The Visit
Written by: Starlite
The silver-bearded gentleman with a very commanding presence dressed formally
in navy pea coat and trousers with white starched shirt and black tie; stepped
down from the stagecoach. Looking down the road, he was disappointed
to find that what passed for the main thoroughfare in this backwater community
was just as dusty as the one he'd traveled for the last few days from San
Francisco. He'd expected more of a town, considering this place was
called Virginia City, he felt it should at least have a paved main street.
His face formed into a scowl as his carpetbag was dropped at his feet by the
driver of the coach, causing a small dust cloud to rise and cover him with
yet another layer of fine dirt from the street. Coughing slightly to
clear his throat, he looked up slowly and delivered a bone-chilling glare
at the driver, who immediately looked the other way.
Returning his gaze to his luggage, Abel Stoddard bent to retrieve his bag
from the ground. Stepping up to the wooden sidewalk, he removed his
captain's hat and used it to try and beat some of the layers of dirt from
his clothing. Realizing his attempts were futile, Abel Stoddard returned
his attention to the task at hand. He needed to find some mode of transportation
out to his former son-in-law's ranch, the Ponderosa.
For once, the former captain was in luck as he quickly discovered a livery
stable, and after little debate was able to quickly hire a driver and buggy.
The driver turned out to be a very talkative and inquisitive chap. Too
chatty for the captain's liking; and yet again, one of his infamous icy stares
silenced the man for the rest of the journey.
The drive out to the Ponderosa took much longer than the former sea captain
had expected. But he had his thoughts and memories to occupy him.
It had been almost two years since he'd seen his grandson and was anxiously
looking forward to surprising the young lad. Adam had continually written
to him since returning home after college and had invited him numerous times
to come and visit. Abel Stoddard decided that he would do just that
and surprise the boy and see this great Ponderosa that Adam was so fond of.
It would also be grand to see his old first mate and former son-in-law, Benjamin.
It had been too long since the day he'd seen Ben Cartwright and his then infant
grandson, Adam, off on their long journey westward.
Abel Stoddard drew in a deep breath as he glanced around at the magnificent
scenery. The air was fresh, cool and clean but without the trace of
the sea that he so dearly loved. He wondered once again how a man with
salt in his veins could live so far from the blue of the oceans. Once
again, his thoughts returned to the present, as his attention was now drawn
to a very large ranch house surrounded by a barn and corrals. He was
awestruck by the sight, he'd always assumed that Adam was a little grandiose
in his descriptions of his home, but found that the boy was quite honest in
his renditions of his father's ranch. The Ponderosa was indeed a sight
to behold, he felt his heart swell with pride as he acknowledged that Benjamin
Cartwright had more than fulfilled his dream and his promise to his daughter,
Elizabeth.
The wagon pulled to a halt in the yard in front of the house. A small
boy carrying a load of wood stopped and eyed the wagon's occupants warily
before dropping his armload and running quickly towards the door of the house.
"Pa! Pa, come quick, we's got company!" The curly haired boy yelled
as he flung open the door.
"Joseph, must you always bellow at the top of your lungs!" Ben Cartwright
fumed as he righted the spilled ink well and tried to salvage the remains
of the letter he'd been writing. Realizing it was a lost cause; he stood
and gave his youngest a thunderous glare.
Seeing his father's irritation, Little Joe Cartwright stepped further away
from his father's grasp. He insured his hands covered his backside as
a safety precaution before speaking again, in what he hoped was a more acceptable
tone.
"Ah, Yessir, I mean No Sir. Pa, we's got company in the yard."
"We have company, Joseph." Ben corrected his young son's poor grammar.
This was one of those times he wished that his college-educated son had more
of an influence with his younger brothers.
"Yessir, we shore have." Joe grinned and pointed to the open front
door.
Frowning, Ben Cartwright began the trek into the yard. He wasn't expecting
anyone and wondered who it could be. Reaching the edge of the front
porch, he froze in his tracks causing his youngest to crash into his back.
Before him stood a man he hadn't seen in over 20 years.
"Well Benjamin, are you just going to stand there gaping or will you at
least extend your hand in greeting." Abel Stoddard lightly chastised
holding his right hand outstretched. He'd anticipated the shock from
the younger man and was amused to find his former capable first mate totally
dumbstruck.
"Ah, yessir." Ben Cartwright mumbled before rushing forward to grasp
his former father-in-law's hand. He was stunned to see Abel Stoddard
standing before him, but it was a very pleasant surprise.
As soon as the two men's hands clasped tight, they quickly drew each other
close in a tight embrace, with Abel Stoddard slapping Ben Cartwright soundly
on the back twice.
"It's so good to see you again Captain. What a wonderful surprise."
Ben uttered with tear-filled eyes.
"It's good to see you too, Benjamin." The tough crusty old sea captain
managed to mumble, strong emotions causing his throat to constrict.
Little Joe stood by the front porch watching the moving scene before him.
