":{"text":"Prequel","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=30"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/Marie-2.jpg?fit=768%2C576&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/Marie-2.jpg?fit=768%2C576&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/Marie-2.jpg?fit=768%2C576&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/Marie-2.jpg?fit=768%2C576&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8936","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/48"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8936"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8936\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/8938"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8936"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8936"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8936"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}