He had no idea who this man was, or why his father was so touched to see him.
He figured that sooner or later his father would let him know.
"Joseph…" remembering his youngest boy was about, Ben looked around for
his son. "Joseph, come here and meet Adam's grandfather."
Hesitantly, Little Joe came forward and wide-eyed stared at the imposing
man before him. Adam's grandfather was a very intimidating figure to
the eleven-year-old, and his voice boomed almost as loud as his father's usually
did.
"Captain, this is my youngest - Joseph Francis, we call him Little Joe.
Little Joe, Grandfather Stoddard."
"Master Joseph." Abel Stoddard announced formally with his left arm
folded behind his back. He had his left eyebrow raised and his right eye squinting
while he held his right hand out to the youngster.
Imitating the older man's gestures and carriage, Joe took the man's hand
and found a firm grasp. Warily, he looked the man in the eye and kept
the penetrating gaze, he decided he would have to wait and see if he really
liked this man or not. The moment was broken as Little Joe heard his
father instruct him to take the captain's bag up to the guestroom. Grabbing
the bag, Joe quickly took his leave of his newfound 'Grandfather'.
Ben Cartwright placed a welcoming hand onto the older man's shoulders and
began to lead him into the house, when they were both startled by the sound
of hoof beats entering the yard. Looking over his shoulder, Ben saw
his middle son ride in and dismount.
"Hoss, Hoss come over here a minute son." Ben called out to his other
son.
Hearing his father's instructions, the easy going young man tied his mount
to the hitching rail near the corral and ambled over to where his father stood.
As he rode into the yard, Hoss had noticed his father walking with a person
that he didn't recognize. Figuring that he was about to be introduced,
he began to try and swipe away some of the dirt from his clothes.
Ben grinned at Hoss's feeble attempt to beat off some of the trail dust
before being introduced.
Abel Stoddard found himself smirking at the sight, when he realized that
this boy wasn't having any better luck at the task than he'd had a couple
hours before. Though he could hardly call this one a boy, he was taller
than both his father and himself, not to mention larger in stature.
"Hoss, this is Adam's grandfather, Captain Stoddard. Captain, this
is my middle son Eric, we call him Hoss." With a broad smile, Ben found
himself chuckling as he watched Hoss wipe his hand across the front of his
shirt before extending it to Abel Stoddard.
Abel Stoddard shot his son-in-law a sideways glance and a quick wink, before
giving Ben's middle son the same stance as he had shown Ben's youngest.
Hoss recognized the similarity of the wink with one of his older brother's
habits and smiled. Even though the man seemed a little gruff, he figured
that Adam's grandfather wasn't all bad.
"Master Eric." Abel Stoddard took the proffered hand and was stunned
by the strong clasp.
Hoss shook the Captain's hand and grimaced, he hated being called Eric.
Well, maybe Adam's grandfather wasn't all that great either.
"Son, why don't you finish putting up your horse and then wash up for dinner."
Ben suggested when he saw the distasteful look fall across his middle son's
face. He knew that Hoss wasn't fond of being called Eric.
"Yessir, 'scuse me." Hoss stated and made a quick retreat to the corral
for his horse.
"If you don't mind Benjamin, I certainly could use a little freshening up
myself." Abel Stoddard suggested, looking down at his dust covered clothing.
He was not fond of being covered in what was commonly called 'trail dust'.
"Certainly, I'm sorry, let me show you to your room." Ben apologized
and led the older man into the house.
Little Joe had returned from the task of delivering the bag to the guestroom
and had watched from the edge of the porch as his older brother was introduced
to their new 'Grandfather'. He scrunched up his nose in distaste before
running across the yard to the barn, wanting to compare notes with his brother
Hoss on their new relative.
**************
A couple of hours later, Little Joe and Hoss found themselves in freshly
pressed clean white shirts and ties. They were awaiting the arrival
of their older brother Adam, and listening somewhat inattentively while the
Captain and their father relived old seafaring tales. Though normally
those stories would have been quite enjoyable and entertaining to the two
younger sons, they were torture this evening due to the necessity of staying
clean and sitting still. Joe Cartwright was never so happy to hear his
oldest brother's horse ride into the yard as he was that evening.
"He's here!" Joe yelled, earning him a warning glance from his father.
"Well, he is." Joe muttered under his breath when he saw his father's
disapproving look.
Adam was bone tired after the long exhausting day of rounding up strays.
He knew he was late getting home from the range, which would probably earn
him a lecture about missing dinner, but right now all he wanted was a hot
bath and a soft bed.
"Sorry I'm late Pa." Adam stated as he entered the house, immediately
turning his attention to removing his hat and gun belt and placing them on
the sideboard by the door with his back facing the main room.
Abel Stoddard stood to watch his grandson, and was impressed with how much
the man had filled out since he'd last seen him. Adam seemed more mature,
and there was no doubt that he was his own man by the way he carried himself.
Adam was definitely Elizabeth's son, with his black hair and quiet ways, but
he was also his grandfather's pride and joy. Abel Stoddard was quite
proud of Adam's resemblance to himself, with the strong square jaw and expressive
eyes.
Finishing with his task at hand and surprised to not hear any response from
his father at his tardiness, Adam turned to face his family. He was
taken aback and momentarily astonished, by the sight of the man he'd left
back in New Bedford.
"Grandfather!" Adam exclaimed, before rushing into the outstretched
arms of his long dead mother's father.
"Adam, my lad." Abel Stoddard whispered as he hugged his grandchild
close to his chest, his last tie to his only child.
Though neither man was given to emotional displays of affection, they made
an exception in this case. Adam was so grateful that his grandfather
had finally accepted his pleas to visit, and Abel Stoddard knew he'd made
the right decision in accepting the invitation.
Little Joe watched the scene before him with a mixture of surprise, over
his usually unemotional oldest brother's actions, and disgust over what he
considered a sappy display. Hearing a small sniffle from his other brother,
Joe looked up to see Hoss wiping a tear from his face.
"Yuck." The youngest Cartwright muttered.
**************
Little Joe Cartwright was never so happy to be going to school. Though
in the past he hated school, today he was glad to be going. At least
it would keep him out of sight of 'Grandfather' Stoddard. In the last
couple of days since his father had to go on that business trip, life on the
Ponderosa had become sheer torture. Adam's grandfather was worse than
Pa with making him do his chores to perfection and the 'wash behind your
ears' routine.
If the youngest Cartwright heard the phrase any job worth doing should be
done right, just one more time from 'Grandfather' Stoddard, Little Joe was
going to wretch. Riding his horse into town he wrinkled up his nose
and muttered, 'now I know where bossy ole Adam gets it from'.
The first couple of weeks of Abel Stoddard's visit didn't bother Little
Joe too much, as he didn't have many interactions with the old sea captain.
Adam spent the majority of his time showing his grandfather around the ranch,
or taking the captain with him when he went out to brand the cattle during
the spring roundup. But now with his father away, the old man seemed
to always be around and always on his case. Even Hoss seemed to avoid
the sea captain with a passion. Only Adam was ecstatic with the man's
presence and Little Joe was certain that the man just didn't like him.
Before Joe knew it, the school day was through. He hoped that he'd
be kept after for the prank of pulling the pigtails of the girl in front of
him, but he was just scolded and sent to stand in the corner. Unenthusiastically,
he mounted his horse and turned for home riding as slowly as possible.
With any luck, the old sea captain would be out on the range with Adam and
Little Joe wouldn't have to be hounded by him.
Arriving home about a half-hour later than usual, Joe lead his pony into
the barn and bedded him down for the evening. He then headed out of
the barn to do his chores, making sure to avoid the house. Dropping
his books onto the table on the porch, Joe made his way over to where the
wood was chopped and began to fill the woodbins in the kitchen. Heading
back to the woodpile once again, keeping his eyes on the task at hand, he
grabbed another armful of logs.
"Late again, Master Joseph!"
A now very familiar voice bellowed over him, causing Little Joe to jump
and drop his armload. He really hated being called 'Master'.
He jumped again when he heard the man yell out in obvious pain.
"My foot, you little scalawag, you broke my foot!" Abel Stoddard yelped
as he limped over to the porch and plopped down grabbing his foot.
'I'm sorry, I dinna mean to." Little Joe was in a panic, he really
hadn't meant to hurt the older man. He looked around for anyone that
might be able to help and found none.
Looking back at the older man, he realized that the captain had removed
his boot and sock. Little Joe paled when he saw how swollen and red
it looked. He knew he was in for it when his oldest brother got home.
Adam definitely wasn't going to be happy to find that Joe had hurt his grandfather.
Little Joe looked up to see Adam and Hoss ride into the yard. He was
relieved to see Hoss, but not to happy to see Adam. Quickly he ran over
to his brothers before they dismounted.
"Adam, Hoss, someone needs to ride for a doctor. Grandfather Stoddard
hurt his foot." Joe exclaimed, careful to avoid mentioning just how
Captain Stoddard became injured.
Adam jumped off his horse and ran over to where he saw his grandfather sitting
on the porch.
"Are you alright?" Adam asked as he peered closely at the older man's
foot. Reaching out, he gently tried to feel for broken bones.
"OW! Don't touch it. Of course I'm not alright! My foot's broke
thanks to that little rapscallion of a brother of yours." Abel Stoddard
blared as he shoved Adam's hand away.
Adam shot his littlest brother a look over his shoulder causing the youngest
Cartwright to hide behind his other brother for protection.
"Now Adam, I'm sure he dinna mean to hurt anyone." Hoss laid a reassuring
hand on Little Joe's shoulder in a show of protection. Looking down
at his younger brother, he shook his head. It always amazed Hoss how
Joe could get himself into trouble so easily.
"Well, that doesn't matter right now. I'm going to ride into town
for the Doc. You help Grandfather to bed and make sure he's comfortable."
Adam ordered before racing back to his horse for the long ride into town.
The luck was with Little Joe that day, as Abel Stoddard's foot was in fact
not broken just badly bruised. Not to mention the long ride into town
and back had given his oldest brother a chance to cool off. Well, Adam
hadn't actually cooled off, but after the exhausting day, coupled with the
long ride for the doctor, Adam was just too tired to tan his younger brother's
hide.
**************
Little Joe was even more elated today, than he had the previous day, when
he escaped the Ponderosa for a refreshing day at school. After all the
excitement of the day before, not to mention that he'd suddenly been assigned
the task of being 'Grandfather' Stoddard's personal cabin boy, at Adam's
insistence, he was eager to be anywhere but at home. Little Joe wasn't
sure who was a bigger grouch, Adam or his grandfather.
Before he knew it and just like the day before, the school day quickly came
and went, and Little Joe found himself standing outside the door to his home.
He knew he had to go in and face the captain sometime, taking a big breath,
Little Joe opened the door quietly and entered the great room. Seeing
no one downstairs, Little Joe began to make his way to the kitchen for a snack.
"Master Joseph."
Little Joe froze in his tracks and winced. He was really beginning
to hate the title of 'Master'. Turning slowly, he looked to face 'Grandfather'
Stoddard.
"Master Joseph, you are late, yet again." Abel Stoddard declared,
as he thumped down the stairs with cane in hand and made his way over to
sit in the big blue velvet chair in the living room.
Joe watched while the sea captain, replete with navy pea coat, hobbled over
to the chair and sat down. He fought, and lost, to keep a grin off his
face when he realized that all the man needed was a parrot on his shoulder
to make the image of a pirate captain complete.
"Do you find something amusing, Master Joseph?" The young boy's bemused
expression was not lost to the older man, which quickly caused the smile to
disappear from the boy's face.
"Nu uh." Joe mumbled, realizing he'd been caught smirking. He
found the older man's penetrating gaze cut through him and quickly corrected
his statement to, 'No Sir."
"I should certainly hope not. On the dining table you will find a
list of chores for you to do. Please see to them immediately."
Abel Stoddard instructed and grinned as he watched the younger boy quickly
turn to leave his presence. He wasn't sure why, but he certainly made
Ben's youngest son nervous.
Joe went over to the table and picked up the list. It would take him
days to get all of these things done. He was certain that old 'Grandfather'
Stoddard really had it in for him. He was certain that the old man didn't
like him for some reason, and at this point in time he really didn't care.
Taking the list, Little Joe listlessly headed for the door figuring he still
had enough time to finish mucking out the stalls before dinner.
**************
Little Joe squirmed on his bench as he checked the clock on the wall.
Soon the school day would be over, and it would be two long days at home before
another day of relief from 'Pirate' Stoddard. Normally, he loved the
weekends but this one he was dreading. He wondered if his father would
ever come home.
"Hey, school's out." Joe felt his shoulder being shaken, bringing
him back to reality, and he groaned. Time to head home.
Slowly Joe grabbed his books and dragging his feet headed to the door of
the schoolroom. Not looking where he was going, he bumped into one of
the older boys in the class.
"Look where yere going, runt!"
Normally, those would have been fighting words to Little Joe Cartwright,
but he was too depressed with the thought of heading home that he just didn't
care. He still had a list of chores as long as his arm waiting for him
and he just couldn't waste energy on punching the bully standing before him.
Joe continued his slow journey out to his pony. He didn't even notice
how the other boys elbowed one another as they started to giggle and point.
Little Joe was just about to mount his pony when he felt someone grab his
arm. Looking over his shoulder, he saw the older boy who had moments
before called him a 'runt'.
"Where ya off to in such a rush?" The red-haired boy questioned.
Little Joe really didn't care too much for the boy, but decided to answer
him anyway.
"Home."
"Home? Why don't ya come with us, we're going to go make some money."
The older boy exclaimed, pointing first to himself then to the two other boys
standing nearby.
Joe eyed the boy before him warily, before looking back at the other two
boys standing by the school. He watched as the two boys shook their
heads in agreement. Joe had heard the boy mention money, and he always
relished the opportunity to make money so he could show off to his oldest
brother. He just knew one of these days he would be a very rich young
man.
"How?" Joe asked, still uncertain of the red-haired boy.
"With these…" the boy held out a couple of brown rolls in his grubby hand.
"They're cigars."
"I know what they are!" Joe spat giving the boy a dirty look.
He hated when people thought he was stupid, before asking, "Just whatta
ya gonna do with them?"
"Sell them to the miners. Cus they get paid today and they'll pay
lots of money for these here cigars."
"How much?" Little Joe asked.
"Twenty-five cents a piece. And for everyone you sell, I'll let ya
keep 10 cents." The boy replied, pretty sure he'd found his mark in
this one. Little Joe Cartwright was always a sucker for a get rich quick
scheme.
Little Joe eyed the boy before him as he mentally calculated how much he
could make. He knew he could sell quite a few of those things, then
that way he could afford a hotel room in town and stay there this weekend.
Looking at the boy before him, then back at the other two. Little Joe
nodded his head before grabbing the handful of cigars.
Joe Cartwright ran down the street, eager to start selling his new wares.
He was certain that before the night was over, he would be rich. Well
at least rich enough not to have to spend the next couple of days at home.
He was so excited about the prospects, he never saw the boys lead his pony
away behind him.
Rushing up to the first miners he found, Little Joe began his best sales
pitch. It wasn't long before he'd sold four cigars to some slightly
inebriated men. Dashing off with a full dollar in hand, Joe went in
search of more prospective clients.
In his haste, Joe Cartwright never stopped to watch as the four men struck
matches to light their newly acquired stogies. He also wasn't there
as the cigars exploded in their new owner's faces. Not amused by the
prank by the Cartwright boy, four angry miners went in search of one little
curly haired boy.
**************
Abel Stoddard was beside himself, Ben's youngest wasn't home from school
and the sun was beginning to set. Hearing horses arrive in the yard,
he rushed to the door hoping to see Joe ride in. Disappointed to not
see the youngest Cartwright with his brothers, he continued his trek out to
the yard, to inform his grandson about his missing brother.
Adam Cartwright rode into town beside the buckboard. He scanned the
town anxiously looking for his baby brother. Friday night was no time
for his little brother to be in town alone with all the newly paid miners
and their penchant for spending their wages on liquor.
Hoss kept his concentration on the team of horses he was driving.
He glanced briefly to Abel Stoddard who sat beside him. Each man was
nervous and more than a little worried about the missing youngest Cartwright
son.
"Hoss, you and Grandfather head down to the school, then check with the
sheriff and Doc Martin. I'll check everywhere else." Adam instructed;
making sure Hoss nodded his acknowledgement before he turned his horse down
the street to the local saloons.
Little Joe couldn't believe his run of bad luck. How was he to know
that those cigars were defective? He should've realized something was
fishy when the other boys didn't show up to sell some for themselves.
Now he couldn't find his pony and was running out of options.
He felt his best bet was to get to the sheriff. Though he'd probably
end up locked in the jail, he decided he'd rather face older brother Adam's
wraith when he bailed him out, than those angry miners. Running as fast
as he could, he headed down the boardwalk. Looking up, he saw the miners
approaching from the other end of the sidewalk. Hoping that they hadn't
spotted him, and figuring that the alley was a pretty good hiding place,
Joe ducked into the back alley and looked for someplace safe.
Adam Cartwright noticed his frightened little brother duck into the alleyway
beside the saloon. He watched in horror as four miners followed.
Spurring his horse hard he rode over to the saloon, he jumped down not even
wasting the time to tie his mount to the rail. Running into the alley,
Adam arrived in time to watch two of the miners grab his little brother by
his arms and hoist him into the air.
"I'm gonna tan your backside boy." One of the miners threatened.
"Put him down and back away." Adam ordered with gun in hand. He was
not amused when the same miner ordered another man to lower his little brother's
pants.
Startled by the deep voice behind him, the largest miner turned to face
the direction the voice had come from. He recognized the face immediately
and the impending threat of the weapon he held.
"This one is going to get what he deserves for making fools of us with his
exploding cigars." The big miner declared, staring back at the older
Cartwright son. He was not going to let any Cartwright stand in the
way of his vengeance.
"I dinna know they exploded, Adam. Really I din't!" Little Joe
pleaded now trying to kick his way free to no avail.
It didn't matter to Adam if Little Joe knew about the cigars or not, he
wouldn't allow anyone to harm his baby brother.
"Put him down. I'll not say it again." Adam warned, keeping
one eye on the biggest miner, who had now taken another step in his direction.
Adam sincerely hoped that he wouldn't have to resort to shooting someone over
this ridiculous childish prank. His littlest brother sure had a penchant
for getting himself into trouble.
Seeing that Adam Cartwright meant business, the two holding Joe aloft slowly
placed their charge back on the ground. Angry and wanting to be free
from the smelly drunken miners, Little Joe reached out and quickly kicked
the one closest to him.
"OW!" The miner exclaimed and grabbed his shin, bumping into his cohort
standing nearby as both men began to topple into the side of the building.
Amused, Adam began to chuckle at the scene of the two men falling over in
front of him. In all the confusion and amusement, Adam took his eyes
off the large man who now loomed next to him. He felt a sharp crack
across his wrist causing his gun to fall before another blow slammed into
his face.
"Joe, run! Get out of here!" Adam ordered fearing for his youngest
brother's safety as he began to lose his balance.
Joe momentarily froze as he saw his brother begin to fall. He knew
he was no match for the miners, but he also knew he needed to get help.
Figuring that Hoss had to be nearby if Adam was in town, he ran for the back
door of the saloon.
"After the kid!" The biggest miner ordered, pointing first to the
miner that Little Joe had just kicked, then to the fleeing child. Grabbing
Adam by his shirtfront, the miner hauled Adam to his feet pinning him with
his backside to the saloon wall.
"One Cartwright brat, is as good as another." The burly miner declared
as he drove his fist into Adam's midsection.
Adam gasped and doubled over from the blow before he found his arms pinned
to his sides. His head was swimming as he struggled to get free.
Another blow and he surrendered to the welcomed darkness of unconsciousness.
**************
Not having any luck at the schoolhouse, Hoss and Abel Stoddard quickly made
their way to the sheriff's office. They were disappointed to find that
Roy Coffee was out of the office, possibly meeting the evening stage from
San Francisco. Hurriedly, they made their way to the Doctor's office
on the edge of town.
Though they were relieved that Joe wasn't there, they were still worried
that no one knew where the young boy was. Paul Martin offered his assistance
in finding the sheriff, while Hoss and the captain headed to the saloons to
assist Adam in the search for the missing Cartwright.
Seeing Adam's horse tied in front of the Bucket of Blood, Hoss drew the
wagon to a stop and helped Abel Stoddard down. Hoss froze in his tracks
as he heard a commotion coming from inside the saloon, and the unmistakable
sound of his little brother's voice.
"Let me go!" Little Joe screamed in frustration, as others in the
room looked on and laughed.
"Aw, ain't he just the cutest little thing." One of the saloon girls
exclaimed as she pinched his cheek. She was wearing a red tight fitting
dress which was trimmed with black feathers and had a matching feather in
her hair. The woman had lots of red makeup on her face and smelled of
cheap whiskey. The dress was short and showed her legs, which Little Joe knew
meant she wasn't a nice woman, at least that's what his Pa had always told
him.
Little Joe managed to struggle free of her grasp, just in time to find himself
back in the hands of that miner he'd kicked just minutes before. If
the man didn't look so angry and dangerous, Joe would've laughed out loud
due to the black dust that seemed to form a circle around the man's face.
Once again, Joe reached out to kick the man only this time missing his target.
"Not so fast this time, boy." The miner warned as he shook Joe sharply
and began pulling him towards the back door of the saloon.
Joe could hear the laughter from the other drunken patrons ringing in his
ears and felt his face begin to flush. He was angry and balling his
free hand into a fist, he began to strike the miner. But most of his
blows missed their target because of his mounting frustration.
The laughter and cheering abruptly ended with the ominous pronouncement:
"Let the boy go!"
Everyone turned to face the commanding voice and saw a very compelling figure
dressed in navy blue. The bar patrons slowly backed away when the man
slowly approached, with Hoss Cartwright not far behind.
"I'll not chew my cabbage twice, so I advise you to heed my warning."
Abel Stoddard declared giving the stunned miner a look which brook no further
argument.
"And just who you be, old man." The miner gaffed, figuring some stranger
wouldn't call him down.
"His grandfather." Captain Stoddard declared, and with lightening
speed swung the cane towards the unsuspecting miner. The blow caught
the man just below the left side of his chin throwing him backward into the
wall.
Unconscious, the man slowly slid to the floor. Watching in admiration,
Little Joe smiled broadly and ran over to his grandfather who hugged him tightly
to his left side.
"Adam!" Little Joe exclaimed as he suddenly remembered his brother
defending him outside.
"Where lad?" Abel Stoddard inquired noticing the panic in the young
boy's face. Holding tightly to Little Joe's hand, the captain was led
out the back door of the saloon.
There in the alley was the very still form of Adam Cartwright, lying face
down in the dirt. Abel Stoddard hobbled quickly over to where Adam was
and knelt down beside him. Gently, he rolled his grandson over and
winced at the sight before him as Adam groaned in protest.
"Easy there son, easy lad." Captain Stoddard looked up into the frightened
faces of Ben's other boys and began giving orders. "Hoss, go and get
the wagon and bring it back here. Joe you help me sit him up so he doesn't
choke."
Both boys immediately did as their grandfather instructed. Within
minutes, they had Adam situated in the back of the buckboard and on their
way toward Doc Martin's.
**************
Abel Stoddard sat in the waiting room of the doctor's office, wondering
how things could go so terribly wrong. He'd come out west to see how
well his son-in-law had done in realizing his dreams. Secretly, he
had also hoped that he could encourage Elizabeth's son to return to the East
with him.
What he found was a very happy and proud grandson, one who was truly at
home in the West. He also found his former first mate to be a very
lucky and prosperous man. Not only in the material wealth he had achieved,
but also in the joy of his sons. Looking down, he found worried large
green eyes staring back at him. With a small smile and wink, he placed
a reassuring arm around the boy's shoulders and drew him closer. Across
the room, he found Ben's middle son staring out the window with hands thrust
deeply into his pockets.
"Hoss, lad. Come over here and sit down." Abel Stoddard instructed,
patting the chair beside him.
Hoss looked over at the man sitting next to his little brother, nodding
he did as he was told. Somehow, even though he greatly missed his father,
his brother's grandfather's presence was very reassuring.
Sitting between Ben's two sons, Abel Stoddard took stock of his existence.
He had lost much in his life, first his own beloved wife, then their only
child. All he had left in the world was his grandson and now he was
scared half to death that he would end up leaving his grandson behind in a
grave. No, Adam would be fine, he had to be. Adam wasn't his only
grandchild Abel Stoddard resolutely decided then hugged his two other grandsons
closer to him.
The next couple of hours were the longest in the old captain's memory.
He fought the urge to yell out loud, when he felt the frustration and anger
of the early evening begin to be too much to bear. Though the sheriff
had arrested the men that were responsible for accosting Little Joe and beating
Adam, the old sea captain still seethed. He was just about to explode
when Doctor Martin appeared from behind the examining room door.
Hearing the door open and the doctor emerge, Abel Stoddard rose to his feet
with Hoss and Joe following behind.
"How's my grandson?" Captain Stoddard probed, watching the doctor's
face intently.
"How's Adam?" Joe and Hoss chorused.
Doc Martin held up a hand to ward off the questions before explaining his
patient's condition.
"He's taken quite a beating. Broken wrist, some broken and bruised
ribs and a concussion. But he's going to be just fine with some rest."
Paul Martin assured Adam's family.
Abel Stoddard sighed deeply and closed his eyes, grateful for the promising
news.
"Would you like to go in and see him?" Doctor Martin asked, knowing
full well the answer.
"You betcha!" Joe cheered almost running for the door with Hoss close
on his heels.
"Not you two, I was talking to your Grandfather." Paul Martin intoned
seriously.
"Yes, we would." Abel Stoddard in a clipped tone replied. With
cane in hand, he took Little Joe's hand with the other and tipped his head
towards the closed door.
Seeing that the old sea captain would be a formable adversary, the doctor
acquiesced and opened the door for all three to follow.
**************
Ben Cartwright rushed into Doctor Martin's office. Not finding anyone
in the front room, he opened the door and headed back to where he hoped he
would find his oldest son. Sheriff Coffee had met him at the stage and
informed him of the previous day's events. Though Roy had assured him
that Adam would be fine, Ben Cartwright needed to see his son with his own
eyes.
Opening the door of the first room he came to, Ben Cartwright froze at the
sight before him. Lying in the bed with bruises covering most of his
face, a splint on his right arm and bandages across his chest lay his eldest.
In the chair beside the bed sat his former father-in-law, with Ben's youngest
child sitting in his lap. Little Joe's arms were draped around the sea
captain's neck, with his head on Abel's shoulder sound asleep. Next
to him in another chair sat his middle son, bent over with his head resting
on his folded arms on the bedside next to Adam's knee.
Ben tried to quietly make his way over to Adam's bedside without disturbing
the others, but he was unsuccessful as the floorboard beneath his foot squeaked.
Moving a chair to the other side of Adam's bed, Ben sat down gingerly.
Reaching out his hand, he placed it upon his son's right shoulder and closed
his eyes in relief.
Abel Stoddard watched the slow progression of Adam's father into the room.
He could clearly see the expression of worry and love upon the younger man's
face as he approached his son's bed. Elizabeth had married a fine man,
Ben was a good husband and father and Abel truly believed that Adam was where
he belonged. Shaking gently the boy he held he whispered.
"Wake-up now lad." Reaching out he placed a hand on Hoss's shoulder
and tenderly shook him.
Sleepily, Hoss raised his head and began to stretch as Little Joe began
to rub the sleep from his eyes with his little balled up fists. Hoss
was the first of the Cartwright sons to notice their father's return.
"Pa!" Hoss exclaimed, excited to see his father was back.
"Pa, you're home!" Little Joe jerked his head away from his grandfather's
shoulder to look across the bed at his father.
"Shhh!" Ben instructed holding his finger to his lips and indicating
Adam with a dip of his head. Adam groaned slightly and tried to shift
position on the bed.
"Oh, sorry Pa." Little Joe whispered back, mimicking his father's
actions by holding his finger to his lips.
Ben grinned at his youngest son before reaching down to try and quiet Adam.
"Easy son, just sleep now." Ben soothed by placing his hand to Adam's
forehead to brush away the stray lock of hair that had fallen there.
Abel Stoddard instinctively knew that Ben would need some time alone with
his eldest son. Rising he placed Joe on the floor beside him and took
his hand.
"Lads, I think it's time that we got something to eat." Abel announced
in a hush tone.
"Sounds good to me." Hoss replied rubbing a hand across his broad
stomach.
"Eating, always sounds good to you," Joe mocked his older brother knowing
his penchant for eating. "But first we gotta tell Pa about what happened."
"I already know son, the sheriff told me all about it. He also told
me about your selling exploding cigars young man, which is something we'll
discuss in detail when we get home. Now you go and get something to
eat." Ben instructed; he knew it was well past breakfast and his sons
would need something to eat. He also wanted some private time with Adam.
Little Joe winced involuntarily, he'd forgotten all about the source of
this misery. He definitely was not looking forward to going home anytime
soon.
"Did Sheriff Coffee tell ya about Grandpa decking that miner?" Little
Joe chimed in excitedly as he looked up to his grandfather. He also
hoped he could change the subject back away from himself.
'Grandpa?' Ben mused silently to himself, Abel Stoddard always stood
on formality and was many things; to Adam he was always called 'Grandfather',
or 'Captain', by those who knew him well.
"Yes, Joseph, the sheriff told me all about it." Ben beamed at his
son before turning his bemused expression to the older man who stood beside
him.
Abel Stoddard read the expression upon Ben's face and shrugged, he definitely
preferred the more dignified term of 'Grandfather'.
"Off with ye, ya little scamp. Time for some breakfast, so we can
be back afore your brother awakes." Abel Stoddard declared as he reached
down and swatted his young charge resoundly upon the seat of his pants.
Little Joe yelped at the unexpected slap. Grabbing his backside, he
quickly made his way to the door with Hoss not far behind.
Reaching the doorway, Abel Stoddard turned and saw Ben had returned his
full attention to his oldest son. Pleased that Adam's father was now
here to take charge of his grandson and knowing that Adam was in good hands,
Abel Stoddard quietly shut the door behind him.
**************
The remaining weeks of Abel Stoddard's visit quickly passed. Before
anyone realized, it was time for him to return home. Although all of
the Cartwrights had tried, they were unable to convince the man to stay.
New England was his home, and to his home he was determined to go.
Hoss handed the captain's carpetbag up to the driver of the stagecoach before
turning to address his grandfather.
"Have a safe trip." Hoss offered as he extended his hand. He
felt himself being drawn into a warm embrace and felt tears come to his eyes.
In the last couple of weeks since Adam's injury, he'd really grown fond of
Adam's grandfather.
In an imitation of the stance he had done when he first arrived, Abel Stoddard
bent low to look the youngest Cartwright in the eye.
"Now ye lad, you best be behaving yourself. I've left my cane with
your father with instructions on its use." The older man warned.
Little Joe smiled in response, knowing his grandfather was just joshing
him.
"Bye Grandpa!" Joe exclaimed with tear-filled eyes as he wrapped his
arms around Abel's neck and squeezed tight. He felt Abel hug him back
just as hard, before letting go.
Ben Cartwright smirked as he heard the affectionate term Joe used.
He would never get used to mighty Captain Abel Stoddard being called 'Grandpa'.
Abel Stoddard looked over to Ben and shrugged. Then he drew the man
close for a hug and a hearty slap on the back; it was good to have seen his
son-in-law again.
"You've done Elizabeth proud, my boy." Abel whispered into Ben's ear.
"Thank you." Ben whispered back with tears filling his eyes.
It was the most important compliment that his former mentor could pay him.
Ben motioned for Hoss and Joe to walk with him back to the buckboard, allowing
Adam some privacy with his grandfather.
Adam Cartwright had been standing off to the side of his family, so he could
be nearest to the door of the stagecoach. He really hated to see his
grandfather go, but he understood why he was leaving. New England was
his grandfather's home, just like the Ponderosa was his. Adam bit his
upper lip to try to keep the tears at bay.
Turning to face his grandson and the last link to his beloved daughter,
Abel Stoddard stepped forward and carefully drew Adam to his chest.
Though he wanted to hug his grandson harder, he knew that Adam was still
recovering and the embrace would be too painful.
Standing back, Abel Stoddard grabbed Adam's upper arms and held the young
man at arms distance.
"There, let me get one last look at ye before I go." Captain Stoddard
stated, before breaking into a large smile.
"You're a good lad, and have grown into fine man. I'm quite proud
of ya. You take care of your father and those brothers of ye now, ya
hear?"
Unable to speak, Adam nodded his head. He was definitely going to
miss his grandfather.
"Goodbye, Grandson."
"Goodbye, Grandfather."
Adam could barely watch as his grandfather boarded the morning stage bound
for San Francisco. He knew the journey well; it was the same one he
had taken some years before when he left for college. Adam knew the
next stage of his grandfather's trip would be to catch a clipper ship bound
for the cape, then another, which would take him to the coast of New England,
the place of his birth and the resting place of his mother.
Looking down at the dusty road beneath his feet, Adam slowly began to put
one foot in front of the other as he made his way to the buckboard where his
family awaited him. A sudden sad feeling washed over Adam, when he realized
he'd probably seen his grandfather for the last time. Stopping, Adam
turned back to watch the stagecoach head down the road, then disappear around
a bend and out of sight before stating to no one in particular -
"Safe Journey."
The End
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